1 Aaron the Priest Respect for the priesthood is really respect for the God who ordained it Exodus 4:16; Numbers 16; Hebrews 8:6 2 Bread from Heaven — Manna, Quail, and Water in the Desert A freed people, an empty pantry, and a God who fed them one sunrise at a time — and what that daily bread still teaches you at the altar Exodus 16; Exodus 17:1-7 3 Predestination or Free Will? God knows every step you'll take — and still lets you choose every one Exodus 32:26; Matthew 16:27; 2 Peter 3:9 4 Strange Fire — The Solemn Warning of Nadab and Abihu Two young priests, one careless shortcut in the house of God — and the reverence that worship has always required of those who draw near Leviticus 10:1-7 5 A Kingdom Torn in Two — Rehoboam's Fatal Choice A brand-new king, one arrogant answer, and a nation ripped down the middle — the day pride cost Rehoboam ten tribes 1 Kings 12:1-24 6 Naaman — The Proud General and Seven Dips in the Jordan A famous commander, an incurable disease, and a cure so simple his pride almost made him refuse it 2 Kings 5:1-14 7 Joash — Hidden in the Temple, Crowned at Seven A baby smuggled out of a massacre, raised in secret among the priests, and the sobering question of what happens to our faith when the person who guided it is gone 2 Kings 11-12; 2 Chronicles 24 8 Hezekiah's Prayer — When Assyria Surrounded Jerusalem A threatening letter, a mocking enemy at the gate, and a king who answered not with panic but by spreading the whole thing open before God 2 Kings 19; Isaiah 37 9 Thanksgiving to God — He Has Covered Us The first prayer of every Kidase is not a request — it is a thank-you for the ways God has hidden us in mercy Psalm 107:1; Luke 17:11-19 10 Prophecies and Symbols of the Virgin Mary in the OT Every image the Old Testament used for God's dwelling was preparing us for the Virgin Mary Isaiah 7:14; Ezekiel 44:1-2; Exodus 25:10-22 11 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah Three teenagers who walked into fire and came out singing Daniel 3:1-30; Matthew 4:10 12 Those Who Walk in Pride, God Abases Two kings, one hand writing on a wall, and one warning for a 9th grader Daniel 4-5 13 Our Need for Christ Every ache in your soul is pointing to one Person — and only one Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:11 14 The Holy Trinity One God in three Persons — the mystery at the heart of everything you believe Matthew 3:16-17; John 10:30; 1 John 5:7 15 Salt of the Earth, Light of the World Two ordinary things from an ancient kitchen become Jesus's job description for your whole life — and He gives it to you before you have done anything to earn it Matthew 5:13-16 16 The Smallest Seed, the Greatest Tree A speck you could lose in the creases of your palm becomes a tree that shelters the birds — Jesus's picture of how God grows His kingdom from almost nothing Matthew 13:31-32 17 Treasure in a Field, a Pearl Worth Everything Two men each found something so valuable they sold all they owned to get it — and Jesus said that is exactly how much the kingdom of God is worth Matthew 13:44-46 18 Forgiven a Fortune, Choking Over Pennies A king cancels an unpayable debt in a single breath — and the man he pardons turns around and throttles a friend over spare change Matthew 18:21-35 19 Ten Bridesmaids — Keep Your Lamp Ready Five were ready and five were not, and the difference was a small jar of oil most people never see you carry Matthew 25:1-13 20 The Shepherd Who Left Ninety-Nine Ninety-nine safe sheep and one lost in the dark — and the shepherd who counts the missing one as if it were his whole flock Luke 15:3-7 21 The Father Who Ran — The Prodigal Son A boy demands his inheritance early, burns through everything in a far country, and drags himself home to a father who has been watching the road the whole time Luke 15:11-32 22 Two Men Prayed — Only One Went Home Right with God A short parable in Luke that quietly dismantles every reason you ever had to feel spiritually superior to the person next to you Luke 18:9-14 23 Judge Not, That You Be Not Judged The measure you use will be measured back to you — a Sermon on the Mount warning that lands harder in the age of the screenshot Matthew 7:1-6; John 8:1-11 24 How to Pray? Words, mind, and heart — the three-fold path Kidus Yohannes and the desert fathers taught for real prayer Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:1-13 25 The Ecumenical Councils I — Nicea and the Creed How 318 bishops, one young deacon named Athanasius, and one Greek letter saved the faith we still sing every Sunday Matthew 18:17 26 The Ecumenical Councils II — Constantinople, Ephesus, and Why Not Chalcedon The Holy Spirit is God. Mary is Theotokos. Christ is one — and why our Tewahedo Church could not sign at Chalcedon John 14:26; John 1:14 27 Palm Sunday — Jesus the King and Lamb of God The King rides in on a donkey — and walks in as the Lamb who dies for us Matthew 21:1-11; John 12:13-19 28 Zacharias's Prophecy How a silenced priest opened his mouth and prophesied our salvation Luke 1:39-80 29 Demetrius the Vinedresser — The Life of Learning A humble gardener becomes a Patriarch — and never stops sitting at his teachers' feet Luke 1:52 30 Almsgiving and the Life of St. Abraam The bishop who fed the poor from a bishop's home while eating only radishes and buttermilk himself Luke 16:9; Matthew 6:1-4 31 Life After Death The rich man, Lazarus, and the Divine Liturgy's most tender prayer — what happens when the twinkling of an eye is over Luke 16:19-31; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 32 The 7 Phrases of Our Lord on the Cross I The first words of the dying King — forgiveness for enemies, and paradise for a thief Luke 23:34; Luke 23:43 33 The 7 Phrases of Our Lord on the Cross II The last five phrases of the dying King — every one of them a gift John 19:26-30; Luke 23:46; Matthew 27:46 34 Christ in the Old Testament Jesus did not start 2,000 years ago — He is on every page of the Bible Luke 24:13-27; Romans 10:4 35 Jesus and the Two Disciples of Emmaus When your faith is limping, He walks beside you until it burns again Luke 24:13-35 36 The Ascension Feast — With the Glorious Body Jesus went up so that one day we could go up with Him Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11; Philippians 3:21 37 The Kingdom of God Unless one is born again, he cannot see it — the invisible kingdom Jesus preached and the one that must start inside you John 3:1-17; Luke 17:21 38 When We Meet Jesus Our Life Changes — St. Moses the Black The story of a violent gang leader who became one of Ethiopia's greatest saints — and what his repentance means for you John 8:12; Luke 15:11-32 39 St. Paul's Missionary Journeys I — Introduction The book of Acts is unfinished on purpose — the story is still being written through you Acts 1:8; Acts 13:47; Luke 1:1-4 40 St. Paul's Missionary Journeys II — First Journey When one door closes, God is redirecting — not rejecting Acts 13:1-15:35; Acts 14:10; Romans 8:28 41 St. Paul's Missionary Journeys III & IV — Second Journey When the Spirit says no to Asia, He is opening Europe — and Ethiopia's future Acts 15:36-18:23; Isaiah 30:21; Luke 9:23 42 St. Paul's Missionary Journeys V — Third Journey Growth is slow, painful, and Spirit-driven — and it never stops Acts 18:24-23:11; Acts 19:20; Philippians 3:12-13 43 Pentecost — The Holy Spirit the Helper The Third Person of the Trinity moved into the Church — and into you Acts 2:1-4; John 14:16-17; John 15:26-27 44 The Orthodox Faith and the Protestant Faith Two Christian traditions, one Bible — where the paths meet, where they part Galatians 1:8; Matthew 5:18-19 45 Freedom from a Christian Viewpoint The real freedom is not doing whatever you want — it is finally being able to do what is good Colossians 2:16-17; Galatians 5:13; Romans 8:1-10 46 An Overall View of the Bible One book by forty writers over two thousand years — telling one story about one Person Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16 47 The Orthodox Creed I The one prayer we speak together in every Kidase — and what its first lines really mean Hebrews 11:1; Isaiah 45:5; Matthew 28:19 48 The Orthodox Creed II 'One Lord, Jesus Christ' — the deepest theology packed into a Sunday prayer John 1:1-4; John 10:30; Galatians 4:4-5 49 The Orthodox Creed III The Cross, the Empty Tomb, and the King coming back — every phrase of it 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 25:31-46 50 The Orthodox Creed IV The Holy Spirit, the Church, one Baptism, and the life of the world to come Ephesians 4:1-6; Colossians 2:12; John 3:5 51 Christian Behavior in a Permissive Society You are a chosen generation — how to be in the world but not swept along by it 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Timothy 6:3-6 52 Our Orthodox Faith and the Roman Catholic Faith Understanding our own beliefs so we can respect others without losing our footing 1 Peter 3:15