LESSON OUTLINE: "Love Letters: Communication within the Godly Family”

“Love Letters: Communication within the Godly Family”

Lesson prepared by Tony Thomas

Family Life Class 

June 15, 2014

 Photograph: David Levene/Public Domain

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." [Hebrews 4:12 ESV]

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." [Ephesians 4:29 KJV]

Foundational Truth #1: God Communicates with us through His Word.

1. In Proverbs 30:5 what one word is used to characterize the Word of God?
2. In Hebrews 4:12 how is the Word of God described.
3. What word would you use to describe what Jesus is saying about His Word in Matthew 24:35?
4. Does God protect his Word?
5. Can we trust our modern English translations of the Bible?*
6. Why are there sometimes differences between different translations?*

{*For questions 4 and 5 you need to thoroughly study "Translation Philosophy" and know the practical difference between what is known as the "majority text / Textus Receptus" and the "revised text".} The following links should prove useful.

http://www.mardel.com/UserFiles/File/Bible%20Translation%20Chart.pdf

http://www.uv.es/~fores/programa/majorityvscritical.html

 Foundational Truth #2: God Communicates with us through His Spirit.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." [John 16:13 NKJV]

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" [Ephesians 6:18 KJV]

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" [Romans 8:16 KJV]

Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

• In what ways does the Holy Spirit communicate with the church?

  Family Life Application: Communication within the home

• We know that God’s Word is pure, alive, powerful, penetrating, and discerning. As we live as an imitation of Christ how should this knowledge affect how we talk to each other?

• Are short answers okay? Matthew 5:37, James 5:12.

• Are long conversations okay? Reference Song of Solomon.

• In what way does the human spirit affect our conversation?

What? No goodbye?

 "And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." - Acts 1:9 esv

Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus didn't give his followers a proper  "goodbye". 

He could have given them a hug or a hand shake, but he didn't. He could have signed autographs or had a farewell dinner. He did none of those things. 

Instead, he stood on a hill and gave instructions to his followers, just like he had many times before. Then, without so much as a goodbye, he rose into the clouds and disappeared from their sight.. 

Here the disciples stood on the front porch of the world, if you will, watching as the one they loved disappeared into the heavens...

And he didn't even say "goodbye".

Imagine how you'd feel if your company left that way. We like to get a goodbye before someone leaves. It puts a period on the end of the visit. Why didn't Jesus give us one?

I've got a theory...

I tell my wife and kids goodbye when I leave for work, and I tell them goodbye when I leave to go into town.  I have to pass around the hugs and kisses (sometimes twice) before I can leave, but, I don't tell them goodbye when I walk into the yard or go into another room in the house. Why? Because I'm not going that far. I'm still home even if they can't see me.

Perhaps you recall a verse from Isaiah 66:1 in which God says, "Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool..."

 You see, what we see as the greatest journey in history looks much different from Jesus' perspective.  We see an almost incomprehensible transition from the earthly temporal to the heavenly eternal. Jesus on the other hand, sees a mere move from the ottoman to the chair.

The reason he didn't say goodbye is because he didn't go that far. In fact, moments before he vanished in to heavens, he promised his disciples, "...I am with you always...".

Friend, heaven is just around the corner and Jesus is still so close he can hear your whisper. He is waiting to hear from you. 

He never said, "Goodbye."