Sunday School Notes

Michal Ferber

Matthew 5:13-16

New International Version (NIV)

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

phrase of salt

worth one’s salt

good or competent at the job or profession specified.

Salt is a compound because it is made of only NaCl, not because it has only Sodium and Chlorine, in which case it will be mixture of the two elements.

Compound – a thing that is composed of two or more separate elements; a mixture.

In chemistry, a salt is an ionic compound that results from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base.[

Taste

Different salts can elicit all five basic tastes, e.g., salty (sodium chloride), sweet (lead diacetate, which will cause lead poisoning if ingested), sour (potassium bitartrate), bitter (magnesium sulfate), and umami or savory (monosodium glutamate).

Odor

Salts of strong acids and strong bases (“strong salts“) are non-volatile and odorless, whereas salts of either weak acids or weak bases (“weak salts“) may smell like the conjugate acid (e.g., acetates like acetic acid (vinegar) and cyanides like hydrogen cyanide (almonds)) or the conjugate base (e.g., ammonium salts like ammonia) of the component ions. That slow, partial decomposition is usually accelerated by the presence of water, since hydrolysis is the other half of the reversible reaction equation of formation of weak salts.

Bland Christians – Lukewarm Christians

1) You don’t seek God before making decisions.

2) Your friends don’t take your walk with Christ seriously.

3) You want to know how far you can push the limit with God.

Woman at the well

John 4

29Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

An open letter to Christians everywhere (including me)

Michal Ferber

I just watched America’s Got Talent and saw what I hope is a career rebirth of another sinner saved by grace: Nikki Leonti Edgar (Wikipedia). My heart was broken listening to her story and realizing that I listened to her singing Christian music as a kid then hearing that she was shunned by the Christian community.

I began doing my own research; I wanted to know for myself. Since Nikki was shunned from the church, did she turn her back on God? Or did she do as Jesus and turn the other cheek and move on down the road? I read stories and comments from many different people. Some couldn’t believe that Christians would turn their back on a pregnant teen mom who choose life versus death for her baby. Others believed there must be more to the story. It saddens me, but there isn’t more to this story. It’s a simple story that all of us share. See, Christians sin, some more frequently than others, but we are all sinners. It’s not the sin that defines us though, it’s how we deal (or don’t deal) with the sin. Sin is bad, really bad; it separates us from God. And when we don’t deal with that sin, the separation grows and extends the time. Before long we grow numb to the separation and we no longer miss God (our Father).

The thing is: the world knows what Jesus looks, sounds and acts like better than some Christians. And, they are tired of fake, two-faced Christians who aren’t real. The world can spot a Sunday-morning Christian a mile away. Because of this, the world is still searching for something to fill the spot in them that God created specifically for Himself (Psalms 63:1). The world knows they want/need something, but they see us Christians walking around and say, “surely that isn’t it,” because so many Christians are fake. So many Christians don’t walk like we talk. I mean, even the devil knows the bible (Matthew 4:1-11).

It’s time for all of us who profess to be Christians to walk the walk we’ve been talking. It’s time to recognize that we are all sinners saved by grace. It’s time for us to fall on our face and declare God as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:17).

Lord forgive us, for we know not what we do. Personally, I make mistakes daily, but my daily prayer is that the Lord makes me better today than I was yesterday. And I know if I lean on Him, then with His help, I can be made better, I can be restored, I can be redeemed, and I can be and do all things according to His riches in Glory (Philippians 4:13). I am praying for Nikki and her family, that in this new journey they are on, they lean on God, and show the world Jesus, a Jesus this world has been seeking and not finding in His people.

Love vs Work

Michal Ferber

Love = 442       Old Testament = 240  New Testament = 202

Work = 689     Old Testament = 477  New Testament = 212

love

noun:an intense feeling of deep affection.

“babies fill parents with intense feelings of love”

synonyms: deep affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment,endearment;  devotion, adoration, doting, idolization, worship;  passion, ardor, desire, lust, yearning, infatuation, besottedness

work

noun : activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

“he was tired after a day’s work in the fields”

synonyms: labor, toil, slog, drudgery, exertion, effort, industry, service; informalgrind, sweat, elbow grease;  literarytravail “a day’s work in the fields”

Philos – This is a unique kind of love like the one you have for a companion or pal. It refers to loving one another just like your brother or sister.

Eros – Eros is a Greek term which actually means desire and longing. And according to the Greek methodology, Eros is the name of the Greek god of love. Also referred to as erotic love, this is a selfish kind of love as it associated with sexual love.

Storge – This is family love, the bond among mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers

Agape – his is a special term which represents the divine-love of the Lord towards his Son Jesus Christ, the human beings and all believers. This is the best of the three types of love in the bible, in fact Jesus himself showed this type of divine love to his Dad in heaven and humanity. Agape love is the love that God commanded all believers to have for everyone whether he/she is a believer or not. Agape love should never be determined by our feelings; it is more of a set of behaviors or actions. With agape, you do not have to actually feel it for you to give it, which means that you can be able to show love without feeling anything at all. At times feelings can follow after showing this kind of love.

What is love – we are taught as Christians to love people to Christ.

The devil convinces us that if we love, love one another, have Christian love that we have done our job. We don’t need to do anything else.

On its own, love is a feeling.

God worked for 6 days and rested on the 7th.

God created man in His image, we were created to work with God on earth, to be His hands and feet.

Thief on the cross that said remember me – Luke 23:39-43

The sacrifice didn’t go away in the old testament.

Work requires motivation

Has God made an impression

For us to be in love again

Our life is not our own – 1 Corinthians 6:19

1 Corinthians 13:13Amplified Bible (AMP)

13 And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope

[confident expectation of eternal salvation]

, love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.

James 2:17Amplified Bible (AMP)

17 So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead

[inoperative and ineffective]

Ephesians 5:1-2Amplified Bible (AMP)

5 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; 2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

Identity in Christ

Michal Ferber

Webster defines identity by:

the distinguishing character or personality of an individual

In the world today we have virtual identities all over the place. We have facebook, twitter, instagram, tumblr and linkedin just to name a few. Before we had that we had the start of social media before we even knew it had a name called MySpace. MySpace came around 2003, when you were 8. Google came around 1998 when you were 3.

You have grown up with social media in your face 24×7, and you probably couldn’t even imagine what the world was like before it.

On each of the websites we have an identity. It starts out as a profile pic, then we post what we like what we don’t like. And don’t forget about the games. Our virtual friends tell us what they like about our post and what we don’t like. For some people it’s a competition on who can get the most likes. For many we allow social media to shape our identity.

On this special day it seems appropriate to remind you of some important facts found in the bible.

First off, you were created in the image of God – Genesis 1:27

So as you leave today, accomplishing a major milestone in your life. I caution you not to let the world set your identity, because God has already done a great job of that. Instead open your bible daily, and let God point out to you, the identity he has already placed in you.

Mary’s Journey

Michal Ferber

December 18, 2011 – Eastside Christian Church – Michal Ferber

Luke 1:26-33

  1. The first thing I want to look at is God chose Mary.
    1. There wasn’t a search committee.
    1. It wasn’t anything that Mary volunteered for.
    1. It was unexpected.

38 Then Mary said, Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary was available.

  • But what were God’s criteria.

30 Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

As a Christian it is our job to work out our salvation. Each day trying to draw closer to God. To be in tune with the Holy Spirit. We see from verse 30 Mary met God’s criteria.

  • Patients were involved.
    • We can’t rush God.
    • We can’t drag things out.
    • God’s timing is perfect.
    • Mary had to be patient that God would change Joseph’s heart.

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth

  • Mary had to look out for the signs.
    • Signs are reminders that we are on the right track.
    • Signs act as confirmation.

36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  • Others around Mary had to support her ministry.
    • Joseph, her fiancé.
    • Elizabeth her sister.
    • The shepherds.

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

Summary

Mary’s Journey is a blueprint for us today. Scriptures show us the process.

  1. Available
  2. In Tune to the Holy Spirit
  3. Patients
  4. Signs/Confirmations
  5. Others Support