The Right Cup

In this lesson, we’re going to talk about cups. If you’re working on a recipe, there is a certain kind of cup you use for measuring out ingredients. You’ll use some cups for hot chocolate, for holding water, or for serving communion. However, only one of those let you measure its contents precisely. One is authoritative. It follows a set of standards, and the others are not. Likewise, we have many sources we can go to for our Christian practices and beliefs, but only one of those sources is authoritative and the standard by which we should measure ourselves.

Jesus was often questioned by religious leaders about the authority by which He taught. In Matthew 21:23, Jesus enters an exchange with those religious leaders about authority, and He drives them to a conclusion they refuse to admit. In this, He discusses two sources of authority – man and God. II John 9 is but one passage that warns us going beyond the authority of God’s word. Matthew 28:18-19 then records Jesus proclaiming that all authority has been vested to Him.

Romans 1:16-17 calls the gospel God’s power, the revelation of God’s righteousness. If we are going to live righteously in His eyes, the standard by which we measure ourselves will be by Him. James 1:22-25 admonishes us to be doers of that word. We must do more than acknowledge the authority of God’s word. We have to live by it. II Peter 1:3 tells us that we have been granted all we need for spiritual living in this life in the divine power of His word. It does not fall short, does not contradict itself, nor does it need modification. Jude 3 calls this a message “once delivered,” that is it is unchanging and unmoving.

Man's standards are not God’s. Matthew 23:4 speaks to the rules and traditions bound upon the people by the scribes and Pharisees, but Jesus says these are not from God. They go beyond God’s word. However, we are assured by Jesus and by the apostles that the message delivered by those apostles is by His authority through the power of the Holy Spirit. II Timothy 3:16 reminds us that all scripture is brought by the breath of God, and John 14:25-26 records Jesus promising His apostles that the Holy Spirit would be that inspiration.

James 1:25 calls God’s word the perfect law of liberty. It is the authority we should follow if we profess faith in God. It is the standard by which we should measure ourselves if we say Christ lives in us. People change. Traditions change. Laws change. Values and morals change. Society changes. But God’s word does not change. Acts 4:12 reminds us Christ is the authority by which we can by saved. It is not our place to change His word, to ignore His word, or to add to His word. It is ours to humbly follow.

lesson by Herb Smelser

Worship 24x7: Having Fun

In this series of lessons, we’ve looked at what true worship is – that it is more than playing church when we come together to assemble. It is part of who we are everywhere we are. We’ve considered worshipful living while at work as well as in our home lives. We’ve looked at worshipful living in our school communities both as students and parents, and today we’ll be looking at worshipful living at something we might not usually consider – while engaged in our free time and while having fun.

A Life Meant to Be Enjoyed

Fun is an attitude, and the challenge is to keep a Christian attitude while having fun. This may be the most difficult time to stay Christ-like in our conduct. Hebrews 5:14 reminds us that we should have good discernment as mature Christians, and this is true even when entertaining ourselves. In the moment, we may not always do such a good job choosing between good and evil; we may be around people who are not the best influences; and we may give into peer pressure to prevent killing the fun.

God means for His people to enjoy their lives, and we see His people engaged in celebration and joy numerous times in the Old Testament. In the New, we even see Jesus’ first miracle taking place at a wedding celebration. To follow God is not to renounce the joy of this life. Ecclesiastes 11:8 calls on us to rejoice in our lives. Verse 9 tells us to rejoice in our youth, and verse 10 calls on us to remove pain from our hearts. A joyless life will do nothing to bring others to Christ, and a joyless life is full of wasted opportunities to lift others up and to celebrate all God has given us.

Our Example in Recreation

We should be known by the example we set. We should have fun on our terms, rather than the terms of others. There are limits to the type of fun we should have, and when we engage in sin for entertainment, it takes away from our worshipful living. There is plenty of joy without sin, and Proverbs 13:9 tells us the light of our righteousness should always shine. I Peter 4:3-5 tells us we will give up some activities and some friends when we submit to following God, but we can be an example to them of joy without immorality.

So what do we do for fun? Who do we choose to be around? Do these choices reflect our Christian values? If someone will not be your friend because you abstain from sin, then you don’t need that influence in your life. They may think you are mean, a jerk, a prude, but being a Christian is between you and God, not between you and them. Romans 12:1-2 calls on us to be living sacrifices. This means we won’t be like those around us. It means we won’t even be like our former selves. Philippians 1:10 admonishes us to keep ourselves spotless for Christ’s return.

Conclusion

We need to evaluate who we are when having fun. We have to define ourselves, our opinions of ourselves and our boundaries. We must refine ourselves, making sure our choices then reflect the definition we have of ourselves. Finally, once we define and refine ourselves, we must be ourselves. We are Christians no matter where we are; we must always be setting a Christian example to those around us; we need to make good choices about those we spend time with. As living sacrifices, we can succeed even while having fun if we decide how we will reflect Christ in the choices we make.

lesson by Mike Mahoney

Releasing Anxiety

An older preacher once told me that you should preach about things that cause you to struggle, and one of those things I struggle with is worry. And we have lots of reasons we think we should worry, from finances to world events to personal crises. Recently, however, I’ve been studying about some things that have been helping me with worry. Perhaps they will help you too.

Anxiety comes from a sense of isolation, of helplessness, of being overwhelmed by a particular situation. Matthew 6:25-34 begins by saying we should not be overcome with worry. Jesus is not telling us this as general advice. This is a direct command. We should not be distracted, nor should we feel choked by the asphyxiating influence of anxiety. If we are honest with ourselves, how many of the things we’ve worried about have actually turned out as bad as we feared?

Placing Faith in God

We overcome anxiety initially with trust and faith. We are good at being control freaks, and I once heard a quote that said you can determine the size of someone’s god by the size of their worry list; the bigger the list, the smaller the god. Our anxiety is a sign that our faith needs to increase. In Matthew 6:28, Jesus appeals to nature as evidence of how God will care for us, citing that flowers of the field are dressed better than even Solomon. We know God will take care of us, but we become worried about things that God is simply not that worried about.

Psalm 56:4 says:

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Mark 5:25-34 is a simple story of faith where one woman has the faith to reach out to Christ in the midst of a debilitating illness. She let go of control and demonstrated complete faith in this savior. We should be so willing to place our complete trust in Him and lay our burdens on Him, no matter how great they seem to us.

Seeking God

If we are completely placing our faith in Him, then we will seek him with prayer and study. Philippians 4: 6-7 and I John 5:14 both speak about the power of prayer, and, in the case of Philippians, Paul was writing about this power while in custody. Despite his circumstances, Paul is able to release his anxiety and place his trust in God, and he can do this because he knows God’s promises. He goes time and again to God in prayer, placing his burdens at his Father’s feet.

We must have the right focus if we are going to seek God in such trust. Matthew 6:33 calls on us to seek God’s kingdom first and foremost, and, earlier in the lesson, Jesus tells us we cannot seek both God and materialism in verse 24. Anxiety over our worldly concerns pulls us away from seeking God, much like Martha lost sight of hearing Jesus in the face of preparing her home for guests. Reality doesn’t go away, but we have to be able to put this world in perspective against eternity.

Leaning On Our Family

Beyond leaning on God, we can share our burdens with each other. We are stronger and more focused when we face our troubles together as a Christian family. Romans 15:1 simply says to bear each other’s burdens, but we must be willing to share our burdens with each other so we can lift each other up. We can only have the peace that passes understanding if we are willing to trust. It is a peace that Christ has purchased for us, but we must be willing to trust. We have to trust in God. We have to trust in His word. We have to be able to trust each other. Let’s lay aside the weights that drag us down, seek God together in faith and prayer, and help each other out of the burdens of this life.

lesson by Derek Weaver

Nine Eleven

When looking back on the anniversary of September 11, we could look over some grand themes. We could talk about and criticize Islam in broad strokes. We could make judgments about our government response, about our current and our past presidents’ actions. We could talk about pride and security. We could talk about patriotic topics, but we may lose some simple spiritual applications in the midst of these broad strokes.

Our Focus
Are we focused on God or on self? It certainly seemed that people came together after September 11, and many people showed tendencies to turn back to God and Christ in the wake of those events. It’s really no different than the cycle we see in the children of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament, and we have to ask ourselves, “Where am I?” Am I closer to God now, or have I drifted again? Do I have the same fire for the Lord now as I did ten years ago?

Hebrews 10:19-25 talks about the type of stuff we’ll do if we are dedicated on God rather than self. Self denial is a key theme in Jesus’ teachings, and we will be holding to that confession, stirring each other up, meeting with each other, and encouraging each other if we can set aside self and focus on God and one another.

Placing the Blame
Do we blame God for September 11? Do we think such an event is God’s will, that it was a warning shot for the United States? We have to be cautious about molding events to fit in with our particular views. We have a tendency to credit God when it lines up with our own values and dismiss such events as chance at other times. Quite simply, we know that bad things happen to good people because of sin, and we should be blaming Satan for such tragedies rather than assigning God motives and actions left unrevealed to us.

Loving Terrorists
Do we really have to love a terrorist? Matthew 5:43 says:

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Intellectually, we understand we should love our enemies, but we falter on application. Yes, we should love those who plot to hurt and kill us. We’ve all heard stories of people who’ve forgiven criminals who have wronged them or their family in some horrible way, and that is the mindset we should have. It is the attitude we see when Jesus cries for his murderers’ forgiveness while on the cross.

Conclusion
We may believe that those terrorists deserve death and eternal punishment for their actions, but the tough part is that they deserve such a fate no more than you or I in the face of our sins. We may want to satisfy our own need for vengeance, focusing on self rather than God. Romans 5:12-17 contrasts Adam and Jesus – the one who brought sin into the world and the one who removed all sin by His great sacrifice. The problem of sin is an enormous one, and only an enormous sacrifice could remove it. We have all sinned; we have all put Jesus on the cross.

Where are you with your relationship with and commitment to God? Have you grown stronger? Are you willing to love in the face of personal pain and animosity? We have a great example of commitment, love, and self sacrifice in Christ; and we know that is the example we should be following in our own lives. We don’t have to allow great events of the world to drag us away from who we should be as Christians, so let’s commit ourselves daily to be living sacrifices, to be forgiving and loving individuals, to keep everything in the perspective of God’s word, and to keep God our focus and the center of our lives.

lesson by Ben Lanius

Worship 24x7 At School

We’ve been studying about worship the last few weeks at our congregation, and we’ve emphasized time and again that worship is more than what we do when we gather together with our congregation. It’s more than singing songs, mouthing prayers, listening to lessons, and partaking of the Lord’s Supper – even when we do these things in complete truth and with a sincere heart. Worshipping God is something we do in how we conduct ourselves everywhere. Hebrews 13:15-16 and Romans 12:1-2 both call on us to be living sacrifices, reflecting God in our lives. In this lesson, we’re going to look at the school community and how we worship God in our conduct both as students and as parents.

Worship 24 x 7 At School

The Power of Example

The most powerful tool of worship we have as students is that of our example. We’re familiar with I Timothy 4:12 that tells us to be an example in speech, in love, in conduct, in faith, and in purity. We also know Ecclesiastes 12:1, reminding us to serve our Creator in the days of our youth. What do others see in you at school? What kind of example are you setting in front of your peers, your teachers, the custodians, instructional assistants, and anyone else with whom you interact? Does your speech, your attitude, your online conduct, your choices, your work ethic cause them to despise or respect your youth?

I Thessalonians 4:1-2 is an admonition that we know how we should be living. The fact is we just have to do it, and this includes at school. Unfortunately, parents, this applies to us too. We adults have to ask ourselves what our child’s peers see in us. Do they see parents who conduct themselves in a Christlike way? Do they see a family that puts spiritual matters before physical? Would they guess your spiritual affiliation by the conduct they see when you are at a school game, picking up or dropping off your child, when they visit your home? What do the teachers of that school see in you? The example you set will greatly inform the example your child is able to set themselves.

The Power of Choice

Right up there with the power of our example is the power of the choices we make as students and parents. My wife, when she was young, had a sign posted to her bedroom door that read, “I am the most powerful person in my life.” It served as reminder to her that she had the final say in what she let herself get drawn into. It reminded her that no friend – casual or romantic – could control her. It reminded her that no one makes her do anything, nor could any troubling external factor take control of her life.

As students, we choose who we hang out with, and I Corinthians 15:33 simply states that bad companions will drag us down. Yes, we might believe we can change someone, that we can be the example they need, but we also have to realize when the burden is becoming too heavy to bear. II Corinthians 6:14 warns against being unequally yoked with unbelievers. If our companions are dragging us away from Christ, despite our best efforts, maybe it’s time to choose different friends. Still, We can’t always choose who we’re going to be around because our classes are set by others. The teams, clubs, and arts we choose will dictate who we are around a great deal of time, but that again comes down to choice.

Coming back to parents, we need to be involved enough with our kids’ lives that we can see when something is bringing them down or influencing them in a bad way. We need to have such a relationship with our children that we can talk about such things with them and be able to offer advice and guidance. At times, we have to be able to nudge them to reach the right conclusions themselves, and we need the wisdom to know when our kids need to handle something themselves before we exert our influence. We would all do well to remember I Corinthians 10:12-13 that assures us we can overcome any struggle or temptation or discouragement laid before us. It comes down to the choices we make.

Worship in Practical Conduct 

Students

• What is your work ethic at school? How do you act when in a class you don’t want to take? Do you, as Paul instructs Ephesians 6:5-7, work as if you are serving God?
• How do you treat those you don’t like? How do you treat teachers you don’t like? Do you participate in making fun of others when your friends get going?
• How do you respond to those who are mean to you, teacher or student? Matthew 5:38-48 teaches we should never return evil for evil.
• What activities and social events are you participating in? Parties where you know there will be drinking? Dances where you know you'll feel pressured to conduct yourself in an improper way? Clubs that will perpetually take away time you should be devoting to God?

I’m not saying here that you can only have friends who are Christians. I’m not saying you are eternally lost for attending prom. I’m not saying you can’t be in band, orchestra, on the football team, in theater. What I’m saying is this, though: be careful that your choices do not make your spiritual walk unnecessarily difficult, and always remember that God comes first in your extracurriculars. There is always a way to do the right thing.

Parents

• How do we conduct ourselves around our kids’ teachers? Do they see us arguing with or undermining those teachers? How do you think that will affect their effort and behavior in class?
• Do our kids hear us badmouthing their school and their teachers at home? Again, how will this affect their attitude at school if they see a bad attitude from us?
• Do we accidentally send messages to our children that we don’t value an education by letting them miss school for reasons of convenience – maybe for vacations or other things we don’t want to schedule for personal time? If your kids see you don’t value their education, how much will they value it?
• On the other hand, do we send a message that we don’t value God because we let every practice, concert, school event, program, or big assignment take priority over worshipping God and studying from His word with our brothers and sisters?
• Are we familiar with the friends our children choose and the activities in which they participate? Do we take the time to discuss the challenges they face?

I think the biggest challenges we face as parents are those raised by our inherent protectiveness. I’ve had parents call me up, call me names, use foul language, and then end the conversation with, “Have a blessed day.” We also have to realize that we are only ever getting one side of those stories that trigger our protective instincts, and, whether they intend to do so or not, our children’s versions of events are biased for themselves. We have to be calm and Christlike in the face of school challenges, and we have to show we value their education as much as we want them to value it.

Conclusion

By the time you graduate from your senior year in high school, you will have spent at least 15,120 hours at school – that is, if you don’t start until first grade and never participate in any extracurricular events ever and your school day is only seven hours. We will come in contact with hundreds, if not thousands, of individual souls during that timespan, and every one of those souls we have a chance to bring closer to Christ. If we choose to walk in Christ’s footsteps, even if we would rather do things that would take us away from Him, and even when we are around people we don’t like, then we can worship God through our conduct in our school communities.

lesson by Robert Smelser

Worship 24x7 at Home

Romans 12:1-2:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

How can I make every aspect of my life an act of worship to God? This can be especially tough when we’re at home, where we are most comfortable, where we feel least guarded. Sometimes who we are in front of others and who we are at home can be two different things, but our spirituality should be as strong in the home as anywhere else – whether serving our home as a husband and father, a mother and wife, or as a child.

Worship as Children

Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 tell children to obey their parents in the Lord. This more than simply doing what parents say. It involves respect and attitude, but we do not see the severity of the Old Testament in the statutes of the New, where disobedient children faced severe punishment for their transgressions.

I Timothy 4:12 records Paul telling Timothy to set an example in his youth, in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. There comes a time when we need to grow up a little and be an example to our friends in the neighborhood, at school, and anywhere we can influence others. Verse 16 says that example can save both yourself and those you come in contact with.

Worship as Wives and Mothers

Ephesians 5:22 and Colossians 3:18 both speak of wives being submissive to their husbands (and we’ll be talking about men’s responsibilities in this in a moment). Peter explains this more in I Peter 3:1-6, speaking of the esteem a wife’s conduct can bring, of the example she sets for her husband, of the respect she shows for her family and God, the holiness shown in inner beauty instead of external beauty. It’s about putting others before self and living self-sacrificially for the sake of our families.

Worship as Husbands and Fathers

Paul has much to say to men in Ephesians 5, illustrating the love men should have for their wives, one like the sacrificial love Christ has for the church. He also says to love one’s wife and take care of her as he would care for himself. I Peter 3:7 tells husbands to be understanding to their wives, treating them as carefully as a valuable possession. If we love someone as deeply as this, if we really are willing to be as caring and respectful as this, then we have the foundation for a relationship of mutual love, respect, and service.

The New Testament also has much more to say to men about raising children than it has to say to women. Ephesians 6:4 tells fathers to raise their children in the Lord, avoiding exasperating or provoking our kids. In this, fathers must set rules consistent with God’s law and set an example that speaks of our commitment to God. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 illustrates a home where God’s law is always in the hearts and on the lips of the family, and this begins with teaching. It begins with living God’s word in all aspects of our family lives.

Worship as a Family

What do our neighbors see in us as Christians? Do they see the faith we profess in our examples? Are we reverencing Him with our lives. We profess faith in God, but are we really living it? Our faith in Christ, the conduct we demonstrate before God and others, applies at home as well as anywhere else, and every member of our family should always see His light in us. If we are indeed living sacrifices before our God, then every moment of our lives will be spent honoring Him.

lesson by Kent Ward

Examining Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10 begins by reminding us how good we have it under the law of Christ. In the first several verses, the author talks about how much better Jesus’ sacrifice is than those bulls and goats offered up under the law of Moses. He talks about the abolishment of the first covenant in the creation of the second – one that can wipe away sin, one that makes us a nation of priests, one that resides in our hearts and minds, one that grants us the confidence to approach the throne of God with a high priest who knows all the challenges we face.

It’s a chapter full of big ideas that tell us all we have to be thankful for in the sacrifice of Christ. It’s a chapter that contrasts the shadows of God’s kingdom with the reality of His true spiritual kingdom established under Christ. It contrasts the rolling forward of sin with the eternal forgiveness and abolishment of sin. The author tells us of how the Old Testament law pointed toward Christ and how Jesus brought us something that both fulfilled and replaced the ancient system of sacrifices.

A Better Sacrifice and Priesthood

In this, the author quotes Psalms 40:6-8:

Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

Then I said, Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

He then explains the insufficiency of those sacrifices. They could not take away sins with imperfect sacrifices administered by imperfect priests. In contrast, Jesus stands as our perfect priest and our perfect sacrifice, bringing true forgiveness. When we accept that law, we then accept His law into our hearts, submitting to Him obediently, abandoning those lawless deeds God has promised to forgive.

Because of that forgiveness, because of that better sacrifice and priest, we can have confidence to approach God. Previously, no one could approach the Holy Place, except for the High Priest once a year. Our new high priest, one who has been through all the trials and challenges we face, grants us direct access to the Father in a way those living under the Levitical priesthood could not. Because of this, the author encourages us draw near to our High Priest, holding fast to our faithful confession, encouraging one another to live worthy of that calling.

Helping Each Other to Heaven

Sometimes, however, we forget what we have. We take those blessings for granted, and the Hebrew author warns against neglecting each other’s spiritual needs. He warns that we should continually encourage one another and to avoid falling back into the traps of sin. We need to be stirring up one another. We need each other’s help in drawing nearer to God, and this is one of the reasons we meet together, whether in the assembly or in social settings.

When we neglect our worship services, we neglect the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead of approaching worship and Bible study with the attitude of, “What can I get out of it,” we should be attending for each other’s sakes. The same is true if we are avoiding each other outside the assembly. We need to take every opportunity to build each other up, and verses 22-24 bring faith, hope, and love into the equation – we have hearts full of faith, hold fast to hope, and stir up love. But we need to be working together to accomplish these things.

Avoiding Neglect

When we fall into the traps of sin, we fall into danger of losing our souls, but we can help each other avoid the pitfalls of sin. When we neglect spending time together, when we neglect assembling together, we are showing a lack of concern for the souls of our fellow Christians. When you are present to lift me up spiritually, we are both less likely to fall into patterns of neglect. Hebrews 10 gives us a picture of how much better Christ’s law is than that of Moses, and we should live gratefully for that new covenant. Let’s avoid neglecting these blessings and neglecting each other, and let’s instead push each other toward Heaven and rededicate ourselves to His service each day.

lesson by Kent Ward