Good evening brethren and Happy Sabbath!  Last week's memory verse was Ephesians 1:5 (NKJV), "Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Seek out clues below and see if you can add them up to get this week's memory verse!

What to talk about?

I think it goes without saying that Coronavirus has been the dominant story of 2020. It's been nearly a year since the first confirmed case and since then 75 million have contracted the virus with an estimated 1.6 million succumbing to its effects.

Along with this global pandemic still going strong, there's the matter of the U.S. elections that have not yet been resolved. Then there's Brexit, Russia, the economy and the list goes on...

Losing Focus

While in some ways it seems there is no end of things to talk about, it also seems that our topics of conversation can become limited to the troubles around us. That's by no means an accusation - I'm certainly as guilty as anyone in that regard!

The problem with spending so much time talking about the trials and tribulations of the world, is that we begin to lose sight of what's really important.  Even the mundane things in life, like 'What to eat?' and 'What to wear?', can lead us to take our eyes off the prize.

Staying focused on what counts

So what can we do to combat this lack of focus?  The answer is one you're already familiar with: Put first things first.  That is to say, whatever is actually most important to you in life, seek to make that the focus of your life.

As Christians, our primary goal is clear - become righteous, as our Father in Heaven and Elder Brother are.  We can do this by sharpening our focus on where it needs to be - the Kingdom of God!