Church Construction 2013

May 2013 - Planting the Garden

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Children As God’s Heritage, 11/17 – 11/22, 2014

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Children As God’s Heritage     Memory Verse: Psalm 127:3 – “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD and the fruit of the womb is His reward.”     Daily Devotional Guide: Monday:  Christ recognizes children.  Matthew 18:1-6 Tuesday:  Children are gifts from God.  Psalm 127:3; Genesis 33:5 Wednesday:  It is the parents’ responsibility to train children. Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:7-9 Thursday:  Parents shall give account for their children.  Jeremiah 12:7-11 Friday:  A wise son makes a glad father.  Proverbs 10:1, 15:20 Saturday:  Children’s responsibility. Ephesians 6:1-6, 1 Peter...

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Children As God’s Heritage, November 16, 2014

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Children As God’s Heritage     Central Thought:  Children are precious jewels in God’s sight.     Text:  Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalm 94:5, 127:3-5; Jeremiah 12:7-11; 1 Peter 5:1-4     God created the earth to the inhabited.  On earth, every living thing created was empowered to reproduce its kind. Man who was created in the image and likeness of God was also blessed with the reproduction of his kind; hence children are God’s heritage.  This will be our focus in this study.   1. What do you understand by the phrase “God’s Heritage”? Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary describes heritage as the history, traditions and qualities that a country or society has had for many years and that are considered an important part of its character.  Heritage also refers to something inherited from the past.  At creation God gave man the ability to multiply, bear fruit, replenish the earth and subdue it, Genesis 1:28.  So the earth is God’s heritage handed over to man in the past.  Children are inclusive among God’s heritage.  They are blessings received from God for obeying marital injunction.   2. From Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalm 33:12; Job 41:11, how is God’s heritage illustrated? From the above Scriptures, it is evident that everything under heaven belongs to God, the people He has chosen and Israel as a nation.  He takes special interest or care of them.  He controls the affairs of their lives through life’s journey on earth as long as they remain obedient to His word.  Therefore, believers should endeavor to let their hearts be perfect with God by walking in His statutes and consistently keep His commandments, 1 Kings 8:61.   3. Discuss our responsibility as leaders and parents towards children as God’s heritage. 1 Peter 5:2-3; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; Acts 20:28; 2 Timothy 4:2: Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:7-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Leaders (spiritual/physical) and parents are expected to live by example, ‘not being lords over God’s heritage’.  They are expected to bring up their children in the fear, nurture and admonition of the Lord; by teaching them both spiritual and moral principles of life.  They should constantly pray for their children so as not to be devoured by the evil of this generation.  It is also expected that they teach, exhort, rebuke, reprove and encourage them when necessary.   4. Highlight the responsibilities of children (God’s heritage) towards the leaders and parents.  Ephesians 6:1-3 To ensure harmonious and healthy living in the society, the children should humbly obey their Godly leaders and parents and pray for them for wisdom and grace to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.   5. Examine the consequences of not carrying out our responsibilities as leaders, parents and children.  Ezekiel 34:1-10; Jeremiah 12:7-11 If leaders/parents fail to carry out their duties towards God’s heritage, they will scatter and become prey to the enemy.  Our society today is an example of failed parental/leaders’ responsibility towards the children and youth.  The society is experiencing insecurity, moral decadence etc.  because of the failure of either the leaders not taking care of children or children not adhering to the teaching of Scripture. Negligence of duty is a punishable offence, so God shall require their blood from the hand of the leaders/parents who failed to train them in His fear, and children who...

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Contentment, 11/10 – 11/15, 2014

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Contentment     Memory Verse: 1 Timothy 6:6 – “But Godliness with contentment is great gain.”     Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: The fruit of complacency.  Deuteronomy 29:19-20 Tuesday: The result of materialism.  Acts 5:1-4 Wednesday: On day at a time.  Matthew 6:25-34 Thursday: Set your affections on things above.  Colossians 3:1-4 Friday: Godliness and contentment. Philippians 4:11-13 Saturday:  Treasures in heaven.  Matthew 6:20-21  ...

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Contentment, November 9, 2014

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Contentment     Central Thought: We must not let the things of this world hinder our relationship with God.     Text: 1 Timothy 6:6-12; Luke 12:18-20; Deuteronomy 8:18     We live in a society that is largely dominated by materialism.  A good number of people are so preoccupied with the pursuit of material things that they have little or no time for spiritual things.  The Scripture is full of the promises of God’s blessings and material provisions for those who fear Him and keep His commandments.  Poverty is the state of being unable to meet the basic needs of life. There are two extremes in the attitudes of many Christians towards wealth – those who think poverty is part of holiness and those who measure their relationship with God by their level of affluence.  Both extremes have no scriptural basis.  Wealth or money has neither the nature of good or evil.  It is our attitude that defines such as good or bad.  Mammon is the compulsive spirit behind wealth that creates insatiable appetites on her victims, making them to assume wrongly that more wealth will always bring more satisfaction and more security. Contentment however is a Godly virtue that should be learned and practiced by all believers.  It is a sign of gratitude to God and an unspoken statement of trust in His ability to provide for us at the appropriate time.     1. What is contentment? Contentment is the state of feeling happy and satisfied with one’s possessions, status or situations.  It is a Godly virtue that is necessary for the expression of true godliness.  It involves being able to moderate and limit oneself in requirements, desires and actions.  By contentment one is able to accommodate himself in his present condition, while patiently believing God for a better future. The word of God encourages us to be contented for the simple fact that we brought nothing into this world, and we shall take nothing out of it.  This means that we can never be poorer than when we were born into this world, and whatsoever we may now have, we must leave behind too. Contentment is not to surrender to fate of life.  It is to be satisfied and grateful for what our present efforts has yielded, even while trusting God for more.   2. What should be the guiding principle for the Christian while acquiring material possessions? Matthew 6:33; Deuteronomy 8:18 In trying to acquire material possessions, the Christian should be under the moderating influence of the word of God and the Holy Spirit.  This is because there are serious temptations and pitfalls on the path to becoming wealthy.  Lust, greed and covetousness must be promptly identified and dealt with prayerfully.  The desire to please and honor God should be uppermost in our rating scale for every acquisition.  The actual motive should not be pride, rivalry or self-centeredness.  The need for a possession, and the eventual utility it brings to us, our family and the body of Christ should be prayerfully contemplated. The believer must be rest assured in him that it is God that gives power to make wealth.  We must therefore put God first in all our endeavors and we must avoid the easy road of fraud and self-manipulation.  Material prosperity have...

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Christian Virtue: Integrity, 11/3 – 11/8, 2014

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Christian Virtue: Integrity     Memory Verse: Proverbs 11:3 – “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.”     Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: The meaning of integrity.  Psalm 1:1-3; Luke 8:15 Tuesday: What integrity means to a child of God. Hebrews 5:6; 1 Timothy 4:15-16 Wednesday: What integrity means to a child of God.  Matthew 6:1-4 Thursday: The manifestations and attributes of integrity.  Psalm 25:20-21, 26:9-11 Friday: The manifestation and attributes of integrity.  Psalm 27:1-4, 4-7; Proverbs 10:9 Saturday:  The benefits of integrity. 1 Kings 9:4-5; Psalm...

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Christian Virtue: Integrity, November 2, 2014

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Christian Virtue: Integrity   Central Thought: The believer is to maintain Godly principles and character daily.   Text: Genesis 20:5-6; 1 Kings 9:4-5; Job 2:3, 7-10, 27:1-7     The dictionary defines integrity as ‘strict adherence to a code of moral values or other standards, complete sincerity or honesty.  It is the state of being unimpaired; soundness.’ Integrity is keeping your word even when no one checks up on you.  In addition, you have integrity if you keep your promises.  A person of integrity keeps his words, and both his words and actions are attune, i.e. aligned and not far apart. As Christians, we are expected to be persons of integrity, as such, we must stand by and do what we say, we must always be apt and ready to defend our Christian profession and faith.  We must purpose in our heart like Daniel not to be defiled by the pleasures that this world offers.  It is such integrity as displayed by the four Hebrew friends, Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, that will make us not to crack when it means to stand alone. It should not crumble when pressure mounts. Integrity seems to be lost in our present day church and society.  Today’s crave and craze to make it fast and in a big way, is a major factor why the tenets of integrity are eroding by the day.  Today, a lot of people believe that integrity will make its adherents lose out and make less money, lower grades, and climb the ladder of success more slowly.     1. What is the meaning of integrity? Psalm 1:1-3; Luke 8:15: John 5:30 In the dictionary, integrity means an unimpaired condition (i.e. soundness, wholeness), firm adherence to a code of moral values (i.e. being incorruptible or upright).  It includes but is more than being honest and trustworthy.  Integrity comprehends the whole moral character because it has reference to soundness, purity, perfection, etc. Integrity involves living by the word of God, seeking to please God and not men above self.  In the days of Noah, Enoch, Job, Zechariah and Elizabeth, they all had the testimony of being perfect and just before God. Although the word integrity does not occur in the New Testament (KJV), its equivalent include sincerity, pure heart or good conscience towards God and men, Acts 24:16. As believers, God is our standard.  He is the overall judge.  We must strive to please God, walk perfectly before Him and seek to do His will at all times.   2. What is integrity to a child of God?  Hebrews 13:5-6; 1 Timothy 4:15-16; Matthew 6:1-4 Job as a child of God, is a perfect example of integrity, Job 2:3.  God was proud and made boast of Job and this was unknown to him.  God our creator described Job as a perfect and upright man, who feared God and eschewed evil.  A man who upheld his integrity; no better testimony is needed than such great commendation by God; even the reviling from his own wife did not dissuade Job from his integrity.  He was resolute in his mind to uphold his integrity that he declared that until death he would not remove his integrity from him, Job 27:6.  This is what integrity should mean to a child of God.  A...

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In Times Like These, 10/27 – 11/1, 2014

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In Times Like These   Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:4 – “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Human behavior in the last days.  2 Timothy 3:1-8 Tuesday: Warning to the church. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Wednesday: Put on the whole armor of God.  Ephesians 6:10-18 Thursday: Be sober, be vigilant. 1 Peter 5:7-9 Friday: Continue in steadfast faith.  1 Corinthians 15:58 Saturday:  Retain your confidence.  Hebrews...

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In Times Like These, October 26, 2014

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In Times Like These   Central Thought: The believer should guard his salvation more seriously in these last days.     A careful look at the events of our society today will reveal how the devil is mounting pressure on people to lower the standards of morality and holy living.  The eventual goal of all these is to distance humanity from true fellowship with God.  More worrisome is the fact that even the church of today is under pressure, as never before, to compromise the heritage of salvation.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between believers and unbelievers in terms of fruit, character and lifestyle. Satan knows very well that time is running out on him and that the second coming of Christ is closer now than ever before.  Consequently, there is a multiplied effort to bombard the church and the world with all forms of distractions resulting in all forms of ungodliness.  There is so much falsehood, hypocrisy, immorality, wickedness, error and corruption of hearts and minds. These should not be strange, because we have been served adequate notice in the scriptures.  This study shall highlight some of these challenges and the provisions put in place by God to ensure sustainable victory.     1. What are the characteristics of the times we live in today? Matthew 24:4-12, 23-26; Luke 21:25-26; Daniel 12:4 The present time we live in is characterized by certain peculiarities which are induced and reinforced by the kingdom of darkness.  However, we have been forewarned by God through the scriptures to resist being entangled by them.  The following features are very evident today: False spiritual leaders: Today, there are many “messengers of God” without the message of God.  They come in the form of prophets, apostles, teachers and messiahs, but their commission is of the devil.  They are able to perform signs and wonders so as to deceive the gullible, but in real terms, they are surrounded by an air of secrecy, demonic aura, error and deceit.  They attract men to themselves and not to God. Violence, terrorism and wars of international dimensions: Before now, these were concepts found only in distant lands of the earth but today, the violence of armed robbery, kidnapping, hostage-taking, assassinations, militancy, outright rebellion, and international terrorism are right in every neighborhood.  Conflicts over boundaries and resources are on the increase among nations and communities. Natural disasters: Earthquakes, cyclones, flooding, global warming, greenhouse effect and desertification are common headlines in our news-stands.  They are happening at an alarming rate and intensity that creates a sense of insecurity and fear in the land. Persecution of believers, resistance to the truth of the gospel, lukewarmness in the church: All these are common occurrences in our society today, and instances abound around us. Betrayals, lawlessness, deceit and fraud: Incidents of deceit, fraud and betrayal of trust have never been witnessed as it is today.  Advanced fee fraud, electronic scams, unredeemed promises and vows, embezzlements of public funds are common events. Others are: Increase in knowledge by way of advances in technology, exploration of the universe and other scientific breakthroughs. Famine, which is hunger occasioned by drought, infertility of the soil, war, overpopulation or poor planning. Lukewarmness and casualization of the faith of believers, carnality, materialism and worldliness. Concerted efforts at ensuring world...

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The Christian and Politics, 10/20 – 10/25, 2014

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The Christian and Politics     Memory Verse: Proverbs 14:34 – “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Governments are instituted by God.  2 Chronicles 19:6; Romans 13:1-4 Tuesday: God ordains rulers.  1 Samuel 16:1-13 Wednesday: Leaders should lead in righteousness.  2 Samuel 23:3; Psalm 2:10-11; Isaiah 10:1 Thursday: We are to shine always.  Matthew 5:13-16 Friday:  Support your ruler.  Ezra 7:20; 1 Peter 2:13-14 Saturday:  Pray for your rulers.  1 Timothy...

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The Christian and Politics, October 19, 2014

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The Christian and Politics   Central Thought:  Those who serve should desire to lead in righteousness.   Text Romans 13:1-7; Isaiah 9:2-7   Though politics is man’s concept, government, however is God’s idea.  The word “Politics” is conspicuously absent in the Bible.  This perhaps is one reason why the subject has elicited great controversy among Christians.  Some see politics as a dirty game, so dirty that the Christian cannot participate in it without soiling his hands, no matter how hard he tries to keep it clean.  Others however, are of the opinion that Christian’s participation will not only sanitize it, but will also go a long way to purge government of evil in its high places.  The debate goes on and on, sometimes giving room to the most absurd propositions.  This is hardly surprising.  “Politics” is a human attempt to affect the God ordained institution of government. We must not be polarized on this subject.  We can deduce from the Scriptures despite its seeming silence on the subject, God’s mind concerning a Christian’s desire not only to be a good subject but to also influence his society for better by being a good ruler.  If righteousness exalts a nation, Proverbs 14:34, it must come to be through the righteous. We can find the “whole counsel of God” on the issue of governance in the scriptures.   1.  What is politics? The word “Politics” connotes so many things to so many people, depending on their geographical and socio-cultural location in our country. Politics is the art of science of power and government, thus a study of how to govern.  A politician therefore is one who is involved in party politics: that is, he had decided to take a career in politics especially by seeking for an election into the legislative or executive organs of government.  Seen from this perspective, it is a career like any other with its hazards and rewards.  The political party to which a politician belongs to is an organized group of people who believe in one particular method of ruling a country.  In other words politics provide opportunity for people with the same idea on how a country should be ruled to come together and try to influence the government of their country.   2. What is the relationship between Politics and Government? Politics, as already defined, is the art of governance.  Government, which is God’s idea, is the exercise of authority by people He has put in position to govern.  These people are ordained by God as instruments in His hands to bring about justice and peace through their rule, Romans 13:1.  Government therefore is run by men usually politicians who having been accepted by the people on the basis of their idea on how government should be run, have their mandate to govern in line with such ideas.  This is the basic concept of a system of Government known as democracy.  There are however, other forms of government where the politician may or may not be involved.  Leaders are chosen in three principal ways; election, appointment and imposition.   3.  Why did God institute human government?  Romans 13:1-7 Leadership and authority are derived from God.  They are God’s way of ensuring orderliness in His creation.  They are His way of maintaining peace and tranquility in a creation...

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