Lesson 5 (Jan 26-Feb 1), Discipling the Sick

The Healing Messiah

1. Does healing a sick person make him/her vulnerable to conversion?
2. Did Jesus heal every single one who came to Him? Were there any conditions?
3. Did Jesus offer life and health in order to attract people?

Healing the Body

1. Is sickness a result of an individual's sin?
2. Why do innocent people get seriously sick?
3. In order to heal a human did Jesus have to take their infirmity upon Himself?

Healing the Mind and Body

1. Which is easier, to heal the body or heal the mind?
2. Did Jesus do more to cure sickness or forgive sins? Why?
3. Can the mind make the body sick and/or can the body make the mind sick?

The Resurrection and the Life

1. Can other denominational pastors be given the gift of faith healing?
2. Why do people want eternal life?
3. Why does God wish to offer eternal life to humans?

Christ's Healing Legacy

1. Why are there not more faith healing experiences in the Adventist church nowadays?
2. Did the disciples heal as many people as Jesus did? Why or why not?
3. Should all pastors be trained to treat sickness?

Lesson 4 (Jan 18-25), Discipling Children

Why is it harder to make a decision to follow Jesus as an adult compared to when one is a child?

The Hebrew Child's Advantage

1. What is the difference between child sacrifice in heathen nations and Abraham's attempt to sacrifice Isaac?
2. What makes families have fewer children nowadays compared with Bible times? 
3. What makes parents abuse their own children?

Jesus' Childhood

1. Why do you think the plan of salvation involved Jesus being born as a baby?
2. Why do you think we are told so little about the childhood of Jesus?
3. What do think made Jesus aware that He was the Son of God?

Healing the Children

1. What makes parents so concerned for the survival of their children?
2. What makes animal mothers so protective of their young?
3. Was Jesus more compassionate towards children than adults?  Why or why not?

A Fearsome Warning?

1. What was Jesus referring to when he said that things have been revealed to children that have been hidden from adults?
2. What makes children lose the childlike traits that Jesus commended?
3. What is the difference, if any, between childlikeness and childishness?

Suffer the Little Children

1. Why do adults say "children should be seen and not heard?" Why are children considered a nuisance? 
2. Why do children forgive and forget more easily than adults?
3. At what age should we start treating children like adults? 

Lesson 3 (Jan 12-18), Discipleship and Prayer

What is the use of Jesus saying that whatever we ask will be granted when there are conditions, and so many prayers are not answered?

TIME TESTED COMPASSION

1. Are humans born selfish or do we become that way?
2. What is the use of praying for others? Don't they have to reform themselves? 
3. How does God respond to intercessory prayer?

TIME FOR PRAYER

1. Is it possible to maintain a prayer life like Christ's in today's world? If so,how?
2. Why did Jesus spend so much time praying in the outdoors? Should we be doing the same?
3. Though anytime is right, what is the best time for prayers?

TIMELESS TEACHING

1. Considering the immense value of prayer, if you were Satan how would you attempt to destroy its effectiveness?
2. If you were God what kinds of prayers would please you the most?  What kinds of prayers would turn you off?
3. What does it mean to "come boldly" before the throne of God?

TIMELESS COMPASSION

1. What spurs humans to compassion? What enables one to put himself or herself in another's shoes?
2. What can parents do to inculcate compassion in their children? 
3. Is compassion in the genes or is it acquired? 
4. Did Jesus show compassion to the Pharisees? Why, or why not?

TIMELESS COMPASSION REPLICATED

1. Which of the twelve disciples were the least compassionate to begin with? Did they change? If yes, what evidence is there? If yes, what made the change?
2. When Stephen prayed as he was being stoned "Lord lay not this sin against their account,"  what was the use of that prayer? 

Lesson 2 (Jan 4-10), Discipling Through Metaphor

How much risk is there of being misunderstood when one speaks in parables? 

1. Why did Jesus speak so much in parables? 
2. What are characteristics of a good parable?

Old Testament Examples

1. Was David partial?
2. How do we know that David's repentance was genuine and not because he got caught? Why is it not too late to repent even after the sin is exposed? 
3. Why did David fail to detect the objective Nathan's parable?

Architectural Wisdom

1. When as kids we sang "the wise man built his house upon the rock," what lesson were we learning?
2. Despite warnings of Jesus, why do most people end up short of money when they build a home?

Agricultural Analogies

1. Since most people today have no experience with sowing seed, what parable do you think could be used today to teach how people respond in different ways to the gospel?
2. How could one teach the lessons of the parables of weeds and tares, and the parable of the pearl of great price, to city dwellers?

The Revolutionary's War

1. When Jesus said that prostitutes and tax collectors would get in to heaven before the pharisees, what could that mean for us today? Will any pharisee be in heaven?
2. Who today are the lame and the blind who will be invited into the kingdom for the feast?
3. What should church leaders do to ensure they do not become like pharisees?

Christ's Creative Legacy

1. Why did the disciples not teach in parables?
2. Should pastors today preach more in parables?

Lesson 1 (Dec 28 - Jan 3) Disciples and Scripture

Jesus and the Bible

1. Did Jesus have to memorize Scripture or would His divinity have known it all?
2. Did Jesus need Scripture or did He just use it to help others?
3. How well does the devil know the Bible?

The Authority of Scripture

1. What is Scripture authoritative for?
2. Why can sometimes both sides of a dispute on faith or practice quote scripture for support?
3. What makes some people resist the authority of Scripture?

Public Proclamation

1. In what ways does the recitation of whole chapters of the Bible in public edify the congregation, and/or the reciter?
2. What makes use of the Bible legalistic? 

Personal Ministry

1. What evidence do we have that Jesus knowledge of the Bible was thorough?
2. Is the Bible self-explanatory, or do readers need help?

The Next Generation

1. Why do scholars question the accuracy, authenticity, and authority of the Bible when Jesus Himself did not?
2. How can we relate to alleged errors in the Bible?
3. Why did the Holy Spirit allow so many versions of the Bible?

Lesson 13 (Dec 21-27), Exhortations From the Sanctuary

Access to the Heavenly Sanctuary

1. Why were common Israelites not permitted to enter the sanctuary?
2. Why are we allowed direct access to God?
3. Of Jesus sat down on the right hand of the Father when he ascended after the resurrection, was that the Most Holy Place? 

Cleansed and Sincere

1. Must we come to the Sanctuary clean or do we come for cleansing?
2. Do we need special clothes to come to Church? What clothes are appropriate for Sabbath?

Faith: Be Confident

1. At what point does confidence that we are forgiven become presumption? 
2. What is the danger of believing that "once saved, always saved?" Why would anyone believe that? 
3. Should we be more nervous when we come into God's presence?

Hope: Be Steadfast and Unswerving

1. If sins are forgiven when they are confessed, why do they still bother the sinner?
2. Why do members backslide? Why do they stop coming to church?
3. Why can't it be easier to be good than to be bad? 

Love: Encourage One Another

1. Why are Indians less considerate of others than people of other countries?
2. Does loving others come naturally or does it need to be cultivated? 
3. What can one do to develop love for a person one does not love?

Lesson 12 (Dec 14-20),The Cosmic Conflict Over God's Character

Revolt in the Heavenly Sanctuary

1. Can the origin of evil be explained without excusing it?
2. Can the fact that a creature sinned in a perfect environment mean that it was imperfect? Is the inability to sin mean a person is perfect or imperfect?
3. Why is pride such a horrible evil?

The Accusations

1. Is Satan correct that Job and all of us serve God for His blessings? Would we still serve God if we didn't receive blessings?
2. Is God's law too difficult for humans to keep?
3. Is God unfair in saving people who are not keeping the law?

Vindication at the Cross

1. What is the role of the cross on vindicating God? Humans?
2. What qualifications are needed to be merciful?
3. How did the sanctuary and its services teach God's mercy?
4. How did the cross affect Satan's authority and activity on this earth?

Vindication in the Judgement?

1. Does God deal justly? Or is whatever He does termed "just?"
2. If everyone concedes that God is just, can they all be saved?

The Cosmic Spectacle

1. Why did Jesus tell us to let our lights shine that men may see our good works? Aren't our good works like filthy rags?
2. How does God help us in the judgement? How do we help God in the judgement?