Tag: The Refiner's Fire

Christ in the Crucible

• Lesson 13 for the week of December 22 to December 29

Christ in the Crucible. Why is the story of the dying and rising God, Jesus Christ, the true one and ultimately more powerful one, than the story of the conquering king? Note: The best resource...

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Dying Like a Seed

• Lesson 12 for the week of December 15 to December 22

Dying Like a Seed: In John 12:24, Jesus speaks of seed that must die in order to produce abundant fruit. What would such a death look like in a Christian who wants to be faithful...

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Waiting in the Crucible

• Lesson 11 for the week of December 8 to December 15

Waiting in the Crucible. How does a Christian know when to be aggressive, moving ahead vigorously, and when to be patient, waiting until the right time? For Discussion: When and how to wait. This week’s...

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Meekness in the Crucible

• Lesson 10 for the week of December 1 to December 8

Meekness in the Crucible. If we accept our difficult situations in humility and meekness, do we lose the opportunity to change the world and make it a better place for human habitation? For Discussion: Meek...

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A Life of Praise

• Lesson 9 for the week of November 24 to December 1

A Life of Praise. How does one praise God when life is in shambles? The focus of this week’s lesson is simply on the act of praising God in several “crucible” circumstances. Don’t worry about...

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Seeing the Invisible

• Lesson 8 for the week of November 17 to November 24

Seeing the Invisible. What is the difference between faith and hope? For Discussion: Hebrews 11:27: Moses sees the one who is invisible. Last week the focus was on hope; this week the focus is on...

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Indestructible Hope

• Lesson 7 for the week of November 10 to November 17

Indestructible Hope: To what extent can a believer hope with certainty? Or does “hope” always imply a gap between expectation and certainty? For Discussion: To what extent can a believer hope with certainty? Or does...

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Struggling With All Energy

• Lesson 6 for the week of November 3 to November 10

Struggling With All Energy. When you successfully struggle through a problem to safe ground, who gets the credit: you, God, or both? For Discussion: In assessing the role of the human and role of the...

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Extreme Heat

• Lesson 5 for the week of October 27 to November 3

Extreme Heat. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. What would be the modern equivalent to that test? Or is there one? For Discussion: Genesis 22: Abraham and Isaac. Is there a modern equivalent...

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Seeing the Goldsmith’s Face

• Lesson 4 for the week of October 20 to October 27

Seeing the Goldsmith”s Face. When preparing his children for the kingdom, does God press the process of refinement to the point of absolute perfection? For Discussion: The title for our discussion this week is suggested...

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The Birdcage

• Lesson 3 for the week of October 13 to October 20

The Birdcage. To what extent are our sufferings a gift from God to help us grow and mature? For Discussion: The official study guide for this lesson uses a 19th century story as the keynote...

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The Crucibles That Come

• Lesson 2 for the week of October 6 to October 13

The Crucibles That Come. When troubles come our way, is it a good idea to try and find out the reasons why we are in trouble? The purpose of this week’s discussion is to survey...

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The Shepherd’s Crucible

• Lesson 1 for the week of September 29 to October 6

The Shepherd’s Crucible. Would you rather escape the fire, simply survive it, or actually be refined? Our GOOD WORD discussions for the next three months focus on the difficult times in life and how these...

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