Ninth Avenue Church of Christ

Satisfied or Sanctified? (Adam Faughn)

Solomon was the wealthiest person to ever live, yet he wrote that the end of all matters is to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). Wealth is not a bad thing in and of itself, but the Bible warns about the dangers of a wrong view toward money (1 Timothy 6:10). It is no wonder Jesus spoke so much about money and possessions, including the Parable of the Rich Fool. The Bible teaches us not just to avoid wrong, but to do right, so it speaks of contentment when it comes to material things (see 1 Timothy 6:8; Proverbs 30:7-9). This parable helps us see the danger of a wrong view toward what we have in this life.

When God's People Despair (Adam Faughn)

We have all been so hurt that we were not sure if we could put one foot in front of the other. However, doing something helps us avoid laziness, avoid bitterness, and helps with our health and healing. In 1 Kings 19, we see one of God’s great servants, Elijah, in a place of despair. This account can help us see what we should do when we are grieving and hurting.

The Subtle Regression of Sin (Adam Faughn)

We live in the “whatever” culture, where we aren’t supposed to really care about anything. But temptation and sin are still big deals, and we must remain vigilant. The account of Achan comes on the heels of a high point in the Old Testament (the defeat of Jericho), but sin was in the camp (Joshua 7:11) and they lost their next battle at Ai. Achan could not hide his sin, and what we see in his response is how temptation and sin slowly but surely regress in our lives if we allow them to.

A Godly Mother's Influence (Adam Faughn)

Mothers have influence, the question is, what type of influence will they express? Hannah influenced her son, Samuel, in ways that expressed themselves throughout his amazing life. Her name is from a form of the Hebrew word for “grace,” and she used that grace to influence her son.

...From the Beginning (Adam Faughn)

There can be no doubt that the overall view of marriage and sexuality are changing in our culture. Almost every major study shows a movement away from “traditional” marriage and Biblical views of these vitally important themes. But Scripture declares, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Jesus took us back to the beginning when He spoke on marriage. Matthew 19 is chosen as our Scripture for two reasons: 1) Jesus makes it clear that what He is stating was God’s intention from the beginning of creation; thus, it is timeless; and 2) we often want to only speak about the “exception clause” (giving the right to divorce), but if we would focus on what comes before that in our marriages, divorce would be drastically reduced. This lesson will give four facts about marriage that have been true from the very beginning.

Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb? (Adam Faughn)

The Bible is filled with blood, from Genesis 3 through Old Testament sacrifices and, of course, the blood of Jesus on the cross. Exodus 12 points us to one account that contained much blood, the Passover, but also pointed forward to something even more amazing.

God Cares for My Soul (Adam Faughn)

Psalms 138-145 are penned by David, and remind us of his struggles, but also his trust in the Lord. Psalm 142’s superscription notes that it was penned when David “was in the cave.” We do not know for certain which cave this is, but David, when on the run from King Saul, spent a great deal of time in caves. He is hurting and scared, but the poem, in full, reminds us that God cares for us.

Behold: Heaven (Adam Faughn)

Isn’t it wonderful that the book of Revelation pauses to let us “behold” our home of the soul? While many things are revealed, this lesson will focus on just three that are found in Revelation 21:1-4 that show us how wonderful heaven really will be.

Behold: Jesus Is Amazing! (Adam Faughn)

The context for our lesson starts back in Revelation 18, where the fall of “Babylon” (probably representing Rome) is found. Then, praise breaks out. Seven times in Revelation 19:1-10 there are words of praise (Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10). And all that simply sets the stage for what happens next! John sees a white horse (Revelation 19:11), but the One seated on the horse arrests John’s attention. In the next several verses, at least seven different descriptions are given of this One who is Jesus, and they show how amazing He is.

...Beginning from Jerusalem (Adam Faughn)

“The old Jerusalem Gospel” reminds us of Luke’s recording of the Great Commission. While Matthew and Mark’s accounts are more well-known, Luke’s connects the message with where it was to begin: the city of Jerusalem. They were to preach two specific things.