Sabbath School 2023

January
🗓️ January 7, 2023 - Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. Hebrews 13:9 - Carried Away

🗓️ January 14th - . . . He nourished him with honey from the rock . . . Deuteronomy 32:13 - Honey From the Rock

🗓️ January 21st - Today. . .a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 - A Son is Given

🗓️ January 28th - And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 - Jesus as a Child

February
🥿February 4th - This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17 (KJV) - This is My Son

👟February 11th - It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” Luke 4:4 (KJV) - Three Choices

👢February 18th - Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 - Come, Follow Me

🥾February 25th - God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 - A Hungry Crowd

March
🐾 March 4th - No Sabbath school scheduled

🐾 March 11th - “Be brave! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (NIrV). - Matthew 14:27 - Jesus Walks on Water

🐾 March 18th - “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (ASV). - Mark 2:27 - A Very Special Day

🐾 March 25th - “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away” (NIrV). - Mark 10:14 - Bring Them To Me

April

🐑 Sabbath, April 1st - Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. Exodus 9:13 - Let My People Go

🐑 Thursday, April 6th - Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread. Exodus 12:20 - Let's Be Unleavened

🐑 Sabbath, April 8th - You shall count off seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath. . . . Leviticus 23:15 - Counting

🐑 Wednesday, April 12th - Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven . . . Psalm 32:1 - How, Then, Shall We Live

🐑 Sabbath, April 15th - Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. Luke 10:27 ((NIrV)) - Who Is My Neighbor?

🐑 Sabbath, April 22nd - All we, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way. Isaiah 53:6a - The Stray Sheep Comes Home

🐑 Sabbath, April 29th - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 - There's No Place Like Home

May
🌷Sabbath, May 6th - Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Psalm 144:15 - Happiness Is . . .

🌷Sabbath, May 13th - The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1 - Keep the Lights On

🌷Sabbath, May 20th - no sabbath school scheduled

🌷Sabbath, May 27th and Pentecost, May 28th -
The day of Pentecost came. The believers all gathered in one place. Acts 2:1 - Pentecost Synergism/Fruit

🌷Sabbath, June 3rd - Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46

January 7, 2023
Carried Away

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. Hebrews 13:9

Materials needed: turmeric, rubbing alcohol, clear glasses, assortment of acids and bases, measuring spoon, spoon
https://www.123homeschool4me.com/color-changing-acid-base-experiment_48/

Sometimes we’re metaphorically walking down the road of life and someone tells us something which drastically affects our direction. Obviously, that can be very good. When God sends someone to tell you the good news of the gospel (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15), and you are drawn to the truth, it is a very good thing! It changes how you live your life because you are now on the path towards God, seeking Him, rather than going your own way. The goal, at that point, is to remain on the Way, God’s way, that leads to God’s kingdom and eternal life.

But there are other people who would tell you something, and you, believing them, find yourself off the path that leads to life. That person did not speak the truth and you were beguiled by a lie.

Here’s the visual: Turmeric in rubbing alcohol is an indicator of a base. When you put the indicator (turmeric) into an acid, nothing happens. That’s like a person who remains faithful to God’s ways! His is the treasure of the Kingdom of God [gold color]. When placed in a base solution, the indicator turns the solution red. That’s like the person who had been on the right path but was carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. Their life has been drastically changed - and not for the better - and will ultimately lead to death [red color].

So how do you resist the lies, those falsehoods which are so beguiling and would lead you away from God? How do you keep from being carried away by all kinds of strange teachings? Read your Bible daily. Pray. Meditate on God’s word. Sing hymns of praise. Come to church to learn more about God and to fellowship with people who also love God and His ways. Make seeking God a priority in your life! Don’t be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

January 14th
Honey From the Rock
He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, Deuteronomy 32:13

Materials needed: honey/honeycomb, plastic knife, spoons

Do you ever find yourself reading along in the Bible and suddenly realize you weren’t paying attention? Oh, you were reading the words; you just weren’t letting them soak in. You weren’t reading for comprehension. I was reading along the other day and saw this verse in Deuteronomy 32. It caught my attention - probably because I started singing “Honey In The Rock.” And once you have a song stuck in your head, good luck trying to think of anything else.

But look at this verse!! He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. God brought His people out of captivity in Egypt and blessed them. They were prosperous. They were productive. They had plenty of food. I understand the first part. But this: He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, (There’s a similar verse in Psalm 81:16)

In the past, honey was a precious commodity: a nutritious food, a valuable gift, a medicine. In fact, Iowa and Missouri engaged in what was called the Honey War in 1839 over a 9.5 mile disputed strip along the top of Missouri. Before the issue was settled, militias from both sides faced each other at the border, a Missouri sheriff collecting taxes in Iowa was incarcerated, and three trees containing beehives were cut down.

And oil was used to soften skin, as a nutritious food, as a fuel for light, and for anointing.

To have God provide honey and oil for His people was a great blessing. But Deuteronomy 32 seems to take it a little further because I wouldn’t normally expect honey to come out of rock or oil out of a flinty crag. Bees make honey; honey doesn’t normally come from a rock. Oil comes from olive trees, not from a cliff or rock face. So what was Moses telling?

Human reasoning would lead us to think that an enterprising bee found a cleft in a rock to make a hive. And a resilient olive tree not only was surviving, but thriving on a rocky crag. So a bee hive and an olive tree were found in unexpected places. We don’t know this from the verse, however.

What we do know is that God takes care of us when we don’t see where the provision could possibly come from! He’s the one who makes us prosperous and productive. He’s the one who provides. We need to thank Him and trust Him and serve Him with all of our hearts!

January 21st
A Son is Given
“Today. . .a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Materials needed: two small spice bottles, one filled with sugar, one filled with salt; YEA books and resources (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/) Primaries, book one, lesson one

Suppose I had two small bottles, one filled with salt and one filled with sugar. It would be very important to know which was which before I used either one. The salt would be good for making playdough or salt maps. The sugar would be good for making candy or cookies or sweetening my tea. What would happen if I got them mixed up? I might be in for a shock at how it turned out! Salty cookies and tea doesn’t sound very appealing. And sugary playdough would just be a mess. In some instances, using the wrong substance would be downright disastrous. I’m remembering a time when someone used salt instead of sugar when making meringue for a lemon pie.

It’s very important to be discerning about many things in this life. For instance, let’s talk about the birth of Jesus Christ. Because we don’t celebrate Christmas, we sometimes neglect to talk about the birth of Christ, but that would be like never using sugar because it is similar in appearance to salt. And while Christmas is nowhere mentioned in the Bible, the birth of Jesus Christ is very much in the Bible (detailed in Luke) and is of vital importance to Christians.

So let’s be discerning for a moment between what belongs with the birth of Jesus and what is part of the pagan Christmas celebration. Time: December 25th? Obviously pagan. Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us exactly when Jesus was born, but some clues lead us to believe it was sometime in the fall. So was there snow on the ground? No. The sheep certainly wouldn’t have been out in the fields if there was snow on the ground, in the bleak mid-winter. Place: Bethlehem? A stable? A manger? These are all part of the story of the birth of Christ. Who? Obviously Joseph and Mary were there, but who else came to see the newborn Jesus? Shepherds? Yes. Three wise men? Well, no. We don’t even know how many wise men there were, but they didn’t come to the stable. Matthew 2:11 says that Jesus was with Mary in the house. After the wise men did not return to Herod, Herod killed all the babies who were two years and younger. It’s even possible that Jesus was already close to two years old before the wise men visited him. So what about presents and Santa Claus? Jesus Christ is the greatest gift ever given!! Thinking that you need to buy everyone a present pulls the attention away from what God the Father has given to us! What about a Christmas tree? Reindeer? Lights? People have tried to say that the Christmas tree represents life (evergreen), but nowhere does God tell us to worship Him using a tree. Flying reindeer? They are in the same category as Santa Claus and his elves. Lights? Some people rightly point out that Jesus is the Light of the world - the Light has come into the world and the world has not understood it (John 1:5). When the Light of God shines in this world, there will be no doubt that it is Jesus Christ. The Christmas lights are pretty, but they are a pale imitation of the shekinah glory of God.

How do you feel when you read the first two chapters of Luke? Do you rejoice in the birth of the Son of God? Or do you feel a little guilty? The birth of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with Christmas or any of its trappings. But the birth of Jesus Christ was real and we should remember to praise God often for the gift of His Son to us. Don’t avoid the birth of Jesus because we don’t celebrate Christmas. Be discerning - like figuring out which is salt and which is sugar in my jars.

Sabbath, January 28th
Jesus as a Child
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52

Materials needed: poster board (cut into jigsaw pieces - one side is lesson words - the other side is the memory verse. So as I ask the kids about the lesson, I can put the puzzle together, revealing the memory verse at the end. see photo)
We are using the CEM sabbath school materials. To download a copy, here’s the link: https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/
On that page, you’ll find a pdf link for the student book, the teacher book, and activities to extend the lesson (REACH).

We don’t have a lot of information about Jesus as a child, just a few pieces found in two chapters in the Bible (Matthew 2 and Luke 2). Matthew relates the visit of the wise men, Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus, Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt with Jesus until Herod’s death, and their subsequent return to Nazareth.

It’s interesting in that short chapter, there are three separate accounts of divine instruction: 1) the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod; 2) Joseph was warned to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to avoid Herod; and 3) Joseph was told to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel because Herod was dead.

And there are four separate prophecies that are fulfilled: 1) The wise men knew that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem because of Micah 5:2; 2) Hosea 11:1 foretells, “Out of Egypt I called my son;” 3) The weeping because of all of the children killed by Herod was prophesied in Jeremiah 31:15; and 4) Because Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Nazareth in Galilee, Matthew states . . . ‘that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” ’

Luke 2 relates Jesus’ birth and the visit by the shepherds, Jesus presented at the Temple as a newborn, living in Nazareth as a child, and visiting the Temple in Jerusalem when he was 12. It’s interesting that Luke also focuses on fulfillment of prophecy to two specific, godly individuals: The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Lord’s Christ. Anna was a prophetess who began speaking of Jesus to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. They saw Jesus when He was presented at the Temple as a newborn, in accordance with the Law of God.

Then, at the time of the Passover, when Jesus was 12 years old, He was also found in the Temple. After the Feast was over, His family was traveling home.They had gone a day’s journey before they missed Him, thinking that Jesus must have been with someone else in the party. His parents returned to Jerusalem and began looking for Him. They found Him in the Temple, three days later. Jesus was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. He knew, even at 12, that God was His Father!

From these two chapters and the pieces of Jesus’ childhood comes the picture of a young person who was growing and learning just as His Father wanted Him to. Here’s Luke 2:52: And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Jesus left us an example. What would the pieces of your childhood say about you? Do you love God? Love celebrating His sabbath and Holy Days? Honor your father and mother as you should? Do you know the Bible? Some of your pieces are still being written. What will they say?

Sabbath, February 4th
This is My Son

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (KJV) - Matthew 3:17

Materials needed: doves with questions, lesson from Christian Educational Ministries (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/)

There’s a lot of information packed into this lesson! Let’s see how much you remember from Matthew 3:3-17 and Mark 1:4-11.

Where was John the Baptist? What body of water? Sea of Galilee or Jordan River? (Jordan River)

What was John the Baptist famous for eating and wearing? (clothes made from camel’s hair; locust and wild honey) Was it wrong for him to eat locusts? Aren’t they unclean? (No, locusts are one of the clean bugs. Yuck!)

What was John the Baptist doing? Was he playing in the water? Taking a bath? (He was preaching and baptizing.) What was he preaching? (People needed to repent.) What does “repent” mean? (It means to be sorry for your actions/sins and to stop doing them!) What are sins? (Sins are anything that transgresses God’s laws.)

John the Baptist also said he was preparing the way - for whom? (Jesus)

What did Jesus want John the Baptist to do? (He wanted John to baptize Him.) Why did Jesus want to be baptized? Did He do something wrong? Did He need to repent of anything? (No!! The Bible says it was to fulfill all righteousness. It was the right thing to do.)

What descended on Jesus when He’d been baptized? (Matthew 3:16 says “he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.”)

What did the people hear after Jesus’ baptism? (‘A voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” ’ (vs. 17)

It’s important to remember that Jesus gave us an example to follow - to fulfill all righteousness, to do what is right. Being baptized is an act of obedience, doing what God has said. What are some other things you should be doing right now? (Reading your Bible, coming to church, honoring your father and mother, not fighting with your brothers and sister, praying - talking with God, singing praises to God) Our goal is to emulate (to look like) our Older Brother, Jesus Christ, and to some day hear God say, “Well done.” We all want God, our Heavenly Father, to be well pleased with us.

Sabbath, February 11th
Three Choices
It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’(KJV). Luke 4:4

Materials needed: clay, fired clay pot, https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/ (YEAH activity - Tried in the Fire)

A few weeks ago, we played with some clay and talked about pushing and squeezing and stretching and, sometimes, smashing. It’s the whole idea of God forming us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. But compare your clay creation to this candy dish. What’s the difference between the two - generally-speaking? A fired piece of clay pottery is hardened - that’s why you put it in the kiln - to give it strength so that it can be used. Otherwise, if you try to use a clay vessel that hasn’t been fired, it will not withstand the use, even if it’s been thoroughly dried.

Jesus went through a trial by fire (both in the temptation in the wilderness and again in the Garden of Gethsemane). He did not fail the test. He persevered; He obeyed His Father; He fulfilled the purposes God sent Him to fulfill. There are many verses which similarly talk about us being tried in the fire, God purifying His people, and the necessity of us persevering through all of it (1 Peter 1:7; 1 Cor. 3:13; Zech 13:9; Isaiah 48:10; Daniel 11:35; Daniel 3; Isaiah 43:2; 1 Peter 4:12). How comforting and encouraging to know that Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, our Savior, the Captain of our Salvation, knows what it’s like to go through the fire!

You can’t avoid the fire. But you can keep your eyes on Jesus and follow His example: use the Bible as your foundation and defense against the wiles of the devil.

If you notice, Satan tempted Jesus three times. Knowing that Jesus was hungry, Satan challenged Jesus to turn stones into bread. Satan will do the same thing to you: he will try to get you to dishonor or disobey God because you think you need food, clothing or shelter immediately. God knows what you need. Trust Him.

Satan told Jesus that God would protect Him if He was in danger of getting hurt. Satan will do the same thing to you: he will try to make you doubt whether God loves you or will protect you because of the things that happen to you in this life. God can (and will) use everything that happens to you in this life to mold you into the image of His Son. If Jesus had to suffer in this life, we should expect to as well. Don’t let Satan plant seeds of doubt. Trust God.

Satan tried to get Jesus to worship Him to get a reward right then. Satan will try to do the same thing to you: he will try to entice you to disobey or dishonor God to take a short cut to getting a reward. But God knows that you need to be tried in the fire, hardened and strengthened, so that you will be a useful vessel (servant) for His glory. Resolve to do what is right - honoring and pleasing to God - always. God will reward you. Trust Him.

What was Jesus’ example for withstanding the schemes of the devil? Know what God says is pleasing to Him. Study your Bible. Go to church. Talk about God often. Pray. Trust God always.

February 18th
Come, Follow Me
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” - Matthew 4:19

Materials Needed: paper fish (magnets attached) with review questions, fishing pole of dowel rod and string with magnet at the end, lesson #5 from Primaries book (https://www.borntowin.net/.../primaries-life-of-christ/)

Have you ever stopped to think about the disciples that Jesus chose? Their backgrounds were so varied! Imagine a tax collector and a zealot working together under any other circumstances!! Imagine choosing muscular fishermen to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God - instead of the priests and teachers of the law. It’s truly a testimony about the power of God to accomplish His will, for His glory and honor. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
Another amazing aspect of Jesus calling His disciples is how they responded. Peter, Andrew, James, and John are recorded as immediately leaving their nets. Perhaps it was because they had worked all night without catching a single fish. Then, when Jesus told them to put down their nets again, they caught so many that the nets began breaking and the fish filled both boats so that the boats started to sink (Luke 5). After a miracle like that, who would be reluctant to follow Jesus!?

Jesus often spoke to the people about things they knew well. Then He used those familiar aspects of their lives to help explain spiritual things. The concept of harvest, of sheep needing a shepherd, a gate, living water, hungering for righteousness . . . Jesus did this when calling Peter, Andrew, James and John too!! He acknowledged they were fishermen. Now he was going to make them fishers of men. And after just having seen what Jesus could do, those four fishermen must have had no doubt that Jesus could use them to do what He said.

What about you? Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Have you thought about how Jesus can use you for His glory? Just like Peter, Andrew, James, and John were working hard before Jesus called them, you need to work hard: Work hard in school, obey your parents, read the Bible daily, go to church, choose to do the right thing, get along with others. In other words, be a light to the people around you so that they will want to know more about the God you serve.

***Sabbath School was a lot of fun! I made construction paper fish and clipped a paperclip onto their mouths. Then I made a "fishing pole." I let the boys "fish." When they caught one, I asked them the question on the back. If they answered correctly, they continued to fish. If they missed the answer, I threw the fish back. . . . I used the questions from the teacher's edition of the YEA lesson (#5) from the first Primary book from CEM. (https://www.borntowin.net/.../primaries-life-of-christ/)

February 25th
A Hungry Crowd

God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Materials needed: 5000 items (beans, rice, pennies - I’m using graph paper with 5000 squares); lesson #6 from Primaries book (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/) - YEAH activity #1

Have you ever participated in a contest to see who could get the closest to guessing the number of jelly beans in a large glass container? It’s hard to figure out just how many beans there might be in that jar!

It’s also hard to wrap our minds around how many people 5000 is - and that was just the men. We’re not told how many women and children might have been there. Jesus told the disciples to put the people into groups of 50 or 100 (Mark 6:40; Luke 9:14). But even just working with the 5000, let’s break that up into an equal number for each disciple. 5000 divided by 12 is almost 417. If Jesus had divided the men to be fed equally between the disciples that’s 417. Imagine being responsible to find food for 417 men! The idea that five loaves and two fish would feed so many?! There is no doubt this was a miracle from God.

There are some really fascinating pieces to this episode. First, Jesus didn’t just create food out of thin air. He took what was there and multiplied it - enormously! Like the miracle of the water changed into wine, Jesus didn’t just create the wine out of thin air; he took the water and changed it.

Secondly, a small boy demonstrated the attitude that is very pleasing to God - being willing to share what you have with others - with people you don’t even know. That boy might have assumed that in giving up his lunch, he wouldn’t have anything to eat. That kind of self-sacrifice is so valuable to God.

Third, just because Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish didn’t mean that He was giving the disciples or the people permission to waste the food. He told them to gather what was left over; He said, “Let nothing be wasted.” When God gives you something, you are to be a good steward of it. Don’t waste what God has given you.

Think about it! If you are willing to give yourself to the service of God, He can do great things with and through you. He can take you (perhaps someone the world doesn’t think is very important) and He can do something great - for His glory. There were 5000 men on that hillside. There were 12 disciples. God used one small boy to perform a miracle that is the only one recorded in all four gospels.

How might God use you, if you are a cheerful giver?

Sabbath, March 11th
Jesus Walks on Water
“Be brave! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (NIrV). Matthew 14:27

Materials needed: wash basin, toy boat, water, towels!!!; lesson #7 from Primaries book (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/) REACH Activity #2/YEAH Activity #2

The disciples had literally just watched Jesus multiply five barley loaves and two fish with enough to feed 5000 people (probably more ‘cause that was just the men!) and gather 12 baskets of leftovers! So what happened next?

Jesus sent the disciples in the boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He went up on the mountain to pray. The disciples in the boat were battling strong waves because the wind was so strong. So what did Jesus do? He walked to them on the water.

Can you see this in your mind? These men are in a boat on a sea. The waves were likely not only keeping them from making much headway, but were also threatening to swamp the boat. But that’s not what Matthew said they were afraid of. They were terrified of the sight of Jesus walking on the water. Even when Jesus told them not to be afraid - that it was He, Peter wanted verification. He asked Jesus to command him to come to Jesus on the water. So Jesus told Peter to come. Peter had enough courage to get out of the boat and start toward Jesus, but the wind (and what it was doing) scared him. He started to sink. Jesus reached out His hand, grabbed Peter, and asked him why he had doubted.
Then they got into the boat. And now another miracle occurred: the wind ceased.

Multiplying loaves and fishes. Walking on water. Controlling the wind. Finally, with these three experiences, the disciples worshipped Jesus, calling Him the Son of God.

Do you know that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you trust Him in the middle of a storm? Are you more afraid of trusting God or of the storm around you? I guess it all depends on whether you have a relationship with Jesus or not. If you know Him, or rather are known by Him, then you can trust Him no matter what storms in life assail you (pun not intended). And you will worship Him because you know He is God!

Note: We’re going to put a toy boat in a basin and make some waves. I will have some popsicle puppets so the students can re-enact the story. And I’ll make sure I have enough towels. 😉

Sabbath, March 18th
A Very Special Day
The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (ASV). Mark 2:27

Materials needed: lesson #8 from Primaries book (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/); Sabbath statement cards, Yes/No signs

The students should have read their lesson about the Sabbath prior to coming to class. So we’re going to have a small competition/quiz. I will make the statement. Each student needs to decide whether they agree or disagree. When I say “go,” they’ll put up their “yes” sign or their “no” sign. Each right answer gets them a token. The person with the most tokens at the end gets to choose a reward first.

Here are the statements:

God made the world in seven days.
God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day.
The Sabbath was started by the Jews.
The Sabbath was started by God at Creation.
Jesus healed many people on the Sabbath.
Jesus went to church on the Sabbath.
Jesus went to synagogue on the Sabbath; he was Jewish. There were no churches at that time.
The Sabbath was created for God.
The Sabbath was created for man.
It’s okay to work on the Sabbath as long as you go to church.
It’s good to help people on the Sabbath.
You should prepare for the Sabbath on Friday so you don’t have to work on Sabbath.
There are 6 days to work. The Sabbath is a day of rest.
We should enjoy the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is a gift from God to us.
You should come to church on Sabbath, if you can.
Keeping the Sabbath holy is one of the Ten Commandments.
Keeping the Sabbath holy is the fourth commandment.
The Sabbath begins when the sun comes up.
The Sabbath begins when the sun goes down Friday night.
Keeping the Sabbath is one way we show God we love Him.
God doesn’t really care which day we rest on - as long as we rest one day a week.
The Sabbath should be a solemn day that is no fun.
The Sabbath is the best day of the week.

Note: if you want the cards already formatted to print on cardstock, let me know. I can send you a pdf.

Sabbath, March 25th
Bring Them To Me
Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away (NIrV). Mark 10:14

Materials needed: lesson #8 from Primaries book (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/); Perspective Poster, cards (Divide the poster into two sides: Man’s Perspective - Jesus’ Perspective; Create a set of cards - characteristics of children)

WC Fields used to say, “Get away from me, kid; you bother me.” Although most adults wouldn’t say that out loud to a child, some adults really don’t like kids. Why? (These are the characteristics printed on the cards, one on each.) Have the children figure out which column each card will fit into.

Loud
Insistent on their own way
Lack of manners
Need care
Make mistakes
Tells it like they see it
Persistent
Open to teaching
Intensely curious
Recognizes authority

Each of these characteristics will lend support to a person’s perspective that they’d rather not be around kids or support to Jesus’ perspective that you must become like a little child if you want to be in His kingdom. Curiously, there are a couple of characteristics that will fit into both categories.

It’s very important for children to understand that God values them for those characteristics. When the disciples didn’t want the children to bother Jesus, Jesus pointed out just how valuable those characteristics are to Him!

It’s a good reminder to all of us to 1) see the value of children and 2) see the value of the characteristics that are pleasing to God.

Note: After the children put the cards into the columns, I pointed out how what other people might see as a negative can be turned into a positive because of the willingness to be taught, to recognize authority, to be persistent, etc.

Sabbath, April 1st
Let My People Go
Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. Exodus 9:13

Materials needed: lesson #1 from Primaries Holy Day Supplement book (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/); plague cards

This week we’re going to celebrate the Passover, a celebration which originated in Egypt about 3500 years ago. God had sent His people, Jacob’s family, to Egypt to protect them from the famine. Joseph was second in command, under only Pharaoh. So Jacob (Israel) and his family settled in the land of Goshen and did very well . . . until a Pharaoh came to the throne who didn’t know Joseph. The Hebrews (Israelites) were prospering in Egypt and the Egyptians started to worry that they might try to take over. So the Egyptians slowly enslaved them, with the Israelites’ lives becoming more and more difficult as the years went by. Finally, they cried out to God for help - and God sent Moses to bring the people out of Egypt.

By this time, the economy of Egypt was really dependent upon the slave labor provided by the Israelites. Pharaoh didn’t really want to let the Israelites go. However, there is no one who can resist the will of God. But Pharaoh tried. So God sent a series of plagues.

First the water in the Nile was turned to blood. Not only that, but the water in the ponds and streams and pots was all turned to blood. And to make matters worse, the magicians duplicated the miracle, so that even if there had been any water left, it was all turned to blood! The fish died. The river stank! The people didn’t have anything to drink. It was awful!

After that first plague of blood, there followed plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, pestilence on the livestock, boils, hail, locusts, and three days of darkness. Eventually, God also struck Egypt with the tenth plague: the death of the firstborn. Those people who were not willing to obey Him by killing a lamb, then putting the blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses, suffered the consequences of their firstborn dying when the Death Angel passed over at midnight on Passover.

It was absolutely amazing what God was willing to do to rescue His people from Egypt. . . . And it all pointed to what would eventually happen some 1500 years later when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to come as the Lamb of God to rescue God’s people - all of us - from bondage and slavery to sin. It is because of the blood of Jesus Christ that the Death Angel passes over us; Jesus pays the sin debt that we owe instead of us. If Jesus hadn’t paid that debt with His blood, we would die (with no hope of eternal life) because of the sins we’ve all committed.

We talk about the incredible lengths God went to when He rescued the Israelites from Egypt. Just stop and consider what incredible lengths God went to when He rescued each of us from sin; it cost Him His Son, Jesus Christ.

Now, let’s remember why God did that!! Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. Exodus 9:13 This Passover season remember to worship God with all of your heart!

Thursday, April 6th
Let’s Be Unleavened
“Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.” Exodus 12:20

Materials: lesson #2 from Primaries Holy Day Supplement book (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/); matching cards

Are you busy? If someone were to ask me that question this time of the year, I’d be tempted to laugh. I’m always busy, but this time of year seems especially busy with preparing for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, getting the garden ready to plant, and (this year) preparing for a wedding. What if, in the midst of all this busyness, I had to move? Furthermore, what if I could only take what I could carry or put in a small cart?

When God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, life was very hard. They were, after all, slaves with harsh taskmasters over them. That’s why they cried out to God for relief in the first place. Then, when Moses told Pharaoh to let the people go to worship God, Pharaoh made their lives and jobs even more miserable. In the weeks leading up to Passover, conditions in Egypt were awful! Think about the plagues: water to blood, frogs, and gnats. These first three affected all of Egypt and the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. The next six only hit Egypt but would have still impacted the Israelites indirectly: flies, pestilence on livestock, boils, hail, locust, and three days of darkness. By the time the ninth plague hit, Egypt’s economy would have been in shambles. Dead animals, crops and trees destroyed, bugs, dead frogs - Egypt would have been a mess!

So when the Death Angel killed the firstborn of everyone who didn’t put the lamb’s blood on the doorpost and lintels of their houses (the tenth plague), Pharaoh thrust the Israelites out. They had to leave - with whatever they could carry - that night (Exodus 12:42). That’s why their bread was unleavened; they simply didn’t have time to allow it to become leavened.

We celebrate these days, knowing that the Old Testament Passover is a picture of Jesus rescuing us from slavery to sin. Yeast is a symbol of sin at this time of the year, so we eat unleavened bread to remind us that Jesus had paid the price for our sin. We choose God’s ways, not sinful ways. But it should also be a time when we reset our priorities. We should be examining what we are busy with - considering which things are good and profitable and which are not because we can’t do (can’t carry) everything. And our priority has to be taking Jesus Christ into our lives on a daily basis (eating unleavened bread).

Have you eaten your unleavened bread yet today? Don’t get too busy to obey God!

Teaching note: I’m making matching cards for the students to actively help me tell the story and draw the analogies between the Old Testament Passover and what it means to us today.

Egypt     Place of Slavery

Yeast Sin

Unleavened        Without Sin

Lamb                       Jesus

Blood                  Payment for Sin

What Israel carried What I can carry

Death Angel    Consequence of

                                        Disobedience

Sabbath, April 8th
Counting
You shall count off seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath. . . . Leviticus 23:15

Materials: Little things to count, counting books (My favorite is Doggies by Sandra Boynton), calendars for the next seven weeks, tiny stickers to mark off the days.

We count things all the time: the days until school’s out, the number of biology assignments left in the year, the number of inches you’ve grown in the past month, how many forks we need for supper tonight, how many dogs are in the house . . .

Since counting is a basic math concept that must be mastered before learning addition and subtraction, we start teaching children how to count when they are still very little. And when you’re learning a new language, that’s one of the first things you learn, regardless of your age, how to count in that language - French, Spanish, ASL, all of them.

So here’s a very interesting verse in Leviticus 23:15: You shall count off seven full week from the day after the Sabbath. God tells us to count . . . from the day after the sabbath, and generally we do that from the sabbath in the middle of the days of unleavened bread. Do you know why we count from the day after that particular sabbath? It’s the wave sheaf day - the day when the first grain that was harvested from the barley is waved before the Lord. It’s recognition - at the very beginning of the harvest - that He is the Lord of the harvest (Matthew 9:38): He has given us the grain to plant; He has given us the land to plant it in; He has given us the rain; He has caused the grain to grow and produce more grain. It all comes from Him.

But there’s something else very special that happened on the Wave Sheaf Day the year that Jesus died: Jesus rose from the dead, as the wave sheaf offering to God - the very first of the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). Because Jesus rose from the dead, He makes it possible for us also be to raised from the dead (Romans 6:4). As the wave sheaf offering (John 20:17), Jesus is the recognition that our salvation, redemption, acceptance before the Father is all God’s work (1Corinthians 1:30). We are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) and the firstfruits of the harvest in Jesus Christ (James 1:18).

But the Wave Sheaf Day is not the end of the count. We’re told to count seven full weeks. O.K. How many days are there in a week? Seven. How many days are there in seven full weeks? 49. So we count off 49 days and the 50th day is the next of God’s holy days - the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.

The counting of these seven weeks must be very important. God told us to do it. It’s much too easy to let the days slide by without counting. Make sure you count!

Wednesday, April 12th
Last Day of Unleavened Bread
How, then, shall we live?
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven.

Whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity.

Those three phrases are very straight-forward. The words mean exactly what you would expect them to mean. Transgression and sin and iniquity are all words conveying offenses, wrongs, wickedness, misdeeds, breaking of God’s law. The word counts is a legal term or an accounting term, like keeping track of money. Forgiven and covered are words which both mean taken away, lifted up, canceled out.

These three phrases are exactly what we memorialize in the observance of Passover, the Night to Be Much Observed, and the Days of Unleavened Bread. Jesus Christ was tortured and crucified for us, for our sins. He was lifted up that the penalty for our transgressions would be canceled out. He stood in our stead, instead of us, that we could have the accounting sheet balanced before God.

So what’s this next phrase doing in these verses: and in whose spirit there is no deceit. The word spirit is the Hebrew word ruach and means, in this context, the mode of thinking and action. In other words, it’s everything we think, say, and do. Blessed is the one who is honest all the time.

Uh oh. We’re in trouble here. Jeremiah 17:9 says “the heart is deceitful above all things.” That’s 180º from David’s statement in Psalm 51:6: “You delight in truth in the inward being . . .”

The first three phrases are a work of God through Jesus Christ. But this fourth phrase tells us that we can’t stop there. 1 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

What promises is he taking about? In the end of 2 Corinthians 6, he’s talking about that covenant relationship we have with God - because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. So - since Jesus has died for us, we need to live in a way that reflects, not only our gratitude, but the change that has been accomplished in our heart.

And here we are back at heart again. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” God’s going to work with us, as we travel with Him, to create a clean heart, to renew a right spirit within us. But we have to walk with Him. We have to choose His ways. We have to seek Him daily.

I don’t think it’s an accident that God started the countdown to Pentecost within the Days of Unleavened Bread. We’ve just been taken out of sin - delivered from the bondage of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. Now what? We need to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). So we count the days to Pentecost. Each day is a gift from God, and they can be used to their full potential, or they can be wasted.

How are you going to live your life as a result of what God has done for you?

Sabbath, April 15th
Who Is My Neighbor?
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (NIrV). Luke 10:27

Materials needed: lesson #10 from Primaries book (https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/); band-aid with memory verse on it.

Do you know what Jesus said is the greatest commandment? To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. The second greatest commandment is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

So then, the question is “Who is my neighbor?” Is it just the person who lives next door to me? Is that the one I’m supposed to love like myself?

When Jesus was asked this question, He told the story that we call the Parable of the Good Samaritan. There was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by thieves. They robbed him, beat him, and left him bruised and bleeding on the side of the road. Pretty soon a priest came down the road, saw the man, and crossed to the other side of the road to walk by him. A Levite did the same thing. But when a Samaritan, a person who was despised by the Jewish people, saw the man, he stopped to help. He cleaned up his wounds and took him to an inn where he paid for the man’s care. This Samaritan - a person that the Jews wouldn’t have wanted to associate with - this person was a true neighbor to the man. He treated the man the way he would have wanted to be treated, if he’d been the one robbed, beaten, and left for dead.

So what about you? When you come across someone who needs help, do you help them? It’s important to use wisdom when helping others; don’t put yourself in a position where you could be harmed. But you can start practicing being helpful today. You can hold the door for people who are carrying things. You can help straighten chairs. You can help put things away after church. There are many ways that you can help people in need.

You never know when you give someone a drink of water that God won’t consider that you have done it for Him. It’s important that we all get into the habit of making someone’s day a little brighter, helping where we can, and learning to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Sabbath, April 22nd
The Stray Sheep Comes Home
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

Materials needed: a full score of Handel’s Messiah, 100 paper sheep, https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/ (Book Two, Lesson 1)

George Frideric Handel was a German-born, British Baroque composer who spent the bulk of his career in London, becoming well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. But probably, he is best known for his oratorio, The Messiah. In that work is probably his most famous piece, “The Hallelujah Chorus.” The Messiah was written in 28 days,

beginning with Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ in Isaiah 40: “Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye, My People”,
working through his birth - “For Unto Us a Child is Born,”
his crucifixion - “Surely He Hath Born Our Griefs,”
his resurrection “But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell,”
Jesus’ second coming - “He Shall Break Them in Pieces” and “The Hallelujah Chorus,”
and the establishment of His kingdom - “Worthy is the Lamb That Was Slain.”
Handel caps the oratorio with more than six pages of “Amen.”

In the middle of this oratorio, in describing Jesus’ death for us, the chorus sings, “All We Like Sheep.” It’s eight pages of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses weaving around each other as they sing, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way.” Handel paints the picture, through his music, of sheep who are wandering just where they want to go, each motivated by their own desires.

It’s such a good picture of human nature - or carnal puppy nature. This morning I took the puppy for a half-mile walk to wear off some of his energy. Then when I came inside to work, I was constantly getting up to see where he was. I found him on the couch! So I told him he had to get down, gave him a chew toy, and he followed me back to my desk. He chewed for two minutes, then ran back into the living room and hopped up on the couch. I went back to see where he was, scolded him, and put him down on the floor. He followed me back to my desk, lay down to chew for two seconds, and then was off again. I found him on the couch again! I couldn’t help but think of the irony of writing about this verse - all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way. Whether it’s puppies or it’s human, we all want to do what we want to do.

But there comes a point in your life - if God is calling you - that you realize all of those sins, all of those desires to go your own way, all of that doing what you want, has a consequence. There are minor consequences along the way - built in consequences like if the puppy decides to jump off the porch, he’ll likely break a leg. These are the natural consequences of trying to defy God’s laws. If the puppy continues to misbehave and is more trouble than he’s worth, I put him in the kennel. That’s kind of like the impairment of our relationship with God. God is not going to have a close relationship with people who are constantly disobeying Him, seeking their own way, redefining God’s laws to suit their own needs. But the ultimate consequence of sin, of defying God, of going our own way, is death.

And yet, God loves us so much that He made a way out. Our Heavenly Father gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins, while we were yet sinners. God made it possible for our sin debt to be forgiven. More even than that, Jesus’ death and resurrection restores the relationship with God and makes it possible for us to have eternal life. God did this for each of us. “And the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Handel depicts this reality very powerfully. Sheep are wandering all over, turning every one however they want to go - for eight pages. Then they all come back together. In unison, in powerful emphatic half notes, the chorus sings: “We have turned everyone to his own way.” Then suddenly, the tone changes from skipping and scattered, to slow and somber as the chorus sings “And the Lord hath laid on him.” They get louder as they again emphasize “hath laid on him.” Then suddenly, softly, in unison they sing, “the iniquity of us all.”

For the Christian, this reality is heart-wrenching. I want my own way so much that I defy God. I go and do whatever I want, out of weakness, out of ignorance, perhaps because I find all kinds of excuses for disobedience. But, in the end, if I want a relationship with God, if I want eternal life in His kingdom forever, Jesus takes my punishment. He bears the stripes that I earned. He dies a horrible death in my place. God lays on Him my iniquity.

The next time you’re tempted to do something that you know would not be pleasing to God, think about sheep wandering wherever they want to go, turning everyone to their own way. And think about God laying on Jesus Christ the iniquity of us all.

Teaching Note: I plan to have hidden one paper sheep somewhere in the room prior to sabbath school. After talking about the proclivity of sheep to wandering off, doing what they want, I’ll talk about the shepherd calling them. In the Middle East, shepherds call their sheep; they know his voice. In the U.S. our shepherds tend to drive the sheep in front of them, using a dog to push them where the shepherd wants them to go. In either case, if a sheep gets lost, the shepherd will look for that one lost sheep. Every sheep, every lamb is valuable to the shepherd. Every one of God’s people are valuable - He gave His Son, laying on Jesus the iniquity of us all!! That’s a huge price to pay. Of course, He will look for the lost sheep. Then I will challenge them to find the lost sheep.

Sabbath, April 29th
There’s No Place Like Home
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Materials needed: clear pie plate, water, two sharpies (permanent ink), paper towel,
https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/ (Book Two, Lesson 2)

For a similar video: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1d&q=prodigal+son+children%27s+object+lesson#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:031c92d9,vid:EmxL2ifqTto

Once there was a young man who decided he wanted his inheritance right then; he didn’t even want to wait until his father had died. His father agreed to give it to him. (Draw a simple house on one half of the paper towel with a black Sharpie.) The young man traveled to a far country and spent his money frivolously. (Fold the paper towel in half. Put the house on the outside. On the inside, in the same spot as the house, draw a stick figure in blue.) Soon his entire inheritance was gone! The young man had to find a job so that he could get some money so that he could eat. He found himself taking care of pigs and supplementing his diet out of their food trough. He suddenly realized that his father’s hired servants were treated better than what he was experiencing. He decided to go home and beg his father for a job.

The young man hadn’t realized the depths of his father’s love for him. His father ran to meet him when he saw the young man walking down the road. The young man admitted his guilt and said that he knew he wasn’t worthy to be called a son. But the father threw a party! His son that was lost was home again. (Place the folded paper towel in the water in the pie plate. The water makes the paper towel translucent and it looks like the stick figure is in the house.)

God has chosen us to be part of His family. He has that much love for us. (Draw a red heart on the inside part of a new piece of paper towel.)

Sometimes we sin (the transgression of God’s laws). We put ourselves out of fellowship with God. (Draw a heart outline of the outside part of the paper towel.) Things may go smoothly for a while, but without God and His ways, we soon find ourselves in trouble. We may think that we can’t go home; we’ve ruined things forever. What we don’t realize is the depth of God’s love for us. When we’re truly repentant, God is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

The next time you wake up and realize that your relationship with God is estranged because of your sin, repent. God loves you. There’s a good reason Jesus told the story of the prodigal son - so that we would understand how much God wants us to repent. (Place the folded heart paper towel in the water.) Here’s where our memory verse comes in: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28) - because there’s no place like home (aka being in fellowship with our Father) for finding rest for our souls!

Happiness Is . . .
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Psalm 144:15

Materials needed: hanger, string, tape, hole punch, paper bee cut-outs, fish bowl, https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/ (Book Two, Lesson 3)

Preparation: using the definitions from the lesson, write one Bee-Attitude on the back of each bee.

Let the children pull one bee at a time from the fish bowl. Discuss each one and how it relates to happiness (blessed). As you talk about each one, use the hole puncher to make a hole to thread string or yarn through. Then tie or tape each to the hanger. When you are finished with the lesson, you’ll have a mobile you can hang in the classroom and/or send home with one of the students.

Be Needy: We all need Jesus Christ. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Be Sorry: If we truly want to be happy, we have to repent of the sins we have done and resolve not to do them anymore. Blessed are they who mourn.

Be Gentle: We should be gentle and kind to all people, just as God has been gentle and kind with us. Blessed are the meek.

Be Dudley-Do-Right: We should want to do the right thing with all of our being. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Be Forgiving: We should be willing to show mercy to people when they’ve done something to hurt us. Blessed are the merciful.

Be Pure: We should want the inside of our bodies to be as clean as the outside of our bodies or as clean as the water we drink. Blessed are the pure in heart.

Be a Peacemaker: In a world where there is lots of fighting and conflict, we should work very hard to be at peace with all people, as far as it depends upon us. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Be God’s Soldiers: We have a job to do in this world - ambassadors of Jesus Christ, soldiers of the cross. That means we stand up for what is right regardless of how people respond. We are God’s servants and we seek to please Him first. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

Why are these Bee Attitudes important? Well, your words and your actions will follow what you think. It’s very important to make sure your attitude, your thoughts, are pleasing to God. Then you will truly be blessed!

Sabbath, May 13, 2023
Keep the Lights On
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1

Materials needed: flashlight, lightbulb, lamp, candle https://www.borntowin.net/yea/primaries/primaries-life-of-christ/ (Book Two, Lesson 4)

Have you ever heard anyone tell you that you need to be a light to the people around you? Jesus told his disciples that in Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world.”

What does that mean? Does it mean that you are supposed to give off some kind of glow? Hmm. Not really. Well, think about it. What does light do? It shows you where you are. It helps you figure out where you are going. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” God’s word lights the way so that people know how they should go - that is, so that people will know how to live their lives, making choices that are best.

Do you see how the analogy makes sense? You aren’t really supposed to be giving off light in a literal sense. You are supposed to live your life in such a way that other people will see an example of a Godly way of living - and then they want to live similarly because they see the peace you have.

That implies a couple of things! First, you are living as a light all the time. It isn’t something you do once and then you’re done. You need to be following God’s ways, God’s laws, God’s standards of living all the time. And it’s not just going through the motions so people can see you either. It needs to be obedience from the heart. That’s when the peace comes and everyone sees it.

Secondly, you can’t always follow God’s laws and have peace through your own efforts. You have to be connected to a power source! Just like the lamp must be plugged into electricity, the flashlight must have batteries, the candle must have that spark to start the fire - each person who is going to be a light for Jesus Christ needs to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship is built when you want Jesus to be your Savior and King - and you do what He tells you to do. Then you spend time with Him in prayer and Bible study, in going to church and fellowshipping with other people who love God.

This world absolutely needs more light!! Are you ready to shine?

Pentecost, May 28th
Pentecost Synergism

The day of Pentecost came. The believers all gathered in one place. Acts 2:1

Materials: markers and paper

The word of the day today is synergism. Do you know what synergism is? It is when the collection of the whole is stronger than the sum of what each individual can do independently. It’s the idea of a cord of three strands is not easily broken. It is the difference between one tiny spark here and there vs. many tiny sparks all in the same place - causing a roaring fire. In art it’s called pointillism - a revolutionary painting technique pioneered by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in Paris in the mid-1880s. One dot all by itself doesn’t make the picture; it’s all of the dots together. Try it. One dot doesn’t make too much impact, but lots of dots together can create a beautiful picture.

How does that work with people? Well, if you are trying to accomplish something, several people working together towards a goal are more effective than one person here, one person there - the same number of people - but all working on their own instead of in concert.

And there’s another place where we see synergism - a concert. If I take an orchestral piece and play each individual part, I probably will not like the composition. But if every instrument plays their part, the combination is pleasing and I may listen to it over and over again.

So what about Christians? If we are serving God, that’s good. We’re supposed to be seeking His will and seeking to please Him. But what if several Christians work together to do His will all at the same time for the same goal? Then a much greater impact can be made. It’s like what Camp Outreach was able to do for years and years. One or two teens working in Indianapolis wouldn’t have had the impact that the entire group had for one short week.

So on that day of Pentecost, described in Acts 2, the disciples of Jesus were all gathered in one place. What kind of impact would they have? We’ll talk about that tomorrow.

5.28.23 - Pentecost Fruit
The day of Pentecost came. The believers all gathered in one place. Acts 2:1

Materials: helium balloons, unfilled balloons

Yesterday we talked about the word synergism and how so much more can be accomplished by a group of people than by each individual working on their own. But there’s one other very important component that is needed if a group is going to be an effective force for good: structure, guidance, rules, discipline - and in the case of a group of Christians, the guiding force of the Holy Spirit.

Think of it this way: Imagine you have two groups of dogs. One is just a wild pack, doing whatever they want to do, eating, barking, killing, biting. They can kill an entire flock of sheep just for the love of killing, not because they’re hungry. But the same number of dogs who have been trained and love their master can be harnessed and pull a sled over incredible distances. Dallas Seavey’s 10 dogs did the 938-mile Iditarod Race in Alaska in 2021 in just over 7 days 14 hours.

or Imagine you have a pile of wood. If it’s set on fire, it could catch the surrounding trees on fire and burn millions of acres. On May 20, 2023 there were 25 wildfires out of control in Alberta, Canada which had burned 2,080,627 acres. That’s over 3250 square miles! But if that same wood was burned as fuel in a furnace, you could heat homes for a very long time!!

or Think of it this way. I have a whole pile of balloons here. Until they’re inflated, they’re just a pile of latex. You can inflate them by blowing them up by mouth - which is just hot air. Or you can put helium in them. People are like that too. You can just be full of hot air or you can rise to the top because you are filled with God’s Holy Spirit.

Each one of us has incredible potential as willing servants of our Great God, but we must have the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If we want to rise above our carnal nature and be useful vessels for God’s glory, we need His Holy Spirit. Praise God for this Holy Day which celebrates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. Remember what we said about the synergism of working together. We can be a pack of people satisfying our own desires, or a team working together to accomplish a fantastic goal. We can burn through our lives destructively, or we can be used for God’s purpose in warming this world. We can be a bunch of hot air bouncing around, or we can rise above sin and our carnal natures, uplifting the people around us. With God’s Holy Spirit, we can work together as a team to accomplish great things for our Great God.