Thursday, March 27, 2008

Lesson focus

As I prepare to teach, several possible directions to take the lesson typically occur to me. For example, for the lesson, “Renewing Commitment”, the busyness of our lives and how we are distracted in our relationship with the Lord is used in the lesson plan for Renewing Commitment by Jeff Meyer from Bayleaf Baptist Church. Alternately, you could emphasize how not to respond when you are wronged (Jacob’s sons reacted by murdering their sister’s rapist, for example). This is suggested in the lesson commentary by Sam Tullock. Again, the text permits a lesson approach based on how to properly dedicate something to the Lord. This idea is suggested by lesson comments from Jan Freeman Hixson, First Church of Springdale. Have you decided how you will approach this week’s lesson and what focus you’ll take?

4 comments:

David Moore said...

I personally like the "big mistake" approach using the Game Jenga, as described by Jay Hancock of Carmel Baptist Church in Matthews, NC. I think it is important to study the anatomy of a crisis, for that is what shows us that we need spiritual renewal. Jacob wasn't ready for Bethel before the Shechem incident. Bust after the family crisis, going bac to Bethel took ona whole new meaning.

Besides the importance of studying the anatomy of a crisis, it is also important to study the anatomy of a spiritual renewal experience (the 3 things Jacob did and made his family do.) So I see this lesson really as a two-parter.

David

servingHim said...

Hi David,

If you plan to use the Jenga idea, you might want some alternatives. For example, try building a "house of cards" using a deck of playing cards instead. Another idea is to stack dice (small blocks with some lesson value perhaps?).

Thanks for saying hello,
Ronnie

Ruth said...

I plan to use they busyness in our lives that causes us to drift away from God. We often just get too busy to take time to nurture our own relationship with God... even while doing good things. I will then use the example of a boat drifting in a rapid flowing current that may take you where you had no intention of going while you were busy enjoying a fishing expedition with a friend.

servingHim said...

Good idea Ruth. To add to your tact, this article asks "is the speed of life is killing your marriage?" and uses the following story. 

"Dale Rooks, a school crossing guard in Florida, tried everything to get cars to slow down through the school zone where he was in charge. But nothing worked until he wrapped a blow dryer in electrical tape, making it look like a radar gun.

The next day, Dale just pointed the contraption at cars, and drivers began to slam on their brakes.

Dale’s clever idea got us to thinking about what it would take to get people to slow down in general – not just in their cars.

Can you imagine if, on a day when you were particularly busy, your spouse could clock your speed and pull you over for a little espite? What if you could give each other “speeding tickets” for being too rushed? Maybe after three tickets in an allotted time frame, your spouse would have to make you go on vacation!"