When Everything Seems to go Wrong
Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble. Job 3:10 NLT
While our experience may be different than Job’s, many of us have been in situations, so dire, that we even question our existence.
Wayne’s parents never married. Growing up, he learned to shrug off the names he was called on the church school playground, and ignore the older ladies whispering behind his back in church.
Wayne managed to work his way through school. He got a job, and then got engaged to his best friend. Finally he had someone who loved him and would never leave him, unlike the father he never even knew. He vowed to himself as much as to his fiancee that he would create the perfect home for her, and unlike his biological father, would always be there to provide for his future children. As he looked forward to the wedding, he hoped to begin a new and better life.
But then Wayne’s whole world came crashing down. First, his fiancee broke off their engagement. Then he lost his job. And when he thought he had found a new job at least, his new supervisor told him things were not working out.
Wayne came home to his empty apartment and threw himself down on the floor. Feeling as low as you can get, Wayne felt a huge void in his life.
His fiancée did not want him. His old job did not want him. Now things were not working at at his new job, and he wondered if anyone needed him or wanted him at all? It sure did not feel like he was wanted or needed by anyone. He was all alone, and it seemed nobody cared if he lived or died. And if no one cared if he lived or died, why should he? Who would miss him if he just vanished away? Obviously no one from his work, or his ex-fiancée.
No one called from church to check up on him either. What’s the point of surviving in a world where no one cares if you survive or not? Wayne cried out, asking God why nothing was going right. Suddenly a thought came to him – but not from God. He reasoned that his parents never should have had the affair that brought him into this world, and therefore he was never supposed to be born! That has to be it, Wayne reasoned. Nothing works out for me, because God does not have a plan for my life, seeing how my parents never should have made me.
Wayne was so sure his theory was correct, that the following day at lunch he shared it with a friend from church. When Wayne explained that nothing was working out because he was not supposed to be born, his friend surprised him, by responding, “That is the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard!” Wayne’s friend was close enough that only he could get away with a response like that, but it woke Wayne up enough to realize his theory simply was not true. After all, Solomon was a product of Bathsheba and David’s sinful encounter, yet Solomon went on to write inspired proverbs and became an ancestor of the Savior.
Long story short, Wayne discovered that God did have a plan for his life. Although he’s had his ups and downs, he has had many opportunities to see God’s hand in his life. And God used him and is continuing to use him to pastor his flock.
Like Job, even though God greatly loved and had a plan for Wayne’s life, did not mean his life was just a walk in the park. Even Mary, Jesus’ mother had her moments.
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! Luke 1:28-30 NLT
Mary was chosen. She was favored and the Lord was with her. I’m sure she didn’t feel that way when she heard her Son being called a demon and folks questioning the legitimacy of His birth, or when she watched Him being crucified. Still, she was chosen and favored, and God was with her.
If your heart is fully surrendered, take heart. Whatever storm you are going through. You are chosen. You are favored, and the Lord is with you. And yes! God has a plan for your life!
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
8: Seeing the Invisible-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan
Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class on Sabbath, August 20, 2022.
Main Theme: God’s Word gives us real hope we can trust even in the worst circumstances.
Read in Class: Romans 8:28-39. Identify the main thought of this passage.
Study: How does this passage help us keep from doubting God’s goodness, even when things go wrong?
Apply: How is it possible for a truth (God’s goodness) to have a more powerful effect on you than your doubts? What does this do for your faith?
Share: Your friend asks you if all things work together for our good, does that mean that everything that happens to us is good? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: John 14:1-14. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? Why does Jesus encourage us to pray this way?
Apply: What hope and encouragement can you draw from these promises? At the same time, ask yourself, “What things in my life could be standing in the way of having these promises fulfilled for me? What changes must I purpose in my heart to make?”
Share: Your friend asks, “Why did Jesus say in John 14:3 that He would come again so we could be with Him? Aren’t we with Jesus as soon as we die?” What do you tell your friend? Hint: See Death in Light of the Cross.
Read in Class: Ephesians 1:18-23. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: Paul talks about the power of God. What do these verses teach us about the power of the Resurrection? What hope and promises for yourself can you find in these verses?
Apply: what can we do better, what choices can we make, that can allow this power to work more freely in our lives?
Share: Your friend asks how the church can represent the fulness of God’s body? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 55:22 and Matthew 6:25-33. Define the common thread of these passages.
Study: It’s been said, “What we worry about the most shows where we trust God the least.” How can worry be a sin? How does worry expose our lack of trust in God?
Apply: What are things that cause you worry now? However legitimate they are, however troublesome they are, is there anything too hard for the Lord? Maybe our biggest problem is that even though we believe that God knows about it and can fix it, we don’t believe that He will resolve it the way we would like it resolved. Dwell on that last point and ask yourself how true it is in your own life.
Share: Your friend asks you, “Why should I cast all of my care upon someone who let His own cousin get beheaded in prison?” What do you tell your friend?
Video Sermon: Blessed are the Peacemakers
7: Indestructible Hope-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan
Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, Sabbath August 13, 2022.
Main Theme: Understanding God’s love gives us hope in our crucible.
Read in Class: Habakkuk 1:1-4. What did Habakkuk face?
Study: How does the introduction to the promised destruction of Babylon in Habakkuk 2:2-3 give hope?
Apply: Read Habakkuk 3:16-19. What does Habakkuk identify as his reasons for hope? What is the hope of God’s people as we wait for the last prophetic scenes to unfold? How can you make this hope your own?
Share: Your friend tells you they feel just like Habakkuk, when he said there was no justice. The court system is a joke and the wicked get away with everything, and the righteous suffer. What do you answer your friend?
Read in Class: Isaiah 41:8-14. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: What reasons for hope can you identify for people waiting eagerly for future deliverance? How does this promise help us as we wait for our exile on earth to end?
Apply: How does knowing that the God of this universe is close enough to hold your hand, change the way that you live? How does it change how you cope with your crucible?
Share: Your friend asks, “what if those who are against us claim the promise of Isaiah 41:8-14? What if our enemies believe we are the ones in verse 12 who will become nonexistent? How do we know if this is really talking about us? How do you answer your friend?
Read in Class: Jeremiah 29:1-14. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What specific sources of hope are provided in verses, 4,7, and 10?
Apply: Read Jeremiah 29:11-14, saying your name after the word you, as if God is making these promises to you personally. Apply these promises for yourself in whatever your present struggles might be.
Share: Your friend points out that the promise in Jeremiah 29:11 was given to the Jews. Your friend asks why the same people who claim the promises in the Old Testament turn around and say the commandments in the Old Testament were only for the Jews? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Hebrews 12:1-13. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: In verses 5-13, what is our source of discipline? What should be our response to discipline? What is the goal of discipline?
Apply: Read through Hebrews 12:1-13 again. Make a list of all the reasons you can identify with as grounds for hope. How have you experienced this hope in your own times of spiritual “education”?
Share: Do you have a sharable testimony on how it has gone the last week or so when you have reached out to encourage a friend with a thought from the recent lessons?
I did my Very Best! Maybe Not?
In the third grade I was diagnosed with learning disabilities. I was told I could do the work, I just needed to try harder. Well, sometimes I was not just tired of trying harder, I was just tired of the work, period. For example, in English we had to find the noun, verb and adjective in several sentences. Each assignment had about 20 sentences as I recall. However, I thought 10 sentences was plenty and 20 was just unreasonable. So after actually trying during the first 10 sentences I just hurriedly guessed on the last 10. One time, just to throw my teacher off, after guessing on the last 10, I turned my paper over and started writing over and over, “I did my very best. I did my very best.” For some reason, writing “I did my very best” 20 times seemed easier than actually doing my very best. It worked! The teacher showed the paper to my mother and told her, “I guess we have been too hard on Willie. Look how frustrated he must have been when he wrote over and over I did my very best.” I wasn’t doing my very best. I knew it and God knew it. In the end, I wasn’t cheating my mother or my teacher. I was cheating God.
…or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, Colossians 3:23 NKJV
In Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and Sapphira tried to make it look like they were giving 100% but God knew better. Even though I tried to make it look like I was giving 100% in 3rd grade English class God knew better.
Sometimes people think we are trying our best when we are just being lazy. Sometimes though, people think we are not trying our best when we really are. Only God knows.
I have been an avid golfer since 2007. I have practiced, I have watched golf instruction videos. I play regularly. However my golf score has not changed much since I first began. When someone asks me what my handicap is, I tell them, “It’s my swing.” Several times I have gone golfing with a friend who has told me, “I have not played in several years, and you play all the time, so I know you will win.” And then they are surprised when we walk off the 18th green and they have won. My score clearly does not show how much I have practiced and how much I have tried. My scores today are only slightly a little better than my scores 15 years ago. That may not be entirely true because I do not give myself as many mulligans as I did in the past. So my scores 15 years ago were probably even worse had I not given myself so many mulligans. Still, I don’t think my poor scores reflect how hard I really try.
Golf is just a game, but I have to remind myself in life, just as I am trying harder than my golf score reflects, many in the church are trying harder than their actions reflect. Golf is just plain easier for others than it is for me. The score does not really show how hard you have tried. In life it may be easier for me to study my Bible every day than it is for others. After all, liking to read or not liking to read does not make you a better person. And even after all the Bible studying I do, during the day I am amazed at how much more Christlike people can be who don’t even believe in Christ! There are atheists who act more like Jesus in every day life than I do! Then again we meet people who are really struggling. It seems like they are living their whole life in a sand trap. It may be easy to criticize, but God may know their hearts, and know they are actually putting more effort into their Christian walk than some of us who come by certain things more naturally. This is why we should never judge. We simply don’t know what is going on inside their lives and minds. Ellen White puts it this way.
“While some are continually harassed, afflicted, and in trouble because of their unhappy traits of character, having to war with internal foes and the corruption of their nature, others have not half so much to battle against. They pass along almost free from the difficulties which their brethren and sisters who are not so favorably organized are laboring under. In very many cases they do not labor half so hard to overcome and live the life of a Christian as do some of those unfortunate ones I have mentioned.” Ellen White, Testimonies Volume 2 page 74
Let’s remember to be patient with others. We don’t have a clue the crucible they may be enduring. And after all,
Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself. – Ellen White, Christ Object Lessons, Page 71.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
6: Struggling With All Energy-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan
Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class Sabbath, August 6, 2022.
Main Theme: The Holy Spirit will not force us to obey against our will. We need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as far as we are able.
Read in Class: John 16:5-15. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: In this passage, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth” (John 16:13, NIV). What does this imply that the Holy Spirit does for us?
Apply: What convictions has the “Spirit of truth” brought to you recently? How well are you listening to His voice? And, most important, what choices are you making with your free will?
Share: Your friend says that if you are led by the Holy Spirit that you will agree with him on every Bible doctrine, because after all, he is led by the Holy Spirit too. Do you agree with your friend? Why or why not? Do we sometimes create unnecessary crucibles by trying to make everyone agree with us? See Do we Have to Agree on Everything?
Read and Compare in Class: Colossians 1:28-29, Deuteronomy 4:4, Luke 13:24, 1 Corinthians 9:25, and Hebrews 12:4.
Study: Though Paul talks about God working in him, in what ways does he show the human effort also involved?
Apply: What is your own experience with the kind of striving Paul talked about? What things has God laid upon your heart that you are struggling with? How can you learn to surrender to God’s will?
Share: Your friend says, “God understands some of us may be trying very hard to overcome our bad habits, even though it may not look like it to others.” Do you agree with your friend? Consider: “While some are continually harassed, afflicted, and in trouble because of their unhappy traits of character, having to war with internal foes and the corruption of their nature, others have not half so much to battle against. They pass along almost free from the difficulties which their brethren and sisters who are not so favorably organized are laboring under. In very many cases they do not labor half so hard to overcome and live the life of a Christian as do some of those unfortunate ones I have mentioned.” Ellen White, Testimonies Volume 2 page 74
Read in Class: 1 Peter 1:13-16. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: What is Peter concerned about, and what does he want his readers actually to do?
Apply: What important decisions are you facing? Ask yourself honestly, “How can I know if I am basing my choices on feeling, emotion, desire, as opposed to the Word of God?”
Share: Your friend asks, “How can I tell the difference between the Holy Spirit speaking to me and my own feelings and desires?” What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Matthew 5:29-20. What is the main idea of this passage?
Study: Is Jesus suggesting we literally main ourselves physically? What is He actually saying?
Apply: What are some practical ways we can remove temptations?
Share: Think of someone who you have seen grow spiritually over time. Can you affirm them and encourage them this week?
Sermon Video: Blessed are the Pure in Heart
5: Extreme Heat-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan
Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, July 30,2022.
The Main Idea: God will do whatever it takes, even being misunderstood in order to help us become like Jesus.
Read in Class: Hosea 2:1-12. Define what the main idea is in this passage.
Study: What methods does God say He will use to pull Israel back to Himself? What would these experiences have felt like?
Apply: Read Hosea 2:14-23. What does this passage reveal about God? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you have been running from God in any area of your life. If you are convicted that you have been, why wait to go through the crucible? What’s stopping you from surrendering all to the Lord now?
Share: Are you willing to share with the class, what you consider is the most sever means God has used to bring you back to love and obedience to Him?
Read in Class: Job 1:6-2:10. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What causes Job’s sufferings and how does Job respond to these trials?
Apply: How does Job’s trials help you with your own trials?
Share: Have you ever been tempted to just “curse God and die?” Why did you or why didn’t you? What was the final outcome of your crucible in this specific situation?
Read in Class: 2 Corinthians 1:4-9. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: In 2 Corinthians 1:4, Paul states that the reason for receiving God’s compassion and comfort is “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (NIV). To what extent might suffering be a call to ministry? How could we become more alert to this possibility?
Apply: What can you learn from Paul that can help you keep from falling into self-pity amid your own struggles?
Share: Can you share how others have comforted you during a hard time? How did it make you feel? How did you respond?
Read in Class: Isaiah 43:1-7. What is the main idea of this passage?
Study: What are the different ways in which God assures His people of comfort during the times of water and fire. What picture of God does this paint in your mind? Which promises can you claim for yourself?
Apply: What do these verses teach you about the actions and character of God? Ps. 103:13, 14; Matt. 28:20; 1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Pet. 1:7. How have you experienced the reality of these verses in your own life?
Share: Can you write a letter, text message or email this week offering encouragement to someone you know who is going through a crucible?
Try a Little Love and Tenderness
Monday’s section of this week’s lesson, reveals the relentless love of God. For me, here is the key verse.
But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her there. Hosea 2:14 NLT
I am so thankful for parents who understand this. I wish all parents understood this is the way to win their children’s loyalty to God and to themselves
.Several years ago I was preaching for Father’s Day, and I had a few people, young and old, tell us what they liked about their fathers. One young man, about 12 years old, gave a powerful, heartfelt tribute to his dad, even saying “nobody reminds me of Jesus more than my father.”
That same Sabbath morning, the son was offered some cookies in his Sabbath School class which he gladly took. His father saw him eating the cookie and starting publicly berating him and telling him how sinful it is to eat in church! (News to me!) The son could not hide his hurt and humiliation. The son definitely was not trying to be a hard-hearted rebel by taking a cookie just like everyone else. I know the father meant well too, but you don’t have to be a parent to know that publicly embarrassing and humiliating your child is not a good thing to do. Remember, Jesus worked His first miracle, turning water into wine for no other reason than to save the host from public embarrassment. It would not have killed them to just drink water, but Jesus is a Savior from public humiliation and embarrassment. It is not one of His tools.
Not long after this, the father called me up and wanted me to lecture his son because he was becoming defiant. I came to their home as requested, but the talk did not actually go the way the father expected. The father was accusing the son of being disrespectful. With father and son both present, I asked the son about the beautiful tribute he gave to his father. Both agreed that was very nice and respectful. I then asked the son how he felt when later, his father publicly berated him for eating a cookie just like everyone else. He said it was very hurtful and you could see the hurt in his eyes as he said that. I shared Hosea 2:14 with them both and asked the father if he thought he could be a little more tender when correcting his son. I was not asking him to change his standards, just his approach. But I did share with the father that I was unaware of any Bible teaching against eating a cookie in church. Being a father is a very sacred calling, and I did not want to distract from that or appear to try to trump him. However I did encourage him to follow 2 Timothy 3:16 and be sure to correct his son according to Scripture.
Tears were in the son’s eyes by now as I explained to the father how much his son loved him, and how hurt he was, when publicly humiliated for doing something he thought was totally innocent, with no rebellious intentions. I assured the father that his son would not have written such a loving tribute if he did not deeply love and respect him. His son nodded in agreement with tears still in his eyes.
I thought the father was going to turn on me now for not ganging up with him on his side, but, instead, he actually thanked me! I know the father had a good heart and really cared about his children. Why else would his son write that no one reminded him more of Jesus than His father?
Parents, please be tender with your children. You may not think they love, appreciate and respect you, but at school and church I hear them say things you may never hear. I always tell kids, “Your parents love you more than you think they do,” and I say the same to parents. “Your children love you more than you think they do.” As a third party observer, I know this for a fact.
If you don’t want to take it from me, take it from God,
But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her there. Hosea 2:14 NLT
In Light of The Cross 
