LISTENING TO BOB · 5/2/2020 · Robert Horry’s buzzer-beater in 2002 against the Kings. Doug...

Christy wasn’t interested in conversing with the homeless man

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Conner, the Annoying

ShadowNICK WISHED HIS

TEAMMATE WASN’T SO CLINGY

QUESTIONABLE LINEAGE

Why Pepper Wouldn’t Jump

KARA’S HORSE KEPT DOING WHAT SHE

FEARED MOST

LISTENING TO BOB

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MAY 2, 2020 • VOLUME 68 • NUMBER 18

Guide® (ISSN 0017-5226) is a Christian story magazine primarily for readers ages 10-14. It is provided by Seventh-day Adventists and is published weekly by Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 1350 N. Kings Road, Nampa, ID 83687-3193. Periodicals postage paid at Nampa, Idaho. Copyright © 2020 by Pacific Press® Publishing Association. Printed in U.S.A. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Order through your church’s Sabbath School secretary, or call toll-free 1.800.447.7377. Yearly subscription: $61.58. ADDRESS CHANGES: Supply old and new addresses eight weeks in advance to P.O. Box 5353, Nampa, ID 83653-5353. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Guide Circulation, P.O. Box 5353, Nampa, ID 83653-5353. Unless otherwise noted, Bible texts in this issue are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Unless otherwise noted, all prominent photos © 2020 Thinkstock.com.

E D I TO R Lori Futcher

M A N AG I N G E D I TO R Laura Sámano

D E S I G N E R Brandon Reese

CO PY E D I TO R Rhonda ChristianoC L E R I CA L S U P P O RT

Gricelda BlancoS U B SC R I B E R S E RV I C E S

Rebecca HildeW E B M A ST E R

Kim PeckhamF I N A N C E Ken Pline

A Flavorful Life

I ’ll turn this into soup, I thought after

reading half of the instructions of the

stir-fry kit. Three cups of water, I read.

I’ll pour in five. I boiled half of the noo-

dles, added the chopped vegetables and

lettuce, and half the seasoning package.

It will taste unique! I thought, sprinkling

in some of my own seasoning.

When the noodles were cooked, I sat

down to eat a bowl of soup. I took a sip

and swallowed something that tasted like

noodles soaked in lukewarm lettuce tea.

The following week I followed the

instructions to the letter—and was trans-

ported to noodle heaven!

As I chewed, my thoughts drifted to

the Ten Commandments. They’re kinda

like instructions, I decided.

Turns out life, like my noodles, is

more enjoyable when we follow the

recipe. When we come up with our own

recipe for life, our unique recipe doesn’t

satisfy us. But when we follow God’s

instructions, we can enjoy life’s flavor to

the fullest!

Laura Sámano, Managing Editor

2 | GUIDE | guidemagazine.org

TRUTHBOOTH

God doesn’t usually give us a specific career path—but our spiritual gifts

are pretty big clues. Whether it’s music, math, medicine, or babysitting, when we use our gifts to help others,

we’re fulfilling God’s will for us.*

How can we know God’s plan for us? I have no clue what I’m supposed

to do in life.

By Tompaul Wheeler

* See 1 Peter 4:10.

3May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |


U gggh!” Kara expressed her frustration. She patted her horse on the neck as she

pulled the reins to circle around the arena again.

“ You can do this, Kara,” her coach hollered to her as she gal-loped by.

Once again Kara steered her horse in the direction of the jump

and picked up the pace a bit. Once again Pepper took a sharp left, avoiding the jump altogether. And once again Kara let out her frus-trations with a grumble.

“Come on in,” Coach Hahn waved to Kara.

Kara trotted up to Coach Hahn. “I don’t get it! I’m doing every-thing you’ve told me to do, but it’s

Instead of doing what Kara wanted, her horse kept doing what Kara feared the most.

By Ruth O’Neil

Why PepperWouldn’tJump

5May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

not working.”“I think the problem is focus.

You are so focused on the mechan-ics that you get nervous. Pepper can feel that.” Coach Hahn gave Pepper a loving rub on the side of the neck.

“I’m not trying to be nervous. It’s just that every time we get close to the jump, I’m afraid he’s going to pull out again.”

“And what does he do, Kara?”Kara looked down at her riding

instructor. “He pulls out.” She thought the answer was obvious.

“Because that’s what your focus is on.”

Kara thought about that. She knew whatever the problem was, it had to be her. She had seen other riders on Pepper sailing over jump after jump all the way around the

Instead of doing what Kara wanted, her horse kept doing what Kara feared the most.

arena without a hitch. Kara tried to focus her attention on what Coach Hahn was saying.

“Do you see that cone down at the far end of the arena?”

Kara looked to where Coach Hahn pointed. “ Yes.”

“ Take Pepper on a walk around the circle. When you get close to the cone, I want you to completely focus on it. Look directly at it. Give that cone all your attention.”

With a sigh Kara moved Pepper toward the outer edge of the arena and walked him in the direction of the cone. As she got close to the cone, Kara did as Coach Hahn had told her. There was no fear of being thrown, as Pepper was still at a walk. Kara set her eyes on the cone and stared at it, almost will-ing Pepper to go in that direction. All of a sudden Pepper picked up his pace and walked toward the cone even though it wasn’t on his normal path around the arena.

“ Whoa!” Kara said, as Pepper’s quickened pace caught her off guard.

“ Yay!” Kara heard Coach Hahn shout from the other side of the arena. “That’s it, Kara! Bring him back around.”

Feeling pretty proud of herself, Kara pulled on the reins slightly so Pepper would head back.

“Do you see what you did there?” Coach Hahn asked.

“I think so,” Kara said, smiling.“Do it again,” Coach Hahn said,

“except do it over that jump.”Kara took a deep breath. “Come

on, Pepper. We can do this.”She rode Pepper once around

the arena and then headed to the jump. As she had done with the cone, she focused entirely on the jump. She didn’t avert her eyes or look elsewhere. She didn’t allow anything to break her concentra-tion. The next thing she knew, Pepper was smoothly sailing over the jump.

When Pepper had all four hooves back on the ground, Kara gave him a loving rub. “Good job, Pepper!”

When Kara circled around back to Coach Hahn, she was rewarded with a huge smile.

“I knew you could do it!” Coach Hahn said.

Kara simply smiled back, unsure of what to say.

“That’s enough for today. Put all your tack away and get Pepper rubbed down and watered.”

“OK.” Kara dismounted and led Pepper into the barn. She couldn’t stop smiling.

W hen she got home, she couldn’t wait to tell her parents about her

lesson.“Sounds like you did well today,”

Mom said.“There’s a good spiritual lesson

in there,” Dad said.Kara sat down next to him and


listened.“That’s exactly how our lives are.

We accomplish whatever it is we focus on. People often say that they don’t have time to do this or that, but people always find time to do what they want to do.”

Kara knew that was true even if she had never put it into words. She had heard some of her own friends say they didn’t have time to read their Bibles, but they sure had plenty of time to play video games.

“ When we focus on God, what do you think happens?” her dad asked.

She took a moment to think be-fore answering. “ Well, if we focus

on God, we will want to know more about Him. Maybe we will read the Bible more. When we read the Bible more, we might pray more. When we pray more, we will know what God wants us to do with our lives. We will want to live a life that is pleasing to Him.”

Her dad smiled his proud smile, put his arm around her shoul-ders, and pulled her close with a squeeze. “That’s exactly right. That’s something I never want you to forget. Keep your focus on God, and everything else will fall into place.”

Kara smiled back. “I’ll remem-ber, Dad.”

©2019 Pacific Press® Publishing Association • Please contact your ABC for pricing in Canada • 191577

For eBooks, go toAdventist-eBooks.com!

Ramp Up Your GameThere have been a million game-winning moments in sports.Robert Horry’s buzzer-beater in 2002 against the Kings. DougFlutie’s Hail Mary football pass. Maya Moore leading her Huskies to an NCAA championship and a winning streak of 78-0! The list goes on.

Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, track—sportscan be a lot of fun to follow. The big players, the underdogs, last-minute heroics, the power of teamwork, and even losing—you can learn a lot from sports.

The Ultimate Game will coach you on how to live for Jesus,the One who always blows away the competition.

MAGAZINE

During an NFL pre-draft visit, a general manager asked rookie Dez Bryant several personal and insulting questions having nothing to do with football. Despite the tough questions, Bryant kept his cool.

“I got mad—really mad—but I didn’t show it,” said Bryant. It took a lot of character not to show his anger in that moment. He didn’t allow questions about his parents or upbringing distract him from the things he wanted to accomplish.

For Jephthah, it was a similar case. In Judges 11:1 the first two things that we learn about Jephthah is that he was a mighty warrior but also that his mother was a harlot. This was a great shame in Israel, and in the people’s eyes, it meant that Jephthah wasn’t worthy of being a leader. However, Israel was desperate for such a warrior as Jephthah. By protecting the Israelites from their Ammonite enemies, Jephthah became Israel’s next ruler.

Your lineage is important because it shows where you come from. If people can trace your lineage and point out ancestors who accomplished great things, then they naturally think that you’re also going to do great things.

During Jesus’ day, the Jews were very proud of their lineage, but John the Baptist warned them that their lineage wasn’t enough to save them. In Luke 3:8, he’s recorded as saying, “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

If you look back at Jesus’ lineage, you’ll see that His ancestors weren’t per-fect. He also had prostitutes (Rahab) and murderers (David) in his family tree. Whew! Hopefully your family tree doesn’t resemble this, but the good thing is that even if it does, God can still use you to accomplish great things.

In life, people will try to define who you are based on your upbringing and

Questionable Lineage


your history. Sometimes those things can be good indicators of a person’s potential, but it is not the final answer. With God’s help, you can accomplish great, and even unimaginable, things, no matter what your lineage is.

With David Robinson

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” —John Wooden

9May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |


W hen Junior announced that he wanted to be baptized as a Seventh-

day Adventist, Father—and the demons—got angry. The demons ordered Father to stop Junior.

“Eduardo, you were chosen and drawn into this life,” the demons reminded Father. “Now Junior is being drawn into a life that will destroy you.”

Now Father seemed to be an-gry all the time. Every little thing irritated him. “I don’t accept your decision to be baptized,” he told Junior. But Junior stood firm.

Mother began taking Bible studies at the home of church member Celia Ferreira. There she learned that the second

commandment forbids the worship of graven images. She promptly threw away the reli-gious images that she kept at home. Father had never wor-shipped Mother’s images, but her decision to get rid of them intensified his anger.

Meanwhile the demons step-ped up their pressure on Father. “If you don’t stop Junior, you will be destroyed,” they warned. Then they presented him with a plan. “Leave your house on Monday. When you leave, your wife will lose both you and her job on the same day.”

Father didn’t want to leave home. He worried about the plan all day. When Mother arrived home late from the

By Andrew McChesney 0 Illustrated By Marcus Mashburn

Part 2 of 6: The Demons’ Plan

The story so far: At the age of 11, Eduardo was recruited to prepare for priesthood in the Candomblé religion. Demons would possess him, and he was able to place curses on others. But the demons warned him not to try to put curses on Seventh-day Adventists or other Protestant Christians. Now he and his common-law wife have a 15-year-old son who is attending an Adventist church.

11May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

Adventist church that night, he erupted in rage.

The next morning Mother ar-rived at work, only to learn that the clinic where she worked had closed—she no longer had a job.

All the way home she won-dered how to tell Father. But Father wasn’t at home, and he didn’t answer calls on his cell phone. Then Mother noticed that his clothes were missing from the closet. He had left. The demon’s plan started to unfold as predicted.

On Monday Father left the house, and Mother lost her job. The demons hoped that Mother would run out of money for gas, and stop taking Junior to church.

Junior learned about his father’s leaving through a video message on his cell

phone three days later. “I left because it would be wrong to have two religions in our home,” Father said in the message. An-ger and sadness filled Junior as he listened.

“ Why couldn’t Father have told me in person that he was leaving?” he bitterly asked Mother.

That same day Mother also received a video message from Father. He told her that he had moved to the temple where he worked as high priest.

Mother didn’t know what to do, so she talked with Ricardo Coelho, pastor of the Adventist church that Junior had been

attending. As she finished telling him her story,

Mother added sadly, “Now that you know all about us, I sup-pose the church members won’t be

able to accept us.”Pastor Ricardo warmly em-braced Mother.

“Why couldn’t Father have told me in person that he was leaving?”

“ We will still love you and wel-come you with open arms,” he promised. Opening his Bible, he said, kindly, “Let me share some advice with you.”

In 1 Corinthians 7:3 he read, “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.”

Looking up at Mother, he said, “Be a good wife to your husband, Eduardo, and pray for him.”

Then he addressed Junior. “Respect the fifth command-ment and honor your father, despite the circumstances,” he said. Junior wasn’t sure that he could honor Father.

But the Bible verses encour-aged Mother, and she decided to pray even more for Father. As she prayed, she matured spiri-tually. She began keeping the Sabbath and paying tithe, and asked Junior if he wanted to do the same.

“ Yes, I want to,” he said.

Soon a major test of their faith arose. Junior’s school announced that

the annual science fair had been scheduled for a Saturday. Mother asked for permission for Junior to make his presentation on another day, but the principal turned her down.

“Junior must participate in the

science fair, or he will fail,” he warned.

Junior and Mother prayed about the science fair. But the situation seemed to take a turn for the worse when the school scheduled one of Junior’s exams on Saturday. Now Junior might fail two classes.

Mother spoke with the princi-pal a second time, and again he refused to help.

Mother gloomily left the princi-pal’s office and headed down the stairs to the school exit. As she descended, she passed the school board chair. Seeing her downcast face, the chair said, “Don’t worry. Everything has been fixed.”

Mother stopped and stared as he continued. “Students who can’t take the Saturday exam will be allowed to take it on Friday, and we will change the day of the science fair.”

Mother’s shock grew, and goosebumps popped out on her arms. She didn’t understand how the chair knew her and had solved her problems. She was speechless.

Mother saw how God had an-swered her and Junior’s prayers, and her trust in Him grew and grew.

The weeks passed, and Mother ran out of money. Father was gone, and she

wasn’t able to find a new job. For Continued on p. 27

13May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

15May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

A s I stepped through the threshold of the hospi-tal’s automatic doors into

the fresh spring air, the whoosh of a warm breeze greeted me. I unfastened my tight ponytail and let out a giant sigh. I’d just fin-ished my third shift volunteering at the hospital, and I still wasn’t used to being on my feet for four hours straight. I couldn’t wait to get home, take a hot shower, and relax on my cozy couch.

As I walked toward the park-ing lot to wait for a ride from

my mom, I spotted a disheveled man standing across the street. I squinted through the late-day sun to get a closer look. His cheeks were hollow, his teeth were stained, and his thin skin was both rosy and gray from sunburn and dirt.

He looked directly at me, and I quickly averted my gaze. What if he was dangerous or mentally un-stable? Mom drove up a moment later, and I hopped into the car and forgot all about the scruffy man until the following week

Christy never would have guessed this unkept man would give her a new perspective.

By Christy Heitger-Ewing 0 Illustrated By Ste Johnson

LISTENING TO BOB

when I saw him again standing in almost the same spot.

He offered a warm smile and a wave. Then he began walking toward me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I would have felt safer had I been with my parents or a group of friends, but because I was alone, my anxiety spiked.

“I’m headed inside to use the john,” he said, motioning toward the hospital.

“Through the doors and to the left,” I directed.

“ Yeah, I pretty much know where all the bathrooms are within a two-mile radius,” he said with a chuckle.

Even though he laughed, I didn’t see the humor. I offered a crooked grin and awkwardly shifted my weight from my left foot to my right.

When he came back outside a few minutes later, he asked if I volunteered at the hospital.

“ Yeah, I volunteer here once a week.”

“That’s nice,” the man said. “The world needs more people like you.”

My heart softened a bit at the compliment. Truth be told, some-times I wondered if my presence at the hospital mattered. All I did was deliver flowers to patients, pick up meal trays after lunch, and empty the occasional bedpan. Did these trivial tasks really make

a difference?“I’m Christy,” I said. “ What’s

your name?”“Bob,” he said softly. “I used

to work in the medical field,” he added as he stared blankly into the distance with weary eyes. “Seems like a lifetime ago . . .”

His voice trailed off.“Do you ever sit and chat with

the patients?” he asked.I nodded. “ Yeah, a lot of the

older patients especially like to tell me stories.”

“That’s huge,” Bob said softly.I wasn’t sure what he meant,

but he sat down on the bench and explained.

“ You’re taking the time to listen. You’re showing them that no matter who they are or why they’re there, you care,” Bob said. A lone tear trickled down his cheek. He wiped it away and stated, “People want to be heard. People want to be loved. People want to be valued.”

I leaned in to hear him better and caught a whiff of his strong body odor. As he spoke, I studied his grimy face. He had piercing blue eyes that were surrounded by soft wrinkles. His brown beard, peppered with flecks of white, housed crumbs from an earlier

Find the emoji that shows how Christy felt when she heard Bob’s story.

?


Christy studied

his grimy face.

meal. He had mosquito bites and minor cuts on his cheeks, forehead, and neck.

Bob rubbed his dirty earlobe and proceeded to share how he had ended up on the streets. Though he now lacked hygiene and clean clothes, just two years earlier he had been a proud homeowner, lov-ing husband, and devoted medical technician. He was proof of how our lives can turn upside down in the blink of an eye.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. I could sense that he didn’t want to be pitied, but I ached for this man who once had held the world in the palm of his hand, and now held nothing more than hope for a better tomorrow.

I glanced at my watch. Thirty minutes had passed. Mom must be expecting me to walk home today.

“I’d better get home,” I said.The moment the words tum-

bled from my lips, guilt shot through me.

Why did I mention home? I chastised myself inwardly. How thoughtless am I?

“It’s, it’s, uh, just that I don’t want my family to worry,” I stut-

tered.“No, of course,”

Bob said. “I under-stand. Well, listen, it

was good talking to you, and hey—keep up the good

work.”As I stood up to

leave, it dawned on me that I had a Dairy Queen gift card in my purse. I dug it out and handed it to Bob. It was only for $15, but he seemed grateful.

During my walk home, I reflected on my day. It was clear that Jesus had introduced this man to me for a reason. Though I had initially made a snap judgment about Bob based on his looks, God gave me a second chance at compassion by putting Bob back in my path so that I could listen, learn, and love with greater depth and under-standing.

When I got home, I unfastened the plastic name tag from my red-and-white-striped uniform and set it on the kitchen table. As I settled onto my cozy couch after my hot shower, I looked forward to my next volunteer shift at the hospital with renewed enthu-siasm. God had reminded me of how important it is to spread compassion wherever I go.

17May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

Hey, Nick!I’m going toDisneyland!

Hey, Nick, great game!” Conner’s mom called, slapping my hand as our

soccer team ran our victory loop. “Thanks,” I said, trying to smile,

but grimacing instead. I seethed inside. Conner Thomas was driv-ing me crazy!

I’m going to tell him off the next time I see him. I’ll let him have it!

as told to E . C. Quinn

Conner, the Annoying Shadow


Hey, Nick!I’m going toDisneyland!

Nick was about to tell his friend off for being so clingy.I decided. Conner was smother-ing me!

“I can’t stand Conner!” I told my mom on the trip home. “He’s driving me crazy! He was cling-ing to me more than my own shadow!”

“ Why? I didn’t see what he did,” Mom said, shocked at my outburst.

“Really? How could you not see it? If I was defense, he was

defense. When I switched to forward, so did Conner. Finally I begged coach to let me be goalie. Of course then Conner wanted to be goalie too, but he’s terrible, and Coach wouldn’t let him. I stayed in the goal the entire last half just to get away from him!”

“Oh, Nick, that’s terrible,” Mom said, frowning, before adding, “but don’t be too hard on Conner. Everyone has off days

19May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

Play by the RulesIn addition to being the only soccer

player allowed to handle the ball with their hands and arms, goalies also wear a different jersey than

the rest of their teammates. —soccer.epicsports.com

sometimes, right?” “Hard on Conner? You’re kid-

ding, right? He copies every-thing I do, and he is constantly competing with me! Plus he brags all the time. If I hear once more how he’s going to Disney-land for a week over Christmas, I’ll puke!”

“I know, Nick, but sometimes things aren’t always what they seem. You never know what pain someone might be carrying around,” Mom cautioned.

“ What? Conner’s fine! He’s just really annoying,” I said, looking at her in surprise.

“Actually, Conner’s not fine,” Mom said. “His mom talked to me during the game. She said his grandpa was just diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer and isn’t handling the chemo-therapy well. It makes him terri-bly sick. They moved the Disney trip up to Christmas because they expect he’ll be too sick by

spring, when they were plan-ning to go.”

“I didn’t know!” I said, shocked. “Conner never said anything about it!”

“I’m not surprised. Conner’s mom said he’s very close to his grandpa, and he isn’t handling the news well at all. He refuses to even talk about it. Instead he’s focusing on the Disney trip—a happy event. If he’s thinking about the trip, he doesn’t have to think about his grandpa getting sick, I suppose,” Mom mused.

Suddenly I felt sick. I thought of my own grandpa and how much fun we have shooting hoops, running around the track, and even just talking. I tried to imagine how I’d feel if my grandpa suddenly got sick. Probably how Conner’s feeling right now, I thought, guilt nearly swallowing me. “Mom, I wasn’t nice to Conner today. I feel bad—but I didn’t know all this

was going on!” I blurted out.

“I know, and it’ll be OK. Just cut him some slack, all right? Help him out—he’s probably pretty worried about his grandpa,” Mom suggested.

“But I can’t


help his grandpa not be sick!” I protested.

“No, you can’t, but you can be a friend—and it sounds like he really needs a good friend right now,” Mom replied.

I just nodded. My head was spinning. But as shocked as I was that Conner’s grandpa was sick, I just couldn’t imagine how I would be friends with Conner. He drove me nuts!

That night I said an extra prayer for Conner. “Dear Jesus, please help me be kinder to Conner. I feel really bad that his grandpa is sick. And I feel bad for avoiding him and for hiding in the goal box today just to get away from him. I just didn’t know why he was being so clingy. But now I do. So please help me be the friend he needs right now,” I prayed. My earlier plan to “let him have it” was replaced by the sincere hope that Jesus would give me opportunities to help Conner feel better.

The next morning Conner was standing around out-side school, as usual. But

instead of running away from him to join my other friends, I invited Conner to throw the football with us before the bell

rang. Then I chose Conner to be in my reading group. I even sat by Conner at lunch. He talked about his Disney vacation—of course. But for some reason, this time it didn’t bother me that much. Because when he talked about all the fun places they were going, all I could think was What if this is the last trip they are able to take? Ever? Suddenly I understood. No wonder Conner’s been so clingy—he’s scared, I thought, and just like that, his crazy behavior made sense.

Later when we ran onto the soccer field, I called out to him. “Hey, Conner, want to practice goalie? I’ll shoot to you!”

“Really? Awesome!” Conner yelled, bolting toward the goal.

I smiled because doing the right thing just feels good. Then I chased after Conner and thanked God for showing me the way. I couldn’t tell Conner not to be scared. I couldn’t tell him things would be OK, when I had no idea how things were go-ing to turn out. And I certainly couldn’t make his grandpa better. But I could help him be a better goalie—just like he helped me be a better friend.

That night Nick said an extra prayer for Conner.

21May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

Seeing ChallengesSeeing ChallengesBy Melissa Yeagle

One of the names for God is El Roi, translated as “the God who sees me.” Hagar was the one who gave Him that name. She was in a really tough situation, and God talked to her. Read about in Genesis 16.

That reminds us that no matter what problems we are going through, God sees us and will help us through them. In honor of El Roi, the God who sees, here are some challenges to help us realize how important sight actually is. Grab a friend (or group of friends) and some blindfolds (towels or scarves could work) to see who can master these challenges.

Feeling ChallengeBlindfold one person, and put five random items in front of them. Have the blindfolded person guess what the objects

are just by touch. Each player gets a chance to guess five different random objects. The person who guesses the most objects correctly wins.

Tasting ChallengeWith one person blindfolded, fill three spoons with random foods. Have the blindfolded participant guess what the

foods are. The person who guesses the most foods correctly wins.

Drawing Challenge Have each player write three random objects on the back of their paper and flip them over immediately so no one else

sees what is written. Then have each player put on their blindfolds and attempt to draw the three items they wrote on the back. Then have everyone take their blindfolds off and take turns guessing what each others’ drawings are. The person who has the most of their pictures correctly identified by other players wins.


BY RANDY FISHELLSMILE FILE

© 2015 Pacific Press® Publishing Association • 155590299 • Prices subject to change. Please contact your ABC for pricing in Canada.

Guide’s Greatest Faith Stories Lori Peckham, editor

The 25 stories in this collection will encourage you and strengthen your faith. You’ll read and retell them again and again to family, friends, and anyone who needs a faith boost. 978-0-8163-5825-0 • US$11.99

For eBooks, go to Adventist-eBooks.com!

V iktor Frankl miraculously endured the seasons of horror in the Nazi death camps during World War II. One of his most basic needs, however, was to

experience quiet moments of solitude. Even under the most grueling circumstances he would find a sweet release and the presence of mind to endure the hardship and the horror that confronted him daily. Viktor Frankl recalls finding opportunities to take five-minute retreats of quietness on the way to and from tasks in the camp. He worked in a place where dozens of people were crowded into one spot, so he seized any chance he had to retreat behind the mud hut. There, surrounded by barbed wire and covered by a canvas

tarp, corpses were thrown for disposal. Amid the stench of rotting bodies and the constant reminder of death, he would sit alone and gaze out at the Bavarian countryside. In the quietness of those moments, he would leave behind the hopelessness of the death camps and be renewed enough to survive until the next opportunity to spend five more minutes came along. He recalls the dire circumstances and the reminders of death all around him. While the sight and the stench of decaying bodies might have been difficult to ignore in his moments of solitude, more distracting than anything else were the footsteps of guards coming, marking the end of his time alone with God.

Five-Minute Retreat

A Nazi survivor found peace in the middle of a death camp.

REAL-TIME FAITH STORY


Memory Text: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Our Beliefs, no. 20, The Sabbath: ““The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God’s kingdom.”

Read Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 84-86.

SABBATH Read this week’s Real-Time Faith story above.

realtimefaith.netMay 9, 2020

Lesson study for May 2-8

E A R L I T E E N S A B B A T H S C H O O L L E S S O N

LESSON 6: RETREATING BEFORE YOU CHARGE

Real-Time Faith® is prepared by the Sabbath School Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®..

25May 2, 2020 | GUIDE |

Jenna is in the eighth grade. She writes: “I invited my neighbor Cassandra to spend the weekend at my house while her parents were away. I take time to reflect and pray every night before I go to bed. Cassandra noticed I was praying and said her mother does the same thing because of yoga classes. ‘It’s all the same,’ she said. I didn’t

know what to say. I don’t want her to think that spending time with God is the same thing as yoga. But I didn’t want to offend her by telling her she was mistaken. What could I have said? Was it right just to leave it alone? It just seemed like a good opportunity to share, and I think I blew it.”

At first, spending quiet time with God may feel unusual. But if you keep doing it, you will discover a joy and peace that nothing else gives.

Think you are too busy just to sit and listen for God to speak to you? Look at how busy Jesus was in Mark 1—the whole chapter is fast-paced. But Jesus gets up before the sun because, more than sleep, He needs to know what His Father has planned for Him on this day. He also wants to be sure His life is in the hands of His Father. After His prayer time, He knows what His Father wants Him to do. God may have instructed Jesus that it was time to move on. Perhaps He would say, “Let’s move on to

the next village—we have work to do there.”Time with God is a precious privilege. What are the obstacles

in your life? A few minutes of extra sleep? A phone call cut five minutes short? One less email or text message to write? What would our church be like if young people became involved? Imagine a whole generation of teenagers who make Jesus a priority in their lives. What might happen if young people would take time out of their busy lives to get in touch with the One who bought them eternal life? What is holding you back from making God first in your life?

Rest. Our minds and bodies need it to be healthy. Our spirit needs it to remain in contact with our Lord and Savior. Every day we need to spend time with God. When we spend time with God, He helps us to make decisions and to know what is right. And God has given us the Sabbath—a day to set aside our worldly interests and get to know Him and His will for us. It is a day to celebrate not only creation but salvation! Time spent with God during the week and on Sabbath restores our minds, bodies, and spirit for the work God has for us to do.

How do you spend quiet time with God?__________________________________________________________________________

What can you do to guard against distractions during your quiet time?__________________________________________________________________________

The Bible story from Mark 1:29-35 shows how Jesus honored the Sabbath rest and how He took time to spend with His Father early in the morning. Indicate with numbers the correct order of the verses.

______ “So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.”______ “Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew.”______ “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place;

and there He prayed.”______ “And the whole city was gathered together at the door.”______ “Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases.”______ “At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.”______ “But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever.”

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

MONDAY

Read 2 Timothy 4:2.

Read Mark 1:35.

Read Exodus 20:8-11; Isaiah 58:13, 14; Ezekiel 20:12.

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Look up the following texts in the New International Version of the Bible, and answer the questions.

1. Matthew 14:13—How did the crowds follow Jesus?______________________________________

2. Mark 1:35—When did Jesus go out to pray?_____________________________________

3. Mark 6:32—How did they go away by themselves?______________________________________

4. Luke 4:42—What time of day was it when the people tried to keep Jesus from leaving?

______________________________________5. Luke 22:39-44—Where did Jesus pray this prayer: “Father,

if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done”?

______________________________________

6. John 7:53-8:1—Where did Jesus go?______________________________________

7. John 6:15—Where did Jesus go this time and why?______________________________________

8. Mark 6:30, 31—What did Jesus say to His apostles and why?______________________________________

“Christ’s words of compassion are spoken to His workers today just as surely as they were spoken to His disciples. ‘Come ye your-selves apart, . . . and rest awhile,’ He says to those who are worn and weary. . . . While we are to labor earnestly for the salvation of the lost, we must also take time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of the Word of God. Only the work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good” (The Desire of Ages, p. 362).

Review the memory text.The image of God waiting for us to spend time with Him is

powerful. God is waiting for His children—you and me—to want to be with Him. We don’t spend time with God because it is required. We do it because we enjoy it so much and want to spend time with Jesus! God is not interested in us having “devotions” as much as He is interested in our “devotion” (loyalty, faithfulness, dedication, and love). Devotions have a beginning and an end. Devotion is a lifetime commitment.

In the Bible we clearly see Jesus hanging out with sinners all the time. The Pharisees would ask, “Why does He eat and drink with sinners?” The religious leaders may have snarled at Jesus,

but His Father was smiling. No matter how busy Jesus was, He made sure to take moments of solitude—away from the people and teaching—just to be with God. No one, not even Jesus, could keep going day after day without quiet moments with God. And God smiles when we demonstrate our love to Him by sharing time with Him.

God waits for you. He patiently watches you. When you hear God calling you, answer and give Him some of your time. Ask God to remind you if you need help doing this. He is more interested in moments alone with you than anything else. You will be amazed at how much He can do for you and through you when you invite Him to spend time with you.

Schedule or spontaneously spend some time apart in the quietness with God. You might want to focus on one thing at a time and journal some of your thoughts and experiences as you go throughout the week.

Read the texts and answer the questions.

Read Mark 6:30, 31.

Read John 7:53-8:1.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

What did you hear? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What verses came to your mind/did you read?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What honest communication did you have with God from your heart? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Describe how it made you feel. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What did you see in God, you, or others as you were alone?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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“Possessed,” from p. 13

many meals, she went without food, giving Junior the little that remained in the cupboard. But the demons’ plan of keep-ing them away from church had failed. When Mother couldn’t afford to buy gas, church mem-bers offered rides in their cars.

Mother found strength in the Bible and prayed the promise of Joshua 1:9, which says, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Meanwhile Junior didn’t know about Mother’s money prob-lems. He remained angry with Father and refused to speak with him. He even changed his phone number so Father couldn’t call.

Unable to talk with Junior, Father misunderstand what was happening. He yelled at Mother and accused her of turning their son against him. He complained to his mother (Junior’s grand-mother) that he had no son.

Junior’s grandmother scolded Mother. “ Your new religion is the cause of so much pain in your family,” she said. “ You should leave it.”

But when Mother showed Grandmother the empty cup-board and told how she had lost her job and was nearly out of food, Grandmother became alarmed and contacted Father.

A short time later Mother’s cell phone rang. “Can I buy you some groceries and bring them over?” Father asked.

When he arrived, he set down the bags of food and looked at Mother seriously. “I don’t know if I’m ever coming back,” he said. But he kept bringing food.

It took a while before Junior finally agreed to speak with Father. When he did, his bit-ter feelings vanished, and he hugged Father warmly.

A fter two months the demons declared, “ We will create a new plan

to prevent your son from being baptized. Go back home.”

Mother and Junior were sum-moned to the temple. Father was possessed by a demon when they arrived, and the de-mon spoke through Father in a low, distorted voice.

“ We have decided that Father should go back home,” he said. “There is no need for him to stay here. He’s going back, but don’t even try to take him to church. If you try to teach him about your religion or if he goes to church, he will leave us forever.”

Mother and Junior under-stood that the demon was threatening to kill Father.

Read part 3 next week: Father crashes Junior’s baptism.

Inspires Service


power points® story

N ow word has come that the Galatians have started be-lieving a “different gospel.”

Jewish Christians coming to town have taught that believers must also keep old Jewish traditions. Paul wastes no time writing a letter to set things straight.

He writes, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6, 7).*

The word “gospel” means good

news, and the good news is that Jesus’ death saves us from our sins. Depending on old traditions, sacrifices, and circumcision is not good news at all in Paul’s estima-tion. Rather, authentic service to God and others comes from the renewed heart in response to God’s love.

What’s more, these new teachers were also trying to discredit Paul, saying he was not one of Jesus’ original disciples and was therefore inferior in his teaching to the other apostles. So Paul feels a need to defend himself.

“I want you to know, broth-ers and sisters, that the gospel I

Imagine having taught someone how to do something, only to come back later and find that someone else has been by and shown them a whole different way to do it. Trouble is, the new way is all wrong, and

will only lead to costly problems down the road. Imagine how frustrated you would be. That’s the situation in the first two chapters of the book of Galatians. Paul has spent a long time in Galatia establishing churches and teaching the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ—that we are saved

by Christ’s death, not by anything we do.

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preached is not of human ori-gin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (verses 11, 12). Paul explains how he had zealously kept the laws, to the point of persecuting Chris-tians in an effort to destroy the newly founded Christian church.

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gen-tiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being” (verses 15, 16). The other believers “heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they praised God because of me” (verses 23, 24). Paul was a changed man.

Fourteen years later Paul was called to defend himself before the apostles. He went to Jerusalem and met with the leaders—“those esteemed as leaders” is the way he put it (Galatians 2:2). This meet-ing convinced the other leaders of the church that Paul was indeed a dedicated follower of Jesus.

“On the contrary, they recog-nized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circum-cised. For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circum-cised, was also at work in me as

an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised” (verses 7-9).

Jesus saves and changes human lives. The other apostles recog-nized the difference Jesus made in Paul’s life. They saw how His grace changed a hateful, murderous man into one of His most trusted mes-sengers of the gospel.

How did God prepare Paul for a life of service? “I have been cruci-fied with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me,” Paul writes. “The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (verse 20).

Paul recognized that Jesus’ death on the cross gives us eternal life and empowers us to serve Him. Be-ing crucified with Christ means we have asked Him to come and live in our hearts. When Jesus comes into our hearts, He changes us into Christlike people who are eager to serve Him and others uncondition-ally, out of love. Nothing Paul did could have changed him. Neither can our hard work change us. Genuine transformation comes with Jesus. Our service to God and to others is simply our heartfelt re-sponse of gratitude for His infinite grace and matchless love.

*Bible texts are from the New International Version.PowerPoints® is prepared by the Sabbath School Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®.

.

juniorpowerpoints.org

J U N I O R S A B B A T H S C H O O L L E S S O N

Key References: Galatians 1; 2; The Acts of the Apostles, pp.

383-388; The Bible Story (1994), vol. 10, pp. 76-78; 132-134; Our

Beliefs, nos. 22, 10, 11.

Jesus empowers us to serve others in love.

““I have been crucified with Christ and I no

longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave

himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, NIV).

power points®

DO Do this week’s activity at guidemagazine.org.

READ Read Galatians 1:6, 7 and this week’s story, “Grace Inspires Service.”

THINK What do you think Paul means by “the gospel of Christ” (verse 7)?

REVIEW Review the power text.

PRAY Thank God for His promise to change your life.

READ Study Galatians 1:8, 9.

THINK Have you ever heard something about God that was wrong? What did you say to correct the wrong view?

SERVE Think about what helps a person remain faithful to God. Help a person who doesn’t believe in God to understand the truth and distinguish it from error.


PRAY Ask God to help you understand the meaning of the gospel.

READ Study or recite John 3:16.

ASK Ask a few adults to state in a single sentence what John 3:16 means to them. What does it mean to you?

APPLY Share the message of John 3:16 with someone by helping them in a practical way and by telling them about God’s great love for them.


PRAY Thank God for His work in the lives of others.

READ Study Matthew 18:12-14.

SERVE God’s love is shown in the shepherd’s concern for even one lost lamb. How will you care for His people today?


PRAY Thank God for all His messages of love to you.

READ Study Galatians 2:17-21.

THINK Think of the meaning of the text: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

SERVE Invite Jesus to live in you and help you serve others.


PRAY Thank God for new life in Him.

READ Study Ephesians 4:11-13. SHARE Tell this week’s story to your family at worship.

SING Sing with your family members a song about new life in Jesus and your desire to serve Him.

SAY Repeat the power text from memory. PRAY Praise God for the life you now live by faith in Jesus. Thank Him for helping you to grow in Him

and share Him with others.

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May 9, 2020Lesson study for

May 2-8


PAUL LEARNS THAT THE CHRISTIANS IN GALATIA ARE TRYING TO EARN SALVATION BY THEIR OWN ACTIONS.

HE WRITES WITH A STRONG WARNING:

*THE WORD “GOSPEL” MEANS “GOOD NEWS.”

MORE NEXT WEEK!

I am astonished that you are turning to a different gospel—one that is not good news* at all! Some people are trying to add to God’s message. Let them be under God’s curse!

We just need to trust Jesus—we can’t add anything to even remotely earn our salvation.

God redeems us because of our faith in Jesus—not because of anything we can do.

I have been crucified with Christ. It’s no longer my life, but Jesus living in me.

Because if I could become righteous by keeping God’s law, Christ died for nothing!

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I don’t ignore God’s grace . . .

Lesson 6: May 2-8, 2020Written by Tompaul Wheeler + Illustrated by Mariano Santillan

BIBLESKETCHESA Visual Introduction to theSabbath School Lesson

To read or listen to this week’s Sabbath School lesson, go to juniorpowerpoints.org, or use your Bible study guide.

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World’s most venomous and poisonous animals

God gave certain animals potent mechanisms for defense and to attack their prey. Some are venomous (inject toxins through a bite or sting). Others are poisonous (unload toxins when they are eaten or touched). Check out these creatures’ special weapons.

The toxins of the venomous box jellyfish, found in the waters around Asia and Australia, attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells of its prey. —sciencebasedlife.com

A single golden poison frog has enough poison in its skin to kill 10 grown men. —amnh.org

Don’t be fooled by the blue-ringed octopus’s incredible beauty or diminutive stature. The size of a golf ball, this small creature contains enough venom to kill at least 25 people. They’re usually found hiding in Pacific Ocean tide pools. —sciencebasedlife.com

The Brazilian wan-dering spider once held the Guinness world record for being the most ven-omous animal in the world. —msn.com

One of the most venomous snakes in the world is the Inland Taipan of Australia. Just a single bite from this snake contains enough venom to kill 100 human adults or an army of 250,000 mice. Fortunately, this snake is very shy and avoids people. —sciencebasedlife.com

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