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Formerly Sabbath School Leadership, LEAD is a quarterly magazine to bring more power and polish to your Sabbath School programs and Sabbath School teaching.
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01.30.10: The Fruit-Patience 
Cultural Context
We live in a world of 6.5 billion people who all have different idiosyncrasies, temperaments, and cultural mores. So there is a vast spectrum of perspectives and worldviews that influence the world’s teeming multitudes. Sometimes the differences are embraced and celebrated; other times they are misunderstood and seemingly intolerable. The variances in beliefs and practices seem to rub the grain of who we are and what we are. Yet are we called to be patient with those who come from a different perspective?
Necessary Background/Further Resources
• Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 7
• Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 43
• The Grand Weaver, by Ravi Zacharias
Preparation
Read Patriarchs and Prophets, chapters 7 and 43. Reflect on God’s patience with the children of Israel.
Point of Contact
Questions
• Is society generally tolerant of divergent ideas, worldviews, and practices?
• What can we learn from the tolerance of society about
various beliefs?
• Is there anything we can learn from the postmodern
tolerance of variant worldviews?
• What is the difference between patience and tolerance?
Points of Conversation
Read Genesis 6. God had instructed Noah to build an ark, because a flood would be coming upon the earth. God waited many years to give the antediluvians a chance to enter the ark of safety.
Questions
• Genesis 6:3—Why do you think God must limit His patience?
• Did God forbear long with the antediluvians?
• Why would God need to limit His patience? Does this give us an excuse to be less patient with others?
• What are the differences between God’s limits and man’s limits when it comes to patience?
Read Psalm 78:1-20. How does God’s dealings with the children of Israel reveal that He is long-suffering?
Verses 8-11 reveal the ways that Israel tried God’s patience.
Verses 12-16 show God’s grace to Israel regardless.
Verses 17-20 show Israel’s response to God’s mercy, kindness, and patience.
Questions
• Have there been moments in your life that God has shown His patience despite your failings and mistakes?
• What instances of grace have you received from God when you have fallen short of His ideals?
• Is it easier to be harder on other people than God is with you?
• What are some things that we find hard to tolerate in others that perhaps God is asking us to be more long-suffering about?
• What does God’s patience with Israel teach us about the nature of the patience we must have with others?
Parting Thought (Words to know in bold.)
God’s patience with humanity is difficult to fathom when put in light of our apparent failings. Like the children of Israel, we fall into the same vices repeatedly. Yet God is there to pick us up and bless us. He suffers long with our foibles and our misconceptions. His forbearance and patience are to be reproduced in us. When we come in contact with those who don’t believe what we believe, we are called to patience. When we meet those whose worldviews and perspectives diametrically oppose who we are and what we believe, we are called to patience. When relativism, humanism, pluralism, and post-modernism assumptions flow forth from the lips of those we love, we are called to patience.
Patience doesn’t imply universal endorsement. Real Christianity is seen in a perfect balance of the right spirit and truth. In this case the fruit of the spirit of patience enables the believer to forbear long with individuals to ultimately win them to Jesus, who is the Truth.
Reach Out
In small groups pray for the patience and long-suffering of Jesus that will enable us to reach this generation for His kingdom. Partner with your Adventist Youth and/or Children’s Ministries leaders in ministry that develops patience.
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