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The Spirit, Our Teacher
Read John 14:26-31
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (v. 26).
The birth of a baby giraffe holds some fascinating lessons for us. The mother goes to a spot where there are no bushes, just flat dirt. As the baby is born, it falls ten or twelve feet. When the baby hits the ground, it rolls over and just lies there with legs all curled up under it. The mother positions herself over the baby to protect it from predators, and seeing none, she kicks the baby. It flies across the dirt head over heels. If the baby does not stand up, the mother will go over and kick it again, sending it sprawling. This will happen over and over again until the baby finally stands up. The mother goes over and sends it flying again. She knows that the baby needs to learn and needs to remember how to stand so it can save itself later in a time of danger. She kicks it again, not because she is having a bad hair day, but because she wants her baby to remember.
Is it not better to learn that way than try to learn with a lion hot on your tail? How could a God who supposedly loves us let us go through terrible times? That is very simple. God loves us so much He teaches us lessons that will help us survive during the difficult times of life. (L Gayle Woods)
The Spirit guides and teaches in every part of life.
This week's featured devotional is from the Wednesday, March 18, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "giraffe" by Sadie Hart used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.
God, the Holy Spirit
Lesson 4 - March 22, 2015
Focus Text: Matthew 3:11, 12; John 14:15-21; Acts 1:7, 8
Central Truth: Christ’s parting gift to the Christian was the Holy Spirit.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to tell someone about three of the ministries of the Holy Spirit.
Lesson Outline:
- The Spirit Cleanses (Matthew 3:11, 12)
- The Spirit Comforts (John 14:15-21)
- The Spirit Compels (Acts 1:7, 8)
Christ, the Son With Power
Read Romans 1:3-7
“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (v. 4).
Probably the greatest demonstration of the power of Jesus was in His resurrection. He conquered death, hell, and the grave! Jesus gave the unequivocal declaration to His disciples, after His resurrection: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). One of the great proofs of the deity of Jesus is that He possesses all the attributes of the Godhead. According to Scripture He is the Creator of the universe. “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). The attribute of omnipotence or being all powerful is emphasized in today’s lesson.
When we see what is happening in our nation and world, we may wonder why an omnipotent God does not intervene. We should remember that Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). God sees all things from beginning to end, and we can rest assured that His will will be accomplished, on time and in proper order. (Burl McClanahan)
All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all. — Edward Perronet
We have an omnipotent Christ who can do for us what is best.
This week's featured devotional is from the Wednesday, March 11, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Jesus' Tomb" by upyernoz used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.
God, the Son
Lesson 3 - March 15, 2015
Focus Text: John 1:1-18
Central Truth: Christ is God's revelation of Himself to mankind.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain how to imitate Christ's example of revealing God and His love to our community.
Lesson Outline:
- The Word Is God (John 1:1-8)
- The Word Became Flesh (John 1:9-13)
- The Word Provides Grace (John 1:14-18)
God, the Father
Lesson 2 - March 8, 2015
Focus Text: Exodus 3:13-15; Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; John 4:21-24; Revelation 21:22, 23; 1 John 4:7-10
Central Truth: Infinite God has revealed Himself to finite mankind.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to give a clear, concise statement on who and what God the Father is, and to know how to answer several common objections to the Christian teaching of who God is.
Lesson Outline:
- God's Nature - Eternal (Exodus 3:13-15)
- God's Nature - Incomparable (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
- God's Nature - Light (Revelation 21:22-23)
- God's Nature - Love (1 John 4:7-10)
The Perfect Law
Read Psalm 19:1-14
“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (v. 7).
The United States government has written laws which are thousands of pages long. Even with such length, these laws do not cover a broad range of possibilities. We can have laws thousands of pages long yet still need hundreds of laws to cover every contingency.
This problem is not new. Israelite religious leaders had a tendency duriing Jesus’ time to create intricate laws about even the most minute details of everyday life. These laws were terribly burdensome.
Somehow humanity thinks more laws will make us better able to stay in line. God knows better. His law is perfect in its simplicity. This world’s wisdom does not compare to God’s. (Michelle Avery)
The law of God is good and wise,
And sets His will before our eyes,
Shows us the way of righteousness,
And dooms to death when we transgress.
Its light of holiness imparts
The knowledge of our sinful hearts,
That we may see our lost estate
And seek deliverance ere too late. — Matthias Loy
God’s law shows His wisdom and His love.
This devotional is the Monday, February 23, 2015 entry from Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Light reading" by Loozrboy used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized, text added.