week of 9/19

 Unit 1 Session 3

MADE FOR HIS GLORY

Psalm 96 ; 2 Corinthians 3,4

God's Glory - His matchless beauty, goodness, and 

majesty - is revealed through the worship of His 

people, the wonder of His creation, and ultimately

through the revelation of His Son.

Before God created the heavens and the earth, God's glory was

manifested and praised without measure and without end. Through

His creation, God made a stage and an audience for His glory to fill.

Giving God glory is our highest purpose as human beings. We were

made for this - to witness God's glory and testify to it! The entire

Bible, and notably the Psalms, helps us to direct our attention and

our praise to our Creator God, especially as He has revealed Himself

in Jesus Christ.

Points to consider:

✞   God's glory is revealed through the worship of His                  people.
     * What are some ways our worship of God matters

        in this world?

✞   God's glory is revealed through the testimony of

     His creation.
     * What does it say about God that He reveals Himself

        in different ways, such as in nature and in literature

        like the Psalms?

✞   God's glory is revealed through the proclamation

      of His Son.
     * What are some ways we can detract from God's

        glory in the gospel?

week of 9/12

 Unit 1 Session 2

MADE IN HIS IMAGE

Genesis 1 - 2 ; Psalm 8

People were created as God's image-bearers, providing

all of humanity with a unique purpose and relationship

with the Creator.

In the beginning, God made everything good. Everything was exactly

the way He intended: the earth and sky, the moon, and the stars, the

creatures that live on land, in the sea, and travel through the air, and

even time itself! But His creative work didn't end with any of these.

He was saving the best - the pinnacle of creation - for last. In His 

final creative act "in the beginning", God created us.

Points to consider:

✞   We bear God's image in our roles.
     * What are some specific ways we can faithfully

        reflect God as His image-bearers in our culture?

✞   We bear God's image through our relationships.
     * How does a biblical worldview differ from the

        culture's on the issure of gender?

✞   We bear God's image as a crown of glory and honor.
     * How have you experienced the greatness of

        creation making you feel insignificant?

     * What are some ways we can honor and glorify

        our Lord here on earth?

week of 9/5

Unit 1 Session 1

IN THE BEGINNING

Genesis 1:1 - 2:3 ; Hebrews 11

God created everything out of nothing, and all of creation

reveals Him.

Before "In the beginning", there was God. Before time and space was, there was the timeless, boundless, infinite Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The triune God - one God in three Persons, perfect in love, unity, and holiness - creates. All that we see, all the science we study, all the history we know and experience - everything owes its existence to the One Who created everything out of nothing, and everything serves the purpose of bringing Him glory. 

Points to consider:

✞   God created everything good.
     * How should we read the Bible knowing that God
     is its main character?
     * What are some ways you have seen the goodness
     of God's creation?

✞   God created everything by design.
     * What are some ways human beings have twisted
     God's good design in creation?

✞   God created everything for a purpose.
     * How should belief in the biblical account of
     creation affect the life of a Christian?

Fusion: week of 8/29

 FAMILY THEME: GOD PROVIDES REDEMPTION

Ruth 4:1-17

God had a plan for Naomi and Ruth's redemption, and He

has one for us as well.

✞   God Provided a Way of Redemption for Those in Need

     (Ruth 4:1-12)

      Boaz fulfilled the role of kinsman-redeemer for Ruth

     and Naomi and their inheritance.

✞   God's Redemption Leads to Joy and Worship

     (Ruth 4:13-17)

     Ruth and Boaz were married and blessed with a son.

     With all of the people in Bethlehem, they rejoiced and

     recognized God's hand at work.

Fusion: week of 8/22

FAMILY THEME: GOD USES FLAWED PEOPLE

Judges 16:1-31

Samson's strength did not extend to strength of character,

but God still used him.

✞   Ongoing Patterns of Sin Lead to Sorrowful Consequences

     (Judges 16:1-21)

      Samson's lustful passion grew into a sinful pattern of

     behavior. He was willingly blind to the consequences

     of his sin.

✞   God Can Use Us in Spite of Our Flaws if We Turn to Him

     (Judges 16:22-21)

     God graciously granted Samson forgiveness and the 

     power to fulfill his original calling, destroying 3,000

     Phillistines with his final act.

Fusion: week of 8/15

 FAMILY THEME: GOD CALLS ORDINARY PEOPLE

Judges 7:1-23

Before Gideon enlisted, before the army gathered, God had

already won the victory He can do the impossible when we

put our trust in Him.

✞   God is the True Source of Our Success

     (Judges 4:1-3)

      Against conventional wisdom, God told Gideon that his

     army was too large and used a series of tests to reduce

     it to 300 men.

✞   God Encourages and Strengthens Us When We Need It

     (Judges 7:49-15)

     God bolstered Gideon's confidence by sending him to

     overhear an enemy soldier's dream.

✞   God Does Amazing Things When We Trust and Obey Him

     (Judges 7:16-23)

     God granted the victory in such a way that no one could

     have denied that He alone was the victor.

Fusion: week of 8/8

FAMILY THEME: GOD CHOOSES UNUSUAL LEADERS

Judges 4:1-24

Deborah broke the mold. God's selection of a woman to restore

peace and judgment to Israel was exceptional in every way, but

Deborah courageously stepped up to the task.

✞   Confession and Repentance are the First Steps Toward
      Restoration with God

      (Judges 4:1-3)

      God's people allowed themselves to become complacent,

      and they turned away from Him. When adversity came to

      them, they cried out for His help.

✞   God Uses Many Different People and Strategies to

     Accomplish His Purposes

     (Judges 4:4-10)

     God's plan of deliverance may have seemed counterintuitive

     to the military strategies of the day, but He put the prophetess

     Deborah in place as a judge.

✞   Victory is Found in God's Power and Ways, Not in Our Own

     (Judges 4:11-24)

     Together, Deborah and Barak experienced amazing military

     victory. Jael, another woman, finished off the threat to Israel

     with a tent peg. The glory went to God!