The eNews Week of August 22, 2004

If you would like to contribute to the eNews or converse with the editor, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com.

=============================
IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK

REGULAR HAPPENINGS
NEW SUNDAY SCHEDULE—Coming September 12
COLLEGE BRIEFING!!! September 3-6
SCHEDULE CHANGE—September 5, Sunday Gathering
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY—POG History
POSSIBLE FUTURE STUDY TOPICS
SERMON NOTES—“Four Tests of a Believer”

=============================
REGULAR HAPPENINGS

WORSHIP @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center

SUNDAY GATHERING @ 10 am on Sundays—TFB College Room
Current Study: POG History (see below for an explanation of “POG”)

BIBLE STUDY @ 7:15-9:00 pm on Tuesdays— TFB College Room
Current Study: Learning Jesus in the Gospel According to Mark

=============================
NEW SUNDAY SCHEDULE—Coming September 12
Beginning September 12, 2004, TFB will have a new morning schedule, complete with 30 additional sleep minutes—yippee!

WORSHIP @ 9:15 am—Main Worship Center

SUNDAY GATHERING @ 11 am on Sundays—TFB College Room

=============================
COLLEGE BRIEFING!!! September 3-6

Cost: $160
Place: Forest Home

Speaker: Bryan Loritts
Host: Jason Djang
Band: Plumbline

See Laura to sign-up

For details click here.

=============================
SCHEDULE CHANGE—September 5, Sunday Gathering

Sunday, September 5, while we’re off to College Briefing, please join the Combined Adult Sunday School in the gym.

Topic: Breaking New Ground
Focus: Presentation of our new fall schedule and its opportunities

=============================
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY—POG History
[* POG = People Of God]


Moses Called Exodus 3:1-12

The story of the call of Moses touches on at least six issues:

Time
Risk
Trust
Reluctance
Humility
History

Time: Moses was 40 when he left Egypt and fled to Midian. He was 80 when God called him from the burning bush. Then he spends another 40 years wandering around the wilderness with the people of Israel. That means he didn’t complete the task until he was 120.

Risk: Moses fled Egypt because he had killed an Egyptian and was afraid of Pharaoh. God was sending him back to Pharaoh—either the very one from whom he fled, or the son; either way, Pharaoh likely knew Moses. On top of that, Pharaoh was the monarch of one of the most powerful nations in the world, and Moses was to go and ask him to set free all his Hebrew slaves. Risky business.

Trust: God was asking for a huge amount of trust here. In verse 12, God assures Moses by telling him that God would be with him and meet with the people of Israel at the very mountain where Moses saw the burning bush. That sounds all well and good, except that Moses had to wait for the sign until after he accomplished the task. That’s trust.

Reluctance: Moses was a humble guy, but his humility made him doubt God’s choice. In our passage today, Moses basically tells God that he’s not the right guy. In the verses following this passage, he argues with God and makes excuses. He goes in the end, but he needs lots of reassurance.

Humility: When God announced himself as Yahweh, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, Moses responded by hiding his face, because he was afraid to look at God. It’s true that God is loving and merciful, but he is also the awesome and terrifying King of the Universe, who was about to give Moses amazing power and authority. God needed a man who knew his weaknesses. Moses was the guy.

History: In verse 6, God clears up his own identity and the identity of Moses by putting identity in the context of history. God was the God of Moses’ father Amram, and of his ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This reminded Moses of his historical context and the history of God’s dealings with his family.


Next week we’ll return to Mount Sinai, for the fulfillment of the promise in Exodus 3:12.

God’s Covenant with Israel Exodus 19:21-25; 20:18-26

The Judges—Sin and Deliverance Judges 2:11-23

Israel Wants a King 1 Samuel 8:4-22

Saul Loses the Throne; David Anointed King 1 Samuel 16:1-13

David Prepares Solomon for the Throne 1 Kings 2:1-9

Solomon’s Wisdom and Sin 1 Kings 11:1-13

The Kingdom is Split 1 Kings 12:12-20

Northern Kingdom Taken to Assyria 2 Kings 17:6-18

Southern Kingdom Taken to Babylon 2 Kings 25:1-7, 18-21

Returning to the Land—Rebuilding the Temple Ezra 1:1-11

Returning to the Land—Rebuilding the Walls Nehemiah 2:11-20

=============================
POSSIBLE FUTURE STUDY TOPICS

Old Testament topics
- 1 Samuel
- Genesis 1
- Jewish Holy Days
New Testament topics
- Revelation
- The Gospels
- New Testament survey
Theology/Apologetics topics
- JEPD Theory
- Hermeneutics
- Sovereignty
=============================
SERMON NOTES—“Four Tests of a Believer”
What God Can Do Through Ordinary You, Part 3
Hebrews 11:8-19


“Without faith it is impossible to please God…” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).

“…for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine…” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV).

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4, NIV).


TEST #1 - A MAJOR CHANGE (v. 8).


TEST #2 - A DELAYED PROMISE (v. 9).


TEST #3 - AN IMPOSSIBLE PROBLEM (v. 11-12). Genesis 18:9-15

TEST #4 - A SENSELESS TRAGEDY (v. 17-19).

"…Lord, I believe. Help me with my unbelief." Mark 9:24

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =