Author: Tom

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2 Kings: Lesson 2 — Passing The Mantle

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 2 (Passing The Mantle)
 2 Kings 2
     December 18, 2013

The Text:

  1. What was the Lord about to do with Elijah?  What does Elijah ask Elisha to do?  How does Elisha respond?  What do the prophets at Bethel tell Elisha?  What is his response?  What happens at Jericho?
    –
  2. Who is watching when Elijah and Elisha arrive at the Jordan river?  How do they get across?  What does Elisha ask for from Elijah?  How does Elijah respond?
    –
  3. What happens as Elijah and Elisha are walking?  How does Elisha respond to this?  What does Elisha pick up that had fallen from Elijah?  What does he do with it?  Why?
    –
  4. What do the company of prophets conclude about Elisha?  What do they want to do? Does Elisha think this is a good idea?  How does the request of the prophets turn out?  How does Elisha respond to them?
  5. What problem exist in the town where Elisha is staying?  What does Elisha do?  What happens?  What does a group of young people do as Elisha returns to Bethel from Jericho?  How does Elisha respond?  What happens?

 

The Application:

  1. How often do you think about the Lord coming to take you to heaven?  When that time comes, do we tend to attempt to shield people from its inevitability?  Why do we try to avoid news that we already know?
    –
  2. How often do you think about people who are watching your life?  What are you doing that shows the power of God at work in you?  If someone were to give you the opportunity to make a final request of them, what would you want most?
    –
  3. How do you feel when people close to you go to be with the Lord?  Are there things that they leave behind that you ought to be picking up?  What kind of things?  What should you do with what they leave?  Why?
    –
  4. How can  you build on the reputation of people who have gone before you?  Are there times when you need to let people discover something for themselves?  How hard is it to let them?  How do you respond when they discover what you’ve already told them?
    –
  5. What problems exist in our city that are in need of healing?  Are there things God would have you do to help bring that healing?  Will you?  Are you ever guilty of mocking a servant of God?  How do you think God feels about that?

 

Next Week:  A Revolting Situation
2 Kings 3

 

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Elementary Christmas

‘Twas the week before Christmas
      and all through the schools,
Not a student was listening
       nor following the rules.
Their minds were all elsewhere
      and thinking with joy,
That Christmas might bring them
       the latest new toy.

Then quite unexpected
       and out of the blue,
the meaning of Christmas
      came shining right through!
They sang of sweet Jesus
      and remembered His birth,
that very first Christmas
      when God came to earth.

It was quite a lesson
      I pray we did learn,
The real gift of Christmas
      was given, not earned.
These lines are over,
      the rhyming is done.
My prayer for each person,
      that we’d follow the Son!

I pray that you find some joy and encouragement through these words.  I’ve not even made an attempt at writing a poem since high school English when I was required to.  Yet as I considered the school and preschool children that are in the building every day as I work, these lines just flowed from my mind.  I figure that God put them there and He brought them out, so He has a purpose to use them in someone’s life.  I pray that someone is you!  🙂

Merry Christmas!

In prayer,

Tom Lemler

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2 Kings: Lesson 1 — Learning a Fear of God

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 1 (Learning a Fear of God)
 2 Kings 1
     December 11, 2013

The Text:

  1. What had Ahaziah done to himself?  Who did he send messengers to?  What did he want to know?  What was Elijah told to do?  What message did God have for the king?
    –
  2. How did the king respond when the messengers returned?  How did they explain their sudden return?  How did they describe the man who gave them the message?  What did the king conclude about this man’s identity?
    –
  3. Who did the king send to Elijah?  What did they say to Elijah?  How did Elijah respond?  How did God respond?  How did the king respond?
    –
  4. What happened to the second group of people the king sent to Elijah?  How did the king respond to this?  How did the third captain sent to Elijah approach him?  What request did he have of Elijah that was different from his predecessors?
    –
  5. How did Elijah respond to the third group sent by the king?  What message did Elijah give the king when they met?  Why?  What happened?

The Application:

  1. Who do you turn to for information?  Are there times when you find yourself seeking advice or input about something that you’ve not listened to God about?  Why?
    –
  2. Has God ever given you an answer that you were looking for, but you weren’t looking for it from Him?  How likely are you to accept or recognize that the answer came from God?
    –
  3. When God’s word says something you don’t like, what do you do about it?  Are there times when you tend to demand a personal response from God?  How hard is it to have balance when it come to a fear of the Lord and an understanding of God’s love?
    –
  4. Do you ever find yourself in trouble because you are trying something a second time that God was clearly displeased with the first time?  What can you learn from the third captain sent to Elijah about your approach to God?
    –
  5. How does God respond to you when you approach Him in humility seeking mercy?  How does God feel today when we continue our attempt to find answers to problems and difficulties through any and every means we can think of except Him?

Next Week:  Passing the Mantle
2 Kings 2

 

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1 Kings: Lesson 22 — Conflicting Messages

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 22 (Conflicting Messages)
1 Kings 22
     December 4, 2013

The Text:

  1. How long was there peace between Aram and  Israel?  Who is the king of Israel?  What concern did he have?  Who came to visit him?  What request did the king of Israel have for this visitor?
    –
  2. How willing was Jehoshaphat to help the king of Israel?  What one request did he have before he would join forces with Israel?  How did the king of Israel respond?  What was he told?  Did this satisfy Jehoshaphat?
    –
  3. What did Jehoshaphat want?  Why did the king of Israel not want to do this?  What were all the prophets saying?  What recommendation did the messenger who was sent to get Micaiah have for him?  How does Micaiah respond?
    –
  4. What message does Micaiah initially give the king of Israel?  How did the king respond?  What did Micaiah then say?  What response did the king have?  What did Micaiah say was God’s purpose in the king attacking Ramoth Gilead?
    –
  5. What order had the king of Aram given his men?  How were they deceived?  How did the king of Israel happen to be wounded?  How did his death fulfill what God had said?  How did Jehoshaphat live?  What were his relations with the king of Israel like?  Who succeeded Ahab?  How did he live?

The Application:

  1. Are you at peace with people who have been your enemies?  What things would you risk that peace for?  Why?
    –
  2. When asked to help someone confront an enemy, do you first want to get God’s advice — even when you are already inclined to help?
    –
  3. Do you tend to surround yourself with people who are likely to give you the advice that you want to hear?  How do you respond when someone wants you to just go along with what everyone else is saying?
    –
  4. Are there times when someone tells you what you want to hear but you know it is not the truth?  How do you know?  Why would they do that?
    –
  5. How do we try to deceive God?  Does it work? How hard is it to maintain peaceful relationships with people whose lives are set against God?  Should we?

 

Next Week:  Learning a Fear of God
2 Kings 1

 

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The Least of These

Get ready to hang on to your hat and open up your wallet, this could be a bumpy ride. 🙂  The Christmas season in America tends to make many people more willing to open up their wallet now than at any other time of the year.  As they do so, it seems everyone would like to find a way to take something out for themselves. 

There simply aren’t enough hours in the day for Black Friday to have the financial impact that some businesses want, so many now begin with what I would call “Gray Thursday” in an attempt to get a jump-start on their efforts to take something out of your wallet.  Not to be left out, small business has laid claim to Small Business Saturday as they seek to keep at least a portion of your Christmas spending local.  I don’t know of any special spending emphasis for Sunday — maybe it is a day of rest for your wallet.  Anyhow, if you have anything left in your wallet — or at least some available credit on your cards — Cyber Monday comes marching in with on-line deals “too good to pass up”.  See, I told you this could be a bumpy ride. 🙂

So, are your credit cards maxed out and your wallet empty yet?  They better not be, because there is another group lined up wanting their piece of whatever financial bounty you may have.  Giving Tuesday is a recent addition to the post-Thanksgiving line-up — this being only its second year of existence as “a movement” but only the first year that I have heard of it.  My first reaction in hearing of this was one of excitement.  I thought someone with a national voice was calling people to live out the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”  I expected it to be a call for each of us to reach out to “the least of these” that surround us in our community and in our daily life.  I was wrong.  The stated goal of the official “Giving Tuesday” movement isn’t really any different from the goal of any of the other post-Thanksgiving “special” days — it just focuses on non-profit organizations rather than the for-profit ones.

I work for a non-profit organization and lead a non-profit prayer ministry so don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for funding and know many such organizations rely heavily on year-end gifts.  I guess I was just hoping for more from a national movement focused on giving.  More than the standard “Give . . . to me”.  I was hoping for a call that left the “to me” out of the request and replaced it with the simple phrase, “to the least of these”. 

I don’t know exactly who “the least of these” are in your life, but I do have an idea of what some of them look like.  Jesus describes them as the hungry, the thirsty, the lonely, the impoverished, the sick, and the prisoners — it is these, and others like them, that Jesus says when we give to them we’ve given to Him.  I pray that as you give of the time, abilities, and resources that God has given you, you would not overlook “the least of these” even as you continue to support the ministries that God has connected you with for the sake of His kingdom and His righteousness.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” 
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’  They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’  He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

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1 Kings: Lesson 21 — Sour Grapes

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 21 (Sour Grapes)
1 Kings 21
    November 20, 2013

The Text:

  1. What did Ahab want from Naboth?  Why?  What did he offer?  How did Naboth respond?
    –
  2. How did Naboth’s response make Ahab feel?  What did he do when he went home?  What does he tell Jezebel?  What is her response to him?
    –
  3. What message does Jezebel send to the leaders in Jezreel?  What did they do?  What happened to Naboth?
    –
  4. How does Jezebel respond when she hears what has happened to Naboth?  What does she tell Ahab?  What does he do?
    –
  5. Where does God send Elijah?  How does Ahab greet Elijah?  What message does God give Ahab concerning he, his wife, and his family?  Why?  How does Ahab respond?  How does God respond?

The Application:

  1. Are there things that others have that you wish you had and they didn’t?  What would God call that?  How much value do you put on what God has given you and your family?
    –
  2. How do you feel when you don’t get what you want?  Why?  Do you think you deserve everything you want because of who you are?
    –
  3. How much effort do you put into getting what you think you deserve?  How hard is it to do right when you are told to do something that isn’t’ right?
    –
  4. Do you tend to live life with a “win at any cost” attitude?  If you knew something that you wanted was obtained in an illegal/immoral way, would you accept it?
    –
  5. How do you respond when God wants you to speak truth in the midst of wickedness?  When God uses someone to correct you, do you tend to think poorly of the messenger?  What wickedness does God want you to recognize in your life?  What response will you have when you recognize it?  What does God look for in order for Him to respond with patience and mercy?

Next Week:  Conflicting Messages
1 Kings 22

 

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1 Kings: Lesson 20 — If At First You Don’t Succeed

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 20 (If At First You Don’t Succeed)
1 Kings 20
    November 13, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who was Ben-Hadad?  Who does he join forces with?  What do they do?  What message does Ben-Hadad send to Ahab?  How does Ahab respond?  Does this satisfy Ben-Hadad?  What is his response?
    –
  2. Who does Ahab gather for advice?  What does he tell them?  What is their advice?  How does Ahab now respond to Ben-Hadad?  Does Ben-Hadad find this acceptable?  What does he promise to do?  How does Ahab respond to that?
    –
  3. What message does God send to Ahab?  What questions does Ahab have?  How are they answered?  How many young officers does Ahab summon?  How many men make up the rest of his forces?  What do they do?  Who wins the battle?
    –
  4. What message does God give after the battle?  What explanation did his officials give Ben-Hadad for their losses?  What advice to they give?  How did the two armies appear when they met again?  What happened when the battle finally took place?  When he becomes trapped, what advice is Ben-Hadad given?  What was the result of that advice?
    –
  5. What did the prophet ask a man to do?  What happened?  What story does the prophet tell Ahab?  How does Ahab respond to the story?  Who was the story really about?  What was God’s verdict?

 

The Application:

  1. What would you give for peace?  What if agreeing meant they wanted more?  What are God’s terms of peace?  Are you always willing to give it?
    –
  2. How quick are you to seek advice?  Does the support of others embolden you to take a stand?  How do you respond to threats?  Do you tend to make statements that you may not be able to back up?         
    –
  3. Do you believe God’s instructions?  How closely do you follow them?       
    –
  4. Following victory, do you tend to think about preparing for the next battle?  Do you ever try to explain away the work of God?  How much do you trust God when you feel small compared to the enemy?         
    –
  5. Why is it hard to obey God when His instructions don’t make sense?  Do you tend to excuse sin that God has condemned?  . . . In others?  . . . In yourself?

Next Week:  Sour Grapes
1 Kings 21

 

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Brotherly Advice: How to ACT (James 2)

Brotherly Advice:  A Study Through the Book of James

There are times in life when we could all use a little advice.  I pray that you have people in your life that you can go to for wise, godly counsel when your way seems uncertain.  Many times we have a brother or sister, whether biological or spiritual, that has already been down the road we’re travelling and is equipped to help us along our journey.

For me, the book of James is one of those methods God uses to pass along some brotherly advice.  Most scholars seem to be in agreement that the person writing down the words in the book of James is James, the brother of Jesus.  Here’s a guy that grew up around Jesus yet did not believe through most, if not all, of the life of Jesus on earth.  Yet eventually James came around and believed that Jesus was more than a brother, He was the Son of God! 

James concluded chapter one with some advice on what God considers pure and faultless religion.  It has a lot to do with the actions that flow out of our heart.  Here in chapter two, he gives us some great advice on how to ACT! 

  • Advice about Accepting:  How do you treat people you don’t know — or even those you do know?  What determines the level of interaction you have with them?  It is far to easy to make  judgments about people based on their outward appearance because that is what is most apparent.  It takes a deliberate effort for most of us to be able to see a person and take the time to really know them.  The advice James would give us is to open our eyes and see each person as God does!  We must stop showing favoritism and giving special treatment to someone just because they look like they could benefit us.  We must quit looking down on people and treating them like second-class citizens simply because they don’t appear to have anything to offer us.  As a Christian culture, we have gotten very good at recognizing and applauding those who look just right, talk, just right, and act just right.  We are quick to invite them in, to lift them up, and to shower them with praise  all the while ignoring, putting down, and even mocking those who don’t look, talk, or act just like us.  Unfortunately, that is the way the world works — not the way God’s people ought to work.  As God moves you along in your journey with Him, take some brotherly advice from James on how to ACT and grow in your attitude and action of Accepting. 
  • Advice about Commandments:  Sometimes we struggle with accepting people because we need to have a better understanding of the advice James gives about Commandments.  It has been said that most Christians are not so much against sin as we are against people who sin differently than we do.  When it comes to the commandments, James tell us we are all equal — if we’ve broken one point of the law then we are guilty of all of it.  Call it what we like, God makes it clear that the favoritism — the lack of accepting — that we engage in is sin!  We must stop acting like we are better than anyone else and start acting as one who has been shown mercy.  To be clear, James doesn’t advise us to ignore the commands of God, only to see ourself accurately in light of them and in our inability to keep them perfectly.    We are able to grow in the way we ACT toward others when we have a Biblical view of God’s Commands and the level field we are all on .
  • Advice about Touching:  We live in a time where there is so much concern about inappropriate touch that we need some good brotherly advice about Touching.  Unless we choose to be oblivious, we are faced with the needs of people on a regular basis.  As Christians, that need ought to touch our heart in a way that calls for some kind of response.  James calls us to examine both what we say and what we do to see if they match.  To wish someone to be fed and clothed is not a bad thing.  To pray that God would supply their every need is always appropriate.  For most Christians, those are not hard responses.  The trouble comes when God calls us to be a part of the very answer to the prayer we just prayed.  When it is time for  our talk to hit the road and reach out to touch those in need.  James tells us that our claim of faith in God has absolutely no value if it doesn’t drive us to do something with that faith.  I believe that in the context of chapter two, James is calling us out on our refusal to touch the lives of people who both live differently than us and sin differently than us.  If our faith in Jesus is alive, it will be touching people at their point of need.  As we live life on the basis of our faith in God, we must take the brotherly advice from James on how to ACT so that we will step up and touch people with the living and active love of Jesus.

So, how are you doing with the brotherly advice on how to ACT that James would pass along?  As you move from where you are to where God wants you to be, do you listen to the advice about Accepting?  Are you open to recognizing, and responding to, the advice given about God’s Commandments?  Are you living your life in such a way that you have taken the advice about Touching and look for ways to serve and meet needs?  I pray that you will pay close attention to the brotherly advice James wants you to hear so that you would know how God wants you to ACT!