Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for January 14, 2018
“Making Known the ‘Unknown’” Acts 17:22-34 Bible Study 01/14/18
Our text this morning records the content of Paul’s gospel presentation to the Gentile intelligentsia of ancient Athens. After leaving Philippi (16:40), Paul enjoyed fruitful ministry in Thessalonica and Berea, but not without increasing opposition from the Jews in both places. Now, we find Paul, some 200 miles from Berea, in Athens, a city considered at the highest level of culture and learning in the ancient world. Paul’s presentation of the gospel here is both conciliatory and confrontational. As such, it provides a healthy model for believers today as they seek to share the gospel in a post-modern world.
I. Setting
• Paul’s spirit “provoked” by idols
• Epicureans and Stoics
• Jesus and the resurrection
• invitation to the Areopagus
• the Athenian “hobby’
II. Conciliation (22-23a)
• bridge-building perception of Paul
• 30,000 statues, 1 to an AGNOSTO god
III. Declaration (23b-29)
• emphasis on God’s roles as Creator and Sustainer
• from one man every nation
• general revelation
• use of Greek poetry references
• truth about the true God
IV. Confrontation (30-31)
• God’s forbearance
• summons to repent
• designation of a day of judgment
• designation of the Judge
V. Appropriation (32-34)
• a split-decision
• some believe
• male and female
VI. So What?
• Because God summons all people to seek refuge in His Son, rid yourself of idols and rely on God’s final revelation of Himself.
• “The dearest idol I have known, What’er that idol be, Help me to tear it from Thy throne, And worship only Thee.” (Cowper)
• Rest in the refuge found only in God’s Son.
• Relay the message of accountability to the one true and “knowable” God.
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 2, 2015
“A Glimpse of the Throne” Revelation 4:1-11 Bible Study 08/02/15
This morning we turn our attention to one of the most powerful and comforting passages in Scripture. Writing to Christians in crisis for whom persecution and suffering for their faith were realities, John provides a desperately needed perspective. He conveys a vivid portrait of the living God on His throne and in absolute control. In our text, a door is opened for John to get a glimpse of the very throneroom of God. Heaven is real! God is in control and will prevail. Because the Lord is on His throne, experience comfort and express worship.
I. Think about the throne 1-8a
-on the throne
* occupied
* appearance
-around the throne
*rainbow
* 24 thrones
* 4 living creatures
-from the throne
* lightning, sounds, thunder
-before the throne
* 7 torches
* sea of glass
II. Observe the worship before the throne 8b-11
-the object of worship
* holy
* sovereign
* omnipotent
* timeless
-the expression of worship
* prostration
* presentation
* praise
III. For further reflection
-“If you have been resigning yourself to the thought God has left you high and dry, seek grace to be ashamed of yourself…Such unbelieving pessimism deeply dishonors God…The Shepherd does not lose His sheep.” -J. I. Packer
-“To regain her lost power, the church must see Heaven opened and have a transforming vision of God…Not the utilitarian God who is having a run of popularity today, whose chief claim to men’s attention is His ability to bring them success in their various undertakings…The God we must learn to know is the Majesty in the heavens…He it is that sitteth upon the circle of the earth who stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain…who bringeth out His starry host by number and calleth them all by names through the greatness of His power, who seeth the works of man as vanity, who putteth no confidence in princes and asks no counsel of kings.” A. W. Tozer
-“Failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren. Without worship we live manipulated and manipulating lives. We move in either frightened panic or deluded lethargy as we are, in turn, alarmed by spectres and soothed by placebos. If there is no center, there is no circumference. People who do not worship are swept into a vast restlessness, epidemic in the world, with no steady direction and no sustaining purpose.” Eugene Peterson
Leanne’s Cream Cheese Braids
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 large eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Filling (recipe to follow)
Powdered Sugar Glaze (recipe to follow)
Preparation
Heat first 4 ingredients in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Cool to 105 to 115 degrees.
Combine yeast and warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream mixture and eggs; gradually stir in flour (dough will be soft). Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
Divide dough into fourths. Turn out each portion onto a heavily floured surface, and knead 4 or 5 times.
Roll each portion into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle, and spread each rectangle with one-fourth of Cream Cheese Filling leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Carefully roll up, starting at a long sice; press seam, and fold ends under to seal. Please, seam side down, on lightly greased baking sheets. Cut 6 equally spaced Xs across top of each loaf; cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degress), free from drafts, about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Top with sliced almonds.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Drizzle warm loves with Powdered Sugar Glaze.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons almond extract
Beat all ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
Stir together all ingredients
Note: Braids may be frozen after baking. Thaw in refrigerator and glaze before serving.
Sausage Scramble Bake by Leanne
Sausage Scramble-Bake
1 1/2 lb. mild bulk sausage – cooked and drained
(I usually use 1 lb. and it does fine)
18 eggs
2 cups milk
1 ½ tsp. salt
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 box crushed garlic & onion croutons, crushed
Place crumbled sausage in bottom of greased 9×13 baking dish.
Beat eggs, milk & salt. Pour over sausage.
Sprinkle with cheese
Top with crushed croutons
Bake @ 325 for 45-50 minutes – until knife comes out clean
Optional – top each square with a tomato slice (I never do)
APPLE PIE BITES by Terri
APPLE PIE BITES
Ingredients:
1 container of refrigerator biscuits (10 biscuit size)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup of raisins or Craisins
2 T. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 1/2 T. butter
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spray mini-muffin cups with cooking spray.
3. Using a rolling pin, flatten each biscuit into a 3-4 inch circle.
4. Combine apples with raisins or Craisins.
5. Mix in sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Place 1 T. of mixture into each biscuit.
7. Dot each with a small pat of butter.
8. Bring up the sides of the biscuit, pinch and twist the top to seal in the filling.
9, Place in greased muffin cups.
10.Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
Fruit Pizza by Jennifer
Take one can of crescent rolls and press into a pan (square or round) – just be sure to press together the seams. Bake as directed. Let cool. In a small mixing bowl cream together one 8 oz. package of cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled crescent roll crust. Cut up desired fruit and place on top of cream cheese. Cut into desired size pieces and enjoy. Chill until ready to serve.
CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
| Recipe by Terri CastleberryCINNAMON FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
cooking-oil spray 1 loaf (1 pound) Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon-Swirl bread without raisins 6 large eggs 1 1/2 cups half-and-half 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 5 tablespoons butter or margarine 3/4 cup (3 ounces) chopped pecans or walnuts maple syrup to taste, for serving Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (that’s safe to go into the oven when cold, such as Corning Ware) with cooking-oil spray. Cut the bread into bite-size cubes. Place 1 1/2 cups of the cubes in a quart-size zipper-top bag and set aside. Place the remaining cubes into the baking dish. Set aside. Whisk the eggs well in a 2-quart bowl. Whisk in the half-and-half, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes in the casserole. Press the bread cubes down into the egg mixture to make sure they are all moistened. Cover the dish, and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours and up to 24. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Just before baking, place the butter in a microwave-safe dish, cover with a paper towel, and microwave until almost melted, about 30 to 45 seconds. Remove from the oven, and stir until the butter melts completely. Pour the nuts into the bag with the reserved bread cubes. Pour the melted butter into the bag, seal, and shake unbtil the bread and nuts are coated with butter. Uncover the casserole, and press the bread cubes down with the back of a spoon to remoisten. Scatter the bread-and-nut mixture evenly over the top. Use the spoon to help distribute the nuts and cubes evenly. Bake the casserole, uncovered, until lightly brown on top and puffed, about 45 to 50 minutes. (The baking time will vary depending on how cold the dish is.) Let the casserole stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. (The casserole will settle and deflate a bit as it stands.) To serve, cut into squares, and drizzle maple syrup on top.
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Ellen’s Tasty Sausage Rolls
Ellen’s Tasty Sausage Rolls
2 pounds sausage (Owens or Jimmy Dean)
8 oz. Monterrey Jack Cheese – shredded
2 cans Crescent Rolls
2 eggs (one egg for mixture and other for brushing dough mixture top)
Brown sausage. Drain in colander and cool. Grate cheese and mix in bowl with beaten egg and sausage. Take all of the dough out of the can and push the seams together. Makes a large rectangle. Put ½ sausage and cheese mixture in center of dough and fold each side to the middle to make a loaf. Repeat with the other can of Crescent Rolls. Brush both loaves with a beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Can be frozen and reheated.
