[Thought questions for Weep and Howl December 2, 2014] 1. Weep and howl! Can you imagine the impression those words made on James’ readers and listeners? What if you went to church one week, and the pastor walked to the pulpit wearing his usual invisible robe of humility but places his hand in the open Bible … Continue reading –>
You have lived on the earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter (James 5:5, ESV; compare Ezek. 16:49, Amos 4:1). What do these passages link to luxurious indulgence? In the ancient world the notion prevailed that there was a fixed amount of wealth, meaning that if the … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : Meaningful relationships, job satisfaction, and a purposeful life gives one more happiness than wealth. [Lesson plan for Weep and Howl December 1. 2014] 1. Have a volunteer read James 5:1-5. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. What kind of wealth … Continue reading –>
Reading through James, we may notice that several different categories of wealthy people are mentioned, including rich merchants who will be cut down in the midst of their pursuits (James 1:11), business people who sue to protect their investments (James 2:6), and agricultural landholders who have withheld wages from their laborers (James 5:4). These verses … Continue reading –>
Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you … Continue reading –>
Read James 5:2-3. What warning is James giving here? Though his words are quite strong, what kind of wealth is he talking about? What’s the basic message? Rotting wealth, moth-eaten clothing, and even silver and gold rusting-these are images for us to consider soberly as our planet spins blissfully on, faster and faster toward its … Continue reading –>
Chapter 5 of James begins with a bang: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! (James 5:1, NKJV). No doubt, that would have gotten his readers’ attention. In James 1:10-11, he reminded the rich of the impermanence of wealth. Here, in chapter 5 , he urges those … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: James 5:1-6, Ps. 73:3-19, 1 Sam. 25:2-11, Lev. 19:13, Luke 16:19-31, Matt. 5:39. Memory Text: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). The worldwide popularity of the television show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? suggests that many people vicariously enjoy the rags-to-riches fantasy … Continue reading –>
Dennis Rodrigues As a teenager Solomon was not so smart. He let his peers influence his decisions and began smoking and taking drugs. He experimented with every drug he could get, and often he grew weak because he was not eating. Drugs were all he cared for. Solomon and his friends were always together, smoking … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Read about the value of time in Ellen G. White, Talents, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342-346, and share the points that impressed you with your Sabbath School class. Let no one among you glory any longer against the truth by declaring that this spirit [of discerning the evil motives of others] is a … Continue reading –>
Seventh-day Adventists pioneers spent days and nights earnestly studying the Bible to arrive at the truths that now define us as a body of believers. They became known as a people who knew their Bibles. But how is it with you and me? Is our faith anchored firmly in the Word of God, or does it … Continue reading –>
[Thought questions for One Lawgiver and Judge November 26, 2014] 1. Introduction. Have you ever complained about a new stop sign in your neighborhood? Or about the lack of stop signs or posted speed limits nearby? Imagine that you live in the capital city of the United States, Washington, DC. What would the term “diplomatic immunity” … Continue reading –>
