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Satan
Lesson 12 - March 17
Focus Text: Job 1:6-12; John 8:42-44; Revelation 20:1-3
Central Truth: The Christian faces a powerful, but defeated foe.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to clearly describe Satan’s powers and limits.
Lesson Outline:
- Satan's Limitations (Job 1:6-12)
- Satan's Nature (John 8:42-44)
- Satan's Defeat (Revelation 20:1-3)
Companionship in Marriage
Read Genesis 24:61-67
“And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death” (v. 67).
It was a sort of live couple’s reality show before reality television was a fad. When I was a teen, to entertain at a party, some well-known dating couples were chosen. One member of the couple was sent out of the room, and the other person was asked questions about their missing boyfriend or girlfriend. Then the missing person was brought in to see if their significant other answered correctly.
Perhaps you and your spouse-to-be got to know each other very well while you were dating. But have you ever considered what kinds of things would keep you from cultivating your relationship after you are married?
Sometimes, life just plain gets in the way. He works nights and you work days. Kids add to the chaos, and you can hardly keep track of yourself, let alone a busy spouse.
Maybe you let a wound or misunderstanding grow and fester, but is the silent, pouty treatment really the best way to improve communication and get to know each other better?
Perhaps it is a hobby that interferes. Maybe you have trouble putting down the newspaper or your Facebook feed long enough to talk about things that matter.
It is important to watch for weeds that want to choke out our communication and companionship in marriage. (ASE)
Companionship is a blessing that should not be taken for granted.
This devotional is the Friday, May 8, 2015 entry from Opening the Word.
God's Plan for Marriage
Lesson 11 - May 10, 2015
Focus Text: Genesis 2:18-24; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:5, 6
Central Truth: God has ordained marriage to be a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should commit to uphold and promote the biblical values of marriage.
Lesson Outline:
- The Purpose of Marriage (Genesis 2:18-24)
- The Principle of Marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33)
- The Practice of Marriage (1 Peter 3:5-6)
The Unity of Believers
Read John 17:9-21
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (v. 21).
I was just reflecting on a friend who recently passed away. “You know,” I said to my wife, “he was a little crazy about that one thing.” I hurried to say that he was indeed a great man and a good Christian brother, but that one thing befuddled me. It just did not fit. What I had done over the years, was just carefully wrap that aspect up in a nice little bundle and slide it onto a back shelf of my mind where I stored things I did not really understand. I did not allow it to factor into how I interacted with him.
Just think how much God puts up with us. As we allow Him to work in our lives, sometimes the progress is slow. That may be because we are hesitant and may struggle. However, it may be that we are not in a place where God can effectively get through to us as He needs to. It may take a while. God is a very patient God!
The bottom line is that we all have some stupid stuff that needs work. Yes, even Christians. We are real people in real relationships and with real differences. Accept that. But none of our differences should keep us from experiencing the common bond we have as Christians. (Ken Farmer)
This devotional is the Thursday, April 30, 2015 entry from Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "DSC_0017" by Ted used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized, text added.
The Church
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:
- The Master of the Church (Colossians 1:18-24)
- The Message of the Church (Matthew 16:16-19)
- The Ministry of the Church (Romans 12:3-8)
Indwelt by the Spirit
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.