►Identify techniques that Jesus used to inspire and motivate His followers. ►Explore ways to inspire and motivate Christians who are discouraged.

►Share their testimonies, miracles, and/or inspirational scriptures with each other.

Comrades in Arms

Surveying the Source

The students will:

Plotting the Course

Preparing to Lead

Getting Started A. Using the reproducible activity (p. 38), ask three class members to read Luke 5:1–11, with one person reading the nar-ration, one person reading Jesus’ words, and a third person reading Simon Peter’s words. Then have the class members share their stories. Ask: ●“How does the story of Peter’s call inspire and motivate you?” ●“What made you decide to follow Christ?” B. Ask class members to share what they know about The Salvation Army. Encourage members with smart phones to

search and share the history of this de-nomination. Share the paragraph in “Preparing to Lead” about William Booth. Ask class members if they think a mili-tary metaphor can be effective in modern evangelism. Have them think of gospel songs and hymns that use military meta-phors. Ask them to summarize the mes-sages of these lyrics and to share what they feel when they sing these songs.

Copyright 2016 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®

Delving Into the Word

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A. Ask volunteers to read Luke 24:13–24 aloud. Ask your class to set the sce-ne: ●“What do we know about these two people walking to Emmaus?” ●“Why do

you think we don’t know their names?” ●“Do they have any right to feel sad?” ●“What might be some reasons why they did not recognize Jesus?”

LESSON 8/February 13–19, 2016

William Booth preached to prostitutes, alcoholics, and criminals on the streets of London’s East End. After rejecting the metaphor of a volunteer army, Booth named his mission The Salvation Army, saying, “I’m no volunteer, I’m a regular!” The Salvation Army adopted a flag and had marching bands. Booth was the General, and he gave his ministers mili-

tary titles. Wearing the uniform promoted adherents to the rank of soldiers. This week’s lesson employs Paul’s mil-itary metaphors to rally despondent sol-diers in God’s army. Can we adapt this metaphor to our generation as effectively as William Booth used it in nineteenth century Britain?

Matt. 8:23–27; Mark 3:13‒15; 9:33–37; Luke 5:6–8, 11; 24:19–35.

Teacher’s

Guide

Materials Bibles; whiteboard, chalk-board, or flip chart, and appropriate markers; hymnals

With their eyes open, invite them to imagine a convert visiting Paul. Ask: ●“How is that Christian feeling?” ●“If you could travel back in time to that pris-on, and you were allowed to give four words of encouragement to Paul and that Christian, what would you tell them?”

Ask a class member to read Ephesians 6:19, 20. Then have everyone imagine themselves in Paul’s place in prison. Ask: ●“What do the shackles feel like on your wrists and around your ankles?” ●“What do you see?” ●“What do you smell?” ●“What do you hear?” ●“With whom are you talking?”

Copyright 2016 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®

Ask: ●“Does a military approach to evan-gelism mean we are forcing people to join our faith? Why, or why not?” ●“What are the weaknesses and the strengths of using military metaphors in the church?” Invite the class to turn to Ephesians 6:10–20. Before reading this text, ask your class to determine the con-text in which Paul wrote these words (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20). Ask: ●“Why would Paul find inspira-tion in the lifestyle of the soldiers who guarded him?” ●“In what ways can the Christian lifestyle be like a battle?” Have the class read Paul’s list of armor, and create a list of ways they can inspire and motivate each other in their spiritual lives. List these ideas on a whiteboard. Ask each class member to share a story of how one of the pieces of Paul’s armor has inspired and motivated him or her.

Have your class read Luke 24:25–31 to look for the methods Jesus used to restore the faith of His two unnamed disciples. List these methods on a whiteboard. Have your class read Luke 24:32–25. Ask: “What method did the two disciples use to rally the faith of the eleven apos-tles?” Explain that the texts in this lesson de-scribe ways to encourage us in our spir-itual walk. Ask: “What other methods could help you when your faith is falter-ing?” Review the texts in the Logos article. Ask your class to summarize how these examples can lift the spirits of discour-aged disciples. Have class members share their testimonies, inspiring texts from scriptures, and/or miracles that encourage them to maintain their walk with Jesus. B. Read Matthew 10:34 aloud. Ask your class to brainstorm a list of groups that currently use a military model to promote religion-based beliefs. Assess the effectiveness of these groups.

Discussing the Ideas

Closing the Activity

Jennifer Morgan, St. Johns, Canada

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4. Over whom does a Christian soldier exercise power? How does a Christian soldier get promoted? See Mark 9:33–37. 5. Why do people join the military? Once they have joined up, why do they fight battles? How does this compare with why people become Christians? 6. What can we do to make sure Jesus joins us on our daily walk? See Luke 24:13–35.

1. What nickname do you think Jesus might give you, and why? See Mark 3:16, 17. 2. Can you follow Jesus without leav-ing something behind? See Luke 5:6–11. 3. Have you ever been in a situation where you have no control? How did it compare with the experience of the disci-ples watching Jesus calm the storm (Matt. 8:23–27).

The Call of Peter (Luke 5:1–11, NIV)

NARRATOR: “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,”

JESUS: ‘Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’

NARRATOR: “Simon answered,”

SIMON: ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’

NARRATOR: “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said,”

SIMON: ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’

NARRATOR: “For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon,”

JESUS: ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’

NARRATOR: “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

Lesson 8

38

Copyright 2016

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®