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Lesson Highlight: "The LORD be between me and thee"

"The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever." (1 Samuel 20:42)
In "Word Focus" for this week's lesson, Dr. Glenn McClure writes:

At this point in our lesson, David knew two important facts: First, God’s purpose was unfolding as the life of His “anointed” was being preserved, for Samuel had chosen him in the name of God. Second, he and Jonathan had made a sacred oath. Loyalty to each other was not by the force of this oath, but the oath was only proof of their loyalty. David had respect for God’s timing and still saw Jonathan as a “prince,” thus, he “bowed himself three times” to Jonathan. Further proof of his loyalty is seen in the latter part of our lesson (2 Sam. 9:1-7). Yet Jonathan’s loyalty is to be admired, for he recognized God’s hand upon David. He had the power to take David’s life, but his love for David and the Lord superseded any desire for an earthly throne. Both of these men maintained a loyalty to God’s will. As a result they were able to be loyal to each other in the working out of His will.

Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 70.

2015-11-18T13:21:14+00:00November 18th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

Devotional: Loyalty in Adversity

Read Proverbs 17:14-19
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (v. 17).
People that are consistent in loving their friends and their God through adversity are made out of good metal. Following my father’s death in the Snow Belt area of western New York, my mother was left alone to take care of the home place. She was totally devoted to God, her family, church, and lost souls. One wintry Sunday morning, the car doors were frozen shut. There was no way to enter the front seat of the car. The back doors opened, but the locks froze so the doors would not stay closed securely. At nearly eighty years old, with love and determination, she walked through deep snow to the barn, found some clothes- line, and climbed into the back seat. She then took the clothesline and tied the two back doors securely shut. She then carefully crawled over the back of the seat and slipped up under the steering wheel of the car. She warmed up the car and drove to church. By the time she arrived at church all the locks had thawed. She joyfully opened the front door of the car, got out, and enjoyed a great Sunday school and worship service. Later she called me and shared with me that she was not too old to crawl over the back of the seat of the car so she would not miss church. (Walter Hedstrom)

Loyalty in adversity is still a priceless commodity!

This devotional is the Friday, November 20, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

2015-11-17T09:00:47+00:00November 17th, 2015|Categories: Opening the Word|0 Comments

Being Loyal

Lesson 12 - November 22, 2015
Focus Text: 1 Samuel 20:35-42; 2 Samuel 9:1-7
Central Truth: The Christian family may be noted for its dedicated relationships.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain ways they can practice loyalty to their family, friends, and fellow Christians.
Lesson Outline:

  1. A Secret Warning (1 Samuel 20:35-39)
  2. A Sorrowful Goodbye (1 Samuel 20:41-41)
  3. A Solemn Promise (1 Samuel 20:42)
  4. A Steadfast Friend (2 Samuel 9:1-7)
2015-11-16T09:00:52+00:00November 16th, 2015|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "just" vs. "fair"

Just vs Fair
In "Doctrinal Discussion" Dr. Gayle Woods writes:

To be good parents, a couple cannot treat their children the same. In other words, they will not be fair. Children have different temperaments, strengths, needs, weaknesses, and are different ages, so they cannot be allowed the same freedoms and privileges at a given time. It is the same in spiritual matters. God in His infinite wisdom is not fair. He knows our frame. He is aware of our level of spiritual maturity. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He remembers how we have been hurt in the past and how it affects our thinking in the present. He knows our history of dealing with trials in life. He knows us. He treats us like individuals. He doesn’t look at a manual to find the universal answer for our problems. He gives us what fits us at the time. He is not fair, and that is a blessing! He always does what is right because He is not fair. He is just.

Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 68.

2015-11-13T09:00:20+00:00November 13th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "righteousness"

Righteousness - Leviticus 19:15
"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor." (Leviticus 19:15)
In "Biblical Perspective" for this lesson, Dr. Gordon Snider writes:

Righteousness can also be translated “justice,” and speaks directly to the theme of the lesson today. Fairness, or justice, requires equality of treatment. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor reminds us that it is wrong to honor the poor simply because they are poor. Human nature tends to run to extremes. Either we disdain the poor, or we elevate them. Fairness requires equal treatment regardless of economic status.

Discussion: How can we avoid the temptation of responding to injustice by swinging to one extreme or the other?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 66.

2015-11-12T09:00:05+00:00November 12th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "thou shalt not wholly reap…"

Thou shall not wholly reap - Leviticus19:9-10
"And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 19:9-10)
In the "Biblical Perspective" for this lesson, Dr. Gordon Snider writes:

A spirit of mercy is at the core of the Judeo-Christian ethic. God is always pictured as the friend and defender of the outcast, down-trodden, and disenfranchised of society. Providing food for the poor is a part of that spirit of mercy. Never once in these verses, or the parallel texts such as Leviticus 23:22 and Deuteronomy 24:19-22, is the subject of why these people were poor considered. Instead, a social “safety net” was to be drawn under the entire society.

Discussion: Why do Christians, faced with the opportunity to help those in need, sometimes focus more on why people are poor, than how to help them?
Discussion: How can we improve our reflection of Christ's holiness in our dealings with the poor?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 64.

2015-11-11T09:00:58+00:00November 11th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

God's Example

Read Hebrews 6:9-12
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (v. 10). 
Let us face it, life is not fair. As a matter of fact, neither is God. He is holy, altogether lovely, and not fair. Did He give you what you deserved? A good friend of mine, Augusta, grew up extremely poor. She married to get away, and her life turned out worse. One day an evangelist stopped by their trailer, told the simple gospel message, and Gussie prayed through. Her husband left her with the children, declaring that religion was the problem. Her limited education made it hard to find a job, yet she felt compelled to give the gospel to those who didn’t know. She worked among the drunks in the slums, held street meetings, and helped get some churches started. With her children grown, she totaled her assets — an ancient little travel trailer with no vehicle to move it.
One of her boys ended up stationed in Germany. That year the U.S. government decided to send mothers to the boys instead of bringing them home. Gussie boarded a plane, flew to Germany, toured Italy, visited the Sistine Chapel, breathed the fresh air of the Swiss Alps, and saw many castles in Bavaria. It didn’t cost her anything. You can never out-give God. (Joyce Cooper)

God delights in doing “special” things for His own. 

This devotional is the Monday, November 9, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

2015-11-10T09:00:54+00:00November 10th, 2015|Categories: Opening the Word|0 Comments

Demonstrating Fairness

Lesson 11 - November 15, 2015
Focus Text: Leviticus 19:9-15; Exodus 23:1-9
Central Truth: The Christian family treats everyone fairly in light of God’s justice.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list several principles that should guide their interactions with others.
Lesson Outline:

  1. Fairness with the Poor (Leviticus 19:9-10)
  2. Fairness with Neighbors (Leviticus 19:11-14)
  3. Fairness in Judgment (Leviticus 19:15)
  4. Fairness in Community (Exodus 23:1-9)
2015-11-09T09:00:36+00:00November 9th, 2015|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "generosity"

generosity
"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Philippians 2:4)
In "God's Word for Today", David Woods writes:

The focus of too many families today seems to be all about simply being a worldly success. Whether it may be the parents’ obsession with their careers, a daughter’s desperation to dress according to every fad, a son’s insistence to have the latest computing device, etc., so many, even Christians, have come to define their lives by stuff they accumulate or positions they hold. Often accompanying this drive for success is a disregard for those in need.

Discussion: Is the point of this verse that we should have no self-interest? What does it mean to be people marked by generosity?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 58.

2015-11-05T06:00:33+00:00November 5th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments
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