In the World–August 25, 2019

Download “In the World” for August 25, 2019 here.

SACRIFICIAL LOVE FOR ORPHANS

As young parents on a mission trip to Mexico, Jeane and Paul Briggs, of West Virginia, encountered a blind orphan boy whose story tugged at their hearts. They adopted him and have been adopting girls and boys ever since. For each child, “We’d hear of a child, pray about it and then felt like we should bring him home.” Their family now includes 32 previously orphaned children from various countries. The couple opened their lives and their home in radical, sacrificial love to so many children in need.

SACRIFICIAL LOVE FOR OTHERS

Our passage today has often been misread and sometimes abused to force wives to submit to their husbands, no questions asked. But Paul is saying that all Christians are to love and submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)—husbands and wives, wives and husbands, and everyone else—in the same way Christ loved us. His way is never to force someone to submit to Him. His way is to give Himself wholly and sacrificially to even His enemies, and certainly His children, in love.

1. How does the adoption of orphans reflect Christ’s sacrificial love?
2. What view of this passage does your church or congregation have?
3. Why should marriage be a covenant of mutual love?

Additional Resources

These videos and materials are for your personal use. If you show videos in class, be sure to have the necessary rights to do so.

• Music Video, Traditional: “The Love of God” by the Gaither Friends
• Music Video, Multicultural: “I Found Love” BeBe and CeCe Winans
• Music Video, Contemporary: “When I Say I Do” by Matthew West
• Commentary on Ephesians 5 from the Junia Project (Dr. Paul Franklin)
• Focus on the Family on Ephesians 5
• Precept Austin summaries of commentaries on Ephesians 5

www.standardlesson.com/category/in-the-world
Copyright © 2019 by Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family.
All rights reserved. Each download is for the use of one church only.