Christian Education
This page contains the content of Christian Education post. It is one of the ways we use to extend the teaching ministry of the Church to our members, our friends and the world. It is a supplement to the teaching that goes on in classrooms, meetings, and other gatherings of the Church where Christian theology, doctrine, and instruction is taught. We are welcomed and encouraged to comment on any of the messages by clicking the “SS Preview” link you want to comment on, going to the bottom of the page and filling in and Submitting the Reply at the end of the message. Most of the post will have audio playback so you can listen to as well as read them. We hope you are blessed, enlighten and inspired through our Christian Education forums and invite you to join us at any of our meetings.
03
Aug '17
SS Preview Aug. 6, 2017
03
Aug '17
Greetings Everyone
It’s time once again for the Sunday School Lesson Preview. Thanks for joining me and welcome back. This month’s unit is entitled “Calls in the New Testament” and in this unit, we will be examining calls into New Testament ministry. New Testament ministry may be considered those things which are done to serve the body of Christ. Everyone in the church should be in or should be preparing to be in a serving relationship within the body of Christ. Today’s lesson, entitled “Called to Witness”, focuses on the calling of the first deacons and a distinction between a physical and spiritual ministry within the church.
The Apostles were the leaders of the first church and when a problem arose the church came to them for a solution. The Apostles realized that the solution to this problem required hands-on supervision for which they themselves didn’t have the time to commit. For it would require them to neglect the Word of God. Churches through the centuries, and especially in our own community, have suffered much because we have not done all we can to protect the time and importance of those responsible for bringing us the Word of God.
While the physical needs are important, the spiritual needs are no less and perhaps more important and could not suffer because a physical need arose. Therefore, the Apostles delegated the supervision of this problem to others who were called deacons or servants. The Apostles established the criteria for the ones they wanted to take care of this ministry and gave them their blessing. And even though there were 5000 men beside women and children in the church, they only asked for seven men or one deacon for about every 715 men.
Finally, two of the deacons, Stephen and Phillip also served in a teaching and preaching ministry for which Stephen became a martyr because of his testimony concerning Jesus Christ. True authentic Christian ministry always requires sacrifice and is never about convenience. To often, our Christianity is one of convenience and not one of service or commitment. We are all called to witness and ministry. Well, I hope this has helped you with your preparation for this Sunday’s lesson. Be sure to read the background scriptures and let’s prepare for a great discussion on Sunday. Until then,
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
27
Jul '17
SS Preview July 30, 2017
27
Jul '17
Greetings Everyone
It’s time once again for the Sunday School Lesson Preview. Thanks for joining me and welcome back. All this month we have been looking at the call and ministry of some Old Testament prophets. We have already previewed Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The final prophet in this unit entitled “Calling of Prophets” is Amos.
Amos is a prophet who prophesied during the same time as Isaiah and Hosea. He was born in Judah near Jerusalem in the Southern kingdom, but left there and when to the capital Bethel and prophesied against Israel in the Northern kingdom. As with most prophets during his time, his words were not well received and he was labeled a traitor for speaking against the king and nation. Amos was from a humble background and had no formal religious training. He was a shepherd who God called to deliver His message of judgement against the sins of His people.
The people of Israel had allowed the general prosperity of their nation to lead them into selfish indulgences at the expense of the poorer members of their society. Dr. MLK, Jr. often quoted a passage from Amos where God said “Let judgement roll down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream”. Dr. King drew many parallels between the quest for justice and civil rights in the United States in his day and the injustices in Israel during Amos’s ministry. Amos often used vivid imagery in some of his prophesies such as “a plumb line” to demonstrate the crookedness of justice and righteousness in Israel.
The focus passage of this lesson emphasizes the fact that Amos was minding his own business when God called him to go from herding his sheep to delivering His message. Furthermore, he didn’t have anything to do with the content of the message nor could he change it because they didn’t like it. Like many of the prophets, there is no mention of his death in the bible. To learn more about Amos and his ministry click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “Amos’s Call” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
21
Jul '17
SS Preview July 23, 2017
21
Jul '17
Greetings Everyone
It’s time once again for the Sunday School Lesson Preview. Thanks for joining me and welcome back. This month’s unit title is “Calling of Prophets” as we look at God’s call of some Old Testament prophets. We have already previewed Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah. In this week’s lesson entitled “Ezekiel’s Call” we take a look at the calling of the prophet Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is another one of the major prophets. His ministry lasted about 22 years and occurred at the same time Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel were priest before being called in the ministry. Ezekiel was among the first group of exiles taken captive during the first Babylonian assault on Jerusalem. He began his prophetic ministry about five years after that captivity at the age of 30. His message, like Jeremiah, warned of God’s judgement for their disobedience and their misplaced trust in Egypt and the temple to save them. After the destruction of Jerusalem, he foretells of the coming messiah and the coming kingdom of God.
Ezekiel prophesies included symbols and images some of which are also found in Revelations (4:7). Ezekiel is known for the Lord’s Chariot and the Valley of Dry Bones. In his call, God gave him a book and told him to eat it. That book contained His words to Israel and he was to speak them to Israel without fear. God knew they would not hear or listen to him, but He wanted them to know that a prophet had come to them.
Like many of the prophets, there is no mention of his death in the bible. To learn more about Ezekiel and his ministry click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “Ezekiel’s Call” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
13
Jul '17
SS Preview July 16, 2017
13
Jul '17
Greetings Everyone
It’s time once again for the Sunday School Lesson Preview. Thanks for joining me and welcome back. This month’s unit title is “Calling of Prophets” as we look at God’s call of some Old Testament prophets. We have already previewed Moses and Isaiah. In this week’s lesson entitled “Jeremiah’s Call and Commission” we take a look at the calling of the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah is another one of the major prophets. His ministry lasted forty years or more and under the kings Josiah, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. During this time, Judah was surrounded by Assyria to the north, Egypt to the south, and Babylon to the east. Jeremiah’s message was not well received and he suffered persecution and humiliation for it. He is sometimes referred to as the “weeping prophet” for what he endured and witnessed for the disobedience of his people. Jeremiah’s words were not soothing and appealing to his audience, but described the harsh judgement of God for unrepentant sin. He is known for saying “God’s word was like fire shut up in his bones”. He prophesied and witnessed the fall and destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans.
Jeremiah was the son of a priest and called at an early age to be a spokesman for God to the nations. In his call, God anointed him and commissioned him to speak the words He would give him without fear to everyone He sends him to. There is no mention of his death in the bible, but he was believed to live to be at least 90 years old. To learn more about Jeremiah and his ministry click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “Jeremiah’s Call and Commission” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
06
Jul '17
SS Preview July 9, 2017
06
Jul '17
Greetings FB and Friends
It’s time once again for our weekly preview of this Sunday’s lesson entitled “Isaiah In The Temple”. Thanks for joining me. The lesson theme for the month of July is “Calling of Prophets”. These lessons will look at how God called various prophets at different times for specific purposes. Included in this unit are the calls and responses of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos.
The prophets are called by God to deliver a divine message to a group of people. A prophet’s message may announce a change, warn of judgement, give instructions, call people back to God, or foretell of a coming event among other things. The second of the prophets in this unit is Isaiah. Isaiah had one of the longest ministries of the major prophets. As already mentioned, major prophets are so named because of the length of their ministry and the reach and impact of their messages on their audience. It is believed that Isaiah’s ministry lasted 65 years and occurred during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah kings of Judah.
Some of the things Isaiah is noted for are his prophesies concerning the Messiah or Jesus Christ. He foretold His virgin birth, proclaimed His name titles such as the “Prince of Peace” and “God with Us”, foretold His suffering and death, and the glory of his kingdom. It also was Isaiah who famously told king Hezekiah to “get his house in order”. Isaiah, like Moses, had a dramatic call into the ministry. He had a vision in which he saw the glory and holiness of God. God purged him of his sin and commission him to be a prophet through that vision which is the focus of this Sunday’s lesson. The Bible does not tell us how he died, but tradition says he was sawn in half by order of the evil king Manasseh and is possibly referenced in Hebrews 11:37.
To learn more about Isaiah and his ministry click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “Isaiah In The Temple” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
29
Jun '17
SS Preview July 2, 2017
29
Jun '17
Welcome Back Sunday Schoolers
It’s time once again for our weekly preview of this Sunday’s lesson entitled “Moses and the Burning Bush”. Thanks for joining me. The lesson theme for the month of July is “Calling of Prophets”. These lessons will look at how God called various prophets at different times for specific purposes. Included in this unit are the calls and responses of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos.
The prophets are called by God to deliver a divine message to a group of people. A prophet’s message may announce a change, warn of judgement, give instructions, call people back to God, or foretell of a coming event among other things. The first of the prophets in this unit is Moses. Moses is the first of the major prophets and unique among them. Major prophets are so named because of the length of their ministry and the reach and impact of their messages on their audience.
Moses is unique among prophets because he had a relationship with God that was unlike any other prophet until Jesus. He was God’s lawgiver and the mediator of the covenant between God and the nation of Israel. He was also a deliverer from Egyptian bondage or enslavement and leader of the people to the Promised Land. The work and ministry of Jesus Christ has many parallels and similarities to Moses’s ministry. This is why Jesus is said to be a prophet like Moses because of the scope and impact of his work.
Moses’s call by God was preordained in the manner of his deliverance from Pharaoh’s edict that the first born of Israel die, by the fact he became a prince of Egypt, and by his discovery and embracing of his heritage and preparation for his assignment. His call was also dramatic by the way God spoke to him from a burning bush that would not burn up.
To learn more about Moses click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “Moses and the Burning Bush” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
22
Jun '17
SS Preview June 25, 2017
22
Jun '17
Welcome Back Bible Scholars
Thanks for joining me for the preview of this week’s SS Lesson entitled “SAMSON’S CALL”. The lesson theme for the month of June is “Called To Be Strong” and it focuses on four individuals God used to help save and deliver Israel in times of distress. These individuals were referred to as “judges” and their stories are found in the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. Prior week lessons focused on Deborah and Barak, Gideon and Jephthah. This week we turn our attention to the most familiar of the judges, Samson.
If you ask people who was the strongest man ever to live, many will answer Hercules or Samson. Those who answer Hercules, don’t know he was a mythological character. And of those who answer Samson, many don’t know much about him beyond he was strong and was betrayed by Delilah. Many don’t know he was a real person, a judge of Israel or where to find his story in the bible.
Samson was born to a woman who was considered barren. His mother is one of several women who were barren, but the Lord allowed them to conceive to have children who ended up doing something special for the Lord. He was born to be a Nazarite and a deliverer of Israel. Nazarites were people who made vows to the Lord. As part of keeping their vows, they could not cut their hair, among other things. Their vows were temporary and came to an end at which time they could cut their hair. However, Samson was consecrated from birth and his vow was ongoing. Another important servant of God who was a Nazarite from birth was Samuel (see 1 Samuel 1:11).
Samson is among several others whose birth was announced by an angel or messenger of God including John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. Finally, Samson should be a reminder to us to keep some things sacred between just ourselves and God. Samson is mentioned as one of the great people of faith in Hebrews 11. To learn more about Sampson click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “SAMSON’S CALL” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
15
Jun '17
SS Preview June 18, 2017
15
Jun '17
Welcome Back Bible Scholars
Thanks for joining me for the preview of this week’s SS Lesson entitled “JEPHTHAH ANSWERS THE CALL”. The lesson theme for the month of June is “Called To Be Strong” and it focuses on four individuals God used to help save and deliver Israel in times of distress. These individuals were referred to as “judges” and their stories are found in the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. Prior week lessons focused on Deborah and Barak and Gideon. This week we turn our attention to Jephthah.
I must admit that I was not familiar with Jephthah story, but his story is a very interesting one. In some way what happened to him is similar to what happened to Abraham’s son Ishmael. Jephthah was forced out of his father’s house just like Ishmael. But here is a classic example of being careful how you treat someone on your way up because they are the same people you will meet on your way down. While Manasseh was up, they didn’t want or need Jephthah, but when they were in trouble, they sought him out and made him a ruler over them. He was a “great man of valor” and was an able military leader. His fight was against the Ammonites and he defeated them.
In requesting God’s help, Jephthah made an ill-advised vow to the Lord to sacrifice the first person who came out of his door as a burnt offering if he was successful in battle. Sadly, that person turned out to be his only child and daughter. Something else disturbing was that the tribe of Ephraim challenged Jephthah’s right to go to war as he had done, without their concurrence, against Ammon. He first defeated them, then intercepted the fugitives at the fords of Jordan, and there put forty-two thousand men to the sword. Jephthah is considered a hero and mentioned along with the other great people of faith in Hebrews 11.
To learn more about Jephthah click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “JEPHTHAH ANSWERS THE CALL” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
08
Jun '17
SS Preview June 11, 2017
08
Jun '17
Greeting Bible Scholars
Thanks for joining me for the preview of this week’s SS Lesson entitled “GIDEON’S CALL”. The lesson theme for the month of June is “Called To Be Strong” and it focuses on four individuals God used to help save and deliver Israel in times of distress. These individuals were referred to as “judges” and their stories are found in the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. Last week, we examined Deborah and Barak and their contribution to Israel’s history. This week we turn our attention to Gideon.
There are several main points in this lesson I would like to highlight. God is able to call people from various walks of life to be leaders of His people. There is nothing wrong with, and I would say advisable, seeking confirmation when we believe God is calling us to do a task or job for Him. We don’t always see the entire plan of how God will use us to accomplish His purpose at the time of our calling. However, if we believe He has called us, we must trust He will provide whatever we need to get the job done. “Angel” is one of the words mentioned in the lesson and it means “messenger”. Angels were often used to bring divine messages from God.
The reason Israel needed Gideon was because the Lord allowed their enemies to afflict them because of their disobedience. Another point in this lesson is that we can rest assured that the lawlessness, idolatry, and rampant sin in America, in our community, in the Church and elsewhere will not go unaddressed by God.
To learn more about Gideon click on his name. Also, you can access the SS lesson scriptures on the go anywhere and anytime through our website. So, let’s prepare to have a great discussion on Sunday as we take a closer look at “GIDEON’S CALL” and the implications it has for us today.
Blessings
Pastor Jordan
