These chapters cover Moses' review of the commandments and the covenant between God and the Jewish people as they are poised to enter, conquer, and settle the land promised to their forefathers Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

In an article entitled, "Enjoying the Enduring Magic of Long-Term Friendship," Katherine Lowry lists several important ingredients found in friendships that are able to last for many years.

In this introductory lesson, Mike will examine both the differences and similarities of Numbers and Deuteronomy, review the main events of these opening chapters and provide main lessons from this material for both the Jews it was first written for as well as modern Christians who read this material today.

Solomon, in Proverbs 13:24, emphasizes that discipline, akin to a shepherd's rod, is an essential expression of love necessary for a child's growth, as it teaches them accountability and obedience, ultimately preventing a life without direction and self-discipline.

In the final lesson for the Book of Numbers, Mike details the various preparations made by the Jewish people before finally entering the Promised Land.

When I lived in Montréal, I remember a shocking news story about a young woman who died instantly when a piece of concrete fell on her as she was eating supper with her husband in a downtown restaurant.

These chapters highlight the various events that prepare the second generation of Jewish people for their entry into the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness.

Let's begin our week by reading a psalm of praise.

This lesson covers the principle events from the spies mission in surveying the Promised Land to the deaths of Miriam and Aaron as the Israelites near the end of their wilderness wanderings.

​In July of 1776 the American Congress approved the Declaration of the Independence of the 13 United States of America. One of the key figures behind the Declaration was Thomas Jefferson, whose writing in "Defense of Liberty and Rights of Man" was the intellectual force behind the Revolution.

The title of this lesson mentions the place where Israel left after camping for a year (Sinai) and the locale (Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran) where many events that shaped their lives occurred. This lesson reviews several of these experiences.

An important topic that parents and teens often discuss is what is, or is not, mature. Parents and teens do not have the same idea about what maturity actually means.

In Psalm 27 David provides an example of the kind of attitude a believer should have when facing tough times.

This lesson reviews the instructions God gave the Israelites concerning a census, the order for camps, travel and the responsibilities of both the priests and Levites.

I'd like to talk to you about an experience I had as a young father many years ago. It began when my youngest son, William, came home from school one day feeling a little low.

In this first lesson Mike will introduce the fourth and fifth books of the Pentateuch and examine their main characteristics as well as their similarities and differences.

It seems that older people are the ones who are interested in religion and younger ones have little time for spiritual things.

In this last lesson, Mike reviews the longest book of the Minor Prophets and the last prophet to speak in the Old Testament.

Over the years I've learned that each child in a family has specific needs and, as a father who knows his children, I often pray for God to bless them in particular ways.

Mike reviews the work of the last prophet to serve before the destruction of Jerusalem (Zephaniah) and the first prophet to speak to the exiles who returned home after 70 years of captivity (Haggai).

In this session, Mike compares the five stages of grief originally taught by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross to the grieving process outlined in the Book of Job.

In the Old Testament the word for trusting faith was a Hebrew word that meant a rope. I'd like to use this imagery to explain something about how trust is built and how trust is destroyed.

Both Nahum and Habakkuk are unusual in that they spoke primarily about the foreign nations of Assyria and Babylonia (Chaldeans) and how God would both use and deal with these empires.

In Matthew 6:9, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray. "Pray, then, in this way:" This was not so much the teaching of what words to say because the Jews were trained to memorize the psalms and were experienced in offering praise and worship at the temple.

We finish up Jonah's book with a series of lessons applied to the prophet's contemporaries as well as helpful insights for the modern reader of today.