The Sunday School Corner: December

From the Gospel Press

Christmas is coming and that means it is time for us to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 9:6 tells us, “For unto us a child born; unto us a son is given.: His birth brought us the gift of salvation, forgiveness, and new life. Therefore, this month we are studying new life in Christ.  He has done the work for us; it is for us to live it daily, for men to see!

We begin our study with Paul’s struggle with living vs. dying. He declares “To Live is Christ (Phil. 1:12-26).”  His conviction that is, “It makes no difference what happens to me, just as long as Christ is glorified and the gospel is shared with others.  He had a single mindset. He rejoiced in Christ despite his circumstances. What is our conviction today?

When he compares his past with his present, he is, “Counting All Things Loss, (Phil. 3:7-21).” Because of Paul’s chains, Christ was known; because of his critics, Christ was preached; because of his crisis, Christ was manifested! Therefore, nothing else mattered more than Christ being seen.

During Paul’s journey he is “Learning Contentment, (Phil 4:4-18).” He learned by experiences. He went through this and that in order to learn to be content. The word content means to be contained. His resources are within him; rather than the world. Contentment is not complacency.

Finally, when we are living in Christ, we have to remember, “The Light of Christmas, (John 1:1-5, Eph. 5:1-2; 6-14)!” We are children of the Light and we must walk in the Light. Our light must shine in the darkness, although they do not understand it. We are saints, kings, and the light!  We have been called out of darkness into

Overseer Regina Ravenell-Carr

His marvelous light. Light produces fruit, while darkness s unfruitful. Let your light so shine before men. 

The Standard Lesson

Profiles in Faith

Unit I have five lessons drawn from Ruth, 1 Samuel, and Matthew. As we review these profiles in faith, we begin to see faith in action:

December 3—The Faith of Ruth

It takes courage to face significant changes in life. Ruth found strength in her relationship with Naomi and in faith committed to Naomi’s God, family, and culture.

December 10—The Faith of David

We need confidence to face the challenges before us—especially when others doubt our abilities. David’s faith in God gave him the confidence he needed to defeat the giant Goliath in battle.

December 17—The Family of Faith

People want to research their family of origin. The Gospel of Matthew highlights surprising twists in Joseph’s genealogy and in so doing demonstrates God’s faithfulness to and inclusion of all people.