The Lord Has Risen Indeed!

Adult Teacher s Commentary Sept. Nov. 2012 The Lord Has Risen Indeed! ADULT By Diana M. Stucky 1 March December 31 2 2013 2012 for use as STEP 1. Focus: Receive the risen Jesus. Bible Basis: Luke 24:13-21, 28-35 Students will discuss the impact the risen Jesus has on our lives. OPENING ACTIVITY: Happy Easter! As your class comes into the room, ask them to share with one another a favorite Easter memory. They might mention getting up for a sunrise service, attending an Easter morning church breakfast, or having a big family dinner after going to church with their grandparents. OPENING STORY [read it aloud to your class, or make copies and pass it around]: LIVES CHANGED ON THE MARGINS Every spring migrant workers from California trek to the Skagit Valley, in northwest Washington State, to work in the valley s fields of tulips, daffodils, berries, and produce. Many of them came to the United States years ago from Mexico, and during the season as many as 10 people may live in 12-by-20-foot one-room houses with bunk beds, a small sink, a refrigerator, a stove, and a bathroom 100 yards away. Ministering to these people on the margins of society is Tierra Nueva (Spanish for New Earth ), which aims to share the Good News of God s liberation in Jesus Christ with migrant farm workers, jail inmates, Skagit Valley gang members, and those struggling with addiction. Twenty staff members and a network of volunteers are drawn from throughout the United States and Canada to support a ministry that integrates worship, witness, social service, and justice and reliance on the Holy Spirit for everything. Founded in 1994, Tierra Nueva (TN) is housed in an old bank on the main street of the 8,500-person town of Burlington, Washington. The former bank offices have become TN s Family Support Center, distributing diapers and clothes and providing legal and immigration assistance to over 1,800 people each year. Other offices now house ex-gang members, single dads with their children, and interns. The bank vault has become a free clothing bank for people of all ages. The

March 31, 2013 / Step 1 2 upstairs hosts a library and a kitchen, so people can be fed physically, intellectually, and spiritually. Bob and Gracie Ekblad, founders of TN, grew up in nearby Bellevue, Washington, and ministered for a time with the poor in Honduras. They now guide the Washington volunteers, who listen for God to guide them to specific people, places, and physical conditions. They then watch for people in those places who match the clues they believe the Holy Spirit has given them. That s how they met Lucy. Gracie and another volunteer felt led to her at the local Mexican grocery store. After introducing themselves, they asked if she needed prayer. Yes, but doesn t everyone? said Lucy. Gracie agreed, then told her, I think God is highlighting you. They prayed about a thrombosis in Lucy s leg, then Lucy cried as she said she had been longing for someone to tell her about Jesus and the Bible. They invited her to their Sunday service, and she beckoned them to her car and offered them bags of oatmeal and granola, earned from the factory where she works. She and her daughter now regularly attend Tierra Nueva s worship service, and she tells everyone how God healed both her leg and her heart. Another example of God moving in mighty ways is Zach. With a shaven head that displays his tattoos, Zach is a giant of a man and bit intimidating. However, Zach has gone from cooking methamphetamines, 17 years of addiction to intravenous drugs, and multiple times in jail and prison to being the head coffee roaster for TN s coffee project. The turning point came the day Zach sat in on a Bible study at Skagit County jail s multipurpose room. Zach was captured by Bob s way of weaving Scripture into the daily realities of men who feel like rejects. When Bob saw Zach s huge, swollen hands showing years of heroin use, Bob told him he thought God wanted to heal his hands. His hands were healed, and Zach s heart was captured by Christ. As soon as he was out of jail he knocked on the door of Tierra Nueva, wanting help and wanting to help. Another ministry of TN is Faith House, which resources women with drug addictions. Sabrina arrived at Faith House weighing 87 pounds, sleeping two hours at night, and barely clean from being addicted to everything, she says. From ages 3 to 11 Sabrina was repeatedly molested and raped by a family member, until at age 11 she was forced into prostitution. When she was 13 she was kicked out of her home and worked two to three jobs to support herself. She left her car, her money, and her addictions before coming to Faith House. It took her six months to be able to sleep through the night, and now she can eat three meals a day. I m growing up all over again, says Sabrina. I never had support like this from my family.

March 31, 2013 / Step 1 3 Sabrina s dream is to do art therapy with children and women who have been abused. She recently earned her GED and is enrolled at a local community college. Now the house assistant at Faith House, Sabrina is also the lead baker for New Earth Bread, the social enterprise of Faith House. We re a program of healing, says Amy Muia, one of the directors of Faith House. We re in a partnership with God. And God does beautiful work. [Now form small groups to answer the following questions.] How is the Tierra Nueva ministry helping people recognize and receive Jesus? What does it mean to them to have received Jesus? Who helped you recognize and receive Jesus? What difference did receiving Jesus make in your life? Have you helped others to recgonize and receive Him? Explain your answer. [Now go on to Step 2 in the Adult Teacher s Guide.] News Sources: http://www.christianitytoday.com/thisisourcity/7thcity/ministeringon-margins-in-rural-america.html?paging=off http://www.tierra-nueva.org/tnhome.html

Adult Teacher s Commentary Sept. Nov. 2012 Called to Serve ADULT March 24 2013 for use as STEP 4. Focus: Receive the risen Jesus. Bible Basis: Luke 24:13-21, 28-35 THE RISEN JESUS Through the Holy Spirit, the risen Jesus is still working in the world, changing lives and bringing hope to those lost and in despair. He will work in our lives, bringing about change and hope every day, when we recognize and receive Him as our Lord and Savior. ACTIVITY Ask your students to return to their groups from Step 1 to discuss these questions. Encourage anyone in the class who doesn t have the hope of salvation to make time to talk to you about this life-changing step. What will change in your life this week if you receive Jesus resurrection power? How can you fully receive all that the risen Jesus has for you? End the class in prayer. Thank God for giving His Son for the redemption of our sins, and for the salvation He freely gives to whoever receives Him as Lord and Savior. (We are not affiliated with and do not endorse any website listed on these pages. At the time of writing, we carefully review the referenced material and non-referenced web page content. However, due to the nature of the Internet, non-cited content on the website [including popups, links, and ads] changes frequently and is beyond our control. Please review carefully before showing links in the classroom.) THE BIBLE IN THE NEWS Public school students in North Carolina may soon be able to take a class on the Bible as an elective course: http://www.christianpost.com/news/nc-bill-seeks-to-add-bible-classes-to-school-curriculum-91009/

From worship leader Darlene Zschech, writer of Shout To The Lord, comes her long awaited live worship project, Revealing Jesus. Just in time for Easter, Revealing Jesus features the powerful resurrection themed song Victor s Crown. Produced by 4 time Grammy winner and Gold selling worship artist Israel Houghton at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, Revealing Jesus is filled with songs that declare the finished work of Christ. CD CD/DVD DELUXE EDITION itunes LP ALSO AVAILABLE: 365 DAY DEVOTIONAL REVEALING-JESUS.COM VISIT REVEALING-JESUS.COM FOR FREE SONG RESOURCES