Teen Scene. R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

      R. H. BOYD, D.D., LL.D.

      Founder (1896–1922)

      H. A. BOYD, D.D.

      (1922–1959)

      T. B. BOYD, JR., D.D.

      (1959–1979)

      T. B. BOYD III, D.D.

      (1979–2017)

      LaDonna Boyd, M.B.A

      President/CEO

      David Groves, D.Min., Ph.D.

      Director of Publications

      Keaton Bell, B.B.A.

      Director of Finance

      Steven Puckett, A.A.S.

      Director of Operations

      EDITORIAL STAFF:

      Olivia M. Cloud, M.R.E.

      (Associate Editor)

      Landon Dickerson, M.T.S.

      Monique Gooch, B.A.

      Joseph Tribble, M.Div.

      Brittany Batson, B.A.

      Sinclaire Sparkman, B.S.

      Freida Crawley, B.S.

      Carla Davis, B.A.

      Teen Scene contains Sunday school material for young people ages 15–17. In addition to introductory material and biblical exposition, each lesson contains applications along with activities and questions that enhance the students’ understanding of the presentation. Biblical principles are written specifically to reflect the interests and problems of maturing teens.

      The lesson material herein is based on the International Uniform Sunday School Lesson Outlines, copyrighted by the Division of Christian Education, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission.

      Scripture verses are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Teen Scene (USPS 697-060) (ISSN 0746-6927) copyright © 2020, R.H. Boyd Company, 6717 Centennial Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1017. Teen Scene is published on a quarterly basis by R.H. Boyd Company. Periodicals postage paid at Nashville, Tennessee.

      POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Teen Scene, R.H. Boyd Company, 6717 Centennial Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1017.

      For Customer Service, call (615) 350-8000, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Central, or fax (615) 350-9018.

      The publisher, R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation, bears no responsibility or liability for any claim, demand, action, or proceeding related to its content, including but not limited to claims of plagiarism, copyright infringement, defamation, obscenity, or the violation of the rights of privacy, publicity, or any other right of any person or party, and makes no warranties regarding the content.

       ABOUT THE WRITER

       Jo Ann Grant

      Jo Ann Grant is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she met her husband, the Rev. Walter L. Grant. He is the pastor of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Cotton-town, Tennessee, where she is active in several ministries.

      Formerly, Mrs. Grant was a computer skills instructor at the Nashville Adult Learning Center, and a technologies specialist for several firms where she was an educational curriculum and technical manual writer.

      The Grants currently reside in Nashville, Tennessee and have two children: Bryan David and Noria Danielle.

      God commands us to love one another as He loves us. This quarter begins with God’s laws requiring care and concern for the poor and needy, loving and embracing the stranger, and the demands of love for one another in the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. These sessions elaborate on themes of love for one another in the epistles of Paul and James and the expressions of love in the early formations of the church in Acts. The last section examines God’s call in stories from the New Testament. The greatest call came to Jesus. Other calls in the New Testament led to the extension of Christian ministry into the known world.

       Unit I — October

      Unit I, “Inclusive Love,” has four sessions that center on love for the stranger, the poor, and enemies as well as divine love reflected in human life. First Samuel shows David’s love for others. Luke explores the teachings of Jesus regarding love for one’s enemies and Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan. First Corinthians explores the sermon on love from Paul’s writing, which depicts the height of human love coming from divine love.

       Unit II — November

      Unit II, “Godly Love Among Believers,” contains five sessions. John elaborates on how believers love by serving and portrays Jesus’ explanation of the intertwining love of God for Jesus and for those who abide in Christ. First John clarifies the abiding love of God through the Holy Spirit, which makes it possible for us to love one another. Acts reveals the expression of the love of God in the formation of the early Christian community by the workings of the Holy Spirit. James tells of the love of neighbor as the fulfillment of the law of God.

       Unit III — December

      Unit III, “The Beginning of a Call,” has four sessions from the Gospel of Matthew. Session one highlights the heritage of Jesus. Session two tells the story of Jesus’ birth. Session three speaks of the witness of the Magi to Jesus’ call as the Messiah. Session four tells of the call of John the Baptist.