Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 4
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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?
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Big Questions - Stop Doubting and... Believe!
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Faith is essential ... but in what do place our faith? The scriptures make it clear that we are to place our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Savior of all the nations, and the Hope of all the earth!
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Big Questions - Receive... the Holy Spirit!
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When Jesus says to His disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit," it is not a "one-and-done" activity. He desires us all to live continually in the Spirit!
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Dig Deeper - Week 1: In the Beginning
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Genesis 1:1 - “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Let’s look at the words “God” and “created.” in this verse in Hebrew the word used for God is a plural noun and created is a singular verb. What day did God create the world? It says God created everything in 6 days and He rested on the 7th day, the Sabbath, and that is Saturday. Which means the first day of creation was on Sunday. What was the day of the week that God began a new creation? That was on the day Jesus arose from the grave. The Bible tells us this was on the first day of the week, on a...
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Big Questions - All Nations: How Close Are We?
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From Genesis to Revelation, God's plan remains the same - to reach all nations and bring people back to Him. How close are we to seeing that happen? Why is belief in Jesus growing at such an astounding pace in much of the world, but not in Europe and North America?
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Big Questions - Israel Reborn: How Significant is it?
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The nation of Israel was reborn suddenly in 1948, and the Jewish people have returned to the Promised Land in great numbers after 1900 years of exile. What does show about God's faithfulness and promises? What does it mean to believers in the Messiah?
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Questions - Week 12: Does God Exist?
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Does God exist? The Bible has described this as a reality for thousands of years. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” ⁃ There was a beginning ⁃ There is a God ⁃ God created everything This is looked at as a religious belief, but it is increasingly a scientific fact as the scientific world sees that the creation had a beginning. ⁃ Natural knowledge of God ⁃ Nature - Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 3
Awake Us Now
Solomon: Builder ⁃ Temple construction - 1 Kings 6 (took 7 years to build) ⁃ Temple dedication - 1 Kings 8 ⁃ God appears to Solomon - 1 Kings 9 ⁃ Solomon’s palace - 1 Kings 7 (took 13 years to build) Pastor shares archeological discoveries around Solomon in recent years including a massive stone wall and gate and more. Solomon: Reputation ⁃ Fleet at Ezion Geber - 1 Kings (for the first time Israel had its own navy - 1 Kings 9:26-28 - we read that...
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Big Questions - Birth Pains?
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Wars, violence, persecution - Jesus warned these things would mark the time before His return. These things, He said, were like birth pains - increasing trial and suffering that herald a joyful ending. "When these things begin to take place," He said, "... lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28)
info_outlineThis teaching is from Matthew 24:36-25:30.
We pick up today’s class with Jesus and His teaching on His Second Coming. In these opening passages of today’s text we hear Jesus’ encouragement to not let the day of his final appearing catch us unaware. We can’t know the day or the hour of His return but, we CAN know Him! We can’t know the time of his return but we CAN know the importance of living by faith in Him. So multiple times Jesus encourages us to KEEP WATCH and to BE AWAKE to His return.
Next Jesus shares three parables all having to do with His return and us being ready - awake - when He comes.
1 - Owner and Thief - Jesus’ coming is unexpected
2 - Wise and Wicked - Jesus’ coming is sooner than expected
3 - Ten Virgins - Jesus’ coming is later than expected.
These three parables again speak to the fact that we just do not know when He will return so we need to be always be ready for His return!
After these three parables about being ready for His return, Jesus tells a parable: “Bags of Gold (often called Talents of Gold) from Matthew 25:14-30.
The story is of a Master entrusting His wealth to 3 of His servants. Each is given a different amount and then the Master goes on a journey. The servant that received 5 bags of gold puts his money to work and gains 5 more bags and the same thing for the servant given 2 bags of gold, he doubles his as well. But the man who received 1 bag dug a hole in the ground and hid the money. Then after a long time the Master returned and settled the accounts with the 3 servants.
Servants 1 and 2 each received these words from the Master, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This is what we each want to hear from God - that we used what He gave us wisely. The parable continues with the Master inviting them saying, “Come! Share in your Master’s happiness! (Eternal Life forever with Him).
We are to live by faith - serving and honoring God. We are not saved because we serve and honor Him - rather we serve and honor Him because we are saved through Jesus.
With the third servant who hid the gold - this servant said, “I know you are a hard Master so I was afraid and hid your gold, but here’s what you originally gave me.” (This is not a true statement by this 3rd servant. God’s character is one of goodness, He is pure, holy, just, faithful, true and loving.) This servant did not live by faith but was instead hard-hearted. The Master replies to him, “You wicked, lazy servant,” and this servant’s gold was given to the servant with 10 bags of gold and that 3rd servant was thrown into the darkness.
Jesus is returning and there is judgement - either to eternity with Him or to eternity without Him.
With Him forever is what we want - so be encouraged to serve Him with your eyes on Jesus, and eagerly anticipating His return!
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