International Sunday School Lesson February 22, 2026
Hi, I’m Donnie Bryson. Welcome to another edition of the International Sunday School lesson. Today’s lesson is for February 22, 2026. The text is taken from Acts 1:6-8 and 2 Corinthians 8:3-9. The title of today’s lesson is, “Stewardship and Mission”.
Redirecting Our Focus
Jesus was crucified and three-days later rose from the grave. He’d been interacting with the disciples for about 40 days. Now he was at the Mount of Olives for the last physical discussion between Christ and the disciples.
Acts 1:6–7 (ESV) “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”
Jews fully expected the Messiah to conquer the world and setup an earthly kingdom. It’s true that He will do it. But, there’s a period of time between his first advent and the second advent. Thank God for that period. He gave us gentiles a chance to be saved. The gospel was to be preached to the entire world. The disciples didn’t understand the church age at this point. They didn’t understand their mission. Let’s look at another critical point in this scripture. No one can give the date and time the Lord will return. It’s so clear in scripture that no one knows the time and date the Lord will return. Run from anyone that sets a date for the return of Jesus. The bible clearly says they’re lying or delusional. No one knows the day or hour.
Empowered by the Spirit
This next verse is one of my favorite verses in the bible.
Acts 1:8 (ESV) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
Thank God for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is clearly prophesied in the Old Testament. Joel 2:28 states ““And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” I won’t argue with folks about the Baptism in the Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. I’ll just simply quote Acts 1:8 and Joel 2:28 and then tell my experience. I was praying in the prayer room at my home Baptist church for the lost when I was young person. Then I felt a wonderful wave flow over me. I started praying in tongues. There was a huge difference in my boldness. There was a big difference in my personality. I had more love. I had more boldness. It was much more than an emotional experience that night. It changed the way I lived my life. But, I refuse to argue with folks about it. I have heard Pentecostals argue with non-Pentecostals and trigger them to say things that scare me. I don’t argue about it. I know and have fellowship with great Christians that understand it differently than me. My advice to everyone, read your Bible, pray, and listen to how God leads you.
Grace-Fueled Generosity
Now we look at giving to those in need within the church. The Corinthians were one of the wealthiest groups in the early church.
2 Corinthians 8:3–5 (ESV) “For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
Paul is pointing out that the Macedonian church was poorer than the Corinthian church. He is using the Macedonians to encourage the Corinthians. Any of us that have been youth pastors have used that same technic. It appears that the Corinthians gift mentioned in the previous epistle had not been delivered yet. 1 Corinthians 16:3 “And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.”
Christ-Centered Giving
Paul points the Corinthians to Jesus who gave so much sacrificially for our well-being.
2 Corinthians 8:6–9 (ESV) “Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
We should give and care for one another. John said in 1 John 3:16–18 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
Concluding Thoughts
A couple of concluding thoughts. First, our mission is to preach the gospel. That’s our primary mission. Second, we should additionally be concerned about supplying the physical needs of the folks around us. Well friends, good Lord willing, I’ll be back with you next weekend.
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