Walla Walla University Good Word Broadcasts
222 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★ - 13 ratingsGood Word is an invitation. An invitation to explore biblical and theological topics presented in regularly published Bible Study guides. The Bible awaits our continued study and investigation; Good Word provides one way to approach it.
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Episodes
Standing for Truth
April 20, 2024 20:01 - 12 minutes - 8.79 MBKey Texts: Dan. 7:23–25; Rev. 12:6, 14; Jude 3, 4; Rev. 2:10; Acts 5:28–32; Ps. 19:7–11; 1 John 5:11–13. Opening Question: “How is it that some people will stand for their beliefs even in the face of death while others won’t?” The lesson this week covers some challenging ground. It invites us to reflect on those who were willing to pay even with their lives, the cost of following God and orienting their lives by His word. It is a thing of strange fascination to read about the centuries tha...
Light Shines in the Darkness
April 13, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.11 MBKey Texts: John 8:44; Prov. 23:23; Acts 20:27–32; 2 Thess. 2:7–12; Ps. 119:105, 116, 130, 133, 160; Prov. 16:25; 2 Cor. 4:3–6. Opening Question: “What can be done to prevent or slow doctrinal and behavioural drift in the Christian community?" The lesson this week covers some interesting territory in that it invites us to look at the early centuries of the Christian era not so much from the viewpoint of the persecutions that took place from time to time, but from a change that took place as ...
The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness
April 06, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 8.97 MBMajor Texts: Isa. 41:10; Luke 19:41-44; Matt. 23:37, 38; Heb. 11:35-38; Rev. 2:10; Acts 2:44-47; John 13:35. Opening Question: “Should we regard persecution as something good for the Church, or bad?” The lesson this week picks up the story of the Great Controversy as it played out in the very early stages of the Christian era. It is widely known that the first few centuries after which Christianity appeared in Jerusalem, were very difficult years. The church faced a lot of adversity as did ...
The War Behind All Wars
March 27, 2024 20:02 - 12 minutes - 8.79 MBMajor Texts for this Lesson: Rev. 12:7-9; Ezek. 28:12-15; Isa. 14:12-14; Gen. 3:15; John 17:24-26 Every story has to have a beginning. The verses listed above all speak to the beginning of the conflict. The first passage is truly remarkable, even disturbing for it tells of a war in heaven. One is hard-pressed to understand why or how there was war in what we would imagine to be a pristine, untroubled space. But the passage is quite clear, that there was war in heaven between Michael and his...
Introduction
March 27, 2024 20:01Opening Question: “What shall we make of the biblical statement that there was once war in heaven?” The lessons this quarter focus on a grand theme that has been well-known in the SDA community from its very beginning. The name most often given to this grand theme is “The Great Controversy,” or, more fully, “The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan.” This name speaks of a conflict that can be traced from before the Creation story all the way to the time when the Kingdom of God is final...
Wait on the Lord
March 23, 2024 20:01 - 12 minutes - 8.52 MBLeading Question: Stories often have an arc. There is tension, and the story draws us along because in the unfolding of each story, we see a bit of ourselves and what it means to be human. When you think of stories that have been powerful in your life, where does waiting fit in the storyline? Scripture Focus: Psalm 27:14, Psalm 131, Psalm 126, Matthew 18:3 The Big Idea: Waiting in the Bible is active, not passive. Active waiting can involve silence and sound, calm and activity. And while wa...
Worship That Never Ends
March 16, 2024 20:01 - 12 minutes - 8.62 MBLeading Question: What does it mean to bless God? What does it mean to receive a blessing? Scripture Focus: Psalm 104, Psalm 103, Deuteronomy 6:13, Psalm 96, Psalm 98 The Big Idea: Praise is the beginning, the end, and everything in between in the book of Psalms, absolutely fundamental to the life of God’s people both individually and in community. For Discussion: In Hebrew poetry, when a line is used to start and end a poem, it is called an inclusion. This creates something like a sandwi...
Longing for God in Zion
March 09, 2024 20:01 - 14 minutes - 9.69 MBLeading Question: WFor you or people close to you, what is a place that is tied to spiritual experiences or memories of connection with God? Scripture Focus: Psalm 84, Psalm 125, Psalm 122, Psalm 46 The Big Idea: For many of the biblical writers, Zion, or Jerusalem, was the place where God dwelt and from which God blessed the people. For Discussion: The author of Psalm 84 speaks with jubilation and longing about the dwelling place of the LORD. Perhaps most famous is the line in verse 10: ...
Lessons of the Past
March 02, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.53 MBLeading Question: What role do stories about the past play in equipping people to navigate life with all its twists and turns? Scripture Focus: Psalm 78, Psalm 105 The Big Idea: Knowing where we come from is an important part of knowing who we are. Many of the psalms contain recitations of the long history of the people with God, and these recitations then form the foundation for discernment in the people’s continued journey with God. For Discussion: In our ongoing quest to make sense of ...
Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord
February 24, 2024 20:01 - 14 minutes - 9.94 MBLeading Question: Covenant relationship is a thread that winds throughout the biblical literature, conceptualized in a variety of ways. What does it mean to say humans are in covenant relationship with God? Scripture Focus: Psalm 89, 2 Samuel 7, Psalm 23, John 10:11-15, Psalm 22, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 7:20-28 The Big Idea: Covenant is renegotiated and reimagined many times in the biblical narrative, the constant being that God initiates and sustains relationship with humans. For Discuss...
Wisdom for Righteous Living
February 17, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.85 MBLeading Question: What is wisdom? Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 28, Psalm 128, Psalm 90, Psalm 137 and 138 The Big Idea: It is usually books like Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes that are described as “wisdom literature.” But the Psalms also include collected wisdom and even the way the songs and poems are organized invites us as readers into a journey of discernment. For Discussion: William Brown describes the book of Psalms as a hymnbook, a prayer book, and a textbook, and argues that the...
Your Mercy Reaches Unto the Heavens
February 10, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.48 MBLeading Question: When do we as humans need God’s mercy? Scripture Focus: Psalm 57:9, 10, Psalm 136, Psalm 51 The Big Idea: The covenant loyalty of God is a theme that runs throughout the Bible, and God invites his people to not only see how his covenant love continues forever as the bedrock of existence but also how the invitation remains for humans to partner with God and embody covenant love. For Discussion: Discussion question: Psalm 51 is a well-known poem, memorized by many, some of...
I Will Arise
February 03, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.51 MBLeading Question: What does it mean when God stands up? Scripture Focus: Psalm 12:5, Psalm 18, Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Psalm 96, Psalm 99 The Big Idea: The writers of the Psalms understood God as a divine being who intervenes in the human realm, standing up for justice and righteousness and advocating for the oppressed. For Discussion: Along with the metaphor of God as king, discussed earlier in the quarter, the Psalms also depict God as a mighty warrior and a just judge. Psalm 18 is filled ...
Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land
January 27, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.36 MBLeading Question: Have you ever had something asked of you that felt like an insult, a misunderstanding of who you are and what matters most to you? What was this like for you? Scripture Focus: Psalm 137, Psalm 22, Psalm 73 The Big Idea: Exile is a thread that runs throughout the biblical text. Exile is event, and exile is a metaphor for the human condition. For Discussion: How people understood God’s presence and what they believed about how to access it changed significantly over the ce...
The Lord Hears and Delivers
January 20, 2024 20:01 - 12 minutes - 8.9 MBLeading Question: What is it like to be truly and deeply heard? Scripture Focus: Psalm 34, Exodus 2:23-25, Exodus 3:7-8, Psalm 17:8, Psalm 44, Psalm 80 The Big Idea: Throughout the Bible, God is described in anthropomorphic terms. God has ears that hear and eyes that see and a brain that knows and hands that act. These depictions of God in terms of human body parts and actions are used to show God’s deliverance and also the pain of not experiencing expected deliverance. For Discussion: In...
The Lord Reigns
January 13, 2024 20:01 - 14 minutes - 9.75 MBLeading Question: In the Bible, God is depicted in a variety of ways, with imagery from kingship, priesthood, motherhood, and many more arenas. What messages about God and God’s relationship with humanity are communicated by the metaphor “God is king”? Scripture Focus: Psalm 93, Psalm 8 The Big Idea: The Bible is replete with metaphors for God and how God engages with humans and the earth. Recognizing that each metaphor is both significant and partial allows us to mine the depths of that me...
Teach Us to Pray
January 06, 2024 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.51 MBLeading Question: What messages have you received over the course of your life about what prayer is? How did you learn how to pray? Scripture Focus: Psalm 23, Daniel 2:20-23, Psalm 44, Psalm 22, Psalm 60 The Big Idea: Prayer is both automatic and also a skill we can learn and cultivate. The Psalms allow us to glimpse many facets of people’s journeys with God and each other, and praying the psalms can serve as a kind of apprenticeship in prayer. For Discussion: Most of the Psalms mentioned...
How to Read the Psalms
December 30, 2023 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.22 MBLeading Question: Robert Alter, in his book The Art of Biblical Poetry, argues that “poetry is not just a set of techniques for saying impressively what could be said otherwise. Rather, it is a particular way of imagining the world” (p. 151). What poem, or line from a poem, does this for you? Capturing your imagination, giving you a way to see God, yourself, others, or the world around you? Scripture Focus: Psalm 25, Psalm 33, Psalm 121 The Big Idea: Knowing some basics about biblical poetr...
God’s Call to Mission
October 14, 2023 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.44 MBLeading Question: What will God do if we refuse his commission to go to the world and spread the gospel? Scripture Focus: Genesis 11:1-9, 12:1-3, 10-13:1; Acts 1:1-4, 8 The Big Idea: God cares so much for the world that he is willing to move us out of our comfort zone in order to reach others who don’t know of him. Discussion Questions: Missiologist Ralph D. Winter suggests that ideally, God’s people would respond to his commission and go out to the world voluntarily. A second possibili...
God’s Mission to Us: Part 2
October 07, 2023 20:01 - 13 minutes - 9.5 MBLeading Question: Is a “Christian commune” a good thing, or is it an oxymoron? Scripture Focus: Genesis 12:1-3; John 20:21-22; Matthew 28:16-20; Revelation 14:6-7 The Big Idea: God’s blessing is to be shared with the world. A disciple is called to make disciples. Discussion Questions: In Genesis 12:1-3, God calls Abram and describes his plan to bless Abram and his descendants. The reason for this blessing is clearly stated. God blesses Abram’s family so that “all the families of the ear...
God’s Mission to Us: Part 1
September 30, 2023 20:01 - 14 minutes - 9.61 MBLeading Question: In Genesis 2:8, we read that Adam and Eve “heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” What does God sound like when he walks, and why is he walking in the garden? Scripture Focus: Genesis 1-3; Matthew 1:18-23, 28:18-20; John 1:14-18, 3:16, 14:1-3 The Big Idea: Before we talk about our mission to others, it’s important to realize that our God wants to be with us! Dis...
Introduction and Aim
September 30, 2023 20:00Before using this discussion guide, the reader should be aware of several assumptions made by the author. First, I assume this study guide will be used in close connection with the Adult Sabbath School Study Guide prepared and copyrighted by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This quarter, the primary contributors to the adult Sabbath School lessons were the directors of the SDA Global Mission Centers. There are currently six centers, each of them organized to direct the Advent...
Ephesians in the Heart
September 23, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.43 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Ephesians 1-6 Key Questions Reviewing the Epistle to the Ephesians chapter by chapter, what candidates for “life texts” do you see, passages that can inspire and shape Christian discipleship throughout life? With Paul’s thesis statement in Eph 1:9-10 and his theme of unity in mind, work through each chapter of the letter, highlighting how that chapter helps to develop the theme of unity. Review stories of people inspired by studying the ...
Waging Peace
September 16, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.39 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 6:10-20, Part 2 Key Questions In Eph 6:10-20, Paul exhorts believers to adopt an urgent, soldier-like approach to Christian discipleship and witness. How sustainable is such a “battle footing” approach? How important is the “secret weapon” of Eph 6:10-20, Christian esprit de corps, camaraderie, and community? How can we best signal our support for one another as fellow combatants in the great controversy? Granted that Paul in Eph 6:1...
The Call to Stand
September 09, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.17 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 6:10-20, Part 1 Key Questions Since we are now under the authority of the exalted Christ (Eph 1:20-23), why not simply ignore the powers of darkness (Eph 6:12)? What is the timing of the battle or war Paul imagines? Is it a future one only, occurring on “the evil day”? Or is it continuous, happening throughout the Christian era? How does Paul elsewhere use military language in describing his own ministry and that of his co-workers? I...
Practicing Supreme Loyalty to Christ
September 02, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.44 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 6:1-9 Key Questions What principles should we use in interpreting and applying the counsels of Paul’s “household code” in Ephesians 5:21-6:9? See the “Excursus,” below. What “grand substitution” does Paul ask slaves to make? (See Wednesday’s lesson) Since slave masters were active agents of an immoral institution, why didn’t Paul simply dismiss them from the church? In considering how to apply Paul’s counsel to children and parents a...
Husbands & Wives: Together at the Cross
August 26, 2023 20:05 - 12 minutes - 8.56 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 5:21-33 Key Questions What element of Paul's discussion of the relationship between Christ as Bridegroom and the church as bride (Eph. 5:25-27, 29) do you find most inspiring? Why? How does Paul’s “one flesh” model of marriage enrich the common models debated by Christians today—the “complementarian” model (which looks to creation as establishing enduring, complementary roles for men and women in marriage) and the “egalitarian” model (...
Living Wisely
August 19, 2023 20:05 - 12 minutes - 8.56 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 5:1-20 Key Questions What arguments does Paul offer to support his ban of crude speech among Christians? (Eph 5:3-5, 12). Which of these arguments are most applicable to our day? What “bargains” are on offer to you as you await Christ’s return? (see Eph 5:16 and Wednesday’s lesson). What would it mean to “snap up” those bargains? In Ephesians 5:18b-20 Paul imagines Christians gathered to worship. In your own words, describe the early...
Christ-Shaped Lives and Spirit-Inspired Speech
August 12, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 8.94 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 4:1-16 Key Questions In Eph 4:17-32 Paul is very interested in the quality of speech practiced by Christians, especially within the fellowship of believers. Why is this such a big deal for him? How are we doing on this today? How do we build a culture of intra-church communication that mirrors Paul’s counsel in Eph 4:17-32? (See the addendum to the lesson, “Take the Pledge!”) What does Ephesians 4:30 suggest with regard to the theme...
The Unified Body of Christ
August 05, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.35 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 4:1-16 Key Questions Is the role of the ascended Jesus described in our passage limited to the first century? If not, what are the implications for the way we staff congregations and view each other as church members today? How have Eph 4:11-13 been important to Seventh-day Adventists in understanding the functioning of spiritual gifts in general and in understanding the role of Ellen White? (see Wednesday’s lesson) How might Eph 4:1...
The Mystery of the Gospel
July 29, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.31 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 3:1-21 Key Questions Eph 3:10 provides something a bit unusual, a “job description” for the church. How would you paraphrase the church’s task? How might we go about accomplishing it? Eph 3:13 may come as close to a “purpose statement” as Paul provides in the letter. What worry might well motivate the letter? In his prayer report (Eph 3:14-19), Paul reports his prayer request for wonderful, spiritual assets. Which means the most to y...
Horizontal Atonement: The Cross & the Church
July 22, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.41 MBStudy Guide Prepared by: John McVay Key Texts: Eph 2:11-22 Key Questions What does Paul say in Eph 2:11-22 about Christ’s work of reconciliation performed at the cross? (See the phrases “by the blood of Christ,” Eph 2:13; “in His flesh,” Eph 2:15; “through the cross,” Eph 2:16). How does that work relate to Paul’s earlier “announcement of theme” (in Eph 1:9, 10)? How might Eph 1:11-22 help believers bring something distinctive and effective to current conversations about race relations...
Satan’s Final Deceptions
May 27, 2023 20:05 - 14 minutes - 10 MBOpening Question Can you recall a time someone lied to you or led you astray? How did it make you feel? Introduction Today’s lesson is less from an exegesis (study drawing meaning from the text) of the three angels’ messages and more about a theme from Ellen White’s book Great Controversy. It deals with two main issues: the role that Sunday plays in the Christian religious world today, and the role of spiritualism in the last days and the ability of the forces of evil to play on misconcept...
A City Called Confusion
May 20, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.19 MBOpening Question Do you believe that ancient Babylon will be rebuilt? Introduction We now move to the 2nd Angel’s message. Although the city of Babylon has not been mentioned yet in the apocalypse, at our very first glimpse we learn that it fell. In the Old Testament, Babylon was a city rebuilt at Shinar, the location of the ancient city of Babel. (compare Genesis 10:10 and 11:2 with Daniel 1:2). Babylon was, according to the prophets, a tool in the hand of God to punish His people for the...
The Sabbath and the End
May 13, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.08 MBOpening Question Why does it seem so hard to find time for real rest these days? Introduction The lesson this week links the judgment with human accountability for right actions, and then ties in the commandments of God and the Sabbath particularly. The theme appears to be obedience through actions, but little is said about the source of the power to live out the law. Phrases like “make decisions in light of eternity,” “adherence to the seventh-day Sabbath,” “faithfulness” and “obedient li...
Worshiping the Creator
May 06, 2023 20:05 - 14 minutes - 9.62 MBOpening Question With so many scientific claims made about life on earth evolving through millions of years, can Christians still believe in God as a creator? Introduction The final phrase of the 1st angel’s message is another imperative, and this time it urges people to worship. Many secular humanists have said that God is narcissistic because He commands people worship Him or die. But here in Revelation 14, it is an angel giving this message, and the context is vitally important. We must...
The Hour of His Judgment
April 29, 2023 20:05 - 14 minutes - 9.69 MBOpening Question What are some of the most important turning points in the history of this world? Introduction This lesson jumps back to Daniel 8 and 9, and relates the time-prophecies there to the three angels’ messages. The links between the two chapters are abundant, and there is no question that although the vision of Daniel 8 and the visit of the angel in Daniel 9 may be separated by some time, they are literarily and thematically bound. The real shame in the lesson is that it doesn’t...
The Good News of the Judgment
April 22, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.6 MBOpening Question When have you ever questioned whether God was who you hoped He was? Introduction This week’s lesson studies the next phrase of the 1st Angel’s message: because the hour of His judgment came. Many people fear judgment, and that is only natural if they know that the judge who condemns or acquits is using a law which they’ve broken. But judgment need not be negative. Many people cry out for justice under the law, they want their case heard, especially when the prosecutor is b...
Fear God and Give Glory to Him
April 15, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.21 MBOpening Question If you met God face-to-face, how do you think you’d react? Introduction The first angel flying in midheaven who has the everlasting gospel proclaims in a loud voice two imperatives in Greek: 1) Fear God, and 2) Give glory to him. These must be unpacked a bit in order to understand what the text is suggesting and what it is not. But these imperatives appear to be a part of the everlasting gospel. The call to fear God and give him glory are again urged in response to the bea...
The Everlasting Gospel
April 08, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.4 MBOpening Question In a world where bad news seems common, what is some good news that you’ve received? Introduction The lesson this week looks at the “everlasting gospel” in Rev. 14:6. Sometimes we’ll use this word to describe something being the absolute truth if it’s the “gospel truth.” The word “gospel” comes from the Greek term “euangellion,” meaning “good news” or “a good report.” It was often used to describe the birth of a King’s son who could continue on the leadership of a country....
A Moment of Destiny
April 01, 2023 20:05 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBOpening Question Is it discrimination to divide people into groups? Introduction Our lesson this week is based on Revelation 14:14-20. It merges two concepts or interpretations of this section: the judgment/separation of people into two distinct groups, and the harvest, which the writers assume means the 2nd Coming of Christ. Thus, the lesson tries to deal with both topics at the same time but does not provide as much background into why or how the structure of Revelation 12-14 informs the...
Jesus Wins—Satan Loses
March 25, 2023 20:05 - 13 minutes - 9.22 MBOpening Question Is the idea of good and evil only something for story books and Hollywood movies, or do you see evidence of it in your own life and the world around you? Introduction Our lesson this week backs up from the three angels’ messages in Revelation 14 to chapter 12 and the dragon’s war against Christ. But really, the lesson should start in Ch. 11. Each sequence of seven in Revelation (Churches, seals, trumpets, angels, plagues) begins with a setting in the Hebrew Sanctuary, next...
General Introduction
March 25, 2023 20:00For nearly over 175 years, Seventh-day Adventists excited about Christ’s return have looked to Revelation 14 for parameters of our socio-spiritual context, and the primary content of our last-day message in response. Adventist leaders in the fledgling Sabbatarian movement found these messages provided not only a reason for existence, motivation for mission, and compelling communique for the world, Revelation also situated these messages in a prophetic timeline that allowed the believers to si...
Rewards of Faithfulness
March 18, 2023 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.7 MBRead for This Week’s Study: Heb. 11:6, Isa. 62:11, Rom. 6:23, John 14:1–3, Revelation 21, Matt. 25:20–23, Rom. 8:16–18. Question – “What rewards may the faithful rightfully look forward to? Our final lesson for this quarter invites thought and discussion on the matter of the rewards of faithfulness. The foundational text is from Matthew 25:21 -- “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter in...
Managing in Tough Times
March 11, 2023 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.34 MBRead for This Week’s Study: 2 Chron. 20:1–22, 1 Chron. 21:1–14, 2 Pet. 3:3–12, 1 John 2:15–17, Rev. 13:11–17. A foundational text for this week is 2 Chron 20:20 ~ “Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” The lesson this week invites some reflection and discussion around the topic of managing our affairs during tough times. Everyone knows that tough tim...
Giving Back
March 04, 2023 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.27 MBRead for This Week’s Study: Luke 12:16–21, Eccles. 2:18–22, Prov. 27:23–27, 2 Cor. 4:18, Eccles. 5:10, Col. 1:15–17. The lesson this week takes us into some interesting and, to some, delicate territory, that of dealing with finances as a person gets toward the end of their lives. The foundational passage from the Bible is from Revelation 14:13, a verse many people have never read: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hencefor...
The Tithing Contract
January 14, 2023 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.78 MBRead for This Week’s Study: Gen. 14:18–20; Mal. 3:10; Deut. 12:5–14; Lev. 27:30; 1 Kings 17:9–16; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2. The lesson this week is precisely focused on the concept of tithing. It is commonly understood that a “tithe” is 10% or a tenth part of something. The primary text is the famous one from Malachi 3, “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and po...
God’s Covenants With Us
January 07, 2023 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.45 MBRead for This Week’s Study: Matt. 10:22, John 6:29, Deut. 28:1–14, Prov. 3:1–10, Mal. 3:7–11, Matt. 6:25–33. The lesson this week is built around the fact that, in the long ago, God made a covenant with Abraham through which all the families of the earth can be blessed. That covenant has continued to this day and it may still bring its benefits to those who believe. The foundational text is from Deuteronomy 28: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God...
Part of God’s Family
December 31, 2022 20:00 - 13 minutes - 9.44 MBRead for This Week’s Study: Gal. 3:26, 29; Ps. 50:10–12; 1 Chron. 29:13, 14; Phil. 4:19; 1 John 5:3; Matt. 6:19–21. The official lesson this week begins with some reflection on the idea that those who believe in Jesus Christ, who have come to believe his teachings and claims, and who have developed an on-going deferential relationship with him, constitute the family of God on this earth. The foundational text is the well-known one, I John 3:1 “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestow...
All Things New
December 24, 2022 20:00 - 13 minutes - 9.02 MBRelevant Verses: Isaia 65:17-18; 66:22-23; Rev. 21:1-5 Leading Question: Our title suggests a clean slate. But is that actually possible? Can we actually understand salvation if we have no memory of what we have been saved from. Comment: Many things about the transition from old to new we cannot understand. What stands outmost vividly in the OT view is the continuance of death. There will still be death – but no premature death. And we should note that the new heaven and new earth is viewed...