Fusion: week of 5/15

FAMILY THEME: WHEN GOD DOESN'T MAKE SENSE

Job 19:1-27

Job did not understand why such terrible things happened to him, yet

he continued in his faith that God would redeem him and one day he

would see God.

1.   Sometimes It Can Feel Like Everything, Including God, Is

      Against Us

     (Job 19:1-20)

     Job felt that his friends had attacked him with their words and that

     God had focused His anger against him.

 
2.  Reach Out to People But Realize Their Limitations

     (Job 19:21-22)

     Job reached out to his friends for pity, but they were better at 

     making things worse than they were at making things better.

 
3.  Do Not Abandon Your Confidence in God

     (Job 19:23-27)

     Despite all that had happened, Job never relinquished his faith

     in God.

Fusion: week of 5/8

FAMILY THEME: CONFRONTING WORLDLY WISDOM

Job 13:1-28

Job's friends falsely accused him of sin as the cause for his suffering.

Job refused to give in to their lies.

1.   Worldly Wisdom Can Seem Logical, But Still Be False

     (Job 13:1-8)

     Job's friends insisted that his suffering was because God was

     punishing him for some wickedness he had committed.

 
2.  Worldly Wisdom Does Not Pass the Test

     (Job 13:9-12)

     Job tested the wisdom of his friends' arguments, and they

     failed the test.

 
3.  Seek God's Truth and Wisdom When Confronted With Worldly Wisdom

     (Job 13:13-28)

     Job did not correctly understand why he was suffering, but he

     understood that God could do whatever He wanted.

Fusion: week of 5/1

FAMILY THEME: WHEN LIFE FALLS APART

Job 1:1  -  2:3

Heartache, difficulties, and tragedy interrupted Job's life. He grieved, 

but stayed faithful to God.

1.  Trusting and Obeying God Builds a Foundation That Will Stand When

     Life Falls Apart

     (Job 1:1-5)

     A lifestyle of faith and godliness helps believers overcome the 

     temptation to turn away from God when facing loss and suffering.

 
2.  Life's Difficulties Can Be the Result of Spiritual Warfare

     (Job 1:6-19)

     Though not on the same level as God (and subject to Him),

     Satan interacts with God over the lifestyles of believers and

     intends to turn us against Him.

 
3.  Our Reaction to Life's Difficulties Shows the Strength of Our Faith

     (Job 1:20  -  2:3)

     When we withstand Satan's temptations, we bring glory to God.

Fusion: week of 4/24

FAMILY THEME: GOD IS THE FATHER

John 17:1-26

God is our perfect Father Who desires to have a personal relationship

with us as His children and calls on us to share Him with others.

1.  God Is the Ideal Father

     (Romans 8:15-17)

     Paul described Christ's redemptive work as a means of adoption

     whereby believers are now children and heirs of God.

 
2.  The Father and Jesus Illustrate the Ideal Relationship of Father

      and Son

     (John 17:1-26)

     Jesus loves and submits to the Father and the work the Father

      has for Him to do.

 
3.  We Can Be Part of the Father's Family Through Faith in His Son

     Jesus Christ

     (I John 3:1-3)

     We are now God's children because we have put our hope in

     His Son.

Fusion: week of 4/17

FAMILY THEME: GOD IS THE SHEPHERD

Ezekiel 34:11-31

As the Good Shepherd, God provides for our deepest needs, leads

and protects us, and rescues us from our sins.

1.  God, Our Shepherd, Provides for Us

     (Psalm 23:1;  Ezekiel 34:13-15, 29)

     God used the symbol of a shepherd to describe how He would

     provide for His people.

 
2.  God, Our Shepherd, Leads Us

     (Psalm 23:1-3)

     David knew God as his shepherd, providing for his needs, and

     leading him in the best paths.

 
3.  God, Our Shepherd, Protects Us

     (Psalm 23:4;  Ezekiel 34:28)

     No matter what we may be facing, our Shepherd promises to

     be there with us.

Fusion: week of 4/10

FAMILY THEME: GOD IS THE ALMIGHTY

Genesis 17:1-8

The name El Shaddai gives us a clear and complete picture of the

power, justice, and mercy of the omnipotent God we serve and 

depend on.

1.  El Shaddai, God of Power and Sovereignty, Uses His Great

     Power to Bless

     (Genesis 17:1-8)

     God identified Himself to Abram as Almighty, powerful enough

     to keep His covenants and bless regardless of human

     expectations and limitations.

 
2.  El Shaddai, God of Power and Sovereignty, Uses His Great

     Power to Keep Covenant Relationships

     (Exodus 6:3-7)

     God promised to fulfill the covenant He had made with Abraham

     and his descendants by bringing them out of bondage and into

     the Promised Land.

 
3.  El Shaddai, God of Power and Sovereignty, Uses His Great

     Power to Show Mercy

     (Genesis 43:14)

     Jacob (Israel) knew God as Almighty with the power to grant

     mercy.

Fusion: week of 4/3

FAMILY THEME: GOD IS LORD

Exodus 33:12  -  34:8

Names are an important part of the lives of those in Scripture.

Because God has revealed Himself to us by name, we can

know about Him and have a personal relationship with Him.

1.  We Can Understand the Characteristics of Old Testament

     Personalities Through Their Names

     (Genesis 17:5)

     God changed Abram's name to Abraham to reflect His

     promise to make Abraham the father of many nations.

 
2.  We Can Learn About God and His Character Through His

     Names

     (Genesis 1:1)

     The first verse in the Bible indicates that in the beginning

     God (Elohim) was, and was so powerful He created the

     universe.

 
3.  Recognizing God as LORD Reflects a Personal 

     Relationship with Him

     (Exodus 33:12  -  34:8)

     God's people knew Him by His personal name (YHWH),

     reflecting their relationship with Him and His covenant

     with them.