Read for This Week’s StudyDaniel 4, 2 Kings 5:1–19, John 3:1–12, John 7:43–52, Matt. 19:16–22, John 19:38–42.Memory Text:“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26, NKJV).Though written many years ago, the Bible, the Word of God, is the revelation of God’s truth for our world. And among the many truths it reveals is that of human nature, and that—whether in seventh-century Judea or twenty-...
Nov 25, 2023•6 min•Season 5Ep. 1857
Read Arthur White, “A Few Days at Long Point,” Ellen G. White: The Australian Years: 1891–1900, vol. 4, pp. 100–104.The Gospel writers recorded examples of Jesus’ practice of building bridges with people from other cultures in order to save them (Matt. 8:28–34, Mark 5:1–20). Likewise, we also are called to make friends and minister to people from other cultures, as well. Christ’s death was for everyone, regardless of race, nationality, wealth, or background. This is a point we must never forget....
Nov 24, 2023•5 min•Season 5Ep. 1856
As we all know, and know too well, the needs never end. If you are willing to help others, you will have plenty of opportunities. Whether close friends or refugees far away, people are in need, and we should do what we can, when we can, to help. All through His earthly ministry, Jesus helped those who could not help themselves. In some cases, He took the initiative and went to those in need; in other cases, as with the men who lowered the paralytic from the roof in order to bring him to Jesus, f...
Nov 23, 2023•8 min•Season 5Ep. 1855
Who among us hasn’t experienced just how hurting our world really is? Whether living in an environment of wealth and materialism, or living in an environment of poverty and material needs—it doesn’t matter. People are hurting, suffering, struggling. All one has to do, for instance, is read about the staggering amount of money spent on antidepressants in the Western world each year to understand that material wealth alone does not even come close to guaranteeing happiness or peace.“The Spirit of ...
Nov 22, 2023•8 min•Season 5Ep. 1854
Interview: host - Mo Sena / Interviewee: Dilma Paim - presenting a life-changing project for Afghan refugees in Brazil
Nov 21, 2023•14 min
The topic of immigrants and refugees has become a hotly debated subject, especially because there are so many of them today. Whether displaced by war, natural disasters, or for the hope of a better economic future, millions around the world have been uprooted from their homes and are in desperate need of help.In Matthew 2:13, 14, Jesus was a refugee. His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, were forced to flee Bethlehem by night and seek refuge in Egypt to escape the murderous hand of Herod. The Bi...
Nov 21, 2023•13 min•Season 5Ep. 1853
What do the following stories teach us about ministry to the needy?John 5:1–9Mark 1:23–28Ellen G. White provides a five-step process of Jesus’ method in how to minister, especially to those in need: “Christ’s method alone 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.’ ”—The Ministry of Healing, p. 143.First, we must ming...
Nov 20, 2023•9 min•Season 5Ep. 1852
A powerful story in the Gospels reveals what some men went through in order to bring a needy person, probably a friend, to Jesus. We can learn from what happened here about the hard work it might sometimes take to minister to those in need.Read Luke 5:17–26 (see also Matt. 9:1–8, Mark 2:3–12). What are some of the lessons we can take from this story about mission and ministry?By bringing their friend to Jesus, these men took on the responsibility to care for him. God is calling us to be like thi...
Nov 19, 2023•12 min•Season 5Ep. 1851
Read for This Week’s StudyLuke 5:17–26, John 5:1–9, Deut. 10:19, Lev. 23:22, Matt. 25:34–40, John 15:13.Memory Text:“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’ ” (Matthew 25:40, NKJV).Luke 5:17–26 provides many illustrations of how God is helping those in need. Sometimes God uses others to help us, or He uses us to help others. This work can be challenging, but it brings great rewards. By ...
Nov 18, 2023•8 min•Season 5Ep. 1850
Read Ellen G. White, “The Good Samaritan,” pp. 497–505, in The Desire of Ages.There are many hungry, needy, and mistreated people in our world today. You can do your part, however “small” it might seem to be. We are not going to solve all the world’s problems before Jesus returns. We haven’t been called to do that. But until then, our work can be as basic as helping someone you know who does not have enough food; or it can be helping a member in the church who is facing injustice, even bigotry, ...
Nov 17, 2023•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1849
When commending the lawyer for giving the right answer, Jesus said, “Do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28, NKJV), and thus, He touched the very core in the man’s heart. Giving all the right answers was easy for the lawyer, but doing those things was an issue 2,000 years ago—and it is still an issue for many of us today. The lawyer wanted to trap Jesus and show off his knowledge. He asked a follow-up question; “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29, NKJV).Read Luke 10:30–37. How would you summarize ...
Nov 16, 2023•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1848
Read Matthew 22:37–40. How does what Jesus Himself said here compare to His answer to the lawyer, in Luke 10:27, 28?According to Matthew 22:37–40, Jesus made it clear that the everyday expression of true belief hangs upon these two commandments. And Luke 10:27, 28 makes it clear that if a person does these two things, then he or she will have eternal life.“Love is the underlying principle of God’s government in heaven and earth, and it must be the foundation of the Christian’s character. This al...
Nov 15, 2023•15 min•Season 5Ep. 1847
Read Luke 10:27, 28. What was the lawyer’s answer to his own question?The lawyer had asked the question, and he himself gave the answer: “ ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . .” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” ’ ”(Luke 10:27, NIV).What was the response of Jesus? He said, “ ‘You have answered rightly’ ” (Luke 10:28, NKJV). Jesus went on to challenge him to do something about it, by saying, “ ‘Do this and you will live’ ” (Luke 10:28, NKJV).For most believers, giving the right a...
Nov 14, 2023•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1846
1845 Lesson 7 Monday Nov 13: Jesus’ method and response - The Bible tells us that the lawyer came to test Jesus, but Jesus knew what his intentions were. Indeed, God knows the longings and desires of our hearts more than we ourselves do. And we certainly do not know the heart or the motives of those who question us, do we?Sometimes people from other religions question us about our faith. For instance, our Muslim friends ask us questions related to Jesus’ divinity, such as, “Where in the Bible di...
Nov 13, 2023•12 min•Season 5Ep. 1845
Who are we? Why are we here? What happens when we die? What is our ultimate fate? These are, in many ways, the most important ques- tions mortal beings, beings who know that they are mortal (oysters and chickens are, too, but don’t know it), can ask. And in the Gospel of Luke, someone comes to Jesus with what is, in fact, the most crucial question of all. Read Luke 10:25. What did this lawyer ask, and why did he ask it? _ ________________________________________________________ _ _______________...
Nov 12, 2023•9 min•Season 5Ep. 1844
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 10:25–37, 2 Tim. 3:16, James 2:17–22, Matt. 22:37–40, Gal. 5:14, Micah 6:6–8. Memory Text: “He answered, ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ’ ” (Luke 10:27, NIV). We all know the text: “ ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” ’ ” (Luke 10:27, NIV). Yet, our lov...
Nov 11, 2023•5 min•Season 5Ep. 1843
Our mission work must come from deep love and thankfulness for what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives. Any other motivation is misguided. Keeping immersed in the Word and in tune with the Word is the key to successful outreach and evangelism.“Our life is to be bound up with the life of Christ; we are to draw constantly from Him, partaking of Him, the living Bread that came down from heaven, drawing from a fountain ever fresh, ever giving forth its abundant treasures. If we keep the Lord e...
Nov 10, 2023•6 min•Season 5Ep. 1842
Read Acts 2:41–47. What kind of picture of the early church is present here?Acts 2 ends with a beautiful picture of what the early church was like. Acts 2:41 says that those who were baptized were “added to them” (NKJV). We could read this to say that someone did the math and added the number of new believers to the number of existing believers and established a new total membership for the group. But that is a shallow understanding. Hidden in the wording is the idea that these newly baptized be...
Nov 09, 2023•9 min•Season 5Ep. 1841
Acts 2 records the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As the followers of Jesus were praying, tongues of fire rested upon their heads. They recognized that the promised power of the Holy Spirit had been given.Read Acts 2:1–41. What happened to the disciples as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost?The disciples began to speak in other languages “as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). What’s crucial here is that God empowered each person for the benefit of unbeliever...
Nov 08, 2023•11 min•Season 5Ep. 1839
Luke 24 ends with Jesus’ ascension into heaven (Luke 24:50–53). But that is not the end of the story. The author, Luke, continues, writing the book of Acts. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave the disciples a mission, a promise, and immediate instructions to wait in Jerusalem for “power from on high” (Luke 24:49; see also Acts 1:4–8).Jesus instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until He fulfilled His promise to send the Promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit), who would empower ...
Nov 07, 2023•7 min•Season 5Ep. 1838
Read Luke 24:36–49. What happened here, and why was this such a pivotal experience for the apostles?It is interesting that at first the disciples did not believe out of fear. Then, after seeing Jesus and being assured that He was indeed alive, they did not believe for joy (Luke 24:41). Have you ever felt that something was too good to be true? This was the experience of the disciples and the others in the upper room.If Jesus had left them only with this experience, however, then when He departed...
Nov 06, 2023•9 min•Season 5Ep. 1837
Read Luke 24:1–12. What was the response of those who heard about the risen Christ?Early Sunday morning, after Jesus’ death, Luke says that a number of women went to the tomb. They had spices with them; so, it is likely they were going to tend to Jesus’ body now that the Sabbath was over. Expecting to find a still-sealed tomb, they were shocked to find the tomb empty. Unsure what to do, they were afraid when two men in shining clothing appeared. However, the men had a message for them. Reminding...
Nov 05, 2023•9 min•Season 5Ep. 1836
Read for This Week’s StudyLuke 24:1–12; Luke 24:36–49; Acts 1:12–26; Heb. 10:24, 25; Acts 2:1–41; 1 Cor. 11:1.Memory Text:“ ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me’ ” (Luke 24:44, NKJV).Wrote Paul to the Philippians: “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not...
Nov 04, 2023•4 min•Season 5Ep. 1835
Ellen G. White has a strong warning for those who are struggling to follow the call of Jesus to witness to those around them.“The excuses of those who fail to do this work do not relieve them of the responsibility, and if they choose not to do this work, they neglect the souls for whom Christ died, neglect their God-given responsibility, and are registered in the books of heaven as unfaithful servants. Does the minister work as did the Master, to be a strength and a blessing to others, when he s...
Nov 03, 2023•6 min•Season 5Ep. 1834
Jonah’s story is more than amazing. The fact that God could save the Ninevites in spite of the poor witness of Jonah is a stark reminder that our role is merely to be a conduit for God, who alone can convict and convert hearts. It is a reminder that God seeks only willing and humble messengers who will follow His direction.Read Isaiah 6:1–8. What is the central idea expressed in this passage?The call is there. God is looking for willing volunteers. We are to answer that call by submitting to His...
Nov 02, 2023•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1833
Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish (see Jonah 2) was a dramatic show of God’s love and mercy, and Jonah’s prayer reveals that he didn’t miss God’s message of love. But just because he had had an incredible encounter with God didn’t mean that his old thought habits or attitudes would easily change, even though he went to Nineveh anyway.Read Jonah 3. How did the people respond to what Jonah had preached? What lessons are here for us about witnessing?Whatever Jonah’s personal feelings abou...
Nov 01, 2023•12 min•Season 5Ep. 1832
Our Excuses: Uncomfortable Confrontations “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:2Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). What a beautiful prayer on the part of Jonah. Or was it? Read Jonah 4:1-11Open in Logos Bible Software (if available). What was wrong with this man? Jonah had su...
Oct 31, 2023•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1832
Our Excuses: Inconvenience Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish (see Jonah 2:1-10Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)) was a dramatic show of God’s love and mercy, and Jonah’s prayer reveals that he didn’t miss God’s message of love. But just because he had had an incredible encounter with God didn’t mean that his old thought habits or attitudes would easily change, even though he went to Nineveh anyway. Read Jonah 3:1-10Open in Logos Bible Software (if available). How did the peop...
Oct 31, 2023•13 min•Season 5Ep. 1831
Our Excuses: False Views When the storm came, Jonah blamed himself (Jonah 1:1-12Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). His attitude does reveal something about the kind of worldview and understanding of God or “gods” that many had back then. While various gods, they believed, ruled in their various lands, the sea was deemed the chaotic realm of demons. In the worldview of the mariners, sacrifice was needed to appease their wrath. Although Jonah was a Hebrew, he quite possibly had a worldv...
Oct 30, 2023•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1830
Read Nahum 1:1; Nahum 3:1–4; and 2 Kings 17:5, 6; 2 Kings 19:32– 37. What do these verses reveal about Nineveh and the relationship between Assyria and Israel? How might this relationship have impacted Jonah’s decision to go to Tarshish instead? _ ________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________ One of the reasons Jonah may have been unwilling to go to Nineveh was fear. T...
Oct 29, 2023•12 min•Season 5Ep. 1829
