Questions - Week 2: Can You Explain the Trinity?
Awake Us Now
Questions about the Trinity are often asked this way: • Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible? • Do Christians worship three Gods? • Was “Trinity” invented by the Church? • Isn’t the notion of “Trinity” irrational? • Don’t you think this is a minor issue? Pastor digs into the question of the Trinity by starting at the beginning, in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In Hebrew the word for God that is...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 6
Awake Us Now
This class will focus on Rehoboam the king of Judah, the southern kingdom, and his son Abijah as found in 1 Kings 14-15 and 2 Chronicles 11-13. They reigned 931-910 BC. In 2 Chronicles 12:1-5 we read that 5 years into Rehoboam’s reign that he and his kingdom have abandoned the law of the Lord. Rehoboam rules from Jerusalem and is attacked by the king of Egypt who has a huge army and captures the cities along the way to Jerusalem. Then the prophet Shemaiah comes and tells Rehoboam, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore I now abandon you to Shishak (Egyptian...
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The Living One - Week 6: The Great Shepherd
Awake Us Now
In the last 40 years, scholars have thrown out several centuries of scholarly speculation on the Gospel of John. This book was written by Jesus’ best friend, an eyewitness to the life of Jesus. It testifies to the powerful and encouraging message for people then, and still for us today!
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The Living One - Week 5: Lord and God!
Awake Us Now
When "Doubting Thomas" saw the risen Lord for himself, his skepticism changed to acknowledgement of Jesus as "My Lord and my God." Jesus responded by saying, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.” The Holy Spirit still brings faith to those who will hear, even in our skeptical generation. Today’s message invites us to come meet Jesus as we explore the story of the disciple Thomas. He was a brave believer who was willing to die for Jesus, but also one who is most well known as “Doubting Thomas.” Our world is one of...
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The Living One - Week 4: Who Would Invent This?
Awake Us Now
Everything stands and falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the heart of the New Testament, and also the greatest message the world has ever heard. Christ is risen! Today’s message explores cowardice, crucifixion, corroboration, confusion and finally courage that opens our eyes to be convinced! Christ is risen, and in Him is our hope for today and forever, for He IS The Living One!
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Dig Deeper - Week 3: Temptation & Testing
Awake Us Now
We take a look at Matthew 6:13, a portion of The Lord’s Prayer. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” However, we read in James 1:13 “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;” So are these two verses contracting each other? Or are we misunderstanding something. So let’s look at the original words used in this Scripture. 1. Peirazō - verb meaning to test/try or tempt - two very different meanings 2. Peirasmos - noun...
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The Living One - Week 3: They Were Clueless
Awake Us Now
The way of the Messiah leads to the cross, and that is the measure of the love of God. But we discover that many (including Jesus’ disciples) were clueless! This message takes a look at the events of Palm Sunday, and how Jesus had repeatedly predicted his crucifixion and His resurrection on the third day. However, “they were clueless.” Let us not be clueless!
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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...
info_outlineQuestions about the Trinity are often asked this way:
• Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible?
• Do Christians worship three Gods?
• Was “Trinity” invented by the Church?
• Isn’t the notion of “Trinity” irrational?
• Don’t you think this is a minor issue?
Pastor digs into the question of the Trinity by starting at the beginning, in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In Hebrew the word for God that is used in this verse is Elohim. Elohim is a plural noun. God is being described in plural terms!
Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” In Hebrew the Spirit of God is “Ruah Elohim”. This is describing God as the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” The word that stands out here is “said”.
Observation: Genesis 1
1. Plural noun for God the Creator
2. Spirit of God involved in Creation
3. God’s Word brings forth the Creation
This three-fold pattern continues throughout the Hebrew Scriptures:
1. Father - Deuteronomy 32:6 “Is He not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?”
2. Spirit - Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
3. Word - Psalm 33:6 “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”
But the Old Testament also says there is but ONE God. Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
And yet one God is describe in a multiplicity of terms. One God and three very distinct Persons. This pattern continues in the New Testament:
1. Father - 1 Peter 1:2 “…chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.”
2. Spirit - Acts 5:3-4 “…you have lied to the Holy Spirit…you have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
3. Word - John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
In John 1:14 we read more about the Word, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
THE WORD is none other than Jesus, Himself.
The Bible sets forth clearly that the One God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
The word that stands out in this verse is the word NAME - singular - yet THREE are named.
2 Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
This is clear Biblical teaching that the One true God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is complex!!! His ways are higher than ours!
God who created us….
• Planned to Save us (God knew we would wander away from Him, but His plan from the beginning was save us)
• Came to Save us (we cannot save ourselves, we need a divine rescue. Our Divine Rescuer is Jesus who came to earth taking on human flesh and enduring the cross)
• Dwells in us to Save us (the God who created us dwells in us, brings us to faith, changes hearts, gives power and testifies to Jesus the Savior)
God works as a unity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - each unique and distinct but also uniquely ONE.
Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible? The word is not but “the Trinity” is found: Father, Son and Holy Spirit in both Old and New Testaments.
Do Christians worship three Gods? No, there is but ONE God, but has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do not need to comprehend this to know God’s power and presence and truth.
Was “Trinity” invented by the Church? The term is invented but The TRUTH of THE TRINITY has been there since the beginning.
Isn’t the notion of “Trinity” irrational? This is a profound mystery, but not irrational. Pastor shares a lesson from Dr. Walter Martin and the Triple Point of Water where water is solid, gas and liquid all at one time. Three yet one. Is it irrational that the God of the universe can “three yet one.”
Don’t you think this is a minor issue? No because when we start ignoring what God says about Himself and what the Bible teaches we go into false teaching and false testimony. This is where false religions come in. We’re living in a culture that has walked from God and it is disastrous. This is NOT a minor issue - God is above ALL things and He is worthy of our worship and praise.
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