Tag: Alden Thompson

Comfort My People

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

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 40 Leading Question: How much of Isaiah 40 requires a “correct” historical context in order to bring meaning to the believer’s life? This chapter from Isaiah 40 seems to beg for...

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Defeat of the Assyrians

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

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 36-39 Leading Question: What happens when a pagan king uses the name of the Lord in vain? This week’s lesson focuses Isaiah 36-39, an historical interlude between two largely prophetic sections....

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Playing God

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

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 13-14, 24-27 Leading Question: To what extent is God’s violence in the Old Testament linked to the fact that he is dealing with violent people? This week’s lesson includes a broad...

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Noble Prince of Peace

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

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 9-12 Leading Question: Why do Old Testament passages give us such a bloody path as the way to the Prince of Peace? The section of Isaiah that our lesson this week...

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The Hard Way

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

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 7:14-8:22 Leading Question: Is it true for everyone that God first offers us the easy way, but if we refuse, we must learn the hard way? This week’s lesson is haunted...

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When Your World Is Falling Apart

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

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 7 Leading Question: How does the Lord work with those who are disobedient? Our lesson this week focuses on Isaiah 7, an event that takes place entirely during the reign of...

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Crisis of Leadership

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

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 6 Leading Question: To what extent is God prepared to twist our arms – as he did Isaiah’s – in order to persuade us to enter his service? In this lesson...

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Crisis of Identity

• Lesson 1 for the week of December 26 to January 2

Relevant Bible Verses: Isaiah 1, 5 Leading Question: “Was Israel’s place as God’s chosen people irrevocable?” The book of Isaiah is a pivotal books in the Old Testament. It contains so many passages that have...

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Heaven, Education, and Eternal Learning

• Lesson 13 for the week of December 19 to December 26

Leading Question: The hope of restoration is a vibrant one in the New Testament, but what does that hope look like in the Old? The official studyguide does not address the differences between the Old...

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Sabbath: Experiencing and Living the Character of God

• Lesson 12 for the week of December 12 to December 19

Leading Question: How does one experience the Sabbath as a gift instead of a test? I am intrigued by the fact that a lesson on “Sabbath” is included in this series on “Education.” Maybe because...

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The Christian and Work

• Lesson 11 for the week of December 5 to December 12

Leading Question: What’s the agenda here: a lesson on “work” in a series on education? Many of my students have told me that their parents have drilled it into them that they should get an...

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Education in Arts and Sciences

• Lesson 10 for the week of November 28 to December 5

Leading Question: Why are the Arts and Sciences a focus of special attention in these lessons? I must admit that I became increasingly intrigued as I began working on the study guide for this lesson....

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The Church and Education

• Lesson 9 for the week of November 21 to November 28

Leading Question: If for some, the church is for believers and the school for thinkers, where can we go in Scripture to provide a more balanced perspective? Theodore Hesburgh, at one time President of Notre...

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Education and Redemption

• Lesson 8 for the week of November 14 to November 21

Leading Question: How can “redemption” appeal to a secular age? Key issues/puzzles: For Believers: Does God make our decisions for us? – predestinarian Calvinists Do we make decisions for God? – free-will Wesleyans and Arminians...

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