Adult

Explore the Bible
ETB Adult EXTRA

June 3, 2007

Appropriate God's Mercy
Carole Waina

Before the Session

If possible, review the God's Mercy handout in the ETB Leader Pack.

Regard God's Warnings (Joel 1:15-16)

Ask:

• Have you ever personally experienced a hurricane, earthquake, flood, tornado, epidemic, famine, or war?
• What were some of your feelings and fears?

Allow learners to briefly share their experiences. Recognize any recent disasters that may have taken place near you, but be sensitive to the needs and experiences of the learners. Share that the Bible study for today describes a time of famine.

Say: From the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, these are some of the food security status alerts and headlines in the world as of last month:

Current Emergencies

• Chad-Food insecurities stress the vulnerable [May 9, 2007]
• Ethiopia-Ethiopian gov't requests emergency assistance [May 10, 2007]
• Somalia-Flood risk for river valleys [May 4, 2007]

Current Warnings

• Honduras-Child malnutrition to increase in the south [May 8, 2007]
• Kenya-Food security improves despite floods [April 10, 2007]
• Zimbabwe-Lack of rain, inputs decrease production [January 24, 2007]

Current Watches

• Djibouti-Drought deteriorates pastoral food security [May 7, 2007]
• S. Sudan-Food security conditions deteriorate [April 21, 2007]
• Tanzania-Rift Valley Fever spreads [May 8, 2007]

Source: "Food Security Status Alerts & Headlines," May 12, 2007 from www.fews.net

Ask:

• What feelings and emotions did you experience as you read these current emergencies, warnings, and watches?
• What is so devastating about times of famine and lack?
• Are there reasons for hope in such situations?

Say: In the opening chapter of Joel, the prophet described a severe plague of locusts, which had destroyed the crops that people and animals depended on. Joel called the people to personal and national repentance. Let's discover what even more devastating calamity was to come.

Read or enlist a volunteer to read Joel 1:15-16. Then call for someone to name the calamity described. Explain the significance of the Day of the Lord (v. 15). Point out that it referred to a dramatic action of God which resulted in judgment for the wicked and deliverance for His people. Refer to the leader guide for more information about the Day of the Lord.

Ask:

• What is the link between the Day of the Lord and the famine?
• What was the prophet Joel calling the people to do?
• Do you consider adverse conditions as the Lord’s way of warning us to come back to Him?
• Why or why not?

Remind learners that not every adverse situation is judgment of sin.

Say: Think of a time when your resources (spiritual, financial, physical, etc.) were cut off or limited. Share testimonies of what those difficulties taught you about God.

Respond to God's Invitation (Joel 2:12-13)

Ask:

• What’s the best (most impressive, most desired, etc.) invitation you have ever received?
• What is the worst?

Say: To play in the recent 2007 Players Championship, golfers had to be invited. They had to meet certain eligibility requirements in order to participate. However, only one golfer would be named the winner.

Mickelson back on track, wins Players Championship

POINTE VERDA BEACH, Fla.—Phil Michelson and his retooled swing tamed the refurbished Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday to conquer the best field in golf and win the sport's richest tournament.

On a muggy, overcast day with little wind, there was no repeat of the Mickelson meltdown 11 months ago in the U.S. Open, when a wayward drive on the 72nd hole cost him the nation's championship. Instead, a disciplined and sharp "Lefty" wore down stubborn Sean O'Hair with a 3-under-par 69 to win The Players Championship and $1.62 million.

Source: "Mickelson back on track, wins Players Championship," USA Today, 14 May 2007. Article available at www.usatoday.com

Read or enlist a volunteer to read Joel 2:12-13 after suggesting that learners look for the invitation in these verses.

Ask:

• What is the invitation in these verses?
• What makes one eligible to receive the invitation?
• Is there only one winner?
• How does a person respond to the invitation?
• What in these verses points to the seriousness of sin?
• Do you think most people in the world today take sin seriously? Explain your answer.
• What would you say to an unbeliever who says, “Nobody’s perfect” or “It’s God’s job to forgive”?
• Why did Joel say to "tear your hearts, not just your clothes" (v. 13)?
• What about God makes a person want to turn to Him?
• Why would God relent from sending disaster (v.13)?

Point out that many people wrongly view our heavenly Father as a benevolent God who would not bring certain and harsh judgment on sin.

Consider:

• How can we best deal with our own sin?
• How can we respond to those around us who reject God and live as they please?

Rejoice in God's Promise (Joel 2:18,25-32)

Say: This story has a good ending. The people survive according to Joel 2:32, a verse which refers to "the survivors the Lord calls" (v. 32). But they do even more than just survive!

Ask:

• What is a survivor?
• What are characteristics of a survivor?

Consider the following article as an example of how a present-day survivor did more than just survive.

Read:

Ad Exec Earns Top Dollar: Earl Is Sole Survivor

After 19 Survivors spent 39 days battling the intense Fijian sun, suffering severe dehydration and starvation along with countless alliances made and broken, the winner of SURVIVOR: FIJI has been named. Earl Cole, the 35-year-old advertising executive from Santa Monica, California emerged virtually unscathed as the winner of the million dollar prize and title of Sole Survivor. Controlling the game as puppet master, Earl maneuvered both his alliance and his opponents like chess pieces. Forging a common bond with the clever Yau-Man, Earl played a stealthy game with an Immunity Idol in his pocket, making few enemies along the way. Earl won over the hearts of the jury in a unanimous vote.

Source: "Ad Exec Earns Top Dollar: Earl Is Sole Survivor," May 14, 2007. Article available at www.cbs.com

Read or enlist a volunteer to read Joel 2:18,25-32.

Ask:

• In verse 18, what gives God the right to be jealous?
• What cause for rejoicing did the people have?
• How would the people be changed (v. 27)?
• What did God promise them?
• What would be unusual about the outpouring of God's Spirit?
• What would the Spirit do?
• What else does the Holy Spirit do for us today?
• What would be the purpose of the wonderous works of God (v. 30)?
• Why would you consider God’s restoration to be complete?

Lead the class in describing a hypothetical person who needs to appropriate God’s mercy. Ask someone to play that part while another role plays the Christian who tells him or her how to receive God’s mercy.

Another option is to write “God’s mercy” vertically on a marker board or large sheet of paper. As a group, construct an acrostic of how to receive His mercy and/or what it means. Possible answers include words such as generous or gracious, obedience, deliverance, sympathy or something to be thankful for, mark of love, easing of distress, repentance, compassion, and yielded.

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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.

Adult

Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life EXTRA

June 3, 2007

Admit Your Struggle with Sin
Ashley Linne

Before the Session

Download the Remembering handout and make enough copies for all group members.

Deuteronomy 1:6-8

Say: The Book of Deuteronomy begins by retelling the history of Israel to a new generation. Moses and the Israelites are camped east of the Jordan after spending the last 40 years wandering in the desert. The first generation that had come out of Egypt had passed away in the desert, and their children were now standing near the land they soon would possess. The land of Canaan was nearby, and Moses knew he would not be entering the land. At this point, Moses had spent much of his life investing in these people and was now at the end of his life.So Moses takes this opportunity to plead with the Israelites to prepare to enter and possess the promised land. He also explains what it means to live in covenant with God.

Ask:

• How do you think Moses might have felt at this point?
• If you had been in his position, what would you want to share with the Israelites?

Read Deuteronomy 1:6-8.

Say: Horeb was the area in which Mount Sinai was located. Horeb is where God called to Moses from the burning bush. Mount Sinai is where God revealed His glory, established His law, and made a covenant with the Israelites after bringing them out of Egypt (recall that this was also when the people made the golden calf for themselves while Moses was receiving the law from God). Imagine the history and stories about this time period that must have been passed down to the new generation! At a specific time, God told the people to move onward to the land He had promised to their forefathers.

Explain that the “mountains” in our lives may represent all sorts of obstacles, challenges, or delays for us. Some are memories of harsh difficulty, while others are pinnacles of closeness with God. Some may be both.

Ask:

• Has God ever told you, "You have stayed at this mountain long enough" (v.6) and asked you to move forward?
• What were some of your reactions or emotions?

Read the following news excerpt:

Honoring the past, moving forward

That it would be a day of beginnings, of propelling forward, was clear from the moment the sound of "Pomp and Circumstance" spilled across the tens of thousands gathered in Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium on Friday night.

When the graduates filed in, the crowd was already standing, with cheers already deafening.

About 5,000 students graduated from the school just four weeks after a student gunman shattered the rural tranquility of the campus, killing 32 people in what became the deadliest shooting by an individual in U.S. history. Twenty-seven of those killed were students, and all received posthumous degrees, their names and accomplishments printed in the programs held in every hand in the audience.

They would not be left out Friday night.

"As difficult as it is to relive that day, we yearn to pay homage to those cherished members of the Virginia Tech family who were lost that morning--whom the world lost that cold, blustery morning," Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger told the crowd. "We wish to pay tribute to those innocent and beautiful young minds who wholeheartedly joined the university community seeking knowledge and growth."

But as much as the day was spent looking back, it also focused on moving forward. It focused on those who had survived that day, who had worked for years for this day.

Graduates will receive their actual diplomas Saturday.

Throughout the day, the atmosphere on campus had been mostly one of optimism and excitement.

Mike Stoupa, 21, of McLean spent the hours before graduation with his family, packing away the few remaining items. He was excited about the ceremony, he said. He knows the shooting will always be associated with the Class of 2007, he said, but that is not what he will focus on when he looks back.

"We'll probably be remembered for that, but I don't think this class is going to make that their defining moment," Stoupa said. "I hope this class will be recognized more for their accomplishments than for the event on April 16."

Source: “Honoring the past, moving forward,” 12 May 2007. Article available at www.washingtonpost.com

Deuteronomy 1:26-28

Read Deuteronomy 1:26-28.

Say: The people of Israel had sent spies into Canaan to scout out the land before they went in to possess it. The reports of strong, fortified cities and soldiers—and giants—made them afraid and discouraged. They thought the worst, and even assumed that God had brought them out of Egypt, not in order to bless them beyond anything they could imagine, but to make them miserable. They thought God hated them, but in reality, God was seeking to show Himself mighty on their behalf. He wanted only the best for them. Their rebellion against this was rooted in a lack of faith in God; they did not truly believe that God had their best interests at heart. Doubts and discouragement certainly will occur in the lives of God's children, but believing the truth about God’s character is what will get us through those hard times.

Ask:

• Have you ever settled for less than God’s best for your life?
• In hindsight, what were some of the reasons you settled?

Deuteronomy 1:29-33

Read Deuteronomy 1:29-33.

Say: Remembering the times God has brought us through difficulties, sorrow, and pain is essential when we are in discouraging situations. It can be very easy to have selective memory during a crisis. By remembering the times God has been faithful to His promises, we can lay the groundwork for trusting Him in times of crisis and in times of prosperity.

Distribute the Remembering handout. Allow enough time for the participants to complete it. Ask them to keep the handout in a place where they will be able to find it easily the next time they are going through a difficult situation.

Deuteronomy 1:42-46

Summarize Deuteronomy 1:34-41.

Enlist a volunteer to read Deuteronomy 1:42-46.

Say: When the Israelites failed to follow God’s instructions, it led to a further quenching of the joy and peace they should have been experiencing in their relationship Him. Instead of seeking God’s solution to their disobedience, they refused to listen to Moses’ correction and took the actions that they thought were right.

Guide the group in silent prayer (this also may be done in pairs). Pray for:

• God to reveal any tendencies in us that defy His will. Ask for God's forgiveness and for renewed power to obey God's commands.
• God to reveal the truth of His character to us, especially in times of difficulty.
• God to renew passion in our relationship with Him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.