The first week of the "The Promise" is an overview of the Old Testament. The following questions will help your group to talk about the big picture of the OT, and focus on the need for Jesus to intervene.
What is the best movie you have ever seen? What makes it so good?
If you were going to describe the perfect story, what are the key elements you would use?
How would you explain the “big story” of the Bible to someone? What are the key elements?
When you think about the Old Testament, what are the main stories that come to mind?
What are your favorite parts of the Old Testament? What are your least favorite parts? Why?
Read Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 6:6-8. How would you describe the relationship God desires to have with men?
Read Jeremiah 7:21-29. Why did the nation of Israel fail to maintain their relationship with God? How do you sometimes act the same way?
Read Matthew 1:23. How did God “fix” the mess humanity made during the Old Testament?
Jesus was the answer to the Old Testament’s problems. How is Jesus the answer in your life?
Genesis 1-2: God Made Everything Perfect
As a group, create a list of all the words you would use to describe God's creation at the end of the first week.
Why do you think God made a point of calling his creation "good" after each day?
Why do you think God said "It is not good for man to be alone"? God's creation of woman completed his work. In the ideal world, how would men and women perfectly complement each other?
Chapter one says that "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Talk about the parrallels between the marriage relationship and the relationship within the Trinity.
As God's image bearers, Adam and Eve were commanded to take care of God's creation. How should Christians seek to take care of God's creation today? How should Christians seek to take care of other people?
At the end of chapter two, Adam and Eve had the ideal relationship. How would you describe the "ideal relationship"? What actions can you take this week to move toward a more ideal relationship with someone in your life?
Genesis 1- 11 (The Prologue)
Genesis 1-4 (Foundations)
Our view of the world should flow out of our understanding of Genesis 1-4. Unfortunately, for many people, their view of Genesis 1-4 flows out of their understanding of the world.
Right thinking begins in Genesis One. The most critical distinction humans need to understand is the difference between us and God. Most "theological errors" happen because we try to make God too much like us, or we try to make ourselves too much like God.
Two categories of reality exist. That which is created is the second category, that which is uncreated is the first. God is uncreated, everything else is created. Genesis 1 tells us that "in the beginning" God created everything.
Exploring Themes in Genesis 1-4
Grace
Grace as "undeserved gift of God"
Creation itself was a gracious act
The responsibility given to man was a gracious act
The woman was a gracious act
The garden was a gracious act
Withholding death was a gracious act
The provision of coverings was a gracious act (albeit one that required the shedding of blood)
The birth of Seth was a gracious act...
Community
God created as a community. The Father spoke, the Son acted, the Spirit enabled.
"We/Us/Our" language.
Creation was not ideal until Adam had Eve. Creation is relational.
The completion of creation is the man and the woman as one, together, naked, and unashamed.
The fall wrecked community
Adam and Eve's relationship is fractured (Adam blames Eve)
Cain and Abel's relationship is fractured
Lamech is the world's first serial killer
The Image of God
God as trinity is "unity with diversity". Man together woman as image bearer is "unity with diversity".
God made man in His image to "rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
The command to the image-bearers is:
Be fruitful and increase in number
fill the earth and subdue it
Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground
The gift to the image-bearers is:
every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth
ever tree that has fruit with seed in it
They are yours for food
The gift to the animals
every green plant for food
Genesis 1 - How It Began
"The Beginning" is the beginning of this story. Not the beginning of all things. There is no "beginning" of all things, God is eternal. This story begins when God creates.
God created the world.
Light and Dark.
Did God create darkness or is it just a byproduct of the creation of light? Is there something "evil" about darkness? Is that why God separated it from the light? God doesn't call the darkness "good", just the "light".
Creation was Good.
Seven times in the first chapter of Genesis, we are told that this creation was good. The seventh time, we are told that the completed creation was "very good".
Creation was Orderly.
Each segment of creation was named a "day". Each "day" consisted of evening and morning. The only hint of any chaos in creation is in verse 2. Clearly, however, the "formlessness and void" of verse two is a situation which is remedied by the rest of the creation. God's intent was an orderly, understandable creation.
Creation was Reproductive.
Each living part of creation was created to reproduce "according to its kind." As good as creation was at the end of Genesis one, God's intent was that it would get better. Even though creation was ideal, the opportunity existed for improvement. The multiplication of resources, creatures, and eventually man was God's way of ensuring the progressive improvement of the earth.
Genesis 2 - How It Was Supposed to Be
Genesis 3 - How It All Went Wrong
Strategies of the Serpent 1: FLATTERY
Perhaps I am the only person who struggles with this, but i tend to think this is a pretty common issue:
I like it when people say nice things about me.
It makes me feel good about myself, and it makes me think that maybe I am doing something well. Sometimes people tell me I'm a good soccer coach. Sometimes they tell me I'm a good preacher. Sometimes people tell me I made a nice golf shot. Some people have told me I'm a fast runner. Once someone said I had above average intelligence.
These things make me happy.
I don't even realize that sometimes these people aren't telling me things for my own good. They may not even believe them, but they know I will. They're saying nice things about me because they have an agenda, or because they want something from me.
In the past week, on three separate occasions, I've been paid compliments by people that initially made me feel very good about myself... then i started wondering if those compliments were truly sincere.
One person told me what a great job I was doing in a particular area.
One person referred to the positive influence I had on someone they knew.
One person told me what a great fit I was for an upcoming project.
As I drove home last night, it struck me that each of these instances had given me an opportunity to feed the monster that lies within me
(aside)
i regularly point to the concepts of pride and autonomy as the root cause of virtually all sin. thus that which feeds my pride and autonomy is feeding my "sin monster"
(aside done)
... and then I realized that likely none of these people really believed what they were saying. They were flattering me.
Flattery is defined as "excessive or insincere praise."
Flattery is a powerful tool which causes us to gain a false view of ourselves and those around us, and if not recognized, will typically lead us into temptation by feeding our pride and distorting our view of reality and truth.
Flattery is manipulative. It is something we all do when we want to gain an ally or a partner. It is not something we do when we want to gain a friend.
By the way, this observation isn't original with me. Proverbs 29:5 says:
Whoever flatters his neighbor
is spreading a net for his feet.
I've noticed a disturbing trend among many people who find it "appropriate" to use flattery as a tool for gaining influence, winning friends, gathering "buy-in", achieving promotions, etc... Sometimes this methodology is even encouraged and honored. I find it particularly disturbing when I sense that I am flattering someone in order to get them to see things my way. Ahh, the darkness that resides in us all.
No wonder Proverbs 28:23 says:
He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor
than he who has a flattering tongue.
Eve fell prey to a flattering tongue. The serpent tickled her ears with ideas of being god-like. He fed her monster by suggesting she was being treated unfairly, that someone with her gifts and abilities certainly deserved more privilege and responsibility than God was giving her.
His flattery distorted her perception of reality and truth.
This is what I must remember when I find myself flattering someone. I have become the serpent. I am appealing to their pride and autonomy so that they will do something to benefit me. In reality, I have become the tempter. I've become the serpent. I've led my neighbor into the wrath of God.
Scary.
Genesis 2 -- Marriage
Make a list of the world’s best “combination foods”. (any food that successfully combines two or more key ingredients.Examples would be Oreos or Reece’s)
Make a list of food combinations that don’t work.
It seems people are often like food.Some people work well together and others seem to be like water and oil.What are some characteristics of a good relationship (marriage, friendship, job, etc.)?What are some characteristics of a bad relationship?
What do you think are the greatest struggles that most married couples face (if you’re in a “non-married” group, talk about the relational struggles people deal with most often)?
Read Genesis 2:20-25.Then read Genesis 3:8-13.Notice the difference in relationship when Adam and Eve were focused on one another (Gen.2) and when they were focusing on themselves (Gen.3).
How can you do a better job of focusing your attention on your spouse/friends/etc.?
How did Adam and Eve’s relationship with God impact their relationship with each other?
In your experience, can husbands and wives (or friends) deepen their relationship with each other by deepening their relationship with God?How would you suggest they do this?
What changes do you need to make in your life this week?How can this group help you?
Gen.2 “God’s Plan for Marriage” or “When Can I Get Married?”
1. The Purpose of Marriage
- To provide companionship for man
-man is created to have a partner (Gen. 2:20)
- To create a picture of our relationship with Christ
-(Ephesians 5:22-25)
2. The process of Marriage (Gen. 2:24)
A. Independance -- “leave”
- Reliance on others ends (trusts only God)
- Now able to give self completely to someone
B. Commitment -- “be united”
- Trust is placed in someone besides self
- Lifetime commitment
- Not to be done quickly
- Patience requires trust in God
- Patience requires a proper view of singleness
---WATCH VIDEO---
C. Intimacy -- “become one flesh”
- sexual intimacy is an aspect of oneness; but oneness
isn’t brought about by sexual intimacy
- oneness can only come as a result of independence and
commitment
- there are no shortcuts to intimacy
1. intimacy without independence leads to conflict,
guilt, and lack of commitment.
2. intimacy without commitment leads to broken
trust, lost emotions, and lack of oneness.
3. The pleasures of marriage
- a sense of fulfillment
- God said it was “good” (Gen1:31)
- God recognized man’s need for partnership (Gen2:20)
- complete intimacy (Gen2:25)
- nakedness is symbolic for openness
Genesis 3 -- The Fall
As a group, read Genesis 3:1-6.
• Why do you think the serpent used questions to start the conversation
with Eve?
• Is it okay for us to question God? Our faith?
• How can those type of questions be helpful or harmful?
• How do you decide who you are going to believe or trust?
• Like the serpent’s philosophy, the world’s philosophy is significantly
different than God’s. What philosophies of the world
contradict God’s desires for us?
• The serpent convinced Eve that she could be like God. How
can the way we look at ourselves keep us from doing what
God wants?
• Compare Genesis 3:6 to 1 John 2:16. What similarities or
parrallels do you see?
The process prior to Adam and Eve’s sin looks something like
this:
- Questioning and rationalizing God’s command
- Deception and the belief of a lie
- Observing the external attractions of sin
• How do you see these same concepts leading people into sin
today?
• What advice might you give to someone to help them avoid
falling into sin?
Genesis 3-4 Life without God
Talk about a time you made a mistake or a decision that caused something good to be ruined.
Read James 1:13-15. Think about people you've observed. What causes people to fall into temptation? How can it be avoided?
What do you think caused Eve (Genesis 3) and Cain (Genesis 4) to give in to the temptation they faced?
What role does selfishness play in our "battle" against temptation?
Read Genesis 3:16. God describes a tension between men and women. How have you seen that tension play out in your life and others?
How have you observed yourself contributing to problems in the relationships you have? What changes could you make to heal some of the relational dysfunction in your life?
Read Genesis 4:26. What do you need to "call on the LORD" about?
If you could move to anywhere in the world for the next ten years, where would you most want to live? Where would you least want to live? Why?
What would be the most difficult part of moving away?
Read Genesis 12:1-8. Why do you think the Bible says that Abram left his "country", his "people", and his "father's household"? What do you think is the significance of each of those things?
How do you think Abraham's wife felt about moving away without knowing where they were moving to?
Read through the promises God made to Abram in verses 2-3. Do you think it took more faith to move away from home or to believe those promises? Are the two related?
Read verse 7. Why do you think Abram chose to build an alter then and there?
Notice the similarities between Genesis 12:8 Genesis 4:26. When are some times you have felt like "calling on the name of the LORD?" Why?
Read Hebrews 11:8-12. What is most impressive to you about Abraham's faith? How is he an example to you? What can you do this week to emulate him?
Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac
(Genesis 22)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story:
1. God tested Abraham
- Why does God test?What good comes from a test?Was it fair for God to ask Abraham to do this?It seems that the book of James (which was written to Jewish people) begins with a great interpretation of this event.James 1 clearly teaches that testing in our lives has a purpose.It serves to push us toward maturity (which may be better defined as being “complete” spiritually).Jesus taught that the rain falls on the just and the unjust.In other words, everyone goes through difficult times.How we respond to these difficulties is the definitive act in our character development.James says that sometimes because of our own evil desires (self-centeredness) we are likely to respond wrongly to testing, be tempted and fall.Abraham is a great example of what happens when we respond appropriately to testing.He didn’t understand why God had brought this major difficulty into his life, he simply did what he knew to be right and trusted God to make it work out in the end.Read Hebrews 11:17-19 for more context.
2. Abraham said, “Here I am” without knowing what God wanted
- Implied in Abraham’s answer is a willingness to obey God’s command.Abraham’s life to this point was characterized by obedience (which was the outcome of faith [Heb.11:8-19]).This passage is somewhat similar to experiences of Samuel and Isaiah when God called and they responded with “Here am I”.Of course the result in all cases was an unwavering obedience to God which resulted in great victories for the honor of God.In the New Testament I think of the disciples who immediately responded to Jesus’ simple command to “follow me”.This is the foundational principle of obedience, a commitment to obey before knowing the command!
3. God calls Isaac “Abraham’s only son”
- I only point this out because it is a little awkward for God to say, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love.”It seems a little simpler to just say, “Take Isaac.”But I think God was identifying with Abraham, letting him know that he recognized how important Isaac was to Abraham, and thus letting Abraham know that God understood the level of sacrifice he was asking for.It may not make the burden lighter, but it’s easier to bear if we know that God knows what we are going through!
4. Abraham’s obedience was immediate and complete
- Early the next morning Abraham was up and going.Certainly, he endured a sleepless night.Perhaps he spent the night praying for something different, comforting Sarah, and crying himself.Whatever that night was like, we know for certain that as soon as possible Abraham embarked on an exceptionally difficult journey to obey God.Notice that he was certain to pack all necessary supplies.How easy would it have been to “forget” something and then delay his obedience while he returned for supplies?Sometimes we rationalize our own disobedience by arguing that we will obey, but not right now.My parents used to say “Delayed obedience is disobedience.”Abraham not only obeyed immediately, he obeyed completely.
5. Isaac was obedient
- We don’t know precisely how old Isaac was, but we do know that he was old enough to make a three day journey (22:4), and he was old enough to understand sacrifices enough to recognize they had nothing to sacrifice (22:7).By this time, Abraham was well over 100 years old so it is not hard to imagine that Isaac certainly could have successfully resisted Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice him.James Boice writes about that moment, “Scripture is mercifully silent at this point, though we can imagine what took place:Abraham’s announcement of his mission, the sobs, kisses, wet with tears, Isaac’s willing submission…”[1]Whatever happened there, we can be sure of this, Isaac was obedient to his father.We can only imagine that Abraham’s life of obedience had greatly impacted Isaac.
6. Abraham passed the test
- The Angel of the LORD stopped Abraham because he had not withheld his son.Certainly, Abraham had no possession that met the worth with which he held Isaac.Yet, when called upon by God to give up this most important thing in his life, he willingly obeyed.Obedience to God must be all-inclusive.We cannot claim to be obedient to him and yet withhold areas of our lives from him.Until we are willing to submit to him in every area of life, we have not yet passed the test of obedience.
7. God restates his covenant to Abraham
- It is impossible to overestimate the importance of God’s covenant with Abraham.It is the starting point for the nation of Israel, but more importantly, it is the cornerstone of his redemptive work in history.God, in his sovereignty, chose Abraham and covenanted with him to make his name great and bless all nations through him.This covenant was the foundation of Abraham’s relationship with God and was undoubtedly the assurance Abraham needed to have faith through this difficult test.Therefore, God uses this opportunity to reaffirm the covenant to Abraham.In an incredibly rich moment, God has preserved the son of the covenant and also reminded Abraham of the great blessings that will come to him, his family, and the whole earth through Isaac.What a great reminder of the importance of obedience!
Central Theme of Lesson: Our obedience to God is directly related to our faith in God.
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers(or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-Have as many people as desire complete the following statements.(Take time to discuss their answers as possible)
oOne thing that made me happy this week was…
oIf I could go anywhere in the next 30 days, I’d go to…
oThe best thing about morning is…
Doctrinal Time: This time is designed to be a discussion driven lesson, every question can be answered by one or several students.You may need to supplement or change these questions as necessary for your group.You are free to use or ignore any resources (handouts, etc.) that are included with this lesson.
-When is a time that you have been disobedient?Why?What was the result?
oDon’t let this turn into a bragging session where students seek attention by one upping the others.Make an effort to cast all disobedience in a negative light.Look for stories that will demonstrate bad results for disobeying.
-Have you ever been asked to do something that was extremely hard…but good for you?Did you do it?What was the result?
oAffirm those students who are willing to share.Even if the students can’t think of a “positive” result for obedience, assure them that God knows and that is the most important thing.
-As a group, or in smaller groups, complete the “What’s the Story” handout.
oThe “problem” in this story is whether or not Abraham will obey
oThe “problem” is resolved when he does obey and God provides a sacrifice for him
oThe hero of every story is God, here because he provided for Abraham.On a lesser level, Abraham is a hero because of his obedience.Even Isaac could be considered a hero for his obedience.
-What do you think Abraham felt when God told him to sacrifice Isaac?How would you feel if you were him?
oEncourage the students to think of something or someone they deeply love.How would they feel if they suddenly lost it/them.
-What was Abraham’s response to God’s command?Why do you think he obeyed?
oHis response was complete and immediate obedience.He obeyed because of his faith in God (Heb.11).Try to ask leading questions so the students can discover this on their own, show them the Hebrews passage if you have to.
-Can you think of other times in Abraham’s life that he was obedient?
oWhen God called him out of Ur (Gen.12).
oWhen God told him to send Ishmael away (Gen. 21)
oHebrews 11:8-19
-Read James 2:21-22.
-How do you think Abraham’s faith helped him obey in this situation?
oBecause he believed that God was going to give him numerous descendants through Isaac, he was able to trust the Word of God even though he couldn’t understand how it was possible.He had to believe that God would keep his word and Abraham’s only job was to obey.
-Was Isaac an obedient child?Why or why not?
oIt would seem so (see above discussion).
-Do you think Isaac had faith in his Father?Why or why not?
oHe probably had faith both in his Father and in God.Apparently he knew that his father would never do anything to harm him, so he was willing to believe that whatever Abraham was doing was for his best!
-What are some things God wants us to do?
oTry to create a list of things that God expects everyone (or at least every believer) to do in life.Don’t push too hard, allow the students to name the things they are comfortable with because they are doing them.
-What are some things people your age do that is disobedience to God?
oTry to keep the focus on “people your age” not on “you” so they will be more likely to answer.
-How does disobedience demonstrate a lack of faith?
oAbraham was able to obey because he had faith that God would keep his promises.Disobedience would have demonstrated that he believed he knew a better way to do things than God’s way.When we disobey God, we are essentially saying that we know better how to do things than him, and we don’t trust him enough to simply do what he asks.
-Who do you need to obey?
oThe concept of obeying God may be a bit abstract at times because he doesn’t shout instructions to us from heaven.To make it more concrete, we can focus on the people God has put in authority over us.To obey them is to obey God.
-What are you going to do this week to obey and demonstrate your faith?
Encourage each person to develop one specific goal to help them “obey” this week.Have them write it down on their “This Week I will…” card.Follow up next week to see how they did.
[1] Boice, James M. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary vol.2.(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1985) p687
“How to Find the Perfect Mate” Genesis 24
The Story of Isaac and Rebekah
1. The process began with a commitment. (vs.3)
“you will not get a wife...from the daughters of the Canaanites”
2. The process was centered on a reliance on God. (vs. 12)
“O Lord,...give me success today”
3. Neither Isaac nor Rebekah chose to begin the process.
A. Rebekah’s life was getting her ready
1. she was responsible (getting water for the family)
2. she was generous (getting water for the servant)
3. she was hospitable (offering food and shelter)
B. Isaac’s life was getting him ready
1. he had left home (he was living in the Negev)
2. he was deepening his relationship with God
(he went out to meditate)
4. Both Isaac and Rebekah trusted the judgement of their parents
A. Isaac allowed his father to sent the servant
B. Rebekah went back with the servant
The story of You and ?
1. You should be committed to finding a mate that shares your values.
-either you will adopt your spouses values, they will adopt your, or
the marriage will end. (33% of converting them)
2. Develop a reliance on God before you develop a reliance on someone
else. (show video)
3. Live you life...it will prepare you for marriage
- if you sow excellence today, you will reap excellence tomorrow
4. Seek the counsel of your parents and others.
Jacob and Laban (Genesis 28-31)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week. Feel
free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story:
This is a fantastic story! Please try to read it through a couple times to become more familiar with the many
details. The closer you get to the story, the more you’ll be able to draw out of it for your students.
1. Jacob’s Family History
- Jacob left his home to go to his uncle Laban’s house because Esau was so angry with him. Remember,
the reason Esau was angry was because Jacob had deceived their father Isaac into giving Esau’s blessing to
Jacob. However, a close look at the story reveals that it was not Jacob’s idea, but rather his mother Rebekah’s.
Why does all this matter? We are very shortly going to see that Laban is a rather deceptive character himself.
Thus as we look at Jacob’s family history, we realize that his mother and her brother are both deceivers, but also
his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham had resorted to deception to preserve their own lives. Students
will very easily identify the character flaws that have been passed from generation to generation in their
families. This story is a great opportunity to challenge them to “break the chain”
2. The Deceitfulness throughout the Story
- We pick up the story after the story of Jacob and Esau, but one has to wonder if Jacob’s ability to
convince Esau to give up his birthright enabled him as a “liar”?
- In this segment of the story, Jacob, encouraged by his mother, first deceives his father to steal the
blessing from Esau.
- Once Jacob arrives at Laban’s house, he falls in love with Rachel. Laban deceives him into marrying
Leah first and ends up getting 14 years of labor from Jacob.
- Jacob makes a deal with Laban to divide the flocks with Jacob getting the speckled and multi-colored
sheep. However, he deceptively breeds the sheep so that the healthiest are born speckled and the
weakest are born to Laban’s flocks.
- As Jacob and his family flees, Rachel steals the family “idols”, then when confronted about it lies to
get away with it.
- As you think about the future dysfunction among Jacob’s sons is it a surprise?
- Ultimately as you look at this story, Jacob found himself in sever trouble with both Laban and Esau as
a result of his deceitfulness… Dishonesty may appear to put you ahead for a while, but it never works
out in the end!
3. Jacob’s deceitfulness demonstrated a lack of trust in God.
- Before Jacob and Esau were born, a prophecy was made to Rachel that the younger brother would rule
over the older brother. It appears that Rachel had a close relationship with Jacob, and one might assume that
she at some point told him of this prophecy. However, it appears that neither Rachel nor Jacob were willing to
trust God to carry it out. They instead reverted to deception to accomplish what they thought was best.
Anytime we are deceitful in attempt to better our lives or get out of a situation, we are in essence saying that we
don’t believe God can give us what we need. My dad used to tell me, “IT IS NEVER RIGHT TO DO WRONG
IN ODER TO DO RIGHT”. I’m sure that Jacob sometimes justified his deception by thinking it was necessary
to fulfill God’s prophecy about him. God never expects us to do something that is wrong in order to accomplish
something that is right! This is a difficult task for some students to grasp, but it is dependant on our belief that
God is sovereign and loves us. If he wants the best for us, and has the ability to do the best for us, we need
never believe that we need to be deceitful (or sin in other ways) in order to “save ourselves”!
Central Theme of Lesson: It is always wrong and always damaging to deceive ourselves and others!
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
- Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names. Take some time to make sure this is
the case before you move on.
- As a group quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers(or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick
to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
- Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
- Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week. Of particular interest would
be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
- Have as many people as desire answer the following “Would You Rather” questions. (Take time to
discuss their answers as possible)
o …be in jail and allowed visitors or deserted on an island in total isolation?
o …be a soccer ball or a football?
o …be cute and stupid or smart and ugly?
Doctrinal Time: This time is designed to be a discussion driven lesson, every question can be answered by
one or several students. You may need to supplement or change these questions as necessary for your group.
You are free to use or ignore any resources (handouts, etc.) that are included with this lesson.
- How do most people feel about liars?
o Allow kids to talk openly about this. Push them to think of people they have come into contact
with that were “known liars”. DON’T ALLOW NAMES TO BE GIVEN!!!
- Is there a difference between someone who is a “known liar” and someone who just sometimes
tells lies? Why or why not?
o Every student realizes that they tell lies, but they don’t want to be characterized as a liar.
However, there are some people whose lives are characterized by lying. Point out to the students
that people who are known liars often end up ruining their lives (if you can give an example
without divulging the person, go ahead) but they start out by just telling occasional lies. This is
why it is so important to gain control of this area of life at a young age.
- Assign one of the following passages to individuals or groups of students. Have them read it and
then present to the rest of the group the lies/deception that happened, and what the results were.
o Genesis 27:1-25; 27:41-43
o Genesis 29:14-30
o Genesis 30:29-43 (you may have to help with this one)
o Genesis 31:25-35
- Jacob deceived two people in these stories, one was his brother Esau and the other was his fatherin-
law Laban. How did each of them respond to being deceived? How do you feel when someone
deceives you?
o Help the students understand that deception hurts others. In this story Jacob destroyed his
relationship with two people because of his deception. Ask the students if any of them have ever
had a relationship destroyed because of deception.
- Why do you think the people in this story were constantly deceiving others?
o The students may have lots of answers. Encourage them to see that they were always trying to
make things better for themselves or get themselves out of trouble.
- Why do people your age deceive others?
o Odds are, the answer is the same. To either make things better or get out of trouble.
- Explain that God understands that lying hurts relationships and ultimately hurts us, that’s why he
tells us to be people of truth. Apparently Jacob didn’t believe that God could take care of himself
so he took things into his own hands.
- Ask if any of the students would be willing to give an example of a time they used deception to
either get out of trouble or make things better for themselves?
o Students may not answer this, so you might want to be prepared with your own example. If
students do share, question them about the consequences of their actions. Even if there are no
apparent “bad” results, point out that God is displeased and their credibility is at stake if
someone were to find out.
- Is there a difference between a lie and deception?
o Sometimes people use the truth to lie. They give just enough information to lead you to think
one thing, but what they want you to think is not true. This is just as wrong as a lie. The
standard is not whether you are saying “false things”, but whether you are COMMUNICATING
the TRUTH!
- Challenge each student to be aware throughout the week of times they might be tempted to be
deceivers and instead be truth tellers!
The Trials of Joseph (Genesis 37-40)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week. Feel
free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story:
This is a fantastic story! Please try to read it through a couple times to become more familiar with the many
details. The closer you get to the story, the more you’ll be able to draw out of it for your students.
Some patterns emerge as you look at the life of Joseph. Of course we all recognize that his life was
similar to a roller-coaster ride with all the ups and downs. One could organize Joseph’s life into three
major “downers” and the circumstances surrounding them. Of course, the story is not a depressing one
because it ends on and extremely high note, but for this lesson, we’ll concentrate on the bad things and
how Joseph dealt with them.
In each part of the story, Joseph is given a responsibility and carries it out admirably. Through no fault
of his own, he is mistreated by other people. Finally, in each episode, he rises above his circumstances
and is promoted to a higher level than he previously had been.
The first major “downer” in Joseph’s life is being sold into slavery by his brothers. Of course, this was
compounded by having been thrown into a well for a while before he was sold. As with the other two
bad episodes of Joseph’s life, this one started with Joseph being given a responsibility and carrying it out
well. His father sent him to find his brothers and check on them. Joseph dutifully carried out his
assignment, which placed him in the hands of his brothers who hated him. The only reason for the
brother’s hatred of Joseph that we can see is jealousy. This jealousy had nothing to do with anything
Joseph did, but ultimately it led to his being sold into slavery. However, Joseph made the most of his
slavery and eventually became the head of Potiphar’s house. Make a special note of Genesis 39:2.
The second negative episode of Joseph’s life is his incarceration. Having risen through the ranks in
Potiphar’s house, Joseph was again given responsibility. This time his responsibility was the oversight
of Potiphar’s entire house (this is probably better understood as a plantation rather than a simple house).
Again, Joseph carried out his tasks nobly. This time, again through no fault of his own, Joseph is
imprisoned because Potiphar’s wife accuses him of rape. For the second time in his life, Joseph had
been doing the right thing and the result was a very “bad” thing for him. Like before, however, Joseph
rose above his circumstances and eventually became a supervisor in the prison. Make a special note of
Genesis 39:21,23.
The third “bummer” for Joseph was being forgotten in prison. Having again been given a great
responsibility, this time as head of all prisoners, he found himself in a situation to provide service to
Pharaoh’s cupbearer. Joseph’s hope was that upon receiving his freedom, the cupbearer would tell
Pharaoh about him. Again, however, through no fault of his own, Joseph was forgotten and chapter 40
ends with Joseph still in prison, alone, for two more years.
Central Theme of Lesson: We should deal with trials by following the example of Joseph!
a) fulfill your responsibilities
b) don’t blame God or others
c) do the right thing…always!
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
- Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names. Take some time to make sure this is
the case before you move on.
- As a group quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers(or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick
to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
- Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
- Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week. Of particular interest would
be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
- Use the following activity for a “bond-builder”
o Have the participants close their eyes while you give instructions
o Tell the group members to line up—without speaking or looking—according to height. Have
everyone hold their hand up when they think the group is completed with their task.
o Repeat the game several times, having the group line up according to shoe size or month in
which they were born.
o Ask these questions:
What was the most difficult part of this exercise for you?
Why was it difficult to get started with the exercise?
What did this bond building activity teach you about communication?
o Briefly talk to the group about the importance of good communication (listening, being polite,
using appropriate language) and the harms of bad communication (ignoring, interrupting, etc.)
Doctrinal Time: This time is designed to be a discussion driven lesson, every question can be answered by
one or several students. You may need to supplement or change these questions as necessary for your group.
You are free to use or ignore any resources (handouts, etc.) that are included with this lesson.
For today’s lesson, pass out the handouts to the students. Break your group into three teams. Assign each team
one portion of the handout. Have them read their portion of the story and identify three things:
1) What was the responsibility given to Joseph in this passage? How did he do with it?
2) What was the bad thing that happened to Joseph in this passage? What did he do to cause it?
3) How did Joseph handle the bad thing that happened to him?
After all three teams have completed their assignment, have them develop a short skit to perform for the rest of
the group that illustrates their passage.
Once all the teams are ready, have each team present their skits, then discuss their answers on the handout.
Some of the teams may suggest that Joseph did something wrong to his brothers (tattle-tale, etc.) that
caused them to treat him poorly. Acknowledge that we don’t know if that is the case or not, but the
Bible certainly doesn’t tell us about him doing anything wrong!
After you’ve discussed each team’s answers, tell your group that you want to point out three things that Joseph
did that can help us deal with the bad things in our lives!
1. Joseph fulfilled his responsibilities. When he was asked to do something, he didn’t worry about the
consequences, he just obeyed his authorities.
a. Do we ever disobey because obeying might not be “pleasant”? What are some specific things
you need to be obedient in this week?
2. Joseph never played the “blame game” when bad things happened. Sometimes people immediately
blame God or other people when something bad happens. Instead of doing that, Joseph didn’t blame
anyone, he trusted God.
3. Joseph did what was right, no matter what! Sometimes the “right” thing to do seems to be the “hard”
thing to do. Even thought things were going bad for him, he did what he knew he was supposed to!
a. When is it hard to do the right thing? (school, peer pressure, parents are too strict, etc.)
b. What is something you know you should do this week that is going to be hard?
i. If the situation is right, take some time and pray about the things the students mention!
Exodus
God's Sovereignty in Exodus
The story of the Exodus fascinates me. It is impossible to read it closely without being impressed by the repeated statement that God hardened Pharaoh's heart.
In Sunday school we always learned that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. I'm sure that was just our teacher's misdirected efforts to protect God from the scrutiny that might follow if we had any inclination that He was somehow pulling strings behind the scenes.
Yet there it is, plain as day. In fact, God even tells Moses a couple times, "I'm going to harden Pharaoh's heart so that you can plunder the Egyptians, and so they'll know I'm God."
Of course, Pharaoh is out of luck in the whole deal.
In case you think I'm reading it wrong, check out Romans 9:17. Paul has the same take as me (while under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, even).
So...if God did harden Pharaoh's heart, does that make God responsible for Pharaoh's unbelief? hmm?
Here's a series of questions I'm working through related to this topic...
1) Is it okay for God to do something I deem to be "bad" in order to accomplish something I deem to be "good"? (ie. is it okay for God to use my suffering in order to make me more like him?)
2) Who gets to determine what is "bad" and what is "good"?
3) Is it fair to assume that God's ultimate plan for his people is "good"? Does that make anything we perceive as "bad" along the way okay?
4) Is there anything "too bad" that God cannot do in order bring about his ultimate plan?
5) Does God have an "ultimate plan"?
6) If God does not have an "ultimate plan" how do I now read Revelation?
7) Is it remotely possible that God hardens some people's hearts in order to bring about his ultimate plan? Is that okay?
8) Do I get to stand in judgment of God's motives or activities?
The Message God Gave to Moses
(Exodus 3,4)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story:
1. Israel’s Problem
- Exodus opens by telling us that Joseph’s descendents continued to multiply until they became a threat to Egypt.The text tells of a Pharaoh coming to power who did not know Joseph.(This is probably a reference to change in the Egyptian dynasty from one ruling group to another.)Ultimately, the descendents of Jacob were in Egypt for 400 years, most of which was spent in slavery.Because the Israelites were numerically threatening the Pharaoh demanded that the sons of all Israelites be killed.Into this environment came Moses, the deliverer.
1a.A Modern Parallel
- We, like 400 years of Israelites are born into slavery.Ours is not a literal, physical slavery but is rather one of sin.Throughout the New Testament, sin is referred to as a slave master and is spoken of as our master.Just like Pharaoh, our slave master drives us to death although the death brought by sin is immanently worse than physical death for it is separation from God.In a beautiful parallel, our deliverer (Jesus) came to earth in the midst of tyrant’s (Herod) demands for the death of all male babies (in Bethlehem).Like Moses, Jesus was miraculously preserved for the purpose of leading his people from slaver to freedom.
2. God’s Plan
- Exodus 3:7,8 gives us God’s plan for Israel.It can be divided into three aspects.First God hears and identifies with his people (vs.7).Secondly, he plans to rescue them (vs.8).Finally, he plans to bring them into a new land (vs.8).We see this plan carried out as God answers the Israelites cry by sending Moses to deliver them.He rescues them from their slave-master through the miracle at the Red Sea.Finally, he brings his people across the Jordan and into the promised land.
2a. A Modern Parallel
- God’s plan for us very closely mirrors his plan for Israel.While we may not have on our cried out for deliverance from slavery to sin, God looked down on us with mercy and sent his deliverer, Jesus.Through the miracle of the cross (notice the close tie of Passover and the Last Supper), he rescued us from our slave-master.Finally, he will bring our salvation to completeness when we cross the “final river” of death and enter the promised land!
3. Moses Response to God’s Plan
- God called Moses to be the tool by which Israel was saved.Moses was to be the messenger of God to the slaves of Egypt.He was to go to his own people with a message of hope and salvation, and he was to confront the slave-master with the truth of God.However Moses was afraid.As you read Exodus 3 and 4, you see several excuses Moses gives as to why he cannot fulfill God’s commission:
- Who am I? (3:11)
- What will I tell them? (3:13)
- What if they don’t believe? (4:1)
- I am slow of speech. (4:10)
- Please send someone else. (4:13)
3a. A Modern Parallel
- God calls us to be the tools by which people are saved.We are to be the messengers of God to the slaves of sin.We are to go to the people we know with a message of hope and salvation, and we are to confront those lost in sin with the truth of God.However, we are often afraid.Think about some of the excuses we often use to dodge the Great Commission:
- Why should I be the one doing that?I’m not that special.
-I really don’t know what I would say if I tried to “witness”.
- What if they don’t believe?
- Evangelism isn’t really my spiritual gift.
- I’ll support the missionaries, they can take care of it.
4. God’s commission of Moses.
- Read through Exodus 3 and 4 and make note of all the different responses and statements God makes to Moses regarding the job he had for them.God more than answers all of Moses’ objections!
- I am sending you to Pharaoh (3:10)
- I will be with you.Bring the people to this mountain. (3:12)
- I AM has sent you. (3:14)
- Tell them the God of their Fathers sent you, the elders will listen to you. (3:16-18)
- You will plunder the Egyptians. (3:22)
- the staff to snake miracle (4:3,4)
- the hand to leprosy miracle (4:6,7)
- The Nile to blood miracle (4:9)
- (Imagine God’s BOOMING voice on this one) Who gave man his mouth?I will help you speak! (4:11,12)(this one kind of parallels some of the dialogue in Job).
- Aaron will help you. (4:14)
4a. A Modern Parallel.
- How might some of these mirror the responses God might give us if we were to voice the excuses listed in 3a?
Central Theme of Lesson: We have been called to deliver the message of freedom from sin!
GROUP MEETING
Remember that you don’t have to do the three “Times” in order.Feel free to start and finish with any of the three elements that you wish!
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers(or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-Have as many people as desire answer the following “Would You Rather” questions: (discuss their answers as appropriate):
o…break a promise or break a heart?
o…win while cheating or lose while playing fair?
o…be wanted or needed?
Doctrinal Time: This time is designed to be a discussion driven lesson, every question can be answered by one or several students.You may need to supplement or change these questions as necessary for your group.You are free to use or ignore any resources (handouts, etc.) that are included with this lesson.
-What is the worst chore your parents have ever made you do?
oThis could quickly turn into a crazy time, so maintain control of the group after you ask this question.As you discuss the question with the group, ask the group if they ever feel like they are slaves to their parents.Discuss what it means to be a slave, and why it is such a horrible thing.
-Read Exodus 1:8-14
-What do you think it means to have a “bitter life”?
oVerse 14 says that slavery gave the Israelites “bitter lives”.Point out that the “bad” things in our lives don’t nearly compare to the harshness of slavery that was experienced by the Israelites.
-What do you think it would have been like to have been born into a slave family?
oWhile you discuss this question, point out that children of slaves really had nothing to look forward to in life.As soon as they were old enough, they were going to be slaves as well.How would that change the way you looked at life.
-Make a list of one word answers that describe how the Israelites probably felt when they were freed from slavery.
oLet your students work on this for a little while, they should be able to come up with several answers for this.The point is that this was an amazing change in their lives, they would never be the same again!
-Read Romans 6:16-18
-To whom/what did we used to be slaves?
oThe answer is sin.Talk with your students about what it means to be a slave to sin.Discuss the addictive nature of sin, and ultimately, the final result of sin (death).
-How are we freed from sin?
oJESUS!Take as much time as you need to in order to talk through salvation with your students here.Be certain they understand what it means to have Jesus set them free from sin.
-Read Exodus 3:7-10
-What did God want Moses to do?
oHe wanted him to go to Egypt and bring the people out of slavery.
-How can you be like Moses and rescue people from slavery?
oHelp the students if you need to, but ultimately they need to understand that by simply telling people what Jesus has done for them, they can help those people escape from the slavery of sin.
-Assign the following verses to different students.After each verse, have the group describe Moses’ excuse for not going to Egypt.Then have them tell how like Moses, they may be afraid to tell people about God.
oExodus 3:11
oExodus 3:13
oExodus 4:1
oExodus 4:10
oExodus 4:13
-Go back through those same verses and determine how God responded to Moses’ fears.Have the students discuss how God might respond to their fears.
oBe prepared to help them draw the parallels here.This can be a great time for them to understand the power of God in enabling them to do what he has called them to.
Explain to the students that just like God called Moses to do a special job, He has called each of us to do a special job.Finish this time by having the students reading Matthew 28:18-20 in unison.
Exodus 20 -- God's Family Became a Nation
As a group, read through the ten commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17)
The first four commandments focus on our relationship with God. Of these four, which is the most difficult to keep? Why?
How do you think the fourth command (vs.8-11) should be observed? Maybe you don't, talk about why.
How is the fifth command (vs.12) similar and different from Ephesians 6:1-3? According to Ephesians 6:4, what role do parents have in the fifth command? How have you seen these instructions violated?
The final five commands focus on our relationship with our neighbor. Of these five, which is the most difficult to keep? Why?
Read Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 33-37, 38-40. How do Jesus' words change the way you think about the commandments? Are Jesus' commands easier or harder to fulfill than Moses'? Why?
The final five commands seem to be focused on eliminating a self-centered attitude. How has focusing on your own desires, needs, and priorities caused you to break these commandments?
If you had to choose one of these commands (Exodus, Matthew, or Ephesians) to work on in your life this week, which would it be? What can you change to bring your life into more alignment with Jesus?
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week. Feel
free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story: This week’s lesson is a survey of the book of Joshua. You may not have time to
read the entire book in preparation, so try to focus your attention on the particular vignettes we’ll be
discussing.
1. Crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 3,4)
- The importance of Canaan to Israel went all the way back to Abraham. This was a major portion of the
land God had promised to Abraham, the father of Israel. Inhabiting the land was a crucial element in God’s
agreement with his people. Thus bringing them into the land was yet another evidence of the “covenantkeeping”
nature of God. In Exodus 3, God’s promise to Moses was that he would rescue his people, but also
that he would bring them into a land. In Egypt, a body of water stood between Israel and God’s promise of
Rescue. He miraculously provided, demonstrating that he alone was capable of fulfilling his promise. Over 40
years later, a new generation of Israelites stood on the banks of a body of water wondering if God would fulfill
the second part of his promise, to bring them into the land. By accomplishing a new task with an identical
miracle, God made it clear that he was the same God who rescued their parents and now was bringing them into
the land. For the Israelites that day, there was no question that God had every intention of fulfilling his
promises to them. To believe in a covenant-keeping God made all the sense in the world!
2. Conquering Jericho (Joshua 5:13-6:27)
- Having brought his people into their land, God now set out to demonstrate his provision for them.
Standing between his people and their promised land was the massively fortified city of Jericho. Rather than
setting forth a masterful battle plan for Joshua to follow, God gave rather strange instructions. By having the
Israelites march around the city repeatedly, God again was making it clear that He was the one who provided
for them. When the walls of Jericho fell, and the Israelites plundered the city, there was no question in
anyone’s mind who had won the battle. The Israelites could not help but recognize that God was not only a
God that delivered them from slavery and kept his promises to them, He was also a God that would provide for
their needs (and didn’t need their help to do so!). We must be careful not to ever become so “intellectual” about
the character and attributes of God that we forget to simply believe in him as our savior and provider.
3. The Defeat at Ai (Joshua 7)
- God’s instructions to Israel regarding Jericho were very simple. “Don’t take anything.” After crossing
the Jordan and watching the walls fall, it doesn’t seem too unreasonable that he desired his people to
acknowledge him by setting apart the spoils from one victory. After all, he had promised to give them all the
spoils from the rest of their victories. Unfortunately, Achan didn’t obey. It’s impossible to know why. Maybe
he just couldn’t resist the items he saw. Maybe he took them in order to give to someone else, justifying it as a
selfless act. Maybe he just didn’t think he would be caught. However it happened, Achan chose to disobey
God. The result was a devastating defeat at Ai. Don’t miss the significance that this was the first battle Israel
fought in their new land. As memorable as the lesson provision was at Jericho, this lesson on obedience must
have been burned into their minds.
4. The Gibeonite Deception (Joshua 9)
- This is a classic lesson on decision making. Rather than seek the wisdom of God, the Israelite leaders
decided that this was such an easy decision, they could make it themselves. The result was a lost opportunity to
possess more of the land. Sometimes we have a tendency to spiritualize certain decisions as requiring great
prayer and searching of the Scripture to determine God’s will, yet on other decisions, we give no consideration
whatsoever to what God wants. This was Joshua’s mistake. He falsely assumed that there were some issues
which were “secular” and could be made with just human wisdom. We need to remember that every decision
we ever make should take into consideration God. We need to develop a reliance on his wisdom (of course this
means developing life practices of pursuing his wisdom) rather than our own. When we rely on our own
wisdom the result is often similar to Israel’s dilemma with Gibeon, we miss out on something we could have
had, and are forced to live with the consequences for the rest of our lives.
5. The final speech (Joshua 24)
- As he approached the end of his life, Joshua called the Israelites together for one final time of
instruction. After reminding the people of God’s history of salvation and provision, he called on them to
recommit to faithfully serving him. Joshua posed this challenge in the form of an “if-then” statement. He
simply said, IF you choose to follow the Lord, THEN you must serve him only. The people were told to get rid
of all their gods so that their worship of the True God would be pure. If Joshua were speaking to us today, he
would certainly be calling us to faithful service as well. However, rather than telling us to destroy our gods, he
would likely call on us to reorder our priorities. Faithful service requires prioritizing obedience to God!
Central Theme of Lesson: The best way to live is God’s way!
GROUP MEETING
Remember that you don’t have to do the three “Times” in order. Feel free to start and finish
with any of the three elements that you wish!
Relational Time:
- Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names. Take some time to make sure this is
the case before you move on.
- As a group quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers(or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick
to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
- Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
- Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week. Of particular interest would
be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
- Have as many people as desire finish the following sentences: (discuss their answers as appropriate):
o If I had to spend 1 million dollars in one day, I would…
o If I could be any fictional character, I would be…
o If I only had 24 hours to live, I would…
Doctrinal Time: This time is designed to be a discussion driven lesson, every question can be answered by
one or several students. You may need to supplement or change these questions as necessary for your group.
You are free to use or ignore any resources (handouts, etc.) that are included with this lesson.
Today we will focus on the “Good Life”. You may want to take time before the lesson to point out that the good
life does not necessarily mean having a lot of money or a lot of things. It means being right with God. Of
course when we are right with God, we are content and fulfilled. Those are two things that money and
possessions can never bring, and until we reach a state of contentment and fulfillment, we will always be
searching for “happiness”. Thus a content and fulfilled life (caused by being right with God) is THE GOOD
LIFE!
- Divide into 5 groups and assign each group a portion of the “The Good Life” handout. (if you have
five or less in your group, you can do the whole thing together).
o Allow the students approximately 10 minutes to complete their assigned portion of the handout.
- Come back together and have each of the groups give a report on their answers.
o Be sure that each group summarizes their story well, help them if there are important elements
they are missing.
- List the five elements of the Joshua’s“good life” for your students, have them repeat them with
you.
o A promise-keeping God
o A provider
o Obedient followers
o Reliance on God
o Faithful service
o Point out to the group that the first two elements are descriptive of God and the third through
fifth are descriptive of Israel. Because God is a promise-keeping God and a provider, we can be
obedient and rely on him and faithfully serve him.
- Have two students give examples of promises God has made in the past that He has kept.
o These can be Biblical (sending of the Messiah, etc.), or they can think of more personal things
(all things work together for good, etc.). Be prepared with your own in case no one answers.
- Have two students give examples of how God has provided for them or for people they know?
o There are a lot of different ways students might answer this. It may even become a long
discussion if they are talkative. Don’t miss the fact that the gift of Christ is the greatest provision
of all!
- Pass out the “Good Life” cards
- Talk through each of the four activities for living the good life.
o Believe God
The first step to the good life is believing God for our salvation and provision. Just like
he rescued Israel from Egypt and provided for them at Jericho, he has rescued us from sin
and provides us with all we need. Trusting him for that is the foundation of the good life.
o Obey God
Because God takes care of us, it makes perfect sense to obey him. He has set up “rules”
for life which will help us to live the best possible way in the world he created. When we
choose to live outside his guidelines, we hurt ourselves, his creation, and other people.
Obedience to his way of life assures us of the good life.
o Rely on God
We must learn to recognize the importance of considering God’s will in every decision.
We never make a decision that shouldn’t be impacted by asking, “How would God want
me to do this?” If we make all our decisions by his wisdom we will find ourselves at a
very good place in life. When we rely on our own wisdom, we will quickly begin
making very harmful decisions.
o Be Faithful to God
Faithfulness to someone means not putting anyone or anything above that person.
Faithfulness in marriage is a beautiful example of that. A marriage that lacks faithfulness
is not a good marriage. In the same way, a relationship with God that lacks faithfulness
cannot be the good life. God desires us to place him in a position as our central priority.
When he has rule over every aspect of our life, we will live the good life.
- Challenge your students to choose one area of the good life that they need to work on this week.
Have them think of two specific actions they can take help them better live the good life! In your
prayer time, pray aloud for each of them to experience the good life in the coming week.
Joshua 1-7: God Provided a Land
Read Joshua 1:6-9. What things in life demand strength and courage?
How might being obedient to God be difficult sometimes? Why might fear keep us from being obedient?
Review the story of Rahab (Joshua 2:1-21; 6:22-25). What was the result of Rahab's obedience? (Notice the how she fulfilled the instructions given her by the spies) Did Rahab place a higher value on obeying men or obeying God? How might obedience to God sometimes require disobedience to men?
Review the story of Achan (Joshua 7). Achan's disobedience caused great pain for the nation of Israel. How might a person's disobedience to God cause pain and suffering for other people? Has your disobedience ever had a negative effect on your friends or family? How?
Talk about a time you've observed someone who was hiding sin or disobedience (maybe yourself). How does hiding our wrongdoings effect us?
What are some obvious examples of ways every Christian should be obedient to God?
What are some specific areas of your life you need to be more obedient to God? How can this group help you pursue that?
Judges
Judges 3:12-30 Ehud
This is a great story to show how God can use someone who is not
“normal”. Remember it wasn’t until this century that left-handed
people were viewed as okay. Even in the past 50 years, many
teachers tried to correct “left-handedness”.
Opening:
What is the one thing about you that makes you different from
everyone else?
Ehud’s left handedness made it possible for him to do this. Everyone
carried their swords on their left side (to grab with the right) so the
guards would have checked there to make sure he wasn’t armed. He
carried his daggar on the right side, so it was not detected.
Bible Study:
What did the Israelites do to become servants to Moab?
How long were they slaves to Moab? (this is longer than anyone in
the group has been alive!)
If you were to make a movie about this story, who would play
Ehud? Eglon?
What did God’s people have to do in order for him to send a
“deliverer”? (vs. 15)
How is this similar to salvation? (this is a good place to talk about
what salvation is and to reinforce the need for assurance)
How do you think God can use your “difference” to help His
people?
Share, Care, Prayer:
How can we pray for you this week?
Is there anything you learned this week that you are going to
implement in your life? Would you like someone from the group to
check up on you
Judges 11 Jephthah
This is a PG-13 story. But sometimes life is PG-13 and we need to
remember that God is still at work in a world like this. Since you can’t
read this whole story in your group, try to hit the high (or low) points.
(v1-3; 8,9; 29-40)
Opening:
What is something you have done that you later regretted?
Four things happen in this story, Jephthah is rejected, he is accepted,
he is victorious, and he is heartbroken. Kind of reminds me of life.
Remind your students that these are real stories.
Bible Study:
How was Jephthah treated early in his life? Why do you think that
is?
Why do you think the elders asked him to fight for them? Do you
think he had a reputation?
What was the vow Jephthah made? What do you think he thought
would come out of the house to greet him?
What do you think God wanted Jephthah to do in this situation?
This story can be approached a number of ways. Here are
some thoughts:
a. clearly Jephthah made a hasty vow
b. clearly God abhors human sacrifice
c. we don’t know why God didn’t step in as he did with
Abraham sacrificing Isaac. what we do know is that we
can see clearly that Jephthah is a flawed man.
d. one of the themes of Judges seems to be an effort to
show that all human deliverers eventually fail. Israel and
mankind needed a better deliverer.
Feel free to debate the issues in this story. Is it right to break a
vow to save a life, is it wrong to kill in order to keep your word
to God? These are difficult questions. However, stress the
point of this story, “we needed a deliverer who was not flawed”
He was yet to come.
What does this story teach you about making promises?
Judges 14 -- Samson
This is a great chance to use a familiar story to talk about parental
relationships. Most students struggle at some point to be obedient to
their parents. Just think of all the trouble Samson could have saved
himself if he had been willing to obey his parents at the beginning.
Opening:
What do you and your parents fight about the most?
Have you ever talked about dating and the opposite sex with your
parents? Do you agree about these things?
Bible Study:
What did Samson want his parents to do for him?
Did his parents want him to do this? (verse 3)
Why did Samson tell his fiance the answer to the riddle?
Do you know anyone who has done something they shouldn’t
because someone from the opposite sex wanted them to?
Did Samson get to marry this girl? Why not?
If Samson had listened to his parents could this have been
avoided?
Do you think your parents want what is best for you? Are you
willing to trust them when they tell things to do and not to do?
What do you need to do this week to make your relationship better
with your parents?
Share, Care, Prayer:
How can we pray for your parents?
How can we pray for you?
Ruth
Ruth 4 -- Ruth Marries Boaz
Ruth 4:1-22
It might not be bad to do a quick recap of the story of Ruth. It is a “made for
hollywood” story (poor girl endures tragedy, remains true to her loved one, meets
wealthy bachelor, lives happily ever after...)
It is also important that your group understands the “kinsman-redeemer” law.
Leviticus 25:25 gives the instruction for purchasing family land that has been
sold. Naomi sold the land to get money and Boaz wanted to buy it back.
Whoever bought it back, though would have to marry Ruth. Check out
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 to learn about the Levirite marriage law.
OPENING
When was a time that you took a big risk by asking for something you really
wanted?
Did you get it? How did you feel when you got it or were rejected?
BIBLE STUDY
What do you think were Boaz’s motives? (love, obligation, sex?)
Why didn’t the closer relative redeem the piece of land?
What risks was Boaz taking? (over-extending himself financially, endangering
his own land, adjusting to a new marriage)
Why was Obed special? (he kept a family name from being lost, he would
become King David’s grandfather, he brought joy to Naomi, he showed that
God always provides)
In the end, the whole community accepted Ruth. What do you think brought
her from being an outsider to being accepted?
How is Jesus kind of like a “kinsman-redeemer”?
SHARE, CARE, PRAYER
How can our group help “Moabites” (people who are outsiders) feel welcomed
by our church? (be specific)
Throughout the story of Ruth it is clear that God works through things we
think are bad. How has God worked in your life recently?
How can our group help you with a “bad” time right now?
1 Samuel
The birth and dedication of Samuel 1 Samuel 1:1-28
OPENING
What is the one thing you want more than anything else that you can’t have?
What would you do to get it?
BIBLE STUDY
What was the worst thing about Hannah’s situation? (inability to have
children, irritating rival)
Why do you think she wanted a baby so badly?
What was the best thing going for Hannah? (a loving husband, free time, her
faith, financial security)
In verse 18, why was Hannah no longer downcast?
When Hannah took Samuel to the tabernacle, how do you think she felt?
How do you respond when God seems to say “no” to what you want?
When have you felt like Hannah?
SHARE, CARE, PRAYER
Hannah dedicated her son to the Lord because she recognized that he had
been given to her from the Lord. What should you dedicate to the Lord?
What things are you wishing the Lord would take care of for you right now?
How can we pray for and with you?
God Calls Samuel
(1 Samuel 3)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story:
To really understand the story of chapter 3, one must have a working knowledge of chapters 1 and 2, as well as
some understanding of the book of judges.The material below will help you process that information, it will be up to you how much of this background you want to pass on to your students.
1. The Situation in Israel
- The book of Judges ends with the statement, “everyone did as he saw fit.”After going through a continuous pattern of disobedience, captivity, repentance, and deliverance; Israel was still full of lazy worshippers who only followed God when it was convenient.Spiritual awareness was at an all-time low, and national unity was virtually non-existent.The second chapter of 1 Samuel tells the story of a nation that is so fallen that the sons of the high priest are some of the wickedest people in the country.The result is a prophecy against the house of the high priest Eli that his family would die off shortly.However, as is often the case, when God sends a message of judgment, he also sends a message of hope.1 Samuel 2:34-36 is the hopeful prophecy.At first glance, it appears to be a reference to the coming of Samuel, but a deeper look reveals that it may be talking about David (the real star of the two books of Samuel), however, not being a descendant of Levi it is unlikely that David would be referred to as a priest.More likely, it is a reference to Christ, a priest in the line of Melchizedek!(If you really want to stretch yourself, read the entire book of 1 Samuel, seeing the parallels between Samuel and Jesus <beginning with their birth> until Samuel effectively establishes the kingdom, at which time he more significantly appears as the “counselor”…fun stuff comparing kingdom of Israel and kingdom of God!)
2. The Story behind Samuel
- Samuel’s mother is barren.This is an extremely common theme in the bible, beginning with Sarah (the mother of the covenant) and continuing regularly until Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist).Even Mary is “barren” in the sense that her conception, like all the others, is miraculous.While we might conclude many things from this pattern, what is clear is the sovereignty of God in carrying out his plan.
- Samuel was dedicated to God’s service even before his birth.Like John the Baptist who was set aside to clear the way for Jesus, Samuel was set aside to prepare the way for David (the king who is most clearly an OT foreshadowing of Christ).A clear lesson here is the importance of parental commitment.That may be a difficult thing to teach to kids, but this is an opportune moment to impress upon them the importance of being a good parent when they have the opportunity…
- Samuel’s parents fulfilled their vow.It was certainly not an easy thing to give up their son.Particularly for Hannah who certainly had most or all of her self-image wrapped up in her “miracle son”.However, she had made a promise to God and now fulfilled it.There are few things more dangerous than making vows to God and not fulfilling them, yet we too often callously look at our commitment to Christ as less than it really is.Just as Elkanah and Hannah completely gave Samuel to the service of God, we claim to have completely given ourselves to the service of God…but have we?
3. Samuel’s Calling
- When Samuel heard the voice of God, it was impossible for him to process the experience because he had never heard God speak to him before.But once he understood he obeyed!The depth of that is
phenomenal.Like Eli, our role is to help our students interpret their current experiences, to help them understand how God is currently working in their lives.Of course, it isn’t as simple as at was with Samuel, so we must make an extra effort to be in their lives, to understand their lives so that we can help them understand their lives.Particularly this passage is a great opportunity to help them understand God’s call on their lives.A simple theorem to go by is this, “Where God has called, he has gifted.Where there is no gift, there is no call.”Rather than making the “Calling of God” some supernatural and unexplainable thing, we can help students understand that the way God has gifted them is an excellent indicator of what God has called them to.
WARNING: We do need to be careful not to pigeon-hole kids into one or two life possibilities, rather our goal should be to demonstrate to them the wide array of things they can do, based on their giftedness, to serve and build up the body of Christ.
Central Theme of Lesson:God has called each of us to build the body of Christ.He has gifted us to make that possible!
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers(or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-Have as many people as desire answer the following “Would You Rather” questions.(Take time to discuss their answers as possible)
o…be in jail and allowed visitors or deserted on an island in total isolation?
o…be a soccer ball or a football?
o…be cute and stupid or smart and ugly?
Doctrinal Time: This time is designed to be a discussion driven lesson, every question can be answered by one or several students.You may need to supplement or change these questions as necessary for your group.You are free to use or ignore any resources (handouts, etc.) that are included with this lesson.
§As a group, read 1 Samuel 3:1-10
§Ask the students what stands out to them in this story.
oUndoubtedly, they’ll notice the repetitive nature of the story.If they don’t pick it up, point out to them the obedient nature of Samuel.Even though it was late at night, he was willing to immediately respond to whatever Eli wanted.
§Why do you think Samuel didn’t know God was calling him?
oProbably because he had never heard God call him before.If you heard a voice in your house calling you, you would probably assume it was someone who was in the house with you.
§How does God call us today?
oPoint out that since Christ came and then sent His Holy Spirit, we do not need God to reveal himself in the ways he did in the Old Testament.Talk about the way God calls and what we do to listen to him.
§Listen to preaching and teaching at church
§Read the Bible
§Spend time in prayer
§Seek advice from godly adults
§God had a unique job for Samuel to do.As a group, read 1 Samuel 3:19,20.What was the special thing God wanted Samuel to do?
oHe was to be a prophet to Israel.Don’t let the students miss the point that Samuel was more than just an ordinary prophet, he was the last prophet of Israel before the kings began ruling.He was the prophet God chose to help Israel transition into a monarchy.Even though we don’t often think about it, Samuel’s significance as a prophet may be secondary only to Moses.
§If you had to guess today, what do you think God is calling you to do?
oEncourage students to just guess, even if they don’t have a clue.Tell them that right now it doesn’t matter if they are right or wrong, you just want them to realize that God has something special for them, regardless of whether or not they know it right now.
§Pass out the “gifts and callings” worksheet (halfsheet).Tell students to fill in the first box by themselves.
§Once they’ve finished filling in the box, take a short moment for the group to point out to each student what they think their gifts might be.
oBe prepared to list a few gifts for each student just in case the group comes up with a blank
§Have students fill in the second box by themselves.While they do it, move around the group offering helpful suggestions to students who are struggling.
§Have students fill in the final box with one goal for the week.Challenge them to really search for opportunities to use their gifts to serve God!
1 Samuel 8 -- The Deliverer is a King
Read 1 Samuel 8:4-5. The people of Israel had never had a king, but wanted one to replace Samuel because they didn’t trust Samuel’s sons.Read verses 6-9 and put God’s response in your own words.
Why would it be difficult to have God as the king of your nation?Why is it hard to follow someone we cannot see?
Ultimately, Saul was rejected as king of Israel.Read 1 Samuel 15:22 to see why (the rest of the chapter is helpful as well).If you were to rewrite this verse for the church of 2007, how would you write it? (note: we don’t sacrifice anymore, so how would you change that?)What spiritual activities might get in the way of plain obedience to God?
When you think of King David, what are the stories that first come to mind?In what ways do you think of yourself like him?How are you not like him?
Quickly, make a list of all King David’s sins.How does this list make you feel about yourself?Why do you think God called David, “A man after God’s own heart.”?What would it take for you to be a woman/man after God’s own heart?
Although He isn’t sitting on an earthly throne right now, Jesus is still king of all creation.How should your life reflect that truth?What might you change this week to bring yourself more under the “rule of God?”
Saul becomes king of Israel 1 Samuel 9:1- 10:8
It might be a good idea to read through this passage on your own before class.
Then you can pick out the main parts of it that your group should read. That way,
they can still get the main ideas without taking the “group time” to read such a
long passage.
OPENING
What is the most difficult job you have ever been given?
Did you accomplish what you were supposed to? Why or why not?
How did you feel when you were done?
BIBLE STUDY
When God was looking for a king what was he looking for?
Since Samuel knew God did not really want Israel to have a king, how do you
think he felt when he annointed Saul?
If you were Saul, how would you have felt about being annointed king?
Israel was disobedient to God in their desire to have a king. How did God
make something good out of their mistake?
Did God give Saul the ability to be king? (verse 10:5-11)
SHARE, CARE, PRAYER
What do you think God wants you to do with your life? (it’s okay to not know)
Do you think that God will give you the ability to do whatever he wants you to
do with your life?
Are there things that God wants you to do right now? (obey parents, live holy,
etc... anything in the Bible)
Let’s pray that God will guide each of us to know his will and that he will give
each of us the strength to do what he desires us to.
David and Goliath
Samuel annoints David 1 Samuel 16:14-23
In order to have a better understanding of why David is being annointed, read
chapter 15 to see why God rejected Saul as king. This might be good
background to understand...
OPENING
When are you afraid of offending people?
What types of things have you done to try to avoid offending people?
BIBLE STUDY
Why was Samuel reluctant to visit Jesse? (he was afraid of offending Saul, he
was afraid of what Saul might do to the next king?)
How do you think David’s older brothers felt as they watched him get
annointed king?
How is God’s way of looking at us different than the way men look at us?
How do you usually judge people? (talents, appearance, character,
intelligence, accomplishments, possessions, etc.)
How do you want others to judge you? (God’s way or man’s way?)
What do you see in this story that reminds you of your life?
SHARE, CARE, PRAYER
Imagine that the person to your right has just been annointed king of the
group. What qualities do they have that would help them be a good leader?
What things does God see in your heart that you would like to change?
Let’s pray that God will help us to view others the way he views them, and
that he would help us to keep our hearts as he wants us to.
16:1-13 God Rejects Saul
1. Why God rejected Saul as king.
- In the previous chapter, God rejected Saul as king due to his disobedience.It wasn't the first time Saul had disobeyed, but in some ways it was the last straw.The story is a vivid illustration of the value God places on obedience.The familiar quote from this story is Samuel's condemnation of Saul, "to obey is better than to sacrifice."It's hard to know completely why Saul was given the kingdom when God knew what he would do it.One might wonder if it was not to provide a significant contrast to the kinship of David.It was not that David was completely obedient, but when he did slip into sin, he was always careful to repent appropriately.Perhaps Saul's disobedience standing in contrast to David's obedience was a warning direct from God to all the kings who would follow.That David is the standard for obedience is clear as you read the book of Kings and each king is evaluated based on whether or not he followed in the ways of his father, David.However, we explain the reign of Saul, there is no question that his disobedience defines him as the polar opposite of next king, David.
2. The village elder's response to Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 16:4 is almost humorous.Upon spotting Samuel, the elders of the town became afraid and met him to see if he was coming in peace.That they feared Samuel is a statement of two issues.The first is that Samuel had somehow gained a reputation of being dangerous.This is undoubtedly due to his many confrontations and condemnations of Saul.It is probably also an indication that the nation was somewhat aware that God had rejected Saul as king.The second issue is the spiritual state of the nation.When God's premeir prophet in the land is feared and not loved, it is an indication of spiritual apathy and depravity.Were the people in right standing with God, they would have thrown a party at the appearance of Samuel.The point of all this is that having a king did not solve the spiritual problems in the land.The role that David was to assume was not just as political leader, but there was a great vaccuum of spiritual leadership in the land.
3. God's standard of judging vs. Man's standard of judging
- Perhaps the most commonly quoted passage from this chapter is found in verse seven, "The LORD does not look at things man looks at.Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."There is a deep profundity to this statement (as one might expect, it being the words of God).We are so inclined in our nature to gain opinions about people based on externals.We seek charasmatic leaders, we want to be friends with the beautiful people, we place great stock in "first impressions", and we regularly spend more time improving our outward appearance than we do improving our inward appearance.The sad truth is that we very rarely spend time worrying about the things that God is looking at.
·Pass out the "appearance" worksheet.Have students fill in the amount of time they spend on each activity.
·Total up the answers on the worksheet and create averages for each category.
·Tell the students you'll come back to the worksheet at the end of the teaching time.
·As a group, read 1 Samuel 16:1-13.
·As a group, list five to ten key elements of this story
·What was Samuel's purpose in going to Bethlehem?
oHe was going to annoint a king.If you want to talk about Saul's lost kingdom, this would be a good place to do that.
·If you were going to name a king for America, what things would you look for?
oHave the students imagine that America is a kingdom for this question.Push them to give the honest things they would look for.
·What types of things do you think Samuel was looking for in a king?
oRemind the students that Saul was a handsome man who was tall and strong and a great warrior.
·Read verse seven.What kind of things do you think God looks for in a king?
oMake a list of the "spiritual attributes" of a good king.Encourage the students to really think these things through.
·What types of things do you think God looks for in you?
oRemind the students that he doesn't care about outward appearances, he is concerned with inward appearances.
·Ask the students how much time they typically spend in a day doing the following things:
oReading the Bible
oPraying
oEncouaging other Christians
·Remind the students of how much time they spend on their outward appearances (the handout).
·Point out that the amount of time we spend on our outward appearances is often far more than we spend on our inward appearances.
Challenge the students to take specific action this week to spend more time working on their inward appearance and less time on their outward appearance.
2 Samuel
The Ark moves to Jerusalem 2 Samuel 6:1-23
After re-uniting the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, David decided to bring the Ark
of the Covenant to Jerusalem so that it could be the central point in the nations
worship of God.
It’s a little difficult to understand why God killed Uzzah, but we need to
understand that God’s Ark was so holy because it was His throne. If the
Israelites had followed the proper instructions and carried the ark on poles this
never would have happened. The problem began when they chose to “do it their
own way” and use an ox cart to move the ark.
OPENING
What are some times that people do “good” things for the wrong reasons?
What are some “good” things that you have done for the wrong reasons?
BIBLE STUDY
What are your first impressions of this passage? (God sure is holy, God sure
is strict, God is unfair)
How could David have made sure this didn’t happen? (read 1Chronicles 15)
What are some “spiritual things” that people do for the wrong reasons?
What do you think was wrong with Michal? (she didn’t worship God, she was
embarrassed by David, she felt left out, she was jealous of the attention David
got, she didn’t think David should be king)
How do people sometimes act like Michal?
How do you think God felt about Michal? Why?
Which is more powerful, positive words or negative words? Why?
SHARE, CARE, PRAYER
Take some time to share positive words with everyone in the group
Have each person think about something that they have been doing for the
wrong reasons. Have silent prayer time so they can talk to God about it.
Have each person pray a short prayer thanking God for the person to their
right.
David and Michael 2 Samuel 6
1. David’s embarassing actions
A. . Sacrificed after six steps(v13)
His repentance restored him to a place he
could worship God.
Jefferson and Adams...best friends...unable to do
anything until friendship restored
B.Danced before the Lord with all his might
He put all his energy into it
SAVAGE WOMEN
C. Gave food to everyone who was there
Having restored his relationship with God, he
reached out to others
Mark 12:30,31
2. Michal’s reasonable response
A. “you’ve made a fool of yourself”
I don’t approve of what you are doing
ignore you, talk about you, laugh at you
B. “how could you take your clothes off in front of
everyone”
I’m going to look for things to pick on you for
you are not perfect, don’t pretend to be
C. “you acted like some pervert from the streets”
You’re not special
yes you are...
You are adopted by God, cleansed by Christ’s
blood, indwelled by the Spirit, assured of eternal life, free from the
power of sin, a priest, a prince, a future ruler of the world. If that’s not
special, I don’t know what is...
David didn’t care what Michal thought because he realized he
would be held in honor by those who were seeking after God
3. David’s extreme answer
HOW TO KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD NOT OTHERS
A. Remember who you are living for
“I wasn’t dancing for you, it was for God”
What other people think doesn’t matter
What other people say doesn’t matter
If you lose friends, it doesn’t matter
B. Remember why you are living for him
“I don’t owe you anything, I owe God
everything”
Jesus gave his life for you, what have your friends given for you?
Jesus can promise you eternal life, humans offer you temporary
popularity
Jesus can make you truly happy, humans can only offer
occasional laughs
C. Remember how to live for him
“I’m going to be even more foolish, I might even
humiliate myself”
The only way to live for Jesus is 100%
Either do it or don’t but don’t be caught in the middle
-bunny rabbit on the couldn’t decide
WHO ARE YOU???????????
Michal is a footnote
David is one of the most known men in the world
Absolom and David 2 Samuel 14:1-33
It might be wise to explain the happenings that led to Absolom’s absence from
the country. Chapter thirteen tells the story of Absolom killing Amnon because
he (Amnon) raped Absolom’s sister Tamar. He had been gone for three years
when Joab arranged a plan to get him home. Again, it might be wise to read the
chapter before hand and pick out the key passages to look at with your group.
OPENING
Tell the group about a time you “made-up” with a good friend or your parents
after a bad fight.
Have you ever been the mediator that helped two people make-up? Tell the
group about it.
BIBLE STUDY
Why did Joab devise this scheme? (He enjoyed playwriting, He knew it was
what David wanted, He was concerned about David, He didn’t want
Absolom’s absense to hurt the kingdom)
Why hadn’t David done anything about Absolom’s banishment? (He wasn’t
sure what to do, He liked others to take initiative, he was caught between love
and anger, he knew Absolom deserved death)
Do you think that Joab did the right thing? Why?
What could have been done differently?
Do you think the separation was more difficult for Absolom or for David?
Why?
Who do you like better in this story, Absolom or David?
How do you feel about the way the story ends?
SHARE, CARE, PRAYER
Have you ever been alienated from your parent(s)?
How is your relationship with your parents right now?
What is one thing you could do today to make that relationship better?
Pray that God will help each person in the group have a better relationship
with their parents.
2 Samuel 23:11,12 The Story of Shammah
1. What’s the deal with the field of lentils?
¨ a lentil is a little bean. It is used to cruch up and put in stew, soup,
and other things. Not especially tasty, but good for you.
-- Wasn’t it just a field of lentils?
-- Was it really worth dying for?
That was the attitude of the Israelites. Every year this happened.
Every year the Israelites let it happen.
-- BUT IT WASN’T JUST A FIELD;
IT WAS THE LAND GOD HAD GIVEN THEM
Dud Gift -- Coffee Cup with chicken boullioun cubes
Cool Gift -- Golf Clubs
The land God had given the Israelites was a very cool gift. They had
forgotten that this was the fulfillment of a promise made over 1000
years earlier (Abraham, Gen 13)
A field of beans is not worth fighting for, but something that
God has given you is worth fighting for, even to the point of
death
God has given every one of you a purpose. Think about this
question... “if you knew what God’s purpose for you was, would you
be willing to fight for it?...or would you go on living the way you are
right now?”
Shammah realized that God had given him
something...He was willing to fight for it, even if it meant
he would die.
2. What’s the deal with the Israelites?
A. They didn’t place enough value on the field of lentils.
- to them it was just a bunch of beans
B. They placed too much value on themselves.
SIN HAPPENS WHEN WE FOCUS TOO MUCH ON
OURSELVES AND NOT ENOUGH ON GOD.
They had forgotten what God had done for them...
* plagues in Egypt
* Walls of Jericho
* Gideon routed the Mideonites with 300 people
God had...
Freed them from slavery (it didn’t matter)
Given them their own land (it didn’t matter)
Rescued them from their enemies (it didn’t matter)
as soon as there was a little opposition, they ran
What has God done for you?
Freed you from sin (you don’t have to sin anymore)
Given you an inheritance (1 Pet. incorruptable in hea)
Rescued you from eternal punishment
So who are you like?
Are you like Israel? As soon as there is a little opposition you forget
what God has done for you? Where is your focus? On yourself?
-- Watching a movie/tv show that was dishonoring to God? Did
you shut it off or walk out? Why not?
-- Listening to a song that glorified sin? Did you shut it off?
Why not?
-- In a conversation that dishonored God’s creation? Did you
walk away? Why not?
-- Because it would not have done you any good.
FIGHTING THE PHILLISTINES WASN’T “GOOD” FOR THE
ISRAELITES, SO THEY RAN...
3. The “REAL DEAL” is that the Lord brought a great victory!
How can You Experience Great Victory in your Life?
1 Kings
Solomon's Prayer -- Chapter 3
1. God’s unbelievable offer to Solomon
It must have been somewhat overwhelming for Solomon to follow his father as the king of Israel.David, while only the second king of Israel, was unquestionably the greatest king of Israel.Under David, Israel expanded its borders and overwhelmed the neighboring countries, ultimately bringing a time of peace and prosperity to Israel.Solomon certainly understood that he would be expected to preserve this status and if possible increase Israel’s empire.
With these pressures on him, it makes sense that Solomon would begin his reign by seeking help from God.To do this, Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice to God.
WHY GIBEON? Even though David had brought the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem, much of the tabernacle had remained behind in Gibeon.Because Solomon had not yet built the temple, Gibeon was still considered the “most holy place” in Israel.The tabernacle’s original alter was housed in Gibeon, and it was on this alter that Solomon wished to sacrifice. (1 Chronicles 1)
Solomon’s sacrifice at Gibeon demonstrated his desire to honor God.Even though he was an extremely wealthy man, to offer 1,000 burnt offerings was still a large sacrifice.More importantly, to offer this many sacrifices would have taken several days.Perhaps the sacrifice of time that Solomon made, setting aside several days for nothing but making offerings, was the true indicator of his desire to honor God.
The offer that God made to Solomon was not necessarily a response to Solomon’s sacrifices, but the sacrifices help to show that God made him this offer at a time in his life when he was concerned with honoring God.At first glance, this seems to be the most incredible gift that God gave to anyone in the entire story of the Bible.His words to Solomon were, “whatever you want”.Can you imagine how you might answer if someone promised to give you whatever you asked for?Ultimately this is a question of priority.However Solomon answered God’s offer would be a very clear demonstration of what Solomon’s priorities for the kingdom would be.Solomon could have asked for military success, he could have asked for great wealth, he could have asked for world-wide fame; any of these would have been clear value statements.By making this offer to Solomon, God not only was demonstrating his great kindness, he was also helping Solomon clearly identify his priorities for the kingdom.
2. Solomon’s gratefulness to God
At the beginning of his reign, Solomon stands in stark opposition to David’s other sons.Absalom was rebellious, Amnon was immoral, Adonijah was power-hungry, but Solomon was humble, respectful, and spiritually astute.Rather than respond to God by quickly asking for what he wanted, Solomon took a moment to give thanks to God.Perhaps this is a good model for prayer?
Solomon first acknowledged God’s covenant with David.He recognized that he was the king only because God had chosen to place descendants on the throne of David.He secondly recognized himself as a fulfillment of God’s promise to David.While our position in time allows us to see Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, Solomon’s position in time revealed himself as the initial fulfillment of the covenant.Interestingly, one could (although this is a stretch) see some parallels between the inauguration of the initial fulfillment of the covenant (Solomon) and the inauguration of the fulfillment of the covenant (Jesus).As Solomon offered up burnt offerings (the expected manner of worship in his day), Jesus went in to the Jordan to be baptized (the accepted manner of worship in his day).As Solomon was offered anything he wanted (to demonstrate his faithfulness to godly rule), Jesus was tempted with similar promises (to demonstrate his faithfulness to his mission).
Having acknowledged his rule as a result of God’s faithfulness, Solomon then acknowledged his father’s faithfulness toward God.Probably, he was simply demonstrating his recognition that David was a good example of a righteous king and voicing his desire to follow that example.The key in Solomon’s gratefulness is his recognition that he has done nothing to deserve the high honor he has been given, but rather it is nothing more than a gift of God.
3. Solomon’s request
In verse nine, Solomon makes his request for a discerning heart, but before he makes his request, he acknowledges that he is unable to rule this vast kingdom on his own.Discernment is the ability to make a wise judgment. Solomon recognized that ruling a kingdom would require him to constantly make choices, some of which would be difficult and without a clear “right answer”.Thus he asked God to gift him with the ability to look deeply into the issues and gain proper understanding so that his choices would reflect what was best for Israel and what was best in the eyes of God.
I wonder if one of the reasons we often make poor choices is because we don’t realize our own ineptness when it comes to discernment.Far too often, we rely on our own wisdom and insight to make decisions and neglect to follow the example of Solomon.It should be pointed out that Solomon was likely not an “idiot”.Likely, he was a fairly intelligent man who realized that when compared to the wisdom of God, he knew very little.We also ought to recognize that compared to the wisdom of God, our own “intelligence” is very suspect.
4. God’s response to Solomon
God honored Solomon’s request by not just granting it, but also by granting the requests Solomon did not make.God promised Solomon long-life, riches, and power over Israel’s enemies.
Late in the chapter, Solomon wakes up and “realizes it was a dream”.This does not invalidate the story, God often spoke to his people in dreams.The fact that Solomon was world renowned for his wisdom and riches, the fact that he lived a long-life, and the fact that he expanded Israel’s empire without great conflict all demonstrate that God’s promises to Solomon were real and were fulfilled.
This is not an easy story to “apply” to ourselves.Such an encounter with God seems to be a bit outside our realm of experience.Here God was working with the king of his people, a man who was in some ways a foreshadowing of Christ.It should be expected that God’s interaction with him would be significantly different from the experience of Gentiles living in the church age.However, the nature of God is no different today than it was then, and God’s expectations of men are no different today than they were then.Thus, imbedded in this story are some good lessons for us concerning how we should approach God today.
Solomon’s approach to God is one that can be mimicked by us.He began his rule by offering burnt offerings.The burnt offering was to be offered as an offering for atonement of sins.Solomon was cognoscente that approaching God without acknowledging sins was inappropriate. (the scope of this action is truly understood when you imagine what it must have been like to be present at the slaughter of 1,000 animals; what a great illustration of the stench of sin)We need to be aware that an appropriate relationship with God requires an appropriate attitude toward sin.Solomon also acknowledged God’s sovereignty in his life.When we pray “your kingdom come, your will be done…” we are acknowledging God’s sovereignty.The depth to which we mean that prayer is tested when God’s sovereign action in our lives clashes with our sense of entitlement about our life.Finally, Solomon sought discernment.Proper discernment will allow us to appropriately interpret the events in our lives.Rather than always praying for deliverance from difficult circumstances or the outcomes we desire, perhaps we would be wise to pray for discernment so that we can better understand our life situations and respond appropriately to them!
If you discovered a magic lamp (like Aladdin’s), what three wishes would you ask for? (you cannot ask for more wishes)
Don’t spend too much time here, but allow students to interact with each other a little as they figure out there three wishes.
What values do you think you demonstrated with your wishes?
If the students have a difficult time understanding this question, use an example to help them see.You can make up and example or use one of their wishes to demonstrate how what you wished for shows others what you value. (Be careful not to embarrass someone by using a wish of theirs that demonstrates a bad value)An example you might use…”Someone who wishes for Krispy Kreme donuts every morning for the rest of their life demonstrates that they value breakfast, they value donuts, but most of all they really value FOOD!”
How is prayer sometimes like Aladdin’s lamp?
Sometimes people use prayer to just ask for all the things they want.Point out that it is not wrong to ask for things in prayer, God wants his children to feel good about coming to him with their requests, but sometimes we treat prayer as though it is nothing more than bringing requests.It is good to understand that there is more to prayer than asking for things!
As a group, read 1 Kings 3:4-14
Why do you think Solomon offered 1,000 burnt offerings?
Point out that burnt offerings were usually used for sin.Was Solomon such a sinner that he needed 1,000 sin offerings?Probably he was symbolically demonstrating that he wanted to be pure in God’s eyes, so he was making this huge sacrifice to show God his desire for purity.
Read Matthew 6:9-13
What words in the Lord’s prayer demonstrate a desire to be forgiven of sin?
This one is kind of obvious, “Forgive us our debts”.
How could we make this kind of attitude a part of our regular prayer?
Any time we approach God, we should be willing to acknowledge our sin and seek his forgiveness.
According to 1 Kings 3:6, who was responsible for making Solomon king?
The answer is clearly ,”God”.Point out that it was common place for kings in that day to make themselves look better by telling the people that they were the king because of their great power, or to tell people that they were king because of the greatness of their ancestors.Instead of praising his own name or his family name, Solomon praises the name of God!(if time allows point out the similarity to the Lord’s prayer, “hallowed be your name”)
When you pray, can you praise God for the things he has done for you?
The obvious answer is yes.Have the students give some examples of things in their life that they might be thankful for.
Why do you think Solomon asked for a discerning heart?
Explain that a discerning heart is simply the ability to understand and mike wise decisions.Let students give their own answers here, wait a few questions to really get to the heart of this one.
What other types of things do you think Solomon might have asked for?
Riches, Long-life, Peace, Military Victories, Fame, etc…
We’ll come back to Solomon’s request in a minute, when people pray and ask for things, what kinds of things do they ask for?
Help students to think beyond just possessions.In fact, most of the things in the previous questions (if modernized) are often things people ask for in prayer.
If you had great discernment, how might that help you if you didn’t receive the things you asked for in prayer?
Discernment can help you know how to handle difficult situations.If things aren’t going well, discernment can help you make decisions to either change things or handle them better.If you don’t receive something you really want, discernment can help you understand why it might not have been the best for you.
Which would help Solomon be a better king: riches, military victory, long-life, or discernment?
If students challenge that discernment is not the best, simply ask what good the other things are if you make bad decisions with them?
Which would be better for us: riches, popularity, long-life, or discernment?
Again, what good are the “blessings” if we don’t know how to use them, or if we make bad decisions with them?
If this is true, which is more important to pray for: the things we want or discernment?
Again, make it clear that there is nothing wrong with praying for things we want.God wants his children to come to him.However, we should be careful that we always pray acknowledging that God may or may not grant our wish, but asking that he will give us discernment to understand how and why he answers our prayer in the way he does.
Complete the teaching time by having your students write their own “Solomon’s Prayer” using the handout as a guideline.
Encourage your students to pray throughout the week using “Solomon’s Prayer” as an example.
1 Kings 12:1-24 Divided Kingdom
After David died, his son Solomon became king. Under Solomon, Israel’s empire
stretched farther than anytime in history. Solomon was not only the wisest man
in the known world, he was the richest. But he didn’t remain true to God.
Instead he worshipped the gods of his many wives and even built temples for
them. As a result, God punished him by removing most of the kingdom (Israel)
from his family. Only because of God’s promise to David did part of the kingdom
(Judah) remain in Solomon’s family.
OPENING
When have you felt you were being treated unfairly? How did you respond?
Who is someone that has given you good counsel in the past? What did they
tell you?
BIBLE STUDY
What did the Northern Tribes (Israel) want? (lower taxes, less work, a new
country, a new king, a fair king, a reason to rebel)
What was the advice of the elders? Was it good advice?
What was the advice of Rehoboam’s friends? Was it good advise?
What does this story tell you about the importance of who you get advice
from?
Who do you think was responsible for the separation between Israel and
Judah?
What role did Shemaiah play? Do you think he was right?
Do you think this story ends well? How would you have liked it to end? Why?
SHARE, CARE, PRAYER
Who are some adults you can turn to for good advice?
Whose advice should you avoid?
Lets pray that everyone in this group will listen to the right advice this week
Elijah and The Prophets of Baal
-- 18:20-39
1) Background
- Divided Kingdom
- Ahab
- worst king of Israel
- married Jezebel…BAAL
- killed prophets
- Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal
2) The Story
- Elijah’s challenge to the people
- How long will you waiver…
- Who is God (YWH or BAAL)?
- You cannot believe one way and act another. (right and wrong)
- The Prophets of Baal
- dancing and shouting (hours)
- Elijah’s joking
- Cutting themselves
- Elijah
- builds alter (reminder)
- digs trench
- waters the sacrifice
- prays
- Sacrifice is burned!
2) The Story (cont.)
- The people’s response
YAWEH IS GOD!
3) 900 Years Later on a Nearby Mountain
- If Jesus is LORD
- you cannot hate others, you must love your neighbor
- you cannot be dishonest, you must live a life of truth
- you cannot take revenge, you must pray for those who hurt you
- you cannot seek worldly success, you must work for the kingdom of God
- you cannot be a judgmentalperson, you must be concerned with your own actions
- you cannot allow anything to keepyou from following Jesus!
4) My question for you tonight is the same as Elijah’s question for the Israelites.
- Do you believe that God is real?
- Do you live like you believe God is real?
- Every decision you make, every action you take shows everyone what you really believe…
Wanting What Other People Have Will Get You In Trouble
1 Kings 21
1-This is a story within a story
a.It is ultimately about the fall of a dynasty
b.This is the “straw that breaks the camel’s back”
c.It is the illustration of how wicked Ahab was
2-The driving force behind Ahab’s desire for the field is convenience
a.He had plenty of fields
b.He was willing to pay for the field
c.He was even willing to trade another vineyard for it
d.The reason he wanted Naboth’s vineyard was because of its proximity to the palace
3-The pursuit of convenience is endless
a.Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
b.Stats about email and the internet causing a decrease in productivity
4-“Wanting What Other People Have Will Get You In Trouble”
(Why do we want what other’s have?Because we think some element of their life looks easier than ours.)
a.Unhealthy pursuit of convenience can lead to laziness
b.Unhealthy pursuit of convenience can lead to depression
c.Unhealthy pursuit of convenience can lead to coveting
i.Stories of Coveting
1.Achan (Josh.7)
2.Israel (Micah 2:2)
3.The “Rich” in James (Jam.4:2)
ii.Coveting is a denial of God’s provision (remember last week)
d.Unhealthy pursuit of convenience can lead to broken relationships
5-What is the solution to “coveting”?
a.Study the “unintended consequences” of your convenience
i.Is it at the expense of someone else?
ii.Is it at the expense of your physical or spiritual health?
iii.Is it sustainable or will it require “more” down the road?
b.Determine what you “really” need
i.Pray about it
ii.Read Proverbs (or other passages)
iii.Discuss it as a family
iv.Seek counsel from friends
v.Create lists of positives and negatives
c.Consider a “normative” principle for your life
i.Wesley
1.make all you can (without exploitation)
2.save all you can (live reasonably within your means)
3.give all you can
ii._______________________
Commit to stop worshipping at the idol of “convenience”
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Overview of Exra: Return from the Exile
When the Jews were carried off to Babylon, their Temple was destroyed. Without the Temple, they were unable to carry out the type of worship prescribed for them in the law. Upon their return to Jerusalem, rebuilding the Temple became a priority. Don't answer now, but think about some of the good things in your life that have been destroyed over time.
Read Ezra 3:10-13. Why do you think it was so important to the Jews to rebuild the Temple? What times and places in your life seem to be more "sacred"? What types of activities seem to bring you closer to God?
The rebuilt Temple was a source of bittersweet emotion. Why do you think some of the people wept when they saw the foundation for this temple being laid?
Read Ezra 6:14-18. Throughout the rebuilding of the temple, the Jews faced great opposition. What emotions do you think the people felt at the completion of their long project? Why is it satisfying to finish something that has been difficult to complete?
What are areas of your life which need to be "rebuilt"? What are the issues that present opposition to this rebuilding? How can you take a step toward rebuilding these things?
Read Ezra 9:1-4. By marrying foreigners, the people of Israel had broken one of God's most important rules. How do you feel about Ezra's response to this sin (v.3)? Do you ever respond this way to sin? Why or why not?
Why do we often not take sin as seriously as we should? What is the proper response for us to have toward sin?
Read Ezra 10:1-4. Shecaniah proposes drastic measures to correct the sin of the people. For the Jews, it was imperative to regain their status as the "called-out" people of God. They wanted to be separate from the other nations. What areas of your life are not as separate from the world as they should be? How can you begin the process of correcting these things? How can your group help you?
Nehemiah
Esther
Part One
Esther is not a story about a beauty pageant, nor is it a sanctified fairy tale heralding a role model for young Jewish and Christian girls. Rather, it is a historical account which chronicles God’s preservation of his people in spite of their unfaithfulness to him. Tucked into a period of history full of clashing world empires and upheaval of dynasties, Esther subtly reveals a creative God working out His own agenda through human actors.
The book begins during Xerxes' third year (1:3), approximately 483 B.C. , at a party the king is throwing. The next portion of the story takes place four years later (2:16). Haman's plot to destroy the Jews happens five years into Esther's reign as queen (3:7).
The story of Esther is not dissimilar to many modern fairy tales. A young girl rises from humble circumstances and becomes queen of the largest empire on earth. At its core, it is a fairly simple story. However, one must read between the lines to fully understand the story of Esther, and the author has given us many clues to enable us to do so.
Esther is littered with reference to dates based on the rule of King Xerxes. A closer look at these dates allows us to better understand the time frame of the story, and in doing so, better understand the story. The great banquet being thrown by Xerxes at the introduction of the book was likely a celebration of his impending invasion of Greece, a time to gather his military leaders together and unite them under his cause. The story’s four year interval before Esther meets the king coincides with the time Xerxes would have been in Greece. Thus the story of Esther falls into a time period of great upheaval in the world.
Xerxes’ failed campaign in Greece meant the end of Persian expansion to the West and sounded the initial warnings of a rising Greek empire which would shortly overwhelm the Persians. Many historians see the reign of Xerxes as a significant time period in the history of the world, and even a great turning point in the history of Western civilization.
The author of Esther seems to be telling us that even in this time of great world-wide events, the most important thing happening involved a people in captivity (the Jews) and the efforts of a man to wipe them from the face of the earth. Even more significant than Xerxes’ massive invasion of Greece, was God’s silent activity to preserve his people in the face of destruction.
Part Two
In most trilogies, the middle segment is typically the least powerful. More often than not, it is a bridge to move the audience from part one to part three. Usually part twos are full of character development, context setting, and necessary advancements of the plot lines.
This is no different. I posted part one of the "Esther Trilogy" last week. Later this week, I'll post part three (which is really where the best stuff is). But this is part two. It's a bit duller, more character development than exciting action. It, however, is necessary to move us to part three.
So, enjoy. Here's Esther: The Empire Strikes Back.
Even though Esther is the heroine of her story, we should be cautious about holding her up as a role model for young women. There are no "really" ideal characters in this story, and Esther certainly acts out a mix of good and bad. King Xerxes' beauty pageant was most definitely not an appropriate activity for a devoted Jewish woman, partly because of the immorality of it but also because it was not appropriate for a Jewish woman to marry a Gentile man. While Esther was very possibly compelled to participate, this incident is at best another element in a clear pattern of a woman who was content to be passive when given opportunities to do right. While we may appropriately admire Esther’s bravery going before the king, we must also observe that she was unwilling to do so for the sake of her people until she realized her own life was also at stake (4:14). Ultimately Esther did the right thing, however, even when celebrating the great victory of the Jews, she fails to direct thanks to God or even acknowledge his role in their salvation (9:29-32).
The greatest conflict in the story of Esther is between Mordecai and Haman. As with the rest of the book, the author places clues in the story to allow us to understand his deeper messages. Both Mordecai’s and Haman’s ancestors are identified in the book, Mordecai is a descendant of Saul through Shimei and Kish (2:5,6) and Haman appears to be a descendant of Agag the Amalekite (3:1). It appears that the author is drawing a parallel to the struggle between Saul and Agag from 1 Samuel 15. The task Saul failed to carry out, to completely destroy the Amalekites, is finally carried out, generations later, by a descendant of Saul who destroys the descendants of Agag. This ancient feud may account for why Mordecai would not bow to Haman, as the Amalekites were the Jews oldest enemies.
King Xerxes, although a pagan king, is seen rather favorably in this book. From the beginning of the story, he is painted as a generous man throwing a lavish party which lasted over half a year. This concept of generosity is seen throughout the book. As gratitude to Mordecai he honors him the greatest way he can, he offers Esther half the kingdom, and the epilogue in chapter ten states that he constantly worked for the good of all the people. Xerxes’ greatest shortcoming throughout the story seems to be his lack of discernment regarding those he surrounds himself with. The folly of his advisors at the beginning of the book is clear by the outcome of the book, and the level to which Haman rose reinforces the concept of poor discernment.
How does our understanding of these characters change our life? Here are a couple thoughts:
1. God uses broken people. He enacted his will in this story in spite of Esther and Mordecai not because of them.
2. God ultimately deals with his enemies, although not necessarily in the time we would recommend.
3. Generosity is a virtue.
4. Be careful whom you surround yourself with.
OT SURVEY PAPER ON ESTHER
Esther is not a story about a beauty pageant, nor is it a sanctified fairy tale heralding a role model for young Jewish and Christian girls.Rather, it is a historical account which chronicles God’s preservation of his people in spite of their unfaithfulness to him.Tucked into a period of history full of clashing world empires and upheaval of dynasties, Esther subtly reveals a creative God working out His own agenda through human actors.
The author of Esther never clearly identifies himself, perhaps because who wrote it is not important.The innate knowledge of Persian names and traditions seems to indicate the author was someone who likely lived in Susa and was familiar with the court life of the residents there.Some suggest either Mordecai or Ezra as possibilities, however, the conclusion one reaches is that the author doesn’t reveal himself because his identity is not crucial to the message of the book.[1]
The entire story of Esther takes place in the citadel of Susa, King Xerxes’ winter palace.The main capitol of Persia was in Persepolis, yet there is no evidence that Esther ever left Susa for Persepolis.This sole focus on Susa may suggest a solution to a historical difficulty regarding the story of Esther.Historians often question the accuracy of this book due to the naming of two queens, Esther and Vashti, which don’t appear in the available historical records of Persia.One might suggest that Vashti and Esther filled the role as Xerxes’ queen in Susa alone and thus are not included in the records from Persia’s main capitol in Persepolis.
The author of Esther identifies each portion of the story by placing it within the context of Xerxes reign.These dates allow us to place the entire story into the historical record we have of Xerxes’ activities.The book begins in the third year of Xerxes’ reign (1:3), approximately 483 B.C.[2], at a party being thrown by king Xerxes.The next portion of the story happens over four years later (2:16).Esther is then queen for five years before Haman hatches his plot to destroy the Jews (3:7).
Esther was not written as a history book.It is a theological document, however, there is no contrary evidence nor is there any reason to doubt the historicity of the book.The overwhelming amount of names of individuals, including lists of counselors and eunuchs in chapter one, indicates the author’s desire to be historically accurate.As described above, the dates throughout the book lend also lend to the credibility of Esther as a historical document.Finally, the author demonstrates a clear knowledge of the Persian society of Xerxes day.Several times couriers are mentioned taking decrees to all parts of the empire, this is a reference to the postal system created by Xerxes predecessor, Darius.[3]Multiple references to the records kept by the Persians identifies an insider’s knowledge of the keeping of court records.
The question is often raised regarding the legitimacy of Esther’s inclusion in the canon.The lack of any reference to God, or any other main theological themes of the Old Testament casts Esther as a unique book seemingly out of place. However, as I will discuss later, Esther does present some significant theological truths, and is a clear demonstration of God acting on behalf of his people in the midst of world turmoil.While impossible to know for sure, its inclusion is likely due to the books clear explanation of the Jewish holiday Purim, which is not mentioned in any other canonical book.
The story of Esther is not dissimilar to many modern day fairy tales.A young girl rises from humble circumstances and becomes queen of the largest empire on earth.At its core, it is a fairly simple story.However, one must read between the lines to fully understand the story of Esther, and the author has given us many clues to enable us to do so.
As mentioned earlier Esther is littered with reference to dates based on the rule of King Xerxes.A closer look at these dates allows us to better understand the time frame of the story, and in doing so, better understand the story.The great banquet being thrown by Xerxes at the introduction of the book was likely a celebration of his impending invasion of Greece, a time to gather his military leaders together and unite them under his cause.The story’s four year interval before Esther meets the king coincides with the time Xerxes would have been in Greece.Thus the story of Esther falls into a time period of great upheaval in the world.
Xerxes’ failed campaign in Greece meant the end of Persian expansion to the West and sounded the initial warnings of a rising Greek empire which would shortly overwhelm the Persians.Many historians see the reign of Xerxes as a significant time period in the history of the world, and even a great turning point in the history of Western civilization.[4]
The author of Esther seems to be telling us that even in this time of great world-wide events, the most important thing happening involved a people in captivity (the Jews) and the efforts of a man to wipe them from the face of the earth.Even more significant than Xerxes’ massive invasion of Greece, was God’s silent activity to preserve his people in the face of destruction.
Esther, her uncle Mordecai, and his rival Haman are the central characters of the book.King Xerxes plays a significant supporting role and several other people are mentioned by name in the book.
Even though Esther is the heroine of the story, we should be cautious about holding her up as a role model for young women.There are no ideal characters in this story, and Esther is certainly a mix of good and bad.The “beauty pageant” of King Xerxes was certainly not an appropriate activity for a devoted Jewish woman, partly because of the immorality of it but also because it was not appropriate for a Jewish woman to marry a Gentile man.While Esther was very possibly compelled to participate, a clear pattern emerges in the book of a woman who was content to be passive when given opportunities to do right.While we may appropriately admire Esther’s bravery going before the king, we must also observe that she was unwilling to do so for the sake of her people until she realized her own life was also at stake (4:14).Ultimately, Esther did the right thing, however even when celebrating the great victory of the Jews, she fails to direct thanks to God or even acknowledge his role in their salvation (9:29-32).
The greatest conflict in the story of Esther is between Mordecai and Haman.As with the rest of the book, the author places clues in the story to allow us to understand his deeper messages.Both Mordecai’s and Haman’s ancestors are identified in the book, Mordecai is a descendant of Saul through Shimei and Kish (2:5,6) and Haman appears to be a descendant of Agag the Amalekite (3:1).It appears that the author is drawing a parallel to the struggle between Saul and Agag from 1 Samuel 15.The task Saul failed to carry out, to completely destroy the Amalekites, is finally carried out, generations later, by a descendant of Saul who destroys the descendants of Agag.This ancient feud may account for why Mordecai would not bow to Haman, as the Amalekites were the Jews oldest enemies.
King Xerxes, although a pagan king, is seen rather favorably in this book.From the beginning of the story, he is painted as a generous man throwing a lavish party which lasted over half a year.This concept of generosity is seen throughout the book, as gratitude to Mordecai he honors him the greatest way he can, he offers Esther half the kingdom, and the epilogue in chapter ten states that he constantly worked for the good of all the people.Xerxes’ greatest shortcoming throughout the story seems to be his lack of discernment regarding those he surrounds himself with.The folly of his advisors at the beginning of the book is clear by the outcome of the book, and the level to which Haman rose reinforces the concept of poor discernment.
Several themes focus in the story of Esther.The most visible theme is that of reversal, particularly the reversal of man’s plans in favor of God’s plans.Related to this theme of reversal is several occasions where the counsel of men is frustrated and reversed.In contrast to the failure of men’s counsel, Mordecai’s counsel seems to alwaysbe successful.Finally, we can see several instances of people carrying out religious activities without ever acknowledging God.
The first episode in Esther ends with the “wise men” of Persia dictating a resolution that “every man should be ruler over his own household”(1:22).With this background, begins the story of a woman who manipulates her husband to meet the needs of herself and her people.
This over-arching theme of reversal is seen most clearly in the story line of Haman and Mordecai (to be explored in more depth later).The feud between these two men forms the majority of the plot in Esther, and three major reversals occur in their interaction.Haman’s edict against Mordecai’s family (The Jews) is ultimately carried out against his own family.Haman’s advice to the king regarding how to honor someone (Haman thinking it would be him) is carried out to honor Mordecai, humiliating Haman in the process.Finally, the gallows built by Haman to hang Mordecai are used to hang Haman.
Several times the supposedly wise counsel of men (men being the non-Jews in the story) is foiled and reversed for the favor of God’s people.The advice of the king’s wise men was intended to suppress women across the empire.It ultimately resulted in Esther’s rise to prominence.Haman’s painted the Jews as a dangerous group and advised the king to destroy them, of course the result was a decree that allowed the Jews to arm themselves and destroy their enemies.Haman, believing the king wanted to honor him, suggested an elaborate ceremony which ultimately was bestowed on Haman’s sworn enemy, Mordecai, by Haman himself.Finally, Haman’s wife suggested he take revenge by hanging Mordecai on a massive gallows.Ultimately, the gallows were used for Haman instead.
These failures of counsel stand in stark contrast to the success of the advice given by Mordecai.Mordecai uncovered a plot to kill the king and was able to save the king’s life by instructing Esther to report it to the king.Repeatedly throughout the story, Esther turns to Mordecai for advice when issues reach a crisis point.Each time, the advice given leads to success for Esther.Finally, the book closes with Mordecai sending instructions to Jews everywhere regarding the celebration of Purim.The implication is clearly that God was behind the advice of Mordecai, and thus it was successful.
An interesting theme, which will be developed more in my discussion of theology, is the absence of God.Several times in the book, the people of God engage in activity which is religious in nature such as fasting, mourning, and refusing to bow to men.However, in each situation, there is a noticeable absence of any mention of God.Even Mordecai’s well-known statement to Esther, “who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?” seems fatalistic without the mention of God.Whatever the reason be, it is clear the author of Esther went to pains to avoid mentioning God in the story.The possible reasons for this theme in Esther will be explored later when I discuss the theology of the book.
Some might argue that a book which never mentions God or other Old Testament themes such as covenant, temple worship, or the law is devoid of theological content.However, when read thoroughly, the lack of these speaks very significant theological messages to us.
The most significant theological theme in the book of Esther is the sovereignty of God.Even though He is never mentioned in the book, God’s creative activity is clear throughout as he moves people and events to accomplish his plan.Vashti’s refusal to perform resulting in her dismissal, Esther becoming the queen, Mordecai’s overhearing the plot to kill the king, even the king’s inability to sleep causing him to be reminded of Mordecai’s actions are all significant actions by God to enact his will.
A secondary theological theme in the book is God’s preservation of his people.Beginning with Abraham, God’s redemptive plan flowed through his chosen people.Repeatedly in history, this people had come under attack and been in danger of complete destruction.Always God came through and delivered his people.The situation in Esther is critical.The most powerful empire in the world has proclaimed an edict that all Jews are to be destroyed.The beauty of God’s provision in Esther is that it happens in spite of His people’s apparent neglect of Him.Perhaps this is the reason for the author’s avoidance of God in the book.Perhaps he is teaching an important lesson regarding the nature of God’s provision, it is not about the people, it is about the preservation of God’s plan.
One other theological theme that emerges is the concept of man’s agency.In a book that is largely about the unseen actions of God, it is impossible to escape the message regarding man’s responsibility.Even though God is clearly manipulating the action of Esther to work his plan, the means by which he works is clearly human activity.Mordecai’s wise counsel and Esther’s bravery are the keystones around which God worked in this story.While it is difficult to understand how God’s sovereignty and man’s agency can be intertwined, the story of Esther makes it clear that the two are related, that man does have a responsibility to act appropriately, even in a world in which a sovereign God rules.
Esther subtly reveals a creative God working out His own agenda through human actors.It is finely crafted story, entwining historical accuracy with tension filled drama.It tells the story of well-rounded and deeply symbolic characters and their activities in a time of world-wide upheaval.But ultimately it is a significant piece of God’s story, His story of redemption traced through His provision of a people He called to himself.
WORKS CITED
Howard, David M.An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books.(Chicago: Moody Press, 1993)
Hoerth, Alfred J., Mattingly, Gerald L., Yamauchi, Edwin M.Peoples of the Old Testament World. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994)
[3] Yamauchi, Edwin M.Peoples of the Old Testament World.114
[4] Howard, David M.An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books. 318
Job
Psalms
Psalm One
A couple of thoughts i had on psalm one today.
it's a psalm of contrasts.the righteous man is contrasted with the wicked man.
the righteous man is blessed, not so the wicked.
the righteous man delights in the law of the Lord, not so the wicked.
the righteous man avoids the influence of the mocker, not so the wicked.
the righteous man is fruitful and prosperous, not so the wicked.
in the end, the way of the righteous is watched over by God.
the way of the wicked is destroyed.
but what really strikes me as interesting is the reward for the righteous.
"the wicked will not stand at the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous."
if i read this right, it seems to indicate that while the wicked way results in judgment, the result of the righteous way is inclusion in the assembly of the righteous...
so the result of righteousness is inclusion and the result of wickedness is exclusion...
so the result of righteousness is being part of a community and the result of wickednes is being on your own...
lots of directions one could go with this one.
Psalm Two
How do you react when there is a conspiracy theory against you?
What do you do when people are plotting against you?
The Psalmist’s answer?
Remember that God is in control; Serve the Lord.
This psalm seems to be divided into two segments:
-What the Psalmist feels
-What the Psalmist is going to do
Note to self:It’s okay to have feelings.It’s okay to feel discouraged.It’s okay to feel persecuted.It’s even okay to feel hopeless.But hopelessness needs to lead me to hope.If there is not a God enthroned in heaven, hopelessness must lead to despair, because if I have no hope, there is no possibility of change.
But God is enthroned in heaven.In fact, He’s laughing.Because He’s in control.Because the things that terrify me and discourage me and depress me and seem huge to me are really just little, tiny issues to him.
So my feeling of hopelessness is okay, but it cannot last.Because God is enthroned in heaven.
So, I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
Let me sum up: I have hope because of the promises of God.Let me proclaim them to you.
I am his son.
I can ask for anything.
I have an inheritance.
I will join him in his kingdom.
Oh yeah, one more thing.There is hope, but there is danger.God’s wrath is shown to those who reject him and the care he has offered.I think that these are the people who rely on themselves.
His loving care, and His kind provision do not preclude his destructive anger.
THEREFORE…take refuge in him.
Psalm Three
Who do you run to when you are under attack?
More often than not, we first to ourselves, second to those around us who have bountiful resources, third to those we consider merciful, and finally, in a quivering mass of sobbing prayer we turn to God.
The Psalmist turned to God first.
“Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’”
I would never say such a thing…with my words.But when I fail to turn immediately to him, when I fail to trust in him, when I fail to seek his provision, aren’t I saying, “God will not deliver me?”
Ironically, God has a pretty good track record of taking care of me.God miraculously intervenes in every person’s life, every day in the same way; yet we fail to recognize it.He wakes us up.Every time I rise out of my state of unconsciousness to begin a new day, I owe that to God.We acknowledge it when we are young, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep”; but once we start authoring our own prayers, we quickly forget about God’s most basic daily provision for us.
The peace with which we fall asleep, knowing we will rise, is the same peace with which we should live our lives knowing that “From the LORD comes deliverance!”
Psalm 19 The Bible is revealed, we must listen to its source.
Key Teaching Text:
WPsalm 19
Key Thoughts for Discipleship Communities:
WWho is God?
WWhy is God’s revelation important?
WHow should I interact with God’s revelation?
Suggested Application:
WCommit to reading a specified portion of Scripture at least once each day.
Important Definition:
WThroughout this lesson, we will speak of “God’s revelation”.This is not a reference to the book of Revelation which appears at the end of the New Testament.It is describing the process by which God teaches about himself.This terminology assumes that everything we can know about God, we know because He REVEALS it to us.It may be important to explain this definition to your class to avoid confusion.
Section Two
Opening Thoughts:
WHO IS GOD?
Genesis is not only the first book of the Bible, it is the beginning of God’s revelation of himself.It is the place we first see His work, it is the place we first hear His voice, it is the place we first meet Him.“In the beginning, God…”
Our study starts in Genesis, because our understanding of God should begin with the recognition that He is our creator.The intent of this study is not to debate the theory of evolution, but rather to acknowledge that God, as creator, is distinctly different than us.Our relationship with God should reflect our recognition that He is the creator.Ecclesiastes 12:1 encourages us to remember him, or perhaps we could say keep him in the front of our mind.Deuteronomy 32:6 suggests that as creator he is deserving of appropriate behavior from us.Romans 1:25 teaches that as creator he is deserving of our worship.
A sharp distinction exists between that which is created and that which created.God is the creator and we are the creation, therefore, we are exceptionally dissimilar from God in many ways.Even though we are created to be his image bearers, we must recognize that His identity is completely distinct from ours.He exists in a reality that supercedes our own.This clarification is necessary to prevent us from fashioning a god that resembles us, values what we value, and is subject to our whims.
God is beyond our understanding.Through the use of science, our senses, experience, and other means; we can know and understand the creation of God.However, there are no means by which we can know and understand that which is not created.Thus, we are unable (on our own) to know and understand God.
The incomprehensible nature of God is touched on several times in Scripture.Isaiah 40 says, “Who has understood the mind of the LORD?”Job 38-41 goes into great detail to prove that God is far beyond our knowledge.Paul, in Romans 11, says “Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!”The conclusion of these passages is that we cannot know God.
Thus, we must rely on God to teach us who He is.God, at His very core, is a teacher.From the moment He created Adam and Eve, he began to teach them.Genesis 1 and 2 record some of God’s earliest teachings to humans regarding care for the earth.Even after they disobeyed, He returned to teach.Genesis 3 records his teaching them what the earth would be like as a result of their sin.Before Cain killed Abel, God tried to teach him to control his sin nature.Jeremiah 33:3 states that if we desire, God can and will teach us things we thought unknowable.No greater teacher exists than God, and no greater lesson has been given than his revelation of himself (the Bible).
Here is a quick review of what’s been said to this point.We have attempted to very briefly explore the nature of God.We have learned that God is the creator.We have seen that God is unknowable (unless he reveals himself to us).And we have discovered that God is a teacher, desiring to teach us truths about Himself and His creation.
WHY IS GOD’S REVELATION IMPORTANT?
Psalm 19 is a beautiful poem about God’s revelation of himself and his law.David begins by pointing out that we can see God simply in the order of nature (the rising and setting sun, the stars, etc.).The second half of the psalm extols the benefits which proceed from God’s written revelation (the law).The conclusion of the Psalmist is that God’s revelation should direct us into a life that is free from sin and pleasing to God.
God’s revelation (His Word) is how he chooses to teach us.In the garden, before sin, He gave His Word directly to Adam and Eve as they walked in the cool of the evening.Following the fall, he occasionally gave His Word to people through prophets.Finally, He sent the Perfect Word, Jesus.Then, the Holy Spirit moved men in a unique way to record God’s Word in order to explain how to live in light of what Jesus did and taught.All this simply means that the Bible we have today is God’s primary means of teaching us about Himself and about ourselves.
Sometimes we can find knowledge and wisdom from sources apart from the Bible.We read books, listen to tapes, search the internet to learn about a variety of subjects.This is how we learn about creation around us.However, it is not how we learn about God.God is outside of creation, we cannot know Him through sources within creation.We can only know God through his own teachings to us.Without God’s revelation of Himself, we cannot know Him.
HOW SHOULD I INTERACT WITH GOD’S REVELATION?
Psalm 19 lists four benefits we can receive from interaction with God’s revelation.The Psalmist writes that our soul will be revived, we will be made wise, our heart will receive joy, and our eyes will be enlightened.These are just a few of the many benefits we receive when we are willing to engage the Word of God and allow it to impact our life.
Of course the assumption is that none of these benefits can be had if we are not willing to make the Bible relevant to our lives.Verse 11 of this passage says that living by these principles will bring rewards.A reasonable assumption is that the rewards are revival, wisdom, joy, and enlightenment as promised before.Verse 14 suggests that our lives, particularly our words and our thoughts, will be pleasing to God when we are submissive to His Word (law, statutes, precepts, and commands).
Based on this Psalm, we can suggest that our interaction with God’s Word should at least consist of:
oReading and Studying the Word
oAllowing the Word to change the way we think, speak, and act.
Summary: (if you get these points across, you’ve succeeded)
Truth To Teach: God has revealed himself and his truth to humanity through the Bible.Without His revelation, God would be unknowable.
Implication to Consider: Because God has revealed Himself to us; we can know Him, His nature, and His will for us.
Application to Live: If we desire to know God, we must do so by engaging His Word and allowing it to change us.
Section Three
Suggested Teaching Outline:
Introduction:
- Tell a personal story about a time in your life when bad communication with someone else caused a problem for you.
- Explain that in any relationship, communication is crucial to proper understanding of one another.In our relationship with God, the principle is the same.If we are to understand Him, we must learn to pay attention to His communication with us.
- Say, “Today’s lesson will explore the nature of God’s communication, or revelation, to us.”
Teaching Points:
1)Using the term “revelation”.
Say, “Throughout this lesson, we will speak of “God’s revelation”.This is not a reference to the book of Revelation which appears at the end of the New Testament.It is describing the process by which God teaches about himself.This terminology assumes that everything we can know about God, we know because He REVEALS it to us.”
2)Who is God
- God is Creator (Genesis 1:1)
- This differentiates his nature from ours because we are the creation.When we fail to make distinctions between the Creator and the creation, we sin. (Rom.1:25 and surrounding verses)
- We cannot exist apart from the creator, but He exists completely apart from us.Therefore, He is unknowable to us. (Isaiah 40:13)
- God is Teacher
- God taught Adam and Eve how to live appropriately in the garden (Genesis 1:28-30; Genesis 2:15-17)
- God taught Cain how to respond properly to his anger (Genesis 4:6, 7)
- God promises to teach his people great things if they are willing to listen (Jeremiah 33:3)
- Apart from God’s teaching, we cannot know him.Say, “Because God is the creator and we are the creature, we cannot know Him.Because He is our teacher, He has made it possible to know him.”
3)Why is God’s Revelation important?
- We can know God through His revelation
- Psalm 19:1-6 describes His revelation in nature
- There are at least four things we learn about God from nature
- He is glorious (vs.1)
- He is creative (vs. 1, “the work of his hands”)
- He is knowledgeable (vs.2)
- He is reliable (vs. 6 – the reliability of the sun is a reflection of God)
- We can be changed through His revelation
- Psalm 19:7-11 describes the benefits God’s revelation holds for us
- There are at least five benefits listed (vs. 11 calls these a “great reward”)
- Our soul is revived (vs. 7)
- We are made wise (vs. 7)
- We are made joyful (v.8)
- We are enlightened (v.8)
- We are warned of our sins (vs.11)
- We can please God by paying attention to His revelation
- Psalm 19:14 describes the end result of interacting with God’s revelation
- Our words and our heart will become pleasing to God when we pay attention to His revelation
4)How should I interact with God’s Revelation?
- I need to read God’s Word
- take time to discuss the different methods people use to read the Bible
- suggest that there are several plans one might use:
- read a chapter a day (or 2 or 3)
- read through a book each month
- read through the OT or NT in a year
- read through the Bible in a year
- read a chapter from different books each day
- read for a set amount of time each day
- etc…
- I need to allow God’s Word to change me
- As I read, I need to constantly ask, “what does this mean for me?”
- According to Psalm 19, our words and meditation should be changed by the Word of God
- “words” means more than just what we say, it also means how we live
- “meditation” deals with what we are thinking about
- the idea is that every part of us is changed by the Bible
Closing Challenge:
--God has revealed himself and his truth to humanity through the Bible.Without His revelation, God would be unknowable.
--Because God has revealed Himself to us; we can know Him, His nature, and His will for us.
--If we desire to know God, we must do so by engaging His Word and allowing it to change us.
Section Four
Suggested Discussion Questions:
WIf you were asked by a stranger to describe yourself in just three sentences, what types of things would you reveal about yourself?
WWhat types of things do you think God has revealed about Himself?Why do you think He chose to reveal those things?
WWhat would we know about God if He hadn’t revealed himself?What would our world be like if God had chosen to hide Himself from us?
WWhat does Genesis 1 teach us about who God is?How does His identity as creator make God different than us?
WIn Genesis 2 and 3, God teaches Adam and Eve.In what ways do you think of God as teacher?
WRead Psalm 19:1-6.What can we learn about God from viewing nature?What are the ways that nature gives evidence of God?
WRead Psalm 19:7-11.What are some of the benefits of reading God’s Word?
WWhat do you think it means to:
-- “revive your soul?”
-- “be made wise?”
-- “give joy to the heart?”
-- “give light to the eyes?”
WRead Psalm 19:12-14.What do you think is the end result of spending time in God’s Word?
WWhat do you think is the difference between hidden faults and willful sins?How can God’s Word keep us from these things?
WWhat do you think verse 14 means by “the words of my mouth”?What about “the meditation of my heart”?How can God’s Word help us make these things pleasing to God?
WWhat are some methods or plans that people might use to read the Bible on a regular basis?
WConclude by discussing how people will read the Bible in the coming week.
Closing Thoughts for Discussion
God has revealed himself and his truth to humanity through the Bible.Without His revelation, God would be unknowable.
Because God has revealed Himself to us; we can know Him, His nature, and His will for us.
If we desire to know God, we must do so by engaging His Word and allowing it to change us.
Psalm 37
anyone who works in the people business has to deal with grumpy people.
i had lunch with an HR guy last week who confessed that dealing with people all day wears him out. The beautiful one grows weary of dealing with arrogant doctors and non-compliant patients. i know that teachers are often exhausted by the end of the day, not because of the good students, but because of the difficult ones.
this morning, i had a grumpy bear experience. i received a note from someone who had some "suggestions". okay, they were unfounded criticisms... not of me, just about the nature of our church in general, and maybe directed at some individuals within our church. i always struggle with what to do when this happens.
Proverbs 26:3-5 speaks powerfully to the tension i wrestle with in these moments. do i pull out the whip and halter, or do i silently let it go?
likely, i'm not the only person who struggles with how to deal with difficult people. so this morning's reading in Psalm 37 seemed like something i should share. it's a great guide for addressing the issue of grumpy bears.
vs 1,2:
Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
this seems so obvious, but it's something i don't think about very often. Verse two really becomes a theme of the psalm as he repeats it's truth in verses 10, 20, & 36. He uses other pictures to demonstrate the temporal nature of the wicked's reign. he refers to them as the "beauty of the fields" (which disappears every autumn), "smoke" (which vanishes quickly), and "a green tree" (which gets cut down). of course the point of all this is to encourage the righteous to take a longer view.
Matthew 5:5 says:
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
I've always found meekness to be one of the tougher Biblical virtues to define. In our "warrior" culture it is difficult to separate the concept of "meek" from the concept of "weak". I know that often the mental picture I have of a meek person includes a pocket protector and glasses with tape on the bridge.
however, reading a similar expression in Psalm 37:11 puts this concept into a new context for me:
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.
meekness is "taking a longer view". it is remembering the wicked will soon wither away.
it is choosing to "wait on the LORD"(Pr.20:22) rather than "draw the sword and bend the bow"(Ps.37:14).
not too long ago i passed on some advice to a friend who was struggling with a "difficult person". i told him (as others have told me) "keep giving him rope". i don't know where that expression comes from, maybe cowboys or fishing? but the idea in my mind was "people given enough rope usually hang themselves". this is probably a much more crude and human translation of psalm 37, however, it is good advice that i need to hear more often.
take the long view.
the fantastic thing about Psalm 37 is that it doesn't just leave us to figure out meekness/longviewing on our own. Verses 3-8 provide a checklist of sorts for those of seeking to build ourselves up in these areas.
while you wait on the LORD and take the long view, here's what you should be doing:
Trust in the LORD and do good
Dwell in the land
Delight yourself in the LORD
Commit your way to the LORD
Be still before the LORD
Wait patiently for Him
Do not fret
Refrain from anger
Turn from wrath
So... how do you deal with difficult people? Focus on the long term, focus on doing right yourself, but above all focus on God...
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
1:15 "Why Do Sick People Go to the Doctor?"
WWhy does a sick person go to the doctor?
WWhy do scientists research cures for diseases?
WWhy do people seek help when they’re depressed?
WWhy do we mourn at funerals?
WE ALL ARE SEEKING TO MAKE STRAIGHT THAT WHICH HAS BEEN TWISTED... (Ecc. 1:15)
Ecc. 1:2 – Meaninless, Meaningless…everything is meaningless
WWhat does man gain from work (is the twisted made straight?)
WEvery generation dies (is the crooked made straight?)
WNature continues on its course
oThe sun rises and sets
oThe wind blows along its paths
oRivers run to the sea
o(is the crooked made straight?)
WMan gathers knowledge through his senses
oEars see
oEars hear
o(is the crooked made straight?)
WThere is nothing new, everyone does what has been done before, everyone lives like someone lived before them
WTHE CROOKED IS NOT MADE STRAIGHT; EVERYONE DIES AND IS FORGOTTEN
WHAT IS LACKING CANNOT BE MEASURED… (Ecc. 1:15)
WWhen God is lacking, life is depressing
WThey cannot straighten what is crooked, because they cannot define crooked
WThey cannot straighten what is crooked, because they cannot define straight
WStraightness cannot be measured because straightness does not exist
WCrookedness cannot be measured because crookedness does not exist
WAll that exists are observable elements and processes; anything that isn’t observable doesn’t exist…(earth, wind, sun, water)
WEverything that happens is part of the observable cycle of life; there is no escaping it; there is no righting the wrongs;
IF THERE IS NOTHING BEYOND WHAT WE CAN SEE, LIFE IS DEPRESSING, THERE IS NO HOPE
CHRISTIANITY IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN WHAT IS NOT SEEN
WWe believe in a God that is just and righteous, therefore we believe that straight is morality and crooked is immorality
WWe believe in a God that loves his creation and created man in his image, therefore we believe that health is straight and illness is crooked
WWe believe in a God that
WHY DO CHRISTIANS LIVE W/OUT HOPE?
PRACTICAL ATHEISM
WWe live as if there is nothing more to life than observable elements and processes
WOur lives look no different than the lives of those who don’t believe…
GROUP DISCUSSION…
What are the ways Christians should look, think, act, and be different from those who don’t acknowledge God?
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
11:1-10 Christmas Peace
As a group, read Isaiah 11:1-10.Pay special attention to verses 6-10.
What do you think is meant by “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse”?
What do verses 6-10 tell you about the world once “Jesse’s shoot” arrives?
If world peace were to happen today, what would it look like?Would you describe it the same way as Isaiah?
The Jewish believers thought that the Messiah would bring peace when he arrived.What things did Jesus do to promote peace during his time on earth?
Should Christians be concerned about peace?Why or why not?
Can individuals live at peace even in a world that knows no peace?How?
What can/should Christians do to promote peace in our world?
Thoughts on Christmas Peace
Israel lived in a constant state of war.Even when Isaiah wrote, Israel had been destroyed and Judah was living in fear.
Throughout the 400 years between the captivity and Christ, Judea was the battleground of world empires. It’s clever locale made it a very desirable place to rule.
For the Jews, peace was a desperate desire for them
Peace isn’t something we lack so it’s not something we value.
God is a God of peace, he has called us to call others to a life of peace and to try to implement peace wherever we can
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Sovereignty in Daniel
I was reading through Daniel this morning, and as i worked through chapter one, i was thinking about all the things the author gave credit to God for.
"the LORD delivered Jehoiakim...into his hand"
"God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel"
"To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding..."
In each of these situations, the author is recognizing that God is active behind the scenes, sovereignly working out his will.
It might be a fun activity at the end of the day occasionally to write out a short summary of your day, like this:
went to church
dropped off Bailey and Maddie in Coopersville
cleaned out van
picked up light-bulbs at Walmart
helped dad tear out floor
helped Emma with beam routine
watched Liam's soccer game on video with him
went to bed
and then take the same list, and rethink it, finding God's activity in my own life:
The Lord provided a welcoming community of believers for me.
God gave my daughter good friends
God has provided transportation needs for me and my family
The Lord has given us more money than we need so we can purchase lightbulbs
God has given Emma and Liam great athletic ability
The Lord has provided a soft bed in a safe home.
Kind of creates a new perspective on life... and is a great way to prompt thanksgiving.
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach
This is a sobering list of the character traits required of those who seek to hold the office of pastor/elder. Obviously, it is an important list to me. However, it is worth pointing out that "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander." If living this way is worth my while, it's certainly worth any believer's while.
Paul told Timothy elders are to be "above reproach". I didn't think much about this until today. He didn't tell Timothy that elders are not to be reproached, only that they are to be above it. Check this out:
The definition of "reproach" is "to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure."*
The word Paul used which is translated by the NIV as "above reproach" was "anepilēmptos" (don't worry about pronouncing it, it isn't English). The idea behind it is that accusations and blame just don't stick. A great OT example of this kind of character is Daniel.
Daniel 6:4-5 says:
At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."
Basically, these men desired to "reproach" Daniel, but found him to be less sticky than duct tape which has been ripped off an ape's arm three or four times. So they did two things. They manipulated and misrepresented.
First, they went to the king and manipulated by appealing to his pride (whole sermon there) and convincing him to make a completely unjust decision.Second, they misrepresented Daniel as a threat to the kingdom.
The result was Daniel had pizza with the lions.**
So, I'm thinking... my role as elder/pastor (and your mission as Christ-follower should you choose to accept it) demands that I (we) be "above reproach". I haven't failed when I am accused of wrong-doing. In fact, Peter and Paul kind of suggest that might happen.*** The big question is, "Do people's accusations stick? or is my character such that people quickly recognize the charges as false?"
Certainly this is a reminder for me of two things:
1) I need not be discouraged when I am wrongly accused. God is a righteous judge, and there is no sin in being falsely blamed.
2) I need to live with such consistency of character that false accusations have no ability to stick. Even though people may manipulate others to turn them against me, and even though some may misrepresent me, my task is not one of self-defense; it is one of being consistently Christ-like. This is a very high calling.
*dictionary.com
** veggie tales
*** 1 Peter 2:11-12; 1 Tim 5:16
Prayer in Daniel
Daniel 2:10-11:
"There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks!...What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
Daniel 2:27-28:
"No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come."
How do we get from a problem no one can solve to a problem solved by God?
Daniel 2:18:
"He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of Heaven."
Daniel 3,6: Honor God Above All and In All
What commands of the Bible seem to be unreasonable or impossible to keep?How should we respond to these kind of difficult commands?
What type of situation (in America) might cause a Christian to be uncomfortable or endangered if they are obedient to God?
Read or recap Daniel 3 (the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.If you were to rewrite the story in modern-day West Michigan, what would be the image the boys were commanded to bow to?What are the things our society encourages us to honor above God?
Are there some Biblical commands you would be willing to compromise if it meant saving your life?Which ones?Why or why not?
Read or recap Daniel 6.Why do you think Daniel was so obsessed with his daily prayer time?Do you have any daily habits that are “can’t miss” times?Why or why not?
Why do you think Daniel was willing to die for something as insignificant as a prayer time?
What is a “small” area of your life that you need to demonstrate more faithfulness to God in?What actions can you take this week to accomplish this?How can this group help you
Daniel 4
Daniel 4 is a pretty funny story about Nebuchadnezzar going nutso. Wikipedia tries to explain why it might not be completely accurate, but they can't get away from the extra-biblical historical sources that say Nebuchadnezzar went through a "crazy" period of his life, and there are seven years of his reign where he is noticeably absent. I know Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source, but I'm just saying.
Daniel's Ups and Downs
Before he was Venom, he was Carter Duryea; a young, bright, upwardlymobile executive rocketing to the top of Teddy K's GlobeCom. Carter finds himself in the awkward position of being his girlfriend's father's boss, but the story isn't really about that tension... It's about rising to power, and losing it, and dealing with the loss.
Dennis Quaid's character begins the movie as an executive.
He's replaced by Topher Grace's character (Carter Duryea).
Ultimately Grace's character is replaced when the company is bought out.
Each time a main character rises to the top only to be deposed, they use the opportunity to learn the lesson that there is more to life than being on top of the heap. In the movie, this is contrasted with the "villainous" characters who lose all dignity when deposed of their position.
But all this talk about a movie is just an introduction, because in some ways this is the story of Daniel.
Daniel was a part of the royal family (1:3) in Judah. He lost that position when he was taken to Babylon.
He rose to power under Nebuchadnezzar and was placed over the entire province of Babylon (2:48). Apparently, he was swept under the rug after Nebby died, as Belshazzar had no knowledge of him.
But we was again appointed to be third in the kingdom by Belshazzar (5:29). However, that same night, Darius overthrew the Babylonian kingdom...*
We don't have anything that tells us what Daniel learned from this roller-coaster, but what we do have is a clear pattern in his life of simply being faithful so that when he was called upon, he was ready.
It's a good reminder to me that far more important than posturing myself to be at the top tomorrow, is taking care of my responsibilities today.
"I amassed silver and gold from myself, and the treasures of kings and provinces...I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me...Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecc. 2:8-11)
*the pattern does continue in chapter 6!
Hosea
Joel
Amos
The Shepherd and the Shoe
New month means new book. Matthew was great last month, but i'm really stoked about Amos this month. Providentially, it coincides beautifully with the upcoming Justice and Mercy series. As i was reading this morning, i really sensed my sermon for April 15 coming to me. I'm excited now. A couple fun observations from Amos 1&2.
FIRST:
I sense a bit of parallelism to Romans. I've never noticed this before, and i wonder if Paul borrowed a little bit. Amos spends the whole first chapter laying out God's condemnation of the surrounding nations. Certainly, his Israelite audience was nodding in agreement, relishing the just wrath of God on their enemies.
Then in 2:6 he says:
"for three sins of Israel, even four..." (picture the shocked looks...)
not too different than romans 2:1,
"you, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."
SECOND:
one of the crimes of Israel was:
they sell the righteous for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals.
hmm?
Amos 6:4-7
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory
and lounge on your couches
You spend a buttload of money on furniture
and spend most of your time sitting around
You dine on choice lambs
and fattened calves
You eat nothing but the most expensive
and somewhat unhealthy food
You strum away on your harps like David
and improvise on musical instruments.
You pretend to be "artists"
but you create nothing of substance
You drink wine by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph
You have no self-control
and spend all your money on yourself
but you aren't at all concerned with the troubles of others
Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
your feasting and lounging will end.
The result? your day is coming.
Your self-absorbed way of life will end.
Obadiah
Jonah
OVERVIEW OF JONAH: Why Jonah is a BAD Example
1) He wasn't willing to obey when things got difficult
in 2 Kings 14, Jonah prophesied that Israel would expand its borders. This certainly made him quite popular.
In Jonah 1, he refused to go to his enemies and prophesy a very unpopular message
2) He missed opportunities
Slept instead of helping the sailors
Silent when asked to call on his God
Silent when the sailors cast lots
Told the sailors he was running from God
3) He didn't repent
Sailors repented (1:16)
Fish repented? (2:10)
Ninevah repented (3:8)
God repented? (3:10)
Not Jonah (ch.4)
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
When is it okay to "give up on God"?
Habakkuk laments the spread of injustice and unrighteousness and wonders what God is going to do about it. God's response is that he is raising up the Babylonians to judge Judah.
The Babylonians are fierce and cruel, fearsome and frighteneing, faster than leopards, more ferocious than wolves, swifter than eagles, eager to destroy... They are sinful people who worship their own strength.
Habakkuk questions God's use of such people. He begs God not to "sit by in silence while they gobble down people who are better than they are."
I have to think if I'm living in Judah at the time, I have a hard time with God. Why would he allow these sinful heathens to overrun his own people. Knowing that God has several unfulfilled promises to my people, it might be hard to understand why I am watching the destruction of my land. It might be difficult to continue believing in the God my parents told me about in the face of such wickedness. Giving up on God would be pretty easy.
Of course, we have the bigger picture.
We know that in the end, it is the Jews who persevere and Babylon who is destroyed. But that didn't happen in the lifetime of many Jews. They died, having never seen the fulfillment of God's promises and having seen their homes wrecked.
God is still faithful. He says to Habakkuk, "At the time I have decided, my words will come true."
So many people judge God based on their own experience and the experiences of those around them. How ridiculous to think that we can determine whether or not God is just or loving based on what we have seen in our own 70-90 years... He's been "from everlasting to everlasting".
Some would base their belief (or lack thereof) in God on "the short view" rather than the "whole picture". They are like the Jewish person who rejects the LORD because of the fall of Jerusalem. Their faith was not faith at all, it was a "convenient position". They give up on God because what they once "believed" is no longer beneficial in the present moment.
They will never hear the words from Hebrews, "the world was not worthy of them."
just some things i'm thinking about...
Four Woes from Habakkuk 2:
"Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion"
"Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain
to set his nest on high"
"Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a town by crime"
"Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies."
Which one applies to you? The politician, the business man, the godfather, or the barkeep?
The Babylonians are Coming
In Habakkuk, the ultimate villains are the Babylonians who are descending to conquer Judah. They are the world's most powerful empire. Habakkuk's description of them makes it clear they are uber-evil. He concludes his description with this condemning statement:
those sinful people who worship their own strength.
This morning, I took some time to identify the underlying character issues behind the symbolic prose of this passage. I determined that the values of the Babylonians were as follows:
They were upwardly mobile.
They desired autonomy.
They were selfish.
They were greedy.
They were scornful.
As I looked at this list, the first person I thought of was Gordon Gecko. Maybe you don't know Gordon; he came to represent the "Wall Street Worldview" of the 1980s. Even though we've (mostly) rejected that way of thinking as immoral, I think in a way, these five values stated more softly might be pretty representative of the way we think "naturally":
We desire and pursue promotions.
We prefer to make our own decisions.
We look our for our own needs and desires ahead of others.
We like money.
We tend to avoid the "dregs of society" (yes Ravenna, I'm talking about you...)
so, in the end, i reached the conclusion that while i boo and condemn the babylonians... i'm not that different from them.
perhaps, my response should be that of Habakkuk's:
Please turn from your anger and be merciful...
The LORD gives me strength.
He makes my feet as sure as those of a deer,
and he helps me stand on the mountains.
I've Seen the Enemy... And I'm Just Like Them
Habakkuk: Why do you allow violence, lawlessness, crime and cruelty to spread everywhere?
God: Look and be amazed at what's happening... I am sending the Babylonians.
My guess is that this was not the answer Habakkuk had in mind. I think he was probably looking for, "I'm going to take care of these bad guys so that the righteous in Judah can again prosper."
What Habakkuk learned was that God's judgment is a terrible thing... and there is no one who does not deserve it. Everyone in Judah was subjected to the Babylonian conquest. Not just the violent, lawless, and cruel criminals. No one was exempt.
Sometimes I ask God why he allows certain people to prosper. I want him to bring judgment on those who are living (in my humble opinion) unrighteously. I especially want to see Him nail the people who have treated me poorly.
But...
Do I really want God to act "Justly"? 'cuz it probably wouldn't be great for me either if He did...
So, I need to remember that as much grace as I have been given, I need to learn to extend that to others... darn, that's hard.
a great example for maintaining perspective:
"Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Perspectives of the Four Gospels
i recently had a conversation with someone who is slightly antagonistic to my faith. in his mind, he struck a death blow to Christianity with his accusation that the writers of the Bible "can't even agree about what Jesus did."
of course, he's referring to the differing accounts of the four gospels. he's assuming (you know what happens when we assume) that if four different people give four different accounts of the same event, then the event must not have happened, or the accounts (at least three of them) must be false.
kind of like, if there are four different pictures of the leaning tower of pisa, then the tower must not be real, or at least some of the pictures must be fake.
four pictures.
four photographers.
four angles.
four perspectives.
result = fuller understanding.
Chapter One: Son of David, Son of Abraham.
Talk about your best memory of your grandparents (or some older relative). What is a positive thing (tradition, character trait, etc.) that has been passed to you from previous generations of your family?
Why do you think some people are so proud of their family's heritage? Why do you think some people aren't as proud of it?
As a group, read Matthew 1:1-17. Which names in this list stand out? What are some of the stories that come to mind as you think about these people?
Which of the characters in this list had a questionable past? Talk about the darker side of some of these people. Most of us aren't willing to talk about the "dirty laundry" in our family's past. Why do you thnk God wanted these people included in this list?
Read Genesis 12:1-3. How is Jesus the fulfillment of this promise?
The list of names in Matthew 1 begins with Abraham. Look at how many generations passed before God fulfilled his promise to Abraham. How does this list of names illustrate God's faithfulness?
Why is it so hard to wait on God sometimes? When have you been forced to be patient because circumstances weren't what you wanted? How did God work? or are you still waiting?
What is an issue in your life right now that you need patience in dealing with? How can the group help or pray for you in this?
Living in Jesus’ Kingdom
(Matthew 5:3-10)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story:
Like last week, this lesson will require a large amount of student involvement. It’s important that you have a good grasp of the material so that you can coach the students as they discover the appropriate responses.
The theme of this portion of the Sermon on the Mount (the "beatitudes") is the Kingdom of Heaven.We might infer that the entire sermon is the proclamation of a new ethic for a new kingdom, but we that is not quite as clear from the text.What is certainly clear is that the beatitudes are book ended by descriptions of the types of people who will inherit the kingdom.
The beatitudes are structured in a parallel format, each beginning with a blessing followed by a description of the person receiving the blessing, and concluded by a description of the blessing being received.Keeping in mind the book ended theme of kingdom, it does not seem like a stretch to say that the blessing of the kingdom is given to these types of people (poor in spirit, mourners, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted), and that the kingdom of heaven is described by each of the blessings.That is to say that the kingdom of heaven is a place of comfort, it is on the earth, it is a place of fulfillment, it is a place where all are shown mercy, God is there, and those there are the sons of God.
One big question about the kingdom of heaven is, "when is the kingdom inaugurated?".This is the great question of eschatology (study of end times), but is also a significant question for the understanding of this passage.Because time is limited I cannot fully discuss this issue, so here are some general concepts to consider regarding the kingdom of heaven.
- The kingdom of heaven is the same thing as the kingdom of God that is discussed elsewhere in the Bible.
- The kingdom will certainly be at its fullest during the 1000 year unopposed reign of Christ on earth.
- There are some significant passages in the Bible that seem to indicate that the kingdom has already arrived and that even now (pre-millennium) we are to be acting as kingdom subjects.
- There seems to be a clear reference to the inauguration of the "day of the LORD" (an indicator of the kingdom) in Peter's Acts 2 reference to Joel 2.
- The first and eighth beatitude reference the kingdom in the present tense ("theirs IS the kingdom").
- The second through seventh beatitudes reference the kingdom in the future tense ("they WILL").
How can we synthesize this apparent tension between a kingdom that appears to be in the future and a kingdom that appears to be now?It is just that.The kingdom has yet to come in its fullness.That will not happen until the second coming of Christ.However, it was the first coming of Christ that inaugurated the kingdom.Therefore, we are now living as subjects of kingdom that is not of this earth (in a philosophical sense not geographical or national), and a kingdom that is here and with force, but not completeness.The ramifications of this are great, but that discussion deserves more space than can be given here.
The beatitudes are an identification of how subjects of a "here but not yet" kingdom live.Each of the eight teaches us a characteristic that we ought to embrace in others and pursue in ourselves.
Central Theme of Lesson: Following Christ requires us to learn and enact Christ’s guidelines for life.
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group, quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers (or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-As a group, come up with five laws (and only five) that you would want in place if you were starting a new country.
Doctrinal Time: Because it would be extremely difficult to appropriately exegete each segment of this passage in just one week, this lesson will serve largely as a "survey".As a group, you will work through each beatitude, identifying the behavior, defining it, creating and example of it, and developing a life application based on it.You will probably want to spend the majority of your study time considering how to coach your group to develop solid examples and applications.(if you have object lesson ideas that will work, that is great1) The following chart will help you conceptualize each beatitude and will list a potential definition.
Remember, with eight beatitudes to work with, it will take you 30-40 minutes if you take just 4-5 minutes on each one!
What are the expected actions?
What do you think this means?
Give an example of these actions.
How can you act this way?
Matt. 5:3
Poor in spirit
Don’t have too high a view of yourself.Recognize that you are in a state of spiritual poverty
Matt. 5:4
Mourning
Be upset about your sin.Your remorse should lead to mourning.
Matt. 5:5
Meekness
This is not weak.It means to put others first, to not be selfish.
Matt. 5:6
Hunger and thirst for righteousness
Your desire for the things of God should be the most important pursuit of your life.
Matt. 5:7
Merciful
Mercy is giving someone what they don’t deserve, or not giving them what they do deserve.
Matt. 5:8
Pure in Heart
This deals with motives.Sometimes people do things that appear to be good, but they do them for selfish reasons.
Matt. 5:9
Peacemakers
We should be seeking peace not for ourselves, and not necessarily for “the world”, but more importantly for the individuals we come in contact with every day
Matt. 5:10
Persecuted
Sometimes when we do the right thing it costs us.We may lose friends or popularity, but Jesus says that’s not such a bad thing.
Jesus’ Rules for Living
Matthew 5:3-10
What are the expected actions?
What do you think this means?
Give an example of these actions.
How can you act this way?
Matt. 5:3
Matt. 5:4
Matt. 5:5
Matt. 5:6
Matt. 5:7
Matt. 5:8
Matt. 5:9
Matt. 5:10
-Challenge each student to follow Jesus by seeking to live by his rules of life.Remind them of the applications they came up with and encourage them to live them out this week!
5:13-16: Are You Any Different?
What is the most unique experience you have every had?What made it so unique?
As a group, read Matthew 5:13-16.
The theme of the three “pictures” used by Jesus seems to be focused on “uniqueness”.A city on a hill and a light in the dark stand out from their surroundings because of their uniqueness.
Give an example of a situation in which it would be good to be unique?
Why and how should Christians be unique?Are there times Christians should not be unique?How can you find the right balance?
As a group, read 1 Peter 2:11,12.The two key instructions of this passage are to “abstain from sinful desires” and to “live among the pagans (the world)”.Unfortunately sometimes Christians don’t quite get these two concepts right.Use the next two questions to talk about examples of Christians getting Peter’s instructions confused.
What is an example of someone who chooses to “abstain” from the world?
What is an example of someone who chooses to “live among” their evil desires?
The key is for Christians to find the balance of living IN THE WORLD while continuing to ABSTAIN from the sinful desires that come with the world.
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus contrasts salt with sand (sand is not good for anything except being trampled on).What is the major difference between salt and sand?If salt is not “salty” is it any different than sand?
Salt without saltiness is useless.What would it mean for someone to be a “useless Christian”?
Living in Jesus’ Kingdom (part two)
(Matthew 5:21-46)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Much emphasis in this passage is placed on Jesus’ “you have heard/but I say” statements.This is appropriate as these are great illustrations of the necessity to interpret God’s law appropriately.However, these statements do not serve as the teaching truths of the passage, rather they introduce each of the truths.To grasp the truths Jesus is teaching we must look at the “therefore” concepts that appear five times in this passage (vs.23, 29, 37, 42,46).Each of these statements teaches about a life characteristic that should be true of kingdom subjects.
Live at Peace:The first “You have heard/But I say” statement centers around murder and hatred.Then Jesus expands the application by talking about feuds that Christians have with their brothers.The connection between verse 21 and 22 is made clear by verse 23.There is no excuse for having feelings of ill will toward someone.Jesus makes it clear that worshipping God is impossible if you have hatred in your heart.Peace is so central to the life of a kingdom follower because it is the foundation of our salvation.The heart of the Gospel is that God in Christ made peace with us.Our sin causes us to live a life of tension, unable to find peace (thus all creation cries out for peace, because it is missing).When Christ intervenes in our lives and we become his followers, for the first time in our life, we have the ability to discover peace.Thus as people to whom peace has been given, we are to seek to live at peace not just with ourselves but with all those around us.It is the responsibility of a kingdom subject to bring peace into the lives of everyone he/she touches.
Live Purely:Jesus suggests, in verse 29, that it is better to gouge one’s eye out than to commit adultery.He is not calling for a group Cyclops followers.Rather, he is using strong imagery to convince us that adultery is a horrible sin, and we need to take drastic measures to avoid it.Of course, this whole discussion is predicated on his redefinition of adultery.In verse 28, he expands the scope of adultery to a lustful heart.What he is saying is that kingdom values (marital faithfulness) should infiltrate every area of our life so that our actions and words are consistent reflections of our thoughts and motives.Do not forget, however, the lengths to which we need to go to make this happen.Jesus’ suggestion is that we need to be drastically committed to ridding ourselves of these inconsistencies and impurities.Very specifically here, Jesus is teaching that not just our actions need to be pure, but we need to take drastic measures to ensure that our words, our thoughts, our motives, everything reflects the appropriate level of purity for one who has been redeemed.
Live Honestly: Jesus emphasizes the importance of commitment in verses 31,32.He is speaking in the context of marriage and divorce, but the deeper issue is one of keeping one’s commitments.This is magnified in the following verses about oaths.The teachers of Jesus’ day would tell people that if the “swore” an oath they couldn’t go back on their word, and if they swore an oath to God (“I swear on the Bible”) it was even more meaningful.Jesus said that this was ridiculous.If someone is an honest person, they will believed even without swearing, and if they are a dishonest person, they will not be believed even if they do “swear” on something.Therefore, says Jesus, your lifestyle should be one of complete honesty so that you do not have to swear oaths in order to be believed.
Live Generously: Revenge is often the most justified act of anger by sinners.When we feel someone has wronged us, we are far more likely to feel okay about hurting them back.Jesus, however, taught that rather than seek revenge for those who have wronged us, we ought to seek to benefit them.True generosity is giving sacrificially, and the greatest sacrifice of all is self-sacrifice.Jesus wanted his followers to learn to sacrifice their sense of pride and entitlement (the root causes of revenge and anger) so that they could willingly give not just to their friends, but to their enemies.This is, of course, love enacted.
Live Love: It is very easy to love the people who love us.It is just as easy to view the people who don’t love us as “bad” people.Such thinking is an attempt to place ourselves in God’s position.It is His responsibility to judge between men, he has given us just one simple task, LOVE.Verses 46,47 give a profound truth.It is no big deal to love those who are good to you, even the unsaved do that.In fact, says Jesus, if you only love those who are good to you, how are you any different from the world?The character trait that defines us subjects of Christ’s kingdom is that we love those who are evil toward us!
Central Theme of Lesson: Following Christ requires us to learn and enact Christ’s guidelines for life.
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group, quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers (or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-Have everyone in the group answer the following questions: “What is the worst advice you have ever been given?Did you follow it?What is the worst advice you have ever given?Was it followed?”
Doctrinal Time:
-Break into groups of two (if you have too few students have them do this individually)
-Assign each group of two one of the following passages.Have them read it and study it and be ready to come back to the group with answers to the questions below.
oPassages: Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 5:27-30; Matthew 5:33-37; Matthew 5:38-42; Matthew 5:43-47
oQuestions for each group:
§What was it that the people had heard taught in the past?
§How did Jesus change that teaching?
§What is an example of you might obey this teaching in your life?
-After each group presents, have the rest of the class add any comments or examples they might have.
-Use your own study and the study notes above to fill in whatever the students may have missed.
-After all the groups have presented, make a list of the “Five ways we should live”
o1. Live at Peace
o2. Live Purely
o3. Live Honestly
o4. Live Generously
o5. Live Love
-Ask the students which of these five will be the easiest for them to do.Ask why.
oAllow as many students who are willing to answer the opportunity to do so.As each gives their answer, encourage them to follow through in the following week.
-Ask the students which of these five will be the most difficult for them to do.Ask why.
oAgain, allow as many to answer as are willing.They may not be as quick to answer on this one, so be prepared to answer for yourself to get the conversation flowing.Try to probe their answers a bit and help them to understand what “problem areas” of their life might be revealed by this exercise.Encourage them to work at these areas.
-Take a moment and pray out loud for each of the students who responded in this area.Pray for them specifically by name and in detail about their “difficult area”.Pray also for those who didn’t answer, knowing they also have struggles.
-Ask the students to each give a specific example of how someone their age might live out one of these ways of Living.
-Challenge each student to follow Jesus by seeking to live by his rules of life.Remind them of the applications they came up with and encourage them to live them out this week!
Prayer (6:1-18)
WARM-UP:
·Describe your home growing up.Was your families religion an open matter, or was religion something that was expected to be private and not discussed?
·Were you taught any prayers as a child?Can you still recite any of them?
BIBLE STUDY:
·How had the Scribes and Pharisees corrupted the act of giving to the poor?What was their motivation?What was their reward?
·How does their hypocrisy contrast with genuine concern for the poor?
·How does their hypocrisy affect their prayer?
·How does their reward contrast with that of those who pray sincerely?
·Why did Jesus warn his followers to avoid wordiness?
·In Jesus’ model prayer, what three concerns related to god did he pray about first?What personal concerns followed?
·What is the relationship between forgiveness and prayer?
·If our Father knows what we need before we ask, why pray?
·How does the fasting of Jesus’ disciples contrast with that of the religious leaders?Why?Why fast?
APPLY:
·What religious disciplines are valued in your circles?In what way can they be used to impress others?How can you avoid that temptation?
·Do you tend to join in with public religious displays, or do you avoid them?Why?Give some examples?
·What disciplines (fasting, praying, giving, etc.) should be done publically?Privately?Why?
·What is the appropriate attitude for engaging in these types of disciplines?
What is the value of these kinds of disciplines?
7:1-5: What's That In Your Eye?
Together, read Matthew 7:1-5.
When Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”, do you think he meant men will judge us or God will judge us?Why? (can you say “both”?)
How have you heard or seen people use verse 3 wrongly? (perhaps in self-defense?)
Consider three possible reasons someone might take a judgmental attitude toward others:
To feel better about themselves
To avoid thinking about their own faults
Because they see similar weaknesses in themselves
Have you ever been judgmental toward someone for one of these reasons?Talk about how you could have done it differently.
Does this passage mean we should never approach or confront someone who is doing something wrong?Why or why not?
Read the following passages and talk about what they teach us regarding confrontation:
Proverbs 9:8
Proverbs 13:1
Proverbs 25:12
Proverbs 28:23
As a group develop some guidelines for “healthy confrontation”.
What are the “planks in your eye” (some areas in your life that you need to correct)?
Got Faith? (ch.8-9)
Matthew 8 and early 9 focus on faith. Matthew gives us several snippets of encounters between Jesus and people who did and didn't have faith. it's interesting to see who had and who didn't.
HAD FAITH
- leper (AIDS?)
- Centurian (arab?)
- mother-in-law (mother-in-law) *too funny!*
- Demon possessed man (criminal?)
- Paralytic (handicapped?)
DIDN'T HAVE FAITH
- teacher of the law (me?)
- disciples (me?)
don't put too much stock in the parenthetical additions, unless you want to. it helps me get a better idea of who Jesus is, who I am, and who those around me are.
The Parable of the Talents (ch.25)
the funny thing about this parable is that it always bothered me a little growing up. i was raised in a family where we "saved". because we didn't have a lot (our school lunches were peanut-butter OR jelly sandwiches. and we got one potato chip each. on good days we got half a cookie), the importance of frugality was deeply impressed on us. that meant saving as much as we could.
so when i read the parable about these three guys, i assumed the guy who buried the money was the hero. after all, he didn't take a risk he made absolutely sure that his master would get his money back safely. so i couldn't understand why the master was so mad. sure, the other guys had made money, but they had also taken risks; and it wasn't like the third one had lost any money, he just hadn't made a profit.
on the other side are my brothers who are big into risk taking and jumping into pits with lions. they might interpret this as evidence that Jesus wants followers who will take big risks for him (i don't mind that interpretation...). i think the real point, though is that we are to:
a) recognize everything we have as being loaned to us by God (money, posessions, time, talents, etc...)
b) use those things as God would.
i've always had a discomfort in my soul when people in the church talk about stewardship solely in terms of finances. that discomfort grows when the insinuation is that good stewardship is using "my money" to ensure "my future", particularly ensuring i have a "comfortable future" devoid of work.
this sounds an awful lot like hoarding... an awful lot like the "rich fool" we talked about this past Sunday.
it also helps me understand the parable of the talents better.
the third servant got in trouble because he didn't use the money as the master would have. he was more concerned about his own well-being than he was about the master's agenda.
true stewardship is abandoning my own agenda (which is typically about my own well-being and advancement) for the sake of the master's agenda. that means leveraging the resources entrusted to me for the good of the kingdom.
sometimes i wonder how the world would change if every believer decided that the resources they had were given to them for the good of the kingdom, not for their own delight... what would happen if we started investing the master's resources as He would instead of hoarding them for ourselves.?
then i realize how uncomfortable that kind of thinking is, so i drive my families second car to my home in the suburbs and watch my satellite tv while i drink a carbonated beverage and evaluate commercials designed to encourage me to be a better consumer...
12:1-14 Is it lawful go do good or evil on the Sabbath?
Are there any "unwritten rules" of Christianity that bother or confuse you? What are they?
Read Matthew 12:1-14.
How would you summarize Jesus' teaching in this passage?
In verse seven, Jesus says, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice". Since we don't "sacrifice" at the temple anymore, what would be our equivalent of "sacrificing"? (there are probably several good answers to this question)
What is an example you've seen of someone sacrificing, but not showing mercy?
What standards are you sometimes tempted to use to judge other people's spirituality?
Are you ever tempted to focus on sacrificing at the neglect of showing mercy?
What can you do this week to focus your attention on being merciful to others?
How can the group help you with this?
20:29-34:What do you want?
If you could ask one person in this group for one thing, who would you ask and what would you ask for?
Read Matthew 20:29-34.
Every aspect of these men's life was overshadowed by the reality of their blindness. Is it any wonder the one thing they asked for was their sight? What overwhelming issues have you observed other people deal with in their lives? What do you think they would ask Jesus to do for them?
If you could ask God for one thing, what would it be?
Read Deuteronomy 5:21.
How would you draw the line between "wanting" something and "coveting" it? If you are comfortable, talk about some things you are tempted to covet.
Read 1 Peter 1:14.
How should your desires be different once you've chosen to follow Christ? How might they remain the same?
If you could ask Him, what do you think God would say are His desires for you?
Read Psalm 37:4.
What do you think it means to "delight in the LORD?" How might that activity bring you the desires of your heart? How might that activity change the desires of your heart?
Would it be better to receive what you want from God or to receive what God wants for you? Why?
Why is this truth difficult to put into action? What actions might we do to align ourselves with God's desires for us?
Has this conversation prompted you to think about any changes in your life? How can the group help you/pray for you?
Signs of the End of the World -- Matthew 24
As we prepare for Easter, it is a good idea to study the things that
Jesus taught during His last week before death. Certainly he taught
with great purpose knowing that His ministry was coming to an end.
In Matthew 24, Jesus reveals to His disciples some of the events that
would happen in the future. This is a difficult passage to read
because Jesus apparently switches from the near future to the distant
future in His predictions. This is similar to the prophetic writings we
find in the Old Testament. Compare this passage to Daniel’s
prophesy and the book of Revelation. Together the three form the
foundation for understanding the end times.
Opening:
If you could build one building that would forever be known as the
“building that __________ built”, what would you build?
The temple was the greatest building in the history of the nation of
Israel. The Jewish people took great pride in it. For Jesus to tell the
people that it would be destroyed would have been absolutely
shocking.
Bible Study:
What were the three questions the disciples asked in verse three?
Try to find the answers to those questions.
What event signals the beginning of the really bad times?
(check Dan 9:27 and 11:31 for more info)
Who knows when this will all happen? (verse 36)
What should we be doing? (verse 42)
What are things you can do to “keep watch”?
Share, Care, Prayer:
What is something that you think will be difficult this week?
How can the people in this group help you through it?
From Matthew 26: Jesus Annointed at Bethany
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table...
Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Judas agreed to betray Jesus for only 30 pieces of silver. This would have been the equivalent of three months wages.In other words, Judas was willing to sell Jesus for one-quarter the cost of the perfume Mary had poured out.To say that Mary valued Jesus 4x more than Judas is to greatly oversimplify this story.The sad truth is that while Jesus was king and master to Mary, he was nothing more than a commodity that Judas was willing to buy and sell.
Mary was willing to sacrifice herself for Jesus and Judas was willing to sacrifice Jesus for himself.
Sometimes we see Jesus as a “thing” that will provide a service for us, whether it be fixing a tough situation, healing an illness, relieving stress or tension, or getting us out of a jam. When we only turn to Jesus in the bad times, he is not our king and master (as he was to Mary), rather he is an elixir we have purchased from a snake salesmen.
Matthew 28
Matthew 28:1-10
Everything we believe centers on the teaching of Christ’s
resurrection. If He did not rise from the dead, we are to be pitied
above all since we have a hope that is dead. Try to help students
understand the incredible sadness of His death and the amazing
hope of His life.
Opening:
Tell the group about someone you know that has died. Why did
you love that person?
While the focus of Easter is Christ’s resurrection, He couldn’t have
been raised if He had not died. It is important for students to
understand the finality of death so that they can comprehend the
victory of resurrection.
Bible Study:
How do you think the women felt as they went to the tomb? Do
you think they talked? About what?
How would you have responded if you had been there to see the
angels?
What did Jesus want the women to do?
How do you think the disciples felt when they heard the news?
How does it make you feel to know that Christ is alive? Does it
make a difference?
How should you act, knowing that Christ came to life for you?
Share, Care, Prayer:
Christ died to give you power over sin, He lives today so you know
you can live without sin. What sin do you need help defeating?
Would you like someone from the group to check up on you this
week?
The Great Commission
i wasn't going to write this, but i had these thoughts this afternoon, and then bob posted this at his place... i assumed that such a close intersection of my thoughts and bob's writing on the same day was a gideonic sign i should proceed...
this is what i was thinking:
when a church's main evangelistic thrust is invitational (the primary way people share their faith is by inviting their "friends/neighbors/contacts" to church), have they changed the Great Comission from:
"as you are going, make disciples"
to
"as they are coming, make disciples"
?
i'm not saying they are, i'm just sayin'...
then bob was just sayin':
Heaven forbid we should ever do community in such a way that our main avenue for people coming to Christ is hearing the Gospel preached from the mouth of one person, rather than hearing the Gospel preached from the mouths (and lives) of the whole community. If, in your community, more people are becoming Christians on Sunday than during the rest of the week, I think you may have a problem.
Mark
2:13-17; 4:18-22
Calling the 12 Disciples
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Observations from the story:
This will be a very hands on exploration of the three Gospel accounts regarding Jesus calling his twelve disciples.Try to make yourself familiar with each of the accounts before hand so you’ll be able to help your students work through the material.
1. The accounts
- Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11: Call of Peter, Andrew, James, and John
- Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-31: Call of Matthew
- There are other important passages regarding the development of the disciples.Matthew 10; Mark 3:13-19 and Mark 6:7-12; and Luke 6:12-15 and Luke 9:1-6 all discuss the sending out of the twelve in their first ministry experience.John 1:35-50 gives other elements of Jesus’ interactions with these twelve men.While this lesson will not touch on these accounts, they are good passages for understanding how Jesus developed his relationship with these twelve men.
2. The Characters
- In each of the accounts, there are several characters mentioned.Of course, the main character in each is Jesus, but the ones we really want to focus on for this lesson are the disciples.The meat of this lesson will be drawn from the disciples interaction and response to Christ.Their willingness to immediately follow Jesus provides a great example of what it means to be a true disciple.
3. The Call
- In most of the passages regarding Jesus’ calling his disciples, his call comes in the form of the words, “follow me”.It’s a very simple call, He doesn’t make any great demands, and He doesn’t make any big promises.Too often we have a tendency to over “program” what it means to be a disciple of Christ.Things like “quiet time”, church attendance, and giving offerings are all good things that help us to be formed spiritually, but they are not the main thing.The main thing is that we are to follow Jesus, all those other things are just aids to that end.Jesus didn’t call his disciples to a series of spiritual disciplines or to a legalistic life of following rules.Rather his call was very simple, “follow me”.
4. The Response
- There are two responses people have to Jesus’ call in these accounts.The disciples follow him.Jesus’ call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John is met by an immediate response.“At once”, “without delay”, “immediately”, they “leave everything” to follow him.
- The opposite response is that of the Pharisees while Jesus was at Matthew’s house.They became angry with Jesus for associating with sinners (this is recorded immediately after He tells Matthew to “follow me”).Jesus’ response to the Pharisee’s complaint demonstrates the true priorities of those who choose to follow Christ.“I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners” are Jesus’ words, identifying the needy (physically and spiritually) as the persons the true Christ-follower seeks to impact.
- Following Christ is the very heart of Christianity.It is not a difficult thing, but it is an all-inclusive thing.It is not complicated, but it requires our all.Following Christ is not about us, but is rather about learning to assimilate his agenda and his priorities.The Pharisees missed it, but the disciples did not because they “followed him.”One of the most important things we can do as teachers is to instill in our students a strong desire to follow Christ.
Central Theme of Lesson: Following Christ requires us to learn and enact Christ’s agenda and priorities.
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers(or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-Have as many people as desire answer the following questions.(Take time to discuss their answers as possible)
oIf you could choose any one person to follow around for a day, who would it be?
oIf you could choose anyone you know to model your life after, who would it be?
Doctrinal Time: This time is designed to be a discussion driven lesson, every question can be answered by one or several students.You may need to supplement or change these questions as necessary for your group.Today’s lesson will be basically driven by the different handouts.Have your students break into pairs (there are six different handouts, so you may need them to complete the worksheets individually.After they’ve finished their worksheets (give them 5-10 minutes) talk through the three elements of the story, allowing each group to discuss their answers.
JESUS’ SMALL GROUP
Matthew 4:18-22
Read Matthew 4:18-22
Who were the main characters in this story?
What did Jesus ask them to do?
How did they respond to Jesus’ request?
What do you think it means to “follow Jesus”?
How can you follow Jesus this week?
JESUS’ SMALL GROUP
Mark 1:16-20
Read Mark 1:16-20
Who were the main characters in this story?
What did Jesus ask them to do?
How did they respond to Jesus’ request?
What do you think it means to “follow Jesus”?
How can you follow Jesus this week?
JESUS’ SMALL GROUP
Luke 5:27-31
Read Matthew 5:27-31
Who were the main characters in this story?
What did Jesus ask Matthew to do?
How did he respond to Jesus’ request?
Did the Pharisees think Jesus should have been hanging out with Matthew?
For what kind of people did Jesus say he came?
If someone is going to follow Jesus, what kinds of people should they be concerned about?
If you are going to follow Jesus, who are people you can help this week?
JESUS’ SMALL GROUP
Mark 2:13-17
Read Mark 2:13-17
Who were the main characters in this story?
What did Jesus ask Matthew to do?
How did he respond to Jesus’ request?
Did the Pharisees think Jesus should have been hanging out with Matthew?
For what kind of people did Jesus say he came?
If someone is going to follow Jesus, what kinds of people should they be concerned about?
If you are going to follow Jesus, who are people you can help this week?
-Who are all the people Jesus called to follow him in these passages?
oAndrew, Peter, James, John, Matthew
-What kinds of things did these men do for a living?
oThe first four were fishermen, Matthew was a tax-collector.Point out to your students that these are two different ends of the financial scale.A tax-collector was probably rather rich, whereas fishermen probably did not do as well.The idea is that Jesus wants all kinds of people to follow him.Who you are and where you are from isn’t important, Jesus wants you to follow him.
-How did they respond to Jesus call
oThey left everything.Talk about what that might have meant to each of them.Certainly, they all chose to leave their life behind to follow Jesus.Follow up by asking the students what things they might need to give up if they are to follow Jesus.
-When Jesus asked Matthew to follow him, how did the Pharisees respond?
oThey were angry, they didn’t think Jesus should be spending time with “sinners”.
-Based on Jesus’ response to the Pharisees, what kind of people are his priority?
oThe easy answer to this is “sinners”.But the heart of what he is saying is, “the needy”.Jesus placed a high priority on helping those who needed help.
-If you are going to follow Jesus, where should your priority be?
oWe also should prioritize helping those who need help.
-Explain that throughout his ministry, Jesus was always trying to help others.If we really want to follow Him, the things that are important to Jesus need to be important to us.Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew were willing to drop everything in order to follow Jesus.What we need to learn from this is that we should be willing to drop everything in order to help those who need help.
-Challenge each student to follow Jesus by seeking out ways they can help others during the week.
4:35-41: Why Are You Afraid
Why are storms such a frightening experience for children?
What "silly" things are you afraid of? (eg. snakes, puppets, clowns, etc.)
Read Mark 4:35-41.
Why do you think Jesus stayed asleep in the boat during the storm? What do you think he was trying to teach the disciples?
What do you think the disciples expected from Jesus? (read verse 41, the disciples were surprised that he could stop the storm, so they weren't expecting that!)
Which part of this story best describes your life right now? (getting in the boat, middle of the storm, waking Jesus up, amazed by God)
When have you felt like God was asleep in the middle of life's storm? How did you deal with that?
What should we expect from God when we find ourselves in a storm?
Why is it so hard to have "faith" in the middle of life's hard times? What activities have you found to be helpful when you're going through hard times?
Who do you know that is in a storm right now? How can you encourage them and build their faith?
Mark 6:30-44 "Come Ye Apart"
“COME YE APART…”
Jesus' cousin John had just been beheaded. We don't know how close these two were, but we do know there was a very deep link between them and so this would have been significantly painful for Jesus. He didn't have time to mourn, though, because his disciples showed up fresh off their first "evangelistic" crusade. They had great news for Jesus, but they were tired. So, Jesus took them on a retreat. The disciples needed to be refreshed, Jesus needed to mourn.
But those pesky people found them. The "multitudes" were very much like that person we all encounter who doesn't know when enough is enough.Jesus looked at them, and he had compassion on them. And he fed them. And the disciples, tired as they were served them. This is love.
If anyone had excuse not to act favorably toward the multitude it was Jesus and the disciples. We would certainly not fault Jesus for saying, "I need some time to myself, I need to mourn". And we would not fault the disciples for saying, "We've been doing ministry 24/7 here and we need to regenerate ourselves." In fact, we might even go so far as to say such statements are admirable demonstrations of people who are in touch with themselves...but are they in touch with God?
This smarts a bit. I love to elevate my hurt and my pain. I love to "deal with my issues" before I can help you with yours. I love to "recoup" after lots of ministry. I love to "rest" before I can serve anyone else. But isn't love the sacrificing of me? Isn't it saying, "your hurt is more important than my hurt?" Isn't it saying, "your time is more important than mine?"
Passages like this prick me. I preach so loudly against selfishness, then the Word reveals how selfish I am...and this selfishness is something I glorify in the name of “rejuvination”. How far I am from the kingdom Jesus’ preached.
Scripture Read: Mark 6:30-44
Destination Points: “How can I emulate Jesus’ brand of selfless love when I deal with difficult people?Jesus still “got away” sometimes to pray.How do I find the balance between meeting other’s needs and renewing myself?
Bottom Line: Jesus’ love demands an abandonment of self.
9:35: Do you care?
Is it possible to care too much about something or someone? Give an example.
What are some of the things in your life that you care deeply about? What are some things that you just don't care about?
Talk about a time when you cared so much for something that you became frustrated.
Tell about a time you felt like saying, "That's it! I can't take anymore!". What made you care so deeply in that moment?
How can our frustrations sometimes spur us on to positive action?
As a group, make a list of the kinds of people that usually no one cares about.
Read Mark 9:35.
Why do some people not care at all about serving others? How does selfishness keep some people from obeying these words of Jesus?
Some people may read these words and be discouraged that they don't care about serving enough, but not know what to do about it. What are some specific steps a person could take to help them "care" more about serving others?
What are some things or people you need to care more about?
What can you and the group do this week to be more caring?
Luke
John
John 1 -- Jesus was God, we must trust His work.
Key Teaching Text:
WJohn 1
Key Thoughts for Discipleship Communities:
WWas Jesus God?
WWhy is it significant that Jesus was God?
WHow should I live in light of this truth?
Suggested Application:
WDemonstrate my trust in God through a sacrificial lifestyle.
Section Two
Opening Thoughts:
WAS JESUS GOD?
One of the most common attacks on Christian belief centers around the question of whether Jesus was God.Some suggest that this is a belief that was added to Christian doctrines centuries after the apostles.However, the writings of Jesus’ followers make it clear that they absolutely believed that Jesus was God.
The following are just some of the passages which teach that Jesus was God:
WJohn 1 – John writes that the “Word” (another name for Jesus) was God.
WJohn 8:57-59 – Jesus claims to have existed before Abraham.He also equates himself with the “I Am” of the Old Testament
WJohn 10:30-33 – Jesus says, “I and the Father are One”.
WPhilippians 2:6 – Jesus was “in very nature God”
WColossians 1:15-20 – Several references here make it clear that Jesus was God.
WHebrews 1:3 – Jesus was the “exact representation” of God’s being.
One of the clearest passages which speaks to the divine nature of Jesus is John 1.For that reason, we will examine this passage in depth for today’s lesson.Verses 1-18 of John 1 are really all about “The Word”.Verse one introduces the word and the rest of the passage describes the person known as “the Word”.An interesting method of studying John 1 is to go through the first 18 verses and make a note of each of the different statements that are made about “the Word”.Below are several of the key phrases you will find:
WThe Word was in the beginning
WThe Word was God
WAll was made through the Word
WIn the Word was life
WThe Word became flesh
WThe Word made the Father known
The key to understanding John 1 is recognizing that the Word is a reference to Jesus.It was Jesus who’s coming was prophesied by John (v.6-7).It was Jesus who became flesh (v.14).It was Jesus who came into the world but was rejected by his own countrymen (v.11).It was Jesus who gave the right to people to become sons of God (v.12).Finally, it is verse 17 that acknowledges Jesus as the subject of the entire passage.Therefore, since verse one claims that the Word was God, it is clear that John is teaching that Jesus was indeed God.
WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT THAT JESUS WAS GOD?
Why the Word became flesh is of the utmost importance.Last week we explored what it meant to follow the example of the God-man.This week, we will examine what it means to trust the work of the God-man.Jesus said that he came so that we might have life (John 10:10).The ultimate question we need to ask about Jesus is, “Did he accomplish what he came to do?”In other words, did he give us life?
Consider for a moment the things that Jesus did.He taught, he healed the sick, he demonstrated love, but above all else, he died.All that he attempted, he did so that he could bring us life.However, if Jesus was just a man, we must reconsider all his actions and we must realize that his attempts to bring life were in reality a failure.
Throughout history men have taught new teachings, men have loved their fellow man, some men have even claimed to heal others, and all men die.Yet no man, through any of these actions has ever given us the ability to conquer death.No matter what advances mankind makes, we have never been able to assert authority over death.Thus, as we examine Christ’s mission of bringing life, we must acknowledge that if he was only a man, there was nothing he could have done to succeed.Men are simply unable to give life.
Thus, if Christ was to give life to men, it was imperative that he was God.He was God, therefore, we can be confident that the work of Christ was sufficient to give us not just life, but abundant life (John 10:10).Knowing that Jesus was God means knowing that we can be confident in His work.Even more, it means we don’t need to depend on our own work.
The greatest temptation we face as Christians is to stop trusting in God and begin trusting in ourselves.How foolish it is to think that God who has saved us from our sin, and promises us eternal life with him is unable to take care of us on a daily basis.The truth is, if Jesus was God than he has given us life.If Jesus has given us life, then he certainly is able to provide us with all we need.
The fact that Jesus is God means that we need to trust him, not just for our salvation, but for all our needs.
HOW SHOULD I LIVE IN LIGHT OF THIS TRUTH?
Trusting Jesus for all your needs means living sacrificially.If I truly believe that Jesus will provide me with everything I need, I won’t need to worry about my own problems.When we make decisions to rely on our resources, and live in such a way to be dependant on ourselves, we are in essence suggesting that we don’t really believe that God in Jesus provided for all our needs.
Too often we are unwilling to be generous and sacrificial because of our own needs.However, the life and teachings of Jesus indicate that our first concern should be obedience to him, not worrying about our own needs.
Matthew 25:31-46 teaches that true followers of Jesus are those who feed the hungry, take care of the homeless, provide for the needy, look after the sick, and visit the imprisoned.Those who choose not to do these things are identified as being false followers of Jesus.
One of the reasons we often neglect to take care the type of action described in the above passages is because we are too concerned with our own needs.Jesus addressed this kind of thinking in Matthew 7:25-34.Here Jesus said, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.”The point is obvious, but perhaps difficult to live up to.Rather than thinking first of what we need, we ought to think first of what Jesus asks of us.
As long as we are taking care of the important things, we can rely on Jesus to take care of the rest.If we really believe that Jesus was God, we can be certain that he has given us life.If we are trusting him to provide us eternal life, we can trust him to provide us with the needs of our daily life.If we are trusting him to provide for our daily needs, then we can afford to live our lives sacrificially without fear.
Summary: (if you get these points across, you’ve succeeded)
Truth To Teach: Jesus was God.
Implication to Consider: Because Jesus was God, we can trust him to take care of all our needs.
Application to Live: If we really believe that Jesus will take care of our needs, we can afford to live sacrificial lives.
Section Three
Suggested Teaching Outline:
Introduction:
-Ask if anyone has a story to share about a time someone made a sacrifice for them.Have them share how that sacrificial gift made them feel and how it impacted their life.
-Remind the group that last week we discussed following the example of Jesus.One of the most important elements of Jesus’ life was that he lived sacrificially.If we are to follow his examples we need to be willing to make sacrifices for others.
-Because Jesus is God, we can trust him to take care of our needs.If he is taking care of our needs, we can worry about the needs of others.
Teaching Points:
1)Jesus was God
nTell the class that some people have suggested that Jesus was just a man, and hundreds of years after his life Christians decided to start teaching that he was actually God.Actually the Apostles taught that he was God, and this is proven in the books and letters they wrote.
nBegin by walking through some of the passages that teach that Jesus was God.Discuss how each passage teaches that Jesus was God.
i.John 8:57-59
ii.John 10:30-33
iii.Philippians 2:6
iv.Colossians 1:15-20
v.Hebrews 1:3
nWork through John 1:1-18.Explain that Jesus is the Word (based on verses 6,7,11,12,14).Look at the key statements about the word and discuss how these statements teach that Jesus is God.
i.The Word was in the beginning
ii.The Word was God
iii.All was made through the Word
iv.In the Word was life
v.The Word became flesh
vi.The Word made the Father known
nExplain that what you will talk about in the rest of the lesson is dependant on the fact that Jesus was God.All of Christianity is based on this truth.
2)Jesus’ mission was to give us life
nRead John 10:10.This is the passage in which Jesus explains his mission to his followers.His ability to complete this mission was dependant on his nature as God.
nBecause Jesus was God we can be confident that he gave us life.
nTalk a little about what life might be like if Jesus had not come.
3)Because Jesus is God we can trust his work
nPhilippians 4:19 says that God provides all our needs
nIf Jesus was a man, we could not be sure he was successful in his mission because all men fail.
nBecause Jesus was God we can be certain that he completed his work and that his work was sufficient to remove our greatest need (sin) as well as to demonstrate to us his ability to meet our lesser needs.
nTalk about the things we worry about that we can trust God to take care of.
4)Trusting Jesus means thinking about others
nRead Matthew 25:31-46.According to this passage, the following activities are signs of a true follower of Christ:
i.Feeding the hungry
ii.Caring for the homeless
iii.Providing for the needy
iv.Looking after the sick
v.Visiting the imprisoned
nPoint out that doing many of these things would likely require sacrifice on our part.One of the reasons we are often unwilling to sacrifice for the good of others is because we are worried about our own needs.
nRead Matthew 7:25-34.Note that here, Jesus is teaching that we shouldn’t worry about our day to day needs because Jesus will provide them for us.We should be worrying about doing the will of God (which is to seek to sacrificially meet the needs of others).
Closing Challenge:
-- Jesus came to give us life; because he was God he was successful.
-- We can rely on Jesus to take care of us because has demonstrated himself trustworthy.
-- When we are trusting Jesus to take care of our needs, we can concentrate on sacrificially meeting the needs of others.
Section Four
Suggested Discussion Questions:
WHave different people talk about a time someone sacrificed for them.How did it impact their life?
WWhy do you think people aren’t more willing to make sacrifices for others?
WWhat kind of example did Jesus give us regarding making sacrifices?
WSome people would suggest that Jesus wasn’t really God.Read the following verses and determine what they teach about Jesus’ divinity:
oJohn 8:57-59
oJohn 10:30-33
oPhilippians 2:6
oColossians 1:15-20
oHebrews 1:3
WOne of the most important passages about Jesus’ divinity is John 1.As a group go through verses 1-18 and make a note of all the things this passage says about the Word.
WHave members of the group point to the verses which seem to indicate Jesus was the Word.
WBased on this passage, is it safe to conclude that Jesus was God?Why or why not?
WRead John 10:10.What was Jesus’ goal?
WWould it be possible for a regular human to bring “life” to all humanity?Why or why not?
WIf Jesus is God, and he wants to give us life, can he be trusted to meet our needs?Why or why not?
WRead Matthew 25:31-46.What are the signs of a true follower of Christ?What kind of sacrifices might be required for us to live this way?
WRead Matthew 7:25-34.What should we not worry about, what should we worry about?
WIf we are trusting Jesus to take care of our needs, how might we be able to live more sacrificially?
Closing Challenge:
-- Jesus came to give us life; because he was God he was successful.
-- We can rely on Jesus to take care of us because has demonstrated himself trustworthy.
-- When we are trusting Jesus to take care of our needs, we can concentrate on sacrificially meeting the needs of others.
John 1 – The LOGOS
In the beginning was the logos and the logos was with God and the logos was God.
Activity: get a picture for what the accumulated knowledge of the world really is…
Understanding the concept of “logos”
Matthew 5:32 “except” – “for any reason” – reason=logos
Matthew 10:14 – “words” – a message or argument = logos
Acts 8:4 – “word” – the Gospel = logos
Rom 9:28 – “sentence” – judgment = logos
Rom 13:9 – “rule” – a law; law of nature = logos
1 Tim 3:1 – “saying” – a proverb; truth = logos
Logos is:
All the accumulated knowledge of the world
All the knowledge in the world that hasn’t yet been discovered
Ask if anyone has an example of knowledge that hasn’t been discovered yetJ
Everything that is and can be known
A pretend person used by Greek philosophers in conversation
What if you could sit down with Logos and have a conversation?
What if Logos could tell you the best way to live?Would you listen?
Logos is:
According to John 1 (use guest teachers for this part?)
With God in the beginning
Is God
The maker of all things
Giver of Life
Light of men
In the world, but not recognized by the world
Came to his own people, was not received by his own people
Became flesh
JESUS!
Was with God and was God
Made all things (Colossians 1)
The Way the Truth and Life
The light of the world
Entered the world, was never understood
Came to the Jewish people…
God made flesh (Philippians 2)
So what?
Jesus holds the key to extreme life
If I am willing to end my life as it is and start over, I need to start over his way
I need to obey his teaching and follow his example
John 1 -- The Light and The Darkness
Review:
Who is John 1 about?
Who is the “him” in verse 3?
What is the original meaning of the “word”?
What does “logos” mean?
How do we know that the logos is Jesus?
Things that don’t go together:
Water and Oil
Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon
Pickles and Mayonaise
George Bush and Sadaam Hussein
Read Verse 5. What does this verse teach us about the LOGOS?
Jn 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Create two column graph on overhead (LIGHT – SHINES : DARKNESS –
UNDERSTOOD NOT)
The light shines in the darkness -- fainw=shines (f-eye-new)
Shines = appears, be seen, be obvious
When the light is present in darkness, it is obvious
Light cannot hide in darkness
The darkness has not understood it −− katalaμbanw=understood (kah-tah-lahmbahnew)
Understood = grab; seize, control, “get it”
The darkness cannot control the light
The darkness cannot overcome the light
The darkness is incompatible with the light
The overwhelming destruction brought by the darkness
Jesus broke through and displaced the darkness
The darkness sought to overpower the light, but failed.
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT LIGHT AND DARKNESS:
1) Light and Dark are opposites that desire to eliminate each other. They cannot coexist.
2) The Darkness is interrupted by the Light.
3) The Light overpowers the Darkness.
1 John 1:5-7
God is light
If we claim to have relationship with God, but walk in the darkness…
o Why would we walk in darkness? What is walking in darkness?
o Doing anything you wouldn’t want anyone to know about
JOHN 2 -- Jesus Clears the Temple
Understanding the importance of the temple
From tabernacle to temple (David)
Temple as sign of national power (Solomon – captivity)
Importance of a rebuilt temple
Need for a temple
Religious ceremonies
Religious Feasts
EVERYBODY WENT TO THE TEMPLE
Walk through the story
The Pharisee’s question…
What gives you the right to do this?
Jesus EXTREME answer
Tear it down, I’ll rebuild it in three days
We know that he was talking about himself, but…
Later on, we are referred to as the body of Christ, and…
We are called a “temple”, therefore…
The body of Christ is the new temple…
WHAT WAS JESUS REALLY SAYING?
This temple is no longer going to be important.
The old way of doing things doesn’t lead to the kingdom (extreme life)
In my death, this building will die, and a new way of life will begin!
What are the things in your life that need to be torn down?
The root of the problem in the temple was selfishness
Everybody was out to make a buck.
They were doing it at the expense of others.
Selfishness is when we worship ourselves instead of God
The men in the temple should have been worshipping God, instead they worshipped their own desire to get rich
Most of the issues in our life that need to be torn down can be traced back to selfishness
We know there is something God wants us to get rid of, but we aren’t willing to do it because all we can think about is how it will make our life worse or harder…
When we know to do something, and choose not to do it, we’re worshipping ourselves instead of God
When we know something is wrong, and we choose to do it, we’re worshipping ourselves instead of God
Starting over means changing who you worship.It means choosing to worship God instead of yourself.
TWO QUESTIONS FOR TONIGHT:
On any normal day, what things do I usually do that are selfish?
What are one or two things I can do that will help me change that?
John 3 -- Nicodemus
• John's purpose for writing
• Abundant Life = X treme Life (Life to the Extreme)
o describe xtreme life
o have kids describe xtreme life
• Nic - first person 2 sit and talk with Jesus
o he wanted xtreme life
o lived by all the rules; still empty
“a man of the Pharisees”
o Xtreme things don’t give Xtreme Life
Extreme Things
Extreme Friends
Extreme Reputation
Extreme Vacations
Extreme Girl/Boyfriend
Extreme House
Extreme Abilities
Extreme Knowledge
NONE OF THEM BRING EXTREME LIFE
• Things break
• Friends leave
• Reputations are soiled
• Vacations end
• Girl/boyfriends break-up
• Houses fall apart
• Ability fades
• Knowledge is limited
o Nicodemus wanted to know if Jesus had something new to offer
“we know that you are a teacher come from God”
• Jesus gave Nicodemus an extreme answer
o “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”
o Understanding the Kingdom
History of the Jewish People
Expectation of the Jewish People
Kingdom was the best thing they could imagine…It was their extreme life
o YOU CAN’T SEE IT
You can’t understand it.
You can’t get close to it.
IT ISN’T FOR EVERYONE
o Unless he is born again
We’ve lost the meaning of “born again”. This is really extreme
When you think of extreme sports what do you think of?
• Crazy ski tricks?
• Wicked roller-blading jumps
• Bikes flipping off of ramps
• Skateboarders doing ollies and 720degree spins
• Snowmobiles skipping across barely frozen lakes
• Free-climbing mountains
• Bungee-jumping
• People doing things that could easily cost them their lives…
• X-treme Sports are death cheating sports…
It’s one thing to do something that could end your life…
It’s a completely different thing to intentionally end your life so you can
start over…
Think about that.
Jesus was telling Nicodemus to end his life so he could start over.
Do you ever want to start over? Why?
o Nicodemus asked the “literal question”
“How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a
second time into his mother’s womb?”
He means, “you’re speaking figuratively…right?”
Jesus was speaking figuratively.
o The journey to extreme life begins with a decision to end life the way you are
living it and to start over.
We’re going to start that journey this week.
The book of John is going to serve as a road map for our journey.
Tonight, you have a question to answer…
IS MY LIFE WORKING? COULD IT BE BETTER? DO I WANT TO HAVE EXTREME LIFE?
AM I WILLING TO START OVER WITH MY LIFE?
Plan of salvation
AM I AT LEAST WILLING TO EXPLORE THIS?
Commands of Jesus in John
Come
Command Number One: John 1:39
The first command that is recorded in John is a very simple one, but perhaps one of the most important.
"Come."
Two of John's disciples had asked Jesus where he was staying. Jesus' simple response was to "come". Perhaps we can think of the different ways Jesus might say, "come" to us:
"Come...and minister with me"
"Come...and learn with me"
"Come...and fellowship with me"
If we truly desire to have fellowship with Christ, our first step must be to "come".
To what is Christ calling you to "come"?
Follow Me
Command Number Two: John 1:43
Jesus second command is of no less significance than his first. In fact, the two together form the heart of Jesus' first years of ministry.
"Come...follow me."
I doubt if the disciples had any idea what they were getting into when they initially followed Christ. As Jesus-Followers, they:
witnessed amazing miracles, even a man raised from the dead
were exposed to a completely new philosophy of life (they certainly struggled to adopt it)
watched their mentor tried falsely and executed
experienced the joy of the resurrection, the pain of separation, and the power of the Spirit
changed their world
died for their beliefs
All this because they chose to follow Jesus!
We don't know what awaits us if we choose to follow him. But He knows (Heb. 12:1 "...the race marked out for us...") where we are going. He simply asks us to follow Him.
The disciples laid down their nets and followed Jesus. What do you need to set aside or deal with in order to follow him?
Fill the Jars With Water
Command Number Three: John 2:7
The wedding was about to crash. Someone (likely the groom) had made a colossal error in judgment. Either he had underestimated the number of guests, or overestimated the amount of "wine". Certainly, he was starting to sweat. Likely, he had the sick feeling in his stomach not to different than we feel when we see flashing blue and red lights pop on behind us.
Jesus told the servants, "fill the jars with water". He didn't tell them why, he didn't tell them what the plan was. But they obeyed anyway.
Sometimes things happen in our lives that we don't understand. We constantly give verbal assent to the idea that God is in control, yet when he says to us, "fill the jars with water" we say, "why?" or "what's the plan?"
Jesus didn't perform the miracle until the first step of obedience had been taken. I wonder what miracles might be in store for us if we would just be willing to take that first step of obedience?
Jesus didn't need the servants help to perform the miracle, but he chose to use them. God doesn't really need our help, but he chooses to use us. Will you let him use you? What step do you need to take?
Now Draw Some Out and Take it To the Master of the Banquet
Command Number Four: John 2:8
Jesus had performed a miracle. He had saved the day! The servants who witnessed this could have said, "this is great wine! Let's stay here and drink it ourselves." But Jesus commanded them to take it to the others.
Jesus has done a miracle in your life. He has turned the water of your life into wine. It is very easy to stay right at the scene of the miracle and say, "This is great! Let's stay and enjoy this new wine." But that is not the desire of Jesus.
He wants you to take the "new wine" of your life and share it with the world.
In Exodus 19:6, God says that his people are to be a kingdom of priests...they are to represent Him to the world. His plan has not changed.
He desires us to represent Him to the world.
What new wine has Jesus given you that you need to share?
Get These Out of Here
Command Number Five: John 2:16
"Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
It is unknown whether this is an event that happened twice or if this is the same account that is given by the other Gospels. Regardless, the point is clear, Jesus was "consumed" (v17) by a desire for true worship. The temple was built to be a house of prayer, and these men had turned it into a supermarket.
Undoubtedly, it was a distraction to those trying to worship to have to deal with the animals and noise generated by all the business. But before we are too harsh on the "money-changers", it would be good for us to remember that often we do not truly worship because of the distractions in our own lives.
Things like sin, money, stress, work, etc... have a way of taking our minds off worship.
What distractions do you need to drive out in order to worship God today?
Destroy this Temple
Command Number Six: John 2:19
This quote was used at Jesus' trial to accuse him of sedition against the Romans. It was an attempt to demonstrate Him to be a trouble-maker. Of course, the rulers and the witnesses didn't understand that he was speaking of his body, not the literal temple. (The disciples didn't even understand that until after Jesus was raised from the dead)
By commanding the people to kill him, Jesus demonstrated his incredible single-mindedness. He understood he was living to die. He was born to be killed. He was not afraid to go through with what the Father had planned for him.
Are you okay with what the Father has planned for you? Will you still be okay with His plan when you find yourself in the middle of it? Jesus' single-mindedness was the result of constant focus on God rather than himself. Where is your focus?
Give Me a Drink
Command Number Seven: John 4:7
Some might suggest that this is more of a request than a command. I'm not sure it's that important. If Jesus asks for something, isn't it inherently a command?
Regardless, here Jesus is asking for something he could do for himself. Certainly Jesus did not need the woman to give him a drink, yet he commanded her to because he knew that if she would get him a drink, ultimately he would be able to meet her true needs, needs she was not even completely aware of.
Often we wonder, why is it that God commands us to pray? He doesn't need us to... Certainly he will accomplish His sovereign will without our prayers.
But we can perhaps use this passage to illustrate a truth. Just as Jesus did not "need" the woman to draw his water, God does not "need" our prayers to accomplish his will. However, when we humbly submit ourselves to His will in prayer, He accomplishes things in our lives that often we don't even know we need.
How have you humbly submitted yourself to God? Do you pray, in faith, believing that God will grant you all you need? Even that which you don't know you need?
Go Call Your Husband and Come Back
Command Number 8: John 4:16
Similar to his expectations of the servants when he created wine, Jesus desired the woman to share her experience of Him with others.
Jesus chose an interesting woman. She was on her sixth man...
Do you ever feel like God can't use you? Jesus can, will, and does use anyone. Once someone has received the "living water" they are completely qualified for service, whether they've had one husband or six.
No matter what is in your past, Jesus' expectation of you is that you will bring those around you to Him. In fact, more often than not your past will provide the most powerful demonstration of the life change a relationship with Jesus brings.
Get Up! Pick up your mat and walk.
Command Number Nine: John 5:8
Prior to giving this command, Jesus asked the man, "Do you want to get well?"
Often we have problems from which we really don't desire to recover. Sometimes it may be because we like the sympathy, or we want something to complain about, or we want to be the center of attention. Whatever the reason, there are many times we simply don't want to get better.
Sometimes sin is the same. We know we are sick, yet we don't truly desire to get better. And unless we desire to get better, we won't.
Notice that Jesus did not pick the man up, nor did he instruct someone to carry the bed away. The man has been healed, he can take care of himself.
How often when someone has been healed of their sin do we continue to carry them around on their stretcher? Wouldn't it be better to allow them to get up and carry their own stretcher?
How many "converts" to the gospel revert to their own way of life because they were never expected to "carry their own stretcher"? Jesus heals us from sin. I often wonder how much power we are missing out on because we really don't fully understand this...
Stop Sinning or Something Worse May Happen to You
Command Number Ten: John 5:14
For most of us there could be few things worse than being an invalid for 38 years. Yet, Jesus says that something worse might happen if the man doesn't stop sinning. What could possibly be worse?
I don't think this is a threat. I think this is Jesus' way of warning of the consequences of sin. Sin has consequences both in eternity and in the present. While the eternal price for sin is punishment in hell, there are also earthly consequences when we sin.
Jesus' perfect understanding of that led him to warn this man. Even though he had healed what could be conceived as the worse thing that could ever happen, Jesus knew that the eternal consequences of sin are far more terrible than 38 years of paralysis.
What sins do you need to stop today?
Do Not Be Amazed at This
Command Number Eleven: John 5:28
To show the people that His claims were not simply made up, Jesus spends time explaining that His ability to do miraculous things is a result of His being sent from the Father.
Then he says, "Don't be amazed by this." In other words, "This should be obvious to you!"
I wonder how often Jesus says about us, "Why are you amazed by this?" When he heals someone, when he works in someone's life, when he restores relationships, etc... Why are you amazed by the power of God?
The reality is that we are amazed by things that are not common place. When a leaf falls from a tree, we are not amazed. When the tides go in and out, we are not amazed. When an egg hatches and a chicken is born, we are not amazed. These are the expected occurrences of life.
When God intervenes and does "amazing" things in our world, we are amazed because we didn't expect it. We are amazed because we aren't used to it. We are amazed because it is not the commonplace occurrence of our life...
But maybe it should be.
6:1-15: What do you have?
What is the most amazing meal you have ever had? Who prepared it? How long did it take to prepare?
Read John 6:1-15. Have each member of the group talk about one thing that stands out to them in the passage.
Verse 6 says that Jesus was testing the disciples. Do you think they passed? Why or why not?
How have you felt like God might be testing you in recent months? Do you feel like you are passing? Why or why not?
The disciples were convinced that the food they had was far too little to accomplish what Jesus expected of them. When have you felt like your gifts and abilities were far too little to accomplish what Jesus expects of you? Does it help to know that He already knows what He's going to do? (verse 6)
What is something (gift, resource, time, etc...) you have that you would be willing to give to Jesus?
What is something amazing you would like to see Jesus do in your life?
Spend some time praying for one another. Pray that you will find opportunities to give up your stuff to let God use it in amazing ways.
Have the People Sit Down
Command #12: John 6:10
This was Jesus' response to the disciples doubts about Christ's ability to feed the crowd. Andrew had found a small amount of food, but wasn't sure it would do much. Jesus' simple response to have everyone sit down was all that was necessary.
Sometimes, we're so busy running around that we don't allow Jesus to do his thing. We are, like the disciples, doing everything we can do to "make things happen", but we don't realize that things will happen when HE MAKES THEM HAPPEN!
This command is a good reminder to us that it is good sometimes to simply sit and be patient.
Take some time to just sit down and allow God to do His work in you.
Gather the Pieces That Are Left Over; Let Nothing Be Wasted
Command Number Thirteen: John 6:12
I think that as the disciples gathered the leftovers from Jesus' amazing miracle they would be struck with one unanswerable question:
"How'd He Do That?"
In the hustle and bustle of handing out the fish and loaves they might not have even noticed the amazing thing that was happening. And even if they did, likely they weren't able to think about it all that much as they raced around making sure everyone got served.
But then... when things slowed down and they were able to figure out that they had more left over than they had started with, the realization likely settled in. God's provision was beyond definition, beyond comprehension, beyond anything they had ever experienced.
...and I imagine, that realization deeply impacted the way they lived.
I get so caught up in the day to day activities that I call life that it sometimes becomes easy to miss God's provision in my life. As I drive my car to work, I typically don't even think once about the fact that I:
a) have a car
b) have a SECOND car
Vehicular transportation is not an inherent right of being human, it is an amazing act of grace by God to provide far more for me than I need.
Take a look in your fridge. Do you have any leftovers? When you put them in or take them out, do you even think for one minute that those are the result of God's grace?
I think that if I were to take the time to look around my life to see the "leftovers" all around me, I would get a brand new perspective on how much God has given me. My life ought to reflect that realization.
It Is I; Don't Be Afraid
Command Number 14: John 6:20
What are you afraid of? Some people fear the dark, some fear ghosts, some fear other people. Most of us, in some way, fear the future.
For some reason, it is a natural human desire to know the future. It often seems that if we know the future we will somehow be able to make it better.
What we forget is that the same God who has predestined us for salvation, holds us and our future in his hands! So when we allow him control, we can have complete security!
Whatever the causes of tension in your life may be...
Listen to the God-Man... "It is I; Don't be afraid."
The Death and Resurrection of Lazarus
(John 11)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
The account of Lazarus’ death and resurrectionis one that is at the same time a very simple explanation of Jesus’ amazing love for us and a deeply philosophical answer to some of the most difficult questions we encounter in life.
Upon his arrival in Bethany, Jesus learned that Lazarus had indeed died.His response was very simple, he wept.We should never allow ourselves to misunderstand the beauty of Jesus’ tears.He cried because his friend was dead, and he cried because he loved his friend.Even though Jesus knew Lazarus would soon be alive, he was deeply moved by the pain that was being experienced by Mary and Martha and by the pain that had been experienced by Lazarus as he died.Sometimes we are so quick to point to God’s sovereignty and his power that we miss his passion.His passion for us is what drove His son to the cross, and it is that same passion that gives us confidence to know that He loves us as he did Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.He weeps when we cry, He aches when we hurt, He mourns when we die.We are His creation, and we are loved by our creator far deeper than we can ever understand.
While the love of Christ is no trivial issue, and certainly warrants an entire lesson itself, it is not the only element of this story.Three questions surface when reading this passage, they are in many ways the most difficult questions need to answer:“Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die?Why does God allow anyone to die?Why does God allow any kind of evil in the world?”Each of these questions refers to a dilemma the church has battled for centuries.How can God be all-powerful and all-loving and allow evil in the world?The argument is made that evil is a demonstration that God can either be all-powerful or all all-loving, but he cannot be both.This account does not answer the question of why evil exists, but it is a powerful demonstration that God can be both all-powerful and all-loving and still allow for evil.
This simple explanation is this:Jesus demonstrates his love toward Lazarus in his tears, thus Lazarus is completely loved by Christ.Jesus demonstrates his power toward Lazarus by raising him from the dead, thus Lazarus is the object of Christ’s omnipotence.However, in the midst of this, Lazarus is the object of great evil in that he dies.We may not be able to logically reconcile it, yet we can clearly understand it as true that great evil existed, yet Christ was still more powerful and all loving!
John 11:4 – “When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death.No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”If Jesus was able to raise Lazarus, he certainly would have been able to heal him.Yet he chose not to, some would argue he set aside his omnipotence because he was not all-loving. (this is clearly erroneous based on verse five)Rather, there was a higher value than Lazarus’ immediate healing, and that was the glory of God.The mission of Christ was to glorify the Father through His own glorification (John 17:1-5).Lazarus’ sickness and death were for the specific purpose of bringing glory to the Son and thus the Father.
John 11:5,6 – These verses introduce a paradox (a seeming contradiction, not a real one).Verse five claims that Jesus loved Lazarus, yet in verse six he takes no action to heal him.This introduces a difficult truth which I haven’t time to unpack (read John Piper for more teaching on this) here, but it is this: God’s greatest act of love to us is the glorification of himself.When God is glorified, we see him better; when we see God better, we know better how we ought to look; if God doesn’t glorify himself, we have no standard by which to judge the state of man.Thus, by not healing Lazarus, Jesus demonstrates his great love to him by using Lazarus’ death to bring glory to God!
John 11:37 – “But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”Far too often, we as humans desire to sit in judgment of God.That was Eve’s sin in the garden.She decided she was a better judge of what was right and good than God was.The result then was catastrophic.How ignorant we are to attempt to confine God’s nature and actions to the constructs of our feeble human mind.How foolish we are to second guess the acts of God, supposing we know better than him what actions will be best for his people, his kingdom, and His glory.
John 11:40-44 – In verse 40, Jesus reminds Martha of the over-arching purpose for this event, it is for the glory of God.Now, in front of the tomb, Jesus is prepared to carry out the act which will bring great glory to God by revealing the incredible power of his Son.Then, Lazarus is raised!The glory of God is revealed.Many put their faith in Jesus.(another study for another time is the amazing phrase in verse 46 that some who saw this chose not to believe in Jesus!)
One final thought on this.It is easy for us to look at the four days in which Lazarus was dead as no big deal, because we know the end of the story.We fell a little pity for Mary and Martha, but not much because we see what they don’t in verse 44.We are quick to judge those who doubted Christ’s motives because we can clearly see his higher priorities.Is today any different?We view death as the great enemy, and are slow to respond correctly to suffering, but don’t we know the end of the story?We pity ourselves deeply and often for too long when we suffer loss, but don’t we proclaim belief in a resurrection just like Lazarus’?Far too often we doubt a plan or purpose in our suffering and loss, and fail to see God’s higher priorities for us.The great question is, does truth change over time?Is the truth of God’s sovereignty and love that is so evident here lost because our loss lasts longer than four days?
Central Theme of Lesson: Just like Lazarus, our suffering and God’s deliverance will bring great glory to God.
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group, quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers (or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-Have each person share something that was of great value to them that they lost.Discuss how this loss hurt them or made them feel.Discover how they coped with the loss.
Doctrinal Time:
-Introduce the lesson by telling the students that you will be discussing loss and how it fits into God’s plan.Talk briefly about the loss that is felt when someone you know dies.Be sensitive because this will be painful for some of your students.
-Tell you students you’ll be doing a puzzle which will help them discover the great truth about suffering.Cut out the nine pieces of the puzzle, shuffle them, and tell the students to arrange them on the white board.You’ll need to draw two equal signs on the board to help them out.
CUT THE CHART BELOW INTO NINE PIECES, SHUFFLE THEM AND HAND THEM OUT TO DIFFERENT STUDENTS.HAVE THE GROUP FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE TWO PARRALLEL AND LOGICAL EQUATIONS.YOU MAY WANT TO PUT TAPE ON THE BACK OF THEM SO THAT THEY WILL STICK TO THE WHITE-BOARD
Lazarus’ Death
+
Lazarus’ Resurrection
Glory to God
THEREFORE
Our Death
+
Our Resurrection
Glory to God
THE FINISHED EQUATION SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS:
Lazarus’ Death + Lazarus’ Resurrection = Glory to God
THEREFORE
Our Death + Our Resurrection = Glory to God
- Briefly summarize the story of Lazarus for your students
- Have one student read verses 4-6.Why did Jesus not go immediately to heal Lazarus?
Make sure the students understand that it was not because he didn’t love Lazarus.Verse five is clear about that.The true answer is because he sought to bring glory to God.Push the students to try to explain how Jesus’ delay would bring glory to God.Ultimately, help them to understand that Jesus had already healed many people, by raising a man who had been dead for days, he would be able to demonstrate his power in a new way. This would be instrumental in bringing many people to belief.
-Have a student read verse 35.Why do you think Jesus wept?
oJesus loved Lazarus very much.Even though he knew he would come to life, death is a sad thing.This helps us to understand that God is broken hearted when any of his creation dies!Just like Jesus did here, God knows that there will be a resurrection, but he is still grieved by the existence of death.He does not want anyone to die.
-Have a student read verse 40.How did Martha get to see the glory of God?
oShe saw her brother raised to life!The ultimate illustration of God’s power is his power over death.This is something no human can ever claim, for death defeats us all.Here we see God’s glory in his marvelous superiority to his creation.
-What event that would soon follow do you think Lazarus’ resurrection was a foreshadowing of?
oIt looked forward to Christ’s own resurrection.By proving he had power over death.Jesus had given his followers reason to hope even though he knew he would be killed.
-How does Lazarus’ resurrection give us hope?
oJust as God was able to bring Lazarus back from the dead, we know that He is able to raise us and those we live.That is why Paul wrote in 1 Thes.4:13,14 that we do not grieve like those who have no hope.We know that we can look forward to sweet reunions with those who have died in Christ!We know that death holds no power over us.
-How should Lazarus’ resurrection change our view of suffering?
oWe know that God is in control.Any suffering we endure is for the purpose of making us more like Christ, and God never lets it become too difficult for us to handle.Jesus said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”This is the third statement of the equation we did at the beginning:
§“Our suffering + God’s deliverance = Glory to God”
oWhen we faithfully endure suffering, God will deliver us and in doing so, bring great glory to himself!
-Challenge the students to be “future minded”.Even when things seem to be bad, tell them to remember that God is in control, and just like he loved Lazarus, he loves them.He hurts when they hurt, he cries when they cry.His love and his power give us great confidence that he will never give us anything which is bad for us…
John 12 “Don’t Let Your Love for Money Become More Important than Your Love for God" (Judas)
Matthew 26,27
The appropriate view of money is demonstrated in verses 6-13
How much could the perfume have been sold for?
By negotiating, Judas turned Jesus into a commodity.How do we turn Jesus into a commodity?
Is there a warning to the church in this idea?
Judas in these chapters:
Negotiates price to “hand over” Jesus
Identified as “the one”; leaves
Jesus says, “it would be better for him if he had not been born”
Arrives with mob to take Jesus
Seized with guilt, returns money, hangs self
John 12
John’s account of Matthew’s story sheds new light on the characters
Mary pours the perfume
Judas questions the wisdom of it
Value of the perfume is about 1 year’s wages (300 denarii)
Judas is identified as a thief (skimming off the top)
The devil entered into Judas (ch.13)
Serendipity Questions:
Matthew
If you had a year’s wages to blow on one special gift, what would you buy and for whom?
What is significant about the setting for this woman’s gift to Jesus?
What context in Jesus’ life (vs.12) justifies this woman’s act?Why are the disciples indignant?
What is Jesus trying to teach his disciples about priorities?
How could this scene relate to what happens in verses 14-16?
What “beautiful” thing could you do this week for Jesus (or “the least of these”)?
Whereas the woman gave lavishly for Jesus, Judas wanted to see what he could get from him.In what ways are you like the woman?Like Judas?
John
If you had a year’s wages to spend on friends, which would you choose?
Big party?
Glorious trip for a few?
Extravagant gift for one?
Given the value of the perfume, how would you have reacted as you watched Mary?Why?
How does Jesus interpret Mary’s action?How is his comment in verse 8 especially applicable to Judas?
If you had a year’s salary or time to use for Christ, how would you use it?Is that reflected in you budget and priorities now?
If you gave a dinner in Jesus’ honor, whom would you invite?
John 13 -- Love One Another
2 Statements connected by a “therefore”
- Batman and Robin
- Laurel and Hardy
- Peanut Butter and Jelly
One without the other doesn’t really make sense.
Statement One is truth
Statement Two is action
“Therefore” means the first should lead to the second
Don’t nod ascent to the truth of statement one if you aren’t willing to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of statement two.
1) We are created to love and to be loved.
THEREFORE
2) We must passionately pursue others with the love of Christ and allow others to pursue us with the love of Christ.
We’ll spend most of our time in John 13, specifically verse 34.But first, I need to give you some background.
I’m going to hustle here, but all the main points will be on the screen…
We are created to love and to be loved.
- Image of God
- Unity with Diversity
- Interpersonal Relationships
We are created to love and to be loved.
- Not good for man to be alone
- Adam needed relationship
- Adam & Eve’s initial relationship (perfect intimacy)
We are created to love and to be loved.
- God’s revelation of himself…primary definable characteristic
- 3 in 1
- Last week—PBR talked about a rep. family
- fam. That rep. = primary def. charac.
Early days of God’s family
-Lot; Ismael; Esau; brothers
-Then Joseph, a member of the family God created demonstrates what love really is:
- sold for silver
- falsely accused
- wrongfully condemned
- buried in prison
- raised to power and authority
AND HE LOVED HIS BROTHERS…
Just like Jesus
Joseph’s love for his brothers was a foreshadowing of what was to come.JOHN 1:18.
Jesus gave two rules for those who wished to follow his way.
1)Love God with all your being.
2)Love your neighbor as yourself
Then, before he left the earth, he entrusted his message to 11 men.
Read John 13:33-35
Jesus is giving his “until I get back” instructions
- 6 emails…pool instructions
Jesus gave one NEW commandment
- object of love (1 Jn3:11)
- not God or neighbor
- manner of love
- not as self, much more difficult than that
AS I HAVE LOVED YOU
Purpose of the evening, to demonstrate the extent of his love
-- Washes Feet
- Highly Inappropriate (Flip Saunders)
- Washes Judas’ feet
It’s easy to serve some people
Jesus’ kind of serving
Something I wouldn’t normally do
For someone I wouldn’t normally do it for
With no hope of gaining anything in return
John 15:12,13 – Greater love…
No one has ever given up so much and received so little in return.
Loving Jesus’ way means sacrificing:
- Giving up something beneficial or desirable
- for the good of someone else
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
- Love is external, not internal
- Positive are relational
- Negatives are individual
The thing about love is that when I’m doing it, there’s nothing in it for me.So why love?
Because Jesus loved us, and because we were created to love and to be loved.
THEREFORE
We must passionately pursue others with the love of Christ and allow others to pursue us with the love of Christ.
- What would your world change…
- How would you change…
So why doesn’t it happen?FEAR OF REJECTION
-- If I love someone…no reciprocation
-- If I let someone love me…it might end
I used to be a music pastor…
- We fear rejection because of our past experiences
- We fear rejection because we know ourselves…rejection worthy
AND OUR FEAR OF REJECTION KEEPS US FROM LOVING AND FROM BEING LOVED
But Jesus commands us to love one another, and so Jesus has a solution for our fear of rejection
1) Jesus knows your faults better than you…
-- deepest darkest
-- all that makes you rejection worthy, and more
-- that’s what makes him God
BUT HE STILL CAME
THIS IS MY BODY, BROKEN FOR YOU
HE EXPERIENCED REJECTION FOR US (God’s)
2) Jesus wants to give you a new experience
-- your new life in Christ means you don’t need to fear rejection
-- He has demonstrated his love to you so that you can demonstrate his love to those around you.
John 13:1-17
• Why do you think Jesus washed his disciples feet? What was he trying
to teach? What did he want to accomplish?
• It seems that Peter believed Jesus’ actions were demeaning. What does
this tell you about Peter’s perspective on servanthood?
• If you were in the upper room that night, how would you respond to Jesus’
question in verse 12? Why? What don’t you understand about the
things he was doing?
• Do you think we should take Jesus literally and wash each other’s feet?
Why or why not? How should we obey the command in verse 14?
• Sometimes when you are extremely busy with things like work, school,
social life, etc. it is easy to get so caught up in your own life that you
don’t find time to serve others. What are some simple ways you can
make “servanthood” a part of your daily routine?
Acts
The Gospel Goes to the Gentiles
(Acts 10)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
The importance of the account of Cornelius is emphasized by its repetition in chapter 11 as Peter tells the Jerusalem church what happened.Until this time, “Christianity” was nothing more than the fulfillment of Judaism.The followers of Christ believed that Christ had done something very special for the Jewish nation and had spiritually set up the Messianic kingdom.However, they didn’t consider this new movement as something that was for Gentiles (strange considering the Great Commission!).Luke crafts this story very nicely, setting up the plot through his character development at the beginning.Our study will simply follow Luke’s story line.
Cornelius – He was an officer in the Roman army, however, at some point he had been convinced that the God of Israel was the true God.He demonstrated this belief through his constant prayer and his generous treatment of the poor.He is a great example for us to follow, as sometimes our belief in God doesn’t prompt us to care for the poor or to pray more.God had mercy on Cornelius and sent an angel to tell him what to do in order to hear the “whole story”.This is a powerful argument against those who would say good works or simple acknowledgement of God is enough.It is clear that Cornelius couldn’t be reconciled to God without knowing and believing in the work of Christ.
Peter – These were certainly amazing days for Peter.He was starting to find his feet as the “lead apostle” in the church.He was seeing people convert to Christ all around his homeland.Before lunch he decided to go to the roof (some privacy) and spend time in prayer.Perhaps he was praying for wisdom or for those who heard his message, or was simply being grateful for Christ’s work and the Spirit’s presence.Regardless of why he was praying, it is a nice example to us of the centrality of prayer for the believer.While on the roof, Peter had a vision of a “hammock” full of unclean animals.He heard a voice tell him to eat.With completely proper intentions, Peter refused to eat only to be reprimanded by the voice, “Do not call anything unclean that God had made clean”.This was less about the food than it was about the visitors Peter was about to have.When the messengers from Cornelius came, Peter understood that the vision had instructed him to accept and listen to them even though they were Gentiles.The result was that he traveled to meet Cornelius, certainly a trip he wouldn’t have taken (Jews tried not to associate with Gentiles, and it wasn’t that long ago that Roman soldiers had killed Jesus) had he not received the vision.
The Meeting – When Peter and Cornelius met, Peter shared the same Gospel message he had been preaching since Pentecost.While he was talking the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his family confirming that they believed Peter’s message about Jesus.When Peter saw them exhibit the same signs as had been seen in the upper room, he realized that God desired the Gentiles to receive the same gift as the Jews.Thus God had made the Gentiles clean just as he had made the Jews clean.
Central Theme of Lesson: Following Christ requires us to view all people loved by God.
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group, quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers (or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-Have each person share about a time when they got really dirty or smelled really bad.
-Doctrinal Time: (use these questions to guide your discussion.You may want to go through and answer each one before the lesson)
-How did Cornelius feel about God? (v.2)
-How did Cornelius treat others? (v.2)
-Read Mark 12:30,31.How do these verses apply to Cornelius?
-Read James 1:27.How does this verse apply to Cornelius?
-How did God provide for Cornelius to hear the truth about Jesus?
-Why did Peter go on the roof? (v.9)
-Do you think prayer was important to him? Why or Why not?
-What can we learn from his example?
-What was the vision Peter had? (v.11,12)
-What did the voice from heaven say to Peter? (v. 13)
-Why did Peter not want to eat? (v.14)
-Read Leviticus 11:46,47.Why would a Jewish person not want to eat an unclean animal?
-What did the voice say to Peter? (v.15)
-How did Peter’s vision prepare him for the messengers sent to Cornelius?(v.19-20, 27-29
-What are the main points of Peter’s message to Cornelius and his family? (v.24-43)
-How did Peter know Cornelius and his family believed in Christ? (v.44-48)
-We don’t struggle with thinking of Gentiles as “unclean”.What types of people might qualify as “unclean” in the eyes of people today?
-How should we act toward these people who might be considered “unclean”?
-What are some specific things that we can do to treat as “clean” those whom society calls “unclean”?
Ananias and Saphirra
Last night my LIFEGroup was discussing the story of Ananias and Saphhira. Of particular curiosity to us was the questions of why God was so serious about their sins. Their sudden death seems to fit better with our OT understanding of God than with what we consider the NT under grace.
Marianne is really smart. (she's also smokin' hot!)
She suggested that this was a demonstration to the Jews that the God of the church was the same God of the OT. I like this.
I particularly like it in light of the transitional nature of Acts.
In Acts we see transitions from:
- Jesus with us to the Holy Spirit in us
- Jewish people of God to Gentile people of God
- National Israel to International Church
- Temple/Synagogue to the Community of Believers
This last transition seems especially connected to the story of Ananias and Saphhira. God went to great effort in the days of Moses to demonstrate to the people the sanctity of the tabernacle. Many people died because of their disregard for His stipulations regarding worship.
Ananias and Saphhira's act was an intentional effort to besmirch the new temple (the community of believers). They certainly didn't see it that way, but the reality is that their actions were an attempt to direct attention to themselves. God acted quickly and severely to make sure everyone understood that in this new "dispensation" there was still not room for individualistic or self-centered worship.
Tough way to learn a lesson. What's it mean for us?
Clean and Unclean (ch.10-15)
have you ever wanted to really, really emphasize something?
i mean really emphasize it?
have you ever wanted to do that?
what did you do?
you probably used repetition. saying something more times is almost always better than saying it loudly once.
typically when we find something in the Bible more than once, we have a clue that it is important. when the same author says the same thing more than once, we consider it to be a "theme" of their writing. what we almost never see is the same author telling the same "story" more than once... that would be repetitive writing.
but check out Acts 10-15. Luke repeats in some form the same story 4 times. that's right four times. he actually gives four references to the same story! 4X!!!
first, in Acts 10, he tells the story of Peter having a vision.
second, later in the chapter, Peter tells Cornelius about his vision.
third, in chapter 11, he tells the other believers about his vision.
fourth, in chapter 15, at the Jerusalem counsel, he reminds the people about his vision.
it's hard to argue that this vision of Peter must be dealt with as central to our understanding of the church.
"Do not call anything impure that God has made clean"
"I should not call any man impure or unclean"
"Do not call anything impure that God has made clean"
"God...showed that he accepted them...He made no distinction between us and them"
so here's what i'm thinking. The words that Peter heard were "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean". From that, he made the assertion that he should not "call any man impure or unclean".
While all these statements are certainly within a salvific context, they significantly impacted the way Peter behaved toward Gentiles in non-salvific ways. Immediately after his vision, he invited a group of Gentiles into the home in which he was staying. When he visited Cornelius, he went into his home. Later on, we know that he ate with Gentiles, even "living like a Gentile"(Gal.2). None of these are necessarily "salvific" issues, they are cultural (although, admittedly, this distinction probably didn't exist for a first century Jewish man).
I make these points so i can ask this question. Is there any sense in which these verses or ideas speak to the relationships i have with people from different ethnic backgrounds than mine?
The Philippian Jailer
(Acts 16)
Preparation: The following notes and ideas are solely for you to use as you prepare to teach this week.Feel free to use them as you wish or don’t use them at all!
Following is Warren Weirsbe’s commentary on this passage.He does a nice job of opening it up a little.Our focus will be on Paul and Silas’ response to suffering and how that opened the door for evangelism.
“God opened the prison doors (vv. 16–40). No sooner are lost people saved than Satan begins to hinder the work. In this case, he used a demonized girl who had made her masters wealthy by telling fortunes. As Paul and his “team” went regularly to the place of prayer, still witnessing to the lost, this girl repeatedly shouted after them, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who show us the way of salvation!” Paul did not want either the Gospel or the name of God to be “promoted” by one of Satan’s slaves, so he cast out the demon. After all, Satan may speak the truth one minute and the next minute tell a lie; and the unsaved would not know the difference.
The owners had no concern for the girl; they were interested only in the income she provided, and now that income was gone. (The conflict between money and ministry appears often in Acts: 5:1–11; 8:18–24; 19:23ff; 20:33–34.) Their only recourse was the Roman law, and they thought they had a pretty good case because the missionaries were Jewish and were propagating a religion not approved by Rome. Moved by both religious and racial prejudices, the magistrates acted rashly and did not investigate the matter fully. This neglect on their part later brought them embarrassment.
Why didn’t Paul and Silas plead their Roman citizenship? (see Acts 22:25–29; 25:11–12) Perhaps there was not time, or perhaps Paul was saving that weapon for better use later on. He and Silas were stripped and beaten (see 2 Cor. 11:23, 25) and put in the city prison. It looked like the end of their witness in Philippi, but God had other plans.
Instead of complaining or calling on God to judge their enemies, the two men prayed and praised God. When you are in pain, the midnight hour is not the easiest time for a sacred concert, but God gives “songs in the night” (Job 35:10; also see Ps. 42:8). “Any fool can sing in the day,” said Charles Haddon Spurgeon. “It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but the skillful singer is he who can sing when there is not a ray of light to read by.... Songs in the night come only from God; they are not in the power of men.”
Prayer and praise are powerful weapons (2 Chron. 20:1–22; Acts 4:23–37). God responded by shaking the foundations of the prison, opening all the doors, and loosening the prisoners’ bonds. They could have fled to freedom, but instead they remained right where they were. For one thing, Paul immediately took command; and, no doubt, the fear of God was on these pagan men. The prisoners must have realized that there was something very special about those two Jewish preachers!
Paul’s attention was fixed on the jailer, the man he really wanted to win to Christ. It was a Roman law that if a guard lost a prisoner, he was given the same punishment the prisoner would have received; so there must have been some men in the prison who had committed capital crimes. The jailer would rather commit suicide than face shame and execution. A hard-hearted person seeking vengeance would have let the cruel jailer kill himself, but Paul was not that kind of a man (see Matt. 5:10–12, 43–48). It was the jailer who was the prisoner, not Paul; and Paul not only saved the man’s life, but pointed him to eternal life in Christ.
“What must I do to be saved?” is the cry of lost people worldwide, and we had better be able to give them the right answer. The legalists in the church would have replied, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1, nkjv). But Paul knew the right answer—faith in Jesus Christ. In the Book of Acts, the emphasis is on faith in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 2:38–39; 4:12; 8:12, 37; 10:10–43; 13:38–39).”[1]
Central Theme of Lesson: Responding correctly to suffering brings honor to God, and may open doors for our testimony.
GROUP MEETING
Relational Time:
-Remember, everyone should at least know everyone else’s names.Take some time to make sure this is the case before you move on.
-As a group, quote James 1:19, “My dear brothers (or sisters), take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
-Remind the group of the covenant and whatever other “discipline issues” might need to be discussed.
-Ask the students if any of them have a “story” to share from the past week.Of particular interest would be those who set goals the previous week updating their progress.
-The skits you do during the doctrinal time will serve as your introductory activity.
-Doctrinal Time: (use the questions to guide your discussion.You may want to go through and answer each one before the lesson)
-Divide into two groups.Have one group read Acts 16:16-24 and prepare a skit telling the story.Have the other group read Acts 16:25-34 and prepare a skit telling the story.
-Have the first group perform their skit.Fill in any important details of the story that they missed.
-Use the following questions to address the issue of “fairness”.Help the students understand that life is not fair, so we shouldn’t worry about ourselves, we should worry about God
-What did Paul and Silas (P/S) do that made the crowd upset?
-Were the people’s accusations against them fair?Why or why not?
-Do you think that Paul did the right thing by healing the girl?
-Is it possible that people can do things that are right and still get accused of doing wrong?Give an example.
-Did P/S receive a fair judgment from the court?Why or why not?
-If fairness means that wrongdoers always get punished and “rightdoers” never suffer, is life fair?Why or why not?
-If we cannot be sure that we will get a “fair” response to our actions, whom should we focus on pleasing?
-Say, “The fact is, life is not fair.If we spend our whole life worrying about whether or not we are being treated fairly, we’ll never be happy.Sometimes people do wrong and don’t get punished right away, and sometimes people do the right thing and suffer for it.Instead of worrying about fair treatment, we should worry about pleasing God with our actions.”
-Have the second group do their skit.Fill in any important details they may have missed.
-Use the following questions to help students see that if they respond appropriately to suffering it will bring honor to God and may result in people being saved.
-How did P/S respond to the unfair treatment they received?
-What are ways we suffer?
-How can we follow the example of P/S in the way we respond to suffering?
-What did P/S do when they had a chance to leave the prison?
-Based on this, how do you think P/S felt about authority? Explain your answer.
-How did the jailer respond when he found out P/S hadn’t left?
-What was the “happy ending” for the jailer and his family?
-Would the jailer and his family have been saved if P/S had been treated fairly?Why or why not?
-Say, “Often God works in ways we don’t understand.Many times he uses our suffering to accomplish a greater good.Sometimes we don’t see the results of our suffering for years, or maybe we never do, but we can have confidence that God is using it for the good of us and many others.This story reminds us that an important thing to remember is that no matter what others are doing or saying to and about us, we need to do whatever will bring honor to God.”
-Have students to think of ways they may suffer for doing right.Encourage them to commit themselves to doing the right thing even in the difficult situations.
[1]Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
Romans
12:1-2 -- God's Mercy
ROMANS 12:1 – THINKING ABOUT GOD’S MERCY
Self Love is more powerful than reason
WDo you do what’s good for you or what you think will feel good?
WAutonomy
WEve in the Garden
WOther examples?
Our relationship with God is at best characterized as responsive in nature
WTwo circle thinking
WOur lives should be a continuous response to God’s revelatory activity
WThey are a continuous response…
WRomans 1
WIf all we were responsible for was living in response to God’s revelatory activity toward us, we still fail.We still do things which violate our own sense of right and wrong.Thus we all stand condemned before God…
The scope of mercy cannot be understood without a proper recognition of our need for it
WWe need mercy (see above)
WThis kind of mercy should prompt us to live sacrificially
-- It is completely rational to do so
-- Our rationality gets overpowered by our self-love
How do we get to the point of truly being moved by God’s mercy?
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good
pleasing and perfect will.
1. Everyone hates a hypocrite (do not conform...)
-conforming means to change outwardly, or to change the shape, not properties of
something
- hypocrisy = pretending to be what one is not.
- which is worse: someone who pretends to be religious at church or
someone who pretends to be worldly in the world?
- 1 Peter 2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain
from sinful desires, which war against your soul.”
Who are you? You are either
1. A Christian who acts like a Christian?
2. A Christian who is a hypocrite.
3. Not a hypocrite, but not a Christian.
2. Fake Christianity is like fake potatoes (be transformed...)
- we eat a lot of potatoes because I don’t like rice
- I’m a bit of an expert on potatoes, I know fake potatoes when I have them, but I don’t
have tobe an expert to know that.
a. Everyone knows they’re fake
b. No one wants them
- when given the choice between real and fake potatoes who wouldn’t choose
real?
- when given the choice between real and fake people, who wouldn’t choose real?
Who are you? You are either
1. A real potato
2. A smashed potato (depends on what you did last night)
3. A potato out of a box
3. Being real has great results (Then...)
a. You’ll make good decisions (You’ll be able to test and approve...)
b. You’ll have good relationships (People like real people)
Romans 12 -- Perfect Together
NOBODY IS PERFECT
• Read quotes from Remember the Titans
• Read verses about "oneness"
o 1 Corinthians 12 -- same spirit same Lord same God
o Ephesians 4 -- one body one spirit one Lord one God
o Romans 12 -- we who are many form one body
NEW CREATION
• "We have different gifts according to the grace given to us." --
Romans 12:6
• Creation
o The Father Spoke...And God said
o The Son Acted...Col.1:16 by him all things were created
o The Spirit Empowered... hovered over the face of the
water
• New Creation
o The Father Spoke...this is my Son
o The Son Acted...this is the inaugural point of his ministry.
all actions from here on, are the initiation of the new
creation
o The Spirit empowered...like a dove (Hovering)
UNIQUELY GIFTED
• In our natural state we are selfish
• We are unable to think of others, let alone love and live in
harmony with others
• But God's new creation changes that. According to 1
Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, we have been given grace by
Jesus and by the Holy Spirit.
• The grace of Jesus allows us to be the NEW CREATION.
• As the new creation we continue to receive grace
• This continues grace allows us to be a different person than we
were before.
• Grace from God enables us to be the kind of person who can
share their life with others.
• I AM UNIQUELY EQUIPPED TO BE A FUNCTIONING PART
OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.
DNA
• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the
genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all
cellular forms of life.
• In English: Your DNA determines your genes. Your genes are
the building blocks of you
o brown hair gene
o blue eye gene
o tall gene
o devastatingly handsome gene
• What is the DNA of the church?
o Relationships
o Explain how DNA works
o Genetic Mutations
o A church that has broken, inappropriate and dysfunctional
relationships is a mutant church.
o Our DNA should be formative, caring, and missional
relationships
formative -- forming us to be more like God
caring -- taking care of each other's needs
missional -- accomplishing Christ's mission for the
church together
o WHAT CALVARY LOOKS LIKE FIVE YEARS FROM
NOW WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE DNA CALVARY
BUILDS TODAY.
LIFEGroups
• A LIFEGroup is a collection of individuals sharing their lives
with one another for the glory of God.
• Within every LIFEGroup the many become one. However, th
uniqueness of each individual is not sacrificed. Rather, the gifts
and abilities of each individual are embraced and utilized as
building blocks crucial for the development of the group.
• The Ideal LIFEGroup...
o Assists every member in their formative journey to look
like Jesus Christ
o Cares for the needs of each member, enabling them to
experience the holistic healing of God's grace
o Equips and encourages each member to enact Jesus'
mission and message in the world
OWNNESS vs. ONENESS
• You are CALLED (Eph.4:1)
o You have a New Identity
• You are GIFTED (1 Cor.12:4)
o You have Necessary Tools
• You are GRACED (Rom.12:6)
o You have Sustaining Power
• As those called to be God's New Creation
• As stewards of gifts, given by Jesus,
• As recipients of grace from the Holy Spirit,
WE MUST LEARN TO...
• Sacrifice our ownness
• For the good of the oneness
PEFECT TOGETHER
• John 13:34
• John 17:20,21,23
• 1 Corinthians 12:27
• Blank Slide
• Winnie the Pooh illustration
• Remember the Titans
CELEBRATE
• You are uniquely equipped to be a functioning part of the body
of Christ!
• Celebrate People
• Explain Puzzle
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 1
i've been mucking around in 1 corinthians recently and today am playing in chapter four. verses 6 and 7 are unfamiliar to me so i camped on them for a moment. for a little background i grabbed calvin (the commentary not the person) to see what he would say. "Ouch, you're holding me too tight!" he said.
actually, he remixes verse six to say, "that no one be puffed up for his own teacher against another."
i've always thought of this issue in corinth as happening in one church where people were divided over who the best teacher is. maybe the real issue was that all across town, different churches were springing up claiming their teacher was really the best. perhaps the northside was the church of apollos, while the southside had 2nd Aquilla Church. of course on the west was the Pauline Baptist Church (after Paul and John). and then the very pious east-siders attended The Church of Jesus Christ.
of course such a ridiculous thing wouldn't happen today. Can you imagine if people went to the Church of Rob Bell? how about Joel Olsteen Church of Houston? or maybe the McLaren Chapel?
then again...maybe we mirror Corinth more than we know? this morning coming to work i drove by Trinity LUTHERan Church and CALVIN Christian Church. the other day i got an email from my friend over at First WESLEYan Church. hmmm... does that make Calvary Church the ultra-pious claimers of "we follow Christ"? i wonder what Paul's first epistle to Muskegon might look like?
1 Corinthians 4:4
My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.
ouch.
we are very good at "clearing our consciences". we expend sometimes great intellectual effort to justify ourselves in our own minds, and sometimes to others. we do moral gymnastics, and sometimes assign spiritual sounding words and concepts to our activities to feel better about who we are.
the more we do it, the better we get at it.
we substitute logic for scripture. we follow the wisdom of the world and submit ourselves to the "American Way", then come up with reasons why it's "okay".
the more we do it, the better we get at it.
we say, "just this once" the first time, then when we want/need to do it again, we find another...better reason. it doesn't take long to believe what was once unthihnkable to be necessary, appropriate, and right.
the more we do it, the better we get at it.
"My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me."
The Body of Christ (ch.12)
i keep hearing this song on the radio. the girlafter initially writing this, i discovered it was beyonce... has an impressive voice, but she doesn't have a real good outlook on life.
she sings something like, "you must not know about me; i could have another you in a minute"
i think what she's getting at is that she is more valuable than her ex because she is irreplaceable and he is not. he might think she can't replace him, but she has another him who will be there in a minute.
incredibly bad view of love and relationships aside, i think the song hits on a big longing we all have. we are looking for indispensibility. we want to be irreplaceable.
sometimes i like to think that if i was abducted by aliens, calvary would instantly crumble... then i wake up. it would be nice, though, if i were sorely missed. then i start thinking:
you know, if we were really the body of christ like paul describes in 1 cor.12, i would be sorely missed (particularly if you are one of those who considers me to be one of the dishonorable parts).
BUT (yes that's a big but)
if we were really the body of Christ like paul describes in 1 cor.12, anyone who was abducted by aliens (or disappeared from our community for other reasons) should be sorely missed...
"...those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable"
how is that verse true in our church? i'm struggling to come up with the good answer? anybody got some ideas?
2 Corinthians
Galatians
1:1-5
EXPLORING PAUL’S UNIQUE COMMISSION
·What is the term Paul uses to identify himself?What do you think this term means?Who are other people that are identified by this term?
·On whose authority did Paul operate?How do you think this changed the way he wrote his letters and preached his sermons?Do you think it changed the way he dressed and the movies he went to?
·To what extent do you think we share in Paul’s commission?
EXPLORING THE GALATIAN’S UNIQUE POSITION
·What do you think of when you hear the word’s “grace and peace”?What if “grace and peace” was a place?What would it look/be like?
·According to verse 3, what did Jesus do and why did he do it?What do you think is meant by “present evil age”?How are we “rescued” from it?
·Apparently all this happened because it was the “will of God.”What do you think Paul meant by that?
Key Passage:Galatians 1:1-24
Main Points with discussion questions
1) The core of the Christian message. (Galatians 1:1-5)
- Jesus is Lord
- Jesus dies for our sins
- Jesus rose from the dead
Discuss:
·Why do you think Paul chose these three statements to summarize the Gospel?
·What other “truths” beyond these are important for Christians to believe?Why?
2) The emergence of false Gospels (Galatians 1:6-9)
- The devil has always sought to pervert God’s truth and turn people away from Him
- Because of sin, all humans are broken morally and spiritually and because of ignorance, pride, or perversity, we often choose our own way over God’s
Discuss:
·Do you think the devil is really behind “false Gospels”?Why or why not?
·Why do you think Paul was so surprised by the Galatians following of a “false Gospel”?
·Why do you think Paul had such strong language for those who follow “other Gospels”?
·What types of things do people choose to believe in other than Jesus?What things do we as Christians allow to get in our way of following Jesus?
3) The danger of seeking popularity (Galatians 1:10)
Discuss:
·Why do you think it is popular to find “flaws” in Christianity?How do you handle it when people point out “contradictions” in your faith?
·What experiences do you have where it has been unpopular to be a Christian?How have you handled it?
·Is it fair to judge Christianity based on the way Christians live?Why or why not?
4) The source of the true Gospel (Galatians 1:11-12) (2 Peter 1:16-21)
- direct revelation from God
- directly from the mouth of Jesus
5) The result of embracing the true Gospel (Galatians 1:13-24)
Discuss:
·Theoretically, would it be possible to know God if He didn’t reveal Himself to us?Why or why not?
·If the truth we have is directly from God,how should we handle (read, teach, etc.) it?
What are some examples of ways we elevate our own knowledge above that which has been revealed to us?
3:15-25
Ephesians
Eph. 1:1-14
Who You Are
1. Our blessings in Christ
• Chosen and predestined for adoption for
his pleasure and glory
• Redemption and forgiveness of sins
• Understanding of his will
2. Our marking with a seal
• The Holy Spirit
• A deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
• To the praise of His glory
TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY
Eph 1:15-23
What You Do
1. What Paul was doing
• Remembering in prayer
• Giving thanks
o Wisdom
o Enlightened
To understand calling
To understand inheritance
To understand power
(which he exhibited In raising
Christ)
• seated him above all
• placed all below him
• appointed him head of
church
2. How long he did it
• since he heard of their faith
• constantly
Eph. 2:1-10
1. What was your condition before Christ?
2. What does “dead” mean?
3. What caused your death?
4. Is this physical or spiritual death?
5. Who were you following when you were in this
condition?
6. What do you think vs. 2 means?
7. Define “gratify.”
8. What are the “cravings of sinful nature”?
9. What do you think is the distinction between cravings,
desires, and thoughts?
10. What brought us to life?
11. How are we saved?
12. Where does God raise us up to?
13. Through whom do we experience God’s riches?
14. Who is responsible for your salvation?
15. What does it mean to be God’s “workmanship”?
16. What are we made for?
17. Specifically, how are you or aren’t you fulfilling your
purpose?
Eph 2:11-22
Who You Are (The Sequel)
1. Therefore
2. The Status of Gentiles
• the Former status
o separate from Christ
o excluded from citizenship in Israel
o foreigners to the covenants of
promise
o without hope
o without God in the World
• Now
o In Christ Jesus
o Brought near through the blood of
Christ
3. The Work of Christ
• He is our peace
• He has made the two one (Jews and
Gentiles)
• He abolished the law (commands and
regulation) IN HIS FLESH
• He united humanity through the cross
4. The Result (Consequently)
• You are NOT foreigners and aliens
• You are fellow citizens with God’s people
• Members of God’s household
Eph. 3:1-13
The Mystery of God
1. What the mystery is
• Through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs
together with Israel
A. They are members of one body
B. They share in the promise of the
Messiah
2. Who knows the mystery
A. It was not known before Paul
• People didn’t understand the cross
B. It was revealed by the spirit to Paul and
others
C. It can be known by all now
3. The results of the mystery
A. We can become servants of God
• Regardless of what we’ve done and
who we are because it is a result of
the grace given us
B. The church is to make known the work of
Christ.
C. We can approach God with confidence
(confidence in Christ’s work)
D. Suffering does not discourage us.
Eph 3:14-21
1. What was the reason Paul knelt before the Father?
2. Rewrite Paul’s prayer in your own words.
3. How did Paul want the believers to be strengthened?
4. What do you think that means?
5. What is the result of the Spirits indwelling? (vs. 17)
6. What knowledge did Paul want the believers to
have?
7. What does it mean that God can do immeasurably
more than we ask?
Eph. 4:1-16
How to Live a Life Worthy of Your Calling
1. Be completely humble and gentle
2. Be patient
3. Bear with one another in love
4. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
A. There is just one body
• We are not our own
• We are Christ’s
B. Christ has given each the ability to keep the
unity.
• Only he has the authority to do so
o As a result of his death, he freed
the church from captivity
• His grace allows for different offices
o Apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors, teachers
• The different offices are designed to
“build the body”
• The end result will be evident
o Reach unity in the Faith
o Reach knowledge of the Son of
God
o And become mature, attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness
of God
C. A picture of the mature body
• No longer susceptible to false teaching
• Always speaking the truth in love
Eph 4:17-24
1. The importance of what Paul is about to say.
• He insists on it
• In the Lord (it is the proper spirit)
2. How you should not live (as the Gentiles –
PAGANS)
A. Futile thinking -- Their understanding is
darkened
• Their ignorance is a result of hardening
their hearts
• They cannot understand God’s salvation
B. LOST SENSITIVITY
• They feel no remorse for wrongdoing
• Indulge in sinful behavior
• Continually want to do more wrong
3. How you should live
A. Put off your old self
• Corrupted by deceitful desires
B. Be made new
• In the attitudes of your mind
C. Put on the new self
• Created by God
• Characterized by righteousness and
holiness (a new ability)
Eph. 4:25-32
1. Make a list of all the commands in these
verses. (at least 12)
2. Now list the top 5 that apply to you
individually.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3. What is a specific thing that you can do to
obey each of the commands you listed?
4. Take some time with your teammates and
set goals for your return to civilization.
Base them on the commands you read
today.
5. Spend time praying with and for each
other.
Eph. 5:1-14
1. Three types of people that don’t
belong with God.
A. Immoral
• Sexual immorality
• Disobedience to God’s law
B. Impure
• Obscenity
• Foolish talk or course joking
C. Greedy
• Anxious for own gain
2. The difference between darkness
and light
A. The darkness
• Deeds are fruitless
• Deeds are shameful
B. The light
• Goodness, righteousness,
truth
• Pleases the Lord
• Makes everything visible
Eph. 5:15-21
1. What does it mean to be careful about how
you live?
2. What are ways you might be unwise about
how you live?
3. How does it affect your answers if you
consider what Ephesians has said to this
point?’
4. How are the “days evil”?
5. How does the phrase “carpe diem” fit with
Eph. 5:16?
6. How can a Christian “Seize the day”?
7. What does the foolish man not understand?
8. What does God want us to be drunk with?
9. What do you think it means to be drunk on the
Holy Spirit?
10. What attitude should you always have toward
God?
11. What things keep us from always being
thankful to God?
12. What should be your attitude toward other
Christians?
13. Practically, what does that mean?
Eph 6:1-9
Living a Life of Submission
1. As a child
A. Obey your parents
• The only reason given is “for this is
right”
B. Honor your father and mother
C. Submit to spiritual training
2. As a slave
A. Obey as you would obey Christ
• With respect and fear
• With sincerity of heart
B. Obey with the proper motives
• Obey with the proper motives
• The Lord’s rewards are more important
than your bosses’ pay
C. Respond properly to delegated
responsibility
Eph. 6:10-20
Preparing for Battle
1. KNOWING THE EMEMY
A. Truth
• Living and defending the faith begins
with knowing and living the truth
B. Righteousness
• God sees us as righteous and expects
us to act righteous
C. Readiness
• Be ready always to give an answer
• Readiness is a result of knowing the
Gospel
D. Faith
• Faith is a tangible demonstration of
what we hope for
E. Salvation
• We are protected by Christ’s work
F. Word of God
• A Christian without the Word is like a
soldier without a sword
G. Prayer
• For the Saints
• For fearless evangelism
Philippians
Philippians 2:5-11 --Jesus was a man, we must imitate His example.
Key Teaching Text:
WPhilippians 2:5-11
Key Thoughts for Discipleship Communities:
WDid God really become man?
WWhat are the implications of a “human God”?
WHow should I respond to the example set by Jesus?
Suggested Application:
WCommit to regular interaction with God through prayer.
Section Two
Opening Thoughts:
DID GOD REALLY BECOME MAN?
The assumption of the New Testament is that God became man.Luke and Matthew wrote the accounts of the birth of Jesus and both books clearly teach that this was no ordinary birth, it was the human birth of God.
John 1 makes no secret of the fact that Jesus was God.Next week we will explore that concept in more depth, but this week we want to address the issue that God was Jesus. In other words; at a real time, there was a real man, who was really God.This is one of the absolute core teachings of the New Testament.
There are several passages in the Bible which point toward the fact that God became man in the person of Christ:
Matthew 1:18-23 clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit was responsible for Mary’s pregnancy.Such a miraculous conception points to an “other-than-normal” pregnancy.This was not just another person, it was divine.However, Mary was still pregnant, and she still gave birth to an actual baby human.
WLuke 2 chronicles the events surrounding the birth of Christ.Again, such occurrences make it clear that this was not just another birth.However, it is clear that Jesus was born in the normal human way after spending the normal amount of time in the womb of a regular human mother.
WJohn 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”The teaching is clear; Jesus, the Word, became man.
W1 Corinthians 15:20-22 teaches that death came through a man and resurrection came through a man.Verse 22 identifies the first man as Adam and the second man as Christ.In other words, Jesus was a man in the very same way that Adam was a man (and we might add, in the same way that we are men/women).
WHebrews 4:15 says that we have a high priest (speaking of Jesus) who has suffered in every way like we have.In other words, God is fully aware of what it is like to be human, because he has been human.
These verses and many others make a compelling argument that God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ.However, the most clearly written Biblical passage that makes this point is Philippians 2:5-11.In this poem (possibly a hymn of the early church), Paul writes that Jesus, who was God, (verse 6) chose to take on the nature of man (verse 7) and even chose to die in the same way that other men die(verse 8).This passage will form the backbone of our lesson for this week.
Four key thoughts regarding the incarnation (God becoming flesh) stand out to me as I examine these passages.As you study Philippians 2:5-11, examine these thoughts (as well as your own):
WJesus was God.We’ll unpack this more next week, but verse six makes it very clear that Jesus in his very nature was God.
WJesus wasn’t obsessed with being God.The expression, “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped” is sometimes difficult to understand.The basic meaning of it is that Jesus didn’t feel like he needed to tightly hold on to his Godness.Someone who is not God, given the chance to be God, might grasp tightly to that opportunity.However, Jesus did not let his desire to be God keep him from becoming a man.
WJesus humiliated himself to become a man.It is no small thing for God to become man.Paul clearly demonstrates that this act took great humility and servanthood.The word “nature” in verse seven is the same word that is used in verse six to describe Jesus’ divinity.The point is that in the same way Jesus was God, he was now man.
WThe man Jesus is our example.Verse five says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”Although the main point of this verse is that we should humbly love our brothers as Christ humbly loved us, the bigger idea behind this teaching is that Christ serves as our example because he was a man just as we were.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF A “HUMAN GOD”?
Throughout the history of the world, people have worshipped various different gods.In most cases, the gods are viewed as being aloof and untouchable.The true God is not like that.He is deeply concerned about and involved with His creation.The extent of his love for people is most clearly demonstrated in his unexplainable decision to become a person like us.
The story of the Bible beginning in Genesis teaches us that we were created to be the representatives of God (the image of God).We were made to look like God.Because of our sin, our representation of God was severely marred.Our ability to be the image of God was stunted.God’s plan to restore our ability to represent him included sending His Son to become a man and demonstrate to us what it looked like to represent God.
To further study this concept of imaging God, check out the following passages:
WGenesis 1:26-30 – Here God creates man and woman in His image.He also gives them instructions as to how they are to live as His representatives on this newly created earth.
WGenesis 3 – Here Adam and Eve choose not to represent God appropriately, first to the serpent and secondly to one another (neither attempts to stop the other from disobeying God’s commands).God teaches them that the result of their actions will be a world that is now broken and no longer responsive to their desires.
WJohn 1 – Here we see that Jesus came to earth as the perfect representation of the Father so that we could once again know what God is like.
Herein lies the great implication if God has become a human.We must follow the example of the God-man.
Although we don’t often think in these terms, Jesus was our creator.He made us.Therefore, he knows us better than we know ourselves.He understands humanity far better than we ever could.More than anyone else, he knows the best way to live, and that is why he came to earth.Asking ourselves “What Would Jesus Do?” is a good question, but a far better question is “What DID Jesus Do?”Because God became man, we must give our full attention to the life He lived so that we can learn how it is that we were made to live and how it is that we are expected to live.
HOW SHOULD I RESPOND TO THE EXAMPLE SET BY JESUS?
Philippians 2 says that believers should have the same mindset as Jesus.Because God came to earth and lived among men, we are responsible to seek to imitate him as best we can.Romans 8:29 suggests that imitating Jesus is the purpose to which we are called.It says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…” Our only reasonable response to the incarnation is to imitate Jesus to thebest of our ability.
How do we imitate Jesus?Through reading and studying the accounts of His life, we can seek to understand what he did, why he did it, and how he did it.That understanding can assist us as we seek to follow suit.
What did Jesus do?He relieved suffering and redeemed sin.Jesus spent the majority of his time on earth healing the sick, meeting the needs of the poor, and changing people’s thinking about who and what was important (the first shall be last…).Virtually everyone who came into contact with Jesus came away better as a result.The only people who did not benefit from meeting Jesus were those who knowingly rejected him.His death on the cross was the ultimate act of relieving suffering because it was the act that ultimately redeemed sin.Although we cannot redeem sin, we can bring people to Jesus who will redeem them.What we can do is relieve suffering.If we want to do what Jesus did, we will seek to relieve suffering wherever we find it.
Why did Jesus do it?Simply, he loved people.Remember the two great commands were to love God and then demonstrate that love by loving those around you.Jesus was motivated to heal people and relieve their suffering because he was full of compassion for them.Jesus was driven to the cross (to redeem our sins) by his love.Thus, if we want to follow the example of Jesus, our primary motivation in life must be love.The truth is, when love motivates our actions, our actions will look like Jesus’.
How did Jesus do it?Jesus’ actions were motivated by love and fueled by his intense relationship with the Holy Spirit.From the very beginning of his ministry, the Holy Spirit was driving him to accomplish all the Father had for him.Examine the following verses which detail Jesus’ relationship with the Holy Spirit:
WMatthew 1:18 – He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
WMark 1:10 – The Holy Spirit “supervised” his baptism
WLuke 4:1 – The Holy Spirit led him into the desert for his “pre-ministry” temptation
WJohn 3:34 – The Holy Spirit was given to him in a unique and unlimited manner
WJohn 14:16,17 – He promised his disciples that the Spirit would have a similar relationship with them.
The truth for us is that our actions can be fueled by the Holy Spirit just as Jesus’ were if we can learn how to maintain the same type of close relationship with the Spirit that Jesus had.
I would suggest that prayer is the conduit by which we develop our relationship with the Holy Spirit.If you were to do a survey of the life of Jesus, you would find him taking time to pray on a regular basis.Romans 8:26 teaches that through prayer, the Spirit is able to assist us in our struggles against sin.Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 1:20 encourage us to regularly “pray in the Spirit”.Praying in the Spirit simply means using prayer to harness the power of the Spirit in our lives.
If we are to follow the example of Jesus, it is essential that we are empowered by the same force that drove him (the Holy Spirit).Therefore, we must use the same methods he used (prayer).By engaging the Holy Spirit in our prayer life, we will find the power/energy necessary to live a Christ-like life.
Summary: (if you get these points across, you’ve succeeded)
Truth To Teach: Jesus was a man, we must imitate his example.
Implication to Consider: Because Jesus was a man just like us, it is possible for us to live just like him.
Application to Live: Living like Jesus did requires us to be connected to the Holy Spirit like Jesus was.This happens best through prayer.
Section Three
Suggested Teaching Outline:
Introduction:
- have a few people tell stories about a time they tried to imitate someone or someone tried to imitate them.
- talk about what steps you might take if you want to look/act like someone else
- tell the class that today you’ll be talking about the fact that Jesus was an actual man, and that means that we can and should imitate him.
Teaching Points:
1)God became a man
- The events surrounding the birth of Jesus indicate that this baby was God in the flesh. (Matthew 1; Luke 2)
- The humanity of Jesus was necessary so that he could reverse the curse of Adam’s sin (1 Cor. 15:20-22)
-- since sin came into the world through the disobedience of a man, the effects of sin were overturned by the obedience of a man
-- until Jesus, no man had ever lived in perfect obedience to God.Therefore, Jesus was the first man who never deserved to die.Thus his death was able to be in the place of other men.
- The humanity of Jesus was necessary to give us an example of the character of God (John 1:14-18)
-- we were created to be the image of God, but because of sin, no one has seen God so we cannot know him or be like him.
-- Jesus came to show us what God looks like.By taking on humanity, he became the perfect example of how a person can be the image of God.
2)Jesus is our example
- As we already mentioned, Jesus is our example because he demonstrates for us what it looks like for a person to take on the character of God.
- Philippians 2 provides us with several ideas about how we can follow the example of Jesus.
-- Jesus was not concerned about position … even though he was God, he was willing to set that aside for the good of people.If we are going to be like Christ, we need to not worry about gaining power, position, poularity, etc…
-- Jesus was willing to serve … the whole reason he came to earth was to accomplish something for ourselves that we couldn’t do.If we are going to be like Christ, we need to be willing to find opportunities to serve others.
-- Jesus humbled himself … it is humbling enough for God to become man, but in this case God allowed himself to be killed by men.Being like Jesus means we are willing to be humble and consider the needs of others before we think of ourselves.
-- Jesus was obedient … it was the will of the father that Jesus be killed by men, therefore, Jesus went to earth to die.If we want to follow Christ’s example, we need to make every effort to be obedient to the Father.
3)Prayer helps us harness the power of the Holy Spirit
- Jesus accomplished him mission on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:34,35)
-- God gave the Holy Spirit to Jesus without limits
--John 14:17 says that the disciples knew the Holy Spirit because He lived with them and would be in them.This means that the Holy Spirit had been living with them through indwelling Jesus.He would be (future) in them when Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to his followers.
- Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to his followers (John 14:26)
-- The Holy Spirit enables us to speak the words and enact the mission of Jesus.
- A key element for harnessing the power of the Holy Spirit is prayer.
-- Romans 8:26 says that the Spirit helps us when we are weak, through prayer
-- Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 1:20 both encourage us to pray in the Spirit.
-- If we want the Spirit’s help in following the example of Jesus, we need to be willing to ask for it.
Closing Challenge:
--Jesus came to show us what it means for a human to look like Jesus.
--Because He has demonstrated this for us, we should seek to follow the example of Jesus.
--Acting, looking, and speaking like Jesus will be best accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer.
Section Four
Suggested Discussion Questions:
WHave you ever tried to imitate someone?Has anyone ever tried to imitate you?
WWhat sort of things do you need to do if you want to look like someone?What would you do if you wanted to look like God?
WRead Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2.Which of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth were unique from a normal pregnancy?
WHow does the fact that God became man impact your life every day?Why (or why not?)
WRead Philippians 2:5-8.List the things that Jesus did.
WBased on what this passage says Jesus did, how can we follow his example?What are some practical things we can do on a daily basis to follow this example?
WHow do you think prayer can impact our ability to follow the example of Jesus?Why?
WRead Romans 8:26.How do you think prayer and the Holy Spirit work together in helping us look like Jesus?
WWhat are some ways we can better implement the truths from today’s discussion?
Closing Challenge:
--Jesus came to show us what it means for a human to look like Jesus.
--Because He has demonstrated this for us, we should seek to follow the example of Jesus.
--Acting, looking, and speaking like Jesus will be best accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer.
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach
This is a sobering list of the character traits required of those who seek to hold the office of pastor/elder. Obviously, it is an important list to me. However, it is worth pointing out that "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander." If living this way is worth my while, it's certainly worth any believer's while.
Paul told Timothy elders are to be "above reproach". I didn't think much about this until today. He didn't tell Timothy that elders are not to be reproached, only that they are to be above it. Check this out:
The definition of "reproach" is "to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure."*
The word Paul used which is translated by the NIV as "above reproach" was "anepilēmptos" (don't worry about pronouncing it, it isn't English). The idea behind it is that accusations and blame just don't stick. A great OT example of this kind of character is Daniel.
Daniel 6:4-5 says:
At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."
Basically, these men desired to "reproach" Daniel, but found him to be less sticky than duct tape which has been ripped off an ape's arm three or four times. So they did two things. They manipulated and misrepresented.
First, they went to the king and manipulated by appealing to his pride (whole sermon there) and convincing him to make a completely unjust decision.Second, they misrepresented Daniel as a threat to the kingdom.
The result was Daniel had pizza with the lions.**
So, I'm thinking... my role as elder/pastor (and your mission as Christ-follower should you choose to accept it) demands that I (we) be "above reproach". I haven't failed when I am accused of wrong-doing. In fact, Peter and Paul kind of suggest that might happen.*** The big question is, "Do people's accusations stick? or is my character such that people quickly recognize the charges as false?"
Certainly this is a reminder for me of two things:
1) I need not be discouraged when I am wrongly accused. God is a righteous judge, and there is no sin in being falsely blamed.
2) I need to live with such consistency of character that false accusations have no ability to stick. Even though people may manipulate others to turn them against me, and even though some may misrepresent me, my task is not one of self-defense; it is one of being consistently Christ-like. This is a very high calling.
*dictionary.com
** veggie tales
*** 1 Peter 2:11-12; 1 Tim 5:16
2 Timothy
2 Timothy 3:16 The Bible is inspired, we must learn Its truths.
Key Teaching Text:
W2 Timothy 3:16
Key Thoughts for Discipleship Communities:
WWhat does it mean that Scripture is “inspired”?
WWhat are the uses of an inspired text?
WHow should I respond to God’s inspired Word?
Suggested Application:
WCommit to memorizing a specified portion of Scripture on a regular basis.
Section Two
Opening Thoughts:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED?
2 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is “inspired” by God.The Greek word that Paul wrote is “theosneustos”.You can break it down into its two root words which are theos(God) and pneu(breathe).The NIV translates this word “God-breathed”.The idea behind this phrase is that when we read the Word of God, we are actually reading the breath of God.
It may be helpful to consider how inspiration is different from, but consistent with the concept of revelation.Revelation relates to the origin and actual giving of truth (1 Corinthians 2:10). Inspiration, on the other hand, relates to the receiving and actual recording of truth. Inspiration means that "God the Holy Spirit worked in a unique supernatural way so that the written words of the Scripture writers were also the words of God."[i]In other words, inspiration is the means by which God revealed Himself.
While there are different views as to what extent the Bible is inspired, there can be no doubt that the Bible itself claims that every word in every part of the Bible is inspired by God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). This view of the Scriptures is often referred to as verbal plenary inspiration. What that means is that the inspiration extends to the very words themselves (verbal inspiration), not just concepts or ideas, and that the inspiration extends to all parts of Scripture and all subject matters of Scripture (plenary inspiration).[ii]
It may be a little difficult to get our minds around how God inspired the authors of the Bible, but we can be certain that he did.2 Peter 1:21 teaches that Scripture is not the ideas men came up with on their own, but rather “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”This verse coincides with Jesus’ promise in John 16:12-15 that the Holy Spirit would teach and guide the disciples in all they needed to know.These two passages contribute to the bigger picture of inspiration, leaving us with the impression that the Holy Spirit worked proactively in the lives of the Bible’s authors to influence them as they wrote the actual words of God.
WHAT ARE THE USES OF AN INSPIRED TEXT?
First and foremost, it is important to recognize that an inspired text is immensely more trustworthy and authoritative than a non-inspired text.Therefore, if God has really spoken through the Words of the Bible, the number one use of the Bible is to be the truth measurement to which all other literature must stand up.In other words, the inspired text stands in judgment of the non-inspired texts, not vice-versa.
Secondly, we are given insight into the usefulness of an inspired text in 2 Timothy 3:16.Here Paul outlines for Timothy four different uses of the inspired Bible, the end result of which is a believer who is fully prepared to do the work of Christ.The four uses listed by Paul are “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.”
John Calvin explains this passage like this:
“Here he enters into a detailed statement of the various and manifold advantages derived from the Scriptures.And, first of all, he mentions instruction, which ranks above the rest; for it will be to no purpose that you exhort or reprove, if you have not previously instructed.But because ‘instruction’ taken by itself, is often of little avail, he adds reproof and correction (rebuking and correcting)…Reproof and correction differ little from each other, except that the latter proceeds from the former; for the beginning of repentance is the knowledge of our sinfulness.”
Warren Weirsbe wrote the following about this passage:
“They are profitable for doctrine (what is right) for reproof (what is not right), for correction (how to get right), and for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right).A Christian who studies the Bible and applies what he learns will grow in holiness and avoid many pitfalls in this world.”
In Living By the Book, Howard Hendricks writes the following about these verses:
“…for doctrine or teaching.That is, it will structure your thinking…What you believe will determine how you behave…
…for rebuke.That is, it will tell you where you are out-of-bounds.It tells you what sin is…
…for correction…It opens up the doors in your life and provides a purifying dynamic to help you clean out sin and learn to conform to God’s will…
…for training in righteous living.God uses it to show you how to live. Having corrected you on the negatives.He gives you positive guidelines to follow in life.”
However, you choose to identify the meanings of each of these four uses, the point of all is clear in verse 17.Paul writes, “so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”God’s inspired Word is most useful for equipping us to do His good work in the world.
HOW SHOULD I RESPOND TO GOD’S INSPIRED WORD?
Clearly, if I am to respond appropriately to God’s inspired Word, I must allow it to work in me to equip me for good works.However, the Bible will not accomplish anything in my life unless I am aware of what it says, and put it’s teachings to use.
Last week, the challenge was to spend time daily reading the Bible.This is a crucial discipline to develop if we are to be changed by the Bible.A second discipline which will enable us to utilize the benefits of an inspired text is the discipline of memorization.Teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training all come within the context of daily life.If we are to apply Biblical principles to the every day situations we find ourselves in, we will need to have those principles readily available.Regular memorization of Bible passages allows us to do so.
Summary: (if you get these points across, you’ve succeeded)
Truth To Teach: The Bible is direct from God.It contains His wisdom for our lives.
Implication to Consider: Because the Bible is God’s Word, we should seek to live by its truths.
Application to Live: Living by the Bible’s truths demands that we know what the Bible says.
Section Three
Suggested Teaching Outline:
Introduction:
- Ask people to share stories about how not following directions got them into trouble.
- Explain that God’s wisdom for life is communicated through the Bible.Therefore, if we desire to have wise principles by which to live our lives, the Bible is the place to find them.
- Say, “Today’s lesson will explore what the ramifications are if the Bible is the inspired Word of God.”
Teaching Points:
1)What does it mean that Scripture is inspired?
- Bible Verses that Teach Inspiration
- 2 Timothy 3:16 – this verse literally says the Bible is “God-Breathed”.Another way to say this would be that God actually breathed out the words.You could also think of it as God breathing on the human authors so that they wrote precisely what he desired.
- 2 Peter 1:20,21 – these verses teach that the Bible is not a human work.The authors were not just writing whatever they felt.They were “carried along” by the Holy Spirit.In other words, the Holy Spirit was guiding and influencing every area of their life so that when they wrote, they were actually penning the very words of God.
- Verbal Plenary Inspiration
- Verbal inspiration simply means that God inspired the actual words that the authors wrote.He did not simply inspire thoughts.In the original manuscripts, the words that were written were a reflection of the thoughts of God.
- Plenary inspiration means that every portion of the Bible is inspired.There is not one section that is more or less inspired than any other section.It is all the Word of God.
- A Concise Definition of Inspiration
- The Holy Spirit miraculously acted in the lives of certain men to cause them to write the exact words God wanted to communicate to His creation.
2)What are the uses of an inspired text?
- Four Practical Uses from 2 Timothy 3:17
-- Teaching – The Bible helps us to know what God expects from us.Through commands, stories, and poetry the Bible shows us God and His expectations for us.
-- Rebuking – The Bible shows us what is wrong in our lives.Many passages in the Bible are dedicated to demonstrating what the life of a believer should not look like.Often the Holy Spirit uses the inspired words of the Bible to convict us of our sin.
-- Correcting – Once we recognize our sin and shortcoming, the Bible provides advice for how to make it right.Of course the most important corrective advise the Bible offers is the plan of salvation.However, beyond that, much is said regarding the habits and practices that can give us victory over sin.
-- Training in Righteousness – The goal of every believer should be righteousness.Because the Bible is directly from God, it provides us God’s opinion on how to be righteous.
- If you have time, allow others to share ways the Bible has accomplished these things in their lives.
- The Greatest Benefit of the Inspired Word
- 2 Timothy 3:17 – “so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for ever good work.”
- Because the Bible is inspired, it is able to give us all that we need to successfully live as Christ-followers in God’s world.Once saved, we are called to a life of good works.If we make the Bible the prominent source of authority for our life, it will provide us with the necessary tools to do the good work of God in every area of our life.
3)How should I respond to God’s inspired Word?
- I need to read God’s Word
- the application from last week is also appropriate for this week.Because the Bible is God’s inspired Word, we ought to read it.
- I need to memorize God’s Word
- Reading is not enough on its own.In order for God’s Word to provide me with thorough equipping, I need to be able to access its truths instantly throughout the day.Thus setting aside time to memorize Scripture is vital for me to be equipped by the Word.
- Take time to discuss some different methods people might use to memorize Scripture
Closing Challenge:
--The Bible is the precise written record of what God desires us to know about Him and about ourselves
--Because God has chosen to speak, we must learn and act upon what we have learned.
--If we desire our lives to be changed by God’s Word, we must discipline ourselves to know it.
Section Four
Suggested Discussion Questions:
WHow have you gotten into sticky situations by not following instructions?
WIn what ways is the Bible like a book of instructions?In what ways is it not?
WRead 2 Peter 1:20,21.What do these verses seem to indicate about how the Bible was written?
WIf the words of the Bible are the exact words that God wanted us to know, how should that impact the way we treat the Bible?
WRead 2 Timothy 3:16,17.What four things does Paul write that the Bible can accomplish?
WHow does the Bible teach us?
WWhat does it mean to “rebuke”?How does the Bible point out the sin in our lives?
WWhat verses can you think of that our corrective?How has the Bible helped you to re-align your life?
WIn what ways does the Bible train us to live righteously?
WAccording to 2 Timothy 3:17, what is the end result of the Bible’s teaching, rebuking, correcting and training?
WWhat are some of the good works the Bible equips us to do?
WHow would memorizing passages of Scripture help to equip you?
WWhat are some methods or plans that people might use to memorize the Bible on a regular basis?
WConclude by discussing how people will memorize the Bible in the coming week.
Closing Thoughts for Discussion
--The Bible is the precise written record of what God desires us to know about Him and about ourselves
--Because God has chosen to speak, we must learn and act upon what we have learned.
--If we desire our lives to be changed by God’s Word, we must discipline ourselves to know it.
Paul describes himself as a servant and as an apostle.It seems that he is combining a position of great honor and esteem (apostle) with a position of lowliness (servant).This is somewhat reminiscent of Paul’s description of Jesus in Philippians 2.It also mirrors Jesus instructions to his disciples (first shall be last; greatest love is laying down life; foot washing).I wonder if we can draw from this that it is okay to be someone in a high position, but we must learn to remain humble.(an example of this would be the Tylers!)
Paul’s reason for being an apostle and servant is to increase the faith of the elect and their knowledge of the truth.Both of these are “resting on the hope of eternal life.”They are also the foundation for a life of Godliness.While “knowledge” may not be present in many of Paul’s other introductions, the ideas of faith and hope are regular parts of his intros in other books.Hope is not a blind wishing of which we’re not sure.It is a confidence of the future that allows us to continue on in the face of adversity.This is certainly the description of faith we get from Hebrews 11 (it is also demonstrated by the lives of those listed in said chapter).As if to cement this idea that our hope is certain, Paul points out that it is based on God’s promise which is indisputable.Interestingly, Paul identifies himself as part of the fulfillment of God’s promise.It may be that he is pointing out that his preaching (particularly to the Cretans), as the first voice of the Gospel was the beginning of the fulfillment?
Before listing the qualifications of the elders, Paul reminds Titus that the reason Titus remains in Crete is to tie up loose ends, a part of which is appointing elders in ever town.This may be a tough pill to swallow for those who are anti-denomination.As well as for those who are die-hard congregationalists.Both of these movements seem to me to be more American than Biblical.This appears to me to be an incident in which Paul is delegating his apostolic authority to Titus.Thus, on the island of Crete, in addition to the forthcoming qualifications of elders, perhaps the first qualification is having been appointed by Titus.This small verse (5), I think calls for more study in the AmericanEvangelicalChurch regarding what it teaches us about elder rule and church government.
The list of qualifications for an elder in verses 6-9 has a feel to me of Paul dictating this letter and making this list, not as a comprehensive policy to be implemented everywhere all the time, but rather as a listing of behaviors which should be indicative of the lifestyle of an elder.Am I suggesting that these items are like the “Pirate’s Code” (more of a guideline)?Not at all.However, I am saying that we need to be careful with the degree to which we implement and enforce them as “disqualifiers” because Paul here is not suggesting that.I also wonder if “blameless” is the keyword, and everything else is a descriptor of that?That said, the items listed here seem to fall into a few different categories
Titus 2:9-10
the final group of people to whom Paul directs Titus' attention is the slaves. Some translations weaken this word to servants. While this is perhaps more politically correct, and it might communicate the more familial type relationship many slaves had with their owners, it should not be glossed over that these people were actually owned by other people. They were nothing more than a possession, and as such were not even considered to be a "true person".
That the Gospel went to these people speaks volumes of the counter-cultural nature of Gods grace. It extends to, and is accepted by the lowest caste in society. The untouchables are touched, the cast-outs are invited in, the homeless find a home in God's salvation.
The content of Titus' teaching to slaves was to center around the necessity of them subjecting themselves to their master in everything. They are not to cast off their bonds, they are not to fight for their freedom, they are simply to subject themselves (those who suggest that systemic change in society is and equal portion of the Gospel as redemption of sin would do well to consider the manner in which Paul treated slavery). The reason for this subjection is so that the teaching about God will become attractive. In other words, Paul desired slaves to subject themselves so that their owners would see the Gospel lived out.
Even though the Gospel is for for the poor and those who are oppressed, it is also for the rich and the oppressors. i wonder if the Christians who protest against corporate greed and who boycott corporations (not unrightly), have this principle in mind that they are doing this so that the teaching about God our Savior will be attractive. I wonder if that kind of thinking would change the way we take political action?
Philemon
LOVE IN PHILEMON
1. Philemon’s love for other believers
a) it was ______________________(v.5)
b) it sprang from his _________________(v.5)
c) it was __________________(v.7)
2.Paul’s love for other believers
a) his love for _________________(v.1)
b) his love for _________________(v.12,16)
3. Paul’s loving request to Philemon
a) Paul ______________ Philemon to _______________.
- Onesimus was a ________________(v.16)
- Paul wanted _________________ love to go
beyond _________________(v.21)
THREE PRINCIPLES FOR LOVING ONE ANOTHER:
1)Love is the __________________ of all Christ’s ______________. (John 13:34)
2)Love is the __________________ of our ________________.(1 John 2:10)
Love is _____________ unless it ____________ our _____________. (1 John 3:18)
Hebrews
Spiritual Maturity
i was reading this verse in hebrews over the weekend...
"therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity..."
i started thinking to myself, "self, what is maturity?"
is it learning and understanding things like antinomianism?
is it being able to clearly define and explain the meaning of glossolalia?
is it knowing whether or not i am a proponent of monergism?
not being satisfied with my answer, i paused to dig into the passage a little more.
in Hebrews 6:12, i found a similar statement of desire for the hebrew christians. it says,
"we...want you... to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."
of course this brings to mind thoughts of hebrews 11 where are listed all the great stories of faith...
so i started thinking that maybe maturity had something to do with the development of our faith, and i asked myself, "how did these people exercise their faith"?
here's the important part. in hebrews 11, all the names of the people who are listed are followed by ACTION WORDS. they exercised their faith and grew it through activity.
so maybe:
spiritual maturity is being able to put what i know into action...?
Hebrews 12 - Run with Patience
INTRO: Who is fast here? We’re going to
have a race... (give the faster person, the bag of
weights)...”if we were to take away the bag of
weights, he/she would probably win...”
Open to Hebrews 12...
TWO MAIN INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE
RACE OF LIFE
1. Throw off everything that hinders...
A. A hindrance is something that slows
you down or holds you back.
- if you want to win the race of
life, you have to get rid of the
things that hold you back.
B. The greatest hindrance is sin
- “sin that so easily entagles”
C. It’s easy to sin!!!!
- don’t be surprised that you sin,
it’s natural!
- don’t be overconfident about
your lack of sin, you will sin.
D. Sin will entangle you
- a runner with his feet entangled
will fall
(a runner who has fallen)
- Satan’s desire is to see you fall
2. Run with Patience the race marked out for
you
A. The race you are running is not a
surprise to God...He marked it out
B. Don’t burn yourself out, run patiently
- Xn life is not always emot. high
- Xn life is not always emot. low
- You must run through those!!!
- (run up hill -- you’ll run down)
THREE WAYS TO RUN WITH PATIENCE!
1. Fix your eyes on Jesus...
(b-ball... “is that Emma”)
- There are many things we can fix our
eyes on...
- being popular
- having a boyfriend/girlfriend
- being the center of attention
- being liked by everyone
- good grades
- making money
- car
- When you fix your eyes on something
other than Jesus that thing becomes a
hindrance
- If your eyes are fixed on Jesus, you
will not get entangled, you will not be
hindered...
(2 years of college)
2. Resist to the point of shedding your blood
- temptation comes daily...
- we all fall because we are so weak!
- Jesus said, if your eye offends you, cut
it out!
- The question is... “what are you willing
to do to defeat temptation”
(gladly bleed to win an athletic contest)
(gladly lose sleep to get a better grade)
(gladly make a fool of self to be popular)
(gladly sin to feel good with boy/girlfrie)
- Would you cut your eye out to stop
looking at others in wrong ways?
- Would you stay up all night praying
that God would deliver you from sin?
- Would you make a fool of yourself to
please God?
- Would you lose a boy/girlfriend to
keep from sinning?
“you have not yet resisted to the point
of shedding your blood?”
3. Endure hardship as discipline
- soccer team...low
numbers...conditioning
- God knows what is headed your way
- He knows what you’ll need
- He wants to give it to you...
- Run with patience through the hard
times as well as the good times
-friends abandoned you? run w/ p
-girfr break up w/ u? run w/ pat
-family member die? run w/ p.
-struggling with issues? run w/ p.
James
"Would You Like My Seat?" James 2:1-4
The buzz in the air was hard to ignore.Ushers and greeters scurried about the church foyer making the final preparations for what promised to be an exciting Sunday morning.Representative James hadn’t been at Calvary for almost five years, but today he would be giving a short speech in honor of “Life Celebration” Sunday.
Tim was the head greeter in the auditorium.He had been eagerly anticipating this day for several weeks.Wearing his best suit and a red “power tie”, he rehearsed his greeting while nervously shifting his weight from side to side.
When the motorcade arrived, Tim made sure he was the first to the church door.As he pushed open the door, he was mortified to see Joe sitting on the bench beside the sidewalk.Joe was a fixture at Calvary.No one really knew his story, but he would show up every week wearing the same ill-fitting dirty clothes.And he always smelled.Tim quickly shoveled him away from the main entrance.“Why don’t you go around back to the kitchen, Joe?” he suggested.“I think they may have some donuts.”
Having narrowly averted an embarrassing moment, Tim turned his attention back to Representative James.“Welcome to Calvary, Representative.”It was going just as rehearsed.“It is a truly great honor to have someone like yourself visiting us!”
Tim escorted the Representative to the reserved seats in the front row and left him with a warm cup of coffee before retreating to the back of the auditorium to finish preparing for the service.As Tim glanced over the morning’s order of service, he noticed Joe again.Joe was moving down the center aisle directly toward the Representative.Tim almost had to run to catch him.
“Joe! Why don’t you come back here and sit?I’ve got the perfect place for you.”Joe looked puzzled.“We need you to sit in the back today…in case we need your help with anything.”Tim was impressed with his own quick thinking.
“But I always sit in the front row.” Joe protested.
“Yes, but how about we try something new just for today?” Tim breathed a sigh of relief when Joe consented.Everything had come together perfectly.
Or had it?
Jesus’ brother James wrote in chapter two of his book, “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.”The story James told to illustrate his point is very similar to the story of Tim, Joe, and Representative James.The great difference is that James’ story was not set in a modern church foyer but in a first-century synagogue.The characters were not a politician and a homeless man, rather they were a man dressed in fine clothes and a poor man dressed in shabby rags.
Picture an open room with benches lining the wall in a “u” shape.Those who arrive early share the limited seats with the most prestigious attendees.The remaining worshippers are left to sit on the floor or stand off to the side.
Into this environment walks a well-dressed (and perhaps well-known?) man.Several are quick to stand and offer their own seat to him. They are clearly eager to ingratiate themselves, even if it means inconvenience for them.Shortly thereafter, another man enters the synagogue.He is dressed in common clothes, ill-fitting and torn.Perhaps he even smells.The response of those present is markedly different.No one offers a seat.Some point to the floor, others suggest he stand “over there.”The “away from me” is clearly implied.
“My brothers” James said, “don’t show favoritism.”James seemed to use his story to point out people’s willingness to sacrifice their own comfort for the sake of someone they perceive to be important.Isn’t that the human way?We are all guilty of making judgments about the value of a person.And too often, we act toward the person in a manner that is a direct reflection of our perception of their worth.
How do you determine the worth of a person?You can actually go to a website which will ask you a series of questions and then based on your answers, tell you how much money you are worth.As twisted as that may sound, it is the exact offense of which James was accusing the church.They were showing favoritism to certain people based on their perception of the person’s worth.
It is easy for us to sit in condemnation of Tim the greeter and the people to whom James was writing.But perhaps we should take a closer look at ourselves before doing so.
It is a seemingly true axiom that we will sacrifice (not just money, but all our resources like time, energy, and the like) for that which we deem to be valuable.If the president of the United States asked to have lunch with us, we would drop everything to ensure that we could meet with him or her, but how often do we walk past a homeless beggar, not even willing to give two minutes of our time for conversation?
Christ followers should be different.By addressing his readers as “believers in Christ”, James reminded them of their calling to live differently in the world.As the “body of Christ”, theirs was the responsibility to personify the message and mission of Jesus.We have the same calling.To the extent that we share the early church’s belief in Christ, we share James’ exhortation to avoid favoritism.This requires us to abandon our natural tendency to show preferential treatment toward those we perceive as more valuable.
Why is it, then, that we are so quick to see and respond to the issues of those who don’t really need our help; while at the same time we are often oblivious to the problems of those who most need our help?I wonder if James provided us with a clue to the answer through his descriptions of the two characters in his story.
James could have simply used the words, “poor” and “rich” to identify the people he was depicting.Such descriptions would have effectively portrayed the identities of these men.But James chose instead to describe these men’s appearance.Perhaps he was subtly observing that the most common criteria by which we judge people is appearance.The first man’s fine clothes and gold ring identified him as being clearly more important than the lowly second man who wore the shabbiest of clothes.
We are visual people.As such we often draw conclusions based on what we see.When you see a large pair of connected yellow arches, you know you will be able to buy a greasy cheeseburger nearby.We see things, we process them, we draw conclusions.Typically, then, we act upon those conclusions.Problems arise when we apply the same thought process to people.We see them, we analyze what we see, we draw conclusions and act accordingly.When we pigeon-hole people like this, we fail to see their’ “story behind the story.”
Everybody has a story.Sometimes I’ll sit in a busy place like a mall or an airport and try to guess what the different people’s story is.A big guy with tattoos and long hair might be a motorcycle gang member on the run from the law.A lady wearing all white is either a nurse or an escapee from the local mental institution.Sometimes when I play this game, I have to be careful.All the stereotypes which have developed in me throughout my life have a tendency to rise to the surface.I can find myself looking at appearances and making value judgments about people whose names I don’t even know.While I may be accurate in some of my observations, I certainly don’t know them.I certainly don’t know their story, especially not their story beneath the surface.
The eyes of Christ say through the external story people presented.Rather than judge, he penetrated; peeling back layers of appearances and finding the true heart of the person.He loved everyone.To him everyone was a deep person with a deep story that needed to be exposed and seen and understood.He didn’t see a prostitute, he saw a woman that needed a second chance.He didn’t see outcasts begging for their livelihood, he saw men who needed to be healed.
Rarely do we follow Jesus’ example of looking deeper.We lament the “bad decisions” of the poor but continue on in life, accumulating and consuming.We decry homosexuality and abortion, but precious few of us have meaningful relationships with homosexual persons or girls considering abortion.
We see a homeless person and assume he is lazy.
We see a pregnant girl and assume she is living in sin.
We see a rich man and give him our seat.
We see a poor man and direct him to the floor.
We see, we judge, we assume.
Jesus saw, then he looked deeper, then he sacrificed.He made it clear that he didn’t come for the sake of people who were well.He said that the rich would struggle to accept his message.It was for the sick and the poor in spirit that he came.But Jesus did far more than give up his seat for people.He gave up his life.
Jesus showed no favoritism.He was willing to give up all he had to meet the needs of anyone and everyone regardless of who they are, what they have, where they’re from, or what they look like.
James gave a simple command.“Don’t show favoritism.”Be willing to sacrifice your seat for the rich and the poor.Give up your comfort for the well-dressed and the grungy.
Jesus calls us to much more.He calls us to look at people differently, to see their story behind their story.He calls us to discover their needs and to sacrifice to meet them, whatever the cost.He says that when we meet the needs of the lowly, we are meeting his needs.
The question is not “what will you do with James’ instruction?”The question is, “What will you do with Jesus’ example?”How will you look at people differently…deeper?How will you respond to people differently…lovingly?How will you sacrifice for people differently…completely?
“Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”
James 1:22-25
reading james 1:22-25 this morning... (pick your version below)
(CEV)22Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.
(NIV)22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
(KJV)22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Here's what this passage is not teaching:
You need to read and study the Bible every day. Make sure that you apply everything you learn in your reading.
Here's what this passage is teaching:
You need to be learning the Bible in community. Make sure you do what your community teaches you.
Why? Two Key Words:
vs. 22 -- "listening/listen/hearers"
vs. 25 -- "listen/heard/hearer"
What's my point?
you don't "hear and listen to" the Word on your own. A life-changing relationship with the Word of God begins when you allow others to speak God's truth into your life. If you think you can grow spiritually without hearing the voices of others, James clearly says no to you!
He's just sayin'
1 Peter
(1 Peter 1:1-12)
1. Mistaken identity happens fairly regularly. Sometime we mistake someone for another person, sometimes we’re mistaken for another person. Which would be most embarrassing? Why?
2. Have any of these ever happened to you? Talk about it.
3. Often Christians fail to live life to the fullest because they are mistaken about their identity. According to 1 Peter 1:1,2; what is the identity of believers? What might it look like for a believer to suffer from a case of mistaken identity?
4. As “strangers in the world”, why is hope a valuable commodity? What does it mean to have hope.
5. On what is our hope based? (1 Peter 1:3,4) Is it dependent on anything we do? Why or why not?
6. How might the events of life dampen or eliminate our hope? How can we use 1 Peter 1:3-8 to encourage ourselves and each other to hold on to our hope?
7. What is an area of your life that needs a little hope right now? What can this group do to encourage you?
1 Peter 1:13-25
1. Talk about a time when your lack of preparation (or someone else’s) caused a problem.What could you (or they) have done differently?
2.1 Peter 1:16 commands us to “Be holy.”As a group, write a definition of “holiness”.(It might help to consider that our holiness is expected to mirror the holiness of God)
3.What are the “steps toward holiness” Peter gives in verses 13-14 and 22-25?What are some specific ways you can carry out these principles in the coming week?
4.What do you think it means to “have sincere love for your brothers?” (vs.22)How can you demonstrate deep love from the heart in the context of this group?
5.What has God done to make holy living a possibility for us? (vs. 23-25) Does it make a difference that our salvation is “imperishable”?Why?What role does “The Word” (vs.25) play in this struggle?
6. How can this group encourage you to pursue holiness?How can the group pray for you in your struggle to “be holy?”
1 Peter 1:14-16
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in
ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is
written:’Be holy, because I am holy’.”
1. A Prior Condition “...when you lived in ignorance...”
- a lack of knowledge; especiall spiritual or moral knowledge.
- in the past, God overlooked this kind of ignorance, but no longer (Acts17:30)
- said to the counsel of Athens in reference to the coming of Christ
- The Jews acted in ignorance when they killed Christ
- This ignorance is a “darkened understanding”...it is the result of a hardened heart
- This darkened understanding is the wisdom of man
- “the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man”
- This darkened understanding is caused by a rejection of the knowledge of God
- Rom1:21 “...although they knew God, they neither glorified him...nor
gave thanks to him.”
- Rom1:25 “they exchanged the truth of God for a lie”
This darkened understanding leads to certain behavior
2. The Prior Desires “...evil desires you had...”
- eagerly desire; lust; crave; intense longing
- a desire for earthly things (mark4:19)
- desires are a result of rejecting God (Rom 1:24)
- desires are often sexual and dealing with the flesh (Rom1:24)
- Our sinful nature desires to “gratify” these desires (Eph2:3)(Rom13:14)
- Satan and false teachers use these desires to “entice” us (Jam1:14, 2Pe2:18)
- desire for financial gain (1Tim6:9)
- the pagans give in to their desires (1Pe4:3)
- gratifying sinful desires is the mark of the prior condition
- Our desires will enslave us (Titus3:3)
- The sinful desires faced by man are timeless
These desires can only be changed through the “obedience that comes from faith”
(Romans 1:5)
3. The Present Condition “As obedient children,...”
- present condition is not obtained through any action we may take
- deliverance from evil desires is impossible on our own
- obedience is evidence of our faith
- obedience is evidence of our love for Christ
- obedience is evidence of our desire to turn from evil desires
- who you obey is evidence of your faith (Rom 6:12)
- obedience is an issue of slavery...you obey your master
- obedience is impossible without the Spirit (Rom7:15-20)(Gal5:16)
- obedience happens when the sinful desires are put to death.
- obedience is living for the will of God (1Pe4:2)
(1 Peter 2:1-12)
1) If you could choose to be a different person for one day, who would you want to be? Why?
2) As a group, read 1 Peter 2:1-12. Make a list of all the different phrases and words used to describe Christians and the church.
3) Which of these words or phrases is most meaningful to you? Why? What do some of these words and phrases teach us about our identity as Christians?
4) Read verse eleven. What is the significance of the expression “in the world”? Read Titus 2:12 and Matthew 5:16. What are the similar thoughts expressed in these verses?
5) What should be our ultimate goal in living good lives “among the pagans” (vs.12)? How is this idea similar to the thoughts expressed in Matthew 5:16?
6) What are some specific ways you can live out your identity in the world this week? How can this group help you accomplish these?
1 Peter 2:5 “Who You Are and What You Do”
1. You are:
A. Like living stones
- Christ is the “living stone” (v4)
(rejected by men, chosen by God)
- We are like Christ
> we will be rejected by men
1. don’t seek fulfillment in the
acceptance of people
2. if the world embraces you, you are
probably no different from them
> we are chosen by God
1. in spite of the fact that we reject
Him daily
2. In spite of the fact that he had to
send His son to die for us.
B. A Spiritual House
- As “living stones” we have been chosen to be
part of the “house of God”
> Each stone is important
-- a missing stone will damage the
whole structure
-- even the smallest stones are
important
> Each stone was chosen for a purpose
-- The stones cannot arrange
themselves
-- Only the builder can see the stones
for what they are and place them
where they need to be
- We are built on the foundation of Christ (v6)
2 LESSONS FROM THE “SPIRITUAL HOUSE”
1. Are you a part of the right structure?
- a stone doesn’t fit in a wood house!
2. Are you on the right foundation?
- your foundation is what you center your life on.
C. A Holy Priesthood
-- This is what we are becoming...
-- We are already holy in God’s sight, but it is a
process to become more holy in the way we live
-- The purpose of being a “priest” is to offer
sacrifices
2. What You Do
-- offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ
A. The type of sacrifice is...
- giving up malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and
slander (all selfish things)
- crave spiritual milk (not a natural craving)
The Ambassador from Madagascar -- 1 Peter 2:11-12
The Problem with Madagascar
The Ambassador from Madagascar
ØHis relationship to AMSA
oFund-raising events
oFriendship with the president
ØHis mission in America
oFeeling comfortable in America is not important
oHis priority is doing what is good for his country, LOYALTY
OUR ACTIONS HAPPEN AT THE INTERSECTION OF IDENTITY AND PURPOSE
ØThe Ambassador of Madagascar
oIdentity: Citizen of Madagascar
oPurpose: Represent Madagascar
oThe level to which he fulfills his purpose is directly correlated to his perception of his own identity
ØAn employee at Burger King
oIdentity: Employee @ B.K.
oPurpose: Deliver a fulfilling dining experience
oThe level to which he fulfills his purpose is directly correlated to his perception of his own identity
ØA Follower of Christ (1 Peter 2:11,12)
oIdentity: Aliens and Strangers
oPurpose: To change people’s minds about God
oThe level to which he fulfills his purpose is directly correlated to his perception of his own identity
OUR IDENTITY (as aliens and strangers) MEANS WE ARE PRESENT IN THE WORLD BUT DISTINCT FROM IT’S PHILOSOPHY (abstaining from sinful desires) BECAUSE WE WANT TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S MINDS ABOUT GOD (that they may glorify God) BY IMPACTING AND EXPANDING OUR CIRCLES OF INFLUENCE (living such good lives among the pagans)
Why Peter used the terms “Aliens and Strangers”
ØAbraham considered himself an alien and stranger
ØThe Jewish people considered themselves and their forefathers aliens and strangers
ØKing David called himself an alien and stranger
ØThe author of Hebrews commended the heroes of the faith for embracing the title of aliens and strangers
ØThis concept was one that was extremely meaningful to the Israelites throughout history (Abraham’s pilgrimage; Jacob’s travels to Haran; Joseph’s sojourn in Egypt; The nation’s exodus to the wilderness; Judah’s pilgrimage in Babylon)
oIn spite of the difficulties created by this repeated time away without a homeland, two concept provided great hope and comfort for Israel
§No matter where they were, they were God’s chosen people
§No matter how long they were gone, they remained confident in God’s promise that they would one day rule over their own land
oThese promises led Israel to embrace their identity as “aliens and strangers”.
ØOne of the key focuses of Peter’s first book is on the blessings the church shares with Israel
oRomans 11
oPeter grabs this same thought
§God’s elect
§Be Holy as I am Holy (Leviticus)
§Christ as the sacrificial lamb
§Living stones built into a spiritual house – TempleLanguage
§Chosen people; Royal priesthood
o2:10 – Once not a people; now a people
oPeter’s desire is that just as Israel embraced their identity as aliens and strangers, that now the church also would embrace their identity as aliens and strangers, not in a physical, geographical sense but in a new spiritual, philosophical sense.
§If the church is to be philosophically alienated from the world, we must be aware of what the philosophy of the world is.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE WOLD – 1 John 2:15-17
1. The cravings of sinful man
2. The lust of his eyes
3. The boasting of what he has and does
This was nothing new that John was noticing.If we understand the world as those opposed to God, we first see the philosophy of those opposed to God in Genesis 3.
1. The fruit of the tree was good for food
2. and pleasing to the eye
3. and also desirable for gaining wisdom (why did she need wisdom?She walked with God?)
The philosophy of the world is the same today.Those who choose to live apart from God seek the same things Eve sought in the forbidden fruit, the same things John warned about in his first letter.
1. The world seeks pleasure without responsibility. – commercials…immediate gratification; the proliferation of credit cards; our great national crime of abortion…
- Aliens and Strangers ought to be far more concerned with eternal consequences and participating in activities that are pleasing to God rather than simply gratifying the natural impulses of a fallen nature.
2. The world is quick to judge based on appearance – reality tv (housemates who look like Ken and Barbie); American Idol contestant based not on ability but on salability. We are constantly bombarded with the message that how we look is as important or more important then who we are.
- I am reminded of God’s words to Samuel when he chose David as the next king of Israel.“Man looks on the outward appearance rather than the heart”.Aliens and strangers view people as people, judging them based on the fact that they are the image bearers of God not simply and shallowly judging others based on the way they look
3. The world seeks status and position – Israel and Judah were carried off into captivity for two reasons, because they were unfaithful to God and because they were unjust to their fellow men.God punished his people because they abused the poor and mistreated those in lowly positions.James talked about how heinous it is for Christians to show favoritism based on position and status.We’ve all heard the expression, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”
Unfortunately, we are all guilty of falling into these philosophical traps far too often.
WHEN WE DON’T EMBRACE OUR IDENTITY AS ALIENS AND STRANGERS WE’RE ON THE WAY TO EMBRACING THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD
THE LEVEL TO WHICH WE FULFILL OUR PURPOSE IS DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO OUR PERCEPTION OF OUR IDENTITY.
According to 1 Peter 2:12 our purpose is to change people’s minds about God
ØThis will happen when we IMPACT and EXPAND our circles of influence
oThe pattern of the great commission is constant expansion
oExpansion should be preceded by impact
oImpact can only be the result of God’s people living distinctively within the world!
ØConsider your circles of influence
oHome/Family
oJob
oRegular Stops
§Children’s Sports Teams (or your own)
§Restaurant
§Gas Station
ØConsider your behavior
oDo you live “in the world” in these places
§Are you seeking to build impacting relationships?
oDo you live distinctively in these places
§Will the way you live cause people to reconsider the way they think about God (for positive or negative)
·Your work ethic
·Your demeanor
·Your integrity
·Your words
THE LEVEL TO WHICH WE FULFILL OUR PURPOSE IS DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO OUR PERCEPTION OF OUR IDENTITY.
OUR IDENTITY AS ALIENS AND STRANGERS MEANS WE ARE PRESENT IN THE WORLD BUT DISTINCT FROM IT’S PHILOSOPHY BECAUSE WE WANT TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S MINDS ABOUT GOD BY IMPACTING AND EXPANDING OUR CIRCLES OF INFLUENCE
ARE YOU IMPACTING?
ARE YOU EXPANDING?
ARE YOU LIVING A DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT LIFE?
HAVE YOU EMBRACED YOUR IDENTITY…OR HAVE YOU EMBRACED THE WORLD?
Much of what he wrote is tightly connected to our current series on 1 Peter, and particularly one of my favorite passages, 1 Peter 2:11,12.
In the article, he gave several practical things a Christian can do to be successful as an alien and stranger IN the world. Check 'em out:
Understand the “absolute tightness” of the Christian worldview.
Decide ahead of time to embrace your own beliefs.
Decide ahead of time to embrace your own purposes.
Decide ahead of time to live in your own patterns.
Decide ahead of time to be your own person.
Decide ahead of time to be a person of integrity.
Understand ahead of time that the people who pressure you to live in their ways have huge issues of insecurity, anxiety, and need for companionship in their “tactics” for making life bearable.
Make sacrifices to live with integrity.
Take risks to live with integrity.
Live with the long-view in mind.
Ask God for help in the difficult process.
Build close connections with people who share your worldview and are willing to walk together.
Become a life-long learner who understands the need for continued growth and learning—a person with the humility to keep asking questions and to admit less than omniscient knowledge.
Investigate the situations you find yourself in—practice “SA” (situational awareness.)
Persevere when the immediate rewards are few or even non-existent.
(1 Peter 2:13-25)
1. Who was the greatest boss you ever had? Why? Who was the worse boss you ever had? Why?
2. Why are some authority figures more difficult to “submit” to than others?
3. What is the difference between choosing to submit and being forced to submit? According to 1 Peter, which should Christians do?
4. How does 1 Peter 2:11-12 lay the foundation for the commands of verses 13-18?
5. Since slavery in America has been outlawed, what situations might we find ourselves in that would require us to apply the truths of verse 18?
6. According to verses 19-20, how can suffering be for our benefit? How does our response to suffering dictate the value of our suffering?
7. What can we learn about submission and suffering from the life of Christ? How can His example give us hope?
8. How can this group encourage and pray for you in the areas of suffering and submission?
(1 Peter 3:1-7)
1. The word "submission" is often thought of negatively. Why do some people look at submission as something to be avoided?
2. Read Philippians 2:1-8. What was Jesus' attitude regarding submission? According to verse 5, how should we respond to Jesus' example?
3. What are some factors that make submission difficult?
4. List some practical ways a women's beauty can come from the "inner self"?
5. List some practical ways a man can be more considerate.
6. According to this passage, how is our prayer life affected by our willingness to submit?
7. Pray together that each person in the group will find ways to demonstrate loving submission to those around them this week.
(1 Peter 3:8-22)
1. What do you think of when you hear the word "harmony"? How do you think it would look for a group to be living in harmony?
2. Read through the list of instructions for living in harmony. As a group, develop a few specific examples for each of the following concepts:
- be sympathetic
- love as brothers
- be compassionate
- be humble
3. As a group, rewrite verse nine in your own words. How does this instruction lead us to harmonious living?
4. Talk about a time you have you needed to "keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech"? What was the result?
5. Think about a situation in your life where harmony is lacking. Share with the group what actions you might take to begin resolving this.
6. Set 2-3 goals as a group which will help you to "live in harmony" more effectively.
(1 Peter 4:1-11)
1. Read 1 Peter 4:1-11.
2. If you only had 48 hours to live, how would you spend your time?
3. Peter writes that “The end of all things is near.” How should our knowledge of the coming judgment impact the way we live our lives?
4. Make a list of the practical instructions given in verses 7-11. As a group, discuss some practical ways of carrying out these ideas.
5. In this passage, Peter contrasts the way we used to live with the way we should live now. Have a few people talk about times they have felt pressured to return to “the old way” of life. How did they deal with the pressure? What can the group learn from their story?
6. Verse two contrasts “human desires” with the “will of God.” How are some ways God’s will is often different than our desires?
7. Read Philippians 2:5-8. How would you summarize the “attitude of Christ?” How can we “arm ourselves” (vs.1) with the same kind of attitude? In your opinion, how would having the attitude of Christ help us deal with suffering?
8. What will you do in the next 48 hours as a result of this discussion?
(1 Peter 4:12-19)
1. Tell a story about a choice you made which later caused you to suffer. Would you do it differently now? How?
2. Read 1 Peter 4:12-19.
3. What choices do you imagine these Christians made which led to their suffering?
4. What would it look like today to be "insulted because of the name of Christ?"
5. Why should "participating in the suffering of Christ" be considered a good thing? Have you ever felt like your suffering brought you closer to Jesus?
6. Read verse 17. Why is the judgment faced by Christians not to be feared? How might the judgment we endure right now be a refining process?
7. According to verse 19, our response to suffering should be to "continue to do good". What are specific actions we can take to "do good" in the midst of suffering?
1 Peter 4:12-17
If you could sum up the experience of living as a Christian in the world with one word, what would it be? What thoughts might you use to characterize the nature of a life which has been transformed by Jesus? What character traits, or trait, clearly identify someone who is intent on living out God’s mission in the world?
In 1 Peter 2, Peter (the guy who spent a lot of time hanging out with Jesus) encouraged his readers to live such good lives in the world that people who observed them would be positively impacted for the kingdom of God. As you read the book of 1 Peter, you’ll see that Peter immediately followed that encouragement by launching into a series of specific encouragements to different categories of people about a similar theme. One might conclude that Peter was giving instructions to his
Flattery is a powerful tool which causes us to gain a false view of ourselves and those around us, and if not recognized, will typically lead us into temptation by feeding our pride and 
abraham and isaac.pdf
In Sunday school we always learned that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. I'm sure that was just our teacher's misdirected efforts to protect God from the scrutiny that might follow if we had any inclination that He was somehow pulling strings behind the scenes.
Xerxes’ failed campaign in Greece meant the end of Persian expansion to the West and sounded the initial warnings of a rising Greek empire which would shortly overwhelm the Persians. Many historians see 
Even though 
King Xerxes, although 
I was reading through Daniel this morning, and as i worked through chapter one, i was thinking about all the things the author gave credit to God for.
The Babylonians are 
Some would base their belief (or lack thereof) in God on "the short view" rather than the "whole picture". They are like the Jewish person who rejects the LORD because of the fall of Jerusalem. 
As I looked at this list, the first person I thought of was 
My guess is that this was not the answer Habakkuk had in mind. I think he was probably looking for, "I'm going to take care of these bad guys so that the righteous in Judah can again prosper."
Regardless, here Jesus is asking for something he could do for himself. Certainly Jesus did not need the woman to give him a drink, yet he commanded her to because he knew that if she would get him a drink, ultimately he would be able to meet her true needs, needs she was not even completely aware of.
spiritual disciplines in colossians 3.pdf
Dave Gibson, pastor of Cypress Bible Church, recently wrote about Thriving in Hostile Environments.