Big Questions - My Witnesses... To the Ends of the Earth
Awake Us Now
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
Awake Us Now
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
Awake Us Now
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
Awake Us Now
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Questions - Week 13: Is Marriage Outdated?
Awake Us Now
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
Awake Us Now
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!
Awake Us Now
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!
Awake Us Now
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
Awake Us Now
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...
info_outlineThis teaching is from Matthew 26:39-68
Come along as we see:
Who Jesus is and why we so desperately need Him
As we look at Jesus’ story of His arrest and trial, we will learn that Jesus is faithful and we are not, Jesus is fearless and we are not, Jesus is forthright and we are not.
Today’s story opens in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus having asked His disciples to stay awake while He goes to pray and share His heart with the Father. Jesus knows what is coming and asks the Father if there is another way - yet ends the prayer saying, “not my will, Father, but Yours.” Jesus remains faithful to accomplish the will of the Father.
As Jesus returns the 3rd time from praying to the Father He again discovers the disciples sleeping. He wakes them as the scene changes… we read next the betrayal by Judas as he point out Jesus in the crowd by kissing/greeting Him. Jesus is seized and arrested, yet He fearlessly goes with them, faithful to the will of God the Father.
Peter then cuts off the ear of one of the servants that was present and Jesus immediately heals the ear, telling Peter not to give into hatred.
Jesus doesn’t resist arrest and willingly steps into fulfilling the Scriptures. The prophetic words spoken in the Old Testament about Jesus are fulfilled and it is in seeing this fulfillment of His first coming, that we know what the Bible tells us of His second coming is truth, as well. Jesus will fulfill, one day soon, everything predicted in His return. There is so much more to come and we don’t want to miss it! What He offers is life forever with Him! Faith in Him delivers and saves us!
As Jesus is taken away His disciples abandon Him, leaving Him alone and deserted. He is brought before the High Priest, Caiaphas. Peter hangs back in the courtyard area. (A spot that comes into play in next week’s study!)
The Sanhedrin begin looking for evidence against Jesus. Two witnesses declare that Jesus said “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in 3 days.” These were words spoken during the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. Pastor shares some interesting insight into there being 2 times Jesus cleansed the temple and not just once. One at the beginning of His ministry and then again just days before His arrest. The temple cleansings bookend His ministry.
The High Priest asks Jesus to answer the change of destroying the temple and building it up in three days, but Jesus does not answer. Again displaying His fearlessness. He remains quiet.
Caiaphus seeing he doesn’t have enough evidence to convict Jesus, then demands that Jesus tells them, under oath of the Living God, if He is the Messiah the Son of God. Meaning: Are you making a claim to divinity (and this was a crime).
And Jesus answers, “You have said so.” And goes on saying, “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64) Jesus’ forthrightness in His answer describes who He Is by quoting Old Testament Scriptures (Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110:1).
In His answer, Jesus is claiming Deity and thus convicts Himself. At Jesus’ words the High Priest tears His clothes (something that was only permitted when someone was blasphemous). Verses 65-66 continue, “Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” The crowd answered, “He is worthy of death.”
Our study ends with Jesus’ faithfulness and fearlessness as seen in verses 67-68: “Then they spit in Jesus’ face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
When we meet next the story of Jesus’ arrest and conviction continue with more for us to learn on who Jesus is! Join us!
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