The Living One - Week 2: Why Reject Him?
Awake Us Now
Today’s question is an exploration of why people reject Jesus. What is it that causes people to doubt Him? Why do people turn their backs on what God is offering to everyone through Christ Jesus? Pastor Dodge examines these assumptions and counters them with the truth of the scriptures.
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Questions - Week 14: Why Am I So Tempted?
Awake Us Now
Common questions on this age old topic: ⁃ Why is sin so tempting? ⁃ Why do I do things I don’t want to do? ⁃ How can I conquer temptation? ⁃ Where can I find strength to resist? ⁃ Why is this so difficult? Genesis 3:1-7 - First sin in the Bible. But prior to sin, Adam and Eve were in a time of blissful innocence. A perfect creation, perfect relationship with God, perfect relationship with each other. No death, no sorrow, no pain, but that...
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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?
Awake Us Now
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
Awake Us Now
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
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%...
info_outlineUp To Jerusalem - Teaching 18
Scripture: Zechariah 12:10, John 19:31-42, Matthew 27:3-10, Acts 1:18-19, Matthew 28:1-4, Mark 16:1-4, Luke 24:1-10, John 20:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:20.
Today we look at Jesus’ resurrection.
Jesus dies on a Friday and this particular Friday was Friday, the Day of Preparation - the day of preparing the lambs for a special Saturday Sabbath, the First Sabbath of Passover.
Following Saturday, the First Sabbath of Passover was Sunday, and this particular Sunday was also a special day as well, it was the Day of First Fruits. Jesus would rise on this day, from the grave, and on that day He would rise as the first fruits of those who rise from the dead. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of those who slept.” 1 Cor 15:20.
Back to our story, John tells us that Jesus’ legs were not broken - something done by Roman soldiers to insure death, but they pierced His side with a spear. This fulfills scripture, “They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son.” Zech 12:10.
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’ body in linen and spices and laid Him in a new tomb. Jesus’ followers are in deep grief.
The next morning, Saturday, the First Sabbath of Passover, chief priests and pharisees go to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ tomb to be made secure because Jesus had said He would rise after 3 days, and the chief priests and pharisees want to stop anyone from stealing the body and making it look like Jesus did rise from the dead. They seal the tomb and place guard at it.
Then the next day - Sunday - the Day of First Fruits - is Jesus’ resurrection day! Pastor puts together the 4 gospel accounts of the women that came to the tomb that morning. While it appears they are in conflict Pastor lays things out using a map of Jerusalem and suggests those with further interest to read the book “Easter Enigma: Are the Resurrection Accounts in Conflict” by John Wenham.
Pastor shares historical information of the time period that supports the biblical narrative, even sharing recent archaeological information regarding the possible location of Jesus’ tomb.
Using all four gospels, Pastor takes us through who these women were and their early morning activities of visiting the tomb and putting forth the order of the morning events.
As we continue with the story, we read there was another violent earthquake and angels came down from heaven, scare the guards and then roll the stone from the sealed tomb. Now the women enter the tomb to find it empty. Mary Magdalene decides to run and let the disciples know what they found.
The other women ask the angels where they have put Jesus’ body and they tell them He’s not there as He has risen just as He said He would.
At this point Peter and other disciples head for the tomb. Inside they see the strips of linen and the cloth around Jesus’ head lying there and head back to where they were staying.
Mary Magdelene is back at the tomb and is the first to see and speak to Jesus. She’s outside the tomb crying and looks inside to see 2 angels seated where Jesus’ body had been - one at the head the other at the feet.
Pastor shares insight into the similarity of the two angels sitting as they were where Jesus had been and the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of Holies. A fascinating comparison.
The angels ask Mary why she is crying and she replies that they have take her Lord. She turns around and there is Jesus! Though she doesn’t yet recognize Him. Jesus asks her as the angels had about why she was crying. Looking at Jesus, who she thought was the gardener, she says, “They have taken Jesus, do you know where they have taken Him?”
Then Jesus says, “Mary.” And she immediately recognized Him! She cries out in joy and Jesus tells her, “Go to my brothers, tell them I’m ascending to my Father and your Father, to My God and your God, and tell them what you have seen!”
This is only the morning’s events! Join us next time for the rest of all that happened that Resurrection Sunday!
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Up to Jerusalem is a study of the final weeks of Jesus' ministry. The earth shakes, concluding with His resurrection and ascension, using the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John together with material from ancient sources and recent discoveries. Up to Jerusalem is part five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Up To Jerusalem is the story of the plan of God to redeem the world, and the story of a Savior willing to obey the Father’s plan. As we study Jesus’ final days, we will be impacted as we discover the Love of God for each one of us.
This study is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time.