The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Love

  • The Door

    Something has happened in my lifetime. When I was a young person growing up in church, everything was about Jesus. Jesus loved me. Jesus died on the cross for my sin.

    Sin?

    What sin?

    I learned that disobedience to any of God’s commands was sin. And that sin separated me from God. In church, I learned that that separation from God could be restored – but only by Jesus’ death on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin. Once I heard this, I wanted to have that relationship restored. I didn’t want to be separated from God for eternity. Once I recognized that I had sinned, and wanted God to forgive me of that sin, I trusted Jesus was the only One who could take that sin away (see John 14:6).

    But something has happened in most churches. What Jesus did on the cross to take away sin is only mentioned once in a blue moon. Now the focus has turned to the thought that God loves everyone. He wants us to love everyone. The way to show the world that we love them is to bring them into the church, just as they are, and the church will minister to them. The church shows love by meeting any physical or emotional need they may have. Meeting those needs is a wonderful way to show the love of God – but only if one has first showed them that Jesus is that love of God. Remember “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s love is revealed in the death of Jesus on the cross to pay the penalty for individual’s sin in order to restore that broken relationship. By not making this the primary message in the churches today, many churches have in essence pushed Jesus out of the door and closed it. It’s almost as if many churches have made their own door (good works, meeting people’s needs) and replacing Jesus as the Door of the sheep. That is the condition of the church in the final church age, portrayed in Revelation 3:14-22.  They are doing so well, doing works, that they don’t even realize they are in need. Because the churches as a whole are so busy doing good works, they have forgotten to share the message of Jesus and His death to take away individual people’s sin as the Only Way to truly help anyone. Remember what Paul wrote: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). Remember that the “righteousness of God” is Jesus. This is a picture of what is happening.

    But as we see in Revelation 3:20, Jesus is still available to any one who will open the Door (for Jesus is the Door, see John 10:7) to allow Jesus inside. He will come inside, and there can be sweet fellowship. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

    Are you someone who has allowed Jesus to be pushed out, forgetting why He came?

    Will you be willing to open the door and let Him back in?

    Make sure that you find a church that still faithfully presents the Gospel message of Jesus, the only way to be saved. Make sure that He is the primary focus of your life.

    “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 3:22).

  • Lesson 13 (Lesson 52): Jesus in the Old Testament: Jesus our Friend

    Key Verse

    “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13

    Read the Key Verse with your class.  Ask your students if any of them have friends.  What characteristics make someone your friend? (i.e.: dependable, good listener, kind, always there, etc.)  Read today’s memory verse to your class.  Ask if any of them have a friend like that.  Would they, themselves, be the kind of friend that would lay down their life for another person?  The best friend in the world we could ever have is Jesus.  Today we will look at Jesus’ prayer in the garden on the night he was arrested.  Have them pay attention to what was on Jesus’ heart and mind as we read His prayer in the garden the night before He died on the cross.

    Summary:  We have been studying the five Personal Books of the Old Testament.  As we have learned, these books dealt with individuals’ very personal experiences with God.  We have been able to see some serious heart issues as these individuals sought to know and understand God better.  In studying them, we should now understand how very personal of a God we serve.  When these men cried out for answers, God answered.

    If you remember last week, we learned of a perfect love and compared it to a Christian’s love with God.  Just as God loved us and sent His Son, Jesus, we are to love Him with all of our hearts.  If our students can learn to love Jesus with all of their hearts, then their hearts will be prepared to one day love a man or a woman.  Remember, Christians are the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25:  “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”.  Compare this thought to today’s memory verse.)

    Today we will see the heart of Jesus revealed as He prayed in the garden on the eve of his arrest and crucifixion.  Just as the men who wrote the Personal Books laid their hearts open and bare for us to read about, Jesus’ prayer revealed the deepest and innermost thoughts of His heart.  Notice how He first dealt with himself, then his disciples He would be leaving behind, and finally with those who hadn’t believed upon Him yet – many of which hadn’t even been born yet (that is you and me.)  After this great prayer, we then look back at Psalm 22 which foretold of Jesus’ suffering death upon the cross, realizing Jesus knew He was about to lay down His life for His friends.  This is the greatest picture of a friend (see today’s key verse).  Jesus is the greatest friend because He gave up His life for me (and anyone who would believe).

    Just as we have been learning how to relate to God as the men who recorded the Personal Books, Jesus is our ultimate example of one who was not afraid to make His petitions known to God – knowing He would answer.  He is also a perfect example of the kind of friend we are to be to others.  Remember, the people He prayed for were the same people He gave His life for – His friends.

    Encourage your students to bring their Bibles and use them!

    Emphasis:  Jesus is our ultimate example of the kind of friend we are to be – willing to give all.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 52 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 52 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  For today’s lesson give your students a blank piece of paper.  Have them write down some of their friend’s names.  Once they have finished this, have them think of something specific that they can pray about for each friend. (Examples:  maybe their friend is sick, or maybe they are on vacation, or maybe they are not very truthful and need prayer, maybe they have a friend who is especially mean to others and need prayer to help them be kinder, etc.)  Over all, encourage them to see needs in their own hearts and lives and the lives of others for which they can pray  Children, too, need to learn the importance of prayer.  And they will be encouraged and blessed as they see a prayer that they have written down answered!

     

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural.

    By now your class should be in a groove as to the direction and areas in which they need to focus and work on to improve their Christian lives.  Use this knowledge to help you address specific areas in each lesson that your class can discuss and share as you add new things to your mural.  Continue to watch as your class grows in their knowledge of not only God’s Word, but areas in their lives that can be corrected, drawing them closer to the Lord.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

  • Lesson 12 (Lesson 51): Song of Solomon: The Perfect Love

    Key Verse

    “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”  Jeremiah 31:3

    Read the Key Verse with your class.  One thing almost every child learns from a very young age is that God loves them.  What they may not understand is that God’s love is an everlasting love to those who belong to Him.  In the world today, love is a much overused word.  We “love” hamburgers, fries, candy bars, football; the list is endless.  Today we want to help our students understand “perfect” love – a love that is everlasting.  The best example of a perfect love is the love God has for the world in sending His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins (Romans 5:8).  Help your students understand the love God has for His people.  As we begin our lesson today, help them understand that this is the depth of the love God intended between a man and a woman.  Man is not complete, nor is a woman, without the other:  Genesis 2:18:  “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”  Today we will look at Solomon’s description of this kind of love.

    Summary:  Today we finish the Personal Books, concluding with the Song of Solomon.  Song of Solomon is a collective love song written by King Solomon as to a young maiden.  Within we find the beauty of a perfect love.  We will study the Song of Solomon from the basics of a man who loved a woman, and a woman who loved him.  Since we are teaching children, we will remind them that just as God loved us and sent His Son, Jesus, we are to love Him with all of our hearts.  If our students can learn to love Jesus with all of their hearts, then their hearts will be prepared to one day love a man or a woman.  Remember, Christians are the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”).  Keep this thought in mind as we study the Song of Solomon, for the Song of Solomon is a picture of the love of Christ for his church, and the love the church should have for Christ, under the guise of a bride and groom.

    Encourage your students to bring their Bibles and use them!

    Emphasis:   To understand “true love” we must turn to God’s Word.  Just as Jesus loved us (his bride) so much He gave His life for them, we, too, are to love Him with all of our “heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30).  In loving Jesus, our hearts will be prepared to love one another (John 13:34).

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 51 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 51 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  For today’s lesson you could have your students cut out a very large heart from a red piece of construction paper.  They could either use markers to write or draw ways that we can show Jesus that we love Him.  (Ideas:  read and memorize verses from our Bibles, faithfully go to church, be kind to others, obey Mom and Dad, treat our brothers or sisters kindly, do something nice for someone else, help others, etc.)

     

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural.

    By now your class should be in a groove as to the direction and areas in which they need to focus and work on to improve their Christian lives.  Use this knowledge to help you address specific areas in each lesson that your class can discuss and share as you add new things to your mural.  Continue to watch as your class grows in their knowledge of not only God’s Word, but areas in their lives that can be corrected, drawing them closer to the Lord.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to provide a more personalized experience and to track your whereabouts around our website in compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation. If you decide to to opt-out of any future tracking, a cookie will be setup in your browser to remember this choice for one year.

Accept or Deny