Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Ministry,” pp. 426–431;

“Who Is the Greatest?” pp. 432–442, in The Desire of Ages.

“Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven

chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place

before God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for

God. The heavenly intelligences can co-operate with him who is seeking, not to exalt self, but to save souls.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire

of Ages, p. 436.

“By all that has given us advantage over another,—be it education

and refinement, nobility of character, Christian training, religious

experience,—we are in debt to those less favored; and, so far as lies

in our power, we are to minister unto them. If we are strong, we are to

stay up the hands of the weak. Angels of glory, that do always behold

the face of the Father in heaven, joy in ministering to His little ones.

Trembling souls, who have many objectionable traits of character,

are their special charge. Angels are ever present where they are most

needed, with those who have the hardest battle with self to fight, and

whose surroundings are the most discouraging. And in this ministry

Christ’s true followers will co-operate.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 440.

Discussion Questions:

Ê Read again Mark 8:27–29. How often do you confess to others

your belief in Jesus as the Christ?

Ë What is the right balance between the mountaintop experience

of communion with Christ and the down-on-the-plain experience

of service to others’ needs?

Ì In class, discuss the answer to the question about greatness

at the end of Wednesday’s study. What did you determine is the

difference between how the world views greatness and how God

does? Who are some of the people the world deems great that perhaps God doesn’t? In contrast, whom might God deem great that

the world ignores or even disdains? What does this difference tell

us about how warped and twisted the world’s ideals really are?

Í How can we learn to take sin so seriously that, as Jesus said,

you’re better off to be maimed than to sin?