Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “God With Us”, pages 19-26, The Desire of Ages ; “Saved to Serve”, pages 95-107, in The Ministry of Healing. “God claims the whole earth as His vineyard. Though now in the hands of the usurper, it belongs to God. By redemption no less than by creation it is His. For the world Christ’s sacrifice … Continue reading –>
The transforming invitation and appeal of the gospel “to every nation, tribe, language and people” (Rev. 14:6, NIV) has continued throughout Christian history. However, Revelation describes a renewed proclamation of this message—the good news about Jesus and all that entails—at the end of time. Read Revelation 14:6-7. How is the common understanding of the gospel—most commonly summarized by John … Continue reading –>
By His ministry and His teaching, Jesus urged a radical inclusiveness. All who sought His attention with honest motives—whether women with bad reputations, tax collectors, lepers, Samaritans, Roman centurions, religious leaders, or children—He welcomed with genuine warmth and care. As the early church was to discover in transformative ways, this included the offer of the … Continue reading –>
Summarize Ephesians 2:8-10 in your own words. What do these verses tell us about the relationship between grace and good works? The Bible tells us that among other things, we were created to worship God and to serve others. Only in our imagination can we try to understand what these acts would be like in a … Continue reading –>
The intermingled stories of salvation and the great controversy call us to acknowledge a truth about life that is foundational for our understanding of our world and ourselves, and that is: we and our world are fallen, broken, and sinful. Our world is not what it was created to be, and though we still bear … Continue reading –>
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world … ” (NIV)—and the original Greek word is kosmos, meaning “the world as a created, organized entity”. – The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 929. This verse is about salvation for humanity, but the plan of salvation has implications for the whole of creation too. Read Romans … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 8:20-23; John 3:16-17; Matt. 9:36; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 John 3:16-17; Rev. 14:6-7. Memory Text: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared … Continue reading –>
Finnish Father’s Forgiveness By Sakari Vehkavuori Finland was mired in a bloody civil war in 1918. The Reds, mainly comprised of the working class, were locked in conflict with the Whites, mostly from the middle and upper classes. My great-grandfather Viktor Ståhlberg pleaded with his son, my great-uncle Väinö Ståhlberg, not to join the White … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Dorcas—Her Ministry and Its Influence”, pages 66, 67, in Welfare Ministry; “A Liberal Church”, pages 335-345, in The Acts of the Apostles; “This Is Pure Religion”, pages 35-41, in Welfare Ministry. “The Saviour has given His precious life in order to establish a church capable of caring for sorrowful, tempted souls. A company of … Continue reading –>
Christian tradition suggests that James, the brother or stepbrother of Jesus, became a leader of the early church in Jerusalem and was the James who acted as chairman for the Jerusalem council (see Acts chapter 15, as well as Galatians chapters 1 and 2). If so, it is likely that he was the author of … Continue reading –>
