ABSG Questions for Discussion: Lesson 9 (Feb 23-Mar 1), Discipling the Powerful

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.

Friday, 28 February 2014

Lesson 9 (Feb 23-Mar 1), Discipling the Powerful

Which fruit of the Spirit give one the gift of reaching those in positions of power?

Respecting Authority

What gives people the right to rule over others? Does God recognize all governments?
What gave Rome the right to rule of the Jews? How did Jesus react to that?

Have You Not Read

What was the attitude of Jesus to religious authority of the priests?
What did Jesus rank higher as authoritative, the scriptures or the priesthood? What evidence is there for your answer?
When the Bible is silent on a topic, can the church legislate?

The Centurion

How can we account for the fact that several centurions acted more respectfully to Jesus than ordinary soldiers?
Does a person lose respectability if he or she is humble? Why or why not?

Judgement Day

Why do powerful leaders seem impervious to the gospel?
Is it okay to be an anonymous follower of Jesus or must one declare it publicly?

The Early Explosion

What factors contribute to secret followers finally announcing their faith publicly?
Did the disciples keep track of exact numbers joining the church or just approximate?
What are the advantages of counting the exact number of "converts?" What are the disadvantages?

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.