Our Blog

Giving Sacrificially

“And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites” (v. 2).
Does the Lord need our money? Right now, you may be formulating an answer in your mind. A church treasurer may say – absolutely! A pastor may be thinking — I need my salary. A missionary president may reflect upon the many needs upon the foreign field. Yet, I ask, does God really need our money?

Note three thoughts in our text verse: 1) God knows if you are giving to His cause: “he saw.” Indeed, we do have a responsibility to give our tithes and offerings to God’s work (Mal. 3:10). 2) A poor widow gave. She wanted to give to the Lord. What a wonderful attitude she displayed. “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). 3) She gave a small offering — only two mites. Yet, it was sacrificial, for she gave all she had (Luke 21:4). Do we likewise give sacrificially and cheerfully?
I believe that God rewarded this widow for her devoted service, and He will bless us also when we are faithful to give. (James O. Baker)

There’ll be show’rs of blessing from our Father’s hand, On His word of promise we may firmly stand; There’ll be rains refreshing on the thirsty land When the tithes are gathered in. — Mrs. C. H. Morris

What is my attitude in giving to the Lord?

August 1st, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: generosity, sacrifices|0 Comments

Martha and Mary: Women of Devoted Service

Focus Text: Luke 10:38-42, John 11:21-29; 12:1-3
Central Truth: God uses the loving service of dedicated Christians to bless others.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify various ways of serving God, the church, and others today.
Lesson Outline:
I. Displayed Hospitality
II. Believed in Jesus
II. Honored the Lord

July 30th, 2018|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: devotion, differences, personalities, Sisters|0 Comments

A Melancholy Man

The character for this week's lesson is Jeremiah. Create a word picture of him for your notebook.

Jeremiah was a melancholy man whom God used to prophesy.

What qualifications did Jeremiah have to be a prophet? What qualifications did Jeremiah think he had?

Did Jeremiah think he was capable of doing what God wanted him to do? Describe how God can use a person who thinks he is small. Do you know of anyone like this?

Jeremiah was known as “the weeping prophet.” How can a sorrowful person like that be used by God?

July 27th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: jeremiah, prophesy, qualifications|0 Comments

A Lesson from God

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel” (v. 6).
Maybe like you, I have some pieces of pottery in storage somewhere that I made in grade school. They are in storage because I am not proud enough of them to put them on display. But they have been “fired” in the kiln, and are beyond improvement. They can only be changed by breaking them, and then they are just trash.

I am so glad that God always has a way of reshaping the clay! Lives of abuse and neglect sometimes seem to create a permanent piece, and people despair that anything new or beautiful can come from their piece of clay. But God has a unique way of reshaping even lives that have been made hard by sin.
A year ago our church began a ministry called Celebrate Recovery. Every other Wednesday night we watch a testimony supplied by the national organization of the transforming grace of God. When the testimony ends, the words I hear most in our men’s group are, “I would have given up on that person long ago.” But God didn’t. Instead He reshaped the clay.
Do you think you are beyond reshaping? Do you feel the hurts of life have made it impossible for you to be the person you were meant to be? (Gordon L. Snider)

Give God the broken pieces!

July 25th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: fired, Pottery, reshaped|0 Comments

Jeremiah: A God-Called Man

Focus Text: Jeremiah 1:4-19
Central Truth: The faithful Christian can be confident of God's deliverance.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain our confidence in God's deliverance even when suffering for Him.
Lesson Outline:
I. The Call (Jer. 1:4-10)
II. The Confirmation (Jer. 1:11, 12)
II. The Consequences (Jer. 1:13-16)

July 23rd, 2018|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Called, Delivered, jeremiah, Suffered|0 Comments

Handling Problems

Work together to create a word picture of Job for your character notebook.

Job was a patient man who endured temptation and suffering.

Job 1:3 says that Job was a great man. Why was he great? What personal characteristics helped him to be a leader?

How was Job able to handle problems that came up in his life? Do we have different problems today than Job had? How can we establish a trust in God like Job had?

July 20th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: Job, suffering, temptation|0 Comments

Join our email list &
GET YOUR FREE TEACHING SAMPLES TODAY!