Sunday School Lesson Revisited

This weeks past lesson was definitly full of surprise insight. And to think I only thought of Jonah and the Whale as a big fish tale. Not so. I would have to say that the award for the deepest insight goes to Sean McAniff. I honestly never looked at it the way Sean interpreted it. To recap what he said...and Im paraphrasing," Every event and person in the book of Jonah obeyed God." "The weather obeyed God, the pagan sailors obeyed God, even the fish obeyed God." " Jonah, not so willing."

I guess you could say Jonah OBEYED God, he just did it with a rebelloius heart. After the second attempt he did go to Ninevah, he was just so bitter about it. I get a chuckle when I think about the revival happening in that city and Jonah off in the heat burning up. I'm sure it was not just his head that was burning, but the fire of bitterness and anger and possibly even jeoulousy that plagued his heart. I imagine that like Jonah, there have been times in our lives where we would rather see Gods judgement, not grace, on our enemies. The problem with that kind of logic is it weighs down the heart of the bitter person and doesn't allow the flow of Gods love in. Eventually, like the vine in Jonah, we dry up and wither until we come to the realization that Gods grace is for everyone. Even you!!!

Mission To The Community

For the month of March we find ourselves back into the Old Testament. In the book of Jonah to be exact. It is so amazing to me to see how Gods word, written thousands of years ago, is still so relevant today. Perhaps even more so than a years past. We are going to study this week about a prophet who gets a call to preach to a group of people in Ninevah. Probably when you were growing up Ninevah seemed as imaginary to you as the North Pole, however because of our world today I bet many of you would be surprised to know that Ninevah is actually very close to a region we are ALL to familiar with now. Does the city Mosul, Iraq sound familiar. Thats right, I think we can all kind of feel what Jonah was feeling when God sent him there? What if God called you to preach his word to Al-Qaeda,( Now I realize that most of the Iraqi's are not Al-qaeda, Im trying to make a point). Would you be willing to go to a region that was so hostile or would you rebell too?!!

The Psalm of the Ascent

What a wonderful treat it was to be in Sunday School today. I hope you were as blessed as I was in watching our youth lead us in study. What a wonderful scripture they provided us. I love the book of Psalms. These last few months I have a developed a new love for this book. I never really understood the importance of this "Prayerbook of the Bible" until I read D. Bonoeffer's book on the Psalm. Its as though a gift that I have always had was just opened and enjoyed. As I mentioned in class today, the scripture we read is a bigger part of 15 chapters that make up the Psalm of the Ascent. It begins with Psalm 120 and ends with Psalm 134. The pilgrims would sing these psalms as they climbed the steps to the temple , which happens to be 15 steps. This would have happended three times a year. During the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks, and the feast of tabernacles. Each Psalm would have had a specific meaning. Take time if you can this week and each morning when you wake up, read a psalm for that day. I know you will be blessed and I know each one will dramatically change your outlook on your daily life. I remember whn I first read Psalm 120:1 "In my distress I cried unto the Lord and he heard me." It brought such comfort to know that He HEARS me, until I thought, Uh-Oh HE HEARS ME!!! He hears my praises, but he also hears my grumblings, my doubts, my gossip, my unpleasantness, HE HEARS ME!! Think about that and let it sink in. What is God hearing from you. That must have been on Pauls mind when he wrote Col:4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Mary Gets It

Jesus. Loved and adored by his followers, despised and hated by his opponents, a man who managed to evoke every human emotion in those he had contact with. Yet he lived and taught with rigid consistency. Never once did his message deviate from the truth he lived by. The truth he taught. The massage was always the same. "If you have seen me, you have seen my Father." "I and my Father are one." "Not my will, but my Father's will." He was the Savior, the redeemer, a teacher and a friend. He loved like no other because he was like no other. He simply was not just the son of God, He was God. Her on earth, to live and dwell among his creation. A glimpse of our Creator. A peek into the mind of God, and his message was Love. God's love so overpowering that he had to come here with us the set the path straight. To make the way new again. What makes his story so controversial? Perhaps the fact that he was controversial. The disciples saw a Messiah, the Pharisees saw a threat. The crowds saw a healer, the Sadducees saw a destroyer to their comfortable way of life. But perhaps no one saw his as clearly as Mary, the sister of Martha. This woman knew who he was. She saw the Lord. She abolished all tradition to anoint her Savior. She got it. While others ran around wondering what to do, she was doing it. Loving him back. Not trying to position herself for royalty, not trying to make a name for herself in the kingdom, not playing by society rules. She simply worshipped her Lord and poured herself out to him.

Anointed In Bethany

I am so delighted to have our youth teaching this Sunday. I think that we all are in for a treat and I for one am excited. No doubt, their insight will bring a new perspective to our class. I did want to point out something I never noticed in this passage before. Don't you just love it when the Word of God reaches beyond the printed pages and directly pricks your heart, even if its for rebuking, God's word coming alive makes me once again realize that I have a fluid thriving relationship with our Creator. This week we will be discussing Matthew 26:3-16. I will not be discussing the main point for this lesson, just in case that is what our youth are preparing, however their is one thing that jumped out at me today that I wonder if you can see as well. Read the passage completly. Only twice during this passage do the disciples speak and look real closely. Here is their Messiah. The one they have seen accomplish many miracles and preach about God and yet both occasions their mindset seems to be on something else. What is the topic of their question? It is true that one motive was for others and the other was for self, but just the same neither was on Christ.

Are you BOUND or are you LOOSED?

I have a confession to make. Every Sunday after Sunday School, I go home and reflect on what was said during class. I reevaluate what was taught and by Monday morning Im on to the next lesson. However, there is that rare time when the previous lesson just won't leave my head. No matter how hard I try to move forward, its as if God tells me something was not said that needed to be heard. Today is such a day and the passage that is stuck in my brain is from Matthew 16:19. If you remember Jesus had just asked his disciples who people say he is, then get to the heart of the matter and asks, "Who do YOU say I am?". Through divine revelation Peter responds, "Thou art the Christ." This response pleases Jesus and then tells Peter and therefor all believers "I will give you the KEYS of the Kingdom of heaven on earth and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." I started thinking, what exactly are the keys? Look back again to the previous verses and I think you can find the answer. Remember? Christ had just finished telling Peter that for the first time he had recieved knowledge from God that Christ was in fact the Messiah. All truth has already been decided in heaven and believer can never change that we only confirm what God has already established. So understanding that, I want you to take a look at another passage that grabbed my attention. It comes from the book of Luke 13:11-12. Its the story of a woman with an infirmity for 18 years and Christ moves to her and declares her loosed from her infirmity. Are you starting to see was has me so excited? Her problem was already loosed in heaven, only when she recieved divine guidance ws she loosed from it here on earth. What has you bound? What do you need to be loosed from? The heavens already have it declared it loosed its up to you through Christ to free yourself from it here on earth. And Christ has given us the keys to do so!!!!

Declared by Peter

This weeks lesson takes place in the 16th chapter of the book of Matthew. If you have an opportunity please read the text. ( Matthew 16:13-27). Before we begin to discuss this portion, I hope you all will take a look at the encounter Christ has with the Pharisees and the Saducees in the opening verses of the same chapter. We will not be discussing this in class but it has some profound implications on the way people percieve their God even in todays climate. Look at what is happening. The Pharasees and Saducees are asking Jesus for a sign. Read Jesus' response to them. No doubt Christ could have satisfy their need for a sign, but why do you think Christ chose not to? I would love to see some of your responses.

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Familiarity breeds contempt--To become so accustomed to familiar things or people that you no longer value them. Doesn't exactly sound like how you would describe your Savior does it? Yet that is EXACTLY what is happening in this weeks lesson. Read Matthew 13: 54-58 for yourself. Does it surprise you what the people involved are saying?

Who is Jesus

Wonderful class discussions today. For those of you who may not have been in class today we discussed how Jesus identity was established through his miraculous healings. (Isaiah 35:4-5: Matthew 11:4-5) and also John the Baptist's bout with doubt. I was unable due to time to ask all the question I had wanted so I thought I would use this oppurtunity to hear some of your answers to the following questions.

Why did Jesus power to heal establish his identity?

Do we need or should we expect miracles in the 21 century to reaffirm Jesus' identity as the son of God? Why or why not?

While genuine demon possession seems rare in the Western world, spiritual battles are a part of our lives. What are some of the great spiritual battles we still face?


And lastly, comparing physical blindness with spiritual blindness, what does Jesus' power over one imlpy about his power over the other?

Amazing Faith

There are many accounts that happen in Christ life between last weeks lesson and this weeks lesson, one I want to point out is from Matthew 8:5-13. Please take the time to read this and meditate on it. Its the story of the Centurion who has a paralyzed servant. Several things stand out to me in this encounter. First, this man is a gentile and secondly the person he is so concerned for is not even his family but a servant. What does this say about this man's character?

This man approaches Jesus to ask for healing and Christ says "I will go and heal him." Look at this man's response, this is a man who KNOWS authority when he sees it! He states "Just SAY the word and my servant will be healed." But even as bold in faith as that was, Jesus next action is what my prayer for my life is. The Bible says that when Jesus heard this he was ASTONISHED!! astonish--"to fill with sudden wonder" Oh to be the kind of person whose faith is so great that I could literally fill Jesus with sudden wonder!

This was a very important man who could have been full of selfishness, pride , and arrogance, but instead chose to be humble and trusting.

As I once read in a study done several years ago, "the closer Christ's presence comes to us, the more humble a discerning person becomes."

What about you, do you desire to have the kind of faith that ASTONISHES Christ?

Demonstrated In Acts Of Healing

This weeks lesson find us with Jesus as he does several very high profile acts of healing and then deals with John the Baptist who has a very serious bout with doubt. Our scripture reference is Matthew 9:27-34 and 11:2-6. One thing that is important to note is the gospel of Matthew is not necessarily written chronologically and it is noted that Jesus dealing with John the Baptist happened first.



What is very interesting to observe is how the people involved deal with Christ. Some have genuine faith. Others fear his influence, while others just can't get past the fact that Jesus doesn't fit the mold they had in their mind of what the Messiah was suppose to look and act like.



AHH now we get to the heart of the matter. Do you perhaps already have your mind made up how Christ is suppose to act? Do you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you or do you have an already preconcieved idea of this guidence? How can we KNOW if what we are doing is Spirit lead, or maybe it doesn't make sense or fit the mold so we don't walk by faith. I read in a book one time that "the best policy is to check with your spirit and see if you have peace rather that checking with your mind to see if what God is asking is reasonable."

Do you walk by faith or are you still trying to figure Jesus out?

Class Recap

Sunday's class was full of drama...literally! I had no idea our class was so talented in the ways of the theatrical. Good job to everyone and the "Kelley" went to.....Team 2 for Best Drama. More importantly however, we took a good solid look at how temptation can enter our everyday lives. Just a quick recap on the days lesson.
Matthew 4:1-11

Why would God allow us to be tempted? Some possible answers we discussed were
1. To cause us to doubt? Right after Christ began his earthly ministry he found himself in a desert place. How many times have we as christians just KNEW God called to one thing or another only to find ourselves questioning if we understood God. Faithlessness causes doubt.

2. Possibly trying to put God to the test. Trying to PROVE God exist. Saying things like "If you are real God then these things would not happen." That becomes living on emotion or sight and not by faith.

We all in our lifetime will experience times of doubt or temptation. It should come as great comfort to read Hebrew 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are--yet was without sin."
What a comfort to know that HE understands what we are going through.


There are three conclusions we can draw from.

1. Seasons of intense temptation are not an indication of God's displeasure.

2. Satan is tenacious. Don't expect him to give up after two or three attempts.

3. Scripture is the most powerful tool in our fight against temptation. Ps. 27:4-7

And remember when you yield to temptation you become the slave to THAT master.