http://perrysscope.com/blog Lesson and Resources for Teachers Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:01:31 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I remember shortly after my conversion, reading a verse that caused me some confusion.  It said, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  (Titus 2.14, KJV, emphasis added).  I thought calling us "peculiar ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/11/17/dare-to-be-different/   We often appeal to the congregation to be involved in various activities of the kingdom of God.  Many times these appeals fall on deaf or weary ears.  Perhaps a story will help explain our purpose in inviting the church to participate in God's work. A dentist in the National Guard ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/11/13/drilling-with-the-guard-2/ Yesterday was a depressing day for me -- and many other Americans. To have elected a Socialist/Facist to the highest office in our land is detestable in my opinion. Mr. Obama stands for everything that America traditionally has opposed. He certainly embraces things that Christians cannot -- right? Obama is not ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/11/06/anti-christ-and-opportunities-for-disciples/ While we still have the right to freedom of speech, I thought I would express some concerns about the election of Obama. This is the clearest example yet of how liberal, permissive education has influenced the minds of seemingly intelligent people. This educational system has "dumbed down" Americans by rewriting ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/11/05/fly-your-flag-at-half-staff/  A Rabbi in Jesus day said, "If all you teach your children is that they must believe in God, you are the worst of heretics. The correct way is not only to teach that they must believe in God; but with equal passion that God believes in them." Normally, when covenants ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/11/03/guess-who-believes-in-you/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/10/19/take-time-for-yourself/ A key element of Christianity is community. God never intended that we go through the Christian life alone. Rather, he determined that we serve him in the "called out" communities we refer to as, churches. When Jesus called his disciples, he used the plural, "you all" follow me (Matthew 4:19)( Southern ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/10/15/community-awareness/ We remember that Adolf Hitler was a vile, wicked person. It is safe to say that he was easily one of the world's greatest ego-maniacs. I recently read that when he needed a chauffeur he interviewed over thirty men for the position. He finally chose the shortest man of the ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/10/07/ego-and-others/ In this time of politicking for President there are numerous positive and negative events going on. We read of the candidates' good characteristics (from them) and their bad ones (from their opponent). So, every four years we draw our political lines and make a big "to do" over the election. I ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/29/a-word-on-loyalty/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/29/experience-worship/ In the Bible, "living water" refers to moving water that comes directly from God and not carried by people. A river would be an example of living water. A bucket down the well is not. The Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan are living waters. They "receive" water and they ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/24/living-water/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/18/many-parts-one-body-part-2/  Don't you love those "epiphany" moments when you gain insight into a topic? I just read something that had never ever occurred to me. In John 8 a woman is caught in adultery and taken to Jesus. The accusers tried to trick him into violating the Law of Moses. They ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/15/caught-in-the-act/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/15/many-parts-one-body/ We experience a variety of emotions in connection to "September 11" (9.11). We feel sadness at the loss of life and property. We feel anger at the unprovoked terrorist attacks. However, from our American history, I want to share with you another September 11th.Did you know that the Continental Congress ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/11/remembering-september-11th/ This thought came to me early this morning. Here is a challenge with the help of my good friend, David Gross' editing.   The Bible calls us to be like Jesus, and the most remarkable thing about Jesus is that he is so often serving (Matthew 20:28).  So, like Jesus, I need ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/08/to-serve-and-be-served/   A Small Group Lesson: Open: Finish this sentence: On the way to this meeting, I was feeling ___________. One real strength I have is _____________________. One area of my life in which I'm proud of myself is___________. A talent or skill I have is ____________________________. An adult who had an impact on me as a teen was_________. Study Please ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/09/03/baptized-into-one-body/ Mark Twain once said, "A great, great deal has been said about the weather, but very little has ever been done." It is a fact that we often complain about the weather and it is a fact that we can do little about a 106 degree day. About the only ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/08/24/the-weather-and-me/ The American Restoration preachers used to tell this story. A man was going on a trip so he left his son in charge of building his farm. He gave him a map of where he wanted everything located and went away. His son took the map and saw the location ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/08/17/doubting-thomas-no-more/   "You can do more after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed" (John Bunyan).We may try to treat prayer as a magic cure-all, like the little girl who prayed, "Dear Lord, please make Boston the capitol of Vermont because that is what ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/08/13/prayer-people/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/08/12/dress-for-spiritual-success/ The American Restoration Movement does not care much for creeds of men. We have fought the use of creeds because of the potential for dividing believers. Rather, we have opted to "speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent." We do not always accomplish this ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/08/05/an-unlikely-influence/ There are two times in the New Testament where Jesus is "amazed" in regard to the faith of certain individuals. In Luke 7.9 Jesus expresses his amazement at the faith of a Roman Centurion who believed that Jesus could heal his slave. The religious leaders in Israel should have recognized ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/27/amazing-jesus/ Have you ever been in a situation that you initially thought was good and then found out it was not what you thought? I believe there were people who did that with Jesus. In John 6 Jesus gave some hard teaching. A group of disciples decided to walk away. Jesus ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/22/what-have-we-gotten-in-to/ Americans have a view that "law" is restrictive and confining. We look in the rearview mirror, see a police car, and immediately feel like we have done something wrong. This has to do with our view of "law" and our guilty consciences. We tend to see the "Law of Moses" as ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/21/law-or-instruction/ There is a lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Generally, we think about angels as being supernatural creatures with wings and are typically invisible to our eyes. They heralded the birth of the Savior. They informed Abram of upcoming events. One declared the coming ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/17/the-devil-and-his-angels/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/15/living-the-best-policy/ At one point during the early days of the American Restoration Movement, the whole effort almost came to an end. Momentum for the concept of the unity of believers virtually stopped. Had it not been for Walter Scott, the Movement would have died. Scott, as other preachers of the day, held ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/14/five-salvatioon-steps/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/10/do-be-doers/   When I was in elementary school my teachers taught me some very basic grammar. I was taught to be polite when we talk about other people and ourselves. We are to put the other person ahead of us in the sentence. For example, "Jim and I went to the ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/08/by-our-words/   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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/07/02/doing-what-we-know/ God's intent in giving his word to us is to aid in the transformation of our lives (see Romans 12:1-2). If we are not changed by it, we are probably not practicing it. I came across a story that reminds us of the power of God's word. In 1787, William Bligh ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/06/26/the-bountys-bible/  How we Americans love our independence! It is independence that makes us who we are. We have even named some of our cities after it, i.e., Independence Missouri. When we think back on our history, we realize what a great price our "Founding Fathers" (and "Founding Mothers") paid for our ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/06/19/independent-or-interdependent/ Gracious Fathers Ephesians 6:1-4 Open Please discuss one of the following with your group: When you are approaching a stop light and it has just turned yellow, do you gun it and try and make it through or do you immediately slow down and come to a stop?  What was your favorite dinner meal when ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/06/12/gracious-fathers-small-group-lesson-for-fathers-day/ Jesus, along with other rabbis, loved to tell stories to teach spiritual lessons. One of his stories is the parable of the wheat and weeds (or tares) in Matthew 13:24-30. He follows with his explanation in Matthew 13:36-43. The Hebrew word that Jesus most likely used for "weed" has the ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/06/11/wheat-or-weeds/ The Jews named the territory on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee the, "Far Country." It was also called the "Decapolis," which literally means "Ten Cities." It was in this area that seven groups of pagan people chose to live. Jesus made some trips to the Decapolis in ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/06/01/far-country/ It is comforting to remember that God is near us in our struggles. He is above -- watching over us. He is beside -- walking with us. He is in -- making his home inside of us. What a great privilege to walk by faith in a God who cares so ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/29/where-is-god-when-you-need-him/ 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 ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/29/the-buck-stops-there/ You can tell a lot about someone by the company they keep. Jesus spent time with a variety of people. He ate with Pharisees. He ate with "tax collectors and sinners." He allowed a sinful woman to wash his feet with her tears. He allowed another to anoint his body ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/22/guess-whos-coming-to-dinner-2/   Over the years I have observed that congregations are divided into three categories. This is not necessarily an equal division, but the members tend to fall into one of three areas within the church. The first category, the "Proactive," is composed of the members who want to "go." Their motto ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/18/three-categories/ God keeps his word. This seems simple enough. Yet, how often do we forget that? How often does our faith slip because we forget God's promises? It is a faith-builder to read the promises of God and then see their fulfillment. The story of Israel is an account that God keeps ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/15/promises-of-god/ When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent word to Jesus to inquire if he was indeed the Messiah. Jesus sends word back for John to remember the facts about the Messiah. He quotes from Isaiah to describe what he was doing -- raising the dead, healing the sick, ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/15/just-the-facts/ I remember watching the movie, Hoosiers. One of the characters called, "Shooter" relived the glory of his High School days. He wound up being the town drunk and embarrassment to his family because he could not get over the long-passed disappointment of High School. Shooter is not the only one to ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/15/glory-days-and-fantastic-futures/   One of my passions is small group ministry. I am writing material for our groups and have decided to post some lessons from time to time. Perhaps they can be adapted and useful to others. As I was doing my daily Bible reading, I ran across an idea that made ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/14/small-group-lesson-jeremiah-45/  I am overwhelmed when I stop and consider what our founding fathers gave us in establishing the United States. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are indeed "unalienable rights" of all people. Somewhere along the way, we went too far. The commercial says, "I want it all and I want ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/13/the-pursuit-of-happiness/ I watched the news a few nights ago and saw one of those small town feel good reports. This one was about a bank in a small Texas town. This particular bank was a throw back to former days. There were no computers, everything was done the old fashion way ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/13/got-any-change-mister/ When Alexander the Great died his generals found that he had marched them off of the map. Every known map they had was now obsulete. In order to get back to Greece they would have to retrace their steps. Eventually they made it home and created new maps of new ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/08/marching-off-the-map-2/ I understand that when Herod's temple was in place, there was a gold vine that ran across the front. For a significant donation people could buy golden leaves or grapes to put on the vine. For even more money the leaves could be personalized. Jesus took his disciples by the temple ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/01/five-keys-to-fruitfulness/ Each of the first three gospels tells us that when Jesus died, the temple veil which separated the most holy place from the holy place tore from top to bottom. Here are Mark's words:"And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/05/01/the-temple-veil/ Do you remember the significance of December 7, 1941? It is the "day which will live in infamy," F. D. Roosevelt said. The Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor was a wake up call to America. There were and are people who want to see the overthrow of the United ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/24/war-by-faith/ There are a lot of imitations in the world. I read recently that a group of mechanics was making imitation Ferraris. On the outside, the cars looked correct but upon deeper investigation, the truth was clear. When we look at the Bible, there are a number of important lessons to be ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/22/the-inside-out-christian/ How patient are you? This sermon begins with 30 seconds of silence - unannounced. The silence made a terrific point, we are not very patient. When Abraham was called and tested by God, he had to learn the hard lesson of waiting. There were times that God was silent and Abraham ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/22/waiting-by-faith-2/ Teaching the Bible is an integral part of Sunday School Classes and HOME Groups. However, the work of these programs does not end with teaching. People need instruction and relationships. God never intended for us to live the Christian life - alone.The Jerusalem church modeled community for us in Acts ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/21/community-in-your-community/   I am not the handiest of people. I spend an inordinate amount of time measuring when I cut a board or hang a curtain rod. Laser levels are helpful but I am still cautious. My foot stands on level ground;    in the great assembly I will bless the LORD. Psalm 26.12 Sometimes ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/21/rocky-roads-and-level-places/  I enjoy studying the Bible. In fact, I have discovered that I enjoy study and preparation more than the actual presentation of sermons and classes. That may sound odd in some ways and I would agree. Why waste all that time doing all of that study if it is not ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/10/study-time/   I read that the real McCoy wasn't really a McCoy. His real name was Norman Selby. Raised on a farm in Indiana he left home around 1890, and after year in training, emerged as a boxer with the name "Kid McCoy." In a day of bare fisted boxing, the Kid ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/07/the-real-mccoy-and-salvation/  When I was in college, a friend of mine came up with one of those cute sayings that stuck with me. If someone ever said the words, "I don't care" (the subject did not matter), he would retort with, "That's the trouble with the world today, nobody cares." Then he ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/04/07/who-cares-about-apathy/ We live in an amazing time. Technology simply astounds me. I grew up with three black and white TV channels (actually two black and white and one fuzzy blend); test patterns before cartoons on Saturday; AM radio only; and 8-Track tape decks. To see where we have come with cable; ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/03/31/our-techno-world/ When theology professor, Dr. Joseph Haroutunian came to America from Armenia, a colleague suggested that he change his last name. He suggested something simpler like Harwood or Harwell. These would be easier to spell and pronounce and would help his career. Haroutunian asked, "What do these names mean?" His friend said, "Nothing, ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/03/16/whats-in-a-name/  I am convinced that Small Group Ministry is key to the spiritual, emotional, and numerical growth of the church. Not everyone wants to be in a small group (for a plethora of reasons) but building Christian relationships is essential to our spiritual well being. Whether that occurs formally or informally, ... http://perrysscope.com/blog/2008/03/12/small-groups-and-priorities/