Sunday School Lessons for December - 3 Special Lessons Announced !!!

As we discussed yesterday, we will deviate from the "lifeway" prepared lessons for the month of December and do a "special edition" set of lessons.  Sunday School Text and Lesson plan to follow, but this is the theme for the balance of the month.
Here goes

• 12/12 - Mythbusters: Christmas Edition
• 12/19 - A Christmas Story: It's a Wonderful Life (in Christ)
• 12/26 - 2011: A Re-boot, where are we going, what to do, what's important

We hope you will find these interesting as well as topical for the Christmas / New Years Season.

( Remember to pray for each other and our church this week )

Sincerely

Lee Daniel, CIC, CPIA
Harry Daniel Insurance
www.hdins.com
770-382-8954 ext 100
770-386-4081 fax

Contact Me

SS Text and Thoughts for Sunday - Isaiah 61:1-11, Luke 4, Mark 1:15

As we enter the Christmas Season, lets take a look at something we might not consider very often.  What God really values.

What God Values
Scriptures: Isaiah 61:1-11


We cannot overlook the fact that Jesus chose verses from this chapter of Isaiah to read when He appeared at the synagogue of His hometown early in His earthly ministry (read Luke 4). It's also noteworthy that Jesus added words from Isaiah 58 - that He had come to preach recovery of sight to the blind. If you would like to read another passage that adds clarity to the reasons why Jesus came into the world, read Mark 1:15, the first words the Lord utters in that book. When Jesus arrived, the kingdom of God was brought near to the lost. His message was that all should repent of their sins and believe the good news of salvation through His coming atonement.

To value what God values means we appreciate and communicate the incredible sacrifice His Son made for us because of the value the Father saw in us even as sinners. The language of Isaiah 61 is pre-exilic, meaning that it explains events prior to Judah's fall to Babylon. Having this chapter framed correctly, you can see how the prophet's words would have been a great comfort to Judah years later as her people lived oppressed and downtrodden by their captors. God really did redeem His people from captivity and restored them in their land, just as He promised. And these promises also point forward to the coming Redeemer who would loose the bonds of sin and open the eyes of the spiritually blind to the new life He would bring. The Spirit of the Lord is on Christ to set captives free and bring them into eternal joy.

To really understand how much God values justice, consider that injustice was one of the main reasons He punished Israel and Judah with exile. Read through the major prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, and time after time you will see God's accusations of His people's mistreatment of the poor and vulnerable in their midst. Idolatry was another major complaint, but injustice ranks up there beside it.

Finding ourselves as believers, standing before God clothed in Christ's righteousness, we realize how undeserving we are of His mercy. Each one of us is the one who has neglected the poor, chosen our own advancement over the good of others, and overlooked the marginalized. Just as Israel and Judah had done, we are all lawbreakers in God's sight. We are deserving of exile and banishment from His presence. But His Son has made peace between us and the Father. His work on our behalf makes possible our genuine action to help right some of the wrongs we see in the world. But none of our responses will mean anything in eternity if we forget to use them as opportunities to preach Christ and Him crucified.

Christmas Parade and SPLASH Bartow Canned Food Drive

Subject: Christmas Parade

 

As you know tomorrow night is the Christmas Parade at 6 p.m.  If you are going, I am asking you to take a food item with you.  Youth from SPLASH have a float and will be going out into the crowd (they will have on their SPLASH blue t-shirts) and gathering food for families in need in our community.  Word of mouth and from the churches is the best way to get this message out.  It was in the paper last week but I have not seen it this week and then it was listed under church activities which most people do not read.  Please share this email with your friends.
 
This is the 1st year the youth have done this.  Their desire is to be involved in missions all year round.  Please help support our community by meeting the need with a food donation.  Encourage our youth and let them know how much we appreciate what they are doing.  Please continue to lift them up in prayer.
 
In Christ,
Charlotte

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth."

                                                                   - Psalm 8:9

 

 

Flash Mob Sings Hallelujah Chorus in Food Court - Inspirational Videos

Flash Mob Sings Hallelujah Chorus in Food Court - Inspirational Videos - GodTube http://godtu.be/9EM29CNU

As you know this weeks lesson is about Evangelism and our thoughts and
concern with it. Take a look at this video as you prepare this week.


http://ping.fm/A0Xt8

Do we mess up evangalism? Jesus "witnessed" using the law. Take a look at this.

The core verses are actually Romans 1.14 – 17; 9.1 – 3; 10.1, 14 – 15; 15.17
‐ 20 but we may look at more than that, hence the mention to read all 4
chapters.

Our lesson is a simple lesson this week about Evangelism and our obligation
to Evangelize and our feelings/thoughts/cares about the lost.


1. How would you describe Paul’s feeling about evangelism?
2. Do you think Paul felt under obligation? If so, why?
3. What about you? Do you feel obligated to people who do not know God?
4. What exactly does it mean to live by faith? Go beyond what you normaly
would think of or say to this question.
5. Romans 9. 1 – 3. What is Paul sad about?
6. Is there anything that keeps people from being saved? If so, what is
it? Look at Roman's 1 again.
7. Romans 15.17 – 20 What role do signs and wonders have in the spreading
of the gospel?
8. What is our church’s basic plan for spreading the gospel? Better yet,
what is your basic plan for spreading the gospel?

See you Sunday, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving..... and one final
question for this year and the most basic question and obvious question for
this time of year.

What are your truly, thankful for this year/week/day this very moment?


Lee