Many will preach the parts of the Bible that they like, but they will not preach all of it. Paul said, “I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20), and “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Not only must we preach God’s word, we must preach all of it.
Some have the idea that this is how God has left us: groping around in this world without knowledge of what He wants. This is not the case! God has given us His Light to shine in the darkness, to illumine our path, to guide us home, and to lead others to Him (Ps. 119:110; Jn. 1:4-5; 8:12; II Tim. 3:16-17).
The mission of the King was to restore His kingdom by providing 1) Real Reconciliation, 2) Sustaining Sanctification, and 3) Eternal Expectations. Each person should understand that Jesus has accomplished His mission. Christ is King because He did what no other could do to provide for man’s salvation.
To set forth three prerequisites that all Christians should understand before beginning to evangelize namely we must 1) Recognize that there are souls that are lost, 2) Be willing to make a lasting commitment and 3) Truly believe that the gospel is the "good news."
To study an overview of 1) What, 2) Why, and 3) How to rightly divide the word. Each person may become more familiar with the Bible and how to handle it.
In essence: do you want a summary verse that teaches how we should treat our neighbors, our friends, our enemies, our spouses, our children, our acquaintances in every situation imaginable? Practice the Golden Rule and you’ll seldom go wrong.
To manage conflict I need 1) Courage, 2) Forgiveness, 3) Fearing God, 4) Patience. Each will understand how to manage inevitable conflict according to God’s standards.
The fruit of the Spirit is gentleness because it helps us 1) Personally, 2) Socially, 3) Spiritually. Each person should understand that gentleness/meekness helps us in our personal, social, and spiritual life.
Tobacco, alcohol, and drug addictions need serious attention. These addictions can create tremendous problems in the family such as crushing debt, poverty, loss of work, and even death. These are dangerous addictive substances that need to be eliminated from use altogether because of the great risk associated with them. When one is addicted to such things, professional counseling is needed. Get the help that is necessary to stop using the substance and resolve to never go back to it again.
This song emphasizes Christ as King by discussing, 1) His Reign on the Throne, 2) His Victory over Death, 3) The Peace that Results from His Reign, 4) His Fellowship with Heaven. Each will understand more about the song.
Faithful Christians are 1) Called to a Holy Calling, 2) Not According to Our Works, 3) According to God’s Own Purpose and Grace. Each person should understand that being a Christian involves more than just living a moral life and that we need to participate in God’s purposes.
Identify problems early. Addicts may not see what is happening to them as addiction creates blindness to one’s state. It is easy for others, however, to see the behavior for what it is. It is important that families have a relationship where members can talk about these issues. Discussing the behavior is the first step to remedying it.
In Luke 12:47, 48 at the conclusion of the parable of the faithful steward, Jesus said, "And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
I do not know what the specific reason was that the Holy Spirit forbade and did not permit Paul, Silas, and Timothy to preach in these locations. The Bible does not say other than that God wanted them to go into Macedonia and preach there. It may have been as simple as that. However, God sometimes says “No,” even to good things that we desire to do, and we can learn some lessons from this. Let’s look at a few examples in the Bible where God said “no.”
Christ is King because… 1) He is the Creator, 2) All Things are For Him, 3) He Supports and Sustains Us, 4) He is the Head of the Church, 5) The Fullness of God Dwells in Him, 6) He Reconciles All Things to Himself by His Sacrifice. Each should understand that these fundamental truths make sense of the world.
There are other things, however, to which a person may be addicted. One may be addicted to his job. We call these people workaholics. A person may be addicted to talking or anger. Pornography is a great addiction for many. In his book, Removing Emotional Pain, Ron Wilkins lists the top ten addictions of his time. They are in order: 1) anger, 2) talking, 3) sex, 4) food, 5) tobacco, 6) alcohol, 7) drugs, 8) stealing, 9) gambling, and 10) work. We could probably add “electronics” to this list today.
In this lesson, we will think about the song, “Ye Are the Light of the World.” For Christians to be the light of the world there are some things that they must 1) Avoid, 2) Act, and 3) Adore. Each should understand that he has an influence to use for good. Each Christian should be more cognizant of his example to others in both word and deed.
One could also say that while God allows misfortune and is present when it occurs, that He never abandons His child, that misfortune brings people back to Him, and that ultimately God works to redeem them from the idols in their life (Romans 8:28).
The woman was healed who had an issue of blood: her: 1) Condition, 2) Cure, 3) Closure. Each would understand how to have a living and active faith.
The Fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness: 1) God and Christ are Faithful, 2) Faithfulness to God, 3) Faithfulness to One Another. Each person should understand how faithfulness applies to their relationships with God and each other.