Adult Christian Life: 4th Quarter 2015

ADULT

CHRISTIAN

LIFE

THE ADULT QUARTERLY

LARGE PRINT

FOURTH QUARTER 2016

Vol. 120, No. 4

www.rhboydpublishing.com

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. 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 © 2016 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 (615) 350-8000, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Central, or fax (615) 350-9018.

The publisher, R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation, bears no responsibility or liability for any claim, demand, action, or proceeding related to its content, including but not limited to claims of plagiarism, copyright infringement, defamation, obscenity, or the violation of the rights of privacy, publicity, or any other right of any person or party, and makes no warranties regarding the content.

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)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

T. B. Boyd III, D.D.

President/CEO

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

Director of Publications

LaDonna Boyd, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

Jeffrey Wilson, B.S.

Director of Marketing

Samuel Hyde

Director of Operations

EDITORIAL STAFF:

Tia Ferrell, B.A.

(Coordinator)

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

Brandon Alexander Franks, M.T.S.

Jane Ann Kenney, M.Div.

Lee Perkins, M.Div.

Holly Spangle, B.A.

Vanessa Lewis, B.A.

Lauren Oldham, B.A.

Freida Crawley, B.S.

Carla Davis, B.A.

Shanaya Whitaker, B.A.

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, and has worked tirelessly not only to serve as minister to the church’s members, but also to help the church serve as a community beacon of social justice. He is often asked to speak throughout the city, state, and country. He formerly served as the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Senior Mentor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, helping scores of ministers throughout the nation receive doctoral degrees. A graduate of North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro with a bachelor of science in economics, Dr. Woods graduated cum laude with a Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, and then earned his Doctor of Ministry 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, which is a professional organization made up of people who teach preaching in North America. Dr. Woods is married to the former Laura Annette Hill, and they are the proud parents of one daughter, Lauren Adelle, a student at Hampton University.

A Message from the President/CEO . . .

Greetings and welcome to another quarter of edifying and insightful study. We look forward to joining you in this fourth quarter for a series of studies in God’s powerful and transformative Word. It has been our goal for more than 120 years to provide accessible materials that will help you and your local church keep Jesus a priority.

For this quarter, the first unit covers The Sovereignty of Jesus, focusing on the letter of Hebrews. Students will be encouraged to seek guidance from Christ, explore how God performs His work, and find comfort in the continuity of His presence over time. Some churches are blessed with wonderful leaders, while others may struggle at times. No matter who the earthly leaders are, however, Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is in charge and always will be.

The next unit covers the Alpha and Omega, focusing on the book of Revelation. The Apostle John shows his readers a transition that we can all look forward to with joy. There will come a time when we are no longer battling with the devil or with those who oppose God. Instead, there will come a time where God makes all things and people new and eternal.

The final unit, The Savior Has Been Born, will focus on the Gospel of Luke. In these lessons, we will see that God keeps His promises and that we can expect them to be great blessings for humanity. When God fulfills a promise, it is joyous news for the world. But best of all, we as Christians have the opportunity to help share this joyous news with others to expand the Kingdom.

We at R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation hope that this quarter renews and invigorates your hearts, minds, and souls to pursue Jesus Christ. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and guide you in your journey.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. T. B. Boyd III

President/CEO

QUARTERLY OVERVIEW

The sovereign nature of God is seen through the visionary images of the authors of Hebrews, Revelation, and Luke. In Hebrews, we see how God comes to lead humankind in the person of Jesus. Revelation offers the vision of God as the beginning and end of all things. The final unit focuses on the promise and coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

UNIT I — OCTOBER

Unit I, Sovereignty of Jesus, is a five-lesson unit studying the images of the reign of the resurrected Christ from the letter to the Hebrews. In these lessons, Jesus is described as the imprint of God, the owner of a household, the great high priest, a priest forever, and the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

UNIT II — NOVEMBER

Unit II, Alpha and Omega, develops four lessons based on the last two chapters of the book of Revelation. In these lessons, John uses metaphors of one who makes all things new, a vision of a New Jerusalem, a river of life, and the beginning and the end of all things to explore how God reigns.

UNIT III — DECEMBER

Unit III, The Savior Has Been Born, consists of four lessons developed from the Gospel of Luke. Lessons ten and eleven offer a study of how Mary, a virgin, received and joyfully accepted the announcement that she had been highly favored by God to give birth to God’s Son and the story of her cousin Elizabeth’s affirmation of Mary’s call. Lesson twelve studies John’s mission as the forerunner of the Savior. The Christmas lesson deals with the birth of Jesus and the circumstances and events pursuant to it.

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