The next quarterly is on the book of John..

We are starting 2004 with it..

Ever tried to read your bible all of the way through and got stuck on Leviticus and threw in the towel???

Try again and read faster through the tabernacle stuff and geneologies..bite the bullet..

OR

try at least reading the New Testament in 2004..

There has to be some OLD GUARD SDA's out there who have never done that either...
Start reading in something other than the somewhat difficult KJV

Start reading John...
"In the beginning was the ...

Yeah...that scripture can be as dry as eating peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread while walking in the the Sahara during Summer...to the carnal and entertainment media addict...

TaintedFate

You asked,"what's the cure for this tendency?"

In regard to the discussion of Satan wants us to fail. The only cure is for us to come fully and unconditionally into God's will.

I find this to be very easy for each of us to say to ourselves and even easier for us to share with others. In reality this is probably the hardest single part of our thinking to change when we are constantly battling our naturally sinful tendencies. It is the easy way out, giving into these bad habits, we have grown to feel some sort of false security through this sinfulness. Having been lost in these sinful ways for so long they become like our best friends. To shake yourself from them is like losing your wallet. How am I going to replace all the important data that I have stored in there for so long? Now I have to call the card companies and place a stop order, and my social security card was in there, my whole identity is now in someone else's hands. Your left stnading there either as empty as your pocket is right about now, or as empty as your hand-bag is.

Like the one point in the last paragraph, your Identity is now in someone elses hands. This is what happens to us when we can fully let go and surrender our will to God, letting Him be our will so we can carry out His will. Hard to let go just like that, because we feel like we are going to fall off the edge if we should let go.

There is another part to this, we humans want to go through life thinking that we have a firm grip on 'our control' of every given situation. That being the case, how do we then explain how we fall into the sin game? We can be left in charge of certain areas of our daily activities, but when push comes to shove we control nothing without God's willing it.

Think how much more any of us would gain in Gods grace if we could just do this one thing he asks of each of us. I am not the mathematician, but I would guess the numbers would be staggering. If we could do this I think that Satan would be without a place to hang his hat.

You also asked, "How can I be delivered from this imprisonment?"

I think that you are already on this path because you realize their is a need for God in you heart. It seems to me that He dwells there already, even though you struggle with your sin. Hey! I find the same thing happening over in my house also. A constant battle with sin and its representatives daily. On the same note, I find that by making time for God in my life daily and working to apply the lessons that God has given me, keeps satan at bay. It is when I remove this protection either by not studying or ignoring God through other distractions, I have created cracks in my armor and this in turn gives satan a way in.

I can only share with you what I have expirenced in my walk. When I first came to the point of accepting Jesus into my life I wondered if He could forgive me of all the sin I had piled on. It was when I committed to Him that the guilt instantly had been removed from me. I felt so free at that very moment I wanted to run out into the street shouting with joy. God showed me that I needed to get down on my knees and repent of each sin and truthfuly mean I was sorry for committing it. I thought well how am I going to do this Lord there has been 50 years of sin, and I could not recall all that I had done or remember those who I had hurt. Again I ask God, how Lord, and this is what was the reply, one sin at a time, some days more but the list has become shorter and shorter in the past year.

I will be walking or even working on the computer and up pops an aweful thing I had done way back in time that I had forgottten, and wham it is the formost on my mind. I get into prayer right away and ask that the Father forgive me.

Surrending to God is an act of coming like you are and not looking back to see if you have left something behind. When we start looking back is when we leave the door ajar just enough to let the master of all lies and confusion, a way in.

And there isn't a more appealing prey for satan to drag off than a believing soul. For him it is like the big take on a game hunt, he stuffs you and mounts you upon his wall. Now that is scarry stuff.

Thank you Jesus for loving each of us even though we are undiserving and incomplete according to our thinking, Lord. Thank you for being there to keep us from becoming satans trophy, Thank you Father for the Gift of salvation that you share with each of us. And thank you for our sister Tainted Fate, I ask that you bless her AND REMOVE THE DOUBT THAT SHE BATTLES WITH DAILY. Father keep her safe from Satans firey attack that seems to draw her away in thought and deed from time to time. Father watch over each of as during this holiday season, fill our days with your happiness and joy Father. I ask this all in Jesus glorious name, amen!!

God Bless!

BusyBob

I have looked at the new SS Quarterly for 2004 and it is good! Very good! I'm really looking forward to studying it deeply. We all need a relationship like John the Beloved disciple. If we all had it we would be home in Heaven long before this.

I hope that each week all teachers spend some time dwelling on how we can apply the biblical principles presented in each lesson to our own life. I really feel that if we do this during 1st Quarter it will make a huge difference in our lives and in our Church.

Someone mentioned not knowing about a class having a class leader and a class teacher; one to care for the fellowhsip and outreach of the class and one to care for the spiritual growth of class members. This idea is presented in the "Sabbath School Handbook" that came out about 4-5 years ago and if one is familiar with the make up of small groups you will find it used there also. It can be very, very successful!

Yes, our classes need more than just to focus on the Study of God's Word. That of course is central, but we also need to put God's Word into practise by outreach to fellow members and to our communties. That is what Sabbath School is all about.

Anyone,
Did any discussion during week #12 lesson..at your sabbath school ..relate to Matt 23 or were any of the verses in that chapter read in class??

We never went to Matthew in the group that I am in we did get into Isaiah 7, and went to Luke and John. We had a discussion as to our own expirences as compared to the lesson. But we have been in Matthew 23 in several of the previous studies at Sabbath School.

2004
For most people in the church, will be it be like last year..and the year before that?

Sanctification is a work of a lifetime...yet some are running out of their lifetime.

Will people neglect to look at their SS lessons..
Read only their bibles when asked to turn to a passage when in the worship service...if you're fortunate to be asked.
Not know much more about what the SS class time is about?
Not have any new insights, agendas, or goals?
Put off any revival or reformation until CHAOS hits?

Do you have the GOSPEL of JOHN mastered?
DO you care if you just warm a pew?
Are you afraid to bring a question or something of interest to the sabbath school instead of just SHOWING UP???

For the most part..what I see in sabbath school is a
PATHETIC WASTE OF GOD GIVEN TIME

With the views on this thread approaching 500..is it possible I have hit on a legitimate sore point in the church???
HUH??

With your use of the 'I' word approaching 500 times, it is getting a little boring, wouldn't you say 'ol chap'?