Good Friday? Really? -- March 29, 2013

Well, today was the day.

I know that it officially started last night.  But today is when it really began.

So much pain.  So much suffering.

It should have been you; it should have been me.  But it wasn't.

It was Him.

He put up no fight.  He gave no excuse.

He went willingly.  Because it was the only way.

There had to be a sacrifice.  The ultimate sacrifice.  The sacrifice that would forever change a fallen world.

Jesus allowed Himself to be nailed to that cross.

He knew it had to be done.

He bore the sin of the world.  And, more importantly, He was separated by death from His Father. 

The darkest day in the history of the world.  

But we don't despair.  Why?

Because It's Friday...but Sunday's comin'!

We know the rest of the story.  On Sunday, we celebrate Easter.  Resurrection Day.

At 9:50 a.m. this Sunday morning, we'll delve into what happened starting on that first Easter Sunday.

Here's what we'll discuss:
1.  The risen King is victorious over death (Luke 24:1-8).
2.  The risen King is recognized by the disciples and validated by Scripture (Luke 24:36-49).
3.  The risen King is enthroned and exalted over all creation (Luke 24:50-53).

And remember to ask someone to come with you.  We'll make room.

If you are traveling for Easter, be safe. 

Finish Friday strong.  Enjoy Saturday with your family.  See you Sunday!

Loyally yours,

Darren Bayne

"Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion.  The concept of resurrection lies at its heart.  If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed."  John Stott

Heading to The Cross -- March 22, 2013

What does The Cross mean to you?

Michael W. Smith sang a song called "Cross of Gold".  In it he says this:

"For some it's simply something to wear around your neck
Just a chain
Jewelry
Is it decoration?
Is it an icon
Or proclamation?
An icon of what?
What?
For some it's simply something to wear around your neck
Just a chain
It means a lot more than that to me"

This Sunday is Palm Sunday.  It's the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  People celebrated.

But Jesus knew what was coming.  The Cross.

He knew where He would suffer.  The Cross.

He knew where He would die.  The Cross.

This week, we look at "The Cross" in Session 4 of our book.

Here's the outline for our lesson:
1.  Jesus is the Messiah-King who suffers for His people (Matthew 16:13-16,21-24)
2.  Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who brings about the new covenant (Matthew 26:26-29)
3.  Jesus is the self-giving King who brings salvation to His people (Matthew 27:45-50)

So join us at 9:50 am Sunday morning as we kick off Holy Week.

Finish Friday strong.  Enjoy Saturday with your family.  See you Sunday!

Loyally yours,

Darren Bayne

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

This Way to the Great Egress -- March 15, 2013

Have you ever talked to someone about Jesus and they said, "If I could see Jesus do the miracles the Bible says He did, I would believe in Him"?

In sales, that would be called an objection.

You know what it really is?  A lie.

Why?  Because many of the people who actually SAW Jesus perform miracles did not believe in Him.

Oh, they loved the show that Jesus put on.  They clapped when the blind were given sight.  They "oohed" and "ahhed" when the lame were made to walk.  They cheered when a demon was driven out of someone.

But they didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah.  For them, it was entertainment.

When Jesus asked them for their commitment, the show was over.  Fun?  Yes.  Following?  No.

Have things changed in two thousand years since Christ walked this earth?  What do you think?

You can tell someone about the great and mighty things God has done in your life; they'll try to give you a different explanation.

You'll tell them about answered prayers; they will say it was a coincidence.

All you can do is tell your story.  It's the Holy Spirit who will open their ears.

This week's lesson is Session 3 in The Gospel Project.  The title is "Jesus' Miracles".

Here is the outline for our lesson:

1.  Jesus' miracles signified His compassion for people -- Mark 1:29-34
2.  Jesus' miracles signified His power and authority -- John 6:1-14
3.  Jesus' miracles signified His identity as the promised Messiah -- Luke 7:18-23

I hope to see you on Sunday at 9:50 a.m.  If you are traveling for Spring Break, be safe and have fun.

Finish Friday strong.  Enjoy Saturday with your family.  See you Sunday!

Loyally yours,

Darren Bayne

“You can’t always believe everything you think.” – Jones

Witnessing with Training Wheels -- March 12, 2013

When Jesus began his ministry at age 30, he could have announced it any way He wanted to.  He was the Son of God, you know.

He could have come out like this: 


But He didn't.

Instead, Jesus went to the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth.  He read from the scroll of Isaiah which prophesied about the coming of the Messiah.  When He was finished, Jesus said, "Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled."

We fast forward a little bit to a parable Jesus teaches about witnessing. 

What can we learn from this parable?  When you tell someone about the Gospel, not everyone is going to accept it.

Why is that important?  Even Jesus didn't convert 100% of the people He talked to.  But that didn't stop Him from trying.

You and I need to be willing to DO something about what Jesus said.  What are we good at?  This video unfortunately describes us a lot of times...

Where does that leave us?  With a challenge.

Here's my challenge to you:  invite someone to Sunday School for Easter.  I'm not asking you to attempt to share the Good News with anyone.  Just invite them to church with you on Easter Sunday.  Think of it as "witnessing with training wheels".

So ponder on who you can ask.  Be the eager sower; throw the seed.  You may be surprised at the harvest.

Make it a great week!

Loyally yours,

Darren Bayne

"Experience is a hard teacher, because she gives the test first and the lesson afterwards." -- Unknown

Jerusalem, We Have Liftoff! -- March 8, 2013

"Hello world".

With those two words, Tiger Woods began his professional golfing career.  But even before then, everyone in the golfing world knew about him.  Many who didn't follow golf had heard of the teenaged golf sensation.

Tiger announced his start at a well-publicized press conference; Nike started a slick advertising campaign. 

How did Jesus start his professional career?

Did He answer an ad in the Jerusalem Herald saying "Messiah wanted"?  Of course not.

Did He call all the scribes together for a press conference to announce that He was the Son of God?  No.

Did He rent a billboard on the Mount of Olives saying "Jesus is the Word--Pass it on"?  Nope.

So how did Jesus begin His ministry?  At 9:50 a.m. this Sunday (adjusting for the time change), you'll find out.

Our lesson is Session 2 in our new book and is called "Jesus' Teaching: The Teaching of the Kingdom".

Here's the author's outline:

1. The kingdom has arrived with the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:14-15).

2. The kingdom is the demonstration of God’s saving power (Luke 4:16-21).

3. The kingdom is proclaimed to all kinds of people (Luke 8:4-8).

4. The kingdom has authority because of the identity of the King (Matthew 7:28-29).

Finish Friday strong.  Enjoy Saturday with your family.  See you Sunday!

Loyally yours,

Darren Bayne

"A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away." - Bil Keane

The Incarnation -- March 4, 2013

We started our lesson with a video:

The point of the video is perspective can change based on circumstances.

It was the same thing when Jesus came.  The title of our lesson was "The Incarnation".  Incarnation is just a fancy theological word for 'God becoming man'.

Before Jesus came into the world, God had not spoken through any prophet to the Jews for 400 years.  The Jews expected a conquering king but got a little baby.  That baby grew up to change the world.

One of our passages introduced us to John the Baptist.  He told everyone that he was preparing the way for the Messiah.

We saw a video that shows how all of us are supposed to tell of Jesus.  It was called Contagion.


We ended with one final video.  It talked about why Jesus had to come into the world and when His suffering began. 

Next week we will look at Session 2.  It will focus on Jesus' teaching.

Make it a great week!

Loyally yours,

Darren Bayne

"Treat every person with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you.  Remember that you show compassion to others not because of who they are but because of who you are." - Andrew T. Somers

How Do You Start Talking About Jesus? -- March 1, 2013

If you asked someone if they knew who Jesus was and they said "no", how would you begin to explain who He is?

Would you tell of His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection?

Or would you hem and haw, then walk away frustrated that you couldn't explain anything?

The first four books of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Each of these four men spent years with Jesus in His ministry.  You would think that each of them would tell their stories in roughly the same way.  But each told his story of Jesus emphasizing different things.

Matthew begins his book with Jesus' genealogy.  Here in the South, we'd say that Matthew began with who Jesus' "people" were.

Mark's book starts with Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, and transitions into Jesus' baptism by verse 9.  From there, the action is full bore.

Luke, the doctor that he was, tells you he is writing his book to give an "orderly account" who Jesus was and what He did.  Luke's writing is very precise and clinical with lots of details.

And then there is John.  You must remember that John was one of three disciples in Jesus' inner circle.  Of the four gospels, John begins as the most theologically rich.

Our lesson will dive into that pool.  The scripture will be John 1:1-18.  We begin our new Sunday School book, and, with it, a study of the New Testament.

So be in class by 9:50 a.m. Sunday morning as we look at "The Incarnation".

Finish Friday strong.  Enjoy Saturday with your family.  See you Sunday!

Loyally yours,

Darren Bayne

“Research shows that 90 percent of five-year-olds are creative, but only 2 percent of adults are.” -- Lee Silber