The Sign of the Prophet Jonah. The lesson on January 7, 2007 was given by Leland Maples who was visiting and shared an update from his LOOPS Ministry. He also gave a lesson on Matthew 12:38-40 (KJV) “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Timothy Study - Part 3. The lesson on January 21, 2007 picked up the audio series on Timothy with lesson three in the series. The study covers 1 Timothy 1:1-11. The first lesson covered the people we are dealing with in Ephesus. Timothy and Paul. Paul is a preacher, apostle, and an teacher to the Gentiles. This wasn’t so in the Acts period when Paul met Timothy (this is when Timothy became one of Paul’s converts as explained in Acts 16:1-5) Timothy was a devout believer from being raised by his mother Lois, and grandmother Eunice which were Jews that believed in Christ.
The Mystery of Godliness. In 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul acknowledged that without controversy, great is the Mystery of Godliness. The lesson on January 28, 2007 looked at the six conditions of this mystery. First, God was manifested in the flesh. God became a sinless man to save man from sin. Second, He was justified in the spirit. The greek word for Justified is “dikaioo” which means to set forth as righteous, to justify. Christ does just that for everyone who accepts Him as savior. Third, He was seen of Angles.
Timothy Study - Part 4. The lesson on February 4, 2007 continues the series on Timothy with part 4 which takes us to the end of chapter one. Timothy is a pastoral letter written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy which was the church leader in Ephesus so there is a good connection with the Ephesians letter and 1 Timothy. Beginning in verse 12, Paul specifies he has been enabled by the love of Christ. It always begins with Christ.
Timothy Study - Part 5. The lesson on February 11, 2007 continues in the Timothy study in chapter 2. This chapter primarily covers two topics: Prayer and Women in the church. There has been some controversy in the fact that Paul said in verse 1, “I Exhort”. Some have said that this isn’t the Word of God but instead Paul’s opinion. We believe that it is God’s Word and that not only will this chapter cover prayer and women in the church but, it’s really a question of God’s will vs. my will . Meaning, will you listen to what God says or will you follow your own will?
Timothy Study - Part 6. The lesson on February 18th, 2007 covers another important aspect of management in the church with the appointment of Bishops. Chapter one covered sound doctrine. Chapter two covered prayer and the role of women in the church. Chapter three covers the role of being a bishop in the church. Paul thought it important to cover the qualifications of the bishop. Paul writes this pastoral epistle to help Timothy straighten out the problems he is facing the the church in Ephesus. The problems Timothy was facing is the same problems the church is facing today.
Timothy Study - Part 7. Continuing in the Timothy series, the lesson on February 25, 2007 covers 1 Timothy 3:8-16 which details the qualifications for the leaders in the church. Timothy is the head of the church in Ephesus which is where Paul encountered a lot of problems. If we look at Acts 20:17 we see that Paul had to call the elders to a meeting outside the city because such a ruckus was caused by individuals like Alexander the coppersmith (1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 4:14).
Timothy Study - Part 8. Continuing in 1 Timothy, this lesson starts in chapter 4 which was given on March 4, 2007. Paul reminds Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:6 ”If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”. The encouragement is to practice Godliness which we do by putting on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5).
The L.U.C.K. of Christ. Maewyn Succat had Good News… and it has nothing to do with good luck. Who is Maewyn Succat? Well you might know him as Saint Patrick. On March 17, each year many people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green clothes, drinking green beer, participating in parades, dyeing rivers green, and thanking the luck of the Irish. Who is Saint Patrick and why is there a holiday to honor him ? What about the Luck of the Irish? Well, the word “luck” does not occur anywhere in scripture. This is evidence that nowhere in the Bible does it give place to “luck”.
Christ’s Prayer in the Garden. The lesson on March 25, 2007 was given by Leland Maples of the LOOPS Ministry and the lesson covers Matthew 26:36 “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.” He took three individuals with him as we see in verse 37 “And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.” Jesus was saying a prayer to his father. What was he praying?
The Cross. The lesson on April 1, 2007 studies the Cross of Christ. You can’t get to the resurrection until you get to the cross. This is where the transaction of our sin debt was paid by God. This is the week before the resurrection which is when we see his suffering, his passion. There is a lot said about the cross in scripture. Without the cross we would still be in our sins. The cross is every where today. It’s on the walls, it’s in jewelry, it’s on a hill by a church... but the cross has lost it’s meaning.
The Resurrection of Christ. The Easter holiday is the most celebrated event in all of Christianity. The lesson on April 8, 2007 reads in 1 Corinthians 15:12 where Paul was instructing the church in Corinth that the resurrection was real and Christ lives. Further Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Repentance - Godly versus Worldly. The lesson on April 15, 2007 was provided by Leland Maples of the LOOPS Ministry who gave an update on LOOPS as well as a study on 2 Corinthians 7:9-11. In this passage, Paul was dealing with two different types of sorrows and two different types of repentance which lead to two different results. We see a very personal example of these when comparing Peter and Judas. Mark 14:27-31 tells of the time where Jesus was telling the apostles that they will all deny him this very night.
Timothy Study - Part 9. The lesson on April 22, 2007 is the continuation of the series on the books written by Paul to Timothy who is the leader of the church at Ephesus. Timothy was a young man in a hostile territory leading a church in a city which was steep in idolatry and he had much opposition to Christ. God has given Timothy all he needs to know through the Apostle Paul. Even more with us today. God has completed the word of God and we have all we need in scripture to complete our walk which we have been called to do.
Timothy Study - Part 10. The lesson on April 29, 2007 is the tenth lesson on the audio series called the “Timothy Study”. The scripture for this lesson is chapter 5 of 1 Timothy verses 1 thru 16. Paul writes Timothy in chapter 5 about practical lessons on administration in the church, particularly in regards with widows. The chapter starts out with wisdom expressed in the means of handling elders. Timothy is told not to rebuke an elder but treat them like family members as if they were brothers.
Timothy Study - Part 11. As Christians, we have the responsibility daily to provide encouragement by sharing the love of God. The lesson on May 6, 2007 provides a review of the lesson regarding widows but then picks up to study the passages on Elders in verse 17. 1 Timothy 5:17 says “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” Elders are particularly qualified to teach the word of God and that’s why it is important that the qualifications that God established when selecting an elder in the church are followed.
Mother’s Day. The lesson on May 13, 2007 celebrates Mother’s Day with a lesson on Genesis 4:1-7 with the first children who were born and the first to celebrate having a mom. Genesis 4:1-4 “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Timothy Study - Part 12. The lesson on May 13, 2007 continues the lesson in Timothy and covers Chapter 5:21-25. Isn’t it required of a Christian to guard our heart? In Proverbs 4:23 it says “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Jeremiah says that there is nothing more deceitful than the heart. Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” If Christians don’t guard their heart, it leads us astray. Sin never wins and faith never fails.
Memorial and Remembrance. The lesson on May 27, 2007 takes time to recognize Memorial Day in America honoring those that have died in service of the United States of America. If you look up the word “Memorial” in scripture, you find many passages speaking of remembering something, whether it is a person or an event. Basically memorial is tied to remembrance and is important in the growth of our Christianity. There a many examples in scripture where you find stories that tell of the Lord’s desire to keep reminding the generations of Israel of how God had saved their nation.
Timothy Study - Part 13. The lesson on June 3, 2007 continues the series in the last chapter in 1 Timothy and picks up in 1 Timothy 6:3-11. Timothy was receiving teaching and exhortations on Widows, Elders, and Servants in the church and starting in verse 3 of chapter six we find Paul addressing the sentiment of not being satisfied with your lot in life. That’s why Paul says in verse 6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” It’s contentment that we need to have. Are you expecting to receive more than you reasonably ought to expect?
Timothy Study - Part 14. The lesson on June 10, 2007 continues the audio series in Timothy and discusses money. Paul is writing Timothy in Ephesus and he’s telling Timothy to let the people know that money isn’t everything. Let’s face it, we always know that there are going to be problems in life and most of the times the solution to those problems is money. A modern day song writer wrote a song with lyrics that said “money can’t buy me love”. That much was true because only true love comes from God. We need to discern the difference between godly love and worldly love.
Father’s Day. The lesson on June 17, 2007 takes a break from the Timothy Series and gives a lesson on Father’s Day. Billy Graham once was quoted as saying “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” And yet fatherhood today is being assailed, maligned, and marginalized. Perhaps this started in America 45 years ago when we allowed prayer to be removed from our schools. The de -masculinization of men was one of the reasons listed in the fall of the Roman Empire.
Timothy Study - Part 15. The lesson on July 1, 2007 continues the audio series in Timothy and covers Chapter 6:13-21 which comes to the end of the chapter. Derek starts by reviewing all the groups that have been addressed for instruction in the church that Timothy is leading in Ephesus. He addressed Widows, Elders, Servants, and then he spoke to those who don’t understand the truth. There are men who think that gain is godliness and he spends most of chapter 6 addressing this group. He explains that these men are usually proud and argumentative.
Timothy Study - Part 16. The lesson on July 8, 2007 continues with the study in Timothy. Most of 1 Timothy is a pastoral letter because it deals with “how to” but in chapter 6 we’ve come to a dispensational part of the book. In 1 Timothy 6:13-21 we find two Amens. The first Amen comes after the charge Paul gives Timothy in verses 13-16. The second Amen comes in verses 17-21. When dealing with domestic issues, we always handle them through what God has given to us dispensationally, because the fruit comes from the root.
When Man Does Right in His Own Eyes. The lesson on July 15, 2007 was given by Leland Maples of the LOOPS Organization (Loved Ones Of Prisoners). What happens when men decide to do right? There are plenty of scriptures that talks about men doing what’s right, in their own eyes. In the history of Israel, you go from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob into Egypt. Moses was selected to bring Israel out of Egypt and Joshua took them into the promised land. After Joshua died, you come to the time of the judges.
Timothy Study - Part 17 (final in the series). The lesson on July 22, 2007 finishes the audio series in Timothy. This is the 17th and final lesson in this series. The last lesson looked at our hope and our sphere of blessing. It covered the three spheres of blessings and which ones belong to whom which will probably lead to another series that dives into what our hope is in the church of the one body.
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 1. The lesson on July 29, 2007 begins a new series that studies our hope in the church today. This series ask the question what is your hope based on? Everyone has hope but what do you place your hope in? We studied several weeks ago the three spheres of blessings and iIn that study we learned that hope is the confident expectation of a promise that is to be enjoyed or fulfilled. Worldly hope compared to a spiritual hope has no confidence that a future expectation will happen.
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 2. The lesson on August 5, 2007 continued the series on the hope of the Church of the One Body. It is the second lesson and comes from a spin off of the three spheres of blessings. The beginning of this study was initiated from our Timothy Study.
Be Ready, Be Specific. The lesson on August 12, 2007 started with the scripture in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” and looked at several examples in scripture where someone was called upon to respond to a question.
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 3. Most of Christianity today teaches only two spheres of blessings, and the lesson here teaches on the second sphere of blessing which is New Jerusalem. The first sphere of blessing involved what was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who had the 12 fathers of Israel) being their seed would be like the sand, and stars in heaven and that they would inherit the Promised Land. This involved promises made through covenants with the nation of Israel (Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, and the New Covenant).
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 4. This lesson on August 26, 2007 continues with Part 4 in the series on the hope of the one body. The church’s hope is based on the “appearing” (Epiphany) of our Lord, Jesus Christ which places our hope far above the heavens where Christ is seated. However, if you ask a Christian today where he would go if he died, most of the time you hear the response of “heaven” and they are thinking of the other appearing (Parousia), which is tied to Israel. It seems by and large, that is the confusion in the hope of Christianity today.
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 5. If you were to ask the average Christian, what his or her hope would be, they might speak of the return of Christ. Then they may take you to this passage in the Matthew 25:31-34 (KJV) “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 6. Christianity teaches today that the rapture is the next thing in God’s plan. This is pre-millennial in scope which is a relatively new approach in the church. At the end of the Second World War, and pre-millennialism came into view and post-millennialism lost its popularity because of two reasons: 1) It advocated that the gospel would be preached to all nations and they would respond to it and 2) this response would usher in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Love of Christ in Heavenly Places - In the study on “The Hope of the Church of the One Body” we looked at the phrase “foundation of the world”. In doing so we discovered that this phrase occurs ten times in scripture. Seven of them are used with the words “from or since the foundation of the world”. We found that all seven of these references pertain to Israel and the calling they have in Abraham. There are three occurrences where these words appear together with a different time emphasis when it says “before the foundation of the world”.
A Good Foundation - Many lessons from history show that at any time, any where, calamity can strike… and tragedy occurs. Whether it be acts of war, acts of terrorism, or even personal calamity… there will be casualties for those who are not ready in the face of the enemy. As a Christian soldier, you must ask yourself is your foundation on rock or sand ? In the face of life’s challenges, are you ready to stand? God has provided us with the way to build a foundation that is sure… one that is built on Christ Jesus.
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 7. The close relationship we have with Christ that was established before the foundation of the world. The three scriptural references (John 17:22-24, 1 Peter 1:18-20, Ephesians 1:3-4) that pertain to before the foundation of the world involve two that establishes the love that God had with his Son, Jesus Christ, the third talks about us! What an amazing relationship we have with God. Every calling has a hope and every hope has a promise and every promise has a unique relationship with the Lord and his glory.
The Hope of the Church of the One Body - Part 8 (final). The lesson on October 7, 2007 finishes the audio series on the hope of the church. We have been studying the hope of the Church of the One Body for eight lessons now and we have seen hope as defined as something of what is expected, or trusted in.
Colossians Study - Part 3. The lesson on October 28, 2007 is the third lesson on the book of Colossians. We have learned that Epaphras was a strong minister unto the church at Colossae which Paul testified in Col. 4:12 who communicated to Paul his concerns about the doctrine being taught in Colossae. The letter itself was brought to the Colossians by Tychius, who was another faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord as is stated in Col. 4:7. Epaphras is with Paul in Rome and some say that Colossians is a sister letter to the book of Ephesians.
Colossians Study - Part 4 . The lesson on November 4, 2007 continues with the fourth lesson in Colossians. In chapter 1 we have been looking at the prayer that Paul was saying to the church at Colossae, and it has three import parts. Part one is the statement in verse 9 when he is praying that you would have a “full knowledge” (in the Greek it’s “epignosis” (ep-ig'-no-sis); which means recognition, i.e. (by implication) full discernment, acknowledgement) of the Lord’s will. Part two of this prayer is regarding our walk.
Be Ye Thankful. In the Colossians study, we saw that the Apostle Paul was expressing that we be thankful for everything the God the Father has done for us in His son Christ Jesus. We often take that for granted and forget that we should be thankful. What is being thankful mean? Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary contains the greatest number of Biblical definitions given in any reference volume. Webster considered "education useless without the Bible". Noah Webster believed that the Bible and Christianity played important roles in the lives of a free people and its government.
Colossians Study - Part 5. The audio lesson for November 18, 2007 is Part 5 in this Colossians study. The lesson discusses why Paul is praying for them in Colossae for we see they are having problems and we see Paul’s prayer in verse 9. Colossians 1:9 (KJV) “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” Usually you don’t pray for a cause unless there is a complication that comes along with that cause.
Colossians Study - Part 6. Colossians 1:24-29 puts before us one of the most important aspects of our calling today and it is impossible for us to recognize this calling apart from the teaching of Paul. Starting with verse 24, Paul is explaining the suffering he personally endured that was told to him by God when he was converted on the road to Damascus. God said to Paul that he would suffer some things for my sake which he is now referring to in verse 24.
