Prepared for Sabbath School Class on September 26.
Photograph by William Earnhardt
Key Text: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV).
Read in Class: 2 Corinthians 13:14, Romans 16:20, Galatians 6:18
Study: What important teaching do you see in these passages?
Apply: Think about God’s grace toward you like this. What do you deserve for the kind of things that you have said and done? What, however, does God’s grace offer you instead? Why is it so important for us to extend the grace given us to others?
Share: Your friend asks, “Is grace a license to keep on sinning? I have heard that grace is unmerited favor, but I also have heard that grace is the power to help us love more like Jesus.” What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: John 3:16-17, Romans 8:37-39, 1 John 4:8-11, and 2 Corinthians 13:11.
Study: What do these passages tell us about the love of God? How can you draw hope from what is said here? How can you better experience what 2 Corinthians 13:11 teaches?
Apply: We believe in one God, the unity of three Persons who live eternally in a relationship of love. This triune God loves us and summons us to love one another in a way that reflects the love among the Three Members of the Godhead. What would we lose in the gospel if Jesus Himself were not fully and eternally God?
Share: How have you and your church family shared the love and goodness of God with your guests and friends in the community?
Read in Class: 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 3:16-17.
Study: What did Paul teach the Corinthians about the Spirit?
Apply: Why, too, is an understanding of the divinity of the Holy Spirit important for fully grasping God’s love for us?
Share: Your friend asks, “How do we know if we are being led by the Holy Spirit or just our own inclinations? Does doctrine really matter so long as everyone in the church is just getting along with each other?” What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: 1 Corinthians 1:3-4, 9, Galatians 2:20, and Ephesians 3:19.
Study: What do these passages say about grace, love, and fellowship in connection with the members of the Heavenly Trio?
Apply: How should fellowship among church members reflect the lovely relationship of the Heavenly Trio?
Share: Share how your church family demonstrates the reality of being crucified with Christ and being filled with the fullness of God.
Mission: How will this quarter’s lessons help you to be a better missionary for Jesus?
