Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 1 Timothy 5:3-4 We have been studying the book of First Timothy now for a few weeks. We have learned about the need for the correct doctrine, proper attitudes, and a good reputation. In Chapters 5 and 6, we will learn about the right relationships. Paul refers to the church body as a family in…
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A Look At Shepherds: Part 2
. I am the Good Shepherd. John 10:11 Read Ezekiel 34:1-23. The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not…
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A Look At Shepherds: Part 1
I am the Good Shepherd. John 10:11 Read Genesis 4:1-9. Who was the first shepherd mentioned? What word described the animals Abel brought to sacrifice to the Lord in verse 4? Why did God prefer Abel’s sacrifice here in Genesis? Read 2 Samuel 24:24. We need to remember the type of sacrifice that we are bringing to the Lord. Let’s jump to Hebrews 11. Here we learn more about the brothers’ sacrifices. In verse 4, who was mentioned first? Why was his sacrifice acceptable, according to this passage? It was his faith. Abel brought the best part of his animal to the Lord. He did this out of faith. We…
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Sheep Gate
Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. John 10:7 Read John 10:1-10. Jesus makes another I AM statement. In the first verse, Jesus is warning the crowd that there is only one way to God the Father, and that is through him. How does His tone sound to you? Is it firm, angry, aloof? Whatever his tone is, He is making a point by how he is talking of the thief and the bandit. Let’s dig a little deeper into the sheep and shepherds of this time frame. In John 10, the setting is a little Jewish village. Most families own sheep. They would come…
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Our Good Shepherd
I am the good shepherd. John 10:11 Do you know that sheep are mentioned in the Bible 300 times? Sheep are so cute. I grew up around sheep. The only thing I remember is bottle feeding the bum lambs. However, here are some facts about sheep! Sheep are defenseless animals. Sheep are prone to go astray. Sheep have poor eyesight. Sheep tend to follow other sheep without thinking. Sheep are stubborn Sheep are helpless. Do you wonder why we are referred to as sheep? Let’s read Luke 15. In this passage, Jesus is talking about a lost sheep. Let’s take some time and really focus on Luke 15:1-7. Now the…