Finding a Spiritual Home

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FRIDAY

January 28

Further Study:  

“When sin struggles for the mastery in the human heart, when guilt seems to oppress the soul and burden the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, who lets in the beams of light? Whose grace is sufficient to subdue sin, and who gives the precious forgiveness and pardons all our sins, expelling the darkness, and making us hopeful and joyful in God?—Jesus, the sin-pardoning Saviour. He is still our Advocate in the courts of heaven; and those whose lives are hid with Christ in God must arise and shine, because the glory of the Lord has risen upon them.”—Ellen G. White, Bible Training School, May 1915. “If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you have sinned against his Creator.”—Ellen G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 128.

Discussion Questions:

Madame Mao, the wife of former leader of Communist China Mao Tse-Tung, lived in constant fear and guilt, all because of many of the bad things she had done. She was so paranoid, in fact, so full of guilt, that any sudden noises, any unexpected sounds, would send her into cold sweats or into a fury. It got so bad that she demanded that her staff keep birds away from her compound so she didn’t have to hear them singing. Though an extreme case, what does this tell us about the power of guilt to ruin our lives?      What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with guilt over past sins, who claims to have accepted Christ and yet still can’t get rid of the feelings of guilt? How can you help them?      In Thursday’s lesson the Bible gave us a number of images to describe God’s forgiveness. Have class members come up with some of their own metaphors to describe the depth of the forgiveness that is found in Jesus for those who will accept it.     In a world in which no God existed, could guilt exist? Discuss your answer.     As we saw this week, God can use guilt to bring us to faith and repentance. Are there any other “benefits” to guilt? If so, what might they be?

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		I N S I D E Story
		Finding a Spiritual Home Jason Feng grew up in the mountains of Taiwan, off the coast of China. His grandparents were Seventh-day Adventists, but most of the church's handful of members were elderly, and Jason didn't feel that he belonged. His friends attended the larger Protestant church in his area, so he joined them. He became a Sunday School teacher and youth leader. When Jason was injured in an accident he spent time at home recovering. He was disappointed that no one from the Protestant church came to visit him as custom dictated. But the Adventist pastor came, and he brought Ken, a young ministerial intern. Jason and Ken became friends. Jason's grandmother noticed Jason's growing friendship with Ken and asked the pastor to hold meetings on Friday in her home. She invited Jason and his family. Out of respect for his grandmother, Jason attended. Even Jason's father attended the meetings, although he didn't go to church on Sabbath. Ken, the young intern, invited Jason to study the Bible with him, and Jason agreed. Jason's grandmother's Bible study grew, and soon a new congregation of believers formed in the area. Jason joined the new church and felt spiritually fed. He realized that church wasn't a place to just have fun with friends, as he had with his friends in the Protestant church he had attended. He realized that the church provided an opportunity to worship God and study deeply into His Word. Jason felt a burden to reach out to other young people who had left the Seventh-day Adventist Church and invite them back. He encourages these youth to become leaders in the church that they had once left. Several have returned to the church because of his influence. Today a new church stands in Jason's village, and the Adventist youth join the 30 or so worshipers in a lively service each Sabbath. During school holidays, the congregation grows as Adventists who have moved away from the area return to celebrate the holidays with their families. Jason and several other youth were baptized into the new Adventist church that has been established in his village. At last he felt at home. "I find such gratitude and satisfaction when I see people accept Jesus and grow in Christ," Jason says. "I want to do this till Jesus comes." JASON FENG is preparing to become a pastor or Global Mission worker among his indigenous group in the mountains of Taiwan.
		Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness. email:   info@adventistmission.org  website:  www.adventistmission.org