Who’s winning? Do we know the answer to that question when it is asked about the greatest conflict of all time? Do we ever feel ourselves trembling in fear when we think of the powers of evil unleashed and aimed at the everlasting destruction of Jesus and his people? Is it important to study Satan’s strategies and … Continue reading –>
The reality of the great controversy, and that we are in a literal battle with a real enemy (Eph. 6:11), is revealed by Paul’s use of war imagery in Ephesians 6:1-24. Read Ephesians 6:11-17. What do these verses tell us about how real, and personal, the battle is? It is not what the various pieces … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Paul and the Rebellion” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV Sabbath … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : It is important for us to share the hope we have in the resurrection in a world that is full of suffering, pain, and death. Paul and the Rebellion, February 27 – March 4, 2016 1. Have a volunteer read I Corinthians 3:12-15. a. Ask class members to share a thought on … Continue reading –>
The role and functions of the church are clearly spelled out in 1 Corinthians 12:1-31. Here we find the church likened to a body, and with the role of each of its members clearly defined and working together as a harmonious whole (1 Cor. 12:12). Read 1 Corinthians 12:14-26. What is the essential message of … Continue reading –>
“The church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard.”-Ellen G. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 284. Nowhere is this classic Ellen G. White statement better illustrated than in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, Paul likens … Continue reading –>
While Paul is best known for his clear exposition of the gospel, his explanation of the great controversy is also crucial. In the midst of his teaching the Good News, he summarizes his main points: we have been “justified by faith” through Jesus (Rom. 5:1); we have direct access to God, and we “rejoice in … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 5:12-21, 1 Cor. 3:12-17, 1 Cor. 12:14-26, Eph. 6:11-17, 1 Cor. 15:12-18. Memory Text: “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:54, NIV). Paul’s … Continue reading –>
When we allow the Bible to explain itself, God can use ordinary people to do great things. Years ago, when I worked on the sort isle at UPS, our supervisors would occasionally bring in food to eat, while we worked at four in the morning. One such time, my supervisor, who was also a Protestant … Continue reading –>
Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote about Jesus returning to the earth, but not as predicted in the Bible. Instead, in this made-up story, Jesus returned at the height of the Inquisition, when religious leaders used their power for evil. The Grand Inquisitor had Jesus, who came as a humble peasant, arrested and thrown in a … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “The Great Controversy and the Early Church” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from … Continue reading –>
The disciples not only struggled with preconceived ideas that kept them from understanding what Jesus taught them, they also shared national prejudices. One example of this is the story of the Samaritan woman from whom Jesus asked a drink of water. The disciples were surprised that He even spoke to the woman (John 4:27) . … Continue reading –>
