Sunday School Lessons
May 4 2025
The Clocks of Prophecy
Daniel 9
PDF Read MoreOne of the greatest prophecies in the Bible is found in the concluding verses of Daniel 9. It is probably the most comprehensive and encompassing prophecy in the Bible. Because of this, it has been referred to as the key to all Bible prophecy. If we can grasp its meaning, then we can have an understanding of other prophecies in God’s Word. Keep in mind that God has already revealed to Daniel amazing prophecies of world kingdoms
April 27 2025
A Ram and a Goat
Daniel 8
PDF Read MoreJosephus, the great Jewish historian of the first century, relates a remarkable story about Alexander the Great and the Jewish high priest in Jerusalem when Alexander was conquering the world. He had already destroyed the cities of Tyre and Gaza; but when he arrived in Jerusalem, Alexander did not ravage it as expected. Instead he allowed the city to stand and showed the Jews much kindness
April 20 2025
Christ and the Cross
Matthew 16
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If we were to ask people today who they thought Jesus was, we would get a variety of answers. They would include that He was a man who went about doing good things for others, a wonderful teacher, and even a prophet sent from God. It would really be no different than it was during Jesus’ earthly ministry some two thousand years ago.
April 13 2025
Thrones and Kingdoms
Daniel 7
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Have you ever wondered why we study Bible prophecy? First, it shows us the fulfillment of God’s Word in the Lord Jesus Christ (cp. Luke 24:25-27, 44-48). It also gives us confidence about the promises God makes to us concerning the future. When we see how God fulfilled His promises in the past, then we can look with assurance to the future. Another reason we study Bible prophecy is to see the tremendous power of God. He can bring to pass what He says will come to pass. He said in Isaiah 46:9-10, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I shall do all My pleasure.” Only God is able to declare the end from the beginning. Only He can predict the future; and, as we will see, this includes prophecies regarding thrones and kingdoms.
April 6 2025
Can God Deliver?
Daniel 6
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“Can God deliver?” This is a great question, and we find not only the question but the answer in Daniel 6. You may recall in our studies in the book of Daniel. Daniel as a captive came to Babylon, which is modern Iraq, when he was just a young man. He was placed in a special training program to prepare him for government service. He then served faithfully in the Babylonian empire for possibly sixty years. Then when Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians, Daniel continued his government service in the Median-Persian government. His life is a reminder of 1 John 2:17, which says, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Daniel, ever faithful to God, continued even when empires passed away.
March 30 2025
Weighed and Wanting
Daniel 5
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Daniel 5 is one of the most exciting, dramatic chapters in all of God’s Word. It records for us the downfall of the great Babylonian empire. If you remember, in Daniel 2 when God gave Nebuchadnezzar a vision of the kingdoms of the world through the dream of a great image, Nebuchadnezzar was told that he was the head of gold (cp. 2:38). He was also told that his great kingdom of Babylon would cease to be and other kingdoms would take its place (cp. 2:39). Now chapter 5 is the account of what God said would happen, happening exactly as He said it would.
March 23 2025
The Conversion of a Dictator
Daniel 4
PDF Read MoreThere are some wonderful conversion accounts recorded in the Bible. The conversion of Saul, who had been a persecutor of the early church but became the great apostle Paul, is probably one that comes to mind for most people. It is truly an amazing conversion story and is even recorded for us three different times in the New Testament (cp. Acts 9:1-18; 22:3-16; 26:9-18). But there is another conversion story in the Bible that is likewise remarkable. It is not the conversion of a persecutor but of a dictator and is found in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. It is the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar and is told by Nebuchadnezzar himself. As he tells us how he became a changed man, he gives testimony to the greatness and wonders of God. As we study Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony in our lesson today we will see the remarkable series of events that God used to bring this dictator to faith in Him. We might even say that Daniel 4 is Nebuchadnezzar’s personal testimony booklet, distributed and told to the whole world.
March 16 2025
Profiles in Courage
Daniel 3
PDF Read MoreIn 1957 the late President John F. Kennedy, then a senator, wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Profiles in Courage. It shared short biographies of eight United States senators who refused to yield to public opinion but were willing to suffer the consequences of doing what they believed was right. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, could likewise be entitled Profiles in Courage. It is a story that pulsates with drama and is a thrilling example of courage and non-compromise. You will recall in Daniel 2 that God had revealed through Daniel a dream to King Nebuchadnezzar about a magnificent image. Daniel told the king that the image’s head of gold represented him. Nebuchadnezzar
March 9 2025
There Is a God in Heaven
Daniel 2
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On the morning of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln met with his Cabinet in Washington. They were waiting for a report from the campaign of General Sherman who was pressing the cause of the Union forces in the South. As they waited the President shared with his Cabinet that he had been having a recurring dream. He shared that this dream came before “nearly every great and important event of the War.” It was about an indescribable vessel that was moving rapidly toward an indefinite destination. He wondered what the dream meant. Before the day was over Abraham Lincoln was mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth, and he had moved his life’s vessel to the shores of eternity. His recurring dream not only had a tremendous impact upon him personally, but also upon the nation and eternity. The Bible tells us of another leader who also had a dream. It was Nebuchadnezzar, who in the opening chapters of the book of Daniel
March 2 2025
Decisions! Decisions!
Daniel 1
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Life is a series of decisions. Just think about it. What we are today, to a large degree, is based on the decisions we made in the past. What is also interesting is that most of our life-determining decisions are made when we are young. Normally we pick our life’s mate when we are young. We also choose our vocation or the kind of work we will do then. Plus, statistics show that most people receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior when they are young. It is also true that what we will be in the future is determined largely by the decisions we are making today. Is there a way we can be sure that we are making the right decisions? Is there a way to ensure that we are influencing others to make the right decisions?
February 23 2025
Being Faithful When Others Are Falling Away
Jude
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The Blessed Hope of all believers is the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. While no one knows the exact time, signs exist in Scripture which generally indicate His coming seems ever so close. One sign of His coming to which scholars point is the time of general apostasy. Paul clearly spoke of those who “depart from faith” (1 Tim. 4:1), and referred to this time as a “falling away” (2 Thess. 2:3). “Apostasy” is the term usually referenced for those who “fall away” (i.e. from sound doctrine) and “apostates” are those who teach unsound doctrine.
February 16 2025
Christians Come in Many Kinds
3 John
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The great Southern Baptist statesman, Hershel Hobbs, once indicated in a sermon that a strange phrase has crept into our vocabulary in recent years—the “born again Christian.” He said the phrase is redundant. It is like saying “dog dog.” If one is born again, then one is a Christian. If one is a Christian in the scriptural sense, one is born again!
February 9 2025
Love and Truth in Perspective
2 John 1
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Sodium is an active natural element found only in a
combined form. In other words, sodium inevitably links
itself to another element. By contrast, we find another
natural element—chlorine. Unlike sodium, chlorine
is a poisonous gas. Have you ever smelled a bottle of
bleach? The terrible odor is chlorine. Interestingly,
both sodium and chlorine are highly poisonous but
when combined, the result is sodium chloride—that is,
common table salt.
February 2 2025
Living Like a Child of God
1 john 5
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How do we know we are living like
a
child of God? Do we have clear
instructions? Are there any sure
birthmarks which show us to be
genuinely born again and resting in
the Savior’s arms?
January 26 2025
What Christianity is All About
1 John 4
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We learned in chapter two that John’s main interest in this letter was to assure young believers how to stay strong in the faith. Already “antichrists” were actively seeking to deceive and entrap weak believers into the snare of false teaching. Above all John wanted to address this watershed issue
January 19 2025
What a Fellowship!
1 John 3
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A famous preacher once indicated that God’s
presence, as expressed by the interaction between
Him and us, must always be the overwhelmingly
dominant factor in our life.
And, any conception
of Christian fellowship
which does not mean
primarily fellowship
with Him is out of order.
In short, true Biblical fellowship begins with
our relationship with
God. If we are not His
child through our faith
in His Son, we can never
experience genuine Christian fellowship no
matter how many
church suppers we attend.
The truth is, our fellowship with the Father is
the foundation
upon which we build fellowship
in the body
of Christ. Hence, without the proper
foundation, there can be no stable structure.
January 12 2025
Basic Beliefs On Being A Christian
1 John 2
PDF Read MoreDespite the faithful efforts of churches, evangelists, and missionaries, studies consistently show that the average American remains confused not only about precisely what it means to be a Christian, but also how to correctly state the most basic Christian beliefs. One survey noted that over half of those who claim to be “born again” base their belief on such things as living a good life, obeying the 10 commandments, or some other “works-oriented” response. John’s three short letters stand as perfectly relevant modern-day tracts which teach basic Christianity—Christian Faith 101.
January 5 2025
Is The Gospel Real?
1 John 1
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Have you ever heard news so good that it was just unbelievable? One easily pictures Ed McMahon showing up at your door announcing you’ve just won the $100,000 sweepstake from American Family Publishers! It is hard to believe. In one sense, the Gospel is like that—it is news too good to be true. A Holy God offers a free pardon for every kind of sin and evil to all who come to Him. No strings attached. We have no secret works to perform to earn it, nor will we ever be expected to pay God back for His pardon. To us, salvation from sin is absolutely free (salvation does carry a very high price tag but more on that later).