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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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February 20: Faithfulness 
By David Robinson
CONNECT: RELEVANT
WHY should I study “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness”?
• To understand what “faithfulness” means in an “anything goes” world.
• To remember the daily benefits of being faithful.
• To understand how God has been faithful to sinners.
LEARN: CREDIBLE
WHAT are the Bible facts in “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness”?
• I remember to be faithful, because I know the value (Gal. 6:9).
• God’s faithfulness is evident everywhere (Ps. 36:5).
• Faithfulness is recognizable (Lam. 3:23).
• Blessings are promised to me if I remain faithful (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Thess. 5:23, 24; 2 Thess. 3:3; Heb. 10:23).
• Faithfulness has specific characteristics (Heb. 11).
• Faithfulness in the small challenges produces strength to be faithful in the big temptations (Luke 16:10).
• If I don’t remain faithful, I will perish (Matt. 25:1-13; 24:44-50).
APPLY: TIMELY
HOW are the principles of “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness” seen today in the media?
• Hard work pays off. Since age 11 Bobby Scales had looked forward to batting in the majors. Scales was bounced around for several years in the minors before he took the place of an injured player and made the most of it. He went 1-4 against the 2008 Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum. After the game, Scales read a note he received from an old teammate: “All the hard work paid off” (sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news. Accessed May 6, 2009).
• Community invited to National Day of Prayer. In Crossroads, a community in Big Spring, Texas, the First United Methodist Church invites everyone to celebrate their National Day of Prayer. “With the intensity of our society’s current conditions comes this local opportunity to be inspired by insights and examples of God’s abundant provision and assurance of faithfulness,” said Everett Bender, local businessman and one of the speakers for the event. The observance featured short testimonies and inspirational insights on the power of prayer (bigspringherald.com. Accessed May 5, 2009).
APPLY: CONVERSATION
Witness: Hey, my friend! Did you hear about Bobby Scales?
Mail Carrier: Way to go, Bobby! He finally got a chance to bat in the majors after waiting for nearly a decade.
Witness: He proved that faith required determination and not just waiting. Being faithful in his routines in the minors was crucial.
Mail Carrier: Let’s face it—if you don’t do the right things in the minors, you’re not going to do anything in the majors.
Witness: True—that’s solid biblical teaching.
Mail Carrier: You sound like my wife’s pastor—the few times that I’ve heard him—with one big exception. You know how to link the Bible with my sports. I like that! You’re not studying for the ministry, are you?
Witness: No, man. I chose a journalism career. But a couple of my friends and I meet every Friday night to study about real religion—how it works in the real world. You’re more than welcome to come. Nothing formal—we take turns meeting in different homes, talking and eating chips.
INTEGRATE: DOABLE
HOW do I use and share the principles of “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness” for my own spiritual growth and share them with other people?
• I remember to be faithful in simple tasks—paying tithe on what little income I have, e.g., so that as more starts to come in, I can be entrusted with more.
• I share my personal stories of faith with young men at the recreation league.
• I also encourage my peers within the church to stay faithful despite temptations related to jobs and finances in this poor economy.
MASTER: MEASURABLE
WHAT changes in thinking, action, or reaction have I begun/made as a result of studying “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness”?
• I realize I must continue being faithful, because faithfulness brings a good harvest.
• Just as I intently follow certain sports teams, I must as intently pursue learning more about my heavenly Father.
• The hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” means so much more to me, because I realize God never changes—He keeps His promises.
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