Articles for tag: Mark Scott

Lesson for June 10, 2018: Parables of God’s Just Kingdom (Matthew 13:24-33)

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. 5 (weeks 21–24; May 27—June 17, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Parables are true-to-life comparisons that break forth into fictional analogies that seem upside down to us and often deceive us into truth by opening up the government of God. This is a homemade definition of parables, with the exception of the phrase “deceiving into truth,” which can be attributed to

Lesson for June 3, 2018: Justice and Sabbath Laws (Matthew 12:1-14)

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. 5 (weeks 21–24; May 27—June 17, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote about the law of fair play. It goes like this. “I gave you a bite of my orange; give me a bite of yours.” Or, “Don’t hit me; I didn’t hit you.” From where did such laws arise? They seem to be innate. It

Lesson for May 27, 2018: Rejoicing in Restoration (Psalm 34:1-10; Hebrews 2:17, 18)

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. 5 (weeks 21–24; May 27—June 17, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  David Brymer sings, “You bring restoration; you bring restoration; you bring restoration to my soul. You’ve taken my pain; called me by a new name. You’ve taken my shame and in its place, you give me joy.” This is the story of redemption personalized in song. Giving praise to God

Lesson for May 20, 2018: Remembering with Joy (Leviticus 25:1-12)

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. 4 (weeks 17–20; April 29—May 20, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  One way to acknowledge God is to rest. Dr. John Walker has said, “A good night’s rest is way overrated.” Indeed, there are valid reasons for not being able to sleep well (see 2 Corinthians 11:27). Fred Craddock observed, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is go to

Lesson for May 13, 2018: Bringing Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14, 22)

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. 4 (weeks 17–20; April 29—May 20, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Our laughter and our tears display our hearts, but our calendars and checkbooks display our priorities. God wanted his people to get first things first. This principle related to every category of their lives. A reoccurring phrase in the book of Leviticus is, “I am the Lord.” God’s peoples’ conduct

Lesson for May 6, 2018: Giving from a Generous Heart (Exodus 35:20-29; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

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 issue no. 4 (weeks 17–20; April 29—May 20, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  One of the best ways to acknowledge God (quarterly theme) and give praise to God (monthly unit theme) is with our “coined” lives. Giving to God in generous stewardship of finances can be a disciplined obligation and a wonderful privilege. But it is at its best when it is the

Lesson for April 29, 2018: Blessing, Glory, Honor Forever (Revelation 5:6-14)

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. 4 (weeks 17–20; April 29—May 20, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In this month of lessons, we have learned that God is “acknowledged” by the resurrection of Jesus (first two lessons), by the obedience of his followers (lesson three), and by heavenly worship (lessons four and five). Everything else pales in comparison to worship. It is a sin to make little

Lesson for April 22, 2018: The Lord God Almighty (Revelation 4:1-6, 8-11)

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 issue no. 4 (weeks 13–16; April 1–22, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Randy Harris teaches at Abilene Christian University. In his freshman Bible class he gives students the following outline to the Book of Revelation: (1) God’s team wins. (2) You get to pick a team. (3) Don’t be stupid. It’s a good outline. The last two lessons for this month come from

Lesson for April 15, 2018: Follow Me (John 21:15-25)

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. 4 (weeks 13–16; April 1–22, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “To follow Christ is to obey Christ.” The apostles had the privilege of literally “coming after” Jesus. For them, following Jesus meant geography, physicality, and proximity. But after Jesus’ resurrection their following of him became more like ours. Obedience outstripped physical presence. The lesson text today picks up

Lesson for April 8, 2018: The Risen Lord Appears (John 21:1-14)

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. 4 (weeks 13–16; April 1–22, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Jesus not only had risen from the dead; he had also appeared alive many times to validate his resurrection. Dr. Lynn Gardner lists at least 10 resurrection appearances by Jesus in the New Testament (Christianity Stands True). These appearances were to individuals and groups, to men and women, to leaders and

Lesson for April 1, 2018: He Has Risen (Luke 24:1-12, 30-35)

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. 4 (weeks 13–16; April 1–22, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Some historians trace the origin of April Fool’s Day to between the 14th and the 16th centuries—some trace it clear back to the time of Noah. The original name may have been “All Fool’s Day.” Regardless of its origin, April Fool’s Day celebrates foolishness, naiveté, and gullibility. But the resurrection of

Lesson for March 25, 2018: Keep My Statutes and Ordinances (2 Chronicles 7:12-22)

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. 9–12 (March 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Praise should not be divorced from obedience. To praise God and then not obey God is hypocrisy. That was the problem on Palm Sunday. On Sunday the crowd said, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9), but by Friday the same crowd said, “Let him be crucified!”

The Communion Distinctive: Drama of the Gospel

By Mark Scott   In the middle of the second century, Justin Martyr gave an account of the weekly worship of Christians. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine

Lesson for March 18, 2018: The People Gave Thanks to God (2 Chronicles 7:1-9)

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 issue no. 9–12 (March 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Giving thanks makes for a busy life. The busiest travel days in the United States occur around the Thanksgiving holiday. Airports are crammed and highways look like parking lots. Even so, Bob Russell says that Thanksgiving is the one holiday that has not suffered extreme commercialization (Bob Russell Ministries Blog, Thanksgiving—My Favorite Holiday,

Lesson for March 11, 2018: There Is No God Like You (2 Chronicles 6:12-21)

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. 9–12 (March 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  This lesson could be brought to you by the letter “P.” The text is a “prayer.” Solomon prayed it on a “platform.” He assumed a certain “posture.” He prayed it at a certain “place” (temple). He acknowledged God’s “promise.” He admitted that it would be “preposterous” to think that God could be contained

Lesson for March 4, 2018: The Lord Will Provide (Genesis 22:1-3, 6-14)

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. 9–12 (March 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  First there was Knowing God by J. I. Packer (1993). Then there was Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby and Claude King (1990). In this series of lessons we will emphasize Acknowledging God. To acknowledge means “to recognize authority or status; to take notice; or to express gratitude.” In acknowledging God we express gratitude

Lesson for February 25, 2018: The Good Fight of Faith (1 Timothy 6:11-21)

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. 5–8 (February 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The apostle Paul used several metaphors to describe the rigor of the Christian life. He likened it to a boxing match (1 Corinthians 9:26), a race (1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7), a wrestling match (Colossians 1:29–2:1), a soldier who pleases his commander (2 Timothy 2:3, 4), an athlete who plays by the

Lesson for February 18, 2018: Faithful Disciples (Acts 9:36-43)

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. 5–8 (February 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Mother Teresa was known for saying, “God did not call me to be successful but to be faithful.” At the end of the day that is the desire of every disciple. What Christian does not long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23)? In our lesson today

Lesson for February 11, 2018: A Disciplined Faith (James 3:1-12)

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. 5–8 (February 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  A disciplined faith encompasses a subject that is in everyone’s mouth: the tongue. J. Wallace Hamilton said, “In the beginning was the Word . . . and since then a billion, million words have been spoken” (Still the Trumpet Sounds). Words matter. The person who said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones,

Lesson for February 4, 2018: Faith without Works Is Dead (James 2:14-26)

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. 5–8 (February 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  We conclude our three-month study of faith this month. Two lessons come from the “blue jeans theology” of the New Testament, namely James. This small five-chapter letter lives close to the ground. It is New Testament wisdom literature and nitty-gritty. It is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount and might

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