Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus describes what citizens of the kingdom are supposed to be (Matt. 5:1-16). Then in the remainder of his sermon, He explains what citizens of the kingdom are supposed to do (Matt 5:17-7:29).

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Following his temptation in the wilderness, Jesus announced that his kingdom was at hand (Matt. 4:17). Sometime later Jesus went up into a mountain near the Sea of Galilee and preached to his disciples and a multitude that had gathered, explaining the nature of the kingdom that He had announced earlier. We call this discussion the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5; 6; 7). Jesus begins his sermon with eight statements called the beatitudes. The word

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Following his temptation in the wilderness, Jesus announced that his kingdom was at hand (Matt. 4:17). Sometime later Jesus went up into a mountain near the Sea of Galilee and preached to his disciples and a multitude that had gathered, explaining the nature of the kingdom that He had announced earlier. We call this discussion the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5; 6; 7). Jesus begins his sermon with eight statements called the beatitudes. The word

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. After his baptism in the Jordan River and his temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began his earthly ministry–teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Early in his ministry, Jesus chose twelve men to assist him in his mission. These men would accompany Jesus from his baptism until He ascended into heaven. Thus they were to be witnesses of all He said and did and of his resurrection (Acts 1:21-22).

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Immediately following his baptism, Jesus was taken by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for forty days where He was tempted by the devil. This event revealed the humanity or human side of Jesus. This is in contrast to his baptism where his Divine nature was revealed by the descent of the Holy Spirit and the Father's voice from heaven. When Jesus became flesh (John 1:14), born of a woman (Gal. 4:4), He also became human and endured temptation

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. John was sent by God to bear witness of the Light that all might believe through him (John 1:6-7). As John prepared Israel for the coming of the Son of God, he called the people to repentance, preaching the message of baptism for remission of sins (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). Jesus came to John to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15). Righteousness is the quality of being right or just; it is the sum total of the requirements of God

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. The only episode in the Bible regarding the childhood of Jesus is recorded by Luke. When Jesus was twelve years old, He and his parents went to Jerusalem to observe the Passover Feast. The Passover Feast was celebrated each year by the Jews to commemorate the night the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites and slew the firstborn of the Egyptians (Ex. 12:1-14). Immediately following the Passover Feast, the Jews observed a seven day fes

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. An angel appeared to both Mary and Joseph to prepare them for the miraculous birth of a son. In great faith Mary believed the announcement of the angel and prayed for its fulfillment (Luke 1:38). Joseph also believed the angel's message regarding the son of prophecy, Immanuel, and did as he was commanded (Matt. 1:24). In obedience to the decree of the Roman Emperor, Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem to be enrolled for the census. There i

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law" (Gal. 4:4). God's plan for the salvation of man continues to unfold as the birth of his Son takes place. "When the fulness of the time was come"–the time was right. Daniel had prophesied of four world kingdoms in Daniel 2 and 7. In the days of the fourth world kingdom, the God of heaven would "set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroy

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Before the world was created God purposed to send his Son into the world to save mankind from their sins. The Bible, though written over a period of some 1500 years, is an organized and complete unit, revealing the mind of God and his eternal purpose to save man from his sins. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning...” (Rom. 15:4). The Old Testament scriptures were written for our learning. From the first

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel did not have a national leader. "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judg. 17:6). The twelve tribes, although related through their common ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were not united, but were rather an unorganized and loose confederation. The judges raised by God to deliver the people from their enemies were generally t

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Although Joshua and the Israelites defeated many kings and captured many cities in Canaan, they did not drive all the inhabitants out of the land. Consequently, after Joshua and the elders who were contemporary with him died, the people of Israel forgot about God and began to serve the idols of the people that remained in the land. Then the Lord's anger was kindled against the children of Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of enemy

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. The name Joshua (Heb.) is the Old Testament form of Jesus (Gr.) which means the Lord is salvation. Joshua is first introduced in the scriptures when the children of Israel came to a place called Rephidim on the way to Mount Sinai about two months after they left Egypt. Here the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites, desert nomads who were descendants of Esau. Moses appointed Joshua to command the Israelites in the ensuing battle, which

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. After Jacob's family moved to Egypt, they increased and multiplied until the land was filled with them. Joseph died, many years passed, and a new king came to power who did not know Joseph. Afraid of the strength and might of the Israelites, the king began to afflict them, enslaving them and forcing them to build cities for him. He decreed that all boy babies born to the Hebrew women should be cast into the river. One Levite family hid their

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob. He was the first son of his mother Rachel, Jacob's second and most beloved wife (Gen. 30:22-24). Joseph was his father's favorite, for he was the son of Jacob's old age. Thus Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors, and as a result Joseph's older brothers were jealous. Their animosity increased when Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father, and even more when he related his dreams in which h

Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Before God created the heavens and earth, He purposed to send his Son into the world to save mankind...

Job 1; 2; 42:7-17 Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Job was a patriarch (father and ruler of a family or tribe) who may have lived during the same period of time as Abraham. His home was in the land of Uz. The exact location of Uz is unknown, but it was in the "east" (Job 1:3) near the desert or "wilderness" (Job 1:19). Uz was probably a region east of the Jordan River, bordering the Arabian desert from Edom north to the Euphrates River. Job was a righteous and wealthy man wit

Esth. 5; 6; 7; 8; 9 Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Ahasuerus, the Persian king, appointed Haman his chief advisor and ordered all of...

Esth. 3; 4 Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. Vashti, the queen of Persia, was removed from her position when she refused to obey the king's...

Esth. 1; 2 Full Lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. In 539 B. C., Cyrus, king of the Medes and Persians, conquered the Babylonians. Thus the...