In the opening week of our Fall Equipping Institute series Pastor LeeWood sets up the next 15 weeks of our teaching. This week LeeWood covered: 1) Understanding History in the Bible, 2) Prehistory, 3) Creation, 4) Fall, 5) Noah and the Flood, 6) Babel, and 7) Genesis 1-11 as Paradigmatic.

In this final study of the Summer Pastor LeeWood walks everyone though Psalm 144. In this psalm we see 1) David's dependence on God [1-2], 2) David's brief existence [3-4], 3) David's desperate need [5-8], 4) David's new song [9-11], and finally 5) God's blessed people [12-15].

Additional resources can be found at https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources

In this penultimate session of our Praying Through the Psalms Pastor LeeWood walks us through Psalm 139. In this well known psalm we see David praising God for his omniscience, omnipotence, and his omnipresence. As we unfurl this psalm we see that David is aligning himself with the Seed of the Woman who will be instrumental in the crushing of the head of the seed of the serpent.

Additional resources can be found at https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources

In this week's installment of Praying through the Psalms Pastor LeeWood looks at Psalm 95. Through the discussion we learn how even though this psalm is unattributed, we know that David wrote it. This detail helps us comprehend the greater themes that are present within the psalm such as creation, exodus, rest, and the new exile and exodus.

LeeWood broke this passage down into three sections: 1) verses 1-5 talk of praising God for his transcendence, 2) verses 6-7b speak of praising God for his immanence, and 3) verses 7c-11 speak of a warning not to harden our hearts.

Additional resources can be found at https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources

In a return to one of David's psalms Pastor LeeWood explains Psalm 86. In this psalm we see three clear sections: 1) 1-7 shows David's desperate prayer, 2) 8-13 details David's powerful worship, and 3) 14-17 is David's summary of his situation. Through the course of explaining Psalm 86 LeeWood also shows a connection to 1 Samuel 1:11 and Hannah's prayer. This connection links David, and therefore us, to the arc of God's redemptive plan for the seed of the Woman.

Additional resources can be found at https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources

In this week's installment of Praying Through the Psalms Pastor LeeWood explains the inner workings of Psalm 73. In this Psalm from Asaph we see him struggle with squaring how he sees the world with all of its wickedness seemingly suffering no consequences. Asaph recounts how it was a trip to a worship service that reminded him how God is still at work in the world today.

Additional Resources can be found at: https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources

In the last discussion of a psalm from book 2 of the Psalter. Pastor LeeWood discusses Psalm 55. In the discussion LeeWood discusses how Psalms 51-55 are connected to each other, what the main point of the psalm is, as well as how to mirror the tone and content of this psalm from David.

Additional Resources can be found at: https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources

In our return week from VBS Pastor LeeWood leads us through Psalm 44. To begin with LeeWood discusses the differences between Books 1 and 2 of the Psalter. After this we see that in this psalm for/by the Sons of Korah the psalmist presents three major sections: 1) Present Hope because of Past Faithfulness (1-8), 2) Feeling of Being Cursed, Rejected, and Suffering (9-16), and 3) Present Faithfulness Expressed because of Future Hope (17-26).

In our fifth week of our Praying Through the Psalms series Pastor LeeWood leads us in a discussion over Psalm 32. In this pivotal psalm we see David describe three major movements: 1) The blessing of forgiveness in verses 1-5, 2) instructions for repentance in verses 6-9, and 3) a description of joy and sorrow depending on how we respond to God's grace in verses 10-11. The key statement that we discussed was "whatever you cover (as in conceal) God will uncover (through conviction of sin), but whatever you uncover (as in confession and repentance) God will cover with his grace and forgiveness.

Additional resources can be found at: https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources

In the fourth installment Pastor LeeWood walks us through Psalm 22. In this very well known psalm that is referenced numerous times in Matthew 27 we will see that there is more here than we initially think. Whereas the opening line referencing being forsaken is well known, that is not the tone of the psalm as a whole. By looking at the three main sections : 1) 1-11-- The Worm, 2) 12-21-- The Enemies, and 3) 22-31-- The Hope, we will see that this psalm is one of great expectation and praise that sets the stage for all of us who will follow on the path of faith in God.

Additional resources can be found at: https://www.ibcministries.com/Equipping-Institute-Resources