Class Lesson March 20, 2011

Hey Christian,

The road of salvation is not an easy one. But, oh, is it full of enriching adventure!  We are all pilgrims in progress on the road to the celestial city. It's not that people have to do difficult things to be saved, but along this road, life will bring difficulty - Jesus promised this! Sometimes this  difficulty can overwhelm even the most well-meaning and faithful  pilgrims. Our March study has been from 1 Peter as our guide on this journey to how we can live and travel confidently even in difficult times. 

Our first lesson outlined the hope we have to hold onto in times of difficulty when our faith is under fire. Remember difficulty precedes victory as we saw in the movie "Rudy" and it wouldn't have been much of a story if Rudy hadn't gone through his difficulties. Also remember that the lessons of trust that God sends us many times come wrapped in the difficulties we face. Last week's lesson addressed how God expects us to act when life is hard and questions  whether or not we are ready for action? God expects us to live holy, reverent and obedient lives.

This week we look at what we can do to be sure that  the relationships we encounter every day survive and even thrive during difficult times, even when those relationships are under stress. Our lesson says it's all about where your beauty comes from. Now, what in the world could that mean?

1 Peter 2:11-3:12

How we respond to people (relationships) when we are under stress (difficult times) can be a challenge to anyone, especially the Christian – why?

Because It Shows Your Beauty

“Your beauty should not consist of outward things…it should consist of the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

 

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Where does your beauty come from? Is it real or distorted? Can people tell you are a genuine Christian by the way you talk, dress, and behave or are you distorted? Do hard times pull people apart or bind people together?

When you are under stress, how do you respond to people?

1.    Do you stormed out of a store when a clerk is slow?

2.    Do you erupt sometimes when your spouse asks an innocent question?

3.    Have you ever responded harshly to a church member for something trivial?

In this lesson this week, we will examine 3 relationships: unbelievers, family and church and Peter will give us 3 beauty tips for each relationship under stress. 

            I.  BEAUTY TIP FOR UNBELIEVERS – 1PETER 2:11-12

A Call to Good Works

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. ¹² Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do evil, they may, by observing your good works, glorify God in a day of visitation.

What does Peter mean by aliens and temporary residents? What does Peter mean by fleshly desires?

Why would unbelievers speak against you? How does Peter say we should respond to the labels, slander, prejudice, and misunderstandings by non-believers?

What is the goal for having relationships with unbelievers?

  

       II. BEAUTY TIP FOR THE HOME – 1PETER 3:1-7

Wives and Husbands

¹ Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the [Christian] message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live, ² when they observe your pure, reverent lives. ³ Your beauty should not consist of outward things [like] elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes; ⁴ instead, [it should consist of] the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes. ⁵ For in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, ⁶ just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do good and aren't frightened by anything alarming.  ⁷ Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

How does Peter instruct a wife to love her non-Christian husband? What are Peter’s instructions to the husband?

What if the unbelieving husband orders his believing wife to engage in sinful behavior?

            III. BEAUTY TIP FOR BELIEVERS – 1PETER 3:8-12

Do No Evil

⁸ Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble, ⁹ not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For the one who wants to love life and to see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, ¹¹ and he must turn away from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it, ¹² because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their request. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

What could create stress in our relationships with believers in church?

What do you usually do when you don’t get along with people from church?

1.    I change churches.

2.    I drop them as friends.

3.    I talk about them behind their backs.

4.    I try to move past it without actually dealing with the problem.

5.    I keep loving them and pursue peace in the relationship.

6.    Other:______________________________________________

What do you think is at the heart of hostility among church folk?

What characteristics does Peter say should be true of all believers?

It takes two to keep conflict going. How does dropping the rope in tug-of-war stop the war? How does what Peter had said above drop the rope in believers’ conflict?

Prayer This Week

Lord, help those whose relationships are under stress. Amen

I hope that each of you have a blessed week and that you pray and prepare for God's Word to speak to you during this lesson on Sunday. Also don't forget this Saturday the 19th we will meet in the church parking lot (across from the Police station)  at 12:30pm to collect and deliver everything for the Burmese Immigrants we are helping as a class - please come and help us help them! Thomas Samoros will have his truck and trailer there for delivery.

In His Love,

David & Susan 

Class Lesson March 13, 2011

Hey Gang,

This Sunday we will spend the hour in fellowship as our class has been blessed with several new couples. We have done these circle times before in our old class and they were always very special, why? Because we have time to talk, share prayer concerns and really get to know each other.

Now for those of you that don't want to miss our lesson plans, below is a summary of this weeks' lesson:

1 Peter 1:13-2:1

Think About This

How many times have you felt it was more practical to conform to the world’s standards rather than to God’s standard?

How many times have you wondered if it’s even possible to be “holy” or to obey God in all things?

How many times have you had a hard time showing love to other people when you are going through a difficult period?

Christians are suppose to be different, but more than not Christians’ lives are not noticeably different from unbelievers’ lives. Our lesson this week says that we can break this mold, how? By doing what's right no matter how difficult things are.

Ask Yourself

What motivates you to do the right thing? When times are tough, is it harder or easier to do the right thing?

• Our lesson challenges each of us to demonstrate a holy, reverent, and obedient lifestyle.

I. BE HOLY! – 1PETER 1:13-16

A Call to Holy Living

¹³ Therefore, get your minds ready for action, being self-disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance ¹⁵ but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; ¹⁶ for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

What do you do when someone betrays you or your adult child? What if you are in danger of losing your job even after working faithfully? In such situations, is it okay to get revenge, to lash out, to cut corners? How do you remain faithful to God in the day to day?

1.    Christians are no longer to be conformed to their old lives of ignorance.

2.    We are to have renewed minds and disciplined actions.

3.    Our hope of the Lord’s coming exerts a moral imperative.

4.    We are to be holy because we worship a holy God.

II. BE REVERENT! – 1PETER 1:17-21

¹⁷ And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially based on each one's work, you are to conduct yourselves in reverence during this time of temporary residence. ¹⁸ For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things, like silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. ²⁰ He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the times for you ²¹ who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

People act with loving fear toward things all the time. A guy who loves his car inwardly cringes when someone leans on it. A woman who loves clothes will carefully follow the cleaning instructions fearing damage to her clothes in any way. Love and healthy fear go hand in hand. But some fear is not healthy and some love is not reverent.

1.    Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.

2.    He redeemed us from sin and death.

3.    Gratitude for our redemption produces in us reverent fear.

III. BE OBEDIENT! – 1PETER 1:22-2:1

²² By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³ since you have been born again —not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower drops off, ²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.

When we fear God, we love Him. When we love God, we obey Him. When we obey God, we get rid of everything that keeps us from loving people; we take on qualities that equip us to bring delight in every area from work to disagreements.

1.    Those who are born again become children of God.

2.    Children of God love others with a warm and sincere family love.

3.    We are to practice self-giving love that acts for the good of others.

4.    New believers desire the Word of God the way an infant desires milk.

New life in Christ doesn't come and go depending on feelings and circumstances. Even when going through difficult times, God calls us to show love. And He gives us the power to do so. Choose to show love when others are kind and when they are rude, when they are thoughtful and when they are selfish, when they love you and when they hate you.

Bottom Line

“Practice what you preach (profess).” This is what every Christian must do. Failing to live consistently with our professed beliefs is hypocrisy, and nothing is so deadly to the cause of Christ. On the other hand, Christians who live holy lives, love one another, obey the Word of God, and live by eternal standards have the joy of leading critics to glorify our God.

  

Think About This

In which of these three areas of Christian living (holy, reverent, obedient) are you closest to doing what God’s Word calls for?

In which area are you the farthest away from obeying the Lord?

Prayer This Week

Lord, help me live in such a way that those who criticize Christians will come to glorify You. Amen

 

In His Love,

David & Susan

Class Lesson March 6, 2011

Hey Gang,

We begin a new series this week entitled "Confident Living in Difficult Times" and we will be exploring over the next 4 weeks 1 Peter 1 - 4. This study is about living confidently in difficult times and while suffering is the dominate theme of Peter's epistle, hope and holiness are the prominent emphases. Peter wrote to Christians who were suffering for their faith. He wrote to encourage them with the hope of eternal life and to demonstrate holy living in spite of their suffering. 

We all have our own definitions for "difficult times." At such times, the Lord does not leave us to face these times alone. He is with us to strengthen us, and He inspires us to look beyond our troubles to the promise of the Word of God. 1 Peter opens this week with a lesson on Faith Under Fire.

Peter tells us in this lesson that regardless of your circumstances, believers have a living hope that cannot be taken away, and they have the resources to continue living holy lives. 

Alright now, so the topic is suffering, what's your initial response: (a) been there, done that; (b) I'm living it now; (c) I'd rather not suffer; (d) I know other people who need this lesson more than me?  The fact is that we live in difficult times and some of those difficulties make their way into our homes, kid's lives, and workplaces. Our lesson this week says that when suffering comes, you have resources to draw on: truth, godly people, and God Himself.

But you are probably thinking this is another one of those joy in suffering lessons when nobody can really explain how I'm suppose to be cheerful or joyful when life is hard. The fact is when I'm in the middle of a bad situation, I really just want it to end, I don't want to hear how it's an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Not everyone keeps on keeping on when their faith is under fire. They might give in to a temptation or make a hurtful choice that leads to even more pain. What makes it easy to give up on God? How can we keep on obeying instead? Why is that hard-for-a-little-while action easier for the long run? How can you help someone keep on keeping on?

This week's lesson is from 1 Peter 1:1-12, pay close attention to Peter's encouraging words to Christians that are going through difficult times and let's see how his inspired words might help us today.

Hope your week is blessed and you will prepare for God message this week to each of us when our faith is under fire.

In His Love,

David & Susan

Class Lesson February 27, 2011

Hey Gang,

Well, this is our final lesson from the book of Hosea and hasn't it been filled with some soul searching truths? The song I played last week I'd like for you to listen and watch once again, because it certainly set's the tone for this week's truth as well. Click on the link below to watch:

Lead Me

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Our lesson this week opened with this quote, "God is at home, it's we who have gone out for a walk." - Meister Eckhart

What do you think Thomas Wolfe meant when he said, "You Can't Go Home Again?"

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

calling for you and for me;

see, on the portals He's waiting and watching,

watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home;

earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

calling, O sinner, come home! 

Thank God that even when we sin and consequently pull away from God, we can come home, again. Hosea's message to Israel is the same message to us today. God loves us with an outrageous kind of love. You can't do anything bad enough for Him to love you less and you can't do anything good enough for Him to love you more. We want His forgiveness, He wants our loyalty - that's pretty simple isn't it? God loves to welcome us home!

God's final message this week through Hosea is to Get Honest (14:1-3), Get Growing (14:4-7), and Get Smart (14:8-9). We are going to open this lesson Sunday with a message from Rob Bell called "Lump." Watch a brief intro of the video below:

Lump: Rob Bell 

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I can't wait for this closing message God gives you and me through Hosea this Sunday, please don't miss it! 

Have a blessed rest of the week and I'll see you on Sunday.

In His Love,

David & Susan 

Class Lesson February 20, 2011

Hey Gang,

We are coming down to the final two lesson from the book of Hosea. Remember, the book of Hosea was addressed to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, though the Southern Kingdom was mentioned at times too. In part of our lesson this week, Hosea draws upon the history of the united people before their division in 1 Kings 12:1-19. Israel's very name means "struggles with God" this is found in Genesis 32:24-28. In Genesis 46 we read where the nation of Israel was led by God's own hand into Egypt and was richly blessed there. About 400 years later, though, things changed and the nation of Israel faced cruel and unjust oppression from Egyptian masters. But God had not forgotten Israel and He miraculously called and brought Israel out of their oppression, led by His servant Moses. However, though He rescued them from slavery and led them to freedom, Israel continued to struggle with God. The nation complained, rebelled, and continued to choose spiritual slavery over the freedom that God offered in covenant relationship with Him.

This week we see God's love from the view of a father.

Hosea began his message by picturing God as a rejected husband who nonetheless lovingly forgave and loved back his wayward wife - Hosea 1-3. This week, though, Hosea has shifted his imagery of God from a Husband to a Father - not an abusive father, but as a tender father wanting his children close. So, Israel, you and I are shown this week in the role of children, rebelling and testing our independence before our Father in heaven.

It's along these lines of thought that we can think to ourselves at times, why on earth did I do that, I know better, how can I be so stupid? Have you ever felt like you were drifting farther and farther from God - to the point that you think God doesn't love or care for you anymore? Have you ever  caught yourself just taking for granted God's never-failing love. Why do we think like this or continue to do these stupid things that we know better than to do?

Well, thanks be to God, that we read this week that He pursues us; He nurtures us ; and He will not abandon us as we will see in Hosea 11:1-11.  

Give a little thought this week about a memory you have of a teacher at school, church, or home  that helped you master some skill or activity. Think about what kind of child you were growing up: strong willed or compliant? How did this teacher work with your bent nature? Maybe you need to revisit Caleb's awakening at the cross of Jesus? Click below if you want to see last week's video clip from the movie Fireproof.

Caleb Understands God's Love

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Stay with this lesson through the end next week as we close with how God loves to welcome us home! Have a blessed remainder of the week as we prepare for God's truths through His Holy Word.

In His Love,

David & Susan

Class Lesson February 13, 2011

Hey Gang,

Last week we started our lesson series on the book of Hosea. Our opening question was this -  what's your definition of love? Many of you acknowledged the 3-types of love in the bible: Agape - meaning God's unconditional love, Eros - the sensual love we experience in marriage, and Phileo - the brotherly love we experience with others. The initial point of the lesson was that we tend to put these three expressions of love in separate boxes and God wants us to experience, understand and live-out an agape love in our marriages and in our relationships with others. One love expressed in three ways kind of like the Trinity.

1 John 4:16 says that, "God is love..." Marriage is ordained by God and illustrates His relationship with His people. There is no greater tragedy than the violation of these sacred vows. Hosea the prophet to Israel (Northern Kingdom) is commanded by God to marry an unfaithful woman (Gomer) in order to show Israel that they had committed spiritual adultery against the Lord and that their sin of idolatry was as painful to God as Gomer's unfaithfulness to Hosea.

In the movie Fireproof, Caleb is on the verge of divorce from his wife Catherine because he had loved other things when he should have been loving his wife. He doesn't understand the love he is suppose to have for Catherine until he comes to the cross of Jesus. His apology to Catherine is very telling in that this is the sin of Israel too - she loved other things beside God. Watch Caleb's apology below:

Caleb's Apology 

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Hosea demonstrated through his love for Gomer the kind of love God felt for Israel. This week we examine the loyalty that God expects of His people.

Moses said that God loved Israel because He loved her (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). God's love is totally of grace - that's what makes grace so amazing. God chose Israel in spite of what she was, not because of what she was. He knew her sin, her weakness, her bent to evil. God's love for Israel was not blind and neither was Hosea's love for Gomer.  Israel's response to God's love should have been humble gratitude, devotion, and loving obedience. However, it didn't take long for Israel to reveal her latent idolatrous heart. Remember what Kirk Cameron said, "In marriage the heart of my problems is the problem of my heart."

Give a little thought this week about what it means to be loyal to God. The tribes of Israel were unfaithful toward God, so was restoration even possible? Hosea 6:1-3 give the indication that it was if they returned to the Lord - what did that mean?

Are there behaviors, public or private, that you need to repent of? Do you ever find yourself pushing convictions aside, as if the small sins are not that big of a deal? Or do you sometimes see yourself just going through the religious motions to deal with the sins in your life?

Our lesson this week is from Hosea 6:1 - 7:2 and it outlines the loyalty God expects from each of us that claim to follow Him.

See you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

 

Class Lesson February 6, 2011

Hey Gang,

This Sunday we begin a new 4 week series entitled "God's Outrageous Love" all from the book of Hosea. As I turn to the book of Hosea I find myself in the final segment of the Old Testament with the writings of those called the "minor prophets." Of course, it isn't their message that is minor, it's just that their books are shorter and more focused. Hosea's prophesy is  considered a "living parable," in other words, he is called to live out his message. His prophesy is also called a love story, not the silly, "love ya' man" or "baby, I need your lovin" kind of love, I'm talking about God's unconditional kind of love. Hosea demonstrates for us the very depth and magnitude of God's love for Israel and for us as we read and learn how God Loves the Unlovely. The song "Your Grace Still Amazes Me" comes to my mind as I read this story.

The first time God spoke to Hosea...

The book of Hosea contains no preface aside from the opening sentence or two. There is no wading into this pool - we immediately jump off the deep end and the interesting thing is that Hosea does too. Think about this, here's a godly man, minding his own business when suddenly, he hears a command from the Lord! And what a command, you can almost see Hosea saying, "You want me to do what?" This reminds me of Bill Cosby's portrayal of Noah when God first spoke to him about building an ark. Watch it below and see if you agree:

Bill Cosby's Noah 

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If you thought Noah's command was strange, imagine what it must have been like for Hosea when his first message from God was to go, find a prostitute, and marry her! For Hosea to say, "Who is this really?" wouldn't have been an unreasonable question for him to ask. However, here's the difference, Hosea recognized the voice of God and he responds, not as Bill Cosby might have imagined, but in an immediate, humble obedience. God spoke - Hosea obeyed. You can hardly begin reading this book and you see that "Hosea did it." If I push everything back for a moment, before plunging into the rest of this story, I have to stop and marvel at Hosea's ability to hear, recognize and then obey the voice of God, even though what he has heard must seem highly unreasonable and questionable. This is rather remarkable, don't you think?

How can a child who is given an abundance of love, mercy, and grace treat a Father with so much disrespect?

Hosea is also a story of family troubles, and family relationships are always the most sensitive of our experiences. The primary family relationships are marriage and parenthood. Unfaithfulness in a marriage is one of life's most bitter betrayals and destroys the bond of love and trust. Dishonor of parents by their children is one of the most painful and destructive experiences for parents and children. The book of Hosea uses both of these traumatic family relations to communicate the pain to God caused by human sin. God pictures Himself like a husband to Israel and later as a dishonored Father. This dark side of our sin shows the seriousness of sin against God; it's like being unfaithful to a loving and trusting spouse, or dishonoring the parents who gave you life and love. 

We will see a powerful love and a painful betrayal in this story. We will see the beauty of marital sex and we will see the dirty side of sex in the marketplace. We will see the anger of God as He declares the coming destruction as a result of their sin, and we will see God's mercy as He promises restoration. There's nothing in Hosea that lends itself to a relaxing late night read before bed - this book is an emotional roller coaster. God is truly the God of Second Chances!

So, sit back in your chair and quietly tip toe into the book of Hosea as we begin with God's Outrageous Command in Hosea 1:2-3 and then His Severe Indictment in chapter 1:4-9 and finally His Miraculous Grace in chapter 3:1-5. This book is for adults only!

Hope to see you Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan