- The Times of Volume Six
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- Reaching the Masses
- An Object Lesson
- Securing Attendance
- Attendance of Church Members
- Preparation of Heart
- Business Matters
- Ministerial Help
- All to Be Workers
- Prayer and Counsel
- Needs of the Church
- How to Present the Message
- The Last Warning
- Praise Meetings
- Revival Efforts
- Personal Labor
- Bible Studies
- A Word in Season
- Raising Funds
- Results of Camp Meeting Work
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- Chapter 6—Less Preaching, More Teaching
- Chapter 7—Ministerial Institutes
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- Chapter 9—The Building of Meetinghouses
- Chapter 10—Children's Meetings and Church Schools
- Chapter 11—The Temperance Work
- Chapter 12—Object Lessons in Health Reform
- Chapter 13—Women to Be Gospel Workers
- Chapter 14—Teaching Home Religion
- Chapter 15—Meeting Opposition
- Chapter 16—Parable of the Straying Sheep
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- Chapter 20—Words from a Heavenly Instructor
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- Chapter 22—Industrial Reform
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- Chapter 26—God's Design in Our Sanitariums
- Chapter 27—The Physician's Work for Souls
- Chapter 28—Unity in our Work
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- Chapter 30—The World's Need
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- Chapter 33—Our Duty to the World
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- Chapter 37—The Reward of Service
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- Chapter 43—Showing Hospitality
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- Chapter 46—The Importance of Voice Culture
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- Chapter 48—Christ in All the Bible
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- Chapter 50—God's Word to be Supreme
- Chapter 51—Preparation for the Final Crisis
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- Chapter 52—Young Men in the Ministry
- Chapter 53—The Church and the Ministry
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- A Warning from the Church of Ephesus
- The Result of Inaction
- Winning Souls the Chief Aim
- Begin With Those Nearest
- The Example of Philip With Nathanael
- The Family a Missionary Field
- Instruct the Church in Missionary Work
- Set the Church Members to Work
- The Uneducated to be Workers
- Arouse the Idlers
- The Youth to be Missionaries
- Let the Churches Awake
- Chapter 55—The Increase of Facilities
- Chapter 56—Help for Mission Fields
- Chapter 57—The Publishing House in Norway
- Chapter 58—Our Danish Sanitarium
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- Chapter 60—The Claim of Redemption
Present Truth with Gentleness
The truth should be presented with divine tact, gentleness, and tenderness. It should come from a heart that has been softened and made sympathetic. We need to have close communion with God, lest self rise up, as it did in Jehu, and we pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting, that are not as dew or as the still showers that revive the withering plants. Let our words be gentle as we seek to win souls. God will be wisdom to him who seeks for wisdom from a divine source. We are to seek opportunities on every hand, we are to watch unto prayer, and be ready always to give a reason for the hope that is in us, with meekness and fear. Lest we shall impress unfavorably one soul for whom Christ died we should keep our hearts uplifted to God, so that when the opportunity presents itself, we may have the right word to speak at the right time. If you thus undertake work for God, the Spirit of God will be your helper. The Holy Spirit will apply the word spoken in love for the soul. The truth will have quickening power when spoken under the influence of the grace of Christ.6T 400.1
God's plan is first to get at the heart. Speak the truth, and let Him carry forward the reformatory power and principle. Make no reference to what opponents say, but let the truth alone be advanced. The truth can cut to the quick. Plainly unfold the word in all its impressiveness.6T 400.2
As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in times of real peril make it manifest that they have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to temptation. Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext or another, go out from us. Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and will depart from the faith. But, on the other hand, when the storm of persecution really breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd's voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In view of the common peril, strife for supremacy will cease; there will be no disputing as to who shall be accounted greatest. No one of the true believers will say: “I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas.” The testimony of one and all will be: “I cleave unto Christ; I rejoice in Him as my personal Saviour.”6T 400.3
Thus will the truth be brought into practical life, and thus will be answered the prayer of Christ, uttered just before His humiliation and death: “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” John 17:21. The love of Christ, the love of our brethren, will testify to the world that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Then will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord.6T 401.1
Our convictions need daily to be reinforced by humble, sincere prayer and reading of the word. While we each have an individuality, while we each should hold our convictions firmly, we must hold them as God's truth and in the strength which God imparts. If we do not, they will be wrung from our grasp.6T 401.2