old and new

Heavenly Questions – Work and Relationships in Heaven

/ Bob

Will we have work to do in Heaven or will we float around on clouds playing our lyres? I’m figuring that such mental conjurrings are the result of not being able to comprehend Heaven and forcing the brain to conceive of some ethereal existence which is totally contrary to our existence hereon earth. Or perhaps it’s from watching too many Tom and Jerry cartons where Tom dies and immediately floats up to the clouds in hiss glistening, white gown. Either way, we know it ain’t gonna be the same as here and now so then and there must be something really strange. However, work will definitely be a part of Heaven. Furthermore, our personhood and the personhood of those around us – not our ethereal gowns and heavenly banjos – will be a part of what makes Heaven heavenly.

Consider the following reasonings:

– God created a perfect world called the Garden of Eden.

– The New Heaven and the New Earth are called “paradiesos” – Greek for Paradise or garden.

– God will be reconstructing His perfect Garden – Paradise – which we call Heaven.

– When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, they were given work to do.

– We will work in the Garden, that is Paradise, by tending to the Garden, cultivating our new world and enjoying God and all other Paradise residents forever. It won’t be boring and since we will exist outside of time, we won’t even have time to get bored.

‘Nuff said.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 1, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Heaven & Angels: Our Eternal Home and Its Heavenly Hosts. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/heaven-angels-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 06.01.2025 – Heavenly Questions & Lesson 4–Exploring HeavenDownload

Parties, Patches, and Wineskins

/ Bob

Parties, Patches, and Wineskins – Luke 5:33-39

Today we began our study of the parables of Jesus as found in Luke’s Gospel.  Parables are short stories about everyday life that Jesus used to teach about eternal concepts.  In Luke 5 we have a brief look at the attitudes displayed during the Jewish wedding celebration as Jesus taught us about the joy we should experience when the bridegroom is in the house.  Then Jesus uses the the patching of old garments with pieces of fabric from new garments as well as the pouring of new wine into old wineskins to help us see the importance of embracing the new while leaving behind the old.  

We have laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.  (Colossians 3:9-10)   If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)      We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life!  (Romans 6:4)

Instead of recognizing that we are totally new people in Christ, we try to fit Jesus stuff into our old lives.  We try to look at our old lives through Biblical glasses and make our old lives work with a fresh perspective.  We must learn to walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, January 7, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Jesus Storyteller: Timeless Truths from His Parables. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at: https://gc2press.org/jesus-storyteller-luke-study-guide/ .
Handouts with slide content can be requested at:
fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .
Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
X – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
class-notes-01.072024-luke-5.33-39-parties-patches-and-wineskins-1Download