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TOPIC: End Of Fourth Quarter/Interactive Session
Summary Of Lessons (40 – 51)
LESSON: 40
TOPIC: RESTITUTE YOUR WAYS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
MEMORY VERSE: “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Luke 19:8
BIBLE TEXT: LUKE 19:1-10
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
What is restitution? It’s a way of returning or retracting what was forcefully taken or wrongly said. Today’s memory verse is explicit on this issue. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, in his line of duty, might have taken people’s properties (those who did not have money or delayed payment) forcefully, and in turned the properties became his own. For the real salvation to come to him, restitution must be done, which he did.
LESSON OUTLINES:
THOSE WHOM CONSEQUENCE OF REFUSAL TO RESTITUTE CAUGHT UP WITH IN THE BIBLE.
ACTIVITY: Discuss how we can know that we need to make restitution in any wrong thing we have done in the past before and after becoming a believer?
SUMMARY: As a believer, we need to check our lives daily so as to make restitution.
CONCLUSION: Zacchaeus immediately restituted his ways when he got the opportunity to do so. However, Ananias and Sapphira were not given such opportunity. On this note we advise that to be a copycat is dangerous, for you may not know whether your own will catch up with you while others escape it. Please, restitute your ways before it is too late.
LESSON: 41
TOPIC: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HOLY COMMUNION.
MEMORY VERSE: “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” John 6:53.
BIBLE TEXT: MATTHEW 26:26-28
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
Holy Communion is a spiritual meal that was initiated by God, in the Old Testaments a Feast of Passover, through Moses, Exodus 12:1-6. The coming of Jesus Christ, in the New Testament, also brought with Himself grace. And, one of the attributes of this grace is that the killing of unblemished lamb, for the Feast of Passover, was replaced with the flesh (Bread) and blood (Wine) of Jesus Christ. As we continue to dig deep into this important topic, we pray that Holy Spirit will help us to do justice to it adequately.
LESSON OUTLINES:
PURPOSES OF HOLY COMMUNION:
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HOLY COMMUNION INCLUDES:
HOW THEN DO I TAKE IT AND MAXIMISE IT’S BLESSINGS?
ACTIVITY: Class mention personal testimonies relating to the Holy Communion.
SUMMARY: No man who approach or take the Holy Communion in godliness ever remain the same for good, vice versa.
CONCLUSION: The significance of Holy Communion cannot be over emphasised. All Christians involved in this Heavenly race must come to term with the reality that it is neither by power nor by might but by the special grace of God which is regularly made available through Holy Communion.
LESSON: 42
TOPIC: DO NOT CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER BY SIGHT ONLY.
CASE OF SAMSON AND DELILAH.
MEMORY VERSE: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” – Colossians 3:20.
BIBLE TEXT: JUDGES 13:7-14; 14:1-4; 16:1,4.
JUDGES 13:7-14
JUDGES 14:1-4
JUDGES 16:1,4.
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
Marriage is a lifelong union between a male and a female, to fulfill one of the mandates of God for mankind – procreation. Genesis 1:28. In addition, the Bible in Genesis 1:27 said “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” meaning that for every male child, given birth to, God has created his wife with him, and vice versa. The problem now is searching and getting right the particular heavenly match for everyone.
Holy Spirit, please, open up Your words the more for us and sharpen our understanding for comprehension, in Jesus Name. Amen.
LESSON OUTLINES:
RECIPE FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE.
The general recipe for a successful marriage is that as you are stepping into it, you go back to the “manufacturer” who has the manuscript of your marriage. Psalms 37:5-6, Proverbs 3:6,5. What actually, does He want to achieve with my marriage and who exactly has he carried has he created for me. The next thing is to wait patiently for His instruction and then follow His directives.
LESSON FROM SAMSON AND DELILAH.
ACTIVITY: Discuss why marriages are being destroyed?
SUMMARY: You can choose for yourself a partner but God knows the best for you.
CONCLUSION: When it concerns choosing life partner, none of whatever consideration is much more important than bringing the Initiator of marriage, as the number one consideration.
LESSON: 43
TOPIC: YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE GREATER THAN YOU
MEMORY VERSE: “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
BIBLE TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:1-4
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
God is a God of multiplications and He hates stagnation or a cyclical life. What do we mean? We meant when a father was in a particular spot and the child or children came and remained the same spot as the father, as the father, God dislikes it with passion. Conversely, God will rather encourage a child or children to be greater than their father in all Godly ramifications. For example; Genesis 24:35 says that Abraham was great, while Genesis 26:13 says that Isaac was very great and Jacob according to Genesis 30:43 was exceedingly great. From today the example will be the portion of your family in Jesus Mighty Name.
LESSON OUTLINES:
WHAT MUST I DO FOR MY CHILDREN TO BE GREATER THAN ME?
ANY BENEFITS FOR THE PARENTS?
There are several benefits if the above and more are followed strictly. The following and more will be obvious benefits.
ACTIVITY: Discuss other benefits for parents if their children are greater than them.
SUMMARY: God will rather encourage a child or children to be greater than their father in all Godly ramifications.
CONCLUSION: It is no doubt that any family that put God first in training their children will receive rewards of their children becoming greater than them.
LESSON: 44
TOPIC: RE-IGNITING LOVE IN YOUR MARRIAGE
MEMORY VERSE: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1
BIBLE TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-7.
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
Almost every marriage starts with a huge celebration, together with their family and friends, each couple is full of hopes and dreams for their future life together. But the road to a happy marriage is far from easy. And as today’s divorce statistics demonstrate that all is not well with many marriages.
It would be easy to blame our high rate of marital failure on things like not spending enough quality time together, allowing bitterness and resentment to build in our hearts and failing to keep communication lines open. There are lots of books, articles and seminars that tell us how to improve these and many other aspects of our relationships.
LESSON OUTLINES:
FEELING BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT GROWING TOWARDS YOUR PARTNER
The answer is Love and Prayers. When was your last time you brought him or her before the Lord in prayer and truly thanked God for your relationship? Struggling to find quality time together? How about praying with your partner and asking God how he would like you to use your time?
As you begin to do these things, you will notice that your focus automatically starts to shift away from you and your desires and over to God and your partner. As a result, communication problems begins to improve, anger and resentment fade away and you naturally want to spend more time together. Of course, you can’t expect such changes to happen overnight.
Relationship is also bound to face financial pressures, child-rearing issues and other problems that are beyond our control. But if you commit your relationship to God and make a conscious decision each day to put God and your partner first, your marriage will be able to weather any storm. Not only that; you will also have plenty of fun together along the way!
If our love and marriage is to be restored, Jesus must be invited.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT JESUS CAN STRONGLY IMPACT OUR RELATIONSHIPS.
CONSIDER THESE STEPS THAT CAN LEAD YOUR MARRIAGE TOWARDS RENEWED SENSE OF INTIMACY:
ACTIVITY:
i. Members should mention things that can cause the love in marriage to go cold
ii. Members should discuss or mention how to avoid or resolve the things mentioned.
SUMMARY: Love is the life of a marriage, when it is cold the marriage is cold and sickly, when it is hot the marriage is hot and healthy.
CONCLUSION: The source of all marital problems can be traced back to the Garden of Eden with creation’s first married couple. Genesis 1 and 2 tell us that Adam and Eve lived in perfect union with God, and with each other. Without fear or shame, they instinctively delighted themselves in creation, in each other and God.
LESSON: 45
TOPIC: HELPING THE YOUTH TO GROW SPIRITUALLY
MEMORY VERSE: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
BIBLE TEXT: HEBREWS 5:11, MATTHEW 21:18-21
HEBREWS 5:11-14
MATTHEW 21:18-21
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
There must be a sincere desire in the heart of every child of God to want to grow and get closer to God to discover the secrets that will enable him leave the realm of spiritual defeat and come to higher grounds of spiritual victory. Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus. We are always concerned when there is no growth in any area of our lives. When a child is not growing, the parents are bothered and want to do everything to make the child grow. Same way the Lord is bothered when we are not making spiritual progress and not growing closer to Him.
LESSON OUTLINES:
WHEN THERE IS NO GROWTH
Spiritual growth is as important as physical growth. As our days increase in the Lord, So should our knowledge of God, wisdom, righteousness and commitment to Him continuously increase. There are telltale signs of spiritual stagnancy, some of them are:
STEPS TO GROWTH
SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
ACTIVITY: Discuss how the church is helping the youth in the aspect of spiritual growth.
SUMMARY: The youth can grow spiritually if they have a close relationship with God.
CONCLUSION: Believers who desire to spiritual growth must be ready to go the extra mile. It is the Lord’s desire that we become more and more like Him in our daily lives.
LESSON: 46
TOPIC: DEALING WITH PROCRASTINATION.
MEMORY VERSE: “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”
BIBLE TEXT: ACTS 24:22-25, ACTS 26:28.
ACTS 24:22-25
ACTS 26:28
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverb 27:1. This explains the fact that time is of essence in all decisions of life.
Procrastination is willfully delaying a required action until a future time. It means to defer, to postpone until tomorrow, what should have been done, a day before tomorrow. It is an enemy of success. We trust the Lord to deal with this vice in our lives in Jesus Name.
LESSON OUTLINES:
CAUSES OF PROCRASTINATION
EFFECTS OF PROCRASTINATION
DEALING WITH PROCRASTINATION
ACTIVITY: Discuss why believers always find themselves in the Act of “Procrastination”?
SUMMARY: Procrastination is a bad habit, you can stop it through the help of God.
CONCLUSION: Rosie O’Neil once said “Procrastination is the arrogant assumption that God owns you another chance to do tomorrow, what He gave you the chance to do today.” Do it today, do it now. Just do it.
LESSON: 47
TOPIC: BE EARTHLY RELEVANT AND HEAVENLY FOCUSED
MEMORY VERSE: “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” – 1 Corinthians 9:25
BIBLE TEXT: 1CORINTHIANS 9:24-27.
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
Heaven is in dare need of a generation that is balanced. God is in search of people; He will not be ashamed to be call His own Hebrew 11:6. Now, is the time for a mind shift to identify God’s plan and purpose and God’s expectation from those He calls His own 3 John 1:2, Matthew 6:33.
In today’s Bible text, God we can see that wants us to know and live His plan, purpose and Will to the extent of been intentional about it. As we continue in today’s study, we will see why we need to run with a vision and never to loose focus. God wants t5be proud of you, don’t just exist without relevant, you are the salt of the Earth, ye are gods.
LESSON OUTLINES:
YOU HAVE AN EARTHLY MANDATE
GOD HAS A CLEAR AND SPECIFIC THOUGHT OF HOW YOU SHOULD LIVE ON EARTH. GENESIS 1:28.
ACTIVITY: Class should mention things that they can do to be earthly relevant and not loosing the focus of Heaven?
SUMMARY: Our stay on earth must be full of relevance even as eternity in view.
CONCLUSION: Never lose a touch of your home at the expense of this world.
LESSON: 48
TOPIC: NO REPENTANCE IN THE GRAVE
MEMORY VERSE: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”
BIBLE TEXT: LUKE 16:19-31
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
The English Dictionary describes Repentance as a feeling of pain or sorrow being sincerely affected by a sense of guilt and resolved on amendment. It can simply be said to be a process of making a turn-around from previously existing way of life here on earth.
In the text above, it is true that the rich man eventually was remorse and felt guilty but there was no opportunity to make an amendment any longer. The claim of repentance after death is not defended by any part of the Bible, Old or New Testament.
LESSON OUTLINES:
THREE STEPS SHOWS THAT REPENTANCE CAN TAKE PLACE ONLY IN LIVING.
These three steps if genuine refines only a living soul, the steps can work for all kinds of sinful condition and will really require the physical contribution of the conscience of the individual and not a dead person.
ACTIVITY: Discuss why we find repentance hard to do when we know we are guilty?
SUMMARY: We can die at any time, so we must check ourselves as believers.
CONCLUSION: Repentance can take place just before you give up the ghost but NEVER when you have died. Hence it is also said that there is hope for a living soul no matter what the level of sin may be, but there cannot be any opportunity when you have died or in the grave as explained in our text today.
LESSON: 49
TOPIC: TRUE BIBLICAL CHURCH GROWTH IS STILL POSSIBLE
MEMORY VERSE: “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” – Acts 2:47
BIBLE TEXT: ACTS 2:42-47
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
Much of contemporary church is concerned with structures and finances of the church but the heartbeat of the church, which is soul winning and welfare of souls won is rather played down. It should be noted that the churches is the building and money that comes in but God places premium on the souls and how they are natured into maturity in Christ. When soul winning, nature and development (Discipleship) of souls are given priority with connection to the mainstream of the churches for care in all the ways churches will grow naturally.
LESSON OUTLINES:
In the first church by the Apostles, five important ingredients made it biblical church and there were evidences of church growth. This template is for all seasons and generations if our churches will judiciously follow the steps, there will be biblical growth.
ACTIVITY: Discuss why true biblical doctrine is not that strong in the church any more?
SUMMARY: True biblical church growth is still possible if souls are nutured into maturity in Christ.
CONCLUSION: Church is the assembly of called out believers and this special people can become the pillars of growth to the amazement of all if the biblical principle of the first church as stated are followed to the latter, we have been promised a true biblical church growth by our Lord and Saviour when he said, I will build my church. Matthew 16: 18-19.
LESSON: 50
TOPIC: TRUE BIBLICAL CHURCH GROWTH IS STILL POSSIBLE
MEMORY VERSE: “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.” – 1 Samuel 16:1
BIBLE TEXT: 1SAMUEL 16:1-13
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
What is substitute? Several meanings have been postulated but we think this meaning will fit in to our write up. “Someone who serves as a replacement for another person.”
Any position given to man by God, He (God) must have prepared someone else, peradventure there is any misconduct by the original occupier of the position. For example, when prophet Elijah requested that he be killed by God from the life threat of Jezebel, 1 King 19:1-4. God told him (Elijah) to choose Elisha in his stead,1 Kings 19:14-16. Also, King Saul disobeyed God. God immediately told Prophet Samuel to anoint David as Saul replacement, 1 Samuel 16:1.
LESSON OUTLINES:
THOSE THAT WERE REPLACED BY GOD IN THE BIBLE AND THEIR OFFENSE.
AS A CHRISTIAN WHAT SHOULD I DO TO AVOID REPLACEMENT?
ACTIVITY: Mention things that can lead to replacement?
SUMMARY: God is a respecter of no man and can replace anyone who does not comply to His will and plans.
CONCLUSION: Nobody is above replacement by God, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” Acts 10:34-35.
FEAR THE LORD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENT. This is how to escape being substituted.
LESSON: 51
TOPIC: CHURCH WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE
MEMORY VERSE: “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” – Ephesians 5:27.
BIBLE TEXT: HEBREWS 12:10-17
LESSON INTRODUCTION: It is certain that Jesus Christ is coming back, whether we believe it or not. And He (Jesus Christ) is coming to take the believers in Him to Heaven. See John 14:1-3. The believers in Christ must lead a blameless life before they can access the beautiful place prepares for Christians by Him (Christ). Please let it be known to everyone of us that Christ is not coming for Church goers but only those believers in Christ without spot or wrinkle.
LESSON OUTLINES:
WHAT MUST WE DO NOW THAT WE KNOW THIS?
ACTIVITY: Class things that can lead to spot or wrinkle in the Church?
SUMMARY: God wants us to be holy like Christ but only those believers in Christ without spot or wrinkle.
CONCLUSION: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11. If we steadfastly follow the above ten points and every other Godly instructions, the grace of God will enable us to be spotless and wrinkle waiting for His appearance.
GOLDEN DIET FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY: Psalms 150:1-6 Praise God with every breath in you.
TUESDAY: Look unto Jesus Hebrews 12:2
WEDNESDAY: Be accommodative enough today Hebrews 13:2
THURSDAY: Remember your creator in the days of your youth Ecclesiastes 12:1
FRIDAY: Intercede for at least one person
SATURDAY: A call to serve 1 Peter 5:2
SUNDAY: Praise God with understanding Ecclesiastes 8:4.
House Fellowship Anthem
1 I love this family Of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family
2 I bless this family of God,
So greatly prospered by the Lord,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family
3 I know this family of God,
So deeply rooted in the word,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family
4 I see this family of God,
So highly lifted above all,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family
5 Come and join this family of God,
So highly favoured by the Lord,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family
SUGGESTED TIME SCHEDULE
10 minutes for Opening Prayer, Praise and Worship
10 minutes for Testimonies
15 minutes for Bible Discussion
15 minutes for General Prayers
10 minutes for Questions & Answers
5 minutes for Welcoming New Members
10 minutes for Announcements, Offering, House Fellowship Anthem & Closing Prayers.
Total – 60 Minutes (1 Hour)
AUTHOR:
Pastor E.A. Adeboye.
The General Overseer of, The Redeemed Christian Church Of God.