Daily Lesson for Friday 17th of January 2025

Read Ellen G. White, “ ‘Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled,’ ” Pages 662–680, in The Desire of Ages.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them. He has a use for them, and He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. They may expect large things if they have faith in His promises.

“But to pray in Christ’s name means much. It means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works. The Saviour’s promise is given on condition. ‘If ye love Me,’ He says, ‘keep My commandments.’ He saves men, not in sin, but from sin; and those who love Him will show their love by obedience.

“All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an apprecia­tion of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 668.

Discussion Questions

<–Thursday

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25a-03-further-thought-to-be-pleasing-to-god/

Join the Hit the Mark panel as they discuss Sabbath School Lesson 3 – To Be Pleasing to God. It’s the fastest hour of the week!

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/to-be-pleasing-to-god-hit-the-mark-sabbath-school/

Daily Lesson for Thursday 16th of January 2025

Under the umbrella of God’s mercy and mediation, God takes pleasure in even the smallest positive response to His love. Through the One who alone is worthy of love and is Himself perfectly righteous, each one of us can be counted righteous and counted among God’s beloved who will live with Him in perfect love for eternity. This is the great hope of the redemption, which involves Christ’s work for us in heaven.

But, you might wonder, can this include even me? What if I am not good enough? What if I am afraid that I do not have enough faith?

Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com

The disciples could not cast out the demon; all hope seemed lost. But Jesus came and told the father, “ ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’ ” (Mark 9:23, NKJV). And the father tearfully replied,“ ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ ” (Mark 9:24, NKJV).

Notice, Jesus did not say to the man, “Come back to me when you have more faith.” Instead his cry, “ ‘Help my unbelief,’ ” was enough.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and yet Jesus accepts even the smallest faith. And by faith (through the mediation of Christ), we can be pleasing to Him. Through faith and because of Christ’s work on our behalf, we can respond in ways that please God, similar to the way that a human father is pleased when a child brings him a gift that is otherwise worthless.

Thus, we should follow Paul’s counsel to make it our goal to “be well pleasing to” God (2 Corinthians 5:9-10, NKJV; compare with Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, Hebrews 11:5). And we should ask God to transform our interests to include the best interests of those whom we love, and to expand our love so that it reaches out to others. “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality” (Romans 12:10-13, NKJV).

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25a-03-a-worthy-goal/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, John C. Peckham, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-to-be-pleasing-to-god/

View an in-depth discussion of To Be Pleasing to Goe in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-to-be-pleasing-to-god-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/