Parables of Jesus

Stories of Love and Grace

July, August, September 1997

This quarter's Bible lessons, entitled "Parables of Jesus," focus on the stories Jesus told to reveal God's love and grace. The Adult Sabbath School Lessons are prepared by the Sabbath School/Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The lesson organization provided here (with explanations) is quoted directly from the Adult Sabbath School Lessons (Copyright 1997 by the Sabbath School Department, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists), and is used here by permission.

Introduction:

"Tell me a story!" is a request not often denied.  And, "Do you want to hear a story?" is a question not often answered with, "Well, no, not really."  Good stories reach beyond culture, gender, age, and race.  And good storytellers can inspire the hardest of hearts.

So it is with Jesus and the parables He told nearly 2,000 years ago.  As we study some of these parables this quarter, it will be good to remember the following:

1. Generally speaking, a parable reflects truth; it is not truth itself.  Sometimes a parable is a true story that illustrates important aspects of truth.  (See the comment on the parable of the Good Samaritan in  The Desire of Ages, p. 499.)
2. The context of the parable--where, when, and to whom Jesus told the parable--is the key to its interpretation.
3. A parable usually deals with one facet of truth.  The details of the parable are important as they shed light on that truth.
4. Understanding Oriental customs and thought processes evident in the parable help you to understand the meaning of the parable.

There are many ways to organize a study of the parables.  This quarterly will help you study them from the viewpoint of the Christian journey.  Such a journey can be outlines as follows:

I

God's invitation to follow Him Lesson 1

II

Responses to His invitation Lessons 2 and 3

III

His grace changes the direction of lives Lessons 4 and 5

IV

Aids and hindrances along the way Lessons 6 and 7

V

Assistance along the way Lessons 8 - 12

VI

Home at last Lesson 13

So come along!  And as you travel, may the Master Storyteller inspire you to walk with enthusiasm, joy, and total commitment to His will.  His love inspires such commitment--His love reigning in your heart because of the constant presence of the Holy Spirit

Contents:

  1.  July 5 - The Lost and Found
  2.  July 12 - Claiming the Treasure
  3.  July 19 - Seeds and Banquets
  4.  July 26 - God's Grace Changes Our Direction
  5.  Aug 2 - Growing in Grace
  6.  Aug 9 - Prayer Power
  7.  Aug 16 - How Much Will You Pay?
  8.  Aug 23 - Serving the Master
  9.  Aug 30 - True Love
10.  Sep 6 - "To Forgive Is Divine"
11. Sep 13 - We're on Our Way
12. Sep 20 - When Five Plus Five Equaled Five
13. Sep 27 - The Last Invitation

Meet the Principal Contributor:

Ms. Chiomenti is associate editor of the Adult Standard and Adult Teacher's Sabbath School Quarterlies.  She is also the editor of the Easy Reading Adult Quarterly.  Previous to these assignments, Ms. Chiomenti edited Sabbath School material for the youth level and was editorial secretary for the junior and earliteen divisions.  She has taught preschool and elementary school children who were deaf, and Bible and English at Dakota Adventist Academy in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Ms. Chiomenti has written for the Adventist Review, the Adult Teacher's Quarterly, and the women's devotional books published by the General Conference Department of Women's Ministries.  She also authored the earliteen quarterly and program helps for first quarter of 1983.

In 1972, Ms. Chiomenti graduated from Eastern Michigan University with degrees in English, elementary education and special education for the deaf.  She received an M.A. in theology from Andrews University in 1978.  Presently, she is working on a doctorate in religious education from Andrews.

Frederick, Maryland, is home to Ms. Chiomenti and her husband, Peter, who works as records manager for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and also is a stained-glass artist.  Together, they enjoy gardening, bird watching, reading and exploring the nooks and crannies of the Appalachian Mountains that nestle behind their house.  Their one-half-acre yard is registered with the national Wildlife Federation of the United States as an official habitat for wildlife.

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