"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:19-22

We are not meant to huddle behind doors.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

​Don't harden your heart -- Listen for His voice.

"So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8     do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”[a]
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness" Hebrews 3:7-13

Hold Onto Hope.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching"
Hebrews 10:23-25

​Conduct Worthy of the Gospel.

​"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,[a] striving together as one for the faith of the gospel" Philippians 1:27

​What do we do in times like these?

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky" Philippians 2:12-15

With Fear and Trembling

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28

No Grumbling!

"And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come." 1 Corinthians 10:10-11

No arguing with each other!

"Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand" Matthew 12:25

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,[ striving together as one for the faith of the gospel" Philippians 1:27

Let your light shine!

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky" Philippians 2:14-15

Are we surprised?

"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one" 1 John 5:19


"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

In times like these.

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses" 1 Timothy 6:12

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10 

What does it mean to be a child of God?

"13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14

Created in our completeness.

Genesis 2:7
 "Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day." Genesis 1:31

 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;" John 10:10a

Jesus did not come to show us how God would live on Earth if He were a man, but to show us how we should live on Earth when we are right with God.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

God offers us Abundant Life!
Not just enough – more than enough!
We just have to accept it. We need to know what God allows in our lives and how God answers our prayers and blesses us -- everything is for our best.

Satan came to kill and destroy…
- Destroy our self worth
-Destroy joy through fear
-Destroy our security through insecurity
-Destroy the fullness of life through thoughts of emptiness
-Destroy meaning of life through thoughts of meaningless
-Destroy our future through regrets

The degree that we see ourselves through God’s eyes is the degree that we are able to relate to others through the eyes of God. 

Get back to the Abundant life of a child of God
***Understand the promises of God

"You have granted him his heart’s desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips" Psalm 21:2

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7

The Eyes of God:

World sees God as a punisher
God as El Shaddai – God All Powerful

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19

Start Living Through The Eyes of God:
"God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God"
2 Corinthians 5:21

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

These verses tell us how God sees us!

Love Yourself as The Father Sees You:
God’s affirming love…
  -You are not who you are when you are weak
  -You are not who you are when you fail
  -You are not who you are when you sin
You are who you are through the eyes of God!
  Not defined by your past but by your future
  Not defined by your circumstances  but by your calling
  Not defined by your failures but by your future

Live the Fearless Life that God intended for You:
"Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[a] Father.” Galatians 4:6

"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father." Romans 8:15

The Origins of Sunday School:

Sunday School began in England in the 1780s. According to ChristianityToday.com, "It is important to realize that Sunday schools were originally literally schools: they were places were poor children could learn to read. The Sunday school movement began in Britain in the 1780s. The Industrial Revolution had resulted in many children spending all week long working in factories. Christian philanthropists wanted to free these children from a life of illiteracy. Well into the 19th century, working hours were long. The first modest legislative restrictions came in 1802. This resulted in limiting the number of hours a child could work per day to 12! This limit was not lowered again until 1844. Moreover, Saturday was part of the regular work week. Sunday, therefore, was the only available time for these children to gain some education.
      "The English Anglican evangelical Robert Raikes (1725-1811) was the key promoter of the movement. It soon spread to America as well. Denominations and non-denominational organizations caught the vision and energetically began to create Sunday schools."

Sunday School began in the USA in the 1800s. A man named Edward Kimball led D.L. Moody to the Lord through Sunday School. Kimball took Moody under his wing (Moody was a young boy).

God calls us to educate ourselves in His Word and in our faith outside of preaching.

4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as [b]frontals [c]on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

It takes the loss of just one generation to  lose it all!

"All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." Judges 2:10-11

If we let up on educating ourselves, our children, our church family, we will see our churches die. We will see people walk away.

"18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 [a]Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you [b]always, even to the end of the age.”" Matthew 28:18-19

This is a responsibility Jesus has given all of His followers. 

We need to be life-long learners of the Word and the life of Faith:

"9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[a]As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And [b]regard Your ways.
16 I shall [c]delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word." Psalm 119:9-16

Sunday School can give us a fundamental understanding of the basics of the faith:
•Life, death and resurrection of Jesus
•Holy Trinity
•Inerrant Word of God
•The purpose of church
•Service
•Love, humility, grace, kindness,  all virtues
•Relevancy of the bible in today’s world

What is going on in Sunday School right now across the nation?

“Sunday Schools simply do not provide the quality of teaching and experience that people demand today in exchange for their time."
                                            George Barna

People just don't think Sunday School is worth their time.

Purpose of Sunday School:
•Augment what is done in the home

•Discipleship

•Peer lead study and discussion

•Relationships

•Church growth and health

•Leadership development

What do we want from Sunday School?

This is a question for everyone to answer.....