“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.

This week we continue with 
Go, Preach My Gospel – Hymn 378 to keep on 
Seeking The Lost – Hymn 373 as we are asked to 
Tell It To Every Kindred And Nation – Hymn 202.

Having read in our Bible of the unfortunate choices of people long ago, may we learn from these mistakes and 
Stand Like The Brave – Hymn 610.

On Monday, Jesus tells us to pray so we will find our strength for stepping stones in life: 
Hymn 488 – At First I prayed for Light and may we enjoy the 
Sweet Hour of Prayer – Hymn 478.

The decision story is sung in 
Once To Every Man And Nation – Hymn 606.

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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Key Thought: In humility, we go into the cities seeking out those who, when presented with the truth, will respond to a saving faith in Jesus.
December 16, 2023

A. Have a volunteer read Matthew 9:35-38.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What does this tell us about mission to the multitudes, wherever we find them?
3. Personal Application: How can we help people see how futile their palaces and markets of trade are and why they need Jesus? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “What are the challenges in reaching out to different cultures and religions in the urban areas of our cities?” How would you respond to your relative?

B. Have a volunteer read Matthew 15:22-28, Mark 7:24-30.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What differences do you see in how the woman was described?
3. Personal Application: What can you do to help those involved in urban ministry? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why did Jesus originally reject this Gentile’s request? Was it to show the Jews how cold and uncaring they were? Was it because the seventy weeks for the Jews was not fulfilled yet? Or was there another reaon?” How would you respond to your friend?

C. Have a volunteer read Acts 10:9-16, 28, 34,35.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How would you summarize the lesson taught here by the Holy Spirit?
3. Personal Application: How did you come to know Jesus and the three angel’s messages? How important is it to develop a personal testimony to share with others? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “How are we supposed to reach out to the enemies of God’s people? The Muslims hate the Christians, and the radical ones are trying to kill us. Why should we put our lives on the line to try and reach the enemies of God’s people who are trying to destroy us?” How would you respond to your relative?

D. Have a volunteer read Matthew 8:10,13; Matthew 9:2, Mark 2:5.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Whom did Jesus describe as having faith in these verses?
3. Personal Application: List three spiritual blessings that you have experienced from Jesus in your personal 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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Daily Lesson for Sunday 10th of December 2023

We read that Jesus took His disciples from Gennesaret (Matthew 14:34) “and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon” (Matthew 15:21, NKJV). Why did He take them from Galilee to these pagan places? He leads His disciples on this field trip into the borders of these foreign regions so that they can learn, on location, what they could not learn so easily in Galilee. He wanted to teach His disciples lessons that would help prepare them for their calling to reach all people groups, including urbanites.

From Judges 3:1-6, we see that these ancient peoples were used by God to test the Israelites’ faith. Unfortunately, God’s people failed that test, too, at least in this instance: “And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods” (Judges 3:6, NKJV). Thus, right from the start, these people were a stumbling block to Israel.

In 1 Kings 5:1-11, we can see the close relationship between the Sidonians and the Hebrews. Though on one level, the economic ties were mutually beneficial, no doubt the Hebrews were still negatively influenced by the paganism and idolatry of their trading partners.

1 Kings 11:1-6 reveals just how negative that influence even­tually became: King Solomon married Sidonian princesses, who led him astray. “For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians” (1 Kings 11:5, NKJV).

Yet, despite the history of paganism and idolatry, and their negative influence on the chosen nation, Jesus still brought His disciples to these places. In this way He initiated them in cross-cultural urban mission, confronting their bias and bigotry, and modeled for His followers wholistic urban mission to all cultures and nationalities.

Many challenges face the Adventist urban missionary, among them include health and environmental concerns. Others would include the high cost of living, racism, bigotry, nationalism, and constraints on religious freedom and expression. Nevertheless, despite these obstacles, we must work for the cities.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-11-mission-to-regions-beyond/

Daily Lesson for Saturday 9th of December 2023

Read for This Week’s Study

1 Kings 11:1-6; Matthew 4:23-25; Matthew 15:22-28; Mark 7:24-30; Acts 10:34-35; Matthew 8:10,13.

Memory Text:

“Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Matthew 15:28, NKJV).

From the beginning, a loving God sought His lost children (Genesis 3:9); and, to our day, this same loving God is still seeking to reach the lost (see Revelation 14:6-12), including the lost in the cities. In 2018, the United Nations published its latest findings, which say that 55 percent of the planet’s population lives in urban areas, and this will grow (if time should last) to 68 percent by 2050. We have no choice: we must witness to those in the cities.

Yet, many of God’s people act as Jonah did when called to witness to a city: for whatever reason, they flee from the task. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4, NKJV). That includes what was written about Jonah.

When here, Jesus ministered not only to those in the cities of Israel but to those in foreign regions, as well; that is, to those outside of the Jewish nation and the chosen people.

This week we will study the Bible story of Christ’s mission to Tyre and Sidon and draw lessons to apply to our lives today.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 16.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-11-mission-to-the-unreached-part-2/

Inside Story for Friday 8th of December 2023

By Andrew McChesney

Luis Paiva decided to open a fruit stand in Spain. But he moved forward with fear, sensing that God was calling him to serve elsewhere. He also worried that his new business might prevent him from giving his all to God.

Two short weeks after opening the fruit stand, everything seemed to fall apart. His business was failing. His partners were cheating him. He fell ill and no longer could walk. But Luis didn’t want to give up. He asked fellow Seventh-day Adventists for business advice. One of them, knowing that Luis had trained to be a pastor, reprimanded him. “You shouldn’t be engaged in worldly business but in the business of winning souls for the Lord,” he said.

For Luis, the rebuke was like hearing God’s voice. But he felt even more hopeless. How could he serve as a pastor without a church? Luis talked over the matter with his wife, and they decided to return to their native country, Venezuela. Perhaps he could recover his health there.

A short time later, Luis got a call from Gabriel Diaz, a leader of the Adventist Church in Spain. The church was looking for a missionary to work in Lugo, a city in northwestern Spain. Luis was delighted at the prospect of returning to full-time ministry, but he acknowledged that he had serious health and business problems. “I’m not even able to walk,” he said.

The church leader was not dissuaded, and the two men prayed together.

In two weeks, Luis regained his ability to walk, and he opened a house church in Lugo. On the first Sabbath, only two people, both church members, showed up to worship. But in just four months, 22 people were gather­ing in the house church every Sabbath. Among them were three newly baptized members and others preparing for baptism. In addition, Luis had opened a Bible study school and a school of evangelism to teach people how to win souls for God. He was making plans to plant an official church.

“We know that we have to win many souls in order for that to happen,” he says. “But I trust God, and I have confidence in Him that this will happen because we are using Christ’s method alone.”

“Christ’s method alone,” according to Ellen White, “will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me’ ” (Ministry of Healing, p. 143).

As a pastor in Venezuela and later a missionary in Mexico, Luis never dreamed he would be serving God in Spain. “I’m here because of God’s grace,” he said.

Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offering that helps support missionaries around the world.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-10-inside-story-mission-path-to-spain-part-4/