Class Lesson May 1, 2011

Hey Gang,

This Sunday we begin a whole new 5 week series entitled, “Taking the Lead.” When God gives someone an opportunity to lead, He also encourages and empowers that person to accomplish the task. However, we must accept and embrace the responsibility. 

One of the greatest needs of our time is leadership – the right kind of leadership. This is true in politics, business, the church, and the home. A person does not become a leader by filling a position, and many who lead have no official position. This study is to help you embrace that you can – and must – exercise leadership in some situation or area of your life. We will examine 5 biblical characters to show actions through which we as Christians can exercise spiritual leadership.

5 Lessons in This Series

Overcome Your Fears – What can I do to overcome my fears about leading?

Use Your Influence – What influence do I have and how can I use it for God’s purposes?

Walk With God – How important is my private and public walk with the Lord?

Pursue God’s Agenda – As a spiritual leader, what should be my agenda?

Invest In Others – What do I need to do to invest in others? 

The Marine Corps is always a good place to start when looking for examples of leadership.

Marine Corps - Leadership 

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People can have fears of almost anything, especially having to lead! This lesson is about identifying and overcoming the fears that prevent us from being the spiritual leaders God wants us to be.

What can I do to overcome my fears about leading?

Do you think God expects all of us to be leaders in some way like the home, church, the workplace, and even the government?

Our biblical character this week is Joshua. We pick-up in Joshua chapter one where the death of Moses has presented a new challenge to the people of Israel. They are positioned beyond the Jordan River in the plains of Moab, where the 12 tribes are observing the land God had promised them. To claim their inheritance would be no easy task. People already living in the land would not yield their land easily or willingly. As Joshua assumed leadership from Moses, he knew only the power of God could grant fulfillment of the ancient promise.

The Books of Joshua and Judges tell the story of conquest and settlement. Joshua concentrates on the initial phase of the process, while Judges tells of the struggles of the tribes to possess and settle the land. The conquest was a process that extended over many generations and was not fully completed until the time of David and Solomon (1000 - 922 B.C.).

           I. ACCEPT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY – JOSHUA 1:1-5

Encouragement of Joshua

 ¹ After the death of Moses the LORD's servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses: ² "Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. ³ I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites —and west to the Mediterranean Sea. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.

How ready do you think Joshua felt about leading at this time and why? What mixed feeling might he have had?

What’s the advantage of leading from an official position? How about from an unofficial position?

The Hebrew people were poised at the edge of the Promised Land. Why do you think God gave this leadership to Joshua?

What did God give Joshua besides responsibility? What’s the relationship between God-given responsibilities and God-given promises?

According to these verses, what are God’s ways to overcome fears of leadership and accept our responsibilities?

           II. HEAR GOD’S COMMAND – JOSHUA 1:6-9

⁶ "Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. ⁷ Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. ⁸ This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. ⁹ Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

What is the relationship between the commands God gave Joshua and the promises? Which command do you think rang over and over in Joshua’s ears throughout his years as a leader?

          III. ACT COURAGEOUSLY – JOSHUA 1:10-11, 16-18

Joshua Prepares the People

 ¹⁰ Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: ¹¹ "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you to inherit.

…………………………………………………………………

¹⁶ They answered Joshua, "Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. ¹⁷ We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. ¹⁸ Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!"

When you know you need to step up and lead in a situation, do you usually act immediately or wait awhile? What did Joshua do?

In what areas of your life are you a spiritual leader? What do you consider the most important qualities of godly leaders?

Have a blessed rest of the week as we prepare to hear from God's Word this Sunday on leadership!

Look what I found and we all thought Thomas was a Carolina Fan!

Come on Thomas, give me a hug!

That's my boy!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for May 13, 2011 - it's our PROGRESSIVE DINNER night!

See you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

Class Lesson April 24, 2011

Hey Gang,

This week we will finish our 4 week series on Navigating the Maze of Grief. We've talked about how we can manage the grief we experience in life and how we can help others that are experiencing grief situations. This week's lesson is about the ultimate solution to grief: victorious life through Christ's victory over death - His Resurrection!

Think about this before Sunday - how specifically does Jesus help each of these believers below? Does the resurrection of Jesus make a difference? 

1.  This Christian woman is physically and mentally exhausted caring for her mother, who is suffering with Alzheimer’s. She realizes her mom will not recover this side of heaven.

2.  This Christian man has received notice that he will lose his job as his company downsizes. He wonders how he can find work at this age. So he’s putting together his resume’ in the evenings.

3.   This Christian grandmother is raising her grandchildren alone. She realizes why children are given to the young. Her money and energy are low.

4.   This Christian husband’s wife wants a divorce. He’s been doing both the money-earning and child-care-giving for several years now, but this final blow hurts as if it were the first time she said an ugly word.

5.  This Christian father’s son has alienated himself from the family. The father yearns to help make things right again.

            I. REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID – JOHN 20:1-10

The Empty Tomb

 ¹ On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put Him!"  ³ At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. ⁵ Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. ⁶ Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. ⁷ The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. ⁸ The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed. ⁹ For they still did not understand the Scripture that He must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples went home again.

Why is it important for us to remember what Jesus has said as we deal with the grief issues we face in life?

            II. KEEP COMMUNICATING – JOHN 20:11-15

¹¹ But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² She saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus' body had been lying. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?"  "Because they've taken away my Lord," she told them, "and I don't know where they've put Him." ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus. ¹⁵ "Woman," Jesus said to her, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Supposing He was the gardener, she replied, "Sir, if you've removed Him, tell me where you've put Him, and I will take Him away."

When have you missed what Jesus was communicating to you? What helped you see the truth?

Why do you suppose Mary didn’t recognize Jesus?

How does Bible reading keep you conversing with God?

            III. DO AS HE SAYS – JOHN 20:16-18

¹⁶ Jesus said, "Mary." Turning around, she said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!"  —which means "Teacher." ¹⁷ "Don't cling to Me," Jesus told her, "for I have not yet ascended to the Father.  But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God."  ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them what He had said to her.

How does walking through a trauma with Jesus make a difference? How do you know what to do, say or think?

Jesus' resurrection is the ultimate hope for finding victory over sin and death. It makes possible victorious living and confident hope in bereavement and in dying. The basis for our faith in the crucified and risen Lord is both objective and subjective. It is objective because it really happened as the Scriptures proclaim. The New Testament account is based on the testimony of eyewitnesses who saw the empty tomb and, most important of all, who saw the risen Lord. It is subjective because the risen Lord lives in us.

Prayer

Lord, I thank You that You are alive and that You live within my heart. Amen

Prepare your hearts this week to encounter the risen Lord. See you on Easter Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan 

 

Class Lesson April 17, 2011

Hey Gang,

The past two lessons have been on managing our own grief. This week we look for ways to minister to others who are experiencing grief. 

There was a movie that came out in 1991 called "My Girl" and the plot was about a little girl, Vada Sultenfuss who was obsessed with death. Her mother was dead, and her father ran a funeral parlor. She was also in love with her English teacher, and joins a poetry class over the summer just to impress him. Thomas J., her best friend, is "allergic to everything", and sticks with Vada despite her hangups. When Vada's father hires Shelly, a makeup expert, in his funeral parlor, and begins to fall in love with her, Vada is outraged and does everything in her power to split them up. Vada grieves terribly when Thomas J. dies after being stung too many times from a bee hive and everyone tries to comfort her. Watch the trailer below:

My Girl

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Here's a question for you, do you think experience is the best teacher?

1.     When have you found this to be true?

2.    When have you learned without experiencing something personally?

This week's lesson says you can minister to those who grieve because God has comforted you.

SO

I want you to begin thinking of someone who has comforted you when you grieved and someone you know that needs comfort now. Write their initials in the band aide spaces below:

Someone who has comforted you.

Someone who needs comfort now.

Be thinking of these two people as you work through the letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

            I. KNOW THE SOURCE OF COMFORT – 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-3

Greeting

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, and Timothy our brother: To God's church at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia. ² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

   

The God of Comfort

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

Who has been a comfort to you during a time of grief? How and why?

What kinds of comfort does the world offer?

What kinds of comfort does God offer?

            II. BE A CHANNEL OF GOD’S COMFORT – 2 CORINTHIANS 1:4-7

⁴ He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ. ⁶ If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in the endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.

When helping another grieve, why is it important to hear what the person needs you to do rather than impose your grief plan upon them?

One pressure we place on people is “You’ve got to talk about it.” Where do you suppose that came from? How accurate is it, and how long should someone wait before pushing another to talk?

What People Need

Each type of loss requires ministry in keeping with the needs of that kind of experience. Everyone, however, who has suffered loss of any type, needs attention to these basic needs in order to be comforted:

1.    Need for _____________

2.    Need for _____________

3.    Need for _____________

4.    Need for _____________ assistance

  

            III. OFFER COMFORT THROUGH PRAYER – 2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11

⁸ For we don't want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in the province of Asia: we were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength —so that we even despaired of life. ⁹ However, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us; we have placed our hope in Him that He will deliver us again. ¹¹ And you can join in helping with prayer for us, so that thanks may be given by many on our behalf for the gift that came to us through [the prayers of] many.

If God knows everything anyway, why do we need to pray or have others pray for us?

Closing Prayer

Loving and ever-present God, we believe that Your grace is sufficient for all things. Comfort us anew by Your presence.  Allow that in our weakness we may be made strong, in our grief, consoled, and in our ignorance, wise.   Protect and guide us that we may know the way to take and that at each crossroad of life we may see the right path to choose. Safeguard us by Your power, uphold us by Your kindness, and warm us by Your love. By Your divine grace help us to do what is right, to act courageously, to love our neighbors, to forgive our enemies. By Your grace, bless us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I hope you have a blessed rest of the week as we prepare to pick-up in God's Word through 2 Corinthians 1:1-11.

In His Love,

David & Susan 

Class Lesson April 10, 2011

Hey Gang,

Last week we began a 4-week series on Navigating the Maze of Grief. We talked last week about the good of grief done well through Christ. We watched Rob Bell explain how important it is to know and understand why Jesus wept at the dying of His friend Lazarus.

How do we deal with the pain we suffer when we lose someone we love?

Rob Bell - Matthew 

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This week we learn the importance of Recognizing God's Presence during our time of grieving.

C.S. Lewis once said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.”   Our lesson this week wants you to - Lean on God as the source of comfort and power – He is always with you.

Think about this for a moment, have you ever been lost? How did you discover you were lost? How did you find your way back to where you needed to be? How did you treat people along the way?

Grief in our lives often creates confusion and frustration. These lost feelings can lead us to be unkind to people or to wonder where God is when we seem to need Him most. We can draw on God’s power to continue to be kind because he walks beside us through our times of grief. 

I. TALK WITH GOD – PSALM 31:7-10

⁷ I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful love because You have seen my affliction. You have known the troubles of my life ⁸ and have not handed me over to the enemy. You have set my feet in a spacious place. ⁹ Be gracious to me, LORD, because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow— my whole being as well. ¹⁰ Indeed, my life is consumed with grief, and my years with groaning; my strength has failed because of my sinfulness, and my bones waste away.

Maybe you’ve heard people ask during grief or despair, “Where is God?” Or perhaps you’ve asked that question yourself. If God is close by, we assume we will not experience difficult times. But God stays with us during the easy and the hard of life. When I’m grieving, I just need to lean on God. Words aren’t necessary. Even when I don’t feel God, I can keep talking to Him because he hears and cares. So talk to Him.

The life of David as revealed in the Old Testament included many encounters with danger and stress. As a young shepherd, he protected his sheep from wild animals. As a young man, he fought and won against the Philistine giant named Goliath. In Saul’s court, he was the object of Saul’s murderous paranoia. He fought in numerous battles against Israel’s enemies, had family pain, and faced a rebellion led by his son Absalom. In some of David’s experiences, he was an innocent victim, but in others, sinful choices contributed to his crises. In the Psalms, where David’s name appears more than any other author, he expressed his petitions for help. He talked to God!

God had seen David’s affliction and knew his troubles. A wonderful attribute of God is His omniscience. Also, He is not a passive onlooker. His knowledge couples with love, and He responds to us even when we do not know what to ask for.

God’s blessings of help are not just for the obedient but also for those who turn to Him in repentance. Verse 10 indicates the suffering of David probably came from a time of disobedience in his life. David referred to his sinfulness as the cause of his difficulties. Much of the suffering we face arises as the result of our own misbehavior. Recovery begins when we confess our sin and ask for God’s forgiveness. God stands ready to help us, but He also faithfully calls on us to repent.

Most of us have a few undependable acquaintances – they talk big but regularly let us down. We may like them or even love them, but their behavior shows they are just not trustworthy; talking with them only aggravates us. God, however, is trustworthy. So spend your talking time with Him and people who honor Him.

II. ACT IN GOD’S POWER – PSALM 31:14-16

¹⁴ But I trust in You, LORD; I say, "You are my God." ¹⁵ The course of my life is in Your power; deliver me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors. ¹⁶ Show Your favor to Your servant; save me by Your faithful love.

During grief, people often feel numb and disconnected from God. One way to be strong and courageous is to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

David expressed confidence and faith in God’s ability and willingness to help him. The Lord was David’s God. Turning to the Lord for deliverance was not a last resort for David. We have all heard people say in crisis, “I guess there’s nothing else we can do but pray.” Many people exhaust other possible sources of help and only turn to the Lord when those fail. Turning to God first saves us a lot of time and agony.

Everyone turns to someone or something in their times of need. Some people put their ultimate trust in themselves. They are proud of their self-reliance and believe they can work through any problem on their own. Some put their trust in others. They become absolutely dependent upon a mate, child, or friend. Some people put their ultimate trust in money or possessions. They fail to recognize that wealth cannot purchase security, salvation, love, respect, or countless other treasures.

Putting our absolute trust in God requires that we let Him guide the whole course of our lives. When we trust God above all others, He shows us what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and then gives us the strength for doing it. David said, “The course of my life is in Your power.”

III. REFUSE ARROGANCE – PSALM 31:21-24

²¹ May the LORD be praised, for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me in a city under siege. ²² In my alarm I had said, "I am cut off from Your sight." But You heard the sound of my pleading when I cried to You for help. ²³ Love the LORD, all His faithful ones. The LORD protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant. ²⁴ Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD.

In these final verses of Psalm 31, David expressed praise to the Lord and called upon believers to love and put their hope in Him. In verse 22, David admitted to a period of alarm when he wondered if the Lord saw his plight or heard his cries for help. Panic is what we feel when we forget God and His faithfulness. We may feel alone as believers, but we never are. God has promised never to leave or forsake His children (Heb. 13:5).

When believers look to God for help, they should first examine their lives to determine if they are living obediently to His will. David confessed his sins. Then he called upon the Lord for mercy. Trials and grief should cause us to examine our lives and ask God if there is a behavior or attitude we should change.

The arrogant should not expect help from the Lord, but instead, they will be fully repaid for their sinful attitudes. There are many that seem to believe that God exists to help us regardless of our relationship with Him. God’s promise of help is for the repentant and the faithful who submit to God’s will for their lives. Humility is essential to find God’s help in our times of need.

Remember

Lean on God as the source of comfort and power – He is always with you.

Susan and I won't be there Sunday as our daughter, Susannah is getting married this weekend. Monica and Larand Spencer will have a "Circle of Love" time for prayer and praise for what God continues to do in each of our lives. I shared this video last week on facebook so, I thought I would share it with all of you as well. This is where I am this weekend - keep Susan and me in your prayers. 

I suddenly realized what was happening, Susannah's all grown up and leaving us, and something inside began to hurt!

Susannah's Getting Married 

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We will see you next week!



In His Love,

David & Susan

 

Class Lesson April 3, 2011

Hey Gang,

This week we begin a new 4-week series entitled "Navigating the Maze of Grief." This series looks at the universal nature of grief – we all experience it – and the biblical answer is found in the presence of God, the comfort of other believers, and the victory of the resurrected Christ.

Why is grief like a maze?

Is there such a thing as good grief?

  

Our lesson this week says that we can grieve with hope. Jesus grieved, so we know grief is good when done well.

How well do you deal with grief?  Have you ever felt guilty just because you’re grieving? Ever had times when grief just seemed overwhelming? Ever worried whether it’s wrong to question God when you are grieving? Ever wondered if God really hears and sees your grief?

Watch this touching video below on the stages of grief through the eyes of a little girl: 

Sprinkles & Bridgette

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This week's lesson looks at the different human responses to loss and the hope Jesus gives to believers who grieve. We will explore three approaches to grief -  the intellectual, the emotional,  and the supernatural. It's the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus' friend - Lazarus.

       I. AN INTELLECTUAL APPROACH TO GRIEF – JOHN 11:20-27

²⁰ As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But Mary remained seated in the house. ²¹ Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn't have died. ²² Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You." ²³ "Your brother will rise again," Jesus told her. ²⁴ Martha said, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." ²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. ²⁶ Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?" ²⁷ "Yes, Lord," she told Him, "I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

 

What do people say, or want to say, to God during grief? Why can we come to God with thoughts and questions?

Martha misunderstood that Lazarus would rise that day. What do we Christians misunderstand about grief? How do we hurt each other with these misunderstandings?

How can we help each other – even when those who grieve in ways that might make us feel a little uncomfortable?

 

       II. AN EMOTIONAL APPROACH TO GRIEF – JOHN 11:32-36

³² When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and told Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!" ³³ When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴ "Where have you put him?" He asked. "Lord," they told Him, "come and see." ³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ So the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"

How easily do you cry? What makes you cry: movies, books, sad stories, real life events of someone you care about, or what? How does your crying or lack of it make you feel?

Why do you think Jesus wept when He knew this story would have a happy ending?

       III. A SUPERNATURAL APPROACH TO GRIEF – JOHN 11:43-44

⁴³ After He said this, He shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴ The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him and let him go."

Where have you seen claims of supernatural power in today’s world? How do you tend to respond to those claims?

For those who are part of the human family, and that includes all of us, grief in large and small ways touches our lives. We can take each other by the hand and walk together with God through the pain.

C. S. Lewis once said, “It is because God loves us that he makes us the gift of suffering. The pain is part of the happiness - that's the deal.”

The good news is that no matter how lonely we might feel in our grief, we don't have to face it alone. God sits right down next to us and cries with us. He holds our hand and our hearts. He shows us what to do, whether the grief is ours or for someone else. This study will help equip us to navigate through this maze we call grief.

Have a blessed rest of the week and let's pray that God will unfold His unfailing truths to each of us as we journey through this maze, together.

In His Love,

David & Susan