In this lesson, we will look at the song “Let the Lower Lights be Burning” and note 1) God is the great lighthouse, 2) Christians are the lesser lights, 3) Sin is darkness that drowns men in perdition, 4) Christians must shine the light of the gospel to bring them into shore. Each person should understand the meaning of the song lyrics and how scripture teaches us to be evangelistic.
This is a blessing upon the diligent. Jesus refers to the familiar image of the thief that comes in the night who comes suddenly and without notice. Paul uses the same image in First Thessalonians 5:2: “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” The child of God will not be caught asleep. He will be prepared.
God has a structure for authority in the creation. “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” This is not suggesting that men and women have different value in the Lord’s eyes, but they do have different roles in the chain of authority. Christians must observe and respect those roles even when the modern culture rejects them.
In Mark 16:15, 16, Jesus commanded the apostles to preach the gospel to every creature. Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be condemned." Notice that it takes both belief and baptism for salvation. In Acts 2:38, the men and women who had crucified Jesus asked what they needed to do be saved, "Men and brethren what shall we do?" Peter responded, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins." Baptism is said here to be "for the remission of your sins."
We want to study that worship matters when we have the correct object, the correct attitudes, and the correct actions. Everyone should be able to explain that worship matters when we worship as God desires. To impress upon each hearer the necessity of letting God define our worship.
The victorious are blessed because they have a wonderful hope. In Revelation 14:13, John recorded, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.” The Bible gives a lot of instruction on how to live, and this helps the faithful successfully navigate life. Equally important is how the Christian deals with death.
Acts 20 and the Power of the Word is shown in Paul's address to the Elders at Ephesus.
The victorious come together to read and study God's word, and they are blessed. Paul wrote of the blessedness of correctly handling the word, “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Christians want to give time to the word of God. The victorious are blessed because they read, listen, and obey God's word.
In this lesson, we will look at the 1) Command, 2) Category, 3) Consequence of doing all things without murmuring and disputings. Each hearer should understand what it means to obey this command. Christians should be so focused on demonstrating their faith that murmuring and disputing will not exist.
In this lesson we will answer three questions: 1) What is Gethsemane and Golgotha? 2) What happened between Gethsemane and Golgotha? 3) What do we need to know about Gethsemane to Golgotha? Each person should basically know what happened from Gethsemane to Golgotha and why we need to know about it.
God justifies man by faith in the same way Abraham is justified by faith and 1) Abraham Trusted God, Not Self (1-8), 2) Abraham Believed being Uncircumcised (9-12), 3) Abraham Believed before the Law (13-16), 4) Abraham trusted in the sure word of God (17-24). Each hearer will become familiar with the message of the book of Romans.
Jesus teaches differences, dangers, and directives to get to the heart of the sixth commandment. Each listener should be able to explain how Jesus’ teaching goes deeper than the surface of the sixth commandment. Each person should understand that God desires us to be faithful in our heart, not just in external appearances.
Proverbs 24:16 says, “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” The number seven signifies a complete amount of times that something happens. In other words, this verse is saying that while the righteous may stumble for one reason or another, they will always pick themselves up and keep going. They don’t let adversity keep them down for long.
Now is the time to get involved in the Lord’s work. Perhaps you would consider doing something that you haven’t been involved in until now. There are many things that may be done. Talk to one of our elders, deacons, or preachers to see what needs we have as a congregation. Let’s “rise again,” as the Proverbs say the righteous will do. God is counting on us.
Only the Creator gives us the ultimate answers to life’s most vexing questions. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40). Here is the answer to all of life’s fundamental questions. It is mankind’s great purpose to love God and His neighbor. When we do these things as God has commanded in His holy word, the world is a much better place, and with God all things are truly possible.
The English word “church” derives from the Greek word kuriakon and means “the Lord’s house.” The Greek word for church is ekklesia and means “assembly” (Acts 19:32, 39, 41; Hebrews 12:23). The church is called by many names in the scriptures. It is called the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), the bride (Revelation 22:17), the temple (Ephesians 2:21), the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15), husbandry and building (1 Corinthians 3:9), the kingdom (Matthew 16:19), and much more.
God has given us everything we need to be updated. It’s called the Bible. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Whether we need correction, protection, or edification, the word of God gives us what we need.
Ananias said to Saul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). The water is always ready at our building to baptize someone who so desires to call upon the name of the Lord! The Christian has his reservations made in heaven. Peter wrote that we have an “inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
God conceived Jesus in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. This was a very special act of creation that God performed that did not happen according to the normal process. While the conception of Jesus Christ was miraculous, the birth of Jesus Christ was perfectly normal. Jesus was born to His mother Mary in a stable. Luke 2:6-7 says, “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
It can be hard to try to like things that we don’t like, or even hate, but when we look at it from God’s perspective, and not from our own limited point of view, we can learn to appreciate everything that happens in this world. That is the kind of attitude that God wants us to have. He wants us to be thankful for everything that He has made for the purpose that He has made it. First Timothy 4:4 says, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”