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

Stop, Look, and Listen

Note: This lesson was the first presented by our current preacher when he joined our work six-and-a-half years ago. Now he delivers it again as he prepares to join another work.

We have signs that are posted at dangerous intersections and crossroads, and one of those many signs reads: “Stop, Look & Listen.” We come to crossroads time and again in our lives, and, whenever we reach those crossroads we should always remember to stop, look, and listen. We need to stop our worldly disagreements; we need to look up, out and around; and we need to listen to one another and to God.

Stopping, Looking, and Listening

Stop Grumbling. John 6:41-51 records Jesus speaking to a multitude trying to understand His teachings about His being the bread of life and the eternal refreshing coming from Him. In this context, He tells them to stop their grumbling, and we must do likewise. We must stop complaining. We must stop our arguing. It accomplishes nothing but discouragement, and Galatians 5:15 warns us against consuming each other in negativity. Instead, we should be edifying and encouraging each other.

Look Up. In John 4:31-38, the apostles are urging Christ to eat, but he asks them to redirect their attention, to lift up their eyes and look at the people all around them in need of the gospel. We need to look up and look out for opportunities and for each other as in Philippians 2:4. We should be putting self interest aside, and we must be involved in the needs of others. Then, we need to be looking up as in Colossians 3:1-2. Instead of being focused on the things of this life, we need to set our eyes and our minds on things above. That is the goal forever in front of us. That is the promise we have no matter the pains, distractions, and sorrows of this life.

Listen. James 1:19 calls on us to be swift to hear and slow to speak. We need to listen with open ears and closed mouths, listening to understand, not to rebut. We come from different perspectives, different levels of maturity, different backgrounds, different convictions. This type of listening is imperative if we are to grow as a Christian family. Also, John 10:27 reminds us that we need to listen to our Shepherd. We need to take His word and absorb it. We need to make that word a part of us because we listen to it so intently, desiring understanding.

Conclusion

After we stop, look, and listen, we need to move forward as one with the Lord. If we do this, then any crossroads we face are only temporary. Any separations we experience are only for a time, for we can make that crossing knowing our destination, knowing we will all be reunited one day with our God in Heaven.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Necessary Changes

We know Psalm 51 as written by David after being confronted by Nathan over the sin with Bathsheba. He calls upon God, numerous times in the psalm, to cleanse him, to make him whiter than snow, to heal his broken spirit. He promises, in return, to teach others of God’s mercy and His forgiveness, and He praises God for that forgiveness working in his life. David is aware of a change that has to happen in himself to bring himself closer to his God.

Acts 3:20 talks about this change as repentance, and Romans 12 emphasizes this change as a transformation. Paul goes on to talk about how this change manifests itself in our lives, in our morality, in humility, and in our treatment of others. Time and again in Christ’s teachings and those of His apostles, we are instructed to change ourselves, and there are many areas in which we can strive to change and improve ourselves.

Improvement Through Change
We need to change our ignorance into knowledge. Hebrews 5:11 warns us against becoming “dull of hearing,” for such dullness leads to spiritual immaturity. I Timothy 1:7 warns that spiritual ignorance leads to false teachings, but Hebrews 5:14 reminds us that experience and exercising our knowledge is what develops spiritual maturity, helping us discern between good and evil.

This leads us to our second necessary change. I Corinthians 3:1-3 warns against maintaining spiritual immaturity, and they remained worldly-minded because of this immaturity. Hebrews 6:1 calls on us to push on to perfection, full growth in Christ, but this comes with more than time. Our conduct, our attitudes, our spiritual knowledge – these tell others how spiritually mature we are.

Romans 13:11 calls on us to wake out of sleep. He admonishes us to change our laziness into zeal. If we are simply drifting along, we have to awaken and take an active role in our spiritual growth. In verse 14, Paul calls on us to adorn ourselves in Christ and abandon the cares that cause us to languish in worldliness. Also, I Corinthians 15:34 encourages to awake to righteousness, to awake to knowledge, and to sin no more. Ephesians 5:14 merely calls upon us to awake.

Our lack of reverence must then be turned into true worship. In Mark 7:6, Jesus quotes from Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me…” In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus reinforces this point with a parable of a tax collector and a Pharisee going up to pray. The Pharisee honors God with his lips while praising himself where the tax collector, in his humble confession, truly approaches God in reverence, awe, and humility. Our worship must not only please ourselves, but it must also please our God.

We must furthermore turn our weariness into gladness. We must not let our fatigue do us in. Galatians 6:7-10 and Ephesians 2:10 remind us that we are here to do good works. Look to Jesus as an example. How tiring His ministry was! How discouraging to face opposition time and again! Yet, He never abandoned His mission. He never ceased in doing good for others. Likewise, we must always look for opportunities to serve others.

Giving All
We must stop making excuses. We must stop giving less than our best. We must change our minimums into maximums. In all of these things – our knowledge, our service, our worship, our reverence, our maturity – it comes down to just how much we’re willing to give to God in our lives. We have many necessary changes to make, and we can accomplish them all by giving our all to serving and honoring our God in every aspect of our lives.

lesson by Tim Smelser

A Spiritual Mind

In Philippians, Paul addresses the Christian mindset. Like the Beatitudes of Christ’s sermon on the mount, these words focus on who we should be inside, and these internal attitudes should then affect everything we say, think, and do. Philippians 1:21 initially proclaims that to live is Christ, and Paul feels torn between his desire to join Christ in Heaven and his need to continue helping Christ’s cause in this life. All Paul does is focused on living Christ and drawing closer to a home with Him, and he encourages his fellow Christians to have that same focus. Like him, our single-minded focus must be Heaven and the expectation of our salvation.

In chapter 2, Paul turns his thoughts to having the same mind as Christ. In verses 2-3, he calls on us to have one love and one mind in humility. He calls on us to have a humble and submissive mind. Paul goes on to emphasize that this was the mind Christ had in this life, humbling Himself, obedient even unto death. This Jesus, equal to Father and Spirit in the Trinity and instrument of Creation, submitted Himself to become a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He had a right to resist, to refuse, but He did so willingly. He did so sacrificially. He put on submission and humility, and we should be likewise willing to submit and abase ourselves despite the rights we think we have.

Chapter 3 touches on having a spirit-centered mind. For several verses, Paul lists his own qualities that could allow him to boast among his peers – a Pharisee, a zealot, a Jew’s Jew one might say. He had power, admiration, and respect in his previous life. By verse 8, however, Paul claims to see these physical accomplishments as nothing compared to his relationship with Jesus Christ. The accolades and praises of man mean nothing compared to spiritual victory in Christ.

Finally, in Philippians 4, Paul calls on Christians to have a contented mind. Verse 7 describes a peace that surpasses all understanding, a peace that comes from a life of prayer and rejoicing in God. Verse 11 encourages contentment, and verse 13 reminds us that our strength comes from Christ. How do we accomplish this? Verses 8-9 tells us to meditate on the true, the honorable, the pure, and the lovely.

Our minds define who we are. As followers of Christ, we should be content, spiritually-minded, and Christ-centered in our hearts and minds. If we can have these qualities in place, then we can have peace and contentment in Christ incomparable to any other peace we can have here in this world, and we can then share that peace with others, continually helping the cause of Christ in this life.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Consider the Paperclip

I want you to think a moment about paperclips. Now, at first blush, you might think there is not much to think about when it comes to paperclips. They’re pretty simple, aren’t they? You don’t have to tax your imagination overmuch to figure out what they are for. They say what they do, and they do what they say. They also do it pretty well, but is that all they have to be? Do they have to be regulated to the lowly function of clipping papers together all of the time?

Consider the Paperclip

View more presentations from Robert Smelser.

Thinking Outside the Box

In the book Breakpoint and Beyond by George Land and Beth Jarman, the authors use paperclips – among other objects, rubrics, and techniques – to measure divergent thinking among fifteen-hundred people. This divergent thinking is simply the ability to come up with varied solutions to one problem, and one of the problems they measure is this: how many uses can you think of for a paperclip? Most people may come up with ten or fifteen, but a truly divergent thinker will come up with a couple hundred uses. Yes, for a paperclip.

The research they did was a longitudinal study, meaning they kept coming back to the same subjects over a period of several years, evaluating them on their divergent thinking at multiple stages in their lives from early childhood to adulthood. They found something pretty staggering. At age five, 98% of the children scored at the highest level for divergent thinking. By age ten, that number had dropped to 50%. By adulthood, that percentage had fallen drastically farther.

Everyone in Their Place

As we get older, we like to impose order in our lives. Things fall into narrower and narrower categories. We like a place for everything and everything in it’s place. Unfortunately, while paperclips may not be adversely affected by our tendency to categorize everything, we also do this to people. We have those labeled as “friend,” who we share our joys and secrets with; those with whom we live closely and will be well aware of our spiritual walk; those who may even be sharing that spiritual walk with us.

Everyone else, we lump into categories based on our opinions of them, and those opinions are not always kind. We throw around various terms and labels that serve to dehumanize those with whom we differ behaviorally or ideologically. Even if we don't intend dehumanization, those labels, at least, form a barrier between us and them – many synonymous with "enemy" in our minds. How likely are we to share God’s word with someone we view as an enemy?

Then we have those harmless labels that still serve as barriers in our spiritual relationships with others. These labels are not demonizing or nefarious in any way. They are merely functional labels. They describe the purpose that person serves in our lives. These are perhaps the true paperclips in our lives – those we see often in our daily jobs, errands, and chores, but we never try to pursue anything more than that context-specific relationship.

Looking Beyond the Labels

If everyone is pigeon-holed as either someone unlikely to receive the gospel (because we’ve judged them to be unlikely) or as someone we never even think of outside the context of their function in our daily routines, then the number of people we may actually consider sharing the gospel with can grow vanishingly small.

Let’s look at some of the people Jesus reached out to in His ministry:

• A Centurion. In Matthew 8:5, a centurion comes to Jesus, expressing faith in Christ’s power to heal his servant. Here is an idolator; here is one oppressing Jesus’ people, but He shows mercy upon this one the world would define as an enemy.
• Zacchaeus. In Luke 19:2, Jesus meets and goes to the house of Zacchaeus, despite his being a potentially dishonest tax collector, one who would have been looked upon with scorn and loathing by others.
• An Adulteress. In John 8:3, the Scribes and Pharisees haul a woman caught in adultery to Jesus’ feet. Instead of condemning this immoral and immodest woman, Jesus shames her accusers and offers her mercy.
• Peter. In John 21:16, Jesus speaks to Peter, the two reuniting after Peter had cursed and denied Christ. He had betrayed the very one he professed to follow, but Jesus forgives him and charges him to continue serving Him.
• Judas. In John 12:3, Jesus gives a soft answer to Judas, despite Judas having a heart of greed and betrayal. Even with one who for whom all hope seems lost, Jesus shows kindness, even up to the very end.

How might we have treated these people differently? To illustrate, here’s a story I saw getting passed around Christian circles a couple of years ago:

…Inside one of my favorite restaurants, I noticed that my waiter was wearing a bright blue ,“Obama 08” tie; again I laughed to myself as he boldly and proudly advertised his political preference for all …When the check finally came I decided not to tip my waiter and explained to him that I was going to implement a practical application of Obama's Redistribution of Wealth concept…He stood there in stoic disbelief as I explained to him that I was going to redistribute his rightfully earned $10 tip…

The problem is that this (presumably) Chistian didn't look at the waiter as a soul who needs Christ. All he saw was a "liberal joke" that needed to see the error of it's ways. Whoever this guy was may have felt like he won a political argument for a day. He might have felt better about himself at the expense of another. He might have earned praise and accolades from those who agreed with him, but what did he do for that waiter’s soul?

Seeing What God Sees

To get past our secular labels, we need to see each other as Christ and God sees us – as helpless sheep in need of guidance and protection. In the final Servant Psalm of Isaiah, the prophet laments that we, like sheep, have gone astray. No matter the sins we have committed or the great deeds we have done, we are no better and no worse than straying sheep. Jesus, in Matthew 18:12-14, tells us the value God places on every one of His sheep.

If we can do that, then there will be no reason for us not to be willing to share the gospel with every person we meet. We need to stop seeing “cashier,” “bank teller,” “mechanic,” “liberal,” “socialists,” “wing-nuts,” “illegals,” “welfare queens,” or whatever other labels secular minds place on their fellow souls. Instead, we should be thinking divergently from the world and see something beautiful and new when all they see are paperclips. Then, just then, we may be able to begin loving and teaching the way Jesus did.

lesson by Robert Smelser

Humility & Peace

There is one vital ingredient if we are to have unity and peace: humility. We desperately need humility in our lives and in our congregations if we are to work for peace, and, if there is one congregation we can point to as needing humility above all else, that is the congregation at Corinth in the New Testament.

Here is a congregation where factions split behind various leaders and figureheads. Some promote celibacy while others live in sexual sin, calling it freedom in Christ. Some abuse the Lord’s Memorial. Those with spiritual gifts seem to vie for prominence and attention during worship, behaving disruptively to gain attention. There are even those who deny the resurrection.

Five times in his first letter to this book, Paul calls for humility: I Corinthians 4:6, chapter 4:18, chapter 4:19, chapter 5:2, and I Corinthians 13 then explains Christian love, a love that is not boastful but humble. The heart of Corinth’s problem is one of pride or arrogance. These are dangers Paul would reinforce with Timothy in I Timothy 3:6 and 6:4 as well as in II Timothy 3:1. Paul obviously sees humility as an essential ingredient in our Christian lives, especially if we are to live peacefully with one another and our God.

Pride and Separation

Pride and arrogance keeps us from our true selves. Proverbs 16:18 warns that pride leads to a fall. Why? Because we blind ourselves to our own limitations. Proverbs 14:16 warns against arrogant recklessness born of overconfidence. Galatians 6:3 tells us we deceive ourselves when we think we are better than we are. In short, we fail to see ourselves the way God sees us, and the way we measure ourselves differs from the way God measures us.

Pride also keeps us from one another. Galatians 6:2 calls on us to bear each other's burdens. How can I do that if I’m too full of myself? Romans 12:3, after telling us to avoid conformity with this world and encouraging us to live sacrificially, begins an entire passage about service through humility. We should not esteem ourselves above our brethren. Verse 16 calls for harmony, asking us to put others first without conceit. I Peter 5:5 tells us to clothe ourselves in humility, and in Matthew 18:2-4, after the apostles had been arguing over who was the greatest, Jesus calls on His followers to have childlike humility if they would be great in God’s kingdom.

Finally, a lack of humility keeps us away from God. Proverbs 8:13 tells us God hates pride and arrogance. Chapter 21:4 calls haughtiness sin. James 4:10 tells us God lifts up the humble, and I Peter 5:5-6 says much the same thing, reminding us that God resists the proud. Think about the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5; in verse 3, Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, those who have been emptied of self. Once we empty ourselves of pride, we make room for God in our lives.

Conclusion

In Job 1:1, we are told Job was a perfect, upright man, and, in verse 8, God calls Job His servant. Chapter 2:3 repeats this assertion that Job is God’s humble servant, fearing God and turning from evil. Can God say the same about any of us? After chapter upon chapter of Job’s friends tearing him down, we come to Job 31:35 where Job declares His innocence before God. He becomes proud in God’s eyes, and God responds in chapter 38-39, putting Job in his place. Chapter 40:3-5 then records Job’s humbled response. Now, if righteous Job could not be prideful before God, how can we lift ourselves up in arrogance?

In humility, we can see ourselves as God sees us. Humility allows us to serve one another, and it is humility that will draw us nearer to God. As little children, we need to empty ourselves of self-interest and all arrogance, coming to him in meekness and humility so He will draw nearer to us.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Will Work for Peace

What is it we work for the most in this life? For what do we plan and strive? What do we consider our life’s greatest pursuit? Perhaps we’re trying to be successful at work, trying to get that next kudos, striving for that next promotion. We may simply be working for the money. We might work to win arguments, wanting others to see our way, not understanding why others don’t want to see things the way I do. We might be working to protect others from harm. We might be fighting to protect liberties and freedoms as we see them. We might pursue the best sale we can find, or we could simply be working to put the next meal on the table.

Some of these pursuits are more noble than others. Some are born of greater necessity than others. I’d like to encourage us, though, to look at something else, something we think we value but often shunt aside for these other reasons, something we let get lost in the shuffle of our lives, and something upon which Jesus and His disciples placed a heavy emphasis. We should all be working for peace.

Will Work for Peace (Edited)

View more presentations from Robert Smelser.

Peace and the New Testament Christian

The story of peace under the New Covenant finds its roots in the Old. In speaking of God’s new kingdom in Isaiah 2:4, the prophet says that those who come to His mountain of worship will craft their implements of war into those of agriculture. He says they will no longer seek war between physical kingdoms and that they will learn war no more. Then, near the end of Jesus’ ministry in John 14:27, Jesus says to His disciples that He leaves them peace, and that this peace is beyond anything we can obtain in this word.

New Testament writers go on to emphasize peace time and again in their writings. In Romans 8:6 tells us that setting our minds on spiritual things brings forth life and peace, and Romans 14:9 tells us to pursue things that make for peace. In Ephesians 2:17, Paul says Jesus’ gospel is one of peace, and, in chapter 4:3 of the same book, we are told to be eager to maintain peace. II Timothy 2:22 also tells us to pursue peace as much as we would righteousness, faith, and love. Finally, I Peter 3:11 tells us to seek and pursue peace.

Despite the divisive nature God’s word can have (see Matthew 10:34), we cannot discount the fact that we are supposed to be peaceful and peaceable people. We serve the God of peace. We follow after the King of Peace (Hebrews 7:2). Just as we are to emulate God’s holiness, I believe we should be demonstrating His peace in our attitudes and in our conduct.

The Work of Peace

Peace is not something that is inactive. It is more than simply laying our physical and metaphorical arms down. Peace takes work. It takes effort. We’ve seen verbs in the previous verses such as “pursue,” “strive for,” “seek,” and “maintain.” It takes sustained effort to do these things. Contrary to popular punditry, peace takes effort. Take a look at Hebrews 12:14, the verse starts with “Follow peace” (NKJV), but the Greek word translates as “follow” there is διώκω (diṓkō), meaning to strive after, to pursue. Quite literally, the word could be translated, “to flee toward.” We are supposed to be actively fleeing toward peace.

The easy road is to attack to dehumanize, to engage, to argue, to express ourselves loudly or inconsiderately, to threaten, to slander in email or on the Internet, to let anger usurp reason. It takes little effort to release our bottled up energies and spend them on causes or arguments that do nothing to promote peace or the word of God. These negative outlets of our energy are not helping. Instead, we should be dedicating our energies to working for peace. It’s easy to retaliate when we feel wronged or affronted, but, as Mohandas Gandhi might say, “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” If we seek to correct violence with violence, where will the cycle end? It’s one thing to learn not to hit; it’s entirely another to learn not to hit back.

Harder is to swallow our injured pride and move on. Harder still is living peaceably toward those with whom we feel animosity. This is not a passive exercise. The peace of God requires active engagement. Remember the points Jesus was making during the sermon on the mount in Luke 6:27-36. Do we think those are hypotheticals? Do we think there are situations in which these do not apply?

Also, keep in mind the parable of the good Samaritan. Think of the nasty political, racial, cultural, and religious divisions that are in the world today. Think of a name that makes your stomach turn. Think of a group that always makes your blood boil, always makes you want to shout at the TV, or post angry Facebook updates. That’s how many Jews and Samaritans felt toward each other, but the Samaritan shelves those prejudices to meekly practice peace. When things get tough, the tough get meek. And it takes a tough person to get meek because being meek in our culture is tough work.

What Will You Work For?

We sometimes sing a song called “Instruments of Your Peace,” but do we really man it? The song invokes God’s love to overcome hatred, and I don’t think it only means when hatred is directed toward you or me. In it we sing of putting away pride and prejudice, of shelving personal judgments, of bearing the grief and trials of others. We’re good at being peaceful towards those who agree with us in all things, but what of those that don’t? Can we put away our judgments, our prejudices, and our pride to share the peace of God with them.

We’ve studied before that we must go to the extreme in our faith, in our love, and in our obedience to God’s word. We must feel no differently toward peace. We should be aggressively peaceful. Strive for peace. Pursue peace. Maintain peace. Seek after peace. Work for peace. In all things, let our lives be characterized by peacefulness, and let all who meet us see us as a peaceable people. It takes effort. It takes work. It takes a tough sense of inner security and balance, but we can characterize our lives with peace.

lesson by Robert Smelser

Second Mile Thinking

Say you are driving your dream car (let’s say a two-seater sports car) and stopped at a stoplight, where you see three people standing in a torrential downpour. One is an elderly lady having chest pains, your best friend who saved your life in college, and you dream girl or guy. This is not a scenario unique to me; it comes from various job applications, and one answer went this way: “I would let my best friend drive the elderly lady to the hospital while I stood in the rain with the girl/guy of my dreams.”

Inconveniencing self is a concept to which we are not easily attuned. Very few applicants who see this question think to give up the car. We limit our own options based on things we view as nonnegotiable. Of course, we would remain driving the two-seater. Therefore, we think we can only help one in this scenario. We don’t see how a bit of self-sacrifice creates a better solution.

Going An Extra Mile

Matthew 5:38-45 embodies second mile living. In this sermon on the mount, Jesus encourages His audience and us to be merciful, even to those who would wrong us. Jesus says to go above and beyond in our service and grace toward others. He tells us to exceed expectations, and the reason is found in verse 45 – that we may reflect the nature of our Heavenly Father.

What if God did not have a second mile way of thinking? How would He have viewed Creation? How would He view our shortcomings and rebellions? Where would the plan of salvation be? Remember Romans 5, reminding us that God loved us when we were most unlovable and then gives of Himself sacrificially to stand in our place. Also be mindful of II Peter 3:9, describing God’s patience, His desire for all to repent and turn to Him in time. I John 1:9 tells us of God’s faithful forgiveness, and chapter 2:1 speaks of our Advocate when we do fall into sin. God has gone the second mile in providing us mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

Luke 5:54, Luke 6:36, I Peter 5:10, I Peter 2:3 – these passages speak to the Lord’s goodness, His graciousness, His mercy, His forgiveness. Where does He draw His line? Where does He say, “Enough is enough?” When does He decide we are unforgivable, beyond hope, or not worth the effort? God goes above and beyond in His mercy toward us. How can we do any less in the mercy we show to our fellow man?

Living God’s Word

James 2:8 calls on us to fulfill the royal law to love each other as ourselves, and he reminds us, in verse 13, that mercy will be deprived of those who live mercilessly. James then goes on to remind us that acknowledging such qualities in God means nothing if we do not live it. Jude 22 reminds us that mercy saves. We are to be merciful as God is merciful (Luke 6:36 again). Then, in Ephesians 4:25-32, Paul tells us to be as forgiving as God is.

Colossians 3:13 tells us to forebear with each other, again reminding us of the forgiveness we should embody. II Timothy 2:24 calls on us to be gentle, avoiding strife with others. Romans 14:19 calls us peace makers and peace keepers. Paul calls on us to pursue peace by calling us followers of it. These verses are not here as filler. They tell us how God views us and how we, in turn, should view others.

Conclusion

This begins by removing selfishness from our minds. Those Romans soldiers expected a commoner to carry their pack one mile. Jesus says to do the unexpected and go two. He calls on us to remove self as a priority, to put others first, to embody mercy and forgiveness, to live peacefully with those around us. How often should we go this second mile? In speaking of forgiveness, Jesus says to Peter that our well of forgiveness should be bottomless in Matthew 18:22. Our reservoir or selflessness and patience should be as deep.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Attitude Affects Altitude

Some time ago, the Ashville, North Carolina’s tourism board ran an advertisement campaign that “Altitude affects attitude.” The idea is that going higher in the mountains makes us feel better. Conversely, in our spiritual lives, our attitude affects our altitude. It affects and reflects how high our aspirations climb. It is a powerful thing, and it is something over which we have complete control. It is surprising what we can do and what we can become when we set our minds to it.

In I Peter 1:15-16, we are called to reflect God’s holiness just as His people were called in the book of Leviticus. It is a call to change our ways of thinking, to change our perspectives, to change our attitudes. We remind ourselves continually that we are set apart, that our actions and behaviors are to be like God’s. If that is our starting point, much in our lives will begin to change.

Practical Places to Change Our Attitudes

What kind of attitude do we have toward those we view as enemies? In Ezekiel 33:11, God tells His people that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Can we say the same? Our interactions with others, the lack of love we may have for those enemies, may reflect a holiness deficit in our attitudes.

What about forgiveness – not accepting God’s forgiveness, but us forgiving those that have hurt us? Isaiah 55:8-9 records God inviting His people to forgiveness, for his ways and thoughts are higher than ours. He can forgive what we find difficult to set aside, but that is the mind we are supposed to emulate. Can we lay aside the past, and align our thoughts with God’s ways? Remember, in Matthew 6:14, reminds us that God’s forgiveness hinges on our willingness to forgive others.

Finally, how do we love? God loved us and interceded on our parts when we were farthest from Him. I John 3:1 reminds us of the nature of that love, and verse 16 reminds us of the extent of that love. Verse 18 calls on us then not to simply love by word, but also in deed and in truth. I John 4:7-8 encourages us to love, for God is love.

Conclusion Attitude affects altitude. If we want to rise to God’s standard and rise to a home in Heaven, the journey starts with our attitudes. Our love, our forgiveness, our holiness – how high do we aspire to rise in these ways? We can be more like Him. Our ways and thoughts can be like His. We just have to consciously decide to change our attitudes, and let our lives reflect that change.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Joy in Our Faith

We often use emoticons in our text messages, emails, and status updates to convey a mood for whatever we’re writing. Often, we’ll use a smiley face to lighten the mood, to show happiness in something we’re sharing. Can we then put a smiley face on the cross? Are we drifting toward simply being a feel-good religion, evangelizing a God who will commiserate with us when we do things that fulfill self-interest. Instead of having a Father in Heaven, do we encourage the image of a Grandfather who just wants to spoil His grandkids and see the young people enjoy themselves.

What we have to do is balance the joyful Christian life and the serious commitment required in the face of the cross. In avoiding a feel-good faith, we may go to an extreme of negativity, demonstrating joyless lives. Where is the balance? There must be a sense of sorrow and remorse for our sins that sent Jesus to His death upon a cross. He bears the guilt we should be burdened under, and he takes our sorrow upon Himself so we can have joy.

Finding Joy in the Cross

Matthew 13:8-23 records Jesus explaining his parable about a sower planting seeds. Verses 20-21 explains that struggles, sorrow, and trials can remove God’s word from our hearts, and Jesus says we should receive that word with joy. In verse 44, Jesus goes on to compare God’s kingdom to a treasure, found and obtained in joy. Acts 8:8 describes the joy people had in receiving God’s word, even amidst persecution, and verse 39 shows a new convert departing his conversion rejoicing. Finally, Acts 13:48 shows Gentiles rejoicing that the gospel has been made available to them.

Salvation comes from the cross. Guilt, sorrow, and sin are removed forever. Paul, in Romans 10:17-18, calls God’s kingdom one of righteousness, peace, and joy. Where sorrow and guilt may have initially brought us to the cross for salvation, our lives should be ones of joy after our redemption. Instead of walking away from our rebirth in Christ with bitterness over the difficulties we will face in our service to Christ, we should be like the eunuch who goes away rejoicing.

Romans 5:5-13 reminds us of the peace and comfort found in God, concluding that we should be filled with peace and joy from God. Galatians 5 even enumerates joy as one of the fruits of the spirit. Philippians 3:1 simply calls on us to rejoice in the Lord. Paul repeats this in Philippians 4:4. This is a quality of character we should possess and that others should see in us.

Placing Joy in the Eternal

There are many things in this life that are distressing, sad, and unfulfilling. These are not the things in which we should rejoice. We search for joy in this world. We are looking in the wrong place. Instead, we rejoice in the love, the hope, the salvation, the promises we have in our God. Even if our life circumstances bring no joy, we can always place hope in the eternal promises of our Father.

We should also be taking joy in our brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember Paul’s attitude toward Titus in II Corinthians 7:13, rejoicing in Titus’ presence and in the refreshment he had among the congregation at Corinth. In I Thessalonians 2:20, Paul calls that congregation a glory and a joy, and Philippians 4:1 expresses the joy Paul takes in his brethren. What have we done to bring joy to our brothers and sisters in Christ? Joy is a characteristic we possess, and it is a thing we give to others.

Conclusion

Ultimately, our joy is in the hope of Heaven. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us of the endurance Jesus had in the face of the joy set before Him. We have that same hope. We have that same joy. Bringing joy to our Christian lives does not mean sugar-coating the message of God. We are not putting a smiley face on the cross, but we should understand the great things provided us and promised us in God, living joyfully for the hope set before us. Once we fully commit ourselves to walking in Christ’s footsteps, we can take joy in the knowledge of where that path leads if we stay focused on the goal.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Choosing Life

Every day we are faced with many choices. Many are trivial, and we make them out of habit. Others are more difficult. Paper or plastic; coffee or juice; main roads, side roads, or back roads; narrow path or broad path; life or death. Recently, I had to make a choice between an emergency surgery or letting a pet die. The choice was quick and easy. When given the choice between life and death, I chose life.

When there is hope, when there is an option, we choose life. In Deuteronomy 30, Moses sets a choice before the people between good and evil, between life and death. He commands them to keep God’s commandments and live but calls nature as witness that disobedience is a choice of death. Moses encourages them to choose life.

In John 4:14-15, Jesus invites a Samaritan woman to drink of spiritual water leading to eternal life. Seeing that hope, the Samaritan woman chooses life, and she leaves Him to share that life with others. In contrast, Matthew 19:16 records a man coming to Jesus, expressing an interest in choosing life. When faced with reordering his physical life, however, the young man rejects the message of life.

Every day, we have decisions that affect our spiritual life or death. We are continually faced with the same choice Moses presented before the children of Israel. We can choose obedience and life, or we choose the alternative. Some choices we face matter little in the long run, but other choices have heavier implications to our souls. When there is hope, we choose life. Seize the hope presented by our Savior, and choose spiritual life in Him.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Our Internal Inventory

Many Christians are familiar with Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

This is one of the three prison epistles, Paul writing these words in various states of captivity as a political prisoner. As he closes this letter from his prison, he calls on the Philippians to think, or meditate, on these things he describes in chapter 4:8. The greek for “think” or “meditate” in this verse literally means “to take inventory.” We know what it means to catalogue or keep track of our things. When we take stock of things in our life, our inventory should be full of praiseworthy, true, honorable, commendable, lovely, and excellent qualities.

Our Mental Inventories

What do we do when congregational issues arise? What do we keep when someone wrongs us in some way? What do we do when we don’t feel God hears our distress? We have a pretty good idea of what things are praiseworthy and pure, but what do we inventory in our minds when things are difficult for us?

In our minds, we easily contrast the true with the untrue, the half-true, and the speculative. Honorable is contrasted with the shameful. Justice is contrasted with unfairness and injustice. Purity is contrasted with the unholy and impure. That which is lovely is contrasted with ugly conduct and dark attitudes. The commendable contrasts with the unwholesome. The excellent contrasts with the immoral, and that which is praiseworthy contrasts with the worthless.

These points seem elementary, but how do we apply this knowledge? So often, we keep track of every time a brother or sister has offended us. We take inventory of every person’s involvement in a congregational issue. We catalogue every piece of dirt we can remember on anyone we disagree with. We keep a tracking list of every time we feel God lets us down. ALl of these things are destructive to our spiritual lives, and they do not fall in line with the items of Philippians 4:8.

A Good Inventory

Proverbs 26:20 says:

For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

The more we continue to meditate on the conflicts and negativity in our lives, the more wood we add to fuel the fires on conflict and hatred. Instead, what if we kept track of every time our brothers or sisters encouraged us? What if we took stock of the good accomplished in our congregations? What if we stopped to think about our numerous blessings God has given us? Then we fuel a fire of excellence and love. Then we are meditating as we see in Philippians 4:8, for our character reflects those things we store in our hearts.

Remember that Philippians was written while Paul was in captivity, but, in chapter 1:3, he goes out of his way to give thanks for the relationship he has with the church in Philippi. Chapter 2 focuses on reflecting the mind of Christ, and chapters 3 and 4 repeatedly say to rejoice in the Lord. In between these statements, Paul addresses difficulties within the congregation, but he continues to take inventory of the good, the pure, and the praiseworthy in the congregation. He does this while in chains. What might we have written under similar circumstances?

Paul could display such an attitude because of the contents of his heart. His internal inventory comprised things true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. To reflect Christ, Paul had to empty his life of certain qualities, and he had to begin fueling his life with better material. We can do the same in our own lives.

A Cultivated Heart

Any farmer, landscape artist, or gardener will prepare the soil before giving their work. A builder will prepare a foundation. A carpenter prepares their tools and wood. We know to prepare when working in our given specialties. The canvas must be prepared for the craftsmanship, and we must prepare our hearts if we are going to be properly receptive the gospel. We see such preparation in the character of Ezra.

Ezra is a leader of the Old Testament who grows up in captivity. Jerusalem is destroyed. Judah is a captive people to Babylon, and this is all Ezra knows until Cyrus decrees the captive people may independently return to their lands. Ezra leads a moral, social, and spiritual restoration of his people. In this, Ezra 7:10 reveals that Ezra sets his heart to seek after God’s law, to do it, and to teach it.

Preparing Our Hearts

Matthew 13:1-9 records Jesus telling the parable of the soils. Chances are we are familiar with the differences between the soil exposed to birds, the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the fertile soil. He explains the parable in verses 18-23, describing the similarities between the soils and the hearts of those who hear his word. Some misunderstand; some respond but lose interest; some are crushed by worldly concerns; others live it.

We often apply this parable to others, but we seldom reflect enough to remove the rocks and thistles from our own lives. To prepare a real garden, it takes time and effort to prepare the soil. It takes time and effort to remove the weeds and the rocks. Then it takes time and effort to keep those things from returning to the garden – especially those weeds. We have to cultivate our devotion to God, and this takes preparation.

Our greater and deeper devotion to God begins in our hearts before we wake up on Sunday morning. Jesus spends much of His ministry talking about hearts – pure hearts, honest hearts, soft hearts, hard hearts, dull hearts. Acts 17:11 speaks of the people in Berea who have prepared their hearts and minds to receive God’s word. I Corinthians 8:5 describes the Christians in Macedonia as having given themselves to the Lord first, enabling them to support and encourage Paul.

Conclusion

Proverbs speaks of the heart at least seventy-five times. Proverbs 2:2 calls on us to apply our hearts to understanding. Proverbs 2:10 says wisdom enters through the heart. Proverbs 4:23 encourages us to keep our hearts pure, and Proverbs 23:12 tells us to incline our hearts to instruction. Seeking and doing the law of God does not come by accident any more than we can grow a bumper crop by mistake. It takes preparation and cultivation, just as Ezra prepared himself to live the law of his God.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Living Christian Joy

If a Christian from our time was transported to the First Century, how would he or she find other Christians. They would have no Internet, no pamphlets, no phone books. Would they be able to simply notice the individuals who had calmness of spirit, purpose in life, joy, and love for others. If they could find these qualities in someone then or now, chances are good they would find one who knows Christ. Do our lives reflect these qualities for others to see?

Romans 14 addresses how Christians handle personal convictions that are not addressed by scripture. In verse 16, Paul warns against letting our good works being seen negatively due to our emphasis on the physical over the spiritual. Anxiety, doubt, and guilt can crowd out the joy and peace of spirit we can have in Jesus. They hinder our ability to share Christ with those around us.

Peace of Spirit

Our Lord understands this struggle between peace and anxiety. Much of the Sermon on the Mount deals with this conflict. Matthew 6 repeatedly addresses the problem of anxiety over food, clothes, lifespans, and other everyday problems. Matthew 13:22, amidst the parable of the sower, acknowledges the draining power the cares of this world can have over our spiritual peace.

Luke 10:38 records Jesus visiting the home of Mary and Martha, and verse 40 records Martha as being distracted by her work. She is anxious and troubled about many things, but Jesus says Mary has chosen better things to worry about. Martha is drawn in multiple directions – just as we are. We worry about the economy. We worry about politics. We worry about our health. We worry about the speed of service at a restaurant. When these cares distract us from giving our best and having lives filled with peace and joy, there is a problem. The solution is in finding balance.

Balancing Our Lives

If I am to allow others to see Christ in me through my conduct, I have to find balance. Philippians 4:6 admonishes us to be anxious for nothing, rather turning to God for all things. We achieve peace in our lives when we learn to turn things over to God. Likewise, I Peter 5:6-7 encourages us to cast our anxiety on God in humility, allowing Him to lift us up. There are some things I can do, but there are other things only God can do. If we are to have peace, we have to let God do what He can.

Like there are things we cannot do, there are things we cannot know. We have doubts and worries, but John assures us throughout his first epistle that we can eliminate doubt about our spiritual state. I John 2:3-6, 3:19, 4:13, 5:13 – these verses and more assure us we can know our relationship with the Father. We can feel assured in our salvation and lose the doubt that plagues our lives.

Anxiety and doubt, however, may have a common foundation in guilt. Perhaps we have sought out God’s forgiveness, but we have not yet forgiven ourselves. In Jeremiah 31, the prophets speaks of a new covenant between God and His people, and verses 33-34 say a cornerstone of this covenant is forgiveness. God says He will forgive and forget. Isaiah 55:6 invites God’s people to call upon God in repentance for forgiveness. Thinking of the sinfulness the people of ancient Israel had descended, we ask, “How could God forgive them?” The answer is in verses 8-9: His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. He can forgive what we view as unforgivable.

Conclusion

We carry around too much guilt, anxiety, and doubt, making it impossible for anyone to discern us from those lost in worldliness. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us what it means to walk spiritually. This is who we are to be if Christ is in our lives. Romans 15:13 encourages us to abound in the hope of our Father, a hope in which we can be assured and confidant. Philippians 3:1 and 4:4 remind us we can rejoice in our God. Finally Hebrews 12:2 calls on us to look to Jesus as our example, enduring trial after trial while remember in the joy waiting ahead.

Others should see Jesus in our conduct. We should be joyful based on the confidence we have in our relationship with our Savior. Do we have that joy? Do we have that peace? We can lay our doubts and fears aside, and we can walk in the spirit every day of our lives.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Finding What We Are Looking For

A few weeks ago, we discussed the concept of losing God, and, when we lose things, we tend to search for them until we find them. In Matthew 7, Jesus admonishes that we will find what we are looking for is we keep asking, seeking, and knocking. This also applies to our searching the scriptures. What are we looking for? How are we looking, and why are we looking?

For What Are We Looking?

Are we looking for loopholes? In Judges 21, during the aftermath of a small civil war against Benjamin in Israel, the people swore to never help Benjamin rebuild and repopulate. In verses 20-21, however, the people destroy Jabesh-Gliead to undo their harm, and they even go so far as exploiting a loophole in their customs to rescind the oath they have already made to God. In Joshua 24, Balaam cannot curse God’s people. Instead, he teaches Balak how to lead them into disfavor with God. He simply searches for a loophole.

We may study with the intent of disproving another. At the well in John 4, the woman Jesus meets looks for an answer from Him to resolve a technical dispute on the location of worship. In John 5:39, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for not seeing what the scriptures point to, looking for their own justification more than God’s. John 12:47-48, John 8:31-32, Hebrews 4:12 – these verses point to the power the scriptures should be having in our lives.

How Are We Looking?

In Acts 24, Felix sends Paul away until a “more convenient time” that never comes. Contrast this with the Bereans of Acts 17 who search the scriptures with an open mind. The difference is between passive learners and active learners, and Hebrews 11:6 calls God a rewarders of those who seek Him diligently. There is nothing passive about diligence. In II Timothy 2:15, Paul encourages Timothy to be diligent in his preparation to work God’s word. Do we search God’s word diligently, or do we let ourselves passively be exposed to that word.

Why Are We Looking?

God’s word is the standard by which we will ultimately be judged. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus pictures many who claim to have served God but have done so without knowledge of God’s word. Jesus goes on to compare those who build their lives upon God’s word with one who builds his home upon a firm foundation. We should want to be free from our sin, able to stand before God on the day of judgment, having lived by the statutes of God’s will. We need to know our Bibles so we may correct error. In Romans 10:1-4, Paul speaks of zealousness without knowledge. Without that knowledge, our efforts fall short.

Conclusion

As Peter says in John 6:68, it is in Jesus alone we find eternal life. We may not always like the answers we find. We may have to change when we search God’s word and learn of His will. We must overcome our fears or our indifference. Only then can we let God’s word make the changes in our lives we need.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Idolatry: A Family Heritage

There are certain memories indelibly etched into our minds – possibly of times with our family, historical events through which we lived, births, deaths, etc. In Jeremiah 17:1-2, the prophet says the people of Israel have thoughts of idols etched upon their hearts in this time. Back in chapter 7:17, God asks Jeremiah if he sees the idolatry in which God’s people are engaging. These sacrifices and offerings are a family occasion, and they form substantial memories. In Gideon’s time, that judge had to start in his own home, removing idolatry from Israel. Rachel, when leaving her home with Jacob, hides her family idols to take with her. II Kings 17:41 illustrates the idolatry entrenched in Israel’s culture by the time of the Assyrian captivity. The children and grandchildren do as their parents and grandparents.

Our Family Idols
Idolatry is a family heritage, and we all have idols we should be removing from our own lives, lest our children and grandchildren also follow after those same idols.

Social Acceptance
In Genesis 3, Eve and the serpent discuss the nature of God’s statutes within the garden. The serpent talks Eve into partaking of the forbidden fruit and then offering it to her husband. Both Adam and Eve succumb to simple peer pressure. I Samuel 15:24 records Saul acknowledging his transgression from God’s commands, compromising to please the masses. He gives in to the pressures surrounding him. Adam, Eve, and Saul all know, in these passages, what is right and what is wrong, but they have bowed down to the idol of social acceptance.

This pressure knows no age limits. We, as parents, do not want our children to stand out or be targeted, and we compromise our convictions and encourage them to compromise their own. Romans 12:2, however, encourages to avoid conformity and to be transformed into a spiritual being. I Corinthians 15:33 and Psalm 1:1-2 both admonish us to be wary of the influences we allow into our lives, and I Thessalonians 5:21 encourages to test the value of everything, abstaining from evil. We know what we should be doing, but we bow down to the idol of social acceptance.

Weak Marriages
In our culture, weak marriages are a given. We assume failure. Do our children see little hope in their own future relationships because of what they see in ours? Ephesians 5:25-28 reinforces the self-sacrificial love husbands should have for their wives. I Corinthians 13 explores this love more deeply – illustrating a love that prefers others over self, seeking the best in others, and shuns the selfishness that is the root of so many marital problems.

The end of I Peter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3 explore the concept of submission, upholding Christ as the ultimate example of submission. Peter uses Abraham’s wife Sarah as an example of this relationship. Remember, Sarah is a strong Bible woman, even insisting Ishmael should be expelled from her household. God sides with her in this matter, but her behavior remains selfless, and I Peter 3:7 goes on to remind husbands to value and honor wives as irreplaceable and precious. We would not be idolizing weak marriages if we could remove selfishness and pride from our family relationships.

Criticism
Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 6:19, Proverbs 16:28 – these and more verses criticize critical mouths. I Peter 3:10 (quoting Psalm 34) admonishes us from keeping our moths from evil and deceit, instead seeking peace. Do our children see an idol of criticism in our homes? Do they see us complaining about our brethren and worship on the way home from worship? Do they see us complaining about authority, about secular issues, about our jobs, about our families? We need to tear down our idol of negativity and criticism to preserve our youths.

Indifference
Apathy is the greatest enemy the Lord’s people can face. Genesis 35:1-2 records Jacob preparing to travel to Bethel to praise Jehovah. He plans and prepares for this journey. We cannot drift along in indifference, hoping to simply run into God on the way. Likewise, Hebrews 10:24-25 admonishes us to plan to worship together, to build one another up, to anticipate the time together because it is important to us. The Lord’s Day does not sneak up on us; it is always the same day. The idol of indifference, though, allows other things to push God out of our lives.

Replacing the Idols
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 records Moses instructing the children of Israel to etch God’s words upon their hearts. His words should always be on their lips and before their eyes. Whatever the idols in our own lives, we can remove those and teach our children to know God. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the children of Israel turn to idols while never considering themselves having forsaken God. What do we need to remove from our lives to avoid those distractions from God? Let us resolve to focus on Him and make His word and His ways the heritage we leave for our children.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Attitudes & Outlooks

Our attitudes and outlooks affect much of our lives. We can approach our lives as pessimists, expecting the worst. We might be cynical, expecting the worst out of the individuals in our lives. We could be fatalistic – “It was meant to be.” In our spiritual journey, we may reflect some of these negative qualities that can be harmful to ourselves, our fellow Christians, and our church as a whole. We may say to ourselves, “I’ve tried that before,” or we could cynically see our brethren as having ulterior motives. We might also see our spiritual lives as useless because we can make no difference.

Checking Our Attitudes

These negative attitudes cannot characterize Christians. James 4:13 cautions us against the assumptions we make, that anything is fated, understanding that we should always factor God into our plans. Nothing is fated, and we can appeal to God in our lives as James 5 points out. God does not take away our free will, nor does He predetermine the states of our lives or of our souls. He has given us power over our lives.

I Corinthians 13 discusses the love we should have for each other. Verse 7 says that love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. A loving Christian believes the best about others rather than denies the sincerity of others’ motives. Cynicism, however justified we may feel it is, demonstrates a lack of love. If we love as Christ loves, we will avoid a cynical outlook.

Romans 8:28 assures us that all things work together for goodness, even when we cannot see the long-term benefits. Paul goes on to ask how any could stand against those with whom God stands. This view is not pessimistic, fatalistic, or cynical. Instead, a child of God takes the most hopeful view of matters. We are to be optimists.

An Optimistic Outlook

In James 1:2-4, we see trials as a time of joy because of the endurance such trials produce. Romans 5:3 reaffirms this hope found in times of trials. Being a good Christian is not an easy task, and those trials and tribulations make us stronger and help us focus on the hope we have in things above. Peter, in I Peter 1:6, expresses concern for the struggles of those Christians, but he reminds them that such struggles can lead to glory and honor before God. With all of the things these disciples would go through in their lives, they encourage us to overcome the challenges we face with optimism.

Our attitudes and outlooks inform our conduct, our thoughts, and our lives. The child of God can recognize the hope set before us, allowing us to approach our lives optimistically, knowing our hope is in the Incorruptible.

Reprogramming Ourselves

In early December, I went through a seminar called Breaking Through, and one lesson from the lectures was that we have a great deal of extra content in our minds. We operate consciously about 10% of the time and subconsciously about 90% of the time, and the speaker emphasized that we have to reprogram our subconscious thoughts to influence our conscious actions.

The first principle to reprogram is that we do, in fact, have the ability to change. James 1:19-26 affirms that we have the ability to look into God’s perfect law and become a doer of that word. Do we truly believe this? Do we believe God’s word is powerful, and do we believe we are capable of following it? When we are indecisive about our goals, we seldom get far. Romans 12:1-2 encourages to renew our minds and focus on God’s plan, but we have to overcome our self-limiting thoughts if we are to attain this goal.

Being Versus Having

We have a Have-Do-Be culture. The condition upon us being happy is us doing what we want and having want we want in this world, but the mark is always moving in this approach. There are always better opportunities and better things toward which to reach. I Corinthians 4:11-13 speaks of being content in all economic conditions because of his trust in God. Instead of looking for having things and doing things that lead to peace. Paul finds peace independent of his situations. He sets his mind on peace, then pursues his life. In Colossians 1:1-3, Paul reminds us to set our minds on things above first. Contentment and peace is with God, and through Him, Paul could remain at peace despite any other challenges.

Creative Versus Reactive

When we choose contentment and peace, we will seek after things that promote those conditions. It is having a creative mind rather than a reactive mind. When we are reactive to our lives, we seek to place the responsibility for our actions and attitudes upon others. Someone else is to always to blame. Accepting responsibility, however, is ultimately liberating. We stop worrying about how others impact our lives, and we become the driving forces in our lives. We can live as God wants us to live, and Acts 5:41-42 records Jesus’ disciples doing just that – living a godly life despite persecution that could have led them away. When we react to situations, our choices immediately become limited, but the creative mind is unlimited and free. In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul writes that we can be filled with God’s fulness.

When we are reactive, we see things from the middle of problems and circumstances we are unable to control. When we create, we take control of the opportunities and possibilities before us. It takes commitment to be creative, though. Are we committed to being the example we should be? Are we committed to being the Bible students we should be? Are we committed to having the character we should have? WHen it comes to commitment, we may fall under one of five categories.

When we commit ourselves to a goal, we often convince ourselves we do all we can by simply wishing to do better or trying to improve without making any real progress. Other times, we let other factors come between us and our commitment, showing that those interferences are actually more important to us than our goal. Instead, we should let nothing stand in our way. Paul writes of his peace and contentment despite all odds. He is a godly person no matter the cost. We should be so committed to God’s work that we will pursue it whatever it takes.

Conclusion

Where are your commitments, and how committed are you to those goals? What if Christ showed as much commitment to my salvation as I show to His service. Romans 5:8 makes it clear that Jesus would fulfill His mission regardless of the cost. II Corinthians 11:20-33 records the measures to which Paul goes to fulfill his ministry. At what point in his story would we have simply given up? Our church family depends on our commitment to better themselves. We are all here to edify each other. We are here to encourage one another. We cannot, however, be the example we should be if we are letting the world dictate our attitudes and actions. We should commit ourselves to being the Christians we should be, and we have to decide first that we will possess God’s peace and contentment despite all around us. We can do all things in Him.

lesson by Donn Koonce

"Am I Your Enemy?"

Herman Edwards recently said of a certain sports figure fallen into scandal: “[He] needs a friend and he has needed a friend who would tell him the truth…that’s what friends do.” In Galatians 4:16, Paul asks those Christians, “Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth?” amidst his criticism that they have so quickly turned away from the doctrine of Christ. Far too often, we resent those who tell us what we need to hear, and we value those who tell us what we want to hear.

Those Who Vilified Truth

• In I Kings 12:4 records the people of Israel coming to the new king Rehoboam to lighten the load placed upon them by his father Solomon. His father’s councilors advised him to heed their request, but his peers advised him to make their burden al the heavier. He listens to those he wants to hear, and his actions result in the nation splitting in two.
• I Kings 21:20, Elijah comes to Ahab after the wicked king illegally and murderously acquires a piece of property. Previously, in I Kings 18, Ahab blames Elijah for the drought from God. He counts Elijah as an enemy for the truth Elijah delivers. Ahab values more those who tell him what he wants to hear.
• In I Samuel 20:28-33, Saul turns against his own son for pointing out the fallacy of Saul’s vendetta against David. He goes so far as to attempt murdering his own son. Jonathan tells Saul what he needs to hear, but the king turns on him for not telling him what he wants to hear.
• Throughout his book, Jeremiah battles against prophets who tell the people what they want to hear. His love for the people of Jerusalem drives him to weep in Jeremiah 8:21-9:1. He calls on them to distrust the lie that the presence of the temple assures them safety in chapter 7:4-7. Yet he is mocked, threatened, and contradicted throughout his ministry.
• In John 14, Jesus explain Herods’ fear that He is John the Baptist returned. Herod and his wife resents John’s stance that their marriage is unlawful. Because he tells them what they need to hear rather than they want to hear, John loses his life.

Valuing Truth and the Truthful

In contrast to these examples, Paul writes of a contention between Peter and him in Galatians 2:11. In this case, Peter is clearly in the wrong, and Paul corrects him for his hypocrisy. After this conflict, Acts 15 records the Jerusalem congregation gladly receiving Paul and his companions, and Peter would have been a member of this group. Later in the chapter, they side together against false teaching. Later in Peter’s life, he would call Paul a beloved brother in II Peter 3:15. Instead of begrudging Paul for telling him what he needs to hear, Peter grows in Christ, and he counts Paul as a friend.

I Corinthians 3:1, 5:1-2, 6:5, 11:17, 15:34 – these verses and more from this book reveal Paul sharing some hard truths to the Christians in Corinth. Their reaction to his chastisement in II Corinthians 7. They demonstrate godly sorrow, and they repent from their shortcomings. They do not harbor animosity or resentment. Instead, they value Paul for telling them what they need to hear.

All of this boils down to our reaction to Jesus. In John 14:15, Jesus plainly says that those who love Him keep His commandments. Luke 13:3-5 records Jesus speaking of the necessity of repentance from our wrongdoings. Time and again in His ministry, He tells us things we may not want to hear, but they are things we need to hear. We are His friend if we open our ears to His truth and heed His word. We are each other’s friends if we guide and listen to each other on the road to Heaven.

lesson by Tim Smelser

"Complete My Joy"

Paul does not often single individuals out in his letters unless it is something positive. However, when he does, Paul is serious about what he’s talking about. One such letter containing an instance of Paul singling individuals out is Philippians in chapter 4:2-3. He specifically entreats Euodia and Syntyche to live peacefully with each other. We don’t know the exact nature of the problem, but often these type of conflicts occur when the focus is on me. “I’m not getting my way;” “I can’t believe someone doesn’t agree with me;” and much of this letter seems to be centered around developing better attitudes about one another.

About Philippi

This letter comes some ten years after the establishment of the church in Philippi in Acts 16 when we see Lydia, a nameless jailer, their households, and likely others converted to the Lord. Lydia is typified by her hospitality, and the jailer is characterized by his readiness to respond to Christ’s word. The congregation is consistently hospitable to Paul through his journeys, and he and the congregation have a strong relationship. Now, these ten years later, Paul is imprisoned in Rome and has recently spoken to Epaphroditus, from whom he likely learned the situation in question.

In Philippians 2:2, Paul writes “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” As well as the Philippian church is doing, they have need for these words, and Euodia and Syntyche serve as an example of that need.

Chapter 1: Confidence in Them and the Lord

Chapter 1 opens with his gratitude for their work and their continual growth. He is confidant in their spiritual walk, and verses 7-8 expresses his affection for them. Subsequent verses then record his prayer that they press on in knowledge and wisdom. He wants, when Christ comes again, for them to remain sincere and blameless. Verses 12-26 then contains three negative elements, three clouds, that Paul looks beyond for his hope in Christ.

• Verses 12-14 contain the benefits he sees in his confinement – conversion of some guards and his stand emboldening of brethren in Rome.
• Verses 15-18 contrast the motives of those teaching of Christ. Some do so lovingly where others are doing it in rivalry to Paul. Still, he concludes that, either way, people are learning of Christ.
• Verses 20-26 record Paul’s reflection on his own mortality. He may die in prison, yet he sees the benefit in both life and death – dying to live with Christ or living to work for Christ.

Paul admits some dark things in his life, but dwells on the positive instead of the negative. Euodia and Syntyche may have needed to learn this in their relationship. Paul finishes this chapter with an admonition to stand firm united in their faith regardless of his fate or their obstacles.

Chapter 2: Comfort in Unity

Paul begins this chapter by encouraging his readers to lift one another up as more important than self, disregarding selfishness and rivalries. We should be actively interested in one another’s needs and concerns. Verse 3 speaks of humble service in our lives, and he goes on to appeal to Christ’s example to illustrate this. He appeals to Christ’s humility, His willingness to do God’s work, the enormity of His sacrifice in leaving Heaven to dwell with and be killed by those over whom He is Lord. His life is one of service as ours should be, and He is exalted because He abased Himself.

Starting in verse 12, Paul encourages his readers to go the distance in their service. He admonishes them to avoid complaining and arguing, continuing to be lights in the world. In verses 17-18, Paul reminds them of his devotion to their work – his efforts in preaching to the Gentiles. Then, chapter 2 concludes with some practical matters.

• Verse 19-23 contain Paul’s hopes to send Timothy in his stead, and he praises Timothy’s faith, love, and work.
• Verses 25-30 records Paul returning Epaphroditus to them and speaks of the mutual concern the congregation and Epaphroditus have for each other.

Chapter 3: Laying Aside the World

This chapter opens with a warning to avoid false teachings, especially those that would place weight in worldly manifestations of faith. He specifically points out, in the next several verses, his own pedigree, but he calls such qualifications unimportant compared to the value of Christ’s salvation. Then, the last few verses of the chapter address worldly appetites that can distract from our spiritual work, reminding us where our true citizenship resides.

Chapter 4: Live in Harmony with Each Other and Christ

Now we come to Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2, both having shared in Paul’s work at one time or another. Now they are at odds with each other. So many times, we let numerous things upset us and drive a wedge between ourselves and brothers and sisters in Christ. We alienate one another when we should be of the same mind, intent on one purpose, full of love. We can have disagreements without forsaking one another, without forsaking our congregation, without holding grudges against other Christians.

We don’t know why Euodia and Syntyche do not get along, but so much of this letter centers around elements of our faith that can help us overcome these worldly obstacles. He speaks to our true goals, the attitudes we should have, the priorities we should have. He sets up Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples of individuals who demonstrate care and concern for others over themselves. He reminds them lay aside those things that don’t matter in comparison to our relationship with Christ. Whatever wrong exists between these two women, Paul reminds them that there is a better way.

Paul closes his letter with encouragement to dwell in the peace of Christ, meditating and fixing our minds on things that work for peace, that work for Christ’s cause. It comes down to how we live with one another and our relationship with Christ. We can complete the Lord’s joy by being of one mind, having one love, and helping each other stay intent on our one purpose.

lesson by Darryl Smelser