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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.
Are You Master or Slave of Your Desires?
Lesson 12 - February 22, 2015
Printed Text: 2 Samuel 12:1-8; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; Philippians 4:10-13
Central Truth: The essence of loving others is respecting their rights.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify ways a person can develop an attitude of contentment.
Lesson Outline:
- A Sad Example (2 Sam. 12:1-8)
- Perils of Covetousness (1 Tim. 6:6-10)
- Cure for Covetousness (Phil. 4:10-13)
Master Your Desires
Read Proverbs 5:15-23
“Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running wa- ters out of thine own well” (v. 15).
We were created with very real needs for relationship, love, acceptance, a sense of self-worth, recognition, and purpose. Our Heavenly Father has lovingly made provisions for each of these needs. God never fails His child, but we fail each other. We experience rejection instead of recognition; abuse destroys our sense of self-worth. It is hard to love or receive love. We have a choice. Will an unmet need control life, or will we allow God to control when, where, and how our needs will be met? This choice has life-changing importance. Turning to the world to meet legitimate needs often starts a downward spiral. Decisions are made; attitudes develop. Motivation that originated as a desire for relief, escape, recognition, comfort, or acceptance turns destructive. The attempt to meet a need becomes bondage — a bondage unwanted and hard to break free from. No longer the master, the individual unwittingly becomes the victim of the choices made.
We have the opportunity and responsibility to choose whether to be the master of our desires and needs or to allow them to have mastery over us. Lord, help us to be careful in meeting the needs of others and allow you to meet our needs! (LAD)
Lord, I choose to trust you with this day.
This week's featured devotional is from the Monday, February 16, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Israel - Nimrod - fortress cistern" by Matt Mickelson used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized, text added.