Teaching & Learning
Facing Life Without Worry
Lesson Text: Matthew 6:25-31
Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount with familiar illustrations that all can understand. This lesson confronts the common problem of worry.
Thought to remember: God is the great provider.
Lesson Learned: I can replace worries when I realize that the Kingdom of God resides within me. Mainly, the realization is that heaven is not just a future element; it is a right now event when I exercise the knowledge that God cares for me more than I can imagine.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us give You our worries as we trust in Your sovereign power. Help us seek first the kingdom of heaven and always remember that You love and care for us. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!
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Praying as God's People
Lesson Text: Matthew 6:5-15
Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount by engaging His audience with an enlightenment about prayer. This lesson provides the correct process when you are praying.
Thought to remember: Jesus taught that it is more important to develop our inner relationship with God through Prayer.
Lesson Learned: I learned how not to pray. I must not allow my prayers to generate into performance because meaningless words do not transform into meaningful prayers. My goal is neither to impress or inform others but to create an intimate encounter between the Creator and creation.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me that I serve an all-powerful heavenly God. Forgive me of my sins and give me the tools I need to walk with You daily. Help me to remember that you can and will provide all of my needs. Your many names equip me with the knowledge I need to follow after You. I know now that You are full of grace, feel my hurt, come to my aid, provide, and give me peace. Help me to remember these truths when the road gets hard. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!
Loving as God's People
Lesson Text: Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount by engaging His audience with the enlightenment of OT. This lesson reminds his audience about "loving thy neighbor" while challenging them with the same reaction toward your enemy.
Thought to remember: Adopting an attitude of love is Jesus' expectation for all people.
Lesson Learned: Daily, I must challenge myself to live up to God's standard instead of the personal expectation of perfect. I must pursue maturity, as demonstrated by Epaphras, who lived perfectly and completely in all of the will of God. (Colossians 4:12) I must allow patience to perfect God's work in my life as noted in James 1:4 (TPT) And then, as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help me to learn how to love my enemies in ways that are pleasing to You. Help me to pray for those who are my enemies. Help those who think of me as an enemy to pray for me. Allow each of us to reach out and show love to each other. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!
Forgiving as God's People
Lesson Text: Matthew 5:17-26
The Sermon on the Mount created a setting for Jesus to emphasize the danger of unforgiveness. As followers, we must remember to avoid the temptation of unresolved conflicts, which can poison the lives of many.
Thought to remember: As people of God, living in harmony with others is important.
Lesson Learned: I must remember the power of forgiveness will promote connection at two different levels: 1) my connection with God (heavenly) and 2) my connection with others (earthy). In addition, the joy of forgiveness promotes inner peace, while the peace of forgiveness creates joy leading to the true cycle of living in harmony.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us to become what You desire. Guide our tongues and our minds to be on one accord with You. Thank You for caring for us and forgiving us as we reconcile ourselves to one another. Let us stay focused on You and in Your Word. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!
Living as God's People
Lesson Text: Matthew 5:1-12
Matthew the 5th chapter begins Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. This setting provides the essence of Jesus' teaching. He unfolds the secret of connecting with God as noted in Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Thought to remember: God's reign on earth is already a blessing.
Lesson Learned: I must remember when suffering for Christ will ultimately allow me to experience the same comfort He experienced after the Cross. Remember, they stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. (Acts 7:59) because Stephen saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, thank You for Your many blessings. Thank You for being our God! May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and guard our minds against worldly distractions that try to steal our blessings. My Lord, it is your way that we seek, so guide and direct us in all things. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!
Tradition and Love
Lesson Text: Song of Solomon 4:8-5:1
God created man and woman in a perfect world established in the garden of Eden. Here, we sense the blessings of God as bestowed upon a marriage. Therefore, the Song of Solomon paints this love picture of two characters in love as they consummate their marriage union.
Thought to remember: God ordained committed relationships
Lesson Learned: One of the most important lessons to take away from the Song of Solomon is that God offers an extraordinary blessing to ordinary men and women who commit themselves to a godly marriage. For instance, a repeated theme in the Song of Solomon is a warning against stirring up or awakening love until the right time (2:7,3:5,8:4). In other words, if I awaken love for another, I must continue to love because true love surpasses everything, true love is satisfying, true love is faithful, and true will last forever.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us honor You as we honor our commitment to marriage and singleness. Help us demonstrate the same love You have for us as the one you gave us in marriage. Help us who are single to savor the same commitment in the future. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!
Wisdom for Aging
This lesson unfolds that each generation recognizes that life is fragile and friable. Yet, Solomon directed these readers with a simple clue for making the most of one's life before age creeps up on you. He provides us with the secret of genuinely living while we are alive.
Thought to remember: It is important to seek God's wisdom early in life.
Lesson Learned: I must realize that wisdom is the key to living. If I can grasp this key, then my living will enable me to embrace the inevitable approach of death. Then, I will comprehend that aging is a time of reunion, renewal, and fulfillment of God's promises.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us to face life with an appreciation for what You have given us so that we may honor You in all our ways and throughout our days. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
The Superiority of Wisdom
Lesson Text: Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
This lesson provides an earthly prospective without pivoting toward a cynical outlook. In this passage, a wise poor man saved the city, but rather than receiving great honor, he is soon forgotten. Is this fair? It depends on your perspective – do you have an earthly perspective or an heavenly one?
Thought to remember: We should not ignore the quiet, thoughtful words of the wise.
Lesson Learned: I must remember that Wisdom is the right thing to do and do it. Therefore, Wisdom seldom follows loud, flamboyant, excessive, and pretentious words based on emotions, but Wisdom under the sun precedes a quiet, soothing, and meaningful thought-provoking message, because Wisdom is better than muscles.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us to speak soft words of wisdom that save our families, our communities, our cities, and our nation. Give us wisdom in all things. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
An Ordered Life
Lesson Text: Proverbs 29:16-27
This lesson lays the foundation of discipline, which we tend to overlook in our technologically advanced society. The lack of discipline will destroy our lives along with this society. One effective means to learn these principles is with short, concise phrases that our lesson in Proverbs will reveal today.
Thought to remember: God’s plan is superior to and in contrast with the world’s sense of order.
Lesson Learned: I cannot allow my freedom to trump my discipline of obedience to God’s rule. I must realize that undisciplined actions create chaos and uncontrolled anger leads to sin. Yet, God demands control over all my emotions.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us to seek Your wisdom. Help us to display wisdom in our actions and our words. So then, this world will benefit from Your Love. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Wisdom and Discernment
Lesson Text: Proverbs 25:1-10
When a conflict erupts in our churches or neighborhoods, do we call the church elders, other respected community leaders, or the police to make peace? Lesson 4 of the Teaching and Learning Series provides wisdom and discernment when dealing with life situations.
Thought to remember: Wisdom improves relationships with others.
Lesson Learned: In an age of excessive social networking where everyone has a voice, I must exercise wisdom and discernment in such an environment. I must promote harmony and defuse confusion while realizing it is God’s glory to conceal such.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us represent You well as we reach out to others in a relationship. Please help us to be examples of peacemakers. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Teaching Values
Lesson Text: Proverbs 15:21-33
Our third lesson in the Teaching and Learning series focuses on Teaching Values by explaining the need for counseling when making decisions. This lesson presents three key topics that we must consider to live heavenly while on earth: 1) Right Actions 2) Right Response and 3) Speak Well, and 4) Think Right
Thought to remember: One who hears criticism acquires understanding.
Lesson Learned: Failure to seek advice is a sign of pride, but seeking advice from many counselors can avert disaster. Therefore, I must value the opinions of others with experience before deciding because unwise decisions will lead you down a journey of disparities and inconsistencies in your life.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us exercise wisdom in our decision-making and seek wise counsel in the process. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
From Generation to Generation
Lesson Text: Proverbs 4:10-15, 20-27
Our second lesson in the Teaching and Learning series focuses on the next generation by explaining the key ingredients for long life. This lesson presents two paths that one can take and ends with how to live godly in an ungodly world.
Thought to remember: The Way of Wisdom is synonymous with the Path of Righteousness.
Lesson Learned: When we have nothing left but God, we will soon discover that we will have more than enough. This statement serves as the key to wisdom while reminding me that my journey in life is futile without the instruction, as noted in Proverbs the 4th chapter.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us keep our eyes, ears, hearts, and feet focused on following Your path, In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Righteousness and Wisdom
Lesson Text: Proverbs 3:1-12
Our first lesson in our Teaching and Learning series is Righteousness and Wisdom from the book of Proverbs. In the first ten chapters of Proverbs, you will note that King Solomon advises his son about God’s precepts, promises, and provisions.
Thought to remember: Make Decisions based on God’s principles instead of your best interest.
My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, help us to be obedient as sons and daughters who desire to please You and to help our children honor You as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen!