Episode Title – Class Reunion

Lesson Title: A Peace of the Past

Biblical Theme: Peace

Psalm 85:8 – I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints, but let them not return to folly.

According to the world, peace comes when we get what we want, whether possessions or even another person. The problem with that idea is us – the self centered focus on what we should have instead of what we should do for others. True contentment comes with the absolute certainty that what we truly need will be provided. When we view life from the Lord’s perspective, our longing or regret might be seen as the testing of divine providence.

Parable: The Moral of Mayberry…

Here Andy and Barney make peace with the past, but left the present in pieces. Andy found out the hard way why some lost love is best left lost. And Barney discovered an admirer he hadn’t forgot didn’t recall him at all. For most, what started with discontent ended with dissatisfaction. Briefly describe how each person was trying to achieve peace – or already had.

Andy: was lonely for a relationship

Barney: wanted to relive past glory.

Sharon: wanted to confirm her course in life.

Ramona: lived in the present with her husband.

What do you want right now? What makes you feel better about that? For both , why?

Personal Response

We all long for peace of mind, or the freedom from longing for anything for ourselves. Often we become restless thinking of things might have been. Instead , to achieve peace, you should focus on living by God’s law. Read Psalm 119:165. Consider why Andy and Barney wanted a reunion.

Why did Andy and Barney look up old flames? If married now, would they want the reunion?

They longed for the good times of the past. If happily married, they might have felt peace, although that is no guarantee. The answer to peace lies in attaining contentment.

Peace can’t be found in the past because we live in the present, and in the present, things have changed. While you can’t avoid change in your life, you can know peace in your Lord despite

change in the world. Read Isaiah 26:3. Think about where Barney found comfort, and what made him uncomfortable.

Why was Barney bothered by Ramona being married? What did the change say to him?

Barney took comfort recalling Ramona loved him. The change indicated a missed chance.

Contentment is a state of mind, no matter our state of being. Peace comes when we see our world from God’s point of view. Doing this fills that empty place in your life with what you are supposed to do rather than what you think you should have. Read Philippians 4 : 12-13

Did Andy and Sharon want to live in the past , confirm the present or find hope in the future? Why did they feel they needed this?

Maybe they wanted all three. But they needed it because they had not found contentment.

Were Andy and Sharon happy at the end? Were they more or less content?

Andy and Sharon felt a bittersweet sense of closure. But they finally found peace. Things hadn’t turned out the way they wanted, but they turned out the way they were meant to.

Reflection: At The Fishing Hole…

Proverbs 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting and strife.

Better to be content with less than to have more but be filled with strife. Strife is caused by sin, a self centered focus inevitably yields dissatisfaction for all. Jesus will give you peace if you only focus on him instead. Read John 14:27. While the world defines peace as the absence of conflict, the peace of God gives you contentment no matter your circumstance. Attaining peace is not a passive activity, to have peace you must seek and pursue it. Read 1 Peter 3:10-11. Pursue Jesus.

Like Andy, have you felt something missing in your life?

Personal Response.

Sharon needed to either correct a past mistake or confirm the right decision, either way, she was a modern woman at odds with the past. With God as our guide we don’t have to second guess our decisions. If we seek out the Lord and obey his laws, we will always have peace. Read Philippians 4:6-7.

Like Sharon, have you been haunted by the way things might have been? Give an example?

Personal Response.

While Barney re-lived the past, Ramona really lived in the present. Burdened by the past, we are either exalted or humiliated, two exhausting extremes. By contrast, God wants you to have hope in the present. Read Isaiah 43:18-19. The Lord does not live in the past, and you don’t want to be anywhere he is not.

Like Barney, have you kept a score of past occurrences? Give an example.

Personal Response.

Action: Get Out Your Bullet…

Psalm 34:14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Peace requires work. It does not come from positive thinking, but from our direct efforts at peace making. Fear of the Lord brings peace because we act in accordance with God’s laws. Read Proverbs 19: 23. When you act as God wants, he will provide for you. And as God provides for you, he will direct your steps. This is why you should be content with what God provides. The Lord grants a future to the man of peace, but those that sin will be destroyed. Read Psalm 37: 37-38.

What will you have to do to achieve peace?

Live by God’s law. Seek what you are to do, not have. Know he will provide what you need.

Why will you be content with what God provides?

As God provides, he directs your life. He favors the man of peace. He destroys the sinner.

How will the peace of Jesus be different from worldly peace?

The world says peace comes from possessions. Jesus gives us peace no matter what we have.

What do you want that God has not provided? Why do you want that thing?

Personal Response.