There’s a good reason the book of Daniel spends a lot of time dealing with Rome (see Dan. 7:7-8, Dan. 7:19-21, Dan. 8:9-12, Dan. 8:23-25). And that’s because of its great power, which was prevalent also at the time of Christ. Nevertheless, a Roman officer, not only a symbol of the power of Rome but an … Continue reading –>
After preaching the Sermon on the Mount, where He’d described the principles of the kingdom of God, Jesus re-encountered the kingdom of Satan, a cold dark place filled with decaying people groaning for redemption, a place whose principles are often contrary to everything for which He stands. And at that time one of the greatest … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 8; Lev. 13:44-50; Dan. 7:7-8; John 10:10; Matt. 9:1-8; 1 John 1:9. Memory Text: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” (Matthew 9:5, NKJV). If you made a list of what you most dreaded in life, what would it look … Continue reading –>
Read Ellen G. White, “The Sermon on the Mount,” pp. 298-314, in The Desire of Ages and the book Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing (Book available online at www.whiteestate.org/books/mb/mb.asp). In the parables of Matthew 13:44-46, the men found something of great value. Given the context, especially after Jesus told the third parable (Matt. 13:47-50), … Continue reading –>
Twenty-five years ago in 1991, the first For Dummies book was published. It was titled DOS for Dummies and it was the first in a long line of instructional books that presented complex subjects in simple, non-threatening ways. From that first computer software book the brand has expanded to cover a huge variety of topics … Continue reading –>
A mountaintop wasn’t the only place Jesus preached. He preached the same message of the kingdom all over Israel. Matthew 13 records Jesus teaching from a boat, “while all the people stood on the shore” (Matt. 13:2, NIV). Jesus then told the people parables intended to drive home the importance of not only hearing His … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: The sermon on the mount gives us the basic principles that govern God’s kingdom and a guide to our mindset and actions. The Sermon on the Mount April 9 – 15, 2016 1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 5:11-16. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “The Sermon of Jesus on the Mount” 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 –>
Perhaps the most radical teaching of Jesus is found in Matthew 5:48. Read the text. How are we, especially as sinners, supposed to do that? Of all the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, this has to be one of the most amazing, the most “extreme.” To be as perfect as “your Father in … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 5:20. What does Jesus mean when He says that unless our righteousness “surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law” (NIV), we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven? Though salvation has always been by faith, and though Judaism, as it should have been practiced, was always a system of grace, … Continue reading –>
He taught with authority. Were Jesus’ listeners amazed that He spoke with authority even before they knew He was Jesus Christ? In other words, was it “who He was” or “How He spoke” that first impressed them concerning Jesus?The “Sermon on the Mount” is fairly short, but it is “the most powerful sermon ever preached,” according to … Continue reading –>
Some Christians view the Sermon on the Mount as a new “law of Christ,” one that replaced the “Law of God.” They say that a system of legalism was now replaced with a system of grace, or that Jesus’ law differs from the Law of God itself. These views are misconceptions about the Sermon on … Continue reading –>
