Jesus came to show us what God is like. For four thousand years, God had revealed Himself to His people through miracles, visions, prophets and many other ways. But as marvelous as God’s revelations were, even the leaders of God’s people too often seemed oblivious to the nature and character of God. They wanted to … Continue reading –>
The memory verse gives us two hymns: Hymn 378, “Go, Preach My Gospel” and Hymn 354, “Thy Love, O God”. Compassion for the poor and oppressed is voiced in Hymn 353, “Father, Help Your People” and Hymn 352, “This Is My Will”. Are we ready to go and help? Hymn 359, “Hark! The Voice of … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Jesus demonstrated the work of the Prophets : good news for the poor, freedom for the oppressed, healing for the broken-hearted. August 17, 2019 1. Have a volunteer read Luke 4:16-21. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. Why do you think Jesus … Continue reading –>
Whether it was the prescribed reading for the day or whether Jesus intentionally found the relevant verses (Isa. 61:1-2) in the scroll He was given to read, it was no coincidence these verses were the text for His first public sermon. Neither is it a coincidence that the story of Jesus’ short sermon in Luke 4:16-21—“Today this scripture … Continue reading –>
Imagine the scene: Mary had received a message from the angel Gabriel just a few days earlier. He had told her that she was to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of the Most High. She has not yet told anyone but goes to visit Elizabeth, her older relative, who also is expecting a … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 1:46-55, Luke 4:16-21, Luke 7:18-23, Matt. 12:15-21, Matt. 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-19, Isa. 53:3-6. Memory Text: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Isaiah 58—A Divine Prescription”, pages 29-34, in Welfare Ministry; “Woes on the Pharisees”, pages 610-620, in The Desire of Ages. “In urging the value of practical godliness, the prophet was only repeating the counsel given Israel centuries before … From age to age these counsels were repeated by the servants of Jehovah to … Continue reading –>
I want no more of your pious meetings. Does the above phrase sound like a rebellious teenager? How about this? I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! You may think that sounds like an even more rebellious teen, but fact is that’s … Continue reading –>
When Jesus was confronted by some of the religious leaders of His day who criticized Him for eating with “sinners”, He quoted the prophet Hosea, telling them to go back to their books and discover what God really meant when He said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matt. 9:13, NIV, quoting Hos. 6:6). As we will see, … Continue reading –>
In their explanation of the relationship between worship and justice, there is another step urged by the prophets: that an active concern for relieving the poor and oppressed and helping those in need is an important part of worship itself. Isaiah 58 is one chapter that makes this link obvious. Read Isa. 58:1-14. What has gone wrong … Continue reading –>
