The Mid-Week Update

Well, we had a fun little quiz and lesson that Don gave us on knowing characters in the Bible to help prepare us for the upcoming Story!!  In other news...

Food Pantry

 

We are still deserately in need of a few volunteers to help at this service event.We only need six or so.  It will only involve about 4 hours on the morning of Saturday, October 20th.  Please consider helping in this worth while cause!

 

 

Fall Festival and Car Show

 

The Fall Festival is going to be on Saturday, October 6th from 4-7 PM.  We will do our usual Holy Cow Root Beer Float Boot.  We will have two shifts.  One from 3-6 PM, which will also help set up, and one from 5-8PM, which will also help tear down.  Since the festival and show will be a benefit fot the Missouri Baptist Childrens Home, we have been asked to pick up the cost of our own supplies so as not to take away from the amount made for the Home.  We will have both a sign up sheet, and a donation envelope in this week's SPOT folder.

 

 

CSM Parent Social

 

As you probably saw in the Parent Newsletter, there will be a CSM Parent Social on Sunday, October 21st during our class time from 11AM-12PM.  This is right in the middle of the Story lessons so we might just have to cancel class depending on how many parents from class will be attending.  We will probably have to double up on class material the week before.  We will do it so that we can stay as current as possible with the sermons that will be matching the lessons.

 

 

Quote of the Week

 

"Our high and privileged calling is to do the will of God in the power of God for the glory of God." -J.I. Packer

 

 

Something to Think About 

 



 Take a quick look at this video.



 



Snacks

 

• 9/9 Stubbs
• 9/16 Stanfield
• 9/23 Meinhardt
• 9/30 Hurt

 

Prayer Requests

 

• Janice's sister Kathryn is receiving bills from her surgery.  She has no job and no insurance and is freaking out.  Pray for peace and understanding with her doctors.
• Kevin spnet a little bit of time in the hospital dealing with a bladder infection.  The hunt is on to find out the cause.





 

 



The CSM Parent Newsletter...

...is now up, and can be found here.

The Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

God Is Faithful   Psalm 105-106

Intro: Many of us know stories and illustrations of faithfulness.  Here is one.  A logger out in the Northwest had a dog that went with him everywhere-even to work.  Everyone knew the dog and adored him.  One day the man found a nice clearing and as usual said to him "Stay here, boy, and watch my lunchbox." A short time later, a fire began spreading through the woods; and the man and his coworkers had to fight the fire to get it under control.  When he arrived back at the clearing, he found his charred lunch bucket next to the body of his dog.  the man told his coworkers he had to be careful what he told the dog to do because he was so obedient.  Now that is faithfulness!   So you can see that this weeks topic of discussion was faithfulness-God's faithfulness.

Psalm 105 exalts God's faithfulness to His People, it describes God's grace and mercy towards Israel, proclaims God's wonderful treatment of Israel, and the last part of 105 was sung when David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.

Psalm 106 describes Israel's unfaithfulness toward God, recognizes Israel's failure and sin, and laments Israel;s miserable treatment of God.

God is always faithful to us, but we are not always faithful to Him.  The two psalms encouraged the people to follow God faithfully, and warned them of the dangers of unfaithfulness.  The aim of the lesson was to encourage us to be more faithful in our walk with God

 God Is Faithful  105: 7-11

In v 7 we read, "He is the Lord our God."  To Israel it meant that He is the God of miracles and provision that saw them through the wilderness journey fro Egypt to Canaan.  He is the God of Gods.  What does the phrase, "He is the Lord our God"' mean to you and me?

V8 reads, "He remembers His covenant forever."  The forever that the psalmist is referring to is the the people would get Cannan as a homeland, and that He will always be their God. We can see the forever covenant God has made with his people in the New Testament in Jn 3:16. 10: 28-29, 14: 2-3.  What examples of God's faithfulness can you think of?  When are you most aware of God's faithfulness?  God has a purpose in the trials of His children, how can we find God's faithfulness in the middle of trials? 

As a reminder, Ps 105 relates Israel's history from the perspective of God's faithfulness.  Ps 106 describes the same history but highlights Israel's unfaithfulness.

God's People Are Forgetful  106: 6-7, 19-21

In v7, David accuses past and present generations of sin.  After helping the people see that all had come short of God's standards, David gave two examples:

1. That they had fear at the Red Sea.  Fear of being trapped between the water and Pharaoh's army.
2. The sin at Mt. Horeb or Sinai when they yielded to the temptation of idolatry.

The people forgot/abandoned God in their fear and in their yielding to temptation.

God's Mercy Is Amazing  106: 40-45
Vv 40-43, what punishment did the people receive as a result of their disobidence to God?
In vv44-45, How did God prove His faithfulness to the People who had abandoned Him?
God's forgiveness does not completely remove the consequences of our sin.  Even though God forgave the people, they still had to suffer the consequences of ignoring Him and following false gods.  This principle is usually true in our day and time.  However, when Jesus died for our sins, He suffered the ultimate consequences of our sins - death - rather than our having to do so.

Conclusion:  Though we tend to be unfaithful to God, He is always faithful to us.  My goal is to live in the recognition of God's faithfulness in my life.

Quote of the Week

 "The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me." - Tim Keller

Service Event

On Saturday, Oct. 20th, our class will be having a service event at  the Food Pantry. The date is Saturday, Oct 20, 2012.  We need to show up about 9:15 a.m. and will be finished by 11:30 a.m. The job involves filling boxes with canned goods, then waiting for two trucks to arrive with fresh produce from Schnucks and Dierbergs, unload them, and distribute that to the boxes. There is a prayer time with the people who come, and then we help those who need assistance to carry boxes to their cars or baskets. After that we help set up boxes for the next week.  We need to have at least 6 people, and more than 10 gets pretty crowded. It isn't strenuous work, but it is doing something to help others.  A sign-up sheet will be in this week's SPOT folder.

Snacks

• 8/26 Perry
• 9/2 Stanfield
• 9/9 Stubbs
• 8/16 Stanfield

Prayer Reqeusts

 

• Ed Stanfield's son was not really able to keep  anything down.  He had been in the emergency room a week ago.
• Zenobia's dad's declining health and stamina for her mom
• For the Joplin mission team.
• For Don and Lori's family after the loss of Lori's mom.
• Sally LaRowe Baker as she interviews for a Full-time job in Boston

• JT Howard too a job outside of Memphis, which means they will relocate by the end of the year.  Pray for the transition for the kids.   

 
 

The Mid-Week Update

Well...we had no class this week, but we did have some great fellowship and snacks!  We discussed a possible upcoming bowling night and some other administrative stuff.

EMAIL CHANGE

As was mentioned here last week, we have a new class email which is thespotspot01@gmail.com.  Please make a note of this and make sure we don't get caught in your spam filter!

CSM Updates

I had a meeting with Ben this week on ways that we can coordinate better with what was going on in CSM.  In addition to his newsletters we will be having a weekly update in the announcements each week in addition to a monthly calendar on our bulletin board.  This should really help us to know where CSM is at so that we can reenforce these themes at home!

Quote of the Week

 “Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.” ― Francis Chan

Lori's Mom

As was mentioned here earlier, Lori's mom passed away this morning.  As a class we were looking for ways to help and to serve the family during this time.  A memorial will be held at 10:30 AM this Saturday in one of the large classrooms at Concord.  Everyone will be moving out after that as there is a 50th wedding celebration in the atrium.  We will be serving lunch at the Robbin's home after this memorial, and we will be using the amount we collected to help cover the cost.  If you would like to help, just email me at mpeman@att.net or call me at 314-843-0963.

Snacks

• 8/19 LaRowe
• 8/26 Perry
• 9/2 Stanfield

Prayer Requests

 

• For Lori and her family on the passing of her mom.
• For Rusty and Karen and there travels taking Aimee back to college.
• For JT and his job issues.  He has had two job interviews.
• For the family of the boy who drowned in the Meramec.  He was know to many of the Scouts.
• For Sally LaRowe Baker and her job interviews.
•  For Janice's sisters surgery, which went very well as they removed all of the tumor. Continued prayers or healing and recovery.
• Mary Jane has mono.
• Teressa Howard's nephew's wife Sherry suffered a stroke.  

   

An Update

Lori Robbins' mom passed away peacfully this morning.  A memorial service will be held at Concord this Saturday morning in one of the larger classrooms at 10:30 AM.

Since there is a 50th wedding anniversary there later that afternoon, instead of meals we have been asked if we could help and provide lunch that afternoon at the Robbins' house.  Any one who can help would be appreciated.  Please email me at mpeman@att.net, or you can call me at 314-843-0963.

An Update

Lori Robbins' mom was removed from life support yesterday.  As of this morning she is still holding on.  The family is taking shifts at the hospital, and Lori say they really feel the prayers.

Prayer Requests

Two more prayer requests since the one on Lori's mom posted below:

• Marc Leeke's mom passed away Sunday. It was not unexpected as she was in hospice care. The memorial service is 11:00a.m. on Friday the 10th at First Baptist Church of St Charles 2701 Muegge Road in St. Charles. There will be time from 10:00 - to 11:00 to visit with friends and family and a luncheon immediately following at the church. 
• Pray for Jim and Anne Newton.  Today, Jim was in the middle of laparoscopic gall bladder surgery when the surgeon quickly ended the procedure because of unusual and worrisome discoveries. Jim will have a CT Scan tomorrow and already has an appointment with the oncologist Monday morning.
  A major surgery is likely in the near future.
  Needless to say, this was surprising and difficult news for Anne and Jim. Please pray for them this weekend and in the days ahead. 

Prayer Request

Please pray for Lori Robbins mom.  They are rushing her to the hospital after a fall down the stairs.

The Slightly Late Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

God Is Just  Psalm 9

As mature adults we have a lot of life experience.  That means that we have experienced unfairness along the way.  For example, have you ever traveled along a road and encountered a sign indicating a need to merge into one lane?  You obey the sign and merge only to sit and watch as others speed past to the front of the line to avoid the wait.  How does that make you feel?  Some other forms of injustice include loss, betrayal, injustice and others.  You can probably recall a news story or life experience in which a person who was treated unfairly took matters into their own hands and administered "justice" in the form of vengeance.  How did this scenario end?  How did it take away from God's plan to resolve the unfairness in His own way and according to His own timing?

As Christians, how should we deal with injustice?  What is God's role in righting wrongs?  What is His timetable for doing so?  God knows about and responds to every injustice His people suffers.  We all have wrongs God wants us to leave with Him.  The aim of this lesson was to encourage us to have confidence in God's concern and action because He will ultimately make right every wrong.

Psalm 9 fits well in between Psalm 8 and 10.  In psalm 8, we see much praise for God for who He is and what He has done.  Psalm 10 expresses concern over the injustice the wicked commit against God's people.  Psalm 9: 1-8 praises God for ruling the earth with justice.  In vv9-12, God will not forget His or abandon His children, and will rescue us from all forms of injustice in vv13-16. True to His character, God will respond to His peoples needs in vv17-20.

God Rules 1-8

     What might be some of the wonders or wonderful works of the Lord that David refers to in v1?  V3 mentions the routing of David's enemies, although they are not named.  David's enemies retreated, stumbled, and perished when the Lord became involved with his defense. 2 Samuel 8: 1-14 is a good example.

     Look at the contrast made between the enemy (v6) and the Lord (v7).  In the first verse David's enemy is not named but, in context, seems to be a nation rather than an individual.  Even nations are temporary, falling into ruin and passing out of human memory.  In v7, David testified "the Lord reigns forever."  While earth's nations rise and fall, God is constant, eternal, and unchanging.

     V4 implies that we are to leave judgment to God.  The following verses are examples of others more direct: Deut 32: 35, Ps 94: 1&2, Rom 12: 17, Heb 10: 30.  God wants us to wait and allow Him to carry out judgement because as humans, we are not able to view matters and persons from God's knowledge and perspective, only from our own fallible judgments.  See v8.

God Remembers 9-12 

     This Psalm gives hope to people suffering injustice.  David, in v9 described the Lord as a refuge, a rock or high place that afforded safety and protection from enemy attack for the oppressed who are physically crushed, spiritually burdened, and / or mentally violated by the abuse of power or authority in time of trouble, times of distress when people feel their negative circumstances pressing in on them and may greatly need help. David praised God for His trustworthiness and for not abandoning those who seek Him.  Those suffering injustice are assured that God remembers them and their plight, and will seek an accounting for the afflictions they have suffered.

     According to v11, David relates worship and witness as he basically told them to let their public and private worship affect their public witness.  How does your private worship affect your public witness?  What comfort does v12 provide?

God Rescues 13-16

     This part of the Psalm is unmistakably a prayer.  In v13, David requests that God protect him from death.  In v14, David says he made this request so he could give full public credit to the Lord and praise Him in public.  When we ask God to rescue us it is for relief, not so much that I might have an opportunity to praise Him.  Why is this?

     V16 says the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands, and in v15, their foot caught in the net they have hidden.  And this is under God's control.  What might this mean?  At times, God brings justice by letting perpetrators suffer the natural consequences of their actions.  Such method can include, but are not limited to, the human judicial system.  Remember the Apostle Paul telling us to obey the laws of the land and that all governments are ordained by God.  Yes, God uses the science of medicine to heal and the judicial system to administer justice.  But He is not limited to those means.

     David did not know when God would judge, but he knew God would and left judgement in His hands.  Since God is in control, what does that leave for us to do?

Conclusion: When I am mistreated, I will resist the temptation to seek vengeance.  I will let God bring justice to wrongdoers.  I have full confidence in His judgements and timing for righting wrongs.

New Email

There is a new class email address that will be the new default.  It is thespotspot01@gmail.com.  Make sure to add us so that we don't end up in your spam folder!

Quote of the Week

"Every day, you are to offer your life to God for His service. You do not serve Him in your spare time or with your leftover resources. The way you live your life for God is your offering to Him." - Richard Blackaby

SPOT Bowling Party

Watch this space (well the blog, not just this entry :)) for upcoming details about an afternoon of bowling.  We are trying to nail down some pricing, but we should have details soon!

Snacks

• 8/12 Phillips
• 8/19 LaRowe
• 8/26 Perry
• 9/2 Stanfield

Prayer Requests

• Janice's sister Kathryn had a brain tumor removed today.
• Zenobia's dad is having difficulty with balance and speech.  His cognitive level is declining.  Catscan shows normal aging of 84.
• Lesa's job search.
• Kevin is dealing with pain due to the aftermath of shingles.  He is being sent to a pain management specialist.

Prayers...

...and condolences got out to Pastor Gene and his family on the death of his mother this morning.

A CSM Parents Meeting...

...will be held this Sunday at 11 AM up in the rafters!

The Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

God Is Revealed

Psalm 19

A psalm is a poem or words to a song.  The majority of the psalms in the Bible were written by King David.  Psalms can have a multitude of purposes.

Many of us wear glasses-either prescription or reading.  We wear these to see more clearly.  Sometimes little things such as the tiny numbers on a sticker an produce can even be hard to see.

In Psalm 19, the psalmist writes in great clarity how God has revealed Himself through both nature and scripture, and begs for us to respond to His revelation.

God reveals Himself in a variety of ways.  Think of an example of how God has revealed Himself to you.

See His Glory 1-6

We are told in verses 1-4 that the heavens speak, and that they speak of God's glory.  Glory means 'the full weight of God's importance'.  How often do you wonder, what is the purpose of God's created world?  It is certainly for our enjoyment, but is there something more?  Perhaps it is to show people His awesome 'nature', and thereby to draw people to Himself.  After all-that is what God is all about!

In verses 5-6 David pictured the sun as a festive bridegroom, and as a triumphant runner.  He identified Planet Earth as God's obedient servant, which faithfully occupies its space in the heavens and vigorously runs its daily course in the sky.  David pointed out that nothing that happens on earth is hidden from the glare of the sun, or the gaze of the Creator God.

Search His Word 7-11

Using the NIV translation of the Bible David gave 6 names to the Jewish law in verses 7-9.  They are:

1. Law
2. Statutes
3. precepts
4. commands
5. fear of the Lord
6. ordinances

In verse 9 specifically, David referred to the Law as the "fear of the Lord".  This terminology can be troublesome, so consider this:  The psalmist is referring to the portions of God's law that evoke fear and reverence in us.  God's law is so pure, and it's requirement so high, that we revere it, are in awe of it, and may indeed tremble at the knowledge of having so great a treasure.

Seek His Approval 12-14

Remember when you loved someone so much, or someone loves you so much, that your great desire was to seek their approval?  The same can be said of our relationship with God.  David has such a relationship with God.  Now we happen to know that David was a normal man.  He was not sinless.  But despite his humanness, his great desire was to seek God's approval.  Verse 12 mentions his errors or unintentional sin.  Verse 13 refers to willful sins.  What is the difference between the two?  To seek God's approval, we should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal our unintentional sin so that we can confess.  As for the willful sin, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us strength to resist, and help in diminishing the desire.  If we do this, what does the last part of verse 13 say?

What does verse 14 say to you.  Which would nurture your faith most:

1. Meditation on creation?
2. meditation on God's word?
3. a combination of both?

Conclusion:It is easy to lose our awe of God as the Creator and Great Communicator.  This week I will set aside time to worship God through the beauty of creation or His self-revelation through His Word.

Quote of the Week

"Prayer is designed to adjust you to God's will, not to adjust God to your will." -- Richard Blackaby

Snacks

• 7/22 Stubbs
• 7/29 Phillips
• 8/5 Bradshaw

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the youth that are in South Dakota.  Pray that God's word will reach many through their trip, and for safety in their travels home.

Happy Birthday..

...today to Kieth Cole!  Enjoy your day!

The Mid-Week Update

Many thanks to Rusty for stepping into the guest's chair for this weeks lesson!!

Lesson Recap

Be Forgiving

The whole long book of Philemon

What does it mean to forgive?  Is it always appropriate to forgive?  What are the benefits of and/or who benefits from forgiving?

Fellowship: Expressed in Love  vv 1-7

What words did Paul use to characterize his association to Philemon?  He did so because he was a dear friend and fellow worker.  Why is this important?

Forgiveness: Expressed from Love vv 8-13

Oneisimus appears to have been a runaway slave.  Paul uses  carefully selected  words to "set the stage" with Philemon.  Onesimus was "once useless" to him, but now Paul states that he is 'very useful to you and me".  Paul's approach here was very diplomatic, along with being truthful and upfront.

Forgiveness: Expressed as Love vv14-16

Here Paul asks Philemon to receive Onesimus without being forced to.  Paul is not Telling Philemon what to do, but only suggesting.  He states that Onesimus was once a slave, but is now a dear brother.  He is now free and equal.

Forgiveness: Expressed in Fellowship vv 17-22

Paul asks that Onesimus be welcaomed as if he was Paul himself. Paul wanted Philemon to receive Oneisimus unconditionally.  Paul offered that he would pay off Onesimus' debts...and then some.  Paul is confident that Philemon will do so.  Paul then lets him know that he himself will be coming soon.

Conclusion: Being willing to forgive might open doors and lead to greater things.

Quote of the Week

“Jesus came not because things in your life need to change, but because things in your heart need to change and for that he died.” –Paul Tripp

Snacks

• 7/15 Stanfield
• 7/22 Stubbs
• 7/29 Phillips
• 8/5 Bradshaw

Prayer Requests

• Hailey Gills' (one of Susan's volleyball players and usually a helper at VBS) dad underwent his fouth surgery in three weeks for esophageal cancer last Monday morning
• Ed Stanfield had his yearly battery of test to determine if is cancer is completely gone.
• Kevin is still having fun with shingles.

Prayer Request

Please  pray for Hailey Gills' (a student at Mehlville) father.  He is having his 4th surgery in 3 weeks on Monday morning.

The Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

 ADVANCING IN CHRISTIAN LIVING

Be Faithful

Colossians 3:18-4:18

People take vacations to get away from the daily grind of life.  We need time-outs because life gets tiring.  Would you say the Christian life is exhausting at times?  And there are no provisions given for vacations in the Christian life.  So what are we to do-be faithful.

What does it mean to be faithful?  How does a person develop faithfulness?  Dependable, steadfast, and dedicated are just a few synonyms for faithfulness.  What can you come up with?

Live for the Lord 3:23-4:1

(Verses 18-21 right above this passage in the bible are instructions on how to relate to one another.) As believers, why should we not think of work as being divided into categories of sacred and secular?  A few weeks ago the comment was made suggesting that the calling of a Pastor is no more spiritual than a believer deciding on a new job or occupation.

How does Paul address the topic of favoritism?  We see favoritism in action today in things like gender, race, social status, etc.  What are the negative affects of favoritism?

Live Wisely 4: 2-6

Look at the six action Paul called for:

1. Be a praying person alertly (being vigilant would guard against routine, thoughtless prayers) with thanks (thanking God for His answer before He answered).
2. Pray for Paul's evangelic ministry (open doors, clear proclamation).
3. Act wisely-toward unbelievers
4. Make the most of the time.
5. Speak graciously.
6. Season speech with salt.

Why do you think Paul instructed us to act wisely around unbelievers?


Live With Faithfulness 4: 7-9
Paul describes Tychicus and Onesimus as faithful.  How did these two men demonstrate their faithfulness?  What are some concrete examples of how faithfulness is noticed and demonstrated in a Christians' life?

Live With Concern 4: 10-13, 17
Each of these men faithfully contributed to the work of God, but in a variety of ways.  What example did these men have on the church in Colossae & us?  Why is it important for believers to pay attention or deliberately focus on the task/ministry God has given us-but first-what ministry has God given non-preacher type Christians?

Conclusion: This week I will evaluate my faithfulness as a Christian.

Quote of the Week

 “The chief reason why people do not know God is not because He hides from them, but because they hide from Him.” - John Stott

Snacks

• 7/8  Meinhardt
• 7/15 Stanfield
• 7/22 Stubbs
• 7/29 OPEN

Prayer Requests

•  Pray for Terresa that she has safe travels both to and from Virginia.  She leaves tomorrow. 
• Kevin has shingles.  Please pray for a speedy recovery. 

The Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

Advancing In Christian Living

Be Focused

Colossians 3: 1-17

There are no shortage of television makeover shows.  Some of the more popular topics include weight loss, finance, clothing, and home renovation.  Think of your personal favorite! 

In this weeks study we explored habits we should bury and others we should begin to display as a result of the radical sang Jesus makes in our hearts and lives.

Where Should I Look? 1-4

Here Paul instructs us to look upward, to things above, in heaven.  The mental image given here is to let others see Jesus in you, that your life is indeed "hidden in Christ".  Knowing that we should also look for God in what we do day to day. The overall instruction is to hide ourselves with Christ. 

If your teen came to you and asked you what these verses mean, you could explain simply by saying that they should keep their minds on things above and not on earthly things.

What day to day things can you think of that get in the way of setting our minds above?

We live in accordance with new life in Christ when we consider Him and base our actions on what He has done and will do for us.

What Should I Bury? 5-11

Which sins are the most difficult?  Which are more challenging?  Why?  Look at the partial list that Paul has given us in these verses.  They encompass both actions and attitudes:

ACTIONS:

• sexual immorality
• impurity
• idolatry
• rage
• slander
• foul language
• lying

ATTITUDES:

• Lust
• evil desire
• greed malice

...and then there is anger, which could probably fit into both categories.   What is the difference between avoiding sin and in putting sin to death (v5)?  It is sort of like working on a computer.  If you want to avoid something you put it in the trash.  If you want to get rid of something you even get rid of it from the trash...gone forever!
By the time Paul wrote this letter, people of many different races and religious backgrounds were being saved.  He is instructing the reader to avoid defining or categorizing others by race, gender, status, heritage, etc.  This is important so we can see to live like as Christ did...by loving unconditionally!
We live in accordance with new life in Christ when we forsake all behavior that characterizes unbelievers.


Picture the image of a person.  Let each virtue in vv12-14 serve as an article of clothing:
What Should I Display? 12-17
The person is now fully clothed with these virtues.   Paul tells us to put love on above all the others because love binds them all together in perfect unity.  The virtue of forgiving gets mentioned a lot here.  What message does that have for us?
Look at v12.  How does it make you feel that you are chosen-not a natural born child but chosen as in adoption?  What difference can that make in your everyday life?  What does this verse communicate to you?
We live in accordance with new life in Christ when our behavior reflects our relationship with God. 
 Conclusion:  This week I will contemplate how my attitudes and actions reflect my new life in Christ.

Blog Note

This week we hit our 8000th page view!  It is great to see this working as well as it soes.  Keep reading!

Quote of the Week

 “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him.”- C.S. Lewis

Ben..Like a Youth Pastor

Our kids are now home from Breakaway.  Ben posted this video that he made.  Too funny!

Snacks

•  7/1 Phillips
• 7/8 Stubbs

• 7/15 Stanfield

Prayer Requests 

   

• Terresa Howard is having back problems.  She has been in lots of pain, and it cost her some time at work.  She is working with a chiropractor.
• J.T. Howard and his job situation
• Terresa's neighbor daughter, Taylor, just left for the Navy.
• Kevin's mom, and her recovery from a heart procedure. 

The Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

 ADVANCING IN CHRISTIAN TRUTH

Keeping The Truth

Colossians 2: 8-23

Intro to Lesson: This week we continued our study in Colossians.  Let's refresh our memories.  Paul would go to a town where he would connect with a recipient group of people.  He would start "Bible" studies.  Some would accept Jesus as savior and a church would be started. The church in Colossae was different.  Paul never visited Colossae.  The church there was believed to have been started by Epaphras.  The main theme of this letter was truth.  The overall study of Colossians is designed to help adults develop an understanding of Christian truth.

In books, television documentaries, interviews, and even movies; we hear some pretty wild views about Jesus.  What are some false claims you have heard about Jesus?

Epaphras gave Paul a thorough update of the status of the church in Colossae Form this, Paul learned of the false teachings being circulated.  In this lesson, we saw how Paul encouraged them to maintain their commitment to the truth of Christ.

You may have heard about the 3 "R"s' studied in school:reading, writing, and 'rithmatic'. This lesson highlighted 4 "R"s' for responding to false teachings-recognize, remember, resist, and refuse.

Recognize 2: 8-12

Why is a Christian's careful study of the Bible vital today?  Why is verse 9 critical to an accurate understanding of the Trinity?  What change in our lives is pictured by baptism as seen in vv11-12?  After baptism it is a believers responsibility to walk with God and act like Him in our actions and attitudes.

Remember 13-15

Look at the action phrases in these verses that tell what Christ has done for us.  How would you explain these words/phrases to an unbeliever?

Resist 16-19

What specific issues did Paul address in these verses?  V19 describes a fatal defect of a false teacher.  He has no accountability and no relationship with Christ.  How does holding on to Christ and staying connected to the church help us resist falling for false teaching?  By asking the question 'is this consistent with the teachings of Jesus', believers can discern between an important tradition of the faith and an unreasonable demand.

Refuse 20-23

In v20, "If"=sincere or because.  In this verse Paul states the problem.  Jesus died to set them free from the regulations of the Jewish faith.  So he asks this question-why then were some choosing to fall back under the rules and regulations for which they had been set free?

In verse 21 Paul gives three examples of regulations the false teachers had taken to the extreme.  They asserted that for believers to be ritually clean and truly religious, they could not handle, taste, or touch certain foods and drinks. In verse 22 Paul states these "forbidden" items were temporal and had no spiritual value.  The regulations were developed by men and did not come from God.  In verse 23 we see that these self-imposed regulations had a "show" of spirituality/wisdom.  This outward expression of devotion could not change the center of people's lives.  Only God through Jesus could do that.  these verses are referring to legalism-self-imposed practices to help a believer feel or appear more spiritual than they are.

What is the danger involved in becoming legalistic?

Conclusion: Being able to recognize false teachings about Jesus is important for all Christians there fore, I will continue my quest to discover and keep the truth about Jesus by_________________ .

Quote of the Week

 “There is no battle too big for God to win. There is no battle so small that I can win without God.” –Kerry Shook

SPOT Night at the Muny

...is scheduled for this Saturday night to see 'Thoroughly Modern Millie'.  The class is sitting in the free seats.  The show starts at 8:15, so I imagine 6:30 or 7 should be fine to meet up. I will not be able to attend as my wife (read transportation!) will not be home.

Eagle Project

David Piel is working on his Eagle Scout project.  He is going to finish the playground behind the atrium.  The project is scheduled for July 14th.  He needs $1000 to complete his project.  David and the scouts of troop 821 will do the final work. A flier and an envelope for donations can be found in the SPOT folder. 

Snacks

• 6/24 Perry
• 7/1 Phillips
• 7/8 Stubbs

Prayer Requests

• Prayer of praise and thanksgiving that Ryan Spitz came through brain surgery great, and is due to come home soon.

       

The Mid-Week Update...Sort of

• Happy Birthday today to Ginger LaRowe!!!
• Due to issues updating on this site, there will be no mid-week update this week.

The Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

ADVANCING IN CHRISTIAN TRUTH

Knowing The Truth

Colossians 1: 1-20

Intro to Colossians: Paul wrote to the believers in Colossae from an unknown prison site.  Colossae is located in Asia Minor, modern day-Turkey.  It is believed the church was established by Epaphras, one of Paul's gospel coworkers. Epaphras learned of Paul's imprisonment and journeyed to him to join him and to report on the condition in the Colossian church.  Out of pastoral concern, Paul wrote a letter to the church he never visited.  He wrote to affirm the church's good qualities and to assure the believers that he consistently prayed for their spiritual growth.  Paul also addressed a major threat to the church: false teachings about Christ and Christian living.

The overall study of Colossians is designed to help adults develop an understanding of Christian faith.  This lesson emphasizes truths about Jesus in relationship to God.

Our Lord By Faith 3-8

In verse 5 note that the Christians love for one another sprang from the hope stored up or reserved for them in heaven.  What does this mean?  Hope has the idea of living with confident assurance.  It has the sense of fulfillment of our salvation when we enter God's immediate presence in heaven.  Another term of interest in verse 5 is word or message of truth.  The word of truth is the gospel.  Because of the messages absolute and unchanging nature, they were told to hold it and not to become victims of false teachings.  In verse 6 Paul notes that the gospel is producing fruit and growing all over the world.  Today we see multiplying, yielding results, and flourishing as types of fruit the gospel is producing today.  What ever fruit Paul was referring to was a fruit that caused others that saw it to want it.  That is why the gospel grew all over the world.  In verse 8 Epaphras had told Paul about the Colossians love in the spirit.  This is not a term we often use.  What it means is that the Holy Spririt was working in and among them producing 'agape'-God's type of love.

We know Jesus as our Lord when we respond to the gospel with faith.  Faith is much more than intellectual acceptance to the facts about Jesus.  It is belief, but it also includes trust in and total commitment to Christ.

Lord In Our Living 9-14

There are eight items Paul included in his prayer for the Colossians:

1. be filled with the knowledge of God's will
2. be filled with the spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding
3. live or walk worthy
4. be pleasing in every way
5. bear fruit
6. grow in knowledge of God
7. be strengthened with all power
8. endure with patience and joy

Which of these 8 items do you need in your life right now?

Lord Over the Universe 15-17
These verses were likely a hymn that early believers used in worship.  The phrase in verse 15 "the first born over all creation" does not indicate Jesus was the first created thing.  In the Old Testament, the firstborn son occupied a position of honor, privilege, and supremacy; he was first in priority.  This was Paul's meaning of intent. Thruths about Jesus are revealed in these verses.  They are found in the following summary:   Jesus is the image of the invisible God.  He created everything and brought it into existence; therefore, everything belongs to Him.  He existed before creation. He holds the whole world in His hands.


When life seems out of control, you can find comfort that you serve a Lord who is over the entire universe.  He is before all things, yet He knows how many hairs are on your head (Matt. 10:30) and he is crazy about you (1 Peter 5:7)!

Lord of His Church 18-20
Consider these words or phrases that are synonymous with 'first' that Paul used in verse 18:

• firstborn
• first place
• beginning
• head

This is a lot of references to firsts.  Paul chose to repeat this phrase so often when describing Jesus' role in the church because this repetition emphasized the lordship and authority of Christ in regard to His church.  It also painted a picture of Jesus as the protecting sovereign, stabilizing force for His body, the church.  Here is something to consider-How does Jesus' sovereignty and dominion over "all things on earht or things in heaven" give you peace in your daily walk with Him?

Conclusion: The truth is-Jesus is Lord of all and Lord over all.  Knowing this will make what difference in my life?

SPOT Trip to the Muny

The SPOT class will go and sit in the free seats at the Muny on Saturday, June 23rd for 'Thoroughly Modern Millie'.   Bring along a light picnic dinner for while we sit in line!

Quote of the Week

"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength."- Corrie Ten Boom

Snacks

• 6/10 Hurt
• 6/17 Stanfield
• 6/24 Perry

Prayer Requests

• Bradshaw's daughter-in-law, Jessie, had surgery Sunday that went well.  They had to remove the embryonic sack from her miscarriage and a fallopian tube.
• Phil and Ginger's sister Jane has adenocarcinoma.  She will have chemo, but not much is know yet.  Pray for Jane, their mom (and Ginger) appreciated.
• Safe travel during vacation season
• Emily Stubbs' and family's sanity for Saturday's wedding.