Adult Sunday School

Mark - Session 12 - Jesus Sacrificed

February 11, 2024 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 15:24–39

Have you ever ordered at a drive-through speaker, only to discover when you arrived at the window that the person in the car ahead of you had paid your bill? It’s an awkward feeling to accept food for which you didn’t pay. Jesus paid the penalty for everyone on the cross.

Mark - Session 11 - Jesus is Willing

February 4, 2024 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 14:32–42

A commitment to the Father’s will should impact all of our decisions. Jesus is our ultimate example for this as he submitted to the Father’s will, which lead Him to the cross.

Mark - Session 10 - Jesus’ Returning

January 28, 2024 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 13:24–37

Many people know the experience of waiting for a bus. At the bus stop, anxious people can be seen looking at their watches. If the bus is more than a minute late, apprehension creeps into the minds of the anxious. Can they trust the published schedule? What if something happens and the bus is not coming today? Anticipation can create excitement but can also create worry.

Mark - Session 9 - Jesus Judges

January 21, 2024 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 11:15–25

Faith is believing God is in charge and has our best interest in mind so that we are praying for things that are in line with his will and not from our craven, fallen, passion-filled desires.

Mark - Session 8 - Jesus Serves

January 14, 2024 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 10:32–45

Most people are served by someone on a typical day. A waiter brings a glass of water. A driver allows you into the flow of traffic though you don’t have the right of way. How often are we grateful for those acts of service? Do we rudely get upset when the waiter doesn’t meet our standards? Do we cut someone off in traffic even when we’ve just been allowed ahead of our turn? Gratefulness for the sacrifices of others should change the way we live. Why do we serve others? Is it to feel good and get recognition for our good deeds, or is it to selflessly benefit those around us?

Mark - Session 7 - Jesus Strengthens

January 7, 2024 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 9:17–29

How have you seen faith lacking, and what was the outcome? Have you seen faith exercised, and what was the outcome? At some point, every person struggles to believe that circumstances in life can change. It may be a sickness, addiction, financial dilemma, or some other situation that never seems to get better. Often, that person has done all he or she could to change the situation, but it still remains. In desperation, that person may turn to the Lord, but with faith that has grown weak. It’s not always easy to keep the faith when we see no alleviation of the problem. ESV passage Mark 9:17-29

Mark - Session 5 - Jesus Includes

December 10, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 7:24–37

Most people have at least once experienced being excluded. Feeling like an outsider is an emotionally painful experience. Whatever the reason for being excluded, the incident typically stays in our minds forever. Yet the opposite—being included in a group or event—can be life-giving. In the same way, the memory of belonging can remain with us throughout life. Jesus shows, through the healing of two individuals, that He extends mercy to all people.

Mark - Session 4 - Jesus Satisfies

December 3, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 6:30–44

Discontented people are dangerous people. Those who are unsatisfied in their hearts are prone to actions that might possibly harm themselves or others. Even a cursory glance at the general public reveals a dangerous discontentment. Sometimes the slightest life disruption—or threat of such—results in unwise and unstable reactions. A lack of satisfaction in one’s marriage, family, job, and spiritual life creates vulnerability to temptation. A wise person will stop and consider the level of satisfaction within his or her heart.

Mark - Session 3 - Jesus Questioned

November 26, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 3:20–30

Jesus has authority over all creation, including Satan. Ours is an age of self-proclaimed autonomy. “No one is going to tell me what to do!” is a familiar refrain. Many assert that they are accountable only to themselves. In self-authority, the only guidance a person seeks is one’s own wisdom, and the only allegiance given is to one’s own self-interest. Of course, when every person is their own authority, the result is relational chaos. No wonder the world is a fractured and confused place.

Mark - Session 2 - Jesus Proclaimed

November 19, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 1:35–45

Since people talk about the things that interest and captivate them, why do believers talk so sparingly about Jesus? While topics of conversation vary among adults, it is always true that people in groups talk about what is interesting to them. Even the quietest person will, on occasion, speak about things that are important to him or her. Some like to talk about ordinary events, while others enjoy discussing controversial issues. One thing is certain: what we say reflects what is on our mind. Subjects or experiences that captivate us will eventually find their way out in our conversation.

Mark - Session 1 - Introduced

November 12, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Mark 1:1–13

Introductions matter and have lasting impacts on us. Mark’s gospel was the first gospel to be written, and scholars generally affirm this Mark to be synonymous with John Mark who is mentioned on multiple occasions. Throughout his Gospel, Mark has many themes, such as the wilderness, but his most important recurring theme is the identity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, which is how he begins his Gospel.

Lamentations - Session 1 - Good from Despair

Andrew Calamaro • Lamentations 3:19–33

The word peace means many things to many people. A mother of small children may say, “All I want is a little peace,” by which she means she wants some quiet in their household. Others may think of peace in terms of nations ceasing conflict. Still others might long for peace on the job when circumstances have led to tension in the office. The Bible speaks of a peace only God can give.

Jeremiah - Session 12 - God is Just

November 5, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Jeremiah 50:11–20, Jeremiah 50:33–40

History is full of accounts of notorious criminals who fled from justice and were fugitives for many years before authorities were able to apprehend them. Many thought they could get away with their crimes, but the law caught up with them. There are also accounts of fugitives who never were apprehended and appear to have escaped justice. Even though a criminal may escape judgment in an earthly courtroom, no one who defies God is able to escape His judgment. Judgment awaits those who defy God. ESV passages Jeremiah 50:11-20, 33-40

Jeremiah - Session 11 - God is Trustworthy

October 22, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Jeremiah 42

Why would someone ask for God’s counsel and then ignore it? Most of us visit a doctor when we want medical advice. We consult a professional regarding our health issues to receive an accurate diagnosis and a plan for recovery. Sadly, many people today do not consult God’s Word to guide them as they make important life decisions. They say they believe the Bible is the Word of God, but their decisions don’t reflect what they say.

Jeremiah - Session - God Speaks

October 1, 2023 • Andrew Calamaro • Jeremiah 36:1–31

A man received notices that he owed taxes on his property. Each time he received a notice, he disposed of it. But this didn’t change the fact that he owed the city taxes. In the days of Jeremiah, the king of Judah didn’t like the message that came from God’s prophet. So he tried to dispose of it. But God’s Word could not be destroyed, and the truth it declared could not be avoided. Everything on the earth will wither and pass away at some point. But God’s Word will endure forever. ESV passage Jeremiah 36:1-31

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