St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church Bible Study

St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church Bible Study

Each week, under the guidance of Mr. Anthony Ally, we delve into the Holy Scriptures through the rich and timeless lens of the Orthodox Church. Drawing from the wisdom of the Church Fathers, the rhythms of liturgical life, and the sacred Tradition handed down through the ages, our studies seek to illuminate the Scriptures in the light of Christ. Whether we’re reflecting on the daily readings, commemorating a feast or saint, or exploring the practical aspects of Orthodox Christian living, our purpose remains steadfast: to encounter the living Christ more deeply and more truly. These sessions are open to everyone—whether you’re an inquirer, a catechumen, newly received into the Church, or a lifelong Orthodox Christian seeking a deeper understanding of the faith. Come and journey with us.

Episodes

October 20, 2025 55 mins

In this study, Anthony Ally explores what it means to be created in the Image and Likeness of God. The discussion centers on how that divine imprint gives every person unshakable dignity and meaning, even in a fallen and fractured world. The Fall is not only the breaking of a commandment but the breaking of communion itself, something Christ came to heal by taking on our humanity and restoring the image within us.

Participants were ...

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In this sermon, Fr. Stephen Osburn reflects on St. Paul’s pastoral wisdom to a restless city like Corinth and shows why the apostle’s personal testimony is not self focus but a doorway to Christ. Paul names the real battles of the heart and then turns the Church toward the Lord, teaching that the problem with pride is not only that it is bad, but that it replaces God with the self. The cure begins when every part of life is reorien...

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Fr. Stephen unfolds the Parable of the Dragnet and asks a practical question: what makes people remain in the Church and grow holy rather than drift away. The Lord says the net gathers every kind, and the Fathers teach that the good and bad are found within the Church herself. Separation at the end is real, and the warning about gnashing of teeth is not theater. It is mercy that urges us to build parish life that forms hearts now.

F...

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In this Bible/Adult study, Anthony Ally presents a clear path to theosis, the Orthodox vision of becoming partakers of the divine nature by grace. Drawing on 2 Peter 1:4, John 17, and 2 Corinthians 3:18, he shows how Scripture and Holy Tradition belong together, how icons serve as windows to heaven, and how confession, fasting, and Holy Communion heal the heart and form the soul in Christ.

Hearpractical steps for daily prayer, keep...

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In this sermon, Fr. Stephen Osburn reflects on Luke 7:11–16, where Christ meets a funeral at the gates of Nain and turns mourning into resurrection. Drawing on St. Cyril of Alexandria’s image of Nain as a “city of death,” he shows how the Lord’s touch is not defiled by death but conquers it. The miracle becomes a preview of Pascha and a sign for every person who feels trapped by grief, sin, or despair.

Fr. Stephen then points to the...

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In this adult study, Anthony Ally invites us to rediscover the living reality of Orthodox Christianity through humility and inner stillness. Drawing from the theology of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, we explore how the wisdom of the early Church Fathers continues to guide us in the pursuit of true transformation.

Summary:

The session begins with the call to “Attend to thyself,” the first step toward spiritual awareness. Through hesyc...

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October 5th, 2025: In this sermon, Fr. Stephen addresses a quiet temptation of modern life: moral agnosticism that mistakes convenience for goodness. Drawing on the baptismal vision of humanity made in the image and likeness of God, Fr. Stephen teaches why Christians do good, how to love enemies without endorsing sin, and how practical acts of mercy reshape the heart. He concludes with simple practices that help the faithful forgiv...

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In this Bible study we reflected on two short but powerful parables: the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price from Matthew 13:44–46. At first glance they seem simple, but they carry a profound challenge for us as disciples of Christ.

Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, worth selling everything to obtain. He also says it is like a merchant who discovers a pearl so valuable that he g...

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Today we are exploring an ancient command with urgent modern relevance: Attend to yourself.

Saint Basil the Great reminds us that this practice, called Nepsis or watchfulness, is the key to healing our anxious, distracted lives. We live in a world that constantly pulls us outward into endless scrolling, productivity pressures, and carefully curated online personas. The Fathers would not see this simply as busyness but as a deep spir...

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September 29, 2025 18 mins

In this sermon delivered on September 28th, 2025, Fr. Stephen reflects on Christ’s call to become “fishers of men.” Drawing from the witness of the early Church, he challenges us to move beyond lukewarm Christianity and live the Gospel daily through faithful worship, quick repentance, tangible service, heartfelt forgiveness, and joyful invitation. With practical guidance on watchfulness (nepsis), the Jesus Prayer, and simple “one-m...

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In this week’s study, we reflected on three of Christ’s parables that reveal the mystery of the Kingdom of God. The parable of the Wheat and the Tares reminds us that good and evil grow side by side in this world, and that final judgment belongs to God alone. We are called to be patient, to remain faithful wheat, and to resist the temptation to uproot what we think is tares before the Lord Himself separates them in His perfect just...

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On September 21st, 2025, Fr. Stephen preaches on Christ’s answer to the lawyer: the two great commandments—love of God and love of neighbor. True love is not mere sentiment but communion with God, most fully in the Divine Liturgy, and it overflows into daily life through compassion, forgiveness, humility, and service. Fr. Stephen challenges us to choose one virtue to practice more deeply, so that we not only hear Christ’s words but...

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What do you do when the world’s evil crashes into your life? When grief, anger, and confusion threaten to overwhelm you?

The world offers empty platitudes or calls for vengeance. But the ancient, unchanging faith of the Orthodox Church offers something radically different: a path to authentic victory.

The Leavetaking of the Feast of the Cross unveils the power hidden within the Church's prayers—the same power that compelled saints li...

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September 18, 2025 65 mins

In this Wednesday study, we reflected on Christ’s Parable of the Sower, where the seed is the Word of God and the soils represent the condition of our hearts. Together we explored how each type of soil—the path, the rocky ground, the thorns, and the good soil—reveals different ways people respond to the Gospel.

The discussion challenged us to see not only how this parable applies to the world around us, but also to our own lives. At...

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In this adult study, Anthony Ally guides us into the mystery of the Cross in the shadow of tragedy. With the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross fresh in our hearts, we wrestle with the deepest questions of the human condition: Why does evil seem to triumph? Where is God in our pain? How do we bring hope to a broken world?

Anthony reflects on the recent martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, offering a humble Orthodox meditation shaped by ...

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At the close of Liturgy on September 14th, 2025, Fr. Michael Matsko offered a heartfelt reflection following the Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. He first gave thanks to Fr. Stephen for being a true spiritual father this past week, comforting us in our grief and anxiety after the tragic death of Charlie Kirk.

Fr. Michael shared that while some may disagree with Charlie’s words or approach, the truth is t...

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On September 14th, 2025, we celebrated the Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. The Cross is not a decoration or mere symbol, but the sign of Christ’s victory over death and the banner of all who confess His Name. It calls us to courage, to faith, and to endurance.

When the world kills martyrs — even in our own time, as we saw with the murder of Charlie Kirk — we are reminded that the Church cannot back down...

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In this Bible study we begin our 12-week Orthodox Christian journey through the Parables of Christ with an introduction from Matthew 13:10–17. The disciples asked Jesus why He taught in parables, and His answer reveals that these teachings are not simple moral stories but profound revelations of the Kingdom of God. The parables are hidden from the proud, yet opened to the humble who approach with faith and repentance.

In this first ...

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In this class, Anthony Ally shares how he discovered the Orthodox faith and overcame the man-made twists of Scripture that are so common in modern Christianity. He explains how Orthodoxy reveals the true Biblical meaning behind the birth of the greatest of all women, the Holy Theotokos, who represents all of mankind and points us toward transformation in Christ. Anthony contrasts this with the false promises of groups such as Pente...

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Preaching on Matthew 21:33–42, Fr. Stephen calls us to hear Christ’s parable of the vineyard as a direct warning to our own community. The Lord entrusted us with His vineyard, not so that we could remain comfortable, but so that we would grow, labor, and bear fruit for the Kingdom. If we neglect this mission, if we do not take seriously the work of evangelism and the salvation of souls, then others will step in and offer a false ho...

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