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.

"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 He had the power to take David’s life, but his love for David and the Lord superseded any desire for an earthly throne.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.

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.

"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.

"And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 19:9-10)
In the "Biblical Perspective" for this lesson, Dr. Gordon Snider writes:

A spirit of mercy is at the core of the Judeo-Christian ethic. God is always pictured as the friend and defender of the outcast, down-trodden, and disenfranchised of society. Providing food for the poor is a part of that spirit of mercy. Never once in these verses, or the parallel texts such as Leviticus 23:22 and Deuteronomy 24:19-22, is the subject of why these people were poor considered. Instead, a social “safety net” was to be drawn under the entire society.

Discussion: Why do Christians, faced with the opportunity to help those in need, sometimes focus more on why people are poor, than how to help them?
Discussion: How can we improve our reflection of Christ's holiness in our dealings with the poor?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 64.

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Philippians 2:4)
In "God's Word for Today", David Woods writes:

In "Doctrinal Discussion", Dr Gayle Woods writes:

In "Doctrinal Discussion", Dr. Gayle Woods writes:

Stewardship is a broad subject that essentially means the oversight and preservation of resources. When people speak of stewardship, they may be speaking about global warming, the stewardship of natural resources, the stewardship of time, the stewardship of the assets in a business, the stewardship of finances, and so on.
Biblical guidance touches all aspects of stewardship. In looking to the Word of God we discover a number of principles that govern the Christian’s endeavor to be a good steward.

Five principles are then listed...

1. God owns everything.
2. We are in charge of God's stuff.
3. With the responsibility of stewardship comes accountability.
4. We must be committed to others.
5. Our stewardship has eternal consequences.

Discussion: Which of these principles of stewardship do you think need reinforced most today?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page, 56.

In "Word Focus" Dr. Glenn McClure writes:

Stewardship is the necessary discipline of every human being if life is to have order and meaning. There are two elements in our lesson that help us to see the concept of being faithful stewards. The first is found in the word vessel (vs. 3-6) and, although it does not refer directly to a person here, its meaning symbolizes perfectly the idea of a good steward. The root idea of the Hebrew word vessel (keeliym) is “to bring a process to completion,” that is, a process carried out in full. The word is used of armor, clothing, jewels, instruments, tools, weapons, sacks, furniture, and carriages. It is something prepared to accomplish a particular end. This is how believers should consider themselves — vessels filled or prepared to fulfill a designed purpose.

Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 52.

In "Biblical Perspective", Dr. Gordon Snider writes:

What is meant by the fear of the LORD? Certainly not a cowing fear that anticipates pain and punishment for any perceived violation. This is the fear of a son for a loving father, rather than the fear of a slave before his austere master. It is a fear to offend our benefactor and companion. It is an attitude that leads to obedience to the spirit of the law, and not just the letter of the law.

Discussion: How would you describe the fear of the Lord?
Source: Biblical Family Values, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 48.