Sunday School Dale

Title: Gilligan’s Island Lesson plans Week seven PRIDE: “The Secret of Gilligan’s Island” (Season 3, Episode 25)

Note: Note: This lesson is inspired Season 3, Episode 25 of GILLIGAN’S ISLAND. “The Secret of Gilligan’s Island”

Prayer: (We will spend time in prayer and meditation at the end of the class)

Bible Texts:

Key Scripture Verses for the Gilligan’s Island Bible Study
(Note: these will be the same for each week during this study)
#1 Mark 7:21-23 (New International Version)  21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ”
Mark 7:21-23 (The Message)  20-23 He went on: “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution
#2 Colossians 3:12-14 (New International Version) 12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)  So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Key Scripture Verses for Today’s Lesson (week 7)
2 Corinthians 10 (Today’s New International Version)
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “Let those who boast boast in the Lord.” [b] 18 For it is not those who commend themselves who are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 10 (The Message)for context :{ 9-11And what’s this talk about me bullying you with my letters? “His letters are brawny and potent, but in person he’s a weakling and mumbles when he talks.” Such talk won’t survive scrutiny. What we write when away, we do when present. We’re the exact same people, absent or present, in letter or in person.}  12We’re not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they’re our superiors. We wouldn’t dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.
13-14We aren’t making outrageous claims here. We’re sticking to the limits of what God has set for us. But there can be no question that those limits reach to and include you. We’re not moving into someone else’s “territory.” We were already there with you, weren’t we? We were the first ones to get there with the Message of Christ, right? So how can there be any question of overstepping our bounds by writing or visiting you?
15-18We’re not barging in on the rightful work of others, interfering with their ministries, demanding a place in the sun with them. What we’re hoping for is that as your lives grow in faith, you’ll play a part within our expanding work. And we’ll all still be within the limits God sets as we proclaim the Message in countries beyond Corinth. But we have no intention of moving in on what others have done and taking credit for it. “If you want to claim credit, claim it for God.” What you say about yourself means nothing in God’s work. It’s what God says about you that makes the difference.
1 Corinthians 4: (New International Version) 6 …you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!
1 Corinthians 4 (The Message)
6 …It’s important to look at things from God’s point of view. I would rather not see you inflating or deflating reputations based on mere hearsay. 7-8For who do you know that really knows you, knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle…
Additional reading                             Isaiah 14 (Today’s New International Version)

1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob;
once again he will choose Israel
and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
and unite with the house of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them
and bring them to their own place.
And the house of Israel will take possession of the nations
and make them male and female servants in the LORD’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
and rule over their oppressors.
3 On the day the LORD gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil
and from the harsh labor forced on you,
4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
How the oppressor has come to an end!
How his fury [a] has ended!
5 The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples
with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
with relentless aggression.
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;
they break into singing.
8 Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon
exult over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
no one comes to cut us down.”
9 The realm of the dead below is all astir
to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
all those who were kings over the nations.
10 They will all respond,
they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
you have become like us.”
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
and worms cover you.
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. [b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:
“Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble

Questions
1.    We’ve discussed that each member of this society fulfills an important role. How is The Professor important to the island society?
2.    Does The Professor live up to the responsibilities of his role in this society? Be able to cite examples from the episodes we’ve seen so far.
3.    How does The Professor represent Pride in this series in general and in this episode specifically?
4.    What do today’s Bible texts mean and how do they relate to today’s video lesson.

(Note: I found the second passage (from 1st Corinthians) to be easier to understand and apply)

5.    Remembering that Gilligan’s Island is an allegory or parable that works on multiple   levels, What do you think the writers (Bruce Howard and Arne Sultan) might be saying about our society in general through the professor’s attitudes and actions?

6.    Do the professor’s actions influence the rest of the community? If so, How?
7.    How does pride influence our lives? (Remember to consider the personal and societal consequences of pride in your answers.)
Physically
Mentally
Emotionally
Spiritually
8.         Why is pride a “deadly” sin?
9.         As we listen to “The Wonderful Cross” –Tomlin/Redman  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiTIHdp5NVs&fmt=18  Please meditate on today’s prayer requests/praises and also on the place that PRIDE has taken in your own life.

ACTIVITY for Week 7: BIG LOSERS
Note: Usually I don’t mind if you share answers, but this is just for fun, so please keep your answers to yourself until the end. Thanks!
The following are questions* that people have missed on game shows. Some of these are questions that would have won the big money for the contestants who had gone almost all the way to the final round. How well would you do answering these questions?

1. The law of what organization ends by stating that it’s members are brave, clean and reverent?

2. What is the name of the dog in Peter Pan?

3. Name one of the original Three Musketeers.

**4.  2 + (3 x 4) =

5. Name the first 5 books of the Bible.

* Some of these were questions from before the days of YOUTUBE, so my wording may be somewhat different from the original phrasing.
**I could not remember the exact equation, but this is similar. The point is, the man blew this simple question due to his inattention to the basics, a rookie error from someone who felt he had it in the bag!

Prayer:  Prayer and meditation during “The Wonderful Cross” video (see lyrics below) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiTIHdp5NVs&fmt=18

The Wonderful Cross
Adapted by Tomlin/Redman

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

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