Battling the Lion

Scott Risley
Ephesians 6:10-17

Peter describes how to resist Satan. Spiritual warfare is a battle of truth between God and Satan. Believers resist Satan by putting on the full armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the peace that comes from the Good News, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Satan's tactics involve accusations against God (doubt), against other people (division), and against believers and their efforts to serve God. Believers resist Satan in the strength of God's power and the truth of Scripture.

The Hunting Lion

Scott Risley
1 Peter 5:8-9

Peter warns his audience about God's enemy: Satan. Satan is a magnificent created being whose pride led to his fall. Satan works in two main ways. First, he guards his turf (non-Christians) by accusing God, distorting God's message, distraction or bribery. Second, he attacks Christians by persecution, opposing any effort to serve God, temptation, and accusation.

Covenant Living: Good and Evil

Dennis McCallum
Exodus 20:1-11

God shares the Ten Commandments with the Israelites after they agreed to be in a covenant with God. God gives the basis for objective morality reflected in the Ten Commandments. The context God shares these commandments is within a loving and rescuing relationship for the Israelites. Today our context is through Jesus Christ.

Standing Your Ground

Scott Risley
Ephesians 6:10-13

We are to put on the full armor of God so that we may resist Satan's schemes. Part of being a believer means acknowledging that spiritual warfare and Satan are real. Satan's goal is to render us ineffective and prevent us from accomplishing our mission of bringing others to Christ. He is skilled and has various ways of doing this, but one of the main ways he influences us is through our thoughts. He suggests, tempts, and accuses. We must be prepared to fight and live with a wartime mentality.

Abraham and Lot

Ryan Lowery
Genesis 19:24-29

Abraham started out as a man who barely knew anything about God but was still wiling to trust in His promises. He witnesses God's dealing with Sodom and Lot as a lesson in God's character. Ultimately, this teaches him how God's mercy and justice work together. In the end, Lot serves as an example of compromised faith, while Abraham serves as an example of God's faithfulness to those who trust Him.\r\n

God Restrains Evil

Jeff Gordon
Genesis 11:1-8

In the ancient world, God took action in order to restrain evil. The first way is by instituting government, including a balanced system of capital punishment for Israel in order to preserve human dignity in the case of murder. The second way is by scattering humanity in order to slow progress. This is because when mankind is unimpeded, we inevitably try to assert ourselves over God.

Noah and the Flood: Crucial Questions

Jeff Gordon
Genesis 6:5-7:24

The flood story can be controversial for both scientific and theological reasons. Both of these issues with God's judgment can be resolved. Ultimately, God must judge our evil choices but those who choose to trust Him will be saved.

Cain and Abel

Ryan Lowery
Genesis 4:1-16

After mankind first chose to sin, things rapidly got worse. Four lessons can be learned from the story of Cain and Abel: 1) God stays involved even when you rebel; 2) God has regard for faith and not hollow religious service; 3) we must do what is right even when our emotional state says otherwise; and 4) don't harden your heart to God's truth.

Man Before the Fall

Ryan Lowery
Genesis 1:26-2:25

Mankind stands out among other creatures both in capacity for good and for evil. The Bible explains this dual picture of man in a compelling way through the creation account. In our original state, we were created to be eternal, united with God, and in harmony with both our environment and with each other. But in order for us to have the capacity for love, we also must have the capacity to choose for either good or evil.