Session 5: God Calls
Suggested Week of Use: December 29, 2019
Core Passage: Numbers 22:22-35
News Story Summary
In late November 2019, a Florida man stepped out of his car for a moment, leaving the engine running. When he did, Max which is his black lab somehow shifted the car into reverse, and for the next hour, drove it backwards in circles in a cul-de-sac.
Eventually, the car hit a mailbox which stopped the car. The owner produced a second fob to open the door, but its battery was dead. Eventually, police unlocked the car by entering a code on the key pad on the driver’s door. Remarkably, no one was injured. The dog’s owner agreed to pay for the damaged mailbox. The car itself also sustained minor damage.
(For more on this story, search the Internet using the term “dog drives circles alone in car”.)
Focus Attention
To replace the Focus Attention idea, to begin the group time ask: What is the most unusual trick you’ve seen an animal perform? Allow adults to share their stories. Share the news story about Max with the group. Explain that today’s study also involves an animal that accomplished an extraordinary feat, much to the alarm of its owner. Challenge the group to look for the critical principles found in today’s lesson about listening to God.
Challenge
To supplement the Summarize and Challenge idea, lead the group to compare the story of the car-driving dog with the story of the talking donkey in Numbers. Ask: How are they similar? (both involve animals, both are unusual, both caught the owners by surprise) How are they different? (the incident with the dog was an accident; God used the donkey for a specific reason) Say: God used an animal for a specific reason to communicate a specific truth. We choose how to respond when God speaks to us. We can listen and obey and enjoy the benefits. Or we can refuse to listen and experience the consequences. God gives us the choice of which path we take. Complete the step as written, reviewing the summary statements for the lesson.