Tag: Alden Thompson

Faith that Works

• Lesson 6 for the week of November 1 to November 8

Synopsis: Faith and Works, James and Paul The most highly visible passage in James involves the apparent tension between Paul and James on the question of faith and works. The most striking “contradiction” is between...

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Love and the Law

• Lesson 5 for the week of October 25 to November 1

Synopsis: Partiality and the Royal Law This week’s passage from James (2:1-13) presents an impassioned plea against favoritism. Showing partiality to the rich dishonors the poor (2:6). As one should come to expect in James,...

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Being and Doing

• Lesson 4 for the week of October 18 to October 25

Synopsis: Doing, Not Just Hearing In James 1:22-27, our focus for this week’s discussion, James prepares the way for much of the content yet to come in his book. When he admonishes his listeners to...

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Enduring Temptation

• Lesson 3 for the week of October 11 to October 18

Synopsis: Temptation and Anger This week’s passage from James (1:12-21) focuses on two notable tensions within human experience: 1) the origin and role of temptation; 2) the proper role of anger. Both tensions involve the...

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The Perfecting of Our Faith

• Lesson 2 for the week of October 4 to October 11

Relevant Verses: James 1:2-11 Synopsis: The Challenge of Perfectionism Taking its cue from the KJV of James 1:4, this week’s lesson points to the “perfecting” of our faith. The KJV reads: “Let patience have her perfect...

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James, the Lord’s Brother

• Lesson 1 for the week of September 27 to October 4

Relevant Verses: James 1:1; 2:1 Synopsis: The Author of the Book of James The official study guide adopts the position that the author of the book of James is the Lord’s brother by that name. Also...

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Second Coming

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

Relevant Verse: Matthew 24-25 Leading Question: What did Jesus teach about his second coming? Studying the biblical evidence for the second coming can yield startling results. Where, for example, can one go in Jesus’ Bible –...

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Death and Resurrection

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

Relevant Verses: John 11 Leading Question: What does Jesus teach us about death and resurrection? Given what is happening in our culture today, Jesus’ attitudes toward death and resurrection have become urgent matters. Secularists who have...

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The Sabbath

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

Relevant Verses: Mark 2:23-28; Matthew 12:1-14; Luke 4:16, John 5:1-18 Leading Question: What does Jesus teach us about the Sabbath? In this lesson we will focus on what Jesus tells us about the Sabbath in the...

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The Law of God

• Lesson 10 for the week of August 30 to September 6

Relevant Verses: Matthew 5-7; 19:8; 22:37-40 Leading Question: What does Jesus tell us about “the law”? “Law” is an enormous topic to cover in just one lesson. Indeed last quarter all 13 lessons focused on law....

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Our Mission

• Lesson 9 for the week of August 23 to August 30

Relevant Verses: Matthew 25, 28 Leading Question: What does Jesus tell us about “our” mission? Before looking specifically at what Jesus gives us as our mission, we should focus briefly on the difference between New Testament...

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The Church

• Lesson 8 for the week of August 16 to August 23

Relevant Verses: John 17; 1 Corinthians 3, 12; Matt. 20:24-28 Leading Question: What does Jesus us tell us about the Church? In the NT, the Greek word for “church” is ecclesia , an assembly of people...

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Living Like Christ

• Lesson 7 for the week of August 9 to August 16

Relevant Verses: Matt. 25:31-46; Luke 6:27-36; 10:25-37; John 16:25-27 Leading Question: When we say that we are to live like Christ, what does Jesus himself tell us about that? The troubling backdrop to the leading...

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Growing in Christ

• Lesson 6 for the week of August 2 to August 9

Relevant Verses: John 15; Col. 1:24-29 Leading Question: What does Jesus tell us about growing in him? If, as suggested in the notes to last week’s lesson, “repentance” is the crucial element in God’s plan of...

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