Preschool
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you (James 4:8).
Entrusted with the Gospel
Memory Verses
Primary
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you (James 4:8).
Junior
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:8).
Background Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1-2
Lesson Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13
Introduction
First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews are the books we are studying from this quarter. For approximately two years these particular lessons have been in the process of publication. From their inception, each lesson title, with its verses and content have been assembled and built with the anticipation of holding worship services for a consecutive period of Sundays. The very nature of making these plans speaks of the anticipation God’s people have of worshipping, fellowshipping, and meeting with Him. Even if not directly involved, we have come to expect it.
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). A significant mark of the Christian spirit is grounded in the anticipation of what lies before us. In the daily course of life and also in the larger sense of eternity, we live expectant of God’s visitation, his intervention, and his love. Accordingly, we measure Christian living by the potential of grace, not by its absence. We anticipate what the grace of God can do for us; we do not pore over what prospective trouble lies ahead by reviewing mistakes and reliving our errors and missteps. To preview our own failure or assume another’s inability to be faithful is glaring unbelief. By doing so, we are admitting the devil’s triumph, not God’s, and that is not at all what the Bible says about living for God.
If there is even one, that is one too many Christians living under the spirits of pressure and fear. We say it is realistic to presume on some setbacks and to plan on disappointments. Truly we have not yet attained a perfect state, but is nothing to be said for forgetting about where we came from and focusing on where we are going? Christianity is not based on what is realistic; it must be founded in the miraculous.
The joy of expectant hope should continually be the background music of the church and local congregation. Like some imported delicacy, we have tasted the sweetness of victory and power over sin, and our appetites are already attuned to the prospect of more to come. Can we approach this Sunday’s Sunday school and worship in the same spirit of anticipation?
Entrusted with the Gospel
Lesson 1
March 1, 2026
Background Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1-2
Lesson Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13
Introduction
Our time on this earth is short; it is our one opportunity to prepare for eternity. In a sense, we are already in eternity. Time, as we know it, is encapsulated within eternity and leaves us only two options: eternal life or eternal death. A man was once asked what his purpose was. Without hesitation, he replied, “To get to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.” Is our vision this clear?
Key Verse
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
Lesson Scripture
1 Thessalonians 2:1 For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:
2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Studying the Lesson
As an ambassador for Christ, Paul had a singular focus. After meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was a changed man. He left his old life behind and began life anew (2 Cor. 5:17). When Jesus entrusted the gospel to him, Paul took it seriously. Having caught the heavenly vision, he poured every fiber of his being into spreading the gospel far and wide. He traveled extensively and wrote numerous letters to the Christians, seeking to establish the church everywhere he went. The gospel was not something he put on or took off at will. The zeal of this man—likely small in stature yet bold in spirit—is remarkable. His heart was full of love for God.
In addition to his labor of love in spreading the Word, Paul was determined not to put an undue burden on those around him. Although he could have taken financial support from the church, he chose to labor night and day so as to “not be chargeable” (v. 9). Ultimately, Paul was a giver. He not only told the story but also lived it. Although he possessed a remarkable understanding of the deep things of God and could ably expound the theological foundations of the Christian faith, the real secret to the effectiveness of Paul’s message was how he lived his faith out in humble service. Today we owe much to the selfless example of Paul. His life is a compelling testimony of the transforming grace of God.
Practical Truths for Today
Being entrusted with the gospel means more than just receiving the gift of salvation into our own hearts. As believers, the Great Commission applies to each of us personally—no one is exempt. Every believer is a candidate for sharing the message of salvation, and everyone we meet is a prospective seeker. God has entrusted us with the responsibility to share the message of salvation both with our words and actions, and we will give an account to God for that which He has entrusted to us.
That Jesus chose twelve ordinary men to be his disciples is of special note. In many ways, they were an unlikely lot. At times they were petty and self-centered. They were slow to understand the obvious truths of the gospel. When it came right down to Jesus’s arrest in the garden, they all forsook Him and fled (Matt. 26:56), yet these same men “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) and helped establish the New Testament church. What changed? For one thing, they saw Jesus alive after his crucifixion. This glorious fact changed them, and they could not help but speak of the things they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20). Even their enemies acknowledged “that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). After they received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, cowardice gave way to courage, and self-centeredness became Christ-centered generosity. With great boldness, they began to spread the gospel everywhere they went. How often the disciples must have thought back to the confidence Jesus extended to them, unworthy though they were.
Sharing the gospel will be difficult, if not impossible, if we are not affected by it and our daily lives do not portray its effects. If we march to the drumbeat of this world, can we sing the song of heaven? If we have a proud look, can we share the story of the lowly Jesus? If we are unduly perplexed by current political winds, will our peace witness ring true? If we are overly stressed about our financial affairs, can we declare plainly that we seek a heavenly country? (Heb. 11:14). If we live a self-centered life, can we by love serve our fellowman? (Gal. 5:13).
What makes the message effective? A talented messenger? A well-reasoned, powerful delivery? “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15). No one likes to have something force-fed to them, much less the gospel. God created us with the freedom and capacity to choose our destiny. Inside each heart is a void only God can fill. Does the peace and security I have found in Christ cause those around me to long for something more? This surely is what Jesus implied by saying we are to be the “salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). In small quantities, salt makes our food more flavorful. It can also make us thirsty for a drink of water. When those we work with observe our free countenance and friendly demeanor coupled with a consistent walk of life, surely their thirst for the water of life will be awakened. A quiet, daily witness is perhaps the most powerful thing we can offer the world. Indeed, it is this witness that will prompt people to ask us about our hope. With sincere questions comes the opportunity to humbly answer.
Perhaps we feel inferior to those whom we feel have more outstanding talents, making us wonder if we have anything to contribute. We might be tempted to bury our talent, secretly hoping we will not have to serve. While understandable and common, surely such inclinations are born of an inward focus. Let us turn our eyes toward Jesus. Having lost sight of ourselves, we will find there is something for us to do in the harvest field. “There’s work for the aged and work for the young; There’s work for us all and excuses for none; . . . There’s something for all to do.” 1 God will supply grace for the task, and if done in humility, it will be a joy. “Some will build the churches, Then some will sweep the floors; You know, someone made the sandals Jesus wore.” 2 Only eternity will reveal the far-reaching effects of small deeds done in love.
One day while Jesus was eating at the house of Simon the leper, a woman (traditionally thought to be Mary Magdalene, though not named in Scripture) came bearing a very precious box of ointment. She broke the box and poured it on Jesus’s head, whereupon some close by became indignant, calling what she had done a waste. But Jesus commended her, saying, “She hath done what she could” (Mark 14:8). Could there be a greater commendation?
Questions
- Are people generally more affected by actions, demeanor, or words?
- Tell a personal experience of sharing your faith.
- Are we too comfortable in our culture with its many blessings to reach out to the hurting in our communities?
- Discuss: If Paul were alive today, how would he respond to the ability we have to travel worldwide?
- 1 W. H. Woodall, “Something to Do,” Christian Hymnal
- 2 Thomas T. Hall, “Someone Made the Sandals Jesus Wore”
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).