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