1. Why Study the Old Testament?
The purpose of this talk is to convince you of the value of exploring the Old Testament,
and to begin the journey.
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2. Creation
We read the creation account, and then look at how the rest of the Bible reflects on, and adds to, the event.
We end with the key question:
How are WE to respond to the creation?
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3. The “Fall” and The Big Story
It is so important to grasp the Big Story of the Old Testament so as to make sense of the hundreds of small stories.
To watch just the 4 min animation, go to go.church.to/arc
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4. Old Testament Shadows and Types
Why did the disciples get so excited when Jesus opened up the meaning of the Old Testament to them?
Learn about types and shadows and you will see!
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5. Making Sense of the Flood
How we can make sense of the Flood account in Genesis,
see how it connects with Jesus,
and how it still speaks to us today.
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6. The Covenants—the Backbone of the Old Testament
To understand the covenants is both the beginning and the end of the quest for truth.
For in them we can grasp how the Creator relates to humanity.
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7. Has Jesus done away with the Law? —Answering the problems that come up
If the Law was for the Jews, what about everyone else?
Does the Law have any value in the New Covenant under Jesus?
Plus other questions.
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8. Jesus, the Light of the World
Light is a key theme in Scripture, and as we put together references from the whole Bible, we see a beautifully unified theme what brings hope, and direction for living.
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9. “I will be with you!” – The Era from Abraham to Joseph
There’s a fresh start for humanity with Abraham and Sarah, a new Adam and Eve but with a very different requirement.
The most amazing promises of God being with people begin here and continue through the Bible.
If we can truly get hold of these promises and allow them to sink deeply into us, it will be a huge strength for us as we go into 2021
You can get the blessing of reading all the promises here .
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10. Chesed — A kind of love we have no English word for
Through stories of how God relates to humans we learn of a different kind of love that is at the core of who God is.
Chesed is utterly faithful, loyal to the very end, a love that will never let you go.
When you understand it, there is no word that is more beautiful.
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11. New Creation (1) — The Big Story of the Bible
If we can grasp the big picture of God’s plan for humanity, it will not only help us understand the Bible, but hugely empower and energize us for the Christian life.
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12. New Creation (2) — How it started with a New Eden
When we see how the images of Eden in the Bible all hang together in a beautiful way, it brings us so much hope and leads us towards victory.
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13. New Creation (3) — How to live in the New Creation while still in the Old
All our problems as Christians, come down to the fact that although we are a New Creation, we are still living in the Old.
Answering this problem leads to true victory.
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14. The Bible and Archeology
Archeology shows us that Bible history and world history are the same.
We don’t need evidence from archaeology to prove to us that God is real but it can be a great encouragement to see where things match up.
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15. Why Idolatry is such a big theme in the Old Testament
Behind idolatry is our fear, and a need to gain control when we are powerless.
Once we get how it worked in the Old Testament it is very easy to see how we fall into this trap ourselves on a daily basis.
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16. The Exodus theme through the Bible
Seeing this theme throught the Bible will help us to take encouragement from some very powerful words from God in the Old Testament.
We now see how they speak into our lives.
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17. The Story of Israel and the Heart of God
Seeing the big story of Israel allows us to get a glimpse into the heart of God that is deeply revealing and affecting.
Watch the 7-min animation at info.church.to/israel
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18. The Rest of the Story of Israel—Past and Future
When we see how God’s promises and prophecies to Israel fit with the New Testament and beyond,
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19. Why are we told to fear God if love casts out fear?
Many people feel that the Old Testament God wanted to be feared but there’s a different God in the New who has banished fear.
The solution to this problem is very rarely understood, even by Christians, and extremely important.
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20. Stories of God’s Compassion & Grace
Understanding God’s compassion is vital for living an authentic Christian life.
It shines most brightly in the N.T. in Jesus, but there are some remarkable stories in the Old, demonstrating that God does not change.
Many of us have trouble receiving this compassion and grace, which makes it hard for us to show it to others, and to experience joy ourselves.
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21. Roadblocks when Reading the Old Testament
Quite often, when people start reading the Old Testament, they hit roadblocks such as
obscure language,
stories that seem to condone violence or abuse,
and strange or problematic laws, for example regarding women.
All of these roadblocks can be shifted, and we do at least some shifting here.
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22. Holy — The most Misunderstood Word in the Bible
A word that is so rich, so precious, and so heart-warming has been tragically misunderstood in recent centuries.
God’s holiness is a positive quality very closely linked to his love, and it is so important that we connect with this.
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23. Holy — Answering Problems with Correctly Understanding this Word (pt.2)
Having presented a new understanding of this incredibly important word,
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24. Misunderstanding Holiness – Part 3: Tying it All Together
How does our new understanding of holiness fit with some N.T. passages that seem to be equating it with purity.
Buy making an extra step in our definition, we can tie everything together in a way that not only makes sense but is helpful and motivating,
and gives a very positive meaning to a word that is often seen as negative and discouraging.
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25. Jesus: our Sympathetic Priest
We can gain a deeper appreciation of what Jesus does for us by examining the description given to us of O.T. priests.
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26. Reading the Old Testament in our Devotions
All the Bible is God’s Word, and is beneficial, but different parts have different purposes.
Some parts are more suitable for study than devotional reading and we can get discouraged if we make this mistake.
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27. Hints of the Trinity and Jesus in the Old Testament
Why did God not tell us everything about himself right at the start?
Because it is only in the context of an unfolding relationship that we can begin grasp the richness of who he is.
Join us in this exciting journey!
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28. Can God be Trusted in the Darkest Situation? (Isaiah 37)
Have you ever been in a situation when it looks like something really bad could happen? We take an example of how to relate Old Testament stories to our own lives in a way that is faithful to the context, and also immensely encouraging!
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29. Stories of Endurance and the Motivations that Got People Through
From Abraham and Moses to the ‘Stanford Marshmallow Experiment’, endurance is a common human experience.
The Bible gives us three ways that not only help us endure, but turn it from a negative to a positive experience.
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30. Trusting God in Hard Times - Reading the O.T. in a way that lets it speak truly into our lives: Is. 55
Have you had times of darkness in your life?
We work through how we should read Old Testament passages so that they speak accurately into our situation./n-God says, “just hold on to me and I will never forsake you.”
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31. The Presence of God, Then and Now
We began by looking at the presence of God in the O.T. and then how Jesus and the Spirit took this to another level.
Then we focused on experiencing him right now, using Psalm 16 as a guide.
Come on this journey with us now!
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32. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it
God has so much for you, and longs to satisfy you with the very best
So what is stopping him?
The same thing as in Psalm 81 where he longed to bless Israel, but they did not “shema” .
This word is the key that will open all the blessings.
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33. Stories of God’s Creativity and Love of Beauty
Sometimes we think of God as being too serious to be interested in beauty.
But creating beauty is core to his very nature, and when we do the same, we are being God-like.
Yet there in an extra dimension of beauty that comes by the Spirit.
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34. The Beauty and Power of Old Testament Poetry
When we see how Hebrew Poetry works, we are better able to take in its beauty and power, so as to be filled with joy in our amazing God.
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35. Psalm 20 — Poetry with Power
We can learn so much about prayer from this extraordinary Psalm, and why David has so much confidence that he will be heard.
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36. Profiting from the Prophets
This message aims to help us get more out of reading the Prophetic books in the O.T.
by understanding what they are about
and how they can speak to us.
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37. Jesus’ shocking words about the O.T. —The Camel & Eternal Life
When you see what Jesus is really claiming here, it is both shocking and motiviating.
An incredible parable that is often misunderstood.
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38. The Golden Thread - The Story of the Dragon’s Attacks from Genesis to Revelation
There is a golden thread that runs through the Bible from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.
It is the story of the battle between the Serpent and the line of the promised Saviour, full of drama which climaxes in total victory.
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39. A Story in 5 acts, of Attack and Discouragement turning into Joy
Life can bring discouragements, and Satan loves to pull us away from God.
In this extraordinary story from the book of Ezra that is exactly what happened.
But what is so encouraging for us is the surprising way that God turned defeat into victory.
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40. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and the Coming of the Messiah
Rather than being someone who was hidden till Pentecost,
the Holy Spirit was an active agent in the Old Creation,
worked tirelessly to prepare the way for Jesus,
and is now working in us,
bringing dry bones to life in the New Creation.
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41. Be Strong and Very Courageous
This is an incredible promise, but can we take it personally?
If we understand the context, the meaning, and our part in it, the answer is yes!
What an encouragement!
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42. Circumcision — A topic you rarely hear explained
Circumcision: Meaning, Significance and Practical Insights
When we see how neatly the Old and New Testaments connect together on this issue, it brings such clarity, not only to understanding the Bible, but also our own identity.
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43. A New Beginning - Directions for this New Season of our Lives from Joshua 4 & 5
This story of a new beginning for Israel has a compelling message for our own lives as we move forward into a new season, with precise New Covenant parallels to the Old Covenant symbols.
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44. The Psalm with No Hope: Psalm 44 - when God doesn’t even seem to be listening
The Psalm does not directly provide an answer, but there is an answer which is beyond our dreams.
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45. Stories of God Responding to Prayer
Seven suggestions about the kinds of prayers that God responds to, based on stories found in the Bible.
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46. Why the Story of Naaman is so Disruptive and Challenging
As we dive deeper into this account, we see more and more of the challenges, conceptual reversals and artistry in the narrative composition, with an exciting conclusion.
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47. The God Who Offers Secure Attachment
A core teaching of the Bible that is often missed, and that is deeply encouraging.
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48. Three Men and an Arrogant Emperor - Daniel 3 and its relevance for us today
Let’s take this distant story in a distant land at a distant time under a hot sun
and connect it to us right here and now in Toronto
so that it means something very directly and specifically to us.
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