August 17, 2023: Heaven’s Indescribable Glory

Thursday, August 17
Read 2 Corinthians 12:1–4.

“How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (v. 4).

In a somewhat enigmatic style, Paul gives us a glimpse into the glory that awaits the faithful child of God. So glorious is the vision which Christ gave him that Paul finds it impossible to describe; it is a revelation of what it is like, and what it will be like, to be in such closeness to Christ that the experience is indescribable. I read somewhere that this vision resulted from a restless pursuit of Christ when the seer becomes one with the Seen.
Paul’s experience might be compared to the sublime meeting of Peter, James, and John with the glorified Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. So profound was the excellence that Christ prohibited the apostles from even talking about it until He was resurrected.

For us: the narrative of a place and an experience, so “other- worldly” as impossible to describe, should be a compelling vision urging us into intimacy with Christ now in anticipation of an eternity with Him in the indescribable glory that awaits. (LLS)
“Just to be near the dear Lord, I adore, Will through the ages be glory for me.”
--- Charles H. Gabriel

2023-08-17T18:03:12+00:00August 17th, 2023|Categories: God's Word for Today|0 Comments

Jan. 29, 2023: God’s Word for Today

*THE NEED
I remember as a child reading about the life of Abraham Lincoln. The story recounted the time when his oldest son, Bobby, was bitten by a rabid dog. After reading the story, I imagined that every dog I encountered might be inflicted with rabies. Now imagine what people must have thought when they saw a wild demoniac roaming about the tombs. This is not just a scary nighttime story that teenagers tell around a campfire. The authorities had attempted many times to bind him in chains (today we would try handcuffs), but he always broke the chains into pieces! Attempts had been made to tame him, to reason with him, and to domesticate him. Not only had others tried to help him, but he had tried to help himself. He cried and even attempted suicide, but the evil in him seemed unstoppable and incurable until Jesus appeared. Our need to see God’s power over evil spirits is addressed in this lesson. There are many people who believe that God and Satan are equal forces, but this story makes it plain that God’s power is infinitely greater.

Discussion: *Why do you think people struggle to accept or believe in Jesus’ power over evil?
Discussion: What do Legion’s actions tell us about Jesus?

Discussion: How can the Church demonstrate such decisive power over sin so that people will be drawn to God?
Discussion: *Why does freedom from evil draw people to Jesus? Furthermore, why are some people fearful of God’s power over evil?
Discussion: What do you think keeps people from embracing Jesus as Sovereign over the powers of evil?

Discussion: How does God use us as His witnesses?
Discussion: How important is it for our own communities — people who knew our old lives — to see the power of God changing us? What does this accomplish that a stranger cannot accomplish?
Discussion: How did Jesus equip this man to be an effective witness for Him?

 

2023-01-23T18:02:12+00:00January 27th, 2023|Categories: God's Word for Today|Tags: , |0 Comments

Jan. 15, 2023: The Nets Filled

*THE NEED
Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us that “two are better than one,” that is, teamwork is better than working alone. If this is the case, who better to partner with than God himself? Romans 8:31 says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” But God doesn’t do everything. We rely on His strength and grace, but He places a certain responsibility upon us as well. In this story Jesus gave the instruction; the disciples did the work. Our need for God as our Helper is addressed in this lesson. As finite humans we are limited in our ability and resources. We must have God. But we must also discern what our responsibility is. This is not always easy to discern. God had a solution to the disciples’ problem, and He has one for yours, too. The good news is that success always comes when we partner with God.

Discussion: What responsibility has God given you in your partnership with Him?

Discussion: What attitude should a Christian have when experiencing failure?

Discussion: *Why does God allow us to fail sometimes?

Discussion: When is the best time for God to demonstrate His power in our lives?

Discussion: When is God’s help most apparent?

Discussion: *What is true success? What does Jesus do to help us succeed? What does He leave for us to do toward our own success?

2023-01-10T15:49:50+00:00January 13th, 2023|Categories: God's Word for Today|Tags: , |0 Comments

Jan. 8, 2023: The Paralyzed Restored

*THE NEED
There is something God cannot do — He can do no wrong. But within the scope of what is right and good, there is no limit to God’s power. When Jesus declared a sick man to be forgiven of his sin, some of the scribes wouldn’t believe. Jesus was claiming to do something only God could do. So, in turn, Jesus healed the man from his outward disease. Unbelievers often find it difficult to accept the intangible or spiritual results of prayer. To them, Christians make a lot of claims that don’t really correlate with their experiences. But that is not the way God intends it to be. As in the case of the paralytic, God wants His power to be very visible to unbelievers so they may come to accept the inner, spiritual transformation He provides. There is a need for unbelievers to see God’s power in a tangible, life-changing way.
Many people doubt the existence of miracles today. Yet God is still as active as He has ever been. Perhaps this lamentation is more indicative of our preoccupation with physical health than spiritual health.

2023-01-04T20:11:15+00:00January 6th, 2023|Categories: God's Word for Today|Tags: , |0 Comments

Dec. 11, 2022: The Dead Raised

*THE NEED
Last week we discussed the fact that God can work with little. This week, we are told that God can even work when all is lost. If it seems that the situation is hopeless, this lesson serves as a reminder that God works when all is lost — including life itself. The truth is that we all come to God “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), and yet He gives life where there is none.

Discussion: In addition to salvation, when h s God brought something from nothing in your life?

In this story, the dead son could not come to Jesus on his own; someone had to bring him to Jesus. Some men brought the boy to Jesus, but it was a loving mother already weakened by the loss of her husband that moved Jesus with compassion. She could have made excuses or asked someone else to take her son to Jesus, but she took it upon herself.

2022-12-06T17:01:22+00:00December 9th, 2022|Categories: God's Word for Today|0 Comments

Dec 4, 2022: The Hungry Fed – God’s Word for Today

THE NEED
The songwriter wrote, “Little is much when God is in it.” How many times have we looked at ourselves and asked, “Can God use me?” Or, we look at the few dollars we have and ask, “Can God use this?” Yet when just one person is willing to give what he has, God can do great things. This lesson reminds us that God can work with little. How much is “a little”? Could it be that having “little” is more about our attitude toward what we have rather than what we actually have? Surely in light of the vastness of God’s infinite resources, all we have is “a little.”

Discuss: Why is it that God, in His infinite wisdom, chooses to use what little we have? What does this say about God? What does it say about His people? I am reminded of Zechariah 4:10, “For who hath despised the day of small things?”

Discussion: How is our attitude toward little things sometimes different from God’s?

For the rest of this feature section, please refer to your copy of the Adult Teacher Insights or purchase the PowerPoint presentations that go with this quarter's lessons.

2022-11-28T15:58:51+00:00December 2nd, 2022|Categories: God's Word for Today|0 Comments

Wednesday, Nov 30: The Master’s Provision

“And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all” (v. 41).

 

All four gospel writers gave an account of this occasion when Jesus fed the multitude with a lunch the disciples felt was too small to even offer to the Master. After a busy day, the disciples’ solution was to dismiss the crowd to send them home, but Jesus said, “Give ye them to eat.” A quick survey of possible resources revealed only a lad’s lunch: five loaves and two small fish (John 6:9). Jesus blessed this offering, the disciples distributed it, and it proved to be more than enough to meet the present need.

How often does what we have to offer seem too small and insufficient? The need looks overwhelming, and our resources appear way too limited. However, the Master does not turn down the most minor offer but rather blesses it and uses it beyond what we would ever imagine. The key is to surrender what we have so the Master can bless it; the results will certainly be sufficient for the need. When we surrender what we have, the Master takes our “little” and makes it “lots”! (Rodney Stearns)

“All to Jesus I surrender;

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.”

--- Robin Mark

Our needs are never greater

Than what the Master can provide!

2022-11-28T15:12:19+00:00November 30th, 2022|Categories: God's Word for Today|Tags: , , |0 Comments

Nov. 23, 2022: There Is a Way!

                                                                          "And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press,
they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay" (v. 4).

    A labyrinth of cardboard boxes zigged and zagged through the fellowship hall of the church. There was one way in and one way out. Dark passages with bewildering dead ends and unexpected surprises awaited the excited youth group poised at the entrance. They strained forward, waiting for their youth pastor to sound the signal.
    Some ran into the maze entrance, darting this way and that in excitement. Some were more cautious. They studiously considered the options. They were excited but wanted to be the first to find the only way to the exit. Then there were the timid ones. It was as if they were afraid even to enter the maze. What if they got lost in there? How would they get out? What if there was no exit?
    For many, this is a picture of life. Some are ambitious, skeptical, and timid, but all want to make it safely through life. We all need someone who knows the answers to the puzzle of our lives. We need One who has made the journey successfully and can lead us safely through to the end. At times, it may seem that there is no way, but once you have met the Waymaker, the One who IS the Way, the apprehension and uncertainty about the journey are dispelled. (LGW)
                                                                        The One who is the Way can lead us safely through the maze of life.

2022-11-22T16:39:43+00:00November 23rd, 2022|Categories: God's Word for Today, Uncategorized|0 Comments

God’s Word for Today: The Difference

Biblical hope is an unshakable assurance that God works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purposes. It is the belief that there is a future with and in Jesus regardless of circumstances. Hope is faith in the future tense. That means that most of faith is hope. The Bible says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). This suggests that hope is strengthened by the Word of God much like faith. Hope comes from reading the Word of God. Hope comes from digesting the great promises of God. Hope comes by developing a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
Our hope is a reflection of the trust we have in God and our confidence in His Word. The biblical definition of hope in noun form is “expectation,” and it indicates what is sure or certain. In verb form, it is “expect with confidence.” It is a confident expectation of what is certain.
Certain questions must then be asked: Can you explain what your hope is? Have you determined on what you base your hope? Do you clearly understand what your hope is so that if asked you could give a concise and reasonable answer?

Discussion: *What are three reasons upon which you base your hope in Christ and eternal life?

2020-09-08T16:36:38+00:00September 12th, 2020|Categories: God's Word for Today|Tags: |0 Comments

Sept 6, 2020: Faith

The Difference

Basic to the understanding of this lesson is a grasp of our own depth of faith. Some pray, “God, increase my faith.” We don’t need God to increase our faith. We need to exercise the faith that we have. How solid is the faith that you have in God? If you face shattering circumstances in life, is your trust in Him going to waver?

In Paul’s defense before King Agrippa in Acts 26, he concluded his statement regarding the death and resurrection of Christ by saying, in effect, “This is not a deep dark secret. Check it out for yourself. You believe what the Word of God says, don’t you? It is all there, as plain as day” (vs. 26, 27).

Does the devil bring doubts to your mind? Read the Bible and make up your own mind. It doesn’t make God nervous when we search the Scripture in order to bolster our faith.

Our faith is founded on the great realities of the Bible – a literal creation, the existence of Israel, the miracles of God, the prophecies of the Messiah and their miraculous fulfillment, the marvelous virgin birth of the incarnate Son of the everlasting God, His sinless life, His sacrificial death, His victorious resurrection, and His triumphant ascension into heaven.

2020-08-31T18:29:01+00:00September 4th, 2020|Categories: God's Word for Today|Tags: |0 Comments
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