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Word Pictures

This quarter you may want to create a notebook with word pictures of each of the characters that will be studied. Focus on the character of each person and the lessons that can be learned from the study.
Abraham was a quiet man who was obedient, had a quick response, and received a blessing. Describe the temperament of Abraham. Was he calm, quiet, mild, meek, easygoing, and well-balanced? Use examples from the life of Abraham to illustrate each of these traits.
Study the lesson to find Abraham's good traits and his bad traits.

June 1st, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: Abraham, word pictures|0 Comments

Sign of the Covenant

“This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised” (v. 10).
I still remember the look of panic when as a young boy, I asked my Sunday school teacher what circumcision meant and why Abraham had to be circumcised! She stumbled around for a minute, and then finally said that some things weren’t discussed in Sunday school!

Humor aside, it is important to understand why circumcision was a sign between God and man. Throughout Scripture, there are multiple times that God gave a sign of His covenant to His people. And in this passage, God appoints that covenant sign to confirm, to strengthen, and to establish Abraham’s faith. Just as God changed Abraham’s name to reiterate the promises that He had made to him, now God is going to give him a sign. It is a permanent physical sign so that everywhere Abraham went, he couldn’t get away from the sign that God gave him that He would be faithful to keep His promises. Thomas Chisholm got it right when he penned the words of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” (Robert W. Booth)

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

As you go through today, remember that God keeps His promises!

May 30th, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: covenant, Faithfulness, permanent|0 Comments

Abraham: An Obedient Servant

Focus Text: Genesis 22:1-18

Central Truth: God's promise of blessing comes to those who obey His will.

Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify areas of their lives where they need to be more obedient to God’s Word.

Lesson Outline

I. The Command Received (Gen. 22:1, 2)

II. The Command Obeyed (Gen. 22:3-12)

III. The Promise Given (Gen. 22:13-18)

May 28th, 2018|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Abraham, commands, promises|0 Comments

Motivation

Motivate students to learn on their own. If students only engage with God’s Word during your class, they are missing a consistent practice that will strengthen their walk with the Lord and help them through daily challenges. Help motivate your students to study during the week by giving them interesting topics to explore. The topics, if related to your lesson(s), will not only enrich your students’ spiritual lives, but will also deepen the discussion in your class. Some students might benefit from suggestions regarding resources or Bible study methods. A challenge to the class to read specific passages during the week might be a motivating factor. A long-range challenge to read through the Bible in a year would motivate some students. Giving students ideas for different formats for reading through the Bible might also help motivate some who would otherwise be intimidated with such a daunting “task.”

May 25th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: Motivate, students|0 Comments

Children Are Special to God

Read Matthew 18:1-6

“Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (v. 6).

Growing up in the sixties in a godly Christian home enabled me to come under the influence of godly parents, great Christian reading, life lessons in prayer and thanksgiving. Although there were no Christian schools and our public school teachers were not all Christians, they always honored Judeo-Christian values in the classroom. I’ll never forget the time when one of the students brought a tape to school with the recording of Bill Cosby’s “Noah and the Ark.” The teacher allowed him to begin playing it during our Christmas party, and almost immediately had him turn it off because she said it was distasteful and disrespectful of the Bible.

Today, many children grow up with no Christian training at home and no Christian teaching at school. God’s absence creates a vacuum in their hearts and minds. Truth loses its meaning; love loses its motivation, and learning loses its moorings. How can they learn wisdom and understanding, since “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Prov. 9:10).

It remains our duty and delight as Christian parents and grandparents to train and teach our offspring through the third generation (Deut. 4:9). Beyond that, our influence will wane, and our memories will fade from their hearts and minds. (Stephen N. Hickman)

Where there is no Christian teaching, truth loses its meaning; love loses its motivation, and learning loses its moorings.

May 23rd, 2018|Categories: Opening the Word|0 Comments

Is Life Sacred?

Focus Text: Psalm 139:12-16 Deuteronomy 27:24, 25; Exodus 21:22-25
Central Truth: Only our Creator has the right to determine our life span.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to state why abortion is wrong.
Lesson Outline:

Value of the Unborn (Psalm 139:12-16)
Murder of the Innocent (Deuteronomy 27:24, 25)
Penalty for Murder (Exodus 21:22-25)

May 21st, 2018|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|Tags: abortion, life, sacred|0 Comments

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