John tells us that to be of God, we must do two things: practice righteousness and love one another. In this lesson we focus on what it means to love others. While love is often described as an emotion that we feel, Jesus demonstrated and described the love we are called to imitate, in order
The crucifixion of Jesus is at the heart of the Gospel and provides us the supreme example of self-denial and love for others. In this lesson we look at eight Old Testament prophecies that provide remarkable details about the death of Jesus, hundreds of years before it happened. These passages should be mastered by every
Judas, accompanied by armed troops, discovers Jesus and the eleven other apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane. After Jesus identifies himself, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant. This short scene is packed with lessons for us including: the danger of greed, a remarkable but little-known prophecy regarding
Jesus, the Son of God, through whom the universe was made, opens the door in John 15 for everyone to become His friend. But what does it mean to be Jesus' friend? What blessings did Jesus promise to give His friends? And what did Jesus say was required to be His friend? This lesson answers
The evening before He went to the cross Jesus told his disciples, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another…." In this lesson we explore what was new about that command. In the process, we demolish some popular misconceptions in the modern religious world concerning the meaning of the Greek word agape
Jesus said, "I did not come to judge the world." While many today use that statement to justify tolerating all kinds of sin in the church, is that what Jesus meant? In this lesson we also look at the famous incident where Jesus washed the feet of Hi disciples. Afterward, He called them to follow
In chapter 11 we have reached the mid-point of John’s Gospel and are rewarded with Jesus’ most remarkable miracle to date. In this story we witness the tremendous faith of Martha and come face to face with Jesus’ humanity and divinity, as he responds to the loss of his friend Lazarus and raises him from
In this story, the Syrian army surrounds the city to take Elisha. There with his servant, Elisha works a tremendous miracle with an unexpected twist. This lesson looks at the theme of spiritual blindness and the love God has for his enemies. Teaching Notes Elisha, Pt. 7: The Blind See (2 Kings 6:8-23) -
Through the first eleven chapters of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses significant challenges and problems in the church. In 1 Corinthians 12 he turns to spiritual gifts, their importance in building up the Church, and how essential the Corinthians are to one another. Now, in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul turns to "a more
This talk was given in September of 2014. The message was taken from a study series entitled "A Lifestyle of Compassion." What is the single greatest obstacle to helping those in need? This lesson examines the obstacles in our lives that keep us from being compassionate and serving those in need, with a primary