So how was your Christmas?
Was it a Norman Rockwell Christmas? Or was it a Norman Bates Christmas?
The
week between Christmas and New Years' Day has always been one of my
favorites. Why? It's the best time to reflect on the results of this
waning year and to plan for a productive new one.
How was your
2012? My one word to describe 2012--"bumpy". Highs, lows, sidwayses
(is that a word?). This past year had it all.
But I can look with hope to a new 2013. My mentor, Jim Rohn, has a great quote: "You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight."
That's the hope I have for 2013. If you need this quote to help you through a tough situation, it's yours to keep.
Our
lesson this week is called "The Law: God Gives the House Rules". Let's
set the stage. The Jews have left Egypt. They are in the wilderness
heading for the Promised Land. God wants them to have a list of rules
for them to live by. We know them as the Ten Commandments.
You'd
think that the Jewish people would be thrilled with all God had done
for them. But it didn't go that smoothly. We'll meet Sunday at 9:50
a.m. to get the rest of the story.
To help you along our discussion road, the passages we'll ponder are Exodus 34:1-9, Leviticus 19:1-2, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Numbers 14:11-19.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“If you want to be successful in life, simply watch what
most people would do in a given situation, and then do the total opposite—nine
times out of ten, you’ll receive greater rewards.” -- Earl Nightingale
Friday, December 28, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Reflections of Exodus in the New Testament -- December 24, 2012
We did not have your typical Christmas lesson yesterday. Instead, we
looked at the Exodus of the Jews from captivity in Egypt juxtaposed with
New Testament scenes.
We started with a little background about what the Passover is all about...
Passover Exodus Story told with Web 2.0 from GodTube
Our first passage was Exodus 6:2-9. Let's take a step back to see where we came from. God promised Abraham a family. We saw Issac born to Abraham and Sarah. Issac had a son named Jacob. And Jacob had many sons--one of which was Joseph.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers because they were jealous of him. But that was all in the plan. Joseph became an important ruler in Pharaoh's Egyptian kingdom. Joseph brought his family to Egypt when a famine struck.
The family multiplied over the years. When a new Pharaoh came to power much later, he was threatened by the number of Jews. So he had them enslaved.
For 400 years, the Jews were slaves to the Egyptians. Only then did God call Moses to lead his people out of captivity.
This passage shows God speaking to Moses. If you go forward in history, we see God's messengers speaking to people in the New Testament. Angels spoke to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and Simeon.
The second passage was Exodus 12:5-13. In this scripture are the instructions God gave for the Passover.
The first nine plagues affected only the Egyptians. This final plague would affect Egyptians and Jews. But God gave the Jews a way to not have their first-born son killed.
The sacrifice of a perfect lamb foreshadowed Jesus' perfect life that would end in his death on a cross.
By the way, what festival was being celebrated when Jesus was killed? Passover.
The last scripture was Exodus 14:10-14. Pharaoh let the Jews leave Egypt. But then he changed his mind. Pharaoh and his army took off to recapture the Jews. This scared the Jews. They began to lose hope about having freedom.
In the New Testament, the time between Jesus' death on the cross on Friday afternoon and His resurrection on Sunday morning was a time of lost hope. But God had a plan.
We ended with a video dedicated to all of those who lost loved ones this year. The first Christmas without that special person is always tough. But we can always remember the Good News...
Make it a great week. Merry Christmas!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it." — William Feather
We started with a little background about what the Passover is all about...
Passover Exodus Story told with Web 2.0 from GodTube
Our first passage was Exodus 6:2-9. Let's take a step back to see where we came from. God promised Abraham a family. We saw Issac born to Abraham and Sarah. Issac had a son named Jacob. And Jacob had many sons--one of which was Joseph.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers because they were jealous of him. But that was all in the plan. Joseph became an important ruler in Pharaoh's Egyptian kingdom. Joseph brought his family to Egypt when a famine struck.
The family multiplied over the years. When a new Pharaoh came to power much later, he was threatened by the number of Jews. So he had them enslaved.
For 400 years, the Jews were slaves to the Egyptians. Only then did God call Moses to lead his people out of captivity.
This passage shows God speaking to Moses. If you go forward in history, we see God's messengers speaking to people in the New Testament. Angels spoke to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and Simeon.
The second passage was Exodus 12:5-13. In this scripture are the instructions God gave for the Passover.
The first nine plagues affected only the Egyptians. This final plague would affect Egyptians and Jews. But God gave the Jews a way to not have their first-born son killed.
The sacrifice of a perfect lamb foreshadowed Jesus' perfect life that would end in his death on a cross.
By the way, what festival was being celebrated when Jesus was killed? Passover.
The last scripture was Exodus 14:10-14. Pharaoh let the Jews leave Egypt. But then he changed his mind. Pharaoh and his army took off to recapture the Jews. This scared the Jews. They began to lose hope about having freedom.
In the New Testament, the time between Jesus' death on the cross on Friday afternoon and His resurrection on Sunday morning was a time of lost hope. But God had a plan.
We ended with a video dedicated to all of those who lost loved ones this year. The first Christmas without that special person is always tough. But we can always remember the Good News...
Make it a great week. Merry Christmas!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it." — William Feather
Friday, December 21, 2012
Mash-Up of the Old and the New -- December 21, 2012
Have you ever watched the TV show "Glee"?
It's one of my guilty pleasures because of the music. Being 41 years old, I am definitely outside of the target market for popular music. I use "Glee" as my secret weapon. If a song is worth listening to, "Glee" will do a cover of it. That way I can keep current on what is "hip" (is that word still used?).
One really neat thing about the songs on "Glee" is their "mash-ups". A "mash-up" combines two songs into one. It may switch verses and choruses back and forth or it might use one to respond to the other.
Our lesson this week is going to be a "mash-up". How you might ask?
We'll go back and forth between the the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt with Jesus coming to earth. How well will that work? You'll have to join us at 9:50 a.m. Sunday morning to see.
Just so you'll know what Bible passages we'll use on the Old Testament side, click here for Exodus 6:2-9, Exodus 12:5-13, and Exodus 14:10-14.
We'll see if it turns out to be beautiful music or a clashing gong. You might want to bring earplugs.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
It's one of my guilty pleasures because of the music. Being 41 years old, I am definitely outside of the target market for popular music. I use "Glee" as my secret weapon. If a song is worth listening to, "Glee" will do a cover of it. That way I can keep current on what is "hip" (is that word still used?).
One really neat thing about the songs on "Glee" is their "mash-ups". A "mash-up" combines two songs into one. It may switch verses and choruses back and forth or it might use one to respond to the other.
Our lesson this week is going to be a "mash-up". How you might ask?
We'll go back and forth between the the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt with Jesus coming to earth. How well will that work? You'll have to join us at 9:50 a.m. Sunday morning to see.
Just so you'll know what Bible passages we'll use on the Old Testament side, click here for Exodus 6:2-9, Exodus 12:5-13, and Exodus 14:10-14.
We'll see if it turns out to be beautiful music or a clashing gong. You might want to bring earplugs.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"Don't wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don't
wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges,
wish for more wisdom." -- Jim Rohn
Monday, December 17, 2012
Go. Believe. Do. Abraham's Covenant -- December 17, 2012
The school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut dominated the beginning of
our class. Our hearts break for the families of those who were killed.
One big question was "What do we tell our kids about the shooting?". Here is a website with some great information from the Crisis Management Institute for talking with your kids.
The lesson yesterday was about Abraham and his covenant with God.
The first scripture passage was Genesis 12:1-4. This is the first time God appears to Abraham (then known as Abram). God lays out a vision for Abraham.
Abraham had done nothing meaningful in his life to warrant special favor from God. In fact, Joshua 24:2 says that Abraham's family worshiped idols before God appeared to him.
It's the same way with us. You and I did nothing to deserve the grace that God gave through Jesus Christ. We just have to accept it.
With no reluctance, Abraham packs up his family and possessions and heads to the land God told him about. If you had to sum up this passage in one word, it would be "GO".
The second passage was Genesis 15:1-6. This takes place years after the first scripture we saw. God had promised Abraham many blessings, but it hadn't happened yet. Abraham was getting impatient.
Here's a great song about what Abraham and his wife might have been thinking. It's called "Who But You" by Mark Hall and Megan Garrett.
The one word I saw in this passage was "BELIEVE".
The final scripture was Genesis 17:1-14. To help you understand this passage, here's a commentary from Michael Jr. on "Father Abraham".
The one word from this one isn't what you'd think. The word is "DO".
God did not call Abraham to have a cerebral faith. God didn't want a "head" faith; He wanted a "heart" faith. He wanted a faith strong enough to make Abraham DO something.
It's the same with us. We aren't told to keep our faith to ourselves; we're supposed to do something with it.
Our book has a great quote by Tullian Tchividjian: "Christians make a difference in this world by being different from this world; they don't make a difference by being the same."
So what were the three words we came up with? "GO". "BELIEVE". "DO".
Does an echo of these three words come in the New Testament?
How about this? "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
That's from Matthew 28:19-20. It's a little thing called the "Great Commission". It's in red because it's straight from Jesus' lips.
GO. BELIEVE. DO. Three words we all need to live out this week.
Make it a great week!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“My grandmother told me when I was little, about 4 or 5, that if I ever found myself in danger to look for a house that had flowers growing in the front yard – growers of flowers would help keep me safe.” Elizabeth Hilpert
One big question was "What do we tell our kids about the shooting?". Here is a website with some great information from the Crisis Management Institute for talking with your kids.
The lesson yesterday was about Abraham and his covenant with God.
The first scripture passage was Genesis 12:1-4. This is the first time God appears to Abraham (then known as Abram). God lays out a vision for Abraham.
Abraham had done nothing meaningful in his life to warrant special favor from God. In fact, Joshua 24:2 says that Abraham's family worshiped idols before God appeared to him.
It's the same way with us. You and I did nothing to deserve the grace that God gave through Jesus Christ. We just have to accept it.
With no reluctance, Abraham packs up his family and possessions and heads to the land God told him about. If you had to sum up this passage in one word, it would be "GO".
The second passage was Genesis 15:1-6. This takes place years after the first scripture we saw. God had promised Abraham many blessings, but it hadn't happened yet. Abraham was getting impatient.
Here's a great song about what Abraham and his wife might have been thinking. It's called "Who But You" by Mark Hall and Megan Garrett.
The one word I saw in this passage was "BELIEVE".
The final scripture was Genesis 17:1-14. To help you understand this passage, here's a commentary from Michael Jr. on "Father Abraham".
The one word from this one isn't what you'd think. The word is "DO".
God did not call Abraham to have a cerebral faith. God didn't want a "head" faith; He wanted a "heart" faith. He wanted a faith strong enough to make Abraham DO something.
It's the same with us. We aren't told to keep our faith to ourselves; we're supposed to do something with it.
Our book has a great quote by Tullian Tchividjian: "Christians make a difference in this world by being different from this world; they don't make a difference by being the same."
So what were the three words we came up with? "GO". "BELIEVE". "DO".
Does an echo of these three words come in the New Testament?
How about this? "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
That's from Matthew 28:19-20. It's a little thing called the "Great Commission". It's in red because it's straight from Jesus' lips.
GO. BELIEVE. DO. Three words we all need to live out this week.
Make it a great week!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“My grandmother told me when I was little, about 4 or 5, that if I ever found myself in danger to look for a house that had flowers growing in the front yard – growers of flowers would help keep me safe.” Elizabeth Hilpert
Friday, December 14, 2012
Not Living Is Worse Than Death -- December 14, 2012
Driving time is my "reading" time. No, I'm not one of those people who have the steering wheel in one hand and a novel in the other. That's just nuts.
My "reading" is actually listening to books on CD. A few weeks ago, I'd checked out three books on CD. On previous trips, I had listened to the first two. My final selection was "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.
I can't remember how I stumbled upon Randy's presentation on YouTube; I may have even used a part of it in a lesson before. If you want to invest one hour and sixteen minutes watching an inspirational video, click this link to watch Randy Pausch's "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams".
What makes this video unique? Here's the backstory: Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Not long after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he gave this speech as his "Last Lecture" at Carnegie Mellon to an audience of over 400. His point is not about being afraid to die; it's about not being afraid to live.
Randy lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008. He left behind a wife and three kids--ages 5, 2, and 1. His speech and this book isn't really for you or me. It's for his kids. He wanted to leave something behind that would tell them about who he was and what he believed.
The book I listened to was an expansion of his Carnegie Mellon lecture. It is a wonderful book.
God used that book to talk to me. You see, I've been frustrated about my professional career for a while now. Sales haven't been good this fall and I was traveling all the time. I've been asking God when the storm will pass.
We just finished the Thanksgiving holiday, but in my heart it's been more like "Complaintsgiving". It took a peek inside the life of a man given only months to live to help me realize just how well my life is going.
It's funny that it really took God two books to get my attention this week. "The Last Lecture" was one of them; the "Book of Genesis" is the other. "How so?", you may ask.
Well, our lesson this week is about Abraham. You can read all about Abraham in Genesis chapters 12 through 23. It might take you 14 minutes to read. But those chapters cover decades of Abraham's life. His patience and faith was tested over and over. In preparing for Sunday (9:50 am, of course), it took me until yesterday for it to get through my thick head that things that happened in Abraham's life can teach lessons in yours and mine.
What kinds of things?
Well, first of all: read our scripture passages of Genesis 12:1-4, Genesis 15:1-6, and Genesis 17:1-14.
Secondly, come to class this week and you'll find out.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." -- Randy Pausch
Friday, December 7, 2012
Them's Fightin' Words -- December 7, 2012
Are you a good fighter?
I'm not talking about the effectiveness of your left jab or if you have a black belt in karate. I want to know if you are "good" at fighting with other people.
What do you mean by "good"?
Simply this: How "good" are you at resolving conflict with others?
Do you handle problems quickly or let them fester over years? Do you look for a middle ground of agreement or take a "my way or the highway" posture? Do you try to see a situation from the other person's perspective or just say they need to 'Cowboy Up' and get over it?
This Sunday at 9:50 a.m. we will see how the Bible instructs us to resolve conflict with other believers. It's a great step-by-step process. Our scriptures will be Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 5:13-15, and Galatians 6:1-5.
Why talk about conflict during the "feel good" Christmas season? Because family conflict at the Christmas dinner table is one of the most stressful times of the year.
I want you to see what we are supposed to do to resolve that conflict.
If you think about it, you can control only two things: your attitude and your actions. Nothing else.
Our lesson this week touches on both. I hope you have no conflict at all in your life. But if you do (or think one day you will), this lesson is for you.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you would not be able to sit down for six months." - Unknown
I'm not talking about the effectiveness of your left jab or if you have a black belt in karate. I want to know if you are "good" at fighting with other people.
What do you mean by "good"?
Simply this: How "good" are you at resolving conflict with others?
Do you handle problems quickly or let them fester over years? Do you look for a middle ground of agreement or take a "my way or the highway" posture? Do you try to see a situation from the other person's perspective or just say they need to 'Cowboy Up' and get over it?
This Sunday at 9:50 a.m. we will see how the Bible instructs us to resolve conflict with other believers. It's a great step-by-step process. Our scriptures will be Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 5:13-15, and Galatians 6:1-5.
Why talk about conflict during the "feel good" Christmas season? Because family conflict at the Christmas dinner table is one of the most stressful times of the year.
I want you to see what we are supposed to do to resolve that conflict.
If you think about it, you can control only two things: your attitude and your actions. Nothing else.
Our lesson this week touches on both. I hope you have no conflict at all in your life. But if you do (or think one day you will), this lesson is for you.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you would not be able to sit down for six months." - Unknown
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
FAITH in Focus -- December 4, 2012
Our lesson this week was from Hebrews. No one is exactly sure who wrote
the book, but it is addressed to Jewish Christians who were being
persecuted by both Jews and Romans. The book explains how Christianity
is the next step from Judaism.
Your homework this week is to read Hebrews 11. I found 26 references to Old Testament stories in my first pass of reading it. See if you can find more.
If you'd rather listen instead of read...
Our focus was on FAITH. Verses 1 and 2 are a great definition of faith.
In our passage, we saw some great characters of the Old Testament. We finished with the most important story of the New Testament.
As we approach Christmas, our minds are filled with images of Jesus as a tiny baby coming into the world. That's a great image, but it isn't the one we should focus on.
That baby grew up. And He changed the world.
We have the Bible to tell us about His time here on earth. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave us their views of what they saw.
But what if Twitter were around in A.D. 33? Maybe the first four gospels would look more like this...
Follow Jesus--Twitter Style
I
challenge you to share your faith with others this week. Pray for
opportunities to do it. The Holy Spirit will guide you. Take that step
of faith.
Make it a great week.
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
Your homework this week is to read Hebrews 11. I found 26 references to Old Testament stories in my first pass of reading it. See if you can find more.
If you'd rather listen instead of read...
In our passage, we saw some great characters of the Old Testament. We finished with the most important story of the New Testament.
As we approach Christmas, our minds are filled with images of Jesus as a tiny baby coming into the world. That's a great image, but it isn't the one we should focus on.
That baby grew up. And He changed the world.
We have the Bible to tell us about His time here on earth. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave us their views of what they saw.
But what if Twitter were around in A.D. 33? Maybe the first four gospels would look more like this...
Follow Jesus--Twitter Style
Make it a great week.
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less
day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely." Jim Rohn
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