For 2026, we're going to make our way through the whole Bible. Here's the reading plan for the first three days. The titles on the right are the devotions that are available at https://www.forchristianhomes.com/ These are Sabbath lessons that I've done in the past. Each one will have a verse that ties back to the scriptures to be read that day. Read as many as you would like to. The Sabbath lesson will be based on a scripture taken from that Sabbath's scriptures.
Sabbath School Memory Verses:
Sabbath, January 3rd - " . . . And the LORD shut him in." Genesis 7:16 - And God Shut Him In
Sabbath, January 10th - “ . . . Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head . . .” Genesis 28:11 - Touch of the Master's Hand
Sabbath, January 17th - “ . . . you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good . . .” Genesis 50:20 - God's Sovereignty
Sabbath, January 24th - “ . . . And his master shall bore through his ear with an awl. . .” Exodus 21:6
Sabbath, January 31st - “ . . . in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” Exodus 40:38 - God's Still With Us
February
Sabbath, February 7th - “ . . . and the land vomited out its inhabitants.” Leviticus 18:25 - And the Land Vomited
Sabbath, February 14th - “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 - The Aaronic Blessing
Sabbath, February 21st - “ . . . Because you did not believe in me . .” Numbers 20:12 - Believe in God
Sabbath, February 28th - “The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another . . .” Numbers 36:7
March
🚲 Sabbath, March 7th - “for the LORD your God is he who goes with you. . .” Deuteronomy 20:4 - God Goes With You
🚲 Sabbath, March 14th - “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty . .” Joshua 4:24 - Stones of Remembrance
🚲 Sabbath, March 21st - “ . . . for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.” Joshua 23:3 - Give God the Glory
🚲 Sabbath, March 28th - “ . . . Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 17:6 - Right in Your Own Eyes
April
🐑 April 4th - “ . . . do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.” 1 Samuel 12:20 - Counting
🐑 April 11th - “ . . . And I took the crown that was on his head. . .” 2 Samuel 1:10 - Something You're Not
🐑 April 18th - “I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful . . .” - 2 Samuel 20:19
🐑 April 25th - “ . . . Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD. . .” 2 Kings 10:16
Sabbath, January 3, 2026
And God Shut Him In
" . . . And the LORD shut him in." Genesis 7:16
Materials needed: brambles, electrical wire, dry erase board/markers
What do people use for security?
People have watchdogs . . . or watch geese. Paddle locks or deadbolts can secure doors and gates. Doors and gates and fences and walls can keep people, animals, weather, etc. out. Castles had high towers, cliffs, and/or moats. Hedges made great barriers as far back as Biblical times (Isaiah 5:5).
Insulation on wires protects us from the negatives aspects of being shocked by electrical currents. That’s definitely a positive!! 🤣😅
So what’s the point of this discussion. Well, sometimes we only see the negative aspects of barriers. No one likes finding themselves on the wrong side of a hedge with no way to get through. We often prefer wide open spaces with no fences and walls. We look forward to the time when paddle locks are no longer necessary because there won’t be anyone who steals anything.
The reality is that we live in a dangerous world. There are lots of things out there which can hurt you. So you take precautions. You are careful. You don’t plug in an appliance which has a bad spot on the cord. You learn to appreciate the fences around playgrounds which keep your ball from rolling into a busy street.
Noah also lived in a violent and vile world. It was so bad that God sent a Flood to destroy everyone and everything on earth but Noah and his family and the animals in the Ark. Think about the faith that Noah had to have had. Not only did he spend a long time building the ark (Some say 120 years.), he also had to trust God when the animals started arriving. Lions and tigers and bears and crocodiles! There also might have been some trepidation about whether the pitch covering the Ark was going to hold and keep it waterproof for however long Noah would be inside. Noah couldn’t go out and do any patching. Where would he have gotten more material?!
So one of the most comforting scriptures in this whole section is Genesis 7:16 - “ . . . and the LORD shut him in.” Noah didn’t have to rely on his own ability to close and waterproof the door. God did it. You might say that God put His seal of approval on it. Or not. But at any rate, the implication is that God was intimately involved in getting Noah to safety in a very real way.
So what does that mean for you? First, you want to strive to have a relationship with God like Noah had - where it can be said of you, ________ found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Pleasing God comes from seeking Him, keeping His commandments, and submitting your will to His all the time. Secondly, if you have that kind of relationship with God, you can trust Him no matter what happens. As the apostle Paul said, To live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Regardless of what happens, you know that your life is hidden with Christ and your destiny is His kingdom. In the ultimate sense, God will have saved you. And as was said of Noah, God will have shut you in. That’s a very good thing.
Sabbath, January 10th
Touch of the Master’s Hand
Memory Verse: “Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head. . .” Genesis 28:11
Materials: toilet paper rolls, various projects created from toilet paper rolls
Over the past month, most of the ladies in our congregation have been collecting toilet paper rolls for me. I’m sure they have been wondering what in the world I was going to do with them. Well, toilet paper rolls can be used in several ways. They can be fire starters - just as they are or with dryer lints inside. They can be used as seedling starters. Put soil in a tube that has one end crimped. Put in a seed. Water. Let it grow. Once it’s ready to be put into the ground, you can put the whole thing in because the toilet paper rolls will disintegrate. Or toilet paper rolls can be made into puppets - like this elephant. Or toilet paper rolls can be made into wall decorations. Or they can be turned into colored pencil holders, like a desk caddy. Or they can be turned into 3-D snowflake decorations. It all depends on the creativity of the person who can take the toilet paper roll and turn it into something else. It kind of reminds me of a stone.
When Jacob left his parents and journeyed to his mother’s brother, Laban, to find a wife (and to get away from the wrath of his brother, Esau), he spent the night in “a certain place” (the ESV calls it in Genesis 28:11). He must have been camping because we’re told that he took a stone and used it for a pillow. That night he dreamed there was a ladder, or flight of steps, set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven. There were angels of God ascending and descending the ladder. At the top was God. God spoke to Jacob and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15) This is quite a promise! This is the covenant language God expressed to Abraham and to Isaac. Jacob reacted very strongly. He said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it. . . . How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:16-17)
In the morning, he took the stone he’d used as a pillow. He set it up for a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He made a vow. If God would be with him and keep him, giving him food to eat and clothes to wear so that he would again come home to his father, then God would be his God and he would tithe.
And that pillar would be God’s house - which is why the city which grew up there was named Bethel - “house of God.”
It was a stone. A simple stone. Jacob used it as a pillow. Could he have chosen a different stone? Was it the stone which made all the difference? Was it the stone which caused the dream? No. The stone was just the pillow. But that stone, which Jacob used as a pillow, became a pillar - an Ebenezer - a stone of remembrance, a memorial to the dream and promise Jacob had had. Eventually, this pillar became the site of a community called Bethel! All from a simple stone.
So whether we’re talking about toilet paper rolls or stones, what does this mean to you? If you are diligently seeking God and His ways, God can use you for His glory. Like a toilet paper roll or a stone, you can be used in ways you could never have imagined. God is the Creator. Like the song “Touch of the Master’s Hand,” this world doesn’t understand “the worth of a soul and the change that's wrought by the touch of the Master's hand.” I can hardly wait to see what God will do with each of you - as He uses you for His glory!
Sabbath, January 17th
God's Sovereignty
Memory Verse: “ . . . you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good . . .” Genesis 50:20
Did you know that the Slinky was invented by accident?
"During World War II, an engineer named Richard James wanted to help the troops by inventing springs that could stabilize important instruments on naval ships during times of rough seas. While working on the springs, one was knocked off a table and “walked” its way down to the floor, then re-coiled itself and stood upright. After showing this to his wife, they determined it could be sold as a children’s toy with the name “Slinky.” It was first demonstrated to customers at Gimbels Department Store in 1945, and within the first 90 minutes over 400 Slinkys had been sold." science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/inventions/15-of-the-coolest-accidental-inventions.htm
The same site talks about the invention of the potato chip: "Potato chips, America’s beloved snack of choice, were originally developed to annoy a dissatisfied diner in 1853. George Crum, a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, New York, served French fries to the customer, who initially complained they were too thick. Crum then made a second batch, which was thinner, but still did not appease him. So for the third batch, in an attempt to further irritate the diner, Crum made fries that were so thin they couldn’t be eaten with a fork, and over salted them for good measure. Surprisingly, the customer loved them, and potato chips were invented!”
Post-it Notes were invented by accident by 3M scientist Spencer Silver in 1968, who created a weak, reusable adhesive, and then developed into a product by fellow 3M employee Art Fry in 1974, who used it for his church hymnal bookmark, leading to a product launch in 1980 that revolutionized office organization. Silver's "solution without a problem" adhesive, made of tiny bubbles, was strong enough to stick but weak enough to peel off, a property Fry realized was perfect for temporary page markers.
Sometimes things happen in our lives that we totally didn't expect. Sometimes we call these coincidences. But what if they aren't coincidences? There's a saying: Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous. So what if those "coincidences" are actually God working things out in our lives? Do you have any examples you'd like to share?
The Slinky and the potato chip are examples of accidental inventions when the inventor was trying to do something good - and some other good thing resulted. But what if the inventor meant it for evil? Sometimes things, and actions, are intended for harm. They want to hurt someone else. In the case of Joseph and his brothers, they hated him so much, they wanted to kill him. But traders going to Egypt just happened by. Since his brothers just wanted rid of him, selling Joseph would get rid of him and earn them some money. Their actions intended evil against Joseph; selling him to Egypt was likely to result in his death. But at the very end of the story, once Jacob had died and the brothers were still afraid Joseph would get his revenge on them, Joseph showed remarkable wisdom. He told his brothers that although they had meant their actions for evil (wanting rid of Joseph - even to murder!), God meant it for good. With Joseph in Egypt and because Joseph honored God with his life, God was able to use him - even to saving his entire family from the famine. God’s plans and purposes always work out. Because God is sovereign.
“ . . . you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good . . .” Genesis 50:20 This is an extremely encouraging verse to hang onto when things aren’t going well - according to your definition. Just hang on. Keep seeking and serving God with all of your heart. He is sovereign and He wants the very best in your life. He’s working things out for your good. Isn’t that what we’re told in Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Sabbath, January 31st
God’s Still With Us
Memory Verse:“ . . . in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” Exodus 40:38
If someone were to ask you what the book of Exodus was about, what would you tell them?
If you said that it’s about the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt, you’d be right. If you cited the stubbornly rebellious hearts of these people God had rescued, you’d be right again. If you said it details the giving of the Mosaic law, the building of the tabernacle and the law of the sacrifices, you’d be right again. But the overall impression I’ve gained, as we’ve made our way through the book of Exodus, is that God was with His people - even before they realized they needed Him.
Think of how the book begins: The Hebrew people multiplied in Egypt until the Egyptians grew afraid of their numbers and decided to assimilate them into the Egyptian nation by killing all of the baby boys. God knew they were going to need to be rescued. Moses was born, was rescued by the Egyptian Princess, was raised in Pharaoh’s household, and ended up in the wilderness, tending his father-in-law’s sheep on Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God. God was intimately involved in the events, preparing Moses for the time when he would need to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
I’m sure you could detail the plagues and the numerous miracles God performed as He led the people out of Egypt. But then, even more than just acting on their behalf, God gives them His law - a picture of the character of God. Furthermore, God gave minute instructions for the building of the tabernacle, the high priest’s garments, and the furnishing of the tabernacle. He gave them the privilege of having Him dwell with them. Do you fully understand how very much God was with His people?! He acted on their behalf. He dwelt in their midst. He gave them His laws so the people would act and think like God. Then to cap it all off, He gives them a physical, visual reminder that He is with them 24/7.
For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. Exodus 40:38
So God’s presence was with them day and night throughout all of their journeys!
Do you feel a little envious of the Israelites? Do you wish that God would dwell with you, tell you how to live, and provide you a physical, visible reminder that He is with you, leading and protecting you? I have good news for you. He has - if you have the eyes to see.
What part of our lives corresponds to the tabernacle? 1 Corinthians 3:16 says that we are the temple of the living God. When you are baptized and have hands laid on you for the receiving of the Holy Spirit, you become the temple, the dwelling place of God. Then His Holy Spirit (John 16:13) works in you to lead you into all truth as you read God’s written word, which contains His commandments. So you have God’s presence and God’s law with you. But what about God acting on your behalf - miracles?
I suspect that each one of you has experienced God’s hand in your life in a powerful way. Could you prove that it was directly God’s hand? No, probably not. But just like some people try to explain away the provision of the quail as a yearly phenomena, you know that God provided them meat to eat. You know that was from God. Some people say that the people crossing the Red Sea dry shod was because there was a natural underwater land bridge. But you know that it was the power of God who dried up the sea bed for the Israelites but drowned the Egyptians as they tried to follow. In the same way, each of you has had events in your lives which you know was the hand of God. Talk about them. Remind each other of them. They are like that cloud of the LORD that was on the tabernacle by day and the fire that was in the tabernacle by night in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
Sabbath School, February 7, 2026
And the Land Vomited
Memory Verse: “ . . . and the land vomited out its inhabitants.” Leviticus 18:25
Have you ever vomited? Why do people vomit? Sometimes it’s because they have the flu (or other illness). One of the symptoms of the flu is that you are nauseous - you feel like you’re going to throw up. Sometimes people vomit because they eat too much. Their stomach literally says, “I’m so uncomfortable because you put too much in me.” Similar to this one is when you eat (or drink) something that doesn’t set well on your stomach. If you eat too much candy (sugar), you will feel awful and may even vomit. Sometimes when you get as ancient as I am, you can’t eat cucumbers or green peppers any more. They just don’t set well on your stomach. Sometimes you vomit because you’re allergic to the food that you consumed. Gluten is an allergy that is more and more common. Another reason you might vomit is because the person right next to you is vomiting. It happens with small children more than you might think.
But the verse in Leviticus 18:25 isn’t talking about a person vomiting. It says, “ . . . and the land vomited out its inhabitants.” Why would the land vomit? What does that even look like? Do you have an image in your mind of land roiling and pushing people out of it? That’s what it sounds like. But unless we’re talking about earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and tornadoes, how would the earth vomit out the people? It seems logical that it’s one of two things.
First, perhaps the people so mistreated the land that it will no longer support them. The land is no longer fruitful. Maybe the people threw their trash and waste into the rivers, expecting the rivers to carry away all the refuse. But now the water is so contaminated, you can’t eat the fish, the people downstream get sick from drinking the water, and the water can no longer be used to water crops. Maybe people put poison on the ground so that nothing will grow. Maybe people so polluted the air that birds and bees died - and other bugs, noxious, devouring ones moved in. These are just a couple examples of people violating the Dominion Mandate given by God to care for the land.
Or perhaps, it’s figurative language meaning that the people did not care for the land and didn’t follow God’s ways, and God made them leave. Maybe God used their own actions (like those above) to push them out. Maybe God sent natural disasters - drought, fire, tornadoes - to destroy what they had so they had to leave to survive. Or maybe God sent enemies against them to conquer them and drive them out of the land.
Any way that God accomplished His purpose really isn’t the point. The point of the verse is that the people were so wicked and evil, so rebellious against God and His ways, that He made them leave. Maybe He used natural consequences to their actions. Maybe He became directly involved. Regardless, the land vomited out its inhabitants. So - how seriously do you think God views obedience to Him and His ways? How important is it to YOU to figure out what God wants, what pleases Him? I suspect that, if we don’t have that relationship with God, if we don’t love and obey Him with all of our heart, we might get an up close and personal perspective on what it means when the land vomits out its inhabitants.
Sabbath, February 14th
The Aaronic Blessing
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Blessings are important! We read about them throughout the Bible. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 enumerates the blessings God’s people would receive if they were faithful to obey His commandments. We read about Jacob stealing Esau's blessing. We know that Joseph blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, adopting them as his own sons. We ask for blessings from God.
If you were asked to give someone a blessing - to speak a blessing over them - what might you say? I asked the children to bring their answers to church Sabbath and be ready to share.
As I was thinking about it, I thought of several musical blessings. “May the Good Lord bless and keep you, whether near or far away. . . May the good you wish on others shine on you today. . . May your troubles all be small ones and your fortune ten times ten. . . May there be a silver lining back of every cloud you see.” Or there’s one by Twyla Paris. “I pray the Lord will bless you with His presence every day. And I pray He will protect you every step along the way, help you love what’s right and lead you far away from wrong. I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long.” Then there’s the contemporary song which probably helped you memorize your verse this sabbath, if you know it. “The Blessing” follows Numbers 6:24-26 fairly closely: “The LORD bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
But for each of you here today, your parents specifically chose a blessing for you that will accompany you the rest of your life. Mitkah means “sweetness;” Shelevah means “serenity or peace;” Zevadyah means “gift of Yahweh;” Berechyah mean “Yahweh blesses;” Audrey means “noble strength;” Peter means “rock or stone, connoting reliability, resilience, and faith;” and Matthew means “gift of God.”
James 3:8-13 talks about how sometimes we bless others and sometimes we say really mean and bad things about others. We have to learn to control our tongue, to use our words constructively rather than destructively. In others words, let not only your actions be a blessing to others; let your words bless them as well.
Sabbath, February 21st
Believe in God
“ . . . Because you did not believe in me . .” Numbers 20:12
What do you think? Do you believe you can push a plastic straw through a potato? If you put your finger over the straw opening, the compressed air in the straw will help you. If you don’t put your finger over the straw opening, you’ll barely make a dent!
Do you believe you can poke a pencil into a bag full of water without any leaking out? If the bag is sealed and the pencils are very sharp, the polymers of the bag will seal around the pencil.
Do you believe you can move an empty soda can toward you without touching it? You could blow on it, of course, to move it away. But if you rub an inflated balloon over someone’s head, the resulting electricity will attract the can - making it move.
Obviously there are good, scientific explanations behind all of these science tricks. But at first blush, you might have said there’s no way I’m going to be able to push a straw through a potato, or a pencil into a bag of water, or move a soda can. You didn’t believe.
Or maybe you did. Maybe you have seen enough science experiments done during sabbath class (or at school) that you did believe. And you would have thought the Israelites had experienced God’s power enough to believe that He meant what He said. His promises would happen. His commandments had to be obeyed. And, more than the Israelites, you’d have thought Moses would have believed what God said with all of his heart. Wouldn’t you have? It was Moses who experienced the burning bush. It was Moses who interacted with Pharaoh. It was Moses who talked with God face to face so that his skin shone! And yet, here’s your memory verse: “Because you did not believe in me . . .” This was God’s reaction when Moses and Aaron struck the rock twice and said “must we bring water for you out of this rock?” Uh oh. First of all, it wasn’t Moses and Aaron’s power to bring water from the rock! And secondly, God told them to speak to the rock, not strike it. God said Moses and Aaron did not believe in Him to uphold Him as holy in the sight of the Israelites.
Do you remember the extremely detailed instructions God gave to Moses about how to construct the tabernacle? Do you think precision is important to God?! Do you think it matters to God if you mostly obey Him? Do you think it matters whether the pencil is sharp when I try to poke it through the bag? There are many, many examples of when God allowed exceptions to His commandments - but they were all for good reasons, not just because the people were too lazy to obey. Just because it wasn’t convenient was not a good reason. And neither is unbelief a good reason to disobey. God’s existence and power and majesty are on display all around us (Rom. 1:20)
Here’s the point: if you truly believe that God exists and that He’s a Rewarder of them who diligently seek Him, your actions will demonstrate that. If you truly believe that God commands Sabbath observance, you will keep the Sabbath. If you truly believe that God prohibits lying, you will tell the truth. You obey God’s laws - not because you think you’re earning salvation; you obey God’s laws because you believe that God exists and those laws are what He wants you to obey. And because you believe in God so that you obey His commandments, you uphold Him as holy in the sight of all the people around you.
Resource: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/parents/magic-science-experiments-for-kids/
Sabbath, March 7th
God Goes With You
Memory Verse: “for the LORD your God is he who goes with you. . .” Deuteronomy 20:4
Materials Needed: chart with examples
How do you know that your car has gasoline (or diesel) in it? (You were able to get to church!)
How do I know that Molly was playing with her toy - and shouldn’t be allowed to have it any longer? (There’s a hole in it!!)
How do you know when a coyote or deer has been in your backyard? (footprints or droppings or eaten plants)
How might I prove the existence of air? (blow up a balloon and release it; weigh a balloon that is not inflated and then weigh it after it’s been inflated)
So how did God’s people know that God was with them? They should have known in a myriad of ways: the pillar of fire or of cloud; the daily manna; water from the rock; the plagues in Egypt that didn’t affect the land of Goshen; crossing the Red Sea dry shod; the mountain quaking when God spoke to them; Moses’ shining face after having been in the presence of God; the rod that budded; the earthquake that swallowed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram - the list is long!
How do you know that God is with you? Like the examples we have cited here, there is evidence of God’s presence in your life in a plethora of ways. There’s a saying: Coincidences are those times when God chooses to remain anonymous. Do you just have really good luck - amazing coincidences in your life - or is God actively blessing you and working things out for your good? Do you have examples?
I cited the example of God giving me a strong warning about going into that cathedral basement when I was in Chicago. I heeded that warning. I took my suitcase into one of the stalls and locked myself in. When heard footsteps and saw men’s shoes come into the women’s bathroom, I was really glad I’d gone into one of the stalls. I hurriedly changed, listened for the steps to recede, and got out of there as quickly as I could. What if I hadn’t paid any attention to that warning? I could have just dismissed it was me being silly.
I have lots of stories of what an unbeliever might say is just coincidence: being missed by a train, falling off a horse, the transmission going out of the van just over the hill from the repair shop, the tree falling in Mom’s driveway, Mom receiving a push to get her back upright on the trail, God stopping the rain in Louisville, God healing Ron’s tennis elbow and his burned hand - we could talk for a very long time.
In what ways do you know that God is with you?
Could you prove that God is blessing you to an unbeliever? Probably no more effectively than Moses proving God’s presence and provision to the unbelievers among the Israelites. Hebrews 3:12 says they had an evil heart of unbelief! Despite all of the evidence to the contrary, the Israelites chose to not belief that God existed and was working for their good. They did not trust God. And because they did not trust God, they didn’t obey Him either. And that had severe consequences.
But you DO know that God is with you. You’ve seen the evidence of it in your life! What do you do with that belief? It comes out in your words and your actions. If you truly believe that God in working in your life, then you trust Him. You obey His commandments. You share the gospel in a myriad of ways with the people around you. And the people around you can see it! “for the LORD your God is he who goes with you. . .” Deuteronomy 20:4
Sabbath, March 14th
Stones of Remembrance
“so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty . . .” Joshua 4:24
Materials needed: white hearts, white crayon, dark tempera paint (Write one word - God's blessings on a white construction paper heart with a white crayon. The dark tempera paint symbolizes when trouble comes. If you have hidden God's word and His deeds in your heart, you will find faith in the midst of your trials.)
When I was in school, the kindergarten teacher would often safety pin the note she wanted to go home to the parent of a child to the child’s shirt. Why do you think she did that? 🤷♀️ Because otherwise that message might never make it home for the parents to see. Sometimes it was a bad grade on an assignment. Sometimes it was a report about misbehavior. Sometimes it conveyed the need for supplies. And occasionally it was a good report.
It’s not only 5 year-olds who have a hard time remembering to do what they’re supposed to. What are some things you have forgotten recently? Do your parents have trouble remembering things? How do you know? How do they compensate for being forgetful?
Possible solutions: lists, picture, alarm, sticky notes, journal, songs
God gave us the weekly sabbath to remind us of several things: that He is Creator; He is our Redeemer; it is in only in Him we find true rest.
God gave us the annual sabbaths to remind us of what He has done, is doing, and will do for each of us. As we celebrate the Holy Days, we are reminded to make our relationship with God the priority in our lives.
But what else can you do to remember what God has done for you? When God spoke to Joshua (recorded in Joshua 1), God told Joshua to obey His law, to not let the law depart from His mouth, and to meditate on it (Joshua 1:8-9). Joshua was to make God’s law a prominent part of what he thought, what he said, and what he did. That’s a really good model for us. Everything you think, say, and do should be done with God’s laws in mind. In other words, you hide God’s words and deeds in your heart - so that when trouble comes, you know that God’s plans will triumph in the end, that God loves you, and that you can trust Him - no matter what!
Sabbath, March 21st
Give God the Glory
Memory verse: “ . . . for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.” Joshua 23:3
Materials needed: bowl of water, clear cup, napkin
Do you give God the glory? What does that even mean? Is it something you should be doing? If so, what is it?
Let’s start with a science experiment. I have a napkin. Let’s say it represents something you are proud of - like passing a hard test, climbing a tree, hitting a homerun. The glass represents you. So I’m going to scrunch the napkin into the bottom of the glass. I have a bowl full of water. What happens when I turn the glass upside down and put it into the bowl of water? You’d expect the water would fill the glass and the napkin would get wet, right? What actually happens? The napkin is still dry! Why? Did the glass keep the water from getting to the napkin? That’s what it looks like; it looks like the glass is doing all the work to keep the napkin dry! But actually, the air in the glass pushed the water away. So what’s my point? When we do something amazing, people around us see the “glass” (us), but they don’t see the “Air” (God’s power). It’s very important to remember to give the credit to God for what He has done for us.
It’s your memory verse: “ . . . for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.” Joshua 23:3
And it’s very important. God says, “My glory I will share with no other.”
It’s really easy to take the credit. “I did really well on the test.” “I hit the homerun.” “I came up with a new idea that really worked.” But in reality, God is the One who gave us all the ability to do things and sometimes He gives us the inspiration or thought for which people commend us.
So. What do you say when people compliment you for something? Do you say “Thank you”? Or do you remember to give God the glory? What would that look like? I’ll give you a couple of examples and then we’ll see what else you can come up with.
When they say: "You're so smart!"
Kid says: "Thanks! God gave me a brain that loves to learn."
When they say: "Great game today; you're fast!"
Kid says: "Thank you! I'm just glad God gave me the energy to play hard today."
When they say: "That’s a beautiful drawing."
Kid says: "Thanks, I'm really thankful God gave me a love for art."
When they say: "You're such a kind person."
Kid says: "I’m trying! I’m asking God to help me love people better every day."
The "Safety" Phrase (for any compliment):
Kid says: "Thank you! Praise God for helping me with that.”
We serve the amazing God! All glory and honor and praise belongs to Him.
Sabbath, March 28th
Right in Your Own Eyes
“ . . . Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 17:6
Materials Needed: blender, strawberries, milk, Carnation Instant Breakfast, ketchup, onions, dill pickles, cups
We just had a Bible study this past Sabbath about the calendar issue. Do you remember what Ron started with? "Yes, but." There are many conflicting views about how to apply what is written in the Bible about the calendar. There are many conflicting views about many different issues in our world today - and that's part of the reason there's so much conflict between people. I see the issue one way; you see the issue another way. Both can be right; both can be wrong; usually there's a mix of right and wrong in each viewpoint. It can come down to what you feel should have more weight - which viewpoint should be given more consideration.
When I was a teenager, I had a brother who was ten years younger than I was. We had a different perspective on almost everything! One day I looked out my bedroom window because I could hear the neighbor's geese making quite a ruckus. I soon understood why! My brother and the neighbor's three boys were kicking the geese from behind. It launched the geese in the air and made them squawk. They thought it was great fun. I was upset. I headed downstairs to deal with the boys (specifically my brother) kicking the geese. My dad saw my anger and caught me before I got outside. He wanted to know where I was going. I told him I was going to show my brother what it felt like to be kicked in the rear. And then entered the third perspective in the whole situation: Dad wouldn't let me go kick my brother. He told me I didn't have the authority to do so. In fact, I got sent back to my room. I was so angry at both Dad and my brother!
Be aware this week of conflicts that you have with your family members. How many of those conflicts are because you have a different perspective? Perhaps a different value of importance on the aspects of a situation? And we'll talk about whether it was a good thing or a bad thing for everyone to do what was right in their own eyes.
In many cases between people, it can be difficult to figure out the best course of action or the “right” way of doing something. Should we plant tomatoes in the top of the garden or in pots? Should we plant bush beans or pole beans? Should we have a picnic or go to a movie? And so when people do what is right in their own eyes (and it doesn’t contradict God’s law), you can have a huge variety of opinions on actions. But when God’s ways are involved, we should ALWAYS seek to please God, to do things His way according to His word. We can have differences of opinion on what exactly God’s will is, but our focus has to be on His agenda, not ours. Doing what’s right in your own eyes didn’t work out very well for the Israelites - and it won’t work out very well for you either.
Here’s what that would look like:
I’m going to make a smoothie. Here’s my recipe: strawberries, milk, Carnation Instant Breakfast - blend it all up. Yum. But what if I decide that there are other things I really like and I don’t really have to follow the recipe? Ketchup is red like strawberries. I like ketchup. Let’s add that. I like pickles on hamburgers. Oooh, you know what really goes well with ketchup and pickles on hamburgers? Onions. Let’s throw that in. Umm. I don’t think I followed the recipe very well, but I did what I liked. Anyone want to drink that “smoothie”?
There are things that we like that just don’t follow God’s recipe of the way life works. I don’t care how strongly you feel that it’s right, God’s way is always best.
Sabbath, April 4th
Counting
“ . . . do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.” 1 Samuel 12:20
I really appreciate what Mark Jacob has been teaching about the Ten Commandments - that they are umbrella statements, or topics. So the Fourth Commandment about keeping the Sabbath day holy is a topic statement. It’s an umbrella statement under which all of the instructions about keeping God’s Holy Days would fall.
Here’s one example of what an umbrella topic is. If your mom tells you to take a bath, that’s a topic statement. You should
- wash your face
- wash behind your ears
- wash your armpits
- wash your feet
- all of the above
Taking a bath includes washing every part of you.
If we applied this concept to the Ninth Commandment: Thou shall not bear false witness. If we apply the concept that this is a topic, then there are several categories which would fall under this umbrella: bearing false witness, out and out lying, lies of omission, partial truths, intentionally misleading others without saying the lie out loud, and little white lies.
Let’s apply it in a positive sense. The fourth commandment is “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” This would apply to the weekly sabbath - and to the annual sabbaths, like the first and last Day of Unleavened Bread. What other specific commandment does God give for keeping these Sabbath holy, set apart? He says we must eat unleavened bread every day for seven days. And right in the middle of this observance, another observance begins - which is connected to the next annual sabbath, Pentecost. What are we supposed to do to celebrate Pentecost. We’re supposed to count off fifty days from the morrow after the Sabbath. Hey! That’s tomorrow. We’re supposed to start counting tomorrow! And just in case you forgot what the commandment that is associated with Pentecost is - it’s in the name! Pentecost literally means “count fifty.”
Something that you do every day for fifty days is a little easier if you have a reminder. So I made calendars and collected stickers for you. Each day put a sticker on that day. You might even want to put it on the refrigerator in your kitchen. Keep track of the days and count - as God commanded.
Why? Because that’s part of what 1 Samuel 12:20 means when it says, “ . . . do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.”
Sabbath, April 11th
Something You’re Not
“ . . . And I took the crown that was on his head. . .” 2 Samuel 1:10
Materials needed: popcorn air popper, popcorn, container, dry erase board, markers
What did you learn from the Days of Unleavened Bread this year? Anything?
Paul exhorts the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:8) to “keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.”
Did you get that? Paul is using opposites to help define terms. Unleavened is opposite leavened. Malice and wickedness are on the leavened side. Sincerity and truth are on the unleavened side. Let’s fill this out a little.
- What is the opposite of sincerity? Insincerity. Hmm. Does that help? Maybe not. What does it mean to be insincere? Insincerity is saying something that you don’t really mean. It’s telling someone they are your best friend (when they’re not) just so you can get something. When you are insincere, you are not honest - and that’s not a good thing.
- So then what’s the opposite of malice? Well, what is malice? Malice is having a desire to cause someone pain, harm, or distress. What makes it worse is that it’s premeditated. It’s not a thought on the spur of the moment; it’s thinking about someone and disliking them so much you want to do something bad to them. So the opposite of malice is generosity, forgiveness, agape love.
During the Days of Unleavened Bread we get the object lesson of how pervasive leavening is in our world. It’s all around us. Malice, wickedness, insincerity and falsehood are ubiquitous in our world. As people of God, we are not to be like this!!! Ever! It’s not just what we do during the Days of Unleavened Bread; we’re supposed to love the truth and be sincere and loving and long-suffering all the time.
So why did I bring my popcorn popper today? (Popcorn is not leavened.) I have two reasons. First, the popper works because there is moisture in the kernels. When the moisture is rapidly heated, the corn pops. We as humans also have a high water content. That means when we are under pressure (aka heat is applied), sometimes we explode. The words and actions that result are often not godly. We need to guard against emotionally-laden conversations because we can cause damage in our relationships that are not easily repaired.
The second reason I brought my popper is because popped corn is puffed up. You know that because you can start with a little amount and once it’s popped, it fills the whole bowl. In other words, popped corn is full of air. There’s something substantiative missing. The example in your Bible reading this week is the Amalekite who happened on King Saul after he was already dead. And we know this because of 1 Samuel 31:5. But the Amalekite claimed to David that he (the Amalekite) had killed Saul. And here was the crown as evidence. The Amalekite thought that David would reward him. He couldn’t have been more wrong. His false claim cost him his life.
What’s my point? By claiming to be something that you are not, by not being sincere and truthful, by not learning the lessons of the Days of Unleavened Bread, you are taking your life into your own hands. Those people, who are leavened with malice and wickedness and insincerity and falsehood, show by their actions and attitudes that they don’t belong to God. Those who don’t belong to God have no hope of eternal life in God’s kingdom.
