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.
So far, it has been a relatively mild summer (in my opinion). East Texas has not had the scorching weather of Central and West Texas. My mother reported to me […]
In this lesson we will look at the bible doctrine of inspiration: the evidence for inspiration; the nature of inspiration; the function of inspiration; and the scope of inspiration; some misunderstandings of inspiration. The objective of this lesson is to help everyone understand what the Bible doctrine of inspiration is and implies and to help all respect God's authority.
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.
We must keep the unity of the Spirit by 1) Speaking the Same Things 2) Not have division, 3) Have the same Judgment. Each listener should be able to explain how to have unity. Each Christian should be committed to maintaining unity by doing these things.
“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 […]
In the story of Jonah we see 1) A Command, 2) A Contradiction, 3) A Confrontation, 4) A Correction. Each hearer should learn that when we ignore God’s commands, we forsake our own mercy.
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.
What is reality? God is real. People are real. Relationships are real. Each listener will know the biblical answer to the question, “What is Reality?” We will focus our thoughts on what is real as opposed to what is not.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The word “Satan” means “adversary.” The word […]
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 […]
Are we worthy of salvation? There is a sense in which we are and a sense in which we are not. One is not worthy in the sense that […]
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 […]
In this lesson we will look at Lot’s escape from Sodom and Gomorrah: 1) A Revelation 2) A Negotiation, 3) A Confrontation, 4) A Destruction. That each may understand God’s perspective when it comes to our need to escape sin.
In Revelation 21, we see how the righteous live forever in the city of New Jerusalem. We see 1) The Coming of the City, 2) The Composition of the City, 3) The Consecration of the City. Each hearer should understand that the New Jerusalem is a spiritual city that will be eternally inhabited by the righteous. It is my aim to impress upon each person that this city is the people of God.
Several years ago, there was a doctor in England who said he was working on a drug that was going to reverse the effects of aging. He claimed that remarkable […]
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 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.