From the Scroll

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Wednesday, May 20
EXAMPLES OF FAITH

Spend some time today studying Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter. Read it aloud first, without stopping. Then read it a second time, and write down your thoughts to the following questions:

Reread verse 1. What do you hope for today that you cannot yet see? (Think of immediate needs and eternal dreams.)
What role does faith play in your personal testimony and in your conversion?
Read verse 3 again, about God and Creation. Why, in many ways, should the existence of the Creator God be the easiest thing to take on faith?
Read verse 6 and write the message of this verse in your own words.
Verses 7-40 unpack the lives of various biblical personages. Why is faith the central factor that defines the strength of these people’s relationship with God?
Knowing God and having a living, strong relationship with Him requires faith. How can you strengthen your faith or encourage someone whose faith is wavering? Here are just a few ideas:

A tiny faith (like a mustard seed) is powerful and is all you need in order to grow a relationship with God (Matt. 17:20). As long as you’re willing to work with Him, God will help your faith grow.

Faith comes from hearing God speak to us in His Word, the Bible (Rom. 10:17). Commit to daily Bible study and prayer.

Ask God to increase your faith (Luke 17:5). As did the father who came to Jesus with a possessed child and who “cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, NKJV), we can recognize our unbelief and ask for God to increase our faith.

Faith and doubt can exist together (Mark 9:24). Don’t walk away from God simply because you have questions. In fact, it’s important to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-16) and to “own” your faith rather than borrow it from another, as five of the virgins tried to do (Matt. 25:8).

Respond to the Holy Spirit and ask for more of Him in your life.

Exercise your faith. Remember that faith is not a feeling, but a decision to believe. Remember that even in darkness, when you can’t see Him, God is there (2 Cor. 5:7).

As a personal prayer of thanks to God for His faithfulness, consider the words from the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”