Articles for tag: David Faust

Jan 17 | Discovery

Study Questions for Groups — In what ways are a person’s motives important to how they practice their faith?

January 4, 2021

Mark Scott

Jan 10 | Unconventional Wisdom

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. He also serves as minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin. This lesson treatment is published in the January 2021 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES “Don’t Stay the Way You Are” by David Faust (Lesson Application) Discovery Questions for Jan. 10, 2021 ________ Lesson Aim: Let love define your righteousness. ________ In Jesus’ upside-down kingdom, the most unlikely people (Matthew 5:3-12) have the most sway

January 4, 2021

Jan 10 | Discovery

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Jan. 10, 2021: Unconventional Wisdom (Matthew 5:17-22, 27-28, 31-35, 38-39, 43-48) “Don’t Stay the Way You Are” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups 1. What challenge did you face or what blessing did you receive last week? 2. In what specific way did you “let your light shine before others” over the past week? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 5:17-22, 27-28, 31-35, 38-39, 43-48 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to summarize the teaching in one

December 28, 2020

Mark Scott

Devotionals

Jan 3 | Backward Blessings

The unit for January 2021 is the “Sermon on the Mount,” and the theme is “Upside-Down Kingdom.” Our lesson writer, Dr. Mark Scott, shares, “The greatest sermon ever preached was so upside down. It was countercultural and counterintuitive in every way. It turned the world’s wisdom on its head. From it we learn who is truly blessed, how high the bar of righteousness really is, where genuine rewards are located, what focused generosity looks like, and how to make judgments that are not warped.” (This lesson treatment is published in the January 2021 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout.

December 28, 2020

Jan 3 | Do the Opposite

In an episode of the TV show Seinfeld, Jerry’s friend George sits in the coffee shop bemoaning his bad luck. He says, “My life is the opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, in every aspect of life . . . it’s all been wrong.”

December 21, 2020

He’s Got Your Back (Dec. 27 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 27, 2020: Fulfilled through Hope (Matthew 12:1-23) ________ By David Faust Last December 31 when we celebrated the New Year, I told my wife, “2019 has been rough, but I have a good feeling about 2020. It’s going to be a great year!” Clearly, I don’t have the gift of prophecy. The year 2020 brought a global pandemic, racial strife, economic upheaval, and political turmoil. Someone joked that in the future 2020 will become a one-word catchphrase to describe a big mess. When asked, “How was your day?” you can

December 21, 2020

Discovery Questions for December 27, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Dec. 27, 2020: Fulfilled through Hope (Matthew 12:1-23) “He’s Got Your Back” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack Leader: Provide extra time for this lesson, especially for question 2 as you recap this past year and question 9 as you plan for next year. 1. What challenge or blessing did you experience last week? 2. What was your biggest challenge and your biggest blessing of 2020? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 12:1-23 one after the other, preferably from different

December 14, 2020

The Day I Visited a King’s Palace (Dec. 20 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 20, 2020: Fulfilled through Promise (Matthew 2:1-15) ________ By David Faust While in Israel filming a documentary about the basics of the Christian faith, I visited Herodium, the palatial residence designed for King Herod’s protection and pleasure. By all accounts Herod was paranoid and cruel. He tortured and killed family members, servants, and bodyguards. Ironically, this ruthless ruler who destroyed so many lives was an innovative and prolific builder who oversaw the construction of enormous forts, palaces, water projects, and Jerusalem’s crown jewel, the Jewish temple. Herodium (also known as

December 14, 2020

Discovery Questions for December 20, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Dec. 20, 2020: Fulfilled through Promise (Matthew 2:1-15) “The Day I Visited a King’s Palace” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What challenge did you face last week? 2. In what way did you tell others about Jesus (“the Lord saves”) and Immanuel (“God is with us”) last week? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 2:1-15 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to retell the story as if sharing it with a

December 7, 2020

The Second Choice (Dec. 13 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 13, 2020: Fulfilled through Love (Matthew 1:18-25; 22:34-40) ________ By David Faust Joseph’s second choice impresses me more than his first one. His first choice was relatively easy. Mary was an eligible young woman, and no doubt Joseph found her attractive. Nazareth wasn’t a big town. It’s likely their families knew each other well and their parents approved of their engagement. The local grapevine buzzed with cheerful chatter about their upcoming wedding. As a gift for his wife, Joseph may have used his carpentry skills to build furniture for their

December 7, 2020

Discovery Questions for December 13, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Dec. 13, 2020: Fulfilled through Love (Matthew 1:18-25; 22:34-40) “The Second Choice” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What from this past week would you like to thank God for? 2. In what way did you bear fruit over the last week? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 1:18-25 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to retell the story as if telling it to a group of high school students. Then ask

November 30, 2020

Why Begin with Begats? (Dec. 6 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 6, 2020: Fulfilled through Generations (Matthew 1:1-17) _ _ _ By David Faust Imagine you’re reading the Bible through for the first time. The Old Testament comes to a close, and you sense silent centuries passing by while God prepares to turn the page to a new day and a new covenant. Eager to read the groundbreaking good news, you turn to Matthew 1, only to find the New Testament begins with “begats”—branches on a Hebrew family tree. If you and I wrote the Bible, we probably wouldn’t have done

November 30, 2020

Discovery Questions for December 6, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Dec. 6, 2020: Fulfilled through Generations (Matthew 1:1-17) “Why Begin with Begats?” by David Faust (Lesson Application) _ _ _ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What challenges did you face last week? 2. Since we last met, with whom did you personally seek reconciliation or share God’s message of reconciliation? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 1:1-17 aloud,one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to briefly summarize the passage. 3. What stands out to you most in this

November 23, 2020

I Missed You (Nov. 29 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 29, 2020: Seek Reconciliation (Philemon 8-21) ________ By David Faust “I missed you.” I found myself saying those words a lot when the coronavirus pandemic began to ease early this summer. One by one, friends emerged from quarantine. Worshippers inched back to the church building for in-person services. Restaurants reopened. During weeks of lockdown in the spring, I stayed in touch with my granddaughters by phone, text, and Zoom, but I longed to see them face-to-face. I missed the servers at the local deli. I missed visiting patients in the

November 23, 2020

Discovery Questions for November 29, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Nov. 29, 2020: Seek Reconciliation (Philemon 8-21) “I Missed You” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What challenges did you face last week at work, with family, or in other circumstances? 2. What good did you do this past week, especially to show someone else that God is good? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Philemon 8-21 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to take about one minute to summarize the passage. 3.

November 16, 2020

Good for You (Nov. 22 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 22, 2020: Be Devoted to Doing Good (Titus 3:1-11) ________ By David Faust Three times in Titus 3, Paul emphasizes that believers ought to “do whatever is good” (vv. 1, 8, 14). What does goodness look like on a practical level? Goodness often has a hard edge. Something can be good even when it doesn’t feel good. A mother tells her children, “Eat your vegetables. They’re good for you.” A football coach makes his players run laps around the field when they’re already tired from a long practice session. “The

November 16, 2020

Discovery Questions for November 22, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Nov. 22, 2020: Be Devoted to Doing Good (Titus 3:1-11) “Good for You” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What struggle or trial did you face over the past week? 2. As you interacted with people in your spheres of influence last week, how did you make the gospel “attractive”? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Titus 3:1-11 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to summarize the passage as if sharing the teaching

November 9, 2020

Mark Scott

Lesson for Nov. 15, 2020: Teach What Is Appropriate (Titus 2:1-15)

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 the November 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES “How Do We Treat Those Student Drivers?” by David Faust (Lesson Application) Discovery Questions for Nov. 15, 2020 ________ Lesson Aim: Commit to proper application of biblical teaching to every demographic in the church. ________ By Mark Scott Seth Wilson said, “All of our efforts to control people show our failure to

November 9, 2020

How Do We Treat Those Student Drivers? (Nov. 15 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 15, 2020: Teach What Is Appropriate (Titus 2:1-15) ________ By David Faust My 16-year-old granddaughter is learning how to drive. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I tossed Kayla the car keys and sat next to her in the passenger seat while she drove around our church’s empty parking lot. She practiced parallel parking, inching the car between the painted lines. At one point she accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal and we sped toward the curb. As we jerked to a stop she exclaimed, “I’m sorry, Papa!”

November 9, 2020