Key Thought : Our lives should be modest, temperate, and prudent. Laying up material possessions may cause undue axiety that puts us at risk of losing our faith.
March 18, 2023

1. Have a volunteer read 2 Chronicles 20:1-20..

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. Even if we are not rich, how can we be careful about our attitude toward money and wealth?
3. Personal Application: Why does verse 20 have a special impact on Seventh-day Adventists today? Share your thoughts..
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “Is this saying that church members today, when in danger, should fast and pray together? Why don’t more churches do that in times of trouble and need?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read I Chronicles 21:1-14…

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What are some practical things we can do to make sure we are not getting caught up in the things of this world?
3. Personal Application: How do we balance doing what we can to be financially secure, and yet, trust in the Lord for all things? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why did David decide to number Israel or count his soldiers? Why did his commander Joab counsel against this?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read 2 Peter 3:3-12.

1. Ask class members to share a short
2. What is Peter telling us with these words?
3. Personal Application: If you knew for sure Jesus would come in the next three years, how would you change your life, or would you? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “How have you learned to depend fully upon God in a time of difficulty? How has this experience increased your trust in God and His faithfulness?” How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read I John 2:15-17.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How are these three things manifested in this world, and why is the danger they present sometimes more subtle than er realize?
3. Personal Application: How can we keep things in perspective so that we are ready and able to leave all, forsake all, and can go without buying and selling, or be cast in prison for our faith? Share your thoughts?
4. 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!(0)

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King David should have known better. He should have known from the experience of his best friend Jonathan that when you are in covenant relationship with God, it doesn’t matter whether you have a few men or many; God can give you the victory. In 1 Samuel 14:1-23, the Bible records the story of how Saul’s son, Jonathan, and his armorbearer defeated an entire garrison of Philistines — with the help of God. But in spite of this experience and many others in the history of God’s people, when difficult times came to King David, he allowed Satan to tempt him to trust in his own strength and ingenuity.

Read 1 Chronicles 21:1-14. Why did David decide to number Israel or count his soldiers? Why did his commander Joab counsel against this?

Image © The Classic Bible Art Collection – Formerly Standard Publishing at Goodsalt.com

Note that it was Satan’s idea to count the soldiers. He tempted David to trust in his own strength rather than to depend on the providence of God in his defense. Joab, the leader of Israel’s army, tried to persuade David not to number Israel because he had seen God work on behalf of Israel, but David demanded that the numbering go forward. His actions brought calamity to the nation, as the text reveals.

No one ever trusted God in vain. Whenever you do battle for the Lord, prepare yourself. And prepare well, too. There’s a quote, attributed to a British ruler, Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), who, before a battle, said to his army, “Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry!” (The powder was gunpowder.) In other words, do all that you can to succeed, but, in the end, realize that only God can give you victory.

In our immediate context, it is very tempting to trust in the power of the government or in our bank accounts, but in every crisis mentioned in the Bible, when the people trusted in God, He honored their trust and provided for them.

We should be using the present time to get square with God, get out of debt, and be generous with what we have been given. In the words of the old gospel song, “If we ever needed the Lord before, we sure do need Him now.”

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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