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		<title>WWU Good Word Broadcasts</title>
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		<copyright>&#x2117; &amp; &#xA9; Walla Walla University Theology. 1995</copyright>
		<itunes:subtitle>Exploring the SDA Bible Study Guide</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:author>Walla Walla University Theology Office</itunes:author>
		<itunes:summary>Good Word is an invitation. An invitation to explore biblical and theological topics presented in regularly published Bible Study guides. The Bible awaits our continued study and investigation; Good Word provides one way to approach it.</itunes:summary>
		<description>Good Word is an invitation. An invitation to explore biblical and theological topics presented in regularly published Bible Study guides. The Bible awaits our continued study and investigation; Good Word provides one way to approach it.</description>
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			<itunes:name>WWU Good Word</itunes:name>
			<itunes:email>goodword@wallawalla.edu</itunes:email>
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			<title>WWU Good Word Broadcasts</title>
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		<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality">
			<itunes:category text="Christianity" />
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			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Righteousness</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=154</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: Is obedience to the law ever a means of gaining favor with God?
1. Gratitude is the key word: Deut. 4:5-8. If defined in terms of its purpose, God's law was intended as a guide to good and righteous living. For some reason, however, not everyone is able to focus on law as &quot;good news,&quot; even though Deut. 4 makes it clear that it was intended to be just that. As Moses put it: &quot;What other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?&quot; (NRSV). If we can see God's gracious intent, then law can indeed be &quot;gospel&quot; (good news). But some experience God's law much more as an instrument of condemnation, a standard that they can't imagine reaching. For them, forensic justification is a great blessing, enabling them to say with fervor, &quot;There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus&quot; (Rom. 8:1).
2. Grace before law: Rom. 5:6-11. Three times, in three different ways, Paul emphasizes that God's grace came to us before we ever responded to him: &quot;while we were still weak,&quot; &quot;while we were still sinners,&quot; &quot;while we were enemies.&quot; In short, God takes the initiative. Just as he delivered Israel from Egypt and through the Red Sea, and then took them to Sinai to hear the law, so we can experience God's saving grace before we hear his words of counsel as to how we are to live.
3. The law only keeps us out of mischief; it cannot save. Regardless of how one experiences God's law, it was never intended to be a means of earning salvation, even though in our human weakness we are forever being tempted to think that good behavior will earn us points with God. In short, the bold truth should be trumpeted for all to hear: We are saved by God's grace. The law just keeps us out of mischief. Put another way, obedience should always be an act of gratitude in response to God's saving grace. In what way can we legitimately seek for righteousness, without slipping into the thinking that we are somehow earning God's favor?
4. God's judgments, a protection: Psalm 19:11. The psalmist declares that the &quot;judgments&quot; of the Lord are more to be desired than gold or honey. Why? Because they have served to warn him and have brought him a great reward. How can we make it clearer that &quot;righteousness&quot; is God's way to a good life?
5. Hungering after righteousness: Matt. 5:6. Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Where does one look to find that kind of hunger in an increasingly secular world?]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:55</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>law, god's, god, &quot;, grace, righteousness, intended, way, &quot;while, earning, blessing, nation</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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		<item>
			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Self-Control</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=153</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: To what extent does self-control simply flow from a changed heart, or does it involve blood, sweat and tears as we grapple with temptations, passions and people who irritate us?
1. Two stories: Joseph and Samson (Gen. 39:7-20; Judges 13-16). Can we identify the factors that enabled Joseph to resist temptation while Samson capitulated?
2. People-centered issues: (Gal. 5:13-26). In Galatians 6:8, Paul contrasts flesh and spirit: &quot;If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow in the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. From the context, what is the clue that flesh (self-indulgence, NRSV) is not simply focused on sexual passions?
 
Note: The immediate contrast in 5:13 is between flesh, and being slaves to one another. In other words, to succumb to the flesh is to embark on a course of thinking or action which hurts my brother or sister. Paul immediately follows with a quotation of Jesus' second command: &quot;For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'&quot;
A second clue that &quot;flesh&quot; is not just involved with sexual sins, is the list of the works of the flesh. One can analyze them as follows:
A. Sexual passions: fornication, impurity, licentiousness
 
B. Wild living with potential sexual overtones: drunkenness, carousing
C. Religious issues: idolatry, sorcery
D. Interpersonal Combativeness: enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy
Clearly the dominant issue is simply relations with people. How does one learn to love people more? Can we make efforts in that direction? Is it simply a gift of God?
3. A controlled burn: 1 Cor. 7:9. In counseling those who are haunted with sexual challenges while they are on the verge of marriage, Paul simply says: &quot;But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion&quot; (1 Cor. 7:9, NRSV). In the context of diet, Ellen White counsels something similar for those who are struggling to get on board with the health-reform diet. Her counsel is very practical, but could almost be seen as libertarian. The parallel with Paul's counsel is in the last sentence:
B has been very deficient. While in her best condition of health, his wife was not provided with a plenty of wholesome food and with proper clothing. Then, when she needed extra clothing and extra food, and that of a simple yet nutritious quality, it was not allowed her. Her system craved material to convert into blood, but he would not provide it. A moderate amount of milk and sugar, a little salt, white bread raised with yeast for a change, graham flour prepared in a variety of ways by other hands than her own, plain cake with raisins, rice pudding with raisins, prunes, and figs, occasionally, and many other dishes I might mention, would have answered the demand of appetite. If he could not obtain some of these things, a little domestic wine would have done her no injury; it would have been better for her to have it than to do without it. In some cases, even a small amount of the least hurtful meat would do less injury than to suffer strong cravings for it. - Testimonies 2:383-84 (1870)
To what extent and in what circumstances is it preferable to moderate one's cravings instead of simply denying them entirely?
4. Beating up the body: 1 Cor. 9:24-27. Paul uses strong language to indicate that he faced some real struggles in self-control. The alternative was being a &quot;castaway.&quot; Is that likely to the case with most people? Or do some people simply have an easier time of it? This quotation is suggestive:
People who are born even-tempered, placid and untroubled - secure from violent passions or temptations to evil - those who have never needed to struggle all night with the Angel to emerge lame but victorious at dawn, neve]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:39</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>simply, people, -, flesh, paul, sexual, passions, control, own, one, god, cor</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Meekness</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=152</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: When Paul asked the Corinthian believers if he should come to them with a stick or with love in a spirit of gentleness (1 Cor. 4:21), how did he expect to find the right answer?
The word translated &quot;meekness&quot; or &quot;gentleness&quot; in the fruit of the spirit list is a tantalizing one. Here are some biblical passage where the word or one of its near relatives is used:
Numbers 12:3: &quot;Now the man Moses was very humble [devout] more so than anyone else on the face of the earth&quot; (NRSV). The KJV has &quot;meek.&quot; But the Hebrew word could also mean &quot;oppressed&quot; or &quot;downtrodden&quot; and is often used in connection with &quot;poor&quot; or &quot;afflicted.&quot; It may be a simple description without any laudatory intent.
Matt. 5:5: &quot;Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth&quot; (NRSV). The New Living Translation has &quot;gentle and lowly.&quot; The German Die gute Nachricht (= GNB/TEV) has &quot;those who refuse to use force.&quot;
1 Cor. 4:21: &quot;Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?&quot; Gentleness can involve correction and growth as is suggested by the follow verse:
Gal. 6:1: &quot;If anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.&quot;
Based on classical Greek background, William Barclay's Daily Study Bible gives three alternative meanings for the use of the word in Matthew's list of beatitudes:
1. &quot;Blessed is the one who is always angry at the right time, and never angry at the wrong time.&quot;
2. &quot;Blessed is the one who has every instinct, every impulse, every passion under control. Blessed is the one who is entirely self-controlled.&quot; Barclay notes that the New Testament understanding of God and humanity would suggest that the last word be &quot;God-controlled&quot; - blessed is the one who is entirely &quot;God-controlled.&quot;
3. &quot;Blessed is the man who has the humility to know his own ignorance, his own weakness, and his own need.&quot; - William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1, Daily Study Bible, 2nd edition (Edinburgh: St. Andrew Press, 1958), 91-93.
1. To what extent is the word &quot;meekness&quot; a positive one? Barclay's alternatives are attempts to rejuvenate a word whose older meaning (meekness) has become problematic in our day and age. Is there anything salvageable about the word &quot;meekness&quot; so that it can with honor belong to the fruit of the Spirit?
2. Jesus the example: Matthew 11:28-30. The New Living Translation uses the phrase &quot;humble and gentle.&quot; NRSV simply reverses the two: &quot;gentle and humble in heart.&quot; In what way is the example of Jesus one that is attractive for moderns, both men and women? Do we want Jesus' kind of gentleness?
3. A steady presence in the church: Eph. 4:1-3. &quot;I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.&quot; It may be that the use of the work &quot;meek&quot; in the Sermon on the Mount has linked up subconsciously in our minds with Jesus' command to go the second mile and turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:38-42), resulting in the stereotype of the spineless Christian. Is it possible to see the &quot;second mile&quot; and &quot;other cheek&quot; mandates as arising from strength, rather than from weakness and coercion?
4. Practical stuff: How can we more effectively enrich our lives with &quot;gentleness&quot;? What methods can help nudge us toward our goal?]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:45</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>&quot;, one, word, spirit, gentleness, &quot;blessed, new, nrsv, &quot;meekness&quot;, love, own, jesus</itunes:keywords>
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			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=151</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: What is it that inspires us and enables us to be faithful to people, to God?
&quot;Saving&quot; faith is a gift of God. But the result of God's gifts in our life is part of the fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness. These are the questions we need to address:
1. Trusting on a reasonable probability: Rom. 8:24-25. Too often in our world, we tend to rely on external proofs from science, archaeology, or prophecy. But those are not like the bonds that we establish with trustworthy people and with God. In Romans 8:24-25 Paul notes that we are saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. What enables us to hope, when the &quot;hard&quot; proof is missing? Some C. S. Lewis quotes nicely capture the crucial thoughts:
To love involves trusting the beloved beyond the evidence, even against much evidence. No man is our friend who believes in our good intentions only when they are proved. No man is our friend who will not be very slow to accept evidence against them. Such confidence, between one man and another, is in fact almost universally praised as a moral beauty, not blamed as a logical error. And the suspicious man is blamed for a meanness of character, not admired for the excellence of his logic. - C. S. Lewis, &quot;On Obstinacy in Belief,&quot; in The World's Last Night and Other Essays, 26.
The link between trust and friendship is elaborated further in this conversation between Lewis and Sheldon Vanauken as the latter was exploring the possibility of coming to faith:
I do not think there is a demonstrative proof (like Euclid) of Christianity. . . . As to why God doesn't make it demonstrably clear; are we sure that He is even interested in the kind of Theism which would be a compelled logical assent to a conclusive argument? Are we interested in it in personal matters? I demand from my friend a trust in my good faith which is certain without demonstrative proof. It wouldn't be confidence at all if he waited for rigorous proof. Hang it all, the very fairy tales embody the truth. Othello believed in Desdemona's innocence when it was proved: but that was too late. Lear believed in Cordelia's love when it was proved: but that was too late. &quot;His praise is lost who stays till all commend.&quot; The magnanimity, the generosity which will trust on a reasonable probability, is required of us. But supposing one believed and was wrong after all? Why, then you would have paid the universe a compliment it doesn't deserve. Your error would even so be more interesting and important than the reality. And yet how could that be? How could an idiotic universe have produced creatures whose mere dreams are so much stronger, better, subtler than itself? - Letter from C. S. Lewis to Sheldon Vanauken, December 23, 1950, A Severe Mercy (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1977, 1987), 92.
2. Results of Faithfulness: Hebrews 11. The exuberant psalms that celebrate God's protecting care (e.g. 34, 91) should probably be seen more as testimonies rather than as iron-clad promises. Most of us can probably remember those moments when events turned out far better than we could possibly have dreamed. When that happens, the heart and soul soar to heights that leave sober realities far behind. Hebrews 11 lists a host of &quot;faithful&quot; ones along with the rewards for their faithfulness. One of the more striking examples involves threats from the sword. By faith, says Scripture, some &quot;escaped the edge of the sword&quot; (Heb. 11:34, NRSV); but a few lines further we read that by faith some &quot;were killed by the sword&quot; (Heb. 11:37, NRSV). Deliverance or destruction: take your pick. Divine intervention on our behalf is highly unpredictable. Acts 12 opens with a description of the death of James at the hands of Herod (Acts 12:2). But later in that same chapter, Peter is miraculously delivered from prison by the hand of an angel (Acts 12:6-11). What is even more puzzling is the ]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:36</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>lewis, faith, hope, one, acts, faithfulness, man, god, proof, last, night, believe</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Goodness</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=150</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: How can God expect good things from people who are bad?
When we talk about &quot;goodness&quot; under the heading of &quot;fruit of the Spirit,&quot; several tantalizing paradoxes emerge. We can address these under several headings:
1. Only God is &quot;good&quot; (Matt. 19.17//Mark 10:18//Luke 18:19). When Jesus told the rich young ruler that only God is good, he was making an important point. But how does that &quot;truth&quot; about God's ultimate goodness affect us? Is that an encouraging or discouraging word?
2. Good teacher, good man, not good enough. The same parallel passages that deal with God's goodness also tell us a fair bit about human goodness. The man claimed to have kept all the commandments from his youth up. But Jesus still said there was more: Go sell all that you have and give to the poor. Zacchaeus only had to give half of his goods to the poor, and he volunteered this amount. Jesus was pleased (Luke 19:1-9). How did Zacchaeus get off so easily?
3. No human being is good: Rom. 3:10-20. The biblical assessment of human nature is grim. Romans 3 is as pointed as any biblical passage. Given that assessment, what hope is there of becoming good, becoming like God, doing good?
4. God commands sinners to do good: Matt. 5:14-16. Jesus' words about letting our light shine assume that it is possible for us to do good works, though in the very next chapter he tells us to be sure not to do our good works in order to impress others (Matt. 6:1-4). How do we let our light shine before others so that they may see our good works and praise God, without running afoul of Jesus' command not do our good works in order to be seen by others? When Jesus tells us not to do our good deeds before others, he is pointing to the same truth expressed by C. Lewis: &quot;The moment good taste knows itself, some of its goodness is lost&quot; - Surprised by Joy, 86.
5. We must be good in order to do good: Matt. 12:34-37// Luke 6:43-45. Jesus is very blunt in noting that good cannot come from evil. If humans are evil, then how can we hope to do good? Interestingly enough, Ellen White's statement on this issue (&quot;You must be good before you can do good&quot; - MB 128), falls under her comments on Matthew 7:1: &quot;Judge not that you be not judged,&quot; though she also cites Matthew 12 and Luke 6. Her comments are tantalizing:
When a crisis comes in the life of any soul, and you attempt to give counsel or admonition, your words will have only the weight of influence for good that your own example and spirit have gained for [127/128] you. You must be good before you can do good. You cannot exert an influence that will transform others until your own heart has been humbled and refined and made tender by the grace of Christ. When this change has been wrought in you, it will be as natural for you to live to bless others as it is for the rosebush to yield its fragrant bloom or the vine its purple clusters.
If Christ is in you &quot;the hope of glory,&quot; you will have no disposition to watch others, to expose their errors. Instead of seeking to accuse and condemn, it will be your object to help, to bless, and to save. In dealing with those who are in error, you will heed the injunction, Consider &quot;thyself, lest thou also be tempted.&quot; Galatians 6:1. You will call to mind the many times you have erred and how hard it was to find the right way when you had once left it. You will not push your brother into greater darkness, but with a heart full of pity will tell him of his danger. - Mount of Blessings, 127-128
5. That which is good (law) can have a bad effect: Romans 7:7-25. How can the Christian resolve the tension between our hostility to law even though we know that it is good? How can we experience the fruit of the Spirit in that connection, given our natural hostility to that which is good?]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:47</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>others, god, jesus, &quot;, matt, luke, goodness, works, hope, order, give, human</itunes:keywords>
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			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Kindness</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=149</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: If we are kind to those who are doing what is wrong, isn't there a danger that some will conclude that we agree with and even support that which we actually oppose?
 
Some time ago I was talking on the telephone with an unhappy former Adventist, one who had adopted a very evangelistic attitude toward his former brothers and sisters in Christ. In short, he was attempting to rescue Adventists from the delusions of Adventism. He had become so accustomed to Adventists railing at him for his evil apostasy, that when I adopted a more gentle approach he actually thought that I, too, was moving away from &quot;mainstream&quot; Adventism. I was startled and sobered. Was I being too kind?
 
1. Kindness vs. Patience: Matt. 5:43-48. If patience means enduring evil more passively, then kindness means a more active outreach to those in need. But how broadly should we define the &quot;needy&quot;? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that God is even-handed with his gifts, letting the sun shine on good and evil alike, letting the rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. Luke's account of the Sermon on the Plain is even more blunt: &quot;He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked&quot; (Luke 6:36).
 
2. Shunning? 1 Cor. 5. One of the surprising contrasts in Paul's letter to the believers at Corinth is suggested by chapter 5 where he counsels the believers to separate themselves from the man who was living with his father's wife. &quot;Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord&quot; (1 Cor. 5:5, NRSV). He concludes the chapter with these vivid words: &quot;Drive out the wicked person from among you&quot; (1 Cor. 5:13, NRSV). Before that he pointedly advises the believers to separate themselves from all kinds of evil people: &quot;I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber&quot; (1 Cor. 5:11, NRSV). If we have to separate even from the greedy, most of us would be living by ourselves! How does this line up with 1 Corinthians 13:4, &quot;Love is kind,&quot; and with Jesus' statements in the Gospels?
 
3. Kindness as the touchstone of one's relationship with God: Matthew 25:31-46. In the parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus suggests that the real test of our religion lies in our willingness to show kindness to those in need. Why wouldn't this be salvation by works? Ellen White's comments on this passage are striking:
 
Christ on the Mount of Olives pictured to His disciples the scene of the great judgment day. And He represented its decision as turning upon one point. When the nations are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes, and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and suffering. - Desire of Ages, 637
 
Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God. - Desire of Ages, 638
 
4. Right doing as a sign of the new birth? ]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:51</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords> , god, kindness, evil, spirit, kind, cor, christ, person, jesus, believers, one</itunes:keywords>
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			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=148</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: How can we become more patient?
1. Becoming more patient. Is patience genetically determined? Or is it possible for even the most high-strung person to become more patient? Would memorizing key &quot;patience&quot; passages be likely to help?
2. In a chaotic imperfect world, why wouldn't impatience be a fruit of the Spirit? If one simply looks at specific incidents, one could make a case for impatience being a divine attribute worthy of emulation by those who care deeply for God's honor and glory. The official study guide uses the heading for Wednesday, &quot;Patience has its limits&quot; with Genesis 6:3 as the key text. Here is a list of &quot;impatient&quot; responses that one might use to teach that impatience is a virtue in the face of sin:

 The flood: Genesis 6-9
 Sodom and Gomorrah: Genesis 18-19
 Achan: Joshua 7
 Saul and the Amalekites: 1 Samuel 15
 Uzzah and the ark: 2 Samuel 6:6-11
 Elisha and the two she-bears: 2 Kings 2:23-24
 Temple cleansing: Matt. 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46; John 2:13-16
 Ananias and Sapphira: Acts 5

3. Making the case for patience. But both from Scripture and from the writings of Ellen White, a strong argument can be made in favor of patience. Patience may have its limits, but Scripture suggests that human beings are too inclined to invoke those limits sooner, rather than later. Is that why &quot;anger,&quot; (though affirmed as a godly act in Ephesians 4:25-27), is listed among the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:20) and not among the traits that make up the fruit of the Spirit? Here are some key elements from both Testaments, from Ellen White and C. S. Lewis, that help make the case that God is patient above all else, and that those who follow him should follow that example:
 A. Old Testament. Some are so angry at the shamefulness of human rebellion, that they are more than ready to heed Ezekiel's call to cleanse the holy city of evil: &quot;Put a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it....&quot; &quot;Pass through the city after him, and kill; your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity&quot; (Ezekial 9:4-5 - NRSV). Yet, two of the most famous &quot;divine patience&quot; passages are from the OT: Exodus 34:6 - &quot;A God merciful and gracious, slow to anger [longsuffering = KJV]&quot; (NRSV). 	 Jonah 4:2 - &quot;That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing&quot; (NRSV). 	   B. New Testament: Jesus' parables about seeds and growing. While many of Jesus' stories end with strong words of judgment, his seed parables illustrate the importance of patience:  The Sower: Matthew 13:3-23 - Mark 4:1-20 - Luke 8:4-15. The seeds which failed the test lacked patience. The seed that fell on the path was immediately snatched away by the birds (no patience at all); the seed that fell on rocky soil and among thorns also lacked patience; only the good seed was able to settle in, grow, and mature until the harvest.   The Seed Growing Secretly: Mark 4:26-29: In a seed parable appearing only in Mark, Jesus taught the importance of patient development: &quot;The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come&quot; (NRSV).   The Weeds: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:37-43. In a parable appearing only in Matthew, an enemy sowed weed seed among the wheat and some of the workers were ready to root the weeds out immediately. But the master replied: &quot;No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with t]]></description>
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			<guid>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2010-01-30.mp3</guid>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:39</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>&quot;, god, patience, tares, patient, one, ellen, seed, christ, nrsv, time, col</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=147</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Theme: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace
Leading Question: Why have the followers of Jesus so often led out in bloody conflict when their Master both taught and modeled the way of peace?
1. Peace at any price? Jesus' most striking statement against &quot;peace&quot; as a fruit of the Spirit was his claim that he had not come to bring peace to the earth, &quot;I have not come to bring peace, but a sword&quot; (Matt. 10.34). But the larger context indicates that Jesus is not at all admonishing his followers to take up the sword, either to attack or defend. They would be sheep among wolves, he said. Therefore, &quot;be wise as serpents and innocent as doves&quot; (Matt. 10:16). God would provide their defense if they were dragged into court (Matt. 10:19-20). When persecution arises, they are to flee, not fight (Matt. 10:23). &quot;Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me,&quot; declared Jesus (Matt.10:38). Will it always be clear whether the believer is to stand firm or to flee? The principles in the conflict may be quite clear, but is our response always going to be clear? Should we buy peace at any price?
2. Modeling peace in the New Testament. The picture of Jesus sleeping through the storm, then calming the waves for the sake of the disciples (Matt. 8:23-27), is often cited as the model of a passionless life, unperturbed by the surrounding troubles. But there are counterbalancing examples. In commenting on the life of Christ, Ellen White often followed the hints of the biblical text, an approach that could produce contrasting statements:

A. Passionless Jesus, passionless believer:
[DA 330, &quot;The Invitation&quot;]: In the heart of Christ, where reigned perfect harmony with God, there was perfect peace. He was never elated by applause, nor dejected by censure or disappointment. Amid the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage.
[DA 331, &quot;The Invitation&quot;] Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence.
B. Anguished Jesus:
[DA 326, &quot;Who Are My Brethren?&quot;]: They often saw Him full of grief; but instead of comforting Him, their spirit and words only wounded His heart. His sensitive nature was tortured, His motives misunderstood, His work was uncomprehended.... Their reproaches probed Him to the quick and His soul was wearied and distressed.
[DA 393, &quot;Crisis in Galilee&quot;] The consciousness that His compassion was unappreciated, His love unrequited, His mercy slighted, His salvation rejected, filled Him with sorrow that was inexpressible. It was such developments as these that made Him a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
A. The Ideal: Worry-free Paul: &quot;Do not worry about anything&quot; (Phil. 4:6, NRSV).
B. The Actual: Worried Paul: &quot;Besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches&quot; (2 Cor. 11:28, NRSV).

3. Finding Personal Peace. Jesus' famous invitation to find rest in him (Matt. 11:28-30) does not immediately solve the challenges of peacemaking in the world. Jesus pronounced a beatitude over the peacemakers, calling them the children of God (Matt. 5:9); but what does that mean in these real life situations?

A. How should the believer react when at risk? In at least one instance, Jesus counseled his followers to flee persecution (Matt. 10:23); yet the same context counsels them to stand calmly in court when arraigned in matters of faith (10:17-20). Does that ambivalence still confront Christians today?
B. How should the believer relate to one's enemies? In Matthew 5 Jesus makes it quite clear that when others seek to coerce us, we are not to respond in kind. We are called to turn the other cheek and go the second mile (Matt. 5:38-42).
C. How sho]]></description>
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			<guid>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2010-01-23.mp3</guid>
			<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:48</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>jesus, peace, matt, one, believer, clear, god, paul, nrsv, passionless, context, galatians</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Joy</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=146</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Theme: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Joy
Leading Question: What is the difference between joy and happiness? Can a believer be unhappy and still be joyful?
Not only is joy the second trait listed under the fruit of the spirit, Paul directly commands Christians to rejoice, not just with the occasional burst of joy, but continuously. To the Philippian believers he exclaims: &quot;Rejoice in the Lord always and again I will say rejoice&quot; (Phil. 4:4).
1. Joy, Happiness, Sorrow. The cornerstone of Jesus' self-understanding was the song of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. Jesus saw himself as a servant called to be a &quot;man of sorrows and acquainted with grief&quot; (Isa. 53:3, KJV). The entire chapter describes a life of pain and self denial. Is it significant that the Gospels rarely describe Jesus' own experience in terms of joy and rejoicing? In the beatitudes Jesus commanded those who are persecuted to rejoice (Matt. 5:12); he declared that there was joy in heaven over the repentance of even one sinner (Luke 15:7, 10). But in the Gospels, He himself is recorded as rejoicing only once, and that was &quot;in the Holy Spirit&quot; when the 70 returned from their mission (Luke 10:21). In the light of Jesus' own example, how are we to understand joy, especially as it relates to sorrow? What is the relationship of happiness and unhappiness to joy?
2. Celebrating the salvation of others. The three parables of the lost in Luke 15 put celebration and joy at the heart of the rescue mission for sinners. &quot;Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost&quot; (Luke 15:6), exclaims the shepherd who found his lost sheep; &quot;Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost&quot; (Luke 15:9), said the woman who had lost it. And when the lost boy came home, the story concludes with the exuberant exclamation of the father to the angry elder brother: &quot;We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found&quot; (Luke 15:32). What makes &quot;salvation&quot; of the sinner such a joyful event for God?
3. Celebrating our own salvation. In 1 Peter 1:8-9, believers are said to &quot;rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy&quot; at the salvation of their souls. In an increasingly secular world, how does one communicate such joy to a world that often seems quite happy with the status quo? Does this quote from C. S. Lewis suggest a possible line of thinking?
 The earliest converts were converted by a single historical fact (the Resurrection) and a single theological doctrine (the Redemption) operating on a sense of sin which they already had - and sin, not against some new fancy-dress law produced as a novelty by a &quot;great man,&quot; but against the old, platitudinous, universal moral law which they had been taught by their nurses and mothers. The &quot;Gospels&quot; come later, and were written, not to make Christians, but to edify Christians already made. - the screwtape letters
, XXIII.3
4. Joy in Obedience. &quot;I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil,&quot; exclaims the psalmist (Ps. 119:162). Psalm 119 reverberates with &quot;love&quot; and &quot;delight&quot; for God's law. But such enthusiasm over God's law is not as prominent in the New Testament. John 15:10-11 links Jesus' joy and the believer's joy with the keeping of the commandments, but Romans 7 indicates that law all too easily can turn into an instrument of torture. Why this change in perspective from Old Testament to New? Is it possible for modern believers to rejoice in the law and obedience?
5. Enjoying the pleasures of sin. Hebrews 11:24-25 tells how Moses chose not to &quot;enjoy&quot; the pleasures of sin but to suffer the hard times with God's people. How does one recognize the allurements of sin, but argue against them for the deeper joy of following God,]]></description>
			<enclosure url="http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2010-01-16.mp3" length="3550733" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<guid>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2010-01-16.mp3</guid>
			<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:47</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>joy, law, luke, lost, sin, &quot;rejoice, one, rejoice, jesus', new, sorrow, own</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=145</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: When Scripture commands us to love God and love others, including the unlovely, is that something we can choose to do, or is such love simply a gift of God?
In his little book, The Four Loves, Lewis discusses four different kinds of love, three of them human: Affection, Friendship, and Eros; one of them divine: charity (agape). The New Testament focuses on agape (charity) and philia (friendship), and lists agape under the heading of &quot;fruit of the Spirit.&quot;
1. Why would the New Testament admonish us to emulate agape, but not the more human loves of affection, friendship, and eros? How can we define and illustrate agape in practical terms? Is the story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) helpful in this respect? Jesus told that story in connection with the question of how one is to love one's neighbor. Can we expect such love to be spontaneous or is it an act of the will?
2. Is it possible that the three kinds of human love can be overdone, but not agape? Among the traits listed under the &quot;fruit of the spirit&quot; are some that could possibly be inappropriately taken to extremes - perhaps joy, patience, kindness, gentleness. Is it possible to carry agape to an extreme as well?
3. If love is something that we are expected to acquire and express, just how does the believer go about it? Does human effort have anything to do with it?
4. Freedom and Love. In the full context of Galatians 5:13-26, the passage that presents the fruit of the Spirit, freedom and love are brought together in 5:13-14. Also, in 5:16-18, being led by the Spirit seems to point to freedom from the condemnation of law. Does this suggest that when love becomes a full part of our live, it springs forth spontaneously? Or will it always have the characteristic of a &quot;willed&quot; response to our human circumstances?
5. What happens to the believer if one falls short of exhibiting love? Given our human sinfulness, won't we always fall short of the mark? In Steps to Christ Ellen White reminds us that &quot;the closer you come to Jesus , the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes&quot; (p. 64). In this life of sin, can we expect or hope for the spontaneity promised by Jeremiah in his vision of the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34)?]]></description>
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			<guid>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2010-01-09.mp3</guid>
			<pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:49</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>love, agape, human, friendship, one, freedom, new, spirit, affection, jesus, kinds, god</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>By Their Fruit</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=45&amp;lid=144</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Leading Question: Is it possible to identify true followers of Jesus by their fruit?
The basic biblical passage that focuses on the fruit of the Spirit is Galatians 5:13-26. In particular, the nine traits listed under the fruit of the spirit (vss. 22-23) provide the framework for our discussions this quarter. But in this initial lesson we will also touch on three passages in the Gospels that deal with bearing fruit. Among other things, these passages speak of the importance of pruning but also of the possibility of removal.
1. Can we really identify Christians by their fruits? Matthew 7:15-20. The Christian doctrine of sin declares that all of us fall short of the mark (e.g. Romans 3:9: &quot;There is no one who is righteous, not even one.&quot;). In other words, our fruit will always be imperfect. To press the metaphor, could we say that Christians produce imperfect fruit? If so, is the fruit simply misshapen or does it have rotten spots or other imperfections that must be cut off before it can be eaten? How do we factor in the reality of the Christian who is struggling to be like Jesus but isn't there yet?
That tantalizing question of the ideal is suggested in this quote from C. S. Lewis:
 Already the new [people] men are dotted here and there all over the earth. Some, as I have admitted, are still hardly recognizable: but others can be recognized. Every now and then one meets them. Their very voices and faces are different from ours; stronger, quieter, happier, more radiant. They begin where most of us leave off. They are, I say, recognizable; but you must know what to look for. They will not be very like the idea of &quot;religious people&quot; which you have formed from your general reading. They do not draw attention to themselves. You tend to think that you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They love you more than other [people] men do, but they need you less (We must get over wanting to be needed [188]: in some goodish people, specially women, that is the hardest of all temptations to resist.) They will usually seem to have a lot of time: you will wonder where it comes from. When you have recognized one of them, you will recognize the next one much more easily. And I strongly suspect (but how should I know?) that they recognize one another immediately and infallibly, across every barrier of color, sex, class, age, and even of creeds. In that way, to become holy is rather like joining a secret society. To put it at the very lowest, it must be great fun. - C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 187-88 [IV.11, para. 11] 
But Lewis also addresses the question of struggle. After cautioning against conclusions based on the comparison of the nice atheist and the less-than-nice Christian, he says:
 But if you are a poor creature - poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels - saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion - nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends - do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day (perhaps in another world, but perhaps far sooner than that) he will fling it on the scrapheap and give you a new one. And then you may astonish us all - not least yourself: for you have learned your driving in a hard school. (Some of the last will be first and some of the first will be last.)   &quot;Niceness&quot; - wholesome, integrated personality - is an excellent thing. We must try by every medical, educational, economic, and political means in our power, to produce a world where as many people as possible grow up &quot;nice&quot;; just as we must try to produce a world where all have plenty to eat. But we must not suppose that even if we succeeded in making everyone nice we shoul]]></description>
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			<guid>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2010-01-02.mp3</guid>
			<pubDate>Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:48</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>one, -, fruit, lewis, produce, question, tree, god, people, tash, thou, need</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Cities of Refuge</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=44&amp;lid=143</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Balancing Justice and Mercy (Numbers 35)
TEXT: Numbers 35:10-15
  &quot;Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 11 select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. 12 They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. 13 These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. 14 Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. 15 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.  

 How should we understand today the role of the avenger of blood?
 What was the purpose of the cities of refuge?
 Can principles drawn from this passage be applied today?

TEXT: Numbers 35:29-33
  29 &quot;These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live. 30 Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 31 Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death. 32 Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow him to go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. 33 Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.&quot;  

 What does the death of the high priest have to do with an involuntary act of homicide?
 What procedures were used in deciding whether a homicide was involuntary or deliberate?
 How to understand the statement &quot;Bloodshed pollutes the land?&quot;

Lesson: Mercy is especially appreciated in the context of justice.]]></description>
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			<guid>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2009-12-26.mp3</guid>
			<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:06</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>refuge, land, death, cities, person, anyone, blood, towns, numbers, one, shed, involuntary</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>The Second Generation: Admonitions</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=44&amp;lid=142</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Basic Human Rights (Numbers 26-27)
TEXT: Numbers 26:51-56
  51 The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730. 52 The LORD said to Moses, 53 &quot;The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. 54 To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. 55 Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. 56 Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups.&quot;  

 How does the total number of the Israelites in this passage compare with the number from the census in the Desert of Sinai?
 Was it fair to distribute the land based on the number of people?
 What measures were taken to prevent the large tribes from expanding at the expense of the smaller tribes?

TEXT: Numbers 27:5-11
  5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD 6 and the LORD said to him, 7 &quot;What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them. 8 &quot;Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.' &quot;  

 What do we know about the rights of women in Bible times?
 What can we learn from the attitude of the five brave sisters?
 How was their problem resolved?

Lesson: A God-given heritage should not be monopolized by a privileged group.]]></description>
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			<guid>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/audio/2009-12-19.mp3</guid>
			<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:00</itunes:duration>
			<itunes:keywords>inheritance, give, group, brothers, father, lord, smaller, numbers, israelites, land, larger, moses</itunes:keywords>
			<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Immorality on the Border</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=44&amp;lid=141</link>
			<description><![CDATA[A Prophet for Profit (Numbers 24-25)
TEXT: Numbers 24:15-17,19
  
15 Then he uttered his oracle:   
&quot;The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,   
the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, 
16 the oracle of one who hears the words of God,   
who has knowledge from the Most High,   
who sees a vision from the Almighty,   
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: 
17 &quot;I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.    
A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. 
A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.&quot;  

 How are the eyes and the ears of a prophet different from the eyes and the ears of the ordinary people?
 Whose rise to power did Balaam see in a distant future?
 Can this prediction be applied to Jesus Christ?

TEXT: Numbers 25:1-5
  1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against them. 4 The LORD said to Moses, &quot;Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel.&quot;5 So Moses said to Israel's judges, &quot;Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.&quot;  

 What type of sin does this text describe?
 How were the Moabites and Midianites related to Israel?
 Balaam wished to die the death of the righteous. How did he die?

Lesson: It is dangerous to play games with the ultimate destiny.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:04</itunes:duration>
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			<title>The "Madness" of the Prophet</title>
			<author>goodword@wallawalla.edu (Good Word)</author>
			<itunes:subtitle>A Good Word Broadcast</itunes:subtitle>
			<link>http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/theology/goodword/show_lesson.php?qid=44&amp;lid=140</link>
			<description><![CDATA[The Story of Balaam (Numbers 22-23)
TEXT: Numbers 22:26-31
  26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, &quot;What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?&quot; 29 Balaam answered the donkey, &quot;You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.&quot; 30 The donkey said to Balaam, &quot;Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?&quot; &quot;No,&quot; he said. 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.  

 What do we know about Balaam?
 Is there a contradiction between God's words to Balaam &quot;go with them&quot; (v. 20) and &quot;I have come here to oppose you&quot; (v. 32)?
 Is the talking donkey the most surprising element in the story?

TEXT: Numbers 23:18-21
  19 God is not a man, that he should lie,   
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.   
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? 
20 I have received a command to bless;   
he has blessed, and I cannot change it. 
21 &quot;No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel.   
The LORD their God is with them;   
the shout of the King is among them.  

 Why is it that Balaam could not curse Israel?
 Does v. 21 contain a truthful statement about Israel?
 What does the symbol of a lion represent in the Bible?

Lesson: God's promises are worthy of our trust.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST</pubDate>
			<itunes:duration>14:12</itunes:duration>
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