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This is the space where I'm looking to connect parents and their students. On this blog you will find Scripture and questions based on our current Wednesday night study. The goal of this to give parents a resource to initiate intentional conversations with their students. If there are any questions please email me at zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org.





Thursday, June 03, 2010

Acts Study

Acts 1:21-26

Verses lay out the qualifications and function of an apostle
1) close association with Jesus from the time He was baptized by John until the ascension
2) function: to be a witness to the resurrection of Jesus 
would have had to be known to follow Jesus-not just a face in the crowd following Jesus
3) had to be commissioned by Jesus-that's how Paul is considered an apostle-See Acts 26:15-18

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is reserved for prophets, priests, and kings. 
In the New Testament the gift of the Holy Spirit is offered to all. The Holy Spirit gave these people the power to bring the message of light and life to all. 


Symbols of the Spirit
word translated as spirit means wind or breath
the Holy Spirit coming involved 2 of the 5 senses
sound: rush of a might wind-the sound brought the multitudes together
sight: flames-gave them more of spectacle to draw them in

Significance of the Holy Spirt as a wind and fire: a wind can be both peaceful and a powerful force you can't control
fire is associated with a divine appearance (Moses and the burning bush), fire also purifies

Speaking in Tongues or Speaking in a Foreign Languages 
Lots of Jews from all over the world were in Jerusalem for Pentecost or the Festival of Harvest
They would have all spoken in different languages 
The Holy Spirit made it where everyone had a chance to hear the Good News
This points to the fact that the Gospel is for everyone
This passage does not support the practice of speaking in tongues as an act of worship-more a way of communicating the Good News of Christ. 


Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 1:25 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Church's Beginnings/ Acts Study

Passage: Acts 1:1-11

We took the first 10 minutes of our time together to read through this passage and pick the phrases that spoke to us. Some of these are:
"It is not for you to know times of periods that the Father has set by His own authority."
"baptized by the Holy Spirit"
"you will receive power"
"wait for the Father's promise"
"He also presented Himself alive"

We then read through the passage together and broke down what the passage was saying. 
Main Points
1) v.1 (..."began to do and teach") the earthly ministry of Jesus was the beginning of something that would last forever. 
2) this passage is the only time in New Testament that Jesus was on earth for 40 days after resurrection
3) the "proofs" mentioned in v.3 refer to Jesus eating and carrying on conversations with the disciples
4) The main thing Jesus talked about during those 40 days was the Kingdom of God
5) v.6 the disciples thought the promise of God was that they would be restored as a nation-they thought Jesus was a political Messiah who would rescue them from the Romans.
6) In v.7 Jesus tells the disciples He was not on earth to answer their questions about God's time table-He was sent to reveal God and led man into a right relationship with God

Questions 
What does it mean to be 'baptized with the Holy Spirit'? 
What does that image suggest about the Holy Spirit's work in our lives?
What "power does the Holy Spirit bring to Christians? 
How do you specifically need the Holy Spirit's help in being a witness to others?
Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 8:43 AM | 0 comments

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Back2Basics-Fruit of the Spirit 5/19/10

Galatians 5:16-18
Describes the relentless warfare of the flesh and the Spirit-there can be no truce
Choices are never free from this conflict
-the longer we listen to one spirit, the easier it becomes to make choices
The more good choices you make it can get easier to make good choices
The more bad choices you make it can get easier to make bad choices (i.e. lying)

These verses describe what it looks like when we follow our earthly desires. 
Broken down into 3 areas of life:
Sex: not a bad thing, but is designed for a husband and a wife in marriage
Worship: there is a need within us to know and worship God. In the flesh this leads to idolatry. 
Social Relationship:God designed us to be social, the flesh leads to "hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these"

Fruit of the Spirit-what's on the outside is a good indication of what's on the inside

1) love-love as Jesus does-also look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-10, and the sermon series Dr. Burnette just finished
2) joy-feeling of happiness-Paul had joy in prison
3) peace-freedom from disturbance, war, anxiety, or distress, calm
4) patience-long, not short tempered
5) kindess-being friendly, generous, considerate
6) goodness-generosity
7) faithfulness-trustworthiness, loyalty, support
8) gentleness-gentle strength (350lb football player holding a baby-strength is there, but controlled)
9) self-control-inner strength a man uses to take hold of himself

What happened to our sinful nature: Galatians 5:24

Additional Reading Romans 8:1-15


Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 8:46 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Back2Basics-Godly Friendships 5/12/10

This week I brought in a good friend of mine, Justin "Peaches" Felder to come in so he and I could talk about Godly Friendships and accountability partners.

Our key verse was Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron-good relationships are tools that God uses to develop our character.

We broke the night down into 3 parts:

1) Reality of Godly Friendships
Using our friendship as an example: what Godly friendships look like-not boring, with no fun
Comfort level to open up and know it's safe
They can call you on the junk (they know you well enough to know when your hiding something)

2) How to have conversations
Have some questions ready
Be willing to share what God's doing or what you're struggling with
Be in a place of limited interruptions-at home, a restaurant, on the phone
(a friend hurts only that he may help)

3) Kinds of Questions
What's God doing in your life (be prepared to answer what He's doing in your life)
What are you learning from God right now

Other Scriptures
Proverbs 27:19 (We get to know ourselves in relationships-the heart of a man reflects his true character)

Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 8:21 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Back2Basics-Worship 5/5/10

Real Worship is more than showing up and singing songs.
What do you think it means to really worship God.

We defined worship as the action of focusing our thoughts and devotion on God in honor of who He is and what He has done.
Devotion: love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause

Then we defined what we mean by:
Thoughts: Nehemiah 7:1-6
Devotion: Luke 7:36-50
Who: Daniel 4:34 (For an interesting read, read the back story on King Nebuchadnezzar)
What: Matthew 14:22-33 (He saves us)

What can we control in a worship setting? 
We can only control our thoughts and what we're focused on.

Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 7:59 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Back2Basics-Prayer 4/28/10


We defined prayer and broke down several words in the definition for better clarity.
Pray: engage in dialogue with God
Engage: participate or become involved in, establish a meaningful contact or connection with
Dialogue: (noun) conversation between two or more people
(verb) take part in a conversation

1) Prayer was modeled for us by Christ-Matthew 6:5-15
1st 3 petitions (v.9-10) focus on glory of God
2nd petitions (v.11-13) focus on personal needs

2) Prayer is not a solitary experience-Romans 8:26-27
Holy Spirit helps us when we're unsure how to express our prayers

3) Allows us to voice our requests to God-James 4:2-3

4) Prayer enables us to seek forgiveness-Hosea 14:1-7
Acknowledge He is Lord of your life
Confess your sin and ask God's forgiveness
Make a commitment to praise Him
Recognize that you cannot live the Christian life in your own strength 
Commit yourself to turn to Him in your times of trouble and temptation

5) Prayer helps us overcome worry- Philippians 4:6-7

6) Prayer increases our spiritual knowledge and maturity- Jeremiah 33:3
Call on God, listen for His answer, deepen your spiritual understanding
Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 7:33 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Back2Basics-Daily Bible Reading 4/21/10

Key Question: Why is it important to study the Bible daily?

1) Why do we think the Bible is true?
Internal (what the Bible says about itself)
- More than 3,000 times the Bible claims it's absolute truth, written by God through man
- the value Jesus placed on Scripture, 400 years between Old and Jesus
External (proof outside the Bible)
- the word is indestructible: Stalin tried to get rid of all Bibles, when he died, more than when he started
- manuscript evidence-Dead Sea Scrolls
- Unity of the Bible-40 authors spanning 1500 years
- proof in archeology
- fulfillment of prophecies

2) Reason to Study the Bible
-Studying the Bible is necessary for our Spiritual Growth-2 Timothy 3:16
a) Teaches us what is true
b) Shows us what's wrong in our lives
c) Helps is do what's right
-Studying the Bible Keeps us Spiritually Strong-Psalms 119:9-18
-Studying the Bible makes Scripture a central part of our lives-Deuteronomy 11:18-20
-Studying the Bible helps us apply its truth to our lives-Psalms 1:1-3

3) Practical Application
We looked at two methods to extract the meaning of a passage to our daily lives. 

-The SOAP method
Scripture-what verse or line in the passage jumps out to me
Observation-what is this verse saying
Application-how can I apply what the verse is saying to my life
Prayer-pray that God will make the application real in you life and apply the truth He has shown you

-a 3 Question method
1) What is the writer saying?
2) What one question do I have?
3) How can I apply this to my life?


Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 9:22 AM | 0 comments

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Jesus and the Holy Spirit-4/14/10

Key Question: How are Jesus and the Holy Spirit related to each other?
Biblical Truth: Jesus ad the Holy Spirit are one in essence yet distinct Persons.

1) Matthew 3:11,16-17; 28:19; John 3:34; 6:63 Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both Persons of the Trinity.
How were all forms of the Trinity realized at the baptism of Jesus?
What are some of the distinctions between Jesus and the Holy Spirit?
How did Jesus describe the Holy Spirit?

2) Mark 1:12; Matthew 12:22-30 Jesus was guided and empowered by the Spirit when He was on earth.
By whose power did Jesus cast out demons?
Why do you think the Holy Spirit drove Christ into the wilderness?
What help does the Holy Spirit offer to you?

3) Luke 12:11-12; John 7:37-39 Jesus promised the presence of the Holy Spirit to believers
How can the Holy Spirit help you witness when you are at a loss for words?
What dud Jesus reveal about the Holy Spirit?
How important is it to the Christian to have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as your Guide, you Comforter, and your Helper?
How would you explain this presence to a non-Christian?

This concludes our 12 week study on Jesus. From here we'll be doing a 3 week series called Back2Basics.
Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 9:03 AM | 0 comments

Thursday, April 01, 2010

What Jesus is doing now-3/31/10

Key Question: What is Jesus doing now?
Biblical Truth: Jesus is Lord, Giver of life, and our Intercessor

1) Ephesians 1:19-23 Jesus reigns as Lord and King
Defined Lord as someone or something having power, authority, or influence
Why was Jesus given this authority?
Since Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, how does this affect your life?

2) Ephesians 2:1-7, Colossians 3:1-4 Jesus gives eternal life to those who come to Him
What does it mean to be dead in your sins?
What does it mean to have abundant life in Jesus Christ?
Are you more caught up with earthly things or spiritual (eternal) things?
What barriers prevent you from focusing on Jesus and serving Him?

3) Romans 8:31-39, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus is our Intercessor, Advocate, and High Priest
Defined Intercession as the act of doing something on behalf of another person
How is Jesus the bridge between humankind and God?
How is Jesus our perfect High Priest?
How can you turn boredom into abundant life in Christ? 

Reminder: We will not be having services on Wednesday April 7 due to Spring Break
Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 1:21 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, March 25, 2010

After The Resurrection-3/24/10

Recap for 3/17/10
We talked about Jesus being resurrected and looked at Scripture to back this claim up. 
Key Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (There were many witnesses to Christ's resurrection), Romans 6:5-11, 1 Corinthians 15:12-28, 45-57 (The resurrection is the foundation of our faith and guarantee of our own resurrection)

3/24/10 
Key Question: What happened to Jesus after His resurrection?
Biblical Truth: Jesus ascended to heaven and is awaiting His return to earth.

1) Ephesians 4:7-10 Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection
What is significant about Jesus' return to heaven?

2) Hebrews 1:3-4, 5:7-10, 10:12-13, 1 Peter 3:22 Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God
How is Jesus our high priest? (Hebrews 5:1-6)
How is Jesus superior to angels?
How was Jesus obedient when He was on earth?
Why was only one sacrifice needed from Jesus?

3) Acts 1:7-11 Jesus left in the same way He will return
Why do you think the angels addressed the disciples?
How will Jesus return? 

I hope you have a great week and I'm praying for you. 

Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 2:53 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Death of Christ-3/10/10

Key Question: Why did Jesus need to die?
Biblical Truth: The death of Jesus was the only way to redeem us from the penalty of sin. 


Did Jesus need to die or did He choose to die?

1) Romans 5:12-17 Sin Must Be Paid For
How did sin and death enter the world?
How are sins dealt with by Jesus death?

2) Romans 5:6-10 Jesus Chose To Pay For Our Sin
How does Jesus' death prove God's love for us?
In what way are we reconciled to God?

3) Colossians 1:21-22, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 Only Jesus Death Could Accomplish Our Salvation
What is the job of a mediator?
Why is Jesus the only one that could be a ransom for our sin?
Why is Jesus the only one that could, by His death, reconcile us to God? 

Students of the week: Riley Noonan and Eric Dunton
Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 7:47 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, March 04, 2010

The Miracles of Jesus-3/3/10

Key Question: Why did Jesus perform so many miracles?
Biblical Truth: The miracles of Jesus affirm who He is-the Son of God-and His role as the Messiah.


Key Points
The miracles Jesus preformed were secondary to the Gospel message he brought. They were used to get people's attention, add credibility to Jesus' words, and lead people to believe in Him. 

1) Matthew 14:22-33 Demonstrates Jesus's Power Over Nature
How does Peter walking on water demonstrate the power of God?
Why did those in the boat worship Jesus?

2) Luke 5:17-26 Demonstrates Jesus's Power Over Sickness and Sin
What did Jesu do first heal the man or forgive his sin? (verse 20)
When Jesus healed the paralyzed man, what was he demonstrating? (Power over sin)

3) John 11:1-43 Demonstrates Jesus's Power Over Death
Why did Jesus see Lazarus death as beneficial?
When Jesus raised Lazarus, what was He demonstrating?

4) John 5:31-40 The power of Jesus' miracles affirms who He is: the Son of God
Why did Jesus need miracles to testify about Himself?
What do Jesus' miracles tell us about Him?

5) John 2:11, 23 The miracles were preformed to lead people to believe and trust in Jesus
Why did Jesus perform the miracle at Cana?
What was the result of Jesus' miracles? 
Why is it important that Jesus performed a variety of miracles in different settings? 

Students of the Week: Elizabeth Graham and Chip Hanzlik

Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 12:17 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Teachings of Jesus-2/24/10

Key Question: What was the message of Jesus?
Biblical Truth: Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God and how we can be apart of it. 


Key Points: 
1) Matthew 13:44-50 Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God
 v.44 Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a treasure. We defined treasure as something someone considers very valuable. We talked about how a treasure is very personal and is different for everyone. We compared it to our individual salvation experience. 

v.45 Jesus talks about the fabulous worth of a specific treasure-a pearl. We talked about this man would have been an expert in pearls, searching and traveling to find the greatest pearl. We compared this man to seeking a deeper relationship with God after becoming a Believer. 

Questions:
How is the Kingdom of God like a hidden treasure?
How is the Kingdom of God like a merchant?
How is the Kingdom of God like a fish net?

2) Matthew 5:1-10 Jesus taught about our role in the Kingdom of God
We broke the Beatitudes down verse by verse to see what our roles in His Kingdom are.
v.3 The poor in spirit means to be humble before God-all we are and all we have are gifts from God
v.4 Being comforted talks about the Holy Spirit and how it assures us forgiveness of sin
v.5 Meekness is not weakness-We used an example of a 300 lb. football player holding a baby. The player is not weak because he's holding a baby, he know when to use his strength. 
v.6 Defined being righteous as being right with God-living according to His commandments-desiring those things that are wholesome and satisfying
v.7 We looked at how we have been shown mercy by God through salvation, so we should show mercy to others. 
v.8 We are to have pure hearts which means pure/sincere lives, motives, and actions. Not lives, motives, or actions that hurt others or could turn other from Him. 
v.9 We are to be peacemakers-bring warring parties together-restore harmony
v.10 To follow God is to be at odds with the world-so there will be persecution. 

Questions:
Why did Jesus give us the verses?
Why do you think God gave us an impossible task (living the Beatitudes)? To show our need for a Savior
Based on these verses, what do you you see as your role in the kingdom of God?

3) Matthew 16:21, 27-28 Jesus taught about His role in the kingdom of God
We talked about the conversation Jesus had with the disciples in Matthew 16:13-20.
We talked about Jesus role in the kingdom would be carried out in His death and resurrection.

Questions:
Why do you think Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must die?


Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 8:30 AM | 0 comments

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Sinless Nature of Jesus-2/17/10

Key Question: If Jesus was human, did He ever sin?
Biblical Truth: Jesus was completely human but also completely divine, Jesus lived a sinless life.


Main Points: All sin is broken down into three types based on 1 John 2:15-16 15 Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. Because everything that belongs to the world—16 the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,  and the pride in one's lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world.  

3 General Categories
1) Lust of the flesh
2) Lust of the eyes
3) Pride
Jesus faced these types of temptations, but was sinless. He did not face the exact temptations we face, but He experienced the same types of temptation. 

Questions and Key Points:
Matthew 4:1-11-Just like us Jesus faced temptations
How was Jesus' temptation like our own temptation?
How does Jesus' temptation help Him to help us when we are tested?

Hebrews 4:15-Unlike, us, Jesus never gave into temptation nor sinned
What kind of hope does this verse give us? 

1 Peter 2:22-24-For us, Jesus became sin and took our punishment upon Himself
Why did God make Jesus sinless?
How does Jesus' sinless nature make Him the perfect sacrifice for our sin?



Posted by zrohrlack@fbcsumter.org at 9:44 AM | 0 comments