"I AM" 2011 Week of Prayer

EDITORIAL STAFF
Gilbert Cangy
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR
cangyg@gc.adventist.org
Jonatán Tejel
EDITOR
tejelj@gc.adventist.org
Maria A. Dunchie
LAYOUT & DESIGN, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
dunchiem@gc.adventist.org
Erica Richards
COPY EDITOR
richardse@gc.adventist.org
DEPARTMENTAL ADVISOR
Armando Miranda
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
Mulumba Tshimanga • East-Central Africa Division
mulumbaj@ecd.adventist.org
Stephan Sigg • Euro-Africa Division
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Kasap Gennady • Euro-Asia Division
gkasap@ead-sda.ru
Benjamin Carballo• Inter-American Division
carballobe@interamerica.org
Louise Nocandy • Inter-American Division
nocandyl@interamerica.org ABOUT THE AUTHOR Debbonnaire Kovacs has been writing since
James Black • North American Division she could hold a pencil, and sold her first story to Junior Guide
james.black@nad.adventist.org
when she was eleven years old. By her twenties, she recognized
Manny Cruz • North American Division
manny.cruz@nad.adventist.org
that writing and speaking were not just what she loved to do,
Nakk Hyung Kim • Northern Asia-Pacific Division but what God wanted her to do. She has written off and on for
youth@nsdadventist.org
most of her life, but has been writing full time since 1990, having
Areli Barbosa • South American Division
areli.barbosa@adventista.org.br written twelve books including the first, second, fifth, and
Busi Khumalo • Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division sixth grade Bible textbooks used in Adventist schools in North
sau.youthdir@adventist.org.za
America, and over 150 stories and articles for all ages. She speaks
Nickolas Kross • South Pacific Division
nkross@adventist.org.au at camp meetings, women’s retreats, and other events, and also
Jobbie Yabut • Southern Asia-Pacific Division does copyediting. She urges everyone to take their dreams to
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God and see whether they are more than just dreams. They may
Lionel F. Lyngdoh • Southern Asia Division
lyngdoh@sud_adventist.org be assignments from the King of Heaven.
Paul Tompkins • Trans-European Division
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You can contact Debbonnaire at:
John Enang • Western Africa Division
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editorial : our i.d.
W hen you travel by air,
the first procedure to
go through when you arrive at
What is your IDENTITY as a
Seventh-day Adventist youth?
IDENTITY can be defined as
In Selected
Messages, book
2, p. 384, Ellen
the airport is to go to the check- distinctiveness, uniqueness, White wrote, “We
in service counter to hand over particularity, character, or in- are Seventh-day
your baggage and to receive a tegrity. Thus by its definition,
Adventists, and
boarding pass. At that time, you Seventh-day Adventist youth
will be asked to present your should be distinctive, unique, of this name we
ID, or IDENTIFICATION card, have a noble character, and are never to be ashamed.”
which has your picture, name, demonstrate integrity. My dear young people, you
date of birth, and address on it. The year 2011has been desig- have your name—Seventh-
When you proceed to the secu- nated as “The Year of Identity” day Adventist; you have your
rity checkpoint, again, you have for the Seventh-day Adventist IDENTITY—a child of God;
to present your ID and boarding youth around the world. The keep it up, hold it tight, raise it
pass. When you arrive to your Encarta Dictionary defines up throughout the year. Be a
destination in another country, IDENTITY as “the name or true and faithful Seventh-day
you have to present your ID essential character that identi- Adventist, not on the seventh-
card and passport before you fies somebody or something.” day only, but throughout all
can leave the airport. So in this context, our identity seven days.
Does someone really need is found in the name of our This year the world church
an IDENTITY? Is it necessary church, Seventh-day Adventist. has been challenged to pray 7
for you to have an IDENTITY? You are a Seventh-day keeper, days a week, at either 7 in the
The answer is, it is absolutely or in other words, you are a morning, or 7 in the evening.
necessary. You have to have an Sabbath keeper. An Adventist I invite you to become a 777
IDENTITY. If you don’t have is someone who believes in and youth! My prayer is that we
your IDENTIFICATION, you waits for the Second Advent, may all board the vehicle bound
would not be allowed to travel the coming of Jesus Christ. for Heaven one day soon, and
by air or by sea. IDENTIFICA- So our identity as a church is that we will strive to discover
TION is a requirement for all a group of people who places our IDENTITY in Christ on this
travelers. their hope in Jesus, eagerly earth and continue to shine for
You and I are travelers,
and we are on our journey
awaits the Second Coming,
and keeps all of His command-
Him. •
to Heaven. We must have an ments, including the Seventh- Hiskia Missah
ID—evidence of WHO WE ARE. day Sabbath. GC Associate Youth Director
on the web : gcyouthministries.com
http://gcyouthministries.org Youth Week of Prayer . 2011 3

WhO WAS JESUS?
H ow d i d H e know who H e was ?
W ho a m I ?
H ow c an I know who I a m ?
ywop 2011
3 Editorial
6 Read This First
11 Jesus, The Light of the World
19 Jesus, The Door
31 Jesus, The Bread of Life
41 Jesus, The Good Shepherd
51 Jesus, The Way, The Truth, and The Life
63 Jesus, The True Vine
75 Jesus, The Resurrection and The Life
83 Jesus, The Great “I Am”
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Website: youth.gc.adventist.org. • Mailing Address: GC Youth Ministries Department, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, USA.
read this first
identity
knowing who you are in christ
Who are we? Regardless of our earthly relationships and our national/cultural loyalties, we
are “sons and daughters of God.” This fact calls for a kind of loyalty and living that lifts young
men and women above the crowd to stand tall for God. But in this hour it means more than
just being loyal to God.
The purpose of this special week of prayer and spiritual emphasis is to encourage you to
reexamine who you are as a Christian. You must know who you are and what you stand
for—what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist youth. The sermons are written as a
conversation you would have with a group. You will see instructions, such as when to have
scriptures read aloud—these are always in italics and placed in brackets. When there are
specific questions to ask they appear under the section, “Discussion Questions,” which are
open for discussion, so they have no suggested answers.
BE PREPARED
The most important thing you can do is read over the part you are supposed to do several
times in advance, until you become familiar with it. DON’T READ!! You can keep your part
on a podium in front of you and refer to it when necessary. Make lots of eye contact, move
around, speak with expression, and make it yours.
For the anecdotal stories, you may want to invite someone to help you role play these. It will
make them more interesting and give other people a part. These will usually require only two
people; each person can read his or her part.
What the symbols mean

Whenever you see this symbol you are at the beginning of the anecdotal
3 story—get someone to role play with you.
Whenever you see this symbol you are at the start of the lesson, the life
= application—how the Bible text and story can be applied to our daily lives.
6 Youth Week of Prayer . 2011 http://gcyouthministries.org

What “I” means Another good idea is to make posters of the
“I”, in these lessons, is you, the speaker. The eight Life Identity Principles and hang the
writer didn’t use “I” much, because she’s not you, corresponding one each night. If you do that, on
and she doesn’t know what you might say. If the last night you can have all eight of them in
there is an “I” statement that doesn’t fit you, front of the group as you review the principles
change it so it does. If you have a personal during the presentation. Here are all eight of
experience or insight that works better than them:
one given, use it. You are the speaker. Be
humorous. People remember things they laugh Life Identity Principle #1.
about, and laughing together makes them feel a Because Jesus is the Light of the world, I can
sense of belonging and family. be a candle, lighting others’ paths to Him.
Names Life Identity Principle #2.

This is important. If the names of people in Because Jesus is my Door, I can be a doorkeeper,
the stories are the same as someone in your welcoming others into God’s family.
audience, it would be a good idea to change
Life Identity Principle #3.
them. Remember, these are “composite stories,”
and the names can be changed to anything you Because Jesus is the Bread of life, I can be a
like. Just keep them diverse and international, or grain of wheat, giving myself to feed others
make them appropriate for where you are. His Word.

Discussion Questions
Because Jesus is my Shepherd, I can be a
There are some discussion questions at the lamb that follows faithfully, and also an under-
end of each section. These are better if used in shepherd, helping to care for other lambs.
smaller groups of about 3-8 persons, but if need
be can also be used with the entire group, if it Life Identity Principle #5.
isn’t too big. They can also be used as individual Because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and
thought questions or for journaling. the Life, I can walk in His Way, hold up His
Truth, and share an abundant, full life with
Scripture Readings those around me.
Within each presentation there are scripture
passages. The speaker can read them, especially Life Identity Principle #6.
if you are in a large room, like an assembly Because Jesus is the True Vine, I can be a
hall, but when possible, call on other people to blessed branch, drawing my nourishment
read the texts, or for longer passages take turns from Him and glorifying God with much
reading a verse or two at a time. fruit.

Life Identity Principle #7. START A PRAYER JOURNAL
Because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, Nothing is greater for your personal spiritual
I can rejoice in His newness of life now and growth than time spent in prayer. Your youth
trust Him for life eternal. group will grow as you grow. Prayer journaling
will help you encounter God in new and exciting
ways. You will be able to “track” your walk with
God as you go back and review answered prayers,
Because Jesus the Great I AM is, was, and see how He has lead you, step by step, each day.
always will be, because He lived out a True New, fresh, ideas will come to mind as you spend
and Complete Life here on earth, I can be my time in His presence journaling your prayers.
true and complete self in Him. You can find many ideas online on starting and
keeping a prayer journal. Just go to http://www.
Scribe google.com and type in the words “starting a
It is really good to have someone serve as a prayer journal.”
scribe—maybe a different person each night—and
keep notes on a white board at the front. Some of FORM A WEEK OF PRAYER DEVELOPMENT/
the lessons are better suited to this than others, REVIEW TEAM
but whenever you can include short comments Depending on the size of your church, this group
or suggestions from the audience, that’s always can be four to eight persons who will go through
helpful. all eight days’ readings with you. Include on
your team only interested and committed young
Start your planning immediately adults and youth ministry leaders (Pathfinder,
We know that leadership sometimes changes Sabbath School, etc., your pastor/s); this is
at the end of the year; but please, if you will no important because it gives ownership to the
longer be the AY leader next year, do not let that entire group, rather than just you and your
stop you from planning for this special week. Start assistant. Ask the group to commit to meeting
for at least five weeks—at least one week for two
your planning, develop your target, get your team
lessons, and an extra week to wrap things up. Be
together, and make sure your pastor is a part of
sure to identify the goal and direction you want
that team.
to go, preferably at the first meeting, and choose
a young person to speak for each day.
CHOOSE A THEME SONG
Involve your youth choir; if your church does not
FIND A MENTOR
have a youth choir, this is the perfect time to get
one started. Pick out songs that you all like, and This year we want to encourage you to do
which fit the topic of each evening or choose a something you may not have done before―find
song for the entire week. a mentor. Find an experienced youth leader,
8 Youth Week of Prayer . 2011 http://gcyouthministries.org

one you can trust to be honest—someone who to serve as volunteers. Involve some of these
will have the guts to tell you what you need to volunteers in your development/review team.
change, what you need to keep doing, or what
you need to totally do away with in your ministry.
SCREENING THE VOLUNTEERS
Make sure your mentor is also someone who can
help guide you spiritually, someone you can turn While we may not like to admit it, the church is
to for spiritual guidance, who will ask you the not a perfect place, and all volunteers must be
tough questions and will help you work through screened. Develop your own screening process,
problems. Also, this mentor should be someone ask the tough questions. Please contact your local
who will help you keep Christ at the center of conference/union/division and get information/
your plans and hold you accountable. guidelines on screening volunteers in your area.
INVOLVE YOUR PARENTS AS VOLUNTEERS TAKE A SURVEY

I served as the AY leader of a church, where Find out who your young people are. Establish
one year, the pastor challenged us to do a core group among the young people in your
something different for the Youth Week of church, even if they are not attending the youth
Prayer. The committee decided to include meetings. Share your plans and goals for the
drama in their Week of Prayer. Every night there Week of Prayer with them. Start slowly, start
was dramatization before the actual sermons. small, but begin early.
Everyone made sure they came out early; they did
not want to miss anything, and neither did their PLAN A Re-ENCOUNTER PROGRAM
parents, who after taking them to the rehearsals
Use the last Sabbath to launch an annual Re-
wanted to see what the “big day” would be like.
encounter program, spanning three months,
This way, the pastor involved the parents in his
culminating in a Homecoming Sabbath
planning, and the youth involved the parents
celebration. Start a prayer list for all inactive
by having them bring them to the rehearsals.
youth.
So, parents can become your greatest fans and
expand your ability to reach more people.
Many times adult volunteers do not realize PLAN A COMMUNION SERVICE/AGAPE
how much the youth look up to them, so if you FEAST
involve more parents, who already know many A communion service on Friday evening toward
of the youth, they will be more than willing to the end of the service or on Sabbath morning
serve since they already connect with some of is a great idea. There are many ways you can
the youth in your group. Try and find at least do this to make it memorable for your group.
five adults that most of the youth look up to, For more ideas on the Agape Feast visit: www.
then challenge specific youth to ask those adults gcyouthministries.org

SOME ACTIVITY IDEAS Lesson 3. Bring some really good homemade
Activities to go along with this series will make it bread to share with everyone. Talk about the
even more interesting. We tend to do this sort of process (steps) of baking this bread.
thing only for children, but adults are still visual,
Lesson 4. Find a video clip online of a
auditory, and kinesthetic, and we need hearing,
shepherd and sheep to watch and then
seeing, and doing to help us remember things
discuss. (Visit http://www.wingclips.com/
and make them a living part of us. You and your
movie-clips/ten-commandments/the-shepard
friends will be able to think of others when you
for usable clips.)
read the lessons. Here are some ideas:
Lesson 5. Use a concordance to find all the
Lesson 1. Get votive or small candles and
places in Proverbs that say “in the way.” You’ll
paper candle holders. Have a large candle
be amazed! You could make posters or lists
up front that is already lit, which represents
with what you find, or act them out.
Jesus, the Light of the World. Turn off the
overhead lights. Choose one person (who is Lesson 6. This one is old, but still good. Bring
willing to sing alone) to take his or her candle celery or Queen Anne’s Lace blossoms and
and light it at the big candle, singing “This put them in water that has food coloring in
little light of mine.” This person lights two it. Talk about which parts of the plant absorb
people’s candles, and they join in singing. the colored water and how that relates to the
They each light two more and join in singing. lesson.
Continue this pattern of lighting someone
else’s candle. Soon everyone will have a light Lesson 7. Write stories or poems or draw
and be singing. The whole room will light up, pictures of what you think it might be like in
not only with physical light, but with the light the New Earth. (Yes, you can. Pretend you’re
of God, as people sing together to His glory. 10 again if it helps.)
Lesson 2. Use a real door or an imaginary Lesson 8. Make a poster of all the I Am
one to role play some of the ways doors are statements, like the one the kids in the story
used, both positively and negatively. For make. Or have a discussion in small groups,
example, one person could be knocking, and perhaps longer than usual, on individual
another could say, “No! You can’t come in answers to “Who are you really?”
here! You aren’t _______ enough!” Then one
person could knock and another could open PRAY A LOT! HAVE FUN!
the door and say, “Welcome! Come in! I’m so
glad to see you!” Try to think of and share real
ways you’ve seen these attitudes played out
in your lives or in the lives of those you know.
Life Identity
Principle #1
Beca u se Jesu s is the
L ig ht of the world , I can
be a ca ndl e, l ightin g
oth ers’ p a th s to Him.
the Light of the World

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”
W en Chung glowered at the Organic Pineapple Banana Dessert Smoothie sitting on the table
in front of him. He barely noticed the waitress stopping by his table.
“Something wrong, Wen? Is your smoothie okay?”
Wen started. “Oh, hi, Andrea. Sorry, I didn’t see you.” Realizing belatedly what she had said, he
looked blankly at the tall, frosted glass, seeing it for the first time. “Oh, yeah, yeah, it’s fine. To tell the
truth, I haven’t even tasted it yet.”
Andrea glanced around the small café and then sat down across from him. “It’s not busy yet. What’s
up? Something troubling you?”
Wen met her concerned eyes. This was the sort of thing that made him like Andrea. He smiled for
the first time that morning. “You’re amazing, you know?”
Andrea looked surprised. “Me? Why?”
“You have so many worries of your own. Three kids, two jobs, an absentee husband . . .”
“Yada yada,” said Andrea, flapping a hand. “I asked what was up with you!”
“That’s my point,” said Wen. “You’re always the first person to notice someone else in trouble. Don’t
you have enough troubles of your own?”

“Maybe that’s why I notice,” killer homework assignment.
said Andrea with a grin. “Other You’ll never believe it. We have ___________________________________________
people’s troubles are way more to write a 10-page essay on ___________________________________________
interesting than your own, ‘Who Am I?’ Ten pages!! Can
haven’t you ever noticed? Come you believe it? I couldn’t use ____________________________________________
on—talk to me! The doctor is in, up 10 words on that question!” ___________________________________________
and the clock is running.”
= Who am I? It’s one of the ___________________________________________
Wen grimaced. “Well, for great questions of life, maybe
one thing, I’m thinking about the greatest question of all. ____________________________________________
changing my major—again! I’m We can spend our entire lives
in my second year of university
___________________________________________
trying to figure out the answer
already, and I don’t know what (or answers) to it. Some never ___________________________________________
I want to do when I grow up, if I do figure it out. Some don’t
ever do!” ___________________________________________
even try.
Andrea grinned again. “The If somebody asks, “Who are
___________________________________________
trick might be to ask yourself you?” what do you say? The ___________________________________________
what you’d want to do if you most obvious answer, of course,
never did grow up!” is your name. But that’s just ____________________________________________
“What, you mean besides what you’re called. It doesn’t ___________________________________________
fireman, space alien, or really tell anyone who you are
inside. ____________________________________________
millionaire software designer?”
Wen started to laugh, then What are some other ___________________________________________
stopped. He paused a second. answers? Which of these ____________________________________________
“Hey, that’s a really good possibilities could you say?
idea! I have to think about ___________________________________________
that!” He stirred his smoothie “I’m a woman.”
___________________________________________
absentmindedly. “I’m a man.”
“Well,” said Andrea, “that will ____________________________________________
“I’m so-and-so’s son or
be $250! I’ll bill you.” She started daughter.” ___________________________________________
to get up, but Wen stopped her.
“I’m a sister or a brother.” ____________________________________________
“Oh, no, that’s the least of my
worries!” “I’m a mom or a dad.” ____________________________________________
Andrea sat again. “I’m a certain race.” ____________________________________________
“Professor Ellison gave us this “I’m from a certain state.” ___________________________________________
12 Youth Week of Prayer . 2011

D AY 1 http://gcyouthministries.org
“I’m a Christian.” was both human and divine
___________________________________________ (and nobody’s going to get that
“I’m a Seventh-day Adventist.”
___________________________________________ one figured out—they’ve been
Or you may answer by saying trying for centuries!) But still,
____________________________________________ what you do: as a human, He started life here
___________________________________________ “I’m an artist.” on earth as a child, the same
“I’m the scientific type.” as we did, right? He grew and
___________________________________________ learned as a child. I’m sure
“I’m a computer geek.” some old Jewish grandmothers
____________________________________________
“I work at XYZ company.” or rabbis pinched His cheek and
___________________________________________ asked Him what He wanted to
“I’m an athlete.”
be when He grew up! What did
___________________________________________ The best answer would be, He say? What did He say about
___________________________________________ “I’m a child of God,” but what who He was already, even when
does that really mean? Does it He was young? “I’m Mary’s son,
___________________________________________ mean we look a certain way or I’m Joseph’s son, I’m a Jew, I’m
___________________________________________ behave a certain way? Can you from Nazareth, I’m a carpenter.”
always tell for sure if someone is
____________________________________________ One of the ways we know
living as a child of God, just by
who we are is the stories our
___________________________________________ looking at them? Can you even
parents and grandparents tell
know for sure if you are living as
____________________________________________ us. Just imagine the ones Jesus
a child of God yourself?
heard! “When you were a little
___________________________________________ It seems obvious that the baby, angels sang over you,
____________________________________________ best way to figure out what that and one of them told me you
would look like is to look at the were going to save your people
___________________________________________ life of the Quintessential Child from their sins!” Can you even
of God, Jesus of Nazareth. And imagine how it would feel as a
___________________________________________
that’s what we’re going to do 10-year-old to hear stories like
____________________________________________ during this Week of Prayer. that?
___________________________________________ Think about the ways in But how did Jesus know
which Jesus knew who He was. who He really was? That’s the
____________________________________________ This is amazingly interesting question we’re going to look at
____________________________________________ when you get into it, because during this Week of Prayer. Not
we all sort of think Jesus, as just what did His parents tell
____________________________________________ the Son of God, just knew. Well, Him, or what did He learn when
___________________________________________ yes, He was the Son of God. He He studied the prophecies, but
http://gcyouthministries.org D AY 1 Youth Week of Prayer . 2011 13

how did He really know, deep darkness cannot overcome it,
inside, who He was and what which is equally true. So it’s ___________________________________________
He was sent to do? If we look at Jesus’ life itself that is the light. ___________________________________________
those questions and some of the Just by existing, Jesus, the
ways He answered them, maybe Father, and the Holy Spirit, bring ____________________________________________
we can find out some ways we light into the universe. Maybe ___________________________________________
can answer, too. Maybe we’ll that’s why it’s the first thing
learn some things about who we They made at creation. ___________________________________________
really, truly are on the inside.
Then in verse 9, John calls ____________________________________________
In the Gospel of John, Jesus “the true light,” who gives
there are seven famous “I Am” ___________________________________________
light to everyone. To everyone!
statements that Jesus made. Not that everyone understands ___________________________________________
We will study all seven of them or accepts it. But that’s the basic
this week, and then we’ll spend ___________________________________________
promise. Jesus comes into the
some time on what that whole “I world to live as a human being ___________________________________________
Am” thing is about. As a name of and to bring light to everyone.
God, you have to admit it’s more His life is the light, so just by
___________________________________________
creative than most of the ones being here, He’s going to bring ____________________________________________
the gods of this world claim! this light.
What does it really mean? ___________________________________________
Now let’s look at where Jesus
The first “I Am” statement ____________________________________________
actually makes the statement
we want to look at is “I am the
claiming to be the Light of the ___________________________________________
Light of the world.”
world. Turn with me in your
The first time in this gospel Bibles to John 8:12. “When Jesus ____________________________________________
that Jesus is called the Light spoke again to the people, he ___________________________________________
comes in the very first chapter. said, ‘I am the light of the world.
John the Beloved, the youngest Whoever follows me will never ___________________________________________
of Jesus’ 12 apostles, is most walk in darkness, but will have ____________________________________________
famous for calling Jesus the the light of life.’”
Word here, but he also calls Him ___________________________________________
the Light. Read verses 4 and 5 This is a very familiar
saying, but a lot of people don’t ____________________________________________
with me: “In Him was life, and
that life was the light of men. The realize what was happening ____________________________________________
light shines in the darkness, but when Jesus said it. It’s quite
the darkness has not understood surprising. What is the story ____________________________________________
it.” Other versions say the that precedes these words of ___________________________________________

Jesus, and in a way serves as anything at all, is light to see by?
___________________________________________ introduction? It’s the story of You can hardly even get dressed
___________________________________________ the woman who was caught in or eat without at least a little
adultery. The leaders wanted to light. So how can we know how
____________________________________________ stone her, but Jesus forgave her, to live as children of God if we
___________________________________________ and told her to “Go and sin no don’t have spiritual light to see
more.” We have all been caught by?
___________________________________________ in sin, whether it’s big or small, That woman who committed
____________________________________________ a few times in our lives. And adultery probably did not
I hope that we have all gone behave that way because she
___________________________________________ to Jesus for forgiveness and just wanted to be bad. She might
___________________________________________ cleansing. That’s hard enough, not have even done it because
yet it’s the easy part. What she was only interested in her
___________________________________________ you do next is the hard part. own pleasure and didn’t care
___________________________________________ “Go and sin no more.” How? about what was right or wrong.
Literally “for goodness’ sake,” Most likely, she did it because
___________________________________________ how on earth can we go and sin what she most wanted is the
____________________________________________ no more? same thing every single human
Most of the time, when this being craves, and that’s to feel
___________________________________________ loved. People try all kinds of
story is told, people stop right
____________________________________________ things to make themselves feel
there. “I forgive you, now go
good, worthwhile and loved,
___________________________________________ and be good!” And what do we
and one really common one
go and do? Sin again!
____________________________________________ is to hang out with somebody
You’ll notice Jesus didn’t stop who tells you nice things and
___________________________________________ there. compliments you, and so you
___________________________________________ Consider verse 12 again. pretend they really love you
when in your heart you know
____________________________________________ Isn’t that a strange thing to they don’t care a thing about
say right here? It seems like a you. Have you ever done that?
___________________________________________ complete change of subject! “I It feels good for a little while,
____________________________________________ am the light of the world.” What but not for long, right?
does it have to do with “go and
____________________________________________ stop sinning”? Jesus was saying to this
lonely woman, “Follow Me, and
____________________________________________ Don’t you think the very first you’ll live in the true light of
___________________________________________ thing we need, before we do My love. I know who you really

truly are, deep inside, and I love we can be sure that the same Then He said, “Follow Me.
you! I don’t love you for what I Spirit was present with Him Live in the light. God loves
can get out of you, or because I as a child and as a young man, you—pass it on!”
want to control you. I love you figuring things out by study So far, there haven’t really
because you are you and you and prayer the same way we been any surprises. We all know
are Mine. I am the light of this can. Jesus saw that in the Bible, Jesus is the Light of the world,
whole world. Come follow Me!” God was the Light Bringer, and and we all probably agree that
How did Jesus know this promised even as early as to love is another name for that
about Himself? As we noted Adam and Eve that He would light. But here is where it gets
before, He was God in human send a Redeemer to bring back really unexpected.
flesh and knew all kinds of the light that sin had dimmed.
Jesus learned that He was that In the Sermon on the Mount,
things, but the Bible says He Jesus said an astonishing thing.
learned, and we know that Redeemer.
It’s not found in John, but in
Mary told Him the stories Jesus knew that the true Matthew. Turn to Matthew
about His birth and the light of the world is love. He 5:14. “‘You are the light of the
announcements the angels knew what perfect love was world. A city on a hill cannot be
made. We also know that like, in heaven with His Father hidden. Neither do people light
when He went to the temple and the Spirit, and He knew a lamp and put it under a bowl.
when He was 12, He watched how messed up our ideas of Instead they put it on its stand,
the sacrifices and began to love are. He knew people tend and it gives light to everyone in
understand fully what His to either go around thinking the house. In the same way, let
mission was in this world. they’re too bad for God to love, your light shine before men, that
(Can you imagine figuring or that God owes them love, they may see your good deeds and
out a thing like that at 12 because they’re more lovable praise your Father in heaven.’”
years old? When I was 12, I than everybody else. Jesus
came to show us what God’s What? Who is the light of
was more interested in what
love is like. He demonstrated the world? Me? You’re kidding,
the next cool game was.) We
it every day of His life. He right?
know Jesus spent a lot of time
studying the scrolls of the Old touched people others wouldn’t Wen Chung would be
Testament and praying all by touch, healed the ones nobody really surprised if somebody
Himself out in the fields with thought deserved it, forgave walked up to him while he was
His heavenly Father. It seems people for all kinds of things, sitting there worrying over
to me that, since He promised talked with them, laughed with his major, and this paper his
the Holy Spirit to us, and since them, went to their weddings religion professor assigned,
we know the Spirit came on and parties. . . He loved them! and said, “Hey, Wen, you are
Him in power at His baptism, And they knew it. the light of the world!” Andrea

would probably be even more is like that light. He produces Fahrenheit? As soon as it rotates
surprised, even though it’s light and love and goodness just away from the sun, on the dark
clear to onlookers that she is by being there. side, it can drop down to as low
busy passing on that light of But the moon is just a big, as -233 C or -387 F at the poles,
love every day, despite the where it gets the least solar
round rock. It doesn’t have any
difficulties in her own life. heating (wiki.answers). That’s a
source of heat or light itself. So
But that’s what Jesus said. it can’t shine or warm anybody big difference!
Not only did He say to all the up, and if you could go up and So once we accept that Jesus
thousands of listeners that were ask it who it is and what good it is the Light of the world, several
there that day, “You are the is, it might get pretty depressed things happen. First, we tell
light of the world,” He went on and say, “I don’t know—I’m Him, yes, please, we do want
to say that they shouldn’t try just a worthless hunk of rock!” Him to bring His light and life
to hide their lights under bowls Even if the
or bushels. They should put moon could
them up on lampstands and let
their lights shine on everyone
see and feel Who am I? It’s one of
and think, it
around. Doesn’t that seem kind
of like bragging? “Hey, look at
would have
no way of
the great questions of
me, I’m the light of the world!”
Do you think that’s what
knowing that
when the
life, maybe the greatest
Jesus meant? Luckily, we
don’t have to discuss what we
sun shines
on it, it glows
question of all.
think He meant—He tells us in our sky
right there. He didn’t say, “Let like a jewel. On a full moon and love into our lives. Then we
people see your good deeds and night, there is enough reflected spend time every day basking
praise you.” He said, “Let them light to cast shadows on the in His presence through Bible
see your good deeds and praise ground. Back before there was study and prayer and singing.
your Father in heaven!” artificial light, people who had Next we practice reflecting His
to travel long distances would love and light onto everyone
It’s kind of like the sun and
pay attention to the phase of the around us.
the moon. The sun is burning
and producing huge amounts moon so they would have light We look to see what God’s
of light and heat, all by itself. to travel by. light does. It warms people up,
Nobody keeps fueling it or And would you believe that it shines, brightens, and cheers
relighting it. God set it up and in the sunshine, the moon’s all around. So if we want to
started it burning, and there temperature can get up to 123 know if we’re acting like the
it is, burning ever since. God degrees Celsius or 253 degrees light, we ask, do people feel

brightened and cheered when you fail to exercise Christian way to get really cold and dark!
they’re around us? We watch courtesy, forbearance, When we keep our eyes on
for others that make us feel and love in your families, Jesus, walking beside Him,
warmed and loved, too, and God and holy angels are looking up at His face, soaking
spend time in their presence, grieved away, and instead up His love, then that love will
because one of the ways we of being the light of the reflect on everybody else. Others
learn God’s love is from how we world, you are bodies of will notice that we are bright
relate to each other. darkness” (Australasian and cheerful, and they may feel
We ask ourselves questions, Union Conference Record; better about themselves. Maybe
as Ellen White suggests: November 1, 1904 par. 8). they’ll ask why we’re so happy,
and we can say, “Because Jesus
“Do you realize that you Bodies of darkness! Ouch! The
loves me so much and I just can’t
are the light of the world? problem is, if we read that and
help being happy about it! And
Do you, in your words and take it seriously, we might get
He loves you, too, you know.”
deportment at home, leave into looking at ourselves all the
a bright track heavenward? time, worrying about whether We are not and could never
[We could add, at work, at we’re the light of the world, be a source of light to the world,
school, wherever we are.] or bodies of darkness. But it is any more than the moon could
What is it to be the light of also possible to look too hard at be a source of light, heat, or
the world? —It is to have ourselves. If we spend too much power to earth. But if we let
God for your guide, to have time examining ourselves and Jesus shine His light and love
the companionship of holy our actions, we’ll be like the into our lives, we will be lamps
angels, and to reflect to moon rotating away from the to His glory, and when others
others the light that shines sun and looking at ourselves see us, they will learn to praise
upon you from above; but if instead of Jesus. That’s a quick God, too.•
1. Who are you? No, who are you really?
2. How do you think the woman felt when Jesus forgave her? Why? Have you ever felt that
way?
3. Do you agree that love is the light of the world? Why is that so important? Why do we
lose track of it so easily?
4. Share some ways God has shone light and love into your life lately.

Life Identity
Principle #2
Beca u se Jesus is
my Door, I can b e a
doorkeep er, welco min g
oth ers into God’s family.
the door
Jesus said, “I am the Door”
A ndrea saw the startled look on Wen’s face as she walked toward him to take his order. She started
talking before she even got to his table. “I know, I know, I look like a domestic abuse case!
Everybody’s staring. You see that swinging door over there?” She pointed, and Wen’s gaze moved
to the door to the kitchen area and back to her face. He grimaced with dawning comprehension and
sympathy. “Let me give you a little tip. Those doors are made that way so that you can see somebody
coming toward you. They don’t work as well if two people are walking toward them from opposite sides,
both with their arms loaded, and both looking back over their shoulders to say something to someone!”
“Ow,” said Wen, his round face comically wrinkled.
Andrea tried to grimace back, then winced. “Ow is right.” She touched her cheek. “It looks almost as
bad as it feels. Doors are my curse this week! Yesterday morning my toddler gate broke, and I found the
dog and Minnie, my 3-year-old, in the kitchen feasting on dry cereal together—from the floor!” Wen was
laughing, and Andrea rolled her eyes at him. “It’s not funny! So, what would you like this morning?”
“Well, you know me and the smoothies,” said Wen with a grin. “It’s my personal mission to try them
all. So today I want that Banana Crunch Breakfast Smoothie. And do yourself a favor, please—go through
the door carefully!” “Don’t worry!” said Andrea.
When she got back with Wen’s smoothie, he had his laptop open and was busily typing away. He
looked up and thanked her as she set down the tall glass. “And not for just the smoothie, either,” he
added. “You just helped me with a paper—again!”

“What, you’re writing about world makes sense. We can see
clumsy women?” that He brightens and warms ___________________________________________
“No, but Professor Ellison people by His presence. But how ___________________________________________
is all about doors this week. can a person be a door or a gate?
____________________________________________
Like what are they for, do they It’s even stranger when you
keep things in or out, and what look at the context, that is, the ___________________________________________
does it mean that Jesus is the stories and sayings that are right
___________________________________________
Door? He said something I’d around it. The last chapter is
never thought about before. a long, detailed story of a man ____________________________________________
In Revelation, where it talks Jesus healed from blindness.
___________________________________________
about Jesus knocking at the Interestingly, He first repeated,
door, it’s not in the context “I am the light of the world.” ___________________________________________
we always take it for, the door Then He healed the man. This
man had been blind his whole
___________________________________________
of the individual heart, it’s in
the context of the church— life, and some of the people ___________________________________________
specifically, to the church of thought God made him blind
deliberately, because either he or ___________________________________________
Laodicea. What do you think
that means?” his parents were sinful. Others ____________________________________________
were all upset because Jesus
Andrea thought about it, but ___________________________________________
healed him on the Sabbath. Can
only for a second. There was
you imagine? You’re blind your ____________________________________________
a large group coming into the
whole life, Jesus miraculously
café. “You mean, He’s knocking ___________________________________________
heals you, and instead of joining
at the church door and can’t get
in your incredulous joy, your ____________________________________________
in? Wow, that’s something to
pastor and elders are all frowning
think about. Got t-o go, sorry!” ___________________________________________
because it happened on the
= The second “I Am” statement Sabbath?! ___________________________________________
of Jesus that we’ll examine this
At the end of chapter 9, Jesus ____________________________________________
week is found in John 10:9:
tells the Pharisees they have a
“I am the gate; whoever enters problem with spiritual blindness. ___________________________________________
through me will be saved. He Then His very next words, in
will come in and go out, and find ____________________________________________
John 10:1, are about robbers and
pasture.” Some Bibles say door, thieves climbing into a sheep ____________________________________________
and some say gate, but either pen to steal sheep, rather than
one is kind of strange. For Jesus ____________________________________________
going through the door. He says
to say He is the Light of the that the sheep won’t listen to ___________________________________________

people who are not their own scribe write them on a board at
___________________________________________ shepherd, but that they will the front.] It opens and shuts. It
___________________________________________ listen to Him. You can tell He’s keeps people and animals out.
working up to saying He is the It keeps people and animals
____________________________________________ Good Shepherd, and He does in. It keeps cold or warm air
(we’ll look at that another day), out or in. It can stand open in
___________________________________________
but first He says He’s the door, welcome, or it can be locked
___________________________________________ or the gate, to the sheep pen. tight. It even shows you where
to go. If you want to go in a
____________________________________________ It’s strange. What does He
house, you can’t just walk
mean?
___________________________________________ through the wall, you can only
Maybe you’ve heard that get there through the door.
___________________________________________ in those days, the sheep fold (You could go in through the
___________________________________________ sometimes didn’t have a door window, but that usually means
or gate. It just had an open something bad.)
___________________________________________ doorway, and the shepherd lay Does Jesus do all these
___________________________________________ across that doorway to sleep, things? Let’s take a look.
so no predator could get in
____________________________________________ and harm his sheep at night. If Open: What are some things
anything tried, it would wake Jesus opens up to? Obviously
___________________________________________
him up, and he would fight He opens up to love and light
____________________________________________ it off. So if a thief or robber and truth. He always opens up
wanted to steal or harm the to anyone who wants to talk to
___________________________________________
Him or to listen to Him. He was
sheep, he would have to try to
____________________________________________ sneak over the wall without
welcoming to Nicodemus, who
came in private at night, and He
___________________________________________ waking up the shepherd. A
was welcoming to the people
person could literally be a door.
___________________________________________ who ran all the way around the
What does a door do? Let’s Sea of Galilee to find Him, and
____________________________________________ talk about that for a second. He was even welcoming to the
___________________________________________ If Professor Ellison were your woman at the well, who didn’t
religion professor and you had even know what she was looking
____________________________________________ to write this paper, you could for. Jesus is open to anything
____________________________________________ start by listing some of the anyone ever wants to tell Him,
things a door does. [If possible even if it’s a negative or hurtful
____________________________________________ and practical, get suggestions thing that He’s going to ask the
___________________________________________ from the listeners and have a person to give up. In the Psalms,

David says some really awful we open and opens what
things to God when he’s angry we shut. Did you know that ___________________________________________
or upset. God doesn’t encourage in the very earliest days of ___________________________________________
David to think that way, but Adventism, even before the
He doesn’t shut him away and church was officially formed, ____________________________________________
refuse to listen to him, either. some believed that the door in ___________________________________________
Have you ever heard a boss or the “shut door” concept referred
employer or pastor say they to in Revelation 22:11,12 had ___________________________________________
“have an open door policy”? already been shut, and that ____________________________________________
That means they are happy to there was no possibility of
talk to you any time, and you salvation for those who did not ___________________________________________
won’t be interrupting. That’s go through the original Great ___________________________________________
how Jesus is. Disappointment. Thank God
Shut: What does Jesus our forebears were still open to ___________________________________________
close the door against? The God and were able to recognize ___________________________________________
whole Bible teaches that one pretty quickly that He didn’t
of these days, God will shut want them to think that way. ___________________________________________
the door once and for all on all And that’s a very important ____________________________________________
sin, falsehood, hatred, envy, point—are we open to God and
idolatry, selfishness, and pride. His ways, even if they aren’t ___________________________________________
People who are clinging to what we thought, or are we ____________________________________________
those sins will get shut out, too, closed to any ideas we didn’t
and that’s just what God doesn’t already think of and put our ___________________________________________
want to happen, so He’s holding name on? Are we willing to ____________________________________________
the door open as long as He change if it becomes necessary?
can, begging people to come Are our minds open or shut, ___________________________________________
in. It began with God reaching and is it possible to be so open-
___________________________________________
out to our first parents as they minded that our brains fall out,
hid from Him after their dismal or locked so tightly shut God ____________________________________________
failure, and it will continue can’t get in?
___________________________________________
until the last day that people Keeps things in: Sometimes
can choose to join God’s side. you want the door shut
____________________________________________
Then the door will shut, and sin because it’s winter, and you ____________________________________________
will be destroyed forever. want to keep the warm air in.
It’s worth noting, too, that Sometimes you want it shut
____________________________________________
sometimes Jesus shuts what because it’s summer and you ___________________________________________

want to keep the cool air in. than the ones who jumped over
___________________________________________ Sometimes you shut the sheep the wall and got caught in a
___________________________________________ gate because you don’t want the bramble hedge! But that’s okay,
sheep to wander. Andrea, the because Jesus goes after them,
____________________________________________ waitress, keeps a gate on the too, rescues them from the
___________________________________________ kitchen opening, not because thorns, carries them back, and
she doesn’t love her kids and gives them another chance.
___________________________________________ her dog, but because she does.
At the nursing home where Keeps things out: When it
____________________________________________ comes to hot or cold air, you
there is a wing for Alzheimer
___________________________________________ or other dementia patients, could look at it either way. In
they have to keep the door the winter months, are you
___________________________________________ keeping the cold air out or the
locked so that people who can’t
___________________________________________ remember where they are won’t warm air in? And in summer,
get out and wander away. They are you keeping the cool air in
___________________________________________ or the hot air out? Yes…gates
could get lost, or get hit by a
___________________________________________ car. Sometimes they are angry are like that, too. When the
because they feel locked in, sheep gate is shut and locked,
____________________________________________ the sheep can’t get out, but
but the people who love them
___________________________________________ want to keep them safe. Doing also, the hyenas and wolves and
this and seeing those you love jackals and mountain lions can’t
____________________________________________ get in to eat them! I don’t know
getting angry when you are
___________________________________________ trying to protect them can be a about sheep, but I know there
heart-wrenching experience. are different kinds of people—
____________________________________________ some who’d rather stay in and
Does Jesus shut His lambs
___________________________________________ safe and never go out at all, and
in sometimes? “Abide with Me,”
some who feel rebellious and
___________________________________________ He says. “Stay here with Me, let
angry and don’t want to be shut
Me choose the path. Don’t run
____________________________________________ away.” Sometimes we may feel in ever—where are you on that
locked in to some circumstance continuum?
___________________________________________
or rule, but in fact, if we stick In the Bible, Jesus talks about
____________________________________________ with Jesus, we’ll be amazed thieves and robbers who climb
____________________________________________ how far we’ll go. We’ll have over the wall. In this world, let’s
higher adventures and wider face it: things are not the way
____________________________________________ experience than we ever would God meant them to be when He
___________________________________________ have expected—certainly wider created it. There is no perfect

safety anymore. Even with the a very long time. Can we trust
door closed, bad things can Him even then? ___________________________________________
happen. People can break into ___________________________________________
Yes. We can. Really.
houses and steal things, and
they can break into hearts and Shows the way: Jesus not ____________________________________________
steal security and peace. Those only said He was the door, He
said He was the only way to ___________________________________________
whose houses have been robbed
often say that the worst thing the Father. That’s in John 14:6, ___________________________________________
isn’t the jewelry or money or right after He said He was the
TVs they lost. The worst thing Way, the Truth, and the Life, ____________________________________________
is not feeling safe anymore. which we’ll examine on another ___________________________________________
Someone’s been in their room, day. Some people worry that
handling their things. They feel this means all the millions of ___________________________________________
betrayed and violated. Hearts people who never heard of ___________________________________________
are like that, too. Someone you Jesus will automatically be
thought you could trust betrays lost, but the Bible doesn’t teach ___________________________________________
your friendship and hurts you, that. God is the perfect and true ___________________________________________
or someone made promises and Judge, and He knows whether
didn’t keep them. people are trying to follow ____________________________________________
Jesus will never do that. He the Creator or reject Him in ___________________________________________
isn’t just someone who won’t terms of the knowledge that is
accessible to them [Write text out
____________________________________________
break down the door—He is
the Door. He is the only way - Romans 1:18-20]. These people ___________________________________________
to life and happiness. He can who will receive eternal life
open wide and make you feel and live forever with God will
____________________________________________
welcome, and He can close do so through Jesus’ life, death, ___________________________________________
around you, snuggly, and make and resurrection, even if they
you feel safe. don’t know it and never heard
___________________________________________
We can trust Him. of Him. That’s amazing and ____________________________________________
reassuring, isn’t it?
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The ___________________________________________
fact is, Jesus will never betray Everybody in God’s kingdom
you, but sometimes it might feel would have gone through ____________________________________________
as though He has. Your prayers that door one way or another, ____________________________________________
may be answered in ways you whether they knew it or not.
don’t even recognize, so you Jesus says those who knowingly ____________________________________________
feel unanswered, sometimes for tried to get in another way, ___________________________________________

“climbing over the wall,” He mystery. Children ask how
___________________________________________ calls it, are thieves and robbers, Jesus can get tiny enough to
___________________________________________ and unless they change their live inside of them. They reflect
mind and go around to the the same kind of thinking
____________________________________________ door, they will be cast out. The Nicodemus disclosed when
___________________________________________ greatest blessing is being able to Jesus told him that he had
see that Jesus is the Door to life, to be born again; he asked
___________________________________________ and enter into Him by choice. whether he had to reenter his
____________________________________________ mother’s womb. Secular people,
Like the Light of the world,
even when they are honestly
this door imagery also goes
___________________________________________ seeking, can find those concepts
both ways. Jesus is the Door,
confusing. If we’re honest, we
___________________________________________ the gateway to heaven even for
will all admit we wonder just
those who don’t know Him and
___________________________________________ how it really works. We say
maybe never hear of Him until
that Jesus, through the Holy
___________________________________________ they get there. But not only
Spirit, lives in us, transforms us,
do we enter into Him, He also
___________________________________________ equips us for service, guides us,
enters into us. We have doors,
and helps us make choices and
____________________________________________ too. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus do the right things.
says, “Here I am! I stand at the
___________________________________________ Jesus never knocks down
door and knock. If anyone hears
____________________________________________ my voice and opens the door, I doors. He never forces His ways
will come in and eat with him, on us. He made our hearts, He
___________________________________________ has called out to us our entire
and he with me.”
____________________________________________ lives, and He has every right
I’m sure Wen’s professor and plenty of power over us!
___________________________________________ would agree that the traditional He could make us puppets if
interpretation of this text (Jesus He wanted to, but He’s spent
___________________________________________ asking to enter individual thousands of years making it
____________________________________________ hearts) is also true. We’ll look at clear that He has no interest in
it his way shortly. coercing us into acceptance and
___________________________________________
Despite the language we obedience. He never forces His
____________________________________________ have used for years, “Jesus way in. He stands politely at the
____________________________________________ wants to live in our hearts,” door and knocks, waiting for us
none of us can really describe to answer.
____________________________________________ and explain what that means What are some of the
___________________________________________ or how it works. It’s a divine ways Jesus “knocks on our

hearts”? We might think of our the only one who can clean
consciences. We have some it up, anyway. If we try to get ___________________________________________
more Christian jargon for that, somehow “good enough” first, ___________________________________________
all about “seared consciences” we’ll never let Him in. There’s
and so forth. The fact is, most of only one job we have to do, and ____________________________________________
the time we have a pretty good it’s plenty hard enough. Ellen
idea when we are about to do White puts it like this:
___________________________________________
something we shouldn’t. There’s Jesus says, “Behold, I stand ___________________________________________
this little uncomfortable bump
at the door, and knock.” Will ____________________________________________
inside. That’s a knock at the
we let Him in? He would
door. Do we answer? Or pretend ___________________________________________
not have us stand at this
we didn’t notice? Or come up
time, amid the perils of the ___________________________________________
with all kinds of arguments and
justifications for why it’s okay last days, in our own finite
strength.... It is our privilege ___________________________________________
“this time”?
to walk in the sunshine of ___________________________________________
The pastor preaches a His presence, and to weave
sermon that particularly appeals into the characters we are ___________________________________________
to us and reminds us of eternity forming the golden threads
and of the powerful life with ____________________________________________
of cheerfulness, gratitude,
God we could have; want to ___________________________________________
forbearance, and love. We
have; will have . . . one of these
may thus show the power ____________________________________________
days . . . Do we call, “Just a
minute!”? of divine grace, and reflect
light from Heaven amid ___________________________________________
Even a song, or some loving all the frets and irritations ____________________________________________
thing a friend says or does, can that come to us day by day.
be a knock. Someone dies, and . . . Then why do we go ___________________________________________
we think about when we’ll see stumbling along without
them again in the New Earth, ___________________________________________
light? . . . Our work is to
and there’s another knock. ____________________________________________
open the door of the heart
Sometimes we think, “Oh, and let Jesus come in. He is ___________________________________________
man! Jesus is at the door! I’d knocking for entrance.... Will
better clean up before I let Him you open the door? Jesus ____________________________________________
in! I wouldn’t want Him to see is standing at the door of ____________________________________________
what it’s really like in here!” your heart. Let Him in, the
News flash—He knows what heavenly Guest. (Our High ____________________________________________
it’s like in there! And He’s Calling, p. 352.2, 6) ___________________________________________

Did you hear that? “Our Jesus still has plans for us. He
___________________________________________ work.” Opening and letting Him doesn’t just knock once and
___________________________________________ in is the easiest thing ever—you never pay attention to us again.
just say yes. Then you get up He has all kinds of great ideas
____________________________________________ and start doing the same things for our lives. If we stick with
you ever did, and you realize Him, we’ll start to recognize
___________________________________________ when something as simple as
you forgot and shut Him out
___________________________________________ there again. So you apologize an ad on TV or a job that opens
and open the door again. This up in our neighborhood might
____________________________________________ time it lasts for about five be a knock from Him. As we
___________________________________________ minutes, and then somebody grow in Him, we will also grow
annoys you, and you yell, and in knowledge of ourselves,
___________________________________________ you realize, okay, He’s in, but especially in the ways that we
___________________________________________ I’m not letting Him have any are individuals, and different
say—I’m keeping Him standing from each other. We’ll ask what
___________________________________________ in the corner, out of my way. He made us to do and listen for
It’s work! It will take us the rest the answers.
___________________________________________
of our lives, but it’s so worth it! The main question we’re
____________________________________________ Pretty soon, we realize we’re dealing with during this week of
___________________________________________ cooperating with Him, and new prayer and spiritual emphasis
things are happening, and it’s is, “How did Jesus know who
____________________________________________ exciting. He was? How did it occur to
___________________________________________ Then there are different Him that He was a door or a
kinds of knocks for different gate?” I wonder if one way Jesus
____________________________________________ people. Take livelihood. From learned this about Himself is
childhood, we start thinking that He found Himself being
___________________________________________
about what we want to do with protective. That’s one of the
___________________________________________ our lives. People used to ask, main things doors do—protect
“What do you want to be when what’s on one side from what’s
____________________________________________ on the other.
you grow up?” When it gets
___________________________________________ really embarrassing is if, like In this story in John, Jesus
Wen, you’re two or three years had healed the blind man, and
____________________________________________
into college, and you still don’t then the man had actually been
____________________________________________ know. Or, like Andrea, you kicked out of the synagogue
didn’t go to college at all and because he maintained that
____________________________________________ are working at a job where you it was Jesus who had healed
___________________________________________ are not finding great fulfillment. him! The Pharisees were saying

Jesus couldn’t have the power the gate and His own sheep
to heal blindness, and the man knew His voice and would ___________________________________________
just responded, “Look, I don’t ignore everyone else. It’s a good ___________________________________________
know anything about that. All thing, too. What if that man
I know is, I used to be blind had given in to the synagogue ____________________________________________
and now I can see!” Then he leaders, hanging his head and ___________________________________________
got impatient and spoke a little agreeing about how bad he
too directly to the Pharisees, was? He would be able to see, ___________________________________________
so they insulted him and said but he would have lost some ____________________________________________
he’d been full of sin from of the blessings. Instead, he
birth, and threw him out of the stood up for Jesus and what he ___________________________________________
synagogue. knew had been done for him. ___________________________________________
When Jesus heard this, John His faithfulness was richly
rewarded as Jesus met him out ___________________________________________
9:35 says He went and found
the man. He knew that His of the synagogue and revealed ___________________________________________
protectiveness was needed. The that He was indeed the ‘Son of
Man.’ The blind man who could ___________________________________________
man and his family must have
been very confused. Here they now see became one of the few ____________________________________________
were—on what should be the people mentioned in the gospels
who actually worshipped Jesus ___________________________________________
happiest day of their lives—a
huge miracle has been done for as the Messiah during His life ____________________________________________
them, and they’re kicked out of on earth.
___________________________________________
the church! Let’s see what Jesus Jesus is the Door. The Gate
said to the man. [Read or have to safety. Have you gone in? ____________________________________________
someone read vs. 35-38.]
He also stands at your heart’s ___________________________________________
Jesus chose to find this man
door. Have you let Him in? ___________________________________________
and reassure him, and through
him, his parents, also. It was as Once these two questions ____________________________________________
if He closed the angry church have been answered, there’s a
leaders out and closed the man third. Are there ways in which
___________________________________________
and his family in where it was we can be doors or gates, or ____________________________________________
safe. gatekeepers, anyway?
____________________________________________
It was right after this that There is a very interesting
He told the story of the sheep ____________________________________________
story about doors and
and the gate, and said He was doorkeepers that you’ve heard ___________________________________________

a million times, but probably But there are some people
___________________________________________ never thought of in this context. who take it upon themselves
___________________________________________ It’s in almost all the gospels. not just to open and shut the
Let’s look at the one in Matthew door of God’s house, but to
____________________________________________ 19:13, 14. [Read or have someone decide who gets to go in and
___________________________________________ read.] What story is this? Right— who has to stay out. Lots of
Jesus blessing the children. people seem to think they have
___________________________________________ What’s that got to do with all the answers as to who is
doorkeepers? good enough to come to church,
____________________________________________
or who dresses nicely enough,
___________________________________________ Psalm 84 is a really great or who behaves well enough for
psalm. You should read the God to love them.
___________________________________________ entire thing when you get the
chance. But there’s one verse And that brings us back to
___________________________________________ Professor Ellison’s comment
in particular that we’re going
___________________________________________ to look at. Keep your finger in about Rev. 3:20 being in the
Matthew 19 and look at Psalm context of the Laodicean
___________________________________________ church. Have we, do we, ever
84:10. [Read or have someone
____________________________________________ read.] What do you think this shut the Lord of Light out of our
means? congregations along with “the
___________________________________________ least of these”?
A doorkeeper would not be
____________________________________________ The disciples thought they
a very high or famous person,
knew who should see Jesus,
___________________________________________ would he? He probably was
back in Matthew 19. Jesus was
considered a pretty lowly
____________________________________________ tired and busy, and besides,
servant. This is just someone
He was starting to get kind of
___________________________________________ who stands there and opens
famous and important. People
and closes the door all day for
___________________________________________ came from all over to listen to
those going in and out. The
Him. And the more important
____________________________________________ psalmist says he loves being at
He got, the more important
God’s house so much that he’d
___________________________________________ the disciples got. Or so they
rather be a lowly doorkeeper
thought. When some mothers
____________________________________________ than live somewhere fancier
brought children to be blessed,
or wealthier—maybe—but with
____________________________________________ they tried to run them off. “Get
wicked people.
out of here! What makes you
____________________________________________ I’d like to be a doorkeeper think the Master has time for
___________________________________________ like that. you?”

They were being doorkeepers wide open to the ones who are If Jesus is the Door, how can
in a negative sense. They humble and innocent, who we be doorkeepers? Do we open
thought they knew who was don’t think they deserve Me, but wide in welcome to all those
important enough for Jesus to want to be near Me anyway.” who want to come? Do we think
notice. If a synagogue ruler, And He didn’t even stop we know who God can or cannot
or a wealthy person, or even a there. He went on to say, “The love or accept? Do people feel
Roman soldier had come, they kingdom of heaven is made safe and protected and welcome
wouldn’t have sent him away! up of people like these little around us?
But little kids and women? That children!” That was a surprise. Here’s a basic principle to
was a different story! So these were the VIPs of Jesus’ keep in mind: If Jesus was open
Have you known people like upside-down kingdom! If the enough to include us, then who
that? disciples (then or now) acted are we to decide somebody else
as doorkeepers, they would is not acceptable?
Well, the disciples had a
shut out the right ones and let
surprise coming their way. Open your heart’s door.
in the wrong ones. Heaven,
They were not the door. Jesus Go through Jesus’ door.
then, would have been just like
was the door, and He was about
this messed-up earth, and who And then live as an open door
to remind them of it. “Don’t
you stop those children? Let
wants that?! •
to others.
them come!” This was Jesus
being the protective door again.
The mothers and children had
probably started backing sadly Discussion Questions
away, feeling embarrassed 1. What are some things Jesus has shut out of your life that
and apologetic for bothering made you feel safe?
the great Teacher. But not for
long. Jesus smiled and held 2. What are some ways Jesus has opened doors in your life
out His arms, and you know and made you feel free?
those children would have run 3. What is one way Jesus has knocked on your heart’s door
to Him. The mothers, too, were this month?
reassured and comforted. 4. Tell about a time when you didn’t feel welcome. What
Jesus had just said, without happened? What would you do differently?
words, “My door is closed to 5. In what ways are you an open door? In what ways do
pride and a judgmental spirit you keep the door closed? How can you know when to
and to people who think they do which?
have power and authority. It’s

Life Identity
Principle #3
Beca u se Jesu s is the
Brea d of L ife, I c an b e a
g ra in of wh e at,
g iv ing mysel f to fe e d
others H is Word .
the BREAD of LIFE

Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life”
I must have been crazy! thought Andrea. What on earth made me think I would have the time, even without
“help” from three little maniacs?
“Can I turn it? Please?” Adam, her 10-year-old, was practically dancing up and down in his
eagerness.
“No, me!” wailed Jeannie, the 7-year-old. “You always get the first turn!”
Even little Minnie, who had no idea what was going on, was yelling, “Me, me!”
“Quiet!” yelled Andrea, and miraculously, they all quit. “Minnie, sit here and be sure this pan doesn’t
slide away from the edge, but do not touch the stones when they are turning! You understand?” Minnie
nodded eagerly from her perch on the edge of the counter, but Andrea said, “Adam, you watch her like a
hawk. Jeannie, you can have the first turn. Stand right in front of it like this, so you don’t overwork one
side of yourself.”
Making a face of extreme concentration, Jeannie began to turn the big crank around and around. “This
is hard!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, it is,” Andrea agreed, “but just imagine how Jesus’ mother had to do it, with two big, flat rocks.
Remember the picture we saw?”

Over-inspired, she was “I’d be out doing man stuff.”
pretty sure, by the organics, ___________________________________________
“Yeah, like plowing with a
vegans, and health devotees stick to grow this wheat!” said ___________________________________________
she met at work every day, Andrea with a grin.
Andrea had just bought a hand- ____________________________________________
cranked grain mill and a can of It took almost an hour for
them to grind enough flour to ___________________________________________
wheat berries to put in it. The
kitchen grew quiet and thick make two loaves of bread. Then ___________________________________________
with concentration as all, even they added yeast, a little salt
and oil, just a bit of honey, and ____________________________________________
Minnie with Andrea’s hands
warm water. The kids stirred ___________________________________________
over hers for a minute, took
with a big wooden spoon until
turns cranking and watching
the doughy mass was too tough ___________________________________________
as fine, light brown flour
for them. Then Andrea stirred
sifted out between the two ___________________________________________
until it was too tough for her.
flat grindstones that the crank
Then they turned the whole ___________________________________________
rubbed together. It really was thing out onto the butcher
like magic. block table. ___________________________________________
When the kids realized This was the part everybody ____________________________________________
how difficult the work was, of liked. They divided the
course, they stopped begging ___________________________________________
dough into four lumps and
for turns. Andrea soon figured everybody kneaded and turned ____________________________________________
out an expensive health club and pounded and punched.
membership would not be ___________________________________________
Sometimes they added a bit
necessary for her to get a more flour if the dough got ____________________________________________
complete upper-body workout. sticky. They did their best to
She even got out of breath and prevent Minnie from eating too ___________________________________________
had to stop and rest now and much of hers. ___________________________________________
then.
Eventually they put their ____________________________________________
“Aren’t you glad you don’t three smooth, spongy balls of
have to do it the way they did dough and Minnie’s small gray ___________________________________________
in Bible times?” asked Jeannie. lump into separate bowls with
____________________________________________
names taped to them, covered
“Who, me?” Andrea retorted.
“As daughter of the house, you’d
them, and set them in a warm ____________________________________________
place to rise. Surreptitiously,
have to do it all!” ____________________________________________
Andrea substituted a new lump
“Not me,” said Adam smugly. for Minnie’s. ___________________________________________

Adam swiped a hand across leaves and stuff—that’s straw,
___________________________________________ his forehead. “Whew!” he right?”
___________________________________________ exclaimed. “I’m sure glad I’m “Right. People use it for
not a grain of wheat!” mulch, or animal bedding.
____________________________________________
Andrea laughed. “You just Things like that.”
___________________________________________ streaked flour across your face, “Then you get bagged up
here.” She wiped his face with and sit on a store shelf, and
___________________________________________ a towel and they all went to the
just about the time you think
____________________________________________ sink to try to scrub the dough
all the hard part is over, people
off their hands and out from
___________________________________________ put you in a mill and grind you
under their fingernails.
up and do all the stuff we did
___________________________________________ “Why are you glad you today. Then they bake you in a
___________________________________________ aren’t a grain of wheat?” asked hot oven!”
Jeannie. “Then,” said Jeannie, rubbing
___________________________________________
“Well, just think! First, you her stomach, “they eat you up!
___________________________________________ get thrown in the ground and Mmmm!!”
covered up and rained on “I really don’t think I’d like
____________________________________________ and all that. Then you get all being a grain of wheat!” Andrea
___________________________________________ puffy and split open, which I agreed. “And I’m glad they can’t
bet would hurt, if wheat could feel anything!”
____________________________________________ feel anything. Then little roots
___________________________________________ and leaves come out and you =So far in our series, we’ve
grow into a nice, big plant. talked about two “I Am”
____________________________________________ That part’s probably pretty statements Jesus made. First,
nice, swaying in the breeze and He said He was the Light of the
___________________________________________ world, offered to everyone on
sunshine.”
___________________________________________ earth. Then we learned that
“Unless a groundhog comes Jesus said He was the Door,
____________________________________________ along,” Andrea put in, and or the gate, and you couldn’t
___________________________________________ Adam made a face while his get into the kingdom except
sisters laughed. through Him. It’s almost as if
____________________________________________ “Then this big machine the light is like a street light
____________________________________________ comes and chops you down!” shining wherever you are and
he continued. “You go through showing the way to the door,
____________________________________________ all kinds of machinery to get and then like a porch light so
___________________________________________ all the wheat free from all the you can see to get to Jesus.

Then you have to make a wherever, without breakfast.
choice. Are you going to enter Maybe some of us did that ___________________________________________
in through the only True Door, today. It doesn’t work so well, ___________________________________________
or are you going to turn back, or and it doesn’t work in our
try to get in another way? spiritual lives, either. ____________________________________________
Once you choose to enter [Note to speaker: Spend ___________________________________________
the true door and live your life a little time with your group on
with Jesus, which means both this chapter, going through the ___________________________________________
entering His door and opening following paragraphs, but leaving ____________________________________________
your heart’s door to Him, then time for comments and discussion
there is something that He does if possible.] ___________________________________________
first of all before anything else. Today we’re going to study ___________________________________________
Let’s look at Revelation 3:20 a really interesting chapter of
again to find out what. [Read ___________________________________________
the Bible. Turn with me to John
or have someone read.] So what 6. The day before this, Jesus ___________________________________________
does Jesus do first? Right—He fed a multitude that included
feeds us! ___________________________________________
about 5,000 men. Now crowds
It’s amazing how easy it is of people are following Him ____________________________________________
to forget this step. We think, everywhere, but not because ___________________________________________
“Okay! I’m a new person in they recognize that He’s the
Jesus, and now He’s going to Messiah. The truth is, they’re ____________________________________________
lead me and I’m going to follow. not sure whether to believe in
Now, let’s see. What would
___________________________________________
Him or not, as we can see in
Jesus do first? I know! He’d go verses 25 and 26. [Read or have ____________________________________________
help that person!” And off we someone read.] Jesus isn’t letting
go, while Jesus is back in the ___________________________________________
them get away with anything,
kitchen calling, “Hey, you forgot is He? Read verse 27. Jesus is ___________________________________________
something! Let’s eat first, so trying to change the subject
we’ll be strong enough to work!” ____________________________________________
from things of earth to things
Once upon a time, perhaps of heaven. For about a minute, ___________________________________________
it could have been said that He has at least some of them.
____________________________________________
nobody would forget such a They say, “What must we do
thing in their physical daily to do the works God requires?” ____________________________________________
lives, but these days life is (Vs. 28). What is Jesus’ answer
so rushed that many people in verse 29? That’s just like
____________________________________________
dash off to work or school or what we heard yesterday in ___________________________________________

our quote from Mrs. White! clearly what it means to “eat
___________________________________________ She said our work was to Jesus.”
___________________________________________ open the door, and we know Of course, the people argue.
sometimes that’s easier said Jesus says He’s the judge
____________________________________________ than done. Jesus says here that of people’s hearts, and they
___________________________________________ our work is to believe, which grumble, “Who does He think
is another way of saying the He is?” Jesus says to stop
___________________________________________ same thing, right? Apparently grumbling, and in verses 46
____________________________________________ those people thought this was through 48 He repeats His claim
too complicated a subject. even more strongly: “I am the
___________________________________________ They revert right back to their bread of life, I’m the only bread
___________________________________________ stomachs, which at least they of life, you don’t get to God
can see and feel. except through Me, and vice
___________________________________________
Then they demand a versa.”
___________________________________________ miraculous sign to prove He More sharply than before,
___________________________________________ is who He says He is. (I don’t according to verse 52, they
know how many miracles they argue. “What’s He talking about?
____________________________________________ think they need!) In verse 31 We can’t eat Him!”
___________________________________________ they hint that manna would be Jesus gets even more
a good option. Just think—no insistent. In the next several
____________________________________________ more grinding, no more baking, verses He says if you don’t eat
___________________________________________ just easy food to pick up off the His flesh and drink His blood,
ground. “Yeah, Jesus, that would you will die eternally, but if you
____________________________________________ be cool. Then we’d believe you do, you will live forever. And
___________________________________________ for sure!” (Of course, we didn’t afterwards, in verses 61 to 65,
believe You yesterday. . .) He explains more clearly. Silly
___________________________________________
Again Jesus tries to call them as it seems, the people were
____________________________________________ back to the things of God. Let’s acting as if they really thought
___________________________________________ read through verses 32 to 37. He was talking about eating
[Read or have someone read.] Him with a knife and fork. In
____________________________________________ Jesus is being pretty clear here, verse 63, Jesus says, “The Spirit
____________________________________________ isn’t He? Not that it’s an easy gives life; the flesh counts for
subject! Devoted Christians nothing. The words I have
____________________________________________ spend their entire lives trying spoken to you are spirit and
___________________________________________ to understand more and more they are life.”

Now we get it! Eating Jesus and now we’re sitting down
means chewing on His words, to eat with Jesus. In fact, ___________________________________________
digesting them, making them this Week of Prayer is like a ___________________________________________
a part of you the way bread group meal—like a feast we
becomes a part of you after you eat together, munching on ____________________________________________
eat it! Jesus’ words. Just like any ___________________________________________
Here’s where one of the gathering, each person is eating
most important things in this a little different food, choosing ___________________________________________
chapter, maybe one of the most the things they want most, ____________________________________________
important things in Jesus’ life, digesting the way their bodies
happens. Look at verse 66. digest. Remember not to just ___________________________________________
[Read or have someone read.] pick the stuff you like. Let ___________________________________________
Jesus suggest the truths you
Can you imagine that? ___________________________________________
need, too, just like eating your
This is a watershed moment
vegetables! ___________________________________________
in the thankless life of being
the Messiah. How sad for So here we are, we’ve come
in through the door, and Jesus ___________________________________________
Jesus, who loved these people,
argumentative as they were. wants us to eat with Him. What ____________________________________________
But most of all, how sad for are some ways we can do that?
Of course, the first thing that ___________________________________________
them! How sad for us today, if
we decide to turn back. It’s too comes to mind is Bible study. ____________________________________________
hard. Hearing Jesus’ words is There are lots of ways to do
that. You can get a study or ___________________________________________
one thing. Reading them over is
easy. devotional book to follow, or ____________________________________________
a set of lessons on some topic
Chewing on them?
you are interested in. Only, ___________________________________________
Digesting them? make sure you read the Bible, ___________________________________________
Living by them? not just the book about the
topic! Getting all your spiritual ____________________________________________
That’s hard!
food from what other people ___________________________________________
Is it worth it? say about Jesus’ words is like
All of us, I hope, are choosing eating baby food that’s been ____________________________________________
to say yes. All of us have seen mashed up and partly digested. ____________________________________________
some light (nobody’s seen it That’s good for babies, and it
all yet—it’s too blinding!) and can be good for new Christians, ____________________________________________
found the door and entered in, too, so long as the person doing ___________________________________________

the feeding is really feeding talk or write about what you
___________________________________________ the words of Jesus, and not learned. That’s the digesting
___________________________________________ some sugared-up substitute. Not part.
everything that comes in a soft 2. Choose a book of the Bible
____________________________________________ form is good for babies! and study it well and then
___________________________________________ But as soon as possible, new choose another, or choose a
Christians need to learn to read topic you are interested in and
___________________________________________ for themselves, study the Bible, use a concordance to find all
____________________________________________ understand why they believe the passages about that topic
what they believe, and even be and study them all together.
___________________________________________ able to explain it. So the best This is probably the most “solid-
___________________________________________ thing to do is read the Bible food” method. You have to be
itself. There are still several ready to track down verses
___________________________________________ ways to do it. Here are three: that compare with each other,
___________________________________________ 1. Just start at Genesis and and pray over some passages
read to the end. You could use that seem to go against each
___________________________________________ other, and ask God a lot of
a Bible-in-a-year chart, but
____________________________________________ truthfully, you’ll get more out hard questions. God loves that!
of it (if you’re ready for some This is where you are really
___________________________________________ beginning to digest God’s word
solid and sometimes difficult-
____________________________________________ to-digest food) if you do one and make it a part of your life.
of the charts that takes three 3. When meditating through
___________________________________________ a particular passage of
years instead. But it’s up to
____________________________________________ you. There are sometimes Scripture, there is a simple four
advantages to reading it all step approach that has been
___________________________________________ found to be useful and it runs
more quickly and seeing
___________________________________________ how the parts fit together. as follows: Choose a quiet place
In fact, there’s a Bible-in-90- and pray that the Lord will
____________________________________________ speak to you personally in this
days program now that some
___________________________________________ people love. It makes a good time of meditation.
introduction, especially for a. Read: You can read the
____________________________________________
someone who has never read it passage several times asking
____________________________________________ through before. Pray first, read the Spirit to draw your attention
with an awareness of Jesus by to a verse, a thought, or even a
____________________________________________ your side helping you, pray word that will be of particular
___________________________________________ afterwards, and then either relevance to you.

b. Reflect: Take some time to alone. We eat best in groups.
think about that verse, thought, Study with friends or in a small ___________________________________________
or word, asking God about the group. Study with your Bible ___________________________________________
aspect of your life that this class and your Sabbath School
passage applies to. class. Lean on experienced ____________________________________________
c. Respond: Surrender Christians you trust to be godly ___________________________________________
that part of your life to God’s and helpful without trying to
influence and give Him free give you all the answers. ___________________________________________
access to do His work. ____________________________________________
The next thing you know,
d. Rest: Trust that God will you’ll be growing! You won’t
do His work and thank Him for
___________________________________________
know how it happened, or feel
doing so. it happening, any more than ___________________________________________
If you can, find a Bible that you realized it as a kid when ___________________________________________
is arranged chronologically, you suddenly outgrew your
such as The Narrative Bible in clothes. You’ll be an example to ___________________________________________
Chronological Order. This is others without even meaning ___________________________________________
a really fun and interesting to, and they’ll be asking what
thing to do. A committee has you’re doing, and you’ll say, ____________________________________________
sat down and done their best “I’m reading Jesus’ words, and
to figure out what order things
___________________________________________
you wouldn’t believe what I
really happened in. The stories learned this week!” . . . and you ____________________________________________
of the Kings and Chronicles can go on to share with them,
are put together into one story, ___________________________________________
unless they don’t want you to.
and so are the gospels. The ____________________________________________
Then be quiet and pray, and
prophecies and psalms are put
just love them every chance ___________________________________________
in where they really happened,
you get. There’s no force-
or if we don’t know that, they’re ___________________________________________
put in where they fit well. It feeding at God’s table.
really helps you to see the Before you think you’re ____________________________________________
whole sweep of Israel’s history, ready, you’ll be the experienced ___________________________________________
and you learn a lot that way. Of Christian someone else is
course, still read it with prayer. looking up to and asking ____________________________________________
Otherwise, you’re just using it questions of. As long as that ____________________________________________
like a textbook. makes you feel inadequate and
makes you realize your need to ____________________________________________
In any of these methods,
remember we don’t eat all lean on God, you’re all right. ___________________________________________

Here are two quotes from and His lowliness of heart. His eyes slowly focused as he
Mrs. White’s writings about this As we eat and digest the came back from wherever he’d
subject: bread of life, we shall reveal been. “I was just thinking about
It is not enough for us to a symmetrical character. what I said earlier about not
By our unity, by esteeming wanting to be wheat. Maybe it
know and respect the words
others better than ourselves, wouldn’t be so bad.”
of the Scriptures. We must
we are to bear to the world
enter into the understanding This was going to be
a living testimony of the
of them, studying them interesting. “Really? How so?”
power of the truth. . . . (Lift
earnestly, eating the flesh
Him Up, p. 105) “Well, I remember what I
and drinking the blood of
read in Bible class not very
the Son of God. Christians When [people] submit
entirely to God, eating the long ago—that unless a grain
will reveal the degree to
bread of life and drinking the of wheat falls to the ground
which they do this by the
water of salvation, they will and dies, it can’t bear fruit. I
healthiness of their spiritual thought that didn’t make sense.
character. We must know the grow up into Christ. Their
characters are composed of If it dies, it won’t bear fruit
practical application of the either, right? But then today,
Word to our own individual that which the mind eats
and drinks. Through the when I was imagining that a
character-building. We are wheat kernel could feel and
Word of life, which they
to be holy temples, in which think, I realized if it could, it
receive and obey, they
God can live and walk and would feel as if it died, wouldn’t
become partakers of the
work. Never must we strive it? Being all buried in the
divine nature. Then their
to lift ourselves above the dark, and splitting open, and
entire service is after the
servants whom God has divine similitude, and Christ, everything.”
chosen to do His work and not man, is exalted. (The “I think you’re right,” said
to honor His holy name. SDA Bible Commentary, Andrea. “In fact, as a grain of
“All ye are brethren.” Let Ellen G. White Comments, wheat, it does cease to exist.”
us apply this Word to our vol. 5, p. 1135) She couldn’t wait to share this
individual selves, comparing
scripture with scripture. 3 At the supper table, Andrea with Wen. He’d love it. Maybe
could see that Adam was Adam’s deep thoughts would be
In our daily lives, before thinking hard. She watched in one of Wen’s college papers.
our brethren and before the him, chewing on bread she Wouldn’t that be nice? She
world, we are to be living had to admit was better than might never make it to college
interpreters of the Scriptures, anything she’d ever tried to herself, but she was determined
doing honor to Christ by bake before, his forehead her kids would have the chance,
revealing His meekness wrinkled. “What’s up, Adam?” especially Adam, the Thinker.

“Right. So then, it goes They ended their meal them eat on their own as they
through all that hard stuff, like laughing together. grow stronger?”
I talked about earlier, and it =If Jesus is the Bread of Life, Here’s Mrs. White again:
thinks 10 more times that it’s maybe we can be little grains of The life spent on self is like the
dying for sure this time, and wheat planted by Him. Maybe grain that is eaten. It disappears,
finally, it gets eaten.” Adam put we can be taught by Him to give but there is no increase. A man
his last bite in his mouth and ourselves for others, knowing may gather all he can for self; he
wiped his fingers on his pants. that we will, by His grace and may live and think and plan for
Andrea held the automatic power, turn into something self; but his life passes away, and
frown and waited. Even better than we could have he has nothing. The law of self-
Jeannie, instead of interrupting imagined. If bread nourishes serving is the law of self-destruction
or tattling, was listening. and fills, even comforts and (Desire of Ages, p. 624).
Adam chewed on his bread makes people feel at home, Jesus gave all of Himself.
and his thoughts together, then we can ask ourselves, “Do He fell and died, but rose
then smiled suddenly. “Then it we warm and nourish others? again greater. His sacrifice
becomes human!” Do we try to feed and fill them is multiplied every time one
“Human?!” yelped Jeannie. with the words of Jesus? Do we of His children gives herself
help to feed them Scriptures or himself for others, too.
“What?” asked Andrea,
that we already know, if So one day, God will have a
startled. Adam could always
they are feeling weak and great harvest and we’ll all eat
surprise her.
“Yeah! Don’t you get it? I •
undernourished, and then let together at the table of God.
just ate that slice of bread, and

now it’s down there in my
stomach getting all mashed up
with stomach acid, and it gets 1. Have you had any experiences in your life that
broken down and sent through felt like you were being ground up by painful
my body, and poof! Like magic, circumstances? Do you think there might have been
it turns into blood and bone and any good results?
muscle.”
2. What did you feed your body this morning? What did
“Magic!” parroted Jeannie. you feed your spirit this morning?
Andrea grinned. “And brain
3. What do you think Jesus meant when He said to eat
cells! That’s good thinking,
and drink His flesh and blood? Be specific.
genius!”
Minnie banged her spoon and 4. In what ways has someone given himself or herself
yelled “Good sinkin, deenus!” for you lately? How will you thank this person?

Life Identity
Principle # 4
Beca u se Jesu s is my
Sh ep h erd, I ca n be a lamb
th a t fol l ows fa ithfully,
a nd a l so a n u nder-she phe rd ,
helpin g to c are for othe r
lam b s.
the good shepherd

Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd”
I t was Friday night at the big college church, and a small crowd, both college people
and locals, had gathered in the fellowship hall for a short movie and discussion. A
student missionary named DeeDee had introduced the video as one she had taken
herself in a Middle Eastern country where she and her friend, Ann, had served briefly. The
quality wasn’t great, but it was still amazing. Wen leaned forward in his seat, munching
popcorn without tasting it, watching the screen in fascination.
The scene was just outside a large town with the usual startling juxtaposition of ancient,
square white houses and apartment blocks straight out of Jeremiah’s time, with window air-
conditioners, antennas, cars, and soldiers with machine guns. But the weird thing was what
was happening at the edge of the town.
Just as Wen imagined it might have been a thousand years ago, there was a huge flock of
milling sheep. There were hundreds of them, like one big, mostly white, woolly pack. The
sheep moved and flowed this way and that, and the air was deafening with baa’s and maa’s
and bellows. Around the outside of the flock were several robed Bedouins, dressed about the
same way their ancestors had been when Jesus lived in their area.
“Would you look at that? A wooden shepherd’s rod!” murmured his friend, Josh.

“I know, cool, huh?” “Oh, poor thing!” somebody
whispered Wen. said. ___________________________________________
Then the shepherds began But it only took about 10 ___________________________________________
making calls that echoed seconds before a fat ewe
____________________________________________
above the noise of the milling, separated from the crowd and
anxious sheep. They put their mother and baby were happily ___________________________________________
hands to their mouths and reunited. Running close by its
___________________________________________
bellowed out strange-sounding mother, the lamb raced for the
yells. Were they words? Or just safety of its own flock. ____________________________________________
calls? Wen had no idea. And just like that, there were ___________________________________________
An amazing thing happened. four separate flocks where there
The sheep, which had been
___________________________________________
had been one mob of sheep.
milling in pretty much the Each flock now pushed and ___________________________________________
same aimless circle all together, shoved to be nearest to its own
began to move in different
___________________________________________
shepherd, and the men began
directions. Some shoved to move off, heading outside of ___________________________________________
through each other toward town to find pasture. Not one
____________________________________________
the man nearest the gate. sheep accidentally followed the
Others pushed past toward the wrong man. ___________________________________________
man farthest from the gate.
The movie ended, and the ____________________________________________
Still others ran in different
lights came on. The group was
directions toward a third or a ___________________________________________
leaning back, exclaiming, “That
fourth man.
was awesome! How did they ____________________________________________
The men kept calling, and know? The baby was so cute!”
the sheep were clearly dividing. ___________________________________________
Ann spoke up. “You think
There was a high-pitched wail ___________________________________________
it was cool here—you should
and the camera swung around
have been there! This little ____________________________________________
to catch a baby who had lost
video really doesn’t convey the
track of its mother. There was ___________________________________________
whole—the whole . . . I don’t
laughter in the fellowship hall
know what to say.” ____________________________________________
as the baby leapt as if it had
springs in its feet, high over the “Awesomeness!” said DeeDee. ____________________________________________
other sheep, this way and that, “It was just amazing! I kept
bouncing in worried circles, wondering how those sheep ____________________________________________
yelling wildly. knew which voices to follow.” ___________________________________________

“They’d heard his voice from be to begin hearing the Good
___________________________________________ the day they were born,” Wen Shepherd’s voice for ourselves?”
___________________________________________ volunteered. “Then again,” said Wen
A young woman chimed in. thoughtfully, “Maybe it’s about
____________________________________________ community, too. I mean, all the
“I think they were even scared
___________________________________________ of the other voices. If another lambs really have to know is to
shepherd tried to take them, I stay with the crowd. But for us,
___________________________________________ that can be both good and bad.”
don’t think they’d follow.”
____________________________________________ “I wonder if that lamb didn’t Several voices spoke up in
___________________________________________ know the shepherd’s voice very emphatic agreement.
well yet?” someone asked. “It “How good a job,” Josh asked,
___________________________________________ looked like the mother knew “is our community of faith
___________________________________________ the right shepherd, but the baby doing at helping to be sure that
just knew its own mother.” the whole flock is following
___________________________________________ Jesus and no one else?”
“Right,” agreed DeeDee. “So
___________________________________________ after a while, the baby will “And how much should
____________________________________________ know, too, but right now it just that be left to individual
has to follow its mom.” consciences?” asked DeeDee,
___________________________________________ and the discussion was off into
A child’s voice made itself
____________________________________________ deep waters.
heard, and Wen saw that
Andrea and her kids were there. After a few minutes of heavy
___________________________________________ debate on individuality, peer
“I wonder how old they have to
____________________________________________ be before they know to follow pressure, groupthink, and
the shepherd by themselves?” personal salvation, Andrea said
___________________________________________ thoughtfully, “There’s another
“I’ll bet by the time they stop
___________________________________________ whole issue here, too. It’s not
nursing and eat alone,” said
just knowing the Shepherd’s
____________________________________________ Andrea. voice and being able to go
___________________________________________ “Yeah, but even that’s against the current of the crowd
amazing,” Ann pointed out. and reach His side. I mean,
____________________________________________ “The sheep are just a few when those sheep got over
____________________________________________ months old when they are there to their own shepherd,
weaned, and already they know they hadn’t suddenly arrived
____________________________________________ to follow the shepherd. Yet, at the pasture, right? He has to
___________________________________________ how old do we humans have to lead them, maybe a long way.

They don’t just have to get to helicopters. More than likely,
his side in the morning. They nobody has to sit and stand all ___________________________________________
have to follow him all day, and day with a flock to watch over ___________________________________________
rest when he says, and go on them and drive away hyenas
when he says, and maybe climb or wolves or mountain lions, ____________________________________________
mountains and who knows or lead the animals to different ___________________________________________
what, to find the grass and places to eat, and then to a
water they need.” creek to drink. No one has to ___________________________________________
“And preferably not fall over build a little dam with rocks so ____________________________________________
any cliffs in the meantime!” sheep will have a still place to
Wen added. drink, because they don’t like ___________________________________________
to drink fast-running water. ___________________________________________
“Yes,” said DeeDee, “and then
No one has to lead them back
they have to follow him back
home at night, count each and ___________________________________________
home that night!”
every one, and take care of any ___________________________________________
“And start all over the next wounds they have with their
day,” Josh chimed in. own hands. Certainly no one ___________________________________________
“Well, all I have to say is, it’s sleeps with them, lying across ____________________________________________
a good thing we have a good the gate to the sheep pen so
and patient Shepherd!” said no predator comes in at night ___________________________________________
Andrea with a rueful laugh. without waking him up! We ____________________________________________
=Today we’re going to go back can’t even quite conceive of
living our lives with our flocks ___________________________________________
and look again at a passage
we’ve already started to study— and herds, as they did then. ____________________________________________
the one where Jesus said He No one could do these
things, because herds are huge, ___________________________________________
was the Door, or gate. Turn in
your Bibles to John 10:11. [Read thousands of animals, and often ___________________________________________
or have someone read.] What the shepherds or ranches don’t
does it mean that the good even know if they have lost ____________________________________________
shepherd lays down his life for any animals until they round ___________________________________________
the sheep? them up and count them once
or twice a year. They herd them ____________________________________________
Nowadays, in most of the
world, people who have flocks through gates and corridors ____________________________________________
and herds take care of them made of metal panels so they
can give them shots or make ____________________________________________
using fencing. They herd
them from trucks, or even them walk through a trough ___________________________________________

with medicine for their hooves. In fact, it’s an interesting side note
___________________________________________ to think about whether our modern methods of raising flocks and
___________________________________________ herds is more like the good shepherd in Jesus’ stories, or more like
the hired man, who runs away and leaves the animals to their own
____________________________________________ devices!
___________________________________________ At any rate, we don’t always get all the lessons a passage like this
can teach us. Jesus is talking about a Shepherd like the one in the
___________________________________________ movie—a Shepherd who personally knows each sheep and cares for
____________________________________________ each one with His own hands. Mrs. White, in the late 19th century,
still lived in times when most flocks were small and shepherds did
___________________________________________ more hands-on care as they had in Jesus’ time. She describes the
___________________________________________ good shepherd this way:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________ If Jesus is the Shepherd and
___________________________________________ we are the sheep, can it also
____________________________________________
___________________________________________
be true that we are shepherds
____________________________________________ ourselves, in some ways?
___________________________________________
____________________________________________ The shepherd’s life is one full of peril. If he is trustworthy
shepherd, he will not be careless and study his own ease, but
___________________________________________
he will search for the straying sheep amid storm and tempest.
___________________________________________ Perhaps he will find the lost sheep slipped into some crevice of
the rock, where he cannot find his way out. He is beset with fears
____________________________________________ on every hand. The good shepherd does not come with a harsh
___________________________________________ voice, scolding the poor frightened sheep, but he speaks in pitiful,
soothing, winning tones, so that when the sheep hears his voice, he
____________________________________________ will follow, unless he is imprisoned in the rocks or tangled in the
____________________________________________ brambles. Then the only means by which the shepherd can find
the sheep is by following up the bleat of distress that the wanderer
____________________________________________ sends in answer to his call. And when the good shepherd finds
___________________________________________ the lost one, he puts the weary wanderer upon his shoulder, and

brings him back to the ourselves out, we got so used to
fold, rejoicing at every step. living in briars and rocks that ___________________________________________
(Youth’s Instructor, April 28, we thought that was normal ___________________________________________
1886 par. 50) life. We argued and fought
We could talk all day of ways when Jesus tried to rescue ____________________________________________
in which Jesus does these us, like a drowning person so ___________________________________________
things for us every day of our panicked that he almost makes
lives. But of course, the most the lifeguard drown, too, by ___________________________________________
important way in which He fighting. You know, lifeguards ____________________________________________
came searching for His lost are taught how to knock
sheep, the one without which someone out if they have to, ___________________________________________
nothing else would matter, is to save them. Maybe we have
___________________________________________
when He came here to earth. some lifeguards here today.
[You could stop for comments if ___________________________________________
It’s as if a shepherd were to
you wished.] I’ll bet sometimes
change himself into a sheep ___________________________________________
Jesus felt like knocking out
so that he could talk directly
to his flock and they would some of the Pharisees or some ___________________________________________
understand him. We can’t of His disciples when they
____________________________________________
imagine what heaven was like insisted He was wrong and they
any more than sheep could were right! ___________________________________________
imagine living in houses and But you can only do that if ____________________________________________
eating with silverware and you know for sure the person
using computers. But Jesus really wants to be saved. Jesus ___________________________________________
gave it all up, became a human won’t force the will of anyone ____________________________________________
being with a body that got tired who really insists that He go
and hungry and dirty, put up away and leave them alone. ___________________________________________
with people being mean to Him Just imagine how He feels ___________________________________________
and saying bad things about when He has to turn away
Him when all He was trying to and leave someone He loves, ____________________________________________
do was love them, and in the down over the cliff, tangled in ___________________________________________
end, He let them torture and thorns, about to fall and die,
kill Him. and refusing to come back with ____________________________________________
You could say that this Him! ____________________________________________
whole planet was lost and Jesus said something else
about being the Good Shepherd.
____________________________________________
stuck in the prickly bushes of
sin. Not only could we not get He repeats this statement twice ___________________________________________

in John 10, and each time He their texts.] What do these texts
___________________________________________ adds something. This time He say about people as shepherds?
___________________________________________ added that He lays down His Is God the only Shepherd, or
life for the sheep. The second are human beings sometimes
____________________________________________ time is in verse 14. What does shepherds, too?
___________________________________________ He add this time? [Read or have In the passage in Numbers,
someone read.] God is instructing Moses about
___________________________________________ That’s like the movie the getting Joshua ready to lead the
____________________________________________ group in our story saw. It used Israelites after Moses dies. It
to be true, and it is still true doesn’t specifically say so, but
___________________________________________ in small flocks today. Sheep Moses was most definitely a
___________________________________________ may be pretty silly, but they do shepherd of his people. In fact,
have the ability, if they’re given God had trained Moses for 40
___________________________________________ the chance, to learn whom to years as an actual shepherd,
___________________________________________ trust and whom not to. It’s like to get him ready to lead this
our pets. Do our dogs and cats unruly crowd. And Moses lay
___________________________________________ know our voices? Would they down his life for them, and was
____________________________________________ go with anyone who asked, or reviled and grumbled against
would they be afraid, or even in return for his efforts. Now
___________________________________________ aggressive? Of course, like he was nearing the end of his
____________________________________________ people, it can depend on the shift as shepherd, and he asked
pet and its personality. God for a good leader, one who
___________________________________________ The real question is, Do would go in and come out and
we know Jesus’ voice? Do we lead the people like a shepherd.
____________________________________________
follow where He leads, or go off God told Moses that Joshua was
___________________________________________ on our own? And if Jesus is the His choice. He had a HUGE
Shepherd and we are the sheep, reward for Moses’ years of labor,
___________________________________________
can it also be true that we are but Moses didn’t know it yet.
____________________________________________ shepherds ourselves, in some So people can be shepherds
___________________________________________ ways? over God’s sheep. And they can
Let’s look at some different be good . . . or not!
____________________________________________ The texts in Ezekiel and
texts in the Bible. Could
____________________________________________ someone look up Numbers Isaiah talked about bad
27:16-21, someone else look up shepherds. They are in
____________________________________________ Isaiah 63:11, and someone look prophecies which God gave,
___________________________________________ up Ezekiel 43:8? [Have them read speaking against the priests

and kings of Israel and Judah. Or maybe a teacher? Or can
These were people to whom anyone be a shepherd? ___________________________________________
God, the Great Shepherd, gave Let’s figure out the answer to ___________________________________________
the task of caring for His sheep, that by determining just what a
and they didn’t do a very good good shepherd does. ____________________________________________
job! Not only did the shepherds ___________________________________________
1. He knows his sheep by
fail to protect the sheep against
name. He knows all about
thieves and robbers like Assyria ___________________________________________
each of them, whether they
and Babylon, they sometimes ____________________________________________
have a sore hoof or need a
worked with the thieves and
particular plant in their diet,
robbers themselves! ___________________________________________
or get tired and have to be
In the New Testament, carried sometimes. Do we know ___________________________________________
Jesus told Peter to “feed our friends that well? Do we
His lambs,” and both Peter ___________________________________________
pay attention to know when
and Paul wrote letters about they need a listening ear or a ___________________________________________
how to be a good leader, or shoulder to cry on?
shepherd, for the church. Most ___________________________________________
of us probably know the word 2. A good shepherd leads the
____________________________________________
pastor comes from pasture, sheep. We are not our friends’
but I think we forget that. We leaders. Not even pastors are ___________________________________________
think a good pastor is just a that kind of leader. God is
____________________________________________
good speaker, and maybe a the leader. But we all have
good administrator. Then we influence. Do we follow the ___________________________________________
wonder why the pastor can’t shepherd and use our influence
____________________________________________
do all the jobs we give him or to encourage others to do so?
her. The pastor is supposed to Or do we follow the friends ___________________________________________
be a shepherd, walking beside instead, and end up in the
___________________________________________
the people in the congregation, sticker bushes?
caring for them, listening to 3. A good shepherd protects ____________________________________________
them, putting the oil of the the sheep. Do we refuse to ___________________________________________
Holy Spirit on their wounded allow someone to be tormented,
spirits, finding them when they picked on, or called names in ____________________________________________
lose their way. our presence? Did you know ____________________________________________
So what about us? If we want that a study done in 2000 and
to be shepherds for God’s sheep, quoted on Loyola University’s ____________________________________________
does that mean being a pastor? website, says that 74% of men ___________________________________________

would intervene to prevent sinner. He goes after him; laborers with Jesus Christ.
sexual assault on a woman?* he does not hesitate at peril, Will the [church] family see
Seventy-four percent?! That’s self-denial, and self-sacrifice. what they can do to seek
horrifying. One hundred percent He is intent upon bringing and to save the lost sheep?
of people, male and female, the sin-burdened soul to (Youth’s Instructor, April 28,
should be willing to intervene
in such a situation, even if that
repentance, to salvation, to
peace, rest, and happiness
1886) •
intervention is just calling the in his Saviour’s love. And it
national emergency number! is the privilege of every one
The same study said that only who has experienced the love __________________
83% of men even claimed to of Jesus in his own heart, to
*Source: Fisher BS, Cullen FT,
respect their own spouses’ think if there is not someone
& Turner, MG. (2000). The sexual
wishes about sexual activity. whom he can by personal
victimization of college women.
Christians need to lead the way effort, by studied tact and
U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of
in this as in all other ways of kindness, bring to Jesus, who
Justice Programs: NCJ 182369.
showing respect and honor and is ready and willing to accept
care for each other. And what if all who will come to him. Quoted on http://www.luc.
we endanger our own lives in We can all do much through edu/wellness/sexassualt_men.
the process? personal effort. We can be shtml
4. A good shepherd lays down
his life for the sheep. Jesus lay
down His life for us in ways we Discussion Questions
can’t even begin to imagine.
Do we follow His lead and 1. How did you learn to recognize and listen to Jesus’ voice?
give our efforts to loving those 2. Share a time when you thought you were listening to
around us even when it’s hard God, but found out it wasn’t Him after all. What did you
or dangerous? What if it’s just do? What was the result? What did you learn?
inconvenient? Do we plan to do
it “someday”? 3. How can you tell if you are learning to hear Jesus’
voice for yourself?
Someday never comes.
4. Share some ways in which someone has helped to
Let’s end with a final quote shepherd your soul.
from Ellen White on the subject
of good under-shepherds: 5. What are some ways in which you would like to help
shepherd others? Can you create a shepherd’s club in
This is the way the true your church or group and encourage each other?
Shepherd treats the lost

Coming in 2011
The Latest Edition of the
Pathfinder Honor Handbook!

The manual includes all honors currently recognized at the General Conference level of Youth Ministry, and it also includes those
specialized honors recognized by various divisions. Each honor is designed to be a course of study that introduces a subject. This
subject should have practical value and should enhance the lifestyle of the person pursuing the honor. Honor study should assist the
person in his/her development as a well-rounded Christian by directly affecting the social, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects
of life.The study of an honor should direct the person to a deeper love of the Creator and should increase their interest in commit-
ting their life in service to God and to the community. We pray that this handbook will lead you into many new adventures as you
discover the world around you, and we hope that these very enjoyable activities will prepare young people for the world to come.
Av a ila ble s o o n at www. ad ven tso u rce . o r g

Life identity
Principle # 5
Because Jesus is the Way,
the Truth, and the Life, I
can walk in His Way, hold
up His Truth, and share
an abundant, full life
with those around me.
the way, the truth,

AND the LIFE
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”
W
en was getting frustrated. “I know it’s right around here somewhere! Try turning
left on that next street.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “I’m about ready to give up on the whole thing! Are you
sure it’s in this neighborhood?”
“Positive!” Wen insisted. “And I promised them we’d be there to volunteer today. They expect
a large crowd because of the cold snap, and they need help registering people for the shelter.”
“Well, why didn’t you get directions?”
Wen made a face. “That’s just it. I did get directions, but then I forgot to bring them. I realized
it right after we left the dorm, but I was sure I could remember!”
=Once you’ve seen the Light of the world, and it’s led you to the ‘Door’ to God’s kingdom, and
Jesus has begun to feed you the Bread of Life, and to take care of you and protect you as your
Good Shepherd, then it’s time to travel together. Not before!

While you’re here, waiting ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
for Me to come back, use the ____________________________________________
hands I’ve given you to hug, ___________________________________________

___________________________________________
to work for others, to help, ____________________________________________
and to do deeds of kindness. ___________________________________________

___________________________________________
Our “I Am” statement this sure they remembered some
___________________________________________
time is found in John 14:6. essential things they would
Will you turn there in your need, in order to go on with ___________________________________________
Bibles? This part of the gospel, the Holy Spirit instead of Jesus’
___________________________________________
from near the end of John 13 physical presence with them.
through John 17, is the story ____________________________________________
of the last night Jesus was with
___________________________________________
His apostles. They have just The Way
eaten the Last Supper together, ____________________________________________
and these four chapters happen You can probably say the
first few verses of this chapter ___________________________________________
on the way to the Garden of
Gethsemane and in the garden. by heart. [You can stop and try, ____________________________________________
Matthew, Mark, and Luke just if you wish. See if the group can
say something like, “And on the say verses 1-3 together, if you get ___________________________________________
way He spoke to them of many them started with “Let not your
___________________________________________
things.” But John remembered heart be troubled.”] The next
what Jesus said and wrote it couple of verses aren’t as well- ____________________________________________
down for us. We can be really known. Jesus goes on to tell His
___________________________________________
glad of this, because some of disciples that they know the
the most important things Jesus way where He’s going. ____________________________________________
taught in His whole earthly This comes as a surprise to ____________________________________________
ministry are in these chapters. them. Thomas probably speaks
He knew He was leaving them for all of them when he says in ____________________________________________
soon, and He wanted to be bewilderment, “But Lord! We ___________________________________________

don’t even know where you’re His death for my sins and thank
___________________________________________ going! How can we know the Him for giving me the gift
___________________________________________ way?” of eternal life.” But we know
What does Jesus reply? [Read there will be lots of people in
____________________________________________ or have someone read verses 6 God’s kingdom who never even
___________________________________________ and 7.] heard of Jesus (most of the Old
Testament people to start with;
___________________________________________ Now, we’ve all heard this so not to mention that there will
many times, in everything from be people who did say those
____________________________________________ sermons to bumper stickers, words, but didn’t really get to
___________________________________________ that we don’t hear it the way know or follow Jesus, and are
they did. Imagine if a friend not in the kingdom!) So the
___________________________________________ said to you, “I’m going away.” truth must be deeper and more
___________________________________________ “Okay,” you say. powerful than that.
___________________________________________ “And you know the way to What does it mean for a person
the place where I’m going,” to be a Way?
___________________________________________ says your friend. Well, what are some other
____________________________________________ You look blank. “I don’t even words for “way”? [Let people
know where you’re going—how suggest some.] Path, road, trail,
___________________________________________
can I know the way?” highway. . . Then there are
____________________________________________ And your friend looks at you other uses for that word. Like
and says, “I am the way.” a way of doing something, or a
___________________________________________ way of being, or a way of living.
I think your response would If someone says, “Walk this
____________________________________________
probably be something like the way,” he or she might mean,
___________________________________________ disciples’ response—“Huh?” “Go in this direction,” or might
___________________________________________ What does it mean when mean “Physically imitate this
Jesus says He is the Way, and walk.” Which do you think Jesus
____________________________________________ then proceeds to add, “No one meant?
___________________________________________ comes to the Father except Don’t you think He must
through me”? Lots of people have meant both? He was
____________________________________________ believe, as we’ve said before, saying, “Go in the direction
____________________________________________ that it means no one gets I’m going. Let your life point
to heaven except those who always upward, always toward
____________________________________________ literally, in so many words, say, heaven and love and God. This
___________________________________________ “I believe in Jesus and I accept way of life might get twisty and

wind all over the place, but it to do what He did, try to live
will always follow Me! Don’t get His way, that’s good. That’s way ___________________________________________
turned around and run toward better than the alternative! But ___________________________________________
your own will or desires, or it’s not the same as walking in
toward hatred and selfishness Jesus, letting Him be the way ____________________________________________
and pride. And if you do for you. The way you walk or ___________________________________________
discover you’ve made a U-turn live, no matter how good it is, is
somewhere and gotten lost, turn not what saves you. Jesus does ___________________________________________
around! (That’s what the word that. He’s the only One who ____________________________________________
‘repent’ means, you know. Turn can. And He’s the One who will
around.) Go with Me again, save those people that never ___________________________________________
upward to heaven.” heard His name until they get ___________________________________________
And He also was saying, to heaven. When they realize
“Imitate the way you’ve seen what He’s done for them, ___________________________________________
Me walk. While you’re here, they’ll fall down and worship ___________________________________________
waiting for Me to come back, and praise Him.
use the hands I’ve given you to ___________________________________________
All who go there will do
hug, to work for others, to help, that. Because Jesus wants us ____________________________________________
and to do deeds of kindness. Use where He is. He said so. And I
your feet to go on God’s errands. ___________________________________________
definitely want to go! Do you?
Use your eyes to watch for the ____________________________________________
goodness and love you see in
others and use your mouth to 3The Truth ___________________________________________
encourage that. Walk like Me.” “I’m sorry, Joe. Yes, ____________________________________________
It’s really important to pay tomorrow, for sure. Yes, I’ll take
attention to the fact that Jesus ___________________________________________
care of myself. Sorry to leave
didn’t say, “I’m here to show you in the lurch.” Andrea hung ___________________________________________
you the way,” although He was; up the phone and rubbed her
He didn’t say, “I’m giving you ____________________________________________
hand over her face. She felt
the way, or I’m teaching you guilty and ashamed. She really ___________________________________________
the way,” although He did. He wasn’t as sick as she claimed
didn’t say, “I’ll help you find ____________________________________________
to be. She could have worked
the way,” although He will. He today, but her life was in such ____________________________________________
said, “I AM the Way!” There is a muddle. The kitchen was a
a difference. Because if all we ____________________________________________
pigsty! You couldn’t see the
do is read about Jesus and try kids’ floors, and Adam needed ___________________________________________

extra help with his science “I told her you were sick
___________________________________________ project. And she really did and I didn’t feel good, either.
___________________________________________ have a headache and kind of a She said we could have the
sore throat. She might really weekend, and turn it in next
____________________________________________ be getting sick, and after all, Monday instead of tomorrow.”
___________________________________________ a waitress shouldn’t expose Adam chose a blue marker
people to germs. She would and leaned over his poster,
___________________________________________ work twice as hard tomorrow to apparently unconcerned,
____________________________________________ make up for it. while a cold stone settled into
As she turned to gather Andrea’s stomach. Did I just
___________________________________________ teach my child to lie? She couldn’t
up the dishes, she saw Adam
___________________________________________ watching her, and to her think of a single thing to say, so
increased shame, her guilt she just got up and went to put
___________________________________________ made her speak crossly to him. Minnie to bed, a helpless prayer
___________________________________________ “I thought I asked you to clear floating around in her head.
this table! I could use a little That evening she sat on the
___________________________________________ help here!” edge of Adam’s bed. “We didn’t
____________________________________________ Adam and Jeannie both go over your Sabbath School
began to help, neither speaking. lesson yet, and we don’t really
___________________________________________
Andrea turned away to hide her have time now, but you know
____________________________________________ tears. what it’s about, right?”
___________________________________________ Later that evening, she sat “Yeah, it’s when Jesus got
down to the table with Adam baptized, and God said, ‘This is
____________________________________________ and his 3-fold poster, markers, my beloved Son, in whom I am
___________________________________________ and diagrams of electric well pleased!’”
currents. “Adam, I can’t believe Andrea felt tears close to the
___________________________________________ you haven’t gotten any further surface again. Was God pleased
____________________________________________ than this! You haven’t drawn with her today?
any of the circuits, and have “Are you getting worse,
___________________________________________
you even begun the working Mom?”
____________________________________________ model?” She took a deep breath. “No,
____________________________________________ “It’s okay, Mom,” Adam honey, the truth is, I’m not sick.
said. “I got extra time from Ms. Not physically, I mean. I do feel
____________________________________________ Winston.” pretty sick in my heart.”
___________________________________________ “Extra time? Why?” “You do? Why?”

“Because I lied today. I “That’s right. And I guess if I
mean, it was true that I didn’t can lead you off the path, you ___________________________________________
feel great, but I really wasn’t can lead me back on it. Let’s ___________________________________________
sick, and I shouldn’t have left tell God we’re sorry, and then I
my boss without me at the last think I’ll have to talk to Joe and ____________________________________________
minute like that. So that was we can both talk to Ms. Winston ___________________________________________
wrong. Then I realized I’d led together.”
you to do wrong, too.” ___________________________________________
After they prayed, she hugged
Adam’s eyes were on his her son fiercely. “I love you!” ____________________________________________
hands, playing with the edge of
Adam squeezed her back ___________________________________________
his blanket.
even more tightly. “You are
“You know you’ve been my beloved mom in whom I ___________________________________________
putting off working on that am well pleased!” he declared, ___________________________________________
project. You could have finished grinning.
it today.” One of the tears ___________________________________________
escaped her, and she swiped at it
=In our text, John 14:6, Jesus
didn’t just say He was the Way. ___________________________________________
hastily. She did her best never to
let the kids see her cry. “I think He also said He was the Truth. ____________________________________________
I’ve been a pretty bad mother And again, it’s an interesting
concept. How can a person be ___________________________________________
lately. God’s probably pretty
ashamed of me. I’m sorry.” the truth? What is truth? Pilate ____________________________________________
asked Jesus that question, but
Adam sat up and looked at ___________________________________________
he didn’t wait for the answer.
her earnestly. “You’re not a bad
Jesus had been showing the ____________________________________________
mother! I knew it was wrong.
answer to that question for
You didn’t make me do it!” ___________________________________________
three and a half years. He was
“I didn’t help you not to, the truth. He didn’t just tell
either.” ___________________________________________
the truth or point to truth or
There was silence for a describe truth. He was and is the ____________________________________________
moment. “Well, then,” said Truth. ___________________________________________
Adam, “we’d better tell God
Obviously, one thing this
we’re sorry, right? He still loves ____________________________________________
means is that the story of Jesus
us. You always say He loves us
and of salvation is the bottom- ____________________________________________
no matter what.”
line truth of the ages. God made
Andrea gave a shaky laugh. ____________________________________________
us perfect, we sinned, and God
Out of the mouths of babes! sent His Son to live and die for ___________________________________________

us. J. R. R. Tolkien said it was as In this story, Andrea felt the
___________________________________________ if the very best possible fantasy more culpable, and that was
___________________________________________ or fairytale, too good to be true, true in a sense, because she was
turned out to be true after the adult, the mom, the under–
____________________________________________ all! Hallelujah! We get to live shepherd with the responsibility
___________________________________________ happily ever after, even though to lead her lambs to God. But
we don’t deserve it! All we she was also in danger of going
___________________________________________ have to do is say yes and walk even further off the path of truth
through the door, where we will than her son. How was that?
____________________________________________
start living a completely new [Allow time for discussion and
___________________________________________ and different kind of adventure. comment.]
A life of complete truth.
___________________________________________ They both did wrong.
That’s hard! They both lied, they both
___________________________________________
But it’s more than that. In procrastinated, and on top of
___________________________________________ fact, if it were only that, it would that, Andrea used her influence
be impossible. Somehow, we as a mother to lead her son
___________________________________________
have to live in Jesus, who is the astray. Or at least, she didn’t pay
____________________________________________ truth. We don’t really know how attention to where her influence
it works. God does. He sends us was leading Adam. If she’d been
___________________________________________
His Holy Spirit, who is in fact thinking, she wouldn’t have had
____________________________________________ the very presence of the Father this phone call where he could
and the Son with us. God has hear, right? Would that have
___________________________________________ been any better?
provided divine assistance to
____________________________________________ live the life of truth (John 14: What did they do right?
15-18, 23). What we do know is, They did some of the work
___________________________________________
once we make that choice, Jesus they needed to do. Also,
___________________________________________ starts opening our eyes to truths Andrea didn’t speak hastily
we knew, and to truths we didn’t when she realized what she
____________________________________________
know. Often, He uses others to had done. She waited, and
___________________________________________ help us learn this. In the case of even though her prayer felt
our story, God is using Andrea formless and helpless, God
____________________________________________
and Adam to teach each other. heard it. Most importantly, they
____________________________________________ Have you experienced the truth both recognized their sin and
that sometimes children can confessed it. And this is where
____________________________________________ lead us as well or better than we Adam got the chance to help
___________________________________________ can lead them? his mother. She was tangled up

in a falsehood he wasn’t—she bad feelings about us to other
feared that God was displeased people and to God, we are in ___________________________________________
with her, that she was “bad.” way worse trouble than we ___________________________________________
Not only did she feel ashamed, already were. Now, we’re not
she thought God was ashamed just doing wrong, we’re doing ____________________________________________
of her. Do you and I ever tell Satan, the accuser’s, work for
___________________________________________
ourselves things like this? Are him! That’s a terrible idea!
they true? Jesus said, “I am the truth. ___________________________________________
Here is the truth, the whole Listen to Me. You are my ____________________________________________
truth, and nothing but the truth: beloved child. I think more of
God loves us all the time, no you than I do of My own life. I ___________________________________________
matter what we do! He is looking can help you make restitution
___________________________________________
for an attitude—the recognition for wrongs, and do better,
of our wrongdoing and our but not if you use up all your ___________________________________________
confession. Fortunately, most energy belittling yourself and
___________________________________________
of the time Andrea realized this, beating yourself up.”
and she had taught it to her Keep your eyes on Him, and ___________________________________________
children. If you have kids, you that’s the life-changing truth ____________________________________________
know it’s sometimes easier to you will see.
believe God loves them all the Amazing! ___________________________________________
time, than that He loves you all
the time. (Except when they’re
3Wen was whistling as he ____________________________________________
entered the café and sat at his
driving you nuts, maybe!) She ___________________________________________
usual table.
had taught her child the truth, ____________________________________________
“What are you so excited
and when she needed to hear it,
about?” Andrea asked, pulling ___________________________________________
it was there for her.
her notebook from her apron
We are sinful, and we make pocket. ___________________________________________
mistakes, and even do things
“Nothing in particular, I just ____________________________________________
wrong deliberately, and then
feel happy.”
try to cover it up. If we feel ___________________________________________
badly about these things and “Any special reason?”
try to make them right, that’s “You mean, besides the fact ____________________________________________
a good thing. But if we let our that midterms are over and I’m ____________________________________________
mistakes and sins make us still alive?”
feel worthless and ashamed, Andrea laughed. “Reason ____________________________________________
and worse yet, assign those enough, I’d say!” ___________________________________________

“Well, all those annoying different!” He stopped and
___________________________________________ papers Professor Ellison keeps thought again. “Actually, I
___________________________________________ giving us seem to be paying don’t know if I act that much
off, though I hate to admit it. different. I know I still lost my
____________________________________________ You know, I used to sort of just temper the other day, and I still
read the Bible. Like a textbook. procrastinate and make excuses
___________________________________________
Like if I memorized enough way too much.”
___________________________________________ chapters, or listed the right
principles and lived my life Andrea grinned and sat
____________________________________________ by them, I’d be okay. A good down. “Let me tell you
___________________________________________ Christian. Only it never seemed something my 10-year-old
to work out that way.” taught me!” She told the story
___________________________________________ and was surprised and a little
“I think I understand.”
___________________________________________ embarrassed that tears came
Andrea tapped her pencil on
to her eyes again. “So you
___________________________________________ the tablet. “Like it’s a subject
see,” she concluded briskly,
to learn, with right answers,
___________________________________________ like the dates of presidents, “according to my Adam, it’s
or multiplication tables, or simple! If you do wrong, you
____________________________________________ ask forgiveness, you see if
something. I have to admit, I
___________________________________________ sort of thought you’d have an there’s anything you can do to
advantage, too, just because make restitution, and you move
____________________________________________ on! No putting yourself down
you got to take college-level
___________________________________________ theology courses.” about it! So, what can I get you
today?”
____________________________________________ “Right! Well, what with all
this talk about Jesus being the She stood again, and Wen
___________________________________________ Bread of Life, and the Light, grinned up at her. “Surprise
___________________________________________ and all that, I decided I’d try to me!”
read as if I were sort of reading
____________________________________________ Jesus. As if I were putting Him
and His life inside myself just =
___________________________________________
____________________________________________
like I put food inside my body. The Life
I asked Him to show me, and In His discussion with His
____________________________________________ you know what, I’m starting to disciples on the last night of His
find myself thinking about Him life on earth, Jesus said three
____________________________________________ beside me all day long. In class “I AMs” in one: “I am the Way,
___________________________________________ and everything. Everything’s and the Truth, and the Life.”

We’ve talked about the way, and how it may be narrow, and wind
around all over the place, and be hard to see sometimes, but you ___________________________________________
follow the Shepherd, and you’ll always go upward. We’ve talked ___________________________________________
about the truth, and how it’s just as bad to believe Satan’s lies about
us as it is to sin in the first place. Now we’re going to talk about life, ____________________________________________
and what it really means. ___________________________________________
At first sight, the word life is an obvious one. It means not dead.
___________________________________________
It means you’re still breathing and living and doing. Jesus is the
source of that physical life, the one who, John says, created all ____________________________________________
things, and nothing was made without Him. But when Jesus said
___________________________________________
He came to give life, He meant more than that. He explains it
more fully in another passage in John, and believe it or not, it’s in ___________________________________________
that same chapter we’ve been to twice before. Let’s look up John
10:10. [Read or have someone read.]
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
All we have to do is say yes and ___________________________________________
walk through the door, where we ____________________________________________

___________________________________________
will start living a completely new ____________________________________________
and different kind of adventure. ___________________________________________
____________________________________________
So in this one story, Jesus said He was the Gate or Door, He
was the Good Shepherd, and that He came to give life abundant, or ___________________________________________
a full life. Different Bibles translate it different ways, and they all
___________________________________________
add up to one thing: Jesus came to give us The Good Life. And He
didn’t mean riches and mansions and yachts and world travel and ____________________________________________
all the gourmet food you can make yourself sick with, either. He
___________________________________________
meant the real Good Life.
So what is this full, abundant life? Someone once came up with ____________________________________________
an acrostic for JOY. It goes like this: [Have a scribe write these three ____________________________________________
words in a list, one above the other: Jesus, Others, Yourself.] It’s an
old one, and most of us have seen it plenty of times, but it always ____________________________________________
bears another look. ___________________________________________

Jesus. An abundant, full life love God—by the fact that we
___________________________________________ is a life that puts Jesus first. He love others. John writes a lot
___________________________________________ is the center and the purpose about that in his first epistle (1
for everything His child does. John). He points out that God is
____________________________________________ If we know Jesus is smiling at invisible. It’s easy to say we love
___________________________________________ us, we can take it when others Him. If we can’t love the people
frown. If we know Jesus is we can see around us, then we
___________________________________________ showing us what to do next, aren’t really loving God. So what
____________________________________________ we don’t have to worry about do we do? We go back to number
doing the wrong thing. And if one—put God first. That will
___________________________________________ we do make a mistake, we can grow the love in us wider and
___________________________________________ know He’ll forgive us and help deeper, and we’ll find we can
us, too. If Jesus is the first one love even who we consider to
___________________________________________ we say good morning to and be unlovable people. It doesn’t
___________________________________________ the last one we say goodnight necessarily mean we’ll be best
to, if He’s the most important buddies with them. Some people
___________________________________________ person when we’re trying to aren’t really safe to spend a lot
____________________________________________ plan our day, we will find a of time with. Sometimes the
deep source of joy—even in loving thing to do is incredibly
___________________________________________ sadness or difficulty. A full life hard, and includes removing
____________________________________________ contains all the ingredients of ourselves from close contact
life, and that includes loss and with these people. It definitely
___________________________________________ disappointment and struggle. A means not judging others’
____________________________________________ full life is almost the opposite choices! Loving them anyway
of an easy life. But it’s a life that means we want the best for
___________________________________________ is worth all the hard work and them, and we hope they will
___________________________________________ tears, and it’s a life that doesn’t learn to live in Jesus’ love and
get swept away by sorrow, but light, too.
____________________________________________ realizes that God is still there, Yourself. The third
___________________________________________ weeping with us, and will make ingredient, and this is really
it all right one day. important, is love for ourselves.
____________________________________________ Others. The second People have a lot of trouble with
____________________________________________ ingredient of joyful, abundant this concept. They usually think
life is love of others. In this it means to do anything you
____________________________________________ same passage, Jesus says that’s want, and live your life by your
___________________________________________ how people will know if we whims and desires. How is that

love? Would you call it love if you let a child have get what he can, and he may not even know how
absolutely anything they wanted? Why would selfish he is or how much he hurts others. Worse,
we think that if we give in to ourselves, spoil he may not care.
ourselves, set our desires above everything, that Let’s close with an Ellen White quote again:
should be called self-love? That’s not love.
Christ’s favorite theme was the paternal
Parents who love their children set rules for
tenderness and abundant grace of God; He dwelt
them. They make sure that they eat healthy
things and go to bed on time. They pay attention much upon the holiness of His character and
to what they see on TV, and limit the time they His law; He presented Himself to the people as
can spend online and which sites they can the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let these be the
visit. So the third person to show healthy love themes of Christ’s ministers. Present the truth as
for, in our JOY acrostic, is yourself. We need to it is in Jesus. Make plain the requirements of the
set sensible rules for ourselves, feed ourselves law and the gospel. Tell the people of Christ’s life
well both physically and spiritually, and treat of self-denial and sacrifice; of His humiliation
ourselves as we believe a beloved child of God and death; of His resurrection and ascension; of
should be treated. This will not only not lead His intercession for them in the courts of God; of
to selfishness, it’s the only effective safeguard His promise, “I will come again, and receive you
against it! The person whose deep inner needs unto Myself.” John 14:3. (Christ’s Object Lessons,
are not being met is the one who is always out to p. 40) •
1. Some of the things a road does are: show the way, keep people together, and make progress.
How can you tell if your life is accomplishing these things?
2. Roads need maintenance sometimes, too, or they will get all broken up and overgrown. What
are some ways you can maintain God’s Way in your life?
3. What are some things you think and say and do that keep you from seeing that you are the
beloved son or daughter of God? What are some things you can do to keep the Truth ever before
your eyes, as well as pass on Jesus’ love and help others see that Truth about themselves?
4. In maintaining the abundant Life Jesus promised:
a. What are some specific ways in which you love Jesus first?
b. What are some specific ways in which you love others next?
c. What are some specific ways in which you love yourself third?
62 Youth Week of Prayer .

2011 D AY 5 http://gcyouthministries.org
Life Identity
Principle #6
B ec ause J esus is t he True
V in e, I c an b e a b lesse d
b ran c h, d rawin g my
nourishment from Him and
glorifying God with much fruit.
t h e Jesus
tsaid,
r“Iu e vine
am the True Vine”
“W en! You’ll never guess what I just did!” Andrea exclaimed as soon as he entered the
door of the café.
“Got a new job!”

“What?”
“You did? That’s great! I mean—wait! Does that mean you won’t be bringing me my smoothies and
helping on papers anymore? How can I get through college without you?”
Andrea laughed. “I somehow suspect you’ll manage. But no, I’ll still be working here, only in the
evenings. I gave up my night job cleaning offices, thank God! I especially wanted to tell you, because
in a way, it’s thanks to you. Or maybe to that Professor Ellison of yours.”
“What? How?”
“Well, you know, I got to wondering, who am I really? What do I want to be when I grow up? I
realized I really like all this natural, organic stuff. Did you know I bought a hand-cranked grain mill
to make my own bread? So when a job at that tree nursery across town opened up, I tried for it. And I
got it! I think I’ll love working outside. The manager said I can even learn grafting!”

“Wow! I’m really happy for the join together. This is more
you!” Wen said. Then he pulled durable, but the cutting can ___________________________________________
a dejected face. “Even though it be dangerous, because you’re ___________________________________________
does mean somebody else will cutting toward your fingers. I’m
be mixing my fruit smoothie for going to teach you the graft I ____________________________________________
breakfast!” prefer, which is called a ‘saddle ___________________________________________
graft.’”
It was with great excitement ___________________________________________
that Andrea and two other new Ed showed them a row of
employees gathered around what he identified as young ____________________________________________
Ed, the nursery owner, to learn apple trees, though they looked
like dead sticks to Andrea, a few ___________________________________________
about grafting. It was a chilly
day in late winter, and time to feet high, with three or four tiny ___________________________________________
begin doing the grafting that branches at the top. With his
knife, and reminding them that ___________________________________________
created the most popular fruit
their knives must be extremely ___________________________________________
trees they sold.
sharp, he cut off the top of a
“There are several ways of young tree at a slant, and then ___________________________________________
grafting, and I’m going to tell cut it again in the opposite ____________________________________________
you about a couple of them, direction, so that it pointed
but I’m only going to teach upward like a sharp, upside- ___________________________________________
you the one I prefer, and why down V. ____________________________________________
I prefer it.” Ed said. “The first Andrea couldn’t help wincing
and simplest is called ‘whip ___________________________________________
for the poor little tree, though
grafting.’ You can just cut the she knew it was silly. Even ____________________________________________
top off a young rootstock, at a if a tree could be said to feel
sharp slant, make a matching ___________________________________________
anything, Ed had already
slanted cut across your scion, explained that grafting was done ___________________________________________
join the two, and tape them while the tree was still dormant
up. It’s quick and simple, but for winter. “The rootstock is
____________________________________________
isn’t as durable as some other the plant that is strongest. It ___________________________________________
methods. A ‘whip and tongue can take bad weather, or insect
graft’ is better. You start with the damage, things like that. The ____________________________________________
same slanted cuts, but make a branch we graft in, the scion, is ____________________________________________
second cut crosswise down into from a weaker plant, but with
the slant on each piece, creating the strength of the rootstock ____________________________________________
a ‘tongue’ on each that will lock it will make beautiful flowers, ___________________________________________

Just like the scion taking nourishment from the earth
through the rootstock, the Christian who has asked
Jesus to live in his or her life through the presence of
the Holy Spirit actually takes in the life of Christ…
or fruit, or whatever you want bound the two stems together grafts from last year.” Ed took
from the particular plant. In this with grafting tape. “Each of them on a short tour of grafts
case, we can count on a much you can try a couple. The trees at different stages. But Andrea
better crop of apples!” in this row are not especially kept looking over her shoulder.
valuable,” he added with a grin, With a laugh, she admitted to
Ed had brought a handful of
“so don’t worry about killing the woman next to her, “I’d
scions, plain branches cut from
them. Also, I have knives for like to put a ribbon on it, or
the variety of tree he wanted to
you. At the end of the day, something, so I’ll know my own
graft onto the tops of the young
we’ll have a sharpening class, tree! I hope it grows.”
apples. “The cut on the scion
which you’ll find to be more
is a little trickier.” He showed At home that night,
demanding than the actual
them how to carefully rock the describing her day to the kids,
grafting process!”
sharp knife in a cut into the end Andrea snuggled them with
of a tiny branch, turn it, and cut Andrea practiced sharp, even more affection than usual.
in from the other direction. “You even cuts on a spare stick, then More than anything in life, she
still have to be careful of your carefully made her first graft. hoped her attempts to graft
fingers, and have a sharp knife.” She took about 10 times as long them into Jesus would hold!
In seconds, he had a v-shaped as Ed had, but the others were = So far, we’ve studied five “I
cut into the end of the scion, equally as awkward at first, and
Am” statements. We’ve seen
which he slid down over the as she wrapped up her graft, she
that Jesus is a Light shining on
top of the tree. It fit exactly. Or was pretty sure it would take.
everyone, leading them to the
Andrea thought it did. Ed pulled “When will we know for Door of Himself and urging
it off again and made a slight sure?” she asked Ed. them to choose to enter. Once a
amendment. “You have to make “Within a couple of weeks, as person enters, Jesus feeds them
sure the join is as perfect as the weather starts to break, the with the Bread of His Word,
possible, not crooked, or partly trees will begin to show new then is their Shepherd, leading
together and partly not. Only growth. If you come over here them in His Way, Truth, and
a perfect union will work.” Ed to this row, I’ll show you some Life. This time, we will look at

another statement He made on and eight affairs. These natural
that last night, on the way to abilities were given by God, and ___________________________________________
the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s were meant to be used with His ___________________________________________
found in John 15:1-8. Let’s read strength. Just imagine if Hitler
it together. [Share the reading of or those movie stars we hear ____________________________________________
the 8 verses.] about invested their abilities for ___________________________________________
Once you know about grafting good and positive causes. How
in the physical world of plants, would history be different? ___________________________________________
this is a much more amazing When we make a decision to ____________________________________________
statement, isn’t it? Jesus is become a follower of Jesus and
the rootstock. A gardener are baptized as a symbol of ___________________________________________
chooses a rootstock for its embracing that new life, God ___________________________________________
strength, hardiness to different pours out His Spirit upon us
conditions, and resistance to and invests in us new strengths ___________________________________________
insects and disease. Let’s try to or anoints the natural ones ___________________________________________
figure out some of the ways this we were born with. These are
is true of Jesus. known as the gifts of the Spirit. ___________________________________________
Jesus has strength. This one Jesus has hardiness for ____________________________________________
is a real no-brainer! It’s no secret different conditions. In the
___________________________________________
that we are not strong on our plant world, some plants can
own. Every time we think we stand drought, floods, heat, ____________________________________________
get something right, we mess it and cold better than others.
___________________________________________
up. What we try to do, we can’t Sometimes you can graft a
do, and what we’re determined fragile rose, for instance, to a ____________________________________________
not to do is exactly what we do! stronger rose rootstock, and the
___________________________________________
Even the strengths we do have fragile rose will be better able
were naturally given to us by to stand difficult conditions. If ___________________________________________
Jesus, and if we try to use them our lives are grafted into Jesus,
we can handle the stresses of
____________________________________________
without Him, it doesn’t work
out so well. So, a person who life, from ridicule to loneliness, ___________________________________________
is born with great leadership from difficult home lives to
illness. Neither we nor the
____________________________________________
abilities turns into a Hitler, or
a person with great musical fragile rose will ever be as ____________________________________________
talent becomes a so-called “star” strong as our rootstock, but
we’ll be a lot stronger than we
____________________________________________
and is mostly famous for being
drunk or having three marriages would have been on our own. ___________________________________________

D AY 6
http://gcyouthministries.org
Jesus can resist the “bugs Jesus would come, plant
___________________________________________ and diseases” of sin. He lived Himself in this earth, grow
___________________________________________ the life we live and never gave strong and tall, and then
in to Satan, so we know He has deliberately allow His life to be
____________________________________________ the strength to pass along to us. chopped off! All this was done
___________________________________________ When we are in temptation, if so we could be grafted in, and
we remember to quickly pray start producing the beautiful
___________________________________________ for Him to deal with it, we’ll be flowers and fruit that He
given words to say, or strength intended for us all along.
____________________________________________
to get out of the situation.
Jesus didn’t just say “I am the
___________________________________________ The trick is to remember fast
vine,” He also said “You are the
enough. The Bible says to
___________________________________________ branches.” He told the disciples
resist, or stand up to the devil,
(and us) that if we don’t “abide
___________________________________________ and he will flee from us. Why?
Is that because he’s afraid of us? in Him,” we can bear no fruit.
___________________________________________ No, but he is terrified of Jesus, It’s a nice word picture, but
who lives in us by His Spirit! what does it really mean?
___________________________________________
We are created as the children We’ve talked about the ways
____________________________________________ in which Jesus is strong and
of God, and intended to produce
___________________________________________ beautiful flowers and fruit, but makes a good “rootstock.” Now
by ourselves, we get scorched let’s talk about some ways we
____________________________________________ can be good branches, or scions.
by stress, drowned by floods
___________________________________________ of trouble, and eaten alive First of all, the main
____________________________________________ by temptation and sin. If we difference between us and the
don’t shrivel up and die, we plants is that we have a choice.
___________________________________________ produce crooked flowers and You can pick any two plants
infested fruit. Worse yet, when you want, assuming that they’re
___________________________________________
that fruit falls from us and is correct varieties and will go
____________________________________________ passed on to those around us, well together, and graft them.
they get infested, too! We’re The plants have no say in the
___________________________________________
in bad shape, and it all started matter. But Jesus won’t graft in
____________________________________________ back in the Garden of Eden, or any people who don’t want to
even before that, when Lucifer live His life. Just like the scion
____________________________________________
rebelled in heaven. taking nourishment from the
____________________________________________ But God knew what would earth through the rootstock, the
___________________________________________ happen, and He had a plan. Christian who has asked Jesus

to live in his or her life through soul reaches toward Christ,
the presence of the Holy Spirit there is little danger that he ___________________________________________
actually takes in the life of will wilt, and droop, and ___________________________________________
Christ, and if that happened by decay. The temptations that
force, it would be an evil thing! may come in like a tempest ____________________________________________
But we can choose it, and then will not uproot him. The true ___________________________________________
it’s a miracle. Christian draws his motives
Not only that, but even once of action from his deep love ___________________________________________
we have made the choice to live for his Redeemer. His affection ____________________________________________
our lives in Christ, we always for his Master is true and
still have the choice. We can holy. (Sons and Daughters of ___________________________________________
pull nourishment from the God, p. 288) ___________________________________________
depth of our lives in God, or
When Ed taught his new ___________________________________________
we can strike out on our own.
employees how to graft, he said
That’s why it’s so important to ___________________________________________
that one of the most important
remember to pray the moment
things was a “perfect union.” ___________________________________________
temptation comes. New life
The cuts made in both plants
won’t just automatically well ____________________________________________
have to be carefully matched
up in us like sap through a
cambium layer without our in size and angle, and bound ___________________________________________
continued cooperation. together as if they had grown
there all along. ____________________________________________
Here is how Mrs. White
describes it: How can we have a perfect ___________________________________________
The root of the tree has union with Jesus? Well, as the ____________________________________________
a double office to fill. It is to rootstock, He was the one who
hold fast by its tendrils to the was cut first. He was cut off ___________________________________________
earth, while it takes to itself entirely, in death, just like the ___________________________________________
the nourishment desired. top of the tree was cut off when
Thus it is with the Christian. the grafting was done. It’s hard ____________________________________________
When his union with Christ, for us to even imagine such a ___________________________________________
the parent stock, is complete, thing. But He did it for us. So,
in order for our cut to match
____________________________________________
when he feeds upon Him,
currents of spiritual strength His, we have to be completely ____________________________________________
are given to him. Can the cut off from our old way of
doing whatever we want,
____________________________________________
leaves of such a branch
wither?--Never! As long as the whenever we want, or of doing ___________________________________________

D AY 6
things to please others and We still like to have things our
___________________________________________ make them like us, or whatever own way, and we still fall into
___________________________________________ motivations we had before we temptation. We still have a
decided to open the door to choice to make every day of our
____________________________________________ Jesus. We have to be cut off lives. Do we want to stay grafted
___________________________________________ from our roots of sin. in? Do we really want Jesus’
will more than our own? Even
___________________________________________ If we were brought up in
in what we read, or watch on
a Christian home, with godly TV? Even in which computer
____________________________________________ parents who inspired us, lived games we play, or what we
___________________________________________ the life of Jesus and taught us post online, or how we relate
well, we might have naturally to the most annoying person at
___________________________________________ embraced the values of work? There are tendrils of sin
___________________________________________ Christianity as a way of life. In reaching out for us from every
that case, it might not be easy to direction, and every day, every
___________________________________________ identify a particular moment in moment, we have decisions to
___________________________________________ our life journey when we were make. Do we want to “abide,”
‘cut off’ from our roots of sin. stay in Christ, live in Him?
____________________________________________
However, we will identify Then we have to be bound
___________________________________________ a season of our lives when we together as if we were one
____________________________________________ began to grow to become more plant. In the later chapters
sensitive to the needs of God in of his book, John describes
___________________________________________ a very personal way—when the Jesus praying to His Father
____________________________________________ God of our parents became our in heaven to make all His
personal God. It is also okay if children “one.” That includes
___________________________________________ you grew up in the church and us. We are to be one in Christ
___________________________________________ have been a Christian since a and one in each other. That
child and cannot look back to doesn’t mean we’re exactly the
____________________________________________ any one particular conversion same. In fact, if plants were
___________________________________________ point, but instead, grew into all the same, nobody would
a better, deeper and more ever do any grafting, or any
____________________________________________ personal acquaintance with gardening, for that matter. Just
____________________________________________ Jesus as your Lord and Savior. think how boring it would be!
But, regardless of where we How do you get to be “one”
____________________________________________ are and how we came to be a with somebody? How do a
___________________________________________ Christian, we are still sinful! husband and wife become “one

flesh,” for instance? They live who wrote all this down for us,
together. They spend a lot of says in one of his other books, in ___________________________________________
time together. They learn about 1 John 3:2, that “what we will be ___________________________________________
each other, and about each has not yet been made known.
other’s interests and hobbies. But we know that when he ____________________________________________
They learn about each other’s appears, we shall be like him, ___________________________________________
troubles. If we spend time every for we shall see him as he is.”
single day with Jesus, reading ___________________________________________
And remember the last verse
His word, talking to Him, of the passage we began with? ____________________________________________
singing His songs, doing His John 15:8 says that God is
work, we’ll become one with glorified when we bear much
___________________________________________
Him. We’ll be bound with Him fruit, because that’s how we ___________________________________________
until we can’t get free without show we are disciples of Jesus.
cutting ourselves off. ___________________________________________
Okay, so we know how to be
This won’t mean we lose grafted in, and how to be bound ___________________________________________
anything of our real selves. up with Jesus. But what does it
In fact, it’s the only chance ___________________________________________
mean to bear fruit? Jesus says
we have of ever being our real it to His disciples, “I want you ____________________________________________
selves. Only Jesus knows what to bear lots of fruit,” as if He
our true, inner selves were ___________________________________________
expects them to know what He
meant to be, and His dreams means, but He really doesn’t ____________________________________________
for us are even bigger than the explain it in this passage. Since
ones we dream for ourselves. ___________________________________________
they were so confused about
The closer we get to Him, the the rest of the things He was ____________________________________________
more we’ll learn about our gifts, saying, like where He was
callings, and uniqueness. The ___________________________________________
going, or how they could know
more we’ll be able to bloom the way, or what He meant ___________________________________________
and bear fruit. And that’s when when He said He was leaving
we’ll grow into the true beauty and going back to God, we can
____________________________________________
God meant us to have. Not one probably assume they didn’t ___________________________________________
of us will look the same. In understand this right away,
case you can’t tell, God likes either. But they figured it out
____________________________________________
variety! Just look at the different after Jesus left and the Holy ____________________________________________
flowers and fruit, not to mention Spirit came to them in power.
the incredible variety of birds, Paul, who became a disciple at ____________________________________________
animals, and fish. John, the one a later stage and who had never ___________________________________________

D AY 6
met Jesus personally while He if you don’t love others, it shows
___________________________________________ lived on earth, but became one you don’t love Him either. So
___________________________________________ of His most faithful followers, if this fruit is missing in your
wrote a whole passage about life, there’s definitely something
____________________________________________ what this fruit is. It’s found in wrong with your graft, and you
___________________________________________ Galatians 5:22, 23. Turn there should check it out, and get help
with me in your Bibles. [Read from godly people you trust.
___________________________________________ or have someone read. You may Joy. You know what it
____________________________________________ wish to have a scribe write the feels like when you are doing
fruit of the Spirit on a board.] something you really love to do
___________________________________________ Please note that the word fruit and know you are good at? As
___________________________________________ is singular. In other words, the if you’re more you somehow?
fruit of the Spirit is expressed Well, that’s what it’s like walking
___________________________________________ by the collective presence of with Jesus, only even better.
___________________________________________ all the values listed by Paul. Because you really are more
These virtues do not represent your real self! And as you grow
___________________________________________ different ‘fruits’ that we can and learn and He teaches you
____________________________________________ pick and choose from; the sum more and more, the joy grows
of them all represents the ‘fruit’ deeper into your soul, like roots.
___________________________________________ of the Spirit. But there’s one important thing
____________________________________________ Love. This is the first and to understand. All of these facets
clearest expression of the of love are very different than
___________________________________________ fruit. Some have written and the worldly ideas they sound
____________________________________________ spoken of all the rest of this like. So God’s joy, for instance,
list of virtues as facets of love. isn’t the same as just being
___________________________________________ Certainly the Bible teaches happy and having everything go
___________________________________________ that God is love, and love is your way. Things will happen.
the only commandment. Love Annoying things. Frustrating
____________________________________________ God, love everybody, do it with things. Frightening things. Even
___________________________________________ everything you’ve got, and really awful, sorrowful things.
you’ll automatically keep all A Christian doesn’t always
____________________________________________ the rest of the commandments feel happy. Even Jesus was
____________________________________________ and bear all the rest of this fruit. called, in Isaiah 53:3, “a man
We talked about this in another of sorrows, and familiar with
____________________________________________ session—that you can only love suffering.” He is more familiar
___________________________________________ others if you love God first, and with suffering than we will

ever be. The joy that being His Let’s face it, anybody can be
child and abiding in Him brings patient if things are great. In ___________________________________________
can be an exciting, wonderful fact, that’s not even patience! ___________________________________________
feeling. But often it is more like If you want to really learn
a quiet inner sense of security— patience, you have to have lots ____________________________________________
knowing that no matter what of things happen that will tempt ___________________________________________
happens, He is always there, you to be impatient. So watch
and He’ll get you through it. out if you actually ask God to ___________________________________________
Peace. This, too, is not the make you patient! Who knows ____________________________________________
same as quietness, tranquility, how many irritating things you
no conflict going on. That’s might suddenly notice! It’s not ___________________________________________
what we think peace is. In fact, as if God causes aggravating ___________________________________________
that’s what you’d find if you things to happen. He doesn’t
looked it up in the dictionary. have to—there are plenty of ___________________________________________
But Jesus warned us in this them. But when we pray for ___________________________________________
same passage, on His last night patience, the Holy Spirit starts
with the disciples, that His working on making us more ___________________________________________
peace is not like the world’s aware of our own reactions to ____________________________________________
peace. Look at John 16:33. [Read the things that happen, and
or have someone read.] Jesus suddenly it seems like patience ___________________________________________
actually promises trouble! But is impossible! But don’t worry— ____________________________________________
then He says, “Cheer up! I’ve keep hanging onto that vine,
overcome the world.” In other let the gardener prune you if ___________________________________________
words, we can’t overcome it, and necessary, and fruit will come. ____________________________________________
sometimes it seems like we’re You can’t make it grow by
surrounded by trouble, little thinking about it or wishing for ___________________________________________
and big. But we can have peace, it. Just by abiding. ___________________________________________
knowing He not only can, He Kindness. Here is a
already did! That makes us able ____________________________________________
facet of love that needs no
to hang in there. description. Everybody knows ___________________________________________
Patience. Have you ever what kindness is. Everybody
heard the warning not to pray
____________________________________________
recognizes it when it happens
for patience? The truth is, to them. Not everybody turns ____________________________________________
there’s only one way to learn around and practices it. But
patience, and that’s to have lots since the Bible says all good
____________________________________________
of things to be impatient about. gifts come from God (James ___________________________________________

D AY 6
1:17), then every time someone us, and our faith grows and
___________________________________________ is genuinely kind, that comes grows until it fills us up and
___________________________________________ from God, even if the person overflows on those around us.
doesn’t even know it. You can Second, it means doing things
____________________________________________ know your union with Jesus faithfully. Completing work
___________________________________________ is in good shape if you can be assignments well and on time.
kind, even to those who are not Taking care of the people and
___________________________________________ kind to you. things you are responsible for.
Goodness. This one is Taking care of yourself, too,
____________________________________________
harder to define. We all think we which you are more responsible
___________________________________________ know what goodness is, but find for than anyone else is. Being
it hard to describe and even kind to others. The most
___________________________________________
harder to practice. But God important thing to be faithful
___________________________________________ says it is the fruit of the Spirit, about, though, and the first
so if you have the Holy Spirit thing to check if you find you
___________________________________________
living in you, and if you are are being unfaithful in other
___________________________________________ abiding daily in Jesus’ words things, is faithfully spending
and presence, then goodness time praying and reading the
____________________________________________
will grow on you. Here’s a hint: Bible, and being sure when we
___________________________________________ if you think you’re good, that’s pray to leave time for listening,
not it. If you think you’re bad, too. We speak, and know God
____________________________________________
that’s not it, either. If you don’t listens. Then we listen, and
___________________________________________ think much about you at all, know He will speak, sometime
but others seem to think you’re in impressions we receive in
____________________________________________ our hearts, but mostly in either
good, and that surprises you—
___________________________________________ that’s it! And you can reply to the Bible or the words of others,
compliments and gratitude by like sermons, songs, or even
___________________________________________ something a friend says.
smiling and saying, “Thank
____________________________________________ you, but that’s all God, not me.” Gentleness. This is not
___________________________________________ Faithfulness. This has two always popular today. You hear
different shades of meaning. a lot about being strong, and
____________________________________________ standing up for yourself, and
First, it literally means “full of
____________________________________________ faith,” which is an automatic knowing what you want and
outgrowth of living daily with going after it. Men, in particular,
____________________________________________ are often ridiculed for being
Jesus. We begin to see the
___________________________________________ things He does in us and for gentle, because some people

think that means to be wimpy. If we’re grafted into the Vine, Jesus, and the Gardener, His
And women who are gentle Father, is caring for us . . . if we’ve begun to grow some love and
may open themselves up to joy and peace and all the rest of the fruit, self-control goes right
accusations of being doormats along with it. It might not mean never eating cake, but it certainly
or old-fashioned and reactive. will mean not eating three pieces! It might not mean never having
But the very fact that it’s so to express anger, but it will definitely mean not losing our temper
misunderstood might make or blaming others for our anger. It will not mean giving up play
gentleness one of the most entirely and spending all your time on work for the almighty
necessary virtues in today’s fast- paycheck, or vice versa; it will mean doing your best at work and
paced world. We are all in this play.
together, we all have troubles,
and a little gentleness goes a And there you have it: a word picture from the Bible of the full
long way in smoothing the path and abundant life Jesus promises to those who choose to belong
for everyone around us. to Him, to grow into Him, to take their nourishment from Him, to
grow up into all He wants for them, producing abundant blooms
Self-control Oh, boy,
everybody’s favorite! We’ve •
and fruit that are a blessing to all around us.
given this a negative definition,
too. Self-control, we think,
means living in some kind of
box, obeying rules like a robot,
never having any fun! Is that
what Jesus meant? Surely not!
Or we give it a narrow definition.
1. What is a sin “disease” or “bug” you would like Jesus to
We try to be self-controlled about
give you His resistance to?
how much we eat, but not
about how well we eat. We are 2. What are some things you do to build and maintain a
temperate about alcohol, but go more perfect union with Jesus?
all-out on sugar, or fatty foods.
3. How can you tell when your union with Him has some
Or we are careful about our
gaps in it? What can you do then?
entire diet, but never exercise,
or exercise too much, and make 4. Of all these fruits, which one appeals to you today? Why?
our physical health the be-all
5. Tell of a time when someone else demonstrated the fruit
and end-all of our existence.
of the Spirit in relationship to you. What happened? How
The truth is, self-control equals
did it feel? Did it make you want to be more like Jesus?
temperance, equals moderation
How?
in all things. All things!

Life Identity
Principle #7
Beca u se Jesus is
th e Resu rre ctio n
a nd th e L ife, I
ca n rej oice in
H is newne ss o f
l ife now an d
tru st H im fo r
l ife eternal.
the resurrection
and the life
Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life”
W en and Josh ran down a hallway with a crowd of other people, hurrying toward
the exit and across the green to the administration building. Everyone on campus
had been called to assemble in the chapel. The entire college was in chaos.
“What’s going on?” Wen asked Josh.
“I don’t know, but I guess it’s big. I saw Dr. Willa crying.”
When they finally reached the college chapel, it was packed and as noisy as a freeway at
rush hour. The president stood and raised her hands, and finally the voices quieted. “Ladies
and gentlemen, I’m very sorry to have to call you together here. I’m afraid I have bad news.
We thought it might be best if you all heard together, in the hopes that not too much distortion
and confusion will occur as the story gets told and retold.” The president took off her glasses
and polished them.

Wen and Josh exchanged talking about getting married
glances. What on earth? And after graduation! ___________________________________________
why didn’t she just get on with “Oh, God!” he whispered. ___________________________________________
it?
Josh’s face turned jerkily ____________________________________________
When she spoke again, it toward him. “God! God? Where
was clear that she was having was He? Why would He let this ___________________________________________
trouble controlling her voice. happen?”
Was she about to cry? “We ___________________________________________
have just received word that And Wen had no idea what to
____________________________________________
the bus carrying our student say.
missionaries back from =The last of the seven specific ___________________________________________
overseas has crashed.” “I Am” statements that we are ___________________________________________
A rush of shocked sound studying this week is found
in John 11:25. [Read or have ___________________________________________
whirred around the room. The
president held up trembling someone read.] ___________________________________________
hands. “There are—no.” She This statement is found in a ___________________________________________
choked up and stopped talking, seriously distressing story, one
but the silence was deafening. that can only be understood by ____________________________________________
“There are no survivors.” someone who has been there.
___________________________________________
After a horrified second, Lazarus, the only brother of two
voices rose again in the chapel. sisters, Mary and Martha, had ____________________________________________
Wen heard a couple of screams died. All three of them were
___________________________________________
and then some crying, but friends of Jesus, and worse yet,
his own throat closed up. The they had sent word to Him days ____________________________________________
student missionaries! All 10 of ago that Lazarus was sick, but
He had chosen not to come. ___________________________________________
them? The driver, too?
You can see it in verse 4, when ___________________________________________
Josh was perfectly white. Jesus says the sickness will
Wen reached over to touch his not end in death, and in verse ____________________________________________
shoulder. “Are you okay?” 6, where He stays where He is ___________________________________________
Josh’s mouth moved, but two more days.
no sound came out at first. He ____________________________________________
We could guess that Mary
swallowed convulsively, and and Martha would be asking, ____________________________________________
tried again. “Nita!” he managed, “Why?” But we don’t need to
and Wen’s heart stopped. Nita! ____________________________________________
guess. We can know it, because
Josh’s girlfriend! They had been both of them said to Jesus, “If ___________________________________________

D AY 7
only You had been here!” They She even says she knows her
___________________________________________ had seen Jesus heal many brother will rise again. Martha
___________________________________________ people, and they were sure He has the faith that this is not the
could have healed Lazarus, too. end. It doesn’t stop her grief,
____________________________________________ In other words, why had He let but it eases it. Imagine if you
___________________________________________ this happen? really thought everyone who
Have you been there? died was dead forever, and you
___________________________________________ would never see them again!
Jesus is speaking to Martha
____________________________________________ when He makes this “I Am” But no. Jesus is the
statement. Before He has Resurrection and the Life. He
___________________________________________
done anything at all about the laid His own life on it.
___________________________________________ sorrowful situation His friends Great. Makes a good sermon,
___________________________________________ are in, He says to Martha, “I doesn’t it? But you know if
am the resurrection and the you’ve been there, how hollow
___________________________________________ life. He who believes in me that comfort can feel at the
___________________________________________ will live, even though he dies; time. What do you say when
and whoever lives and believes a devastated friend asks you
____________________________________________ in me will never die. Do you Why? Or when you yourself sit
___________________________________________ believe this?” by a seemingly unjust grave
What is Martha’s answer? and ask, Why? If a person dies
____________________________________________ “old and full of years,” as the
[Read or have someone read
___________________________________________ verse 27.] Bible puts it, that’s one thing.
But a young man like Lazarus?
____________________________________________ That is what God wanted Young student missionaries
to hear. In her sorrow, in her
___________________________________________ doing God’s work? A child,
disappointment, before she has
even?
___________________________________________ any idea what miracle Jesus
has in mind, even though she What do you say then?
____________________________________________ may feel angry that God (and Of course, we know the
___________________________________________ Jesus) allowed this to happen, end of Lazarus’ story. Jesus
Martha says, “I believe. I still raised him, he walked in the
____________________________________________ believe you are the Messiah. I triumphal procession when
____________________________________________ am not going to stop believing Jesus entered Jerusalem before
in you because I am hurt and His own death, and then…what
____________________________________________ confused and devastated with then? Is Lazarus still alive? No?
___________________________________________ sorrow.” So he died again, right?

When Jesus raised people here on earth, whether it was
Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, or the widow of Nain’s son, He didn’t ___________________________________________
give them eternal life. Technically, although His plan of salvation ___________________________________________
was complete in God’s eyes from before Creation, Jesus had not
yet bought back our right to eternal life. Yet He told Martha, and ____________________________________________
others, as well, that those who believed in Him “will never die.” He
___________________________________________
knew it was already a done deal.
Why, then, is the famous shortest verse in the Bible right here ___________________________________________
in this story? Look at verse 35. “Jesus wept.” ____________________________________________
It’s fatally easy for us, when we’re not the ones in despair, to
just say, maybe not in so many words, “Chin up! It’s okay! Jesus is ___________________________________________
the resurrection and the life!” But even Jesus cried, and no, I don’t ___________________________________________
believe it was just because of the lack of faith on the part of His
friends. Death is sad. Loss is painful. And sometimes the best gift ___________________________________________
we can give is not to make any attempt to answer why, but just to ___________________________________________
Are we choosing what to do and say ___________________________________________

____________________________________________
by what effect it has on our eternal ___________________________________________
lives, and the lives of others? ____________________________________________
___________________________________________
cry with the grieving, showing them by our own presence that God
____________________________________________
is present, too, and that He cares.
It was only a short time after Lazarus was raised that Jesus went ___________________________________________
through His own valley of the shadow of death. Except, the valley ___________________________________________
He traveled was never, and will never, be traveled by another soul.
Somehow (we will never truly understand how) Jesus didn’t just ____________________________________________
die the normal death we die—He died what we call the Second ___________________________________________
Death—the eternal death that is the consequence of sin. He should
have stayed dead forever and ever. ____________________________________________
But He didn’t! ____________________________________________
Let’s turn in our Bibles to John 20. First, let’s imagine the scene.
Think of all the times you’ve ever lost anyone. Remember the ____________________________________________
shock and grief in all its power. Now add to that the sorrow you ___________________________________________

D AY 7
would feel if it were your own that He loved them a lot! He
___________________________________________ child or someone very close to even stayed in the graveyard
___________________________________________ you. Add that all up together, before going back up to visit
and imagine if you had been a His Father, from whom He had
____________________________________________ friend of Jesus, and believed been separated.
___________________________________________ with all your heart that He was
But after reassuring Mary
the Son of God, the Messiah.
and sending this message to
___________________________________________ And now He’s dead! He’s dead!!
the others, Jesus did go right to
Can you even imagine the grief
____________________________________________ heaven. Mrs. White says:
and horror and shock?
___________________________________________ He’s dead. “Jesus refused to receive
the homage of His people
___________________________________________ But He can’t be dead!
until He had the assurance
___________________________________________ But He is. that His sacrifice was
Now what do we do? accepted by the Father. He
___________________________________________ ascended to the heavenly
Mary Magdalene was one of
___________________________________________ the most grief-stricken of Jesus’ courts, and from God
followers. He had rescued her Himself heard the assurance
____________________________________________ from a life of horrors we don’t that His atonement for the
___________________________________________ know the half of, and she didn’t sins of [all] had been ample,
see how she could go on living that through His blood all
____________________________________________ without Him. So practically might gain eternal life. . .
___________________________________________ before light on Sunday The Father. . . would love
morning, she went to the tomb. them even as He loves
____________________________________________
Let’s read what happened. His Son. . . . All power in
___________________________________________ [Taking turns to read, go all the heaven and on earth was
way through John 20:1-18. Take given to the Prince of life,
___________________________________________
time to stop and discuss what and He returned to His
____________________________________________ your emotions would have been followers in a world of sin,
like if you had been there.] that He might impart to
___________________________________________
them of His power and
“My Father and your Father;
____________________________________________ glory.” (Desire of Ages, p.
My God and your God.” Why do
790)
____________________________________________ you think He said it like that?
He wanted to reassure them Now Jesus was in truth, once
____________________________________________ and for all, the Resurrection
once and for all that God loved
___________________________________________ them as much as He did, and and the Life. He came to share

that with us. With you and me! that we can live out the death
Amazing! and resurrection of Jesus now. ___________________________________________
In all of these “I Am” Let’s see what Paul says. [Read ___________________________________________
statements, we’ve first looked or have someone read Romans
6:4, 5.] ____________________________________________
at what Jesus said He is, and
then at what that means for us. So when we were baptized, ___________________________________________
In this case, of course, there that was the outward sign of a
is no way that we are either whole new life that had already ___________________________________________
resurrection or life! We just have begun on the inside. Here is ____________________________________________
to decide if we want in on His how Mrs. White explains it:
resurrection and life. However,
___________________________________________
“Baptism is a most
we can also use our influence solemn renunciation of the ___________________________________________
either to further Jesus’ life and world. Self is by profession
newness, or to spread death and ___________________________________________
dead to a life of sin. The
destruction. It’s surprising how waters cover the candidate, ___________________________________________
often even Christians can do and in the presence of the
and say deadly things. Unkind ___________________________________________
whole heavenly universe the
words, gossip, stretching the mutual pledge is made. In ____________________________________________
truth (especially to make oneself the name of the Father, and
look good and someone else Son, and the Holy Spirit,
___________________________________________
look bad)—all these things are man is laid in his watery ____________________________________________
actions of death, not of life. On grave, buried with Christ
the other hand, kind words, in baptism and raised from ___________________________________________
loving deeds, standing up for the water to live the new life ____________________________________________
someone who needs it—these of loyalty to God. The three
things participate in God’s life great powers in heaven are ___________________________________________
of love and demonstrate that we witnesses; they are invisible ___________________________________________
“have crossed over from death to but present.”(The Faith I
life,” as Jesus put it in John 5:24. Live By, p. 146) ____________________________________________
But how can this be true That was the beginning. The ___________________________________________
right now? We know that we baptized person “professes” to
can believe what Jesus says as
____________________________________________
be dead to sin. As life goes on,
soon as He says it, as though the question is answered; did he ____________________________________________
it had already happened. But or she really mean it? Anyone
there’s more to it than that. can say they want to follow ____________________________________________
There is a real, physical way Jesus. They might even mean ___________________________________________

D AY 7
it, but when it gets hard, or eternal lives, and the lives of Both of them seemed to sort
discouraging, do they give up? others? of jerk to life when the pastor
The water of baptism is only Meanwhile, when the said, “We may well ask why God
a symbol—it is not what does horrible, unexplainable things would allow such a terrible thing
the washing of sins. Jesus does happen and we wonder where to happen. These young people
that, and He is the only one God is, and why He didn’t stop were at the beginning of their
who can. And it isn’t done just them, we will just have to put lives. Some of them were about
once—it’s done over and over, our trust in Him and ask Him to graduate. Two were engaged
every day, the rest of your life. the questions. It’s okay to show to be married. All were working
No matter how many years it’s our true feelings to God, even for God!” The pastor paused
been since your baptism, that and shook his head. “Working
when they are negative ones—
newness of life is still available for God! They were engaged
He understands. Who else can
to you. You can still choose daily in work that was feeding
we turn to? He may not, and
to live the resurrected life. hundreds of hungry children!
probably won’t answer us now
Actually, just before that in any way we can understand, Shouldn’t God have spared their
quote above, Ellen White has but He will be with us now. He lives? Didn’t He know what
this to say: will care for us tenderly, cry great things they might have
“God asks those who take His with us, and finally take us to accomplished for Him? Then
name, How are you using the live forever with Him, where there’s the bus driver, who has
powers that have been redeemed there will be no more tears or left a grieving family. How
by the death of My Son? Are you death, forever. could God let this happen?”
doing all in your power to rise 3 Wen had been to some The Pastor paused and
to a greater height in spiritual funerals, but this memorial looked around the room. Wen
understanding? Are you adjusting service had to be the worst ever. slid a sideways look at Josh,
your interest and actions in Each person lost in the tragedy whose eyes seemed riveted to
harmony with the momentous had a funeral in their own the pastor’s face. He held his
claims of eternity? (ibid.) home town and church, but the breath. Josh had been talking
So when we want to know if college had a memorial service wildly, talking of leaving
we are living out the resurrected for all of them. The big college school, of leaving the church,
life Jesus has promised us, church was packed to the of giving up faith altogether.
those are the questions we can doors. Up front, there were10 Wen found himself praying
ask ourselves. Are we trying enlarged photographs, some of wordlessly.
to learn something new every them senior pictures, on easels, “I don’t know.”
day about God and His truth? along with a sea of flowers. Wen
Are we choosing what to do and stayed close to Josh, who could Wen closed his eyes. Way to
say by what effect it has on our hardly speak. go, pastor! That’s helpful!

“We can’t answer questions “If He’s going to stop one, I think He’d rather stop it all.” said the
like this. But I’ll tell you what pastor. “Don’t you think so?”
I do know. God hates all the
Wen saw Josh nod slightly, his lips trembling.
bad things that happen in this
world. Sin causes death and Through his tears, Pastor Jake suddenly lit up with a smile.
sorrow. If He’s going to stop one “Friends, listen. He will. He will! That’s what I’m here to remind us
thing, why not another?” all. That’s the thing to hang onto now. We will see our loved ones
again, and one day there will be no more death at all.”
Wen opened his eyes and
looked up. Wen stopped sliding sideways glances and looked at Josh. A tear
was sliding down his cheek. Thank God. Until now, Josh had only
“Why not stop anyone from been furious. As far as Wen knew Josh hadn’t cried at all or slept
dying in accidents? Why not since hearing about the accident. Wen had a feeling that if Josh
stop any children from dying of could just let go and cry like a baby, it might be a good thing.
starvation?”
Wen’s eyes were stinging, too. He saw Josh put his face in his
Wen forgot, for the moment, hands and heard him whisper brokenly, God, I’m so mad at You!
about Josh, and noticed the
anger he’d felt, himself, Wen sighed. It would take a while. But it would be okay, now. •
churning around just below
his consciousness. He hadn’t
thought of it in that light. He
remembered thinking, after
9/11, that some people told the 1. Have you had someone close to you die? How did you
stories of their friends or family deal with the grief and the questions?
members who miraculously
hadn’t died, as if God had 2. What do you think would happen if God stopped letting
somehow loved them more anything negative or painful happen to those who
than those who had. Should he follow Him?
be so upset just because these
3. Do you know someone who is grieving? It doesn’t have
were his friends? Weren’t there
to be a death. It can be the loss of a job, or loss of health,
accidents every day? Didn’t
or moving away from friends and feeling lonely. What
people die in them? Had he
can you do to share Jesus’ comfort with that person?
ever demanded of God why He
hadn’t stopped those accidents? 4. Did the things you have said and done today share
He felt guilty, thinking about it, God’s resurrected life, or did they spread death and
and then remembered Josh and destruction? Is there anything you will do to be more
felt even guiltier. His loss was aware of sharing life instead of death?
nothing to his friend’s.

Life Identity
Principle #8
Bec a us e J e s u s t h e G re a t I AM is, wa s, a nd
always w i l l b e, b e c a u s e H e l ived ou t a Tru e
a n d C o m p l e t e l i f e h e re on ea rth, I ca n be
my t r u e a n d c o m p l ete sel f in H im .
the great “i am”

Jesus said, “I Am”
W en was walking down the street, so deep in thought that he almost ran into someone. He
jogged to the side automatically, looked up to apologize, then blinked and smiled. “Andrea!”
Hi! I haven’t seen you in a while. I don’t get into the café as often in the evening.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a lot busier in the evening, too, so we wouldn’t have much time to talk if you did.
How are you doing?”
“I’m great! Would you believe I’ve finally locked into a major? Pre-med, if you can imagine that.”
“Pre-med! Really? You’re in for the long haul, then.”
“Well, remember when you told me that I ought to think about what I’d want to be if I never grew
up? You might have just been joking, but the way I took it was to think what I really dreamed of in my
heart, what I would do if I didn’t have to worry about cost, and time, and all that. And the truth is, I’ve
always wanted to be a doctor, only it seemed so impossible. Even now, just thinking of the years ahead
of me scares me. But when I took it to God and really prayed, asking Him to show me, not just what
He wants me to do with my life, but who I truly am inside, that vision just became so clear that I

couldn’t deny it anymore. I and so, of course, I was. Well,
figure if He wants me to do it, because of the things we’ve ___________________________________________
He’ll help me find a way. I was talked about, I started taking a ___________________________________________
thinking I could get a nursing prayerful look at who I really
degree first, and maybe work am and what skills or interests ____________________________________________
my way through medical school I have. One of the results is ___________________________________________
as a nurse, or something like this new job at the nursery,
that. Or, it’s possible I may not which I love! And because of it ___________________________________________
go all the way to becoming I’ve realized several things—I ____________________________________________
a doctor, but instead be a love outdoor, natural lifestyle
Certified Nurse Practitioner. kinds of things. I actually want ___________________________________________
I’m willing to let time make the to move to the country, and ___________________________________________
details clear. And that’s another am looking for a place close to
difference, too. Even though I the nursery and praying about ___________________________________________
get worried if I think about the ways I might manage a down- ___________________________________________
future too much, the level of payment. And as for education,
fear and just. . . I don’t know, there are a million ways, you ___________________________________________
just feeling like I wasn’t where I know? If I can get my life a ____________________________________________
really wanted to be, has passed. little less hectic, I can take
I owe you one Andrea!” a few courses at the college ___________________________________________
Andrea laughed. “That’s maybe, and in the meantime, ____________________________________________
so great, Wen! But anything there’s tons of online stuff, or
you might ever have ‘owed’ even library book clubs. Believe ___________________________________________
me is more than paid off. I’ll it or not, I’ve even started ____________________________________________
have you know that I, too, to wonder whether I might
know what I want to be when manage some kind of two-year ___________________________________________
I grow up, and it’s because of vocational course on business ___________________________________________
our discussions. See, I’ve been management, because maybe
fixated for so long on a college I’d like my own greenhouse ____________________________________________
education. No, that’s not even business, or flowers, or even ___________________________________________
right. I wasn’t fixated on getting bonsai. The possibilities are
a college education. I was endless! And it’s all because ____________________________________________
wasting all my energy being of our talking, and Professor ____________________________________________
fixated on the impossibility of Ellison’s homework!”
getting one. I believed I was Wen grinned, but said
____________________________________________
a loser from the beginning, seriously, “It’s all because the ___________________________________________

D AY 8
great I AM has knocked our Now, his life takes a sudden,
___________________________________________ heads together a little and got shocking turn. God says, “I want
___________________________________________ us to realize we too can live you to go get the Israelites out
significant lives as we remain of Egypt and lead them to the
____________________________________________ connected to the Him.” Promised Land.
___________________________________________ =We have studied all seven “I Imagine if you were Moses.
Am” statements John records What??!!
___________________________________________ Jesus as saying: I am the Light
He argued for a while: “I’m
____________________________________________ of the world; “I am the Door
of the sheepfold”; “I am the too shy, I can’t talk, and they’ll
___________________________________________ Bread of Life”; “I am the Good never listen.” God isn’t letting
Shepherd”; “I am the Way, the him argue his way out of this
___________________________________________ assignment. Now, Moses asks,
Truth, and the Life”; “I am
___________________________________________ the True Vine”; and “I am the “Well, whom shall I say sent me?
Resurrection and the Life.” For They’ll want to know who you
___________________________________________ our last session together, we’re really are.”
___________________________________________ going to look more closely at the Now this is an interesting
“I Am” itself. Where did it come thing. Moses just meant,
____________________________________________ from? What does it mean? “What’s your name?” But God
___________________________________________ The first time this term was knew that the question of Who
used was in Exodus 3:14, 15. You Really Are is extremely
____________________________________________
Let’s go there together. What important, and goes way deeper
___________________________________________ story is this? [People will recognize than your name. His answer is
it as the story of God calling Moses unexpected and a little strange.
____________________________________________ from the burning bush.] Moses [Read or have someone read
___________________________________________ thought the life of leadership he verses 14, 15.]
had trained for in Egypt was long
___________________________________________ over. He had been a shepherd “I Am Who I Am.” Strange
for 40 years and had no idea he name, don’t you think? But a
____________________________________________ much deeper and truer answer.
would ever be anything else.
___________________________________________ During that time, he had also We are almost never exactly
been a writer. God had inspired who we say we are. In fact,
____________________________________________ we don’t even know fully who
him to write down the story of
____________________________________________ Creation and the stories of the we are at heart. But God, in
first godly leaders, like Abraham contrast, is always exactly and
____________________________________________ and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, truly who He says He is. There’s
___________________________________________ and Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. an idea of choice implied,

especially in those Bibles that and who we choose to be. And
translate this as “I will be who when we choose to cooperate ___________________________________________
I will be.” God says, “I am who with Him in that new creation, ___________________________________________
and what I choose to be.” then in the same way that He is
who He truly is, we begin to see ____________________________________________
And there’s even more than
that in the Hebrew. Mrs. White and learn and be who we truly ___________________________________________
says, “I AM means an eternal are, too.
presence; the past, present, and
___________________________________________
Besides these seven times
future are alike with God. He in John’s gospel that Jesus ____________________________________________
sees the most remote events uses the term “I Am” as an
of past history and the far ___________________________________________
identifying principle, there
distant future with as clear a are four times recorded in the ___________________________________________
vision as we do those things gospels that He uses just the
which are transpiring daily” ___________________________________________
name of God, by itself. We will
(That I May Know Him, p. 12). look at all four of them. ___________________________________________
A Jewish rabbi named Marcia
Prager, a Hebrew scholar All but one is still in John’s ___________________________________________
herself, suggests other ways to gospel. The first two are in one
____________________________________________
translate the Hebrew phrase: “I chapter, John 8, so please turn
am the Eternal Am-ness,” or “I there in your Bibles. If you scan ___________________________________________
am the Oneness that lives and this chapter quickly, you’ll see
____________________________________________
points toward life.” Or “I am that it looks familiar. The first
the Eternal Being. I am Being part of the chapter is the story of ___________________________________________
calling Being into Being each the woman caught in adultery,
____________________________________________
moment.”* [You could have a and right after Jesus forgives
scribe put these on a board.] her, He makes the statement, “I ___________________________________________
am the Light of the world.”
That’s an interesting one. In ___________________________________________
other words, God is creative not At this point, leaders and
Pharisees start arguing with ____________________________________________
just when He first called the
universe, and our world, into Him. You have to admit, if ___________________________________________
existence, but all the time. He an ordinary person said that,
is creating right now. He is re- you’d be tempted to lock him ____________________________________________
creating us, as much as we will away and keep the key! Who ____________________________________________
allow, every moment. He gives did Jesus think He was? And
us a choice, too. In many ways that is the essential question, ____________________________________________
we are who we believe we are, right there. Who did He think He ___________________________________________

D AY 8
was? Who did He say He was? you would have to believe that
___________________________________________ And was He telling the truth, or He was criminally insane?
___________________________________________ was He crazy? Because it had But He still doesn’t stop,
to be one or the other, unless even though they keep arguing.
____________________________________________ He was just plain lying, to get In verse 28 He tells them
___________________________________________ people to follow Him. If it was that when they lift Him up—
that, He’d have given it all up meaning the crucifixion—they
___________________________________________ when it started to threaten His will know He really is who He
____________________________________________ life, right? And this chapter, says He is. (They still did not
right here, is where it starts believe Him, or at least they
___________________________________________ to threaten His life. Instead of did not admit to it, but the
___________________________________________ giving up, Jesus gets more and Roman centurion did. Do you
more direct in His statements. remember what He said after
___________________________________________ When they try to say they need He oversaw the crucifixion of
___________________________________________ some verification of who He Jesus? “Surely this Man was the
claims to be other than just Son of God!”)
___________________________________________ His own words, He actually But let’s go on. In verse 56,
____________________________________________ claims to be the judge and not Jesus says Abraham rejoiced
only that, but also the one who at the thought of His day. The
___________________________________________ always judges rightly! people who are arguing with
____________________________________________ Then, look at verse 24: “If him scoff, “You’re not even 50
you do not believe that I am years old! You claim to have
___________________________________________ seen Abraham?!”
the one I claim to be, you will
____________________________________________ indeed die in your sins.” Wow! And here it comes. Read
That’s just how God referred verse 59, and try to imagine
___________________________________________
to Himself when speaking to what it would have felt like to
___________________________________________ Moses. “I am who I claim to hear this, if you were in that
be.” And here is Jesus, not only crowd that day. Remember,
____________________________________________
claiming that for Himself, but this is just an ordinary-looking
___________________________________________ telling them that if they don’t man, wearing ordinary clothes.
believe, they’ll “die in their He has to eat and sleep, He
____________________________________________ sins,” which means, die the gets sweaty and tired when He
____________________________________________ Second Death—die forever! Can walks all day, and He looks you
you see that if you don’t believe in the eye and says, “I tell you
____________________________________________ that He actually is God who the truth . . . before Abraham
___________________________________________ came to earth in human flesh, was born, I am!” (Italics added).

Throughout His life, Jesus knew ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
very clearly who He was. But ____________________________________________
He made the deliberate choice ___________________________________________
to lay aside his divine powers ___________________________________________

____________________________________________
and to live as a man, in complete ___________________________________________
submission to His Father. ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
The exact name of God, explaining all kinds of things ___________________________________________

plus the claim to have lived to His disciples that He wants ___________________________________________
forever! As Mrs. White points them to know before He leaves
out, “Christ was using the great them. In chapter 17, John ____________________________________________
name of God that was given to records Jesus’ long prayer to ___________________________________________
Moses to express the idea of the His Father asking that all of His
eternal presence” (That I May followers, all over the world
____________________________________________
Know Him, p. 12). and throughout time, including ___________________________________________
They only had two choices: us, may be one in Him and one
____________________________________________
believe Him, unbelievable in the Father. Now in the next
as it sounded, or label him chapter, the soldiers are coming ___________________________________________
a blasphemer and kill him. to arrest Him, and they are
___________________________________________
Which did they choose? [Read struck by a supernatural force.
or have someone read verse 60.] Let’s read verses 4 through 6. ____________________________________________
They didn’t succeed in [Read or have someone read.]
___________________________________________
killing Him that day, but they Here’s what Mrs. White
kept trying, and eventually, says about this moment. “A ____________________________________________
they did it. Let’s turn to John divine light illuminated the ____________________________________________
18. This is the last night of Saviour’s face, and a dovelike
Jesus’ life on earth. In John form overshadowed Him. In the ____________________________________________
14-16, remember, He’s been presence of this divine glory, ___________________________________________

D AY 8
the murderous throng could “I am,” says Jesus. And even
___________________________________________ not stand for a moment. They that’s not all. He adds a promise
___________________________________________ staggered back. Priests, elders, for the corrupted high priest
soldiers, and even Judas, fell as who has led His people astray.
____________________________________________ dead men to the ground” (Desire “And you will see the Son of
of Ages, p. 694). Man sitting at the right hand of
___________________________________________
In Luke 22:47-50 we see the Mighty One and coming on
___________________________________________ a crowd led by Judas, who the clouds of heaven” (Verse 62).
betrayed him with a kiss,
____________________________________________ I wonder what Caiaphas
approaching. When the disciples
and the rest of those who
___________________________________________ saw what was happening, Peter
drew his sword and cut off the condemned and killed the Son
___________________________________________ ear of Malchus, the servant of God will then think. I hope
of the high priest. But Jesus at least some of them came to
___________________________________________
touched his ear and healed him. saving faith and will be thinking,
___________________________________________ You would think after witnessing with tears, “He did it for me!”
___________________________________________ such a miracle that the soldiers One thing is clear.
would be afraid to touch Him, Throughout His life, Jesus knew
____________________________________________ but no, they got back up as if very clearly who He was. But He
___________________________________________ nothing had ever happened, made the deliberate choice to
tied His hands again (Jesus had lay aside his divine powers and
____________________________________________ freed himself, without effort, to to live as a man, in complete
___________________________________________ heal Malchus’ ear), and dragged submission to His Father. In the
Him away for beatings and a early stage of His ministry, He
____________________________________________ couple of mock trials.
refrained to openly proclaim His
___________________________________________ The fourth place where He is identity because His “time had
recorded as using God’s name is not yet come” as He often said.
___________________________________________ found in Mark 14:62. Please turn It was indeed the revelation
____________________________________________ there with me. This is the part
of His identity that led Him
of His trial where He is standing
to the cross. The one charge
___________________________________________ before the high priest, Caiaphas.
against Him at His trial that was
He has stood silently, refusing to
____________________________________________ actually true was that He made
answer any of the manufactured
charges against Him, until Himself equal with God.
____________________________________________
Caiaphas asks point blank (in He came for two purposes.
____________________________________________ verse 61), “Are you the Christ, He came to clear up people’s
___________________________________________ the son of the Blessed One?” misconceptions about who God

was and show them that God we receive forgiveness and
is a God of infinite love and grace and the renewed spiritual ___________________________________________
compassion, and to make it empowerment to live for Him. ___________________________________________
possible for all who are willing Our candles are lit so that we
to become children of God to can share light. ____________________________________________
learn to be who they really are. Then, when someone is ___________________________________________
When we “die daily,” as Paul feeling sad or down and we
reach out to listen to them, ___________________________________________
says, daily making choices to be
who God wants us to be, we are help them, or cheer them up, ____________________________________________
dying to old selves, our old ways, we are being a candle. When
we see that a close friend is in ___________________________________________
and being transformed into new
danger of falling into error or
selves and embracing new ways ___________________________________________
temptation, and we carefully,
of love and light in the power of
the indwelling Spirit.
lovingly, prayerfully give them ___________________________________________
a warning, we are shining
Every day this week, we’ve light into their dark corners. ___________________________________________
talked about who Jesus said (You can’t do this with anyone ___________________________________________
He was, and how He knew and who is not already a close
lived by that. Every day we’ve friend who trusts you not to ____________________________________________
added ways in which we can be judgmental or critical. And ___________________________________________
reflect that reality in our own you can’t do it unless you are
identities. Let’s look back at all willing to receive this kind of ____________________________________________
those ways and give them each help in return.) When we visit
___________________________________________
some more thought. the sick, help the helpless,
feed the hungry, and every ____________________________________________
[If you have made a poster, time we praise God openly, we
or power point slides, of these are shining our candles in the ___________________________________________
identity principles, you will have darkness, pointing others to the ___________________________________________
them to refer to, and perhaps read Door that leads to Life.
aloud together.] ____________________________________________
Because Jesus is my
Because Jesus is the Light Door, I can be a doorkeeper, ___________________________________________
of the world, I can be a welcoming others into God’s
candle, lighting others’ paths
____________________________________________
family. When we choose to
to Him. When we choose walk through the Door that is ____________________________________________
to dwell in the light of God, Jesus, we will find that He is
all that is not of God in us is a gateway to new possibilities, ____________________________________________
revealed; as we confess them, taking us places we never ___________________________________________

D AY 8
___________________________________________ God knew that the question
___________________________________________
____________________________________________ of Who You Really Are is
___________________________________________ extremely important, and goes
___________________________________________
____________________________________________
way deeper than your name.
___________________________________________ thought possible (and maybe keep ourselves fed on the Word
didn’t think we wanted to go!) every day, and pray for thorough
___________________________________________ And when we open our doors digestion of the truths in it,
___________________________________________ to Jesus and let Him live in us, we will be able to pass it out to
we are open to new ways of others more effectively. When
___________________________________________ serving Him. we recognize His spirit of self-
___________________________________________ Then, when we are sacrifice, and ask for that spirit
welcoming to “outsiders,” to be reproduced in us, we will
____________________________________________ learn to be willing and joyful to
showing them around,
___________________________________________ inviting them to eat with us give ourselves up for Him.
and sit with us, we are being Then, when we physically
____________________________________________
Jesus’ doorkeepers. When feed the hungry by our own
___________________________________________ we welcome visitors to our personal initiative or at a
churches, no matter how they soup kitchen or a Community
____________________________________________
dress or act, we are being godly Services Center, we are passing
___________________________________________ doorkeepers. When we act to out the Bread of Life. When
protect others, especially those people ask us why we are
___________________________________________
younger or weaker than we happy or how we can behave
____________________________________________ are, from physical or spiritual so lovingly, especially to
danger, or when we act publicly those who may not seem very
___________________________________________ for issues of justice with peace,
lovable, and we explain that
____________________________________________ we are being doorkeepers.
we don’t have any special
____________________________________________ Because Jesus is the Bread ability, but we have Jesus in
of life, I can be a grain of our life and are trying to imitate
____________________________________________ wheat, giving myself to feed Him, we are passing out the
___________________________________________ others His Word. When we Bread of Life. When we give up

something we wanted to do or Because Jesus is the Way, through Him, we will be fruitful
have, in order to do something the Truth, and the Life, I branches.
loving for someone else, we are can walk in His Way, hold Then we will spend the rest
giving our lives as the grain of up His Truth, and share an of our lives learning what our
wheat does, so that others may abundant, full life with those particular, unique gifts and
grow. And we will grow, too! around me. When we keep
talents are, and will begin to
our minds trained to recognize
Because Jesus is my have love, joy, peace, patience,
God’s way, by studying His
Shepherd, I can be a lamb kindness, goodness, gentleness,
word more and more deeply as
that follows faithfully, and faithfulness, and self-control—
we grow, when we learn God’s
also an under-shepherd, enough to give away by the
truth inside and out so that we
helping to care for other basketful!
will recognize falsehood when
lambs. When we follow Jesus we see it, our lives will be full Because Jesus is the
faithfully, trying to go only and abundant. Resurrection and the Life, I
where He would have us go, can rejoice in His newness
we will be faithful lambs. When Then, when we are followers
of life now and trust Him
we get stuck or lost, if we of the Way, others may do so
also. When we hold up the for life eternal. When we
immediately call to Jesus for have chosen Jesus and abide
help instead of trying to figure Truth (Jesus) even when it is
difficult or dangerous, others in Him, He promises that we
out a way to save ourselves, we have eternal life beginning right
are wise sheep. may do the same. And our
lives will grow ever fuller and now. We will begin to be more
Then, when we use our more abundant as we gain the fearless when we know there is
influence to turn the flock back strength and ability to share it. nothing in this life or in death
toward the shepherd when The more we give away, the that can keep us from Jesus.
it gets frightened and wants more we will have. Then we will long to find
to stampede, we’ll be good new ways to pass that trust and
Because Jesus is the
and faithful lambs. We may that life on to all we meet. We
True Vine, I can be a
even be called to be under- blessed branch, drawing my will be able to trust Him when
shepherds—hired help who don’t nourishment from Him and sorrow and loss come, and to
run away when the flock is in glorifying God with much help and grieve with others who
danger, just to save ourselves. fruit. When we cling closer suffer or face loss. We will have
When we gently seek to guide and closer to Jesus, learning a trust in God that will neither
others, especially younger to abide in Him all the time, pretend everything is all right
ones, to follow Jesus, not us, when we strive for a union and there is no reason to cry,
for themselves, we are faithful with Him so perfect that our nor rail against God and blame
under-shepherds. soul’s nourishment comes Him for the losses. And we will
D AY 8
be able to pass on that attitude ones He was most drawn to. to be ready to do that work.
to others. We’ll see that He didn’t allow While doing the work I am
Because Jesus the Great I Himself to be taken before His given now, I will be me. While
AM is, was, and always will time, and that when the time doing the work you are given
be, because He lived out came, He was not ashamed to now, you will be you.
a True and Complete life acknowledge His own anguish And we will live in love with
here on earth, I can be my or to express it to His Father, God and each other until we
true and complete self in
Him. When we keep our eyes
but He bravely faced up to it
anyway. Then, we’ll begin to
live eternally with Him. •
on the one and only True and seek and understand our own
Complete Life that has ever true and complete selves.
lived, we will begin to see new We’ll understand that the _______________________
things. We will learn when church is to be united, but
Reference
and to whom He told the truth not uniform. We are God’s
sternly, and when and to whom child, and we are unique in *Prager, Rabbi Marcia, (1998).
He told it gently and tenderly. the universe. We’ll spend time The Path of Blessing. Woodstock,
We’ll watch how He treated asking God what He wants us to VT: Jewish Lights Publishing,
people, and notice which do while we are here, and how pp. 81, 82.
1. Which is your favorite of all the “I Am” statements we’ve studied, and why?
2. Name one way you have chosen to discover who you are this week.
3. What are some ways you can help clear up misconceptions about God and show your
friends that He is a God of love and compassion?
But the question that matters most is, Who are you? No, who are you really?

WORLD YOUTH DIVISIONS CONTACT INFORMATION
ECD–East Central Africa NAD-North America SPD-South Pacific

Magulilo Mwakalonge James L. Black Nick Kross
P O Private Bag Manny Cruz (associate) Litiana Turner (associate)
00503 Mbagathi, Nairobi 12501 Old Columbia Pike Locked Bag 2014
KENYA Wahroonga NSW 2076
Silver Spring MD 20904
AUSTRALIA
Tel: 254 20 660-3000 Tel: (301) 680-6421/(301) 680-6472 Tel: 61 2 9847-3221
E-Mail: mwakalongem@ecd.adventist.org E-Mail: james.black@nad.adventist.org E-Mail: nkross@adventist.org.au
Adm. Asst. Anne-Marie E-Mail: manny.cruz@nad.adventist.org litianaturner@adventist.org.au
Ngendabanyikwa Adm. Asst: Gael Murray Adm. Asst: Nicole Brzezniak
ngendabanyikwa@ecd.adventist.org gael.murray@nad.adventist.org nbrzezniak@adventist.org.au
EUD–Euro Africa NSD-Northern Asia Pacific SSD-Southern Asia Pacific

Stephan Sigg Jobbie Yabut
Nak Hyung Kim
Box 040
Schosshaldenstrasse 17 Bevan Mark Jenneke (associate) 4118 Silang, Cavite
3006 Berne PO Box 43l PHILIPPINES
SWITZERLAND Koyang Ilsan 411-600 Tel: 63 46 414-4068
Tel: 41 31 359-1530 REPUBLIC OF KOREA E-mail: jyabut@ssd.org
E-Mail: stephan.sigg@euroafrica.org Tel: 82 31 910-1528 Adm. Asst: Carmen Sarmiento
Adm. Asst: Esther Hanselmann E-Mail: youth@nsdadventist.org csarmiento@ssd.org
Esther.Hanselmann@euroafrica.org E-Mail: bmjenneke@nsd.adventist.org
SUD-Southern Asia
Adm. Asst: Angela Han
Ravindra Shankar
ESD-Euro Asia chunek@nsdadventist.org Post Box 2 HCF
Kasap Gennady Hosur 635 110
Krasnoyarskaya Street #3 SAD-South America Tamil Nadu
107589 Moscow Areli Barbosa INDIA
RUSSIAN FEDERATION Caixa Postal 02600 Tel: 91 4344 26-2170
Tel: 7 495 786-8150 70279-970 Brasilia, DF E-Mail: mravis70@hotmail.com
Email: gkasap@ead-sda.ru BRAZIL
TED-Trans European
Adm. Asst: Yulia Lisovaya Tel: 55 61 3345-1818
Paul Tompkins
jlisovaya@ead-dsa.ru E-Mail: areli.barbosa@adventistas.org. 119 St. Peter’s Street
br St. Albans, Herts AL1 3EY
IAD-Inter America Adm. Asst: Tania Fanti ENGLAND
Benjamin Carballo tania.fanti@adventistas.org.br Tel: 44 1727 860-331
Louise Nocandy (associate) E-Mail: ptompkins@ted-adventist.org
PO Box 830518 SID-Southern Africa Indian Ocean Adm. Asst: Judy McKie
Miami, FL 33183-0518 Busi Khumalo jmckie@ted-adventist.org
Tel: (305) 403-4700 PO Box 4583
WAD-West Central Africa
E-Mail: carballobe@interamerica.org Rietvalleirand 0174 N. John Enang
E-Mail: nocandylo@interamerica.org SOUTH AFRICA 22 Boite Postale 1764
Adm. Asst: Jainie Baltodano Tel: 27 12 345-5929 Abidjan 22
baltodanoja@interamerica.org E-Mail: khumalob@sid.adventist.org COTE D’IVOIRE
Adm. Asst: Oliva Florez Adm. Asst: Arlete Paulo Tel: 225-22-44-00-97
florezol@interamerica.org pauloa@sid.adventist.org E-mail: njenang2000@yahoo.co.uk
introducing:
identity
2012 devotional for youth and youth leaders
available Summer 2011
check out other youth resources • spread the word

online at: www.gcyouthministries.org
facebook: GC Youth Ministries

"I AM" 2011 Week of Prayer

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EDITORIAL STAFF

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6 Read This First

11 Jesus, The Light of the World

19 Jesus, The Door

31 Jesus, The Bread of Life

41 Jesus, The Good Shepherd

51 Jesus, The Way, The Truth, and The Life

63 Jesus, The True Vine

75 Jesus, The Resurrection and The Life

83 Jesus, The Great “I Am”

What the symbols mean

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Names Life Identity Principle #2.

Life Identity Principle #4.

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INVOLVE YOUR PARENTS AS VOLUNTEERS TAKE A SURVEY

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the Light of the World

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the BREAD of LIFE

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just ate that slice of bread, and

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the good shepherd

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