In calling Abraham to be His servant, God chose for Himself a people to represent Him to the world. This calling and election was an act of God’s love and grace. God’s call to Israel was central to His plan for the restoration of all humanity after the devastation and disunity caused by the Fall. … Continue reading –>
The other night I tried a new restaurant, and the food was horrible! It actually made me sick. So I got a to-go box and took it home so I could chew on it for several days and share it with my friends. Sound crazy? Of course it is. Thankfully my story never actually happened. … Continue reading –>
The three great monotheistic world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, look to Abraham as their father. For Christians, this association is a spiritual relationship. When called to leave his country in Mesopotamia, Abraham was told that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3, NKJV; see also Gen. 18:18, Gen. 22:18). The blessing came … Continue reading –>
Welcome to the Fourth Quarter’s lesson studies for 2018. Our memory text brings us the first two hymns: Hymn 98, “Can You Count the Stars” and Hymn 72, “Creator of the Stars of Night”. The Sabbath Afternoon introduction to the weeks’ study then reminds us of the kind of faith that unites God’s people with each … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 11:1-9. What happened here that makes the problem of separation and disunity worse? The next events chronicled by the Bible after the Flood are the construction of the Tower of Babel, the confusion of languages, and then the dispersion of people, who so far had spoken one language. Perhaps attracted by the beauty of … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: God created humanity to live in harmony and unity, but disobedience interrupted that ideal. God called Abraham to establish a people to whom He can restore that unity in Christ. October 6, 2018 1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 3:16-19. Ask class members to share a thought on what is the most important … Continue reading –>
Count the stars. Imagine how Abraham felt when God told him about the number of people in his inheritance. “Count the stars,” God said. Back then, with far less to block the view from earth to sky, the sky was the setting for billions and billions of heavenly bodies. Abraham was to be a key player the … Continue reading –>
The consequences of the Fall were enormous. The disobedience of Adam and Eve started the rupture of a harmonious interdependence between all life forms. Even worse, it started the disunity, discord, and divisions among human beings that exist even today. The disharmony is seen immediately in how Adam and Eve sought to put the blame … Continue reading –>
A clear message flowing out of the Creation story in Genesis Chapters 1 and 2 is the overall harmony that existed at the end of the week of Creation. God’s final words that all was “very good” (Gen. 1:31) refer not only to aesthetic beauty but also to the absence of any element of evil or discord … Continue reading –>
Our Unity in Christ The church is God’s family on earth: serving, studying, and worshiping together. Looking to Jesus as its leader and Redeemer, the church is called to take the good news of salvation to all people. Number 14 of the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church states, in part: “The church is … Continue reading –>
