Tag: Alden Thompson

Children Showcased

• Lesson 7 for the week of May 12 to May 19

Relevant Passages: 1 Samuel 2, 8, 17; 2 Kings 2, 5, 22-23 Children are a two-edged sword. Jesus says that we must become like little children (Matt. 18:3), but Paul says that when he became...

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Siblings in Contention

• Lesson 6 for the week of May 5 to May 12

Relevant Passages: Genesis 4, 25, 30; Number 12; Luke 10, 15 The sibling rivalries in Scripture are predominantly same-sex rivalries. The tensions which the narratives reveal can be instructive for those who wish to live...

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Joseph: From Pit to Palace

• Lesson 5 for the week of April 28 to May 5

Relevant Passages: Genesis 30-50 The story of Joseph is one of the longest and most dramatic continuous narratives in Scripture. Key experiences in his life suggest tantalizing topics for discussion and exploration: Parents, children, siblings:...

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Wives as Advisers

• Lesson 4 for the week of April 21 to April 28

Relevant Passages: 1 Samuel 25, Esther 8 Abigail and Esther are two strong-willed women who played prominent roles in steering a daring passageway between dangerous alternatives established by powerful and foolish men. Discussion Questions: How...

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Grace Under Pressure — Noah and Job

• Lesson 3 for the week of April 14 to April 21

Relevant Passages: Genesis 6-9, Job 1-42 Noah and Job present an interesting study in contrasts. Though both demonstrated a certain “grace under pressure,” their circumstances and reactions were quite different. God preserved Noah and his...

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The Betrayers — Peter and Judas

• Lesson 2 for the week of April 7 to April 14

Relevant Passages: Matt. 26:69-75; Matt. 27:1-10 Judas and Peter: According to Matthew’s Gospel, the developing scenes of Jesus’ trial have quite an unexpected effect on two of his disciples. In Matthew 26:69-75, the confident Peter...

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Christ and Satan: Contenders for Control

• Lesson 1 for the week of March 30 to April 7

Relevant Passages: Isaiah 14; Ezekial 28; John 1; Revelations 12 Christ and Satan: Two lives that depict the two great opposing forces contending for control of the universe, love and selfishness. Discussion Questions: On p....

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Restoration

• Lesson 13 for the week of December 23 to December 30

Background and Literary Considerations The verses we study this week have occasioned significant debate as to their authorship. Some have argued that everything belongs to the eighth-century prophet who finally got around to some positive...

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Vision Five-No Escape

• Lesson 12 for the week of December 16 to December 23

Background and Literary Considerations Having come now to the last of the five vision reports, we need to ask how they connect with each other and the impact of the whole collection. What is the...

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Vision Four-Summer Fruit

• Lesson 11 for the week of December 9 to December 16

Background and Literary Considerations The fourth vision report in Amos brings us to another literary feature of the prophet’s preaching: puns. While we miss most of these in English translations, the Bible is replete with...

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Vision Three-The Plumb Line

• Lesson 10 for the week of December 2 to December 9

Background and Literary Considerations Again, we come in this lesson to a “vision report,” the third in a series of five. Given Amos’ penchant for surprising us with reversals of expectations, how should we prepare...

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Vision Two-Judgement by Fire

• Lesson 9 for the week of November 25 to December 2

Background and Literary Considerations Review the comments in the previous lesson about “vision reports.” What was the main purpose of these in general and how specifically does Amos use them–individually and the five of them...

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Vision One-Locusts and Prayer

• Lesson 8 for the week of November 18 to November 25

Background and Literary Considerations We are introduced in this lesson to “vision reports,” another in the vast repertoire of Amos’ speech forms. These appear throughout the Bible and are typically introduced in the Old Testament...

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At Ease in Zion

• Lesson 7 for the week of November 11 to November 18

Background and Literary Considerations The nature of “Woe!” oracles is to startle and call for change. Of the three such speeches in Amos, two appear in chapter 6 and form the basis of our lesson...

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