From the Scroll

22/05/2026

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Inside Story

GOING TO SOLUSI TO HIDE

Lindsay didn't go to Solusi University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution in Zimbabwe, because of her faith. She wasn't Adventist. She didn't go because she had friends there. She didn't know anyone on the campus. She went to Solusi because she didn't want to be caught in a falsehood.

As Lindsay completed high school, she dreamed about studying at a university. But then her parents broke the news that they didn't have the money.

"You have to understand," Mother said. "I promise that you will go to the university even if it takes time."

Mother was a tailor, and Father sold the dresses, curtains, and sofa covers that she made. But the business wasn't doing well when Lindsay finished high school, and her parents decided to move to Botswana.

Father tried to encourage her. "Things will get better," he said.

Lindsay helped with the family business for the next five years. Old friends called from Zimbabwe to see how she was doing.

"What's happening in your life?" they asked.

"I'm studying just like you," she replied.

As time passed, she nearly gave up on her dream of going to a university.

Mother's business gradually improved. She got more customers and opened a shop. One day, she and Father called Lindsay over and, with smiles, announced that she could choose a university to continue her studies.

Lindsay was thrilled, but she unsure where to go. She considered the University of Zimbabwe, but friends were studying there, and she didn't want them to know that she hadn't been studying. She looked at Midlands State University, but friends also were studying there. She had friends at every university except one: Solusi. So, she decided to go there.

When Lindsay arrived, she was unfamiliar with the Adventist Church. But she went to church every Sabbath and, eight months later, was baptized. Her parents celebrated her decision to live for Jesus.

Today, Lindsay Chikanda is 24 and finishing her first year of studies. She is ready to tell her high-school friends the truth, saying, "I'm so sorry, but I didn't tell you the truth. I wasn't studying. I actually was in Botswana because my parents couldn't afford to pay my tuition and I was working with them. But then I came to Solusi, and I found God. Would you like to know God, too?"

Your Sabbath School mission offerings support Seventh-day Adventist education around the world. Thank you for giving for mission. Watch a short YouTube video of Lindsay at: bit.ly/Lindsay-IS.

22/05/2026

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Friday, May 22

FURTHER THOUGHT:

We are justified (pardoned and set right with God) by faith (Rom. 5:1). We are then also sanctified (given power to be like Jesus) by faith (Acts 26:18). When we invite Jesus into our lives, we also become God’s children by faith (John 1:12). We live by faith in the Son of God (Gal. 2:20). “Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour. By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakness of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go.”--Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 182.

“Their faith must be strengthened by fervent prayer and fasting, and humiliation of heart. They must be emptied of self, and be filled with the Spirit and power of God. Earnest, persevering supplication to God in faith--faith that leads to entire dependence upon God, and unreserved consecration to His work--can alone avail to bring men to the Holy Spirit’s aid in the battle against principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places.”--Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 431.

Discussion Questions:
What five main points are highlighted in the quote immediately above when it comes to collaborating with the Holy Spirit against the enemy?
What role does faith play in this battle?
How do you see this right now in your own life?
Read Hebrews 10:23. Why is it important to hold fast to our confession of faith?
How often do you consider this truth that when you feel helpless, it’s an opportunity for you to rely more wholly on Jesus?
Summary: God gives each person a measure of faith as a foundation for a relationship with Him. As the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus modeled the power of faith for us all. When our faith is small, when we come with weeping and supplication with a surrendered heart, God will work miracles in our lives (see Jer. 31:2-4, 9, 11, 12). He will lead us in His straight ways so that we do not stumble any longer, and we will have peace. Jesus is the perfect example in all things, and having His faith will identify us as His people in the end times.

21/05/2026

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Thursday, May 21
THE FAITH OF JESUS

As this world comes to a close, part of the three angels’ messages describes God’s people keeping the commandments of God and having the faith of Jesus.

Read Revelation 14:12. What does “the faith of Jesus” mean?

If you study how Seventh-day Adventists have understood justification by faith, you’ll see that in the 1890s, an understanding of the faith of Jesus and the three angels’ messages was greatly emphasized in the church. Up until then, the church had put a great deal of emphasis on the law, and it needed more of a gospel emphasis. Ellen G. White summarized it well: “The commandments of God have been proclaimed, but the faith of Jesus Christ has not been proclaimed by Seventh-day Adventists as of equal importance, the law and the gospel going hand in hand.”--Selected Messages, book 3, p. 172.

Although Hebrews 11 lists godly men and women who had strong faith, no one has had faith that is comparable to Jesus’ faith.

Read Matthew 26:36-42. What does this tell us about the faith of Jesus at this crucial moment?

When we have the faith of Jesus, this means not only that, by obedience to Him and His Word we will emulate the faith that He had in God, but also that we will have an active and living daily experience with Jesus. It’s knowing and acting on the fact that without making Jesus the center of our daily lives, we can’t have a saving relationship with God.

Having the faith of Jesus means to have Jesus abiding in us, and thus His faith in our hearts, for Jesus is the true foundation of our faith. At times our faith might be weak and feeble. But Jesus is worthy (Rev. 5:9), and we can have His faith, both reflected in our own experience and being credited to us, by His gift of grace to all who believe.

How much do you want the faith of Jesus? Humbly ask God to give it to you and claim Hebrews 11:6 as your personal prayer, saying, “Lord, without faith it’s impossible to please You. I come to You and believe that You are, and that You will reward me when I diligently seek You. I do so now.”

20/05/2026

20/05/2026

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.”

19/05/2026

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Tuesday, May 19
FAITH IS NOT A FEELING

Jesus said that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you’ll move mountains (Matt. 17:20). If you’ve ever seen a mustard seed, you know how tiny it is. Yet having faith this small can effect such huge change. Faith must, therefore, be very important and must also be powerful and strong enough to do something superhuman. However, just as a mustard seed can grow into a large tree (Matt. 13:31-32), our faith should grow and not remain static.

Indeed, we need a measure of faith in order to have a relationship with God in the first place (see Rom. 12:3).

What does Ephesians 2:8 tell us about the role of faith in being saved? Why can’t a person justly say, “I don’t have faith because God hasn’t given me any”?

We must first understand that faith is not a material thing; it’s a human response prompted by the Holy Spirit. God is the gracious initiator, who, through the Holy Spirit, draws us to Himself when we allow Him to do so (Jer. 31:3). We’re saved by grace, through faith, which is a response to God’s grace given to us through Jesus’ death. We are saved because we believe in God as a result of His grace. This lies at the heart of having a relationship with Him.

Next, we must remember that faith is not a feeling. “Many do not exercise that faith which it is their privilege and duty to exercise, often waiting for that feeling which faith alone can bring. Feeling is not faith…. Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God’s to give.”--Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 72.

Some people might feel as though they don’t have faith because they don’t feel close to God or are not what they should be as a Christian. But faith is about believing and trusting God, not only in the good times but in darkness or in a storm, or even when you can’t fully understand what is going on in your life.

Feelings should never dominate our religious experience or our relationship with God. It’s precisely when we think we’re distant from God that we need to exercise our faith and call on Him (as did the father in Mark 9:24).

Look up the following Bible verses and claim them as an act of faith to strengthen your relationship with God today: Heb. 12:1-2; 2 Chron. 15:7; Rom. 3:23-26; Luke 7:50. Speak them out loud as part of your prayer to God.

18/05/2026

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Monday, May 18 (Summary)

JESUS SEES OUR FAITH

👉 Jesus sees the true condition of our faith—not just our outward profession. Some had little faith and doubted (Mark 4:40), while others, like the Canaanite woman and the centurion, showed strong trust in Jesus despite difficult circumstances.

👉 Faith grows when we bring our doubts honestly to God. The father in Mark 9:24 cried, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” showing that real faith can exist even while struggling with doubt.

👉 God invites us to use both reason and faith. He gives evidence for belief through His Word, character, and works, but there comes a point where we must trust Him even when we do not fully understand everything.

18/05/2026

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Monday, May 18
JESUS SEES OUR FAITH

Compare how Jesus describes His disciples’ faith in Mark 4:40 with the faith of the woman in Matthew 15:21-28.

Just because we’re following Jesus doesn’t automatically mean our faith is strong. In fact, some people claimed to believe, but Jesus discerned what was really in their hearts (John 2:23-25).

Read Luke 7:1-10. What do we learn about faith from this account?

In Mark 9, we read about the man who came to Jesus so that Jesus would cast the demon out of his son, but who could only muster up enough faith to say, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, NKJV).

In each of these interactions, Jesus noticed people’s faith, or lack thereof, and performed miracles as a result of that faith or in order to strengthen it.

Though the Holy Spirit prompts us to believe, the enemy of souls wants us to doubt or dismiss God’s involvement in our lives. “The unbelief which is cherished in the soul has a bewitching power. The seeds of doubt that they have been sowing will produce their harvest but they must continue to dig up every root of unbelief. When these poisonous plants are pulled up, they cease to grow for want of nourishment in word and action. The soul must have the precious plants of faith and love put in the soil of the heart and enthroned there.”--Ellen G. White, Faith and Works, p. 17.

When we have doubts about God, His character, or His Word, what do we do with them? God does not ignore or bypass human reason, for He created us in His image and invites us to dialogue with Him, as He did with Abraham, Moses, and Job. God invites us to learn to work within His large, infinite patterns of reason, even if at some point we must surrender to what we don’t fully understand.

Think of all the logical reason you have for faith. At the same time, at what point does logic stop and faith, solid and reasonable faith, need to be exerted?

17/05/2026

30 Biblical Truths Proving Sunday Was Never Declared God’s Sacred Day

1. The Bible never says Sunday is the new Sabbath.
The seventh day alone is blessed and sanctified by God. — Genesis 2:2-3

2. God specifically blessed the seventh day, not the first day.
No verse transfers that blessing to Sunday. — Genesis 2:3

3. The Fourth Commandment identifies the Sabbath as the seventh day.
It does not mention Sunday as holy. — Exodus 20:8-11

4. Jesus kept the Sabbath regularly.
Christ worshiped on the Sabbath “as His custom was.” — Luke 4:16

5. Jesus said He was Lord of the Sabbath, not Lord of Sunday.
The Sabbath remained important during His ministry. — Mark 2:27-28

6. Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for mankind.
He did not limit it only to Jews. — Mark 2:27

7. Jesus never commanded anyone to keep Sunday holy.
No such instruction appears in the Gospels. — Matthew 5:17-19

8. Christ expected the Sabbath to still matter after His resurrection.
He told disciples to pray their flight would not be on the Sabbath. — Matthew 24:20

9. The women rested on the Sabbath even after Jesus died.
This was after the crucifixion, showing continued observance. — Luke 23:54-56

10. Jesus rose on the first day, but the Bible never calls it holy.
The resurrection does not contain a command to sanctify Sunday. — Matthew 28:1-6

11. The Bible never uses the phrase “Sunday Sabbath.”
The sacred day consistently remains the seventh day. — Exodus 20:10

12. The apostles continued worshiping on the Sabbath after Jesus’ resurrection.
Paul preached repeatedly on Sabbath days. — Acts 13:14, 42-44

13. Gentiles also gathered on the Sabbath to hear the Word.
The apostles did not direct them to Sunday instead. — Acts 13:42

14. Paul preached on many Sabbaths, not merely as evangelism to Jews.
Both Jews and Gentiles assembled then. — Acts 17:2

15. In Corinth, Paul reasoned every Sabbath for a year and a half.
The Bible records regular Sabbath worship. — Acts 18:4, 11

16. There is no Bible verse saying the Sabbath commandment was abolished.
God’s law is described as enduring and holy. — Romans 7:12

17. The Ten Commandments were written by God Himself.
The Sabbath command is part of that moral law. — Exodus 31:18

18. The apostles never issued a command to honor Sunday as sacred.
No council or epistle establishes Sunday holiness. — Acts 15:28-29

19. The first-day gatherings in the New Testament do not declare Sunday holy.
Acts 20 describes a meeting, not a new Sabbath command. — Acts 20:7

20. Breaking bread on the first day was not unique to Sunday worship.
Believers broke bread daily. — Acts 2:46

21. 1 Corinthians 16:2 speaks about setting aside offerings privately.
It does not call Sunday a sacred worship day. — 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

22. The phrase “Lord’s Day” in Revelation is never defined as Sunday.
Jesus identified the Sabbath as His day. — Revelation 1:10; Mark 2:28

23. God said His Sabbath is a perpetual sign.
Scripture never says the sign changed to Sunday. — Exodus 31:16-17

24. Isaiah prophesies Sabbath worship even in the new earth.
The Bible points forward to continued Sabbath observance. — Isaiah 66:22-23

25. The Bible warns against changing God’s commandments by human tradition.
Jesus rebuked worship based on man-made doctrines. — Mark 7:7-9

26. Daniel foretold a power that would “think to change times and laws.”
Many connect this with attempts to alter God’s Sabbath. — Daniel 7:25

27. The New Testament defines sin as transgression of God’s law.
The Sabbath commandment remains part of that law. — 1 John 3:4

28. Hebrews says there remains a “Sabbath rest” for God’s people.
The Greek word used is “sabbatismos,” meaning Sabbath-keeping. — Hebrews 4:9

29. Nowhere does Scripture record God blessing, sanctifying, or hallowing Sunday.
Only the seventh day receives that designation. — Genesis 2:3

30. Biblical authority for a sacred day rests on God’s command, not tradition.
The Bible repeatedly upholds the seventh-day Sabbath. — Ecclesiastes 12:13; Exodus 20:8-11

17/05/2026

Sabbath School Lesson 8
May 16-22

Weekly Title
HAVING FAITH

Sunday, May 17 (Summary)

JUST GIVE ME A SIGN!

👉God has already given many reasons to believe through Bible history, fulfilled prophecy, and the signs around us today, so faith is not meant to depend only on dramatic miracles.

👉Jesus taught that the real issue is often not lack of evidence but the need for spiritual renewal and a deeper, daily walk with God rather than constantly asking for more signs.

👉True faith focuses on what strengthens belief instead of feeding doubt, remembering Jesus’ words: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).