Old Testament – Books of Moses
Introduction Let’s start with our key scripture for today, Exodus 12:13 – The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. In … Continue reading Deliverance for the Future
Introduction Genesis 9:11 – Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. In Genesis 6, we are told that creation was in dire need of a “reset.” As we learned last … Continue reading Grace on the Ark
I. Introduction Today’s bible trivia question: Why is our study book called the Book of Numbers? The Book of Numbers is of great historical significance because the Lord ordered the first census of the Israelites. Numbers chapters 1-10 have an awful lot of “begats” – that’s when most people, reading the bible in traditional sequence, get … Continue reading People of Unbelief and Rebellion
I. Introduction So this week’s lesson finds God’s people in the wilderness worshipping a golden calf. If you’ve been reading along in the chronological bible, you might wonder how we have strayed so far from God’s plan for us in the Garden of Eden. What was God’s plan for Israel? God’s plan: Garden of Eden … Continue reading The God People Want
I. Introduction Our scripture is Leviticus 26, and my initial reading understood God saying to the Israelites, “here is a list of blessings if you do right, here is a list of curses if you do wrong.” There are a lot of blessings and curses. In fact, that’s really everything in Leviticus 26, blessings and … Continue reading Blessings & Curses
I. Introduction Our scripture for the week was supposed to be Exodus 39 & 40. It’s starts with these verses, Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the Lord … Continue reading His Presence
s. Introduction What is “enough”? When do we have “enough?” Have you ever had enough chocolate? How about money? Have you ever had enough money? How about family? Never mind, of course you can have enough of family. I withdraw the analogy. When we do not have enough, what response pleases the Lord? Do we … Continue reading Sufficient
I. Introduction Good morning, everyone. Our lesson for this week is from Exodus 7, but I sort of felt the lesson this week should be on Exodus 14 where Moses parts the Red Sea. Or maybe Genesis 7 about Noah and the Great Flood. Or maybe we’re all worn out from talking about floodwaters. The … Continue reading Confrontation
I. Introduction The Roman Empire conquered by force much of the known world in days leading up to the birth of Jesus. By 37 BC, the Romans placed Herod the Great to rule Judea as a Roman province, with Roman troops stationed in Jerusalem to enforce the peace. After the death of Herod in … Continue reading The Faith of the Centurion
I. Introduction We’ve been studying the life of Abraham lately, and the last time I taught, I encouraged us to rely on the promises of God, for God always fulfills His promises. Our lesson at that time was Abram believing God’s promise that Abram would have more descendants than stars in the sky. Abram … Continue reading Answered Prayers
I. Introduction Open your bible to Genesis 15, and the first two words are, “After this.” After what? Ok, open your bible to Genesis 14. II. A Promise Given, Genesis 15:1-3 Let me summarize what’s happened with Abram recently. In Genesis 14, Abram’s nephew Lot had settled down with his family near Sodom and … Continue reading Waiting on the Promises of God
I. Introduction We’re continuing our study of Genesis, and Chris taught us about the Great Flood last week. Because of the wickedness of man, God sent His wrath in the form of floodwaters to wipe out man’s iniquity. Today, we’re going to talk about a fresh start after the flood, beginning in Genesis 8. II. … Continue reading A Covenant with Noah
But just as we choose our own sin, we also choose our salvation.
I. Introduction I've always joked that if I was ever asked to teach a lesson from the book of Leviticus, I would focus on the evils of shellfish. I'm allergic to shellfish - did any of you ever see the movie "Hitch" with Will Smith? And after another one of his disastrous dates where he … Continue reading What We Offer to the Lord
I. Introduction Who in this class has a collection? Dolls, thimbles, something else? I used to collect pennies when I was a young teen. I'd go through my grandfather's big jar of coins looking for specific pennies I didn't have. The oldest penny I had was from 1916, if I recall correctly. Once, based on … Continue reading Amazing Deliverance
I. Introduction It's difficult to see God at work sometimes, isn't it? Unanswered prayers, world hunger, wars. Our own lives, sickness, injuries. Let's start off today with a list of problems. Things that we believe God should solve, should do differently. Some big "why" questions. I'll start off with a couple. What's up with that … Continue reading Compassionate Action
Sweet treats for everybody; I'd like to pass out some candy favors today; little pieces of sweetness as a symbol of the wonderful friends we've developed in this class. (For my illustration today, I'll pass out little candy favors to everybody, but "accidentally" overlook Margaret.) Sometimes big conflicts can fracture a relationship. Sometimes, little things … Continue reading Reconciliation
This week we follow Joseph into prison. If we're headed to prison with him, let's recap how we got here. We know that Joseph was born into a family that was trying to follow God's will but at the same time was highly dysfunctional. Joseph had eleven other brothers, born to four different women. His … Continue reading When All Hope Seems Lost
Dysfunctional: abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior or interaction within a group. We’ve been studying a dysfunctional family now for the last several weeks. They’re a mess! We had Abraham; Abraham had been promised by God that he would have so many children, as many as there were stars in the heavens. How long did Abraham … Continue reading God’s Dysfunctional Children
As we’ve learned the last few weeks, God has a plan for Jacob. Jacob knows this, too, but he’s still trying to do things his own way and for personal reasons. Jacob was the second son born of Isaac and Rebekah, and God had told Rebekah that the elder would serve the younger. Esau was … Continue reading Wrestling with God
I’m looking for a role model this week. As I studied Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob, I couldn’t help but think, “What is wrong with these people?†First they give us an excellent example of walking with God, then they give us a horrible example. These are the great patriarchs of the bible, yet they … Continue reading God’s Will Be Done Despite Us
We’re reading Genesis 13 and 14 today and following Abram, Sarai, and their nephew Lot around the middle east. Lot’s father had died in Ur in the land of the Chaldees, and Abram had taken Lot in with him on his journey with God. Last week, in Genesis 12, the Egyptian Pharoah asked Abram to … Continue reading Choices We Make
Even though lunch today is at Fajita Flats, I brought along a suggestion from a restaurant I was recently visiting called La Place in Hengelo, The Netherlands. Here’s also a list of today’s specials; I can highly recommend the voorgerecht. (Other handouts go here: the complete menu, shopping flyers, German newspaper, Dutch newspaper, French airport … Continue reading Tower of Babel
Sometimes it can be difficult to remember that God is in control, that God has a plan for us. Let’s open God’s User Manual, Chapter 1, and start at the beginning. Genesis, verse 1:1 begins - In the beginning, God created… Let’s stop right there and discuss just those 5 words. Lately on the New … Continue reading God Loves His Creation
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, in Genesis 14, five kings joined forces. The king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the kings of Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela. For years, the five kings had been pushed around by four other kings, the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim. Because it makes … Continue reading Living in Hope
I taught my first bible lesson to adults today. It was sort of scary; I'm used to teaching 3rd graders for bible study where the most complex scriptural question is, "Mr. Mike, can I go to the restroom?" The opportunity arose to teach this week came up and (gulp) I took the bait. It's been … Continue reading Trusting in God’s Promise
Chasing the Wind 
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