How Deep the Father’s Love How deep the Father’s love for us; How vast beyond all measure, That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss; The Father turns His face away As wounds which mar the Chosen One Bring many sons to glory.

Behold, the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders. Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything; No gifts, no pow’r, no wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer; But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom. ***

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You To receive the food of Your Holy Word. Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; Shape and fashion us in Your likeness, Speak O Lord

That the light of Christ might be seen today In our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us All Your purposes for Your glory.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds; Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us, Truths unchanged from the dawn of time That will echo down through eternity.

And by grace we'll stand on Your promises, And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us. Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built And the earth is filled with Your glory. ***

Ephesians 3.11 according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord

Functional Unity  What is the common denominator of the Bible?  God doing…  God saying…  This simple truth is a unifying factor that permeates the Bible and separates it from all other books.

All of Scripture reveals  a God at work,  a God who is doing something wonderful for man,  a God Who tells us about what He’s doing and why it matters!

The Bible is filled with His deeds and His words.  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gen 1.1  Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Rev 21.5a  God never acts independently from nor contrary to what He has spoken.

He does exactly what He said He would do.  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Num  Surely the Lord G OD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3.7

Romans 4.20,21  20 (Abraham) did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform.

Foundational Principles  God acts and speaks  All that God does and says involves Progress  HOW does he reveal and work out His plan?  American version: In the beginning, God sent a Savior into the world, who quickly dealt with the sins of mankind, so that man could live happily ever after.

progresso  to step forward  forward motion  advancement  making headway

It becomes a mighty oak!!!

What is the significance of a seed?  The acorn is a mere seed, but that mere seed contains the whole tree!  The seed/cell has, compacted within it everything that it will have at full maturity.  This is equally true of God’s book.

Genesis  The divine seed plot for all that follows in Scripture.  The beginning contains in seed or germ everything that follow.  The concept of progress also implies a goal, an end, a culmination.  SO WHERE IS GOD HEADED?

 When you know where God is headed, or what He is moving toward, all that happens in between will make more sense.

Numbers 14:21 "AS TRULY AS I LIVE, ALL THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED WITH THE GLORY OF THE LORD.”

Step By Step O God, You are my God, And I will ever praise You! O God, You are my God, And I will ever praise You!

I will seek You in the morning And I will learn to walk in Your way; And step by step You’ll lead me And I will follow You all of my days.

O God, You are my God, And I will ever praise You! O God, You are my God, And I will ever praise You!

I will seek You in the morning And I will learn to walk in Your way; And step by step You’ll lead me And I will follow You all of my days.

I will seek You in the morning And I will learn to walk in Your way; And step by step You’ll lead me And I will follow You all of my days. ***