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What does redeem (redemption) mean? It’s the act of paying off a debt or the act of someone else doing it for you. It’s the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt. It can also be the act of being saved from faults, sin, error, or evil. The language of redemption is all over the Book of Ruth. Words built on the root “redeem” appear 23 different times in 4 chapters. The Book of Ruth points us to Jesus, the Ultimate Redeemer, 1,000 years before He was born.

When we think of Judges, we think of people dressed in black robes sitting in a courtroom. In the Book of Judges however, we need to think of them more as heroes, warriors, military leaders, or champions, even saviors. So, it’s a Book about Biblical heroes; 12 men and women who helped rescue Israel from its oppressors. Heroes like Gideon, Samson and Deborah. These judges were not perfect at it, but when they submitted to what God wanted they did amazing, God glorifying things.

The Book of Joshua is about a great leader, a man named Joshua. He was originally introduced as one of the spies who went in to look at the Promised Land. He, along with Caleb, were the ones that were confident they could go in and defeat the people of the land. They had faith. If you remember right however, the rest of the spies and people were scared and showed no faith. As a result,

The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of what’s called “The Law of Moses”, also known as the “Torah” or “Pentateuch.” The Book is called Deuteronomy because it means “Second law giving.” God was so fed up with the people of Israel’s lack of faith, that by the time they got to the Promised Land He turned them around and put them out in the wilderness for 40 years. No one who left Egypt would be able to see the Promised Land because of it (except for the 2 trusting spies, Joshua and Caleb). So now, the people are finally back and ready to possess the land. But before they do...

Do you trust God? The Old Testament Book of Numbers has a lot to do with trust. It tells the story of how the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, how they counted their “numbers” with a census, how they sinned and were held accountable, and then how they prepared to enter the Promised Land again. Because they didn’t trust God, they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. During this time, we see a continuous pattern of grumbling, defiance, discipline, and death. How much better would it have been to have trusted God? I believe that the same is true today.

Blaming others seems to be a norm today. You’ve heard of pointing the finger or passing the buck? What about the idea of a scapegoat? Today we’ll hear where the term “Scapegoat” came from. Many people don’t read the Old Testament Books because of the belief that it’s all about Jesus found in the New Testament. Today we’re looking in the Old Testament Book of Leviticus because Jesus IS found there.

I often wondered as I grew up why the Old Testament was so important. I thought that the New Testament was something to focus on because of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. All that He began, the Christian life, and eternal life. But I’ve grown to appreciate and see how important Old Testament Scripture actually is. It comes down to this: The entirety of the Old Testament continually points to Jesus in the New Testament.

I often wondered as I grew up why the Old Testament was so important. I thought that the New Testament was something to focus…

What is worship? Worship is bowing before God, putting Him first. Romans 12:1 describes it as a “sacrifice of self.” That we humbly give ourselves up for His Lordship, proclaiming that He is worthy and in control of it all.

Today we’re looking at Philippians 4:4-7. It’s a passage that folks use to fight worry, but it’s so much more than that.

I often wondered as I grew up, why the Old Testament was so important. I thought that the New Testament was something to focus on. But I’ve grown to appreciate and see how important Old Testament Scripture actually is. It comes down to this: The entirety of the Old Testament points to Jesus.

God speaks to all of us, but how we respond depends on the condition of our heart. Upon hearing the Lord’s voice, some believers…