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Are you two faced?
Bible Study for March 13 - 19, 2000
This week's scripture: Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galations 1:10
Main point: Are you two faced?
Paul had a problem! Before he became a Christian he was way up the ladder in the Jewish religious circles. Now, after a few years of preaching on how to get saved, the other Apostles were saying that gentiles (people that weren't Jewish) couldn't get saved. Too late! They already were. And Paul knew it. Then they argued back and forth if new Christians, especially gentiles, would have to obey the old testament laws. Paul's life could be easier if he agreed with the other apostles and said “ Yep. No more hot dogs, church is on Saturday, can't cut your hair and have to eat steaks well done.” That's just a few of the Jewish laws. The other Apostles even wanted to compromise and make the gentiles obey some of the laws. But Paul knew that through Jesus we are saved by faith and the old law was wiped out. He almost decided to act two ways. Tell the gentiles that they didn't have to obey the old laws, and tell the Jews he was telling the gentiles to obey the old laws. Wow, that was a confusing sentence! Anyway, he decided to try to please God, and not the apostles and Jews. He decided not to be two faced.
How about you? Do you act one way with your Christian friends, and another way with your non-Christian friends? If it was tough for the apostles to decide, it's really tough for us!
Here's another example. Read Matthew 26: 31 - 35 and 69 - 75. Yes, you have to get out a Bible. It won't kill you!
What happened here? Jesus is getting ready to die on the cross. He has just had his last meal. It was called the Lord's supper and he ate with his disciples (apostles). It was the most important meal in history, and they didn't even tell us what was on the menu. It was probably lamb. We know that they had crackers and juice though, right? Well, probably bread and wine. Anyway, Jesus told them that he was going to be arrested and all of them would scatter. Peter (he was a hot head) said no way. Even if all the other disciples took off, he would stick with Jesus. Jesus said that Peter was silly. So silly that by the time the sun came up Peter would deny him three times. Peter said that he would never disown Jesus, even if they had to die together. The other eleven disciples said they agreed with him. Well, if you read the story you know that Peter lied his head off. Three times before the sun came up he said he didn't even know Jesus!
All of the Apostles were two faced! While they were looking in Jesus’ face they would talk and act one way. If they were around non-Christians they acted differently. These were the guys who saw Jesus heal people. These are the guys who saw Jesus walk on water. These are the guys who saw Jesus make dead people break out of their graves and come back to life! If they were two faced , you know it is really tough for us. By the way, after the Holy Spirit got a hold on them they were better.
How about you? Are you trying to please God, or other people? Are you trying to please God, or yourself?
This weeks prayer:
Lord,
I know that sometimes I am two faced. I'll act one way at church and another way at school. I know that you are the one who will be with me forever, and I should try to please you. Help me to always try and please you, not men.
Amen.
Story for week March 13 - 19, 2000
Will Joey deny Christ?
This story includes Joey, Katie, and Crazy Larry
Joey is walking down the street and bumps into Katie who is coming out of the library.
“Hi Katie. What were you doing at the Library?”
“I had to check out some books.” replied Katie.
“You sure do read a lot.”
“Of course. That's why I get straight A’s in school. And reading is fun.” Katie said proudly.
“Yeah, almost as much fun as cleaning my room!” said Joey.
Katie replied, “I'm serious. And while I was at the Library I used their computer to look up www.Kids4God.org.”
“That is cool. I joined the membership last week. I'm going to win that bike they're giving away.” Joey said with a smile.
“Maybe.” said Katie. “Did you read the story?”
“Yeah. I also read the Bible study. It was cool, and funny, too.” answered Joey.
“ I heard your mother is sick. Did you add her to the prayer list?” asked Katie.
“No, but I need to.”
“Isn't it great being a Christian?” asked Katie.
Joey asked her what she meant.
Katie was quick with an answer. “Well, we can get healed, we know God loves us, and our lives are better with Christ.”
“Yeah, I never thought of it, but it is cool to be a Christian.”
“It is! Uh, oh. I'm late going home, I gotta go. Bye Joey!” said Katie as she ran down the street.
Several hours go by and Joey gets involved with a ball game. He had fun, but he had to play with Crazy Larry. Larry is the meanest guy in the neighborhood. Joey was trying to friendly and asked Larry, “That was a fun ball game, wasn't it?”
“Yeah, I was perfect. Did you see that throw I made to home plate that dumb old Tommy missed?”
“Well, the throw was a little bit high.” replied Joey. He was right.
“It was not! If he had jumped a little higher he would have had it.”
Joey tries to let him save face. “Oh well, we won the game anyway.”
“Thanks to me.” Crazy Larry spits out.
Joey ignores him. “Whatever. What were you talking to Gary about after the game?”
“It was so cool. He told me the funniest joke!”
Joey was surprised. Crazy Larry never thought anyone else's jokes were funny. “Really? Let me hear it.”
Crazy Larry was anxious to tell him. “Have you heard the one about the two naked ball players and the nurse?”
Joey was shocked! “What?”
“The 2 naked ball players and the nurse.” Crazy Larry repeated.
“That's what I thought you said. I don't know if I should listen to that. It sounds like a dirty joke.”
Crazy Larry laughed. “Of course it's a dirty joke. All the funny jokes are dirty. What's wrong, are you getting religious on me?”
Now Joey was getting defensive. “No, I don't guess so. But on that Kids4God.org web site they have a couple of jokes that are clean and funny.”
Now Crazy Larry really had him. “Oh man! You've been looking at that Christian stuff on the Internet! You are getting goody goody!”
Joey was trying to think of a response when (and wouldn't you know it) Katie shows up. She's in a good mood and sings out “Hi boys!” Crazy Larry couldn't wait to tell someone about his new way to get at Joey. “Listen to this Katie, Joey is getting goody goody like you! He won't listen to dirty jokes, and he looks at Christian pansy stuff on the Internet in stead of all the naked women!”
Katie wasn't surprised. “Of course! He's a Christian.”
“No, tell me it's not so!” yells Crazy Larry with a snicker.
Joey still isn't sure where all of this is going or how he got stuck here. “Well, I, uhhhh...”
“Come on Joey, tell the truth. Don't deny Jesus like Peter did. Try to please God, not man.” Katie said with confidence.
That confused Crazy Larry and he asked Katie what she meant.
She answered, “Larry, you won't always be Joey's friend. You won't even be alive forever. But God is with us always. He will be with us forever. But only if we are a Christian. He can't be with us and be our friend if we keep doing stuff like telling dirty jokes and looking at bad things on the Internet.”
Now Crazy Larry felt like he was starting to lose control of the situation. “So what. Tell her Joey. Tell her you are one of the guys. Tell her your a real man.”
“I, uhhh,” then his confidence started to build. “You're wrong Larry. I am a real man. I'm a Christian. I don't want to hear bad jokes or see bad stuff on TV or the Internet. I want to be the kind of guy God want's me to be.”
This was too much for Crazy Larry. He ran off. As he left they could hear him yelling, “You are such a wimp! Wait until the other guys hear this!”
“I'm proud of you Joey. It took guts to stand up for Jesus. That make you a better man than Larry.”
“Yeah, I do feel good about it. I feel more like a man than I did when I was acting like a coward and ready to listen to that joke.”
Katie was impressed. “Cool. Speaking about cool, I hear the ice cream truck, I'm buying!”
So they ran down the street to grab a bomb pop.
How about you. Would you have tried to please God, or Crazy Larry?
Print this out and then fill in the blanks (or just do them in your head). All of the words are from this weeks Bible study and Stories.
Word game for March 14 - 19, 2000.
1. d _ _ y
2. _ p _ _ o v _ l
3. A p _ _ _ l _ s
4. _ e _ _ _ l e s
5. d i _ _ i _ _ e s
6. _ _ k e _
7. _ h r _ _ t _ _ n
8. M _ t t _ _ w
9. _ u p _ e _
10. P _ _ e r
Answers for word game March 14 - 19, 2000.
1. d _ _ y d e n y
2. _ p _ _ o v _ l a p p r o v a l
3. A p _ _ _ l _ s A p o s t l e s
4. _ e _ _ _ l e s g e n t i l e s
5. d i _ _ i _ _ e s d i s c i p l e s
6. _ _ k e _ j o k e s
7. _ h r _ _ t _ _ n C h r i s t i a n
8. M _ t t _ _ w M a t t h e w
9. _ u p _ e _ s u p p e r
10. P _ _ e r P e t e r
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