Youth Teacher: July- September 2023

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corp.

Youth Teacher is a quarterly resource for instructors that assists with discussing issues pertaining to youth ages 12-17. Sections such as Biblical Emphases give background knowledge of the lesson. All lessons include relevant life concerns and lesson applications to help the teacher relate the Bible to the lives of young people. It is used for Seekers for Jesus and Teen Scene. It follows the International Uniform Sunday School Lesson Outline from the National Council of Churches.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Jul 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886350876

Book preview

Vol. 40 • No. 3

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YOUTH TEACHER

THIRD QUARTER 2023

VOL. 40 • NO. 3

Teaching Companion to Seekers for Jesus and Teen Scene

Youth Teacher is a quarterly resource used to help the Sunday school teacher discuss biblical and life issues pertaining to youth ages 12–17. Sections such as Biblical Emphases give a background knowledge of the lesson. All lessons include relevant life concerns and lesson applications to help the teacher relate the Bible to the lives of young people.

MEET YOUR WRITER

Jo Ann Grant is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she met her husband, the Rev. Walter L. Grant. He is the pastor of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Cottontown, Tennessee, where she is active in several ministries.

Formerly, Mrs. Grant was a computer skills instructor at the Nashville Adult Learning Center, and a technologies specialist for several firms where she was an educational curriculum and technical manual writer.

The Grants currently reside in Nashville, Tennessee and have two children: Bryan David and Noria Danielle.

This 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 used with permission.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. 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. All rights reserved. The King James Version (KJV) is in the public domain.

Youth Teacher (USPS 709–630) (ISSN 0746– 4865) copyright © 2023 by R.H. Boyd Company, 6717 Centennial Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee 37209–1017. Youth Teacher is published quarterly by R.H. Boyd Company. Periodicals postage paid at Nashville, Tennessee.

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 40 • NUMBER 3

THIRD QUARTER 2023

YOUTH TEACHER

UNIT 1 — JULY

1

God’s Messengers Describe God’s Power

UNIT 2 — AUGUST

2

God’s Eternal Reign

UNIT 3 — SEPTEMBER

3

Love Completes, Law Falls Short

This Quarter, Youth Will Study...

The Summer quarter explores the broad sweep of biblical teaching about the nature of God’s reign, beginning with Old Testament declarations of God’s righteous power. Both Old and New Testaments depict God as king over all the earth (see Psalm 47:2). Among Israel’s prophets only Daniel references God’s Kingdom. The phrase Kingdom of God takes on new significance in Jesus’ teaching, which is the focus of Unit II. The third unit considers New Testament Epistle texts that elaborate on the theme of Jesus as king and what it means for believers to participate in God’s eternal reign.

UNIT 1— THE PROPHETS PROCLAIM GOD’S POWER / JESUS ENVISIONS THE KINGDOM

Unit I, Jesus Envisions the Kingdom, presents four sessions on Jesus’ kingdom-teachings as found in the Gospel of Matthew. The first session recounts how Jesus’’ powerful acts of deliverance are evidence of God’s Kingdom in our midst. The next three sessions explore Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13—the urgency of understanding its message, the enemy who undermines Kingdom work, the unseen growth of the Kingdom, the precious joy of finding the Kingdom, and the universal judgment at the end of the age.

Unit Points of Emphasis: _____________________________________________________

UNIT 2—GOD’S ETERNAL REIGN

Unit II, God’s Eternal Reign, presents four sessions from the New Testament Epistles about the implications of life under God’s authority. The first session explores the fruit of life according to the law of love. The second session contrasts a life of religious rule-following with the righteousness, peace, and joy to be found in God’s economy. The third session reminds us that the power of God is at work in us. The unit concludes with praise for Christ, the exalted Ruler.

Unit Points of Emphasis: _____________________________________________________

UNIT 3—LOVE COMPLETES, LAW FALLS SHORT

Unit III, Love Completes, Law Falls Short, draws on the Gospels of Luke and John. In Lesson 10, Jesus contrasts the practice of empty acts of piety with performing the justice and love of God. Lesson 11 asks the question of what sort of activities truly honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. Turning to the Gospel of John, Lesson 12 examines Jesus’ teaching that the Sabbath ought to be a day of healing. And Lesson 13 raises the question of who is qualified to pass judgment on those who stumble in their attempts to keep the commandments.

Unit Points of Emphasis: _____________________________________________________

SEEKING GOD’S GUIDANCE

Suggested Opening Exercises

1. Usual Signal for Beginning

2. Prayer (Closing with the Lord’s Prayer)

3. Singing (Songs to be Selected)

4. Scripture Reading Acts 1:1–8 (KJV)

Director: The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

School: Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Director: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

School: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

Director: For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

School: When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Director: And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

All: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Recitation in Concert:

Acts 1:9–12 (KJV)

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

Closing Work

1. Singing

2. Opening Sentences: Acts 2:1–4 (KJV]

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

3. Dismissal with Prayer

Lesson 1 for Week of July 2, 2023

GOD RESTORES PEACE

Background Passage: Zechariah 9:9–17

Lesson Passage: Zechariah 9:9–13, 16–17

UNIFYING TOPIC:

Peace to the Nations

LESSON SECTIONS

KEY VERSE

On that day the Lord their God will save them for they are the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. (Zechariah 9:16, NRSV)

BIBLICAL EMPHASES

1. Though the people displeased Him, God sent a prophecy of salvation to them.

2. God is our Shepherd, and His offer of protection stands as a warning to all who would intend to do His faithful and obedient people harm.

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

People are frustrated and discouraged under oppressive rule. What can put an end to corrupt leadership? Zechariah 9