Finding Hope Through Discovery in Bible Study

There will be no quiz or class notes for August 29. They will resume for September 5. --Larry R Evans

“ Loving Brothers and Sisters ” August 22, 2009 Larry R Evans Reflective Introduction In Genesis 2 we have an amazing story. It is all about God and us but mostly about a genetic identity that was placed within us. Soon after God breathed into man the “breath of life” (Gen. 2:7) he became a living being reflective of God Himself (Gen. 1:26). At that point he was simply a “work in progress.” Our beginning was carefully defined but it was only that. More was to come! The next great event in Genesis 2 was the placement of this new creation called Adam in a carefully crafted garden. Within this garden man was to find the setting for his true self-discovery. Two very important and related events happen to bring about this discovery: a security check and the creation of companionship. The security check was established first. It was a test of allegiance to God. A single tree in a vast garden was to be off limits. The privilege of personal decision was built into hi...

“ Loving Brothers and Sisters ” August 22, 2009 Larry R Evans Reflective Introduction In Genesis 2 we have an amazing story. It is all about God and us but mostly about a genetic identity that was placed within us. Soon after God breathed into man the “breath of life” (Gen. 2:7) he became a living being reflective of God Himself (Gen. 1:26). At that point he was simply a “work in progress.” Our beginning was carefully defined but it was only that. More was to come! The next great event in Genesis 2 was the placement of this new creation called Adam in a carefully crafted garden. Within this garden man was to find the setting for his true self-discovery. Two very important and related events happen to bring about this discovery: a security check and the creation of companionship. The security check was established first. It was a test of allegiance to God. A single tree in a vast garden was to be off limits. The privilege of personal decision was built into his...

August 15, 2009 Larry R Evans Reflective Introduction So much of what we do is a reflection of who or what we think we are. Teachers, coaches and employers who “dumb down” their students, players or employees often turn out to be prophets because of their own attitudes towards those under their guidance. As it turns out, the lack of meaningful productivity is not just a problem of the students, players or even employees. Together we find ourselves in a vicious cycle once described by John Powell in Why Am I Afraid to Love, when he said, “We are each of us the product of those who have loved us or who have refused to love us.” Much of Robert Schuller’s ministry and success has been built around his understanding of “self-esteem,” which he defined as, “. . . the hunger for the divine dignity that God intended to be our emotional birthright as children created in his image.” (Robert H. Schuller in Self-Esteem, The New Revolution , p.15) That “divine dignity” is found within a...

August 8, 2009 Larry R Evans Reflective Introduction Religion can be bad for your health, your spiritual health and sometimes even your physical health. A wrong approach to Scripture can negatively impact the lives of many. In the mid-nineties I was subpoenaed to testify in a bizarre murder case in which former Christians murdered other Christians and they did so claiming God had instructed them. These individuals had never had any previous run-in with the law but their intense desire to be modern day prophets led them to do the unspeakable! (See Beware of Angels by Roger J. Morneau ). They became pawns in the hand of the Master Deceiver. Jesus warned that false Christs and false prophets (Mt 24:24) were coming, John later referred to this very phenomena in the book of Revelation which was meant to reveal Jesus and things soon to take place. (Rev.1:1) The book of Revelation discloses the well-designed strategic plan by Satanic powers meant to deceive the whole world with fals...

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...