NextGen Leaders: July- September 2024

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corp.

Master Teacher is the teacher’s quarterly to be used with Adult Christian Life and College and Career. Each lesson contains extensive biblical exposition and specific instructions for the teacher. The outline of the lesson is reader-friendly, and includes suggestions for maximizing teacher/student interaction and topics for making the study informative and enriching. 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: Jun 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798886352153

Book preview

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Founder (1896–1922)

H. A. BOYD, DD

(1922–1959)

T. B. BOYD, JR., DD

(1959–1979)

T. B. BOYD III, DD

(1979–2017)

LaDonna Boyd, EdD

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David Groves, DMin, PhD

Director of Publications

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Director of Finance

Steven Puckett, AAS

Director of Operations

EDITORIAL STAFF:

Olivia M. Cloud, MRE

(Associate Editor)

Monique Gooch, BA

Brittany Batson, BA

Carla Davis, BA

Writer: Beverly Davis

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The NextGenLeaders quarterly contains many features that sustain its popular appeal among young adult learners, addressing the unique needs and experiences of a life stage that encompasses educational attainment and career development. NextGen Leaders features elements to enhance and extend the learning experience for Bible study participants and those seeking greater understanding through personal study.

Printed Scripture Passage: The King James Version and the New Revised Standard Version are listed side by side so learners can compare traditional and contemporary translations of God’s Word. The main thought verse is highlighted in bold text.

Suggested Opening Exercises: This feature, standard to all R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation Sunday school quarterlies, remains popular among learners and leaders alike.

Quarterly Overview: This gives a general description of the lessons to be studied during the quarter.

Know It: Contextualizes the lesson and expands on its truths to stimulate additional questions, interest, or action on the part of the learners.

Remember It: Summary section that emphasizes the most relevant points of the lesson and highlights how the lesson applies to learners.

Hear It: An opportunity to listen to the relevant message of the lesson through music.

Live It: Suggestions for learners to take specific action to make the lesson a personal opportunity for spiritual enlightenment.

Share It: Suggestions for learners to spread the Bible truth learned through various mediums, such as social media or one-on-one talks.

Daily Devotional Readings: To prepare learners for the Sunday lesson experience.

Online Extras: Activities, quizzes, and additional resources for outside study via www.rhboyd.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. All rights reserved.

NextGen Leaders (USPS 372 –180) (ISSN 979-8-88635-215-3), copyright © 2024 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.

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What’s in This Quarter…

This quarter we will explore the fullness of faith as a response to God’s desire to be in relationship with us. To be faith–less is to turn away from God—to put trust in something, or someone, other than God. The lessons of this quarter guide the learner to a reaffirmation of their confidence in God, because without faith it is impossible to please God.

UNIT I— EXPRESSING HOPE

This unit turns attention to the prayers of ancient Israel as a model for offering to God our praise and petitions. These Hebrew prayers are also expressions of Christian hope. The first lesson of the unit is from a song of lament in Lamentations 3, while the remaining lessons of the unit are drawn from the Psalms.

UNIT II—ETERNAL HOPE

This unit considers facets of the promised future God is preparing for those who call on the name of Jesus. What does hope look like as we wait for Jesus to come again in glory and finally set things right? Paul anticipates the nearness of Christ’s return when he tells the Thessalonians how excited he is to brag about them (Lesson 10) even as he worries about the problems that might rock their faith in his absence from them. Similarly, 1 John (Lesson 11) anticipates Christ’s return so that in seeing Christ we might become like him. The final two lessons of the quarter are from Titus, where we hear Paul’s appeal to live out the present moment with hope rooted in God’s grace–filled future, made certain in the death and Resurrection.

UNIT III—LEADERS SET WORSHIP EXAMPLE

This unit begins with the example of (Abram) Abraham, who built altars to mark those occasions on which God called him to greater faithfulness. Lesson 2 reveals Solomon’s worshipful awareness of people’s tendency to sin. Lesson 3 shows us Hezekiah’s prayerful realization of what’s most important: the Lord alone is God. Lesson 4 demonstrates the importance of spiritual leadership, as evidenced through Josiah’s call to bring back the people to the right worship as prescribed in the book of the covenant.

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Contents: July, August, September

IEXPRESSING HOPE

II ETERNAL HOPE

III LEADERS SET WORSHIP EXAMPLE

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: Isaiah 40:28–31

Director: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

School: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Director: Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

All: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Recitation in Concert:

1 Chronicles 29:11–13

11 Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

CLOSING WORK

1. Singing

2. Opening Sentences: Matthew 19:24–26

24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Dismissal with Prayer

LESSON FOR WEEK OF JULY 7, 2024 LESSON 1

HOPE COMES IN THE MORNING

Unifying Topic: Ceaseless Love

Background Scripture: Lamentations 3:16–24; Psalm 30; Jeremiah 52:1–30

Focal Scripture: Lamentations 3:16–24

Let’s Get Started...

When bad things happen to nations or people groups, we often ask, why, wondering how our God and creator could allow such pain.

Jewish people have a long history of national tragedies—from their enslavement in Egypt and the Babylonian suffering this lesson describes, to the Holocaust. African Americans, as descendants of enslaved people, also know the pain of trauma and generational heartbreak.

Although Jeremiah knew Judah suffered because of sin, he mourned the pain of his beloved Jerusalem being ransacked by invading enemies. Lamentations, written by the weeping prophet Jeremiah, is a series of five poems that reveal how to respond to bad circumstances. This lesson provides answers and hope about why people suffer in life.

Remember This...

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;

(Lamentations 3:21–22, NRSVue)

Additional Resource

Boyd’s Commentary for the Sunday School

Get into the Lesson

1. Thinking Backward and Downward

(Lamentations 3:16–18)