“And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:34, NKJV). Esau was a rugged outdoorsman who followed his passions. When he smelled his brother’s stew, he wanted the lentils immediately, even though it was unlikely that he was dying from … Continue reading –>
The prophets and Elisha were getting wood by the River Jordan when “the iron axhead fell into the water. ‘Oh no, my lord!’ [one of the prophets] cried out. ‘It was borrowed” (2 Kings 6:5, NIV). The verb “to borrow” means using with permission something that belongs to another. This permission carries risk and responsibility. Borrowed … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 37:21, Matt. 4:3-10, Matt. 6:33, Deut. 28:12, Prov. 13:11, Prov. 21:5, 2 Cor. 4:18. Memory Text: “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: At times chariot wheels had to have the band of iron reset because of stretching caused by the metal’s striking against the road. This resetting took a lot of hard banging and hammering on the iron band itself. This resetting of the band of iron represents stewardship as practical sanctification. It is having the … Continue reading –>
A while back I wrote an article called Bible Cures for Narcissism. This morning a friend on Facebook was sharing the signs of narcissism, which I was already familiar with. However, as our Sabbath school lesson today is on the three angels message, something occurred to me just now. One of the signs of being narcissistic … Continue reading –>
Christ wants us to live a holy life. His life illustrates “holiness” and what ultimate stewardship should look like (Heb. 9:14). We should manage our lives in a way that is pleasing to God, including how we manage all that we have been entrusted with. Stewardship is an expression of that holiness. Compare 1 Peter 1:15-16 with Hebrews 12:14. What do … Continue reading –>
Only twice has God warned the world of coming catastrophe: once to Noah (Gen. 6:13-18, Matt. 24:37) and the other through the three angels’ messages (Rev. 14:6-12). These messages pull back a curtain to reveal a unique perspective on future world events. Our understanding of these messages has matured over time, but the message and mission are still justification … Continue reading –>
How deep and wide. I could be wrong, but looking at the illustration at the start of this week’s lesson I see, or imagine to be seeing, two characters who have just been washed by Jesus in His hands. Doesn’t a good steward in Christ’s church want more than anything to be free from sin? washed clean … Continue reading –>
The sanctuary is central because it is where the great truth of salvation is so powerfully expressed, where the meaning of the cross is revealed. And all our doctrines, one way or another, must be linked to the gospel promise and salvation. Like the spokes of the wheel, other doctrines come out from the great … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Stewardship calls us to bring all things under Christ’s Lordship. We are to become stewards of all of God’s counsel. Lesson 10, March 10, 2018 1. Have a volunteer read Hebrews 4:14-16. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. What do … Continue reading –>
This week’s study theme commenced with a flood of hymns having “Christ as the Centre”: Hymn 185, “Jesus is all the World to Me”, Hymn 305, “Give Me Jesus”, Hymn 329, “Take the World, but Give Me Jesus”, Hymn 577, “In the Heart of Jesus”, culminating in Hymn 309, “I Surrender All”. Hymn 518, “Standing … Continue reading –>
Tuesday’s lesson this week is about Christ-centered doctrinral beliefs. This reminds me of a passage that has become the theme of my ministry. The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the word … Continue reading –>
