Egypt is one of the most famous empires in history, but what is its relationship with Israel inside of Biblical history?

The defining characteristic of Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 1-2 is desperation. She is so emphatic–so passionate–about her prayer that she sprints to the Tabernacle and utters a silent prayer just between herself and God. The scene is so startling that the high priest standing nearby thinks that she’s drunk.

When was the last time you prayed like that? When was the last time you prayed so passionately that you were driven to your knees in agony? If you remember when it was, you most likely know a bit about what Hannah went through.

Why is prayer like this important? And, just as relevant, why is it necessary at times?

Why do you believe in God? For me, it was partially the way I was raised, and partially my own sense of fulfillment from reading Scriptures. Over time though, I realized I needed a deeper and more foundational understanding of faith–not based on superficial reasons, but one that I could defend to anyone who asked.

This lesson is what I would tell anyone if you asked me why I believe in God, and, just as importantly, why I serve Him. It’s a deeply personal lesson, but one that I hope will resonate with others.

The Transjordan area is well known to most…but not the name. While cities like Sodom and Gomorrah are popular because of their dramatic destruction, we don’t often think about the area itself. A lot happened though, and a lot of it was bigger than we think.

Bible geography doesn’t have to be boring; in fact, if done correctly, it’s a rich exploration of culture as it develops via environment. This quarter, we’ll look indepth at all the various places in the Bible, as told by individuals in those time periods, starting with Mesopotamia.

Hillside’s word of the year is “transform.” Last quarter, we talked about how we can transform as an individual, but how do we transform as a church?

It involves humility, sacrifice, and rallying around Truth instead of our own opinions. Most churches won’t make these kinds of changes, but if we truly want to be transformed, we’ll have to be willing to tear down the assumptions people make about what church should be and focus on what God wants from His people.

With two letters under his belt, there’s only thing left for Paul to do: Tell the church at Thessalonica to stand firm. It’s a tall order; a lot of things could get in the way. For them to stand over time though, it’ll take discipline, focus, and most of, all encouragement.

Let me ask you an honest question: Do you evangelize as much as you should? For all of us–even those who might answer “yes”– there’s always more we can do to reach people with the Gospel. Always.

So why don’t we talk to more people about Jesus? Why do we not share the Gospel with as many people as we can at every possible opportunity? Is it because we have some very deep reservations about the Gospel itself that make us hesitant?

The one thing that can destroy a church most effectively isn’t false doctrine, it’s apathy. It creeps in unnoticed, develops undetected, and only rears its ugly head when it’s ready to turn people away. What does Paul say is the best protection against this disease?

Formerly, Gnosticism may be a thing in the past, but as a set of ideas and way of looking at the world, there are still a lot of gnostic ideas floating around. Many of them can even become a part of our thinking. How do we root them out and keep our eyes on Truth?