Walking By Faith

The offerings of the Levitical priests foreshadow our own service to God, as indicated throughout the New Testament. Therefore, God’s instruction in Leviticus regarding what was an “acceptable offering" can help unlock wonderful insights that apply to us today. This instruction points to significant aspects of baptism, confessing sin, and the Lord’s Supper. Perhaps the most challenging take-away: God is never pleased when we give him our "leftovers" in this life. He insists that we give our first and best in our devotion to Him!

As explained in the New Testament, we Christians are the new royal priesthood of God. Therefore, it should not surprise us to find that special rules for the high priest and the other priests point to aspects of Christ, and to the Christian life. Subjects addressed include things that can defile us, distinctive Christian teachings on marriage, and spiritual defects that we must uproot.

In Psalm 91, David speaks of one who will face frightening things. In the midst of evil, this person will find protection in God and trample the lion, dragon and snake. Ironically, Satan uses this psalm to tempt Jesus into sin. Yet the wisdom in Psalm 91, and the example of our Lord, prepares us for spiritual battle and victory over the Evil One.

In Leviticus we are introduced to one of the most important themes of the Bible: the Lord is a holy God who calls His people to be holy. The Hebrews writer tells us that without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). John Wesley considered that challenging statement as perhaps the most unpopular verse to preach on in the entire New Testament. In this lesson we consider God’s holiness, the practical meaning of the term ‘holy’, popular attempts to evade this teaching, and special challenges facing those who seek to live holy lives.

Many people, even Christians, are profoundly uneasy with the concept of God punishing people in the Old Testament. In this lesson we consider how the Lord treated sin in the past, and how He does today. Are all sins the same in His eyes, or are some worse? What does it mean in 1 John 5 about sins that lead (or don’t lead) to death? What is the responsibility of the church regarding dealing with the sin of its members? May we all benefit from a better understanding of the consequences of sin!

The Bible tells us to honor the elderly and seek out their wisdom. In contrast, the world seeks to avoid even looking old! -- and casts the elderly aside as useless. In this lesson, we examine how the Ancient of Days feels about the elderly, as well as the role He expects them to play in the church. May we see many more gray-haired men and women gain the wisdom and experience that will result in honor to and the strengthening of God's church.

Deep in the text of Leviticus we now encounter the very heart of the Old Testament, the famous call to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus said that this was one of the two Old Testament commandments upon which hang “all the Law and the Prophets”. In this lesson we explore how this simple command is the basis for so many other commands of God, including caring for the poor, honoring parents, speaking the truth to one another, and sharing the gospel with the lost.

Psalm 110 is quoted or alluded to at least twenty times in the New Testament. Why was this Psalm so important to Jesus and the New Testament writers? We attempt to unlock three riddles in this Psalm that confounded the Jews, yet help us understand the Christ's identity, His coming rule, and our ultimate victory over death itself.

[WARNING: THIS LESSON IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN]

This chapter addresses three very disturbing topics: incest, bestiality and homosexual intimate relations. The Law of Moses strictly prohibited God’s people from engaging in these practices. However, do all those prohibitions still apply today, under the new covenant? In this lesson we boldly explore what the Bible teaches, and its implications for the modern church. This controversial lesson will help equip the next generation to preach the counter-cultural gospel “in season and out of season”.

Do you ever feel like you need more wisdom? When life deals us daunting and overwhelming challenges, we often feel unequipped for what lies before us. Sirach has much to say about obtaining God's wisdom. While this wisdom is available to all, will we take the difficult path to obtain it, as did the great men and women of faith in the Scriptures? Sirach's writings provide practical insight, encouragement, and motivation in our pursuit of God's wisdom.