Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul, and places man where he learns how to bear Christ’s burdens. We cannot follow Christ without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and bearing it after Him. If our will is not in accord with the divine requirements, we are to deny our inclinations, give … Continue reading –>
Socrates had Plato. Gamaliel had Saul. Leaders of various religions had their devout followers. The difference between discipleship in such cases and the discipleship of Jesus is that the former is based on the content of human philosophy, whereas the latter is rooted in the person and accomplishment of Jesus Himself. Thus, Christian discipleship rests … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 10:1-24. What does this account, of the sending out of the 70, teach us about the work of soul winning amid the reality of the great controversy? During His ministry, more than 12 disciples followed Jesus. When Peter addressed the believers leading to the selection of a substitute for Judas, the group consisted … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 9:1-6 and Matthew 10:5-15. What spiritual truths can we learn from the verses about how Jesus called these men? Luke describes the commissioning of the apostles as a three-step process. First, Jesus called them together (Luke 9:1). The word call or calling is as vital to Christian mission as it is to Christian … Continue reading –>
Discipleship is not self-made. It is a result of responding to the call of Jesus. Luke mentions that Jesus has already called Peter, Andrew, John, and James (Luke 5:11, Matthew 4:18-22) and Levi Matthew, the tax collector (Luke 5:27-32). Now the writer places the selection of the Twelve in a strategic location in his narrative: immediately … Continue reading –>
Simon and Andrew had toiled all night. Seasoned fishermen, they knew the art of fishing, and they knew when to quit. Nightlong work yielded nothing. In the midst of their disappointment came an unsolicited command: Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch (Luke 5:4, NKJV). Simon’s response was one … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 5:1-11, Luke Luke 6:12-16, Luke Luke 9:1-6, Matt. 10:5-15, Luke 10:1-24, Luke 9:23-25, Matt. 16:24-28. Memory Text: Then He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23, NKJV). Disciple means a follower, or … Continue reading –>
Avoid every question in relation to the humanity of Christ which is liable to be misunderstood. Truth lies close to the track of presumption. In treating upon the humanity of Christ, you need to guard strenuously every assertion, lest your words be taken to mean more than they imply, and thus you lose or dim … Continue reading –>
Read all three Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration (Luke 9:27-36, Matt. 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8). (Read also Peter’s firsthand account of the incident, and note the truth the apostle establishes from his eyewitness experience; see 2 Peter 1:16-18). What additional information does Luke provide, and why is it important? Luke begins the narrative with a detail that … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 9:18-27. Why would Jesus have asked the disciples a question whose answer He already knew? What lesson was He seeking to teach them not only about Himself but about what it means to follow Him? Who do you say that I am? (Luke 9:20, NKJV). The question that Jesus asked 2,000 years ago … Continue reading –>
