Author: David Ellis

Don: It is odd that a book that Christians affirm has the answers to life discusses and elaborates on many “mysteries.” It confirms my thesis that the bible is more a book of questions than answers. In the New Testament, the issue of mystery is raised over and over again, first by Jesus and then…

Don: The need to clear up the mystery of the truth about god seems to be part of human nature. What is it that we really wish to know? What is that we should know? …Can know? …Must know? We’ve seen that the truth about god and about the kingdom of heaven is a timeless…

Don: Over the course of several weeks, we have touched upon three passages that might help us understand a bit more about the concept underlying the seed parables. Today we will study them as a group, to try to put them in perspective and see if they help us better relate the three seed parables…

The third of three parables in Matthew 13 is the Parable of the Mustard Seed. As with the other parables, we will examine it to see if it can offer any insights, themes, or ideas into the truth about god. This is the one parable of the three which Jesus does not explain to the…

Don: The first principle of seed derives directly from a passage in Genesis 1, which I will take from the KJV because it contains a critical piece of information concerning seed as it is seen throughout the scriptures. Indeed, scripture is replete with the metaphor of seed as the Word of god, the Truth of…

Jay began the meeting by noting that the untimely death of our classmate Harry was bound to have us struggling a bit today. He noted that Harry taught us several spiritual lessons: First, was that an historical perspective on the bible could intensify its meanings; Second was his insistence that we sometimes conflate capital-T Truth…

Jay told us the tragic news that Harry had suffered a stroke and was in an induced coma at the University of Michigan Hospital. As of the time of this transcript, he was declared nearly brain-dead and was being taken off life support. May God’s grace speed a good man to the better place he…

Don: Today we will examine more closely the central part of the Parable of the Sower. It begins, you recall, with Jesus addressing “the multitude,” a crowd that had assembled on the beach hoping to hear him preach. He told them the parable, and then the scripture recounts a very important transition as Jesus, leaving…

Don: Jack Nicholson’s character Colonel Jessep had the following heated exchange with defense attorney Lt. Kaffee (Tom Cruise) in the movie “A Few Good Men.” It marked the climax, the denouement, of the entire move: Kaffee: *Colonel Jessep, did you order the Code Red?* Judge Randolph: You don’t have to answer that question! Col. Jessep:…