IMMUNITY FROM DEADLY DISEASES?

Researchers spend a lot of time and money developing vaccines to protect people from deadly diseases. Over the past few weeks, however, whooping cough—for which a vaccine has long existed—seems to have reasserted itself in parts of the U.S. The state of Washington reports more than 1,200 cases so far this year. Part of the problem, some say, is that a certain percentage of parents opt not to have their children vaccinated. Some parents make this choice for religious reasons; others believe that vaccinations pose more risk than the diseases themselves.

IMMUNITY TO DEATH ITSELF!

Even if all vaccines worked perfectly, the resulting extension of life would not eliminate death. The sin that Adam and Eve committed brought the penalty of death to humanity. By our own sins, great or small, we affirm our moral oneness with our first ancestors. But Jesus is the one who has the power over death; he proved his ability in this regard by raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is also able to grant immunity from eternal death, an ability proven by his own resurrection. Death has no lasting power in the face of the Son of God.

1. Do we exhibit a lack of trust in God when we allow ourselves to be vaccinated? Why, or why not?

2. What does Jesus’ raising of Lazarus say about God’s concern for our sin problem?

3. Was there ever a time when you felt as Martha did in John 11:21? How did things turn out?

4. Was the resurrection of Lazarus really a “good thing” for that man since he eventually died again? Why, or why not?

5. Is the quest for increasing our life expectancy within the will of God? Why, or why not?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

WHO CARES ABOUT THE PLAYERS?

Junior Seau, age 43, committed suicide last week. The 12-time NFL Pro Bowl selectee left no suicide note to explain why. Compounding the mystery is the fact that Seau is one of several former National Football League players who have taken their own lives in recent years. Some speculate that game-related concussions are the cause. One expert says that there is “strong scientific and anecdotal evidence” that depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s in former football players result from blows to their heads during their careers. Critics say there is more emphasis on money and the excitement of the game than on ensuring players’ safety.

JESUS CARES ABOUT US

Some might say of Seau and other players damaged by the sport, “That’s just how the world works.” And so it does. But it is not so of our Good Shepherd. Jesus is not interested in profiting from our service or in creating exciting entertainment at our expense. In fact, he took the blows for us—to the point of yielding his very life—so that we can live eternally.

1. What can or should Christians who are NFL fans do, if anything, to encourage the league to promote player safety, especially regarding concussions?

2. In what ways can business owners who are Christians be “good shepherds” to their employees?

3. How can a church ensure that the next person it calls to join the staff is a true “shepherd,” not just a “hired hand”?

4. How do you explain the idea of shepherd to someone who is not familiar with the function implied by such terminology?

5. What “other sheep” do you know who need to be introduced to the Good Shepherd? How will you do so this week?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

“BREAD” AS A METAPHOR . . .

A shortage of bread was a factor that led to the French Revolution of 1789. Sunday’s first round of the presidential election in France shows that “bread” is presenting itself anew as an issue in that country. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has led the French toward a more austere lifestyle than they are accustomed to, got 26 percent of the vote. Marine Le Pen, with 18 percent, leads a far-right party that is capitalizing on fear of, and anger at, France’s immigrant population. Immigrants are seen by many French citizens as stealing jobs (“bread”) and bleeding the French welfare state. The first-round winner was François Hollande of the Socialist Party, capturing nearly 29 percent of the vote. Hollande promises that his government will give more “bread” to everyone.

. . . FOR LIFE

Those in the crowd that followed Jesus were like many people today: they were attracted to a leader who seemed able to give them the essentials of life. But Jesus saw that many of his followers were more interested in the free food he had given them earlier than in the divine power he demonstrated to establish his identity. To those who could discern the difference, he promised “the bread of God,” the bread that gives eternal life to the world.

1. Will the “bread issues” of the French presidential election be mirrored in the U.S. presidential election later this year? Why, or why not?

2. What safeguards can a church put in place to ensure that meeting people’s physical needs does not take a higher priority than meeting people’s need for eternal life?

3. Are there legitimate ways for the church to use material enticements to attract people to Jesus? Why, or why not?

4. How would you describe to a seeker how the phrase “bread of life” applies to Jesus?

5. What adjustments do you need to make to your prayer life so that you focus more on your need for spiritual bread over physical bread?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

“ONCE I WAS BLIND . . .”

When Chuck Colson died last week at age 80, many in the news media seemed blind to his post-prison service to Christ, preferring to focus instead on the moral blindness of Colson’s pre-Christian life. His involvement in the crimes of the Watergate scandal made for “juicy” reading. After he met Jesus, Colson gave his life to prison ministry and other causes for Christ. The testimony of his new way of life didn’t make for reading that was anywhere close to being as sensational as that of his Watergate involvement! Even so, the evidence of how Richard Nixon’s “hatchet man” was changed by meeting Jesus stands for all who are willing to see.

“. . . BUT NOW I CAN SEE”

Meeting Jesus also resulted in a “before and after” story for the man in John 9. Jesus’ disciples seemed more interested in assessing blame for the man’s blindness than in introducing him to the one who could change his life. We also see misplaced concern on the part of the Jewish leaders. Although the man had regained his sight, their legalistic parsing of his testimony and of Jesus alleged failure to keep the Sabbath demonstrated that they were the ones who were truly blind.

1. What can we learn from Colson’s partisanship that blinded him to the nature of his unethical and illegal behavior? Give a specific application.

2. What personal knowledge do you have of prison ministries and conversions to Christ in such settings? How has this knowledge affected your attitude about the penal system?

3. What similarities do you see in the attitudes of the disciples and the Jewish leaders?

4. How were your own eyes opened to the truth of Christianity?

5. What blinders prevent people from seeing Christ as they ought?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

A WATERY GRAVE

Last Sunday marked the 100^th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. When that “unsinkable” ship hit an iceberg and sank, she carried more than 1,500 people to a watery grave. The travel section of the Los Angeles Times recently devoted six pages of pictures and text to this commemoration under the headline “A Hold on Us: Be it the human angle, hubris or the film, our fascination with the ship endures a century later.” As if to prove that point, Amazon.com recently listed nearly a hundred books on this subject that will be published this spring. Tragedy on a massive scale is darkly fascinating to many.

THE WATER OF LIFE

Water also figures prominently in John’s narrative of Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in Samaria. There Jesus’ initial request to receive a drink of water led to a discussion of the spiritual life available in the living water that Jesus was making available. This man and his offer drew the attention of many that day—and still does some 20 centuries later.

1. What do we learn about human nature from the fact that the Titanic tragedy still fascinates people a century later?

2. What do our attempts to overcome the forces of nature (such as building an “unsinkable” ship) suggest about humanity’s attempts to save itself spiritually?

3. How do misunderstandings today of Jesus’ offer of “living water” compare and contrast with the Samaritan woman’s misunderstanding?

4. How would you describe the “living water” of Jesus to a friend who is seeking answers to one of life’s problems? Would your description change based on the nature of the problem? Why, or why not?

5. What do the racial and cultural differences between Jesus and the Samaritan woman suggest regarding how we should offer the gospel in various contexts?

6. How would you reword the Los Angeles Times headline regarding the Titanic to refer to Jesus instead?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

A PAINTER OF LIGHT

Many of us were startled to hear of the recent death of Thomas Kinkade, the “painter of light,” at age 54. His works were displayed in millions of homes and numerous galleries. Gross sales amounted to $100 million annually at their peak. Many art critics derided his work as “mass-produced kitsch.” On the other hand, one artist who hosted a Kinkade show said, “He was giving people what they wanted.” People seemed to want idealized scenes aglow with light, expressing the hope that this world’s darkness cannot overcome the Light.

A CONFRONTER OF DARKNESS

The authorities and the merchants who profited from the commerce at the temple might have argued that they were only “giving the people what they wanted” as they made available proper types of animals for sacrifice and acceptable coinage for giving. In cleansing the temple, Jesus—the light of the world—made clear what he thought of the darkness that was infesting his Father’s house. The struggle between light and darkness continues to this day.

1. Do you find Kinkade’s paintings to represent, in some way, God’s light for the world? Why, or why not?

2. Do you see a parallel between the opinions of Kinkade’s critics and the opinions of Christianity’s critics? Why, or why not?

3. Is it biblical to profit from what one does in the name of the Lord (concerts, religious broadcasting, etc.)? Explain.

4. Do Jesus’ words and actions in the temple cleansing forbid the exchange of money for goods—such as Christian books, CDs, and concert tickets—inside church buildings today? Why, or why not?

5. What does Jesus’ cleansing of the temple suggest about our own cleanliness as God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17)? Be specific.

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

WINNING THE LOTTERY

Last week’s three winners in the Mega Millions lottery each won $213 million before taxes. Americans spent a total of $1.5 billion trying to hit that jackpot, the largest ever. The odds of winning were 1 in 176 million; by one calculation, a person is 50 times more likely to be hit by lightning, 8,000 times more likely to be murdered in America, and 20,000 times more likely to die in a car crash than to win that lottery. But think of what you could do if you won! Quit your job and take a vacation for the rest of your life! Maybe even make a nice donation to the church! And speaking of church, a congregation in Ohio tapped into the same lottery spirit this week by offering $500 to six “lucky” people who come to church on Easter Sunday!

WINNING THE VICTORY

No “luck” was involved the morning when Jesus won the victory over death. It was a part of God’s plan for the ages, a plan set in motion from eternity past (1 Peter 1:20). God’s promise to us of sins forgiven and life everlasting in his presence makes the Mega Millions lottery pale by comparison, doesn’t it?

1. Should Christians play the lottery? Why, or why not?

2. Under what circumstances, if any, can the church use the casting of lots in Acts 1:26 as a precedent for making various kinds of decisions today?

3. What criteria should we use for distinguishing between legitimate from illegitimate techniques for attracting people to church?

4. How can we help people realize that what Jesus’ resurrection guarantees is of more value than anything the world offers?

5. In what ways does living by Jesus’ teachings offer greater, more lasting value than winning the lottery?

6. How will you share the good news of Jesus’ victory over death this Easter?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

STANDING YOUR GROUND

The “stand your ground” laws in many states permit the use of deadly force when one feels threatened. But since Trayvon Martin was killed on February 26 in Sanford, Florida, such laws have been undergoing intense scrutiny. Martin was a black teenager and George Zimmerman, who admits shooting him, is a white neighborhood-watch volunteer. A racial aspect is therefore part of the cries for justice. Zimmerman claims Martin was acting suspiciously in the gated community that Zimmerman was guarding and that the shooting was in self-defense. Martin is said to have been walking away, presenting no threat at all, when he was shot. The fact that the shooter was not arrested has led to widespread protests.

CONSIDERING THE TRUTH

How different was the case of Jesus of Nazareth! No concern for his well-being was in evidence. His disciples had deserted him. Even though he was quite capable of “standing his ground” with deadly force (see Matthew 26:53; John 18:36), he chose not to do so. Instead, he chose to force Pilate—and everyone after him—to consider the truth: that Jesus was indeed a king and that his kingdom was not of this world.

1. How would you, as a Christian, argue either for or against a “stand your ground” law?

2. Why are you grateful that Jesus refused to stand his ground to prevent himself from being killed?

3. By focusing on truth rather than standing his ground in the sense of preventing harm to himself, what was Jesus telling us, if anything, about how to behave when threatened physically?

4. Is Jesus’ refusal to defend himself a pattern we must always imitate or are there exceptions? Explain.

5. Are there any situations where it is legitimate not to tell the truth in order to prevent harm to ourselves? Explain.

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.

DEATH IN THE NIGHT

Under the cover of darkness two weeks ago, a U.S. Army sergeant reportedly slaughtered 16 Afghan civilians, the majority of them children. Warfare has long been evidence of the darkness of the human heart; the intentional killing of other human beings raises serious moral questions, even when done defensively after one’s country has been attacked. Even more serious is the morality of what happened to noncombatant civilians the night of March 11 in an Afghan village. Questions abound: Was the soldier an evil man who should be condemned? Did the stress of four tours of duty cause him to “snap,” thereby making his alleged actions somewhat understandable (if not excusable)? Should broader lessons be drawn about the war in Afghanistan from this incident?

TRUTH IN THE NIGHT

Night provides cover for those who want to hide their actions, for good or for ill. The fact that Nicodemus sought out Jesus by night raises the possibility that Nicodemus was a covert seeker of truth—he didn’t want any of his fellow Pharisees to know what he was doing. But night provided no veil for what was in the man’s heart, and Jesus told him what he needed to hear: the truth about salvation. That truth included the observation that people intent on sinning love darkness in hope that it will cover their sins. But when we act on truth, as Jesus says, we are happy to do it in the light so that it may be seen.
1. What can Christians do to help prevent atrocities in war?
2. Since Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn it (John 3:17), what should be our attitude toward evil when it comes to our attention?
3. How does believing in Jesus (vv. 16, 18) relate to acting in truth (v. 21)?
4. In what ways do people today try to come to Jesus under cover of figurative darkness?
5. In what ways should our lives reflect the fact of John 3:16?
6. What do the bold actions of Nicodemus later in John 7:50, 51 and 19:39 have to say about his movement from darkness to light?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get
Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.
Each download is for the use of one church only.

HUMAN EXTRAVAGANCE

June, the traditional month of weddings, will soon be upon us. The average U.S. couple spends over $26,000 on their wedding, not including rings and honeymoon, at least according to www.costofwedding.com. Of course, some weddings cost much more than that. For example, the British royal wedding of Will and Kate in April 2011 was estimated to have cost between $34 and $70 million. America’s contribution to nuptial extravagance was the August 2011 wedding of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. Their ceremony was rumored to have cost $10 million, but it earned $18 million through media partnerships. This led to speculation that the ensuing 72-day marriage was little more than a profitable publicity stunt.

DIVINE EXTRAVAGANCE

The wedding at Cana must have been the town’s social event of the year, although it looked for a while as if it would be a bust. Indeed it would have been had Jesus not been on the guest list. When the wine ran out, divine extravagance saved the day. The man in charge of the wedding feast was amazed at the quality of the last wine to be served, the wine Jesus created by miracle. We’re often surprised at how extravagant God’s blessings can be!

1. What scriptural principles, if any, address the issue of how modest or extravagant our celebrations can or should be?

2. What does today’s text suggest about inviting the Lord to share in life’s special moments?

3. How do we sometimes limit our blessings by not inviting God to act in our lives?

4. What difficulty do you presently face in which God’s participation could make a significant difference?

5. What was an occasion where God delivered more than you expected in solving a problem you were experiencing?

—Charles R. Boatman

http://www.standardlesson.com/what-you-get

Copyright © 2012 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

Each download is for the use of one church only.