What does it mean to be defiled? The Pharisees had one definition. Jesus had a different definition. In this lesson, we will examine 1) the meaning, 2) the manner, and 3) the menace of defilement. Each hearer will be able to explain that defilement originates in the heart, not from some external source. The aim of this lesson is to communicate that Christianity teaches personal responsibility.
In this lesson we will study the song “A Beautiful Life.” This song emphasizes that the true beauty of the Christian is in 1) serving others 2) pure living, 3) recognizing our mortality. Each hearer should understand that life is fleeting and we need to make the most of every day to do good to others.
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity” is a saying attributed to P.T. Barnum and his famous circus. He had a lot of critics, but people kept coming to […]
Is love worth the risk? Rejecting the possibility of having love in our life is just another “rubber room,” a place where we will be protected from emotional pain, but at the loss of real relationships, which everyone actually desires most in this world. When we refuse to love others, we also fall into a profound self-absorption, a selfishness from which we will never recover. But to learn to love, we must risk suffering, and to risk suffering, we need a world that is not safe, sanitized, and preventative of all harm.
God has spoken in a way we can understand because 1) God knows how to communicate, 2) The Bible is written in a language we can understand, and 3) Jesus gives us his example so that we may follow. Each person should know that he/she can understand and obey the Bible.
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.
Revelation 22 pictures paradise reclaimed and offers a path to it. In this chapter we find 1) A Reward for the Faithful 2) A Watch for the Living, 3) A Warning for the Wicked. The hearer should understand that God is working to restore us to His original plan and we must obey him to get there.
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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.
Today is January 31st (as I am writing this article). I received a very nice thank you letter from Ed Higginbotham in the mail. He wanted to thank me […]
In this lesson, we will study Psalm 3 and talk about how the Lord provides during the most difficult problems in life. Each hearer should understand that faith in God is the key to overcoming problems.
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.
This lesson seeks to address the question of can we know truth in our relativistic culture. The objective of this lesson is to equip high school and college students to defend their faith regarding truth.
In this lesson, we will look at the text of 2 Samuel 24:1-25 and note some lessons. Our goal is to learn the text of 2 Samuel 24 and make application.
God the Father continues to give His Holy Spirit to those who ask. The question is, how do we ask? Do we ask with an obedient faith? Or do we ask out of a sense of selfish desire? If it is the former, then God certainly gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe and obey. If the latter, then God is not going to indulge a person’s fleshly desires.
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!
As we think about escaping from the fiery furnace, 1) we face the threat of the fiery furnace, 2) we may be thrown into the fiery furnace, 3) that we may thwart the fiery furnace. Each hearer should understand how we have fiery furnaces to challenge our faith.
Over the past couple of years, professional and college football have adapted rules to include a penalty for “targeting.” Targeting is defined as forcible contact with the crown of the […]