Topic: Old Testament

Have you ever had a problem that you wanted to hide from everyone around you? Are there things in your life you wish no one knew about? Why is the world the way it is? Why do we see so much corruption, greed, disease, sickness, and problems as we observe the world around us? Is God still involved in the affairs of humanity? Where was God when everything started going wrong? Can we trust that God is still present today even in the midst of political and moral turmoil? Man hides from God, but God is ever-present and seeking out humanity. Where are you?

Benhadad, the king of Syria, oppressed Israel during the reign of Ahab. Because of Israel's rebellion this was, for a time, permitted by God. Soon Benhadad begins to make insulting demands of Ahab and when Ahab refuses they go to war. But God was with the Israelites and delivered Benhadad into their hand. The Syrians attack again reasoning that the only reason they lost was because God was a god of the hills. God answers this challenge also but when Benhadad is spared by king Ahab, a prophet makes a strange request. A request that if refused, could cost someone their life.

What can we learn from the time period of the judges? Why did God raise up these men, women, and children? Why was victory over the army of Sisera given to a woman, Jael, rather than Barak? What can we learn from the story of Gideon about faith? How does the story of Samson show God's willingness to work through people even when they make mistakes? We will also cover the story of Ruth and Samuel. God works through human agencies when they are fully dependent on Him. Yet, even when they go down wrong paths, He turns problematic situations into opportunities.

As we study rebellion and redemption, what impact did sin have on humanity? How did sin impact the children of Adam and Eve as well as the generations to come? What does all this have to do with the Great Controversy? Did God step in to deal with this crisis or did He leave humanity on its own to fend for themselves? What does God's relationship with Abraham teach us about how sure can we be about God's promises? How do the lives of Jacob, Esau, and Joseph show us the growing process God takes us through to accomplish His plans for us?

This week we start a new series on rebellion and redemption. Why is the world as messed up as it is today?  Are the corruption, disease, pollution, and problems we observe part of God's design? What went wrong in the Garden of Eden? Is God to blame for Adam and Eve's mistake? Why did the tree of the knowledge of good and evil exist? Was mankind set up to fail? Why was humanity given power to choose? How does all this tie in with the Great Controversy and with our lives today?

Jeremiah has a very human response to his pain and suffering resulting from being rejected as he spoke the Word of the Lord. What lessons can we learn about suffering and going through hardship resulting from standing for our faith? Will God's people today have a similar experience? What did Jeremiah learn about his weaknesses and what God does in spite of human weakness? How did Pashur respond to Jeremiah? What was God trying to say to the people of Judah? Is prophecy conditional or always fulfilled once a prophet utters the words?

Jeremiah brought a message of rebuke to the people of Judah. Because this was not a popular message, he met a lot of opposition. As people planned to do him harm God was with him to deliver him. Why did so many reject the warnings of the prophet? How does this still happen, even in our time today? Why were people more willing to listen to false prophets? If God hadn't sent them, who did? Why was Jeremiah told not to pray for the people? Are there limitations to God's mercy? If so, what happens when those limits have been reached? Is repentance always genuine?

Who were the last five kings of Judah? How did God reach out to them? What was there response to the message of Jeremiah the prophet and God's Word? What lessons can we draw from this for our time today? What made many of the kings of Judah so stubborn? How was Josiah's reign different? What did Josiah do during his reign that contrasted the other kings and what message does that hold politicians in today's time? In this lesson we cover Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. We explore the events that led to the Babylonian captivity and the parallels with today.

Why is humanity in crisis? How does this crisis impact the lives of God's people? In what way did Jeremiah face this crisis in his time? How does this relate to challenges the church faces from both the secular world and within the church itself? In what ways can challenges from within be worse than challenges without? In what ways did the history of Israel and Judah show crisis from within? Why did God punish His chosen people through other nations? What was God trying to teach them? As we explore the book of Jeremiah, we will see how many things parallel today.

This week we start a new quarter on the book of Jeremiah the Prophet. How was this prophet called? What can we know about his background and ministry? What exactly is a prophet's job? What kinds of messages does God send through prophets? How does God communicate with prophets? Are they always willing to accept the call? Will people readily accept their message? In what way was Jeremiah's experience similar to that of Jesus? This week we take our first look at Jeremiah.

What was the mission and message of Paul all about? What could we say was central to his message? What did Paul preach? How did he adapt his message to reach different kinds of audiences? How important was the concept of the resurrection in Paul's teaching? In this lesson we will explore the techniques Paul used to reach Jewish and Gentile audiences. Like Jesus, Paul used what was familiar to his listeners to explain what was unfamiliar to them. In looking at how Paul did this, we can learn a great deal about teaching spiritual truths to people today.

What can we learn from Peter's outreach to the gentiles? How did it contrast from Paul's? What can we learn from the story of Cornelius and the conversion of his friends and family? What important lessons did Jews of the early church have to learn? What might that mean for the church today? Does culture or race matter when it comes to salvation? This week as we explore these lessons we'll look at the stories of early gentile converts to Christianity.