1 Holy Bible Study (I): The Roots of Christianity in Genesis — Doctrines How the first book of the Bible plants every seed the rest of Scripture grows Genesis 1:1 2 Holy Bible Study (II): The Roots of Christianity in Genesis — Salvation Christ the Savior hidden on every page of the first book John 6:54 3 Holy Bible Study (III): The Roots of Christianity in Genesis — Spiritual, Sacramental, and Social Two lines through the first book — the fall, and the plan of God's love John 3:16 4 Good Friday: Christ, Our Passover, Was Sacrificed for Us The Jewish Passover was one crossing from slavery to freedom. Christian Passover is a lifelong crossing — through Baptism, through the Eucharist, through Holy Week itself — from death to life in the shed blood of the Lamb. Exodus 12:1-14; Isaiah 53; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 18-19; Matthew 26-27 5 An Introduction to the Icons of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Round faces, large eyes, warm ochres and deep blues — our icons are not decoration. They are windows into heaven, teaching the whole Gospel to anyone with eyes to read them. Exodus 20:4-5; Exodus 25:18-22; Numbers 21:8-9; Hebrews 8:5; Colossians 1:15 6 What Our Tewahedo Church Has Taught Us: The Censer and Incense The censer that swings in every Ge'ez liturgy has taught our people, for sixteen centuries, that our prayers rise as incense before God — and that the whole of Christian life is meant to burn quietly for Him. Exodus 30:1-10; Numbers 16:44-48; Malachi 1:11; Luke 1:8-11; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4; Psalm 141:2 7 Elijah the Prophet (Part I): Confidence in God's Presence How a prophet in a dark age lived every hour in the sight of the Lord 1 Kings 18:15 8 Elijah the Prophet (Part II): The Importance of Prayer and Witness Mount Carmel, the still small voice, and being a light in a dark society Matthew 5:14 9 Steps Towards a Peaceful Life, Part I Why the Cross is the only bridge across the gap sin created Jeremiah 31:3 10 Steps Towards a Peaceful Life, Part II How the sacraments of our Church make you one with Christ, and the peace that follows John 14:27 11 Joel the Prophet, Part I: How Sin Corrupts the Body and the Soul The four stages of the locust and the mercy of God who disciplines us home Joel 2:12 12 Joel the Prophet, Part II: Our Need for the Savior How Joel prophesied the Incarnation, the outpouring of the Spirit, and the last day Joel 2:28 13 Personages of the Old Testament (III): Amos the Prophet — Candle in a Dark World A herdsman with no formal training walked out of Tekoa to preach against injustice in a wealthy, self-satisfied kingdom. His story is a mirror for every young Christian who suspects they are too ordinary to matter. Amos 1:1; 5:11-15; 6:1-7; 7:14-15; Zechariah 14:5 14 Personages of the Old Testament (IV): Amos the Prophet — His Prophecies Four prophecies of Amos — the fire from Teman, the coming Messiah, the plumb line of divine justice, and the mighty stream of the Gospel — reach across eight centuries to touch our own graduating hearts. Amos 1:12; 4:12-13; 5:24; 7:7-9; 8:9; Habakkuk 3:3; Matthew 27:45 15 Personages of the Old Testament (V): Abigail — Humility and Success One woman stepped between a foolish husband and a furious future king, and by pure humility she rewrote the history of Israel. Her story is a masterclass in wisdom, courage and the strange arithmetic of humility. 1 Samuel 25; Proverbs 15:1; Jonah 3:10; Matthew 5:5 16 Personages from the Old Testament (VI): Deborah — The Importance and Characteristics of Leadership (I) How the Book of Judges frames God's raising of leaders in a spiritually drifting nation Judges 21:25 17 Personages from the Old Testament (VII): Deborah — The Importance and Characteristics of Leadership (II) The Doxology of Judges 5 — how a Christian sings after the battle is won Judges 5:1-2 18 Personages from the Old Testament (VIII): Deborah — The Importance and Characteristics of Leadership (III) Five practical lessons for a young person learning to lead Matthew 5:16 19 Not Everyone Is Right: How Do I Know What Is Right and Wrong? (Part I) In a culture that says every opinion is equally true, you are about to graduate into a world of decisions that will not wait. How do you tell true north from the crowd? Matthew 5:17; Matthew 12:1-8; 1 Samuel 21:1-6; Mark 7:1-13 20 Not Everyone Is Right: How Do I Know What Is Right and Wrong? (Part II) The Bible does not mention smartphones, seat belts, party invitations, or Netflix. So how do we decide? Three tests will carry you through every gray zone of adult life. Matthew 6:33; Matthew 22:35-40; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Romans 12:1-2; John 16:13 21 Palm Sunday: Is My Heart the Altar of God? The crowds on Palm Sunday declared six characteristics of Christ's kingdom — peace, victory, tears, meekness, childlikeness and love. The question the day places at your feet is simple: is my heart the altar where that King reigns? Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-48; John 12:12-19 22 An Introduction to the Theology of Mission (I): The Evangelistic Commandment The Great Commission is spoken to every Christian, including you Mark 16:15 23 An Introduction to the Theology of Mission (II): The Cost of Going Seriousness, sacrifice, and readiness to work under the direction of God Matthew 28:19-20 24 An Introduction to the Theology of Mission (III): I Send You The commission of the Lord and the witness of a true life Jeremiah 1:7 25 An Introduction to the Theology of Mission (IV): The Cloud of Missionary Witnesses Those who spent themselves so the gospel could reach the ends of the earth 2 Timothy 4:5 26 The Virgin Mary's Motherhood in Our Daily Life (I): Emahoy Kidane Mihret Why Ethiopian Tewahedo tradition calls her Theotokos, Mother of God, Covenant of Mercy Luke 1:42-43 27 The Virgin Mary's Motherhood in Our Daily Life (II): Imitating Her at Home, at School, in Prayer How a young Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo student learns humility, endurance, and honour from Emahoy Kidane Mihret 2 Timothy 1:5 28 The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete: According to the Gospel of St. John The Comforter who dwells within us and guides us into all truth John 14:16 29 The Main Events Centering the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (I): The Necessity and Purpose of His Return Why every generation of our Ethiopian Tewahedo Church has kept watch — and why we still do Acts 1:7 30 The Main Events Centering the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (II): The Signs of the Times The seven signs Christ gave in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 — how to read them soberly Colossians 1:23 31 The Main Events Centering the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (III): The Resurrection, the Judgment, and the New Heaven and New Earth The parousia, the raised body, the general judgment, and the wedding at the end of history Revelation 21:1 32 The Spirituality of the Midnight Praise Joining the heavenly chorus in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Acts 2:46-47 33 The Apostolic Fathers: Why Did They Love Martyrdom? In an age of empire and idols, three bishops walked out to meet the lions singing. What did they know that we still need to learn? Acts 5:41; John 15:13; Romans 8:17; Matthew 18:1-4 34 The Joys of Tahsas and Ter: A New Year in Christ Why Genna and Timkat still form the most joyful season of our Ethiopian year Romans 8:15 35 Resurrection: Our New Life If Christ is not risen, our preaching is empty and our faith is empty too. Because He is risen, a new humanity has appeared — with new powers, new capacities, and a new destination. 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 20:1-6; Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11; John 6:54-56 36 Evil Company (Part I) Why bad friendships corrupt good habits and what the Bible teaches us to do 1 Corinthians 15:33 37 Evil Company (Part II) How to live wisely inside a society we did not choose 1 Corinthians 15:33 38 Forgiveness (I): What It Actually Means to Forgive Christian forgiveness is not amnesia and it is not weakness. It is the decision, made in the strength of the Holy Spirit, to release another person from a debt only God has the right to collect. Ephesians 4:25-5:1; Isaiah 53:5; John 3:16; Matthew 6:12 39 Forgiveness (II): Why the Christian Must Forgive Seven reasons — theological, personal, moral and pastoral — why forgiving others is not optional for anyone who names the Name of Christ. Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:21-22; Mark 11:25; Romans 12:17-21; 1 John 4:20-21 40 Serving the Lord (Part I) What it means to be a true servant of Christ Philippians 3:8 41 Serving the Lord (Part II) How a young Christian actually prepares for and grows into service Acts 4:31 42 Job's Wife: A Narrow Look at God How a limited view of God's love steals our patience in trial James 1:2-3 43 Answering Jehovah's Witnesses (Part I) Who they are, what they teach, and how our Tewahedo faith answers them 1 Peter 3:15 44 Answering Jehovah's Witnesses (Part II) Sin, redemption, salvation, the last day, and how to close the door in love John 3:16 45 Questions and Answers with Our Church Fathers, Part I The wisdom our Fathers have handed down on creation, marriage, science, and the will of God 1 Peter 3:15 46 Questions and Answers with Our Church Fathers, Part II The wisdom our Fathers hand down on faith, giving, hopelessness, candles, and wealth Matthew 5:3 47 God's Love and His Balanced Commandments, Part I Why God's true love and Satan's false love do not weigh the same in the life of a young Ethiopian Orthodox faithful 1 John 4:4 48 God's Love and His Balanced Commandments (II): In the Life of the Youth Christ's commandments touch every real corner of your life — family, marriage, sexuality, friendship, church, money, character, eternity — and every one of them is a rescue from a counterfeit the world will hand you for free. 1 John 4:4; Matthew 19:4-9; Proverbs 18:24; Ephesians 6:1-4; John 3:16 49 Why Should We Pray with the Sa'atat? Because We Pray with the Psalms (I) There is a reason our Church has kept the same seven-hour prayer discipline unbroken since the Desert Fathers — because in the Psalms, the Holy Spirit hands us the very words the Father wants to hear. 1 John 5:14; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Psalm 119:164; Colossians 3:16 50 Why Should We Pray with the Sa'atat? Because We Pray with the Psalms (II) The Psalter is a full map of the human soul — praise, sadness, thanksgiving, repentance, wisdom, and every occasion in between. In every state of your life, the Holy Spirit has already given you the words. Psalm 106:1; Psalm 51; Psalm 137; Psalm 150; Psalm 116:7-9 51 Christian Understanding of Success (Part I) The world hands you a scoreboard: grades, salary, followers, looks. God hands you a different measurement — and Joseph in Egypt shows you exactly how it reads. 3 John 1:2; Genesis 39:1-9; Matthew 5:48; Luke 18:27; Romans 8:31 52 Christian Understanding of Success (Part II) The means: sacraments, prayer, Scripture, service, and the Three-S plan John 10:10