"Jesus said many things about hat our lives would be like is we chose to follow Him. What he never said is that it would be easy. In fact, much of what He said was the exact opposite. Man of us have found ourselves in difficult circumstances and begin to question if something is wrong with this faith we have. The people around us seem to have their lives so put together and their lives are east, but here we are drowning and wondering if we will ever find solid ground again. The storms of life are real, and they are brutal, but when we have a solid foundational understanding of the truth of the Gospel, we can have hope to withstand the barrage of the waves to come."
Garrett Weir takes us through Amos's fourth vision and the judgment that accompanies it. We see the Lord's anger against Israel's sin finally coming to fruition. The Lord had shown Israel grace and patience for so long, but their religious masks were finally too repulsive to not discipline them. In their hearts, Israel hated the Holy days, cheated people, sold their kinsmen into slavery, and worshipped idols. God does not tolerate fake faith.
Amos now stands accused by a false priest. This encounter puts the truth of God's Word in direct contrast with the lies of the enemy; it puts a faithful man on display against darkness. Amos's faithfulness and humility set him apart as a servant of God and set and example for us as light in a dark world.
"Amos begins relating five visions of judgment against Israelf for the actions she has been accused of us to this point. This is the first time we experience the "vision" portion of Amos's ministry and we see how His interactions with the Lord reminds us of Moses (Exodus 32) and point us towards Jesus. These examples show us how we ought to live and interact with a wicked generation today."
"The apostle Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 3 that in the last days there will be those who "have the appearnace of godliness....denying its power." Ignoring God's call to return to Him, Israel continues in their own arrogance, pursuing the influence and celebrity of the nations around them instead of the righteousness of God. Faithful to His promise, pride comes before a fall..."
Through a funeral poem, God displays His heartbreak over the specific sins of Israel. He also offers them a simple way back to Him: turn around. Just as He spoke through the prophet many years ago, He is speaking through the Church to the rebellious world today. Central to the entire message of the Bible is the call to return to the Father, that God has made a way back to Himself.
As God continues in His charges against Israel, He shows them one of their greatest errors -- ignoring His voice. This slippery slope that lead to Israel's fall is still a present danger to us today. If we are not intentional in our devotion, obedience, and service we will find ourselves on a downward trajectory that begins with ignoring His voice and leads to forgetting His voice altogether.
After a harrowing list of judgments against the surrounding nations, God turns His attention to Israel: His covenant people. Foolishly believing that their covenantal status secures them in His favor, Israel meets the harshest judgment from the Mighty Roaring Lion. The stricter judgment and punishment is based upon the higher calling that Israel was meant to carry out but failed to do. Her judgment serves as a reminder to be faithful to the life we've been called to live.
As we being the Year of a Public Faith, we turn our attention to the prophets, particularly Amos. A humble farmer from the southern kingdom of Judah, Amos comes with a scathing message or judgment against Israel.
Amidst abounding prosperity, Israel thought they could get a pass on sinful and wicked living because they were "God's chosen people." However, the arrival of the farmer-prophet from Judah stands in direct opposition to their false claims and begins to show Israel that they are far worse that the pagan nations and the slipping Judah around them.
Guest teacher, Daniel Eldridge shares with us what it means for God to be faithful and how we should appropriately respond to His faithfulness.
"The Year of Salt & Light for Evergreen is a call and reminder of our influence and duty in the World around us. What has this looked like in the past? What does it look like for us? Just as using salt is purposeful, or turning on a light reaches beyond itself, we were not made to sit back secluded waiting for the return of Jesus; He saved us for a purpose beyond ourselves. we are called to an intentional life on display. "
As the Year of the Warrior Mindset comes to a close, Levi Mattes show us how at the end of his life, Joshua focuses on what continued faithfulness looks like. He reminds Israel that God has given all these things into her hand from His own. This gift - while free - comes with a requirement of stewardship on their part. Faithful stewardship requires personal abandon in our own agenda and absolute trust in the One we serve. Faithful stewards are entrusted with much because they have been trustworthy with little.
"Now that the sin in the camp has been removed, Israel continues with the work they have been given. Revisiting Ai in obedience bring about a different result. Through this process of conquering and judging the kingdom of Ai, Israel will be reminded of fundamental truths about who they are and what they are doing that we need to keep in mind as well..."
"Sin is not measured by public scandal, but by a perfect God. Even the smallest things that we may overlook are sin if scriptures commands against them. We may find ourselves most susceptible after great victories or great spiritual moments. When we give into sin, the consequences impact those closest to us in severe ways that we never intended. We must be on guard against sin. And we must be ready to confess and repent before it's too late.
While the payment for our sin has been covered by the blood of Jesus, we do not get to do whatever we want (Rom. 6:1-2). Hidden sin hurts those around us, and the enemy will work to convince us to keep the sin hidden. However, God calls us to freedom in Christ through confession and repentance."
"When the preparation is finally complete and the army is ready, the battle is set to being. Only, the true Commander that was revealed in Chapter 5 now issues orders that make no sense for any army to carry out. Joshua and the Israelites are about to see the impact and significance of surrendering to the Lord and finding victory in His strength and plans instead of our own. Spiritual warfare is not about muscling through the fight, it is about surrendering to the transforming power of God and showing what He is capable of in our lives.
The goal of the Christian life is to bring glory to God by being sanctified by the Spirit into the image of Jesus Christ. Spiritual warfare should always result in us looking more like Christ as we are refined through trials. The best thing we can ever do is surrender ourselves to the Lord in every circumstance and watch Him do incredible things beyond what we could ever imagine."
"As we continue in the year of the warrior mindset, we have a glimpse into the actions of Israel's warrior leader, Joshua. When confronted with their first big battle, Joshua shows us what having a warrior mindset as the children of God looks like. The Lord is always with us, ready and prepared for the battles in our lives. Having a warrior mindset isn't about being ready to conquer whatever is ahead of us or against us. Instead, in worship and humility, we wait for God to go before us, because He is our true strength."
In this lesson, Pastor Philip takes us through what it meant for the new generation of Israel to come out of the wilderness and enjoy the Passover and the first fruits of the Promised Land as they followed God in obedience and preparation.
"We all go through different seasons in our lives and God is with us every step of the way. as we see God miraculously parting the Jordan to let Israel cross, we see Joshua use the stones from the river as physical monuments to remember that God keeps His promises. We can also learn to make reminders for ourselves and for the next generation when God shows Himself faithful, just as Israel does on the banks of the Jordan."
Garrett Weir takes us through the fourth chapter of Joshua and shows us how no matter what, even when nothing else makes sense, or our emotions and circumstances deceive us to think we are alone, God is with us and will work in our lives to bring Himself glory in ways we will always want to remember.
After God’s miraculous provision at the crossing of the Jordan River, the people of Israel find themselves in hostile territory. Enemies can attack at any moment, but God provides shelter and space for them to commit to His cause. It is in this moment that everything will change, and a generation that was born in the wilderness will inherit its divine purpose.
"Crises are crazy, frightening events that can either lead to our growth or hurt. The nation of Israel has a choice on the edge of the Jordan to trust in God's power and authority, or to see the obstacles as too much. When things are changing in our own lives - families, jobs, houses, etc. - we can choose to trust God's plan and power, or we can stay put in what is familiar."
In this lesson, Levi Mattes looks at God's reminders to Israel and Joshua about who He is and His authority and power against the false gods of Canaan, and how their response to His guidance serves as an example to us trusting in Him as we navigate the changes in our own lives.