Sunday School

CENTRAL THOUGHT Serving the Lord faithfully may not always be complementary; still persecutions are not uncommon. HYMN: STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS! TEXT: Jeremiah 20:1-18 INTRODUCTION: In this fourth and final part of the lessons on the book of Jeremiah, we observe Jeremiah being persecuted by the priests and the people of the land of Judah. He was tortured not only physically but also psychologically and emotionally to the point that he had to complain to the one, the Lord, who sent him. Jeremiah was in a dilemma. Although he was being persecuted, he could not stop doing what was responsible for his persecution. His persecution continued and, in fact, increased as he continued to preach the truth of the word of God to the people of Judah. Indeed, Jeremiah was unrelenting in his service to the Lord. In serving the Lord, persecutions are bound to come our way. We may complain, like Jeremiah, but they will not let off. When the Lord takes us through persecutions, He provides enough grace to go through them. Instead of complaining, we should rest on His grace to come forth as overcomers. LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: 1.           To examine the persecutions that Jeremiah faced. 2.           To know...

CENTRAL THOUGHT There is no amount of religious camouflage that can make up for sin and unfaithfulness to the Lord. HYMN: WHEN ALL THY MERCIES, O MY GOD TEXT: Jeremiah 2:4-13, 7:1-15 INTRODUCTION In this second part of the lessons on the book of Jeremiah, we observe the unfolding of the ministry of Jeremiah to the nation of Judah. For about 40 years, Jeremiah served as God’s spokesperson to the kings and people of Judah (Southern Kingdom) during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. As alluded in the first lesson the task was not a mean one, but was characterized by opposition and fierce resistance from the people and kings who had sold their hearts to foreign gods, abomination, wicked and oppressive ways. It was a case of if “the people-would-heed-the-word-of-the- Lord”, then hope and restoration will be theirs from the Lord. It will avert the imminent judgement of God from the Babylonian empire. The response of Judah in the days of Jeremiah to the word of the Lord is very similar to what we observe today. Instead of repentance, there was an increase in sophisticated religious practices; instead of a return to righteous ways, people chose to trust in emblems of religion-the magnificent temple built...

HYMN: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR CENTRAL THOUGHT: No covetous or greedy person shall inherit the kingdom of God. Text: Exo 20:17; Prov 1:10-19 Luke 12:15-30 Introduction: Covetousness and greed have remained serious challenges over time. These two vices have manifested in the lives of both the rich and the poor, the high and the low. David the king prayed to God to keep his hear from covetousness, Ps 119:36. Many believers manifest covetousness and greed under the guise of claiming whatsoever they desire by faith. The word “desire is noted to be common in the definitions of covetousness and greed. As children of God, we must always check our desires and ourselves and be sure that these desires are those that will be pleasing to God and that they are in line with the will of God for our lives. Many Christians measure their level of spirituality by how affluent they are and so they go to any length to acquire material things just because they want to be like others. The word of God admonishes us that the life of a man does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses, Luke 12:15. We must daily look up to God as His dear children to...