Kristina Lunde

The Lord is my strength and my song.
Psalm 118:14a

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March 31, 2022 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

Ten Leprous Men and Their Walk of Faith

Our Wednesday night children’s lesson, taken from Luke 17:11-19, focused on Jesus healing the ten men with leprosy. Pastor David told the Bible lesson in his casual interactive style, involving kids in acting out the story. Adult volunteers didn’t usually get a character assignment for the drama, but this time everyone joined in. Portraying the leprous men, adults and kids cried out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Pastor, acting out the part of Jesus, answered, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And then we started walking . . .

How many times had I heard this Bible story?! Children’s lessons often focused on the one man who came back to say thank you for the miracle. Other presentations pointed out the grateful man’s nationality as Samaritan, people rejected by the Jews as outcast half-breeds. Samaritans who received healing and demonstrated faith in Jesus challenged Jewish expectations of the Messiah. Again and again, Jesus the Messiah healed, taught, and expanded people’s understanding of His power and purpose. And this Gospel account still does that today, if we open our hearts to Jesus’ teaching in His Word.

As a people freed from slavery and learning to become God’s nation, the Israelites received instructions in Leviticus for their safety, health, and relationship to God. In addition to butchers, interpreters of the law, and sacrifice intermediaries, the Levite priests became experts on infectious diseases. Detailed dermatology lessons (Leviticus 13:1-46) helped priests examine and pronounce the afflicted person as unclean (e.g. spreading rashes, raw flesh—what we call contagious) or clean (e.g. baldness, a healed rash). Leviticus chapter 13 taught priests when to isolate and re-examine, while the next chapter (Leviticus 14:1-32) described ceremonial cleansing procedures for people declared clean. As recorded thousands of years ago, God gave instructions to keep the Israelites from spreading disease, long before our science-based infection control procedures (e.g. gloves, lab tests, microscopes—even basics like soap and running water).

Ten men with infectious skin disease, translated as leprosy in most Bible versions, stood at a distance, as dictated in Leviticus. Rather than the obligatory cry of “Unclean! Unclean,” these men called out to Jesus for mercy. In compliance with the levitical code, Jesus sent them to the priests. He never pronounced them healed, but the directive to show themselves to the priests meant that their healing would be confirmed.

As we walked around the room acting out the biblical drama, this passage became an object lesson for me. Trying to insert myself into that their walk of faith, I thought of the march to the temple. How long do we have to walk? Are these lumps, ulcers, and discolorations disappearing? Does my back/foot/hand/head look better yet? My self-examination might last the entire trip!

That walk required faith from the ten leprous men—faith that Jesus healed them. Jesus supported the priest’s authority to distinguish clean from unclean and to validate the miracle. No matter what evidence of healing the men observed during their journey, they walked in obedience to Jesus’ command. By faith, the ten men believed that their presentation to the priest would result in a clean examination. And by faith, the healed Samaritan man returned to give thanks to His Savior.

Lord God, please forgive me for my arrogance in thinking I cannot learn anything new from a familiar Bible passage. Thank you for the example of the ten men with leprosy, especially their walk of faith and obedience to your command. Please help me to believe and act on the truth of God’s Word, even when the journey is long and my faith is weak. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[Originally posted February 2022]

Filed Under: Trust Tagged With: Bible study, faith, leprosy, obedience, trust, walk of faith

July 31, 2017 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

The Book of Esther: A Plot Review

Esther—a book, a legacy,
Portrays irony in tragedy
As beauty and loyalty
Meet mystery and royalty.

As the tale ensues,
Themes abound in twos.
Starting with Esther the teen
Replacing Vashti as queen.

Joining Esther and Uncle Mordecai
Is Haman, the evil guy
There’s Xerxes the king
Who enjoys his feasting.

While sots hatch their plots
For trickery and treachery,
Averted coups
Become harem news.

With boasts and toasts
As bragging plans a hanging,
Pride and greed
Lead to intrigue.

The gallows foreshadow
A battle that follows.
When good conquers evil,
Self-promotion becomes surprise demotion.

Bad loses to good
While the role of servanthood,
Surpasses earthly laud
And hangs a false god.

Patience and obedience
Conquer vengeance and arrogance.
Servility and humility
Win over disloyalty and idolatry.

No mention of God
Within the entire book,
But His sovereign touch is evident
Just take a look.

[This excerpt is from the upcoming video Bible study series, Bible on the Bluff: Hearing God’s Voice, Ezra–Song of Solomon.]

Filed Under: Bible on the Bluff Tagged With: Bible study

September 28, 2015 by Kristina Lunde 1,041 Comments

College Bible Study Ideas

Dear Mikayla,

I wanted to get back to you after your question about a Bible study that you could do at college. Given the standard college budget of zero, there are many things you can do on your own.

Here are some ideas for you as you start a Bible study at college:

  1. Find a quiet place to meet. Wait – you live in a college dorm. . .
  2. Ask God to guide you as to who you invite. Encourage participants to bring their Bibles. Different versions of the Bible will give perspective and spark discussions. I like to use “smart Bibles,” as I call the study, devotion, and/or reference Bibles that have notes on culture, geography, cross references, and other information.
  3. Pray before you start, both personally and as a group. You can pray God’s Word right back to Him, for example:

Dear Lord, please open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes (Psalm 119:18, 125 NIV.) In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  1. Stick with the Bible. God says in Isaiah 55:11 that His Word will not return to Him empty, and it will accomplish His desires and purposes. God’s Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12.) Let God guide the study and He will fulfill your desire to grow and understand His Word.
  2. Select a passage or chapter and discuss the who, when, where, what, why, and how questions. Who wrote it? When and where was it written? (Smart Bibles help answer those questions.) What does it say? What do I get out of it?

Why was it written?

How do I apply this to my life?

  1. You may go off topic – and have the best discussion ever. Or, you may need to reign it in and encourage the group to agree to disagree. Your participants will appreciate a consistent starting and ending time.
  2. Always close with prayer to focus the group on God.

Other ideas:

Check out campus organizations (e.g. your local campus chapel, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade for Christ, etc.) for Bible study ideas and resources.

Here are other questions to use in a Bible study:

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/5-questions-ask-when-reading-bible/  by Steven Lawson

https://bible.org/seriespage/four-steps-inductive-bible-study by Melanie Newton

My Bible on the Bluff video study is something you can do without buying the associated study guide. Warning: the video settings may make you homesick.

Thank you for honoring me with your question. May God bless you incredibly as you dig into His Word.

Love to you at school from our family.

[Originally posted January 2015]

Filed Under: Letter Tagged With: Bible study, college, letter

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