Christ Coming Down.... What is the event about? What does it mean to us?

Thank you Regina and Tommy for teaching the last 2 Sundays. I heard we had great lessons both days and good discussion.

This Sunday we will study Christ's return as described by John in Revelation 19. Below are some of our talking points for this Sunday.


Rev. 19:6-9,11-16,19-21

• What anxiety do you think people experience when they think about the return of Jesus?
• The Scripture describes Jesus’ coming in terms of a Bridegroom arrived for the wedding. What does that mean to us?
• How should knowing Jesus is coming back impact how we live our lives today?
• How can the promise of Jesus’ return help us face life today?

Let's discover what will happen when Jesus returns. Please read and study the entire Chapter of Revelation 19.

See you Sunday

Something to consider when preparing for Sunday School each week

I have been thinking about how to best prepare and deliver the Sunday School lesson each week. As part of that I have also thought about how to try make the lesson more meaningful each week for each person.

I asked myself as a student in the class what did I do each week to prepare for the lesson and to be perfectly frank, I usually did very little if anything. I usually was uninspired by the Sunday School quarterly (not the fault of the publication) and I let other things get in the way of actually studying the lesson, and as I reflected, I realized my problem as a student and sometimes as a teacher were one in the same.

Many times I would just go the the Sunday school material and begin reading the prescribed pages and rarely would I finish a lesson.

What was wrong?

What was my epiphany?

It was so simple what I left out.

Rarely would I pray before I attempted to study. Rarely would I open God's word to read beyond the "prescribed verses" for the week. Rarely would I open other reference material to dig deeper into the meaning other than what the publisher and author was saying.

After thinking about all this, I decided I would post this to the class with a suggestion of what might be a "better" way.

In weeks to come, consider doing this or something similar in this order.

• Look into the lesson material to find the reference verses or get them from my posts each week.
• Don't read the lesson or even the lesson plan for that week at this time.
• Get your bible, "God's Holy Word" and open to the reference verses.
• Before you begin to even read His word, pray to God to reveal what He wants you to see and understand. Ask Him to help you understand His word.
• Begin reading the referenced verses. Maybe even read what is happening before the verses you are to read for the actual lesson. Maybe even read beyond the verses for that week. Try not to look at the "study helps" in your bible the 1st couple of times through. Those notes while helpful are not "God's word". They are helpful for later, but for now ponder on His word only and pray about it.
• Come back to His word maybe another day, Pray again and then read the verses again. Maybe read Study Bible help notes. Think about what God might be saying to you.
• Come back yet again another day, Pray again asking God to reveal Himself, and now read the Sunday School material. Make notes in your quarterly or notebook about what your thoughts are and questions.
• Finally come back another day, read verses that you are really focused on and make more notes and questions or answer in your notebook some the questions you had earlier. All total we are talking about 3 - 5 days for Sunday School preparation.

Of course these are my thoughts and not necessarily the only way, but it is a fresh way of looking at the topic each week.

Consider something that challenges your mind and spirit each week with the lesson. We must be grounded theologically. If not we fall prey to false teachers, false beliefs, just like the video presented earlier today.

I hope you find this at least thought provoking.

See you Sunday.

Hold onto this thought for future Sunday School Topic....

Recent New Article on PEW Study

This goes back to what we talked about last week. We "ALL" need to be sure proper Theology is being taught in our classes, from the pulpit and discussed in the work place. This is where we are heading if not.

If Your Money Could Talk

Proverbs 3:9-10; 11:24-26; 13:11; 15:16-17; 16:11; 23:4-5

I gave you $1000 Sunday and you had to spend it that day, what would you buy or do with it?

Money...... You can't live without it, but yet do we really understand God's principles toward it and how we are supposed to live with it?

See quote below from Dave Ramsey:

The Love of Money, Not Money, Is the Root of All Evil

As a Christian, I am amazed how certain political and religious groups have decided that wealth is evil. Many of the heroes of biblical faith, of world history, and of our nation were very wealthy, including Kind David, Solomon, Job, and most of our Founding Fathers. There is a negative mind-set justifying money mediocrity that is maddening. Wealth is not evil, and people who possess it aren’t evil by virtue of the wealth. There are rich jerks and poor jerks. Dallas Willard, in his book Spirit of the Disciplines, says to use riches is to cause them to be consumed, to trust in riches is to count upon them for things they cannot provide, but to possess riches is to have the right to say how they will or will not be used.

If you are a good person, it is your spiritual duty to possess riches for the good of mankind. If you are a Christian like me, it is your spiritual duty to possess riches so that you can do with them things that bring glory to God.

Source: Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2003), 221.

Sunday School This Week ..... and Special Thanks

Thanks to Regina for teaching this past Sunday. I heard we had a big crowd. Tommy was visiting his Dad on Fathers Day and I was out of town with Luke. Regina took one for the "team" and did an outstanding job. Thanks again Regina.

For this week. Please read the passages below and contemplate some of these thoughts and questions.

Prov. 14:25; 15:1,4,23,28; 16:24; 17:27-28; 18:20-21; 21:23; 25:11-12; 26:20-22,28

Proverbs 14.25. What are some ways people can lie?
Proverbs 15.4. Can you tell of a time when you were crushed by words?
Proverbs 26:20-22. What do we learn about words from watching a fire?
Proverbs 26:28. How does flattery hurt?

See you Sunday !!!

Nest Sunday's Lesson - Proverbs 6:1-15

If you are not reading anything else these days, I'd encourage you to read the proverb of the day this month. There are thirty-one chapters in Proverbs and thirty one days in a long month (This month you can read chapter 30 and 31 on the same day), so that works out nicely. If you have missed a day, just skip to the next one that matches the calendar.

Some questions to think about for Sunday:

• What is a sluggard?
• What is the cost of being a sluggard?
• What other verses speak of the danger of being a sluggard?
• What is the appeal of being a sluggard? What is the temptation?
• In what ways are you tempted to be a sluggard?

Sounds like a fun lesson doesn't it. Please review the passages and see you Sunday.

Next Sunday's Passages for the Lesson and Thoughts - Ephesians 4:17-32; Philemon1

This Sunday concludes our theme of "Unlocking our Best Relationships"

This Sunday we will be look at 2 books in the New Testament. Ephesians's and the the oft overlooked but powerful little book Philemon.

As you read Ephesians and Philemon below, Consider these thoughts and questions. (The actual passages are referenced below the questions and thoughts)

From our passages in Ephesians:

1. What is the old self?
2. How do you put on the new self?
3. How have you seen dishonesty ruin a relationship?
4. How literally do you take, “don’t let the sun go down on your anger”?
5. What does it mean to grieve the Spirit of God? How do we grieve God?

The Philemon story is a story of forgiveness. As you review the passages, think about these questions and thoughts:

1. How do you think Philemon felt as he read this letter for the first time?
2. Would it have been wrong of Paul not to send Onesimus back?
3. Did Paul have to do this?
4. This is a lesson in forgiveness. How do we forgive when it is difficult to forgive?
5. What are some common misconceptions about forgiveness?
6. His forgiveness a gift?
7. Biblically speaking....Who is forgiveness for, the person giving the forgiveness or receiving?
8. Is there true forgiveness without considering the biblical aspect of forgiveness or is the world's view of forgiveness the same as God's view of forgiveness?

Our Passage for the Week. (note there are a few more verses than the ss quarterly's lesson points)


Ephesians 4:17-32

(Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Living the New Life

17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

20 But that is not how you learned about the Messiah, 21 assuming you heard Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus: 22 you took off your former way of life, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires; 23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 you put on the new man, the one created according to God's [likeness] in righteousness and purity of the truth.

25 Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don't give the Devil an opportunity. 28 The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. 29 No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear. 30 And don't grieve God's Holy Spirit, who sealed you for the day of redemption. 31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Philemon 1

(Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Greeting

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, our brother:

To Philemon, our dear friend and co-worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house.

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon's Love and Faith

4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. 6 [I pray] that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for [the glory of] Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

An Appeal for Onesimus

8 For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, 9 I appeal, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, 10 appeal to you for my child, whom I fathered while in chains—Onesimus. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful to both you and me. 12 I am sending him—a part of myself —back to you. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. 14 But I didn't want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps this is why he was separated [from you] for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. This is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, accept him as you would me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, may I have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

Final Greetings

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, and so do 24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.