A.F.C.

(Ambassadors For Christ)

Bessat, Christian Joefel C. CE-102 201111180/ TTh 2:00-3:30PM Prof. Bobby Dizon September 20, 2011

ASSIGNMENT IN THEOLOGY

Miracle Stories
1. Water into Wine John 2:1-11
The first miracle that Jesus did was at a wedding feast in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother, Mary, told Jesus that the wedding host was out of wine. Jesus told the servants to fill the water pots with water and then when they dipped it out, there was wine in the jars. Jesus had turned the water into wine.

2. Calming the Storm Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus and his disciples were out on the lake when a storm suddenly came up. Jesus was asleep in the boat and his friends were afraid. They woke him. He got up and told the storm to stop and it was completely calm; the wind stopped blowing and the water was still. His disciples were amazed! "Even the winds and the waves obey Him," they said.

3. Healings Matthew 8:14-15

Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law who had a dangerous fever. She got up and served them.

4. WALKING ON WATER
Matthew 14:22-33 - Directly after this (feeding the five thousand) Jesus insisted on his disciples' getting aboard their boat and going on ahead to the other side (of the Sea of Galilee), while he himself sent the crowds home. And when he had sent them away he went up the hill-side quite alone, to pray. When it grew late he was there by himself while the boat was by now a long way from the shore at the mercy of the waves, for the wind was dead against them. In the small hours Jesus went out to them, walking on the water of the lake. When the disciples caught sight of him walking on the water they were terrified. "It's a ghost!" they said, and screamed with fear. But at once Jesus spoke to them. "It's all right! It's I myself, don't be afraid!" "Lord, if it's really you," said Peter, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come on, then," replied Jesus. Peter stepped down from the boat and did walk on the water, making for Jesus. But when he saw the fury of the wind he panicked and began to sink, calling out, "Lord save me!" At once Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying, "You little-faith! What made you lose your nerve like that?" Then, when they were both aboard the boat, the wind dropped. The whole crew came and knelt down before Jesus, crying, "You are indeed the Son of God!"

5. FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND

Matthew 14:13-21 - When he heard it (... news of the death of John the Baptist) he went away by boat (on the Sea of Galilee) to a deserted place, quite alone. Jesus feeds a tired and hungry crowd Then the crowds heard of his departure and followed him out of the towns on foot. When Jesus emerged from his retreat he saw a vast crowd and was very deeply moved and cured the sick among them. As evening fell his disciples came to him and said, "We are right in the wilds here and it is very late. Send away these crowds now, so that they can go into the villages and buy themselves food." "There's no need for them to go away," returned Jesus. "You give them something to eat!" "But we haven't anything here," they told him, "except five loaves and two fish." To which Jesus replied, "Bring them here to me." He told the crowd to sit down on the grass. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish in his hands, and, looking up to Heaven, he thanked God, broke the loaves and passed them to his disciples who handed them to the crowd. Everybody ate and was satisfied. Afterwards they collected twelve baskets full of the pieces which were left over. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, apart from the women and children.

6. A FISH PAYS THE TEMPLE TAX!

Matthew 17:24-27 - Then when they (Jesus and his disciples, after his Transfiguration and the healing of the epileptic boy) arrived at Capernaum the Temple tax-collectors came up and said to Peter, "Your master doesn't pay Temple-tax, we presume?" "Oh, yes, he does!" replied Peter. Later when he went into the house Jesus anticipated what he was going to say. "What do you think, Simon?" he said. "Whom do the kings of this world get their rates and taxes from - their own people or from others?" "From others," replied Peter. "Then the family is exempt," Jesus told him. "Yet we don't want to give offence to these people, so go down to the lake and throw in your hook. Take the first fish that bites, open his mouth and you'll find a coin. Take that and give it to them, for both of us."

7. THE CURSED FIG-TREE THAT WITHERS AWAY

Matthew 21:18-22 - In the morning (after throwing over the money-changers' tables in the Temple, and staying overnight in nearby Bethany) he came back early to the city and felt hungry. He saw a fig-tree growing by the side of the road, but when he got to it he discovered there was nothing on it but leaves. "No more fruit shall ever grow on you!" he said to it, and all at once the fig-tree withered away. When the disciples saw this happen they were simply amazed. "How on earth did the fig-tree wither away quite suddenly like that?" they asked. "Believe me," replied Jesus, "if you have faith and have no doubts in you heart, you will not only do this to a fig-tree but even if you should say to this hill, 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea', it will happen! Everything you ask for in prayer, if you have faith, you will receive."

8. THE SECOND MIRACULOUS CATCH OF FISH

John 21:1-11 - Later on (after Jesus had appeared to "doubting" Thomas), Jesus showed himself again to his disciples on the shore of Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee), and he did it in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples were together, when Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "All right," they replied, "we'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat and during the night caught nothing at all. But just as dawn began to break, Jesus stood there on the beach, although the disciples had no idea that it was Jesus. "Have you caught anything, lads?" Jesus called out to them. "No," they replied. "Throw the net on the right side of the boat," said Jesus, "and you'll have a catch." So they threw out the net and found that they were now not strong enough to pull it in because it was so full of fish! At this, the disciple that Jesus loved (traditionally the apostle John) said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"Hearing this, Peter slipped on his clothes, for he had been naked, and plunged into the sea. The other disciples followed in the boat, for they were only about a hundred yards from the shore, dragging in the net full of fish. When they had landed, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning, with a fish placed on it. and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring me some of the fish you've just caught." So Simon Peter got into the boat and hauled the net ashore full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three altogether. But in spite of the large number the net was not torn.

9. FEEDING THE FOUR THOUSAND

Mark 8:1-10 - About this time (after Jesus had returned from the Tyre and Sidon area, and healed the deaf and dumb man in the Decapolis) it happened again that a large crowd collected and had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples over to him and said, "My heart goes out to this crowd; they have been with me three days now and they have no food left. If I send them off home without anything, they will collapse on the way - and some of them have come from a distance." His disciples replied, "Where could anyone find the food to feed them here in this deserted spot?" "How many loaves have you got?" Jesus asked them. "Seven," they replied. So Jesus told the crowd to settle themselves on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves into his hands, and with a prayer of thanksgiving broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people; and this they did. They had a few small fish as well, and after blessing them, Jesus told the disciples to give these also to the people. They ate and they were satisfied. Moreover, they picked up seven baskets full of pieces left over. The people numbered about four thousand. Jesus sent them home, and then he boarded the boat at once with his disciples and went on to the district of Dalmanutha.

10. Healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law Luke: 4:38-39

After Jesus healed the demon-possessed man in the synagogue in Capernaum, he and his disciples went to the home of Simon Peter and Andrew, where the mother-in-law of Peter (also known as Simon and as Simon Peter) was sick with a high fever. As described in the Gospel of Luke: 4:38-39 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

Parables
1. The Parable of the Sower Matthew 13:1-23
In this story, Jesus told about the word of God being like seed that a sower (farmer) threw out. It fell on many kinds of soil. Some of the seed fell by the wayside, along the path. The birds came down and ate the seed. This is like the person who hears the message, but does not understand it. The evil one comes and takes it away. Some seed fell on the rocky ground.The plants came up quickly, but there was not much earth so the plants dried up. This is the person who receives the word, but falls away when trouble comes. Some seed fell on the thorny ground and the thorn bushes choked the seed. This is the person who is worried about life and wealth. Then some of the seed fell on good ground. Those seed grew into healthy plants and produced a good crop, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold and some thirtyfold. "The good soil," said Jesus, " is like people who are honest. When they hear God's word, they remember it, and do what God says." These people produce a bountiful crop for the Lord.

2. The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

This is a story that Jesus told when a man asked what he must do to have everlasting life. "What is written in the commandments?" Jesus asked. The man answered: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you must love your neighbor as yourself.." Then the man wanted to know, "But who is my neighbor?" Jesus then told about the man who was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho and was robbed and beaten and left half dead by the roadside. First a priest came by, and when he saw the wounded man, he passed by on the other side. Next a Levite came and he, too, looked at the hopeless man and passed by on the other side of the road. Then a Samaritan came along. He took care of the hurt man and then put him on his donkey and took him to an inn to stay. The Samaritan paid for everything. When Jesus finished the parable, he asked, "Which of the three men was a neighbor?" The man answered, "The man who took pity on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

3. The Lost Son Luke 15:11-31

Jesus told the story of the prodigal (wasteful) son. A rich man had two sons, whom he loved very much. The younger son asked for his inheritance and then left home. The older brother stayed home and helped his father. Before long, the younger son had spent all his money, and his so-called friends left him because he was no longer rich. Then a famine came upon the land. The young son was all alone, and he even took a job taking care of pigs. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pig's food. Finally, he decided that the servants in his father's house were better off than he was, so he started the long journey back home. His father forgave him and welcomed him home. They had a grand feast and celebration. The father gave him a robe, a ring, and shoes. The older brother was angry, but his father told him to forgive his brother and to rejoice that he had come home. God loves us just as this father loved his son.
4.

The Lost Sheep Luke 15:1-7

The first six verses of the lost sheep tie in the audience, namely the publicans and sinners, to the lost sheep and the search for them that is made by the shepherd. The self-righteous of the Pharisees murmured against this, because they did not see that it was necessary to receive, or even eat with sinners. The text in verse 7 lifts the sense out of the physical into the spiritual heavenly realm and ties it into the loyal Host and the redemption of the lost sinners. The central issue is identified as repentance and concerns all three parables as the real problem in issue. The man in the first section is often seen to be Christ looking for the lost sheep. He has to leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go in search of the lost one until he finds it. It is the same search as the woman undertakes from verse 8 onwards. The search extends from the Host, that the shepherd is forced to leave in the wilderness; a place where the ninety-nine might feed freely and it is not infertile. The search continues so that the sheep is found. Nothing is left to be lost. This extends over the entire Host. When the sheep is found there is rejoicing with Messiah, who comes home with the sheep and celebrates with his friends and neighbours. The sense of this reconciliation is seen also in the third section concerning the prodigal son.

5. Parable of the Talents Ma tthew 2 5: 14 -3 0

introduces Larkin, commenting on the journals left by her mother, Lauren Olamina. Early in the twenty-first century, Olamina founded Acorn, a community of believers in Earthseed, a collection of philosophical statements based on the belief that God is Change. In the prologue Larkin reflects on her mother's death. She believes that Olamina was a misguided prophet who neglected her family in order to promulgate her beliefs. The novel is both an account of Olamina's life after the events of Parable of the Sower and the psychological journey of Larkin...

6. The Parable of The Lost Coin Luke 15:8-10

Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldnt light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost. Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting."

7. The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen Luke 20:9-19

Is a parable of Jesus found in three out of the four Canonical gospels, and in the noncanonical Gospel of Thomas. It describes a householder planting a vineyard and letting it out to husbandmen, who failed in their duty. This parable was about chief priests and Pharisees and was given to the people present in the Temple during the final weekbefore the death of Jesus.

8. The Parable of the Two Sons Matthew 21:28-32

Found in Matthew 21:28-32. The basic story is of a man with two sons who told them to go work in the vineyard. The first son refused, but later obeyed and went. The second son initially expressed obedience, but actually disobeyed and refused to work in the vineyard. The son who ultimately did the will of his father was the first son because he eventually obeyed. Jesus then likens the first son to tax collectors and prostitutesthe outcasts of Jewish societybecause they believed John the Baptist and accepted the way of righteousness (v. 32), in spite of their initial disobedience to the Law.

9. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure Matthew 13:44

Is a well known parable of Jesus, which appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to Matthew 13:44 the parable illustrates the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven. It immediately precedes the Parable of the Pearl, which has a similar theme. The parable has been depicted by artists such as Rembrandt.

10. THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN Christ said that the kingdom of heaven could be likened unto leaven (or yeast), which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till the whole was leavened. Now, this leaven, or yeast, is composed of tiny little plants, each one so small that it cannot possibly be seen by the sharpest eye except through a very powerful microscope. So small are they that it would require three thousand of them, placed close together, side by side, to make up the length of one inch. Like all other plants they require food, and they find this in the dough they are placed in. You know that all things are made up of atoms of chemical substances so wonderfully blended together that only the chemist can separate them, and when he has separated them they appear very different. Well, in flour there are certain things so blended, and the yeast-plant takes one kind of substance as food, and in doing so sets free another substance called carbonic acid gas. This gas bubbles up and makes the heavy dough spongy and light. If it were not for these tiny bubbles of gas your bread would be as heavy and close as suet pudding. This is the reason why yeast is put into dough for making bread or cake. One of the most remarkable things about this yeast is, that when it gets into any substance that contains its food, it at once begins to give off buds, which, in a few moments, become full-sized and break away. So rapid is this increase, that if a single yeast-plant were to be put into a great mass of dough it would very quickly leaven the whole mass. And so it is with the love of God. When once it gets into our hearts it will keep on growing until all our life is filled with it, and we try in all things to please Him.

MORAL LESSONS & Central Messages (Parables)

The Parable of the Sower
Learn what kind of men are fit subjects for the kingdom of God and what means are necessary to bring them into it.

The Good Samaritan

Learn the answer to question: Who is my neighbor?

The Lost Son There are three objectives in this parable: (1) to display the earnest love of the father for those that are lost (2) reveal the folly of a life in sin and (3) reprove and condemn the hypocrisy of self-righteousness.

The Lost Sheep

Learn that the mission of Christ was to seek and save the lost.

Parable of the talents

Learn the great lesson of personal responsibility

Parable of the Lost Coin

Learn the great lesson of the Divine love for the lost man

The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen

Learn how the Jews lost their privileges to the kingdom through rejecting the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist and, finally Jesus the Son.

The Parable of the Two Sons Learn that words and promises do not substitute for deeds and service.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

Learn the value of the kingdom.

The Parable of the Leaven

Learn how the kingdom of Heaven grows.

MORAL LESSONS & Central Messages (Miracle Stories)

Water into Wine
Children will learn about Jesus power and the abundance he brings to our lives through exploration of the story of Jesus turning water to wine.

Calming the Storm

The ultimate lesson to learn from the story of Jesus calming the storm is that all things are possible if you believe. But fear will prevent you from doing it.

Healings
It is the Father's way of authenticating His divine Son's mission among humanity.

Walking On Water
Though we may not walk across water, we will go through difficult, faith-testing circumstances.

Feeding the Five Thousand

The moral lesson in this story is the sharing of blessings even though its not enough to all of you to feed but at least you gave your best to help for others to feed them.

A FISH PAYS THE TEMPLE TAX!

The moral lesson in this story is that we should avoid offending others. Our purpose being to make them more receptive to the gospel.

THE CURSED FIG-TREE THAT WITHERS AWAY The miracle plainly depicts how of truly strong Jesus faith is. He teaches us to have more faith and constant prayer. We can do anything with our devotion. When we dedicate ourselves, it must be full and no sign of any doubt in the heart.

THE SECOND MIRACULOUS CATCH OF FISH

We pursue Christ through His Word and in our prayers as we fellowship with the Spirit of Christ, who lives in the hearts of all believers.

FEEDING THE FOUR THOUSAND

Teaches us about Jesus' power and care for us. He heals the multitudes, acts out of compassion for their need compare and provides for them.

Healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law

- Here other people asked Jesus to heal this woman. God respects intercession praying on the behalf of others. Therefore let us consider who around us needs such healing and pray on their behalf. Having been healed we should get up and serve Jesus.