In today’s world it’s hard to grasp the concept of forever. For us, anything longer than two-day Prime delivery seems like forever. That’s a far cry from the phrase “. . . to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” we see in Ephesians 3:21. For us to think about an eternal God requires a rewiring of our brains—a capacity to imagine a God who can look at the surface of a full-length movie and see the entire story of humanity, rather than the clip that we can see at any given time.

In today’s world it’s hard to grasp the concept of forever. For us, anything longer than two-day Prime delivery seems like forever. That’s a far cry from the phrase “. . . to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” we see in Ephesians 3:21. For us to think about an eternal God requires a rewiring of our brains—a capacity to imagine a God who can look at the surface of a full-length movie and see the entire story of humanity, rather than the clip that we can see at any given time. Yet, the book of Ecclesiastes says that God has “put eternity in [our] hearts” (Eccl. 3:11).”

Yet, the book of Ecclesiastes says that God has “put eternity in [our] hearts” (Eccl. 3:11). That means that on some level the Lord has given us the capacity to grasp the infinite. During this unit we’ve talked about God’s character. His holiness. His justice. His omnipotence. His love. But what if, after every one of these, you attached a temporal modifier:
— God is holy . . . for now.
— He’s all powerful . . . for now.
— He loves you . . . for now.

That would negate God even being God. The eternality of God is what grounds every other attribute of God. These aren’t just temporary promises. They are for all time.

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There are words that change everything. They put in perspective all the moments that came before and redirect all that are to come. A minister says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” An ultrasound technician says, “There’s the heart beating!” The judge says, “Not guilty.” The doctor says, “You are cancer free.”

There are words that change everything. They put in perspective all the moments that came before and redirect all that are to come. A minister says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” An ultrasound technician says, “There’s the heart beating!” The judge says, “Not guilty.” The doctor says, “You are cancer free.” The Bible says, “He is risen!””

With just a few simple words, the world is transformed in a moment. There is hope where there was despair. The tables are turned; the script is flipped. It’s a brand-new day.

One Sunday morning two thousand years ago, three frightened women heard a sentence that didn’t just change everything for them; it changed everything for everybody. This good news would topple empires. It would redraw maps. It would
change the way we mark time itself. It would alter eternity. It was the most life giving, paradigm shifting, world transforming sentence that has ever been spoken. It is the reason we are reading this session today. What was this sentence?

He has risen!

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Semper Fi. Since 1883, it’s been the official motto of the United States Marine Corps. It means “always faithful.” As far as the Marines are concerned, there is no such thing as a former Marine. The ethos of Semper Fi is expected to be demonstrated in every aspect of their personal and professional lives.

Once a Marine, always a Marine. And pity the non-Marine who dares to sport a Semper Fi tattoo! Some tattoo artists even refuse to ink a Marine tattoo unless the customer can produce his record of service.

“Always faithful” is a noble aspiration. But it is impossible for any human being to always be faithful in every single area of his or her life. For example, it may surprise you that divorce rates among Marines are among the highest of any branches of the military.

We’ve all failed to keep a vow, pledge, or commitment. There is only One in the entire universe and through all recorded history who has never broken a promise. Never violated a covenant. Never left a commitment unfulfilled. His name is Yahweh, and He alone is always faithful. Oorah.”

We’ve all failed to keep a vow, pledge, or commitment. There is only One in the entire universe and through all recorded history who has never broken a promise. Never violated a covenant. Never left a commitment unfulfilled. His name is Yahweh, and He alone is always faithful. Oorah.

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Growing up in Atlanta in the 1970s, I went to many events at the Omni Arena. Atlanta’s basketball team played there. I saw my first concert there. It hosted the Final Four in 1977, the Democratic National Convention in 1988, and the Summer Olympics in 1996. It even had a hotel attached to it, complete with an ice-skating rink, and the world’s only indoor amusement park. The Omni had everything!

Naturally, when I first heard about God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, I grasped their meaning almost immediately. I already knew omni meant everything, so omniscience had to mean God is all-knowing; omnipresence that He is all-present; and omnipotence that He is all-powerful.

Intellectually knowing God can do everything is different from practically trusting God to be actively working in our lives. Put another way, we say God can do everything, but we often act like He doesn’t do
anything. But what if we could somehow align what we say we believe with how we live our everyday lives? That would change everything!”

God is all this and more. However, intellectually knowing God can do everything is different from practically trusting God to be actively working in our lives. Put another way, we say God can do everything, but we often act like He doesn’t do anything. But what if we could somehow align what we say we believe with how we live our everyday lives? That would change everything!

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“…and justice for all.”

For as long as any of us can remember, those four words signaled the start of the school day, the VBS opening assembly, and every Boy Scout or Girl Scout meeting. Chances are, even if those words weren’t part of our Pledge of Allegiance, our desire for justice is still deeply ingrained.

“…and justice for all.”
For as long as any of us can remember, those four words signaled the start of the school day, the VBS opening assembly, and every Boy Scout or Girl Scout meeting. Chances are, even if those words weren’t part of our Pledge of Allegiance, our desire for justice is still deeply ingrained.”

–A car that sped by you gets pulled over by a state trooper — justice.

–The neighbor who never edges his sidewalk finally gets fined by the HOA — justice.

–Your boss pays attention to the extra hours you’ve been putting in, and you get the promotion — justice.

But what happens when you’re the offender? You forget to return something you borrowed. You get caught driving solo in the HOV lane. There’s an honest mistake on your tax return. Suddenly, your cry for justice becomes a plea for mercy.

How does God balance it all? Can the same God be both just and merciful? He can. He does. He has. He will. What may be an impossible balance of character for man is the true nature and essence of who God is.

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In 1974, Dolly Parton wrote the chart-topping country hit, “I Will Always Love You.” The iconic love song reached its crowning moment when Whitney Houston recorded it for the soundtrack to the 1992 film The Bodyguard. Houston’s version of the song reached No. 1 in over twelve countries, won many awards, and has over 1.7 billion views on YouTube. Years later, the world is still full of love songs. Some are shallow, some are vulgar, some are sweet. Most of them are easily forgettable because most of them ignore the source of real love, God Himself.

Two thousand years before Whitney Houston, the apostle John wrote the short letter of 1 John. In five chapters, John used a variation of the word love more than twenty-five times, more than any other book in the New Testament. And what John says about love is more than a soulful declaration of love.

Two thousand years before Whitney Houston, the apostle John wrote the short letter of 1 John. In five chapters, John used a variation of the word love more than twenty-five times, more than any other book in the New Testament. And what John says about love is more than a soulful declaration of love.”

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When my wife and I got married, we had two categories of dishes on our gift registry: everyday dishes and fine china place settings. Thirty-three years later, we continue to use our everyday dishes, well, every day. But the fine china sits on the top shelf. It is only for special occasions. Our wedding china has a pattern they don’t even make anymore, so we must be very careful not to break it. The wedding silver has its own special wooden case. It is set apart.

I can’t remember the last time we used our wedding china. In fact, I’m not even sure what the pattern looks like. Still, there it sits on the top shelf just in case the president drops by.

God is set apart like fine china, but He is anything but fragile. He is more precious than the finest silver, but He expects us to involve Him in our everyday lives. He doesn’t want to only be present at special occasions; He wants to be there for every meal.”

The paradox with God is that He is set apart like fine china, but He is anything but fragile. He is more precious than the finest silver, but He expects us to involve Him in our everyday lives. He doesn’t want to only be present at special occasions; He wants to be there for every meal.

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The Book of Acts, teaches us that the early church shared everything in common, inspiring one another in their faith. Just as they connected over meals and prayers, our daily interactions can and should be opportunities to communicate the message of Christ. Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch on the road. He did not just pass by his chariot, but he engaged him in conversation. This ultimately led to the eunuch’s conversion. Saints are compelled to engage with those we come in contact with. We are called to shine before men that they may see our good work. We are also called to embody the faith. So, whether we are on the job, at the store, playing basketball, or hanging out with friends, we have the opportunity to reflect God’s love, mercy, peace, and humility. God is looking for us to share the good news and inspire others to explore their own relationship with Christ.

The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth—does not live in shrines made by hands. Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.”

As we study, the lesson today, let’s learn to make every connection be purposeful. Looking at our daily interactions, whether at work, school, or in our neighborhoods, as opportunities to share Christ.

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In Luke 19, Zaccheus heard that Jesus was coming through his town. Because he was of a small stature, he climbed a tree in order to get a good look and Jesus. His tactic worked! Jesus saw this despised tax collector and instead of judging him, invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house. He chose to have supper with a sinner which did not go well with the religious leaders. Unmoved by them, Jesus stepped into the life of a man who felt unworthy of the Master’s attention and changed his life forever.

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

In a similar fashion, we should be aware of those around us and be willing to meet them where they are. Our mission should be to create an opportunity to share Christ’s message of love and redemption. As we study this lesson today, we will get a glimpse of the Apostle Paul’s strategy in reaching others with the gospel so that some may be saved. Prayerfully, we will learn to share Jesus with others by taking the time to understand their strains and struggles and serve with them.

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When my wife and I were on a mission trip to Rome, we were introduced to a man who grew up Catholic. At the age of twenty years old, he experienced a crisis due to those in the Catholic faith saying one thing but doing another. So, he decided to become an atheist, one who believes that there is no God. At the same time, he decided to go to the university to study philosophy. He pridefully wanted to use the tools he learned from philosophy to write a book against God and the Bible. First, he thought he would start with reading theology books, but those books were what others said about the Bible.

So, he decided to read the Bible starting with the book of Matthew. When he finished reading Matthew, with a new understanding that he was a sinner, he fell down on his knees with tears in his eyes, and gave his heart to Jesus. After he rose to his feet, he felt great joy because he was born again.

 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

This story is a testimony to Jesus having the power to save those who seek to disprove Him. In this lesson, we will see that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever put their faith in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

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