#1 Yom Kippur

series: Jonah

title: Yom Kippur

teacher: Jacob Bender

date: October 16, 2016

scriptures: Jonah (entire book), Leviticus 16, Leviticus 16:22, Hebrews 10:8-14

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This last week, those who practice Jewish culture celebrated Yom Kippur. This year it was Tuesday, October 11th at sundown, and ended Wednesday October 12th at the same time. And there is a Jewish tradition… that in their afternoon services on Yom Kippur every year, they read, in its entirety, the book on Jonah. And its a tradition that dates back thousands of years… where families would all gather around together on Yom Kippur, and they would read it together. 

Which for someone who is not Jewish, the first question that I have, is why?

Because to most people, the book of Jonah is the story of a guy who got eaten by a whale. Who was in his belly for three days, and then he got spit out. Thats the gist of what most of us know about the book. 

So, today we are going to start our series on the book of Jonah, exploring some of those questions…

questions like: Why is this book so significant?

Why is it considered to be one of the books known as “the prophets” when Jonah doesn't give a single prophecy the entire time… Why do the Jews, on their holiest day of the year, take the time to sit down and read the book in its entirety? 

#2 Death of Hope

title: Death of Hope

series: Lets talk about Hope

teacher: Jacob Bender

date: March 20, 2016

scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 53, 1 John 4:10, Leviticus 16:10, Leviticus 16:22, Hebrews 12:2, Matthew 28:18

BABY DEDICATION:

#4 Giving and Taking

Series: Realities

Title: giving & taking

Teacher: Jacob Bender

Date: October 4, 2015

scriptures: Mark 12:29, Malachi 3:6-15, Psalm 119:36, Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 25:32, Matthew 25:41-46, Ephesians 4:28, Luke 12, Acts 5:1-11, 2 Samuel 13

The word “vain” is the Hebrew word “shav’” and it means “to not be real.”

Most people think that the third commandment is telling us to not swear. Or to not say “God – blank”

But the third commandment literally says “You must not take the name of the Lord in unreality.”

You use his name in a way that makes it not real.

There is something about the name of God, is there not?

And man, there is something about the name of Jesus.

Something powerful. Something everlasting. Something that just makes you feel, in the darkest hour of your darkest day, like there is light. When it feels like everyone everywhere has abandoned you… that Someone still has your back. Someone still cares. God’s name can heal, it can redeem, it can provide, it can bring peace.

It is incredibly powerful.

But because of its incredible power, it also can be incredibly manipulated. If that wasn’t the case, then it would not be in the ten commandments.

It is a name that carries weight. A lot of weight.

But throughout history, various religions and religious leaders have misrepresented that name and have used it for selfish things. Wars have been started in the name of God. People have been killed. People have been robbed. People have been hurt. All, in forms of manipulation by people taking the Lords name in vain.

If you use the name of the Lord for selfish reasons, you are stealing. You are taking his name, and manipulating it for your purposes. You are not associating it to the power that it has, and that is why so many will be crushed by it.

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