I AM THANKFUL God chooses to dwell with us
Revelation 21:1-4— November concludes with Thanksgiving, a holiday intended to offer us a time to remember the blessing we enjoy. For us, the holiday provides us more than a chance to remember the many good things within our lives; it allows us to intentionally practice the thankfulness the Bible describes as an essential Christian characteristic (cf. Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). To help us focus on that part of our identity, we will use this month’s Sundays to remind…
How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts
As a parent, I worry about my sons. While I experience the usual worries about injury and happiness, my most profound and persistent concerns center on the culture they inhabit and how it influences their thinking. I know I am not alone. My parents felt the same fears about me, and I know other parents wrestle with similar concerns for their children. And so, I worry about my boys, as I am sure you worry about your families. But what…
Moses Implored the Lord
The New Testament repeatedly reminds its readers that evangelism occupies a central and non-negotiable place in Jesus’ expectations. Yet that expectation makes people uncomfortable. Therefore, we have been considering features of that responsibility over the past few weeks by studying stories from the Hebrew Bible that offer us insights into Jesus’ evangelistic expectations. In this lesson, we will explore Moses’ intercession for Israel in Exodus chapter thirty-two and consider how it models for us the intercessory role we have as Jesus’ representatives in the world.
Please Send Someone Else
NBC debuted a new game show in 2001 called “Fear Factor.” An instant hit, the show pitted people against one another in stunts designed to test them physically and mentally under the premise that the activities forced them to confront their ‘fears’. The voyeuristic pleasure that spurred the rise of reality television in the early 2000’s played a role in the show’s popularity, which drew on viewers’ recognition of how fear impacts thinking and behavior. Good reasons generally prompt fear’s…
Now I See
Now I See
Mark 8:22-26
One man needs Jesus’ second touch to clear up his blurry eyesight. Meanwhile, Jesus’ followers depend on His repeated questions & commands to more clearly grasp He is a crucified & risen Messiah.
Here am I, Send Me
God has filled His Bible with numerous stories that all revolve around a limited set of messages. The diversity of those stories offers readers a variety of ways to engage God’s will and its place in their lives. Consequently, some stories will impact us more than others. The account of Isaiah receiving a prophetic commission from God in Isaiah chapter six particularly resonates with me. So, we will consider Isaiah six and think about what insights Isaiah’s commission offers us into the evangelistic commission God gives to all of us.
Healer
Healer
Mark 1:40-45
God’s healing comes kindly, patiently, and graciously. He heals enemies and outsiders. At the same time, the sick don’t prescribe their own treatment. The Lord doesn’t let us tell Him how to meet our deepest needs. Instead, the Lord demonstrates kindness to those He is in conflict with while not affirming attitudes & behaviors He defines as bad & wrong.
Challenge and Grace
Even though, based on our appearances, we might seem different from one another, we all experience very similar internal lives. For example, we all struggle with feelings of inadequacy, fear, and shame. We all experience frustration, anger, and uncertainty. We might do a good job hiding those feelings from one another, but we all encounter them. Our shared experiences with those emotions prompt our consideration of Peter in this lesson. The New Testament’s account of Peter draws attention to his struggles to highlight Jesus’ response. Therefore, we will consider some of Peter’s struggles to see what insights they may offer us into our relationship with Jesus.
In Him – the Blessings God gives through Jesus
IN HIM The blessings God gives us through Jesus, Ephesians 1:3-14 The in-crowd offers a standard narrative and cinematic motif. Even though it usually finds employment in predictable ways, the idea of insiders and outsiders remains compelling because it resonates with everyone’s experiences. Paul opened his letter to the Christians in Ephesus by describing an in-crowd and the privileges that attend belonging to that group. But the in-crowd he wrote about avoids the usual, negative things we tend to associate…
Jesus and Technology – Every Step Must Make Life Better
Every Step Must Make Life Better
Psalm 115:1-8
Technology & inventions should make life better. However, they can spoil as frequently as they can enrich. Jesus doesn’t focus on what man invents, but instead on the heart of man behind every invention. From out of the heart come the things that stain, scar, and defile (Mark 7:20-23). To what extent do our devices enrich our devotion to Christ & others? How much do they leave us distracted, isolated, & spoiled?
Crucified with Christ
Paul wrote that he had “been crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), a well-known phrase describing the nature of his relationship with Jesus. Knowing Paul’s desire to be like Jesus and recognizing that it should occupy a similarly important place in our lives does not, by itself, bring clarity to that expectation. Therefore, we will consider Paul’s letter to the Philippians in which he offers insights into how his focus on Jesus shaped his life and explore how his transformation offers guidance for us.
Christlikeness and Suffering
Advertisements populate almost every space in our lives. Those ads often try to convince viewers to buy whatever goods or services they market by outlining how they will improve their lives. I have yet to see an advertisement that – in a non-humorous nor non-ironic way – sells its product by highlighting the persecution and suffering it will bring into peoples’ lives. However, that is the tactic Peter used to address the suffering experienced by his audience. We will therefore consider Peter’s message in 1 Peter and its connection to our effort to become increasingly Christlike people.
Jesus Shaped Ethics – Jesus and Sexuality
1 Corinthians 6:12-20–It seems that our culture talks about sex and sexuality all the time. Our culture’s apparent lack of shame finds counterbalance in the embarrassment that often accompanies discussions about the topic in the church. However, even a cursory reading of the Bible reveals that it also has a lot to say about sex and sexuality, indicating that it is an important topic that we should not avoid. So, we will use this morning’s lesson to consider a few…
Jesus Shaped Ethics – Jesus and Work
Genesis 2:15 — In 2014, the Barna Group published a report about trends in faith, work, and calling among people who self-identify as Christians in the United States. The report included the following paragraph: “Most churchgoers are craving more direction and discipleship when it comes to the theology of calling, especially as it relates to work. Barna research shows nearly two-thirds of churched adults say it has been at least three years or more since they heard church teachings on…
Jesus Shaped Ethics – Politics
It seems the last few years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the politicization of our nation. The expected patriotic response to the sight of our nation’s flag or the singing of our national anthem has been joined by a growing tension in our country, a tension built on the belief that the future of our nation hangs in the balance. That tension has resulted in distrust and fear that enflames existing political and social divisions in our country and has engendered a rising suspicion of those who hold differing opinions. And, as we have all seen (and probably even experienced), that distrust has broken relationships and even festered into violence.
Given the political climate in our nation, we should ask ourselves, “How should following Jesus shape my politics?” This lesson will consider Jesus and his kingdom to prepare us for our group discussions this evening that will explore practical applications of Jesus’ kingdom in our nation’s current political setting.
Be the Light
Mark 4: 21-23
Christlikeness and Community
The concept of “community” reached a popular level when I was in graduate school in the late 1990s. It had become a way of casually defining people based on their assumed sociological needs. While the idea certainly possessed rigor, I often saw it uncritically used to reduce the impulse to be part of a group to no more than a longing for belonging. In reference to religion, for example, some would offhandedly comment that it offered like-minded people a community without seriously considering the ideas that formed the community and motivated individuals to want to belong to such a group.
Even though some might misuse it, community nevertheless occupies a vitally important role in Christianity. Rather than merely being the result of the desire for belonging, God designed the church as a community built on the foundation of Jesus. It requires participants to understand and believe in Jesus’ authoritative identity and submit themselves to the purposes he sets for the church. As we continue to explore our effort to be like Jesus, we will use Paul’s comments about the church in Ephesians to consider the relationship between Christlikeness and community.
The Call to Be Christlike – Putting on a New Self
Ephesians 1: 3-10–We live in a society that carefully parses identities. African American, Native American, Caucasian, Latino, cisgender, LGBTQ, gen X, millennial, etc. – we have categories into which we place others and ourselves that mark our place in our culture. That same boundary marking exists in religious circles where people are identified by their affiliation – Protestant, Catholic, mainline, fundamentalist, charismatic, progressive, etc. And, categories can overlap to create increasingly narrow subgroups – African American gen X charismatic or…
Good at Being a Man
Good at Being a Man
Reading: Mark 3:24-27
Jesus is the strongest man. The gospel of Mark reveals Jesus’ strength and power over nature, over disease, and over demons. Jesus walked the earth as a man, God’s Son. He wields his strength & power as a man. He shows us that when a man is good at being a man, he brings glory to God the Father.
Thinking Like Jesus: About Self
For forty years, Burger King marketed its burgers with the motto “Have it your way.” Then, in 2014, the company changed its slogan to “Be your way,” stating that its changed saying had been designed to remind people “they can and should live how they want anytime.” A year later, the company changed its motto to “Your way,” a more familiar slogan that maintained the spirit behind its predecessor.
Slogans offer insights into our culture because they attempt to capture the ‘spirit’ of a generation to capture consumers’ attention. Burger King’s mottos points to something I suspect we all recognize – we live in an increasingly individualistic and self-absorbed culture. Paul’s teachings stand in contrast to our culture’s focus. Because of his understandings of Jesus, Paul urged people to have an attitude about themselves that would motivate them to put others’ interests ahead of their interests. We will consider Paul’s comments to the Philippians, in which he holds out Jesus as a model for how his audience should think about themselves.