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.
What is the gospel? It is 1) the Good News, 2) the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, 3) the Power of God to Salvation. Each hearer will be able to answer the question, “What is the gospel?” I want to communicate that the gospel is God’s plan for salvation through Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to be free? Some say that freedom is being able to do anything with no limits. I do not subscribe to that definition because, if followed […]
At the end of August, buried among the headlines of riots and viruses, a three-thousand person survey found that 52% of those that responded did not believe that Jesus was […]
From Joshua 22 we learn about 1) Fellowship, 2) Falling Out, 3) Fact Finding, and 3) Fairness. We should follow the example of the Israelites when resolving our problems as well.
The marriage relationship is a sacred bond; husband and wife are “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Jesus says so in Matthew 19:4-6: And He answered and said to them, “Have you […]
A Christian is a person who 1) Believes Christ, 2) Obeys Christ, 3) Is Faithful to Christ. Each person should understand that it isn’t enough to claim to be a Christian, one must live that way.
The Lord hears when we pray and provides 1) Relief, 2) Relationship, 3) Righteousness, and 4) Refuge. Each Christian should learn to trust in the Lord and turn to him to prayer in all circumstances of life. The aim of this lesson is to help each Christian recognize the power of prayer through the Psalms.
So many people are under the impression that the sting of death is death itself. The Bible says otherwise (1 Corinthians 15:56). That is, it isn’t death that is the […]
In this lesson, we will answer the question, What is the Church? We must understand God’s original design in the creation. When we understand this, we will understand what the church is in relationship to God’s great plan to restore unity between God and man, and between man and man. Each member should understand God’s desire for unity in the church as the restoration of His purposes in creation.
Jesus knew that fear was a great problem for God’s people. In the accounts of the gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Jesus warns against “fear” or “being afraid” at least […]
To obey the command to repent we must 1) Believe God’s Analysis of Our Condition, 2) Change Our Mind and Attitude, 3) Change our Behavior. Each member should be able to explain what this command means and how to perform it. My aim in this lesson is to encourage in the heart of each person the desire to live a life of repentance.
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.
In this lesson, we will focus on John 3:16 as we seek to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” Jesus is 1) the Son of God, 2) the Savior, and 3) the Personification of Grace and Truth. This lesson seeks to provide a basic answer to the question who is Jesus for those who are seeking rudimentary knowledge.
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.
God provided escape from the famine because Joseph 1) Acted with Integrity, 2) Trusted in God’s Power, 3) Didn’t Give in to Vindictiveness. The hearer should understand that escaping from difficulties requires faith in God on our part to do His will even when we don’t see God working.
In this lesson we will seek to answer the question “What is love?” We will note: 1) its origins in God, 2) that it is a free act, 3) its currency in relationships, 4) that it is a gift. We seek to learn more about the nature and character of love.
We should all desire understanding from God and to understand the Bible. Understanding comes from 1) Effort, 2) Knowledge, 2) Unity. The hearer should understand how we should desire understanding. The aim of this lesson is to set forth ways for desiring understanding.
In this lesson we look at some practical lessons from David’s sin with Bathsheba. We want to understand what characterizes sin and to know when we are involved in it.
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!