["“What obvious truth causes the saints to squirm? Simply this: The church exists for mission. The church lives by mission as fire exists by oxygen. The church does not exist for itself.” - Bill Hull\n\n“The focus of a church’s staff, leadership, and core congregation is not to be inward, but outward. The church’s mission is penetration into the world, as its metaphors instruct us. Salt, light, leaven, army, ambassadors, pilgrims, all denote movement and penetration. The church grows when members become more effective in penetration.” - Bill Hull\n\n“The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago—a revelation of Christ. A great work of reform is demanded, and it is only through the grace of Christ that the work of restoration, physical, mental, and spiritual, can be accomplished.\n\n“Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’\n\n“There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.”\n- Ellen White (MH 142-143)", "“What obvious truth causes the saints to squirm? Simply this: The church exists for mission. The church lives by mission as fire exists by oxygen. The church does not exist for itself.” - Bill Hull\n\n“The focus of a church’s staff, leadership, and core congregation is not to be inward, but outward. The church’s mission is penetration into the world, as its metaphors instruct us. Salt, light, leaven, army, ambassadors, pilgrims, all denote movement and penetration. The church grows when members become more effective in penetration.” - Bill Hull\n\n“The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago—a revelation of Christ. A great work of reform is demanded, and it is only through the grace of Christ that the work of restoration, physical, mental, and spiritual, can be accomplished.\n\n“Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’\n\n“There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.”\n- Ellen White (MH 142-143)"]

["“You were made for relationships.\n\n“This fact takes us back to the beginning. It asks the basic questions,\n‘Who are we, and how important are our relationships?’ In\nGenesis 2:18, God says that it is not good for man to be ‘alone.’\nThis statement has more to do with God’s design for humanity\nthan Adam’s neediness. God created us to be relational beings because\nhe is a social God. God lives in community within the Trinity\nas Father, Son, and Spirit, and he made humanity in his image.\nGenesis 2 is not speaking primarily to Adam’s experience of being\nlonely as much as it is revealing his nature as the person God created\nhim to be. . . . While Genesis 2 does address how male and\nfemale complement each other, the implications are broader to include\nall human relationships.”\n- Lane and Tripp\n\n“Christ has given to the church a sacred charge. Every member\nshould be a channel through which God can communicate to the\nworld the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ.\nThere is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who\nwill represent to the world His Spirit and His character. There is\nnothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through\nhumanity of the Saviour's love. All heaven is waiting for men and\nwomen through whom God can reveal the power of Christianity.”\n- Ellen White, Acts of the Apostles, pg. 600", "“You were made for relationships.\n\n“This fact takes us back to the beginning. It asks the basic questions,\n‘Who are we, and how important are our relationships?’ In\nGenesis 2:18, God says that it is not good for man to be ‘alone.’\nThis statement has more to do with God’s design for humanity\nthan Adam’s neediness. God created us to be relational beings because\nhe is a social God. God lives in community within the Trinity\nas Father, Son, and Spirit, and he made humanity in his image.\nGenesis 2 is not speaking primarily to Adam’s experience of being\nlonely as much as it is revealing his nature as the person God created\nhim to be. . . . While Genesis 2 does address how male and\nfemale complement each other, the implications are broader to include\nall human relationships.”\n- Lane and Tripp\n\n“Christ has given to the church a sacred charge. Every member\nshould be a channel through which God can communicate to the\nworld the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ.\nThere is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who\nwill represent to the world His Spirit and His character. There is\nnothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through\nhumanity of the Saviour's love. All heaven is waiting for men and\nwomen through whom God can reveal the power of Christianity.”\n- Ellen White, Acts of the Apostles, pg. 600"]

['“We live in a world of sin. We are sinners. But we need not remain under the power of sin. I recently joined a group of friends on a whale-watching excursion in the North Atlantic Ocean. The sea was rough. We were thrilled to watch the huge creatures gracefully playing in the ocean by the side of our tiny boat. Then a large wave came over the prow of the boat. My friends on the lower deck got drenched. Fortunately, the water rushed over the deck and ran out the back of the ship.\nSomeone shouted, "It\'s all right to have the ship in the ocean, but it\'s not a good thing to have the ocean in the ship."\nWe do live in an evil world. But it is not God\'s will that evil con-tinue to rule within our lives. God has made provision to give us victory over sin. He has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that be-lieveth" (Rom. 1:16). Without Jesus there is no hope, for "neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).\nJesus spoke of this salvation as a new-birth experience. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). In His interview with Nicodemus, Jesus repeated thrice this divine imperative of new birth. Paul also emphasized this necessity for new life. Humbled in the dust of the Damascus highway, he saw what the gospel of Jesus is all about. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).\nThis is the good news. In Jesus there is hope for every sinner. Through Him we have forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and peace. Through Him we be come sons and daughters of God. Through Him we have new life.”\n- James Zachary, “New Life in Jesus” Ministry Magazine, 1995', '“We live in a world of sin. We are sinners. But we need not remain under the power of sin. I recently joined a group of friends on a whale-watching excursion in the North Atlantic Ocean. The sea was rough. We were thrilled to watch the huge creatures gracefully playing in the ocean by the side of our tiny boat. Then a large wave came over the prow of the boat. My friends on the lower deck got drenched. Fortunately, the water rushed over the deck and ran out the back of the ship.\nSomeone shouted, "It\'s all right to have the ship in the ocean, but it\'s not a good thing to have the ocean in the ship."\nWe do live in an evil world. But it is not God\'s will that evil con-tinue to rule within our lives. God has made provision to give us victory over sin. He has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that be-lieveth" (Rom. 1:16). Without Jesus there is no hope, for "neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).\nJesus spoke of this salvation as a new-birth experience. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). In His interview with Nicodemus, Jesus repeated thrice this divine imperative of new birth. Paul also emphasized this necessity for new life. Humbled in the dust of the Damascus highway, he saw what the gospel of Jesus is all about. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).\nThis is the good news. In Jesus there is hope for every sinner. Through Him we have forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and peace. Through Him we be come sons and daughters of God. Through Him we have new life.”\n- James Zachary, “New Life in Jesus” Ministry Magazine, 1995']

['“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilder-ness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vine-yards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.” Hosea 2:14–15 (ESV)\n\nGod is the great romantic—Scripture bursting with the story of his persistent, passionate efforts to win human hearts through the reve-lation of his love. Whether or not we are involved in a romantic human relationship, we are all the center of God’s personal affec-tion. “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. ” Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT) “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9–10 (NKJV) “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6–8 (ESV) Don’t make him wait: release your heart to the One who has always—will always—love you.', '“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilder-ness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vine-yards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.” Hosea 2:14–15 (ESV)\n\nGod is the great romantic—Scripture bursting with the story of his persistent, passionate efforts to win human hearts through the reve-lation of his love. Whether or not we are involved in a romantic human relationship, we are all the center of God’s personal affec-tion. “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. ” Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT) “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9–10 (NKJV) “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6–8 (ESV) Don’t make him wait: release your heart to the One who has always—will always—love you.']

["“From the simple Bible account of how Jesus healed the sick, we may learn something about how to believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade him, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ The sick man might have said, ‘Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word.’ But, no, he believed Christ's word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole.\n\nIn like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed, —God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed.\nIt is so if you believe it.\n\nDo not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, ‘I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised.’”\n - Steps to Christ, pgs. 50-51", "“From the simple Bible account of how Jesus healed the sick, we may learn something about how to believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade him, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ The sick man might have said, ‘Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word.’ But, no, he believed Christ's word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole.\n\nIn like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed, —God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed.\nIt is so if you believe it.\n\nDo not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, ‘I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised.’”\n - Steps to Christ, pgs. 50-51"]

['“[Love] believes all things, hopes all things.” —1 Corinthians 13:7, NKJV\n“In the deep and private corridors of your heart, there is a room. It’s called the Appreciation Room. It’s where your thoughts go when you encounter positive and encouraging things about your spouse. And every so often, you enjoy visiting this special place.\nOn the walls are written kind words and phrases describing the good attrib-utes of your mate. . . . ‘Honest’ and ‘intelligent’ . . . ‘hard worker,’ ‘wonderful cook,’ or ‘beautiful eyes.’ They are things you’ve discovered about your hus-band or wife that have embedded themselves in your memory.\nMany of these delightful memories were written in the early stages of your relationship. Over the years, we often end up spending less and less of our time in the ‘Appreciation Room,’ and instead end up down the hall in another room: the ‘Depreciation Room.’ “On its walls are written the things that bother and irritate you most about your spouse. You placed these words and opin-ions there out of frustration, hurt feelings, and the disappointment of unmet expectations. . . . Divorces are plotted in this room and violent plans are schemed. The more time you spend in this place, the more your heart deval-ues your spouse.\nLove knows about the Depreciation Room and does not live in denial that it exists.\nBut love chooses not to live there. . . .\nYou must develop the habit of reining in your negative thoughts and focusing on the positive attributes of your mate. This is a crucial step as you learn to lead your heart to truly love your spouse. It is a decision that you make, whether they deserve it or not.” - The Love Dare, #7.', '“[Love] believes all things, hopes all things.” —1 Corinthians 13:7, NKJV\n“In the deep and private corridors of your heart, there is a room. It’s called the Appreciation Room. It’s where your thoughts go when you encounter positive and encouraging things about your spouse. And every so often, you enjoy visiting this special place.\nOn the walls are written kind words and phrases describing the good attrib-utes of your mate. . . . ‘Honest’ and ‘intelligent’ . . . ‘hard worker,’ ‘wonderful cook,’ or ‘beautiful eyes.’ They are things you’ve discovered about your hus-band or wife that have embedded themselves in your memory.\nMany of these delightful memories were written in the early stages of your relationship. Over the years, we often end up spending less and less of our time in the ‘Appreciation Room,’ and instead end up down the hall in another room: the ‘Depreciation Room.’ “On its walls are written the things that bother and irritate you most about your spouse. You placed these words and opin-ions there out of frustration, hurt feelings, and the disappointment of unmet expectations. . . . Divorces are plotted in this room and violent plans are schemed. The more time you spend in this place, the more your heart deval-ues your spouse.\nLove knows about the Depreciation Room and does not live in denial that it exists.\nBut love chooses not to live there. . . .\nYou must develop the habit of reining in your negative thoughts and focusing on the positive attributes of your mate. This is a crucial step as you learn to lead your heart to truly love your spouse. It is a decision that you make, whether they deserve it or not.” - The Love Dare, #7.']

['Some of what we think about as we begin the new year is\nincreased personal effectiveness, but what does it mean\nto get things done? To accomplish what is essential?\nHere are seven myths, busted.\n\n“Myth #1: Productivity is about getting more done faster.\nTruth: Productivity is about effectiveness first, not efficiency.\n“Myth #2: The way to be productive is to have the right techniques and tools.\nTruth: Productivity comes first from character, not techniques.\n“Myth #3: It is not essential to give consideration to what God has to say about productivity.\nTruth: We cannot be truly productive unless all our activity stems from\nlove for God and the acknowledgment that he is sovereign over all\nour plans.\n“Myth #4: It is not essential to make the gospel central in our view of productivity.\nTruth: The only way to be productive is to realize that you don’t have to be\nproductive.\n“Myth #5: The aim of time management should be our peace of mind.\nTruth: Productivity is first about doing good for others to the glory of God.\n“Myth #6: The way to succeed is to put yourself first.\nTruth: We become most productive by putting others first, not ourselves.\n“Myth #7: We will have peace of mind if we can get everything under control.\nTruth: Basing our peace of mind on our ability to control everything will\nnever work.”\n- Matt Perman, What’s Best Next', 'Some of what we think about as we begin the new year is\nincreased personal effectiveness, but what does it mean\nto get things done? To accomplish what is essential?\nHere are seven myths, busted.\n\n“Myth #1: Productivity is about getting more done faster.\nTruth: Productivity is about effectiveness first, not efficiency.\n“Myth #2: The way to be productive is to have the right techniques and tools.\nTruth: Productivity comes first from character, not techniques.\n“Myth #3: It is not essential to give consideration to what God has to say about productivity.\nTruth: We cannot be truly productive unless all our activity stems from\nlove for God and the acknowledgment that he is sovereign over all\nour plans.\n“Myth #4: It is not essential to make the gospel central in our view of productivity.\nTruth: The only way to be productive is to realize that you don’t have to be\nproductive.\n“Myth #5: The aim of time management should be our peace of mind.\nTruth: Productivity is first about doing good for others to the glory of God.\n“Myth #6: The way to succeed is to put yourself first.\nTruth: We become most productive by putting others first, not ourselves.\n“Myth #7: We will have peace of mind if we can get everything under control.\nTruth: Basing our peace of mind on our ability to control everything will\nnever work.”\n- Matt Perman, What’s Best Next']

['Life is full of opportunity. And detours. And wild rabbits. And\ndeeply satisfying success. And devastating dead ends. Is there a\nway to navigate life that results in less disappointment and distraction—\nmore satisfaction and ultimate success? I think so.\nToday we’ll begin a journey together, entitled Essential Living.\nTogether we’ll explore how to live the most satisfying, meaningful\nand value-filled life possible. In today’s lesson, Oriented Heart, I’ll\naim to answer the question: what is the essential orientation of\nheart that leads to the most satisfying outcome? The deepest sense\nthat we’re living a life of actual significance? We’ll drill down\nthrough several Biblical passages and discover a powerful, lifedefining\nconvergence.\nUltimately, I’d like Essential Living to inspire you to ask yourself\nsome questions: How am I living each day aligned with essential\nthings? Stuff that actually matters? Where am I spinning my\nwheels or pursuing stuff that has little, no or negative value? How\ncan I take steps toward a life of greater meaning and increased significance?\nWhat’s the first step I can take right now? What’s holding\nme back from taking that step?\nI can’t wait to take this journey with you—and I’m so glad you’re\nhere to begin with me today! May 2019 be an unfolding journey of\nwonder and delight. And significance.', 'Life is full of opportunity. And detours. And wild rabbits. And\ndeeply satisfying success. And devastating dead ends. Is there a\nway to navigate life that results in less disappointment and distraction—\nmore satisfaction and ultimate success? I think so.\nToday we’ll begin a journey together, entitled Essential Living.\nTogether we’ll explore how to live the most satisfying, meaningful\nand value-filled life possible. In today’s lesson, Oriented Heart, I’ll\naim to answer the question: what is the essential orientation of\nheart that leads to the most satisfying outcome? The deepest sense\nthat we’re living a life of actual significance? We’ll drill down\nthrough several Biblical passages and discover a powerful, lifedefining\nconvergence.\nUltimately, I’d like Essential Living to inspire you to ask yourself\nsome questions: How am I living each day aligned with essential\nthings? Stuff that actually matters? Where am I spinning my\nwheels or pursuing stuff that has little, no or negative value? How\ncan I take steps toward a life of greater meaning and increased significance?\nWhat’s the first step I can take right now? What’s holding\nme back from taking that step?\nI can’t wait to take this journey with you—and I’m so glad you’re\nhere to begin with me today! May 2019 be an unfolding journey of\nwonder and delight. And significance.']

['When we celebrate the communion, we are captivated by all that the New Covenant promises embrace, swept up in the hope of a new world. All this, is woven into the very fabric of the commun-ion service. It is indeed a time of remembering what was, celebrat-ing what is and anticipating what is to yet be through Christ.', 'When we celebrate the communion, we are captivated by all that the New Covenant promises embrace, swept up in the hope of a new world. All this, is woven into the very fabric of the commun-ion service. It is indeed a time of remembering what was, celebrat-ing what is and anticipating what is to yet be through Christ.']

['“Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift.\nFor the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.\nAnd the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the re-sult of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.\nFor the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of right-eousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.\nYes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.\nBecause one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made right-eous.”\n- Romans 5:14–19 (NLT)', '“Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift.\nFor the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.\nAnd the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the re-sult of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.\nFor the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of right-eousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.\nYes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.\nBecause one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made right-eous.”\n- Romans 5:14–19 (NLT)']