Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, Sabbath August 13, 2022.

Main Theme: Understanding God’s love gives us hope in our crucible.

Read in Class: Habakkuk 1:1-4. What did Habakkuk face?

Study: How does the introduction to the promised destruction of Babylon in Habakkuk 2:2-3 give hope?

Apply: Read Habakkuk 3:16-19. What does Habakkuk identify as his reasons for hope? What is the hope of God’s people as we wait for the last prophetic scenes to unfold? How can you make this hope your own?

Share: Your friend tells you they feel just like Habakkuk, when he said there was no justice. The court system is a joke and the wicked get away with everything, and the righteous suffer. What do you answer your friend?

Read in Class: Isaiah 41:8-14. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: What reasons for hope can you identify for people waiting eagerly for future deliverance? How does this promise help us as we wait for our exile on earth to end?

Apply: How does knowing that the God of this universe is close enough to hold your hand, change the way that you live? How does it change how you cope with your crucible?

Share: Your friend asks, “what if those who are against us claim the promise of Isaiah 41:8-14? What if our enemies believe we are the ones in verse 12 who will become nonexistent? How do we know if this is really talking about us? How do you answer your friend?

Read in Class: Jeremiah 29:1-14. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What specific sources of hope are provided in verses, 4,7, and 10?

Apply: Read Jeremiah 29:11-14, saying your name after the word you, as if God is making these promises to you personally. Apply these promises for yourself in whatever your present struggles might be.

Share: Your friend points out that the promise in Jeremiah 29:11 was given to the Jews. Your friend asks why the same people who claim the promises in the Old Testament turn around and say the commandments in the Old Testament were only for the Jews? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Hebrews 12:1-13. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: In verses 5-13, what is our source of discipline? What should be our response to discipline? What is the goal of discipline?

Apply: Read through Hebrews 12:1-13 again. Make a list of all the reasons you can identify with as grounds for hope. How have you experienced this hope in your own times of spiritual “education”?

Share: Do you have a sharable testimony on how it has gone the last week or so when you have reached out to encourage a friend with a thought from the recent lessons?