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THE MISSOURI DISTRICT LUTHERAN LAYMEN’S LEAGUE WHAT IS ISLAM? I would like to introduce you to the Men’s Network Bible Study on Islam. Why is it important? We are living in a changing world. What was at one time far from us is now in our backyard. Many of us have seen a mosque appear in our city or a city close to us. Over the last few years we have become more familiar with Muslims and the Islamic religion; but do we understand it? News broadcasts have brought us into contact with Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan and several other Muslim countries. What do we know about them, their cultures and their religion? If we are to understand the world we live in and the conflicts we are involved in, we need to understand the people. There are more than one billion Muslims worldwide, and that and accounts for 23 percent of the world’s population. There are more than one million Muslims in the United States and the number is rapidly growing. When you check into a motel or buy something from the convenience store, chances are good that the man behind the counter is a Muslim. He may even be your neighbor. Are you ready to witness to him? My first encounter with Muslims was when I was returning from the 2000 LLL convention in California. My wife and I had stopped at a rest area somewhere in the middle of Kansas. A car full of Muslims pulled in after us. They got out of their car with their prayer rugs and carefully laid them on the pavement all facing east. Kneeling on the rugs, they began their prayers. This was an unusual sight. And they will do it five times a day. “The Challenge of Islam� is a two-part study using video and discussion guides. Sam Shamoun, an Arab Christian, leads the video presentations. Shamoun was born in Kuwait and raised in the United States. He is familiar with the tenets of Islam but believes in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. “Part one: What is Islam?� has an introduction and five sessions. They are: The Foundations of Islam; Angels, Jinn and the Qur’an; Islamic Teachings about Jesus; Islamic Teachings about Muhammad; and Muhammad, 70 Virgins and Paradise; Predestination and the Pillars of Islam. “Part two: Defending the Christian Faith� has six sessions. They are: Your Bible is
Corrupt; Would the Qur’an Appeal to a Corrupt Bible?; God has No Children; There are not Three Gods; Jihad; and Subjugation. The discussion guide has links to supplemental information and available if the discussion guide is used online. Otherwise this information can be downloaded and shared with a class. Each study is available for purchase ($15) from Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141. Orders can also be placed online at www.lhmmen.com. You can review the study online at LHM Men’s Network. Check it out. The Islam studies are two of the 22 available covering a wide range of topics. All have the same format; using video and discussion guides. Another Bible study series is “Stuff They Didn’t Teach Me in Sunday School� with Bruce Wurdeman, LHM Executive Director. The lessons start with Genesis and are now into the New Testament. Each lesson lasts three to eight minutes, depending on the topic covered. Like Paul Harvey’s “Now You Know the Rest of the Story,� Wurdeman sheds a fresh light on some of the familiar and not-too-familiar Bible stories. They make a good personal Bible study when viewed on line. Video and discussion guides are available to use with a group. At present, three videos have been produced: Genesis; Exodus; and the third covering Joshua, Judges and Ruth. All are available from LHM Men’s Network.
LENTEN DEVOTION BOOKLETS Lent begins Feb. 22. Booklets can be downloaded at no cost from Lutheran Hour Ministries (www.lhm.org) for local printing. Space is provided for personalizing to your congregation. Jack Johnson
WEBSITE FOR THE MISSOURI DISTRICT LLL: W W W. LUTHER A NSONLINE . COM / MISSOUR IDISTR ICTLLL
The Voice of Missouri
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