Philemon is the most personal letter Paul ever wrote — and it gives us a window into what Christian brotherhood looks like in practice. In this study, we examine Paul's warm greeting to Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the church meeting in their house, and explore what made Philemon the kind of man Paul thanked God for every time he prayed. We also address the context of first-century slavery and why Paul's praise of Philemon tells us something important about that institution. Most of all, this lesson challenges us to ask: do we refresh the hearts of the saints, or do we drain them? Are we the kind of Christians others can approach about delicate matters because we are known for faith and love?
Man has always tried to find his own path to fulfillment — and Buddhism is one of the most influential attempts. In this lesson, we examine the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the development of Buddhism's three major branches, and its core teachings including the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the pursuit of Nirvana. We then hold Buddhism up against the Bible on the questions that matter most: creation, the soul, suffering, salvation, the afterlife, and authority. We also compare the deaths of the Buddha and Jesus Christ — one died painfully of illness despite claiming liberation from suffering, the other was murdered on a cross and rose again three days later.
