Sabbath School Study Hour

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.

“Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth…” John 1:45.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:9-10 How can the message of Ephesians be summarized? From prison, Paul sets forth a vision of God’s Christ-centered plan for the fullness of time and the church’s role in it.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3 What does it mean to you that through Christ’s atoning sacrifice you are forgiven and redeemed? What if you feel that you are unworthy of it? (Hint: you are unworthy; that’s the whole point of the cross.)

Scripture: Ephesians 1:19-20 Why is it important always to thank God in prayer for what you have to be thankful for?

Scripture: Genesis 3:9 What are ways that you experience God’s presence in your life?

Scripture: Matthew 28:19 God has chosen to manifest Himself to us in such a way that we can understand His nature and purpose.

Scripture: Acts 1:8 How would you define the word “mission” as you apply it to your own life? In what ways could you, daily, express mission in your attitude and behavior? How can you be more mission minded in your day-by-day tasks?

Scripture: Luke 24:44-45 The Psalms are inspired prayers and praises of Israel, and so in the Psalms the voice is that of God intermingled with that of His people.

Scripture: Luke 11:1 This week we will look at the role the Psalms played in helping God’s people traverse their life journey and grow in their relationship with God.

Scripture: Psalm 34:17 God has both the perfect knowledge of us and of our circumstances, and also the means to help us. Therefore, His promises of help and deliverance are not shallow platitudes but firm assurances.

Scripture: Revelation 12:7-8 If God is so good, why is the world so bad? How can a God of love allow so much evil to exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? In this week’s lesson, we will explore the age-long conflict between good and evil.

Scripture: Isaiah 41:10 We will study Satan’s twofold strategy both to deceive and destroy God’s people. What the evil one fails to accomplish through persecution, he hopes to achieve through compromise. God is never caught by surprise, and even in the most challenging times He preserves His people. Study this week’s lesson, based on The Great Controversy, chapters 1–2

Scripture: John 12:35 Yet even in life’s most difficult times, God was continually with His people. They found Jesus, “the way, the truth and the life” and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, they stood firm, even in the face of overwhelming pressure to yield their conscientious convictions. They stayed loyal to God’s revealed will in Scripture and unflinchingly stood for the truth of His Word, regardless of the pressure placed on them, either overtly or subtly. This week’s lesson is based on The Great Controversy, chapter 3.

This week's first step will be to learn about Mark as reported in Scripture, to see his early failure and eventual recovery. Then the study will turn to the opening section of Mark with a look forward to where the story is headed and a look backward at why a failed and then restored missionary would write such a text.

Scripture: Mark 1:17 The Gospel of Mark recounts the calling of four disciples and describes a Sabbath in Capernaum and what followed. This “Sabbath with Jesus” at the beginning of Mark gives the reader a sense of who Jesus is. In the entire section for this week’s lesson there are very few of His words recorded: a brief call to discipleship, a command to a demon, a plan to visit other locations, and the healing of a leper with instructions to show himself before a priest to be clean. The emphasis is on action, particularly healing people. The Gospel writer likes to use the word immediately to illustrate the fast-action movement of Jesus’ ministry.

The Gospel writer uses a technique that is called “Sandwich Stories.” This narrative pattern appears at least six times in Mark. In each case some important aspect of the nature of Jesus and His role as Messiah, or the nature of discipleship, is the focus. This week, we will read some accounts about Jesus and see what we can learn from them.

Scripture: John 20:30-31 Why did John write his Gospel? Did he wish to emphasize Jesus’ miracles? Or to emphasize some specific teachings of Jesus? What was the reason for writing what he did? This week we’re going to look in John at some of Jesus’ early miracles—from His turning water to wine at a wedding, to restoring to health someone’s very sick son, to the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda.

Scripture: John 11:25-26 This week’s lesson looks at three of Jesus’ greatest signs of His divinity. What is striking is that in every case some people did not believe the miracle or perceive its significance. For some it was a time of turning away from Jesus; for others, a time for deepening blindness; and for others, a time to plot Jesus’ death. And, for others—a time to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

Scripture: John 1:1 This week’s lesson will begin with the Prologue (John 1:1–18) and summarize its major themes. These themes will then be looked at in other places in John’s Gospel, as well.

Scripture: Hosea 14:4 Lesson: 1 God not only asks us, “Do you love Me,” but God Himself loves each person, and does so freely. Indeed, He freely loves you and me and every other person more than we could possibly imagine.

Scripture: John 14:23 Lesson: 2 Some might think that they are unlovable, or that God might love everyone else, but not them. Yet, the Bible consistently proclaims that every single person is loved by God. There is no one whom He does not love. And because God loves everyone, He also wants everyone to be saved, as well.

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17 Lesson: 3 Hard as it is for us to imagine, God considers each person of incalculable value, which is why He rejoices over the salvation of even one soul.

Scripture: Jeremiah 9:24 Lesson: 1 Why does Bible prophecy cause so much confusion—even among Christians? Some avoid it altogether, thinking it's too complicated or divisive. But that wasn’t always the case. For centuries, believers found unity and clarity in God’s prophetic Word. In this week’s lesson, we’ll explore simple, powerful principles that bring prophecy into focus—and show how it can still inspire faith and understanding today.

Scripture: John 1:29 Lesson: 2 This week, we are going to study a handful of big concepts at the core of Revelation. There are many, and so we will choose a few to illustrate the all-important point that understanding the ancient foundations behind Revelation enables the student to see countless nuances in the text, each of which can yield important lessons about the nature of humanity, of God, and of the conflict being waged in our universe and, thus, in our lives, as well.

Scripture: Revelation 19:9 Lesson: 3 This week we will explore different ways the Word of God talks about marriages, good and bad. We can then draw lessons from these examples to understand better how God relates to His people, even when they fall short, and we can learn some truths about His love that can help us better grasp last-day events.

Scripture: Exodus 2:23-25 Lesson: 1 The book of Exodus is a powerful reminder that God sees, hears, and acts on behalf of the suffering. Its stories of deliverance speak to anyone who feels forgotten, oppressed, or burdened by life’s injustices. Just as God rescued the Israelites, He is still working today to redeem and restore. Exodus is more than ancient history—it points us to Jesus, our ultimate Deliverer, and reminds us that through faith, we too can experience freedom and salvation. In life’s darkest moments, we can find hope by fixing our eyes on God, who leads us toward His eternal Promised Land.

Scripture: Exodus 3:7-8 Lesson: 2 When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He wasn’t just showing a miracle—He was calling Moses to a new purpose. At first, Moses hesitated, unsure about such a radical change. Like him, we often have our own plans, but God may lead us in a different direction—one that’s harder, but better. Following His call may not always be easy, but it’s the path to true purpose and blessing.

Scripture: Exodus 5:1-2 Lesson: 3 Many believers think that when one decides to follow God, he or she will experience only happiness, prosperity, and success. That’s not necessarily the case, however, as the Bible itself often shows. Sometimes many obstacles appear, as well as new difficulties. Those who trust in God will face numerous trials. When we persevere, however, God brings solutions that come on His terms and in His time. His ways may conflict with our expectations for quick and instantaneous solutions, but we must learn to trust Him, regardless.

The book of Joshua is about new possibilities. Moses, who had dominated 40 years of Israel’s history, belonged in the past. The Exodus from Egypt and the wanderings in the wilderness, tragically marked by rebellion and stubbornness, had ended. A new generation, willing to obey God, was ready to enter the Promised Land, not as an expectation to live up to but as a possibility to live into. Let’s study the way God opened up a new chapter in Israel’s life, and how He can do the same in ours as well.

Israel has a second chance of entering the Promised Land, and Joshua takes this mission seriously. Expectations run high, but the last time Israel was at the border and had the same task, it resulted in an abysmal failure. This week, we will explore two of the most fascinating stories of the book of Joshua and discover their relevance to our faith today. God’s grace has infinite possibilities to surprise us.

As human beings, we are prone to forget things that are not constantly in our sight. We forget to return phone calls, respond to emails, water the plants, send birthday wishes, and so forth. The list could go on. Forgetting about our spiritual needs, however, could have more severe consequences than simply receiving a fine, especially because we are dealing with what is, literally, our eternal destiny. Let’s study the crossing of the Jordan by the Hebrews and see what we can learn from their experiences.