The Cloud of Witnesses

Former title Lessons From the People of the Bible

Set 1

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PDF These lessons are also available as PDFs (with the number of lessons in brackets).

Abraham (5) — David (5) — Esther (4) — Gideon (5) — Isaac (6) — Jacob (7) — Job (6) — John the Baptist (6) — Jonah (4) — Jonathan (6) — Joseph (10) — Joseph of Nazareth (6) — Mary (4) — Mary Magdalene (4) — Mary of Bethany (3) — Moses (5) — Nehemiah (8) — Nicodemus (4) — Noah (6) — Paul the Apostle (5) — Peter (5) — Philip (4) — Ruth (7) — King Saul (6) — Stephen (6) — Thomas (4)

Download the complete set 1 as PDFs (2.46 MB).

The lessons of set 1 are also available as individual online lessons below.

Set 2

Available for NZ$25 + shipping. Enquire at the email address at the bottom of the page.

PDF These lessons are available as PDFs (with the number of lessons in brackets). These PDFs have not yet been updated to the new name.

Andrew (7) — Caleb (7) — Daniel (7) — Elijah (6) — Elisha (5) — Isaiah (21) — John (22) — Joshua (16) — Leah (2) — Luke (22) — Mary Magdalene (3) — Matthew (9) — Miriam (4) — Nahum (2) — Rachel (6) — Rebekah (5) — Samson (5)

Download the complete set 2 as PDFs (1.85 MB).

Abraham

Lesson 1: Abraham – Called & Blessed

Reading

Genesis 12.

God has a plan for each of our lives

Here we find Abram having an encounter with God that totally and dramatically changed his life forever. Born in Ur, he moved north with his father and their family to Haran. It seems as if they were supposed to move on but chose to settle in Haran.

God was not satisfied with that and so came to Abram and told him to go South to Canaan. In His blessing to Abram, we find that not only had God a great plan and purpose for his life, but that it extended beyond his own family.

His family would become a huge nation in its own right but additionally, through Abram, God was going to bless everyone on the face of the earth. Wow!

Not a bad blessing, was it?

Abram had some choices to make –

Would he reject the invitation?

Would he reply – I’ll take the blessing but stay here thanks?

Would he cringe and say he was quite happy with just Sarai?

Would he be selfish and demand all the blessing for his family and ignore his ‘nation’?

Would he accept the blessing for his ‘nation’ but refuse to allow anyone else to benefit?

Abram took Sarai and Lot and headed south… and the rest as we say – is history. Today we are blessed because of the obedience of Abram. We are also blessed because the Jews told us about Jesus, refusing to keep the Good News to themselves. So God’s promise has been fulfilled. Abram was blessed and so have all the peoples of the earth.

God has a plan for your life, too! It’s vital you find out what that plan is because that is what you are on earth for! And think about it… God, the Creator of the Universe, has a plan designed especially for you – isn’t that terrific! What more significance do you want?

What’s more, not only will you be blessed by following through on it but others will benefit by it as well – because God is never self-centred but always – others-centred. Worth following up, isn’t it?

Abraham would say to us today...

God is a Good God, serve Him and follow His plans for your life because they will not only be the best for you, but also cause others to be blessed through you.

Prayer

Father, it is amazing to think that You have a plan and purpose for my life. Thank You so much that You care that much about me. Please help me to fulfil all Your purposes for my life and to bring blessing to others and glory to Your Name. Amen.

Additional readings

Jeremiah 1:4-10 & 29:11-13; Psalm 139; Isaiah 61:1-11.

Questions

Do you know the plan God has for your life?

What is the next step towards its fulfilment?

Why is it important we keep checking up to make sure we are living within the plan God has for our life?