Suffering as a Christian

Text: 1 Peter 3:13-4:6, 12-16 In this lesson, we’re going to consider what Peter said about how we will suffer as a Christian. This is a reality that we will have to deal with and there are several reasons why we will suffer in this way. We May Suffer for Teaching the Truth (3:13-15) Who […]

Four Small Creatures

Text: Proverbs 30:24-28 The wise man used the illustration of four small creatures – ant, shephanim (rock badger), locust, and lizard/spider. Each of these provides a lesson for us in wisdom. The Ants Weakness – not a strong people; cannot hunt for food like a lion could How they compensate – prepare food in summer […]

Troubles Along The Way

Text: Acts 19:8-9 With all of the good spoken about “the way,” in the New Testament, it is not all good. There are difficulties that come by following this path. The rewards of following “the way” are worth it, but we do need to see the complete picture. So in this lesson, we will discuss […]

Sheep, Wolves, Serpents, and Doves

Text: Matthew 10:16 In this chapter, Jesus sent His twelve apostles out on the “limited commission” (Matthew 10:5-7). There are some similarities between their commission and our responsibilities today. We are as sheep in the midst of wolves, so we must be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Sent Out as Sheep We are in a […]

Burdens of Teaching the Bible

Text: James 3:1 The previous lesson focused on the blessings of teaching the Bible. We need to look at the “rest of the story” – not to discourage us from teaching, but we must recognize that there are burdens/responsibilities that come with this. So in this lesson, we will consider the burdens that come with teaching the […]

Joseph of Arimathea

Text: Matthew 27:57-60 One of the people we read about in connection with Jesus’ death is Joseph of Arimathea. He took it upon himself to bury the body of Jesus. He is mentioned in all four gospels, but only briefly. There are some lessons we can learn from this man – challenges he faced and traits […]

Through Many Tribulations (Part 4: Persecution)

Text: Acts 14:22 Paul and Barnabas encouraged the brethren to remain faithful to the Lord “through many tribulations” so they could reach the final reward of heaven. The kinds of tribulations that we may face could be unique to Christians or common to all people. Any of these tribulations could potentially derail our faith and […]