Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

When my daughter was young we often flew back from Texas to visit her grandparents in Tennessee and Kentucky.  On one flight, when the flight attendant gave her mandatory instructions, my daughter became upset. You see, the attendant told us that if we had need for oxygen masks, to put ours on first and then help our children.  In my daughter’s mind, she should be taken care of first.  In reality, if the adults take care of themselves first, they are more capable of taking care of their children.

That principle holds true in many situations.  Elders; Deacons; Teachers; HOME Group Leaders (etc.) need to take this to heart. As they lead groups, teach lessons, shepherd, and serve, they must not neglect themselves.  One of the best things church leaders can do for the church is to maintain a strong relationship with God.  The stronger they are, the more able they will be to lead and help others, especially in times of need.

Church Leaders, regardless of your capacity, let me encourage you to take the time to study God’s word - just for you.  Take the time to pray, not only for your others’ needs, but for yours as well.  Take time to practice spiritual disciplines.  Take the time to worship in spirit and truth.  You will be glad you did and so will your Church Family!

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Open

Share your responses to one of the following:

• Tell of a time you experienced a meaningful worship service. What made it that way?
•  Special effects
•  A change from the norm
•  My situation
•  Other

• The last time you were called into the “Boss’ Office,” how did you feel? What happened?

Study

• Read Isaiah 6:1-8 and discuss the following:
• What picture of God do you get from this passage?
• Why do you think Isaiah mentions the death of Uzziah?
  
• It was a time reference
• Uzziah was god-like to the nation
• Uzziah was a powerful political leader
• Other

• How do you think Isaiah first saw himself in this experience? At the end? Why the change?
• What was Isaiah willing to do for God? Why?

Apply

• What experiences have you had where you could say, “My eyes have seen the king!”?

• A near-death experience
• A dream
• When I was in trouble
•  In a worship service
• In a personal “Quiet Time”
•  In a class
• Other:

• Which of the following is most difficult for you to say, “Here am I send me!”?

• To tell others about Jesus
• Lead a HOME Group
• Teach Children
• Teach Adults
• Visit Prisons/Jails
• Visit Hospitals/Nursing Homes
• Making ethical decisions at work
• Doing benevolence
• Open your home to others
• Befriend a lonely person/new member
• Foreign Missions
• Other

• Which of the following would help you most in your worship experiences

• A daily “Quiet Time” with God
• Purchasing worship CDs or DVDs
• Memorize Songs
• Memorize scripture
• Focus on one attribute of God each week (Holiness/Grace/ etc.)
• Ask God to search your heart
• Be a TRUE disciple by obediently say “Yes” to God in every area of your life

Open

Please discuss one of the following with the Group:

• Tell about a time that you realized you are not totally independent.
• Barnabas (Acts 9.26-27) seems to be a “trusting” person; Thomas (John 20.24-28) seems to be more cautious. With whom do you identify more? Why?

Study

Please read 1 Corinthians 12:21-26 and discuss the following:

• In light of the “Tongues Speakers vs. Prophets” controversy, why do you think Paul chooses eyes, hands, feet, and head to illustrate his point?
• How do you think Paul deals with the issues of Pride and low self-esteem here?
• Why do you think:

          The weaker are indispensable?

          The less honorable receive special honor?

          The unpresentable are treated with special modesty?

          The presentable are not given special treatment?

• When the church body functions properly, how can we feel good when others are honored? How can we feel bad when others hurt?

Apply

• When do you struggle with:

          Jealousy of other Christians?

          Condescending to others?

          Ignoring others in their successes or pain?

• What do you need to improve your outlook?
• How can you “celebrate the weaknesses” of others? YOUR weaknesses?
• Where do you think YOU fit in the body of Christ? How can you help others to fit in?

Open

Please discuss your response to one of the following:

• What was your first job?
• What is one unusual talent or feature you have (e.g., touching your tongue to your nose, double-jointed elbows, etc.?)

Study

Read the 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 and discuss the following:

• What do you think is going on in Corinth that would make Paul write on this subject?
• How is the unity of diverse gifts a reflection of God?
• Why do you think God has created the church body - with its parts - as he has? Why is each part so important to the whole?
• How do you think our personalities fit into the picture?
• What do you think is the overall purpose of the diversity of gifts?

Apply

• Which gifts listed here would you say are “YOU”?
• How satisfied are you with the gifts God has given you?
• What would improve your satisfaction level?
• How do you feel towards those who are gifted differently than yourself? How do you work with them?
• What things do you keep in mind as you fill your role in the church’s mission?

This is a small group lesson based on 1 Timothy 2:8-10 and 1 Peter 3:3-5. The basic concepts include the idea of modesty in appearance and the spiritual applications of being clothed in the spiritual qualities of Jesus and his Spirit.

  Open

***Please share your ideas about the following:

Think about a recent commercials or advertisements. Which was:

• Most appealing to you?
• The worst or most obnoxious to you?
• The most outrageous to you?
• Normal to you?

What do you think our culture is communicating by the things we advertise? By the contents (clothing used; products displayed; etc.) of the advertisements?

***Leaders - to enhance this exercise, you may want to have newspaper or magazine ads available for your group to look through.

Study

Please read 1 Timothy 2:8-10 and 1 Peter 3:3-5 and discuss the following:

• What do you think is the relationship of the “holy hands” and prayers?
• How do you think outward appearances match inward characteristics (see also Mark 7:20-23)?
• Why do you think God does not give us a “uniform” as some religious groups have but gives us leeway in how we dress ourselves?
• Where does “culture” end and God’s will begin?
• Why is it so important that we display spiritual qualities as though we are “wearing” them (see Colossians 3:12-14)?

Apply

• What helps you keep the value of people in perspective? How do you KNOW that the man in fine attire is no more valuable to God than the man in “regular” clothes? How does this impact your treatment of them?
• How can you keep from judging others by appearances?
• What can you do to clothe yourself with Christ and his qualities? What kind of impact will that have on those around you?

Open

Please discuss one of the following:

If I was on the TV show, Survivor, I would:

• Display blatant Christian behavior at all costs
• Blend in with the crowd
• Lie, cheat, or steal to win the $1,000,000
• “Be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.”

When I play Monopoly I (circle 2)

• Get in fights
• Give up before the game is over
• Forget about being kind and generous
• Feel sorry for the ones who are losing and help them out
• Hang in until the bitter end
• Cheat
• Get bored (I hate games)

Study

Please read Ephesians 4:17-32 and discuss the following:

• What do you think controls the behavior of the non-believers? (see vv. 17-19)
• What role does “truth” play in our understanding of Jesus? How do you think that truth is to come out in our words and actions? (vv. 25-28)
• What impact does the heart have on our actions?
• How does Jesus affect the way we deal with: Anger? Honest work? Our words? Our relationship with the Holy Spirit?
• How do you think we benefit ourselves when we get rid of sinful behavior and embrace godly living? How does it impact others?
• What do you think is the power of forgiveness?

Apply

Discuss one or two of the following with the group:

• What “blocks” exist in your life (what keeps you from being all you know to be)?
• In what ways are you inefficient? Ineffective?
• What is one quality you have that is not usually seen by others?
• With whom would you like to get along better?
• How can this group assist you in these things?

Open

Spectrum Lines

Pinpoint where you see yourself on these Spectrum Lines and explain one or two to the group.

Talker____________________________________________________Listener

Thinker___________________________________________________Doer

Leader____________________________________________________Follower

Rabbit____________________________________________________Turtle

Adenturer__________________________________________________Nester

Pitcher____________________________________________________Catcher

Study

Read James 2:14-26 and discuss your answers to the following:

• 1. How do you see the relationship of faith and works? When are works important and when are they unimportant?
• 2. What experiences have you had/seen with benevolent cases? How have you felt dealing with them? Why do you think benevolence is so difficult?
• 3. How do James’ three examples display faith?
•      a. Demons
•      b. Abraham
•      c. Rahab
• 4. What applications do you see to the body without the spirit and faith without works?

Apply

• 1. How would you rate your faith - Living or Dead? How do you know?
• 2. How can you strengthen your faith? How can this group help you?
• 3. On the line below write down the name of the person(s) you will encourage with a phone call this week:

I Will Call ____________________________________________________

  Open

Please share from the following:

1. What I need more than anything else from this Group is someone:

•  To talk to
• To belong to
• To support me
• To affirm me
• To share my concerns
• To stir up my dreams
• Other ____________________

2. What scares me about being in a close Christian community is that they might:

• Find me out
• Not accept me after they find out about me
• Expect something out of me if they accept me
• Not be my kind of people
• Upset my lifestyle
• Let me down

Study

Read Ezekiel 33:30-32 and discuss the following:

1. Why do you think the prophets had such a hard time getting people to believe their messages?

2. Why did the people “go through the motions” of listening to Ezekiel? What kept them from following through with their commitments to God? How do you see this today?

3. Why do you think we lose a sense of urgency about our relationship with God?

4. Why is it important that we not only KNOW what God says/wants, but that we put it into practice?

5. How does the “greatest command” (Deuteronomy 6.4-5) and the “second greatest command” (Leviticus 19.18) sum up our need to HEAR and DO?

Apply

1. When do you think that we are serious about spreading the kingdom of God? How can we tell if we are NOT serious about it? When are times you personally have been serious about it? When have you not been serious?
2. How does Christian community help you to keep on track with God?
3. What do you think are the stumbling blocks to having the kind of community of believers that we see among the early disciples (Acts 2, etc.)?

•  We don’t know each other
• We don’t know each other’s needs
• We don’t take time for one another
• We have more pressing issues
• We don’t feel urgency
• What spiritual things do you know but aren’t doing? How can this Group help you?

This small group lesson is in harmony with Richard May’s sermon by the same title for June 1, 2008.

It is interesting how we tend to fail to learn from the past. We tend to repeat even the most basic things as we see in the account in Genesis 3. We fail to take personal responsibility when we make wrong choices. We want to blame others for our sins and mistakes. We shy away from accountability, yet that is what we need to help our spiritual walk.

I hope this lesson is useful to you.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Open

Please share your response to one of the following:

• When you were a child, what games did you enjoy playing? (Monopoly; Hide ‘n Seek; etc.)
• If you could capture a special moment from the last week which one would you frame? Why?

Study

Read Genesis 3.1-13 and discuss the following:

• What do you think the serpent’s role is in this story?
• Who do you think is really at fault in this story?
  •   Adam
  •   Eve
  •   Serpent
  •   God
  •   A Combination
• Why do you think Adam and Eve were so quick to “pass the buck”? Why do we?
• What role does choice play in this story? Why does God restrict their choices with the one tree?
• Why do you think they hid from God?
• Why did God judge them so harshly?

Apply

• Where are you most vulnerable to the serpent? When has he caused you to doubt God’s words? <”Did God really say __________?”
• What do you tend to do when you see your own sins?
  • Beat myself up
  • Shrug it off
  • Blame someone else
  • Ignore it and hope it goes away
  • Deal with it in a healthy way
• In what ways do you need to take responsibility for yourself?
• What can this group do to help you be accountable?