Though Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been the subject of an intense amount of religious interest through the centuries, most of that interest is tradition derived from a host of sources that are not rooted in Scripture. Nevertheless, in the question of Christ’s coming to earth, Mary played a crucial and pivotal role: in … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: By His example in life and word, Jesus reinforced the need for God’s supremacy in our thoughts and service, and the importance of worshipping in spirit and truth.. 1. Have a volunteer read Luke 4:5-8. A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is. … Continue reading –>
A TRUE STORY A few weeks ago I saw a strange and brilliant display of color and watched for a minute or two as lovely pastel colors floated in perfect circles in a row across my vision. Most of my vision was blocked by the display except for a slice along the bottom portion. I … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: There is temptation to relax our vigilance in God’s service and conform to worldly customs. Confession, repentance, and obedience are still responsibilities for God’s presence among His people.
1. Have a volunteer read Ezekiel 8:9-14.
Too often, discussions about the importance or relevance of the Sabbath focus on what to do (or not to do) on the Sabbath. This inevitably leads to arguments which are usually unproductive. Instead of the Do/Don’t aspect of the Sabbath, let us briefly consider its significance and relevance to us today. The Sabbath reminds us … Continue reading –>
The Seventh-day Adventist church is a prophetic movement which God raised up for the furtherance of the gospel after centuries of apostasy by His church. This makes us special in terms of responsibility. We’re not special because of any intrinsic value that we have, but we have a special message and we are a called … Continue reading –>
A S T O R Y “Is being a Christian easy or hard?” Mike asked. “Easy,” said Ted. “If you love Jesus, then following Him is the easiest thing in the world to do.” “But what if people poke fun at you or ignore you because you’re a Seventh-day Adventist Christian? Is that easy?” “No, … Continue reading –>
The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34 NKJV). This text has to do with our perception of truth, how we view things. This is important … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: When we sense the presence of God, we will need soul cleansing. Then we are to live humbly with Him, serving all with justice and mercy. 1. Have a volunteer read Micah 6:6-8. A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is. B. How … Continue reading –>
In a previous post I commented on three types of worship, including personal worship, and some have asked me to expand on the latter. Personal worship has come under some scrutiny recently with the rise in interest in “spiritual formation.” The topic is quite relevant to the lesson on Conformity, Compromise and Crisis in Worship because … Continue reading –>
My Bible reading this week included 1 Kings 3:1-15, which tells the story of the beginning of Solomon’s reign — and compromise. 1 Kings 3:1 tells of his marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter, a compromise conforming to the customs of the day. 1 Kings 3:3 tells us that “Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes … Continue reading –>
Before we take this week’s lesson title (Conformity, Compromise and Crisis in Worship) as an excuse to proscribe forms of worship that we do not like, we need to consider worship in its wider context. There are three aspects of worship (Yes I am well aware that my classification is not the only one but … Continue reading –>
