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Lesson Highlight: "the Lord was departed"
"And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him." (Judges 16:19-20)
In "Biblical Perspective" Dr. Gordon Snider writes...
When we place ourselves in a position to bring embarrassment to the cause of God, our strength will leave us as well.
It is difficult to understand how people in flagrant disobedience to God’s commands assume that God will ignore their disobedience and be faithful to His part when they have not been faithful on their part. But it happens every day.
Discussion: How can God's people be so oblivious both to the shame they bring to God's cause as well as to the condemnation of God they receive when they willfully disobey God's Word?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 29.
Lesson Highlight: "striveth for the mastery"
In "Word Focus", Dr. Glenn McClure focuses on the phrase "striveth for the mastery" (1 Corinthians 9:25) and writes:
Paul’s emphasis on self-control is expressed by G. G. Findlay: “Entering the race is not winning it; do not be satisfied with running, but make sure of winning — so run that you may secure (the prize)!” (Exp. Gk. Test.). So, Paul’s focus was on the word egkrateuetai (is temperate). These athletes trained for ten months prior to the Great Games, and under oath followed a prescribed diet and a vigorous control of passions. They did all they could “to make their bodies vigorous, active, and supple” (Barnes). This included abstaining from both unlawful and lawful indulgences.
If an athlete can do this just to win a wreath that will wither after one day, what should the Christian do to win an eternal crown?
Discussion: To what lengths should the Christian go to win life's race?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 28.
Controlling Our Appetites
Read Genesis 25:28-34
“Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright” (v. 34).
My father died when I was four-and-a-half years old, and my mother was left to raise my two brothers and me on a very limited income. I cannot recall a time when I left the table hungry, though many times I would have preferred something different to eat. Having grown into adulthood, and even into my senior years, I live very affluently compared to my childhood. Those early days and experiences have caused me to be frugal, sometimes eating leftovers when I preferred, and could have afforded, other things more appealing to me, thus controlling my appetite.
The Scriptures do not tell us why Esau did not kill some wildlife and prepare himself something to eat. We only know that he was very hungry, faint, and perhaps thought that he would die from his hunger. Because of this, he was willing to sell his birthright, something that was a very precious possession of the firstborn. He may have been fairly close to home when he encountered Jacob and could have found something to suffice his hunger in the tent of his parents. However, it seems that he was controlled by his appetite rather than controlling his appetite. (Larry DeOrnellis)
Controlling our appetite does not only refer to our hunger, but also to our emotional and sensual appetites. God is interested in helping us to control all of our appetites.
This devotional is the Thursday, October 1, 2015 entry from Opening the Word.
Practicing Self-Control
Lesson 5 - October 4, 2015
Focus Text: Judges 16:18-21; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Titus 2:11-15
Central Truth: The Christian family knows self-discipline increases our effectiveness for Christ.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list areas in which they need to exert greater self-discipline.
Lesson Outline:
- When Self-Control is Missing (Judges 16:18-21)
- The Goal of Self-Control (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
- A Call to Self-Control (Titus 2:11-15)
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Lesson Highlight: "give me this mountain" – Joshua 14:12
"Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said." (Joshua 14:12)
David Woods writes in "God's Word for Today":
The most admirable aspect of Caleb's bold request to receive the inheritance God had promised was not his age, his perseverance for forty-five long years in the wilderness, or his courageous stand when the rest of the nation wanted to return to Egypt. Rather, Caleb's confident attitude is seen most now, having that past, asking for one of the most difficult areas of Israel in which he might settle.
The land Caleb wanted was mountainous. It was filled with the Anakim, the giants that scared the ten spies so many years before, and the remnants of which settled in Philistine territory.
Discussion: When you have your choice of challenges, do you choose the most difficult or the easiest?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 24.
Lesson Highlight: "as strong … as I was"
"As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in." (Joshua 14:11)
In "God's Word for Today" for this lesson, David Woods asks the obvious question:
Do you think his estimation of himself was overstated? If we think Caleb was exaggerating (whether he was or wasn’t), what does our attitude say about ourselves?
Discussion: How can we develop and maintain such a positive and confident attitude toward life?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 24.