Our Blog
Sept. 3. 2023: How to Worship in Crises
FOCUS TEXT: Psalm 9:1-17
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Psalm 135:3-18; Zechariah 12:1-9; 14:1-4; Acts 4:23-30; Romans 1:18-25
DEVOTIONAL READING: Isaiah 40:21-31
KEY VERSE: And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee (Psalm 9:10).
CENTRAL TRUTH: The faithful respond to crisis by expressing faith in God.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to describe how they can worship God in the crisis moments of life.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. Recount God's Deeds (Psalm 9:1-6)
II. Remember God's Character (Psalm 9:7-10)
III. Request God's Intervention (Psalm 9:11-14)
IV. Rest in God's Provision (Psalm 9:15-20)
August 24, 2023: Obedient until Christ Comes
Read 1 Timothy 6:12-16.
“That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 14).
As the Apostle Paul is bringing this letter to Timothy to a close, he is emphasizing that Jesus Christ is coming again! In light of that fact, he is charging Timothy to be ready when Jesus Christ shall return. Readiness required adhering to the precepts that Jesus taught throughout His earthly ministry; making them his daily practice as the rule of life. His faithful commitment to the commandments of Jesus would enable Timothy to be a godly example to those around him.
A chorus we sang as children said, “Obedience is the very best way to show that we believe.” As the apostle charged Timothy to demonstrate that he believed Jesus was coming again by how he lived, the charge is ours as well. Obedience to Christ’s commandments is evidence that we, too, believe Jesus is coming again! Furthermore, an ongoing relationship is enriched when we daily practice doing God’s will God’s way! (Rodney Stearns)
“I and my house will serve the Lord: But first, obedient to His word
I must myself appear;
By actions, words, and tempers, show That I my heavenly Master know,
And serve with heart sincere.”
--- Charles Wesley
Obedience is a declaration that I believe God.
Fall 2023: Studies in Psalms
The greatest devotional literature is found in the Old Testament in the Book of Psalms. The Psalms can be variously interpreted and widely applied.
No other book has as many writers as the Psalms. David is the best known and most prolific of the psalmists. Many of David's Psalms were written when he was in tight spots as he sought to serve the Lord. Those who wrote the Psalms, along with David, were people who knew how to turn tragedy into triumph, and that is a lesson we need to learn. While at times the writers appear to be weak and fainthearted, they knew the Source of their strength.
Because they are poems and hymns, the Psalms must be read with the heart as well as the head. The Psalms continue to be relevant to modern life as they express emotions and describe experiences that are relevant today.
Here, more than any place in the Bible, the heartthrob of the Christian is heard. Here are the most exalted expressions of God's greatness; here are the bitterest groans of the sinful and the afflicted. Here is something for everyone in every mood.
If your favorite Psalm is missing, perhaps being introduced to a new Psalm will compensate for the loss.
"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3).
August 27, 2023: Forever with Christ
FOCUS TEXT: Revelation 22:1-14
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Ezekiel 47:1-12; John 4:5-14; Revelation 22:1- 21
DEVOTIONAL READING: Isaiah 9:1-7
KEY VERSE: Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (Revelation 22:12).
CENTRAL TRUTH: All Christ's followers will one day live with Him in eternity.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify things in heaven which a Christian can look forward to.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. Great Gifts (Revelation 22:1-5)
II. A Great Promise (Revelation 22:6-16)
III. A Great Invitation (Revelation 22:17-21)
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
August 20, 2023: All Things New
FOCUS TEXT: Revelation 21:1-7, 22-27
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Isaiah 60:11-22; Revelation 21:1-27
DEVOTIONAL READING: Isaiah 65:17-25
KEY VERSE: He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new (Revelation 21:5).
CENTRAL TRUTH: Someday God will make the entire universe completely new.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to briefly describe the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. A New Life Style (Revelation 21:1-8)
II. A New City (Revelation 21:9-12)
III. A New Kind of Light (Revelation 21:22-27)