Category / Sabbath School Teaching Plans

by In Light Of The Cross

12: The Biblical World View-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, Sabbath, December 17, 2022.

Main Theme: As final events unfold we must hold fast to the Truth we have in Jesus and the hope that He gives us.

Read in Class: Luke 2;52 and Matthew 4:23. What common thread do we find in these passages?

Study: What four dimensions of growth do we find in Luke 2:52. What three dimensions of Jesus’ ministry do we find in Matthew 4:23?

Apply: In contrasting ourselves to Jesus, we could easily be discouraged by the difference. How, then, does focusing on the Cross and what it means protect us from being disheartened by what we see in ourselves compared to what we see in Jesus?

Share: Your friend says our church needs to stop having seminars on money management and divorce recovery and just focus on the three angels message? In light of Luke 2:52 and Matthew 4:23, how would you respond to your friend?

Read in Class: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 10:31. What is the common thread of these passages?

Study:  How can the understanding that our bodies are “the temple of God” and “the temple of the Holy Spirit” positively influence our lifestyle?

Apply: Read 3 John 1:1-2. How does this help you understand the relationship between your physical health and your spiritual health? Does one affect the other? If so, how?

Share: Your friend asks you what things contribute to our physical and spiritual health besides what we eat and drink? What do you tell your friend? See also Health in Light of the Cross.

Read in Class: 1 Corinthians 2:16, Psalm 24:3-4, Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8, and Colossians 3:2. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: What does it mean to have the “mind of Christ”?

Apply: magine what your life would be like if you could stop even sinful thoughts. How different would your life be? What is the only potential way to have this be your experience?

Share: Your friend says that if we have the mind of Christ we will never be tempted? Do you agree or disagree with your friend? What do you tell your friend? See also Matthew 26:39 and Hebrews 4:15.

Read in Class: 2 Peter 3:14 and 1 John 3:1-3. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: What difference do you see between preparing ourselves for the Second Coming and being ready for that glorious event?

Apply: How can we be ready today for the coming of Jesus?

Share: Your friend asks you how he can know if he is ready for Jesus to come? What do you tell your friend? See also The Gospel Presentation.

by In Light Of The Cross

11: End-Time Deceptions Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class on Sabbath, December 10, 2022.

Main Theme: A proper understanding in Scripture will keep us safe from end-time deceptions.

Read in Class: Matthew 7:21-27. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: In light of Jesus’ own words, what does it mean to build our spiritual house “on the rock” and to build it “on the sand”?

Apply: How can we fight the very human tendency to let our emotions and desires cause us to do things contrary to the Word of God?

Share: Your friend says, “Romans 10:13 tells us all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. It does not matter if we keep the Sabbath or obey the Bible. All we have to do is call on the name of the Lord to be saved now.” How do you answer your friend?

Read in Class: Mark 5:41-43 and John 11:40-44. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: Do any of these passages mention the resurrected people being conscious while they were dead?

Apply: How fascinating that NDEs often now come with the imprimatur of “science.” What does this teach us about how careful we need to be even of things that science supposedly “proves”?

Share: Your friend says while he momentarily died on the operating table he was hovering over the doctors and nurses who were working on him. He says he experienced for himself consciousness while being dead. What do you tell your friend? For hints see Death in Light of the Cross and Every Word of God Proves True.

Read in Class: 1 Samuel 28:3-25. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What spiritual lessons against any supposed communication with the dead can be drawn from Saul’s experience with the woman medium at Endor?

Apply: How often, under stress, do we do things that we know are wrong? Why are faith, prayer, and obedience to the Word of God our only sure defense against our own selves?

Share: Your friend says that when he was a child he was lost in the woods and his dead grandfather miraculously appeared and led him safely home and then disappeared. What do you tell your friend? For hints see Did King Saul Talk to Samuel After he Died?

Read in Class: 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 and Ephesians 6:10-18. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: What should be our safeguards against such demonic deceptions?

Apply: What does it mean to put on the “whole armor of God?” In a day-by-day practical sense, how do we do this in every area of our lives, not just in dealing with end-time deceptions?

Share: Can you think of a friend who would be edified by something in this week’s Bible study? How can you share it with them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

10: The Fire of Hell-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School Class, Sabbath December 3, 2022.

Main Theme: We will look at some un-Biblical theories about life after death as well as what the Bible teaches about life after death.

Read in Class: Mark 9::42-48 and Isaiah 66:24. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: How do you understand the expression “their worm does not die?” Click here for a hint.

Apply: In the end, we are either totally saved or totally lost. There is no middle ground. We can have either eternal life or will face eternal destruction. What choices do you have to make today? How should this reality — eternal life or eternal destruction — impact those choices?

Share: Your friend says we all are going to spend eternity somewhere, either in heaven or hell. How do you answer your friend? Click here for hints.

Read in Class: Malachi 4:1 and Jude 7. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: How can these passages help us better understand the notion of “eternal fire” or the idea, as Jesus had expressed it, that the lost will be in “everlasting fire” (Matt. 18:8) or in a “fire that shall never be quenched”? (Mark 9:43, NKJV). Remember a camp fire can disintegrate a marshmallow and keep on burning. Just because the fire continues to burn does not mean the marshmallow still exists.

Apply: As unfortunate as the fires of hell are, what does the truth about hell reveal to us about God’s love, especially in contrast to the idea of eternal torment?

Share: Your friend says that the Bible says the wicked will burn forever so that must mean that they will be alive and burning through all eternity. How would Exodus 21:6 help your friend understand the meaning of the word “forever, simply meanimg for the duration or until you die?

Read in Class: Ecclesiastes 9:10, Ezekiel 18:20-22,and Hebrews 9:27. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: How do these passages refute the theory of purgatory?

Apply: What do errors like purgatory or eternal torment teach us about the importance of doctrine? Why is what we believe of importance, and not just in whom we believe?

Share: Your friend says that we may not be able to buy our way into heaven but if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds our works can get us into heaven. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Acts 2:29, 34-35 and 1 Corinthians 15:16-18. What is the common thread of these passages?

Study:  How do these passages shed light on the state of the dead and those awaiting resurrection?

Apply: What are ways in which you could help people understand that the idea that the dead are asleep in the ground is really “good news,” in the sense that they truly are at rest and know no pain and suffering?

Share: Your friend who said we will all spend eternity in heaven or hell is still confused, thinking the soul is immortal, and we all have eternal life either in heaven or in hell. How could you use 1 John 5:3-12 and 1 Timothy 5:15-16 to show your friend that only those who accept the gift of salvation have eternal life?

by In Light Of The Cross

9: Contrary Passages?-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School Class, Sabbath, November 26, 2022.

Main Theme: When properly understood, seemingly contrary passages are not so contrary after all.

Read in Class: Luke 16:19-31. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: How do we know this story is not a literal description of the afterlife? For hints click here.

Apply: “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:31, NKJV). What message from Jesus’ powerful words should we take for ourselves regarding the authority of the Bible and how we respond to it?

Read in Class: Luke 23:43, John 20:17, and John 14:1-3. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: How should the promise to the repentant thief on the cross be understood in light of Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene and His promise to His disciples? For hints click here.

Apply: Read the story of the repentant thief (Luke 23:39-43), who, despite his sin, despite the fact that he had nothing to offer God, was promised eternal life by Christ. How does this story powerfully reveal the great truth of salvation by faith alone? In what ways are we just like that thief? In what ways do we differ?

Read in Class: Philippians 1:21-24 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: When did Paul expect to be “with Christ” (Phil. 1:23) and “with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17)? For hints click here.

Apply: Particularly in hard times, who hasn’t thought about how nice it would be to close your eyes in death and, the next thing you know, “be with Christ”? How does this thought help us understand what Paul was saying in Philippians?

Read in Class: 1 Peter 3:13-20. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: How did Christ preach “to the spirits in prison … in the days of Noah”? (See also Gen. 4:10.) For hints click here.

Apply: The flood was present truth in Noah’s day, what Bible truths especially apply to us today?

Read in Class: Revelation 6:9-11. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: How can the “souls” of the dead martyrs cry “under the altar”?

From Difficult Texts Made Simple:

This is obviously a symbolic verse. In order to be taken literally not only would the souls be in heaven but they all would be under an altar. Also they would be pleading for vengeance for being in heaven. This simply is not realistic. We know from our reading of the entire scriptures that the dead are just that-dead. Even this passage says that they must rest a while yet, implying they are not literally in heaven now, but their cause has come before the altar and before God. This was the case when Abel was killed by Cain. God said, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” Genesis 4:10 

Abel’s blood did not literally grow lips and cry, but his cause came before God. So in the fifth seal of Revelation we see that God has not forgotten His faithful martyrs but has heard their cause even as He did Abel’s. After all, why would they be crying for God to avenge the ones who killed them and put them in the presence of God? What an insult to God this would be.

Apply: Who (especially of those who have been victims of injustice) hasn’t cried out for justice, which has not yet come? Why must we, by faith, trust that ultimately the justice so lacking in this world will nevertheless come? What comfort can you draw from this wonderful promise?

Share: Can you think of someone who could benefit from a proper understanding of the passages we studied this week? How can you share your understanding of these passages with someone in a way that will give them encouragement?

by In Light Of The Cross

8: The New Testament Hope-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, Sabbath November 19, 2022.

Main Theme: The New Testament hope, is a Christ-centered hope, and the only hope that this mortal existence will one day become an immortal one.

Read in Class: John 14:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Discuss the common thread of these two passages.

Study: How is Christ’s resurrection related to our own resurrection? Why did Jesus tell His disciples He would come again so they could be together, instead of just promising them they would be together as soon as they died? What does this tell us about the importance of the resurrection?

Apply: Isaiah 59:2 tells us sin has caused a separation between us and God. Exodus 25:8 tells us the Sanctuary service solves the sin problem so we God can dwell with us again. How does this help us understand why it is taking 2,000 for Jesus to prepare a place for us so we can be together again? Is His work so much with bricks and mortar or is it more with stony human hearts? How does John 14:1-3 help us understand what Jesus is doing for us in the sanctuary of our hearts right now?

Share: Your friend says that Jesus went to paradise with the repentant thief as soon as they both died. So we all go to heaven as soon as we die. What do you tell your friend? How would John 20:17 help you explain this?

Read in Class: John 6:26-51. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: How did Jesus associate the gift of everlasting life with the final resurrection of the righteous?

Apply: Dwell on the words of Jesus that, if you believe in Him, you have (as in right now) eternal life! How can this wonderful promise help you deal with the painful reality of our present, though only temporary, mortality?

Share: Your friend asks, “What did the loaves and fish have to do with the manna?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: What hope did Paul give to those who thought their dead loved ones had forever perished?

Apply: Which is more comforting to you and why? The idea that the dead are all in heaven now? Or that the dead in Christ will be raised in the resurrection? Why does Paul say. “comfort each other with these words” instead of telling us to comfort each other with the hope that our dead ones have “gone to be with the Lord?”

Share: Your friend says that Paul promised that Jesus will bring with Him those who are dead when He returns. This must mean they are already in heaven and return with him. What do you tell your friend? Click here for a hint.

Read in Class: 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. What is the main idea of this passage?

Study: What mystery is Paul explaining here?

Apply: This is such an amazing promise, something so different from anything that we have experienced that it’s hard to grasp. But think about the vastness of the cosmos, as well as the incredible complexity of life here. Creation itself testifies to God’s amazing power. What does all this teach us about the power of God to translate the living and raise the dead at Jesus’ second coming?

Share: Can you think of someone this week who needs to hear about the hope of the resurrection? Can you share it with them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

7: Christ’s Victory Over Death-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class on Sabbath, November 12, 2022.

Main Theme: We can be sure that Jesus rose from the grave and that He gives us victory over death.

Read in Class: Matthew 27:62-66. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: How did these actions only help provide the world later with more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus?

Apply: Has God ever freed you from a situation where you thought there was no way out? Can you tell us about it?

Share: Your friend suggests that the disciples did steal the body of Jesus to make it look like He was resurrected. What do you share with your friend? Keep in mind that all but one disciple was martyred for preaching about the resurrection. What does that tell us? See also How do we Know the Disciples Didn’t Just Make Everything up?

Read in Class: Matthew 28:1-6, John 10:17-18 and Romans 8:11. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: Who was directly involved in the resurrection of Jesus?

Apply: Some scoff at the idea that the first people to see Christ resurrected were Romans. Why? In what ways is this truth symbolic of what was to come: the gospel going to the Gentiles, as well?

Share: Your friend says we are supposed to keep Sunday holy as a memorial to the resurrection. What do you tell your friend? What memorial to the resurrection do we find in Romans 6:3-6?

Read in Class: Luke 24:13-27 and Luke 24:44-49. What is the main idea of these passages?

Study: Why did Jesus take them to the Scriptures instead of just letting them recognize them?

Apply: Do you put more faith in what you see or what God’s Word says? When what you see seems to contradict God’s Word do you put faith in what you see or in what God’s Word says?

Share: Your friend asks you, exactly where in Scripture did Jesus take the disciples to show them what was to happen to the Messiah? What do you tell you friend? See The Messiah in Prophecy.

Read in Class: Matthew 27:51-53, 1 Corinthians 15:20 and Deuteronomy 26:1-11. What is the common thread of these passages?

Study:  In what sense did Paul refer to the risen Christ as “the first fruits of those who have died?”

Apply: No matter how bad things can get now, why can we trust in God’s ultimate victory for us as we still struggle in this fallen world?

Share: Who can you share the hope we have in the resurrection with this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

6: He Died for us-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, Sabbath, November 5, 2022.

Main Theme: Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. Desire of Ages, page 25

Read in Class: Revelation 13:8, Acts 2:23, 1 Peter 1:19-20 and Titus 1:2. Discuss the main thread of these passages.

Study: How could Christ be considered as “slain from the foundation of the world” (NKJV)? What do these verses teach us about how long ago the plan of salvation, which centered on Christ’s death, had been in place?

Apply: Animal sacrifices are gruesome and bloody — that is true. But why is this gruesomeness and bloodiness precisely the point, teaching us about Christ’s death in our place and what the terrible cost of sin was?

Share: Your friend says that while Jesus suffered terrible physical agony on the cross, so did every one crucified on a cross back them. What made Jesus’ suffering so much worse? What do you tell your friend? See The God-forsaken God.

Read in Class: Matthew 16:21-23, Matthew 17:22-23, Luke 18:31-34. What is the common thread of these passages?

Study: What were the reactions of the disciples to Jesus’ predictions of His own sufferings and death, and what should their reactions teach us about the dangers of misunderstanding Scripture?

Apply: People, especially God’s chosen people, had false concepts regarding the first coming of the Messiah. What are some of the false concepts out there today regarding the second coming of Jesus?

Share: Your friend asks you, “How could Jesus possibly consider these men his disciples when they misunderstood His clear teachings?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 19:17-30. What is the main theme of this passage?

Study: What is the crucial message to us in Jesus’ statement, “It is finished?”

Apply: Think about how bad sin must be that it took the death of Christ to atone for it. What should this truth teach us about how useless our works are for attaining merit before God? After all, what can we do to add to what Christ has already done for us? 

Share: Your friend says that he does not need to overcome sin because Jesus said, “It is finished.” Jesus has already done all the work to save him, so he does not need to obey or overcome sin? What do you tell your friend? Hint: 1 Peter 2:24.

Read in Class: John 3:14-18 and Romans 6:23. What is the common thread in these passages?

Study: What do these verses teach that Christ’s death has accomplished for us?

Apply: What great hope can we take from these verses, especially when you rightly sense that you deserve to be condemned for something that you have done?

Share: Can you think of someone who needs to hear the plan of salvation? Can you pray for an opportunity to share it with them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

5: Resurrections Before the Cross-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plans

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, Sabbath October 29, 2022.

Main Theme: While Grace is found in the Old and New Testaments, the power of the the resurrection is found in both the Old and New Testaments.

Read in Class: Jude 9, and Like 9:28-36. Discuss the common thread of these passages.

Study: What evidences do you find in these texts for the bodily resurrection of Moses?

Apply: Moses was not allowed to enter the earthly Canaan (Deut. 34:1-4) but was taken into the heavenly Canaan. What does this teach about how God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20, NKJV)?

Share: Your friend asks how Moses got to go to heaven before Jesus even died for Him? What do you tell your friend? Hint: Revelation 13:8.

Read in Class: 1 Kings 17:8-24 and 2 Kings 4:18-37. Discuss the common thread of these passages.

Study: What similarities and differences do you see in these two resurrections?

Apply: These are great stories, but for each one of these two accounts, how many untold others didn’t have something so miraculous happen? What should this sad fact teach us about just how central to our faith is the promised resurrection at the end of time?

Share: Your friend asks why we don’t see modern day resurrections? (I have heard claims that they still happen today.) What do you tell your friend? Hint: See Can God Still Work Miracles Today.

Read in Class: Luke 7:11-7 and Mark 5:35-43. Discuss the common thread in these passages.

Study: What can we learn about death from Christ’s words, “The child is not dead, but sleeping”?

Apply: Jesus’ words, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36, NRSV), are still meaningful for us today. How can we learn to do that, even amid fearful situations, which are the most important times to keep believing?

Share: Your friend asks, why you think Jesus chose to raise the widow’s son, and the young girl? What purpose might it have served other than just demonstrating the resurrection power? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 11:1-44. Discuss the main point of this passage.

Study:  In what sense was Jesus “glorified” by the sickness and death of Lazarus (John 11:4)?

Apply: Read John 11:25,-26. In one line Jesus talks about believers dying, and in the next He talks about believers never dying. What is Jesus teaching us here, and why is the understanding that death is an unconscious sleep so crucial in understanding Christ’s words? And why do His words offer us, as beings destined to the grave, so much hope?

Share: Your friend asks you why Jesus waited for Lazarus to be dead four days before raising him? What do you tell your friend, and how could this be related to Jesus telling the people earlier that the girls was just asleep?

Hint: “When Christ raised to life the daughter of Jairus, He had said, “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” Mark 5:39. As she had been sick only  a short time, and was raised immediately after death, the Pharisees declared that the child had not been dead; that Christ Himself had said she was only asleep. They had tried to make it appear that Christ could not cure disease, that there was foul play about His miracles. But in this case, none could deny that Lazarus was dead.” –Desire of Ages, Pages 534-535.

by In Light Of The Cross

4: The Old Testament Hope-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, Sabbath October 22, 2022.

Main Theme: The Old and New Testaments both celebrate the hope of the resurrection. If God created us out of nothing the first time, He can create us out of nothing again when He resurrects us.

Read in Class: Job 19:25-27. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: under what circumstances was Job expecting to see God, and when?

Apply: What kind of faith do we need to trust God when things aren’t going our way?

Share: Your friend asks, “How did Job know about a Redeemer when Jesus had not even been born yet?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Psalm 49:11-15. Discuss the key thought of this passage.

Study: In what ways have you seen the folly of those who trust in their wealth and accomplishments?

Apply:  How do you know that God is going to redeem you from the power of the grave? 

Share: Your friend says, “Shouldn’t we all work hard for financial security? Is it wrong to work hard to be rich?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Isaiah 26:14,19. What is the main idea of these passages?

Study:  What is the contrast between those who will perish forever and those that receive eternal life?

Apply: How do you want to be remembered, and by whom? 

Share: Your friend asks, “Where the people in Old Testament times saved by keeping the law or by grace?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Daniel 12:1-2. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: What does Michael standing up have to do with the resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust?

Apply: Do you want to live to see Jesus coming or sleep in the dust until the resurrection? What factors might be involved? 

Share: Can you think of someone who needs to hear the message in this week’s lesson? Can you share it with them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

3: Understanding Human Nature-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class on Sabbath, October 15, 2022.

Main Theme: The Bible does not teach the natural immortality of the soul. The soul is mortal until the resurrection, when those who are saved put on immortality. See 1 Timothy 6:15-16, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.

Read in Class: Genesis 1:24-27 and Genesis 2:7, 19. Discuss the main idea of these passages.

Study: What are the similarities and differences between how God created animals and humans?

Apply: How close and personal did God get in creating man? In what ways were mankind made in the image of God?

Share: Your friend says that the Bible appears to be sexist in the way it portrays male and female roles. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ezekiel 18:4 and Matthew 10:28. Discuss the common thread of these texts.

Study: What do these verses teach us about human nature and the soul? Is the soul that sins immortal?

Apply: When threatened with death if we do not obey man over God, how do these passages help you choose who to remain loyal to?

Share: Your friend says she died for a while on the operating table and saw a bright light which she believes meant she went to heaven for a while while she was dead. How do you respond to your friend?

Read in Class: Ecclesiastes 12:5-7. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: What is the spirit that returns to God? See Job 27:3 KJV and Psalm 104:29 KJV.

Apply: We often say that death is just part of life. Why is that so wrong? Death is the opposite of life, the enemy of life. What great hope, then, is found in this verse: “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26, NKJV)?

Share: Your friend is reading Ecclesiastes 12:7 and says, “See, this verse says the body dies and the spirit returns to God who gave it. This says that we have two parts: the body and the spirit. So when we die, our spirit goes to heaven.” How do you respond to your friend?

Read in Class: Read in Class, Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, Job 14:12,19. Discuss the main idea of these passages.

Study: What can we learn from the passages about the condition of those who are dead? See also Death in Light of the Cross.

Apply: Are you afraid to die? Why or why not should we be afraid to die?

Share: Can you think of someone who would be encouraged about this week’s study and the hope we have in the resurrection? How can you share this hope with the this week?