Good Word Lessons

1.  (Gen 12:1-3) At first glance, it may seem that God”s calling of Abram is an example of favoritism.  However, vs. 3 clearly describes God”s ultimate desire.  Why does God bless Abram?  What are some...

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Few would disagree that humans are social creatures that need community in order to live life to the full.  Without someone to receive us and care for us at birth, none of us would survive. ...

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When Christians hear the word stewardship, many think of the need to carefully manage the financial resources God has given.  Stewardship, however, involves the careful use and management of all the resources God has entrusted...

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Often, a “disciple” is defined as a “student.”  We should be careful, however, because our notion of student does not adequately capture what it meant to be a disciple during the time of Jesus.  In...

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How long has it been since you daydreamed about heaven?  It is surprising how seldom adults talk about what heaven will be like.  On most Sabbaths, one would have to visit a children”s Sabbath School...

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Recent studies suggest that Seventh-day Adventists in the United States live between 5 and 7 years longer than the average American.  Usually, the credit is given to Adventism”s stress on healthy dietary habits.  How much...

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1.  When Christians in the West speak of grace, they most frequently focus on the cross of Christ.  Are there other significant (and even symbolic) events during the life of Jesus that demonstrate grace?  What...

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Like many other theological words, “sin” is widely used, but it”s precise definition is somewhat mysterious. 1.  (Gen 4:6-7)  While the first sin took place in Eden, the first explicit mention of the word “sin”...

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One of the foundational beliefs of Christians is that God exists and has revealed himself to us.  Theologians typically talk about two main types of revelation: general (or “natural”) revelation and special revelation. General revelation...

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Every culture has a hierarchy of values.  This is usually informal, but each member of that culture comes to recognize that some values are more important than others.  The lesson this week focuses on life-physical...

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A century ago, many of those living in the so-called Western world were very optimistic about human nature and thus, very optimistic about the future. How much of this optimism remains is open to debate. ...

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One of the challenges of talking about faith is that the word has so many different connotations.  As you reflect on the questions below, it may be valuable to list the many different ways in...

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This quarter, our discussion guide explores two related elements of the Christian life: doctrine and experience.  Each week, we will focus on one theme and, as Bruinsma suggests, we will “attempt to maintain a careful...

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Before using this discussion guide, the reader should be aware of several assumptions made by the author. First, I assume this study guide will be used in close connection with the Adult Sabbath School Study...

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