Finding Hope Through Discovery in Bible Study

August 1, 2009 Larry R Evans Reflective Introduction Jesus redefined worldliness. He did it when He was by Himself and when He was the most vulnerable to its influence. Worldliness has a way of hitting us at our weakest points but it was here that Jesus stands in stark contrast to us. The wilderness temptation account graphically illustrates the cunning allurement of worldliness and the necessity to avoid any compromise. In each of the three temptations referenced in the gospels, Jesus is attacked in subtle ways to compromise both his relationship with the Father and with His appointed mission. It is no coincidence that immediately after the temptation account Jesus begins His ministry. His focus had not been altered. There was to be no compromise with His mission. Later at Gethsemane, in another agonizing moment with the call of the world to abandon both His mission and His relationship with His Father, Jesus cried out, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to ...

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope July 25, 2009 Larry R Evans Introductory Reflections According to one report, Buddhism was recently named the best religion in the world. The award was given on July 15, 2009 by the Geneva-based International Coalition for the Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS). The Director of this coalition said, “we could find literally not one single instance of a war fought in the name of Buddhism, in contrast to every other religion that seems to keep a gun in the closet just in case God makes a mistake. We were hard pressed to even find a Buddhist that had ever been in an army. These people practice what they preach to an extent we simply could not document with any other spiritual tradition." A Catholic priest made this comment: "As much as I love the Catholic Church, it has always bothered me to no end that we preach love in our scripture yet then claim to know God's will when it comes to killing...

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope July 25, 2009 Larry R Evans Introductory Reflections According to one website Buddhism was recently named the best religion in the world. The award was given on July 15, 2009 by the Geneva-based International Coalition for the Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS). The Director of this coalition said, “we could find literally not one single instance of a war fought in the name of Buddhism, in contrast to every other religion that seems to keep a gun in the closet just in case God makes a mistake. We were hard pressed to even find a Buddhist that had ever been in an army. These people practice what they preach to an extent we simply could not document with any other spiritual tradition." A Catholic priest made this comment: "As much as I love the Catholic Church, it has always bothered me to no end that we preach love in our scripture yet then claim to know God's will when it comes to killing o...

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope July 18, 2009 Larry R Evans Introductory Reflections If we conclude that sin is the transgression of the law have we really explained sin? If we describe righteousness as the absence of wrong doing, have we laid the foundation for understanding the character of God? Is it possible to find a solution to sinful behavior if we don’t understand the nature of sin? Does the cross help us understand sin, righteousness or both? It is almost impossible to separate a discussion of sin without also trying to grasp what true righteousness is. This dynamic relationship between sin and righteousness will undergird our study this week. Reflective Quiz 1. Isaiah tells us that we should let our own light shine. [Isa. 60:1-3] True and False Isa 60:1-3 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but th...

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope July 18, 2009 Larry R Evans Introductory Reflections If we conclude that sin is the transgression of the law have we really explained sin? If we describe righteousness as the absence of wrong doing, have we laid the foundation for understanding the character of God? Is it possible to find a solution to sinful behavior if we don’t understand the nature of sin? Does the cross help us understand sin, righteousness or both? It is almost impossible to separate a discussion of sin without also trying to grasp what true righteousness is. This dynamic relationship between sin and righteousness will undergird our study this week. Reflective Quiz 1. Isaiah tells us that we should let our own light shine. [Isa. 60:1-3] True or False? 2. If we walk in the light there will be no darkness in us. [1Jn. 1:6-10] True or False? 3. There is a difference between living in sin and being sinful. [1Jn.1:6-10] True or False...

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope July 11, 2009 Larry R Evans Introductory Reflections It seems that two of the toughest things to get straight in life are a true understanding of the character of God and the nature of true love—whether it be for God or for one another. “My God!” has become a slang term of exclamation and has very little to do with one’s appeal to divine insight or a plea for help. Often the exclamation is used with very little respect or recognition of God. “Love”, on the other hand, is often used just as loosely and can cover all sorts of selfish acts of self-gratification. When God and love are separated confusion about both result. This has been the case in John’s day and so it is in ours. John will be addressing this dilemma in his letter but to lay the proper foundation he introduces Jesus as the “Word of life” at the very beginning. With this established the other pieces will come together. God’s character becomes the foundat...

[Due to other responsibilities there will no additional study notes this week] July 4, 2009 Larry R Evans Introductory Reflections We now begin a series of studies of 1,2 and 3John. We will discover how the Apostle’s close relationship with Jesus for 3 ½ years gave him the necessary footing to withstand Satan’s onslaught of the truth that Jesus came to establish. Later on the Apostle Paul would say of his time “the secret power of lawlessness” (NIV) or “the mystery of iniquity” (KJV) was already at work! (2 Thess. 2: 7. We will gain valuable insights into what our response should be today in light of Satan’s persistent effort to dilute and confuse the truth even by those who profess to believe. (1 Jn. 1:6,8,10). The circumstances or heresy may be different but the principles for us to follow remain. Three vital responses need to be considered: How will we personally respond to the sacrifice of Christ for us?; When facing a church crisis what attitude and what ki...