Ready for Real Life Bible Study Series - A Lenten Study of Luke

This 5-lesson study guide goes along with the Lent 2008 sermon series: "Ready for Real Life".

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The study guide is available as a PDF file, which you can download and print.

Study Introduction: Ready for Real Life
A Lenten Study of Luke

God is real. So real life is lived in light of God and eternity. In the teachings of Jesus in Luke, it is clear that life can be lived badly, with grave consequences for us and for others. How do we get ready for real life? What are the requirements, the expectations? Being ready is not just a matter of being right with God in some abstract way, but in being right with others in very practical ways. God calls us to love the people He loves.

This Lenten series addresses the basic life issues that characterize us as ready servants of God, living in God's kingdom. These basics describe life lived well. They all bring promises of God's blessing, but all come with warnings, too.

To prepare your heart and mind for the Lenten sermon series and to familiarize yourself with the context of the sermon texts, read the Gospel of Luke through, at least once, and if possible, in one sitting. You want to read to get an overview, not to try and absorb all the details.

In each week's text, take note of how Jesus acted and interacted with people. What did His actions reveal about His feelings toward people? With whom did He speak and about what? What questions did He ask?

The Gospel of Luke contains four great hymns of praise which have often been set to music and used in prayer books down through the ages:

• Magnificat 1:46-55
• Benedictus 1:6-79
• Gloria in Excelsis 2:14
• Nunc Dimittis 2:29-32

As you work through these Lenten studies, you may enjoy praying these hymns or finding them in a hymnal and singing them as part of your personal (or small group) worship time.

See also:

• NV: Are You Ready?
• Sermon Series: "Ready for Real Life"

These study materials written by Joyce Sackett.
They are meant to be freely used, but please contact us if you would like
to distribute them from somewhere other than our website.
© 2008, Joyce Sackett
c/o Central Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD 21204 410/823-6145
www.centralpc.org