Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the Old Testament prophets Hosea and Joel, and Psalms 52 to 65.

What does God want most from people? Some parts of the Bible make it look like religious practice is the most important thing, while others make following rules in the rest of life seem vital over everything else.

But when God spoke through prophets about how life had been going with this, a couple of things emerged. For one, there were repeating patterns of failure, resulting in people suffering and injustice thriving. The other was maybe more surprising - that God’s promise of hope to remedy this was a revelation of what he really wanted most - relationships in which he would be properly known, and his heart shared, making justice, transformation and healing possible.

Working out how to make sense of the Bible, especially prophecy, can be tricky. Can we do it on our own, or can we only do it within relationships? We’d love to encourage you to make time to listen to God and pray through whatever you find grabs your attention here, and chat about it with people. We’re very open to this at church, so get in touch if you would like to!

In next part of our boxset, we’ll look at more of the prophets, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, as well as Psalms 66 to 72. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about wisdom in the Old Testament including Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and Proverbs chapters 19 to 26.

Is the Bible an instruction book? It seems vital to review this before considering the wisdom literature, because that will shape our view on the role of what is written there. If the Bible is more of a conversation than a code to decipher, we can look at the role of these books in that conversation instead of trying to work out simplistic solutions to apparent conflicts between instructions.

Ecclesiastes has a lot to say about how we find meaning and value in life, and how we might limit our expectations for finding fulfilment in some things we chase a lot. If that sounds discouraging, can the encouragement that’s offered in this book help to reset our compasses for navigating life?

Song of Songs also offers encouragement, affirmation of value and purpose, and a passionate celebration of love. Is there a more powerful force in creation? And in the conversations we have about love and law in the Bible, and in life, can we possibly understand love through the lens of law, or can we only understand law through the lens of love?

In next part of our boxset, we’ll look at what the prophets Hosea and Joel had to say, along with Psalms 52 to 65. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the end of Matthew’s gospel, chapters 21 to 28, as well as Paul’s letters to the Galatians and Ephesians.

The gospel story of Jesus reveals a lot about what God really wants for people and the misunderstandings which arise when people think this is all about religion, ceremonies, sacrifices or following a set of rules. People who sincerely believed they were following God in Jesus’ time ended up opposing him with murderous force.

Is this a lesson we’ve taken to heart today, or can we end up making the same mistakes?

Is it too simplistic to say that love needs to be, and can become, the defining principle that God installs in our hearts to change everything? Or is that the central message in the gospel and Paul’s letters about putting faith in Jesus into practice?

In next part of our boxset, we’ll look at wisdom in the Old Testament including Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and Proverbs chapters 19 to 26. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about Matthew’s gospel, chapters 1 to 20.

This seems written to introduce Jesus as part of his Jewish family, with a special place and purpose as a descendant of King David. Israel in Jesus’ time was divided over how to solve the problems of Roman occupation and see the kingdom of God restore the quality of life they longed for. Matthew seems to describe Jesus in ways that would remind Jewish people of Moses and show that he has the power to unite them, as well as bring God’s kingdom into their world in unexpected ways.

But what would it take to follow Jesus and gain the life he promised? What does this mean for us today?

Bern and Owen consider Jesus’ encouragement, “You are the light of the world,” and who Jesus pointed to as role models. This wasn’t to religious people or those who thought they had worked out what God wanted already, but to children who would be willing and able to learn.

Do we really aspire to be like this? Do we know how much capacity we have to change our minds, or do we try not to? What would it take to reveal our true potential to live differently and realise what God has made us to be?

In next part of our boxset, we’ll finish Matthew’s gospel and look at Paul’s letters to the Galatians and Ephesians. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about 2 Samuel chapters 11 to 24 and Psalms 42 to 51.

After the rise of King David came corruption which affected him, the community around him, and his family. We can only guess what was in his mind when he acted on his desire for another man’s wife, but we can see what was in his heart after being called out by the prophet Nathan.

David’s mixture of feelings and his meeting with God was recorded in Psalm 51. Bern and Owen wonder how much of this pointed to David’s need for more from God, and God’s plan to offer more than religion and ritual sacrifices ever could.

Ultimately, God’s promise to build David a house would be fulfilled, and we’ll look at that in next part of our boxset - Matthew’s gospel, chapters 1 to 20. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about 1 Samuel chapter 21 through to 2 Samuel chapter 10.

The rise of King David is inspiring, like a hero story, although with some tragic twists to come. David’s initial struggles don’t just show his character as he hopes and trusts in God, but he meets creatively with God and ends up expressing all kinds of relatable conflict through the poetry and songs of the Psalms.

This made Bern and Owen reflect on their chances to be creative, what attracted them to Vineyard as a church movement, and how creativity with God is working out for them. It’s not all about music and creative arts, but the creativity needed to build relationships and be parents. Can we learn about doing this well through David’s vulnerability and honesty, as well as his creative expressions of joy, hope, pain and longing in life?

David was blessed by God with success and, at the peak of his achievements, he offered to build God a house. In one of the Bible’s most significant twists, God then offered to build David a house - not a temple, but a family line which would be the backbone of the Jewish nation, but also lead to a saviour and fulfilment of God’s promise to make his people a light to the world.

The next part of our boxset will look at the rest of 2 Samuel as well as Psalms 42 to 51. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the first book of Samuel, chapters 1 to 20.

What sort of kingdom did God want to build, and how was this shown when it worked well, and not so well?

The rules had been set about who was meant to do what, but Samuel was a surprising addition to the line of priests who would mediate between people and God. Born of faith and dedicated in faithfulness, Samuel listened and was responsive to God, so under his leadership, people could know what God’s leadership was like.

In contrast, Israel’s next leader was a strong man, loved for his appearance and for getting things done, but more likely to do things his own way than God’s way.

What can we learn from these people? Who do we really want to be our leaders, and how do we want to live in God’s kingdom ourselves?

The next part of our boxset will look at the rest of 1 Samuel as well as 2 Samuel chapters 1 to 10. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the books of Ruth and Esther, as well as Proverbs chapters 10 to 18.

What does it mean to be Jewish, or part of any meaningful group? The stories of Ruth and Esther are perspectives on this, both celebrated for what they can show us about faith, courage, loss and redemption, but differing in emphasis and perhaps what people might conclude from them.

Esther’s story was shared when Jewish people were scattered across the ancient world and needed reminding and encouraging about their shared identity and specialness. Others posed threats to their existence, but they could still prevail and thrive as a people, and remember this in the annual celebration of Purim.

Ruth’s story has a different perspective on the role of outsiders, demonstrating how a foreigner who shared the Jewish values of loyalty and love could find themselves grafted into the family tree. What happened with Ruth would lead to descendants King David, who would show what closeness to God looked like in worship, and Jesus, who would bring God’s kingdom close enough for everyone to grasp.

Can engaging with these stories, along with the Proverbs, highlight where we might be struggling with fear, loss or division between people, and encourage us to seek God’s perspective?

The next part of our boxset will look at the book 1 Samuel, chapters 1 to 20. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.