Say What?!?
There are a number of stories in scripture that make you step back and say, "Say what?!?" There are some interactions that you have to go back and reread just to make sure you read properly. There are others that make sense historically, but the reason for their preservation is a little more abstract. In this series, we will look at some of these stories and see what we can learn about the character of God, the way he interacts with his people, and what he expects of us.
Say What?!?; Legion:
Demons. Uncertainty. Fear. Restoration. That is what we find in the region of the Gerasenes. Jesus finds a man in a terrible state, possessed by Legion. People are afraid of this man. After this encounter, their fear moves to Jesus as they grapple with the power and authority he possesses.
sacrifice
We will follow along the lines of last week’s lesson as we look at Genesis 22 and God’s seemingly crazy request of Abraham. He could not have known the implications of such a request, but his faithfulness in the midst of some difficult conversations give us much to think about and act upon.
ichabod
Chabod is a Hebrew term which literally means “heavy”. However, it was used to describe the magnificent glory of the Lord and his presence with Israel. After the Ark of the Lord was captured, The chabod had departed from Israel. This is a significant moment in Israel’s history and in their relationship with God.
left handed
Tonight we will look at the story of Ehud and King Eglon. At first glance, the seems like just another story in which God uses someone out of left field to accomplish his purposes. This isn’t the first time this has happened and definitely won’t be the last. But I think there is something more we can learn about God.
a talking donkey
The story of Balaam and his enlightened donkey is rather bizarre. How often do you encounter a farm animal that is not only more enlightened spiritually than the man riding on it, but also has the ability to pass on his enlightenment to the human? Here is another seemingly random encounter that will leave you scratching your head saying, “Say what?!?” But there is something we can learn from it.
Bald
Yes the odd stories continue this week as we take a look at an encounter between Elisha and a group of young men. Elisha's ministry has just begun and he faces some jeering. What happens next will leave you saying, "Say what?!?"
Noah's Stupor
Now that we have spent some time looking at the metanarrative of scripture – the story of God’s plan for the redemption of his creation, we will spend a couple of months looking at some of the stories within the story that may make you shake your head and wonder why in the world it was preserved for us to read. We will do our best to make sense of these bizarre scenes beginning with Noah’s drunkenness and Ham’s curse.