Tag: Alden Thompson

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...

Continue reading →

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...

Continue reading →

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...

Continue reading →

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...

Continue reading →

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...

Continue reading →

The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace

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

Theme: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace Leading Question: Why have the followers of Jesus so often led out in bloody conflict when their Master both taught and modeled the way of peace? 1....

Continue reading →

The Fruit of the Spirit Is Joy

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

Theme: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Joy Leading Question: What is the difference between joy and happiness? Can a believer be unhappy and still be joyful? Not only is joy the second trait listed...

Continue reading →

The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love

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

Leading Question: When Scripture commands us to love God and love others, including the unlovely, is that something we can choose to do, or is such love simply a gift of God? In his little...

Continue reading →

By Their Fruit

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

Leading Question: Is it possible to identify true followers of Jesus by their fruit? The basic biblical passage that focuses on the fruit of the Spirit is Galatians 5:13-26. In particular, the nine traits listed...

Continue reading →

Confidence in the Prophetic Gift

• Lesson 13 for the week of March 21 to March 28

Theme: Confidence in the Prophetic Gift Leading Question: How does one develop confidence in the “prophetic gift”? If one starts with the question of how one develops “confidence” in a person, or in anything, for...

Continue reading →

The Blessings of the Prophetic Gift

• Lesson 12 for the week of March 14 to March 21

Theme: Blessings of the Prophetic Gift Leading Question: Is the prophetic gift more important for blazing a new trail or defending old landmarks? In Adventist History, two key words represent the poles between which any...

Continue reading →

Interpreting the Prophetic Writings

• Lesson 11 for the week of March 7 to March 14

Theme: Interpreting the Prophetic Writings Leading Question: Can a person be saved who has never heard of the Bible or listened to its message? 1. Interpreting prophetic writings: helpful, but not essential (Rom 2:14-16).  In...

Continue reading →

The Message of the Prophets

• Lesson 10 for the week of February 28 to March 7

Theme: The Message of the Prophets Leading Question: To what extent is it the responsibility of prophets to help God’s people retain doctrinal integrity? While it is very important for a believing community to hold...

Continue reading →

The Integrity of the Prophetic Gift

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

Theme: The Integrity of the Prophetic Gift Leading Question: When speaking of prophetic messengers, what does the word “integrity” mean, as in the phrase, “The Integrity of the Prophetic Gift”? When scholars in the 19th...

Continue reading →