Term 3 is almost here! Join us for Bible courses.

Half the year is over! It is time now to think about which Bible course you would like to attend in the coming term. This newsletter gives an outline of the activities at the Dandenong Bible Education Centre in term 3. Don’t forget to turn the page to read more!

The story of the early church

As told in the Acts of the Apostles
Mondays 10.30am, beginning 12 July

The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the early church and the spread of the gospel around the Roman empire. We read Peter’s amazing speeches in Jerusalem, and learn of Paul’s remarkable conversion on the road to Damascus followed by his courageous missionary journeys. We discover the difficulties encountered as Christianity spread to people of different nations, and the strong opposition that the believers encountered. We read of Paul’s remarkable escape from shipwreck and snakebite.

During this period, Paul was writing letters to the churches he had started. We will look at where the letters fit in, and see how the book of Acts can help us understand the context of the letters. We will also find that the letters provide us with deeper understanding of the events in Acts.

Throughout Acts, the apostles are preaching the gospel. So we will discover the core of the gospel message and learn what the apostles thought were the most important doctrines.

Course Details:

Level: Intermediate
Length: Approximately 8 weeks
Starts: Monday July 12
Time: 10:30am

The New Life Class

July 4 – Quiz morning
July 11 – Getting through your day with God
July 18 – Hearing the voice of God
July 25 – If salvation is by grace, why do I need to be good?

Are we really living in ‘the last days’?

This 4-week course is an examination of some Bible prophecies about the end of the world. There will be plenty of time to discuss Bible passages that speak of the time before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There will also be time to ask questions.

Mondays 8:00pm – 9:30pm
July 19 & 26 and August 2 & 9

Happy Faces Playgroup

For pre-schoolers (newborn to 5 y.o.) and their parents! Have lots of fun, free play, snack time, music and movement, singing and Bible stories. There’s plenty of time for Mums, Dads, Grandparents and Carers to chat, and for older children to do a craft activity. Enjoy a relaxed, happy atmosphere, with morning tea included.

Pre-registration required. Phone 97911699 or email happyfaces@dandenongbec.org.au

Wednesdays 10:30am – 12:30pm
July 14 – September 15

Ladies’ Bible Study

Come with us as we look into the gospels and see how the parables of Jesus apply to us today. Join other women and share their passion for the Bible.

Intermediate – for those familiar with their Bible
Thursdays 10:30am – 12:00 noon
July 22 – September 16

New Life Classes

These classes look at a different aspect of Bible teaching each week, and are suitable for adults and teenagers. There is no need to enrol in these classes — just come along and join in. Topics are in the monthly newsletter, which is posted in the shop window each month. Come early for a hot drink or stay afterwards and join us for lunch.

Sundays 11:30am – 12:30pm

Bible Explorers for Kids

We invite primary school aged children to come to Sunday School and explore the Bible with us in a fun and interesting way. All children are welcome. Feel free to come with your child for a trial lesson. Parents are welcome to stay onsite in our “New Life” class, which runs at the same time.

Pre-registration required.

Sundays 11:30am – 12:30pm

Advanced Bible Study Class

Would you like to spend time with a group of enthusiastic people who love to read the Bible? Join us as we read the Scriptures, search out answers, follow topics of interest, ask questions that might be puzzling us, and delve deeper into God’s Word.

July 14 – Rescued – the power of good
July 28 – How the Bible came to us
Aug 11 – Israel: whose land is it?
Aug 25 – Genealogies in the Bible
Sept 8 – Righteous Gentiles
Sept 22 – The importance of the Dead Sea scrolls

Advanced – you’ve read the Bible for several years
Alternate Wednesdays 8:00pm – 9:30pm

Correspondence Bible Study

If you would find it hard to get to a class, you might be enthusiastic about doing a correspondence Bible course. The course will cover important Bible teachings and help you find out more about God, his plan and his book the Bible. A personal tutor will correspond with you. You can choose to study by mail, email or come in to the Centre.

The Gospel in a Day

What does the word ‘gospel’ mean? What is the gospel all about? How does that apply to me in 2010? Enjoy this day seminar, including sharing lunch together, and learn more.

Full details, including times, will be in the monthly newsletter and posted on the shop window closer to the time.

Sunday September 5

Daily Bible Readings

Join others who enjoy reading and discussing the Bible in an informal atmosphere.

Monday – Friday 12:45pm

Events at a glance

Monday 10:30am – The story of the early church
Monday 8:00pm – Are we living in the last days?
Wednesday 10:30am – Happy Faces Playgroup
Wednesday 8:00pm – Advanced Bible study
Thursday 10:30am – Ladies’ Bible study
Sunday 11:30am – New Life Class
Sunday 11:30am – Bible Explorers (4-12 y.o.)
Mon to Fri 12:45pm – Bible readings
Sunday Sept 5 – The Gospel in a day

Parking...

Parking on busy Foster St is probably not the safest option. Try parking in Thomas St between Foster St and Princes Highway. There is normally free 1 hour and 2 hour parking just a little walk away from our centre. Please note that the parking on Thomas St on the north side of Foster St is meter parking. We are also walking distance from the railway station.

New range of Sunday School materials now available for sale!

The Dandenong Bible Education Centre now has a new range of Sunday School materials available for sale. There are books to guide the teacher in preparing lessons, as well as activity sheets for the children. Colouring books covering the Bible lessons are also available at a reasonable price for those children who love to colour in. Project books expand on the materials available for weekly classes, and there is even a CD of songs, together with a small book of the words, for the young classes. Materials range from simple activities for the 4-7 year olds, through to books suitable for teenagers. If you teach Sunday School, come and have a look.

Rejoicing at a baptism

It was with great joy that many people witnessed the baptism of Heidi. After studying the Bible for quite a while Heidi decided that baptism was essential for her salvation. As she wishes to be saved, she asked to be baptised. The smile on her face showed the happiness which she felt and was shared by all present, and the angels in heaven!

Do you want to know more about baptism? The topic for the New Life Class on June 20 is “Do you have to be baptised to be saved?”.

The New Life class

Each Sunday from 11.30-12.30 we hold a class covering a variety of Bible topics. All who attend are invited to stay to share lunch with us. God willing, the topics for June will be:

June 6 – Is Jesus God?
June 13 – Christian living: Being angry
June 20 – Do you have to be baptised to be saved?
June 27 – Christian living: Citizenship and the Christian

“Jesus” videos in many languages

We now have a new range of videos in the lending library. The “Jesus” video is a 2 hour long enactment of the life of Jesus. Filmed in Israel, this video takes the viewer back to the time of Jesus showing what many of the events in his life may have been like. Learn about the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus by watching this video.

“Jesus” is available in the lending library in about 40 languages. If you have a friend who struggles to understand English tell them about this! Languages include Arabic, Albanian, Cantonese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Malay, Singhalese, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Polish and Vietnamese (and many more!).

If you are not already a member of the lending library, the once-off joining fee is only $5.

Did you know?

... that the book of Esther doesn’t mention “God” at all! It is, however, about God’s people, the Jews, and Esther is a godly woman.

God’s Offer to Mankind

The Bible says that God wants men and women to be in His Kingdom. He doesn’t make it difficult, or put problems in our way. He wants us to be there.

The Kingdom of God is not an exclusive club for “Members Only”. It is God’s good pleasure to give people a new and better life on earth. When Jesus rules as King, the world will become a really wonderful place – a world free from sorrow and pain. He foretold a time when the earth will be filled with the glory of God, where people (and animals) live together in harmony. The Bible is full of pictures like:

• a King who reigns in righteousness;
• people who rejoice at all that God provides;
• the earth teeming with plenty;
• justice and righteousness abounding;
• everyone being at peace.

Want it?

Ask yourself if those things really appeal to you. Do you want to live for ever in a world whose inhabitants are at peace with God? Do you want a life where violence, cheating, selfishness, ruthless competition and exploitation not only belong to the past, but are not even remembered? Or would you find that sort of life utterly boring and tedious, as some people might? If you do want a better world and really want to live in harmony with the God who can make all this happen, you are already halfway there. For wanting it is the first step. Whilst the Old Testament spends a lot of time explaining what the Kingdom of God will be like, the Lord Jesus concentrated much of his teaching on explaining what sort of people we need to be if we are to inhabit God’s kingdom. Many of his parables start with the words “The kingdom of God is like...” and go on to describe characteristics we need to develop, with God’s help. Jesus once told a parable about a man who stumbled across hidden treasure and proceeded to sell everything he had to get his hands on it. That’s the sort of desire we need if we are to get our lives right with God: a willingness to put first things first. If we do that, God will see that we are provided for. Remember that Jesus said:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow...” (Matthew 6:33,34).

The Bible is given to help us become the sort of people God wants us to be. It is unlike any other book because it comes from God and contains His message of salvation. This is a message that can change your life if you want it to. Read it regularly, prayerfully and carefully, and you will find God’s offer of salvation. The promises God has made can redirect your life and help you to seek the Kingdom of God as your first and foremost aim in life. This is what the apostle Peter once said:

“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3,4).

Let the Bible inform you and transform you by reading it every day and learning more about what God wants. It will give you sound reasons why you can believe what God has promised, for we are not asked to make ‘a leap in the dark’ but to reason out of the Scriptures and then live by faith or belief in God.

Turn around

God wants us to change direction and to stop living selfish and self-serving lives. We are asked to repent and that means turning our lives around to try to please God in the things that we do. The Bible contains many accounts of people who did that, with God’s help. One man was a persecutor of Christians but he became a committed follower; others were fishermen who abandoned everything to follow Jesus. There were prominent officials who lost their high office to follow him, and people who lost their lives for his sake. These details are given to show us what God asks us to do in turning the direction of our lives towards Him. It’s something we will never regret.

The apostle Paul once challenged men and women in Athens to face up to this reality in these words:

“God ... now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30,31).

A lot of Paul’s listeners turned away, back to their previous beliefs – worshipping things instead of the living God. But some believed and ordered their lives accordingly. Even in the Greek city of Corinth, which was a notoriously immoral place at the time, we are told that: “... many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8).

Sensible people in all ages have listened to what God has to say and have then acted accordingly. Fortunately there is still time to learn about God’s purpose and to do something about it, but time is running out.

This article is taken from the Glad Tidings magazine pictured above (in the PDF file)