God's Promises: Emmanuel (Chris)

We conclude our series on God’s Promises.  During this lesson, we look at three key OT figures – Abraham, Moses, and David – and how their lives offer a perspective on faith, foundation, and followership, and then turn to the NT to see how Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth follow the same archetypes.  We’ll pull it together by returning to the original covenantal promise to Abraham and show how it was fulfilled by Jesus through his birth thousands of years later.  We hope you will join us!

Listen to God's Promises: Emmanuel
Lesson Plan
Video mentioned at end of class

God's Promises: King Rehoboam and The Consequences of Ignoring God (Chris)

The saga of King David and King Solomon reaches an unwelcome end in the largely forgotten King Rehoboam.  Inheriting power and potential glory, Rehoboam causes the division of Israel and the helps along its eventual destruction.  His story is a lesson in the consequences of disobedience to God.  It also highlights how Jesus provides a perfect counter-example for us to follow as we seek to avoid damage and to seek blessings in our own lives. 

Listen to King Rehoboam and The Consequences of Ignoring God
Lesson Plan
Handout
Flashcards

God's Promises: King Solomon and Dealing with Success (Randy)

David appointed his son, Solomon, to succeed him on the throne as the second king of Israel. He became the wisest man in the world and built up the kingdom, but neglected to credit God for his success.  God responded by allowing the kingdom of Israel to become divided.  In the same way, we are at risk of allowing our successes to go to our head.  Thankfully, Jesus reminds us how to think about our success and guarantees we will never lose the kingdom of God.

Listen to King Solomon and Dealing with Success
Lesson Plan

God's Promises: King David and Overcoming Adversity (Chris)

The reign of King David ended in success for Israel.  Yet David and the nation endured many challenges and difficulties.  David himself was beset by serious adversity over and over.  Some of the difficulties were caused by others and some by David.  Some of the challenges he handled with faith and honor and some he did not.  Exploring David's life and comparing it to Jesus helps us to find ways in which we can manage hardships ourselves.  In the end, David was anointed by God and given blessings, honor, and glory in spite of himself.  In the same way, we are anointed by association with our Savior Jesus Christ and given blessings, honor, and glory in spite of ourselves and our circumstances.  We can face adversity in this life because Christ conquered the world on our behalf!

Listen to King David and Overcoming Adversity
Lesson Plan

God's Promises: Saul and the Art of Self Deception (Bryant Cornett)

Bryant Cornett explores the story of how Israel ended up with its first King, Saul, and how it may not have turned out exactly how they wanted.  We must be careful what we wish for!  Bryant is a frequent attendee and guest speaker of our class.

Listen to God's Promises: Saul and the Art of Self Deception
Handout

You can also find the lesson on Bryant's site here:

Saul & the Art of Self Deception

http://ontheporch.libsyn.com/sauls-self-deception

God's Promises: Gideon and the Leverage of Active Faith (Chris)

In the Book of Judges chapters 6-8, God used Gideon as a means to show tremendous power in the world and to deliver Israel from its enemies.  Jesus taught similarly that aligning ourselves with God’s purpose can produce miracles.  How should we use this power as Disciples of Christ?

Listen to Gideon and the Leverage of Active Faith
Lesson Plan
Handout

God's Promises: Possessing the Promised Land (Randy)

After 40 years in the desert, Joshua finally led the Israelites into the promised land.  The Lord paved the way by enabling them to cross the Jordan River, and they succeeded as long as they remained obedient. In the same way, through our baptism and acceptance of Jesus, we cross from death to life, and that life is abundant as long as we remain obedient.

Listen to God's Promises: Possessing the Promised Land
Lesson Plan

God's Promises: Promised Land (Chris)

This class explores the concept of “Promised Land” in relation to ancient Israel, to the teachings of Christ, and to a modern example referencing both of the others – the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.  We ask four questions about each period: what is the Promised Land, where is the Promised Land, how do we get to the Promised Land, and when do we go to the Promised Land?  One conclusion is that Christian disciples see the fulfillment of God’s promises not only in a heavenly future but in a more Godly world here and now.

Listen to God's Promises: Promised Land
Lesson Plan
Handout

God's Promises: Wilderness (Margaret Odom-Tomchin and Erica Joy Bitting)

This week’s lesson focuses on the 40 years Israel spent wandering in the Wilderness between being freed from slavery in Egypt and reaching the Promised Land.  Why did God need them to struggle and prepare before fulfilling their aspirations?  What can we learn about from Israel about our own life detours and challenges?  Our class leaders are Margaret Odom-Tomchin and Erica Joy Bitting, PRUMC’s current Candler School of Theology students in residence.

Lesson Plan

God's Promises: Salvation (Chris)

Salvation.  We were saved by Christ on the cross just as Israel was saved when it was released from slavery by Pharaoh. In both cases, however, that is just the beginning of the story.  If salvation is a process of being saved and then living a Godly life day-by-day, what can ancient Israel's escape from Egypt teach us about Christian discipleship?

Listen to God's Promises: Salvation
Lesson Plan
Handout

God's Promises: Plagues and Passover (Randy)

The ten plagues of ancient Egypt brought by God through Moses to Pharaoh make little sense to the modern sensibility. Why would God bring such destruction to the whole country, culminating in the death of firstborn sons?  As it turns out, God exercised and demonstrated his authority in a way that Pharaoh could (ultimately) understand, and the beginning of his salvation plan proves to be a perfect type for our salvation in Christ. 

Listen to God's Promises: Plagues and Passover
Lesson Plan

Crucifixion timeline (Guideposts and sketch)
Crucifixion timeline (Randy's analysis)

God's Promises: Covenant (Chris)

We begin our new series, “God's Promises: What Can Ancient Israel Teach Us About our Faith in Christ?"  This series is based on the statement of Jesus that he came "not to abolish but to fulfill" the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17).  What does this mean, and how can we learn from the stories of the Old Testament as we seek to become better disciples of Christ?

In our first lesson, we explore the idea of Covenant.  The lesson revisits the promise and explanation of the future given by God to Abraham in Genesis 15.  This original Covenant connects all of us directly to the history of Ancient Israel.  We then look at Israel enslaved in Egypt to see how the story in Exodus relates to our lives as Christians.

Listen to God's Promises: Covenant
Lesson Plan
Handout
"Get Out" article by Tim Keller which Chris Referenced in class

Living the Bible - Genesis Edition: The Great Flood (Randy)

Noah’s Ark is one of the most familiar stories in the Old Testament, yet we tend to remember the childhood cartoon version of it.  A man and his family gather up the earth’s animals and enter the ark on faith, survive a terrible flood, and then repopulate the earth. But this skips over the important fact that God judges the earth and unleashes his terrible wrath. How do we as moderns reconcile this terrible image of God with our notion that he is a God of love and mercy?

Listen to Living the Bible -Genesis Edition: The Great Flood

Lesson Plan

Living the Bible - Genesis Edition: Justice, Love, and Generosity part 2 (Chris)

Continuing the prior lesson, we explore how the story of Cain and Abel focuses on generosity and illuminates the justice of God and the love of God.  We see how we can be like Cain ourselves if and when we pursue our relationship with God selfishly and out of obligation rather than love.  Even then, we conclude that God loves us no matter what.

Listen to Living the Bible -Genesis Edition: Justice, Love, and Generosity part 2
Lesson Plan
Handout

Living the Bible - Genesis Edition: Justice, Love, and Generosity (Chris)

We explore how the story of Cain and Abel focuses on generosity and illuminates the justice of God and the love of God.  We see how we can be like Cain ourselves if and when we pursue our relationship with God selfishly and out of obligation rather than love.  Even then, we conclude that God loves us no matter what.

Listen to Living the Bible -Genesis Edition: Justice, Love, and Generosity

Lesson Plan

Handout

Living the Bible - Genesis Edition: 7 Truths of Adam and Eve (Randy)

We are so familiar with the story of Adam and Eve that we miss God’s powerful wisdom packed within it.  A careful reading reveals at least 7 truths around which we can orient our lives.

Listen to Living the Bible -Genesis Edition: 7 Truths of Adam and Eve

Lesson Plan

Living the Bible - Genesis Edition: In the Beginning (Chris)

January is a good time to reflect on beginnings as our class settles in to a new year and a new series.  We are made in God's image, and God gave us the ability to create -- to initiate new things.  With such opportunities in mind, what does Genesis teach us about how to harness our creativity in service to God and to each other?

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Lesson Plan

Handout

Living the Bible - Genesis Edition: Creation (Randy)

Most of us remember reading the Genesis stories in our children’s Bibles, but what do they really say, and how do they impact our faith and the way we live our lives?  Genesis offers a rich theology that shapes our worldview in ways we don’t even realize, and by digging deeper into it, we can grow in our faith in meaningful ways.  Today, we begin at the beginning with the creation story and explore how it shapes our everyday lives.

Listen to Living the Bible - Genesis Edition: Creation
Lesson Plan