Lesson 8 (May 14-20), Peter and the Rock

You Are the Christ

1. When talking to the disciples why did Jesus refer to himself as "the Son of Man" instead of just "I?"
2. Didn't Jesus know what people were saying about him without being told?
3. Why did Jesus instruct His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah?

"On This Rock"

1. Was Jesus intending to start a new religion rather than refocus Judaism?
2. Is it a problem to understand Peter as a rock and part of the foundation of Christianity? Can we not all be such rocks as we confess that Jesus is the Messiah?
3.  Was Peter the leader of the disciples or just their spokesman, or just the quickest to speak?

"Peter as Satan"

1. What was wrong with Peter not wanting Jesus to suffer and die? Why did Jesus get so worked up by Peter saying that?
2. For those who still pray with "thee and thou," Why did Jesus say "Get THEE behind me Satan?" Similarly, why did Jesus address Satan as "thou?"
3. What is wrong with trying to save our lives?

Encouragement from Heaven

1. What made Elijah and Moses better comforters and supporters than angels?
2. Why did the transfiguration do for the disciples' faith?
3. Why would the disciples be afraid when Jesus was with them?

Jesus and the Temple Tax

1. Do you think that Jesus really paid tax, or was Peter bluffing?
2. Why do pastors have to pay tithe if the tithe is coming to pay their salaries? 
3. Why do you think Jesus asked Peter to get the coin from a fish rather than from under a stone?
4. Is it okay to allow people to continue in their misconceptions when we condescend to avoid controversy?

Lesson 7 (May 7-13), Lord of Jews and Gentiles

Feeding the Hungry

1. Why did women and children not count such as in the feeding of the 5000?
2. Why did God allow John to be beheaded? Did Jesus know that was going to happen? Did John's killing cause doubts about the Messiahship of Jesus?
3. Did Jesus deliberately perform a huge miracle to prove He really was the Messiah?

Lord of All Creation

1. What did the disciples learn from the episode of the storm that they did not know before?
2. Why did Jesus need time away from His disciples?
3. Does Satan also have some control over nature? 
4. Why How much control do humans have over nature?

The Hypocrite's Heart

1. What is more dangerous, legalism or liberalism?
2. What was the objective of the Pharisees (or Adventists) in being legalistic?
3. Are all human beings hypocrites?

Crumbs from the Table

1. Why would the disciples wish to send away the Canaanite mother who begged help for her demon-possessed daughter?
2. How does a person become demon-possessed?
3. Why did Jesus test the faith of the woman several times when He knew her faith from the beginning?
4. Did Jesus humiliate the woman?

Lord of the Gentiles

1. How do we know that the feeding in Matt 15 was for gentiles?
2. Why did God create the distinction between Jew and gentile? Was it avoidable?
3. Why do second and third generation Adventists treat newly-converted members like gentiles?

Lesson 6 (Apr 30-May 6), Resting in Christ

The Light Yoke of Christ

1. Why did Jesus (like so many Old Testament prophets did for many nations) curse towns and cities, pronouncing "woes" on them, for the failure of their inhabitants? Is it fair for a city to be reduced to rubble because its occupants were wicked?
2. Why does the Christian have to wear a yoke? In what way is following Christ a burden?
3. What is the connection between curses on wicked cities and promises for the weary?

Unrest Over a Rest Day

1. What was wrong in the efforts of the Pharisees to protect the Sabbath?
2. Have Adventists became as picky as Pharisees on the issue of Sabbath keeping? 
3. Is it possible that Pharisees were blessed by their Sabbath keeping?
4. In the struggle to get away from legalism have we become too liberal on Sabbath observance?

Jesus' Response

1. How does David's eating "forbidden" bread apply to our Sabbath keeping? Is it okay to buy food on Sabbath? milk cows on Sabbath? pluck fruit? What makes an act right or wrong?
2. How can Adventists make Sabbath more enjoyable for children?
3. On the whole how are our institutions doing with regards to making Sabbath a pleasant experience?
4. What does it mean that "the Sabbath was made for man?"

Healing on the Sabbath

1. Did Jesus purposely heal on the Sabbath?
2. What makes it okay for doctors and nurses to work on Sabbath?
3. Is it okay to produce medicines and medical equipment on Sabbath? What about driving an ambulance?

Keeping the Sabbath

1. Is there ay basis to claim that Jesus abolished the Sabbath?
2. Why should we not appreciate the efforts of pharisees and like-minded people today who try to protect the Sabbath?
3. Can sincere sunday-worshippers obtain the Sabbath blessings on Sunday?

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?