Herald & Banner Press, Author at HERALD AND BANNER PRESS

Submission to the Father

“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (v. 39).
We have this idea that Jesus went through His life, happily looking forward to the cross. We sing, “He had no tears for His own grief, but sweat- drops of blood for mine,” from Charles Gabriel’s otherwise wonderful hymn “My Savior’s Love.” In these last moments, before He would begin rushing headlong for the cross, Jesus was asking His Father if there was any other way. Jesus did not want to go through the agony of crucifixion.

We get several English words from the Latin crux. One of them is “excruciating,” which we use to describe unbearable pain. Unbearable pain was the point of crucifixion. Nails were driven through the wrists and ankles, but that was only the beginning. The nails were driven in such a way that one was supported by the nail in the ankles, but had to pull one’s self up on the nails in the wrist in order to breathe. Very often the victim had been whipped, so the lacerated back scraped up and down the rough wood of the cross. Added to this was the humiliation of being naked and held up for public spectacle.
Why would Jesus submit Himself to the Father’s will and embrace the cross? Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus went to the cross “for the joy set before him.” The joy set before Him was the salvation of sinners. His obedience even to death has saved us. (Randy J. Bland)

How marvelous, how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: How marvelous, how wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me. — Charles Gabriel

Will you follow Jesus’ example and be obedient to the Father?

Herald & Banner Press2018-08-08T09:00:15+00:00August 8th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Crucifixion, Submission|0 Comments

Peter: A Man of Action

Focus Text: Matthew 14:25-31; Acts 3:1-7
Central Truth: Faith in God requires action.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify ways we can put our faith into action.
Lesson Outline:
I. Faith in Action (Matt. 14:25-31)
II. Healing the Sick (Acts 3:1-7)

Herald & Banner Press2018-08-06T09:00:42+00:00August 6th, 2018|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: active faith, healing, Peter, praying, walking on water|0 Comments

Side-by-Side Pictures

There are two characters for today’s word pictures, Mary and Martha. Create a separate picture for each one.

We are not to criticize Martha’s service, but to learn the importance of keeping our service to God in proper focus.

Analyze each woman’s weaknesses and strengths. Compare the hospitality of Martha and Mary. Was one sister better than the other?

Did Mary and Martha work as a team? Can two people working together be more effective than when working alone.

Have the class tell what they admire about Mary and Martha, or about someone else they know.

Herald & Banner Press2018-08-03T09:00:28+00:00August 3rd, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: admire, Sisters, strengths, weaknesses|0 Comments

Giving Sacrificially

“And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites” (v. 2).
Does the Lord need our money? Right now, you may be formulating an answer in your mind. A church treasurer may say – absolutely! A pastor may be thinking — I need my salary. A missionary president may reflect upon the many needs upon the foreign field. Yet, I ask, does God really need our money?

Note three thoughts in our text verse: 1) God knows if you are giving to His cause: “he saw.” Indeed, we do have a responsibility to give our tithes and offerings to God’s work (Mal. 3:10). 2) A poor widow gave. She wanted to give to the Lord. What a wonderful attitude she displayed. “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). 3) She gave a small offering — only two mites. Yet, it was sacrificial, for she gave all she had (Luke 21:4). Do we likewise give sacrificially and cheerfully?
I believe that God rewarded this widow for her devoted service, and He will bless us also when we are faithful to give. (James O. Baker)

There’ll be show’rs of blessing from our Father’s hand, On His word of promise we may firmly stand; There’ll be rains refreshing on the thirsty land When the tithes are gathered in. — Mrs. C. H. Morris

What is my attitude in giving to the Lord?

Herald & Banner Press2018-08-01T09:00:18+00:00August 1st, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: generosity, sacrifices|0 Comments

Martha and Mary: Women of Devoted Service

Focus Text: Luke 10:38-42, John 11:21-29; 12:1-3
Central Truth: God uses the loving service of dedicated Christians to bless others.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify various ways of serving God, the church, and others today.
Lesson Outline:
I. Displayed Hospitality
II. Believed in Jesus
II. Honored the Lord

Herald & Banner Press2018-07-30T09:00:16+00:00July 30th, 2018|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: devotion, differences, personalities, Sisters|0 Comments

A Melancholy Man

The character for this week's lesson is Jeremiah. Create a word picture of him for your notebook.

Jeremiah was a melancholy man whom God used to prophesy.

What qualifications did Jeremiah have to be a prophet? What qualifications did Jeremiah think he had?

Did Jeremiah think he was capable of doing what God wanted him to do? Describe how God can use a person who thinks he is small. Do you know of anyone like this?

Jeremiah was known as “the weeping prophet.” How can a sorrowful person like that be used by God?

Herald & Banner Press2018-07-27T09:00:20+00:00July 27th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: jeremiah, prophesy, qualifications|0 Comments

A Lesson from God

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel” (v. 6).
Maybe like you, I have some pieces of pottery in storage somewhere that I made in grade school. They are in storage because I am not proud enough of them to put them on display. But they have been “fired” in the kiln, and are beyond improvement. They can only be changed by breaking them, and then they are just trash.

I am so glad that God always has a way of reshaping the clay! Lives of abuse and neglect sometimes seem to create a permanent piece, and people despair that anything new or beautiful can come from their piece of clay. But God has a unique way of reshaping even lives that have been made hard by sin.
A year ago our church began a ministry called Celebrate Recovery. Every other Wednesday night we watch a testimony supplied by the national organization of the transforming grace of God. When the testimony ends, the words I hear most in our men’s group are, “I would have given up on that person long ago.” But God didn’t. Instead He reshaped the clay.
Do you think you are beyond reshaping? Do you feel the hurts of life have made it impossible for you to be the person you were meant to be? (Gordon L. Snider)

Give God the broken pieces!

Herald & Banner Press2018-07-25T09:00:07+00:00July 25th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: fired, Pottery, reshaped|0 Comments

Jeremiah: A God-Called Man

Focus Text: Jeremiah 1:4-19
Central Truth: The faithful Christian can be confident of God's deliverance.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain our confidence in God's deliverance even when suffering for Him.
Lesson Outline:
I. The Call (Jer. 1:4-10)
II. The Confirmation (Jer. 1:11, 12)
II. The Consequences (Jer. 1:13-16)

Herald & Banner Press2018-07-23T09:00:21+00:00July 23rd, 2018|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Called, Delivered, jeremiah, Suffered|0 Comments

Handling Problems

Work together to create a word picture of Job for your character notebook.

Job was a patient man who endured temptation and suffering.

Job 1:3 says that Job was a great man. Why was he great? What personal characteristics helped him to be a leader?

How was Job able to handle problems that came up in his life? Do we have different problems today than Job had? How can we establish a trust in God like Job had?

Herald & Banner Press2018-07-20T09:00:12+00:00July 20th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: Job, suffering, temptation|0 Comments

Job's Response to Trouble

“In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (v. 22).
Satan’s plan has now been put into action. Job has just received word of the loss of his wealth, and the devastating loss of his children. Anyone of these things would be enough to cause anyone to have a tremendous emotional reaction — a reaction from the base of one’s being; a reaction that would reveal the true heart of one’s character. It did this for Job. At this point, Satan should have given up and gone away. What was revealed about Job’s surrender to and trust in God is here made absolutely clear by the way he reacted to this news. In verse 21 we see that Job considered everything that had been taken away to be some- thing that was from God and had never ceased to belong to God. It was God’s to do with as He so chose. Job had a human reaction of grief, but the spiritual reaction of unwavering faith was the witness of where his heart was. The witness given of him by God is here found in verse 22. God, who saw his heart, didn’t observe any sin nor doubt as to how com- pletely Job trusted Him. (Tim J. Brubeck)

“Perfect submission, all is at rest . . . lost in His love” (Fanny J. Crosby).

Herald & Banner Press2018-07-18T09:00:05+00:00July 18th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Job, reactions, trouble, Trust|0 Comments

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