G-d’s service, my service – עבודת אלוהים – עבודתי – BAIXE O GUIA DE ESTUDO GRATUITAMENTE

Years ago, one magazine published a parable about a dreadful swamp. As people passed along the
path going through it, they were often overcome and fell in. Their dying cries could be heard all through
the nearby village. It was terrible.

The people held a village council. In fact, they held many village councils. Various theories and
papers were presented analyzing the cause and sometimes even proposing solutions. But nothing was
ever done except to continue meeting and talking. Over the years, the discussions continued. People
wrote dissertations on the topic. Guest lecturers were brought in. Yard sales were held to raise money
so that meals could be provided to those who sacrificed so many hours sitting in these meetings. Eventually, money was raised to build a soundproof meeting room so that the cries of the lost and dying would not disrupt the ongoing discussions. But nobody did anything to help those who were in trouble.

And nobody did anything to try to stop more people from being lost in the swamp. They just talked.
As a community, we don’t want to be like the people in that village. We love our time together to
pray, think, share, and discuss. But we long to go beyond this and actually do something for and with
those around us. We want to make a difference in our communities and around the world. We want the
work to be finished, and we want Mashiach (Messiah) to return.

This quarter’s Bible Study Guide is designed to focus attention on getting out there and doing something. We will examine many wonderful Bible stories. We will read about exciting experiences and
illustrations. We will learn about available resources to assist us at Tikun Olam (especially to reach
those who do not believe in G-d). But those will just be ways of illustrating and motivating us. The real
focus, the real heart of each lesson, is what will be shared on Thursday each week—a challenge to get
out and, actually, do something We will share biblical insights and provide tools and ideas for you to work with. And each Thursday’s portion of the lesson will issue a careful progression of challenges. It will begin easy. And as the quarter goes along, there will be subtle (and not so subtle) increases in the challenge. The goal is for each of us to take the challenge, pray for the Spirit of G-d to guide us, and then spend a few minutes in the next week discussing how it went. This isn’t to be a time of boasting, but a time of sharing—both about what went well and what didn’t. As we share, the group will generate ideas. Prayer lists will grow (personal and collective).

In the end, it is our desire that this quarter be remembered not for memorable thoughts, engaging
stories, or deep theological concepts. These may be there—lots of them. But it is our desire that we will
all look back on this quarter as the time when the Spirit of G-d took our humble efforts and worked
miracles for the honor and glory of His name, Baruch uvaruch Shemô.

CLICK LINK: lição 4.pdf inglês.pdf