Christian Education Blogs - Flag Branch MBC

SS Preview August 5 2020

Posted on Jul 30, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Faith and Wisdom” and is found in James 1:1-11.

Recognizing something and/or someone greater than oneself is the first step toward wisdom. Though that one thing or person is not fully known, faith informs us that they are there.

The opening verses of James’s letter encourages his readers to despair not as they endure and encounter all manners of trials and suffering. But instead with patience allow their faith to complete anything that may be lacking in wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Furthermore, he says if anyone lacks these things, then asks the one who is the object of their faith, the God of creation, who will ungrudgingly give them the answers and wisdom they need. He says just be steadfast in our faith.

The important thing to remember about faith is that faith is a testimony of what is unseen and to what is unknown. It is essential that one believes in the God he cannot see without doubting if he expects to receive anything from that God. God acts upon our faith.

We should not expect to receive anything from a God we doubt exists, we doubt hears us and doubt will give us what we ask for. Wisdom requires faith and faith requires wisdom. It takes wisdom to recognize and believe in that which you cannot see and faith to receive the wisdom needed to have faith in that we cannot see.

Wisdom informs us that every man is equal regardless of his station in life no matter if he is rich or poor. The reason why is that every man is laid bare and defenseless before death and that faith is the great equalizer. The rich is bought down and the poor is bought up so that everyone is on level ground before God.

The possession of or lack thereof of this world’s riches blinds people to the truth of the living God. They began to concentrate on their state instead of seeking the living God. Wisdom tells is that there is more to life than what is seen and faith causes us to seek that which wisdom informs us of.

Faith is a sign of wisdom and wisdom is a sign of faith. The two of them work hand in hand to bring us to where the mysterious and unseen God wants us to be.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview July 26, 2020

Posted on Jul 23, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Wisdom: The Way, Truth and Life” and is found in John 14:1-14.

The 14th, 15th and 16th chapters of the gospel according to John is called “the upper room discourse” by many. In these chapters, Jesus prepares His disciples for His physical departure by giving them some vital and final revelations and instructions. I would compare it in some ways to a teacher giving final instructions to students who are about to take a major examination which they need in order to pass.

The discourse begins with some of the most profound statements Jesus ever makes. So much in fact that they are frequently read at many, if not most, Christian funerals. “Let not your hearts be troubled” are the reassuring words Jesus begins His final period of instructions with His disciples.

It is as if He knew what would lie ahead for them and He was telling them in advance not to worry. He had been with them from the beginning and His presence was a calm and stabilizing influence that kept them together and alleviated their fears.

But that presence was about to leave and He wanted them to know how they were going to manage after His departure. Part of what He did was to remove any lingering doubt or suspicion over who He is. He told them to believe in Him because they believe in God.

The same thing applies to us today. Our belief in Jesus comes from our belief in God. As we read the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in that upper room, we need to place ourselves there and allow Him to speak them to us.

He tells us that God has a house with room for all of us. His departure is necessary in order to make preparations for us. That preparation would take Him to the cross of Calvary and through the pits of hell. He told us He would return after He made those preparations so that we may be where He is.

The place and way to where He was going, He insisted that we knew. However, when one indicated we were not sure about that, Jesus gives us a deeper revelation about Himself. He describes Himself as the way to the Father. He said that He is also the truth and that He is the life. These three things taken together are all we need to get us through this world and to the House with many mansions or rooms.

When someone asked Him to show us the Father, Jesus insisted if we see Him we are seeing the Father. Here He makes a direct connection between Himself and God. As proof of this He said let the words and works I have shown you make my case.

Finally, He tells us that we shall continue the works that He has started and whatever we need He will provide. The wisdom of the way to the Father, the truth of all things and the means to eternal life are all in Jesus.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview July 19, 2020

Posted on Jul 16, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “The Wisdom of Jesus” and is found in Mark 6:1-6. Today’s lesson is the account of a rather strange encounter upon Jesus returning to His hometown of Nazareth.

Earlier at the beginning of His ministry, He had been run out of town. Jesus had gone to the synagogue before and declared the Spirit was upon Him and had anointed Him to preach the gospel. Upon His announcements those assembled in the synagogue were offended that the son of Joseph the carpenter was proclaiming to be a prophet. They led him out of town and was going to throw Him off a cliff, but He managed to escape.

Now, some time has passed and He returns to Nazareth along with His disciples. He enters the synagogue again and begins teaching. This time those in attendance were amazed and astonished at what Jesus was saying and what He had done. They begin to question how was this possible. They thought it unlikely that someone raised among them could attain to such wisdom and statue. They looked at Jesus as a common carpenter and part of a common family.

So there shouldn’t have been an issue, but they made His identity an issue. It wasn’t that what He was doing and saying was a problem with them, it was who was doing and saying what was being said and done. Sometime people have a problem with the messenger. They can’t receive the message because of who the messenger is.

People already have a problem with authority and they have an increased problem when that authority is placed in someone they feel shouldn’t be in authority over them. Things like this happen all the time. Someone may have a good plan or idea, but some will reject it simply because of who proposed or submitted it.

While we must always be sensitive to the motives someone has for doing what they are doing, we must be careful to judge what they are doing and saying on the merits, truth and benefits of what is being said or done.

The people in Nazareth failed to do this and Jesus was only able to heal a few sick people there. All they were able to focus on was Jesus’s identity and the fact that someone they thought they knew could be so much wiser and greater than themselves.

This led Jesus to remark that a prophet is not honored among His own country or people and family. There are several family members named in this passage. It appears Jesus was part of an extended family that may have included offspring of Mary and/or Joseph. This is not the only place where Jesus’s extended family is mentioned in the gospel.

The main take away from this lesson is that those who think they know us, may not always accept or receive what we would like to do or say because of something they think about us. What they think about us overshadows what we may be doing or saying so that they can not receive or accept what we are offering just like those in Jesus’s hometown. We too must be careful that we focus so much on the messenger that we overlook and ignore the message.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview July 12, 2020

Posted on Jul 9, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “The Boy Jesus” and is found in Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b; Luke 2:39-52.

Not much is known about Jesus’s life before His gospel ministry. The gospels provide a few snapshots into select period of His early life. The first of course is His natural birth. Both the Gospel of Matthew and Luke provide information about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. Every Christmas we focus on the events recorded in those gospels about Jesus being born into the world. There is not much more recorded about His life between His birth and the His ministry.

Today’s lesson provides one of the few details about His early life. It tells us that Jesus and His parents customarily travelled to Jerusalem during the Feast of the Passover. It also tells us that Jesus was raised by two parents in a city or town called Nazareth in a region called Galilee. As He grew, He was filled with wisdom and God’s grace.

At the age of twelve, Jesus accompanied His parents on their customary pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. At the end of the days long feast, His parents started by home to Nazareth thinking that Jesus was among their family and friends. When they discovered Him missing, they returned and found Him among scholars.

The scripture describes Him as listening to them and asking them questions. It says they were amazed at His understanding for someone so young. His mother, on the other hand, appeared very upset with Jesus and asked Him why had He remained behind without telling them. Jesus response was that she should have known that He “would be about the things of His Father”.

At an early age Jesus was gathering information to prepare Himself for His divine mission nearly 18 years later. His parents didn’t understand the meaning of what He said but His mother continued to ponder them in her heart. After they found Him, Jesus returned with them to Nazareth and remained subject or obedient to them as He grew in wisdom and respect.

It is important for us as the followers and siblings of Jesus to follow His example of learning as much as we can about our Father and what He wants us to do with our life in His service. We are all heirs to the kingdom and are part of the Family business which is to seek and save the lost of mankind. In doing so, we like Jesus can grow in wisdom and maturity and favor with God and others.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview July 5, 2020

Posted on Jul 2, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Wisdom’s Vindication” and is found in Matthew 11:7-19.

A simple definition of vindication is to be cleared of blame or accusations. It means to provide proof that someone or something was wrong about what was alleged against someone or something.

The lesson backdrop begins with some people sent from John the Baptist to ask Jesus if He is the One meaning the Christ or Messiah. Jesus didn’t answer the question directly but provided some proofs and told them to make up their own minds. As they were leaving, Jesus asked those who were with Him what did they think about John the Baptist.

Regardless of what they thought they were going to see, Jesus said he was a prophet and then some. Among those born of women, Jesus said no one was greater. Jesus reasons for stating this concerning John the Baptist is not obvious or clear.

But one can look on the life of John the Baptist and consider his mission, the way he carried out his mission and what he sacrificed and suffered for his mission and righteousness and conclude that all these things taken together were the reason for Jesus making such a claim about him.

Nevertheless, Jesus goes on to say that whosoever is in the kingdom of God is greater than John. That is because regardless of what a person does or accomplishes or how well they may do it, life’s ultimate purpose is to receive salvation or enter into the kingdom of God. So then, anyone in the kingdom is greater than the greatest of anyone outside the kingdom.

The violence Jesus mentions refers to the zeal and enthusiasm people are rushing to hear the news of the gospel beginning with John and continuing with Himself. Jesus declares that all the law and prophets pointed to the ministry of John, to Him and the gospel He was bringing. In other words, John’s ministry was the beginning of the fulfillment of what the law and the prophets were pointing to and talking about.

Part of the greatness of John was that he was a prophet fulfilling a prophesy if they would believe it. Jesus said that John was the fulfillment of the prophesy of the prophet Elijah returning to proclaim and make ready for the coming of the Lord.

Finally, Jesus closes this episode with a nod to wisdom. It said in essences that wisdom is “vindicated” by the results what He refers to as her children. He said some called John a crazy person and some called him a sinner or drunk.

But wisdom knows the difference. He said the people to this generation are like those who keep calling the righteous to mourn and dance with them, but the righteous will not dance to their music nor have sympathy for their cause.

Though John and Jesus may have been accused or said to be something they were not, the wisdom of the wise clears or vindicates them of all the false charges and beliefs others had about them and those who wouldn’t dance and mourn along with the children of unbelief. These are they which are justified by wisdom because they are able to discern, recognize and obey the truth.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview June 28, 2020

Posted on Jun 25, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Wisdom’ s Feast” and is found in Proverbs 9:1-18.

For the fourth consecutive Sunday, the Sunday School is about wisdom from the book of Proverbs. In these lessons, the writer has attempted to get the readers to see Wisdom as a person to be befriended, sought after and listened to. Sometimes no gender is expressed and at others the feminine gender is used.

In today’s lesson, it is the feminine gender making an invitation. The passage contrast between two women. The first woman is Wisdom. She builds a house. The house is no ordinary house. It has seven stately pillars or columns. The number seven is significant because it is the spiritual number of perfection.

Within the house, Wisdom prepares a special dinner and table complete with furnishings and wine. After everything is ready and prepared, she sends her servants to elevated peaks so that everyone can hear her invitation to come and dine with her. She specifically calls to those who are simple.

Who are the simple? They are those who are naïve, gullible, inexperienced and at risk of being unknowingly taken advantage of. It is crucial for those who desire wisdom to acknowledge their lack and need of it. In other words, they must be teachable and desire understanding. Her invitation is to those who desire understanding.

Her food and drink are the words she imparts that if heeded will lead to life and understanding of purpose. Jesus said not to cast your pearls before swine. That’s another way of saying those who despise wisdom, knowledge and understanding will not only not appreciate anyone trying to give them any, but will express hostility toward them.

But just the opposite occurs with those who seek wisdom. They will love and appreciate those who try to help them. The text then contrasts Wisdom with a foolish woman. The foolish woman is unlearned, loud, gullible and has no shame.

She sits in the door of her house calling to those who pass by and inviting them inside. She is like a harlot seeking to consume the life of men. The simple and those who despise wisdom will turn and go into her house. It is the house of death. It is like the mouse who desires the cheese on the trap not realizing that eating it leads to death.

The text portrays two women. Wisdom is virtuous, caring, wise and empowering. The other is ignorant, unscrupulous, selfish and disabling. It’s up to us to decide which invitation to accept and into which house we will enter. It is literally a matter of life and death.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview June 21, 2020

Posted on Jun 18, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “The Gifts of Wisdom” and is found in Proverbs 8:8-14, 17-21.

For the last two weeks we have been studying godly wisdom from passages found in the book of Proverbs. This week we continue our study of wisdom in Proverbs. The focus this week is on the things or gifts wisdom provides. Some of these are repeats of what we have already read.

Wisdom is special in that it possesses some things that are extremely valuable and exclusive. Godly wisdom imparts righteous words. Worldly wisdom is often perverse and crooked because of the selfish interests and purposes of those who use it.

Those who able to discern godly wisdom will find wisdom’s words understandable. In wisdom’s words flow knowledge. The text reveals and emphasizes that wisdom’s words are more valuable than the best and choice silver, gold and jewels. If fact, nothing can even be compared to the value of it.

There is a mutual love between wisdom and those who love wisdom. Those who love wisdom will seek wisdom early in the morning upon rising from sleep. Wisdom will be their companion throughout the day. Wisdom brings with it riches, honor, wealth and righteousness. All these things are granted without silver and gold and are to be esteemed more value than they.

The love for wisdom brings wealth and fills the treasury of those who love it. The imparting of all these things or gifts is why all of God’s children need, seek and value godly wisdom.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview June 14, 2020

Posted on Jun 11, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “The Value of Wisdom” and is found in Proverbs 2:1-11.

One way to define wisdom is by stating that wisdom is the application of knowledge and understanding to arrive at the best and most desirous outcome. Everyday we make decisions based upon our knowledge and understanding.

Wisdom helps us make the best decisions for all involved and affected by those decisions. Many people are not interested in making the best decisions. Often decisions are made for immediate gratification. Decisions are made without regard to reputation.

Decisions are made without thinking about or considering the side effects or long-term consequences of that decision. Decisions are made without taking into account the effects it will have on others. And because people make decisions in this manner, they know not nor do they utilize the value of wisdom.

Most people will live and die without godly wisdom. There is a wisdom of the world and there is godly wisdom that the book of Proverbs tells us about that comes from above. The acquisition of godly wisdom begins with a desire to have it.

The writer says “If”. If what? If we will receive wisdom’s words as the great treasure they are and if we will pay close attention and seek to understand their meaning and if we seek help to ascertain insight and understanding and if we value wisdom above earthly treasures such as silver and gold, then something amazing with happen. We will discover the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the living God.

Because godly wisdom comes from God. We will begin to receive divine knowledge and understanding. God begins to do things for us like guarding, shielding and watching over those seeking godly wisdom. We will begin to understand and apply righteousness, justice and equity and the best course of action.

Because decisions are made from the heart, godly wisdom will begin to inform our hearts in making decisions. Discretion, the ability to fully evaluation the consequences of what we say and do, will watch over us and understanding will guard us as we make decisions that affect what will happen to us and all others who will be affected by our decisions.

This is the value of godly wisdom that most people don’t use because they fail recognize and appreciate its value. Therefore, most people go through life making decisions that help them get by. But get by decisions deprive us of the value and benefit of fully developed and thought out decisions that only come from godly wisdom. It’s like taking one bite out of a whole sandwich the throwing the rest away.

Pastor Jordan

SS Preview June 7, 2020

Posted on Jun 4, 2020 in Christian Education |

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “The Call of Wisdom” and is found in selected verses from Proverbs 1.

The Summer quarter which consists of the months of June, July and August will all feature lessons that focus on wisdom. The first four lessons will be found in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs should be required reading for all people, especially young men.

A proverb is a saying that contains much truth and practical knowledge. The book of Proverbs contains invaluable truths about how to live a life that is good and prosperous and right. It informs people of common mistakes to avoid and things that should be done. Many of the proverbs are attributed to King Solomon, the son of King David, whom God blessed with wisdom.

The emphasis through the book is on seeking and attaining wisdom, knowledge and understanding. The first chapter sets the stage and tone for the rest of the book. Verse 2 through 4 begin by informing the reader of the essentials of success. These include wisdom, instruction, understanding, justice, judgement, fairness, subtilty, knowledge and discretion.

This is quite an impressive list. The possession of these things will help a person become very equipped to deal the many challenges that life presents us with. People make so many bad choices because they lack these things.

The acquisition of these things begins with the fear of God in verse 7. But fools, willing or unwilling, despise knowledge. Solomon says to heed the instructions of one’s parents. This is one of the first failures many people do.

Parents have the wisdom that is only obtained through experience. Many things someone wants to do or try, parents have already done and tried and can save their children the trouble of learning something the hard way.

Not only personal experience, but the experience of others they can share with their children. Many parents see themselves in their children and want them to succeed where they have failed or seen others fail.

The book of proverbs is filled with admonitions to righteous living and warnings to avoid evil and temptation. Too many people give in and follow those who are foolish and end up doing foolish and evil things that mess up their lives.

One of the best things in proverbs is that wisdom is personified and speaks as a person. Proverbs makes wisdom to be someone who can talk to us. A person full of the secrets of life. A person who will be our companion and is calling to us to learn from her.

The book of Proverbs is a book that allows Wisdom to speak to the children of men and gives them a needed asset to make life-giving, life-saving and eternal decisions. I’m looking forward to all the lessons on Wisdom.

Pastor Jordan