CENTRAL THOUGHT Christians are to be spiritually alert and not asleep. HYMN: Christian, Seek Not Yet Repose TEXT: Eph. 5:11-15; Rev. 3:1-3; 1 Thess. 5:4-9 INRODUCTION The word ‘slumber’ is defined by the Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary to mean; sleep, time when somebody is asleep, to sleep is the natural state of rest in which one’s eyes are closed, and the body is not active and as well as the mind not being conscious. Rest in the form of sleep is good for the natural body. But spiritual slumber is a state of inactivity or dormancy in spiritual things. Believers that are not spiritually alert and have lost thought of the Lord’s return an be regarded as being in a state of sleep. Slumber or sleep is used as a metaphor for spiritual lethargy. Like sleep, a believer who slumbers is unconscious and can not face spiritual realities. A person who is asleep spiritually is indifferent, inactive and not sensitive to spiritual things while conforming to this world. The world is full of darkness and sin. This could be described sadly as the spiritual state of some believers. There is a wake-up call for the believer to be awake and alert. Paul’s admonition that we should not sleep is based...
Learn MoreCENTRAL THOUGHT God’s presence creates awe and brings with it joy, comfort and security to the believer. HYMN: IN HIS PRESENCE THERE IS JOY TEXT: 1 Chron. 16:27-33; Psalms 139:7-13 INTRODUCTION God’s presence is sheer delight to every believer; it is in sharp contrast to the violence, greed, wickedness, pain, suffering, and insecurity that are all about us. The comfort and guidance that come with God’s presence have been the experience of many notable individuals in the Bible and of our contemporary world. For Moses, it gave rise to a radiance that beamed from his face after he had spent time in the presence of the Lord on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29- 32), and when, because of the sin of Israel, God’s presence was to be replaced with that of an Angel, Moses was most displeased, Exodus 33. The Psalms reflect a man who had been in the presence of the Lord. These experiences show that God’s presence is not environment based, but comes from a walk with Him. The Lord’s presence is a delight to those who have committed their lives to Christ. Besides the comfort and security that the presence of the Lord gives believers, the consciousness of His presence steadies one’s walk with the Lord in...
Learn MoreCENTRAL THOUGHT Fellowship with God is matured by spending time with Him. HYMN: OH, FOR A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD TEXT: Gen. 19:27; Luke 6:12-13, 11:1-4, Psalm 63:1-6 INTRODUCTION God wants to speak to us about the plan He has for our lives. His plan is a good one, but we are in danger of missing it if we don’t learn how to listen to and obey God’s voice. If we want to be led into victory by the Spirit of God, then we have to be willing to change our lifestyle as God speaks to us. The first change we may encounter is the need to create an atmosphere that is conductive to hearing from God. By this, we mean the environment, or predominant mood that surrounds us. Atmosphere is created by attitudes, and certain attitudes enhance or hinder our relationship with God. To enjoy the fulness of God’s presence we must consistently maintain an atmosphere conductive to seeking Him, honoring Him and being faithful and obedient to Him. Christians over the years have learned that certain disciplines and practices help them keep the spiritual channels open and keep the heart tuned toward God. These disciplines can’t save you; they can’t even make you a holy person. But...
Learn MoreCENTRAL THOUGHT A prayerful Christian life assures victorious living. HYMN: CHRISTIAN, SEEK NOT YET REPOSE TEXT: Eph 6:18; Luke 6:12; Mark 1:35; Phil 4:6-7 INTRODUCTION: Prayer is the act of communicating with God. It is a very important aspect of every Christian’s life. Without prayer, the believer cannot live a successful Christian life here on earth. There are limitless opportunities open to a prayerful Christian. Prayer is what connects the believer to the Almighty God. Through prayer, we commune with God in order to deepen our intimacy and relationship with Him. Prayer is of utmost importance to our spiritual existence just as breathing is necessary to our physical existence. As prayerful Christians, we are assured of victorious Christian lives and power for effective Christian service. Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, who is our perfect example, knew the importance of prayer. He started and ended with prayers. Therefore, as His followers, we must follow in His steps, 1 Peter 2:21b. LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: 1.) To identify who is a prayerful Christian. 2.) To explain why a Christian should live a prayerful life. 3.) To know how we are to pray. 4.) To explain how a Christian can be effective in prayer. ...
Learn MoreCENTRAL THOUGHT The events of the last days will indicate nothing but the certainty of Christ return. HYMN: SEEK NOT YET REPOSE TEXT: 2 Timothy 3 and 4 (Reading Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-9) INTRODUCTION: While it is true that the scriptures do not give a definite time period called the last days, it is generally accepted that the last days refer to the time preceding the return of the Lord. A cursory look at the scriptures suggests that the last days constitute of a period between His ascension and return from heaven. The scriptures in the old testament declare “And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons…daughters… before the great and terrible day of the Lords coming” (Joel 2:28-31). This prophesy we find fulfilled first on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16-17). And the Lord God further spoke, years after Jesus had ascended into heavens, “And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast odd the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of...
Learn MoreCENTRAL THOUGHT Being faithful guarantees us a place of service to God and humanity. HYMN: MORE ABOUT JESUS, WOULD I KNOW TEXT: Matt 24:45-51 INTRODUCTION Faithfulness is a disposition and virtue that should be evident in the life of every believer. It suggests allegiance to duty or a course or a person; it connotes steadfastness, conscientiousness, commitment, dedication, loyalty, and devotion. In other words, it refers to a disposition of being trustworthy, reliable, dependable, truthful and consistent with the truth no matter the consequences. Faithfulness happens to be one of the attributes of God. It is a character of God that galvanizes confidence in the hearts of every believer. Because of these attributes of God, the believer can stand firmly on his promises of salvation, deliverance, healing, protection, provisions, guidance, etc. The believer knows that from generation to generation, the Lord remains the same and what he did then, he can do again. Being children of God, we are expected to be like our father who is faithful. We are expected to be covenant keepers and the people whose word can be trusted. The faithfulness of the believer should be seen in the business dealings, in his relationships, in his workplace, in his school, and with whomever...
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