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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.
 Listen to the Sabbath School Theme Music for this Quarter
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January 30: Patience 
By David Robinson and Faith Crumbly
CONNECT: RELEVANT
WHY should I study “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience”?
• To understand why patience is important to successful witnessing.
• To understand the internal mechanics of being patient.
• To learn how to express patience.
LEARN: CREDIBLE
WHAT are the Bible facts in “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience”?
• I need patience so that God can truly bless me (Heb. 10:36).
• I should have patience, because it is an attribute of God (2 Peter 3:8, 9).
• I cannot rush the growth of patience, because good things come when I demonstrate true patience (James 1:2-4).
• My patience supports unity within the church (Eph. 4:1, 2).
• My patience can draw unbelievers to Christ as well as strengthen me to win in spiritual conflicts (2 Tim. 4:2-9).
• Forgiving anyone 490 times definitely requires God’s intervention in my life (Gen. 6:3).
• I must remember that the devil always works to break my patience—anger me, stress me, etc. (1 Peter 5:8).
APPLY: TIMELY
HOW are the principles of “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience” seen today in the media?
• Too late to apologize? Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, issued a public apology to the Denver Nuggets’ Kenyon Martin and Martin’s mother via his blog. Cuban called Martin “a thug” and blamed Martin’s mother for raising a “punk” (sports.yahoo.com/nba/news. Accessed May 13, 2009).
• Motorists need patience. “To the driver in the silver Cadillac behind me recently at the stop sign at St. Regis and Willoughby Boulevard: Yes, I could tell the third time you honked your horn at me that you wanted me to move. However, that stop sign means the two lanes of cars coming at me have the right of way and, until there’s a break in traffic or unless someone motions me in, I'm not moving. At 8:22 on a school morning one block from Mendenhall Middle School, we all need to be patient. If I won't put my safety and that of my daughter in danger to be at my destination one minute sooner, I surely won't do it for you” (“Opinion,” news-record.com, May 22, 2009. Accessed June 24, 2009).
APPLY: CONVERSATION
• Exercise Buddy: Mark Cuban was way out of line when he verbally attacked Kenyon Martin’s mother, his own player’s mother.
• Witness: That’s one of the big dangers of becoming impatient; the negative opinions we’ve successfully hidden instead of gotten rid of jump right into view. So while we’re cleaning up our heart, we certainly had better control our emotions. God can help us with everything from controlling to cleaning.
• Exercise Buddy: So it’s your God and not this killer exercise routine that has raised your level of patience. I wondered how you kept your cool at that game last week.
• Witness (laughs): God is so dependable. And being in a group working toward the same goals helps a lot. God can help you, too—with your stress about your ex’s new friend. Better Him than a judge, my friend.
• Exercise Buddy: I needed that! Thanks for caring enough to risk activating my trigger temper on that subject.
INTEGRATE: DOABLE
HOW do I use and share the principles of “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience” for my own spiritual growth and share them with other people?
• I exercise more patience while driving, first because I know that God commands me to have patience and then because I have evidence that patience relaxes me.
• I can share the principles of patience with my team members, because they find it hard to be patient when they’re on a winning streak.
MASTER: MEASURABLE
WHAT changes in thinking, action, or reaction have I begun/made as a result of studying “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience”?
• I remember to step back and observe why things are happening. I can make clear decisions when I carefully plan what I need to do.
• I am not as anxious as I used to be. I’m sure that’s noticed at the recreation center—by my team as well as by the opposing teams.
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