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April 14, 2021: Glory of the True God
Read 1 Kings 8:22-30.
"And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart" (v. 23).
The theme is woven throughout Scripture: God is faithful and merciful. After God promised Abraham and Sarah innumerable descendants, Abraham broke faith by having a son through Hagar. Yet, God was faithful to grant him the "child of promise" through Sarah. After God established a covenant with the descendents of Abraham, Israel again and again broke that covenant by worshiping other gods. Yet, God mercifully called them into repentance through the judges and prophets. When God promised a never-ending rule of the family line of David, He kept that promise. Although many in the royal line would break that covenant resulting in the exile of the Israelites, God established an unending kingdom in the person of Jesus, whose earthly mother descended from the line of David. In this act of faithfulness, God has shown mercy not just to the covenant breakers of the past, but also to all humanity, including you and me.
God remains faithful and merciful. "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9). (Lyle A.W)
"God is faithful, ever faithful;
He will surely keep his word;
To the uttermost faithful filling
Ev'ry promise I have heard."
-Eliza Hewitt
We can trust our covenant-keeping God.
April 18, 2021: The One True God
FOCUS TEXT: Acts 17:22-34
CENTRAL TRUTH: There is one God, the supreme Creator; to Him all people must give an account someday.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to give scriptural proofs for our belief in the one true God.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. A Curious Question (Acts 17:15-21)
II. A Clear Answer (Acts 17:22-31)
III. A Crucial Decision (Acts 17:32-34
April 7, 2021: The Word Speaks to Adults
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12.
"For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God" (v. 9).
Your pastor will relate to this verse. "Laboring night and day" to declare the Gospel is what pastors do. Pastors are motivated to see that as many as possible hear the Gospel and respond to it. They are motivated to preach the Word because they are called by God to do it. They don't want to be responsible for someone under their influence, not making it to Heaven.
Reading the paragraph that contains this verse (vs. 7-12), one discovers that the apostle was deeply concerned about the spread of the Gospel. He knew that his work and character were important channels to seeing God's work grow.
This leads us to a couple of simple conclusions. First, God's Word often speaks through people whose lives and characters reflect His message. Those who are most effective in speaking the Word have allowed the Word to penetrate and change their lives. Second, the Gospel is about change. It transforms believers so that they "walk worthy of God." It's not that Christians have to repay God for His work in our lives. Instead, He adjusts our lives so that we reflect Him in every aspect of living. (Mark D. Avery)
As the Word speaks into our lives, we grow in grace and Christian maturity.
April 11, 2021: Effects of God’s Word
FOCUS TEXT: Acts 17:1-14
CENTRAL TRUTH: The gospel always brings men to the point of decision -- to accept Christ or reject Him.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list the effects of the gospel -- whether rejected or accepted.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. The Gospel Proclaimed (Acts 17:1-4)
II. The Gospel Opposed (Acts 17:5-9)
III. The Gospel Believed (Acts 17:10-14)
March 31, 2021: The Gospel and the Resurrection
Read Acts 13:26-33.
"But God raised him from the dead" (v. 30).
Welcome to Holy Week - the days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. The Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Feast of the firstfruits only hinted at God's wonderful plan. Not only will the perfect, sinless sacrifice be made, but God will also raise Him from the dead, and the power of death will be defeated. The whole story of Jesus' life leads right up to the resurrection. God sent His Son into the world through means of the virgin birth. The perfect, sinless Son willingly became the sacrificial Lamb upon whom all the sins of the world were laid, and then God raised that very same Son from the grave, proving the power of sin and death no longer have power over God's creation.
The Gospel is just an unfinished story if we leave out the resurrection. We can't ignore it because we don't understand it. We don't need to understand it, but we must believe it! We must teach it and preach it, and we must live it out in our daily walk. Yes, the resurrection is that important! It is the cornerstone of the Gospel; without the resurrection, we have no hope. (LeeAnn Davidson)
Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
-- Robert Lowry
The story of Jesus' life on earth could not be complete without the resurrection!
April 4, 2021: History’s Greatest Event (Easter)
FOCUS TEXT: 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 35-44
CENTRAL TRUTH: The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to give several reasons that the resurrection of Christ is important to us today.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. Fact of Christ's Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
II. Importance of Christ's Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)
III. Order of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-34)
IV. Method of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:35-58)