NOVA SCUAD

The SCUAD lesson, "Who Is Leading You: The World or the Spirit," explores the ongoing tension between worldly influences and spiritual guidance. It outlines how global conflicts, societal divisions, and various media tactics, including appeals to similarity and the vilification of opponents, can draw individuals away from God's truth and into turmoil. A primary tool introduced is biblical introspection, a process of self-examination guided by scripture that encourages individuals to challenge their ingrained biases, reflect on negative behaviors, and align their thoughts and actions with God's will. This practice aims to foster personal growth and transform one's mindset, enabling...

Courageous Conversations are defined as uncomfortable discussions concerning deeply held personal beliefs related to topics like race, gender, culture, or justice, requiring vulnerability, openness to sharing experiences, and humility in listening to others. They are uncomfortable because they expose personal values and challenge assumptions underlying actions and views. The purpose of these conversations is to create safe spaces to "see" one another, understand triumphs and tragedies, and deepen one's perspective of others, aiming to love each other as God loves us. The lesson emphasizes three core pillars: Courageous Listening, which is the most important skill, focusing on being "quick...

In this powerful lesson from the SCUAD Shalom series, we explore "Shalom Bayit" - Peace with Family. This is the third pillar in the series, following peace with God and peace with oneself. The lesson uses the biblical story of Jacob and his family, particularly Joseph, as a lens to understand common barriers to peace within families and how to overcome them.

The lesson identifies three key barriers to shalom in families:

This Squad lesson is focused on the Serenity Prayer as a tool for achieving inner peace. The group discusses the prayer line by line, relating each section to biblical passages and personal experiences of overcoming hardship. SCUAD Members share their struggles and triumphs, emphasizing the importance of surrendering to God's will and finding joy amidst life's imperfections. The overall message centers on finding peace with oneself through faith and spiritual practices.

Companion Document: https://nova-scuad.craft.me/yEw7hRZCCepxBG

This lesson discusses Shalom Atzmi, which means “peace with self”. The lesson emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and understanding one's role as created in God's image. For men, this involves acknowledging their inherent worth, accepting responsibility for stewardship of the world and care for women, and recognizing God's strength in their weaknesses. For women, it means understanding their value as "ezer kenegdo," a strong ally and complement to man, rather than seeking validation from societal standards. The lesson also explores the concept of "porneia," which refers to prostituting oneself, either literally or metaphorically, by compromising one's values for personal gain...

Shalom is a Hebrew word that means peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. It can refer to peace with God, between countries, groups, individuals, or even within oneself. Shalom is also used as a greeting and farewell. The concept of Shalom is deeply rooted in Jewish thought and Biblical tradition.

While Shalom does not appear in the New Testament, because it was written in Greek, the concept is present. Jesus likely used the word Shalom when speaking about peace, but the Gospel writers translated it to the Greek word "eirene". When reading the New Testament...

This SCUAD lesson explored the concept of truth and how disciples can determine what is true amidst the noise of today’s society. The lesson uses the story of Ahab and Jehoshaphat to illustrate how we must be honest about our agenda, identify our assumptions, reflect on their origins, study our Bible, gather evidence, seek alternative perspectives, interrogate our beliefs and assumptions, consider the implications, and be willing to change our beliefs.

The lesson emphasizes that we must be honest about whether we are truly seeking God's truth or simply seeking validation for our existing viewpoints. We mu...

This episode discusses the importance of lament in the Christian life.

●Lament is defined as deep grief or sorrow over personal or communal pain, including injustice, sin, and suffering.

●Biblical lament is often expressed through actions like wearing sackcloth and ashes, symbolizing humility and desolation.

●The book of Lamentations uses an alphabetic acrostic structure to convey that lament has a definite beginning and end.

●Lament is a process that can lead to action, comfort, repentance, and reconciliation.

●Communal lament is important, allowing us to grieve and process difficult realities together.<...

Podcast Show Notes Summary: "The Love You Owe: Exploring Hesed Love Principles"

In this episode, hosts Alton Murphy and Andy Yateman explore the concept of Hesed love, a biblical principle centered on mercy, kindness, and covenantal faithfulness. Drawing from scriptures in Leviticus, Matthew, and other biblical texts, they explore how Hesed applies to everyday relationships, conflict resolution, and spiritual growth.

Key Topics Covered:

Overview:

This episode is part of SCUAD’s midweek series focusing on fostering courageous conversations within the church community. Building upon previous lessons on “Courageous Conversations” and “Connecting Through Lament,” this session emphasizes the importance of unity and explores how Jesus exemplified unity through his teachings and actions. The discussion examines how divisive opinions can either bring us closer or create disunity, providing practical steps for electing unity over division.