Bible Study - Sabbath School Podcast

Bring Them Back We’ve all had weak or wavering moments in our walk with God--the valleys where our heart has been unfaithful or where we’ve merely been lukewarm for too long. What was it that brought you back into an abiding relationship with Him? Zechariah 10  shares some beautiful messages about God bringing His people back to Him. Read this chapter now slowly and take note of the main messages....

A Wandering Child Many know firsthand the pain and heartache of having a child who--despite the strong, spiritual home they were raised in--has chosen to walk away from a relationship with the Lord. Ephraim, as part of God’s chosen nation, strayed from the Lord. What do  Hosea 4:17  and  Hosea 7  tell us about the sins of Ephraim? Furthermore, we read that Rachel, the grandmother of Ephraim, metap...

Tips for Sharing Jesus The question for each of us is: Whom are you sharing Jesus with--the postal carrier, a store clerk, someone you see daily when you’re out walking? God calls every believer to help Him with this work, and He promises to give you “the tongue of the learned, that [you] should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary” ( Isa. 50:4 , NKJV). It is also the duty of the...

Unforced but With Power Have you ever wondered how Jesus maintained the motivation to labor, heal, comfort, preach, and teach so many people day after day? We’re told that “when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” ( Matt. 9:36 , NKJV). It was Jesus’ love and compassion toward humankind that drove His la...

Out of the Overflow Read the Great Commission in  Matthew 28:18-20 . Write down the different messages of Jesus when He says “all” or “always” (which in Greek is the same word,  pas). Jesus gave us a mandate to share His message with the world: “Go therefore and make disciples.” The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to make disciples, who can then make other disciples. That way we are...

Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study:   Matt. 28:18-20, 2 Pet. 3:18, 1 Pet. 3:8-15, Hosea 7, Zechariah 10 Memory Text:  “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned” ( Isaiah 50:4 , NKJV). It was a busy Sabbath morning for Pastor G. He ha...

Further Thought:   It’s when we face life’s challenges that we most need to cling to God. The topics we’ve explored throughout this quarter all contribute to keeping or refreshing a strong walk with God. When you face a setback such as a health challenge, financial difficulties, a marriage breakdown, the death of someone close to you, or another burden that robs you of joy, consider the following...

See Jesus Have you ever wished you could see Jesus when you feel discouraged? Picture yourself in this dream. “I seemed to be sitting in abject despair, with my face in my hands, reflecting like this: If Jesus were upon earth, I would go to Him, throw myself at His feet, and tell Him all my sufferings. He would not turn away from me, He would have mercy upon me, and I should love and serve Him alw...

The Road to Emmaus It had been an intense few weeks for the two disciples as they replayed in their minds some of the events and conversations they had experienced. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the clearing of the temple. The Passover in the upper room. Jesus’ prayers in Gethsemane. Judas’ ugly betrayal. The trial, the mocking, the beating. Jesus’ bruised body hanging on a cross and His...

Job When we think of setbacks in the Bible, Job is perhaps the person who first comes to mind. Not only did he lose all his wealth ( Job 1:14-17 ), but he also lost his children ( Job 1:18-19 ) and his health ( Job 2:7 ). His wife then tried to convince him to curse God and die ( Job 2:9 ). After some time, three friends came to sit with Job. They were so shocked at his appearance that they sat wi...

Be Made Well Imagine the throng of people on the shore of Galilee. They’ve been waiting for Jesus’ return since early morning, and as He steps from the boat, they press close around Him, following Him into the village of Capernaum. Suddenly, Jairus, ruler of the synagogue, appears and begs Jesus to come to make his daughter well. One of the people in the crowd is a woman who has been unwell for ma...

Life’s Storms Jesus had spent the day speaking to large crowds of people on the shores of Galilee. Jesus’ words would echo in the people’s minds for a long time and down throughout eternity. As evening fell, Jesus spoke to His disciples, inviting them on a journey with Him. “Let us cross over to the other side” ( Mark 4:35 , NKJV). Jesus knew a storm would come but suggested they go anyway. He had...

Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study:   Mark 4:35-41; Mark 5:21-34; Rom. 5:3-5; Job 19:23-27; Job 23:8-12; Luke 24:13-27; Rom. 8:18, 28 Memory Text:  “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts b...

Further Thought:  The Bible often uses agricultural metaphors to describe our spiritual condition.  Hosea 10:12  is one example that captures what we have discussed this week: “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (NKJV). We sow, reap, break up the hard soil, and seek God to come...

The Most Expensive Robe Nice clothing too often defines the rich by worldly standards. Some people say, “I dress this way to express who I am.” But in heaven, everything other than our relationships will fade away ( Matt. 6:19-21 , NKJV). Our personal identity should be wrapped up in Jesus and His perfect robe of righteousness. Read  the parable in  Matthew 22:1-14  that Jesus told to explain this...

Sufficient Grace When we feel the weight of our sin and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to the foot of the cross, we should ask for God’s forgiveness, knowing that “the LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” ( Ps. 103:8 , NKJV). This same verse was spoken by God Himself ( Exod. 34:6 ) after His chosen nation had grieved Him. Read  Exodus 34:1-10 . What crucial truth...

Real Repentance The secular world bombards us with messages of independence, indulgence, and self-promotion--the opposite of the principles of God’s kingdom. Interestingly, the first words recorded in the Bible by John the Baptist and Jesus were similar. John said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ( Matt. 3:1-2 , NKJV). Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is a...

Holy Spirit Promptings As he thought about the distance between himself and his wife, he knew that he had been wrong. He’d been unkind and harsh and had said some things he’d regretted. Yet his next thought was  Didn’t she deserve it, even a little bit? Is this thought process familiar to you? It’s easy to flip from a sense of remorse to a justification of our thoughts and actions. It’s not always...

The Rush of Life It had been a very busy week. Although she knew there was a lot to be done before Sabbath, the urgent seemed to consume the important, and before she knew it, the sun had gone down. The family shared a special Friday night meal and worship together. But when Sabbath morning came and she woke up early, she couldn’t help noticing the dirty bathroom, which she wiped down. Then she sa...

Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Isa. 61:10; Hosea 6; Acts 3:18-19; Exod. 34:1-10; Rom. 6:23; Matt. 22:1-14 Memory Text: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV). The Promised Land seemed so far away to the Israelites, who camped beneath the pillar of cloud on the plain. Moses had ascended in...

Further Thought:  It shouldn’t surprise us that the topic of the law can be such a twisted and misunderstood one, given that Satan’s ultimate challenge against God was about His law. Some in Jesus’ day thought that He had come to do away with the law, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Jesus shone light on the law and God’s beautiful character and came to fulfill it ( Matt. 5:17-1...

Knowing and Doing In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks a lot about relationship--with Him and with each other. He says something very poignant toward the end of His message: “Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” ( Matt. 7:21 , NKJV). Jesus explains that some will call out to Him and clearly know  about  Hi...

The Law and the Gospel Jesus Himself explained very powerfully and succinctly what His relationship to the law was. In  Matthew 5:17-18 , what did Jesus say about the law? In a similar way to how parents’ boundaries for their child reveal what they value, God’s law tells us about His character and what is important to Him. God gave us His law to protect our relationship with Him and with each othe...

The Law How  would you define and describe sin to a non-Christian? How does the Bible describe sin? Read  Romans 3:20 , and  1 John 3:4 . Sin is a transgression of God’s law ( 1 John 3:4 ), and sin is also wrapped up in our natures ( Ps. 51:5 ,  Jer. 17:9 ). So, it’s the law that brings to light what sin really is. The law is like putting on a pair of glasses so we can clearly see what’s really ar...

Strongholds in My Relationship With God There are many messages in the Bible that speak about our relationship with God and the barriers that prevent us from growing in Christ. Consider these words from Paul and Jesus: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”  ( 1 Cor. 10:12 , NKJV). Like Samson, self-reliance will bring you down. “ Do not sound a trumpet before you as the h...