Join Tim Matthews and Jack Raymond as they discuss week 1 of Doctrine: Rooted in Truth.
The Lesson Plan
Doctrine: Week 1
(upbeat music) - Well hello teachers and welcome to a new season of the lesson plan and as always we are here to help you develop an effective lesson and really excited. I've got the one and only Jack Raymond here with me co-hosting Jack. If you wanna welcome our teachers to this new season. - Absolutely, thanks Tim. It's an exciting time. It's fall is here, school is back, football is back for any football fans out there and of course a new season of the lesson plan, season number two and a new study. And just overall just a new season at the church. People are back, new guests, new visitors and so I'm pumped up for this study. - Yeah, absolutely. And so we're coming right off the summit and as we unveiled at the summit we got a new series kicking off Sunday, September 8th that we are calling doctrine rooted in truth. And so that's what our focus is gonna be this season and so excited. And as we begin, I just wanna go ahead and say this. This podcast would not be possible apart from the great Matt Mullins. So teachers when you see Matt Mullins walking around the hallways, you better give him a big hug, high five something, shout out because this podcast would not be possible without him, he is. So this first lesson as we kick off week one is titled knowing God brings true joy. And as always, I think it's important when we talk about joy, right? What we're talking about is not some fleeting sense of happiness, something circumstantial, right? Joy is enduring contentment. It's the ability to be happy regardless of our situation, regardless of our circumstances, right? It's this profound contentment and peace and biblically speaking, this is what comes from within as a follower of Christ and dwelt by the Holy Spirit. And so Jack, I know we've got a great hook in the curriculum for this first lesson. So why don't you just kind of help us out when it comes to how we can kick this thing off right? - Absolutely, yeah, so it's gonna be the, again, the kickoff this is week one. So make it a high energy, make it a fun hook, make sure that, again, you're probably gonna have some guests in the room, so make it an interactive hook. And so you can see in your curriculum, we have some statistics on happiness from a 2022 poll found that 45% of those surveyed haven't felt quote unquote true happiness. And if you think about the definition, you just shared Tim of true joy, that number is probably gonna be even higher. But the reality is everyone is seeking happiness. People want to be happy. And so several different numbers on that, you can open it up to your life group and ask, how would people define happiness? What do you think they're looking for? Where do you think they're trying to find it? One alternate hook that could be fun is there's a lot of songs on happiness. And so I have zero musical gifts, so I'm not gonna open it up by singing, but I can just open it up to my life group and say, hey, what are some songs that have happiness and a title or happiness in the lyrics themselves? And so my wife Ash and I, we have two young kids, and so one of the songs that we have on repeat is if you're happy and you know it, so... - If you're happy and you know it, what are you supposed to do, Jack? - You're supposed to clap your hands. - Clap your hands. - So we're clapping our hands a lot in the Raven household, but of course, there's hundreds, if not thousands of songs. Don't worry, be happy. It's a blessing. - For real, right? - For real, yep. - Happy, yep. - I mean, that's a great walk-in song for people to get things going in life group as people are getting coffee and maybe some breakfast, right? Great song in the background. - Oh, 100%. I would just throw it on at the beginning of life group. And, but really what you are trying to get as you're kind of transitioning now into the teaching time is the reality is everyone is searching for happiness. - Yeah, that's right, Jack. And so when we start diving in to this content as it relates to the curriculum, I mean, the main point here at the beginning is that true joy only comes from knowing Jesus. And so here at the beginning, we're gonna dive into a couple different passages, Ecclesiastes being one of them and Philippians being the other. But before we do that, I do wanna kind of talk a little bit about the resource that we have provided and obviously excited about the launch of our logos Bible software partnership and the access our teachers and live groups are gonna have to that. But in the book, "The Inshakable Truth" written by Josh and Sean McDowell, they have a very interesting reason in terms of why they wrote the book. And for a book on doctrine, I just think this is really interesting. Here's what they say, "The main reason Christians need to know what we believe is because knowing God's word is the only way to true happiness in this life." And I love how they lay that foundation, that outside of the intellectual arguments and the scholarly reasons and all of that, right? That ultimately God's word is the only way to true happiness and they ground it in these essential truths here, that God is the creator of the world. He is the creator of us. And what he says is true about the world and his way is the best way to live in the world that he created. In other words, his way is the way to live and it is all according to his word. And so I think that establishes a great beginning in our curriculum for why we are studying doctrine and its importance in our life. And I love how the curriculum begins with these two passages of scripture. It begins with Ecclesiastes chapter one, verse 12, moving through chapter two, verse 17. And we don't have time this morning to read all of that scripture, but as I think about Ecclesiastes, I think it's important as a teacher, we dive into some context that we talk a little bit about Solomon. I know he's a well-known biblical figure, right? But I think it's important to understand why Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. And as I was thinking about this myself as a teacher, there's a quote that came to mind and it's part of it is one that all of us have heard that, right? Like a wise person learns from their mistakes. But I love how the quote goes on to say, but a wiser person learns from other people's mistakes. And so when we look at Solomon, when we look at the book of Ecclesiastes, I mean, ultimately that's the main point. And Jack, I know me and you were talking before this recording of how a study Bible, honestly, is one of the most valued resources you can have as a teacher, you know? I know Logos is gonna have a whole library, it's gonna have 200 resources, all these theological resources. But a simple study Bible goes a long way. And so what I love about one of my study Bibles, which is the life application Bible, here's what it says about Ecclesiastes. Ultimately, what is Solomon trying to do, it goes on to say he's trying to spare future generations of the bitterness of learning through their own experience that life apart from God is meaningless, right? And this is Solomon late in his life, right? This is him kind of looking at the rearview mirror of his life, so to speak. And he's wanting future generations to know that, hey, apart from God, it is all meaningless. - Yeah. - It's all meaningless. - So important, I just love the book of Ecclesiastes. It is so valuable and impactful, I think for a young adult, you know, if you're a teacher and a young adult you're young married, you're young families, class, because that's really one of the big things you're wrestling with. What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose? But it's really true for every season. You know, as you just said, Tim, this is Solomon writing this later in life. And so it's never too late to find out and to learn, hey, it's always right to do it God's way. - That's right, I've heard our pastor say the Christian life is all about new beginnings. And for some people, they may be new in that journey of having a new life in Christ and all of that. And so, you know, I think as teachers we have to be mindful of those in the room and the story in the context of those in the room. But at the end of the day, you know, I was reading Ecclesiastes chapter one. And when I got to verse 14, I think it's just a great summary of kind of Solomon's thoughts as it relates to his life. He says, I have seen all the things that are done under the sun. All of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. And I just want people to think about this. I mean, from the world's perspective, Solomon had it all. I mean, Solomon had everything that the world could offer. He had power, he had wisdom, he had money, he had popularity, I mean, he had full access to all the worldly pleasures and everything. And you know what? Solomon engaged in all of it in a very sinful way. And so when he's getting to the end of his life and after experiencing all of that striving after what every one of us is looking for and that is happiness, right? He found that all of those things were empty. They were meaningless. They were vanity. They were a vapor. They were like a breath, right? He pursued them and the fullness of those things and yet they all came up short. And so that's why when you get to the end of Ecclesiastes chapter 12, you have that great summer reverse where he says, right? That after all of this striving and straining and pursuing in all of that, right? That he found all of it empty and meaningless as striving after the wind. And so when he gets to chapter 12 at the end of Ecclesiastes after trying everything the world had to offer, here is what he says. He says that ultimately here is what really matters. Matter of fact, this is what someone said the whole of humanity. This is what it means to be human. This is the reason we exist. Here's how Solomon says it. Fear God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole duty of man, right? Why? Because God commandments are the way to life. God created the universe. He knows its best. He knows it best. He knows how to live in it. He knows the way to thrive and experience fulfillment and flourishing and abundant joy. And so when God gave us his commandments, it was for our good. God wanted us to flourish. I know we talked a little bit about that in our last study through Exodus as well, right? We talked about God's commands, but ultimately this is what Solomon discovers and he's exhorting us to come along with him in the sense of, hey, I've been there, done that. It's not worth it. Fear God obey his commandments 'cause that's where we're gonna find our joy. And I love how our curriculum then flashes forward to another significant biblical figure. And that's Paul in the book of Philippians, which I know we're studying Friday morning men's Bible study, which is coming up. We're excited about that. I believe you're on the schedule this fall in Friday morning men's, if I'm correct. - Yes, and you too, right? It's gonna be a great fall. And I love that verse, that final verse in Ecclesiastes. For one, Solomon's just a great author 'cause he's like, hey, I'm gonna boil it all down to one sentence. It's a good reminder for us as teachers. Sometimes we gotta give them just one sentence takeaway. And really that leads us into the second talking point too, which is gonna be that true joy and abundant life only comes from knowing Jesus. And so we share several verses here that are helpful that you can of course read or ask people in your life group to read. And so the first one is gonna be John chapter 10 in verse 10, which is just a great verse to memorize. It talks about how the thief Satan, he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus says, I've come that you may have life and life to the full. And I love this quote from your resources from the McDowell book that again, you can access as teachers in your log-out software. He says this on page 15. He says, deep down, all of us wanna be happy. Just like we talked about. Everyone is searching for happiness. It's just a matter of are we going to find it in the right spot? So he says, we wanna live a satisfying life, a life of joy and contentment. Actually, God wants us to enjoy that as well. Jesus said, quote, I've told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete, which is John 1511. And so the second passage here in talking point number two, it's gonna be Galatians chapter five, verses 22 and 23, which you should be familiar with 'cause that is the passage on the fruit of the spirit. And what I'd encourage you to do here as teachers is look at the context because we are jumping around a little bit throughout this series. And remember that Galatians chapter five right before this passage is all about the fruit of the flesh. And so what Paul is driving out for the church of Galatia is are you gonna be filled with the flesh? And as we think about the context of happiness and joy, that's Solomon, right? Looking for happiness in, quote, unquote, all the wrong places, all these things that will never satisfy. But instead he says be filled with the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. And so as teachers, we gotta remind our people that there is direct application in this study, that it's not enough just to know the right things, but we also want to do the right things. The right belief should lead to right actions. And so that only happens when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. And I heard a preacher say this before, right? Every day is a choice, am I gonna feed my flesh today? Or am I gonna feed the Holy Spirit today? And so really challenge your people to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In fact, if you look at the end of talking point two in your curriculum, I like this discussion question, which I think is a great one to kick to the people in your life group. The other says, how have you seen the fruit of the spirit grow in your life over time? Because we always want to be growing as Christians. If we're not growing, we're moving backwards. - I've heard it said that things don't default to excellence. They default to mediocrity or worse, right? So if you're not continually diving into God's word, like fanning the flame of the spirit in your life, then ultimately, right, you're not growing. - Yes. - And so I think that's a great word. And one thing that I will bring up to here, teachers, I mean, the curriculum and the way a lesson is structured, it flows together. And so, as we move from Solomon and Ecclesiastes into Philippians, Galatians, right? I mean, this is the Apostle Paul. And I think of the book of Philippians in and of itself, Paul is trying to exhort and encourage believers that true joy comes from Jesus Christ alone. And he appeals to his own personal experience in that, right? And so as he's writing the book of Philippians, we get so much wonderful exhortation over how Paul even, right? From a worldly perspective, had it all, knew it all, right? As a Jew and as a very strict Jew, as a Pharisee, a Pharisee of Pharisees, right? I mean, Paul was the best of the best when it come from a worldly perspective. But when he met Jesus, what does he say? I count it all as loss, except for knowing Jesus, right? Like I have experienced true joy so much so, that as I'm sitting here in a prison cell, right? I say I can do all things through Christ, which as you and I both know, probably one of the most misquoted scriptures in all of the Bible, right? It's teachers, right? We gotta be careful not to ice a Jeep. And so, you know, Paul says I can do all things wide because I've known what it's like to have it all. I've known what it's like to have nothing. But you know what, I'm okay. I have true joy, why? Because I know Jesus Christ and that sustains me. The ups and downs of life, it sustains me. And then as you bridge point one and point two, you know, I think a good cultural apologetic is just look at Hollywood. These people have everything that the world would tell you that you want fame, power, money, sex, pleasure, all of it, right? But yet, some of the most unhappy people that you see, why? Because they have yet found what Paul has found and that's knowing Jesus, right? And having a relationship with Jesus. And so we'll transition now as we kind of wind this down to talking point number three, and I love this because now we're moving from people to the church, which we know is people, but the church at large, the church's witness, the church's testimony. And obviously we kick it off here in Acts chapter two and in Acts chapter four, I do think another place you can go. Here is the sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five, right, as Jesus talks about how we as believers, as citizens of the kingdom are called to be cities on a hill, right, that we shine our light. We do that through our good works, right? So our lives bear witness and testimony to the joy that we have in Christ. And you see this in the early church, right? When the Holy Spirit comes, when believers are saved, people are coming to know Christ. I mean, thousands of believers, they became very large of the very diverse group of people. But one of the interesting things that we see about the early church and the spirit filled believers is the community that they had, right? I mean, they loved each other, they ate together, they opened their homes to each other, they worshiped together, they prayed together, they study God's word together, they lived together in peace and harmony. As our curriculum says, like one big family. And this is so counter-cultural. You know, we live in a culture, it's me, it's mine, right? It's everything's kind of inward facing, but yet here in Acts, you see this beautiful community of love and of joy and of peace. And it's just a beautiful picture of what the church is supposed to be. And it bears witness and testimony to the lost and dying world around them. - Absolutely. Well, and I think it's so important, especially as this is week one of this doctrine study, 'cause sometimes the temptation when we dive really deep into God's word and the doctrine and right truth is, oh, I need to study this somewhere in a quiet room by myself and of course there's value. You're going to study as teachers, God's word at points by yourself, but we also need to be studying unpacking this in community. And that's what they did in the early churches, you were just saying to him in Acts. I mean, this was the early churches exploded with growth so fast, I mean, some of the numbers that we put in your curriculum as it goes from on that first day that the Holy Spirit has poured out on 120 disciples to then 3,000 new believers on Pentecost there in Acts two and Acts four. It's another 5,000 men plus women and children. So probably more than 20,000 people. And yet they had the sense of, you know, we're going to do this together. And so as you are teaching this, let's be sure that we're asking questions, but also giving space for people in our life, for people to share and to ask questions because we're just going to iron, sharp and iron, one another in our life groups if we do this together in community. - That's right. I mean, when people see communities living out this life of joy and contentment in Jesus, they take notice, right? I mean, the world is watching us. And I think this is what Jesus is speaking to when, you know, being a city on a hill, it's an exhortation on what we are to be, but a city on a hill shines. It casts a great light into a dark world. And so, you know, the ways of the world, you know, everyone's competing to get to the top, to look out for number one, and chasing after all the wrong things. And you see this time and time again. I mean, it doesn't take long just to look at the studies out there like America, which is the most powerful and wealthy nation yet is one of the most unhappy nations. I mean, it doesn't even rank in the top 10. I mean, based on some research that we did, right? It doesn't even rank in like the top five or 10 of happiest places, right? Our countries are, however, they articulated that. I mean, we have some of the highest. - We win all these Olympic gold medals. - That's right. - We can make all this money, but yeah. - I mean, we literally have some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and despair, right? And so, what a juxtaposition to that versus what Christian community is supposed to look like, where we are a people of love. We are a people of support for one another. We are a people of, as you mentioned, and it's such a great job articulating, right? The fruit of the spirit is being exhibited in our life as we abide in Christ. We see joy, we see peace, we say kindness. And you know, it's interesting, you know, Josh McDowell, who's one of the co-authors of the book, right? He came to Christ by and large, obviously because of the grace of God, but what he says that it wasn't an intellectual argument that brought him to the gospel or what drew him to Jesus. It was literally seeing a community of Christians who loved one another like the early church did that made the difference for him. And, you know, obviously, if we look back to a few studies ago as we were going through the books or the letters of John, right? First John, right? They will know that you're my disciples by what? By how you love each other, right? And so I think that's a great way just to kind of bring this to a close as we, you know, kind of lay the foundation of why it's important to study doctrine, right? That we can know how to live out our faith in a way that reflects Jesus to the world and people will see it, right? Because this is the only way to true happiness. And we want other people to experience that as well, right? We want people to flourish. And God's ways are the way of flourishing. And so, man, Jack, it's been great. - It's been awesome, you know, two final thoughts for me. One, you know, Tim, you're just talking about we need to be the light. Well, we just lost our light somehow in where we're recording in the men's roving room of the church. So it is important to have light 'cause it's a little bit harder to read my notes right now. But number two is, I think that's such an important truth for to teach our people what you were sharing just a moment ago about Joshua McDonald's story because, you know, I hear a lot of times of our people don't always feel equipped to go and share the gospel. And typically they say, I don't know enough. But so often what God uses is not our knowledge, which of course is super important. That's why we're studying this, digging deeper into God's word. But all of that should flow into love. And people are gonna be touched by when we show the love of Jesus to people around us. Amen, husband, wife, mom or dad, co-worker, colleague, boss, business owner, whatever. When people see you act different, speak different, have that sense of peace and joy and contentment, no matter what's going on in life or at work or whatever. When they see that, people go, what's different about you? And what a great way, right? To just insert, hey, you wanna know what's different about me? And I've met Jesus and he's changed everything. And all that, all the peace and the joy and the contentment that I have, it comes from having that relationship with him. So great way. Well, Jack, thanks again for hanging out with me and always a pleasure. Teachers, please tune in to our next lesson plan podcast as we dive in to lesson number two. Excited me and Jack will be back on for that. But thank you again, as always, for what you do. We love you, we could not do what we are called to do as a church, as a life group, Bible study ministry, apart from teachers like you. So thanks again and we'll see you next time. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [ Silence ]