My group that I teach on Sunday is studying the book of Amos.  If you will take time to read the book, you will find that you can divide it into two sections.

For the first 6 chapters, I very honestly found the book hard to teach.  Mainly because I am an application teacher, and there didn't seem to be much to apply.  Chapters 1-6 are the "Words of Amos".  Mostly prophetic speeches or messages.  Doomsday is coming to Israel.  Amos is warning them.  They aren't listening.  I literally had to wade through it.

But by the end of the sixth chapter, I could see the comparison to America today.  For almost 200 years Bethel was a spiritually degenerate worship center.  Israel wasn't supposed to worship at Bethel in the first place.  And Amos was warning Israel what was going to happen to them.  I couldn't help but think that America has been a country for 236 years and has been on a spiritual slippery slide downhill.  Where is Amos when you need him?!!!

Chapters 7-9, sometimes labeled "The visions of Amos" are going to be easier to teach.

Amos was just a normal guy.  Very ordinary.  He wasn't a preacher's kid.  Definitely not in the prophecy business.  He was a day labor kind of man.  He was a herdsman and a scraper of sycamore figs.  Piercing the tree's fruit to help it ripen.  But God chose Amos.  God will use an ordinary person like you and me if we are willing.  You don't have to go to a seminary to be God's choice for service.   You can read God's words and understand them on your own.  All you need is to be willing.  You can respond to Him and be an Amos-onian.  People need to know what you  know.  And they don't need everything all at once.  A little dab'll do'ya.  (If you are young, ask someone over 60 years old about that.)

I'll share the highlights of the last three chapters with you as I blog.