March 31, 2021: The Gospel and the Resurrection

Read Acts 13:26-33.


                                                   "But God raised him from the dead" (v. 30).

   Welcome to Holy Week - the days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. The Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Feast of the firstfruits only hinted at God's wonderful plan. Not only will the perfect, sinless sacrifice be made, but God will also raise Him from the dead, and the power of death will be defeated. The whole story of Jesus' life leads right up to the resurrection. God sent His Son into the world through means of the virgin birth. The perfect, sinless Son willingly became the sacrificial Lamb upon whom all the sins of the world were laid, and then God raised that very same Son from the grave, proving the power of sin and death no longer have power over God's creation.
   The Gospel is just an unfinished story if we leave out the resurrection. We can't ignore it because we don't understand it. We don't need to understand it, but we must believe it! We must teach it and preach it, and we must live it out in our daily walk. Yes, the resurrection is that important! It is the cornerstone of the Gospel; without the resurrection, we have no hope. (LeeAnn Davidson)

                                                                           Up from the grave he arose;
                                                                    with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
                                                                 he arose a victor from the dark domain,
                                                            and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
                                                           He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
                                                                                                                            -- Robert Lowry

                        The story of Jesus' life on earth could not be complete without the resurrection!

2021-03-29T15:55:31+00:00March 31st, 2021|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: , |0 Comments

April 4, 2021: History’s Greatest Event (Easter)

FOCUS TEXT: 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 35-44

CENTRAL TRUTH: The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith.

OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to give several reasons that the resurrection of Christ is important to us today.

LESSON OUTLINE:

I. Fact of Christ's Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
II. Importance of Christ's Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)
III. Order of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-34)
IV. Method of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:35-58)

2021-03-29T15:43:04+00:00March 29th, 2021|Categories: Front Page, Lesson Highlights|Tags: , |0 Comments

April 12, 2020: A Rugged Cross and an Empty Tomb (Easter)

Focus Text: Matthew 27:50-54, 57-61; 28:1-8

Central Truth: Jesus' bodily death and resurrection is the central claim of the Christian's faith.

Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify key reasons why Jesus' bodily death and resurrection is the central claim of the Christians' faith.

LESSON OUTLINE:

I. Jesus' Death (Matthew 27:50-54)

II. Jesus' Burial (Matthew 27:57-61)

III. Jesus' Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8)

2020-04-08T14:47:52+00:00April 8th, 2020|Categories: Front Page, Weekly Lesson Summaries|Tags: , , |0 Comments

Happy Easter!

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:6)
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of Your only Son. We thank You for His sinless life, His suffering in our behalf, and His loving sacrifice. We praise You for Your power in raising Him back to life and His victory over sin and death, giving us reason to worship this and every Easter!

2016-03-27T08:00:00+00:00March 27th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: |0 Comments

How Should Christians Live in the Aftermath of the Resurrection?

In "Doctrinal Discussion" Randy Bland quotes N.T. Wright's Surprised by Hope:

I know that God’s new world of justice and joy, of hope for the whole earth, was launched when Jesus came out of the tomb on Easter morning, and I know that He calls His followers to live in Him and by the power of His Spirit, and so to be new-creation people here and now, bringing signs and symbols of the kingdom to birth on earth as in heaven.

Bland finds three truths from this statement:

  1. The resurrection is for everyone.
  2. The resurrection opens up the possibility for Christians to live by the Spirit.
  3. We must realize that we live in what theologians call the time between the already and the not yet.

Consult your Adult Teacher's Insights for more discussion!
Source: Jesus, Son of God: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 26.

2016-03-26T08:00:00+00:00March 26th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: , |0 Comments

Devotional: His Appearance – Our Blessed Hope

Read I Peter 1:1-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (v. 3).
Resurrection power is not wishy-washy. Today’s scripture reminds us that Christ’s mercy is
abundant and our hope is lively, both related to His resurrection.
In 2000 our daughter, Becky, had a serious spinal injury. fter surgery the anesthesia affected her thought processes. She went through what she now calls her “loopy period.” She thought she was going to die, but didn’t say so. That night she told her husband, “Go home.” I was at their home caring for their three children. When Paul arrived he sunk into a chair and said something like, “I can deal with the effects of the injury, but this crazy stuff I don’t know how to handle.” He went to bed upstairs and I settled into a fitful sleep on the couch.
Early the next morning the phone rang. On the way down the stairs Paul said, “Becky called. She‘s going to be alright.” Our hope had taken on a lively twist. God’s mercy was evident. Becky’s mental anxiety was gone, but the physical healing has taken time. While today she walks without assistance, it’s mind over matter. (Ann Coker)

Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living – just because He lives. – William and Gloria Gaither

We all have reason to rejoice over God’s mercies and the hope that His resurrection brings.

This devotional is the Sunday, March 27, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

2016-03-23T08:00:00+00:00March 23rd, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: , |0 Comments

Infallible Proof of the Resurrection (Easter)

Lesson 4 - March 28, 2016
Central Truth: The resurrection is the heart of the Christian faith.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to give at least three proofs of the resurrection of Christ.
Lesson Outline:

  1. Assurance for Disciples (John 20:19-23)
  2. Assurance for a Doubter (John 20:24-29)
  3. Assurance for All Believers (John 20:30, 31)
2016-03-22T11:00:00+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Categories: Weekly Lesson Summaries|Tags: , |0 Comments
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