Tag / Teaching adult Sabbath School class

by In Light Of The Cross

13: Choose This Day!-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, 27 December 2025.

Central Theme: Joshua is close to the end of his life; no replacement is on the horizon. The covenant renewal is a reminder to Israel that their king is Yahweh Himself and that, if they remain loyal to Him, they will enjoy His protection. Israel does not need a human king. As a theocratic nation, they have to always keep in mind that their only king is the Lord.

Read in Class: Joshua 24:2-13. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study:  What is the main thrust of God’s message to Israel?

Apply: What are ways in which we can, as a church, have a better sense of corporate responsibility—that is, grasp the idea that what we do impacts everyone in the church?

Share: Your friend says that Joshua 24:13 shows the people did not build the cities they lived in or plant the vineyards they ate from. However, your friend says that since he has worked hard to buy his home and put food on his family’s table, he does not feel that God’s grace has given him these things; instead, they are the result of his hard work. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 24:14-15. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What did Joshua appeal to the Israelites to do?

Apply: What does it mean to you to serve the Lord “in sincerity” and “in truth”? What are some of the distracting factors in your life that prevent your full devotion to God?

Share: Your friend asks, “What are some idols in our culture we need to put away?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 24:16-21. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What was Israel’s response to Joshua’s appeal? Why do you think Joshua reacted to their answer in the way he did?

Apply: Knowing our own weaknesses, what are some practical ways that you rely on God during the day to serve God?

Share: Your friend says we can serve God by trusting His promises rather than making our own. What do you tell your friend? What part might we play besides just trusting God’s promises? See 2 Peter 1:4.

Read in Class: Joshua 24:22-33. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study: Why would Joshua need to repeat his appeal to the Israelites to get rid of their idols? How are these words not only looking back to Joshua’s life but also looking forward to the future?

Apply: Joshua, like Paul, “fought the good fight” (2 Tim. 4:7, NKJV). What was the key to Joshua’s success? What decisions do you need to make today to finish with the same assurance of salvation?

Share: What are your key takeaways from this quarter’s lesson?

by In Light Of The Cross

12: God is Faithful-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School Class, December 20, 2025.

Central Theme: This week, we will study together the first speech of Joshua, in which he glances back at Israel’s victories while at the same time tracing the path to future success

Read in Class: Joshua 21:43-45 and 2 Timothy 2:11-13.

Study: What picture do these passages paint of God? How do these words apply not only to the historical Promised Land but also to the reality of our salvation

Apply: How does God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises give us confidence that none of His promises for the future will fail? (See 1 Cor. 10:13, 2 Cor. 1:18-20.)

Share: Your friend says that she prayed for God to save her mother from a deadly disease, but her mother still died, so now she does not believe God is faithful. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 23:1-13.

Study: What are the primary focal points of Joshua’s introduction? Why do you think Joshua took such a strong position concerning Israel’s relations with the surrounding nations?

Apply: What are the similarities between how the Israelites conquered Canaan under Joshua’s leadership and the way Christians today can live a victorious spiritual life? Read Josh. 23:10, Col. 2:15, 2 Cor. 10:3-5, Eph. 6:11-18.

Share: Your friend states, “Joshua’s warning against harmful associations inevitably leads to the question of the Christian’s relationship to the world. How can we find a balanced relationship with the society that surrounds us?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 23:15-16.

Study: How should we interpret the descriptions of God’s wrath and retributive justice in Joshua (Josh. 23:15-16) and elsewhere in Scripture? (See also Num. 11:33; 2 Chron. 36:16; Rev. 14:10, 19; Rev. 15:1.)

Apply: We are motivated to love and obey God because he first loved us. See 2 Corinthians 5:14 and 1 John 4:19. What place does the fear of God’s wrath play in our lives, if any?

Share: Your friend says it seems like the wicked get away with everything. Where is God’s wrath on the wicked today? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Deuteronomy 6:5 and Joshua 23:11.

Study: Love cannot be forced; otherwise, it will cease to be what it essentially is. Yet in what sense can love be commanded?

Apply: Jesus gave a new commandment to His disciples. In what sense was this commandment new and old at the same time? Read John 13:34, John 15:17, and 1 John 3:11; compare with Lev. 19:18.

Share: Your friend says he has trust issues when it comes to clinging to God with all of his heart. What do you tell your friend?

by In Light Of The Cross

11: Living in the Land-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared for Sabbath School class on December 13, 2025.

Central Theme: Why is it dangerous to jump to a rash conclusion about the behavior of others? How can we foster unity in the church? Why is it important to keep in mind the larger scope of our calling and not get caught up in distractions? These are some of the questions we will address this week.

Read in Class: Joshua 22:5-20. Ask the class to summarise this passage.

Study: What accusations do the West Jordan tribes level against the East Jordan tribes? To what extent were these accusations well-founded? For ideas, see Deuteronomy 12.

Apply:  Read Luke 6:37, John 7:24, 1 Cor. 4:5. Why is it so easy to jump to wrong conclusions about the motives of others? How did Jesus and Paul teach us to avoid jumping to incorrect conclusions?

Share: Your friend says a group from her Seventh-day Adventist church has started its own home church. They teach the Bible just like the church does, but your friend says this is wrong, because we should only be worshiping at official Adventist churches. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Numbers 25:5-11 and Joshua 22:13-15.

Study: Why do the Israelites choose Phinehas as the head of the delegation to the two-and-a-half tribes?

Apply: We all have negative experiences from the past that shape how we deal with similar incidents in the future. How can God’s grace help to ensure that the tragedies of our past do not determine the way we treat our neighbors in the present?

Share: Your friend points out that in the story in Daniel 3, even a pagan king had enough common sense to ask those accused if the accusation was true. Your friend asks you how Matthew 18:15-20 can help us to mediate fairly when disputes arise. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 22:21-29 and Proverbs 15:1.

Study: What can we learn from the answer of the eastern tribes?

Apply: How do you handle false accusations? Share some of the principles that guide your attitude. For inspiration, see Psalm 37:3-6, 34, 37.

Share: Your friend says it is better not to defend yourself against false accusations because defending yourself only gives the accusation merit. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 22:30-34.

Study: How does this entire incident give us some insights into conflict resolution and ways of ensuring the unity of the church? (Compare with Psalm 133; John 17:20-23; 1 Pet. 3:8-9.)

Apply: Without betraying any confidences, can you share how Bible counsel has helped you to peacefully resolve conflicts in the past?

Share: Can you think of someone you have jumped to conclusions and misjudged in the past? If you have not already made things right with them, how can you make things right with them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

9: Heirs of Promises: Prisoners of Hope-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, 29 November 2025.

Central Theme: This week, we will examine theological concepts related to the Promised Land and their spiritual implications for those who claim all the promises found in Jesus.

Read in Class: Exodus 3:8, Leviticus 20:22, Leviticus 25:23, and Numbers 13:27.

Study: What was the special relationship between God, Israel, and the Promised Land?

Apply: In the light of 1 Peter 2:11 and Hebrews 11:9-13, what does it mean to you personally to live as a stranger and sojourner looking forward to the city whose designer and builder is God Himself?

Share: Your friend asks what it means to be an heir of a promise. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 13:1-7. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: Even though the land of Canaan was a gift from God, what were some of the challenges that came with possessing it?

Apply: How do Christians today encounter similar challenges to those related to occupying the Promised Land? See Phil. 2:12, Heb. 12:28.

Share: Your friend says that when she was younger, she believed with all her heart that Jesus was coming soon and one day she would receive the promise of having eternal life on the New Earth. But decades later, she is now wondering if it is all just make-believe. Jesus hasn’t come yet, and she wonders whether she can still trust the Bible’s promises about the second coming and the new earth. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Leviticus 25:1-5, Leviticus 25:8-13. Ask the class to identify the main idea of these passages.

Study: What was the purpose of the Sabbatical year and of the Year of Jubilee?

Apply: How can the principles of the Israelite land allotment and the Sabbath remind us that, in God’s eyes, we are all equal? How can the Sabbath help us say “no” to the exploitive, vicious cycles of consumerism that plague many societies?

Share: your friend says we should be just as gracious with others as God has been generous with us, and yet we have to be practical too. You can’t make a profit in business by being generous to everyone. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Jeremiah 24:6, Jeremiah 31:16, and Ezekiel 11:17.

Study: What was the promise of God concerning the return of Israel to the Promised Land, and how was it fulfilled?

Apply: Read John 14:1-3, Titus 2:13, and Revelation 21:1-3. What ultimate hope is found for us here in these verses, and why does the death of Jesus guarantee us the fulfillment of this hope?

Share: Can you think of a friend who would be encouraged by some of the Scripture we studied this week? Can you reach out to them and share these wonderful promises?

by In Light Of The Cross

8: Giants of Faith: Joshua and Caleb-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class on November 22, 2025.

Central Theme: This lesson takes a deeper look into the personal examples of two giants of faith in the book of Joshua: Caleb and Joshua. What is it that made them stand out in their generation and play a key role in the life of God’s people during one of the most crucial periods of Israel’s history?

Read in Class: Numbers 13:30-32 and Joshua 14:14. Ask the class to identify the main idea of these passages.

Study: What do these passages tell us about Caleb?

Apply: Read Numbers 14:6-10, 21-25. What do you learn from Caleb about standing for what is right even when threatened with death?

Share: Your friend on the church board tells you he always votes with the majority because he wants to be easy to get along with and not ruffle any feathers. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 15:16-19, Judges 1:13, and Judges 3:7-11.

Study: What does this story tell you about the power of example? How is Caleb’s attitude being reproduced in the younger generation?

Apply: Passing on the torch of faith to the next generation is crucial to the fulfillment of the mission God has entrusted to us. Think about the challenges of passing on faith to the next generation, on the one hand, and about the opportunities for young people to assume more responsibility in the work of God, on the other. What can we do to facilitate and train youth to assume godly leadership? How crucial is our example in this process?

Share: Your friend asks you who some of the people are who have influenced you the most in life, and how their influence helped you. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 19:49-51. Ask the class to share the main idea of this passage.

Study: What are the implications of the fact that the great leader of Israel, who apportioned the land, received his inheritance last?

Apply: What lessons can you draw for yourself regarding Joshua’s attitude? How might you apply it to yourself now?

Share: Your friend asks, What examples of great faith and leadership have you seen in your church community. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Read in Class: Hebrews 12:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Study: How does focusing on Jesus’ life and the faith of others around us change us?

Apply: Read Romans 12:1-2. How can we make sure we are not being influenced by the world?

Share: Can you think of someone who said or did something that later influenced you to make the right choice? Can you reach out to that person and affirm them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

5: God Fights For You-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class on November 1, 2025.

Main Theme: We will explore the purpose of divine wars and discover the peace and restoration God intends them to bring.

Read in Class: Genesis 18:25, Psalm 7:11, Psalm 50:6, and 2 Timothy 4:1. Ask the class to identify the common thread of these passages.

Study: What are these verses saying about God’s moral character? How does the role of God as the Judge of the universe help us understand the question of divine war?

Apply: How is a God who will not endlessly tolerate sin, oppression, the suffering of the innocent, and the exploitation of the oppressed part and parcel of the gospel?

Share: Your friend says that many of us find comfort in the fact that God knows our hearts. But if God knows our hearts, doesn’t He also know the selfish intentions of our hearts as well as the good intentions? If He knows when we are doing our best, doesn’t He also know when we are not doing our best? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Exodus 23:28-30, Numbers 33:52, and Deuteronomy 7:20. Ask the class to find the common thread of these passages.

Study: What do these texts reveal about the purpose of the conquest and the extent of the destruction?

Apply: What elements in your own character and habits must be uprooted and annihilated?

Share: Your friend says that many today preach about the love and forgiveness of God, but not about his wrath. Should we also preach about the wrath of God? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Deuteronomy 13:12-18, Deuteronomy 20:10, 15-18, and Joshua 10:40. Ask the class to identify the main idea of these passages.

Study: How does the law of warfare and the procedure against an idolatrous town in Israel, expressed in Deuteronomy, help us understand the limitations of total destruction in the war that the Israelites were engaged in?

Apply: What are the spiritual implications of the Canaanites’ defiance of God for our context today? That is, what are the consequences of our free choices for us personally?

Share: Your friend asks how she can be peaceful towards people who are hostile towards her. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Isaiah 60:17, Hosea 2:18, and Micah 4:3. Ask the class to identify the common thread of these passages.

Study: How do these passages describe the future God desires for His people?

Apply: Think about all the ways we can, by seeking to emulate Jesus, be agents of peace. What about your own life right now? In what ways, in whatever conflict you might be facing, could you be an agent of peace instead of conflict?

Share: Read 2 Kings 6:16-23. Is there a friend you can pray for God to open their eyes, so they can see the goodness of God and the purpose He has for their lives?

by In Light Of The Cross

4: The Conflict Behind All Conflicts-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, October 25, 2025.

Main Theme: The next two weeks will explore the problematic question of divinely commanded wars in the book of Joshua and elsewhere.

Read in Class: Revelation 12:7-9 and Isaiah 14:12-14. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: As we study the book of Joshua, we see that Joshua understood his battles were part of a larger conflict. What do we understand about the battles that involved God Himself?

Apply: What are ways we see, in the world around us and in our own lives, the reality of this cosmic battle between good and evil?

Share: Your friend asks, Why would God command Joshua to fight in wars with physical violence? Wasn’t the war in heaven just a “spiritual war?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 5:13-15, Nehemiah 9:6, and Isaiah 37:16. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: What do you learn about the identity of the commander of the Lord’s army?

Apply: What comfort can, and should, we draw from knowing that the “Commander of the army of the LORD” is at work in defense of His people?

Share: Your friend asks, How do we know the commander of the Lord’s army is Jesus? I thought it was Michael who was an angel? What do you tell your friend? Hint: See Michael My Savior.

Read in Class: Exodus 14:13-14, 25. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What was God’s original and ideal plan concerning the involvement of the Israelites in warfare?

Apply: “If the children of Israel had not murmured against the Lord, He would not have suffered their enemies to make war with them.”—Ellen G. White, The Story of Redemption, p. 134. How might murmurings impact our lives today?

Share: Your friend asks if it is murmuring and complaining against God when we complain about conference leaders or local church leaders. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Exodus 17:7-13 and Joshua 6:15-20. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: What similarities do you find between these two war narratives? How do they differ?

Apply: Many times we want to see who’s on our side in a disagreement, but how can we stand still and wait for the Lord to fight for us in our spiritual battles? 

Share: Can you think of someone who is in the middle of a spiritual battle right now? Can you take some time to intercede and pray for them right now?

by In Light Of The Cross

3: Memorials of Grace-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School Class, October 18, 2025.

Main Theme: Memorials reminding us what God has already done for us give us faith and hope for the future.

Read in Class: Joshua 3:1-5 and Numbers 14:41-44. Ask the class to share the main idea of these passages.

Study: Why did God ask the Israelites to specially prepare for what was about to happen?

Apply: God does not always part the Jordan. His interventions are not always so obvious. How do you think we can develop the spiritual preparedness to experience and discern God’s interventions on our behalf?

Share: Your friend asks why God doesn’t perform amazing miracles anymore, like He did in Moses and Joshua’s day. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 3:6-17. Ask the class to identify the primary meaning of this passage.

Study: What does the miraculous crossing of the Jordan tell us about the nature of the God whom we serve?

Apply: Read Luke 18:18-27. How does Jesus’ answer to His disciples encourage you to trust God with what seems impossible?

Share: Your friend asks you if you have ever seen God do anything in your life or the life of anyone you know that seemed impossible. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 4. Ask the class to identify the primary meaning of this passage.

Study: Why did God ask the Israelites to build a memorial?

Apply: Read Psalm 45:17. What are some of the memorials, personal memorials, from your own walk with the Lord that help you remember what He has done for you? Why are these memorials so important?

Share: Your friend points out that despite God performing many amazing miracles for the children of Israel, they still complained and panicked whenever a new crisis arose. Your friend asks, What could have kept them from panicking all the time? What keeps you from panicking when a crisis occurs? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 14:26 and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. Ask the class to identify the primary idea of these passages.

Study: Why must we always remember what Christ did for us? What else really matters without it?

Apply: Though it is important to remember the past and how the Lord has worked in your life, why must you day by day have an experience with Him and the reality of His love and presence now?

Share: Can you think of someone who would be encouraged by your testimony about something amazing God has done to help you? Can you reach out to this person this week and share?

by In Light Of The Cross

2: Surprised by Grace-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, 11 October 2025.

Main Theme: We explore two of the most fascinating stories of the book of Joshua and discover their relevance to our faith today. God’s grace has infinite possibilities to surprise us.

Read in Class: Joshua 2:1, Numbers 13:1-2, 25-28, 33, And Numbers 14:1-12.

Study: Why would Joshua start the mission of conquering the Promised Land by sending out spies?

Apply: Read John 18:25-27 and John 21:15-19. What parallels do you discover between the second chance given to Israel as a nation and to Peter as a person? When has God given you a second chance, and how did you react?

Share: Your friend asks, since God gave Israel and Peter second chances, does that mean we have to give everyone a second chance? Where do we draw the line between how many times we give someone another chance and who we give second chances to? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 2:2-11, Hebrews 11:31, and James 2:25. Ask the class to identify the main idea of these passages.

Study: What do these passages tell us about Rahab and God’s grace towards Rahab?

Apply: What does this story teach us about how God must have our ultimate allegiance?

Share: Your friend asks, Why did God honor Rahab’s faith when she lied to the men searching for the spies. Did he reward her for lying? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 2:12-21, Exodus 12:13, 22-23. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: How do the texts in Exodus help you understand the agreement between the spies and Rahab?

Apply: What powerful gospel message can we find in these two stories? What gospel lessons can we take from them?

Share: Your friend asks, if God saved Rahab, who was a prostitute, will He save prostitutes and even their customers today? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 9:3-4, 9-27. Ask the class to share the main idea of this passage.

Study: What are the similarities and differences between the story of Rahab and that of the Gibeonites? Why are they meaningful?

Apply: How did Joshua apply both grace and mercy to the Gibeonites?

Share: Can you think of someone who has disappointed you that you may need to give a second chance? Could you please reach out to them this week?

by In Light Of The Cross

1: Recipe for Success-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for the Sabbath School Class, 4 October 2025.

Main Theme: Let’s study the way God opened up a new chapter in Israel’s life and how He can do the same in ours, as well.

Read in Class: Deuteronomy 18:15-22 and Joshua 1:1-9. Ask the class to find the common thread in these passages.

Study: Why is it significant that the book of Joshua starts by echoing a promise related to what would happen after the death of Moses?

Apply: Throughout the ages, God has called men and women to lead His people. Why is it crucial to remember who the true, invisible leader of the church is?

Share: Your friend asks you if you have ever had to fill someone else’s shoes like Joshua did in replacing Moses. If so, when, and how did God help you?

Read in Class: Joshua 1:4-6 and Hebrews 6:17-18. Ask the class to identify the common thread of these passages.

Study: At that moment, the Promised Land was exactly that, a promise. Yet, God calls it an inheritance. What does it mean to be the heirs of God’s promises?

Apply: Read Matthew 28:19-20. As the Lord promised to be with Joshua on his mission, Jesus promises to be with us on our mission. Why is this reassurance so crucial to the success of our mission?

Share: Your friend asks if there are any stories in the Bible where God was not with His people, and if so, why was He not with them. What was the outcome in those stories? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 1:7-9 and Ephesians 6:10-18. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: Why did the Lord need to emphasize twice to Joshua that he had to be strong and courageous?

Apply: How can we apply the words of encouragement given to Joshua and to the Ephesians in our daily spiritual struggles?

Share: Your friend asks, How can we stay true to what the Word of God says even when it is unpopular or inconvenient to do so? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Joshua 1:7-9, Genesis 24:40, Isaiah 53:10, and Psalm 1:1-3. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: Based on these texts, what does it mean to be prosperous and successful?

Apply: According to Romans 3:31, what crucial ingredient do we need to apply to our lives to keep from departing from the law?

Share: Your friend asks you how you meditate on the book of the law day and night, and how it has contributed to your success. What do you tell your friend?