11: Backslidden People – Teaching Plan

Key Thought: When Nehemiah returned, the people had stopped giving tithes and offerings, stopped keeping the Sabbath properly, and were intermarrying with other nations around them..
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December 14, 2019

1. Have a volunteer read Nehemiah 13:1-9.

Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
Who were Eliashib and Tobia and what did they do that was unacceptable?
Personal Application: How do we sometimes downplay the sacred and allow it to be compromised by the unholy and common in our worship and attitudes? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why do people allow themselves to be so easily led astray when it comes to Spiritual things and compromise, especially with family and friends?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Malachi 3:10.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
Why is tithing so important in the furtherance of the gospel and maintenance of God’s church?
Personal Application: Why is tithing important for our own spirituality and a measure of our trust in God?. Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your friends states, “I think churches invented tithing just so the ministers and churches could get rich. There are too many fancy buildings and rich mi9nisters running around that I don’t see how that glorifies God. How do we know our tithes are being used in the right way?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Nehemiah 13:15-22.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
What excuses do we see for people buying and selling on the Sabbath, when they know better? Do credit cards make it easier to justify buying and selling on the Sabbath?
Personal Application: What are some ways you see people trending toward compromise toward Sabbath-keeping? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “How strictly do you promote Sabbath-keeping? Is cooking, doing dishes, laundry, eating out at a restaurant, watching a sports game things you can do on the Sabbath, or are they prohibited?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Luke 6:6-11.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
What did Jesus teach about the principle of Sabbath-keeping that the religious leaders didn’t understand?
Personal Application: How do we sometimes become too judgmental on other people’s Sabbath-keeping? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

Amen!