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Freelance submissions due by October 15, 2012 All about us: SEEK® is a magazine created to encourage adults in their walk with Jesus Christ. SEEK® corresponds to the topics of Standard Publishing’s adult curriculum line and is designed to further apply these topics to everyday life.

Dos and Don’ts of writing articles/stories for this theme list: DO read the Scriptures (these will be studied in class), as well as the What to Write suggestions.

DO dig in deeper. DON’T use obvious material the students will likely have studied in class.

DO employ supplemental Scriptures beyond the most well-known passages. DO quote from the King James Version.

DON’T put words in God’s mouth or suggest what God thinks. Quote what He says.

DON’T submit your first thoughts. DO some research (include the sources that verify your information).

DO stick to the desired word count: 850 words minimum, 1000 maximum.

DO use good grammar and spelling. DO rewrite, tighten, and proofread your work.

DO put the intended issue number and its date at the top of your manuscript, or it will be rejected.

No decision will be made on any manuscript prior to the submission due cutoff date. Please e-mail your submissions to seek@standardpub.com.

Quarter titles for Fall 2013: Unit 1, First Days (Issues 1–5); Unit 2, First Nation (Issues 6–9); Unit 3, First Freedom (Issues 10–13).

Issue 1: God Creates (Everything We Need) September 1, 2013 Scripture: Psalm 104:5-9, 24-30 What to Write: The first verses of today’s text sound like the last chapters of Job; compare some of the highlights, focusing on God’s majesty. What God has created provides for the needs of believers and nonbelievers alike; outline some of those provisions and emphasize God’s grace and love.

Explore our relationship to the Creator of the universe. Research some of the pagan gods of Bible times and modern times, emphasizing that those are merely “created” gods and not the Creator. Express thankfulness to God as Creator.

Issue 2: God’s Image: Male and Female (Love and Marriage) September 8, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 2:18-25 What to Write: What is the married couple’s role in building a strong family? What is the church’s role in supporting marriages? Present some of the wrong messages about love/marriage that are sent via TV/movies; provide the Bible’s right messages. Interview a long-married couple about their keys to success (also attach their permission). Research the topic of today’s disproportionate number of single people in the U.S., offering reasons and solutions. Discuss the importance of family in society.

Issue 3: Knowledge of Good and Evil (Choices and Consequences) September 15, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 3:8-17, 21, 23 What to Write: Assess how our culture downplays sin; offer tips for addressing the issue of sin while also not being offensive. Illustrate how sin has a ripple effect that impacts others, sometimes for many generations. Encourage readers not to blame others for their own wrongs but to take responsibility and repent/confess. Develop this idea: Adam and Eve’s punishments indicate that life is harder when we’re separated from/in disobedience to God. Also consider that 1 John 5:3 specifically says that God’s rules are not a burden. Show readers how to move from head knowledge of God’s rules to the heart attitude of obeying.

Issue 4: An Everlasting Covenant (Never Again) September 22, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 9:1, 3-6, 8-17 What to Write: Describe other symbols of keeping promises, both modern-day (cross my heart, handshake, contract, etc.) and in Bible times (handshake, Proverbs 6:1; garments, Exodus 22:26). Use some other promises that God made and has already fulfilled as an encouragement to readers to trust God’s promises. Showcase other Scriptures in which natural disasters were a punishment from God. Does this happen today? How can we tell? Investigate why God’s post-flood instructions include information about the sanctity of human life.

Issue 5: God Scatters the Nations (The Proud Brought Low) September 29, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9 What to Write: Illustrate the importance of getting our plans in line with God’s plans before beginning. (For example, in Nehemiah 2:4, 5, Nehemiah prayed before he even answered the king’s simple question.) Identify how God “disrupted” other ill-conceived plans in the Bible—explore those people’s motives and God’s reasons for intervening. Discuss the “Let us make a name” for ourselves motive (v. 4) vs. a “let us glorify God” motive.

How can we know that our plans will glorify God? What historical or modern-day “big accomplishments” made the news but eventually crumbled— and what lessons can we learn? Share success stories of people who were more interested in wearing Jesus’ name than in making a name for themselves.

Issue 6: The Promise of a Future (A Lasting Inheritance) October 6, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 15:5-21 What to Write: Delve into your own (or your friends’) spiritual inheritances/legacies (grandpa’s integrity; grandma’s love of people). Today’s passage foretells both welcome and dreadful events for Abraham’s descendants. Why do you think God chooses to reveal/withhold information?

What things have happened in your life that you’re glad/sorry that you knew of in advance—and how did God’s Word play a part? “A Done Deal” would be a good title for a story reviewing the truth that when God promises it, it’s done. Abraham didn’t even have a child yet—how hard must it have been to believe the promise of descendants as numerous as the stars? Testify to a time you held on to a specific Scripture through a tough period—and share the result. Do case studies of other “unbelievable” promises in the Bible; what characteristics that we can emulate do you find among the people who trusted God? Issue 7: A Promise to Sarah (A Promise Kept) October 13, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7 What to Write: Take a look at a new baby’s life from God’s perspective, from what can be accomplished through one child who is brought up to know the Lord. Isaac’s name had a relevant meaning; if you were to name your children after something God had done for you, what would those names be? Elaborate. From your own experience, share some blessing from God that was “too good to be true”—and how you have expressed gratitude for and good stewardship of that blessing. Unwrap and apply these ideas: In verse 14 God asked, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” He then predicted the impossible—a son would be born to a 90-year-old, previously barren woman—and it happened exactly as God had said.

Issue 8: A Blessing for Ishmael and Isaac (Sibling Rivalry) October 20, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 21:12-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12, 13 What to Write: Identify some of the feelings that may have been experienced by each of the main people in today’s Scripture. God gave more than He originally promised, by making Ishmael a nation as well; speak to the idea of God always giving more. Describe how sibling rivalry can result when parents force their children into certain roles or fall into the “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” trap. An allegory of today’s passage can be found in Galatians 4:21-31—explore the lessons there. Pull from various Bible accounts in which people who were not Jews/not believers (even hostile pagan kings) were used by God for His purposes. How do we show acceptance/tolerance of people without accepting their false belief systems?

Lesson 9: The Blessing Passes to Jacob (Precious Promises) October 27, 2013 Scripture: Genesis 28:1a, 10-22 What to Write: Since this is Halloween Sunday and since Jacob’s ladder is kind of a “spooky” story, help readers understand some other spooky Bible stories. What was God accomplishing in each? God’s “I” phrases in the key verse (Genesis 28:15) would make a good outline for an article: I am with you, I will watch over you, I will bring you back, I will not leave you, I’ll do what I promised. Research other Bible dreams in which God revealed something (but remember that God initiates these sorts of events—in contrast to people who seek out/try to conjure such experiences). This was a turning-point event in Jacob’s faith development; compose a “top 10” list of such events from the lives of people you know. Responding to God, Jacob promised several things himself. Detail each of those and their application to us today.

Issue 10: God Prepares for Deliverance (Get Ready!)

November 3, 2013 Scripture: Exodus 3:7-17 What to Write: To help readers understand the temptation to resist God’s call and the way to answer God’s call—create a list of excuses (“I’ll do whatever you want, God, except for . . .”) and a matching list of yes answers (“I’ll do whatever you want, God, even if it means . . .”). Illustrate from life experience that God always knows what’s been happening. (In today’s passage: “I have seen what’s been going on in Egypt”). Moses said, “Who am I that I should go?” When are we likely to either overestimate or underestimate ourselves—and God? This is the “I AM” passage; detail other powerful Bible scenes when God’s message began with “I am . . .” Report on the human longing for freedom and misguided views of freedom. How can we get ready—or always be ready—for what God is about to do?

Lesson 11: Beginning of Passover (Remember and Celebrate) November 10, 2013 Scripture: Exodus 12:1-14 What to Write: Contrast our natural revulsion at the idea of being slaves to anything vs. Scriptures like Romans 6:19, in which being “servants [slaves] unto righteousness” is presented as desirable. While people need “deliverance” from many things (illness, poverty, addictions), how can we help them know that the main thing they need to be delivered from is sin? Develop a thoughtful look at the teaching of atonement: the blood of the lamb in the Old Testament, the idea of death passing over, Jesus as the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Feature a true story of escape from death and the person’s resultant celebration of life. When Christians remember where we’ve come from, what we’ve been freed from, we should be more able to extend grace to others. How?

Issue 12: Beginning of Freedom (From Despair to Deliverance) November 17, 2013 (Thanksgiving Week) Scripture: Exodus 14:13, 14, 21-30 What to Write: Take this opportunity to report on God’s deliverance of someone who was “between a rock and a hard place.” Describe how at this particular moment on the banks of the Red Sea, the Israelites were probably “haunted by the past, hopeless about the future”; apply that idea to situations we may face today. Provide Scripture tools to help readers know when they should press on and when they should imitate verse 14— “giving up” and reverently waiting to watch what God will do. To illustrate the Israelites’ gratitude upon deliverance, pull thoughts from Moses’ and Miriam’s songs in Exodus 15. Write something like “Top 10 Scriptures to Recall When You’re Paralyzed by Fear.” Expound on the ideas of what we consider to be safe/dangerous places; missionaries who feel safe even in dangerous countries; being spiritually safe no matter where we are.

Issue 13: Beginning of the Tabernacle (Traveling Light) November 24, 2013 Scripture: Exodus 40:16-30, 34, 38 What to Write: Exodus 40:34 says the tabernacle was filled with God’s glory; the same is said of Solomon’s temple in 2 Chronicles 7:1. How could one tell if a modern-day church building were “filled with God’s glory”? How about an individual Christian? Some pagan religion worship grounds/objects appear to be inferior imitations of the tabernacle. Research some of those (include documentation of your sources) and help readers appreciate the privilege of worshipping the true God. We don’t have God’s cloud or fire leading the way today. How can we tell where He wants us to go? Explore the temptation for people to let beautiful objects and symbols that enhance worship become, instead, the objects that are worshipped?

Where does God really “live”—that is, how does the idea of God’s presence in the tabernacle mesh with Scriptures like Psalm 139:8-10 (God is everywhere); Acts 7:48 (God doesn’t live in structures); and 1 Corinthians 3:16 (God lives among believers)?