Genesis 12:1-9

We begin the spiritual journey of the man called Abram (Abraham).  His walk began where our walk with God begins, which is with God taking the initiative!  God spoke, and it was the revelation from Him that pierced Abram's soul and began to break the hold the world, the flesh, and the devil had over him!  It was the Word of the God of glory that generated a response from Abram and began leading him down the path to eternal salvation.  It is fitting that God began His summons to Abram with a call to separation!  He was not only to leave his country (idolatrous Ur of the Chaldees), but also his idol-worshipping family!

Genesis 11:10-32

Generation after generation following the dispersion at Babel was given opportunity to repent and turn back to God, but unfortunately the degenerate condition of man soon came to resemble pre-Flood days.  Tragically, the spiritual decline even affected the Messianic line.  But God had made a promise, and He keeps His promises.  He would send the Promised Seed of the woman, the Messiah/Saviour into the world to crush Satan and pay the wages of sin so those who believe on Him could be forgiven and saved. 

Thus, because God is the God of love, mercy, and grace; the God Who keeps His promises, He reached down to call a man out of a Shemite family; a man whose family worshipped idols; a Gentile living in Ur of the Chaldees (area of modern-day Iran).  His name was Abram.

In this lesson, we begin studying the life of a Abram - whose name was later changed to Abraham by God (17:5).  It was from Abraham's seed that the Messiah would come.  God would indeed preserve the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ!

Genesis 10:8-12; 11:1-9

There are four main subjects found in Genesis chapters 1 to 11: (1) the Creation, (2) the Fall, (3) the Flood, and (4) the Tower of Babel.  This lesson is on the Tower of Babel and the Lord's miraculous intervention at the time of its building, which was almost as critical as His Flood intervention.  

As we learn of the humanistic reasoning of the ancient people to deliberately disobey God and eagerly, instead, follow a proud and wicked man named Nimrod "to make a name for themselves," we see a reflection of our own society at large.  Man has not changed since ancient times.  In fact, from the Babel of Nimrod (Genesis 10, 11) to the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 5:30) to the one-world "Babylon" of Antichrist (Revelation 17, 18), natural men remain focused on the same goals: to gain their own fame, to find a "security-utopia" on Earth without from God, and (if he is religious) to attain Heaven by his own effort.  Those are all efforts in futility.

Genesis chapter 10 contains the earliest "Table of Nations" know to man!  This is a remarkable historical document that even the Bible's most hostile critics confess is of extraordinary importance and reliability.  No record of the origin of the ancient nations can even remotely compare.  It is not only incomparable in its age, but also in its comprehensiveness and accuracy.  Genesis 10 is an ethnological table.  It tells us where the various nations and people groups of the world originated.  It is the historical record of the expansion of the people that descended from the three sons of Noah.  

This chapter is the single bridge or link that takes us from "pre-historic" antediluvian times (history for which we have no written historical records or documentation other than what is found in Scripture and ancient "traditions") to the historical times of Abraham and the nations of antiquity.  "The Table of Nations" is a genealogical record, a geographical atlas, and a history book all in one!

Genesis 9:18-29

It would have been "nice," humanly speaking, if the Bible's account of Noah had ended with the beautiful rainbow placed in the sky as God's token "sign" of His covenant promise with Noah and the perpetual generations of mankind.  But, this is not where Noah's story ended - it moves from rainbows to shadows because Scripture does not conceal the "spots and blemishes" of men, including the "heroes" of faith, such as Noah (and Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, etc.).  It presents the truth about man, which thereby demonstrates to us that no individual is above sin.  "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), which is why we so desperately need a Saviour!

In this lesson, we look at (1) The Descendants of Noah, (2) The Drunkenness of Noah (three parts - Noah's Disgrace; Ham's Disrespect; Shem's Decency), (3) The Declaration of Noah {fascinating prophecy about the descendants of his three sons), and (4) The Death of Noah (the third longest living member of the human race).

Genesis 9:8-17

Noah and his family members had no doubt been "wounded" in their souls from the traumatic encounter with God's wrath upon sinful man.  Knowing they, too, were sinners, they needed reassurance that they and their descendents would survive and still have the wonderful prospect of the coming Savior Who would redeem them from their otherwise hopelessly lost condition.  These concerns were addressed by God to Noah in what theologians called "The Noahic Covenant".  As we discuss this important covenant, we will look at its substance and its sign (the rainbow).

Luke 10:38-42

Although the two sisters are often contrasted, Martha being the pre-occupied worker-server, and Mary, the pensive worshipper-student (always seen in Scripture at Jesus' feet), this in no way indicates the Lord wants believers in Him to be either one or the other.  Personalities and spiritual gifts are different.  We are to do what we can with what we have and to do it wholeheartedly.  The sisters do not represent an either/or situation.  They represent a composite balance.  Discipleship is a balance of both Martha and Mary; we should imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work!  "As the days unfold before me, may this ever be my part, to serve with Martha's busy hands, and love with Mary's heart!" 

However, it is apparent from the situation presented in Luke 10:38-42 that there is an appropriate time to work and an appropriate time to worship.  Mary chose the good part when Christ visited their Bethany home on this particular occasion!  She chose the one needful thing that could never be taken from her - feeding her soul on God's Word, the eternal "Bread of Life"!

This is a serious and very practical lesson for all of us, whether women, men, or young people. It is also good to be able to sometimes laugh at ourselves, and so this is what we could call "a fun lesson".  There is a surprise ending that may tell us something about these two sisters (particularly Martha) during the days of the Early Church!  Click "like" if you enjoyed this lesson!

This is a subtle matter, for it seems good and right to provide for our own and to attend to household responsibilities, family businesses, our communities, and to our local churches.  But it is in these good things that the danger lies, for they can become snares to our hearts if they draw us away from time spent with God in worship and in fellowship through His Word and prayer.  We must hold the things of this world with a loose hand, not allowing anything to overtake God in our hearts. Everything else is a blessing for which to be thankful, but we should not let other matters so fill our mind, time, and energy that we trample  the  holy  things.  They are  dearly  purchased  if  they  cause  us  to  put eternity from our thoughts, forget our Bible reading, shorten our prayer lives, or cause us to become careless hearers of the Word of God.  "A little earth upon the fire within us will soon make the fire burn low."  (R. C. Ryle,

Probably few people know much about the unique New Testament woman named Joanna. Her story, learned by piecing together just a few verses of Scripture, all found in Luke (and possibly a greeting given by the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans), is intriguing and convicting! This audio lesson is shorter than most of our studies, yet it is rich with nuggets of truth you possibly never thought about before! 

Do you know that Joanna was somewhat like Moses, Joseph, and Daniel? How? Listen and find out. Did you know that she was privileged to not only witness all three vital aspects of the Gospel message (the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ), but was one of the first of just a few women to share that message (to the Apostles, who initially did not believe them)?! Do you know that Bible scholars credit her as one of Luke's valuable resources for his gospel record of Christ's ministry?!  Listen! Learn! Be encouraged and edified by this woman whose name means, "God is gracious," for indeed He is!

From this well-known account of Christ's "Divine appointment" with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (John 4), learn some very interesting information about the importance of certain numbers in this story (i.e., especially "6" and "7"). Learn from the Lord how to wisely and smoothly witness to someone by going from the physical realm to the spiritual. See how "Samaritana" progressively advanced in her perception of the 7th Man in her life and how He (the God-Man) broke down four cultural barriers in just a matter of minutes!

There is a fascinating look at the three famous Old Testament "well encounters" (Eliezer, on behalf of Isaac, and Rebekah; Jacob and Rachel; Moses and Zipporah) and how they were picture-types of Christ's "well encounter" with Samaritana - which, in turn, is a beautiful picture-type of Him and His Bride, the Church!

Did you know this is the longest recorded conversation between Jesus and someone in Scripture? Did you know that Jesus HIMSELF

first revealed His identity to this woman (half-Jewish/half-Gentile) as both Messiah and the great "I AM"?  Did you know that she was the first "non-Jewish" convert of His earthly ministry? Did you know that she was the first witness/evangelist to "non-Jews" regarding the arrival of the long awaited Messiah? Did you know that Samaritans were the first people to proclaim Jesus as "the Saviour OF THE WORLD"?  There is all this and much more in this "must" hear-to-get-it-all lesson on the changed life of a lonely, immoral, confused woman who finally met the "perfect" seventh Man in her life - the God/Man, Jesus Christ, Who truly came to seek and to save the lost!

Anna is the only named "prophetess" in the New Testament. She was also one of God's two "mighty witnesses" to His Son's Identity as the long-awaited Messiah (on His first "visit" to the Temple at only 40 days of age). She and Simeon (both in their 100's) pictured the transition of the Old Testament to the New Testament (fascinating to realize). She is an amazing example, in many ways, of how to turn tragedy to triumph; how to be "happy" in spite of "sad" circumstances; to be faithful and consistent and patient and to trust in God's absolute Sovereignty over all things. Her name is significant; her father's name is significant; her tribal lineage is significant - in fact, everything about her is significant.  And then there is this: she was the first evangelist to the good news of Christ's arrival in the Holy City of Jerusalem!