The rulers of ancient Israel and Judah form a fascinating mosaic of human frailty. Traditional heroes like David and Soloman had brittle halos, falling prey to hypocrisy and compromise. Others, like Ahab, were shameless in their idolatry and abuse of power. Josiah and a few others led their nations back to God, but couldn't manage to make the changes hold to the next generation. In this study, we look at how God works with us, even in the midst of our waywardness and weakness.
Bookstores sell volumes about it.
Experts offer workshops on it. National leaders invoke it in crisis. Into the Deep is an interactive Bible study that explores the meaning and use of prayer to deepen our relationship with God and bring ourselves in line with God's will for the world. The very culprits we blame for the degradation of the world today are central characters in the books of Jonah and Ruth - people whom God uses to teach about faithfulness. God breaks some of our most cherished stereotypes in these two books, including our narrow view that Scripture is serious and humorless.