2014-2015 Sunday School Schedule

Here is my proposed list of Sunday School Classes for the 2014-2015 Church Year:

Just finished working on my 2014-2015 Connections Sunday school class schedule. I teach a class each Sunday before worship...:) Here's the schedule:

Aug 24 – Sept 28, 2014
6 studies: In the Beginning

A look at the first nine chapters of Genesis, which give us foundational elements, stories and initial events about our faith.

Aug 24 Chapters 01-02 – Creation
Aug 31 Chapter 03 – Sin and Separation
Sep 07 Chapter 04 – The Curse of Cain
Sep 14 Chapter 05-06 – Along Came Noah
Sep 21 Chapter 07-08 – The Flood
Sep 28 Chapter 09 – A New Covenant


Oct 05 – Oct 26, 2014
4 week series:     Julian of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love

A look at the mystical writings of Julian of Norwich whose prayer book was the first to be printed and published by an Englishwoman. CS Lewis called the book ‘one of the most dangerous Christian books in existence,’ because it completely changes the lives of those who read it.

Oct 05 Biography and Revelation 1
Oct 12 Revelation (TBD)
Oct 19 Revelation (TBD)
Oct 26 Revelation (TBD)

Nov 02 – Nov 23, 2014
4 Week series Faith of Our Presidents

Continuing the pastor’s annual Presidential series which looks at the lives and faith of past US Presidents.

Nov 02 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Nov 09 Harry S. Truman
Nov 16 Dwight D. Eisenhower
Nov 23 John F. Kennedy


Nov 30 – Dec 21, 2013
4 week Advent series – The Prophecies

A four week journey in Advent based upon the Old Testament prophetic readings for each Sunday.

Nov 30 Isaiah 64:1-9    We Are The Clay
Dec 07 Isaiah 40:1-11     Looking for Comfort
Dec 14 Isaiah 61:1-11     The Lord’s Favor
Dec 21 2 Samuel 7:1-17    God’s Promise


Jan 04 – Jan 25, 2015
4 week series – All the King’s Men

Who were the disciples and what happened to them after Jesus rose from the dead? A look at four of Christ’s main followers.

Jan 04 Andrew – The First Evangelist
Jan 11 James – Destined for Death
Jan 18 John – The Beloved Disciple
Jan 25 Thomas – The Doubter

Feb 01 – Feb 15, 2015
Titus – What is Church?

A 3 week discussion about Paul’s letter to Titus and his advice about how churches should operate, as well as how Christians should behave.

Feb 01 Chapter 01
Feb 08 Chapter 02
Feb 15 Chapter 03


Feb 22 – Mar 29, 2015
6 week Lent series – Letters for Lent

A special 6 week study of the Sunday Lectionary New Testament Epistles chosen for the Season of Lent.

Feb 22 1 Peter 3:18-22
Mar 01 Romans 4:13-25
Mar 08 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Mar 15 Ephesians 2:1-10
Mar 22 Hebrews 5:5-10
Mar 29 Philippians 2:5-11

April 05 Easter – no class

April 12 – May 17, 2015
6 week series – Calvin’s Institutes

A short series about Jean Calvin’s greatest work: The Institutes of The Christian Religion. Excerpts will provide topics for discussion.

April 12 What are the Institutes?
April 19 The Knowledge of God the Creator
April 26 The Knowledge of God the Redeemer
May 3 The Grace of Christ
May 10 The True Church
May 17 Institutes for the 21st Century

The Connections Class was established by the pastor years ago as an inter-generational group of church members and visitors. The pastor presents the class with the theme, background, and context, enabling the group to freely share their ideas, questions, experiences, and beliefs. It’s a fun class to be in, but it’s also a great learning vehicle for everyone who wants to grow in faith, biblical knowledge, and be with a group of people who are very supportive and always friendly.

Confirmation Lesson 8: Law and Grace

The Ten Commandments were the ten basic laws by which the Hebrew people of Moses’ time maintained their community during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Because they had become a nomadic people, they needed a common structure to hold them together for survival. These ten laws were given to Moses by God which meant that they were not just civil laws that the people made up; they were special laws required to be kept by the nomadic Hebrews to honor God first and maintain the community second.

            When the Hebrew people became their own Jewish nation, they kept these original laws in order to remain holy and pure. However, being human they were not perfect, so every person broke different laws at different times. By breaking these laws, the people became separated from God, as well as placed under His judgment. In Old Testament times, breaking God’s laws brought severe punishment from God and/or the community upon the lawbreaker, commonly known as a sinner.

            In order to please God and heal the broken relationships between the sinner and the community, different kinds of sacrifices and restitution had to be made. Sometimes the sinner sacrificed an animal and paid back money to the person who had been wronged. In serious cases (blasphemy, murder, and adultery) capital punishment was applied.

            In New Testament times, God’s grace was displayed through the sacrifice of Jesus. His death was offered as the complete means of restoring sinners to God. This meant that actual sacrifices were no longer required. It also meant that sinners could be repent of their past offences and pray for Christ to forgive them. This is how we as Presbyterians deal with our sins today. We sincerely confess our mistakes to Christ and He immediately forgives us. This is also why one of the first prayers that we express to God in church on Sundays is a confessional prayer. Every week, every day, every time we sincerely pray, we can begin our lives again because our sins are totally forgiven through Christ and God’s grace.

Please read over the following scriptures and use the questions below them for a discussion with your parent(s).

Exodus 20:1-17

1And God spoke all these words:

2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3"You shall have no other gods before me.

4"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

5-6You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13"You shall not murder.

14"You shall not commit adultery.

15"You shall not steal.

16"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Questions

Why did God absolutely require His people to worship Him only?

What was the purpose of commanding a Sabbath as a day of rest?

Why should people honor their parents?

Which of the commands do you think people break frequently?

If God had offered an eleventh command for us today, what do you think it should be?

(e.g. You shall not let people go hungry)

Ephesians 2:8-10

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

9not by works, so that no one can boast.10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Why do you think God offered His Son as the way of receiving His grace? How does being forgiven help us to do good works for God?

Colossians 3:16-17

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Why are Christ’s words so important for us to learn? How does His teaching affect and influence our choices? How can we do things in His name that honor Him? Why should we give thanks to God for Jesus?

Any other questions that you have?

For more information about the Ten Commandments, the following link is a good resource:

http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/qt/tencommandpara.htm

New Year Devotions: Happy New You

Like everyone else, I try to make resolutions at the beginning of the new year. Like most people, I fail to live up to my own expectations. This year I'm going to try something different. I've written a new e-book called "Happy New You," which contains 31 short daily devotions for the month of January. My plan is to read and reflect on God's Word each day and try to get closer to Christ right at the beginning of the year.

I believe that if I do this, then I will make God the focus of my 2014 journey. Would you like to join me? If so, then you can also do this by getting the e-book for your kindle, PC, Mac, or mobile device. The link to the book is contained in the box below.

God bless you all. May 2014 be a year where your hopes and dreams are all fulfilled in Christ!

Sunday School Lesson for August 11

This week’s passages are from Psalm 50:1-8 & Luke 12:32-40.

Psalm 50:1-8

Psalm 50 is about the almightiness of God and contains some very harsh words of condemnation upon religious people who choose to ignore God’s commands. In effect, what is expressed is God’s anger against those who would seek perfection in making sanctimonious sacrifices and the keeping of religious rites rather than actually living by God’s Word.

In our present pluralistic culture, Psalm 50 is highly relevant. It should make us all ponder over how we practice our faith. Do we express it in terms of religious obligations, or do we convey it in merciful deeds?

Questions for study and reflection

The first couple of verses present an image of God authoritatively summoning the Earth into His presence each morning. How do we initially approach God on a daily basis?

The psalmist writes about God being Judge of all the Earth. How does this type of imagery relate to our own beliefs?

God is portrayed as being angry because of the religious hypocrisy of His people. Are we prone to the same sin? Give examples.

In the second half of the psalm, God declares the wicked to be those who hate God’s commands and set aside His words. Is this still happening in the Church today? Why/why not?

Psalm 50 is not a comfortable psalm to read. How does it still challenge us today?

Luke 12:32-40

Today’s verses cover two important areas in the life of any Christian. Firstly, we are meant to be generous with our belongings and share them with the poor. We are not to spend our lives increasing our possessions, because they will eventually possess us and we may lose God.

Secondly, we are to live our lives expecting the Lord at any time. Christians are meant to believe that Jesus will return to Earth one day. As each day passes, we get one day nearer to that amazing event, so we are urged to be ready for Christ every day.

Questions for study and reflection

Why did Jesus emphasize our need to let go of our possessions and to build up our treasure in heaven? How do our hearts reveal what we treasure most?

Jesus calls us to be like servants awaiting the return of their master. Do we understand what this image means for us today? Are we willing to actually be servants?

What does Jesus expect of us while we await His return? Are we ready for Him or do we just take each day for granted?

What do you personally think will happen to you when Christ does return? Why do you think that?

The mission of the Church, as the Bride of Christ, is to prepare the world for His Return. In reality, are we doing this effectively and faithfully? Why/why not?

Any other thoughts or questions?

Next Sunday’s readings: Isaiah 5:1-7 and Luke 12:49-56

Sunday School Lesson for Sunday August 04

This week’s passages are from Psalm 107:1-9 & Luke 12:13-21.

Psalm 107:1-9

Psalm 107 is a song about the mighty works of God and how thankful His people should be for delivering them, time and time again. The events described in the psalm could relate to the time of the Patriarchs, the Wilderness wanderings, the time of Kings, and even to the years after the Babylonian exile. In fact, the references could also be taken as prophecies about events that occurred during Christ’s lifetime.

The main point of the psalm is that God’s people frequently get themselves into trouble and end up needing God’s help to rescue and deliver them. Sound familiar, folks?

Questions for study and reflection

What makes us most thankful towards God? How do we experience His enduring love in our lives?

Why do you think the psalmist refers to God’s people as ‘the redeemed of the LORD?’ Redeemed from what?

What do the people do when they find themselves in dire situations beyond their control? What are they hoping will happen?

Where do we see God’s unfailing love in the world today? How can our churches become the channels of that love in our communities?

Share or think about a situation when you cried to the Lord for help. What happened? Did you thank Him for the outcome?

Luke 12:13-21

           

Christ tells the parable of the rich fool in response to a demand that someone makes about a family inheritance dispute. Jesus uses the issue to tell His people that life is not about how much we possess or accumulate, but about maintaining a healthy relationship with God.

Jesus wanted His disciples to learn this important lesson in order to prepare them for the years of hardship that lay ahead of them. If they became too attached to their home comforts and possessions, they would eventually lose their connection to God. The whole parable, then, is a cautionary tale about ambition and greed, power and possessions.

Questions for study and reflection

Why do you think someone approached Jesus to settle the financial dispute with his family? How did Jesus initially respond?

Why does Jesus tell people to be on their guard against greed? How could an abundance of possessions affect someone’s faith in God?

How successful was the rich man in the story? What did he want to do with that success?

How close does verse 19 relate to our own circumstances? Isn't this what our society defines as success?

What does this parable teach us about life? Why should we be bothered to think seriously about our own mortality?

Have we fallen into the folly of storing up possessions for ourselves instead of building up the riches of God within us? What should we do to make God more of our focus in life?

Any other thoughts or questions?

Next Sunday’s readings: Psalm 50:1-8 & Luke 12:32-40

Sunday school lesson for July 28

This week’s passages are from Psalm 85:8-13 & Luke 11:1-10.

Psalm 85:8-13

The latter verses of Psalm 85 contain some of the most hopeful words in the Bible. Love and faithfulness, peace and righteousness are depicted as the greatest blessings God has to bestow upon those who listen to Him.

Obedience to God, according to the psalmist, brings about the well-being of God’s people and the whole nation. This thought is often emphasized, even today, during National Days of Prayer.

Questions for study and reflection

Why is peace given to those who listen to God? How can we experience that same peace in our own restless lives?

According to the psalmist, salvation comes through fearing the Lord. Is this something that we can accept today? What does it mean to fear God anyway?

Love and faithfulness appear to be the hallmarks of God’s favor. Have we ever experienced these blessings in our lives?

How do righteousness and peace bring about God’s goodness? Where do we see this happening in the world today?

Should we be praying for our nation? If so, then what should we be praying for?

Luke 11:1-10

           

Today’s passage is Luke’s account of how Christ taught His disciples to pray. A discipleship prayer was the identifying brand of a group of people following a particular teacher. Luke even mentions that John the Baptist had taught a special prayer to his disciples. This prayer has become The Lord’s Prayer for us today and is recited in Christian churches around the world.

Luke also adds some of Christ’s teaching about prayer, especially when it comes to asking God for something. Christian People are expected to be persistent in prayer when it comes to important matters. This is not to make God do something for us, but to show Him how committed and dependent we are toward Him.

Questions for study and reflection

Why did the disciples feel that they needed to learn a special prayer from Jesus? What was the purpose of that prayer?

How often do we say the Lord’s Prayer? Do we really mean what we ask and say?

Jesus tells a parable about a persistent neighbor seeking bread from a friend. What has this parable got to do with the process of prayer?

Verses 9 and 10 are among some of the best known verses in the Gospels. How do we apply them in our own lives? What is Jesus wanting us to understand through those verses about our prayers?

If God knows what we need, then why do we still need to ask Him for it?

Have you ever experienced God not granting your prayer requests? How did you cope with God’s response? Have you ever had your prayers fully blessed by God? How did you respond?

Any other thoughts or questions?

Next Sunday’s readings: Psalm 107:1-9 & Luke 12:13-21

Sunday School Lesson for July 21

This week’s passages are from Psalm 52:1-7 & Luke 10:38-42.

Psalm 52:1-7

Psalm 52 is personal song written by David about one of his arch-enemies, Doeg the Edomite. When David fled from King Saul’s court, he was helped by Ahimelech the priest at a town called Nob. David and his men were given food, shelter, and Goliath’s sword, all of which was witnessed by Doeg.

Doeg reported all of this to King Saul and then carried out a dreadful slaughter of the priests and people. This psalm is David’s reaction to what occurred, so much of the language is strongly cursing Doeg, especially in the original Hebrew.

Questions for study and reflection

Read over the first seven verses of the psalm. What are your first impressions?

What are the accusations that David makes about Doeg? Were they justified?

What does David expect God to do about Doeg’s wickedness? Is this justifiable?

Have you ever prayed an angry prayer? What was the cause? What did you expect God to do? How was this resolved?

Read the remaining verses of the psalm (vv8-9). Has David found closure to his anger?

Luke 10:38-42

           

Luke’s story about the sisters Martha and Mary has been told by the church for many generations. In this passage, Jesus gets to meet the sisters for the first time. Martha has invited Him to her home, and she is honored by His acceptance of her request. Things, however, do not go as Martha plans, especially when she sees her sister spending all of her time with Jesus, instead of helping her prepare the meal for Christ and his disciples.

.

Questions for study and reflection

Why do you think Martha invited Jesus to her home? How must she have felt when He accepted her invitation?

What did her sister Mary do when Jesus arrived? Why was this important to her?

What made Martha complain to Jesus? What did she expect Him to do?

How did Jesus respond to Martha? What was He trying to teach her?

Sometimes, church people can be so busy with ministries and missions, projects and programs that they forget about the one thing that is eternally important: Jesus.

What are the best ways of listening to Christ in our lives and churches? How do we keep ourselves focused upon Him, rather than being distracted by the church things in our lives?

Any other thoughts or questions?

Next Sunday’s readings: Psalm 85:8-13 & Luke 11:1-10