DATE: – 3RD JANUARY, 2021
TOPIC: – LESSONS FROM ONE OF THE SMALLEST CREATIONS (Part 1)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Proverbs 6:1 – 11
MEMORY VERSE: – “The ants are a people not strong, yet they are prepared their meat in the summer” (Proverbs 30:25)
INTRODUCTION: –The ant is a very remarkable creature. It is an emblem of industry among the Orientals. Though very small in nature (perhaps one of the smallest visible creatures) and fragile, yet they are great achievers. They are such articulate and organized creature that it is very hard to break their rank. Though small and fragile, yet they can disarm an army general, they can turn a king or president of a nation into a mad man in a market place, they can make a bride naked herself in the public.
LESSON OUTLINES: –
1) The Ways Of The Ants
– The ants are the most laborious insects in existence, they work round the clock. If they see a huge chunk of food, a big cube of sugar, the ants would not rest even if it would take them a week, they would work 24/7 till the last grain of the sugar is carried away.
– The ants are the most industrialized creature, from architecture to building, to wood work, to food gathering, storage and processing and even to security.
– The ants collect their food in proper seasons (Prov.30:25). They are not time wasters, they know and do the right thing at the right time.
– They are good parents, fondly attached to their young ones.
– They have keen foresight for others, planning for the future. Thus they are resourceful to others.
– They work quietly without show; not boastful, not noise makers.
– They work unworriedly and untiringly until work is done.
– They work together in astonishing systems organization to the best good of the whole community.
– The ants are ingenious carpenters and masons, building their own system of homes and underground tunnels
– They keep their homes scrupulously clean.
– The fight to death to protect their own home and young from enemies.
– No one among them exists without a definite job in life to help meet the needs of the community.
– Their social life compares with that of human beings in many respects. They have home, houses, towns, public roads, king and queen etc.
– They are intelligent and wise (Prov.6:6)
– They carry out their life’s work without being forced to do so by a guide, overseer or ruler (Prov.6:7).
– The ants are diligent in preparing for the future. No wonder the ants can be found before kings (Prov.22:29).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The ants are real great creatures of God, small but mighty, fragile but doing great exploits. That is why the Bible counsels anyone who will make it in life, ministry and eternity to be humble enough to pay a visit to the ant and learn its ways, and be wise (Prov. 6:6).
If everyone would learn from the ant and practice its ways, definitely there would be great prosperity in the Church and our land with less crime, jealousy and envy.
QUESTIONS
- What makes the ant a unique creature?
- In what ways are the ants like human beings?
DATE: – 10TH JANUARY, 2021
TOPIC: – LESSONS FROM ONE OF THE SMALLEST CREATIONS (Part 2)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Proverbs 6:6 – 11, 30:24 – 28
MEMORY VERSE: – “Go to the ant thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise (Prov.6:6).
INTRODUCTION: –One of the things or attitudes that the Bible in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, in strong term sluggardness or slothfulness or laziness. In fact, the book of Proverbs severally and explicitly condemned the act and counseled against it strongly (Prov.6:6,9; 19:15; 10:26; 12:24; 13:14; 15:19; 22:13; 24:30; 26; 23:13-14).
The Lord Jesus Christ also condemned the act in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
Apostle Paul berated the lazy brethren among the Thessalonians Brethren (2Thess.3:6-12). He also encouraged the Romans to be diligent in their business even as they serve the Lord with fervency in the Spirit (Rom.12:11).
LESSON OUTLINES
1) Lessons from the Ants
1) Like the ant be industrious: – The ants are the most industrious insects, engaging in almost every field of professionalism. In Civil engineering, building houses in storeys up to twenty or forty above the grounds. Some Manson carpenters etc. In Mining engineering, mining treasures. In Agricultural engineering; you see them in processing and storage foods building silos, storing food for future. In communication technology, you see them passing information perfectly one to another. In Military, you see their defense very strong, their soldiers fighting fiercely and ready to die in defense of their homes and community. In medicine, you see them nursing the week and wounded.
2) Good Parenting: – The ants nurse and take care of their young ones. They not only take good care, they also teach the young ones virtues of hard work, diligence, determination, love and care for others. This is one major thing lacking among us these days. Good parenting is a God given responsibility and it goes beyond providing the needs of the Children. Just as the mother ant is present to teach the children, as parent we must be available to teach our children morals, virtues that will help their development into total and responsible men and women in the future.
3) Be Diligent: – The ants never get discouraged by any difficulty they meet with. They are example of what Shakespeare said “I have no small difficulty, but I have set my heart at it, and where there is a will; there is a way”. In the quest to get something done, whenever they meet an obstacle on the way, assiduously look for a way of getting focus on the job at hand. What a determined creature! No matter the bigness of the taste, the ants work assiduously, determinedly and untiring round the clock to see the task accomplished (Prov.22:29).
Believers must learn this act and teach them also to their children. The virtues of determination, diligence, dutifulness and hard work are virtues we must all imbibe and also encode them into our children right from early years.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The ants are only mentioned twice in the Bible; yet there are a lot to learn from these wonderful creatures of God as Christians. We cannot afford to be lazy and expect God to bless us. The days of God raining down manna in the wilderness were long time over and even then, the Israelites still had to go out and gather the manna before they could eat.
QUESTIONS
- As parents, what can we learn from the ants?
- Mention some of the fields of profession the ants can be found?
DATE: – 17TH JANUARY, 2021
TOPIC: – LESSONS FROM ONE OF THE SMALLEST CREATIONS (Part 3)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Ephesians 4:1 – 6
MEMORY VERSE: – “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph.4:3)
INTRODUCTION: –One of the richest communities in the world is the ants community, though there is no economic structure among them “as they have all things in common”, yet they are rich and hardly lack food.
LESSON OUTLINE
Lessons From The Ants
1) Keep Unity: -Unionism is different from unity. While there may be unionism in unity, there may not be unity in unionism. People may form a union to achieve a common goal but they may not be in unity. Just like the formation of All Progressive Party in Nigeria in 2014. The part was formed by a union of several political parties and other aggrieved members of People’s Democratic Party, with a common goal of wrestling power from the incumbent President Jonathan – a common enemy. The union succeeded in their goal but hardly have they won the election when Nigerians began to see the disunity among them.
Unity is a strong force that can get anything achieved under heaven (Genesis 11:5-7). In-fact the strongest force in heaven and earth is unity.
Unity is so important that it was the main theme and focus of the last high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus for the Church before going to the cross (Jhn.17:11-26).
Unity is a sacrosanct to growth and progress. Truly the benefits of being united and working together cannot be over-emphasized. The unity among the ants both preserves them safely and enables them to do them to do great exploits. The unity of the ants can kill a python, turn a king or a president of a nation to a mad man in the market, can disarm a strong and ferocious soldier ad naked a bride in a public.
The most potent and greatest weapon of the devil against the Church of God on earth is disunity. Ho! What a great thing it would be if as a Church a community of believers or a family would endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph.4:1-3). This is a great lesson the Church, the family and community must learn from the ants.
I have taken time to study different set of creations, I see disenchantment, disunity, fighting and rancor among them but never have I seen any of these among the ants.
Like the ants, the early Church was in unity, they were in one accord in the upper room at Jerusalem (Acts 1:14), “in the spirit of unity or one accordness in one place” they were baptized in the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-3). The unity brought an exponential growth through the power of the Holy Ghost about 8,000 people were added to the Church within three (3) days. These lived in unity as a community of believers. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house…….” (Acts 2:42-47).
And like the ants, they were of one heart, no segregation, no classification, no tribalism or ethnocentrism, neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things in common” (Acts 5:1-11), then the Hellenists came up with reports of neglect and segregation (Act 6:1), and since then, it has been a battle till today.
Believers must learn this great lesson from the ants so that we can do exploits and achieve greatly for the Master before the final whistle is blown.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
To keep the unity of the body of Christ, we must endeavor, that is to say we must struggle or strive by every means possible to do this. This is a divine assignment for every one of us as members of the body.
QUESTIONS
- What is the greatest arsenal of the devil against the Church?
- How can we keep the unity of the Church?
DATE: – 24TH JANUARY, 2021
TOPIC: – LESSONS FROM ONE OF THE SMALLEST CREATIONS (Part 4)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Proverbs 6:6 – 11; 24 – 26
MEMORY VERSE: – “Which having no guide, overseer or ruler, provide her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:7&8).
INTRODUCTION: –The ants are indeed a special creation of God, a bundle of qualities that amaze man. The counsel of God to us to “Go to the ant, consider her ways, and be wise” is one that every Christian must imbibe and yield seriously to. There are a lot indeed to learn from the ants.
LESSON OUTLINES
1) Be foresighted And Prudent: – The ants in their wisdom gather food in summer, process and store food against winter or time of need. Thus, they are not wasters. Just as they don’t waste time, they don’t waste other resources. They plan and prepare today for the future unknown (prov.30:25). As believers we must learn to be prudent and not waste the resources of god at our disposal.
The ants have visions, they have good foresight and they prudently prepare for the future (Prov.29:18; 30:25).
A good foresight helps you to plan and prepare ahead of time and eventually. Nothing comes to meet you unprepared for it.
A foresighted student starts preparing for his final result from his or her first day in school. A foresighted Civil servant begins to prepare for his retirement from his first resumption date.
A foresighted person cares and provides for his future (he saves for the rainy day). He is providently careful and prudently planning and providing for his future.
A foresighted person exercised prudence and care in the management of his resources to cater for his uncertain future.
2) Be Kind: – The ants are very happy creatures. There seems to be nothing like selfishness among them (Rom.12:10).
3) Be Organised:- One of the most organized and decent creatures of God are ants. Always in a well organized posture. When moving, they line up, no matter their number, in order. If anything disrupts the line, within a twinkling of an eye, you see them re-organize themselves on queue. You can never see any of them jump queue. They are very decent and in order (1Corint.14:40).
If we could be sure organized, there would be peace, decorum and progress in the society.
4) Be Diligent: – The ants are very diligent creatures, working assiduously until task is accomplish.
Diligence is the key to greatness and success (Prov.22:29; 10:4-5; 12:24; 27; 13:4). Diligence is a part of divine nature. God is very diligent, working all through until He saw that everything was good (Gen.1-2; 25) and He is still working now (John 5:17).
Jesus Christ our Lord left us with the example of diligence (John 9:4).
Diligence is part of the divine nature we must partake of as believers (2Ptr.1:4).
5) Community or Village Living: – Deborah sang that village life has cease (Judges 6:7) but not among the ants. The ants live a community life of brotherly love and care for one another. To rebuild our broken down social order, security and respect, we must learn from the ants to live communally.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Truly, the ants are a people not strong, yet (they are doing mighty things) prepare their meat in the summer. (Prov.30:25). They make hails when the sun shines. We must be humble to learn from the small and fragile creatures that are embodiment of godly counsel to men!
QUESTIONS
- Why are the ants said to be foresighted?
- What can we do to correct the malaise in our society?
DATE: – 31ST JANUARY, 2021
TOPIC: – DEALING WITH TIME WASTERS (Part 1)
BIBLE PASSAGE: -Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 11
MEMORY VERSE: -‘See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil’ (Ephesians 5:15 – 16).
INTRODUCTION: –One of the greatest gifts given to man by God is TIME and God expects us as stewards to be faithful in the use of our time (Matt.25:14 – 30).
Someone once said “Today unused is lost forever, and tomorrow may never come”. We are not to allow life to manage us, but we should manage life by making plans, after all, he who fails to plan has planned to fail.
We cannot afford to drift through life aimlessly and without direction. Thus, there is utmost need for every one of us to take charge of his/her tome and constantly get rid of the time wasters that abound around us.
LESSON OUTLINES
a) Identifying The Time Stealer And How To Overcome Them
1) Lack of Planning: – God our father, is a great planner, we can see this in the creation (Genesis 1 and 2). He made everything according to plan. He did not make man until after He had made what would sustain the man.
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour is a great planner and this He exhibited all time throughout His earthly ministry. He would not do anything until it was the time He planned for it (John 2:5).
Though He loved Lazarus, yet the Lord would not yield to pressure from his sisters to alter his own plan (John 11:1-6). When He heard of Lazarus sickness, He abode yet two more days working according to His own plan and got to Bethany at the time He scheduled, though the sisters thought He was late.
But many of us Christians are not walking in the footsteps of our Lord. We just move from one activity to another, from one conversation to another.
A day not well planned for is wasted on unprofitable activities before you know it the day has become a week, and a week become a month, a month become a year. You see the year ending without you accomplishing any meaningful or reliable thing.
To overcome lack of planning, you must never allow a day to come without a clearly defined plan for it. Yes, plan your day. This you can achieve by writing out daily (maybe before you sleep at night or early in the morning before leaving your bed), a list of things you have to do, then rank them according to priority, then allot time for each activity (possibly when it should start and when it should end).
It is known fact that there are too many things screaming for our attention daily, but there is need for us to discern what is really essential and focus our time and energy on such.
Then discard those activities that are not or less important or that can wait for another time.
Don’t allow life to manage you, but take charge and manage life by making proper plan for each day. But most importantly, ask the Lord to help you plan your day (Prov.3:5-6)
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Planning is an essential value for success in life and ministry. An unplanned life is a ruined life, an unplanned home is a chaotic home, and an unplanned day is a wasted day. Leaning on the Holy Spirit leading daily, prayerfully plan out your day so that your life can be planned and you will achieve your dreams and goals in life.
QUESTIONS
- Why is it necessary to plan your day?
- What are the steps to take to overcome lack of planning?