Location: Same place, bedtime, 20 October 2009.
Hi Gang, I hope you had a good day today; I did. I really love the people of the village we were in today, and it was nice to have some special guests with us today. And again, God miraculously stopped rain...
I thought you might be interested in what we are teaching. So far, our lessons have been about the Ten Commandments, but we were each assigned to write a lesson. God taught me a lot, so I put it in a lesson; it is just the rough draft, but it will show you the format we use: Enjoy!
Lesson Title: Does God care?
Power Point: True life comes from Jesus!
Subpoints:
1. God waits patiently for us to come to Him. (1 Peter 3:18-22)
2. God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and judge the ungodly (2 Peter 2:4-10)
3. God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:8-9; John 6:35-40)
Memory Verse: John 6:40 (Spoken by Jesus...)
"For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
Pre-Opening
Rules
Prayer
Song: "Jesus Loves Me"
4 Most Important Things
Previous Lesson Review Questions
Games: "Musical Chairs"
Quiet Seat
Introduction: Mark 4:35-41 (Calming the Storm: Do You not care that we are perishing?)
(In a boat...)
Whoa, look at those waves! They will smash the boat! And that wind is sending the boat in the wrong direction! What are we going to do! I am scared! Jesus! Jesus! Wake up! Do you not care that we are perishing?!
Pause! (Freeze!)
Does it ever seem like nothing in life is going right? Maybe you do not have enough warm clothes, or enough food to eat. Maybe you are all alone and scared. Maybe you somebody is beating you up, and you are afraid you are going to be killed! You have heard that there is a wonderful God, but you sure are suffering a lot! Where is that God! Is He asleep somewhere? Is He really so wonderful? Does He even care that you are dying? Does God care?!
Yes! God cares! God cares so much that He wants to make everything better. He wants to give us a new life, a true life that only comes from Jesus, His Son! But God is patient, waiting for us to come to Him. He knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to judge the ungodly. He is waiting, because He does not want anyone to perish!
Bible Lesson: Genesis 6:5-9:17 (Noah and the Flood)
God was displeased because humans had turned away from the true life He offered, doing evil things instead. He was so sad that He had created humans that He decided to destroy the entire earth! But since He looks at our hearts, He saw one man with a good heart--Noah! He decided to save Noah and His family. He gave Noah a tough assignment, "Build a huge boat in the middle of the desert, and put two kinds of each animal on it!" It took Noah a lot of hard work for about 100 years to do this, but God waited patiently, knowing that Noah's suffering would be worth it. Finally, it was finished, and God told Noah and his family and the animals to get inside the boat. The whole earth was flooded because it rained for more than a month straight! Every living thing perished--except Noah's family and the animals on the boat. They were alive! God had waited patiently--He knew how to save Noah, and He did not want Noah to die!
Object Lesson 1: The Bench
(One grandmother and a little girl sitting on a cold bench in winter.)
It was freezing cold, and the bench was a cold place to sit. If you had seen that little girl sitting on the bench, shivering, you might have thought that her grandmother did not love her. Why would she make her sit in the cold for so long?! Why did her grandmother bring her on such a long walk through the forest to sit on that cold bench on that cold winter's day?! Did she not see her shivering? Did she not hear her teeth chattering? Did she not care?
But I am thankful that they sat on that bench in the cold. They were waiting patiently for me, my big sister and my Grandma. It was a long, cold, scary walk home through those woods, and they wanted to make sure I made it home safely. Sometimes waiting for someone you love means that someone else has to suffer a little bit. But God thinks it is worth it. True life comes from Jesus, God's Son! God is waiting patiently for us to come to Him, so that we can have that true life!
Object Lesson 2: The Mask
(One mask)
Yesterday, my big brother scared me! I was asleep and he woke me up--and he was wearing a mask! He was offering me candy, but I could not tell who it was! Only when he took off the mask did I recognize him!
God is never fooled by a mask! He looks at our hearts! He knows who is acting good, and who is acting bad, even when they are wearing a mask! God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to judge the ungodly. He knows who needs help, and who needs to be punished, because He can see their hearts. He knows that true life only comes from Jesus, and so He looks for Jesus in each person's heart!
Object Lesson 3: The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)
(One little sheep)
This sheep got lost last week. There was a little boy watching 100 sheep, and one night he noticed one was missing. It was rainy and cold. A lot of people probably would have stayed warm with the rest of the sheep, thinking, "I have ninety-nine other sheep, I do not care if one little one is missing!" But this little boy did care! He left the other sheep and went out in the rain and cold, searching for hours in the dark until he found it!
God does the same thing! Even if a lot of people are enjoying true life with Him, He does not want even one person to miss out on it! He is willing to let everyone else wait just so He can save one person that got lost! He does not anyone to be lost! He does not want anyone to perish! He wants everyone to have the true life that comes from Jesus!
Life Lesson: No Way, Jose!
1.) Jose was so excited! Today he was going to ride the train all by himself--for the first time! He was going to visit his grandma!
2.) His mother took him to the train station and helped him get on the right train. She gave him her cell phone, in case he needed anything. She also handed him his pillow for the long ride, a little pillow shaped like a sheep.
3.) Perfect--everything was perfect! Suddenly, Jose froze as three men with masks and big guns ran past him. He started crying as the train stopped, especially when he heard BANG! BANG! Soon he heard other passengers talking--they had been taken hostage!
4.) He was miserable! He was scared! Oh, why had he wanted to come so badly? Remembering his mom's cell phone, he quickly called his grandma. He tried to explain what was happening, and how scared he was, but he was crying too much. His grandmother promised to help, and she promised she would wait for him.
Preaching Point: Just like Jose's grandmother, God is waiting patiently for us to come to Him. Sometimes while He waits, bad things happen to us, or to the people around us. But even then, He will not give up. He will wait for us, because He loves us!
5.) Jose sunk lower in the seat, sobbing, as one of the men passed by him. Jose thought he was going to die! He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed, remembering something his grandmother had said to him on the phone, "True life comes from Jesus!"
6.) His eyes popped open as he heard noises outside his window--the police! His grandmother must have called them! He saw them aiming their guns at the train. Suddenly, he was afraid again! What if they accidentally shot him? What if the gunmen killed some hostages before the police were able to rescue them?
Preaching Point: We do not have to be scared like Jose! The Bible says that God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to judge the ungodly. Sometimes it seems like good people are suffering while bad people have a perfect life, but do not worry! God has plans to rescue the godly people and to punish the ungodly. Remember, that is what He did when He saved Noah from the flood!
7.) Time must have stopped. At least, that is what Jose thought. It felt like he had been sitting there for a very long time! Outside, the police were standing still, their guns pointed toward the train. Inside the train, no one moved.
8.) Then, outside, he saw some people running from the train to the police! They had been released! Now he had a little bit of hope! Look! More people were free! Hurray, he would be saved!
9.) But suddenly, his hope shattered, becoming a nightmare again! The masked men came into his train car and told everyone they could leave--except him! They kept Jose on the train, even after they released everyone else! He hugged his sheep-pillow, praying and hoping they would not forget about him! Why were the police just standing there?! Why did the not do anything?!
Preaching Point: The police were waiting because they did not want Jose to get killed when they arrested the masked men. They did not want even one person to be killed! It is the same with God--He does not want anyone to perish! Not even one small child! He cares about each one of us! He loves each of his little sheep!
10.) Soon, it was all over! The train started rolling forward, and Jose was afraid he would never see his family again. But all of a sudden there were gunshots, and the police came onto the train and arrested the men. They stopped the train, and the passengers got back on. As the train began to move again, Jose started praying for the men who had been wearing masks. He was glad that the scary men had not been killed by the police, because he hoped that they would learn that true life comes from Jesus. And he thanked the Lord, because he knew that his grandma was waiting patiently for him on a bench at the train station!
Prayer: Father, sometimes I feel like you do not care. Sometimes I am scared, because life seems really bad. Sometimes I hurt. But I know that you love me, that you have offered me true life from your Son, Jesus. I know that you are waiting patiently for me to come to you. Thank you for your patience, and for your power to save. Thank you for your love; I know that you do not want any of your sheep to be lost. I love you, too. Amen.
This blog is your opportunity to travel with me wherever I am in the world, during both the mundane and exciting moments of life that I humbly recognize as holy. As I bare my life to you, may your reading take you beyond my words to the Word, beyond my life to the Life, beyond the chaos to the Truth, and beyond teachings to the Teacher--the Rabboni. I promise it will be an adventure, and by the end, may you, too, truly know the Way!
A Rose From Home
My Story (As prepared for my church congregation this spring--2009)
I have a story to tell you. I am the main character, but the story is not about me. I have traveled several parts of the world, but my adventure has been closer to home. I am twenty-six years old. My story begins like many of yours…
I grew up going to church. I had been born into a family who labeled themselves “Christian,” in a country that labels itself “Christian.” Every Sunday found me attending a worship service and Sunday school in a mainline denomination church. I served as an acolyte, attended Vacation Bible School, helped my dad count and record the offering money, sang in the youth choir, was a leader in the youth group, and occasionally served as liturgist. Baptized as an infant, I was confirmed at the age of twelve, thus becoming an “official” member of the church. Then, hurt by the church, my family left to find another.
Have you ever been hurt by the Church?
After months of searching, we settled into a very large independent church. Things were different there, and I was quickly welcomed and at home among new friends that truly had a passion for Jesus. The Word of God was taught boldly from the pulpit, and I was introduced to a missions-aware lifestyle. So it was with regret that I said goodbye only a couple of years later to move with my family to another church. I purposely remained aloof, not wanting to make new friendships before I left for college a year later. Besides, I was loosing my faith—or so I thought—and I didn’t want anyone to know. I was asking scary questions like “Is there really a God?” and, if so, “Is He the Christian God?” and “Would I be Christian if I had been born in another part of the world?”
Have you ever asked yourself unsettling questions about what you believe?
So I headed into college under a cloud of confusion that only worsened for the next two years. Though I didn’t know what I believed anymore, I continued to go to church every Sunday, and to help lead worship in chapel. Most importantly, even during this questioning, I continued my morning habit of daily study of the Bible. I had begun at age twelve, reading at first a chapter per day, then ten minutes each morning, then an half-hour, and so on. So, only by the grace of the very God I doubted, I remained anchored in His Word and in His community, though I felt like a fake most of the time. Since then I have learned that “fake” is the worst insult the world can give us; that is why the label of “hypocrite” is so offensive.
Have you ever felt like a fake?
Six weeks with missionaries in South Africa followed by a year in France began to teach me what life with God is all about. I began rebuilding my faith, this time it belonged to me, in contrast to me borrowing the faith of my parents, church, or anyone else. In my parent’s basement in 2003, on either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, I invited Jesus to live in me; perhaps I had done so before, but I didn’t recall—but since 2003, I have never forgotten that moment. Unfortunately, nothing changed. I continued to do my best to act like a Christian, as I had done for so long.
Have you ever found yourself “doing your best” to be a good person, or to act like a Christian?
Though I did not realize it at the time, I was quenching the Spirit, even though I had welcomed Him into my life. During the next few years, the LORD continued to nurture me, and slowly things began to change. Several tough months in Idaho birthed my prayer-life. I spent three years being humbled in a job that was my informal seminary training. In 2007, a short stint in Mexico helped me to see things as they were, and not long afterward, I was baptized by immersion. No baptism of any kind can save a lost soul—only Jesus can do that. However, this baptism was an important covenant between me and God, symbolizing not only my death and resurrection with Jesus and my public profession of faith, but it also my life change, the beginning of my bearing fruit. “For each tree is known by its own fruit…”according to Luke 6:44. During the past year and a half, the LORD has provided me with an informal pastoral internship in my church, teaching me every aspect of discipleship. Simultaneously, I have been studying unceasing prayer and worship. I am now very different than I was five years ago.
In the Book of Acts (which tells the story of the earliest years of the Church) every time a person decided to follow Christ, two things took place—though not always in the same order. Each person experienced a life change, which I call the “baptism of repentance,” as well as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which I call the “baptism of the Spirit.” Looking back, I realize that the Holy Spirit was living in me in 2003, but it wasn’t until I surrendered everything to God, as represented by my immersion, that I allowed the Spirit to have His way in me and transform my life. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)”
Have you invited Jesus to live in you? Have you allowed the Spirit to transform your life?
I tell you this story for two reasons. First, I tell this story in order to boast in the LORD! May God our Father get all praise and glory forever! Second, I tell this story because it is relevant to you. Likely you have heard that I am leaving the country: I have let my light shine before you; please let your light shine within the Church, too! This congregation is in revival, and as each of you allows the Spirit to revive you, the entire Church will be revived and utterly transformed, to the glory of the Most High God. And for His glory is the reason He created us; the reason He sent His only Son to reveal Himself to us; the reason He became Sin for us and died for us on the cross—while we were still sinners; and the reason that He conquered death and offered us eternal life with Him.
It will cost you a lot—in fact, it will cost you everything, your very life. But if you have never surrendered your life to Christ Jesus, if you have never invited Him to send His Spirit into you and to transform your life, then do it right now. Just let go of everything to which you are desperately clinging; stop trying to do it yourself! This is the very reason you are still breathing in this physical life—God has been delaying His judgment of this sinful world because He is waiting for you—2 Peter 3:9 says He wants none to perish!
If you have already invited the Spirit into your life, then live like it! Bear fruit! Anyone and everyone who meets you or knows you or sees you or hears you should know immediately and clearly that Jesus the Christ lives in you and loves them! That is how stark the contrast should be between your life and the world around you!
Have you immersed yourself in God’s Word and in prayer in the last twenty-four hours?
If you call yourself a follower of Christ, then there is no excuse for not communing with Him daily! Anchor yourself in the Word! God has revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Bible is a complete and accurate record of that revelation. And prayer is humbly letting Him love us. Let Him love you! God doesn’t need us, but He wants us! God doesn’t need us to live for Him—He wants to live in and through us! Let us love and fellowship with one another, even when you disagree! Pray for each other—the names in the church directory are a great place to start! Church, we are not only the Body of Christ, but we are the Bride of Christ. We have allowed ourselves to get bedraggled and stained—now let us stand to the glory of God! Let’s let Him purify us, restore us, and love us!
My dear Brothers and Sisters, if you have ever once been blessed by God our Father at work in me, then I urge you, please, take seriously His desire to love and work in you, beyond anything you can ask or imagine! I have told you the beginning of my story—may it end in glory to the Father, in the Name of Jesus, by way of His Spirit.
Now, what is your story?