Fusion: week of 1/1

FAMILY THEME: RULES TO LIVE BY

Exodus 20:1-21

God gave us the Ten Commandments to promote good relationship

with Him and with our fellow man.

1.  Love the Lord Your God

     (Exodus 20:1-11)

     God gave the Israelites four commandments relating 

     to His Lordship and their worship of Him.

 
2.  Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

     (Exodus 20:12-17)

     The last six commandments provided guidance and 

      instructions for their relationships with each other.

 
3.  Have Proper Respect and Reverence for God, but Don't Be

     Afraid of Him

     (Exodus 20:18-21)

     Our respect and love for God should be the source 

     of our obedience. 

Fusion: week of 12/25

FAMILY THEME: THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Matthew 1:1-25

Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and King.

1.  Jesus' Birth Satisfied Royal Ancestry Requirements

     (Matthew 1:1-17)

     Matthew made a special point of validating Jesus' lineage in

     order to establish His royalty.

 
2.  Jesus' Birth Was Miraculous

     (Matthew 1:18-21)

      Jesus was born of a virgin, through the power of the

      Holy Spirit.

 
3.  Jesus' Birth Fulfilled Prophecy

     (Matthew 1:22-25)

     The unique circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth had

     been prophesied long ago.

Fusion: week of 12/18

FAMILY THEME: THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS

Matthew 17:1-13

Jesus' transfiguration revealed the diving glory that was His

in Heaven.

1.  The Transfiguration of Jesus Revealed His Glory as the Son

     of God

     (Matthew 17:1-2)

     Jesus revealed His glory as the Son of God to Peter, James,

     and John.

 
2.  The Transfiguration Confirmed That Jesus Was the Son of

     God and Long Awaited Messiah

     (Matthew 17:3-8)

      At the Transfiguration, Jesus revealed Himself to be the Son

      of God, the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets.

 
3.  The Transfiguration Demonstrated Jesus' Foreknowledge

     (Matthew 17:9-13)

     Jesus told His disciples not to spread the news of this

     occurence until after He had risen from the dead.

Fusion: week of 12/11

FAMILY THEME: THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus overcame temptation by knowing and applying God's Word.

1.  Jesus Faced Temptation Just as We Do

     (Matthew 4:1-2)

     Jesus faced temptation when He was weak and hungry.

 
2.  Temptation Can Be Strategic and Persistent

     (Matthew 4:3,  5-6,  8-9)

      Satan used what he perceived to be specific areas of 
      weakness to tempt Jesus.

 
3.  God's Word Was Jesus' Primary Source of Defense in
     Times of Temptation

     (Matthew 4:4,  7,  10-11)

     Jesus used Scripture relating to the specific temptations
     as defense against Satan's tactics.

Fusion: week of12/4

FAMILY THEME: BAPTISM OF JESUS

Matthew 3:1-17

God confirmed Jesus' authority as His Son at Jesus' baptism.

1.  John the Baptist Prepared the Way for Jesus by Preaching

     That Everyone Must Acknowledge Sin and Turn From It

     (Matthew 3:1-12)

     John preached salvation through repentance and personal

     commitment rather than religious pedigree.

 
2.  A Sinless Jesus Gave Us an Example to Follow in Baptism

     (Matthew 3:13-15)

      Although He had nothing to repent of, Jesus offered

      Himself as a model to follow in baptism.

 
3.  Jesus' Deity and Authority in Our Lives Was Confirmed

     at His Baptism

     (Matthew 3:16-17)

     God spoke, acknowledging Jesus' identity as His obedient

     Son, when Christ was baptized.

Fusion: week of 11/27

FAMILY THEME: WHAT IS HEAVEN REALLY LIKE?

Revelation 21:1 - 22:5  ;  Genesis 1:26 - 30  ;  2:15 - 25

There is coming a day where there will be no sin, sorrow,
pain, or death.

1.  Heaven Will Include the Restoration of This World

     (Revelation 21)

     The main difference between Heaven and earth
     is in its purity and goodness.

 
2.  God's Original Creation Gives Us Insight About Heaven

     (Genesis 1:26-29 ; 2:15-25 ; 3:17-19 ; 

      Revelation 21:1-8,  24-27 ; 22:3-5)

      Life before the fall gives us the best idea of what a new
      earth will be like.

 
3.  Heaven Will Be God's Eternal Dwelling Among His
     Creation

     (Genesis 3:8 ; John 1:14-18 ; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12

      Philippians 2:5-11 ; Revelation 21:3, 23-25 ; 22:3-5)

     The best part of Heaven will be the pure presence of God.

Fusion: week of 11/20

FAMILY THEME: HOW DOES PRAYER WORK?

Matthew 7:7-11;  Romans 8:26-27;  John 14:13-14

It has been said that prayer is the most talked about and least

used spiritual discipline. Part of the reason for this could be

that we don't understand exactly how prayer works.

1.  God Invites Us to Pray and Promises to Answer

     (Matthew 7:7-11)

     Our great God invites us to bring our needs to Him

     in prayer.

 
2.  The Holy Spirit Empowers Us for Prayer

     (Romans 8:26-27;  Ephesians 6:18;  Jude 1:20)

     The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in ways beyond

     our own wisdom or abilities.

 
3.  The Bible Teaches Us How to Pray

     (John 14:13-14)

     Like everything else in the life of a believer, prayer

     must be governed by Scripture.

Fusion: week of 11/13

FAMILY THEME: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVIL

Isaiah 14:12-14;  Genesis 3:1-5;  2 Corinthians 11:14;  Romans 16:20

This week's lesson will give you some foundational truths about

our ancient enemy.

1.  The Devil and Demons Were Once Angels in Heaven

     (Isaiah 14:12-15;  Jude 1:6)

     Satan's origin is that of an angel who rebelled 

     against God.

 
2.  The Devil and Demons Seek to Oppose God's Work

     and Lead His People Into Rebellion

     (Genesis 3:1-5;  Revelation 12:9;  2 Corinthians 2:11)

     The word Satan is translated as "adversary" and that 

     is exactly what he is to the people of God.

 
3.  The Devil and Demons Are Limited in Power

     (Romans 16:20;  Revelation 20:10)

     While Satan is powerful, it must be remembered that 

     neither he nor the demons are coequal with God.

Fusion: week of 11/6

FAMILY THEME: WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS?

Colossians 1:16-17;  Revelation 22:8-9;  Matthew 26:53;  Hebrews 13:2

While angels are popular in our culture, Scripture alone provides

us with the truth about angels.

1.  Angels Were Created to Worship and Serve God

     (Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 5:11-12)

     Angels essentially fulfill two roles. They serve at God's 

     instruction and they worship Him.

 
2. Angels Are Not to Be Worshiped

     (Colossians 2:18;  Revelation 22:8-9)

     There can be a tendency to elevate the status of angels

     to a higher position than they were intended to serve.

 
3.  Multitudes of Angels Are Involved in God's Work

     (Matthew 26:53)

     The Bible never tells us the exact number of angels but

     it does indicate there are many.

4.  Angels May Be Involved in Our Lives Without Our Knowledge

     (Hebrews 1:14;  13:2)

     Scripture teaches we can have angelic encounters without

     realizing it.

Fusion: week of 10/30

FAMILY THEME: GOD MET THE NEEDS OF HIS PEOPLE

Exodus 16:1  -  17:7

God met the needs of the Israelites through His constant, 

attentive care.

1.  God Promised to Provide So the People Would Trust Him

     (Exodus 16:1-12)

     Despite their grumbling God promised to provide the 

     needs of His people.

 
2. God Provided Quail and Manna for Each Day, Proving His

    People Can Trust Him

     (Exodus 16:13-36)

     True to His word and nature, God gave His people what

     they needed for each day.

 
3.  God Provided Water From the Rock, Proving He Was

     With His People

     (Exodus 17:1-7)

     God's provision for His people included satisfying the

     deepest thirst of their bodies and souls.

Fusion: week of 10/23

FAMILY THEME: GOD DEMONSTRATED HIS POWER

Exodus 14:1-31

God parted the sea to deliver the children of Israel from the armies of Egypt.

1.  God May Allow Us to Face Seeingly Impossible Situations

     (Exodus 14:1-9)

     God allowed the Israelites to face seemingly impossible

     circumstances knowing He would use it for His glory.

 
2.  We Can Trust God to See Us Through Difficulty

     (Exodus 14:10-20)

     The Israelites had to trust God's plan in order to escape

     the pursing army and survive crossing the sea.

 
3.  God Has the Power to See Us Through Any Difficulty

     (Exodus 14:21-31)

     The miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea proved God's

     power and ability to provide in any situation.

Fusion: week of 10/16

FAMILY THEME: GOD DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE

Exodus 12:1-42

God struck down the firstborn of Egypt but passed over the Israelites

who obeyed His commands. The yearly Passover celebration was

instituted.

1.  A Deliverance From Bondage and Judgment Was Provided

     (Exodus 12:1-20)

     God explained the means by which He would provide deliverance

     for His People.

 
2.  A Lamb Without Defect Was Slain So the Lord Could See the

     Blood and Pass Over

     (Exodus 12:21-30)

     The Israelites obeyed and God was true to His promise.

 
3.  God Sets His People Free

     (Exodus 12:31-42)

     The Passover marked the end of Egyptian slavery and the

     beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.

Fusion: week of 10/9

FAMILY THEME: GOD EXECUTED HIS PLAN

Exodus 3:1-22

God called Moses to free the children of Israel from the bondage 

of Egypt.

1.  Our Holy God Calls Us to Serve Him

     (Exodus 3:1-6)

     God called Moses to a life of service to Him as the deliverer

     of His people.

 
2.  God Reveals His Will and Direction When the Time is Right

     (Exodus 3:7-15)

     God commissioned Moses to be the agent by which He

     would fulfill His covenant with His people.

 
3.  God Promises Success as We Follow His Direction

     (Exodus 3:16-22)

     God gave Moses specific instructions to follow as he

     carried out God's plan.

Fusion: week of 10/2

FAMILY THEME: GOD RAISED UP A DELIVERER

Exodus 2:1-25

God uses people and circumstances to prepare His children for

the roles He would have them fill.

1.  God Uses People to Prepare Us

     (Exodus 2:1-10)

     The people in Moses' life both preserved his life and molded

     his early development.

 
2.  God Uses Circumstances to Prepare Us

     (Exodus 2:11-22)

     The events of Moses' life were preparing him for the specific

     tasks and challenges he would face as Israel's deliverer.

 
3.  God Knows What He Has in Store for Us

     (Exodus 2:23-25)

     God had a plan to free His people and was working to bring

     it to pass according to His timing.