Sunday School Lesson Text for October 25, 2020
Love Divine – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5. Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6. Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7. Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Sunday School Lesson Text for October 18, 2020
Loving Your Neighbor – Luke 10:25-37
25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26. He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27. So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28. And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29. But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30. Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
36. So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37. And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Sunday School Lesson Text for October 11, 2020
Love Your Enemies – Luke 6:27-36
27. But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.
28. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, [h]hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Sunday School Lesson Text for October 4, 2020
Love and Devotion to Others – 1 Samuel 19:1-7
1. Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David.
2. So he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there.
3. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”
4. Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
5. He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”
6. Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
7. So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul to serve him as he had before.
Sunday School Lesson Text for September 27, 2020
God’s Plan Revealed – Genesis 45:1-15
1. Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
2. But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household soon heard of it.
3. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.
4. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt!
5. And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.
6. For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.
7. God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9. Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay’.
10. You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own.
11. And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.
12. Behold! You and my brother Benjamin can see that I, Joseph, am the one speaking with you.
13. Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”
14. Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced.
15. Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.
Sunday School Lesson Text for September 20, 2020
Love Versus Guilt – Genesis 42:6-25
6. Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
7. And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
8. Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9. Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
10. “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
11. We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12. “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
13. But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
14. Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
15. And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16. Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as
Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
17. So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
18. And on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
19. If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
20. Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
21. Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
22. And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
23. They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
24. And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
25. Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
Sunday School Lesson Text for September 13, 2020
God Rewards Obedience – Genesis 41:25-33, 37-40, 50-52
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill favored kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he shows unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are:
40 You shall be over my house, and according unto your word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than you.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.
52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
Sunday School Lesson Text for September 6, 2020
Issues of Love – Genesis 37:1-11; 23-24; 28
1. Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
2. These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father
3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.
4. His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.
5. Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6. He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had;
7. For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8. Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9. Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10. He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”
11. His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
23. So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;
24. And they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.
28. Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.
