Adult Christian Life: 4th Quarter 2017

By R.H. Boyd

Adult Christian Life contains Sunday school material for people ages 25 and older. The exposition of the Scripture, with life-centered insights, is preceded by an introduction to the lesson designed to help learners gain a greater understanding of the text under discussion relative to context, content, and meaning for life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: May 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781681672892

Book preview

ADULT

CHRISTIAN

LIFE

THE ADULT QUARTERLY

LARGE PRINT

FOURTH QUARTER 2017

Vol. 121, No. 4

www.rhboydpublishing.com

R. H. BOYD, D.D., LL.D.

Founder (1896–1922)

H. A. BOYD, D.D.

(1922–1959)

T. B. BOYD, JR., D.D.

(1959–1979)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Dr. T. B. Boyd III

President/CEO

LaDonna Boyd, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

David Groves, D.Min., Ph.D.

Director of Publications

Heather Sanders, M.Ed.

Director of Marketing

Steven Puckett, AAS

Director of Operations

EDITORIAL STAFF:

Tia Ferrell, M.S.

(Coordinator)

Olivia M. Cloud, M.R.E.

(Associate Editor)

Christopher R. Cotten, M.A., M.Div.

Landon Dickerson, B.A.

Jane Ann Kenney, M.Div.

Lee Perkins, M.Div.

Kaitlyn Phillips, B.A.

Vanessa Lewis, B.A.

LaKeva Martin, B.S.

Lauren Oldham, B.A.

Freida Crawley, B.S.

Carla Davis, B.A.

Yoni Limor, B.A.

Lesson material is based on the International Uniform Sunday School Lesson Outlines, copyrighted by the Division of Christian Education, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used with permission.

Scriptures taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from the The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Adult Christian Life (USPS 006-480) (ISSN 1947-6604), copyright © 2017 by R.H. Boyd Company, 6717 Centennial Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1017. Adult Christian Life is published quarterly by R.H. Boyd Company. Periodicals postage paid at Nashville, Tennessee.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Adult Christian Life, R.H. Boyd Company, 6717 Centennial Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1017.

For Customer Service, call [phone], Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Central, or fax [phone].

Adult Christian Life contains Sunday school material for people ages 25 and older. The exposition of the Scripture, with life-centered insights, is preceded by an introduction to the lesson designed to help learners gain a greater understanding of the text under discussion relative to context, content, and meaning for life.

Know Your Writer

DR. RICKY A. WOODS was named senior minister of First Baptist Church-West in 1995. He formerly served as the Samuel Dewitt Proctor senior mentor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. A graduate of North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro with a bachelor of science degree in economics, Dr. Woods also graduated cum laude with a Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University in Richmond, and then earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton. Dr. Woods is also a member of the World Baptist Alliance, serving on the World Aid Committee. He is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. Dr. Woods is married to the former Laura Annette Hill, and they are the proud parents of one daughter.

A Message from the President/CEO...

Greetings, and welcome to this fourth and final quarter of study in 2017. We here at R.H. Boyd strive to the utmost of our abilities to make each quarter a new opportunity to discover through meaningful, in-depth study what God’s Word can teach His people today. For more than 120 years, we have been dedicated to edifying the Body of Christ throughout the world with faithful and thought-provoking studies.

We will begin in October with a unit titled Called into Covenant with God. In these five lessons, we will continue our study from the previous quarter concerning God’s gracious covenants with His people. These lessons focus especially on covenants in Israel between God and Abram, his descendants, and finally King David.

The theme of covenant continues in November in the unit An Everlasting Covenant. In these four lessons, texts from Numbers, 1 Samuel, Psalms, Jeremiah, Hebrews, 1 Corinthians, and Jude explore God’s covenants that began in Israel and continued their fulfillment in the Church.

In December, the unit The Early Church Proclaims Faith in Christ focuses on the ways that the early believers celebrated their faith in Jesus: by sharing with others! Lessons from Matthew, Acts, and two of Paul’s letters focus on the faith of the early believers that will edify students and teachers alike as we celebrate Jesus’ birth.

As always, we look forward to sharing this quarter of study with you. The reason for our work here at R.H. Boyd is to help strengthen God’s Church through these Bible studies. We look forward to many more years of serving the Lord’s people.

In His Service,

Dr. T. B. Boyd III

President/CEO

QUARTERLY OVERVIEW

This quarter considers the major covenants that God makes with people on behalf of the earth and the human community. Beginning with Noah, God promises benevolence toward creation. Similar commitments are made with Abram, Phinehas, and Ezekiel. Ultimately, the covenant forms the foundation for the coming Messiah and salvation for the world.

UNIT I — OCTOBER

Unit I, Called into Covenant with God is a five-lesson unit drawn from Genesis, Exodus, 2 Samuel, and Nehemiah, that illustrates God’s partnership with people who respond and agree to obey God’s voice. God enters into covenant with Abraham, Moses, and David to work through history, establishing a kingdom that will ultimately bring forth the Messiah. Based on the covenant with God, Israel is chosen as God’s special people.

UNIT II — NOVEMBER

Unit II, An Everlasting Covenant develops four lessons, drawn from Numbers, 1 Samuel, Jeremiah, Hebrews, and 1 Corinthians, that examine the components of the covenant God makes with the priest, Phinehas, and the divine promise to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah. The unconditional divine promises are to maintain a perpetual priesthood, forgive the unfaithful, and establish a new covenant with Israel. God seals this covenant of pure grace through Christ as mediator and by writing the law in the hearts of God’s people.

UNIT III — DECEMBER

Unit III, The Early Church Proclaims Faith in Christ, has five lessons that reveal what the early leaders proclaimed about living our faith in Christ. The sessions in Acts report several examples of social welfare ministry and evangelism in spite of opposition. Ephesians teaches about faith that leads to unity in the body of Christ. The Christmas session gives an account of the Wise Men who faithfully searched for the newborn King of the Jews.

Features of Our

Adult Christian Life

The Adult Christian Life quarterly (large print) has many features that appeal to Sunday school students ages 25 and older. It includes a number of elements to enhance their total learning experience. This quarterly is designed to help students regard their lessons as more than simply a Sunday morning Bible study experience.

Printed Scripture Passages: The King James Version and the New Revised Standard Version are listed side by side so students can easily compare a traditional and contemporary translation of God’s holy Word.

Suggested Opening Exercises: This feature, standard to all Sunday school quarterlies published by R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation, remains a popular feature in all of our Sunday school resources for students and teachers.

Quarterly Overview: This gives a general description of the lessons to be studied during the quarter.

Main Thought: The passage of Scripture most central to the text is featured prominently at the bottom of the lesson.

Online Extras: This feature offers activities, quizzes, and additional resources for outside study via the R.H. Boyd webpage, www.rhboydpublishing.com.

Living the Lesson: This feature contextualizes the lesson truths to stimulate additional questions, interest, or action on the part of the students.

Questions on the Lesson: These questions are designed to help students consider the people involved in the Bible story as they reflect on their own lives.

Home Daily Devotional Readings: This is a traditional favorite feature of our Sunday school books, formerly known as Home Daily Bible Readings.

CONTENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER

Seeking God’s Guidance

Suggested Opening Exercises

1. Usual Signal for Beginning

2. Prayer (Closing with the Lord’s Prayer)

3. Singing (Songs to Be Selected)

4. Scripture Reading:

Psalm 89:1–6 (KJV)

Director: I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

School: For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.

Director: I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

School: Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

All: And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?

Recitation in Concert:

Hebrews 3:1–6 (KJV)

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful