Aim for Change

By the end of this lesson, we will: ACKNOWLEDGE the hope Paul, faced with death, manifested in God’s eternal promise; EXPERIENCE awe in the faith of family and friends who are facing their mortality; and DEVELOP a growing trust in God’s promise of eternal life through faith.

In Focus

Selena knew that if she didn’t hurry, she would be late for the funeral at the church this morning. As the lead usher, she was responsible for ensuring the other ushers were in place, handing out funeral programs, and seating guests.

Her hands were shaking as she combed out her hair. Fred, the 24-year-old son of one of the church’s long-time members, had been killed in a car wreck on Saturday night. The two passengers in Fred’s car were still hospitalized, both in critical condition. Fred had been thrown from the car and died at the scene. He came from a large family and had been a popular young man in high school and at the local community college.

Although Fred’s parents were faithful church members, Selena had only seen Fred in church on Mother’s Day. She ran into him several times outside of the church and had even invited him to come and visit more often. Fred always laughed and teased that he was too young for that “church stuff.”

Selena had ushered at enough funerals to know that there would be a lot of crying; she didn’t mind that part. It was the screaming and having to restrain guests from throwing themselves into the casket that bothered her. While Selena understood that grief was natural, the funerals of young people were always chaotic. She wondered what Pastor Bob Jenkins would say during the eulogy to provide hope and comfort for Fred’s family and friends, because Pastor couldn’t possibly have known Fred that well.

How do you offer hope and comfort to others in the face of death? How does knowing Christ change how we understand death?

Keep in Mind

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1, KJV).

Aim for Change, In Focus, Keep in Mind

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