Sunday 10-5-08

Lesson for 10-5-08
This Sunday we will discuss the videos from Annual Conference featuring Dr. Peter Storey. The emphasis was on risk taking missions and evangelism. The text used was Mark 21-12.
Mark 2:1-12 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Mark 2
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
The discussion will turn on some of the challenges Dr. Storey used.
1. "When we ask Jesus into our hearts, he wants to know ‘can I bring my friends?’ So many times we want it to just be us and Jesus, and we don’t want to let in the people Jesus calls his friends."
2. "When we are at the homes of the poor and needy, we are at Jesus’s address."
3. Are we too busy doing "church" to do God’s work?
Even if you have not seen both or either of the videos. You should be able to add to the discussion, and it is our prayer that you learn from the words. Hope to see you Sunday and invite friends.
Go-Fight-Win. Amen