Bible Study Recap - October 1

📖 Bible Study Recap – October 1

Matthew 14–15: Grace that Provides, Heals, and Transforms

On October 1, our Bible Study at Jason Lee Memorial UMC focused on Matthew chapters 14 and 15, continuing our journey through the Gospels with a lens of grace.

Key Highlights:

• Grace that Provides: In the feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000, Jesus took what seemed insufficient and turned it into abundance, showing us that in His hands, “not enough” becomes more than enough.
• Grace in Weakness: When Peter faltered while walking on water, Jesus reached out and lifted him up—reminding us that grace rescues us when our faith is shaky.
• Grace over Tradition: Jesus taught that true purity comes from the heart, not just external rituals, emphasizing transformation from within.
• Grace without Borders: In healing the Canaanite woman’s daughter and feeding the multitudes in Gentile territory, Jesus revealed that God’s table is wide, with room for everyone.

Activities:

• We had a Bible Quiz to review what we’ve been learning together.
• We played an online interactive game filling in the gaps with the correct words from Jesus’s parables—it was a fun way to engage Scripture while learning together!

Teaching Moment: Means of Grace

Pastor Marvel shared a teaching on the Means of Grace in the Wesleyan tradition:

• Works of Piety – prayer, searching the Scriptures, worship, fasting, and celebrating the sacraments.
• Works of Mercy – serving the poor, visiting the sick and imprisoned, seeking justice, and practicing compassion.

Through these practices, God’s grace is not earned but freely given and experienced in tangible ways. The Means of Grace are ways we open ourselves to God’s transforming love, both personally and in community.

Living It Out at Jason Lee Memorial UMC

Our church has been embodying these Means of Grace in everyday ministry:

• Holy Communion as a sacrament of God’s love.
• Serving the community with food, clothing, and care.
• Providing a safe space of worship for all people.
• Offering free language courses (English, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese) as a bridge of grace.
• Fellowship and inclusive practices where everyone is welcomed.
• Bible Studies that nurture our faith and understanding.

Discussion Reflections:

• Where in our lives do we need to trust God with our “not enough”?
• How have we experienced Jesus’ grace when our faith faltered?
• In what ways are we called to extend God’s abundant grace across boundaries?

Closing Thought:

God’s grace meets us in our fear, weakness, and hunger—and extends far beyond the boundaries we create. We are called not only to receive this grace but also to share it generously with others.

Rev. Marvel Souza 

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