Topic: Condescend [Teens Open Heavens 15, May 2018]

Memorise: Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your conceits. Romans 12:6

Read: Isaiah 66:1-2 (KJV)

1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Bible In One Year: 2 Kings 12-14, John 5:25-47

MESSAGE:

God leads by example. Before he tells you to humble yourself and serve others, he has done it time and again. Some people consider themselves too high to be reached. If you are ‘high’ and you stay up there, you will be unable to reach out to those who are low. Most of the people you are expected to know less about God and His ways, probably have never even heard about God, have little or no means of livelihood, have little or no education, et cetera. The ability to condescend to their level is humility. Do you look down on people who are less privileged than you? Do you laugh at them and make fun of their clothes? If yes then you are not being Christ-like.

You should learn not to look down on people who are less privileged. You should come to their level and help them to improve whenever there is an opportunity for that. In situations where you see people who have very little, and you have more than enough to spare, reach out to them, and give them a measure from what you have. In doing this, you will be showing the love of Christ to them, and this is greater than any sermon you can ever preach to them.

Action Point: Prayerfully, reach out to 10 people below your status and show them the love of God.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Teen Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor Adeboye’’

Hymn 13:

1. Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing through you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready His service to do?

Chorus:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.

2. Is your life a channel of blessing?
Are you burdened for those that are lost?
Have you urged upon those who are straying
The Savior who died on the cross?

3. Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is it a daily telling for Him?
Have you spoken the word of salvation
To those who are dying in sin?

4. We cannot be channels of blessing
If our lives are not free from known sin;
We will barriers be and a hindrance
To those we are trying to win.

Daily Devotional for Teen’s guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

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Topic: God Will Help You [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Tuesday May 15, 2018]

The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. — Psalm 29:11

God has been showing me that we need to be aware of His present provisions now, and not just in the future. In Psalm 28:7, David said of God…I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him. He did not say, “I will be helped.”

Wait on God, because God’s help will strengthen you to behave in a godly way all day long if you trust in Him. Even while you wait on God to manifest His plan, your heart can greatly rejoice in His presence. Tell someone something good that God has done for you, and then watch Him move in the presence of your praise.

Prayer Starter: Father, You are the great “I am,” and I thank You for being with me…right here, right now. Help me today to recognize Your goodness and begin expecting You to show up in my life in mighty ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’ 

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

The post Joyce Meyer’s Daily 15 May 2018 Devotional — God Will Help You appeared first on Flatimes.

TOPIC: Gideon [Sunday, 13th May 2018]

OPENING PRAYER: Father, turn my fear to courage. Let the Holy Spirit give me strength to become a mighty man of valour. (Scroll down for SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN)

Bible Passage: Judges 6: 11 -16 (KJV)

11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

MEMORY VERSE: “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”. – Judges 6:12

LESSON INTRODUCTION: Gideon, also called Jerubbaal, (Judg. 6:29, 32), was of the tribe of Manasseh. He was the son of Joash, of the family of Abiezer. Judg. 6:11. He was a valiant and prudent judge of Israel, particularly the Eastern and Northern tribes, (B. C. 1249 to 1209). He resided in Ophrah, east of the Jordan, a region often ravaged in harvest-time by the wandering tribes on its eastern border. Being called of God to deliver his people, and encouraged by signs from heaven, he defeated the Midiantites, and caused Israel to dwell in safety for many years. Gideon had many wives and seventy sons, Judges 8:30. He also had a son named Abimelech by a concubine in Shechem, Judges 8:31. Died in “a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites”. Judges 8:32.

TEXT REVIEW: JUDGES 6:11-16

WORDS OF COURAGE AND ASSURANCE

Statement of courage and assurance can bring an abrupt end to years of oppression and intimidation. In today’s story, five statements of assurance brought the Israelites out of seven (7) years of pains inflicted upon them by the Midianite oppressors, Judge6:1-5. These life-restorkg statements are stated below:

i. The Lord is with you. Judges 6: 12a.
ii. You area mighty man of valour (not a coward). Judges 6:12b.
iii. Go in this your might Judges 6:14a
iv. You will save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Judges 6:14b.
v. I have sent/commissioned you. Judges 6:14c.
The teacher’s words to students in affliction must bring light of hope and recovery of destiny. Towing the path of excuse given by the shekels as Gideon did in Judges 6:13, may prolong the pains. Teacher should be so sure of his God and present same to those in affliction. Joshua said, “We are well able” Number 13:30. The three Hebrews said, “Our God is able.” Dan. 317. Therefore we are well able to win the battles through God on our side. Judges 7:25.

Lesson Outline 1: CHARACTER AND ACHIEVEMENTS

A. HIS CHARACTER
i. He was humble.
ii. He did not believe he could be qualified for God to use because his family was poor and least Judges 6:15
iii. He was encouraged and strengthened by the angel of the Lord. Judges 6:12,14
iv. The angel of the Lord described him as “a mighty man of valour. Judges 6:12.
v. God commissioned him through his angel to “save Israel Judges 6:14.
vi. God gave him a proof that he would be with him through a sign from the angel. Judges 6:16-24.

B. HIS ACHIEVEMENTS
i. He was able to pull a large number of soldiers in his army. (22,000 men).
ii. He obeyed and believed God to reduce the army to only 300 soldiers. Judges 7:24
iii. He fought with this few number of soldiers and defeated the Midianites.
iv. He brought an end to the 7 years of Midianite’s oppression. Judges 6:1
v. He destroyed the altar of Baal. Judges 6:28.

Class Activity 1: Why do you think people are reluctant to submit themselves to the calling of God? I.

Lesson Outline 2: LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE
i. Christians must always be ready. God may call you at any time to accomplish His purpose. lsa.6:8.
ii. You must always remember that God “gives grace to the humble” James 4:6.
iii. God gives us the power to do whatever He tells us to do, no matter how difficult it may seem to be. Phil. 2:13; 3:14.
iv. Courage in the face of adversity can accomplish great things. Deut31:6.
v. Victory over the battles of life is not achieved through human ability but through divine interventions. Zech.4:6; Exo.14:13-14; 2Chr. 20:17.

Class Activity 2: Why is courage essential for believers to carry out divine order?

SUMMARY:
We need God to win our battles. We need to hear His voice for right strategies to win.

CONCLUSION:
Often times, when God wants to accomplish a great task, He does not call the qualified but qualifies the called.

EVALUATION:
What moral lesson did we learn from Gideon?

CLOSING PRAYER:
Father, give me courage to do your word as directed. Let me win all my battles.

ASSIGNMENT:
Mention five strategies which believers can use to break the oppressions of the adversaries.

Read previous RCCG Sunday School Teacher’s Manual Here

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth.

2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day, Thy friendship suits me well,
Both young and old will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.

5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?

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Topic: He Changes Us [Billy Graham’s Devotional Saturday May 12, 2018]

. . . that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. — Ephesians 6:19

The word “mystery” means beyond human knowledge or understanding. God’s mysteries baffle the unbelieving, but bless the believer. The mystery of righteousness, like some of the other great mysteries of God, we cannot comprehend, but we know it works. We stand amazed at this great mystery which enables God to change the human heart, its attitudes, its desires, and its nature.

God, a holy God, who loves righteousness and hates wickedness, through a process of redemption has refashioned us in the image of Himself. How marvelous! For generations He has been applying His righteousness to the hearts of men. Even in our time, with its complexities of living, God is in the business of changing men and women by the mystery of righteousness.

Prayer for the day: Give me Your boldness to tell others the secret of eternal joy in Jesus Christ.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional HERE

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

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