Monday, February 6, 2012

Make-Up: February 5th, 2012


On February 5th, we had a lesson Lost and Found (Luke 15). We ask you to read through the material and comment in the box. You can answer the big question to get the discussion started.

Parables of Lost and Found

Bible Text: 

Lesson Focus: 
God always makes the extra effort to find the lost and welcome them home.

Big Question: 
Does God really look for everyone who is lost?

Key Words: 
LOST, FOUND, GRACE, FORGIVENESS, CELEBRATE

Definition Of Key Words

LOST: the result of having gone astray. We may be lost in the sense of being missed by those from whom we have departed and in the sense of not being able to return to the proper place or path.

FOUND: the result of searching to locate, attain, or obtain that which was lost.

GRACE: the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God; "God's Riches At Christ's Expense."

FORGIVENESS: the pardoning of an offense or an offender; the act of holding a person blameless, as God freely does for us.

CELEBRATE: to make known publicly or to proclaim or praise widely when something special has happened, such as the lost being found and forgiven.

Message Overview

The "lost and found" parables of Luke 15 have a common theme—joy in finding the lost. They also have a common effect on careful hearers and readers who don't think of themselves as being "lost"—in short, they offend. When we read these parables, we usually think their primary message is that God loves to find the lost. So true, but the context in which these stories are told is important. It demands that we look at the hard question the parables pose for the (supposedly) "non-lost." These "non-lost" individuals just might be the real intended recipients of the message in these stories. Your students may not even have the concept of being lost in their experience. Thus, teaching the parables is a vital opportunity to proclaim this beginning point of our doctrine.

In Luke 14 Jesus is invited to eat with a leader of the Pharisees. He accepts, and on his way there he delivers a number of sometimes cryptic teachings leading up to the lost and found parables. Jesus continues teaching in Luke 15, bemused or angry at the muttering of the Pharisees and scribes over his welcoming and eating with sinners, and in that context the parables are given. Jesus begins with the story of the lost sheep, starting with "Which one of you . . ." (Luke 15:4). He continues with the story of the lost coin, leading with "What woman . . ." (Luke 15:8). The implication is clear: who wouldn't go search for the lost sheep or the lost coin? Well, a shepherd or a woman who didn't think the lost sheep or lost coin was worth much, the muttering Pharisees and scribes might have been thinking.

Not so with God, Jesus tells them. God loves the lost and sinful! This is good news! God is like the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep who aren't lost to get the one that is lost. God is like the woman who has a party when she finds her lost coin. At least one of the meanings of these two seemingly simple parables is that God prizes what is lost even if it would seem to be of lesser value than what is still possessed (the 99 sheep or the nine coins).

The ante is upped in the parable of the prodigal son. This parable's message of grace is beautiful—the father running out to meet the son and putting his arms around him and kissing him before the lost son even has the chance to ask for forgiveness. That's grace in a nutshell. We don't often enough put ourselves in the place of the elder son. He is our prideful self, the side of us that not only thinks we can make it into the "father's arms" on our own but also privately thinks we have. We've done the right things, albeit grudgingly in some instances. We've stayed home and worked hard. We've sat in the pews and confirmation class, even when we would have rather squandered that time doing something else. We're the righteous ones. We're the elder son in this story.

The point of these parables is to call the elder sons into the party. We fully experience God's grace when we can celebrate it with others and not keep insisting we've earned it and others have not. Those who insist on living by merit can't ever know the true joy of grace. These parables expose our rather grudging spirits. We often think God is too good to everyone else and not good enough to us. We want mercy for ourselves but justice for others. These stories are a call to celebrate God's radical grace. God loves everyone, not because of what they have or haven't done, or who they are or aren't. God loves each of us because that's who God is.

The question posed to the non-lost and the righteous, all of us, in these parables is simply this: Will you join the party and thereby share in God's mercy, or will you clutch your self-bestowed merit badges and stay outside the party grumbling? At the end of the parable of the prodigal son, the question remains as to whether the older son goes into the party or not. That is the question directed at us, the reader and hearer of the parable.

Make-up: January 29, 2012

On January 29th, we had a lesson on the Beatitudes. For the online version, we are just going to have the Scripture, lesson focus, big questions, key words and message overview here. We ask you to read the material and comment in the comment section so that we know that you read through the material. In the comment section, you may answer the big question.


The Beatitudes

Bible Text: 

Lesson Focus: 
In God's kingdom, the things that rule our earthly life no longer apply.

Big Question
What blessings are there for me in God's kingdom?

Key Words: 
BEATITUDE, PEACE, JUSTICE

Definition of Key Words

BEATITUDE: the term assigned to the sayings of Jesus found in Matthew 5:3–12. It is also a word that means "perfect happiness" in the literary world.

PEACE: the absence of violence, conflict, or oppression.

JUSTICE: To treat all people fairly in the correct or impartial way.


Message Overview

Early in Jesus' public ministry, according to the Gospel of Matthew, crowds begin to follow him, amazed at his teaching and healing. While in their midst, Jesus climbs to a high place, and on this natural stage, he addresses the crowds. This Sermon on the Mount is full of radical new ways of looking at the world: Preferential treatment is given to the poor, standards of success are turned upside down, and values shift dramatically. Christ asks his followers to live a life in stark contrast to the world around them. This distinct community will bear witness to the power of God's love.

The Beatitudes have been interpreted in many ways since Jesus first spoke the words. Martin Luther, in keeping with his personal experience, believed the words of the Beatitudes were meant to show us our sinfulness and therefore drive us to the righteousness of Jesus. On the opposite end of the spectrum, popular belief in modern years has often defined the Beatitudes as a prescription for individual happiness, a guide for life's journey, or just another self-help book. TV evangelists have used Christ's teachings in the Beatitudes as the basis for books, including The Be-Happy Attitudes (Robert Schuller) and The Secret of Happiness (Billy Graham).

The context and content of the Sermon on the Mount suggests that the teachings of Christ, including the Beatitudes, are less about an individual's personal happiness and more about his or her role as a follower in a newly ordered world. Jesus' words make clear that the path will not be easy. If the followers of Christ are not living their faith, how will the world know its mission and vision? Only God's love can create and sustain such a community—one that sets the followers apart from the rest of the world, and one that rewards those things that honor God. The followers of God are called to live the reality that Christ teaches in the Beatitudes and, in so doing, to be God's tools for reordering the world.

Throughout history, the church and its members have had opportunities to live out the idea of being a contrast community to give honor to what God honors, to stand out, and to speak up. Sometimes individuals have called the community of faith to task. Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer serves as an example. During World War II, as the German churches let their fears override the mounting evidence of what Adolf Hitler was doing, Bonhoeffer's voice was a powerful contrast. In more recent history, the church has been active to help end the tyranny and oppression of people in many nations of the world. As acts of terrorism have been on the rise, it has been the church that has called us to examine our own actions and reactions in light of the Beatitudes.

As Christ's followers we are called to be a contrast community to the culture that surrounds us. Instead of pursing wealth and material possessions, we are called to see that the physical, daily needs of all people are met. Rather than seeking power and fame, we are asked to be meek, to act with mercy, to make peace among all God's people.

Because sin is alive and well in our world and even in our church communities, we don't always live up to the ideal that Christ has given us; nonetheless, our hope remains that our faith communities will stand out as a contrast to the rest of society. Church is a place where all people should be welcome and know God's love—not just the popular, the beautiful, or the wealthy. It is up to us as the body of Christ alive in the world to reflect that value to others. As believers, how we treat people matters—both inside and outside the church. In school and social groups, as well as in the world, opportunities will abound for young believers to make a difference—to show that they are part of this contrast community that lifts up different values. The church is the community in which God will be made visible to the end of the age, but only if we do not fade into the rest of the world.

Make-up: January 22, 2012


On January 22nd, we had a lesson title: "Jesus Calls the First Disciples". Below, you will see a brief highlight of the lesson with scripture and key words. We ask you to read the bible text, the key words and the quick recap. Then, in the comment section, respond by stating what the lesson meant to you and answering the big question.

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Bible Text

Lesson Focus:  
With the miraculous catch of fish, Jesus called ordinary people, just like us, to be disciples.

Big Question
I'm just a kid—what can I do that's important enough to be a disciple?

Key Words:  
MIRACLE, DISCIPLE, ORDINARY, FAITH

Definitions of Key Words

MIRACLE: an extraordinary occurrence ascribed to God that surpasses all known human powers or natural forces.

DISCIPLE: a professed follower of Jesus Christ.

ORDINARY: something of no special quality or interest; a commonplace, unexceptional event.

FAITH: the act of placing one's total confidence or trust in God. Faith means believing in God and God's teachings.

5 Quick Point Summary

Shortly after beginning his public ministry of teaching and healing, Jesus called his first disciples, the fishermen Simon, James, and John.

From the start, Jesus called ordinary people to follow him. It is a clear sign that Jesus will use people from many folds for the good of his kingdom.

The miracles of Jesus were signs that God is powerful and loving. They got people's attention and opened their hearts to receive the good news of God's kingdom.

The call of Jesus is absolute, disrupting the lives of potential recruits. It is a call to make changes in our lives, to think differently, and, most of all, to live differently.

Jesus calls us out of our old lives and into the new.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Make-up: January 15, 2012

The Wilderness Temptations

On January 15th, we studied the wilderness temptations. We ask you to take a look at the lesson, read the scriptures and watch the video clip and then comment. You may comment as anonymous and then just put your first name or initials in the box. In the comment section, give a few sentences on the lesson.

Bible Text: 
Luke 4:1–15; Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13

Lesson Focus: 
Jesus used scripture to resist the devil's temptations.

Big Question: 
How can I resist temptations if I can't quote scripture?

Key Words: 
TEMPTATION, SCRIPTURE, HOLY SPIRIT, SATAN

Definition of Key Words

TEMPTATION: anything that controls us and leads us away from God or threatens our relationship with God.

SCRIPTURE: God's word in the Bible and the words that Jesus used against Satan.

The HOLY SPIRIT: the third person of the Trinity (with God and Jesus) and the one who guides us in our decision-making.

SATAN: the one who tempts us in order to draw us away from God. Satan is also known as the "accuser."


Quick Overview

Jesus was tempted—really tempted—but did not succumb to using his God-given powers for any cheap thrills, fantastic duels with Satan, or evil misuse.

In all three gospels, the temptation scene comes toward the beginning of Jesus' story and—in some fashion—inaugurates his ministry.

Some have suggested that the point of the mysterious temptation scene is that Jesus was fully human and was fully tempted. Others say that we are to glean, as any first century Jew would, that Jesus was a model Jew. Still others maintain that this scene shows up-front the conflict between God's reign and the reign of Satan, setting up the thematic undercurrent that all of Jesus' ministry is an attack on Satan's work.

Jesus stymies the devil finally because he knows whose he is—He is God's Son.

Movie Connection: 3:10 to Yuma

Main Idea: A Person Of Integrity Does The Right Thing Even When No One Is Watching

Scene Set Up: Dan Evans has made it all the way to the small town of Contention where he is being paid $200 to deliver outlaw Ben Wade to the 3:10 train. Wade’s outlaw gang has been trailing them and Dan’s son William has snuck along and is now caught up in the deadly adventure. Dan desperately needs the $200 to save his ranch, and he wants the respect of his son who thinks he is a weak, boring, religious nobody. As they wait for the local sheriff and his deputies to show up Ben takes another opportunity to try to tempt Dan into letting him go.




Application: 

Your character reveals itself when you face a moral issue and nobody is around to catch you. Daniel is facing an integrity issue. Ben Wade knows Dan is a strong Christian, but his experience is that everybody has a price, and most people of faith live differently from the foundational teachings of the bible in their private lives. So Ben expects Dan to be like the other Christians he has met…saying one thing and doing whatever it takes to get ahead.

Dan has become a man of integrity. A man of integrity is a man who keeps his word. A person of integrity is a person who does what he says even when temptation hits. A person of integrity is the same person in every part of his life. When the chips are down you can count on a person of integrity to be sturdy and solid, like an oak of righteousness.

We begin the journey of integrity when we live in the presence of one who truly sees us as we are, and longs for us not to be impressive, not to be inconsistent, but to be people who live whole and complete lives. We live as people of integrity when we have a solid center. This center comes from knowing we were bought with a price and are now the ones who represent Jesus. It is Him who lives at our core, and that center will ground you to make choices that line up with the Word which will set you free. When you are the same in private as you are in public that is a good start. When you are pursuing righteousness regardless of who is watching that is an even better measure of your integrity



Make Up: January 8, 2012


The Magi

For your make up, we simply ask you to read through the lesson out line and then in the comment section (choose anonymous), write a sentence or two regarding the lesson or scripture and answer the big question.

Bible Text:

Lesson Focus:
Jesus is revealed as king of all—whether the people recognize him or not.

Big Question:
Jesus was a poor baby. Why am I supposed to worship him like a king?

Key Words:
EPIPHANY, GENTILES, HEROD THE GREAT, MAGI, HOMAGE

Definition of Key Words

EPIPHANY: the church's celebration on January 6 of the visit of the magi to the infant Jesus. Epiphany means "revelation" and recognizes that Jesus is "revealed" as king for all people by this visit of the magi.

GENTILES: people who weren't Jewish.

HEROD THE GREAT: a corrupt Jewish king who served as governor of Galilee and was backed by Roman power. Threatened by the birth of Jesus, the true king, he sent the magi to Bethlehem to find Jesus so that he could have the child killed.

MAGI: stargazers or astrologers from Persia. They recognized Jesus as a great king, chosen by God, even though they were Gentiles.

HOMAGE: a ceremony by which people acknowledge themselves as servants of a master or lord

Quick Overview

The Christmas story in Matthew bears no resemblance to the one in Luke.

Matthew 1 shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of promises made to Israel. Matthew 2 introduces the idea that Jesus fulfills Gentile hopes for salvation as well.

The primary message of Matthew's Christmas story is that Jesus is revealed by God as Lord and king for the entire world.

The magi were probably astrologers or magicians of a priestly clan of Persians. They were exotic pagans—Gentiles in the extreme.

It was a widely held belief that a new star rose in the sky at the birth of a great leader.

The story of the magi shows us that Jesus is God's gift to the entire world.

Baptismal Connection

In the Rite of Affirmation of Baptism, a five-part question addresses each confirmand's intent to continue in the covenant God made with them in Holy Baptism. Here We Stand resources help students—with support from parents, leaders, and the entire congregation—prepare to answer this question as they continue in their lifelong faith journey.

Today's lesson focused on the clause "to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed."

The visit of the magi revealed to all the world that Jesus is God's chosen king—the Messiah. The magi offered physical gifts and also offered themselves as they worshiped him. Likewise, our words and deeds reveal who Jesus is in our lives. The magi put forth a great deal of effort to pay homage to the new king. Do we show the same determination to honor Jesus as our king? Help the youth use this lesson to grow in their understanding of how their words and deeds reveal what they think and feel about Jesus. Herod was afraid that he would lose his position as king of the Jews. The magi were determined to honor Jesus, regardless of the cost to themselves. Do our words and deeds show that we want to preserve our own status in our community? Or do they show that Jesus is our king and that we are willing to pay homage to our king regardless of the cost?