John’s account of Jesus focuses on different things than the “synoptic” gospels, including some memorable personal stories, like the woman at the well.

There are 4 accounts of (parts of) the life of Jesus. The first three in our Bibles (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are collectively called the Synoptic Gospels. They follow a similar outline, beginning (more or less) with Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and ending with his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. The transition between those is…

Ezekiel is a prophet at an unusual time: Some of Judah is captive in Babylon, including Ezekiel himself, while those remaining in Judah still have a little time. Spoiler alert: they blow it.

Jeremiah told of the coming destruction to Judah, and was treated terribly for it. One of the bright spots of the book is the story of the Rechabites, who kept their ancestor’s vow for about two centuries (Jeremiah 35).

Isaiah is a prophet in the Old Testament, but the book is sometimes referred to by Christians as “the fifth gospel” due to its many vivid prophecies of the messiah. We look at the book overall and at chapter 6 where we see some wild sights.

Song of Songs (also called Song of Solomon) is a love story. The view expressed here is that (a) the man is not Solomon, and (b) the couple is married in chapter 3. Some disagree as is noted. Also, we look at another love story in the Bible, when Isaac’s father finds a wife for…

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, with many written by Solomon. We look at an overview of Proverbs as well as the story of Solomon and his wisdom (1 Kings 3).

An overview of the book of Psalms, and the story of Korah’s Rebellion in Numbers 16. What do these two have in common?

The book of Job (rhymes with “robe”) is about the man Job, whom God allows to be tested by Satan. 2 Kings 6:8-23 is a story of God delivering the prophet Elisha from a foreign Army. What is surprising to us is what Elisha already knows: God’s army is all around them.

In ancient times, Ezra-Nehemiah was a single book, and we look at it as one in this lesson. The stories take place after return from exile to Babylon (then Persia by the time of return). In Nehemiah 8, Ezra reads “the Law” to the people; you can see how the stories intertwine. Unfortunately, this lesson…