The Lookout - Sample

Lookout October 4, 2015

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The Growing Christian’s Weekly Resource

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The Power of Story JOURNEY

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Stories take us places

SHARE

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How to tell your story

HOME

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Passing on God’s stories

EDITORIAL

I wa s THINKING…

Story Time “Hey, Kaelyn, look out the window at that cool bird flying over there. . . . Kaelyn, did you hear me? Kaelyn!”

I turned around from the front seat of the car to figure out why my 9-year-old was ignoring me on our drive back from our family road trip. There she was, her nose stuck in a book, tuning out the rest of the world.

I couldn’t have been more proud!

Capturing Attention My husband and I love stories in various forms—I read novels, he digs into history, and we both enjoy movies where the storyline is top notch. We have tried passing along that love to our daughter. We show her classic movies. (For my husband, that meant exposing her to the original Star Wars trilogy.) We share our favorite books. (For me, that was reading her The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.) And we tell her about people in history, especially those from the Bible.

So to see my daughter caught up in a story of her own choosing and becoming oblivious to everything else—well, that just made me smile.

What stories capture your attention and have you zeroed in, ignoring sights, sounds, or natural disasters?

I’m not just interested in stories from books or movies. I also love hearing stories told in person. When people are excited about something, I can hear it in the stories they tell on that topic. If you have a hobby, I’ll be fascinated to hear how it fascinates you.

I always say that my neighbor Kristin tells the best stories. I can’t tell if everything crazy that could possibly happen has happened to her—or maybe she just makes every experience into a fabulous story, but when she describes something, all of us around her are all ears.

theLookout®

October 4, 2015

Editor Kelly Carr Assistant Editor Sheryl Overstreet Designer Mike Helm Publisher Mark A. Taylor Columnists David Faust, Phil and Bev Haas, Jacqueline Holness, Bob Russell, Mark Scott, Jamie Shafer, Laura Wood, Melissa Wuske We accept freelance queries. For our theme list, guidelines, and a sample issue, go to our website (lookoutmag.com).

The Lookout grants permission to reproduce up to 1,000 copies of articles in this issue (with the exception of “The Living Word”) for ministry or educational purposes (church newsletters, classroom or workshop handouts, etc.) with the following provisions: 1. Copied material must be distributed free of charge. 2. The following credit line must appear on each copy: “This article first appeared in The Lookout on [date].”

Ke l l y C a r r, E d i t or Helping Stories Meet Telling stories is such a basic concept, but how powerful it is. We connect to one another and to new ideas when things are framed in a plot (real or fiction) with a beginning, middle, and end. Perhaps that’s why the Bible is full of all types of stories. God knows how they can weave their way into our hearts.

I enjoy finding out the story of how people first encounter God. And I appreciate hearing others share how they’ve grasped a new aspect of God on a deeper level. Because when God’s eternal story intersects with other people’s stories—well, that’s the point of it all, isn’t it? Our job as Christians is to make sure those stories meet.

You may not be great with words. That’s no problem. You can still connect people to God’s story every day through your actions. Because your story and my story is God’s story. We are all a part of his creation. So when you share a piece of your life with others, you are pointing them to the author of life.

The narrative of who you are is valuable to more people than you might realize. You are a living testimony. So what story are you telling? n

Volume CXXVII. Number 40.

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UNLOCKING

THE POWER OF STORY

By Cleo Lampos

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lived in the rural areas of Iowa and Wisconsin, where I attended one-room school houses. The sparse collection of books on the tiny wooden shelf included a series with orange covers called Childhoods of Famous People. I read every volume from cover to cover. I faced the dangers of the underground railroad with Harriet Tubman, dreamt of freedom with Sun Yat Sen, and bandaged animal paws with Clara Barton.

The bookmobile brought two crates of books biweekly: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World transported this farm kid across oceans, expanding my horizons. Black Beauty and Charlotte’s Web developed my compassion for animals. It was a sad day when Beth died in Little Women, but the sharing of sorrow made me know that pain and loss are universal.

Books by Lois Lenski showed me ordinary kids who faced real-life problems.

The home in which I lived was filled with violence. School was my only safe place. It was through books that a vision of normalcy emerged.

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The Power of Story in the Classroom After surviving a childhood filled with instability and a stint in foster care, I graduated with a degree in education and taught in an urban school. My classrooms were in the special education wing with behavior disordered and emotionally disturbed boys. All morning these students squirmed through assignments, read several years below grade placement, and tried to intimidate each other. The only time of the day when they settled down was after lunch when I read a chapter or two from books.

Damaged youth carrying huge chips on their shoulders squeezed out tears of empathy when the dog died in Where the Red Fern Grows. They laughed at the everyday antics of Henry Huggins from Beverly Cleary books. The brave actions of the Norwegian children under Nazi occupation in Treasures of the Snow inspired these boys, who sometimes slept in their bathtubs when gangs were shooting in the neighborhood, to write essays on “What is courage?” One of the boys in the class, Ramon Turner, spoke for the group when he wrote that “courage is doing something even when you are afraid.”

One year, there were two girls in this special education class. At great risk, I read the American Girl series about Addy Walker. The boys leaned in to hear the Walker family’s persistence while escaping slavery and emerging in the freedom of Philadelphia. The Civil War, emancipation, and the challenges of urban living revealed laughter and fortitude as necessary qualities for the family. At the class’s suggestion, we wrote fan mail

We must believe that some great plot is being woven beneath the surface. to the author, Connie Porter, who answered with an inspiring letter to the students.

I discovered that a story does not have to be overly Christian in its message in order to project biblical values and touch the heart of the reader. When an author writes a story that presents reality in a healing manner to those who travel broken roads, then the heart is stretched open to welcome light into the soul. If children cannot read books for themselves, we need to read aloud to them.

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The Power of Story in Ministry Storytelling defines me. For decades my contribution to the children’s service at our church was the missionary story. Week by week, the accounts of ordinary Christians living extraordinary lives unfolded. I rewrote biographies into the language of children and persuaded local artists to create illustrations. Patti Lyons recalled the story of Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary who rescued temple children in India. Patti stated, “I remember her untiring passion for the call that God gave her and her perseverance when the road was difficult no matter how long it lasted.”

These biographies prepared Patti for similar challenges she has faced as a minister’s wife.

Annette Bartl’s life was influenced by the story of Mary Slessor, missionary to Africa. “Mary inspired me to put God first and strengthened my faith seeing how faithful God was to her. I saw her rich and meaningful life, and now, as an adult, I have experienced that for myself.”

Niko Lampos listened attentively to the weekly installments of David Wilkerson and his work with New York City gangs. I had attended a Wilkerson Rally as a college student and owned the book, The Cross and the Switchblade. Now 100 children on Chicago’s South Side, including Niko, leaned in to hear how the Holy Spirit convicted gang members of their need for Christ. Years

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I am challenged to volunteer in my community to help agencies that are reaching out to the poor.”

It is difficult to watch an audience weep and sing, but a series of presentations to the seniors produced such a reaction. Joining with pianist Tom Lyons, I told the story of a hymn’s origin, then Tom sang the stanzas with the group. Sitting in the second row was Maralyn Dettmann, who has not attended church in many years.

Her sister persuaded Maralyn to attend the college class on the history of the hymns. Maralyn’s testimony relates how stories communicate to deep needs. “The words of the songs touched a part of my soul that has lain dormant for such a long time. Learning that the most memorable hymns from my youth were written from the depths of desperation has made the message even more precious. Nowadays, I find myself humming a hymn as I do housework and reflecting on the composer’s walk with God.” Introducing music with a well-crafted story cultivates the heart into which the love of God may grow.

later, Niko entered Teen Challenge, a drug rehab program started by David Wilkerson. “I knew that this was the best place for me.” Niko solemnly spoke. “I believed that God changed those homeboy’s lives and he could change mine.”

At night, as he lay on his bed in rehab, Niko listened to the gunfire in the neighborhood, and in his head he recounted the Bible stories from his youth. The stories of protection, like the three men in the furnace, or Daniel in the lion’s den, helped Niko to know that God watched over him. I am thankful for the true stories that became the keys to unlock Niko’s prison, because Niko is my son.

Recently my storytelling has been directed toward seniors, who enjoy good stories. A local Christian college has a program designed for retired persons. Coupling PowerPoint illustrations with my scripts, I have taken these audiences to China as Gladys Aylward rescues more than one hundred homeless orphans from the Japanese forces of WWII. Our class has followed the heart-wrenching challenges faced by the agents watching over young lives on the orphan trains or Dr. Thomas Barnardo creating homes for poor children or Bertha Bracey rescuing Jewish children from Germany on the Kindertransport. Grown men shed tears in these classes, and women showed anger over the injustices. As Jody Hart expressed, “Hearing how God provided for these people, I know he will meet my needs.

The Power of Personal Story Our lives are lived in the rushing action of the present. It is not possible to fast forward to the ending or flip pages to see how the crisis turns out. We exist in real time, whether in mundane circumstances or teeth-gnashing anxiety. It is impossible to see around the corner, so we must believe that some great plot is being woven beneath the surface and that our own tale is worth telling.

This type of faith is garnered from a backlog of reading biblical accounts of people whose lives were messy, full of confusion, but eventually resolved with meaning and completeness. A story is not only about people and places, but also about ideas and concepts.

Biblically based stories tell where we come from and where we are going.

What is your personal story? The scars you accumulate through life are meant to be shared as part of your story. They become lighthouses to others headed for dangerous rocks. Let God’s love shine through you with transformational power.

A right story at the right time helps us to escape calamity and heal. It is about our connection to each other and how to make meaning out of life. n Cleo Lampos is the author of five books and loves to speak to audiences about the orphan train, hymns, and the Dust Bowl.

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God’s Eternal Story

By Charley Dilcher

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veryone loves a good story. Simply said, but listen again: everyone loves a good story. Amazingly enough, this is universally true! Movies make more than 10 billion dollars annually, novels are read over and over again, historians such as Homer, Gaius Acilius, and Josephus recounted ancient stories and have become common textbook material. But why? Why does a story, simple or sophisticated, draw a crowd and take the ear of any listener? What is it in a story that breathes life and exuberates feeling?

In a study from York University on the connection between the brain, social cognition, and storytelling, it was found that “in understanding fictional others (i.e. characters in a novel or a film), we employ the same or similar processes used to understand the mental states of real others.” It was also found that preschool-aged children demonstrated a relation between exposure to storybooks

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and their social development. How interesting is it we so easily put ourselves in another’s shoes. Our brain functions to process stories much more than it does other information because story affects the way we think as well as how we behave.

As old as humanity, oral tradition has passed down much wisdom. All over the world still today there are stories highlighting a whole ethnic group’s hopes and fears—solely on the basis of a story. Throughout the world story and saga are key elements to keeping tradition and faith alive.

GOD’S STORY As an abundance of stories surround us and the need for true relationship grows stronger, we must remember that we belong to God’s eternal story. In the Bible, from cover to cover, the story of redemption unfolds in the face

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of Jesus. He is the Word made flesh, embedded into our world as the express image of God. Jesus revealed to us the very character and image of the invisible God. Every person in Scripture repeatedly falls short of God’s glory. Yet when Jesus shows up on the scene, he brings full glory to God and makes known the way that God truly is.

God’s story is one of redemption. In need of new life, fallen humans are sought out by the Creator, which is the most glorious story of all. The God of the entire universe created all things and then us, so that we might know him and walk in his ways. God inhabits so many traits and characteristics that are loved in the most romantic and renown stories because he is the all-in-all. He is the King creating a powerful kingdom; he is the Bridegroom in search of the perfect bride; he is the great Friend who sticks closer than a brother. The Scriptures not only reveal a love story, but also a spiritual war. Not only that we are we fellow heirs with Christ, but also siblings, brought into the household of God! God’s story of redemption encompasses every aspect of life.

Stories populate the Gospels because Jesus often spoke in parables. We get to know Jesus the storyteller quite quickly in any of the four Gospels. He used parables to redirect people’s attention from their day-to-day mundaneness to see God’s invitation into something greater than themselves.

Jesus’ primary purpose was to reveal the Father. The people he lived among had grown void of understanding their God and so forgot their identity and purpose.

Jesus’ stories illustrated that the Father is not distant, nor grudgingly compliant to show up—but rather incredibly interested and involved in the affairs of human life! Jesus revealed a God who is still writing and still speaking. He is incredibly involved and almost too close for comfort, even using our lives to share something of his character.

David, John the Baptist, and Jesus all realized God as the author of everything. David wrote, “Behold I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O God” (Psalm 40:7, 8a, New American Standard Bible).

God may still be writing stories through us. The books mentioned in Revelation 20:12 seem to imply writings of people’s works they have accomplished, lives they have lived. What if these books being opened are actual lives?

Perhaps they are an account of our lives, even every word spoken (Matthew 12:36)? Not necessarily to detour or condemn us but rather to reveal the glory of God so clearly to show just how much we had been saved from. Perhaps that is why just seven verses later every tear is wiped away (Revelation 21:4) by God himself. Our desire is that everything in his book in Heaven would also be in ours here on earth.

YOUR STORY In our lives stories play a crucial role. When personally explaining a story to a friend, the hearer is better able to enter into the same place without so many hindrances.

The power of story is held within the personal transaction that makes the hearer better able to relate. “Wow . . . that happened to you?”

What has God done in your life? What is he doing now? You may be surprised to find a multitude of testimonies that you have accumulated in your life with God. The great thing is that God does the watering as we simply plant with our stories, no matter how simple or “not-as-powerful” they may be. In telling your own story, you don’t need to be the best with words. Just be willing to share. Never underestimate the power of testimony (Revelation 19:10).

Romans 10 shares that people need a witness to come to faith, and that “faith comes from hearing” (v. 17). We are all sent out in our setting each and every day. A few days ago I shared my story with a man at a locale café, explaining where my wife and I were at this point in life.

My testimony to him that day was that we were waiting on God to speak to us and direct us to where we’re going and

God’s story of redemption encompasses every aspect of life. God’s story of redemption encompasses every aspect of life. what our next steps should be. We had bought a one-way ticket and had spent about a month in his country before we received any clear direction. Although Greek Orthodox in background, this man had nearly given up on anything but a “higher power.” While we spoke, his ears were all ours because we shared personally where we were on that day. He did not bow right then and there and surrender his life to Jesus, but he truly began to understand that God is personal and had personally crafted him.

Story is powerful! I have seen random strangers cry because of the story exchanged and atheists become stunned because of simple, broken words that God wanted them to hear. Stories are truly a wonderful reality that the God of all comfort uses to comfort us and to freely give to others. n Charley Dilcher and his wife live and work in the context of the Middle East.

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TELL ME A STORY

By Drew Coons

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y wife, Kit, and I attended a seminar led by three people. Two were impressive speakers. One woman wasn’t. She did nearly everything speakers are taught to avoid. She rambled, lost her place in her own notes, looked at the ceiling, and even talked to herself while speaking. But this lady touched the audience’s hearts. How? She told story after story. I can’t remember a single thing either of the other two speakers said. I still remember this woman’s stories.

STORIES COMMUNICATE Stories take many different forms. Books, movies, plays, songs, and TV shows all tell stories. Even most commercials try to tell a tiny story. Why? Stories grab attention, entertain, and are memorable. They can take us to a different time and place. Stories frequently convey meaning more effectively than any detailed explanation.

Jesus told story after story, which we call parables. Who can forget Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan? This powerful, clear lesson speaks to us from a vastly different culture and across the centuries. Maybe you are a teacher, parent, writer, counselor, or speaker. Stories can communicate spiritual truth to hearts by clarifying and bringing life to your message.

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THE LOO KOU T | October 4, 2015

Kit and I were asked to talk candidly about sex and relationships to young adults in a church in Fiji. As we waited for our audience to arrive, a huge toad came through the open door and hopped down the center aisle. When a second toad joined the first, eating bugs under the lights, I decided to chase them out. Village children shrieked with laughter as I chased the toads.

Finally, with the toads out, we started.

During preliminary singing, more toads poured into the church. By the time we stood to speak, tonguesnapping toads were all around our feet. Fortunately, the Fijians loved our stories and took the message to heart. But afterward I fussed to God, “Lord, speaking well to a different culture and age group is hard enough without having to avoid stepping on toads!” Then God admonished me that my purpose was not looking good while speaking but communicating biblical truth. Our stories had accomplished that.

CREATING OR FINDING STORIES Fictional stories successfully convey ideas. But personal stories, especially mistakes made and lessons learned, add powerful real-life examples.

Revealing fallibility establishes a trust relationship with the recipients. Even teenagers, who might roll their eyes at an elder’s story, pay better attention when hearing about a personal mistake.

“I don’t want to talk about myself,” some insist.

They’re in good company. Neither did the apostle Paul. “I am speaking as a fool,” he wrote as the Holy Spirit led him to reveal his experiences (2 Corinthians 11:21). Later in Acts 26, when Paul gave a message to powerful men, he chose not to expound from his great knowledge. Rather, Paul told his personal story, including past mistakes. Paul communicated in a humble, engaging manner, which almost persuaded King Agrippa.

Here’s a true story I tell during marriage seminars: “I hate mowing grass. For me, when you can’t see the lawn furniture, that’s time to cut the grass. As newlyweds, Kit and I purchased a house with an acre of grass. Immediately I started converting the yard into woods. Trees and bushes would come right to the house. Then Kit pleaded, ‘Every nice home needs grass.’

My answer, ‘You want grass? Then you’ll cut it!’ For years, Kit did our grass cutting. On hot afternoons, I would be watching a ball game on TV while my young wife mowed grass. Yes, I did that. Then I learned more about being a biblical servant-leader. Changes needed to be made! So I bought her a lawnmower with a bagger. Well, that was a step in the right direction. But to be a godly husband, eventually I started cutting the grass.”

This story contrasts selfishness and service.

Husbands recall their own selfish acts. Many think, If he did something that stupid and improved, I can change too. After telling this story, I use Scriptures challenging the husbands to demonstrate love and commitment by doing undesirable jobs.

Personal stories allow unique humor to lighten a serious topic. What funny stories do you tell at social occasions that could convey a lesson learned? If you can’t remember, ask your friends who have heard your stories many times. Absurd exaggeration amuses most audiences; for example, “when you can’t see the lawn furniture” in my grass story. And try to catch the audience by surprise. The line “I bought her a lawnmower with a bagger,” gets laughs because it is unexpected.

Interesting stories to illustrate spiritual principles can also be found in newspapers, magazines, or books. For example, history books have stories of

Stories can communicate spiritual truth to hearts by bringing life to your message. both courage and folly. Always be careful to report accurately and acknowledge your source. The Bible is the most wonderful source of powerful stories, which can be retold or cited like I did Paul’s. However, even Bible stories are most effective when presented well.

PRESENTING A STORY WELL Effective stories like Jesus’ Good Samaritan or Paul’s testimony generally have an introduction, crisis, and resolution to make a point. The crisis creates suspense and may evoke emotions. A resolution should bring closure to recipients.

We observed one couple tell about a horrific traffic accident and then continue their presentation. But the group mentally stayed right there at the accident scene wondering, “What happened next?” Frequently we hear speakers tell stories that are meaningful to them or that they enjoy telling, but without a lesson for the recipients. Stories that illustrate a principle (especially a spiritual principle) can change lives.

Everybody has suffered through long and boring stories. Rarely should a spoken story be longer than 500 words—about three minutes—or you risk losing the listeners’ attention. Jesus’ Good Samaritan story is 179 words. His longest parable, “The Prodigal Son,” actually contains two stories totaling 487 words. The first story reveals the father’s love and forgiveness for the younger son. The second story illustrates wisdom

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dealing with the older son. Written stories or books will be much longer than 500 words, of course. But you will notice that, however engaging, written stories are frequently a series of actions averaging about 500 words.

The most effective verbal stories are prepared in advance and rehearsed. To communicate concisely and clearly, eliminate details not needed or relevant to the point. President Woodrow Wilson, known for succinct and effective communication, was asked how long he spent

Personal stories add powerful real-life examples. preparing a speech. “It depends. If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now.”

Listeners, especially young adults, respond best to verbal stories if you act out the story with exaggerated voices, expressions, and gestures. You may feel foolish. But our purpose is communicating, not feeling good about ourselves.

THE POWER OF STORIES Stories are even the key to flexibility for teachers. As missionaries, Kit and I were sometimes asked to teach on any topic without preparation time. Then we could

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be seen with our heads together on the front row.

The audience probably thought we were praying. But we would be putting together an outline to fit the situation. When you have an inventory of meaningful stories, this isn’t difficult. And the same story can make different points, depending on the need. When we are training missionary speakers, our toad story illustrates persevering through distractions.

Written stories may carry your message to far places. Recently, at a conference in Turkey, we met a Russian couple doing marriage ministry in Siberia.

We set a time to get acquainted. To our surprise, six Russian couples previously unknown to us attended.

As I started to introduce us, one of the Russians interrupted, “We all know who you are. We read your book.” By “book” he meant a how-to ministry manual we wrote in the late 1990s. Those otherwise dry instructions had been enlivened with many stories, including ministry failures and successes. The stories had carried this manual into translation and to a different culture on the far side of the earth. Russians are now using our ideas effectively there.

The power of stories is why Jesus used so many.

Stories can enable us to communicate God’s truth in a clear, relevant manner. They inspire hope and change lives by speaking to the heart. “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story” (Psalm 107:2). n Drew Coons has trained hundreds of missionaries to communicate effectively.

TH E LOOKOU T | October 4, 2015

THROUGH the BIBLE

REVE A L ED an d RE LEVA NT

Davi d Fau st

Going Through the Emotions J erem i ah 9 : 1

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e know Abraham for his faith, Joshua for his leadership, Esther for her courage, and Job for his patience.

We know Jeremiah for his tears. I don’t think I would want to be nicknamed “the weeping prophet.” Is there any worse insult than being called a crybaby? But Jeremiah had good reason to be upset. He said, “Since my people are crushed, I am crushed” (Jeremiah 8:21). He exclaimed, “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night” (9:1).

Why Did Jeremiah Cry? Perhaps Jeremiah was moved to tears by his own inadequacy. When called to serve as a prophet, Jeremiah objected because he considered himself too young and inexperienced (Jeremiah 1:4-8), but God reassured him and sent him anyway.

Jeremiah wept because of the spiritual emptiness of his people. They had forsaken God, “the spring of living water,” and “dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (2:13). Manmade religions can never satisfy spiritual thirst.

Jeremiah was upset because integrity was in short supply. It was hard to find even “one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth” (5:1). Immorality infested the land.

The men were “well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife” (v. 8). Sexual sin was so commonplace that people had forgotten how to blush (6:15).

To make matters worse, the religious and political leaders who should have changed things for the better were part of the problem. “Prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit” (6:13).

Jeremiah cried because he recognized the Lord wasn’t going to put up with all this corruption much longer. Soon the Babylonians would destroy the holy city of Jerusalem.

What Did Jeremiah Do? (Besides Cry) Jeremiah paid a high price to serve God. He was thrown into a dungeon, threatened with slavery and

deportation, branded a liar and traitor, and accused of treason. He didn’t marry and avoided parties and other social events. He survived a death plot. He wrote a book, but the king seized it, cut it into pieces, and burned it. God sent Jeremiah to preach at the city dump.

He spoke the truth even when it was unpopular. He felt compelled to speak God’s word, which was like a fire in his bones (20:8, 9).

Through it all, he was a messenger of hope. Jeremiah reminded the people that God still planned to give them “hope and a future” (29:11). Jeremiah didn’t just sit around.

He turned his negative emotions into positive actions.

I joined a group of civic leaders for a program held at a downtown judicial center. We listened to lawyers, social workers, judges, and police officers talk about the problems of our city. Over the course of a very long day, no one mentioned the church even once. No one acknowledged how the gospel of Christ can rescue young people, restore marriages, educate children, encourage the hopeless, change criminal hearts, and comfort the mentally ill.

I felt like crying! It made me angry to realize that when it comes to solving society’s ills, in many people’s minds the church doesn’t even make the list of potential remedies.

What will we do about this? Will we just become frustrated and whine about how bad things have become? Or like Jeremiah, will we realize God put us here not merely to feel bad and point out what’s wrong with our culture, but to take action and make things better? n David Faust serves as the Associate Minister at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Bible Reading Plan | October 4, 2015 Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

John 1:1-18 James 1:1-11 Ecclesiastes 1

John 1:19-28 James 1:12-18 Ecclesiastes 2:1-16

John 1:29-34 James 1:19-27 Ecclesiastes 2:17-26

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

John 1:35-42 James 2:1-13 Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

John 1:43-51 James 2:14-26 Ecclesiastes 3:16-22

John 2:1-11 James 3:1-12 Ecclesiastes 4

Jeremiah 1, 2

Jeremiah 7–9

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Jeremiah 3, 4

Jeremiah 10, 11

Jeremiah 5, 6

Jeremiah 12, 13

1. What makes you cry?

2. What constructive actions can you take to make a difference in your world?

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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

Saul Begins to Preach THE UNIFORM LESSON FOR OCTOBER 11

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t is hard not to overstate the significance of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. His conversion story is told three times in Acts (9:1-19a; 22:6-11; 26:12-18). God used Peter to open the door of faith to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles.

But God would need a universal man who would be very global in his thinking to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. That man was Saul of Tarsus.

The Saul of the Old Testament started out good and ended up bad. The Saul of the New Testament started out bad and ended up good. Before encountering Jesus on the Damascus Road, Saul was a terrorist who was out of control (1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:12-17). After meeting Jesus on that road, Saul became a preacher of the gospel.

The Content of the Preaching Acts 9:19b-22, 28 It is impressive to see how fast Saul turned to preaching following his conversion. Literally days after seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. He also baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord.

Three expressions are used to describe Saul’s actions: preach means to “herald the king’s message”; proving means to “put side by side” (aligning prophetic texts with their fulfillment); speaking boldly means to “speak without hindrance; freedom of expression.” But more important than his method or his passion was the content of Saul’s preaching. It centered on Jesus. It was the content of his preaching that irked the opposition.

Opposition to the Preaching Acts 9:21-29 The opposition to Saul’s preaching came from three groups of people: the Jews living in Damascus, the disciples living in Jerusalem, and the Hellenistic Jews living in Jerusalem.

The opposition took various forms: questions, conspiracy to kill him, fear, and debate with the intent to kill.

No doubt this opposition was discouraging to Saul. He had made a 180-degree turnaround and was thrilled with his newfound faith in Jesus. To experience persecution from without and disbelief from within must have hurt.

But as part of Saul’s call to become a Christian, Jesus had said that Saul would suffer for the sake of the name (v. 16). The identity of Jesus (the content of Saul’s preaching) seems to be the lightning rod for the opposition.

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THIS WEEK with THE WORD

D r. M a r k Sc ott Friends of the Preacher Acts 9:25-30 God showed tender mercies to Saul in the midst of his opposition. Some fought him. But some befriended him. When his preaching caused Saul to have to leave Damascus his followers (disciples) lowered him in a basket through an opening in the city wall. The word for basket is the same word as in Mark 8:8 where the disciples pick up seven baskets full of food following the feeding of the 4,000. The remarkable thing about Acts 9:25 is that the text says his disciples did this. Very quickly into Saul’s Christian experience, he already had disciples of his own who were following him and learning of Jesus.

God’s tender mercies were also seen in the friendship of Barnabas. Earlier Barnabas was introduced as one who encouraged through his gift of money (4:36, 37). Now he encouraged by supporting Saul. One can understand why the Jerusalem church was hesitant to embrace Saul as a believer.

He was a former terrorist, after all. But Saul was able to ride the coattails of Barnabas’s affirmation.

Finally the believers in Jerusalem who had accepted Barnabas’s testimony about Saul helped him escape to Caesarea (by the Mediterranean Sea). From there he went to his hometown of Tarsus—probably for study, reflection, and preparation for the new life ahead.

Increase in Numbers Acts 9:31 Verse 31 is one of the internal summaries found scattered throughout the Book of Acts. Other summaries up to this point in Acts would include 2:42-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16; 6:7. The point of this is to say that the summary may be larger than the immediate context. However, it certainly fits the immediate context. With Saul’s persecutions of Christians a thing of the past, the church enjoyed a time of peace, and it increased in numbers.

Few sermons are more powerful than the sermon of a transformed life. Saul of Tarsus preached that one. n Dr. Mark Scott teaches Preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado.

TH E LOOKOU T | October 4, 2015

Based on International Sunday School Lesson, © 2011 by the Lesson Committee.

BIBLE STUDY RESOURCES

THE LESSON AND LIFE

W

WHERE YOU LIVE

By Dr. Rhansyl Harris

hen I graduated from high school, I went to the prestigious Tuskegee University in Alabama. I was only there for a year, but it was the best time of my life because I learned so much about the goodness, greatness, grandeur, and grace of God. It was there that I made the decision to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wretchedness to Righteousness Now, let’s be honest, we don’t deserve to serve in the positions that we are in because of who we were during our BC (Before Christ) days. I know I don’t! That is why grace is so amazing to me because through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, our status moved from wretchedness to righteousness in an instant!

God’s grace does not stop at saving us from Hell. His undeserved love is not just to give us a one-way ticket to Heaven. The grace of God is also God being so kind as to convict us about our lifestyle, connect us with godly people, and cultivate us through the church for the work of the ministry.

How Sweet the Sound Saul, that talented tentmaker from Tarsus, would know about the amazing grace of God. He was one who had the self-righteous mission of tearing down the church. He was one of the most notorious men noted in the Bible. If ever there was an Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone or a Theodore Robert “Ted” Bundy of the ancient world, it would be Saul. However, his life instantly changed the day he went to persecute the believers at the First Christian Church of Damascus.

On that dusty road, he was confronted by Jesus about his baneful lifestyle of serial killing, connected to a mature believer with sight, and cultivated by the Damascene church for the work of the ministry.

Grace is amazing because we all have Saul-ish tendencies where we have the proclivity to persecute the church (our sisters and brothers in Christ) with our words, deeds, and unforgiving attitudes. Paul understood this undeserved love and decided to preach it, not just to the Gentiles, but to his own brothers and sisters in Christ (the church). n Dr. Rhansyl Harris is the Lead Pastor of the Rock Church of Cincinnati, Ohio, and adjunct instructor at Cincinnati Christian University. Rhansyl has been joyously married to Shirley for over 16 years, and they are blessed with two children, son, Ryan, and daughter, Raegan.

19b Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?

And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,

Questions and Activities for Small Groups

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By Michael C. Mack “A leopard can’t change its spots”—meaning, people can’t really change their character, especially if it’s bad, even if they pretend they’ve changed. Is this saying true or false? Why?

Read Acts 9:19b-31.

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Why did people have such a hard time believing that Paul had become a Christian? (See 7:58; 8:1; 9:1, 2, 13.)

Paul was not the only person who experienced a 180-degree turnaround. Look at the differences between verses 21 and 25 as well as 26 and 28.

What caused the changes in how the believers regarded Paul?

What was Barnabas’s role in Paul’s acceptance and ministry? (See also 11:25-26; 12:25.)

What do you learn from Paul’s story about ministry calling and requirements? (See also Galatians 1:10-24; Acts 22:17-21; Ephesians 3:7; and note the words “at once” in v. 20.)

When you become a Christ follower, you also become a minister (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). What are the biggest obstacles you’ve found to carrying out your ministry?

Numerous people in this passage had God-given roles to bring about the results we read in verse 31. What is your role in the body of Christ and in your group to carry out Christ’s mission? n Michael Mack writes, leads church training events, and consults with churches through his ministry, Small Group Leadership (www.smallgroupleadership.com).

Background & Printed Text: Acts 9:19b-31

24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.

28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him.

26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.

30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.

31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

TH E LOOKOU T | October 4, 2015

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EVERYDAY FAITH

Becoming a Storyteller

H OM E LIFE

I remember my dad telling us stories about God and how to live a good life. I want to do the same with my kids, but I’m not a good storyteller.

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t’s encouraging to hear about an involved dad who understands that stories are a powerful way to connect with kids and pass on his faith! Anyone can learn to tell a story. You don’t have to possess an extensive background in biblical studies or have a master’s degree in speech. But there are some basics that will help you tell stories that will stay with your children just like the stories your dad told you.

David Lucas, a great storyteller, taught a speech class that we both attended when we were students at Kentucky Christian University. Dave often reminded his students that, “A story well told is never forgotten.”

Rather than giving you a storytelling formula that’s complicated or mechanical, we want to share three simple pointers you can focus on to develop confidence in your ability to tell stories to your kids about God and life.

1. Know the story well.

This is the stage where you absorb the order of the story’s events and get the pieces in place. If the story is from the Bible, use a free resource like BibleGateway.com to look up the story in different translations, especially the more contemporary versions, and read it over until you know the content by heart.

If you are retelling a story you heard from your dad or someone else, ask that person, if possible, to tell you the story again. Listen to the way they tell it and pay attention to the order of events. If the story is from your life, don’t wing it. Instead, thoughtfully go through your story until you know what parts you want to include and what parts you want to omit. Don’t leave out parts of the story just because they describe negative behaviors or undesirable traits. God didn’t flinch at including any of the details in his story.

2. Feel the story.

Feelings are the energy of a story. Most stories contain a range of emotions. If you think about it, the only time we don’t feel emotion is when we are dead. If you don’t include emotion in your story, your story is dead—as in deadly boring!

Adding emotion into a story, without it feeling forced, is not as difficult as it may sound. Get into the shoes of the people in your story and visualize each scene in your imagination as you tell it. If you connect with your story and take its lesson to heart, then expressing the appropriate feelings

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B ev a n d P h i l Ha aBsev a nd P h il Haas should be a natural follow-through. Keep in mind that if you don’t feel the emotion yourself, your listeners won’t either.

3. Tell the story.

Once you know the story well and feel the emotions of the story, you are ready to tell it. I (Phil) want to share with you the single best advice I’ve received on communicating well: In high school I was terrified of getting up in front of people to talk. After giving an oral book report in my freshmen English class, I vowed to never do that again!

And I didn’t do an oral presentation during the rest of high school. In college I soon discovered that to graduate I had to take a basic speech class. Whenever I had to give a speech, I would practice on Bev to ease my anxiety. What I remember her telling me over and over again was, “Just talk to me, Phil.” Even after completing a master’s degree in speech communications, I have not come across any better advice. Yes, you need to know the story and feel the story, but then relax and tell the story by just talking to your kids!

The Bible teaches us that stories of faith are important for children to hear, and we believe every parent can be a storyteller. Psalm 78:2-4 says, “I will tell you a story. I will tell you about things from the past that are hard to understand. We have heard the story, and we know it well. Our fathers told it to us. And we will not forget it. Our people will be telling this story to the last generation. We will all praise the Lord and tell about the amazing things he did” (Easy to Read Version). You may not become a master storyteller, but you can tell stories that your kids will never forget about God and about living a good life! n Bev and Phil Haas are involved in education and family ministry in Cincinnati, Ohio. They have two children and two grandsons. Send your questions about family life to Bev and Phil Haas in care of The Lookout (lookout@standardpub. com). We regret that personal replies are not always possible.

TH E LOOKOU T | October 4, 2015

NEWS

America’s Relationship with God

Does the United States have a special relationship with God? According to a survey by LifeWay Research, 53 percent of those surveyed believed “God has a special relationship with the USA.” That response is prevalent among evangelical Christians (67 percent agreeing), particularly those 45 years or older (71 percent). The proportion is also higher among women, African Americans, Southerners, and those with a high school degree or less.

Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, offers insights into the findings: “Some Christians view America as an archetype of biblical Israel, chosen and uniquely blessed by God. That’s why Christians sometimes speak of God ‘healing our land,’ when most theologians say this American ‘land’ is not in the same category as the ‘land’ of biblical Israel.”

In addition, the study found that 35 percent of respondents strongly disagree with the statement “America’s best days are behind us.” This outlook is common among Americans with graduate degrees (about 75 percent).

Charity from a Different Faith

Reports of damaged and destroyed churches are deeply disturbing to Christians, and many believers move to action in response. But a perhaps less familiar story is how Muslims are also troubled and respond with charity when Christian churches face harm. Several such incidents happened this year during Ramadan, a time when Muslims worldwide fast and seek God—and Christians worldwide commit to pray that Muslims find faith in Christ.

St. Catherine of Siena Church in Mississauga, Canada, was vandalized by a man who has schizophrenia and is a member of the local Muslim community. “The guy who did it ripped pages out of the Bible,” said Imam Hamid Slimi of the Sayeda Khadija Centre. “He broke the altar. He threw the cross. When I saw this, I thought it was pure injustice. It was just wrong.” So Slimi and his congregation raised $5,000 in one day to help their neighbors.

Muslims also joined in the vast multifaith efforts to repair churches burned by arsonists across the South in the wake of the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. A fundraising page on LaunchGood has raised over $100,000. On it, Imam Zaid Shakir said, “We want to let our African American brothers and sisters know that we stand in solidarity with them during this dark hour.”

In The World

BY MELISSA WUSKE

Record-Breaking Numbers of Syrian Refugees

The crisis in Syria is now deemed “the biggest refugee population from a single conflict in a generation,” according to António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

According to the UNHCR, more than 4 million refugees have left Syria and 7.6 million more have been displaced within the country—and both numbers are expected to keep rising.

Nearly half of the refugees are now in Turkey.

“Worsening conditions are driving growing numbers towards Europe and further afield, but the overwhelming majority remain in the region,” including Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, Guterres said. “We cannot afford to let them and the communities hosting them slide further into desperation.”

Punctuation Wins Appeal

Andrea Cammelleri protested a ticket received for leaving her truck parked in West Jefferson, Ohio. The law prohibited parking “any motor vehicle camper, trailer, farm implement and/or non-motorized vehicle” for more than 24 hours. Eventually Judge Robert Hendrickson granted Cammelleri the win at the appeal.

“By utilizing rules of grammar and employing the common meaning of terms,” wrote Hendrickson, “‘motor vehicle camper’ has a clear definition that does not produce an absurd result. If the village desires a different reading, it should amend the ordinance and insert a comma between the phrase ‘motor vehicle’ and the word ‘camper.’”

Melissa Wuske is a freelance editor and writer. She and her husband, Shawn, live and minister in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Find her work online (melissaannewuske.com).

THE LOOKOU T | October 4, 2015

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