Tag / Sabbath School lesson teaching plans

by In Light Of The Cross

3: The Lord Reigns-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, January 20, 2024.

Main Theme: The Lord’s sovereign rule thus renders the world firmly established and secure. The psalmists want the reader to understand this foundational truth. With this worldview as their lighthouse, the psalmists seek to thrive and to serve God with undivided devotion.

Read in Class: Psalm 97:1-12. Define the main point of this Psalm.

Study: What characterizes the Lord’s reign? What is the domain of His reign?

Apply: “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Psalms 97:10). Why should our love for God cause us to hate evil? How are these two concepts related?

Share: Your friend says Psalm 97:10 says the Lord delivers his saints out of the hands of the wicked. Yet so many innocent people have died in concentration camps and human trafficking. What good does that promise do them? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Psalm 75:1-10. Define the main idea of this Psalm.

Study:  Why is the boasting of the wicked in vain?

Apply: The Psalms call us to rejoice in anticipation of God’s judgments. (See Psalm 67:4, Psalm, 96:10-14, Psalm 98:4-9) How is God’s judgment good news for those covered by the blood of Christ?

Share: Your friend claims he never gets promoted at work because of all the corruption where he works. Company politics has everything rigged. How might Psalm 75:6-7 help you respond to your friend? What illustrations in the Bible can you find of godly people being promoted even in the most corrupt environments?

Read in Class: Psalm 94:14, Psalm 105:7-10, Daniel 7:22. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: The theme of God’s judgment prompts a significant question: How can God’s people have peace with God and assurance of salvation at the time of judgment?

Apply: What do we have in Jesus, which shows why these promises made to ancient Israel can now apply to us? See Galatians 3:26-29.

Share: Your friend says that the promises in the Old Testament were only given to the Jews. How do you answer your friend?

Read in Class: Psalm 19:7 and Psalm 119:165. What do these passages have in common?

Study: How is Satan’s attack on the law of God actually an attack on the kingdom of God? Why does Satan have to attack God’s law in order to reach his goal in in Isaiah 14:13-14? How do we know Satan will never reach his goal of reigning over the universe?

Apply: What are practical ways that keeping God’s laws and rules and testimonies have helped you in your life? On the other hand, what have you suffered from violating them?

Share: Your friend tells you the law of God was nailed to the cross and done away with. What do you tell your friend?

by In Light Of The Cross

9: Mission to the Powerful-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, Sabbath, Sabbath December 2, 2023.

Main Theme: God can and will use humble people to bring powerful people to Jesus.

Read in Class: Daniel 4:19-37. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What happened to the king here, and what does this tell us about salvation coming to one of the world’s most powerful men?

Apply: Even if we are not rich and powerful by the world’s standards, why must we be careful to avoid the kind of arrogance that this king had manifested? Why might that attitude be easier to have than we might think?

Share: Your friend says our political world is being so corrupt and polarized, there is no hope. Your friend says the leaders are so corrupt there is no hope for their eternal salvation. In light of Daniel 4, what do you say to your friend about the corrupt leaders today?

Read in Class: 2 Kings 5:1-19. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: What can we take from this story about reaching people for the Lord?

Apply: What lessons should we learn from this story about not pushing people too quickly, especially those who come from a non-­Christian background?

Share: Your friend says if she had been the servant girl, she would never had told Naaman about the prophet who could heal him. Instead she would pray he would die so she could escape and be free to go back home. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 3:1-12. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: What does this story reveal about Nicodemus’s spiritual needs and how Jesus addressed them right away?

Apply: Why must we be careful of the trap of thinking that because “we have the truth” (which we do), then the knowledge of this truth alone is enough to save us? How many souls will be lost who had more than enough knowledge, even of the three angels’ messages, to be saved?

Share: Your friend asks if you think Nicodemus ever heeded Jesus’ invitation to be born again? How might John 7:43-52 and John 19:39 help you answer your friend?

Read in Class: Matthew 19:16-22, Luke 19:1-10 and Mark 15:43-47. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: Talk about the contrasts between the stories in Matthew 19:16-22 and Luke 19:1-10. What do think made the differences? What does Mark 15:43-47 tell us about how God uses rich people?

Challenge: Add someone to your daily prayer list who is in a position of power, is not a believer, and is someone you could come in contact with from time to time. Remember Daniel 4. No one is so powerfully corrupt that they are beyond hope!

Challenge Up: Address a letter or email to someone in a position of power—even if it is someone you may never have met—and tell that person that you are praying for him or her.

by In Light Of The Cross

6: Motivation and Preparation for Mission-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School Class, November 11, 2023.

Main Theme: The Bible shares events and experiences in the early church that give us guidance as we prepare for mission.

Read in Class: Luke 24:36-49. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What happened here, and why was this such a pivotal experience for the apostles?

Apply: How well grounded are you in the prophecies that point to Christ, both His first and second comings? Especially in the last days, why must we be grounded in the Word of God, including the prophecies, and why is understanding them so crucial, especially for mission?

Share: A classmate in Sabbath School notices, that earlier in Luke 24 Jesus could have shown his scarred hands to the two on the road to Emmaus, but instead He just directed them to Scripture. Later Jesus lets everyone see his scars, handle Him and still led them into the Scriptures. Your friend asks, how much do we rely on signs, and what we see and feel, compared to how much we rely on Scripture alone? What do you tell your classmate?

Read in Class: Acts 1:12-26. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study:  What were the disciples, now numbering around 120 men and women, doing while they were waiting?

Apply: How can you learn to wait upon the Lord and not lose faith in the meantime? Meanwhile, while waiting, how can you best use your time, as the disciples did here?

Share: Your friend says casting lots sounds a lot like gambling. Can we really just pray and flip a quarter to see what God’s will is? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Acts 2:7-11 and 37-41. Define the main idea of these passages.

Study:  What happened to the disciples as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost?

Apply: Why should the idea that even some of those who were complicit in Christ’s death were offered salvation (1) encourage us for our own souls and (2) encourage us to witness to others, no matter how bad they may seem to be?

Share: Your friend says that our churches are not growing as fast as the early church grew. Your friend asks why we are not seeing more baptisms now? Do you agree with your friend or not? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Acts 2:41-47. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What kind of picture of the early church is present here?

Challenge: Think of someone in your life who you wish was a believer. Pray every day for him or her to have a personal experience with Jesus.

Challenge Up: Whom are you discipling and leading into a relationship with Jesus? Look for ways to bring him or her into fellow­ship with other believers.

by In Light Of The Cross

14: Ephesians in the Heart-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class on September 30, 2023.

Main Theme: Paul’s message is not just for the Ephesians but for believers all over the world.

Read in Class: Ephesians 1:4. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: If God chose us before the foundation of the world, what does that tell you about His foreknowledge?
Apply: How do you react to the thought that God not only knew you before you were born, but that He had chosen you to be saved and to live with Him throughout eternity?
Share: Your friend asks if Ephesians 1:4 teaches we are all predestined to be lost or saved with no choice of our own? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ephesians 3. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: Is it both exciting and important to be a part of God’s church? Why or why not?
Apply: What kinds of barriers between believers exist in our church that should not be there?
Share: Your friend asks how God has exceeded your expectations? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ephesians 4. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What things does Paul tell believers to stop doing, and what things does he tell believers to do?
Apply: What are ways that we can contribute to the unity of our church, both at the local and worldwide levels? Why is it important to do what we can?
Share: Your friend asks how she can know what her spiritual gifts are? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ephesians 5. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: How does Paul ask us to live out the gospel in our relationship with others?
Apply: How can we walk in love as imitators of God in our lives? What hindrances do we face in that kind of walk?
Share: What is your main take away from the book of Ephesians?

by In Light Of The Cross

9: Living Wisely-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School, August 26, 2023.

Main Theme: What the world considers wise God considers foolish, and what the world considers foolish God considers wise.

Read in Class: Ephesians 5:1-10. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: In what sense does Paul intend believers to be “imitators of God”?

Apply: In what ways are Paul’s words about sexual behavior applicable to your culture, wherever you live?

Share: Your friend says that the Bible teachings about premarital sex only applies to teenagers. He is a grown up so sex outside of marriage is okay. Plus his sex life is not the church’s business. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ephesians 5:11-14. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What powerful warning is Paul giving here, and how does this apply to our present situation?

Apply: How do you live the kind of lifestyle that can expose works of darkness for what they are?

Share: Your friend asks, “What does it mean to rise from the dead? How can dead people raise themselves back up?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ephesians 5:15-17. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: Consider Paul’s exhortations to live in a way that reflects prayerful, discerning wisdom. What is the difference between walking not as fools but “wise”?

Apply: How are we as a church and individuals “redeeming the time?” What does “redeeming the time” even mean to us?

Share: Your friend asks you how she is supposed to understand what God’s will is. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ephesians 5:18-20. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: In Ephesians 5:18-20, Paul imagines Christians gathered to worship. What does he depict them as doing in that worship?

Apply: How can you use music to enhance your own worship experience?

Share: Share with the class some things that you are thankful for right now.

by In Light Of The Cross

7: The Unified Body of Christ-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, August 12, 2023.

Main Theme: While are all different members, together we all contribute different talents and gifts in forming one church.

Read Together: Ephesians 4:1-16. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: How does Paul encourage believers to nurture the unity of the church?

Apply: Humility, gentleness, patience. Think about how these attributes would help unify us as a people. How do we learn to cultivate these virtues?

Share: Your friend asks you, if there is only one church does that mean the Adventist church is the only church there is, or does it mean that all the different denominations all make up one Christian church? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ephesians 4:11-13. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: Drawing on Psalm 68:18, Paul has just described the risen, exalted, conquering Jesus as giving gifts to His people from on high. What “gifts” does the exalted Jesus give, and for what purpose?

Apply: What gifts do you recognize that God has given you for building up His church? What gifts do you recognize in others, and how do you appreciate their contributions to the church?

Share: Your friend says he does not believe in the gift of prophecy because all we need is in the Bible. We don’t need modern day prophets or even Ellen White. How might Ephesians 4:11-13 help you answer your friend? See also The Gift of Prophecy in Light of the Cross.

Read in Class: Ephesians 4:14. Define the main theme of this passage.

Study: What danger threatens the Christlike maturity of the church?

Apply: In what ways might you feel like you are still a child? In what ways do you feel like you have matured as a Christian?

Share: Your friend says that Jesus tells us we must enter the kingdom of heaven as a child. So why is Paul telling us not to be children anymore? What do you tell your friend? See also Grace Helps us Grow up.

Read in Class: Ephesians 4:15-16. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: In what ways does a healthy church function like a healthy body?

Apply:  How can we get every member to use their gifts and talents to increase the body and make it healthier?

Share: Can you think of someone who has been working hard helping out at the church lately? Can you speak a word of appreciation and encouragement to them or even send them a nice card this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

12: The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast Part 2-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, June 17,2023.

Main Theme: We all have to make a choice for or against God.

Read in Class: Revelation 13:5, Revelation 12:6,14 and Daniel 7:25. Define the common threads of this passage.

Study: How long was this power to rule through previous centuries?
(Note: 42 months; a time, times, and half a time; and 1,260 days is the same 1,260 years from 538AD with Justinian’s Code to 1798AD with Berthier marching into Rome and putting the pope in prison.)

Apply: Think about how amazing biblical prophecy is and how it reveals to us God’s knowledge of future events. What should this fact teach us about why we can trust the Lord’s promises, even the ones we don’t yet see fulfilled?

Share: Your friend says the 1260 days are still in the future and do not have anything to do with the papacy. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-12. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What does Paul predict about the last days? What identifying marks does he give for the beast, the antichrist power?

Apply: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12, NKJV). How must we apply this principle in dealing with the theme of the beast powers in Revelation 13 and 14?

Share: Your friend says, “1 John 2:18 says there are many antichrists. If there are many antichrists who are they? Hint: Could you be an Antichrist?

Read in Class: Revelation 17:12-14. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: How does John describe these final scenes of earth’s history? What powerful contrast is seen here?

Apply: How do make sure we are not unwittingly at war with the Lamb?

Share: Your friend asks, “Why does the Lamb have to conquer all the other powers? Why can’t we just all peacefully coexist? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Revelation 14:9-12. Define the main idead of this passage.

Study: Where is the mark of the beast placed? (See Deut. 6:8, Deut. 11:18). What two characteristics contrast God’s people from those who receive the mark of the beast?

Apply: In what ways has humanity always been divided along the lines of being on either God’s side or on Satan’s? Why can there be no middle ground? How can we know, for sure, just whose side we really are on?

Share: You friend says that she heard someone say that the third angel’s message in Revelation 14:9-12 is all about righteousness by faith. How so? What do you tell your friend?

by In Light Of The Cross

10: Satan’s Final Deceptions-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, June 3, 2023.

Maine Theme: The Scriptures keep us safe from Satan’s final deceptions.

Read in Class: Ecclesiastes 9:5, Job 19:25-27, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, Revelation 14:13. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: What clear instruction did God give His people about life after death, and where do we find our hope?

Apply: What examples of modern spiritualism exist in your culture today? Why is firm adherence to the Word of God our only protection?

Share: Your friend tells you he believes when you die you go straight to heaven, because years ago when he was on the operating table he temporarily died and saw a bright light which he believes was heaven. It was very real and he personally experienced it. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ezekiel 8:16 and 2 Kings 23:5, 11. Define the main idea of these passages.

Study: What did the prophets write about the influence of sun worship in Israel and Judah? (See also Rom. 1:25).

Apply: Look around at how prevalent Sunday worship is in Christian churches. What should this fact teach us about how pervasive Satan’s deceptions are? Again, as with the state of the dead, what is our only safeguard?

Share: Your friend says his pastor says we don’t have to worry about keeping the Sabbath because in the New Testament we have grace. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Ezekiel 20:1-20. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What is the gist of Ezekiel’s message here, and how does the Sabbath fit in with this call to faithfulness?

Apply: What lessons can we take away for ourselves from what has been written in Ezekiel 20:1-20? (See also 1 Cor. 10:11).

Share: Your friend says that Sunday worship and the immortality of the soul could not possibly be wrong since so many Christians around the world adhere to these doctrines. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Revelation 18:4-5. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What is God’s appeal to multitudes still in fallen religious organizations?

Apply: See Matthew 15:3, 8-9. How do we keep ourselves safe from false theology and practices?

Share: Can you think of someone who would be encouraged by something in this week’s study? How can you plan to share it with them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

8: The Sabbath at the end-Sabbath School lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class on May 20, 2023.

Main Theme: The Sabbath is an everlasting sign that God is our Creator and Redeemer.

Read in Class: Revelation 14:7, Romans 14:10 and James 2:8-13. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: What does judgment imply about issues such as accountability and responsibility? How are the judgment, the commandments of God, and worship linked?

Apply: How does our understanding of Creation influence our behavior? What relationship does heredity and environment have to the choices we make daily? How can we, by God’s grace, overcome character defects that we didn’t choose to have in the first place?

Share: Your friend says that all religions are made up by man as a way to manipulate and control others. The Bible is not real. Religious leaders just made it all up as a way to use guilt and some make believe heaven as a way to manipulate and control people. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: Why would you connect Sabbath worship with this call in Revelation 14:6,7 to worship Him who made the heavens, earth, and everything in them? Also how is the Sabbath linked to both creation and redemption? See Twice Mine.

Apply: How is the Sabbath commandment hinted at in Revelation 14:6, 7, and why is it important to our end-time message? (See Exod. 20:8-11).

Share: Your friend asks why Seventh-day Adventists make such a big deal about the Sabbath? And what’s the big deal if we keep Saturday or Sunday? What do you tell your friend? See Why Does it Matter Which Day we Keep.

Read in Class: Psalm 33:6,9 and Hebrews 11:3. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: What do these clear Bible passages tell us about how God created the world?

Apply:  What significance would the Sabbath have if God did not create the world in six twenty-four hour periods of time? Can one be an evolutionary Creationist and a Seventh-day Adventist? 

Share: Your friend asks if the world was created in six literal days or if it could have been a thousand years for each day? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1. Define the common thread of these passages.

Study: How does keeping the Sabbath point us forward to eternity?

Apply: How can you personally make the Sabbath a foretaste of heaven in your own life and your family?

Share: Can you think of someone you know who you could invite to church next week and spend the entire Sabbath with so you can share the joy of Sabbath keeping?

by In Light Of The Cross

5: The Good News of the Judgment-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class April 29, 2023.

Main Theme: God is the Judge whom we must all answer to.

Read in Class: Revelation 20:12. Discuss the main idea of this text.

Study: What does the everlasting gospel have to do with God’s judgment?

Apply: What is the meaning and purpose of the judgment? 

Share: Your friend says that the wicked will be judged, but the righteous will not need to be judged. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 26-27. Discuss the main idea of these passages.

Study: What did Daniel see? What is the result of the final judgment?

Apply: Why is the judgment good news and not bad news? 

Share: Your friend asks why we are judged by our works if we are saved by grace? What do you tell your friend? Hint: See Saved by Faith, Rewarded for Being Faithful.

Read in Class: Revelation 5:8-12. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: How does God’s judgment reveal the character of God?

Apply: How does the knowledge that the hour of God’s judgment has come affect our daily lives? How can we make sure it does? 

Share: Your friend says that God’s character is being judged in the judgment. Is your friend right? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Revelation 4:2-4. Discuss the main idea of this passage.

Study: Who are the 24 elders seated before the throne and what do the crowns on their heads represent?

Apply: If someone asked you if you thought you would be present for your case in the heavenly court, how would you respond to them?

Share: Can you think of someone who you can share the good news about the judgment with this week?