Church Construction 2013

May 2013 - Planting the Garden

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The Rich Young Ruler, 2/29 – 3/5, 2016

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The Rich Young Ruler     Memory Verse: Luke 9:23 – “And He said to them all, if any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Lay treasures in heaven.  Matthew 6:19-24 Tuesday: Seek God first.  Matthew 6:25-34 Wednesday: The great commandment.  Matthew 22:36-40 Thursday: Beware of covetousness.  Luke 12:13-21 Friday: Godliness with contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 Saturday: The love of money.  1 Timothy...

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The Rich Young Ruler, February 28, 2016

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The Rich Young Ruler     Central Thought: We should be willing to give up everything for God.   Hymn: Take my life and let it be Text: Mark 10:17-31     The encounter of the Lord Jesus with the right young ruler presents an opportunity for teaching on what should be our attitude toward riches. The encounter can be regarded as one of the most challenging account of the gospel and has raised several questions in the encounter itself and the reactions of the disciples.  This study aims at examining some of these questions and our Lord’s replies to them, with the view to correcting wrong assumptions believers may be making on this issue.   Lesson Objectives: To identify who is this rich young ruler. To consider the genuineness of his inquiry. To discuss the importance of Jesus’ command to him. To understand what one should do to inherit eternal life. To find out why he refused to follow Jesus. To understand if it is evil to be rich. Who is this rich young ruler? Mark 10:19-20 The name or tribe of this young man is not mentioned, but from the ways he is introduced, he is one of the leaders of his time. He was morally upright and very humble from what we can see in his approach our Lord Jesus. He laid aside his position and ran to Jesus. He came openly and was not ashamed to be seen by the great company that was with Jesus. He kneeled to Him as a sign of great respect he had for Him. He addressed Him as Good Master Do you consider His inquiry genuine? The rich young ruler was genuine in his inquiry because he wanted to be sure he would get eternal life. Unfortunately, he made wrong assumptions about salvation and eternal life.  He said he had never broken any of the laws Jesus mentioned, as such was confident of inheriting eternal life.  However, Jesus lovingly broke his pride and self-righteousness with a challenge that he could not handle.   What is the importance of Jesus’ command to him? Jesus’ command to the rich young ruler to sell whatever he had and give to the poor was too hard for him to handle. The young ruler trusted in his riches. His earthly possessions represented his pride of accomplishment and self-effort and so he would not let it go for the heavenly treasure which he was not probably sure existed. This singular attitude the young man exhibited in reaction to the Lord’s command brings to doubt his claim to have kept all the laws. He could not keep the first commandment of letting nothing be more important than God.  Thus he could not meet the one requirement Jesus gave him. Note: What is that one thing in your life that you need to let go for Jesus to become not only your Savior but also the Lord of your life?  Similarly, there should be nothing in our lives that we cannot let go for Jesus, in order for Him to be not only our Savior but also our Lord.   What should one do to inherit eternal life? John 3:1-6; Acts 16:30-31 The encounter between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:16 clearly tells us one...

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Daniel – A Devoted Statesman, 2/22 – 2/27, 2016

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Daniel – A Devoted Statesman, 2/22 – 2/27, 2016

Daniel – A Devoted Statesman   Memory Verse: Romans 12:11 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: The righteous flourishes.  Psalm 1:1-6 Tuesday: Set your affections on God.  Colossians 3:1-10 Wednesday: The Lord cares for His own.  Philippians 4:4-7 Thursday: Glory in the Lord.  2 Corinthians 5:9-15 Friday: Do not get yoked with unbelievers.  2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Saturday: The blessed of God shall flourish.  Psalm...

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Daniel – A Devoted Statesman, February 21, 2016

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Daniel – A Devoted Statesman, February 21, 2016

Daniel – A Devoted Statesman     Central Thought: We can live for God wherever we find ourselves.   Hymn: Stand up, Stand up for Jesus Text: Daniel 6 & 7 (Reading Text: Daniel 6:1-28)     Living for God is a must for all who are obedient to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always available to guide a child of God through any position or height that one climbs.  Christian leaders should never forget who they are in the midst of many ungodly comrades.  The scripture says that Christians are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, Matthew 5:13-16.  It is important that we maintain our integrity as children and ambassadors of a holy and true God.   It is in this strive to stand for truth and righteousness that the enemy, Satan, tries to fault the effort of man.  Daniel at the point of no compromise decided that the “vegetables” were more nourishing than the king’s meat and therefore called the king’s meat a defilement.  He also chose to obey the Lord than to cease worshiping God.  The leaders of the land could find no other way to accuse him other than faulting his obedience to God, Daniel 6:4-5.  Many leaders today forget who they are when they climb to positions of authority.  Rather than shining for Christ, they allow the darkness to overshadow them.  The light should shine in darkness and darkness should not overshadow it. Believers should not hesitate to declare their identity with Christ and to confess the nature and pattern of life we are made for. This will go a long way to save us from the ungodly demand of the world.  There has to be a personal commitment to God no matter the heights we have reached.   Lesson Objectives: To understand that living for God involves self-denial. To emphasize that God rewards faithfulness. To appreciate the fact that God’s word can be applied in all situations. To appreciate that God vindicates His children.   Why was Daniel preferred above all the presidents and prices? Daniel, although in a strange land, allowed his light to shine as a believer in God. He did not hide his identity.  The Bible records that he was a man of integrity.  It should be recalled that Dairus who had just conquered Babylon could have imprisoned Daniel since he served in the government that was conquered.  On the contrary, he was promoted.  Daniel left the trail of God in his activities in the kingdom.  No wonder the Bible says that God will make our enemies to be at peace with us if our ways please Him, Proverbs 16:7.  He was a man with an excellent spirit. We have been chosen of God to show forth His praise, 1 Peter 2:9. We are Christ’s ambassadors here on earth as Christians, 2 Corinthians 5:20.  It is very regrettable today that some of us have often misrepresented heaven.  The name of God is blasphemed when we live dishonorable lives.  Daniel in his day proved himself a worthy ambassador. Joseph was another true ambassador in his day. He was guided by the fear of the Lord.  He had the opportunity to commit adultery with his master’s wife without any body knowing but he was very conscious...

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Occupy Till I Come, 2/15 – 2/20, 2016

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Occupy Till I Come, 2/15 – 2/20, 2016

Occupy Till I Come   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 Com, February 14, 2016

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Occupy Till I Com, February 14, 2016

Occupy Till I Come     Central Thought: As we await the Lord’s return, we should use our God-given gift/talents to His glory.   Hymn: Must I go – and empty handed? Text: Luke 19:11-27     The believers in Christ, as pilgrims in the 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: To understand what it means to occupy till He comes. To understand the various areas a Christian can be occupied in. 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. 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 in Luke 19 shows 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 will ask each of us to account for what we did with His gifts.  While awaiting the LORD’S return, we must to God’s work.   Identify and discuss some of the areas open for the Christian to occupy as we await our Lord’s return. 1 Corinthians 13:13-14 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.  Read Ephesians 5:22, 6:3. In the Church:  The Church as ground and pillar of the truth, is God’s platform for the 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...

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Be Careful for Nothing, 2/8 – 2/13, 2016

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Be Careful for Nothing, 2/8 – 2/13, 2016

Be Careful for Nothing     Memory Verse: Philippians 4:6 – “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Why should we not worry? Matthew 6:25-32 Tuesday: A consequence of anxiety. Proverbs 12:25 Wednesday: Antidote for anxiety. Proverbs 3:5-8 Thursday: Be careful for nothing. Philippians 4:6-8 Friday: Live one day at a time. Matthew 6:33-34; 1 Peter 5:7 Saturday: Live a life of thanksgiving.  Luke...

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Be Careful for Nothing, February 7, 2016

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Be Careful for Nothing, February 7, 2016

Be Careful for Nothing     Central Thought: The LORD cares: cast your cares on Him.   Hymn: What a friend we have in Jesus Text: Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:25-34, Proverbs 3:5-8     Worry, feeling uneasy or troubled, plagues multitudes of people in our world today. It’s human nature to be concerned about the bad situations in our world and in our personal lives, but if we’re not on the watch, the devil will cause us to worry beyond what’s reasonable.  When we feel that things are out of our control and we are worrying, we need to know that we have the GOD that cares. We should understand that worrying never helps a situation get better. Worrying sends a message to ourselves and those around us that we are helpless and have nowhere to turn.  However, as a Christian, we believe that God has everything under His control.  Since He does, and we really believe that, when we have nothing to worry about.  We only need to trust that God will take care of everything according to His plan.   Lesson Objectives: To understand what it means to ‘be careful for nothing’. To know what the natural man troubles himself about and why God enjoins us to ‘be careful for nothing’. To learn the consequences of anxiety and what it does to believers in Christ Jesus. To proffer some solutions from a biblical view on how to overcome anxiety. What do you understand by the expression ‘be careful for nothing? It means not to be anxious for anything. Or rephrasing this according to the text is not to be troubled with cares.  When we are born into God’s kingdom, we have the assurance that God cares for our needs and God has a plan for us.  The Bible says that God fashioned the days for me before I was born, Jeremiah 1:5.  When I surrender to Christ, that surrender includes giving God the control of my life and letting Him lead me into the life He has fashioned for me.  Therefore, I should not trouble myself over the cares of this world. It also means not to worry about anything in life or be disturbed or troubled with life’s challenges. Worrying or anxiety, tears the individual apart. The result is that the individual lives with tension; cannot sleep and cannot enjoy the present moment.   What is the attitude of the natural man to the issues of life? Matthew 6:25-34 The natural man troubles himself/herself about life’s issues: what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, because he does not trust in God’s care. Worry is a refusal of God’s love to man, it is refusing Him and carrying the burden we do not need to bear.  So don’t worry, be hopeful and trust in Him. Rather than worry about thins, let us commit everything to God in prayer.   Why are we enjoined not to worry? When speaking to His disciples, the Lord Jesus gave us three reasons form Matthew 6:25-32, to why we should not worry. First, He says that we should not worry because of who we are. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. ...

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Tenets of the Christian Faith, Part 2, 2/1 – 2/6, 2016

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Tenets of the Christian Faith, Part 2, 2/1 – 2/6, 2016

Tenets of the Christian Faith, Part 2   Memory Verse: Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: for He is faithful that promised.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Teach me good judgement and knowledge. Psalm 119:66 Tuesday: Looking for the blessed hope. Titus 2:13 Wednesday: Jesus is God. John 1:1 Thursday: Avoid ‘another gospel’. Galatians 1:8-9 Friday: Jesus is our advocate. 1 John 2:1-2 Saturday: Jesus Christ is coming again.  Acts...

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Tenets of the Christian Faith, Part 2, January 31, 2016

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Tenets of the Christian Faith, Part 2, January 31, 2016

Tenets of the Christian Faith, Part 2     Central Thought: The articles of the Christian faith are simple, scriptural and apply for all ages.   Hymn: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less. Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 14-17; Jude 3-4   In the first part of this study, we stated that tenets are principles, beliefs or doctrines generally held to be true and accepted by members of an organization. A Christian is someone who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and whose life is based on the Bible as an inspired Scripture that regulates the activities of mankind.  The Christian belief-system is made up of provisions that are Bible based and by which a Christian is properly instructed and guided in his quest to please God. In summary, the last study presented the tenets of our faith to include the supremacy of God (Jehovah), belief in the God head (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), the deity of Christ, new birth experience, salvation by grace, the gospel message, the death and resurrection of Christ, righteousness and holy living, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, existence of Heaven and hell, the second coming of Christ and the final judgement. We concluded that these truths were irrepressible and indestructible, and should be known and upheld by all believers. In this concluding part we shall examine the implications and consequences of upholding the tenets of our faith in this present life.   Lesson Objectives: To explain how believers can uphold the tenets of the Christian faith. To identify threats to the tenets of our faith. To list the consequences of not upholding the tenets of our faith. To list the benefits in knowing and upholding the tenets of the Christian faith. How do we as believers uphold the tenets of the Christian faith? Psalm 1:1-2: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17; 1 John 4:1; Hebrews 10:25; Mark 16:15 There are basic habits and attitudes of our faith. One of such is the regular study of the word of God in private and during fellowship meetings.  His word is empowered to illuminate and provide direction; it is also to build us up in all truth regarding our faith.  No believer should be passive in the study of God’s word.  We should be actively involved in both learning and the dissemination of what we have learned. The next is the importance of fellowship, Proverbs 27:17. When believers gather for the purpose of worship, the presence of God comes with His power to minister to the diverse need of His people.  In fellowship we learn the tenets of faith and we are blessed when we share positive experiences of God’s mercies. The role of prayer is important. The enemy of the church is Satan who prowls about, seeking whom to devour.  This underscores the need for vigilance and prayers.  The admonition in Scripture is “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you”, James 4:7.  The believer must also be very discerning.  We are to judge every spirit and manifestation to confirm if it is of God.  This is because Satan is known for camouflage in godly matters with the intent to deceive.  A child of God should be wary of strange propositions and should even examine the...

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