Crown Me!
01 Oct 2006 • Charles Cooper
There are three possible reasons a person may not know him or herself: amnesia, lack of knowledge and denial. Amnesia is what it is. Lack of knowledge is simple to overcome, but denial is difficult to remedy. One would think that a denial of oneself would always have a compelling reason. Many believers do not live in light of who they are. It is our hope that the reason is a lack of knowledge. The Book of Numbers can greatly help a believer to live successfully during the journey from Egypt to the Promise Land.
Book of Numbers (38:54)

Thy Kingdom Come
08 Oct 2006 • Charles Cooper
Since the ministry of Jesus inaugurated the kingdom age and the presence of the kingdom means deliverance and royal living, we must consciously decide either to live in the past or march in victory towards our future. How firm is your grip on kingdom living during the journey from Egypt to Canaan? Did the kingdom come with Jesus 2000 years ago and if it did, so what?
Luke 11:20 and 17:20-21 (51:33)

Bring Your Raincoat in the Desert
15 Oct 2006 • Charles Cooper
Few would remember to bring a raincoat for the desert. Rain and desert are not normally equated. Yet, God sends the rains of heaven during our desert journey to remind us that He is always in charge. During the desert travels between Egypt (death and suffering) and Canaan (the promise land), we can live on the blessings of God. Our desert is in constant bloom from the rains of God's goodness.
Luke 11:20 and 17:21 (42:12)

Guards of the Camp's Center
22 Oct 2006 • Charles Cooper
The Latin word for "priest" means "bridge builder." Yet, in
Israel, the priests did not build a bridge to God. They were bridge keepers. Since a bridge allows traffic to come and go, Israel's priests kept the wrath of God off the people as well as took the people's sin before God. We are priests in God's kingdom. What is our job description?
Numbers 1:1-54 (39:24)

His Banner Over Me
05 Nov 2006 • Charles Cooper
As royal priests of God, we have Jesus Christ as our banner. This week we will talk about the significance and benefits of this powerful Old Testament symbol for the body of Christ.
Numbers 2:1-34 (43:43)

The Duty of the Priest
12 Nov 2006 • Charles Cooper
Compartmentalization is similar to keeping the two beliefs in separate rooms. We can also live our lives in a similar way. However, sacred and secular are not mutually exclusive. God desires that every aspect of our lives operate under his authority. Therefore, work, school, family, play, cooking, and everything else is God’s business with us.
Numbers 3-4 (43:44)

Can I Come In?
19 Nov 2006 • Charles Cooper
Few have not experienced the feeling of being left out. The
loneliness of being separated from the group is all that is necessary to help some people shape up. God demands separation whenever sin is in the camp. The awfulness of separation should drive us to God for mercy and help, which God promises to give in Jesus Christ. Christ makes it possible to never be separated from God again. No more shame, humiliation or reproach for us.
Numbers 5:1-4 (35:37)

Jehovah Rapha
26 Nov 2006 • Charles Cooper
Sin separates. Ultimately, sin causes death which is the ultimate separation. Sin often manifests itself in the lives of believers as sickness. However, sickness is seldom God's remedy for dealing with sin in the life of His people. Learn the five reasons believers get sick and God's solution for dealing with illness.
Numbers 5:1-4 (49:48)

Healing in the Twenty-First Century
03 Dec 2006 • Charles Cooper
To mention divine healing in some circles is anathema. Many believers are skeptical because while they may have heard a lot, they have seen very little. That is, many claims are made but little proof is given. Does God heal today? Are we simply to put our hope in modern medicine? Is there any evidence that "healings" took place after the death of the apostles?
Numbers 5:1-4 (55:16)

Filling In the Numbers
10 Dec 2006 • Scott Holmgren
Life can be chaos. Not just chaotic, but chaos itself. It can devolve into emergency after emergency, as jobs, children, neighbors, family, bills, meetings, deadlines, sickness, decisions, budgets, laundry, shopping, car repairs, broken appliances, schedules, dentist appointments, and the like all pull and tear us into a hundred different directions at once. As we wander from day to day, like the nation of Israel in the wilderness, are we prepared to let God take a census of our lives?
Numbers 1-4 (43:33)

Getting It Right With the Gift-Giver
17 Dec 2006 • Scott Holmgren
What does that someone special want for Christmas this year? On the giving end, you've got options, and on the receiving end, you've got options. Of course the goal is to find that “perfect" gift, the gift of all gifts, the “Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle” of all gifts! In the book of Numbers, God gave His people the gift of forgiveness. It's a gift that keeps on giving, even today. Question is: is it the perfect gift or the gift of perfection? Bring your wish list this Sunday, and we'll check it twice!
Numbers 5:1-4 (42:25)

PC Versus CS
14 Jan 2007• Charles Cooper
In these days of higher education, common sense is often refreshing. Yet, few and fewer examples are seen in the every day discourse of humanity. Because of the lack of common sense the HIV virus has us on the brink. Where is common sense? How many hundreds of millions will die before common sense cures the problem?
Numbers 5:1-4 (43:26)

Check Your Boarding Pass
21 Jan 2007• Scott Holmgren
Airports are amazing places. Every day hundreds of thousands of people filter through terminals, ticket counters, and jetways as they move from one place to another, sometimes from one side of the globe to the other. And sometime their luggage even follows them! This Sunday, we’ll look at the travel plans every single one of us makes and takes as we commute through life on an airline called Sanctification. Pack your bags and welcome aboard!
Numbers 5:5-7 (47:23)

Confirmation of Our Secrets
28 Jan 2007• Charles Cooper
That God is a perfect gentleman and does not expose our sin generally should encourage us to live holy. However, there is coming a day when our lives will be exposed before all of creation. Motivation—anyone—to live godly!This week we learn that God is not out to hurt us, but protect us.
Numbers 5:11-31 (48:05)

An Extraordinary Promise
04 Feb 2007• Charles Cooper
You go to church; you fellowship with other believers; you give to
Christian causes--long pause. But something is missing. You do not know
what. Is it supposed to be this way? You get saved and the rest of your
life is a blur – I am existing in the between time. You know: between
finding out that I going to go to heaven when I die and dying. Today,
get a fresh look at yourself. You have plenty for which to live.
Numbers 6:1-21 (50:47)

The Day of Dedication
18 Feb 2007• Scott Holmgren
As a follower of Christ, there are many different ways that we publicly dedicate ourselves to Him. We dedicate parents and children when the latter are newborns. We dedicate ourselves before God in marriage when we find our mate for life. We dedicate ourselves through baptism when we express our allegiance to the Lord. But dedications can also come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and frequencies. Are you ready for a day for dedication?
Numbers 7:1-89 (51:42)

Shining Light for You to See and Be
25 Feb 2007• Charles Cooper
Just the thought of someone continually shining a spotlight on us 24/7 would frighten most of us. Immediately situations and circumstances
would change – embarrassment is a powerful motivator. Yet, we do have a 24/7 spotlight on us. The light is so powerful that we are being
transformed into it. Question: Do we believe it and if so, what difference does it make?
Numbers 8:1-4 (57:40)

More Cloudy Days, Please!
4 Mar 2007• Charles Cooper
We save for a rainy day. One song says, “Cloudy days and Mondays, always get me down.” Yet, every cloud has a silver lining. As the Jewish people were led in the wilderness by the clouds, they learned that cloudy days were a good thing. Today, God’s word will teach us the same thing.
Numbers 9:15-23 (50:37)

If God Is Angry, Should We Care?
11 Mar 2007• Charles Cooper
If God approaches anything near what the Bible says He does, then His people should make every effort to avoid His anger. This week we will examine a rare episode where God's wrath burns forth with deadly consequences. His wrath is to be avoided at all cost.
Numbers 11:1-3 (43:54)

Bread of Heaven
18 Mar 2007• Charles Cooper
One provision from God speaks volumes about other possible provisions. If God never provided for His people, doubt would be in order, but Scripture details many, many provisions of the Lord. This week we study one of God's greatest provisions that still holds great insight 3500 years later.
Numbers 11:4-9 (61:09)

Leadership Under Pressure, Part 1
25 Mar 2007• Scott Holmgren
Every day we are faced with circumstances or situations that will tempt us to complain. The Israelites who were on their way to the Promised Land came to that place when they demanded meat in the desert. Faced with their complaints, Moses had to make a leadership decision. One that we can imitate even today.
Numbers 11:10-15 (40:44)

Leadership Under Pressure, Part 2
1 Apr 2007• Scott Holmgren
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he was hailed as a leader by cultural demonstrations. How does God recognize your ability to lead as you respond to pressure-filled situations? This week we see how God responds to our confessions and turns to leaders who can accomplish truly remarkable things in His name.
Numbers 11:16-30 (43:44)

Food for Thought
8 Apr 2007• Charles Cooper
A grave famous for who is not buried in it is not just a cliché. Jesus Christ rose from the dead! That says it all. After the death of my first wife, I had the opportunity to buy a lot of Microsoft stock. If I had, I would be a multi-millionaire from that one investment. Everybody wants to get in on a good deal, which is defined as getting something for a little and turning it into a lot. The resurrection of Jesus is a great deal. Have you gotten in?
Numbers 11:31-35 (38:13)

Cloudy Judgments
15 Apr 2007• Charles Cooper
God's judgments in the Old Testament often seem harsh and uncharacteristic of a God of love. This week we examine why God judged one person when two were guilty of the same thing, which seems unfair on its face. Since God never errors in judgment, a closer look is necessary. Join us as we examine "Cloudy Judgments."
Numbers 12 (39:25)

All the Wrong Reasons Not to Believe
22 Apr 2007• Charles Cooper
“Go and spy out the land that I am giving you”, is a simple sentence. Yet, it costs the Children of Israel 38 years of wandering in the desert. It costs the lives of more than a million people. Join us this week as we examine the bitter consequences of not paying attention to every word God says.
Numbers 13:1-33 (43:17)

A Family Secret
6 May 2007• Charles Cooper
Today we discuss a secret of the fellowship. While much of what we know about the world they know as well, there are some things we best keep among ourselves. That our men must be aware of the impression we leave on our children is one such secret. Only members of the family can listen to this message.
Numbers 14:1-4 (49:27)

Pivot on Leadership
20 May 2007• Charles Cooper
Hope springs eternal every Spring for the Chicago Cubs. Despite having gone for nearly a century without a championship, Cubs fans loyally root on their team. They are driven by hope. In Numbers 14, Moses faces the evaporation of hope in his followers, and this pivotal chapter will be monumental in the history of Israel.
Numbers 14:5-10 (52:46)

The Consequences of Margin-less Living
27 May 2007• Charles Cooper
In a majority of the times, when the pressures of life come, human nature will always show-up! It shows up in the form of short tempers, impatience, and withdrawals from loved ones. Ultimately, we think illogically. We see this in the nation of Israel in Numbers 14.
Numbers 14 (47:35)

God's Margin Makers
3 Jun 2007• Charles Cooper
God knew that humans would need margin to live successfully. While most of us would not call this phenomenon "margin," we know it when we have it and we know when we do not have it. Margin insures our sanity and keeps us balanced against the forces of "hurry" and "pain." This week we talk about God's margin makers.
Numbers 14 (37:21)

Unintended Consequences
10 Jun 2007• Charles Cooper
After hearing God’s judgment for their unfaithfulness, Israel decided to take matters into their own hands—the consequence was death and humiliation. This week we watch Israel’s behavior that can only be described as foolish, which indicates that Israel did not take God seriously. Let’s learn how to take God seriously and the benefits that come with it.
Numbers 14:39-46 (64:46)

Satan's Insidious Attack
17 Jun 2007• Charles Cooper
Satan, unable to defeat God's people, often tempts us to sin knowing that God will punish us Himself. Fathers must pay close attention to Satan's schemes. Defeated fathers open up other members of the family to failure just as victorious fathers are their protection. This week we discover these principles in the story of Balaam and Balak.
Numbers 22–31 (53:44)