Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 66: Winter Support

Key Verse

“Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 BSB

Lesson

Where do all the birds go in the winter? It is well known that many birds fly south for the winter. But not all birds do so. Many remain in cold regions and endure the snow, ice, and frigid weather including Cardinals, certain wrens, some woodpeckers and others. It is incredible to think that some birds would choose to remain in cold climates when they can so easily fly south to warmer areas. Perhaps if they all went south there would not be enough food for all of them. So how do birds stay warm in the cold and where do they go if not south?

On most nights birds sleep in a nest or on a tree branch. During cold winter nights birds seek warm lodgings out of the wind. Such places include cavities in trees, tree stumps, vine tangles, upturned roots, old barn roofs, and bird houses to name a few. Birds have been known to stay just about anywhere they can find, including a mailbox. I’m sure that post man was quite surprised. Birds tend to only go out in the cold when the must for food. This is why they are seen less during the winter. They only travel as far as required to find insects or bird feeders to eat.

Birds have other ways of combating low temperatures besides going inside. They will often add insulation to their winter roost with bits of moss, twigs, leaves, and man-made material such as paper. They can also ruffle their feathers up to trap more heat around their little body. Of course, the best way birds use to stay warm is to huddle together with other birds. As many as 46 birds have been documented inside one nesting box!1

Birds know the value of relationships. Having others around to support you when things get hard can be a big help and even save your life. The early Christians realized the benefit of relationships and community also. That is why in Hebrews 10:25 Paul encouraged his fellow Christians to meet frequently so they could encourage one another. It is not safe to be a Christian all alone with out the support of fellow believers. Jesus also encouraged believers to get together when he said where two or three are gathered in my name I am there also (Matthew 18:20). We need each other, especially in hard times, for warmth and support.

Questions

What are some things you could do to help ensure birds make it through the cold winter?

Do we have to be part of a church to be Christian?

Can you come up with some other reasons why it is important to meet with fellow Christians?

What could you tell someone who says they don’t need other Christians?

Sources

1 Joe Smith. “How Do Birds Stay Warm on a Cold Winter’s Night?” (JANUARY 19, 2016). The Nature Conservancy. Accessed January 1, 2018 from https://blog.nature.org/science/2016/01/19/how-birds-stay-warm-cold-winters-night/.



Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: christijamin via www.pixabay.com

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 51: Sweet Living

Key Verse

“If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men.” Romans 12:18 WEB


Lesson

What is an animal that looks like a chipmunk, glides like a flying squirrel, and has a pouch like a kangaroo? Any guesses? A Sugar Glider of course. If you have seen one before then you would agree they are quite cute. They also make very good pets. Sugar Gliders are amazing creatures.

They get the name “Sugar” from their love of sweet food and “Glider” from their ability to glide from tree to tree. They have a membrane of skin between their front and back legs that allow them to glide on the air. They can glide up to 150 feet (45m).

The Sugar Gliders diet includes lots of fruit as well as nectar, sap, and small insects. They live in Gum Trees and also eat the gum they produce. Sugar Gliders are very social creatures and live in groups of 20 to 40. Interestingly, they rarely fight among themselves. They are peaceful creatures and only fight when attacked.1

As humans we have a tendency to argue and even fight. But as Christians, Jesus calls us to live differently. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:18 to live as peacefully as we possible can. We are to be quick to forgive and slow to anger just as Jesus is. Sometimes this can be hard. But it will help our lives be more peaceful and sweet. Jesus left us an example of how to live peacefully in the Sugar Glider. 

Questions

Is it easy to live peacefully with others? Why or why not?

What are some practical ways we can live peacefully even when its difficult?

What can we do when we are angry at someone else?

Can you think of another lesson we can learn from the Sugar Glider?

Sources

1. Active Wild, “Sugar Glider Facts,” Active Wild, October 15, 2015, retrieved April 21, 2017 from http://www.activewild.com/sugar-glider-facts/.


Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: andyround62 via www.pixabay.com

Leadership Lessons Series: Sexuality

Key Text

"And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 (WEB)


Lesson

Discussing sex in ministry is usually uncomfortable. So we often avoid it. But discussing it is necessary and beneficial. I have found my listeners appreciate hearing a Biblical perspective. You don't have to lead an open discussion. You can do all the talking and they can do all the listening. This often makes it a bit less awkward. I begin by telling my listeners that I am about to give them a talk on Biblical sexuality and they don't have to discuss it unless they want to. I tell them I will be available afterword for private questions. I have heard a lot of talks on this subject delivered in a judgmental and hurtful way. So I have shared my notes below from a talk I gave about this topic in the hopes it will help others to approach this subject in a non-judgmental and less awkward manor.

                                                                  --------

Our culture tends to take sex for granted. God has a different plan, to Him, sexuality is something special. See Matthew 19:5; Proverbs 4:23. As the creator and originator of sexuality God knows best how it should work. God offers us a better way that will lead to happiness and wholeness for us and our family. Our culture promotes doing what feels good now, but God asks us to be patient so he can give us something better.

God's plan for sexuality is that it be only between one man and one woman in exclusive marriage. Sin has perverted sexuality. Premarital sex and cohabitation are normal in our society. These are not the best way to find a happy marriage. Our sexual urges are perverted too. The Bible says in Matthew 5:28 that lusting after a person is not healthy and wrong. Lusting means things like pornography and desiring someone for only what you can get.

Our perverted sexual urges mean that some people struggle with all sorts of unhealthy sexual desires such as desiring multiple wives, boyfriends, or sexual partners at the same time. Others include bisexual and homosexual attraction. The Bible tells us acting on these urges or temptations is unhealthy and wrong. There is also mounting scientific evidence that doing these things (premarital sex, cohabitation, divorce, pornography, polygamy, homosexuality, and lust) can be unhealthy. You likely know someone who has been hurt by divorce and how unhealthy it is for everyone involved.

Many of these things may seem impossible to avoid or overcome, but they are not. Jesus promises to give us the strength and ability to overcome. I have personally known many people who have stayed free from these unhealthy sexual acts. That does not mean they were not tempted, even Jesus was tempted. But it is certainly possible. Jesus even calls some people to celibacy. Jesus promises to give us the power to do what he asks.

The most important thing to remember is that sexuality is only part of who a person is. Sexual desires are part of a deeper desire for intimacy and love. We all long for love and that is what we need most, 1 Peter 4:8. And you can have that right now. You do not have to wait for marriage or the right person. Love and intimacy can come from any relationship, parents, sibling, grandparents, friends. Love and intimacy are part of every relationship not just romantic ones although it may be shown differently. The best thing is that we can have love and intimacy with the Creator and King of the Universe right now.

So what about people who have not lived up to the standards God calls us to? Anyone who has been in a Christian church very long has likely heard about purity. You may feel negative towards the idea. Perhaps you think that once you have stumbled, your purity is gone forever. Here is some news: you were born impure! Everyone has inherited a sinful nature from Adam and Eve. Jesus is the only one who can make us pure, our actions cannot, Romans 11:6. The great news is that Jesus can restore our purity no matter what we have done! If you or someone you know struggles with unwanted sexual temptations, please talk to someone like a pastor, mentor, or counselor. They are trained and want to help!

We must respect everyone who has not lived up to God's standards, because neither have we. We also must respect their freedom to choose not to live by those standards. God gives them (and us) that choice and so must we. So how do we act towards people who have not lived up to the standards God calls us to? Ganoune Diop, a leading religious freedom advocate delivered an address to a United Nations conference in 2016 about Biblical teaching on human sexuality in which he answers this question. He said, “It means saying ‘No’ to discrimination or any form of violence. It means demonstrating that people can believe differently, and be different, while sharing the same humanity; it means living in the common public space with respect for the dignity of every person; it means recognizing that each person has been granted the right — and responsibility—of freedom by their Creator.”1

Sources
1. Bettina Krause, “Adventist Leader Discusses Sexuality at UN Conference,” Adventist Review Online, posted JUNE 29, 2016, accessed January 3, 2017, http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story4137-adventist-leader-discusses-sexuality-at-un-conference.

Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: Pexels

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 22: Spiritual First Aid

Key Verse

The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. Psalms 147:11 (KJV)

Lesson

When you get a cut on your finger what do you do? The first thing most people do is say “ouch.” After that they seek first aid. First, they wash the cut with soap and water. Then they put antibiotic ointment and a bandage on it. Have you ever stopped to think why people do this? The antibiotic ointment fights off the bad germs. The bandage keeps new germs and dirt from getting it. This helps the cut to heal quickly. It helps keep it from getting infected.

Each one of us has been wounded and hurt by sin. Sometimes it hurts just as bad as a cut finger. The Bible promises that Jesus will heal us. It also promises to protect us from further infection. How do we stay protected? By maintaining a close relationship with Jesus. When we don’t stay close to Jesus every day, we are more easily hurt when others make fun of us or insult us and more prone to worry or anger.

When we spend time with Jesus every day by praying and reading the Bible, we are filled with his love. We are sure that we are loved and we can withstand being made fun of or insulted. We are much less likely to worry or get angry because we know Jesus is in control of everything. When we know deep in our heart Jesus cares about even a small cut, that assurance protects us like a bandage. It does not mean we will never feel pain again, we still live in a sinful world until Jesus returns and makes all things new. Even a cut hurts sometimes under a bandage while it is healing.

We can take comfort by remembering that Jesus has feelings too. He hates it when his children suffer. Matthew 10:29 encourages us with the knowledge that even the sparrows are under God’s watch. It should also remind us that Jesus is hurt when we ignore him. He is our close friend and wants to spend time with us daily. You know that feeling when a bandage is ripped off? I think that is kind of how Jesus feels when we put other things in place of him. On the other hand, when we accept him as our friend and Savior, when we renew that relationship by spending time with him and show our faith in him, Jesus is pleased (see key verse).

Questions

How can we spend meaningful time with Jesus? Be specific.

How do you build a real friendship? Do you do the same thing when building a relationship with Jesus?

Do you know you are loved? How?

Written by David F. Garner
Photo Credit: DLG Images

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 15: Tent Stakes At Stake

Key Verse

Look at Zion the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor any of its cords be broken. Isaiah 33:20 WEB

Lesson

Tent stakes are a small piece of gear. But if you have ever spent a night without them you know how big of a difference they can make. They have a very big job. Tent stakes are used to anchor tents to the ground in one place. In the past, tents could not even stay erect without the stake to hold the fabric tight. Today a tent can be set up with out stakes but they are still necessary to make the tent secure.

Tent stake are great because they can turn almost any type of ground into a place to call home. Without this key part, the tent may not be much good. Stakes can make the difference between an enjoyable night and a miserable one. In severe weather they can even save your life. When you purchase a new tent, they come with instructions warning that the tent is not secure unless it is staked down.

In Isaiah 33:20 we read a promise God is making to the Children of Israel. He says that Jerusalem, their capital city and the place where God’s temple is, will never be removed. It will be like a tent with stakes they can never be plucked up. However, this promise is conditional. In verse 15 we see that the promise is conditional on the Children of Israel keeping their end of the covenant—they must stay faithful to God.

Throughout the bible we find instructions on how we are to keep our end of the covenant God made with us by sending his Son to die for our sins. We must follow the 10 Commandments and we should worship Him. But this is not enough. We must also love our enemies; we must show mercy to those who don’t deserve it. We must be willing to sacrifice everything to follow God. Only then will we be sure that our salvation is secure as a staked tent in a storm.

Tent stakes might make your tent look complete but don’t do much good if they are not used. Likewise, if we appear to have a relationship with God outwardly by doing all the right things, but don’t use God’s word to change our inward character, those outward actions don’t really do us much good. Tent stakes work best when used properly.


Questions

What other instructions does the Bible provide for us to keep our covenant with God?

How does a relationship with God change us on the inside?

What keys does the Bible provide to know when we are being changed by God? (Think Galatians 5:22-23)

Written by David F. Garner
Photo Credit: Jan Uthoff via commons.wikimedia.org under a CC 3.0 License.