Lesson 5 (Apr 23-29), The Seen and the Unseen War

Matthew 11:11, 12

1. Is it possible to make all truths so simple that anyone and everyone can understand them, or are some important truths too complicated to simplify?
2. If one who is "least in the kingdom of heaven" is "greater than John the Baptist" does it mean that John will be or will not be in the kingdom?
3. Is force used only against the kingdom of heaven or does the kingdom of heaven also use force?

The Frontiers of Darkness

1. Should evangelists be more aggressive than they are at present? Should the church be more militant?
2. Should the church be more passive and avoid confrontation? 
3. What can we learn from the example of Jesus as to how He dealt with the powers of darkness?

The "Warfare Worldview"

1. In view of the battle against evil should Adventists ally with other Christian denominations or are they part of the evil we fight against?
2. How scared should a Christian be of Satan?
3. If God is so much stronger than the devil, why aren't we more aggressive in the battle with him?

When the Battle Gets Nasty

1. How would you describe the balance of strengths of God and the Devil, 51-49, 100-00, or in between?
2. Why does God allow his followers to be put in jail or put to death, or persecuted?
3. Why does God free some people from persecution (jail, fire, etc, and allow others to die?

A Lost Cause

1. How sure are we as Christians that we are on the winning side in the Great Controversy? What makes us sure?
2. Why does Satan fight on if he knows his defeat is sure?
3. If the battle was won at the cross what are we waiting for?
4. Why aren't we more aggressive in trying to get people on to the winning side?

Lesson 4 (Apr 16-22), "Get Up and Walk" Faith

 Touching the Untouchable

1. What disease today would be the equivalent of leprosy in Bible times which appeared to be a curse from God? Does God punish people with sickness?
2. Why are we reluctant to touch a person who has an affliction that many not spread by touch, such as HIV?
3. Just because the Bible does not record it can we assume that Jesus never got sick? Was He immune to all diseases?

The Roman and the Messiah

1. Since during the time of Jesus and till nearly the end of the second century, Roman officers were not allowed legally to have family, if the Centurian's servant, whom he seemed to have affection for, had been his gay partner, would you have expected Jesus to address that issue? How did Jesus address prostitutes?
2. Are higher ranked officers better people than lower ranked ones?
3. Since faith is not faith if there is evidence to believe, what is the difference between faith and gullibility?

Demons and Pigs

1. Why would Jesus have allowed the evil spirits to enter the pigs causing loss to the owners and suffering for the animals? Would the owners in today's culture have sued such a person today?
2. Does God love sheep more than pigs?
3. What happened to the evil spirits when the pigs drowned?

Get Up And Walk

1. Can the faith of people present around a sick person contribute to the healing? Can their doubt be an obstacle to the healing? Why does the Bible record that Jesus saw the faith of those present (plural)?
2. Why did Jesus condemn the pharisees and scribes for what they were thinking and had not said? Are we accountable for our thoughts?
3. Would a paralytic or quadriplegic rather be healed physically or spiritually?

Letting the Dead Bury the Dead

1. Why do you think that Jesus said to potential followers "The foxes have holes . . . but . . ." ? Didn't everyone know He had no home? Does Jesus turn away some people who want to follow Him?
2. What was wrong in wanting to bury your father before proceeding to follow Jesus? Wasn't he fulfilling an obligation enjoined by the fifth commandment?
3. What made the tax collector, a recognised sinner, an acceptable follower?

Lesson 3 (Apr 9-15), The Sermon on the Mount

Principles and Standards

1. Does God expect us to live up to the standards in the Beatitudes or are those just ideals?
2. Was Jesus merely describing the Kingdom of heaven or expecting us to replicate it on earth?

The Sermon Versus the Law

1. Is the Sermon on the Mount compatible with the Ten Commandments?
2. Was there any salvation by grace in the Old Testament or only by works?
3. Is salvation by grace unique to Christianity?

The Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees

1. Why do we doubt that Scribes and Pharisees will make it to heaven?
2. How much could sin and guilt offerings in the Old Testament accomplish if the spirit was not right?
3. What do Old Testament authors imply by referring to such thing as circumcision of the heart?

The Principle of the Kingdom

1. What did Jesus mean when he instructed humans to be perfect as His Father is? Does "perfect" mean sinless?
2.  Is it really possible to actually love one's enemies?
3. Is it practical to turn the other cheek to one who slaps you?

Receiving the Words of the Kingdom

1. Why is the discourse known by the location (sermon on the mount) rather than by the theme?
2. Why did Jesus teach so much about the kingdom of heaven in earthly terms? Couldn't that limit our understanding?
3. How can I know if my foundation is on a rock or sand? 

Lesson 2 (Apr 2-8) The Ministry Begins

John the Baptist and "Present Truth"

1. What did John the Baptist mean when he declared that the kingdom of heaven was at hand? What would the people have understood? Could he have made it more clear so that the people would not misunderstand him?
2. Why was repentance the best preparation for the Messiah? Did John understand fully how the Messiah would come?
3. Why did God choose a cousin to be the herald of the coming of Jesus? What were the advantages and disadvantages?
4. Why do we baptise people at a much younger age than Jesus was when he was baptised?

The Contrast in the Wilderness

1. Why didn't Jesus wait till he was physically strong and recovered from fasting before facing temptations of the devil? Do we succumb more easily to temptation when we are physically weak?
2. Did Jesus have an advantage or disadvantage compared to us in facing temptation?
3. Why is it easier to be proud than to be humble?

The Temptation

1. Why did the Spirit lead Jesus to temptation? Wouldn't it have been better to avoid the devil? Hadn't there been enough temptations all through his life?
2. Does the devil know what we are thinking about when he comes to tempt us?
3. What does it mean to command the devil "to get behind us?" How does it work?

The Land of Zebulun and Naphtali

1. Did prophets foretell the future about the Messiah or did Jesus do things consciously to fulfil prophecy?
2. Was it necessary for each prophecy to be fulfilled in detail or were some metaphorical?

The Call of the Fishermen

1. What qualities did Jesus look for when he chose his disciples?
2. How easy is it for evangelists to reach a higher class than they themselves come from?
3. What were the advantages and disadvantages of having sets of brothers among the disciples? Is it acceptable to have more than one member from a family in the same administration?