May 26: Devote Yourself to Good Works

Special instructions for Sunday's study - I need everyone's help.
You will notice that I have tweaked the title and the target of this lesson in order to take a more direct, rather than a passive look at Paul's emphasis on good works. Titus was challenged in these passages to do good works and to encourage the Cretan believers to do the same. This is a perfect follow-up of our time with Dennis Pethers and introduction to the next step in the Rooftop experience as we look toward Neighbor Night, June 9th.

Material to use to emphasize Neighbor Night.

Please use the handout and process even if you aren't teaching Explore the Bible curriculum.

As we continue the Rooftop Experience, we are asking everyone who will, to take time to LOOK (Point one of Dennis Pethers' sermon conclusion) out over their neighborhoods or other gathering places to see who God has placed in their paths. This Sunday's ETB lesson provides a great opportunity for you to help everyone understand and commit to participating in Neighbor Night. 

Even if you aren't using ETB curriculum, please use the following materials to help your group understand and follow-through in participating in Neighbor Night:

• Neighbor Night Handout - Use this handout at the conclusion of the Bible study to explain how we are going to do Neighbor Night. The list of ideas on the sheet is not exhaustive. Brainstorm with your group additional ways they can LOOK out on Neighbor Night. Neighbor Night can be done by individuals, families, Connect Groups, groups of friends, seniors, young adults, etc. It is very open-ended. A neighbor doesn't just have to be someone in a neighborhood. You could go to a park; walk the Greenway; go to the mall, Target, The Avenue, etc; walk your neighborhood; meet your apartment neighbors; or do anything you can imagine to begin to see who your neighbors are and which ones might be in need of accepting our Savoir at some point. You can pray as you go, introduce yourself to people, deliver goodies to neighbors, or simply ask them simple questions (i.e. I attend Northside Baptist, do you know where that is located? I am your neighbor, I just wanted to introduce myself and ask if there is any way that I can pray for you during my prayer time.)

• Neighbor Night Door Poster - Each Connect Group door will have a poster and a place for your group to sign up to participate. Encourage everyone in your group to sign-up. They don't have to list what they are going to do, only that they are committed to LOOKing out on that night.

• Neighbor Night Results - We have a new web-site set up where everyone can share the results of their experiences. We will send the link to everyone who makes a commitment to LOOKing out on June 9th.

Please help us encourage as many as possible to participate. This is very important as we take on the rooftop challenge as given to Peter from God in Acts 10 to, LOOK at those around us through His eyes.

Announcements

Connect Group Schedule During VBS Preparation (May 26-June 2)

• Don't forget to move chairs this Sunday, May 26 after the 11am Adult Connect Group hour. Please stack chairs in your room and move them to the pastor's reception area. There will be dollies and helpers available.
• Sunday, June 2: WE WILL NOT BE HAVING CONNECT GROUPS. This allows time for VBS leaders to set up the rooms. Connect Groups are encouraged to prayer walk the building and pray for the teachers and those who will be attending VBS.

June 9 - Connect Groups Resume with Some Room Adjustments

• Don't panic! I am going to be talking with everyone during the next week to let you know of possible room changes. 
  We are working to provide space, visibility, and opportunity for all Connect Groups.
  

Curriculum - Ready for you to pick up this Sunday.

• Beginning June 9th we will all be using the same curriculum as our guide. Thanks so much for everyone's willingness to unify our approach. Pray for Christi Florida, Terry Deason, Michael Norton, and Charles Moore as they make this transition.
• Click here for an overview of the materials you are receiving. Every teacher is given several resources to help supplement your primary Leader Guide. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions.  

Bible Study Session

THE TARGET
Focus on what adults should leave knowing, understanding, and doing.

Adults will define what good works look like, understand why we do good works, and identify how we should do good works so that Christ is exalted to a lost world.

Resources and Study to Consider:

MyStudyBible Helps: Word Pronunciations (Click on each word to hear pronunciation)

• Artemus
• Nicopolis
• Tychicus
• Zenas

Neighbor Night Handout: Please use the handout at the end of your session even if you aren't teaching Explore the Bible. This is vital for the success of June 9th emphasis. We will have copies in your box for your session.

Explore the Bible Commentary: Page 130 provides a great introduction and summary of this week's study.

Video: Views of the Church. Consider either emailing the following link to your group or showing it during the "Look Up" portion of your study. Link: How People View the Church

Preparing for the Group Activity in the Teaching Plan Suggestions Below: Read Titus 3 and available commentaries, identifying the following:

• HOW Paul states Titus and the church were to do good works.
• WHY Paul states Titus and the church were to do good works.

TEACHING PLAN SUGGESTIONS

Look Up: "Soft Methods" to draw attention to the study as adults are visiting and gathering for Bible study.

In advance, display the following question, "How do you think people in our community view the members of this church?" Once most adults have arrived, ask several to share their thoughts.

• Optional Video: Show the following video, or discuss the video that you emailed them in advance. What is unique about these findings?

Ask: Do they see us as genuinely caring for people, expressing Christ's love as the hands and feet of Jesus? Or would they have any opinion at all?

Ask: Can you recall how Dennis Pethers described people's views of church and Christ? Ask several to share insight they gained from Dennis.

Transition and Context: Over the past  12 weeks we have focused on 1 & 2 Timothy and now we are concluding our study of Titus. These are called the Pastoral epistles. Our emphasis was on being entrusted with God's Good News. Paul entrusted Timothy and Titus with the gospel and with instructing the newly birthed church on how to function as a body of believers and how to live godly lives in an ungodly culture.

In this final chapter we will look at Paul's emphasis on doing good works, what that means, and how good works would look for us as believers and members of Northside Baptist Church.

Look In: Supplemental ideas for unpacking the text.

Ask: How would you define good works? (capture responses on markerboard)

Explain: Paul knew that what unbelievers typically observe first about believers is their behavior and good works. Churches were not to be isolationist in attitude; they were to be in the world but not of the world. He challenged Titus to do good works and to spur the church on to good works.

Assignment: Divide your group in half. Ask both groups to read Titus 3. Give each group one of the following assignments:

• Compile a list of HOW Paul states Titus and the church were to do good works.
• Compile a list of WHY Paul states Titus and the church were to do good works.

As each group reports, supplement the discussion with the following:

• Verses 1-2: As far as we know, there were no government officials on Crete who were believers. This didn't mean Christians could disregard their authority. Paul wrote during a time when the Roman government was, at best, tolerant of Christianity, but was often hostile toward it. What are some examples of ways in which we see similarities to this in our country today? How do we do good works given the current climate? How do we stand up for what is right and still do good works? Would it be difficult to live by verses 1-2 without feeling as if we compromised our beliefs?
• Discovery Study Guide - p89: How do you respond to authority figures with whom you disagree?
• Have you ever experienced a situation in which unbelievers were able to watch your reaction to challenging life situations or authority figures and you were able to share God's grace in your life? (ETB Leader Guide, p139)
• Verses 4-7: Pause for a moment to meditate on 3:4-7, reflecting on each line, praising God for the greatness of the salvation He has extended to you. Ask Him to help you demonstrate to others that believing in Christ for salvation has resulted in your doing practical good deeds - see v5. (ETB Leader Guide, p140)
• Verse 8: Did Paul feel that doing good works was an option? (see word "insist") What were the "these things" that Paul was referring to? (verses 1-7)
• Verses 9-10: Does Paul seem to be harsh with divisive people? (The health of a congregation was at stake if divisive persons were left unchecked. Paul did allow for more than one warning because he wanted to give them a chance to correct their behavior.) What can divisive people do to a church or individual believers who are trying to do good works? (See ETB Leader Guide, p142 for more information regarding divisive people)
• Point out that Titus was to model good works by caring for Zenas and Apollos.
• Verse 14: What kind of urgent needs do people around us have today? What are some urgent needs you can address for those around you?

Transition: God sends people across our paths every day. When we live with integrity and gentleness and do good to others, we will be demonstrating that we are different because of Who we know and Whose we are. We need to be sensitive to these opportunities and learn how to devote ourselves to good works. The world needs to see genuine faith lived out each day.

Look Out: Hitting the target and applying it to daily living.

Illustration: When the Communists took over Russia in 1917, they did not make Christianity illegal. In fact, the Soviet constitution guaranteed freedom of religion. Rather than make Christianity illegal, they made it illegal for the churches to do any good works or works of service. The churches were no longer allowed to do what they had always done: feed the hungry, educate children, take care of widows and orphans, or take care of the sick and perform other works of charity in the community. The only organization allowed to do so was the government. The lack of ministry and service turned the hearts of believers inward, resulting in a passive and ineffective church. (QuickSource, p58)

Following the devastation from this week's tornado in Oklahoma,  NBC aired a special on the Oklahoma tragedy. They described the disaster relief effort in this way: "As we've learned in days past...if you're going to wait on the government, you'll be waiting...a while. But the Baptist men, they'll get it done...tomorrow!"

How does this help point people toward Christ?

Application: Distribute the Neighbor Night Handout
Our church has challenged us to look outside these walls on June 9th to our neighbors, to our neighborhoods, to the places we interact with people. We aren't asking you to share the gospel, unless the door opens. We are only asking you to LOOK at the world around you and prayerfully consider how you might do good works. As you consider the world around you, we pray that you will consider how you can later go back and interact with your world while taking Jesus with you to your world.

Ask the group to review the ideas on the handout and to identify possible ways they could be a "good neighbor" on June 9th. Ask them to share other ideas that they could do on that night. 

Ask them as they leave to sign the "Count Me In" sheet on the door if they are willing to do something to take a fresh LOOK at those God has placed in their paths.