Lesson 9 (November 21-27), Jeremiah's Yoke

A Solitary Life

1. Is it better for a pastor not to have children, or to not even marry, so that he/she can concentrate more on the ministry?
2. Is it possible for a pastor to do his/her work properly and still devote adequate time for the spouse and family?
3. Has humanity fulfilled the command to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth? Should we now make efforts to reduce the population?

Jeremiah's Yoke

1. To what extent does God expect people to support governments when they are corrupt? To what extent does God expect church members to support church administrators when they are corrupt?
2. Could Jeremiah have presented the message of of the Babylonian conquest and captivity in such a way that he would not have seemed disloyal to the nation?
3. Was it practical for Jeremiah to actually act out all the signs he describes or could he have just used them as parables?

War of the Prophets

1. Can we distinguish between a true and a false prophet without having to wait for the prophecy comes to pass?
2. Will God hold us responsible for believing a false prophet if we do so innocently?
3. Why are prophecies mostly bad news and condemnatory?

The Yoke of Iron

1. Why did Hananiah preface his prophecy with "Thus saith the Lord?" Do false prophets believe their messages are from God?
2. Is it possible to stop a genuine prophecy from being fulfilled?
3. Does the Bible (see Exodus 22:28 and Acts 23:5) teach that it is wrong to speak ill of a church leader?

Trusting in Lies

1. Why would God have wanted for Hananiah the false prophet to die within the year? Wouldn't failure of his prophecy to be fulfilled within the two years he prophecied be adequate self-condemnation?
2. Does the damage done by a false prophet end with his or her death? 
3. Which is more serious, to believe a false prophet or to doubt a genuine one?

Lesson 8 (Nov 14-20), Josiah's Reforms

What is the greatest determinator that decides whether a child will grow up good or bad?

The Reigns of Manasseh and Ammon

1. Can one excuse their poor behaviour on evil parents, and bad environment?
2. When an evil person repents and reforms how much is he or she still responsible for others who were led astray?
3. Why must a reformed person still suffer the consequences of earlier misdeeds? Can those not be forgiven and forgotten?

A New King

1. Was the experiment of having kings a total failure for Israel and Judah? Could God have changed the system of governance again?
2.  Do children of leaders make better leaders than others?
3. Are young people less corrupt than older ones?
4. How can we account for sons of bad kings turning out to be good kings?

Josiah on the Throne

1. Why do you think the names of the mothers of kings have been recorded in the Bible? How much influence did a mother have over the training of a prince?
2. How important is it to keep a church in good repair? On a scale of 1 - 10 how would you score (a) the condition of Adventist churches, and (b) the condition of your home church? 
3. Is it okay to spend fabulous sums of money on renovation of a church when the same money could be used for evangelism and provision of churches for people who have no place to worship?
4.  What can a pastor do to get the members to assist with the maintenance of a church?

The Book of the Law

1. How long does it take to lose a Bible, to forget where it is? 
2. What is the proper way to dispose of a Bible that is no longer needed because it has become old and we have acquired a new one?
3. Do we show / Should we show the same reverence for an electronic Bible as we do for the printed one?

Josiah's Reforms

1. What is the worth of reforming when disaster cannot be averted?
2. Why were there festivals in the Old Testament system? Should we have regular festivals in the Adventist church to maintain the spirit? 
3. What is the proper attitude during communion service--funereal or celebratory?

Lesson 7 (Nov 7-13), The Crisis Continues

Let Him Who Boasts . . .

1. If it pained God so much to send enemies to take His people captive, why did He do it? Was such a measure successful?
2. Think carefully. Who were the remnant, the ones left behind by the enemy, or the ones taken captive? What happened to each group in the days to come and eventually? Which group was more liable to repent and be faithful to God?
3. Is it all right to brag about knowing God?

Creatures or the Creator

1. Why did God command His people not to make an image to represent Him for worship? Does it have any strengths or only weaknesses? Why do people bow down to idols they have made themselves?
2. Is there a difference in bowing down to an image one has made to bowing before a god imagined in our mind? Can a god be a figment of imagination?
3. Can we worship the true God but with characteristics that are of our own making?

A Call to Repentance

1. How can a threat be seen as sign of hope? Can a threat be delivered in a non-threatening manner or will it become ineffective?
2. Are we ever beyond forgiveness?
3. If we cannot remember our faults to confess them and repent are we excused?

The Call for Death

1. Why do people wish to put a prophet or reformer to death? Are we different today? What kind of sermons and preachers do we like?
2. Who can be authorised to pronounce a death sentence, people, a jury, a judge, a prophet, nobody?
3. What are some things that are worth dying for?

Jeremiah's Escape

1. Why would the people and the officials not agree with the priests and the prophets about putting Jeremiah to death?
2. Which group would it be natural for the king to listen to? Why do you think he sided with the people even though the prophet was condemning him?
3. What is the best way to handle a critic?