Lesson 8 - January 21, 2018
Focus Text: Isaiah 40:12-18, 25-31
Central Truth: The mission of the Church is to know God and to make Him known.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students will be able to share three facts about God that motivate them to want to make Him known.
In "Doctrinal Discussion" Jason Lindahl writes:
The dignity of humanity as the divine image-bearer has been under hell's attack for a very long time. The ancient Gnostics taught that matter was evil, including human bodies. The Hindus teach that in reincarnation, a person can return to earth as an insect or a lowly beast. According to Hinduism, it will take a very long time and much trial and error for a living form to escape this cycle of death and rebirth and somehow emerge pure and perfect. In all of this, salvation depends not upon a loving, personal God, but upon us. It is at this point that the Bible gives us the greatest testament to the value heaven places upon humanity. For God's Word tells us that the Father did not leave us to find a solution to our problems through endless years of struggle and reincarnation. Instead, He stepped into our world to provide the solution, and He did it by becoming a man! In the person of Jesus Christ, God became man and remains a man forever. God showed what incredible worth humanity has by taking on flesh and bone. He then laid down that physical body in death to provide us with “so great salvation” (Heb. 2:3).
Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 8.
"And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness." (Psalm 145:6)
In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:
The psalmist could not find a single adjective to describe the greatness of God. So he added adjective to adjective: “mighty” (v. 4), “wondrous” (v. 5), and here, thy terrible acts. What God does and the way He acts inspires in the righteous reverence and awe. In the unrighteous these same actions inspire fear and dread. The theme of discussion of all generations is the source of His power to do these works. I will declare thy greatness again emphasizes man's public recounting of the mighty acts of God.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 77.
In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:
Four different terms to describe God are used in verses 1 and 2. … Psalms: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition states: “God is described using four different names: most High, Almighty, Lord, and my God. The first and second portray His power, the third His covenant relationship with Israel, the last His intimacy. Four terms are used to describe the place of safety: shelter, shadow, refuge, and fortress. The first suggests a place of secrecy; the second, shade; the third, shelter; and the fourth, a fortress or stronghold of God's power.” (p. 281)
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 59.
Lesson 5 - October 2, 2016
Focus Text: Psalm 33:1-15
Central Truth: God deliveres all who trust in Him.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify three attributes of God and the specific effects each of these has on their lives.
Lesson Outline:
In "Word Focus" Danny McCain writes:
One of the common expressions of Old Testament writers is “the glory of God.” The word glory is most often the Hebrew word kabed, which occurs 376 times in the Hebrew Bible. The basic meaning of the word is “to be heavy, weighty.” It is used in this sense in 2 Samuel 14:26 concerning Absalom's hair. It is not difficult to see how the word evolved to refer to a “weighty” person — someone with a lot of authority, hence worthy of honor and respect. Glory denotes the honor, respect, and reverence that others have toward a worthy person. When used in this way, it meant that which impressed others — the thing that caused one to stand out by himself. The wonders and beauties of nature are the natural items which impress the world, which cause their Author and Maker to stand out by Himself in glory. The expression also refers to other ways God is manifest, such as the visible form that filled the Temple.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 10.
In "God's Word for Today" Steve Oliver writes:
God sees things differently, sometimes opposite, from the way we think. Smyrna was small, poor, and persecuted, yet God had nothing negative to say about her. The fact that God acknowledged that they were poor, yet told them that they were, in fact, far from poor, demonstrates that He rec-ognized both the reality in which we live and the reality which He alone sees. God is also realistic: He directly told them that they were going to suffer more. Why would He do this — might it not discourage them?
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 11.
