Sunday School

CENTRAL THOUGHT Stop wavering between two opinions, take a stand for God. HYMN: STAND UP, STAND UP, FOR JESUS Introduction:Elijah was the most famous and dramatic of Israel prophets. He was not a superhuman. In the book of James, we read: “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17). He was after all, a normal human being like the rest of us. He had emotion and problems and experienced the same ups and downs in his life that all of us face. However, he knew God intimately. That personal relationship with God was the bedrock of all the miracles God used him to perform. He derived his strength from his knowledge of God’s presence. He recognized that he was always in the presence of God (1 Kings 17:1). Such knowledge has a remarkable effect upon a person’s thinking, actions and character.Elijah knew that even while he stood in the presence of King Ahab and all the false prophets, he was standing in the presence of God who was infinitely greater. He represented God in an encounter with the prophets of Baal and Asherah.How he boldly challenged the prophets of Baal and called down fire from heaven to prove that the LORD GOD only is...

CENTRAL THOUGHT Experiencing God’s mercy not only produces profound gratitude but also the stimulus to be merciful to others. HYMN: WHEN ALL THY MERCIES, O MY GOD Text: Luke 6:36, Matt 5:7, 18:23-35 Introduction: People display a variety of dispositions and virtues dependent on their upbringing, perceptions, experiences, and relationships. One of such virtues is mercy which derives from a genuine encounter with the Lord. It is very easy to give misleading impressions to others that one is merciful by showing outward acts of charity, voluntary services and so forth when they are driven by self-centered agendas. It is this deception that every believer should avoid, hence a study like this that puts us in the right perceptive of being merciful. The grace of God is demonstrated by mercy and favor that no human deserves. Those who have a relationship with the Lord through Christ are endowed with this virtue of mercy. The most obvious response by the believer is a  continual sense of gratitude and appreciation gratitude for being saved and free from the power and dominion of sin and the devil; gratitude for the hope of eternal life; gratitude for the Lord’s continued provisions, protection, and sustenance. This gratitude stems from the fact that all these favors...

CENTRAL THOUGHT Blessed are the congregations and ministries whose leaders or men and women truly called by God. HYMN: WHEN HE COMETH, WHEN HE COMETH –   TEXT: Ezekiel 34:1-10, Eph. 4:7-12, 1 Cor 12:28 INTRODUCTION: The call of God is a privileged assignment to man that comes from God, using the clearest medium of expression in order to avoid ambiguity. The scope is usually well-defined and the necessary equipment for accomplishment      adequately provided. These general characteristics appear to be quite consistent with the call of God, no matter the nature of the call whether it is specific or general. General calls are for all believers while specific ones are usually expressed in any of the five major “offices” of the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists and Pastors. There are other “service” positions needed for good administration of the church as in the provisions for Deacons and Bishops, group leaders etc. This study therefore seeks to provide some characteristics/marks for major group of “calls” so that we can reappraise our individual calling, whether it is from man or God. LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand, on a general basis, what the “call of God” means.How to know you have been called by God.To identify some most important characteristics/peculiarities...