(A brief overview for teachers and Bible Study leaders of the Lifeway Sunday school lesson for July 10, 2022)
INTRODUCTION: One way you could begin this lesson would be to ask your group:
??? “Have you/anyone in your class ever seen someone literally bow down and worship and idol?” Many of us who have grown up as Christians in America might say NO, but an increasing number of us may have.
— I remember reading an article in the paper in Tulsa back in the 1990’s, and they were interviewing an Asian man who had started a business there. They had a picture of his mantle, and referred to the idol he worshiped. That was the first time I’d seen an idol being worshiped in America.
— And I can vividly remember being on a mission trip in Lucknow, India, and seeing a man dressed in a nice business suit walk up to a little local temple, ring the bell (I learned later to “wake up the god”!) and bow down before the image of the monkey god who was sitting on a throne. I was just blown away by it. It was the first time I’d really seen someone bow before an idol. A man dressed in a business suit, bowing before a monkey god idol!
— I was driving to make a hospital visit here in Texas my first year here, and was shocked to see a series of Buddhist idols on the side of the road at one point. In TEXAS of all places!
You/some of your class members may have some experiences like this — or you can feel free to share these.
But then you could say: this morning we are going to look at I Kings 18, where God’s people were challenged to forsake false idols like these, and worship the One True God, YHWH. (And of course we will see that all “idols” are not made of stone/wood!)
shawnethomas 