New Testament Characters
1/5
()
About this ebook
- A throwaway woman
- A blind beggar
- A prison guard
- A doubting disciple
- An elderly coupleThey were ordinary people. Some were never even mentioned by name. Yet they were all touched by Jesus. In this ten-session LifeGuide® Bible Study, Carolyn Nystrom introduces you to the fascinating men and women of the New Testament. As you enter into their stories, you'll discover how you too can be touched by the Savior. This revised LifeGuide Bible Study features additional questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection, together with expanded leader's notes and a "Now or Later" section in each study. PDF download with a single-user license; available from InterVarsity Press and other resellers. For over three decades LifeGuide Bible Studies have provided solid biblical content and raised thought-provoking questions—making for a one-of-a-kind Bible study experience for individuals and groups. This series has more than 130 titles on Old and New Testament books, character studies, and topical studies.
Carolyn Nystrom
Carolyn Nystrom is a writer living in St. Charles, Illinois, who has authored more than fifty books and Bible study guides.
Read more from Carolyn Nystrom
God's Will: Finding Guidance for Everyday Decisions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51 & 2 Peter and Jude Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRomans: Encountering the Gospel's Power Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Is the Reformation Over?: An Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Abiding in Christ Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChristian Leadership Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNever Beyond Hope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to New Testament Characters
Related ebooks
Paul: His Life and Teaching Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNever Beyond Hope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJoseph: How God Builds Character Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1 & 2 Thessalonians: How Can I Be Sure? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChristian Community Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Growing Older & Wiser Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Women of the New Testament Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLoving Justice Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Galatians: Why God Accepts Us Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDepending on Jesus: Discovering the Sufficiency of Christ Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsActs 13–28: Part 2: God's Power at the Ends of the Earth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFollowing Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wiersbe Bible Study Series: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: Living in Light of Christ's Return Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Revelation: The Triumph of God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1 & 2 Thessalonians: Living in the End Times Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Strong and Weak Bible Study Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Next Worship Bible Study Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat You Need to Know About Bible Prophecy in 12 Lessons: The What You Need to Know Study Guide Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heroes of Faith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51 Corinthians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGood News About Injustice Bible Study Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1 & 2 Timothy and Titus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Colossians: Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Jeremiah: Taking a Stand for the Truth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Genesis 25-50: Exhibiting Real Faith in the Real World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Heaven: Finding Our True Home Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Judges: Returning to God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWoman of God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJesus' Final Week Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5NIV, Holy Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for New Testament Characters
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
New Testament Characters - Carolyn Nystrom
1
Anna & Simeon
Growing Old with God
Luke 2:21-40
My friend, a photographer, displays a favorite photograph in his studio. It is not a cute child or a beautiful young woman. Instead he captured beauty in a place few people think to look. His photo shows an ancient woman, wrinkled, toothless—in a full, belly-shaking laugh.
Proverbs 31, in its litany of womanly virtues, startles us by sticking into verse 25 She can laugh at the days to come.
Most people shrink from old age. But some welcome it with confidence and joy.
GROUP DISCUSSION. What do you want to be like when you are old?
PERSONAL REFLECTION. What qualities have you admired in people who are old? What qualities do you hope to avoid as you become aged yourself?
When Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple at the age of forty days, they encountered two aged people: Simeon and Anna. Both had lived long and well with God. Read Luke 2:21-40.
1. If you had been a bystander observing these events, what would have impressed you? Why?
2. Why did Jesus and his family go to Jerusalem (vv. 23-24)?
3. In what ways was Simeon already prepared to meet Jesus (vv. 25-27)?
4. What did Simeon know about the past and the future (vv. 29-35)?
5. Why did Simeon feel that he was ready for God to dismiss him from this life (vv. 26, 29)?
6. What would you like to see happen so that you could say at the end of your life, Lord, now dismiss your servant in peace
?
7. Focus on verses 36-40. Why might you say that Anna’s life was difficult but fulfilling?
8. How did God use Anna?
9. How did the next stage of Christ’s life prepare him to do and be what Anna and Simeon had predicted (vv. 39-40)?
10. What do you admire about the aged characters in this story?
11. What could you do now to prepare for an old age that is at peace with God?
Pray, thanking God for an older person who has been an example to you of aging gracefully with God.
Now or Later
Visit a nursing home. (If you have a friend or family member there, all the better.) Your visit could have two goals. First, as you walk through the hallways and common rooms, silently pray for one person after another. If it seems appropriate, stop and speak to several, touching a hand or an arm with encouragement.
Second, consciously look for small examples that you would like to emulate as you grow old: perhaps a tastefully decorated room with reminders of family, a smile, a word of thanks, patience with disability, a statement of trust in God, a gesture of kindness, a sparkle of humor. Begin now to cultivate the person you want to become as you grow old with