The Story of Joseph

Gary DeLashmutt

Genesis 37-50

An overview of the life of Joseph--an incredible story of favoritism by Jacob, hatred, cruelty, deception, and guilt by his half-brothers, as well as faithfulness, perseverance, obedience, and forgiveness by Joseph. Like many of us, Joseph was victimized by many people, but he did not succumb to a victim mentality because he trusted in God's loving sovereignty. He was able to thrive in spite of ill-treatment and adversity and we can, too, through God's help.

The Woman at the Well

Ben Foust

John 4:1-42

Despite many personal, cultural, and religious barriers, Jesus approaches a woman at a well to demonstrate that he is the only one who can quench her spiritual thirst. The Gospel has the same effect today when we turn to God to restore the relationship we were created for and allow Him to meet our deepest needs.

The Unthinkable Solution to the Human Condition

James Rochford

Romans 3:1-31

Paul describes humanity's problem--that we are hopelessly guilty before God because of our sin. Then he outlines God's unthinkable solution, to offer Jesus as a sacrificial substitute in our place so that we could freely be made right before God.

The Beginning of God's Rescue Plan

Gary DeLashmutt

Genesis 3:20-21

In Genesis 3 we see God begin a rescue plan for man, whose decision to rebel against Him, through Satan's temptation, has resulted in death. God predicts that someday Satan will be judged and defeated through a conflict between Satan and a member of the human race--the Messiah. By making an animal hide covering for Adam and Eve, God foreshadows the day when a sacrifice will cover the shame and guilt of their sins. We should "take off" our ways of dealing with this guilt and "put on" Jesus' free provision of forgiveness.

Freedom from the Guilt and Shame Trap

Sara Bott

Zephaniah 3:11

Guilt relates to specific actions we may wrongly commit, while shame is the negative defining of self. Shame is rooted in identity. God calls us to have humility and repentance for the wrong things we do, but he offers us freedom from having a life that is persistently defined by guilt and shame. In order to gain victory from this trap, we must assess the differences between positive shame and guilt and negative shame and guilt. Seeking freedom allows transformation, intimacy with God and others, and ownership of our new identity in Christ. This workshop includes several practical ways to help move away from the negative uses of guilt and shame.

Joseph: Waiting for God

James Rochford

Genesis 50:20

Despite the suffering and poor circumstances which Joseph endures, his demonstrates faithful patience because he trusted in God's sovereignty. Through this, God brings reconciliation to his dysfunctional family and salvation from famine to the Hebrew people.

Betrayal and Denial

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 7:10

Judas Iscariot notoriously betrays Jesus the night before Jesus's death, but Jesus's right hand man, Peter, also betrays Jesus by denying him 3 times. Both Judas and Peter feel sorry for what they did, but one ends up hanging himself while the other goes on to lead the early church. We will explore the difference between guilty remorse which leads to death and humble repentance which leads to salvation.

Responding to Moral Failure

Conrad Hilario

Luke 22:1-62

Examining Judas and Peter, we contrast two responses to moral failure: regret and repentance. We see both responses are similar in feeling, but in the long run they produce very different outcomes. Our choice of remorse or regret yields ongoing guilt and pushes us away from God. Our choice to repent, on the other hand, leads to freedom from sorrow and leads us towards God. Ongoing regret will lead to death, while ongoing repentance brings forth salvation.

The Cross

Jim Leffel

Colossians 2:13-15

Jesus went to the cross as a willing sacrifice for the sins of humanity. He was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah. The certificate of debt nailed above his head to the cross did not record his sin, but ours. His sacrifice was the embodiment of God's judgment of sin and His love for humanity.