Hannah: Learning to Be Someone

• Lesson 3 for the week of October 9 to October 16

Leading Question: Does it work to bargain with the Lord when we want something very badly? Key Passage: 1 Samuel 1-2, Baby Samuel brings joy to childless Hannah Questions: Bargaining with the Lord. Hannah made...

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Caleb: Living With the Wait

• Lesson 2 for the week of October 2 to October 9

Leading Question: How does one stand for the Lord when everyone else falls away? Key Passages: Numbers 13-14, From twelve spies down to two, Caleb and Joshua Joshua 14, Caleb asks for the toughest part...

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Appendix B: The Worst Story in the Old Testament: Judges 19-21

• Introduction

Appendix B: “Who Can Change the Mind of God?” Commentary on conditional prophecy (Jeremiah 26): By Alden Thompson, “Who Can Change the Mind of God?” Signs of the Times, Feb. 1992, 25-27. God is in...

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Appendix A: Commentary on the ninth command

• Introduction

Appendix A, on truth-telling: Commentary on the ninth command, Alden Thompson, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,” Signs of the Times, November 1988, 20-22. Published as “When the Truth Is a Lie,”...

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Story and History

• Lesson 1 for the week of September 25 to October 2

Leading Question: “Do stories make truth more believable?” Key Passages: Genesis 39:6-12, Joseph and Potipher’s wife 1 Samuel 24:1-6, David allows Saul to escape from the cave Job 1-2, God and Satan in dialogue over righteous...

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The Fruit of the Spirit: The Essence of the Christian Character

• Lesson 13 for the week of March 20 to March 27

Leading Question: How does one grow the fruit of the Spirit? 1. First things first: Matt. 6:31-34. Jesus is clear: If we seek the kingdom of God first, all the other good gifts will be...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Truth

• Lesson 12 for the week of March 13 to March 20

Leading Question: How certain can we be that we have the truth? 1. Jesus is the way to truth; he is truth: John 14:6. How does the truth in Jesus relate to all the rest...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Righteousness

• Lesson 11 for the week of March 6 to March 13

Leading Question: Is obedience to the law ever a means of gaining favor with God? 1. Gratitude is the key word: Deut. 4:5-8. If defined in terms of its purpose, God’s law was intended as...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Self-Control

• Lesson 10 for the week of February 27 to March 6

Leading Question: To what extent does self-control simply flow from a changed heart, or does it involve blood, sweat and tears as we grapple with temptations, passions and people who irritate us? 1. Two stories:...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Meekness

• Lesson 9 for the week of February 20 to February 27

Leading Question: When Paul asked the Corinthian believers if he should come to them with a stick or with love in a spirit of gentleness (1 Cor. 4:21), how did he expect to find the...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness

• Lesson 8 for the week of February 13 to February 20

Leading Question: What is it that inspires us and enables us to be faithful to people, to God? “Saving” faith is a gift of God. But the result of God’s gifts in our life is...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Goodness

• Lesson 7 for the week of February 6 to February 13

Leading Question: How can God expect good things from people who are bad? When we talk about “goodness” under the heading of “fruit of the Spirit,” several tantalizing paradoxes emerge. We can address these under...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Kindness

• Lesson 6 for the week of January 30 to February 6

Leading Question: If we are kind to those who are doing what is wrong, isn’t there a danger that some will conclude that we agree with and even support that which we actually oppose? Some...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience

• Lesson 5 for the week of January 23 to January 30

Leading Question: How can we become more patient? 1. Becoming more patient. Is patience genetically determined? Or is it possible for even the most high-strung person to become more patient? Would memorizing key “patience” passages...

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