Read Ellen G. White, “The Test of Faith,” pp. 145-155 in Patriarchs and Prophets; “Praise Ye the Lord,” pp. 315-319 in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5.

 “God has always tried His people in the furnace of affliction. It is in the heat of the furnace that the dross is separated from the true gold of the Christian character. Jesus watches the test; He knows what is needed to purify the precious metal, that it may reflect the radiance of His love. It is by close, testing trials that God disciplines His servants. He sees that some have powers which may be used in the advancement of His work, and He puts these persons upon trial; in His providence He brings them into positions that test their character ... . He shows them their own weakness, and teaches them to lean upon Him ... . Thus His object is attained. They are educated, trained, and disciplined, prepared to fulfill the grand purpose for which their powers were given them.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 129, 130.

 “If in the providence of God we are called upon to endure trials, let us accept the cross and drink the bitter cup, remembering that it is a Father’s hand that holds it to our lips. Let us trust Him in the darkness as well as in the day. Can we not believe that He will give us everything that is for our good? ... Even in the night of affliction how can we refuse to lift heart and voice in grateful praise, when we remember the love to us expressed by the cross of Calvary?” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 316.

 1. In class, have someone recount his or her own test of faith that, if not quite as intense as Abraham had, was still hard enough. What can you learn from that person’s experience, from his or her successes or failures?
 2. Review the last 24 hours of Christ’s life before His crucifixion. What extremes did He face? How did He endure? What principles can we take from His example and apply for ourselves when we are in the midst of our own crucible?
 3. Discuss the idea, touched on this week, about how through our own suffering we can minister to others who are suffering. No matter how true it might be, what are some of the problems we might encounter with this idea?
 4. Ellen G. White wrote above: “Let us trust Him in the darkness as well as in the day.” That’s easier said than done. How can we help each other develop the kind of faith that will enable us to do just that? Why is it important to trust God in the bad times?