Mark Lesson 2

Mark 1:1-20

object lesson: Use a broom to sweep the area as if "preparing" for a party.

Have another adult volunteer and step in to do the "preparing"

so that you can work on the invitations.

How prepared are you?

You're going to have a party.

What do you do to prepare for a party?

clean the house

prepare the food

invite the guests

Basically, these three things are the main things

most people do when having a party.

Wouldn't it be nice to have someone else "clean the house" and "prepare the food" for you?

Many people actually hire "party planners" to do these very things.

A party planner will even prepare and mail your invitations for you.

BUT...

YOU still have to be the one responsible for making the guest list.

It is YOUR party afterall.

The party planner can't send invitations if he or she doesn't know who the guests are.

So how prepared are you?

The people of Israel knew a Savior was coming. In the very first part of our lesson this week we know they knew of a Savior because they had the prophesy quoted in Mark 1:2-3

(which was prophecy from Malachi & Isaiah)

"I will send a messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare the way for you."

For years, the people of Israel had asked God for a KING... someone to rule over them.

(Deuteronomy 17:14)

So God let them have earthly kings...

time and time again the people and the kings would sin against God.

The people wanted their kings to "save them."

The people of Israel refused to prepare their hearts for a True King

who was the only King who can save anyone.

Isaiah 33:22 says, "For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King;

only He will save us."

How prepared are you?

John was sort of like a "party planner" for Jesus. He "prepared the way for the Lord."

And since John was doing all of the planning and preparing, Jesus took care of the guest list.

In Mark 1:16-20, Jesus calls Simon and Andrew and James and John...

"Come follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

Have you ever seen the TV show "Hoarders?" It's a very sad show.

The people on the show have extreme clutter

(sometimes to the point of no entry) within their homes.

Would they be prepared to have a party?

There is too much clutter and mess and sometimes dirt within their homes

for them to even consider having a party. They would first have to CLEAN their homes.

John can still be considered a "party planner" for us today.

"Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him."

"Make straight paths for Him."

Mark 1:3b

You're being asked to have a party. How prepared are you?

Your heart is your home.

Is it cluttered with sin and dirty with things such as selfishness, worry, being too shy,

being too loud or rowdy, being bossy, wanting your way too often,

being told to help out, arguing with a sibling.

Sometimes our hearts are like the homes of hoarders with so much clutter

there is no way we could have a party.

When John said, "Make straight paths for Him," he meant, "Clean up your hearts!"

Jesus WANTS to come to your party. Jesus WANTS to enter your home... your heart.

What will you do to "clean up" your heart and

prepare the way for the Lord to enter into your heart?

Even if you've already invited Jesus into your heart, sin is always in the corner of our hearts.

Just like we always clean our homes, our hearts are always in need of a good sweeping.

The only way Jesus can enter our hearts and enjoy a party with us is

when our hearts are clean from sin and rid of bad behaviors.

Will you seriously look at the "problem areas" of your life and clean up your hearts for Jesus?

Lesson 2 Memory Verse

"Come follow Me, and I will make you

become fishers of men."  Mark 1:17

Ready... And... ACTION!

Are you ready to "take ACTION" this CBS year?

Our study of Mark, Philippians, and James

will certainly equip us to do that very thing...

take ACTION for the Lord!

Sharing with you one of my favorite posters

which has some great advice

for the beginning of our new year...

-Stand tall and proud.

-Go out on a limb.

-Remember your roots.

-Drink plenty of water.

-Be content with your natural beauty.

-Enjoy the view.

LOVE that!!!  And how cute coming from

A TREE!!!

You know... the trees ARE alive...

and they praise the Lord without even trying.

Join with me this year and take ACTION!

Don't let the trees glorify His holy Name

IN OUR PLACE!!!

I'm so excited to start another CBS year!!!

SUMMER!

Yes, indeed!

It's officially summertime!

Here's wishing a wonderful summer vacation

to ALL members of

Community Bible Study!

If you need a break from the heat

or happen to bump into a rainy day,

here are some websites you might want to check out.

(Always be sure to check with your parents

before visiting ANY website.)

Elementary Ages...

Whits End

Radio Theatre

Clubhouse Magazine

Kids Answers

McGee and Me

Wonderzone

Children's Bible Hour

Veggie Tales

Upper Elementary & Jr. High Ages...

The Rebelution

God Tube

Jesus Freak

Ignite

Groundwire

Messy Mondays

(videos on facebook)

"Your future is so bright...

you're going to need shades!"

Have a great summer!

Lesson 25, Servants of God

2 Samuel 1-4

reference: Free Sunday School Lessons

Other than Jesus, David was most likely the greatest king in the Bible... or at least many people would think so.  Yet David wasn't perfect.  He turned from God's direction and joined with the Philistines.  He had many wives when God had clearly told His people NOT to marry more than one person.  And we'll see more of his choices to sin in our future lessons.  When we look at David's life before he became king, however, it's very obvious he had a really rough life.  He was always in battle and he spent most of his time running from Saul and Saul's armies.  God may have protected him through it all but God didn't take it all away.

David was a good man.  Bad things happen to good people.  Bad things happen to bad people. There were times when David made some bad choices.  But all in all, David was a good man. What were some of the things David chose to do even though bad things happened to him?

He willingly served others (1 Samuel 17:15... David went back & forth between playing harp for Saul and tending his father's sheep.)

He humbled himself (1 Samuel 18:18... David said "who am I" when Saul, the king, suggested that David marry one of the king's daughters... which would make David part of the royal family.)

He made covenants with the LORD (1 Samuel 20:16-17... Jonathon asked to have favor with David, even when the LORD had destroyed all of David's enemies.)

He honored God when it seemed strange to do so (1 Samuel 24:4... when David's men thought surely Saul came into the cave because God said He would deliver David's enemies to him.)

He prayed (1 Samuel 30:6 and again in 30:8... His own people wanted to stone him because they were so sad about their loved ones being carried off by the Amalekites. David prayed.)

In times of trouble... when bad things came David's way, he prayed.  He prayed for the LORD's comfort and he prayed for the LORD's direction.  What I love most about David's example of prayer is that he followed his prayer... with action.  In times of trouble, David prayed and then he waited for the LORD to respond.  Sometimes waiting can seem like doing nothing.  But David waited with expectation and a readiness to do the LORD's will.  2 Samuel 2:1 "David inquired of the LORD, 'Shall I go to the lands of Judah?' and the LORD said, 'Go.' David asked, 'Where do you want me to go?' And the LORD responded, 'He Hebron.'"

How will you respond when you experience times of trouble?  What will you do when the storms of life comes your way?  You might experience storms like the ones we recently experienced in our very own community or you may experience storms of a different kind like (loosing a baby sister) or (your mom being so sick she almost died) or (your dad actually drowning just to come back to life.)  How will you respond when bad things happen to you or to people in your community?  Will you pray like David did?  Then... will you listen to how the LORD directs you and then take action on your prayers?

Lesson 22, Servants of God

1 Samuel 19-21

What does it take to be a friend?

What makes a friend is the connections we make, the events and experiences we share, the discussions we share. Eventually, if we fail to share with each other or if we do things that “break” the relationship and the friendship begins to fall apart.

Most people will agree… we have “friends” and we have “great friends.”

What does it take to be a “friend” to someone?

What does it take to be a “great friend” to someone?

David and Jonathon had a “great friendship.”  They weren’t “just friends.” In 1 Samuel 19:2, Jonathon WARNS David of King Saul’s plans to have David killed.  This means Jonathon actually went against his father’s wishes in order to warn or protect David.  Also in chapter 19, Jonathon speaks to his father on David’s behalf… in David’s defense.  So Jonathon “stood up for David” against the king –his father, when no one else would.

Chapter 20 of 1 Samuel begins with David seeking safety in Jonathon’s presence.  Jonathon is so grieved to know that his father, King Saul, has decided once again to have David killed.  Jonathon tells David in verse 4, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it for you.”  Only a great friend could say that to another great friend.  People who are “just friends” would usually not have the ability to trust or the trustworthiness to give the other person.  Let’s face it, David could have followed Jonathon’s vow to do “whatever” with, “Kill your father for me.”  Great friendship trusts because great friendship is trustworthy.  Jonathon knew David was trustworthy and therefore would never ask him to do the wrong thing.

We go on to read in verse 8 of chapter 20 how David considers himself to be Jonathon’s “servant.”  David doesn’t call himself Jonathon’s “friend.”  He says, “As for you, show kindness to your servant…”  At this point in their relationship, it’s very clear they are both aware of their “great friendship.”  They both know they have been blessed with something extremely rare.  Yet David refers to himself as Jonathon’s “servant.”  The dictionary defines servant as “someone who performs work or tasks for another person.”  Great friendship SERVES others.  It does things for the other person that most people would refuse to do.  David served Jonathon in their friendship because Jonathon had already proven his willingness to serve David with his protection from the king.

There are many other instances within our lesson where David and Jonathon give us perfect examples of great friendship.  But none speak more clearly of the LOVE required by great friendship than verses 41b-42 when David and Jonathon know they will no longer see one another in a safe and “friendly” environment.  Both shed tears for one another because of the great jeopardy their great friendship puts them in.  They cry because they know David must leave.  Great friendship LOVES so deeply that it can be brought to tears.

Jesus is a great Friend. In Matthew 26:38 Jesus says, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to the point of death.”  And we know in John 15:13 “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  At the time when Jesus DID lay down his life, Luke tells us that Jesus was “so anguished” about leaving us that He “prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44.)”  Jesus is a great Friend

.

But does Jesus know great friendship?  Are you a great friend to Jesus?  For Jesus?  Because of Jesus?  Will you look at your friends a bit differently now that you have seen David and Jonathon’s example of great friendship?  More importantly, will you look differently at your friendship with Jesus because you know how very rare and unique His friendship is for you?

Lesson 19, Servants of God

1 Samuel 12-14

Our Wrap Up from Mrs. Gettelfinger...

Before our Wrap Up today, everyone received a Scripture verse about one of God's commands for us.  The students were asked to read their particular Scripture verse and then try to summarize the verse with one (or as few words as possible.)  Then we built a Jenga tower.  Each student had a block for the tower.  As they placed their block onto the tower, they gave the summary of their Scripture verse which gave God's instructions for our righteous living.  After the tower was built, the students gave Mrs. Gettelfinger examples of things we all do IN PLACE OF God's commands.  With each example, a Jenga block was removed from the tower.  As you can imagine, we had plenty of examples of how we remove God's commands from our lives and thus our tower (lives) tumble.

This week’s lesson begins with Samuel not only reaffirming his incredibly godly leadership but also testifying to the LORD’s consistent provision and protection.  It seems to me, Samuel’s feeling are hurt and he shares his broken heart with the people of Israel in the first few verses of chapter 12.  In verse 3, he basically says, “Have I done anything so terrible that you would think God is not my LORD?”  He goes on in verse 5 to say, “God knows how much I love Him AND how much I’ve loved you.”  In that same verse, the people even agree that Samuel is right.  They know God knows and they admit Samuel has been a great leader.  Then Samuel reminds them of all the good God has done for them.  He also reminds them in verse 11 of how even when the people turned away from God, “He delivered you from the hands of your enemy all around you, and you lived in safety.”  This wasn’t good enough for the people.  GOD wasn’t good enough for the people of Israel.  Samuel states in verses 12 and 13 “Even though the LORD was your King, because you have asked, the LORD has set a king over you.”

Sometimes God doesn’t give us what we pray for.  Perhaps it’s not the best thing for us.  Maybe it’s a good thing for us but not in His perfect timing.  And then sometimes He gives us exactly what we asked for –KNOWING it will harm us.  Why would God do such a thing?  Isaiah 48:17 “This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”  The best part about this verse is “Redeemer” and the second best part about this verse is “who TEACHES us.”  Even when we pray for something that isn’t best for us, God TEACHES us.

The elders of Israel asked for a king back in chapter 8 when Samuel’s sons were appointed leaders over Israel.  That’s when God took the time to TEACH the people.  He said to Samuel in verse 9 “Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” God teaches us through examples of others and warnings of what’s to come.  Exodus 19:21 “and the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish.’”  2 Chronicles 19:10 “In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities—whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations—you are to warn them not to sin against the LORD; otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin.’”  And Psalm 81:8 “Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel!”  God TEACHES us through His warnings.

Asking for a king was the wrong thing for the people of Israel to do.  God, being the All Knowing and Sovereign LORD that He is, knew the people would ask for a king without recognizing His very Kingship.  God told His people in Genesis 49:10 of a king to come.  The timing and the WAY they asked for a king was also where the people failed God.  The timing was not God’s perfect timing.  And they really didn’t ask for a king… they demanded one.  We can not tell God what to do.  Hosea 14:9 “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”  The Message Bible states this verse like this, “If you want to live well, make sure you understand all of this.  If you know what’s good for you, you’ll learn this inside and out!  God’s ways get you where you want to go.  People who make good choices, walk easily.  People who make bad choices, always trip and stumble.”

We chose to build our Jenga tower with a foundation of God’s directions for our lives.  We demolished our tower by making choices many people make in life that are not good for us. Bad choices remove God’s blessings from our lives just like we removed the scripture pieces from our Jenga tower.   Life is full of choices.  Sometimes right choices mean waiting (just as Saul should have waited on Samuel to make the burnt offering before going into battle) on God’s perfect timing.  Sometimes wrong choices come with God’s warnings (just like God clearly warned the people of Israel how having an earthly king would impact their lives in a negative way.)  Here is what I’m going to ask you to do, will you… pray… then wait… watch for God’s warnings… and then follow His direction?  Even if that direction is just “BE STILL...” and wait.