ABSG Questions for Discussion: God as Our Redeemer

Welcome

Many Sabbath School class teachers either preach a sermon to their class or deliver a monologue on the whole lesson, going through it "day-by-day." The most rewarding sessions involve the members in discussion. These questions here are intended to stimulate the active participation of the members in your class. Of course pertinent information imparted by the teacher is also very valuable, for which there are many resources in print and on the internet. This site seeks to provide a resource for discussions.

If you are a member and not a teacher and your class is boring, try asking questions such as these in your class.

Thursday, 19 January 2012

God as Our Redeemer

At the Cross

1. Did God choose to die on a cross or did men decide the method of death for Jesus?

2. How did Christ’s death impact God’s attitude to humans?

The Gospel in the Old Testament

1. Why did humans have to wait thousands of years for the Messiah? Why couldn’t Adam and Eve’s son have been the Saviour?

2. Who seems to be winning the Great Controversy – good or evil? What makes us confident that good will triumph?

Salvation in Isaiah

1. Does one have to foreknow the Messiah and/or the cross in order to describe a suffering servant the way Isaiah did?

2. How easy is it to do good to those who do evil to you? What can make this possible?

The Gospels and the Cross

1. What do you think is easier – to live a perfect life or to die innocent but condemned, for you? For Christ?

2. Why were the disciples so impervious to the agony of Jesus the week before he died?

3. Why do you think the gospel writers described the last week of Jesus life in so much more detail than the rest of his life?

The Cry on the Cross

1. Why does it seem harder for Christ to die than for humans?

2. Does God love all sinners or only the repentant ones?

3. How can God love the sinner when he hates sin so much?

How to Teach a Sabbath School Class

1. Make a conscious decision that you will lead a discussion and not preach a sermon. Prepare accordingly and be alert for discussion opportunities. A discussion in which many participate is very rewarding.

2. You must have a page of freshly written notes. Don't waste people's time with inconsequential things just to occupy the time.

3. Sprinkle your notes with discussion questions and mark them out in bold. Any time you feel you are losing the attention of the members get them into another discussion. The discussion should be relevant to the lesson as well as to everyday life.

4. Start the lesson with a discussion question, or at the very latest within the next few sentences. If you wait for ten minutes and then try to generate a discussion it will be too late. The class will have tuned you out because you have tuned them out.

5. The opening question should be general enough so that even those who have not studied will be interested in contributing.

6. Avoid questions that can be answered by a single word. If someone answers with "yes/no" ask them to give reasons for their answer. If the answer is too short ask them to clarify or simplify the answer.

7. If a member asks a question, that is a golden opportunity for a discussion. Don't waste it by answering it too quickly. Throw the question back to the members for their opinion. You can give yours at the end.

8. Avoid childish questions such as "Which day is the Sabbath?" Members will not feel any need to answer it. Similarly do not pause in a sentence for the members to supply the last few words. That kind of participation is not a discussion. Members must contribute ideas and thoughts and not just words.

9. Avoid trick questions. Members will be embarrassed if you show them wrong and they will not answer the next time. Also avoid questions that will make it obvious whether or not they have studied the lesson. Those who have not studied should also feel urged to contribute.

10. You may sometimes present two views and ask the members to evaluate the views.