Dealing With Limitations

We deal with limitations each day. I cannot type very fast. In fact it will take it about one hour to type this short blog page. My job requires me to type a great deal, so my day is full of hunting and pecking.

When it comes to sharing your faith do you have limitations ? I have many. This week we will see some limitations that Paul had to endure. Paul overcame this limitations with God's help.

What are your limitations ?

How do we overcome these limitations ?

How can we help others with their limitations ?

See you in class.

When The Whole World Is Against You

Have you ever felt that the only friend you have in the world is your dog ? You go to work and someone there has just made you fell six inches tall or a group of your co-workers will not speak to you. At the same time, there may not be harmony in your family. Sometimes you feel alone and you are not sure what you did to deserve this treatment.

This week the world is against Paul. He went to share the Word and for this he gained many enemies. They hated Paul for sharing the truth.

How do we deal with a world that is so evil ?

How do we deal with a person that hates us ?

How do we deal with a friend that dislikes us ?

We have all been there. Lets talk about it.

How To Handle Criticism

"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." Aristotle. There is much truth to that quote. Sometimes it is hard for us to handle criticism the right way. We get our feeling hurt. I know it is hard for me because I want everyone to like me. The reality is, we need criticism. When done correctly it makes us better.

This week Paul is criticized by the people of Jerusalem. We will see how he handles this criticism.

What are some basic reasons that unbelievers criticize those who follow Christ ?

What are some basic reasons that our fellow church members criticize each other ?

What can be done to counter unfair criticism ?

Lord, we can't see each wrong we do,
So send us help from Christians who
Will notice faults we do not see
And tell us of them tactfully. —Branon

Bring your thinking caps to class.

Dealing With The Critics

For I Am With You

On February 27, the newly-elected president of the Balaghat Christian Association was beaten for providing legal help to victims of an earlier Hindu extremist attack on February 22. According to Compass Direct News, “Members of the Hindu extremist group, Bajrang Dal allegedly targeted Dr. Robin Singh, a medical doctor and Christian leader, because he had provided legal and administrative help to Tom George, Sunil Lal and others who had been dragged from a Lent meeting and beaten with bamboo poles, sticks, rods and other weapons. They struck him with their fists and wooden sticks, as well as kicked him, to deftly give him internal injuries.” Pray for believers injured in both attacks. Also pray believers will forgive their persecutors.( Crosswalk.com)

As I studied for today's lesson, I wondered how I would be attacked today for being a christian. It is going to be hot and crowded in class. I be will rushed to get the announcements right. Church will be full and I may lose my favorite seat. It is going to cost me a lot of money to come to church tonight for the services because of gas prices.

Are we at First Baptist Church in Somerville being attacked for being Christians ?

If we are not being attacked are we doing a good job being Christians ?

Let's talk in class about Christian persecutions.

To An Unknown God

In the days after George W. Bush's 2004 reelection, political analysts highlighted the Democratic Party's failure to speak the language of faith in a way that resonated with American voters, particularly Protestant evangelicals. This disconnect was partly due to substantial differences on hot-button social issues, but more from the perception that the Democratic Party was indifferent or hostile to genuine, serious, heartfelt religion. Pundits argued that candidates who ignored religion did so at their own peril. So Democratic strategists began "finding" or "recovering" faith, while Republicans simply tried to keep it.

It was natural, then, for candidates' religion to become a major theme this primary season. From Mitt Romney's Mormonism to Barack Obama's African American Christianity, each candidate's faith was proclaimed in stump speeches or examined by the press. But instead of providing the promised boost, religion became a liability, and candidates have expended as much energy divorcing themselves from religious connections as they have making them. What happened?

This year's primaries suggest a new truism about American political campaigning: While generic religiosity brings life, particular religious connections risk political death—or serious injury. Religious particularity arguably killed Romney's campaign. At the very least, it didn't help his cause. The same could be said of Mike Huckabee. While his evangelical pedigree as a Southern Baptist minister appealed to some voters, it scared even more. And the persistence and potency of the Jeremiah Wright controversy put Obama's campaign in the ER. Amputation was the only remedy. Even John McCain, who is generally mum on religion, had to sever himself from pastors Rod Parsley and John Hagee.

In a pluralistic religious environment, showing your cards—or creeds—can be a bad move politically. Identifying particular religious commitments or accepting pastor endorsements may bring candidates closer to a narrow slice of voters, but it often distances them from even more Americans. *(From Christianity Today )

What is the duty of a Christian in today's politcally enviroment ?

See you in class.