Fracture!

Dennis McCallum

1 Kings 11:26-14:26

The fracture of Israel comes from the sin of Jeroboam which is referenced again throughout Kings. Jeroboams' anxiety and doubt in God lead him to place idols in Israel to foreign gods because he didn't have faith that God could meet his needs and protect his position as King. We are not immune to this heart attitude. We too have our idols that we turn to when we think God is not sufficient enough to meet our needs. This leads to a weak church and leads to leaders who compromise their morals in order to retain their followers.

What's Wrong with the Religious?

Jim Leffel

Jeremiah 7:1-11

Jeremiah warned against having a religious mentality. The Israelites were taking false security simply because they were near the temple. 3 ideas were discussed: 1) the temple was a symbol that represented justice and mercy and the presence of God; 2) having a religious mentality flows from a lack of compassion and leads to narcissism; 3) religious passion should come from a sincere heart and seek truth.\r\n

Return to the Lord

Jim Leffel

Jeremiah 3:11-4:2

The Israelites were living their own way and following idols. God offered a better solution. Four lessons were taught: 1) agree with God that you have turned away from Him and He will bless you with grace; 2) agree about who God is (He is the Lord and He is good) and He will give you clarity and wisdom; 3) name and critique your idols and He will give you healing; and 4) proclaim God's goodness and you will become a blessing.\r\n

Where is the Lord?

Jim Leffel

Jeremiah 2:1-28

God seeks relationships with people like a lover who pursues a loved one and like a father who cares for and protects his children. People want the blessings of God, but not God Himself. Everyone worships something (comfort, approval, control, impact, etc.). These things are unworthy and lead to emptiness. God alone is worthy of our worship.\r\n

Introducing the Man & His Time

Jim Leffel

Jeremiah 1:1-16

God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nation of Judah and warns them if they do not turn from their evil ways they will be destroyed like the nation of Israel. The nation of Judah is contrasted with the heart of Jeremiah. Judah's heart is unfaithful to God, their destruction is looming, and they will be ruled by the Babylonians. Jeremiah has a heart for God, knows a future exodus is coming, and trusts God to rule his future. In His sovereignty, God has a calling for each of us and He promises to accomplish His word.\r\n

A Message To Skeptics

Jeff Gordon

Acts 17:13-34

In the time of Acts, Athens was the center of philosophy and culture. When Paul traveled there, his strategy was to go to the synagogue and the public square to defend Jesus and His resurrection. From this story, we learn that Paul identified with his audience and described God as a the personal creator, who is both the judge and the resurrected savior of humanity.

Being Different & Making a Difference

Jim Leffel

1 Peter 1:14-23

Peter discusses what it looks like to live as ?resident aliens? by contrasting being conformed to lusts versus being holy. We live in a culture that condones pursuing harmful passions and ?overdesires? that can never satisfy. Only the blood of Jesus can redeem us and make us holy which should radically change the way we live.\r\n

Relating to God

Dennis McCallum

Hosea 14:1-5

Hosea was a prophet who God called to marry an unfaithful prostitute. God reveals that this will "illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me, openly committing adultery against the Lord by worshiping other gods." Hosea's book contrasts idol worship (which applies to letting anything have priority over God) to the relationship God wants with people. This relationship includes intimacy, grace, discipline, freedom, faithfulness, and repentance, which is contrary to the perils that people experience without God.

The Ten Plagues

Lee Campbell

Exodus 7:2-6

God causes 10 plagues against the Egyptians that directly correlate with the Egyptian gods. Many view the plagues as disturbing due to the judgement on the Egyptians. However, God rescues the oppressed in order to show His character through this situation. Additionally, God persuades the oppressor to show that He alone is God. In the hardship that people face, it might require patient enduring until God finishes His persuading of the oppressor. God will ultimately stop the oppression because He is just.