For teaching plans and full explanations of all the verses in today’s lessons,
consult the Explore the Bible leader guide or commentary.
Make sure each learner has his or her own Explore the Bible learner
guide.
Open Your Mind to Judgment's Reality (Gen. 18:20-21)
Read this article excerpt about this famous
incident that occurred on October 3, 1995:
Sobbing, elation at Simpson verdict
LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- In the seeming eternity before
the "not guilty" verdict was uttered, O.J. Simpson's face assumed emotions
at both ends of the spectrum. First he furrowed his brow in seeming concern.
Then he stiffened his jaw. Then he smiled slightly. Then he looked more
concerned. Moments later, he was wearing a smile. And reactions from both
players and observers in this "verdict of the century" revealed a similar
array of responses.
Inside the courthouse: Hugs, 'heartwrenching
sight'
The verdict
brought tears to both sides. Just as Simpson's son, Jason, sobbed with head
in hands, so did Ronald Goldman's sister, Kim. Simpson's daughter, Arnelle,
hugged her brother, reportedly saying, "We did it, Jason."
KCAL
correspondent Frank Buckley said he focused on Goldman's father, Fred,
during that stunning moment. "Fred Goldman closed his eyes as the verdict
was read," Buckley said. When he heard the words, "he looked as if he had
been punched." Nicole Brown Simpson's family bowed their heads as if in
shock. They remained stoically silent, though they looked tearful.
Later,
correspondent Jim Hill saw members of the victims' families making their way
through the courthouse hallway. "It was a heartwrenching sight," said Hill,
noting that Goldman and Brown family members clutched each other, heads
down, crying out loud and gasping. A few minutes after the families left the
corridor, Hill said, he heard a man screaming, "No! No! No!"
What factors
accounted for the different reactions to the O.J. Simpson verdict?
How did race
and gender sometimes cause people to view the case differently?
Read Genesis
18:20-21 and ask:
What steps did God take in the passage to ensure that his
verdict was just?
Why is it important that God forewarned the people of His
judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Why do people in our day seem to ignore the reality of
God’s judgment?
Offer Intecessory Prayers (Gen. 18:22-26)
Copy the following article excerpt and have learners list the ways that
God specifically answered intercessory prayer:
Prayer, politics & the
Berlin Wall
Here's an illustration of how prayer works:
Back in 1989, a Brazilian housewife and mother named
Elizabeth Cornelio became concerned about her city, Goiania – population
1,200,000 and a major center of spiritism and other problems. So she began
meeting for prayer with four women from other churches.
In 1993, she invited Christians all over the city to
unite and pray. When 850 showed up, her pastor kicked her out of the church,
saying, "Members of other churches are not spiritual brothers and sisters;
they are at most spiritual cousins."
Today almost 200,000 women pray for the city every day,
linked by her radio program. When the program had to go off the air from
March through May of 1999, the crime rate quickly ballooned by 50 percent.
The city sent a delegation including the mayor and police chief, beseeching
her to get back on the air. (She did, and the crime rate sank.)
Every believer in town gets into the act: Midwives anoint
newborns with oil, dedicating them to Jesus; Christians walk the aisles in
supermarkets, praying for people; a few preach in bars, to great effect; and
some even get up at 4 a.m. to walk through the empty streetcars, praying
that God will bless each rider that day.
Don't laugh. In seven years, evangelicals in Goiania went
from 7 percent of the population to 45 percent.
Now, a short science lesson:
In India, "a group of intercessors went walking and
praying around a block of apartments for several days but left the
neighboring block alone. When contacted later, over 70 percent of the
prayer-walked block welcomed the intercessors while 90 percent of the
unwalked block rejected them."
A similar experiment was done by a church in Phoenix.
Intercessors randomly selected 160 names from the local telephone book and
divided the names into two equal groups. For 90 days, they prayed for one
group of 80 homes. The other 80 homes were not prayed for.
After 90 days, they called all 160 homes, identified
themselves and their church, and asked for permission to stop by and pray
for the family and any needs they might be willing to share. Of the 80 homes
for which they didn't pray, only one invited them to come in. Of the 80
homes for which they had prayed, 69 invited someone to come over; of the 69,
45 invited them to come in.
If you pray, God will do the heavy lifting! Also, He will
solve the problems that politicians struggle with endlessly. A noted prayer
leader has described what typically happens after concentrated, united
prayer:
Government officials are given wisdom and guidance.
Businesses are blessed. Crime rates go down. Healthy churches impact their
communities ...
Drug centers have closed, prostitution rings have moved
out of neighborhoods, bars have shut down, crime rates have dropped,
fractured neighborhood relationships have been healed, suicides have been
prevented, marriages have been restored, workplaces have changed ... and
individuals have given their lives to Christ.
Freed of the usual programs and routine, simple believers
like you and me can actually do such things – and more. We are even
beginning to change the world's political architecture:
The heaviest prayer-walking in recent memory was in East
Germany in 1989, where groups of 10 or 12 were meeting in homes on Monday
nights to pray for peace – some 50,000 people by October. After that, they
quietly moved into churches and the streets. News reports said their numbers
swelled to 300,000, and on Nov. 9, the Berlin Wall fell.
In India, Christians and dalits ("untouchables") had
suffered persecution and caste-based suppression for centuries. But as the
2004 election drew near, about 5 million Christians around the world united
in prayer and fasting against the Hindu nationalists who controlled the
government. Polls all said that the anti-Christian BJP party had an
unbreakable lock on the nation. Everyone was stunned on May 13 when the BJP
was swept from power and firmly replaced by the Christian-friendly Congress
Party.
As Sherlock Holmes once exclaimed, "Come, Watson, come!
The game is afoot."
Read Genesis 18:22-26 and ask learners to find specific ways Abraham
prayed for Lot.
Ask:
What are
specific ways we can pray for other believers?
What are
specific ways we can pray for the lost?
Observe God's Compassion (Gen. 19:12-16)
Read Genesis 19:12-16 and list the ways God was
compassionate toward Lot.
Read the article excerpt about Kay Warren, wife of
Saddleback pastor, Rick Warren:
Purpose
Driven in Rwanda
Rick
Warren's sweeping plan to defeat poverty
In 2002, God
dropped a pebble into the pond of Kay Warren's life in the form of a
magazine article about HIV/AIDS in Africa. Three years later, the ripple
effect has reached all the way from her home in Orange County,
California, to Africa.
It's still gaining strength through the PEACE plan, a
bold ministry vision from Kay's influential husband, Saddleback Church's
Rick Warren. I traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, with the Warrens and 42 other
American evangelicals in July, where they joined 9,000 Rwandan Christians in
launching the first "Purpose-Driven Nation" initiative to harness
businesspeople, politicians, and pastors against the nation's biggest social
problems.
Kay told Christianity Today seeing that article
was "an appointment with God … he intended to grab my attention." The news
photos were so graphic that she covered her eyes and peeked through just
enough to read the words. There was a quote box in the middle of the article
that read: "12 million children orphaned in Africa due to AIDS."
"It was as if I fell off the donkey on the Damascus road
because I had no clue. I didn't know one single orphan." For days afterward,
she was haunted by that fact: 12 million orphans.
Unable to block it from her mind, Kay began to get mad at
God, praying, "Leave me alone. Even if it is true, what can I do about it?
I'm a white, suburban soccer mom. There is nothing I can do." But that did
no good.
After weeks, then months of anguish, she realized she
faced a fateful choice. She could either pretend she did not know about the
HIV/AIDS pandemic or she could become personally involved.
"I made a conscious choice to say, 'Yes.' I had a pretty
good suspicion that I was saying yes to a bucket load of pain. In that
moment, God shattered my heart. He just took my heart and put it through a
woodchip machine. My heart came out on the other side in more pieces than I
could gather back up in my arms.
About what
issues has God sent your through the “woodchip machine?”
What
relationship exists between our intercessory prayers and God’s
compassion?
Ask learners to keep a list of people/causes that pull at their heart
strings. Encourage them to pray about how to become involved with those
people/causes.
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
February 3, 2008
The Motive
Dana Armstrong
Luke 15:1-2,11-24
Before the Session
For teaching plans and full explanations of all the verses in today’s lesson,
consult any of the Bible Studies for Life leader guides or
commentaries.
Make sure each learner has his or her own learner guide.
Luke 15:1-2
Enlist a volunteer to read Luke 15:1-2. Ask:
Why does it
seem to be difficult for believers to build relationships with unbelievers?
Why do
believers hesitate to share Christ with unbelieving neighbors, co-workers,
family members, or friends?
Read the
following article excerpt:
The Art of Conversation
We gravitate
toward small talk because it keeps others at a safe distance, and we never
walk away burdened by what we’ve heard.
Unfortunately, the kind of talk that fulfills the social graces may be
empty of genuine grace and, therefore, leave us unsatisfied. The grace Jesus
salted in His conversations doesn’t really fit our safety requirements for
social niceties. His conversation was always loving and merciful, but it was
tough and unyielding, too, in the way it confronted people with truth.
Take, for example, the way Jesus talked to the woman at the well (John
4:4-30). He moved the conversation from small talk about water to a
discussion of spiritual thirst. It was a deep subject to talk about with a
woman He’d just met, yet Jesus kept leading her until she was ready to admit
her need for living water.
The Art of Big Talk
For any of us to take a discussion to the level of grace, we have to
learn to be good conversationalists. There’s an art to big talk, just as
there is to small talk. There are some simple methods of communication that
help us move a conversation from the banal to beneficial – if we have the
courage to practice them.
1. Reveal something of yourself. Big talk is a lot
riskier than small talk, so if you want someone else to wade in, you’ve got
to be willing to jump in yourself. While we don’t want to wallow in our
problems, a limited revelation shows you’re ready to be vulnerable yourself.
2. Ask a thought-provoking question. Jesus modeled this
with believers and unbelievers alike. For example, Jesus opened up a key
discussion with His disciples by asking: “Who do people say I am?” (Mark
8:27). What ensued was a fascinating discussion of Christ’s role on earth.
If you’ve ever trained to share your faith conversationally, you know
that an entire witnessing opportunity may hinge on asking a single
thought-provoking question. For example, FAITH evangelism
training depends on asking this key question: In your personal opinion, what
do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven?
Even if we sense the time is not right to talk about deeply personal
topics, we can still sow seeds of grace by moving beyond small talk to
subjects of substance. Simple questions about the latest headlines or
statistics, themes of books, or movies may lead to discussions of lasting
spiritual significance.
3. Listen. Understanding what someone is telling you is
an important component to bring to a conversation. Communication experts
emphasize that listening is just as important as talking, and body language
is an important part of listening. Lean in, maintain eye contact, and be
ready to clarify what’s being said.
4. Ask the hard follow-up question. We show we’ve
listened when we pick up on the messages, often subtle, that others send.
Jesus listened to what the disciples had to say about how others regarded
Him, and then He followed up with an even tougher question: “Who do you say
I am?” (Mark 8:29). By asking, Jesus led His disciples to face a truth. In
what was surely a pivotal moment in his life, Peter declared: “You are the
Christ” (v. 29).
Source: Jude, Kima. The Art of Conversation.
Full article available at www.lifeway.com.
This article appears courtesy of HomeLife magazine.
Ask:
How can the tips in this article help us communicate better with
unbelievers?
How does meaningful conversation help us build relationships with lost
people just as Jesus did?
Luke 15:11-16
Read Luke 15:11-16.
Ask:
Why do you think the younger son wanted his freedom?
How is he like many of us today?
Say: The younger son squandered his inheritance in foolish
living. Those who wish to live free from the influence of the Heavenly Father
will find themselves under the influences that result in the worst kinds of
bondage and servitude.
Luke 15:17-24
Read Luke 15:17-24.
Ask:
Do you think
the son realized the error of his ways, or do you think he just wanted a
good meal? Explain your answer.
Do you think
the prodigal son was surprised by how his father received him? Explain
your answer.
Read or
paraphrase the following article:
Running from the Father
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)--One night on a rampage, Howard
Cadle pulled a gun on a man. He squeezed the trigger, but it wouldn’t fire.
It was 8 o’clock -- the time his mother always prayed for him. Later, sick
and penniless, he dragged himself home and said, “Mother, I’ve broken your
heart. I’d like to be saved, but I’ve sinned too much.”
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” his
mom read from Isaiah 1:18. He gave himself to Jesus Christ and became one of
America’s first great radio evangelists.
Are you on a long winding road, leading you away from heaven, hope and
happiness? Is someone praying for you right now?
Jesus told a story about a young man who rebelled against his father and
stormed from home, taking his inheritance with him (Luke 15). He squandered
his money on parties and prostitutes, and then found a job slopping hogs.
But eventually, Jesus said, the man came to his senses. Have you ever
been hypnotized by the world, unable to think clearly, unwilling to feel and
receive God’s love? Our young friend decided to return home, confess his
foolishness, and become as a hired servant to his family.
Tired and dirty, the man limped home. Running to meet him was his waiting
father who hugged his long-lost son, showering him with forgiving kisses.
Perhaps you’ve fallen into an ungodly lifestyle, and it seems such a long
way back from the far country. But the heavenly Father is near at hand,
beckoning you by His grace, and eager for your return. When you recognize
you’re estranged from God by your own choices, that wonderful “coming to
yourself” brings you back to the Father very quickly.
He not only welcomes us back home, but He comes searching for us when
we’re gone. Luke 15 says that He looks for us like a father yearning for a
missing son. He is a loving, searching, forgiving restoring God.
Sometimes we’ve painted God as someone who sits in heaven with a big
stick, waiting to hit us when we do wrong. But God’s love has no limits, and
His grace awaits each of us no matter what we’ve done. If you’ve been in the
far country, I urge you to come home.
In 1850 while traveling in the West, a new Christian named John Vassar
(who had given up his family fortune in beer to sell Christian literature)
visited the home of a praying wife whose husband was an infidel. She begged
for a Bible, which Vassar gave her. Coming home, her husband saw it and was
enraged. Seizing the Bible with one hand and an ax with the other, he
hurried to the chopping block and hacked it crosswise in two. He threw half
of the destroyed Bible at his wife, saying, “As you claim a part of all the
property around here, there is your share of this.”
The other half he tossed into his tool shed.
Months later on a wet winter’s day, the man retreated to his shed. In
boredom he looked around for something to read. Thumbing through the
mutilated Bible, his attention was caught by the story of the prodigal son
in Luke 15. He became absorbed in the parable only to discover that its
ending belonged to his wife’s section.
He secretly searched the house, but finally broke down and asked for his
wife’s part of the story, reading it again and again. In the process, he
came to the heavenly Father like a penitent prodigal returning home.
God is so creative in His methods of bringing us to our senses and of
bringing us to His Son! Even now, He is ordering the circumstances of your
life to bring you back to Himself. He is waiting, looking, longing for you
to return home.
The Lord is saying to you, “Come now, and let us reason together. Though
your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).
As we discover the warm embrace of our Savior’s arms, we realize afresh that
there is no place like home.
Source: Jeremiah, David. Running from the Father.
Full article available at www.lifeway.com.
Ask:
Does God ever give up on people? Defend your answer.
How should believers react when sinners are saved? Should we respond
like the older brother or the father? Explain your answer.
What leads us to respond as the father responded to his son's return?
What leads us to respond as the older brother?
Close by reminding learners that God is gracious and seeks sinners, however,
He will not force sinners to come to Him. God waits patiently for us to come to
our senses.
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.
