Church Construction 2013

May 2013 - Planting the Garden

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FRUITFULNESS, October 27th, 2019

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FRUITFULNESS, October 27th, 2019

CENTRAL THOUGHT Fruitfulness is an evidence of true discipleship or sonship.     Text: John 15:1-17, Colossians 1:10   Introduction: Anyone who invests in a business, whether it be farming, trading or education does so for the purpose of getting a return for an investment. That return which usually comes by way of profit is indicative of fruitfulness. Any investor who does not get the expected return for his/her investment does not continue such venture because it was not profiting. God has invested in us as His children and as such, expects us to be fruitful for Him. As long as we remain in Him like the branches are to the stem, we will never have difficulties in bearing fruits. In this study we shall be considering how we can bear fruits and the types of fruits we are to bear.       LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand what is fruitfulness To understand the conditions for fruit bearing To identify the type of fruit we are expected to bear To identify the dangers of not bearing fruit To know the benefits of bearing fruit     Q1. WHAT IS FRUITFULNESS? Simply put, fruitfulness is bearing fruits. It is reproduction of one’s kind. If a farmer plants yam in his farm, he expects to get another yam of the species he planted at a particular period. The yam he expects at the appropriate time is most often bigger than the one he planted all things being equal. So, fruitfulness is the ability to reproduce after one’s kind or ability to increase in number.   Q2. WHAT IS THE CONDITION FOR FRUIT BEARING? John 15:7-10, 15 John 15:7 gives us the condition we must fulfill in order to be fruitful. The condition is that we must abide in the Lord who is the true vine. Naturally, any branch that remains in the vine has no difficulty bearing fruits because it receives all the nutrient it needs to be productive. But once the branch is severed from the vine, it ceases to produce and dries up. In the same way, we will be fruitful as long as we remain in the Lord (and His spirit remains in us) as His disciples. It means therefore that the only requirement for us to bear fruit is to stay attached firmly to the Lord as the branch is to the vine.   Q3. WHAT TYPE OF FRUIT ARE WE EXPECTED TO BEAR? Galatians 5:22, 23 The statement of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:15-21 makes it clear that we have two kinds of trees, the good tree and the bad tree. This also implies that there are basically two kinds of fruit, the good fruit and the bad fruit from the bad tree. The Christian who is the good tree is expected by God to bear good fruit. In Galatians 5:22-23, we read “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”. Note how these nine qualities are referred to as fruit and not fruits. It means therefore that as Christians, we must produce these character traits which are found in the nature of Christ. If any of these is missing from the fruit we bear,...

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OCCUPY TILL I COME, OCT 21st – 26th, 2019

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OCCUPY TILL I COME, OCT 21st – 26th, 2019

  Memory Verse: Romans 12:11 – “Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord”     Daily Devotional Guide Monday: Advance the Kingdom of God. Mark 16:15-16   Tuesday: Do your duty in the home. Ephesians 5:22, 6:1-9   Wednesday: Do your part in the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27   Thursday: Hindrances to occupying. 1 John 2:15-16   Friday: Consequences of not occupying. Luke 19:20-24, Revelation 2:4-5   Saturday: Rewards for being obedient. Matthew 25:21-23, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, John...

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OCCUPY TILL I COME, OCT 20Th, 2019

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OCCUPY TILL I COME, OCT 20Th, 2019

CENTRAL THOUGHT As we await the Lord’s return, we should use our God-given gift/talents to His glory.   Text Luke 19:11-27   Introduction: The believers in Christ, as pilgrims in this world are enjoined by the Master to live as ambassadors of the kingdom of God in all spheres of life. This implies that every believer should use his or her gifts/talents in its fullness, knowing that one day he/she will render account of stewardship to the Master.       LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To know what it means to occupy To understand the various ways a Christian can be occupied To know some of the things that could hinder a believer from occupying To examine the consequences of not occupying To appreciate the benefits of occupying       Bible Truth   Q1. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE PHRASE “OCCUPY TILL I COME”? Luke 19:13 “Occupy till I come” means doing God’s business, working hard, being diligent, serving others, sharing the blessing He has given us with others, witnessing to our neighbors, telling them about Him and making disciples of others until He comes. He wants us to be living epistles read by all men until He comes. This story showed Jesus’ followers what they were to do during the time between Jesus’ departure and His return. Because we live in that time period, it applies directly to us. We have been given excellent resources to build and expand God’s kingdom. The Lord Jesus expects us to use these talents so that they multiply and the kingdom grows. He asks each of us to account for what we do with His gifts. While awaiting the Lord’s return, we must do God’s work.   Q2. IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS SOME OF THE AREAS OPEN FOR THE CHRISTIAN TO OCCUPY AS WE AWAIT OUR LORD’S RETURN.  1 Corinthians 3:13-14 The believer must use the God-given gifts and talents for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry and for the edification of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12). There are various areas open to the Christian to occupy until the Lord returns; they include: -In the home In the home, every member of the family has one responsibility or the other given by God. When we accept God’s responsibility and obey His commandments, we are occupying in our homes until the Lord’s return. That is husband/father, wife/mother, children and house help, should live in the home playing their roles according to God’s instructions in His word. (Ephesians 5:22-26, 29). -In the Church The Church is a ground and pillar of the truth, it is God’s platform for propagation of His kingdom on earth. God is reaching the whole world today through His body the Church, to which we belong. It is therefore the responsibility of believers collectively and believers individually to advance the kingdom of God (Mark 16:15-16). Believers have the responsibility to preach the gospel in and out of season. It is not enough to have one’s name on the Church register. That is not why God has called us. God has called us to be instruments in His hand to depopulate the kingdom of darkness, to populate the kingdom of light and of His dear son, Jesus Christ. This is...

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THE WISE BUILDER, OCT 14TH – 19, 2019

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THE WISE BUILDER, OCT 14TH – 19, 2019

  Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”.     Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Characteristics of the Wise Builder. Matthew 7:24-25   Tuesday: Characteristics of the Foolish Builder. Matthew 7:26-27   Wednesday: Materials to build with. 1 Corinthians 3:12a   Thursday: Materials not to build with. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15   Friday: Every work will be tried and rewarded. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15   Saturday: Christ the True and Solid Foundation. Isaiah 28:16, 1 Corinthians...

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THE WISE BUILDER, OCT 13TH, 2019

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THE WISE BUILDER, OCT 13TH, 2019

  CENTRAL THOUGHT The one who hears and obeys God’s word builds his faith on the solid foundation.   Text: Matthew 7:24-29, 1 Corinthians 3:9-15   Introduction: The word “build” is defined in many ways in the English language dictionary. One of such definition’s states “to develop and give form to, according to a definite plan or process; to fashion, mold, create”. Therefore, building as used in the context of our scriptural text has to do with a conscious effort to put materials together (blocks, cement, roads etc.) to erect a structure (ex. A house) that can withstand all forms of environmental stress. An important aspect of building a house Is the foundation upon which the materials being used for the building are laid. The believer is involved in building his or her life for God on a daily basis. Our lives must be built on the foundation of obedience to His word. Hence, in the text for this lesson, the LORD compares the believer who listens to and obeys HIS word to the man who built his house upon a rock and when the floods came beating upon the house, the building stood firm. When our lives are built upon the solid foundation of obedience to God’s word (not just confessing it), we will be able to face life, live right and overcome trying times victoriously.       LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this lesson are to know, understand, consider and appreciate: The various materials individuals build upon. Who a wise or foolish builder is. What rain, flood and wind represent in the lesson context. The consequences of building foolishly. The benefits of building wisely.       Bible truth: Q1. IDENTIFY THE VARIOUS MATERIALS INDIVIDUALS ARE BUILDING UPON. (Matthew 7:24-27, 1 Corinthians 3:12). 1 Corinthians 3:12 gives a description of some materials typifying the foundation upon which individuals build their lives: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. Gold, silver and precious stones typify or represent a life built upon the solid foundation of holiness, yieldedness and obedience to God’s word. One the other hand, wood, hay, and stubble typify or represent a life built or being built upon the shallow foundation of loose living; a life devoted to the flesh with an attitude of “it doesn’t matter”. The believer’s works are compared to these materials: some become more pure in the fire while some are completely burnt by the fire. “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:13). If a man’s works are “gold, silver, and precious stones”, they will abide the fire and he will receive a reward for his works. However, if they are made up of wood, hay, and stubble, his works will be burned up, yet he himself will be saved from the loss of his soul (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).   Q2A. WHO IS A WISE BUILDER AND WHAT DOES HE BUILD UPON? In our lesson text, the wise builder is the man who built his house upon a rock. The house was given a solid foundation and whatever was laid upon it thereafter stood firm and withstood the stress of environmental hazards, such...

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THE POWER OF APPRECIATION, October 7th – 12th, 2019

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THE POWER OF APPRECIATION, October 7th – 12th, 2019

  Memory Verse: Psalm 103:2 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits”.     Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Giving, leads to receiving much more. Luke 6:38   Tuesday: Appreciate worthily. Malachi 1:8, 14   Wednesday: Always give thanks. Ephesians 5:20   Thursday: Testify of God’s goodness. Psalm 105:1-7   Friday: Remember God’s responses. Psalm 77:1-14   Saturday: Appreciate one another. Philippians...

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THE POWER OF APPRECIATION, October 6th, 2019

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THE POWER OF APPRECIATION, October 6th, 2019

  CENTRAL THOUGHT Gratitude expressed from the heart produces joy and attracts more blessings.   Text: Luke 17:11-19, Mark 14:3-9   Introduction: Our Lord Jesus Christ commended the only man who came back to give thanks to Him for cleansing him of leprosy out of the ten that were healed of the same ailment. According to Matthew Henry’s commentary “The rest were made whole by the power of Christ, in compassion to their distress, and in answer to their prayer: but he was made whole by his faith, by which Christ saw him distinguished from the rest. …Temporal mercies are then doubled and sweetened to us when they are ferried in by the prayers of faith, and returned by the praise of faith”. We are today living in a world where many humans are very selfish and self-centered. It is a part of the signs of the end time to fail to appreciate the good done to us for any reason. The fact remains that Christ as our example appreciated Peter for allowing Him the use of his boat to preach, by making him to catch “a great multitude of fishes” after an earlier fruitless effort. Part of the Lord’s reasons for this could be to teach the lesson of appreciation as well as compensate them for their sacrifice of love to Him. A local adage has it that “if appreciation is given to the worker, his cutlass becomes sharper”. Others have it that “if thanks are given to a person for freely offering part of his chicken for food, he is encouraged and would be most desirous to share out of his goat-meat at his nearest opportune time”. Appreciation has the positive power to effect goodness by way of influencing the giver to do more. In other words, appreciation empowers the benefactor to be more helpful and enables the beneficiary to be better enriched. It should be pointed out also that the benefactor also receives from God for his giving in the final analysis.       LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand the power of appreciation To know what it means to appreciate To know why we should appreciate To show the consequences of not appreciating To understand the benefits of appreciation       Q1. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY “POWER OF APPRECIATION”? By power we mean energy of strength, opportunity, capability, potency, influence, or ability of the body or mind to act or do something. Appreciation means to express or show happiness, thankfulness, or gratitude with the words of our mouth, gesture, favorable reaction or parting with our material substance, belonging etc. to somebody or authority who did us good, or favor or extended grace and forgiveness to us. Power of appreciation therefore, is the capability of our expression, out of a heart full of gratitude to induce, or cause, produce or generate more atmosphere for future benefits as a result of the previous done to us. Thus, power of appreciation does not only make both parties to be happy but invokes more love between them. It is that zeal to do more good to someone who expresses satisfaction over our help or goodness to him.   Q2. WHO SHOULD SHOW APPRECIATION AND TO WHOM? Gratitude should be expressed from our...

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PROMOTED BY GOD, 9/30 – 10/5, 2019

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PROMOTED BY GOD, 9/30 – 10/5, 2019

Memory Verse: Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister”.     Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Daniel promoted. Daniel 2:46-49   Tuesday: Promotion comes from God. Psalm 75:5-7   Wednesday: Promotion reward of good service. Esther 2:21-31   Thursday: Example of Christ to Christians. Philippians 2:5-11   Friday: Smallest services will be rewarded. Matthew 10:40-42   Saturday: Blessedness results from abiding. John 15:4-7...

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PROMOTED BY GOD, September 29th, 2019

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PROMOTED BY GOD, September 29th, 2019

CENTRAL THOUGHT God promotes believers who follow Him with their whole heart.   Text: Daniel 1 and 2; Daniel 1:8-21   Introduction: Promotion is the elevation or movement from one position or rank to a better or higher one. Nothing can be more frustrating than to remain on the position for a long time without any hope of being advanced. The prospect or hope that one will get promoted one day serves as an incentive to hard work, dedication and commitment. A recent promotion usually encourages the person promoted to increase his or her productivity with another promotion in view. Ordinarily, promotion is the reward of sacrifice, commitment, hard work, and conformity to the rules and regulations of the employee. In summary, a person is promoted when he satisfies his employer. It is interesting to see how people scramble and hustle in order to get promoted. Some people do all manner of indecent things, including trying to curry the favor of the people that matter. Promotion is desirable both in the secular and spiritual spheres. In fact, God does not desire that His child remain stagnant. God desires His people to be promoted. That being the case, God’s children should look up to God for promotion, since promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West, but from God. God looks for certain qualities and attitudes in His children before He elevates them. In our lesson today, we study God’s type and purpose of promotion.     LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand a Godly promotion. To understand God’s purpose of promotion. To understand God’s criteria for elevating His children. To encourage Christians to rely on god for promotion.     Q1. WHAT IS GODLY PROMOTION? Daniel was among the captives brought into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. He was excellent and fine to look at which made him to look at which made him to be chosen to eat of the king’s meat and drink of his wine. However, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). He lived a simple godly life as he fed on pulse and God gave him and his companions “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom and other blessings (v. 17, 20, 21). Daniel exhibited a prayerful life. When he heard that they were commanded to be put to death for not knowing and interpreting the king’s dream, he went to his companions again and they went into prayers. “Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:19). Daniel gave God the glory by not claiming to have known the dream and its interpretation but honored God’s Omniscience. “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days” (Daniel 2:28). Daniel acknowledged that “this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living (Daniel 2:30). How often Christians today arrogate to themselves honor and praises due unto God. The result...

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PERSECUTION, 9/23 – 9/28, 2019

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PERSECUTION, 9/23 – 9/28, 2019

Memory verse Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake”.     Daily Devotional guide Monday: Insulted because of Christ. 1 Peter 4:12-19   Tuesday: The early Church persecuted Acts 5:17-41   Wednesday: Reasons for persecution Acts 6:8-15; 7:51-60   Thursday: The Church scattered by persecution but not extinguished Acts 8:1-40   Friday: Persecution proves we do not belong here Hebrews 11:35-40   Saturday: When we are persecuted, they persecute the...

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