They call me Simon the Pharisee. “Simon” means “hearing.” In accordance with my name, I heard the call of Jesus and became a disciple after He healed me of leprosy. Candidly, the physical disease symbolized the deeper spiritual disease from which Jesus also delivered me. I was guilty of clergy sexual abuse, a practice that fed on my Phariseeism like crustaceans feed on sewage.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Clergy Sexual Abuse has been in the headlines for a few [...]
A family I know bought a huge home years ago, and their daughter invited her friends over for their first get-together at the new home. Unfortunately jealousy set it in with one of the daughter’s friends who made a comment about the home and her thinking she is “so rich.” The daughter was hurt because the money her family has had never crossed her mind. Her friend saw the house and only thought about how rich they must be. The [...]
Current lesson of the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of the Hope Sabbath School “Discipling the Sick” is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV Sabbath School Site.
[Thought questions for With the Rich and Famous February 19, 2014]
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
1. Richly Blessed. How well do you know the wealthiest people in your church? Your community? Have you ever pled with God to make you rich? And promised to be faithful in your giving to God’s cause if you were? Have you attended workshops, read books, or signed up for on-line classes in how to get rich? Were the Israelites wealthy after they entered the [...]
Key Thought : Materialistic persons, rich or poor, cannot serve God and money. We cannot allow the deceitfulness of riches to draw us away from Christ.
[Lesson plan for With the Rich and Famous February 17, 2014]
1. Have a volunteer read I Timothy 6:10.
a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. Why or how does the love of money cause many to depart from the faith?
c. Personal Application: What [...]
Would Jesus hang out with homosexuals? Is there a way we can know?1
We know that Jesus associated with the outcasts of his day. Luke 15:1-2 is very clear that he not only associated with tax collectors and sinners, he ate with them. He went to their dinner parties (Matt 11: 19) to such an extent he was called a glutton and winebibber.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Not only that, but at one of the parties he accepted and defended [...]
We interrupt this week’s lesson discussion to bring you breaking news out of Jerusalem. Jesus has just concluded a major speech dealing with the volatile topic of race relations between the Jews and the Samaritans. What started out as a discourse on the process of salvation turned into what can only be described as a watershed moment dealing with the makeup of our society.
As many of you know there has been a lot of debate in [...]
Current lesson of the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of the Hope Sabbath School “Discipling the Sick” is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV Sabbath School Site.
Key Thought : From God’s perspective, every human being is of infinite worth. Everyone deserves as much mercy, respect, and kindness as possible.
[Lesson plan for Jesus and the Social Outcasts February 10, 2014]
1. Have a volunteer read Luke 15:1-7.
a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. What does this passage reveal about Christ’s attitude toward social outcasts?
c. Personal Application: What kind of attitude do we have toward those [...]
[Thought questions for Discipling the "ordinary" February 5, 2014]
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
1. The great equalizer. How hard should we work to bring the wealthy, the influential, the highly educated into our fellowship? If we are all equal in Christ, doesn’t that equality extend to powerful politicians and brilliant scientists? Or is it our mission to disregard the highly placed and focus on the lowly of spirit or, in our lesson’s terminology, the “ordinary”? Can we dare leave anyone [...]
