v

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 55, 56

“Through Moses the Lord had said, ‘Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart. .

. . Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,

but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ Leviticus 19:17, 18. The truths which

Christ presented were the same that had been taught by the prophets, but they

had become obscured through hardness of heart and love of sin.

“The Saviour’s words revealed to His hearers the fact that, while they were

condemning others as transgressors, they were themselves equally guilty; for they

were cherishing malice and hatred.

“Across the sea from the place where they were assembled was the country of

Bashan, a lonely region, whose wild gorges and wooded hills had long been a

favorite lurking ground for criminals of all descriptions. Reports of robbery and

murder committed there were fresh in the minds of the people, and many were

zealous in denouncing these evildoers. At the same time they were themselves

passionate and contentious; they cherished the most bitter hatred of their Roman

oppressors and felt themselves at liberty to hate and despise all other peoples, and

even their own countrymen who did not in all things conform to their ideas. In all

this they were violating the law which declares, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’

“The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan, and it led him to put to

death the Son of God. Whoever cherishes malice or unkindness is cherishing the

same spirit, and its fruit will be unto death. In the revengeful thought the evil deed

lies enfolded, as the plant in the seed. ‘Whosoever hateth his brother is a

murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.’ 1 John

3:15.”

1. Highlight the paragraph that starts, “Through Moses the Lord had said . . .”

2. Highlight the paragraph that starts, “The spirit of hatred and revenge . . .”

Genesis 37 (Contemporary English Version)

“Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived, and this is the

story of his family.

“When Jacob’s son Joseph was seventeen years old, he took care of the sheep with

his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. But he was always telling his father all

sorts of bad things about his brothers. Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of

his other sons, because Joseph was born after Jacob was very old. Jacob had given

Sabbath Afternoon | Today’s Reading

Finding My Place | Lesson 9 | March 2, 2013

Dying to Belong

Joseph a fancy coat to show that he was his favorite son, and so Joseph’s brothers

hated him and would not be friendly to him. One day, Joseph told his brothers what

he had dreamed, and they hated him even more. Joseph said, ‘Let me tell you

about my dream. We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my

bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it.’

“His brothers asked, ‘Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?’

Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his

dream.

“Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, ‘Listen to what else I

dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.’

“When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said,

‘What’s that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going

to come and bow down in front of you?’ Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, but

his father kept wondering about the dream.

“One day when Joseph’s brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem,

his father Jacob said to him, ‘I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the

sheep near Shechem.’

“‘Yes, sir,’ Joseph answered.

“His father said, ‘Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then

come back and let me know.’ So he sent him from Hebron Valley.

“Joseph was near Shechem and wandering through the fields, when a man asked,

‘What are you looking for?

“Joseph answered, ‘I’m looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can

you tell me where they are?’

“‘They’re not here anymore,’ the man replied. ‘I overheard them say they were

going to Dothan.’

“Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan. But before he got there, they saw

him coming and made plans to kill him. They said to one another, ‘Look, here

comes the hero of those dreams! Let’s kill him and throw him into a pit and say

that some wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see what happens to those dreams.’

“Reuben heard this and tried to protect Joseph from them. ‘Let’s not kill him,’ he

said. ‘Don’t murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a dry well out here

in the desert.’ Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his

father.

“When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coat and threw him

into a dry well. As Joseph’s brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a

caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds

of spices that they were taking to Egypt. So Judah said, ‘What will we gain if we kill

our brother and hide his body? Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him.

After all, he is our brother.’ And the others agreed.

“When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph’s brothers took him out of the

well, and for twenty pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him

to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore

his clothes in sorrow. Then he went back to his brothers and said, ‘The boy is gone!

What am I going to do?’

“Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s fancy coat in its blood. After

this, they took the coat to their father and said, ‘We found this! Look at it carefully

and see if it belongs to your son.’

“Jacob knew it was Joseph’s coat and said, ‘It’s my son’s coat! Joseph has been

torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal.’

“Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes

and wore sackcloth. All of Jacob’s children came to comfort him, but he refused to

be comforted. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.’ So Jacob

kept on grieving. Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man

named Potiphar, who was the king’s official in charge of the palace guard.”

DYING TO BELONG

Dawn-Marie Wesley was a typical Canadian teenager. She went to school and hung

out with a bunch of friends. But, as sometimes happens with a group of friends,

things went wrong when another girl heard secondhand that Dawn-Marie was

spreading rumors about her.

In November 2000, Dawn-Marie’s life became miserable. Her former friends ganged

up on her. She became a target for school bullies. Other girls even threatened to

kill her. Even the few friends who didn’t join in the harassment did nothing to stop

it.

Finally, Dawn-Marie couldn’t take it any longer. On November 10, she went home

and hanged herself in her room. A younger family member found the body. Dawn-

Marie left behind a suicide note in which she said she was killing herself because

three girls at school were out to get her. She named the girls, and one was later

charged with criminal harassment.

“If I try to get help, it will get worse,” Dawn-Marie wrote. “They are always looking

for a new person to beat up, and they are the toughest girls.”

Belonging to a group of friends is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Being on

the outside of a group is one of the most painful and miserable. Of the many

teenagers who decide to end their lives every year, many, like Dawn-Marie, do so

because they are bullied, picked on, or left out of a group of friends.

The girl who was convicted of doing the most to bully Dawn-Marie wasn’t sentenced

to serve time in a juvenile prison. Because both she and some of Dawn-Marie’s

family were aboriginal, they participated in a traditional First Nations’ sentencing

circle, which decided she should serve an 18-month parole with community service.

At the circle, the girl gave Dawn-Marie’s family a letter expressing how sorry she

was for what she had done. “Now I watch what I say,” she wrote. “It will have a

lasting impact on me for the rest of my life.”

While you may never feel as desperate as Dawn-Marie did, you have probably felt

lonely at times. Maybe you’ve found it hard to fit in with a group—or maybe you’ve

been the one excluding someone else. How deep is our need for friendship and

acceptance? For most of us, it goes straight to the heart.

1. What caused Joseph’s brothers to take away his coat of many colors, throw

him in a pit, and then sell him to slavery?

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2. What could have caused the girls at Dawn-Marie’s school to bully her?

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3. According to the lesson and your reading for today, what may be the cause

of people behaving as these people did?

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4. How did Joseph react to the way his brothers treated him?

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5. How did Dawn-Marie react?

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6. What do you think made a difference in the way each person reacted?

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7. If you should ever find yourself in a similar situation, what could you do?

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Psalm 109:3-5 (New International Version)

“With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return

for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. “They repay me evil

for good, and hatred for my friendship.”

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 559

“The Bible plainly teaches that there can be no harmony between the people of God

and the world. ‘Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you’ (1 John 3:13). Our

Saviour says, ‘Ye know that it hated Me before it hated you” John 15:18. . . . Satan

works through the ungodly, under cover of a pretended friendship, to allure God’s

people into sin that he may separate them from Him; and when their defense is

removed, then he will lead his agents to turn against them and seek to accomplish

their destruction.”

Joshua 1:5, 6 (New International Version)

“‘No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with

Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

“‘Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I

swore to their forefathers to give them.’”

HERE’S WHAT I THINK

This week’s illustration is about a girl who killed herself because her former friends

were making her life miserable. The need to have friends who accept and include

you is pretty important for teens. How important is it to you? How far would you

go—or have you gone—to be accepted by a group? Where do you draw the line?

Are there some things you’d never do, even to be accepted by your friends?

Log on to www.guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your responses. Be up-front and

honest. Say what you think. The lines below are provided as an alternative to

posting. You may also wish to record your thoughts and share them with your class

later.

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Sunday | Today’s Reading

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Great Friendships in the Bible Find the hidden words within the grid of letters. The words may be horizontal,

vertical, or diagonal, and forward or backward. The names should be familiar to

you. They are all stories you probably have heard over and over. After you have

discovered all 18 names, put the names in groups according to who they were

friends with. You may use the lines below.

N R B Z G S D L U C K I M E D

S A H T R A M D O W P U A C A

U A H T G D I M J B K T H N N

S E U T R V P N W F K S A D I

E C W L A A L L I C S I R P E

J K J D N N U V N B Y F B M L

C L S I J Q O I W V V W A Y H

Q R O E C I M J T H Y R A F A

Y N Q T D S S T J U Y X A F J

S K J C H U A J J T V Q P O I

I L T W R I O M W L U G A H L

T E K A F P M V U I U D U Y E

I O Z L U X P O L E F W L R T

L A L C O T Q A A A L R U T H

L A H S I L E O D N M P I S V

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Monday | Today’s Reading

Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times, October 13, 1881

“Samson in his peril had the same source of strength as had Joseph. He could

choose the right or the wrong as he pleased. But instead of taking hold of the

strength of God, he permitted the wild passions of his nature to have full sway. The

reasoning powers were perverted, the morals corrupted. God had called Samson to

a position of great responsibility, honor, and usefulness; but he must first learn to

govern by first learning to obey the laws of God. Joseph was a free moral agent.

Good and evil were before him. He could choose the path of purity, holiness, and

honor, or the path of immorality and degradation. He chose the right way, and God

approved. Samson, under similar temptations, which he had brought upon himself,

gave loose rein to passion. The path which he entered upon he found to end in

shame, disaster, and death. What a contrast to the history of Joseph!”

Judges 14 (King James Version)

“And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the

daughters of the Philistines.

“And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a

woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me

to wife.

“Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the

daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife

of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me;

for she pleaseth me well.

“But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an

occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over

Israel.

“Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to

the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

“And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would

have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his

mother what he had done.

“And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

“And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of

the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the

lion.

“And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and

mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had

Tuesday | Today’s Reading

taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

“So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so

used the young men to do.

“And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to

be with him.

“And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can

certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will

give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:

“But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty

change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear

it.

“And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong

came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

“And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice

thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy

father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

“And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest

me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not

told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my

mother, and shall I tell it thee?

“And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to

pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she

told the riddle to the children of her people.

“And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went

down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? and he said

unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

“And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and

slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto

them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his

father’s house.

“But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.”

SO WHAT?

Sure, everyone wants to belong. It’s great to have friends that you feel comfortable

with. But what do you do if you don’t have that. Maybe you’ve just moved to town

or changed schools, and you’re finding it hard to get to know people. Maybe your

interests, your tastes, or your values make you a little different from most people

you know, and it’s hared to find a group that’s “just right” to hang out with.

A lot of times we’re tempted to change ourselves in order to fit in with friends.

Sometimes change can be a good thing. For example, you can learn to be more

tactful, more thoughtful, more outgoing, all of which will help you get along better

with people. You might even take up a new sport or hobby just to make new

friends. But what about changing your values? Drinking or smoking because your

friends do? Cutting down and criticizing less-popular kids so you can stay part of

the popular crowd?

Having friends is great. But not if you have to take apart who you really are and

become someone else in order to impress them. Jesus experienced what it is like to

be loved by some, but hated by others. He is always a safe friend to go to for help.

1. How did Samson try to be different to fit in?

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2. Did he change himself completely?

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3. What do you think were Samson’s mistakes? Explain.

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4. Do you have to change completely to lower your standards?

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5. Does it matter if you just lower your standards a tiny bit so that you can fit

in with everyone else? Explain.

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Match the phrase with the text.

1. “You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone . . .” ________

2. “”Friends come and friends go . . .” _________

3. “We should keep on encouraging . . .” _________

4. “Friends love through all kinds of weather . . .”_________

5. “So speak encouraging words to one another.”________

6. “Friends sharpen the minds of each other.” ________

Wednesday | Today’s Reading

A. Proverbs 27:17 (CEV)

B. Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 (CEV)

C. Proverbs 18:24 (Message)

D. Proverbs 17:17 (Message)

E. Hebrews 10:24 (CEV)

F. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (Message)

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 58, 59

“The love of God is something more than a mere negation; it is a positive and

active principle, a living spring, ever flowing to bless others. If the love of Christ

dwells in us, we shall not only cherish no hatred toward our fellows, but we shall

seek in every way to manifest love toward them.

“Jesus said, ‘If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy

brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy

way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.’ The

sacrificial offerings expressed faith that through Christ the offerer had become a

partaker of the mercy and love of God. But for one to express faith in God’s

pardoning love, while he himself indulged an unloving spirit, would be a mere farce.

“When one who professes to serve God wrongs or injures a brother, he

misrepresents the character of God to that brother, and the wrong must be

confessed, he must acknowledge it to be sin, in order to be in harmony with God.

Our brother may have done us a greater wrong than we have done him, but this

does not lessen our responsibility. If when we come before God we remember that

another has aught against us, we are to leave our gift of prayer, of thanksgiving, of

freewill offering, and go to the brother with whom we are at variance, and in

humility confess our own sin and ask to be forgiven.

“If we have in any manner defrauded or injured our brother, we should make

restitution. If we have unwittingly borne false witness, if we have misstated his

words, if we have injured his influence in any way, we should go to the ones with

whom we have conversed about him, and take back all our injurious

misstatements.

“If matters of difficulty between brethren were not laid open before others, but

frankly spoken of between themselves in the spirit of Christian love, how much evil

might be prevented! How many roots of bitterness whereby many are defiled would

be destroyed, and how closely and tenderly might the followers of Christ be united

in His love!”

Thursday | Today’s Reading

1. Highlight the paragraph that starts, “The love of God is . . .”

2. Highlight the paragraph that starts, “If we have in any manner . . .”

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

We all need friends, but friends come and go. The one friend who will always stick

with you is Jesus. His love is unchanging and unconditional.

The best friends to have are friends who will encourage and support you in your

walk with Jesus—because they’re walking with Him, too! But what if there aren’t

many kids your age at church? Or you just don’t get along well with them? OR your

“Christian” friends are actually more cliquish and gossipy than your non-Christian

friends? (Hey, it happens!)

Pray about it. Talk to your parents, our Sabbath school teacher, any adult who

knows you and cares. Yes, you can be friends with a wide variety of different kinds

of people—in fact, it’s good for you! But to grow as a Christian, you need to reach

out to a friend at church you haven’t gotten to know that well. Maybe you can

broaden your horizons and include friends who share your beliefs even if they’re a

little “different” from you in other ways. God has people for you—people who’ll pray

for you and build you up instead of tearing you down as a Christian. Ask Him to

help you find them.

Do you know some Bible texts that tell you Jesus is your friend? How do you know

that Jesus loves you? Look in the Bible and write down all the texts that remind you

Jesus love you.

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Steps to Christ, pp. 11-15

“The Son of God came from heaven to make manifest the Father. ‘No man hath

seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father,

Friday | Today’s Reading

He hath declared Him.’ John 1:18. ‘Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the

Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.’ Matthew 11:27. When one of

the disciples made the request, ‘Show us the Father,’ Jesus answered, ‘Have I been

so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen

Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?’ John

14:8, 9.

“In describing His earthly mission, Jesus said, The Lord ‘hath anointed Me to preach

the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach

deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty

them that are bruised.’ Luke 4:18. This was His work. He went about doing good

and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. There were whole villages where

there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for He had passed through them

and healed all their sick. His work gave evidence of His divine anointing. Love,

mercy, and compassion were revealed in every act of His life; His heart went out in

tender sympathy to the children of men. He took man’s nature, that He might reach

man’s wants. The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Even

little children were attracted to Him. They loved to climb upon His knees and gaze

into the pensive face, benignant with love.

“Jesus did not suppress one word of truth, but He uttered it always in love. He

exercised the greatest tact and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with

the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave

needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He spoke

the truth, but always in love. He denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity; but

tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes. He wept over

Jerusalem, the city He loved, which refused to receive Him, the way, the truth, and

the life. They had rejected Him, the Saviour, but He regarded them with pitying

tenderness. His life was one of self-denial and thoughtful care for others. Every soul

was precious in His eyes. While He ever bore Himself with divine dignity, He bowed

with the tenderest regard to every member of the family of God. In all men He saw

fallen souls whom it was His mission to save.

“Such is the character of Christ as revealed in His life. This is the character of God.

It is from the Father’s heart that the streams of divine compassion, manifest in

Christ, flow out to the children of men. Jesus, the tender, pitying Saviour, was God

‘manifest in the flesh.’ 1 Timothy 3:16.

“It was to redeem us that Jesus lived and suffered and died. He became ‘a Man of

Sorrows,’ that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy. God permitted His

beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to

a world marred and blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the

curse. He permitted Him to leave the bosom of His love, the adoration of the

angels, to suffer shame, insult, humiliation, hatred, and death. ‘The chastisement

of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.’ Isaiah 53:5.

Behold Him in the wilderness, in Gethsemane, upon the cross! The spotless Son of

God took upon Himself the burden of sin. He who had been one with God, felt in His

soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man. This wrung from

His lips the anguished cry, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ Matthew

27:46. It was the burden of sin, the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation

of the soul from God—it was this that broke the heart of the Son of God.

“But this great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the Father’s heart a love

for man, not to make Him willing to save. No, no! "God so loved the world, that He

gave His only-begotten Son." John 3:16. The Father loves us, not because of the

great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us. Christ was

the medium through which He could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world.

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Corinthians 5:19. God

suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart

of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption.

“Jesus said, ‘Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I

might take it again.’ John 10:17. That is, ‘My Father has so loved you that He even

loves Me more for giving My life to redeem you. In becoming your Substitute and

Surety, by surrendering My life, by taking your liabilities, your transgressions, I am

endeared to My Father; for by My sacrifice, God can be just, and yet the Justifier of

him who believeth in Jesus.’

“None but the Son of God could accomplish our redemption; for only He who was in

the bosom of the Father could declare Him. Only He who knew the height and

depth of the love of God could make it manifest. Nothing less than the infinite

sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen man could express the Father’s love to

lost humanity.

“‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.’ He gave Him not

only to live among men, to bear their sins, and die their sacrifice. He gave Him to

the fallen race. Christ was to identify Himself with the interests and needs of

humanity. He who was one with God has linked Himself with the children of men by

ties that are never to be broken. Jesus is ‘not ashamed to call them brethren’

(Hebrews 2:11); He is our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our Brother, bearing our human

form before the Father’s throne, and through eternal ages one with the race He has

redeemed—the Son of man. And all this that man might be uplifted from the ruin

and degradation of sin that he might reflect the love of God and share the joy of

holiness.

“The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in

giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may

become through Christ. As the inspired apostle John beheld the height, the depth,

the breadth of the Father’s love toward the perishing race, he was filled with

adoration and reverence; and, failing to find suitable language in which to express

the greatness and tenderness of this love, he called upon the world to behold it.

‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be

called the sons of God.’ 1 John 3:1. What a value this places upon man! Through

transgression the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the

atoning sacrifice of Christ the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By

assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where,

through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name ‘sons

of God.’

“Such love is without a parallel. Children of the heavenly King! Precious promise!

Theme for the most profound meditation! The matchless love of God for a world

that did not love Him! The thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings

the mind into captivity to the will of God. The more we study the divine character in

the light of the cross, the more we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended

with equity and justice, and the more clearly we discern innumerable evidences of a

love that is infinite and a tender pity surpassing a mother’s yearning sympathy for

her wayward child.”

1. Highlight the paragraph that begins, “It was to redeem us that Jesus . . .”

2. Highlight the paragraph that begins, “Such love is without . . .”

3. Underline the sentence that starts, “The more we study the divine character

in the light of the cross . . .”

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Think of a friend who has been helpful and encouraging to you. Take a few minutes

to write that friend a letter, thanking him or her for the help and encouragement.

Tell your friend you are praying for him or her. Practice here what you will say in

the letter.

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Scripture quotations identified CEV are from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright American

Bible Society 1991, 1995. Used by permission.

Texts credited to Message are from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001,

2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978,

1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.