Lesson Highlights

A Focus on What We Have In Common
A Focus on What We Have In Common

A Focus on What We Have In Common

In "God's Word for Today" Gordon Snider writes:

Peter began by addressing the Christian's attitude toward fellow Christians. He was addressing believers who were living under persecution and the stress that creates in relationships. It is easy to be critical and defensive when you are constantly under attack. Peter urged his readers to resist that temptation. The focus should be on what Christians have in common, and not on their differences (“be . . . of one mind”). Attitudes of sympathy, compassion, and consideration were to be prominent. And if they are, Peter reasoned, it will affect the use of your tongue. Words of blessing will be more common than words of criticism. Your words will bring peace instead of division; healing rather than hurt. Your speech will be marked by transparency rather than deception. Verse 12 suggests clearly that such a person is the one who finds favor in the eyes of God.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 65.

Herald & Banner Press2017-05-11T08:54:00+00:00May 11th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Unity|0 Comments

A Life Lived as a Thank You to God

In "Biblical Perspective" Larry Grile writes:

Israel's parents could tell their children that their life style was based squarely both on what God had done for them and on what God had spoken to them. Since God had redeemed them from Egyptian bondage, He had a right to expect from them an altered life style, a life style that both would glorify Him and would be for their own good. God's requirements are always for our good, so that He can be good to us in wonderful and innumerable ways. Parents could remind their children that the pious keeping of God's laws was the evidence and measure of genuine righteousness, and that through their righteousness God would be able to pour out on them His goodness and blessings. Parents needed to remind their children that they were just as obligated as their parents were to preserve the blessings of God by faithful and continued obedience in the years to come.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 61.

Herald & Banner Press2017-05-06T08:56:00+00:00May 6th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Lifestyle|0 Comments

Why do you live differently than the world?
Why do you live differently than the world?

Why do you live differently than the world?

In "Doctrinal Discussion" Jason Lindahl writes:

“And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?” (Deut. 6:20). “And when thy son asketh thee”: The assumption is that your son will ask you. If your children do not notice that they are different from the rest of the world, then something is wrong. Jesus said of His disciples, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). If we are truly Jesus' disciples, our children will notice that we are different. The answer is not simply, “Because God said so.” That is the beginning of the answer, but notice: The children already know that. They know that these rules are what “the LORD our God hath commanded you.” But why did He command them? Why does He require these things of us? Why do we have to be different? They need to know, “Because God said so,” but that is not enough.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 62.

Herald & Banner Press2017-05-05T09:11:00+00:00May 5th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Different|0 Comments

What must the next generation do to enjoy God's blessing?
What must the next generation do to enjoy God's blessing?

What must the next generation do to enjoy God's blessing?

In "God's Word for Today" Gordon Snider writes:

They must have a different inner motivation than their fathers had. They must have a heart to obey their God (6:1-3). They must never allow the knowledge of what pleases God to be forgotten (6:4-9). They must look for practical ways to ensure that their covenant with God was not violated (6:10-25). One of those practical ways of keeping the romance in their relationship with God was intentionally to pass their love for God on to their children (6:20-25). For no matter how much they determined to keep God in their hearts, if they did not communicate that same value to their children, their children would lose the benefits of the covenant. To be sure, that process begins in 6:7, but it is the total focus of 6:20-25. The strength and security of the country depended, as it still does, on the integrity of the home. Every parent/teacher knows the value of “teaching moments.” Moses urged parents to seize the moments to instill a love of the covenant in their children. A country is only as strong as the homes that form its foundation.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 59.

Herald & Banner Press2017-05-04T09:22:00+00:00May 4th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Generation|0 Comments

Love and Submission
Love and Submission

Love and Submission

In "Biblical Perspective" Larry Grile writes:

The highest ideal of love is that we love our neighbors as ourselves (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:39). This means that we transfer the love we naturally have for ourselves to include having a caring and thoughtful regard for others. This kind of love should be most evident in marriage. Husbands need to express their love verbally and practically every day. Women are usually more loving than men, and they also need the security of being loved. It is much easier for a wife to be submissive when a man truly loves and affirms her. Reverence includes the ideas of submission, respect, and deference. God has so made men that they need and desire these qualities in a woman, but they cannot require them. Reverence is needed because man is the authority and head of the home. Respectful submission is part of a woman's submission to God. Husbands can lead only when wives will follow. A woman is much easier to love when she is submissive, respectful, and affectionate. Only as men love and lead, and women respect and follow, can marriage reach the joyful and fulfilling ideal it was meant to be.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 53.

Herald & Banner Press2017-04-29T09:18:00+00:00April 29th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: love, Submission|0 Comments

When the family is run without the operations manual…

In "Doctrinal Discussion" Jason Lindahl writes:

In fact, progressive society now tells us that the basic parts of a family machine are no longer necessary for it to run smoothly. Instead of parts A and B, we can substitute two A parts or two B parts and everything will work just fine. Satan can and will twist and distort anything and everything good which God has designed and created, but he cannot destroy the original blueprint. Have you ever used a machine or device for which you did not have the instruction manual, and while you could get it to function to some degree, you could just tell something wasn't right? The machine didn't seem to be working as efficiently as it should, and there were sections or parts that didn't seem to be useful for anything but must be designed for something. In the same way, in spite of all of society's confident insistence that the family can be anything we want it to be, there is a nagging reminder that Somebody designed this relationship, and it will never function properly except in the way fashioned by the Designer.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 56.

Herald & Banner Press2017-04-28T09:25:00+00:00April 28th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Family|0 Comments

Is your family functional or dysfunctional?
Is your family functional or dysfunctional?

Is your family functional or dysfunctional?

In "God's Word for Today" Gordon Snider writes:

“Dysfunctional family” is a common term these days. Psychology Dictionary defines that term as “a family showing impaired communication and relationships where members are unable to get close.” There may be a tendency to think of such a family as including divorced parents, alcohol or some other substance abuse, and/or moral failure. But by definition, a family may be dysfunctional where none of these components exist. It just means that a family is not close enough to communicate or feel connected on a meaningful level. God created the family to be a tightly knit unit where life's deepest emotional needs could be met. Yet many Christian families fail to operate with this degree of intimacy among its members: Obedience is compelled but not inspired; respect is demanded, but loving consideration is not shown; love is based upon things given instead of communication shared. To get back to God's intention for the family, the Christian home should follow God's relational principles.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 52.

Herald & Banner Press2017-04-27T09:15:00+00:00April 27th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Family|0 Comments

Biblical Metaphors for the Church
Biblical Metaphors for the Church

Biblical Metaphors for the Church

In "Doctrinal Discussion" Jason Lindahl writes:

Although the practice of referring to the church as a family existed long before the Gaithers, their song “The Family of God” clearly shows that the Church is a group of people who are connected by a common heritage. Each member of this family bears the marks of their Father — even God. And while each member is unique, the stress in the Church is upon the qualities members have in common because they are in a very real sense related to God. In this metaphor, the emphasis is upon the connectedness of the members of the Church. The Church is called the Bride of Christ. The context is still family, but the emphasis now shifts to the relationship between each member and their Lord, Jesus Christ. Marriage highlights the love that each church member feels for Jesus, and also the intimacy of that relationship. As beautiful and fulfilling as marriage is, Ephesians 5 seems to suggest that it is just a foretaste of the Christian's relationship with Jesus. When the Church is referred to as the Body of Christ, the emphasis is back on the inter-relatedness and dependence of the members of the Church. This metaphor highlights the two dimensions of church relationships. But this metaphor also places primary focus on the fact that Jesus is the Head of the Church — the chief executive officer. When things happen in an organization calling itself a church that are not directed by Jesus, that organization is losing its qualification to be called a church. A metaphor for the Church that comes from the animal world is the flock. Sheepherders are unanimous in their assessment that sheep are helpless, dependent animals. They often do foolish things that require the shepherd to undo, or else the sheep will die. Sheep must be led to places of food, drink, and shelter. This metaphor emphasizes the submission of the Christian to the Lord. The plant kingdom also provides a metaphor to communicate the meaning of the Church. In John 15, Jesus referred to Himself as the vine, and individual Christians are the branches. Just as no power tool can do its job unless it is connected to a power source, so Christians become impotent and ultimately will perish without being connected to Christ. The final metaphor comes from the field of architecture. The church is the building of God. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the foundation, the cornerstone, and the door of this building. Peter pointed out that Christians are merely the stones that make up the building. These stones are held in place by the mortar of the Spirit.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 50.

Herald & Banner Press2017-04-22T09:00:00+00:00April 22nd, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Church|0 Comments

Seeking peace despite disagreement
Seeking peace despite disagreement

Seeking peace despite disagreement

In "God's Word for Today" Gordon Snider writes:

As I write this lesson, the presidential race of 2016 is underway. In my lifetime, I have never seen the evangelical community so divided in a presidential election. Christians are “de-friending” other Christians on Facebook because the rhetoric is so strong. It just goes to show that it is difficult to fellowship with people who have strong feelings that differ from our own. Yet Paul, in today's lesson, calls for harmony in the face of disagreements. Disagreements will not vanish because the election is over. Serious conflicts still exist among believers over things like recreation, appearance, worship styles, and Sabbath observance, just to name a few. Paul was not calling us to compromise the truth, but he was calling the Church to live in harmony. Today's texts can give us clear direction about how to “shoot the rapids” of controversy while maintaining the unity of the Body of Christ. Perhaps no truth is more needed today than this one!

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 46.

Herald & Banner Press2017-04-21T09:00:00+00:00April 21st, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Disagreement|0 Comments

How do Christians edify one another?
How do Christians edify one another?

How do Christians edify one another?

In "Word Focus" Glenn McClure writes:

One of the keys to understanding our printed text is the word edify, which occurs both in Romans 14:19 and in 15:2, where it is translated “edification.” This is a key word because it describes one of the basic motivations of Christian action. But it is also a word that is not used in casual conversation. The Greek word is actually a combination of two words, one meaning “to build” and the other meaning “a house.” So the obvious meaning is “to build a house.” Clearly the intended meaning of this word can best be visualized by remembering the last time you observed a construction project. Each piece of material was carefully put in place so that, when the project was completed, the building would be able to bear the load expected of it. That picture suggests that when Paul exhorted us to “edify [one] another” he imagined that every Christian is a part of the construction crew that is erecting a fellow Christian. The goal of our work is that our efforts will enable our fellow Christian to bear the load he or she will be expected to bear. What should inspire in us a sense of awe is that we as Christians are being asked to do what God himself was said to be doing in Jeremiah 24:6.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 46.

Herald & Banner Press2017-04-20T09:00:00+00:00April 20th, 2017|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Edify|0 Comments