Benchley, February 19, 2012

• II Kings 5:1-12 – the story of Naaman the leper
• The difference between king and prophet
• Naaman brought his letter to the king, but he really needed to speak to God’s prophet Elisha.
• Luke 19:10; John 1:29 – Jesus is the one to whom we must point others for salvation.
• II Kings 5:7 – We must be careful not to assume what we do not know as the king of Israel did.
• The difference between wave and wash
• II Kings 5:11 – Naaman had already decided how God was going to cure him.
• Am I obeying all of what is written in God’s word? Let us not presume what God wants us to do like Naaman did.
• The difference between Pharpar and Jordan
• II Kings 5:12
• Leviticus 10:1-4 – What difference did the fire make for Nadab and Abihu? It was the difference between life and death!
• Galatians 1:8 – What difference does the message make? It’s the difference between being acceptable or not before God!
• Hebrews 8:4-5 – Like Moses, we are to work according to the pattern God has shown us.
• II Kings 5:13-14 – Naaman obeyed God and was cleansed.

Benchley, February 15, 2012

• Matthew 19:16-17; Ephesians 5:9 – How can we know who or what is good? God is the basis for what is good. He decides what is good and informs us through His word.
• Examples of firm “goodness” include Jesus cleansing the temple (Matthew 21) and rebuking the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). How does this compare to our modern culture’s view of “goodness,” especially goodness in religion?
• A good religious person will find truth and follow it sincerely.
• Matthew 7:17-19; Luke 6:35; I Timothy 6:18 – Is a Christian’s life characterized by simply abstaining from sinful activities? Certainly not! We must go out and do good!
• Matthew 7:13 – Many people tend to do what is easy instead of what is good.
• In what way does Tabitha serve as an example of “good words” (Acts 9:36-39)? Her service was a way of life, not just an isolated instance or two of goodness.
• III John 1 – What can we learn from one man who was evil (Diotrephes) and two who were good (Gaius and Demetrius)?
• Being prideful and making it difficult for others to serve God is certainly not good.
• Walking in truth and helping others as Gaius and Demetrius did is the kind of goodness we should emulate.
• What are the practical benefits or results of a Christian being truly good?
• I Timothy 2:15 – We silence the ignorance of foolish men.
• Earthly relationships are more pleasant and peaceful because people appreciate our goodness.
• It glorifies God.
• It gives self respect.
• It helps others.

Benchley, February 12, 2012

• The preacher:
• Speak words that become sound doctrine (Titus 2:1; II Timothy 4:2-4)
• Speak so as to be understood (I Corinthians 14:19)
• Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)
• Speak with all authority (Titus 2:15)
• The listener:
• Take heed what you hear (Mark 8:24; Acts 17:11)
• Take heed how you hear (Luke 8:18)
• Be sure the word is mixed with faith (Hebrews 4:2)
• Put the word to use in your life (James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-31)
• Control your thinking – do not let your mind wander (Nehemiah 8:3,5)
• Uphold, do not apologize for the truth that was taught. (Acts 18:24-26; Deuteronomy 4:1-2)

Benchley, February 8, 2012

• What do these passages teach us about the kindness of God?
• Romans 11:20-23 – Reception of God’s kindness is conditional on our behavior.
• Ephesians 2:4-7 – God showed His kindness by sending Jesus to die for us.
• Titus 3:4-5 – God’s kindness is evident in His mercy on us even in our sin.
• I Peter 2:1-3 – We taste the kindness of God through His word.
• Luke 6:31-35 – Our kindness is not to be based on whether or not we have been shown kindness.
• Our kindness is based on:
• How we want other people to treat us
• God’s example of kindness to ungrateful and evil men
• Acts 24:4; 27:3; 28:2 – What sort of things do kind people do? They go out of their way to be patient and helpful to others.
• Colossians 3:12-13; Ephesians 4:32 – Christians are instructed to be kind. How do we obey that instruction? By considering others’ needs before our own and by adjusting our attitude. We should think about God. This is something that takes practice!
• Christians don’t just react. They do what’s right!
• What are some things that keep us from being kind?
• Grouchiness
• Selfishness
• Holding a grudge
• Pride
• Ignorance
• Bad company
• What are the practical benefits of being kind?
• Better influence on those around us

Benchley, February 5, 2012

• Get on God’s side by reading and praying.
• Ezra 7:10; 8:21-23; 9:6
• From reading God’s law, Ezra knew what he had to teach the people and what they were doing wrong.
• Acts 8:34-35 – The Ethiopian started by reading God’s word and Philip started teaching him based on what the Ethiopian had read.
• Surround yourself with people who will help.
• Ezra 7:28; 8:1,15-20
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – the advantage of having a companion who will help
• II Corinthians 7:5-7 – Paul was comforted by the arrival of Titus.
• Learn your lesson from last time.
• Ezra 9:13-14
• Acts 8:9-24 – Simon tried to return to his old ways when he tried to buy the power of God from the apostles, but Peter refused and rebuked him.
• Acts 5:27

Benchley, February 5, 2012

• Hebrews 9:23 – Why is “sacrifices” plural here? This may be a figure of speech to compare the many sacrifices of the Old Testament with the one sacrifice of Jesus. The Bible often uses the plural form of a ord to include the singular. This may also be referring to Jesus’ sacrifice in combination with either God’s sacrifice in sending Him or our own personal sacrifices that we must make to follow Christ.
• Hebrews 9:27 – Christians should not be afraid to die. If we are serving God like we should, we would be much better off in heaven.
• See I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
• Hebrews 9:28 – The second time that Jesus comes, it will not be to save men. It will be as a judge.
• Hebrews 10:1-2 – We do not have to feel the guilt of our sins once we have been forgiven.
• Hebrews 10:9 – God took away the first covenant when He established the new covenant. We are no longer bound by the laws, sacrifices, and ceremonies of the first law.

Benchley, February 1, 2012

• We all must develop patience through practice.
• We need God’s patience.
• I Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient”
• God is the ultimate example of patience. (Romans 2:4; I Peter 3:20) Without God’s patience, we’d all be lost!
• God is patient with us; we should be patient with others. The next time we have trouble being patient with others, we must remember how patient God has been with us. (I Timothy 1:16)
• I Thessalonians 5:14 – “be patient with everyone”
• II Timothy 4:2 – Preach the word “with great patience”
• Hebrews 6:11-15; James 5:7-11 – great examples of patience in the Bible
• Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 1:11; 3:12-13 – commands to be patient

Benchley, January 29, 2012

• Prayer is one of the greatest privileges that God has given His children. (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25)
• He speaks to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).
• His children speak to Him through His Son. (I Timothy 2:5)
• “The Man, Jesus Christ” made this possible.
• He is mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6) by means of death (Hebrews 9:15).
• Elements of acceptable prayer
• To Deity (Colossians 1:3; John 15:16; I John 5:11-15)
• Through our mediator, the MAN Jesus (I Timothy 2:5)
• In faith (James 1:6-7)
• If it be God’s will (I John 5:14)
• With the spirit and understanding (I Corinthians 14:15)
• With the right motives (James 4:3)
• Be forgiving (Mark 11:25-26)
• Be a doer of His will (I John 3:22)
• Pray frequently
• Romans 12:12 – Continue instant in prayer.
• Ephesians 6:18 – Pray always.
• I Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
• Luke 11:1-8 – Be importunate in prayer.
• But how and whose prayer is answered?
• How?
• We can only know that which is revealed.
• In spiritual things (Luke 23:34; Acts 2:36-38)
• In physical things (James 5:17-18; I Kings 18:41-46)
• Whose?
• I Peter 3:12 – If one is not a Christian, he is void of all spiritual blessings, including prayer and hope of eternal life.

Benchley, January 29, 2012

• Matthew 13:3-23 – parable of the sower, or of the soils
• Do I make the effort to understand the Word?
• It is out responsibility to make an effort to understand God’s Word.
• Acts 17:1-4 – Many were persuaded after listening to Paul.
• Acts 17:5-8 – The wrong attitude to God’s Word is on display.
• Acts 17:10-12 – The people of Berea show the proper attitude.
• Acts 17:30-31 – What is our attitude to these kinds of passages about what we must do?
• Do I let the word take root?
• Matthew 13:20-21
• I Timothy 4:15-16 – We must always move forward in our faith.
• Colossians 2:5 – Paul rejoiced in the steadfastness of their faith.
• Do I let the world and wealth choke the world?
• Luke 12:15-21 – the dangers of preoccupation with wealth
• Do I hear the Word, understand it, and bear fruit?
• John 6:66-68 – Peter’s confession of faith
• Romans 3:23-24 – We all need God’s grace
• Romans 6:3-4 – If we are going to be good soil, we must be receptive to the fact that we must be baptized so that we can walk in newness of life.

Benchley, January 29, 2012

• Hebrews 9:15-17 – The writer here is comparing old and new covenants – not the testaments. The translation in the King James Version obscures the meaning of this passage somewhat, but other translations make it clearer.
• Testament:
• Testator
• Gift
• Heirs
• Conditions
• Death of testator
• Executor
• Probated
• When conditions met and the gift received, it is not reversible.
• Covenant:
• Covenant maker
• Mediator
• Death of sacrifice
• Relationsip established
• Must continue in the conditions of the covenant to maintain this relationship.
• In this text:
• There is a covenant maker.
• There is a mediator.
• There is a blood sacrifice.
• There is a relationship established.
• This relationship must be maintained to be blessed under the conditions of the covenant.

Click the flyer below to download the printable PDF version.  For a map to the church building, click here. We hope to see you there!

Benchley, January 25, 2012

• Peace with God
• Acts 10:36; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:11-22 – Peace with God is the restored relationship we have with God through forgiveness of sins.
• If we want peace with God, we can only have that through Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:34-36)
• Peace with self (conscience)
• John 14:27; 16:33; Philippians 4:6-9 – True peace with self only comes as a result of true peace with God. A clean conscience is a blessing from God.
• I Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8; I Timothy 1:15 – Did the apostle Paul have peace with self? Yes. We must recognize the difference between a guilty conscience and regret.
• Peace with self does not require spiritual amnesia. It requires current service to God and humility from past sins.
• Peace with people
• Romans 12:18; Colossians 3:12-15 – To what extent can and should we achieve peace with others? We must achieve peace with others to the extent that it depends on us (and we can do so within God’s law).

Benchley, January 22, 2012

• Everything that one has is the result of a gift.
• Life – Genesis 2:7; Job 12:9-10
• Abilities – Psalms 23:1; James 1:17
• This calls for us to be grateful and a giving people.
• Why give?
• God needs nothing that we have. Acts 17:27; Psalms 50:10-12
• But we need to give – need the blessing God bestows for service.
• To have a correct view of God’s attitude toward giving, we must carefully consider what He has said:
• Honors God (Proverbs 3:9)
• Is a mark of righteousness (Proverbs 21:25-26)
• Is a grace (II Corinthians 8:7)
• Failure to give robs God (Malachi 3:8)
• God hates covetousness (Psalms 10:3; Colossians 3:6)
• Our giving is to be:
• I Corinthians 16:2
• Regular
• Personal – every one of you
• As prospered
• II Corinthians 8:8,12; 9:6-7
• Because of love
• Willingly, not because of pressure
• Bountifully, not sparingly
• Planned and purposed
• Not grudgingly
• The gift that takes care of it all
• II Corinthians 8:5 – “They first gave their own selves to the Lord.”

Benchley, January 22, 2012

• Galatians 6:1; James 1:26 – how the words “spiritual” and “religious” are used in the Bible.
• What must we do?
• Honor God instead of self.
• Colossians 2:20-23 – the danger of self-made religion
• Find the true religion.
• Mark 7:1-9
• Many are fed up with the hypocrisy of many organized religions. Their reaction should be to find true religion.
• I Corinthians 14:37; Galatians 1:6-9 – We must be careful to not follow anything except the Bible.
• I Timothy 4:1-6 – how to be a good servant of God
• II Timothy 4:3-4
• Realize that we cannot save ourselves.
• Psalms 49:5-10,15 – Only God can save us.
• Ephesians 2:13-18 – Jesus is our path to redemption.
• Acts 17:22-31

Benchley, January 23, 2012

• Hebrews 9:1-5 – Under the New Covenant, all Christians are priests (I Peter 2:6). Jesus is our high priest.
• Hebrews 9:7 – See Leviticus 16:12-15. The high priest went into the Holy of Holies one day a year, but he went in three times on that day.
• Hebrews 9:10 – The “time of reformation” was the time when the New Covenant was put into place and the Old Covenant was done away with.

Benchley, January 18, 2012

• Here’s the main point the Bible will teach us about joy:
• A Christian’s joy emanates from the saved relationship – its hope of heaven plus any current blessings.
• I Peter 1:8
• What can we learn about the source of joy from passages such as Hebrews 10:32-36?
• Acts 22:4-5
• “knowing that you have a better possession and an abiding one”
• What was it that elicited the rejoicing on the part of the Ethiopian man (Acts 8:38-39) and the jailer (Acts 16:33-34)?
• They had been baptized into Christ! They now experienced the joy of salvation.
• Psalms 51:8-14
• Matthew 13:44; 16:26
• What was Paul’s circumstance when he was inspired to write Philippians (Philippians 1:7,13-14,17)?
• He was in prison.
• What can we learn about joy from the book of Philippians?
• Joy comes from:
• Being saved
• Being in fellowship with other saved people
• Being able to get others saved
• What does the Bible mean when it describes people who were, for instance, “continually filled with joy” (Acts 13:52)?
• Continual joy is the long term attitude of joy that is not threatened by the ups and downs of life.
• Hebrews 12:11; John 16:20-22
• If others see a Christian being truly joyful, it has a good influence on them.

Benchley, Nauary 15, 2012

• II Corinthians 113:5-6 – the importance of examining ourselves
• When we examine ourselves, we must try to see ourselves from God’s perspective. It is too easy to compare ourselves to someone who is not serving God as they should and feel superior to them.
• It is difficult to get people to examine themselves because often they are afraid of what they might find.
• Many refuse to truly examine themselves for fear of hurting their personal pride.
• Apostasy is gradual. We must examine ourselves continually to make sure we are not drifting.
• If all we do is “hold our own” with our faith, we will end up the same way as the one talent man in Matthew 25.
• Signs of apostasy:
• Loss of spiritual appetite.
• An aversion to straightforward Bible teaching.

Benchley, January 15, 2012

• Acts 2:22-23 – the plan that God made for our salvation
• Planning is a way to use blessings and fulfill responsibilities wisely.
• I Chronicles 28:10-11; I Corinthians 16:5 – examples of planning
• Matthew 16:26 – Shouldn’t we make plans to take care of our soul?
• Excuses we made for not planning:
• “Planning takes the future for granted.” (James 4:13-15)
• Planning should be done with the right attitude.
• “Planning is not as good as doing.”
• Planning helps us to do well.
• “We need to live by faith.” (II Corinthians 5:6; Romans 1:13)
• Planning does not prevent us from walking by faith.
• What can you start planning?
• Plan to get the most out of Bible classes and sermons. Ezra 7:10; Ezekiel 33:1-4
• Plan to read the Bible. Matthew 19:3-4
• Plan to reach out to someone by the end of April. John 1:29,40-42
• Plan to teach a kids’ Bible class. Ecclesiastes 12:1

Benchley, January 15, 2012

• Hebrews 8:6 – This verse sums up the point of the writer of the entire book of Hebrews.
• Hebrews 8:8 – See Jeremiah 31:31-34.
• Hebrews 8:11 – Under the New Covenant, people would know the Lord before being in the kingdom. Under the Old Covenant, people were born into the covenant relationship and then taught about God. It is impossible to serve God without knowing Him.
• Hebrews 8:13 – When the New Covenant was introduced in Acts 2, the first covenant was made obsolete and it gradually disappeared.

Benchley, January 11, 2012

• Deity is the perfect example of love.
• Love is an action.
• Galatians 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is love.
• I Corinthians 13:1-8 – the Holy Spirit’s description of love
• John 13:34-35; 17:26 – Jesus was to be the example to the apostles of how to love. He is our example, too.
• I John 4:7-11 – Learning about God and His love for us helps us understand love and motivates us to love others.
• Notice two points in the way God loved mankind:
• He took the initiative.
• He solved our problem at His own expense.
• Matthew 22:35-40 – Jesus enumerates the two greatest commandments:
• Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.
• I John 3:16-18 – Love is an action. (Luke 10:30-37; Romans 13:8-10)
• Matthew 16:26; I Corinthians 9:27; Ephesians 5:28-30 – We ought to demonstrate appropriate love for self by doing what we need to for our souls.
• All of our earthly relationships benefit greatly when we demonstrate true love.

Benchley, January 8, 2012

• To study the Bible regularly, frequently, and diligently. (I Timothy 4:13; II Timothy 2:15)
• To pray often and fervently. (I Thessalonians 5:17)
• To teach the word more (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 10:24-25)
• To give liberally and willingly.
• To have fellowship in all scriptural functions of the congregation when possible.
• To love my brethren and work in unity with them in all things in the Lord. (Romans 12:18)
• To serve in such a way as to cause the congregation to grow; not to live so as to hold it back.
• To keep self pure in manner of living.
• To keep church pure.
• To become more Christ-like day by day.
• Summed up: to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. (II Peter 3:18)

Benchley, January 8, 2011

• The Bible teaches about one church/body.
• Ephesians 4:1-6; 1:22; 5:23-27
• I Corinthians 1:9-13; I Corinthians 12:12-14,20 – Christ’s church. Individuals make up the bod of Christ, not denominations.
• “But denominationalism is Scriptural because Christ is the head of each division of His church.”
• There are no divisions of Christ’s church.
• Matthew 7:21-23; John 17:17-23; Ephesians 4:5,11-15; II Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 3:27 – We cannot do other than what God commanded and still be in Christ.
• Practical applications
• Be a member of Christ’s one church.
• Study and learn Christ’s one truth. I Corinthians 12:13

Benchley, January 8, 2012

• Hebrews 7:12 – With Jesus now our high priest, it is clear that a new law must be in place.
• Hebrews 7:14 – See Romans 8:3-4. This verse is also instructive on the power of the silence of the scriptures. God spoke nothing about a priest from the tribe of Judah, so a priest from that tribe was not permitted under the Old Law. This principle has broad application in many areas of the New Law, especially in the work of the church and how we are to worship God.
• Hebrews 7:25 – Under the Old Law, the high priest was responsible for making intercession for the people before God. As our new high priest, Jesus now carries out this function.
• Hebrews 7:28 – “made perfect forever”: Jesus was always sinless, but He was not perfect in the sense of being complete until He completed His mission on earth.

Benchley, January 4, 2012

[Sorry, no audio for this lesson.  Sadly, the microphone died in the middle of class.]

• Galatians
• From the apostle Paul (Galatians 1:1)
• To the churches in Galatia (Galatians 1:2)
• They were deserting God and going to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6-9)!
• Galatians 5:1-13 – In what sense are Christians free?
• In this context, Christians are free from the law of Moses.
• Galatians 5:16-17 – Contrast between the flesh and the spirit.
• Galatians 5 – Is “spirit” here talking about man’s spiritual nature or the Holy Spirit?
• People disagree on this.
• If this is talking about a man’s spirit, is the passage teaching that a human’s spirit is allowed to follow its own path (cf. Jeremiah 10:23; Acts 26:9)? No!
• If this is talking about the Holy Spirit, is the passage teaching that a human’s spirit is not involved in serving God (cf. Romans 1:9; John 4:24)? No!
• Does a spiritually-minded person follow the Holy Spirit-inspired scripture? Yes!
• The Holy Spirit often uses the word “fruit” figuratively to mean the effect that God’s word has in one’s life. It might be a quality that is developed or an action that is taken.

Benchley, January 1, 2012

• Lamentations 3:40
• Have I lived more righteously?
• Romans 6:12-13 – We need to use our bodies in righteous ways to serve God.
• I Timothy 6:11; II Timothy 2:22
• Have I gotten better about reading the Bible?
• Luke 10:38-42 – It is important to make God a priority in our lives.
• Bible reading has a long term positive impact on us.
• Deuteronomy 17:18-20 – God’s rules for Bible study for rulers. They were to write their own copy of the law and read it all the days of their lives. This was to help the king fear God and keep him humble.
• Have I increased my prayers?
• Daniel 6:10 – Daniel refused to stop praying, even when the king passed a law against it.
• Romans 12:12; I Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
• James 5:13
• Have I done better in sharing the gospel?
• Mark 12:41-44 – God considers one’s abilities and not just the amount that he serves.
• I Corinthians 3:6 – God causes the growth. We don’t have to do everything ourselves – just what we can!

Benchley, January 1, 2012

• Hebrews 6:18 – The two immutable things were God’s veracity and the oath that He made.
• Hebrews 6:19 – The hope we have in Christ keeps us from drifting in our faith, thus hope is our anchor.
• Hebrews 7:1 – No one knows with certainty the identity of Melchizedek. See Genesis 14. Melchizedek helped to set the stage for the coming of a new high priest, Jesus.
• Hebrews 7:3 – The popular view on this verse is that it is figuratively referring to Melchizedek being outside the genealogy of Abraham. An alternative view of this is that Melchizedek was deity in the form of a man. Whatever the identity of Melchizedek, his priesthood was superior to the priesthood of Levi.