Teaching Notes

Have you stood by the shore of the lake and thought about the wonder it represents. When I see the sand I think, each grain of sand was created by God. If God would take such care and create each grain of sand, how much more does he care about the needs of his children? Yet, we sometimes take his gracious gifts for granted. Lord help us to be grateful (picture by James S. Williams).

Repentance

Hosea 13:4-6 (The Message)

"I'm still your God, the God who saved you out of Egypt. I'm the only real God you've ever known. I'm the one and only God who delivers. I took care of you during the wilderness hard times, those years when you had nothing. I took care of you, took care of all your needs, gave you everything you needed. You were spoiled. You thought you didn't need me. You forgot me.

Notes: We have been studying from Hosea the 14th chapter but today's scripture is from the 13th chapter. We went backwards to understand why God was calling the people to repent. Here in this scripture he is reminding them of how he cared for them and what he had done for them, yet they still were rebellious to him.

Question: What does Hosea tell us that God did for the people?

Answer: He reminds them of how he delivered them from Egypt. When they were in slavery God sent Moses to led the people out. He reminds them how he took care of them when they were in the wilderness. When they had nothing, God gave them manna to eat and the word of God says their shoes never wore out for 40 years. He reminds them that God gave them everything, he took care of their needs. When enemies came against them, he fought them. When they needed him he was always there for his people. What then happened is they forgot about God and thought they could do things on their own, they believed they no longer needed him. This is why the call came to the people to repent. Whenever you want to turn your back on God and all that he has done for you, you are becoming rebellious. Even if you think for a moment that you have done something on your own, be careful! If God did not wake you up this morning you could not do anything. He gives you movement of your body, your ability to think and breath. You cannot do anything without the mercies of God.

Prayer: Lord, today, help me to remember your great mercies unto me. Help me to be grateful for your blessings in my life and help me to continue to humble myself before you. Help me to do your will. Help me this weekend when I go to church. Help me to go with an attitude of gratefulness for your love for me.

Teaching Notes

No matter how dark the sky may be, when the sun shines, the darkness is dispelled. So it is true for us. No matter how dark our lives are because of sin, when the light of the Son shines on us, it dispels the darkness.

Repentance

Hosea 14:9 (The Message)

If you want to live well, make sure you understand all of this. If you know what's good for you, you'll learn this inside and out. God's paths get you where you want to go. Right-living people walk them easily; wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.

Notes: The Bible closes this chapter of Hosea with his call for the people to walk right before God. He told them in the beginning to repent and now he tells them what that really looks like.

Question: Hosea makes a comparison between two type of people, who are they and what is the comparison?

Answer: He compares the Right-living people against the Wrong-living people. Right living people understand the things of God. In the verse before this one, Hosea calls for the people to understand that everything they need is in God. Right living people understand this and walk in that way. Wrong living people do not understand this truth and because of it, they continue to stumble and fail.

Prayer: God thank you today for helping us to walk worthy of your ways. If we do not understand them, you will help us if we humble ourselves and come to you and ask for help. Help us not to be like the wrong-living people that refuse to hear and continue to do their own things. In doing so, they continue to trip and stumble in their own ways, because you are not lighting their path. Thank you for lighting mine.

Teaching Notes

There is a poem about the footprints in the sand. That when you only see one it is because God is carrying you. I also wrote a poem slightly different. When you only see one set of prints it is because you are now walking in his. When we turn from following our own way to following his, we then begin to follow in his steps.

Repentance

Hosea 14:4-8 (The Message)

4-8 "I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out. I will make a fresh start with Israel. He'll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring. He'll put down deep oak tree roots, he'll become a forest of oaks! He'll become splendid—like a giant sequoia, his fragrance like a grove of cedars!Those who live near him will be blessed by him, be blessed and prosper like golden grain. Everyone will be talking about them, spreading their fame as the vintage children of God. Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods. From now on I'm the one who answers and satisfies him. I am like a luxuriant fruit tree. Everything you need is to be found in me."

Notes: The children of God were told in the previous verses how to prepare to come to God for forgiveness. These verses tell what they can receive from God when they turn from their wickedness and back to the mercy and love of God.

Question: What are some of the promises of God to his children when they repent?

Answer: He promises to heal them from their wickedness. He promises to lavish them with his love (even though he never stopped loving them, he simply will show it to a greater degree). He promises to grow them and make them to become a blessing that when others see them, they will know they belong to God. He also promises them that everything they need can be found in him. God is then promises he will help them to turn their affections toward him.

Prayer: Lord we are thankful today that if we have sinned against you, you promise us that if we repent you will again restore us to a right place with you. You will lavish your love and teach us your ways. You will bless us so that we can bless others. Thank you God for loving us so much that you want us to be your children. Make us over today Lord.

Teaching Notes

Have you ever felt like you were upside down? You know what I mean no matter what you tried to do, it always went the opposite way or the results came out different from what you wanted. Maybe the things that are happening are simply some freak of nature, but God's way of trying to get your attention. Is he saying to you, turn back to me.

Repentance

Hosea 14:1-3 (The Message)

O Israel, come back! Return to your God! You're down but you're not out. Prepare your confession and come back to God. Pray to him, "Take away our sin, accept our confession. Receive as restitution our repentant prayers. Assyria won't save us; horses won't get us where we want to go. We'll never again say 'our god' to something we've made or made up.You're our last hope. Is it not true that in you the orphan finds mercy?"


Notes: Hosea is calling the people back to God. They have turned away from God and trusted in lesser things. The writer says they will not trust in Assyria to save them nor will horses come and take them away from their troubles. The only hope they have is God to show mercy on them.

Question: What does it mean to repent and what does this scripture show are the steps to take towards repentance?

Answer: To repent means to feel sorry for what you have done. So sorry that you want to turn from it and never do it again. Not simply being sorry you got caught at something, but sorry so much that you are regretful for it within your heart. The writer says that to repent you must prepare your confession and come back to God. This means you come to God and tell him all that you are sorry for, that you do not try to hide your sins from him, because he sees them anyway. When we do that the next step is God will accept them, forgive us and take away our sins. God will receive your prayers of repentance and thanksgiving for his mercy as enough to forgive us our sins along with a changed heart and life.

Prayer: Lord, today I repent of (you fill in any thing that God has shown you, that you need to repent of). I ask you to forgive me of this sin in my life and help me to live your way. Thank you for forgiving me for you are quick to forgive those that come to you with a humble heart. Now thank you for keeping me and helping me to live your way.