Category: Lessons

The Widow of Zarephath: The Leap of Faith

• Lesson 11 for the week of December 4 to December 11

Leading Question: Does God like foreigners? Key Passages: 1 Kings 17, God’s intervention on behalf of a foreign widow Luke 4:24-26, Jesus reminds God’s people of the foreign widow Thoughts: 1. Does God like foreigners?...

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The Man of God: Obedience Is Not Optional

• Lesson 10 for the week of November 27 to December 4

Leading Question: Is it possible that a true prophet can contradict the Word of the Lord? Key Passage: 1 Kings 13, A prophet learns obedience the hard way The full chapter (1 Kings 13) should...

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Rizpah: The Influence of Faithfulness

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

Leading Question: Is it possible for a woman to rouse a king’s conscience? Key Passages: 2 Samuel 3:6-12, A concubine of Saul, David’s enemy 2 Samuel 21:1-14, Rizpah reminds David of his duty to deceased...

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Joab: David’s Weak Strong Man

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

Leading Question: When you have a relative working for you and the relative gets you into trouble by his bad behavior, what do you do with the relative? Key Passages: 2 Samuel 2-3, Blood feud,...

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Abiathar: The Priest

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

Leading Question: Does one last mistake, overshadow forever a life that otherwise was marked by faithfulness? Key Passages: 1 Samuel 21:1-9, Ahimelech, Abiathar’s father, gives holy bread to David 1 Samuel 22, Abiathar escapes the...

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Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner

• Lesson 6 for the week of October 30 to November 6

Leading Question: When a leader commits a great mistake, can we still trust him or her? Key Passage: 2 Samuel 11 Questions: A Man After God’s Own Heart? When God rejected Saul, Samuel said that...

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Abigail: No Victim of Circumstances

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

Leading Question: If your spouse does something really foolish, what is your obligation to protect him or her? Key Passage: 1 Samuel 25 Thoughts: Protecting your spouse. From a modern perspective, we might wonder how...

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Jonathan: Born for Greatness

• Lesson 4 for the week of October 16 to October 23

Leading Question: Does the Lord always choose the best man to be his leader? Key Passages: 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan takes risks for Israel, the people rescue him from Saul 1 Samuel 18-20 Jonathan in...

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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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All the Rest Is Commentary

• Lesson 13 for the week of September 18 to September 18

What should Christians do when they don’t agree? Having emphasized the supremacy of love in the Christian life (Rom 12:9-10; Rom 13:8-10), Paul now begins to wrap up his letter by providing examples of how...

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