ABSG Questions for Discussion: Lesson 14 (Dec 24-30), Some Lessons from Job

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, 30 December 2016

Lesson 14 (Dec 24-30), Some Lessons from Job

How By Faith and Not by Sight

Would have it been unfair for Job to have known about the wager between God and Satan?
Why is "seeing" "believing" for humans? What are some realities that cannot be seen? What are some things that we see that are not real?
What enables a person to believe without seeing?

Evil Being

If, as we believe, the book of Job was the first of the Bible books to be written, what themes might have deemed it important to be the first?
How much does nature reveal God? How much does nature reveal Satan?
How does order in the universe buttress belief in the justice of God?

With Friends Like These

What made Job's friends believe like they did--that suffering was because of sin?
How much of the character of Job would the three friends have been aware of?
Why did God condemn the three friends for speaking wrong about him? What did they say about God that was wrong?

More Than Thorns and Thistles

Did Satan create thorns and thistles, the mosquito, etc?
Why would God permit Satan to mar nature?
How much can science wipe out thorns, thistles and creatures like mosquitos?

Jesus and Job

Why didn't God place Job in the Garden of Eden instead of Adam? Would history have been different?
Assuming that Satan tried his hardest to hook Job and Jesus what made their trials the severest?
If you were arranging the rewards for Job's success would you have made it any different?

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.