Finding Hope Through Discovery in Bible Study

Sabbath School Study Larry R Evans December 30, 2019 Introduction I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . (Romans 12:1,2) A small group of nuns reside in a French countryside convent outside Le Blanc, France.   They are known as the Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb.   Their purpose for existing is very unusual.   This Catholic convent exists so that there is a place where these nuns have a place to serve . Strange isn’t it? We don’t normally create a place where leaders can serve.   We do it the other way around.   We send leaders to places that need leadership.   But as I suggested, the purpose for this convent is unique.   As it turns out, the convent’s purpose is to be a place where “those who are in last place in the world” can serve.   Pause

Think Backwards; Live Forward “Dealing with Bad Decisions” Sabbath School Class December 21, 2019 Larry R Evans Introduction Over the past 25 years, Amazon has transformed itself. What began as an online bookseller has become one of the world's largest retailers. Beyond that, Amazon is the market leader in cloud storage services (AWS), is a major producer of both television and film (Amazon Studios) and has recently entered the health care market.   Before you ask the appropriate question, “What does this have to do with today’s Bible study,” stay with me and I think you will see. The strategy of Amazon is straightforward.   They think backwards.   That’s right, they “think backwards.” According to one of their executives, Ian McAllister, “working backwards begins by ‘[trying] to work backwards from the customer, rather than starting with an idea for a product and trying to bolt customers onto it.’” For a new initiative to see the

Christmas and Backslidden People December 14, 2019 Larry R Evans INTRODUCTION My computer’s thesaurus gives the following alternatives for the verb, “backslide.” “RELAPSE, lapse, regress, weaken, lose one's resolve, give in to temptation, go astray, leave the straight and narrow, fall off the wagon. ANTONYMS: persevere.” Question With that understanding of the word “backslider”, how many here today have backslidden at some point in your life with some aspect of your faith experience? Historical Context Miraculously, in 538 BC, God had worked upon the mind of the Persian king Cyrus for about 50,000 Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild their sacred Temple (Ezra 1:2-4). About 60 years later Ezra brought several thousand with him to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:1-8:36). The spiritual condition of his people alarmed him.   What he saw was a threat to unity and purity to the nation. He did not solve all the problems.   Another leaderwas