ABSG Questions for Discussion: Lesson 1 (June 27-July 3), The Missionary Nature

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, 3 July 2015

Lesson 1 (June 27-July 3), The Missionary Nature

God Created Man And Woman

Is there too much similarity between mankind and animals?
What are the dissimilarities between mankind and animals?
Which is greater the similarities or the dissimilarities?
Why do you think God created mankind personally?

Free Will

Could God have created humans with free will and yet who would not sin?
Is conscience a safe guide?
Can we be sure of the will of God in every choice we make?

The Fall

At what point in the fall can we say that Eve had sinned, when she bit the fruit, or before that?
At what point did Adam commit sin?
Was eating the fruit the sin or symptom of sin?

God's Initiative to Save Us

Did God "know" that Adam and Eve were going to sin, or was God truly "open"?
What emotions can you imagine God going through when Adam and Eve's sinned?
Why did the solution to sin have to take thousands of years?

Metaphors of Mission

To what extent can humans imitate the love of God as motivation for mission?
To what extent do missionaries have to become part of the world they hope to witness too? To what extent did Jesus become part of our world?
To what extent do Christians have to accept the evil in the world? To what extent do they have to correct it?

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.