LNBC Sunday School

For January 3, 2010

2010-01-02T10:43:00.002-05:00

And We're Off!

This Sunday we have our first Sunday School gathering for the one year voyage of reading through the Bible. Hopefully, everyone set sail individually on Friday. This Sunday we set sail collectively through Sunday School and worship. This is going to be an exciting adventure that will require effort, energy, dedication, enthusiasm, perseverance, and preparation on our part just to name a few. But if we stay the course, I believe it can truly be a life changing year!!

Staying Ship Shape

Pray. Pray. Pray.
Set aside dedicated time each day to spend with God reading and journaling.
Let the Holy Spirit guide you.
Talk about the voyage -- communicate with others what you are learning and/or struggling with.
Encourage others.
Be accountable and hold others accountable.

About this Sunday (January 3)

Be prepared for a possible large crowd to attend your class. We have distributed 900 Bibles and 895 journals to youth and adults. Some of that number includes people in the community who have chosen to take the voyage on their own or with a small group in their church.
If you have someone attend who has not signed up and therefore does not have a Bible or a journal, there will be sign up forms in the acrylic boxes outside of your classroom. Ask the person if they would like to get on board. If they are interested, give them a sign up form and have them complete it. When they complete it, collect it from them and place it either in your class roll notebook to be returned to the office, or back in the acrylic box outside of your classroom. If you place it in the box, I will come by later and pick the forms up.
We currently are out of Bibles and only have 5 journals left. This is why it is important that we get an accurate number from new sign ups this Sunday, so that we can order the correct amount of materials. In the future, the plan is to have extra Bibles and journals available in the church office so that any newcomer, regardless of when they come to your class in 2010, will have the opportunity to receive a Bible and journal and immediately get on board.
This means for this Sunday, newcomers will have to wait on the arrival of a new shipment of materials. I was out of town over the holidays, and we had more sign up than we had Bibles and journals for. I will be attempting to order an accurate number this next week.

Creativity in Your Voyage

I encourage you to be as creative with this voyage as you care to be. Let your class be creative with it too. They may come up with some great ideas. You can do a lot with the nautical theme. Along the way, I will share some ideas that you may want to use. I also welcome your ideas to share with others.
Here's one idea: Give your class a Ship Name, like the "SS Truth." SS stands for Sunday School anyway. You could welcome people aboard your class ship each week. You could refer to the class session as an "all hands on deck" experience or crew meeting.

This Week's Lesson

Remember the parts of each lesson

"Week in Review" -- be sure to begin your class time with a look back at what the class has been reading this past week. Allow class members an opportunity to share what they learned or struggled with. The questions at the end of the "Week in Review" section are good ones to ask to start this discussion. Be sure however, to limit this "Week in Review" portion of class time so that you can cover the day's lesson
Lesson Outline -- there are anywhere from three to more major points of emphasis to the selected Bible study passage in each week's lesson. They all "flow" together to support a major emphasis on the current theme and ultimately lead to a time of commitment
Passage Guide -- to give you biblical commentary for your own preparation to share with the class as you feel led.
Discussion Guide -- to give you possible questions to ask your class to engage them in active participation
Application Guide -- to give you suggested ways within the study of each outline section to lead the students to move from hearers of God's word to doers of God's word. It's all about application.
Commitment -- At the end of the day, our lives should be different when spending time with God in His word. Lead your class each week to make the commitments they need to make in light of what they have learned.

Remember the Lessons are connected by themes

This Sunday, we begin to emphasize the theme, "Who is God?" This week's lesson will focus on the truth that God is "The Righteous Judge."

Remember to utilize the journal

Class members should be bringing their journals with them each week. This is a tool that you have not had as a teacher before. Think of ways to utilize this tool during the lesson each week. Students will have a place in their journal for "Sunday School Notes." Encourage them to take notes during the class. You may also suggest that they write their commitment that they make at the end of class in their journal as a way to truly commit. When you write something down you are more inclined to follow through. There may be a question that you especially want the class to answer individually to drive home a point. Encourage them to record their answer in the journal. This can also be a way to get people who don't usually talk out loud to share with the group. Rather than letting the usual ones who speak up to dominate the discussion time, you can perhaps call on someone to share what they recorded in the their journal. This will give you some control over the discussion as well.

One Final Thought

This week's lesson is about a family that obeyed the word of God and built a boat, the "SS Salvation," and set out on approximately a one year voyage the end of which not only changed them, but also changed the world. How appropriate that this is our first lesson on our voyage! We have built our boats and we now set sail on a one year voyage. As we study God's word and apply it into our lives, we will be changed, and potentially the world as well!!

We have a Righteous Judge who commands obedience, delivers His judgment, and provides deliverance for all who accept His provision for salvation!!

For July 26, 2009

2009-07-24T22:21:00.004-04:00

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?

For July 12, 2009

2009-07-02T23:28:00.008-04:00

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?

For July 5, 2009

2009-07-01T10:07:00.011-04:00

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 5

Explore the Bible
"Follow the Spirit"
Galatians 5:16-26

Intro. – The current unit is entitled, "Walking in Freedom." This week's lesson tells us how to recognize kingdom citizens who walk in freedom. We walk in freedom as believers as we follow the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after Him to fill the hearts of believers with the power of God to do things even greater than He. The Holy Spirit is the counselor who guides believers in the truth so that they enjoy the full freedom that citizenship in the kingdom of God affords. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of an individual is recognizable by the fruit that His presence bears in that individual.

Galatians 5:16-18 – How's your walk? Paul is not concerned with your gait. He is concerned with how you live your life. We live our lives in only one of two ways. We either walk in the Spirit or we walk in the flesh. We cannot do both. We are either living under the control of the Holy Spirit or we are living under the control of our selfish desires. Within every believer a war rages between the Spirit of God and the weak, selfish flesh. We want to please God, but because of this struggle within, we often do things that we really do not want to do. Paul's encouragement is for us is to live our lives under the control of the Holy Spirit. This is how we walk in freedom.

Galatians 5:19-21 -- "In this corner..." Paul reveals a list of "flesh-distinguishing" acts. The list covers a variety of actions, some we may look upon as "minor" and some as "major," but Paul includes them all as equal because they are all the result of fleshly influences. There are no minor and major sins. Anything that we do in our lives that is driven by fleshly desires is sinful, and people who continuously practice these things will not enter into the kingdom of God. As stated earlier, you cannot walk in the flesh AND walk in the Spirit at the same time. They are at war with each other. Paul's word to us is to avoid the dangerous "flesh" trail in order to walk in freedom.

Galatians 5:22-26 -- "Now in this corner..." the opposing combatant in this war is the Holy Spirit. He is recognized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Paul states that there is no law in Judaism that is against doing these things. In fact, I would say that you can search the world over and not find a law on any society's books against these things. This is the kind of fruit that grows on "freedom" trees. You cannot be imprisoned under the penalty of the law if you do these things. This is why Paul was able to say in verse 18 above, "But if you are led by the Spirit (and are displaying the Spirit characteristics), you are not under the law." This spiritual fruit is evidence of freedom in the life of the one who displays these characteristics. If indeed we belong to Jesus, then our flesh (natural and selfish desires that imprison us) has been crucified with all of its passions and desires. It has been defeated. It is dead. Therefore, live like it and be alive in the Spirit and follow Him.

Commitment – Lead students to examine their walk. What controls their life? Is it the flesh or the Spirit? Lead the students to make a fresh commitment to walk in the Spirit, living under His control. This is the only way to walk in true freedom.

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
"Know the Father"
Exodus 33:18-23; 34:5-8
Micah 6:6-8
John 4:21-24

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 begins the series with a look at God, the Father.

Exodus 33:18-23 -- Why can't we see God? Sometimes we might selfishly ask this question to settle our own doubts or answer our own questions about God and about life. On the other hand, sometimes we ask this question because we think that if God would just show Himself, people would believe in Him. Sounds simple but why is that impossible? Moses desired to see God's glory -- God's presence. I'm sure Moses's desire was based on his need to be reassured and confident as the leader of this great nation of people. Moses was God's choice for the job but even he was not allowed to see the presence of God. The reason Moses and the rest of us cannot see God is that we would not survive that encounter. God is holy and righteous. We are sinful beings. We would not be able to survive the fullness of His glory. God does grant Moses the opportunity to see His goodness. He reveals as much of Himself to Moses as Moses could handle. In this event we also see the grace of God given to Moses as God's protective hand covers Moses to save him from the death that would certainly come if Moses simply glanced at the full presence of God. In the movie, "A Few Good Men," Jack Nicholson delivered the memorable line, "You can't handle the truth!" Why can't we see God? Because we "can't handle the glory!"

Exodus 34:5-8 -- Since we can't see God, it is natural to ask what is God like? As God passed in front of Moses, He identified His character to Moses. God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, faithful, rich in love and truth, and forgiving. On the other hand, God is also righteous and therefore the only true judge, jury, and disciplinarian to those who are guilty and unrepentant. God is holy and righteous. Everything he does is right. This means His love is pure and His judgment is pure. We can always count on Him. Instead of showing His glory to Moses, God showed His goodness to Moses. Our response to the goodness of God should be like that of Moses. We should bow down out of reverence for Him, and we should worship Him. We should celebrate His worthiness!

Micah 6:6-8; John 4:21-24 -- What does God want from me? Even though I cannot see the full glory of God in this lifetime, I can know about His goodness, and I can know what he wants and expects from me. Sacrificial worship was practiced throughout the Old Testament. However, in Micah, we find that what really pleases God as an act of worship more than great sacrificial offerings are our attitude and actions toward Him and our fellow man. God wants us to treat each other fairly, especially as it relates to those who are weak or who cannot defend themselves. God also wants us to love faithfully -- to be loyal and kind in our love for others. He wants us to walk seriously with Him. The only way we can walk with God is to walk humbly. It is impossible to walk with Him if we harbor pride or selfishness in our lives. What pleases God as an act of worship is when we live selflessly in our attitudes and actions toward Him and others. The verses in John's gospel are Jesus's words to the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus tells her that God is Spirit and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. We must worship Him sincerely. What does God want from me? He wants true worship. True worship is offered through selfless attitudes and actions toward God and toward others.

Commitment -- Lead students to make a commitment to truly worship God the Father by living unselfishly in their attitudes and actions toward Him and others! Know the Father and worship Him!!

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For June 28, 2009

2009-06-27T09:35:00.006-04:00

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 June 28

Explore the Bible
"Claim Your Freedom"
Galatians 5:1-15

Intro. – This week's lesson begins the second unit in our series of lessons for the summer. This unit is entitled, "Walking in Freedom." As we approach July 4th we turn our attention to celebrating the freedom we have as citizens of the United States. These lessons will help us to remember to celebrate and live in the victory that Christians have as citizens of the kingdom of God. Freedom is not free. It is purchased by the sacrifice of others. The freedom we enjoy as Christians was purchased at the cross with the death of Jesus Christ. This week's lesson encourages us to claim the freedom that He purchased for us.

Galatians 5:1A – What does our freedom as Christians include? It includes freedom from the slavery of sin. Without Christ we are slaves to sin. Sin controls the choices we make and causes the consequences we face. Life is a mess. The only way we can be set free from the control of sin is to place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and believe that the gift of His payment for our release from sin is sufficient for our freedom from it. The Galatians would completely understand this analogy since slavery was a part of every day life at the time. Once a slave you were dependent on someone else to purchase your freedom because you could not do it on your own. The same holds true for us. As slaves to sin we are powerless to purchase our freedom and we rely on Jesus Christ and the price He paid to set us free.

Galatians 5:1b-6 -- Freedom in Christ also includes freedom from the law. In Paul's letters, we will read about how the Gentiles are not required to become circumcised in order to become followers of Christ. He was speaking out against some who were imposing Jewish laws on Gentiles as part of their salvation. Paul has already stated in verse 1A that Christ has given us freedom. When we add other "requirements" to salvation, we are basically saying that what Jesus did and the price He paid is still inadequate for salvation. Paul is saying that Jesus paid the price in full once and for all. Believers should accept this freedom, this gift, and not put themselves under the "yoke" of laws and requirements that restrict and really don't have any added effect to one's salvation any way.

Galatians 5:7-12 -- Do we see a little of Paul's anger in this section of scripture particularly in verse 12?? Paul sets the record straight. If anyone wondered where he stood on the issue of Gentile circumcision, he makes it clear in this passage. Yes, Paul was a Jew, but he does not believe Gentiles must convert to Judaism first in order to become followers of Christ. Don't let false teachers derail you from a good race. Don't let them place a yoke of any kind that restricts you from experiencing the joy of the freedom Christ gives. False teachers were adding a burden on the people much like a coach adding heavy weights on the body of an Olympic sprinter while at the same time cheering for him to win. If this has happened to us in our spiritual walk, we should retain the freedom we have in Christ. Repent of the "weights" that we or others have added and run the race with our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Galatians 5:13-15 -- We have already discussed how our freedom in Christ includes freedom from slavery to sin and freedom from the law. In this final section of scripture we see that our freedom in Christ includes the freedom to please God. It was impossible as unsaved sinners, no matter how hard we may have tried, to please God in our own efforts. We all fall short of his glory (Romans 2:23). Because of what Jesus did for us, we can now offer our lives to God as pleasing sacrifices. We offer a pleasing sacrifice to God when we serve one another in love and when we live in obedience to Him. If we do these things, we are living in the full freedom that our citizenship in the kingdom of God grants us!

Commitment – Lead students to examine whether they have received and are living in the true freedom of Christ. They are not if they are attributing their salvation and their spiritual growth to any "good works" they be doing.

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
"God Builds Confidence"
1 John 5:12-21

Intro. -- During the month of June, we will study the book of 1 John to "Build Certainty" in our lives. In a world of uncertainties this study should strengthen and encourage us. This week's lesson focuses on the confidence that we can have in our salvation, our prayer life, and in our victory over sin.

1 John 5:12-13 -- How can we be certain that we have eternal life? John offers several checkpoints in this letter, but in these verses, he reveals specifically that we can know that we have eternal life if we have the Son. I have often said to people that the question that everyone must decide in life is "What are you going to do about Jesus?" You really only have two options, you either believe in Him or you don't. John makes this clear -- either you have the Son and have life or you don't have the Son and you don't have life. If you believe in Jesus and are committed to following Him, then you can be confident that you have eternal life.

1 John 2:7-11 -- If I have the Son that means that I am in Him and He is in me. I live my life in obedience to Him. I strive to live as Jesus would live. If this is so, then it follows that my desires are going to be in line with His desire. Therefore, when I pray, I can be confident that God will hear me because I will be praying in accordance to His will. I want what He wants. However, I have been guilty at times of praying, "your will be done" but deep down inside I really wanted God to do what I wanted. We can't hide that from God. He knows if we are sincere in praying for His will to be done. When our desires are in alignment with God, He hears us and He grants what we have asked Him for. Verses 16-17 deal with what we should do when we see a fellow believer commit sin. John tells us that we should pray for that brother or sister. It is God's will that His children walk in obedience to Him. Therefore, when we see a brother commit a sin, we can be confident that when we pray for him, that we are praying in accordance with God's will and He will hear us. God will then convict the brother in order to bring about the restoration that needs to occur. Obviously the restoration will occur as God does His work to convict and when the brother confesses and repents. We should pray for that time to occur in a brother's life.

1 John 5:18-21 -- Believers can be certain that they can live in victory over sin. When we are "born of God" we become members of His family. He has rescued us from the control that sin has held over us and He gives us the power to overcome the temptations that we face as we remain in this life. True believers do not habitually sin. True believers do sin on occasion but they immediately confess and repent when they become convicted of their sin and they strive to no longer do it. We are secure in our relationship with God because of Christ who "keeps" us from the "evil one" who "does not touch" us. John's concluding remark is that we should be on guard as we go through life. This too will help us live victoriously over sin!

Commitment -- Lead students to examine their levels of confidence in salvation, prayer, and victory over sin. This lesson should be an encouragement to believers that there is security in our relationship with the Lord. If we have Him, we don't need to be concerned about our salvation, we can know that our prayers are heard and answered, and we can be victorious over temptation and sin in our lives!

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For June 14, 2009

2009-06-13T10:45:00.004-04:00

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 June 14

Explore the Bible
"Receiving the Gospel"
Galatians 2:15-3:9

Intro. – This week's lesson is the second in a three-part unit, "Walking in Truth," which will cover the first four chapters of the book of Galatians. The goal of last week's lesson was to lead students to gain a clear understanding of what the true Gospel is. The intent of this week's lesson is evangelistic in scope on two fronts. First of all, the lesson will lead students to examine if they have genuinely accepted Christ by faith and entered into a relationship with Him. Secondly, for students who have already nailed down their salvation, this lesson will help them to share with others how to become a Christian.

Galatians 2:15-16 – The context in which these two verses are written is a discussion about Paul's disagreement with the Apostle Peter. Peter had demonstrated that he believed the gospel was for Gentiles and did not require them to follow strict Jewish laws. However, when certain Jewish Christians came to the mission field, Peter acted differently in their presence and seemed to go the other way in expecting Gentiles to follow the strict Jewish laws and customs in order to be truly saved. Paul's confrontation with Peter was to argue that the truth of the gospel is that we "Jews by birth" know that "no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ." Paul goes on to say that no human being will ever be justified by the works of the law. The basis of salvation is faith. You cannot ever do enough good deeds in life to merit salvation and eternity in heaven. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ. He is the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). Have your students accepted Jesus by faith or are they trying to work their way into God's graces and His heaven?

Galatians 2:17-21 -- A genuine salvation experience causes one to change. One's outlook on life changes. One's behavior changes. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that the old way of living (sin) becomes new (obedience). How does this change take place in a believer's life? First of all, when you give your life to Jesus and accept Him by faith you are placing your belief in everything about Jesus. You believe in your heart that He is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for your sins, and that He rose again from the grave and is alive today awaiting His return to earth. Secondly, when you give your life to Jesus and accept Him by faith you are acknowledging your need for Him. You are acknowledging that you are a sinner and that you can never work your way to a relationship with God. So, in a genuine conversion experience, one places one's belief in Jesus by identifying completely with His mission and purpose. Paul captures this identification in verses 19-20 when he says, "I have been crucified with Christ (died to the law) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." This is true conversion. It is identifying completely with Jesus and giving Him total control of one's life. I "died" with Him and now I live with Him. When Christ lives in and through me, I am different than I was before He saved me!

Galatians 3:1-5 -- This section encourages us to be consistent with our understanding of salvation and with our way of living it out. Last week, we talked about the false teachings that were infiltrating the church at Galatia and Paul writing this letter to set the record straight about the truth of the gospel. Here, he admonishes the Galatians to get back on the right track. Don't let anyone rob you of the joy you have in Christ by imposing a works-based understanding of salvation upon you. Don't be foolish, he says. Live by faith. You accepted Jesus by faith, now live by faith under the leadership of His presence in your life through the Holy Spirit. Anyone who attempts to add requirements to salvation other than faith in the work of Jesus Christ is basically saying that Jesus' death on the cross was not good enough for salvation. It was somehow inadequate. This diminishes the awesome work of Jesus in His death on the cross.

Galatians 3:6-9 -- Believers are blessed by God. The promise of that blessing is found in God's promise to Abraham when God tells Abraham that all nations will be blessed through him. The law did not exist at the time of this promise to Abraham. The law came much later through Moses. By grace God gave the promise to Abraham. By faith, Abraham received that promise. Abraham did not earn the promise. He simply believed God, and "it was credited to him for righteousness. Therefore, all nations (including Gentiles) are sons of Abraham if they have faith as he did.

Commitment – Lead students to examine the validity of their own salvation based on the teachings learned in this lesson. Are they living by faith in Jesus Christ or are they attempting to work their way to salvation? Encourage believers to use this lesson to help them witness to people this week.

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
"God Gives Love Lessons"
1 John 2:3-11, 15-17

Intro. -- During the month of June, we will study the book of 1 John to "Build Certainty" in our lives. In a world of uncertainties this study should strengthen and encourage us. Last week's lesson focused on the certainty of fellowship with God and with other believers. All humans have a need to belong and feel connected to others. This need can best be met when one belongs to the family of God. This week's lesson focuses on three ways that we can be certain that we have a relationship with God. Are we obeying God? Do we love others the way God loves? Do we avoid worldly influences?

1 John 2:3-6 -- John minces no words as he states that we can be sure that we have a relationship with God if we are keeping His commands. Obedience is evidence of relationship. You cannot say that you know God if you do not do what He says. In fact, John says that we should walk just He walked. We should be like Jesus. A true disciple is one who not only adopts the teaching of the one he follows, a true disciple literally strives to become exactly like the one he is following. A disciple lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps the one He is following. Obedience is evidence of true discipleship.

1 John 2:7-11 -- Now John offers another measure to determine the certainty of one's relationship with God. This measure states that you can know that you are in a relationship with God if you genuinely love others. John's readers would know that the command to love others is nothing new, but what is new is that in Christ's coming, He displayed exactly, to its fullest extent, what it means to love others. Believers are without excuse when it comes to loving others. The example has been given and the bar has been set. To "love" anyone less than the extent that Jesus loves us is not love at all. You and I are blind if we think we are walking in the light yet maintain hatred toward another. Loving others as Christ loved us is proof of one's relationship with God and certifies that relationship as genuine.

1 John 2:15-17 -- In contrast to the previous section of scripture where we are to love others, here John says that we are not to love the world. The "world" can be identified as anything that is contrary to the nature and Spirit of God. Additionally, in His prayer to the Father recorded in John 17, Jesus prays for his followers who are in the world "but not of the world." Love of worldly things is a form of idolatry because it shifts our love and devotion from God and establishes a replacement "god" in His stead in our lives. You cannot love the world and love God at the same time. There is no room for both. In these verses, John specifically identifies the things of this world as lust and pride. If our decisions and behaviors in life are selfishly motivated we have to question if the Father's love is truly in us. Do you want to be certain that you have a relationship with God? Ask yourself, "Do I avoid worldly influences or am I drawn to them?"

Commitment -- Lead students to examine the certainty of their relationship with God by these three measurements:

Obedience
Love of others as Jesus loves
Avoidance of worldly influences

It may be necessary to lead people to understand how they can be saved if after examining themselves against these measurements, they discover that there may be some uncertainty about their relationship with God. Help believers who are certain of their relationship with God to re-dedicate themselves to obedience, loving others, and avoiding worldly influences.

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For June 7, 2009

2009-06-06T00:31:00.002-04:00

News

1. Change to the Blog -- For the summer, you will find summaries and ideas for lessons from Explore the Bible Curriculum series and Bible Studies for Life.

2. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

Lesson Supplement for June 7

Explore the Bible
"Talking About the Gospel"
Galatians 1:6-9, 11-12, 15-16; 2:1-6

Intro. – This week's lesson is the first in a three-part unit, "Walking in Truth," which will cover the first four chapters of the book of Galatians. This week, we examine chapter one through chapter two, verse 10. The intent of this week's lesson is to lead students to gain a clear understanding of what the true Gospel is. Just as was the case in Paul's day, false teaching can enter into the minds of sincere believers today and create confusion for the individual and for the church. Paul sets the record straight about how one is saved. The message he gave the Galatians long ago is the message we need to hear to correct any false understanding of the means of salvation.

Galatians 1:6-9 – Paul taught that salvation came by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This was and is the only means to salvation. The false teaching that began to penetrate the church in Galatia was the notion that "true" salvation did not occur unless believers also followed the Jewish laws and traditions. By requiring adherence to Jewish rules and regulations, this false teaching emphasized that Jesus' death on the cross was not enough for salvation. Anything that introduces additional ideas or requirements to the gospel truth that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is identifiable as a false teaching.

Galatians 1:11-12, 15-16 -- To validate his message as the gospel truth, Paul states that the gospel he delivered was not something that he made up on his own. Rather, the good news he proclaimed is a message that he received directly from the Lord, making it of divine origin and not something man-made. Paul's divine encounter with the Lord Jesus can be found in Acts 9:4-5. Immediately after receiving the gospel directly from the Lord and responding to it in faith, Paul states that he did not consult with other human sources for what he was supposed to preach. The Holy Spirit in his life revealed to him what he was to preach. When we understand the gospel as good news delivered directly from God, we can easily discount anything contrary to that message as insignificant chattering.

Galatians 2:1-6 -- If we are going to walk in the truth, as our current unit emphasizes, we must begin with a commitment to the gospel truth and accept no compromise to it. In these verses, Paul tells the Galatians that he delivered the same gospel to the Christian leaders in Jerusalem that he was preaching on the mission field to the Gentiles, and the Christian leaders did not reject the message of liberty that he proclaimed nor did they add anything to it. This also validated his message and his ministry because if they had had a problem with it, the Christian leadership would have corrected him then. Obviously, the smugglers (false teachers) had infiltrated the church at Galatia in an attempt to enslave believers to a works-based type of salvation. Paul would not compromise, and he counsels the Galatians and us to do the same.

Commitment – Lead students to be committed to the gospel of salvation by God's grace through faith in the Lord Jesus without compromise. Don't let anyone or anything that adds to this simple gospel message rob you of the joy of freedom in Christ Jesus!

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
"Connections Matter"
1 John 1-2:2

Intro. -- During the month of June, we will study the book of 1 John to "Build Certainty" in our lives. In a world of uncertainties this study should strengthen and encourage us. This week's lesson will focus on the certainty of fellowship with God and with other believers. All humans have a need to belong and feel connected to others. This need can best be met when one belongs to the family of God. When all other relationships around us crumble, we can find security in the certainty of the bond between God and members of His family.

1 John 1:1-4 -- John begins this letter to fellow believers with an introduction that parallels the same introduction he used in his gospel. Jesus is the Word of life who has always existed. He became flesh and dwelt among us, and John experienced Jesus through his senses. John saw Jesus, heard Jesus, and touched Jesus. John was an eyewitness to the life and work of Jesus. What he experienced with Jesus, John now declares to his readers so that they too can experience what he continues to experience with Jesus -- fellowship. John says that our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Believers have a bond with each other because they share a common bond with the Father and His Son.

1 John 1:5-7 -- The first four verses in chapter one identify the fellowship bond. These next verses reveal how to live in the joy of that bond. The message that John heard from Jesus and has declared to these believers is that God is light and there is absolutely no darkness in him at all. This means that God is holy and righteous. There is no error or fault in Him. Just as light and dark do not compromise to form something in between, there is no gray area when it comes to God. Therefore, we cannot say that we have fellowship with God if we are walking in darkness. If we are living life having made the choice to do as we please, then we have no fellowship with God, and to say that we do is lying. Fellowship with God is evidenced by our walking in the light, having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

1 John 1:8-2:2 -- The fellowship bond would never happen if it was left up to you and me. We are sinners. To say we are not, we deceive ourselves and make God a liar. We have lived in darkness and continue to be tempted and swayed by the darkness of our world. Therefore, the only way "the dark" can have fellowship with the light is if the light drives away the darkness. Jesus did just that! He who is the light died for us and took upon himself our sins and the sin punishment so that by believing in Him we might be rescued and brought into fellowship with the light. Therefore, let us confess our sins immediately upon being convicted of them. He then will be faithful to forgive us and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness making us "light" in order to have fellowship with God who is light.

Commitment -- Amazing Grace -- Isn't it truly amazing the extent that God would go to make a fellowship bond with him a reality? The fact that He did go to such lengths and the fact that the relationship bond finds its basis in Him who is light and not on us who are sinners gives us confidence in the certainty of its endurance. This is great news in a world of uncertainties! Lead students to thank God for the fellowship bond believers share with Him. Connect the relationships to each other in the class because of the common bond with God the Father that each believer shares. Lead students to confess any sin that has remained unconfessed so that they can return to the joy of the fellowship.

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For May 31, 2009

2009-05-28T10:18:00.003-04:00

News

1. Attendance on May 24 – 497

8:30 a.m. – 257
9:45 a.m. – 240

2. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Date Night -- This Saturday, June 6. Encourage couples married and dating to attend. Childcare is provided. A guest speaker will take a few minutes to address a helpful topic for couples, then couples will be able to go out for dinner on their own.

4. "Celebrating God's Gifts" -- Next Sunday, June 7. This is a variation of the former church wide talent show. We want to celebrate all the gifts God has given to our people. There will be singing and other acts, but there will also be handmade crafts, foods, artwork, etc. on display. These will be donated and open for bids to purchase these items. All proceeds will go to the college scholarship fund given annually to graduating seniors. Encourage members of your class to donate their talent (gift) as we celebrate God's blessings together!!

Current Unit of Study -- "Choose Spiritual Paths"
This is the final week in the unit study of the book of Micah. Micah prophesied during the time of Isaiah. His message was one of warning and hope. He warned of God’s impending judgment yet he prophesied about God's mercy displayed in the future. In our lessons for this unit, we will be challenged to make choices in our life that will fulfill God’s purposes and not our own. “Choose Spiritual Paths” that lead to obedience and blessing and avoid paths that do not. The first two lessons in this series deal with two paths the we should NOT follow. The final two lessons present paths that we should take.

Lesson Supplement for May 31

Explore the Bible
"Commitment: A Path to Effectiveness”
Micah 7:1-7, 18-20

Intro. – This week’s lesson challenges us to be effective Christians. America has been known for quite a while as a Christian nation. However, if this has been the case, recent headlines and survey results seem to indicate a shift toward fewer Christians and less Christian influence in America in recent days. We could debate when this turning point took place. Some might say it started long ago. Others might argue that it is only a recent phenomenon. Regardless of when the shift began, it appears to be gaining, and Christianity in America may be declining. Perhaps this is because at some point along the way, we Christians lost our effectiveness. According to today's lesson, the path to effectiveness is called "Commitment." If we have lost our effectiveness, then it is potentially the result of a lack of genuine commitment to our Lord and His purposes. Let us recommit our whole being to the Lord and return to effectively impacting society for God!

Micah 7:1-6 – Have you ever felt alone and isolated because of the stand you take for God? Micah certainly did. As he looked around, he saw no one living a truly committed life for the Lord. That can be discouraging. Micah saw no godly people. He saw no one who practiced God's way of love toward God and others. He saw people at all levels of society deal unjustly with others. In fact everyone seemed to be "out for themselves," living selfishly at the expense and the disregard of others. Even one's spouse could not be trusted. When there is no trust in a society, that society can crumble.

Micah 7:7 -- In the middle of this morally decaying society Micah feels lonely and isolated because he has made his own decision about how he is going to live, and it is not the same decision that his fellow citizens have made. Micah decides to remain fully committed to the Lord and trust in Him, believing that God will judge the people and will vindicate him. Notice that Micah says he "will wait for the God of (his) salvation." This waiting was an active waiting. It was not sitting up on the hillside to wait and watch God bring down His judgment on the people like Jonah did with Nineveh. Even though it may be a long time before God would vindicate Micah for choosing to be committed to God, Micah was committed to obedience to God regardless of what society around him was doing. If you have ever felt isolated because of your stand for God, realize there really are others who are striving to live the same way you are, though they may be difficult to find. If you do know others who are striving to be totally committed to God, then bond with these individuals and encourage one another. However, if you do not find others to encourage you, do like Micah and make the commitment to "look to the Lord" and wait, no matter how long it takes, because God will hear you!

Micah 7:18-20 -- This final section is a proclamation of the confidence that Micah has in God. This confidence encourages him to persevere in his commitment to the Lord even while society around him is crumbling under moral decay. His confidence is not based on what he can do in his commitment of loyalty to God. His confidence is based solely on the uniqueness of God -- that God will forgive and pardon those who repent. Who is a God like that! God does not overlook sin. He detests sin. Yet He loves the sinner and will forgive the repentant heart. Micah includes himself among the sinners in verse 19, but he knows that if he remains faithful and committed to the decision he expressed in verse 7 to live righteously, then God will remove his sins from him. God will do this for all who repent from sin and live truly committed lives to Him. Verse 20 indicates that the final result is that God will show loyalty and love to the very society that had become corrupt in Micah's day.

Commitment – How can Christians return to effectively impacting our society? The answer is to choose spiritual paths, one that will lead us to be fully committed to God and His ways. We must choose to serve the Lord wholeheartedly regardless of what other people around us decide to do. We must live in confidence that God is the victor. This confidence will sustain us when we feel isolated and lonely because of our commitment to God. Lead your students to commit to encourage one another toward faithfulness to God in all things. Be encouragers to one another to help remove feelings of isolation such as Micah felt. Lead your students to re-commit their lives to total obedience to God in all areas. If we as believers do these two things, we will be effective once again in impacting society for God!

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For May 17, 2009

2009-05-13T13:03:00.005-04:00

News

1. Attendance on May 10 – 544

8:30 a.m. – 285
9:45 a.m. – 259

2. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Memorial Day Service Next Sunday!! – A unique service of worship in all four services (including the Verge). The Verge will be a simulcast of the entire service happening live in the Family Life Center.

Current Unit of Study -- "Choose Spiritual Paths"
The next few weeks will be a study of the book of Micah. Micah prophesied during the time of Isaiah. His message was one of warning and hope. He warned of God’s impending judgment yet he prophesied about God's mercy displayed in the future. In our lessons for this unit, we will be challenged to make choices in our life that will fulfill God’s purposes and not our own. “Choose Spiritual Paths” that lead to obedience and blessing and avoid paths that do not. The first two lessons in this series deal with two paths the we should NOT follow. The final two lessons present paths that we should take.

Lesson Supplement for May 17

Explore the Bible
"Corruption: A Path to Nowhere”
Isaiah 55:1-13

Intro. – This week’s lesson challenges us to follow through on our responsibilities as a child of God. We who believe in Jesus Christ are blessed, having been granted forgiveness and adoption into the family of God. But with this privilege comes responsibility. Isn’t that the way it is with anything that we “join?” God’s grace has saved us through the work of His Son Jesus Christ. He has saved us FROM sin. This also means He has saved us TO obedience and righteous living. Let us be thankful for God’s mercy! Let us be mindful of our responsibilities as His children!

Micah 3:1-2 – In these verses, Micah is addressing the civil leaders of the nation and their corrupt leadership. They should know better, yet they have not been just in their dealings with the people. They have neither led by example nor by decree. Their decisions have been based on getting what they wanted for themselves and not shepherding or caring for God’s people which is the true role that they should have performed. They had so indoctrinated themselves in the ways of selfishness that they no longer knew what was good and right. In fact they were choosing evil as though it were good. In doing so, they destroyed the very people who were entrusted to their care. Today, we are all influencers to some degree. What kind of influence do we give to those who follow our lead? Are we choosing a spiritual path or are we leading them down a path of corruption? Do we point to “true north” as a spiritual compass to those who follow us? Live ethically by the standards of God’s word. By doing so, you are choosing spiritual paths!

Micah 3:5-7 – Now, Micah turns his attention to the religious leaders who, like the civil leaders, have chosen the path of corruption. The prophets have led the people away from God. They do not speak the truth. They say only what will benefit themselves. Blessings are granted to those who fill the “offering plates” and curses are placed on those who put nothing in the plate. Their message is determined by circumstances rather than God Himself! As a result, Micah says that God will be absent from these false teachers. Rather than giving the prophets the light to see and to understand His will and purpose, God will make it dark for them. They will no longer be able to see and know God’s will and purpose. When we cease to proclaim truth for truth’s sake and our speech is based on what will benefit us at the time, we are choosing the path of corruption and will find a darkness that will cloud us from the things God could and would love to show us!

Micah 3:9-12 – This final section of the lesson passage reveals why we should avoid the path of corruption. The list of offenders and their offenses covers the civil and religious leaders of the nation. Every level of leadership is corrupt. They have chosen the path of self-gain and self-glory at the expense of the truth and justice the people needed and God required. They literally sold themselves and the nation out to the god of greed. Yet they were so blind to this fact that incredibly, they still believed that God was on their side. This indicates that they had wandered so far from God that they now believed the lies they had been dishing out. They had traveled so far down the path of corruption that there was no turning back. As a result, the nation would be ruined and what the leadership thought they had accomplished would be completely destroyed. This is where the path of corruption leads. It always leads to destruction and waste. It leads to nowhere. Unfortunately, those who travel far down this path deceive themselves into believing they are headed somewhere only to discover in the end that they have ended up nowhere.

Commitment – How can we avoid this kind of ending? The answer is to choose spiritual paths, one that will lead us to fulfill our God-given responsibilities. Focus on what is truth and what is right. Let these principles guide the steps we take in all matters of life. Teach these principles from God’s word to others verbally and by example. Focus on the assignments God has given and not material gain. Realize that we are accountable to the one who richly bestowed His grace upon us and allowed us to be adopted into his family. What a privilege! What a responsibility! Lead your students to commit to following the path of God’s moral and ethical standards. Invite those who have started down the path of corruption the opportunity to turn from their ways and begin on the path of righteousness.

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For May 3, 2009

2009-05-02T09:34:00.006-04:00

News

1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

2. Project Care:Mission Possible -- What a tremendous blessing and great success as 570 of our church family dispersed into the community to do projects to show God's love and care to people in need in our community! If you haven't already done so, use a portion of this Sunday's class time to allow people to share about their experiences.

Current Unit of Study -- "Affirm Spiritual Certainties"

Lesson Supplement for May 3

Explore the Bible
"The Invitation is Inclusive"
Isaiah 55:1-13

Intro. -- This lesson is the final lesson in Isaiah and the final lesson in the unit "Affirm Spiritual Certainties." Next week we will begin a study of the book of Micah. The message of this week's lesson is that we all are in need of a Savior. We all have a thirst and a hunger that can only be satisfied by our Lord. Yet, either because of obstinate refusal or lack of knowledge, people will continue hungering and thirsting while trying to satisfy these spiritual longings themselves with whatever they can find. Any satisfaction from these types of things can offer are short-lived and the hunger and thirst remain. This week's lesson will have us to understand that there is something that satisfies. He is Jesus, and His invitation is for any and all to come and be filled! Affirm this spiritual certainty and live a fulfilled life. Affirm this spiritual certainty and lead others to find the satisfaction they long for.

Isaiah 55:1-5 -- What a bargain! These verses are like the invitation that we receive in the mail to "Come" be a part of something grand and exciting! The bargain is that we don't have to bring anything to this "party." In fact, when we come, we are the ones who receive the gift! This speaks of the amazing grace of our Lord. We go around "spending" for things that won't last or satisfy. What a waste! The invitation is even for those of us who have no means to pay. Indeed none of us have the means to pay -- our righteousness is as filthy rags. Accept the invitation and be satisfied and blessed. It's absolutely free and that's a bargain that can't be beaten!

Isaiah 55:6-7 -- Verse 6 speaks of a window of opportunity to seek the Lord while He may be found. Obviously, one truth is that God is omnipresent. He is everywhere. What then does this verse mean when it seems to indicate there may come a time when He cannot be found? There are a couple of thoughts to consider: (1) We have this lifetime only in which to find Him. Once we die, our eternal destination is sealed. If we have not found Him in this lifetime, we will not find Him then. (2) The scriptures (example, Romans 1:18-32) speak of God "turning them over" to their sinful desires. There is a season of God's offering of grace, but there may come a time when He removes himself from the individual who has made the choice to find satisfaction in things other than Him. Today is the day of salvation. Do not let the window of opportunity pass you by.

Verse 7 gives the picture of repentance. To truly accept the invitation to come, one must repent from the direction they were walking. It involves a change in one's thought and behavior. When true repentance happens, God extends His compassion and will freely forgive!

Isaiah 55:8-11 -- This section speaks of the power of God. His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. He doesn't think like we do. He doesn't act like we do. As God, He has a unique perspective of the world and all that He has created. He knows the exact "ins and outs" of how everything is supposed to work. He has the plan for all the world because He set it in motion. You and I don't always know how things work, and we don't know how things will work out unless He tells us in His word. His word is powerful because it never leaves Him without performing its intended purpose. Wow! My word definitely is not powerful enough to do that. John chapter 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word that became flesh. Verse 11 of our focal passage today would then indicate that Jesus did not return to God empty. Jesus accomplished what God the Father pleased. Jesus prospered in what He was sent to do! What amazing power! Power enough to save anyone!

Isaiah 55:12-13 -- The life of the saved is one of glory and blessing. However, the failures and emptiness that sinners continue to feel even while trying to satisfy their hunger and thirst on their own apart from God are like thorn bushes and briers. They live among the briers and thorns of sin. God issues the invitation for all sinners to come to Him and live among the cypress and myrtle trees where there is no sting of death and no pain of sin. All of creation will sing and clap for joy as the saved experience the joy and peace that ultimately satisfies! The ultimate satisfaction will be found in God's presence in Heaven where there is no more sorrow, pain, or death.

Commitment -- There may be some in the class Sunday who have not accepted God's invitation. They are spending their money on things that cannot satisfy. God is still near to them and can be found because they are still alive and they are in a Bible study class. Invite them to call upon Him today! Receive his gift of forgiveness and grace. Repent from their way of living and be satisfied spiritually.

Secondly, the believers who are present Sunday should be reminded by this lesson that people everywhere are thirsty and hungry for spiritual satisfaction. Jesus is the only one who satisfies. If we know Him and have experienced that satisfaction ourselves, then we have a responsibility to help others discover that as well. We need to be His invitation deliverers. We need to share with sinners that no matter what they have done they can be forgiven and experience satisfaction. If they doubt that, remember, God's ways are higher than our ways. What seems impossible to us is not impossible with God!

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For April 26, 2009

2009-04-22T22:32:00.003-04:00

News

1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

Current Unit of Study -- "Affirm Spiritual Certainties"

Lesson Supplement for April 26

Explore the Bible
"The Lord is Compassionate"
Isaiah 54:1-10

Intro. -- Have you ever felt unworthy of God's love? Maybe that feeling comes from a past sin that shows up in your memory just when you are beginning to feel confident enough to do something for God. The memory produces the paralyzing feelings of guilt and shame. "How could God use someone like me," you may say. The message of this lesson is that God can use you. In fact, He wants to use you! This is possible regardless of the "ugliness" of our sin because of the compassion of the Lord. If there is the least bit of suspicion about the certainty of the compassion of God, then we are all hopeless indeed. Good news! The Bible affirms this as a certainty. We too should affirm it as a certainty in our lives and fully allow His compassion to break the chains of guilt and shame, setting us free to love others and to serve Him.

Isaiah 54:1-3 -- There are two picture illustrations in these verses. The first picture is that of a barren woman. The barren woman is encouraged to rejoice because she will become fruitful and her household will surpass the number in the household of the "married woman." The second picture is that of a tent or dwelling. The resident of the tent is encouraged to enlarge his living quarters with the promise of even greater territory in generations to come. These two pictures give a vision of hope. The message to the children of Israel is though you will be sent to exile because of your sin, your compassionate God will give you a hopeful vision of return and abundance. Without hope, one withers and eventually dies. If we have no hope that our sins can be forgiven and that there is a bright and eternal future as a child of God, then the paralysis of past sins becomes so restrictive that we wither and die. Let's affirm that God does offer a future to sinners who confess and repent.

Isaiah 54:4-5 -- According to the first three verses, God deals with our future by giving a vision of hope, something to look forward to. In verses 4-5, the message is about how God deals with our past. We can be certain that there is hope. We can also be certain that there is forgiveness. No matter what we have done, there is a Redeemer, and He will remove the shame, fear, humiliation, and disgrace that sin causes. He will restore what we have broken. That is ultimate compassion. Peter once asked Jesus if he should forgive up to seven times. Peter may have thought he would impress Jesus by suggesting such a "high" number. But Jesus was not all that impressed. His response was that Peter and all of us should forgive seventy times seven. When we sin, our fellowship with God is broken, and we can't fix it. Only by His grace and compassion to forgive us our past sins are we able to be restored and have our fellowship with God renewed. Amazingly, He will forgive "seventy times seven" as long as we are sincere in our confession and repentance.

Isaiah 54:6-8 -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a sonnet recognized by most people by these words, "How do I love thee, let me count the ways." If God were to attempt to count the ways he loves us, he would NEVER cease to count! This is everlasting love. It is not dependent on what I do or don't do. If I am His child, He never stops loving me. He loves me when I am obedient just as much as He does when I am disobedient. Because He loves me, He may "desert" me for a season as a form of discipline whenever I sin in order to get my attention and draw me back to Himself. However, as verse 7 indicates, if I recognize the errors of my ways and turn toward Him, He will take me "back with great compassion." There is a saying that I used to have hanging in my room when I was a teenager. It said, "When God seems far away, think who has moved." If I am a Christian and I make a choice to do something that is not of God, my salvation is not lost, but my fellowship with God is broken. The accompanying far-away-from-God feeling is the withdrawal of his presence and power upon my life. His presence and power may be absent for a season, but His love is everlasting. It never fails. It is what draws me back to Him and fixes what I have broken. This is a certainty that we must affirm if we are to be free from the paralysis of guilt and shame.

Isaiah 54:9-10 -- Let us not forget that this prophecy was first issued through Isaiah to God's chosen, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God established a covenant with Abraham when He called Abram to leave his native land and go to a land that God would show him. God promised Abram that if he remained faithful to God, He would bless Abram with descendants as numerous as the sand upon the shore. Isaiah now delivers this prophecy to these promised descendants. From the time of Abram to the time of Isaiah, God remained faithful to the covenant while Abram and His descendants were often covenant breakers. By all accounts, it would seem that God had a right to let the children of Israel go the way of destruction because of their covenant unfaithfulness. God certainly felt that way toward His creation in the time of Noah. But for the righteousness of the one man, Noah, God would have wiped out all of humanity. God made a covenant with Noah to which He has remained faithful to this day. Similarly, God made a covenant with Abram to which He would remain faithful in the days of Isaiah and in the days of exile. God is not a covenant breaker. Today, this means that if we enter into a covenant relationship with God through our profession of faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and genuinely turn our lives over to His authority, then even though we may fall into temptation on occasion, God will keep us. His "love will not be removed" and His "covenant of peace will not be shaken." The security this affords me wipes away the shame of past sins and draws me ever closer to Him, strengthening my desire to obey Him at all times and to confess and repent in times of disobedience.

Commitment -- There may be some students in class on Sunday that are paralyzed by past sin and/or current addictions. They need to be set free from the bondage by affirming the spiritual certainty that the Lord is compassionate! They may have a feeling of hopelessness and need to be directed to the vision of hope God gives. There is a future for any and all who believe and enter into a covenant relationship with Him. No matter what sin one has done, God can and will forgive a repentant heart. Ask students if they feel as close to God as they would like. If they do not feel close, lead them to search their hearts to determine if there is any disobedience toward God. Lead them to confess and repent. Then lead them to accept by faith the cleansing power of the everlasting love of our compassionate Lord.

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For April 19, 2009

2009-04-15T14:05:00.005-04:00

News

1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

2. Project Care: Mission Possible -- This is the last Sunday to sign up! Event date is Saturday, April 25!

Current Unit of Study

For the next several weeks, we will have a series of lessons leading us to "Affirm Spiritual Certainties." We will conclude the study of Isaiah at the end of the unit. The lessons in this unit will provide messages of encouragement and hope and will show explicit details about the advent of the Messiah that would occur 700 years later. God has blessed us with many things that we can count on and has proven that He is trustworthy time and again. This unit study of the latter chapters of Isaiah will confirm this.

Lesson Supplement for April 19

Use This Lesson to Lead Students to Commit to Participate in Project Care: Mission Possible on Saturday, April 25. You will see how this lesson can be used for this purpose at the end in the "Commitment" section.

Explore the Bible
"The Lord is at Work"
Isaiah 45:1-7, 9-13

Intro. -- Where is God? When you step back and take a look at the events that are happening in the world today, you may be inclined to ask this question. Is God doing His thing? Last week's lesson already has affirmed the spiritual reality that God is not dead. This week's lesson affirms the spiritual reality that God is at work. We can count on the fact that God is continuing to work to achieve His purposes.

Isaiah 45:1-2 -- Pay particular attention to the commentary for this section in your teacher's book about Cyrus. Isaiah receives the vision from God about the future of Judah, from her failure to her exile to her eventual restoration. Cyrus is the great king who will one day be in power over Babylon and will allow the return of God's people to Israel. Very clearly stated in the scriptures is the fact that God is behind these events and will bring them to pass. Cyrus is God's man even though Cyrus himself may never have realized it. Years later, these events come to pass. God is intricately involved in history and works to fulfill His purpose and plan through believers and unbelievers alike. We can affirm this fact in our lives today by acknowledging the Lord's purposes.

Isaiah 45:3-5 -- Cyrus would experience success in the advancement of his kingdom, but God is the one working to bring about Cyrus's success, not for the good of Cyrus's kingdom, but for the advancement and success of His own kingdom. Verse 5 indicates that Cyrus did not know God. This gives more support to the fact that God uses unbelievers in history when needed to accomplish His purposes. Proverbs 21:1 is referenced in the teacher's commentary. It says, "A king's heart is a water channel in the Lord's hand: He directs it wherever He chooses." In times like these when we may be inclined to ask where God is, we can find encouragement in these verses that regardless of what appears to be happening, God is accomplishing His purpose! Let us awake to the Lord's presence and affirm the spiritual reality that He is at work!

Isaiah 45:6-7 -- Not only can we be certain that God is at work, but we can also be certain that God is a mighty God and His power is greater than even he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Verse 7 indicates that God is behind the successes and failures of individuals as well as nations. He is also the creator of light and darkness. God is in control of all things. Those of us who believe in Him can claim this to be true even in a world that seems like it is spiraling out of control at times. Our limited view of current events may cause us to doubt, but we must come back to the facts, according to God's word. There is a bigger picture than what we are looking at right now. God sees it, and He is working it all to make His purposes succeed. As a believer in Him, I have aligned myself to want His purposes to succeed as well. Knowing that the all-powerful God is making that happen regardless of what appears to be happening around me today is a spiritual reality worth affirming! It makes us want to applaud His power!

Isaiah 45:9-13 -- "Just who do you think you are?" If you have ever thought this or said this to an individual then you know what God is talking about in these verses. There are three main descriptors of God in this section of scripture. He is Maker, the Holy One of Israel, and Commander. As Maker, He has made all things. How then can we, as part of His creation, talk back to our creator? I don't remember who said this but I seem to recall a woman who was having difficulty with one of her children make a statement to her disobedient child, "I brought you into this world. I can take you out!" I don't know if she could make such a claim, but God certainly can! As the Holy One of Israel, we can be certain that He always does what is right. If not, He would not be holy. On the other hand, none of us are righteous. How can unrighteous, unjust people call into question anything that the Holy One of Israel does? Finally, as commander, He is in charge. He stretched out the heavens and commanded their host. He raises up kings and queens for His purposes and will use them to fulfill His purposes. God is in charge! We must accept and not deny the Lord's sovereignty in order to affirm the spiritual reality that the Lord is at work!

Commitment -- The Lord is at work! Lead students to acknowledge this as a reality in their lives and accept His sovereignty thereby finding confidence and encouragement. Secondly, in his work, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby emphasizes that God is always at work around us, and He issues us an invitation to join Him in His work. Explore with your class some ways that God is at work around us in our world, our community, our neighborhood, our church. Once these are identified, the invitation is now offered for students to join Him. Lead your students to a commitment to get involved in God's work. This would be a great way to push your class's participation in Project CARE: Mission Possible!!

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For April 12, 2009

2009-04-08T14:23:00.002-04:00

News

1. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

2. Project Care: Mission Possible -- Volunteer sign ups continue! Event date is Saturday, April 25!

Current Unit of Study
For the next several weeks, we will have a series of lessons leading us to "Affirm Spiritual Certainties." We will conclude the study of Isaiah at the end of the unit. The lessons in this unit will provide messages of encouragement and hope and will show explicit details about the advent of the Messiah that would occur 700 years later. God has blessed us with many things that we can count on and has proven that He is trustworthy time and again. This unit study of the latter chapters of Isaiah will confirm this.

Lesson Supplement for April 12

Explore the Bible
"The Lord is Alive"
Matthew 28:1-17

Intro. -- We leave Isaiah this week to study the resurrection of Jesus as recorded in Matthew's Gospel. Even though we leave Isaiah, the nature of this lesson fits with the unit theme to "Affirm Spiritual Realities." The first four points of the lesson give support and affirmation to the resurrection of Jesus. God's word contains many things that we can count on as a certainty. The fact that we serve a risen and living Savior and Lord is one of these certainties. Affirming this spiritual reality gives us joy and motivates us to worship Him. This week's lesson is another evangelistic opportunity!

Matthew 28:1-4 -- Recognizing the failure of the leaders of Jesus's day to put to rest the notion that Jesus would rise from the dead is one reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality of the resurrection of Jesus. The authorities of the day deployed soldiers to stand guard at the tomb of Jesus to make sure that nothing could be done to make it appear that He had risen from the dead. The only individuals known to be present early that morning were two women. It is doubtful that they would have appeared as a physical threat to Roman soldiers. Nevertheless, we read that the guards were shaken from fear. The source of that fear was not the women who came to visit the tomb but the angel who rolled its stone away. Ironically, the two Marys were coming to visit a dead man in their minds. What they saw when the arrived was not the dead man they thought they would see. instead they saw the Roman guards who "became like dead men." Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is the failure of the authorities of the day to keep Jesus in the tomb.

Matthew 28:5-7-- A second reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality that Jesus is alive is because the angel said so! The Bible speaks of angels throughout its text. Angels primarily serve as messengers of God in all such occurrences. Here the angel addresses the Marys in order to state clearly what they were undoubtedly confused about. In order to not allow room for any error, God sends the angel to make it clear to the women what has happened. The angel clearly states that Jesus has been resurrected. He invites the women to come see where Jesus lay to provide them visual evidence. Then the angel gives them orders to go and tell the others the good news. Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is the angel's announcement that it was so.

Matthew 28:8-10 -- A third reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality that Jesus is alive is because he appeared to witnesses. With great joy, the women obey the instructions of the angel and hurry off to tell the good news to the disciples. This act of obedience precedes their own visual encounter with the Lord. While in the process of obedience (running to tell the disciples), Jesus then appears to them. His greeting is most appropriate -- Good morning -- "Rejoice!" The scripture says that the women came up to Him and "took hold of His feet." Now the sense of touch affirms what their eyes and ears have seen and heard. For joy they would have remained there clinging to Him, but Jesus reminds them of the command placed upon them to go tell the others where they can see me. Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is His authenticating appearance to witnesses.

Matthew 28:11-15 -- A fourth reason that we can affirm the spiritual reality that Jesus is alive is the attempted cover-up by the authorities. The religious leaders had worked hard to rid themselves of the increasing influence of Jesus. Now, His popularity would skyrocket more than ever if word got out that He indeed had risen from the dead. In order to avoid this, the chief priests created a plan to explain the disappearance of Jesus's body. The cover-up involved bribing the guards in order to buy their promise to spread lies about what happened. Their concocted story has holes in it, however. First of all, the disciples were afraid for their lives. How would they so soon after the crucifixion gain the courage needed to overcome trained Roman soldiers? Secondly, how could you get trained soldiers to admit to falling asleep while on duty unless you did bribe them. Such an admission would have had repercussions. Perhaps this is why the chief priests pledge not only money to pay for the soldiers' story, but also promise to protect them from the governor if word gets back to him. Jesus is alive today! One supporting event of that reality is the attempted cover-up scheme implemented by the religious leaders.

Matthew 28:16-17 -- This final point in the lesson is to lead to a commitment on the part of students in attendance. We have just examined four reasons why the resurrection of Jesus is something that can be affirmed. Yet it remains a decision that every individual must make on their own. Just as the disciples had to make a choice whether to believe that Jesus was alive or not, so do all of us. God gives us much evidence including the testimony of others, but it still comes down to whether you believe it or not. Jesus is alive today! What do you believe?

Commitment -- Lead students to examine their view of Jesus as the Living Lord. Present the plan of salvation to end the class and invite attendees to answer the question, "Do you believe in the resurrection?" According to Romans 10:9, believing in the resurrection goes hand in hand with believing in the cross in order to be saved. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19: "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For April 5, 2009

2009-04-01T14:31:00.002-04:00

News

1. Attendance 3/29/09 -- We had 559 in Sunday School Sunday!! 286 at 8:30 and 273 at 9:45!

2. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, outreach/in reach activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Project Care: Mission Possible -- Volunteer sign ups continue! Event date is Saturday, April 25!

Introducing a New Unit of Study

For the next several weeks, we will have a series of lessons leading us to "Affirm Spiritual Certainties." We will conclude the study of Isaiah at the end of the unit. The lessons in this unit will provide messages of encouragement and hope and will show explicit details about the advent of the Messiah that would occur 700 years later. God has blessed us with many things that we can count on and has proven that He is trustworthy time and again. This unit study of the latter chapters of Isaiah will confirm this.

Lesson Supplement for April 5

Explore the Bible
"The Sacrifice is Sufficient"
Isaiah 53:2-12

Intro. -- This week's lesson celebrates the salvation that God has provided for all sinners. This is an excellent lesson for evangelistic emphasis. Encourage your class members to invite neighbors and friends who may be lost to come to Sunday School with them this week. As you teach, be mindful that there may be some present who need to accept God's provision of salvation. In this week's lesson we will affirm the spiritual certainty that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for salvation!

Isaiah 53:2-3 -- Jesus was an unrecognized sacrifice. In His day, people rejected Him as the Messiah because He did not fit their ideas about who the Messiah would be or what He would do. Many people in the world today also reject Him as Savior because they don't recognize their need for salvation or they do not believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. People continue to reject and despise Him. However, this does not negate the fact that He is the one and only Savior! Instead it emphasizes that He knows and understands our condition apart from God in this sinful world.

Isaiah 53:4-6-- Salvation costs greatly! Jesus took upon himself our sin sickness and its accompanying pain. In verses 3-4 the people did not value Him. People today do not value Him, but look at what a value He is in verses 4-5! He bore our sicknesses. He carried our pains. He was pierced because of our transgressions. He was crushed because of our iniquities. He was punished so that we might have peace with God. He was wounded so that we might be healed. Jesus did not deserve this as verse 6 indicates. We are the ones who turned our own way and went astray from God. We deserve all of the things that Jesus paid on our behalf. Yet the Lord punished Him for the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:7-9 -- Jesus volunteer His life as a sacrifice! In verse 6 we are all described as sheep that have gone astray. In verse 7, Jesus is described as a lamb led to the slaughter and a sheep silent before her shearers. Jesus, the lamb, did not go His own way. He humbly laid down His life and offered it as a voluntary sacrifice for all of us wandering sheep who have gone our own way, for all of us who despise and reject Him. Stop and consider the magnitude of His love to do this for our undeserved benefit. Spend time as a class giving thanks to God for what He has done through His Son, Jesus.

Isaiah 53:10-12-- Jesus' sacrifice was effective. The effectiveness of His sacrifice is proven by four things in these verses. First of all, His sacrifice was effective because there was no other way for us to be forgiven of our sins and for us to be able to have a relationship with God. It was the only sacrifice that "pleased" God. Secondly, His resurrection from the dead would and did validate the effectiveness of His sacrifice. Thirdly, further proof of the effectiveness of His sacrifice will occur at His second coming when God gives to Jesus "the many as a portion" and "the mighty as spoil." Finally, by bearing the sin of many, his intercession for the rebels was certainly effective (verse 12).

Conclusion -- Today, we affirm the spiritual certainty that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for salvation. In fact it is so sufficient and effective that there is no other way to be saved. Jesus identified with our condition apart from God. He was willing to pay the sin debt regardless of the cost. He did so voluntarily and effectively. We can be certain that in Christ, salvation is complete. Let us celebrate and give thanks for the confident hope this certainty provides!

Commitment -- Lead students to examine their view of Jesus as Savior. Have they acknowledged their need for Him as the only way to be saved? Have they given their lives to Him? If not, consider inviting them to pray the sinner's prayer and inform you of their decision. If they are Christians, challenge them to spend time this week expressing thanksgiving to God for the certainty of their salvation.

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For March 29

2009-03-25T12:32:00.005-04:00

News

1. Attendance 3/22/09 -- We had 575 in Sunday School Sunday!! 285 at 8:30 and 290 at 9:45!

2. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Project Care: Mission Possible -- Sign up for volunteers begins THIS WEEK! Event date is Saturday, April 25!

Lesson Supplement for March 29

Explore the Bible
"Stay Spiritually Alert"
Isaiah 38:1-6; 39:1-2,5-8

Intro. -- Remember that the topic for the current unit is, "Maintain Spiritual Health." The title of each lesson for the month then answers the question, "How can I maintain spiritual health?" The lesson for this Sunday would have us to understand that we can maintain our spiritual health by staying spiritually alert. There are many similarities in principle between physical health and spiritual health. Some examples are: what goes in comes out (sorry about this one, but it's true), when one part is hurting the whole is impacted, and exercise and discipline make for a happy and healthier life. Today's lesson identifies another shared principle between good physical health and good spiritual health: Be alert! The slightest distraction can have catastrophic results. I'll leave you to think of examples where this is true in the physical and spiritual realm.

Isaiah 38:1-6 -- In order to stay spiritually alert we must practice fervent prayer. Hezekiah was confronted with an enemy that sought to destroy Judah and him. He had already seen the devastation that Israel, the northern kingdom, had experienced at the hand of the Assyrians. In addition to this threat, Hezekiah was suffering from a terminal illness. These were dire circumstances. As Thomas Paine said during the difficult days of the American Revolution, "These are the times that try men's souls," so Hezekiah's soul was experiencing trial. In these kinds of moments, we face the risk of being distracted into thinking about ways out of the existing situation in order to relieve the stress. We run the risk of making a bad choice or giving in to temptation. What can we do to manage that risk? Follow the example of Hezekiah in this case. Pray fervently. Turn to God at all times but especially in these kinds of moments. Do so before you rush into something that risks your spiritual health. God is concerned about your health, and He will answer. Pray!

Isaiah 39:1-2 -- In order to stay spiritually alert we must guard against pride. Hezekiah had prayed fervently to the Lord, and the Lord saw his tears and his humility and blessed him with an extension on life. Now completely healed, Hezekiah receives visitors bearing gifts from Babylon sent to him by the king of Babylon after he heard about Hezekiah's physical recovery. Instead of giving God the glory for protecting Judah and healing his body, Hezekiah pridefully showed off the treasures of Judah, treasures that could have been lost forever if God had not intervened in response to Hezekiah's prayer. Pride always goes before the fall, and not too many years later, Judah fell - Hezekiah had died and now all the treasures became someone else's. When we neglect to give God His glory and we no longer acknowledge our dependence on Him, we cease to be spiritually alert and we risk giving into to prideful temptation. Remain humble and acknowledge your dependence on Him (Prov. 3:5-6). Guard!

Isaiah 39:5-8 -- In order to stay spiritually alert we must consider long-term consequences. Every decision we make, whether good or bad, will have its consequences. What we decide today will, in many ways, determine how we live tomorrow. This is why there is such a great need to be alert at all times. Attention should be given to the potential outcomes of every decision we make before we actually make the decision. Thinking through a decision in this way will keep us from harmful consequences. Hezekiah turned toward the wall and to God when he was ill and in dire straits, but he turned away from God after God had heard his prayer, healed him, and saved Judah. Verse 8 further highlights human selfishness. Once made aware of the consequences of his prideful actions, Hezekiah rejoiced that those consequences would not be felt heavily during his lifetime. This reminds us that it is as important to stay spiritually alert in good times as well as in difficult times. Remember, your decisions will impact your future and potentially the future of people you care about. Decide carefully. Consider!

Conclusion -- In order to maintain spiritual health, we must stay spiritually alert. Three disciplines to practice in order to stay spiritually alert are to pray fervently, guard against pride, and consider the long-term consequences. Pray-Guard-Consider is the plan to implement in our lives to maintain our spiritual health. Jesus told his disciples something similar when in the Garden of Gethsemane, he told them to "watch and pray."

Commitment -- Lead students to determine how they will implement these disciplines into their lives this week (praying fervently, guarding against pride, and considering the long-term consequences).

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For March 22

2009-03-19T13:56:00.003-04:00

News

1. Attendance 3/15/09 -- We had 590 in Sunday School Sunday!! 308 at 8:30 and 282 at 9:45!

2. CARE Ministry -- Every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Project Care: Mission Possible -- Sign up for volunteers begins Sunday March 29. Event date is Saturday, April 25!

Lesson Supplement for March 22

Explore the Bible
"Follow the Lord's Will"
Isaiah 29:13-16; 30:1-3,15-18

Intro. -- Remember that the topic for the current unit is, "Maintain Spiritual Health." The title of each lesson for the month then answers the question, "How can I maintain spiritual health?" The lesson for this Sunday would have us to understand that we can maintain our spiritual health by following the Lord's will. It is spiritually unhealthy to be out of God's will. We might say, "That's obvious." We say it's obvious, but why do we struggle to do God's will? One reason is that we seem to struggle to know what His will is. Have you ever made a statement similar to "I just wish I knew what God's will is." The first three focal passages we will look at introduce three ways we can know God's will. The fourth focal passage tells us how to live it.

Isaiah 29:13-14 -- The place to begin the search for discerning God's will is in worship. What if you are faithful to attend church for every worship service opportunity and yet you still struggle to know what God's will is for you? Attending worship services and doing any other rituals are not worship. Jesus says in John 4:24 that God desires for people to worship Him in spirit and in truth. It's not about the rituals or the things we do. Worship is about the God we encounter through our praising and honoring. You know that you have experienced worship in truth and in spirit when you completely give of yourself openly and honestly to honor and praise Him, and He then in turn "speaks" to you through the experience. You cannot truly enter into the presence of God and leave the same person that you were before you came into His presence. If you are the same person, you failed to worship in truth and in spirit. If you want to know what God's will is and if you want to maintain spiritual health, then truly worship Him with your whole being.

Isaiah 29:15-16 -- I am not much of a craftsman, but with the few things I have made, I have never heard any one of them speak back to me in anger and disappointment with the way I made them. And believe me, if they could, they had a right to. Neither did they make plans on their own for how they would be used. As ridiculous as this line of thinking may sound, it is just as ridiculous if not more so for us to speak back to our Creator in anger and disappointment or for us to make our own plans about how we will live life and be used. Who's in charge? Give up control of your life and give in to His control. If you want to know what God's will is and if you want to maintain spiritual health then acknowledge the one in charge -- it ain't you and it ain't me.

Isaiah 30:1-3 -- I had a friend say one time, "Be persistent until you are consistent." If there is something that you want to be or do in life, then make that something a habit until it becomes a way of life. If you want to know God's will for your life, don't wait until something "big" comes along before you go searching for His will. If you do, you put yourself under so much stress to try to determine what God's will is in the situation. The stress is compounded because you have not been in the habit of hearing God speak. Everyday we should be in the habit of listening for God's voice to direct us in all things. When we are persistent in this then hearing God speak and knowing His will will be as natural to us as breathing. God knows best about everything in our lives. Why not seek His guidance in everything? If you want to know God's will and if you want to maintain spiritual health, then make it a habit to seek His will daily even in the "small" things.

Isaiah 30:15-18 -- The first three sections of this lesson were about how to know God's will. This last section deals with how to live it. We should follow God's will patiently, consistently, and confidently trusting Him to show us the way. We stumble at this step when we try to "get ahead of" God. Maybe we have worshiped in spirit and in truth. Maybe we have given up control of our lives and given in to His control. Maybe we have developed the habit of seeking His guidance in all things such that we recognize His voice of direction in our lives. But we can still miss the mark if we get impatient with God's movement on a matter. If things don't move fast enough, we may be tempted to move forward in directions that seem good to us, but are never what God intended. Patience requires trust. Wait patiently for Him. If we do, we can know it will be done right. If you want to know and live God's will, and if you want to maintain spiritual health, then wait patiently upon His guidance and work to bring to pass the fulfillment of His will. Getting "ahead of" God only puts us way behind.

Conclusion -- In order to maintain spiritual health, we must follow the Lord's will. It is harmful to your spiritual health if you do not.

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For March 15

2009-03-10T15:23:00.004-04:00

News

1. Attendance 3/1/09 -- We had 532 in Sunday School Sunday!! 274 at 8:30 and 258 at 9:45!

2. CARE Ministry -- If your class has not been involved in the CARE ministry on Tuesday nights, please come out and get involved. One class that has consistently been involved in CARE has grown twofold in attendance. CARE is every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Project Care: Mission Possible -- Last year our church participated in an outreach/mission blitz in the community called Operation Inasmuch. We will be doing this again this year under the name of Project Care: Mission Possible. Stay tuned for information about projects your Sunday School class can do on the blitz date -- Saturday, April 25!

4. THANKS! -- Thanks to those who turned in their choices for the summer curriculum. For others, we will order the curriculum you used in the winter quarter.

Lesson Supplement for March 15

Explore the Bible
"Act on Revealed Truth"
Isaiah 7:1-14,16

Intro. -- Remember that the topic for the current unit is, "Maintain Spiritual Health." The title of each lesson for the month then answers the question, "How can I maintain spiritual health?" The lesson for this Sunday would have us to understand that we can maintain our spiritual health by acting on revealed truth. Life presents so many challenges and many times they come unexpectedly. The best way to be prepared for any challenge in life is to be spiritually prepared and that means that we know God's revealed truth and we are committed to living that truth in all circumstances. After all, when you are facing a challenge, wouldn't you want to know the truth? The outline for this week's lesson gives four steps that we can take in times of challenge and stress that will enable us to respond properly.

Isaiah 7:1-2 -- Fear is a natural initial reaction to challenges we face. After all, an event in our lives is not considered a challenge unless it threatens our customary way of life or threatens our expectations of life. A threat can create the feeling of uncertainty and lost control that makes us uncomfortable. If we misplace our focus, we can become gripped by fear. When this happens, the challenge we are facing controls us. The correct focus is to turn our eyes on God and begin to see that the challenge before us is no match for Him. If we want to maintain spiritual health, let us act on the revealed truth that God is faithful and powerful enough to supply everything that we need.

Isaiah 7:3-9 -- On our coins, at least for now, it says, "In God we trust." Do we really? There is no person alive who does not trust in something. It might be themselves, an ideology, possessions, relationships, etc., but we are all looking for someone or something to trust. When people feel there is nothing worthy of trust, they lose hope and die emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and sometimes physically. Placing confidence in anything other than God is misplaced confidence. If we want to maintain spiritual health, we need to act on the revealed truth that God is faithful. We CAN count on Him!

Isaiah 7:10-12 -- When challenges come, they threaten us in many ways, not the least of which is our integrity. If we are believers in the Lord, He tells us to do something. If we disobey, we lose our testimony. God tells us to trust Him and maintain our obedience to Him during times of testing as well as in the good times when it is easier to obey. When testing comes, we may be tempted to overcome the challenge outside of God's plan, purpose, and power. Check yourself before temptation becomes sin and your integrity is lost. If we want to maintain spiritual health, we need to act on the revealed truth that we should live obediently in challenging times.

Isaiah 7:13-14,16 -- In this section, we find the prophetic announcement of a virgin birth and the name "Immanuel" which means, "God with us." It is interesting that this announcement of this sign comes after King Ahaz's refusal to trust God enough to give him a sign that He is trustworthy. God has indeed given us the ultimate sign that He is trustworthy and that He will deliver us by sending His only Son, Immanuel incarnate, and giving us the Holy Spirit, Immanuel indwelling the hearts of those who believe. If we want to maintain spiritual health, we must act on the revealed truth that Immanuel -- "God IS with us." There is deliverance! There is hope! There is victory in challenging times!

Conclusion -- In order to maintain spiritual health, we must act on the revealed truth of God's word. Study His word, and then you will know how to act in challenging times!

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

2009-03-04T15:03:00.003-05:00

For March 8, 2009

News

1. Attendance 3/1/09 -- We had 501 in Sunday School Sunday!! 261 at 8:30 and 240 at 9:45!

2. CARE Ministry -- If your class has not been involved in the CARE ministry on Tuesday nights, please come out and get involved. One class that has consistently been involved in CARE has grown twofold in attendance. CARE is every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Summer Sunday School Curriculum -- I would like for teachers to let me know if they plan to use Explore the Bible curriculum for the Summer Quarter or the Bible Studies for Life curriculum by March 8 so that we can order the correct literature at the early bird discount. I will be sending by e-mail to each teacher an outline of the summer lessons for both series so that you can make your choice.

4. Project Care: Mission Possible -- Last year our church participated in an outreach/mission blitz in the community called Operation Inasmuch. We will be doing this again this year under the name of Project Care: Mission Possible. Stay tuned for information about projects your Sunday School class can do on the blitz date -- Saturday, April 25!

A Note About Our Current Curriculum!!

All adult classes are using the Explore the Bible curriculum series this quarter. The reason is that the lesson topics for March, April, and May in this curriculum series fit best with our 2009 emphasis on Spiritual growth and development. It's all about "Living for God Today." The three units covered in Explore the Bible during the quarter are, "Maintain Spiritual Health," "Affirm Spiritual Certainties," and "Choose Spiritual Paths." This will be a study of the books of Isaiah and Micah. I think you will find it to be a rewarding study experience, and I expect great things from it.

IMPORTANT!! For the summer quarter, I need teachers to let me know which curriculum you choose to use. I need this decision by March 8 so that we can get the early bird discount on our order. I will send you an outline of lessons for the summer in both series so that you can make your choice.

Lesson Supplement for March 1

Explore the Bible
"Honor the Lord"
Isaiah 6:1-13

Intro. -- Remember that the topic for the current unit is, "Maintain Spiritual Health." The title of each lesson for the month then answers the question, "How can I maintain spiritual health?" The lesson for this Sunday would have us to understand that we can maintain our spiritual health by honoring the Lord. It's not all about you and me. In fact, if we are going to be vibrant, fruit-producing Christians, living the abundant life that Jesus offers, then we have a responsibility to honor our Lord.

How do you honor someone? Synonyms for the word "honor" include: respect, adoration, credit, esteem, glory, praise, reverence, and worship. If we want to maintain spiritual health, we should praise, esteem, adore, reverence, and worship the Lord. Indeed it is not about you and me. It is all about Him. As we will see in this week's lesson, one way to honor the Lord is to serve Him.

Isaiah 6:1-4 -- Why do we honor someone? Usually it is because the individual is worthy, and worthiness is usually determined by the valuable things the individual has accomplished. But what about God? Surely, He is worthy because of the valuable things He has done, but He is also worthy of honor because of who He is. In these first verses of chapter 6, we are ushered into the presence of the Lord through the vision that Isaiah had, and we discover, as he did, that God is holy. God is worthy because He is holy. Three times He is called holy. Three is a number that represents completeness. God is completely holy. There is no fault nor error in Him whatsoever.

How do we worship? Do we really see worship as an opportunity to enter into the presence of the one and only Holy God or do we see worship as we do so many other things in life? Do we evaluate worship rather than experience worship? I evaluate worship when I leave wondering what did I get out of that. I experience worship when I leave knowing that I gave my best to God, and He changed me.

Isaiah 6:5 -- In true worship, we acknowledge His worthiness because of His holiness. In true worship, we realize our unworthiness because of His holiness. When we focus on Him and see Him for who He really is, we then see ourselves and how far short of His glory (Holiness) we fall. This is what Isaiah realizes in verse 5.

In Matthew 15:18, Jesus says, "But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man." Some say the eyes are the window to the soul. If this is the case, then according to the words of Jesus, I would say the mouth is the front door to the soul. What comes out of the man reveals the heart of the man. Isaiah says that he is a man of "unclean lips." In other words, he confesses his sin. He acknowledges that he is sinful inside and out and falls far short of God's glory.

Isaiah 6:6-8 -- Thank the Lord there are verses 6-8! God does something that man is incapable of doing. God makes a way for us to have a relationship with Him. Isaiah couldn't make such a relationship happen no matter how hard he might have tried. We can't either. God sent His angel with fire from the altar and touched Isaiah's "unclean lips" removing Isaiah's wickedness from him. Isaiah had confessed his complete uncleanness inside and out by declaring himself a man of "unclean lips." Now the angel of the Lord cleanses Isaiah completely, inside and out, by touching his "unclean lips" with fire from the altar.

Then, if that is not enough, God issues a call to service to people formerly known as "unclean lips." Having been touched by the altar fire, Isaiah is now available to serve the Lord. From God's perspective, Isaiah is now an available servant. And when God calls, Isaiah enlists. I think he enlists so quickly because he has experienced true worship and has experienced life change because of that experience!

Isaiah 6:9-13 -- Serving the Lord is no easy task. It is filled with all kinds of potential hazards and risks. As you know, many have lost their physical lives while serving the Lord. We honor our Holy Lord when we persevere in difficult and demanding service for Him. If we ever find ourselves in difficult and demanding circumstances in our service for the Lord, we can draw strength to endure those times knowing that we are honoring a holy and gracious God whom we have "seen" in worship, who has changed our lives!

For Further Help with this Week's Lesson

Visit http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474 and read Dan Kassis' weekly article

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For March 1, 2009

2009-02-25T11:53:00.010-05:00

News

1. Attendance 2/22/09 -- We had 537 in Sunday School Sunday!! 286 at 8:30 and 251 at 9:45!

2. CARE Ministry -- If your class has not been involved in the CARE ministry on Tuesday nights, please come out and get involved. One class that has consistently been involved in CARE has grown twofold in attendance. CARE is every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Spring Sunday School Curriculum -- All adult classes will be using Explore the Bible curriculum during the March, April, and May months.

4. Summer Sunday School Curriculum -- I would like for teachers to let me know if they plan to use Explore the Bible curriculum for the Summer Quarter or the Bible Studies for Life curriculum by March 8 so that we can order the correct literature at the early bird discount. I will be sending by e-mail to each teacher an outline of the summer lessons for both series so that you can make your choice.

A Note About Our Current Curriculum!!

All adult classes are using the Explore the Bible curriculum series this quarter. The reason is that the lesson topics for March, April, and May in this curriculum series fit best with our 2009 emphasis on Spiritual growth and development. It's all about "Living for God Today." The three units covered in Explore the Bible during the quarter are, "Maintain Spiritual Health," "Affirm Spiritual Certainties," and "Choose Spiritual Paths." This will be a study of the books of Isaiah and Micah. I think you will find it to be a rewarding study experience, and I expect great things from it.

For the summer quarter, I need teachers to let me know which curriculum you choose to use. I need this decision by March 8 so that we can get the early bird discount on our order. I will send you an outline of lessons for the summer in both series so that you can make your choice.

A Word from Lifeway's Internet Producer for Sunday School

Dan Kassis is the Internet Producer for Sunday School at Lifeway. He wrote a comment on last week's blog, and I wanted to make sure you see it because this can be another useful tool for you as you prepare your lessons each week. Thanks Dan!

Dan Kassis
said...
Hello -- I'm the Internet Producer for Sunday School at LifeWay. I
write a weekly email newsletter for teachers of Explore the Bible called
Teaching Insights that provides encouragement, teaching tips, and other useful
information. You can subscribe at http://www.lifeway.com/articleclick/?id=166474
Blessings!

Lesson Supplements for March 1

Explore the Bible
"Meet Divine Expectations"
Isaiah 5:1-14

Intro. -- As we prepare for this month's lessons, remember that the topic for the unit is, "Maintain Spiritual Health." The title of each lesson for the month then answers the question, "How can I maintain spiritual health?" If we look at it this way, then the lesson for Sunday would have us to understand that we can maintain our spiritual health by meeting God's expectations ("Meet Divine Expectations"). If we are going to be vibrant, fruit-producing, God-honoring Christians, then we have a responsibility to meet His expectations.

Isaiah 5:1-2 -- Through the use of a story in a song format, Isaiah expresses the fact that God has expectations of his followers. He used a parable, an earthly, every day, story to teach a divine truth. In the work of a gardener, Isaiah describes the work of God. One key truth that comes from this story is that God, like a gardener, does have expectations. A good question to consider in class is, "What expectations does God have of us?" A second key truth is that God, like a gardener, provides everything needed for his "vines" to be successful. A second question for consideration would be, "What has God given us to enable us to meet His expectations?"

Isaiah 5:3-6 -- We are responsible for our own sinful choices. God has provided everything we need to be successful in meeting his expectations. When we fail to meet them, we have only ourselves to blame. God will discipline those He loves. The discipline we receive is not to condemn us but to draw us back to Him in repentance. His discipline is an act of love and grace. In the introduction of your teacher's book on page 8, I find these meaningful statements, "Christians who choose to obey the Lord and His Word will experience His blessings. Believers who rebel against the Lord will experience His discipline. Unbelievers reject the Lord and will experience His wrath." The Lord responds to sin (not meeting His expectations). We should anticipate that as we endeavor to maintain spiritual health.

Isaiah 5:7-14 -- Judah had turned to other gods, especially the gods of wealth and power. The choices they made to follow these gods produced rotten fruits of injustice, greed, jealousy, and selfishness. This is not the kind of fruit God expects from His vineyard. God expects fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If we are going to be spiritually healthy individuals and spiritually healthy churches, then we need to adopt God's standards as our own and make our daily choices in life using these standards as our guide.

Summary -- To maintain spiritual health, we must (1) acknowledge that God has expectations and we need to follow them, (2) utilize the resources He has provided to give us success in this endeavor, (3) realize that our choices do not go unnoticed by God -- He will respond accordingly, and (4) adopt His standards as our own and base our daily decisions on them.

Lesson Planning -- Pay particular attention to "Encourage Life Change" in the margin on page 21 in your teacher's book. This is a good exercise to lead students to make a commitment in light of the lesson's truths.

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For February 22

2009-02-18T15:02:00.003-05:00

News

1. Attendance 2/15/09 -- We had 619 in Sunday School Sunday!! 328 at 8:30 and 291 at 9:45!

2. CARE Ministry -- If your class has not been involved in the CARE ministry on Tuesday nights, please come out and get involved. One class that has consistently been involved in CARE has grown twofold in attendance. CARE is every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

3. Spring Sunday School Curriculum -- All adult classes will be using Explore the Bible curriculum during the March, April, and May months. This Sunday you will see this curriculum in your classroom to be distributed to students. You can also pick up your teaching materials.

4. Summer Sunday School Curriculum -- I would like for teachers to let me know if they plan to use Explore the Bible curriculum for the Summer Quarter or the Bible Study for Life curriculum by March 8 so that we can order the correct literature at the early bird discount. I will be sending by e-mail to each teacher an outline of the summer lessons for both series so that you can make your choice.

5. Third Floor Open House this Sunday -- Open House for people to visit the 3rd floor of the education building will be this Sunday from 11:00 a.m. -- 2:00 p.m.

Lesson Supplements for February 22

Bible Studies for Life
"Receive New Life"
Acts 16:13-18, 25-34

This is the final lesson in the unit of study, "Do You Need a Fresh Start?" This lesson has an evangelistic focus as we study the power of the gospel in the lives of three residents in the city of Philippi. This is Paul's first venture into Europe, and his first convert on European soil was a woman named Lydia. Interestingly, Paul had thought and hoped that God would lead Silas and him into Asia, but the Spirit did not allow it. Instead he had a vision of a man calling him to come over into Macedonia which is where he and Silas go. Philippi is their first destination in Macedonia. Lydia is said to be from Thyatira which was a city in Asia. So, Paul and Silas had hoped to go to Asia. Instead God leads them to Europe, and the first convert is a woman from Asia. Perhaps God intended Lydia to have a major role in the spread of the gospel in Asia while Paul and Silas would continue their work in Europe.

Here is a quick take on each of these three individuals. First of all, Lydia was a wealthy person, a businesswoman in purple dye. She was also a seeker, she was already interested in spiritual things. Paul shares the gospel with her and God opens her heart to receive Him. Lydia's conversion was a "quiet" one very unlike Paul's own conversion experience.

Secondly, there was a slave girl who was somebody else's business. She was a fortune-teller that some businessmen in the community used for their own gain. She was demon-possessed, and the spirit that controlled her acknowledged who Jesus was and what Paul and Silas were about. Paul commands the spirit to leave the girl and immediately she is freed from its control. The businessmen are angered and work to get Paul and Silas punished. This was a completely different type of individual than Lydia, and her conversion was not "quiet."

Thirdly, there was the jailer. Paul and Silas were indeed punished -- beaten and imprisoned. The jailer was responsible for securing the prisoners, and if they escaped he would be punished. He was a loyal Roman citizen seemingly with no bent toward the spiritual. Paul and Silas, two beaten missionaries, sing hymns to God in the darkness of the jail at midnight, and God sends an earthquake that shook the jailer's body and soul. Fearing for his life, he was prepared to kill himself when Paul called out and told him not to do it because not one of the prisoners had escaped. The jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas explain, and the jailer and his household believe.

What must I do to be saved? That is the question that all people long to have answered whether they are actually verbalizing that question or not. In this week's lesson, we see that three different people from three different walks of life all had the same need -- the need to be saved. The exact same salvation rescued them all.

That same salvation is what will rescue all people today. That salvation is Jesus Christ. Perhaps this week there will be some in your class who are asking that question for themselves. This would be a good time to make sure they understand the answer and give their lives to Jesus. Others in the class who are believers need to be reminded that all people are asking the same question and if we, like Paul, know the answer to "What must I do to be saved?" we have a responsibility to share the answer.

Explore the Bible
"You Can Keep at It"
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

This lesson concludes the study of 2 Thessalonians. The emphasis in this lesson is to motivate students to be faithful in serving the Lord every day.

First of all, Paul asks for prayer from the Thessalonians. Prayer is a part of our daily service to the Lord as we pray for one another. At the end of chapter 2 Paul mentions his prayer for the Thessalonians. Now in the first verses of chapter 3 he asks the Thessalonians to pray for him and his ministry team. His prayer request is that they would pray for the advancement of the gospel and for Paul and his team to be delivered from their present difficulties. We should also pray these things for our missionaries today -- safety and success in the spread of the gospel.

In verses 3-5, Paul speaks to the faithfulness of God to strengthen and protect the believers. He also speaks of a confidence that he has in the people that because of God's work in their lives they will be continue in faithfulness to obey the commands they learned from Paul. This brings up the issue of perseverance. We keep on doing the things God tells us through the scriptures to do. Our obedience is evidence of our faith. Our faith is a marathon and not a sprint. Keep going! God will do His part. Are we being obedient on a daily basis?

In verses 6-12, Paul addresses areas of living in which the believers should behave responsibly. Believers should live honorably and provide for themselves and their families. Christians are not to be idle people but industrious. We serve the Lord by behaving responsibly in these areas of life. When believers live responsibly, nonbelievers will have no cause to look down upon them.

Verses 13-18 are Paul's final thoughts. First of all, he encourages the believers to never tire of doing what is right. This is good encouragement for us today. Doing good and doing right can wear you down especially if it goes unnoticed or unappreciated. Keep doing it because God sees it. Secondly, Paul says we should encourage one another to remain obedient to the truth even if it means ostracizing one who is being disobedient. The intent of ostracizing the individual is to warn him and bring him back into alignment with God's will. Can ostracizing be a means of encouragement? Finally, Paul who deeply cares for these believers prays that God's peace and grace will be upon them at all times.

So, we can be faithful in serving the Lord (1) by praying for others, (2) by persevering in our obedience to His commands, (3) by living honorably and responsibly in life's daily activities, and (4) by constantly striving to do what is right and never tire of doing it.

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For February 15

2009-02-12T14:00:00.003-05:00

News

1. Attendance 2/8/09 -- We had 591 in Sunday School Sunday!! 315 at 8:30 and 276 at 9:45!

2. Discipleship Classes!! -- Classes have already started but you can still join today. Encourage class members to come Sunday night 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. and become part of one of the classes offered.

3. CARE Ministry -- If your class has not been involved in the CARE ministry on Tuesday nights, please come out and get involved. One class that has consistently been involved in CARE has grown twofold in attendance. CARE is every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

4. Spring Sunday School Curriculum -- All adult classes will be using Explore the Bible curriculum during the March, April, and May months. This Sunday you will see this curriculum in your classroom to be distributed to students. You can also pick up your teaching materials.

Lesson Supplements for February 15

Bible Studies for Life
"Show Fresh Respect"
Genesis 3:20 - 4:26

The lesson for this Sunday is the annual emphasis on the Sanctity of Human Life. It is about showing godly respect for all human life from conception to natural death. Usually, the most obvious issue that arises with lessons like this is the issue of abortion, and it should be emphasized. Some 50 million abortions worldwide have occurred in the last thirty plus years. These are known abortions. There could be many more unrecorded. Practically every day you can see stories in the news related to this issue. With a President in office who supports choice when it comes to abortions and who will most likely be appointing Supreme Court justices to the bench, this issue will continue to be before us.
Abortion is not the only area of concern when it comes to respecting human life. Issues like euthanasia, murder, and violence are other obvious concerns, but what about even milder forms of mistreatment of our fellow man? What about seeing a person in need and not doing anything to help them when you have the means to do so? What about spreading rumors that injure another person? We should not do anything to another individual that does not promote life in that person. The way to do that is to get a fresh perspective on our fellow human beings. Here's how:

1. Recognize that all of life is a gift. God is the author of life. None of us would be here if it wasn't for Him. This levels the playing field. It makes me no better than the next person. My life is a gift, but so is that other person's life.

2. Refrain from Self-centered living -- The root of sin can always be traced back to pride, and living in pride is living a self-centered life. Cain was self-centered when he allowed his frustration to turn into anger that burned within him to the point that he acted maliciously toward his own flesh and blood, killing his brother Abel. James 1:13 discusses the progression of sin in one's life from desire to death. God tells Cain that sin is crouching at his door as a predator preparing to pounce on his prey. God tells Cain that he must master sin. Otherwise, it can master him. Self-centered living will always interfere with a proper treatment of your fellow human being.

3. Accept Responsibility for one another -- Cain seems to sarcastically say to God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" To which I believe God's response in short was, YES! We are accountable to God for each other. We are responsible for the well-being of our fellow man. We will suffer consequences when we fail in that responsibility.

4. Turn to the Lord -- The creator of life will restore life and give us a greater appreciation for it. We need to see human life through the eyes of God! That's an interesting thought!

Explore the Bible
"You Can Stay Calm"
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

This lesson is designed to help believers understand the basic biblical truths about Jesus' return and clarify how these truths can help us remain calm when we encounter unbiblical or various teachings about the second coming of Christ. As was the case in Paul's day, in our time there are varied ideas about Christ's second coming. When we encounter any idea, we should examine the idea against what the Bible declares. Paul wanted to dispel any worry or fear in the Thessalonians that may have crept into their hearts because of a false teaching that stated that Jesus had already returned. This was alarming to the people because it did not match up with what they had come to understand. So if we are going to remain calm in a world of uncertainty and in a world where so many "prophets' may be declaring "truth" about the second coming, we should:

1. Realize that deception is real and should be rejected -- Paul tells the people to reject falsehood. He says, "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way." How can we protect ourselves from deception? How do you recognize deception?

2. Remember the truth -- Remember the things you have been taught through the word of God. Paul takes a moment in his letter to remind them of the truth. We should regularly remind ourselves and each other of the truth. Think about people God has used throughout the years to instill the truth in your life. If they are still living, consider sending a thank you note or calling them to tell them how thankful you are to God for them.

3. Rest in the truth -- Paul encourages the Thessalonians to stand strong in the truth. Perseverance is the key. God who has chosen you and called you will also encourage and strengthen you if you stand firm on the truth.

If we do these things, we can remain calm whenever we encounter varied and unbiblical ideas related to the second coming of Christ.

Comments Welcome -- Any ideas for illustrations, other scripture, or class activities to enhance the lesson?

For February 8

2009-02-04T15:48:00.004-05:00

News

1. Attendance 2/1/09 -- We had 597 in Sunday School Sunday!! 305 at 8:30 and 292 at 9:45!

2. Spiritual Growth Assessment Follow Up -- Everyone should have completed the Spiritual Growth Assessment by now, but you may want to remind your class just in case.

3. Discipleship Classes Start This Sunday!! -- Please emphasize the start up of the Sunday night discipleship classes that will begin this Sunday afternoon. I will have registration forms in your boxes just outside of your classroom. Please pick some of them up and take them into class with you and offer people a chance to register. If they will be attending worship after your class, they can place their completed forms in the offering plate. Otherwise, I would like for you to collect them and leave them in your box outside your classroom.

4. CARE Ministry -- If your class has not been involved in the CARE ministry on Tuesday nights, please come out and get involved. One class that has consistently been involved in CARE has grown twofold in attendance. CARE is every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

Lesson Supplements for February 8

Bible Studies for Life
"Discover Fresh Hope"
Psalm 42-43:5

This lesson addresses the issue of emotional letdown or depression. People become depressed for any number of reasons. One timely reason is because the winter months often leave people depressed. The length of days seem shorter, and it is colder. This lesson is also timely because of the depressed economic condition our country is experiencing. The downturn in the economy impacts the emotional state of people.

How can we experience true joy? According to the Psalms in this week's lesson, we should first understand our soul's deep desire. We were created to have relationship with God. Therefore, within each of us is a deep longing to be truly connected with Him. The first step out of depression is an increasing awareness of God's presence in our lives. We become more aware of God's presence when we put our hope in Him. Putting our hope in him is a subjective act. Praising Him can be objective actions, such as singing, quoting scripture, praying, studying the Bible, etc. The Psalmist says, "Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him."

The second step out of depression that we should take is to depend on God's faithful love. We should reflect on past experiences in our lives when God's presence was exceptionally real to us. As we remember those times, we gain strength and are better able to handle current difficulties. God has proven himself faithful in times past, certainly He will be faithful now.

The third step according to this lesson is to follow God's life and truth. The Psalmist calls for God to send His light and His truth. These will lead him to the house of God and the place of worship. This gives us great hope! God has sent his light, He is Jesus. He has given us His truth and that is His Word. When troubles come that lead to an emotional letdown, we should look into God's word and let it lead us into His presence, the place of joy!

Suggested Activities/Discussion Questions:

1. Find statistics on depression and share them with the class.
2. Pay attention to news articles that deal with depression and discuss them in class as case studies. If you find examples in the news about individuals going through depression, re-tell the news story as a case study and ask questions like, "If you knew someone in this condition, what would you do?"
3. Ask, "What causes depression in people?"
4. Give your class members a sheet of paper and pen and let them write a Psalm of praise to God that would help them in a time of depression.
5. Ask class members to share experiences in their lives when God proved himself faithful. Be prepared to share such a time that occurred in your life.
6. Divide into groups and challenge each group to locate and record Bible verses and passages that would be "light" and "truth" for people in times of emotional distress. Collect their work and compile results into one "Class Light and Truth" document. E-mail it to the class during the week.

Explore the Bible
"You Can Feel Safe"
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

This lesson also addresses how Christians should handle adversity. Paul wrote this letter to a group of believers who were facing persecution. In addition to the outside persecution the church faced, there were internal issues that made things difficult. Paul addresses both of these pressure points throughout the letter.

Paul's joy over the Thessalonians is manifested in the first chapter. His joy is based on the faithfulness the church has exhibited indicating that they have experienced great spiritual growth. They were demonstrating endurance and faith in the midst of great difficulty. Paul spoke highly of the Thessalonians to other churches. The Thessalonians were a model of faithful endurance in the face of great persecution. As we remain faithful, God blesses us with strength and courage in the midst of adversity. One way to handle adversity then is to stand firmly on God's truth and remain faithful in the midst of it.

A second way to handle adversity is to gain strength from God's promise of victory. Things may be difficult now, but there is coming a day when the victory will belong to those who have persevered in their faith in God. God will "repay with affliction those who afflict you." Moreover, He will reward us for our faithfulness with rest from all of our afflictions. Jesus is coming again and this time will be the final victory. In times of adversity, we should think about these things. These things give us confidence in knowing that God is fair and we can trust Him.

I think we find a third way to deal with adversity in verses 11-12 and that is through prayer. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians. We as believers should pray for one another's endurance in the faith and our prayers should follow the pattern that Paul prayed for the Thessalonians. He prayed that God's power would continue to be at work in their lives producing Christlikeness. He prayed that their faithful intentions would yield kingdom results. Finally, his prayer was that the Thessalonians would glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. These are things we need to pray for each other at all times and especially in times of adversity.

Suggested Activities/Discussion Questions:

1. Christians all across the globe face various kinds of persecution, even here in America. You may want to do some research on the persecution of Christians worldwide to introduce this lesson. http://www.persecution.org/ is one website you may want to explore. You may also ask your class, in what ways are we persecuted in America?
2. Divide your class into two and have a debate. On one side will be those who claim that God is Fair. On the other side will be those charged with the task of claiming that God is not fair (This will be a stretch but participants have probably heard people in the world argue this point).
3. Have the class write a prayer that they will pray for each other during this next week. It should follow the model prayer that Paul prayed for the Thessalonians.

Comments Welcome!

Sunday School

2009-01-27T17:06:00.013-05:00

News

1. Attendance 1/25/09 -- We had 597 in Sunday School Sunday!! 294 at 8:30 and 303 at 9:45!

2. Spiritual Growth Assessment Update -- I had 500 copies made of the Spiritual Growth Assessment and only had one left after Sunday, so that means that potentially 499 adults have or are taking the assessment. I pray God uses it to give direction to individuals about areas to strengthen in their walk with God.

3. Spiritual Growth Assessment Follow Up -- You should have had your class members complete the assessment during class this past Sunday. If you did not do so, please follow up with them during this week and especially this coming Sunday morning and make sure that they completed it. We will provide registration forms for the discipleship classes as inserts in this week's bulletin, so encourage people to sign up for a class that will address their spiritual growth needs.

4. Curriculum News -- Classes using Bible Studies for Life curriculum will be following the order of lessons for the month of January during February. In other words, switch back.

5. CARE Ministry -- If your class has not been involved in the CARE ministry on Tuesday nights, please come out and get involved. One class that has consistently been involved in CARE has grown twofold in attendance. CARE is every Tuesday night -- supper at 5:30, activities at 6:00 p.m.

Lesson Supplements for February 1

Bible Studies for Life
"Gain Fresh Perspective"
Psalm 19:1-14

The series of lessons for the month of February will focus on the question, "Do you need a fresh start?" This first lesson in this series will lead students to discover that one of the first things to do to experience a fresh start is to gain a fresh perspective. How we look at things influences our attitudes and actions in life. This lesson challenges us to seek a fresh perspective on God and life. The Bible is the best place to begin the search for a fresh perspective on God and life.

However, sometimes Christians get in a rut and reading the Bible becomes less exciting than it once was. For Christians in your class that are in this boat, how can you as their teacher infuse a fresh perspective of God's word in their lives this Sunday? The Word of God is living and active! Teacher, what can you do to be an instrument of God to bring it alive this week so that your students can gain a fresh perspective on God and life? Is God's word living and active in your life? If not, pray and ask God to make you that instrument that he can use to infuse a fresh perspective on God and life in your students this week.

Psalm 19 reveals places to look to gain this fresh perspective. The three places are (1) the sky, (2) the scriptures, and (3) the heart.

(1) The sky -- Look at God's glorious creation and become amazed once again at his handiwork. Watch a Discovery Channel documentary this week on nature and the universe. Bring a DVD or photographs that have been taken that display God's creation and cause you to awe and glorify God. Show these and discuss them with your class. How does this change your perspective on God? on life?

(2) The Scriptures -- Ask your class if any of them are committed to reading through the Bible in 2009. If you have any who are invite them to share how meaningful that has been to them so far. What have they learned? Encourage the rest of the class to fall in love with God's word again and commit to read it through. How does God's word give us a fresh perspective on God and life?

(3) The Heart -- What is your heart's desire? What is the most important thing in your life? What is the sweetest, most desirable and fulfilling thing in your life? Getting one's heart right with God will bring about a fresh perspective. Confessing sins and repenting of them will give a fresh perspective. This is confession and commitment time.

Explore the Bible
"Do You Get Along With Others?"
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Paul gives instructions to the church at Thessalonica on maintaining good fellowship among the family of believers. As you know, the church is not heaven, and in many ways, the people who say the church is full of hypocrites are correct. The church is made up of human beings who are still in this sinful world but who are attempting to live under the control of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, in this imperfect world, there are going to be disagreements and arguments. The underlying theme in maintaining good fellowship is that there needs to be a continuous exchange of love and respect in all of our relationships. Our relationship with the leaders in the church, with others, with God, and with ourselves are the specific relationships Paul addresses in this week's lesson.

Questions for Discussion:
1. How can church leaders gain and keep members' love and respect?
2. When disagreement occurs with leadership, what guidelines can be followed to help resolve those conflicts?
3. What should be done when members of the family are not "pulling their weight?"
4. How is your prayer life and what will you do to improve it? Prayer is the means of communicating with God. Communication is key in any relationship.
5. Is it a way of showing a lack of love and respect for yourself by holding on to unconfessed sin? Defend your position.
6. Are there people you do not get along with in the church? What actions will you take to show love and respect to that individual and thus restore good fellowship?

Suggested Activity
One activity to have your class do to enhance the learning experience is to break up into two groups and have each group write and perform a short skit about a possible disagreement that takes place at church. Perhaps you, as the teacher could create your own skit ahead of time and have the skit(s) acted out in class followed by a series of discussion questions about how to handle the situation acted out in the skit.

Comments Please

If you have any other thoughts, ideas, or questions please post them. Don't forget to pray for one another that God will use you this week to be an instrument of change in someone's life!

2009-01-20T15:24:00.012-05:00

News

1. Attendance 1/18/09 -- We had 614 in Sunday School Sunday!! 337 at 8:30 and 277 at 9:45!

2. Sunday, January 25 -- Spiritual Growth Assessment Day. During Sunday School this Sunday, all adults will have the opportunity to take a spiritual growth assessment as part of an emphasis to promote spiritual growth in 2009.

Spiritual Growth Assessment

This Sunday during class time, all adults will be taking the Spiritual Growth Assessment. Please be in prayer for this that God will use it to His glory. Here are a few reminders about the Assessment:

1. The assessment will be provided for you and will be placed in your classroom box outside of your classroom. There should be enough forms in the box for your class and the other class, if you share a room.

2. If you share a room, make sure that you leave all copies of the assessment that you do not use in your box. The other class teacher will need to get the forms out of the box during their class hour.

3. PLEASE NOTE: Make sure to emphasize the final three pages of the assessment. Two of those pages will give suggestions for people to do to strengthen their spiritual walk based on their assessment results. The third and final page will list the discipleship classes that begin in two weeks. Encourage your class members to sign up for the discipleship class that will best fit their spiritual growth needs based on the result of their assessment. Students can register for the classes by filling out the bulletin insert this Sunday, by visiting the church website and registering online, or by using the final page of the assessment and turning it in to you at the end of class (I know this is something that we did not discuss at the first two teacher's meetings this past Sunday. I only added it at the end of the day. I was thinking this would make it possible for people to have an immediate means to register. This means I need the teachers to collect any completed forms and leave them in the box outside of your classroom. I will collect these after church!).

January 25 Lesson Supplements

Bible Studies For Life
"Pray For Others"
John 17:9-19

This is The Lord's Prayer. The prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 that is often called the Lord's Prayer is better suited to be called the Model Prayer because Jesus prayed it to model for his disciples how they should pray.

This being the Lord's Prayer, it gives us an opportunity to "sit in" on an intimate moment between Jesus and the Heavenly Father. As we do so, we are blessed to see how Jesus expresses himself boldly, yet humbly and compassionately, to God the Father. We hear Jesus' compassion and concern for his followers who include us today. If Jesus prayed for us, then we should follow that model and pray for each other as well.

The points that the lesson writers are emphasizing are that we should pray for one another about three things:

1. Unhindered fellowship

2. Joy in the midst of opposition

3. Devotion to Jesus' mission

The Spiritual Growth Assessment fits in very well with this lesson. Let's use part of our class time Sunday to pray for one another's walk with Jesus. Here are some suggestions:

1. Pray before the class takes the assessment.

2. Pray after the class completes the assessment.

3. Assign or pair off individuals (male-male; female-female) to spend time praying together before or after the assessment. Have them commit to become ongoing prayer partners. (I suggest the male-male and female-female partnership because couples should already be prayer partners).

4. Create a "Prayer Wheel" -- When students complete the Spiritual Growth Assessment, they will have an opportunity to graph their results on a wheel diagram. Each "spoke" on the wheel represents one of the six spiritual growth discipline areas they have just evaluated themselves on. Set up your classroom as a wheel creating six different areas from the center of the room. Label each area as one of the six disciplines in the Spiritual Growth Assessment. Close your class time by asking each student to go to the area in the room that is labeled with the spiritual discipline that they wish to improve on. Have them kneel in that area of the room and pray with all others who are in the same area. Or have them individually pray a prayer of commitment to improve that area of their spiritual walk.

Explore the Bible
"Are You Ready?"
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

"The purpose of this lesson is to help adults know and explain how to live faithfully and expectantly in anticipation of Christ's return. The lesson also challenges us to specify what we need to do to live more faithfully and expectantly and then do those things." This quote comes directly from the Explore the Bible Adult Commentary, Winter 2008-2009, on page 85.

You can see how the Spiritual Growth Assessment ties in well with this lesson. Obviously, one important way to live faithfully and expectantly is to grow spiritually! Hopefully, it can be a tool to help us specify some things we need to do to live more faithfully and expectantly in anticipation of Christ's return. We do not know when Christ will return, but He will. We do not know when we will die, but we will unless He returns. Will we be ready to see Him face-to-face? At that moment, will we have grown in our spiritual maturity to the maximum level attainable this side of Heaven? That should be our goal!

The final verse in this week's lesson talks about encouraging one another and building each other up. This is what the body of Christ should be doing. As you lead your class through the Spiritual Growth Assessment, spend time in prayer encouraging and building up one another. Spur one another on to attain the maximum level of spiritual growth they can attain this side of heaven!

For suggestions on how to utilize a special prayer time for the Spiritual Growth Assessment, see the ideas listed above under the Bible Studies for Life Lesson Supplements.

Comments Encouraged!

Please post your comments, suggestions, ideas, questions, answers, thoughts, etc. about the lesson. Perhaps you have thought of a creative way to approach the lesson or to emphasize a certain point. Include those thoughts as well. If you have any prayer requests share I would love to hear them!

Sunday School

2009-01-14T15:50:00.010-05:00

News

1. Adult Teachers Meeting -- this Sunday, January 18. Plan to attend one of the following 15 minute meetings:

8:10 a.m.

9:15 a.m.

11:15 a.m.

We will meet in the fellowship hall of the Education Building! See you there!

2. Attendance 1/11/09 -- We had 669 in Sunday School Sunday!! 354 at 8:30 and 315 at 9:45!

3. Sunday, January 25 -- Spiritual Growth Assessment Day. During Sunday School on this day, all adults will have the opportunity to take a spiritual growth assessment as part of an emphasis to promote spiritual growth in 2009.

January 18 Lesson Supplements

Bible Studies in Life Series

"Pray in Jesus' Name"

John 14:12-14; 15:14-16; 16:23-26

Why should you pray in Jesus' name?

(The following comes from Nelson's Personal Handbook on Prayer, Dr. James Wilhoit, General Editor. pp. 183-185.)

Jesus' name is the gateway to God -- You cannot approach God in your own name or your own ability. You can approach God only in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the entry point into the presence of God. If you are going to do serious business with God, then you must pray in the name above all names -- the name of Jesus. His name gives you access into the presence of God.

Jesus' name is your authority to tie your requests to the Father's will -- Anytime you take a request to God the Father in Jesus' name, you are tying it to the most authoritative name that ever there was. This should give us confidence in approaching God with our prayers. You need not be tentative in your praying. By praying in Jesus' name you are boldly submitting to the will of God about each request.

Explore the Bible Series

"Whose Life is Important?"

Exodus 20:13; 21:22-25; 22:21-24; Deuteronomy 24:29; Matthew 5:21-22; Luke 20:47

This week's lesson is on the sanctity of human life and will touch specifically on respecting women and their unborn children and providing for aliens, widows, and orphans. In preparation for Sunday's lesson, you may want to research statistics on abortions, foreigners, widows, and orphans to supplement your lesson. Also, pay attention to news stories that you may read or see on television as it relates to any of these people groups. One question to drive home to students might be, "How can I be an advocate for _______ (unborn children, foreigners, widows, and orphans)?"

On the topic of orphans: You may want to share that we have had several in our church family who have adopted children. You may want to invite some of these individuals into your classes Sunday to share about their experiences with adoption. Perhaps there are some in your class. We have one couple that will be leaving next week to travel to the Ukraine to adopt as many as two children. If you would like to know who some of these people are, send me an e-mail or a comment below and I can try to connect you to these individuals.

The bottom line: All of life is valuable because all of life is valuable to God. This lesson draws our attention toward the vulnerable in society. Who are the vulnerable in Lake Norman? What can each of us and what can we as a church do to help these people?

Comments?

Please post any comments you have. The comments can be suggestions you would make on how to teach the lesson this Sunday. You might have an illustration you have discovered. You may have a creative way/activity that you can share with all of us that will help make the classroom experience meaningful to the people who attend Sunday. Questions are also welcome. Let's learn from each other and spur one another on!!

God bless,
Landon