Volume 2 contains 5 lessons: Mt. Gilboa, Bethel, Shechem, Shiloh, and a tomb.
The Siren Call of our culture: “Supersize! The bigger the better!” From the latest tech toys to the freshest fashion trends, we are enticed by a barrage of products that signal our status: “Look at me - I’ve arrived.” Regardless of the product peddled, what matters is to have the newest, the biggest, the fastest, the “most-est.” This teaching is one that God has used to open my eyes to an enduring principle throughout Scriptures and time. We’ll discover that this quest for towering greatness is not a recent invention. Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians walked a similar path.
Most of us have heard the story of Gethsemane countless times. But in today’s lesson you’ll learn to see Jesus’ suffering from a different perspective. It’s “at the place called Gethsemane” that we discover Jesus’ brutal suffering was God’s way of telling us how much he loves and values us. And, if we are willing, he can use the crucible of our own lives to share that message with a wounded world.
The High King of Heaven did not arrive to pomp and circumstance. In fact, Heaven’s Royalty arrived into some dire circumstances; surrounded by animals and shepherds instead of royal attendants, swaddling clothes in place of royal robes. Hay instead of fine linens and down comforters. One might think that our all-knowing and all-powerful God might have been a better planner; or was this His plan? Join George to ponder this royal arrival.
In this lesson we take a walk in Peter’s sandals on his journey from a shameful denial to a full restoration where we discover that no matter how great the offense, with Jesus there is never a relationship that can’t be fixed. At a charcoal fire Jesus prepares a backslider breakfast… and we come to realize just how far God will go to get us back. His love is louder than our denials and deeper than our shame.
Sinking your fingers into dark, loamy soil. Planting a seed. Watching it emerge as a tiny shoot and blossom into a mature plant. Few experiences connect us to the earth as richly as gardening. In the gospel that bears his name John tapped into this human impulse to cultivate life, using gardening as a metaphor for our spiritual lives. There are times however, when our modern understanding of agriculture sometimes prevents us from enjoying the richness of the Text’s gardening metaphors. In this teaching you’ll learn about the ancient tending of grape vines with which Jesus and his disciples would have been familiar. As you look at the Text with the eyes of an ancient audience you’ll discover fresh insights about our heavenly Gardener and his desire for cultivating fruit in your life.
“Alijah” is Hebrew meaning to ascend or go up. Our Jewish friends will tell you that when they travel to Israel they are doing “Alijah”; they are “going up” to Israel. Based on the ancient teaching that the center of the world is Israel, the center of Israel - Jerusalem, the center of Jerusalem - the Temple and at the center of the Temple; the Holy of Holies; that is where the presence of God resides. One always goes up to God. True, God journeys down to meet us and be with us. But it is also true, for us to meet God we need to go “up” to be with him. For our relationship with God to deepen, it invariably involves some “up hill”. Journey with Pastor George in this set of teachings as he leads us in Alijah– you’ll be stretched but we’re sure it’s well worth the “climb”.
What do you live for? There’s a nice, Sunday-school answer to that question: We live to serve and love God. But words that easily roll off the tongue are not always backed up with actions. All too often, our lives reflect a different reality than the one we project during Sunday morning worship. In this lesson George takes us to Petra Jordan where we’ll study the high places where ancient nations sacrificed their best to pagan gods. Though they may not be as obvious, we are still surrounded by idols today. But amidst the barrage of people and activities that vie for our attention, it’s my hope that you’ll find a renewed passion to place God in the high place of your heart.
Decisions, large or small, we all have to make them. When it comes to our preferences decision making can be fun but when it comes to our principles decision-making tends to be difficult. Those pivot points where the decision will have momentous life impact, who I marry, will we try to have children, and will I take the promotion and the transfer that it requires? Discover how God seeks to earn our decision to follow him.
“He is not a tame lion...but he is good” is how C.S. Lewis describes Aslan in his classic “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe". Aslan, of course, represents Christ and by this succinct description Lewis unveils a paradoxical side of God with which so many of us struggle. Our God is good, so very good; but he is not tame; certainly if one were to define “tame” as predictable. The poet William Cowper was spot on when he wrote: “God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform”; in a similar vein the apostle Paul writes: “How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord?”
He had been obedient and followed, and where did it land him – a cave! Though it started as a place of discouragement, disappointment, and disillusionment; the cave of Adullam became an essential transition point in David’s life & work. Just as there was a cave on the path of David’s life, chances are there will be one for us. Join George in the cave and discover God’s provision and promise for those dark places and life on the other side of the cave.
He certainly had no idea of his brothers envious feelings, otherwise young Joseph would certainly not have gone looking for them as earnestly as he had. Finding them and the flocks in the remote region of Dothan an event occurred that forever impacted the lives of all involved. It was Mother Teresa who said; “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” My, how these brothers have forgotten! Perhaps we as well?
Every student knows, and expects, that with learning comes testing. Before an apprentice is approved as master in their field, they must demonstrate their skill and expertise. With such learning and experience comes confidence. It had been a day full of listening, learning, and growing under the instruction of their great teacher, Jesus; but now it was time for resting… and testing. Would the disciples prove to be confident or cowardly in their test?
The world appears to becoming more chaotic and “safe places” are becoming increasingly rare. It wasn’t so for the ancient Egyptians, they had strong sense of safe places; indeed, they regarded Egypt itself as the safest of “safe places”. How is it possible that what began as a “safe place” became anything but a safe place for our ancestors of the faith? What is God’s idea of a “safe place”? What is yours?
It didn’t appear to be a wild place at all when God, through Pharaoh, gifted Joseph and his descendants the land of Goshen. In fact, it was the very definition of a gift and blessing; the most fertile land in of all Egypt (and that’s saying something). How could such a beginning; starting as Pharaoh’s favorite, living in the land of plenty result in bitter slavery and fear? How are such things possible? Join George and group on location as they discover an essential and eternal truth contained in: Goshen.
Surprising how and where God nurtures his people. Where we seek to protect and shield; God is not intimidated with “at risk” situations. Whether it’s the “iron-smelting furnace” of Egypt or the “vast and dreadful wilderness” God shapes his people in extraordinary situations and circumstances; C.S. Lewis description is apt: “he is good... but he is not tame”. Filmed on location in the Middle East this series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a bolder follower of Jesus.
In our fast-paced culture, we often rush through our Bible. Too often we emphasize quantity – how much of the Bible we’ve read – instead of focusing on the quality of our time in God’s Word. But the Bible is not a mass-produced art print to be casually hung on a wall; it’s an original masterpiece to be savored and studied close-up. It contains the very words of God! In each lesson, filmed on location, DeJong illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Pause for a moment to examine some of God’s words in detail and you will no doubt develop a deeper appreciation of the masterpiece of the Text and also for its Author.
“Alijah” is Hebrew meaning to ascend or go up. Our Jewish friends will tell you that when they travel to Israel they are doing “Alijah”; they are “going up” to Israel. Based on the ancient teaching that the center of the world is Israel, the center of Israel - Jerusalem, the center of Jerusalem - the Temple and at the center of the Temple; the Holy of Holies; that is where the presence of God resides. One always goes up to God. True, God journeys down to meet us and be with us. But it is also true, for us to meet God we need to go “up” to be with him. For our relationship with God to deepen, it invariably involves some “up hill”. Journey with Pastor George in this set of teachings as he leads us in Alijah– you’ll be stretched but we’re sure it’s well worth the “climb”.
