2018-2021 Cycle
“Jesus the Savior”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 25, Session 4: Jesus Raises Lazarus
The Lord specializes in “hopeless” causes. When Jesus got to Lazarus’ grave, there was already a stench. The Lord, it seemed, was four days late. Lazarus was dead. He was deader than dead. In the hands of anyone else, this case would have been hopeless, impossible. But our God is the God of the “impossible.” …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Savior”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 25, Session 4—Jesus Raised Lazarus
The raising of Lazarus is one of my (many) favorite passages in Scripture. For some reason, it has always connected with me. As teachers, this story is either a dream because there are so many wonderful details to explore or a nightmare because there are so many wonderful details to cover. I choose to be …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Savior”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 25, Session 3: Jesus Teaches Difficult Truths
One oddly encouraging thing about the Gospels is seeing just how confused Jesus’ disciples were. When Jesus was being literal, they took Him metaphorically. When He was being metaphorical, they took Him literally. They always seemed to be a few steps behind. Even after the miracle in John 6 when He fed the five thousand, …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Savior”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 25, Session 3—Jesus’ Hard Teachings
Like many parents, my wife, Tara, and I are in this odd season of playing the role of teacher for our three kids who are distance learning for a quarter of school. While Tara is carrying most of the weight of this task, from time to time I am called on to help with a …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Savior”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 25, Session 2: Jesus Tells the Parable of the Sons
What Jesus proposed in this passage—no, in fact, commanded—is a fundamentally and wholly different way of looking at outsiders and the unsaved than we are accustomed to and inclined toward. Think of the daily outrage about “the culture” featured in evangelical social media feeds. We are offended, shocked, and often driven to attack by what should …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Savior”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 25, Session 2—Three Parables
It has been said, in truth, that there are only two types of people: the saved and the lost. That’s it. Just the redeemed and the unredeemed. The forgiven and condemned. Those who are in Christ and those who remain in Adam. This binary perspective of people is quite important. For those of us in …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Savior”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 25, Session 1: Jesus Tells the Kingdom Parables
As you read this right now, there are cares and worries in your life that can steal your joy in Christ if not submitted to His care. You may not be going through anything especially difficult, anything “big,” that could distract you from kingdom fruitfulness, but the danger to get off mission is always there. …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Savior”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 25, Session 1—Kingdom Parables
This week, we will look at some of the kingdom parables from Matthew 13, and then next week we will look at Luke’s three lost parables, so perhaps a parable primer might be helpful. What is a parable? Put as simply as possible, a parable is a made-up story. But this simple definition in no …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Servant”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 24, Session 4—Jesus Showed His Glory
I remember it well. It was April 1985. Coca-Cola, which had been sagging in soft drink sales, unveiled a product everyone was anxious to try: New Coke. New Coke was new, but it was not good. New Coke bombed, leaving Coca-Cola scrambling to crank out the original cola formula, which it branded as Coca-Cola Classic. …
Continue Reading“Jesus the Servant”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 24, Session 3—Jesus Walked on Water
On May 19, 2001, I stood on the platform of FBC Owensboro, Kentucky, with a handful of other men and watched as every head in the audience pivoted on cue as soon as they heard a series of distinct notes play over the organ. The doors in the back of the sanctuary opened, and Tara, …
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