Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 5
Awake Us Now
Pastor begins with a brief overview of Solomon’s divided kingdom. Judah was in the south with two tribes ruled by a descendant of David, Reheboam. Israel in the north with ten tribes was ruled by Jeroboam (1 Kings 11-14) 931-910 BC. God had said that Jeroboam’s kingship would be blessed if he followed the Lord, but he chose the exact opposite path. In today’s class we will look closely at three incidents with Jeroboam. In 1 Kings 12:31-33 we read some of the first things he did that were against God, everything Jeroboam did was counterfeit, just like what the enemy always tries to...
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The Living One - Week 1: Did He Really Live?
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This teaching compares non-Christian writings of Tacitus, Josephus, Suetonius and Pliny from the first and second centuries to the New Testament writings. The evidence is clear and calls us to recognize we are sinners in need of a Savior, The Living One!
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Big Questions - Power... When the Holy Spirit Comes
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Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit to believers, is all about the power of God -- the power to live a new life, the power to give glory to the Living God, the power of faith that transforms us and that beckons to others to come to God as well!
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Big Questions - My Witnesses... To the Ends of the Earth
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It is easy to get distracted by other things — some of them perhaps important things — but Jesus makes it clear to His followers that our primary task is make disciples. To that end, we are to be His witnesses, "even to the ends of the earth."
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Dig Deeper - Week 2: The "Submission" Passage
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Today’s class is a study of Ephesians 5:21-33. A group of verses that are controversial, often attacked and many times misunderstood. Ephesians 5:21-22 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, [submit] yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.” In the original Greek text the second [submit] word is not there. There is not a verb in this sentence and so in traditional Greek practice, you take the verb from the previous sentence and insert it into the next sentence. Please note that this is really important - because what this is saying is,...
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Big Questions - Obey... Everything I Have Commanded
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Obedience is not optional - it is command from Jesus Himself. But we are not saved because we obey; rather, we obey the Lord because He has saved us!
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Big Questions - All Authority... in Heaven and on Earth
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God has chosen you and me not simply to be religious, but to be disciples. We are to follow Jesus faithfully, grow in the knowledge and love of Him, and share with others the powerful things He has done so that they become disciples too!
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Questions - Week 13: Is Marriage Outdated?
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In this message we will look at what the Scriptures have to say about marriage, analyze concerns and questions raised in our day, overview the cultural changes that have led to many questioning the value and benefit of marriage, and do so from a Christian worldview. We will also take a look at some secular contemporary research and what it indicates. Common Reactions: 1. The culture has changed: - Married Couples comprised: 1950 — 78% of all US households 2020 — 47%...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 4
Awake Us Now
Our study opens with a look at Civil War between Rehoboam and Judah vs. Jeroboam and Israel (931-910 BC). 1 Kings 12:1 We read that Rehoboam went to Shechem, “for all Israel had gone there to make him king.” Shechem was an historic site for the nation from about 500 years early when Levitical priests recited the blessings and the curses from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Shechem is the city near these two mountains. In verses 3 and 4 we read that Jeroboam challenges Rehoboam. Reheboam goes to 2 advisory boards. One was the elders that had served under his father, Solomon. They...
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Big Questions - Lord and God! Jesus' Amazing Claims
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Lord and God? A great moral teacher? A very good man? What claims did Jesus actually make about His identity?
info_outlineLuke 2:41-52: “Jesus at the Age of Twelve.”
Today we ask, “Why is this story of Jesus at age 12 in the Bible?” There is no mention of Jesus from age 2 -30 except this one story in the Gospel of Luke. Here’s how this story goes: In the one and only account we have of Jesus as a child we’re told he went with His parents to Jerusalem to worship and praise the Lord at Passover.
This story is a foreshadowing of what is to come. The only time He’s mentioned as a child is at the Feast of the Passover. Jesus is described elsewhere in Hebrew Scriptures as the Passover Lamb who was slain for us and now as a 12 year old He and we get a glimpse of what is to come.
After the Feast, unbeknownst to His parents, Jesus had stayed in Jerusalem when the rest of the family was heading home. When Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was not together with the family caravan, they turned back to Jerusalem to find Him. Three days later they find Him in the Temple Courts sitting with the teachers and asking and answering questions.
Did you pick up on the prophetic significance of “three days?” And it is on the third day His parents find Him alive and well. It was the third day in the grave when Jesus rises to life.. the grave could not hold Him!
Jesus’ parents found Him asking and answering questions of the teachers, who were amazed at His answers and knowledge. This too is significant for us today, because Jesus invites questions. If we look at the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament we’ll see He is asking and answering question frequently! God delights in conversation and He speaks to the deepest needs of our hearts.
When Jesus’ parents found Him they questioned Him about not having been with them. Jesus answers, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s House.” This answer compels us ask, “Why is this significant?”
Think about this: These are the first recorded words of Jesus in the Bible! Why are they His first recorded words?
Note that Jesus calls God, “My Father.” Even as a 12 year old He understands who He is. He is announcing the day the prophets spoke of has arrived! The Messiah has come! The Redeemer of all is here.
But Mary and Joseph didn’t understand what Jesus was saying - It wasn’t until after Jesus’ resurrection that people understand who He is, what He accomplishes and what He offers to each of us.
The story ends with Jesus obediently returning to Nazareth with His parents. He displays submissive obedience, modeling this for each of us and showing us what is expected from each of us.
The standout piece of this story is that Jesus has given us the right to speak of God as “Our Father.”
So much is in this short story - not only is there a glimpse of what Jesus was like as a boy, it gives us insight into His love and compassion in asking and answering us and is a glimpse of what God desires in us in conversation and obedience. Jesus wasn’t just an extraordinary child - He is the very Son of God! Savior! And coming King!
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St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. The Gospel of Luke takes a look at the life of Jesus, beginning with the well-known Christmas stories. Luke, a non Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.
This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.