Friday, April 5
Imagine the changes that occurred in the life of Christ’s disciples as they spent time with Him. They were mostly uneducated, simple people, accustomed to the teachings and traditions of their Jewish faith, but now they were being challenged by the Galilean Rabbi. They experienced jealousy (Matthew 20:20-24) and conflict (John 3:25); they seemed to lack faith (Mark 9:28, 29), and they even abandoned (Matthew 26:56) and betrayed Jesus (Matthew 26:69-74). At the same time, they were growing spiritually so that people recognized Peter had been with Jesus (Matthew 26:73), and even the members of the Sanhedrin marveled when they perceived that Peter and John were “uneducated and untrained men”. “They realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13, NKJV).
Think, too, about the incredibly positive impact we could have in our families if we lived in such a way that when other members of our family see us, they know that we have “been with Jesus”.
What do these words from Ellen G. White have to say about influences in the home? “The home may be plain, but it can always be a place where cheerful words are spoken and kindly deeds are done, where courtesy and love are abiding guests”. – The Adventist Home, p. 18.
Discussion Questions:
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. What are these verses saying, and how can you apply the principle there to your own life and experiences?
In class, talk about some of the life-changing experiences that you have been through, and talk about the lessons you learned and, if applicable, the lessons you should have learned but didn’t. What did you learn from the lessons that you didn’t know? Also talk about how these life-changing experiences impacted your family. What lessons did you learn in these situations, too?
What are the ways you live today that, were it not for Christ in your life, would be radically different than they are now? What should that tell you about the power of Christ to change us?
