Daily Lesson for Monday 16th of October 2023

God asked Abram (whose name He later changed to Abraham) to leave his country and his people and go to another land. It was all part of God’s plan to use Abraham as a vehicle to fulfill His divine purposes in the earth. And Abraham went, according to the Word of the Lord. If God has a plan for you, it may be a call for you to leave your extended family and your people and go to a place that He is opening up for you to serve Him, in order that you can be a blessing to others.

Read the following texts. What does each text tell of God’s covenant, His promise to us?

Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com

From the above texts, it is clear that God was going to accomplish the promise, made in the Garden of Eden, that Someone will come as a solution to the sin problem. This solution, Jesus Christ the Messiah, was to arise from the line of Abraham and Isaac (through Sarah). Hebrews 11:9 states that Isaac and Jacob were heirs to the promise of blessing that God made to Abraham.

We don’t know exactly how much Abraham himself knew or understood of just how the promised Seed would arise through him, but he moved out in faith anyway. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8, NKJV).

What an example to us!

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-03-becoming-a-blessing-to-the-whole-world/

God’s Mission – My Mission” consistently points us to our Gracious God and how He wishes us to portray what He has done for us. In response we will reach out to others: 
Hymn 573 – I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go, Dear Lord, hence our theme hymn. This is in response to 
So Send I You – Hymn 573.

Sabbath afternoon introduces us once again to the fact that 
Jesus Calls Us – Hymn 285. May we all listen to 
Hark! The Voice Of Jesus Calling – Hymn 359 so the gospel is preached to all the world and the end may come, soon and very soon.

Even though we may be “Moving Beyond Our Comfort Zone” (Sunday) we can take great courage that 
God Will Take Care Of You – Hymn 99.

As we “cling to the Lord in faith and submission” (Tuesday), we will find we are happy and blessed: 
Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine – Hymn 462.

We leave our “Comfort Zones” and head out to 
Tell It To Every Kindred And Nation – Hymn 202 (Wednesday) because of the wonders God gives us to witness: 
Lord Who Dost Give To Thy Church – Hymn 346 (verse 4).

The Messenger of the Lord, Ellen G White gives us further thoughts (Friday) encouraging 
Come, All Christians Be Committed – Hymn 634 then to 
Go Forth, Go Forth With Christ – Hymn 377 so we will then 
Go, Preach My Gospel – Hymn 378.

So, dear people, be encouraged to go forward so that we and all our friends and neighbors will be rejoicing 
When We All Get To Heaven – Hymn 633.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-gods-call-to-mission-singing-with-inspiration/

Key Thought : God wants us to reach out to the people around us. Jesus’ idea of evangelism would be to start locally then go to Samaria and ultimately to the ends of the world.

A. Have a volunteer read Genesis 11:1-9. Genesis 12:1-3.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What were the intentions of the people? What did they want to do and why did God stop them?
3. Personal Application Are you a part of a group that is more comfortable among themselves? In what way could you possibly engage with others who are not part of your race or nationality? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “In what ways was God’s call to Abram a call to mission? If God called you to go, how would you respond and why?” How would you respond to your relative?

B. Have a volunteer read Genesis 12:1—13:1.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What things happened to Abram next and what mistakes did Abraham make?
3. Personal Application: What lessons can we learn from Abram being in Egypt? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “What if God calls us to go somewhere or to someone that it doesn’t seem like we would be able to bless, and certainly we wouldn’t get a blessing out of? How would we know it was a real calling?.” How would you respond to your friend?

C. Have a volunteer read Acts 8:1-4.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What brought about the scattering of believers beyond their comfort zone?
3. Personal Application: In what ways could you, daily, express mission in your attitude and behavior? How could you be more mission-minded in your daily tasks? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “Are there any people groups with special needs in your community that the church has not made efforts to reach?” How would you respond to your relative?

D. Have a volunteer read Acts 1:8.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What principle did Jesus present5 when doing the work of witnessing to the world?
3. Personal Application: How would you define the world mission as you apply it to your own life?. Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-gods-call-to-mission-teaching-plan/

Daily Lesson for Sunday 15th of October 2023

In order to reach others, God intends for us to move beyond our comfort zone. The desire to remain only with our own ilk and ethnic or social kind can lead to selfishness, even evil. This danger is one of the lessons derived from the story of Babel.

Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com

This story of the people at the Tower of Babel reveals their great ambition. They were planning to make a monumental structure—a city and a tower such as existed nowhere else in the world: “a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves” (Genesis 11:4, NIV).

How often today do people seek to do the same? Whether through politics, art, business, even religion, it doesn’t matter. There are those who want to make a great name for themselves. In the end, how futile and meaningless their endeavors are. (See Ecclesiastes 2:1-11.)

The Bible says in Genesis 11:4 that these people wanted to build the tower so that they would avoid being scattered over the face of the earth. They wanted to stick together for their own selfish reasons. But God had another plan.

These people were also united for this work. But “the Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them’ ” (Genesis 11:6, NIV). This ambitious plan of the people was, in fact, evil.

Though Scripture does not say it explicitly, Ellen White says that they didn’t trust God’s promise that He would never destroy the earth with water again (Genesis 9:14-15). They intended to build for their own perceived safety rather than to trust God’s Word. Whatever their ultimate motives, God knew that their intentions were not pure but were filled with selfish ambition, and so He prevented them from achieving their stated goals.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-03-moving-beyond-our-comfort-zone/

By Andrew McChesney

Eight months passed after the miraculous answer to prayer, and Seventh-day Adventist church members visited Father for a second time on a Sabbath in Conakry, Guinea. Fifteen people arrived with Father’s sons, Junior and Emilie, who attended an Adventist school on the church compound.“ We are here to pray,” a church elder said.

Father appreciated the gesture, but he had a question. “Why do all other Christians go to church on Sunday but you worship on Saturday?” he asked.

The elder invited Father to open his Bible to Exodus 20:8-10. Father read, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (NKJV).

But Father was unconvinced. “The seventh day is Sunday,” he said.

The elder asked him to turn to Matthew 28:1. Father read, “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.” Father saw that the seventh day of the Bible was Saturday. “I understand,” he said. “Let’s pray.”

After the church group left, Father showed the verses to Mother. She was unmoved. “No, we will stay in our church,” she said. “I don’t care what they said. And even if our children go to their church, I won’t leave my church.”

Father suggested a time of prayer and fasting. “These questions started when our children began to attend that school,” he said. “We sent our children there to be educated. We don’t know whether God sent our children to that church to lead us there. If this is the church of Jesus, let Jesus show us.”

Father and Mother prayed and fasted for a week. “If this is Your will, let nothing prevent us from going to church next Sabbath,” Father prayed.

The next Sabbath, everything unfolded easily. Mother agreed to go to the Adventist church, and church members warmly welcomed them. Father was incredibly happy afterward. He felt like a burden had been lifted. He hadn’t been faithful in prayer before, but now he found the energy to pray regularly.

As he prayed, God answered, and his life changed. His work flourished. He began to get along with his parents and siblings. An older brother even named a child after him. He and Mother gave their hearts to Jesus in baptism.

“I have peace,” said Father, whose name is Pepe Voctorien Soropogui (pictured with his wife, Tido Grace Haba). “Jesus’ hand is in this church, and I thank God for bringing me here.”

Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering three years ago that helped the Adventist Maranatha School expand into new buildings in Conakry, Guinea, in the West-Central Africa Division (WAD). Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter will again help spread the gospel in WAD.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/inside-story-two-boys-two-prayers-part-2/