The weekly adult Sunday School class at OAG taught by long-time teacher, Mrs. Jeanie Davis.

** Edited to remove personal information shared in the class and extended pauses **

Title: Living Out Love: Encouragement, Study, and Community in Faith

Summary: In this lesson, Mrs. Jeanie emphasizes the importance of active participation in faith through personal study, community involvement, and practical acts of love. She encourages the class to move beyond routine, deepen their understanding of Scripture, and live out their faith by loving and supporting one another.

Outline:

Introduction

Opening Prayer

The Importance of Personal Study

Understanding God’s Promises

Motivating Each Other in Love

Active Participation and Avoiding Routine

The Call to Love and Serve

The Challenge of Love

Conclusion and Encouragement

Closing Prayer

Unlocking the Power of Pentecost: Embrace the Holy Spirit's Transformative Role

In this week’s sermon, Pastor Derrel Strickland celebrated Pentecost Sunday, marking it as the 'birthday of the church' and a pivotal moment for the transformation from the Passover to Pentecost. He emphasized the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s power in exceeding our personal capabilities and guiding us in our spiritual journey. Highlighting the patience, power, passion, and personhood of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Strickland explained these elements as essential for living a fulfilled Christian life. Ultimately, the core message focused on understanding that our human efforts are insufficient without the divine intervention and strength provided by the Holy Spirit.

Outline:

The weekly adult Sunday School class at OAG taught by long-time teacher, Mrs. Jeanie Davis.

Title: Experiencing the Supernatural Power of God: Lessons from Scripture

Summary: This week's message by Jeanie Davis focused on the dynamic demonstrations of faith and God's provision in the scriptures. We looked at two main stories: the prophet Elijah being miraculously fed by ravens, as ordained by God in 1 Kings, and the widow of Zarephath who, by obeying God's command through Elijah, saw her meager supplies of flour and oil never run out. These narratives led us to understand that when God commands, He also provides. The message underlined the importance of obedience, faith, and trust in God's instructions, no matter how unusual they seem, with the assurance of His supernatural provision. The core takeaway of the sermon was about the vitality of active faith and expectation in God’s ability to provide and perform wonders in our lives.

Outline:

Opening Prayer

Introduction

The Glory of the Lord Appears

The Budding of Aaron's Staff

Elijah and the Ravens

The Widow of Zarephath

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

The Temple Tax and the Coin in the Fish

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Day of Pentecost

The Vision of Peter and the Gentiles

Conclusion

Closing Prayer

In their sermon, Missionaries Marco and Amy Sardella share their transformative journeys of faith and service, from Marco's life-changing experience in a Bosnian refugee camp to Amy's missionary work in Zambia that led to their marriage. They highlight the profound impacts of their ministry on communities, emphasizing the power of trusting in God to perform miracles and meet the needs of the vulnerable, especially children in desperate circumstances.

The weekly adult Sunday School class at OAG taught by long-time teacher, Mrs. Jeanie Davis.

Title: Faith and Faithfulness: Lessons from Unsung Heroes of the Bible

Summary: In this Sunday School lesson, Mrs. Jeanie emphasizes the importance of faith and faithfulness by exploring biblical stories of lesser-known women who demonstrated remarkable courage and obedience to God. Through personal testimony and scripture, she encourages listeners to use their words and actions to uplift others and remain steadfast in their commitment to God.

Outline:

I. Introduction

II. Importance of Words

III. Study of Faithfulness

IV. Examples of Faithful Women in the Bible

V. Lessons on Faithfulness

VI. Call to Action

VII. Closing Prayer

In his sermon, Pastor Strickland uses the peculiar rule at a golf course in Calcutta—where players must play the ball where monkeys drop it—to draw a parallel to life's unexpected challenges, emphasizing the importance of resilience and faith. He intertwines the biblical story of Joseph, highlighting how maintaining integrity and trust in God during trials can lead to divine fulfillment and purpose.

Sermon Outline

Introduction

- Anecdote about bringing a golf club to the sermon and a humorous description of the pastor's golf style.

- Introduction of the sermon theme linked to a past message inspired by a conversation and the Holy Spirit.

Main Body

1. The Golf Course in Calcutta:

- Description of a unique golf course in Calcutta, surrounded by jungle and frequented by monkeys who disrupt the game by moving golf balls.

- Introduction of the sermon's main metaphor: "You have to play it where the monkey drops it."

2. Application to Life:

- Transition from the story to life lessons about dealing with unexpected disruptions.

- Personal anecdotes about unforeseen difficulties within the church community.

3. Biblical Parallel - The Story of Joseph:

- Detailed recounting of Joseph’s life from the Bible, emphasizing his integrity and faith through trials.

- Joseph's resilience and trust in God's plan despite being sold into slavery, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison.

4. Spiritual Lessons:

- Discussion of facing life's challenges with the right attitude.

- The importance of maintaining faith and integrity, similar to playing a golf game where disruptions are frequent.

Conclusion

- Reiteration of the metaphor and its spiritual significance.

- Encouragement to adopt a positive outlook and trust in God's purpose, despite life’s challenges.

- Closing prayer and invitation for personal reflection and acceptance of faith.

The weekly adult Sunday School class at OAG taught by long-time teacher, Mrs. Jeanie Davis.

Title: Enduring Grace: Running the Race with Faith and Fortitude

Summary: In her Sunday School lesson, Mrs. Jeanie explores the concepts of endurance and spiritual resilience through Biblical narratives and personal anecdotes, encouraging believers to persevere through life's challenges with faith and the support of the Holy Spirit. She emphasizes the importance of community, prayer, and the Holy Spirit's role in overcoming physical and spiritual obstacles.

Outline:

Man's perspective and God's perspective generally are opposites. Man's view is the world view; God's view is the heavenly view. Let's take on the mind of Christ and strive to see things through the eyes of Christ.

Featuring Mrs. Jeanie

When Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat, they had no idea that a great storm was ahead. The same is often true for us today; we don't expect storms to arise when we're doing what God asks of us, but often they do. Jesus' response to the disciples and his reaction to the storm provides a solid blueprint for how we should respond when we are facing uncertain times.

Photo by Jean-Pierre Brungs on Unsplash