“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11). If we are to be content in whatever state we are in, where must that contentment ultimately come from? While writing to Timothy, Paul describes an unsavory group of people “who think that godliness is … Continue reading –>
Godliness is a vast topic. Godly people live a holy lifestyle (Titus 1:1), becoming like Christ with an attitude of devotion and with actions that are pleasing to Him (Ps. 4:3, Titus 2:12). Godliness is the evidence of true religion and receives the promise of eternal life. No philosophy, wealth, fame, power, or favored birth offers such a promise. … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Tim. 3:1-9; Ezek. 14:14; Phil. 4:4-13; Prov. 3:5; 1 Pet. 2:11-12; Matt. 7:23; Matt. 25:21. Memory Text: “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12, NKJV). As stewards, we should live as witnesses of … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Enoch and Noah made it a habit to walk with God in an age when few remained faithful amid excess, materialism, and violence (Gen. 5:24, Gen. 6:9). They understood and accepted God’s grace, and were thus good stewards of the possessions and tasks entrusted to them. Down through the ages, people have walked with God … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Negative or positive habits are formed through repetition. We need to protect positive habits of stewardship. Lesson 12, March 24, 2018 1. Have a volunteer read Luke 12:46-48. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. What does this tell us about … Continue reading –>
Self-discipline is one of the most important character traits a steward can have. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7, NIV). The Greek word for discipline, sophronismos, appears only here in this verse in the New Testament and involves the ability to do what must … Continue reading –>
We originally were created perfect – mentally, physically, and spiritually. Of course, sin has ruined it all. The good news of the gospel, among other things, is that God is in the process of restoring us to what we were originally meant to be. Read Acts 3:21 and Rev. 21:1-5. What hope is found in these texts for … Continue reading –>
“For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow” (Job 8:9, NKJV). You can stop a clock, but not the movement of time. Time does not wait; it keeps moving forward even if we stand still and do nothing. What do the following texts teach us about our time here … Continue reading –>
1. The habits of a good steward. We all have habits, don’t we? Are our habits a quick way of making decisions? If so, is that their primary benefit? Can we have only good habits? If habits reveal our purpose in life, as our lesson points out, then what are some examples of good habits … Continue reading –>
Hymn 372, “Lord, I Have Made Thy Word My Choice” adds to the memory text for this week, Psalm 119:9-11. Our first good habit is to seek God first. This is reflected in: Hymn 224, “Seek Ye First the Kingdom”. We may then add: Hymn 539, “I Will Early Seek the Savior”. This will then … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 12:35-48. What does this parable teach us about how we are to relate to the second coming of Jesus? Why must all that we do always be in the context of the reality of the Second Coming? Stewardship should be habitually practiced in light of Jesus’ return. The character of unfaithful stewards who act … Continue reading –>
You’ve probably heard stories or perhaps the personal testimony of people who struggled with ‘bad’ (or what I prefer to refer to as ‘detrimental’) habits, who prayed for God to take the habit away and then, suddenly, the habit was gone, never to return. While that is a fantastic experience for those for whom that … Continue reading –>
