Category / Sabbath School Teaching Plans

by In Light Of The Cross

10: The New Covenant -Sabbath School Teaching Plan

10: The New Covenant – Teaching Plan

Posted on  by Michael Frackeravatar

Key Thought: The new covenant is a greater, more complete, and better revelation of the plan of redemption. It is based on a faith that manifests itself in obedience to a law written in our hearts.
June 5, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Jeremiah 31:31-34.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
  2. What parallels exist between the old and new covenants?
  3. Personal Application:: How was the second covenant better? Could there be a danger in taking grace for granted? Why or why not? Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “What does it mean to have the law written within our hearts? Does that mean it is the law of love Jesus was talking about replacing the Ten Commandments?” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Hosea 2:18-20.

  1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
  2. What imagery is used here ny God about the nature of the covenant?
  3. Personal Application: Because we know more revealed through Jesus, shouldn’t we be even more faithful than Israel was? Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “I want a new heart. I want the law written in my heart – but I don’t know how to get it.” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Isaiah 56:6,7.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
  2. What were the conditions Isaiah placed on those who wanted to serve the Lord?
  3. Personal Application: What is the advantage of having the law in our hearts rather than on tables of stone? Which one is easier to forget? Which one is easier to obey? Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why does God keep entering into covenant relationships with mankind? We keep breaking them. We keep sinning and rebelling. Why doesn’t God just give up on us?“ How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read Hebrews 8:7,8 ; 10:4..

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
  2. What was wrong with the Old Covenant? Did God make a bad agreement?
  3. Personal Application: What relationship does the New Covenant have to do with the Heavenly Sanctuary?” Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

by In Light Of The Cross

9: Covenant Sign – Sabbath School Teaching Plan

9: Covenant Sign – Sabbath School Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt

Key Thought: The Sabbath is a covenant sign that points back to Creation, the covenant of grace, and to the final recreation when God makes all things new.
May 29, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 2:1-3

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
  2. Why did God rest on the seventh day? Is there a parallel between God resting after creation and Jesus resting in the grave on Sabbath after He redeemed us?
  3. Personal Application: What do you think the first Sabbath was like for Adam and Eve? They didn’t really have a long week that week. What type of a rest did they need? Hint: Psalm 100:3 says it is God who made us and not we ourselves? Do you think they appreciated realizing they were made by God’s work and not their own work? Just was we are redeemed by Jesus’ works and not our own works?
  4. Case Study: I saw a Sabbath debate on Youtube a while back. The person debating against the Sabbath said that while God made the Sabbath at creation He did not tell anyone to keep it until Sinai. How would you respond to this debate? Hint: Mark 2:27 tells us why the Sabbath was originally made. Also see Exodus 16 as well as Exodus 20:8-11. Also see Did God Tell Adam and Eve to Keep the Sabbath?

2. Have a volunteer read Exodus 20:8-11.

  1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
  2. How is the Sabbath commandment linked to creation? If the Sabbath had never been forgotten would man have forgotten his creator? Would atheism still be rampant? Why or why not?
  3. Personal Application: What is it about the Sabbath that makes it appropriate as a symbol of the saving relationship with God? How does the Sabbath symbolize Salvation by grace instead of by works?
  4. Case Study: Your neighbor tells you she does not need the Sabbath because she keeps everyday holy? How do you respond to your neighbor? What in the commandment itself tells us we can’t keep every day holy or alike? Hint: see Exodus 20:9.

3. Have a volunteer read Exodus 31:13-17.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
  2. What does it mean to be sanctified? Can we sanctify ourselves? Can we make a day holy?
  3. Personal Application: How has the Sabbath helped you in your relationship with Christ? Why do you think God was so particular that no work be done on the Sabbath? Could that have anything to do with us not trusting our works to save us?
  4. Case Study: One of your co-workers says that the Sabbath was just a sign for the Jews. How do you respond? Was the Sabbath a sign that they were Jews or a sign they were God’s people? Also can we claim for ourselves the promises given to the Jews without obeying the commandments given to the Jesus?

4. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 5:14-15 and Hebrews 4:1-4.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of these passages is.
  2. How are we to keep the Sabbath holy? See The Sabbath in Light of the Cross.
  3. Personal Application: While Pharaoh made the Jews work so he could rest, God worked so the Jews could rest. The Sabbath was a sign that the Jews were saved from slavery by God’s works and not their own. What does the Sabbath remind you that you have been saved from?
  4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

by In Light Of The Cross

7: Covenant at Sinai – Teaching Plan

7: Covenant at Sinai – Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for the Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School lesson for May 15, 2021

Key Thought: God gave His people a covenant of grace. He promised to deliver them from bondage by His own power.

1. Have a volunteer read Exodus 6:6,7.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
  2. What did God redeem Israel from?
  3. Personal Application: How does God ransom us from slavery to sin? If we are saved by grace what role does the law play? Does grace save us from the law or does grace save us from sin? See Romans 1:5, Ephesians 2:8-10 and Titus 2:11-12. These verses show us grace gives us obedience, good works, and righteousness in this present world.
  4. Case Study: your boss tells you his pastor says that Jesus died to save us from the bondage of the law so we would not have to keep it anymore. How do you answer your boss? What verses do you share. For example, Romans 3:31, 1 peter 2:24.

2. Have a volunteer read Exodus 19:4, Deuteronomy 1:29-31…

  1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
  2. How did God bring Israel from Egypt to Sinai?
  3. Personal Application: Do we care for each other the way God cares for us? See John 3:34-35. Do we love others the way God loves us? Are we patient and sympathetic towards sinners as Jesus is towards us?
  4. Case Study: Share a time that someone showed selfless interest in you.

3. Have a volunteer read Exodus 19:5,6.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
  2. What does God mean by “obey” and ‘keep” my covenant? Notice: the word for obey in the original manuscripts simply means to listen. The word “Keep” simply means to cherish and regard. It is the same word in the original manuscripts when God told Adam to “keep” the garden. He meant for him to cherish and care for it. Read here for more info.
  3. Personal Application: When we obey and keep or listen and cherish God’s promises what do we become?
  4. Case Study:  Your cousin tells you he is tired of promising God He will never smoke again because he never can keep his promises he makes to God. What can you share with your cousin about listening to and trusting God’s promises instead of making our own? See 2 Peter 1:4.

4. Have a volunteer read Exodus 19:8.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
  2. What was the problem with the first covenant? Was the problem with the law or with the people thinking they could promise God to keep the law on their own? Was the problem with the law or with the people trusting their own promises? See Hebrews 8:8. For more info read here.
  3. Personal Application: If we are saved by grace why keep the law?
  4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

by In Light Of The Cross

4: An Everlasting Covenant-Teaching Plan

This plan was provided by Michael Fracker.

Key Thought: God called Abraham into a special relationship with Him, one that would reveal the plan of salvation to the world.
April 24, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 17:1-6.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
  2. Why would God present Himself to Abrah as El Shaddai – the Almighty God- at this time?
  3. Personal Application: How does believing in the Almighty God give us comfort and trust when we are weak and frail and old? Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Do you think God calls people today to leave position, wealth, plans and home to do a work for Him in spite of our human frailties? How does one know if it is God’s call?” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Genesis 17:7..

  1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
  2. Why did God change Abram’s name to Abraham?.
  3. Personal Application: What kind of “new name” do you think God is going to give you in heaven? What might that name reveal about you and your character? Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why does God call His covenant an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendents forever? Wasn’t that the Old Covenant that has been replaced?“ How would you respond to your relative?

3. Have a volunteer read Genesis 18:19.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
  2. What important facts do we see about Abraham and why God chose him for the covenant promises?
  3. Personal Application: Is leadership and teaching important factors in the family life as well as church life? Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “Obedience seems to be a big factor in Abraham’s walk with God, but obedience doesn’t save anyone; only faith does. So what is the relationship of obedience to faith since we are told we are not saved by faith and works, but by faith only?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Revelation 14:6,7.

  1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
  2. How is the message of Revelation 14 similar to Abraham’s covenant?
  3. Personal Application: What specific responsibility do we have in living and giving the three angels messages to the world?” Share your thoughts.
  4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

by In Light Of The Cross

3: All Future Generations-Teaching Plan

Key Thought: What did sin do to God’s creation? What were some of the characteristics of Noah? What elements were involved in the covenant with Noah? In what ways is God’s grace revealed in the covenant with Noah before the Flood? What does the covenant God made with humanity after the Flood teach us about His universal love for us?

Prepared by William Earnhardt

April 17, 2021 Sabbath School Class.

  1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 6:5-9, 11.

A. Ask the class what is the main idea of this passage?

B. Why did God repent that He had made man? (Try to help the class understand that God was sorry because His creatures were in pain. For example Malachi 2:16 says God hates divorce. Does God hate divorcees? Of course not! He loves divorcees which is why He hates the divorce that brings pain to the divorcees.) What does His solution teach us about true Biblical repentance? (Try to help the class the understand that God repented by undoing what He had done. True repentance on our part is undoing what we have done as far as lies in our power.)

C. Personal Application: In the midst of a wicked world how do we find grace in the eyes of the Lord? What hint does the last part of verse 9 give us?

D. Case Study: Your friend says his pastor says that if Jesus does not come soon to destroy sin and sinners that He will need to apologize to the antediluvians for destroying them? Do you agree with your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Genesis 6:10-18.

A. Ask the class what is the main idea of this passage?

B. How is the covenant in verse 18 related to the covenant in Genesis 3:15 and why does that make it crucial for God to preserve a posterity on the ark?

C. Personal Application: What part did peer pressure play in Adam choosing to sin in Genesis 3:6 and what part do you believe peer pressure played in no one besides Noah’s family getting on the ark? When it comes to salvation why is it so important that we make our own decisions?

D. Case Study: Your young nephew who just lost his favorite puppy asks you if his pet will be in heaven. After all he says, God saved the animals on the ark. What do you tell your nephew?

3. Have a volunteer read Genesis 9:12-17.

A. Ask the class that is the main idea of this passage?

B. What is the significance of “every living creature” in verse 16 and “all families of the earth will be blessed” in Genesis 12:1-3? Have unbelievers benefited from the covenant? If so how? Hint: “To the death of Christ we owe even this earthly life. The bread we eat is the purchase of His broken body. The water we drink is bought by His spilled blood. Never one, saint or sinner, eats his daily food, but he is nourished by the body and the blood of Christ. The cross of Calvary is stamped on every loaf. It is reflected in every water spring. All this Christ has taught in appointing the emblems of His great sacrifice. The light shining from that Communion service in the upper chamber makes sacred the provisions for our daily life. The family board becomes as the table of the Lord, and every meal a sacrament.” -Ellen White, Desire of Ages Page 660.

C. Personal Application: How well has God kept His covenant with your personally? How well have you kept your covenant with Him?

D. Case Study: Your neighbor asks if the flood covered the entire globe or just the known world in the middle east at that time? What implications does such a question have? What do you tell your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Revelation 12:17.

A. Ask the class what is the main idea of this passage?

B. What relation is there if any, between the “seed” in Genesis 3:15 and “the remnant of her seed” In this passage? How is the remaining and surviving seed identified?

C. Personal Application: If you are a part of God’s remnant how has the dragon made war with you personally? How has God protected you?

D. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 149).

by In Light Of The Cross

1: What Happened? -Teaching Plan

Key Thought: God created us in His own image so that a loving fellowship could exist between Him and us. Although the entrance of sin shattered the original union, God seeks to restore this relationship through the plan of redemption. As dependent creatures, life takes on true meaning and clarity only when we enter into union with our Creator. 

Prepared by William Earnhardt

April 6, 2021 

  1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 1:26-27.

A. Ask class members to share the main idea of this passage.

B. What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

C. Personal Application: While even in a sin filled world how do Christians reflect the image of God?

D. Case Study: Your fiend comments, “God said Let us make man in our own image, and even since the fall man has said, No. Let us make God in our image.” Is your friend right? If so how so? What is the solution? 

2. Have a Volunteer read Genesis 2:7, 18-25.

A. Ask class members what is the main idea of this passage.

B. What is the significance of God breathing into man the breath of life? How does that make a soul?

C. Personal Application: What does the passage teach us about how the sexes are to relate to each other. Does this passage also teach that we as men and women have an obligation to care for the rest of God’s creation?

D. Case Study: In a discussion with a “familiar” stranger on the subway he remarks that the soul is immortal and cannot die. How to you respond to your familiar acquaintance? For help click here. 

3. Have volunteer read Genesis 3:1-6.

A. Ask class members to share the main idea of this passage.

B. What did the serpent mean by “you will be like God, knowing good and evil?” After all, didn’t God want us created in His image? What was meant by “knowing good and evil?” Hint: could it be rephrased, “you will know for yourself what is good and what is evil?” 

C. Personal Application: How do we make the same mistakes Eve made when we are tempted? For example the serpent had to first make Eve doubt God’s Word. What else went wrong in this dialogue? 

D. Case Study: Your neighbor claims sin and misery are all God’s fault. After all He allowed for the forbidden tree to be placed in the garden. How do you respond to your neighbor? 

4. Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 3:15.

A. Ask the class what the main idea of this passage is?

B. How does the woman’s seed crush the serpent’s head, and how does this restore us back into the image of God?

C. Personal Application: How has Jesus crushed Satan’s head in your life? In what ways has God restored you by His grace into His own image? 

D. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared. ”Ministry of Healing, p. 149).