Sunday School 12/16/07--Genesis 43

Greetings to Everyone!!

WOW!!! I am EXCITED!!! God is moving in the 20something class and I eagerly waiting to see what he has in store for us in the coming year. I hope that each of you is able to get fired-up with me about what God is doing...especially because it involves YOU!!!

We had a great study this morning and an engaging discussion in Genesis Chapter 43. Here we see the return of Joseph's brothers to Egypt to free their brother, Simeon, and to purchase more food for their family to survive the famine. We discussed how exciting it is to see God's hand at work behind the scenes to bring about this incredible foreshadowing of God's reconciliation of mankind to himself, just as Joseph is orchestrating the reconciliation of his family. Take a look for yourself and let us know what you think in the comments!

Genesis 43 Outline

After church, we met at Trudy's for our Christmas Fellowship...the food was FANTASTIC (Thanks, Trudy!!) and we had a lot of fun playing games and chatting. If you missed it, you missed out...you'll have to be sure to make it to the next fellowship. Also, God-willing, we're planning to start our mid-week study in January, so I hope you all will be planning to get involved...at it stands right now, we will be meeting on Thursday evenings for fellowship and Bible study...topic/series to be determined. I have one in mind, but am still checking it out to make sure it's theologically sound.

Well, that's about enough for now. In the event that I don't see you in the next week or so, have a very merry Christmas and be safe if you are traveling to spend the holidays elsewhere.

In Christ,

Johnny

Sunday School 12/2/2007: Genesis 42

Well, it's officially December and just over 3 weeks until Christmas. Wow! This year has really flown by! Here are a few announcements for Dec.

• There will be no Wednesday activities on the 19th, 26th, or Jan. 2nd.
• Sunday evening, Dec. 16th, will be the Christmas Sampler fellowship meal, immediately following the evening musical production. Food!!
  
• Sunday, Dec. 23rd, we will have our regular morning schedule by NO evening services.
• Monday, Dec. 24th, we will have our annual Christmas Eve service in the Sanctuary beginning at 6:00 pm.

This morning in class, we studied Genesis 42, part 1 of the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers, over 20 years after they sold him into slavery. We are reminded not only of God's hand at work through Joseph's circumstances, but also of the importance of reconciliation. Thanks to all who were here this morning for the great time of discussion! See you next week!

Genesis Chapter 42 Outline

Sunday School: 11/25/2007

This week we pick up Genesis Chapter 41, Joseph's Rise to Fame. After Pharaoh has a couple of disturbing nightmares, he is hard-pressed to find anyone among the wise men and magicians of Egypt who can tell him what it means. Not until Pharaoh's cupbearer remembers a Hebrew boy from prison who helped him understand a dream was there any hope for an answer. Joseph, upon interpreting Pharaoh's dream is placed in charge of all of Egypt. Yet in this rise to fame and during his moment in the spotlight, Joseph acknowledges that God is the only one worthy of glory for such gifts. How does this story parallel our lives today? Take a look at the study notes below and let us know in the comments!

Outline: Genesis Chapter 41

Sunday School: 11/18/2007

Greetings!

Once again, I am very far behind on posting to this blog. A few months ago, I had considered stopping because of lack of feedback and interest, but thanks to a comment from Jesse (thanks, by the way...looking forward to meeting you when you visit), I decided to pick it up again and do my best to keep in current. Thanks for your patience with me and I'm excited to teach you each week, even if I haven't done very well at keeping the blog up to date.

If you will remember, our focus of this study in Genesis was two-fold: to gain an understanding of the beginnings of God's Word as a foundation for reading and understanding the rest of the Bible and to highlight sections of Genesis that foreshadow Christ. We have covered quite a bit of ground since August, when I posted last. We are in the final section of Genesis, specifically in the life of Joseph, and I have really enjoyed the discussions in class. No matter the content of the chapter, I am always amazed at the depth that each of you bring to the discussion and ultimately to the study of God's Word. As we sharpen one another, my hope is that we not only learn more about the Bible and how to study it, but that we also apply what we learn to our daily lives.

Here are the posts from the last few months. Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!!!

The Battle for Jacob's Affection--Genesis 29-30a
Jacob Prospers and Begins the Journey Home--Genesis 30b-31
Jacob's Reconciliation with Esau--Genesis 32-33a
The Massacre at Shechem--Genesis 34
Jacob Travels to Bethel, the Death of Rachel & Isaac, Esau's Descendants--Genesis 35-36
Joseph's Early Life--Genesis 37
Judah & Tamar--Genesis 38
Joseph in Egypt--Genesis 39-40

Sunday School: 8/19/07 (Slacker Update)

OK, I confess....I have been a bit of a slacker for the past month....that's right...I said MONTH. I had no idea it had been that long since I had updated our class's blog...my apologies.

I'd like to say that it was a carefully planned experiment to see if anyone would notice, but, sadly, that would be a lie...I just got busy and before I realized it a month had gone by with no updates on our trek through Genesis....I will do my best to stay on top of things in the weeks to come.

Before I post the outlines, though, I would like to ask a favor. I'm not sure how many of you read our humble blog regularly or just stop by for a visit, but I would really appreciate any feedback you might have (except for the..."don't be a slacker and forget to post for a month" comments...:)) Seriously, we are trying to build a ministry here and what you have to say, even if you don't attend MBC, would be valuable to me. What would you like to see/experience in a 25-35 year olds Singles class that would make it interesting and worthwhile to attend? What do you think the average person in your demographic is looking for in a church and/or Sunday School/Discipleship class? I've said before that my goal is to meet the needs of Singles in our age group...to give us a place to build relationships and grow in our faith. Any feedback from you would be appreciated!

Soooooo, on to the outlines!!! The last post was from 7/8 and was over Genesis Chapter 24. Rather than try to recap everything that's happened over the last month or so, I will just post the outlines with a general title. You can read the outlines and follow the study to get caught up.....

7/15/07--Death of Abraham through Birth of Jacob & Esau--Genesis 25
7/22/07--Isaac and Abimelech--Genesis 26
7/29/07--No Genesis study this week....out on vacation
8/5/07--Also no Genesis study this week...on our way back from vacation
8/12/07--Jacob Receives Blessing by Deception--Genesis 27-28a
8/19/07--Jacob's Dream and Journey to Haran to find a wife--Genesis 28b-29a

Stay tuned for more in the weeks to come....

Sunday School 7/8/07: Genesis 24

Greetings, fellow 20somethings!

A big THANKS to Trudy for hosting our class's fellowship after church on Sunday....We appreciate all you do for the Singles' Ministry at MBC, Trudy!

Our lesson this week was on Genesis Chapter 24, the Marriage of Isaac. First, though, a correction to last week's lesson: I got my geography mixed up last week and where I had said that Sarah died in the far northern part (Haran), when in reality, she died just northeast of Beersheba in the region of Hebron. My apologies for this oversight...I will be more careful in the future.

Anyway, back to the Marriage of Isaac...having just buried his wife, Sarah, Abraham gives specific instructions to his chief servant regarding finding a wife for his son, Isaac, through whom God had promised to fulfill his covenant. We see the obedient servant, intent on pleasing his master, asking God for a sign and we see God coming through for him, leading him to Rebekah, the granddaughter of Abraham's brother, Nahor. This passage illustrates the sovereign hand of God moving the hearts of his people to accomplish his will. What an encouragement to us today!! God is in the business of bringing to pass that which he has planned and we have the humble privilege of participating that our relationship with Him might be strengthened. Praise be to the Lord!

Text: Genesis Chapter 24 (via BibleGateway.com)
Outline: Genesis Chapter 24

This Sunday was the last one for our friend, Andrew. He has taken a teaching position in Lawton and will be preparing to move and get settled before the fall semester begins in August. Andrew, we will miss you, but we wish you the very best in your pursuits and welcome you to drop by for a visit whenever you are in town. Please remember to keep Andrew in your prayers as he embarks on this new chapter of his professional career.

Until next time,

~~J

Sunday School 6/24/07: Genesis 23

Well, as evidenced by the week delay in posting this outline, things have been a little crazy around here....nothing out-of-the-ordinary....just the normal business of busyness...

We saw last week in Genesis 23 that at Sarah's death, Abraham found himself in a land where he was an outsider....much like we as Christians find ourselves as outsiders in the world we live in today. Yet, we see how Abraham's example of how to live as an outsider can be helpful to us today.

Again, my apologies for the lateness of this post...I just got away from me :)

See you all next week and I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating our country's independence and the freedoms we have because of it.

Genesis Chapter 23 (NIV, via BibleGateway.com)
Genesis Chapter 23 Outline

~~~J

Sunday School 6/10/07: Genesis 22

Sorry for the lateness of this post...it's been a busy week :)

This week we looked at perhaps one of the best known stories of the Old Testament: The Testing of Abraham's Faith. In Genesis Chapter 22, we see Abraham being told, by God, to sacrifice his only son...the very son he and Sarah had been waiting for....the very son that God had promised would carry God's blessing. Yet, despite the circumstances, we see Abraham responding in absolute faith...no questions, no hesitation...a very different Abraham than we've seen in previous chapters.

Check out the outline and be sure share your thoughts in the comments!!

Genesis 22 Outline

Sunday School Lesson (6/3/07): Genesis 21

What a blessing to serve the Living God! Thanks to all of you who were able to attend on Sunday. I am so thankful for you all and for the privilege of digging into God's Word with you each week. My prayer is that we continue to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Word as well as in our daily walks with Christ. If you've been away for awhile or have not been able to join us each Sunday morning at 9:45am, we would love to see you again!

This week we continued our study of Genesis, specifically at this point on the life of Abraham. We see the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and Sarah in the birth of Isaac, through whom God promised to make Abraham into a great nation. We also see the exile of Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham's house and the provision for their survival by God. Chapter 21 concludes with a treaty between Abraham and Abimelech that originated due to the clear presence of God's favor on Abraham.

• Genesis Chapter 21 (NIV, via BibleGateway.com)
• Genesis Chapter 21 Outline

By the way, I have added the ability to make comments to each post, so if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, let 'em rip in the comments. Also, since this is a newer feature, please email me at living2serve@gmail.com if you experience any problems posting comments or if you have any suggestions you would like to see implemented on our site.

Finally, again, thank you for your continued attendance and prayer for our class. I must admit that I had hoped for a larger class by now, but I am confident that the Lord will bring the right mix of people into our class in HIS timing....if we've learned anything from studying the life of Abraham, it's that God is always faithful to bring about his plans...we just don't always understand the timelines. If you have any suggestions for outreach or if you have visited our class before and it did not feel like a fit for you, please let me know.....I am always open to comments and suggestions. You never know...your suggestion might be the one that helps us to bring down an invisible barrier and make our class more inviting to others. Have a great week!!!

In Christ,
Johnny

Sunday School 5/27/07: Genesis 20

Have you ever had someone call you on something you did wrong? It seems that we have this innate reflex of blaming others, making excuses, or denying the wrong in what we have done....why is that? Is this just another influence of our culture today?

Nope. In fact, these same defensive reactions can be seen as far back as Adam & Eve in the garden...when sin first entered the world. Thousands of years later, nothing had changed, for we see these same responses from Abraham when Abimelech confronts his dishonesty about Sarah in Genesis Chapter 20. This chapter has some great nuggets of truth tucked within, including support for Absolute Truth and an example of how God accomplishes his will through intimate involvement in our day-to-day lives. Have you seen God's hand moving in the circumstances of your life to accomplish his will? Let us know in the comments!!

Outline: Genesis Chapter 20

Reminder: Spring Bible Conference Tomorrow

Hey class!!

Just a reminder....we will be meeting in the gym with all the other adult classes during our regular Sunday School time tomorrow for our Spring Bible Conference. We will resume with our regular study of Genesis next Sunday, 5/27/07.

Hope to see you all at the Spring Bible Conference tomorrow!

In Christ,

Johnny

Sunday 5/13/07: Genesis Chapter 19

Greetings All!!!

This week we studied Genesis Chapter 19, the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah and the after-effects in the lives of Lot and his daughters. As Paul said this morning, this chapter is perhaps one of the clearest illustrations of human depravity, a condition that we still see prevalent in the world today. As it is now, so has it been since sin entered the world: mankind is doomed without the divine intervention of Almighty God. May the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah remind us of the serious offense that sin is to God, and may his provision for Lot and his family remind us of his unfailing love and mercy. What an amazing God we serve!!

Outline: Genesis Chapter 19 (Paul Purifoy)

Just a reminder: We will enjoy our Spring Bible Conference next Sunday during the Sunday School hour by meeting in the Gym with the other adult classes. We will NOT be meeting in the Espresso Self room for our normal class time, but will resume the following weekend. Hope to see you there!

Finally, as was mentioned before, today was Paul's last Sunday as co-teacher of our class; he has agreed to provide a break for the teachers of another class during the summer. We want to again thank Paul for his partnership in teaching our class and for his willingness to be used in our class as well as others. We'll miss you, Paul, and wish you the very best in your teaching endeavors with other classes this summer.

In Christ,

Johnny

May 6th, 2007---Catching Up

Greetings to you all!

My appologies for the absence of posts over the last few weeks. I had originally intended to post Chapter 17 last week after we completed the chapter, but I was unexpectedly homebound at the last minute (sick kid). Thankfully, Paul stepped in and was able to finish the lesson with no advanced preparation (Thanks, Paul!!). As you may know, Paul has decided to invest his skills in another class over the summer, giving Robert Black a break for awhile, so next week will be his last week with us. Then you'll be stuck with me!!! (insert evil laughter here) Anyway, in all seriousness, we do want to wish Paul well and thank him for his investment in our class this year....THANKS PAUL!!! YOU WILL BE MISSED!!!!

Now on to the outlines. 4/22 & 4/29 we studied Genesis Chapter 17, which dealt with the formal covenant made between God and Abraham, and with it the observance of circumcision. Then, today, we studied Genesis Chapter 18 where we see the Lord and two companions stopping by Abraham's tent for a visit on their way to judge (and eventually destroy) Sodom & Gomorrah. We see in both of these chapters (and as a theme thus far throughout Genesis if you have been keeping track) how God meets man where he is and how God demonstrates his patience, grace, and justice, despite man's shortcomings. Tune in next week as the saga continues!
~~J
Outlines:

• Genesis Chapter 17
• Genesis Chapter 18
  

Sunday 4/8/07: Genesis 15:7-21

He is Risen!!! The Lord is risen indeed!!! Here's wishing you all a Happy Easter!

As we saw last week, Abram was a man, just like the rest of us, and had fears and doubts about God's plan for his life, despite the promises he received from God. Yet God displayed his compassion and understanding by reassuring Abram that He would bring his promises to fruition.

This week, we saw the same pattern once again as Abram asks for a sign of God's promise that he and his descendants would inherit the Promised Land. And, just as before, God responds in love by not only affirming his promise once again, but also by entering into a formal covenant with Abram and sealing the covenant with fire.

Outline: Genesis 15:7-21

Announcements:

• EASTER LILLIES: If you purchased a lily in memory of a loved one, please pick up your plant after the morning services.
• "CONNECTING WITH METROPOLITAN"-- APRIL 22: If you are interested in church membership or becoming familiar with the church ministries and beliefs, sign up with a pastor or contact the church office. The class will run from 4-7 p.m. with a meal to follow. Childcare is available by reservation through the church office.
• TRUTH IN ACTION--APRIL 15th at 6:00 p.m.--A drama team from Bob Jones University will present a program highlighting God's unfailing goodness in the face of tragedy.
• FUND RAISING DINNER & CONCERT--April 23 at 6:30 p.m.--NEVER THE LESS will serve "chicken and fixins" on Monday, the 23rd to help raise funds for their trip to New York and the next year's ministry expenses. Come enjoy good food and good music while demonstrating your love and support for our youth.
  

Have a wonderful week!

~~J

Sunday School: 4/1/2007

This week, we covered the first part of Genesis Ch. 15...Who knew there was so much packed into just a few short verses? Despite great victory and deliverance, we see the man, Abram, still unsure of God's promise to him and God's loving reassurance. It is here that Abram's faith becomes real to him and we see the results of this transformation: "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (v. 6, NIV)

Outline: Genesis Chapter 15 (vv. 1-6) [Paul Purifoy]
Announcements:

• Remember, next Sunday is Easter Sunday...don't miss this opportunity to invite a friend to join you for Sunday School and Worship.
• Please let me know any ideas you'd like to see implemented, either in class or here on our site. My email address is: living2serve@gmail.com

As always, I am thankful for each of you and we do miss you when you're gone. May God bless you each richly this week and bring us back together safely next time.
Until then,
~~J

Sunday School: 3/25/2007

How does one respond after seeing God's hand deliver him or her from a tough situation? Abram shows us the key to properly responding to God's blessings and illustrates the importance of choosing allies wisely. Here is the re-post of the outline, since we didn't cover it the last time I posted it.

Genesis Chapter 14

This week's announcements:

• Ladies: Today is the last day to purchase Spring Fling tickets. Don't miss this opportunity to invite friends to enjoy a delicious catered lunch, an inspiring message, and beautiful music on Saturday, March 31st 11:30 a.m.--1:30 p.m. Purchase tickets in the church foyer.
• Dr. Bruce Waltke will be our guest speaker tonight in the 6:00 p.m. service. Special music will be presented by Victory Bible Baptist Church Choir. Be sure to attend and bring a friend.
• Easter Lillies can be purchased through the church office for the cost of $6.00 per plant. This is an opportunity to honor the memory of a loved one and also help decorate the sanctuary for Easter services. Plants may be taken home after the services Easter morning.
• Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Passion Week. Don't forget to mark your calendar for the annual Good Friday service on April 6th at 7:00 p.m., where we will observe the Lord's Supper. Invite your friends to worship with you on Easter Sunday, April 8th. (Note: Many who don't attend church regularly do try to attend around holidays, like Easter, Thanksgiving, & Christmas....This is a great opportunity to also invite friends to join us for class at 9:45 a.m.)

Praises/Prayer Requests:

• Congrats to Andrew in accepting a position with Cameron University beginning in the fall. While he will be moving, we're excited for him and this wonderful opportunity.
  
• Jennifer is still seeking God's will in deciding between Surgery and Family Practice options in med school. She's leaning toward Family Practice, but continue to pray for wisdom in this decision.
• David is beginning a new job this week. Congrats!! Keep him in your prayers this week as transitioning between jobs can always take time to get settled into the new routine.
• Many of you are aware of the recent news of Scott Wilcox's cancer. Scott is a faithful member of MBC and the Homebuilders Class. Please continue to pray for Scott and his family during this difficult time and for the miraculous healing that only the Great Physician can provide.

Well, that's it for this week. We will see you all next week!!! ~~J

Sunday 3/11/07--Genesis Ch. 14

Greetings!

I'm trying something a little different to see if it will work. I have a PDF version of the class outline saved on the net and I'm going to link to it from the post. That way, everyone can print out an exact copy of the outline instead of trying to copy and paste it, etc. We'll see if it works!!

Genesis Chapter 14 Outline

Best wishes!
~~Johnny

UPDATE: (3/14/07)--Sorry for the confusion, this is what I had planned to cover last Sunday and uploaded it before my son woke up sick early Sunday AM....we'll cover this later...~~J

Sunday School Lesson 2/18/07--Genesis 11

Genesis Chapter 11

“Tower of Babel” and “Shem to Abram”

1. Tower of Babel (v. 1-9)

   v. 1—One language, one common speech

   v. 2—“Shinar” is the region of ancient Babylonia in the southern part of the land between the Tigris & Euphrates rivers (modern day Iraq).

   v. 4—“reaches to the heavens”

   • Perhaps man aspired to be like God instead of bowing humbly before Him.

   • Purpose of the tower

     • “make a name for ourselves” = Pride & glorifying self, not God

     • “not be scattered” = disobeying God's command “fill the earth” (9:1,7)

   • Nimrod was likely involved in this plan, as this area was one of his kingdoms (Gen. 10:10)

   v. 5—“God came down” = God is intimately involved in the lives of men

   v. 6—God did not fear the unity of mankind as a threat to him, but as a threat to themselves.

   • Their unity had given them a false sense of power, fueling their defiance of God.

   • If left on their current path, their corruption would continue to grow, leading them further and further away from walking with God.

   v. 7—Purpose of confusing their languages was to encourage them to scatter & fill the earth

   • God's action toward man's defiance was an act of mercy.

   • God could have rained down fire from the sky & destroyed the tower and its builders, but instead he confuses their language and sets them back on a path of obedience to his command: “fill the earth”

   v. 9—“Babel” comes from a play on words in Hebrew which means “to confuse”

   • The tower was known by the Babylonians as “gate of God”

2. From Shem to Abram (v. 10-32)

   Shem

   Arphaxad

   Shelah

   Eber

   Peleg

   Reu

   Serug

   Nahor

   Terah

   Abram (“exaulted father”)—married Sarai

   Nahor—married Milcah

   Haran

   Lot

   v. 28—“Ur (a city) of the Chaldeans” was a region just south of where the Tigris & Euphrates met, south of Babylon (220 mi. SE of present-day Baghdad)

   v. 30—Sarai was barren and had no children...will be significant as we will see in future chapters

   v. 31—Terah, Abram & Sarai, & Lot (along with all of their possessions/flocks, etc.) set out to travel to the land of Canaan.

   • They had two possible routes

     1. Directly westward, across the Arabian desert, which would have next to impossible to survive while traveling with large herds

     2. Northward, along the Euphrates then south to Canaan (this is the way they chose).

        • Haran was at the northern end of the Euphrates river, in present-day Syria

        • The total journey would have been about 1,500 miles.

Applications

• God is intimately involved in our lives and often uses corrective consequences of our sin to guide us back onto the path he has set before us.

• Am I building a “Tower of Babel” in my life? Is there anything that I am pursuing ahead of God? Am I on a quest for more power, recognition, wealth, etc. or am I on a quest to go deeper with God?

• Who are my influences? Am I unified with those around me who do not share my love of God? The builders or the Tower of Babel were unified and influencing one another...in the wrong direction.