Waukesha church of Christ classes

As Satan begins to doubt his identification of a potential threat, God introduces him to man of integrity and influence in a different region, distracting him from the main theater of the contest.

Joseph's rise to power was inevitable, but as it happens, Satan must wonder if his interpretation of Joseph's significance is correct.

As Satan sees Joseph gain success, he uses a lie to remove Joseph to a location where he can't succeed, which just happens to be the one place God needs him to be in order for him to fulfill his plan.

Satan removes Joseph from his family and homeland to a life of futility as a slave, not realizing that He has assisted God in moving him nearer his destiny, and arranging for Joseph to develop skills he will need.

Satan takes time to eliminate what he sees as rightful heirs to Jacob's legacy, a new unlikely figure emerges as the hero of the story.

Perceiving God's hand on Jacob's life, Satan compels him toward frustration and futility, but ends up aiding in the strengthening and development of Jacob's character.

Isaac, like Satan, seems preoccupied with 'the firstborn'. God does not need deception to work his will, so there are consequences for using these methods even for good intentions.

who could predict a miraculous birth? Not even Satan, as he seems to react to Ishmael's claim to inheritance.

God finally begins to clearly select men for his purpose. This doesn't Satan clarity, for attempting to disadvantage Abram, he removes him from the corrupting presence of Sodom.

Satan typically loves division, but God uses it to inhibit the descent into moral chaos. This may serve as instruction into why the world seems to be in rapid decline in modern times.

Genetics help play a role in the rapid return of sin following the flood, and it may also explain why God gave out such harsh sentences later during the conquest of Canaan.

Many believe Noah to be a failed preacher. What did he accomplish? Meanwhile, Satan attempts to erase all humanity, but manages only to help God cleanse the planet.

We explore the controversy of who exactly the 'sons of God' are. Embedded in both old and new testaments, as well as secular history, is confirmation of how Satan attempted to address his own curse as population rapidly expanded.

Humanity begins with a population boom, and cities being developed within the first several generations. These mass gatherings become the den of corruption as the first major deviations from morality occur.

Satan wastes no time in attempting to remove pieces from the board, ultimately he spends time on both Cain and Abel, perceiving that either could be a threat.

Understanding Satan's nature helps us to understand his limitations as he hears the curse of Genesis 3:15. How does he respond? What we will find is that Satan repeatedly attempts to thwart what he thinks God is doing, only to help set up the exact plan God is working on.

What lies beyond is vague, and many opinions of it exist. We can know that the scriptures are consistent on the topic, even if our interpretation isn't.

A common church teaching concerns how people are both drawn and kept in salvation. How can this idea be harmonized with passages which suggest that our destiny isn't irrevocable?

Who did Jesus die for? Why do some verses seem to present a universal invitation while others indicate a limited offer? can these verses be brought into harmony or is the scripture hopelessly flawed?

Is the eternal fate of each person pre-determined, or can we choose for ourselves? This episode reconciles verses that seem opposite, but in doing so, also looks at the "noble idea"; that is, a concept or assumption that people feel they have to defend which produces misinterpretation.

There are two main schools of thought in Christianity. we will look at them both in four episodes. The first one will explore whether man is fundamentally evil or good. These are clearly opposite positions, so the bible should be able to shed light on the correct view, or else the bible cannot be trusted

We dive into salvation doctrine in this episode. What are the roles of grace, faith, and works? If churches can't agree, doesn't it mean that the bible doesn't agree with itself?

Even non-Christians are well acquainted with this phrase. Is there a sin that God can't forgive? If so which one is it, because different authors seem to express different opinions on the matter.

New Testament Doctrine can't seem to agree as to whether Christians do sin or even whether we should be expected to not sin.

Does Jesus want us to judge or not? should we search for evidence or not? Jesus doesn't seem to be able to make up his mind.

Political figures have long searched the scriptures hoping to find support for economic structures they promote. If opposite sides can prove their opinion by using the bible, doesn't that prove that the bible is contradictory?

Solomon and Jesus gave advice concerning wealth that varies widely. Can they both have been inspired by God?

Are vows good or bad? Should we honor our parents or should we disrespect them? Some of Jesus statements seem at odds with Old testament requirements.

Why does God seem to place a high priority on physical elements of worship in the old testament but not in the new testament? God's opinion on places of worship and sacrifices look inconsistent to many.

How can we believe the bible is a divine book when it seems to deny culturally acceptable practices like interracial marriages? Why does it also turn around and speak highly of people who appear to be violating those prohibitions?

The bible seems to present different intentions for the longevity of God's covenant with Israel, was it supposed to end, or was it supposed to last forever?

Because of our recent history in America, this topic is a hot button issue, and it is one which many critics seize on to discredit the bible. Not only does the bible seem to violate our civilized sensibilities, but statements from different authors don't seem to agree.

Criticism of the bible often focuses on whether or not the bible condoned behavior that doesn't represent moral principles.

Even technical information should match if we are going to say that the bible narrative was communicated by God. A divine source should know data accurately.

The origin of instrumentation is credited to different people. Its usage in worship also seems to be viewed differently by different biblical authors. are these discrepancies reconcilable?

In the final episode of this topic, we focus on instances of alleged contradiction in the later part of the old covenant

Why does God seem to endorse practices which we accept as immoral? If God contradicts Himself can the bible be trusted?

We open a section looking at seemingly contradictory statements concerning foundational moral concepts. We include a very uncomfortable topic.

Quotes from Paul and Jude seem to challenge the notion of inspiration. Is it from God or not?

More events from the time of Moses, David and Elijah give pause to critics of the bible, but they are not difficult to harmonize.

A look at some of the different biblical accounts of early hebrew history make us question if the bible can be inspired if they don't match.

This lesson focuses on the apparent discrepancies in the accounts concerning God's communication with man in the beginning.

We begin a section looking at God's interaction with His creation. What type of earth did he make? Does the bible contradict itself or science?

The hardest parts of the passion to harmonize are the events of the resurrection and appearances to the disciples. If we methodically place the four gospels next to each other, a single narrative emerges.

How do we resolve apparent differences on Golgotha concerning statements and timing of Jesus' death? Fear not there are some simple explanations

The numerous trials of Jesus are complex events with many details, which, at first glance, the authors seem not to agree on, but a closer look shows that they harmonize quite well.

The accounts of Peter outside the Jewish trials, seem to offer details of who made what accusations that don't agree, yet in reality they are fundamentally the same, so that we can rest assured that the accounts represent an accurate history

At first look, the events in the Garden of Gethsemane seem hard to get on the same page, but explanations aren't that difficulty.

Easter season is an appropriate time to discuss the events of the death and resurrection of Christ. This event is the cornerstone of the bible, and no part of the bible is attacked as much as this. There are certainly many apparent discrepancies, but we will see over this 6 week discussion, that every difficulty has an explanation. We begin with the events of the Last Supper.

Those who criticize the bible and assert that it was made up later, point to different accounts of Jesus' statements which portray a Jesus who seems to disagree with Himself.