Articles for tag: International Sunday School Lesson

August 28, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 3, 2017: The Rainbow (Genesis 8:20-22; 9:8-17)

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 August 27, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The God of the Bible is a covenant-making God. He makes agreements and contracts (literally “cuts” a deal) with the creation he has made. Our lessons during September will concern some of these covenants (the rainbow, circumcision, the Sabbath, and the Spirit-filled heart). The Hebrew word for covenant, berit, appears 284 times in the Old

August 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 27, 2017: Called to Be Inclusive (Acts 10)

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 August 20, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Years ago we participated in an ordination service for a good ministry friend. The service was held at Broadway Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. The preacher was Dr. Marshall Leggett. His text for the Sunday morning message was Acts 10:1″“11:18. The opening line of the message was, “That door just keeps getting wider.” Reading the

August 14, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 20, 2017: Called to Preach (Acts 9:1-31)

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 August 13, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The opening line in John R.W. Stott”s book Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century is, “Preaching is indispensable to Christianity.” The apostle Paul argues for that truth in Romans 10:14-17 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. More specifically it is the message preached that is indispensable. But how can one hear the

August 7, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 13, 2017: Called to Break Down Barriers (Acts 8)

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 August 6, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  When it comes to evangelism it is far better to build bridges than erect barriers. God called his church in the book of Acts to intentionally break down barriers. God”s ultimate plan is to unite all things (people especially) under the headship of Christ (Ephesians 1:9, 10). Some people are geographically close to us but

July 24, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 30, 2017: Amos (Amos 7)

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 July 23, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In the field of education, accreditation is an organized means of ensuring academic quality. One question might be: who determines that academic quality? Who has the authority to say whether or not some aspect of education is good? What happens if those with the credentials, the clout, the majority, and the machinery are all wrong?

July 17, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 23, 2017: Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1″“3)

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 July 16, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The librarian says, “You are what you read.” The designer says, “You are what you wear.” The athlete says, “You are what you train.” Hollywood says, “You are what you watch.” But the dietician says, “You are what you eat.” Ezekiel”s call to prophetic service embraced eating something. The call of Ezekiel was involved, took

July 10, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 16, 2017: Jeremiah (Jeremiah 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 the July 9, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  It would seem that when God wants to make a prophet, he first takes him to the desert and crushes him. Tears make a prophet better than laughter does. The crucible of suffering is the best birthing room of a prophet. Jeremiah would have been glad to continue the family business of being a priest

June 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 25, 2017: Samson (Judges 13-16)

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 the June 18, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  I do not like Samson. Like Esau, he was a sensualist (Hebrews 12:16, 17). He lived by his glands instead of his God. He was a playboy. The Samson narrative in Judges (chapters 13-16) is filled with rebellion, sexual immorality, anger, revenge, disappointment, heartache, and a glimmer of hope. That being said, Samson judged Israel

June 12, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 18, 2017: Jephthah (Judges 11)

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 June 11, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In the book of Judges, the judges get progressively worse as we go along. We”ve gone from Deborah and Barak (good) to Gideon (all right) to Jephthah (not stunning) and next week to Samson (terrible). The enemies of Israel in our lessons also get progressively worse, from the Canaanites to the Midianites to the Ammonites.

June 5, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 11, 2017: Gideon (Judges 6-8)

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 June 4, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Damon Runyan said, “The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but that”s the way to bet.” That is, unless you are God. When God is in the equation, swiftness and strength are not necessary. He can make up what anyone lacks. Gideon”s self-confession was neither swift nor strong.

May 22, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 28, 2017: Pervasive Love (Jonah 4)

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 May 21, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God”s love is pervasive (expanding, spreading, and permeating). Jonah”s love was narrow, miserly, and shrunken. The angry prophet desperately needed to get on the same page with the Lord when it came to his wide embrace of all people. That is the story of Jonah 4. Last week”s lesson dealt with forgiveness. Jonah could announce

May 1, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 7, 2017: Sustaining Love (Jonah 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 the April 30, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The book of Jonah is minor due to its size, not due to its content. The book touches upon some major biblical themes””God”s sovereignty in creation, God”s love for the nations, Jesus” resurrection, and the high priority of obedience in the lives of the Lord”s servants. In this story we see the prophet Jonah running

April 24, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 30, 2017: Protecting Love (John 10:1-15)

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 April 23, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  John”s Gospel is rich in metaphor. A key verse in our text today is v. 6: Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. One would think that Pharisees could understand the protecting love metaphors of gates and sheep, given their culture and biblical history. Sometimes

April 17, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 23, 2017: Reconciling Love (Romans 5:1-11; 8:31-39)

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 April 16, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  How did the facts of Jesus” death on the cross and his empty tomb set things right between God and humanity? How to articulate the atonement is of great debate among scholars today. Twelve different New Testament words and at least six different models have to be examined. Many of those are in Romans. Romans

April 10, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 16, 2017: Victorious Love (John 19:38-42; 20:1-10; 1 Peter 1:3-9)

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 April 9, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God”s victorious love unites with his resurrection power to bring life out of death. Out of the watery chaotic mass of the earth God brought light (Genesis 1:2, 3). Out of the death of Egyptian bondage God brought a new people (Exodus 14:30, 31). Out of the Babylonian exile God brought a remnant home (Ezra

March 27, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 2, 2017: Shepherding Love (Psalm 23)

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 March 26, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  David”s music comforted King Saul (1 Samuel 16:23), but the lyrics of the shepherd”s 23rd psalm comfort us all. Who hasn”t been moved by the words of this most famous passage? It has been read at more funeral services than any other psalm. It underlines God”s comfort, provision, discipline, guidance, joy, reception, and affirmation. This

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 26, 2017: Restoring Love (Joel 2)

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 March 19, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God”s love is perfect, great, and matchless (the subjects of the former three lessons). But because humans are involved, God”s love must also be restorative. David Brymer sings a worship song entitled “Restoration.” The people during the time of the prophet Joel would have liked that song. Regardless of when the book is dated, the

March 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 19, 2017: Matchless Love (John 15:1-17)

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 March 12, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Matchless means peerless; no equal; unsurpassed. When we speak of God”s love for us, it is matchless. Our text is in the middle of what is called the Farewell Discourse of Jesus. The content stretches from John 13″“15. It was the night of his betrayal. In an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem, Jesus met with

March 6, 2017

Kelly Carr

Lesson for March 12, 2017: Great Love (Ephesians 2:1-10)

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 March 5, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The Bible is not flat. While all Bible verses are inspired by God, not all verses are created equal. Some verses point more strongly than others toward the big story. God has his own way of highlighting the big things of the book. What is it that makes a Bible passage stand out so? Is

February 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for February 19, 2017: Freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1-17)

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 February 12, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Benjamin Franklin was leaving Independence Hall in Philadelphia when the Constitutional Convention ended, and a certain Mrs. Powel asked Mr. Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Not hesitating, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” The apostle Paul says something very similar in our text. Freedom has

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