Tag: Responsibility

Living in the Image of God

Leader-Follower Relationships Based On Call of Four Disciples

Living in the Image of God M05S09

Christ interactions with two boats and their crew, during the call of four disciples on Sea of Galilee, lead to understanding leader-follower relationships and responsibilities. The interactions show that God sees every person at the same time and knows every quality of each person to determine who to choose for what. Although he calls some as leaders and others as followers, he values leaders and followers alike. He calls every person to perform their responsibility as leader or follower and rewards them according to the same criterion. In the study example, he rewarded the chosen boat and the other boat with a catch of fish to the full capacity of each boat. Also, he rewarded the crew of both boats with equal opportunity to become disciples of Jesus.

Leader-Follower Relationships Based On Call of Four Disciples 16:58

This is the second of a two-part bible study on leadership, focused on understanding the relationships between leaders and followers when two or more people organize to execute a mission or project. In Part 1 of the study, we discussed leadership in the partnership of Paul and Barnabas. The current study, Part 2, discusses leader-follower relationships based on Christ interactions with two boats and their crew during the call of four disciples on the Sea of Galilee.

The interactions lead to understanding that God sees every person at the same time and knows every quality of each person to determine who to choose for what. He calls people to mission and assigns them responsibilities as leaders or followers. He values leaders and followers alike and rewards them according to the same criterion.

In the study event, Jesus saw two boats and chose one as platform for his teaching. However, the crew of both the chosen boat and the other boat stayed to listen and wait for further instructions from him. After his teaching, he rewarded the crew of both boats with a catch of fish that exceeded their expectation and was measured according to the capacity of each boat. The reward criterion for the crew of the chosen boat was the same as the criterion for the crew of the other boat. Further, he rewarded the crew of both boats with an opportunity to become disciples of Jesus. Thus, the interactions lead to understanding that when God calls people to a mission, he assigns them specific responsibilities as leaders or followers and rewards them alike for performing the responsibilities.

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Living in the Image of God

Extra Mile for Peace—Understanding Peacemaker Responsibility

Living in the Image of God M05S01

The first bible study for our 2024 program year focuses on understanding what God expects of a person in living in peace with others. Christ declares the peacemaker responsibility and promise of blessing in the seventh Beatitude and provides details in the gospel to explain the responsibility. Through the gospel, he conveys a message that the peacemaker responsibility entails doing better than required under the law and custom, to respond peacefully and invite others to do the same, in every interaction with others. The peacemaker responsibility entails going an extra mile for peace by responding with love, irrespective of how the other party feels about you or what they do or fail to do. Disarm aggression by finding a path to peace; love your enemy, be good to them, and give to them without expecting refund; recognize every opportunity for non-commercial giving of goods or service as a call to compassion and provide what you can to alleviate the need. God will accept as peacemakers and children of the Most High, those that he judges as fulfilling the responsibility.

Extra Mile for Peace 26:15

This study begins the 2024 program year of bible studies by the Banking Blessings Ministry. We look forward to an enriching program to advance our understanding of God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships and share the understanding more effectively to an increasing population. In this session, we discuss Christ teaching to understand what he expects from a peacemaker.

The discussion begins with the seventh Beatitude, where Christ declares the peacemaker responsibility and promise of blessing. The discussion continues with his explanations of the responsibility, based on the gospel according to Matthew and the gospel according to Luke. Through the explanations, Christ conveys a message that the peacemaker responsibility entails doing better than required under the law and custom, to respond peacefully and invite others to do the same, in every interaction with others.

We discuss the Extra-mile teaching and several examples from his teaching on overcoming evil with good. The examples include a comparison of the “eye for eye” custom against God’s expectation for peace: Love your enemy, be good to your enemy, assist those in need without expecting refund, and do for others as you would expect others to do for you.

The study continues with a discussion of Paul’s explanation of the individual responsibility regarding peace: that is, his explanation of what God expects of a peacemaker. The study concludes by presenting the peacemaker message as a charge and promise; or do{}-then{} promise, where the do{} clause is the charge and the then{} clause is the promise.

The study video provides more-friendly conversation, from our living room to yours, consisting of a focused and concise message presentation followed by an open discussion of the message. The open discussion for this session focuses on the role of apology in the peacemaker responsibility.

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Compassion, Living in the Image of God

Responsibility in Call to Compassion

Living in the Image of God M02S02

The parable of the Sheep and the Goats explains human responsibility in a Call to Compassion and describes God’s judgment regarding performance of the responsibility. He assigns every person to one of two categories based on completing or declining such responsibility. He judges favorably a person that completes and unfavorably those that decline. A person earns blessing for completion or incurs punishment for declining.

Living in the Image of God Module 02 Session 02 (9:36)

In a Call to Compassion, God directs a person’s attention to the need of others and expects the call recipient to recognize the need, care about the needy, commit to providing a solution, and persevere in seeking to alleviate the need. Christ provides formal teaching in two parables to explain what God expects from us in a Call to Compassion. The parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–35) uses an example to explain human behavior in a Call to Compassion. Furthermore, the parable of The Sheep and the Goats explains human responsibility in a Call to Compassion and describes God’s judgment regarding performance of the responsibility. God judges a person favorably for completing his or her responsibility in a call to compassion or unfavorably for declining.

We discuss the parable of the Sheep and the Goats in this bible study and the parable of the Good Samaritan in a future study to expand our understanding of human responsibilities in a call to compassion.

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The Gospel

Feeding Crowds of Thousands – Provider Assistant Example

Disciples Feed Crowds of Thousands:
A Christ Teaching on Compassion

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Jesus used two occasions of feeding a large crowd in a remote place to illustrate the responsibilities and expectations of a person called to provide goods or services to others as God’s provider assistant. God creates every person to be a potential provider (i.e., channel for his compassion) to others. He is the ultimate provider but often channels his providing through people by placing one or more persons in position to perform the needed service as his provider assistant. The chosen person is expected to recognize the need, assess how they could help, seek God’s direction, and proceed with providing for the need as they can.

Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org
Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org

PROVIDER ASSISTANT RESPONSIBILITIES Jesus used two occasions of feeding a large crowd as practical illustrations of what is expected of a person placed in position to provide for other people. In both cases, he was ministering to a crowd of several thousand that needed to be fed. His disciples took on the responsibility, realized feeding the crowd was beyond their means, sought direction from God (this time with them in person as Jesus), and he provided food for the crowd through his disciples. The disciples were the provider assistant and the people were the recipient. We examine interactions between Jesus and his disciples, him and the crowd, and the disciples and the crowd: to understand God’s expectations of a person that he calls to provide a service for other persons.

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The Gospel

Parental Responsibility Based on Childhood of Jesus

Christian Basis for Family Training

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In this bible study, we attempt to use information from the childhood of Jesus and other relevant bible passages to understand God’s purpose for parental responsibilities. We learn that God assigns parents responsibility to provide for the basic needs of children: physical basic needs (i.e., food and drink, clothing, and shelter), protection, and community values training.

Abraham and the Three Angels | wikipedia.org
Abraham and the Three Angels | wikipedia.org

CALL TO FAMILY TRAINING God issued his call to family training and definition of parents and parental responsibility when he appeared to Abraham in human form, accompanied by two angels. He said [Genesis 18:18–19]: “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” Although spoken about Abraham in this account, the statement is applicable to all humankind and appears directed at defining parental responsibilities. The statement defines the responsibilities of a parent as consisting of two parts: first, providing for basic needs to bring up children; and second, training the children in the process, to direct them to follow the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Also, by corollary, the statement defines a parent as someone assigned the responsibility of providing this service to one or more children. Recall that parenthood is an appointment from God (see previous bible study at This_Link).

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Uncategorized

David Defines Community Rights and Responsibilities

Refugee Among Philistines

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We examine community rights and responsibilities based on David’s interactions with his people during his days in Ziklag. A dispute among his people on sharing battle proceeds provided him an opportunity to define a principle that is applicable today.

David at Ziklag

He was living in Philistine territory with 600 men and their families to stay out of Saul’s reach. While he was out with his men to offer to fight on the Philistine side in a battle against Israel, Amalekites raided his base in Ziklag, burnt and plundered the city, and carried off its women, children, and others. Meanwhile, Philistine commanders rejected David’s offer to fight on their side. Therefore, David and his men returned to Ziklag.

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