Monthly Archives: June 2019

Fulfilling the Law

International Sunday School July 7, 2019 Summer #6

Matthew 5:13-20  “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.  (14)  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  (15)  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  (16)  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  (17)  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  (18)  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  (19)  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  (20)  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Right Attitudes

International Sunday School June 30, 2019 Summer Quarter #5

Matthew 5:1-12 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. (2) And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: (3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (5) “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (6) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (7) “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (8) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (9) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (10) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (12) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Hearts United in Love

International Sunday School June 23, 2019 #4

Colossians 2:1-15  For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,  (2)  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,  (3)  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  (4)  I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.  (5)  For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.  (6)  Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,  (7)  rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  (8)  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.  (9)  For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,  (10)  and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.  (11)  In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,  (12)  having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.  (13)  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,  (14)  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.  (15)  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

 

 

The New Covenant’s Sacrifice

International Sunday School Lesson — June 16, 2019 Summer Quarter #3

Hebrews 9:11-22  But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)  (12)  he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  (13)  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,  (14)  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.  (15)  Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.  (16)  For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.  (17)  For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.  (18)  Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.  (19)  For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,  (20)  saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”  (21)  And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.  (22)  Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Jesus Seals the New Covenant

International Sunday School — June 9, 2019

Mark 15:6-15  Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.  (7)  And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.  (8)  And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.  (9)  And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”  (10)  For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.  (11)  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.  (12)  And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”  (13)  And they cried out again, “Crucify him.”  (14)  And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.”  (15)  So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Mark 15:25-26  And it was the third hour when they crucified him.  (26)  And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”

Mark 15:33-39  And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  (34)  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (35)  And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”  (36)  And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”  (37)  And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.  (38)  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  (39)  And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”