Three weeks ago I was writing about how our community service centers provide practical ways for us to worship God, and serve the community. Currently, I have a group Bible study with several of our friends in the Homosassa Florida community, while they wait to get their food at the Homosassa Seventh-day Adventist Church’s food … Continue reading –>
Finnish Father’s Forgiveness By Sakari Vehkavuori Finland was mired in a bloody civil war in 1918. The Reds, mainly comprised of the working class, were locked in conflict with the Whites, mostly from the middle and upper classes. My great-grandfather Viktor Ståhlberg pleaded with his son, my great-uncle Väinö Ståhlberg, not to join the White … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Dorcas—Her Ministry and Its Influence”, pages 66, 67, in Welfare Ministry; “A Liberal Church”, pages 335-345, in The Acts of the Apostles; “This Is Pure Religion”, pages 35-41, in Welfare Ministry. “The Saviour has given His precious life in order to establish a church capable of caring for sorrowful, tempted souls. A company of … Continue reading –>
Christian tradition suggests that James, the brother or stepbrother of Jesus, became a leader of the early church in Jerusalem and was the James who acted as chairman for the Jerusalem council (see Acts chapter 15, as well as Galatians chapters 1 and 2). If so, it is likely that he was the author of … Continue reading –>
Paul’s letter to the Romans is best known for its in-depth explanations of the great doctrine of salvation by faith through of the death of Christ. But after 11 chapters of such teaching, there is a change of emphasis. Paul offers a practical guide to living and loving well, based on the grace and love … Continue reading –>
After his conversion, the apostle Paul took up the mission to bring the gospel to the Gentile world. The success God gave him raised significant questions about the relationship between the Jewish roots of the emerging Christian faith and the new Gentile followers of Jesus. A council of Jewish and Gentile Christian leaders met in … Continue reading –>
Sabbath afternoon’s introduction has Matthew 28:18-20 giving us Hymn 378, “Go, Preach My Gospel” – the Great Commission, known as our Mission Statement. We may then request “Baptize Us Anew”, Hymn 258. Hymn 346, “Lord, Who Dost Give to Thy Church” encourages our Pastors, and also those who are like Dorcas, “helping the needy their … Continue reading –>
1, A new kind of community. Seven people selected from the early Christian church were assigned the responsibility for organizing members to meet the physical needs of the neediest members of the congregation. These would include housing, feeding, clothing, childcare, and many other responsibilities that some families would have difficulty meeting. Thousands of years later … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Following Jesus’ commission and empowered by the Spirit, the early believers shared what they had, lived lives of faithful service to those in need. August 31, 2019 1. Have a volunteer read Acts 9:36. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. If you … Continue reading –>
As the church began to spread—as Jesus predicted—“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NIV), new believers took up the faith and ministry of Jesus. Among these was Dorcas—also known as Tabitha—in the city of Joppa. She obviously took seriously Jesus’ particular instruction that when clothing … Continue reading –>
After Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the group of believers grew rapidly and created the early church, a new kind of community among the followers of Jesus, and initially led by His original disciples. However, this new community was not just something that they made up among themselves; rather, … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 2:42-47; Acts 4:32-37; Matt. 25:38, Matt. 25:40; Acts 9:36; 2 Cor. 8:7-15; Romans 12:1-21; James 2:1-9. Memory Text: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27, NKJV). The verses known as the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) are among the … Continue reading –>
