Sabbath School Illuminations

When is waiting not idle?  What is the definition of biblical waiting?  What Bible characters failed to wait and which one succeeded in waiting?

What is the meaning of biblical meekness?  Why are the most powerful leaders in the Bible, Moses and Jesus, described as extremely meek?  What are the blessings and power given to the meek?

What is living a life of praise to God?  How could Paul and Silas be cheerful after being thrown in prison?  Why would you send a choir to face the largest army attacking you that you have ever known?  We look at both Old and New Testament stories to find the answers.

How can you really “see the invisible”? How are the realities of depending upon an invisible God, the concept known as faith, able to strengthen us and empower us as God's servants in this world? How can we stress this invisible spiritual world without becoming vague and mystical? 

Why did God send the children of Israel into exile? What purpose is served by God's people being in Babylon that would never happen if they were in Israel?  What message was God sending Job when he asked him 60+ questions?  We explore the theme of the great controversy in-depth to answer these issues.

(missing 1st hour) Mark 9:43  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell.

What do we do with addictions?  What does God demand that we do?  How can we overcome lifelong habits, guilt, and shame?

Why would God be so willing to risk being misunderstood by putting his followers in such extreme situations?  Our discussion examines some of the most difficult and challenging stories in the Bible, exploring how God’s purpose could be achieved in such contexts.

Many different models explaining suffering exist: predestination, free will, character development, cosmic conflict, limited God or cruel/nonexistent God.  Which model fits the world we live in best?  Which model fits stories of suffering in the Old and New Testament?

We first look at an analogy presented by the author Ellen White about the birdcage and ask why does suffering occur?  Does God ever cause suffering?  We examine both Old and New Testament stories to try to answer these questions.

Just what is Psalms 23 saying?  We will not want anything, but we will be led into a dark valley of death?  What is the path of righteousness?  Can other scriptural references to sheep and shepherds enlighten what the psalmist is trying to say?

God told Isaac to not go down to Egypt (Genesis 26:2) but then told Jacob “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt” (Genesis 46:3) What changed?  Joseph is second in command of all Egypt, so why would he tell his family to claim to be despised shepherds?

We explore the second part of one of the most dramatic stories of the Bible.  How do you trust people who betrayed you?  What if the people who betray you don't recognize you and bow down before you?

We discuss the evil character of Joseph's brothers, the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel.  Parental favoritism, murderous plots, false accusations, deception, and personal integrity are all featured in what is one of the most dramatic stories in the bible.

In this discussion we examine the story of Jacob's conversion when he finds and starts wrestling with an unknown man, and this unknown man turns out to be God.  After this meeting, we discuss and explore the reconciliation made between these two feuding brothers, Jacob and Esau.

In this discussion we look at real family conficts.  The previously idealized Isaac and Rebecca stress about pregnancies, make white lies to strangers, play favorites with their kids, and fight over the family inheritance.  Later Jacob is deceived and marries two sisters who bicker and fight. How does God interact with these type of problems?

Was Abraham enriched by fraud? We explore the story of Abimelech, the birth of Isaac, God's protection of Hagar and Ishmael, and the meaning of God's command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Why did God ask this? We then explore how how God's promises were not completely fulfilled in Abraham's life and the story of how Isaac found his wife Rebekah.

In this discussion we examined God's covenant with Abraham and what it reveals about how God works with us.  We also look at the story of Ishmael and how God dealt with Sodom and Gomorrah. Why does God only act when the outcry is great?  Does God destroy the innocent along with the wicked?  How good were the innocent?

In this discussion we examine Abram's decision to leave his homeland and follow God and the events that took place immediately afterwards. We discuss the generosity of Abram, how a few of Abram's servants overcome a coalition of 5 kings and their armies, and a Priest/King who appears to bless Abram after the battle.

In this discussion we examine the story of Noah after the flood, the first account of drunkenness, and the curse given to Ham's son.  We then dive into the subject of the Tower of Babel and what it meant for the world.

In this discussion we examine the story of Cain and Abel in detail and discuss the aftermath of God's decision to sustain the world's first murder and apparently the world's first politician.