The Word is a Lamp and a Light

Love the Word. Learn the Word. Live the Word.

"The Word is a Lamp and a Light"

Discussion Guide

1-15-2012

1.            Text for Today's Lesson - Psalm:119:105 

2.            Today's lesson concerns the importance of God's word.  It seems like many of us have lost  our regard for the word of God.  Today's Christians are becoming increasingly illiterate in biblical knowledge.  Somehow we have pushed the value of the bible off to the side in our lives.  God's word tells us that it is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.  We need to regain our fervor  and passion for learning the word of God so that we will enjoy all the fruit that it has to offer.

Questions for Discussion

A.            What are four purposes that God's for the word  in the lives of Christians?

B.            What are three things that God requires of you?

C.            Why are these three things important for us to follow in today's culture?

D.            How does a light and a lamp affect our lives?

E.            What is scripture useful for?

F.            What is important about having the right equipment for a job.

G.           What are some ways to convey the word of God?

H.            What are the identifiers of Crazy Faith?

Micah 6:8                                             Psalm 119:105

Ephesians 2:8,9                                 2Tim 3:16-17

Matthew 22:34                                 Col 3:16

Matthew 28:19                                 Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Matthew 22:29

John 14:27                                                          

Facebook, Twitter and all the other things going on.

Social Media is changing the world. We first set out on this blog to chronicle all the things going on in ministry at Davis Park. We were able to stick for a while but then like all other things the glitter and the sparkle wore off.  We have not responded in a large fashion to any disaster in the past few years although we have helped on local incidents many times.  I want to embrace getting more messages out to everyone over the next few months and will attempt to keep all informed of what is happening at Davis Park.  You can follow me on twitter @buddygray or friend me on face book, Buddy Gray and I am on Linked in also.  Lets stay connected!

Alabama Tornadoes Response

Praying for the people of Alabama and other states that have been affected by the tornadoes.  Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team is making plans to deploy. Their information can be found here.www.churchesofchristdrt.org.  We are praying for God's direction for our response.

A Word from the team in Panama

GPS Enabled

Wayne, Jason, and I arrived safely in Panama last Monday afternoon with all of our luggage!  After being on a plane all night and half of the next day, we were ready to get a bite to eat and a refreshing shower.  We were delightfully surprised to find our friend Edwin Garcia waiting for us at the custom’s exit with a big smile on his face.  He invited us to lunch at the restaurant his wife Lesbi managers, the Wakki.  After lunch he invited us to follow him to his office where he wanted to introduce us to a friend.  Because we were pretty grungy from our flight, we were a light tired and reluctant, but no harm can come from meeting one friend, right? After arriving at the new office building for the national Panamanian department of sports, we followed Edwin into a cool air conditioned environment filled with power suits!  Edwin toured us around to all the department heads and introduced us as the English teachers from California.  Soon he had everyone assembled in a large meeting room, put four chairs up front, invited us to sit, gave an introductory presentation to his employees, then turned around asked us if we had anything to add…  Needless to say, we returned the next day in kakis, polos, and freshly showered!

As the deputy to the Head of Human Resources for the Presidential Sports cabinet, Edwin has given us access to air conditioned conference rooms, any supplies we need, and so far about 85 students.  So far our schedule is to get up, shower, grab a quick breakfast and drive to the government office to begin teaching by 9am.  Our morning classes run until noon, then we pack up and drive to Edwin’s private pre-school and teach a class from 1 to 2pm.  Next we drive down to Brisas, grab a quick lunch, then off into the mass of traffic to run down a stapler, extra shirts, or any other supplies we needed.  This gives us time to push through the traffic just in time to return to the school to teach classes from 5pm to about 11pm.  Each evening Lesbi cooks us a fantastic authentic Panamanian dinner which some wolf down from 8:45 to 9:15pm or so.  All of this is a sketch of the joy we have of sitting with open Bibles discussing spiritual truths to souls that are hungry for the Word.

Now, navigation in Panama has its challenges.  Besides man eating traffic, steaming humidity, and heavily armed, “no tengo papeles” Federal Police conversations, most streets are unnamed and buildings are unnumbered.  I asked for directions our first night, so Edwin sketched a detailed map on the back of my Styrofoam plate.  We proudly drove around the next two days with our brand new, green friendly GPS, our Garcia Plate Sketch which we quickly dubbed the “plate of power!”  Service in Panama is not all fun and games.  After teaching relentlessly for hours on end, Jason and I discovered our teammate Wayne quietly hobnobbing with Edwin and another department head in his personal break room scarfing down coffee and fresh bread with garlic butter.  Et tu Brute??  Wayne has become known in the office as “Senor Jefe,” the Big Boss!!  Jason is on the mend after poking his finger with his knife and I have found my bilingual Bible to be the perfect pillow while catching a quick nap on the cool tile floor before an afternoon class.  Delores Leonard is doing well and had been a delightful host.  She sends her warmest greetings to all and declares her house as “open to all.”

Each trip to Panama reminds us clearly how important it is to have a GPS, God’s Planned Service.  While we lay out a basic plan, each time God clearly has something even better in mind.  We are being blessed with the opportunity to continuing building existing relationships and to make new ones.  This trip we continue to hold community classes at Edwin’s preschool as we added a morning schedule at a large government office complex.  We constantly experience respect and interest for how we are serving and Who we are talking about.  Yesterday we were given contact information to follow up on as one of the largest retailers in Panama has expressed an interested in hosting more of our classes in the future.  We are planning an interest meeting next week to see what God has in mind.  Tonight we are hosting the movie “Fireproof” for our students and the community around the school, Castle Kids.  Sunday morning we will be having a Bible study and time of worship for all that we have invited, please pray for the bridge building and harvest that God desires.

We continue to ask for your prayers for our guidance and stamina and we explore each avenue that is placed before us.

Mike

BASIC TRUTH.

Celebrate Recovery

One of the most exciting ministries that we have launched in a long time is CR-28.  CR- 28 is about overcoming the hurts, habits and hang-ups that have come your way as you live out life.  No one is immune from Hurts, Habits and Hang-ups.  H 3's come in all sizes and shapes.  They hit you when you least expect it and sometimes originate from events that occurred many years in the past.  Come and join us on the road to recovery.

Another Day in Paradise (Panama) -- Mike Crowley's post

Another Day in Paradise

This trip, like most so far has been a flurry of activity.  Our classes are scheduled from 2pm until 10pm, with the last class typically going until about 10:30 or later.  Once again God is doing what He does best, He aligns us each with our students in a stunning way, matching our talents and approaches with the students that need each particular approach.

Our mornings are generally busy with errands to run, grocery shopping lists to fill, and meetings with various potential contacts.  We continue to be amazed at the possibilities for the Gospel here in Panama.  We have had conversation with a director of a local radio program, a new local missionary working in Brisas, and one of our students is setting up a potential meeting with the head of human resources at the international airport.  As always, we are waiting on God to move these potential projects forward.

We are also beginning to see plans form for our next trip in January.  As the next trip will be in the dry season, we have the possibility to not only continue with the English classes, but we would be able to serve the community in some simple restoration and repair projects around Edwin’s school, Castle Kids, and the nearby neighborhood.  Edwin pointed out a neighborhood in the vicinity that is impoverished and could benefit from even the simplest gestures of kindness.

Each day we have been building new relationships in the Word.   One reader told us last week that this course changed his life.  When we asked why, he said, “Because I have been changed by the Word of God.”  Another reader said that she was so grateful that we were bringing what Panama needed most, God’s Word.

Last night was an experiment.  Brent and Terry were talking about a new way to make contacts at the same time that one of our readers was talking about his favorite movie.  So… we got together a laptop, computer projector, extra speakers, and a copy of the movie “Fireproof.”  We played the movie in English with Spanish subtitles as a way for our students to practice their English.  A short message from the Word was given before the movie, and an application message was shared afterwards.  It was amazing!  We saw a real sense of community, a longing for authentic relationship, and an openness to Jesus last night.  We were moved to be part of such a moment.  It was so meaningful to see our hosts holding hands and smiling at each other with tears in their eyes… good stuff!  We are definitely planning on building on this for our next trip.  One of our readers brought a friend last night that was broken by the message, Barbara was able to comfort her and invite her to come to see us this week.  Please pray for the continuing conversations this week.

We have also had some new experiences this trip.  Saturday we were able to visit El Valle.  Brent, Patti, and I took advantage of a canopy tour, where we got to fly through the jungle on four different zip lines, one about 180 feet above a waterfall.  Wahoo !!!  We finished up the day at Coronado beach, where the water temperature was balmy.  We stayed in the surf throwing a Frisbee around watching the beautiful sunset, staying in for another hour, watching the full moon sparkle on the water and the volcanic sand.  God has done so many beautiful things! 

Today we begin our second week.  We would appreciate your prayers for the stamina and energy to continue the pace that we have set.  We continue to be amazed at God’s blessings and leading.