In the Word with Jeff Thompson

Why did Jesus say the end times would look like "the days of Lot"? This verse-by-verse study walks through the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the prophetic parallels emerging in our own culture, and the sobering warning of Lot's wife — a picture of a heart that never left the world behind. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Matthew 5:13-16 and Genesis 19:1. Lot sat in Sodom's gate...

At 99, Sarah had quietly stopped believing God would ever keep His promise to her — until He overheard her cynical laugh and asked, “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?” This study of Genesis 18 walks through Sarah’s unbelief, Abraham’s bold intercession for Sodom, and the God whose character is big enough to do wonders even for you. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Psalm 9:10. Has growing in you...

God was never after the mark on Abraham’s body — He was after his heart. In this study, we unpack circumcision, covenant, and the daily battle between flesh and Spirit, and discover why real faith obeys God now — before we have all the answers. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Ezekiel 36:26-27. Looking back, where have you seen God soften something in you that used to be hard? - Read Mark 7:20–23. Ar...

After 14 years of silence, God meets Abram — now 99 and drifting — and doesn’t open with a rebuke but with His own name: “I am God Almighty.” In this study, we explore what God says to a believer who has wandered, why He gives Abram a new name and an everlasting covenant, and how the strange sign of circumcision points to the heart of discipleship: lordship — surrendering every part of our lives,...

When a pregnant, frightened Hagar runs into the wilderness to escape a mess she didn't create, she discovers that the God she didn't even know already saw her. In this study of Genesis 16:4b–16, we unpack why waiting on the Lord is active rather than passive, how shortcuts around God's plan create fallout far bigger than we imagine, and why El Roi—"the God who sees"—still pursues the running, the...

Most Christians don't lose their faith in a dramatic moment; they lose it because their expectations of the Christian life were never biblical to begin with. In Genesis 16, Abram and Sarai get tired of waiting on God's promise after ten years and make a mess that's still playing out in the Middle East today. This message traces the cost of impatience from one couple's bedroom to th...

In Genesis 15, God doesn't meet Abram halfway—He walks through the bloody covenant alone, taking on Himself the consequences of every breach by either side. This message traces that picture from Abram's vision all the way to the Cross, where Jesus paid for the half of the covenant we could never keep. If you've ever feared you could blow it and lose your salvation, this one's for y...

As God comes to Abram while he's wrestling with fear and doubt, we are given a lesson on God's character and how believers are to approach wrestling with these powerful enemies. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Genesis 15:1-6. Have you ever experienced fear or doubt shortly after stepping out in faith, and how did God meet you in that moment? - How does the secular world (culture, medicine, p...

As we continue our study of what giving looks like for the Christian under the New Covenant, we'll answer the questions, "Is tithing a perpetual command that predates the Law?" and "Can I give time and service instead of money?" We'll also look at Paul's instructions to the Corinthians regarding giving, which offer many insights still helpful to us today. SMALL GROU...

Tithing first appears in Scripture in Genesis 14. But is it still something that's relevant to Christians today? How are believers in the Church to approach the subject of giving? SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - How does viewing yourself as a steward of God's resources rather than an owner change your daily financial decisions and priorities? - Should giving to God make you more or less worried a...

In this special Easter Sunday message, we'll dive into the wonderful hope of the Gospel and the picture painted for us through the tenth plague in Egypt in the Book of Exodus. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - We often judge ourselves, for better or worse, by comparing ourselves to others. How can comparing ourselves to Christ instead lead to greater freedom and humility? - Do you view Jesus as having...

Abram's ne'er-do-well nephew, Lot, gets himself and his family kidnapped, leading to a daring nighttime military rescue and dramatic encounters with the kings of Salem and Sodom - the mysterious Christ-like figure Melchizedek and the "son of evil" Bera. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - How have you seen Christians use wealth well to serve God? - How have you seen Christians be led astray...

God begins to grow Abram's faith by putting it to the test. We'll learn from both his successes and failures as we explore how fear and faith shape our actions under pressure. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Abram fled to Egypt during a famine rather than trust God to provide in Canaan. What areas of your life are you tempted to take into your own hands instead of trusting God's provision? -...

As Abram enters the Promised Land, we look ahead to see how God's initial counsel was designed to save him from a whole lot of trouble, and learn from his example of prioritizing worship. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Abraham partially obeyed God by leaving his homeland, but brought his father and nephew Lot with him. Have you ever experienced tension between honoring family relationships and fully...

As we conclude our study of Israel from a biblical perspective, we'll look at the events of 70AD and God's incredible plans to turn Israel's heart back to Him through the crushing of the Great Tribulation and the glory of the Second Coming. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - In Romans 11, Paul warns the Church not to be “arrogant” (V.20), “ignorant” (V.25), or “conceited” (V.25) concerning Israe...

As we continue our examination of who Israel is in Scripture, we see God's chosen nation walking in continued rebellion by rejecting Jesus, orchestrating His death, and persecuting His Church. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Why do you think there were only 120 people in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, following the ministry and Resurrection of Jesus? - Do you feel like you’ve observed 2 Timo...

In Genesis 12:3, God famously comes to Abram and says, "I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt." In this study, we'll do our best to address some of the controversial questions surrounding Israel, her identity, her relationship to the Church, and what Jesus and His Word have to say about these matters. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - God chose Isr...

In this study, the Lord begins His work of forming His own special people by calling Abram, a pagan, to leave his home and journey to a new land. We'll also discuss the relationship between revelation and accountability, why Jesus taught in Parables, and the famous apologetics question about "The Man in the Jungle." SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - If, hypothetically, people are only account...

How are Christians supposed to think about issues related to ethnicity? In this study, we dive into some of the most controversial issues of our day, including immigration, crime, racism, discrimination, and more. And what we'll discover is that the Bible does not divide the world by ethnicity, but by culture. We'll also take some time to delve into the attributes of Yahweh that make Him a...

Something else MASSIVE happened at the Tower of Babel, and it's not documented in Genesis 11. It's found in Deuteronomy 32, and it takes us on a journey through the Scriptures into the Divine Council, the gods of the nations, Christ's triumph over them on the Cross, and more. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - How does understanding more of the reality of the spiritual realm affect your percepti...

In this study, we'll continue peeling back the layers surrounding events at the Tower of Babel, including what the Bible says about "gods," the parallels between Nimrod and the coming antichrist, one-world government, and God's good plans to bless His children. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Jesus’ Great High Priestly Prayer in John 17:20-26. What kind of things does Jesus want be...

At the Tower of Babel, God divided humanity into languages, creating different cultures and ethnicities. But why was God's reaction to a city and a tower so weighty? What was the big deal? In this study, we'll sift through the clues in Scripture and history to discover the disturbing picture that emerges. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Why do you think humanity was so quick to rebel against God...

In this chapter, we see how Noah's prophetic words spoken over his 3 sons played out over the subsequent centuries. We're also given a few insights into a strange character named Nimrod, who will play a key role in events at the Tower of Babel in Chapter 11. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Can you think of any present-day examples of how charismatic leaders can, like Nimrod, draw people away from...

Strange behavior by Noah leads to dishonorable behavior by his son, Ham, and honorable behavior by his sons, Shem and Japheth. This bizarre incident reveals principles about the relationship between children and parents, the dangers of abusing alcohol, and the nature of generational curses. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - As an adult, what does it mean to honor your parents? What does it look like practi...

God gives Noah and his family promises, reassurances, and commands to guide them as they establish the human race on a new, post-Flood world. These include the establishment of the timeless command of capital punishment and the sign of a rainbow in the heavens. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - How should Christians reconcile God's command for capital punishment in Genesis 9 with Jesus' teachings o...