Written by David Self Tuesday, 27 December :00 - Last Updated Tuesday, 27 December :51

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview January 1, 2012 "Stay Grateful for God's Care" Background: Numbers 16:1-25:18 Lesson: Numbers 22:4b-6, 31-35; 23:19-23 Motivation: In this lengthy passage we see the ups and downs of Israel's exodus. We meet Korah, a sower of dissension as well as Balaam, who is regarded in the New Testament (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11, Rev. 2:14) as a wicked apostle. I. Dangerous Rebellion 16:1-17:13 A. Analysis of a Church Split (16:1-50) Korah, a Levite, challenged the leadership and authority of Moses and Aaron. God vindicated His leaders and split the earth (31) for the men who wanted to split the nation. God affirmed His declaration " Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm " (I Chron. 16:22) 1. Disharmony Results from A Failure To Accept God-given Roles "...Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath..." Korah had an honorable position; his clan was specially singled out to transport the holy objects of the tabernacle (Num. 3:28 ff.). However, he was restricted from touching them or offering sacrifices upon them. His complaint was directed at Moses and Aaron " You take too much upon yourselves..." (3) Korah was so close to greatness that he lost perspective of God's ordained roles. 1 / 19

2 2. Disharmony Breeds More Disharmony "they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation... men of renown " (2) Might does not make right. Just because you find people who agree with you does not make your argument valid. Some commentators believe that verse 19 indicated that the majority of Israel was arrayed against Moses. 3. Disharmony Is Associated with Jealousy "Are you seeking the priesthood also? " (10) Discontent with his role, Korah questioned Moses' ability to lead and Aaron's right to offer sacrifices. At the heart of his complaint was envy. 4. Disharmony Is Often the Result Of Lies The charges against God's leaders were spurious: a. "you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord..." (3) Numbers 12:3 tells of Moses' humility. (Matt. 23:12; Ps. 75:6 KJV) b. "you have brought us out... kill us in the wilderness" (13) According to 14:30-34, the adult Israelites were going to die in the wilderness because of their infidelity to God. c. "Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey&qu ot; (14) The Israelites were not willing to take responsibility for their own lack of faith (14:1-4) based on the report of the ten spies. The initial disharmony between God and man was a result of lies propagated by the serpent, Satan (Gen. 3:1-5). Satan is called the deceiver of the whole world. (Rev. 12:9) Therefore, it is 2 / 19

3 the responsibility of each Christian to determine the truthfulness of information before passing it along; otherwise we may be guilty of bearing a false witness (Ex. 20:16; John 8:32, 36; 17:17). 5. Disharmony Is Not Pleasing To God "Separate yourselves from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment " (21, 45) God was so angry at this rebellion that he wanted to wipe them all out and start over! Jesus said that our badge of identification as Christians is to have " love one to another " (John 13:35; 15:12). Unity is one way that we glorify God (Rom. 15:6). 6. Disharmony Brings Judgment a. The instigators of the revolt were swallowed alive into the earth. (31-32) b. The 250 leaders who followed the revolt were consumed by fire. (35) c. The 14,700 murmurer's who blamed Moses for the death of their leaders were killed by plague. (49) B. Aaron and the Levites Vindicated (17:1-13) Believer's Study Bible, p. 217; 17:10 "The rod of Aaron was placed in the ark as a permanent testimony to the authority of the Levites and the divine appointment of the high priest (Heb. 9:4). A proper view of the relationship between the theological context of Israel and the theological context of the church must pay close attention to the emphasis placed in these chapters on the Aaronic priesthood as the only way to approach God. The N.T. doctrine of the (High Priest Heb. 7:1-8:13) priesthood of Christ entails as radical a departure from the old covenant as the cessation of animal sacrifices (Heb. 3:1, 4:14, 5:1-10, 7:1-28, especially vv )." 3 / 19

4 Sometimes we would like to have outward tangible signs of spiritual authenticity. The Christian community has been "burned" by charlatans who present themselves as Godly spiritual leaders, yet behind closed doors are liars, cheats and immoral. Explore the Bible Commentary (Fall, 1999), p. 96, lists five "earmarks of true leaders": 1) live like Jesus (I Cor. 11:1), 2) are faithful under fire (2 Cor. 4:1, 8-11), 3) build up Christ's body in love (Eph. 4:11-16), 4) preach God's Word (2 Tim. 4:1-2), 5) are totally committed to Jesus Christ (I John 4:1-3). II. Perpetual Priesthood (18:1-19:22) A. Shares for Priests and Levites Allocated (18:1-32) 1. The Priests a. Authority "Then the Lord said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary...&qu ot; (1) Believer's Study Bible, p. 217: 18:1 "The authority of the Levites and the Aaronic priesthood having been established, the responsibilities and benefits of the priests and Levites were outlined. Their primary purpose was to enable a perfectly holy God to dwell with a people lacking personal holiness (17:12, 13; 16:22). They were to bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary,' i.e., by the sacrificial system which they conducted, the priests and Levites would serve as spiritual lightning rods' or insulators' to avert disaster whenever the people sinned (v. 5), especially in improperly approaching the sanctuary." b. Assignment "And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the 4 / 19

5 duties of the altar..." (5) Believer's Study Bible, p. 218: 18:3, 4 "The divinely imputed holiness of the priests was of such a degree that they could handle the articles of the sanctuary' without incurring God's wrath. The Levites could serve at the tabernacle, but could not handle those articles (cf. V. 22) Outsiders,' i.e., non-levites, could not approach the holy place at all on penalty of execution (v. 7)." c. Allocation "...I have given them as a portion to you and your sons... (8) Verse s 8-20 list the material benefits to the priests. Since they had no inheritance in the land (20), these portions of the tithes of the people were necessary for their support and that of their families. Ezek. 48: Only the priests could eat portions of the sin offerings " the most holy things " (9) God concludes with a reminder: " You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel." (20) This verse speaks to us as a " Kingdom of priests " (Rev. 1:6, 5:10, I Pet. 2:9) God is to be our portion, our only true source for significance and security. 2. The Levites a. Authority "Also bring with you your brethren, the tribe of Levi...that they may be joined to you and serve you " (2) The Levites were helpers of the priests. However, a clear distinction is made with regard to offering sacrifices and handling holy things. Failure to accept this division of responsibility probably led to Korah's rebellion (16:10). b. Assignment "They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle " (4) "but the Levites will perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting and they shall bear their iniquity." (23) 5 / 19

6 c. Allocation "Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes of Israel as an inheritance..." (21) The Levites were supported by tithes and were expected, in turn, to tithe of the tithe. (26) B. The Offering of The Red Heifer (19:1-22) Detailed instructions are given for burning a special cow sacrifice whole and then using the ashes as a replacement for the sin offering. Hebrews makes a comparison of this offering with that of Jesus. Red Heifer Jesus Outward appearance brings to mind blood (2) Outward appearance brings to mind mission (Phil. 2:7) " Without blemish in which there is no defect" (2) " was in all points tempted...yet without sin " (Heb " on which a yoke has never come " (2) 6 / 19

7 He humbled Himself and became obedient to " the point (Phil. of 2:8) death, even the death of the cross "take it outside the camp " (3) "suffered outside the gate " (Heb. 13:13) " it is for purifying from sin " (9) Heb. "that He might sanctify the people with (Heb. own 13:12) blood" how much One very open end-times question has concerned the purification of a priesthood for the Tribulation Temple. The appearance of a red heifer in Israel (Boston Globe, , A-1) for the first time in anyone's memory has created quite a stir among both orthodox Jews and evangelical Christians. Quoting from the Globe article, "The Ultra-Orthodox Jew sees the birth of the red heifer as a sign of the soon appearance of the Messiah..." III. Divine Help (20:1-21:35) A. Led By God (20:1; 20:14-21:3; 21:10-20) Believer's Study Bible, p. 220: 20:1 "Considering together 12:16; 13:21, 26; 20:1, 22-25; 33:38; and Deut. 1:46, Israel probably stayed in the general vicinity of Kadesh during the entire 38 years of judgment. The account of Israel's journeys 7 / 19

8 having been interrupted by chs , this verse serves to remind the reader what has happened. Israel has reached the Wilderness of Zin (The Wildernesses of Paran to the south and Zin to the north evidently overlapped at Kadesh) and has stayed' there for 38 years. The first month' may be of the third (cf. 10:11) or the 38 th years. At the beginning of the year (probably the 38 th ), Miriam died. Mention of the first month' may be an allusion to the Passover (cf. 9:1) as the context within which the events of ch. 20 (i.e., death, grumbling, and judgment) took place. Because of Israel's unbelieving condition, they could not celebrate Passover for 38 years (28:16)." The new generation of Israelites is ready to begin conquest of the Promise Land: Miriam (1) and Aaron (29) were two of the last to die. Moses asked passage through Edom (14-21) and was refused. Believer's Study Bible, p. 221: 20:18 "The Edomites were perpetual enemies of the Hebrews and refused them safe passage (cf. Deut. 2:1-8). The enmity went back to the dispute between Jacob and Esau, the father of the Edomites (Gen. 25:30; cf. Num. 24:18; 2 Sam. 8:13, 14; 2 Kin. 8:20-22; 14:7; 2 Chron. 28:17; Ps. 137:7; Jer. 49:7-22; Ezek. 25:12-14; Obad. 10ff.; Mal. 1:2-5)" The Israelites then forced passage through Hormah by utterly destroying the first of what was to become many defeated Canaanite kings. (21:1-3) 8 / 19

9 21:10-20 records details of their journey first eastward across the north shore of the Dead Sea and then northward. The Book of Wars of the Lord, (21:14) evidently a collection of ancient victory songs, has been lost. B. Lapses in Faith (20:2-13; 21:4-9) 1. Moses Critical Error (20:2-13) a. The Complaint "Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? " (20:4) Nothing causes panic in a desert like a shortage of water. That this new generation was following in the path of the old (now dead) generation is plain. This is a vivid reminder that our faith (or lack thereof) will be recognized and perhaps emulated by our children. b. The Command "Take the rod...speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water... " (8) In I Corinthians 10:4 Paul makes reference to a rabbinical tradition that the rock that spewed forth water followed the Israelites in their journey. Paul writes that the rock represented Christ who is the living water (John 4:10; 7:37-39). J. Vernon McGee makes the point that in Exodus 17 the "rock was smitten and water came forth. The Rock is to be smitten only once!" ( Thru the Bible, vol. 1, p. 503). c. The Correction "Because you did not believe me to hallow me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (12) Believer's Study Bible, p. 221: 20:10-13 "We are not explicitly told all the details of Moses' and Aaron's sin. It is clear that Moses did strike rather than speak to the rock (v. 11), and that God charged them 9 / 19

10 ( you' is plural in v. 12) with not believing or hallowing (treating as holy) Him. Their disobedience may have consisted in not trusting that speaking to the rock would be sufficient, or they may have taken credit themselves for the miracle (v. 10), thus robbing God of His glory. The earlier occasion of grumbling about water was also called Meribah' as well as Massah' (cf. Ps. 95:8; 106:32, 33; 114:8) Paul the apostle understood the Rock as representing Christ (1 Cor. 10:1-6)." 2. Multitude's Complaining Experience (21:4-9) a. The Sin 1. "the people became very discouraged on the way" (4) Discouragement has been and always will be Satan's most effective tool against God's people. 2. "the people spoke against God and against Moses" (5) God's Word makes it clear that God considered the murmurings as not just an attack on His leader but also upon His Person. 3. "the people spoke..." (5) a. Despair "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?&qu ot; When we doubt God's promises we hasten spiritual defeat. b. Disappointment "there is no food and no water" When reality falls below our expectations, the result is disappointment and anger. The context of the complaint demonstrates a total lack of trust in the same God who had 10 / 19

11 delivered them again and again. c. Defeat "our soul loathes this worthless bread" This is the eighth and final recorded instance of mass murmuring. The " mixed multitude " led the earlier complaining about manna (Num. 11:1ff). Now it seems to be the acceptable thing to do. Ingratitude is one of God's pet peeves. He detests this in His children because it is the opposite of thanksgiving (Eph. 5:19-20; Col. 2:6-7; 3:17; Phil. 4:6; Heb. 13:15). b. The Sentence "So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died " (6) Just because an Israelite was below a certain age, did not guarantee entrance into the land of promise. They still had to trust God in faith to provide for them. Complaining demonstrates a lack of faith in God to set things right. (I Cor. 10:9) c. The Salvation Jesus alluded to this passage in John 3 "and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." (14). (John 12:32) 1. Confession and Repentance "Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He takes away the serpents from us.' (7) The people realized they had a problem, that the problem was with God, and they did not, in their own power, have a solution. What better word picture for sin than the " bite of the serpent 11 / 19

12 ". 2. Knowledge of the Plan of Salvation "Then the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live' " (8) God made clear His plan; the people didn't have to work toward it, earn it or deserve it. His salvation was a free gift. 3. Faith and Trust "so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived." Saving faith requires knowledge, assent and trust. Wherever they were in the camp, they knew where the bronze serpent was and what it represented. By turning to look at it they agreed with God that this was the only way of salvation. Lack of faith and trust in God's plan of salvation carried a death sentence. (Rom. 6:23) C. Victory Over the Amorites (21:21-35) Our lesson title is "Triumphing Over Obstacles." As the Israelites passed northward on the eastern side of the Jordan River, they came to the land of the Amorites. Earlier this land had been given to the Moabites and the Ammonites, the sons of Lot (Deut. 2:9, 19). The Amorites had displaced them and were an obstacle to the people of God. Moses asked for passage in much the same language that he used with the Edomites (10:16) with much the same results. However, instead of taking an alternate route, the Israelites conquered the land for it was to be the possession of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh (32:33). Believer's Study Bible, p. 223: 2 1:21 "After skirting the territories of the Edomites and the Moabites, Israel found her way to Jordan blocked by the Amorites, whose time of judgment had finally come (Gen. 15:16; 2 Pet. 2:7)). The victory over the two Amorite kings, Sihon, king of Heshbon (vv ), and Og, king of Bashan (vv ), was even more significant than the victory over Arad (vv. 1-3) because this 12 / 19

13 was the first territory Israel was to occupy. These victories were considered typical of things to come (cf. 32:33; Deut. 1:4; 2:24-3:17; 4:44-49; 29:7, 8; 31:4; Josh. 2:10; 9:9, 10; 12:1-6; 13:8-12, 21, 27, 30, 31; Judg. 11:19-23; Neh. 9:22; Ps. 135:11, 12; 136:16-22)." IV. Providential Care (22:1-25:18) A. The Way of Balaam (22:1-41) Peter writes of the "Way of Balaam" in 2 Peter 2: J. Vernon McGee calls it the way of covetousness. We follow the "way of Balaam" when we know God's will but pursue a selfish course of conduct. God allowed Balaam to follow this way in order to reveal His glory. 1. The Way of Balaam Is Opposed to God's Perfect Will" And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed'" Believer' s Study Bible, p. 224: "The name Balaam,' perhaps an intentional corruption, meant devourer of the people.' His claims to a relationship with YAHWEH ( the Lord' in v. 8, 13, 18, 19) were surely false (notice the narrator uniformly refers to the One speaking to Balaam as God'), although the Lord condescended to speak to Balaam and to use him against his will. If the Lord could enable a donkey to speak to Balaam (v., 28); He could use a pagan diviner to speak the inspired Word of God in blessing Israel. Scripture uniformly testifies to his reprobate character (31:8, 16; Deut. 23:3-6; Josh. 13:22; 24:9, 10; Judg. 11:23-25; Neh. 13:1-3; Mic. 6:5; 2 Pet. 2:15; 16; Jude 11; Rev. 2:14). All the people of the ancient Near East believed in the dynamic power of the spoken word. When a word was spoken, it was trusted to release power either for good or for evil. The dynamic power of words also has a place in the Bible (Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11). 13 / 19

14 Isaac could not recall the blessing once the power of it had been released on Jacob (Gen. 27:35), even though the blessing had been secured by treachery. The N.T. maintains the dynamic of the Word in proclaiming that the Word became flesh (John 1:1ff.) and is living (Heb. 4:12)." 2. The Way of Balaam Illustrates God's Permissive Will... rise and go with them, but only the word I speak to you - that you shall do " (20) a. Permissive will often involve covetousness - A close study of the text reveals that Balaam seemed to hold out for a better offer. His words sound pious (18) but his actions are condemned in scripture. b. Permissive will often involve correction - God allows us to do that which will teach us or someone else. Believer's Study Bible, p. 225: 22 :22 "This verse reminds us that God's will was expressed unequivocally in v. 12. Balaam's greed at the prospect of riches (vv. 16, 18) had caused him to go back to the Lord hoping for an additional word. The Lord gave him permission to go only in order to teach him, the Moabites, the Israelites, and us the emptiness of pagan divination. It also provided the Lord opportunity to issue an amazing prophecy of his great plans for Israel. What follows is one of the most amusing stories in Scripture. Having compared Balaam unfavorably to a witless and obstinate donkey, hired by the fool Balak, the Lord lifted him to the heights of divine revelation and spoke through this numb-skulled, money-grubbing, heathen seer' a message of messianic deliverance and greatness." c. Permissive will always involve consequences - Learning by your own mistakes is a difficult schooling. Sometimes, however, that is the only way we can learn a lasting lesson. Balaam's journey had consequences for himself, Israel (31:16) and his employers (23:11). 14 / 19

15 3. The Way of Balaam Is Surrounded by Peril - The incident of the angel, the talking donkey and Balaam is a vivid illustration of the danger one walks through when undertaking a mission not in the center of God's will. (22:22) a. The "seer" had worse vision than the donkey. (23) b. The sentence (of God's judgment) caused Balaam to lash out at an innocent party (23, 25, 27, 28, 32). c. The sin of Balaam allowed God to correct him (34) Believer's Study Bible, p. 226: 22:31 "The famous seer' from Mesopotamia could not see until YAHWEH opened his eyes; the great prophet did not know' (v. 34) until YAHWEH revealed it. Note that the opening of Balaam's eyes was as much a miracle as the opening of his donkey's mouth (v. 28)." B. Revelation from God (23:1-24:25) Just as God spoke through a donkey, He now speaks through a pagan seer to bless Israel with four declarations: 1. A Chosen People "not reckoning itself among the nations" (23:9) The first prophecy concerns the uniqueness of Israel. Balaam is so impressed that he desires to be one of them, " let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his! " (23:10) Balak was totally underwhelmed by what his house full of silver and gold (22:18) had bought (23:11). 2. A Clean People "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob nor has He seen wickedness in Israel " (23:21) This saying is difficult to accept following as it does on the heels of the fiery serpents (21:6) and preceding the idolatry of Baal-Peor (25:1 ff.). Such a statement can only be understood in the context of God's covenant love. 15 / 19

16 Just as David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22) even though he was guilty of murder, lying and adultery, so Israel was pronounced clean by God through His unconditional covenant promises. In much the same way, we accept God's righteousness through faith and trust in God's covenant in Jesus Christ. Though we are guilty of sin (I John 1:8), we take on God's righteousness through Jesus (I Peter 1:19). 3. A Conquering People "He shall consume the nations, his enemies..." (24:8) This prophecy looked forward to Israel conquering the Promised Land as well as the Messiah conquering the nations (Ps. 47:3; Phil 2:10). 4. A Christ-Producing People "A star shall come out of Jacob; a scepter shall rise out of Israel " (24:17) J. Vernon McGee, p. 514: "Have you ever stopped to wonder where the wise men learned to look for a star? How did they associate a star with a king born over in Israel? Why would they make such a long trek? About 1500 years after this prophecy was given, we find coming out of the east, the land of Balaam, a whole company of wise men. Apparently this prophecy of Balaam was retained, since Balaam was considered an outstanding prophet in the east, and the wise men knew his prophecy. When they saw the remarkable star, they remembered that Balaam had said,... There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel...' (Num. 25:17) W hen the wise men came to Jerusalem, their question was, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him' (Matt. 2:2). When we add to these Scriptures the prophecy of Daniel (and Daniel likewise had prophesied in the east) which gives the approximate time that the Messiah would come, we see that the coming of the wise men to Jerusalem is very understandable. The thing that makes it very remarkable is that Israel, the people who had the Old Testament 16 / 19

17 with all the prophecies of Christ's coming, was not looking for Him - with the exception of a very small minority, such as Anna and Simeon. When this company of wise men (there were probably nearer three hundred than three!) converged on Jerusalem, the entire city, including Herod the king, was stirred. Their coming adds a thrilling dimension to the Christmas story. And it is quite interesting to trace it to this old rascal, Balaam." C. Relapse Into Idolatry (25:1-18) In this chapter we begin to see why Balaam is so roundly condemned throughout scripture while appearing thus far to be a prophet of God. 1. Idolatry As A Result Of A Plot - Elsewhere in scripture, Balaam is described as one who " loved the wages of wickedness" (2 Peter 2:15), " rus hed to profit " (Jude 11), and enticed "the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality." (Rev. 2:14) Believer's Study Bible, p. 229 " 25:1-3 What Balak and Balaam had failed to accomplish through sorcery, they almost accomplished through the seduction of Canaanite fertility worship (31:16). Many men of Israel accepted a Moabite invitation to the festivities at Peor (perhaps the center of Baal worship in Moab - cf. 23:28), and became involved with Moabite and Midianite (cf. 25:17) women and with the immoral worship of Baal (cf. Ps. 106:28-31). The event ranks in seriousness with the gold calf incident in Ex. 32 and called for similar drastic measures. It also was a foreboding of future apostasies in Israel (cf. Judg. 2:11-13, 19; 3:7; I Kin. 11:1-8; 16:29-34; 18:40; 2 Kin. 10:25-29; 11:18; 23:4-20)." 2. Idolatry Must Be Punished "hang the offenders before the Lord" (4) Putti ng something in the rightful place of God carries a price. If you want to find the idols in your life, see what takes priority of your time, money and passion. 17 / 19

18 3. Idolatry Stopped By Phinehas "Phinehas...has turned back my wrath" (11) The extent of the idolatry is revealed in verse 9 " And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand " (9) Here is an excellent illustration of one man, Phinehas, standing up for what is right. In spite of the overwhelming opposition, Phinehas took dramatic action and is commended by God for his zeal (11). The reward of standing up for God is clearly demonstrated (13). Application: 1. Diverting from God's revealed will leads to a path of danger. 2. Declaring God's truth does not make the declarer (teacher, preacher) right with God. 3. Deceiving God's people is the Devil's changeless plan (Eph. 6:11; 2 Cor. 2:11) Adult Leader Pack: Item 8: Handout: Grateful for God's Care Illustrator: No Article Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: Dates: 2011: 12/17 - Candy Cane Lane; 12/ Christmas Holidays - church offices closed; 18 / 19

19 12/24 - Christmas Eve 2, 4 & 6:00 pm; 12/25 - Christmas Day - 1 svc. 10:30 a.m., no LBS ; 12/30 - College Ski Trip; 12/31 - New Year's Eve Party - Summit; 1/1 - New Year's Day - 1 svc. 10:30 a.m., no LBS; 1/2 - New Year's Holiday, church offices closed; 1/8 - Fitness Launch; 1/8 - Lord's Supper in all services; 1/13 - Summit Celebrates; 1/ As We Go Missions Conf.; 1/ Giving Life Away Emphasis; 1/ Living Proof Siesta Event; 1/27 - Midnight Madness. 19 / 19