Cq Lesson Study for February 28th, 2014 Exploration Finding Power to Persuade the Powerful Acts 26:8, 9 CONCLUDE At any one point, God’s Word makes it clear that His message is an equal opportunity message. Though He is often best able to transmit that message through the humble (who possess little), His called messengers are never to remain meekly within their own social strata. In fact, the Bible’s most thrilling stories are often those in which its Author called His closest friends to speak truth to people in power. The results were mixed, even during Jesus’ own ministry. But powerful people may need His words even more than the humble. CONSIDER Having friends over for a vesper service and suggesting that they share stories of how someone witnessed powerfully without really meaning to. Spending a week’s worth of daily devotional time writing out your “witness story.” Even if you may not have had a dramatic conversion experience, listing reasons why the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit truly make a difference in your life. People who write out their testimonies often recognize opportunities to share their faith. Asking around your congregation or another Adventist congregation until you find someone who was converted to our faith from an opposite mindset, such as atheism, agnosticism, or active rebellion against God. In company with one or two other class members, interview that person and try to discover what it would have been like to walk in their footsteps. Ask the person how effective his or her own post-conversion witnessing has been and why. Listing the most powerful people in your life. Describe the power each person holds and make notes about how you might be able to guide each person’s heart toward Jesus. Do you sense any vulnerabilities in these people? Use this project to create a prayer list. Studying the lives of Bible people who witnessed to those in power, such as Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Elijah, Peter, Stephen, and Paul. CONNECT Luke 12:11, 12; 2 Corinthians 3:1–3; 1 Peter 3:15. Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, “In the Court of Babylon,” or online at https://egwwritings.org/. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity; Norman Geisler, The Big Book of Christian Apologetics; Antony Flew, There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. Maylan Schurch
Posted on: Fri, 28 Feb 2014 12:36:38 +0000