Merry Christmas Brethren,

Last week’s Sunday School topic was: The Word Became Flesh. And one of the key lessons from that study is that God becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ is a foundational truth of Christianity, one on which our saving faith is anchored.

 Our Sunday School topic this Sunday is: Lessons From the Wise Men. See attached outline.

Key Learning Points Include That:

1. The faith and diligence of the wise men should serve to inspire us to seek the Lord diligently. 
2. Though the world around us may remain careless and unbelieving, we must not be ashamed to believe in Jesus and confess Him. 
3. Just like the wise men bowed down and worshipped Jesus when they came into His presence, His presence in our lives should spur us to spontaneous-continuous worship, Worship is our only reasonable response in His presence. 

May the joy of the Savior’s birth fill your lives now and always. And may it fill your hearts with great hope as you look into 2021.

Brethren,

Compliments of the Season.

One of the key lessons from last Sunday’s  study on The Spiritual Discipline of Submission and Obedience is that obedience is the supreme test of our faith in God and reverence for His name (Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:13). So, we submit and obey constituted authority because God expects His children to do so, not only when it is pleasant but even when it hurts.

This Sunday, our Bible study topic is: The Word Became Flesh.

Key Learning Points Include That:

1. Jesus Christ is the Word from God and of God. He is the “true light” and life-giving presence of God who “made his dwelling among us” (John 1:4, 9, 13,14,18). These truths about Jesus are the foundation of all truth, without which there can be no saving faith.
2. God has been speaking to man in various ways and forms (Hebrews 1:1-3). But in Jesus Christ, God makes His best and final communication by taking on human flesh – becoming fully man while fully retaining His deity. HE did this as the ultimate revelation of Himself and to bring eternal life to all who believe in him.
3. Unlike other religions and gods who do thing for show, God’s primary purpose with man is that every man returns to His family by receiving and believing in Jesus Christ. John 1:12; 3:16

And with Christmas just a week away, may I use this opportunity to wish us all a Merry Christmas, remembering that in Jesus, God has said all He wants to say to us.

Brethren,

We continue our series on Spiritual Discipline with a look at the Discipline of Submission and Obedience. See outline attached

Key Learning points are:

1.     The discipline of obedience and submission lies in the fact that God has given us the freedom to daily choose to obey/submit or not. And God is hoping that we will use this freedom and out of reverence for Him to choose rightly. (I Peter 2:16)

2.     Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God and reverence for Him (Ephesians 5:21;1 Peter 2:13) So, God expects His children to submit and obey constituted authority for His name sake, and not because we feel like it or not. (1 Peter 2Vs 13).

3.     The Christian home is the best place to nurture the discipline of submission and obedience in the future generation of believers. (Ephesians 6:1-4).

May the Lord use it to inspire us to pursue a deeper level of submission and obedience

Brethren,

Last Sunday’s Bible study was on the Spiritual Discipline of Confession and Repentance. One of the lessons is the fact that confession and repentance are essential Christian disciplines which help us maintain intimacy with God.This Sunday, we shall be looking at the Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity.

Key Learning Points include:

1. Simplicity is a state of mind, depicted by singleness of heart and purpose, sincerity, pure motive, unambiguity, and freedom from complexity
2. The spiritual discipline of simplicity is only possible when one’s purpose in life is to be all that God desires for the individual.
3. The discipline of simplicity is the daily practice of letting our pursuit of God to dictate the direction of our lives – choices and decisions and actions, rather than being controlled by our appetites.

Luke 12:15

Brethren,

Last Sunday, our study on the Spiritual Discipline of Solitude and Silence highlighted our need to be more deliberate in seeking solitude and silence so as to deepen our relationship with God, among others.  This Sunday, we shall be looking at the Spiritual Discipline of Confession and Repentance.

Key Learning Points include:

1.     Confession and repentance are part of our spiritual discipline because they are essential for living a sanctified life. Confession and Repentance helps us sustain our relationship with our loving father God, amongst other benefits

2.     Why we need to confess and repent from sin is because God wants us to be in a continual, intimate relationship with Him. Refusing to admit sin when we sin, will damage our relationship with God.

3.     Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin followed by a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ. But we need God’s help to truly repent of our sins. We cannot do it all on our own.

1 John 1:5

Dear Brethren,

For our Bible Study this Sunday, Topic is Solitude and Silence. See outline attached for your reference

Key Learning Points include

1. Solitude and silence are terms so central to the Christian faith if a deep relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to be cultivated. Every believer must deliberately pursue these virtues as Jesus often did.
2. Jesus longed for times alone with the Father so much that He did not allow anything to deny Him that privilege
3. With ever increasing noise and activity and connectedness, we need to be more creative and intentional in seeking avenues for solitude and silence like Jesus did.

1 Timothy 4:6-8

Dear All,

Last Sunday, our studies on Spiritual Disciplines for Christian Growth led us to consider Stewardship of Time and Money.  One of the lessons from that study is that as believers, we are to use our Master’s time and money in ways that will accrue eternal benefits (Luke 16:11-12). Our topic for consideration this Sunday is Spiritual Discipline- Fellowship.

Key Learning Points

1. Fellowship means being a part of a group, a body of people; having or sharing with others certain things in common such as interest, goals, feelings, beliefs, activities, labor, privileges and responsibilities, experiences, and concerns. It also involves working together and caring for one another as a company of people, like a company of soldiers or members of a family
2. Fellowship is an important spiritual discipline necessary for a healthy Church. It is more than the coming together of believers and requires a deep level of commitment of all that we have, are and are becoming. No wonder the early believers were willing to go all the way with it – sell their property for the common good, etc.
3. The thread which makes true Biblical fellowship possible is our common heritage in Jesus’ death and resurrection and of His Spirit in us.

Hebrews 10:25

Dear All,

Last Sunday, we continued our studies on Spiritual Disciplines for Christian Growth with a look at the Spiritual Discipline of Service. One of the lessons from that study is that Jesus’ example of service shows us that it is unbecoming of us to want to domineer whether at home or in the marketplace. This Sunday, we continue the series with a look at the Stewardship of Time and Money.

Key Learning Points

1.     Every person who proclaims Christ as Savior and Lord is a steward of the things Jesus has entrusted to them. As such, God is not only interested in our character but in how we manage the time and money He has entrusted to us. What a terrible thing to find out on the Last Day that one has missed huge opportunities to win God’s admiration in how we stewarded His resources.

2.      Thinking about the future changed the way the unrighteous steward managed his master’s resources. In his case, he used his master’s money to secure his earthly future. But as believers, we are to use our Master’s time and money in ways that will accrue eternal benefits (Luke 16:11-12). This we can do by helping the poor and needy and investing in the kingdom gospel that brings sinners to salvation, so that when they arrive in heaven, those sinners will be there to welcome us.

3.     Jesus’ statement that we cannot serve both God and mammon is not about striking a balance. Rather it is daily choosing of who dictates our choices of how we steward the resources God has committed to us. Making the most of every opportunity translates to us using every opportunity to live worthily, thoughtfully from an understanding of what the Lord wants us to do

Ephesians 5:15,16

Dear All,

Last Sunday, we continued our studies on Spiritual Disciplines for Christian Growth with a look at the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting. One of the lessons from that study is that the fasting which catches God’s attention and blessing is a life of obedience to God and of the administration of God’s grace to others. This Sunday, we continue the series with a look at the Spiritual Discipline of Service.

Key Learning Points

1.     As believers, our motivation for service must be love for God and for our brethren.

2.     In service, we must demonstrate voluntary humility, no matter the privileges that the Lord may confer on us. We must follow the example of Christ and serve the body of Christ instead of waiting to be served.

3.       In service, whether at home, work, and anywhere, we must keep our eyes on Master Jesus. When we see our Master serving, we cannot but see how unbecoming of us to want to domineer.

Colossians 3:23-24

Dear All,

Please find the attached Adult Sunday School outline.

Last Sunday, in continuation of our studies on Spiritual Disciplines for Christian Growth we looked at the Spiritual Discipline of Worship. One of the lessons from that study is that a correct worship of God must be on His terms, de-emphasizing the place (some mountain or temple/church). This Sunday, we continue the series with a look at the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting.

Key Learning Points

1.     The discipline of fasting is supposed to mirror the inward state towards God and not the other way around

2.     The act of fasting becomes hypocritical and offensive to God when it is outward and occasional only

3.     True fasting which catches God’s attention and blessing is the one which is lived out in obedience to God and administration of God’s grace to others through us.

Isaiah 58:6-7