Looking for Our Inheritance

Transcription

1 Adult Teacher s Commentary Sept. Nov Looking for Our Inheritance ADULT By Douglas Schmidt 1 May December for use as STEP 1. Focus: Despite the present trials, we look forward to our inheritance. Bible Basis: 1 Peter 1:3-12 Students will discuss the hope and inheritance we have in Christ that helps us through the trials and tribulations of this life. OPENING ACTIVITY: Dividing an Inheritance Write the following quote by Swiss poet and pastor Johann Kaspar Lavater ( ) on a board or sheet of newsprint: Never say you know a man until you have divided an inheritance with him. Discuss with your class the significance of this quotation and any experiences they have had with dividing an inheritance. This week s story talks about what commonly happens when an inheritance passes from one generation to the next. OPENING STORY [make copies of the article or read it aloud in class]: INHERITANCE: NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON T A recent Wall Street Journal article talked about the common trend of the family inheritance virtually disappearing by the third generation. Studies have shown that nearly 70% of a wealthy family s assets are usually gone by the second generation the grandchildren and 90% by the third generation. That confirms the old proverb, Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations. This is particularly troubling given the coming massive wealth transfer of the baby boomers, who are set to inherit $7.6 trillion equivalent to the Gross Domestic Product of China over their lifetimes, mostly in their later years. The first generation to receive the inheritance has little idea how to handle the family-windfall phenomenon. Most of these children are likely to blow through the newly-acquired assets in a remarkably short amount of time. Many of them grew up with what they perceived to be unlimited resources, so they simply assume that whatever they spend, no matter how extravagantly, the pot will eventually replenish itself.

2 May 5, 2013 / Step 1 2 Memory Verse Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 But without proper care and nurturing, these assets simply evaporate and usually very quickly. The Sudden Wealth Syndrome, often seen in lottery winners and professional athletes, seems to infect adult children who have not been prepared by their parents to handle the abrupt stewardship responsibilities of the family s wealth. The Williams Financial Group surveyed 2,000 wealthy families over 20 years and discovered that the most common reason (60% of the time) for the ongoing deterioration of family wealth is distrust and a failure to communicate among family members. Every family quarrels, setting off sparks that can easily blow up a powder keg such as an inheritance. Carefully-worded instructions to your heirs in your estate plan may help defuse that problem, but there s no guarantee. The second biggest reason for lost inheritance (25% of the time) is a failure to prepare children to responsibly manage a sudden windfall. This comes as no surprise given the reluctance of many parents to discuss finances with their children. Whatever you leave your children whether it s money, property, or accumulated goods certainly Solomon s words ring true: An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end (Prov. 20:21). [Have your class form small groups to discuss these questions.] How do we help guard what we pass on or what we receive? What have you done to benefit from good things you have received and not lose them? What could we do to help those who receive what we pass down so they benefit from it? What kind of an inheritance do we have if we believe in Jesus? In this week s lesson, the apostle Peter talks about the heavenly inheritance of the believer. [Now go on to Step 2 in your Adult Teacher s Guide.]

3 Adult Teacher s Commentary Sept. Nov Hold Fast to the Truth ADULT May for use as STEP 4. Focus: Despite the present trials, we look forward to our inheritance. Bible Basis: 1 Peter 1:3-12 YOUR TRIALS AND YOUR INHERITANCE When we live our lives to honor God, we are essentially living off the interest of our inheritance. Knowing what God has already passed down to is and what He has in store for us gives us a sense of hope and purpose now to endure the trials and tribulations that are a natural consequence of following Christ. Despite our trials now, we look forward to (we hang on to) our inheritance. That inheritance benefits us in good times and bad and we do not lose sight of it. It enriches our lives, and we pass its hope along to the next generations so that they understand that in good and bad times their inheritance can help them as well. ACTIVITY Have your students return to the groups they had in Step 1 and discuss these questions. How does remembering you have an inheritance in Jesus help you through the current trials in your life? For those in the group going through trials and difficulties now, lift them up in prayer, asking God to fill him or her with the hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ and His provision for us. Close the class in prayer, asking the Lord to show the power of His inheritance for all who hold on to hope in Him. (David C Cook is not affiliated with and does not endorse any website listed on these pages. At the time of writing, David C Cook editors carefully review the referenced material and non-referenced web page content. However, due to the nature of the Internet, non-cited content on the website [including pop-ups, links, ads, and comments] changes frequently and is beyond our control. Please review carefully before showing links in the classroom.)

4 May 5, 2013 / Step 4 2 Memory Verse Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 THE BIBLE IN THE NEWS Trans World Radio has announced that within two years it will be able to broadcast the Gospel to 60% of the world s population 3.8 billion people in their own languages: 60-percent-of-worlds-population-with-gospel-93792/

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