Ensure that the class is equipped with materials for listing discussion
ideas. This may include markers/marker board or chart paper/markers.
Need for Humility (Zeph. 1:12-15)
As
an introductory activity, ask learners to list humble people in the world, your
state, your city, and your church. Write their names on the marker board.
Ask:
Do humble
people recognize themselves as such? Why or why not?
What is
humility?
What are some
characteristics of humble people?
Explain that the Holman Bible Dictionary defines humility
as a "personal quality in which an individual shows dependence on God and
respect for other persons” (p. 676).
Read the following article excerpt:
Tigers' Ordonez sizzles in obscurity
DETROIT — They
sat in the back of the Detroit Tigers' flight in the wee hours of the
morning, debating who belonged on their baseball dream team.
The handful of Tigers —Curtis Granderson, Craig Monroe,
Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco and Marcus Thames— were stuck trying to
identify their right fielder. Vladimir Guerrero or Ichiro Suzuki? Power, or
speed and defense?
"We never could decide," Granderson says, "but you know
what the strangest thing was? Magglio's name never came up. This guy's
having the best year of anyone in baseball. He's on our own team. And it's
like we even forget about him."
Ordonez is putting up headline-grabbing numbers but
fits in as easily in Detroit as a tenured autoworker who has never missed a
day in 20 years but has to listen to his supervisor nag him about a haircut.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland isn't crazy about Ordonez's
long, dark curls, either, saying this spring, "I don't like it, but if he
hits .300 this season, I'll probably wash it for him."Considering Ordonez is
batting .364 with 13 homers, 57 RBI and 53 runs, he has some sage advice for
Leyland.
"Someone needs to tell him he better start shopping
for shampoo," Ordonez says.
Ordonez, 33, leads the American League in batting,
doubles (30) and extra-base hits (43). He is second in total bases (155) and
slugging percentage (.657), third in RBI, tied for third in hits (86) and
fourth in runs.
At this pace, Ordonez would have 33 homers, 144 RBI
and a major league record 76 doubles — nine more than outfielder Earl Webb
hit for the 1931 Boston Red Sox.
"It's ridiculous what he's doing,"
Tigers first baseman Sean Casey says. "It's almost like you have to
be here to see it. You go home and don't think he had a great game, pick up
the box score and see that he went 2-for-4 with a double and a homer. People
don't realize he's having the best year of anyone in baseball."
Seven outfielders have drawn more All-Star votes than
Ordonez, including three in the AL, which could leave him out of the
starting lineup.
Ordonez, with a full, almost angelic face, shrugs his
shoulders. He's not going to change his personality just to woo some voters.
"I never cared about any of that stuff," says
Ordonez, who politely declined a national Fox interview last weekend. "I
don't need to be on TV or do commercials or any of that stuff. The way I
figure it, you only play the game for so long. Once you're out of the game,
nobody will know you anyways, so why change now?"
Source: “Ordonez sizzles in obscurity”
by Bob Nightengale, USA Today, June 14, 2007. Full article
available at www.usatoday.com.
Ask:
Would you say Ordonez is a humble person?
Explain your answer.
What actions show that he is proud? That he is humble?
How is Ordonez different from the others players who were debating which
players belonged on their dream team?
Say: Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline says
“Humility…is one of those virtues that is never gained by seeking it” (p. 113).
However, humility is one of the six practices we should live by.
Introduce the unit by identifying six characteristics God expects of His people
(humility, commitment, repentance, dependence, integrity, and joy), and explain
that these will be discussed beginning today for the next five weeks.
Enlist a volunteer to read Zephaniah 1:12-15. Explain that the
sins and arrogance of the people of Judah displeased God. Zephaniah proclaimed
that the Lord would punish the complacency (v. 12), indifference (v. 12), and
materialism (v. 13) of His people. The people of Judah needed to repent humbly
and return to the Lord.
Ask:
What might be
the danger in settling "down comfortably" (v. 12, HCSB)?
What does this
phrase tell you about the people’s thinking: "The Lord will not do evil
or good" (v. 12, HCSB)?
Was their sin
their wealth? Why or why not?
What is
dangerous about people thinking themselves privileged and due certain
entitlements?
How thorough
would God’s judgment be on the Day of the Lord?
How did
Zephaniah describe Judah’s future?
Call to Humility (Zeph. 2:1-3)
Read the following article excerpt:
SBC prays for God's 'renewing power'
With a man's
arms spread wide, facing the open blue sky, the logo for the 2007 Southern
Baptist Convention's annual meeting said it all: "Lord, send your Holy
Spirit.”
SBC President Frank Page's call to prayer during the June
12-13 sessions in San Antonio was based on 2 Chronicles 7:14: "... [if] My
people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face,
and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their
sin, and heal their land," (Holman Christian Standard Bible).
During a Pastors' Conference prayer gathering June 11,
T.W. Hunt also called on the people of the SBC to pray for a return to
God-centeredness. The group prayed during focused prayer times -- some
holding hands with fellow believers, others bowing on their knees. Hunt said
God-centeredness will come when Baptists seek the qualities of otherness,
love, humility, supremacy of Christ and nobility -- qualities Hunt sees in
God. He urged the pastors to pray for a concern for others in SBC churches
and entities.
During the Tuesday afternoon session of the SBC annual
meeting, John Franklin, president of John Franklin Ministries in Nashville,
Tenn., declared to the convention, "We need an outpouring of God's Spirit,
and we are in a desperate situation." Franklin pointed to statistics shared
earlier in the day by Thom Rainer of LifeWay Christian Resources, that 65
percent of the older generation claims to be evangelical Christians, while
only 4 to 8 percent of the younger generation makes that claim. He told the
crowd, before asking them to gather in small groups to plead for a mighty
outpouring of God's Spirit, "We have the assurance of the divine teachings
that if we humble ourselves and seek [His] face, our cry of desperation will
be heard on high.
"The prayer times were consistent with this year's
presidential address, in which Page focused on Psalm 51. "We're full of
non-revived churches among non-revived people who've lost passion for the
lost," Page said. "But we've become strangely passionate about our agendas."
He prayed, "God, give us a humble spirit."
In his report during the Tuesday morning session, Morris
H. Chapman, president of the Executive Committee, also voiced a special
prayer. "God, forgive me," he said. "Humble me. Flood my soul with Your
power. Empower me to live for Your glory. May it be so."
Source: "SBC prays for God's 'renewing
power'" by Shannon Baker, June 15, 2007. Full article available at
www.bpnews.net.
Ask:
What do you
think about the SBC leaders' focus on humility at the convention
recently?
What evidence
is there that humility is needed?
Is humility
needed in your church? In you?
Enlist another volunteer to read Zephaniah 2:1-3 as learners
look for the hope given in these verses. Remind learners that the purpose of
God's words of judgment is to lead His people to turn to him humbly.
Ask:
Why did God
give the people of Judah time to repent?
What attitudes
and actions did the Lord desire?
What hope did
He offer?
Is it easier to
be humble before God than it is to be humble before others? Explain your
answer.
Say: Seeking humility (v.3) means forsaking all actions
motivated by pride. A good way to develop humility is through service. According
to Richard Foster, “Of all the … spiritual disciplines, service is the most
conducive to the growth of humility.” There is a difference, he says, between
choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. If we choose to serve we are
still in charge. But if we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in
charge. (Celebration of Discipline, pp. 113, 115)
Ask:
What mental
picture can you recall of someone’s act of humility?
How might God
be calling you to walk more humbly before Him?
Lead adults to give specific actions here.Challenge
them to do one act every day this week, even if it is as small as picking up
others’ trash.
Benefits of Humility (Zeph. 3:11-12)
Ask:
What are some of the benefits of humility?
What benefits have you experienced personally as a
result of resisting pride at work, at home, in your career or in some other
aspect of your life?
List the learners'
answers on the marker board.
Read:
Nation, SBC mourn loss of Ruth Graham
MONTREAT, N.C. (BP)--Ruth Bell Graham, wife of evangelist
Billy Graham, died June 14, surrounded by her husband and five children at
her Montreat, N.C., home. She was 87.
The daughter of missionary parents, Ruth was the woman
behind "America's Pastor," and her dedication to her children while her
husband was on the road preaching no doubt will be one of her greatest
legacies.
Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a
team," Billy Graham said in a statement. "No one else could have borne the
load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry,
and my work through the years would have been impossible without her
encouragement and support.
Ruth Graham was alert on Sunday, June 10, to celebrate
her birthday and was encouraged by visits from family members. The day
before his wife died, Billy Graham released a statement saying she would be
buried on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C. The two
had made the decision on their own, he said.
Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist
Executive Committee, said her love for her husband and children "inspired
several generations of Christian wives and mothers."
"She was indeed a consummate servant of Christ," Chapman
said. "Her grace, humility, dignity, and joy reflected her deep and abiding
love for her Lord and Savior, which is certainly fitting, for now she has
seen the Lord in the fullness of His glory and is able to praise and worship
Him face to face."
Source: "Nation, SBC mourn loss of Ruth
Graham," June 15, 2007. Full article available at
www.bpnews.net.
Ask:
What were the
benefits of Ruth Graham being a humble person?
How did her
humility impact people she didn't know personally?
Add these answers to the marker board.
Enlist someone to read Zephaniah 3:11-12. Ask learners to list
the benefits of humility described in these verses, and add their answers to the
marker board.
Direct learners to reflect on this thought from the Serendipity
Bible:
Throughout Zephaniah there is a cycle of rebellion,
restoration, and rejoicing. If this book were the story of your life, in
which stage would you find yourself in relation to God? Why?
Allow them to share their insights with the group if they
wish.
Conclude with this story:
The God of Kitchen Duty
Have you ever imagined doing great things for God? I
have. And if you’re like me, sometimes God’s idea and my idea of “great
things” don’t agree. That changed one summer when I was assigned the job of
teaching in a mission Vacation Bible School at a non-English speaking
church. That’s when I really began to understand the meaning-and the
importance-of “kitchen duty.”
I invited Jesus into my heart years ago in a Vacation
Bible School. For many summers I scrubbed remnants of hot glue, crayons and
punch stains from fingernails and clothes with the best of them. But I spent
the last two decades teaching only women and couples, and my children were
grown. When I signed on for a mission project, I had no idea that included
“kitchen duty.” I argued with God.
Finally I submitted to God with a
“whatever-you-want-I’ll-do” prayer-especially when I discovered we would
just tell a Bible story and lead a few songs. How hard was that?
At first I struggled and failed in my “kitchen duty.” I
had forgotten Oswald Chambers’ words read long ago: “The inspiration of God
is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some
cases the way a person does a task makes the work sanctified and holy
forever.”
[After really submitting myself to God in prayer], I
tripped and ended up with a swollen ankle. A new stomach problem persisted.
Physically spent, I shared with the children the best I could, then sat
down, bowed my head and elevated my foot. The pastor of the small mission
shared some words and seventeen children moved to the front that day to
accept Jesus!
“Kitchen duty” means different things to different
people. But when God captures our hearts and we understand his greater
purpose in our lives, the most ordinary drudgery will not repel us. We can
humbly submit to Him with joy!
Source: “The God of Kitchen Duty,” by
Rebecca Barlow Jordan. On Mission, Summer 2007, pp.22-25.
Remind learners that when we live humbly, we experience all
the benefits of living in fellowship with God. Close with a time of prayer and
repentance. Pray that learners will not become comfortably complacentor indifferent, that they will rely more on God than on
material possessions, and that they will humble themselves before God and
therefore be ready for the Day of the Lord.
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
July 1, 2007
United We Stand
Ashley Linne
Acts 2:42-47; 4:23-24,29-35
Before the Session
Visit
www.colonialview.com/prayerchain.htm for the Excel spreadsheet prayer chain.
If this is something you think your group might be interested in doing, bring a
laptop and begin the prayer chain this Sunday.
Acts 2:42-47
Read Acts 2:42-47.
Say: The early church grew spiritually
and numerically because these early believers were committed to living out what
they had learned from the apostles' teaching, fellowshipping, breaking of bread,
and praying. These believes loved God and each other, living out the greatest
command put forth by Jesus in the Gospels (Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).
There are many standards that we could use to measure a church’s success, but
these verses remind us that truly successful churches are those that are
comprised of members who are devoted to practicing these two commands on a daily
basis. When believers within the church unite in study, fellowship, breaking of
bread, and prayer, then people outside the church will be drawn to God and to
the church.
Ask:
What are some
ways your local church family demonstrates commitment to loving God and
loving others?
In what ways
are you personally devoted to study, fellowship, breaking of bread, and
prayer?
With whom do
you do these things with on a regular basis?
Read the following article excerpt:
Nurturing Biblical Fellowship
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Words like loneliness, isolation
and alienation describe how many people feel about their existence. We have
become such a transient people that few people live near their nuclear
family. We move so often that we find it challenging to make friends; as a
result, many people simply don't try. The people around us are little more
than faceless and anonymous acquaintances.
Sounds depressing doesn't it? Yet the apparent loneliness
and the need for fellowship provide one of the greatest opportunities for
the church to advance the Kingdom. If people need and desire fellowship and
the church is the only place where authentic fellowship can occur, then why
are we failing to make the connection? Tragically, many people who have
attended our churches indicate that they have not experienced fellowship.
Exit interviews with those who have dropped out of church indicate that many
left the church because they sensed that they didn't belong and that no one
cared about them.
I am a guest in a different church nearly every week, and
I know that most believers do care. How, then, do we express our concern in
such a manner that those attending our church will experience genuine
fellowship? I think our largest barrier is that we often attend church so
focused on our own needs that we fail to minister to others. What we need is
a Kingdom refocusing and an intentional strategy for expressing fellowship.
You
can't read Acts without developing a profound appreciation for the deep
level of fellowship enjoyed by the early Christians. These early believers,
Jew and Gentile alike, were thrust together by their common conviction that
Jesus was the Messiah. No doubt, many of those radical enough to declare
their loyalty to Christ were cut off by former family members and friends.
After all, they had identified themselves with a group of persons who many
deemed to be a dangerous and heretical splinter group from historic Judaism.
Thus fellowship was not an option but a necessity. The new community of
believers had literally become family.
The
Pauline letters are filled with imagery that speaks of the intimate nature
and necessity of fellowship in the church. He often illustrates the work of
the church by comparing it to a physical body which must be unified to
function properly. He declares that God has "placed the parts, each one of
them, in the body just as He wanted" (1 Corinthians 12:18). He indicates
that the body members are so interrelated that the suffering of one member
impacts the entire body (1 Corinthians 12:26).
In
Philippians 2 Paul speaks of the attitude necessary for building fellowship.
Paul begins with several statements which anticipate a positive response.
"If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my
joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same
feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in
humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should
look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of
others" (1-4).
What
would happen in your church and in the broader Christian community if we
began to embody the truths of these verses? Do you think such a level of
fellowship is possible? Before you answer, remember it is the work of the
Spirit to create this fellowship. Perhaps you noticed that our unity is
based not only on our common relationship to Christ but on our sharing of a
common goal — God's Kingdom and His glory.
What
would happen if everyone in your church shared this common goal? That is
what the Kingdom-centered church is about. I continually tell people that
the longer I live, the simpler I become. I don't believe that anything or
anyone will change the hearts and minds of our people except the Holy Spirit
as He applies Scripture to the hearts and minds of our people.
Source: “Nurturing Biblical Fellowship” by Kenneth
Hemphill. Full article available at
www.lifeway.com.
Ask learners to consider two of the questions Hemphill raised in this
article along with the following questions:
What would happen in
your church and in the broader Christian community if we began to embody
the truths of these verses?
Do you think such a
level of fellowship is possible?
What would have to
happen for such fellowship to be present in your church?
How might God be calling
you to take an active role in bringing about change?
Acts 4:23-24,29-31
Enlist a volunteer to read Acts 4:23-24,29-31. Remind learners
that after Peter and John were released from the meeting with the religious
leaders, they joined the other believers to update them on what had happened.
The group then prayed together, praised God together, and petitioned God for
boldness together.
Say: There is something powerful about corporate prayer and
praise. In times of distress and danger, these early believers didn’t run in
fear; instead, they stood together, seeking God’s power to boldly continue the
work He’d given them. When we unite around the common purpose of glorifying God,
He also will move among us in great ways.
Ask:
When have you
seen God work in a miraculous way?
When have you
seen God answer the prayers offered by your church?
What challenges
are you facing currently that require more boldness?
What believers
can you call on to support you in prayer?
Acts 4:32-35
Ask a volunteer to read Acts 4:32-35.
Say: It can be difficult for some of us
to imagine livingin community the way these early believers did. The world was
a very different place then, and there were many contributing factors that made
it possible—and necessary—for them to sell all their possessions and give to one
another the way they did. However, that our world is different today doesn’t
mean it is impossible for us to live this way now. While we may not be led to
live in a home with several other families, we may be led to sell some
possessions to support a family in need in our church, in your neighborhood, or
on the mission field. God desires that we willingly share with others so the
needs of all will be met.
Ask:
How has God
used you to meet another's needs in the past?
Do you know
anyone in your church, small group, and so forth who needs help right
now? (Remind learners that our needs are not just financial or
material.)
How might God
want you to help meet that need in a generous, non-judgmental way?
Say: Ken Hemphill lists five undeniable
truths regarding biblical fellowship in his article "Nurturing Biblical
Fellowship."
Five Undeniable Truths
1. Fellowship is not optional to biblical Christianity. Man was
created for fellowship. From the very beginning, God declared that
it was not good for man to be alone. While this statement was the prelude to
the declaration on marriage, it nonetheless indicates man's need for
community. In His final instructions to His disciples, Jesus repeated a
single command three times: "I give you a new commandment: love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John
13:34; 15:12, 17). It is an inescapable truth -- we cannot belong to Christ
without belonging to a community of believers.
2. Fellowship with other believers is essential to personal
spiritual growth. One of the most powerful prayers for the church
is found in Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul prays that believers would know the love
of Christ which "surpasses knowledge." How can we know something that
surpasses our understanding? The key is found in the critical phrase, "with
all the saints." None of us know all there is to know about God's love, but
together we have a larger picture of His love. To think that we can
individually grow in our love of Christ while we neglect other believers is
utter nonsense.
3. Fellowship is essential to ministry since the unified body is
the platform for the proper functioning of the spiritual gifts. In
every passage where spiritual gifts are mentioned the issue of unity of the
body and the common good are always preeminent. The imagery of the properly
functioning body in 1 Corinthians 12 establishes the need for fellowship
among body members.
4. Authentic fellowship can only be found in Christ. One
of the key Greek terms that is translated "fellowship" in our English Bibles
is "koinonia." In secular Greek, a public park might be referred to as
"koinos" because it belonged to everyone. When applied to people, "koinonia"
could indicate a business or marriage partnership. For the early church
"koinonia" was a group of believers who were bound together by their common
loyalty to Christ. Our fellowship crosses racial, cultural, gender and other
artificial boundaries to find its basis in Christ alone.
5. Fellowship is essential to Kingdom expansion. Since
people are created with a need for fellowship, the church that practices
biblical fellowship will function like a magnet to the fellowship-hungry
world. This truth is articulated by John in his first letter. In the first
two verses of the first chapter, John speaks of believers declaring what
they had experienced concerning the Word of Life. Why? "What we have seen
and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with
us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ" (1 John. 1:3). Notice that fellowship by definition could never be
diluted by numerical growth.
Source: “Nurturing Biblical Fellowship” by Kenneth
Hemphill. Full article available at
www.lifeway.com.
Allow time for the group to evaluate how well they are
meeting the needs of people in the group. As a group, list some ways the group
can study, fellowship, pray, and break bread as a group. For example, the group
might agree to plan to eat lunch together after church each Sunday or to start a
prayer chain. An example of a prayer chain template can be downloaded from www.colonialview.com/prayerchain.htm.
Close the session with prayer.
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.
