Michael: Today will be the first part of a two-part discussion on the character of God in the Old Testament. I will be heavily relying on and quoting from the book The Suffering of God by Terence Fretheim.  We often get hung up on the question: Do you believe in God? And forget about the…

A few weeks ago, I gave a sermon to the youth at a local church. My message centered on the concept of God’s grace, and I chose to illustrate it using the parable of the wedding feast. Let me summarize my sermon.  In the parable of the wedding feast, a king invites both good and…

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have Grace, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not…

Note: An updated version of Michael’s talk was published on January 5, 2025) For the last two weeks, we have been discussing the Sabbath as a sacred time of rest and Grace. A statement that Dr. Weaver has mentioned in both of the classes is going to be the starting point of our discussion today,…

Don: This is the second part of a two-part series on Sabbath and grace. Of necessity and for context, there’ll be some duplication from last week so that those of you who weren’t here will not be lost.  The subject of a Sabbath recurs throughout the Bible. From Genesis through Revelation, from the creation of…

I introduce this topic with some reservation because the meaning of the Sabbath varies among us here. Those raised as Seventh Day Adventists might see it as the correct day for worship, a distinguishing sign for God’s people, and something essential for salvation. This is not official doctrine, but Sabbath-keeping has long been considered a…