Along with studying the Bible, prayer is indispensable in order for us to abide in Christ and grow spiritually. Even Jesus Himself needed prayer to be united with the Father. He left us an example of a life of prayer. Prayer marked the crucial moments of His life. He prayed when He was baptized. He … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : Christian growth is the natural consequence of a healthy relationship with God and church family. [Lesson Plan for Growing in Christ August 4, 2014] 1. Have a volunteer read John 3:1-3. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. What does it … Continue reading –>
A flourishing spiritual life is possible only by constantly depending on Christ. Jesus used the illustration of the vine to teach us how to accomplish this. I am the vine, you are the branches, said Jesus (John 15:5, NKJV). In the Old Testament, Israel was depicted as a vine that the Lord had planted (Isa. … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: John 3:1-15; 2 Cor. 5:17; John 15:4-10; Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 9:23-24. Memory Text: Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3, NKJV). Nicodemus felt drawn to Christ but dared not visit Him … Continue reading –>
John W. Fountain was, at one time a national correspondent for the New York Times and is now a professor of journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Back in 2005 he gave his testimony on the NPR program, All Things Considered. Here is a excerpt. “I believe in God. Not that cosmic, intangible … Continue reading –>
Will there be a need for the law in Christ’s eternal kingdom? What role does the law play in the lives of those who claim to be a part of his kingdom? Find out what the Sabbath School author has to say on this week’s edition of “Ask the Author.” (If you have missed past … Continue reading –>
When I first picked up the game of golf over seven years ago, I was excited to get to play with my friend Tom, a buddy from college. I had only been golfing a few weeks when we met one winter on a course in the Chattanooga Mountains. I scored a 137 in the mountains that day and … Continue reading –>
Have you ever been “compelled” to do something? Have you ever “compelled” anybody else do to anything? Does the word “compel” have positive or negative connotations to you? It’s an important question because we are told in the Matthew 14 parable of the wedding feast, “…, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel … Continue reading –>
“According to new research from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity one out of five non-Christians in North America does not “personally know” a single follower of Christ. That’s 13,447,000 people who don’t have a Christian friend or even acquaintance. The percentages get higher for certain religious groups. For instance, 65 percent of … Continue reading –>
Is it your relationship with Jesus, or is it something else? A rich young ruler came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Matthew 19:16 NLT Is this a profound question? It’s really a shallow and selfish question. The young man asking this question is only interested in his own … Continue reading –>
