Lesson 10 - May 3, 2015
FOCUS TEXT: Colossians 1:18-24; Matthew 16:16-19; Romans 12:3-8
CENTRAL TRUTH: The Church is the presence of Christ on earth.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain the relationship and role of the Christian individual in Christ’s Church.
LESSON OUTLINE:
Read John 14:15-21
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (v. 17).
The Lord is not a distant God. Neither has He forsaken us and gone off on a journey. He is ever present. We say He walks beside us; He leads and instructs us. It is true. He is also our inside God. He wants to fill us with His Spirit, and He wants to be and will be “closer than a brother.”
His Spirit in us cleanses, guides, and comforts. We cannot live Christian lives when we are filled with self — our ideas, our plans, and our desires. We must yield to Him and let Him lead our lives. He will fill every corner of your life — your work, your recreation, and your worship.
We must be filled with His Spirit, before we can do what He would have us do. Our lives will be happy when we no longer have a conflict in our hearts. Will it be God’s way or my way? When God is in control, we can depend on Him to love and guide us. Then the responsibility for our lives is His. We only have to obey Him. God made us so that our hearts cannot be satisfied without Him. We will always be searching for something to fill the “God-shaped vacuum” in our hearts, until we give Him first place in our hearts. (Bertha Laird)
Invite the Spirit of God to rule your heart; you will never be sorry.
This devotional is the Tuesday, April 21, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo Credit: https://download.unsplash.com/photo-1429552016556-fd6f7d9743e1 by Brandon Morgan / Resized, cropped.
Lesson 9 - April 26, 2015
Focus Text: Isaiah 44:1-6; John 17:17-19; Ephesians 1:3, 4; 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24
Central Truth: God has ordained a holy bride for His Son.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to state at least three reasons why the redeemed need to be entirely sanctified and to begin seeking this second work of grace if they have not been entirely sanctified.
Lesson Outline:
Read John 3:1-8
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (v. 5).
“Smack, smack,” went the doctor’s hand. The air was filled with a beautiful cry! Such rejoicing and emotion went all through the room. A brand new life had been born into this world.
Five times over my husband and I have been allowed this privilege — this joy. In order for us to share living with our children, there had to be a place of birth! Then the benefits and responsibilities became ours.
Jesus shared with Nicodemus the essential requirement to obtaining an eternal life. One cannot only have an earthly birthplace, but one must experience a birthplace of the Holy Spirit.
How do we have such a birthplace? Jesus says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (v. 18)
Do you remember the day you really believed in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your sins? If not, you can! Let this be the time and place. Believe in Jesus and be born again! Then, eternal life is yours! Jesus is the only way! (Janene Dubbeld)
By night he came to seek the Truth
Although he’d studied from his youth.
The Master said, “Be born again!”
This is OUR hope — amen, AMEN! — Janene Dubbeld
To obtain eternal life one cannot only have an earthly birthplace, one must experience a birthplace of the Holy Spirit.
This devotional is the entry for Monday, April 13, 2015, of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Baby" by Gabi Menashe used under CC BY 2.0.
Lesson 8 - April 19, 2015
FOCUS TEXT: Ephesians 4:20-24; Romans 3:20-26; 8:14-17
CENTRAL TRUTH: Our conversion marks a complete transformation in our identity.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to clearly define regeneration, justification, and adoption and explain how these doctrines at work change the life of the person saved by God's grace.
LESSON OUTLINE:
Read 2 Corinthians 7:8-10
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (v. 10).
“I don’t want to go to jail,” wailed one of my sons. Little sister joined in the crying, “He doesn’t have to go to jail, does he? I don’t want him to go to jail!” I was amused at how quickly what had seemed so funny was now so serious. You see, the little man had discovered how to call some- one and block the Caller ID so that it would show up “Restricted.”
He was having such fun calling random numbers and teasing whoever happened to answer the phone (without my knowledge or permission). One little girl he called thought he was her friend and would not believe he was just a random prankster, so to prove it he sent her a picture as a text. This time his number showed up, and it was not long until her father called and left an urgent message. I was able to talk to the father and apologize. Soon the matter was resolved, but not before my son experienced some godly sorrow. (Daniel Edwards)
Once in sin’s darkest night I was wand’ring alone;
A stranger to mercy I stood.
But the Savior came nigh when He heard my faint cry,
And He put my sins under the Blood. — Nellie Edwards
True repentance makes you sorry enough to quit!
This devotional is the entry for Monday, April 6, 2015, of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Liberation" by jar () used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.
Lesson 7 - April 12
Focus Text: Acts 2:36-39; Luke 13:1-5; Romans 10:9-13

Central Truth: Salvation involves a change of allegiance from self to Jesus.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to clearly explain how a person may be saved.
Read Luke 24:36-44
“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (v. 39).
We have all waited as the jury struggled with the evidence. I can only imagine the difficulty it would be to sweep away all bias and make a decision based entirely on evidence.
Not that Jesus was on trial, but the disciples were able to see and even handle the evidence. I can only imagine what it must have been like to see and feel those nail-scarred hands, and see the scars showing through the straps of His sandals.
Let us not miss the impact of this scenario. Here is the evidence of the most epic event in the history of the world. God dispatching Himself to earth, reaching out to humanity, and while He is reaching, they pierce those outstretched hands and those good-news traveling feet. They pierce them because of so-called evidence, and mount them on a cross thinking they have served the community by getting rid of a rabble-rousing resister. It seems unfair, and it was illegal. Actually their evidence was none at all. But they followed through on their mission, silenced the crowd, and tucked Him in the tomb.
But we know the rest of the story! He arose and shared the evidence with His disciples and the world that HE LIVES! (Rick Tallman)
Thankfully we know the rest of the story!
This devotional is the entry for Sunday, April 5, 2015, of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Jesus' Tomb" by upyernoz used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.
Lesson 6 - April 5, 2015
Focus Text: Matthew 27:50-54, 57-61; 28:1-8
Central Truth: Jesus’ bodily death and resurrection is the central claim of the Christian’s faith.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify reasons why Jesus’ bodily death and resurrection is the central claim of the Christians’ faith.
Read Romans 1:21-32
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (v. 25).
It is unspeakably sad that man would take the very knowledge of God and pervert and change it to fit their own hearts’ desires. We see the results of sin so vividly in these verses, turning men from the knowledge of truth and of God to embrace their own sinful and twisted lust. Thus they were both darkened and depraved.
Is there judgment for these actions? Tim Keller says it this way, God’s judgment on godlessness and wickedness is to give us what we want. He “gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts.”
To lose God is to lose everything. To lose connection with Him is to sink into an abyss of darkness, intellectual and moral. It is to be fitted for wrath which always follows the life who does not esteem Him or give Him the worship due His name. And of course when sin is so embraced our life is filled with unrighteousness, wickedness, maliciousness, back-biting, despitefulness, even haters of God. (William Cook)
What a downward spiral! What a sad rebellion!
This week's featured devotional is from the Thursday, March 26, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Downward Spiral" by M. Clarise Moore used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.