This royal seal shows Darius I, king of Persia, riding in a chariot with bow in hand. He shoots a lion which is the embodiment of chaos. The Medes had once been a remote, inconsequential mountain-dwelling people south of the Caspian Sea, but they united with the Persians and rose to power under God’s sovereign hand to bring judgment on Babylon. Seal on display in the British Museum.
For many years, Babylon had been the “hammer of the earth,” smashing other nations and carrying out God’s judgment (Jer. 50:23). But in Jeremiah 50-51, the time has come for Babylon itself to experience God’s vengeance. In this lesson, we learn…
A quick overview of the final chapters of Jeremiah
How Jeremiah connects to other events happening in the ancient world
Who is the “nation from the north”?
How should Christians react when wicked people get caught and punished?
Why Christians should thank God for his wrath
What “Babylon the Great” refers to in the Book of Revelation
God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel, and what this means for us today
Thanks for listening! This lesson was taught at the median adults Bible Study Community at Immanuel Baptist Church. We meet Sunday mornings at 9am in the Fellowship Hall and are using Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” curriculum. We’d love to have you join us!
The little town of Anathoth north of Jerusalem is where the prophet Jeremiah grew up. This photo was taken around 1900.
Have you ever asked God for direction, only to be unhappy with the answer he gave? In Jeremiah 42, the people of Israel come to Jeremiah asking for counsel, and pledging their obedience. No sooner does the prophet respond, then they press forward with their own plans, call Jeremiah a liar, and head straight into destruction in Egypt. Now that’s what I call hard-hearted! In this lesson I share…
Our goal for this brand new Bible Study Community
A quick fly-over of Israel’s history from Genesis to Jeremiah
How to figure out the quirky order of the Book of Jeremiah
God’s surprising advice to the nation of Israel
Why we don’t need to be afraid, even when the odds seem overwhelming
The danger of asking God for advice, then doing the opposite of what he says
Thanks for listening! This is our first week in a new Sunday morning Bible Study Community aimed at median adults (age 30s thru 50s). We are using Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” material. I will try to record these lessons each week and post them here for those who miss class or want to share with others. Next week’s lesson will be on Jeremiah 50. If you live in the Highland area, you’re welcome to join us Sunday mornings at 9am in the Fellowship Hall.
Some of you may recognize the name Howard Hendricks. He was one of the great leaders in Christian education in the 20th century and personally inspired me to become a better teacher. His Bible study training course “Living by the Book” is one of the video series you can access through IBC’s RightNow Media page. (The production quality is dated, but the content is timeless).
In his book Teaching to Change Lives, Hendricks challenges us to never stop learning. He says, “If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow…I must keep growing and changing. The Word of God, of course, does not change, but my understanding of it does change because I am a developing individual…A person who applies this principle of teaching is always asking, ‘How can I improve?’”
Have you asked lately, “How can I improve”? It’s easy to grow comfortable — for our teaching to become stale, our focus to shift inward, and our format to grow repetitive. All of us can benefit from a “booster shot” of insight, passion, and pedagogy back into our teaching from time to time.
There are a variety of ways for us to stay fresh, including personal study and attending our quarterly Bible Study director luncheons at Immanuel. Another way is by attending a teacher training workshop. Gateway seminary has put together a great half-day conference at the end of this month on Saturday, January 28. Full details are below. Please consider attending!
New Beginnings Bible Teaching Conference Saturday, January 28
Gateway Seminary is hosting a Teacher Training Conference at their campus on Saturday, January 28. Whether you work with preschool, youth, or adult ministries, you’re invited to this one-day workshop and will be blessed by the passion and expertise of these presenters. IBC has purchased group access that allows all our teachers and volunteers to attend for free.
Location: Gateway Seminary, 3210 E. Guasti Rd., Ontario, CA US 91761 Time: 9 am – 1 pm (registration opens at 8am)
Have you ever been around someone who always seemed grumpy or complaining? We can usually spot it in others, but may not be aware of it in our own lives. This week on the podcast, we learn how to detect and fight back against the sin of complaining. Join us as we learn…
How we convince ourselves a little complaining is OK
The relationship of complaining to anxiety to failing to trust God
Are we ever allowed to be frustrated or dissatisfied with our current circumstances?
How Israel provides a “negative” case study in complaining
A classic Puritan book about contentment
11 Practical Ways to Break the Bad Habit of Complaining
Full audio and notes are below. This is part 7 in an 8 week series on battling fear, worry, and anxiety. We hope this series is helping you think about anxiety from a biblical perspective and to grow in your faith!
DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT COMPLAINING ANXIETY CLASS – WEEK 7
1. Introduction • Have you ever been around a person who always seemed to be complaining? This sin is easy to spot in others, and can get annoying quickly. But what about us? • Part of the challenge is that complaining seems like ________-telling. • Philippians 2:14-16 • Complaining against God is never appropriate. See p. 120.
2. Discontentment in the Old Testament • The Old Testament is written for our instruction and contains many examples, both positive and negative. See 1 Cor. 10:1-13 • Israel provides several examples of what not to do: do not desire evil (6), do not be idolaters (7), do not indulge in sexual immorality (8), do not put Christ to the test (9), do not grumble (10). • Complaining is a deep-seated spiritual problem. See p. 122.
3. Contentment as a Command • The opposite of complaining is contentment. It’s impossible to do both. • Jeremiah Burroughs: “that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise, and fatherly disposal in every condition.” • What do the following verses teach us about contentment? Luke 3:14; 1 Tim. 6:6, 8; Heb. 13:5; James 5:9 • What if our circumstances are not desirable? Are we allowed to pray for change, or even strive to improve our situation? Absolutely! Contentment is not the same as idleness or passivity. We can work hard, pray fervently, and seek to make our situation better. Meanwhile, we must have a heart that rests in the sovereignty of God and finds contentment and joy in all circumstances.
4. Reasons Behind the Command • For Your Own Sake – you are children of God • For the Sake of Non-Christians – your witness is at stake. See p. 127.
5. Eleven Practical Ways to Put Off Complaining • Take note of your speech. Your words, the topics, the tone. Go back and read some of your social media posts or journal entries (James 3:2-5; Ps. 139:23-24) • Memorize a scripture about complaining (Phil. 2:14-16; James 5:9) • Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you when you drift into complaining (Rom. 8:13) • Ask a friend to “buzz” you when you complain (Prov. 27:6; Ecc. 4:9-10) • Think of a time you made a major mistake and someone showed you grace. • Ponder what you actually deserve right now (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 21:8) • Don’t compare yourself to others. Just follow Christ (Jn. 21:23) • Remember God working this out for good (Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28) • Make a list of things you’re thankful for. Ask how is this “good rejoicing practice”? • Develop a heart of compassion for those who have it worse than you (Micah 6:8) • Choose to associate with people who build up rather than tear down (1 Cor. 15:33)
As much as we’d love the church to be a perfect place, we realize it is still a work in progress. It’s more like a hospital for the hurting than a resort for the righteous.
Last week in our anxiety class, we learned about how to handle problem people and to show them the love of Christ. An audio recording and full teaching notes are below. In this episode, we talk about…
Three types of people you will interact with, and a strategy for each
Why God wants the church to be skilled at biblical counseling
How to get control of your temper and cultivate patience
What to do when someone has hurt you
The secret of peace in every circumstance
This is part 6 of 8 in our “Anxious for Nothing” Bible Study, a series that will help you trust God and overcome worry and anxiety.
My notes and audio are below, or you can click this link to visit my podcast page and find an archive of the entire series. Thanks for listening!
PROBLEM PEOPLE AND PEACE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES ANXIETY CLASS – WEEK 6
1. Dealing with Problem People (1 Thess. 5:12-22) • A series of instructions at the end of Paul’s letter • The church is full of problems. See quote on p. 93. • Three types of people are mentioned here: the unruly, fainthearted, and weak • God wants the church to be skilled at counseling (Rom. 15:14; 2 Cor. 1:3-4). • Understanding these three groups will help you. • Know what to say “as fits the occasion” (Eph. 4:29)
2. The need for patience • Having a “long fuse” • It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) • This could be mistreatment, provocation, or simple shortcomings. Remember how patient God has been with you! (Matt. 18:21-35)
3. Do not return evil for evil. • You will be hurt. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Don’t lose heart. Let it go. • The most painful of all is to be hurt by a friend (Ps. 41:9; 55:12-13; 109:4-5; see p. 102) • Don’t seek revenge. God will repay (Rom. 12:17-21). • What about “eye for an eye” (Ex. 21:24)? That’s instruction to the State (government), not individuals. • “That’s not realistic!” • What we should do instead – Matthew 5:43-48. • What are some practical ways we can return evil with good? Be specific.
4. Peace in Every Circumstance (2 Thess. 3:16, 18) • Human (worldly) peace is fragile and can quickly vanish • God’s peace goes much deeper (see pp. 106-107) • In the hospital waiting room • The wicked enjoy no real peace. But God does have pity on them (Jonah 4:11; Mt. 23:37-39) • Peace begins with Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Rom. 5:1). Do you have that peace?
Remember: You and I are trophies of God’s grace! (1 Tim. 1:12-14)
Pinch Of Clay 