Christian Education Blogs - Flag Branch MBC

SS Preview November 3 2019

Posted on Oct 31, 2019 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for the first lesson in the month of November entitled “Self-Examination”. The lesson text is found in 2 Corinth 13:1-11 in the last chapter of the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the church there.

The apostle’s reasons for this second letter are varied but there are at least two or three that seem to be evident. He wanted to acknowledge that he had received feedback from his earlier letter where he had been very stern about some of the things they were doing there and had called upon them to take immediate corrective action. He was pleased to learn they had done that.

He had made plans and attempted twice before to come to visit them but had not gotten there. He was writing this letter to prepare them for his third attempt to come visit them. He also addressed the lingering feeling among some about the legitimacy of his apostleship which he does in our lesson today among other places.

And he expresses in this 13th chapter that what they do is more important than what they think of him. He wants them to know that despite what they may think of his apostleship, he will deal harshly and sternly with any sin he finds among them by the authority he has from the Lord. But his hope is that he will not have to exercise his authority in this manner.

He tells them the proof of his authority is the fact that if they examine themselves, they will find themselves in Christ. This examine includes the proof that comes from the actions and behaviors in their own lives. If that proof is not there, then they are rejects or reprobates. But if the proof is there, then neither they nor him are reprobates and this fact alone helps to establish his authority in Christ.

He implores them twice with a call to perfection. The term as used in this context means to be completely restored or repaired. This completeness means that they “do no wrong” as in verse 7 and that they be live peacefully on one accord as in verse 11 because he does not want to use his authority for discipline when he arrives though he will if necessary.

We too need to examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith by proof of the way we live. The call for complete restoration is not one to be ignored or dismissed. God will not and does not require or command us to do something we are incapable of doing. We must stop making excuses for not doing what God has commanded us to do and use the way He has outlined to do it.

By man’s standards and in his eyes and opinion no one is or can be completely restored or repaired. He will always find some fault or shortcoming in others. But the good news is we will not stand before man in the judgement. It is God whom we must please and satisfy and it is God who determines if we are or are not completely restored repaired and perfected.

So, if we are not, I don’t want to try to explain to God why not. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview October 27 2019

Posted on Oct 24, 2019 in Christian Education |

Welcome everyone to this week’s Sunday School Lesson Preview. This week’s lesson like last week’s is found in Luke 7 but in verses 37-48 and is entitled “Faith Saves”. Why would anyone do what the gospel says this woman did to Jesus? How was she able to get in and then get close enough to the dinner table that she was able to touch the Savior?

This event begins with Jesus being invited by and accepting an invitation to come and eat at the house of a Pharisee named Simon. Whatever the conditions and circumstances of this meal, apparently it was not a closed affair just between Jesus and Simon because other people were there.

It may have been a setting resembling our modern-day cookout or neighborhood house party where invited guess and others show up. This particular woman was interested in Jesus because the gospel says she found out or heard He was at Simon’s house to eat. She was known by the people she lived among for something very sinful.

She was therefore probably considered an outcast or low-class person in their community who had little or no respect and/or friends. What was the reason for her interest in Jesus? The bible doesn’t say she said anything.

We can only infer from her actions and Jesus’s reaction that something He had said touched her in such a way as to cause her to do what she did when she had the opportunity to get close to Him. She brought with her a box of perfume and had planned to at least present it to Jesus and perhaps ask Him a question or say something to Him.

But upon approaching him she burst into tears which fell onto Jesus feet. She used her hair to dry up her tears, kissed His feet repeatedly and then opened the perfume and anointed His feet with it.

I believe she came to Jesus and did what she did because she saw and heard in Him someone who would not turn her away as others did, someone who would not judge her as others did, someone who would accept and not reject her gift of kindness and love and someone who would not be ashamed of her as others were.

Her tears I believe were a result of receiving the acceptance of a respected person in the presence of others to let her and them know she was still loved, capable of love and validate her standing as a member of the human race despite what she had done or become or what others thought about her.

But Jesus knew she needed to hear and believe that God has forgiven her so that she could put her past behind her, receive God’s grace and mercy and change and save her life. And that is why Jesus told her that her sins are forgiven and her faith has saved her even though it’s not recorded that she ever asked.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview October 20 2019

Posted on Oct 17, 2019 in Christian Education |

Welcome everyone to this week’s Sunday School Lesson Preview. This week’s lesson found in Luke 7:1-10 is entitled “Faith Can Heal”. As Christians, we should be grateful for and enlist the services of medical professionals and their ability to use their knowledge and skills to treat human injuries, aliments and diseases.

We recognize their services as a gift from God who gives them the tools and intelligence to discover ways to diagnose and repair the human body from many of the unwanted and unwelcomed harms that it suffers and encounters. But that’s just it. They can treat many, but not all harms, and some of those treatments are unsuccessful.

This is why Christians always leave a place for God to step in even when there are medical professionals available and treating us. Christians believe that God is able to heal any sickness and cure any disease. Having faith that God can and faith that God will requires us to come to terms with knowing what God can do and our expectations for what He will do.

In the lesson today, a non-Jewish centurion sought healing for a beloved servant or slave. This centurion was on good terms with the elders of the Jews and besought them to ask Jesus for help for his servant. After hearing their request, Jesus was on His way to see this centurion and his servant when word came for Jesus not to go any further.

The centurion sent word to Jesus that he didn’t feel worthy of him coming to his house and that it was unnecessary for Him to enter to do what he wanted him to do. He believed that by Jesus speaking the word, his servant would be healed. Jesus was so impressed with the centurion’s faith that he said it was unlike any He had encountered in Israel.

The centurion not only believed Jesus could heal his servant, but believed that He would if He so chose to by just saying the word. Like the centurion, we don’t have to have God to physically do anything. His word or will to do something is enough to have it done. Having faith to heal should never be about if God can, but whether if He will.

There are instances in scripture where fasting and prayer is called upon and can and has influenced God’s will. Beyond that, there is not much we can, should or need to do when seeking God for healing. The only other consideration in our petition or request for healing is the incentive God may have for granting our request.

What benefit, if any, was there for God in healing the centurion’s servant? As for as we know, he didn’t fast or pray though he may have. What benefit, if any, will there be for God if he heals us or those we are petitioning for? In other words, how did healing the centurion’s servant or healing those we ask God to heal help fulfill God’s eternal will.

Did the centurion’s servant healing only benefit them or did it benefit someone else? Will our healing request only benefit us or will anyone else be blessed or helped? There’s nothing tricky, magical or mysterious about having faith to heal. It’s a matter of believing God can and God deciding He will.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview Oct 13 2019

Posted on Oct 10, 2019 in Christian Education |

Welcome everyone to this week’s Sunday School Lesson Preview. This week’s lesson found in 1 Kings 17:8-16 is entitled “Blessed for Faithfulness”. Elijah is called by some “the lawsuit prophet” because of the way he prophesied against Israel for the way they had abandoned their covenant with God. He is also significant because Elijah appeared alongside Jesus and Moses on the mount of transfiguration.

He prophesied in a time when there was rampant idolatry and decadence among the people much like it is today in many parts of the world and here in the US. People were then as are now more interested in what’s going on in their own lives than seeking and worshiping God in spirit and in truth. In order to demonstrate that He is still sovereign, God told Elijah to tell the people it would not rain until he said so.

One reason God shut down the rain is because the people were worshipping and had much faith in a Canaanite god called Baal who supposedly had power over fertility and rain. During the time of this drought God send Elijah to be sustained by a widow who lived with her son. She was gathering wood for a final meal for herself and her son when she encountered Elijah.

Elijah told her to prepare a meal for him first because the Lord has assured him the oil and meal would not run out until the rain returns. Some people would not have believed him or not put Elijah before themselves. But the widow recognized him as a man of God and seeing that she was so far down that she didn’t have anywhere to go but up, she trusted Elijah and did as he asked. Needless to say, the flour and oil remained just as Elijah had said and the widow and her son survived.

Too often we fail to trust God as this widow did and others. God requires that we trust him and not in ourselves to save ourselves and see what we desire come to pass. People are so concerned with their own lives and trying to make things happen for themselves and others that they too are giving themselves to idolatry and decadence by neglecting to seek and do the will of God.

They are turning to all sorts of things and schemes and plans to accomplish what they want just as the Israelites did in the time of this lesson. Worship today in many instances is hollow at best and nonexistent most of the time in many so-called Christian places. But those who are trusting God with their time, talent, money and resources will find that God has a way of providing for and taking care of those who trust him just as he did for the widow and her son.

Maybe some have to get to their last meal or so far down that there is nowhere to go but up before they will trust God. The sad part is most won’t get to that place before it’s too late to do anything about it. Elijah, like all who trust God, want people to see and know that there are blessings in faithfulness not only here and now, but the greatest blessings are eternal and are yet to come.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview October 6 2019

Posted on Oct 3, 2019 in Christian Education |

What would be your final words of advice to your children if you knew you were going to leave them never to return? That is how some would characterize the Book of Deuteronomy as Moses, their spiritual father, emancipator and leader, was about to depart from them after such a long journey with them.

Moses charged them with “Obedient Faith” which is the title of this Sunday’s lesson. The scriptural text for this lesson is Deuteronomy 4:1-8, 12-13. Moses was speaking to an audience that had grown up in the wilderness and had seen the wonders and power of God work on their behalf from the time they left Egypt. They had also witnessed God speaking to them from a mountain of fire and the carving of the ten commandments by God into stone.

Yet they never saw anything they could compare God to or describe God as in heaven or earth. So in today’s lesson, Moses takes the time to remind them of their special relationship with God. He tells them that no other people have God’s law or has God’s ear or His favor like they do. Other nations see this and are watching them.

God is ready to give them the land He promised their fathers and drive out anyone who stands in their way. But God will only do that if they are obedient and faithful. He warns them not to become disobedient after they enter the promised land and reminds them of what happened to those who were disobedient and are now dead as a result. He emphasizes the fact that they must have faith in the God they can’t ascribe physical features to but who has demonstrated and manifested Himself in other ways and means.

Today, we are privileged to share as they did an even more special relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Like them, we have not seen His person, yet experience His presence and grace. Like them, we are commanded to obey Him as we prepare to enter the promised land of God’s eternal kingdom. We, like they, are not to add anything to His word or take anything away. Like them, the eyes of a lost and fallen world are upon us.

We are experiencing a time now where people in the church are willing to reinterpret God’s word to conform to the whims of a society that’s determined to live how they want to live. We must contend for the faith in the face of this growing undermining of God’s word that allows people to define God rather than God defining us. We must stand firm in the growing attempt to deemphasize the importance of obedience in credible faith.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview Sept 29 2019

Posted on Sep 26, 2019 in Christian Education |

Sin rarely involves only one. The old saying “it takes two to tango” also applies to most occurrences of sin. Hello everyone and thanks for joining me another Sunday School preview. Today’s lesson is entitled “God Forgives” and it is taken from Numbers 14:10-20.

After returning from searching the land and siding with those who brought back a negative report, the people murmured against God and were ready to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb. But God Himself intervened before they could stone them. God had had enough of their unbelief and was about to destroy them all until Moses pleaded on their behalf.

He appealed to God’s patience and mercy and God decided against doing what He was considering doing. Sin is first and foremost against God. The bible describes sin as the transgression of the law of God. To doubt or not believe God especially after He has given assurances whether by word or deed is an insult and dishonor to the dignity of His person. It was for this sin God was ready to cast them aside for someone else.

Their sin of unbelief not only was going to destroy them but their children as well. Rarely do people consider how their sin affects others either directly or indirectly. Yet sin is seldom, if ever, committed in isolation or a vacuum. It can affect our spouses, our children and family, our coworkers, employees or customers, our friends and acquaintances, our neighbors and those we don’t know and haven’t been born.

Many of those affected are the ones we say we love and care the most about. If God had destroyed them all like He said, then all these people would have been affected in one way or another and destroyed. By God forgiving their sin, those who were or would have been affected by their sin were spared. The perpetrators of this sin that occurred as a result of their unbelief, however, were not spared and died in the wilderness for it.

Today, our unbelief too has consequences that extend far beyond ourselves and touch the very ones we say we love. Know it or not, your actions are being watched by others and are having an influence on their actions. When others see or are the recipients of our unbelieving actions or behaviors, it can cause and lead them into unbelieving actions and behavior as well.

So not only do we suffer for our sin, but others suffer also for their involvement or influence from our sin. The good news is that God will forgive us and not destroy us if we truly repent and believe. The other good news is that our repentance can help to save and influence others who would have otherwise been affected by and lost as a result of our sin.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview Sept 22, 2019

Posted on Sep 19, 2019 in Christian Education |

Some situations we have and will encounter is beyond our ability to do change or do anything about. Yet our extremity is an opportunity for us to allow God to demonstrate our need for Him and His delight to do something for us. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “God Hears Our Cry” and is found in selected verses from the 13th and 14th chapter of the Book of Numbers.

It tells us about a reconnaissance or survey mission God instructed Moses to give to Israel. Some refer to it as a spy mission. They were to send one man from each of their 12 tribes to look around the land God was bringing them to and report back to the whole congregation what they saw and found. God already knew what they were going to find, but was again testing them to see if they were going to trust Him.

The investigators or spies came back and reported that the land was indeed all that and more of what they wanted and expected. But ten of the twelve reported that there were already people living there and in their opinion the people and their cities were to powerful for Israel to overcome.

Yet, the other two investigators, whose names were Joshua and Caleb, agreed with their assessment about the obstacles, but not with their opinion that they could not be overcome. They believed in God’s power and desire to give them the land.

The other 10 doubted the land could be taken and nearly all of the people agreed with their assessment and began to break down and cry because they feared they and their children had come all that way for nothing and they were all going to perish in the wilderness. They only trusted in what they themselves thought they could do and didn’t leave room for or trust and believe God to do what they couldn’t do and what He wanted to do for them.

Our ability to do anything is limited yet there are some things we want and need to do that God also wants us to have that go beyond our human ability to accomplish. The Israelites taking of the land was in the will of God and this is what the other two investigators told the congregation and why they shouldn’t fear going forward.

Though something may seem difficult or improbable, we should have the same faith as Joshua and Caleb in believing if God delights for us to do or have something, it will come to pass. God will also hear the cry of His children and answer them like the loving and caring Father He is.

We should always pray and trust in His will and never fear or doubt to go and proceed with something when we are confident of His blessing and direction. Just as God was proving them, He continues to prove us by placing obstacles before us and testing our faith in Him to assist us with the things we can’t do and handle by ourselves.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview Sept 15, 2019

Posted on Sep 12, 2019 in Christian Education |

A miracle can be defined as an unexpected uncommon event that can’t be attributed to known science or capabilities of man. The term is sometime used in a way that deemphasizes the unnatural and unexplained power of the event to refer to close calls or upsets or things in general that were not expected to happen.

The bible is filled with accounts of miracles in the full definition of word which makes it difficult for many people to take the bible seriously or believe it. For instance, today’s lesson is entitled “Bread From Heaven” and the lesson text is Exodus 16:1-8;13-15. There was no place for Israel to buy food along their journey from Egypt. And any food they had brought with them was all gone so they didn’t see any way they were going to survive.

Just as it looked like all hope was gone and they were going to die, God began to provide bread for them to eat in the morning and bird flesh for them to eat in the evening which appeared six days a week in a manner unknown and unexplained by science and beyond the capabilities of man. And this continued for forty years even though it was only intended for their short journey to Cannan.

The bible says God not only did it to keep them alive but also “to prove or test” them of their obedience to Him. Today God is still proving and testing people by and through the things we depend on for life in this world and from the non necessities. God needed Israel to see their dependency on Him to sustain their lives before He allowed them to enter the land of abundance He was bringing them to.

But once they arrived and began to live, eat and drink well, they began to forsake their God and His commandments who had made all that possible. People today are the same way. Many tend to ignore God until they encounter a problem or crisis that they can’t get themselves out of and begin to call on God for help.

But as Christians and people of God, we should honor, acknowledge and thank God for every moment and for everything. Most of all, we should be obedient to Him as the material world seeks to prove us of our love and respect for our Creator and Father. As for miracles, never allow someone’s doubt in miracles to affect or phase you or your faith in God and the bible.

There is no greater miracle than the fact that you and I and the one who doubts miracles are alive to even talk about miracles. Our presence alone is enough to confirm the existence of miracles – an event that can’t be explained by known science or the capabilities of man. They who say they don’t believe in miracles are a miracle themselves.

So, let us thank God every day for the “bread of life” for it is He who is keeping us alive and will keep us alive even when we pass through the shadows of death. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with the class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section at the bottom of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview Sept 8, 2019

Posted on Sep 5, 2019 in Christian Education |

When is the last time you got down on your knees or any prostrate position to pray? If you did then there was likely something very important to you that you wanted from God. Hello everyone. This week’s SS Lesson is entitled “God Answers Prayer”. The lesson text is found in 1 Samuel 1:9-20.

Prayer is our way of getting personal and specific with God about something we want Him to be aware of. It’s not like God is not already aware of whatever the matter may be. But prayer usually involves a request for God to act on the matter in a way we would like Him to. In fact, our prayers can sometime involve making a deal with God where if He will do the thing we request, we will do something in return.

This is the case in the lesson today when a woman who was barren and wanted a man child so much that she promised God if He opened her womb and gave her a son, she would give the son back to Him. God gave her that son and she named him Samuel. He became a faithful and important prophet and judge of Israel and two Old Testament books are named for him. Not only was Samuel born to Hannah, but she bore three others sons and two daughters after him.

There are several observations that should be noted about prayer. People shouldn’t trifle God with prayer by praying for and about people and things that aren’t important to them. In other words, it doesn’t matter to them what God does. In fact, they don’t even think about it again or even forget what it was they prayed about.

Prayer should be done in isolation and away from any distractions. Jesus said go into a secret closet. Isolation gives us the best opportunity to focus our thoughts toward God.

Our prayers have a better chance of receiving a favorable response if God will somehow receive glory from the outcome. Too often our prayers are selfish and only serve to help ourselves in some way. James say we ask in our prayers amiss so that we may consume our request upon our lust. But we ought to pray in a way that allows God to see what He will get out of fulfilling our request.

Emotion and sacrifice can demonstrate how important a prayer request is to us. Sincere tears or fasting is one way we have of displaying our desire for God to answer favorably our prayer. Jesus said some things only come by fasting and prayer.

No matter how important something may be to us, we must believe that God will do what He deems is best no matter how it may seem to us. There are those who will blame God and give up on God if their prayer is not answered in the matter is which they believe was best. We must always remember that God is not indebted to us to do anything including saving our souls.

Therefore, it is illogical for us to react negatively toward God for not acting or doing something He is not and never was obligated to do. But on the other hand, we need to show our appreciation when He choses to answer in a favorable way.

When we read Hannah’s prayer request, we see many of these attributes in her prayer. There was fasting and tears, isolation, something for God, willingness to accept and live with God’s will, appreciation and follow through on what she said. When we apply more of these principles in our prayers, I believe we will get better results.

Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section at the bottom of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan