• Acts 6-7
• He was ready to serve!
  • Acts 6:3; 21:13 – Paul was ready to serve just like Stephen.
  • II Corinthians 9:2 – The Corinthians were ready to serve!
  • II Timothy 4:2 – Be ready in season and out of season.
  • Luke 22:61 + Acts 5:29 – Peter thought he was ready at Jesus’ crucifixion, but wasn’t really ready until later.
  • Titus 3:1 – Be ready for every good deed.
  • I Timothy 6:18 + Ephesians 4:28 – Be ready to share with others.
  • I Peter 3:15 + Hebrews 5:12-14 – Be ready to make a defense for your faith.
• He was willing to serve
  • Acts 6:8-10; 7:1-2,51-60 – Stephen was willing to serve even to death.
  • Luke 22:33
  • II Corinthians 8:11; 9:2-5 – Don’t just be ready – be willing to follow through.
  • I Timothy 3:1 – To be an elder, a man must be ready and willing.
  • James 1:22 – It is not enough to just continually prepare to serve God but never actually get out and do the work.

• Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:14
• Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 – Be generous with what you have – it may come back to you one day.
• Ecclesiastes 11:4 – Do not shy away from your work just because of the risks.
• Ecclesiastes 11:5 – The ways of God are far beyond our understanding.
• Ecclesiastes 11:6 – Work when you can! You never know if it will be prosperous or not.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 – This is a parable about the perils of old age. The human body weakens and fails and eventually returns to dust.
• Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – This is the meaning of life! Fear God and keep His commandments.

[Sorry, no audio available for this lesson. -MRW]

• I Timothy 6:6 – II Timothy 1:1-3
• I Timothy 6:10-16 – Don’t let anything come between you and serving God. Fight the good fight of faith!
• II Timothy 1:3 – Paul served with a clear conscience because he was forgiven of his former sins.

• Matthew 13:1-23
• Parable: reveals truth, making people understand the unknown by what is known
• The four kinds of soil
  • The wayside soil
  • The rocky soil
  • The thorny soil
  • The good soil
• Bible examples of each kind of soil
  • Wayside soil – Felix – Acts 24:24-26
  • Stony soil – Hebrew Christians – Hebrews 10:25
  • Thorny soil – Rich young ruler – Matthew 19:22
  • Good soil – Paul (his life) – Acts 9:3-19
• Present day examples
  • Wayside – one who hears but pays no attention to the word.
  • Stony – one who hears and receives the word, but lets external things such as persecution or pressure hinder him and cause him to fall.
  • Thorny – one who hears and receives the word, but lets internal things such as money, position, prestige, pleasure, or sexual lust come between him and God.
  • Good – one who hears and receives the word and does not allow anything to keep him from faithfully serving God.
• The real lesson of the parable
  • Take heed what you hear (Mark 4:24)
    • The information must be right.
  • Take heed how you hear (Luke 8:18)
    • The attitude must be right.

• Isaiah 19:2-3
• There were a few cases where dead people appeared on earth again.
  • I Samuel 28:3-20 – The medium was just as surprised as Saul was!
  • Matthew 17:2-3; 27:50; Matthew 28:8-10
• But in general this is not what happens
  • Luke 16:19-31 – the rich man and Lazarus
  • II Samuel 12:22-23 – This is the norm. The dead do not return to live on earth.
• Let’s leave the spiritual realm to God and focus on the information and tasks He has clearly put before us.
  • Stay away from sorcery and things like that.
    • Leviticus 20:26-27
    • Deuteronomy 18:9-14
    • Isaiah 8:19-20
    • I Chronicles 10:13-14
    • Galatians 5:20-21
    • Acts 8:9-13 – Simon the sorcerer
    • Acts 19:11-12,18-20
    • Luke 16:31
  • If we want answers, look to God’s word.
    • II Peter 1:2-3 – Today, God communicates with us through His word.
    • I Timothy 6:3-5
  • Don’t count on fixing things in the afterlife.
    • Matthew 5:23