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Keeping God’s Word

Read John 17:6-8

“I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word” (v. 6).

They were “keepers of the flag” when they planted it on the tiny sulfuric island called Iwo Jima because they considered what it stands for worth defending to the death. And 6,800 heroic American servicemen did just that in that brutal, pivotal battle for freedom during World War II.

The word “kept” in this verse means to cherish and protect, a state of grace that goes beyond mere belief in truth. It is defined by a commitment to embrace, obey, and defend that truth; to allow no shift or compromise of that which is absolute. It is to defend, as the final authority, the Word of the Father as depicted in Jesus. It means stepping up and planting the standard of the gospel on the ground of those who would abolish it. Jesus is pure divine truth in human form, the living verbatim message of Almighty God to us. As His disciples would do, we must live and die in allegiance to the keeping of His life-giving Word. (R. Wayne Skeen, II)

What is God today leading you to do as a true Word-Keeper?

Herald & Banner Press2018-10-10T09:00:40+00:00October 10th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Bible, keeping, WWII|0 Comments

Keeping God's Word

Read John 17:6-8

“I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word” (v. 6).

They were “keepers of the flag” when they planted it on the tiny sulfuric island called Iwo Jima because they considered what it stands for worth defending to the death. And 6,800 heroic American servicemen did just that in that brutal, pivotal battle for freedom during World War II.

The word “kept” in this verse means to cherish and protect, a state of grace that goes beyond mere belief in truth. It is defined by a commitment to embrace, obey, and defend that truth; to allow no shift or compromise of that which is absolute. It is to defend, as the final authority, the Word of the Father as depicted in Jesus. It means stepping up and planting the standard of the gospel on the ground of those who would abolish it. Jesus is pure divine truth in human form, the living verbatim message of Almighty God to us. As His disciples would do, we must live and die in allegiance to the keeping of His life-giving Word. (R. Wayne Skeen, II)

What is God today leading you to do as a true Word-Keeper?

Herald & Banner Press2018-10-10T09:00:40+00:00October 10th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Bible, keeping, WWII|0 Comments

A Prayer for Believers

Focus Text: John 17:1-5, 14-26
Central Truth: The Christian lives in victory through Christ’s provision.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify several things for which Christ prayed in John 17.
Lesson Outline:
I. A Prayer for Eternal Life (John 17:1-5)
II. A Prayer for Preservation (John 17:14-16)
III. A Prayer for Sanctification (John 17:17-19)
IV. A Prayer for Unity (John 17:20-26)

Herald & Banner Press2018-10-08T09:00:03+00:00October 8th, 2018|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|Tags: John 17, prayer|0 Comments

A Prayer for a Lesson

Heavenly Father, I ask for your wisdom and enlightenment as I study for next week’s lesson.

Help me, Lord, to understand your Word. I know that hundreds of years separate us from when your Word was written. The culture today is very different from that of those to whom your Word was first written. Therefore, I pray for your help as I seek to understand how the first hearers of Scripture understood what you were saying to them and then bridge it to our context and culture today.

Father, I ask for wisdom in applying your Word. Help us not to use your words as “proof texts” to create legalistic rules with which you are not pleased. Yet help us also to regard your Word as authoritative, rather than merely “good suggestions” for living.

I pray also that you would give me creativity and passion in delivering this lesson. Help me to present it in such a way that my students are truly engaged with the topic and text. Help me to teach it with such passion that the students are not bored or might think that the text does not matter to their lives.

Thank you for the help you are sure to give. Amen.

Herald & Banner Press2018-10-05T09:00:55+00:00October 5th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: enlightenment, prayer, Study|0 Comments

Praise for God’s Mercy

Read Psalm 103:6-11

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (v. 8).

A. B. Simpson wrote: “The mercy of God is an ocean divine . . .” and then urges us to “launch out into the deep.” God not only has mercy, He is Mercy. While there are times that He must reprove, when His anger is like the lightning that flashes, His mercy is as the sunshine, warm, personal, generous.

The psalmist portrays three dimensions of God’s mercy — ”as the heaven is high above the earth . . . as far as the east is from the west

. . . from everlasting to everlasting.” None of it is merited, but God’s character overflows with grace and mercy.

God’s mercy evokes heartfelt praise from His people. Right now, offer a prayer of praise to God for His mercy. “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” (Leonard L. Sankey)

“Oh, let us be lost in the mercy of God, Till the depths of His fulness we know” (A. B. Simpson).

Herald & Banner Press2018-10-03T09:00:12+00:00October 3rd, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: mercy, worship|0 Comments

Praise for God's Mercy

Read Psalm 103:6-11

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (v. 8).

A. B. Simpson wrote: “The mercy of God is an ocean divine . . .” and then urges us to “launch out into the deep.” God not only has mercy, He is Mercy. While there are times that He must reprove, when His anger is like the lightning that flashes, His mercy is as the sunshine, warm, personal, generous.

The psalmist portrays three dimensions of God’s mercy — ”as the heaven is high above the earth . . . as far as the east is from the west

. . . from everlasting to everlasting.” None of it is merited, but God’s character overflows with grace and mercy.

God’s mercy evokes heartfelt praise from His people. Right now, offer a prayer of praise to God for His mercy. “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” (Leonard L. Sankey)

“Oh, let us be lost in the mercy of God, Till the depths of His fulness we know” (A. B. Simpson).

Herald & Banner Press2018-10-03T09:00:12+00:00October 3rd, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: mercy, worship|0 Comments

A Prayer of Praise

Focus Text: 2 Samuel 7:18-29
Central Truth: Prayer should include praise to God for who He is.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify ways in which praise may be shown to God.
Lesson Outline:
I. Praise for the Knowledge of God (2 Sam. 7:18-21)
II. Praise for the Greatness of God (2 Sam. 7:22-24)
III. Praise for the Character of God (2 Sam. 7:25-29)

Herald & Banner Press2018-10-01T09:00:33+00:00October 1st, 2018|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|Tags: greatness, prayer, thanks, worship|0 Comments

A Prayer for the Absent

Heavenly Father, I come to you again asking for your blessing upon our class. I pray especially now for those who were absent from class this past weekend.

I pray for (list each absentee student by name) who missed class this week because (list the reason each student missed, if known).

Father, some of these who missed class this past Sunday could not avoid it because of sickness. We pray for healing for them. Encourage them in their walk with you. Help them, even though they had to miss, to study their lesson and hear your Holy Spirit’s encouraging voice.

Some of our absentees are out of the area for various reasons — work, vacation, etc. Go with each one wherever they are. Keep them safe. Help them to worship you, even though they are out of their regular routine. Bring them back to us, encouraged in their faith, and on fire for God.

Some who missed did not come because the things of this world are more enticing to them than your Word. Father, speak to them about their spiritual condition. Help them to see how their love for you is cooling. Convict them of this sin and reignite in them a passion for you, we pray. Amen.

Herald & Banner Press2018-09-28T09:00:54+00:00September 28th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: Passion, prayer, routine|0 Comments

God Our Salvation

Read Psalm 37:34-40

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble” (v. 39).

We typically use salvation to refer to forgiveness of sins and, relatedly, to deliverance from eternal condemnation. So we talk about being saved, and we look forward to everlasting life. Clearly Psalm 37’s proclamation of God’s salvation of the righteous includes these wonderful benefits.

But the bulk of Psalm 37 focuses on this earthly life and salvation’s benefits for the “here and now.” Repeatedly the psalmist tells us to “fret not” about wicked people’s success, not to indulge anger at their prosperity. Why should this apparent cosmic injustice not rile us? Psalm 37 reminds us of coming judgment (vs. 2, 9, 10, 13, etc.), but it also teaches us that righteousness works!

Psalm 37 presents some of salvation’s present-tense aspects. God provides for physical needs (vs. 3, 19, 25, etc.) and frequently brings to reality our godly dreams and desires (vs. 4, 5). He causes us to live in peace and security (vs. 9-11). This does not mean no Christian will suffer hardship and deprivation but describes a general pattern of blessing and provision even in this fallen world. God’s salvation regularly includes abundant daily blessings.

We begin to taste the joys of God’s saving us now. And the best lies ahead when the Judge of all the earth welcomes the righteous into His presence forever, where there are pleasures forevermore. (Aaron D. Profitt)

God’s salvation of the righteous begins now and ends never!

Herald & Banner Press2018-09-26T09:00:02+00:00September 26th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: benefits, forever, Forgiveness, salvation|0 Comments

A Prayer of Hope

Focus Text: Psalms 71:1-5; 130:1-8
Central Truth: God’s merciful nature extends help to those who seek Him.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify ways in which God shows His mercy to man.
Lesson Outline:
I. Trusting in God (Ps. 71:1-5)
II. The Sinner's Cry (Ps. 130:1-3)
III. The Hope for Forgiveness (Ps. 130:4-6)
IV. The Mercy of God (Ps. 130:7, 8)

Herald & Banner Press2018-09-24T09:00:30+00:00September 24th, 2018|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|Tags: Forgiveness, Grace, mercy, prayer|0 Comments

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