Saturday, September 22, 2012
I'm a teacher, such as it were
The church asked me to teach the High School class. Who, me? I've enjoyed the Men's Class so much I really didn't want to leave it. However, service is my life. May God's will be done. Alright, I confess. I was asked to teach the class a couple years ago, but there was only one kid in it, and it made more sense to me to roll the kid into another class so it would be an actual group. Now there's more than one kid, and here I am- Sunday School Teacher. To get legalist, my requirement of "more than one kid" was met by there being a total of two. One of them is my son. Small church. Regardless, I shall do the job to the best of my abilities.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Here's the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow. Problems? Suggestions?
Sunday school 2-5-2012
Colossians 1:9-23
Today's lesson is 'Center of Everything.' For us, Christ is the Center of Everything, but to non-believers that statement is laughable. How do you respond to somebody who claims that Christ is a myth? Have you heard of other claims? wise teacher, one of many roads, it's the heart that matters, every religion has valid truth to glean
At the time this letter was written Collassae was in decline. There is no indication Paul ever visited there. But he felt it important to argue against the mixing of Christianity with other beliefs.
Read Col. 1:9-12
Paul was telling the Colossians to keep Christ at the center, grow in knowledge of Him, and have a faithful walk. Do we know anybody like that?
Why do Christians need to know what they believe?
Have you experience opposition to belief in Christ?
What are some qualities of people who know what they believe?
We must know what we believe so we can testify, evangelize.
Read Colossians 1:15-20
If somebody asks who Jesus is, and why do you believe that, what do you say?
How does you belief in Jesus affect your daily life?
What are you and this church doing to help other understand Jesus and get o know Him?
What more could we do?
Read Colossians 1:13-14, 21-23
V13 "has rescued us from the domain of darkness."
Have any observations about the darkness of sin?
Christians have been delivered from Satan’s domain. The word has the idea of a rescue by a sovereign power.Another place where this same phrase for power of darkness is used is in Luke
22:53, where Jesus spoke of the darkness surrounding His arrest and passion in the same terms. “These words refer to the sinister forces marshaled against him for decisive combat in the spiritual realm.” (Bruce)
The power of darkness may be seen in its effects, and for those who have been delivered . . . from the power of darkness these effects should be less and less evident in the life.
·The power of darkness lulls us to sleep.
·The power of darkness is skilled at concealment.
·The power of darkness afflicts and depresses man.
·The power of darkness can fascinate us.
·The power of darkness emboldens some men.
"conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son"
According to Barclay, the word we can translate "transferred" or "conveyed" had a special significance in the ancient world. When one empire conquered another, the custom was to take the population of the defeated empire and transfer it completely to the conqueror’s land. It is in this sense that Paul says we have been conveyed into God’s kingdom. Everything we have and everything we are now belongs to Him.
V14 what is the analogy that applies to the word "redemption"? We were slaves, Christ paid the price to free us. This is one reason why pleading the blood of Jesus – in the right sense, not in a magical or superstitious sense – has such great significance in spiritual warfare. It shows the “receipt” of our lawful purchase as redeemed people. It's a legal transaction.
One of the great sticky questions of theology is to whom was the price paid? Some say
it was to God that the ransom price was paid, but we were prisoners of Satan’s kingdom. Others say it was to Satan that the ransom price was paid, but what does God owe to Satan? This question probably simply extends the metaphor too far.
V21-22 Anybody have an example of reconciliation?
Belonging to the race of Adam, we are born alienated from God. Then as individuals, we
each choose to accept and embrace that alienation with our wicked works.
"Once you were alienated:" This means that in Jesus we are no longer alienated. The difference between a believer and a non-believer isn’t merely forgiveness; there is a complete change
of status. Of course, it's not just a legal change- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
What is the primary thing we can do that makes us effective for Christ? more knowledge
How can we show we've been redeemed and are reconciled? How are we doing?
Jesus is not only the center of everything, per V17 he holds our atoms together.
Colossians 1:17 He himself existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together.
Sunday school 2-5-2012
Colossians 1:9-23
Today's lesson is 'Center of Everything.' For us, Christ is the Center of Everything, but to non-believers that statement is laughable. How do you respond to somebody who claims that Christ is a myth? Have you heard of other claims? wise teacher, one of many roads, it's the heart that matters, every religion has valid truth to glean
At the time this letter was written Collassae was in decline. There is no indication Paul ever visited there. But he felt it important to argue against the mixing of Christianity with other beliefs.
Read Col. 1:9-12
Paul was telling the Colossians to keep Christ at the center, grow in knowledge of Him, and have a faithful walk. Do we know anybody like that?
Why do Christians need to know what they believe?
Have you experience opposition to belief in Christ?
What are some qualities of people who know what they believe?
We must know what we believe so we can testify, evangelize.
Read Colossians 1:15-20
If somebody asks who Jesus is, and why do you believe that, what do you say?
How does you belief in Jesus affect your daily life?
What are you and this church doing to help other understand Jesus and get o know Him?
What more could we do?
Read Colossians 1:13-14, 21-23
V13 "has rescued us from the domain of darkness."
Have any observations about the darkness of sin?
Christians have been delivered from Satan’s domain. The word has the idea of a rescue by a sovereign power.Another place where this same phrase for power of darkness is used is in Luke
22:53, where Jesus spoke of the darkness surrounding His arrest and passion in the same terms. “These words refer to the sinister forces marshaled against him for decisive combat in the spiritual realm.” (Bruce)
The power of darkness may be seen in its effects, and for those who have been delivered . . . from the power of darkness these effects should be less and less evident in the life.
·The power of darkness lulls us to sleep.
·The power of darkness is skilled at concealment.
·The power of darkness afflicts and depresses man.
·The power of darkness can fascinate us.
·The power of darkness emboldens some men.
"conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son"
According to Barclay, the word we can translate "transferred" or "conveyed" had a special significance in the ancient world. When one empire conquered another, the custom was to take the population of the defeated empire and transfer it completely to the conqueror’s land. It is in this sense that Paul says we have been conveyed into God’s kingdom. Everything we have and everything we are now belongs to Him.
V14 what is the analogy that applies to the word "redemption"? We were slaves, Christ paid the price to free us. This is one reason why pleading the blood of Jesus – in the right sense, not in a magical or superstitious sense – has such great significance in spiritual warfare. It shows the “receipt” of our lawful purchase as redeemed people. It's a legal transaction.
One of the great sticky questions of theology is to whom was the price paid? Some say
it was to God that the ransom price was paid, but we were prisoners of Satan’s kingdom. Others say it was to Satan that the ransom price was paid, but what does God owe to Satan? This question probably simply extends the metaphor too far.
V21-22 Anybody have an example of reconciliation?
Belonging to the race of Adam, we are born alienated from God. Then as individuals, we
each choose to accept and embrace that alienation with our wicked works.
"Once you were alienated:" This means that in Jesus we are no longer alienated. The difference between a believer and a non-believer isn’t merely forgiveness; there is a complete change
of status. Of course, it's not just a legal change- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
What is the primary thing we can do that makes us effective for Christ? more knowledge
How can we show we've been redeemed and are reconciled? How are we doing?
Jesus is not only the center of everything, per V17 he holds our atoms together.
Colossians 1:17 He himself existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together.