Lesson Highlight: "nailing it to his cross"

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. (Colossians 2:14)
In "Biblical Perspective", Dr. Gayle Woods writes:

Paul was comparing the practice of one who forgives a large debt by wiping his ledger sheet clean with what God does for us. ...The ordinances (God’s law) had been broken many times by each of us. Each time we broke His law, another mark was put on our ledger sheet. Jesus came to this world to provide salvation, full and free. ...Jesus not only erased all the transgressions that had been listed against us on our ledger of life, but He then nailed the blank document to His cross as a public testimony that we were totally forgiven of all our actions against Him and His law.

Discussion: Since we are totally forgiven by Christ, how should we feel? How should we think? How should we act?
Source: Miracles of Jesus: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 12.

2015-12-10T09:00:52+00:00December 10th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "funerals in Israel"

In "Biblical Perspective" Dr. Gayle Woods writes:

A funeral in Israel was a special event that lasted thirty days. As a funeral procession moved along, it was led by hired mourners who wailed loudly in an effort to make an adequate public display of sorrow. The procession was followed by friends and relatives. This particular funeral was that of the only son of a widow, making it an even more tragic event. Many of the city showed their sympathy for the widow by joining the procession. The man who had died was probably the sole provider for the widow. It was wonderful to have sympathetic friends, but soon they would be gone, and she would be left to fight for survival in a day in which it was very difficult for women to find employment. The possibility that she would soon be reduced to begging was great.

Discussion: Do you think the elaborate display of sorrow made the grieving easier or more difficult on the bereaved?
Discussion: From your experiences of loss, imagine the pain and distress of this widow.
Source: Miracles of Jesus, Adult Teacher's Insights, pages 10-11.

2015-12-09T09:00:57+00:00December 9th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "compassion"

"And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things." (Mark 6:34)
In "Word Focus" William Sillings writes:

It is interesting to note that Jesus was as interested in the physical needs of His followers as He was in their spiritual needs. Not only did He want His disciples to have a time to rest and recuperate, but He also wanted to take care of the multitude’s need for food. And He did. In fact, when they handed out the multiplied thousands of pieces of fish, everybody ate. And the Bible says they were filled (echortasth san, v. 42). This word means not merely that they were full, but that they were satisfied with food. This demonstrates that before you can satisfy people with spiritual food, you sometimes have to satisfy their physical needs. Satisfying physical needs will not always definitely lead to satisfaction spiritually, but it sometimes helps. Later on, after this passage, Jesus chided this same crowd for the fact that they followed Him for the loaves and the fish, but were not truly seeking the spiritual food they so desperately needed. (See John 6:26, 27.)

Source: Miracles of Jesus, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 4.

2015-12-03T09:00:49+00:00December 3rd, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: , |0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "rest"

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat" (Mark 6:31)
In "Biblical Perspective" Dr. Gayle Woods writes:

In Jesus Only, Vance Havner said, “We need to come apart and rest awhile, and if we don’t come apart, we will come apart — we’ll go to pieces!” Stress can destroy a person’s life physically and spiritually. Headaches, heart problems, and stomach problems are just a few symptoms of this concern. Burnout is a problem for those who are in some form of Christian ministry. Whether a person is overworked or if life situations bring a lot of stress, it is essential that proper rest, relaxation, and nutrition be maintained in order to preserve good health. Jesus the Great Physician was concerned about the physical well-being of His disciples as well as their spiritual well-being. The disciples and Jesus clearly were overworked and overcommitted. The demands of the people upon their ministry were too great. A balance was needed, and the Doctor prescribed a short vacation.

Source: Miracles of Jesus, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 5.

2015-12-02T09:00:59+00:00December 2nd, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: , |0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "rejoice"

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." (Philippians 4:4)
In "God's Word for Today", David Woods writes:

We understand the joy that God gives the Christian is not a surface emotion like happiness. Still, to instruct the Christian to rejoice “alway,” in every situation, might seem unrealistic. As Paul wrote this, do you think he recognized how many might see this instruction as a bit unrealistic?

Teachers, how should you plan to answer students who might see this instruction as unrealistic?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 76.

2015-11-25T09:00:04+00:00November 25th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "living sacrifice"

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)
In Doctrinal Discussion, Dr. Gayle Woods writes:

Offering your life for God’s service is your reasonable, or logical, act of worship. Contrary to popular belief, worship does not begin at 9:45 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. on Sunday. A “living-sacrifice Christian” worships God all week long. You worship God by allowing Him to be the operator in your life. He sits in the driver’s seat. When we call the shots, we misuse and sometimes abuse our lives. We make poor decisions. We tend to wander aimlessly through our day. We concentrate on the mundane duties of today, forgetting to focus on the importance of eternity and the imperative of our God-given mission. So God says, “Bring your body to me and I will use it rightly. I will use it to bring peace to hearts. I will use it to bring joy to spirits. I will use it to bring healing to relationships. I will use it in my infinite wisdom.”

Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 74.

2015-11-20T09:00:11+00:00November 20th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: The Kindness of God

And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. (2 Samuel 9:3)
In "Biblical Perspective" for this lesson, Dr. Gordon Snider writes:

The kindness of God could be translated “the greatest kindness possible.” A similar expression is found in Psalm 65:9 where, in order to describe the great size of a river, the river is called “the river of God.”

Discussion: How does this comparison amplify our understanding of the "kindness of God"?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 72.

2015-11-19T09:00:49+00:00November 19th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "The LORD be between me and thee"

"The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever." (1 Samuel 20:42)
In "Word Focus" for this week's lesson, Dr. Glenn McClure writes:

At this point in our lesson, David knew two important facts: First, God’s purpose was unfolding as the life of His “anointed” was being preserved, for Samuel had chosen him in the name of God. Second, he and Jonathan had made a sacred oath. Loyalty to each other was not by the force of this oath, but the oath was only proof of their loyalty. David had respect for God’s timing and still saw Jonathan as a “prince,” thus, he “bowed himself three times” to Jonathan. Further proof of his loyalty is seen in the latter part of our lesson (2 Sam. 9:1-7). Yet Jonathan’s loyalty is to be admired, for he recognized God’s hand upon David. He had the power to take David’s life, but his love for David and the Lord superseded any desire for an earthly throne. Both of these men maintained a loyalty to God’s will. As a result they were able to be loyal to each other in the working out of His will.

Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 70.

2015-11-18T13:21:14+00:00November 18th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "just" vs. "fair"

Just vs Fair
In "Doctrinal Discussion" Dr. Gayle Woods writes:

To be good parents, a couple cannot treat their children the same. In other words, they will not be fair. Children have different temperaments, strengths, needs, weaknesses, and are different ages, so they cannot be allowed the same freedoms and privileges at a given time. It is the same in spiritual matters. God in His infinite wisdom is not fair. He knows our frame. He is aware of our level of spiritual maturity. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He remembers how we have been hurt in the past and how it affects our thinking in the present. He knows our history of dealing with trials in life. He knows us. He treats us like individuals. He doesn’t look at a manual to find the universal answer for our problems. He gives us what fits us at the time. He is not fair, and that is a blessing! He always does what is right because He is not fair. He is just.

Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 68.

2015-11-13T09:00:20+00:00November 13th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments

Lesson Highlight: "righteousness"

Righteousness - Leviticus 19:15
"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor." (Leviticus 19:15)
In "Biblical Perspective" for this lesson, Dr. Gordon Snider writes:

Righteousness can also be translated “justice,” and speaks directly to the theme of the lesson today. Fairness, or justice, requires equality of treatment. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor reminds us that it is wrong to honor the poor simply because they are poor. Human nature tends to run to extremes. Either we disdain the poor, or we elevate them. Fairness requires equal treatment regardless of economic status.

Discussion: How can we avoid the temptation of responding to injustice by swinging to one extreme or the other?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 66.

2015-11-12T09:00:05+00:00November 12th, 2015|Categories: Lesson Highlights|0 Comments
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