These are lessons from our services. If available, the sermon notes that were distributed during the service are posted. More information on subscribing and listening to audio recordings is available.
Leader-First
Man came first.
Genesis 2:20-23
Man is the “head”
Ephesians 5:23
Lover-Husband
Ephesians 5:21-23
Lifter-Encourager
Ephesians 5:28b-29; Ephesians 6:4
Liason-Example
1 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 4:14-16; See also 1 Kings 2:1-3
Category: Sunday Morning Lessons
Our relationship with your God is measured by our relationship with our money.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves does not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Divine Ownership
See Matthew 25:14-30
Christian Stewardship: Being a good steward is managing well the resources God has given to you.
The Human Requirement
“
Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!”“
But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’”“
You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”
Old Testament giving: give the tithe or else.
New Testament giving: give because you have been blessed.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
“
… They first gave themselves to the Lord …”
A tithing person is a blessed person;
a tithing church is a blessed church.
Category: Sunday Morning Lessons
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:22-25
The Bible itself reveals immortality against a backdrop of mortality.
Our scriptural nature transcends mortality and immortality.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so that you must now show sincere love to eath other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the scriptures say,
“People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.
Through the Word of God we discover our humanity is temporary.
Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Through the Word of God we discover that God’s Word itself is eternity.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so that you must now show sincere love to eath other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
A voice says, “
Cry Out.“
And I say, “What shall I cry?““
All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
Category: Old Vision for a New Year > Sunday Morning Lessons
Our purpose statement begins: “we exist to put forth the Word of God
.”
We exist to tell others about Jesus.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.
We use the Word of God for communicating the essence of God.
The LORD replied, “
I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The LORD continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”
We communicate the Word of God because it is essential for spirital maturity.
We communicate the Word of God because it is essential to spiritual effectiveness.
If the Word of God is alive and powerful, it must be unleashed in the world.
If the Word of God is like a scapel, it will be uncomfortable.
If we cannot hide from it, we must live responsibly.
Your word is lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Category: Old Vision for a New Year > Sunday Morning Lessons
Category: Children's Lessons > Sunday Morning Lessons
Scripture: Colossians 1:24-29
God reveals Himself in that which He has made.
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
God has revealed Himself by coming to Earth.
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, He has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
God reveals Himself in scripture.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.
Telling the story requires sacrifice.
I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for His body, the church.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “
If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
Telling the story requires we know the story.
God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.
Telling the story works best when you grow because of the story.
For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too.
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
Telling the story expects growth in others.
So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
Category: Old Vision for a New Year > Sunday Morning Lessons
Scripture: Acts 1:6-11
We need to know who we are — Witnesses.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
We need to know where we are going — Maturity.
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
We need to know what we are to do along the way — Develop.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
First Christian Church exists to put forth God’s Word to …
Pray first that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and triumph wherever it goes, winning converts everywhere as it did when it came to you.
save the lost,
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
equip the saved,
…To equip God’s people to do his work…
And be a light to the world.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Due to technical difficulties, an audio recording of this lesson is unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.
Category: Old Vision for a New Year > Sunday Morning Lessons
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
The big deal about the Ressurrection of Jesus is that it is central to all that makes the Christian faith valid.
The explanation that Christ was raised from the dead is mandatory in the proclamation of the gospel. See Acts 2:24
When the gospel is proclaimed, the resurrection of Christ is the most
pivotal belief that leads to commitment or not.
See Acts 17:32-34
Whether or not we have hope in eternal life depends on the
resurrection of Christ.
See Philippians 3:10
There is no resurrection of the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:13
Preaching is useless.
1 Corinthians 15:14
Our faith leads no where.
1 Corinthians 15:14
The Apostles are liars.
1 Corinthians 15:15
Christians are still in their sins.
1 Corinthians 15:16-17
Both Christians and non-Christians are lost.
1 Corinthians 15:18-19
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.
Category: Sunday Morning Lessons > When It's All Over
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
How Good is Good News?
We have built our life on the Good News.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2
In the belief of the Good News, we possess very important information.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8; see also 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5: Colossians 3:9; Colossians 2:20;
Matthew 15:24; Philippians 3:10-11
In the Good News, we have been changed.
1 Corinthians 15:9-11; Ephesians 2:8-10
Category: Sunday Morning Lessons > When It's All Over
“Divine Providence” means provided by God.
As followers of Christ, we believe in truth that is self-evident.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
The universe declares God's existence, God's power, and that God is God.
God's word declares equality.
Romans 3:23;
Romans 3:9-18;
Galatians 3:28
Jesus came to give us life.
John 10:10;
Romans 6:23
Jesus came to declare liberty.
Luke 4:16-21;
John 8:31-36
[Jesus speaking] “
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The Pursuit of Happiness?
There is a difference between happiness and joy.
Philippians 4:4;
Galatians 5:22-23
We have declared independence from sin and dependence
on God and His Son, Jesus.
Romans 6:22-23
We must continue to declare Jesus to world.
1 Peter 3:15-16;
1 Peter 2:9
Becoming a Christian declares you free and guarantees you eternal life.
Category: Guest Speakers > Sunday Morning Lessons
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