Super SPOTmail!!

Lesson Preview

As I prepare this lesson preview I do so wondering what the outside world will look like on Sunday.  This week God displayed his power and creativity through weather patterns.  As I consider the weather, I could make the decision not to prepare the lesson because we might not meet this Sunday.  What would be the consequences?

Each morning this week I had to make a choice - do I go in to work or not?  What will be the outcome?  Decisions are actually a very complex aspect of life.  And we make tons of them every day.

  
The topic of our study this Sunday is decisions.  Decisions reveal a lot about a person.  For example, the friends we choose reveal something about what we value.  Who we are (our character) impacts our decisions.  BUT, the process comes full circle because our decisions also impact who we are.  This can get to be pretty heavy stuff. 

Here is how all of this fits in to our study.  Rehoboan, Solomon's son and the successor to the throne of Israel after Solomon's death, was immediately faced with a momentous decision.  The way that he handled this decision provides an important lesson for us.  The context of this lesson comes from 1 Kings 12:1-16:28.  The lesson itself is based on 12:3-24. 

I hope you decide to come and join in on the discussion this Sunday.

Don

Super Bowl Party!

The LaRowes are hosting the second annual SPOTclass Super Bowl Bash on Sunday.  Last year we had a great time of food, fellowship and commercial-er-football watching.  This year's game may even be interesting!   

Bring your favorite snacking appetizer or dessert -- Brooks and Ginger will provide the beverages.               

Game time is about 5:30 p.m. and the gates open for the party at 4:30 p.m.

Even if we don't see you that often, come anyway - it will be a lot of fun.

Art of Marriage

Don't forget the Art of Marriage,  a two-day seminar at Concord next weekend, Friday Feb. 11 and Saturday Feb. 12.  The meeting will be made up of six video sessions and lots of interactive discussion. The seminar runs 7-9 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The final day for advanced registration is Wednesday,  February 9.  Cost for the seminar is $35.  Add $20 if you want  the Chick-Fil-A box lunch on Saturday. (is that really a decision , we're talking Chick-Fil-A - would someone actually say no????).  Miss the Feb. 9 deadline and you pay $45 to get in and there's no lunch!

Several couples from our class are already registered, so you won't want to miss to opportunity to hear all their deep dark secrets!  

Prayer List  (for details click www.spotsspot.blogspot.com)

• Zenobia Perry's cancer treatment
• The Proemseys and their babies
• Ginger LaRowe's sister Jane
• Susan Hurt's mother
• Search for worship minister
• Class members struggling with decisions
• The Budget & Finance Committee 
• "Snow" Life groups

Snack List

February 6  -- Kevin & Susan Hurt

February 13 -- Zenobia Perry

BIG CHILLi Dinner

The SPOTclass will be cooking and serving chili during CSM's Big Chill weekend on Saturday, March 19.  We're currently collecting money  to buy the necessary ingredients.  You'll find the envelope in the SPOTfolder again this week.

If you have a favorite chili recipe, please pass it along.  We'll all team up in the church kitchen to prepare and serve the meal.  We want this to be a treat the kids won't soon forget!

 

The Mid-Week Update!!!

Lesson Recap

This past Sunday we continued our study of Kings and "Does My Character Count?".  We covered 1 Kings 9:10-11:43, which covered the final 20 years of Solomon's reign. Both the positive details and the negative are included in the narrative.  Complete with dissatisfied trade partners to slave labor, a lot about the building of the temple is included.  We also see Solomon's other accomplishments, and see shere he meets the queen of Sheba.  A list of his enemies is even included in 11:14-40!

We looked at character versus reputation and discussed the differences.  Character is the combination of emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities of a person. Reputation is the general estimation held of one by the public, or how others perceive us to be.  So why is character important, and why does it matter?

What part of No Don't You Understand?  11:1-3

     

Here we see Solomon break character when he loved foreign women despite being instructed by the Lord not to.  Solomon showed the same love (or ahab) to these women that he did God.  How is that possible?  How could Solomon prevented this?  How does it make you feel when you instruct your children not to do something and they do it anyway?  God tole Solomon not to intermarry with non-Israelites. Look at 2 Corinthians 2:17 and see what God prompted Paul to write there.  As our teens enter the "dating phase" of life, how will you handle this issue?

Heart Failure 11:4-8

In verse 4 (NIV) the word heart is mentioned 3 times.  Character is another word that could be used in place of the 'heart' of David or Solomon.  Importantly noted here was that Solomon was later on in his life.  Have you noticed that believers often become indifferent to their relationship with God in the later years of their life?  What causes this?  Due to the direct influence of his foreign wives,  Solomon allows his heart to be turned to other gods.  One of the worst of these was Molech, which required child sacrifices which God strictly disavowed.  See 2 Kings 23:10, Jer 32:35, Lv 18:21 and 20:2.  As a result of this, Solomon did not fully devote his heart to the Lord.  Joshua gave the Israelites a choice to wholly follow God before entering the promised land in Joshua 24:14-15.  Jesus did the same in Mt 4:10 and 6:24.  What can we do do prevent our hearts from wandering or failing?

What Might Have Been 11:9-13

What began as a compromise for the sake of his wives became a spiritual meltdown for Solomon.  This broken covenant with God not only affected the relationship between he and God, but also with God and the nation of Israel.  God had appeared to Solomon twice, so he had no excuse for his ignorance of the law.  God said that he would tear the kingdom away from Solomon and give it to his servant.  This, however, did not negate the covenant that God established with David.  What might have happened had Solomon stayed true to the covenant?

Sin does have consequences.  It almost always affect more than just the offender, yet the results may not be evident or immediate.  They might include on us missing out on God's plan to use and bless us.  Have you ever seen a believer really blow it?  Let's make a pact to never become that believer so that we never have to wonder what might have been. Character really does matter.

SPOT Super Bowl Party!!

This Sunday (the 6th) at 4:30 at the LaRowe's.  Drinks provided so bring whatever you want to snack on!  If you need them, directions will be provided on Sunday.

Big CHILLi Supper

We now have the sign-up sheet and the donation envelope in the Sunday folder for this event on March 19th.  It will be a great way to help minister to our kids.  We will get all the ingredients together and cook and serve the chili at church that Saturday night.  Any and all help will truly be appreciated.

Snacks

• 2/6   the Hurt's
• 2/13 Zenobia Perry  
• 2/20  the Massey's 

Watch This Space...

Coming Soon!!!...the date and details of our annual camping trip!!!

Prayer Requests

• Continued prayers for Zenobia (see the blog entry before this one for an update!)
• Phil and Gingers sister Jane is dealing with spontaneous abscesses caused by a couple of invasive bacterium.  She is currently on 6 months of high-dose antibiotics, but has a very suppressed immune system.
• Susan's mother who is still suffering in pain.  They determined that she has a mass in her abdomen, and they are going to begin tests to find out what it is.
• Neil Stubbs is looking for employment.
• Life Groups as they enter week 5.  Pray for the leaders of each group and those that open their homes for the studies.
• Pray for class members who have been absent for a long time, some considering other options.

  

   

Zenobia Update!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

On Tuesday 1/25/11, I had my 4th and final chemo!  Yea!!!

After 5.5 hours of chemo, I was rolled in a wheelchair to meet with my surgical oncologist Dr. Radford who will do my surgery.  I was pretty drowsy on benadryl, so I don't have a clear recollection of this ride, but I do remember wondering if my tubes connected from the pole to my port were gonna rip out bc it was such a challenge to roll me from place to place!  I had an ultrasound done and the technician said she didn't see a tumor! The only reason she knew where i had a tumor was because I have a very tiny clip where the tumor was located.  This does not mean, however that there are no more cancer cells, but if anything it tells me that the treatment I have had thus far has been working!

After the appointments, my sister Alice (who is lovingly here from Fort Worth TX helping me) took me home and I crashed for a couple of hours.  Thankfully, this treatment has been much better than the first two.  Today is Saturday and i was able to still eat earlier today.  The metal taste has not taken over my mouth, but the indigestion is still pretty bad.  I've only been taking Aleve twice a day and the pain is tolerable.  I told one friend that it feels like fat snails are crawling thru my bones, and when i want to nap, they want to keep a movin'.  Can they not just take a break?

My surgery is scheduled for Thurs, Feb 17th at 7a.  I will have 2 incisions - one in my armpit for the sentinel nodes test (this is a test to see if any of the lymph nodes have cancer) and then another incision where the tumor was to make sure that all cells have been removed and that the area around is clear.  Recovery will be at least 3 days.  Supposedly I won't be able to raise my right arm - at the moment I can't think of any reason to raise it except to check for arm pit odor, so I think I'll be ok.

It is so hard to believe that 3.5 months has passed since I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I was looking through my box of cards the other day, so thankful that this chemo ride is almost done, thankful that the treatment has been working, but more than anything that I have had people like you who were willing to ride with me. 

Radiation and herceptin, meds, or whatever the heck is ahead will be a piece of cake compared to the chemo.  I'm so glad it's almost done!  NO MO' CHEMO!

In the meantime, I gotta figure out when to let my hair start growing out bc I've had this stubble growing out of my head that is driving me crazy.  My hair isn't supposed to be growing yet - so what the heck is coming out of my head? 

Thank you for all your prayers, your support, your unending kindness.  It was an honor having you on board on my roller coaster ride!

Love, Zenobia

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Lesson Preview

What does it take to compromise?  Is compromise always good?  Try rearing teens without it!  Better yet -- what good marriage can exist without compromise?

You see, compromise consists of give-and-take .  Here is how it works in my house -- Lori gives and I take.  Yea, you really believe that one!  Now to get a little serious and more to the point:  Is compromise always a good thing?  If you say "no," then when is it not good to compromise? 

This Sunday, we conclude our lessons under the heading "Does My Character Count?"  The background material comes from 1 Kings, chapters 9:10 -11:43.  The lesson will concentrate on chapter 11.  Read it. 

Come to class with your observations and questions.  I'll do the same, only I'll probably have a few more!

See you Sunday,
Don

Super Bowl Party!

Don't forget, you do have someplace to go for the Super Bowl this year.  The LaRowes will host the second annual SPOTclass Super Bowl Bash.  It appears the Green Bay fans may have the edge at the party on Sunday, Feb. 6, but we promise to be nice to anyone rooting for the Steelers, too. 

Bring an appetizer or dessert -- Brooks and Ginger will provide the beverages.               

Game time is about 5:30 p.m. and the gates open for the party at 4:30 p.m. 

SPOTlunch

We discovered that Neil Stubbs did not miss his calling as a Dairy Queen proprietor when we enjoyed our free ice cream dessert at Dickey's Barbecue in Fenton last Sunday.  The ice cream presented to Jeanette looked a bit more like a handlebar mustache on a stick than a mound of creamy soft serve on a cone, but it tasted good all the same!  Good try, Neil!

That was just one of the fun moments at last week's SPOTlunch.  Watch for the time and place of the February SPOTlunch and make plans to be there!   

Prayer List  (for details see the last post on this very blog!)

• Zenobia Perry's cancer treatment
• Liz Massey's recovery from eye surgery
• The Proemseys and their babies
• Radick family at the death of Linda's father
• Susan Hurt's mother, Marilyn Mayer
• Search for worship minister
• Life groups

Snack List

January 30 -- Luthers

February 6  -- THIS SPACE AVAILABLE

February 13 -- Zenobia Perry

BIG CHILLi Dinner

The SPOTclass will be cooking and serving chili during CSM's Big Chill weekend on Saturday, March 19.  We're currently collecting money  to buy the necessary ingredients.  You'll find the envelope in the SPOTfolder this week.

If you have a favorite chili recipe, please pass it along.  We'll all team up in the church kitchen to prepare and serve the meal.  We want this to be a treat the kids won't

The Mid-Week Update!!!

Lesson Recap

This week we looked at 1 Kings 5-9.  After a historical context we specifically looked at Solomon's prayer and why we should pray.

• Because God is faithful 8:22-24:  Solomon delivered a prayer of dedication.  Prayer of dedication can serve two purposes: 1) demonstrate honest communication with God on the part of the one expressing the prayer and 2) public prayer can serve to teach and edify fellow worshipers concerning God.  Assuming the first point to be true, what part of Solomon's prayer served to teach and edify the audience concerning God? What part reveals God's faithfulness?  How should this truth encourage us to pray?

• Because God listens 8:27-27: In verse 28 Solomon uses three different Hebrew words for prayer, prayer (or praise...an intercession or request), plea (or petition. This term is related to the Hebrew word for 'grace', suggesting this kind of petition is a request for God's favor), and cry (to shout enthusiastically.  Usually a positive sense of crying out is inferred, but the word can also suggest a cry of desperation). We refer to prayer as a conversation with God.  Conversations require both a speaker and a listener.  We pray because we believe God listens.  Solomon portrayed his belief that this is so by using the three different words for prayer.  He stressed the truth that God hears us: He understands us, cares about us, and listens to us when we pray.

• Because God responds: 8:38-39: According to verse 38, God would be hearing prayers ranging from the king's loftiest intercession for national concerns to a peasant child's cry for safety during a thunderstorm.  In verse 39 the terms forgive, act and deal with (repay) emphasize God's response to prayer.  All of these verbs underscore Solomon's conviction the God both hears and responds to the prayers of his people. As did Solomon, we believe that God listens to our prayers.  The proof is in chapter 9:13.  How should the truth, knowing God responds, impact our prayers?

• Because everyone can 8:43: Solomon understood the temple was to be a place of prayer.  He anticipated that people outside the promised land (foreigners) would hear about the temple and the God who was worshiped there (8:41).  His thinking probably refers to the Lord's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3...all the peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.  Solomon envisioned the temple and prayers prayed in the temple as having potential evangelic results.  People could come to a saving knowledge of God!

Prayer can be either a monologue or dialogue.  What makes the difference?

SPOT Super Bowl Party

Mark your calendars for Sunday, Feb 6th.  This will be the date for this years Super Bowl party at the LaRowe's.  Bring what you want to eat and drink.  The fun and fellowship starts at 4:30.  Sign up on the sheet in the SPOT folder or email your confirmation to thespotspot@charter.net

BIG CHILLi Dinner

We have starter to circulate the sign up sheet and the donation envelop.  I realize this is a bit early for Saturday the 19th, but I figured it would give us a head start.  The ingredients for the chili will be picked up before hand and cooked at church.  We will need hands to cook, serve and help clean up.  What a great way to be involved in ministry for our kids!

Prayer Requests

• Liz Massey is back at college and continuing to recover from her eye surgeries.
• The Proemseys and babies.
• Zenobia's last chemo was Tuesday.  Her sister came to help from Texas.  An MRI indicates the tumor has shrunk considerably - good news because that means surgery will be much less of a deal.  Radiation treatment will follow.
• Life Groups as they enter week #4.
• Fine arts pastor search.
• Pray for healing and comfort with the death of Linda Radick's father.
• Continued prayers for Susan Hurt's mother.  They found a mass in her abdomen.  Her next step is to meet with a gynecologist and an oncologist to determine what happens next.