Lesson for 5/29

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 19:1-10. Its titled, "Joyous Faith" As we continue in our lesson series on Faith; may we meditate on this title, at times we may experience trouble and although we have faith that God will deliver us through, it may not be easy to express a spirit of Joy in the midst of the storm. Glory be to God for the amount of joy we have when we are delivered!; We may also express joy when we are giving generously or lending a helping hand to someone that may be in need! In this lesson we find Jesus entering into a town called Jericho; there was a man there named Zacchaeus, the Bible says he was the chief tax collector there and had become very rich. As Jesus was traveling through, Zacchaeus was trying to get a good look at Him, but he was too short to see over the crowds. Verses 4-5 says "So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus! He said. "Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today." Pause..It always amazes me When I read accounts of Jesus saying the name of someone whom has never met Him face to face. The scripture that comes to mind is Ephesians 1:3-4 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." - Even before we were born, before the foundation of the world, we were known and loved! Back to verse 6, it says "Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy." Moving on to verse 7, we see people around them, those that were present in the crowds witnessing Jesus heading to this man's house. They began to murmur and become displeased because this man was considered a "notorious sinner." I can see them now, wondering and saying to each other, "why in the world would Jesus want to be a guest at this mans house? What business does He have with him?"  - Verse 8 says "meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said. "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" Jesus responds in verse 9, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who
are lost." Without deviating from the lesson too much, When verse 9 says "this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham" we can parallel this scripture to  Galatians 3:6-7 - In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”  The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God." That's another powerful lesson in itself! - We are a blessed people of faith! May we express and maintain the level of joy and excitement Zacchaeus had when first seeing Jesus; but then also being willing to give his all to those less fortunate. Despite the people who were standing in the crowds with their negative opinions; we find Jesus, the Son of Man bringing salvation to this man's house and in turn, taking care of the poor, through this same man, who was initially considered a "notorious sinner."

God can use anyone! - Let us continue to not merely have faith, but express JOYOUS Faith!! To God be the glory, thanks for reading.

Lesson for 5/22

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 18:15-17 and Mark 10:16. Most of our previous lessons took place in this very same chapter 18 of Luke. Jesus is sitting with His disciples. "Verse 15-17 says "One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering Him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it" As this concluded in Luke; we find recorded in the the book of Mark 10:16, that Jesus took these same children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. As we begin to dissect this lesson, may we pray now for clarity and understanding. May God use this lesson and many other scriptures and lessons in our lives to draw us closer to Him through Jesus. One point I like to elaborate on is when the disciples saw that the parents were bringing their Children forward, and the disciples scolded, or angrily rebuked them for disturbing Jesus. I find it at times, even in Leadership where people are afraid to ask for help or voice their concerns to a higher authority because they feel as if they are a nuisance or a disturbance; or maybe the person they are trying to communicate with doesn't care or take time out to listen. Well, here we see next that Jesus humbles the disciples by telling them not to stop the children from coming to Him. What we can gleam from this is, as Christians we can't be turning people away; We must show love always! When someone is in need and reaching out, the Spirit of God that dwells within us IS willing and able to help, we just have to let it! The next point is brought out as Jesus continues on, He says "For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." Firstly, we are all God's Children, but when the Bible says the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are LIKE children, not childish lol, but when we look at a child, we see that a little child is completely dependent on its parents or guardians; likewise we are to be totally dependent in the same manner on the Lord! This is how we as Christian adults should humble ourselves. Instead of depending on our own thoughts, strengths and ideas, we should solely rely and depend on God! One of the greatest hindrances to entering the Kingdom is the refusal of many to humble themselves before God; it is the pride factor, which is the opposite of little children. To God be the Glory! We then see how we as the little children who were taken in Jesus' hands, were then blessed! Its an amazing parallel and lesson of how we should exemplify our faith!

Thanks for reading - God loves you and I do too! Leave a comment or question!

"Childlike Faith"

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 18:9-14. It's titled, "Humble Faith". It's a very short but powerful set of scriptures, verse 9 starts off with: "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Today this is a struggle some of us often deal with. Jesus is telling us to not be over confident in our own ability and righteousness; but to be humble. Again verse 14 says "for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." at times we fall into the temptation of having an attitude of self righteousness, thinking we are higher or better than others; relying on self. The truth is, we need God, and if we don't adapt the attitude of humility, the Bible says He will do it for us. There's been several accounts where I knew God humbled me; as I look back I see now that it would have been wise for me to have trusted God and not my own ability.

To God be the glory, thanks for reading!

Lesson for 5/8

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 17:11-19, Its titled "Grateful Faith." Last week in verses 1-10 of Luke 17 we spoke about what it took to have an increased faith. Here in verse 11 we find where Jesus is continuing on his journey towards Jerusalem. When He reached the border between Galilee and Samaria, the Bible says he entered a village and there were ten individuals that had the disease leprosy who stood at a distance, They began to cry out "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Verse 14 says "Jesus looked at them and said. 'Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy"  -  Before proceeding I'd like to highlight a few points. First, let us witness the faith of these 10 diseased individuals. Clearly they have heard of Jesus and knew He was capable of healing them. They expressed their increased faith by crying out to Him. The second point I'd like to bring out is the instant cleanse and healing that transpired AS they were going to the priests as directed. Again, Jesus says in verse 14 "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy". So here we are in verse 15: "One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" 16: "He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan." Jesus asked the man in verse 17. "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" The lesson concludes in verse 19 "And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you and made you whole." As we meditate on this let us look back at verse 15, the ONE healed person, could you imagine the excitement and spirit of joy he had when he realized he was healed. Actually, I'm pretty sure the other nine expressed the same excitement, as their supreme and degrading illness had been cured! But, this one healed leper went back to Jesus and expressed his gratitude! This was an illness that had defined this man's life, he realized that God, through Jesus deserved all the glory, honor, and praise for his healing. May we express this same gratitude and appreciation today, when we are healed from a sickness, saved from an accident, promoted on a job, passed that test; and to recognize the more simpler things, daily appreciation should be expressed for the breath in our body, the ability to talk, walk, hear, smell and think! Let us strive to express gratitude as this one healed leper did. As Christians we must try not to forget to give the Glory where its due - not just receive the blessing or healing and go on about our lives. To God be all the glory!

Our Faith heals us, and makes us whole!

Pray, trust and God bless!
Thanks for reading.

Lesson for 5/1

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 17:1-10. Its titled "Increased Faith" Verse 1 begins with Jesus talking to His disciples, He says "There will always be offenses and temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the one who does the tempting!" 2 "It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a milestone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 "So watch yourselves! If another believer sins against you, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive." Very powerful set of verses so far! Jesus expresses the weight of us knowing better, and causing those that may be less fortunate or who knows less, to fall into sin. So far it also expresses how we should rebuke, or correct each other as believers in love; and forgive! Verse 4, "Even if a person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive." After reading this, I look at society and the world today; when wronged, people often adapt the notion of revenge or getting even. As believers, some of us even struggle in this area as well. Verse 5-6, the apostles said to the Lord. "Show us how to increase our faith." The Lord answered,, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!" - If you recall in our previous lessons, we spoke about simple faith being powerful faith! As Jesus said in this verse..It doesn't always require an impossible amount a faith to witness miracles and draw closer to God; small faith! The lesson goes on with verse 7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty."  - As I reflect on this, I think of a similar analogy of how an employee is on a job and getting paid to do that job, but expects recognition or a raise for something they are already supposed to be doing. Jesus is telling US that we should consider ourselves unworthy servants who have simply done our duty. When we attend church, Bible study, or do good deeds - we shouldn't expect a handout or a blessing from God; this is what we are SUPPOSED to do as believers. Its amazing when we praise God and He showers us with blessings; but the expectation for praising Him should not be for what we can get out of it, but its all for His Glory, and its what He expects of us. Understanding this and forgiving others as God forgives us will help us Increase Our Faith!

Thanks for reading, God bless!

Lesson for 4/24

Hello all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 15:11-24. Its titled "A Family Reunion" This is  a very familiar set of scriptures, as these particular versus focus on the story of the prodigal son. To provide a setting, flipping back to verse 1 of Luke 15: "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them"?? Jesus then told them a parable (or story) - As we approach verse 11 we find that by now Jesus is preparing to tell His third parable, which leads into the lesson for tomorrow! The two sons; the younger son told his Father to "give me the portion of goods that belong to me" The father did, and so the younger son left home, the Bible says in verse 13 that he went to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. When he ran out of money he persuaded a local farmer to hire him in his fields to feed the pigs. Ver 16-17 says "The young man became so hungry that event the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and I am here dying of hunger!" So the young son returns home to his father. Verse 21 brings out how the young son felt he was unworthy of being called his son, as he sinned against heaven and his father. But in verse 22, instead of anger or scorning his son, the father instructs the servants to bring the finest robe, put a ring on his finger, sandals for his feet. They killed the fatted calf and began to celebrate, why? verse 24 "for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found, so the celebration began!" The lesson ends there, however there are several points I'd like to bring out. We all struggle, we fall short, mess up, fade away, and may even turn our backs completely on our faith; and when we do "come to our senses" as the young son did in verse 17, we often feel a sense of guilt or unworthiness. The reason Jesus is telling this parable is because, just as the Father of this young son is forgiven and welcomed back rejoicingly; expresses how our Heavenly Father forgives and welcomes us back as well! I found SUPREME encouragement in reading the 2 parables before this prior to this one. The first one (Ver 7) ends with "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over ONE sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Amazing!! - check ver. 10. "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over ONE sinner who repents." That's a blessing and a joy to read! Each and every ONE of us are unique and special to God! When we repent (Which means not only to ask for forgiveness, but to also turn away from sin) - Heaven rejoices! God, our Father, just as the father of the young son in this lesson, welcomes us back and is ready to love and continue to use us for His glory!

Im thrilled!!! Again, the lesson ends at verse 24, however I encourage you to get an even deeper revelation for yourself. The scriptures following verse 24 mention the negative feelings the older son felt toward his father and younger brother. (Some of us probably could relate) I was in church 2 Sunday's ago and heard one of the most powerful messages focusing on the older son. I found it amazing that God allowed me to hear that sermon, then 2 weeks later summarize this Sunday School lesson! Check out the recording of Pastor Kyle of Victory Church at - http://victorystartshere.tv/2016/04/please-dont-stop-the-music/

Thanks for reading all! God loves you and I do too!

Keep Faith and stay blessed!

Lesson for 4/17

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 8:26-39. Its titled, "A Sound Mind" Before diving in to the book of Luke, take a moment to pause and meditate on the title itself. What is a sound mind to you? One scripture to reflect on without diving in too deeply is 2 Timothy 1:7. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." As we go through life today, when things hit the fan, we often forget to remember this scripture. When feeling fearful, uneasy, doubtful, unloving, and not at peace, we must realize that this is not of God, but its the enemy whom is at work. As the lesson begins, Jesus in verse 27 is climbing out of the boat, "a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet Him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in  a cemetery outside of the town. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of Him. Then he screamed, Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don't torture me!" It goes on to say that "For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man..." Jesus demanded his name and the man replied "Legion", for he was filled with many demons." As you read on, the demons begin to beg Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. The Bible brings out that there were a herd of pigs nearby, so Jesus gave them permission to enter in to the pigs. The demons came out of the man and entered into the pigs and the entire herd plunged down in to the steep hillside and into the lake and drowned. Verses 35-36 says "People rushed out to see what happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed." As the scriptures conclude here, I found several fascinating points after reading. The first in verse 28, the demons knew who Jesus was! "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" They were fearful, and knew Jesus' power! Another point I found interesting was in verses 35-36. After the demons are casted out of the man, the Bible says he is fully clothed and in his right mind; the people that witnessed it, although they were afraid; They then went and told others how this man has been healed, how he was once demon-possessed, but now in a sound mind! As we reflect today, we can find and trust that God can keep us in our right minds. May we keep faith and be a witness to others from where and what we have been delivered from!

To God be the glory!
Stay blessed, leave a comment, thanks for reading!