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Faith That Triumphs
Focus Text: Jude 1:1-3, 17-25
Central Truth Every believer must have the confidence to believe that a Christian overcomes through God’s grace and power.
Objective By the end of this class my students should be able to identify several steps which will help them overcome in the Christian life.
I. Contend for the Faith (Jude 1:1-3)
II. Remember God's Word (Jude 1:17-19)
III. Keep in God's Love (Jude 1:20-25)
Hope for the Pure
Read 2 Peter 3:13-15
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (v. 14).
Parenting teen-agers and now having teen grandsons there have been frequent conversations about living godly lives. In a world filled with impurity, immorality, indecency, violence, vulgar language, and selfishness, what does godly living look and sound like and when should it start? This world scoffs at purity in any form, yet God expects His people to make a determined effort to live blameless lives and to bring every area of our lives (including our recreation or entertainment) under His guidance in this matter of purity. Living a pure life is not just for teen-agers, or even just young men. It is an issue every believer faces daily. Purity of life starts in childhood with the way we dress our children and how we allow them to talk and play. It applies to even the silver-haired saint in the latter years of life. Are our attempts to live godly lives bringing honor to God? Are those efforts enabling us to reach out to others or building walls to keep us from reaching out to those around us who don’t know the Lord? (LeeAnn Davison)
Do no sinful action, Speak no angry word; We belong to Jesus, Children of the Lord. There’s a wicked spirit Watching ’round us still, And he tries to tempt us Into harm and ill. List not to the tempter, Tho’ ’tis hard for you To resist the evil, And the good to do. — C. F. Alexander
“There is no doctrine that holds a stronger incentive to purity of living, than does the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ” (Robert Neighbour).
Applications
Remember that one of the primary responsibilities of the church is to equip people for service and to live a life pleasing to God. Allow this to guide your conversation and teaching, especially when someone brings up a struggle or a concern they have. You want them to walk out of class feeling encouraged and more ready to face the week ahead of them. Encourage practical application in the discussion, and come up with great application as you are preparing.
Prepared for Christ’s Coming
Focus Text: 2 Peter 3:8-18
Central Truth: The believer’s responsibility is to live righteously in the hope of Christ’s coming.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list ways they can be better prepared for Christ’s coming.
I. Delay of Christ's Coming (2 Peter 3:8, 9)
II. Dissolution at Christ's Coming (2 Peter 3:10-13)
III. Diligence for Christ's Coming (2 Peter 3:14-18)
Learning Styles
Remember that your class may have different styles of learners. Although it can be challenging to accommodate everyone, it can also be fun to try! Perhaps you can come up with a great object lesson to go along with your lesson. You could also have students write down a few key points that stuck out to them during the lesson and share it back toward the close to help everyone remember the main ideas.
The Preciousness of Truth
Read Proverbs 23:22-26
“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding” (v. 23).
“Invest in truth and wisdom . . . and don’t part with them,” says a modern Bible version. I occasionally read investment advice from a successful brokerage. The writers tell their readers what stocks they should purchase — they are considered good investments. The desire, of course, is that the investment will gain in value, increasing the investor’s wealth. However, the advisors also tell their readers how to calculate a “trailing stop” — the price at which to sell the stock if it begins to lose value. The idea is for the “trailing stop” to rise along with the stock value but provide for a selling price to lock in most of the gains when the stock falters. They offer such advice, of course, because investments rise and fall in value, companies lose money or go out of business, and investor confidence sours. No one wants to lose money, so everyone is poised to sell his investment at the most advantageous moment. God’s advice about truth and wisdom, though, does not include a “trailing stop” or a selling price. Rather, He urges us to purchase, or invest in, truth — and then keep it! We should even add to it. Truth is an investment that will never lose its value. Our greatest advantage is to keep it, for truth will take us to heaven. (Steven E. Hight)
Truth is a valuable investment for eternity.