As the gospel circles the globe, Christians encounter different cultures and practices, many of which pertain to family and social relationships. One of the great questions for Christian missionaries regards how they should relate to various cultural norms about many things, including family relationships they might personally find uncomfortable. Read Acts 10:1-28, Acts 10:34-35. What can we … Continue reading –>
Paying With Prayer By Andrew McChesney Choomba Simillah was being expelled from the University of Zambia. He owed 9,000 Zambian kwacha (about U.S.$900), and he had no idea where to obtain the money. But Choomba wasn’t going to give up. He was studying for a bachelor’s degree at the public university while teaching at Rusangu … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Little Times of Trouble “Too often the parents are not united in their family government. The father, who is with his children but little, and is ignorant of their peculiarities of disposition and temperament, is harsh and severe. He does not control his temper, but corrects in passion. The child knows this, and … Continue reading –>
“Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about” (Matt. 7:12, CEV). Think about all the ways in your own experience, within the family and without, in which you need to apply this principle, and, on the lines below, write down just what those times might … Continue reading –>
Sometimes unresolved conflict and anger may develop into a very negative, destructive dynamic, even an abusive relationship. Abuse can take a number of forms—physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, sexual, et cetera. But any form of abuse is contrary to the central principle of God’s kingdom—unselfish love. What crucial teachings about relationships are found in 1 John 4:7-8 and Colossians 3:19? … Continue reading –>
Who hasn’t experienced anger at one point or another? What makes it harder is when that anger is directed at a family member. Along with refusing to forgive, anger can turn into a poison that will wreak great pain and suffering on the home and family and relationships in general. Read Ephesians 4:26-27 and Ecclesiastes 7:9. How can … Continue reading –>
Marriage, like the Sabbath, is a gift of God to humanity that goes back to Eden. And, as Seventh-day Adventists, we know what the enemy of souls has done, and is still doing, to both the Sabbath and to marriage. Even the best of marriages are, at times, going to suffer from conflict. What follow … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 7:5 and Proverbs 19:11. What two important principles can help us avoid conflict with others? The writer of the Proverbs makes a very astute observation: “The start of an argument is like a water leak —so stop it before real trouble breaks out” (Prov. 17:14, CEV). Once begun, a conflict can become incredibly hard to shut down. … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 7:5; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 2:4-8; Eph. 4:26-27; James 1:19-20; Col. 3:19; Matt. 7:12. Memory Text: “Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26, NKJV). Even the best of homes will face times of struggle, times of conflict. It’s just one of the facts of life in a fallen … Continue reading –>
God Had Other Plans By Andrew McChesney As she finished high school, Jo-Anna Clayton devised a plan for college. For the first year, she would enroll in a community college near home in the U.S. state of West Virginia. This way she could take basic classes at reduced tuition costs and stay with her parents … Continue reading –>
