News
1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.
2. VBS -- What a great week of Vacation Bible School!! Thanks to all who volunteered to help in the many areas of need. It took well over 150 volunteers to make it happen! Blessings to all!
Lesson Supplement for July 26
Explore the Bible
"How Genuine Are You?"
James 1:19-27
Intro. – The current unit is entitled, "Walking Every Day." This week's lesson is the second in a series on the book of James and will focus on being genuine in our faith. Hypocrisy, as perceived by the eyes of a non-believer is one of the reasons given for not wanting to become a Christian. Just what is a Christian? What does one look like? In order to make an accurate determination as to whether one is a hypocrite or not, it is best to gain some knowledge about what the true standard is for being one. That standard is found in the book by which Christians must live. The Bible defines what it means to be a genuine Christian. The passage for this week should enlighten us all with greater knowledge of genuine Christianity. Our genuineness is directly related to the depth of our commitment to follow the teachings of God's word every day.
James 1:19-21 – Genuine followers of Christ accept God's word as their standard for living. Why shouldn't they? That is what Christ did! Genuine believers do two things before they speak. They listen, and they think. By listening and thinking first, Christlike actions and words are more likely to follow rather than angry reactions. One aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:23). It is neither easy nor natural to respond humbly with a soft and gentle response to someone who has done evil toward us. However, if the Holy Spirit is present in one's life, self-control will be present and evident by a listen-first and think-first response. God's word is firmly implanted in the heart of a believer and yields fruit of genuineness. Self-control is evidence.
James 1:22-25 -- In order for the "seed" of God's word to yield fruit of genuineness in a believer, the believer must act on the implanted word. A seed will never produce fruit if tilling is not followed by more toiling. Do something with what has been planted in you. Genuine Christians do just that. Putting into practice what you have heard is the work that must follow if the seed is going to produce the fruit it was meant to create. What kind of believer are you? If you are a hearer of God's word only, then you don't know the answer to that question because you have forgotten what you look like the last time you heard God's word. Be a doer of God's word. Work it. Put it into practice and you will be blessed and will be a blessing to others.
James 1:26-27 -- Participating faithfully in religious rituals and church attendance does not make one an authentic Christian. James gives us three practical evidences of authentic Christianity. First, there is self-control. This was discussed in the first section of scripture and is emphasized here once again. If you cannot apply God's word in your life and control your reactions to others who may do evil toward you, then all of the religious rituals and church attendance pins are useless. The second evidence of authentic Christianity is a compassion toward the vulnerable in society. This compassion flows out of a heart of true love and moves the authentic believer to helpful action. The third evidence of authentic Christianity is purity -- purity of motive, attitude, and action. Authentic Christians strive to avoid sinful temptations and situations in order to protect themselves from sinful acts and hypocrisy.
Commitment – Lead students to answer the question, "How genuine are you?" Do you put into practice the teaching of God's word? Do you practice self-control, help the vulnerable, and live in purity? Lead students to commit to doing these things so that the fruit of genuineness will be evident to all who observe them.
For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article
Bible Studies for Life
"Notice Our Triune God at Work"
Matthew 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; Ephesians 1:3-14
Intro. -- During the month of July, we will study various passages of scripture to gain greater knowledge and understanding about the trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The trinity is a difficult concept to grasp and has caused problems for people throughout history. Some religions view the Christian doctrine of the trinity as a worship of three gods rather than one. Some cults base their arguments against Christianity on the trinity and use it to try to draw believers to their philosophy. During this month, we will strive to experience God triune-ly. This Sunday's lesson is the final in the series and focuses the work of our triune God.
Matthew 3:16-17 -- How is God Three in One? Our belief is "that there is only one God, and He exists as three distinct and separate, coequal and co-eternal Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." The Bible teaches this about God, and these verses are perhaps the clearest picture of this teaching. In these verses, we see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is identified by a voice from heaven as "My beloved Son." In that simple statement alone, we see evidence of the divine Father and the divine Son. All sons have fathers, but Jesus is uniquely identified, by the voice that spoke from the heavens, as His Son. The Holy Spirit was also present at this event. His attendance was compared to that of a dove descending from heaven and coming down on Jesus, the Son.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 -- How Does He Teach Me? Jesus promised his disciples before he ascended into heaven that He would be with them always, then they watched Him go into heaven and never saw Him on earth again. So, did Jesus break His promise? How could He say that He would be with them always if He was ascending into heaven? Because He, as God, would be with them always in the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to live in the heart of those disciples, and He comes to live in the hearts of all believers today. We are blessed to have the very presence of God in our lives to teach us spiritual truth and guide us in all things so that we might become like Christ. Unbelievers do not have the Spirit in their hearts and therefore, cannot understand spiritual things. Let us listen to the Holy Spirit as He directs us to the word of God in order to learn more about spiritual truths, even more about the truth of the trinity.
Ephesians 1:3-14 -- The last section is lengthy, and in it we see the work of the triune God. The work of the Father was to plan and provide for salvation. The work of the Son was to accomplish the Father's plan by becoming the provision. The work of the Holy Spirit was and is to secure that salvation. The Spirit seals us in the family of God. We are owned by God and protected by His Spirit. Also, the Spirit's presence is a down payment toward what believers will experience in heaven. With the Holy Spirit in our lives, we get a taste of eternity and that allows us to live abundantly in this life. God be praised for His plan, provision, and protection of salvation!
Commitment -- Lead students to make a commitment to praise God for the salvation they have by His grace. If they do not have that assurance of salvation, lead them to commit their lives to Jesus and by faith stand secure under the protective seal of the Holy Spirit.
Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
For July 12, 2009
News
1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.
2. VBS -- Dates for Vacation Bible School are July 19-23. Be sure to remind class members about these dates and continue to ask if any would volunteer to help. If you get some names of volunteers to help, e-mail those names to me or post them under comments to this blog post.
Lesson Supplement for July 12
Explore the Bible
"Be Responsible"
Galatians 6:1-18
Intro. – The current unit is entitled, "Walking in Freedom." This week's lesson will focus on the responsibilities of Christians. With freedom comes responsibilities. The freedom we have in the United States does not mean that we can do whatever we please. There are certain responsibilities citizens must fulfill and uphold in order to continue to enjoy the freedom. The same is true with our citizenship in God's kingdom. Christians are free from the control of sin over their lives. They are free to walk in closeness with God and experience the joy that brings. They are also free to be responsible followers of Christ fulfilling and upholding all that it means to be followers of Christ. This too is how we walk in freedom.
Galatians 6:1-5 – These verses list a few of the responsibilities believers have. First of all, Christians have the responsibility to restore a fellow believer who is out of fellowship with God. Sin breaks the fellowship with God. When we see a fellow believer involved in some sin, we should intervene to help draw him back into a right relationship with God being careful not to fall into temptation ourselves. Secondly, Christians have the responsibility to carry one another's burdens. We should not only be concerned for a brother or sister who has wandered from God, but we should also be concerned for a brother or sister who is struggling under the weight of a burden that can be debilitating to one's walk with the Lord. Thirdly, Christians have the responsibility to remain humble in all that they do. True humility makes no comparison with others. Finally, Christians have the responsibility to carry their own load. No one can walk this path of freedom for us. No one can grow us spiritually. We must do the work that it takes to make it to the journey's end. Each one is responsible for his own walk.
Galatians 6:6-10 -- We are all farmers. We all sow, and we all reap. We are either sowing good things or we are sowing bad things. Whether we reap benefits or consequences depends on the type of seed we have sown. Christians have the responsibility to sow good seed. Paul exhorts his fellow believers to constantly strive to do good and not to quit sowing good seed. It makes me wonder if Paul had heard that the Galatians were tempted to give up doing good or if Paul was speaking from his own experience. Maybe there were times in his walk and in his ministry when he was "tired of doing good." Doing good is tiring sometimes, but Paul cheers us on to keep doing good because one day, sooner or later, we will see the benefits. At every opportunity that we have, we should work for the good of all especially for fellow believers.
Galatians 6:11-15 -- Christians have the responsibility to avoid selfish motives. One of the issues of contention that Paul had with the Galatians was this issue of false teachers who had infiltrated the church body, dousing the fire of freedom in Christ. Judaizers were teaching that Gentiles must be circumcised and become subject to the Jewish law prior to becoming Christians. Paul argued that this was a false gospel. Salvation is available to all through the sacrifice of the Savior and by faith in Him. Paul states in these verses that in actuality these Judaizers were only trying to make a name for themselves in the "community of faith" and really did not have the best interest of the kingdom at heart. Paul says we have no right to boast about anything except to boast about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This would be a signficant statement for a Jew because death on a cross was seen as curse. Paul was boldly saying that his boast was in the curse of the cross because of what our Lord accomplished there on the cross for us. The only thing that matters in anyone's life is the presence of a miraculous new creation that Christ creates in the heart of a believer. None of us is capable of doing anything as remarkable as that so what do we have to boast about?
Galatians 6:16-18 -- This final section of scripture are Paul's final words to the Galatians. He concludes his letter with a prayer of peace and grace upon the church family in Galatia. He also makes one last defense of his ministry when he says that he carries the marks of Jesus on his body. This language would have been understood by the Galatians to mean that Paul was "branded" as a slave belonging to Jesus. There was no mistaking who Paul belonged to. The false teachers who had infiltrated the church body could not argue against that. While they may carry the "mark" of Judaism (circumcision), Paul carried the "mark" of Christ, the Messiah of Judaism. If we are true believers, then we, like Paul, must fulfill the responsibilities that that "brand" implies.
Commitment – Lead students to examine their freedom walk. Are they fulfilling the responsibilities that the freedom we have Christ requires? List the responsibilities as Paul has listed them. Lead students to commit to being responsible followers of Christ and not inactive sponges attempting to make the freedom walk a free ride.
For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article
Bible Studies for Life
"Exalt the Son"
Colossians 1:15-23
Intro. -- During the month of July, we will study various passages of scripture to gain greater knowledge and understanding about the trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The trinity is a difficult concept to grasp and has caused problems for people throughout history. Some religions view the Christian doctrine of the trinity as a worship of three gods rather than one. Some cults base their arguments against Christianity on the trinity and use it to try to draw believers to their philosophy. During this month, we will strive to experience God triune-ly. This Sunday's lesson is the second in the series and focuses on the Son.
Colossians 1:15-17 -- Who is the Son? Jesus is the Son of God and in these verses, Paul introduces us to the Son. The Son is the image of the invisible God. This is a way of saying that Jesus is God. In this phrase Paul combats a false teaching called gnositicism that rejected the deity of Jesus and was creeping in to the first century church. The Son is God. He is also the most important and supreme over all creation. Why is this so? Because He is the creator of all things! The Son is God. The Son is our creator.
Colossians 1:18-20 -- The Son is also our leader. He is the head of the body of believers, the church. Without the head a body is lifeless. Without Christ as the leader, a church is lifeless. Jesus gives us direction and instruction in how to be His body and carry out His purpose in the world. Once again, Paul emphasizes that Jesus is God having all fullness of deity in Him. There is no greater or more loved leader than one who would sacrifice for his followers. Jesus did that giving his life on the cross that we might be reconciled to God and that we might live in peace with God. We should be just as dedicated to Him as His followers as He has been dedicated to us as our leader.
Colossians 1:21-23 -- Paul continues the point that we should be dedicated to following the Son as Lord of our life. He is the leader. We must follow. We were once enemies of God because of our sinful ways. But now through the sacrifice of the Son, we are reconciled -- literally brought together into relationship with a former enemy. We often hear the term "irreconcilable differences" used to describe the reason for divorce. It means the relationship cannot be repaired, restored, and brought back together. Thankfully, the Son has made it possible that we can be reconciled to God -- that is not impossible to have a relationship with God. In fact, because of the Son, we can stand before God holy, faultless, and blameless. Let us persevere as true followers of our Lord until the day we see Him face to face!
Commitment -- Lead students to make a commitment to let their words and deeds exalt the Son who is fully God, our creator, leader, and Lord.
Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?
1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.
2. VBS -- Dates for Vacation Bible School are July 19-23. Be sure to remind class members about these dates and continue to ask if any would volunteer to help. If you get some names of volunteers to help, e-mail those names to me or post them under comments to this blog post.
Lesson Supplement for July 12
Explore the Bible
"Be Responsible"
Galatians 6:1-18
Intro. – The current unit is entitled, "Walking in Freedom." This week's lesson will focus on the responsibilities of Christians. With freedom comes responsibilities. The freedom we have in the United States does not mean that we can do whatever we please. There are certain responsibilities citizens must fulfill and uphold in order to continue to enjoy the freedom. The same is true with our citizenship in God's kingdom. Christians are free from the control of sin over their lives. They are free to walk in closeness with God and experience the joy that brings. They are also free to be responsible followers of Christ fulfilling and upholding all that it means to be followers of Christ. This too is how we walk in freedom.
Galatians 6:1-5 – These verses list a few of the responsibilities believers have. First of all, Christians have the responsibility to restore a fellow believer who is out of fellowship with God. Sin breaks the fellowship with God. When we see a fellow believer involved in some sin, we should intervene to help draw him back into a right relationship with God being careful not to fall into temptation ourselves. Secondly, Christians have the responsibility to carry one another's burdens. We should not only be concerned for a brother or sister who has wandered from God, but we should also be concerned for a brother or sister who is struggling under the weight of a burden that can be debilitating to one's walk with the Lord. Thirdly, Christians have the responsibility to remain humble in all that they do. True humility makes no comparison with others. Finally, Christians have the responsibility to carry their own load. No one can walk this path of freedom for us. No one can grow us spiritually. We must do the work that it takes to make it to the journey's end. Each one is responsible for his own walk.
Galatians 6:6-10 -- We are all farmers. We all sow, and we all reap. We are either sowing good things or we are sowing bad things. Whether we reap benefits or consequences depends on the type of seed we have sown. Christians have the responsibility to sow good seed. Paul exhorts his fellow believers to constantly strive to do good and not to quit sowing good seed. It makes me wonder if Paul had heard that the Galatians were tempted to give up doing good or if Paul was speaking from his own experience. Maybe there were times in his walk and in his ministry when he was "tired of doing good." Doing good is tiring sometimes, but Paul cheers us on to keep doing good because one day, sooner or later, we will see the benefits. At every opportunity that we have, we should work for the good of all especially for fellow believers.
Galatians 6:11-15 -- Christians have the responsibility to avoid selfish motives. One of the issues of contention that Paul had with the Galatians was this issue of false teachers who had infiltrated the church body, dousing the fire of freedom in Christ. Judaizers were teaching that Gentiles must be circumcised and become subject to the Jewish law prior to becoming Christians. Paul argued that this was a false gospel. Salvation is available to all through the sacrifice of the Savior and by faith in Him. Paul states in these verses that in actuality these Judaizers were only trying to make a name for themselves in the "community of faith" and really did not have the best interest of the kingdom at heart. Paul says we have no right to boast about anything except to boast about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This would be a signficant statement for a Jew because death on a cross was seen as curse. Paul was boldly saying that his boast was in the curse of the cross because of what our Lord accomplished there on the cross for us. The only thing that matters in anyone's life is the presence of a miraculous new creation that Christ creates in the heart of a believer. None of us is capable of doing anything as remarkable as that so what do we have to boast about?
Galatians 6:16-18 -- This final section of scripture are Paul's final words to the Galatians. He concludes his letter with a prayer of peace and grace upon the church family in Galatia. He also makes one last defense of his ministry when he says that he carries the marks of Jesus on his body. This language would have been understood by the Galatians to mean that Paul was "branded" as a slave belonging to Jesus. There was no mistaking who Paul belonged to. The false teachers who had infiltrated the church body could not argue against that. While they may carry the "mark" of Judaism (circumcision), Paul carried the "mark" of Christ, the Messiah of Judaism. If we are true believers, then we, like Paul, must fulfill the responsibilities that that "brand" implies.
Commitment – Lead students to examine their freedom walk. Are they fulfilling the responsibilities that the freedom we have Christ requires? List the responsibilities as Paul has listed them. Lead students to commit to being responsible followers of Christ and not inactive sponges attempting to make the freedom walk a free ride.
For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article
Bible Studies for Life
"Exalt the Son"
Colossians 1:15-23
Intro. -- During the month of July, we will study various passages of scripture to gain greater knowledge and understanding about the trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The trinity is a difficult concept to grasp and has caused problems for people throughout history. Some religions view the Christian doctrine of the trinity as a worship of three gods rather than one. Some cults base their arguments against Christianity on the trinity and use it to try to draw believers to their philosophy. During this month, we will strive to experience God triune-ly. This Sunday's lesson is the second in the series and focuses on the Son.
Colossians 1:15-17 -- Who is the Son? Jesus is the Son of God and in these verses, Paul introduces us to the Son. The Son is the image of the invisible God. This is a way of saying that Jesus is God. In this phrase Paul combats a false teaching called gnositicism that rejected the deity of Jesus and was creeping in to the first century church. The Son is God. He is also the most important and supreme over all creation. Why is this so? Because He is the creator of all things! The Son is God. The Son is our creator.
Colossians 1:18-20 -- The Son is also our leader. He is the head of the body of believers, the church. Without the head a body is lifeless. Without Christ as the leader, a church is lifeless. Jesus gives us direction and instruction in how to be His body and carry out His purpose in the world. Once again, Paul emphasizes that Jesus is God having all fullness of deity in Him. There is no greater or more loved leader than one who would sacrifice for his followers. Jesus did that giving his life on the cross that we might be reconciled to God and that we might live in peace with God. We should be just as dedicated to Him as His followers as He has been dedicated to us as our leader.
Colossians 1:21-23 -- Paul continues the point that we should be dedicated to following the Son as Lord of our life. He is the leader. We must follow. We were once enemies of God because of our sinful ways. But now through the sacrifice of the Son, we are reconciled -- literally brought together into relationship with a former enemy. We often hear the term "irreconcilable differences" used to describe the reason for divorce. It means the relationship cannot be repaired, restored, and brought back together. Thankfully, the Son has made it possible that we can be reconciled to God -- that is not impossible to have a relationship with God. In fact, because of the Son, we can stand before God holy, faultless, and blameless. Let us persevere as true followers of our Lord until the day we see Him face to face!
Commitment -- Lead students to make a commitment to let their words and deeds exalt the Son who is fully God, our creator, leader, and Lord.
Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?
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