__________________ JULY-SEPTEMBER
S u m m o n s
TO THE
w i t n e s s
St a n d
A   D e v o tio n a l  B ib le -S tu d y  G u id e  
fo r Young A d u lts


Henry  Kopitzke:  Professor of  Business
II Give and you shall 
receive may not be 
the going  phrase 
during tax season— 
unless you take my 
accounting class."
Û 

P a c i f i c
U n i o n
C o l l e g e 

T h ou g h   the  assignmer.  
was  op tional,  everyone  
in  H enry  K o p itzk e ’s  
class  a ccep ted   the  
challenge.  A t a  local  
retirem ent  hom e,  the  
accou n tin g  students  
help ed  so m e  o f  the  
residents prepare  their  
tax  returns  free  o f  
charge.  A n d  in  the  en  
on ce  the  intim idating  
form s  h a d   been  
conquered,  K o p itzke  
k n ew   his  students  had  
received  the greatest
return.  A t   P U C ,  w e  ca  
that   s e r v i c e   l e a r n i n g —  
the  co n cep t that  
C hristian  education  ca  
ben efit everybody.  I t ’s  
radical  n otion ,  and at  
P U C ,  th ere’s  no  tim e
like  t
1 - 8 0 0 - 8 6 2 - 7 0 8 0 ;   W W W .P U C .E D U ;E N R O L L @ P U C .E D U
No time  like  now.


S um m ons to   the 
W itness  Stand 

JULY-SEPTEM BER 2000
Editor:
Editorial Assistant:  Shirlee J.  Ingram
R eading  C o m m itte e

Staff 
Gary B. Swanson
Kathy Beagles 
Lisa Saveikis Burrow 
Lyndelle Chiomenti 
Falvo  Fowler 

Lori Futcher 
Pat Habada 
Jonathan Kuntaraf 
Gerhard Pfandl 

Tim  Poirier 
Ken  Rogers 
José  Rojas
Jim Zackrison
CQ is written by Seventh-day Adventist young adults and their friends around the world.
Editorial  Office: Sabbath School/Personal Ministries Department, General Conference of 
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Other than the King James Version, Scripture versions used in this Bible study guide are as follows:
GOOD NEWS BIBLE (TEV)
Scriptures quoted from TEV are from the Good News Bible® Old Testament: copyright © American Bible Society 1976; New 
Testament: copyright (c) American Bible Society 1966,  1971,  1976.
LIVING BIBLE (TLB)
Scriptures quoted from TLB are from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971  by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, IL. Used 
by permission.
THE MESSAGE
Scriptures  quoted  from The  Message  are  copyright ©  1993  by  Eugene  H.  Peterson.  Used  by permission  of  NavPress 
Publishing Group.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION  (NIV)
Scriptures quoted from NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973,1978,1984 by  International 
Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV)
Scriptures quoted from  NKJV are from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979,  1980,  1982,  by Thomas Nelson, 
Inc.
NEW  REVISED STANDARD VERSION  (NRSV)
Scriptures quoted from NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of 
Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 
REVISED ENGLISH BIBLE (REB)
Scriptures quoted from  REB  are  from The  Revised  English  Bible,  copyright © Oxford  University  Press  and  Cambridge 
University Press,  1989.  Reprinted by permission.
CQ (ISSN 0744-2939). Volume 23,  No. 3. Published quarterly by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,  1350 
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Copyright © 2000 by the Sabbath School/Personal Ministries Department, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.


Sum m ons  to   th e 
W itness  Stand
1.  a  Christian fundam ental............................. 8
Chisara  Asomugha,  Duane  Coleman,  Serena  Evans, 
Stephanie Fortune,  Christine Lee, Angelina Page, Maia Pierce
2. Are WG having Flin yet?.............................. 1 7
Marklynn  Bazzy,  Falvo  Fowler,  Christy  Rasmussen,  Jeff 
Scoggins, Wesley Tolhurst, Tompaul Wheeler
3.  More than an Occupation  26
Peter  Andreasen,  Robert  Fisher,  Walder  Flartmann,  Caroline 
Lundquist, Solveig Nutzhorn,  Burke Olschewski
4. The Target audience    ........................35
Amy  Bauer,  Virgil  Bello,  Jr.,  Dennis  Brand,  Mike  Dunn,  Ivan 
Glaze, Angel Hernandez, Jessica Shine
5.  Please Speak u p !............    44
Mario Carcama, Jr.,  Curtis Gittens,  Mechelle Gittens,  Kathleen 
McIntosh,  Obed  Mfum-Mensah,  Pierre  Rhone,  Richard 
Roschman
6.  More than one Way................................ 53
Laurence  Ashcraft,  Dave  Banks,  George  Grow,  Patti  Guthrie, 
Louis  Parra,  Kitty Ratzlaff,  Mark Witas
7.  What is Evlangel] ism?.........................62
Nathan Brown, Jamie Hegarty, Renae Ramsey, Michelle Roberts, 
Ben Scott, Adam Sparke,  Brenton Stacey
2


8.  Improving Y O U r approach...........................71
Doug  Burns,  Kathy  Burns,  Sandra  Delgado,  David  Foster,  Bill 
Truscott,  Celina Worley
9.  Whom do you See?  80
Ivan  Bartolomé,  Carl  Cosaert,  Jerry  Hobbs,  Tom  Michaud, 
Jennifer Nestell,  Darchelle Worley
10.  Who is on Your list?.............................. 89
Teo Mei Ann, Jennifer Murdoch, Adelyn Poh, Jimmy Quek, John 
Tan,  Faith Toh,  Rob Watts
11.  Places and Occasions  98
Katunta Cosmas,  Knox Chilumbu,  Faith Griffiths Hunter,  Evison 
Kalulu,  Robert Mubanga, William  Phiri
1 2. When the Going gets Tough  .  .  . ......... 1 07
Tony Byrne, Jude Jeanville, Shanda Phillip, Cherysee Sampson, 
Clintelle Valley,  Silton Young
13.  What do we Do next?    .................. 116
Glenn Andersen, Carmen Burgess, Donovan Davis, Robin Davis, 
Brenda Leavelle,  Misty Wood
14.  How do We keep Score?...................... 125
Ramon  Cuevas,  Javier  Diaz,  Sheila  Feliciano,  LeRoy  Miller, 
Javier Pérez,  Rose Rivera
3


W e lc o m e   to 
CQ 's W o rld
The  following  pages  represent  the  creative  energy  of  a  truly 
international  group  of  Adventist  young  adults.  The  map  above 
indicates the locations of the writers who have participated in CQ ’s 
writing  program for this quarter.
In producing this unique Sabbath School Bible study guide, more 
than 300 individuals contribute to CQ each year.The wide variety—  
and occasional repetition— of the content reflects the great diversity 
of its contributors around the world as they respond individually to 
the subject  under study.
W orldwide  circulation  of CQ is about 65,000.  It  is  published  in 
English,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  Italian,  Russian,  Indonesian,  and 
Finnish.


G e t  In teractive
Ever think  
about writing  
for CQ?
Why not!  Each year 300 young adults from around the world 
participate  in the  CQ writing  program.  It gives  Seventh-day 
Adventist young  people aged  18 to 35 a unique opportunity 
to grow spiritually, to share the  benefits of their Bible study, 
to  exchange  ideas,  and  to  contribute  to  the  mission  of the 
church.
You  are  the  most  important  ingredient  in  our  CQ formula 
because  you  can  be  the  answer to  our greatest  need—the 
need for caring, committed, contributing authors. If you think 
you’d  like  to  participate  in  the  writing  of  a  lesson,  write  us 
today:
CQ
12501  Old  Columbia Pike 
Silver Spring,  MD 20904  U.S.A.
Fax: 301-680-6155 
E-mail:cq@gc.adventist.org


This  Q u a rte r's 
Illustrator
Randy Jamison  was  born  in  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
and  attended  high  school  in  Nampa,  Idaho,  and  art 
courses at Boise State University. After dropping out 
of school,  he experienced conversion to Christianity 
on Easter Eve 1996. Later that year he was baptized 
a  Seventh-day Adventist after the  Net ’96 program.
He  works  now  for  Digital  Effects,  a  m ultim edia 
c o m p a n y   in  B o ise,  w h e re   he  p ro d u c e s   3-D  
animations, illustrations, and design for the Web and 
CD-ROM.  He  married  Sharia  Lauterbach  in  1998. 
Sharia and Randy, who plays guitar and drums, both 
perform  in “Praise  Band,” a contemporary Christian 
m usic  gro up   th a t  in clu d e s  stu d e n ts   and  s ta ff 
m em bers from  Gem State Adventist Academy.
6


G e ttin g  th e   M o s t 
O u t o f  C Q
FACTS YOU SHOULD KNO W
CQ is based on the conviction that the Word of God offers transforming power 
and that group study is one important way to tap into that power. CQ’s purpose is to 
provide  Seventh-day Adventist young  adults with  a  resource for devotional  study 
on  mutual  topics,  which  can  then  be  discussed  each  week  in  Sabbath  School. 
Many who  use  the  Adult  Bible study  guide find that  because CQ deals  with  the 
same topics, it enriches lesson study and discussion as a supplemental aid.
More than three hundred Adventist young adults contribute to CQ each year. 
The wide variety and occasional repetion of the content reflects the great diversity 
of its contributors around the world as they respond creatively and individually 
to the subject. Circulation of CQ is about 65,000.
POINTERS FOR STUDY
1. Through prayer, open your mind to the Holy Spirit’s guidance as you study.
2. The Bible passages on which each week’s lesson are based appear in bold 
type in the “Logos” portion of the lesson.  Read these entire passages.
3. The  Bible passages for the week are divided  into sections on the “Logos” 
pages.  When  studying  these  sections,  carefully  reread  the  Bible  passages 
indicated in bold headings before reading the comments beneath the headings.
4. Read the other sections for the week with the perspective you have gained 
from your own study of the biblical passage.
5.  Keep in mind the purposes of each section of the Bible study guide: 
“Introduction”  is designed to stimulate your interest and focus your thinking
on the week’s theme.
“Logos” is a guide for direct study of the Bible passages for the week. 
“Testimony” presents Ellen White’s perspective on the lesson theme. 
“Evidence” approaches issues raised by the lesson from a historical, scientific, 
philosophical, or theological perspective.
“How-To” discusses what the abstractions in the lesson mean for day-to-day living. 
“Opinion” is a personal viewpoint on the lesson meant to encourage further 
thought and discussion.
“Exploration” provides the reader with a variety of open-ended, creative ways 
to explore the topic of the week's lesson.
CQ A ND  THE CHURCH
CQ is the General Conference-approved Bible study guide for the young-adult 
age group. It upholds the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. However, 
its contents should not be regarded as official pronouncements of the church.
7


Lesson  1 
June 2 4 -J u ly  1
A Christian
fundamental
"Go and  make disciples of all nations,  baptizing them in 
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I  have 
commanded you" (Matt. 28:19, 20,  NIV).


Sabbath
Tables Turned  |------- 
June 24
INTRODUCTION
Acts 9
One  summer  I  took  courses  at  a  university  campus  in  Los  Angeles.  From 
early  morning  to  late  afternoon  I  was  in  class,  so  that  by  the  end  of the  day  I 
dreaded walking back up the hills to my dorm.
One tired afternoon, as I passed by the soccer 
fields,  I  noticed  two  students  (a  girl  and  guy) 
walking  directly toward  me. They  looked  as  if 
they  were  going  to  run  into  me  so  I  veered 
toward  the  right.  They,  too,  followed  my 
direction. Soon they were standing next to me.
“Hi,”  the  girl  said.  The  guy  next  to  her  said 
nothing. “We’re Christians,” she continued, “and 
wanted to know if you would like to know more about Jesus.”
I smiled inwardly and thought, So this must be what it’s like to be accosted by 
one of those Christians. I nodded my head and she proceeded, “Our club is having 
this Bible study and you’re invited. All kinds of people will be there. Do you belong 
to any church?”
“I  belong to the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” I said.
“Is that Christian?” she asked. “Well, God is a good God and He really loves 
you and you  have to come to our Bible study and learn about God,” she said in 
one breath. With her eyes, she dared me to object.
“I  have a lot of studying to do,” I said.
“Well,  let me get your name and  phone  number and  I’ll call you. You  should 
come.  God wants to show you  His love, and you  have to come to this.  It will  be 
like the greatest—what is your name again?” She persisted for a few more minutes. 
Finally I said, “Look,  I am  really busy but I will try to come if I can.”
As I walked off, I remembered my friend telling me how Christianity had turned 
her off.  She  was frequently  accosted  by  over-zealous  Christians  spreading  the 
gospel.  “Why  should  I  associate  with  people  who  think  that just  because  they 
have all the answers about God they can  harass me? They’re ‘Jesus freaks.’ ” 
What  have  your  witnessing  experiences  been  like?  Pleasant?  Unnerving? 
Pushy? What is a witness and what is the goal of witnessing? How do we interpret 
and act upon the following statement: “Our work has been marked out for us by 
our heavenly Father. We are to take our Bibles and go forth to warn the world. We 
are to be God’s helping hands in saving souls—channels through which His love 
is day by day to flow to the perishing.”*
* Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p.  150. 

"God wants to 
show you  His 
love, and you 
have to come to 
this."
Chisara N. Asomugha,  Lawndale,  California 
9


Sunday
une 25 Step by Step  |
LOGOS
Daniel 1; M atthew 5-7; 28:18-20; Acts 5:17-42; 8:26-31; 9:1-22;  18:4; 22:15, 
16, 20; 2 Cor. 5:14; 2  Pet. 3:9.
What  images  does  the  word  witness  conjure  in  your  mind?  You  might 
envision  passing out tracts on a Saturday afternoon or telling someone why 
you are not going to some event on Friday night.  How about an abiding sense 
of serenity in  spite of adversities?  Regardless of what specific act comes to 
mind,  your definition  of witnessing  probably  involves  some  kind  of outward 
display,  conscious  or  subconscious,  that  compels  others  to  take  a  second 
look  at  Christ.  A  problem  arises,  however,  when  Christians  approach 
witnessing as a one-step process involving only the actual witnessing act. To 
be  a  true  witness,  though,  a  number  of  steps  must  precede  one’s  actual 
witnessing event. These include a personal encounter with the love of Christ 
and a conversion  experience.
Step 1: A Personal Encounter With the Love of Christ
In  discussing  Christ’s  second  coming,  2  Peter  3  prepares  its  readers  for 
scoffers  who  doubt  Christ’s  return.  Peter  explains  Christ’s  delay,  however,  by 
explaining that He has not returned because “He is patient with you, not wanting 
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (verse 9,  NIV).  Because 
Christ loves us so much, He delays His coming to give those who haven’t accepted 
Him time to repent. It is so easy to overlook the significance of Jesus’ delay. This 
can be avoided, however, by putting ourselves in Jesus’ place. The people whom 
He created accused Him of blasphemy when  He discussed  His  Father and the 
laws He instituted. They killed Him by the most demeaning means available.
Wouldn’t you have given up on humanity by then? Jesus is so patient, though, 
and He loves us so earnestly, that He delays the world’s destruction to give us a 
chance  to  change  our  minds  and  come  to  Him.  What  love!  After  a  personal 
encounter with Christ’s unfathomable love, one can never be the same.
Step 2: A Conversion Experience
After choosing to accept Christ’s love and sacrifice, one undergoes conversion, 
a change from one belief, religion, or doctrine to another. Some people, like Paul, 
may have dramatic conversion experiences accompanied by bright lights, voices 
from outer space, and blindness (Acts 9:1-22)! Others’ experiences are marked 
by  intense  emotion.  Still  others  cannot  gauge  their  conversion  by  events  or 
emotions, but note that as a result of conversion, they see the emptiness of sins 
which were formerly so appealing. Conversion experiences are as diverse as the 
people  who  experience  them,  but  the  singular  identifying  characteristic  of 
conversion is a marked change from the old life under sin to the new life under 
Christ.  When  one  undergoes  conversion,  a  Christ-centered  focus  is  adopted,
1 0


and desires, goals,  motivations, and actions duly align with the focus.
Step 3: Compelled to Tell
In the first step of witnessing, one personally experiences Christ’s love, a love 
so strong that it endured humiliation, ridicule, pain, and death in an effort to save 
sinners.  If the  individual decides to accept Christ’s love and sacrifice,  he or she 
undergoes conversion.Then, and only then, in the natural, step-wise progression 
of the  witnessing  process,  are  Christians compelled  to tell  about the  love  they 
have personally experienced and that has redirected the focus. The initial steps 
facilitate this third step  of witnessing,  the  outward  demonstration  of the  inward 
phenomenon.
Granted, it is possible to tell others about Christ without personally encountering 
His love or undergoing conversion.
Jesus is so worthy of our praise that 
even the stones could proclaim His 
goodness  (Luke  19:40).  Telling 
someone about Christ necessitates 
knowledge  of  the  gospel.
W itnessing,  however,  takes 
knowledge  one  enormous  step 
further. A witness  is someone who gives a firsthand account of something.  For 
the  Christian,  the  firsthand  account  is  that  personal  experience  with  Christ. 
Christians do not just know about Christ; they know Christ personally.
Like conversion experiences and personal relationships with Christ, expression 
of the third step in witnessing varies. We all have “diversities of gifts” (1  Cor. 12:4, 
KJV)  for  conveying  Christ’s  love,  and  another  Christian’s  preferential  style  of 
witnessing  might  not  work  for  you.  Nevertheless,  the  single  most  effective 
testimony, one that any Christian can  render,  is living a life that truly exhibits the 
love of Christ. You might feel that you don’t know enough to give someone Bible 
studies. But you can be genuinely kind to the person whom everyone else shuns. 
You don’t have enough money to sponsor someone who wants to go on a mission 
trip? You  can  send  them  a card  and  let them  know that you  will  be  praying  for 
them. Witnessing  is  more  than  a  singular  action  that  can  be  checked  off  the 
Christian’s “to-do” list. It is an attitude, a lifestyle initiated and sustained by Christ’s 
love.  It is Jesus’ way to win the world through us—one person at a time.
REACT
1. What steps can  one take to ensure that Christ’s love is the  motivation for 
witnessing?
2. Why is witnessing so often viewed as a one-step process?
3. Why do you think people who are most enthusiastic about witnessing often 
happen to be those who were recently converted themselves?
Stephanie Fortune,  Palo Alto,  California

Christians do  not just 
know about Christ; 
they know Christ 
personally.
11


M onday
June 26 Love W itnessed 
on th e Cross
TESTIMONY
Phil. 2:8
The Lord works through us to begin His cleansing of humankind’s sinful state, 
and His life is a witness upon which we draw from as a model of testimony. Jesus’
heart-wrenching  parable  of  the 
wheat and the tares alludes to the 
importance  of  witnessing  when 
dividing  the  wheat  and  the  tares 
(Matt. 13:24-30). He uses us to sow 
His seeds of love and correction in 
the  hearts  of  others  on  earth. 
However, our work stops here; we 
do not do the work of Christ through the Holy Ghost.
“ ‘The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.’ 'This is 
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be 
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and 
one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself  a 
ransom for all.’ Titus 2:11;  1  Timothy 2:3-6.”1
After we allow God’s seeds to be distributed through us, His Spirit takes over. 
The  Holy  Spirit  begins the  process  of sanctification;  however,  some  choose  to 
harden their hearts to their Creator. “The Spirit of God is freely bestowed to enable 
every man to lay hold upon the means of salvation. Thus Christ, ‘the true  Light,’ 
‘lighteth  every  man that cometh  into the world.’  John  1:9.  Men  fail  of salvation 
through their own willful refusal of the gift of life.”2
Jesus’ life was a witness, and He served as a ransom for our sinful condition. 
His purpose was not only to fulfill the law,  but to provide salvation. His love and 
His law are inseparable because love fulfills the law (Rom.13:8).  His love made 
Him “obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8, NIV). We are to tell of 
this love and give it to others. Witnessing, therefore, is a grand commission from 
the  Lord.  With  Him  as our blueprint of witnessing,  the  Holy Spirit  is allowed  to 
save souls. 
“Can we whose souls are lighted 
With wisdom from on high,
Can we to men benighted 
The lamp of life deny?”
1. The Great Controversy, pp. 261, 262.
2. Ibid., p. 262. 
Angelina Page,  Palo Alto,  California

After w e allow God's 
seeds to be distributed 
through  us,  His Spirit 
takes over. 
1 2


G od's Last C o m m a n d 

Tuesday
June 27
EVIDENCE
Matt. 28:18-20
To  witness  is  “to  declare,  on  the  strength  of  personal  observation,  that 
something is true; to affirm the truth of a religious faith.” Every day, as Christians, 
we have opportunities to spread our religious faith to those around us. But, do we 
take advantage of these opportunities? Unfortunately, we often do not. When we 
ignore the spiritual  needs of people around  us,  we are not being the Christians 
God  intended  us  to  be.  God  has  given  us  a  purpose  on  this  earth  that  goes 
beyond the scope of our own  individual  lives.  He gave  us the command to “go 
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of 
the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  teaching  them  to  obey  everything  I  have 
commanded you” (Matt. 28:19, 20, NIV).
As  Christians,  we  must  not  be  so  apathetic  or  insecure  that  we  keep  the 
knowledge of God’s love away from those who have not yet been  introduced to 
it. The  tendency to  feel  inadequate  of delivering  this tremendous  message  to 
others is natural when we try to act on our own. It is not by our power, however, 
but by the power of God, that we witness.
Like Paul, one of Christ’s greatest followers, we must trust in God and let His 
love take over in our lives, lead our thoughts and actions, and be our sole guidance 
and inspiration. Once God is truly the ruler in our lives,  we will see that  God’s love
compels us to spread the gospel to those who  do not yet know Jesus  so that the
love that was  meant for all  will 
reach all. We will  not shy away 
from  this  task  but  rather  gain 
strength  and  courage  in  His 
word. “He died for all, that those 
who  live  should  no  longer  live 
for themselves but for him who 
died  for  them  and  was  raised 
again” (2 Cor. 5:15, NIV). Jesus’ last command was for us not to keep to ourselves 
the knowledge of God’s love. Through the Holy Spirit, we are given the ability to 
share the gospel, to give others the means by which they, too, may know the truth.
REACT
1.  Many of  us feel  guilt that we  don’t witness  enough.  What holds  us back 
from more active witnessing? Explore the reasons. Are they rational or irrational?
2. In Acts 5:20, the angel who releases the apostles from prison specifically 
tells them to witness in the temple courts. What would be an equivalent venue for 
witnessing in these modern times?  Explain your answer.
Christine Lee and Maia Pierra,  Palo Alto,  California

Jesus' last command was 
for us not to  keep to 
ourselves the  knowledge 
of God's  love.
1 3


W ednesday
June 28 W itnessing Principles
HOW -TO
2 Cor. 5:14
When  we  awake  each  morning  to  face  the  world,  we  must  remember two 
things:  First, we are Christians; second, as Christians we are witnesses. Being a 
Christian  is  not  a  passive  activity.  God’s  Word  provides  us  with  example  and 
instruction  on  how to  be  active  Christians; Acts  and the  apostles’ letters  in  the 
New Testament are our guides to being witnessing Christians.
Three principles will direct us in how to be successful witnesses:
1.  Before taking  action,  we  must  understand  that we  witness through 
the  power  of  God  rather  than  through  any  righteousness  of  our  own 
(Matt.17:14-21). Why did the disciples fail to cast the demon out on their own? As 
witnesses we should focus on what God can do for people, rather than ourselves. 
If we cannot save ourselves,  we certainly cannot bring salvation to others.  It is 
the power of God and His saving grace that makes our witnessing successful.
2.  Witnessing with  your  life  is 
more  effective  than  witnessing 
with words. I  have learned that you 
can say you’re a Christian all day, but 
people want to see action. All my life 
I have explained to my non-Adventist 
friends the significance and principles of the Sabbath.  Nevertheless, they would 
always invite  me to  Friday night functions.  My witnessing obviously fell on deaf 
ears.  But when,  as captain  of the basketball team,  I  did  not attend  Friday night 
games,  they finally  understood. The  most powerful  statement you  can  make  is 
with your life.  Guard your actions carefully because people who know you are a 
Christian will use mistakes you make to disclaim Christianity. How you act everyday 
makes or breaks your witnessing process.
3.  In witnessing, our job is to plant seeds, but making them grow is the 
work of our heavenly Father. Read  1  Thessalonians 1:4-6. What can we draw 
from this text about our role and God’s role in saving souls?
The book of Acts is a story of how the powerful witness of a few men changed 
the world. Though the fruits of the disciples’ labor were plentiful, we must remember 
that people are allowed to reject the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. God does not 
force anyone to obey or accept Him, and as a witness we must do the same.
The word Islam in the  religious context means to surrender to God.  Like all 
religious followers,  Muslims  have customs and  rules,  but their main  criterion  is 
simple: surrender to  God. As Christians who  have the truth  of Jesus Christ,  we 
should  make  our personal  goal  and  our aim  as witnesses simple:  surrender to 
God and encourage others to follow.
Duane Coleman,  Palo Alto,  California

The  most powerful 
statem ent you  can 
make  is with your life 
1 4


Thursday
W itnessing in the 
Ju ne  29
N e w  M ille n n iu m
OPINION
2 Pet. 3:9
If you want to share Christianity with others, where do you begin?
First,  pray for an opportunity to witness about His love. As long as you  have 
a willing and passionate heart, He will create opportunities for witnessing to take 
place.  We,  in  turn,  have  the 
responsibility  to  be  aware 
constantly of these opportunities by 
listening  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  If we 
dangerously  distance  ourselves 
from  God, we will fail to seek and 
share  His truth.* Ask for the  Holy 
Spirit to  dwell  in  your  heart so  as 
to prevent a missed opportunity to witness and to ensure that you’ll always have 
the presence of mind to talk about Jesus.
Jesus has called us all to preach to the world what He has done (Mark 16:15). 
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or unworthy to spread the gospel,  but look at the 
fishermen Jesus chose as His disciples who were not the most schooled  in the 
Scripture. Those who were  so schooled  (the  Pharisees)  were the  very  people 
Jesus had problems with. As witnesses for Christ, all we need is faith.
The  most  important  kind  of  witnessing  is  by  your  living  example.  Being  a 
Christian  should  be  a  lifestyle,  not a holier-than-thou  proclamation  (Col.  3:17). 
With an attitude of being a heavenly representative, we can witness in a way that 
becomes an everyday and enjoyable aspect of our lives (Titus 2:1-5). When we 
live as the  Lord  commands,  the  blessings that follow will  witness to others  His 
eternal  love.  Who  would  want  Christianity  if  Christians  were  always  sad  and 
gloomy? We need to show the world how happy Jesus makes us.
In witnessing here are some basic things to remember:
•  Never take the defensive. When  people see you angry or anxious, they 
question  your  sincerity. When  Jesus  spoke  with  the  Pharisees,  He  countered 
their attacks as well as witnessed in a composed and informative manner.
•   Pray. Speak to God  more than to anyone  else. Remember to  let God do 
the speaking (Acts 1:8). All He needs is a willing vessel and He will take over. In 
the end it’s the work of the Holy Sprit that saves souls.
•   Love. This should  be the focus of any discussion  of God.  Let the  love  of 
Christ clutch the heart and everything else will fall into place.
*See Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 706.
Serena Angeiette Evans,  Stanford,  California

Being a Christian 
should  be a lifestyle, 
not a holier-than-thou 
proclamation.
1 5


Friday
u n e  30 Can  I  G e t a W itness?|
EXPLORATION
Matt. 28:19, 20
CONCLUDE
How do we succeed in witnessing?
First of all, we shouldn’t take up the job before meeting some qualifications: 
(1) a personal encounter with the love of Christ; and (2) a conversion experience. 
At this point, we will  not only be qualified, we will be motivated.
Even  then,  we  may  not  meet  with  great  success.  Does  that  mean  that we 
need  to  show  more  muscle  in  dragging  the  heathen  to  the  baptistry?  No. The 
responsibility of the  Christian  is to sow the seeds of God’s  love and correction. 
After that, the  Holy Spirit takes over.  It is  His job to soften  hard  hearts.  Like the 
disciples, we will fail to cast out any demons if we try to do it in our own power.
CONSIDER
■  Looking  over your CD  or cassette  collection  and  selecting  a song that 
you  feel  is  a  compelling  witness  to  the  love  of  God.  Meditate  on  the 
words of this song.
■  Calling a parent (if he or she is a Christian) and ask what is one message 
about God that  he  or she  tried to  communicate to  you  while  you  were 
growing  up.
■  Making  a  study  of  the  fastest  growing  Christian  denominations.  What 
are the  keys of their success?
■  Examining the items in your toolbox.  Is there a way to use any of these 
tools that will  be a witness to Christ?
■  Sketching  a  cross-stitch  project  that  you  feel  would  be  a  witness  if  it 
hung  in your home.
■  Composing  and  sending  an  e-mail  message to a friend  or relative that 
includes a personal  expression  of what God  has done  in your life.
CONNECT
Matthew 9:35-11:1.
Acts of the Apostles, chap.  11.
Philip  G.  Samaan,  Christ’s  Way of Reaching People-,  Fordyce W.  Detamore,
Seeking His Lost Sheep.
Kim Peckham,  Falling Waters,  West Virginia
1 6


Lesson 2
July 1-8
Are We having
Fun yet?
"With great power the apostles continued to testify to the 
resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and  much grace was upon 
them all" (Acts 4:33,  NIV).


Sabbath
July 1 M e m o rie s  o f 
M y  G ran d fath er
INTRODUCTION
Matt. 10:19, 20
My grandfather welcomed me into his den.  My memories of him were of two 
kinds: inside and outside. Inside sitting on his easy chair, a stack of newspapers 
and  a  magnifying  glass to  one  side,  shelves  of  short-band  radio  equipment to 
another.  On  the  wall  hung  a  photo  of  me,  clasping  my  hands  and  showing  my 
teeth in a smile,  posing with this old man.
Outside sitting on a lawn chair, dogs barking in the background, cats winding 
between chair and people’s legs, trees reaching to the sky. In every memory he 
wore black work shoes and a pair of blue overalls.
I’d  seen  my  grandmother at church,  but 
never him.  When  my grandmother and their 
sons joined the church, he remained violently 
opposed. For as long as I’d known, he’d been 
almost  wholly  out  of  our  family  picture—a 
shadowed, enraged figure.
I  could  see  a change  now.  It  had  begun 
after our family became acquainted with the 
prayer  ministry  of  Christian  author  Roger 
Morneau,  and we felt the  Holy Spirit’s gentle  urge to change our own attitudes. 
Our family had slowly forgiven this man we barely knew who’d so forcefully affected 
our characters. With that forgiveness and prayer came a softening in his actions 
and attitude toward us.
I  prayed  again  now.  “God,  you’ve  changed  my  heart,  and  now  I  ask  once 
more that you’ll change his.  May he glimpse You through  me.”
As I told him of my present work and studies, I sensed a mood I’d never felt so 
strongly before. I felt a joy of life that seemed almost surreal. My face cracked into 
a persistent smile.  I  felt the  Holy  Spirit,  fresh,  heady,  and joyous,  permeate  my 
personality. I  wondered, Is this what intoxication feels like?
My grandfather pulled out a new wallet. “Could you use this?” he asked.
“Yeah,  I  could,”  I  said,  pulling  my  tattered  old  wallet  from  my  back  pocket. 
“I’ve  needed a new one for a long time. Thank you very much.”
“I hope to see you again,” Grandpa said, “if I haven’t gone on to the other side.”
The next time I saw him was in church, a tie around his neck, at rest. After a 
series of strokes,  one mysterious voice and localized healing, and evident soul- 
searching,  he’d  apparently  accepted  Christ  into  his  heart.  I  wondered,  did  the 
look on his face merely reflect the common solemnity of the dead, the expertise 
of the funeral home, or a greater peacefulness he’d reached?

In every m em ory 
he wore black 
w ork shoes and 
a pair of blue 
overalls.
Tompaul Wheeler, Berrien Springs, Michigan 
18


G o t Grace?  |- 

Sunday
July 2
EVIDENCE
Acts 4:33
Luke likes people.  He loves God, and that extends to his concern for people. 
His gospel records the most number of parables and miracles. He is a doctor and 
believer in Jesus Christ, a man dedicated to easing human suffering. In Acts,  he 
concentrates on the beginnings of the Christian family. He describes the joy each 
believer has in Christ—an emotion that transcends cultural, racial, societal barriers, 
and it grows greater when shared.
Acts  4:32  mentions  “of  one  heart  and  one  soul”  (NKJV).  There  is  no 
discrimination, no division, no well-dissected study of any particular demographic. 
These are people not concerned about who made the most, who has the best, or 
who will lead; their thoughts are of Jesus. For those who did not fully comprehend, 
the Holy Spirit through the disciples “gave witness” of that day (verse 33, NKJV). 
In believing, a “great grace” descended upon them (verse 33, NKJV).
Grace: “the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon 
souls, turns them to C hrist.  .  . and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian 
virtues.”* To Luke, believing is not a short-lived emotion. It is coming together with 
no barriers, testifying the Resurrection, and doing something about it.
The  witnessing  of  God’s  love,  demonstrated  in  the  Resurrection,  does  not 
demand  conversion.  Witnessing  is  an  act  of  love,  not  to  prove  a  point,  but  to 
share the joy of the Resurrection. Conversion is the choice of the individual.
That “great grace” encouraged the early believers to share: without wanting, 
without  forcing,  without  insecurities.
Truly  believing  in  the  Holy  Spirit  does 
that.  In  today’s  world  of  beating  the 
apocalyptic clock and  racking up those 
baptism statistics, we need to take note 
of what the first believers did: they came 
together in one accord,  leaving  behind 
all that did not belong in Christianity, and
believed  in  the  resurrection  of Jesus  Christ.  Believing,  a  desire  to share  came 
upon them all (verses 32, 33, 35). The sincere witnessing of God’s love does not 
demand conversion, but it sure is tough ignoring Good  News! (11:23, 24).
REACT
How do all the projects that are aimed at converting the masses compare with 
the witnessing of the early believers? What are the similarities and differences?

That "great grace" 
encouraged the 
early believers to 
share
* Enhanced Strong's Lexicon (Oak Harbor, Wash.: Logos Research Systems, Inc.,  1885).
Falvo Fowler,  Pune,  India
1 9


M onday
July  3 Pow er to  the  People!
LOGOS
Acts 1:5, 8,  14; 2:1,  14-21; 4:23, 31; 6:1-5; 7:54-56; 9:7-9,  18,  19;
11:22-24;  13:1-3;  14:21-23
Only  God  could  communicate  to  us the  truth  and  excitement  of the  times 
recorded  in Acts in a way that was faithful to the experiences: no exaggeration, 
no  liberally  interpreted  viewpoint,  no  rambling. Through  Luke’s  account,  God 
speaks to us today of the encouraging history of His acts among the early Christian 
believers—a victorious history God is eager to repeat.
Unfortunately,  however,  bubbles  are  not  new  inventions.  It  always  has  been 
human nature to want the easier road. And when it comes to witnessing for Christ, 
that means wanting to stay within the bubbles of anonymity, apathy, and fear. Peter 
was  no  exception.  When  Jesus was  in  need  of support,  Peter was  not willing to 
stand up and acknowledge Him.  Matthew 26:74 says that “he began to call down 
curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!'” (NIV). All people 
can relate to this experience. But the Bible promises the option of change.
Consider Peter after the resurrection of Jesus became a reality for him. Only 
seven weeks after the resurrection,  Peter stood up before the same people who 
crucified Jesus and preached under the influence of the Spirit one of the greatest 
sermons the world had ever heard. Three thousand were baptized that day (Acts 
2:41). Though  Peter had before been too frightened to speak for Christ, through 
a miracle,  God had led  Peter to experience that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, 
there  is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17,  NIV).  It is the same Spirit that offers us freedom 
from our fears of witnessing.
And God calls everyone to share In this ministry;  not just apostles.  Consider 
Stephen, who was asked by his local church to be the head cook and dining room 
director because he was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5, NIV). 
Though not schooled in any theological Institution, Stephen achieved great things 
for God,  so  much  so that great opposition  arose from  the Jews  who  sought to 
bring  him  down.  “They  could  not  stand  up  against  his wisdom  or the  Spirit  by 
whom  he spoke” (verse 10,  NIV).
This is the great news about witnessing. Being an effective witness for Jesus 
has  more to  do  with  your reliance  on  and  guidance  by  God  than  any talent or 
intellect you  may possess. Why?  Because it is God who does the work through 
us. Jesus said about witnessing, “I will give you words and wisdom that none of 
your adversaries will  be able to  resist or contradict” (Luke 21:15,  NIV). In  effect, 
the extent to which God can use us as witnesses is directly proportionate to the 
extent to  which  we  daily offer ourselves  to  Him  for this  purpose.  Any who  are 
willing  will  receive the  Holy  Spirit  into their  lives  because  Acts  2:39  says,  “The 
promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the 
Lord our God will call” (NIV).
It is not all chocolates and roses, however, outside the bubble. Witnessing for 
Jesus in a world of sin is fraught with danger. Jesus said, “Go!  I am sending you
2 0


out like lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3, NIV) and “All men will hate you because 
of  me”  (21:17,  NIV). We  are  not  in  heaven  yet.  Not  everybody that we  love  as 
Christ  loved  will  appreciate  it.  Jesus  called  us  salt  (Matt.  5:13). Wouldn’t  it  be 
easier to be sugar? The accounts within the  Bible make it plain that in the short 
term,  many Christians  might have seemed  better off if they chose to sugarcoat 
their witness.  Being  filled  with  the  power of the  Spirit  doesn’t  guarantee  short­
term safety or popularity. Consider Jesus and Stephen. They became martyrs for 
the truth  and  love they  brought. They were  martyrs  at the  hands  of the  people 
they sought to save.
On the other hand, others accept the life you introduce them to with joy, people 
who will never be the same. For these people God was willing to give His life, and by 
the power of the Spirit, so are we. It’s what Paul gave his life for. It’s why he spoke of 
the immense joy that was his on many occasions as he traveled, seeing individuals 
and communities accepting the love of Christ. This then is a truth that is realized by 
all who witness: some will  love you  and some will  hate you. The Bible  is “sharper 
than any double-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12,  NIV). To love as Jesus  loved will  bring 
the best and worst out of others, depending on the receptiveness of their hearts to 
God’s  love.
So  where  does  that  leave  you?  Scared?  Excited?  Those  who  have  spent 
their  lives  witnessing  for  God  will  tell  you  that  there  is  nothing  on  earth  that 
compares to the rush of sharing in the 
ministry of Jesus for the salvation of 
people,  a  ministry  we  can  all  share 
in. And the blessings that Jesus gives 
are  beyond  this  world.  It  is  little 
wonder  that  during  this  time  “with 
great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, 
and much grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33,  NIV).
REACT
1. Take a little time to relive some of your experiences with witnessing.
2. Make a list of as many different forms of witnessing as you can see yourself 
being involved in.  Do you think the Spirit could  expand your list? Explain.
3.  It seems as if it would be easy to share good things with other people, but 
the  experience  of  witnessing  can  prove  otherwise.  Imagine  you  were  given  a 
paper bag stuffed with hundred dollar bills and your mission was to share the bills 
with as many people as possible. What difficulties might you encounter?
4. Describe a time when you have seen the Holy Spirit at work in a witnessing 
experience.
5.  Why do you think that being approached with the gospel  often  brings out 
either the best—or the worst—in people?
Wesley Tolhurst,  Wahroonga, Australia

Jesus called  us salt. 
W ouldn't it be easier to 
be sugar?
21


T ue sda y
— —   Bench-pressing Scripture
TESTIMONY
2 Cor.  12:9
“As we cherish and obey the promptings of the Spirit, our hearts are enlarged 
to receive more and more of His power, and to do more and better work. Dormant 
energies are aroused, and palsied faculties receive new life.”
“The humble worker who obediently responds to the call of God may be sure 
of receiving divine assistance. To accept so great and holy a responsibility is itself
elevating to the character.  It calls 
into action the highest mental and 
spiritual powers, and strengthens 
and  purifies  the  mind  and  heart. 
Through faith in the power of God, 
it is wonderful how strong a weak 
man  may  become,  how  decided 
his efforts, how prolific of great results. He who begins with a little knowledge,  in 
a  humble  way,  and  tells  what  he  knows,  while  seeking  diligently  for  further 
knowledge, will find the whole heavenly treasure awaiting his demand. The more 
he  seeks  to  impart  light,  the  more  light  he  will  receive. The  more  one  tries  to 
explain the word of God to others, with a love for souls, the plainer it becomes to 
himself. The  more  we  use  our  knowledge  and  exercise  our  powers,  the  more 
knowledge and power we shall have.”
“Every effort made for Christ will  react in blessing upon ourselves.  If we use 
our means for His glory, He will give us more. As we seek to win others to Christ, 
bearing  the  burden  of  souls  in  our  prayers,  our  own  hearts  will  throb  with  the 
quickening influence of God’s grace; our own affections will glow with more divine 
fervor;  our  whole  Christian  life  will  be  more  of  a  reality,  more  earnest,  more 
prayerful.” *
REACT
1. If you expect to be a powerful weightlifter, what do you have to do to reach 
your expectations?
2. If you expect to be a powerful witness for God, what do you have to do? Be 
specific.
3. What has God promised to do for you when you consistently work out with 
Scripture and in actual witnessing for Him?
4. What parallels do you see between the experience of giving financially to 
God’s work and the experience of giving our time and energy to Christian ministry?
* Christ's Object Lessons, p. 354.

"The  m ore he seeks to 
im part light, the more 
light he will  receive."
Jeff Scoggins,  Laurel,  Maryland
2 2


Seeking the Spirit  [ 

W ednesday
July 5
HOW -TO
Acts 1:7, 8
Before Jesus returned to heaven at the end of His earthly ministry, He promised 
the disciples that the Holy Spirit would be sent to them. In this way, they would be 
enabled to spread the gospel  message throughout the world. The book of Acts 
chronicles  dramatic  events  in  the  early  church,  including  the  outpouring  of 
Pentecost,  miraculous healings, and angelic visitations.
While we as modern Christians certainly understand the call to witness,  we 
may be intimidated by the enormity of the task or perhaps even be unclear as to 
how to go about performing it. Some of the same fundamental rules that applied 
to members of the early church can still guide us today.
1. Recognize that power comes from God and acknowledge that He gives 
specific  gifts  to  particular  individuals.  God,  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the  true 
energizer  of  any  attempts  on  our  part  to  communicate  His  love  to  others.  No 
strength  of  our  own  will  ever  be  enough. We  must  also  allow  God  to  use  the 
special talents we possess.  I  may not be able to preach like Peter or Paul,  but I 
might be able to make cookies for my elderly neighbor or play basketball with the 
kid next door. Caring actions often help to soften hearts and,  in this way,  people 
may be reached who otherwise would have no use for the Word of God.
2. Request power from God and believe that He will provide it. The Bible 
records many instances in which the Spirit was poured out on the believers after 
they had  prayed. This action indicated a willingness on their part to be  used  by 
God  and  a  belief  in  His  ability  to 
strengthen  and  care  for  them.  God 
wants volunteers who trust in Him even 
when  difficult  circumstances  seem 
impossible to overcome.
3.  Remain  faithful.  Life  is  never 
easy,  particularly for Christians whom 
Satan is attempting to discourage, dissuade, or destroy. In fact, many of the early 
church leaders died for their beliefs. Yet, in spite of the many trials and hardships 
they experienced, they were able to maintain their faith in God. Often we may be 
confronted with setbacks or disruptions that seem insurmountable. But take heart 
and  cling to the  One who will  never leave you or forsake you.  In the end,  your 
faithfulness will be rewarded.  Like Stephen, you will see God.
REACT
1.  Is it possible to bring new members into your church without the power of 
God?  Explain your answer.
2. Is being nice an effective way to share the gospel? Why or why not?
Christina Rasmussen, Berrien Springs,  Michigan

I  might be able to 
make cookies for my 
elderly neighbor.
2 3


T h u rs d a y
    Catch the Spirit's VisiorT|
O PINION
Acts 2:17
It  was  a  late,  muggy  summer  evening  in  England.  We  were  relaxing,  just 
kicking back, and killing another summer evening. Out of the blue, Jeroen asks, 
“How do you know if you are filled with the Holy Spirit?”
I  sputtered  a  lame  response:  “Ah,  you  just  know.  As  soon  as  you  accept 
Jesus, you receive the Holy Spirit.” But Jeroen was not satisfied. “Is it a feeling? 
Do you  really just know?  Do you think differently? How do you know?”
I was glad we were interrupted and never finished the conversation.  But the 
question has stayed with me for nearly two years.
I have an answer for you, Jeroen, finally! Young adults from around the world 
are  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  From  England  to  South  Africa,  from  the  Pacific 
Islands to North America, from the Far East to South America, young adults have 
caught the vision and are running with it.
Young adults in  England continue to make an impact on the streets of cities 
and  towns  across  the  United  Kingdom.  In  Australia,  young  adults  are  literally 
storming  the  streets  with  the  gospel  message.  In  North  America young  adults 
recently shared  their ministry dreams  at the  General  Conference  and  now  are 
living those dreams. In Africa and South America, young adults are the forerunners 
in more than 50 percent of the evangelism projects. Young people are establishing 
churches. Young adults are the pastors, the elders, and the deaconesses. In the 
Far East, students are preparing to enter China through service-oriented projects 
in a major evangelism project.
In  fact,  in  the  divisions  where  we  are  in  the  front  and  running  evangelism 
projects, the church is growing at a rate faster than in the divisions where young 
adults are in the back seat. One more fact: 80 percent of the church membership 
in the South  Pacific islands is young people under the age of 30.
How do you know if you are filled with the 
Holy  Spirit?  When  you  take  the  initiative  to 
step out and dream a new ministry. When you 
begin to live that ministry. When you step out 
of your comfort zone and  live with a tribe of 
people  in  Papua  New  Guinea just  because 
you want them to know Jesus as you do. When you are so on fire for God that you 
can’t contain it. When you catch the vision of the Holy Spirit and run with it. When 
you live Christ unashamedly. That’s when you are filled with the Holy Spirit!

I  have an answer 
for you, Jeroen, 
finally!
Marklynn Bazzy,  Berrien Springs,  Michigan 
24


Filled W ith  the Spirit  | 

Friday
July 7
EXPLORATION
Acts 4:33 
CONCLUDE
When we are united and willing to see people as God sees them, ourselves 
included,  God can fill  us with  His Spirit and the dreams that you dare to dream 
really do come true—not by wishing upon a star,  but by depending on the Maker 
of our universe for the vision and for the power.
CONSIDER
■   Dipping  or  pouring  a candle.  Every time  you  burn  it,  think  of  letting  your 
light shine through good works that glorify God.
■   Comparing and contrasting “easing human suffering” with “sharing the joy 
of the risen Savior." How are they alike? How are they different or distinct? 
Present your conclusions in an informative format.
■   Writing your own story of the time the Holy Spirit was the most real to you 
and what resulted in your church or in your life. Share this with your Sabbath 
School class.
■   Singing several songs about the Holy Spirit (use the topical index of popular 
song books for titles).  Choose some that would make a nice medley for a 
praise service.
■   Acting out trust in God by leading a blindfolded friend through an obstacle 
course.  If you  wish,  label  the  obstacles  with  things that are  problems  in 
your life.
■   Using a magnifying glass to focus the sun’s rays on dry leaves and start a 
small  fire  to  illustrate  what  it would  mean  for your group/class/church  to 
come together in one accord.
■   Closing your eyes and  visualizing  a new ministry—or new twist to an  old 
one—and where you  would fit  into  it.  Journal  as you  develop your vision 
and as you take each step in the transformation of your dream into reality.
CONNECT
Acts of the Apostles, chaps. 5, 27.
Philip Yancey,  What’s So Amazing About Grace; Dallas Willard,  The Spirit of
the Disciplines. 
Helene Hubbard, Bradenton,  Florida
25


Lesson 3
July 8-15
More than an
Occupation
"We are witnesses of these things, and so  is the  Holy 
Spirit, whom  God  has given to those who obey him" 
(Acts 5:32,  NIV).


____________________________________________  Sabbath
The W itness 
o f Shoeing Horses
INTRODUCTION
Acts 26:16
When  I  was a young Christian,  every so often  it happened that some of my 
older fellow Christians would ask me:  Don’t you think that God  might be calling 
you to become a youth leader? A Pathfinder guide? An editor or newswriter?
Usually I listened and wondered. At that time mostly my own thoughts went in 
other directions: engineering, shipping, foreign service, etc. Did I sense a conflict 
of  interests?  Could  I  serve  my  church  only  through  the  avenues  of  pastoring, 
teaching, or nursing?
Eventually  I  found  my call.  I  became convinced that God was calling  me to 
the ministry. I prepared for the ministry. And since then I have found myself doing 
a lot of things that were  included  in  my dreams as a young Christian. The inner 
feeling of being just where God wants one to 
be,  combined  with  the  experience  of doing 
something that is stimulating oneself and at 
the same time benefitting others, is the most 
fantastic joy that I  know.
No matter what your occupation,  God is 
able to use you as a witness for Him. “Get up 
and  stand  on your feet.  I  have appeared to 
you  to  appoint  you  as  a  servant  and  as  a 
witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you”  (Acts 26:16, NIV). 
According  to  Luther,  this  kind  of call  applies to  any  kind  of occupation,  and  he 
reckoned it to be just as spiritual to serve God by shoeing horses as to serve Him 
in any kind of denominational services.
Protestant churches  over the years  seem  to  have forgotten this. They  have 
promoted an idea that values the professional witness higher than the lay witness. 
God does not evaluate witnessing in terms of professional/lay involvement. God 
is more than willing to cooperate with any Christian.
According  to  Russell  Burrill:  “Adventism  was  born  as  a  dynamic,  mission- 
centered movement.  Passion for sharing the message reigned in the minds and 
hearts of the early pioneers. They labored until bone weary; they sacrificed health 
and possessions in attempting to reach the world with the saving news of Jesus 
Christ  and  the  third  angel’s  message.  Mission  drove  them!  Mission  motivated 
them!  Mission was the flame that burned within them!”*
*Revolution in the Church (Fallbrook, Calif.: Hart Research Center), p.  11.
Walder Hartmann,  Naerum,  Denmark

Protestant 
churches over 
the years seem to 
have forgotten 
this.

< 

J u ly  8
2 7


Sunday
July 9 N atural  Participants
LOGOS
Acts 5:12; 9:36; 12:5; 13:1-3; 16:6-10; 18:22, 23; 19:1-6, 8-12; 20:28; 21:8;
26:2-16; 2 Cor. 5:15-20; 1  Pet. 2:9
In Acts 26:2-16 Paul witnesses as a prisoner. Imprisonment seemed to be a 
common circumstance under which Christians witnessed (Heb. 10:34; 13:3). Here 
Paul  has an opportunity to address the Governor  Felix personally with some of 
the radical aspects of the gospel (Acts 24:25). Felix tries to evade any convictions 
about  Paul’s  message,  but  we  see  that  Paul  eagerly  grabs  this  opportunity  to 
witness bravely and honestly.
Christians  in the  New Testament participated  in the spread  of the  gospel  in 
many  different ways  and  under a variety of circumstances.  Some,  for example, 
witnessed as an immediate reaction to something that Christ or one of His followers 
had said or done. These responses, often spontaneous, could range from excited 
outbursts and shouts of joy (3:7,  8) to an  unstoppable urge to tell and  retell the 
experience  and  its  implications  (Luke  8:38,  39;  John  4:28,  29,  39,  40).  Others 
were  able  to  witness  as  a  result  of  sanctions,  confinement,  or  other  forms  of 
punishment (Acts 26:10). This was often the case with  Paul the apostle  (2 Cor. 
11:23).
Notice that witnessing did not always gain adherents to the Christian life. For 
example,  under the  heat of conviction,  Felix sneers at  Paul and  dismisses  him 
until  he feels  comfortable  enough  to  listen  to  Paul  again  (Acts 24:25). To  be  a 
witness would  at times  provoke  hostility,  ridicule,  or persecution  (26:11).  In  fact 
we derive our understanding  of the word martyr from the  idea of one who bore 
witness even though  it would cost one’s life.
You do  not need to  be a pastor or evangelist to be a witness.  In  1  Peter 2:9 
Peter refers to all Christians as witnesses, using the priestly terms that were once 
used exclusively for the nation of Israel: “chosen generation,” “holy nation,” and 
“royal  priesthood”  (KJV). These  are  key  concepts  in  the  Christian  teaching  we 
know as the priesthood of all  believers.  It shows  ultimately that by belonging to 
Christ all Christians are witnesses as opposed to only a select few. All Christians 
are obliged to express the gospel in their lives.
Some  New Testament  Christians  did,  however,  extend  their  witness  under 
specific mandates of the  Holy Spirit. Today we often  refer to such  mandates as 
“calls.” Though to be a Christian is to be called, not everyone will feel called in the 
same way or to the same challenges.  Some Christians were mandated to take 
care of one or more of the growing number of groups of believers. These were the 
early  Christian  pastors.  Others were  mandated  to  take the  gospel  strategically 
and systematically beyond its confines to other countries and communities. These 
we often refer to as evangelists (the word evangelist is used in only three places 
in the  New Testament: Acts 21:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Ephesians 4:11).  Peter and the 
other  apostles  saw  themselves  in  this  category  of  mandated  believers. Their 
specific contributions to the church’s witness was not particularly to work among
2 8


existing  believers  (Acts  6:2,  4),  but  rather to  give  their efforts to  prayer and  to 
emphasize teaching the gospel to those who had not yet heard it.
Paul  the  apostle  was  also 
mandated  to  carry  the  Christian 
message generally to those outside 
the  community  of  believers  and 
specifically to non-Jews (Acts 9:15;
Rom.  15:15-18).  Neither  the  12 
apostles nor Paul saw their roles as 
superior to that of other Christians.
(This is the main argument of 1  Corinthians 12.) The apostles and Paul, however, 
did  regard  their work  as  crucial  to  the  ongoing  witness  of the  whole  Christian 
movement and an act of obedience to Jesus (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 26:16-18).
Each  New Testament witness  could  not  express  the  entirety  of the  gospel 
and all  its implications  (John 20:30,  31; 21:25); but each,  in his or her own way, 
was a participant in expressing the truth about Jesus.  For some, their immediate 
intention was not necessarily to proselytize, but often that was the inevitable effect 
of their witness—what they said  and  the  way they  lived  (1  Thess.  1:8,  9). That 
thought might help us toward experiencing Christianity more as a way of life than 
merely as a job to be done.
REACT
1. What words do Christians use today to refer to witnessing?
2. How could expressing the idea of witnessing in new ways encourage more 
Christians in their personal witness?
3. To preach is to witness but to witness is not necessarily to preach. Explain 
why you agree or disagree with this statement.
4. What is, for you, the most natural or genuine way to witness?
5. How  do  you  think  your  personal  witness  will  help  someone  become  a 
practicing Christian? Be specific.
6. What would you  do if someone  in your neighborhood or local community 
asked you  how they could become a Seventh-day Adventist?  Be specific.
7. What place,  if any,  do verses like Luke  12:8,  9 have in a discussion about 
witnessing?
8.  Given  that according  to  the  New Testament  all  Christians  are  witnesses 
and  ministers,  and  given the vast  number of  unreached  people,  should  official, 
paid pastors of existing churches be the exception or the rule? Explain your answer.
9. The vast  majority of Christian  resources—financial  and  human—is spent 
in areas with existing groups of Christians. What do you think are the advantages 
and disadvantages of this?
10.  What  practical  steps  could  help  us  take  the  gospel  strategically  and 
systematically to people in our own neighborhoods?
Robert J. Fisher,  Daugaard,  Denmark

N ot everyone will feel 
called  in the same way 
or to the same 
challenges.
2 9


M onday
uly 10 K eeping C o nn ected
TESTIMONY
John  15:15,  16
In John  15 Jesus talks about the vine and the branches.  He tries to explain 
the  purpose  of  God’s  mission.  Jesus  the  vine—we  the  branches. What  kind  of 
value does a vine have without branches? Using a metaphor, Jesus explains the 
importance  of the  connection  between  vine  and  branches  (John  15:1-6).  After 
talking symbolically,  He continues on a personal level (verse 7).
How  strange  it  sounds  when  Jesus,  in  verse  15,  continues:  “I’m  no  longer 
calling  you  servants  because  servants  don’t  understand  what  their  master  is 
thinking and planning” (The Message).
To  understand this statement,  we need to have an  idea of oriental  habits. A 
servant was treated as a slave. Students were treated as servants of their teacher
because they followed  his  instructions.  Because 
teachers feared rivalry, intrigue, and competition, 
they  didn’t  share  all  their  knowledge  with  their 
students.  Jesus  was  completely  different.  He 
wanted His disciples—now new friends—to grow 
in  knowledge  so  they  were  able  to  replace  Him 
when He was gone. They weren’t His competitors; 
they were  much  more  His  heirs.  But that wasn’t all  He had to say: “You  did  not 
choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will 
last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (verse 16, NIV).
What a Jesus! Doesn’t everything in us strive against this idea? We would like 
to choose and be independent. We would like to earn praise and make a career. 
But Jesus takes away all our illusions. When He calls us to be His witnesses,  He 
has  one  purpose  in  mind—to  bear  everlasting  fruit.  All  selfishness  and  self- 
glorification is gone. The purpose of a witness isn’t to point to oneself. It is much 
more to share what one has experienced.  In  reaching out to people, Jesus was 
an example.  He came down to earth to bring people into a new relationship with 
God.
Our world  needs witnesses,  people  who are willing to share what God  has 
done  for  them  through  Jesus  Christ.  People  are  wanted  who  will  walk  in  His 
footsteps,  people who are willing to leave their own secure world.
Because God left His realm and came down to earth, we can be saved. Now 
He is searching for followers who are willing to listen and change their lifestyles. 
He seeks  people  who  realize  that  they  are  envoys  and  not  masters;  followers 
who are willing to give up their ideas and go to places where people are in need 
of Christ.
God makes no distinction among people.  He “wants all men to be saved and 
to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1  Tim. 2:4,  NIV).
Burkhard Olschewski, Bern,  Switzerland

Jesus takes 
away all  our 
illusions. 
3 0


The  Lecture Hall 
o f Tyrannus 

Tuesday
July 11
EVIDENCE
Acts 19:8-10
The  events  in  today's  key text are  surprising,  to  say the  least. Often  I  have 
received  the  advice:  “Don’t  let your  studies  destroy your faith.  Remember the 
church!” and so have probably many believers engaging in nontheological studies. 
Yet the text tells  how  Paul  left the synagogue and entered a school,  continuing 
his ministry there.  Why would  Paul do such a thing? Surely the synagogue—or 
the church, in our terminology—is the right place for preaching.  Had there been 
committees at that time, certainly one of them would be worried by this step.
Paul thought differently, and apparently it was a wise decision. In verse 10 we 
are told  how “this went on for two years,  so that all the Jews and  Greeks who 
lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (NIV).
Paul chose to move his ministry to a more open forum, a place where debate 
was the norm. There is a point for us to learn in Paul’s choice of place for preaching. 
At the surface there seems to be a conflict between the discussions of a lecture 
hall and true ministry. Discussions are about being critical: Never take anything at 
face  value.  Ministry  is  about  getting  people  to  do  just  that:  taking  God’s 
unconditional  love at face value. To believe  it.
Today this  conflict  is  artificial,  if  it ever was  real. As  the  world  is  becoming 
more and more educated, faith cannot be brought about by a chain of arguments 
based on prophecies and timelines.  People generally do not trust a person or a 
message  with  too 
many answers, so it is 
essential  that  we 
“take  our  ministry  to 
the  lecture  hall,”  and 
openly  discuss  our 
questions as well as our answers. A ministry embracing the unanswered questions 
of faith while preaching the wonderful answers we do have, is much more credible 
to a world fed up with “final truths” and the disappointments they inevitably bring.
This,  I  think,  is  what  Paul’s  move  into  the  lecture  halls  teaches  us.  And  a 
tremendous relief it is for those of us with at least as many questions as answers: 
we may equally well be ministers and witnesses for God.
REACT
1.  How can the  gospel  bless some  people with  questions and other people 
with answers?
2.  Do you agree that final truths inevitably bring disappointments?
Peter Andreasen,  Copenhagen,  Denmark

Paul  chose to  move  his ministry 
to a m ore open forum
31


    W h ich   Part D o   I  Play?  \
HOW -TO
1  Cor.  12:4-11
In the Bible the church is compared to a body. A body functions best when all 
parts work (1  Cor. 12:12),  not individually but together, coordinated by the brain. 
In our church the brain is,  hopefully,  God. We are the body parts.
Our key text defines the spiritual gifts that are available to us through the Holy 
Spirit.  But what resources do we actually have in our church?  How do we detect 
these gifts?
Identify your spiritual  gifts. A spiritual  gift doesn’t come  prepackaged,  but 
has to develop. It’s often hidden within us. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you find 
it.  Have  people you can trust help you  detect where your strength  lies.  Spiritual 
gifts are tools to be used in furthering God’s work.
Encourage one another. Learn to appreciate all gifts.  Not only the obvious 
ones  but also the  hidden  ones. We are all  different and  are  maturing  in  various 
ways in our faith, so be considerate and encouraging. Remember that one spiritual 
gift is not more important than the other.
Work  together. We  are all  needed  in  witnessing  the  Gospel  (Rom.  8:30). 
Witnessing can  be more than singing,  preaching,  or teaching a Sabbath  School 
class. Being a friend,  listening, or even praying in silence can be just as effective
a testimony of God’s love to others.
The  most  powerful  way  of  witnessing  is 
no doubt the way we live our lives. Can people 
tell  that  Jesus  lives  in  your  heart?  Do  you 
witness to others by the way you live your life?
If Yes, wonderful! But are you really being 
honest,  or are you trying to score points with 
God? He sees through  hypocrisy.
If No, why don’t you? Have you been discouraged one way or another? Have 
you  ever  considered  that  you  might  already  be  witnessing  without  knowing  it? 
What is your definition of witnessing?  Does it have to be conducted in a specific 
way? What works in one church  might not in another.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” 
(James  1:22,  NIV).
Remember that  God  is  calling  you  to  play  a  part  in  spreading  the  gospel. 
Don't be afraid to try your own limits, but only you can choose which part to play. 
“We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given 
to those who obey him” (Acts 5:32).

W ednesday 
Caroline Lundqvist,  Silkeborg,  Denmark

Spiritual gifts are 
tools to  be  used 
in furthering 
God's work. 
3 2


T h u rs d a y
Everyone  Is a M in ister  I------- 

O PINION
Acts 1:8
When  Christ ascended  to  heaven,  He  left  His followers with  a  mission.  He 
sent out all His disciples to work for Him, and when they had finished the work He 
would  return. That  same  challenge  faces  every  professing  Christian  today:  to 
take up the cross and tell the whole earth about Christ. This is our mission—not 
only that of the preacher.  Each  of us must take on the  responsibility to witness. 
We have our different talents and spiritual gifts, but we have one common goal: to 
represent and glorify Christ.
Are we indeed witnessing to people around us? Are we filled with the same 
joy in our hearts that Mary felt when she—as the first of Christ’s followers—was 
sent to witness with the message: He is risen? Are we filled with the same joy and 
urgency to tell  our families,  friends,  colleagues,  and  neighbors  about Him?  Are 
we carrying our cross? Are we glowing for Christ?  May we expect,  when  Christ 
returns,  to  hear “Well  done  thou  good  and 
faithful servant”?
The  nature  of  a  Christian’s  experience 
includes  sharing  the  good  news.  This  has 
never  changed.  Our  mission  is  no  different 
today from  that  at  the  time  of  Christ.  Have 
we  changed?  Why  are  some  of  us  so 
reluctant to  minister on  His behalf?  Each  of 
us has at least one talent that can be used in 
reaching out to our fellow humanity.
God does expect me to help out. God intended for me to work and take part in 
His work, and only in actively doing this will  I at His return be able to listen to His 
words of appreciation.
REACT
1.  What specific factors work against our enthusiasm for sharing the gospel 
with our families, friends, and colleagues? What can we do to combat those factors?
2.  What  gifts  has  God  given  you  to  help  build  up  His  kingdom,  and  what 
specific ways can you use them this week? 

O ur mission  is 
no different 
today from that 
at the tim e of 
Christ.
Solveig M. Nutzhorn,  Naerum,  Denmark
33


Friday
July 14 " Light M y  Fire" ~|
EXPLORATION
Acts 2:1-21 
CONCLUDE
An  employer  challenged  his  employees:  “Those  who  are  not  fired  with 
enthusiasm,  will  be fired—with  enthusiasm!” The word enthusiasm derives from 
two Greek words that literally mean “in  God.” We are transformed when  we are 
“in God,” and this transformation renders us as enthusiastic witnesses. Wherever 
there  is true church,  there  is  mission. A  nonwitnessing  church  is an  oxymoron. 
Our God-given  mission  is worship and witness and  is  reflected  in  what is often 
called The Great Commission (see Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 1:8). The early church 
embodied this.  So should we.
CONSIDER
■   Listing  10 to  12  activities  that some  have  called  witnessing.  Rank them, 
from the most effective to the least effective,  making notes to explain your 
evaluation.
■   Listening to, or singing,  Kurt Kaiser’s song Pass It On. Then think about, or 
discuss with friends,  ideas you can use to create the sparks.
■   Praying for a friend who has not accepted Jesus, asking God to show you 
how you can be used to reach him or her.
■   Walking  through  your  neighborhood  in  the  early  evening,  making  mental 
notes  about who your neighbors  are,  thinking  in  terms  of how you  might 
witness to those who are older, younger, or different from you ethnically or 
economically.
■   Gathering  information  about countries where the gospel  has struggled  to 
advance and then plotting the information on a world map.
■   Observing the elements of nature; then write out how these silent witnesses 
testify about God (see Ps.  19:1-4).
■   Watching  the  video,  The  Mission,  focusing  on  what  motivated  the 
missionaries.
CONNECT
Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:17-20; John  15:26, 27.
The Acts of the Apostles, chap. 5.
Paul  Little,  How  to  Give  Away  Your  Faith;  Rebecca  Pippert,  Out  of  the
Saltshaker; Paul Aldrich, Lifestyle Evangelism.
Dan Solis,  College Place,  Washington
3 4


Lesson 4
July 15-22
The Target
audience
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; 
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea 
and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8, NIV).


Sabbath
July 15 C hanging O u r Focus j
INTRODUCTION
Acts 1:8
I  have heard it said that the best way to be an effective witness is just to live 
a  good  life  and  let  people  learn  by  observing.  I’ve  also  talked  with  those  who 
suggest that aggressive evangelizing  is the only way to win  people for God. Yet 
somehow  in  this vigorous discussion  of what we should  be doing,  we overlook 
whom we are trying to influence.  It seems to me that this is our biggest problem.
To witness is to relate to someone what you have seen or experienced. What 
we  have  experienced  is  the  salvation  of  a  loving,  listening  God. To  put  this 
successfully  into  action  is  not  to  act—at  least  not  in  traditional  terms—but  to 
listen. To  listen to what others  have to say, to win their trust so that through  our
love  for  them  they  will  ultimately 
understand  the  Father’s  love.  We 
are  called  to  witness—to  share 
what we have seen. But in the term 
share lies the key. We must receive 
as we are giving,  learn from those 
around  us,  and  offer  them  our 
friendship as we are offering them 
Christ’s story. A person may initially 
refuse the church, but a genuine friend is rarely turned away. We must be focused— 
first  on  God—but  second  on  those  we  witness  to:  civil  authorities,  children, 
intellectuals, even non-Christians who might at first reject us.
Christ did  not travel  around  the  Galilean  countryside  simply to  preach  and 
move on. Instead, in addition to talking with those He met, Jesus listened. Children 
flocked around Him, chattering questions in addition to hearing stories.The church 
leaders  and  Intellectuals who  met Jesus found  not only a  man  willing to teach 
them  but one who offered them  His friendship.
When we become overwhelmed by the thought of witnessing to the multitude 
of different kinds of people in the world, we can find comfort in Jesus’ example. It 
may be difficult to preach to an unwilling audience, but there are few people who 
would reject a friend. What kinds of people do you encounter on a regular basis? 
Whom  do you  most easily connect with,  and  how can you stretch your comfort 
zone to reach out to others? How can you initiate a friendship with someone who 
needs to know the Lord? More importantly, when will you initiate a friendship with 
someone  who  doesn’t  know what you  know—that we  have  been  saved  by an 
awesome God who offers not just His grace but His love.
Amy Bauer,  St. Helena,  California

Christ did  not travel the 
Galilean  countryside 
simply to  preach and 
move on. 
3 6


The P otent In g red ien t  |~ 

Sunday
July 16
EVIDENCE
John  14:16,  17; Acts 1:8
Before Christ ascended to  heaven,  He promised  His disciples a  Helper that 
would guide them through the climactic events of the end times. Jesus was referring 
to another person in the Trinity. “I will ask the Father and he will give you another 
Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads 
into  all  truth”  (John  14:16,  17,  TLB).  This  promise  gave  hope  for  the 
misunderstandings of Christ’s departure. The Lord continued His promise when 
He said He would never leave or forsake His people back in the Old Testament. In 
other words, Jesus is still with us now—not in human form,  but in Spirit.
When the apostles were  commissioned,  they were  not to depend solely on 
their  talents  or  techniques.  Instead,  they  were  given  a  potent  ingredient  that 
guaranteed  ultimate  success.  The  Lord  told  them  that  they  would  receive  the 
power of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word used for power here is dunamis. This is 
where our English word dynamite comes from.1 Witnessing without the Holy Spirit 
is like baking bread without yeast.
So, why aren’t we taking advantage of a gift provided for us as we share the 
good news? And if we decide to use the Holy Spirit, how do we cooperate without 
getting in the way? I’m sure that one can witness without using the Spirit, but this 
will eventually lead to failure.
First of all, the Spirit transforms us. “When the Spirit of God takes possession 
of the  heart,  it transforms the  life.  Sinful  thoughts  are  put  away,  evil  deeds  are 
renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy 
takes  the  place  of  sadness,  and  the 
countenance  reflects  the  light  of 
heaven.”2
Not  only  does  the  Holy  Spirit 
change  us  into  better  witnesses,  but 
He  also  convicts  the  unconsecrated 
Into accepting Christ. “But it is the Spirit 
of God moving upon the heart that will 
give true success.”3 We must remember that we are mere instruments. The Spirit 
provides us the right words to speak in specific situations.  When we have come 
to accept Christ, it is our duty to share the grace of Christ with everyone we come 
in contact with.  If we are willing to surrender ourselves wholly to His service and 
cooperate with divine guidance, then our work will  have dynamic results.

Witnessing w ithout 
the  Holy Spirit is like 
baking bread w ithout 
yeast.
1. The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 124.
2. The Desire of Ages, p.  173.
3. Colporteur Ministry, p.  108. 
Virgil Bello, Jr., Angwin,  California
3 7


M onday
July 17 Faith, Reason,
and th e Cities  |
LOGOS
Prov. 22:6; Mark  10:13-16; Acts 4:1-7; 6:7; 8:9-19; 10;  13:6, 7; 17:16-34; 
19:18-20
It is not unusual to hear critics declare religion to be the antithesis of reason. 
Even  some  Christians  manifest  similar  sentiments,  suggesting  that  logic  and 
reasoning  make for cold  religion.  Some  have suggested that reason  should  be 
subordinate to faith.
Paul’s  display  of  eloquence  on  Mars  Hill  in  Athens,  however,  testifies  that 
reason  and  faith  are  complementary and  not  opposite  poles. At  Mars  Hill  Paul 
demonstrated that reason could be one of Christianity’s strongest influences.
Reading  Acts  17:16-34  makes  us  aware  that  Paul  was  not timid  in  setting 
before  the  Athenians  a  rational  gospel.  He  was  not  hesitant  to  appeal  to 
philosophers and poets of his time in a manner that was relevant to his audience. 
Rather,  by his appeal to the  intellect,  Paul demonstrated that Christianity was a 
rational religion, just as rational and intellectual as Greek philosophy (Acts 17:16- 
34). But more importantly, he demonstrated how the Holy Spirit can use the gift of 
wisdom to spread the gospel.
Paul  used  logic,  but not just to enhance his preaching.  He employed logical 
methods and strategies to carry the gospel  beyond  rural  Palestine and  into the 
stronghold of the Roman Empire: the cities.
Historians today agree that a great part of the success of Christianity in the 
Western world resulted from the evangelization of the cities. They also agree that 
Paul played a key role in the process.
Cities  were  the  great  centers  of  intellectual  activity,  power,  and  social
interchange.  Paul  was  cognizant  of 
this. Hence, he planted the seed of the 
gospel  in  the  centers  of  learning— 
Athens,  Ephesus,  and  Corinth.  With 
such strategies he was able to  reach 
people  of  different  social  and 
intellectual  levels.  Not  only  did  he 
reach the humble, but the affluent and 
influential as well. This influential and  upper-class component of the church  has
often  been neglected,  but  it forms  an important aspect of  Paul’s contribution  to
the development of Christianity.
For  example,  in  1  Corinthians  1:26  Paul  mentions  that not  many of  the 
Corinthians were wise, wealthy, or powerful by worldly standards. By implication, 
there must have been at least a few that were wise, wealthy, powerful, and upper- 
class  citizens  (of  noble  birth). Their  presence  in  the  church  is  attested  to  by 
individuals such as Chloe, an estate owner (verse  11), and Gaius, who owned a

N ot only did  he  reach 
the humble,  but the 
affluent and  influential 
as well. 
3 8


house  large  enough to accommodate the  entire church  (Rom.  16:23).  Erastus, 
Corinth’s “city treasurer,” is mentioned in Romans 16:23. This name, appearing in 
a Corinthian inscription found in Corinth in 1929, is believed to correspond to the 
biblical  character.  The  archaeological  piece  describes  this  Erastus  as  “city 
administrator” and benefactor. It is relevant to note that city officials often funded 
public projects from personal funds, so it may be safe to infer that they must have 
been persons of significant means.
Although not recorded in Scripture, we know several other persons that may 
have  been  influenced  by Paul’s ministry to the cities. One of these is  Pomponia 
Graecina (the Greek). She is described by Roman historian Tacitus as a woman 
of the senatorial class (the highest of six Roman classes) who adopted a strange 
form of religion in A.D. 57. This is the time around which 1  Corinthians was written. 
Historians today agree that Pomponia was a converted Christian.*
There is no doubt of the impact that Paul’s ministry had on the early Christian 
church. God used the apostle Paul in a very special way. We are just left to wonder 
what Christianity would have looked like without Paul’s visit to Athens and Corinth.
REACT
1.  In 1  Corinthians 1:17-2:18,  Paul seems to be undermining the importance 
of wisdom. Was he contradicting  himself?  Explain your answer.
2. Compare 1  Corinthians 2:6, 7. Do you see any distinction of how Paul uses 
the term wisdom in the two verses? In context, explain what kind of wisdom Paul 
was denigrating.
3. Read Romans 12:1  in the New International Version. Why,  in your opinion, 
was the word “reasonable” (original Greek, logike) placed as a footnote instead of 
being included in the main text? Compare different versions of this text.
4.  If  it’s the  Holy Spirit’s  role to convict people to accept Christ,  is  it  right to 
teach various witnessing methods to influence people to make decisions? Why or 
why not?
5. What are the signs of witnessing by human power rather than Holy Spirit 
power?
'Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (San Francisco: Harper-Collins,  1997), p. 31.
Angel Hernandez, Angwin,  California 
39


Tuesday
uly 18 How 's  Y o u r Reception?  I
TESTIMONY
Acts 10
Cornelius was a “righteous and God-fearing man,  .  .  .  well spoken of by the 
whole Jewish nation” (Acts 10:22, NIV).  Ellen White continues, “Believing in God 
as the  Creator of heaven  and  earth,  Cornelius  revered  Him,  acknowledged  His 
authority, and sought His counsel in all the affairs of life—  He dared not attempt 
to carry out his plans or to bear his responsibilities without the help of God.”1 
“As His representatives among men, God does not choose angels who have 
never fallen,  but  human  beings,  men  of  like  passions  with  those  they  seek  to 
save.  Christ took  humanity that  He  might  reach  humanity.  .  .  .  And  to  men  and 
women has been committed the sacred trust of making known ‘the unsearchable 
riches of Christ.’ Ephesians 3:8.”
“In His wisdom the Lord brings those who are seeking for truth into touch with
fellow beings who know the truth. It 
is the plan of Heaven that those who 
have received light shall impart it to 
those in darkness.” 2
“It  was  not  for  physical  food 
alone that  Peter  hungered  . . .   he 
hungered  for  the  salvation  of  his 
countrymen.. . .   It revealed to him the purpose of God . . .  the world-wide extent 
of the divine plan  .  .  . that through Christ the heathen may be made partakers of 
the blessings and privileges of the gospel.”3
“In obedience to the directions just received from God, the apostle promised 
to go with them.”4 “Today God is seeking for souls among the high as well as the 
lowly. There are many like Cornelius, men whom the Lord desires to connect with 
His work in  the world. Their sympathies are  with  the  Lord’s  people,  but the ties 
that bind them to the world hold them firmly.... Special efforts should be made for 
these  souls,  who  are  in  so  great  danger,  because  of their  responsibilities  and 
associations.”
“God calls for earnest, humble workers, who will carry the gospel to the higher 
class... .  There are in our world  many who are  nearer the kingdom of God than 
we suppose. In this dark world of sin the Lord has many precious jewels, to whom 
He will  guide  His  messengers.  .  .  .  Constrained  by the  love  of Christ,  they will 
constrain others to come to Him.” 5
1. The Acts of the Apostles, p.  133.
2. Ibid., p.  134.
3. Ibid., pp.  135,  136.
4. Ibid., p.  137.
5.  Ibid., pp.  139,  141. 
Jessica M. Shine,  Coquille,  Oregon

God  is seeking for souls 
among the high as well 
as the  lowly. 
4 0


W ednesday
D o in g  Som ething 
J u ly  19
at H o m e
HOW -TO
Matt. 28:17
Growing up as Adventists, we always pictured missionaries going off into the 
world  and  preaching  the  message.  These  stories  of  courage  and  of  sacrifice 
encouraged  us  to  go  out  one  day and  do  the  same.  So  when  the  opportunity 
came along in college,  I decided to follow that route. After all, didn’t Christ say to 
us  to  “go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations”?  (Matt.  28:19,  KJV).  With  this  in 
mind, I spent an exciting and rewarding year in Japan. Many are the experiences 
that I could relate to you, but I  realized something when  I  returned home.
It  is  extraordinary to  be  able  to  go  to  the  mission  field  and  witness for the 
Lord, but it is a lot harder to do so in your own backyard! As a student missionary, 
you devote all your time to doing the Lord’s work. But at home you have so much 
going on  in your life that you do not allow time to witness. You tend to forget the 
commission in Matthew 28.
Now, we  may not  have the time or the  resources to go out into the  mission 
field,  but we can  do  something  here at home.  Even  if we  are shy,  the  Lord can 
work through  us.  Here are some suggestions:
1.  Be  like  Him. Everything  we  do  or say should  be  Christlike.  Our actions 
should  be  telling  others  who  we 
are.  Living in this world, some will 
wonder why  we  live  our  lifestyle.
When we are willing to explain it to 
them,  it  gives  us  a  chance  to  tell 
others about Christ.
2. Always be receptive and communicate. Most people think that we should 
just preach to people the message and they should listen. But it is also important 
for us to  listen  to what they  have to say. Why are they  refusing to listen?  If you 
need  help explaining a concept, talk to your pastor or others better qualified for 
help.
3. Be excited about the Word. If we are not excited about Christ, then  how 
can we tell others about Him? When you go about your daily routine, think about 
all  the  good  the  Lord  has  done  for  you  and  smile.  When  asked  why  you  are 
smiling, you  know what to do.
When  you  answer the  question,  What  does  being  a witness  mean  to you? 
you  will  then  know  what you  can  do. All  these  little things  you  do will  bring  up 
questions in people’s minds. Planting these little seeds of curiosity will open up a 
path that the Lord can use to touch people.
Ivan Glaze, Angwln,  California

Witnessing is a lot harder 
in your own  backyard!
41


Thursday
uly 20 Fire and  Brim stone  |
OPINION
John 3:18-21
Why  does  no  one  talk  about  damnation  these  days?  We  say  plenty  about 
grace,  love, and salvation,  but no one asks, “Salvation from what?” We’ll talk for 
days about sex or better communication  between  spouses,  but  never once will 
the words hell or damnation come up. Have we given up those outdated notions?
We  live in a time of rabid  individualism. We are bombarded by messages to 
stand  out.  Some  results  of  this  are  sickening,  such  as  the  shameless  use  of 
individualism by huge corporations to promote their mass-produced products, as
if buying the same item as millions of 
others  is  going  to  make  one  unique. 
There  are  some  good  points  to  this 
trend,  such  as  increased  respect for 
other cultures. The fact that people are 
different  from  us  is  no  longer  an 
acceptable  reason  to  oppress  them. 
However, we have gone too far. We are afraid to tell others that the way they are 
living is wrong, that they will be damned if they continue to live that way. We are 
afraid to try to convince people of other religions that their beliefs are wrong. If we 
believe that the Bible and Christianity contain truth, why are we afraid to say so?
Part of the  problem  lies  in  the  bad  example  of others claiming to  do  God’s 
work.  So-called  Christians  bomb  abortion  clinics,  beat  gay  people,  and  extort 
millions  of  dollars  through  televangelism. This  is  a  tragic  misrepresentation  of 
Christianity.  Because  of  these  influences,  people  hear  the  word  hell  and 
immediately tune out.
Damnation is an important concept.  If I were dying  I would want someone to 
tell me, especially if I could prevent it. The only way we can talk about complete 
Christianity is in the context of a loving friendship. When I talk to my friends, I can 
say things that I wouldn’t say to a stranger. This is because my friends know that 
I love them, that nothing I say is meant to put them down. Of course, if I say things 
impolitely,  they  probably won’t  be  my friends for  long;  but  I  can  be  considerate 
and  not  water  down  what  I  say. To  witness,  we  must  have  the  compassion  to 
become friends with everyone and the courage to tell the whole truth about the 
gospel.
REACT
1. How is it possible to talk about damnation without using it as a scare tactic?
2. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were told to wipe out the heathen 
nations  surrounding  Canaan.  What  are  the  parallels,  if  any,  between  this  and 
abortion clinic bombings?
Dennis Brand, Angwin,  California

People  hear the word 
hell and  im m ediately 
tune out. 
4 2


Friday
In to  A l l the W o rld 
Ju ly 21
EXPLORATION
Matt. 24:14
CONCLUDE
We’ve all  heard of the great commission,  but sometimes we act as if it were 
intended  only for ordained  ministers.  It  isn’t just for  ministers;  it’s  for everyone 
who loves Jesus. We also sometimes fail to carry out our commission by neglecting 
to  reach  all  potential  believers,  regardless  of  their  economic  or  social  status. 
Often we overlook two vital ingredients of successful witnessing: the power of the 
Holy Spirit and the power of friendship.  God  has a love message for everyone, 
and a special someone whom He has chosen to deliver it. That someone can be 
you or me if we will only allow Him to use us.
CONSIDER
■   Extending  friendship  to  someone  you  don’t  know well  and  who  wouldn’t 
normally be included  in your social circle.  Invite a newcomer at church to 
dinner at your house, or ask a new coworker to join you for lunch.
■   Getting  involved  in  inner-city outreach,  i.e.,  a street-evangelism program, 
puppet  ministry,  food-for-the-homeless  project,  or  community  health- 
screening program.
■   Starting a prayer journal that specifically relates to outreach.  Pray daily for 
new  witnessing  opportunities.  Then  chronicle  your  experiences  in  your 
journal.  Share these stories with others whenever you can.
■   Getting together with some friends to talk about how to witness effectively. 
Have pairs role play typical situations. Then as a group,  discuss how they 
did and what they could have done better or differently.
■   Reading Galatians 5:22, 23 and listing the fruits of the Spirit. Then choose 
one item from the list and brainstorm ideas on how you can use this fruit to 
witness in a new and different way.
■   Writing  a poem  about what Jesus  means to you or what  He  has done  in 
your life. Design a greeting card, using the poem as your text. Decorate the 
card attractively and send it to someone who needs encouragement.
CONNECT
Mark 2:14,  15; John 4:7-9; 7:13; Matthew 10:32, 33; 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2.
Conflict and Courage, p. 249; The Upward Look,  p. 264.
Philip G. Samaan, Christ’s Way of Reaching People; Daniel W. O’Ffill,  What
to Say in a  Whole New Way: New Words for Witnessing.
Pat Humphrey,  Keene,  Texas
43


Lesson 5 
Ju ly 22-29
Please Speak up!
"We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and 
heard" (Acts 4:20, NIV).


Sabbath
A  W itness Tiil the  End  |------ 

INTRODUCTION
Acts 4:20
Recently a friend sent me this story over the Internet about the purpose of life 
which spoke to me of the importance of witnessing by our lives.
In  the  days  when  an  ice  cream  sundae  cost  much  less,  a  10-year-old  boy 
named Timmy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat down at a table. The waitress 
put  a  glass  of  water  in  front  of  him.  “How  much  is  an  ice  cream  sundae?”  he 
asked.
“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. Timmy pulled his hand out of his pocket and 
studied a number of coins in it.
“How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he inquired. Some people were now 
waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.
‘Thirty-five cents,” she said brusquely.Timmy patiently counted the coins again.
“I’ll  have the  plain  ice cream,”  he  said. The waitress  brought the  ice cream, 
put the bill on the table and walked away. Timmy finished the ice cream,  paid the 
cashier,  and  departed. When  the waitress  came  back,  she  began  wiping  down 
the table and then swallowed hard at what 
she saw. There, placed neatly beside the 
empty  dish,  were  two  nickels  and  five 
pennies—her tip.
Let’s remember as we go through this 
week about the little things that Christ has 
done  for  us.  Let’s  not  neglect  the 
importance of sharing  our Christian  experiences with our family and friends,  as 
they can serve as first hand accounts of Christ’s power within our lives.
Talk about Jesus, think about Him, ponder what He would have done in your 
place. You see, that’s the important question. And people will notice,  even  if they 
don’t show  it. Take the  above  story for example. What does this  boy’s  example 
say about Christ’s way of dealing with people? Can we see Christ’s love operating 
in  such  a simple,  generous  act?  Can  we  go further and  witness  to  His  love  by 
sharing what He has done?
As  you  study  this  week’s  lesson,  try  to  put  yourself  in  situations  in  which 
someone  is witnessing to Christ and  see if you would  be convinced about Him. 
Do you have something to share? “For we cannot help speaking about what we 
have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20,  NIV). 

"H ow  much  is a dish 
of plain  ice cream?" 
he inquired.
Mario Carcamo, Jr.,  London,  Ontario 
45


Sunday
July 23 A ction W ords
D e m a n d  A ction
LOGOS
John  15:26,  27; Acts 5:32, 42;  8:1-8;  14:20-22;  15:35;  17:2, 3;  18:5,  9;  20:20; 
28:23, 24
As you are sleeping one day, you are awakened to your little brother shouting, 
“Fire!  Get  out  of  the  house!” at  his  toy  soldiers  nearby. The  feeling  invoked  is 
nothing short of annoyance. You tell him to shut up, and you are back to sleep in 
minutes.
The next morning again your brother shouts, “Fire! Get out of the house!” Two 
times in a row your sweet slumber has been disturbed. As you sit up to shout at 
him, you notice the smoke that has begun to creep up to the ceiling through the 
half-open door. The thought of going back to sleep leaves your mind, and you are 
fully awake.
Words in themselves do not carry much meaning. We usually determine their 
importance by the circumstances that accompany them.  If you had gone back to 
sleep the second time, what could have happened?
Healing a Lame Man (Acts 3:1-4:22)
In  Acts  3  a  lame  man  is  healed  by  Peter  and  John  and  becomes  living 
testimony because the miracle that had been wrought could not be denied. This 
man  simply  proclaimed  what  God  had  done  for  him,  and  it  resulted  In  many 
people  glorifying  God,  laying  the  foundation  for the  apostles  to  build  on. The 
apostles then taught and proceeded to prove that it was through Christ’s power 
that the man had been healed, showing them from the Scriptures that what the 
prophets predicted had come to pass.
Arrested for Teaching (Acts 4:8-12,  Luke 12:8-12)
The  two  apostles  continued  to  preach  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  until  the 
priests  and  the  Sadducees  came  and  arrested  them  (because  the  apostles’ 
teaching was contrary to their law). Led by the Holy Spirit, Peter proclaimed that 
Christ’s power was what healed the man and that only through Christ can one be 
saved. The promise in Luke 12:8-12, of Christ confessing us before the angels of 
God if we confess Him before men, no doubt resonated in Peter’s mind. The Holy 
Spirit’s leading was also a direct fulfillment of what Christ promised in verse 12.
In  these  events,  sequence  is  uncovered  that  is  echoed  in  other  stories.  A 
healing  takes  place,  testimony  is  offered,  and  teaching  follows  that  uses  the 
Scriptures to show that Jesus  is the Christ. The  result  is confrontation with the 
authorities and conversion of many people.
Letting God Lead (Acts 11:15-18)
The apostles were not always successful when it came to convincing people
46


to  accept fully what they said,  even  after going through  the  sequence  outlined 
above  (Acts  28:23,  24). The  apostles  were  not  discouraged,  though,  because 
they knew that people who were Christ’s true children would hear His voice and 
follow  Him  (John  10:27).  In  addition,  persecution  served  to  strengthen  them 
because it was simply a more direct fulfillment of Christ’s words (15:20).
Cornelius was one of those who heard  His voice. This took the apostles  by 
surprise because he was a Gentile (Acts 10:44-46). In fact, Peter went to Cornelius 
only  because  he  allowed  God  to  lead  him  (11:15-18). The  Holy  Spirit  not  only 
convicts the listener of truth  (persuasion),  but He also impresses those who are 
willing  to  testify,  teach,  prove,  and  proclaim.  One  of  the  main  reasons  for  the 
apostles’  great  success  was  that  they 
understood this important fact:  If there was 
a problem,  it was them,  not a lack of power 
on  the  part  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Thus  they 
prayed for boldness (4:29, 30) that the Holy 
Spirit could use them more effectively.
Testify! Teach!  Prove!  Proclaim!
Many  of  us  hear the  above  words  and  feel  nothing. We’ve sat  up  and  then 
gone back to sleep so many times it’s become a habit. Read 1 Timothy 3 and see 
if you can draw any parallels with our present society.  If you still  don’t think you 
are in a burning house, neither did the people in Sodom and Gomorrah! Wake up!
Christ puts  it best when  He says,  “ The  harvest is  plentiful,  but the workers 
are few ’” (Luke 10:2,  NIV).
REACT
1.  List  five  more  action  words  that  you  can  think  of  and  your  reasons  for 
choosing them.
2. How do we differ from the apostles regarding our witnessing?
3. How does 1 Timothy 3 relate to our present age? (Give specific examples.)
4. Why do some churches grow rapidly and others remain stagnant?
5.  Is the  Holy Spirit a guarantee of success in  witnessing?  If so,  why do so 
many witnessing efforts fail even though  people have prayed for the blessing of 
the Holy Spirit?
6.  In  many  cases  people  in  countries  with  religious  freedom  are  less 
enthusiastic about witnessing than  people  in  countries with  restricted freedom. 
What can we learn from this?
7.  List some of the advantages you have received in proclaiming the gospel. 
Be specific.
8.  How far should we go to meet people where they are?  Be specific.
9. Most highly educated people are atheists and agnostics. Are you therefore 
less likely to be saved the more educated you become?  Explain your answer.
Pierre Nicholas Rhone,  London,  Ontario

"Fire!  G et out of 
the  house!"
4 7


M onday
July 24 Crossing All  Boundaries |
TESTIMONY
Acts 8:4-8
As  we trekked  the  over-10-kilometer journey from  Nkukuasa to  Akropong, 
the  rains  poured  for  almost  three  hours,  soaking  our  clothes  and  bags.  As  I 
envisioned the many hills to climb on this typical  Ghanaian  rugged  road to our 
final  destination,  I  encouraged  my soul  with  this  inspirational  phrase: “We  are
called  upon to  lift our eyes 
to  the  ‘regions  beyond.’”1 
My  friend  and  I  were 
returning  home  from  a 
series of  Bible  seminars  in 
this  unentered  community 
in  our  20-church  district.  It 
was  then  in  my  ministry,  as  a  young  pastor-intern,  that  I  understood  the  real 
meaning of the gospel commission.
Witnessing  is taking  action to advance  Christ’s  kingdom. Witnessing  has  its 
challenges no matter where one lives. Notwithstanding, as Christ’s ambassadors 
we receive so many blessings that go with the gospel commission. Matthew  28:19 
removes all selfishness, bigotry, and exclusivity from us. We then become conduits 
through whom Christ extends His heirship to others.
In the  gospel  commission  is embedded the assurance  of Christ’s  presence 
with  us  no  matter  the  vicissitudes  of  life.  “It  is  in  doing  Christ’s  work  that  the 
church  has the  promise of His presence.. . .  'and,  lo,  I  am with you alway,  even 
unto the end of the world.’ ” 2 Christ urges His disciples to go to the farthest part of 
the habitable globe and be assured that His presence will be with us even there. 
We  are  to  go from  Angola to  Australia,  Benin  to  Bosnia,  Greenland  to  Ghana, 
Panama to Papua New Guinea—with the assurance that He is with us.
In  a world  in which the struggle for power has become the  popular rhetoric, 
Christ states  emphatically that the  privilege  of  receiving  power  lies  in  acting  in 
accordance  with  the  gospel  commission.  “To  take  His  yoke  is  one  of  the  first 
conditions of receiving  His power. The very life of the church  depends upon  her 
faithfulness in fulfilling the Lord’s commission.”3
These  action  words  also  avail  us  with  the  missionary  charter  of  Christ’s 
kingdom. “[Christ’s]  disciples  [are]  to  work  earnestly  for  souls,  giving  to  all  the 
invitation  of  mercy. They  [are]  not to  wait  for the  people  to  come  to them;  they 
[are] to go to the people with their message.”4
1. The Desire of Ages, p. 823.
2. Ibid., p. 825.
3. Ibid.
4. The Acts of the Apostles, p. 28.
Obed Mfum-Mensah,  London,  Ontario

M atthew  28:19  removes 
selfishness,  bigotry, and 
exclusivity from  us.
4 8


All Things to All M e n   | 

Tuesday
July 25
EVIDENCE
Acts 17:2, 3,  16-34;  1  Cor. 9:19-23
As Christians we seek to proclaim the gospel to a changing world. Traditionally, 
we have used approaches that appealed to other Christians. The Western world, 
however,  is  now  best  described  as  post-Christian.  Media  and  university  are 
thoroughly  secular. Thus  we  need  to  develop  ways  of  sharing  the  gospel  with 
modern pagans whose worldview has little in common with ours.
Paul  faced  a  similar  dilemma,  and  with  wisdom  from  God,  he  varied  his 
message. Whenever he preached to Jews,  he used the  Scriptures.  He showed 
them from their Bible that the promised Christ must suffer. He then declared that 
Christ had indeed come, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  He proclaimed that 
Jesus  had  proven  His  messiahship  by  rising  from  the  dead.  Many  Jews  and 
sympathetic,  monotheistic Greeks became Christians with this approach.
In  preaching  to  a  pagan  audience,  however,  Paul  began  with  their  beliefs 
(cf.  Acts  17:22,  23),  their writers  (verse  28),  their  reason  (verse  29),  and  then 
sought to  build a bridge to the Creator.  He then  demonstrated that this  Creator 
God acted in history in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and testified to the truth 
of this by bearing witness to the resurrection (verses 30, 31).
In  1  Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul  presents this principle.  He willingly sets aside 
his own wishes, traditions, and comfort to reach people where they are. Thus to 
reach the Jews,  he  lived  like a Jew. For example,  he circumcised Timothy (Acts 
16:3), fulfilled the requirements of a Nazarite vow (18:18), and underwent a seven- 
day cleansing service to calm Jewish apprehensions (21:20-26).
To reach the Gentiles,  he lived 
like the Gentiles (1  Cor. 9:21). What 
this  meant in actual  lifestyle  is  not 
clear,  but  Paul  was  able  to 
distinguish  between  principle  and 
standards based on tradition.There 
was no real compromise. To reach 
all  peoples,  he became “all things to all men” (verse 22,  KJV).
For us the question remains: How should we put into practice this principle in 
our evangelism today? It is not easy to codify—in fact, it should not be reduced to 
a formula. Above all, it requires an attitude of adaptability and openness. It requires 
attention  to the  needs  and  concerns  of those we  are trying to  reach.  What are 
their values? How can we find common ground without compromising principle?
REACT
If  we  were  to  take  Paul  seriously,  how  would  our  services  and  programs 
change? 
Richard Roschman,  London,  Ontario

The western world  is 
now best described as 
post-Christian.
4 9


W ednesday
uly 26 W itnessing —
Faith  + Actions
HOW -TO
1  Cor. 10:31; Acts 8:4
Imagine being on fire for the Lord—and do something about it. In this day and 
age it is so easy to sit back and talk about what needs to be done without actually 
doing anything.  For some reason we lack the drive or knowledge to act.
What a thrill it would have been to be a part of the early church. Just imagine 
the disciples’ enthusiasm. They were poor Galilean  peasants,  and Jesus tried to
teach them the mysteries of the kingdom. But 
when they  met the  resurrected  Christ,  they 
were  on  fire.  They  finally  understood  who 
Jesus really was—our Savior. They were so 
excited they had to share. Even when people 
persecuted them they couldn’t be stopped.
We  have  the  same  opportunity  and  privilege  as  the  disciples  did.  Jesus  is 
inviting you to turn “the world upside down” (Acts  17:6,  KJV).  From these action 
words of witnessing we can be the disciples of today.
1.  Study “to  shew  thyself  approved  unto  God”  (2  Tim.  2:15,  KJV).  Honest 
searching of God’s Word enables us to be prepared to share it with others.
2. Go “and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19, NIV). Share the gospel 
with all people. This is the gospel commission given to each of us.
3.Testify of what God has done for you. Paul preached, “Do not be ashamed
to testify about our Lord  But join with me in suffering for the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:8,
NIV). Someone else’s experience is never as strong and convincing as your own. 
So create your own gospel-according-to-you.
4.  Reason. As God  invites us to  reason  with  Him  (Isa.  1:18),  we  also should 
reason with those we witness to. Through reasoning we will learn from others as we 
grapple  with  the  gospel  truth.  As  Paul  reasoned  with  the  community  on  three 
successive Sabbaths, we too, should have persistence while witnessing.
Challenge yourself to be like Christ at all times to all people. You  never know 
whom you will affect.
REACT
1. A long-standing debate in education circles has been whether the emphasis 
should  be first on teaching the student or on teaching the subject matter. Based 
on what you  read in the Bible, which side would you come down on in  regard to 
sharing the gospel with people?
2. Which  do  you  think  is  the  more  effective  method  of  witnessing:  giving  a 
subjective personal testimony or objectively reasoning about your faith?
Kathleen McIntosh, London,  Ontario 

---------------------------- 

They w ere poor 
Galilean  peasants. 
5 0


Thursday
N o  C red ib le W itnesses^------ 

OPINION
Luke 2:42-49
At  an  evangelistic  seminar,  the  facilitator  outlined  methods  for  community 
outreach through a free video Bible study. Participants were told how to knock on 
doors,  how to  convey the  content of the  study  material,  and  how to  respond to 
interest or refusal.The facilitator explained that in follow-up sessions with interested 
candidates, we should not debate. He suggested that the Holy Spirit would convict 
the individual, and perhaps those who pursued such determined discussions are 
resisting such conviction.
This prompted the question: What about those who are convinced only after 
having  debated  what  they  have 
heard and  read? We explained that 
as  students  at  a  secular  university, 
we  are  to  witness  to  those  who 
sincerely believe they have evidence 
disproving God’s existence and who 
formulate challenging questions for those trying to spread the gospel.The facilitator 
then explained that he was unsure whether the highly educated would respond to 
this method. He said the focus was on individuals of average education, and that 
an approach for the highly educated has not been developed!
This approach  may  reach the  average  person,  but who  is average  in  God’s 
kingdom? We are called upon to “Go ... and teach all nations” (Matt. 28:19,  KJV 
emphasis  supplied).  Secular  forums  exist  to  provide  effective  speaking  and 
business skills for reaching  diverse  populations. The church,  however,  does not 
equip the laity for credible witnessing to the entire world.
Many are called to witness to the world’s brightest minds. Will such ministry be 
effective without debate? The story of salvation is simple, and to the willing heart 
it brings conviction and new life. We live in a skeptical world, however, and avoiding 
deep thinkers  is  disobeying  God.  Paul  knew  how to  debate  (Acts  17:2,  3).  He 
provided the learned and the untrained with sound reasons for his beliefs, thereby 
giving them  reasons to believe (28:23, 24). Jesus did likewise (John 3:1-21).
As  a  church,  although  we  spread  the  gospel  through  several  media  (from 
simple discussion and written material, to satellite transmissions and the Internet), 
we  have  neglected  to  teach  believers  to  be  critical  thinkers  and  debaters.  We 
must address this oversight soon because this battle will be fought in the mind.
REACT
Explain  why you  agree or disagree with this statement:  Higher education  is 
unimportant because of Christ’s imminent return.
Curtis and Mechelle Gittens,  London,  Ontario

The focus was on 
individuals of average 
education.
51


F riday 
u ly  28 A  H ousehold 
o f M iracles
EXPLORATION
Acts 4:20
CONCLUDE
The  book of Acts  opens the  records of seasoned  apostles and  disciples— 
new believers—who pressed forward  in  ministry despite  knowing the perils and 
sufferings  awaiting  them  in  all  dimensions  of  their  lives.  We  are  introduced  to 
witnesses  who  were  both  tender and  tough—miracles  of  grace.  Because  they 
were accepted where they were and nurtured to be what they had never imagined 
they  could  become,  they  were  open  and  honest  in  telling  their  stories.  Each 
person’s experience was just what someone else needed to hear. So is our own. 
We have personal evidence. We can share it effectively through the power of the 
Holy Spirit.
CONSIDER
■   Listening to Babbie Mason’s rendition of “Each One Reach One” on CD or 
cassette.
■   Analyzing either The Desire of Ages or The Ministry of Healing to find Christ’s 
methods of speaking  up about His  Father’s business.
■   Matching  key media reports this month with  hymns, anthems,  and gospel 
songs  that  give  direction  and  comfort.  Prayerfully  share  your  work  with 
someone.
■   Making a quilt that depicts the scene in Acts 4:20 and hanging it where it will 
stimulate conversation.
■   Practicing active listening so that you can determine unbelievers’ world views 
and how to gain entrance into their inner circle for the cause of Christ.
■   Listing points of common ground with neighbors and coworkers with whom 
you wish to share the good news.
CONNECT
Adventist Mission in the 21st Century, chaps. 6, 7; Rock Solid Living, chap. 2.
Faith Johnson Crumbly, Hagerstown, Maryland
5 2


Lesson 6
July 29-August 5
More than one
Way
"He was a good  man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and 
a great number of people were brought to the Lord" 
(Acts 11:24, NIV).


Sabbath
July 29 W h a t A re You 
W ire d   For?
INTRODUCTION
1  Tim . 4:14,  15
Have you ever had to do something that just didn’t come naturally? Something 
that made you feel awkward?
Soon  after  my wife  and  I  tied  the  marriage  knot,  we  noticed  that we  didn’t 
share the same  recreational  likes.  She went out and  bought me a pair of brand 
new ice skates. She was a figure skater and thought it would be romantic to skate 
together  like those  couples  in  the  Olympics.  What she  didn't take  into  account 
was that I am six foot six and somewhat uncoordinated.
I remember the day we went to the skating rink. It was me, my wife, my sister, 
and  my  5-year-old  niece. As we  stepped  onto the  ice,  everyone  started  gliding 
away,  leaving  me to conquer my new recreation. As  I  made  my way around the 
side boards,  my 5-year-old niece would swoop by yelling, “You  look funny, Uncle 
Mark!” It was all the humility I could take. After an hour of clutching the sideboards, 
I decided to venture out into the middle of the rink. When  I looked up, a large girl 
was coming directly toward me.
I yelled, “I can’t turn.”
She yelled, “Neither can I!”
All of my 230 pounds landed directly on my tail bone.  I  looked up just in time 
to see my newfound friend falling on top of me. She pinned me to the ice. When 
she finally got up,  I crawled to the side of the rink, climbed over the wall, took off 
my skates, and gave them to a kid sitting in the bleachers.
I’m  not wired to ice skate. Ice skating is for shorter, coordinated people.
In  1  Corinthians  12,  the  Bible teaches that God  has wired each of us a little 
differently:  some  of  us  to  be  great  preachers;  others  to  be  great  hosts  in  their 
homes. Some would be great church counselors; others would be better at teaching 
Sabbath  School.  God  has  wired  each  of  us to  enjoy  doing  something  that  will
strengthen and build His church.
The  book  of  Acts  is  full  of  “wired” 
people,  each  having  unique,  God-given 
talents.  Many of them  used their gift mix 
to  strengthen  the  church. This  week we 
want  to  take  a  closer  look  at  how  God 
wired these people and plugged them into 
His church.
Something to think about:  How can you incorporate your hobbies, the things 
you like to do, into strengthening and building your local church?
Mark Witas,  Candler,  North Carolina

God  has w ired each 
of us a little 
differently. 
5 4


Sunday
W h y  W itness?  I 
J u ly  30
EVIDENCE
1  Cor. 1:18
If the thought of witnessing makes you squirm, you aren’t alone. Many of us 
feel  uneasy about sharing our faith with others. Why?  Maybe we have failed at 
past attempts. Or perhaps we feel nervous or self-conscious.
In  many ways our experience  parallels that of Jesus’  disciples.  Before the 
cross,  they  sometimes  felt  em­
barrassed  by Jesus. They betrayed 
Him  though  they considered  them­
selves  loyal.  They  had  good 
intentions, but like us, they just didn’t 
get it.
Something happened, however, 
that changed these self-focused men 
into the most powerful witnesses for Christ this world has ever known. The book 
of Acts tells of their courage in the face of danger, persecution, and death.
Why the dramatic change? The disciples witnessed the cross: Christ suffering 
the  wages  of their  sin,  staring  into  the  blackness  of  hell  itself.  Feeling  utterly 
forsaken  by God and  humankind,  His soul cried out, “Save me, O God,  for the 
waters have come up to my neck.. . .  I am worn out calling for help; my throat is 
parched.  My eyes fail,  looking for my God” (Ps.  69:13,  NIV).
They beheld their much-loved Master trembling under the weight of their sin: 
“My soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.  I am counted among 
those who go down to the pit;  I am like a man without strength” (88:3, 4, NIV).
They  saw. They  believed.  They  were  transformed.  No  longer  ashamed  of 
Jesus, Peter electrified thousands when he preached, “Therefore let all Israel be 
assured  of this:  God  has  made this Jesus,  whom  you  crucified,  both  Lord  and 
Christ” (Acts 2:36,  NIV).
Stephen fearlessly testified of Christ even as stones were hurled at him. Paul 
equated the cross with power: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those 
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1  Cor. 
1:18,  NIV).  Recognizing this,  he “resolved to know nothing while  I was with you 
except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2, NIV).
God’s love demonstrated at the cross knows no parallel in the history of the 
universe. And it was this agape love that energized the disciples with a testimony 
so compelling it turned the world upside down.
Jesus  says,  ‘“ You  are  my witnesses’ ” (Isa. 43:10,  NIV). The  lesson  of the 
disciples is for us today. We cannot witness until we have first seen the cross as 
they did.  If we see it, we must believe it.  If we believe, we will witness, because 
the message of the cross compels us (2 Cor. 5:14).
Patti Guthrie,  Fletcher,  North Carolina

The disciples witnessed 
Christ staring into the 
blackness of hell  itself.
5 5


M onday
July 31 W h y  Jerks D o n 't M a k e  I 
G o o d  W itnesses_______ I
LOGOS
Acts 6:5, 6, 8-15; 7:57-60; 8:1-5, 26, 40; 11:19-21; 12:25; 13:5;  15:37-39;
18:1-3, 24-26; 28:8, 9
Acts 11:24 is refreshing in its description of an effective witness. Three traits 
ascribed to Barnabas make him an effective witness. First, Barnabas is described 
as  a “good  man” (KJV). Although there are “none  righteous” (Rom. 3:10,  KJV), 
none who are good in the strictest sense of the word, Barnabas is called a good 
man. Is goodness important in the midst of generations who do “evil continually”? 
(Gen. 6:5,  KJV).
I would suggest that without being changed toward goodness, our witness is 
weak.  Lack  of  inner  change  does  tremendous  harm  to  the  religion  of  Christ. 
Christianity claims not only the ability to save us from the penalty of sin, which is 
death, but also to deliver us from sin’s domination of our lives (Romans 6). When 
we are come into the faith, and later discover that the evangelist, the pastor, and 
the church members are as much jerks as anyone else, it challenges the legitimacy 
of Christianity in our minds.
When the truth merely sets us free from pork chops, tobacco, and too much 
make-up,  but fails to do anything for inner struggles with  envy,  lust,  anger,  and 
pride,  can  we  be  much  of  a  witness  to  the  cause  of  Christianity?  When  our 
goodness makes only a few skin-deep adjustments,  we tend to feel superior to 
others. When we smugly tell them the error of their ways,  unimaginable harm is 
done to the cause of Christ. We may win a few but alienate hundreds.
Genuine spirituality brings goodness,  albeit from the  indwelling  Christ.  Our 
world  is  longing  to  see  Christianity  that  truly  makes  us  merciful,  kind, 
compassionate,  and self-controlled. When  Seventh-day Adventists divorce,  are 
abusive,  and show  rudeness and  lack of warmth,  our witness  is compromised. 
Soon the newly converted will discover that although we can tell them about the 
state of the dead and have a well-developed eschatology, we aren’t what we first 
appeared to be. Jesus moves us to goodness.
I will never forget a somewhat frail, 82-year-old living example of goodness, 
retired General  Conference Vice  President Duncan  Eva. When  my wife’s health 
was in serious question, he walked up my long, steep, unpaved driveway with a 
large bucket of strawberries. He came to encourage us, to pray with tears for us. 
He came to love  us.  He was the real thing!  He not only understood the gospel, 
but lived it. None of life’s disappointments kept him from becoming a good man, 
full of the Holy Spirit and faith. My life is still touched by his witness, although he 
now rests in the ground, awaiting His Lord.  I want to be like him when I grow up.
To be good is to be truly spiritual. As Jesus put it, “The good man brings good 
things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of 
the evil stored up in him” (Matt. 12:35,  NIV).The apostle Paul develops a theme
5 6


that true  believers  have the  treasure  of  His  glorious  presence  inside. We  have 
the  immeasurable  power of God’s spirit to counteract our sinful  human  natures 
and change us toward goodness from deep within. We must be changed toward 
goodness to be an effective witness.
The second point of Acts  11:24 is that Barnabas was “full of the  Holy Spirit” 
(NIV). The Holy Spirit is the launching pad and the engine for truly changed lives 
(See  Romans 8:3, 4.). Effective witnesses walk according to the Spirit.
It  is  precisely this  lack of spirit-filled  members that challenges the  health  of 
the  Seventh-day  Adventist  Church, 
indeed  all  of  Christianity. At times  it 
is hard to see the wheat for the tares.
Good  people,  full  of the  Holy Spirit, 
will  encourage  others  rather  than 
judge  and  condemn.  The  great  struggle  of  the  church  is  not  that  it  is  too 
conservative or too liberal or has lowered the standards. The great struggle, which 
occurs in my heart and yours, is to be truly spiritual. Without Christ, none of us is 
very nice.
My daughter and son are 17 and  15.  Panic is setting in as I  realize that they 
will not be home much longer. Am I a good man? Am I full of the Holy Spirit? How 
much  hypocrisy  have  they  seen  in  me?  How  I  long  for  all  shreds  of  It  to  be 
obliterated from me, that my children might have a better witness from their father.
The third element that made Barnabas a wonderful witness was faith. Hebrews 
gives many examples of faith and provides a good degree of definition.  Perhaps 
the most quoted verse on faith reads, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, 
the  evidence  of things  not  seen”  (Heb.11:1,  KJV).  Not very  scientific  is  it?  But 
how profoundly important it is to accept God at His word.  Barnabas  believed  in 
what had already occurred (the Cross and the Resurrection).  He believed in the 
things that were yet to take  place  (Christ’s  return).  He also  believed that Christ 
resided  in  His  heart  by faith  and  was  affecting  the  course  of  his everyday  life. 
Hebrews 12:2 tells me not to get a puffed-up ego regarding faith. Barnabas was 
a  man  whose faith  was coming to  maturity.  He  was  full  of faith,  full  of the  Holy 
Spirit—a good man!
REACT
1.  How do you account for really good people who don’t believe in God?
2.  If there were more “good people” in the church, would it solve our inability 
to keep people in after their baptisms?  Explain your answer.
3.  If  there  were  more  truly  good  people  in  the  church,  how  would  it  have 
affected the civil rights movement in the sixties, the holocaust in the forties, etc.?
4. What will happen when we see (witness) Jesus as the early apostles did?
5. What does It mean to witness or see the cross of Christ?
6.  Is It possible to believe and not witness? Why or why not?
Dave Banks,  Candler,  North Carolina

W e  may win a few but 
alienate  hundreds.
5 7


Tuesday
August 1 Tom b  People  |
TESTIMONY
M ark 5:1-20
As Jesus and His disciples landed on the beach, two men came running toward 
them from the caves of the dead. Their hair was  matted with dirt. Their physical 
strength,  mental  prowess,  and will  power had  been  prostituted  to the  power of 
death. No human could free them from their self destruction. Their mouths loudly 
proclaimed the words of six thousand inner companions. “Since the announcement 
to the serpent in Eden, ‘I will put enmity’ ... (Gen. 3:15), Satan had known that he 
did not hold absolute sway over the world. There was seen in men the working of 
a power that withstood his dominion.”1
Jesus’  presence  caused  that  long-restrained  enmity  against  evil  to  be 
resurrected in the demoniacs. Jesus spoke the command that gave them freedom 
to  control  appearance,  mind,  will,  and  mouth. The  locals  were  afraid  of Jesus’
power  and  begged  Him  to  leave.  Before  He 
left,  Jesus  com m issioned  the  form er 
demoniacs to stay and  show their neighbors 
that He had given them the power of life. They 
thus  became  “the  first  missionaries  whom 
Christ sent to preach the gospel in the region 
of Decapolis.”2 They were made witnesses by 
their saving experience because “they bore in 
their own persons the evidence that Jesus was 
the  Messiah.”3 People “marveled as they listened to the wondrous news. A door 
was  opened  to  the  gospel  throughout  that  region.  When  Jesus  returned  to 
Decapolis, the people flocked about Him, and for three days . . .  thousands from 
all the surrounding region,  heard the message of salvation.”4
Teachers  often  use  demonstrations  to  illustrate  an  idea. The  observer can 
draw a conclusion by the weight of evidence, not by the authority of the words of 
the teacher. This  is what godly witnessing  is  like. As  His witnesses we become 
“channels of light, messengers of the Son of God.”5 We were all tomb people until 
we met Jesus. The power of death controlled us until  His mercy set us free. Our 
changed  lives demonstrate the  great things the  Lord  has done for us. “We can 
bear witness to what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for 
which our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing.”6
1. The Desire of Ages, p.  115.
2. Ibid., p. 340.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid. pp. 340, 341.
5. Ibid., p. 340.
6.  Ibid. 
George Grow,  Candler,  North Carolina

W e w ere all 
tom b people 
until we  m et 
Jesus. 
5 8


W ednesday
Using O p p o rtu n ity 
and O rd in a ry  Talent 

A u g u s t  2
HOW -TO
Isa. 58:7,  10; Matt. 25:35; C al. 6:10
As Christians we are called to share the gospel, and the Lord has created us 
with some built-in preparedness, called natural talent. The Bible recounts stories 
of how ordinary talents and ordinary things were used by God. Moses’shepherd’s 
rod  became  a tool  for miracles.  David’s  sling  slew  a  giant;  his  harp  calmed  an 
angry king. A little boy’s lunch fed thousands. A widow’s two mites inspired millions.
We  all  have  abilities.  God  calls  us  to  His  service  at  times  that  may  seem 
unlikely,  in  places that are  strange,  and  in  peculiar ways.  He also  provides  the 
opportunities,  great  and  small. We just  need  to  be  willing  to  hear  His  call  and 
make  use  of our opportunities and  talents.  Both  may  begin  small,  yet they  will 
grow as we allow His strength to grow in us.  So,  how to begin?
1.  Connect with  Jesus  daily. Our  Bible  study  and  prayer time  keep  us  in 
tune to His way of doing things through us. Any talents we have will be of no value 
if we don’t have the love of Jesus reflecting through us (1  Corinthians  13).
2.  Take  notice  of  your 
natural  talents. God  put these 
talents in you. He will also gift you 
with  special  talents  through  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He 
wants  all  of  them  for  His  glory.
Warning: snooze on talents and 
you lose (Matt. 25:24-30).
3. Take notice of the needs around you. As we  meet those needs around 
us,  new opportunities open up.  Plain and simple: we grow in Christ.
4. Be willing to work effectively. God can’t use the lazy; and the workaholic 
will most likely focus on self-strength. The effective working balance always begins, 
develops, and ends with Christ as the central focus (Phil. 4:13 ).
5.  Share  your  story. Witnessing  is  just  that:  your  story  of  how  Jesus  is 
personally involved  in you. It’s a form of worship and a spiritual boost to hear of 
God calling each of us in so many different ways. Don’t be surprised to encounter 
both the traditional callings (i.e., ministers, teachers, nurses, doctors, missionaries, 
etc.)  and the  unusual  callings  (i.e.,  clowns,  balloonists,  illusionists,  puppeteers, 
actors, etc.).
Whatever your age, whatever your situation in life, the most important comment 
of your witness,  using your opportunity and  talent,  will  be  at our Lord’s  second 
coming: “ “ Truly I  tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are 
members of my family, you did  it to me’” ” (Matt. 25:40,  NRSV).
Louie Parra,  Candler,  North Carolina

God  calls  us to  His 
service at times that may 
seem  unlikely.
5 9


Thursday
August 3 Evangelizing
or Proselytizing?
O P IN IO N
Luke 24:47, 48
When  I was in academy, several friends and  I  decided to go witnessing  in a 
small town: we would stand on the street corner and wait to engage passersby in 
a  conversation  about Jesus  and  pass out some  literature.  Unfortunately,  it was 
late winter in  Nebraska and the weather was very cold  and  windy.  No one was 
outside walking around. We were less than successful.
You  don’t  see  many  Adventists  using  this  method  of  witnessing  anymore. 
With radio broadcasts, television shows, and satellite systems, technology is being 
utilized to our advantage to increase baptisms and boost membership lists.
Several years ago I attended our local conference constituency meeting. During
one session a conference official reviewed 
statistics  regarding  membership.  During 
the  years  reviewed,  the  number  of 
baptisms  went  up  and  down.  Over  the 
years there was a steady stream of people 
leaving the church. One year, the number 
of those  leaving  the  church  equaled  the 
number of baptisms.
Is there a connection between methods of witnessing and resulting baptisms, 
and the number of people who leave our church? Is it OK to be excited about the 
baptisms, yet barely acknowledge those leaving our ranks?
Could  it  be  because our focus  is on  proselytizing  rather than  evangelizing? 
We  seem  dedicated  to  converting  those  who  already  know  Jesus,  rather than 
searching for and converting those who have never met Him. What if we focused 
solely on  reaching  people who  don’t  know Christ?  How would that change  our 
goals and methods of outreach and witnessing? What do you think would happen 
if we tried three things:
•   Stop  proselytizing  and  begin  spreading  the  gospel.  Be  more  concerned 
that new members know how much God accepts them just as they are, and less 
about whether they have memorized our 27 fundamental beliefs.
•   Increase our focus on membership retention. Maybe if we were more Jesus- 
focused and Christ-centered when people joined our church, they wouldn’t rush 
out the back door so fast.
•   Share the Jesus we know. If we don’t know Jesus, we won’t be succeeed.
First Corinthians 2:1-5 gives us a clear description of what should constitute
our witness. Let’s know nothing “except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (verse 2, 
NIV) and let the power of God do the work.
Kitty Ratzlaff,  Candler,  North Carolina

Stop  proselytizing 
and  begin 
spreading the 
gospel. 
6 0


W h at's Your Thing?  | 

Friday
August 4
EXPLORATION
1  Pet. 4:10, 11
CONCLUDE
Barnabas is the perfect example of witnessing—He did more than travel from 
church to church, playing administrator. The Bible says he was a good man, full of 
faith,  full  of the  Holy  Spirit. Witnessing  is  living  and  breathing  God’s  love,  using 
everything we  have for God’s glory. So,  to  be real witnesses,  we  must begin  by 
asking ourselves: What do  I  have that I  can  use to  live and breathe God’s love? 
What are the special functions that God has created me with?  How am  I gifted? 
How can  I boldly use these gifts to live a life of faith?
CONSIDER
■   Taking inventory of your special gifts and talents by asking others and yourself 
what your strengths are, and deliberately trying to use some of those skills 
every  day.
■   Creating a business card or poster that offers free services of your special 
skills to those in your community, church,  or work place.
■   Starting  an  herb  garden  that  reflects  your  relationship with  God—plant  a 
new herb for every major trial you overcome by trusting God completely.
■   Setting aside a specific time (about 10 minutes) every day to go to God in 
prayer and submission, and asking Him to reveal His will and to use you as 
He sees fit.
■   Decorating a quiet corner or room in your house where friends and family 
can  relax,  reflect,  and  reconnect  with  God.  Fill  it  with  photo  albums, 
devotionals,  poetry,  music,  potpourri, soft cushions,  and knick-knacks.
■   Watching the video Dead Poets Society. In this film, the teacher urges  his 
student to “seize the day.” What does this mean to you  as a Christian?
CONNECT
Daniel 2:19-30; Ephesians 4:11,  12;  1  Peter 4:10,  11.
Counsels  on  Stewardship,  chaps.  24,  70;  The  Faith  I  Live  By,  chap.  6;
Evangelism, chap. 5.
Arthur F.  Miller, Jr.,  Why You Can’t Be Anything You Want to Be,  chaps. 2,  7;
Donna Partow, Becoming a  Vessel God Can Use.
Fylvia Kline,  Columbia, Maryland 
61


Lesson 7
August 5-12
What is
Ev[angel]ism?
"Day after day, in the temple courts and from  house to 
house, they never stopped teaching and  proclaiming the 
good  news that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 5:42,  NIV).


Sabbath
W itnessing: It's Easy 
A u g u s t  5
INTRODUCTION
Acts 5:42
Have you ever tried to fit a square peg in a round hole? As a child I had one 
of those toys where you put the star block in the star hole, the square block in the 
square hole, and so on. You know the drill; every hole has a block shaped to fit it 
perfectly.
When God designed us, He also designed a God-shaped hole in each of our 
hearts. But we try to fill that hole, temporarily at least, with drugs, sex, alcohol— 
nameless  vices  that  never  quite  seem  to  fit  the  ideal  and  have  eternal 
consequences. The only block shaped to fit our hearts is the love and peace that 
comes from knowing Jesus Christ.
So  I  don’t understand why witnessing  needs to  be so  difficult. Anyone who 
has even a small knowledge of Christ can make a big difference to God’s people.
I  have a friend who sings with  me from time to time.  He grew up living  next 
door to Christians,  singing with  Christians,  and going to school with  Christians. 
His family isn’t all that keen on  religion,  but he’s real  keen on being a Christian. 
See how it rubs off?
I was talking to him recently about the joy I get from serving God. I was trying 
to explain why I sing—why I want to show God’s love to the people I meet.There’s 
a  certain  spiritual  high  you  get  when  you  allow  God  to  use  you  as  a  tool  for 
evangelism. Minister, singer, deacon, church cleaner, or friend—it doesn’t matter. 
What does matter is the desire in your heart to serve Christ’s purpose above your 
own.
My friend is desperate for the “upper room” experience. He wants to feel the 
Holy Spirit move in him as he serves with 
me.  He wants to know the conviction that 
comes from  allowing yourself to  be  used 
as a tool for God’s ministry.
God  can  even  give  “ground  floor”
Christians  an  “upper  room”  experience.
Why am  I  so  sure?  I’ve  seen  the  love  of 
God in my friend when he sings and serves 
with  me.  Best  of all,  I  know  anyone  with 
any  gift  or  talent  from  God  (and  that 
includes you!) can  be an effective witness for God.
We’re here to share the story of the square peg in the  round hole—to show 
people  how  God  alone can  make a difference  in  their lives. Witnessing  is easy 
because we know what nonbelievers need.
The  benefits?  I’ll  tell  you  the  same  thing  I  tell  my  friends: You  can’t  spell 
evangelist without using the word angel.  Get the picture?

God  can give 
"ground floor" 
Christians an 
"upper room" 
experience.
Ben Scott,  Sydney, Australia
6 3


Sunday
August 6 Tools for W itnessing  |
LOGOS
Acts 2:44-47; 8:5, 26-38; 9:32-42; 19:8; 21:37-22:21
According  to  Jesus,  becoming  a  witness  is  easy. ‘“ Come,  follow  me,’ ”  He 
says, “ ‘and I will make you fishers of men’ ” (Mark 1:17, NIV).The only requirement 
is that we follow Him.  If we do, He promises to make us fishers of men.
It’s worth noting, however, that the process doesn’t necessarily happen quickly. 
Three years after Jesus says to Peter, I’ll make you a fisher of men, we see Peter 
squirming and denying he even knows Christ.  Some witness!  Hang in there with 
Peter for a few more weeks,  however,  and we see  him—full of the  Holy Spirit— 
boldly speaking to, and converting, thousands of people. Jesus fulfilled His promise 
to make Peter a fisher of men. The Holy Spirit can also transform us. All we have 
to do is follow Jesus and hang in there.
Here are some of the ways the Holy Spirit can equip us for effective witnessing:
1.  Public speaking (Acts 4:31)
The Holy Spirit makes powerful speakers out of ordinary people.  If I told you 
to stand before several hundred unbelieving people and tell them about how Jesus 
was crucified and  raised from the dead, you’d probably feel petrified.
This is beyond all of us if we attempt to do it on our own. With the power of the 
Holy Spirit, however, even a meek person can carry this task out and change the 
lives of others.
Take  Paul  for example: “When  I  came to you,  brothers,  I  did  not  come  with 
eloquence or superior wisdom.... I came to you in weakness and fear, and with 
much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive 
words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not 
rest on men’s wisdom,  but on God’s power” (1  Cor. 2:1-5,  NIV).
Paul gives the impression that he isn’t much of a speaker compared to some 
of the  orators  of  his time.  Still,  he’s willing  to  speak  in  front  of  people  who  are 
flagrantly opposed to his message. And, through the Holy Spirit, this public speaking 
has a positive impact on some of those who hear him.
Not  everyone  is  called  to  this  kind  of  witnessing,  and  it  appears  speaking 
ability  isn’t  necessarily a prerequisite. The only  prerequisite  is the  power of the 
Holy Spirit.
2. Meeting people where they are (Acts 8:29)
Here Philip, responding to the gentle urging of the Holy Spirit, goes to meet the 
Ethiopian  eunuch.  He forms  a  relationship with  the  man  and  is  able to  meet  his 
spiritual need. Philip leads the eunuch from a position of inquiry and uncertainty to a 
position of comprehension and conviction, as indicated by his desire to be baptized.
This form of witnessing is more personal. It still involves speaking the gospel, 
but more importantly, involves good listening. Christians should be good listeners, 
because good listeners make people feel understood—a significant human need.
6 4


Being a good listener also helps identify where the gospel can speak to other 
people.  Philip  had  it  easy  because 
he was  led to  a  man  puzzling  over 
the book of Isaiah,  but the  principle 
is the same.  Good listening and the 
guidance of the Holy Spirit opens up 
the possibility of communicating the 
gospel  in a meaningful way.
3.  The power of the changed life  (Acts 9:32-35)
Here’s a form of witnessing involving even less speaking and, for that reason, 
may  be the  most effective tool. The way we  live our lives and  the way the  Holy 
Spirit remakes our lives is seen  by people.
Dramatic examples of this  in the  book of Acts  may not  relate directly to our 
experience—like the paralytic walking again—but the principle still applies. When 
people  see a life that demonstrates generosity,  integrity,  honesty,  patience,  and 
self-control (or, in other words, the fruits of the Holy Spirit), they notice. It may not 
have the same sudden  impact as the paralytic walking—it may take 20 years-— 
but there’s still impact in a life lived in this way. In the most literal way, this is how 
following Jesus can make you a fisher of men.
REACT
1.  What  could  your  local  church  do to  “meet  people  where  they are”  more 
effectively?
2.  Is it possible to live a life demonstrating the fruits of the Holy Spirit and not 
be Christian? Why or why not?
3. What is it in a Christian’s life that would reflect Jesus to others that is different 
from that of a nice, generous,  honest, and patient non-Christian?
4.  What  are  the  secret  keys  to  meet  people  where  they  are?  Use  some 
examples from the life of Jesus to explain your answer.
5.  What experiences in your own  life could serve as a tool for witnessing to 
others?
6. What do you think it means to be willing and ready to witness at all times?
7.  In what other ways can we witness to others besides with our words?
8.  How can you make sure that your witnessing is not lifeless and legalistic?
9. How do you make true disciples rather than merely well-informed baptismal 
candidates? 

W e see  Peter 
squirming and  denying 
he even  knows Christ. 
Some witness!
Jamie Hegarty,  Melbourne, Australia 
65


M onday
August 7 W itness; Testify"]
TESTIMONY
Luke  7:22, 23
Testimonies  used  to  make  me  feel  nervous.  But  now,  as  I  grow  older,  I’m 
realizing that sharing your testimony doesn’t necessarily mean telling the whole 
story  of  your  religious  experience—it  could  be  a  particular  experience,  the 
realization of a truth or an answered prayer.
I’ve  spent  the  past  three  months—my  holidays—living  out  of  a  suitcase, 
constantly moving from place to place. Returning home to Brisbane,  I helped my 
parents pack, then  moved to Sydney, then to Avondale College,  and then to my 
parents’ new home in Fiji. The whole experience was disorientating as I pulled up 
roots but seemed unable to put them down anywhere.  I felt I was living in limbo, 
that I  no longer belonged anywhere.
It was then I realized earth is not my home. God showed me He was with me 
wherever I was. And He promises to lead me home to be with Him and the saved 
forever. With  Him  I  feel  secure.
This  testimony  has  changed  the  way  I  see  things.  It’s  something  I  want to 
share.  Good  news  is  no  secret. That’s  what  personal  evangelism  is  all  about: 
telling what you know and what you’ve experienced.
Jesus says, “ ‘Go back and report. . .  what you have seen and heard’ ” (Luke 
7:22, NIV).
So does  Ellen White: “As witnesses for Christ,  we are to tell what we  know, 
what we ourselves have seen and heard and felt. If we have been following Jesus
step by step, we shall have something 
right to the point to tell concerning the 
way in which  He has  led  us. We can 
tell how we have tested His promise, 
and found the  promise true. We  can 
bear witness to what we have known 
of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for which our Lord calls, and for want of 
which the world is perishing.”'
“Open the Scriptures to some one that is in darkness, and you will not complain 
of weariness and lack of interest in the cause of truth. Your heart will be awakened 
to an anxiety for souls, and joy in the evidences of the faith will fill your heart, and 
you will know that ‘he that watereth shall be watered also himself.’ ”2
As you  gain the courage to tell others your testimony,  you  will  lead them to 
the Bible and to Christ.  Seeing these people come  home to live with you  in the 
New Jerusalem will be the incredible reward.
1. The Desire of Ages, p. 340.
2. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 13,  1888.
Michelle Roberts,  Coorartbong, Australia

I've spent the  past 
three  months living out 
of a suitcase. 
6 6


Fruitless Witnessing? 

Tuesday
August 8
EVIDENCE
Matt. 10:14
In  the  hectic week  preceding  the  opening  night  of an  outreach  program  in 
northern Queensland  recently, I asked the local pastor whom  I was working with 
what he’d do if no one came.  How would 
he  react  and  what  would  he  say  to  the 
church  members  to  encourage  them  to 
continue  reaching  out? “God won’t let all 
our efforts come to nothing,” he replied. In 
a  broad  sense  I  had  to  agree,  but  the 
specific  questions  remained.  All  who’ve  been  involved  in  outreach  know  the 
frustration of having apparently little to show for our efforts.
Jesus  says,  “Whoever  welcomes  you  welcomes  me”  (Matt.10:40,  NRSV), 
and  we  must  remember  it’s  God  we’re  presenting  to  others  to  be  accepted  or 
rejected—not  ourselves.  But  it’s  still  difficult to  handle  our disappointment  and 
questions.
Disappointing witnessing experiences test our faith,  especially after we feel 
we’ve  put  in  a  significant  effort.  Many  of  the  prophets  recorded  in  the  Bible 
experienced disappointment too. Hebrews 11:39 records some of their experiences 
and  commends  their  faith:  “None  of  them  received  what  had  been  promised” 
(NIV).
Our disappointments should not be a signal for us to give up on witnessing. 
Perhaps  our  apparent  failures  call  for  a  refocusing  of  our  efforts  or the  use  of 
different approaches.
Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, and to us (see Matthew 10), indicates that 
witnessing for Him won’t necessarily be easy, but that it’s important we do it anyway. 
It’s important to God, it’s important to those around us, and it’s important to us.
REACT
1. How do you  react when,  despite your best efforts, your attempts to reach 
out and share your faith seem to have little or no effect?
2.  Is  it  our fault  if  our witnessing  seems  fruitless?  Couid  it  be  God’s  fault? 
Explain your answers.
3.  In  sending  out  His disciples,  Jesus  instructed  them to shake the  dust off 
their feet and move to another town  if they or their message were not accepted 
(see  Matthew  10:14). Where  do we  draw the  line  between  shaking  the  dust off 
our feet and moving on, and persevering in our witnessing?
4. Looking at the different tools and approaches that can be used in witnessing, 
how can you witness most appropriately to your community?
Nathan Brown,  Townsville, Australia

I  asked the  local 
pastor w hat he'd 
do if no one came
6 7


W ednesday
August 9 W itness Effectively:
Live the  Life  |
HOW -TO
2 Pet. 1:8
I  help  organize  conferences  and  dinners  at  a  hospital,  so  I  have  started 
evaluating  a  computer  program  called  Events.  Several  modules,  or  screens, 
consisting of doctor details,  name tags, and financial  reports are connected to a 
comprehensive  information  list—a  database.  When  you  make  changes  to  a 
module, other screens are automatically updated to reflect the correct information.
Your life is an event as well. God planned it long before you came into being.
He  wrote  the  database  and  gave 
you  a  variety  of  life  modules  to 
move  through.  People  with  whom 
you come into contact will view your 
life.  They  don’t  necessarily  have 
access  to  the  reasons  for  your 
choices or behavior,  so  it’s critical 
that  the  information  you  reflect  is 
accurate, and that Christ shines at every moment of your life.
The most powerful method of witnessing is the way we choose to live. Jesus’ 
life  reflected  His  relationship  with  His  Father,  and  so  should  ours.  But the  idea 
that our lives can inspire or discourage someone’s relationship with Jesus scares 
me. What a  responsibility!  Although there’s  no  need to worry because  God,  my 
“Event Manager,” has taught me three things:
1.  Pray constantly. God  has  planned  the  event from  beginning  to  end.  He 
knows, sees, and feels everything. When plans begin to change, as they sometimes 
do,  talk with  the  Manager. Jesus felt the  need to  communicate  with  His  Father 
every day, so how much greater is the need for us?
2.  Persevere  in  Bible  study. We  need  to  familiarize  ourselves  with  the 
database of information God’s given to us. Read and  pray for five  minutes each 
day. At first it will be a chore, but you’ll find it soon stops being tedious and becomes 
enjoyable. Your time will grow from  minutes to hours. Keep that goal  in  mind and 
beware, the devil will try everything to discourage you.
3. Live the Word. Don’t just read the Word, live it! (See Col. 4:1-6.) The fruits 
of the  Holy Spirit are a great place to begin  (see Gal.  5:22,  23.)  Let these seep 
into every aspect of your life so Christ directs your words and actions.
Each morning recommit yourself and look to Jesus as the ultimate example. 
“If you  possess these qualities in  increasing  measure,  they will  keep you from 
being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” 
(2 Pet.1:8,  NIV).

God w rote the database 
and gave you a variety of 
life modules to  move 
through.
Renae Ramsey,  Wahroonga, Australia


A u g u s t  10The  Prim e
W itnessing Tool 

...
OPINION
Acts 5:42
We’ve been  learning about the different kinds of tools we can  use to spread 
the gospel of Christ, but one’s missing. There’s a gap on the wall right next to the 
“hammer of health” and to the left of the “trowel of testimony.”
God needs only one tool to showcase His power—a willing heart. But it’s not 
a heart that talks and thinks.  It’s the willing  heart of a worker,  a heart that does. 
Once we have willing hearts, the Holy Spirit is free to work in our lives.
The  early  Christians  put  everything  on  the  line  to  witness  for  Christ. They 
were constantly threatened with death and  mocked  by their peers.  “They never 
stopped  .  .  . proclaiming the good news” (Acts 5:42,  NIV).
They were no longer living ordinary lives. Through the strength of God, they 
became extraordinary servants of Christ. They held true to the promise: “He died 
for all, that those who  live should  no  longer live for themselves but for him  who 
died for them and was raised again” (2 Cor. 5:15,  NIV).
So if willing hearts are all we need, what’s stopping us? Are we ceaseless in 
our attempts to teach and preach the good news? It’s hard to answer Yes, isn’t it?
Life  on  earth  is  orchestrated  by  Satan,  and  we  can’t overcome  him  on  our 
own. That’s why we need to let Christ become the focus of our lives. When we do, 
others  will  see  our  living  example  every  day  of 
every week of every year, and,  hey, presto, we’re 
teaching  and  preaching  the  good  news  without 
ceasing.
Whether  it  be  through  the  testimony  of  our 
lives or through times when the Holy Spirit moves 
us  to  action,  we  should  always  be  restless.
Opportunities  can  pass  by  without  our  even 
realizing them. Be alert, self-controlled, and open 
to  Christ,  so  when  God  calls  we  can  answer,
“Willing  and  ready.” 

There's a gap 
next to the 
"hamm er of 
health" and 
the "trowel  of 
testimony."
REACT
1. Is God calling you to pause and grow closer to Him or is He impressing you 
to put into action a specific task?  Do you  need to be more or do more?
2.  What  does  Paul  mean  in  practical  terms  when  he  says  in  2  Corinthians 
5:15 that we should  no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus?
3.  Who are some people with whom you come in contact regularly but have 
not witnessed to? What creative ways can you think of to reach these people?
Adam Sparke,  Newcastle, Australia
6 9


Friday
August 11 "W e've Just G o tta   |
Tell 'Em !"  |
EXPLORATION
Matt. 28:19, 20
CONCLUDE
As Christians, we made a covenant at our baptism to tell others about Jesus 
and what He’s done in our lives. Yet many of us struggle with giving our testimony. 
God doesn’t expect us to be cookie-cutter disciples. There are numerous ways of 
evangelizing  others.  Our testimony  is  only  as  living  and  vibrant  as  our  daily 
relationship with Jesus. If we’re not spending time being forever friends with Him, 
we’ll  find  it difficult to  tell  others. When  we  don’t see  results,  we  can’t  give  up. 
Remember:  Noah witnessed for 120 years and only eight entered the ark.
CONSIDER
■   Listening to the song “The Mission” from the album The Mission by Steve 
Green. How does this song speak to you in light of what you have learned 
this week?
■   Thinking about your testimony; write it in one hundred words. This makes it 
succinct enough to share. Make a point of sharing it with one non-Christian 
in the next week.
■   Making a tableau of the varied ways you feel comfortable witnessing. Think 
about why you feel more comfortable with some ways than with others.
■   Finding someone to mentor. Help him or her become successful in sharing 
the good news.
■   Refuting the claim of someone who  has told you  he likes his lifestyle just 
fine. He has a good job, a nice home, money in the bank. What more could 
he want?
■   Calculating  how  long  it  would  take  for  your  church  to  witness  to  every 
individual  in  its community. Devise a plan to determine how many people 
each  member would  have to contact.  What would you  do to implement it 
over a two-year period?
CONNECT
Matthew 28:19,  20; Mark 5:1-20; 2 Timothy 2:1, 2;  4:2-5.
Evangelism, pp.  15, 24, 429-431.
Daniel  O’Ffill  and  Carol Johnson  Shewmake,  What to Say in a  Whole New
Way; Jon  Paulien, Present Truth in the Real World, chap.10.
Deena Bartel-Wagner,  Great Barrington,  Massachusetts
70


Lesson 8
August 12-19
Improving \t)U  r 
approach
"I  have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will 
of God" (Acts 20:27, NIV).


Sabbath
August 12 Thanks Again, G o d   |
INTRODUCTION
John 6:44, 45
Meet some of my friends and acquaintances:
•   Viola—Before  her  dead  father  reappeared,  she  didn’t think  God  existed. 
Now she believes that God is looking down on us but not personally involved with 
humans.
•   Brennan—Loves to play in his high school rock band and likes roller hockey. 
I don’t know for sure,  but maybe he thinks about God.
•   Susie— Having  been  born  into an Adventist home,  she  has  known  about 
God all  her life.  But she  hasn’t seen  His love in the  people who claim to  be  His 
followers, so she got out.
So  now what am  I  supposed  to  do?  Sometimes  it seems  that  I  have  more 
friends my age who are former Christians than current! How do you reach someone 
who has quit caring about having a relationship with God? How do you tell someone 
who’s never even  had a relationship in the first place?
A couple of years ago one of my best friends, Susie (the same girl mentioned 
above),  called  me  up.  “Hey!  Lets  go  to  Québec  City!  We  can  roller  blade,  eat 
crepes, and practice French!” she said.
“I’m  in!”  I  responded  and  we  made  plans.  Immediately  I  brought my case
before God: “Father,  make the most of my time with Susie. Give me wisdom as I 
share You  with  her.”  I  made  an  agreement  with  God  that  only  as  Susie  asked 
questions about Him would  I talk about religion.
We  met  in  Montreal  and  started  for  Québec. We  weren’t  on  the  road long
when Susie asked; “So when you preach, what do you preach about?”
This was the indication I had prayed for. Soon a flood of questions about God 
came tumbling out.  For more than two hours we discussed God and how real He
is!  A couple weeks after the trip  I  got a 
note from  Susie.  “Thanks,” it said,  “you 
inspire me to know God better.” All I could 
say was, “Thanks again, God!”
Christ  says,  ‘“ No  one  can  come  to 
me unless the Father who sent me draws 
him,  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last 
day’ ” (John 6:44,  NIV). When someone 
wants to know about God, it is because God is taking the initiative. We don’t have 
to cram the gospel down someone’s throat!  God draws them and we join Him in 
His work when they come asking.
So  now  what  am  I  supposed  to  do?  Pray  and  watch.  Here’s  my  prayer for 
Susie: “Father, give Susie a desire for You. Forgive Susie of any sins. Alert me! so 
I  hear when  Susie starts asking about You.”

I  have  m ore friends 
my age who are 
form er Christians 
than  current!
Celina Worley,  Reading,  Pennsylvania
72


Sunday
Seeing Is Believing  |— 
August 13
EVIDENCE
Acts 16:21-32
The Olympics are arguably one of the world’s most popular sporting events. 
The five circles of the Olympic symbol have meaning in every part of the world. To 
get an Olympic medal gives an individual the highest form of recognition that can 
be achieved in athletics.
When tickets went on sale for the Sydney Olympics, lines stretched for blocks 
for eager fans to obtain the best tickets. Some popular events had to be allocated 
by  lottery.  Television  networks  have 
spent hundreds of millions of dollars to 
air Olympic action,  and further millions 
have paid for the right to use the Olympic 
logo to endorse consumer products. No 
doubt there  will  be  people  outside  the 
Olympic  events  trying  to  sell  black 
market  tickets  to  prime  events. This  is  a  show  not  to  be  missed. The  buzz  of 
witnessing an Olympic event appears priceless to some.
Despite the controversy that has surrounded the Sydney Olympics, it is still a 
popular  event.  Nothing  can  take  away from  the  glory  of the  spectacle.  People 
want to witness and be Involved In the Olympic spirit. Its spirit needs to be shared.
I  like  Paul’s approach  to witnessing when  he and  Silas were put into  prison 
(Acts 16:21-32). They spent the night singing and praying in jail. This would have 
been some event!  “The other prisoners were listening” (verse 25,  NIV),  but they 
had  no choice. They were a captive audience! The event that put Paul and Silas 
on show was pretty spectacular—an earthquake. Given the opportunity to escape 
from  prison,  they decided to stay. The jailer could  not believe what he  saw and 
knew that  God  must  have  been  acting  for them. The  effect was  instant. ‘“ What 
must I do to be saved?” ’ (verse 30, NIV). This was the easiest conversion recorded 
In Scripture.
No  preaching.  No  theological  debate.  No  drawn-out  study.  Only  a  humble 
witness could impact the jailer. The natural witness of Paul and Silas was sufficient 
to make Christ stand out.
REACT
1.  How can we use our everyday life to witness for Christ?
2. Nonaggressive witnessing as seen in Acts 16:21-32 works. Is there a point 
at which  an  aggressive approach  becomes  necessary to capture a decision for 
Christ?
3. What type of witnessing do you do that may be more effective if performed 
in a less aggressive manner?
Bill Truscott,  Cairns North, Australia

Lines stretched for 
blocks for eager fans 
to obtain the  best 
tickets.
7 3


M onday
August 14 A  People Thing
LOGOS
Matt. 10:32, 33; Mark  16:15,16; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:37;  16:30, 31; 18:5; 22:16
Rom.  10:9;  1  Cor. 2:2.
Christianity is a people thing. That is, it is not essentially programs, buildings, 
or money that keeps Christianity alive from one generation to the next.  It is one 
person sharing his or her faith with another person. Think about it. If all Christians 
from today, who actively share their faith, stopped doing it, within one generation 
Christianity would become extinct. Think about it. If all Christians today, who are 
not  in  the  habit  of sharing  their faith,  joined  Christians who  are  in  the  habit  of 
sharing their faith,  imagine what would happen.
I once calculated that if during a year, one person successfully shared his or 
her faith with another person, by the year’s end there would be two Christians. If 
both Christians repeated the process the next year,  at the end of the year there 
would  be four Christians.  Repeating the process over a total of  10 years would 
result in  1,024 Christians from just one person.
Jesus  is  central  to  faith-sharing  (Mark  16:15,16;  Acts  16:30,  31;  18:5). 
Doctrines,  that  is,  Bible  teachings,  have  two  goals.  First,  to  inspire  people  in 
regard to how to best live life as God intended. Second, to provide a way of life for 
people who become Christians.  Like the frame of a house, doctrines give shape 
to a person’s expression of Christian faith. Doctrines, as such, provide the means 
by which  we  are  able  to  live  life  as a disciple  of Jesus. As  necessary  as  Bible 
doctrines are,  it is the  presentation  of Jesus,  the founder of Christianity,  that  is 
central to Christian faith-sharing.
There are a variety of methods that can be used to present Jesus. However it 
is done, at the right time,  in the right ways, sharing your personal experience of 
faith  in  Jesus  with  family,  friends,  and  school/work  associates  is  what  it  is  all 
about. A  reading of the  book of Acts makes it evident that this  is what the  New 
Testament Christians did.
If Jesus is not central to your faith-sharing, the chances are you will often be 
presenting only lifeless doctrinal information that may be applied to life legalistically. 
The unique characteristic of Christianity as a religion is that it teaches that it is not 
by obedience to a set of doctrines that restores a person to God.  Restoration to 
God is determined by a faith-based relationship with God, thanks to His work in 
coming to earth as a human called Jesus. This is what we are called to share in 
as many ways as possible. Faith-sharing is best done in relationships. Christianity 
is an experience and an education.
Baptism  is  a  public  rite  of passage to a  new  life as a  Christian  (Acts 2:38; 
3:19;  22:16).  Symbols  are  important.  In  visible  ways  they  reflect  realities  that 
exist. For example, when two people love each other and make a commitment to 
live together, they will usually demonstrate that commitment by publicly declaring 
their intention in some form of marriage ceremony.
Baptism  is  a  symbol.  It  provides  a  public  opportunity  for  a  person  to
7 4


acknowledge and confirm a decision to be a disciple of Jesus, to live with Him.  It 
evidences the commencement of a new life as a Christian and active membership 
in church.
When  Peter  encourages  his  hearers  to  repent  and  be  baptized,  he  is  not 
suggesting that being baptized makes the person right with God.  He understood 
the  value  in  having  a  person  act  upon  his  or  her  decision. This  encourages  a 
sense of belonging.  Baptism can also be an anchor to hold a person in times of 
doubt and difficulty.
The goal of faith-sharing is not to baptize as many people as possible just for 
the sake of baptizing people. Making disciples is the goal. Baptism is an essential 
part of the faith-sharing process.
Faith-sharing evidences identification with Jesus (Matt. 10:32,33; Rom. 10:9; 
1  Cor. 2:2). In connection with physical exercise, you have perhaps heard words 
to the effect that “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it!”The idea is that strength, stamina, 
and ability grow with practice. The same applies for faith-sharing. When you share 
your faith with someone, you not only make an impact on the other person’s life, 
you  will  also  strengthen  your own  commitment.  If you  want to  keep  your faith, 
give it away—share it with someone else in the course of your everyday life.
Sharing  your  faith  will  help  you  grow  in  your  understanding  of  the  plan  of 
salvation  and what God  has done and 
is doing for you. As you share with other 
people what it means in your experience 
to  be a Christian,  you will also grow in 
your ability to express your faith and in 
your  level  of  com fort  with  being 
identified as being a Christian. Sharing 
your faith does not bring you into a higher level of favor with God. Faith-sharing is 
not a work you can do to achieve salvation. If you personally trust God, you already 
stand in His favor. Faith-sharing is about sharing what you have with other people 
so they can also enjoy the benefits of being Christian.
REACT
1. Describe the ways you could make faith-sharing part of your everyday way.
2. What is the difference between helping a person make a decision for Jesus 
and helping a person become a disciple of Jesus?
3. To what extent is faith-sharing a requirement for Christians?
4.  How could you share each one of your beliefs with a friend in such a way 
the he or she would experience the belief rather than just hear it as information?
5.  In what ways has your view of the purpose of or meaning of our doctrines 
changed through your life?
6.  In what ways does witnessing to others strengthen our own faith?
David Foster,  Wahroonga, Australia

Christianity is an 
experience and an 
education.
7 5


Tuesday
August 15 Witnessing— Depending 
on the Holy Spirit
TESTIMONY
Matt. 10:32, 33
After Jesus  was  taken from  His followers,  they  returned  to  Jerusalem  and 
went upstairs to wait and  pray for the  power of the  Holy Spirit.  No doubt there 
were  people  in that  room just like you  and  me.  What would  it be  like when the
Spirit  came?  Would  they  become  totally 
different people? Would their inhibitions leave 
them? Could this small group really take the 
gospel to the whole world? Even though they 
all  had their own  special  prayers,  they were 
all  praying  that they would  be filled  with the 
Holy Spirit so that they could be used by God 
to spread the Word so that Jesus would be back real soon!
I  had  packed  my cases for the flight from  London  to Chicago.  I  decided to 
include my paperback copy of Steps to Christ. Who knows? I might be in a row by 
myself where I could sit and read undisturbed and unnoticed.
I found my place in a crowded plane jammed in beside a lady already settling 
in  for  a  long  flight.  I  buckled  in  too—there  goes  my  empty  row.  As  the  hours 
passed  and  passengers  began  to fall  asleep,  I  put the  gossip  magazine  away 
and  began to think about the copy of Steps to Christ in  my bag.  Should  I  get it 
out? Would anybody notice it? Would they think I was a religious nut?  I  decided 
to chance it.
Bowing  my  head  I  asked  the  Holy  Spirit to  be  with  me,  ending  my  prayer: 
Father if I am to be a  witness for You,  You are going to have to show me how to 
do it. And please don’t let me make a fool of myself or You.
As I  read,  I became aware that the lady next to me was waking up.  Had she 
noticed what  I  was  reading?  I  didn’t look up.  What was  that? Give the lady the 
book? No way! I can’t be pushy with religion. This unexpected battle continued in 
my  mind. Was God trying to tell  me to do something for Him?  No,  surely it was 
just  my  imagination.  But  this  thought  wouldn’t  go  away,  and  the  plane  was 
beginning  to  descend. The  struggle  in  my mind  intensified. The  plane  touched 
down.  It was now or never. I didn’t know what to say. God,  help me!
“Here,  you can  have this.” I  almost threw the book at her.  I was so nervous.
“Thank you.  I was hoping you’d give it to me.”
Wow! So close,  God! I almost let You down.
I  learned that day that the Holy Spirit doesn’t prompt you to do things when 
He hasn’t prepared the way. God doesn’t mind having fools on His side. There is 
a job for all of us! Just ask what it is you are meant to do, and be ready to do it!

This unexpected 
battle continued 
in  my mind.
Kathy Burns,  Warburton, Australia
7 6


W ednesday
W itnessing — Stay in 
Your C o m fo rt Z o n e 

August 16
HOW -TO
Mark 5:19
Let’s  be  honest.  For  most  of  us the very thought  of  going  out to witness  is 
terrifying.  Give  me  anything  else  to  do.  I’ll  count  the  offering,  mow  the  church 
lawn—even assist with the teens.  But don’t ask me to witness.
If this is your first reaction to witnessing, chances are that you’ve inherited a 
model that doesn’t sit comfortably, a model that involves approaching strangers, 
using lures and manipulation, or being someone that you’re not. Relax, witnessing 
shouldn’t bring on an attack of sweaty palms.
The  madman,  healed  by  Jesus  in  the  region  of the  Gerasenes,  wanted  to 
follow along and change the world. What did Jesus say? “ ‘Go home to your family 
and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on 
you’ ” (Mark 5:19,  NIV). What do we learn here?
•   Our primary audience for witnessing is our family, friends,  and  neighbors.
•   The basis of our message to this group is to tell what Jesus has done for us.
It doesn’t take a tertiary degree to do this.  If Jesus  has done something for
you,  if He has changed the direction of your life or given you a new view of the 
world, then you have the best raw material for witnessing.
Archimedes, a third-century mathematician and inventor, was asked to solve 
a  big  problem. Was  the  king’s  crown  pure  gold  or  had  the  goldsmith  replaced 
some  of the  gold  with  an  inferior metal?  Archimedes was  highly intelligent,  but 
this problem had him stumped. The obvious solution was to weigh the crown and 
compare  the  weight  against  an  equivalent  volume  of  gold.  But  how  could  he 
accurately  measure  the  volume  of 
something  so  irregular?  One  day  while 
lowering  himself  into  a  very  full  bath,
Archimedes  noticed  that  an  amount  of 
water  equivalent  to  his  own  volume 
splashed  out.  In  a  moment  of  insight  he 
had the solution: find out how much water 
is  displaced  by  the  crown  and  measure 
that  volume.  Archimedes  was  ecstatic.
This was one discovery he wasn’t going to keep to himself. The bath was forgotten 
along  with  the  bathrobe  as  he  ran  naked  through  the  town  toward  the  palace 
yelling like a madman “Eureka.” “I’ve found it.”
Archimedes had made a discovery that he couldn’t help sharing. Discovering 
Jesus is something we will want to share—not because we have to,  not to ease 
our conscience. Witnessing should be a natural extension of our everyday life.
Doug Bums,  Warburton, Australia

Witnessing 
shouldn't bring on 
an attack of 
sweaty palms.
7 7


Thursday
August 17
O PINION
Acts 5:42
Mark  went  out  to  lunch  with  his  boss  and  the  president  of  the  company. 
Everything  seemed to  go well. The  conversation  was  lively and  he felt at ease. 
The waiter brought the food, and suddenly Mark was faced with a decision. Should 
he pray before eating  his meal? And if he did,  how would he go about it? Would 
he have to excuse himself, or should he ask for a moment to bless the food? Any 
of these  options  had  the  potential  of  making  him  look bad,  so  he  settled  on  an 
express prayer in the back of his mind as he tackled his salad.
Witnessing for Christ is not a popular concept In a society that asks us to keep 
our ideas about God to ourselves. It isn’t cool to hand out tracts; it isn’t acceptable 
to share with others the joy of knowing Christ.  In that context, modern witnessing 
has taken on a comfortable shape. We have developed a delicate balance where
we can still feel as though we are obeying 
the  command,  “Go  and  make  disciples 
of all  nations” (Matt. 28:19 NIV);  but we 
don’t have to take the initiative to reach 
out.  Have you ever heard that you don’t 
have  to  say  anything;  you  just  have  to
live your witness? The first time  I  heard
that concept,  I  breathed a sigh of relief. 
Now this I can do,  I thought.  But after years of being silent I wonder if this is the 
best approach.  I’m not suggesting preaching to everyone you know, but consider
this: When you  discover something you’re excited about,  like a new diet, a great
book, or a fantastic sale, isn’t your instinct to tell someone? I would dare say that 
you  would tell  as  many as you  could.  Why wouldn’t we  do the same about the 
greatest thing ever to come into our lives?
Maybe  we  ought to  redefine  the  idea  of  living  our witness.  Webster’s  New 
College  Dictionary defines  witness  as  “someone  who  gives  evidence.” Are  we 
giving evidence of what God has done in our lives? It is as revolutionary as saying 
a prayer before a meal in front of unbelievers; as easy as not changing the Christian 
music on the radio when your friends get in your car; as powerful as sharing an 
encouraging verse with a hurting friend.
Knowing Jesus is a very personal thing with very public effects. It is time we 
dared to go beyond the passive,  private,  armchair-witnessing, to the  reality of a 
world dying without God, and our responsibility in showing them the way to life.
REACT
1. How can  I  give evidence of God’s love in my life?
2. When is it appropriate to make a statement for Christ?
Sandra Araujo-Delgado,  Elmhurst,  Illinois

It is tim e w e dared 
to go  beyond the 
passive, private, 
armchair-witnessing. 

Talk the W a lk
7 8


Friday
Trolling fo r Disciples  |- 
A u g u s t  18
EXPLORATION
Acts 20:27
CONCLUDE
How  do  you  witness  with  grace  and  style?  (1)  Let  God  take  the  lead.  He 
opens  the  way  by  instilling  hunger  in  others for knowing  Him.  He  also  creates 
opportunities for us to feed that hunger. (2) Don’t get caught up in arguing doctrine. 
Legalities  bore  people. They  want  to  know what difference  Jesus  has  made  in 
your life. Tell your story to family, friends, and neighbors. Then let God bring them 
into fellowship with Himself. God starts the work and finishes the work, but He still 
lets us share the sweet joy of success.
CONSIDER
■   Listing the  habits of your Christian  lifestyle that  might  be  noticed  by non- 
Christian friends. Beside each item, write “Admirable,” “Annoying,” or “Who 
Cares?”  depending  on  what opinion  you  think your friends  have  of each 
habit.
■   Choosing  a  piece  of  Christian  music  and  sharing  it with  an  unconverted 
friend or relative.
■   Taking a walk in  nature and finding five things that witness to God's love.
■   Reading a portion of a biography or autobiography that tells of a conversion 
experience.
■   Adding to your web site a page with your personal testimony.
■   Spending some time in prayer asking for God to give you an opportunity to 
witness.
■   Videotaping  a  friend  or family  member telling  about their conversion  and 
how people witnessed to them.
CONNECT
Acts 2.
The Acts of the Apostles, chap. 14.
Rebecca  Manley  Pippert,  Out  of  the  Salt  Shaker and  Into  the  World:
Evangelism as a  Way of Life.
Kim Peckham,  Falling Waters,  West Virginia
79


Lesson 9
August 19-26
Whom do you
See?
"Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria 
enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and 
encouraged  by the Holy Spirit, it grew in  numbers, living in 
the fear of the Lord" (Acts 9:31, NIV).


If Your C hurch 
W e re  a  Person 

Sabbath
August 19
INTRODUCTION
Acts 2:42-47
In  my healthcare consulting practice,  I  use a technique to try to  understand 
how people perceive their organization.  I ask them to describe their company as 
if it were a person.  Some  people  pick a famous individual  who personifies  how 
they see their company. Others offer a series of adjectives describing personality, 
attitude, and style. On a recent project, one participant described the hospital as 
a “A father who  really intends to go to  his child’s baseball  game but is too busy 
and never seems to make it.” A lot can be learned from this simple exercise.
What would you  learn  if you  tried this  exercise  on  your local  church?  If your 
church were a person, how would you describe it? What are its qualities? Give it a try. 
Be brutally honest. Do you like the person you described? Are you drawn to it?
If  you’re  like  your  peers,  you  might  not  be  satisfied  with  the  person  you 
described.  A  few  years  ago,  young  Adventists  responded  to  a  survey  called 
Valuegenesls. Most of those surveyed 
didn’t feel  accepted  by their church, 
and the majority didn’t consider their 
church to be warm and friendly.
These  young  Adventists  have 
been to your church. They’ve been to 
my church. Apparently,  most of them 
are not finding the type of church life they need.
They could be finding judgment instead of acceptance, social cliques instead 
of warmth, or a church family that makes its appearance from 9:30 a.m. to noon 
instead of all week long. Most likely, they are finding a church family distracted by 
minor matters instead of focused completely on what really matters.
“Whenever  minor  matters  occupy  the  attention,  the  divine  power  which  is 
necessary for the growth and prosperity of the church, and which would bring all 
other blessings in  its train,  is lacking, though offered  in  infinite plentitude.”*
The Holy Spirit had the attention of the early church. They were transformed. 
As  a  result,  we  find  a  church  that  was  prayerful,  accepting,  selfless,  sharing, 
humble,  and  happy.  Every  day  people  were  drawn  to  be  part  of this  close-knit 
family of early believers.
We need to let the Holy Spirit get our attention. When we do, we’ll be  happier 
with  the  person  we  see  when  we  describe  our  churches.  We  might  hear  a 
description that sounds  much  like Jesus. You  might even  hear, “I see Jesus.”
* The Acts of the Apostles, p. 50. 

If your church  were a 
person,  how would 
you  describe  it?
Jerry Hobbs,  Olathe,  Kansas
81


Sunday
August 20 The A postolic C hurch |
LOGOS
Acts 1:14; 2:22-24, 32, 33, 36,42-47; 4:23-30; 8:14,  15; 11:26;  12:1-19
Within  less  than  a  hundred  years,  the  early  church  went  from  being  an 
insignificant  group  of  Palestinian  Jews  to  a  major force  of Jews  and  Gentiles 
spread  across  the  entire  Mediterranean  for  Christ.  After  reading  about  the 
breathtaking  growth  and  life  of the  church  in  Acts,  one  has to  ask,  “Why  is the 
description of the church in Acts so unlike most churches today?” What’s happened 
to the church? Part of our challenge today is that our concept of what it means to 
be a church  is radically different from that of the believers in the book of Acts.
The Biblical Terminology
Today we typically use church to refer either to a specific denomination or a 
physical  building where people meet for worship. That was not the case in Acts. 
The  Greek  word  behind  our  word  for church  today  is ekklesia.  The  term  was 
originally  a  political  term  used  500  years  before  Christ,  and  it  referred  to  the 
assembly  of  citizens  in  which  political  and judicial  decisions were  made  (e.g., 
Acts  19:32,  39-41). As the early believers looked for a term that could  describe 
them, they picked up on the etymological meaning of ekklesia (ek=  out; kalew = 
to  call)  as  the  “called-out  ones”  and  began  applying  it toward  the  followers  of 
Christ. The term is used 111  times in the Bible.
The term for church was first used with several qualifiers (e.g.,  1  Thess.  1:1; 
2:14),  but  eventually  became  the  assumed  term.  What  is  significant  for  our 
understanding,  however,  is that church was never used  in the Bible to refer to a
denom ination  or  to  a  physical 
building. The  term  is  used  only  to 
describe a group of believers (e.g., 
Acts 5:11; 14:27; Col. 4:15; Philem. 
1,  2;  etc.).  For the  early Christians 
the  church  was  an  entity  without 
walls.  Church  was  not  a  sacred
building,  but  a  sacred  body  of 
believers in Christ.
An  unfortunate change,  however, took place over the years. Due to external 
persecution  and  internal  divisions,  the  church  began  to  look  to  creeds  and 
centralized, hierarchical structures to solve its problems. The definition of church 
was drastically affected by those changes. Rather than the church referring to a 
body of believers,  it was considered more as a sacred building.
This definition of the church engendered a false separation between a physical 
building and the real church, which is the people. The shift in understanding has 
led  people  to  look  to  church  buildings,  to  emblems,  pews,  and  stained  glass 
windows to find hope, and to encounter God rather than to find these things in the 
real church—the believers. This viewpoint also led believers to fail to comprehend

Church was never used 
in  the  Bible to refer to a 
denom ination or to a 
physical  building. 
8 2


the tremendous source of healing and powerthat God wants them to be in society, 
and often leads one’s spirituality to be tied to a building or an institution.
The Twin Pillars of the Apostolic Church (Acts 2:42)
Having  looked  at the  biblical  terminology of the  church  in  Acts,  we  need to 
look now at two elements that made the church, the people of God, such a dynamic 
force in the ancient world.
1. Doctrine. The Greek word (didache) doctrine, simply means teaching. The 
apostle’s  teaching  was  of  course  a  reference  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel. The 
church cannot exist without such truth (John 8:32;  14:6). The church is “the pillar 
and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15, KJV). It was the apostles’ inspired teachings 
that provided instruction, meaning, and direction in the lives of the new believers.
2. Fellowship. The early believers,  however, did not only view themselves as 
the  depository  of  truth,  but  also  as  a  fellowship  of  believers. The  Greek  word 
translated fellowship in Acts 2:42 is koinonia and in the Hellenistic world referred 
to the close union between human beings.The term was later picked up by Greek 
philosophers to denote the highest ideal of Greek society. In the New Testament, 
the term  refers to the close unity and fellowship brought about among  believers 
by the Spirit. What had been only an ideal for Greek society had become a reality 
among the brothers and sisters in Christ. The early believers didn’t see fellowship 
as something secondary to doctrine but as something that couldn’t be separated 
from  real  doctrine  (e.g.,  Acts 2:42-47;  1  John  1:7).  Philemon  4-6  indicates that 
such fellowship (koinonia) was a powerful tool  used  in witnessing. The power of 
such fellowship attracted and intimated the unbelieving world, while doctrine gave 
them direction for life.
If the church of today will ever resemble the church of Acts, we must begin to 
redefine our definition of church from being a physical building to being a body of 
believers.  In addition, we also must not only look at the church as the depository 
of truth,  but as a fellowship of believers.
REACT
1.  How do you tend to use the word church?
2. Why do you think some churches might think of fellowship as secondary to 
doctrine?
3. To what extent does your church  exhibit doctrine and fellowship?
4. What are some dangers if a church emphasizes doctrine over fellowship or 
vice versa?
5. Doctrine can seem a heavy term.  But what the early church believed (i.e., 
doctrine) turned the world upside down.  How does that work?
6.  How  does  what  you  believe  (doctrine)  relate  to  church  relationships 
(fellowship)?
7. What’s wrong  in thinking of the church as a building? What’s right?
Carl Cosaert,  Olathe, Kansas
8 3


M onday
August 21 Prayer M e e tin g
TESTIMONY
Acts  12:1-19;  Heb.  10:19-25
The  night  before  his  execution  was  to  take  place,  Peter was  “sleeping  the 
peaceful sleep of perfect trust,”1  while “the entire church engaged in fasting and 
prayer.”2  With  such  an  awesome  example  of  faith,  how  are  we  (the  church) 
preparing our lives as a witness to the world?
How do we act in times of prosperity? How do we act in times of distress? The 
world  watches—for we  are the  testimony of God’s  power. Through  our actions, 
we could be the only Bible they read.  Do our lives tell of a living faith or a lack of
trust? “The world will be convinced, 
not by what the pulpit teaches, but 
by what the church lives.”3
As effective  laborers  in  Christ 
we  will  “consider  one  another  in 
order  to  stir  up  love  and  good 
works,  not  forsaking  the
assembling of ourselves together,... but exhorting one another” (Heb. 10:24, 25, 
NKJV). Let’s consider some essential areas of helping to prepare one another.
Bible Study. “A familiarity with the truths of the Scripture will give the teacher 
of truth  qualifications that will  make  him  a  representative of Christ. The  spirit of 
the  Savior’s teaching will  give force and  directness to  his  instruction  and to  his 
prayers.”4
Secret Prayer. “Prayer... is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of 
grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved.”5
Faith. “True faith and true prayer—how strong they are! They are as two arms 
by which the human  suppliant lays hold upon the power of Infinite Love.”6
Courage.  “The  messengers of the cross  must  arm  themselves  with
watchfulness and prayer, and move forward in faith and courage, working always 
in the name of Jesus.”7
REACT
What does it mean to “pray without ceasing”? Be specific.
1. The Acts of the Apostles, p.  146.
2.  Ibid., p.  144.
3. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p.  16.
4. Gospel Workers, p. 252.
5.  Ibid., pp. 254, 255.
6.  Ibid., p. 259.
7.  Ibid., pp. 264, 265. 
Tim Michaud,  Merriam,  Kansas

Through  our actions, we 
could  be the only Bible 
they read. 
8 4


Can "C o o l" People 
Witness? 

Tuesday
August 22
EVIDENCE
Mic. 6:8
When  I  was  a child,  my parents encouraged  me to go  Harvest  Ingathering. 
They  insisted  this  was  Christian  witnessing.  So  I  carried  my  battery  powered 
candle, practiced the speech my church provided, and toughed it out. At the end 
of a cold  night  of caroling,  and  having  doors  slammed  in  my face,  I’d  collected 
twenty dollars to help “those people less fortunate than you and me.” After these 
witnessing expeditions,  I still felt empty and a bit nerdy.
But my  parents’ fervor didn’t end there. They continued to teach  me  how to 
witness by conscripting me to join them in Sunshine Bands almost every Sabbath. 
Again,  I  felt  nerdy  playing  my  clarinet  for  those  old  folks.  As  I  grew  older,  I 
questioned whether this was really Christian witnessing.
Members  of  the  early  Christian  church  witnessed  during  very  progressive 
times.  In  fact,  they  were  fairly  progressive  themselves. They  had  to  be.  In  the 
book The Life of Paul, Benjamin Robinson says, ‘The time of Augustus was a sort 
of  Golden  Age. The  policy  of  universal 
toleration of all religions and creeds gave 
Christianity a chance to make its appeal.”
He also says, “Navigation lines and well- 
paved  roads  connected  all  important 
points  of  the  empire.  Travel  had  never 
been so easy nor so safe as in the first 
century.  Religiously,  the  peoples  had awakened.”*
The  early  church  was  progressive. They  may  have  been  as  progressive  in 
thought as we are today. Many of the physical restrictions they had were no longer 
binding. This continues to be true for us today. We are at an information crossroads. 
Communication  lines  around  the  world  and  door to  door are  simple to  access. 
How should we use these tools to witness for Christ?
If the early church could be progressive, so can we. Christian witnessing isn’t 
just  Harvest  Ingathering  and  Sunshine  Bands.  It’s  e-mail  messages  between 
friends.  It’s  website  development that  leads  people to  learn  about the  absolute 
truths in our Adventist message. It’s video conferencing between people in different 
nations. It’s anything that brings people together to learn about the Good News.
Harvest Ingathering and Sunshine Bands aren’t that bad. They are teaching 
grounds for the real battle that lies ahead. They teach us how to approach people, 
where they live and in their reality, so we can be mirrors of Christ’s character.
* Benjamin Robinson, The Life of Paul (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press,  1918).
Ivan Bartolome,  Mission,  Kansas

If the early church 
could  be progressive, 
so can we.
8 5


W ednesday
August 23 Living Light
HOW-TO
Luke 4:18,  19
Thanks to fallen Lucifer and our original  parents, sin  has wrapped  her cloak 
tightly about earth’s shivering  shoulders,  shutting  out the  light from the  masses 
leading desperate lives. Some are numbed by the cold. Others are blinded by the 
fakery  of quick fixes  and  false futures.  But  most  cry for an  escape. This  is why 
Christ calls the church to be the lantern that shatters the darkness.
And this is what the Acts church was all about. The early church  begged for 
large  helpings of the  Holy Spirit,  who  empowered them to  broadcast  boldly the 
good news of salvation to their world. But they didn’t just preach light. They lived 
--------------------------------------------------   light. Because of this, “the Lord added
Christ calls the church  to their number daily those who were
to be the lantern that  bein9 f ved” (Act"  NIV)- we,  ,  i  |  are to  be true to the Christ to whom
shatters the darkness.  we  |-iave  committed  our lives,  and  if
we  want  our  churches  to  turn  the 
world upside down for His sake, we do well to model the Acts church by doing the 
following:
Pray for the Holy Spirit to take over. He will give direction, delight in God’s 
will, and have passion for the lost.
Preach  the  Christian  experience. How  can  we  not  share  with  others  the 
way of escaping eternal death, the security of acceptance through Christ, and the 
reality  that we  can  be  free  from  overpowering  desires,  long-held  grudges,  and 
other slave masters that destroy one’s peace and happiness?
Provide a safe place where we care for those who suffer physically and 
spiritually. We  must also look after those who struggle to make ends  meet; the 
Acts church “sold their possessions and goods,  and divided them among all, as 
anyone had need” (verse 45, NKJV).
Prepare our community for “the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:19, 
KJV). Jesus is coming soon! This message of future hope is what so many long 
for—whether they realize it or not.
Praise God always. The Acts church thrived by “praising God and enjoying 
the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:47,  NIV). There is nothing more attractive than 
an attitude of praise and thanksgiving!
REACT
1. Discuss how your church prays, preaches, provides, prepares, and praises.
2. Does your church fall short in any of these areas?  Explain your answer.
3. Brainstorm for new,  innovative ways for your church to accomplish these 
things. 
Darchelle Worley, Merham,  Kansas
8 6


Find  It or C hange  It  f 

Thursday
August 24
OPINION
Acts 2:42
As I  read the characteristics of the early church,  I wanted to say that I found 
those characteristics in  my own church.  But I  haven’t and  I  didn’t.  Instead,  I am 
confronted with some uncomfortable questions.  Do we have what they had? Do 
I see the  Holy Spirit active in my church today? Too often the answer is No.
This week’s lesson outlined specific dimensions of worship and witnessing. 
Are they any less applicable today? Or course not. But do we really live that way? 
I  fear  we  have  become  too  comfortable,  self-absorbed,  or  culturally  numb  to 
change this instantly.
One  characteristic  of  the  early  church  was  joining  “together  constantly  in 
prayer”  (Acts  1:14,  NIV). This  has  not  been  my  experience.  It  doesn’t  always 
seem to be the tenor or aura of the church. It’s been comfortable, right, sociable, 
and sometimes uplifting. We certainly dress better on the Sabbath than on most 
days.  But do we have a deep, soulful, corporate yearning for the Holy Spirit—so 
palpable in the air that even a visitor can sense it? Again, sadly I fear the answer 
is  No. Why?  What’s  missing?  Is  there  a  lack  of  desire  or  initiative?  Or  maybe 
there’s a lack of discernment? Or perhaps it’s just not a priority?
Is it still our calling to invite others to Christ? Paul admonishes us that believers 
are fundamentally filled with the Holy Spirit and are dead without it. Furthermore, 
we are called to be an active witness in our daily walk. When was the last time 
you told an acquaintance,  a nonbeliever, of God’s love and invited him or her to 
join you at church?
Consider our early roots as a church.
What would we do now if someone danced 
down the aisle praising God or went into a 
vision?  We  would  probably  commit them 
to the hospital for 72 hours of observation.
Or  we  might  look  the  other  way  in 
embarrassment. Yet  this  is  part  of  what 
made  the  early  church  exciting  and 
meaningful.
Within your local church, look around.
Have  the  courage  to  step  back and  see  the  congregation  as  it  is.  Is  there  an 
urgency to walk the walk in Christ? Are the services fresh, vulnerable, and sincere 
in yearning for God? Would non-Christian friends, neighbors, and coworkers feel 
welcome and warm? The Bible says that’s where church  is—where the Spirit of 
God is welcomed. Be willing to compare the characteristics found in Acts to your 
current community. And I challenge you, and myself, to ask the Lord how we can 
be a part of the solution and mobilize changes that glorify Him.
Jennifer Nestelt,  Goleta,  California

O ne characteristic 
of the early church 
was joining 
"together 
constantly in 
prayer."
8 7


Friday
August 25 H o w  User Friendly
A re W e  ?  |
EXPLORATION
Acts 9:31
CONCLUDE
If my church were a person, would she be vibrant and progressive, warm and 
understanding? She will be if we are, and we can be as we commit ourselves and 
submit ourselves to the ministry of being Christ’s body— right here,  right now.
CONSIDER
■   Making a collage of all the things that demand your attention/your church’s 
attention.  Draw  a  pair  of  binoculars  and  cut them  out.  Label  them  “Holy 
Spirit” and place them  on top of your collage to indicate how you can see 
life from  God’s  perspective.
■   Making  a  chart  that  rates  the  church  of  Acts  and  your  own  church  on 
characteristics of a successful church. Share your findings with your church 
board.
■   Brainstorming practical ways to help those in need in your immediate area, 
from  fixing  sandwiches  to  conducting  finance  classes. Try  one  of  these 
next week.
■   Writing a story or poem in which a progressive church welcomes someone 
who is  unconventional.  If you feel  comfortable doing so,  share your work 
during Sabbath School.
■   Fabric painting or making a computer-generated iron-on patch for a T-shirt 
advertising “Koinonia—We Are the Church.”
■   Journaling  about  each  of  Monday’s  categories  (Bible  study,  prayer,  etc.), 
your own ideas of what the church teaches, what you actually do in real life, 
and what steps you choose to bridge the gap between the two.
CONNECT
Elizabeth O’Connor, Call to Commitment; Richard Foster, Living Streams and
Celebration of Disciplines; Edith Schaeffer, L’Abri.
Helene Hubbard,  Bradenton,  Florida


Lesson 10
August 26-Septem ber 2
Who is on Your
list?
" ' "I  have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may 
bring salvation to the ends of the earth'"" (Acts 13:47, NIV).


Sabbath
August 26 Social Q uicksand
INTRODUCTION
Acts 2:46, 47
I am engaged to be married to a wonderful, God-fearing man.  Both sides of 
the  family  are ecstatic. However,  I am  increasingly  tempted  to  elope.  Imagine
the cost and hassle my flaneé and  I could save. Take for instance,  planning the
proverbial  wedding  dinner  banquet.  The 
high  costs  aside,  there  is  the  social 
equivalent  of  treading  on  quicksand  to 
contend with.
First you  invite one, then you  have to 
invite the other, and because you’ve invited 
her you’ve got to invite him, so on and so 
forth.  Soon  social  protocol  has  forced  us 
to invite everyone we ever remotely knew, 
and some whom we don’t know but were 
invited  because  he’s  fifth  aunt’s  brother-in-law’s  nephew.  Sink,  sank,  sunk. 
However,  a significant lack of funds necessitates eliminating a huge proportion 
of the potential invitees.
How different it is with God. He has all the resources to hold a huge banquet 
for the entire human race, and He intends to! He’s sending out the invitations for 
the  ultimate  wedding  banquet  in  heaven.  And  as  His  friends,  we  have  been 
commissioned  to  send  the  word  out,  to  make  sure  that this  invitation  reaches 
every single human being, and to help get ready for the ultimate wedding banquet. 
Entrusted with  such an  awesome  responsibility,  how can we effectively deliver 
God’s invitation to our friends and family members?

Social  protocol 
has forced  us to 
invite everyone 
w e ever remotely 
knew. 
Faith Toh,  Singapore 
90


Sunday
A  D iffe re n t Kind 

A u g u s t  27
o f W itness
EVIDENCE
Acts 2:46, 47;  12:12
This week we are  looking at ways of sharing our faith with  others.  Perhaps 
you have been involved with a group that has gone out on the streets to witness 
or you may have gone on a mission trip to some exotic place. For some, however, 
this may be an opportunity you have never had.  Perhaps you think, I don’t have 
the money, or I don’t have the courage to be in front of people.
Christ has commanded us to go into the entire world and spread the gospel, 
but for many we need to realize that just because we cannot go to far off places 
It is not an excuse for us not to witness. God can use our talents anywhere. And 
as our texts for today show us, witnessing is not all preaching.
In today’s world everything seems to be work, work, work. We barely have a 
chance  to  catch  our  breath  and  then  we’re  off  again. This  past year  I  had  the 
opportunity to  be  involved  in  a  small-group  Bible  study.  Every  night  we  would 
meet together and  inevitably get involved  in  some huge debate.  Everyone was 
out  to  prove  his  or  her  point.  Bible  study 
became  a  task  just  like  every  homework 
assignment  and  every  essay.  Our  group 
decided to address the issue. We decided that 
by  planning  a  night  of  rest  and  relaxation,  a 
night of socializing, we might not only become 
better friends, but perhaps get more out of our 
studying together.
The  results were amazing. That one night 
a  week  not  only  gave  us  something  to  look 
forward to, it not only helped to cool the tempers 
that would flair in our heated discussions the rest of the week, but it gave us the 
chance to  invite  others as well.  Our group that started  at five  grew to ten,  and 
continued growing to the point that we had to split into two groups. It was wonderful.
Stop saying that you can’t do anything for God. Act. Our texts for today show 
us that fellowship is an important tool in witnessing, one that we shouldn’t ignore.
REACT
1.  Do you see yourself as part of the sharing ministry of the church?  How?
2. How would you give a Bible study without a Bible? How can you introduce 
spiritual ideas about God into everyday conversation?
3.  How  would  you  react  to  the  statement  “In  witnessing,  it’s  vital  to  listen 
before speaking”? 
Jen Murdoch,  Collegedale,  Tennessee

W e would 
m eet together 
and  inevitably 
get involved  in 
some huge 
debate.
91


M onday
August 28 In the Sandals
of the Apostles
LOGOS
Acts 1:8; 2:46, 47; 5:42; 9:31; 12:12;  14:21-23;  18:1-3,18, 24-26; 22:21
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,  baptizing them in the name 
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them  to obey 
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,  to the very 
end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20,  NIV).
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:
‘Do not leave Jerusalem,  but wait for the gift 
my Father promised,  which you  have  heard 
me speak about. For John baptized with water, 
but in a few days you will be baptized with the 
Holy Spirit’ ’’ (Acts  1:4, 5,  NIV).
Jesus’  disciples  clearly  remembered  His 
words.  After He ascended,  they set about to 
pray for the  promised  power (Acts  1:8). They 
were duly rewarded ten days later, on the day 
of Pentecost, with a miraculous visitation from 
heaven, so amazing that It was Babel reversed 
(Acts  2:6-11).  It  was  so  astounding  that 
skeptics labeled them drunk (Acts 2:13). Never 
before had the world seen such a manifestation!
A Good Problem
Put yourself  In  the  sandals  of the  apostles. After  Peter preached  his spirit- 
filled sermon, your heart would have been warmed by the enthusiastic response 
to the gospel. One moment you were part of a motley crowd of 120. The next, you 
were  part  of  a  crowd  of three  thousand  plus.  In  your joy you  also  realize  that 
things could  never be the same again.  Just what are you  going to do  now with 
this harvest of three thousand souls who had to be taught, discipled, and sent out 
as  heralds of the gospel?  How do you  manage three thousand  new and eager 
believers? How would you also disciple the thousands more who would soon join 
your cause? How would you also ensure that there will be ready and able workers 
to work the  ripe harvest?
Instant Recall
As  a first-century  Christ-follower,  would  you  have  turned  to  books  churned 
out  by  the  church  growth  experts?  Or  the  topnotch  seminaries  of  your  day? 
Obviously  not.  For you  would  have  possessed  the  best  source  possible—the 
instructions of Jesus, the Master Teacher. You would have racked your brains to 
recall every morsel of truth that graced Jesus’ lips. Gems like:
92

They were 
duly rewarded 
with  a 
miraculous 
visitation from 
heaven that 
was  Babel 
reversed.


•   “ ‘A new command  I  give you:  Love one another. As  I  have loved you,  so 
you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if 
you love one another’ ” (John  13:34,  35,  NIV).
•   “ ‘And  I  will  do whatever you  ask in  my name,  so that the Son  may bring 
glory to the  Father’ ” (14:13,  NIV).
•   “ ‘Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; 
it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you  remain  in me’ ” 
(15:4,  NIV).
•   “ ‘Until  now you  have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will 
receive, and your joy will be complete’ ” (16:24,  NIV).
•   “ ‘Sanctify them  by the truth; your word  is truth. As you  sent  me  into the 
world,  I  have sent them into the world’ ” (17:17,  18,  NIV).
Harvest Work Principles
From our  Master’s words,  several  principles  must  be adhered to  in  harvest 
work:
•   God  is  the  Source  of  our  wisdom. The  Bible  is  thus  our  inspiration  and 
guide.
•   Maintaining  a vibrant  relationship with Jesus  is  nonnegotiable  in  harvest 
work.
•   Prayer unleashes supernatural power. Prayer is an indispensable factor in 
harvest preparation.
•   Love for one another is both a foundational unity principle and witnessing 
tool. Through  love,  we  remain  united  in  purpose. Through  love for one another, 
we witness to unbelievers.
The Harvest's  Limiting Factor
The Pentecost incident also displayed what Jesus  meant when  He said the 
harvest was  plentiful. (See  Matt. 9:37,  38; Luke  10:2; John  4:35.) The fields are 
ripe  for the  picking. The  limiting  factor  is  the  lack  of  workers.  Willing  and  able 
workers are still needed today to reap the harvest.
The first step is to ask God for help.  Before praying for unsaved people, we 
should pray for concerned disciples to join  us in reaching out to the lost.
REACT
Though the church today may be a far cry from the first-century’s followers, 
the following questions remain  relevant:
1. What is the most effective way of reaching out to the harvest? Be specific.
2.  How do we motivate and prepare our church  members for service?
3. How do we disciple new believers to be productive workers for the harvest?
John K. E. Tan,  Singapore
9 3


Tuesday
August 29 W h a t W ill  I
the H arvest Be?  |
TESTIMONY
John 4:36-38
Evangelism  is  hard  work.  I  felt  this  even  more  when  I  tried  door-to-door 
witnessing. It’s easy to get discouraged when we don’t see results. I have learned, 
however, that we can’t be a harvester to all the people we meet. Jesus presented 
this  principle  when  He  said  His  disciples  would  reap  what  they  did  not  sow. 
Following in their Master’s footsteps, they would harvest from the seeds He sowed.
Similarly, we need to understand that evangelism is a process involving more 
than one person to complete the task. “To-day in His great harvest-field God has 
need of sowers and of reapers. Let those who go forth into the work, some to sow
and some to reap, remember that they are 
never to take to themselves the glory for 
the success of their work.”1
While we labor in the harvest-fields, it 
would  be wise to  heed  this caution:  “Do 
you  expect  that  Satan  will  readily  allow 
his subjects to pass from his ranks to the 
ranks of Christ? He will make every effort 
to keep them bound in fetters of darkness 
under his  black  banner.  Can  you  expect 
to be victorious in winning souls to Christ without earnest effort, when you  have 
such a foe to face and battle?”2
Our enemy will make every effort to keep people from knowing the saving grace 
of Jesus.  Indeed,  we  can’t  be  victorious  in  winning  souls  without  earnest  effort, 
prayer,  and dependence on Jesus. There is no place for complacency. “What will 
the harvest be?  ... Every word you utter, every act you perform, is a seed which 
will  bear good or evil fruit and will  result in joy or sorrow.”3
Whether we be sowers or reapers in the harvest, we have a responsibility to 
share  God’s  light with  others. We  can  claim  the  promise  as we  go out  into the 
harvest field that He will be with us unto the end of time.
REACT
Where are your harvest fields? What will it take for you to sow seeds among 
these fields?
1. Gospel Workers,  p. 409.
2. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p.  151.
3.  Ibid., vol. 3, p. 363.

Evangelism  is a 
process involving 
more than  one 
person to complete 
the task. 
Jimmy Guek,  Singapore 
94


M issionary to 
A t-risk Kids 

W ednesday
August 30
HOW -TO
Acts  1:8
I  work  in  a  social  work  project  for  students  at  risk  because  of  delinquent 
behavior. This  project  involves  equipping  these  kids  with  basic  literary  skills, 
teaching them life management, and one-on-one counseling.
When  I  first worked  with  these teens,  I  was  shocked!  It seemed  that  I  had 
stepped into another world of attitude, language, and mannerisms. They showed 
no  respect  for  authority  and  were  constantly  getting  into  trouble.  What made 
them so angry at such a tender age? I wondered. Everyday I asked, “Lord, grant 
me wisdom,  patience, and love to deal with these kids.”
After  laboring  for some  time,  I  realized  that  I  was  a  missionary  of  sorts.  I 
come  from  a  different  subculture.  If  I  were  ever  to  reach  them,  I  must  first 
understand  their  needs.  Consciously  opening  my  heart,  I  discovered  that 
underneath their tough veneer, these students cry out for:
1. Affirmation. They live in a world of put-downs and sarcasms.
2. Listening ears. Because of their labels, hardly anyone listens to their needs.
3. Guidance. Though  they may appear to  know their way around,  they are 
crying out, “I  need somebody to show me the way!”
4. Sense of belonging. Being labeled misfits, they feel displaced by society. 
This explains why they gravitate so easily to gangs.
5. Love. They behave promiscuously because sex is often the only intimacy 
they experience. They need the power of genuine love to permeate their lives.
Though I feel that I may not be able to meet all their needs, I am able to point 
out  the  Source  of solutions,  Jesus  Christ. This  I  do  by  becoming  a friend  and 
planting  positive thoughts during what  I  call “windows of opportunity,” moments 
when  the  kids  are  willing  to  listen.  But these  moments  disappear  as  fast they 
appear.  I  realized also that spending extended time together,  like in camps and 
overnight retreats, paves the way for many 
windows of opportunity to appear.
My  advice  for  all  missionaries  to 
troubled youth is:
1.  Pray,  pray,  pray. This  is  spiritual 
warfare.  We  have  to  bathe  ourselves  In 
prayer before dealing with these youth.
2.  Be a friend. Become a loving,  caring friend,  genuinely interested in their 
needs and fears.
3. Accept them although you may not approve of what they do. Show them 
that you  love them  but that you don’t approve of their destructive behavior. 

------------------------------- 

W hen  I  first worked 
with these teens,  I 
was shocked!
Adelyn Poh,  Singapore
9 5


Thursday
August 31 "B eeing" Part 
o f G od's  Plan
O P IN IO N
Prov. 30:25-27
We enjoy the sweetness of honey. Lots of bees worked  hard to  make just a 
teaspoonful of the honey we so casually slather in huge quantities (for a bee) on 
a piece of toast. Bees work together, and each has a part to play In the hive. They 
may have a queen, but they certainly don’t get orders from her. Without any training
whatsoever,  a  bee  knows  its  duties from 
the  moment  it  crawls  from  its  cell,  it  will 
work together with the hive In any number 
of capacities throughout Its short life, from 
nurse  to  guard  to  scout,  and  each  is 
performed with the skill of a veteran.
The Christian church  has  been  given 
a  task:  “Go  and  make  disciples  of  all 
nations” (Matt. 28:19,  NIV).
So in our role as God’s ministers to our families, schools, missions, workplaces, 
and  cities,  we  have  a  specific  goal:  evangelize  the  world.  This  daunting  task 
requires formidable resources and many people working together to bring Christ 
to  this  dark  world.  But  like  a  beehive,  we  accomplish  nothing  by  working 
independent of the body of Christ. Working together, we will attain the goal.
So we  train,  teach,  learn,  and  grow.  But the  church  is  not  a  corporation,  a 
bureaucracy  of  members  and  pastors,  presided  over  by  conferences  and 
delegates,  campaigning and giving speeches based on global  market  research 
and opinion polls.  Instead, we are a body of people working together to save this 
dying planet through the power of Jesus Christ.
Our bodies are a whole,  made  up of parts working  in concert:  cells forming 
specialized organs, which in turn provide nourishment to bone and muscle, giving 
rise  to  thought  and  action.  And  It  all  happens  without  a  thought,  involuntarily. 
“He . .. gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, 
and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, 
so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Eph. 4:11,  12,  NIV).
But no program to spread the gospel will succeed if the hearts of its ministers 
are not In tune with the Creator. Each of us has fallen, and each must take hold of 
the salvation so freely given. Through a new birth Into the family of God, we grow 
Into  new  people,  with  hearts  and  minds  attentive to the  still,  small  voice  of  His 
Spirit. And like the ant or the bee, we are given a task to accomplish in spreading 
the  gospel,  as  well as  the  tools  required.  The  power  of  God  Is  ours,  and  will 
manifest itself through our spiritual gifts. Together, we will attain the goal.
Teo Mei Ann and Rob Watts,  Singapore

W e are given  a task 
to accomplish as 
well  as the tools 
required. 
9 6


Passing the Torch 

Friday
Septem ber 1
EXPLORATION
2 Tim. 2:1, 2 
CONCLUDE
Faith  is  extended  by those who  believe to those  who will believe. The  Holy 
Spirit directs the actions in the great drama of human history,  leading His people 
to those who are  receptive to the good  news.  Successfully passing the torch to 
each  succeeding  generation  of  new  believers  is  a  divine  science  that  is 
accomplished  only  when  we  listen  carefully  to  the  Spirit’s  instructions.  In  relay 
races, the critical factor in winning is successfully to pass the baton. Disqualification 
results if it is passed too early or too late.  If it is dropped, it is virtually impossible 
to make up the time lost and win.  In spiritual matters we must be equally careful 
about passing the torch.
CONSIDER
■   Photographing groups in a public setting like a parade or a mall.  Focus on 
several different people in your pictures, conjecturing what you might have 
in  common  with  them  that might serve  as a  bridge for you  to share your 
faith.
■   Calculating how many might be won to Christ in a year if you led one person 
to Christ each  month and everyone you  led to Christ led one to Christ the 
month after their conversion,  and everyone led to Christ,  in this chain, did 
the same.
■   Paraphrasing  Luke  15:11-32  for  Haitian  immigrants  (or  any  group  you 
choose).
■   Listening to, or singing, William Reynold’s song, People to People. Think of 
how your  unique  gifts,  talents,  and  sufferings  enable  you  to  share  Jesus 
with others.
■   Baking  a  loaf of bread  or a dozen  cookies for a  neighbor whose  spiritual 
condition is unknown to you then deliver it as a way of getting acquainted.
■   Interviewing people on a street corner with the question, “Who do you think 
Jesus Christ is?”
■   Projecting into the year 2005 and writing a short biography of how the Lord 
has used you to lead souls to Him over the previous five years.
CONNECT
The Acts of the Apostles, chaps. 16-21.
Walter  Henrichsen,  Disciples Are  Made,  Not Bom,  chaps.  5-11;  Robert  E.
Coleman,  The  Master Plan  of Evangelism-,  Win  &  Charles  Arn  and  Carol
Nyquist,  Who Cares About Love?, chaps. 9-13.
Dan Solis,  College Place,  Washington
97


Lesson 11
Septem ber 2-9
Places and 
Occasions
"Those who had  been scattered  preached the word 
wherever they went" (Acts 8:4,  NIV).


Friend o r Foe?  \ 

Sabbath
Septem ber 2
INTRODUCTION
2 Tim. 4:2
Fiona walked slowly to her mailbox while enjoying the autumn breeze and the 
profusion of color from the changing leaves. As she sorted through  her mail,  her 
eyes  landed  on  the  familiar  writing  of  her  former  college  roommate.  With  an 
exclamation  of delight,  she tore  open  the  letter,  but her expression  changed  to 
one of horror as she read these words:
My Friend 
I stand in Judgment now 
And feel that you’re to blame somehow.
On earth,  I walked with you day by day,
And  never did you point the way.
You  know the  Lord in truth and glory.
But never did you tell the story.
My knowledge, then, was very dim;
You could have led  me safe to Him.
Though we lived together on the earth,
You never told me of the second birth.
And now I stand this day condemned 
Because you failed to mention Him.
You taught me many things, that’s true.
I called you friend and trusted you,
But I  learn now that it’s too late,
You could have kept me from this fate.
We walked  by day and talked by night,
And yet you showed me not the Light.
You let me live and love and die;
You  knew  I’d  never live on high.
Yes,  I called you a friend in life 
And trusted you through joy and strife.
And yet on coming to the end,
I cannot,  now, call you my friend.
Obviously,  people will  not write letters from hell. If it were possible,  however, 
for people to know what their eternal fate would be, would there be a few letters 
like this one in our mailboxes?
Faith Griffiths Hunter,  Beitsviiie,  Maryland 
99


Sunday
September 3 G o  Ye  Into  |
All the W o rld   |
LOGOS
Acts 5:42; 10:1, 2, 21, 22, 24; 13:42-44; 16:13-15; 17:16
God’s desire and vision is that the gospel be proclaimed in a loud voice (clearly 
and powerfully) to every nation, tribe,  language, and people (Rev. 14:6).
Everybody, everywhere is a target of the gospel.
God’s message to humankind is aimed at every individual. “From one man he
made  every  nation  of  men,  that  they  should 
inhabit the whole earth;  and he determined the 
times set for them and the exact places where 
they should live. God did this so that men would 
seek  him  and  perhaps  reach  out  for  him  and 
find  him, though  he is not far from each one of 
us” (Acts  17:26, 27, NIV).
“As the Scripture says,  ‘Anyone who trusts 
in  him will  never be put to shame.’  For there is 
no  difference  between  Jew  and  Gentile—the 
same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who 
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then,  can they call on the one 
they  have  not  believed  in?  And  how  can  they  believe  in  the  one  of whom  they 
have  not  heard?  And  how can they hear without someone  preaching to them?” 
(Rom. 10:11-14,  NIV).
Acts  10:1,  2,  21,  22,  24  shows that for the gospel  to succeed  God  uproots 
prejudices as well as enmity in human hearts and paves the way for a friendship 
that enables those who were once enemies to sit round the table and share Christ.
Let your prejudices go and use your God given gift of friendship 
to reach out to others for Jesus.
Acts 5:42;  20:20;  28:17-31  clearly publicize the  great fact that every  house 
has  been  considered  for a  plot  on  God’s  salvation  road.  Every  house  must  be 
taught the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Let every house you see be to you a signpost of God's mission station.
Acts  16:13-15  and  18:1-4  show  that  Sabbath  is  “holy  time”  to  lead  souls 
systematically into gospel truth. Don’t take it for granted that everyone who comes 
to church on Sabbath is a decided follower of God.
Let your Sabbath class lessons be fishing hooks for Christ.
Acts  13:42-44  amplifies  the  advantage  of  not  neglecting  to  meet  with  one 
another,  especially  as  we  see  the  day  approaching  (Heb.11:25).  Remember,

For the 
gospel to 
succeed 
God  uproots 
prejudices. 
1 0 0


evangelism works when and where Christ is. Where two or three are gathered in 
His name, Christ is there.
Let your church worship hour serve as a fishing net for Jesus.
Acts 17:16 tells us that civilized cities are quite often very ignorant of God the 
Creator. Athens of old was full of idols despite being a center of great intellectual 
abilities and  know-how. Your city could be one of them.
Therefore, brighten the corner where you are. Someone in your city may be in 
idolatry (sin); help him or her out of idolatry to the foot of Jesus.
REACT
1. Why is God interested in our going out to preach Christ?
2.  How can  I  introduce Jesus to my friends who don’t know Him?
3. Is there an area in my town where people seem to have no regard for God? 
What should be done to help them know God?
4.  How can our church worship hour be used as an evangelism tool?
5. What would help most to turn our Sabbath School class into an evangelism 
unit?
6.  How do we face the fact that “all the world” means people we don’t like?
7. Sometimes we have very traditional ideas of what evangelism is. What are 
other ways of sharing the gospel that do not just follow traditional ways?
8. Some traditional churches see evangelism by Adventists as “sheep-stealing.” 
How can we best share Christ with those who are members of other churches?
Evison Kalulu,  Ndola, Zambia 
101


M onday
Septem ber 4 D o   Place and 
O ccasion M atter?
TESTIMONY
Acts 5:24
Naturally when a new idea is Introduced, there is always opposition. After the 
1844  disappointment,  a  new system  of  running  the  church  was  rejected.  Most 
Adventists believed that organization was inconsistent with the perfect liberty of 
the gospel.  Ellen White insisted in some form of organization as being necessary 
to prevent confusion, but her testimony and labors were opposed.
“The  Lord  has shown  that gospel  order  has  been  too  much  feared  and
neglected,” she wrote. “Formality should be shunned; but, in so doing, order should
not  be  neglected. There  is  order  in  heaven. 
There  was  order  in  the  church  when  Christ
was upon the earth  And now in these last
days,  while  God  is  bringing  His children  into 
the unity of the faith, there is more  real  need 
of order than  ever before; for,  as  God  unites 
His children, Satan and his evil angels are very 
busy to prevent this unity and to destroy it.” 1
Some  oppose the  church’s system  of evangelism. Witnessing  programs set 
up by the church have been opposed, calling them compromised truth.
We  must understand that God has a message for every generation.  It is not 
intended only for one particular time and place. The message must suit the current 
setting.  Here are some of the examples:
1. Study the Word of God. As Scripture transforms your personality, its influence 
will be felt around you. God will pour His Spirit upon you and you will  manifest a 
power and  boldness  never experienced  before.  Others  will  behold  the  glory  of 
God in you.
2.  Have  the  personal  ministries  leader  in  the  church  divide  the  residential 
areas surrounding the church into zones.  Every zone should have a zone leader 
who will collect all  information from zone members on how they have witnessed 
during the week; e.g., how many are willing to join Sabbath School, those in need 
of  material  assistance,  etc. The  zone  leader should  ensure that on Wednesday 
and Friday evenings all members meet at one member’s home to coordinate their 
program  after a season  of  Bible  sharing  and  prayer. “I  saw that the servants  of 
God should not go over and over the same field of labor, but should be searching 
out souls in new places.” 2
As we thus follow God’s plan,  our Lord will bless us and multiply our efforts.
1. Ellen White, Early Writings, p. 97.
2. Ibid., p.  104._________________________________________________________________ 
Robert Mubanga,  Ndola, Zambia

God  has a 
message for every 
generation. 
1 0 2


Tuesday
" N o t o f This  Fold"  | 
S e p te m b e r 5
EVIDENCE
Acts 19:1-7
Why do some Christians evangelize among other Christians as do the Seventh- 
day Adventists? What’s the  need? The  earnest Adventist evangelist must  have 
come to face this question.
The other day a Christian worker appealing to the listeners on one of our local 
TV stations said, “Everyone was free to join any denomination in the land.” This I 
believe  to  be  valid.  Everyone  indeed  is  free  to join  any  denomination  of  their 
choice. But when she added, “the important thing is that you are worshiping Christ,” 
I became concerned.
As an Adventist,  I  believe God has only one physical, visible church which is 
His own. That is the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Rev. 12:17). This may sound 
to  some  as  if  I  believe  that  only  Adventists  will  be  saved.  No.  ‘“ Other sheep  I 
have,  said Christ, which are not of this fold’” (John  10:16,  KJV). Jesus says He 
has the visible and the invisible church. These two,  however,  it is Christ’s object 
to make one. He went on to say, “ Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my 
voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd’ ” (verse 16, KJV).
This  is  basically why the  Adventist  evangelizes  among  other Christians  as 
well as all others. In the book of Acts, Paul also evangelized among other believers.
For example,  he found some disciples at Ephesus (Acts  19:1). After a short 
discussion with them, he discovered the inadequacy of their Christian experience. 
They  were  sincere  and  living  up  to  all  the  gospel  they  had  thus  far  received. 
Because of this,  Luke (the writer of Acts) calls them disciples.
But a discipleship of erroneous Christian experience is not satisfactory; hence, 
as Christ put it, “them also must I  bring” in  (John  10:16,  KJV). As in the book of 
Revelation, a voice is heard calling to them 
to  come  out  of  Babylon  (18:4).  Paul 
expressed  this  same  message  to  the 
disciples of Ephesus.  He echoed that John 
the Baptist “did baptize .  .  . and preach the 
baptism of repentance for the  remission of 
sins”  (Mark  1:4,  KJV).  This,  Paul  taught 
them, was the reality about John’s baptism 
and  “When  they  heard  this,  they  were 
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5, KJV) into the church. This is 
Christians evangelizing Christians.
Seventh-day Adventists today must work among all other denominations so 
that there shall be “one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16, KJV).
Knox Chilumbu,  Ndola, Zambia

He discovered the 
inadequacy of 
their Christian 
experience.
1 0 3


W ednesday
September 6 Christian W aves
in A ction
4 0 W -T 0
Acts 5:42; 10:22-24; 13:42-44
When I was young,  I enjoyed throwing pebbles into the swimming pool. What 
I liked to see most were the waves that reached the four sides of the pool. At that 
time I didn’t understand much of the science behind it.  I just enjoyed the fun.  But 
25 years later I  came across an  illustration  in  Ellen White’s  inspired  books. She 
explains  that  as  the  waves  move  from  one  point  to  all  directions  at  the  same 
speed and wave length, that is how Christians should exert an influence of their 
profession. The four sides of the swimming pool in the context of a Christian are:
1.  Evangelism  Through  Friendship. In  our  interaction  with  friends  in  our 
neighborhood, schools, and workplaces, our lives must direct people heavenward.
A firm  handshake while wearing  a smile  on 
your face will do much to bring refreshment 
to a soul  burdened with worries.  Invite your 
friends  for  church  meetings.  As  our 
experience with our Lord grows, our lives will 
show the presence of the Holy Spirit, thereby 
exerting an influence on the followers of Christ.
2. Home Evangelism. The best place in which to witness or demonstrate the 
Lord’s  wonderful  works  is  in  the  home.  Each  family  member  must  have  values 
and principles anchored in the rock Christ Jesus. Parents are expected to inculcate 
these values  in their children  not only through  instruction  but also through  their 
trust in God.  Parental guidance should be exercised in the selection of television 
channels viewed in our homes.
3. Worship Evangelism. It is important that each family unit should participate 
in worship activities such as music, Adventist youth programs, women’s ministry, 
Adventist men's organization, etc. In Acts 13:42-44 the Gentiles begged that God's 
Word  be  preached  to  them  the  next  Sabbath.  After  the  main  service,  devout 
proselytes followed  Paul and  Barnabas  into the vestry. We later see that almost 
the whole city came to listen to the Word of God on the Sabbath (verse 44).
REACT
1.  How are we to conduct worship in our homes? Be specific.
2. How would you answer the idea that religion is a personal matter and should 
not be forced on someone else?
3. Sometimes we are more concerned to get across our doctrines rather than 
stress a positive relationship to a loving God. How do we achieve a good balance?
William Phiri,  Ndola, Zambia

O ur lives  must 
direct people 
heavenward. 
1 0 4


Thursday
W ill W e  Cause 

September 7
W o rld  W a r III?
OPINION
Matt. 28:19
One wonders  how to turn the world  upside  down.  Many times  I  have  heard 
Christians  say  that  they  will  do  this.  Whenever  I  hear  of  this,  many  questions 
come  to  mind,  and  I  am  tempted  to  think  that  the  Christians  are  going  to  be 
instigators of Worfd War III. What is it that the Christians can do to turn the world 
upside down?  How can Christians who are full of fear and are not in one accord 
shake the world with their influence?  How can Christians who are not filled with 
the Holy Spirit astonish the hard-hearted sinners of this world?
We have a very big challenge: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19, 
NIV). This is the great commission from our Master.
It is  not World War  III  that will turn  the world  upside  down.  It is the Word  of 
God. The Word,  however,  needs an instrument by which it should be proclaimed 
and witnessed. You  are the  instrument. This  instrument has been designed and 
made according to standard specifications 
so  it  can  accomplish  its  purpose.  As  an 
instrument, you need to be molded and filled 
with  the  Holy Spirit for you  to  achieve  the 
objectives of witnessing. You need strength 
and  power  from  the  Holy  Spirit.  Are  you 
among  the  number  of  those  who  preach 
Jesus Christ in speech, conduct, manner of 
dress?
Let us not be tempted to think that witnessing is only for pastors or evangelists. 
It  is  a  command  from  our  Master  and  Lord  Jesus  that  we  all  witness  to  those 
around  us.  We  should  not  wait  for  the  church  to  organize  a  crusade.  Let  us 
evangelize our friends,  relatives, workmates, and all those around us.
Your Christlike character will turn the world  upside down. Wouldn’t you want 
to be part of this wondrous work of God? Invite the Holy Spirit into your heart now 
and get the driving force to turn the world upside down.
REACT
1.  Why  is  it  more  effective  to  witness  through  your character  than  through 
preaching in the pulpit?
2. How can we evangelize through our character to people of different cultural 
backgrounds?  Be specific.
Katunta Cosmas,  Ndola, Zambia

The W ord  needs an 
instrument by 
which  it should  be 
proclaimed.
1 0 5


Friday
September 8 Turning the W o rld
U pside D o w n
EXPLORATION
Isa. 43:10
CONCLUDE
When we think about our target audience for witnessing, we often limit potential 
candidates. In reality, everyone, no matter who they are or what they profess, is a 
viable target for the gospel. Wherever we go—at home, at church, in the workplace, 
in the streets, at school, or in our neighborhoods—there is someone we can witness 
to. And  remember,  we witness  not only by sharing the gospel,  but by living  it— 
through our words, our appearance, and our actions.
CONSIDER
■   Making a list of everyone you  know. (Write each  name on a separate line, 
leaving  space  in  between.) Think  about  it,  then  write  down  next to  each 
name a creative way to witness to or encourage that person.
■   Inviting your non-Adventist neighbors to your home for a vegetarian feast. 
Make the event special by planning it around a theme or holiday.
■   Starting a prayer ministry for evangelism  in your church. Ask for names of 
Bible  study  or  other  contacts  with  whom  church  members  are  working. 
Organize a prayer group to pray regularly for these people.
■   Inviting a musical group from another denomination to sing at your church, 
or arrange for a music group from your church to sing at another church.
■   Devising a systematic plan for personal Bible study to prepare and strengthen 
you for witnessing.
■   Brainstorming  creative  ways  to  witness.  Use  these  ideas  to  list  personal 
witnessing goals you will strive to accomplish over the next 12 months.
■   Writing  a  note  of encouragement  along  with  a  Bible text to  a  member of 
your family. Slip the note in a lunch bag or under a pillow.
CONNECT
Matthew 28:18; Acts  17:16-23; 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
Evangelism, p.  102.
Bob Johnson,  You  Can  Witness,  Yes,  Even You.
Patricia Humphrey,  Keene,  Texas 
106


Lesson 12
Septem ber 9-16
When the Going 
gets Tough  . . .
"They returned to  Lystra, then on to  Iconium and Antioch. 
There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and 
encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, 'It is 
through  many persecutions that we must enter the 
kingdom  of G od'" (Acts 14:21, 22,  NRSV).


Sabbath
Septem ber 9 TryiiV 2 M a k e   U C . . . 1  |
INTRODUCTION
Acts 1:8; 11:21
I needed directions. I searched for a “direction helper” in the throngs of working 
people. I chose her. She was very helpful. I got directions to where I wanted to go, 
but also to her church. In addition, her name and number. I accepted her invitation 
card and went on  my way. And on  my way  I  retained  my life lesson. It takes just 
one  moment to  impact someone’s  life. She  had an  impact on  mine.  I  thought— 
and I’m still thinking— Do I have an impact on others?
They  knocked  at  my  door.  Two  mature 
Jehovah’s Witnesses.  I  listened  to  their  door- 
to-door speech  and accepted their magazine. 
Conversation terminated. Suddenly I reacted: I 
found two verse cards from the ABC, ran out of 
the flat into the  street,  and  gave them  each  a 
card.  “Just to  encourage  you  as  you  go,  and 
I’m an SDA.”
One of them replied, “I used to be an SDA. Do you want to know why I’m not?” 
I  said,  “No. That’s  your  decision.  I’m  an  SDA  because  I’ve  searched,  read 
about,  and experienced  Christ. This  is my choice. The only person you  have to 
reckon with is Christ.”
We parted. They never visited again. I  left an  impression. Today I  still smile. 
“One Christian can’t do much  ‘tis true brought his friend to  Bible study then 
there  were  two. Two  earnest  Christians  each  won  one  more  that  doubled  the 
number,  then  there  were  four.  Four  sincere  Christians  worked  early  and  late. 
Each  one  another and  then  there  were  eight.  Eight  splendid  Christians  if they 
doubled as before,  in just so many weeks, we’d have  1,024!”2
“Silence  is  golden  except  when  it  comes  to  witnessing—then  it’s just  plain 
yellow.”3
“If you want your neighbor to know what the Lord will do for him, let him see 
and hear what He has done for you.”4
As  you  go  through  this  week,  develop  new  approaches  to  witnessing. Two 
ideas:  1-2-1  ministry  (sharing  Christ  through  friendships  at  college  and  work), 
and G-ministry (“Garments for God”-wearing your belief to initiate conversation). 
At  the  end  of  the  week,  see  if there  is  at  least  one  new  method/technique  of 
witnessing that the Lord has impressed you to try.
1. Greg O'QUIN 'n' Joyful Noyze, Conversations (Word Entertainment,  1998).
2. Author unknown. Source: proseuche@youthpages.org
3. Vern McLellan, Quips,  Quotes and Quests, p. 51.
4.  Ibid. 
Shanda Phillip,  London,  England

"I  used to be an 
SDA.  Do you 
w ant to  know 
why  I'm  not?" 
1 0 8


Sunday
Singular M a rk e tin g 
September 10
EVIDENCE
Phil. 4:13
Witness.  The  reggae-gospel  artist  jumped  onto  the  stage  with  his  lyrical 
manifestations, ground jumping, and heart-pumping beat, thrilling us in our seats. 
Is he a witness or in title alone?  Is his genre acceptable in church worship?
Religious philosophies have found their place in the business world as powerful 
motivational tools. Enlightened Management, Jesus and Leadership, and Chicken 
Soup for the Soul at Work are now highly acclaimed  business resources.  In the 
workplace,  an  emergence  of  individuals 
capitalizing  on  their  long-held  religious 
values  is  evident.  Others  prefer to  nurture 
their  inner  spirits,  which  will  subsequently 
influence their behavior and lifestyle.
Haven’t  we  as  Seventh-day  Adventists 
always  had  the  Bible  as  our  guide?  Why 
aren’t we living examples to the fact now unearthed by researchers that “a deep 
spiritual  life is essential to happiness”?1 What is our testimony?
With such emergent theories and practices in communication,  I wonder if the 
more we run slowly in neutral gear the less we believe? In fact, have we become 
passive? Here are two active inspirations to revive your inertia:
•   “I  am  only  1,  but  I  am  1;  I  cannot do everything,  but  I  can  do something. 
What I can do,  I ought to do. And what I  ought to do,  by God’s grace,  I will do.”
•   “The  world  has  yet  to  see  what  God  can  do  with  a  man  (or  woman) 
completely dedicated to him.”2
REACT
1. In the content of your witnessing technique, should you aim to bring people 
to  Christ  or to  your  denomination?  Discuss the  appropriateness of the  content 
and any other relevant factors.
2.  Society  is  beginning  to validate  the  need  for spirituality  in  every facet of 
one’s life. How can you use this development as a means of sharing God’s unique 
message of salvation and hope?
3. What difference exists between “pop spirituality” and “biblical spirituality”?
4. How can the understanding of Seventh-day Adventists of biblical spirituality 
contribute to meeting the spiritual search of contemporary society?
5.  Does  pop spirituality  make  it  more difficult or easier to witness to  people 
today?
1. People Management, 24/12/98, vol. 4, No. 25, p. 28, adapted.
2. Vern McLellan, Quips, Quotes and Quests, p.  169.
Shanda Phillip,  London,  England

Is his genre 
acceptable in 
church worship?
1 0 9


M onday
Septem ber 11 The F -O -R -T W a y   |
LOGOS
Acts 2:4-11; 6:1-7; 13:13;  14:8-18;  15;  16:1-3
A  major  setback  to  witnessing  comes  from  within.  It  stems  from  a  lack  of 
fellowship with Jesus and a lack of meaningful fellowship with each other—discord 
and  disunity. The  early  church  demonstrated  through  their  fellowship  that  the 
Cross  was  able  to  transcend  and  dismantle  any  barrier  (racial,  cultural,  or 
economical).  Hence,  it is  love that leads to  unity and  harmony,  not segregation 
and conformity. Love accepts people as they are and values them not in the hope 
that they will be like us, but in the realization that they belong to God.
A visitor to a mental  hospital was astonished to note that only three guards 
were watching  over a  hundred dangerous  inmates.  He asked  his guide,  “Don’t 
you fear that these people will overpower the guards and escape?”
“No,” was the  reply. “Lunatics  never unite.” Christ desires  not the disunity of 
lunacy,  but that we all may be one (John  17:21).
In  addition,  we  need  to  change  our  perspective  from  institutionalism  to 
discipleship (Matt. 9:37). Today we have many church buildings that house hymn- 
singers,  tithe-payers,  pew-warmers,  faultfinders,  and  disrupters—but  few  true 
disciples  of Jesus. There  is  a  lack  of  understanding  of  what  it  means  to  be  a 
disciple. The  Laodicean church  looked  inward.
There are four people in the church, whose names are Everybody, Somebody,
Anybody,  and  Nobody.  The  church  needs  to 
witness.  Everybody  was  sure  that  Somebody 
would  do  it.  Anybody  could  have  done  it.  But 
you  know who did it?  Nobody. It ended  up that
Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did 
what Anybody could have done.
Only when  we  see  ourselves as a “chosen  generation” can we  escape the 
institutionalized church syndrome. Our mission is to “make disciples of all nations” 
(Matt  28:19,  NRSV),  so that  our “good  works  .  .  .  give  glory to  [our]  Father  in 
heaven” (5:16,  NRSV).
What can be done? First,  look at Christ’s example:
•   “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.’ ”1
•   “He “met them at their daily vocations, and manifested an interest in their 
secular  affairs.”2
Would  you  go to  a doctor who  earned the  reputation  of treating  symptoms 
instead of finding the cause of the disease? No! Christ, unlike Maslow’s hierarchies 
of needs, gives self actualization instantaneously—as He meets all our needs!
Now  with  nerves  aside,  from  Christ’s  method,  you  have  found  the  core 
competence that guarantees success then  and now. To be an effective witness, 
you  must take an  interest in  people and their needs. Try to  involve those you’re

"Lunatics 
never unite." 
1 1 0


trying to reach out to in topics that interest them.  I  have discovered the acronym 
F-O-R-T in a recent seminar that could be a guide for your conversations.
F - Family
O - Occupation  I’ve found that people talk easily in these areas.
R  -  Religion  There  is  a tendency to view those of the world  in  need  of 
guidance to be like us (who are just in the world). Try not to 
consider others to  be  inferior to  you;  they will  detect your 
condescending attitude and reject anything you share.
T - Testimony  Unless you have an experience with Christ, your witnessing 
experience will be disappointing.
When  Jesus  ascended  into  heaven,  the  angels  asked  Him,  “Did  You 
accomplish Your task?”
“Yes,  all  is finished,” He replied.
“We have a second question,” said the angel. “Has the whole world heard of 
you?”
“No,” said Jesus.
Then an angel asked, “What is your plan?”
Jesus said, “I  have left 12 men who must tell others to carry the message to 
the whole world.”
The angel  looked at Him and asked, “What is Plan B?”3 
There  is  no  Plan  B!  Jesus  desires  your witness  and  mine  for  the  world  to 
believe in Him. When will we begin?
REACT
1. What are some  of the things that keep  God’s  people from  being  united? 
How can we overcome them?
2. The Bible declares that God has followers in other denominations. How do 
believers of other faiths figure into God’s plea for oneness among His followers?
3. What is the function of the Holy Spirit in unifying the church and witnessing 
in general?
4.  Do  you  see  any  differences/similarities  between  the  way  Jesus  did 
evangelism and the way the church does it today?  Explain your answer.
5. What differences exist between “making disciples” and “baptizing”?
1. Christian Service, p.  119.
2. The Desire of Ages, p. 151.
3. P. Michael Green, Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House,  1989).
Jude Jeanville,  Birmingham,  England
111


Tuesday
Septem ber 12 Christ Set the 
C aptives Free
TESTIMONY
Acts 2:1
Ellen  White speaks passionately of witnessing and explains how each soul 
that has been given light should not shut up this light within the church. Instead, it 
is to be spread abroad, into the dark places of the earth.1 We need to humble our 
hearts,  pleading God’s forgiveness for our neglect to fulfill the commission.
“Heavenly intelligences are waiting to cooperate with human instrumentalities, 
that they  may  reveal  to  the  world  what  human  beings  may  become  and  what, 
through their influence, they may accomplish for the saving of souls.”
“The doing of this work will bring rays of heavenly righteousness to wearied, 
perplexed,  suffering  souls.  It  is  as  a  fountain  opened  for  the  wayworn,  thirsty 
traveler. At every work of mercy, every work of love, angels of God are present.”2
Christians have “ ‘cherished hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil. They
have  made  questioning  and  faultfinding 
and  accusing the chief  business  of their 
lives. Their hearts are not right with God. 
They  have  hidden  their  light  under  a 
bushel.’ . . .
While  men  have  slept,  Satan  has 
stolen a march upon us.”3
“I  heard  some  one  say,”  Ellen  White 
continues, “ ‘We knew that the judgments 
of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so 
soon.’ Others,  with  agonized  voices,  said,  ‘You  knew!  Why then  did you  not tell 
us? We did not know!’ On every side I heard similar words of reproach spoken.”4
REACT
1. How may we hinder God’s work?  Be specific.
2.  Why  did  God  choose  to  use  imperfect  human  beings  to  share  a  divine 
message?
3. How does Satan use our past to prevent us from telling others about Jesus?
4. In what way does personality/temperament affect the way you witness?
1. Testimony Treasures, vol. 3, pp. 293, 294.
2. Lift Him Up, p. 275.
3. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 29.
4. Christian Service,  p.  111.

Each soul that has 
been given  light 
should  not shut 
up this light within 
the church.
Tony Byrne,  Birmingham,  England 
112


W ednesday
Keep th e  Faith — 
September 13
Keep Representing!
HOW -TO
Mark  16:15;  Rom. 12:2;  Phil. 2:5
It’s all very well exhorting each other to witness,  but do we have something 
to witness about?  For those of you who don’t realize  it,  you’d  better recognize 
that only by knowing God for yourself (not vicariously through parents,  pastors, 
teachers, etc.), and understanding exactly just what He’s done for you, can you 
become excited  enough to want to tell someone about it.  My prayer for you  is, 
“All  my heart desires  is a closer walk with You,  I want to know You  like  no other 
one,  ‘cause  I just  love  the  things You  do.”1
OK, so you’re ready to testify?  Here are some general  points.
1. Pray for guidance. A devotional life is essential to maintain a clear connection.
2. Start with your circle of friends who may be Adventists, Mventwists or 
non-Adventists.  Be  a  real  friend.  Don’t give the  impression  you  are  interested 
only as far as the baptismal pool  (Rom.  14:1).
3. Accept that not everyone may be receptive. Still be a friend (1  Cor. 7:15). 
Getting others to come to church isn’t the aim. Introducing them to Christ is.
4. Target a particular need and show your friend  how Christ can fulfill that 
need  (1  Cor. 9:19-23).
5. If a debate is entered into, pray for 
wisdom, avoiding denominational bashing, 
but rather discussing personal beliefs in the 
context of the  Bible.
6.  Make  the  most  of  an  opportunity 
(Eph. 5:15,16). “The trouble with opportunity 
is that it is always more recognizable going than coming.”2 Practice recognizing 
opportunities for Christ.
Finally, be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry 
it on to completion  until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil.  1:6,  NIV).
REACT
1. Is the spiritual gift of evangelism the same as personal witnessing? Explain 
your answer.
2. What factors contribute to not witnessing besides not having a relationship 
with Jesus?
1. Greg O’QUIN 'n' Joyful Noyze, Conversations (Word Entertainment, 1998).
2. Vern McLellan, Quips,  Quotes and Quests. 

Getting others to 
come to church 
isn't the aim.
Clintelle Valley,  London,  England
1 1 3


Thursday
Septem ber 14 The Paralysis 
o f Analysis
OPINION
Phil. 4:9; Acts 4:20
As we spend time in Scripture and in prayer, it is important not to get caught 
up in the paralysis of analysis to the point at which we fail to act. God has given us 
clear instructions to share Him and His Word with those who have not heard. It is 
here that I ask: Do you have a relationship with God? Are you eager to tell others 
about Him? Or are you ashamed?  I  know personally from experience that when 
you love someone “everybody ought to know” whether through your big mouth or 
your body language (you know those secret smiles when he or she crosses your 
mind). This,  my friends,  is witnessing.
Jesus is our friend.  Having a relationship with  Him means you  know He has
your best interests at heart. You can’t help telling 
others what He has done for you and through 
you (“Everybody ought to know who Jesus is”). 
Therefore, a barrier to witnessing could be that 
you  don’t  truly  love  Jesus.  Spend  time 
developing your relationship with Him on a daily 
basis  wherever you  are,  so  that  He  can  lead 
you to the people He wants you to reach.
A friend of mine was a former drug user, raver, and many more unspeakable 
things.  Now,  however,  he can’t help telling others about what God  has done for 
him. He witnesses in clubs, on buses, and even in the courtroom! Another friend 
was much  like my previous friend, and she,  too, found Christ.  Now when asked 
by others about the source of her happiness, she is able to share a testimony that 
leaves her hearers with the desire to gain what she has.
To  take  it  to  an  even  more  personal  level,  I  enjoy  witnessing  too.  I  am  a 
member  of  an  animated  puppet  gospel  choir.  I  have  found  this  medium  to  be 
appropriate  in  conveying the  gospel to the deaf,  dumb,  adult,  and  child.  I  also 
participate  in  street  witnessing.  In  the  heart  of  London,  others  and  I  present 
Christ in  1 -2-1  contact. There is no greater joy than introducing others to Jesus 
(and  seeing  the  results).  “For  we  cannot  help  speaking  about  what  we  have 
seen and heard” (Acts 4:20,  NIV).
REACT
1. Which  is more effective: Telling someone about Jesus or living a godly life? 
Why?
2. What is your personal style of witnessing?
3.  How do past “worldly” experiences enhance or limit your testimony?
Silton Young, London,  England

"Everybody 
ought to know 
who Jesus is." 
1 1 4


___________     Friday
~~  T"h  September 15A  Full-Service Arsenal  |-------------- 

EXPLORATION
Acts 4:14, 21, 22 
CONCLUDE
In the book of Acts the disciples model a method for building up new believers: 
share the joy, the responsibility, and the resources—preach, teach, counsel. Bible 
students find that Christ arms believers with  both the fruit of the Spirit and a full 
arsenal of ministry tools, so believers can thrive, not just survive in this world. The 
message is that, despite the opposition that results from union with Christ, believers 
need neither wither nor retreat. So believers’ living testimony should reflect both 
the gentleness and boldness of Christ Himself.
CONSIDER
■   Designing  a  logo  or  using  someone  else’s  design  that  reflects  a spiritual 
truth that you'd  like to display on a T-shirt,  hat, or blazer patch.
■   Baking  a batch  of cookies or preparing  a vegetarian  entree  or other food 
item  to  use  as  a  conversation  starter  at  a  community  dinner  or  with  a 
neighbor.
■   Arranging a synchronized swimming routine to perform to a religious piece 
of music and perform it at a public pool.
■   Telling your story at a local prison ministry meeting, nursing home program, 
or your family reunion.
■   Sculpting in clay or paper a symbol of your faith.
■   Creating a business-size card that identifies you and your ministry.
■   Composing  lyrics and a tune or new lyrics to a well-known tune that your 
ministry audience would  relate to. Hum, sing,  play it instrumentally.
CONNECT
Psalm 23.
Rock Solid Living, chap.  10; Over and Over Again! pp. 92-94.
Faith Johnson Crumbly,  Hagerstown,  Maryland 
115


Lesson 13
Septem ber 16-23
What do we Do
next?
"After spending some tim e in Antioch,  Paul set out from 
there and traveled from  place to place throughout the 
region of Galatia and  Phrygia, strengthening all the 
disciples" (Acts 18:23  NIV).


Sabbath
~ Z   h  September 16Save th e Sheep |    ---------------- 

INTRODUCTION
Acts 20:28
“I  have a job for you,  boy.”
“A job? For me? What can  I do?”
“The  most wonderful  place  is on the other side  of this  bypass.  If you follow 
these  instructions,  you  can  get  yourself  and  these  sheep  to  a  place  like  none 
you’ve seen before.”
That doesn’t sound too hard,  thought the  boy. “I’ll  do it!” He took the written 
instructions in hand.
“Not  so  fast. There  are  risks.  People, 
even  your  friends,  may  laugh  at  you,  and 
your life could be threatened along the way.
You  won’t  know  the  full  rewards  until  you 
are there.”
“It’s all  right;  I’ve  nothing better to do.”
So he took off down the trail with the sheep. After a month’s travel, the sheep 
seemed to know the way. The shepherd boy feared  nothing.
There’s no way that they could go wrong,  he thought.
As time went on, the sheep  had scattered.  Some were far ahead and some 
were weeks behind. Others had  left the path and were lost to eternal death. The 
instructions  remained tucked  in the boy’s pocket,  unread.
When  he  reached the end of the bypass, there was a huge gate.  No sheep 
had arrived ahead of him as he had thought.  In the weeks that followed, not one 
sheep arrived.  He leaned on the gate and heard a crinkle of paper in his pocket. 
The instructions were clear,  he had not followed them.
Many people enter churches, remain for a while, and slip quietly out the back 
door. Just about everyone  knows  somebody who  used  to  go to church  but quit 
coming for some  reason  or other.  Paul teaches us through  his example that we 
need to  nurture each other in the church.  He traveled back to the churches that 
he founded, to make sure that they were on the right track (Acts 18:23) and provided 
encouragement along the way (14:21-23). He never trusted, as the shepherd boy 
did, that they weren’t going to need  him. It’s too easy to forget what our goal  is.
Even  Paul  required encouragement from God.  God knew what was going to 
happen, and Paul relied on His strength to see him through the difficult time. God 
put Paul on some difficult paths just as Paul put his new converts on some difficult 
paths. But neither expected their disciples to go it alone as the shepherd boy did. 
God  knows that commitment takes time to grow. Without an example,  without a 
friend, without a leader, God’s children can become lost (11:25-30).
I challenge you to take responsibility for each other and encourage one another 
down the path that has been chosen. 

The sheep  had 
scattered all 
around.
Carmen Burgess,  Minneapolis,  Minnesota 
117


Sunday
Septem ber 17 H o ld in g  O u r O w n   |
LOGOS
Acts 11:25, 26, 29, 30;  13:43;  14:21-23;  15:36, 40, 41;  16:4, 5; 18:8-11, 23;
20:13-36
On a group tour to Israel,  I met a woman from one of our churches in a major 
metropolitan area in the United States. Several years before, she had responded 
to the Bible truth she had heard during an evangelistic series by one of our church’s 
outstanding evangelists. She and more than 40 others were baptized.  It was one 
of the most successful series of meetings held in that state for years.
Yet in talking with  Sherry  (not her real  name,)  I  learned that she and one or
two others were the only ones from those 
meetings who were still attending church. 
Unfortunately,  across  North  America the 
situation isn’t much better. Even in places 
like Eastern Europe and the former Soviet 
Union,  the  dropout  rate  among  converts 
following  recent large evangelistic series 
has been troubling.
The  problems we face  in  the church  today are  nothing  new. The  early  New 
Testament church faced  many of the same challenges.  Fortunately,  the book of 
Acts gives us some insights on how we can integrate new believers into the life of 
the church and help them feel needed.
Staying in Touch
One  of the  keys  of success  in  the  apostles’  evangelistic  endeavors was to 
remain in the cities where they had preached Christ. After a particularly successful 
preaching tour,  Paul and Barnabas returned to the cities of Lystra,  Iconium,  and 
Antioch to strengthen and encourage the new believers (Acts 14:21, 22).
Many times today,  evangelists hold  meetings for four to six weeks and then 
move  on  to  another  place  never to  be  seen  again  by the  new  believers. This, 
however,  was  not  Paul’s  method.  Paul  returned  to  the  places  where  he  had 
preached to visit with his new friends in Christ (15:36;  18:23).
Though  itinerant evangelism was the primary method used  by Paul  and the 
other apostles to proclaim the gospel, it’s clear that they needed at times to modify 
their approach. The Lord personally instructed  Paul to put down  roots in Corinth 
for a year and a half so he could more effectively reach those who were open to 
knowing the gospel (18:8-11).
Involving New  Believers
Paul  knew that to  keep  new  believers  actively  involved  in  the  church  they 
must be involved in ministry. For a year Paul and Barnabas conducted one of the 
first  spiritual  gifts  training  seminars  at  the  church  in  Antioch  (11:25,  26).  Paul 
realized that people would not remain a part of the church unless they felt needed.
1 1 8

The  problems we 
face  in the church 
today are  nothing 
new.


He helped them see how they could use their gifts for the Lord.
Training Leaders
Paul knew all too well that he couldn’t personally train all the people he had 
brought to Jesus. So he set out to carefully select and train lay ministers in each 
community  who  could  do  the  work  (14:23).  He  candidly  told  them  about  the 
challenges they would face  (20:29-35).  He shared  his  innermost thoughts  and 
burdens with these leaders. Together, they shared the passion they had for telling 
others about Jesus (verses 17-28).
Tapping Into the Power
Despite his evangelistic success,  Paul knew the Source of his power. Neither 
he nor the leaders he had selected could personally ensure that individuals would 
remain part of the church.  Each person was free to leave if he or she chose.
Yet  Paul  and  his  brothers and sisters  in  ministry fasted and  prayed for their 
fellow believers (14:23; 20:36).  In addition to reaching out in  love to the person, 
they prayed for the Holy Spirit to work on the person’s life. The idea of losing even 
one of their friends was more than they could bear (20:29-31).
REACT
1. What is your reaction to itinerant evangelism?
2. What could be done to improve the long-term success of public evangelistic 
meetings?
3.  Over the  past  few  years,  satellite  evangelism  has  become  a  significant 
outreach  tool  for  the  church.  What  are  the  benefits  and  liabilities  of  such 
technology?
4.  How do you feel about the Lord instructing  Paul to remain in Corinth for a 
year and a half (Acts  18:8-11)? Should we see this as proof of the superiority of 
relational or friendship evangelism?  Explain your answer.
5. Paul didn’t have to wait for the “nominating committee” to get new believers 
involved in ministry. How can we plug people into ministry positions without their 
having to get caught up in all the bureaucracy of the church?
6. Many GenXer’s have little interest in filling a position or being a member of 
a committee.  How can we get them excited about being involved in ministry?
7.  How can you  involve new believers without threatening or removing long- 
established members from positions of ministry?
8.  In  many  churches  20  percent  of the  people  are  doing  80  percent of the 
work. How can we help those in leadership see that their responsibility is to work 
themselves out of a job?
9. Why is it so important to pray for those who are no longer attending church? 
What practical things can you do to reach out to let members of the church know 
that they are needed? 
Donovan Davis,  Minneapolis,  Minnesota
1 1 9


M onday
Septem ber 18 C are fo r N ew b o rn s
TESTIMONY
Heb. 6:1
Paul teaches that once we have established the “elementary teachings about 
Christ” (Heb.  6:1,  NIV),  we should  move on to deeper study with  new converts. 
The message is clear—don’t stop studying with people just because they’ve joined 
the church.
“After  individuals  have  been  converted  to the truth,  they  need to  be  looked 
after.  .  .  . These  newly  converted  ones  need  nursing—watchful  attention,  help, 
and encouragement.  .  .  .
“Preaching  is a small  part of the work to  be done for the salvation  of souls. 
God’s Spirit convicts sinners of the truth and  He places them  in the arms of the 
church. The ministers may do their part, but they can never perform the work that 
the church should do.”1
When we study and share with new converts, several other important needs 
are met. New members are now part of a small group, have a sense of belonging, 
and are initiating closer friendships with other members. Studies continue to show 
the importance of meaningful friendships within a church group.
Continued  study  should  emphasize  the  need  to  share  this  good  news with
others.  “Those  who  are  most  actively 
employed  in  doing  with  interested 
fidelity their work to win souls to Jesus 
Christ,  are  the  best  developed  in 
spirituality and devotion.”2
“Teach  the  newly  converted  that 
they  are  to  enter  into  fellowship  with 
Christ,  to  be  His witnesses and to  make  Him  known  unto the  world.”3 The  new 
believer should be encouraged to share what has been shared with him. “Every 
true disciple  is born  into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of 
the  living water becomes a fountain of life. The  receiver becomes a giver.” 4
REACT
What are some practical ways that you could  help newer members become 
more mature in their faith?
1. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 68, 69.
2. Evangelism, p. 356.
3.  Ibid.
4. Christian Service, p. 9. 
Misty Wood,  Minneapolis, Minnesota

D on't stop studying 
with  people just 
because they've 
joined the church. 
1 2 0


Tuesday
I

  September 19
EVIDENCE
John 21:15-17;  1  Pet. 5:2-4
Without  a  doubt,  believers  are  expected  to  spread  the  word  of  Christ’s 
everlasting  love  and  forgiveness.  Christ’s  life  on  earth  can  be  pointed  to  as  a 
prime example of how to share God’s love with others (Matt.11:1; Luke 9:60). In 
fact,  Christ  saw  such  a  need  for  spreading  the  Word  of  God  during  His  brief 
ministry that  He gathered  a  group  around  Him  to  help  in  reaching  as  many  as 
possible. Jesus’ first two disciples were called with the following challenge, “ ‘Follow 
me, and  I will  make you fish for people’ ” (Matt. 4:19,  NRSV).
The  fishing  metaphor  is  hard  to 
interpret  as  anything  short  of 
evangelizing  people with the gospel of 
Jesus  Christ.  But  are  there  any 
examples in the Bible in which believers 
were  shown  how  to  retain  and  guide 
new converts to prevent losing them to 
apathy or worldly influences?
Yes, there are many examples in the Bible in which people of God were sent 
to churches to lift the spirits of those who had accepted Christ and who had become 
established  in  the  faith.  Paul’s first visit to  the  churches  in  Derbe  and  Lystra  is 
proof of this.  Paul visited, established,  and saw to the growth of the churches in 
these cities (Acts 16:4, 5). As these churches grew, they were visited by traveling 
ministers who attempted to encourage those  new converts.  In  Acts  15:36,  Paul 
and Barnabas backtracked to every city they had previously visited and preached 
the Word. Notice that Paul and Barnabas visited every city again.
In these examples, we see how Christ worked during  His time on earth with 
His own ministry. As followers of Jesus, we have a responsibility of reaching those 
who don’t know Him. We also have a responsibility of reaching out to those who 
have known the Lord  but who  have become discouraged somewhere along the 
way. The examples of Jesus and  Paul demonstrate how to nurture the church.
REACT
1. What could you do in your daily life to help spread the Word of God among 
the public-at-large as well as within your own church?
2.  How important is it to keep in touch with new believers?
3. What benefits are there in having several people working together in reaching 
out to those who are discouraged in their faith?
4. The  apostles  taught  doctrine,  formed  people  into fellowship  groups,  and 
trained them for outreach. Which of these does your local church do best? Where 
could it use your help?
Glenn Andersen,  West St.  Paul,  Minnesota

Paul and  Barnabas 
backtracked to 
every city they had 
previously visited.
121


W ednesday
September 20 G ro w in g  U p in  C hrist  |
HOW -TO
Acts 2:42; Eph. 4:1-6
A  sense  of  belonging  is  a  need  we  all  share,  to  feel  loved,  accepted,  and 
included.  I  have  visited  various  Adventist  churches  and  at  times  have  felt  the 
opposite: just a visitor, an outsider. It’s been easy to slip out the back door.
I’m not a new believer. But what 
if I were? What would happen to me 
after  I’ve  been  baptized  and  the 
excitement  wears  off?  What  if  an 
unbeliever  or  a  former  member 
picks your church  out of the  phone book and shows  up one Sabbath  morning? 
The witnessing must continue.
Here are some ideas to help keep the family of God together:
1.  Friendship. A friendly church  has friendly people. Greeting  each  person 
with a handshake or a  hug can  go a long way. Accept and  love people the way 
they are as God accepts us and loves us. Make people feel they are welcome.
2. Socialization. Plan various activities for all ages and invite people.  Have 
fun together and  laugh  a lot.  Have a visitor potluck weekly and  invite  people to 
stay. Invite them to your home. Jesus Himself was a social being.
3. Involvement. Invite people to help with various church duties or outreach 
activities. Having something to do can help that person feel included and important.
4.  Small-group fellowships. Provide  a variety  of  Sabbath  School  classes 
that would interest different individuals at various levels in their walk with Christ. 
Establish small groups that meet outside church for Bible study, outreach, or just 
for fun. Get involved with women’s, men’s, or single’s ministries. Plan and begin a 
special class on discipleship that would benefit newly baptized members and be 
a refreshing review for not-so-new believers.
The words of William and Gloria Gaither put it simply: “You will notice we say 
brother and sister ‘round here. It’s because we’re a family and these folks are so 
near. When one has a heartache we all share the tears and rejoice in each victory 
in this family so dear. I’m so glad  I’m a part of the family of G od....’’
REACT
1.  Describe how you feel when you think of friends or family who are church 
members but rarely attend.
2. What effort will  it take to  build a bridge  like this to another person? What 
new habits will  I  need to cultivate or what old ones should  I drop?
3.  Describe  and  compare  with  other class  members  what  you  think  might 
cause a person to show up at church for the first time in a long time.
Brenda K.  Leavelle,  Woodbury,  Minnesota

A sense of belonging is a 
need w e all share. 
122


Thursday
Long-D istance
Team w ork 

S e p te m b e r 21
OPINION
1  Thess. 5:11
I’ll  make you a deal. You call  up one of my brothers and  I’ll call yours.
I  have  four  brothers  and  one  sister. They  all  live  two  day’s  drive  from  my 
home,  and they all  need to get back to church. Most of them  have an Adventist 
hymnal, a stack of Bibles, and at least a partial set of Spirit of Prophecy books in 
their possession. They’ve all  graduated  from  Adventist schools  and  still  have  a 
few Adventist friends. I don’t think believing is the real problem—belonging is. Or 
“rebelonging” as an adult,  along with  rediscovering God for themselves.
My sister will play her flute for special music, if she’s asked. Need a chainsaw 
or a  backhoe operator for a landscaping  project at your church  or school?  Call 
Jim or John. Need a CPR class? Call Sandy again. She’s a crackerjack emergency 
medical technician.  Bruce  might be a harder one to crack;  he’s an attorney. But 
he water skis,  golfs  a  little,  and  is trying to find  a sense of direction  for his  life. 
John is laid back and friendly, and his daughter is in church school—he’d be great 
with kids on a field trip or Pathfinder outing. My sister-in-law Carol would probably 
love one of those events where you make pages for a memory album.
So, you live where they are and  I’m  here in a metro area where one of your 
siblings or academy friends lives. Let’s call them up and keep an eye out for them 
when  they do show  up  at church  or some  event,  even the grocery store!  Don’t 
give them  a church  office at nominating 
comm ittee  time,  ask  them  to  work 
together on a project with you. Every time 
you  take  on  a  ministry  task  try  to  find 
something  they  can  do  to  contribute.
Invent something if you have to!
I’ll  make  you  a  promise.  My  antennae  are  out for every  person  25-45  who 
walks through our church doors.  My net here won’t catch my brothers;  but if you 
cast one where you are, it just might. And when I see your brother floating around, 
I’ll do what I can to make him feel at home just as if it were Jim or Bruce or John. 
Remember, not all small groups are strictly Bible study, although that’s an important 
format. There’s  handbell  choir,  fellowship  luncheon  teams,  and  other  groups 
participating in ministry based on similar interests like camping, walking, gardening.
One tip.  Whatever you do,  make  it practical.  I think they’d go for a Sabbath 
morning class like the one Chris Blake described in the Adventist Review.* See 
the web site at http://welcome.to/somethingelse for a description.
*”The Little Sabbath School That Could,” Adventist Review, Feb.  18,  1999, p. 25.
Robin Davis,  Minneapolis,  Minnesota

You  call  up one of 
my brothers and  I'll 
call yours.
1 2 3


Friday
September 22 Let Your Love G ro w !  |
EXPLORATION
Gal. 6:1-5
CONCLUDE
Almost as many members are leaving the church as are joining. What’s wrong 
with this picture? There’s more to evangelism than  increasing  membership.  It is 
very important to disciple and nurture new and  long-time  members. That’s what 
Paul did—he went around, church to church, strengthening people. A  new member 
feels like a child adopted into a new family—everything is new and unfamiliar, you 
can’t seem to connect with the family’s traditions,  memories,  quirks,  and jokes. 
Discipleship involves creating feelings of belonging, building friendships, getting 
involved,  identifying common grounds, and keeping in touch.
CONSIDER
■   Establishing a dinner-club for new church or inactive members. Take turns 
cooking for all club members (and their families) who will stop by to pick up 
their dinner. Each person cooks only one large supper a week.
■   E-mailing a special treat once a week to new church members or neighbors: 
it may be a recipe, story, verse, quote, or newspaper clipping.
■   Mailing prayer postcards and forming prayer bands—to encourage prayer 
for the community. Write synopses of local happenings (from newspapers) 
on postcards and mail to selected people.
■   Asking for some wall space in your Sabbath  School or fellowship hall and 
maintaining  a  bulletin  board  to  encourage  interaction  among  church 
members.  Include  features  such  as  mystery  member  profiles  (describe 
someone in the congregation), wish lists, and answered prayers.
■   Throwing  random  parties  at  your  church.  Celebrate  membership 
anniversaries.  Build your reputation as the “spontaneous party giver!”
■   Becoming  certified  in  something  you  are  naturally  good  at  (financial 
counseling, grief recovery, etc.) and offering your services to your church.
■   Making a promise to yourself that, at church,  you will sit in a different pew 
each week, and have at least one meaningful conversation with someone 
other than family or friends.
CONNECT
Galatians 6:1-5;  Philemon  1:7.
Evangelism,  chap.  4;  Testimonies  for the  Church,  vol.  6,  section  2; Advent
Review and Sabbath Herald, “Faith Stewardship  Required,” March 7,  1893.
Karen  Dockrey, Fun  Friend-Making Activities; Michael  Green,  One  to  One,
chaps.  1,2. 
Fylvia Kline,  Columbia, Maryland
1 2 4


Lesson 14
Septem ber 23-30
How do We keep
Score?
"The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of 
people believed and turned to the Lord" (Acts 11:21,  NIV).


Sabbath
Septem ber 23 Reachable, Yet 
U ntouchable
INTRODUCTION
Ps.  139:5, 7, 9,  10
One  night  there  was  a  storm,  a  strong  thunderstorm,  where  the  thunder 
sounded so loud that it would shake the house as if it were an earthquake.  If you 
would dare to look out the window, you would see the strong lightning as it lit up 
the sky, especially when the lights in the house went out. I remember being afraid 
and thinking that something bad was going to happen.
As usual,  right on time,  a familiar face walked into the dark room to comfort 
me. As she would grab hold and hug me, she would say, “Don’t worry, the thunder 
Is God bowling in heaven, and the rain Is God crying for the things we do bad.” It
sounds  hard  to  believe,  but  I 
believed  every  bit  of  what  my 
mother said. I know now that when 
the  thunderstorm  comes  it’s  not 
God bowling and the rain is not His 
crying. What was it that influenced 
me to accept God  and  the  stories 
that she told me? I do know one thing: from that day on, I always believed in God 
and looked for Him.
One day, Paul on his way to Damascus was struck by a great light from heaven 
(Acts 22:6). Jesus’ confrontation with  Paul  had such an effect that from that day 
on,  Paul  chose  to  follow  Him  for the  rest  of  his  life.  He  became  a  witness  for 
Jesus,  and  hundreds of others, through  Paul’s witness,  accepted Jesus  in their 
hearts and became witnesses (18:8). My mother’s witness to me made a difference 
in  my  life,  and  now  I  want to  do the same for the  people  I  love and the  people 
around me, so that they won’t miss out on the beautiful gift that God has in store 
for us. 

M y mother's witness to 
me made a difference in 
my life.
Javier Joseph Ouiles Pérez,  Mayagüez,  Puerto Rico
1 2 6


Sunday
"  "  |  September 24Th e O bvio us Truth  |----------------- 

EVIDENCE
Luke  12:9
I  had a decision to  make,  but  I  was sluggish  in  responding to the call.  I  had 
been  a  member of the  Seventh-day Adventist  Church  earlier  in  my youth,  and 
because of my active membership in that church, my parents threw me out of the 
house. I  lived the Lord’s timely prediction, the one found in  Matthew 10:34-36.
Some  five  years  later,  having  served  a  second  term  of enlistment  with  the 
U.S.  Navy,  I  returned  to  be  confronted  with  the  identical  decision  anew:  follow 
God or follow the world.
I returned to the church, but with one foot in the world.  My employer required 
my working on Friday nights; I hadn’t the courage to tell him of my religious affiliation 
with the church. To refuse reporting for work on Friday, a week day, was to forfeit 
employment completely. So  I  attempted to  keep half the Sabbath,  pleading with 
God to give me a sign, yet knowing what Fie wanted me to do.
The response came on a Sabbath morning. My mother was preparing breakfast 
for  me. As  I  passed  the  dining  room  table  en  route  to  the  kitchen,  I  spotted  a 
pamphlet. “One of your church members left it this morning on the way to church,” 
my  mother said.  On  the  cover of the  pamphlet was a statement: “You  May  Not 
Know  It,  But  .  .  .” Anxious to  discover what  I  did  not  know,  I  turned  to the  next 
page, which said, in very clear terms, “Jesus kept the Sabbath!”
Flere was evidence that a lady I  did not know could witness with the printed 
page. I thanked God for FHis  reply, 
bathed,  dressed  myself,  had 
breakfast,  then set off for church, 
having made my decision. If Jesus 
kept the  Sabbath,  then  Fie would 
want  me to. As  a consequence,  I 
lost  my job,  but  I  had  God’s  approval,  and  the  guarantee  of  greater and  richer
blessings.
REACT
1.  Is  half-obedience generally better than  no obedience at all?  Explain your 
answer.
2.  Flow can you maintain friendships and respectful workplace relations with 
non-Christian people while living by very different standards?
3.  Experience  is  what  people  are  looking  for when  they  go  to the movies,
have relationships, go dancing, take drugs, etc. Is your Christian experience really 
as exciting as those things? As real? Should it be? Why or why not?
LeRoy Miller,  Mayagüez,  Puerto Rico

I  attem pted to  keep 
half the Sabbath.
1 2 7


M onday
Septem ber 25 A  C onsistent 
Testim ony
LOGOS
Acts 17:5-7, 32-34; 22:12-16; 24:25; 26:27, 28; 28:11-16, 23, 24, 30, 31;  Rev.
14:6-10
Hezekiah’s virtues helped him stand out as an exceptional leader. According 
to 2 Chronicles 29-31,  he was a successful administrator, a good politician,  had 
good relations with neighboring countries, and, above all, was the great religious 
reformer of his time. His preoccupation with the restoration of the true worship to 
God, in the southern as well as in the northern region, made him one of the most 
zealous guardians  of the faith. At the  height of his conquests,  however,  he was 
surprised  with  the  news that  he  was  going to die  (Isa.  38:1).  Hezekiah  did  not 
believe that this was the  right time  because  he was young,  had  no heirs to the 
throne, and possibly, all  his work to stabilize the kingdom would be lost. Then he 
received a promise that canceled out the first announcement.
Hezekiah  shared  his  testimony  and  thanked  God  publicly  for  manifesting 
Himself when He gave Hezekiah the assurance that he would live.  Isaiah 38:IQ- 
20,  known  as  Hezekiah’s psalm,  is filled with this type  of promises.  Hezekiah’s 
reaction is expected because in a way, the Lord had resurrected him. Furthermore, 
the  things  he  was  afraid  to  leave  unsettled  had  he  died,  were  resolved  to  his 
satisfaction:  he would  have children and the  kingdom would  not fall  into enemy 
hands  (38:6; 39:7). This was not a common  gift. It could  not be forgotten  easily. 
This event would be so significant to the king’s life that there would not be enough 
days to share the story.
It wasn’t long, however, before the king failed to keep the promises that were 
still fresh in his mind. When the Babylonian ambassadors visited him, he lost the 
best opportunity to testify of God because he feared offending. It is possible that 
he took  for  granted  that the  visitors  already  had  some  knowledge  of  the  God 
whom he served, so it would be better to use this time to strengthen the political 
ties of the nations. These emissaries were drawn by the clock’s notable change in 
direction  and  the  miraculous  healing  of the  king,  events they attributed  to  God 
(38:8). The time of testing  had come,  but the  monarch failed at a time when  his 
testimony  could  have  influenced  these  men  toward  the  true  God.  Instead,  he 
showed off his wealth and power.
There was  no  place for God  in the  monarch’s agenda. The  priests were  not 
called  to  offer a worship  of gratitude  at the  imperial  chapel. The  sacred  scrolls 
and  everything  that  could  awaken  a  religious  interest  were  possibly  hidden  to 
prevent them from becoming a stumbling block in the process of the negotiations 
that were about to take place. It was the moment for the king to recognize publicly 
God’s  love and care.
Why was the  king not able to honor his promise before the visitors?  First of 
all, these men brought letters inviting him into an alliance to confront their common
1 2 8


enemies. The king knew that this plan did not have divine approval; nevertheless, 
he  decided  temporarily  to  separate  God  from  his  affairs.  His  choice  brought 
consequences that contributed to the exile of the Jewish people.
Many of us act in similar ways.  Daily God  bestows immeasurable blessings 
upon us. Each day we have countless reasons to lift our testimony of gratefulness 
to Him whose only concern is to give and to watch over our well-being. Testifying 
about the blessings that fill our hands will make us healthier, fill us with hope, and 
bring  within  our  reach  the  salvation  of  our  souls.  More  than  a  commitment,  it 
should be our lifestyle.
When we are troubled by unfortunate circumstances and the redeeming hand 
comes to meet us, we recognize and continually testify of God’s goodness. These 
feelings,  however,  fade  and  are  soon 
forgotten; or, even worse, we forget them at 
times when they seem unimportant.  Unless 
we are consistent and are willing to put God 
first  in  all  our  transactions,  without 
considering the consequences or conditions 
we  will  be  exposed  to,  we  can  fall  into 
Hezekiah’s trap.  If we do  not Include Jesus 
in our daily chores, neither will we search for Him when we face special situations. 
It is not possible to show that which we do not have.
Let’s  not  take  for  granted  the  vitality  we  receive  from  our  daily  communion. 
Yesterday’s  experience  is  valid  only for yesterday.  It  is  necessary to  maintain  an 
invigorating  relationship  with  the  Lord  on  a  daily  basis,  and  this  will  encourage 
spontaneous expressions of acknowledgment and gratitude to God. Let’s not allow 
a  fleeting  splendor  of  academic  achievement,  social pressure,  or the desire  for
recognition  to  lead  us to  ignore  the  testimony  of what  He represents  in  our  life.
Neither prosperity nor adversity should ever prevent us from exalting before others 
what we are because of Heaven’s grace. A firm and consistent testimony of our faith 
and gratitude to God will be, unlike Hezekiah’s attitude, the key to reaching success 
in the Christian life. We should allow this experience to have place in our life.
REACT
1. Whom do you value most as a witness in you life?
2. What incident made you believe in God?
3. Can  God communicate  Himself through  us?  Explain your answer.
4. What “sacred scrolls” could you hide?
5.  Some people  in  a new workplace or school will  not be blatant about their 
faith,  but keep quiet until they have had time to win credibility with people. What 
could be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
6.  Someone  said,  “It  is  impossible  to  witness  to  Jesus  and  yourself  at  the 
same time.” What are some ways in your life that you could confuse the two?
Ramón Araujo Cuevas,  Mayagüez,  Puerto Rico

There was no 
place for God  in 
the  monarch's 
agenda.
1 2 9


Tuesday
September 26 rre a c n f
TESTIMONY
Acts 28:23, 24
It is clear that Paul, although chained, did not stop preaching the gospel and 
testimony  of  Jesus  here  on  earth.  He  would  testify  at  all  times,  if  necessary. 
Although many Jews firmly opposed the gospel, there was always a small group 
that converted.
The same thing happens today with every Christian evangelist. God has given 
us free will; therefore, we have the right to believe or not to believe.
“As witnesses for Christ, we are to tell what we know, what we ourselves have
seen and heard and felt. If we have 
been following Jesus step by step, 
we  shall  have  something  right to 
the point to tell concerning the way 
in which He has led us.”*
Since  we  know  this  glorious 
message, our duty is to preach this 
gospel to all the world in our generation. Using the gifts and talents that God has 
given  us,  under His divine direction,  and,  of course,  with  much  prayer,  God  will 
never forsake us.
Be a faithful witness for Christ. Share the  wonderful things God has done for
you and everything He has prepared for us. Jesus is coming  soon! Be ready!
REACT
1. Why does your personal testimony work when a textbook talk may not?  In 
the following list of possible reasons, which three are most important to you?
□   You  have emotions invested  in  it.
□   It’s real, a story rather than dry theory.
□   You are someone the listener trusts.
□   It fits more naturally into conversation  about your life.
□   It can be tailormade for the listener.
□   Other:______________________________________ 
2.  Many of us hate advertising because it often communicates empty words 
and pictures about a product that does not really deliver what it promises. How do 
you avoid making your Christian witness just as hollow and hyped?
"Christian Service, p.  17. 
Sheila K. Feliciano,  Mayagüez,  Puerto Pico

"W e are to tell...  w hat 
w e ourselves have seen 
and  heard  and felt." 
1 3 0


W h a t W e   Have 
Seen and  H eard 

W ednesday
Septem ber 27
HOW -TO
John 3:11;  1 John  1:1, 2
The most effective way to get others to know the Savior of the world is by our 
witness. We  do  not  have to  be  great  evangelists  nor theologians  to  share  with 
others the Good News of salvation. The best way to testify is sharing with others 
what Christ has done in us and for us. Our personal experience with Christ will be 
an argument difficult to refute.
The context of the primitive church’s message was “What we have seen and 
heard” of God (1  John 1:3, NIVJ.This principle is essential today in our witnessing. 
We have heard God’s words and we have seen His works.The world, however, is 
tired of hearing words and it’s yearning to see works. These will give meaning to 
our words.
“Whoever claims to  live  in  him  must walk as Jesus  did”  (2:6,  NIV).  “But we 
need  not  go to  Nazareth,  to  Capernaum,  or to  Bethany, in  order to  walk  in the
steps of Jesus. We shall find  His footprints beside the sick-bed, in the  hovels of
poverty, in the crowded alleys of the great city, and in every place where there are 
human  hearts  in  need  of consolation.  In  doing  as Jesus did when  on  earth,  we 
shall walk in  His steps.”1
To serve our neighbor is not an option, but a responsibility for those who know 
the  Redeemer. “Thus  Christ on the  Mount 
of Olives pictured to His disciples the scene 
of  the  great  judgm ent  day.  And  He 
represented its decision as turning upon one 
point. When the nations are gathered before 
Him, there will be but two classes, and their 
eternal destiny will  be  determined  by what 
they have done or have neglected to do for 
Him  in  the  person  of  the  poor  and  the 
suffering.”2
“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.’ ”3 May God give  us the same compassion that was  in  Christ 
Jesus! 

O ur personal 
experience with 
Christ will  be an 
argum ent difficult 
to  refute.
1. Christian Service, p.  186.
2. The Desire of Ages, p. 637.
3. The Ministry of Healing, p.  143.
Rose M. Rivera,  Mayagüez,  Puerto Rico
131


Thursday
September 28 
Successful  H arvest 
in Athens
OPINION
Acts 17:32-34
Some  believe  that  the  scant  fruits  of  Paul’s  effort  derived  from  the  wrong 
method he used for evangelizing. The book of Acts says that when Paul observed
the  Idolatry and wickedness  in  the city 
of  Athens  “his  spirit  was  stirred”  (Acts 
17:16,  KJV).The apostle preached  not 
only to the  Jews  and  devout  Gentiles, 
but to the  Greek philosophers as well. 
Acts  17:18 states that Paul was telling 
them about the gospel of Jesus and the 
resurrection. As we read the context of 
the whole chapter, we do not find signs 
that he was debating with them.  He testified  before the scholars that the whole 
universe was the product of the creative hand of God. He called them to repentance, 
warned them about the coming judgment, and assured them that Jesus conquered 
death.  If this isn’t the gospel, then what is it?
How can  we  think that when  Paul  arrived  at Corinth  he  lamented  his small 
success in Athens? Verse 34 says that “Dionysius, Damaris, and others with them 
believed  the  gospel.”  What  Is  our criterion  to  define  a  great  harvest  of  souls? 
Don’t we say that Jesus would have come to this world to save only one soul?
The apostle  Paul must have felt great satisfaction to have planted the seed 
of the gospel  in Athens. He did not need to feel frustrated for the small harvest. 
The same words he wrote to the Corinthians he could have written to the Christians 
In  Greece:  “When  I  came  to  you,  brothers,  I  did  not  come  with  eloquence  or 
superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I  resolved 
to  know  nothing  while  I  was  with  you  except  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified” 
(1  Cor. 2:1, 2,  NIV).
God’s  mathematics  does  not  measure  success  by  numbers  but  by  quality. 
The  positive  results  of  witnessing  are  very  valuable.  When  we  analyze  Paul’s 
experience in Athens, we can conclude that it was successful in quality and quantity.
REACT
1. What does it mean that Jesus gave special attention to “an audience of one 
soul”?
2.  Does the preaching of other Christian denominations contribute to the so- 
called finishing of the work?  Explain your answer.
Javier Díaz, Mayagüez,  Puerto Rico

God's  mathematics 
does  not measure 
success by numbers 
but by quality. 
1 3 2


W alkin g  O u r Talk  | 

Friday
Septem ber 29
EXPLORATION
2 Cor. 5:17-20
CONCLUDE
It’s great to be able to say you’re a Christian. In  life it’s easy to say one thing 
and actually do another. Can others see that you are living what you proclaim to 
believe?  Do they see  kindness and  empathy?  What about gentleness and true 
compassion?  Or has the world begun  its insidious  insertion  into your life? What 
do the activities you partake in say about your walk with Christ? Can non-Christians 
tell there is something different about you when you speak, drive, and work on a 
deadline? Take time to examine whether you are truly “walking your talk.”
CONSIDER
■   Composing  a  poem  or  song  that  contains  your  testimony.  Perform  it  for 
Sabbath School or church.
■   Organizing  a  bread  ministry.  Gather some  friends  and  bake  nut or whole 
wheat breads.  Use these as a way to introduce yourself to neighbors, the 
postal worker, gas station attendants—anyone with whom you have casual 
contact. You could attach an encouraging  poem or personal  note.
■   Making a collage of the characteristics of Jesus. What did He do that showed 
Him walking His talk? Identify which ones you feel you have in your life. Are 
there others you  need to pray about and ask God to help develop?
■   Experimenting with new ways to witness. What are ways that you can make 
a difference in someone else’s life? Organize a group to  brainstorm  ways 
they can reach out to others.
■   Researching the ways that members of the early Adventist church witnessed. 
They  had  a  new  message  that  not  everyone  wanted  to  hear. What  were 
some of the things that worked  particularly well then?  How can we  adapt 
these methods for today?
■   Journaling your witnessing activities for the next month. Consider whether 
you are looking for chances to witness to others. Specifically pray each day 
for God to bring you  into contact with someone to share His love.
CONNECT
2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 5:1, 2; 1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2Timothy 2:22-
26.
Evangelism, pp. 442-446, 644-655.
Russell Burrlll, Revolution in the Church, pp. 33-43; Kim A. Johnson, Spiritual
Body-Building Lessons, pp. 21-27.
Deena Bartel-Wagner,  Great Barrington,  Massachusetts
133


Next Quarter’s  Lessons
W I S D O M   T O   L I V E   B Y
Introduction  to the  Book  of  Proverbs
If you  have  not received  a copy of CO for fourth  quarter 2000,  here is
a  summary  of the first two  lessons:
Lesson  1:  W hat  Are  Your  Priorities?
Scriptures:  Prov.  1:1-7;  2:1-11;  4:5-7;  21:3;  James  1:5.
Theme: Learning is intended to make us wise. But what is wisdom? We 
often think that education is necessary for success in today’s world. When 
we  think  that,  however,  we  usually  become  so  absorbed  in  striving  for 
temporal success that we lose sight of the purpose and the importance of 
true  education. Then  education  becomes  a frantic  struggle for academic 
success  with  financial  security as the the  ultimate  aim.
“Our ideas  of education take too  narrow and too  low a  range. There is
need  of a broader scope,  a higher aim. True  education  means more than 
the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation 
for the life that now is.  It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole 
period  of  existence  possible to  man.”—Education,  p.  13.
Lesson  2:  A  Star  to  Guide  the  Humble
Scriptures:  Prov.  3:5,  6;  11:4;  16:9;  22:17-19;  28:26;  Phil.4:19. 
Theme: What is trust, and why is it important?  Faith, the hand that lays 
hold upon God’s resources, consists of more than just belief; trust is a vital 
part.  But what  is trust?  How  does  it work?
Does trust belong in a compartment separate from daily life, preserved 
only for  religion?  Is  it  practical?  Can  it  benefit  anybody?
These  questions  deserve  answers.  Indeed  we  need these  answers  in 
order to  survive.
To order your personal copy of CQ, contact your Adventist Book Center or 
write: 
Pacific  Press  Publishing  Association 
P.O.  Box  5353 
Nampa,  ID  83653-5353 
U.S.A.
Prices:  U.S.A.:  One-year subscription— $14.99 
Single  copy— $8.29 
Outside  U.S.A.:  One-year subscription— $17.99 
Single  copy— $8.29
1 3 4


INSTRUMENTAL  INSPIRATION 
FROM  CHAPEL® MUSIC!
After  the  Rain
Dona Klein
Beloved organist and pianist Dona Klein has 
produced a new album of meditative songs with 
sounds of nature that remind us that joy replaces 
pain After the Rain.
There Is a River ♦ As the Deer/Medley ♦ Over the 
River Jordan, and others 
CD: 43330-02114  CS: 43330-02115
Praise  Harp  Collection  I
Judy Wolter-Bailey
The best of Judy 'Wolter-Bailey’s artistry over the 
years on one album. A musical feast for everyone 
who craves tranquility in the midst of stressful times.
El Shaddai ♦ Sing Hallelujah ♦ You are my Hiding 
Place,  and more.
CD: 43330-02196  CS: 43330-02197
Calm  Meadows
Charlie Sneller
Master keyboardist Charlie Sneller presents peaceful 
arrangements of the great hymns of faith.
In the Garden ♦ Sweet Hour of Prayer ♦ My Jesus I 
Love Thee, and more.
CD: 43330-02151  CS: 43330-02152
All Chapel® CDs  are US$15.98, Cdn$23.99. Cassettes are US$10.98, 
Cdn$ 16.49, unless otherwise marked.
Available  at  your  local  ABC,  1 - 8 0 0 - 7 6 S - 6 9 S S .
Orde r  online:  w w w .adventistbookcenter.com
© 2000 * Prices subject to change. 130/5590


INSTRUMENTAL  INSPIRATION 
FROM  CHAPEL®  MUSIC!
Because  of  Him
Joedy Mel ash enk o
These songs of praise and adoration featuring Joedy 
Melashenko’s rich baritone voice will remind the lis­
tener that because of Christ we have hope, meaning, 
and a purpose to life.
He’s Been Faithful ♦ Blessed Assurance ♦ My God Is 
Real, and more.
CD: 43330-02212  CS: 43330-02213
Surrender
J o h n   Lo m ac a ng
The sweet tenor voice that electrified crowds nightly 
during the “Net ‘99” evangelistic meetings can now 
minister to your heart through this new album.
I Give All My Life to You ♦ There Stands the Cost ♦
Out of My Hands, and others.
CD: 6-6459-1099-2CS:  6-6439-1099-4
Singin'  at  Meetin'  Time
T he Ambassadors
Veterans John Ramsey, Bob Nations, DeeWayne 
Jones, and Jim McClintock, heat up old favorites 
from camp meeting days.
Old Country Church ♦ Now Look Away to Heaven 
♦ Little Talk with Jesus, and more.
CD: 43330-02208  CS: 43330-02209
All Chapel  CDs  are US$15.98, Cdn$23.99. Cassettes are US$10.98, 
Cdn$ 16.49, unless otherwise marked.
Available  at  your  local  ABC,  1 - 8 0 0 - 7 6 S - 6 9 S S .
O rder  online:  w w w .adventistboolicenter.com
© 2000 * Prices subject to change.131/5590


A survival 
guide for 
those who 
wait on 
[the  Lord
W hile society spins at a  maddening pace, addicted to  speed, where 
are those who  are “ waiting,”  as on tiptoes, for God?  In  this  new book, 
Pastor  Hyveth Williams  uses an  engrossing combination  of humor, schol­
arship, and  personal  experience to  illustrate  the  power of living  in antici­
pation of the  Lord’s  return. New  life  lessons  pour from the  Scriptures as 
Williams  asks:
♦   Did Jesus  really  call that woman  a  dog and  commend  her for 
her faith?
♦   Did  a  certain  rabbi  actually  pray,“ I thank you  God  that you  did 
not make  me a woman  o r a  pig?”
♦  W hat can we  learn  from  the woman with  the  issue of blood?
If you’ve grown weary of waiting on  God  to  come through  in your 
daily trials, Anticipation  will  help you  find  your “ second wind.” 
0-8163-1789-5. Paperback.
US$13.99, Cdn$20,99.
Available  at  your  local  ABC,  1 - 8 0 0 - 7 6 5 - 6 9 S S .
O r  read  a  sample  chapter first  and  order  online:  w w w .adventistboohcenter.com
© 2000 *  Prices subject to change.134/5590


From the author of I f  My  People Pray comes this stirring new 
follow-up call to prayer, compassion, and brokenness as the 
means of bringing a revival of true godliness to our lives and 
churches. With passion and humility, Randy Maxwell takes the 
reader on a prayerful quest of self-discovery that is painful and 
thrilling at the same time.  B r i n g   B a c k   t h e   G l o r y  is  written for 
everyone who craves change and the reviving showers of blessing 
God longs to send—now!
Study guide  included!
0-8163-1788-7.  Paperback.
US$12.99, Cdn$ 19.49.
Available  at  your  local  ABC,  1 - 8 0 0 - 7 6 S - 6 9 S S .
O r  read  a  sample  chapter  first  and  order  online:  w w w .adventistboohcenter.com
© 2000 * Prices subject to change.136/5590


One  look 
at  Jesus 
is  not 
enough!
Two thousand years after He walked the earth, millions still desire 
to know the Savior— to understand His mission,  to receive His gift 
of grace, forgiveness, and salvation.  The F our F aces o f  Jesus, by 
Robert K. Mclver,  profiles each of the Gospel writers and shows 
how their testimony enables us to understand Jesus better when 
viewed from four different perspectives. As you read, you’ll gain a 
new understanding of the parables,  the Sermon on the Mount,  the 
Olivet Discourse, and many specific episodes such as the woman 
who washed Jesus’ feet and the death of Lazarus.
Anyone wishing to pursue a deeper understanding of the world of 
Jesus, and of the workings of inspiration, will prize the insights 
found in  this book.
0-8163-1722-4.  Paperback.
US$14.99, Cdn$22.49
Available  at  your  local  ABC,  1-800-765-6955.
O r  read  a  sam ple  chapter  first  and  order  online:  w w w .adventistbookcenter.com
© 2000 * Prices subject to change. 142/5590


How many people have turned away from God because they 
looked for Him in a person or a religious group and were disap­
pointed by what they saw? S ee  W ith N ew Eyes, by Ty Gibson,  is 
about God.  It’s not about people or religions that claim to represent 
God, but about God Himself, as He has represented Himself in the 
One true portrait of His character.
Through striking language and evocative illustrations, Ty shows 
that God is exactly the kind of person we had hoped He would be. 
But you must close your eyes and open your heart to see Him. This 
book will help you close your eyes to the ugly pictures of deity so 
prevalent in our world, and open your mind and emotions to the 
crystal clear image of God in the person of Jesus Christ. 
0-8163-1786-0.  Paperback.
US$11.99, Cdn$ 17.99.
Available  at  your  local  ABC,  1 - 8 0 0 - 7 6 S - 6 9 S S .
O r  read  a  sample  chapter  first  and  order  online:  w w w .adventistbookcenter.com
© 2000 * Prices subject to change.l4l/5590


YOU  CAU 
HAVE  TH E
POWEFO 
o f   GOD’S 
i GRACE  in 
YOUR LIFE!KCAV1N  HAYDEN
P A V ' D   M F R K | U t
S aving B lood is a compelling new look at how Jesus 
saves us and why He is the center of our hope. Authors 
Keavin Hayden and David Merrill unveil Satan’s strate­
gies of deception and demonstrate the logic behind 
God’s plan of redemption.  In this analysis of how grace 
works, readers will find comfort, new courage for the 
battle, and a deeper appreciation of God’s relentless love. 
0-8163-1767-4.  Paperback.
US$12.99, Cdn$ 19.49
Available  at  your  local  ABC,  1 - 8 0 0 - 7 6 S - 6 9 S S .
O r  read  a  sample  chapter  first  and  order  online:  w w w .adventistbookcenter.com
© 2000 * Prices subject to change.135/5590





Where
Intellect
and
Imagination
Converge
Visit Our Website
www.cq.youthpages.org


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T H E   T H I R T E E N T H   S A B B A T H   O F F E R I N G :
Part of the Thirteenth Sabbath  Offering this quartet 
will  help the believers in Mozambique and Spain 
reach out to their communities.

NAME:
Amadeus Mhula, 
age 21,
Xai Xai, Mozambique 
B A C K G R O U N D :
Amadeus was not  Euro-Africa
interested  in attend-  Division
ing his family's 
church, but when a 
friend  invited him to a special  program at the 
Adventist church everything changed. He began 
asking questions about why this church worshiped 
on Saturday. After six months of Bible studies, 
Amadeus was baptized. His family was amazed at 
his sudden  interest in  religion. Read Mission  to fin 
out how Amadeus and his family's life has changed