All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who believe masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they serve them even better because those who benefit from their service are believers and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them. One timothy 6:1-2 Read 1 Timothy 6 Slaves: Why did God want slaves to show respect to their masters? Outsiders evaluate God and the gospel based on Christian behavior. To understand…
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Forsaking Words
“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 Read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. The name Jabez means sorrow. Sorrow means pain, sorrow, or idol. Compare the meanings of sorrow and grieve. Which definitions are similar? This mother named her child Pain or idol. Now let’s learn two things: 1) idols in our lives cause pain, 2) our pain can become our idol. Did this mother make the childbirth of her son an idol? How many of us make past pain our idols? …
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Blessing Others
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 How well do you bless others? The Greek word for spiritual blessing is similar to eulogia. Its definition is praise, laudation, fine speech. Bless, or blessing, comes from the Greek word makarios. However, today we are going to focus on eulogia. Let’s start with God and how much he blesses us. God has used His powerful mouth to call us by name and speak blessings over us. His speaking is action. His speech is the energy released. …
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The Virtuous Woman
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30 The first place that the bible uses the phrase “virtuous woman” is in Ruth. Boaz described Ruth’s reputation this way. It is used again in Proverbs by Solomon. When were you first introduced to the woman of Proverbs 31? How did it make you feel? Do you compare yourself to her, Ladies? Let’s read Proverbs 1: 2-4. What is the purpose of the book of Proverbs? How do we access what it has to offer? It is to give us the knowledge to have wisdom. It gives us instructions. With…
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Encourage One Another
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), Acts 4:36 Read the following passages of scripture: Matthew 14:22-27- Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the…
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A Changed Heart
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes- the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:16-17 What is something that you collect, or what paraphernalia for a hobby or interest do you get giddy to purchase? Today we are going to dive into Paul’s teaching that gets at the heart of our faith. Paul helps us to see…
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Reconciled with God and Others
Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did you see a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. . . . . As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” Matthew 25:37-40,45 Does Our triune…
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The Heart of the Matter
This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worhsip me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men,’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6b-8 Do you know where your heart truly is? Is it far from God or is it close? In Jesus’ day, the religious leaders were highly respected and were considered holy. They were the experts of the Old Testament law. The religious leaders prided themselves on keeping the law. Their outward behavior could not be critized. The only person that could was Jesus. He did call them out. True…
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What One Does Tells What One Believes
“David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? ”” 1 Samuel 17:26 What you do reveals what you believe about God, regardless of what you say. When God reveals his purpose for you, you will face a crisis – a decision time. How we respond to God, will show the world what we really believe about God! Let’s take a look at King David as a young boy! Read 1 Samuel 16-17. God brought David…
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Put Our Praise To Action
oh, give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! 1 Chronicles 16: 8-9 Read 1 Chronicles 16:7-43 Do you call upon God‘s name? Do you make known his deeds among others? Do you let God know if his wondrous work? This portion of scripture is a composite A psalm 105: 1-15; 96:1-13;106:1,47-48. Take a moment and read these verses. What is repeated? David use this type of praise and thanksgiving to celebrate God’s mercy and wonderful acts for Israel. Christians, today and in the New Testament, or…