Ask: How do you feel when someone gives you a personal
reminder? Allow several answers. Note that some will be positive while others
will not.
Say: Most of us consider personal communication preferable to
general or open communication. For example, I suspect that most of us dispose of
what we call “junk mail” before opening it. We have filters to block e-mail that
is not personal in nature, and many of us are listed on “Do not call” lists to
limit the marketing phone calls we receive. So we should not be surprised that
businesses will find other ways to communicate with us, ways that seem personal
in nature.
Take the following illustration as an example.
Read:
Businesses promote personal communication
You, Mr. or Mrs. So-and-So, might have noticed a hot trend at retail
establishments. You’re about to travel merrily on the road to checkout
anonymity when an eager clerk flips up your credit card and wishes
you—personally, by first or last name—a nice day.
It’s a strategy extolled by many customer-service experts, who argue that
such personalization makes customers feel important, perhaps even pampered.
But why pick out names as especially important? As Shakespeare once
pondered, “What’s in a name?”
Carnegie Mellon University professor George Loewensteain notes that, if
nothing else, our own name gets our attention. Studies show that people will
pick out the sound of their own names even when they are spoken in a noisy
room.
Loewenstein said that businesses in which staff use the customer’s first
name are trying to seem more personal and connected rather than a “faceless,
cold bureaucracy.”
“They want you to perceive them as a warm, organic entity. . . . So if
people are addressing us by our first names, they must be my family or
friend.”
Source: Anya Sostek, “Businesses promote personal
communication,” ScrippsNews.com, 16 April 2007,
www.scrippsnews.com
Personal communication is nothing new. Most of us like to be
greeted personally when we receive a call or enter a room. Point out that,
although letters are a little less personal today than in the past, Peter is
writing with a personal message to the Christians in Asia.
Read or enlist a volunteer to read 2 Peter 1:12-15.
Call attention to the use of first-person pronouns (I, we, and so forth) in this
passage. Then continue with an explanation of the material in this lesson
segment.
Ask:
If Peter’s letter was intended as a personal communication, how should
the readers/hearers feel about the content of the message?
Why did Peter use a letter if his message was intended to be persona
rather than visiting in person?
How should the readers/hearers respond to his message?
How do we respond to these messages from Peter? Why?
Have Confidence (2 Peter 1:16-18)
Read the following:
Debunking 9 common myths about sunglasses
With the spring of 2007 in full bloom and the dog days of summer looming on
the horizon, now may be the perfect time to pick up a new pair of
sunglasses. But in our question to scoop up the latest designer frames or
the hippest wrap-around reflective shades, safety often takes a backseat to
style.
An article posted recently on the MSNBC.com Web site listed nine common
myths about sunglasses, all of which are false.
Myth #1: Sunglasses with 100% UV protection are expensive.
Myth #2: Lenses with darker tints are more protective than lenses with a
lighter tint.
Myth #3: You should have UV coating put on your glasses for extra
protection.
Myth #4: Photochromic lenses don’t block out UV rays as well as regular
sunglasses.
Myth #5: Polarized, anti-glare lenses are all you need to protect you from
UV rays.
Myth #6: Lens color is important when it comes to blocking UV rays.
Myth #7: Yellow- or amber-tinted “Blue Blocker” lenses offer more protection
than regular sunglasses.
Myth #8: Children don’t need sunglasses as much as adults.
Myth #9: You don’t need sunglasses on a cloudy day.
Source: “Debunking 9 common myths about sunglasses,”
MSNBC.com. 25 April 2007, www.msnbc.com
Distribute the "Debunking Myths" worksheet. Ask learners to work in
groups of three or four to complete the assignment. Allow five minutes or so and
then ask groups to name some of the myths they have heard.
Ask: Why are myths so easy to believe?
Read or enlist a volunteer to read 2 Peter 1:16-18.
Explain how Peter’s letter addressed myths and how Peter’s message corrected
myths about Jesus.
Ask:
How are Christians today eyewitnesses to Christ?
Can we speak with the same authority from which Peter spoke? (Point out
that while we are not eyewitnesses in the sense that Peter was to Jesus,
our personal experience of faith allows us to speak with the authority
of the Holy Spirit, whom Peter relied on for his message.)
If we have the same authority, why are Christians today so limited in
their influence?
Pay Attention (2 Peter 1:19-21)
Ask: Why do some people choose to ignore the obvious? Allow
for responses.
Then say: Sometimes ignoring the obvious can create untold
pain, such as when school officials seemed to ignore indications of potential
disaster at Virginia Tech recently.
Note that an editorial in the University Daily Kansan, the campus newspaper
published by the University of Kansas, carried an editorial recently that
reflected nationwide sentiment about the tragedy.
Read:
Mental wellbeing could
prevent tragedies like Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech shootings elicited copy-cat threats from
individuals desperately seeking the same attention as the original gunman.
This behavior could be avoided if more people identify these individuals
before they act.
The tragic school shooting at Virginia Tech united students in sadness and
disbelief. At the same time, and somewhat paradoxically, it spurred a series
of school bomb scares and students’ copy-cat threats nationwide. It was as
if certain kids, in lieu of uniting in sorrow, were thinking, “I guess this
is what it takes to get attention.”
Source: Alison Kieler, “Mental wellbeing could prevent
tragedies like Virginia Tech,” The University Daily Kansan, 26 April 2007,
www.kansan.com
Explain that some people want attention for the wrong reasons.
Alison Kieler noted that the desperate cry for help from so many disturbed
individuals rarely leads to such tragedy as that of the Virginia Tech incident.
Yet too often people fail to take action when action is needed.
Read or enlist a volunteer to read 2 Peter 1:19-21.
Note that, while completely different in nature, Peter called his readers to
“pay attention” to God’s prophetic word. Continue by explaining the significance
of the prophetic word and what Peter meant.
Ask:
Why do some leaders refuse to heed warnings even when cries of concern
are backed by evidence?
Why do people today ignore the evidence of Scripture?
How might we change our world if we could get others to heed the
warnings of Peter about what the future holds?
EXTRA! is a supplement designed
to enhance and expand the effectiveness of printed curriculum provided by
LifeWay Church Resources.
EXTRA! is produced by Publishing
Services and Multimedia, LifeWay Church Resources, Copyright 2007, LifeWay
Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some Internet
addresses given in EXTRA! are outside the LifeWay Internet domain. Because of
the changing nature of the Web, EXTRA! editors cannot be held responsible for
content on pages outside their control. At the time of this posting, the
specific pages mentioned have been viewed and approved by the EXTRA! editorial
staff. However, at the time of your viewing, the information on these pages may
have changed. Links from the specific page addresses referenced in this material
possibly could link to inappropriate material.
EXTRA! Weekly Supplemental Teaching Plans
Adult
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life EXTRA
May 13, 2007
Accept Responsibility
Ashley Linne
Background Passage: Matthew 7:1-5; James 4:1-3,6-12
Focal Verses: Matthew 7:1-5; James 4:1-3,6-12
Say:
If we judge others, we need to be prepared to have the same measuring stick
applied to our own lives, and we would be wise to inspect our own hearts for sin
before we inspect someone else’s. Jesus warns us against seeking out the
mistakes of others before taking a good look at ourselves. We need to be willing
to admit our own shortcomings and vulnerabilities before we point out another’s
sin.
Ask:
Why can it be tempting to point out another person’s mistakes or sins?
Can you recall a time of conflict when someone pointed out your mistake
with a judgmental attitude? How did it make you feel?
James 4:1-3
Read James 4:1-3.
Say: The source of conflict is often rooted within our pride and other
desires that appeal to our fleshly nature rather than the Spirit within us. It
takes a lot of humility to admit our own part in a conflict. Our natural
inclination is to fight to be heard, to demand respect, to refuse to admit we
could be wrong, and to cast blame rather than accept responsibility. These
warring desires could even lead us astray in our prayers—we can ask for things
that do not honor God and do not promote peace. In turn we begin to seek things
that would make us feel justified in our wrongdoing.
Ask:
What are some ways we can diffuse the power of the “warring desires”
within us during a conflict?
James 4:6-12
Read James 4:6-12.
Say:
We need to remember how God has forgiven us; His grace has covered us, and
therefore we need to extend this grace to those with whom we may be in conflict.
Accepting our part in a problem puts us on the path to humility, and releasing
the notion that we have the “right” to criticize another brings us closer to
God—the only one who can rightly judge.
Ask:
Can you recall a time when you accepted responsibility in a conflict
situation?
How did the other person(s) respond?
Read the following news excerpt:
ATLANTA — Two police officers pleaded guilty Thursday to fatally shooting
a 92-year-old woman during a botched drug raid on her home, but prosecutors
warned that an investigation into corruption in the Atlanta Police
Department continued.
Gregg Junnier, 40, and Jason R. Smith, 35, pleaded guilty to voluntary
manslaughter, violation of oath by a public officer, criminal solicitation,
making false statements and civil rights conspiracy.
On the night of Nov. 21, plainclothes Atlanta police officers burst through
the front door of Kathryn Johnston's home after obtaining a no-knock warrant
based on false information that drugs were sold there.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Yonette Sam-Buchanan said officers lied to a magistrate
to get the no-knock warrant, claiming that a confidential informant had made
a purchase at the address and that the house was fitted with electronic
surveillance.
After the shooting, Smith allegedly planted three bags of marijuana in the
basement of Johnston's home and then called an informant to ask him to
pretend the three officers had sent him to the address earlier to purchase
drugs.
The next day, Smith and Junnier allegedly met to fabricate a story before
meeting the department's homicide detectives.
"I just want to express to court how regretful I am," Smith said quietly in
Fulton County Superior Court after pleading guilty to the state's charges.
"I'm sorry."
U.S. Atty. David Nahmias said Junnier and Smith would help federal and
local officials continue "our very active ongoing investigation into just
how wide the culture of misconduct" proliferated within the Atlanta Police
Department.
Yet others expressed concern that the plea agreement — which reduced a
murder charge to voluntary manslaughter and dropped burglary and assault
charges — was too lenient.
"We in this community are saying: What is the value of black life and what
is the value of a grandmother?" said state Rep. "Able" Mable Thomas, a
resident of Johnston's largely poor black neighborhood. "We think these
officers have done a big crime and they need to serve a big time. We love
mercy in this community, but we want justice."
What is the difference between apologizing and taking
responsibility for an action?
Distribute the “Accept Responsibility” handout and allow participants time to
complete it.
Lead the group in silent prayer for God to reveal any conflicts that they may
need to take responsibility for. If your group is comfortable, consider breaking
the group into smaller groups of three or four to share with each other about
any situations for which they need to take responsibility. (Stress what you’ve
talked about today concerning an attitude of grace toward others). Allow the
groups to pray for each individual. Follow up with those from last week that
might have shared difficult conflicts that needed resolution.
EXTRA! is a supplement designed
to enhance and expand the effectiveness of printed curriculum provided by
LifeWay Church Resources.
EXTRA! is produced by Publishing
Services and Multimedia, LifeWay Church Resources, Copyright 2007, LifeWay
Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some Internet
addresses given in EXTRA! are outside the LifeWay Internet domain. Because of
the changing nature of the Web, EXTRA! editors cannot be held responsible for
content on pages outside their control. At the time of this posting, the
specific pages mentioned have been viewed and approved by the EXTRA! editorial
staff. However, at the time of your viewing, the information on these pages may
have changed. Links from the specific page addresses referenced in this material
possibly could link to inappropriate material.
