We note that Paul's statement that Christ sent him not to baptize, didn't mean that Paul never baptized anyone. If it was the case that Paul wasn't supposed to baptize anyone, then he wouldn't have baptized Crispus and Gaius who he directly states in the context that he did indeed baptize. So the passage couldn't mean that Christ didn't send Paul to baptize at all.
The scriptures teach plainly that Christ went to paradise after His death. In Luke 23:43 we read these words: "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Jesus clearly told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise. One thing we know from the scriptures to be true is that paradise is not hell, and neither is hell paradise.
One of God’s attributes is that He is invisible. Paul wrote, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever […]
Many people believe that religion is just about morality. In that vein, they will make statements like, “All religions are the same; one is no better than the other. They […]
In this lesson, we will look at four blessings of salvation 1) Remission of Sin, 2) Refreshing from the Lord, 3) Restoration of Fellowship, 4) Rejoicing in Heaven. The objective of this lesson is for the hearer to better understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. In understanding our blessings, we should be motivated to live responsibly.
In this lesson we will look at three great mothers of the Bible 1) Jochebed them mother of Moses, 2) Hannah the mother of Samuel, and 3) Mary, the mother of Jesus. Each hearer will be able to discuss these mothers’ spiritual qualities. It was not worldly values that made these mothers great, but spiritual.
What about the Bible in general? Does it support socialism/communism’s desire to legislate wealth redistribution? Under the Old Covenant, which was specifically for the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 5:2-3), God […]
Jesus and the Resurrection show that 1) He is my God. 2) He is my Savior. 3) He is my All! Each person should be able to state why Jesus and the Resurrection is relevant. The aim of this lesson is to teach the deity of Jesus and emphasize his sovereignty over our lives.
In this lesson we will study the question, “What must I do to be saved?” In the scriptures this question was asked three times and we will study each of these circumstances and the answer to the question in each of these circumstances understanding this: that if the same question is asked today, it should be answered in the same way. The hearer should be able to know where these passage are and be able to use them to answer the same question for those who ask in the world today. The aim of this lesson is to empower each individual Christian to be able to answer this most critical question.
In this lesson we will examine the Extreme Jesus. When we look at the Extreme Jesus, we find 1) Extreme measure to deal with sin, 2) Extreme dedication required of his disciples, 3) Extreme righteousness, and 4) Extreme love. The objective is that each individual Christian would get to know the extreme Jesus in their life.
To live for Jesus means 1) Being an All-In Disciple, 2) Having an Amazing Destiny, 3) Following Jesus All Day. We will learn from the lyrics of this great song and the Bible what it means to live for Jesus.
“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land” (Matthew 27:45). The Greek word for “darkness” in this verse is skotos. There is nothing especially significant about the word indicating the quality of darkness. The word may be used to talk about a pitch black darkness such as in Tartarus in Jude 1:13, or “outer darkness” (Matthew 22:13), or it may be used to describe a shadow-like darkness (Matthew 4:16; Luke 1:79).
I will approach this as a Bible question: What does the Bible say about the rightful owner of the state of Israel? Many in the religious world today declare that God unconditionally gave the land of Canaan to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel in perpetuity. They argue that God promised it to their descendants forever.
What will I make of the New Year? I will make it a year of 1) love, 2) service, 3) optimism. Each should resolve to make this New Year a year of love, service, and optimism. The aim of this lesson is to exhort each Christian to make the best of this new year that they can make of it!
Instead of reacting, be proactive by putting your own concerns on the back burner for a few minutes and listening actively to the other party. Listening is the humble thing to do (James 1:19).
Socialism/Communism is a political system based on the assumption that the world is economically divided into two classes: the owners of production vs. the workers/producers; the aristocracy vs. the proletariat; the rich vs. the poor; the “haves” vs. the “have-nots.” The object of socialism/communism is to use the power of the government to take away wealth from those who have it and redistribute it to those who do not. It is alleged that this ideology will redress extant social injustices fomented by the privilege the “haves” exercise over the “have-nots.” In this way, society’s ills will be cured, and it will usher in a utopian paradise on earth.
To be honest with our families we must understand why we don’t tell the truth: 1) Fear of Discovery, 2) Fear of Punishment, 3) Fear of Retaliation, 4) Fear of Rejection, 5) Fear of Change. We want all of our families to be open and honest with each other permitting Christ to govern our family life.
In this lesson, we will look at the song “Ivory Palaces” and the Psalm from which it comes as we consider its lyrics. Jesus came out of the Ivory Palaces to 1) Bring us joy by his presence, 2) Die on the cross for our sins, and 3) Receive us to His ivory palaces one day. May we better understand the hymn “Ivory Palaces” when we sing it.
In this lesson, we will examine Isaiah 55 and its messianic message of salvation. It is a message of 1) Invitation, 2) Repentance, 3) Trust. We will seek to understand the content of Isaiah 55 and its messianic implications.
Crossing the Jordan river with the Ark of the Covenant teaches 1) Man’s Faith, 2) God’s Presence, 3) Man’s Patience, 4) God’s Faithfulness. To understand God’s instrument for bringing His people into the promised land and how it applies to us today. We must put our faith and trust in God if we hope to get to the promised land of heaven.