Teacher’s Guide for Into
His
Likeness
An Exploration Into the Joys and Responsibilities of the Life That Is Being Transformed
Inb Christ's Likeness
The Teacher's Guide for INTO HIS LIKENESS is to be used together with the student's edition.
It is designed to be interleaved with the student material. The numbers in the corners at the top of each page indicate the pages in the student material opposite vtflich
the teacher's page will be placed.
Copyright © 1975 by the Department of Education, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Washington, D.C.
All rights reserved
Pacific Press Publishing Association Mountain View, California Omaha, Nebraska	Oshawa, Ontario
Litho in U.S.A
AN IMPORTANT NOTE TO THE TEACHER:
Dear friend:
You are about to begin a great spiritual adventure. You may be able to enjoy its consequences throughout eternity! The demands and the potential are equally challenging. As you create an atmosphere where young minds can meet the mind of God, so very much depends upon you!
Of the many factors which will influence the outcome of your adventure, none are so important as your own spiritual life. Young minds may soon forget the ideas and facts which flow from the pages. But they will be eternally changed as they see the love of Jesus flow from your life. You can make no finer preparation each day than to behold the matchless Mas-ter and to submit to being changed into His kind of person.
There are many other factors—large and small—which will in-fluence the outcome of your adventure during the next year. This Teacher’s Guide will seek to bring many of these factors into focus and give you useful support in dealing with them. It is very important, then, that you read at least the first major portion of it very carefully. (Later in the year you may be referring to it on an as-needed basis.)
The Teacher1s Guide contains three major sections: an intro-duction, the lessons, and several appendixes . Before you use Into His Likeness in the classroom, you should read the in-troduction and those appendixes which you deem helpful. A brief glance at the outline of the lessons would also be use-f ul.
The pages in the Teacher’s Guide are numbered consecutively at the bottom of each page. The pages in the center section will also have a page number in the upper left or right cor-ner; these numbers indicate the facing page in the student*s lessons, and they are numbered in this way so that you can interleave the pages from the Teacher’s Guide with those in the student text.
You will probably find it easier to carry only the first five units at one time in your binder (and then the last five units later on.) Stick-on thumb tabs on the outer margins will help you locate the units more quickly.
As you seek to lead your students to the foot of the cross, may the challenge cause you daily to seek a Power outside yourself.
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CONTENTS
Note to the Teacher.....................3
Contents .............................. 4
Introduction to Into His Likeness . . 5
Using the Teacher's Guide..............26
A Letter to the Parents................28
The Student Lesson Helps:
Unit 1..............................30
Unit 2..............................82
Unit 3.............................128
Unit 4.............................185
Unit 5.............................233
Unit 6.............................277
Unit 7.............................357
Unit 8.............................407
Appendixes............................451
A.	Rewards, Competition, and Prizes
B.	Grading and Evaluation
C.	Learning in Small Groups
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INTRODUCTION TO
INTO HIS LIKENESS
This textbook, as with every other, is unique. It differs in important ways from other textbooks. It reflects its own learn-ing methods, its own content perspectives. To be most effective, it must be used in harmony with the way it was designed. It is most essential, then, that the teacher who is planning to use Into His Likeness carefully read this introduction. The teacher who understands the purposes and methods of this textbook will likely present a more effective learning situation in the class-room.
THE THEME OF	In cooperation with the Holy Spirit, this book is designed to guide
THIS BOOK	a student into a Biblically accurate, saving relationship with
Jesus Christ. The student will then proceed to explore the ways in which this relationship influences his entire life. The main theme of the book emphasizes that, by beholding Jesus Christ, one can be changed Into His Likeness, and thereby be an instrument by which Christ can be made known to the world. The following list of general instructional objectives will provide an over-view of the scope of this book.
As a result of his study in Bible class this year, the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Shows evidence of having honestly considered the need to enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES RELATED TO CONTENT 1
1.1	Identifies the condition of the whole human race as being helplessly and hopelessly lost, apart from Jesus Christ.
1.2	Explains the way in which Christ has made it possible for a person to be saved from the condemnation and control of sin.
1.3	Describes what would be necessary on his part in order to receive the gift of salvation.
1.4	Defines correctly the concept of saving faith in Christ.
1.5	Enumerates the assurances which can be his when he turns to Christ in faith.
4he instructional objectives listed here, and elsewhere in this book, are based on the concepts of Norman E. Gronlund, Stating Behavioral Objectives for Classroom Instruction, New York: The Macmillan Company, 1970. For a listing of skill-related objectives, see page 8.
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2.	Understands the basic terminology used by Christians to explain their relationship with Christ, such as: faith, conversion, sin, repentance, justification, sanctification, surrender, perfection, and the like.
2.1	Uses the terms properly in both discussion and writing.
2.2 Distinguishes between true and false uses of the words.
2.3 Rephrases the words into words of his own choosing, with evident insight.
3.	Understands the uniqueness of the message which God is giving to the world through the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
3.1	Identifies the similarities which Adventists share with much of the Christian world.
3.2	Identifies the special, or unique insights into God’s plan and character which this church must emphasize.
3.3	Affirms the value of that unique message as being of sufficient worth as to justify separate existence from the main bodies of Christianity.
3.4	Explains the unique qualities of the Adventist life-style as being reasonable extensions of our understanding of God and His plan for us.
4.	Demonstrates an appreciation for an entirely Christlike way of approaching all human relationships.
4.1	Distinguishes between Christian and non-Christian ways of relating to other persons.
4.2	Acknowledges that the motive power for such relationships is Christlike love, and that this love comes only from God.
4.3	Begins to relate to others in an increasingly Christlike manner.
5.	Understands the basic terms of his own relationship with Christ.
5.1	Admits that he can never become good enough to earn God’s favor and acceptance.
5.2 Identifies the response of maturing faith as God’s only requirement for his salvation, affirming that all other de-sired behaviors will come as a result of such faith.
5.3	Affirms that character change and growth in Christlike-ness are not for the sake of earning merit, but are for the sake of more clearly revealing Christ’s glory to the world through our lives.
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6.	Understands the special relationship with His people for which God is waiting before He can return and end the great controversy.
6.1	Explains correctly the concept of "perfectly reproduc-ing the character of Christ11 in his own life.
6.2	Opposes any suggestion that God’s final remnant will be saved on any basis other than their complete faith in the righteousness of Christ.
6.3	Identifies the ways in which a united body of Christ-like believers can lead to a rapid end of the great contro-versy.
6.4 Affirms an intelligent desire to be among those persons who, because of their mature faith, will soon be transformed Into His Likeness.
The theme of study for this year is based on the thrilling truths of salvation by faith in Christ and His righteousness. For this reason Jesus Christ Himself is the central and constant focus.
The students will begin their study by discovering the basic terms of salvation. They will find that faith in Christ, rather than their performance, is the key issue. They will learn that Christ’s righteousness is given as a gift to the believing sinner. They will find Bible reasons for knowing that they can be sure of their acceptance with God.
But the study will not end with the good news of a change of status from being lost to being saved. It will also explore the good news of a change of character. The students will find that God plans a complete restoration for His people who will abide in Him. By abiding in Christ, by beholding Him, trusting His power, submitting to His will, and cooperating with Him, Christ can actually restore a fallen sinner to Christlikeness of char-acter.
While discussing the concept of perfectly reflecting the character of Christ, some persons become confused and suspect that this im-plies a person who has now earned the right to translation, or is at least somewhat more worthy of Christ’s righteousness. Such a concept is of course unbiblical. The whole focus of Christlike-ness is God*s glory, not man’s credit. Into a world darkened by Satan’s lies God will cause the light of His glory to be revealed. And that glory will shine through the lives of restored sinners who have been transformed into Christ’s likeness.
״The greatest work that can be done in our world is to glorify God by living the character of Christ.״ (Ellen White, in SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, page 1109.)
CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
CHRISTLIKENESS IS POSSIBLE
A VERY
IMPORTANT
DISTINCTION
The students should often be reminded of this important dis-tinction, for they share in the common human tendency to want to make self the focus, even of good works!
At the beginning of each lesson, the Teacher’s Guide will include a short paragraph explaining the spiritual thrust of that lesson, and how it might apply to the life of the student. The teacher who regards this as essential reading for his own preparation will be better prepared to teach that lesson.
THE LEARNING METHODOLOGY
Some textbooks appear to be based on this premise: ״Teaching is telling; learning is remembering." Teacher and textbook team up under this scheme to "tell" the student as much as he can hold. He is then "tested" to see how much he did indeed hold and is then graded accordingly—provided that what he remembered is identical to what he was told to remember.
To depart from such a learning approach needs little defense.
But with what shall it be replaced? What specific learning abilities and skills shall we seek to impart to our students?
As a result of his study in this Bible class, the student should increasingly exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Uses the Bible properly as the primary source of spiritual insight and knowledge.
1.1	Owns his own personal copy of the Bible, which he reads, marks, and underlines in a useful manner.
1.2	Locates the various books of the Bible with due ease.
1.3	Discerns the central meaning of the passage under study.
1.4	Identifies what a specific passage reveals to him person-ally about God and His will.
1.5	Makes wisely discriminating use of a variety of Bible versions.
1.6	Evaluates the meaning of Scripture with a decided depen-dence upon the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding.
2.	Uses the writings of Ellen White in a proper manner.
2.1	Affirms their inspiration, and explains what that means.
2.2	Identifies these writings as expansions upon the themes
SOME
ALTERNATIVES IN LEARNING
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES RELATED TO SKILLS
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and events of the Bible, rather that contradictions or addi-tions to the themes.
2.3	Researches her comments in their larger context.
3.	Appreciates the priority role of the higher thought processes in the learning experience. These processes include comparing, summarizing, interpreting, decision making, forming value judg-ments, and others. ^
3.1	Identifies the expectations of each kind of thought pro-cess.
3.2	Employs the lower thought processes (such as rote recall) in the service of the higher ones.
3.3	Engages with facility in using the higher thought pro-cesses during class and small-group discussions.
3.4	Chooses the higher thought processes rather than the lower ones when originating study approaches on his own.
4.	Applies the learned insights into his own life.
4.1	Generalizes facts and principles into personal, present-day situations.
4.2	Assumes personal accountability for accomplishing useful change.
4.3	Restates the truths and concepts learned into his own language.
4.4	Seeks understanding for his own sake, rather than for for the sake of extrinsic rewards.
5.	Interacts with his peers in a productive, vulnerable manner.
5.1	Shares spiritual insights with freedom and openness.
5.2	Cooperates with others in accomplishing a group task.
5.3	Disagrees (when necessary) in an agreeable manner.
5.4	Accepts some responsibility for the spiritual well-being of his peer group.
5.5	Refrains from applying negative peer pressure on others.
^For a more complete listing of the thought processes and a full description of each, see Louis E. Raths, et. al, Teaching for Thinking: Theory and Applica-tion, Columbus, Ohio: Chas. E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1967; and Raths, et.al, Values and Teaching, Columbus, Ohio, Chas. E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1966.
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How can we design a learning methodology which will encour-age accomplishing these goals? Let us begin with this paragraph from Ellen White:
"Teachers should lead students to think, and clearly to understand the truth for themselves. It is not enough for the teacher to explain or for the student to believe; inquiry must be awakened, and the student must be drawn out to state the truth in his own lan-guage, thus making it evident that he sees its force and makes the application. By painstaking effort the vital truths should thus be impressed upon the mind.
This may be a slow process; but it is of more value than rushing over important subjects without due con-sideration." ^Testimoniesי Vol. 6, p. 154.
This paragraph is worth a phrase-by-phrase examination.
1,	״Teachers should lead students to think ...	11 This
describes a classroom in which the teacher adventures with
the students into the thinking process. Instead of just tell-ing the students that they must think, he joins them in think-ing deeply and accurately about the meaning and application of the Bible texts. He poses himself as a learner, and—with disciplined reserve—avoids stepping in and doing the thinking for the students. By his own example he helps them develop their abilities to think for themselves.
The teacher who truly leads students to think challenges them to develop their higher mental powers. He places a high prem-ium on the processes of analyzing, comparing, problem solving, interpreting, imagining, classifying,and summarizing. He does not neglect the proper role of memorization, repetition*and drill, for true thinking provides a meaningful context for dealing with facts. But the facts, rather than being an end in themselves, are used in the process of serving the higher mental processes. Indeed, thinking in its higher forms actual-ly becomes a means of acquiring facts. But the facts are subservient to the higher processes.
2,	". . . and clearly to understand the truth for themselves.11 The only means by which a student can fully understand a
truth for himself is to have discovered it by himself by applying his own thought processes to the revealed Word. He must hold an insight or statment to be truth, not because the teacher or the textbook have decreed it to be truth, but because he sees for himself its basis in Scripture. Can we safely ask our maturing students to establish their framework of truths in any other way?
Are there not dangers, however, in encouraging young minds to think for themselves? Could not this emphasis engender an attitude of disregard for the findings of experienced people, or a disrespect for authority, or an inflated estimate of onefs
ELLEN WHITE ON LEARNING METHODS
TEACH THEM TO THINK
HOW TO DISCERN TRUTH
10
own opinion? When properly understood, Ellen White is here describing a learning concept which can only enhance one’s regard for authority—but it is an authority vested in the Bible. She urges the student to be dependent upon the su-preme authority of God's Word. When human and divine authority are in agreement, there is no conflict. But when they dis-agree, the student must disregard human authority. The issue here is that the student must begin to shoulder the respon-sibility of deciding for himself whether truth is based on Scripture or is solely of human devising.
STUDENTS MUST ASK 3■ "It is not enough for the teacher to explain or for the
THE QUESTIONS	student to believe; inquiry must be awakened . . . " This
affirms again that telling the students the truth is quite inadequate, even if the teacher is a gifted speaker and the presentation is done with great enthusiasm. Nor is it enough for the students to "believe" in the sense in which one might say, ״Teacher, I believe that you are right."
Rather the classroom must be vibrant with the questions the students are asking. The answer is of very little value unless the the students are asking the question. When in-quiry is awakened within the student, then he is committed to finding the truth for himself. This commitment motivates the learning processes described in J and 2 above. Students will likely continue to ask questions in a classroom where inquisitiveness is honored and appreciated and where students are provided with encouragement and methods for finding ans-wers. When the student's role is strictly passive (listen-ing and believing), inquiry can seldom come alive. In these sentences Ellen White has predated by many decades what is thought by some to be a contemporary educational innovation: ״Learning is discovery!"
AND PHRASE THEIR	". . . and the student must be drawn out to state the
OWN ANSWERS	truth in his own language . . ." Does a student ever
really have a truth for his own until he can state it for himself in terms of his own experience and in words which he fully understands? For example, one could state this great truth: "Justification is made available by the pro-pitiation manifest in the incarnate deity.11 A student could repeat this with confidence, even from memory. But does he know what it means? And how will either the teacher or the student know whether he knows what it means until the stu-dent has the chance to express it entirely in words of his own choosing?
This means that, when evaluating work, the teacher must look for signs of evident insight rather than for the accepted phrases or theological words. It means that text-book and teacher together must guardedly refrain from stat-ing the doctrinal truths for the students, lest they grab hold of these statements as the only accepted wording and mimic them without personal insight. It is the truths them-selves which are eternal, not necessarily the exact wording.
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It is better for a student to phrase a less-than-complete statement of a truth in halting and imperfect grammer than to mimic a polished paragraph void of personal under-standing. Even though the students’ productions at this level show little sign of uniformity and a maturity seldom exceeding their years, this is actually a most essential part of the study sequence. For it is at this point that the student is most significantly forming his own beliefs.
MAKE APPLICATION 5·	"· « * thus making it evident that he sees its force,
TO LIFE OF STUDENT and makes the application.11 This final goal of making
the application is frequently the most neglected phase of Bible teaching. Yet it can be the most immediately impor-tant to the student. The goals of our teaching must include this final step, even though teacher and text may actually have very little to say about the exact nature of the appli-cation. The way in which a Bible truth enhances or alters one’s personal life is a highly individualistic experience.
It can seldom be accurately evaluated by a teacher. Further-more, in many cases the student should be free to let the application remain a private matter, sharing it with teacher and classmates only at his own discretion.
A SUMMARY DIAGRAM From the students’ point of view, the teaching methodology
which flows from the above paragraphs may be expressed by the following diagram:
5
Students make relevant applications to their own lives.
4
Students state truths in their own words.
3
Students think about data; seek meaning, understanding.
Applications
> CONCLUSIONS-------^ to students’
own lives.
Analyze Interpret Compare -Imagine Evaluate

2
Students ask questions, go to the Bible and EGW to do research, find insights·
1
Textbook, teacher seek to awaken inquiry in the students.
?
5
4
3
The Holy Spirit’s Role;
1 2
Hakes truth personal, applies to the heart;
1 Cor 2:10;
AA 49,50.
5
He decides he , needs to spend more time get-ting to know God better.
Leads into all truth; John 14:26; 16:13;
MYP 259.
He concludes: ”Faith is a c trusting friend-ship with God."
Gives divine wisdom to the open, willing mind; James 1:5,
2	Tim. 2:7 5T 241.
3
He thinks about several possible meanings; shares, discusses ideas.
Provides insight into the mean-ing of Scripture; 1 Cor. 2:12,13;
SC 110-113.
2
He reads Heb 11:1, Rom. 10:17, and several EGW quotes
Stimulates the desire to know God and come to Him; John 6:44; COL 96,97.
Example:
1
The student won-ders, ״What is faith?"
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In keeping with the tenets of our learning methodology, the students1 textbook is not in itself the repository of truth. The student will not learn to look to his textbook as the source of God’s revealed truths. His textbook is but a tool, or a guide, to lead him in an inquisitive manner to the real primary sources—the Bible and the writings of Ellen White. Students will be full participants in a first-hand search within the covers of their own Bibles. Verses from the Bible are very seldom quoted in the student’s text, for it is clearly expected that he will own a copy for himself and look up the references. Thus he becomes increasingly familiar with the Book, probably developing a lifelong friendship. And since his Bible is to become a lifelong learning tool, he should be encouraged to treat it as such.
He should feel entirely free to make any kinds of marks or comments he chooses: underlining, cross-references, explan-atory notes,and color coding. Remember that the long-range goal is to understand the Bible, not merely to memorize it or keep it clean and unmarked.
The use of Ellen White’s voluminous writings poses this per-plexing problem: It would be the ultimate ideal if each stu-dent owned his own complete library of her works and could look up the references in his own copy as he does with his Bible. The sheer cost and size of such a library makes this virtually impossible. The next most ideal arrangement would involve a very complete classroom library of her books. Yet, unless the classroom has one copy of each book for every three of four students, this would be a hopeless bottleneck in the study sequence. Another alternative would be to limit Ellen White quotations to perhaps four or five books which the students could then afford to purchase and use. But the themes to be studied simply could not be confined to several arbitrarily selected titles. So we have had to settle for a less-than-ideal compromise. Quotations are taken from the full range of her written works and brought together in the student’s textbook. The references for each unit are printed on the yellow-edged pages immediately following that unit.
The student, then, looks up the specific quotation, each in his own copy, reads it in its entirety and extracts its meaning.
The methods of evaluation used in the Bible classes must be an outgrowth of the learning methodology and subordinate to it. The learning method must not be dictated by the evaluation method. We must begin with a conviction about the kind of thinking and learning we most highly prize.
Then we must seek for an ever more appropriate method of evaluation which allows and encourages that kind of learning. It is an observable fact that the kind of thinking and learn-ing students do is highly influenced by the method of evalu-ation which is being used.
For an extensive discussion of the evaluation method suggested
PRIMARY SOURCES: BIBLE AND WRITINGS OF ELLEN WHITE
ARRANGEMENT OF ELLEN WHITE QUOTATIONS
EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING
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for use with these learning materials, see Appendix B at the end of this Teacher’s Guide. Examine it carefully; then discuss how it might be employed—all or in part—within the framework of reporting in effect in your union.
ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDENT'S LESSONS
This opening portion, of varying length, contains a short story, illustration, parable, or series of questions. Its purpose is to stimulate the student’s interest in the issues in the lesson and to suggest the approach that will be taken.
With inquiry awakened, the student turns to the primary sources and searches for meaning, trends, insights,and under-standings. Guided by a series of questions, the student searches to find out just what the inspired sources say on the issues at hand. He employs a wide range of thinking processes and has several occasions to make some preliminary conclusions.
This part of the lessons carries the study into related areas, but most specifically into the student’s own life. Drawing on the findings in FROM THE WORD, it seeks to make them life-related. It is often very personal, always very flex-
ible---giving the teacher great freedom for choices of approach.
But more on that later.
The students have stated some preliminary conclusions in FROM THE WORD; but as they continue to study and share, it is expected that these insights will expand, clarify, and deepen.
In TO SHARE the student turns his concerns outward. He seeks to bring together all he has learned from his personal study, small-group sharing, class discussions, and teacher comments. Then he considers how he might best state these truths in a way that would be helpful to others. In response to several imagined questions which could be asked him by an inquiring friend, the student seeks to crystalize his ideas, stating them in words of his own choosing.
There are no places in the lessons where a student can "peek ahead” and find out just what he is expected to say or believe. As stated previously, the textbook avoids stepping in and dogmatically telling the student what he is supposed to have discovered. The individual search must not be by-passed by handing the student the answers for which he is searching.
To do so would create a dependency upon the textbook as the source of truth.
There is, however, a valid need for the student frequently to ”check out” or compare his findings with the thinking of the rest of the church. He needs the reassurance that his
INTRODUCTORY
NARRATIVE
FROM THE WORD
INTO MY LIFE
TO SHARE
AT THE END OF UNIT,
REVIEW
14
findings are not taking him far adrift. Sometimes an idea he has discovered needs to become more complete or even modified at some critical point. He needs the joy of dis-covering that—under the leadership of the Holy Spirit— Christians can come into a unity of understanding, that there truly is a ',unity inherent in our faith and our knowledge of the Son of God." Eph. 4:13, NEB. Yet this comparing of findings must come after the student has indivi-dually searched out his own positions.
For these reasons, at the end of each unit of study each student receives several pink-edged REVIEW pages. These contain a brief review of each lesson, phrasing in a para-graph or two the central concepts to be discovered in that lesson. After studying them carefully (as explained later), the student snaps them into his binder as part of his per-manent book.
THE BINDER FORMAT Into His Likeness is published in a loose-leaf, 3-ring binder
format for several reasons, some of which are listed below.
1.	The teacher can control the timing of distribution of the various lesson parts. As with the REVIEW mentioned above, the teacher retains these pink-edged sheets until after the students have studied the lessons for themselves. This prevents "peeking ahead."
2.	The student will frequently hand in portions of each lesson for teacher evaluation. The binder allows him to remove these pages without having to tear them out. And after the teacher has evaluated these pages, they can be returned to the binder as a part of the permanent book.
3.	The student will frequently engage in study activities that involve writing or drawing on extra sheets of blank paper. The binder allows him to add these to his other study materials.
4.	Teacher hand outs (quizzes, resource material, songs, illustrations), if prepared on 8% x 11, 3-hole paper, can also become part of the textbook.
5.	As the class is ready to begin each consecutive unit of study, the teacher distributes to the students the lessons for that unit. In this way each unit has an element of newness, of surprise and interest. The students won't have already been carrying it around and thumbing through it for many months.
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USING ״INTO HIS LIKENESS״ IN THE CLASSROOM
TEACHER1S PERSONAL Of all the variables which will affect the spiritual quality PREPARATION	of the Bible class, perhaps the most significant is the per-
sonal preparation the teacher will make each day. This refers not so much to the previewing of the lesson as to the time the teacher will spend on his knees seeking a rich fellowship with a personal God. If under the pressures of a teaching load it seems that some things must be neglected, certainly the teacher’s personal devotional life must not suffer this neglect. In almost every case the students will be able to tell whether the teacher has spent time with his Master that day. To fail in this is a much more serious loss than to fail to have all the pencils sharpened and the colored paper set out.
״Every Christian teacher should have an intelligent understanding of what Christ is to him individually.
He should know how to make the Lord his strength and efficiency, how to commit the keeping of his soul to God as unto a faithful Creator. From Christ proceeds all the knowledge essential to enable teachers to be workers together with God—knowledge which opens to them the widest fields of usefulness. . . . Teachers, let your boasting be in God, not in science, not in foreign languages or in anything else that is merely human. Let it be your highest ambition to practice Christianity in your lives. . . .
״Unless the teacher realizes the need of prayer and humbles his heart before God, he will lose the very essence of education. 1'-Counsels to Teachers, pp. 230, 231.
THE HOLY SPIRIT	The greatest of Christian teachers are those who make room
IN THE CLASSROOM	for the action of the Holy Spirit in their classrooms and
recognize His power in the lives of their students.
״Let me tell you what I know of this heavenly Guest.
The Holy Spirit was brooding over the youth during the school hours; but some hearts were so cold and dark that they had no desire for the Spirit’s presence, and the light of God was withdrawn. The heavenly Visitant would have opened the understanding, would have given wisdom and knowledge in all lines of study that could be employed to the glory of God. He came to convince of sin and to soften the hearts hardened by long estrangement from God. He came to reveal the great love wherewith God has loved these youth."
—Counsels to Teachers, page 364.
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There is much that a teacher can do either to hinder or to help the work of the Holy Spirit in the classroom. You might well examine the section in Counsels to Teachers entitled ״The Holy Spirit in Our Schools,11 pages 357-376·
1.	Before the class begins for the year, open the student packets. If you have a large number of students, you may wish to divide up the materials into stacks by units. You will notice that each unit contains the white lesson pages, the yellow-edged Ellen White references pages, and the pink-edged review pages. This provides a quick visual way of finding where the unit ends—right after the pink pages.
(If you break the stacks just before the pink pages, you can hold the Review until the unit is completed, and you can dis-tribute it with the next unit. More on that later.)
2.	As you are ready to begin unit I (and in the same manner, each succeeding unit), distribute to each student the white and yellow pages for that unit. He will snap these into his binder.
3.	The introductory pages to the book and to each unit are essential reading and must not be seen as optional. Study them carefully with the students, giving ample time for questions and clarification.
4.	Each lesson begins with an opening narrative of some kind.
At your discretion either the students may read this silent-ly, or you or a student may read it aloud to the class. Give time for questions or some other items to spark interest.
Then go right into FROM THE WORD.
5.	FROM THE WORD is meant to be studied individually in class with each student using his own Bible. (Occasionally, for the sake of variety, you may wish to direct partner or small-group study on this.) It is not recommended that students do this part as homework! The presence of a teacher during this phase of the study is highly desirable, and your role is most critical.
As the students work through FROM THE WORD,you should be available for individual help—clarifying questions, suggesting differ-ent approaches, prodding some to dig more deeply, others to move more rapidly. If you find it helpful, refer to the "Suggested Answers'1 section of the Teacher’s Guide for that lesson.
Resist the urge to step in and tell the students the answers.
They must experience for themselves that disciplined, delight-ful agony of genuine struggle. They are learning far more than answers; they are learning a method for finding answers.
The first several lessons may fail altogether to produce polished answers and may seem unrewarding. Yet to step in quickly and give the students the answers would preclude their learning a method for themselves. It will likely result in
PRESCHOOL
ORGANIZATION
IN-THE-CLAS SROOM PATTERN OF USE
THE TEACHER'S ROLE
17
their becoming dependent upon the teacher to do their think-ing for them. Be willing to take time, especially in the earlier lessons, to discuss the method. It may be several weeks before a pattern of study emerges for some students; meanwhile, be flexible.
Work closely with the students as they explore. Be on the alert for the shallow, cliche-type answer. Watch for the one who merely copies a few key words from the Bible or the writings of Ellen White without obvious insight into their meaning. Encourage thorough, thoughtful answers. Point out that there is freedom for variety in the way they express their findings—that they should write what is meaningful to them rather than trying to preguess what the teacher or the textbook want them to write. Refer them to the section in their introductory materials, ״Right and Wrong Answers" on page 8. We must trust the promises that the Holy Spirit will lead to truth, to unity of belief, to personal understanding.
To impose any of these upon a student from a position of authority is to manifest distrust in the promises of Jesus.
6.	INTO MY LIFE is a very flexible activity section. Each activ-ity is preceeded by one or more symbols, denoting whether that activity is best suited for use with an individual student, a small group, or with the entire class. When several symbols pre-ceed the activity, then that activity can be used in several for-mats, with only minor adaptations. NOTE: IT IS NOT INTENDED THAT ALL THESE ACTIVITIES WITHIN A GIVEN LESSON SHOULD BE COMPLETED.
Rather the teacher has great freedom to select from the list and use those activities which best meet the current needs of the class. In making the selections, the teacher will consider such factors as class mood, interest level, readiness, time available, and the need for variety of approach. Selecting different approaches from one lesson to the next will lessen the risk of monotony.
The use of the activities in this section could follow any of several patterns:
A.	Begin with individual study; then form small groups as the students complete their individual work.
B.	Use the small group as an occasion for the students to share what they have discovered or expressed in their individual study.
C.	Use the results of individual or small-group study as the basis for reports to the entire class.
D.	Encourage the students to select their own activities from the list. For example: "Select any three activities on the list."
By small group this book refers to a group of from four to seven students. Experience suggests that groups of more than seven tend to encourage uninvolved "riders" who might become
USE OF INTO MY LIFE
MEANING OF SMALL GROUP
18
quite passive and seldom participate. On the other hand, groups of less than four or five often become too intense, causing some to "tighten up’1 and not participate.
THE As a learning environment, the small group has several excel-lent factors in its favor:
A.	Ideas and concepts shared openly among a close group of peers have greater power to change one’s life than just the ideas or concepts by themselves. Ellen White observed:
"What is the object of assembling together? ... We meet together to edify one another by an interchange of thoughts and feelings, to gather strength, and light, and courage by becoming acquainted with one another’s hopes and aspirations; and by our earnest, heartfelt prayers, offered up in faith, we receive refreshment and vigor from the Source of our strength.’— Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 578.
B.	It allows students to begin exercising leadership capabilities in small ways.
C.	Since the groups are of such a size that each person’s contribution is valued, it encourages involvement with the ideas under discussion.
D.	It brings together a helpful mixing of readiness levels, uniting the slow learner and the rapid learner in a common task.
E.	There is a sense of team effort, of working together with peers toward a common goal. Few things are more power-ful in creating closeness and unity than a task-oriented group of youth, sharing toward a spiritual goal.
This textbook strongly urges a sufficiently mobile and flex-ible classroom style to allow for frequent small-group activi-ties. This will lend a very human dimension to the study of Bible. For a more thorough treatment of small-group dynamics see Appendix C at the end of this Teacher’s Guide.
Because of the great variety of approaches that can be taken in INTO MY LIFE, it has not appeared advisable to provide blank spaces in the student’s textbooks for writing the find-ings of each activity. This would greatly increase the bulk and cost of the book. However, it is strongly suggested that the students discipline themselves to write down their find-ings as they study and discuss. It should become a habit to pause at the end of a class discussion, or small-group pro-ject, and write down conclusions or observations. All of these activities should be conclusion oriented. Students and teachers should learn to end each activity with questions, such as, "What important things have we learned from this?"
ADVANTAGES OF SMALL GROUP
WRITING DOWN THE RESULTS
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Where shall a student write his findings? The teacher should keep on hand in the classroom a generous stack of 8% x 11,
3־hole punched paper· Since this paper is compatible with the binder format, the students will find many ways to use it with their Bible class·
USING TO SHARE 7. TO SHARE is a short, yet very essential, part of each
lesson· The previous parts of the lesson have broadened the students1 exposure to related ideas and have taken them in diverse directions· There is a risk that some might feel, "I’ve covered a lot of ground in this lesson, but I don’t know what I’ve learned·" To avoid this feeling and to en-courage precise, complete thinking processes, each lesson concludes with several questions which ask for a summary of findings. This section of the lesson is designed to empha-size the truth that all the wisdom and encouragement which we gain from the Bible has been entrusted to us TO SHARE with others· In this part of the lesson, the students deal with questions similar to those which might be asked by others·
Provide ten or fifteen minutes for this exercise, adjusting the time as needed· The students should work individually on this, as their answers should reflect the position and depth of their own thinking.
The TO SHARE page provides a handy means of evaluating what a student has learned in the lesson. For this reason, a space has been provided for the student to write his name at the top of the page so that he can hand it in for teacher evaluation if the teacher so requests.
USING THE REVIEW 8. When the students have completed the last lesson in each
unit, distribute the pink-edged REVIEW sheets for that unit·
The students will clip these into their binders. Then spend as much time as the need indicates, having the students read the REVIEW for each lesson, comparing it with what they have written on their own. The most direct comparison can probably be made by having the students read their TO SHARE in con-junction with the REVIEW. Encourage students to add comments in the margins of their books, as necessary, to round out their understanding of the topics.
The students should not see their study as a game of preguessing the REVIEW sheet. Nor should the REVIEW be seen as an authori-tative rejection of all which does not agree with its wording.
If the student has missed the point widely, or is shallow in his concepts, the REVIEW is one more occasion to instruct, to complete understanding. It will also give the student some measure of feedback as to how his thinking compares with that of more experienced students of the Word.
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OTHER RELATED MATTERS
BIBLE VERSIONS [Read this in connection with the material on pp. 3-7 in the
s tudentsי textbook.]
With the variety of Bible versions on the market today there is an immediate question as to which version is to be used by the students involved in the study of Into His Likeness·
The position taken by this book is that the students should not be limited to any one version but that they should be free to make discriminating usage of a variety of versions.
This position is based on the following convictions:
A.	No essential truth, doctrine, or teaching of the church should depend for its validity upon the reading of one par-ticular version. If a truth cannot be as readily established from any of a number of versions, then that truth may need more study.
B.	Students ought to become acquainted with the benefits of cross-comparing a verse from among several versions, noting how they each lend a slightly different wording or emphasis. This will teach them a valuable study technique. It will also point out the fact that the original languages frequently allow for a variety of ways to translate one phrase or sentence in the original. This kind of comparing should also stimulate some interest in the class as the students hear the different renderings of the text in study.
C.	The great majority of Bible versions on the market today are the honest products of reputable scholars, seeking with integrity to reflect accurately the intended meanings of the original manuscripts.* Any attempt to influence a truth by the mistranslation of a passage would be readily detected by the scholarly community, and such attempts are thus quite rare.
D.	A wide variety of Bible versions is a fact of life for the contemporary Christian. There is no value in pre-tending that there is only one. Far better to learn to live with the variety—to learn to make comparisons, evalu-ations and selections.
With these thoughts in mind, the teacher should encourage the students to select from a variety of versions. Perhaps one of the early class periods of the year could be spent in exam-
*One exception to this pattern would be the freely paraphrased versions, such as The Living Bible, Paraphrased, by Kenneth Taylor. This version has a very sketchy reliance on the original languages and actually makes no claims to be a translation. As such, it should be used with great caution.
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ining and comparing versions so that the students who need to purchase a copy may do so immediately and not be handi-capped. Remember that the students will need both the Old and the New Testaments and should purchase a complete Bible.
Your local Adventist Book Center or Christian book store should be able to help you set up a display of representa-tive versions, and may even offer quantity prices to the students.
SURVEY OF SEVERAL King James Version (KJV) The favorite classic, with many VERSIONS	familiar passages and sounds. Reasonably accurate. Due to
350 years of constant linguistic change, it is sometimes obscure and cumbersome. This can be a barrier to understand-ing for the young mind.
Revised Standard Version (RSV) A revision of the KJV, thus close to it in style and sound, yet using modern wordings and sentence constructions. Natural paragraph divisions.
Highly respected and scholarly work. Available in many formats.
New English Bible (NEB) An entirely fresh translation, from the best available original-language manuscripts. Carefully loyal to original languages. Natural paragraph divisions. Slightly British in flavor, but most pleasant reading.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) A revision of the 1902 American Standard Version, but without the ASV’s rigid word-for-word characteristics. As with the KJV, each verse begins a new paragraph. Designed for American readers. Excellent marginal notes on alternate readings.
Berkeley Version (also known as the Modern Language Bible)
An interesting and well-received version, both scholarly and readable. The frequent footnotes are very interesting.
The Living Bible, Paraphrased (LB) The work of Kenneth Taylor, this is a most unique Bible, with marked strengths and weaknesses. It is probably the most potent version on the market in terms of its ability to make the Bible "come alive" with interest, clarity and insight. It is excellent reading! Yet, being a thoroughgoing paraphrase, it often takes liberties weighted more toward clarity than accuracy. It is particularly vul-nerable to the criticism of interpreter's bias where Paul deals with the law, and with references to the state of the dead in the Old Testament. (See footnote on Eccl. 9:5, for example.)
This is a version to be used with care, but not to be ignored.
It is good for devotional reading, but hardly the one to use for careful, doctrinal study. No student should rely solely on this version.
TODAY׳S ENGLISH VERSION (TEV) This is one of the most widely
22
accepted versions on the market. Printed mostly in paper-back covers, and using an uncomplicated vocabulary, free from all theological jargon, it has sold in the millions.
Yet it is remarkably accurate, and based on a very fine Greek text. It incorporates very thoughtful line drawings to illustrate some of the passages.
As explained in an earlier paragraph, the quotations necessary for each lesson are quoted in the student’s textbook. There will be times, however, when further independent research on a given topic will be in order. It is ideal, then, for the classroom to have as complete a library as budget will allow. If obtaining a complete set of her writings is not immediately feasible, you may wish to follow this purchasing sequence, based on the frequency of need:
FIRST PRIORITY:
Comprehensive Index to the Writing of Ellen G. White (Vols. 1-3;
״Conflict of the Ages Series"
Patriarchs and Prophets Prophets and Kings The Desire of Ages The Acts of the Apostles The Great Controversy Testimonies for the Church (Vols. 1-9)
Steps to Christ (Several copies)
Christ's Object Lessons
SDA Bible Commentary (Vol. 7A)
Selected Messages (Bks. I, 2)
Education
SECOND PRIORITY
The Adventist Home The Ministry of Healing Evangelism Early Writings Testimonies to Ministers
THIRD PRIORITY
The remaining volumes
True education does not consist in the mere gathering and remembering of facts. As was emphasized on page 10, education involves the development of the higher mental powers. Such a view of education does not place one in opposition to the use of memory work and rote memorization drill. Rather it requires that they be cast in a certain role—one of service to the higher mental powers
Consider these thoughtful paragraphs by Ellen White:
ELLEN WHITE’S BOOKS
MEMORY WORK
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"For ages education has had to do chiefly with the memory. This faculty has been taxed to the utmost, while the other mental powers have not been corres-pondingly developed. Students have spent their time in laboriously crowding the mind with knowledge, very little of which could be utilized. The mind thus burdened with that which it cannot digest and assimilate is weakened; it becomes incapable of vigorous, self-reliant effort, and is content to depend on the judgment and perception of others. . . .
״The education that consists in the training of the memory, tending to discourage independent thought, has a moral bearing which is too little appreciated.
As the student sacrifices the power to reason anct^ judge for himself, he becomes incapable of discrimi-nating between truth and error, and falls an easy prey to deception. He is easily led to follow tra-dition and custom."—Education, p. 230.
In teaching the lessons in this book, we should carefully avoid any memory work which is an end in itself. We should endeavor to meet at least these criteria in any assignments involving memory work:
A.	Bible texts or Ellen White quotations to be memor-ized must first be thoroughly understood, both as to their original meaning and as to their application to the student1s life.
B.	Any data to be memorized must clearly be able to serve the higher mental processes. The student must see how the memorization of certain facts will help him make more accurate value judgments and decisions. Whenever feasible, when the student is asked to recall the data, it should be in connection with the use and application of the higher powers.
C.	It would be unfortunate if the students were put in a position of competing for rewards (grades, points, etc.) on the basis of the quantity of memory work one is able to absorb.
״The offering of rewards will create rivalry, envy, and jealousy; and some who are the most diligent and worthy will receive little credit. Scholars should not try to see how many verses they can learn or repeat; for this brings too great a strain upon the ambitious child, while the rest become discouraged."—Counsels on Sab-bath School Work, p. 182.
The emphasis must always be on the quality of insight, under-standing and personal application, even though these are factors which are admittedly difficult to measure.
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D.	To further assure the personal relevance of the material to be memorized, the student may at times be given the opportunity to select one or more items from among several alternatives, or to select the Bible version from which to memorize a text. (In keeping with our earlier emphasis on Biblical accuracy, The Living Bible, Paraphrased, should not
be used for memory work.)
When composing quizzes or tests involving memory work, and when making the initial assignments of memory work, re-member that unless it is used in a useful way, it can actually do more damage than good.
USING THE BINDER In many cases a textbook built in a binder format may be a
new experience—for both teacher and student. Some of these hints might help in visualizing the potential of this format.
A.	Be certain that the student's name is clearly marked on the outer cover of the binder. On the plastic or vinyl binders the embossed plastic labeling tape makes a neat and durable name tag. A permanent color marking pen works best on the cloth-covered binders.
B.	As described earlier, you will want to distribute only one unit of lessons at a time. Be certain that the students snap them into their binders in the right order as soon as they are distributed.
C.	After the students have completed unit 4, you may wish to have them remove units 1 to 4 from their binders
and store them in a separate place. In this way the students will have more space in their binders for the second half of the book—units 5 to 8.
D- The students can keep almost all of their Bible-related study materials right in their binders. This would include reports and other written exercises from INTO MY LIFE, grade cards, quiz papers, and other teacher-prepared resources.
E.	The teacher may request the students to hand in
their TO SHARE pages at the end of each lesson for evaluation. The binder allows these to be removed and replaced, while still preserving them in good condition.
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USING THE TEACHER'S GUIDE
In this Teacher’s Guide the materials for each lesson are organized under these four headings:
A· Learning Objectives
B. The Lesson
C· Enrichment/Alternatives
D.	Preparations (as may be needed)
Here are some explanatory notes on each item.
A. Learning Objectives, Each lesson, as well as each unit, begins with a statement of learning objectives. Based on the format suggested by Norman E. Gronlund (see footnote number 1, page 5), these are stated first as a general ob-jective, then amplified with suggested observable behaviors. The learning objectives will frequently be reflected (in nontechnical language) in the student’s introductory nar-rative. It is suggested that the teacher take time to dis-cuss these objectives with the students at the beginning of each lesson, talking about them until it is clear that the students have some definite study goals in mind for that lesson.
B. The Lesson, This portion contains helpful notes in the same sequence as the student’s lessons. For the FROM THE WORD section, you will find ”Suggested Answers" for each question, and these should be viewed as only suggested answers. Under INTO MY LIFE you will find helpful comments of the purposes of these different activities, together with suggestions on develop-ing them in the classroom. You will also find key concepts which the students should be expressing in TO SHARE.
For many of the lessons you will notice a heading "Anticipated Questions"—if indeed one can ever anticipate the questions of youth! Certain topics, however, tend to elicit certain kinds of questions. Perhaps the comments following this heading will be of some assistance in preparing to teach the lesson and in conducting the discussions.
C. Enrichment/A11erna11ves. This section is designed as a rich, optional resource to the teacher. It will include a variety of items, of which the following is a suggested list:
Resources:	Books, maps, films and filmstrips, records,
tapes; where to find them, and what they contain.
ORGANIZATION FOR EACH LESSON
26
Illustrations:	Stories, suggestions for diagrams and
sketches on chalkboard or overhead projections, object lessons, bulletin board items, collages, devotional lead-ins for the lesson.
Projects: Things to do, make, collect; places to go, visit, study; tasks to work on; service projects.
Alternatives: Different approaches to the lesson, to use as interest or group needs may indicate.
Evaluations:	Sample quiz questions, test items; alter-
native ways of evaluating the students1 learning.
Correlation:	Ideas for building bridges from Bible to
the other areas of the curriculum (science, reading, music, homemaking > etc.)
D. Preparation. Some lessons call for the use of extra resource materials (newspapers, crayons, etc.) or need some special preparations (call in guests, arrange for trips).
In such cases, a note will appear under this heading several lessons in advance so that you can prepare accordingly.
A LETTER TO THE PARENTS
On page 28 you will find a suggested letter which you may wish to send (as it is, or with your own personal touches) to the parents of your students as you begin this year of study. The format of this book may lead the students into some new experiences, and it would be well for the parents to move into them with their students with a degree of readiness. The contents of the letter should be self-explanatory.
27
Dear Parents:
Your child is about to begin a new adventure in Bible class at school· His textbook, Into His Likeness, will lead him into a deep, personal understanding of what it means to be a Christian· He will explore the meaning of a day-by-day commitment of his entire life to the lordship of Jesus· While you may not be able to participate with the students in their classes, there is still much that you can do to help this be a satisfying adventure· May we suggest a few ways in which you can join with the teacher, the textbooks, and the students in working toward this high goal?
Your interest in what your child is learning can be a powerful force! You can demonstrate that interest by asking thoughtful questions about the class and its themes· You might be surprised if you ask him, '*What have you been learning about God?" Or, ״Did God take a risk by sending the Flood?"
Each student will need his own personal copy of the Bible, containing both the Old and New Testaments. We're anticipating that it will get lots of use this year, and that he will continue to to use it frequently throughout life; therefore it should be durable· If your student does not already own a copy of his own, you may wish to discuss with him the advantages of a version that uses up-to-date language and has large, easy-to-read print. He will be studying the various Bible versions during one of his early class periods and will be able to talk this over with you.
He will also need a 3-ring, 8% x 11 binder, with about 1%-inch rings. He will enjoy an attractive, plain binder, as his packet of materials will have a colorful decal to place on the front cover of the binder. A vinyl binder will probably wear the best and hold the decal more easily.
Personal discovery of the truths right from the Bible is a key part of this learning experience. And most of this will be taking place right in the classroom, so don't be surprised if your student seldom brings home any Bible homework. He will sometimes have projects assigned to work on at home. Be interested in his projects, but preserve the discovery for him!
During this year we may wish to offer you and your child a more complete means of evaluating his learning than just the A, B, C, D,and F system. We will explain this more in detail as the occasion requires; but please feel free to discuss this with us at any time.
How important that we help our youth guard their "input"! Solid spiritual things can seem pretty dull to the one who has been spending hours passively viewing exciting frivolity or violence. All too many Bible classes have been defeated before the students even arrive on campus. With eternal interests at stake, we are confident that you will work with us in shaping these price-less young minds after the pattern of the Master.
And finally, pray for us. Pray for your student, for his classmates. Pray for the teachers and principal. Pray for those who are having trouble under-standing the Christian life. Pray that the Holy Spirit will daily grace our classroom. And we will join with you in those prayers.
With Christian love,
NOTE TO THE TEACHER
The remaining pages of this Teacher's Guide are arranged so that they can be interleaved with the pages from the studentfs text· In the upper corner of each Guide page, on the edge closest to the binder rings, you will find the page number of the matching page in the studentfs text. When properly interleaved, each Guide page will contain the material that relates to the text page immediately opposite it in the binder. This will, at times, re-quire that a page from the Guide be left blank, in order to maintain spacing.
29
T-9
UNIT 1: THIS THING CALLED ״CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE״
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the basic terms of the plan of salvation as they relate to his own redemption.
1.1	Recognizes that, apart from the saving activity of God, he has no hope of life beyond the grave, no real victory over sin, and no chance for lasting joy in this life.
1.2	Identifies the initiative for the saving act as coming from God rather than from man.
1.3	Explains the meaning of conversion, identifying it as a complete change of goals, motives, loyalties, and affections, accomplished by the recreative power of God.
1.4	Acknowledges that a personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ is the primary focus, the foundational experience of the Christian life.
2.	Increasingly harmonizes his behavior with his commitment.
2.1	Adopts religious behaviors because of internal motivations rather than because of tradition or peer pressure.
2.2	(Assuming a commitment to Christ) engages in regular, per-sonal Bible study and prayer.
INTRODUCTION
The students should learn early in the year to view the unit introductions as necessary reading. Before discussing the introduction with the class, you may be able to enliven the interest by asking the class to indicate their response to the following questions, on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = very little interest;
5 = very much interest; class can call out numbers in unison.)
״Does it matter to you whether there will be any food around for your next meal?"
״Does it	matter	to	you	whether	you	will	have a home	to stay in tonight?"
״Does it	matter	to	you	whether	the	price of cotton in India goes down next
month?" (Other similar questions	could be	asked; then	end with next question.)
״Does it	matter	to	you	whether	you	will	be saved to	live with Christ forever?"
If it does, then this next unit is for you!
30
τ-10
LESSON 1: YOU DON'T BUILD A HOUSE BY STARTING WITH THE ROOF
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Arranges his religious interests into an appropriate priority of attention, with Jesus Christ as the highest priority.
1.1	Verbalizes an awareness of the cause-effect principle as it relates to spiritual life.
1.2	Identifies a relationship of maturing faith in Jesus as the causative power which will produce all other desired changes.
1.3	Names those activities which will accompany a desire to know Jesus, such as talking of Him, reading about Him, praying to Him, telling others about His love for them.
2.	Understands what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
2.1	Distinguishes between "knowing about Jesus" and "knowing Jesus personally."
2.2	Acknowledges that he must respond to the pleading of the Holy Spirit to enter into that personal relationship.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Many students are bewildered by the massive number of activities and con-cerns which circulate under the general heading of "Christian experience." This lesson seeks to arrange all those concerns into a meaningful system of priorities, with Jesus Christ at the very top.
The student may be better able to visualize this goal by remembering that a house is built by beginning with the foundation. This in emphasized in the title, and carried through the rest of the lesson by using Bible texts which continue the "building a house" theme.
31
τ-11
f
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ****	*****
SONGS FOR WORSHIP
' ״Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus," familiar chorus.
״I Need Thee, Precious Jesus," The Church Hymnal, No. 605.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The lesson introduction invited the students to imagine a house being built from the roof down—an obvious absurdity. Ask them to think of other things in the world around them which could also illustrate the same concept—Christ-ianity without Christ. For example: a boat without a hull; a car without an engine; a pen without ink; an electric light without electricity. In each example, the essential element needed to accomplish its task is missing. As the students generate more alternatives, they will be underscoring in their own minds the necessity of having Jesus Christ at the center of their religious experience.
32
T-12
NOTE TO TEACHER:
Review with the students the procedures for locating the quotations from the writings of Ellen White, so that when they begin work on questions 4 and 5 they will know how to look up the references·
The suggested answers for the questions in FROM THE WORD are printed below and in each succeeding lesson in italics. They should be taken as guides to the type of answer being sought, or for the general idea the student should discover. They should not be used as a rigid pattern, or answer book. The students will no doubt come up with many variations in wording and specific ideas, and this should be encouraged.
FROM THE WORD
1.	A. The Christian believers are the house.
B.	Should be built on the solid rock.
C.	Foundation should be of solid rock.
D.	Foundation of sand is not recommended.
E.	We should build on Christ Jesus.
F.	The Holy Spirit dwells in the building.
G.	The building is called God's holy temple.
2.	A. It means to build my whole life on Jesus, living my life His way,
with His power, with Him as my Master. (Personal variations will be wide on this answer.)
B. We can build on sand—meaning anything other than Christ.
C. No. As long as we are alive, we are building our "home" on one or the other of these foundations.
D.	The results of wise building will be a life in which the Holy Spirit is present—a life that can endure tests by the power of Jesus, a life that will last forever.
3.	"For me to have eternal life would mean for me to become personally acquainted with God—as He really is—and with Jesus Christ, whom God sent so that we could know Him."
4.	A. We could know about God just by listening to other people tell about Him.
B.	In order to know God personally, we must spend time ourselves seek-ing to know Him. We must want to know Himf then spend time reading about Him and talking with Him personally.
C.	Not much. Possessing a body of facts. Reacting with fear, guilt, or perhaps legalism.
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2 — T . G .
T-13
FROM THE WORD
4.	D. Knowing God personally can result in a totally changed life that
will live forever!
E.	Knowing God personally. That’s the only kind of knowing that will make any difference in our lives.
F.	When Jesus is a very important, very real part of our conversation, and when we have a deep hunger to know Him better, then we can know that we know Him personally.
5.	When a person tries to be religious without knowing Jesus personally, it will produce a very disappointing experience. It will be boring, unhappy, and powerless to change one’s life. It won’t really work, and Satan will finally end up in control.
INTO MY LIFE
The teacher should exercise a great deal of freedom in this portion of the lesson. You may simply assign the exercises which you have decided will be of most value to the class at this time. Or you may engage the students in deciding which exercises they would prefer doing. In either case it is not necessary to do all, or even most, of these exercises. You will want to vary the format from one lesson to another for the sake of maintaining interest.
The students should be encouraged to keep a written record of their findings in this section, whenever the activity lends itself to this. Their reports can be kept in their binders at the end of the lesson.
The words placed in brackets at the beginning of each Teacher’s Guide entry below indicate the primary thinking processes which are emphasized in that activ-ity. This is provided both as an aid when selecting the activity and as a guide when helping the students approach the assignments.
1.	[SENSING PERSONAL NEED; APPLICATION TO LIFE] The student first finds Bible evidence for the fact that Jesus meets personal needs. Then he is in-vited to indicate which of these personal needs might be present in his own life. If the student knows that he can preserve privacy of response on this second part, he may be more free to answer candidly.
A.	Jesus has come to give us an abundant life!
B.	Jesus loves us with a love that will never let us down.
C. Jesus recreates us—when we are willing—into a wholly different kind of person.
D.	When we are in Jesus, we have eternal life.
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T-14
INTO MY LIFE
E.	Jesus Christ gives us His victories.
F.	When our lives have been given to Jesus, we are not condemned.
G. Jtfhen we want to come to God, we do it by coming to Jesus·
H· Jesus teaches us how truly to love other people, and He gives us the power to do it.
I· Jesus Christ will enable us to conquer in all kinds of trials.
J.	Jesus will set us free from the control of sin.
Provide time for the students to respond as indicated at the conclusion of this exercise. Suggest that they might write their response in the form of a letter or written prayer to Jesus. Let them know that their response need not be shared with others unless they choose to share it on their own.
2.	[VALUE RANKING] From a list of things which all have some value, can the student identify those which are of most worth? The careful student will probably mark ,*getting to know Christ personally״ as the highest priority.
The ranking order after that will probably vary a great deal among the class members, depending on many factors, and this will generate a good deal of useful discussion. Encourage students to defend the choices they have made, and yet feel free to change their rankings if they are persuaded to do so.
3.	[FURTHER RESEARCH; EXPANDED DEFINITIONS] An interesting insight into the nature and work of Christ can be gained by noticing the titles, or appellations, which Ellen White gives to Him. This exercise will expand the student1s understanding of Ellen White*s writing style, and sharpen his ability to do Index research. Be sure to provide opportunity for sharing and comparing among those who follow this activity.
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	[IMAGINATION; PERSONAL APPLICATION] Revelation 3:20 can be a very vivid passage when one allows himself to visualize the actual events described.
This exercise invites the student to become emotionally involved in Christ’s personal request to enter one’s heart. Encourage sharing among the students after they have written their imagined responses.
5.	[APPLYING PRINCIPLES] When it comes to the daily matters of life, what does it mean to "seek Jesus first "? Several illustrations of this principle in action are printed in the text; then the students are challenged to draw from their own experiences for more examples. You may wish to share from your own life as well.
In brief, the principle might be explained as follows. When one is con-fronted with a need or a problem, he does not focus his attention on the problem. Rather he continues to keep his attention fixed on Jesus, and he trusts Jesus to handle the problem. When we turn to give our first attention to our problems, we must face them alone. But when we give our first atten-tion to Jesus and His righteousness, then He makes Himself accountable for our success in handling our problems.
Since this is such an important principle in the Christian life, and since it is so contrary to most of our human ways of dealing with problems, it would be wise to take ample time to discuss this principle with the class.
6.	[DISCUSSION; SEARCHING FOR DEEPER MEANINGS]
A.	Students may here verbalize some of their own earlier frustrations with "religion" before they met Christ. This should be guided, though gently encouraged, as many youth who are even now frustrated with their religious experience might come to discover the reason why they are.
B.	By imagining why other youth might accept or reject Christ’s invi-tation, the students might well clarify some of their own reasons for accepting or rejecting Christ’s invitation. Encourage the students to be honest and complete in this exercise, as it can come very close to their hearts.
7.	[MEDITATION] "Meditation upon heavenly things is profitable, and will ever be accompanied with the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit."— Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 317.
When students can learn at an early age to enjoy the moments of quiet thought upon heavenly themes, thay will be greatly benefited. Some stu-dents may be a while in mastering the discipline; but do all that is pos-sible to maintain the appropriate atmosphere in the classroom. There will be other occasions during the year when students will be invited to enter into the art of meditation on the things of God.
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********* ENRICHMENT/alternatives ********** ILLUSTRATION
There may be times when the religious training of a young person may seem to be producing very few of the desired results· In keeping with the analogy of building a house, this illustration can encourage a teacher struggling under such unpromising circumstances:
Teaching a young person about Christ and the Christian life may be compared to an electrician who is wiring a new house under construction. For many days he pulls wires, puts in metal junction boxes, attaches switches, places sockets, and even screws in light bulbs. But for all his efforts, there are no visible results. The plug-ins are useless, the switches are dead, even the doorbell is silent. Then one day a man comes out from the power company and hooks up the house to the main line and suddenly every wire, every socket, every plug is flowing with new energy. And all the electrician’s work takes on its full meaning.
STUDENT LOG
Some of your more mature students could be shown the value of keeping a per-sonal log, or journal, of their discoveries during the coming year of study. Explain that this idea is quite different from a diary which focuses mostly on events and feelings. A spiritual log, by contrast, would focus on person-al spiritual discoveries and decisions that one makes on his religious pil-grimage. It would encourage a student to clarify his thinking and to contem-plate his life in Christ for reasons other than those related to academic performance. The student makes an entry in his log whenever some discovery seems of special importance to him. He may make it in the form of a prayer to God, or just a statement of his thoughts.
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TO SHARE
In order to encourage the students to think toward telling others of the wonderful truths of the Bible, this final part of each lesson is designed to simulate a sharing situation. It usually will pose several questions for the students which, when answered, will cause the student to summarize the main points of the lesson, and state them in concise form. Yet he will be thinking of his answer in the context of communicating it to someone else.
This page provides the teacher with a fairly complete overview of just what the student has learned during the lesson. You may request the students to turn in these pages for your evaluation of their learning. For this reason, a place has been provided for the student to write his name. So far as was practical, the layout of the student text has sought to avoid printing of essential reading on the reverse side of the TO SHARE page, so that if a teacher collects these pages at the end of a lesson, the next lesson will still be complete. But this has not always been possible, and the teacher should be alert to this item.
1.	It's just not enough to know about Jesus. That will never change us.
We need to get very personally acquainted with Jesus. And that needs to start happening before any of the other changes can really happen. Knowing Jesus personally is the most important thing about being a Christian.
2.	Don’t try harder. Your friend Jim has the wrong idea. He is telling you to be good all by yourself. You can’t make yourself good no matter how hard you try. The only way you can ever become good is to let Jesus come into your life and live His life in you. It’s His power that will make you good. Get to know Jesus—that’s your first concern.
3.	[Accept wide variety of student responses to this question; discuss the suggestions with the rest of the class.]
********** ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* STUDENT BIBLES
Check to see whether each member of the class has his own copy of the Bible. If some do not yet own a copy, urge them to purchase one right away. Loan copies from their parent1s library will not do; they should begin now to own a copy which they feel is their very own. They will feel a deeper sense of pride and ownership with their own Bible and will be more willing to mark it as needed.
You might also encourage some who are purchasing Bibles to consider some of the newer versions, or some versions not already represented in the class-room. Cross-comparing among a number of versions always lends some special interest to class Bible study.
38
T-18
LESSON 2: IF YOU WERE A LOST SHEEP,
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the concept of God taking the initiative in the salvation of the lost human race.
1.1	Correctly asserts that man, with his fallen and sinful nature, does not of his own accord seek after God or salvation.
1.2	Identifies the role of the Holy Spirit as the agency which convicts of the need for salvation and leads a person to accept Christ for his salvation.
1.3	Extends the basic principle to conclude that, unless one resists the drawing power of the Holy Spirit, one will be drawn to Christ.
1.4	Concludes that there is nothing in the salvation of man about which we humans can boast.
2.	Appreciates those occasions when God is seeking him to draw him into fellowship with Himself.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
God very wisely chose a sheep to represent the status of lost people. The sheep that is lost comprehends its condition only very dimly, and then is power-less to do much more than cry and complain about its plight. The sheep cannot save itself. Nor can we save ourselves! Amplify this concept as may be needed.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES **********
LEAD-IN
Discuss: A sheep knows that it is lost when it notices that the rest of the herd has gone elsewhere and it is alone with no sense of direction. What is the first clue a young person might have that he is spiritually lost?
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FROM THE WORD
1.	A. Distress, concern; then rejoicing, gladness.
B.	The sheep did nothing except get lost.
C.	The sheep was unable to return. Jt did not -know the way, and did not have the strength.
D.	The shepherd is given the praise and the honor. Be put forth the effort and took all the risks. The sheep was found and returned to safety only through his efforts.
2.	We might better say, "When the Lord found me—" or "When I said Yes to the Lord9s pleading with me—" or similar phrases.
3· The strongest power to draw people to Christ is the great love for us
that He revealed by dying on the cross. When people hear about Christ9s dying for them that they might live, it draws their hearts to Him in a response of love.
4.	Romans 5:6-8. Jesus came looking for us, even died for us, while we were still helpless, ungodly sinners.
Titus 3:3-5. He died to save us, not because we had done any righteous deeds, but because of His own merciful love for us.
Ephesians 2:4-6. Even while we were still spiritually dead in all our sins, He died to save us and offered us His new life.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********** FURTHER COMPARISON
To sharpen the concepts being studied, invite the class to compare a lost sheep with a lost sinner. In what ways are the two alike or similar? In what ways are they different? Write the ideas on the board as the class
DIFFERENT
Sheep is lost for this life only; human for this and eternal life.
Human can understand the fuller meanings of being lost; sheep can11.
Human can choose to reject the saving work of the shepherd; sheep doesn’t, or can’t.
suggests them. For example:
ALIKE
Do not know how to get "unlost." Dependent on shepherd for help.
At the mercy of stronger forces. Loved by the shepherd when found. Taken to place of safety when found.
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FROM THE WORD
5.	God has given humans the freedom to resist His great love if they so choose. They will be drawn to Him unless they choose actively to resist the drawing of His Spirit. If they do resist, God will not over-ride their decision.
6.	Apart from Christ, we can:
do nothing good or contribute to our salvation.
Apart from Christ, we can't:
repent, do good works, have any desires toward good, or even choose to serve Him.
NOTE: Even the desire to choose to serve Christ is the result of the workings of the Holy Spirit rather than our own inner desires. If Christ did not make the first moves for our salvation, we would never even turn to Him.
INTO MY LIFE
NOTE:	Since exercise number 1 contains the memory verse for this lesson, it
it not recommended that it be optional.
1.	[MEMORIZE, EVALUATE] Before commiting the verse to memory, the student is invited to "live with11 the verse for a while, thus assuring that the mem-ory activity will be more meaningful.
2.	[SYNTHESIZING] The process of titling a lesson urges the student to try to isolate the central ideas, the key concepts, contained in the lesson. The students may suggest titles such as the following:
"God Makes the First Moves"
"I Was Lost and Didn't Even Know It"
"Saviour, Like a Shepherd, Find Us"
״How Several Million Lost Sheep Were Saved From a Fate Worse Than Death" "Jesus Finds Us Even When We Don't Deserve It"
3.	[EVALUATE, APPLY TO LIFE SITUATIONS] The purpose of this activity is to emphasize that all of us are powerless to fight the enemy in our own strength. The students are asked to identify those moments when Satan confronts them, and evaluate the usefulness of several responses to those confrontations.
You may need to work with them on this activity to explain just what it is that is being evaluated. List on the board several temptations which the students can recognize as familiar, adding to those listed in the textbook.
You will notice that the responses listed on page 21 are of widely varying value and usefulness, with the more effective methods being listed at the last. But let the students make that same discovery.
The suggested parable or allegory which ends this exercise is a very useful opportunity for the student to clarify further his understanding of the issues involved. Provide opportunity for the students to read their alle-gories to each other, seeing if the others can figure them out!
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	[APPLYING PRINCIPLES TO NEW SITUATIONS] The student is challenged to find the basic issue at stake in the piece of conversation, and then be able to follow through on its application in the imagined setting.
The first conversation clearly reveals two misunderstandings: that we must be good in order for God to want to save us; and that our chances of finding salvation depend upon our religious opportunities. The student should be able to compose a response which effectively disagrees with both these points.
The second conversation reveals the mistaken idea that we must fight the devil in our strength. Then Tom counters with an equally dangerous error: that it really doesnft matter if we fail in that fight, for Christ will always forgive our failure. The final response should follow in the direction of showing how powerful Christ can be in our lives in fighting the enemy.
5· [OBSERVING; LOOKING FOR PRINCIPLES] While it should be clear that not all persons will be converted by a process as dramatic as Paulfs, his Damas-cus Road experience does display in rather bold terms some of the basic issues.
To the list of examples printed in the book, the students may add others such as these:
C.	God will often ask humans to cooperate with Him in His saving acts.
D.	God may have to allow some severe crisis to show us our lost con-dition.
E.	Other people may not understand what God is doing in the life of a person as He is drawing that person to Himself.
F.	One who has been an enemy of truth can become a friend of truth.
G.	We should not give up on people who seem to be fighting Christ, for they may have an experience like Paulfs.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES **********
OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION-STARTERS
A.	How can God save a person who believes he is enjoying being lost?
B.	Does your church celebrate with great joy when a sinner is found by Christ and brought into the fellowship of other Christians? Should it? Why?
C.	Imagine that Christfs parable in Luke 15:3-7 were a description of His dealings with you. Where would you locate yourself in the story? Inside the sheepfold with the 99? Out on the hillside alone? Being picked up and set on ChristTs shoulders? Being carried home, listening to His songs of joy? Can you say with some assurance where you are in the story?
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INTO MY LIFE
6. [APPLYING PRINCIPLES TO OWN LIFE] This exercise calls for some serious-minded contemplation of God’s influences in each student’s life. If the class is not ready for this activity, it may be well to postpone it rather than have them approach it flippantly or superficially. You might set the pattern by naming two or three powerful influences that have drawn you to Christ.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES **********
ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
1.	"When God draws us to Himself through the influence of His Spirit, does that mean that we are being pressured in any way? After all, Godfs Spirit is a pretty strong force!"
While God’s Spirit certainly is a strong force, He approaches us with divine restraint, for to force our response would make our response have no meaning. Satan does indeed use pressure on us; he seeks to override our thought processes, our free choice. The Holy Spirit brings only enough force to bear on the situation to counteract the forces of evil, and set us free to choose. He will never choose for us, or "push" us to make a choice. Our choices must be entirely free; but it often takes great energy on God’s part to get us free from the power of Satan so that we can be free!
2.	"Why is it that so few people can see their lost condition? Why do so many people seem to think that rejecting God is a better way to live than being a Christian?"
Perhaps this quotation suggests the basic answer: ״Sin not only shuts us away from God, but destroys in the human soul both the desire and the capacity for knowing Him."—Education, pp. 28, 29. Sin is blinding. It destroys ones ability to know that he is a sinner; it blinds one to the desires to be a new person in Christ. But fortunately, Ellen White con-tinues with this thought: "All this work of evil it is Christ’s mission to undo. The faculties of the soul, paralyzed by sin, the darkened mind, the perverted will, He has power to invigorate and to restore."—Ibid.
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TO SHARE
1· You911 be glad to hear that you don't have the right understanding!
There is nothing that you have to do before you can come to Christ· There is nothing that you can do· All that is necessary is for you to start saying Yes to the Holy Spirit as He draws you to Christ· And even the ability and the desire to say Yes is given to you as a gift from God!
2· None of us can ever be good enough to earn God's love and acceptance·
That isn't the way He works· He accepts us first, and then—as we are willing—He goes to work on us to make us good· All you can do is admit that you are not good enough, and then thank Him for accepting you anyway· Then let Him make you good·
3· His Spirit is giving you a desire to know Him better· The Holy Spirit is trying to show you that you are lost without Christ· He is probably doing things in your life to urge you to think seriously about these matters·
T-24
LESSON 3: IF IT'S BROKEN,
DO YOU WANT IT PATCHED UP OR REPLACED?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the basic concepts of Christian conversion.
1.1	Contrasts inner transformation with an outward conformity to various pressures.
1.2	Identifies the Holy Spirit as the active agency in accomp-lishing this change.
1.3	Describes the converted person as operating with a whole new life principle rather than as just modifying certain be-haviors.
2.	Recognizes the varieties of experiences which may surround con-version.
2.1	Discriminates between those experiences which may be unique to one person’s life and those which are basic to all conver-sion experiences.
2.2	Acknowledges with some degree of accuracy whether or not he has himself experienced conversion.
2.3	Refrains from passing judgment on another person as to vrtiether that person has experienced conversion.
2.4	Expresses the desire to be converted anew every day.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
A good mechanic does not just put a layer of paint over an old water pump and call that a "repair job." Rather he will replace the old water pump with a new factory original. Perhaps in this way the student can visualize what God will do in our lives as we are willing. He does not patch up the old, but gives us an entirely new "heart" or life force within us. The purpose of this lesson is to help the student understand the deep reality bf that change.
45
TEACHER NOTES
T-25
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FROM THE WORD
1.	Genesis 6:5, 6—Imagination, mind, desires Exodus 35:5—Motives, impulses, attitudes Deuteronomy 30:10—Commitment, will, goals, affections Psalm 16:9—Emotions, feelings
Psalm 119:11-Mind, memory, thoughts, values Matthew 15:8—Loyalties, love Luke 24:32—Emotions, feelings 2 Timothy 2:22—Desires, goals, purposes
The word "heart" seems to include every function of the human mind; all the thinking, choosing, feeling, remembering, and committing which the human mind can do.
2. Our hearts are more deceitful than anything else, and very wicked.
3· A. Romans 1:28-31 The unconverted heart is the source of every evil and corrupt action and thought.
B. Galatians 5:19-21 Out of the heart of man comes all kinds of sin, and these are the normal product of the unconverted heart.
4. When our mind is corrupted by sin, the whole of our life is also filled with sin. Every part of our existence is touched with the disease.
5·	God	student	God
"A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put
student God	student
within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of
student
stone and give you a heart of flesh."
6. [Student should write his own name above the personal pronouns, as above.]
7. [Student reads references 1/9, 10. Will respond later.]
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FROM THE WORD
8.	Jesus seeks to change the whole direction and desire of my life from things of this world to heavenly things. He wants to give me new motives, new goals, new affections, and a clearer understanding of Him and His will for me.
9.	A. Paul says that the very nature of our life should be changed by a complete renewal of our minds.
B.	This is not something that we can do to ourselves. It must be done to us by someone else.
C.	A transformed mind can now understand God's things, spiritual thoughts. It is now capable of acting upon and doing God's will that before would have been impossible.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] This valuable verse should be learned by all students.
2.	[PERSONAL APPLICATION] The student locates the specific behavioral indicators which explain how to receive a new heart. This exercise can be turned into a "meditation" exercise if you so desire.
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INTO MY LIFE
3.	[MUSIC CORRELATION, DISCERN PRINCIPLES] Can a student locate the key ideas related to conversion when he sings about them in worship? Other songs which might be surveyed:
"Take My Life and Let It Be," The Church Hymnal, No. 273.
״Live Out Thy Life Within Me," The Church Hymnal, No. 279.
4.	[USE OF ANALOGY; INTERPRETING] The more mature students will enjoy this opportunity to create their own analogies for describing conversion. To help them get started, you may suggest some of these as thought starters:
The engine in a car Electricity and a light bulb The sap in a tree A seed in the ground Restoring an antique car
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INTO MY LIFE
5.	[EVALUATE MEANING; APPLY TO LIFE] This passage from 1 Corinthians 2 stresses the concept that the Holy Spirit is the power which makes spiritual truths meaningful to a person. Engage the class in a discussion which seeks to explore this fully.
Question A may reveal to some students the reasons for their boredom and disinterest in Bible class. Question F should lead the class to the conclu-sion that the faith to believe initially is a gift from God (Romans 12:3) and we must just use that gift.
6.	[APPLY TO PERSONAL LIFE] How can a person know whether the experience of conversion has truly begun in his life? The paragraphs from Ellen White are to be read in a setting of quiet contemplation. The class could read them together and decide which words or phrases to underline; but allow time for each student to think about what he has read and marked.
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TEACHER NOTES:
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T-31
TO SHARE
1.	To be converted means that you give Jesus permission to come and begin to take away all the old sinful motives and desires and thoughts, and replace them with His own new motives and desires and thoughts. It means a completely new set of goals and values for your life, and a new power from heaven to live a new kind of life.
2.	You can know you are converted when living Christ's way is something that you do gladly because you really want to. If living a religious life is something that you feel you have to do, even when you don't really want to do it, then maybe you aren't converted—or you haven't been renewing your conversion every day.
3.	You could pray a prayer like this: "Dear God, I give You my permission to come into my life and give me Your very own new life. I am weary of the old life of sin, and I turn from it so that I can accept the new life you offer. I believe that You can do what You have promised, and so
I thank You for doing it. Amen."
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T-32
LESSON A: AND NOW . . .
ABOUT YOUR STANDING WITH GOD
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the assurances from God which are available to one who puts his faith in Jesus.
1.1	Lists the promises and gifts which apply to the believer.
1.2	Enumerates the conditions upon which those promises and gifts are available.
1.3	Rejects the commonly held belief that these assurances are based on his performance.
2.	Understands the implications for his daily life of being able to be sure about his salvation.
2.1	Enjoys the peace with God which can be his if he has accepted Christ.
2.2	Explains that the relationship with Christ is not permanent but must be maintained and reaffirmed daily.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
PLEASE NOTE: The lesson introduction in the student's text is designed as a learning-by-contrast experience. The student is likely to be caught off guard by the opening activity, and will actually respond to the diagram and the questions which follow. This should be allowed, even though the very next page tells the student that the chart is erroneous. Having emotionally dealt with the concepts he will be better able to identify just which concepts need to be set aside.
The main thrust of the opening part of this lesson is to show that one's salvation is not based upon his performance. And yet, since this idea is so deeply woven into the minds of most people, some extraordinary measures seem necessary in order to bring the concept into the focus of attention and dramatically set it aside. For it is often the case that students need to know just which ideas are being set aside in order to accept new ideas, lest they hold both sets of ideas simultaneously.
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While this lesson emphasizes the truth that our salvation is received by faith rather than earned by works, it should give no cause to conclude that our works are not important. The proper role of good works in the life will be more fully developed in later lessons. In seeking to establish that our good works will not earn us our salvation, the teacher should avoid any suggestions that our works are not of value for other purposes. Our good works are an evidence to the world that God is renewing us in His image. They are the means by which His character is made known to others. But they can never earn us salvation, for that is too great a gift ever to be earned, or even partially earned by us.
Many youth visualize that they are seeking to "climb up" a growth chart such as the one in the illustration. Increasing their good behavior increases their status with God, they suspect. This lesson seeks to replace this faulty mental picture with a visual symbol more in keeping with the emphasis of the Scrip-tures: a circle which represents union with Christ. The choice of this symbol will be more clearly explained as the lesson develops.
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Though it may seem strange, the student should actually engage in the pro-cess of erasing the faulty symbolism in the illustration, as indicated in the instructions in the left column. This will help to underscore the need to set the old aside that the new might come in.
TEACHER NOTES:
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T-35
FROM THE WORD
1.	Titus 3:4, 5: Not by deeds done by us in righteousness·
Galatians 3:10, 11: Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for we are justified by faith.
Romans 3:20: No one is justified in God’s sight by works of the law.
Deuteronomy 9:4, 6: Not because of your righteousness.
Ephesians 2:8, 9: We are saved by grace through faith, and not by our own good works.
2.	Good works will earn us none of the blessings of God; they are no credit to us at all. Those who seek to earn salvation by their good works are attempting an impossibility, and only prolong the day of their salvation.
3. The key word is "faith״; also translated or spoken of as "belief" or 11allegiance," or "trust."
4.
He has delivered us from the
m
dominion of darkness and
transfereeϊ us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. [RSV]
5.	[This is a personal question which the student should be allowed to complete in private, or to answer only in his mind.]
56
IN UNION WITH CHRIST
T-36
FROM THE WORD
6.
IN UNION WITH CHRIST
Romans 8:1 There is no condemnation Romans 5: 1  We have peace with God
2 Corinthians 5: 17 We are new creatures (a new creation) in Christ
Colossians 1:14 We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins________________
1 Corinthians 15:57 He gives us the victory________________________________
Colossians 1 :28 We are made perfect (mature) in Christ 1 John 511־ We have eterrnal life
Colossians 2:10 We come to have fullness of life in Him
2 Corinthians 5:21 We are made righteous in Him_______________
Ephesians 1:3 We have every spiritual blessing
7· [This is a question for personal contemplation  ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES 
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
Altogether, Paul speaks of the experience of being "in Christ" more than 150 times in his letters. It makes for some exciting reading to research these references and list all the blessings which belong to the redeemed in Christ. For example, you may want to look up these texts:
Romans 6:5, 6, 11; 8:38, 39; 12:5 I Corinthians 1:30
Ephesians 1:7-10, 13; 2:5, 6, 10, 13; 6:10 Philippians 4:4, 7, 19 Colossians 2:15 1 Thessalonians 4:16
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FROM THE WORD
8. Jesus does not cast us out of the accepting relationship just because we stumble and fall. As long as we continue to love Him and choose Him as our Saviour, He continues to accept us as we are learning how to live His kind of life.
9.	[Each student should take time to read this part for himself. It may lead into a meaningful class discussion.]
INTO MY LIFE
1. [COMPARE, EVALUATE] The students need to learn how widely different these two approaches to religion really are, and that they are mutually ex-elusive. For each of the questions, the students will likely suggest answers such as the following:
"In Union With Christ"
The Growth Chart
Focus is Jesus Christ.
A. Focus is me and my works.
An active, daily commitment to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Master.
B. You never can be sure, since you can never know if you are being good enough.
Not much risk, since the focus is on Christ rather than on self.
C. Much risk, especially for the very religious person.
Discouragement not likely, since the struggling Christ-ian knows he is still covered with Christfs righteousness.
D. Discouragment very likely, since it suggests that each failure lowers our standing in the eyes of God.
E. Problems: May think that the better we are, the less we need Christ; may lead to religious snobbery, comparing ourselves with others.
F.	If one has superficial view
of what it means to be in Christ, could lead to cheap commitment.
G.	[As students may suggest.]
H.	[Encourage questions.]
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INTO MY LIFE
2. [APPLY TO LIFE SITUATIONS] It is a painful fact that we humans too often place conditions on each other before we will accept each other. Youth will probably do this without even being aware that they are doing it. The purpose of this activity is to draw their attention to this practice and let them feel how painful it can really be. Some of the more common performance de-mands which youth place on each other might include:
Nice personality
Wealthy
Mature
Have useable things (home with a pool, mountain cabin, etc.)
Willing to compromise and join others in sin
The discussion questions included in the students* text invite deep probing of the way the class behaves. Urge the students to confront these questions honestly, rather than engage only in superficial talk.
For example, a student will have five or six small pieces of paper which may look something like this:
Poeso/aAury
m

50

o
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T-39
INTO MY LIFE
3· [APPLY PRINCIPLES TO NEW SITUATION] For many youth, feelings are just another kind of works, or performance, with which they measure their stand-ing with God. When they feel "up," they are certain that God is kind and loving toward them. When they feel "down," they are suspicious that all of religion is hopeless and that God is holding them off at arm’s length. This exercise is an attempt to dislodge this prevalent pattern.
Responses to the discussion questions may be as follows:
A.	Often our feelings follow our performance up or down. We often use both to measure our standing with God.
B.	No, it is not valid. Our feelings are flighty, self-centered. There is no basis in Scripture to suggest that God accepts us only when we feel accepted.
C.	Some may name lyrics such as ״My God is real, for I can feel Him deep in my soul."
D.	Amount of rest, contents of meals, social influences, maturational changes, etc. Very few of them—if any—have to do with our standing with God.
E.	We will probably have feelings of joy, gratitude, appreciation, etc. But if one does not have such feelings all the time, he should not therefore conclude that God has not accepted Him,
F.	A change in standing with God should come first, with feelings coming along as the result. (See below.)
G.	Don’t conclude that God has rejected you. Ask God for the power to rise above the discouragement. Remind yourself of reasons to be encouraged in the Lord; etc.
4.	[COMPOSE BIBLE STUDY] Students should do their own research on these passages and arrange them in an order of their own choosing. They should understand that eternal life begins when one accepts Christ.
********* ENRICHMENT/alternatives ********* RELATION OF FACT, FAITH, FEELING
Many persons have found it helpful to visualize fact, faith, and feeling as three parts of a small train, with fact as the engine, faith as the tender, and feeling as the caboose. Fact provides all the power; faith will move so long as it is attached to fact. And don’t worry about feeling—it will always come along behind. Just don’t try to move the train by the caboose!
T-40
INTO MY LIFE
5.	[APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES] Can a person be sure about his standing with God? The theme of this lesson is that he can! Yet many students may not have noticed that yet. This is a very important discovery for a young person to make, for it can affect the whole pattern of his attitude toward God· Be sure to include this discussion in the lesson format.
6.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] Why does God care about our good works? What is the motive power behind them? The students will find in this research that God Himself is the motive power behind our good works, and that we do them because He is active in our lives, not because we are trying to earn our salvation.
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INTO MY LIFE
7.	[CLASSIFYING; INTERPRETING] How many groups of people are there in the world in terms of humanityfs relationship to Jesus Christ? This exercise emphasizes that there are but two: those who are in union with Christ, and those who are not. This can be a very forceful discovery to a person who has believed that it is possible to sit on the fence. The diagram should also emphasize that, though some persons who are outside of Christ may be better or worse than others, they are all just as lost· Being good or bad, per se, just isnft the issue. The Big question is, Have I accepted Jesus Christ?
8.	[EVALUATING CRITERIA] Of all the things one might do, say, or think, which of them are the most important indicators of onefs readiness for heaven? The students should identify onefs mature faith in Jesus as the single most important factor.
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TO SHARE
1. The goal is good, but the plan is all backwards. You can't do a thing to get God to accept you, except to join yourself in union with Jesus Christ—the One whom God has already accepted. You can't stop sinning by yourself. Come to Christ. He will accept you and He will cause you to stop sinning. Sure, go to church, but not so that God will accept you. Go to worship the One who has already accepted you1
2.	You can be ready to be saved in an instant by choosing to place your faith in Jesus, and accepting Him as your Saviour. Then you don't need to be afraid of dying, because if you are in Christ, then Paul promises that you will be raised first at the resurrection of the righteous.
(See 1 Thess. 4:16.)
3· We're all saved on the same basis: faith in Christ. Jesus has made the same promises to you that He made to the thief (See 1 John 5:11-13.)
Had the thief on the cross lived, then he would have spent the rest of his life learning how to depend on Christ's power to live a godly life, just as you are doing. But that wouldn't have made him any more "saved" than he was the moment Jesus made him the promise.
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LESSON 5: ״HAVE MORE FAITH/׳ THE MAN SAID
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the Biblical meaning of faith.
1.1	Describes faith in terms of a close, personal relationship with God, characterized by love, trust, admiration, and a will-ingness to obey Him.
1.2	Distinguishes between true and false concepts of faith.
1.3	Explains how faith grows: by increasing one's knowledge of God as He really is.
2.	Appreciates the results of true faith in the life of the believer.
2.1	Interprets accurately the cause-effect relationship, showing how genuine faith produces all the desired changes in the life
as one abides in the relationship.
2.2	Identifies genuine faith as the only requirement for salva-tion.
2.3	Defines behaviors which he himself can follow in order to build his own faith.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
In reading the introduction, the student will no doubt be able to identify with feelings he has heard expressed, or felt in his own heart. Perhaps he will also feel the sense of frustration which is evident in the narrative and thus be ready to grow into larger understandings of the meaning of faith.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ILLUSTRATION
Ask the students whether they have ever desired to have something, and have prayed that God would give them their desire. List the objects desired on the board (if students are willing to report them), then ask which of the requests were obviously answered. Mark those which were answered. Ask the class if they can explain why the other prayers apparently were not answered. Leave the list on the board for reference later in the lesson.
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FROM THE WORD
NOTE: Before the class begins work on this part of the lesson, ask them to read the comments in the upper right corner about cliches· Then see how many cliches they can spot in the opening narrative· For example:
"Have more faith·"
"I was forcing out all the faith I could . · ·"
"Faith means believing in things you donft understand."
Then ask the class to suggest other cliches about faith which they might have heard· List all of them on the board and keep for further reference later in the lesson· After the class has a pretty good understanding of the real meaning of faith, return to this list of cliches and evaluate them. Do they represent truth? Or are they based on misunderstandings?
1.	[This study activity leads the students to arrive at their own under-standing of faith by the inductive method. It will take time and a certain amount of discipline; yet the learning should be an enduring experience. Students may benefit from working on this in teams of two or three·]
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3 — T . G .
T-45
FROM THE WORD
I Have Found That Faith Is NOT:	I Have Found That Faith IS:
a personal commitment to Christ as to a Friend.
believing in Jesus Christ.
coming to Christ with a hunger to know Him.
just a feeling.
a way of getting something you want.
just knowing about Christ, or even seeing Him.
believing that Jesus is my_ Saviour.
dependent on feeling.
understanding who God really is, through Jesus Christ.
trusting in God to be able to do what He has promised.
willingness to obey.
depending on God’s power to obey.
my Saviour.
a casual consent of the intellect.
just believing that Christ will save others, but not me.
a so-called belief that doesn’t produce a change in the life.
choosing to live God’s way, even if it means denying worldly advantage.
presumption (used to excuse trans gression).
behaving with genuine love for others.
an opinion about God.
confidence which comes from knowing Him.
powerless.
believing that God can heal the results of sin.
believing in God even when it seems He is not answering my prayers.
believing that God raised Christ from the dead and that He can do the same for me.
the means of accepting Christ.
based on God’s sure promises.
trusting God—believing that He loves me.
an intelligent looking unto Jesus.
placing all the affections upon Christ.
a joining of myself with Jesus in a covenant relationship.
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FROM THE WORD
2· [Allow wide variety on this·] Faith is a personal relationship with Christ, characterized by love, trust, admiration, and a willingness to obey· It involves an entire commitment of one's self to the life and values of Jesus, confident of His love for us and His power in us no matter what the circumstances·
3.	If faith is genuine, it will work by love and produce good works in our lives· So we can accurately say that genuine faith is the only requirement for salvation.
4· Faith comes from knowing about God, and we know about God through what we read about Him in the Bible· The more we know of God—as He really is—the more faith in Him we may have·
5. We can have more faith in God as we study the Bible more—studying it to know God as He is revealed there.
INTO MY LIFE
1. [LOOKING FOR ASSUMPTIONS; EVALUATING] Students are asked to evaluate each of the comments which follow and determine whether it reflects an accurate understanding of faith (U), or a misunderstanding (M) about faith·
A.	M Faith is, of course, not measured by feelings. Rather than ceas-ing to pray when discouraged, one has all the more reason to pray the more earnestly·
B.	IJ Being drawn to Jesus because of the attractive revelation of Him revealed in the Word is the very essence of growing faith.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* MUSIC CORRELATION
Invite the class to sing the familiar chorus:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace·
What does this chorus tell you about faith? Do you think that the person who wrote it had a clear understanding of the meaning of faith? How do you know?
ART PROJECT
Students may wish to assemble choice statements about the meaning of faith and put them together—one statement per page—into a small booklet· Each page could be decorated with appropriate art, and the book titled Faith Is·
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	Continued
C.	M The person has a self-centered view of faith, that it is something I use to get from God the things that I want or think that I need.
True faith is a commitment to Christ for His sake, and a trust that He will supply what I need when He knows that I need it.
D.	M True faith is not in opposition to evidence. True science is in complete harmony with faith and can be a means of building faith.
There is no virtue in ignoring evidence so that faith might be protected. Faith might be viewed as having confidence in God because of the evidence that we have, and extending that confidence into areas where
we do not yet have the evidence.
E.	IJ Faith has a good memory. It remembers that Christ has been trust-worthy in the past, and therefore trusts Him in the present.
F. M This is a statement of presumption—11cashing in11 on Christ,s for-giveness in order to do something that is in opposition to my own faith commitment. Faith means embracing Jesus1 whole way of life, rather than just embracing His forgiveness.
G.	M This statement equates faith with a casual mental awareness of Jesus and of the teachings of the church. True faith reaches out and embraces Jesus as a personal Saviour.
Η. M Talking about religion is no evidence of true faith. And when
talk about religion is accompanied by irreligious acts, one can sus-pect that true faith is not yet present in the life. True faith is an active commitment to a whole new way of life.
I.	IJ Faith has a settled confidence in Christ*s forgiving attitude toward the believer.
J.	U A person who lives by faith in Jesus has natural desires of love and kindness springing up from a converted heart. To live as Jesus lived seems sensible and joyous.
K. M Faith is not a mental set which is conjured up by our own mental energy. It is a response to Godfs revelation and is simply accepted and appreciated. This comment implies that one must make himself have more faith.
L.	[Make sure that each student is ready to explain the understanding of faith which supports his comments.]
2.	[ARTISTIC, ABSTRACT EXPRESSION] Symbolic expression urges a student to
isolate the key ideas in a concept and then to look for related meanings.
Allow for a wide variety of style on this activity.
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INTO MY LIFE
3· [PERSONAL APPLICATION] This is one of the most important activities in the entire book, yet it is the one over which the classroom and the teacher have the least control. Its purpose is to lead the youth into the regular habit of daily personal Bible study and prayer.
It will be largely wasted activity to talk at length about how to have more faith if the students do not themselves engage in the actions which will pro-duce greater faith. And as valuable as Bible class may be, the student*s own spiritual life will not really move into maturity until, apart from all academic and social pressures, he begins to seek to know Jesus on his own.
The teacher*s own testimonials can be the most potent influence you can exert to lead your students into a pattern of personal devotions. Express freely what this experience has meant to you, and tell of the changes it has wrought in your own life.
The paragraphs on this page and the next seek to deal with some of the motiva-tional and technical problems which seem to crop up when a person begins his own devotional life. As a way of securing student involvement in their study, you may want to try assigning one paragraph to each student. Have him study that paragraph and think about its meaning. Then have him read that para-graph—in sequence with the others—and comment on its meaning to him.
You may invite the class to consider an experiment in which they commit them-selves to follow a program of personal devotions for a set period of time and then report on the results.
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	[EMOTIONAL IDENTITY] When properly approached, this can be an extremely effective experience for a group of young people. If you play the role of the group leader, then also fill out a personal response along with the others. All except the group leader should set their textbooks aside and just listen to the comments of the leader. Urge them to complete each part before going on to the next part.
The discussion which follows should lead to some important discoveries about the place of trials and hardships in the lives of Godfs people. Invite some students to share trials which they have experienced and what they may have learned about faith through it.
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TEACHER NOTES
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TO SHARE
1· We don't do good works in order to be accepted by God· We do good works because our faith relationship with Jesus Christ is remaking us into different people—even Christlike people—for His glory! If you see good works in our lives, then praise Him because His wonder-ful plan really works! He really can restore those who have faith in Him.
2.	Faith involves love for God and trust in Him. The better we know Him, the more love and trust toward Him we can have· We learn about God through the Bible. We see Him revealed in all 66 books, and especially in the life of His Son Jesus· So, if you want to have more faith, then get to know God better by studying about Him in the Bible, talking with Him in prayer, and thinking about Him often·
3.	Yes, he is telling you the truth. Genuine faith is the only require-ment for salvation, for it will produce all the other desired results· But if a person claims to have genuine faith, yet doesn't show it by living an obedient, Christlike life, then we can suspect that such faith is not real·
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LESSON 6: IF A LEOPARD CAN'T CHANGE HIS SPOTS WHAT ARE MY CHANCES?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the Christian concept of character change.
1.1	Identifies the primary instrumentality as that of "behold-ing Christ."
1.2	Affirms that this change is not for the sake of earning any merit or status with God, but is for the sake of revealing the character of Christ to the world.
1.3	Distinguishes between external changes of actions for the sake of impressing others and internal changes of desires and attitudes because of the working of the Holy Spirit.
1.4	Identifies the goal of that change as perfect Christlikeness
2.	Appreciates the specific behavioral changes which the Christian will adopt as he seeks to become like Christ.
2.1	Distinguishes between "fighting sin" or "fighting the devil, and "fighting the fight of faith." That is, he sees the primary focus of effort as that of growing in faith.
2.2	Exercises patience with the change process, recognizing that it will be the process of a lifetime.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Character change jls^ possible! As one beholds Jesus, he can be changed Into His Likeness/ The theme of this lesson is to show how the change takes place, and to offer hope that the change is possible, powerful, and can be complete. But the change will not happen by concentrating on change. It will happen by concentrat-ing on Jesus. What an important difference!
FROM THE WORD
1.	[Note that the RSV may read differently from some other versions.]
2.	A. "We all" includes all who will look to Jesus in faith.
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FROM THE WORD
2.	B. "Unveiled face" means that we have turned to the Lord in faith.
C.	We "behold" Jesus.
D.	It is gradual. It happens from one degree of glory to another.
H.	The Holy Spirit is the active agent in accomplishing this change·
3.	[Student comments may include the following:]
Jesus’ character is attractive, lovely·
We will reflect Jesus’ glory to others as we are changed·
We probably won’t notice the change·
It is a day-by-day process·
Beholding Christ means studying His life in the Bible·
We will cast the old life aside as worthless when we see Jesus’ life·
4.	We should study Jesus’ life as given in the Bible·
5.	God is at work in us, giving us both the desire and the power to live a new life·
6.	We need to remain constantly connected with Jesus by daily communion with Him and dependence upon Him.
7.	[The comparison column on page 56 may require some assistance on the teacher’s part to interpret it to the students.]
********* enrichment/alternatives *********
SELF-EXAMINATION
The comparison chart on page 56 would seem to suggest that self-examination is not a wise activity in the life of the Christian. This concept may need explanation. We are urged to engage in frequent, close self-examination.
(See 2T 113; 3T 115, 321, 507, etc.) This self-examination helps us to see needed changes. But it does not, in itself, put us in touch with the power to make those changes. We are changed, not by beholding the problems but by beholding Christ. Paul invites us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5. Then Ellen White cautions us not to dwell on our problems lest such a focus should separate us from the Source of life. Compare Steps to Christ, page 71.
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T-56
CROWDING OUT SIN
"I turn all my atten* tion toward knowing Christ, and, with my co* operation, let Him work within me to fill me with His goodness and crowd out the badness."
Jesus Christ and His life
STRUGGLING FOR GOODNESS
"I make a list of all the good things I know l must do and try my hardest to do them."
All the good things I know I must be doing
STAMPING OUT SINS
"t make a list of all my sins and try my hard-est not tc do them any more/f
What is the focus of one's attention in this method?
The Holy Spirii with my cooperation
My determina-tion and strength
My determina־ tion and strength
What is the source of power?
The life of Christ as the perfect expres-sion of the law
My lists of right actions, or God*s law
My lists of wrong deeds, or God’s law
What is the stan-dard of right and wrong?
75

Who gets the credit for results in this method?
J do
I do
God does
T-57 to 61
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] Since the Revised Standard Version of this text includes the exact wording "changed into His likeness,11 you may wish to recommend that the students memorize the passage from this version, as printed on page 54.
2.	[INTERPRETING	SYMBOLS] In	this	sequence	of symbols	the	student	can
visualize several	different ways	in	which	Satan,	Christ,	and	human	beings
can relate. The student may interpret them as follows:
1.	A. Satan attacks person with his temptations.
B.	Person is defeated by Satan.
C.	Experience not desirable.
2.	A. Person fights back against Satan.
B.	Person still gets defeated.
C.	Experience not desirable.
3.	A. Christ fights Satan.
B.	Satan	is defeated.
C.	[Does	not apply]
4.	A. I team up with Christ in a faith relationship.
B.	Christ1s powerful life is made available to me.
C.	I become more like Him; experience is desirable. Spend more time getting to know Him better.
5.	A. As I remain in touch with Jesus, Jesus fights Satan for me.
B.	Satan will be defeated in my life.
C.	Remain dependent upon Christ, and thus live a victorious life.
3.	[ACTING OUT OF PRINCIPLES] To talk about beholding Christ is the first step; but actually to behold Him is the goal. The choice insights into the character of Christ which are printed on pages 60 and 61 provide a rich field of study for the serious-minded student. This could be approached as
a meditation experience right in the classroom. The impact will be increased if the students can be led to share with each other the insights which they have chosen as favorites. Set the tone for this sharing by selecting a few for yourself and commenting on them.
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	[SELF-ANALYSIS] The purpose of this activity is to help the student assess the amount of time he is spending in actually beholding Christ that he might be changed· In the process he may discover that he is spending much time beholding those things that will actually fight against the very change he desires. He may find that there are many nonessentials which could well be left aside to make room for personal devotions.
Under the heading of "Other,*1 the student may record his time for recrea-tion, personal spiritual life, community service, wasted time, and any other definable activity not included above.
If the setting is right, engage the students in some sharing among themselves as to how they are spending their time. Inquire whether some decisions are in order.
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INTO MY LIFE
4· Continued·
Can you turn this portion of the Bible assignment into a practical mathematics lesson?
Each student who has filled out the Weekly Time Analysis should do all five of the evaluation activities.
********* ENRICHMENT/alternatives ********* ARTISTIC, SYMBOLIC EXPRESSIONS
A.	Have several students design and act out a brief pantomime which shows what might happen to two different people: One has started his day by spending some time alone in personal devotions״, the other has been in too big a rush and has spent no time with the Lord.
B.	Invite some students to write a song, poem, parable, or short story about a plant that tried to make itself grow by its own efforts, and then later learned the secret of just turning toward the sun.
C.	Give several groups of students some miscellaneous items (such as wire, spools, paper, sponges, sticks, and any other objects readily available) and ask each group to create—within the time allotted—some symbolic means of communicating the concepts of this lesson.
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TO SHARE
1.	You can't get rid of the bad temper just by determining not to lose your temper again. You have to depend on the power of Jesus to change you· Be more concerned with filling your life with His good qualities rather than focusing just on the bad things in your own life.
2.	Since we're changed by beholding Christ, and since personal Bible study and prayer are the best ways to behold Christ, then his appeal really does make sense. And since most people really have a hard time making this a habit, I can understand why he keeps on repeating his appeal.
3.	No, I don't think it sounds great· If all we look at are the sins, then we'll only have more trouble with the sins· We can't stamp out sins by concentrating on the sins; we have to crowd them out by concentrating
on Christ and His goodness.
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END OF UNIT ACTIVITIES: REVIEW
Distribute to the students the pink-edged REVIEW pages· Have them read the instructions on page 71; then allow time in class to compare the REVIEW with the studentsf written responses·
«η
T-72
SUGGESTED QUIZ QUESTIONS: UNIT I
1.	What reasons do you have for having confidence in God? List as many as you can think of.
2. Rewrite this sentence in your own words, using common words of your own choosing in place of the words which are underlined: "When a sinner is converted, he places his faith in Jesus and he is saved."
3.	Write [memory verse] from memory and explain why it is especially meaning-ful to you.
4.	Speak into a tape recorder as though you were sending a taped message to a non-Christian friend. In your own words, tell him what it takes to be saved, and why it is such a beautiful plan.
5.	Write a short paragraph summarizing what you have found to be the most helpful ideas you have gained from the study of this unit.
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UNIT 2: GETTING TO KNOW GOD
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the various means by which one can come to know God as He really is.
1.1	Lists the means available to him for knowing God.
1.2	Compares the various means for knowing God, explaining how they all fit together, even though they are each unique.
1.3	Enumerates the specific ways in which he can relate to each of these means for knowing God.
2.	Appreciates the power and availability of each of these means for knowing God.
2.1	Indicates a readiness to participate in these various means in a manner commensurate with his maturity, readiness, and com-mitment to Christ.
2.2	Expresses attitudes toward these channels which indicate an internal desire to know God rather than a begrudging sense of religious duty.
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LESSON 5: I WONDER WHY THIS LAMP DOESN'T WORK
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the absolutely crucial role of the Holy Spirit as a means of knowing God.
1.1	Explains the idea of "spiritual eyesight," properly noting the Holy Spirit's role as true spiritual teacher.
1.2	Contrasts man's wisdom with God's wisdom.
1.3	Speaks of the Holy Spirit's role as uplifting Christ rather than uplifting people or even Himself.
2.	Understands what it means to "seek the Holy Spirit."
2.1	Expresses a priority desire for the character traits of Christ in the life rather than for any specific remarkable mani-festation of the Holy Spirit's power.
2.2	Acknowledges that "the impartation of the Spirit is the im-partation of the life of Christ."
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The class will immediately notice that the lamp in the illustration does not work because it is not plugged in. The absurdity of the situation should be an effective lead-in to the lesson, since the students will next explore why the Christian life often seems so powerless. Could it· be that ״Christians" are often just not plugged in?
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ILLUSTRATION
Bring a flashlight and a small plug-in lamp to class. Ask the students to compare these two sources of light. In what ways are they alike? In what ways are they different? Which light would be the better illustration of the Christian life—the one with the battery, or the one with an outside power source? Why?
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FROM THE WORD
1.	[At least eight words should be marked in the story.]
2.	A. Light: Jesus, and the life and truth which He gives.
B. Darkness: Evil deeds, error.
C.	Oil: The Holy Spirit, His influence and power.
D.	A lamp: A Christian; one who believes in Christ.
3.	A. A_ lamp in the darkness: A true Christian in the midst of a world of
sin and error.
B.	A lamp without any oil: One who claims to be a believer but lacks any power of the Holy Spirit.
4.	Maybe we could use electricity!
5.	A. Gives us the ability to understand spiritual truths.
B.	Guides us into all truth.
C.	Gives us power for witnessing.
D.	Brings us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful-ness, gentleness, self-control.
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FROM THE WORD
5.	Continued
E.	Helps us in our weakness·
Takes the deeper longings in our prayers which we can’t even express and interprets them to God for us·
Helps us communicate with God heart-to-heart·
F· Gives each believer some special ability which he can use to build up the Christian community and to help others·
6.	If people completely reject the Holy Spirit, they have cut off the only channel by which God can do anything for them. They will end up under the complete control of the enemy· They will finally be unable to choose the good—or even to desire it·
7.	The most important feature of the life of those in whom the Holy Spirit is working is that they begin to reveal the character of Christ in their own lives· They bring Him glory by speaking often of Him· Jesus, rather than any good works, is the theme of the life, the focus of attention·
8· Put self aside to make room for the working of the Holy Spirit·
Hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit; talk of Him; pray for Him·
Remove every hinderance.
Seek for the Spirit at every gathering of believers·
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] Four areas of interest relating to the Holy Spirit are presented from which the students can select for further research. Or the teacher may wish to assign the topics (as suggested in the text) among the class members. All of the topics are significant, and should be self-explanatory.
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INTO MY LIFE
2.	[RESOLVING PARADOXES] The student learns that many apparent paradoxes in the Bible are resolved by seeing a deeper, spiritual meaning in the words that seemed to conflict on the surface. Focus attention on the work of the Holy Spirit in illuminating our minds to spiritual truths. Ask them to identify other paradoxes in the Bible which they may have discovered.
3.	[MEMORIZE] This key passage reads well from several different versions.
4.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A.	This verse is usually made to apply just to the joys of heaven to come; but in actuality it applies to the joyous discoveries which are unfolded to the believer by the Holy Spirit. The believer begins at his conversion to enjoy the rewards of heaven—through the Holy Spirit.
B.	You may list items such as:
Pray for the Holy Spirit.
Seek to be Christlike.
Surrender all sinful habits to Christ.
Be sure to follow through with the evaluation markings in the order they are listed.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* REVIEW GAME
Divide the class into two groups. Have each group send one person to the board as their "scribe." Within a five-minute time limit, see how many facts about the Holy Spirit each team can give to their scribe to write down on the board. Facts should be concise enough to write quickly. Each team can't use facts that have already been listed by the other team. See if both teams can keep on feeding facts to their scribes for the full five minutes. You may refer again to the Bible and Ellen White passages that have been studied in the lesson.
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TO SHARE
I. You can't really know God unless the Holy Spirit "plugs in" your mind to spiritual things· Knowing God really is the most important thing; but the Holy Spirit is God too. Yet His task is to uplift the other members of the Godhead.
2. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is not to draw attention to the people who are influenced by Him· His purpose is to draw attention to Jesus by making the Bible truths real, and by revealing the pure, noble character of Jesus in the lives of His people. I'm sorry, but I just can't believe that what your church is experiencing is the kind of thing that the Holy Spirit would do· Jesus never acted that way, and I don't believe I need to, either.
3.	The Holy Spirit implants truth, and the life of Christ, into the hearts of true Christians. If you seek miracles and spectacular signs as the sign that the Holy Spirit has come, you could be set up to receive the false signs from the devil· you need to be seeking the character of Christ· When this comes, it will come slowly· You will be less con-cerned about yourself, and more concerned about Christ. you may not even notice the changes· Don't worry. You'll never rest content with the changes. Just keep seeking a deeper experience with Jesus·
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LESSON S: BUT WHAT IF YOU'RE JUST NOT HUNGRY?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the central role of the Bible as being a revelation of the character of God.
1.1	Identifies all 66 books of the Bible as being a revelation of God.
1.2	Gives examples of how God can be revealed even in those portions which don't appear on the surface to be talking about God.
2.	Appreciates the necessity of regular, personal study of the Bible.
2.1	Demonstrates skill in conducting personal Bible study.
2.2	Names as the highest goal of personal Bible study the privilege of personal acquaintance with God.
2.3	Lists certain actions which can be taken to increase moti-vation for Bible study.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
In spite of all the wonderful things we might say about the value of Bible study, we must admit that there will be those in the classroom who simply do not care to study the Bible. They feel no need. They even feel over-exposed to the Bible. So the lesson deals first with these motivational problems. Discussions of other matters related to the study of the Bible will follow later.
You may even wish to ask the students to indicate whether they can identify with the feelings expressed in the opening narrative. If they can identify, then they will at least know that the lesson will be touching a relevant need for them.
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A QUICK QUIZ . . .
This activity is designed for those who feel they can identify with the sentiments expressed in the opening narrative. It is designed to show that there is still much of value to be gained from the Book. Admittedly it is but a scratch on the surface, but it may at least get some to thinking about all the other things one might learn. Provide time for all the students to do this activity.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
BIBLE VERSIONS
If some students are finding the Bible to be uninteresting because of the difficulty of the version they are reading, use this lesson as an oppor-tunity to explore with the whole class some of the Bible versions which are available. Bring a large selection to class, and have students read aloud from them, comparing the different readings on the same passage.
For example, compare these readings of Proverbs 11:24:
״There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." KJV.
"One man spends, and grows still richer; another holds back his due share, only to bring himself to want.11 Smith-Goodspeed.
"One is extravagant, yet his riches grow,
another excessively mean, but only grows the poorer.11 Jerusalem.
"It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything.11 The Living Bible, Paraphrased.
"One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." RSV.
Many younger students will find a new freshness in their Bible study if they can use a version which can be easily understood. Does this need to happen in your classroom?
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FROM THE WORD
1· [The key phrase here is, "let u3 realize the weakness of humanity · · · ", and "If you have a sense of need in your soul ... ", and "Through the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit · · · "]
2.	One must let the Holy Spirit convict him of his complete weakness and helplessness and of his great need of God and His righteousness· It is the Spirit’s job to convict; it is our job to admit our great need·
3· Jesus offers us personal fellowship with Himself· He offers us His truth, His love, His very life!
4.	To "eat the living bread" means to accept Jesus as a personal Saviour and to enter into communion with Him by studying about Him and praying with Him·
5.	-We should each do it for ourselves·
-We must ask for the aid of the Holy Spirit·
-We should not let another person think for us·
-We should concentrate on one verse at a time until we fully understand what it means·
-We should see what that verse has to say about my own life, then obey it·
6· A. Produce character qualities that are like Christ’s·
B· It takes continual abiding in Christ, constant depending on His power·
C· No; abiding in Christ becomes the Christian's center of attention·
D· When the connection with Christ is broken, the fruit disappears from the life·
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INTO MY LIFE
1. [MEMORY] These two texts reveal opposite experiences; with Christ we can do everything He asks; without Him we can do nothing. Students need to learn both contrasting verses together.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* DEVOTIONAL EXPERIENCE
Assemble the class into a circle. If the class is large, form several smaller circles. Each student should have his Bible and a pencil. Ask each student to find a Bible text which is especially meaningful to him. Then take turns around the circle letting each student share the text he has selected and explain why he has chosen that text. The other students should look up the text that another is sharing and read along with him.
If they write the studentfs name next to his text in the margins of their Bibles, then the next time they read that text, they will remember the per-son named there in a special spiritual way, and may also remember some of his thoughts about that text.
ARTISTIC BIBLE SHARING
Supplies: several colors of transparent cellophane, transparent tape, card-board strips.
Purpose: To illustrate Bible stories of teachings in a colorful way.
Method: Have each student select a Bible story or theme which he would like to illustrate. The illustration should be simple enough to be shown in one of the small frames. Abstract symbols can be very effective. Then have each student create a "stained glass picture" with his illustration. Establish a standard size before they begin (perhaps 10" x 10"}, and have them mount their picture within a cardboard frame of that size, so that the light can shine through the stained glass picture from the back. The pieces of colored cellophane, when cut to shape, can be held together by small pieces of transparent tape.
When all the students have completed their separate pictures, these could be assembled together into one large stained glass window, and hung in front of one of the main classroom windows. Each student should be ready to explain the meaning of his picture.
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INTO MY LIFE
2.	[INTERPRETING SYMBOLS] The Bible is filled with imagery and symbols. This exercise is offered to help students think about the literal meanings behind those images. Follow through with the sharing items on page 84.
3.	[COMPARING; APPLYING PRINCIPLES TO NEW SETTING] What is the spiritual equivalent of "empty calories"? The students will likely name activities which—in themselves—may not be bad at all, but which can be done from the wrong motives. Such as:
Going to church just to meet friends.
Passive participation in family worship.
Singing hymns without thinking about the meaning.
Reading the Bible to find "ammunition" to prove others wrong.
Being very busy doing religious things.
Giving large offerings so that others will be impressed.
4.	[COLLECTING, ORGANIZING DATA] If the class indicates a readiness to use the cards described here, work with them to duplicate a large number of them —perhaps a dozen or more for each student to begin with. If regular paper is used rather than card stock, more of these can be kept in the Bible with-out distending the binding. You may wish to suggest some possible passages which the student can use to try out this method of study, such as:
1 John 4	2 Peter 1:3-11	1 Corinthians 13 Romans 12:1-13
Romans 8:31-39 John 19 Luke 15:11-32 Mark 10:17-22 Matthew 23:1-12 Hosea 11:1-9 Isaiah 53 Psalm 51
5.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A.	Value ranking. What is really most important? Effects of physical deprivation are more externally evident; but spiritual deprivation has longer range consequences—even eternal ones!
B.	Some parts of the Bible need to be seen as God revealing Himself through His dealings with men. Thus the knowledge of God comes in an indirect manner.
C.	To the one determined to continue in sin, the Bible will have less and less meaning. This may come as a warning to some of the students who seem to be finding sin more and more attractive and the Bible less and less attractive. Could this be happening to them?
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INTO MY LIFE
6.	[RESOURCE MATERIAL] This expanded table of contents is offered as an additional resource for the student who wants to know more about the contents of the Bible. While three or four words can never describe the content of a whole book, they will at least hint at the general contents of the books without overwhelming the students.
Encourage the class to clip these columns from their textbooks only after they have completed working with the materials printed on the reverse side of the page. Then help them find blank pages in the backs of their Bibles on which these columns can be attached.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
BIBLE READING
Refer to the Seventh-day Adventist Readers for the 7th and 8th grade levels, Book 2, Unit VI. You will find Bible passages compiled there which Ellen White has recommended should be read frequently· These passages could be used as the basis for the individual study under INTO MY LIFE No. 4.
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INTO MY LIFE
7.	[PROBLEM SOLVING] This exercise assumes that a number of students really desire to make personal Bible study a habit, yet are having some trouble getting started. It touches on a dozen possible problem areas. Ask the students to mark the survey form as they read it, placing a check on the box next to questions which they feel may describe a problem they are facing.
For the sake of interest, the students may want to list the numbers of their problem areas on an unsigned piece of paper and hand them in to the teacher. Tally the report and find out which problem areas are the most common and which are the least common. Beginning with the most common problem areas, talk about these problems in class, trying to find useful solutions.

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TO SHARE
I.	I carry my Bible around because it really is a special book· It tells me all about my best Friend, Jesus. It shows me what a wonderful Per-son He is and explains to me His wonderful plan for my life· I spend so much time reading it because when I behold Christ as He is revealed here, I am being changed into His likeness· And I want to be like Him!
2· The Lord does the changing—through the power of the Holy Spirit—as I choose to behold Jesus in His Word. For His sakef I'm glad you can see a change; but there's no secret to it· The same thing can happen to you if you will spend time with Jesus, letting the Holy Spirit work on your heart too·
3· There is still hope· Give the Holy Spirit permission to show you just how much you need God· Look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus· And keep on studying the Bible even when you don't feel like it· If you do these things, your interest in the Bible will grow, and you will have a more meaningful study·
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LESSON 9: WORDS, WORDS, WORDS!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the meaning and purpose of genuine prayer.
1.1	Lists the motives which should be the basis for prayer.
1.2	Describes prayer as an honest, open communication with a powerful, interested Friend on topics of mutual interest.
1.3	Identifies characteristics of immature prayer, such as: self-seeking, demanding, complaining, thoughtless repetition, and doubting.
2.	Indicates awareness of the great personal value of prayer.
2.1	Names the consequences in the life of a believer who neglects to pray, or who prays immaturely.
2.2 Manifests a desire to learn how to pray more effectively.
2.3 Expresses patience when prayers do not seem to be immediately answered, since his faith in God remains.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
If you don't tell them, how long will it take your class to discover that the verbose prayer on page 89 actually contains the concise Lord's Prayer of Matthew 6:9-13? As they are reading this prayer and noticing the contrast, draw their attention to Matthew 6:7, 8 (Phillips, revised edition):
"And when you pray don't rattle off long prayers like the pagans who think they will be heard because they use so many׳words. Don't be like them. For your Father knows your needs before you ask him."
Ask the class: What attitudes toward God do the pagans have, as Jesus des-cribes them in the verses above? [God needs to be coaxed by many words; He does not know our needs until we tell Him; He is impressed with our big religious vocabulary; etc.] Do your prayers sometimes reveal that you also have some of these attitudes? Do you know why you pray to God?
The "advertisement" which follows the contrasting prayers is a light-hearted way of leading the class into a learning experience about prayer.
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FROM THE WORD
1.
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4—T.G.
THOUGHTLESS . . . PRAYERS	MEANINGFUL PRAYERS
Reveal eagerness for other people to Demonstrate a personal experience notice and be impressed.	between you and God.
Are full of empty phrases that have Contain only necessary, honest no meaning.	words that have meaning.
Recite needs to God.	Thank God for taking care of needs.
Contain self-praise and condemnation	Admit sinfulness, cry out for help,
for others.
Express confidence in God to give Include lots of superficial comments. what you really need.
Are long and mechanical.	Forgive others before asking for
forgiveness from God.
Are characterized by dry formality.
Pray for the sake of other people’s Are hurried and rushed.	faith and trust in God.
Pray in Jesus’ name.
Pray that Jesus will be glorified.
Do more askingl
Trust that the Father is as eager as is Jesus to give what you really need.
Are short, right to the point.
Lead to personal contact with Christ. Express true sentiments of the heart. Talk to God as to a friend.
Are full of thanksgiving and praise.
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FROM THE WORD
2. [Add to list on previous page.]
3. [Add to list on previous page.]
4.	[The purpose of this activity is not to locate some arbitrary list of choice comments, but rather to read with personal involvement. Accord-ingly, the comments which may be made in the right margins will vary widely. Encourage the students to write at least one comment for each paragraph, including those that already have sample comments.]
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* RESOURCE READING
Some excellent works on prayer and the devotional life:
Communion With God, Ellen White (a compilation); Pacific Press Pub. Assn.
The Kneeling Christian, The Unknown Christian; Zondervan.
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
Compose a bulletin board as a class project. Have each student make a small poster on which he completes this phrase: "Prayer is ... " He may complete it with a statement of his own composition or one which he has found from other authors in his study of prayer. The bulletin board could be displayed for the benefit of the entire school.
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TEACHER NOTES
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FROM THE WORD
5· Prayer is a way for us to become "tuned in" with God's will as we
commit our lives to His influence and control· It makes us more open to the impressions of the Holy Spirit·	His response to us may come
later at a time of crisis rather than at the moment of prayer· Prayer makes us more open to what the Lord would show us through a study of the Bible·
6· God is not impressed with numbers· God wants Christians to pray together so that when the answers come there will be more people who will praise God for His goodness and power· There will have been more people bowing in praise and submission, more people looking to God for wisdom and guidance· Group prayer is for the benefit of the group·
7· Answered prayer is for the glory and honor of God, not for the selfish gratification of man·
Examples:
Early Christians prayed for Peter's release from prison·
Daniel prayed for protection in the lion's den·
Joseph prayed that he might remain true to God·
8· [See next page·]
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FROM THE WORD
8.	[It is one thing to study about prayer; it is another thing to prayl Ellen White says that the schools of the prophets taught the students how to pray· This implies actual experience in prayer. This last exercise in this section endeavors to lead students into the very activity of prayer itself. This should, of course, not be connected with a grade, for it is a highly personal experience which happens in the heart of each student. But it is entirely within the realm of the teacherrs responsibilities to set up an environment within the classroom in which prayer of this sort can take place. Give the student the time and the place; let it then be on his shoulders as to how to spend that time with God.]
INTO MY LIFE
It would be well if the entire class did exercise number 1· This begins with students working individually, then forms them into small groups of four. Encourage a mood of reverence within the class for these exercises.
1.	[EXPERIENCING THE INSIGHTS] Through a series of activities students are encouraged to apply insights about prayer immediately into their lives. While the student will have little problem finding more than one insight, for the sake of this activity he should initially limit himself to just one. More than one may complicate the sharing in phase II. Students who repeat this activity can find another prayer insight for the next time around.
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* PRAYER GARDENS
If you have the privilege of working in a school that is located in a country setting, this concept could be a valuable one for you and your students. A Prayer Garden is a private, secluded spot where the student goes on special occasions to be alone with God. Each student is given the privilege of choosing his own spot for his prayer garden. He then prepares it in a simple way: making a small clearing, perhaps providing a small log to sit on, setting out some rocks as a border, or even plant-ing a few special plants or flowers.
Explain again to the students the power and importance of private communion with God. Then on certain special occasions, perhaps once or twice a week, give them time to go alone to be with God in their Prayer Gardens. They should take their Bibles or other spiritual reading to focus their medi-tation. And they should have a general time limit.
Students could be encouraged to develop a Prayer Garden at their homes too.
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INTO MY LIFE
2.	[USING LEARNING TOOLS] The prayer list is not a new idea, but it needs some focus and defining in order for it to be a continuing help· Make a supply of 3 x 5 cards available to the ones who wish to try keeping a list of their own. You might even try keeping a class prayer list as a way of keeping the idea in front of the students.
3.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] This is an in-depth study of the meanings in the Lord’s Prayer. Incentives to pursue this study may be higher if you can help to arrange in advance an occasion for them to share their findings. (See part F.)
4.	[ON-GOING EXPERIENCES] Praying together within their peer group can be a very beneficial experience for the class; but it should develop from the students’ own desires rather than be handed to the class. Invite those who are interested in voluntary prayer bands to meet at a special time to define the details as listed in the textbook.
5.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A.	Summary of learning from study of the lesson.
B.	Student opinion; will probably express need to focus attention on things abstract, rather than on things that can be seen.
C. No attempt is made here to urge students to change their language style in prayer. But it should in fairness be pointed out that the custom of using a special language (Thee, Thou, wouldest, etc.) in prayer is based on tradition rather than on revelation; and that a student should feel free to address God in the form which he decides is most fitting for his own relationship with God, without any pangs of conscience or judgments from others. If a student feels most comfortable using Old English forms, then he should not be urged to abandon them. Nor should the student who uses the present-day style of language be told that he is necessarily less reverent for doing so. There is no evidence that Jesus adopted special language forms in His prayers to His Father.
D.	Key idea: one is praying, at least in part, on behalf of the entire group. Matters of a strictly personal nature should be ommitted.
E.	Students may want to look up these references. Reverence is the issue.
F.	Interest starter. More complete discussion in lesson 12.
G.	Allow students complete freedom in their planning. Then help them eval-uate the reality and practicality of their plan.
H.	Personal reactions.
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* FURTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER
A.	Why does it seem that our prayers are answered so seldom? Do you think the problem is with us or with God? What might the problem be?
B.	Since God knows everything, why do I have to tell Him anything, or ask Him for anything?
C.	Does God need my fellowship? Does He desire my fellowship more than I desire His?
D.	Do I have to beg God for things? I hear about people pleading with God—even with tears· If He loves me so much, why would this ever be necessary?
E.	What does it mean to ,'pray without ceasing"?
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TO SHARE
1· Prayer is talking to God as to your best friend. It means sharing with Him anything that is important to you, trusting that He knows best how to take care of it. It means surrendering yourself to His will, so that you can become His kind of person. It means being open to the convict-ions that He brings to your mind as you listen to Him.
2.	The honest person admits that he really is_ weak and in need of divine power. One shouldn't be embarrassed about praying, then, for it is the most sensible thing that a weak person can do. Perhaps you could just honestly admit to your uncle that you are weak when it comes to being the kind of person you know you must be, and that you are willing to admit it freely· That might encourage your uncle to do the same.
3.	[This question invites personal opinions—which may grow out of the the student's own occasional reluctancies to pray· Accept a variety of comments on this; then later—without identifying authors—bring some of these comments before the class for evaluation.]
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LESSON 10: AN ACT OF INTELLIGENT WORSHIP
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the role of worship in the experience of a growing Christian.
1.1	Distinguishes between worship as a formal pattern of actions and worship as a personal response of love and admiration for God
1.2	Explains how worship can be a way of coming to know God more intimately.
1.3	Speaks of worship in categories not limited to the formal corporate worship of a church service.
2.	Shows an appreciation for the various aspects of worship in his own life.
2.1	Speaks supportively of his fellow students who engage in worship experiences.
2.2	Verbalizes the more mature attitudes which motivate true Christian worship.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
By considering how much time in a week one spends in worship activities, the student is thrust immediately into an evaluation of just what comprises worship. The implication is that much more is included than just the 11 AM worship at church. How much more? That is what the student will hopefully settle for him-self before the end of the lesson.
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* GRAFFITI POSTER
This short activity can stimulate much thought about the topic being studied, as well as help students "tune in" on their own attitudes toward worship. Place a large sheet of paper on the bulletin board, or mark off a large rectangle on the chalkboard and call it a poster. Near the top of the paper or chalkboard poster, write the word WORSHIP in large letters. Then ask the students to go up to the poster and write any word or phrase they wish which comes to their minds when they see the word WORSHIP.
They might write word-association things, such as "preacher," or "church." Or they may write emotional responses such as "reverent," or "boring," or "family togetherness." The students will be interested to see what their fellow students will write.
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FROM THE WORD
1.	Real worship means a steadfast love forf and knowledge of, God, rather than thoughtless rituals·
2.	Worship is a giving of our entire lives as a consecrated gift to His service and glory. It is giving God permission to remake our entire lives from the inside out so that our entire attitude of mind is changed to bring glory to Him.
3.	The big issue in worship is not the location. It is a Spirit-led heart seeking to know God as He really is and submitting to His transforming power.
4.	A. God is the object of all true worship, for He is the Creator of the
universe and the judge of all.
B.	Psalm 95:2: Coming into His presence
Thanksgiving
Praise
Psalm 95:6· Bow down (kneel) in prayer
Psalm 96:8· Giving glory to God Bringing an offering
Psalm 100:2, 4· Singing, praise Thanks to God Bless His name
Psalm 105:4· Seek the Lord and His presence
Colossians 3:16: Sing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs—with thankful-ness in our hearts
Hebrews 3:13: Exhort (encourage) each other daily
2 Timothy 4:2: Preach the word
Exhort, admonish, convince
C.	Group worship will become ever more important as the last days come, for it is a means of encouraging each other toward love and good works.
5. True worship also involves working for people in need in just the way that Christ worked for them. It means a life dedicated to loving minis-try to others.
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FROM THE WORD
6· I would dedicate my life each day to doing what I could to uplift others. I would pray that God would show me when to do something to help some-one else; and I would seek to allow God to receive all the glory for the good that was done.
7. God objected to the offerings because they were no longer honest expres-sions of a repentant heart. The people were just going through the mo-tions, without knowing what they were doing or being changed by it.
8· Isaiah 6:1-5: Unworthiness·
Uncleanness in the presence of a Holy God·
Isaiah 6:8: Willingness to do God's will·
Psalm 18:1, 2: Love for God·
Confidence in Him·
Admiration for Him·
Psalm 27:4: Desire to be in the Lord's presence·
Psalm 51:1-5: Repentance·
Unworthiness·
Desire to be cleansed·
Admission of guilt·
Agreement with God's sentence upon us·
Matthew 11:13, 14: Willingness to accept the truth of Scripture·
9· Worship is a deep awareness that one is in God's presence, which calls forth the deepest feelings of praise, joy, submission, repentance, and a hunger to know Him better. It involves encouraging others to enjoy the same experience· In the larger sense, it means living all of one's life as in the very presence of Jesus.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A.	This comment leads the class into a very broad, yet quite accurate, concept of what is involved in worship· In thinking about this con-cept of worship, caution the class not to neglect the need for a corporate, church-type worship experience, even though that is not the only kind of worship experience one can enjoy·
B· To the Christian, all of life is a sacred experience· Is the class ready to accept this idea?
C. There may be. Should there be?
D· List two parallel columns on the board, and compare the two.
E.	1*He who does nothing but pray will soon cease to pray · . · " SC 101· 2· (See next page.)	108
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INTO MY LIFE
2.	[COLLECTING, EVALUATING DATA; VALUE RANKING] This exercise will help a student assess the purpose and impact of each part of the worship exper-ience in church. The final sharing experience will help the student dis-cover one of the reasons why corporate worship contains a number of different elements: We are all influenced differently by different things.
3.	[GENERATING USEFUL ALTERNATIVES] Youth are at times inclined to be criti-cal of the corporate worship experience, largely because of a lack of appre-ciation for the goals that are being pursued in worship. What will happen
if youth are given a chance to plan a worship experience of their own? To begin with, they will need to become sympathetic with the goals of worship. They may develop some very useful ideas. They may learn by experience that some innovative ideas just won’t work. And they should learn to be more tolerant of those who are planning a church worship experience.
Be certain that the group who plans this worship does its homework! The two Ellen White references are most essential reading.
4. [COMPARING; EVALUATING] Have your students ever heard someone call for the offering in church by saying, 1*Now is the time when all of you can take part in the worship service1״? What does this comment assume? That up until the offering they were not taking part? This is too often true! This exercise is designed to help students expand their concept of worship to in-elude those things which include group fellowship and sharing. Ellen White*s concept of the prayer meeting envisioned a group-centered sharing, as may
be gathered from her comments from the Testimonies.
It would be ideal if the students could design their own group-centered wor-ship. But if they need assistance in thinking of ideas, these may be help-ful:
A.	Arrangement: Chairs should be in a circle, rather than in rows.
Each worshiper should be able to speak to another face-to-face without the other needing to turn around.
B.	Leadership: Planning and leadership are necessary, but should rotate among the various worshipers. Leaders do not plan speeches, but plan ways for everyone to share.
C.	Participation: **Whenever you meet let everyone be ready to contri-
bute a psalm, a piece of teaching, a spiritual truth . . . **	1 Cor.
14:26, Phillips. Worship meeting should be planned and announced in such a way that everyone wishing to come knows that he should be ready to suggest a song to sing, read and comment on a passage of Scripture, and share some personal spiritual discovery which the Lord has revealed to him. Each should also be ready to pray.
D.	Format:	Begin with singing, with each person naming a song and
telling why he has chosen that song. Then have a number of people share some personal insights, or give a testimony of praise to God. Several may then volunteer to lead the group in prayer. Next spend some time studying the Bible. Move from one text to another as each
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4.	D. Continued:
student contributes a passage which he has come to favor. Or study through a section of Scripture together in a group verse-by-verse study, with each person adding the insights which the Spirit brings to him. Worshipers should feel free to express praise to God for the refreshing truths which are discovered.
After a period of study, spend a few moments speaking together of personal needs and j°ys״ This will focus thought for the time of praying to follow. Then break into smaller groups of four or five and pray together. Pray for each other in very specific terms.
Close by reassembling into the larger circle and singing a song such as "Side by Side We Stand,״ ״Blessed Be the Tie That Binds,11 or "When the Role Is Called up Yonder."
In the moments of fellowship which follow the worship experience, keep the conversation on spiritual themes.
5.	[INTERPRETING PRINCIPLES] Can the student find the themes of true worship as they are expressed in this grand hymn? Some possible interpretations are found on the next page.
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T-106
INTO MY LIFE
5· Continued:
Live out Thy life within me, O Jesus, King of kings!
Be Thou Thyself the answer to all my questionings;
Live out Thy life within me, in all things have Thy way!
I,	the transparent medium Thy glory to display.
The temple has been yielded, and purified of sin;
Let Thy Shekinah glory now shine forth from within.
And all the earth keep silence, the body henceforth be
Thy silent, gentle servant, moved only as by Thee,
Its members every moment held subject to Thy call,
Ready to have Thee use them, or not be used at all;
Held without restless longing, or strain, or stress, or fret,
Or chafings at Thy dealings, or thoughts of vain regret;
But restful, calm, and pliant, from bend and bias free,
Awaiting Thy decision, when Thou hast need of me.
Live out Thy life within me, O Jesus, King of kings!
Be Thou the glorious answer to all my questionings.
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T-107
INTO MY LIFE
6· [COMPARE] This exercise should show that true worship is found not so much in the actions as in the motives· Students will find that a true wor-shiper and one who is simply going through the formal motions may both be doing exactly the same things· The thrust will be in two directions· First, the student should not rest easy simply because he may be doing the right actions· His own motives need to be correct· Secondly, we cannot always know the motives in another person1s heart· Thus we must avoid ever passing judgment on a fellow believer even if we may personally not appreciate his
worship style·
The list may contain items such as these:
GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS
TRUE WORSHIP
singing hymns
singing hymns
giving offerings
giving offerings
going to church
going to church
living the same way the rest of the week
living like Christ the rest of the week
ignoring others who have gathered to worship
spiritually encouraging others in worship
planning the lunch menu during the sermon
meditating on the meaning of the sermon
appreciating another's new appreciating another's new clothes
victories and growth in	or fine car or interesting week-day
Christ, while at church	activities, while at church
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TO SHARE
I.	Yes, I do spend a lot of time in worship· I go to church often to wor-ship God because I want to praise Him, I want to learn more about Him, and I need to be encouraged by the other people that are there doing the same things. I want to become more like Christ, and so worship has become a really important part of my life.
2· I believe that any time I am aware that I am in the presence of God, and I am drawn out to Him in praise and love—that is worship. I am worship-ing God when I work with Him to help others; I am worshiping Him when I talk with Him in my mind and when I talk of Him to others.
3. [This should be a personal response.]
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T-109
LESSON 11: THIS MAY COME AS A SURPRISE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the role played by each individual member of the body of Christ in building up the spiritual life of the whole group.
1.1	Acknowledges the Bible promise that, as a believer in Christ, he has spiritual abilities which he can use to help others.
1.2	Explains the concept of "mutual ministry" in the body of Christ in which each member bears some responsibility for the total well-being of the others.
2.	Extends the above understanding to draw valid conclusions about the kinds of relationships which should exist among the members of Christ's body on earth.
2.1	Affirms that all Christians stand as equals in Christ, with Christ Himself as the head of the church.
2.2	Verbalizes the concept that differing gifts do not cause a difference of status or religious privilege in the eyes of God.
3.	Appreciates the Scriptural concept of spiritual gifts.
3.1	Indicates a desire to know his own spiritual gift(s).
3.2	Translates the Bible terminology of "spiritual gifts" into observable behavior which he can actually employ.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Young Christians are often trained to look just to authorities and older per-sons of rank and stature as helpful agencies in their religious life. And too often this pattern is carried over into adult life, leaving many people with a crippling dependence upon the minister or other authority figures. This is not God's plan for His people. His plan is that every member of the body of Christ should be using his God-given gifts to build up the lives of the others.
The Bible does not set a minimum age for when this thrilling mutual ministry can begin. The premise of this lesson is that seventh and eighth graders are not too young!
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FROM THE WORD
1.	Our fellow believers; other members of the body of Christ.
2. The spiritual gifts, or abilities, that God has given to each one. The verse says that we have all been given different gifts·
These gifts come from the Holy Spirit.
Gdd should get all of the glory·
3.	1 Peter 4:10, 11:	A. speaks for God
B.	renders service Ephesians 4:11:	C. apostles
D· prophets E* evangelists
F.	pastors
G.	teachers
1 Corinthians 12:7-11: H. speaking wisdom
J.	speaking knowledge
J.	faith
K.	gifts of healing
L.	working miracles M· prophecy
N. ability to distinguish between spirits 0· various tongues (languages)
P. interpretation of tongues (languages)
4· All oi the believers have a spiritual gift·
5. Both groups benefit, not just the non-Christians.
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T-lll to 113
FROM THE WORD
6.	As a Christian, I carry a very definite responsibility to the others around me—both Christians and non-Christians. Their spiritual health is my concern.
7. A. Rejoicing, fellowship with each other, worshiping, helping each other.
B. Each member gave what he could to help the others, even if it meant selling what he owned.
C.	They were amazed, and held them in awe.
D.	They saw such a loving, joyous fellowship.
E.	The people were so generous with each other.
Even their meal times were occasions for spiritual feasting. God was able to use them to do great miracles.
F.	Yes! It seems it would be so satisfying and supportive.
8.	They may become caught up in the deceitfulness of sin.
9.	The body of believers grows up spiritually, becomes united and strong, and works together as a loving whole.
INTO MY LIFE
Since the first exercise leads the class into a first-hand experience of the very things the lesson is talking about, the entire class should do it first·
1.	[GROUP INTERACTION] This exercise must be done in sequence. All should do phase I by themselves. You may want to read Acts 2:41-47 to the class from the New English Bible and let them react to it as indicated.
After the students have each filled out the reaction questionnaire, parts A, B, C, and D, help them form quickly into small groups of about five each. Join with the group which you think may need some encouragement to keep it going.
In phase III, the students will essentially be committing themselves to some new patterns for living. Do all you can to assist them in following through with these commitments.
2.	[APPLYING PRINCIPLES; MEMORIZE] Hebrews 3:13 is filled with very practical counsel even for young Christians; yet it suggests an activity that is quite new to many—even adult Christians! Few people are in the habit of speaking words of spiritual encouragement to others. Can the class-room become a place where this custom can be recaptured?
3· [FURTHER DISCUSSION] These are mostly personal opinion questions for the purpose of helping a student clarify his thinking on the matters.
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T-114 to 118
INTO MY LIFE
4· [SEEK RELEVANT APPLICATIONS] In this activity, a student can very direct־ ly reach out and ask someone to help him, yet avoid the stigma of having to admit too directly before his peers that he has needs. Remind the students to keep their responses anpnymous. You should reserve the right to screen out any statements which would embarrass anyone.
Can the students name specific things they can do to respond to the requests which you read? These requests could well relate to a JMV meeting emphasis on witnessing. If we give money to meet the needs of persons far away, why not give time and attention to the needs of people only a few feet away?
5. [PERSONAL DISCOVERY] Since the Bible says that all the believers have a spiritual gift, then we need to take it seriously enough to go in search of that gift. You should explain to the students that their gift may not yet be developed to the point that it reveals a discernible pattern. This is because the gifts are given for the purpose of ministering to the needs of others; and if one is not yet involved in service to others, his gift may still be latent.
But the exercise which follows will still be of value in that the student can see that his abilities are God-given, that they fall into certain patterns, that he is not expected to have all the gifts, and that others have gifts.
Be sure to have the students do the evaluation on page 118.
7־ ד ד
T-119
TO SHARE
This activity has not been printed in the students* textbook so that it might retain a certain element of surprise and intrigue· While the students are reviewing their lessons, prepare in the following manner:
1.	On small pieces of paper, or 3 x 5 cards, write or type the following questions, one question per card. Prepare enough cards so that one half of the class can be supplied with question cards.
A.	״How can I help you to grow spiritually?"
B.	"What do you suggest I do to develop my own spiritual gifts?"
C.	"Why does God want us Christians to talk together openly about our spiritual lives?"
D.	״What can we do so that our classroom moves closer to the pattern described in Acts 2:41-47?"
2. Distribute these cards at random so that every other student in the class has a question card. Then have the students quickly form into pairs, each person with a question teaming up with a person who does not have a question.
3.	The person with the card asks the question on the card to the other team-mate. The other student seeks to give an extended answer to the question, based on his study of the lesson and on his own personal convictions. Ask the teams to see the question as the beginning of a conversation that may continue for several minutes, rather than as a quick question and answer.
4.	When the teams have finished talking about their questions, collect the question cards, shuffle them, and redistribute them, this time giving them
to the persons who did not receive them before. Repeat the sharing as before.
5.	When this second sharing is completed, ask the class to write answers to the following questions under the PERSONAL EVALUATION heading on page 119:
A.	How do you feel about the sharing you just finished? Why?
B.	What was the most valuable idea that you think you shared with your teammate?
C.	Would you like to do this kind of sharing again?
[Optional; if already assigned]
D.	Write Hebrews 3:13 from memory.
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T-120
LESSON 12: KNOWING GOD'S WILL
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the basic skills and insights necessary in order to know correctly God's will for him individually.
1.1	Lists the avenues by which God can reveal His will to a person.
1.2	Affirms that God does indeed have plans for him individ-ually.
1.3	Distinguishes between the various uses of the word "will" and uses the word correctly in its context.
2.	Shows an appreciation for the concept of submitting his will to the will of God.
2.1	Compares Jesus' submission of His will to his own submis-sion, showing the similarities in the experiences.
2.2	Places the submission of his own will as a very high prior-ity in the process of knowing God's will.
3.	Knows by experience how to put into practice some of the tech-niques for knowing God's will.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
A young Christian needs a simple, workable plan for discovering the will of God in the decisions he faces. Without this plan he may conclude that God is not interested in his daily life. He might then make increasing numbers of decisions without any reference to God.
In this lesson the student makes a small booklet with entries based on his research from the inspired sources. Making the booklet could include encouragement to practice good penmanship!
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FROM THE WORD
Begin this section of study by supplying students with scissors and some staplers, and have them cut out and staple their booklets· Invite them to cut, fold, and staple very carefully so that the finished product is neat and attractive. If they follow the instructions, their pages will be num-bered sequentially from 1 to 8· Have them check this numbering before they staple the pages together. Two staples down the center fold should be ade־־ quate.
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* AWAKENING INQUIRY
After studying the introduction to the lesson and ascertaining that the
class understands the basic direction they will be going, try this exer-
cise:
1.	Ask each student to think of a good question which he would very much like to have answered by the end of the lesson. This should be a ques-tion dealing with the content of the lesson, rather than with some per־־ sonal matters in his own life. Encourage him to ask specific questions.
2.	Have them come to the board one at a time and write their questions on the board. [Optional: require that each question be different from the questions already on the board, so that you will have as many separate questions as you have students in the class.]
3.	Leave the questions on the board throughout the study of this lesson, frequently reminding the class that they are there.
4.	At the conclusion of the lesson, perhaps several days from now, go back through the questions. Ask the student who wrote each question whether he has found an answer to that question during the study of the lesson.
If he has, ask him to share the answer. If he has not, talk with the class about that question, and see if there is adequate information from the lesson to provide an answer to that question.
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T-122 to 124
FROM THE WORD
Answers printed below are arranged according to the manual after it has been assembled.
Page 1:
Cover. Student should write his name on the front.
Page 2:
EQUIPMENT NEEDED. Student will already have Bible. "Open Mind" is simply to encourage a certain mental set before starting. Be certain that each student takes the time to think of a particular case in point before proceeding. It will make his study much more relevant.
Page 3:
TRAVELER1S PLEDGE. "I have decided to do nothing in any line that will displease God.
Page 4:
DIRECTIONS FOR TRAVEL.
1. God reveals His will to us in His Word, the Holy Scriptures.
2. We can also know His will for us by watching providential workings if we do not choose to follow our own selfish ways.
3.	God's will for us is also shown through the Holy Spirit's impressions on our hearts—impressions that will make changes in our characters.
Page 5:
WARNINGS.
Advice of fellowmen: Other humans can lead us astray, even though they may be persons of importance and authority. Don't look to others; look to God.
"Chance" methods: These are not God's methods, and will disappoint those who follow them.
Man-made "tests": Leave them alone in favor of knowing the Bible truth. IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND DIRECTIONS.
1.	One must seek sanctification, and seek God in prayer.
2.	We must allow God to blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His, so that He is acting through us.
Page 6: [To be read carefully by students.]
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T-123, 124 Cont'd.
FROM THE WORD
Page 7:
THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION·
In this life: We can come to have the mind of Christ—understanding things from the same point of view as He does, and receiving wis-dom from heaven as He didf leading us to serve others as He did.
For the life to come: If we follow His guidance, we will be ready to meet Him when He comes again, and we can go with Him to live forever in heaven.
Page 8:
MY PERSONAL RECORD OF GOD'S LEADING.
[In this space the student should write a summary of how God has led in a specific instance in his own life. If possible, this should be a description of how he found God’s will with reference to the case in point on page 2.]
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
1· ״How can I know that the impressions on my heart are from God? What if they are just my own feelings and desires? How can I tell them apart?"
An analogy could be drawn with a weather vane—the instrument used to show which way the wind is blowing. The vane will be accurate in show*־ ing the direction of the wind only as it is left free to rotate in all directions. If some other force is holding it in place, or causing it to point in a certain direction, then we cannot trust it to tell us the truth about the direction of the wind. In the same way, if we are to know the voice of God speaking to our hearts, all other human desires and plans must be set aside. We must come to the place where we have no selfish will in the matter—where we are ready to accept God's leading whatever it may be. To the degree that this has happened, to that same degree we can trust the impressions on our hearts. And,of course, God would never give impressions which would be in contradiction to the teachings of the inspired word.
2.	"If we follow God's leading, does that mean that things will always turn out just right?"
That depends on what one means. Paul followed God's will and was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and finally beheaded. But he was inwardly con-tent. He was sure that things had turned out "just right" even though others looking on may have doubted it. God promises peace, not a picnic.
122
TEACHER'S NOTES
123
T-125
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES] The principles of this lesson will be of value to the students only to the degree that they are able to make some direct applications to their lives. This activity is one more thrust toward making sure that the students are actually applying the concepts. Help each student think of some kind of decisions he is facing for which he needs divine assistance. For example:
Where to go to school next year.
How to relate to a family member with whom there is tension.
Purchases that need to be made.
Whether or not to engage in certain activities (bowling, card-playing, and the like, which some consider to be "gray" areas.)
Boyfriend ־girlfriend problems (necking, breaking up, parent disapproval) Favorite TV programs.
Witnessing projects—what to do or say.
Whether or not to make a personal confession to another person.
Whether or not to be baptized at this time.
Handling investment projects.
Understanding spiritual matters: verses being studied, God’s attitudes toward certain things, Bible stories that are perplexing.
How to change habits and desires.
Students might be directed to verses and passages such as:
James 1:5 *If any of you lacks wisdom . . .״
Isaiah 30:21 ’,And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying . . .״
John 15:7 ״If you abide in me, ask . . .n
Philippians 4:6 ”Have no anxiety about anything, but ...”
Proverbs 3:511 7־. . . and lean not unto thine own understanding . . .'י The Desire of Ages, pages 330, 668.
2.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] Does God use chance methods to reveal His will? It will add interest to the assignment if students read the interview aloud, one playing the role of Willie, the other the role of his mother Ellen.
You may discover that some students are very much oriented toward setting up little man-made tests by which to know the Lordfs will. "If he calls me before 8 o’clock, I’ll go with him.11 Or, "I’ll just open my Bible and put my finger on a text, and let that be an answer from God to me." They may volunteer other similar examples.
They should be encouraged to see that such methods bypass the mental powers which God wants us to learn to develop. He wants us to learn how to bring our mind into intelligent subjection to His will, so that we can understand the wisdom in His will for us.
3.	[SEEKING PRINCIPLES] What are the essential truths which Muller is highlighting in his comments about knowing God’s will? One theme the students should notice is that of coming to the place where we have no personal, self-ish desires on the matter in question. Then God is free to influence our thoughts as we bring them into subjection to Him.
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	[FURTHER RESEARCH; SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION] How is man’s will supposed to relate to God’s will? This is such a crucial question! A key quotation the students will want to notice is found in reference 11/35.
The students will probably suggest ideas such as the following:
The will involves the power to choose.
The Christian chooses to place his will on Christ’s side, submitting his will to that of Christ.
We choose to let Christ so influence our desires and values that we finally come to make all of our choices just as He would. We make choices just like His.
That is our final goal: that our choosing should be just like His, with none of the old selfishness influencing our choices.
MATURE
CHRISTIAN; THE GOAL
This might be symbolized in this way:
(selfishness leaves)
Christ’s will
NEW, GROWING CHRISTIAN
UNCONVERTED
PERSON
5.	[CLARIFICATION, APPLY TO LIFE] Discussion may follow this pattern:
A.	We can share insights that God has given us through personal exper-iences that are similar or through our study of the Bible. We can ad-vise others to look to God and resist telling them what we think they ought to do. We can listen sympathetically and help to clarify the problems.
B. We must always treat the authority with respect, even if we must disagree. Then we must make sure we know what God’s will is in the matter. Explain the conflict to the authority (if there is one) and seek for a change in his requirements. If conflict continues, we need to courteously explain that we cannot go along with human authority where it conflicts with God.
C.	There may be such times, increasingly so as the final conflicts of the great controversy shape up. (Ask students to visualize the settings as individual conscience stands up against massive church-state-peer group pressures.)
D.	Ask students to be as specific as possible here.
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(dark with selfishness)
T-127
TO SHARE
1.	I'm glad you’re not asking, me to tell you what God's will is, because I can't do that. But you can discover God's will for yourself. Jesus has promised you wisdom to know His will (James 1:5). Believe His promisef and ask Him. But you must be entirely willing to do His will, whichever way He leads. Look for guidance in the Bible. (For example, if your parents tell you to go with them, then you must obey your par-ents as the Bible says in Eph. 6:1-3.) You can also find counsel in the writings of Ellen White. If no inspired counsel applies, then look for God's leadings in the providential things that happen—circumstances that seem to have a guiding Hand behind them. And if your heart is open to God's influencesf He may be able to impress you with His thoughts and guide you in this way.
2. Are you sure you need the answer yet? Are you really listening to what God might be saying? Could His answer be a totally different one from what you expected? Do you really care about knowing His will? Have you considered that maybe it is all right with God whichever way you go?
3.	He has told us that we matter very much to Him. (See Matthew 10:29-31.) [Personal testimony may be a fitting completion to this response.]
******** enrichment/alternatives ********* HEARING GOD’S VOICE
We need to learn how to be sensitive to heaven’s influences:
"We want to become so sensitive to holy influences that the lightest
whisper of Jesus will move our souls."—That I May Know Him, page 361.
This short activity might help students learn to be more sensitive to those special moments when God may be trying to get His messages through to us.
Give each student a small sheet of paper and ask him to write short answers to each of the following questions:
A.	When do you think God might have the most success in getting His impressions through to you? (Such as, when you are praying and meditating, or when you are studying the Bible, or walking in nature, or the like.)
B.	What are some of the things that would keep His messages from getting through to you? Can you change those things?
C.	Name one time when you feel God was trying to get a message to you.
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SAMPLE QUIZ QUESTIONS FOR UNIT 2
NOTE: These sample questions are not intended as a complete test; rather they are a stimulus for the teacher writing his own questions, and for this reason contain a variety of styles and content emphases.
1.	Write a diary or journal entry for a young person’s typical day, item-izing the activities of the day. Include in it as many activities as you can think of by which that person may come to know God during the day.
2. Speak into the microphone of a tape recorder and tell everything you can think of that you know about the Holy Spirit and His work in people’s lives.
3.	Rewrite the following sentence; but instead of using the words that are underlined, use words of your own choosing that will describe or explain the words that are underlined: (Choose one or more.)
"Our faith in Jesus grows as we behold Him as He is revealed in His word—the Bible."
"Prayer is most helpful to the Christian when it is honest and personal."
"God wants us to worship Him with our whole heart."
״We must be willing to submit our will before we can know God’s will for our lives."
4.	Choose any three* of the following verses and write a sentence or two for each verse explaining its meaning. 1
1 Peter 4:10, 11 1 Corinthians 2:12 John 15:5 Philippians 4:13 Matthew 6:10 Romans 12:1, 2
*This number may be adjusted either way.
5.	Select the one idea which you found most personally helpful in this unit of study and—as your teacher directs—share this idea with the rest of the class. Take time to explain why you have selected that one idea and how you plan to apply it to your life.
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T-135
UNIT 3: VERY PRACTICAL MATTERS IN CHRISTIAN LIVING
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the Bible position on a number of areas of spiritual life which could be problems, such as the meaning of sin, how to gain victories, dealing with guilt, self-sufficiency, and others.
1.1	Gives examples of how misunderstandings of Bible truths can lead to problems in the daily life.
1.2	Acknowledges that certain Bible terminology can be used even by adult church members without an accurate understand-ing of the meaning behind those terms.
1.3	Distinguishes between false and true understandings of relevant Bible terms and concepts.
2.	Understands that the central focus of the Christian life is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2.1	Identifies most problems as stemming from a sketchy or dis-torted relationship with Christ.
2.2	Names the behaviors that are necessary in order to estab-lish and maintain a proper relationship with Christ.
2.3	Points out that Satan's primary attacks upon believers are aimed at disturbing that personal relationship.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* AWAKENING INQUIRY
Ask the students to read the list of lesson contents for lessons 13 to 18 at the bottom of the page. Invite them to think of one good question they would like to have answered for each of these lessons, and to write those questions on a piece of paper. Have them write their names on the paper and either turn it in to the teacher or place it in some secure place for safekeeping. Tell them you will return their questions to them at the end of the unit so that they can compare and see if their questions have been answered.
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T-136
LESSON 13: SIN MUST BE MORE THAN JUST SOMETHING I DO
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1. Understands the primary meaning of sin to be that of a broken relationship with Jesus Christ.
1.1	Explains the cause-effect relationship of sin, showing how all behavioral sins come as a result of a broken faith relation-ship with Jesus.
1.2	Describes sin primarily in terms of attitudes of rebellion and self-sufficiency, rather than primarily in terms of certain behaviors.
1.3	Presents solutions to the sin problem in terms of restor-ing the proper relationship with Christ.
1.4	Identifies even "good" behaviors done apart from Christ as sin, in that they are coming from the life of one still in a broken relationship with Jesus.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The opening comments are aimed at helping a student probe his own inner thoughts and feelings, and to discover that sin must be more than just behaviors. It must reside more basically at the level of inner attitudes and values. As the lesson develops, the student will find that these attitudes and values are sinful because of a broken or immature connection with Jesus.
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5 — T . G .
T-137
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* CHALKBOARD ILLUSTRATION
The relationship between the different usages of the word "sin" might be more clear to the students if this illustration were put on the board at some appropriate time during the class study:
Bad
actions
thoughts
words
Bad
desires
attitudes
motives
goals
A broken relationship with Jesus
Clarifying questions:
A· If we*re really going to solve the sin problem in our own hearts, where do we need to begin?
B.	What will happen if we work on sins without first solving the problem of SIN?
C.	When most people at your school talk about sin, which of the above meanings do you think they have in mind? Why?
130
SIN
SIN
sins
T-138
FROM THE WORD
1. A. James 4:171 Knowing what is right to do, get not doing it.
B.	Ephesians 2:1-3: Following the ruler of this world (Satan), and following our own sinful passions.
C.	Romans 1:21\	Knowing	God, get	refusing to	honor Him.
D.	Psalm 51:3,	4·· Doing	what one	knows to be	evil in the	sight of God.
E.	Romans 3:23:	Falling	short of	God1s glorg
2.	"Evergone who commits sin is actuallg guiltg of lawlessness, because sin is in fact an attitude of lawlessness
3.	"Whatever a person does, if his actions are not based on faith, or flow from his faith relationship, those actions are actuallg sin."
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
The youth have no doubt seen bumper stickers which speak out against certain forms of sin, such as, "Liquor Kills 40,000 Yearly," or, ״Donft Let Your Lungs Go Up in Smoke!"
Ask each class member to think of one good bumper sticker slogan which speaks against sin as sin is described in the verses under numbers 13־ above· For example: ״Rebels Still Play Follow the Leader—Satan!" "God-haters Become Man-haters.11
You may wish to display some of the better bumper stickers on the bulletin board.
MUSIC CORRELATION
If any students in the class seem inclined, invite them to compose simple tunes which the class can use for singing some of the verses in Psalm 51 or other Bible passages studied in this lesson.
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FROM THE WORD
4.	[The two diagrams on this page are presented as a way of visually por-traying the concept of genuine faith producing good works, but a broken faith relationship producing sinful works. Encourage the students to read reference 1/28.]
5.	[The student should complete this diagram by drawing arrows out from the center of the circle, and marking those arrows as 1,sinful actions,״ or the like. The shrivelled arrow, in contrast to the firm and straight arrow in the first diagram, represents a broken or very weak faith that does not make contact with God. Help the students begin by offering some responses similar to those shown below.]
GOD
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FROM THE WORD
6· [Two different forms for writing the word "sin" are here introducedf so that the student can relate to them in the following exericses. ]
sins
lying
cheating
stealing
gossiping
etc.
7. More examples: SIN
Refusing to glorify God
Rejecting the Holy Spirit
Choosing not to depend on God
Prefering this world to God9s world
Dislike for prayer, Bible study
Listening to men rather than to God
[Be certain that examples given in this column relate to God, rather than being simply attitudes, such as "rebellion·"]
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FROM THE WORD
8.	SIN should receive the first attention, because it is the root of the problem, and 1,sins" are but the result of the problem of SIN. When the root is destroyed, the fruit is also destroyed.
9.	Sin is being in a wrong relationship to God. It is being rebellious rather than loyal, self-sufficient rather than dependent, indifferent rather than loving toward God. As a result of this wrong relationship, one's life will show many sinful actions.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[SUMMARIZING, SYNTHESIZING] If a student can share an idea with someone several years his junior, then there is good evidence that he really under-stands that truth. This exercise can be all the more real if you will work with the lower—grade teachers in your school and arrange a time when your students actually can share their ideas.
2.	[FURTHER RESEARCH; COMMUNICATING] Students may inquire what more they can say about the quotations than what has already been said. Suggest that they ask questions such as these:
A. What would change in my life as I apply this quotation?
B. Could I tell someone else the same idea that is found here, using my own words?
C.	Can I suggest some ways in which the class can act differently as a result of applying this quotation?
D.	Can I tell a real-life experience that has happened to myself or someone else which would illustrate the ideas in the quotations?
E.	Are there some commonly held beliefs among my friends or acquain-tances which need to be set aside because of these quotations?
3.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A.	Concepts: Sin hurts people whom God loves. Sin destroys relations among people, and between people and God; and broken relationships stand at the root of all other problems.
B.	Concepts: This involves a complete willingness to turn our old sinful desires over to Jesus so that He can put them to death and give us new desires. The Bible speaks of it as our old, or carnal, nature which must be crucified, or put to death.
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3· Continued
C.	Concepts: There are different degrees of sin; but this does not mean that God dislikes some sins more than others, or dislikes the persons who do one kind of sin, while favoring a person who does another kind.
The difference is one of impact upon us· The sin of pride and self-sufficiency is more difficult to deal with, for example, than the sins of bad language or stealing. God can always deal more readily with our sins when we admit our need; and pride is a refusal to admit needs.
We probably resent the sins in others1 lives which we are having trouble facing in our own lives. The students will notice that sins vary in their scope of impact—some affecting the spiritual life, others the physical life. But all sins hurt somewhere!
4.	[EVALUATE] Students may not agree on these answers, as some of the items depend on word meanings and backgrounds each student will bring to the study. When sharing answers, have those who disagree explain their answers also.
A.	״T״ James 4:17.
B.	"PT״ Yes, He can give us victory over all the small temptations; but He can also give us victory over all the others as we learn to trust in His power.
C.	״T״
D. ״T״ This may surprise some students, as they suspect that sin is always some kind of blatantly evil act; but sin, at its very core, is living apart from Christ. Being a good citizen is nice, but it is just not the same as being saved from sin!
E.	״T״
F.	"F" Our conflict with sin will have begun in earnest. As we lean on the strength of Jesus, we need never be defeated by sin; but that doesn't mean we wonft be bothered by it.
5.	[ARTISTIC EXPRESSION; SYMBOLIC THINKING] Some sample ideas to get the ideas flowing:
״Donft mask over the real problem by treating the symptoms."
1,Nice people are still sinners.״
"SIN is a broken connection with Christ."
6.	[BIBLE STUDY SKILLS; FURTHER RESEARCH] You may wish to sit in with the small group to help guide the study as it begins. Urge them to focus their study by seeking to find answers to the questions printed in their textbooks.
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7.	[EMPATHY; DISCERN ATTITUDES] The purpose of this exercise is to help the student enter into Davidrs very emotions as he repented of his sin, so that the student might more deeply appreciate the experience of true repentance. Students should be able to write descriptions of Davidfs feelings next to each verse, sometimes writing more than one phrase.
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* ILLUSTRATION
What would happen if a person had a very serious disease that caused him to have severe headaches, and he always just took an aspirin to make the pain go away? Taking the pills may make him feel better for the moment; yet it may cover up the fact of the disease which may go on spreading in his body until it is too late to treat it.
We can cover up sins in our life until we may come to think that we have no more problem with SIN. For example, telephone operators are trained to talk very graciously on the phone even when they are feeling very mean.
We can all train ourselves to act in certain nice ways so that people will think that we are nice people, and end up thinking that we have solved all our inner sin problems.
What is the solution? Should a person with a disease stop taking aspirin?
Or should he keep taking the aspirin, yet see the headaches as a sign of some deeper problem?
Should a telephone operator talk mean and cranky just because she feels like it? Or should she continue to speak graciously, yet see her mean feelings as a sign of some deeper inner problem?
Should we all start acting as sinful as we sometimes feel like acting? Or should we choose to act properly, but see those sinful feelings as a sign that SIN is still alive in our hearts?
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INTO MY LIFE
8.	[MEMORIZE] The student must evaluate these verses in terms of their meaning in his own life before he selects one to memorize. This will in-crease the likelihood that the memorization will be more meaningful. When asking the student to quote or write the verse he has memorized, you might also ask him to explain why that particular verse was chosen.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
ILLUSTRATION
Many persons are inclined from long habit to think of sin only in terms of a wrong act or deed, rather than as a broken relationship with the Creator. To emphasize this contrast, you might discuss these pairs of contrasts with the class. You could name one half of the pair, inviting the class to fig-ure out the other half of the matching contrast.
SIN AS A WRONG ACT	SIN AS A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
Breaking God's heart.
Feeling bad because of misrepresent-ing God to others.
Being concerned about changing one's total response to God.
Focusing the attention of Christ Himself.
Witnessing by telling others about Christ.
Feeling ashamed when others can tell that one's life is out of touch with Jesus.
Believing that Jesus died primarily to restore the sinner to a loving relationship with Christ.
Breaking a written statement on a piece of paper.
Feeling bad because of punishment to come.
Being concerned about changing specific acts.
Focusing the attention on the law.
Witnessing by telling others to keep the law.
Feeling embarrassed when discovered doing a wrong deed.
Believing that Christ died pri-marily to take the punishment for the sinner's wrong actions.
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TO SHARE
1· It appears that you are thinking about sin just as something wrong that you are doing. You will never be able to stop sinning just by trying not to do wrong things. You do things that are wrong because of a wrong relationship with Christ. What you need to do is focus your attention on knowing Christ. Ask Him to change your desires and motives. Ask Him to give you a new heart and new spiritual power.
Then as your life fills with His new life, these old sinful things will drop aside.
2.	When we break contact with Jesus and go against our faith, it will always produce in our hearts attitudes of not liking the law. And lawlessness means not liking Christ’s way of life, not caring about His will for us. If a person has attitudes of lawlessness, we can be sure that something is wrong with his faith relationship with Jesus.
3.	The Bible talks much about sin, because every time sin is pointed out in our lives, it should show us that something is wrong with our faith relationship with Jesus. Being aware of our sin shows us our need for Christ. When we know that we are sinners, and then see that Christ has died for us anyway, then we are talking about Christ’s love in its most important form. But if we didn’t know that we are sinners, then Christ’s death wouldn’t impress us very much.
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LESSON 14: THANKS BE TO GOD WHO GIVES US THE VICTORY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands that it is God's plan to deliver His people not only from the guilt of their sins, but also from the control of sin.
1.1	Affirms that it is Christ's power alone which can accomplish our deliverance from the power of the enemy.
1.2	Identifies this complete deliverance as the normative goal for all Christians, not just of some special group.
2.	Understands the means by which the deliverance from the control of sin is to be accomplished.
2.1	Explains the role of the Holy Spirit as God's channel of power to the dependent Christian.
2.2	Describes what it means for victory over sin to be a gift, given to those who trust, rather than as something that is won in personal conflict with the enemy.
2.3	Explains the concept of Christ having already won the con-flict with the enemy, and of His giving us His victory.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Read the introductory paragraphs to the class as they follow along. Let them feel the drama of the scene. Let the ridiculousness of the closing concept make its full impact. Then while the point is still fresh in their minds, lead right into the challenge which follows.
FROM THE WORD
1.	[Students should read 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 at this point.]
2.	A. Sin had control of our lives
B.	That power was crucified, or put to death, with Christ.
C.	Christ's new spiritual life is now in control of the life. [Continued on next page.]
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2.	D. Going down into the water symbolizes being buried as in a grave,
meaning that we have died to the control of the old life· Coming up out of the water is like a resurrection, coming up to a new life—Christ9s new life within.
E.	That would be just as foolish!
F.	We can say, "I have died to Satan's control; I don't have to pay any more attention to him. I now have a new Master in charge in my life· It would be foolish of me to live as Satan wants me to, because Jesus has set me free from his control
3. Death to the old self must happen daily, or constantly.
4· [Students should read this paragraph carefully.]
5.	Jesus Christ is now in charge in my life.
6.	Jesus Christ, who dwells within a Christian, is much stronger than Satan, who now must dwell outside·
7.	It is Christ's strength that wins the contest over Satan. It it not our own power·
8.	We have to know how very weak we really are, and admit it freely.
9. A. I must cooperate with God, gladly agreeing to do whatever He asks.
B. Whenever God asks me to do something, He will give me all the power I need to get it done.
C.	Heaven's strength comes when I set out to obey His commands.
[Students may suggest other variations on these statements.]
INTO MY LIFE
Be careful to study the opening paragraphs with the class, since they are basic to the rest of the lesson, and to many concepts to be studied later in the book.
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1.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] This diagram may clarify many things for your stu-dents, helping them on the one hand to avoid the error of passivity, and on the other hand to avoid the error of self-״wrought efforts. This principle of cooperation is an extremely important one, deserving careful research and discussion. Further research may produce the following pairs of con-trasts:
COOPERATION WITH GOD
CONVERTED MAN'S PART is to:	GOD'S PART is to:
Give power to accomplish the effort
Provide strength to obey
Give us the power to overcome
Make us willing to do His will
Give us grace to do His will
Enable us to serve Him
Continue to supply the power
Work for us, work through us
When too much emphasis is put on what God does, people may just sit and wait for God to accomplish some magical change; but this won’t happen.
Make the effort
Choose to obey
Resist temptation
Be willing to be made willing
Choose to agree with God’s will
Hope, desire, and choose to serve Him
Put forth God-given powers
Keep our will on God’s side
When too much emphasis is put on what man can do, nothing will get done, since man is powerless to do righteous things.
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2.	[DISCERN PRINCIPLES; APPLY TO NEW SITUATION] When the students grasp the power revealed in this story, it can be a very liberating experience!
A student story in the modern setting may resemble this example:
Bill seems to have been born with a bad temper. Ever since he could remember, he had been getting angry at people for the slightest little things. And when big things annoyed him, the whole house would shake with rage. He knew that it was wrong, that he was losing friends at school, and that his parents really wished he could solve the problem.
But the harder he tried, the worse it got. And when he would resolve not to lose his temper, then lose it again, it made him doubly angry for having broken his resolve. People told him just to stop getting angry; but he knew that it was useless counsel. Nothing worked.
Then one day he was reading in the Bible about controlling his tongue.
He wondered, 1*Would Jesus ask me to do anything I couldn’t do? Surely if He is asking me to do it, He’ll give me the power to do it!11 Then his memory flashed back to Philippians 4:13, *1I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.*1 He realized that he had been trying all these years to stop getting angry by his own strength. All of a sudden, it all made sense in his mind. Knowing that Christ would give him all the strength he needed, he chose no longer to become angry.
Just then his little brother came into the room with a very guilty look on his face. In his hands he held the broken remains of Bill’s favorite model airplane—the one he had warned everyone to leave strictly alone! Bill remembered his decision. To his own amazement, and to his brother’s great relief, he felt only pity for his brother, who stood there expecting a huge torrent of anger to come crashing down at any moment. Bill reached out for his brother, knowing that something new was working in his life.
3.	[PERSONAL APPLICATION] This activity can be presented to the class as a meditation exercise. Or you may wish to structure some other means of leading the students into a thoughtful study of the quotations listed in the promise column. For example, stage a number of spontaneous role-play situations in which the student is asked to tell as though in a conversa-tion the main ideas in the promise.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********
ELLEN WHITE COMMENTARY
**The work that we are to do is not independent of what God is to do, but a work of cooperation with God. The power and grace of God is to be wrought into the heart by the divine Worker; but some go astray here, claiming that man has a work to do that is wholly independent of any work of God. Another class take the other extreme, and say that man is free from all obligation, because God does the whole thing—both the willing and the doing. But the true ground to take is that the human will must be in subjection to the divine will. The will of man is not to be forced into cooperation with divine agencies, but must be voluntarily submitted. Man has no power of himself to work out his own salvation. Salvation must be the result of co-operation with divine power, and God will not do that for man which he can do for himself.** —Signs of the Times, June 4, 1912.
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	[DISCERN PRINCIPLES; COMPARE] Christ is able to give the old bum the power to make a complete break from the old life· The students will expect him to cease his pickpocket activity immediately since he is now a Christ-ian. But having expected that of him, they will immediately notice that they have been planning to give themselves several years to overcome some personal failing or sinful habit· If the pickpocket can stop picking pockets in one day, by the power of the Lord, then the one who uses bad language, or cheats, or reads dirty magazines, can cease his bad activity in one day, too.
But it so seldom happens· Why? Perhaps we don’t expect it to happen. Or maybe we aren’t really certain that we want it to happen; we have some ling-ering attachments to the old way of life. Possibly some of us aren’t even really converted! Refusing to accept Christ’s abundant power to overcome a sin could be a sign of external religion.
5.	[MEMORIZE] This is an extremely important verse. The key idea is the replacing of the old life force with one that is entirely new, draw-ing its power from heaven.
********* ENRICHMENT/alternatives ********* ILLUSTRATION
The story is told of a dear old country lady who went to prayer meeting every Wednesday night, and very fervently prayed the same prayer: ״Lord please clear the cobwebs of sin from my life.11 Week after week she prayed to have the cobwebs cleared. Finally one man nearby could take it no longer. ',Lord,1* he asked, "do something about that spider in that lady’s life!"
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TO SHARE
1.	Perhaps you have been waiting until you felt God had made some magical change in your life. Or maybe you have been waiting to feel as though some remarkable change has been made. If you will set out to act in the right way, God will give you the power to live it as you keep on depending on Him.
2.	Yesf it would be hard to do them if_ the Christian had to do them in his own strength. In fact, it would be impossible to do them. But since Jesus supplies all the power to do it, it is actually extremely easy to live the Christian life. One of the hardest things about it is accepting how easy it is. The only really hard part is keeping my old selfish will submitted to Christ’s will.
3.	There is a big difference! The non-Christian is trying to live a life that he really can’t live; he doesn’t have the power or the genuine desires to be good. But the Christian has both a new set of desires that want to do good, and all the divine power that he needs in order to be good.
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LESSON 15: DOES CHRIST'S UMBRELLA HAVE LEAKS IN IT?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands that guilt is not a necessary experience in the life of a converted Christian.
1.1	Affirms that Christ has already borne his guilt, and that as long as he abides in Christ, that guilt need not come back on him.
1.2	Differentiates between guilt (being condemned for sin) and remorse (feeling bad for having misrepresented God to others) in the experience of a Christian.
1.3	Recalls from lesson 4 that the inadvertant stumbling of a growing Christian does not sever the relationship of acceptance and forgiveness which is his in Christ.
2.	Knows how to deal with guilt feelings.
2.1	Recognizes guilt as a tool of the "accuser of the brethren," and claims the covering of Christ as his protection.
2.2	Identifies those situations when restitution may need to be made—as a means of acting out genuine repentance, rather than as a means of earning God's favor.
2.3	Lists some of the damaging results of guilt feelings upon the physical, mental, and spiritual life.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The drawing of the umbrella in the rain is filled with meaning for the theme of this lesson. It depicts a rain of guilt pouring down from a dark cloud of broken faith and broken law. That rain of guilt would beat down on one’s head unless he were hiding under that umbrella of being "In Christ" But the question is: Does Christ's umbrella have leaks in it? Does some of that guilt drip through? What if one stumbles in his Christian walk? Does a great big drop of guilt come splashing down on him? We know that if one leaves the relationship with Christ, he will be "soaked" with guilt all over again. But are those who stay in Him safe from guilt?
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* WORSHIP OPTION
As a variation on the worship time, you may want to lead the class into some interesting sharing by using this symbolic device·
A.	If I could describe my life right now with a weather report, it would be (select one):
1.	big storm coming
2· low overcast
3.	clear and sunny
4.	hot and humid
5.	a raging blizzard
6· cold drizzles, but may clear soon 7· hot, dry, and calm 8· changeable at any moment
B.	Draw a picture which describes what you would like your personal weather forcast to be one week from now.
When students have responded to both the above items, have them form into small groups and share with each other what they have selected and drawn· Then ,,surprise1* them with these questions:
A· Does Christ promise that every day will be sunny and warm?
B· Can you think of some reasons why Christ might allow a storm to come your way?
C· What advantage does a Christian have in a storm that a non-Christ-ian does not have?
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FROM THE WORD
2.	A. Guilt comes by breaking faith with the Lord and by failing to keep any of the commandments.
B.	Guilt is being aware that my relationship is not right with God because I have done something wrong. It means knowing that I am condemned as a sinner because of my wrong.
C.	Everyone who has ever lived has been guilty.
2.	Christ already bore the guilt of the world’s sins on the cross. In order to get out from under the load of guilt, I must come to Christ and accept Himf thanking Him for already bearing my guilt so that I don’t have to.
3. The one who is in Christ does not need to be condemned. Since God does not pronounce one to be condemned when he is in Christ, there is
no need for him to feel condemned.
4.	The Christian feels bad when he sins because he knows that he has hurt God’s heart by disappointing Him. He also knows that he has misrepre-sented his best Friend to the world—by taking on His family name, and then not acting like Him.
5.	[These next few paragraphs rely heavily on the circle diagram in order to illustrate visually one important point: that one is not cast away from Christ when one stumbles in the Christian walk. Urge the students to follow along carefully. Be ready to explain the concepts to them.]

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FROM THE WORD
5. Continued:
[If the student has understood the development of the thoughts leading up to the final question, he will mark a spot on the diagram showing that a person is in the outer circle, depending on Christfs forgiveness, but still in Christ. He is not severed from Christ, cast out of the larger circle. This should be a very reassuring discovery to the con-scientious person who is seeking a right relationship with Christ, yet who knows that he often stumbles.]
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ILLUSTRATION
The Bible often speaks of the relationship between us and God as similar to that of the marriage bond. ״And in that day, says the Lord, you will call me, fMy husband,1 .... And I will betroth you to me forever.11 Hosea 2:16, 19.
Imagine that a man and a woman fall deeply in love and get married. The realtionship is beautiful right from the start, and they get along quite nicely. Then one day everything seems to go wrong. She burns the toast and scorches his shirt while ironing it. He backs the car through the garage door because he is late for work. He snaps at her for the poor breakfast, and she snaps back about the dented car fender. They have both said unkind words to each other.
Now what do they do? Will they run into the back closet, get the marriage license out of the cedar chest, and rip it up? Is one impatient tiff grounds for divorce? Or will their commitment of love be able to ride over this temporary problem?
While the parallel is not exact in every way, it should illustrate the fact tKat God will not *,divorce" us every time we stumble and fall in our endea-vor to walk the Christian way. He knows that it takes time to learn to live in such a profoundly different way. And He holds us close to Himself as we learn.
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FROM THE WORD
6.	Satan tries to cause people to feel that they are guilty and condemned, even after they have claimed Jesus as their Saviour from these accusa-tions. He tries by these accusations to break one's faith in God. But we have the promises that we are not cast off from Christ so long as we do not choose another master.
7.	We can appeal to Christ to silence the enemy. Christ does not say that we are innocent. He admits that we have sinned, but He announces that He has covered us with His own righteousness, taking our guilt upon Himself. He tells Satan to be quiet, since He has redeemed us.
8.	Satan wants us to spend time thinking about our terribly sinful con-dition so that we will lose hope in God's willingness to forgive us.
Our feelings of guiltiness must be laid at the foot of the cross.
9.	Jesus immediately assured her that she was forgiven, and this so over-whelmed her that her whole life was changed and she became one of Jesus' most devoted followers. She knew that Jesus genuinely loved her because He so surely forgave her.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] This is an extremely important text. When asking students to write or repeat this text, seek to discover whether they have appropriat-ed its meaning into their lives. Ask questions such as, ״Can you know for sure whether God has completely forgiven you right now?"
2. [EVALUATE] Can the students detect a faulty view of the matter of guilt when they hear one? Ask them to mark these comments, and write out short explanations of why the ones marked I are incorrect.
A.	I Assurance based on feeling rather than on promises.
Believes he must ask for forgiveness more than once for same sin.
B.	C
C. I	Christיs ministry is to take away guilt, not create it.
D.	C
E.	I Satan is telling the truth when he says we've done wrong; but he
is not telling the truth when he says we must still feel guilty about those sins, for Christ has taken that guilt upon Himself.
F.	C
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3.	[FURTHER RESEARCH; APPLY PRINCIPLES; MAKE REPORTS] Few topics are of more urgent concern to youth than that of making restitution. This matter seems to haunt many youth, for they know that they have done wrong to others, and they suspect that these wrongs could have serious consequences in their standing with God.
The purpose of the research is to help the students know when restitution should be made, why it should be made, and how to go about it. They will discover that not every case necessarily requires telling others about the wrong, but that many will.
Their research may be made more practical by having them do it with reference to certain specific cases. For example, tell them about each of the follow-ing hypothetical cases. Ask them to discover whether restitution should be made, what that restitution should be, and how one might go about doing it.
Case A: A boy steals a box of candy from a local store and eats it immedi-ately.
Case B: A boy steals a box of candy from a store and passes it around among his friends who—knowing that it is stolen—eat it all anyway. Later he is the only one who feels that the wrong must be made right.
Case C: A boy steals a box of candy from a store, but before he even opens it he is convinced that he should not have done it. He takes the box back without anyone knowing that it has been taken.
Case D: A boy steals a box of candy from a store while in a far distant city on vacation. Back home again, he is convinced that he has done wrong, but he has no idea how to make contact with the store owner. He canft even recall the name of the city where it happened.
Case E: A girl passes on some hurtful gossip about another student to two of her friends. The other student finds out about the gossip and is deeply hurt.
Case F; A girl passes on some hurtful gossip about another student to two of her friends. The other student never finds out about the gossip, but the two friends think very badly about the other student as a result of the story.
Case G: A student cheats on an exam, earning a higher grade as a result.
Case H: A student cheats on an exam, but it doesnft help his grade at all.
4.	[DISCUSSION TOPICS]
A.	Other examples: Say that the act wasn’t really wrong. Get drunk, or take other drugs to dull senses. Say that everyone else is doing it.
B.	Remorse is the Christian alternative to guilt; it is outward in its concern, feeling bad that God’s reputation has been hurt.
[Continued on next page.]
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	Continued
C.	If the person refuses to apologize to the one he has hurt, he runs the grave risk of neutralizing the power of the gospel in his life.
Of course, apologizing will greatly help the one who was hurt.
D.	It should produce a greater admiration for His love and patience and a deeper desire to heal the wounds of sin. One way to tell whether this is happening would be if the students actually began to make wrongs right with each other in the class.
E.	This reveals that we do not trust God’s promises, believing that He needs to be coaxed and begged before He will forgive. One time is enough, if
we are genuine in our repentance.
F.	If persons refuse to turn to Christ, one would have no choice but to let them suffer the results of their sinfulness. If they refuse to admit that they are wrong, what can be done for them? God is looking most of all for sincere turning from sin caused by a deep awareness of its sinfulness, and turning toward Christ out of love for Him.
5.	[MUSIC CORRELATION; FINDING PRINCIPLES] Some examples:
Rock of Ages
There Was One Who Was Willing
Look Upon Jesus, Sinless Is He
Lord, I Care Not for Riches (2nd stanza)
Redeemed! How I Love to Proclaim It
6.	[ART CORRELATION] To help "prime the pump" of student imagination, suggest these seed ideas:
Satan as the accuser—courtroom scenes? Newspaper headlines? Scales?
Guilt versus remorse—facial expressions? Other people watching?
Not being cast off—mountain climbers tied together? Life raft?
7.	[APPLY TO LIFE] In seeking to say something helpful to Peter, the stu-dent will of course be saying helpful things to his own heart. If needed, supply 3x5 cards to the class. Suggest they be as realistic as possible, starting with ״Dear Peter," and imagining an address to put on the front.
When they have completed their postcards, have them gather into small groups and read their cards to each other. Ask them to notice themes which show up in all the messages. Then have each person give his card to another person in the group, to keep as a momento of that sharing time.
8.	[HEALTH CORRELATION; FURTHER RESEARCH] Work with the students to arrange for a visiting specialist to talk on this topic.
9.	[COMPARE] Guilt is an inward, self-centered concern for status or stand-ing with God. Remorse is an outward, God-centered concern for His reputation. When we come to Christ in faith, He sets us free from concerns about guilt so that we can take up the infinitely higher task of being jealous for God’s reputation.
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1· This means that Jesus1 death for me on the cross will take away all my guilt, if I will accept that death as in place of my own death for my sins·
2· There is only one thing that you really can do· You must go to your teacher and make it right, and do it soon· This will show that you really are persuaded that you have done wrong· Your teacher will not think less of you for having the courage to be honest; he may already know that you have cheated, and is just waiting for you to confess it· ,Being at peace with your conscience is worth the effort·
3.	As a committed Christian I decide that I feel bad about it because it has hurt someone else—a fellow human being for whom Christ died· And I feel bad about it because, as a Christian, I am claiming to repre-sent Christ in my actions; and I have not been acting as He would act· I have hurt His reputation·
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TEACHER NOTES:
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LESSON 16: CAUTION! GOOD WORKS CAN BE DANGEROUS!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Recognizes that there are certain deceptions which Satan can introduce into one's life relating to the motives and methods for doing good works.
1.1	Lists the various errors most often held by persons who misunderstand the Christian view of good works, including:
A.	Good works as a means of earning merit or status with God.
B. Prideful display of good works to impress others.
C. Good works done by human strength, rather than by depen-dence upon the power of God.
D.	Good works which allow a person to feel that he is sufficiently righteous and in need of nothing more.
E.	Believing that faith is the only requirement, and that good works are not even relevant.
1.2	Identifies sentiments of these errors when hearing them expressed in conversation.
1.3	Interprets the relevance of The Laodicean Message to one who is confused by his own good works.
2.	Understands the proper Christian perspective on good works.
2.1	Explains that good works are the result of the power of Christ working in the life.
2.2	Identifies the proper motive for doing good works as that of a desire to reveal Christ to the world by revealing His character in our lives.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Please Note: This lesson is not in any way speaking against doing good
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works· Rather it is speaking in caution against the many subtle and very common errors which exist. Be sure to stress this concept when reading the introduction with the class. The student should not be less inclined to do good works after reading this lesson; rather he should be inclined to examine his motives and methods for doing good works with greater care.
FROM THE WORD
1.	Be renewed in the mind—spiritually renewed.
Speak truth with neighbors.
Don't let anger lead to sin.
Stop stealing; do useful, honest work.
Say only helpful, fitting things.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.
Put away everything that hurts relationships with people.
Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving to others.
2. Yes. The Bible urges good works many times.
3. God wants us to do good works so that the world will give glory to God as a result of seeing our good works. Through our godly lives people are to see the loveliness of Jesus' character.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* EXAMPLES FROM LIFE
This lesson focuses on the idea of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Can the class think of common, everyday things that can be done for the wrong reason, even though they may be the right thing to do? Put ideas such as the following on the board or overhead to get them started, then see how many other examples they can name.
Studying the Sabbath School lesson seven times just so you can report it and be proud before the others in the class.
Going to church just to see your friends.
Reporting a student who is using drugs just because you don't like him and you want him to get in trouble.
Signing up for baptismal class because you really want to get out of going to history class at the same time.
Offering your sandwich to a friend as an *1unselfish offer," when you actually just don't like the sandwich spread in the middle.
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FROM THE WORD
4.	DANGER ONE: Thinking that our good works will earn for us the forgive-ness and grace of God—that we could make ourselves worthy of salvation.
DANGER TWO: Doing good works so that other people will see them and think that we are very pious, religious people. Doing them for the approval of men.
DANGER THREE: Thinking that we have power within ourselves to do good works, and not trusting in God9s power to get them done.
DANGER FOUR: Giving credit and glory to ourselves because of our good works, and concluding that because we do so many good works, we really don’t need to repent. Becoming self-satisfied, impressed with our own goodness.
DANGER FIVE: Thinking that all we have to do is say, 111 have faith." Thinking that we don't need to pay any attention at all to good works, since we are "saved by faith alone."
5.	DANGER ONE: If we think that our good works will earn us standing with God, we will only become discouraged, since we can never do enough good works.
DANGER TWO: Showing off our works draws attention to ourselves, as though we were the ones who did the good works. But God alone is to get the glory, for He is the only one who can cause a change in our hearts, and produce good works in us.
DANGER THREE: Human strength will always let us down. We are not strong enough to do good works; we can only admit our weakness and lean on God’s power to work in us.
DANGER FOUR: When we are satisfied with our righteousness, it makes us feel no further need. Spiritual growth stops, and all manner of pride and deception comes into our lives.
DANGER FIVE: Genuine faith always produces good works. If we are not concerned at all about doing good works, it means that our faith is not the real thing. It is false or immature faith. A life without good works is surely a life without faith.
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FROM THE WORD
6· [These diagrams, based on the ones used in previous lessons, are used here to show how dependence upon one's own good works can actually sever the relationship with Christ, based on Galatians 5:4· One chooses to be in Christ as a result of a sense of need—need for His power and His forgiveness· But reliance on good works undercuts that sense of need. It causes one to feel that he is strong enough and good enough apart from a daily relationship of trust in Jesus. Try to ascertain that the students understand this before going on·]
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
1.	11Why have people always told us that we have to be good in order to be saved? I’ve believed that all my life—that God saves us when we’re good enough."
A.	Are you sure that that is what they have been telling you? Maybe they’ve just been stressing the importance of being good for other reasons, and you thought that they meant it as a means of earning your salvation.
B.	One of the big parts of the sin problem in our lives is the constant tendency to think that we are so very important and strong. It would flatter us to think that we could help to save ourselves. It is hard
to admit that we are helpless. That is a real blow to our pride. So we all have a tendency to want to believe that our good works will save us. We like to point to things that we have done: "1/ve given big offerings; 1 practice health reform; 1^ go to church on the right day of the week. Don’t you think that I deserve to be saved?" So we prob-ably don’t really need to blame someone else for telling us that we must try to earn our salvation by our good works. We all would kind of like to believe that that is the way it happens.
C.	Because of the problem listed in B above, there are a number of per-sons (parents, teachers, fellow students, perhaps even pastors) who may have said things that would cause you to conclude that one must work to achieve salvation. But don’t be too critical of them, because you’ll soon discover that the idea of trying to work for your salvation is more deeply imbedded into your mind than you now believe it is.
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FROM THE WORD
7. [This invites a personal reaction—which can take a number of forms.]
INTO MY LIFE
1. [SELF-ANALYSIS] Before the class begins work on this self-analysis, you should stress the following factors:
A. The analysis is entirely private. There will be no attempt on the part of the teacher to examine the completed questionnaire. It is entirely for the purpose of helping the student to evaluate his own motivations.
B. The analysis will be useful to the degree that a student has the courage to be absolutely honest in his responses. Try to impress the student with the perspective that this analysis is for his sake rather than for the interest or benefit of anyone else.
C.	It would be ideal if all students in the class do the analysis, with ample time being given for all to complete it.
Listed below are several additional Ellen White comments which might illuminate the responses listed for each question.
A.	Motives for doing good works;
״The divine favor, the grace of God bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ, is too precious to be given in exchange for any supposed meritorious work on the part of finite, erring man. Man has nothing in himself. The most exalted talent does not originate from man, but is the endowment of the Creator, and can purchase nothing from God. ... No human being by any work of his own could piece out the work of Christ."—Our High Call-ing, p. 118.
״The greatest work that can be done in our world is to glorify God by living the character of Christ."—Ellen White in SDA Bible Commentary,
Vol. 6, p. 1109.
B.	Why one feels bad about a sin:
״If one who daily communes with God errs from the path, if he turns a moment from looking steadfastly unto Jesus, it is not because he sins willfully; for when he sees his mistake, he turns again, and fastens his eyes upon Jesus, and the fact that he has sinned does not make him less dear to the heart of God."—The Review and Herald, May 12, 1896.
D.	The source of power for good works:
״The sinner unites his weakness to Christ's strength, his emptiness to Christ's fulness, his frailty to Christ's enduring might. Then he has the mind of Christ. . . . This union, once formed, must be maintained." —The Desire of Ages, p. 675.
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INTO MY LIFE
1. Continued
E.	Response to praise and flattery;
11We need to shun everything that would encourage pride and self-suffic-iency; therefore we should beware of giving or receiving flattery or praise. It is Satan1s work to flatter. . . . Let the workers for Christ direct every word of praise away from themselves. Let self be put out of sight. Christ alone is to be exalted."—Christ9s Object Lessons,
pp. 161,	162.
F.	Frequency of concern for doing good works:
"Genuine faith always works by love. When you look to Calvary it is not to quiet your soul in the non-performance of duty, not to compose yourself to sleep, but to create faith in Jesus, faith that will work, purifying the soul from the slime of selfishness. When we lay hold of Christ by faith, our work has just begun. . . . While it is true that our busy activities will not in themselves ensure salvation, it is also true that faith which unites us to Christ will stir the soul to activity —Ellen White in SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 1111.
G.	Mature attitude toward good works:
״Thus it is with the truly righteous man. He is unconscious of his good ness and piety. Religious principle has become the spring of his life and conduct, and it is just as natural for him to bear the fruits of the Spirit as for the fig tree to bear figs or for the rosebush to yield roses. His nature is so thoroughly imbued with love for God and his fellow men that he works the works of Christ with a willing heart."—
The Sanctified Life, p. 13.
H.	How to make character changes:
״The character of one who thus beholds Christ is so like His, that one looking at him sees Christ’s own character shining out as from a mirror. Imperceptibly to ourselves we are changed day by day from our own ways and will into the ways and will of Christ, into the loveliness of His character. Thus we grow up into Christ, and unconsciously reflect His image."—Ellen White in SDA Bible Commentary, Vol, 6, p. 1097.
״Beholding Christ means studying His life as revealed in His word."— Ibid., p. 1098.
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	Continued
Evaluation: The students will have noticed that the more desirable answers were always number 4, and the least desirable answers were always number 1. This produces something of a numerical scale on which they can get some indication of their understanding of the issues. They shoud keep in mind that the measurement is very approximate, and valid only to the degree that they understood and honestly marked each ques-tion. The answer may be more for their curiosity than for any real measurement.
2.	[EVALUATING] Some close-to-life examples which the class can use to sharpen its understanding of the issues:
A. Compare the non-religious rebel and the rigid legalist. While the legalist may be the better citizen, he will probably not be the first to recognize his need of Christ, since he will be depending on his works.
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INTO MY LIFE
2· Continued
B. Some persons may become involved in doing missionary work for the purpose of displaying prideful piety. Others may have good work become tarnished by the pride of public recognition. Perhaps the reporting could be done anonymously, written in on slips of paper without names attached.
C· It is possible to do some good works in one’s own strength—but only in an external sense of the word. They will not be flowing from a changed heart. Satan could actually use these external good works to his advan-tage, since they would lull a person into an easy self-confidence.
D.	We supply the effort, God supplies the strength. Notice this:
״Man can accomplish nothing without God, and God has arranged His plans so as to accomplish nothing in the restoration of the human race with-out the cooperation of the human and the divine. The part man is re-quired to sustain is immeasurably small, yet in the plan of God it is just the force that is needed to make the work a success. We are laborers together with God. This is the Lord’s own wise arrangement.
The cooperation of the human will and endeavor with divine energy is the link that binds men up with one another and with God."—Ellen White, Manuscript 113, 1898.
3.	[GENERATE GOOD QUESTIONS] The student who asks the most discerning questions will likely be able to understand the issues he is inquiring about in his questions. Encourage them to ask questions that require more than
a one-word answer.
4.	[SMALL GROUP REVIEW] This can be done following exercise number three, or as a separate activity. You may want to add more structure to the quite general instructions in the student1 s textbook.
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TO SHARE
1. I don't think it's too bad. You see, we don't give to the poor because we are trying to earn favor with God· We give to the poor because we are already God's friends, and for this reason He has worked in our hearts to give us a love for the poor. We do it because it is the most natural thing to do· If giving big offerings earned God's favor, then only the rich could be saved and the poor would be lost. The Bible teaches that all can be saved by faith in Jesus Christ·
2· Don't you think that we need to be careful about those things? While we can't judge motives, that kind of giving could allow some people to give just to impress others. And even if a persons did give for the right reasons, we shouldn't encourage pride in their hearts by prais-ing them for their good works.
3. Maybe we're making Him wait so long because of our pride. Just because we may do some good things doesn't necessarily mean that we are Christ-like in our lives. In fact, when we brag about the good things we do, and think that we're ready for translation right now, that's a good sign that we're not really ready. When people do Christ's works, they don't need to brag about them.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ELLEN WHITE AMPLIFICATION
Why do we do good works?
"The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love· The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of Christ has done for them.
״The light of the Sun of Righteousness is to shine forth in good works— in words of truth and deeds of holiness. . . .
״Thus in the night of spiritual darkness God*s glory is to shine forth through His church in lifting up the bowed down and comforting those that mourn."—Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 415-417.
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TEACHER NOTES
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LESSON 17: HOW CAN I WIN IF I SURRENDER?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the Bible meaning of the concept of surrender.
1.1	Defines surrender as a choice to submit to the control of a higher power.
1.2	Distinguishes between the captivating control of the power of Satan and the freeing control of the power of God.
1.3	Affirms that surrender to the control of one or the other of these two great powers is inevitable.
2.	Recognizes the occasions when a choice to surrender is evident in his own life, and knows how to respond to that choice.
2.1	Contrasts surrender of "sins" and "things" and the surrender of one's self to the control of Christ.
2.2	Compares his own life to that of Christ, seeing in Christ the complete model of surrender of the will to a higher power.
2.3	Explains how that surrender to Christ is the way to gain true identity and individuality, rather than to sacrifice them.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The contemplative questions which open this lesson are meant as a means for the student to get in touch with some of his own misunderstandings and questions about the meaning of surrender. Ask the class if they have other questions about the meaning of surrender which they would like to add to this paragraph.
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FROM THE WORD
The layout for this portion of the study follows a horizontal format, divided into two distinct parts. This is to emphasize that all must surrender to one or the other of the two great powers. It is also to contrast the results of the two opposing choices as may be worked out in the students? lives.
The questions are asked—as a student might ask them—in the central hori-zontal column. The answer from Christ1s side is found above the column; the answer from Satan’s side is found below the column. In some cases the answer has been provided in the form of a Scripture passage or Ellen White quotation. In other places, only the references are listed and a blank is provided for the student to look up the answer and write it in his own words. Where the answer is already provided, have the students underline the key words in the passages.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
Many persons become confused on the idea of "total surrender" to Christ.
Such confusion is often evidenced by a question such as this:
״I don’t think that I know what it means to make a total surrender to Christ. I try to surrender everything to Him, and I try my hardest to be sincere. But the day is hardly half over before I find out that I’m still hanging on to some earthly	sin	that	I didn’t think	of when I	prayed my
prayer of total surrender.	So	then	I doubt that I	really meant it when	I
made a total surrender to Christ. What does it mean to make a total surren-der to Christ?"
The danger is in thinking that "total surrender" is one great big high-powered decision that will carry one right on through to the kingdom on the basis of that one decision. But it is impossible for us to make that kind of decis-ion. If we knew the full extent of the changes that need to be made in us before we become fully mature,	we would be crushed	under the	staggering	size
of the task. So God opens	His	will	to us a small piece at a	time. All	He
asks is for us to say Yes to what He is showing us at this moment, on this day. Then, if we respond, He will show us more tomorrow. So, total sur-render becomes a daily attitude of saying, "Yes, Lord, anything You say to me today, I will agree with." When the time comes that we say No to some new conviction of the Spirit, at that time total surrender is compromised.
But it becomes total surrender again as soon as we say Yes on that point.
MUSIC CORRELATION
For morning worship, or as a part of class, have the class sing the hymn "All to Jesus I Surrender," The Church Hymnal, No. 573. Ask them to eval-uate the words in view of the above comments about total surrender.
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FROM THE WORD
Surrender to Jesus sets us free from the control of sin, from the captivity of error. It sets us free to make choices, by giving us the truth to make the right choices, and the power to make the choice and follow through with it.
To surrender to Christ, I must give up: my old self, a sin-polluted heart for Jesus to cleanse. I must give up anything that would not be for my best good.
WHAT WILL IT COST ME? WHAT MUST I	WILL I LOSE MY FREEDOM?
GIVE UP?
I will lose all my freedom and become a slave to sin. I will lose my ability to understand truth, and be powerless to do anything but evil.
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FROM THE WORD
167
When I surrender to Jesus, I truly become an individual, having the God-given power to think and to do, free from the traditions and the pressures of society around me.
There are still large tasks to accom-plish, but Jesus carries the heaviest share of the burden. It is not an inactive, lazy life, but it is a very pleasant and rewarding life.
WILL I LOSE MY INDIVIDUALITY? MUST I BECOME A CONFORMIST?
AFTER A PERSON MAKES THE DECISION TO SURRENDER, IS LIFE EASY OR HARD?
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FROM THE WORD
A new, superhuman power will come into my life, bringing the abundant, joyous life of Jesus Himself. This new spiritual power is so strong that Satan can never break in so long as one relies on that power.
WHEN I SURRENDER, WHAT WILL HAPPEN	WHY DO SO FEW PEOPLE ON THIS
IN MY LIFE?	EARTH SURRENDER TO THE RIGHT
PERSON?
The way to eternal life is very demanding (narrow) so that most people are not willing to make the necessary choices.
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FROM THE WORD
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ELLEN WHITE ON SURRENDER OF THE WILL
"When we resist the devil, he will flee from us, and we will rise above the human weakness in a way that will be a mystery even to ourselves. The judgment day is not that which will decide our eternal interests; but it is the yielding to influences that either subject our character to the molding of Christ, or oppose our will to the will of God. The one absorb-ing aim of the life of Christ was to do the will of His heavenly Father.
He did not become offended with God; for He lived not to please Himself.
The human will of Christ would not have led Him to the wilderness of temp-tation, to fast, and to be tempted of the devil. It would not have led Him to endure humiliation, scorn, reproach, suffering, and death. His human nature shrank from all these things as decidedly as ours shrinks from them.
He endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself. The contrast be-tween the life and character of Christ and our life and character is painful to contemplate. What did Christ live to do?—It was the will of His heavenly Father.11—The Signs of the Times, November 5, 1912.
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FROM THE WORD
[Student may wish to compose a brief prayerlike statement of surrender to Christt and write it here, on Christ's side of the page.]
IF YOU WISH TO DO SO, WRITE HERE A PERSONAL STATEMENT OR TESTIMONY OF SURRENDER.
Yes, Jesus often made the choice to keep His will surrendered to His Father in heaven, particularly just before His crucifixion.
Jesus made it clear that His whole life was to be a pattern of submission to the will of His Father. He did not come to live His own life, but the life which the Father showed Him.
DID CHRIST EVER HAVE TO SURRENDER HIS WILL? TO WHOM DID HE SURREN-DER IT?
Satan constantly sought to get Jesus to stop submitting His will to the Father, and to submit to him instead; but Jesus always refused.
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	[CLASSIFY; RANK; EVALUATE] This activity is to help the student sharpen his understanding of just what it is that he is to surrender to Christ, and then to set up some priorities as to which items are most basic in the life·
Students will probably underline the following items:
My will.
The idea that I can solve my sins by myself·
My bad temper (if applicable)·
My worries and anxieties.
My slavery to sin·
My desires, goals, life plans.
My emotions·
My selfish feelings.
My pride of accomplishment·
My sinful nature.
My favorite, secret sins.
Others: (as student will supply)
One is, of course, not asked to surrender:
My individuality·
My freedom.
My self-respect·
When numbering these in order of importance, ״My will" should be at the top of the list, since it is the will which will then deal with the rest of the matters.
Draw special attention to part D, making time available for those who may wish to meditate on it, or talk about it to others·
2· [FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A· Key idea: deciding to surrender is the hard part. Once that has happened, Jesus takes charge and gives all the power necessary to live the new life·
B.	Surrender of sins deals with specific actions and habits; surrender of sinfulness deals with the inner attitudes and broken relationship with God.
Psalm 51:1, 2: sins Psalm 51:10*. sinfulness Psalm 120:2: sins Luke 18:13: sinfulness
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INTO MY LIFE
3.	[FURTHER RESEARCH; SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION] The matter of the will is so important that it deserves further study· And one of the best ways to make sure that the study is understandable is to ask students to make a report on their findings. But rather than just more writing, this time they can use nonwritten communication to tell the truth! Arrange the class into project teams. Setting a definite time deadline may prove wise. Then let each team present its communication to the rest of the class.
4.	[EVALUATE, APPLY MEANING, MEMORIZE] To make sure that some students do not just pass lightly over the thought questions in parts A and B, you may wish to discuss these questions with the whole class. Some students may be willing to share from their own personal experiences. Encourage an honest confrontation with the idea of self-denial by speaking from your own life as well.
Try having the class repeat the memory passage in unison, first from the King James Version, then from another that is in common use in the classroom.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* THOUGHT QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.	Is it possible for a person to stay un-surrendered? If one has not surrendered to Christ, does that mean that he is already surrendered to Satan?
2.	Some persons do not surrender to Christ because they are afraid that it is not the popular thing to do. They are worried about what their friends will think. Does this reveal something about how free they really are?
3.	Which takes more courage: to surrender to Christ or to surrender to Satan? Why?
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TO SHARE
I.	You need to surrender your whole self first, giving yourself over to the control of Jesus. Then He will show you what to do from there on. You might pray a prayer like this: "Dear Father, I come to You so very weak that I can't do anything right. I am captured by all my old sinful habits and desires. I know that I am under the control of Satan, and that You are the only one who can set me free. So I give You permission to take charge of my life and give me the power to start living your new life. I believe that You can set me free, and I thank You. Amen."
2.	Yes, I think that I can understand what you are saying. It is hard for us proud humans to admit that we are weak. But I have found that it is far better to be a humble victor in Jesus than a proud captive of the enemy. The only "giving up" that we do is giving up on the idea that we can live free, Christlike lives by ourselves. How about our doing it together!
3.	Jesus knows that we will often not really want to surrender our lives
or some favorite sin. Yet in thoughtful moments, we know that we should. So He has promised us that if we are willing to be made willing, He will make us willing to surrender. It's like saying, "Jesus, I don't want to, but I'm willing to let You make me want to." And He will! I know; I've tried it.
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LESSON 18: WHY DOES CHRIST CARE ABOUT MY KIDNEYS?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1· Understands the Bible concept of total restoration.
1.1	Defines the words "to save" in broad enough terms to include a compete restoration to the original pattern of creation,
a process which begins on this earth.
1.2	Describes the nature of the human being to be that of a united whole, including mental, physical, and spiritual aspects.
1.3	Explains God's plan for us as including complete restora-tion of the whole person, and thus an interest in all aspects of his being.
2. Understands the interaction among the various aspects of one's being; for example: how one's physical well-being influences his mental and spiritual well-being.
2.1	Lists certain physical behaviors which can tend to produce a more responsive mental and spiritual nature.
2.2	Explains the Seventh-day Adventist health message in terms of its spiritual goals.
2.3	Estimates with some degree of accuracy his own involvement in the pattern of healthful living.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Many youth are accustomed to thinking that religion has to do only with some abstract thing called the "soul," and that salvation means getting to go to heaven (possibly) at some distant* time in the future. But this les-son will seek to relieve them of both these misconceptions. Christ cares about our whole being (including our kidneys!), and He has wonderful plans of restoration that begin right now.
You might begin the lesson by asking the class to write a one sentence response to the question in the title. It may be an answer, or a reaction such as, ״I'm surprised to know that He does!" Let each share his response.
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FROM THE WORD
1.	Paul mentions our spirit, soul, and body. [NOTE: A study of the Greek language in use in Paul's day, and a comparison with other Scripture passages will reveal that Paul here speaks of three aspects of one's life: the spiritual or religious, the mental/emotional, and the physi-cal. He is not dividing one up into three distinct entities. Nor is he suggesting that one has a soul and a spirit separate from the body. Rather he is saying that one's life manifests itself in these three areas.]
2.	[This diagram changes some of the wording from that found in 1 Thessa־ lonians 5:23, in keeping with more current word usages, as mentioned in the note above. "Mental" is used in place of the word ״soul,” and ״phys-ical״ is used in place of the word ״body.״ You will want to draw this
to the student's attention.]
3.	A. The health of our body will influence both our spiritual and mental health. If we eat wrongly, or in other ways abuse our health, we will make mental mistakes and have unpleasant attitudes about many things.
B.	A peaceful, happy mind produces physical and spiritual health; but a troubled, angry, discouraged mind can actually produce many sick-nesses and lead to spiritual discouragement as well. In fact, one of the ways for treating sick persons is to help them be happy and hopeful.
C.	Sin can actually cause sickness and much discouragement. Deliverance from sin produces health and happiness. The clear conscience that comes from knowing that you are doing right is one of the most powerful forces for keeping one well.
A.	His sickness was taken away so that he could get up and walk.
B.	Jesus told him that all his sins were forgiven because he had faith in Jesus.
C.	If I had been in his place, I know that I would be tremendously happy, both for the healing and for the forgiveness.
4.
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FROM THE WORD
4.	D. "Healing” means taking away the results of sin from all parts of
our being—physically (the man could walk), spiritually (he knew his sins were forgiven), and mentally (he was joyously happy).
5.	We can lead people to Christ, and when people find spiritual healing in Him, it will help them find physical health as well. In this way, we can actually be medical missionaries.
6.	[Students will underline comments relating to helping in the home and distributing information about healthful living to the neighborhood.]
* * *
7.	(1) Pure air
(2)	Sunlight
(3)	Abstemiousness (using sparing amounts of food and drink)
(4)	Rest
(5)	Exercise
(6)	Proper diet
(7)	Use of water
(8)	Trust in divine power
******** ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ******
*
COMPARISON WITH SOCIETY
God*s plan for good health is so profoundly different from the general think-ing in society that many youth will miss its significance. To enhance the sense of contrast, invite the youth to bring any advertisements from the media which relate to the theme of health. This will involve ads for all manner of remedies—cold tablets, headache remedies, even pills to be taken when "you eat too well." When you have a large number of them collected, compare them with the Lordfs plan for health. Ask the class to suggest ways in which the two plans are different. The following features may become evident:
A.	The world seldom stresses living right to stay well; rather it offers something to deal with the illness once it comes. Godfs plan is to live healthfully in the first place.
B.	Most remedies on the market are designed to mask over the symptoms; Godfs plan is to get to the cause.
C.	The world1s concept is to introduce foreign chemicals into the body to fight disease or its effects. Gadfs plan is to aid the bodyfs own disease-fighting mechanisms by getting the whole body to work more efficiently.
[Continued.]
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INTO MY LIFE
1. [FURTHER RESEARCH] Adventist education has this mandate from the in-spired pen:
"Without health no one can as distinctly understand or as completely fulfill his obligations to himself, to his fellow beings, or to his Creator. Therefore the health should be as faithfully guarded as the character. A knowledge of physiology and hygiene should be the basis of all educational effort."—Education, p. 195.
In view of this sensible counsel, it is clear that the student should prize information about how to live healthfully as highly as he prizes any other information learned in school. For this reason, the larger share of the rest of this lesson is devoted to further research into the eight natural agencies for good health listed on the previous page.
It would be well if someone in the Adventist community with training in health could work with your student teams in their preparations. This person could bring in much supportive scientific research data, and offer specific prac-tical guidance in the application of these health-producing agencies.
Study incentive will be more realistic if the class has a goal of present-ing their findings to other persons. Notice part F, and work with the class to provide such an opportunity if at all possible.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
COMPARISONS [Continued from page 176.]
D.	The world assumes that the physician is the only one who really understands matters related to one’s health, and that the rest of the people are expected to go to them when health matters are in question. God’s plan is that the physician should be responsible for helping to educate others on how to stay well, and how to per-form simple, natural remedies. All people should be knowledgable on how their body works and how to help it heal itself.
E.	The world tends to pay attention to health only when illness comes. God's plan involves a whole life-style change in favor of living healthfully.
F.	Health is usually thought of as necessary to the enjoyment of this life, and that is about all. But God insists that health affects our ability to accept and respond to God’s truth, and the terms of eter-nal life.
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INTO MY LIFE
2. [SELF-ANALYSIS] The purpose of this activity is to help a student see some of the specific ways in which his life will be influenced by a commit-ment to live healthfully. It will also help him see specific areas where he needs to make changes in living patterns. The ranking scale adjoining each analysis question is, of course, quite general, for the purpose is to set out general guidelines rather than lay down rigid rules.
Students should complete the questionnaire individually, and then time may be provided to discuss in class the questions which will arise. You will notice that the question areas follow the pattern of the eight natural agen-cies listed in The Ministry of Healing, page 127.
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TEACHER NOTES
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INTO MY LIFE
3· [FURTHER DISCUSSION] Key thoughts that may come up in the discussion:
A.	The world should notice the difference, and appreciate God more for His workable plan for staying healthful.
B.	Lack of information.
Resist the personal demands to change life-style.
Not want to give up some favorite indulgence.
Not aware of the spiritual power available to make personal change. Information presented in an unattractive manner, or by a person who is not a picture of good health.
Important conclusion: Our manner of presenting health information may determine whether or not another person accepts it.
C.	Perfectly reflecting the character of Christ is a staggeringly challenging task, requiring the optimum performance of all the fac-ulties. One who is in poor health simply may not be able to discern the issues, or have the stamina to follow through with needed tasks.
D. "It is not possible for us to glorify God while living in violation of the laws of life. The heart cannot possibly maintain consecra-tion to God while lustful appetite is indulged. A diseased body and disordered intellect, because of continual indulgence of hurtful lust, make sanctification of the body and spirit impossible.יי—Counsels on Diet and Foods, page 44.
E.	Good health produces a clear mind, sharp to distinguish the clever errors of the enemy.
F.	[Invite students to make some personal statements on the worth of this information. If the setting is right, ask them if they would be willing to make some changes in their personal habits in order to live longer.]
G.	[Seek to obtain some candid reactions to this one, pressing the question why? to those who say they will offer Christ something dif-ferent.]
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TO SHARE
NOTE: An optional approach to this part of the lesson: ask several students to study the lead-in conversation, then come to the front of the class and role play the setting, following it right on through to the close of the con-versation. Evaluate as a class their development of the themes. Then have several more volunteers role play the same setting in the light of the class evaluation.
1.	ADVENTIST: I’ve chosen not to eat any meat because I want to be in the best possible health. God’s original diet for us did not include any meats; and so much research being done confirms that meat just isn’t a healthy food to eat. I guess you could say that it has to do with my religion, but not in the sense of some arbitrary ruling. My religion has helped me under-stand the importance of good health; and I rely on God’s power to live the way He wants me to. I find that I not only spend less time being sick, but I can actually think more clearly, and get much more done when I eat well.
[Or this may be developed as a series of interchanges with the other passen-ger.]
2.	ADVENTIST: I can understand how you would think that it is a dull life; but actually it is just the opposite. Nothing is more dull than being sick all the time. And we have simply chosen to leave out those things that will tear down our health. We love life and want to enjoy it to the fullest. And for this reason we leave off things that some people might call "fun.” But if you will think about it for a while, those things aren’t really fun. They are all things that people do who are not living life to the fullest. They are cheap substitutes for fun.
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TEACHER NOTES:
182
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183
INTO HIS LIKENESS
EVALUATION FOR UNITS 1, 2, AND 3
Number of students in the class:__ Number of weeks required to teach units:
Please evaluate these materials by marking the following on a scale from 1 to 5·
1.	Were these units effective in helping
the students achieve the objectives	not	at	almost
as stated in the unit and lesson intro- all seldom usually mostly always
ductions?	□	□	□	□	□
2.	Rate the	general degree of student	nega-	indif-	inter-	enthus-
interest	in the lessons as they	tive	ferent passive ested	iastic
were tau8*lt·	□	□	□	□	□
3·	Have you	observed any attitude changes	more	some	marked
toward the Christian life which you be-	nega- indif-	no	improve- improve-
lieve can be attributed	to the study	tive	ferent	change	ment	ment
of these units?	D	D	D	D	D
4.	Has the students* ability to under-	more	some	marked
stand and enjoy their Bibles been	con-	disin-	no	improve- improve-
influenced by these units?	fused	terest	change	ment	ment
□	□	□	□	□
5.	Rate the effectiveness of this	can	be	no	small	mostly	very
Teacher*s Guide.	ignored	help	help	helpful	helpful
□	□	□	□	□
Comments on any of the above questions:
In future revisions of these lessons, how could they be improved?
What has been your own personal reaction to the teaching of these units?
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UNIT 4: THE INNER CHANGE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the nature of the inner change which will take place in the life of the committed, maturing Christian.
1.1	Correctly identifies the reasons why God desires an inner change, that is, so that He can be glorified in the lives of His redeemed on earth.
1.2	Identifies the goal of that change as perfect Christlike-ness in character.
1.3	Describes the methods by which the true inner change takes place.
1.4	Differentiates between false methods of change and true methods of change.
2.	Comprehends several of the key implications for practical living which accompany this change.
2.1	Designates changes which he must make in his choices in order for the inner change to be accomplished.
2.2	Correctly appraises the likelihood that the change can take place in his life as he learns to trust in God's power.
2.3	Expresses a consistent desire for that change to happen.
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LESSON 19: ״SIR, WE WISH TO SEE JESUS״
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the character qualities of Jesus as admirable, prac-tical, and perfect.
1.1	Isolates character qualities from general passages describ-ing Christ's actions in certain settings.
1.2	Discerns the truly remarkable difference between Christ's character and the character of the average human.
1.3	Expresses admiration for the character qualities of Jesus.
2.	Understands that Jesus' own character is the model for the change which can happen in his own life.
2.1	Explains the similarities between the resources which are available to us, and those which were available to Jesus.
2.2	Concludes that we are invited to draw on the same resources which Jesus had available to Him.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The quotation printed on page 204 is one of the finest descriptions of the character of Christ to be found anywhere. Seek to lead the students into a thoughtful reading of the quotation, perhaps by the following reading code:
Underline all the phrases you especially enjoy thinking about.
Circle all the words you don’t understand.
Put a check beside one phrase which expresses a character quality which you would most like to have.
Put a wavy line under the character quality which you think you have seen revealed in the life of a good Christian whom you know.
Some students may be willing to share what they have marked and explain why they have marked those passages.
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FROM THE WORD
187
1.
_________TEXT____________ CHARACTER TRAIT_______________EFFECT IN MY LIFE_____________
Matthew 9:36	He loved all people, even	I will love all	people,	even
crowds of unpleasant people. those that donft seem very
._______________________________________________likeable.
Mark 5:35-43	Even when big, important things I think I should pay more
were happening, Jesus didn't attention to the little
^________________________forget a hungry girl.__________ things that make others happy.
John 13:3-5	Jesus was gladly willing to	I shouldn't be so stuffy
serve others humbly.	about doing unpleasant things
._______________________________________________________to help others.___________________
Mark 15:16-20	Jesus didn't get upset and	I've never been treated that
Luke 23:34	fight back, even when He was	roughly; I'm sure the Lord can
being treated so very unfair- give me strength to endure my
_________________________lu bu people He loved._________little trials.____________________
John 5:30;	Jesus always depended on His	I'm sure that my power will
6:38; 8:29	Father to know what to do,	come from the same place when
and to have the power to do I obey as He did.
_________________________, it.____________________________________________________________
Matthew 20:	Jesus never sought to be the	Wow! I spend so much effort
25-28	first; rather He sought to	trying to be first. I think
serve the most.	I have it all wrong.
Matthew 21:12-14 Jesus must have shown great	It takes courage to be a real
authority and power on His Christian; it means standing up
_________________________face when He heeded to.________to be counted at times.______
Matthew 15:32	Jesus cared about crowds of	Maybe I will care more about
hungry people.	people in need as I get to
________________________________________________________know Jesus._______________________
Mark 10:13-16	Jesus loved little children	I won't let a person's age or
and prized their simple faith, status in life influence my
________________________________________________________opinion of him.___________________
Luke 4:1-8	Jesus always totally submit-	I can find victory over the
ted to His Father's will and devil's temptations	just	as
_________________________obeyed His commands.___________Jesus did.________________________
Luke 5:15,16	Even tho' He was very busy	I'm not near as busy as He
doing good things, He still was, so surely I can't say I
_________________________took time alone	with	God.___don't	have time to pray.________
Philippians 2:5-8 Jesus laid aside all	His glory	If I let Jesus take care	of the
and stooped far	down	to serve	pride	and selfishness in	my
us, even to die	for us.	life,	then maybe I'll be	as
willing to serve others as He was.
T-207
FROM THE WORD
TEXT	CHARACTER TRAIT	EFFECT IN MY LIFE
2· [This is a thought question; but its impact can be increased by leading the class into a group contemplation of the meanings of the questions.]
3.	Gain more distinct views of God.
Become changed into His likeness.
Love for others becomes natural.
Develop Christlike character.
Enlarge our capacity for knowing God.
Enter the fellowship of heaven.
Increased power to receive heavenly riches.
Obtain a true knowledge of self.
Not be uplifted in self-righteousness.
See our own defects as they really are.
Know we must be saved through Christ's righteousness alone.
Character will be transformed.
Re-create us in the image of God.
Imparts a divine spiritual power.
Every deficiency supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected. Every excellence developed.
We will become godlike in our characters!
4.	We become changed by choosing to regularly behold Christ, which means seeking to know Him by studying His life as revealed in the Bible.
188
Isaiah 53:7-9	Jesus suffered a great amount If I have to suffer in order
for	others without complain-	to	help others, I should count
ing	or pulling back.	it	a privilege, since I will
be sharing in Christ’s suffer-ings.
Hosea 11:8, 9	Jesus does not want to destroy I won’t be getting impatient
people, even when they are j with people when they do things stubborn and rebellious. He that annoy me—when I learn to wants to heal them.	love as Jesus does.
Psalm 56:9	God is for me; He’s on my	J can be cheerful with God on
side in the battle.	my side. I don’t have to per-
suade Him to love me.
2 Chronicles 36:	God	will keep on working for	If	God doesn’t give up on
15,	16	His	people until there is no	people, why should I?
more that He can do for them.
T-208
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[EVALUATE; MEMORIZE] "Growing up into Christ" means growing up to be Christlike in our character· Paul obviously believed that this goal is pos-sible. (See ENRICHMENT item below.) The students1 sights must be lifted until they too believe that this is an achievable goal· Perhaps memorizing this verse will assist in this enlightenment·
2.	[BIBLE STUDY METHODOLOGY] This is a Bible study method which anyone can learn to use, and which brings great returns in character development· The goal is to find insights into the character of Christ· The group-sharing context is a stimulus for the beginner; one should come to be able to do this ultimately in his own personal study· Help the class get started on this by finding a few treasures on your own, and—with the joy of discovery in your voice—sharing the insights with the class.
The bulletin board option may help to focus the, motivation for continuing the search. If the class enjoys the treasure hunt, it could be used as the basis for some interesting morning worships in the classroom.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ELLEN WHITE SUPPORT
Our human minds seem unable to comprehend the grandeur of the concept of being transformed into the very likeness of Christ in character· And so many persons have concluded that this is not really a feasible goal for this life on this earth. Ellen White stands in opposition to lowering the sights. She is clear that it is accomplished only by the indwelling power of Christ; and she is emphatic that such development is not for the sake of earning one's salvation, but rather for the sake of bringing glory to God by reveal-ing Him to others. But within these qualifications, she speaks freely of the great goal. Here are some examples:
"We can, we can, reveal the likeness of our divine Lord·*1—In Heavenly Places, p. 187.
"The greatest work that can be done in our world is to glorify God by living the character of Christ·11—Ellen White in SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p· 1109.
״The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people."—The Desire of Ages, p. 671.
1,God designs that every one of us shall be perfect in Him, so that we may represent to the world the perfection of His character. He wants us to be set free from sin·**—My Life Today, p. 15.
**In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character· This is God's assurance to us that we too may obtain complete victory.**—Acts of the Apostles, p· 531·
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INTO MY LIFE
3.	[EVALUATE; GROUP SELF-EXAMINATION] Since it is indeed true that Christ is represented in the lives of His people on earth, then it is a fair ques-tion to ask, ״What will a person know about Christ through us?" Urge the class to take this evaluation seriously. The students will of course be interested to find what they have collectively decided are the most outstand-ing traits, and what traits are in most need of attention.
When they have submitted their reports, tabulate them in the following manner: Next to each of the items A through J, mark a +1 each time that item is listed as 1, 2, or 3 on the student list. Mark a -1 if the item is listed as 10 by a student. Then compute a numerical score for each item. Report to the class the items that have the highest score, and those that have the lowest score. If the student reports lack uniformity, with some items being given a high ranking by some students, and a low ranking on the same item by others, the strict numerical score may not apply. In this case, note the ones that get numbered as 10 the most often, even if some others may have marked them higher.
Be sure to discuss the report with the class, seeking to enlist their con-cern on behalf of the reputation of Christ.
4.	[DISCUSSION] Key thoughts likely to arise during the discussion:
A.	Mature Christians focus more outward, thanking God for being who He is, and for offering His own character to us.
B.	All of these beliefs would lessen our appreciation for the kind of Person God is, resulting in a loss of desire to be with Him. To believe that He enjoys destroying people, for example, would also likely make us less sensitive to human death.
C.	We have so much evidence to show that God is kind and fair and lov-ing that when we find what appears to be a contradictory story, we can safely conclude that there are factors in the story which we don’t yet understand, or that we simply do not know about. We should keep on trying to understand the story, meanwhile believing in God
on the basis of the weight of evidence from all the other stories.
NOTE: Take the opportunity to ask if students have such stories in mind, and if they do, seek to explore them together. Use the SDA Bible Commentary to research the backgrounds of the stories, and to clarify certain details.
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INTO MY LIFE
5.	[APPLY TO LIFE] Once again, the student is urged to consider developing a pattern of regular, personal devotions. These paragraphs bridge the con-tents of this lesson with a devotional method for the student. This in not an exercise which can be assigned; but you may wish to ask if there are vol-unteers in the class who would be willing to try this method for a period of ten to fifteen days, then report their personal reactions at the end of the time period.
********* ENRICHMENT,/ALTERNATIVES ********* PRIZING/SHARING
Ask the students to compose a short imaginary story, or experience, based on Scripture, in which they portray Jesus doing or saying something which they most enjoy imagining Jesus as doing. Ask them to think about the char-acter trait of Jesus which they personally most appreciate, then build their story around that character trait. Then have them share their story or ex-perience with the rest of the class.
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TO SHARE
1.	Yes, it makes a big difference! To begin with, if you don1t understand His true character, you will have trouble really loving Him, because every misunderstanding is designed by Satan to make Him appear less loving. And then, since by beholding Him we are changed into His like־ ness, if we misunderstand His character, we will become like the misunder-standing of Him, rather than like He really is. We will misrepresent
Him to the world. And that really matters!
2.	He may seem that way; but actually it is the same Person, needing to act in a different way because of a different situation. Jesus said,
"If you had known me, you would have known my Father also." Johnl4:7. Often Jesus had to do some rather bold things to get people to listen to Him so that they could hear His beautiful messages. Sometimes He had to let the people see how bad sin really is. But this does not mean that He was a different Person at these times.
3.	[This calls for a personal testimony in response to the question. Ask the student to speak from his own heart on this one, rather than trying to figure out what the textbook is looking for.]
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LESSON 20: GOD WANTS PEOPLE TO BE A MESSAGE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the fuller Bible meaning of being a witness.
1.1	Distinguishes between just saying things about God and let-ting the whole life-style be a witness about the character of God.
1.2	Describes God's plan for him in terms of total self-develop-ment—the highest development of all the abilities, to the glory of God.
1.3	Affirms that ample power is available to accomplish the needed character change—the power of the Holy Spirit.
2.	Embraces attitudes toward his own self-development which are in keeping with the Scriptural injunctions.
2.1	Acknowledges that self-development is not optional for the Christian, for the honor of Christ is at stake.
2.2	Differentiates between selfish and unselfish motivations for self-development.
2.3	Recognizes expressions which suggest unbiblical attitudes toward self-development.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The lesson introduction is based upon a comparison between a one-faceted witness of the spoken message and a multi-faceted witness of the whole life-style. The purpose is to show that God is interested in the total devel-opment of His people. He wants them to have more than just a spoken mes-sage; He wants them to be a message.
The comparison continues on the next page.
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7 — T . G.
T-213
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
THE CAMERA GAME
The purpose of this activity is to help students be alert to the moments when witnessing really takes place—in the common moments when people are living their normal lives. Their understanding of what to look for will grow as the lesson develops.
Give each student about ten small, square cards—about four inches square. These can be cut from heavy paper stock. Tell the students to imagine that their eyes are a camera, and that these pieces of paper are the film for the camera. ״Taking a picture" consists of selecting a scene which one has actually seen with the eyes, and quickly drawing a rough sketch on the small card of what one saw.
During the days that this lesson is being studied, each student should try to take a picture of at least ten scenes or events in which he feels that witnessing is taking place. Assure the class that this is not an art con-test. Set a deadline for when all the film should be developed and the photographs turned in to the teacher. Student names can be written on the back of each photograph.
Tell the class that no further instructions will be given as to what compris-es a witnessing event, but that each should be alert to what he can learn from the lesson about witnessing and let these discoveries shape his photo-graphic explorations.
If the results are suitable, designate a section of a bulletin board on which the class can mount their photographs.
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INTRODUCTION
ONE WHO IS A MESSAGE
A. Witnessing is the whole way I live.
B. Witnessing happens any time someone sees something Christlike in my words or actionsf and any time Jesus leads me into an oppor-tunity to help someone else·
C. Witnessing is not optional, for I will not choose not to live.
D.	Witnessing makes very heavy demands on my whole life, for everything that I do is a witness; there is no time when I am not witnessing·
E.	I witness all the time, in addition to the times when the church sets up its witnessing programs· I look for God's "divine appointments
F.	Ellen White,s counsels about witnessing are found in virtually every one of her books, for they all help me to be a differ-ent kind of person.
see INTO
treatment of the concept of divine appointments, 218·
*For an extended MY LIFE, item 4, page
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FROM THE WORD
Ability to think Unselfishness
Skills that can be used to help others
Talents (music, listening, explaining, teaching, etc.)
[Any similar thing students may list.]
If I don't develop my abilities, I will not be able to help other people who are in need. I will not be able to represent Christ through useful service to others.
B.
The final purpose for all this self-development is being able to bring glory to God. And this will happen as I reveal His character in my own.
C.
So long as one does not compromise Christian principles, and seeks first the glory of God, one may choose the highest of goals for service and achievement. There is nothing wrong with high goals.
I am not free to let my abilities lie undeveloped. Jesus has bought me so that I might bring glory to Him; He has given me every talent I have, and I cannot neglect His fine gifts.
There is always the danger that self will get in the way, and people will be attracted to us rather than to the One who has given us our abilities. God alone is to get the glory for all self-development.
We should estimate what we are worth in view of what God has paid to redeem us—the very life of Jesus! If God considers us infinitely valuable, why should we place a low value on ourselves?
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FROM THE WORD
6. The best way to develop our abilities is to go to work now, doing what
we can to help others. Our abilities will multiply as we use them· When God sees that He can entrust us with more abilitiesf knowing that they will be used to His glory, He will give us more abilities. Our capacity to love others will grow as we exercise that love·
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[COMPARE; MEMORIZE] A Scripture verse and a passage from Ellen White are presented as a pair of messages for the student to memorize. Encourage them to follow the plan of writing both on a small piece of paper and keeping it in their Bible.
2.	[APPLY TO REAL LIFE SETTINGS] The class should consider this a most im-portant activity. Its purpose is to develop a sensitivity to those situa-ions in which life-style witnessing can take place, and to suggest a mental response pattern to those situations.
Situation A, for example, may elicit these responses:
A.	What needs to happen? The lady's yard needs to be cleared; the tree could be cut and stacked for firewood.
B.	How can God best be glorified by this event? By the students' per-ceiving the need before having to be askedf then moving in cheerful-ly to get the job done. By working efficiently without requesting or even expecting any pay in return.
C.	What abilities, talents, or skills can be developed by use in this situation? Team cooperation in a useful task; muscular strength and general body health; wood cutting and splitting; social interaction with the elderly; sensitivity to other's needs.
As the class discusses each of these situations in this pattern, they will of necessity be confronting whether or not they are actually doing these kinds of things presently. This should be explicitly explored in the con-eluding discussion, and some decisions made accordingly.
Situation B: May stimulate thought about the valid role of students helping their fellow students. See Education, pp. 285, 286, for the inspired counsel in support of this.
Situation C: Useful community service is suggested here—something within the scope of abilities of the class members.
Situation D: Community health education implied here. Class could put to-gether bulletin boards to support the efforts of a local physician.
Situation E: Is small-scale gardening possible here? See Education, pp. 218-220, and Testimonies, Vol. 6, pp. 176-180;for some eye-opening comments.
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INTO MY LIFE
2.	Continued
Situation F: How can the community learn about basic Adventist beliefs?
Students may conclude that this is somewhat out of their immediate range· Or they may elect to start a program of community Bible studies, with the coordination of the local SDA pastor·
Situation G: Students could do the job as part of the Ρ·Ε. program. They could even raise the money for the sealer· Are there other campus-improvement projects that could be explored?
Situation H: In some schools it has been shown that the students themselves have access to considerable cash flow, most of which is spent in self-indulgence. Could some of this be redirected, to the benefit of all?
Situation I: Is the class ready to consider the possibility that competitive games usually fight against spiritual life? Are they willing to set aside some favored forms of ego stimulation in favor of more useful forms of physical exercise? Compare Education, pp. 215 and 226.
Situations J and K: These are presented together to help the student see that we humans are often quick to serve someone that we consider to be "nice and cute," but are then reluctant to meet the same needs in the life of a less attractive person.
The concluding discussion can be most effective if you indicate your own willingness to move out into some new patterns. In too many schools, involve-ment in useful service and labor is conspicuously lacking. This could be a good opportunity to solve many behavior problems in a class that has turned inward in a constant search for selfish pleasure.
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3· [APPLY TO LIFE; COLLECT DATA] Note: This activity can be done in con-junction with ״The Camera Game" listed in the Teacher's Guide on page 194. You may ask the students to keep a journal in place of the pictures, or in addition to the pictures. Both activities have similar goals.
4.	[EXPLORE NEW CONCEPT] One of the important features of the witnessing life-style is the commitment to be open to meet "divine appointments." As a stimulus to encourage students to try this adventure, try asking for some student volunteers who will be willing to commit themselves to meeting God's appointments for a set period of time—perhaps five or ten days. Ask them to keep a journal or diary of their experiences, from which they may share. Can you tell the class of a divine appointment you have met recently?
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
A.	״But what if I just don't seem to have any talents at all?"
Usually our talents and abilities don't come to the top until we begin doing something for other people. Then it is possible that you are look-ing for some big and flashy kinds of talents, such as spectacular music ability, when God has given you a more gentle talent, such as being a very understanding listener, or a patient explainer. Don't be tricked into thinking that many other people have to notice your abilities before you conclude that you have any of them.
B. "Going out and helping people just doesn't seem to be any fun. It's just a lot of work and sweat. Aren't we supposed to have fun in life?"
The word "fun" usually implies a self-centered seeking after pleasure and thrills. The Bible does not promise this kind of fun to the Christ-ian; in fact, it speaks out against it. In its place, the Christian can experience "joy." This usually means the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing that you have brought happiness to another person.
In contrast to self-centered fun, joy comes to the one who is unselfish.
Notice this:
״The satisfaction that children will have in being useful, and in denying themselves to help others, will be the most healthful pleasure they ever enjoyed."—Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 151.
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INTO MY LIFE
צ· [FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A· Emphasis here is on the aspects of onefs life which are not usually thought of as related to witnessing, but are a part of the life-style and therefore have impact on others. Try to help the students vis-ualize the importance of living like Christ in all these areas.
B.	All of these books touch on a particular area of life which—if lived as God describes—would be a powerful witness. If the home, for example, were the model of heaven1s harmony is described in The Ad-ventist Home, many people would be drawn to Christ and His peaceful love. Talk about the impact of each of these areas, ending up with perhaps a personal affirmation of the meaning you have found in these volumes.
C.	Consistency of the witness is the key idea here. Ask students to compare which*would be most effective: true words and a false life, or false words and a true life. They may properly suspect that false under-standings about God will finally lead to a false life.
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TO SHARE
I. I might begin by trying to shift the conversation to something more spiritual, though being careful not to sound condemning toward them for their present conversation. Then when it is time for Sabbath School to begin, I would decidedly walk toward the door, inviting my friends to join with me. If they did not choose to go along, or if they did not change their conversation, then I would just walk on in anyway, without trying to make any kind of scene about what I was doing.
[There can be a number of variations on the above response, as well as on the ones which follow.]
2.	A good plan might be for me to ask the young children to come join me while I work to get the yard cleaned up. They could do some simple jobs—like carrying the grass clippings—just so they would feel needed and useful. Then I could invite them over to my place afterwards to play some games or help me on some projects. I could talk to my mother about fixing some meals for the family, and help her prepare them and deliver them. I could write a sympathy card to the mother in the hos-pital, or use some of my allowance to send her some flowers.
3.	[The student should draw from his own experience on this question, even if in real life he did not respond in a helpful way when the event first happened. Expressing how he might have responded will encourage him to be more sensitive to similar situations in the future.]
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LESSON 21: GOD IS A GOOD BUSINESSMAN
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands and appreciates the extremely high esteem which God places upon each human being, even though all have sinned.
1.1	Explains the worth of a person in terms of the high price
paid to redeem that person---the very life of Jesus.
1.2	Distinguishes between being unworthy of salvation, and yet being of great worth, and uses each term properly.
1.3	Identifies the specific attitude shifts which ought to take place in one's life when he correctly understands his great worth.
2.	Recognizes that one's worth is not based on typically human criteria, such as wealth, appearance, family prestige, or the pos-session of talents.
2.1	Expresses attitudes of appreciation of others' worth in terms of God's esteem, rather than in terms of human values.
2.2	Indicates a correct appraisal of his own self-worth.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The imagined story which is used to open this lesson should emphasize to the student that, since God has paid such a high price for the student, He will surely accept and highly prize him. Many youth have an unspoken sus-picion that they must somehow persuade God to love and accept them, and this attitude stands behind the concept of earning one's salvation by his own good works. If the student can appreciate the fact that Christ has already "placed the full purchase price on the counter" for him, it may help to guard against any legalistic attitudes toward earning his salvation.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
READING ENRICHMENT FOR THE TEACHER
As indicated in the footnote, the lead illustration is based on E. J. Wag-goner's book Christ and His Righteousness (Mountain View: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1890, 1972), pp. 69-75. Read these pages for yourself!
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FROM THE WORD
1. We have been purchased by Jesus, who has paid for us with a price.	·
2.	Jesus gave His own life as the price to buy us back from the possession of Satan.
3.	Jesus1 death on the cross was enough of a "price" to buy back every per-son in the world.
4· Jesus knew before He ever paid for us that we were all helpless sinners, rebels against Him. Fet He paid for us anyway.
5.	Jesus Himself knew what the human race was like; He didn’t need anyone else to tell Him.
6.	A. Because He loved us greatly.
B. Because throughout the endless ages of eternity His grace can be
shown as all the more marvelous since He bought such unworthy sinners for Himself.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ILLUSTRATION
What do people think will make them feel as if they are worth something in the world today? In just sixty seconds list as many of them as you can. (Write them on the board as the students suggest them.)
Next to the column of ideas listed above, list the reasons why God thinks that we are worth something. Name as many reasons as you can in just sixty seconds. (Write them on the board as the students suggest them, next to the above list.)
Compare the lists.
What true statements can you make as you look at these lists?
Example: Human worth varies from person to person; God’s statement of our worth is the same for all people.
What do you have to do to achieve man’s kind of worth? Do you have to do anything to be given God’s kind of worth? If so, what? If not, why not?
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FROM THE WORD
7.	In God’s eyes, we are worth wore than any material price could ever measure, for nothing Is of more worth than the life of God’s own Son Jesus. And this Is what He paid for us.
8.	We would love every human being as a person for whom Christ died. We would see all human life as extremely worthy.
9.	God plans to make us kings and priests to reign with Him forever in heaven.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[EVALUATE; APPLY TO LIFE] While seeking to defend their own ego needs, youth will often say things to others that are very hurtful and depreciat-ing. They need to have this tendency drawn to their attention in the light of its damaging potential. This activity phrases many of the things that youth will sometimes say to each other. It may come as a surprise for some of them to learn that certain of these comments can do so much harm.
For example, item H depicts a typical conversation that might be heard as two team captains choose up sides to play a competitive game. The first person chosen feels a great surge of self-worth. But as each succeeding name is called, the worth-potential drops rapidly until the last few names are reluctantly called. Those few remaining persons standing around very nervously, waiting to be chosen, suffer a certain sense of loss as every other name is called. It is doubtful whether such an activity has any valid place on a Christian campus.
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1.	Continued·
In the CONCLUDING DISCUSSION of this activity, seek to establish a mood of genuine vulnerability. If there are things happening in the school program, or among the students, which are damaging to self-worth, be willing to admit it openly. Talk together about what you might do to change such things and to build appreciation of self-worth among the class members.
In items I and J, for example, you will notice the simple difference of one person taking the initiative to invite another to join them for lunch, rather than putting that person in the awkward position of having to request permission to join others for lunch and run the risk of rejection. Is the class ready to discuss practical matters such as this?
2.	[EVALUATION; SELF-ANALYSIS] A person may be experiencing a low self-worth yet not be able to identify the reasons for such feelings. This self-analysis is primarily diagnostic rather than a strict measuring tool. It is meant as a means of helping a student 11put the finger11 right on the spot that may be hurting and confront why he may feel so worthless.
Be certain to tell the students that their response to the analysis will be entirely confidential; but assure them that if anyone would like to discuss the analysis in greater detail, you are available for private conversations. The thoughts on page 206 of the Teacher9s Guide may be useful thought-start- . ers for conversations growing out of the self-analysis.
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HOW IS MY SELF-WORTH?
1· This item deals with God’s willingness to accept the individual in spite of all failures to perform· Problems here indicate a misunder-standing of the Bible teaching on what it takes to be accepted by God; or it may indicate that no human channel has made this unconditional acceptance a reality in his life·
2.	A low mark here may reveal a tendency to wait until others express friend-ship toward him, rather than his taking the initiative to be friendly toward others. Confidence in basic social skills is at stake here, and may be helped by providing low-pressure interaction in settings where
the focus is an outward task to be accomplished by the whole group.
3.	Excessive touchiness or self-pity may stem from the insecurity of seldom having been assured of worth and appreciation. (See item 4, page 226.)
4.	"Am I really important to God?" Seek to assure a student that he is really no different from Daniel or Ruth or any other Bible character to whom the Lord gave special help.
5.	Misinformation about the true basis of self-worth might be revealed here.
6.	Few things can enhance one’s self-worth more quickly and completely than knowing that he can bring joy and friendship to another person.
This is one reaon why useful service ought to be an integral part of every school program. It is a powerful builder of self-worth.
7· The person who is quick to blame himself may be suffering from an unneces-sary load of guilt, and would therefore be trying to punish himself for his wrongs. Remind him of such promises as Romans 8:1 and 1 John 1:9.
8.	A person who doubts God’s willingness to forgive will often then be slow to forgive himself· See number 7 above.
9.	A low mark here may indicate a misunderstanding of the nature and char-acter of God, and of the greatness of His love. Or it may indicate that the whole Bible message is still a largely irrelevant matter to the stu-dent and needs to be made alive by the application of much personal love and caring.
10· A basic inward focus will only complicate the problem· Students who
spend their emotional energy wondering if other people like them might be urged to spend that energy better by assuring others that they like them· This will be dealt with in greater detail in lesson 26, under the revealing title of "Friends Are for Being, Not for Getting."
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INTO MY LIFE
2.	Continued.
The analysis provides some simple yet direct means for the student to respond to his self-analysis. Both responses, you will notice, draw attention to the need for useful service, for reaching out to help other people. Can you help the students actualize this coun-sel?
3.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A.	This question may lead to a consideration of the whole problem of doing failing work in school assignments. Is it ever necessary for a student to be deemed "failure" in his endeavors? Are there alter-natives which can be explored which will lessen the failure-image
in the life of a struggling young person?
B.	Help the student to see the difference between striving for excellence (in which all can experience degrees of success), and competing for rewards (in which only a select few can achieve.)
C.	Some thoughts for the class to consider: Competitive games create artificial win-loss situations in which the titles "winnerיי and
" loser" (both of which are damaging to the Christian concept of self-worth) are imposed upon people for reasons that have very little to do with real life. This causes the student to participate in many activities which would unnecessarily pronounce him to be a failure, when he is already being confronted with many events every day which can do damage to his self-worth. Since there are such wholesome alternatives available, this is a matter which deserves the honest consideration of the whole class.
D.	For example: Jesus called little children around Him and talked with them. He told the guilty woman that He did not condemn her.
He told the crowds that He did not want them to go home hungry, so He fed them. He ate lunch with people who were not thought of in fond terms by the people of the day, such as cheating tax collectors and other outcasts. Which of these can be done by us?
E.	Worth is not based on the possession of talent. But the person with even the humblest of talents can enhance his self-worth by using those talents to bring joy to others. For in so doing, he partici-pates in the very work of God.
F. Jesus is of course not concerned with the exact numbers of our hairs. But this is a graphic way to describe the intimate concern he has for the smallest things that affect our well-being.
4.	[SMALL-GROUP INTERACTION] Rather than just talking about ways for the students to participate in the joy of building up another’s self-worth, this very interesting interaction can introduce them to some of the skills and joys involved in actually doing it! Read over the activity first. If you know that you have many students who would likely respond to this with levity
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	Continued
and nervous laughter, then you may elect to omit it. If, however, you feel
that you can set a tone of serious adventure» perhaps even leading the way
in the sharing circles, then it will be a rewarding experience for all.
Examples of kinds of expressions to be encouraged in the sharing circles:
"I appreciate the way in which you always try to say kind things to other people."
״I’ve noticed that you almost never get discouraged or blue; you’ve cheered me up many times. Thanks!"
״Thanks for always being so willing to help me understand my math assign-ments."
״Bill, you never complain about chasing the ball down the hill when some-one knocks it over the fence. You’re really a happy person, and you’ve helped make our whole team more happy."
"I just like the fact that you seem happy to have me as your friend."
Examples of kinds of expressions to be avoided in the sharing circles:
"I like your neat clothes. I sure wish I had some like that."
"You’re so popular with the kids on campus."
"You’re a brain; I wish I had your brains."
5.	[FURTHER RESEARCH AND PROJECTS]
A.	This type of activity helps a student become more aware of the music he is singing as an act of worship. If students need help, suggest songs such as, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," ״There Was One Who Was Willing," and ״The Old Rugged Cross."
B.	Be careful to ascertain that such a person is deeply grounded in the Christian faith, since much psychology that is being practiced today is built on entirely non-Christian premises, and we do not wish to encourage confidence in a practitioner who will undermine the faith of a Christian youth.
C.	Good questions require a good understanding of the basic issues.
And the student who is asking them is no doubt also trying to answer them in his mind.
D.	You may wish to require this surprising activity of all students. Several days later ask the class to report on some of the experiences they have had carrying out their sharing activity.
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TO SHARE
I.	I think I can understand what you are saying. It just doesn’t seem real to you, right? Well, I can’t prove it to you by any kind of logic. But I knew it was real to me when so many Christians kept showing that they loved me. And I want you to have the same experience. So let’s just keep on talking about this and studying it together until it all makes sense. Is that all right with you?
2· That song used to confuse me too. But then I listened more closelyfand I found out that being unworthy isn’t the same as being worthless. The song says that we don’t deserve to be savedf since we have been so sin-ful; but then it says that Jesus died for me anyway because He loves me so much. That means we’re worth a whole lot, doesn’t it? So we don’t need to feel worthless even though we are unworthy. Right?
3.	To begin with, you’ll be a happier person knowing how much Jesus loves
you. And you’ll have a higher opinion of everyone else too. You will be able to help other people know how much they are worth, and you will not get discouraged so easily when it appears that you are not so im-portant as some other people.
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LESSON 22: IS THERE LIFE AFTER BIRTH?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1. Appreciates the reality of the "New Birth" experience.
1.1	Lists the Bible evidences which are available by which one can know that the new birth has actually taken place.
1.2	Expresses appropriate cautions against trying to determine the reality of the new life on the basis of feelings or immed-iate performance.
1.3	Compares the evidences with each other, giving somewhat greater credence to the external promises than to the internal feelings or experiences.
1.4	Expresses with some degree of confidence whether or not the new birth has actually happened in his own life. (This, of course, is for his private consideration only.)
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
This is a short yet very concentrated lesson. It is highly relevant to the young mind which has a tendency to doubt that which cannot be tangibly weighed. And of all the things that one ought to be certain about, the new life in Christ ought to be high on the list.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* BACKGROUND READING
You will notice that all of the references for this lesson are taken from the middle chapters of the little book Steps to Christ. It is evident that the author is seeking to establish the reality of this experience and to give a basis for determining whether or not it has happened. You can be better prepared to teach this lesson by giving careful attention to the chapters ״Faith and Acceptance," ״The Test of Discipleship," ״Growing Up Into Christ," and ״The Work and the Life."
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FROM THE WORD
I. The bare promises, to be believed because God has promised it, whether we feel like it or not· We should not wait to feel any magical change before we believe that it has happened·
2· Right-doing; an increasing pattern of good works in one's life.
3.	Love for other people·
4.	Willingness to enter into unselfish sharing and service for the benefit of other people.
5· One will keep the commandments, not reluctantly, but gladly from a new set of desires—love to God and others.
6.	One will genuinely love to think and talk about Christ; He will be the most important Person· Loyalty to Him will be greater than loyalty to any other.
7· One will have a growing awareness of his sinfulness and of his need for Christ· He will see the great difference between his character and that of Christ·
8. Don't look inward. No problems will be solved by looking at our prob-lems. Instead look to Christ· Dwell on Him and His wonderful love and sacrifice. This is how the real change will truly happen·
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[FURTHER RESEARCH; COMPARE] What are the signs of spiritual death? Based on 1 John 2, the student will likely find a list such as this:
Disobeying God while claiming to know Him.
Not walking in the way in which God says to walk.
Hating one's brother while claiming to be converted.
Loving the world and the things that belong to this world.
Departing from the fellowship of Christians.
Denying that Jesus is the Christ.
Ceasing to abide in Jesus Christ.
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2.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION]
A.	This is all a sensible part of the plan. The closer we come to Christ (that is, the better acquainted with Him that we become), the more
we will see our need for His covering righteousness and our need for His power· And the greater our sense of need for Him, the closer our relationship with Him will become. And so the relationship keeps on being a stimulus for an ever closer relationship! It is a plan built in heaven.
B.	Expectations must be kept in balance. Our rate of growth is largely determined by how teachable we are. If we keep our attention fixed on Christ and avoid comparing ourselves with other people, we will keep the growth pattern in balance.
C.	Growth doesn’t take place by our constantly examining our growth. Growth is God’s responsibility. Our responsibility is to keep on providing the requirements of growth—Bible study, prayer, and sharing with others. Then leave the growing to God.
D.	Sometimes one can get impatient for the growth to take place. For example, a parent may teach his child about Jesus for many years, yet not see much evidence of change. Then all of a sudden the big changes begin to take place. He had been planting the seeds, but his child’s "springtime" had not yet come—when he would make his own decisions about Christ.
3.	[CLASSIFY; RANK ORDER] With some variations, of course, a students responses may look like the following:
....A. Wlrat־mhrr people think about me.-
״f״״.B. My desire to obey God’s command-ments.
.	Gods promises in the Bible.
..?.....E. My desire to get to know Christ bet-ter.
.My dislike for the sin in my life.
The love I have for other people. .״״.״H. The love that other people have for
me.
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	[ARTISTIC EXPRESSION] ״The care and feeding of the new spiritual life" is the theme which the students are challenged to express through artistic symbols. They may decide to make a poster, a collage, a 3-dimensional dis-play, or any other artistic expression. Make sure that the aspects neces-sary for spiritual growth are clearly delineated.
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* PERSONAL APPLICATION
As a summary activity·for this lesson, if you know that the setting and mood is fitting within the classroom, you might try this activity:
A. Remind the students that the purpose of this lesson was to examine the ways by which we could know for sure whether or not spiritual life had truly come into us. Read the introduction from page 229 again if nec-essary.
B.	Explain how a physician, after he has examined a patient, writes up a brief diagnosis of the condition of the patient, giving his professional opinion about the status of health, based on what he has observed in the patient.
C.	Invite the students to compose a short "spiritual diagnosis" in which they assess the health of their own spiritual life. Ask them to base the diagnosis on the evidences or signs of the new life as studied in this lesson. Assure them that they need not reveal their diagnosis to any other person, but that they could learn a number of helpful things about themselves in doing this exercise.
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TO SHARE
1. [A suggested answer is not provided here, since the student should see that he is free to write an accurate description of what is actually happening in his life. If, however, a student does not feel free to speak of his own spiritual life, or feels that he does not yet have an experience which he can write about, then he should elect to respond to setting 2 below.]
2· Yes, a number of really important things would begin to happen to you.
To start with, Jesus would give you a new spiritual life-force to work within you. You can be sure of this because God has promised it, even if you do not feel any different at the moment. But later on the signs of that new life will begin to show up. You would have a greater love for Jesus and for people. You would want to spend less time seeking pleasures for yourself and more time doing helpful things for others.
You will find that you really want to obey God’s commandments. And while all this is happening, you will have a deeper sense of need for Christ— for His power and for His forgiveness.
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TEACHER NOTES
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LESSON 23: ״GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT״
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the need for making discriminating choices about all the sensory input he chooses to behold.
1.1	Applies the principle of "by beholding we are changed" to all aspects of life, including beholding that which is opposed to spiritual life.
1.2	Explains that one's character is the product of the sum total of one's thought and sensory input.
1.3	Distinguishes between that which "feeds" the old carnal nature and that which "feeds" the new life in Christ.
2.	Demonstrates comprehension of personal criteria by which to select sensory input.
2.1	Affirms that a valid use of the will is in deciding which input to select and which to reject.
2.2	Assumes accountability upon himself for making such choices.
2.3	Chooses to avoid that which will tear down spiritual life.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The title of this lesson uses strong words for a very specific reason. The student needs to become aware of the strong impact upon his spiritual life which is made when he chooses to behold "garbage." He needs to recognize that, if his life is revealing less than Christlike qualities, it may well be the result of what he is putting into his life through his senses.
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FROM THE WORD
1.	The senses:
A. The eye (seeing).
B. The ear (hearing).
C.	The imagination (mental pictures one conjures up in his own mind).
D.	The	taste	(appetite).
E.	The	sense	of touch.
F.	The nose (smelling).
2.	The Bible writers say that we must guard all that we behold and all that we say with great care. We must protect our heart, or spiritual life, since it is the spring from which flows the whole way we live.
3. It is clear that these people do not want to have anything to do with evil. They have turned away from all of Satan’s enticements and want only to do God’s will. God can protect them since they have clearly chosen to be on God’s side.
4.	This is	not a	safe way to	go.	Things	of	Satan	fight	against	the	things
of God.	They	do not both	belong	in	our	lives.	Everything	that	we	take
in that feeds our sinful nature fights against our new spiritual nat-ure and makes it weaker.
5.	One must will to choose only that which will build up the spiritual life. One must choose to reject any input which will tear down spiritual life and give strength to the old sinful life.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
PERSONAL APPLICATIONS
One of the most serious and wide-spread problems attacking the spiritual life of our youth is that of indiscriminate television viewing· Large num-bers of youth have been told that a theater is sinful, yet a television is provided right in the home. They conclude, then, that the problem is in the location of the media rather than in the content of the media. And so they spend an average of up to 25 hours per week viewing that which appeals to the same base motivations as what they would view at the local theater.
Yet they feel little restraint since they are viewing it in their own home rather than at a theater. This discrepancy needs to be rectified.
As a start, you might give each student a piece of paper and ask him to write down the titles of all the television programs he has watched during the last two weeks. Ask him to write down as many as he can remember. Have him list these down the left side of the paper. When he has finished the list, ask him to write two or three words next to each title which best describe the basic content of that program. Let these lists be the discussion starters.
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INTO MY LIFE (NOTE: Invite the class to notice especially the opening paragraph.)
1· [EVALUATION, SELF-ANALYSIS] This exercise, though more lengthy than some others the students may have done this year, is a crucial one. It is comprised of two basic parts:
A.	Discover the inspired principles by which one evaluates his choices.
B.	Compare his recent choices against those principles.
In order to give each student unrestricted access to the Index for this re-search, the necessary columns have been reprinted in the students1 textbook just as they appear in the original Index. The student is asked to search through the entries and find reasons why certain types of input should be accepted or rejected. It is not necessary for the student to look up each passage in the books; the words in the Index entries will be adequate in most cases. However if some entries arouse a student’s curiosity and he desires to follow through and read the full quotation, this should be en-couraged.
The words are then listed in the columns on page 240, the negative comments listed	under	IMPROPER	INPUT, and the positive comments listed	under PROPER
INPUT.	That	is, when	Ellen White is found to speak against a	certain	type
of input, the reasons	for that comment are listed in the left	column.	When
she is	found	to speak	in favor of a certain kind of input, the	reasons	for
that comment are listed in the right column. See the examples provided.
Minus signs (-) are connected with all the entries in the IMPROPER INPUT column, and plus signs (+) are connected with all the entries in the PROPER INPUT column. When a student finds the words which best describe the kind of input he has been selecting lately, he can readily determine whether that input has been negative or positive.
Urge the students to be honest in their evaluations. Assure them that they will not be graded or judged in any way according to what they put on the evaluation, thus giving them more freedom to be candid.
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2.	[EVALUATION; DISCUSSION] Some key ideas:
A· There may be degrees of uplifting and downgrading; but the class will probably conclude that there really is no neutral ground.
B.	A Christian1s commitment ought to be to the very best. That which is merely good is not good enough. In fact, if one has opportunity to select the very best, yet selects that which is only good, then the good becomes bad. Right?
C.	See comments under B above.
D.	Such a person may not have reached the point of maturity where he realizes that his spiritual destiny is in his hands. Re may be just avoiding having to be responsible. One who lets other people make his decisions for him can always say that he does not like the de-cision that has been made; therefore he feels he can ignore that decision. But when he has to face up to making his own decision, then he must follow through with a change of behavior. Many youth simply want to avoid having to make any changes in their behavior.
E.	Even what the world would consider a "good" movie would be far from best for a Christian. And once a pattern of attending movies has been established, it easily becomes a desired means of entertain-ment. This leads in most every case to less and less discretion in the movies that are selected. Attending the theater to see a "good1* movie leads, in far too many cases, to a pattern of indiscriminate theater-going. When the Christian has so much better to do, this is a tragic waste.
F.	Considering the tendencies discussed in E above, what might we con-elude about the television? Does the fact that a program is on TV automatically indicate that it is suitable for a Christian youth to watch?
3.	[DECISION-MAKING; MEMORIZE] The purpose of this activity is to close the gap between the convictions of Bible class and the actual moments when
a decision about input is being made. Paulfs classic statement from Philip-pians 4:8 (from the version of their own choosing) is copied onto a 3 x 5 card. This card is placed in another card cut to form a holder, as illus-trated. The holder card is folded forward in the center, and the verse card is slid down into the two cuts and leans back against the holder. The words ״BY BEHOLDING WE ARE CHANGED״ will appear on the holder underneath the verse card. The student is then challenged to place the resulting display on the top of his television (if the family owns one) or in some other obvious place where his choices could be influenced.
Ask the students from time to time whether this plan has influenced their decisions. You may also wish to participate in this activity, then share from your own experiences.
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4.	[SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION; COMPOSING CAPTIONS] This series of diagrams can be very meaningful, especially if the students can compose their own wording and captions to explain. They may write captions such as the follow-ing:
1.	״Look Whofs in Charge Here"
״Under Old Management"
״How We All Begin"
"Sin on the Throne"
This scene depicts the fact that all persons—before their conver-sion—have only one nature in charge in their life: the old natural man of sin. He is tough and mean and prone to do many evil things.
2.	"Announcing the New Birth"
"Young, But Very Strong"
״Death to the Old; Long Live the New"
"Under New Management"
This is a portrayal of the entrance of the new life at conversion, and the death of the old life. You may need to explain, however, that even though the old nature is shown as being in the casket, and is—for all practical purposes—dead, he is capable of being brought back to life at a momentfs notice. He will be around as long as one lives on this earth and needs continually to be held under the control of the new life.
3.	"Feeding the New, Starving the Old"
"Old Man on Crash Diet; New Man Being Well-fed"
This portrays a born-again Christian who is choosing to feed his new life in Christ and choosing to avoid most input that would keep the old man alive. As a result, the old man is portrayed as shriveled up and very weak.
4.	״Old Man Stages Comeback"
"New Life Close to Death"
"Feeding the Old, Starving the New"
״This Could Be the End of Something Good"
In contrast to scene 3, this depicts one who has neglected to feed his new life in Christ. Instead he is still feasting on all the sensory input that he relished before he became a Christian. As a result, the old nature is reasserting its power and influence. And the new life is too weak to prevent it from happening.
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5.	[FURTHER RESEARCH]
A. It will be helpful for a youth to discuss this matter with an adult who has been given the responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the whole campus. The students may prepare some good questions in advance to ask when the librarian comes.
B.	The students are here challenged to generate a valid set of stand-ards which might be used in planning proper Saturday night activities They are asked to consider standards rather than activities,since the activities must grow out of the standards. In addition, by thinking about standards first they may encounter less resistance from others than if they begin immediately to name specifc activities When asking for a report, the class may then be led into thinking about specific activities which measure up to these standards.
C. It may come as a surprise to some youth for them to learn that the pursuit of fun is not the highest of personal rights. As the word is usually employed, fun means a very self-centered, often superfi-cial seeking after pleasure. The Christian, by contrast, seeks for more enduring satisfactions— the rewards and joys that come from knowing that one has done something useful and beneficial. If the students can come to appreciate the difference between fun and joy, and then commit themselves to the higher forms of pleasure, many of the more basic problems with entertainment will be settled.
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TO SHARE
1.	We Adventists really do have an enjoyable time in life; we just have a different idea about what makes up real enjoyment· The Bible tells us to concentrate on things that are lovely, true, praiseworthy, and pure. And it makes sense, because these are the kinds of things a Christian wants to build up in his own life. We just choose to set aside the things that will pull down our values or give us sinful ideas. We have found that everything that comes into our minds affects us for either the good or the bad. And we have set a goal of being Christlike!
2.	Yes, it does. You see, the Bible says that "by beholding we are changed." This means that when we behold something that is filled with anger and hatred, or with cheap ideas about love, we tend to start thinking those very thoughts ourselves. But when we behold something that is filled with thoughts of peace, joy, unselfishness, and genuine love, we find it so much easier to think those kinds of thoughts. And these are the kinds of thoughts that we really choose to be thinking.
3.	[Student will draw from his own experiences to answer this one. Encour-age candidness.]
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TEACHER NOTES:
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LESSON 24: WHEN I THINK OF PERFECTION,
I GET DISCOURAGED
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1. Understands the Bible meaning of being perfect.
1.1	Distinguishes between being declared perfect (justification) and being perfect in behavior (the goal of sanctification).
1.2	Affirms that perfection in all its phases is the product of an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.
1.3	Defines perfection in terms of a perfect reflecting of the character of Christ.
1.4	Acknowledges that perfection of character is possible in this life through the proper quality of relationship with Jesus.
1.5	Explains that one will not know if he is perfect, since a major aspect of being perfect involves a complete turning away from a fascination with one's own performance and a turning to Jesus in complete awareness of our great need of Him.
1.6	Uses correctly the terminology often associated with a dis-cussion of perfection.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Perfection is a bewildering, almost terrifying, topic for many youth. It seems to be making such impossibly great demands while delineating so vaguely just what those demands are or how they can ever be accomplished. This les-son will seek to make perfection a believable goal while not in any way lower-ing the goal.
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FROM THE WORD
This lesson presents a unique challenge: adequately cover a large number of concepts in a simple and direct way. For this reason the "interview" for-mat has been used. But rather than having the students simply read the in-terview, ask them to read with their pencils, underlining the key phrases or words in each response. For example, question 3 asks for a description of what perfection is. The students should underline 1*wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ."
Briefly stated, this interview seeks to establish these key concepts:
A.	When one turns to Christ in loyalty, trust, and submission, he is accounted by Christ to be perfect, viewed as if he had never sinned, because of the merits of Jesus Christ which have been given to him.
B.	As one continues to abide in Christ, learning to submit to His will and depend on His power, the life of Christ will be imparted to him. Eventually—if he continues to grow—he will perfectly reflect the character of Christ in his own behavior.
C.	Perfection of character is not the basis for onefs salvation. One is saved by faith in Christ alone. Character perfection is sought so that one might more clearly reflect the character of Christ to the world, rather than as a means of earning standing before God.
D.	If one abides in Christ, he continues to be accounted as perfect all the while he is learning to be perfect.
E.	Perfection of character is not accomplished by the removal of the sinful nature. Rather it is accomplished by the submission of the sinful nature to the power of God.
F.	One will not know when he is considered by God to be perfect. Indeed, he will at that time have a more keen awareness of his unlikeness
to Christ than at any other time. This will only drive him more thoroughly into a relationship of trust and dependence upon the power and forgiveness of Christ. And this deepened relationship is the very one necessary in order to reflect Him perfectly.
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BY ELLEN WHITE
Since the ideal of perfection is so challenging, many persons have tended to conclude that it is not really possible. Several quotations have been included in the interview under question 12· The following quotations will supplement that same theme·
"God designs that every one of us shall be perfect in Him, so that we may represent to the world the perfection of His character. He wants us to be free from sin"—My Life Today, page 15.
״None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character· By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the be-liever to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness· God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection, and places before us the exam-pie of Christ’s own character· In His humanity, perfected by a life of con-stant resistance of evil, the Savior showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character.
This is God’s assurance to us that we too may obtain complete victory."—
The Acts of the Apostles, page 531·
"Perfection of character is attainable by every one who strives for it·"
—Selected Messages, Book 1, page 212.
״The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. It comes with the gentleness of the inspiration of His word, through the inward working of the Spirit, the fellowship of the soul with Him who is its life. The greatest manifestation of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the char-acter of Christ."—Testimonies, Vol. 7, page 143.
"Perfection through our own good works we can never attain. The soul who sees Jesus by faith, repudiates his own righteousness. He sees himself as incomplete, his repentance as insufficient, his strongest faith as feebleness, his most costly sacrifice as meager, and he sinks in humility at the foot of the cross. But a voice speaks to him from the oracles of God’s word.
In amazement he hears the message, ’Ye are complete in Him.’ Now all is at rest in his soul. No longer must he strive to find some worthiness in him-self, some meritorious deed by which to gain the favor of God."—Signs of the Timesf July 4, 1892.
״The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a like-ness to Christ in character."—Ellen White in SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, page 970.
"We can, we can, reveal the likeness of our divine Lord."—In Heavenly Pla-ces, page 187.
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INTO MY LIFE
1· [COMPARE; IMAGINE; APPLICATION] This series of discussion-starter questions builds in a sequence. It begins by asking the class to imagine what would happen in the town if Jesus Himself were to arrive. The descrip-tion will, no doubt, be quite dramatic. But once the horizons have been opened up with this description, will it be necessary to close them down at all in describing the scenes which follow? In view of Jesus* promise in John 14:12, will the impact not be almost as great—especially in view of the increased numbers of Christlike persons?
NOTE: According to Jesus* prayer in John 17, He desires His believers here on earth to demonstrate a harmonious unity among themselves which will be a visual model of the unity of heaven. This may clarify one of the reasons why God is waiting for a group of people on this earth who will reflect His character. There are some truths about the government of heaven which can be revealed much more effectively by a large body of believers than by a scattered individual here and there. See The Desire of Ages, page 680tfor further reading on this concept.
2.	[COMPARE] While Enoch may have had some time advantages, the class may conclude that Christians living in our own time have some advantages which he did not enjoy.
A.	We also have: the Holy Spirit; stories of God*s dealings with men in history.
B.	We have the fuller revelation of God through Christ*s life; we have the full revelation of Scripture; we have an additional several thousand years of seeing the outworkings of the great controversy; we have abundant evidences of fulfilled prophecies.
C.	Enoch had a clearer revelation of God through nature before the flood; living at a time when Adam was still alive, he had a direct line of information about God*s original contacts with man.
D.	If it were not just as possible, then we would not be expected to reach the same goal.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ENOCH THE MODEL MISSIONARY
It is worthy of note that Enoch, who lived in times as corrupt as our own, and with a missionary task almost identical to our own, is held up to us as a model in the methods by which he accomplished his missionary responsibil-ities. Notice this:
״He [Enoch] did not make his abode with the wicked. He did not locate in Sodom, thinking to save Sodom. He placed himself and his family where the atmosphere would be as pure as possible. Then at times he went forth to the inhabitants of the world with his God-given message. Every visit he made to the world was painful to him. He saw and under-[continued on page 230^
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3.	[CLARIFY; EXPLAIN] This exercise will help a student clarify his usages of certain words and phrases often connected with the discussion of perfec tion. He is asked to accept some and reject others and explain why he made the choices he did. Markings should be as follows:
A.	X a free gift X joyous
____because Ifm good enough
X imputed *
X received by faith X instantaneous
B.	____by my own strength and determination
X a joyous privilege X imparted *
X by Godfs strength and power
____a terrible duty
X never completed X to God’s glory and credit
C.	X only by the presence of the Holy Spirit in me 	it can’t be done
X I have the privilege of helping ____a radio program will do it all
??? our class at school is even now helping to do it X it requires more than just words X it can begin right in my own home ____youth can never do it as well as adults
*These words will provide opportunity for student-initiated dictionary study.
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4.	[FURTHER RESEARCH]
A.	This research will probe the idea of vindicating Christ*s character before the universe and the world. It should be clear that one is given eternal life on the basis of his faith in Christfs imputed righteousness, and that character improvement does not add to one*s worthiness of being saved. But it is of great importance when it comes to revealing Christ to others, and proving to the universe that God really can restore lost rebels—in spite of Satan's charges.
B.	This research concept has an obvious purpose and a more hidden pur-pose. The students will engage in it primarily for the purpose of gathering data. But in the process of discussing these matters
with others, the students1 own awareness of the issues will be sharp-ened. NOTE: Having the students fill out the survey form before they begin can be an interesting way to quiz the students on their comprehension of the lesson.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* [CONTINUED FROM PAGE 228:]
stood something of the leprosy of sin. After proclaiming his message, he always took back with him to his place of retirement some who had received the warning. Some of these became overcomers, and died before the flood came. But some had lived so long in the corrupting influence of sin that they could not endure righteousness.11—Ellen White in the SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, pp. 1087, 1088.
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4· Continued
C.	The student who shares Ellen Whited illustration of the perfectly growing plant and opening flower will have the concepts all the more deeply implanted in his own mind. This is a very effective object lesson to use with young minds.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
1.	״I read somewhere that we can never equal the character of Christ. [See Testimonies, Vol. 2, page 170: "You cannot equal the copy; but you can resemble it and, according to your ability, do likewise."] If we canft equal Christ, what does all this mean about perfecting a Christlike character? Wonft a character that is as perfect as His mean that we are equal to Christ?"
Answer: The choice of words is very important here. It is true that we can never equal Christ. Our past record of sins, the impact of years of sin-ful habits on our minds and bodies—these would prevent us from ever being identical to Christ in our behavior and character. But we are told that we can perfectly reflect His character. By dying to our old selfish natures, people who watch our lives will be able to see the perfect character qualities of Jesus reflected in our lives. A good mirror may be able to carry a perfect reflection of the person who stands in the presence of the mirror; but we would not say that the mirror was now equal to the person standing in front.
2.	״How is it that a person who has perfected a Christian character will not know that it has happened? Wouldnft he be the first to	know?"
Answer: Having a perfect character	does not suggest that a	person	has	arrived
at a level of doing good works in which no more growth or improvement is possible or necessary. Indeed the redeemed will be growing throughout eternity! Perfect character could perhaps even be defined as perfect growth—saying Yes to Jesus every time He shows us some new area of needed change, and in His power moving	right into that change.
At the same time, when a person	comes closer to Christ,	he gains	a	deeper
understanding of just how much growing he must do to be like Christ. He gains a deeper dissatisfaction with his own present condition, and he longs for the needed changes in his life. Each new level of growth opens up new understandings of more areas of needed growth. There is no way, then, in which he could conclude that he needs to do no more growing— that he has "arrived at perfection." Nor will he be content that he is growing fast enough. But most important of all, he will not be looking inward at his own performance, thinking that he has ever done enough.
He will be just looking at Jesus, longing to be more like Him.
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TO SHARE
1. God does not accept people because they are good enough. If that were what it took to be accepted by Godf no one would ever be good enough to be accepted. God accepts people because they have turned to Him in faith. So if you want to be accepted by God, turn your whole life over to Jesus and ask Him to come in and take charge. God will accept you immediately, as if you never had sinned. Then He will go to work in your life and—with your cooperation—cause you to become the perfect person He wants you to be.
2· No, I can't agree with that. It is true that people around us don't make the idea seem very possible; but we have so many promises that it actually can happen—like in Matthew 5:48. Jesus said that He will give us all the power that we need to be like Him, too. I think we're doubting God's promises when we say that it can't be done.
3.	The most important thing that you can do is to keep your attention on Jesus. Spend time with Him every day in Bible study and prayer. Give Him permission to do what He wants to do in your life. Trust that He will give you all the power you need in order to live as He wants you to. Be more concerned for the honor and glory of His name than for anything that has to do with you and your rewards; let Him worry about your re־־ wards.
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UNIT 5: INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Demonstrates awareness of the changes in interpersonal relation-ships which tend to grow out of a faith relationship with Jesus.
1.1	Explains why a growing spiritual life changes one's rela-tionships with others, identifying such factors as awakening love, unselfishness, inner security within the Christian, and the adoption of a higher set of personal values and standards.
1.2	Distinguishes between Christian and non-Christian behavior patterns in typical interaction situations.
1.3	Describes why Christian modes of interaction are preferred.
2.	Affirms a preference for Christian modes of interpersonal re-lationships.
2.1	Responds with apparent dissatisfaction when observing non-Christian behavior in the school context.
2.2	Generates Christlike means of interaction in structured and nonstructured interaction situations within his scope of influence.
THE UNIT
INTRODUCTION
The paragraphs on page 261 seek to establish this one point: Social relation-ships as we see them on this planet are in trouble and need to be changed; and Christ is the One who can change them for the good. The unit begins with the most basic of human relationships—those within the home. The cir-cle then broadens to encompass one's friends, the church, the Christian school, and—finally—the world community around.
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LESSON 25: ״THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE A CHRISTIAN HOME״
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands and appreciates the distinct advantages of a Christ-ian home.
1.1	Compares the operation of a Christian home with its non-Christian counterparts, itemizing specific differences.
1.2	Ennumerates the ways in which a Christian home can be a wholesome influence on others.
2.	Embraces the individual responsibilities which rest upon him as a member of the home.
2.1	Describes the various role responsibilities of each member of the family toward family unity, including his own role.
2.2	Explicitly states that one cannot properly fulfill those responsibilities apart from an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ.
2.3	Acknowledges his personal accountability to the other mem-bers for their happiness and well-being.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Page 263 contains a number of very traditional, accepted comments about the home. But each comment is followed immediately by a similar comment which emphasizes the uniqueness of a Christian home. This follows the theme of the lesson title which is based on the saying, ״There's no place like home." Can the class think of other often-repeated comments or sayings about the home? If they can think of others, try to compose a counterpart which em-phasizes the specialness of the Christian home.
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FROM THE WORD
This FROM THE WORD section is different in style from most of the previous lessons· It is composed in the form of a family portrait* The entries for each time span within the day, however, are left incomplete. Enough infor-mation is given to establish the context; then the student is asked to com-pose a few sentences which will complete the description of what is happen-ing. The studentfs composition is to be based on the references from Ellen White's writings which are listed at each blank space. Each composition will reflect the way in which a Christian home operates· As the students flavor each scene with their own imaginations, there will be a wide range of answers
6:15
• . · because all four members spend time quietly studying their Bibles, and praying. They take time alone with God to get in touch with Him for the day; then they talk over with Him all the plans for the day.
They do this the first thing in the morning.
7:08
. . · blessing on the meal, and then—with a mischievous grin on his face—says· "Bill, with our luck this morning, I'll bet you can't even pass the milk without spilling at least half of it." Everyone laughs and the room seems brighter. Mom asks Joan how she might help her get ready for the day. The family talks pleasantly about the events of the day.
7:19
. . · toward Mom and meets her eyes· She shrugs her shoulders and makes some comment about needing to get the dress cleaned anyway. She and Bill both head for the mop closet at the same time and chuckle as they bump into each other.
7:30
• · · needs to leave the house. Dad gathers the family in the living room· Mom plays along on the piano as they sing a few hymns and choruses Then Dad reads several verses from the Bible. The others join him in talking about the meaning of the passage, and how it might affect their lives. As they kneel in a circle to pray, they each mention the rest of the family members in their prayers.
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* FAMILY WORSHIP IDEAS
Listed below are several suggestions on family worship concepts. (See INTO MY LIFE, number 2, second item·)
A· ״The Worship Box." Choose a shoe box in which the person in charge of the worship can place an object lesson. Let the object lesson illustrate the text for the day. For example, one might read Matthew 5:16 in which Jesus speaks of letting our light shine. Several candles of different shapes and sizes are placed in the box. Discuss whether the larger candles will give off more light than the smaller ones. Let Jesus be represented by the match which lights them all. Note that the light is virtually equal from all.
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FROM THE WORD 7:50
• . . Joan chuckles and says, "Well, there are times when things happen that could cause some big storms. But I can't ever recall that my folks have become stormy. And because they keep their heads, we don't very often get upset with them. Come to think of it, I just can't imagine my parents getting upset. Come on, let's go to class,"
12:32
. · . during the school day. Bill leaves his friends for a moment and comes over to talk with Joan, "Hi, Joan," he says with a smile. "Are you having a good day?" They talk together for a few moments, then part with a smile.
3:30
And so she says, "I'll tell you what. You relax for fifteen minutes. Then we'll each have three jobs to do. I'll join with you in getting them done. Does that sound reasonable?" Bill and Joan smile their agreement.
5:10
• . · if he wanted to· Dad puts his papers inside the back door and rolls up his sleeves. "All right, Bill," he challenges, "let's get these logs moved in ten minutes or neither one of us deserves to eat supper." Bill feels a new burst of energy and grabs two big logs.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* MORE WORSHIP IDEAS
"Share a Text." Have each member of the family bring a favorite Bible text. Take turns sharing the texts and explaining why that one has special meaning· Can any of them share their texts from memory?
"Bible Pantomime.” Take turns going out of the room in teams of two· Think of a Bible story which can be portrayed by the two doing a pantomime. Act out the story without saying anything or using any props—just relying on motions and gestures. See if the others in the room can guess the story.
"Setting a Goal.11 When studying Bible or Ellen White passages which speak of how we might relate to other people, try to think of some specific ways in which that counsel can be lived out during that day. Then set some real-istic yet challenging goals for yourselves for that day. For example: ״By the grace of God, Ifm going to try to find at least three opportunities today to say something cheerful to a person who seems to be discouraged." Then pray that the Lord will make you aware of the moments when such words might be spoken. In family worship that same evening, or the next morning, share with the rest of the family what may have happened as a result of your goal.
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FROM THE WORD 5:50
״Letsfs go into the living room and sit around the fireplace. It's time for our family to have evening worship together, and we would love to have you join with us." Dad chooses a familiar hymn which the guests are likely to knowf then reads a short passage of Scripture. The guests are surprised to see the interest with which Bill and Joan enter into the discussion, and note the maturity of their prayers.
8:00
• . . but that family is the most remarkable family I've ever seen. Did you notice the love and peace that is in that home? Martha, I sure wish our home were more like that. Do you think it has something to do with their religion?"
8:30
. . . something pleasant and relaxing, [Student responses will vary widely here; may include such things as: sewing, working on models, reading a good book, writing a letter, working on some hobby or collection, plan-ning a youth meeting, studying the Bible or Ellen White books, and the like. Merely watching television or listening to poor-quality music should be avoided.]
Closing events of the day:
[Student will probably want to include some reference to time for private devotions and prayer. Eating extra food or keeping late hours should be avoided.]
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[PERSONAL REACTIONS] As the class follows through with this short series of questions, they will be encouraged to locate the most essential ingredi-ents in a Christian home. In part C, where the class contribute their vari-ous responses, you may find students expressing what they wish a home could be· Build on these desires and—in part G—seek to establish some very con-crete beginning points at which a younger member of the home can work to accomplish change.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNA TIVES ********* WHAT ABOUT TROUBLED HOMES?
If your classroom is typical, you have already found that a large number of the students come from homes that are less than joyous and are far from the ideal suggested in this lesson. There may be a tendency for the students from these homes to want to verbalize their problems, particularly if the class has been an open one in previous sharing discussions. Though some good may seem to come from allowing a student to speak of things that are of current importance to him, this needs to be evaluated along with the counsel on reference V/8 regarding keeping a sacred circle around the home.
A young personrs motivations for telling about home problems may become con-fused and end up being a bid for sympathy. The teacher should clearly be in support of the sacred circle ideal, and not encourage an expose of a home.
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2.	[FURTHER RESEARCH]
A.	Some of the ideas which are brought together in this research could be tested as class worship experiences·
OPTIONAL EXTRA: It is safe to assume that a large number of parents are also concerned about providing meaningful worships for their fam-ilies, but are perplexed about finding worship formats which their youth will enjoy. Ask the research team if they would like to write descriptions of each of the worship ideas and then have them dupli-cated so that each student in the class could take a set of them home to share with his parents·
B.	Rather than allowing student energy to drain off in negative complain-ing about home problems, this focuses their energy toward finding creative solutions to the problems.
C· It would be well to have the youth thinking even now about the advan-tages of a home in a country setting· Though it may be some years before they will be making a decision for themselves, at least they may be becoming increasingly sensitive to it in the intervening years·
D.	General topics could include ones such as these:
"Family Finances and My Allowance"
״Spending More Time Together"
"Family Recreation"
״Making Our Own Decisions at Home"
"Family Missionary Work"
״What Will Home Be Like in Heaven?"
3.	[COMPARING; INTERPRETING] Ask the students to be alert to any clues as to how Jesus related to other people· If several students are working on this as a team, perhaps each student could be assigned to make some comments about one of the quotations·
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4.	[PROBLEM-SOLVING] These ten rules are composed from the perspective of the children in the home. They stress the responsibilities of the younger members of the home unit. Rather than being an exhaustive treatment of all family problems, these are but suggestive of certain attitudes that can be adopted when problems arise.
Think of some imaginative ways for leading the class into a careful reading of these ten rules. Perhaps you could have ten students each select one of the rules and paraphrase it into his own words and explain it to the rest of the class. Or try role-playing some family tension situations in which these rules could be shown to be applied.
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ELLEN WHITE ON DISCIPLINE
Many homes are troubled over a misunderstanding of true principles of disci-pline. Some youth may believe that whatever method of discipline their own parents may be using (or not using!) is exactly Godrs will. Thus when the discipline is disagreeable or ineffective, they may subconsciously discredit God «
It is always a refreshing and changing experience to discover the true pattern of discipline—the careful blend of firmness and love—which has been shown to us by God through Ellen White.
You may wish to summarize some of the principles for the class; or if there is sufficient motivation, the class may wish to do some study on their own. Primary resources:
Child Guidance, pages 223-290 The Adventist Home, pages 305-316 Educationf pages 287-297
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TO SHARE
[NOTE: Rather than using the familiar format of responses to questions, this lesson asks the students to respond with personal testimonials to the value of a Christian home.]
1.	[Students may list items such as the following:]
— Spiritual power of the Holy Spirit to make the needed changes.
—Guiding values and principles of the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. —Time spent together in worship, work, fellowship.
—Commitment of unselfish love to other family members.
—Unity growing from a common love for Jesus.
2.	[Allow considerable latitude for personal applications here. If a stu-dent wishes to keep his response to himself, this should be allowed·]
3.	[Students may list items such as the following:]
—Gives me a love for God and an acquaintance with His Word·
—Provides a source of lovef security, happiness with which one can face the pressures and problems of the world·
—Helps me understand the love and peace of heaven.
—Teaches me how to get along with other people, by seeing how my family gets along at home.
—A close group of loving people who help me figure out who I am and where I'm going in life·
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
ADVANCE PREPARATIONS
NOTE: In lesson 27 (see page 285, item 4, student text), a suggestion is made that the church pastor from a nearby Seventh-day Adventist church be invited to address the class on the subject of the meaning of the church. Could this invitation be extended now?
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LESSON 26: FRIENDS ARE FOR BEING.
NOT FOR GETTING
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the decisively different concept of friendship which the Christian faith requires and makes possible.
1.1	Distinguishes between the desire to get friends and the desire to be a friend.
1.2	Acknowledges that a trusting connection with Jesus Christ is the only means by which such an unselfish orientation can be maintained.
1.3	Affirms that such a commitment to being a friend will actu-ally result in more friendship with himself than will a commit-ment to getting friends.
2.	Understands the inspired guidelines studied in this lesson for being a friend.
2.1	Explains the concept of exploitation—of using another per-son, under the guise of friendship, for personal gain or pleas-ure.
2.2	Tells why exploitation is opposed to the teachings of the Bible.
2.3	Lists specific ways by which he can show genuine friend-ship to others within his scope of influence.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The theme of "paper doll" symbols of men is introduced here in the introduc-tion and it continues through the remainder of the lesson. Students should particularly note what happens to the "empty spot" in the middle of the fig-ure of the person. Talk with the class about that empty spot, helping them realize that all persons have that need, that we need not be embarrassed to admit that need, and that the only problem is an improper procedure for filling that need.
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NOTE:
The symbols on this page illustrate the usual, human approach to filling the empty spot· The symbol on the left is pointing to his own empty spot, hoping that the others will respond to his plea and come to fill his needs. But the other persons also have their own needs. In short, either they have nothing to give, or they are so absorbed in their concern for their own needs that they donft even notice the needs of the beckoning man on the left.
This is a portrayal of the whole human predicament when it comes to fulfill-ing social needs in the hearts of mankind. The empty cycle must be broken somewhere. The next parts of the lesson show how that cycle is broken.
EXPLORE WITH THE CLASS:
It is important that the students sense the universality of these needs.
An objective observer in a typical 7th- and 8th-grade classroom might quick-ly conclude that the need for peer acceptance and approval is the dominant drive evident among the youth. A large number of the behaviors are flavored with the obvious messages, 11Notice me; think of me as something special; notice my abilities, my cleverness; tell me that I am becoming a capable per-son." Again it should be stressed that this is not abnormal.
Can the students recognize these motivations, these needs and desires,in their own hearts? Can they notice them in others' actions? Can they admit how little effort they put into meeting the needs of others? Is it likely that a person1s first, if not only, priority is to fill his own needs? The importance of divine love to break this vicious cycle will be appreciated to the degree that one recognizes the reality of the problem.
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FROM THE WORD
The symbols on this page are all engaged in offering to another person the very thing that the other person needs to fill his *1empty spot/1 Against this background, the students begin to explore the Bible concept of true friendship· Several passages of Scripture are explored, and the ideas about friendship are then listed in the column on page 274·
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* DRAWING FRIENDSHIP
Divide the class into teams of four or five students each· Give each team a large sheet of poster or similar paper, or an acetate for an overhead projector· Ask the teams to think about the friendship needs in the school and to decide what they feel is the one most important thing that can be done in order for these friendship needs to be met more adequately. Have each team draw a picture which portrays their solution being put into action at school· Then give each team an opportunity to come before the rest of the class and explain what they believe is the solution to the need for friend-ship.
CIRCLE RESPONSE
Gather the class into a circle (when possible) and ask each student to name one experience in his life in which he felt that he was really being valued and appreciated as a friend· The idea of the circle response is that each person speaks once—following a rotating pattern around the room—before any person speaks twice· This invites all to respond without letting a few of the more extroverted students dominate the discussion.
SEARCHING FOR ALTERNATIVES
For each of the following need areas, have the class think of at least three separate alternatives, or ways to go about accomplishing it.
A·	Ways	to	help a friend see that he is doing annoying things:
B.	Ways	to	get	better acquainted with someone at school you don't	know
very well:
C.	Ways to help someone at school who is seeking for friendship in ways that only annoy other people:
D.	Ways	to	let	another person know that you appreciate his friendship:
E.	(Others	the	teacher or class may suggest as needed:)
List the ideas on the board or overhead as they are suggested· When the 11brainstorming1' session is over, have the class number the alternatives in order of preference as they would prefer them if they were on the receiving end of the action!
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FROM THE WORD
IDEAS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP
a.	Turn away from hearing bad reports about others.
b.	Let your love for othere be genuine love·
c.	Reject anything to do with evil; hang on to what is good·
d.	Be the most eager to show high regard for other people.
e.	Help the people around you who are in need.
f.	Don’t get mad at the	people who bother	you;	say	kind things to them.
g.	Empathize with their	feelings—whether	thay	are	happy or sad feelings.
h.	Don’t be stuck up; but go out of your way to be friends of those who are thought of as "lowly."
i. Don’t strike back, or take vengeance, when people wrong you; do them good, not evil.
j.	Do everything possible to live at peace with other people·
k.	Do kind things to people who have done unkind things to you·
l.	Help the people around you who are weaker than you are.
m.	Be more concerned with pleasing your neighbor than with pleasing yourself.
n.	Seek to live in harmony with others so	that	God	can be glorified.
o.	Be as quick and open	about welcoming others	as Christ has been in
welcoming you.
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FROM THE WORD
2.	[Add ideas to list on page 274.]
3. Others. Because this is what Jesus did, and He wants to give us the desire to do the same. And because this is the only way true friend-ship can happen.
4.	We are able to turn outward to be a friend and to fill others1 needs because Jesus has first loved us as His friends and filled our needs. This allows us to turn away from concern for our own needs. It also gives us something to share with other people as we turn to help them: God9s love I
NOTE: The symbol on this page shows a nail-pierced hand reaching in from outside the human sphere and offering to a person just what he needs to fill his empty spot. This is what enables him to then turn and offer a similar gift to others.
A$k the class to interpret the symbol based on their own perceptions, offering additional guidance only when indicated.
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FROM THE WORD
5.	When we are a friend to another person, we end up having friendship ourselves. When we let God flow His blessings through us to other people, we receive of those same blessings ourselves· By seeking to give away friendship we receive it ourselves.
6.	The Christian doesn’t pick his friends from among those who are "lovely Jesus gives him the ability to love everyone—even those who are not very lovely. He doesn’t look for people who can flatter him by being his friend. He gives his own friendship to whoever needs it.
7. It might read, ”We must stop being so cold to our fellow students, so lazy in our expressions of friendship. Let’s go out of our way to say kind and encouraging things to each other. When someone is discouraged, let's not wait, but go to encourage him."
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] The student is asked to select a passage or verse from Romans 12:9-21; 15:1-7; 1 John 4:7-12, 19, and commit it to memory. Encourage selection of more than one short passage. When asking for the verse on a quiz or test, be certain to ask why that particular verse was selected.
2.	[MEDITATION; SELF-EVALUATION] This is offered as a means of helping a student get in touch with his own feelings and motivations. It is quite direct in places, lest any students feel they have no more need of growth in the matter of friendship. Yet the student can maintain complete privacy of response, thus encouraging him to be completely candid in his self-evaluation. If you designate that a set period of time will be allocated just for the examination of this evaluation, students may be more willing to engage that time in self-examination.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
"We discovered while studying question 6 that a Christian doesnft select his friends just from among the ,lovely1 people, but that he is ready to count all people as his friends. Then how come my parents wonft let me spend time with that boy across the street—just because he isnft a Christian and he does lots of bad things? Isn't he the very kind that needs my friendship?"
Suggested answer:	Consider two possible reasons for your forming a friend-
ship with a non-Christian such as the boy across the street. You may have a genuine, unselfish concern for him as a person, and you really care that his life become more rich and joyous in Christ. Or, on the other hand, you may want to form a friendship with him because you secretly enjoy some of the sinful things that he does. Parents remember their own growing years, and they know that these two motives can sometimes kind of flow together. They remember friendships formed at the start for high motives that soon slid over into the bad motivations. They don't want your own spiritual life confused while it is still young and fragile. Maybe they see weaknes-ses in you that you don't sense. They want to protect you—fortunately.
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3.	[GENERATING IDEAS] How many "friendly" ideas can the students think of? It is suggested that the students engage in a "brainstorming" session· The standard ground rules for a session like this are as follows:
A. Think of as many ideas as you can as fast as you can. Don't stop to decide whether or not each idea is good. Don*t ever say any-thing to another person in the group suggesting that his idea is not a good one· This gets people to defending their ideas, and the flow of new ideas stops·
B· Think up as new and original an idea as you can think of. Listen to what the others are saying and let that stimulate some whole new realms of imagination.
C.	Try for as many ideas as you can· Look for quantity rather than quality· Quality will come as you let your mind dream big ideas.
D.	When the session is over, then go back through and pick out the ideas which seem the best. Someone who can write rapidly can be designated as the secretary to jot down the ideas which are sug-gested by the group. Work with this list in evaluating.
Encourage those who have worked on this to act on their conclusions, trust-ing in God to give them the power and wisdom to accomplish their decisions.
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4.	[DISCUSSION QUESTIONS] Key ideas which may be emphasized:
A.	Notice this Bible verse: ״Though God has never been seen by any man, God himself dwells in us if we love one another; his love is brought to perfection within us." 1 John 4:12, NEB. God*s love is made real to other people through the channel of loving Christ-ians who are in tune with God.
B.	This may lead to a discussion of aberrant behavior in young people. Many forms of socially unacceptable, even criminal, behavior can be traced to a desire to be noticed and appreciated by others. This line of discovery could readily lead the class to the conclusion that giving genuine friendship to others may prevent destructive behavior in these persons.
C.	The one whose friendship seems to be the most highly prized on the schoolground is the one who is most eager to be a friend to others, rather than the one who is seeking to get more friends. This could be a breakthrough discovery for some lonesome persons.
D.	This series of questions and comments will give the teacher the oppor-tunity to speak carefully to the matter of sexual exploitation in social relationships. In most classrooms it is not too soon to begin to talk of this matter. Experience indicates that many young per-sons have fallen into very unfortunate "friendship" patterns in the seventh grade. Young girls, eager to be accepted and thought of as grown up, have almost unwittingly allowed themselves to be exploited by boys who are eager to verify their arrival at the beginnings of manhood. The tragedy is that both parties in this type of hurtful relationship delude each other into thinking that they have genuine interests in friendship with the other. If young persons could be alerted to recognize that physical intimacy at this level of matur-ity comes under the heading of exploitation rather than friendship,
it might help some of them think more cautiously about their actions.
We are not here suggesting a discussion of sexuality in general. But some candid and well-chosen comments regarding the motivations for friendships could be a most valuable service to many young lives.
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4. Continued
E. The questions in this part deal with the other side of the question of exploitation. The class here considers the persons who are will-ing to b£ exploited in an urgent attempt to gain friends at any cost. This is an all too frequent problem. The "friends" of the prodigal son are lucid examples of how this arrangement works. As soon as the money ran out, they did too. Help the class recognize ways in which exploitation might be happening right in their own school.
F.	Are the students ready to perceive that the mere presence of people does not in itself take away lonesomeness? Are there students right in the middle of a busy classroom who are very lonesome?
G.	The symbols which run along the bottom of these two pages, showing persons with their "empty spots" filled, may be the most graphic way to answer this question. Is not this the ideal for which we strive?
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TO SHARE
1· Have you ever noticed that people who try so very hard to get friends usually aren’t all that pleasant to be around? All they talk about is themselves, and nobody enjoys that· But people who want to be_ a friend are really great to have around· This may sound strange, but if you really want to have friends, then stop trying to get friends· Try in-stead to be_ a friend to other people· And remember this: Jesus is the only one who can give you the strength to be that friend·
2· The answer isn’t in playing a game, in putting some pretended actions on the outside· The answer is in a change of heart so that you really do care about other people and want to give them your friendship· This is just what Jesus offers to do for anyone who comes to Him asking for His new life· Jesus gives to us the same kind of love which He has and which He showed to us when He died on the cross·
3· [This calls for a personal response·]
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LESSON 27: ״DOC, IT'S ABOUT THIS PAIN״
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the nature of the church as a fellowship of struggl-ing, committed believers, drawn together by a common faith to serve a common Master.
1.1	Differentiates the various uses of the word "church."
1.2	Explains why persons gather together into a fellowship, listing the goals which they hold in common.
1.3	Identifies the specific experiences in his own heart which are necessary in order properly to appreciate church membership.
2.	Appreciates the privileges and the responsibilities which come with church membership.
2.1	Explains specific ways in which he can contribute to the corporate goals of the church fellowship.
2.2	Lists the ways in which the fellowship of the church can contribute to his own spiritual growth.
2.3	Affirms a desire to relate in a positive way to both the privileges and the responsibilities.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
An extended parable opens this lesson—a parable about two hospitals. These two hospitals represent two opposite views on the nature of the church. In the first hospital, no one wants to admit that there is any sickness. As a result many persons die from lack of treatment. In the second hospital the entire staff freely admits that the hospital exists just for sick people.
A person must admit his sickness as soon as he enters; then he is put on an immediate therapy plan which includes helping the other sick persons in the hospital.
The purpose of the parable, as will be evident, is to show that the church is for those who want spiritual healing rather than for those who think they have no spiritual needs. And one of the best ways to receive spiritual healing is to work actively for the others who are ill.
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NOTE ON THE PARABLE
Jesus said, ״Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. . . . For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12, 13 RSV. Just as the Master addressed the Pharisees with this needed reminder, we too need to remember that the fellowship of the church is for sinners who are redeemed and learning to live the Christlike life. It is not reserved for those who have already reached perfection. Therefore we do not need to be embarrassed when admitting that there are people in the church who still have problems. Nor do we need to hide the fact that we also have needs and troubles which we are bringing to Jesus. As the students chuckle about a hospital that only admits "well" patients, they might be better able to accept the idea of a church fellowship for struggling child-ren of God.
FROM THE WORD
1.	Jesus called out people who were sinners in need of being saved. As the Great Physician, He called people who were spiritually ill and in need of being healed.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* STUDENT PARABLES
Jesus often taught with parables because they challenged the hearer to see deep spiritual meanings in things which he saw around him. This lesson began with a parable of two hospitals. Can the students think of other familiar objects around them which could be used as the basis for a para-ble to teach the same basic truth?
For example, could students expand ideas such as these into parables?
A nursery that contains only plastic plants.
A "fix-it" shop for brand-new items with no repairs needed.
A mountain-climbing school in the midst of a desert town.
Can they think of other examples of something that would be a basic contra-diction?
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FROM THE WORD
2.	People who accept Jesus1 call receive these blessings and privileges:
—given the grace of God —enriched with speech and knowledge —not lacking in any spiritual gift —guiltless before God (as sustained by Jesus)
—in the fellowship of Jesus
3.	People who join the church are not immediately perfect· For example,
Paul noticed these problems among the members of the church there in Corinth:
—dissensions
—quarreling
—jealousy
—strife
—behaving like ordinary men (unconverted men)
—immorality (incest)
—bringing lawsuits against each other —defrauding (cheating) each other in the church —divisionsf self-seeking, drunkenness at the Lord’s Supper
4.	The spiritual people in the church should go to a backsliding member and in a gentle and loving spirit seek to bring him back to the right·
This may mean helping to carry his burdens.
5.	Benefits of church fellowship would include:
—encouraging each other in the faith and in doing good works —helping those who are in need
—contributing to those in need, and receiving in time of need
—praying together for those in trouble, and rejoicing when the prayers are answered
6· Paul had great confidence in them and expressed appreciation for their good qualities and their growth in Jesus·
7· God plans that through the church His love should be revealed to the world·
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1.	[COMPARE; EVALUATE; MEMORIZE] Committing this passage to memory will be more meaningful—as well as more rapid—if the students can be motivated to do the steps prior to committing it to memory.
2.	[LOOKING FOR ASSUMPTIONS; EVALUATING] Each of the statements in this exercise assumes a certain meaning for the word "church." Can the student discern just which meaning is being used?
A.	The physical building.
B.	The historic Christian faith; the body of believers.
C.	The Sabbath morning worship service, or even just the sermon.
D.	Every person Jesus has called, or "the universal church." Technical-ly this is not an accurate statement, since the church is comprised
of those who have accepted Jesus1 call.
E.	The membership boundaries of a certain denomination.
F.	The membership list of a certain denomination.
G.	The official teachings of a church.
H.	The human authorities in positions of church leadership.
I.	The church as a body of committed, concerned believers.
J.	The church with emphasis on the clergy or other organized leadership, and in contrast to the members who are not ordained.
K.	The individual member who fully accepts both the privileges and the responsibilities of being a Christian.
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3.	[GENERATE IDEAS; EVALUATE] Having studied the Bible concept of the church, the class should be able to think of quite a number of privileges and responsibilities which go along with church membership. Help them with appropriate questions if ideas start to lag, such as:
”When did the church first start helping you?"
״How many different meetings are held in the church building in a month1s time? How many of these are for your benefit?11
״How many ways can you think of in which the church spends its money?"
"How many times during the week do you find opportunities to think about the church?"
״What can you give to your church in addition to your money?"
The evaluation which follows should stress the idea that one is benefited both by carrying his responsibilities and by accepting his privileges. The work one does with and for his church is as much a part of spiritual growth as is sitting in the pew during Sabbath morning worship services.
4.	[RESOURCE PERSON; COLLECT DATA] This exercise provides a good opportun-ity for the young person to begin making closer visual identity with the church pastoral staff. If at all possible, forward the questions which the class has composed to the pastor in advance of his coming.
5.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas which may be stressed:
A. It is true that the church is designed as a fellowship where sinful people can find help. Such a person may be sensitive to the all too common problem of being rejected by overly sensitive persons in the church who do not know how to relate to ones who are still struggl-ing with obvious sins.
B.	One who is critical of "sinners" in the church will easily fall into this category. Often the problems of others are merely used as an excuse for not attending. The root problem is a failure to recog-nize how deeply we all need Jesus. The Holy Spirit has the task of
convicting people of their need. See John 16:8-10.
C.	Most people don't feel that they are directly responsible for their illnesses or accidents which require their use of the hospital.
For this reason they are not often embarrassed to admit their phys-ical needs. But we are all inclined to be more embarrassed about our spiritual needs. We donft want others to know that we are still less than perfect spiritually; so we tend to hide our prob-lems. And then we resent other people in the church who have the very problems we are trying to hide.
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5.	Continued
D.	Do the students discern ways in which they can help struggling sinners become more like Christ? Can they find ways to speak words of spiritual encouragement to others? Can they deepen their own surrender to the indwelling life of Christ?
E.	"What if the whole church were just like me?״ That is the concept under examination here. You might ask all students who are church members anonymously to fill out a small report blank on these few matters: Sabbath School punctuality, personal Bible study, and per-centage or actual amount of income given· These could then be aver-aged for the members in the class and some rather forceful conclus-ions drawn·
F· This is an open-ended question designed to help the students feel more keenly aware of the responsibilities they really do have for the success of the church1s ministry. If some good ideas arise from the discussion, why not have someone from the class pass them on to the pastor?
6· [RANKING; VALUING] The student is not seeking to guess or figure out the right answer for groups A and C; these call for an expression of per-sonal valuing· Group B, on the other hand, does contain a preferred answer·
But it may not be too obvious·
Provide opportunity either for the class as a whole or for small groups to share the conclusions of their individual markings· The larger value to the student will come as he seeks to explain to his peers why he has made the choices he has·
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* PUBLIC INTERVIEW
As a means of helping students get in touch with their own feelings and atti-tudes, and to gain skills in expressing these, try this public interview with the class· A student volunteers to be interviewed personally in the presence of his classmates. The teacher conducts the interview, asking him a wide range of personal questions, including some surprises. He should answer with honesty; but he is free to choose not to answer any question which he would rather not deal with in public. All he needs to say is, ״Next question, please," and the teacher moves on to the next question. He may end his part in the interview at any time simply by saying, ״Letfs inter-view someone else now," or ״Thank you for the questions." If no one volun-teers for the first round, ask a more mature student if he would be willing to be interviewed. The teacher may end the interview at any time, and call for another volunteer to be interviewed. Keep the interview topic-related. Relating to the topic of the church, questions such as these might be asked:
"Are you a church member? If so, how long have you been?"
"Why did you decide to join the church?"
*1What have you done to help your church since you joined?" (Or since you have been attending.)
"What do you do when you think that the sermon is not interesting to you?"
*1Do you think that people should be older than you are before they join the church? Why?**
*״Have you ever prayed for your church pastor? Why?" (Or, why not?)
**Have you ever thought about being a minister?**
**What do you think is the most important position or office in the church? Why? What is the second most important?**
**In what ways has your church benefited you since you began attending?**
**What feelings would you have if someone told you that you could no longer attend church without paying a large fine each week?"
"What would you do if there were no Seventh-day Adventist church within 500 miles of where you lived?**
**What would you say if a neighbor—not knowing that you are a Seventh-day Adventist—began to say very nice and flattering things about the Adventist Church? What would you do if he began to say very critical and prejudiced things against the church?**
"If you had to walk four miles to church each Sabbath morning, would this make any difference in your attendance patterns? Why?**
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TO SHARE
1· I am certain that one who wants to be a good Christian will want to belong to a church. Getting together with other people who have your same goals and worshiping together and engouraging each other—this is what being a church member means to me. I find that the other members really are a help to me. More than that, when I try to help them is when I gain the most from being a church member, because that sure helps me to grow.
2.	Yes, church means much more than this. It means belonging to Jesus Christ so that you can live His life and do His work. It means getting together with other people who have the same goal and commitment so that you can work together toward that goal. It means a group of people getting organized to share the gospel to the world in the best possible way by helping each other.
3.	In the first place, you won't find anybody anywhere who isn't weak and sinful. The only difference with these people in the church is that they know that they are weak and sinful, and they know that Jesus is the only one who can forgive their sins and give them the power they need. We don't go to church to get strength just from other people. We go to church so that those other people can keep reminding us to get our strength from God.
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LESSON 28: THIS IS A WEIGHTY MATTER
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the scope and significance of the many social inter-actions which take place in a school setting every day, and the need for these interactions to be Christlike.
1.1	Identifies the specific types of interaction likely to occur in a school setting.
1.2	Lists evidences supporting the premise that these inter-actions can have important consequences.
1.3	Differentiates between those influences which can influ-ence one toward Christ and those which can influence one toward the enemy.
2.	Accepts the responsibility for the direction of his own influ-ence upon others at school.
2.1	Gives examples of influence situations in which he could be a positive influence upon another.
2.2	Expresses agreement with the premise that his influence cannot really remain neutral; that it must go one way or the other—toward Christ or pulling back from Christ.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The concept of "the weight of influence" is given immediate support both in the lesson title and in the symbols which are used throughout the les-son. The student is challenged to consider whether the human influence factor may not have a much larger impact upon him than the elements more often thought to be the prime influences of education.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
DEVELOPING THE THEME
Ask the students to recall the most outstanding memories of their first year in school. Let several describe their memory. Notice the common theme that will probably run through all of them: other people at school.
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NOTE ON ILLUSTRATION
The illustrations on this page underscore two ideas.
1.	Each student has his own scope of influence upon others.
2.	The amount of influencing that goes on during a typical day at school is truly staggering.
MATHEMATICS CORRELATION
To emphasize the amount of influencing that goes on during a school day, work out this mathematical problem. (This will be more effective in the larger classrooms.)
Assume that each person in the class has some degree of influence over every other person in the class. And assume that all the other persons have some influence on him. Thus every person in the class will have a line of influence going to him and a line of influence going from him for every other person in the class.
This can be illustrated as follows:
If there are two persons in the class, there will be two lines of influence.
If there are three persons in the class, there will be six lines of influence.	a
there will be twelve lines of
there will be twenty lines of
If there are four persons in the class, influence.
If there are five persons in the class, influence.
From the above illustrations and numbers, can anyone in the class figure out an algebraic formula for computing the lines of influence for any given class size? [Answer: Let n = the number in the class; T = the total lines of influence. Formula: n(n-l)=T. For example, in a class of 20 students, you would compute : 20 x (20-1)
20 x 19 = 380 lines of influence.]
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DEVELOPING THE IDEA
An even greater consideration than the quantity of the influences is the quality of the influences. Do they lead toward Christ and the development of His character, or do they lead toward Satan and the development of his character? Every influence goes one way or the other. Some are more in-tensive influences than others; and some are not immediately evident in their direction. But there are only two conflicting forces in the universe, and each seeks to eradicate the other.
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* QUESTIONS FOR CONTEMPLATION
While the students are thinking about the illustration they see on this page, ask them these questions for their private contemplation:
״Have you ever been influenced by another person to do something that you later wished you had not done?"
״Have you ever used your influence to help someone choose to do good rather than to do something wrong?"
״How would you feel if you knew that your influence had caused someone to begin a sinful habit, or do something very hurtful?"
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FROM THE WORD
1.
STUDENT-TO-STUDENT RELATIONS	STUDENT-TO-TEACHER RELATIONS
a· Speaking kind, helpful words.	a* Co-operating with teachers.
b · Helping slower students with	b. Giving them hope and courage,
their school work.
c. Looking for opportunities to speak c. praying for teachers and admin-about Christ to others.	istrators.
d · Influencing the younger students d. Seeking for ways to encourage toward Christlike habits.	teachers.
e. Working with teachers to help	e. Avoiding foolishness and dis-
other students.	obedience.
f· [Plus others the students may add.] f· [Plus others the students may add.]
g♦	g·
h.	h.
i.	i.
·נ	·נ
2.	[Students add their own ideas to above list.]
3. One studentf dedicated entirely to being God's person, can make a huge difference in a school.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
MUSIC ENRICHMENT
What can students learn about their influence from this hymn?
NOTE: The phrase 111 wouldj" which is repeated many times in this hymn^is to be interpreted in the sense of a desire, such as,
״I wish to be."
It is not meant in the form of a declar־־ ation of what one will do or be. The hymn is a prayer, not a pious boast.
I would be true, for there are those who trust me; I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless; I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift. I
I would be learning, day by day, the lessons My heavenly Father gives me in His word;
I would be quick to hear His lightest whisper,
And prompt and glad to do the things Ifve heard; And prompt and glad to do the things Ifve heard. From The Church Hymnal, No. 425.
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	[FULFILLING COUNSEL] Reference V/23 contains a recommendation that the students take time to pray regularly for the other persons on the campus, including the teacher. If this is not presently happening, the Spirit may be convicting some in the class that this should happen. Participation must be voluntary in order to be meaningful. You could help by designating a time and place for the interested students to meet to lay further plans.
2.	[SMALL-GROUP BIBLE STUDY; APPLY TO LIFE] Divide the class into small groups of from four to seven in a group. Designate one person to be the leader in the group; he can bring his textbook to read the instructions,and the others need to bring only their Bibles, pencil, and paper. Have the group leader move the small group through the study one step at a time, com-pleting one step before reading the instructions for the next step. You may wish to set some time limits, such as "You should be completing part three by 9:20 and part five by 9:40."
3.	[IMAGINE; OBSERVE AND REPORT] This is one activity which you will wish to assign apart from the regular class time. Select a student with sufficient poise to be able to carry it off without being detected, and who could also say some candidly helpful things to the rest of the class without being seen as aloof or judgmental. Have this student report his findings to you at the close of the designated time. Help him frame his report in a way that can
be seen as positive and helpful; yet let it be an honest and specific report.
4.	[COMPOSITION; IMAGINE] If students can begin to visualize natural ways in which Jesus can be a comfortable topic of conversation, then perhaps He will be spoken of more often. And if the students can generate the way in which such conversations might happen, there is a greater chance that He will be spoken of on their own accord. OPTION: Have the small group which designed the conversation select a few of their members and role-play the conversation in front of the rest of the class.
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INTO MY LIFE
5.	[APPLYING PRINCIPLES TO NEW SITUATIONS] The eight situations in this exercise are similar to ones seen every day in a school classroom or on the playground. There may be a tendency for a student to describe a simplistic answer, an idealistic response which sounds expected, but which will not likely be done by the students. Keep asking, ״But do you think that we will actually do that?11 or similar questions. Whenever possible ask for other alternatives.
You could add to the discussion by contributing scenes of your own descrip-tion—perhaps even based on real happenings you have observed around the school, yet sufficiently camouflaged to avoid embarrassing persons involved.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* MESSAGE CARDS
Give every student a 3 x 5 card, or similar small piece of paper. Ask them to think of one good statement, comment, or idea about friendship. It can be original, or something they have heard from another source. Have them write their "friendship message" on the card and leave it on your desk.
They need not sign names, though they may if they so choose. During the next Bible class period read through the cards, making appropriate comments as you feel inclined.
This same idea	can	be used in other lessons	on	other topics. It provides
the class with	a chance to get their ideas	and	verbalizings before the	minds
of others.
A variation on the unstructured message described above is the open-ended sentence. Have students write endings to any or all of these (or similar) beginnings:
Here’s the way I feel about my friends—
To have friends at our school—
Friendship is—
I’m the kind of a friend who—
Here’s the	way	I feel about making new	friends—
Here’s the	way	I feel about classmates	who	are not my friends—
If I ever felt lonely here at school, I’d—
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INTO MY LIFE
6. [FURTHER DISCUSSION] Key ideas which may be emphasized:
A· There are those who prefer to *,suffer in silence." Others are quick to advertise their problems. The class may find that the best ap-proach is to show genuine interest in another without prying into possible problems areas; then if the other person feels he can trust the friendship, he will initiate a deeper discussion of the problems.
B.	This pattern of student helping student assumes several givens:
(1)	There is time in the school program for this kind of help-ing activity.
(2)	The students who are doing the helping are not just giving answers, but are helping the other learn how to arrive at answers on his own.
(3)	The system of evaluation in use in the classroom does not pit one student over against another in a competitive clam-or for grades in which helping yourself is the goal, and helping another might set one back in the distribution.
(4)	The teacher has committed himself to encouraging this very useful learning experience, and has even shown students how to help each other.
C.	Some thoughts to aid in evaluating competition:
(1)	To discourage competition is not to discourage striving for excellence and mastery. But the former focuses one against his peers; the latter focuses on onefs own progress in the skill or subject matter.
(2)	The basic premise of competition is "me against you so that I can be lifted up." The basic premise of the Christian ethic is "me with you so that Christ can be lifted up."
The two are polar opposites and will eventually be seen as mutually exclusive.
(3)	While it is true that "competition is a fact of life," it does not follow that it must therefore be a part of the Christian*s curriculum. For there is much that is a "fact of life" such as murder, deceit, lust, and hatred, which the Christian decidedly rejects. He has found a higher way.
(4)	Jesus soundly rebuked the competitive strivings of His dis-ciples, telling them to seek nothing that has to do with self-glory. The only kind of excelling in the kingdom of God is excelling in service. See Matthew 20:25-28; 23:1-12.
(5)	It does not necessarily follow that if a student does not learn to compete, he will be handicapped in life. If this were true, how could the "handicapped" disciples have changed the world?
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INTO MY LIFE
6· Continued
D.	Perhaps the best way to evaluate one’s own impact on another is to assess whether Jesus and His way of life is really all that impor-tant to the one in question· If we seek diligently to be Christlike, then our influence will naturally follow. On the other hand, if we have no personal connection with Christ, then it is not likely that our influence will be on Christ’s side.
TO SHARE
I. [The student will express here concrete decisions and commitments which he is making in keeping with the discoveries in the lesson. This is exclusively for the benefit of the student himself and should not be used as a means of evaluating his learning in this lesson.]
2. [See note above.]
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TEACHER NOTES
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LESSON 29: HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL? NO!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the large responsibility which rests upon the Christ-ian to express compassionate concern for the needs of the people in the surrounding community.
1.1	Identifies the correct motivation for involvement in the needs of the community as that of love—unselfish, Christlike love for the people for their own sake.
1.2	Establishes a seqpence of involvement with the community which begins with meeting the practical needs of the people, and then leads to telling them the good news of the gospel.
2.	Accepts realistically his own responsibilities to the larger community.
2.1	Acknowledges that God's reputation will in some way be affected by the way in which he represents his Lord to the com-munity.
2.2	Seeks to develop skills which will enable him to be of use to people in need around him.
2.3	Expresses a personal conviction that an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ is the only thing that will keep his relation-ship with the community in its proper balance.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The title spread for the lesson is based on that familiar chorus, "This Little Light of Mine," which most have been singing since Cradle Roll days. The rebus variations in the title urge the student to think more deeply about the words he knows so well. The obvious implication is that a Christ-ian youth and a Christian school will make themselves felt in a useful and joyous way in their surrounding community.
As a further development on the title theme, you might invite the students to complete the rebus on the title song, using pictures wherever possible to take the place of words. Include the additional verses to the chorus.
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
AN AWARENESS INVENTORY
In order better to focus the anticipated involvement in the needs of the community, conduct this awareness inventory among the class members.
Assemble the class into a large circle. (If the class is quite large, you may prefer to divide the class into smaller groups and work with each part separately.) Designate a recorder in the group and instruct him to write down as many ideas as he has time to write but not to hold up the sharing process.
Explain that you have a series of questions to ask, and that you will be asking them to each person in rotation around the circle—one question per person.
The questions are as follows: (You may add to or modify this list as needed.)
"Have you every felt like doing something for sombody else—just to help that person? If so, tell us about one such experience."
״What do you most often wish that someone would do for you?"
"When you are watching the news on TV or reading the newspaper, do you ever have personal feelings about the people who are being described as having trouble? If so, could you describe them?"
״Have you ever had a chance to do something helpful for somebody else, but chose not to do it? If so, please explain to us why you made that choice."
"If you were entrusted with $1,000 to give to some needy cause or person, and the choice were entirely yours to make, to whom do you think you might give it? Why?"
"If you had one hour each week which you had promised to spend in doing something helpful for others, how do you think you might spend it this very week?"
[If the school is located in or near a large city or community which has a "slum" section of town:] "What feelings do you have when you drive through the _________ section of town?"
״If you were to write a letter to the local newspaper recommending some sort of change in the community, what topic would you select? Why?"
"What do you think is the most outstanding impression or opinion of the students at this school that is held by the people who live closest to the school?"
Repeat the cycle of questions, or add new ones of your own, until the whole circle of students has responded. Go around again if time allows.
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FROM THE WORD
1.	A. One lets his light shine by doing good works in the presence of men.
B.	When our light shines in the right way, God (and God alone) gets the glory.
C.	If God isn't getting the glory, then something is wrong with our connection with God. If we are in tune with God as we should be, our lights will shine—without our forcing them to shine.
2.	Those who reveal God's character will do these kinds of things: go about doing good
healing those that are oppressed by the devil preach good news to the poor
announce release to the captives [Note: this applies to those who are unjustly oppressed by others.]
help the blind to recover their sight
set at liberty those that are oppressed
proclaim the good news of Christ's coming
share their bread with the hungry
bring the homeless poor into their own homes
provide clothing for those whom they see are in need
don't neglect the needs of their own family
give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty
welcome the strangers
visit the sick
visit those that are in prison ********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* REACTIONS TO THE LIST
One looking at the above list of helpful actions may conclude that he must have miracle-working powers in order to accomplish some of them. For exam-pie, how does one bring recovering of sight to the blind? Could this have a more immediate fulfillment? What if a young person were to visit a blind person and write letters for him, read books to him, help him clean up his home, mow his lawn? Could this come under the heading of helping the blind recover their sight?
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FROM THE WORD
3.	[Read passage; add to list on previous page.]
4.	The community held the Christians in great favor or respect.
Every day some members of the community joined the ranks of the Christians.
5.	Visiting homes in the community, becoming acquainted with their needs, and working to meet those needs, should be a part of every school pro־־ gram.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] Matthew 5:16 should be compared with reference V/29 to empha-size the importance of Godfs being the One who gets the glory.
2.	[VISUALIZING, PLANNING APPLICATIONS] This is an extremely important part of the lesson— an immeasurably important part of the whole learning experience for the year. NOTE: It is strongly recommended that the teacher not view this exercise as optional. Certainly it will require an additional outlay of time, energy, creativity, and not a little boldness. Yet there will be few learning activities in the life of the student which can have a greater impact upon his spiritual growth and general maturity than that of useful service to ones in need.
Here are some additional thoughts on the projects which are suggested:
A.	You may need to help in locating appropriate persons in need of a visiting friend. The local pastor may be of help here. Make an appointment in advance with the persons so that they know the stu-dents will be coming. Regularity of visit is an important feature of this project. If the elderly person feels that he is being seen just once as part of a project, he will suspect the students1 motives. Frequent, repeated visits will convince the elderly that they are indeed valued, and will give the youth an opportunity to form a bond of affection.
B. It is important that the funds for this project be used in an unself־־ ish ministry, or else this becomes just another gimmick to gratify selfish interests. This is an excellent project to use in combina־־ tion with some other form of ministry which needs financial support.
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INTO MY LIFE
2. Continued
C.	Contacting the county social welfare department or a branch of the Disabled Veterans office can produce some potential names. Contact the persons in advance. Solicit the support of certain skilled per-sons in the church fellowship whose assistance may be needed. Be sure to provide opportunity for the students to interact with the person involved so that their total exposure is not just with weeds and old paint.
D.	This can enhance skills in design, carpentry, cost accounting, and painting. Interest in the construction project is kept high when the students know that the results of their labors will bring joy to another person.
E.	Older furniture that has been given an "antique" refinish can be a very desirable gift to a needy person. And knowing the amount of work required to do it right, the person will appreciate it as a labor of love. This is the kind of project that can be worked on during bad weather. Some parents might even be willing to donate sandpaper and paint brushes to this useful project.
F. The boys will be as interested as the girls in learning how to bake good cookies. This is an excellent project to work on in conjunction with a home arts class. It will develop skills in baking, decorat-ing, food selection, and courtesy. If Christmas has already passed, modify the project accordingly.
G.	This helps the students become aware of the community health-educa-tion efforts of the church. Their level of involvement can be co-ordinated with the pastor or medical personnel heading up the pro-ject. Seeing young people involved in this type of endeavor will say some valuable things to the participants in these programs.
H. The concept of school music as outlined in the writings of Ellen White is based largely on this spiritual witness aspect of music.
There is indication that this service motivation produces a much higher quality of involvement with the music program of the school than does mere secular performance goals.
I.	The youth should endeavor to establish an ongoing ministry to the visually handicapped so that a relationship of mutual trust can be built between them. Writing letters is a much needed ministry which the youth can perform—and thus enhance their own communication skills.
J.	This will build commitment to the mission and image of the church in the community. If student involvement became regular and pro-ficient, it could result in savings to the church budget; but even more important would be the shift in student attitudes toward use-ful labor.
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INTO MY LIFE
2. Continued
K.	When Ellen White states that "study in agricultural lines should be the A, B, and C of the education given in our schools" (6T 179), it is projects such as this one which form part of the basis for such a bold vision. Her concern is not for the raising of a genera-tion of professional farmers; her concern is that people learn at a young age to do something useful with naturefs blessings combined with hard work. Teaching by example the simple methods of raising food will be a service to the community (9T 36), and will even help to solve problems created by unemployment (Ed 220).
L. Youfve heard about good religion in a loaf of bread? (CH 117) This is a project that will make that comment come alive. Seventh- and eighth-grade students are not too young to learn how to make a good loaf of bread in a healthful manner.
M.	This project will combine hard work, intensive study of nature, much thoughtful design and corporate decision-making, and interaction with community leaders. It can be an ongoing witness to the commun-ity of your interest in Godfs creation. The work done to prepare the trail provides a superb substitute for competitive games as a means for getting total-body exercise.
N.	This is an aesthetic variation on project K above, and very much in keeping with the inspired counsels on working with growing plants. (See 6T 176, 187; Ed 247; MH 237.)
O.	This project can teach some most essential skills in wholesome food preparation. Some of the students1 mothers may be willing to come and help on this project, teaching what they know about canning and drying of foods.
P.	This project is more suitable for schools in urban areas where the agricultural projects listed above may not be feasible. Find some way of making your service known to the senior citizens—maybe by an announcement in the newspaper. Let it be clear that this is not a fund-raising project, but that you are doing it simply as a service to people who may not be able to help themselves. Variations on this project might be a "Senior Citizens Lawn Mow," or a "Senior Citizens Walk Shovel"—in snow areas.
PROJECTS TO AVOID
These notes are provided for the students1 contemplation in view of the fact that many community service projects tend to become tainted by using the worldfs methods for doing the Lordfs work. Genuine service to God does not need to appeal to these methods to be successful״
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INTO MY LIFE
3· [CLARIFYING GOALS; PROBLEM-SOLVING] The human mind is ingenious in find-ing reasons to avoid engaging in unselfish service. Some of these reasons are based simply on a lack of spiritual motivation. Others are based on misunderstandings about the reasons and methods related to service. The selected quotations in this section are designed to relate to some of the more common problems perceived as standing in the way of useful service to others.
Use this section by having the class first read through the statements in the left column, underlining those which they feel they can identify with to any degree. Then have them read through both columns together, paying special attention to the Ellen White comments which relate to the problems they have marked.
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TO SHARE
"Don't write anything. Do something!"
This is an entirely serious message. If the students think, after having studied this lesson, that their obligation to share ends with having just written some words about sharing, then they have missed the whole point of the lesson. This is just one more opportunity to urge them into genuine action.
Will you join with them in this action?
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UNIT 6: THE SPECIALNESS OF BEING A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the distinctive privilege of being a Seventh-day Adventist Christian.
1.1	Lists ways in which Seventh-day Adventists agree with many other fundamental Christians.
1.2	Lists the unique beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
1.3	Explains how the unique beliefs of Adventism exalt one's understanding of the character of God.
1.4	Expresses a high regard for these special understandings of God's character, sufficiently so as to justify the continued separate existence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
2.	Understands the reasons behind the distinctive lifestyle of the Seventh-day Adventist.
2.1	Identifies the underlying spiritual goals which form the basis for those Seventh-day Adventist life habits and customs which serve to mark us as a unique people.
2.2	Affirms that the Adventist style of living—when properly understood—is the most sensible and wholesome way to live.
2.3	Expresses positive attitudes toward those unique practices which are so out of harmony with the practices of the world as a whole, such as the seventh-day Sabbath, a healthful diet, and the like.
THE UNIT
INTRODUCTION
You might try asking the class the questions listed in the right column on page 311 next to the lesson numbers. This may serve to demonstrate to them just how much there is to learn about these things. It will also focus the direction of the study for the unit.
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LESSON 30: CHERISH THE DIFFERENCE!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1. Understands the unique and valuable messages about God and His plan which the Adventist Church has to share with the world.
1.1	Accurately explains what it means to be a Christian.
1.2	Delineates the reasons why Adventists, though sharing much in common with other Christians, still preserve their sep-arate existence as a church.
1.3	Expresses appreciation for the unique spiritual heritage which has been preserved for him.
1.4	Uses accurately such terms as "the remnant," and "God's true church."
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The imaginary encounter which is described in the opening of this lesson leads right into the study of the Word. Using the stylistic technique of a first century Christian who comes looking for the true Christians, the student is asked to compare a number of churches and their teachings. This cannot serve as an exhaustive comparison of fine points of theology. There is the risk that the main beliefs identified for comparison in this lesson are already too complex for some young minds. On the other hand, the stu-dent must appreciate that theology does indeed make a difference. In an age when nominal Christians seem eager to drop every divisive doctrine and scramble together to achieve a superficial union that can teach almost nothing, we need to be able to defend our separateness. What we believe about God and His plan is so important, and so essential to properly reveal-ing His character to the world, that we cannot compromise it.
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FROM THE WORD
The student is not asked to compose doctrinal statements here. Rather he is asked to determine whether the Bible passages listed support a "yes" answer to the question. Remind the student that he is answering on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. If he concludes that the Bible texts are in agreement with the statement, then he is saying that this is what the Adven-tist Church teaches. He is to put an ״X״ in the column under ״My Church" when he agrees with the statement.
By way of contrast, it will be of interest to note that Group A represents the general beliefs of a Roman Catholic; Group B represents the general beliefs of a conservative Protestant, such as a Baptist; Group C represents the beliefs of some of the more liberal Protestant groups, such as the Episcopalians. It should be remembered, however, that there is not a high degree of unanimity among many faiths. Individual members and congrega-tions differ widely on some of these topics; so do not interpret these marks as a firm guide. Groups D and E have been left unmarked; they can be used for further research into some other specific church groups if desired.
SOME HELPFUL THOUGHTS ON THE COMPARISON
A.	Salvation by faith: Adventists certainly embrace this truth, as do many other Protestant denominations. Catholics believe in a system of faith plus various kinds of good works. This doctrine is basic to all others.
B.	Necessity of obedience: Adventists believe this, affirming that a con-verted Christian in whom the Holy Spirit is working will want to do God*s will. The reasons for obeying are disputed among some denominations, some thinking that they are done for the sake of winning Godfs favor.
A great number of modern-day Christians believe that the law of God is only for Old Testament times and was done away with at the cross by Christfs death. This shows a deep misunderstanding of the purpose of the law.
C.	Baptism by immersion: Adventists practice this, as do a certain number of other Protestants. Catholics and some Protestants baptize by sprinkling water on the head—a custom of pagan origin.
D. Unconscious state of death: Adventists stand almost alone in this teach-ing. Most other Christians believe that man has an immortal soul which does not die but goes directly to heaven, hell, or (with the Catholics) purgatory upon death. For them, the resurrection is a time when the physical body rejoins the soul; some neglect the resurrection almost entirely—for obvious reasons.
E.	Christ*s ministry in the sanctuary: This is another belief that is almost entirely unique to Adventists, though abundantly supported in Scripture. Failing to understand the larger issues in the great controversy, most Christians cannot see why Christ needs to do anything more than what He did on the cross. Adventists believe that He did indeed do all that
was necessary to win our salvation on the cross, but that His ministry in heaven applies the benefits of that sacrificial death to our lives, and that it will finally rid the universe of the last traces of rebellion.
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F.	High personal standards of living: Believing that our lives are Godfs personal channels for revealing His character to the world, the Adventist is eager for his life to reflect the finest way of living and acting.
Some other denominations stress this in principle, urging members to avoid smoking and drinking and some forms of worldly entertainment. But almost none of them embrace such a broad emphasis as do the Adventists. Many Christians, afraid to be thought of as 1,legalists" by others, do not put any emphasis at all on a changed life. This again reveals a mis־־ understanding of the whole reason why one obeys God.
G.	Tithe and offerings: Most Christians believe in giving offerings; but only a very few denominations join with Adventists in following the Bible plan of supporting the ministry through tithing. Since many of todayfs Christians tend to discredit the Old Testament, they miss this special blessing which is largely based on Old Testament passages.
H.	Literal second coming of Christ: Many Christians believe in the second advent; but the manner in which it will happen, and the nearness of the event, are widely disputed. Seventh-day Adventists believe that He will come in person, that every eye will see Him, and that there will be no opportunity for a change of heart and conversion following the second coming.
I.	Seventh-day Sabbath: Items H and I are the two special truths which stand behind the name Seventh-day Adventist. Almost no other Christians embrace the seventh-day Sabbath. This is the result of being blinded by tradition, of misunderstanding the spiritual reasons behind the Sab-bath, or of being unwilling to stand apart from the mainstream of Christ-ian society. This issue will become much more clear in the near future.
J.	Authority of the Bible: While almost all Christians claim to believe the Bible, what is meant by that differs widely. Some believe that we must select those things in the Bible which are inspired and reject the rest. Others believe that the Bible can be changed or superseded by later religious authorities. Still others pay attention almost entirely to the New Testament, rejecting or ignoring the Old Testament. Adven-tists believe that the entire Bible is Godfs reliable, inspired word.
We do not believe that the writings of Ellen White are above the Bible or add to the Bible. God gave her messages which are in perfect agree-ment with the Bible and which illuminate our understanding of its truths.
K.	Divine/human nature of Christ: What one believes about Christ is extreme-ly important. There are those today who believe He did not really take on a sinful human nature; others believe that He was only human, with no divinity at all. Adventists believe that He is truly God and truly man— both in one that He might be a perfect example to man, yet a divine Saviour. (See SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, PP· 1126-1131.)
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2.	Ά. Yes, God does plan to have a special people in the last days.
B.	These people will:
be patient (enduring, abiding in their faith) keep the commandments of God have the faith of Jesus (or, faith in Jesus) bear testimony to Jesus
C.	Satan will hate these people and seek to destroy them.
D.	In terms of its beliefs and teachings, yes.
In terms of the personal experience with Christ, that is an individ-ual matter with each member.
E.	If God did not have a special people in these last days, He would have no way of giving His last saving message to the world.
INTO MY LIFE
1. [EVALUATING; CLASSIFYING] What are the reasons for which a person chooses to join a particular church? The student may discover that many people are joining churches for all the wrong reasons. He may even need to reexamine his own reasons for being a Seventh-day Adventist.
Obviously, the item "Accuracy, truthfulness of the teachings of the church, according to the Bible" should be marked as highest priority. Factors such as "Size of the denomination," "Popularity of the church among the general population," and ״Beauty and design of the church buildings and furnishings" should not be deciding factors. The other items will have relative value.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
Question: *1Is the Seventh-day Adventist church the remnant church?"
Suggested answer: We must very carefully understand the Bible teaching on the
remnant. According to Revelation, these are the people whom God pronounces as His special people in the last days. They fully keep (not just believe in) the commandments; they have the faith of Jesus—that is, they have the same kind of faith relationship with Jesus that Jesus had with His Father. This is a people with a special degree of spiritual maturity. Obviously one cannot pronounce himself to be among this group just because of church membership. The Bible speaks of the remnant, not the remnant church. But we must hasten to add that the Seventh-day Adventist church is very closely [Continued on page 286.]
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2. [CRITICAL THINKING] The ecumenical movement is popular and—according to Bible prophecy—will become even more popular. In fact, the day will come when massive social and civil forces will be brought to bear upon those who will not join together into a general church/state union. Students must learn early why they cannot go along with the idea of church union since it always involves the compromise of very important beliefs.
Eleven of Adventism’s basic beliefs were studied earlier, and they are stated here again in condensed form. Some of the alternatives to Adventist belief are stated below under the corresponding letter. Explain to the class the choices they have if they surrender Adventist belief.
(A)	Some others believe:
We are saved by being good enough to be saved.
The Holy Spirit will cause us to do enough works to earn salvation. We are saved by faith; since works don’t save us, we do not need to emphasize obedience.
(B)	Most others believe:
The commandments of God were part of the old Jewish system of salvation by works and this has been done away with. We don’t need to pay any attention to the commandments.
(C)	Many others believe:
Baptism should happen to infants within a few days after birth. Baptism should happen to every child born in a Christian country. Baptism is by sprinkling water over the head, symbolizing a washing of the old life. (Contrast: immersion symbolizes the death of the old life.)
(D)	Most others believe:
We all have a "soul"—a thinking, feeling, knowing thing—that never dies but lives on, either in heaven or hell or purga-tory, and which can communicate with us if it wants to. Communication with these departed "souls" or spirits can be a great spiritual help to us and should be accepted.
(E)	Most others believe:
We pray to saints (the souls of good people now in heaven) and to the mother of Jesus (Mary), pleading with them to do good things for us.
Jesus is doing very little for us in heaven right now.
God is the one who is really angry with us, and Jesus has to pro-tect us from the Father’s wrath. (Contrast: we believe that Satan is the one who opposes our salvation, and that God and Jesus are in harmony pleading against him for us.)
(F)	Many others believe:
We don’t need to care at all about the way we act, for we are "saved by faith alone."
We make changes in our diet, dress, or other behaviors to try to win God’s favor and acceptance.
[Continued on next page.]
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2. A sampling of non-Adventist beliefs, continued:
(G)	Some others believe:
Giving offerings is actually a way of "buying11 favor from God· Tithing is an Old Testament tradition that we can ignore.
Ministers can be paid whatever the congregation may feel like giving.
All of our money belongs to us, and we give to God only what we feel like giving.
(H)	While many Christians believe Christ will return, some believe:
He will return as He did the first time, walking the earth as a
teacher and ruler.
He will return to set up an earthly kingdom of peace right here on earth.
He will return secretly, taking back to heaven with Him only 144,000 *,saints" from among the living; then seven years later He will return again to set up His kingdom· (The "secret rapture" theory has many variations.)
He may return some day, but it is so far down into the future that we don*t need to be concerned about it now.
Jesus "comes" when a person accepts Christ—and that is the only coming we can look forward to!
(I)	Almost all others believe: [all, or combinations of, the following] The seventh-day Sabbath is a Jewish custom that Christians can
ignore.
The Sabbath has nothing of value to say to us (since many Christ-ians do not believe in a literal seven-day creation).
The Lord changed the Sabbath to the first day of the week at His resurrection (even though there is no Bible or historical evidence to support this idea).
The Sabbath is a part of the law that was done away with at the cross.
God requires only that we give Him one day in seven.
Human church authorities claim to have the power to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
(J)	Many others believe:
Parts of the Bible are inspired, parts are not; we must decide for ourselves which parts are.
The Bible is just nice devotional reading, but not to be taken literally·
The first eleven chapters of Genesis are a myth with no basis in historical fact.
The purpose of the Bible is strictly to lead one into an encounter with a divine presence; the facts and details we can ignore.
(K)	Some others believe:
Jesus is like an angel who was given special privileges·
Jesus never really became a man; He just had the appearance of a man.
Jesus was just a man who had a deep understanding of spiritual things; He was like Moses or Ghandi or Buddha·
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3. [LOGIC DIAGRAMING; EVALUATING] This exercise should be viewed as option-al since the concept may be too difficult for some students· The purpose is not to pass judgment on any other churches or on the membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but rather to bring visual understanding to the very important quotation from The Great Controversy, page 390. This type of dia-gram helps a person keep track of certain groups when some of their character-istics overlap. For example, the diagram on page 318 illustrates this sen-tence: ״Many Seventh-day Adventists are among Godfs true followers." The larger circle represents all those persons who are called Godfs true follow-ers. It is larger than the one which represents Seventh-day Adventists,in harmony with Ellen White1s comment that the greater number of Godfs people are in other communions. The SDA circle is not entirely within the larger circle; this represents that there are a certain number whose church member-ship does not reflect that deeper commitment to Christ.
The purpose of this exercise is to help a student visualize how these groups will shift and change positions as the last days draw to a final close. The present situation may be described as follows (though students should be al-lowed to initiate their own suggested scheme; sizes of circles and degree of overlap will, of course, vary from this suggestion):
Fallen	True
Christianity ________ SDAs Followers
true followers
Just before Christ comes, when all of God*s true people will have heard the call to come out of the fallen churches, and will heed that call, the situ-ation could be described in this way:
Fallen
NOTE:	This suggested diagram implies that there may be those who will respond
to God as His true people, yet for reasons of lack of time or partial infor-mation, may not have joined the SDA church as such.
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True followers who are not members of a religious group
SDAs who are not
Fallen
Christianity
True
Followers	SDAs
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4. [ASSESSING FEELINGS] This exercise is provided in candid recognition of the fact that some of our youth clearly are less than excited about their church affiliation. Since nothing will be gained by pretending that this
is not the case, the youth need to confront directly their possible reasons for feeling this way. The student will read six statements which may express his own feelings toward his church membership. If he can identify with any of those feelings, even in a small way, he should mark that statement. Then he should read any of the paragraphs labeled with the same letters as those he checked in the list above. He may benefit from reading all the paragraphs; but he should at least read those which deal directly with his own feelings.
5.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION; RESEARCH]
A.	Since identifying the true people of God, in the last analysis, has to be done on an individual basis, the individual student needs to know how one can be identified—so that he can know what to do in order to belong! Keeping the commandments of God means far more than just saying that one believes they ought to be kept. One can only truly keep them by the gracious power of the indwelling Christ. And one can only have that power by having the faith of Jesus.
The "faith of Jesus" can be interpreted either of two ways. It can mean "have faith in Jesus." In this case it means that Jesus is the object of our faith. Ellen White uses this interpretation, for example, in Testimonies to Ministers, page 58. The words can also be translated "have the taith of Jesus." This interpretation emphasizes that one must have the same quality and maturity of faith which Jesus had. Notice these comments by Ellen White:
"Amid the awful darkness, apparently forsaken of God, Christ had drained the last dregs in the cup of human woe. In those dreadful hours He had relied upon the evidence of His Fatherfs acceptance heretofore given Him. He was acquainted with the character of His Father; He understood His justice, His mercy, and His great love.
By faith He rested in Him whom it had ever been His joy to obey.
And as in submission He committed Himself to God, the sense of the loss of His Fatherfs favor was withdrawn. By faith, Christ was victor.11—The Desire of Ages, page 756.
The mature Christians in the final conflict will have this same quality of faith; thus they will have "the faith of Jesus." And Jesus Himself will be the object of that faith. So both interpretations apply.
B.	The "true-statements" approach is an excellent means of getting a class to concentrate on the full meaning of a passage. The statements need not be directly contained within the words of the passage; they may be implied truths, such as "We need not use evils in the church as an excuse for not being a member."
C.	Discussion here will focus primarily upon the need to be Christlike in our own characters. Remember the conclusions of earlier lessons in this book regarding the means by which this will happen.
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HISTORICAL INTEREST NOTE
In 1849, before the Seventh-day Adventist Church had even come into existence, the persons who would later make up the founding fathers of the church had a clear sense of their unique task in this world. In that year James White commissioned a printer in New York by the name of Richard Oliphant to print a hymnbook for them. The title of the little (3% x 5%) book was almost bigger than the book; yet it tells us clearly what they believed their mission to be: Hymns for God's Peculiar People that Keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus. In those days when so few people were expected to be able to read music, hymnals seldom printed the music. This book is no exception; it contains only the words to the hymns.
THE NAME ״SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST״
It will be enlightening to read some of the thinking that went into the sel-ection of the name for this church. Read about it in Testimonies, Vol. 1, pages 223, 224. See also the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, pages 1179, 929-932.
THE REMNANT [Continued from page 281.]
involved with the whole plan of a remnant people. The message which will call forth God’s remnant is the very message which the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been asked to carry to the world. And there is clear prophetic and historic evidence to show that God raised up this movement so that the true remnant of God could rally around it. One needs to be cautious about presumptuously saying, "_I am among the remnant!" God decides when a person is thus fully ready to represent Him. It is His verdict, not our boast. But we can embrace the message which, as we persevere, will enable us to be among His remnant.
For further relevant reading on this topic, see Selected Messages, Book 2, pages 384-386«
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TO SHARE
1. A Seventh-day Adventist is a Christian. I have chosen to ask Jesus Christ to be my Saviour and Master. By His power I am seeking to live the same kind of life that He lived. But as a Seventh-day Adventist I have some beliefs which some other Christians do not agree with+ I believe that the Bible Sabbath is the seventh day of the week; and I believe that Jesus is coming again in person—very soon. I will be glad to talk with you some more about my church.
2· The thing I like best about being a Seventh-day Adventist is that it has helped me gain such a thrilling understanding of God and His plan for us. The special truths which my church has to present to the world are so important because they clear up so many misunderstandings about God. They make such good sense and lead to a most enjoyable way to live· I know that you and I believe many of the same things. Would you like to learn more about some of the special things that my church believes?
3· Nof I’m sure we couldn’t get more accomplished· Every time churches
decide to unite, they have to set aside the beliefs that have separated them before. If all the churches came together, all we could agree on is that Jesus is important to us. We wouldn’t even be able to talk about who Jesus is for fear that we might disagree. We need to be able to say more about God, not less about Him. If we all got together, we wouldn’t be able to say anything that would lead people to salvation.
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LESSON 31: NOW THAT YOU HAVE IT,
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH IT?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the Bible basis for observing the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath.
1.1	Lists at least three Bible texts which support the seventh-day Sabbath.
1.2	Explains briefly why most Christians today do not observe the seventh day as the Sabbath.
1.3	Portrays the future role of the Sabbath as a special point of conflict in the final stages of the great controversy.
2.	Appreciates the personal meaning of the Sabbath experience.
2.1	Esteems the knowledge of what to do with the Sabbath as equal in importance to the knowledge of which day is the correct day for worship.
2.2	Describes his personal criteria for deciding which behaviors are appropriate on the Sabbath.
2.3	Explains the concept of the Sabbath being "sacred time" for fellowship with God.
2.4	Contrasts the concepts of "sacred time" and "sacred things" as they relate to the meaning of the Sabbath.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Most Seventh-day Adventist youth know with some certainty that the correct day of the week for worshiping God is the seventh day. Yet a large number of them who have the right day of the week are not sure what to do with it now that they have it· Part of the issue about the Sabbath is the right day; the other part of the issue is the right way for keeping that day· This lesson will seek to deal with both of these issues; for without the right kind of relationship with the Sabbath, the matter of the correct day will cease to be important·
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FROM THE WORD
NOTE: The study method for this lesson is a marked departure from the pre-vious lessons. Rather than answering questions, the students will ask them. This is a challenging learning activity for in order to ask a good question about a text one must have a good understanding of the meaning of the text. The texts are arranged—and associated with the Ellen White references—in topic clusters so that the questions will more easily suggest themselves.
The value of this kind of exercise is that as a student asks the questions, he is already formulating the answers in his mind. Yet there is a change in the method from previous lessons as the student phrases his own questions.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
A place has been provided for three questions under each set of texts so that the student will be encouraged to compose at least three. More space has been left under the last letter in each set in case the student writes more than three questions.
I. Did God rest on the seventh day because He was tired?
What might we humans have thought of God and His creation if He had never set aside the Sabbath?
What kinds of thoughts did God want us to have on the Sabbath day?
What is the meaning of the word "sanctified"?
2. What special message are we giving to the world around us by keeping the Sabbath every week?
If we neglect the Sabbath, what might happen to our relationship with God?
Why will the contest between Sunday sacredness and Sabbath sacredness become so important in the last days?
In what special ways does the Sabbath explain to us our relationship to God?
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES * HAPPY COMPARISONS
the Sabbath like a birthday party?
the Sabbath like a vacation?
the Sabbath like an anniversary celebration?
the Sabbath like a prayer meeting?
the Sabbath like a school?
the Sabbath like a long-distance phone call? the Sabbath like a statue in the town square?
In what ways is In what ways is In what ways is In what ways is In what ways is In what ways is In what ways is
What other comparisons can you make with the Sabbath?
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FROM THE WORD
3.	Why does God say that we should not work on the Sabbath?
What is the meaning of "rest" on the Sabbath? Surely it doesn't mean spending the whole day in bed. What kinds of activities are resting activities?
What kinds of helpful deeds can be done on the Sabbath? How can I know which helpful acts are proper?
4.	If we are not to seek our own pleasure on the Sabbath, does that mean that it will be an unpleasant day? What does our own pleasure mean?
Why shouldn't we talk about business or fun things on the Sabbath?
What is the connection between the Sabbath and the family? What difference might that connection make in the way I keep the Sabbath?
What should I do if I just don't feel like thinking about spiritual things?
5.	What does it mean that the Sabbath was made for man? In what ways can the Sabbath benefit me?
What are some specific activities I can plan for the Sabbath so that it will benefit me?
What are some of the things I should be careful not to do on the Sabbath?
How does the Sabbath benefit my mind? How does it benefit my body? How does it benefit my spiritual life?
6.	Does the way in which I live the rest of the week make a difference in the way I keep the Sabbath? Please explain.
Does the way I worship on the Sabbath make a difference in the way I live the rest of the week?
What is the meaning of "the rest of grace"?
Describe the kind of relationship with Jesus that one must have before he can enjoy the "rest of grace" on the Sabbath day.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
IS THE SABBATH UNINTERESTING?
Could this be one reason why?
״There is no influence in our land more powerful to poison the imagination, to destroy religious impressions, and to blunt the relish for the tranquil pleasures and sober realities of life than theatrical amusements. The love for these scenes increases with every indulgence . . . The only safe course is to shun the theater, the circus, and every other questionable place of amusement."—Testimonies, Vol. 4, page 653.
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7.	What role will the Sabbath have in the last great conflict between Christ and Satan?
How can we describe the religious experience of those who will be alive to see Christ come, wh0 w±n 2>e among His redeemed?
What is the meaning of the "mark of the beast"?
Why does God care so much about the day on which we worship?
When religious authorities think that they can change God's laws, what does this reveal about their attitude toward God? What does this show about their attitude toward His law?
Why is it such a serious thing for Protestants to keep Sunday?
8.	What does a person have to know before he can be in danger of receiving the mark of the beast?
What choices will a person make that will cause him to receive the mark of the beast?
Why will it be difficult to keep the Sabbath in the future?
Why does God regard Sunday worship in the last days as such a serious wrong?
Why does Satan attack the Sabbath so strongly?
9· What can you do during the rest of this week so that your Sabbath will be more enjoyable when it comes?
Do you know what it means to "rest in God's grace" right now?
Would you like to have more time available to get acquainted with Jesus personally?
If you were told yet this week that you could worship this coming Sabbath in a church of your choice onlu if you could successfully defend your reasons for keeping the Sabbath, do you think that you would be able to do it?
If your family were suddenly to cease attending church on Sabbath, would you continue to attend? Why?
If your family, your friends, and the local government were to unite in insisting that you cease your worship on the Sabbath, what would you do? Why?
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE KEY TEXTS; ARRANGE BIBLE STUDY] This activity is designed to help a student both know where the texts are that speak of the Sabbath, and also understand what these texts mean*
Students could use phrases such as these to identify the key idea of the texts:
Genesis 2:1-3 Sabbath: memorial of creation Ezekiel 20:12, 20 Sabbath: sign of belonging to God Exodus 20:8-11 4th commandment—Sabbath is sacred—do no work Isaiah 58:13, 14 Blessings from seeking God on Sabbath Mark 2:27, 28 Sabbath is for the benefit of everyone
Hebrews 4:9 Resting in God*s grace from our own efforts to save ourselves Isaiah 56:6, 7 God*s final redeemed will be Sabbath keepers Revelation 15:2 Redeemed will have won the victory over the beast and image Revelation 14:9, 10 Worship the beast = Sunday worship in the last days
2. [COMPARE; INTERPRET] This introduces the students to the concept of sac-red time· It is accomplished by a series of contrasts in which the student compares sacred time with sacred objects· (See next page.)
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *	*	*******
MUSIC ENRICHMENT
In The Church Hymnal there is a topic index which lists hymns according to their primary content· On page 620 the index shows a listing of 21 hymns which relate to the Sabbath. If copies of the Hymnal are available in the classroom, or if some of these songs are found in hymnals or songbooks which the class can obtain, invite the students to study these hymns. The follow-ing can serve as a focus:
Find one hymn you would most like to learn.
See how many reasons you can find for which the hymn writers enjoyed the Sabbath·
Can you find any Bible verses directly or indirectly quoted in the words of the hymns? (For example, Hebrews 4:9 shows up in the 4th stanza of "Another Six Days' Work Is Done," No. 456 in the Hymnal.)
Can you compose an additional stanza to any of these hymns?
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2.	Continued.
These thoughts may be helpful in the discussion of comparisons:
A.	The sacred thing can be more easily idolized, for it pulls our vision down to what can be seen, rather than up to that which is infinite.
We can dominate and control things; we cannot control time. For example, there is nothing that the whole of humanity could do to prevent 5 ofclock from coming.
B.	We can always avoid things just by choosing not to be where those things are. We cannot avoid the next Sabbath when it comes, for it will come no matter where we are or what we are doing. We can only decide how to relate to it; we cannot hide from it.
C.	Human beings can build things; only God can create time. In fact, every second that comes our way is a proof of Godfs ongoing crea-tion. Sacred things would allow us to think that we are worshiping something that man has made. Sacred time urges us to recognize God as the only Creator.
D.	The Sabbath is a time to build friendship with God. The most impor-tant element in building friendships is time that is spent together. Being in a certain place together isn't nearly so important as spend-ing time together once you are there. If God had built His sanctuary simply as a place, people would come to that place and think that in being there, they are worshipping. But God wants His people to spend time with Him; so He built His sanctuary in time!
E.	The Sabbath, as sacred time, comes to everyone on exactly equal terms. If God had built a sacred place, it would have been limited to those who live nearby or to those who could afford to travel there or to those who have the available time to travel there. God would have been partial, then, in the blessings that would be available to the worshipers.
F.	When we understand it properly, time spent with God always has the greater impact when compared to merely being in some sacred place.
God Himself is the focus, not some place or thing. But the immature mind is always more impressed with something that is appealing to his physical senses—something big or shiny or expensive.
G.	For six days of the week man is concerned with mastery of the physi-cal world; on the seventh day he lets the spiritual world master him. What a person does on the Sabbath (in time) gives meaning and purpose to all he does during the week (with things).
H. Time spent with a person is for the purpose of getting to know that person. Time spent with God on the Sabbath is for the primary purpose of getting acquainted with Him, for praising and appreciating Him, for talking with Him.
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3.	[CLASSIFYING; EVALUATING] Conscientious Adventist youth are often con-cerned about the kinds of activities which are appropriate for the Sabbath· This exercise proposes a simple yet workable criterion by which possible Sabbath activities can be measured· It then asks the class to evaluate a number of Sabbath activities in terms of this criterion·
Work through the exercise in the sequence that is outlined. When you come to part C, the class will notice that, in order to apply the criterion, one needs to care to some degree about his relationship with God· Talk about this as may seem indicated, stressing that the whole issue most hinge on this consideration· Such an emphasis should keep the discussion from get-ting sidetracked into minutely legal arguings over what is "my own pleasure11 or what is work· Keep the focus positive on the privilege of getting to know God, rather than negative on what one is not allowed to do·
Suggest that the class try this criterion for the upcoming Sabbath and then report their reactions to it next Monday in class·
4.	[APPLYING PRINCIPLES TO NEW SITUATIONS] Here are a number of very spe-cific suggestions for pleasant, spiritually rewarding Sabbath activities·
The class can work together toward planning these as listed, or modifying them according to personal convictions· Rather than plan a sudden burst of Sabbath activities which would cover every Sabbath afternoon for the next month, and then run out, they may prefer to plan a group-sponsored Sabbath afternoon activity once a month. Then they could encourage their families to be doing more on the other Sabbaths of the month·
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
Question: ״But do we have to spend the whole Sabbath just being religious and doing religious things?"
Suggested response: This question, heard all too often in various forms, is looking for a Yes or No answer· But such an answer would totally miss the real issue· When a person feels that he is being forced to do some-thing that is obviously against his personal preferences, then he has the wrong understanding of the whole Christian life·
This might be illustrated to the person who asks such a question by ask-ing in return who his best friend is· Then ask him whether he enjoys talking with him· Ask him whether he feels pressured to pay attention to this friend· Then draw the obvious parallel·
One may then respond that—in all honesty—he just doesn*t know how to spend that much time thinking about God. This is a frequent problem; but if the basic desire is there to learn how, then he will relish the Sabbath as an opportunity to learn how. But if the basic motivation is not there, then this needs to be the primary focus of all concern—his and yours·
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I.	The Sabbath is my special time to fellowship with God· It is sacred time which He Himself dedicated for this purpose. On the Sabbath I read about Him, study about Him through the things He has madef and rejoice in His goodness with other people who love Him· And I spend time talking with Him in prayer. I am reminded that He created me and that He has redeemed me because the Sabbath is a memorial of both of these experiences· J love the Sabbath!
2· The most important reason is that this is the day which the Bible
clearly states is the original and only Sabbath· The creation record says that God hallowed the seventh day as the Sabbath. The fourth commandment identifies the seventh day as the Sabbath· There is no place in the Bible which even suggests that God has ever changed the day to another. In fact, all the evidence is that human church leaders did the changing a long time after Christ returned to heaven·
3.	We believe that the whole day is special, and that we should do more than just go to church. We have so little time to think about God and to do good things for people around us that the Sabbath becomes very important to us as a chance to do all those things· If we start letting all the ordinary concerns of life crowd out our needs for spiritual life, then our relationship with Christ will suffer. We are glad to be able to spend that time with Himf learning more about Him and doing things with Him.
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LESSON 32: WHY DO ADVENTISTS HOLD SUCH HIGH STANDARDS?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the reasons why the Seventh-day Adventist Church holds such high personal standards for its members.
1.1	Identifies the major standards of the Adventist Church as they relate to the lives of the members.
1.2	Explains how each personal standard fits into God's plan of having a people who will perfectly reflect His character.
1.3	Discusses personal standards within the context of the total restoration of man.
2.	Demonstrates a positive personal appreciation for these stand-ards.
2.1	Uses words which connote joy, appreciation, and endorse-ment when speaking of these standards.
2.2	Describes clearly the spiritual motivations and sources of power for living according to these standards.
2.3	Refrains from applying negative peer pressure upon his associates who are seeking to uphold these standards.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Within the circles of Adventist youth, few topics tend to be as poorly under-stood, and therefore as poorly appreciated, as that of standards for living. The Seventh-day Adventist church advocates extremely high standards, and rightly so. But unless the youth can clearly understand the spiritual, sen-sible reasons for these standards, and unless they can be put in touch with the divine power to live by them, these high standards will be a source of great discouragement.
The contrasting paragraphs which follow are designed to show—by some typi-cal examples—that Adventists do seek to hold high personal standards. Can the class think of other illustrations? Does the fact that not all Adventists live up to these standards influence the way in which the class will deal with this lesson?
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FROM THE WORD
1.	A. Love for the things (pleasuresf possessions, etc.) of this world will
tend to destroy our love for God. We can't have both.
B. God wants us to be holy, as He is holy, so that when He comes we will be in harmony with Him. So we must turn away from all the hurtful things we did before we knew better.
C.	If we live a life controlled by the old sinful desires, then we will bring dishonor to the Christian faith which we represent.
D.	If we decorate our bodies with that which is cheap and artificial, we will neglect the more precious opportunity to reflect the inner beauty of a Christlike character.
E.	When Christ works in the lives of those whom He is saving, He leads them to renounce all the sinful, hurtful desires of the old life;
He is desiring to have a group of people who will clearly differ from the people of the world in their eagerness to do good works.
F.	We should be able to glorify God in everything that we do, including our eating and our drinking.
G.	Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, God dwells in us. We are to be holy temples, fit for Him to live in.
H.	God desires to have a people who are as different from the servants of evil as God's kingdom is different from Satan's kingdom. Christ died to set us free from the control of sin; our lives must show that we have accepted that freedom.
2.	If we were to lower our standards,it would be like saying that Christ doesn't really make any difference in our lives when He saves us. It would announce to the world that Christ isn't strong enough to set us free from sin. It would in effect say that Christ's kingdom is almost exactly like Satan's kingdom. People would see no difference, or very little difference, and they would think less of God.
3.	If the Holy Spirit has not come into a person's mind to awaken him to spiritual things, the standards of the church won't make much sense.
Or if one is still paying attention to the desires of the sinful nature, then this will set up a conflict with the high standards of Christ.
4. We must choose to let the Holy Spirit be in control, giving us the power to walk Christ's way and putting to death the old desires of the flesh +
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1.	[OBSERVING; DISCERNING ATTITUDES] As the students look for the wrong understanding of Christian standards which stands behind each of these state-ments, they just might hear themselves saying some of them and pass judgment on their own misconceptions! The misunderstandings may be described as follows:
A· One lives by high standards in order to earn favor or standing with God; and the more successful one is in living certain obvious ways, the more likely one is to get preferred standing with God·
B.	Our unique message to the world is made up of our standards—expressed in a negative, superficial way.
C.	Failure to live according to certain standards is grounds for dislik-ing the offending person·
D· Personal standards are something which the church simply imposes on its members· They are not meant to be understood· We can give no rational explanations; we can only say, ״My church says so·11
E.	Standards have to do with external matters such as location; they do not deal with the basic issues of impressions on the mind or influenc-ing of the desires·
F.	Letfs have goodness, but let’s have it in moderation. Let’s not be too good· A little bit of sinning won’t hurt too bad·
G.	Standards deal only with the letter of the law, with exact legal definitions. They aren’t concerned with the motivations of the heart·
H.	The standards of the church are the responsibility of the church·
I ought to be able to do what I want without them meddling into my business· It’s not fair for them to care about me; it cramps my style. I don’t really live in society; I live all by myself· What I do doesn’t affect others (unless I want welfare from them)!
I.	Standards are determined by what other people do; and since I am looking for an excuse not to live by those standards anyway, I’ll be looking for someone else with low standards to defend my own low standards·
J.	There is no real connection between my words and my actions· I can say that I love Jesus, then ignore the way He lived· I love Jesus for all the things He does for me; but I don’t want Him making any demands that will cross my selfish nature and desires. He can be unselfish; but let me stay selfish. What a bargain!
K. If I can find a reason to fault someone else in one area of values, then I can excuse my own faults in another area of values. I just don’t want my own values to come under examination.
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1.	Continued
L.	Wasting time is the only issue, and we can all waste a little of
that. (Or) A little indulgence into something less than good is not a serious problem; I know it will never lead to something worse.
Μ. I can cash in on Jesus' willingness to forgive. The only reason I would obey is so that I wouldn't be committing a sin (obeying has no inherent good reasons), and Jesus has offered to forgive my sins.
So it is all taken care of. I'll do the sin; Jesus will forgive; and no one will be any worse off.
2.	[CAUSE-EFFECT REASONING; EVALUATING] This exercise is designed to help the student see the difference between a standard and a basic principle; and to show that every true Christian standard is based on a principle. Responses from the students may be as follows:
_________D J Avoid flesh foods in diet
______B C F Very carefully select TV programs
______A G I Modest, conservative clothing
______C	E	F No	gambling, card playing
______D	G	J No	alcohol, tobacco, other harmful	or	illegal	drugs
A D	E	H	J No	sexual contact before marriage
_________G I No jewelry (rings, necklaces, earrings, etc)
A B C	F	G	J No	theater going
B c	E	F	J No	reading of cheap books or magazines	which	feature sex, vio-
lence, romance, fantasy
A E F I J Avoid games that stress personal rivalry
_________D G No coffee, tea, other stimulants
______A F I No unnatural cosmetics
A B C F J Listen only to uplifting music
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3· [DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	On the basis of concepts learned in previous lessons, the class will probably conclude that nontrying members should be encouraged on a personal basis· These members should not be used to excuse either nonparticipation in church or the lowering of one's own standards ”because Mrs. Jones does·11
B· Such persons do not need condemnation or rejection; they need the encouragement of knowing that others are trying right along with them and perhaps also failing, yet continuing to try·
C.	The Christian seeks for the very best—for that which clearly will build up his spiritual life and have a sanctifying influence on him·
If "good" reading takes the place of the time one needs for sancti-fying reading, then the good becomes bad.
D.	This will probably vary from person to person depending on onefs habits, background, and setting· A nonsmoker , for example, may never be tempted to smoke; for him it is no trial to maintian this standard. But the same person may have a great struggle cleaning up his reading habits— something that may present no problem to someone else.
E.	There would no doubt be some who—through lack of understanding— may refer to the school as strange or fanatical. Others would call it strict or high-principled· Still others would call it very religious, good, wholesome· Some may even call it excellent, super-ior to other schools· But most all groups, however, would have a great respect for the school·
F.	There are those who would suggest that if they do not understand a particular standard, or if they do not feel convicted on that point, they should not keep it· They miss an important truth: Obeying God's will brings inherent blessings and happiness· While it may be true that God will not hold them accountable for ignoring a standard
they do not really understand, that does not mean that He will pre-vent the sure consequences of disobedience from coming. On the other hand there are blessings that come to one who obeys even if he doesn't understand fully the reasons for what he is doing.
4.	[FURTHER EXPLORATION] This is a necessary item of discussion even though it has a number of risks· So many conversations about the standards of the church end up as quibbles about details· Many youth still feel that standards are something which the church seeks to impose from the outside by authority, rather than urge by instruction· Carefully avoid falling into the side streets of ״How far can I go before I sin?" and similar questions which reveal a basic lack of commitment to the spiritual principles behind the standards· Tell the class before beginning that you are assuming their spiritual commitment and that you expect the questions to reflect that same commitment ·
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TO SHARE
1· Wellf I’ve been thinking about the kinds of things that are shown on TV
and what they do to me when I watch them· I know that what I watch causes me to think and act like what I see· And I want my thoughts to be filled with peace and kindness and love· I don’t want them filled with violence and hatred· So I’ve decided not to watch programs with that kind of con-tent. I’ve been trying instead to fill my mind with things that are in harmony with Christ and His life· I really believe that He has the best plan for living I’ve ever heard off and I want to live that way.
2.	I’ve been finding out lately that there is a totally different way to find enjoyment in life· All those things you mentioned may seem like fi1nf but they actually tear down your health and fill your thoughts with ideas that really shouldn’t be there· Don’t take this personally, but it’s a pretty self-centered way to livef and that doesn’t bring the highest kind of enjoyment· I have found that the best kind of joy comes from doing something useful, especially if I can make someone else happy at the same time· So I’ve been doing a lot of things around the neigh-borhood· I went hiking last weekend with my brother· A group of us at our church are planning to put on a program for the children’s home·
I have more than enough to do that makes me happy·
3· We believe that God’s plan for us is to restore us back to the original plan of living which	He	gave	to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Edenf and
we want to	go as far	in	that	direction as we can· I’m finding out that
His way of	living is	so	very	different from that of most people in the
world, and	yet it makes	such	good sense· I want to move in God’s direc-
tion of living as rapidly as I can· I guess that does make it appear that my standards are different from most of the world· Sure they are highf but I feel I have just begun to understand how high God’s plan for me really isl
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TEACHER NOTES:
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LESSON 33: WERE YOU BURIED ALIVE?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the meanings of the Christian symbols of the Lord's Supper and baptism.
1.1	Explains the role of symbolism in the life of a Christian.
1.2	Interprets the meaning of the symbols as they relate to his own spiritual experience.
1.3	Interprets the symbols as they relate to specific events in the life of Christ.
2.	Expresses positive attitudes toward his own personal involve-ment in these symbols.
2.1	Identifies the experiential criteria which are necessary prior to baptism, and tells whether such are present in his own life.
2.2	Indicates a readiness to enter into the Lord's Supper experience with an appropriate awareness of what he is symbolizing by so doing.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The lesson title is taken from Ellen White's very penetrating observation:
״Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ."—SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, page 1075.
The goal of this lesson is to help a young person so clearly understand what it means to take part in the symbols of baptism and the Lord's Supper that he might never be "buried alive" in baptism or eat the Lord's Supper meaninglessly.
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FROM THE WORD
1· A. Going down into the water symbolizes being buried, or having died to the appeal and attraction of the old sinful life.
B.	Coming up out of the water symbolizes being resurrected, or having a new life put into one’s heart—a new set of desires and goals, a new source of power·
C.	Sin is no longer in control in one’s life, for one has died to the appeal of sin.
[NOTE: Some have misunderstood this passage to mean that sin itself is dead and will therefore never again assert itself. They are then surprised to find some of the old sinful habits still clamoring to be followed. It is onefs response to sin which is to be dead. Visualize a telephone line which has just 1*gone dead." No more messages can get through, even though one at the other end of the line shouts very loudly. If, however, one chooses to reestablish connection with sin, then sin will be in charge again, for the old appeal will still be there.]
2.	To be baptized, one should repent, believe on the name of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and choose to be a disciple of Jesus (that is, one who follows Jesus’ life and teachings).
3. Baptism does not change people. Rather it is a symbol of a choice that one has made —a choice to live for Christ and let Him keep on making changes.
4.	A young person who is not yet old enough to appreciate baptism is still a child of God, if that is his choice. [This, of course, means that one is not saved by baptism; it means that one should not be urged to enter into baptism as a means of changing his status with Christ.]
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* BAPTISMAL READINESS
The study of this lesson may lead some students to ask how one may know if he is ready for baptism. Invite them to consider these questions:
A.	Are you ready to request preparation for baptism at your own initiative, apart from any pressures from family or friends?
B.	Can you explain in your own words what it means to have a personal rela-tionship with Jesus? Can you say for sure whether you have committed your life to Him? Can you know that He has acceptd you? Do you know what it means to be saved by faith? Can you explain why daily, personal Bible study and prayer are so important?
C.	Are you able to explain in your own words the basic teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist church?
[Continued on page 305.]
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FROM THE WORD
5.	When we are baptized, we declare to others that we have turned away from the world and have become the children of God. We declare that we have broken all connections with our past life of sin so that we can live a new life wholly devoted to God.
6.	To be buried alive means to have been baptized without experiencing this death to the old life and rebirth to the new life. It means having taken part in the outward form without the inner experience.
7.	One has not achieved perfection at baptism. If one stumbles and com-mits a sin after baptism, this should not be held up to taunt him with the thought that his conversion was not real. It takes time to learn how to live the Christlike life, and there will be moments of failure.
8.	[Personal response invited here. Student will probably express love, humility, admiration, and similar attitudes toward Jesus.]
9.	As we wash each others' feet, we should have feelings of caring and will-ingness to help. This service is a sign of deep friendship and of commit-ment to aid and bless another.
10.	I should be remembering Christ's death for me on the cross and the cleans-ing of guilt which comes from His death for me. My thoughts should be joyous and thankful.
11.	A. From the past we remember Christ's death for us.
B. We look forward to His second coming and to that joyous wedding feast in heaven when He will celebrate this supper with all the redeemed.
12. These symbols are designed to speak to our hearts through the full set of senses: touching another's feet, tasting and smelling the bread and juice, seeing the communion table and the basins of water, and hearing the words which are spoken. In this way our being responds more deeply to the im-pact of the message. We are convicted more deeply and blessed more abun-dantly.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ******	***
BAPTISMAL READINESS [Continued]
D.	Do you clearly prefer to live by Christfs example rather than by the values of the world? Do you love righteousness and hate sin?
E. Have you spoken of these goals and values to your friends? Do they have cause to believe that you have aimed your life in Christ*s direction?
F. Are you willing to work with your family, your friends, and your church toward the goal of continued spiritual growth—for yourself and others?
Ellen White frequently stresses that a child who seeks baptims needs the
decided support of his home after the ceremony. Can you help this become a
reality in the lives of the youth in your room?
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] The two verses listed are those most often associated with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and baptism. When asking the students to recite the verses or write them on a quiz, remember to ask for explanations and personal applications.
2.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] The students who do this assignment will probably find their personal devotions taking on a new relevance and focus. This exercise could be made as an assignment to the entire class; but it may be better received if volunteers are willing to do it.
3.	[PERSONAL EXPRESSION] A formal announcement adds an air of dignity and importance to the event which it proclaims. This exercise will help a student identify the most important aspects of a baptism. It may also increase his esteem for the event.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: Ask the students to work individually or in groups to design a formal invitation to the Lord’s Supper which could be sent to all the mem-bers of the church. For example, they could draw a simple sketch of a loaf of unleavened bread and a cup of juice. Below the sketch they could letter these words (or similar words):
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO A SUPPER TO BE GIVEN IN HONOR OF
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
(Listing of time and place.)
Would your church pastor be interested in what your class has done with these formal announcements?
********* ENRICHMENT,/ALTERNATIVES *********
THE SETTING FOR BAPTISM Ellen White says:
"Whenever possible, let baptism be administered in a clear lake or running stream. And give to the occasion all the importance and solemnity that can be brought into it."—Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 97.
If there are students in your class who might be contemplating baptism, they might be interested in hearing the above quotation. Explore with them how they might fulfill the recommendations. Ask the class as a group to contrib-ute their ideas. Where is a most fitting natural setting? What can be done to bring importance and solemnity into the celebration. What songs should be sung? Should the candidates have a chance to say anything to the rest of the people who have assembled? If so, what might they say?
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INTO MY LIFE
4. [GUEST PRESENTATION] Your local pastor should be quite willing to come and discuss these rather practical questions with the class. But if for some reason a pastor is not available or is unable to visit the class, the teacher should conduct the discussion rather than leave the questions dangling. The following concepts may be helpful:
A.	The communion service is celebrated once a quarter in the Adventist Church largely as a matter of custom. It is an endeavor to arrive at a confortable mean between too frequent a celebration and too seldom a celebration. There is no inspired counsel which requires that time pattern. At one time Ellen White advised her fellow be-lievers to practice the service more frequently (see Early Writings, page 116), but there is little information on how often it was being practiced when she gave that counsel.
B.	It has been the custom in most places for a young person to wait until baptism before participating in the Communion service. How-ever, there is nothing in the inspired counsels or in the church manual which would indicate that this is based on authority. Seventh-day Adventists practice what is known as "open communion.11 This means that all persons present are invited to participate who wish to do so. Nonmembers from other faiths are welcome to take part. The church does not screen the participants.
C.	We have this counsel from Ellen White on rebaptism:
*1The Lord calls for a decided reformation. And when a soul is truly reconverted, let him be rebaptized. Let him renew his covenant with God, and God will renew His covenant with him.*״
—Evangelism, page 375.
If one who has slipped away from an origianl conversion experience is urged to be rebaptized, then we could conclude that one who never knew the conversion experience in the first place might well wish to be rebaptized. However there is often another factor to consider.
Onefs experience with Christ usually will mature in depth and mean-ing over the years. There is often a tendency to look back on the level of onefs experience several years in the past and doubt that it was a genuine experience. Perhaps it was genuine yet quite im-mature. And a spiritual life that has enjoyed normal maturation would not seem to call for rebaptism. Each individual needs to take counsel with the Lord on this matter and decide whether his first baptism was simply at a less mature stage or whether it indeed did constitute being **buried alive.**
D.	Leavening is often used in the Bible as a symbol of sin. The temple services, therefore, established the pattern of using unleavened bread. In the same way, fermentation in the wine symbolizes the corruption of sin. Since the bread and the wine are symbols of Christ, who was a perfect sacrifice without spot or blemish, these symbols must also be free from that which represents sin. See The Desire of Ages, page 653.
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INTO MY LIFE
4· Continued
E.	See analysis questions under ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES on pages 304 and 305 in this Teachers’s Guide·
F.	This question may elicit a number of interesting suggestions; but any changing outcome will depend to a large degree on the channels of communication which are established with the church· Your pastor may be most eager to hear what the youth have to say on this matter·
5.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] This is an especially necessary topic of research for all who are contemplating baptism or who have been recently baptized.
The research material contains some surprises· For example, Ellen White places a greater responsibility on the readiness of the parents to support their child's new commitment than she places on the examining of the child's readiness. Also notice that the child should initiate the conversation rather than the pastor.
6· [MUSIC CORRELATION] Singing of great Christian music is an integral part of the Adventist worship service· Yet too often the members sing the words with little attention to them or knowledge of their meaning· If the students can learn to appreciate the deep spiritual beauty of these hymns, it will enhance their worship experience for years to come·
7.	[ARTISTIC SYMBOLISM] The symbolic drawing on page 346 is filled with meaning related to the topic of baptism· See if the class can notice at least the following:
The left side of the picture represents death; the right side represents life. The pathway which connects the two sides leads from death to life.
The pathway from death to life passes through the cross· There is no other way·
The lower end of the cross is formed in the shape of a baptismal tank, since both the cross and baptism are signs of dying to sin· One must say with Paul, "I am crucified with Christ·" That is, I have died to the old self-will, to the tug of sin, so that Christ's life might now live within.
The doorway into the baptismal tank is shaped like a tombstone· The door-way coming up on the other side is shaped like a sunburst of new life, or a flower.
The photograph on page 347, representing two persons from separate racial back-grounds taking part in the ordinance of foot washing, may allow the class to appreciate the fellowship and unity which is developed during this service·
Urge the students to draw or photograph symbols of their own creating. Pro-vide an opportunity for them to display their symbols·
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TO SHARE
1· My baptism will be my way of publicly showing that I have chosen to live a wholly new life· In fact, I want to be dead to all the desires and attitudes that I used to have· I want Christ's new life to be the only controlling force in me· So baptism is a symbol of dying and being raised to a new life· When I go down under the water, that will show my death to the old life; and when I come up out of the water, that will show my being raised to a new life in Jesus· Itfs just like Jesus1 going into the tomb and then coming out three days later·
2· Foot washing: When we gather like this to wash each others' feet, we are following Christ's example· He showed us how important it is to be ready to serve each other rather than to strive against each other· When Jesus did this with His disciplesf He showed them that His whole mission to the earth was to do this kind of humble service to save proud people· When we choose to be like Jesus, we choose to be a humble servant as He was·
Eating the bread: The bread is a symbol of Christ's body—of His life which He gave on the cross· It is unleavened to show that His life was pure and free from all sin· It is broken to show that His heart was broken for us· We eat it to show that we want that same loving, self־ sacrificing life to become ours·
Drinking the juice: The pure grape juice symbolizes Christ's blood that was shed on the cross· It was the shedding of His blood that made sal-vation possible for me· When I drink the juice I show that I am accept־־ ing that salvation, that cleansing from sin, into my own life· Jesus promised that He would not drink the grape juice again until He could drink it with His redeemed in heaven; and so every time I drink the cup,
I am looking forward to that wonderful time when I can do this with Jesusi
"What did you gain from this service?" [Student should supply a personal response to this question·]
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LESSON 3i*: YOU CAN PLAN A MIRACLE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the Bible concept of stewardship as it relates to financial matters.
1.1	Identifies the specific spiritual goals to be met by regu-lar giving to God and His cause.
1.2	Explains the relevance of the priority system Jesus gave in Matthew 6:33 as it relates to giving money to God.
1.3	Differentiates between the tithe and freewill offerings.
1.4	Affirms belief in the concept of divine ownership of all things, and in the concept of all blessings being entrusted to him for the uplifting of others.
2.	Appreciates the opportunities that are his to enter into an adventure of faith with God in the area of financial stewardship.
2.1	Identifies specific acts of giving which are possible for him.
2.2	Expresses confidence in the fact that God will supply his needs even though he is donating some of the funds he might have used to meet his own needs.
2.3	Establishes a regular pattern of giving that is in keeping with his financial resources.
2.4	Differentiates in his own life between those things which are real needs and those things which are luxuries, acknowledg-ing that God promises to supply our needs but not necessarily our desires.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The miracle which the lesson title brings to focus is that miracle of God's taking care of His people who are building up His kingdom. His people turn away from a primary concern for their own needs and trust their needs to a wise and loving Father. Their concern is for His cause on earth. Yet all of their needs are met! And that is the miracle which the students can plan!
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FROM THE WORD
PLAN A
1.	When we follow this plan, we will never seem to have enough things. Our savings will somehow vanishf and we will always be wanting more. We will never be satisfied.
2.	God calls plan A robbery because we have kept to ourselves things which actually belong to God. We have not given to Him that which is right-fully His.
3.	Risks involved is spending it all for self:
Deut. 8:17: We will think that the wealth is all ours, earned by our own cleverness and power, rather than given to us by God. We will take all the credit and leave God out of the reckoning.
Reference VI/27: When we keep all the wealth to ourselvesψ we accumulate treasures on this earth. Then they absorb all our attention and concerns; we lose interest in spiritual matters, and we die spiritually.
Reference VI/28: Selfishness is the most serious of sins in the church. Giving to God is designed to kill selfishness in our hearts. When we don't give, selfishness grows stronger.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
OPEN-ENDED VALUE STATEMENTS ABOUT MONEY
To help students clarify their values about money, invite them to complete these open-ended statements· You might ask the entire class to complete them in writing, or you can ask individual students at random to respond verbally to the statements. If responses are written, invite them to share their views.
11I have found that money is—
״Money can buy—
"Money cannot buy—
"If I had $50, I would—
"One thing Ifll never do with my money is—
"One good thing about having a large amount of money is—
"One problem that might come with having a large amount of money is—
"One reason why people don*t give larger offerings is—
"Poor people are—
[Other statements you may compose.]
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FROM THE WORD
3.	Continued
Matthew 6:19-21: As we invest our money on this earth, all our interests and attention gets focused on this earth. If we invest it in God9s work, our interests and attention will be there. Finally, we will be in heaven only if our interests and attention are in heaven.
4.	God continues to pour out many of His blessings on all people—whether they are good or bad. This shows how loving and forgiving our God is.
5.	People who follow plan A will soon lose touch with God and spiritual val-ues. Their lives will reveal this mixed-up sense of values, and Satan’s plans for them will begin to be accomplished.
PLAN B
6.	Matthew 6:33 says that God will make Himself accountable for our needs if we will seek Him first. (The reverse of this plan suggests that if
we seek our own needs first, we must seek them alone—without God’s help·)
7. God is promising that if we will bring a full tithe into the storehouse He will bless us. The promise names very material, practical blessings: abundant crops, protection of our fields, and the like.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* THINKING ABOUT GIVING
The following statistics—and accompaning questions—could be the basis for some interesting discussion.
1· In 1973 the Adventists around the world gave a total per capita of $161.31 to the church in tithes and offerings.
Can you figure out the meaning of per capita?
Do you think that the members in your area are giving more than that average amount or less than that amount?
2. During that same time period the members in the North American Division
of the church (United States and Canada) gave per capita tithes and offer-ings totaling $491.38.
What can you conclude from this about worldwide conditions?
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FROM THE WORD
PLAN C
8.	[The unique feature of plan C is that, when extra blessings come, they are not used to nurture selfish spending. Rather the extra amounts go into the Lord's Fund because spending has been carefully budgeted in ad-vance. When a person is operating on this plan, God can afford to send him extra amounts, for He knows that these amounts will be used for His work rather than for selfish reasons. The graph may be filled in as follows:]
[NOTE: Percentage amounts supplied for Lord's Fund and Necessities are, of course, only suggested as an example. The point is that the "expansion" happens in the Lord's Fund part of the graph.]
9.	The more we give, the more He can give to us to pass on to others. When we empty our hands to others, He will refill our hands so that we can give again. If we are stingy with our giving, God must then be sparing in His giving to us so that we will not become selfish with His blessings.
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FROM THE WORD
10.	As we budget our buying to meet only our needs, keeping in mind the real needs of many others around us, we will find that many of our needs will be seen as only imaginary wants. This careful thought about spending will help us become more unselfish.
PLAN D
11.	God’s miracles may happen in either of these two ways:
A.	God may give us unexpected income that we had not counted on so that we may give more to Him. (This may not have happened had we not stepped out into an adventure of faith with Him.)
B.	God may show us some place where we can deny ourselves of some item that we really don't need to purchase. This is an excellent means of growing away from self-indulgence.
12.	By continuing to live by plan D, these things may happen:
Tithe may increase as God sees that He can entrust us with more income.
Lord's Fund will almost surely increase as God gives to other people through us.
Necessities will probably decrease as we become less attached to mater-ial things and more concerned for the kingdom of God.
Luxury spending may disappear entirely as we learn to live and spend more wisely, and learn to deny selfish indulgences.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* STILL ANOTHER MIRACLE
There is yet another practical way in which God can bless His people with miracles as they give to Him· As we discovered earlier (in 11 A and B above), God can either supply extra income, or He can show us that what we thought was a necessity was actually a luxury· But He can also do for us what He did for His people Israel as they traveled from Egypt to Canaan· According to Deuteronomy 29:5, their shoes and clothes lasted those 40 long years of desert wanderings· Many Christians have testified to the fact that their clothes just seem to wear longer when they are doing the Lord’s will.
In addition to the miracle just suggested, God has also given us much practi-cal counsel about making sensible purchases of durable items· This can also stretch the income dollar so that more is available to give to the Lord·
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FROM THE WORD
13.	Responding to the needs of the poor around us is essential to the development of Christian character. It is through denying self and giving to others, just as Christ did, that we develop Christlike char-acters. It is unlikely that we would grow to be like Christ if we did not join with Him in the acts of unselfish giving.
INTO MY LIFE
1. [MEMORIZE] Proper giving is motivated by an awareness of two very impor-tant principles: Godfs kingdom and His righteousness is our highest goal; and He is the One who is to take care of all our needs. Both these princi-pies are declared in Jesus command/promise in Matthew 6:33. If the students can grasp more fully the meaning of the passage, they will be greatly helped in their spiritual maturity.
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INTO MY LIFE
2. [CLASSIFY; EVALUATE] The concept of stewardship developed in this les-son emphasizes the difference between necessities and luxuries. But do the students see the difference? This activity may help to bring the difference into sharper focus.
As they evaluate certain items, determining whether to call them luxuries or necessities, the following concepts may be helpful:
A particular item can be called a luxury for any of several reasons:
—If	the purchase	of the item is not	really necessary.
—If	the purchase	of such an item is	necessary, yet one that is simpler
or less costly will be just as adequate.
—If the purchase of the item is necessary sometime, yet purchasing it at the moment will necessitate slighting other more proper uses of the money.
—If the purchase of the item is motivated clearly by a self-centered desire for indulgence or display.
Many of the items which the students will suggest will find little common agreement. Seek to establish a tone of toleration among the class as they discuss these matters. Factors such as background, perception, and motiva-tions	will	flavor their	separate verdicts.	You may use the third column
quite	extensively. The	Spirit must be the	One to bring closer convictions.
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INTO MY LIFE
3· [APPLICATION OF CONCEPTS TO LIFE SITUATIONS] While it is recognized that most young people do not have extensive or even regular incomes, this activity can be valuable as an exposure to the technique of computation. The student should be encouraged to work with the income he can count on, even if it is small. If he has none at all, then you might pick an imaginary sum (such as $2 or $5) for him to work with.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
Question: ״Plan D seems to suggest that we do something foolish or irresponsible in planning to give away more	than we can	obviously afford to give.	Does	God
want us to go in debt for His	sake? Does	He want us to	neglect our	bills	and
obligations?"
Suggested Answer: God does not work in a reckless manner. He does not want us to do something foolish. But	on the other hand He does	not want us	to use
scarce funds as an excuse for	not giving.	Consider for	example the	widow
from the town of Zarephath who took care of Elijah during the time of great famine. By every human consideration she could not afford to give to Elijah, for she had enough only for herself and her son to have one more meal. Was it foolish for her to give? If she hadn*t given, she would not have been blessed with the continuing supply and would have soon starved. She would not have witnessed the miracle of seeing her son brought back to life. By seeking first her own needs, she would have lost much.
Perhaps one of the keys is remaining very sensitive to Godfs leading in the occasions to give. Ellen White has given us counsel not to give to every plea for aid from individuals,for some persons might be encouraged into laziness by such giving.(CS 163-5). And we are told not to give by impulse (CS 80). If we give under Godfs directions, and give joyously, we can never give foolishly.
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INTO Μϊ LIFE
4.	[EXPLANATION] The idea of a Lord's Fund may catch the imagination of some in the class. The paragraphs under this heading provide a more exten-ded description of the Lord's Fund concept. It is entirely a personal matter whether the student chooses to adopt this concept into his life. But you could ask those who do to volunteer reports to the class on how it is working.
5.	[ART CORRELATION] In this exercise students can express themselves artis-tically while also reinforcing spiritual values. Provide an opportunity for the students to display their creations.
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INTO MY LIFE
6.	[RESEARCH; CONTRASTS] One can learn much about the proper motivations for giving by reading the counsel on improper motivations for giving. In the resource material listed Ellen White has some potent things to say about fund-raising methods which must not be used in the church. Ask the researchers to give a report to the class on their findings.
7.	[FURTHER DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	It is clear from the inspired counsels that the people of God who are alive during the time of trouble will have had all earthly supports taken away. They will be relying entirely upon God for their needs— physical and spiritual. They will have learned that God is trustworthy. They may also have discovered how few needs one really has. They will not be complaining about the absence of comforts and luxuries. One can prepare for all of the above insights in advance by learning to live by plan D.
B. The striving human ego is always our problem. It is so easy for giving to become a source of spiritual pride and to begin giving because other people will see us do it. On the other hand, some persons may feel hurt because they are not able to give as much as others. Since Godfs plan is that all should give according to their ability, there is never any need to compare our giving with others.
C.	God has first claim on our money. When we give Him only what is left over, we may find that we have spent it all on our selfish desires. Such a plan would be contrary to the principle of Matthew 6:33.
D.	Ellen White has indicated that few can survive the spiritual risks that come with being wealthy; many will be better off spiritually with fewer of this earth*s goods. See CS 147-153.
E.	[This invites a personal valuing response. Compare the responses to the $1,000 gift with the responses to the $10 gift. Are they different?
Should they be different?]
F.	The group described in Acts 2 represents apeak of spiritual maturity among Christians. This is a goal toward which we might well strive.
Notice the surrounding verses for a description of the impact of such a group on the community.
G.	[This calls for a personal valuing question which could be based on their own experiences.]
H.	Stewardship deals with more than money. Some persons have dedicated a tithe of their weekday time to doing things for the Lord. The students who are studying this book are not too young to consider getting some type of jobs by which they can earn some money.
I.	It should be evident after having studied this lesson that the giver of the gift should benefit the most—if he gives with the right motives.
The point to remember is that his benefits will be largely nonmaterial; they will be spiritual.
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TO SHARE
1. We' d like to think that we can9t afford to give any less than that much·
In the first place, everything that we have comes from God to begin with· So it is not as though we9re making any sacrifice to give back to Him what He has entrusted to us· If He saw fit to give it to us, then He will take care of all our needs as we pass it on to others·
Furthermore, we have found that if we don't join with God in His style of unselfish giving, we really begin to suffer spiritually· Giving is one of the best cures for selfishness; and selfishness is one of the most serious of sins. So we're the ones who benefit by giving· And in view of all that Jesus has given to us, $450 doesn't seem to be all that large an amount to give in return·
2· I don't think it is correct to say that the church puts so much stress on giving large amounts· The church just wants us to be responsible stewards. God's plan is to give as He has blessed· Maybe this just shows that He has blessed us greatly·
[The question concludes with an invitation for a personal response· You may remind the class to include that response·]
3· I wouldn't want you to misunderstand· The church does not require you to give large amounts of money—in the sense that they will make an issue out of the amount of your giving· We like to see it as having discovered a real secret to joyous living and spiritual health· Jesus lived such a meaningful life; and His whole life was marked by unselfish giving· If you become an Adventist, you will want Jesus to live in you· When He does, He will open up your hands so that God's blessings will flow through you· You will find that you want to give larger offerings— in keeping with your income level· 1
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LESSON 35: AREN'T ALL SCHOOLS CREATED EQUAL?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the unique and profoundly different educational ex-perience which is made available to him through Adventist education.
1.1 Identifies the central goal of Adventist education to be that of the complete restoration of the image of God in man.
1.2	Contrasts the goals of Adventist education with those of non-Christian schools.
1.3	Explains the ways in which the particulars of school life are an outgrowth of the goals of Adventist education.
1.4	States in his own words ten basic principles of Adventist education.
2.	Expresses positive attitudes toward the program of education which God has outlined to this church.
2.1	Expresses supportive sentiments toward his basic school experiences.
2.2	Identifies specific ways in which he can contribute to the goals of his school.
2.3	Names certain areas in which he can help his school come still closer to the divine plan.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
One of the purposes of this lesson is to help the student appreciate the pro-foundly different educational experience which has been given to this church. The student needs very much to grasp the significance of its goals and to see how these goals produce a school system that bears little resemblance to the school systems of the world. He must appreciate the fact that Adventist edu-cation is vastly more than just secular education with a Bible class added on. The pairs of contrasts which open this lesson should be taken seriously even though they are expressed in a somewhat lighthearted style. It is not likely that the student will overestimate the differences. Please note that these contrasts are not intended to be critical of non-Adventist education.
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INTRODUCTION
It is possible that during the study of this lesson some students may con-elude that the goals of Adventist education are not entirely being met in all details. The teacher should be careful not to imply that this is a forbidden or unwholesome conclusion. He should be quick to acknowledge that the goals are so grand, the ideals so high, that the entire church is con-tinuing to strive to come ever closer to achieving them. If students voice such concerns, invite them immediately to contribute ideas on how the goals can more completely be reached. Ask their help in implementing their valid suggestions. There should be no need to appear defensive or to justify the status quo.
It has often been the case that youth and their parents have been slow to appreciate some of the particulars of Adventist education,because they have not understood the spiritual reasons behind those details. When discussing these matters with the class, it is likely that most objections will arise because of this same misunderstanding. Seek to lead the class into an under-standing of the spiritual principles upon which the particulars are based.

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FROM THE WORD
The principles of Adventist education which the student will discover in the next several questions can be very concisely stated. Suggest that the class view this as a "give—it-a-title" exercise. They need not make complete sen-tences if they so choose. The key word has been underlined in the suggested answers which follow.
1. Christ is to be the center of every part of our education.
2. The goal of this education is to produce a people who have Christlike characters.
3.	The Bible is to be central in all the learning.
4.	Love (for God, for each other, for the world) is the basis for all learning.
5· Unselfish, useful service is to be not only the goal, but actually one means of education.
6.	The character of the students will be changed into Christ’s glorious character as they behold Him.
7.	Dailyf useful, systematic labor is to be a part of the educational activity.
8.	The methods of the school are to be marked by Christlike simplicity.
9.	Cooperation with God, with teachers, and with fellow students is to be learned at all Adventist schools.
10.	The lessons of willing obedience to God are to be taught in our schools.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[COMPARE; CLASSIFY] This selection activity may appear quite obvious and simple. But its purpose is to contrast Adventist education with some of the edu-cational activities which may be observed in a school which does not embrace the goals of Adventist education. It may generate some interesting discussion as the students compare their answers. Some illuminating comments from Ellen White's pen are included on the next two pages.
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1. Continued
A.	History Class: [2]
"As too often taught, history is little more than a record of the rise and fall of kings, the intrigues of courts, the victories and defeats of armies—a story of ambition and greed, of deception, cruelty, and bloodshed. Thus taught, its results cannot but be detrimental. The heartsickening reiteration of crimes and atrocities, the enormities, the cruelties portrayed, plant seeds that in many lives bring forth fruit in a harvest of evil.
״Far better is it to learn, in the light of God’s word, the causes that govern the rise and fall of kingdoms. Let the youth study these records, and see how the true prosperity of nations has been bound up with an ac-ceptance of the divine principles. Let him study the history of the great reformatory movements, and see how often these principles, though despised and hated, their advocates brought to the dungeon and scaffold, have through these very sacrifices triumphed."—Education, page 238.
B.	Physical Activity: [4]
"For their own physical health and moral good, children should be taught to work, even if there is no necessity so far as want is concerned. If they would have pure and virtuous characters, they must have the disci-pline of well-regulated labor, which will bring into exercise all the muscles. The satisfaction that children will have in being useful, and in denying themselves to help others, will be the most healthful pleas-ure they ever enjoyed."—Testimonies, Vol. 3, page 151.
״Exercise in a gymnasium, however well conducted, cannot supply the place of recreation in the open air. . . .The tendency of most athletic sports is a subject of anxious thought to those who have at heart the well-being of the youth. . . . The games that occupy so much of his time are divert-ing the mind from study. They are not helping to prepare the youth for practical, earnest work in life. Their influence does not tend toward refinement, generosity, or real manliness. . . .
״They [athletic games] stimulate the love of pleasure and excitement, thus fostering a distaste for useful labor, a disposition to shun prac-tical duties and responsibilities. They tend to destroy a relish for life’s sober realities and its tranquil enjoyments."—Education, pages 210, 211.
C.	Priority Goals: [1]
״To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the per-fection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized— this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life. . . . Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached."—Education, pages 15-18.
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1. Continued
D.	Musical Goals: [3]
״The art of sacred melody was diligently cultivated [in the Hebrew schools]· No frivolous waltz was heard, nor flippant song that should extol man and divert the attention from God; but sacred, solemn psalms of praise to the Creator, exalting His name and recounting His wondrous works. Thus music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which was pure and noble and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and grat-itude to God."—Fundamentals of Christian Education, pages 97, 98·
״It is not for the workers [at our institutions] to seek for methods by which they can make a show, consuming time in theatrical performances and musical display, for this benefits no one· It does no good to train the children to make speeches for special occasions. They should be won to Christ, and instead of expending time, money, and effort to make a display, let the whole effort be made to gather sheaves for the harvest."—Ibid., page 253·
E.	Bible in the Curriculum; [2]
״The Bible should not be brought into our schools to be sandwiched in between infidelity. The Bible must be made the groundwork and eubject matter of education·"—Ibid., page 474·
״The Bible must be made the foundation for all study·"—Ibid., page 451·
F.	Unselfish Service: [2]
״I am watching with intense interest, hoping to see our schools thoroughly imbued with the spirit of true and undefiled religion. When the students are thus imbued, they will see that there is a great work to be done in the lines in which Christ worked, and the time they have given to amuse-ments will be given up to doing earnest missionary work· They will en-deavor to do good to all about them."—Ibid., page 290.
2· [FURTHER RESEARCH]
A· Students may find ideas such as the following as the reason for such a strong emphasis on agriculture in our schools:
(1)	Teaches the dignity of manual labor·
(2)	Students learn spiritual lessons from working with things that grow.
(3)	Schools can become financially self-sufficient by raising own foods and salable crops.
(4)	Stands as a testimony to the world of the kind of education our schools offer—our practical educational goals·
(5)	Teaches Godfs people to be more self-sufficient during troublous times ahead·
(6)	Becomes a means of service to others—teaching them how to raise food and enjoy useful work·
[continued]
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2.	Continued
A.	(7) Provides opportunities for students and teachers to work together.
(8) Provides work opportunities for students to pay tuition.
(9) Exercise most beneficial to health—useful labor out of doors.
(10)	Benefit to the sick; learn agriculture to use as therapy for others and self.
(11) Would help to solve problems of unemployment in society.
B. This is a very sensitive topic area; students should be allowed to draw their own conclusions lest they feel that such basic changes are being forced upon them. If, however, the students feel convicted that their own school activities must be modified to meet the counsel more fully, you should offer them evident and immediate support.
C.	Students should seek to identify the criteria which the school is using in its book selections.
3.	[IMAGINE; SYNTHESIZE; APPLY PRINCIPLES] The purpose of this activity— in part—is to help the student break free from the boundaries of what he is presently experiencing and imagine what might be. By so doing, he may be able to grasp more vividly the profoundly different plan of education which God is seeking to show us. Urge them to take this project very seriously.
You may wish to make it a full-time project of the class for a whole period.
4.	[ANALYZE] Students may identify the following misunderstandings in these statements:
A.	Educational quality is purchased; it is found in the size of the budget rather than in the loftiness of the goals.
B.	School is separate from religious life. The church has exclusive rights in the area of religion. Training for life is separate from religion.
C.	Honesty and diligence are the only goals of education. [Omits any concern for salvation or Christlikeness of character.]
D.	Manual labor is beneath the dignity of those with more sophisticated goals. Gardening is just a matter of learning how to pull weeds.
E. Missionary work has to do with others people1s lives, not my own. I will pay attention to that when I am grown.
F.	Spiritual matters belong only in Bible class; all other classes have nothing to do with onefs religious concerns.
5.	[CONCLUDING DISCUSSION] This activity is a general one in which any remaining ideas, questions, concerns, and convictions about Adventist edu-cation can be aired. As suggested in the introduction to the lesson, seek to maintain an atmosphere of openness and acceptance. Be willing to work toward change where it seems indicated.
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TO SHARE
The sharing activity that has been suggested here presupposes, of course, the approval of the faculty and board, and confidence that the students are able to measure up to the opportunities provided by such exposure to the non-Adven-tist community. Since it will be the teacher's responsibility to make sure that the grounds and the students' presentations are presentable, his voice in the decision to proceed is imperative.
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LESSON 36: WHY CAN ADVENTISTS HAVE HOPE AT A FUNERAL?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the Bible teaching on the nature of man and how this relates to the experience of dying.
1.1	Describes the human being as a whole, with no part which is capable of leaving the body and living on separately.
1.2	Affirms that immortality is a conditional gift given to the righteous at the second coming, rather than an inherent quality of humanity.
1.3	Expresses confidence in the resurrection of the righteous.
1.4	Locates and uses properly at least three Bible texts which support the above concepts.
2.	Appreciates the practical implications of the Bible teaching on the nature of man.
2.1	Explains why one can look with hope to the future resurrec-tion of one who has died in union with Christ.
2.2	Refutes the concept of "departed spirits" and the related teachings of spiritism.
2.3	Uses with facility at least two texts which combat the satanic deceptions of spiritualism.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The lesson begins with a description of the feelings at a funeral. This is to show that the doctrine of the nature of man is not some irrelevant piece of dusty theology. It has direct applications to the important events of life.
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FROM THE WORD
The opening paragraphs describe some of the non-Biblical views of the nature of man so that the student will have some background with which to appreciate the correct view as he discovers it. This background will also help him identify the issues at stake in this study: what man is made of, and what happens to him when he dies.
1.	Dust of the ground + breath of life = living being (soul)
2.	When a person dies:
Part A (the physical body) returns to the ground, or decomposes·
Part B (the breath of life) returns to God who gave it·
Then C can no longer exist· If it takes both A and B to have C, and if A and B are both gone, then C no longer exists· In fact, as soon as you take A and B apart from each other, C is no longer there·
3· Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6:
The dead know nothing·
They have no more reward·
They have no more memory·
All of their feelings perish·
They don’t take part at all in any of the activities of life·
Job 34:15:
The dead return to the dust (decompose)·
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* READING BACKGROUND FOR THE TEACHER
Death is a painful enemy; and if it has touched close to the hearts of any of your students, this lesson could open the doors for some very healing conversations. The following reading could be helpful in preparing for such counseling.
Oral E. Fisher, M.D. Till the Morning. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1971. This is the moving story of a manfs own final illness. It is a testimony of his faith in God even as he knows that his own life is slipping away. The final chapter is written by the authorfs wife after his death and includes part of a message which he taped for her before his death.
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3.	Continued Psalm 146:4:
Breath departs·
Body returns to the earth·
One’s plans all perish·
Psalm 6:5:
In death one does not remember or praise God· Ecclesiastes 12:7:
The body returns to the earth·
The spirit (or spark of life) returns to God who gave it·
4· [The chart which follows diagrams life, death, and resurrection for the righteous, as well as life, death, and resurrection for the wicked· It shows what will happen to both groups after their separate resurrections· If the student will seek to understand each part as it develops in se-quence, the diagram should not be too difficult·]
For those who die before the second coming, the period of time which they spend in the grave will be to them as a deep sleep· They will know nothing during that time· To be brought back to life will be as being awakened from sleep·
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
POETRY/MUSIC CORRELATION
What attitudes toward death and the resurrection are revealed in this hymn by Fanny Crosby?
Someday my earthly house will fall,
I cannot tell how soon *twill be,
But this I know—my all in all Has now a place in heaven for me.
Someday, when fades the golden sun Beneath the rosy-tinted west,
My blessed Lord will say. "Well done!" And I shall enter into rest.
Someday the silver cord will break, And I no more as now shall sing;
But, 0, the joy when I shall wake Within the palace of the King!
Chorus:
And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story— Saved by grace; And I shall see Him face to face, And tell the story— Saved by grace.
The Church Hymnal, No. 630.
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4.	(g) The righteous who have died in Christ will be brought back to life again, raised from the grave by the command of the Lord—just as Jesus was raised!
(c) When the righteous are raised, they will be given new, perfect, immortal bodies that are free from all the effects of sin. Every trace of sin and suffering will be removed, and they will have the kind of bodies God originally gave man in Eden.
D) The wicked who are still alive at the time of Christ's coming will >e destroyed by the brilliance of His glory.
During the thousand-year period following the second coming, all of the wicked will be dead—asleep in their graves.
(pj During that same thousand-year period the righteous will be in heaven with Christ, evaluating with Him the outcome of the wicked. They are learning from the record books exactly why the wicked have been lost.
(0) At the end of the thousand years the wicked will all be brought back to life again in what is called the "resurrection of the wicked." They are brought before God and shown the outcome of their rebellion. They will be eternally banned from the life-giving presence of God, the result being eternal death; and they will be consumed in the lake of fire that is sent to cleanse the earth.
Throughout the endless ages of eternity there will be not the slight-est trace of the rebellion and sin which marked this earth for so long. The only reminders of the rebellion will be the scars on Christ's body—a perpetual reminder of the costliness of sin.
(J) After the thousand-year period God will cleanse and re-create this earth. Then God will set up the center of His government on this earth, and the redeemed will live forever in His presence, free from every trace of sin and sorrow.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] Ask the students to locate each of the items listed as being found in these verses. You may want to assign some of the other passages which have been studied so far in this lesson as "key texts," asking the students to learn the key idea and location for each of the passages. See the list of verses under question 3 in FROM THE WORD.
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2.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] This exercise relates to the serious dangers of spiritu-alism. Its purpose is to help the student locate and become familiar with a number of Bible passages which combat this error. The various aspects of spir-itualism’s manifestations are only mentioned in the text, rather than des-cribed in detail, so that undue curiosity about them may not be stimulated.
This activity should be regarded as essential since most Christian youth sense that Satan is making bold moves in this area.
3.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	Many people in Christf3 day saw death to be a final end. They knew no hope which could allow them to view it differently. Jesus wanted them to see that death is not a total end, but a temporary state of unknowing or unconsciousness. He was even reluctant to use the word "death" lest it sound too terrifying. So He frequently used the word "sleep" in its place—since everyone knows that one can be wakened from sleep.
B. A funeral is entirely for the benefit of the living. It is not an occasion for them to laud the accomplishments of the deceased; it is not a time to try to determine whether this person will be saved or lost. Rather it is a time to take sober thought on the realities of life. A wise person does not flee from such occasions and bury himself in laughter and feasting. He is willing to think with the mourners about the uncertainties of life and the certainties of faith in Jesus.
C.	It is quite likely that Satan is using these "humorous" programs to get people to "lower their guard" against the whole idea of spirit communication and the intrusion of the supernatural. These programs mask over completely the sinister intents of Satan1s designs and get one to chuckle about such demonic devices.
D.	Ellen White reports that thousands of people have turned away from God and religion because of this fearsome view of God which has been so widely advocated to the world. For a moving description of the evils that have been wrought by this error, see The Great Controversy, pages 535, 536.
********* ENRICHMENT/alternatives ********* TEACHER’S BACKGROUND
Rene Noorbergen, Glossolalia: Sweet Sounds of Ecstasy, Books 1 and 2. Moun-tain View: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1973. The author makes a strong case in favor of connecting the glossolalia (speaking in tongues) movement with the supernatural forces of psychic power and spiritism.
George Vandeman, Psychic Roulette. Nashville: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1973. This book contains an interesting and current portrayal of the many ways by which the supernatural forces of evil are invading our lives.
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3· Continued
E.	This could lead to a sense of despair and futility. It could lead many to conclude that the way one lives his life here has no larger relevance, so one might as well indulge in all manner of sin and then go ahead and die. It could cause unrelieved despair at funerals.
F.	This could lead persons to place their trust in psychics, palm readers, crystal balls, tarot* cards, seances, and every other manner of spirit communication which the devil uses. It could lead them away from a dependence upon God and His Word.
G.	[These settings invite a person to recognize how deeply motivated one can become to want to believe in spiritualism and the powers of darkness. The student should not dismiss lightly the possibility that someday he too may be strongly tempted to indulge confidence in spiritualistic power. Invite personal reactions to the settings.]
4.	[APPLY DISCOVERIES TO PRACTICAL SETTINGS] One of the main goals of this lesson is to help the students be equipped to meet practical goals such as these. If it seems appropriate, you might even substitute a local, genuine need for one of the hypothetical ones listed in the assignment. But this should be done with great sensitivity.
OPTION: This assignment could even be used in place of, or in addition to, the TO SHARE portion of the lesson.
*Any of a set of 22 pictorial playing cards used for fortune-telling.
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TO SHARE
1· If I thought that this is what the Bible teaches, then the thought would bother me a great deal. But I hope you' 11 let me try to show you that the Bible does not teach that. The Bible never teaches that there is some part of a person which lives on after death. Your grandfather does not have a soul; he i_s a soul. When he dies, his body will decompose and his breath of life will return to God. There will be nothing left which can knoWf think, feel, communicate. It will be as though he were in a deep sleep. At the resurrection his thoughts will pick up right where they left off when he died. If he is a believing Christian, he will then be taken to heaven to live with Christ in an immortal body forever. If he is not a Christian, he will be totally and forever destroyed.
2.	T won't say that he can't get information from the spirit world; but the Bible says that it is not the "spirits" of departed humans that he is speaking to. Rather they are evil spirits, Satan's angels, demons that he is talking to. They may give him good information for a while so that
he will come to trust them; but soon they will will have him following the will of Satan. No, I do not think that we should look to this kind of person; we should look to one who upholds Bible teaching and prin-ciples.
3.	There is nothing that you can do for her. Her future is in the hands of God who does all things well. But you can speak courage to others as you think of the Bible promises of the resurrection and let them become real to you. Death is a tragedy; but it is not the final end. Jesus can deal with the problem of death just as easily as you can wake a person who is sleeping. Jesus knows how sorrowful death can be, for He has gone through it. But Jesus also knows how joyous the resurrection can be, for He has experienced that too. And because He has been raised, your aunt can be raised also.
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LESSON 37: THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Demonstrates a soundly Christian philosophy for relating to the many problems in our surrounding society.
1.1	Affirms that a Christian must act redemptively in his com-munity.
1.2 Identifies the primary types of problems which are evident.
1.3 Explains why the usual human methods for dealing with these problems fail to achieve long-range success.
1.4	Distinguishes between the root causes and the surface evi-dences of social problems.
1.5	Describes the appropriate spiritual remedies for dealing with these root causes.
2.	Assumes some personal accountability for responsible action in his community in keeping with his age and ability levels.
2.1	Expresses attitudes of concern and commitment regarding problems brought to his awareness.
2.2	Plans appropriate actions for dealing with at least one problem which he perceives.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Most people are aware of the severe problems in the world. Most people are certain that something must be done about those problems. And large numbers of people even set out to do something about them. But not every method is fruitful. As this series of pictures illustrates, simply protesting the problem is seldom productive; in fact, it often produces more problems in reaction. There has to be a better way.
The Christian should be noted for at least three special qualities in this
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INTRODUCTION
regard: (1) his awareness of the problems; (2) his compassionate commitment to do something about them; and (3) his knowledge of the lasting remedy which really works—transformation of the heart by Jesus Christ.
********* ENRICHMENT/alternatives ********* INCREASING AWARENESS
It is one thing to read about the difficult problems which others are facing; it is quite another to face them yourself. Do you know how it feels to be hungry? Have you ever been the object of prejudice? If the class is mature enough, or sufficiently involved in the topic, to benefit from any of the following exercises, use your own judgment in selecting one or more of them for their consideration.
The idea is to choose deliberately an experience module which will increase onefs awareness of the problems of others. They should approach the exper-ience with the subjective interest of an actual participant, keeping a record of their thoughts and feelings. Students may be able to suggest other ideas once they get started on the concept.
A.	Turn down the heat in your house on a winter night until you are quite uncomfortable. Leave it there all night.
B.	Choose to eat one third your normal amount of food for the next four meals.
C.	Go shopping at a Goodwill (or similar) used clothing store. Imagine that your entire wardrobe were to come from this store.
D. Sleep on the floor tonight, using your jacket or sweater as a pillow.
E. Visit an old folks’ home or convalescent hospital. Spend an hour sitting in the lobby watching the people or talking with them.
F.	For the next two days, assume that everyone who has different colored eyes from your own hates you very much, or at least dislikes you enough to want to avoid you.
G.	Pretend that you have only $95 per month to spend on housing. Look in the classified ads of your local newspaper and see what type of home you could get for that amount. If possible, drive by with your parents and look at the homes you locate.
H.	Visit a county-run home for foster children. Talk to the children and ask them what one thing would make them the most happy.
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FROM THE WORD
I. Problems which should be of concern to Christians:
Neglect of the poor.
Violence in the streets.
Racial prejudice.
Hunger.
Illegal drug traffic.
Increasing divorce rate.
Juvenile delinquency.
Loss of personal freedoms.
Immorality.
Lack of housing for the poor.
Abandonment of parents by responsible children, or of children by parents. Inadequate clothing for the poor.
Loneliness Disease.
Imprisonment.
[The students may suggest many others by extending the basic concerns in the passages studied.]
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FROM THE WORD
2.	[Add items to list under number 1.]
3.	[Students will order these in the sequence which reflects personal con-victions.]
4.	[The third item in this list should clearly be marked "1"; beyond that the numbering is probable but open to differing opinions:]
4	the local church Dorcas society 2 the pastor
1	the individual church member
5	the Welfare Department of the General Conference
2	the missionaries to poor countries
5.	Probably workable methods (x = short-range effect; o = lasting effect): 	work to overthrow the government by force
x demonstrate by protest marches in the streets
x raise taxes so that the government can give more money for solving the problems
x pass more laws, with more strict penalties, to forbid the problems
x kill or imprison all the people who are causing the problems
x educate the people to act in different ways and to solve their own problems
[NOTE: the student was asked only to express an opinion in the above list; the answers marked above represent what one student's opinions may have been.]
6.	Jesus did not attempt any civil (government) reforms. He did not attack or condemn people who were causing the problems. He did not seek to disrupt the government. He did not try to change the decisions of the courts or ruling bodies. He did not try to win the support of great leaders.
Instead, Jesus sought to plant the principles of the gospel into the hearts of the individuals—through the power of the Holy Spirit.
7.	Jesus' method for dealing with problems is better because it changes the hearts of the people, and that is where the problems really are located. It does not just tamper with externals.
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FROM THE WORD
8.	Jesus’ formula:
The Saviour (1) mingled with men as one who desired their good.
(2)	He showed His sympathy for them,
(3)	ministered to their needs,
(4)	and won their confidence.
Then He (5) bade them, "Follow Me."
9.	[Students should be able to underline most of the action phrases in the
quotation.]
10.	The individual church members can come close to people in need and—in
the love of Jesus—show love for them through practical helping. In this way their hearts can be won to Jesus and He can transform them.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[COMPARE; CLASSIFY] This exercise will help a student appreciate why Christ's method is used so seldom—even by some religious groups—to solve problems in society. It will also help a student see what will be required of him if he uses Christ's methods. For example:
Anger	Work to overthrow the government by force.
Newsy	Demonstrate by protest marches in the streets.
Costly	Raise taxes so that the government can give more money for solving
Uninvolved the problems.
Pass new laws, with more strict penalties, to forbid the problems.
Anger	Kill or imprison all the people who are causing the problems.
Educate the people to act in different ways, and to solve their own problems.
Dedication Lead people to Christ, to be transformed by His Spirit.
Inner change Best answer
[Students will not likely find one they will call "perfect answer."]
People have probably not tried the best answer because of the personal de-mands for dedication and transformation which are involved. They really prefer to remain unchanged in their selfishness.
The time will certainly not come—prior to the second coming—when all the problems will be solved.
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INTO MY LIFE
2.	[CAUSE-EFFECT EVALUATION] The power of Christ’s method is that it deals with basic causes, not just the external effects. This exercise is designed to help the student discover the root causes which stand behind the problem behaviors. The students may be surprised to see that some form of selfish-ness stands at the base of all problem motivations, and that conversion of the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit is the solution common to all. Their analysis may look like this:
3.	[IMAGINATION] The student will find this more enjoyable if he can mentally shift into the mode of a news reporter. Bring some newspaper articles to the class to refresh their memory on newswriting style. If time allows, these reports could be compiled into a special edition newspaper which features the ministry of Jesus in the local community. Encourage them to base their re-ports on what they know Jesus did during His life, yet phrase them in a
local setting.
4.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	Some youth are inclined to see the ministry of the Dorcas Society and similar bodies as not too directly related to the work of the church. Perhaps this lesson will cause them to take a new look.
But encourage the class to look beyond just the work of the church agencies. Do they know of individuals in the church who are follow-ing Christ’s methods? Have they themselves come close to some per-son in practical service?
B.	Having studied Christ’s principles, the class should be ready to appreciate this quotation from Ellen White regarding political elections:
"While Christians are to work among unbelievers, they are not to appear like worldlings. They are not to spend their time talking pol-itics or acting as politicians; for by so doing, they give the enemy opportunity to come in and cause variance."—FCE 483. (See also GW 391-6; IT 533-4; FCE 475-84.)
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PROBLEM	PROBLEM
BEHAVIOR	MOTIVES	SOLUTION
War and killing	hatred, selfishness	conversion
Neglect of the poor	selfish greed	conversion
Alcoholism	insecurity, selfish	conversion
indulgence
Racial prejudice	pride, selfishness	conversion
Dishonesty in business	covetousness, selfish	conversion
greed
[Ask students to suggest additional problems to analyze in this scheme.]
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INTO MY LIFE
4.	Continued
C.	Christians are asked to vote on the basis of issues, not on the basis of personalities. Yet when they discover that a certain political figure has been dishonest in his dealings, they have a distinct obligation not to vote for him in future elections. They can use the ordinary political processes on a personal basis.
D.	Invite bold imagination in response to this question. How much impact did Jesus have in His day? How much impact would thousands of Christ-like Adventists have in our day? Could they be as potent in accom-plishing genuine change as a famous political figure would be?
E.	Remember: Because one cannot do everything does not mean that he should do nothing. A class may seem small in comparison to the great needs of the world; yet the needs exist at the level of indiv-iduals who are hurting. Jesus never played up to the crowds; His commitment was to the one-soul audience. Wide acclaim was not His goal; it should not be ours. One heart made glad is of more worth than city-wide fame for doing something frivolous.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *	*	*******
GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
Bring a supply of newsmagazines to class such as Time, U. S. News, Newsweek Divide them up among the class and set a time limit. Ask them to see how many articles they can find—within that time limit—which portray good news, or news of people doing something good for someone else. Also see how many articles they can find which portray bad news, or news of people hurting their fellow man. Ask them to tear out the articles and put them into two separate stacks. At the end of the time period see which stack is larger.
Then ask these questions:
Would you pay for a magazine which reported only good news? Why (not)?
Do you think that these two different-sized stacks of articles are an accurate picture of what is really going on in the world? Are there more good things happening than are being reported?
Do you think that people in general would rather read bad news than good news? Why?
Had you been present at the "scene of the action" while these stories were happening, could you have turned any of the bad news items into good news items by some action of your own?
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TO SHARE
I.	Yes, I agree that we must be firm with criminals. But I'm afraid that won9t really provide the lasting solution to the problem. The real problem is the confused attitudes and values in our hearts, and unless these are changedf we can produce more criminals than we could ever build jails to handle. What we need is a change in people9s hearts that can come only as they surrender to Jesus. What we really need is Jesus.
2.	We will agree that the final answer will come only when this old sin-ful planet is emptied, cleansed, re-created, and reinhabited with godly people. But in the meantime, we still have some powerful things to offer. When people are changed by Jesus Christ, that will really solve the root problems that trouble society. Don9t you agree that greed, hate, selfishness, pride, and the like are the real culprits in our world? Isn9t it clear that they stand behind all the other problems? And these are the very things that Jesus Christ will change. In fact, He is the only One who can change them!
3.	People will turn to Christ only when they see what a wonderful, loving, unselfish Person He really is. And it is our privilege to let Him live in us so that we do the same kinds of things He did while on earth. In this way the world will see what an attractive Person Jesus is. When He was on earth, Jesus spent most of His time healing people and doing very practical things to help others. That's what our hospitals and clinics and welfare centers are all about—practical, helpful service to people in need, just like Jesus did. Don't you think that makes sense?
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TEACHER NOTES:
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LESSON 38: WILL THE WHOLE WORLD BECOME ADVENTISTS?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the meaning of the gospel commission and the way in which it will be fulfilled on earth.
1.1	Distinguishes between "the gospel going to the whole world," and "the whole world becoming Adventists."
1.2	Acknowledges that the great majority of the people on this earth will reject the good news of salvation.
1.3	Identifies the role of the unique message of Adventism as that of a rallying message around which God's true people will gather in the last days.
1.4	Correctly explains the last saving message to the world as being a full revelation of the character of God through Christ-like people.
2.	Understands what he can do as an Adventist youth to hasten the day when the gospel commission is completed on this earth.
2.1	Ranks personal growth into Christ's likeness as the highest priority of attention in his life.
2.2	Affirms that such a goal is an assured possibility through mature, constant faith in Jesus Christ.
2.3	Interprets the goals of the Adventist Church in terms of this quality of character, rather than in terms of quantities.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The lesson title asks a question which many youth have almost assumed is to be answered in the affirmative. They have often measured the success of the Adventist cause by comparing the growth of the church membership against the total world population. Such an approach is not only un-Biblical, but can stop one's heart cold in view of the rate of progress. (Notice the graph on page 391 in this connection.) The purpose of this lesson is to help the students understand more clearly just what the task of the church really is.
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FROM THE WORD
1.	The last message to the world will be one which clearly reveals God1s true character of love·
2.	This message will be carried primarily through the lives of His people who are Christlike in their characters.
3.	God's people must learn to behold the character of Christ so fully, so constantly, that by beholding they will be changed into His likeness.
4.	When Christ's character is perfectly reproduced in the lives of His people, then His people will have power to move the world!
5· Yes, the whole world will be lightened by that marvelous message of Christ's true character.
********* ENRICHMENT/ ALTERNATIVES ********* SENSING THE MAGNITUDE
The students read on page 390 that five people died of starvation in a period of little more than five seconds. By the time you read these pages, there is every cause to believe that the rate will have increased. The world stands on the brink of massive world famine. In some cities of the Far East sick and starving people die every day right on the streets of the city—many of them never having lived in any kind of a home. Is it possible to fathom the huge amount of grief and heartache which wells up every day from a dying world?
We humans can only block the awareness lest it drive us to despair. Yet our Father in heaven feels it all. He grieves over every death, every sorrow.
Should we not hasten to end the reign of rebellion on this earth—if for no other reason than to end the hurt in our Father’s great heart of love?
In view of the tragic proportions of the suffering on this earth, what changes in our own value systems might be indicated?
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ILLUSTRATION
The graph on this page is presented as a sobering challenge· A few moments of serious reflection should be strong testimony to anyone that the world cannot possibly continue on for decades as it has in the past·
It took more than 1800 years for the world to arrive at its first billion inhabitants· The second billion took less than a hundred years. The third billion came in about 34 years, and the fourth billion will take about 15 years or less. At the current rate, population experts say that by the year 2000 (how far away is that?) there will be more than 7 billion people struggling for a foothold on this earth. And massive starvation has already set in with less than four billion inhabitants.
By contrast, notice the thin line at the bottom of the graph which represents the growth rate of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. To be graphically accu-rate, the thickness of the line would be barely visible on the scale of this graph; so percentages are provided. In 1900, for example, .0048% of the world population were Seventh-day Adventists. In 1970 .0565% of the world population were Seventh-day Adventists, or about one in every 1,900 persons is a Seventh-day Adventist.
One purpose of this graph is to illustrate that God is not dependent upon numbers alone. If He is waiting for massive numbers of people to become Seventh-day Adventists, He is losing out in comparison to world population.
This lesson emphasizes that God is looking primarily for quality rather than quantity. The controversy will be brought to a close by persons with a cer-tain quality of relationship with Him.
Invite the class to make observations based on this graph. What feelings do they sense as they look at it? What conclusions can they draw?
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FROM THE WORD
6.	The world will do one of these two things:
A.	People will be captivated by Christ's wonderful character; they will be drawn to Him and surrender their lives to Him.
B.	People will reject or shut off the strongest drawing power that God can offer. They will strengthen themselves in unbelief and become hopelessly lost·
7.	We can be examples to others by our character and conduct—inspiring others to deeper faith and love.
8·	"Rightly trained" must primarily mean trained to be Christlike in our
characters and actions.
INTO MY LIFE
1· [MEMORIZE] The student should by now be able to appreciate the fact that the gospel commission does not command simply the distribution of religious information. It requires the complete transformation of lives into the image of Christ. It envisions the "good news" in terms of good news about who God really is! And it expects that the good news will be carried primarily in the lives of Christlike people. Probe your students to ascertain whether they comprehend these themes as you test them on their memory of this verse.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER EVALUATION
A.	One of our more familiar missionary songs proclaims: ״Lift up the trumpet, and loud let it ring: Jesus is coming again!" Is this message good news to all people? Do all people perceive it as good news? Or does it depend on who they understand Jesus to be? Would it be better news if they had come to love Jesus deeply?
B.	We say that we care about the thousands of people who are going to their graves every day without a saving knowledge of Jesus. Can you name one action or decision which you have carried out in the last 24 hours which would support that claim of caring?
C.	If you were dying of starvation, without a knowledge of Jesus, what would you most want someone to do for you? Why?
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INTO MY LIFE
2. [COMPARISONS; EVALUATE] This activity is for the benefit of those who may still believe that the main responsibility for the forward motion of the gospel commission rests on the shoulders of the ordained ministers and the church leaders. Invite the class to offer interpretations of the symbols. Then compare the three diagrams by discussing the questions on the next page.
3. [OBSERVE; INTERPRET DATA] Many young people are intrigued with statis-tics. This exercise will give these students an opportunity to search for significance in several sets of rather impressive statistics. These next few pages contain somewhat of a history of the growth of this church as may be revealed in numbers. Yet the students have already learned that quantity alone is no guarantee that our church is any closer to fulfilling its gospel commission. What, then, is the significance of these lists of numbers? The student is asked to consider which of the statistics are most valid measures of the progress of the mission of the church. Urge them to "read with a pen-cil״/ then do the exercises which follow on page 398.
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INTO MY LIFE
3. Continued
Students are asked to form certain value conclusions while working individ-ually. Then they are to share these in groups or as an entire class. You should be free to accept a wide variety of responses to these questions as there is not likely to be a single correct answer for any of them.
Learning to ask useful questions about the statistics will help them learn more from these sets of numbers. Some of the questions they ask will only stimulate curiosity since the answers may be beyond the available informa-tion. They may ask questions such as the following:
When did the church experience its most rapid growth?
Which part of the world is experiencing the most rapid growth rate?
Where is most of the tithe money coming from?
What if we gave as much for missions as we give for tithe?
How do we explain the difference between "baptisms" and "net membership increase"?
Why did we have a drop in the number of our elementary schools after 1960? Who decides how all the offerings are to be spent?
4.	[VALUE RANKING] From among a list of valuable suggestions, which are the most valuable? With the likely exception of "tell the minister to work harder," each suggestion on the list will be marked as a valid means for us to hasten the completion of the task. Yet they are not all of the same high priority of concern. "Spend more time getting acquainted with Jesus Christ" should be at or near the top of the ranking scale for each student, though. Tell the students to defend their listings, yet to be free to change their own ordering if they feel so convicted. This urges them to find reasons to sup-port their choices, yet leaves them open to listen to the others1 reasons too.
5.	[COLLECT, ORGANIZE DATA] Many students will be surprised to find out how many different magazines and journals are being published by our church. When they have been assembled, they could be organized by these categories:
A.	Spiritual growth of members / Evangelism of nonmembers
B.	Religious magazines / Professional journals (such as The Ministry)
C.	English speaking / Foreign language
D.	[Other categories which seem evident.]
6.	[IMAGINE; DISCUSS] Questions A through C invite responses to imagined
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INTO MY LIFE
6. Continued
situations· Questions D through G invite evaluation of the student’s own role in the church.
Question G is a value-ranking question of a different type. The basic issue is this: Is one who knows all about Adventist doctrine, yet doesn’t have a life-changing relationship with Jesus, better off or in worse con-dition than one who doesnrt know unique Adventist doctrines, yet who has that life-changing connection with Jesus? As the class struggles with this, they may find themselves being cautioned not to be smug about their status as Adventists—especially if their relationship with Jesus is tenuous.
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TO SHARE
This portion of the lesson was left open in order to provide for a more personal response. The students have spent several class periods consider-ing the challenge of a completed work. They should understand with greater clarity just what they each can do to help fulfill the gospel commission.
And they should recognize that priority attention should be given to their own growth in Christlikeness.
Perhaps the most useful conclusion to this lesson would be a personal re-sponse to the challenge implicit in the lesson. In the blank space on page 400, invite the students to compose any type of response to this challenge which they would like to write. This could take the form of a written prayer to God, a "letter" to God, a personal journal entry, some private reflections on the task yet to be accomplished, an assessment of needed changes, a list-ing of personal goals, an open letter to fellow classmates, a pledge of in-tentions, a "letter to the editor" of a church magazine, an apology to the world for its sorrow, a psalm, a hymn, or even a poem. Share this list of possibilities with the class, then simply ask them, ״What do you want to say?"
Provide ample time for the class to compose thoughtful responses. Then let each student share his composition with the others, either in small groups or with the whole class.
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TEACHER NOTES:
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UNIT 7: EXAMPLES OF HOLINESS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1. Understands the Bible concept of holiness (whole-ness) as it is illustrated in the lives of representative persons.
1.1 Agrees that the word "holiness" can be used in connection with human beings only as it describes a quality of relationship with God; it is not used to describe any innate righteousness in humans.
1.2	Identifies at least one valuable quality in each of the examples which he can apply to his own life.
1.3	Explains how one can become holy in spite of his past record of rebellion and failures.
THE UNIT
Some students may prematurely conclude that they can learn nothing new from another study of the lives of Daniel and Jesus—though it is doubtful they would feel this way about Matthew, Mary Magdalene, and Ellen White. Assure the class that the lessons are not biographies. Rather they will emphasize an important character quality in each of these persons—qualities which we can bring into our own lives.
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LESSON 39: DANIEL: A MAN WHO MADE BOLD DECISIONS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates in the record of Daniel's life the qualities of mature faith which seek God's glory even at great personal risk.
1.1	Identifies the central quality of faith in each of the life experiences which he will study in this lesson.
1.2	Explains how the principle of Matthew 6:33 actually worked out in Daniel's life.
2.	Discovers specific learnings from Daniel's experiences which can be applied to his own life.
2.1	Identifies situations in his own life which parallel those of Daniel and his friends.
2.2	Lists the alternative choices which face him in those situ-ations.
2.3	Imagines the possible outcome of each choice in view of the principles Daniel employed in his choice situations.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Several stories begin the lesson—each story designed to put the student into a modern-day setting as close to those of Daniel as possible. The first story, obviously, helps him appreciate some of the issues Daniel struggled with as he faced the conflict over the king's food. The second story has elements similar to the trial about personal prayer which finally sent Dan-iel to the lion's den.
But both stories are open-ended! Each one stops just at the crucial moment of decision. This technique invites the student to complete the story in his own imagination, thereby participating in the decision that must be made.
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********* ENRICHMENT/alternatives ********* DEEPENING AWARENESS
It would be easy to miss the full significance of the complicated decision · which Daniel and his three friends had to make regarding eating the kingfs food. It was much larger than a matter of the kingfs kind offer versus their dietary preference. They were captives being offered special privi-leges by a king whose authority was absolute.
Their decision not to eat the king’s food was probably complicated by at least these other factors:
1.	Their own lives would be at stake if they were thought to be rebellious or unappreciative.
2.	Leadership opportunities were jeopardized.
3.	Their families’ lives were endangered.
4.	Those placed in charge over them were faced with danger by this possi-ble insurrection, and surely they put pressures on the Hebrews to be submissive.
5.	Daniel and his three friends were among the Hebrew captives. (See Daniel 1:6.) This implies that there were others who are not mentioned in
the story. Would their lot be hardened if Daniel offended the king? Would they be embarrassed if they went along with the king’s diet, not taking the stand that Daniel and the three worthies took?
6.	What if ten short days were not enough to prove their point? The superiority had to be clearly evident. Would it be?
Can the class think of other factors which might have entered in?
Do these factors help you appreciate more deeply the decision they made?
THE KING’S ״CHALDEANS”
The term used in Daniel 1:4 does not denote a group of mystics and magicians; or of self-seeking courtiers, either. The SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, page 758, has this to say about them:
״The term applies also to a class of scholars at the Babylonian court who were the foremost astronomers of their day. These scholars were equally pro-ficient in other exact sciences, such as mathematics, although they included magic and astrology in their activities."
These men were also experts in the Babylonian language, in cuneiform writing, and in the Aramaic language. Daniel and his friends were to receive training of the highest order from the best teachers in the land.
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FROM THE WORD
1.	They needed to decide whether to eat the rich, unhealthful foods which the king offered and keep his favor, or to insist on a simpler, more wholesome diet and run the risk of annoying the king.
2.	To eat the king's food would mean that they were showing respect and homage to the heathen gods of Babylon and denying their own God. It would also mean that they were compromising their principles of health-ful living.
3.	To refuse to eat the food would likely earn them the king's strong dis-favor· Such a risk could cost them their lives·
4.	Daniel decided that he would seek God's approval and let God take care of the consequences.
5. Daniel should seek first God's approval and to do rightly as God requires, and God will then take care of Daniel's needs for protection and favor.
6.	The promise was indeed fulfilled· Daniel sought God's honor; then God saw to it that Daniel was honored. [NOTE: If Daniel had sought his own honor, he would have had to seek it alone—without God's divine aid. It would not have been a successful move.]
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FROM THE WORD
7.	[The story of the three Hebrews in the furnace is portrayed here, with special emphasis on the alternatives they faced. The issues are very simi-lar to those they faced earlier: Seek their own safety on their own terms, or seek Godfs honor and let God take care of their safety. Following the pattern of question 5, you might ask the students to paraphrase Matthew 6:33 as it would apply to the three Hebrew youth.]
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FROM THE WORD
8.	The other rulers contrived to interpret his personal prayers as a sign of disloyalty to the king. They tricked the king into signing a decree
the king himself· Thus Daniel was of loyalties.
RESULTS: He would be accused of dis-loyalty to the king and sentenced to die.
RESULTS:	Win a temporary "victory,"
but lose God’s approval and His constant assistance and pro tec-tion.
which forbade prayers to anyone but forced into an artificial conflict
9· CHOICE A: Keep right on praying to God as openly as before.
CHOICE B: Stop praying to God and earn the king’s favor.
19· [In the above configuration, choice A is God’s way; choice B is man’s way. ]
11.	It was	not easy	in the sense	that he knew his very life was at	stake.
Yet it	was easy	in the sense	that Daniel had already committed	himself
to the	honor of	God. He did	not debate his choice; he did not	linger
over the possibility of dishonoring God. He simply made his choice and knew that the outcome was in God’s hands.
12.	Phrases which explain why Daniel was protected:
"your God, whom you serve continually"
"my God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths"
"because I was found blameless before him"
"before you, O king, I have done no wrong"
"because he had trusted in his God"
13.	Most important things to Daniel: The honor and glory of God. Obedience to God’s will.
Good health.
A clear conscience before God and men.
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	[SELF-ANALYSIS] This very important exercise brings out one key idea:
The greater the test, and the more severe the consequences, then the greater the amount of glory and praise that redounds to God when the test is met sue-cessfully. The several tests which were studied in this lesson are reviewed, and it is shown that God could have ended the test in some dramatic way at some lesser point of stress· But had He done so, the outcome would have been proportionately less powerful.
The thrilling thing about the faith of Daniel and his three friends is that they were able to be tested to the very limits each time. God trusted them to be safe examples, trustworthy witnesses, even in the limits of distress.
The evaluation questions which follow are very revealing, for they may show that most of us complain to God at the smallest levels of the test. We are seldom willing to be tested to the very limits, for we are more concerned for our own comforts and safety than we are for the glory of God. Those whom God is able to use the most are those who are least concerned for their own comforts and safety and most concerned for the glory of God.
After discussing some of these concepts, go back through the sequential listing of the tests and invite the students to consider which level of test they think they might be able to endure. Draw their attention to the quota-tion under comment D (page 421).
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2.	[IMAGINATION; APPLY PRINCIPLES] As an optional means of sharing, have the students role play the conversations which would conclude the story.
This can be done spontaneously, or the students can base their role play on the written endings they have composed.
3.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	Some of the ways which will be described can be supported by the in-spired counsel. For example, Ellen White tells us that weapons raised against the people of God will fall useless as straw. (See GC 631.)
Do not rule out the possibility that some of Godfs people may die for their faith prior to the close of probation. In these cases God’s miracle of protection will be in guarding their courage so that their faith does not fail. Jesus protected John the Baptist just as surely as He protected Daniel; the difference is in the type of protection. Both men were used to bring glory to God.
B.	Daniel may testify to his joy at being able to honor God. It is some-what easier to say what one will do when he knows that the outcome is good; yet Daniel would not easily forget his previous anxiety.
C.	No item of obedience should be considered small to a child of God. Compromise in diet would have led to many other resulting compromises. Daniel needed a clear, strong mind in order to fulfill God’s plan for him in such a crucial setting. Poor diet would have clouded his think-ing and rendered him unfit to be God’s channel.
D.	It is not necessary to conclude that the whole difference was made in just ten days of proper living. The four Hebrew youths had most certainly been living this way for the whole of their earlier lives.
Ten days will make some difference in the lives of your students; but it may take longer than that to make up for the years of indul-gence which some have already suffered. Yet it is never too late to begin.
4.	[IMAGINE] The short written messages outlined in these activities invite a student to identify emotionally with the various characters in the book of Daniel—and thus to understand more fully the issues at stake in the tests. If a number of students are to do this activity, distribute the tasks among them so that every assignment is covered.
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5.	|GROUP SELF-ANALYSIS] The class is invited to do some candid introspec-tion of their own behavior. As a group, is the class making bold decisions like Daniel did? Each question requires the small group or class to arrive at consensus before marking the blank. This provides an opportunity for some real corporate soul-searching.
The second column, marked "If the Minister Were Watching," is not meant to portray the minister as some sort of religious spy. Rather it should cause the class to assess its motives more honestly. Does a person act good be-cause he really believes that he should or because some religious author-ity figure is threatening disapproval? The real significance would be if the answers in the two columns differed markedly in several pairs of responses.
When the class has completed the marking, press the self-analysis a little closer by asking these questions:
Is there a difference in the answers between the two columns? If so, can you explain why? What might this say about our values?
Do you think that most people in the class understand the reasons why they need to make certain decisions in the cases described?
In the choice situations described, does there sometimes seem to be a part of you that wants to make a good choice and another part of you that wants to make a bad choice? How do you explain this? Do you think that your will might have anything to do with the problem?
If you were to make a wrong decision in any of the cases described, who would be hurt by that decision? In what way would they be hurt?
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TEACHER NOTES:
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TO SHARE
1* From studying the life of Daniel , we have learned that God will help you express your concerns in a way that won't irritate your family; and God will also bless your efforts to live healthfully* I think I understand how you are feeling; but if you will decide to do only that which will bring honor to God, Jesus has promised in Matthew 6:33 that He will make Himself responsible for the results* He will help to smooth over the suspicion and sensitivity of others* If you will kindly but firmly stay with your principles, God can use you to bring honor to His name·
2.	Let's remember the experience of Daniel· If he had backed away from his loyalty to God when the pressure came on, he would have missed a thrilling chance to witness for God· But as it was, he gave a powerful testimony to the love and power of God—even though he had to face some hungry lions in order to do it* If you will stay with your religious principles,
God will be able to bring something good out of this crisis. But if you give in just to avoid some tense moments, God won't be able to do much of anything for you— or for His honor and glory. If you kindly explain your convictions, then stay with them, God will take care of the repu-tation of the church. You'll never protect it by compromising.
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LESSON 40: JESUS: A MAN WHO DEPENDED UPON HIS FATHER
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the nature of Christ in His humanity.
1.1	Explains that Christ was fully human and fully divine.
1.2	Identifies the humanity of Christ as being that of the sin-weakened human race at the time of His birth.
1.3	Explicitly states that Jesus never used His innate divinity on His own behalf—that His divine nature was veiled and inoper-ative on His own account during the earthly sojourn.
1.4	Acknowledges that Jesus was tempted to use, and could have used, His divine power on His own behalf; but He refused that temptation.
2.	Understands that Jesus lived the perfectly victorious life that He did entirely on the basis of His relationship with His Father in heaven.
2.1	Identifies the key elements of that relationship as trust, personal knowledge, dependence, and submission.
2.2	Depicts the temptations which Satan brought upon Christ as primarily aimed at getting Him to break that relationship and to depend upon Himself.
2.3	Uses the word "faith" to describe that relationship; thus speaks meaningfully of the "faith of Jesus."
3.	Understands that he may have that exact same relationship with Jesus that Jesus had with the Father—perfect trust and submission.
3.1	Locates and explains at least one Ellen White comment which establishes this truth.
3.2 Affirms that in living the Christian life, the power which Jesus had available to Him is also available to every believing Christian.
3.3	Compares "the faith of Jesus" with his own faith and con-eludes that Jesus' faith relationship with the Father is a per-feet example for his own faith.
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FROM THE WORD
The study questions on these next few pages focus on Christ as the perfect example of what to do and how to do it. The student is asked to draw some personal applications for each answer. These applications will vary largely and may at times seem almost strained; yet they will encourage some useful thought. Encourage students to keep their answers brief and to write small.
ANSWERS	PERSONAL MEANING
If His divinity was not used, then at least He didn’t have that advantage over me·
1.	[Example supplied]
2.	Jesus’ divinity was hidden, veiled, or shrouded. He did not use it for His own bene-fit.
Since He was tempted, then He knows how I feel when I am tempted.
3.	Jesus was tempted just as we are, constantly and severely. These temptations were a terrible reality to Him,
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* ADDITIONAL ELLEN WHITE COMMENTS
״Christ had two natures, the nature of a man and the nature of God. In Him, divinity and humanity were combined. ... He exhibited a perfect humanity, combined with deity; and by preserving each nature distinct, He has given to the world a representation of the character of God, and the character of a perfect man."—General Conference Bulletin, December 30, 1899.
״But although Christ's divine glory was for a time veiled and eclipsed by His assuming humanity, yet He did not cease to be God when He became man.
The human did not take the place of the divine, nor the divine of the hu-man. This is the mystery of godliness. The two expressions*human*and *divine1 were,in Christ, closely and inseparably one, and yet they had a dis-tinct individuality."—SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, page 1129.
"Jesus, the world's Redeemer, could only keep the commandments of God in the same way that humanity can keep them"—SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, page 929.
״Christ's overcoming and obedience is that of a true human being. In our conclusions, we make many mistakes because of our erroneous views of the human nature of our Lord. When we give to His human nature a power that it is not possible for man to have in his conflicts with Satan, we destroy the completeness of His humanity. His imputed grace and power He gives to all who receive Him by faith. . . .
The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in Godfs power to help in every emergency."—
SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, page 929.	^
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FROM THE WORD
PERSONAL MEANING
Perhaps it isn't necessary for me to yield to temptations either.
That's the same way in which J can overcome! Maybe there's hope for me after all—even though I am all human.
Maybe that's my problem; I have yet to learn how to depend on a power outside myself. And I need to submit my will completely.
I guess I don't have any more excuses. I can't ever say that Jesus had an edge over me. I'd better start learning to depend on all that power.
I'm sure glad He was successful! He didn't have room for any mis-takes either.
I'm beginning to think that I've got all the advantages! I've got a wide "margin for error" but Jesus didn't have any! There's forgiveness for mef but would have been none for Him. What a bargain.
When I'm tempted to rely on my own power, it's all a big joke and deception because I don't have any power to rely oni I think Jesus actually had it much harder than I do.
ANSWERS
4.	Jesus never once in any way yielded to these many tempta-tionSf or had any leaning to do so.
5.	Jesus overcame by His humanity depending upon a divine power outside of Himself—the power of His Father. He overcame by faith in His Father.
6.	Jesus was constantly dependent upon His Father's power and submitted to His Father's will.
He was constantly surrendered.
7.	If Jesus would have had extra power that we can't have, then Satan would have claimed that Christ's example doesn't fitf that it is unfair and we still can't obey.
8.	The whole human race, and Jesus Himself, would have been lost forever without hope of ever being saved.
9.	On the other hand, if we sin, we can find forgiveness through Christ. In fact we can (and do) sin many times and still find forgiveness. We can be saved even after having committed many sins.
10.	Yesf Jesus had one very severe temptation which we don't have.
He was constantly tempted to use His divine power to aid Himself. And it was a real temptation because He actually had the power to use.
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FROM THE WORD
PERSONAL MEANING
ANSWERS
Jesus' plan for me really is beautiful! It covers all the problems. It makes being saved really seem possible.
It really is possible for me to be like Christ. What am I waiting for?
11.	No, I don't. And that's very fortunate, too, because I've already ruined my record many times.
12.	Jesus gives us power to overcome every kind of problem and to gain the complete victory.
13.	Christ is a perfect example for me, not only in the way to live, but in
how to live that way. He is the perfect example of the kind of relation-ship I can have with God. Except for the fact that Jesus did not have any bad habits to overcome, He is a perfect example for me. And since God will forgive me while I am learning how to depend on Him to overcome the bad habits, even this difference between me and Christ does not put me at a disadvantage.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] The students should be urged to do each of the things mentioned before committing Hebrews 4:15 to memory. For example, the personal paraphrase mentioned in item C may appear like this:
"As our high priest, Jesus isn*t out of touch with us. In fact, He is able to sympathize completely with all our struggles and weaknesses because He had to face temptations just exactly as we do. Yet we can still look to Him as our perfect high priest because He never once sinned."
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* SHARING OPTION
Do a "circle response" based on the thirteen answers and personal meanings which the students composed in FROM THE WORD above. Read the question, then have the students go quickly around the circle of the room and share their answers and their personal meanings. If the class is large, break into several smaller sharing circles and designate a student in each group to read the questions and guide the sharing.
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2· [SHARING PERSONAL MEANING] This exercise calls for personal, face-to-face explanations of the meanings found in the study of this lesson· If the class is not ready for something this intense, use instead the sharing option listed under ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES on the preceding page·
3.	[REPROGRAMMING HABITS] This device is simply a means for keeping the need to depend on God continually before the students. It is a visual re-minder of something that one needs to learn to do; and it is a way to rein-force the choice once it has been made. If the students will assemble their diaries with care, they will regard the activity with that much more sig-nificance. At the end of the week, ask if any students would be willing to report how this diary has affected their lives, or give an example of an entry they made.
4.	[VALUING] Of all the things that one likes about Jesus, which is most important? This activity invites the student to recall the various reasons why he so highly regards Jesus, and then to give explicit expression to the one reason which stands above the others· Keeping the 11postcards" anonymous will allow you to select from among them and share certain of them with the class. The reinforcement that will come from directly saying,
״I like Jesus" will be valuable to each student.
5.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	Do a "forced agree/disagree response." That is, read the statement;
have each student write either an A (agree) or a D (disagree) in the margin of his book next to the comment. Then have all the agreers move quickly to one side of the room and all the disagreers move to the other side. Give them three minutes to see if anyone can per-suade another to change sides.	If a number of persons still disa-
gree with the statement, ask them to suggest ways of rewriting it so that they could agree with it.
B.	This very common line of thought is actually misleading. It suggests that one cannot be saved (justified, declared righteous, accepted) until one has perfectly overcome all these bad habits. The truth is that one is saved on the basis of his faith in Christ’s perfect life rather than on the basis of his own perfect life. Then, within that saved relationship, he cooperates with God in perfecting his own be-havior. The sinful habits of the past cannot be viewed as putting
us at a disadvantage as far as being saved is concerned. And when we find that all the necessary power to overcome those habits is available, they are not to be seen as barriers to salvation.
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5.	Continued
C.	Consider these quotations:
״Through the Holy Spirit she received wisdom to cooperate with the heavenly agencies in the development of this child who could claim only God as His Father."—The Desire of Ages, page 69.
״The basis of a right character in the future man is made firm by habits of strict temperance in the mother prior to the birth of her child. Ellen White, Good Health, February, 1880.
״Even a babe in its mother1s arms may dwell under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother." —The Desire of Ages, page 512.
D.	This temptation to break connection with the Father and to depend upon ourselves is the most basic way in which Jesus was tempted as we are. It was for Him, however, a much more trying test because He knew that He did indeed have that power within Himself on which to rely. We have nothing but perverse weakness on which to rely.
Had Jesus responded to that temptation, He would have no longer been a perfect pattern for us, and the whole plan of redemption would have been aborted.
E.	This was a graphic description of the completeness of His dependence upon the Father. The very works that were performed were those of His Father. Compare this statement with Galatians 2:20 where Paul speaks of the parallel relationship which he had with Jesus.
F.	In an objective sense, one could assemble all the Bible and Ellen White statements which verify this promise. But in a subjective sense, the final verification comes when we know the reality of that victorious power in our own lives.
G.	Students may suggest concepts such as: Rely on His power; admit our weakness and lean on His strength; find Him to be trustworthy; prove His promises by experience; and the like.
H.	Persons may try to depend on education, cleverness, wealth, prestige, family status, artificial stimulants, self-discipline, agonizing self-wrought effort, praise from others, and the like.
********** ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ******** AMPLIFICATION
״The life of Christ was a perfect pattern. He was ever, by His example and teachings, teaching man that God was his dependence, and that in Him should be his faith and firm trust."—Ellen White, Confrontation, page 44.
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TO SHARE
[This TO SHARE activity is in the form of a single letter to the person who spoke the opening comments of the lesson. It should correct at least these three misunderstandings about Christ: (1) That His divinity gave Him the advantage; (2) that He didnft have to face temptations as I do; and (3) that I am disadvantaged in my struggle for salvation by my past record of sins and my sinful habits—which Christ did not have.]
Dear Bill,
I'm glad you felt free to express your concerns about Christ being your example. But I've been discovering some exciting truths in my Bible class that may help you understand Jesus' example better.
To begin with, the fact that Jesus was divine was not an advantage for Him. During His life on this earth that divine nature was veiled over. Never did He use it to help Him fight temptation. He fought Satan in exactly the same way that we do: by His humanity depending on a divine power outside of Himself.
In fact, you might even say that Jesus' divine nature was something of a disadvantage to Him in that Satan was constantly tempting Him to stop rely-ing on His Father and to rely on His own divinity. That was a real tempta-tion for Him—one that you and I will never have to face. Satan tempts us to depend on our own strength too—even though we don't really have any strength in ourselves to depend on.
In your letter you seemed to feel that your past life of sinning has put you at an unfair disadvantage when compared to Christ. But consider this: Christ could not sin even once without losing the whole plan of redemption,
and His own hope of returning to heaven. But you and I can claim forgive-ness for our whole past life of sinning. What is more, Jesus had made available to us all the divine healing, cleansing power that we need to overcome the sinful habits and desires that we have developed during these years of sinning. So we are at no disadvantage. Christ has thought of everything for us.
The most important way in which Jesus is our example, Bill, is in the rela-tionship of trust, dependence, and submission which He maintained with His Father. We are to have that very same kind of relationship with Jesus. And in that sense, He is our perfect pattern. Let's follow Him, Bill!
Your friend,
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TEACHER NOTES:
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LESSON 41: LEVI MATTHEW: A MAN WHO TURNED QUICKLY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the valuable characteristic of immediate, whole-hearted devotion to Christ as seen in Levi Matthew.
1.1	Describes the issues at stake in Matthew's life when he made his decision to follow Christ.
1.2	Compares Matthew's decision with those of others who, in similar settings, chose not to follow Christ, and explains the difference.
1.3	Lists those things which one must be willing to leave behind in order to choose to follow Christ.
2.	Understands clearly that he is faced with the same invitation from Jesus which was addressed to Matthew: "Come, follow Mel"
2.1	Identifies the alternatives to following Jesus.
2.2	Explains what it means to "deny self" in order to follow Christ.
2.3	Describes the behaviors which are involved in following Christ.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Matthew's decision to follow Christ is more forcefully understood when it is compared with the decision of the rich young ruler. For this reason, the lesson begins with a step-by-step comparison of these two men's encoun-ters with Jesus.
BEGINNING PRESENTATION OPTION: Select two students to stand before the class to read the two parallel accounts. Read them one section at a time. That is, have the first student read Matthew's account under ״The Two Men." Then the second student reads the young ruler's account under that heading. The first student then reads Matthew's part under "The Setting." Then the second student reads his part again. When they come to the (Prediction) part, ask the class to describe how they feel each person will respond,
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INTRODUCTION
based just on what they have heard in the past few moments. Then proceed immediately to the FROM THE WORD study and find out how the two men did respond. The sense of surprise should stimulate their curiosity.
********* ENRICHMENT/ ALTERNATIVES ********* NEWS INTERVIEW
When the students have studied the lesson sufficiently to know to some degree why these two men made the decisions they did, this activity might help the class more fully understand the value systems of these two men.
Role play a newscaster with his microphone interviewing each of these two men. The rich young ruler is just walking down the street hanging his head when the newscaster steps up and explains that he is reporting the "human interest" stories surrounding this man Jesus. Levi Matthew has been follow-ing Jesus about town for several hours when the newscaster approaches him, explaining that he has heard about the tax office being abandoned and wants to know what has happened. Play the role of the newscaster yourself, or prime a capable student in advance to fill this role. You might ask ques-tions such as the following:
"What has drawn you to Jesus?"
"What will your family and friends say about your decision?"
"Why did you make the decision you did?"
״What do you expect you will be doing during the next few days?11 ״What will happen to you three years from now?"
"Would you recommend that others make the same decision that you have made? Why?"
"How will you explain this decision to your brother?"
Let several students volunteer to play the roles of Matthew and the young ruler.
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FROM THE WORD
MATTHEW	RICH YOUNG RULER
2.	[Student9s prediction]
4.	,9At that saying his counte-nance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions·"
6.	While the rich young ruler wanted eternal life, he was not willing to make any per-sonal sacrifices to obtain it. He regretted having to make such a choice because he really wanted to keep his earthly treasures and have heaven too!
I· [Student9s prediction]
3.	"And he left everything, and rose and followed him."
5.	Being with Jesus was the most important thing in the world for him. He was willing to give up everything and to suffer any loss in order to be with Jesus·
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7.	Jesus knew that each of these men had a love for the treasures of this world and that this very love would prevent their being wholehearted followers. He asked them to be willing to give up that which would stand in the way of complete dedication. In the same way, He asks us
to make an unreserved break from the things that would hold us back from total commitment to Him.
8.	Had Jesus said that, these men would have spent most of their time build-ing up their involvements with the things of this world, then tried to spend a little time building up the kingdom of God. They would have been feeding two opposite sets of values and goals, and these would have fought against each other. Soon the spiritual life would probably die. Jesus does not accept this kind of divided loyalty that tears His people in two different directions.
9.	I might say, nYour concern is to follow Jesus; let it be His concern to take care of your needs. His people have lacked nothing that they need as they serve Himf which shows that He is a good provider. You can trust Him; just keep following Him."
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[COMPARE; EVALUATE; MEMORIZE] Since this lesson emphasizes the key role of self-denial in the life of the person who wishes to follow Christ, each student should memorize this passage· Invite the students to write out a personal statement of what it means for them to deny themselves.
2· [GENERATING EXAMPLES] This experience challenges the students to make the concept of self-denial real in their own lives. The group-sharing for-mat adds a touch of reality in that a student who verbalizes an insight in front of his peers will likely be more deeply affected by that insight.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* ILLUSTRATIONS
Some students may feel that self-denial is an experience which is exclusive to followers of Christ. It may help them to realize that every goal of worth demands some types of self-denial. For example, a person who wishes to be a long-distance runner must deny himself the 11luxury" of rich foods, laziness, and other hurtful things that he may crave. What are some of the things that one must deny if he is to reach each of the following goals?
A college education.	Good health.	Community respect.
A happy marriage.	A business promotion.	Friendship.
Good grades in school.	Purchase of a nice car.	Clear conscience.
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3. [COMPARE; IMAGINE] This can be developed into a written exercise, or serve as the basis for several moments of quiet reflection. Or you may ask the class to think about the questions and then discuss them as a group.
4.	[INTERPRET; EVALUATE] In this exercise the students bring forward their own self-denial decisions which they have been facing and discuss them in a peer-group setting. Students should learn by this that all Christian youth are faced with these decisions, though in different forms. Ask the class if there is anything they can do to help a classmate more easily choose to deny self and follow Christ. Be sure to screen the examples which are submitted and omit ones which have identifiable personal references which would cause embarrassment.
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5.	[FURTHER RESEARCH]
A.	The key concept to be discovered here can be found through a care-ful reading of reference VI1/14. Jesus* life of self-denial was climaxed in Matthew 26:39· Be sure to ask for a report from this research.
B.	Cross-bearing does not apply exclusively or even primarily to one*s learning to live with some sort of handicap. It is very directly related to the idea of self-denial. Jesus made His ultimate cross-bearing decision when—in the Garden—He cried out, ״Not as I will, but as thou wilt." This was self-denial; this decision led Him to the cross.
C.	Songs which could be examined from The Church Hymnal:
״Not I, But Christ" No. 271.
״Have Thine Own Way, Lord" No. 272.
״Take My Life and Let It Be" No. 273.
"Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?" No. 274.
״My Jesus, I Love Thee" No. 276.
״Live Out Thy Life Within Me" No. 279.
6.	[EVALUATE ALTERNATIVES] Even though we could almost chuckle at some of these alternatives, they each reveal some hidden motives in our own hearts, some inclination to revise the gospel requirements. As the students evalu-ate the alternatives, they may be bringing some of their own motives up for examination. Results of these variations may be as follows:
A.	Jesus would attract many people to be His followers who would bring with them their selfish goals of earthly glory. They would try to turn the Christian message into a selfish appeal: All this and heaven too!
B.	Matthew might begin making plans for his own financial future, stor-ing a big savings account so that he could supply all his own needs when he began his ministry; and most likely he would lose all interest in following Christ in favor of tending His fortunes.
C.	This would be the same as saying that Jesus wants only "good" people to be His followers. All the people who knew that they were really sinners would give up hope. Or they would try to clean up their own lives before coming to Jesus—an equally fatal deception.
D.	This would amount to saying that following Jesus isn*t really the most important decision one can make. One can put it off until next
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6.	Continued
year or until old age. It suggests that human goals and values can be given first attention, just so long as one finally gets around to giving Jesus a little attention in the end.
E.	This would support the concept of divided loyalties on the basis that onefs loyalties to the values of this world aren’t quite as deep as they were to begin with. "Just be half as selfish as before,*r it would say.
This approach fails to recognize the radically different nature of Christ’s kingdom.
F.	This suggests that getting to heaven requires only that one want to get to heaven; but it says nothing about the cutting loose from the values and self-centered goals of this life in order to be at peace with the values of heaven. This would be another variation on the "All-this-and-heaven-too" theme.
G.	Such a response would imply that Jesus will tailor His kingdom to suit our tastes, and that He won’t bring anyone into it who would remind us of our own sinfulness.
7.	[MEDITATION] The Holy Spirit is the only One who can lead a person to make a true self-denying decision. But the teacher can seek to provide a setting which is conducive to Spirit-led thinking. The sequence of questions printed here may help a student be open to the Spirit’s con-victions.
8.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	The Spirit had no doubt been working on Matthew’s heart for some time to prepare him for that moment; but the crucial response was when he chose to stand up and follow Jesus Christ. If he had not made that decision, true spiritual life would not have sprung up in his heart.
B.	According to the development of this story in The Desire of Ages, ,'Good Master״ was but a greeting of respect, for he did not recog-nize Jesus as the Son of God. He respected Jesus and desired a new life—which are certainly beginning steps toward conversion.
But they are no guarantee that it has taken place.
C.	Responses may include open encouragement toward being Christlike, refraining from ridicule, praying for each other, and the like.
D. This may emphasize that evaluating people from a strictly human per-spective is inadequate. Jesus saw things in Matthew that we may not have seen or appreciated.
E.	Comparing these two appeals may well demonstrate that people will
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8· E. Continued
respond to a challenging appeal· Ask the class to indicate which of these two appeals stir the most noble responses in their own hearts· Is it not possible for a person to respond to the first appeal from largely selfish motives? If Jesus had built His king-dom on that appeal, what would have happened to it?
TO SHARE
1.	According to Mark 8:34, you need to be willing to be cut loose from all your old selfish desires and goals and follow in Jesus' footsteps. You will need to bear Jesus' cross of continual self-denial—always saying No to your own selfish will, and always saying Yes to His will for you. From Jesus' dealing with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22, we can conclude that Jesus wants your wholehearted loyalty, your single-minded commitment to building up His kingdom· As you keep following Himf He'll show you daily what these things will require of you.
2.	Jesus challenged the rich young ruler the way He did because He knew that his love of riches would have kept him from fully following Christ· He may not make that requirement of all people; but you can be sure He'll want just as complete dedication from all of us. He'll ask us to be just as ready to give up whatever may stand in the way of our full surrender to Him· Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot have double loyalties.
3.	[This calls for a personal response from the students. Urge them to complete the response, assuring them that you will respect their pri-vacy.]
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LESSON 42: MARY: A WOMAN WHO KNEW SHE WAS A SINNER
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the experience of thorough conversion as it is por-trayed in the life of Mary Magdalene.
1.1	Lists the evident reasons why Mary responded so completely to the love, forgiveness, and power of Jesus, while others seemed not to appreciate His gifts.
1.2	Describes the experience of conversion as it is actually manifest in one's life.
1.3	Explains the ways in which Mary's wholehearted devotion was used by Christ to symbolize His own unselfish giving to humanity.
2.	Appreciates the ways in which Mary's conversion and devotion can be an example to him.
2.1	Affirms the need for one to recognize his truly sinful condition and to fully repent.
2.2	Claims Christ's promise to forgive as completely as He for-gave Mary.
2.3	Identifies specific ways in which he can be as generous in his giving to Christ as was Mary in her giving to Him.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
A narrative of Mary's life comprises the greater share of this lesson.
This is done both to provide variety in the study sequence, and because the information about Mary in the Bible is somewhat disconnected and infer-ential. The student will do less writing in this lesson, yet he should read the narrative with great care—even marking key passages if he feels so inclined. If there are slow readers in the class, you may elect to read the narrative for them, perhaps as a morning worship devotional.
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*	*	*	*	* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
Hr Hr Hr Hr
FOR WORSHIP
DEVOTIONAL READING
yet,” Jesus warned. Mary’s place was ever at His feet worshiping in the day of sunshine; at His feet trust-ing in the hour of sorrow; at His feet doing the sim-pie service she could be-cause of Calvary; at His feet at the foot of the cross; and now at His feet on this resurrection morn.
And then upon the lips of one from whom seven devils had been cast, Jesus Christ put the message of His resurrection. To her and to her only He de-dared that He was about to return to His Father and hers! The scribes and Pharisees might question. Judas the traitor might be-tray. The disciples might wonder. Martha might criticize. Her own friends might laugh.
But what did all that matter when by her habit of consecration to Christ, heart to heart, soul to soul, insight to insight, under-standing to understanding, she was bound by the cords of unbreakable love to her Master forever? Nothing mattered to Mary because of that relation-ship.
On the day of the res-urrection I want to hear the Gardener say to me, ״Leslie!” Then I want to fall at His feet with the cry of dedication, ”Rab-boni, Master.” Mary the consecrated has left me a shining example.	■
From the book These Watched Htm Die. Reprinted by permission of the Review and Herald Pub-lishing Association.
13
return to His Father’s home.
The Father longed for this reunion with His Son. From the heights above He eagerly watched for His coming. From a long way off He was ready to run and throw His arms about Him. His joyous cry was about to ring through the universe, ״This My Son was dead and is alive! Give Him the robe of di-vinity and the ring of au-thority. Rejoice with Me. He who never strayed was lost for those who were lost. He who knew no sin became sin for those who sinned. And now He is coming back.”
But the Father waited. And the choir director waited. And the guard of honor waited. All this was because that stumbling, sobbing, sinful, cleansed woman was looking for Jesus in the garden.
And then as she wept, and thought she saw the gardener, she heard Christ’s voice say, ״Mary!” And then she bowed in adora-tion at His feet. That one word brought back to her soul transports of wor-shipful joy as she fell at the feet of Jesus.
״Not yet, Mary, not
Leslie Hardinge
tomb. And then she cried herself to sleep.
On the resurrection morning Christ delayed His return to His Father because of Mary. During the Friday’s darkness His soul had cried out, "Why hast thou forsaken me?” The separation was break-ing His heart.
Yet on Sunday morning He did not ascend imme-diately to His Father. He knew that groping in the shadows of the garden was a woman, weeping be-cause she loved.
The gates of Paradise were wide open for the risen Christ. The angel choirs, ״ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,” had been practicing their anthems for this triumphal moment. The guard of honor was lining the shin-ing path through space along which Jesus would
When the Sabbath was over, just as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. At that moment there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from Heaven, went for-ward and rolled back the stone, and took his seat upon it. His appearance was dazzling like light-ning and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook tvith terror at the sight of him and collapsed like dead men. But the angel spoke to the women: "Do not be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here—he is risen, just as he said he would.” — Matthew 28: 1-6 *
ON that awful Friday, Mary sobbed at the cross. There was nothing else she could do, and so she wept for her Beloved. She lin-gered near Him until dark-ness hid His form. She heard Him pray. She watched Him die as the curtain was lifted and the glory of the throne en-veloped His form. She tried to help them take Him down from the cross. She helped wrap the sheets and arrange Him in the
From: The New Testament Modern English, © J. B. Phill J 95H. Used by permission of Ί Macmillan Company.
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
WHO WAS MARY? AND WHICH MARY WAS SHE?
The name Mary was very common in New Testament times—so common, in fact, that not a little confusion exists as to which Mary was which. The SDA Bible Dictionary lists as many as seven or eight different women by the name of Mary recorded in the New Testament, depending on whether some of these women are actually the same person. This listing is suggested by the Dictionary:
1.	Mary, the mother of Jesus.
2.	Mary Magdalene: had seven devils cast out; watched around the cross; kept vigil at the tomb; was first at the tomb on Sunday morning; was the first to whom Jesus appeared; informed the disciples of the res-urrection. Probably was the one who anointed Jesus' feet (Luke 7).
3.	Mary of Bethany: sister of Martha and Lazarus; probably the one who anointed Jesus' feet (John 12).
4.	״The other Mary" of Matthew 27:61 who sat near the tomb with Mary Magdalene. We do not know which Mary she was for sure.
5.	Mary the mother of James and Joses (Mark 15:40).
6.	Mary the wife of Clopas (John 19:25).
7. Mary the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).
8. Mary the Christian worker in Rome (Romans 16:6).
The Dictionary does of course allow that Mary 2 and Mary 3 are indeed the same person. This conclusion would seem to be in order in view of the fact that Ellen White consistently identifies Mary Magdalene as being the sister of Martha and Lazarus. She sees the foot-anointing of John 12 as the same as that recorded in Luke 7. As she tells the story of Mary, she includes all the incidents listed under Mary 2 and Mary 3 above. Notice the headings under ״Mary (sister of Martha and Lazarus)" in the Index, Vol. 2, pages 1643, 1644.
The question still remains, however, as to how it was that Mary came to be known as having come from Magdala when the rest of her family came from Bethany. One possible interpretation—mentioned in the narrative—is that she went there to save the family reputation after Simon led her into sin. While we cannot know this for sure, it does seem a plausible explanation.
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********* enrichment/alternatives ********* BACKGROUND READING FOR THE TEACHER
Robert J. Wieland, In Search Of the Cross. Mountain View: Pacific Press
Publishing Association, 1972. Notice especially chapters 11 and 12 which depict in detail the spiritual meanings connected with Mary's act of love at Simon's feast.
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Jesus1 feet:
THE MEANING
God gave heaven's greatest gift, its most priceless treasure, in giving Jesus to the human race·
Jesus' broken heart and wounded body, out of which flowed the precious blood·
The blood which flowed from Christ's head (crown of thorns) and feet (the nails in His feet) which heals the sinner.
The influence of Christ's death which, like sweet perfume, flowed out to the whole world.
The "excessive" provision made for our salvation—more than enough for all who will accept it, and "wasted" for those who will reject such a priceless gift·
Jesus' great love which compelled Him, without reluctance or reservation, to pour out His own life for us, to the amazement of even the angels!
parallels in the two experiences· You ind! ]
FROM THE WORD
Meanings in Mary's anointing of THE DETAIL
1.	The great value of the gift; perhaps Mary's life savings.
2.	The broken alabaster box.
3· The perfume anointing Christ's head and feet.
4.	The aroma which filled the whole room.
5.	The "wasteful" excess of the gift—she could have used only a few drops and then sold the rest.
6.	The unselfish,lavish love which prompted the giving of so great a gift.
[Invite the class to look for other may be surprised at what they could
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[WORD STUDY; MEMORIZE] The student should discover that the word "confess" carries with it more than just the idea of telling someone else that one has done wrong. It means admitting to oneself that he is indeed a sinner. It could be described as agreeing with God's verdict of our condition. God is telling me that I am a sinner, in need of forgiveness and transformation. Confessing is like saying, *1God,You are right. I finally agree with You.
I will stop fighting the conviction and say that Your opinion of me is the correct one. Please forgive me and cleanse me." That is why confession must come before forgiveness and transformation, for God will not do these things for us unless we ask; and we will not ask until we sense a real need to ask. Mary knew without any shadow of doubt that she needed these gifts; that is why her transformation was so complete.
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2.	[VALUING; DECISION-MAKING] Even though our situations may not be as bold and dramatic as Maryfs, we still have opportunities to offer precious gifts to Jesus. This exercise endeavors to help a student locate those choice moments and relate to them with a proper sense of values.
3.	[VALUE ASSESSMENT; SELF-ANALYSIS] If this activity is followed in se-quence, it will contain a useful surprise for the students. For this reason, you may want to ask the class to put away their books and just follow your instructions. This will prevent their reading ahead. The first step requires that the class identify the values of the key personalities at Simon1s feast. The students may write these value cards by themselves or, if that seems too difficult for some, agree together as an entire class what to write on each card.
The crucial part comes as the students are asked to arrange the cards in descending order with the top card being the one most like the individual student. Since each student has his own cards, he can do this in complete privacy and should therefore be free to be somewhat honest. Then ask each student to rearrange the cards in the order which reflects what he would like to be.
If the two arrangings of the cards produce different orders, then some valuable conclusions may result. This technique employs the method of cog-native dissonance. That is, a person becomes keenly aware at the higher levels of thought that there is a difference between what he is and what he wants to be. Furthermore, the specific value areas in question are very clearly identified. He is then able to make specific choices in favor of the more desirable values.
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4.	[SELF-ANALYSIS] This activity give a student opportunity to assess some of the more important events or decisions in his life which have influenced his life directions. Articulating those turning points will clarify and enhance their significance. It may also help a student discover that other young people have had similar experiences and build bridges of understanding.
5.	[IMAGINATION] Under the form of an imagined story, the student is actu-ally indicating how he believes time with Jesus ought to be spent. Collect־־־ ing the stories together to be read by the class can be a most interesting project. Perhaps the resulting booklet could be called My Ten Minutes With Jesus, or a similar title.
6.	[MEDITATION; PERSONAL DECISIONS] The Spirit may have been able to use the ideas in this lesson in a special way to convict students1 hearts of needed changes. Spending several closing minutes in quiet thought and silent prayer will be very much in order. Thoughtfully suggest that prayers of surrender and commitment may be in order. If the setting seems right, you might even suggest small-group prayer bands.
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TO SHARE
After having spent most of the year writing imagined sharing responses to somewhat artificial situations, the students may well be ready to do some real sharing in genuinely spontaneous situations· If one hopes to be able to share his faith with non-believers in the future, he needs to be able to talk about his life in Christ among fellow believers and close friends· The sharing options listed below suggest ways for this to happen in the classroom. Hopefully an adequate bond of mutual trust and openness has been established to permit this to flow smoothly.
Ask each student to choose at least one of the following sharing options:
1· Gather into groups of four. Share with the other three the most important things you have learned from the study of this lesson. Tell as specifically as you can how your own values, attitudes, and even your actions have been changed by the study of this lesson.
2.	Tell the whole class what you personally believe it means to be wholly committed to Jesus Christ, using the story of Mary as an example. Speak of your own commitment if you feel free to do so.
3.	Write a letter	to	a friend, sharing	in	a natural way some discov-
eries you have	made from	your study	of	Maryfs experiences. Tell
why they have been meaningful to you. If the letter is not too personal, read	it	to the	others in the	class before you mail it.
4·	Meet in groups	of	two to	five. Lay	specific plans for ways in
which your group can encourage and support wholehearted commit-ment to Christ among all the class members. Bring at least three concrete suggestions to the rest of the class and explain them.
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LESSON 43: ELLEN WHITE: A DEVOTED MESSENGER
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Appreciates the character qualities revealed in the life and writings of Ellen White.
1.1	Affirms that the principle of "by beholding we are changed" was operative in Ellen White's life, and that she had access to no special transforming powers which are not available to all.
1.2	Identifies at least three specific character qualities which he regards to be admirable.
1.3	Acknowledges that she had struggles and personal needs very much like his own.
2.	Reveals more positive attitudes toward her ministry and writings as a result of a growing appreciation of her character.
2.1	Indicates greater willingness to read her publications.
2.2	Expresses appreciative attitudes toward her portrayal of God's character and plan.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
This lesson does not deal with the prophetic gift as such; nor does it seek to validate the ministry of Ellen White in the sense of providing Biblical proofs in support of her writings. Rather this lesson is a personal explor-ation of the life and character on one who beheld Jesus as it was the privi-lege of few others to know Him. In an indirect manner, this lesson will support the Bible promise that by beholding we are changed. The student will survey a number of personal statements by Ellen White herself and seek to discern from these the kind of person she was.
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FROM THE WORD
Rather than doing extensive writing, the students will read a number of quotations and do code-marking of those paragraphs. The seven code letters represent seven different aspects of Ellen White as a person which the stu-dents will look for as they read. They may wish to remove page 454 from their binders and keep it in front of them as they read. There are no set numbers of items which they are to mark since much of what they find will depend on maturity and perception. The markings on the next several pages of the Teacher’s Guide are therefore only representative. Tell the students to feel free to make other notations in their margins if they wish.
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DISCOVERING A HEAVENLY FATHER OF LOVE-AGE 15
Faith now took possession of my heart. I felt an inexpressible love for God, and had the witness of Ilis Spirit that my sins were pardoned. My views of the Father were changed. I now looked upon Him as a kind and tender parent, rather than a stem tyrant compelling men to a ft blind obedience. My heart went out toward Flim in a deep and fervent love. Obedience to His £ will seemed a joy; it was a pleasure to be in His service. No shadow clouded the light that A revealed to me the perfect will of God. I felt the assurance of an indwelling Saviour, and realized E the truth of what Christ had said: “He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12.—“Life Sketches,” page 39.
RAISING MONEY FOR MISSIONARY WORK-EVEN THOUGH ILL
Our father was a hatter, and it was my allotted task to make the crowns of the hats, that being the easiest part of the work. I also knit stockings at twenty-five cents a pair. My heart was g so weak that I was obliged to sit propped up in bed to do this work; but day after day I sat
....	pr
there, happy that my trembling fingers could do something to bring in a little pittance for the cause I loved so dearly. Twenty-five cents a day was all I could earn. How carefully would I lay V aside the precious bits of silver taken in return, which were to be expended for reading matter to enlighten and arouse those who were in darkness!—“Life Sketches,” page 47.	^
PREPARING FOR CHRIST'S SECOND COMING-EVEN THOUGH THE DATE WAS AN ERROR
With diligent searching of heart and humble confessions, we came prayerfully up to the time A of expectation. Every morning we felt that it was our first work to secure the evidence that our ψ lives were right before God. We realized that if we were not advancing in holiness, we were sure to retrograde [slip back]. Our interest for one another increased; we prayed much with and for A one another. We assembled in the orchards and groves to commune with God and to offer up our petitions to Him, feeling more fully in His presence when surrounded by His natural w orks. £ The joys of salvation were more necessary to us than our food and drink. If clouds obscured our V minds, we dared not rest or sleep till they were swept away by the consciousness of our ψ acceptance with the Lord.—“Life Sketches,” pages 60, 61.
STRUGGLING AS A YOUNG FAMILY TO SUPPORT GOD'S CAUSE
At Gorham, Maine, Aug. 26, 1847, our eldest son, Henry Nichols White, was born. In October Brother and Sister Howland, of Topsham, kindly offered us a part of their dwelling, w'hich we gladly accepted, and commenced housekeeping with borrowed furniture. We were poor, and saw close times. We had resolved not to be dependent, but to support ourselves, and *v to have something with which to help others. But we were not prospered. My husband worked S very hard hauling stone on the railroad, but he could not get what was due him for his labor. S Brother and Sister Flowland freely divided with us whenever they could; but they were also in close circumstances. . . .
We endeavored to keep up good courage, and trust in the Lord. I did not murmur. In the morning I felt grateful to God that He had preserved us through another night, and at night I was thankful that Fie had kept us through another day.—“Life Sketches,” page 105.	^
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THINKING BACK OVER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF WORK WITH GOD'S PEOPLE
In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought [accomplished], I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the R future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past A history.—‘4Life Sketches,” page 196.
COMMENTS TO A GROUP OF CHURCH LEADERS, AT A TIME OF CRISIS
No one should be accepted as a laborer in the sacred cause of God, until he makes manifest that he.jias a real, living experience in the things of God. One reason why the church is in a V backslidden state is, that so many have come into the truth in this way, and have never known what it is to have the converting power of God upon their souls. ...	G
There are too many Christless sermons preached. An array of powerless words only confirms the people in backsliding. May God help us that his Spirit may be made manifest among G us.—Ellen White in “Review and Herald,” Oct. 8, 1889.
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO DISCOURAGED MINISTERS
Oh, I love Him. I love Him, for He is my love. I see in Him matchless charms, and oh, how I R want that we shall enter in through the gates into the city. Then shall every crown be taken off G from every head and cast at the feet of Tcsus our blessed Redeemer. He has purchased it for me; A He has purchased it for you, and we shall acknowledge Him Lord of all. And we shall cast all *R our honor at His feet and crown Him Lord of all. . . . I wish you would educate your hearts and G lips to praise Him, to talk of His power and glory. I wish you would tell of His power. When you 6 do it you are elevating your Saviour, and when you lift that standard up against your enemy he will flee from you.—Manuscript 7, 1888. Quoted in “Through Crisis to Victory,” page 256.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, SHORTLY AFTER HER HUSBAND'S DEATH
From our cottage [in the Colorado mountains] I could look out upon a forest of young pines, so fresh and fragrant that the air was perfumed with their spicy odor. In former years, my husband and myself made this grove our sanctuary. Among these mountains we often bowed R, together in worship and supplication. All around me were the places which had been thus hallowed; and as I gazed upon them, I could recall many instances in which we there received direct and remarkable answers to prayer. . . .
Again I have been among the mountains, but alone. None to share my thoughts and feelings S as I looked once more upon those grand and awful scenes! Alone, alone! God’s dealings seem mysterious, His purposes unfathomable [past Figuring out] ; yet I know that they must be just, (L and wise, and merciful. It is my privilege and my duty to wait patiently for Him, the language of A my heart at all times being, “He doeth all things well.,י—“Life Sketches,” pages 256, 257.	R
A MESSAGE TO THE ADVENTIST WORKERS IN EUROPE
I do not look to the end for all the happiness; I get happiness as I go along. Notwithstanding A*P [even though] I have trials and afflictions, I look away to Jesus. It is in the straight, hard places R that He is right by our side, and w;e can commune with Him, and lay all our burdens upon the R. Burden Bearer, and say, 4‘Here, Lord, I cannot carry these burdens longer.” Then He says to us, R,P
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“My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:30. Do you believe it? I have tested it. I R love Him; I love Him. I see in Him matchless charms. And I want to praise Him in the kingdom E,R,4׳ of God. . . .
I have decided that I must have heaven, and 1 want you to have it. I never would have come 6. from California to Europe, had I not wanted to tell you how precious the Saviour is, and what a precious truth we have.—“Life Sketches,” pages 292, 293.	^
FROM A PERSONAL LETTER TO HER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WHO WAS DYING
Dear Mary, how pleasant it will be to see the King in His matchless loveliness and to be where 6 there is no pain, no sorrow, no sickness, no sadness. 1 feel so clear that we shall be victorious, A and I feel that the communication is opened between God and your soul. It seems so sure to me that you have the divine Presence and that Jesus is your constant helper. Oh, He loves you; He R loves you, and is looking upon you with pitying tenderness. Never doubt Him for a moment. R Commit your case to Him, having faith that He will do for you the very thing that is best for A your eternal interest.—“Selected Messages,” Bk. 2, p. 247.
WHEN SUFFERING A PAINFUL, CRIPPLING ILLNESS WHILE IN AUSTRALIA
When I first found myself in a state of helplessness, I deeply regretted having crossed the S broad waters. Why was I not in America? Why at such expense was I in this country? Time after time I could have buried my face in the bed quilts and had a good cry. But I did not long Pi indulge in the luxury of tears.
I said to myself, “Ellen G. White, what do you mean? Have you not come to Australia because you felt that it was your duty to go where the conference judged it best for you to go? A Has not this been your practice?”
I said, “Yes.”	P
“Then why do you feel almost forsaken and discouraged? Is not this the enemy’s work?”	S,£
I said, “I believe it is.”
I dried my tears as quickly as possible and said, “It is enough; I will not look on the dark side A any more. Live or die. I commit the keeping of my soul to Him who died for me.”	R
I then believed that the Lord would do all things well, and during this eight months of R helplessness, I have not had any despondency or doubt. I now look at this matter as a part of the Lord’s great plan, for the good of his people here in this country, and for those in America, V and for my good. I cannot explain why or how, but I believe it.—“Selected Messages,” Bk. 2, p. R 234.
THOUGH 86 YEARS OLD, STILL INTERESTED IN THE CAUSE OF GOD
I am thankful that the Lord is sparing my life to work a little longer on my books. O, that I G had strength to do all that I see ought to be done? I pray that He may impart to me wisdom, Cx that the truths our people so much need may be presented clearly and acceptably. I am (1 encouraged to believe that God will enable us to do this.—“Life Sketches,” page 427.	R
HER EVENING PRAYER, WHILE HER STRENGTH WAS FAILING
Thou wilt answer our petitions; and we ask Thee, Lord, for Christ’s sake, if it is Thy will, to R ,A give me strength and grace to continue; or, I am perfectly willing to leave my work at any time. A
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that Thou scest best. O Lord, I greatly desire to do some things, Thou knowest, and would be 6 willing to do them if Thou wilt give me strength; but we will make no complaint; because Thou A hast spared my life so much longer than many anticipated and than I have anticipated myself. . . . Give us light; give us joy; give us the great grace that Thou hast in store for the N/ needy. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.—,‘Life Sketches,״ page 441.	R
SOME OF HER LAST COMMENTS, DURING HER FINAL ILLNESS
I am very weak. I am sure that this is my last sickness. I am not worried at the thought of £ ;A dying. I feel comforted all the time, that the Lord is near me. I am not anxious. The E,R. preciousness of the Saviour has been so plain to me. He has been a friend. He has kept me in R. sickness and in health.
I do not worry about the work I have done. I have done the best I could. I do not think that I A shall be lingering long. I do not expect much suffering. I am thankful that we have the comforts E of life in time of sickness. Do not worry. I go only a little before the others.—“Life Sketches,” A pages 444, 445.
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YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF ELLEN G· WHITE
This word picture should reflect the student1s own impressions of Ellen White· It may include some of the following concepts:
Attitudes:
Her attitudes were hopeful, positive, joyous, even in troubled times·
She was humble and unselfish; not eager to exalt herself·
She was outgoing, concerned for other people·
Values:
She valued most highly the approval of God and the assurance of right standing with Him·
She wanted this same relationship for her friends, family, fellow workers, and for the world·
Goals:
Her greatest goal was to see the world enlightened with the news of salvation and the warning of the end of sin and sorrow·
She longed to do all she could to further this great goal·
She wanted to be in heaven·
Personality:
She was blessed with an almost humorous candor and self-honesty·
She was very direct and pointed in her dealings with others·
She was personal and intimate when the occasion required it·
Relationship with Christ:
This relationship dominated virtually all her writing and speaking·
Jesus was her closest Friend, her intimate Companion·
Her relationship was characterized by love, trust, dependence, and com-plete submission to His will·
Emotions:
Her emotions were intense—especially in her love for God and His truth· She was subject to the full normal range of emotions, yet fought to
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"WORD PICTURE," Continued
not dwell with negative or downcast emotions.
She was very sympathetic with other people's emotions.
Struggles or conflicts:
Her life was often troubled with conflicts—poor health being one of the most frequent.
She struggled over lonesomeness, discouragement, and the desire to do more.
She always resolved her struggles by laying them on Jesus' shoulders in complete submission and trust.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[VALUE RANKING] This exercise is to help a student more deeply appre-ciate Ellen White*s value system.
SURPRISE OPTION: Before the students mark these groupings according to the values they believe Ellen White held, have them mark the groupings accord-ing to their own value system. Have them write their own numbers just to the left of the short lines before each item. When they complete this part, then ask them to do a value ranking for Ellen White, writing this set of numbers right on the short line. They will of course compare the two value rankings as they do this and draw some useful conclusions.
In grouping B it would be of interest to the students to note that she felt separation from her children to be the cause of her greatest distress. See Life Sketches, page 165.
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2.	[HYPOTHESIZE; INTERPRET] What insights into the personality and charac-ter of Ellen White can be derived from these short clues? Students may name thoughts such as these:
A.	She was unselfish; committed to helping missionary work; industrious; believed in nutritional value of dried fruits; did things on a large scale·
B.	She believed that partaking of the divine nature was not only possi-ble but extremely important; she based her writings heavily on the Bible.
C.	She received a tremendous amount of information from God; she made very good use of her time; she must have found it easier to write than most of us do·
D.	She held her beliefs firmly; was not afraid of the disapproval of man; her parents helped to build a courageous attitude in her in matters of conscience; she was an individualist·
E· Her interest in the work of God was international; she was flexible; she was willing to get personally involved in the work she sought to assist·
F. She did not hold racial prejudices; was willing to support work that was not popular even among her own church members; her family had been trained as missionaries·
G· She held a very enlightened, open attitude toward Bible versions, yet was not faddish; her higher concern was for accuracy and meaning·
H.	She was a sufficiently mature Christian at a young age for God to use mightily.
3· [RESOURCE PERSON; RESEARCH] A minister*s viewpoint on these questions would be most valuable; but if it is not possible to arrange for one to visit the class, these thoughts can be helpful in guiding a class discussion·
A· Her writings have provided a theological unity, a unity of approach toward church organization, and a harmonious vision for the develop-ment of our institutions· She urged the church to embrace larger goals at times when men seemed content with a local, traditional church vision. Foreign missions, medical training, a complete sys-tern of education, the printing work, interracial work—these are but a few examples of her persistent vision.
B.	Many people have learned to enjoy her writings by beginning with her devotional books, such as Steps to Christ, The Desire of Ages, and Christ’s Object Lessons. They read several pages each day, taking time to meditate on what they read. Others have begun with her more startling writing, such as the last chapters of The Great Controvert sy. The important thing is to look for her portrayal of God and His
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3.	Continued
character of love as revealed in His redemption plan through Jesus.
C.	The baptismal certificate requires that one affirm belief in the divinely inspired ministry of Ellen White before becoming a member of this church. In practical application it has been found that, since Ellen White1s influence is so broad and deep in the whole life and structure of the church, few people would even want to join the church if they did not believe in Ellen White.
D.	To begin with, there are the Scripture passages which support the whole concept of the continuing gift of prophecy in the church. But perhaps just as important is that people have had a chance to observe for more than 130 years now the results of her ministry on the life of the church. They can only conclude that her ministry is from God. Spirit-led people find that her writings make such good sense; they harmonize with Scripture completely and have a remarkable degree
of internal consistency—that is, what she wrote at different time or on different themes never conflicts with her other writings. They all blend together into a pattern of perfect unity.
4.	[OBSERVE; SELECT; CHERISH] This exercise leads students into the very rewarding custom of selecting favorite quotations. Having them do something special with the quotation— as suggested in the textbook—will help them prize the quotation all the more.
5.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	Yes, she did have privileges. Seeing Jesus and the New Jerusalem in vision is certainly a privilege. But be careful not to call this an advantage—in the sense that we have less of an advantage to be saved.
B.	Every additional insight, every vision, was a responsibility. She had more than 2,000 visions in her lifetime. That is a real respon-sibility!
C.	God wanted to make it evident that His messages were of divine ori-gin. Had He chosen a robust, experienced preacher with a Ph.D. degree in systematic theology, people could be inclined to suspect the messages were coming from the man rather than from the Lord. Also, Ellen White herself needed to be kept humble. With her past, there was less chance that she would be inclined to take the glory to her-self. Before calling her, God had approached two others; but their pride and self-sufficiency kept them from being available.
D.	[This invites a personal reaction.]
E.	This was in keeping with the Lordfs own promise. When first asked by God to be His messenger, Ellen greatly feared that she might be-come proud. She prayed that she might be protected from such a deception, and the Lord sent an angel in vision with this message: "Your prayers are heard,and shall be answered. If this evil that
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5. E. Continued
you dread threatens you, the hand of the Lord will be stretched out to save you; by affliction He will draw you to Himself, and preserve your humility."—Life Sketches, page 72.
F.	[Personal response invited here. Ask for more than a few words in reply. Try to feel the perplexity she faced.]
TO SHARE
As with the previous lesson, this TO SHARE activity will urge the students to do something in real life with the insights they have gained from this lesson. Listed below are several options from which the students might choose; or you may prefer to use them just as idea starters as the class designs its own program of sharing.
1.	Polish and refine your word pictures of Ellen White from page 458. Type them on duplicator masters and run a number of copies. Com-pile these into little booklets which you can distribute to parents, friends, or schoolmates from other classes. Let these represent
the personal testimony of your class in appreciation for the ministry of Ellen White. Use them in conjunction with plans listed below.
2.	Work with the Sabbath School leaders of your local church and see if you can make a presentation to the Sabbath School (at any level you feel appropriate) in which you can express your personal appreciation for the ministry of Ellen White. Coordinate your testimonies so that you each emphasize a different basis for valuing her ministry.
3. Plan to visit some of the other classrooms at your school during worship time and present a personal statement of support for the ministry of Ellen White.
4.	[Can the class think of other similar sharing opportunities? The value in this is primarily that, while giving public support to the ministry of Ellen White, the student is reinforcing his own senti-ments. It could well encourage a few adults in the process!]
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UNIT δ: LIFE'S GREAT GOALS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this unit the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the personal preparation which he must make in order properly to meet the closing scenes of the great controversy on this earth.
1.1	Describes the main events which will mark the closing of the controversy.
1.2	Describes the quality of relationship with God which one must have in order to be translated without seeing death.
1.3	Acknowledges that such an experience is available to all who will seek for it diligently.
1.4	Uses correctly the terminology related to last-day events, such as close of probation, seal of God, time of trouble, and the latter rain.
2.	Eagerly anticipates a victorious participation in these closing events.
2.1	Expresses hope in accordance with his faith relationship with Jesus.
2.2	Identifies his motivations as that of love for Christ and an intelligent commitment to His life-style rather than that of fear or avoidance of punishment.
THE UNIT
INTRODUCTION
This is a unit on last-day relationships rather than just on last-day events. The events will be mentioned only as a point of reference to indicate the urgent necessity of developing the relationship with Christ.
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LESSON 44: CAN WE PREPARE FOR THE TIME OF TROUBLE?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the specific kinds of preparations which a Christian can make in anticipation of the time of trouble which will climax the great controversy on this earth.
1.1	Differentiates between those troubles for which he can pre-pare and those for which preparation is not necessary.
1.2	Describes the particular attitudes toward God which are essential.
1.3	Memorizes at least three Bible promises which assure of God's protection during the time of trouble.
1.4	Lists the various sources of trouble.
2.	Manifests an immediate desire to make the needed preparation.
2.1	Equates the relationship needed for the last days as the same as that for which a Christian should normally strive.
2.2	Identifies those specific behaviors which he needs to adopt in order to prepare properly.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The opening paragraphs are assembled in the form of an imagined dialogue such as might take place between a person's conscious mind and his memory.
He first asserts an idea, then remembers a Bible passage which refutes that idea. So he counters with another idea, only to be met again with the mem-ory of some inspired counsel that contradicts his idea. And so it continues until he realizes that all his ideas are invalid and he needs to begin with a fresh, new study of the whole topic. Hopefully the student will follow a similar progression as he prepares to study this lesson.
Pages 470 and 471 contain a general description of the time of trouble and the key events which will happen then. These should be read with care.
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FROM THE WORD
When a blank space appears in either the second or third columns, the student should look up the reference and fill in the space, either with a summarized answer or a direct quote. Suggested answers follow.
PROMISES FOR THEN
"Fret not yourself be-cause of the wicked." "Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more." Psalm 37:1, 10.
See Psalm 91:5, 6.
The righteous do not need to fear the terrible destructions that will be going through the land.
"In God I trust without a fear. What can man do to me?" Psalm 56:11.
See Psalm 44:6, 7.
Our enemy will not be defeated by any weapons of human origin; we must trust only in the Lord and let Him put the enemy into confusion.
PREPARATION NOW
Learn now to depend upon the Lord in times of stress; learn by ex-perience that He will supply all our needs. Philippians 4:6, 7.
Same as No. 1 above.
See 1 Peter 4:14-16.
If the reproach comes because we take the name of Christ, then we can rejoice; but we must be sure the re-proach does not come because we are indeed guilty of doing wrong.
We must decide now that obeying God's lav/ is infinitely more valu-able than seeking the approval of men. Psalm 119:11.
SOURCES OF TROUBLE
1. The Holy Spirit's re-straining influence on the wicked will be re-moved, and all the strife of human hatred and greed will be let loose. The wicked will be under the full control of Satan.
2. Satan's angels are go-ing to spread destruction everywhere.
3.	The wicked will blame God's people for all the troubles that are flood-ing the world and will turn on them with an intense hatred.
4,	Those who keep God's Sabbath will be the special object of hatred by those who are honor-ing Sunday as sacred.
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PROMISES FOR THEN
See Romans 8:1.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,"
"The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the lire?'' Zechariah 3:2.
"Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you,and I will clothe you with rich apparel.” Zechariah 3:4.
"If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared."
Psalm 130:3.
See Habakkuk 3:17, 18.
We must have such confi-dence in God that, even when it appears that every possible thing has gone wrong, we still know that God is in charge and that the final outcome will be to His glory.
PREPARATION NOW
See VIII/1.
If we are clinging to any known sin, that sin will be very evident and will keep us from being covered by Christ. But if we have overcome all known sin, we can have the assurance of forgiveness, even though we feel unworthy.
See Psalm 66:18.
If we have cherished sin in our hearts, then the Lord cannot protect us from Satan's accusa-tions. If we have by faith turned away from our sins, the Lord can rebuke Satan's accusa-tions against us.
See reference VIII/2.
We must now put away those sins which would dishonor God.
See John 9:4.
We must work now with Christ; when the night of probation has closed, there will be nothing more that we can do to help the lost.
The one who now learns to follow Christ's example of self-denial as a part of life will be least distressed when comforts are taken away and when personal de-sires are not immedi-ately answered.
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5.	The righteous will be filled with remorse and regret for iheir past sins and will seek with deep longing for the assur-ance of God's forgive-ness.
6.	Satan accuses the righteous before the couris of heaven, urging that because of their sins they should be destroyed. He claims that they are too sinful for Jesus to save.
7.	God's people are deeply distressed that any failure on their part will bring reproach and discredit on the name of God.
8.	God's people regret that they did not work more vigorously with Christ to oppose the forces of evil while they still had a chance; now it is
too late.
9.	Though praying con-stantly to God for deliv-erance, His people will still have to endure weariness, hunger, and delay.
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PROMISES FOR THEN
"God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
1 Corinthians 10:13.
See 1 Thessalonians 5:4,5.
Only those who are in spiritual darkness will be caught by surprise when these final events happen; but we are of the light and do not need to be caught by surprise. We know what Satan will be doing and need not be surprised.
See reference VIII/4, and summarize it.
God has always pro-tected His people before in the hour of their most severe trial; surely we can count on Him to take care of us during that trying time.
PREPARATION NOW
See reference VIii/3.
If have separated sin from our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, then Satan can find no "foothold" in us, nothing that will respond to his attrac-tions. In this way he will not be able to get through to us.
"Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world cap-tive."—"The Great Con-troversy," page 625.
Those who do not un-derstand the spiritual reasons for keeping the Sabbath will have long since dropped out. Those who know the meaning of the Sab-bath rest also know they can rest in Jesus' power to deliver them. Now is the time to learn to look beyond human limits and trust in the power of God.
SOURCES OF TROUBLE
10. Satan will bring his most severe temptations against God's people, in one last desperate effort to break them down and secure their ruin.
11.	Satan will flood the world with almost over-powering delusions and deceptions which will deceive millions of pro-fessed Christians. He will even come with a very persuasive imper-sonation of Christ Himself.
12.	Satan will personally lead the worldwide church-state power to pass a decree that says all Sabbath keepers may be killed as public enemies. A certain date is set when the death decree goes into effect; and God's people see no human means of escape from such a fate.
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PROMISES FOR THEN
"His bread will be given him,, his water will be sure." Isaich 33:16.
2 Corinthians 12:9.
"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
See Psalm 91:9, 10.
״Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent."
PREPARATION NOV/
God does not promise a lavish diet and all the comforts ol home to the remnant. Now is the time to trade in a life of self-indulgence for the simple wholesome life and natural diet that God has provided for us.
The mature Christian will be willing to endure any trial if by this means he may bring honor to his Master.
Kis love for Christ makes suffering for His sake a sweet experi-ence. This is an atti-tude to be learned now. Check "Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings/' pages 30, 31.
The time is soon coming when the promises of God will be our only hope, our only possible security. Shall we not now learn to trust His promises? Shouldn't we even now cease de-pending on our fellow-men for all our needs?
SOURCES OF TROUBLE
13.	As the persecution be-comes more intense, some of God's people will flee to the hills, caves, and other deso-late places. They will have no normal sup-plies of food.
14.	Many of God's people will be taken captive by the enemy; and though none will be killed after the close of probation, ,many will be cast into dark prisons and left alone in dun-geons, stripped of every human comfort and friendship.
15.	As the plagues fall, and the angels of God join in the ־work of general destruction, it appears that everything that can sustain life is gone.
Food is destroyed by famine; the water has turned to blood; even the air is filled with fire and smoke from the surrounding destruction. It seems to all that death is the only pos-sible fate.
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IS, An important question still remains: Why does God allow His people to endure such terrible trial? Why doesn't He take them immediately to heaven as soon as probation is closed? Read references VIII/5 and 6 and write your conclusions.
God allows His people to be so severely tried so that they might be further purified. They must have all remnants of self-dependence and self-righteousness purged from them. They must know beyond a shadow of a doubt when the trial is over that God alone is their righteousness and their strength· The qualities of faith, hope, and patience will be developed to their fullest by this period of trial. In the end, they will perfectly reflect the character of Christ.
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] The promises of God will soon become very real to the people of God. Learning these promises now is all the more important, then, in view of how much they will mean to us· A set number of promises to be learned is not mentioned in the textbook. Try to find some means of encour-aging the students to learn as many of them as possible. The flash-card method (paragraph B) may be done as a class by making one large set of cards, then letting the students use the cards in pairs or individually to drill. More cards could be added as more promises are selected by the class.
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2.	[COMPARE] Each student will need to take a closer look at just what it is that will trouble him in the days ahead. While there is no single source of trouble which will afflict Godfs people more than others, the class may find that those relating to spiritual, internal struggles will be more in-tense than those which relate to physical matters such as food and shelter.
The Great Controversy, page 619, seems to portray the greatest source of trouble as being the fear that a defect of character will bring dishonor upon God. This implies that the righteous people of God at that time will be motivated almost entirely by unselfish concerns. God will be the theme of their lives even over and above their own salvation or their physical well-being.
3.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	Such a condition would lead many to trust in their wealth rather than trust in God's power. It would develop in many a selfish de-sire to protect that treasure on earth rather than sacrifice for the building up of Christ's kingdom. And many people would become so engrossed in maintaining their wealth that they would have no time to make the spiritual preparation needed for the last days.
B.	The trouble with this kind of preparation is that it misses the point as to the real problem. Shortage of food is just not the issue. The final struggle is a spiritual one, and as we concentrate on the spiritual issues, God will take care of our needs for food. Consider this explicit counsel:
״The Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is contrary to the Bible to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble.
I saw that if the saints had food laid up by them or in the field in the time of trouble, when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it would be taken from them by violent hands and strangers would reap their fields. Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and He will sustain us. I saw that our bread and water will be sure at that time, and that we will not lack or suffer hunger; for God is able to spread a table for us in the wilderness.
If necessary He would send ravens to feed us, as He did to feed Eli-jah, or rain manna from heaven, as He did for the Isrealites."—
Early Writings, page 56.
C.	Perhaps Jesus is doing us the favor of prying us loose in advance from the things that will distract us, or from those human provisions upon which we would be prone to depend. Perhaps He is drawing us
to Himself by affliction. See Our High Calling, pages 312, 313.
D.	The students should note that perhaps the most telling sign of the nearness of the time of trouble is the polarization that is happen-ing both in the world and in the church. People are making decided commitments to Christ, or they are more emphatically rejecting Him and following Satan. Two opposite camps are appearing. God waits until He
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3.	D. Continued
has a people whom He can trust to be put into the 1,spotlight" of world attention. When He has such a people, then He can loose the four winds of strife (Rev. 7:1-4). The disturbing thing about this most important sign of the nearness of the end is that it is not visible to those who are rejecting truth. But it should be very visible to Spirit-led people of God. See 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5·
E.	Loyalty to Bible truth, rather than feelings, must be the test.
4.	[CAPTIONS; SUMMARIZE; IMAGINE] It is not the purpose of this activity to flavor onefs imagination with terror for the last days. Yet there is value in contemplating the reality of the scenes which are coming. If time allows, you may even ask the class to produce the front page of a newspaper as they envision it would look during the falling of the plagues. This will include short news stories and even some imagined pictures.
5.	[CLASSIFY] It may come as a surprise to some students as they discover that not all of the troubles in the last days will afflict all people. Some of them, such as the last plagues, will directly affect only the wicked. Others, such as the regret for not having done more for Christ, will of course affect only the righteous. The student should see that no one will be free from trouble; the primary difference is that the people of God have a Helper during that time, and they have the joy of a clear conscience.
Those who think that they can avoid the time of trouble by turning their backs on God will be in for a stunning disappointment.
6.	[MEDITATION] Can there be any more crucial topic to command the atten-tion of the students? Seek to establish a quiet, contemplative setting for at least five minutes and urge the students to keep their minds focused on Jesus and the work He wants to do in them. Would a few spontaneous words of testimony—from you or from certain students—be in order?
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TO SHARE
I.	In order to prepare for the time of trouble, I need most of all to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I need to learn to trust Him more completely· I need to learn how to depend on His power and to submit to His will so constantly that He will be able to give me entire victory over every known sin in my life. I need to work for Him diligently while people are still open to the impressions of the Holy Spirit. All these things that I need to do I am eager to do, for they are the very things I want to do since I have come to love Jesus.
2.	[This second phase of the sharing will draw out the student so that he can encourage his peers by his own statement of commitment. This com-mitment will then deepen as they work together to devise ways of encour-aging each other. Plan to enter in with at least one of the groups in the room as they prayerfully consider this.]
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LESSON 45: WILL GOD CLOSE MY PROBATION?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the meaning of the close of probation and the issues upon which that closing depends.
1.1	Explains the concept of probationary time—time for choosing between Christ and Satan.
1.2	Identifies the essential ingredients in order for probation to be meaningful: time, love, information, and freedom to choose.
1.3	Correctly interprets God's attitude toward that time as one of eagerness for as many persons as possible to make the right choice.
1.4	Acknowledges that God does not close probationary time by any arbitrary decision, or on the basis of considerations apart from the responses of the people on this earth.
1.5 Locates the deciding factor for the close of probation as the cessation of need for probationary time; that is, a time will come when all living, thinking persons on this earth will have made a final, unchanging decision either for or against Christ. Thus probationary time will be no longer needed.
2.	Understands the way in which he can even now relate to the close of probation.
2.1	Explains the meaning of the "seal of God" as it relates to the close of probation.
2.2	Openly seeks to have the experience of being sealed.
2.3	Expresses appreciative sentiments toward God for His very fair and sensible plan for dealing with the close of probation.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
It is no surprise that many young people live in constant fear of the close of probation. That is indeed an event that deserves a healthy respect; but too often one's feelings about that event are based on misunderstandings.
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Such misunderstandings not only cause needless anxiety in our own hearts, but too often severely discredit Godfs exceedingly fair and sensible plan for dealing with this matter.
For example, some people fear that God will close probation according to some arbitrary date; that He has a great cosmic calendar or clock, and a certain day and hour has been set in advance. When that moment arrives, no matter what the conditions in the hearts of the people on earth, proba-tion will suddenly close. Young people who believe this way live in a con-stant dread that the crucial moment may have already happened; or they fear that it might happen any moment and they worry about their family or friends (or even themselves) who are still making up their minds about Christ. It all seems somehow unfair of God to deal in such a way.
There are others who believe that God will close probation when God runs out of patience with sinners. They believe that sinners can go only just so far until they will have exhausted the Lordfs capacity to forgive. He will then, they suspect, simply call a halt to the whole plan of giving us more time to consider His offer. Patience will give way to anger, and He will come to cleanse the earth. Such a tragically limiting view of our infinite God!
Misunderstandings are many; and they will continue until the students have a correct understanding of how probation closes.
EXAMPLES
One good way to explain how God relates to the close of probation is to examine Biblical examples of how various people's probation closed. Three examples are given which represent three possible ways for one's probation to close. These need to be carefully understood, for they are examples of what will be happening on a larger scale in these last days.
Lucifer: Incurably rebellious. By continual, complete rejection of the full light of truth, Lucifer lost the very desire and capacity to respond to truth. There was nothing more that God could do for him to win him back. It would have been useless to give him more time to decide. Though still alive, he would never be changing his mind about God, but would only deepen his hatred toward Him.
Adam and Eve: Died believing in Christ. The very moment they sinned, our first parents were covered with God's plan to give them time to change their minds. They responded to this plan and decided for Him. Their time for choosing ended at their death, though at the time of their death their choice for God remained firm.
Enoch: Settled into the truth. Enoch's response to God and commitment to Him were so complete and final that there was no longer any need to give him pro-bationary time. He would not be changing his mind. In a very real sense we can say that Enoch closed his probation while still alive here on earth, and God acknowledged that by taking him to heaven without seeing death. Thus Enoch serves as a model for God's people in the last days who will have also
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made such a complete choice for God. "As was Enoch’s must be their holiness of character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord’s second com-ing."—Testimonies, Vol. 8, page 331.
Thus we see three ways in which one’s probation can close: complete rejection of the truth and the working of the Holy Spirit; complete acceptance of the truth and settling into it so that one will not be moved; and death. In the case of death, if one is committed to Christ and growing in Him at that time, he will be saved; if one is rejecting Christ, he will be lost. These three ways of closing probation will be amplified in this lesson.
FROM THE WORD
1.	When this announcement is made, there will be but two groups: the holy, righteous people of God, and the filthy evildoers. Jesus calls them the sheep and the goats.
2.	This announcement comes after an important work has closed on this earth. All of God9s loyal people have been tested and have received the seal of God; then the angel announces that his work is done. After that Jesus announces that probation is closed.
3.	A. One group of people has received the seal of God. That is, they
have settled into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so that they cannot be moved. They have made up their minds com-pletely to serve Him and trust Him. They will not turn back.
B.	The other group has, with firm determination, resisted all truth
and evidence. These people have placed themselves beyond the reach of God's most powerful agency-~-the Holy Spirit. He will not force them,and they will not respond. There is nothing more that God can do for them, even though He still loves them.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* THE ״WRATH OF GOD״
The concept of God’s wrath must be clarified in a student’s mind before he can fully appreciate what is going to happen in the last days when the finally impenitent suffer under God’s wrath. The word "wrath” stirs too many imaginations to envision something akin to human anger or pique. They see God finally being offended beyond His capacity to restrain and at long last all the stored annoyance against sin is finally heaped upon sinners. Nothing could be farther from the truth! God will love sinners with an intense and undimmed love even as He must finally destroy them forever at the close of the millennium.
What, then, is the wrath of God? Perhaps the clearest description can be found in Romans 1:18-32. The sequence is very important in these verses. First we see God plainly revealing Himself to wicked people, showing them [Continued on page 422.]
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4· Influences which will lead people to move out of the unsettled center and into complete decisions for or against Christ:
A.	The full revelation of the meaning of the Sabbath-
B.	The decree that will enforce Sunday sacredness (and of course the whole religious/political power which will be seeking to enforce that decree)·
C.	The powerful influences of the gospel under the outpouring of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit·
D.	The clear revelations of the character of God through the charac-ter of His people·
E · Divine miracles of healing and transformation, contrasted against Satan9s spectacular display of power·
5. We must even now gladly and voluntarily submit our wills to the control and purification of Christ. We must freely choose to be His people now, or we will be deceived later on·
[Ask the student to pay special attention to the comments which follow question 5· These are essential to a correct understanding of the close of probation· ]
INTO MY LIFE
1. [COMPARE; EVALUATE] These "what if" statements each reveal some aspect of Godfs plan by contrasting it with an alternative. The students may res-pond with ideas such as the following:
A.	Most people would probably wait for four years, 364 days, and 23 hours, then decide to make a last-minute change of heart. But one who would respond that way would reveal that he does not have a real love for Christ and His life-style; rather he is just trying to avoid being destroyed.
B.	Perhaps Satan would try to counterfeit that feeling. Or people would become self-confident (or self-destructive, if lost) the moment that feeling took place. It would cause people to look in-ward toward a feeling rather than outward to Christ as the whole basis for their decisions.
C.	God would be dealing with the human issues in a mechanical and arbi-trary manner. This is just not His way of doing things. Time is not the issue; decisions are the issue.
D.	Some people would still wait for 23 hours, 55 minutes.
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1· E. We would probably try to decide who in the group were saved and who were lost. Surely we would feel a great sense of loss on behalf of those whom we suspected were outside of Christ; yet we would see it as useless to do anything more for them.
F.	Since one does not know when he has received the seal of God, this would create some real problems. Either no one would join the church, or some would seek to create artificial evidences of having received the seal. [This is not a far-fetched "what if," for there have too often been "holiness" offshoots that seem to insist that one must be perfect before he can belong to the group. The student should know that it is not our business to examine each other’s state of holiness.]
G.	This would rule out one of the essential ingredients of probation-ary time: Freedom to choose. It would be pointless for Jesus to give sinners the time to choose and the information on which to make that choice if He could not also offer them the freedom to respond; and
so He holds us back from Satan’s full control until we either respond to Him or insist that we fully intend to go Satan’s direction.
H.	Satan would shout "unfair" if the first decision for Christ were to move the Christian beyond his influence. Part of Christian growth is learning how to submit to the control of Christ in all areas of life. That essential learning would be bypassed by the plan mention-ed here.
I.	If probation would close while Christians were still in an unstable, immaturely committed state, Satan would charge, "If I’d had more time,
I could have got them to backslide; they aren't safe to have in heaven!" And the onlooking universe might even have grounds to wonder. God’s people must reach a maturity of faith so that, like Job, they can be tested severely and proven trustworthy.
2. [SELF-ANALYSIS; VALUE RANKING] This activity helps a student assess his own mixed feelings toward the close of probation. By so doing he may dis-cover that his negative feelings are not valid, or don’t need to remain, and that his positive feelings need to be encouraged. He should thus be-come as eager for probation to close as he can be—with proper concern, of course, for those who have not yet chosen Christ.
******** ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* WRATH OF GOD, CONTINUED:
goodness, character, and power. Yet some people refused to acknowledge Him, even though they knew Him. They became arrogantly puffed up in their own wisdom. Then they did something very serious. They chose to exchange their worship of the infinite Creator for the worship of humans, birds, and even snakes. And since we become like that which we worship and admire, we can expect that something would happen to the minds of those people who would make such a choice. Paul says "their senseless minds were darkened." So badly were they damaged that God had no choice but to give them up (vs. 24,
26, 28) to the natural consequences of what they had chosen. They became [Continued on next page.]
*
THE
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3.	[FURTHER RESEARCH] Some of the answers can be found just by reading the listings in the Index. Other topics will require that the student go to the books themselves to research the answer.
4.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	[Reports from item 3.]
B.	Some persons are uncomfortable about the idea of only two conditions in life—those who are justified in Christ, and those who are lost outside of Christ. Such persons wish to add a third category—those who havenft yet made up their minds about Christ. Does the Bible allow such a third condition? Jesus said, *,He who is not with me is against me.״ Matthew 12:30. If a person were to die in this supposed middle category, would he go to**purgatory **? It is this supposed third status that is partly to blame for the arrival of the heresy of pur-gatory.
C.	The heavenly universe no doubt feels the same ambivalence toward this that mature Christians feel. They wish to see it hastened so that all the misery of death and sin might end; yet they wish to see it prolonged so that more persons might accept Christ during that time. It is interesting to note that if God’s people would hasten their own growth in Christlikeness, both of these goals would to a large measure be accomplished!
D.	As indicated earlier in the lesson, one could close his probation by a total rejection of the truth and the Spirit’s pleadings. We would call this committing the unpardonable sin. The other way would be in the opposite direction; it would involve a growth in Christlikeness until one receives the seal of God and will not change. NOTICE: The first group cannot change their minds; the second group will not change their minds. In either case, only Heaven would know.
E.	The falling of the plagues is one sign that probation has closed.
One would of course wonder about his own condition and that of others whom he knows and loves.
F. Yes, it is correct to remind a person of this if one is thinking in reference to the fact that one might die at any moment.
********* enrichment/alternatives *********
THE WRATH OF GOD, CONTINUED:
controlled by terrible passions and were bent on mutual destruction and self-destruction. God had done all He could do for them; yet they insisted on this path. He had no choice but to let them either destroy themselves or, in mercy, hasten that destruction for them. He never once lost His love for them or His patience with them. Thus it will be in the last days as God sorrowfully announces that the wicked must be allowed to receive the consequences of their own choices: that destruction that results from eternal separation from God.
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5· [CLASSIFY; CLARIFICATION] The simple diagram printed on this page may help a student visualize the various groupings of people and how these fit into the scheme of the close of probation· For the sake of brevity in discussing this diagram, have the students label these four groups with the letters A, B, C, and D—starting at the top. Notice that groups A and B are considered as "safe to save." That is, they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ and His	righteousness, and	they are growing	in	Him. Were
any of them to die while above that center	line, they would	be	counted as
ready for the kingdom at the resurrection. Groups C and D represent those who are "not safe to save·*' That is, they are rejecting Christ and His gift of salvation. They have not chosen Him to be Master of their life. Were they to die in that condition, they would come up in the resurrection of the wicked.
One difference between those in A and those in B is that those in B may still change their minds about Christ. They might backslide or deny Christ under pressure. They could drop down below the line. By contrast, those in group A are *1settled	into the truth11 so	that they cannot	be	moved.
In the same way, people	in groups C and D	differ from each	other in that
those in group C may change their minds. They could respond to the plead-ing of the Spirit and go across the line to group B and be saved. But those in D are unchangeable. They are hopelessly lost.
With this background, consider the questions printed below the diagram.
A.	The middle section, groups B and C, will no longer be present, for under the intensified issues of the last days (see FROM THE WORD, question 4), these people will have moved into groups A and D.
B.	We would place Enoch and Job in group A.
C.	Paul started in group C, moved into group B at his conversion, and —from the evidence available—likely moved into group A. King Saul was surely in group B when he was called to the throne; but he did not abide in the Lord. He fell down into group C and eventually, in his final acts, gave evidence of being in group D.
D.	A **lukewarm Christian1* would probably be one who is just over the line into group B, yet not making any real progress in growth. It could even be someone in group C who has deceived himself into think-ing that he is in group B by his external action. God wants people either to grow in Him, or to stop giving the impression that they are Christians by their cheap claims. The normal Christian life is one which is growing earnestly toward group A.
E.	These three potent paragraphs explain why it is that a person who has dropped down into group D can no longer respond to God*s saving message. Notice that the persistent sinner loses both the desire and the capacity to respond to truth. So it is no arbitrary act on God*s part that deems such persons as beyond hope and no longer able to benefit from probationary time. Such persons have rendered them-selves unfit to even think about the truth. Rejecting truth is danger-ous!
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1· I must say that you are making exceedingly dangerous plans· In the first placef your life just isn't that secure· You could die or be killed at any time· Second, if you don't find Jesus and His way of living to be attractive and sensible now, there isn't much chance that several years from now you will find it even more so· But the most serious problem is that every time you reject truth and say No to the Holy Spirit, you lose some of your ability to appreciate the truth and to choose it· Your course of action will daily make it more difficult for God to speak to your heart· It could well be that by the time the Sunday laws are passed you won't even care about being on God's side· Since you know the wonderful truth of Jesus now, you must respond to that truth now·
2· You need to understand more clearly just how probation closes· God does not close your probation on you; you close your own probation by your own free choices either to reject Him completely or to set-tie into His truth until you are immovable· If the Lord is now giv-ing you the desire to be like Him, that's very good evidence that you have not totally rejected Him· Jesus wants the door left open so that you will accept Him· If the door is closed, that will be because you have closed it—not because He has· He is calling you now; there is no reason to say No to Him·
3· No, I can't agree with you· There is much that we can do about the close of probation· To begin with, as we keep growing in Christlike-ness by a constant faith relationship with Jesus, He can work through us to lead others to	salvation· Also as we	grow up	into a more mature
faith, the time will	come when He	will count us fit	to endure the
last great test· During that time, the people of the world will have to take their stand one way or the other· And when everyone has made that final and complete decision,	probation	will be	closed· So we
can hasten that time	by continued	growth in	Christ;	and we can also
influence the number of persons who will be on the right side when the final pronouncement is made—by letting Jesus' love be reflected now in our lives·
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LESSON 46: HOW CAN I BE READY FOR TRANSLATION?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the special quality of spiritual maturity that will be necessary in order for one to live through the time of trouble and be translated at the second coming without seeing death.
1.1	Describes the required experience primarily in terms of a quality of relationship rather than in terms of degree of performance.
1.2	Affirms that those who are translated will be saved on the same basis as those who are resurrected, and that is by faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
1.3	Explains that the high degree of spiritual maturity does not earn them even a part of their salvation, but that this experience enables God to use them to vindicate His character.
1.4	Explains the period of trial as necessary in order to dem-onstrate to the universe that these people are safe to translate to heaven—that they can be trusted with freedom in a perfect universe.
2.	Demonstrates a desire to be among those who are translated.
2.1	Indicates that being ready for translation is a great priv-ilege rather than an extra, tedious requirement.
2.2	Affirms that this experience is available to all who will seek for it.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
What a grand moment that will be! Equipped with an immortal body, and being lifted up off the earth to spend eternity with Jesus! There is a drawing power just in the imagining of the sensations of that moment. Invite the students to savor the scene in their imagination until they can almost know some of the other sensory input they will be receiving right then. Ask the students either to write in their imaginings in the spaces or to share them verbally with the class.
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FROM THE WORD
[NOTE: Ask the students to read the introductory paragraph which begins this section. Invite discussion of the paragraph until you are certain that the students understand what it is saying. There are those who sus-pect that the ones who will be translated must earn that privilege by an exceptional amount of merit or standing with God, earned by being very good. They imply that the redeemed at the second coming will be saved on a dif-ferent basis from those who have been redeemed throughout the ages by faith in Christ. The difference with these people who will be translated is not that they have earned any special favor from God, but that they are of suf-ficiently mature faith as to be used by God to vindicate His character, to refute Satan's charges against God.]
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* WORSHIP IDEAS
The chapter in The Great Controversy entitled "God's People Delivered11 can be quite exciting reading for a morning worship experience. Due to its length you may wish to read just selected portions or divide it up for several sequential presentations. Draw special attention to those portions which describe the feelings and attitudes of God's people as these grand events are unfolding.
CIRCLE STORY
Begin telling in your own words the story of the people of God in the last days. Set a certain pattern, perhaps even envisioning a typical person to be the key personality in the story. Just as the story reaches an interest-ing point, stop and ask a student to continue the story for at least the next thirty seconds. The story should be based on the factual data stud-ied in the lesson, but he should be free to embelish it with imagined con-versation.and other details. The student may continue the story for more than thirty seconds but not more than one minute. At a point of his own choosing, he stops the story and selects another student to continue it.
The story continues in this way until either every student has had a chance to contribute or (with large classes) the story reaches a natural conclusion.
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FROM THE WORD
1.	Ideas about translation:
A.	Those who are pure in heart will see God. [NOTE: The idea of being pure in heart also includes having only one goal or desire in one's heart. Compare with James 4:8: "Purify your hearts, you men of double mind." ]
B.	Those who will be translated must have a quality of faith such as Enoch had—a faith which results from diligently seeking God.
C.	Those who will be translated will have received the seal of God; that is, they will have settled into the truth both intellectually and spiritually so that they cannot be moved; they will fully re-fleet the character of Christ in their lives. [See quote on page 494.]
2.	Enoch was deeply interested in the love of God as revealed in Jesus.
That theme became his constant study. He walked with God in the prac-tical duties of life. He prayed constantly, living as though in God's very presence. His heart, his desires, were in heaven. He longed for a deeper communion with Jesus.
3. To prepare us for translation, God will test us for a time to see if we are really in earnest about salvation, or whether we are attached to the idols of this earth. If we desire to "pass the test," we must overcome every known sin by the power of God, no matter what it costs us.
4.	Jesus is looking for a people who will perfectly reflect His character, people in whom His image has been fully revealed.
5.	We must seek it with great zeal.
We can educate our minds to love the Bible and spiritual meetings.
We can learn to cherish the times of personal communion with God.
We can actually become heavenly-minded----thinking heaven's thoughts!
INTO MY LIFE
1.	[VISUALIZE; COMPARE] This activity leads the students into open sharing about this exciting possibility. As they speak freely and positively with each other about this goal, they will likely cherish it all the more.
2.	[CREATIVE WRITING; PERSONAL EXPRESSION] Here the students are encour-aged to respond artistically and emotively. When the students have com-pleted their writing, tape their compositions on the walls around the room. Invite the students to go on a "gallery walk"around the room, taking time to read and appreciate each item.
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3.	[VALUE RANKING] The purpose of this activity is not so much an artistic one as it is to invite the student to make some decisions about the most im-portant things he must do. The visual symbols give him opportunity to be more concrete in translating them into his life. Students may draw simple sketches of things such as these:
Studying the Bible.
Praying—alone or in groups.
Turning away from the idols of this world.
Performing acts of loving service for others.
Sensing God's presence even though in prison or hiding in the mountains. Hearing the voice of God as the wicked rush in to destroy.
4.	[SYMBOLIC VALUING] The "coat of arms" technique requires first of all that the student understand just what the character qualities are that will be manifested in the lives of the redeemed. Then it requires that he find some fitting visual symbol to represent that quality. Let the students struggle with this decision; the longer they work with it, the more deeply that character quality is likely to be etched in their consciousness.
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5· [DIFFERENTIATING; IMAGINING] One of the most confusing aspects of the Christian life, especially for the young, is the relationship between fact, faith, and feeling. Many people are prone to think that low feelings are a sure sign of a distant relationship with God. While this may at times be the case, it surely is not automatically the case. These factors must be differentiated prior to the last days, or they will greatly complicate the struggles of Godfs people. When Jacob struggled with the Angel on that crucial night by the brook Jabbok, he was bereft of any feelings that God accepted him. He had to cling only to the promises, in spite of an over-whelming conviction of his sinfulness. Thus it will be for the people of God when they pass through their ntime of Jacob’s trouble."
The diagram which the student will fill in asks him to plot what he expects will be the changes in these various parts of his experience. The line representing "feelings" will no doubt begin relatively high and then begin to slump lower as increasing trials and hardships begin to come. It will probably reach bottom at the point of the Death Decree, but then take a rapid turn upward, even reaching the very top, at the moment of deliverance and translation.
At the same time, a student will begin his lines representing "faith" and "surrender" at a point which he feels is in keeping with his own life at present. These lines will then no doubt begin to climb as one faces the trials of the future. Some students may depict them as reaching a peak prior to the close of probation; others will depict them as high at that point, yet continuing to increase during the plagues and later events.
But the crucial discovery which most students will make is that there will be a widening gulf between faith and feelings during this time. The con-elusion which seems evident is that the student must learn now not to de-pend on his feelings as an evidence of his standing with God. He must rely on the clear revelations of the Word and on an intelligent understanding of the terms of salvation.
When the students have completed their graphs, ask them these questions:
A.	What	is the most	obvious conclusion you can	draw from your	graph?
B.	What	are	some	of	the	things	which	determine	how we feel?
C.	What	are	some	of	the	things	which	determine	our degree of faith?
D.	What	are	some	of	the	things	which	will likely increase our	surrender
to God?
E.	What should you conclude if even now you have feelings of discour-agement at times?
Read this to conclude the discussion: ״Many make a serious mistake in their religious life by keeping the attention fixed upon their feelings and thus judging of their advancement or decline. Feelings are not a safe criterion. We are not to look within for evidence of our acceptance with God. We shall
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5.	Continued
find there nothing but that which will discourage us. Our only hope is in 1looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.* There is every-thing in Him to inspire with hope, with faith, and with courage. He is our righteousness, our consolation and rejoicing."—Testimonies, Vol. 5, pages 199, 200.
6.	[DISCUSSION; PERSONAL REACTIONS] The circle-response technique gives everyone an equal opportunity to become involved and also prevents the more talkative students from dominating the discussion. The six questions printed here all ask for personal valuing, reactions/ and opinions.
7.	[MEMORIZE; REACT] The key sentence printed here is not assigned as a memory gem in the book, yet the students could easily memorize it almost unaware that they are doing so if you present it in the following manner: Using a large felt pen or similar writing tool, write the quotation on a large sheet of poster paper. Leave space around it for the students to write in their reactions as proposed in the textbook. Leave the quotation on the bulletin board for a number of days; but beginning with the second day, cover over one key word with a piece of paper. On the next day, cover over another key word. The students will of course try to read the sentence and fill in the covered words by memory. By the time the whole sentence is covered, they will have it memorized.
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TEACHER NOTES:
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1.	Yes, it is true that you may see Jesus without ever dying. But in order for you to be ready for that you must also be ready to go through some very trying and unpleasant times. These will be times when it seems that the whole world will be against you. So what you need to do now is get so well acquainted with Jesus that you will know that He can take care of you. You must want to be best of friends with Jesus. Spend a whole lot of time talking to Him, reading about Him, thinking about Him. Let Him be more important to you than anything in this whole world. Just let Him take charge of your life. Jesus wants you to be just like a mirror of Himself so that when people look at you they will know what kind of Person Jesus is. Choose that as your goal and keep your eyes fixed on it. Let Jesus worry about all those troubles ahead!
2. Jesus has promised you that you can stop sinning. As you keep looking at Jesus, He will keep working in your heart so that you will come to hate sin. And you don’t do things you hate to do, do you? But you probably won’t know when that happens, because Jesus will keep showing you new ways in which you can be more like Himself. And you’ll keep on growing more like Him. You never will feel that you’ve gotten to be as good as you can be. You’ll never say, ”Look at me; I’ve stopped sinning!” But you can come to the place where you won’t go against God’s will for you in any way. Does that all make sense to you?
3.	It seems that there are at least two reasons why God’s people go through the time of trouble. The first reason is that God has to show the rest of the universe that His redeemed are truly safe to have in heaven. He wants our future neighbors to be sure that we won’t start the whole mess of sin all over again. If we can stand loyal to God under such severe tests, then heaven will agree that we are safe to have in heaven. The second reason is that the time of trouble purifies our own faith and our dependence upon God. Since Jesus sees that both these things must be accomplished, then we ought to be willing for it to happen, right?
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LESSON 47: RESTING IN JESUS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of his study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1.	Understands the relationship with Jesus which will character-ize God's remnant people during the last final conflicts.
1.1	Explains the experience of "rest" as mentioned in Hebrews chapter 4 to include at least the following:
A.	Resting in the assurance of Christ's completed work for us.
B.	Resting in the covering of Christ's perfect righteous-ness, without submitting to doubt about its adequacy.
C.	Resting from any legalistic attempt to secure the king-dom on the basis of one's own works.
D.	Resting in the assurance that Christ will take care of all our needs during this time when the world is in com-plete chaos.
E.	Resting, with thoughtful intent, on God's day of rest.
1.2	Explains why this is such an essential experience for the people of God, as it represents complete submission and trust.
1.3	Interprets in this light the proper role of the Sabbath in the final conflict.
2.	Expresses an eagerness to enter into that rest.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
There is a strong tendency for discussions of the last days to rouse intense feelings of anxiety and dismay in the hearts of even very conscientious believers. Thus it is almost a startling contradiction to stress the central role of "resting in Jesus" in the experience of the believer in these last days. Yet it is clear that Israel failed to enter Canaan on their first arrival at the borders because they did not know the experience of rest-ing in the Lord. If we are to enter the Promised Land, we must do so by resting in Jesus!
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FROM THE WORD
SPECIAL NOTE: The opening paragraph under this section suggests that you distribute small pieces of paper to each student on which he can write a few words describing things which he believes will trouble him in the future. This serves a dual purpose. It awakens interest in the relevancy of the topic for each student. It also provides a way to ascertain, at the con-elusion of the lesson, whether the insights discovered do indeed meet his needs. Sort through the papers when they are handed in, screening out those which may have embarrassing personal references or would be otherwise counterproductive. You will use them later in the lesson, under INTO MY LIFE, number 3.
GOD1S WORD SAYS:
1.	Jesus invites us to come to Him, learn about Him, and take His yoke of
obedience and service. Then we can find rest in our souls-----rest from
fear, from a guilty conscience, from care and sorrow, and from trying and failing to obey, for He will give us strength to live His life.
2.	We have the promise that, if we will confess, or acknowledge, our sins, we can count on Him to forgive them and to cleanse us from the desire to keep on sinning. If we will surrender our foolish doubts, we can have the perfect rest that comes from knowing that we are indeed accepted in Christ.
3.	By faith in Christ, we learn not to look at what is happening in the world around, but to look at Christ who is well able to take care of us. We refuse to look where Satan wants us to look, for that will take our eyes off Jesus and will rob us of our restful, calm trust in God.
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES ********* TIMELY THOUGHTS ABOUT FAITH
The crucial factor in being able to rest in Jesus is a mature faith in Him. Many people still believe that faith is something that you make yourself believe in spite of a lack of evidence. This simply is not the case with Christian faith. Christian faith primarily and essentially begins with the evidence itself. It is confidence in a person because of the abundant, reasonable evidence. Because we have evidence to support our confidence, we are therefore able to trust Him even when things are happening which we do not currently understand.
As it is specifically applied to last-day events, the redeemed will have faith in God during the dark, trying hours that seem impossible to bear because they have come to know and trust God previously. Perhaps this simple diagram will help to explain it to the students. The heavy line at the left end represents abundant evidence; the more slender line toward the right represents situations where we don*t have immediate evidence to know what will happen. Faith is built at the left end and is therefore able to extend out into the unknowns at the right end. If it is not built, it cannot extend. Conclusion: We must get acquainted with Christ now. [Continued on next page.]
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FROM THE WORD
GOD’S WORD SAYS:
4. An important part of our worship on the Sabbath is that it is an expression of our resting in Jesus' completed work for us; that is, by His perfect life and sacrifice He has done what is necessary to accomplish my salva-tion. J can't work to add to what He has done. I can only trust and
rest in what He has done. Keeping the Sabbath is not something I do to earn my salvation. It is my joyous response to the one who has earned it for me! It is my special time of fellowship with Him.
5.	We can never be saved by working hard enough. We can only be saved by trusting in Jesus' work for us and in us. We are not to be anxious and fearful, for when we know that we are accepted in Christ, we have peace with God. Good works are not the issue; faith in Christ is the issue— faith that works by love and purifies the soul.
6.	Titles for the above five paragraphs might be as follows:
(1)	Resting from "do-it-yourself" religion.
(2)	Resting from guilt, fear, and rejection.
(3)	Resting in Christ's strong protection, in a troubled world.
(4)	Resting in Christ's finished work on the Sabbath.
(5)	Resting from self-righteousness.
7.	The person who is resting in Jesus will tend to be as active as Jesus was, doing the same kinds of things that Jesus did, for the life of Jesus is being imparted to such a believer.
8.	Attitudes of mind would include: trust, peace, confidence, willingness to obey, longing to know Him better, desire to make Him known, and similar attitudes.
9.	"Dear Lord, apart from You I am helpless, troubled, and defeated. I choose to rest my whole life in Your hands. I claim Your forgiveness for my guilt, Your power for my weakness, Your care for my troubles, Your friendship for my lonesomeness. I choose to rest in You."
********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
*י טי y V v v,
DIAGRAM ON FAITH, CONTINUED: *
Amount of
evidence
available:
AND THEREFORE CAN EXTEND HERE
FAITH IS BUILT HERE
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INTO MY LIFE
1.	[MEMORIZE] The memorization will be much more meaningful if the students can be encouraged to read the chapter from The Desire of Ages. Perhaps the students could bring their own copies and follow along while you read it for morning worship.
2.	[SELF-ANALYSIS] "Resting in Jesus" can be a rather obscure concept for a young Christian unless he sees specific ways in which that relationship touches the details of his life. The self-analysis provided here is not intended to provide a scientifically accurate analysis of onefs status of rest. Rather it is just another way of helping a student think concretely about his life.
It is evident that response number 1 in each case is the least desirable and response number 4 is the most desirable. Thus if a student is inclined to structure his responses to make himself appear more mature, he will have no trouble in doing so. Yet if he has the assurance that no one else will be looking at his responses, this should allow him to be more candid.
You will probably want to complete the self-analysis yourself and share some helpful reactions from your own heart.
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ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
Question: ״Does *resting in Jesus* mean that we don*t use any energy in living the Christian life? It sounds so relaxed and almost passive."
Suggested answer: Do you remember the things we studied in lesson 14 about co-operating with God? [See page 150, student*s textbook.] We learned there that we are very active in living like Christ, yet we are active only in the power that Christ gives us. We put forth energy, but He supplies the power to get it done. If we tried to overcome sin in our own strength, we wouldn*t be resting. If we didn't try to overcome sin at all, we would not be Christians. But we do try to overcome sin, trusting in Jesus and leaning on His power. Now that is rest.
Notice these thoughts from Ellen White: ״Now genuine faith always works by love; it supplies a motive power. Faith is not an opiate, but a stimulant. Looking to Calvary will not quiet your soul into non-performance of duty, but will create faith that will work, purifying the soul from all selfish-ness. In laying hold of Christ by faith, we but just begin our work."— Review and Herald, January 24, 1893.
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INTO MY LIFE
3.	[PROBLEM-SOLVING] This is an opportunity for the students to find out whether their discoveries actually meet their needs. Follow the instruc-tions as printed. You may need to nudge the students to see broader impli-cations in what they have studied. The person in the center who has drawn the slip stating the problem should insist that the advice given be practi-cal and valid.
4.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	For documentation of this event, see The Acts of the Apostles, pages 509-513. Reading that entire chapter will enable one to respond to this question with greater insight.
B.	Trust, depend, cooperate, rely, accept, believe, enjoy, faith.
C.	[The teacher may even set the pattern here if students seem reluctant to begin. Be personal.]
D.	One is resting from:
Guilt and condemnation.
The futility of self-sufficient attempts to obey.
Fear of the future.
Anxiety about personal needs.
Attempts to earn one’s salvation.
E.	[Personal responses invited here.]
TO SHARE
The sharing exercises here are mostly unstructured so that the student might feel all the more free to let his sharing flow from his own experience. The goal of this lesson is as much experiential as it is conceptual. After the students have had ample time to compose their responses, these could well be the basis for a season of testimonies right in the classroom. Suggest that the time of sharing might end with prayers of thanksgiving for the privilege of *1resting in Jesus.**
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TEACHER NOTES:
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LESSON 48: INTO HIS PRESENCE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of the study of this lesson the student should exhibit these behaviors:
1. Demonstrates an ever deeper desire to be in the presence of Jesus in the near future.
1.1	Acknowledges that the culminating goal of being transformed Into His Likeness is to be translated "Into His Presence."
1.2	Describes what it will be like to dwell in the presence of Jesus—within the limits of one's human capacity to comprehend such an experience.
2. Understands the basic requirements that are necessary in order to live in the presence of God.
2.1	Explains the necessity of completely harmonious values and attitudes within the heavenly kingdom.
2.2 Depicts the dangers that would result were one to be allowed into the free society of heaven while retaining values or atti-tudes not in harmony with the principles of God's government.
THE LESSON
INTRODUCTION
This lesson is written in the form of a travel brochure, or travel agency prospectus. The opening section identifies the journey and its particulars. The middle portion depicts the glories and privileges of the destination.
And the final part is an application form for prospective travelers. It has been designed this way to help the student embrace the reality of what too often seems to good to be real. Each part of the lesson should be read with care, for even the stylistic comments about the journey contain vital truths about being in heaven.
********* enrichment/alternatives *********
A PARABLE ABOUT THE JOYS OF HEAVEN
The parable which follows on the next few pages of the Teacher's Guide, as with Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus, is not intended to validate details of the afterlife. Rather it is intended to emphasize a crucial in-sight as to why character preparation is necessary prior to going to heaven.
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
A PARABLE ABOUT HEAVEN
The moment finally arrives---the moment for which George has been waiting
and longing all his life· George is walking up to the gates of heaven! Complete-ly overcome with awe, his arms hang limply at his side and his mouth hangs open in amazement· It is more grand and glorious than he had ever dreamed· Presently, Georgefs guardian angel appears, introduces himself, and invites George to come with him on a tour of the city·
They travel first to George1s beautiful mansion in the city· It represents the most fantastic design and is complete in every detail. George wanders through its spacious rooms in utter amazement· He observes the fine gold work around the doorways, the numerous rubies and emeralds worked right into the flooring· But he is most impressed by the huge diamonds which span the top of the picture window in the living room· He smiles as he reminds himself that diamonds are plentiful in the treasuries of heaven· Which gives him an idea! Working up a little extra courage, he turns to his angel·
״Excuse me, sir, but Ifm wondering if I could make one small request—that is, if it wouldnft be too much bother."
״Certainly," replies the angel. ״How can I help you?"
"Well, seeing that diamonds are so plentiful here in heaven, I was just kind of wondering if maybe I might ask for a few more of them along the top of that big picture window. And while we’re at it, maybe they could even be a bit bigger, too."
The angel makes a note on his tablet: "George wants more and bigger diamonds in his mansion." They move on through the rest of the mansion, coming at last to the spacious family room. George eagerly eyes the exquisite furniture that is so carefully arranged around the room. But the observant angel notices that, for just a moment, a cloud of disappointment flashes across George’s face.
"Is there something the matter?" the angel inquires.
"Well, perhaps I just haven’t spotted it yet; but I was wondering about the television."
״The television?"
"Yeah. I mean----well, if I’m going to be here forever, what in the world
am I going to do?"
"We had thought you might enjoy spending time talking with Jesus and with Paul, and learning about God’s creation, and---"
"Oh, sure! I plan to spend an hour each Sabbath morning doing those things, and maybe even a little time Sabbath afternoon. But whatever am I going to do on Saturday nights? And Monday nights? And Tuesday nights? After all, eternity is a long time, you know."
The angel makes another note: "George wants a TV in his mansion."
They step outside to view the beautifully landscaped grounds which surround
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
the mansion· As George is hastily scanning the flower beds, his eye catches sight of a person in the distance·
"Say, isn’t that old Harry over there? What’s he doing here, I wonder."
"Doing here?" replies the angel· ״He lives here· He’s your neighbor· That’s his mansion next door."
"Oh, wow!" moans George· ״Don’t J have any say in matters like this? We never were friends down there. I just donft like him· Now you say I have to live next door to him. Forever! Eternity is a long time, you know."
The angel makes another note: "George doesnft want to live next door to Harry." Then he suggests that they go visit Georgefs country home· George likes that idea· The angel proposes that they stop by the Garden of Eden en route and spend a few leisurely days exploring the marvels of Godfs creation·
״What?" protests George· ״Take all that time just looking at plants?"
״Donft you wish to enjoy God’s creation?"
"I’d much rather enjoy my other house!"
They make haste to George’s country home. George looks straight ahead the entire way there. The country home is all that he expected, and more! Yet he makes the same requests about diamonds, TV, the neighbors. The angel dutifully writes them in his tablet· On the way back to the city, George is filled with urgent questions about the entertainment schedule for the coming week. He is men-tally making plans for his first big party in his new mansion. He is working on
his list of who to invite----and who not to invite. He probes the angel with end-
less questions: Where is the nearest shopping center? What kinds of recreation are planned? How many hours per week does he have to spend thinking about religion?
As they near the city gate, George finally notices that the angel hasn’t been saying very much. He grows quiet too. They stop and, taking him off to one side, the angel looks George full in the face.
"George, do you really think you’re going to be happy here?"
"Why? What’s the matter? Can’t you make these few simple changes? Surely you can make just a few adjustments here and there-----"
"I’m sorry, George. You see, God has spent an eternity planning heaven in such a way that it will bring about the most happiness. All your requests are based on an entirely different concept of happiness. They never will blend."
"Well, then, just give me time. Maybe I can change. A couple hundred years-------"
"That’s what you’ve had your entire life to do. This is not the time for change. You just won’t be happy here. Think about it,George. And remember— eternity is a long time."
George thinks very seriously for several minutes. It is not easy, but he manages to pull all the factors together. Happiness is what he wants, and he
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********* ENRICHMENT/ALTERNATIVES *********
surely won’t get it here—not with Harry as a neighbor and no TV in the house.
He realizes that this is going to be one miserable place. Sorrowfully, he turns and trudges away.
About that time another person is arriving to view heaven for the first time. Dorothy is every bit as awed as George had been. As she stands in amazement, thrilling to the grandeur of it all, her angel steps up to her side.
11Welcome, Dorothy. Wefre so glad you are here! May I take you on a tour of the city? We could go by and look at your new mansion-11
"Thank you very much," Dorothy smiles. ״But if you don’t mind, could we let that wait a while? We’ll have plenty of time for that, won’t we?"
״Yes, indeed we will," the angel replies. ״Eternity is a long time. Perhaps then you would like to go to your country home? We could even look at the Garden of Eden on the way and enjoy God’s marvelous creation."
"We’ll have time for that, won’t we?" asks Dorothy.
״Then what shall we do first?"
Dorothy does not hesitate for even a moment. "Please, sir, could you take me to Jesus?"
The angel smiles and leads her off through the city until they come into the presence of One whose very appearance thrills every fiber in Dorothy’s body. The angel begins to make formal introductions; but Jesus and Dorothy aren’t noticing. They are looking deeply at each other, and in perfect unison they say,
11We have already met!”
****************************************
FROM THE WORD
NOTE: On the next several pages the students will find open spaces with short quotations—as though they were picture captions—placed in the boxes. The students are asked either to draw sketchs of what these captions might be describing, or to write in words or phrases which these captions suggest to the imagination. The dual options make provision for the nonartistic student, and also for the one who is weary of writing and has some artistic talent. In either case the goal is more to stimulate imagination than to communicate explicit facts. The intention is that the students might begin to invest larger amounts of their dreams and visions toward the wonderful inheritance to come.
OPTION:	Since one mind stimulates another, you may wish to have the students
work on this in pairs. Considerable freedom of approach can be allowed pro-vided they take the assignment seriously.
UPPER SPACE: Large throne with bright, glorious beams shining out. Happy faces gathered around. All is peaceful and joyous.
LOWER SPACE: The glorious city, lighted from within. No sun visible.
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T-510 to 513
Pictures, sentences, or phrases may depict the following (numbered according to the footnotes on the quotations):
Picture 1: Sitting at Jesus' feetf listening to Him talk.
Shouting for joy at the discovery of some new insight into divine love.
Talking interestedly with some Bible character or person from another world. One billion years later, still learning, praising, rejoicing.
Picture 2: One person helping another plant a garden or similar heavenly task.
A redeemed sinner explaining to an unfallen being the joys of salvation. Rejoicing at discovering a former enemy in heaven with you.
Picture 3: Persons gathered around Jesus (standing room only) asking questions.
Person’s face, looking very amazed and thrilled at new truth just discovered. Huge library of books, all filled with one’s own discoveries about God’s love.
Picture 4: Friends, gathered on big green lawns of heaven, rejoicing together.
One person introducing another to a new friend from another era.
Persons who had been spiritual companions on earth being reunited in heaven.
Picture 5: The entire heavenly universe, in concentric circles, around Christ. Redeemed casting their crowns at Jesus’ feet, oblivious to all else.
Picture 6: Persons with ”Safe to Save” written across foreheads—as with seal of God.
Persons naturally and spontaneously doing what is right in heaven.
Picture 7: Persons dressed in pure white robes—symbolizing purity of character. Doors without locks; tools without nameplates; no other evidences of sin.
Picture 8: Many persons being contentedly active doing something useful.
[Any number of scenes could be included here, depicting just about anything the student imagines will be done in heavenJ
Picture 9: Jesus or angels leading groups of people on explanation tours of the Garden of Eden.
Persons examining objects at close range, without aid of microscopes.
Persons traveling to other worlds, galaxies, exploring what they find there. Jesus pointing to the vast starry universe, explaining how it works.
Persons talking with individuals such as Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Peter.
Picture 10: Person playing a huge pipe organ—to the glory of God.
Persons singing in the heavenly choir.
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INTO MY LIFE
1· [MEMORIZE] Students may wish to select several verses from the last few chapters of Revelation and commit them to memory·
2.	[IMAGINE; EVALUATE] Young people often have some rather vivid imaginations of what they would like to do when they get to heaven· Yet at times these activities are little more than trivial earthly pleasures on a larger scale· This exercise encourages each student to evaluate the kinds of things he most wants to do in heaven. He may find that some activities he had wished for are out of harmony with heaven״s values. Those activities which are imagined strictly for their self-indulgent fun will have trouble offering an answer for the last question. But let the students fill them in without comment from the teacher; then do the following:
A.	Have students arrange the cards in order, with the ones on top being those which they are most eager to do or will want to do first.
B. Ask: "What was most important in your ordering: feelings or benefit?"
C.	״Did you have trouble thinking of something to write for 1benefit* on any of your cards? Why?"
D.	"Of the cards that you have in your hand, take out the ones which represent activities you will no longer be interested in after one million years. What do you have left?"
********* enrichment/alternatives ********* OPEN-ENDED RESPONSE POSTER
On a large sheet of poster paper, write the words ״Heaven is ... "
Post this on the bulletin board before the students arrive for class. Ask them to go to the poster as they feel like it and write or picture some-thing which will complete the sentence. Leave it on the board for the rest of the week for others to read.
TRAVEL POSTER
In keeping with the style of this lesson, invite the class to design a poster which will seek to persuade potential travelers to take the trip. The idea, of course, is to depict the destination in an attractive way.
HEAVEN PUZZLE
Cut a large sheet of paper (about 3י x 3י) into about nine interlocking pieces, as with a puzzle. Give each piece to a student or group of students. Have them put something on their piece which represents heaven. Reassemble the pieces and end up with a surprise collage about heaven!
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INTO MY LIFE
3.	[COMPARE; EVALUATE] In this, one of the last activities of the book, the class joins together to weigh the goals of this earth over against the goals of heaven. It will probably accomplish two things. First, it may show that many people are spending very little time thinking about the goals of heaven as compared to the time spent thinking about the goals of this world. Second, when the two sets of goals are compared, it should show that the ones of this earth are negligible next to those of heaven. Invite the students to volun-teer what they conclude are the most important statements they can make as a result of this activity.
4.	[DISCUSSION] Key ideas:
A.	The answer is evident; the impact of asking the question is the value. But invite free responses.
B.	Materialistic, self-centered interests will be out of place and soon meaningless in heaven. The only interests that will endure forever are unselfish, other-oriented ones. Are our present interests self-ish or unselfish?
C.	[Personal responses invited. Will probably include mention of ever-expanding capacity to know and to appreciate what we are learning.]
D.	Again the answer is evident; yet the students need to consider the question.
E.	This final quotation is presented as a means of leading the students into a spontaneous sharing about being in heaven with Jesus. Read-ing it together will provide a final gesture of unity. The questions which follow are invitations for unstructured sharing among friends. Try to encourage just such an experience.
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TO SHARE
The final TO SHARE activity is offered in a different form· It is an invi-tation for the student to make application for a trip to heaven. It is a type of personal commitment TO SHARE in the eternal fellowship of the heavenly courts. With the exception of the last question, the information is somewhat self-evident.
In question 3 the student will likely make reference to his relationship with Christ and his desire to be like Christ, to be with Christ, to reflect Christ. He certainly should avoid making refernce to his own goodness as the basis for his being accepted into heaven. The student should be encour-aged to keep this application form, even placing it in his Bible or other familiar place, for future encouragement
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Evaluation form for Into His Likeness
Units 4 to 8
ONumber of lessons was just about right.
OInsufficient; needed_____more lessons.
OMore than sufficient; had _____lessons left
to complete.
Very
Poor Fair Good Good Excellent
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
:	1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5
End of year lesson coordination (mark one):
Mark your overall reaction to the book by circling 1 to 5 on these items:
Its ability to achieve the learning goals:
Students1 enjoyment of the study:
Enjoyment, coherence from teacherfs view:
Perceived impact on student’s spiritual lif
Ability to sustain interest level all year:
Do you believe that any essential concepts were not given adequate coverage during the course? Please specify:
What method of evaluation did you use this year?
Were you pleased? How might your method be improved?
Have you perceived any marked behavior changes which you can attribute to the study of these lessons this past year? If so, please specify:
In what specific ways could the Teacher's Guide be improved?
Did you develop any of the community service projects as suggested in the textbook? If so, please evaluate briefly:
To your knowledge, what percentage of your students are engaging in personal devotions on their own:
How might you have been better prepared to teach these lessons?
In what specific ways would you suggest improving these last units, or the book as a whole? (Use reverse side if needed.)
1 5-T. G .
Write further comments here;
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ATTENTION: ELEMENTARY BIBLE TEXTBOOKS
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APPENDIX A
REWARDS, COMPETITION, AND PRIZES
Motivation is an essential element of study. And the teacher can be instru-mental in stimulating that motivation within the students. Yet it should be noted that certain types of incentives for study can be damaging to the spiritual and emotional health of the students. Since the motivations to study should harmonize with the content of the study in seeking to build up the spiritual and emotional life of the student, the following material is offered for the teacher’s careful study. Quotations from the inspired pen of Ellen G. White are followed by several proposed conclusions.
”Again and again Jesus had tried to establish this principle among His dis-ciples. When James and John made their request for pre-eminence, He had said, ’Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.’ Matt. 20:26. In My kingdom the principle of preference and supremacy has no place. The only great-ness is the greatness of humility. The only distinction is found in devotion to the service of others.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 650.
”Let the glory of the Lord be your first consideration. Repress every desire for worldly distinction, every ambition to secure the first place. Encourage heart purity and holiness, that you may represent the true principles of the gospel.”
—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 349.
”In our institutions of learning there was to be exerted an influence that would counteract the influence of the world, and give no encouragement to indul-gence in appetite, in selfish gratification of the senses, in pride, ambition, love of dress and display, love of praise and flattery, and strife for high re-wards and honors as recompense for good scholarship. All this was to be discour-aged in our schools.”—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 286.
”At such a time as this, what is the trend of the education given? To what motive is appeal most often made? To self-seeking. Much of the education given is a perversion of the name. In true education the selfish ambition, the greed for power, the disregard for the rights and needs of humanity, that are the curse of our world, find a counterinfluence. God’s plan has a place for every human being. Each is to improve his talents to the utmost; and faithfulness in doing this, be the gifts few or many, entitles one to honor. In God’s plan there is no place for selfish rivalry. Those who measure themselves by themselves, and com-pare themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12. Whatever we do is to be done ’as of the ability which God giveth.’ 1 Peter 4:11. It is to be done ’heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ Col-ossians 3:23, 24. Precious the service done and the education gained in carrying out these principles. But how widely different is much of the education now given! From the child’s earliest years it is an appeal to emulation and rivalry; it fosters selfishness, the root of all evil.
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״Thus is created strife for supremacy; and there is encouraged the system of ’cramming,’ which in so many cases destroys health and unfits for usefulness.
In many others, emulation leads to dishonesty; and by fostering ambition and dis-content, it embitters the life and helps to fill the world with those restless, turbulent spirits that are a continual menace to society."—Education, pp. 225, 226·
"More harm than good results from the practice of offering prizes and rewards. By it the ambitious pupil is stimulated to greater effort. Those whose mental powers are already too active for their physical strength are urged on to grasp subjects too difficult for the young mind. The examinations also are a trying ordeal for pupils of this class. Many a promising student has suffered severe illness, perhaps death, as the result of the effort and excitement of such occa-sions. Parents and teachers should be on their guard against these dangers."
—Counsels to Teachers, p. 270.
"We should not seek to imitate Sunday schools, nor keep up the interest by offering prizes. The offering of rewards will create rivalry, envy, and jealousy; and some who are the most diligent and worthy will receive little credit. . . .
Try none of these methods in your Sabbath schools; but let superintendents and teachers make every effort to have life and interest in their schools. What a blessing it would be if all would teach as Jesus taught!"—Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 182.
״Children need appreciation, sympathy, and encouragement, but care should be taken not to foster in them a love of praise. It is not wise to give them special notice, or to repeat before them their clever sayings. The parent or teacher who keeps in view the true ideal of character and the possibilities of achievement, cannot cherish or encourage self-sufficiency. He will not encourage in the youth the desire or effort to display their abilities or proficiency."—Education, p. 237.
"Flattery has been the food upon which many of our youth have been nourished; and those who have praised and flattered have supposed that they were doing right; but they have been doing wrong. Praise, flattery, and indulgence have done more toward leading precious souls into false paths, than any other art that Satan has devised."—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 304.
"It is a wicked pride that delights in the vanity of one’s own works, that boasts of one’s excellent qualities, seeking to make others seem inferior in order to exalt self, claiming more glory than the cold heart is willing to give to God."
—Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 223.
"We need to shun everything that would encourage pride and self-sufficiency; therefore we should beware of giving or receiving flattery or praise. It is Satan’s work to flatter. He deals in flattery as well as in accusing and condemnation.
Thus he seeks to work the ruin of the soul. Those who give praise to men are used by Satan as his agents. Let the workers for Christ direct every word of praise away from themselves. Let self be put out of sight. Christ alone is to be exalted. ’Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,’ let every eye be directed, and praise from every heart ascend. (Rev. 125.)”—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 161, 162.
״Those who were actuated by pride and love of distinction were thinking of themselves, and of the rewards they were to have, rather than how they were to render back to God the gifts they had received. They would have no place in the
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kingdom of heaven, for they were identified with the ranks of Satan."—The Desire of Ages, p. 436.
PROPOSED CONCLUSIONS
1.	The methods which are employed to stimulate motivation for studying have a direct bearing upon the character development of the students, with the possibility of eternal consequences.
2.	We must avoid every incentive which appeals to selfish desires and motiva-tion. We must shun that which would encourage the craving for praise or applause, or promote self-sufficiency, undercutting a dependence upon Christ.
3.	Students must embrace the goal of mastery of the material and mastery of a Christlike character (always a humbling experience), rather than the goal of mastery over other students (which produces smuggness or despair).
4.	The student must be encouraged to compare himself with Christ, but never to compare himself with another student or with the class.
5.	The class must learn to prize intrinsic rewards—the joys of learning of Christ and of making Him known; it must learn to neglect extrinsic rewards —the joys of selfish gratification and self-exaltation.
6.	There should be no striving—either in the classroom or on the playground —for the purpose of excelling over and above another student, or for the attainment of a prize available to only a few.
7.	The school community needs to consider candidly whether the offering of high grades as an incentive to study may constitute a violation of any of the principles God has revealed through the Bible and Ellen White.
8.	The custom of selecting a valedictorian and salutatorian, and of gradu-ating some select students "with honors," may need to be seriously reexamined in the light of the above counsel.
9.	The ideal incentive for study is the Bible class taught after the manner of Christ’s teaching: Spirit-led, life-related, simple, enthusiastic, and loving.
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APPENDIX B
GRADING AND EVALUATION
EVALUATION IS NECESSARY
While there is seldom much agreement as to the best method of evaluating a student’s learning, there is wide agreement that some form of evaluation is essen-tial to the learning process. The student must know, from the perspective of an experienced educator, how he is progressing. Parents deserve to know whether their child is accomplishing certain goals in school. The teacher needs some structured method for determining his own effectiveness in the classroom. The purpose of this Appendix is to explore some possible methods of evaluation which might effectively meet these needs while avoiding some of the unfortunate side effects which accompany some evaluation methods.
METHOD AFFECTS LEARNING
Students tend to modify their learning patterns according to the method of evaluation which is employed. They wish to meet the expectations which they see as defined for them by the evaluation scheme. For example, if the student is required to memorize a large number of correct facts in order to earn a high grade, his learning in the course will be largely fact-oriented. Furthermore, the evaluation scheme can directly affect attitudes toward learning itself. A student may study diligently primarily for the sake of scoring high on the grading chart; another student in the same class may not study at all because he believes from past experience that he has no chance to score high, or because scoring high is a meaningless goal to him. Methods of evaluation must be found which support and enhance the learning process. At the same time, we must avoid tailoring the learning process to fit into an evaluation scheme. Evaluation must always be sub-ordinate to the learning process.
GOALS OF AN EFFECTIVE METHOD
The most desirable evaluation method may be that which most effectively accom-plishes these goals:
1.	It is capable of communicating a quantity of information, sufficient to both commend the areas of strength and encourage the deficient areas, and to suggest specific means of improvement.
2.	It evaluates progress in terms of the learning objectives of the course, rather than measuring just certain learning skills.
3.	It encourages the kinds of learning which are most desirable, such as the abilities to make value judgments, perceive relationships, make personal applications, and similar products of the higher mental processes.
4.	It provides the student an opportunity to make his own evaluations of his learning efficiency, discern how this might improve, and commit himself to this course of action.
454
5.	It does not burden the student with the anxiety-producing threat of pro-nouncing him to be a failure· It avoids the attaching of greatly over-simpli-fied labels to the student (flHe is an F student")» and is sensitive to the risk of building a "failure identity" in the slow learner.
6. It accommodates, the admirable goal of allowing each student to develop at his own rate, as determined by his abilities and background, rather than forcing all students to measure up against a single absolute standard.
7.	It does not compare one student with another student, but compares each student,s achievement with the goals of the course.
8.	It can differentiate the several different kinds of learning and report separately on them when necessary.
THERE IS A NEED FOR CHANGE
The method of evaluation which has been widely used for many years—the
single letter (ABCDF, ESN) or single number (95%, 80%, etc.) system----reveals many
weaknesses. Some of these weaknesses are inherent and can be solved only by dis-continuing the method. Others are the result of misapplication of the method and could be alleviated by modifying the approach. Some of these weaknesses may be described as follows:
1.	By limiting the reporting to but one symbol, this method is incapable of communicating to the student or the parents meaningful information about the student's progress. It cannot identify separate areas of strength or weakness, nor deal with factors of personal readiness or ability.
2.	As a result of the above-mentioned limitation, this method tends to stereotype or catagorize students by use of oversimplified labels without giving due regard to their individuality or diversity. It lends itself to the injustice of dividing the class into "A students," ״B students," etc.
3.	This method of evaluation lends itself too easily to the scheme of "grade-getting" as the major motivation for study. Teachers tend to give material which can be "counted" on a test and the points added up; students give primary attention to memorizing lists of objective facts. This kind of grading method is not easily applicable to the types of learning which are of most value: the making of value judgments, perceiving relationships, etc.
4.	This system contains no convincing way to encourage the slow learner who may have truly excelled or showed marked progress in some areas. It must represent only the average, or compare him with the rest of the class.
5. The ABCDF systems tends very strongly toward the development of a failure self-image on the part of the student who regularly earns less than a ״B."
(In this regard it should be mentioned that, though it is insisted that a ״C״ represents average work, most students and virtually all parents consider that anything less than a ״B" is unacceptable work.) This outcome is partic-ularly unfair to the student who may be thorough and determined, but not quite so competent in the particular skill on which the grade is computed—usually rote memory. The result, of course, is that often large portions of the class view themselves as academic failures and succumb to the self-fulfilling pro-
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phecy. Seeing themselves as 1,the D-type student,1* they consider it futile to attempt greater accomplishments. Not wishing to confront the anxiety of con-tinued failure, they emotionally drop out of the learning experience.
SOME POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES
When deciding on an evaluation method for use in any given classroom, several factors must be considered, including the convictions of the teacher, the course content, the plan of evaluation in use in that school and in that union, coordi-nation with the school administration, and the readiness of the school community.
For this reason, it is not possible to prescribe any single method of evaluation for use with this text. The following list of options, however, may indicate some possible directions which the teacher can explore in developing a revised approach.
1.	Continue the existing grading method, yet supplement it with the Evalu-ation Cards described below. Assign letter grades to the student at the end of each grading period, then fill out an Evaluation Card at the end of each unit of study. This may be a necessary transitional plan in some cases.
But the amount of work involved in doing both methods, and some of the in-herent tensions between the two plans would likely prevent this from becoming a permanent arrangement.
2.	Modify the existing grading method to one using P (pass), NC (no credit);
PC (pass commended), PN (pass needing improved effort); or a similar approach. Then supplement these letters with the Evaluation Cards described below. (The relative advantages and disadvantages of the P NC or PC PN schemes can be	/
explored in a variety of books and articles dealing with these in recent edu-cational literature.) This compromise plan provides a single symbol for use
on transcripts and grade cards; yet it also diminishes the emphasis upon the grade as the single goal of learning, allowing greater emphasis to be placed upon the learning objectives of the course.
3.	Use the Evaluation Cards exclusively. This has the advantage of placing primary attention upon the specific learning objectives of the course, with the intention that the student will direct his learning toward the accomplish-ment of those objectives. Thus his mind is focused upon mastery of the con-tent rather than just on the accumulation of points toward getting a grade.
This method, however, runs the risk of an excessive subjectivity on the part of the teacher who is doing the evaluation. It requires that the teacher give careful thought to the data on which he bases his appraisals—usually the SUMMARIZE section of each lesson.
4.	The teacher devises his own evaluation method, in consultation with the administration, and in consonance with the goals of learning and evaluation.
EVALUATION CARDS
The next several pages contain proposed Evaluation Cards for use with this course. They list, by unit, the learning objectives of the course and pro-vide a place for the teacher to write in a short written evaluation of the student*s accomplishments in relation to those objectives. Space is pro-vided, also, for the teacher to write in other objectives of his own choos-ing. Then follows spaces for general comments and the teacherfs signature.
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The teacher who elects to use these Evaluation Cards should plan to duplicate sufficient quantities of each one to provide for three copies per student. With sheets of carbon paper between them, all three can be filled out at once. One copy is sent to the parents, one copy is given to the student, and one copy goes on file with the school.
The teacher can most rapidly prepare himself to complete these evaluation forms by asking the students to turn in their completed lessons for that unit.
He then quickly scans through the lesson pages, observing thoroughness and obvious evidences of thought and involvement with the ideas. He pays special attention to the TO SHARE pages as the basis for his evaluation of the learning objectives. The teacher may find that such as approach actually takes less time than the more traditional procedure of adding up points all during the unit, then computing averages, curves, and percentages.
SOME OBSERVATIONS
This approach to evaluation must not be perceived as doing away with grades! Rather it is an attempt to provide a more complete and appropriate method of eval-uation. Nor should it be concluded that doing away with grades (in the traditional sense of *1grades") will take away all incentive to study. It is likely that more extensive evaluation will result in more extensive motivation—a motivation properly grounded in the course objectives.
There is appropriate concern over adopting such an approach in the Bible class when most other classes on campus may be using the traditional approach.
Will a student regard a class in which he receives an Evaluation Card with as much esteem as the class in which he can earn an A? This depends on many factors, in-eluding the climate of competitiveness, the exciting relevance of the Bible class, and the personal attitudes of the students. Yet it would be unfortunate to have the Bible class resort to its grading method, rather than to Its content and rele-vance, to establish its esteem in the eyes of the students.
RELATED READING ON EVALUATION
Gronlund, Norman E. Stating Behavioral Objectives for Classroom Instruction. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1970. Note in particular the chapter, "Using Instructional Objectives in Marking and Reporting," pp. 45-50.
Glasser, William, M.D. Schools Without Failure. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1969.
National Education Association. Marking and Reporting Pupil Progress.
NEA Research Division, No. 434-22854. Washington, D.C.: 1970.
Silberman, Arlene. ״Bold New Directions for U.S. High Schools.11 The Readers Digest, August, 1970, pp. 87-91.
Wilder, Romilda. "Shall We Embroider or Teach?" The Journal of Adventist Education, Vol. 34, No. 4 (April-May, 1972), pp. 14ff.
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Bible Course: Into His Likeness
________________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT ONE
Student's Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1.	Understands the special relation- 1.__________________________
ship with Christ which is necessary for salvation.
2.	Understands how to establish the 2_l above-mentioned relationship with Christ.
3.	Understands how to maintain and _3^ deepen that faith relationship with
Christ, and engages in self-directed _______
activities to do so.
4.	4.
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbooks (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful 1	2
Involvement in class learning situations: interested 1	2
helpful 1	2
Comments:
Teacher's Signature
Bible Course: Into His Likeness
________________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT TWO
Student's Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1.	Appreciates the extreme importance 1^__________________________
of knowing God personally as He is
revealed in the inspired records.	__________________________
2.	Understands the means which are 2l1____________________________
available to him by which he can gain
a better knowledge of God.	__________________________
3.	Understands how to use these var- 3^___________________________
ious channels of communication in his
own life.	__________________________
4.	4.
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbook (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful	1	2
Involvement in class learning situations	interested	1	2
helpful	1	2
Comments:
Teacher's Signature
Bible Course: Into His Likeness
________________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT THREE
Student’s Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1.	Understands the Biblical position 1·___________________________
on several key concepts of Christianity,
such as guilt, surrender, sin, good _______________________________
works, health, and victorious living·
2.	Understands that Jesus is the	2^_________________________
central and constant focus of the
Christian life·
3· Affirms that it is possible to	3.
live the victorious Christian life, and demonstrates a desire to do so·
4.	4.
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbooks (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful 1	2
Involvement in class learning situations: interested 1	2
helpful 1	2
Comments:
Teacher1s Signature
Bible Course: Into His Likeness * 2 3 4
_______________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT FOUR
Student’s Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1· Appreciates the Christian goal of L·.___________________________
being transformed into Christ’s like-
ness·	___________________________
2.	Understands that the primary means Ά1__________________________
of accomplishing this goal is by be-
holding Christ.	___________________________
3.	Understands the major attitude and JL__________________________
value changes which are likely to be
evidenced in the life of a growing	___________________________
Christian.
4.	4.________________________
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbooks (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful 1	2
Involvement in class learning situations: interested 1	2
helpful 1	2
Comments:
Teacher’s Signature
Bible Course: Into His Likeness
_________________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT FIVE
Student's Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1.	Understands the ways in which a	______________________________________________
growing relationship with Christ will
change his relationships with other __________________________________________________
persons.
2.	Appreciates the marked contrast 21________________________________________________
between Christian and non-Christian
behaviors, and shows preference for __________________________________________________
the latter.
3.	Understands the redemptive influ- 21______________________________________________
ence which a Christian is to have on
other people.	______________________________________________
4.	4.	________________________________
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbooks (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful 1	2
Involvement in class learning situations: interested 1	2
helpful 1	2
Comments:
Teacher's Signature
Bible Course:	Into His Likeness
_________________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT SIX
Student's Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1.	Understands	those unique beliefs	.1·_________________________
which distinguish a Seventh-day Adven-
tist from the rest of Christianity. _______________________________
2.	Appreciates	the reasons for the	21__________________________
different aspects of life-style which
characterize Seventh-day Adventists. ______________________________
3.	Demonstrates positive, supportive	21__________________________
attitudes towards his own religious
heritage.	____________________________
4.	4.
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbook (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful 1	2
Involvement in class learning situations: interested 1	2
helpful 1	2
Comments:
Teacher's Signature
Bible Course: Into His Likeness
_____________________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT SEVEN
Student’s Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1.	Understands the Biblical view of lj________________________________________________
v | holiness, in the sense of whole-ness
for God.	______________________________________________
2.	Appreciates	the	specific aspects	2j____________________________________________
of holiness revealed through the per-
sonalities studied in this unit.	______________________________________________
3.	Appreciates	the	means which are	_3j____________________________________________
available to the student by which he
might become holy.	______________________________________________
4.	4.
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbook (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful 1	2
Involvement in class learning situations: interested 1	2
helpful 1	2
Comments:
Teacherי s Signature
Bible Course: Into His Likeness * 1
________________________ EVALUATION CARD FOR UNIT EIGHT
Student's Name
OBJECTIVES	EVALUATIONS
1.	Understands the personal prepara- —-----------------------------
tion necessary in anticipation of the
final events of this world soon to	---------------------------
come.
2.	Appreciates the specific relation- -----------------------------
ship with Jesus necessary in order to
be victorious with Him.	---------------------------
3.	Evidences a sense of urgency in	---------------------------
regard to making the needed prepara-
tion.	---------------------------
4.	4.
345 very sketchy 345 superficial 345 disinterested 345 distracting
Daily work in textbook (circle one):	very complete 1	2
thoughtful 1	2
Involvement in class learning situations: interested 1	2
helpful 1	2
Comments:
Teacher's Signature
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APPENDIX C
LEARNING IN SMALL GROUPS
Into His Likeness employs a large number of small-group learning situations. This style of learning has been given such prominence for a variety of reasons.
ADVANTAGES OF THE SMALL GROUP
1.	The small group opens many opportunities for each student to become in-volved at an actively verbal level in the learning interaction. In contrast to the typical setting where the teacher and several outspoken students
are the only ones openly involved, the small group allows an opening for all.
2.	The small group encourages open sharing of personal religious concepts among peers. Youth will often speak freely with each other on most any topic other than spiritual themes; then this pattern is carried over into adult life and greatly hampers Christian fellowship. The small group in Bible class can initiate an attitude of openness with others in which the topics which should mean the most to a person can be shared with friends.
3.	Recent research has indicated that persons are more profoundly affected by relationships than by concepts. Behavior is modified more quickly and completely by the influence of friends than by the influence of ideas. The small group seeks to combine these two elements, exploring ideas openly with friends. It seeks to mobilize the inherent powers of the peer group in the direction of proper change of behavior and attitude.
4.	The small group is one of the best places for youth to learn patterns of social interaction which are goal-oriented. Most of the small-group activities in this book ask the group to accomplish a set task, arrive at a collective conclusion, or prepare a group report. This can teach by practice the useful skills of working together toward a goal. And few experiences can build a stronger bond of friendship than working together in a task-oriented group!
5.	A spiritual idea or concept will have much greater meaning for the person who holds it if he can verbalize it within a short time after he embraces the idea. The small group invites frequent sharing of these ideas as they are being explored and embraced. Since the size of the ,*audience'1 is small, the usual anxieties connected with speaking out to a group are minimized.
6.	One of the marked qualities of God’s loyal people is a rich bond of deeply spiritual fellowship which so flavors all their conversation and interaction that it is noticed with admiration by non-Christians looking on. See Acts 2: 42-47; 4:32-37, NEB. Sharing in small groups initiates the student into many of the characteristics of that style of life, especially as they pray together an learn to talk candidly about their own lives.
7.	The small group can expand a student’s friendship circles as he discovers that he has goals in common with many within the classroom.
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SMALL-GROUP TECHNIQUES
Group size» The concept of the small group envisions a group of between five and seven students, though even this can fluctuate some from time to time as the nature of the task may indicate. A smaller group tends to threaten the more timid student since the setting appears too intense and intimate. A larger group tends to allow "coasting” on the part of those who passively wait for others to accomplish the tasks.
How to divide. A wide variety of appraoches can be employed in dividing the classroom into small groups. At the first of the year the teacher will probably direct the dividing on a rather arbitrary basis, such as: all of one row from front to back will be in one group; all of one row from left to right; the front right corner, front left corner, etc.; all the boys from A to M; all the brown-eyed girls, all the blue- and green-eyed girls, etc.; and similar means. Try rotating methods, using a different, surprise one each day. At other times, the same group may work together each day for a week or more. Later in the year, when all are more comfortable with the concept, try letting the students form their own groups on a spontaneous basis. But be cautious about the loner who may feel slighted if left out of a group. Feel free to change group membership if a certain combination of students becomes counterproductive.
Group leadership. To a certain degree, the task which the group must accom-plish will provide direction for the group. There are advantages, however, to designating a student in the group whose specific responsibility it is to direct the group toward its goals should they begin to wander. This can be done by the teacher who will simply say, ״Jim, will you be the leader in your group today?"
In this way, rotation of responsibility can be encouraged, allowing for several students to learn the skills of leadership. At other times the group may elect their own leadership by consensus. Look for an occasion to tell the class that the best kind of leadership works by example and request rather than by command.
Conclusion-oriented. The whole approach of small-group learning will fall into rapid disrepair if the students lose sight of the goals of their groups.
Each group that is formed should have specific goals clearly in mind as they begin their sharing for the day. An excellent way to keep this realistically before them is to assign the group the responsibility of reporting their findings to the rest of the class.
Group prayer. Few things will bind a group together more closely than the experience of praying together regarding themes they have been discussing. On many occasions, the topic being discussed could lead naturally into a session of group prayer. Ideally the groups should feel free to end any session with prayer, yet not feel pressure to end every session with prayer.
RELATED READING
Coleman, Lyman. Groups in Action. Waco, Texas: Word Incorporated, 1971.
Howard, Walden, compiler. Groups That Work. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub-lishing House, 1967.
Fuller, Geri Ann. "Church of the Saviour," Insight, Vol. 5, No. 5 (January 29, 1974), pp. 6-10.
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