Parables of Jesus

If you were to ask in almost any setting what people know about Jesus, I can almost guarantee that one thing that will come up is that He was a great teacher. We can see this first hand from comments such as: "No one ever spoke like this man!" from John 7:46 or from the fact that 2000 years after Jesus taught we still have millions of people who are plumbing the depths of the simple truths that He shared. His original hearers said that He spoke 'as One who had authority, and not like...
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If you were to ask in almost any setting what people know about Jesus, I can almost guarantee that one thing that will come up is that He was a great teacher. We can see this first hand from comments such as: "No one ever spoke like this man!" from John 7:46 or from the fact that 2000 years after Jesus taught we still have millions of people who are plumbing the depths of the simple truths that He shared. His original hearers said that He spoke 'as One who had authority, and not like the scribes and the Pharisees'. It appears to me that He had the ability to get really deep without getting really heavy. There was substance in everything He said and it carried the weight of authority. This is not surprising as Jesus Himself said: "For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken" (John 12:49).One of the major ways Jesus taught was with the use of Parables, in this group study guide we are going to take a closer look at some of Jesus' parable and see what we can learn about ourselves from this master story teller.What people are saying about the seriesGraham needed some 'famous' friends to write something about his latest book...well I'm not famous and I'm also a rubbish friend as I've only spoke with Graham twice in the last 12 months! That said I do know Graham and I know his heart is to make the Word of God accessible to ordinary people just like you and me, and in this book I believe he has achieved that! Now when a Bible study book starts in the first chapter with an icebreaker that asks, 'If you could punch one person in the room who would it be and why?' It makes one's religious eyebrows significantly rise! But here's the thing, this book is not just another religious book informing you of more Bible verses and their complex original meaning in Hebrew or Greek, it's a book for ordinary people who want an extraordinary relationship with God. The book's style, content and reflective questions are designed to get you both comfortable with the God of Jonah (and the rest of us on the planet) and at the same time challenge you to the core, so that there's nothing you can do but surrender yourself to him for divine character surgery. I found this book on Jonah consisting of six Bible Studies designed for individual or small group use really good, of course it was biblically informing in its nature, but if you have an open heart it will also be transforming...enjoy! Bottom line (here's my reputation on the line) would I personally buy the book? Yes! And would I use it for small group study in my church? Yes! And what's more I can't wait to do so! Richard Pidgley is the author of the book Seriously Rich and a pastor based in Birmingham, he has ministered in Assemblies of God churches for over 30 years. Amazon Reviews Accessible style with good teaching content - Another thought provoking small group study from the series "Bible Study for the Rest of Us". Liked how he asks questions that dig deeper into what are often familiar verses. Accessible style with some fun ice breakers.Excellent Bible Study - Challenging but also understandable - a great bible study - my group loved it Great bible study - At last a Bible study that doesn't ask the same questions over and over. We are having lots of great conversations from this book.Refreshing and inspiring - Our small group has worked through a number of books by Graham Hill. They are honest, thought provoking and insightful. The discussions we have had from the study questions have allowed our group to connect better with each other and given us stuff which we can actually apply to everyday life. Would highly recommend.Definite thumbs up! - Great study book! It comes from a different angle to most material out there. The questions provoke meaningful discussion and have really challenged us on how to apply biblical principles to our daily lives.