LEARN MORE – GROW MORE – BE MORE – IN CHRIST JESUS
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11
The Law of Love
The Lord has said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). When he originally made the statement, it was in the form of a command (Deut. 6:5). Nothing has changed. God still commands that love of him be applied first, the expressed of every other relationship or act of service. Love is law in God’s eyesight. The Apostle Paul wrote that no matter what is done, if love is not the primary tool of motivation it is worthless (1 Cor. 13:1-3). In the lessons of this quarter, we will focus on the Law of Love.
September 2023 – The Law of Love…
The Kingdom of God is Designed by God for God
September 3 – Love Compared to Hypocrisy (Luke 11:37-44) What is hypocrisy or what does it mean to be a hypocrite? It is to be like a stage actor or performer, playing a role. Because the Lord God can see the thoughts and intents of our heart (Heb. 4:12), he knows the motives to our actions. He knows whether the things we do or the things we say are pure, clean and loving or fake. He knows if we are playing a role and acting.
September 10 – Love Over Hypocrisy (2) (Luke 14:1-6) The Pharisees were seen as the religious right, always right about this and always right about that. They we not challenged for fear of being made a spectacle. But they were no match to the word of the Law, Jesus. Jesus in turn made a spectacle of these religious leaders to show them love is more important.
September 17 – Jesus Glorifies the Father, In Love (John 14:14-24) We can be more concerned with doing things, that we can dismiss the whole idea or objective for doing those things. The Lord explained this simple but often missed truth to Judas (not Iscariot). He had a genuine inquiry about how it was possible to actually see the Father through the son. Jesus’ motivation to do the will of him who sent him (John 6:38)
September 24 – Jesus Extends Love to Others (John 8:1-11, 56-59) Women caught in adultery were to be stoned according to the Law (Lev 20:10). When the Pharisees brought to an adulteress to Jesus, it was in an attempt to trip him up and make a spectacle of him before the people as well as making themselves look supreme before the same people. Because he is Lord, Jesus can love us through his longsuffering of our sin (2 Pet. 3:9). God’s love leads to repentance ans salvation, not death and stoning.
You are always invited to follow and study with us as we seek to show ourselves approved to the Lord, workmen and women who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
It’s amazing how our words can be both hard and damaging as well as sw3t and encouraging
This lesson is exactly what I needed. It causes me to ask myself, why I do the work of ministry. Knowing my “why” helps me know my “what” .My “why” is because of what Christ has done for me. And my “what ” is ” you do the same because Christ is my example.
Dear Lord Jesus, grant me purity of heart so I bring glory & honor to Your holy name as I serve you by ministering to other. Amen
The abundant life Christ has imparted to his followers is given not for our personal selfish gain, but rather to demonstrate God’s abundance of love, joy, peace, contentment in serving him through the good times, and the tough times. So that the world will come to know that he loves and cares for the whole world. His love is from everlasting to everlasting. Praise the Lord. Amen!!
I appreciate the plain spoken, rightly divided truth we get from these devotionals. We need this. Thanks for the spirit lead passion and energy excerted in producing this resource for NBBC and our faithful friends. Pastor Cason
Good lesson, good challenge, amen!
Revelations reminds a lot of how much I long to be there. Can’t wait till our service on earth is done
March 19, lesson is a reminder of the eternal wealth we now have in Christ Jesus. We are now spiritually identified with the God of all creation and we need not ever search for an identity that will have to redefined every new year. It’s wonderful to be in Christ.