FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Stay Obedient to God
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. — Joshua 1:7 (KJV); (GNT)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sister Ernestine Butler – September 25 – Class 07
Sister Flora Greene – September 27 – Class 05
Sister Emma Govan – September 29 – Class 05
Sister Arnette Jackson – September 30 – Class 09/10
Call (641) 715-3378, access code 2597-48#; Reference 174# to listen to a review of these lessons.
For more information our website at www.5ambiblestudyministry.org
Overview: Saying goodbye to family and friends can be difficult. As they depart, we no longer have the influence over their lives that we once had. However, God is omnipresent and can continue to build them up in His Kingdom if we continue to pray. Most importantly, we should have a burden that all come into the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The fact is, there’s nothing anyone can do to add to God’s salvation plan. Therefore, we must be willing to share the infallible truths with family and friends that, by grace are we saved through faith and that Jesus paid the sin debt for those who will believe on Him. He’s able to take us out of poverty and make us rich, from being empty to making us full.
In response to all that God has done for us, we must praise Him for the overflow of our freedom, future promises and benefits that we now enjoy in His Kingdom. In the meantime, we must keep on the garment of love through all weather conditions. We must obey God’s commandments and love one another at all times. This will give us staying power in our relationships during the storms of life.
In times of uncertainties, whether it’s about our mortality or circumstances, we may sometimes hit a brick wall and don’t know how to pray. Where this may concern us, remember, God knows our hearts and will allow the Holy Spirit to make intercession on our behalf. He may give us a song in the night or He may give us the gift of friends that will listen to our hearts and began to pray with and for us. We can be assured that God hears the prayers of the righteous.
In closing, God is faithful and there’s nothing too hard for Him. When there is fear and doubt in our hearts about whether God can perform a specific miracle on our behalf, let’s begin to pray and watch Him give us fresh faith at the time we least expect it. We must hold on to the profession of our faith and God will give us strength.
***The Scriptures for this week’s lessons are taken from the Good News Translation (GNT). The Good News Translation used to be known as “Today’s English Version and the Good News Bible”. The GNT has a reading level of grade 6. This translation was intended for people everywhere for whom English is either their mother tongue or an acquired language. This translation was first published in 1976 and is considered to be real and very clear because it’s translation philosophy is thought to thought.***
Monday, September 25, 2017 – Apart but Not Abandoned – Acts 20:17-20, 24-38
Focus: Saying goodbye to family and friends can be difficult because we’re no longer able to influence the lives. However, we can pray and God can continue to build them up and give them an inheritance.
Scriptures: Psalm 139:7-10; Luke 15:20
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 – From Empty to Full – 2 Kings 4:1-7
Focus: There is nothing that we can offer God for salvation. By grace, He sent His Son to pay for our sin debt. Let’s praise Him for the overflow of our freedom and future promises in His Kingdom.
Scriptures: John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 8:9
Wednesday, September 27, 2017 – Clothes for the Climate – Colossians 3:8-17
Focus: The garment of love is an all-weather wardrobe prescribed by God. We must obey His commandments to love one another. This will give us staying power in the storms of life.
Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Thursday, September 28, 2017 – The Day I Couldn’t Pray – Romans 8:22-26
Focus: In times of uncertainties when we can’t pray as we ought to, remember, God knows our heart and will allow the Holy Spirit to make intercession on our behalf. Also, the gift of friends praying will not go unheard.
Scriptures: 1 John 3:19-22
Friday, September 29, 2017 – Fresh Faith – John 20:24-29
Focus: God is faithful and there’s nothing too hard for Him. When we doubt God’s ability to perform a specific miracle, pray and He will give us fresh faith in moments we are most fearful and will make us strong.
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Mark 11:22-24
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson – Blessedness In Giving
The most difficult to understand Beatitude in the Bible is Acts 20:35, which says “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. The giver is actually happier than the receiver. This is most surely a mistake because it goes against all of our instincts. As we enter into the season of Thanksgiving, here are ten reasons why it is more blessed to give than to receive:
- Giving obeys God’s command.
- Giving submits to God’s Lordship.
- Giving exhibits God’s heart.
- Giving illustrates God’s salvation.
- Giving trusts God’s provisions.
- Giving widens God’s smile.
- Giving advances God’s kingdom
- Giving promotes God’s sanctification
- Giving testifies to God’s power.
- Giving praises God’s character.
Do you now see how giving makes us more blessed than getting? We can get so much more happiness when we see how God is glorified in our giving and when we see Him bless others through our giving.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. — 2 Corinthians 9:7 (KJV); (GNT)