Trinity Lutheran Brillion

In the “Roaring 20s,” times were good. But then came the Great Depression, and in Europe dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini rose to power. The 1950s were a time of general peace and prosperity, but the turbulent 60s saw the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. and a national debate over the war in Vietnam. The prophet Jonah served during the 8th century BC. In the Northern Kingdom of Israel it was a time of stability and prosperity, but as Bob Dylan once put it, the times, they were a-changin’. This week, we’ll examine God’s message through his prophets in the 8th century before Christ. We may find a surprising number of similarities to our own day.

God cares deeply about every lost soul. That’s the great lesson of the book of Jonah. The reluctant prophet needed to learn to care about the people the Lord was calling him to serve. In the same way, we too must be concerned about every lost soul. This week, the book of Jonah teaches us to look beyond the prophet’s less-than-exemplary ministry to that of the Messiah who was to come. Jesus’ life and death beautifully demonstrate unwavering commitment to every lost soul—including our own!

Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet
The story of Jonah is one of those Bible stories everybody knows—or at least, they think they know. But not everyone knows the book of Jonah well. Some have questioned the book’s accuracy. Did Jonah really get swallowed by a whale? Was it a whale, or was it something else? Could we be looking so hard at the great fish that we fail to see the greater lesson? In the next few weeks, we’ll be digging into a very old book with a very contemporary message: God cares for every lost soul. 

Welcome to Theological Ramblings! Each episode is presented by Pastor Ross Henzi, Pastor Thomas Fricke and Principal David Knittel. This episode concentrates on Denominations. Specifically, why are there so many different denominations? Thank you for joining us!

Feminism and the Bible
What are we to make of today’s brand of feminism? The movement began in the late 1800s as the push for women’s suffrage took hold and women began to be more involved in political life. A second wave of feminism hit the scene in the 1960s, when feminists insisted on the same rights to self-fulfillment as men. Now, a third wave, leaning heavily on the philosophy of Karl Marx, portrays women as an oppressed class. It argues that women’s oppression has its roots in biology and that therefore biology must be overcome. But that raises all kinds of questions, not the least of which is, “What does it mean to be a woman?” What does scripture say? This week, we will examine feminism in the light of God’s word.

Feminism began in the late 1800s, as the women’s suffrage movement took hold and
women began to be involved in public and political life. A second wave hit the scene in the 1960s, when feminists demanded the same rights to self-fulfillment as men. A third wave currently leans heavily on the philosophy of Karl Marx and portrays women as an
oppressed class. Since women’s oppression has its roots in biology, the movement argues, biology must be overcome. But that raises all kinds of questions, not the least of which is, “What does it mean to be a woman?” What does scripture say? This week, we will examine feminism in the light of God’s word.

Why is our world in so much chaos and why has the church become so deeply divided
over matters of sex and morality? Rosaria Butterfield boils it down to five lies our 21st
century culture has uncritically embraced. In Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age, Dr.
Butterfield confronts these lies—lies she herself once promoted. Now, having been
converted to Christianity, she writes and talks about what the Bible has to say to
Christians perplexed by the changing standards of today’s world. Like a modern-day
Paul, she has much to say about sin and grace, the beauty of God’s forgiveness, and
life in the Spirit.

We continue our study of the The Rosaria Butterfield story-as unlikely as it is remarkable. A former lesbian activist, she now writes and speaks in support of biblical truth. As our culture grows more hostile to the biblical understanding of what it means to be a man or woman, we’re tempted to compromise with the culture on what God says about sex. Dr. Butterfield talks about what the Bible has to say to Christians struggling with the complexities of today’s world. Like the modern-day Paul, she has much to say about sin and grace, the beauty of God’s forgiveness, and life in the Spirit.

The Rosaria Butterfield story is as unlikely as it is remarkable. A former lesbian activist, she now writes and speaks in support of biblical truth. As our culture grows more hostile to the biblical understanding of what it means to be a man or woman, we’re tempted to reject what God’s word says on sexuality. This week and next, we will hear Rosaria share her journey to Christ and learn a few things about what the Bible has to say to Christians struggling amid the complexities of contemporary culture. Like the apostle Paul, Dr. Butterfield has much to say about sin and grace, the beauty of God’s
forgiveness, and life in the Spirit.

This week the discussion was about a lot of different topics surrounding Christmas. Tune in to check out what the bible study group talked about as they prepare for the birth of baby Jesus.