Sabbath School Study Hour

'We need to be careful not to let rules and regulations become an end in and of themselves rather than a means to an end, which is to reflect the character of Jesus. What are ways that, even unintentionally, we can follow the letter of the law while violating the spirit behind it?'

'When opposition gets in the way of doing what we believe God calls us to do, we have the tendency to question and doubt God’s guidance. We can easily convince ourselves that we made a mistake. Fear can paralyze our minds, and our thoughts turn to despair and helplessness instead of being focused on the power of God.'

'What excuses do we often find that keep us from doing the things we know the Lord would have us do?'

'Nehemiah doesn’t begin with a cry for help, but rather first states the truth about who God is, Great and Awesome. He also points out that God keeps His covenant and has mercy on those who love Him, as if to remind God that He has always been faithful and cannot now be any other way.'

'Our best performance comes from a realization of who God is and what He has done, and from knowing how He lovingly intervenes on behalf of His people.'

'Both evangelism and the desire for justice spring from recognizing God’s love for lost, broken, and hurt people—a love that also grows in our hearts under the influence of God in our lives. We don’t choose one action or another; instead, we work with God in working with people, meeting their real needs, and using whatever resources God has entrusted us with.'

'If it is real, our faith will cause us to die to self and live more for others. Our faith helps us imagine the world and its people as God sees them, in both their goodness and their brokenness, and it impels us to seek to help those in need, to whatever degree possible.'

'How can and should the hope and promise of Jesus’ return impact how we live now, especially in the context of helping those in need?'

'We can accept that God loves people other than just ourselves. He loves those we love, and we rejoice in that. He also loves those we reach out to, and our recognition of this truth is often our motivation for our own reaching out to them. But He also loves those whom we are uncomfortable with, or even afraid of. God loves all people, everywhere, even those whom we might not particularly like.'

'If you were to pass away, would your contribution be mourned and missed like the ministry of Dorcas was remembered and mourned? How can we leave a better legacy of service? What practical skills do you have—like Dorcas’s skills with making garments—that you might use in service to others?'