What does the Bible teach about the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit really divine? Is the Holy Spirit a person, thing, or power? What does the Spirit do in the lives of individuals and how can one know when they have the Holy Spirit? Based on the teachings of Jesus, what can we know? These questions are explored in this week's lesson. You will also learn how to tell the difference between a good person and one who is filled with God's presence.
Who do people say that Jesus is? Who is Jesus to you? What did Jesus teach about Himself? Why was He called "Son of Man" and "Son of God". Was Jesus really God? What things did Jesus say that hinted at this idea. Why did Jesus choose to take on humanity? Are the Father and the Son different in character? What did Jesus teach about the Father? We tackle this subject matter this week and explore what Jesus had to say on the subject.
This week we study the essence of the Great Controversy over God's character. Why is God on trial? Why does God need to vindicate His character to anyone? What were Satan's lies about God and how has God chosen to respond? God created beings that are free moral agents. What does this say about His government as king of the Universe? Can there truly be a merger of justice and love? If God was only love, or only justice, what would that mean for us?
How does Matthew introduce the gospel? Who exactly was Matthew and why was his perspective on Jesus' ministry unique? Why does he use a genealogy to introduce Jesus as the Messiah and what does this ancestral record say about who Jesus is? What can we learn in the Bible about who Jesus is as a person, what God is like, and His mission here on earth? Was Jesus really divine? What did Jesus reveal to the world about God? What can we learn about God through the people Jesus was related to? What hope might be in all this for us today?
What was the relationship between Peter, Jesus, and the church? How should we understand Jesus' words that upon the rock would he build his church? Who was this rock? Protestants and Catholics have long debated this passage but what secrets do the Greek manuscripts hold that make the matter more clear? In this study John Spellman goes into depth explaining the passage Matthew 16:18 in a way you may never have heard before. Why does it matter who Jesus is to us? Why is it important that we see Him as the rock?
Why does God allow human suffering? Does human suffering really disprove the existence of an almighty and all powerful God? What does the Bible have to say about human suffering? Why does God permit it? Did Job still believe in God even when he went through times of hardship? How do the cosmological argument, theodicy, and the great controversy help us to understand the question of human suffering and the existence of an all-powerful God?
John Spellman preaches on the true meaning of Christmas. Though Jesus wasn't born on December 25th, the Christian world commemorates His first advent. But why did Jesus come to this world as a baby? What was the purpose of His arrival? What hope is there in the first coming of Jesus for people today? What are we really celebrating in the Christmas season? Was Jesus really the Son of God? Why was He called Immanuel? These questions are explored as we discuss the true meaning of Christmas.
Is the Holy Spirit truly a person? Is He a distinct personality from the Father and the Son? What are the characteristics of a person? Does the Holy Spirit meet these characteristics? Is He self-aware? Does He have a will? Does He do things we would only attribute to a person? Is it really fair to say the Trinity is pagan? Or have anti-Trinitarians been misleading in this argument.
Is the Holy Spirit truly Divine? How can we know for sure? What hints does scripture give us? Is the Holy Spirit on the same level with Jesus and the Father as God? Does the Holy Spirit have the attributes of God, such as omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and eternal life? This week we focus on the Divinity of the Holy Spirit.