Theology &amp; Bible

Lesson for March 24, 2019: God Blesses Those Who Forgive (Joseph)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 3 (weeks 9-12; March 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 45:1-15; 50:15-21 Lesson Aim: Seek the blessing of healing, which comes through forgiveness ______ By Mark Scott “When deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive. . . . Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future” (Mary Karen Read, last journal entry before being

March 11, 2019

Lesson for March 17, 2019: God Blesses the Unexpectant (Sarah)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 3 (weeks 9-12; March 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 21:1-7 Lesson Aim: Trust that even a small faith brings the Lord’s blessings. ______ By Mark Scott Sometimes God is just off-the-charts good—like in his creation of the world (Genesis 1:31), in blessing the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45), in his plan to save Jew and Gentile (Romans 11:33-36), in supplying all our

March 4, 2019

Lesson for March 10, 2019: God Blesses the Repentant (Judah)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 3 (weeks 9-12; March 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 37:26, 27; 44:17-34 Lesson Aim: Experience the blessing of God through repentance. ______ By Mark Scott The website for futurologist Leonard Sweet is called “Preach the Story.” The thesis of the website is that in all the little stories of the Bible there is the embedded big story of God’s plan to rescue

February 27, 2019

Communion & Lord's Supper Theology & Bible

Baptism Theology & Bible

A Different Kind of Death, Burial, & Resurrection Story

Two New Chicagoland Churches Planted Where All Seemed Lost By Melissa Wuske Biblical stories are full of surprisesâitâ™s easy to forget that when you become so familiar with them. Seas part, cowards lead, the sick are healed, people with shady pasts are listed in the genealogy of the Son of God. Resurrection is the biggest surprise of them all. Dead things are supposed to stay dead. Sure, a sick person may recover, but whatâ™s dead is dead. God still uses the element of surprise to remind us who he is and what heâ™s capable of, to bring his kingdom on

February 26, 2019

Stuart Powell

Remembering Jesus: Bread, Cup, and Fellowship of Believers

By Stuart Powell When Christians gather to partake of the bread and the cup, we have one key focus: remembering Jesus. Our Lord instructed his followers to do this. “Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me’” (Luke 22:19, New English Translation). Most of us celebrate Communion in a comfortable, modern building, but have you considered how our setting compares to those of earlier generations? Paul offers a clue to this in his second letter to

February 25, 2019

Lesson for March 3, 2019: God Blesses the Faithful (Isaac)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 3 (weeks 9-12; March 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 26:3-6, 12, 13, 23-33 Lesson Aim: Have confidence that God blesses those who live by his promises. ______ By Mark Scott A Sunday school children’s song contains the lyrics, “Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line.” Cute song. Bad hermeneutics. The fact is that we participate in

February 18, 2019

Lesson for February 24, 2019: God Is with You When You Feel Outcast (Ishmael/Hagar)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 2 (weeks 5–8; February 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 21:8-20; 17:19, 20 Lesson Aim: Know that even when others abandon you, God will not. ______ By Mark Scott Headings matter. The New International Version titles this text, “Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away.” The English Standard Version titles this text, “God Protects Hagar and Ishmael.” The first heading emphasizes Abraham’s duty. The latter

February 11, 2019

Lesson for February 17, 2019: God Is with You in Your Oppression (Joseph)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 2 (weeks 5–8; February 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 39:1-4, 19-23 Lesson Aim: Be assured that God will never forsake you in times of trouble. ______ By Mark Scott We sometimes use the expression, “There is light at the end of the tunnel,” when we want to emphasize that good is on the way and that soon our “tunnel experience” will end.

February 4, 2019

Doctrinal Issues & Debates Theology & Bible

Lesson for February 10, 2019: God Is with You in Blessed Times (Jacob)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 2 (weeks 5–8; February 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Don’t forget that God is the source of your blessings. ______ By Mark Scott Long ago Jewish prayers often started, “Blessed be he . . .” Prayer began with blessing God. The irony is that God, who deserves all the blessing, has blessed us (Ephesians 1:3-14). Surely we experience difficult days on this

January 29, 2019

Michael C. Mack

Debatable Issues

By Michael C. Mack As you read this issue, you may not agree with every writer’s viewpoint. Several articles contain debatable issues, and, in one case, we go “In the Arena” on a highly contentious matter: women’s involvement in teaching and leadership in the church. We believe it’s helpful to provide a forum in which readers can consider both sides of debatable issues. In churches large and small, leaders are discussing these issues, and we hope to provide biblical perspectives from others who have already done the hard work of studying, applying, and even teaching on these matters. I ask

January 28, 2019

Lesson for February 3, 2019: God Is with You in Your Failings (Adam and Eve)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1 (weeks 5–8; February 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Know that God is with you even when you make mistakes.. ______ By Mark Scott The word closer sums up much of the Bible’s content. God is always wanting to get closer to people. Even in our text today God is pictured as walking in the garden (near Adam and Eve) in the

January 22, 2019

Salvation Theology & Bible

Meaning of the Cross

By Randy Gordon What does the cross mean to you? The question is simple enough, but I fear few of us give it much thought. Maybe it’s because we see the cross in so many places. We see it on necklaces, bracelets, and pendants. We see it painted on the sides of train cars. We see it on the roadside after terrible auto accidents. We might even hang it on the wall of our home. Christians have embraced the cross, but in Jesus’ day, the cross represented capital punishment. In fact, execution on a cross was the Romans’ primary form

January 21, 2019

Lesson for January 27, 2019: God Is Pleased with Faithful Obedience (Abraham—Genesis 12:1-7; 22:15-19)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1 (weeks 1–4; January 6–27, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Faithfully obey the Lord and experience his rich blessings. ______ By Mark Scott Faith in God is like a muscle in the body. It has to be stretched to be strong. Each of the Old Testament people we have studied this month had their faith stretched. Abel stretched his faith with his sacrifice.

January 14, 2019

Lesson for January 20, 2019: God Is Pleased with a Prayer of Faith (Eleazar—Genesis 24:7-9, 40)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1 (weeks 1–4; January 6–27, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Be confident that the Lord hears your prayer of faith. ______ By Mark Scott Prayer is hard to understand. It only works because a merciful God wills it to work. How can God be sovereign and yet open to our suggestions? But God invites (commands?) his people to pray. He is hurt by

January 7, 2019

Lesson for January 13, 2019: God Is Pleased with a Faithful Walk (Enoch and Noah—Genesis 5:21-24; 6:8–7:1; 9:1)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1 (weeks 1–4; January 6–27, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Walk with the Lord and experience his goodness and blessing. ______ By Mark Scott Chapters 4 and 5 of Genesis contrast. Genesis 4 is filled with ugly things (murder, pride, and regret). Genesis 5 is filled with good things (long life, faithfulness, prayer, and comfort). Years ago Wilbur Smith and Wilbur Fields marked

December 31, 2018

Lesson for January 6, 2019: A Gift of Faith that Pleases God (Abel—Genesis 4:2-16)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1 (weeks 1–4; January 6–27, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: By giving of our first and best we exhibit a pleasing faith like Abel. ______ By Mark Scott Things went downhill fast after the serpent deceived our first parents in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve failed to trust the goodness of God and embraced a culture of death. Sin can cause even our

December 24, 2018

Lesson for December 30, 2018: Whole World (Luke 24:36-48)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 13 (weeks 49–53; December 9–30, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Give witness to the name of Jesus for the whole world. ______ By Mark Scott Perhaps you’ve heard the advice, “Buy what you’re selling.” You wouldn’t expect a Ford salesman to drive a Chevy. On the threshold of a new year Christians may well want to ask, “If we are not convinced that

December 18, 2018

Communion & Lord's Supper Theology & Bible

A Mirror in the Manger

(This Communion Meditation originally appeared in our issue from December 26, 2004.) By Lee Magness But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4, 5). The scene is a sparse hill in ancient Judea, not far from Jerusalem. Nearby is a cave. Jesus wears one meager garment. Mary watches, wondering what it all means. A man stands by, not the father of Jesus, but the one who will care for her. Beneath Jesus are

December 17, 2018

Lesson for December 23, 2018: Whole Prophecy (Luke 2:1-14)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 13 (weeks 49–53; December 9–30, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Marvel at how God wholly fulfilled prophetic promises in Jesus. ______ By Mark Scott One evidence that the Bible is divine is the record of fulfilled predictive prophecies. The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years by at least 40 different human writers. The evidence of fulfilled prophecy is extremely faith

December 13, 2018