Growing in a Relationship With God has many wonderful steps in it. There are several beautiful hymns from which to choose as a theme due to all the changes that come along when we grow in our relationship with God. On page 31 we see that “the most powerful weapon is prayer” to help us through our growing times. Therefore, we will wish to sing 
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus – Hymn 290 to keep learning every minute of the day in our journey. To help with this journey, Lord, 
Give Me The Bible – Hymn 272 to instruct even more with the Holy Spirit encouraging along the way: 
Hover O’er Me, Holy Spirit – Hymn 260.

All of this week’s lesson study time brings us solidly to one of our theme hymns,
Give Me The Bible – Hymn 272. Sabbath afternoon teaches us that our Creator is seeking to draw us closer to Him: 
Hymn 306 – Draw Me Nearer and Hymn 310 –
I Would Draw Nearer To Jesus.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-the-role-of-the-bible-singing-with-inspiration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4-the-role-of-the-bible-singing-with-inspiration

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 21st of April 2026

A trend among some liberal theologians in the 1960s was to write God out of the field of theology. In 2017, a cover story of Time magazine featured the headline “Is Truth Dead?” It’s interesting because this trend illustrates the position of our society today. The very idea of “truth” itself is decaying to such an extent that no one knows what truth is anymore. According to popular culture, there is no measuring stick, no foundation that remains constant that can be depended upon to endure the test of time. Contrary to this, Jesus said, “ ‘I am the . . . truth’ ” (John 14:6). His Word testifies about Him as truth in complete purity.

• John 17:17
• Proverbs 30:5-6
• Psalms 12:6

Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com

The Bible declares that basic truth, Jesus Himself, doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8). At the same time, as we read God’s Word, our understanding of God and His truth can grow. “There are mines of truth yet to be discovered by the earnest seeker.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 704. In speaking of “truth,” Ellen G. White always referred to truth as given by God through His Word. We can search for additional light in the Bible because God’s Word never contradicts past truths but instead builds on them.

In the end, the Bible, and the Bible alone, must be the foundational source of what we understand as truth. All other sources must be tried and tested by the Word of God. Even what we deem “reason” needs to be tested by God’s Word!

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26b-04-bible-truth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26b-04-bible-truth

He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. Revelation 13:13-14 NKJV

Photograph by William Earnhardt

Many believe this passage is referring to the United States using the atomic bomb in World War 2, by the fire coming down from heaven to the earth. However, the atomic bomb did not deceive anyone. This passage clearly describes fire coming down from heaven as a deception. Remember when Elijah called fire down from heaven to expose the Baal worshippers? In the last days, Satan will work through the beast and the false prophet (See Revelation 16:13) to perform miracles very similar to the ones in the Bible to deceive many. 

These deceptions will look like such genuine godly miracles that only by carefully studying the Scriptures will we be kept from being deceived. 

So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.-Ellen White, Great Controversy, Page 593. 

Remember when Jesus met two men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35? Their eyes were made so that they could not recognize Him. He asked them why they were sad, and they told Him about Jesus being crucified, and instead of Jesus just saying, “Hey! Look, it’s me,” Their eyes still did not recognize Him as He explained to them all the things in Scripture concerning Himself. He showed them from the Scriptures that the Messiah was to be crucified and rise again, instead of just saying, “Look, it’s me.” Why? Because Jesus did not want them to go by what they felt, saw, or heard. He only wanted them to go by what God’s Word said. Jesus knew Satan could appeal to our senses of sight and sound as well as tempt our emotions. This is why Jesus relied on nothing but the Word of God, rather than on signs and wonders. After all, Satan himself can use signs and wonders. 

In Genesis 3:1-5, Satan used the senses to deceive Eve. Based on these signs and wonders, like a talking serpent, Eve decided that she could not believe God’s Word that said if you taste the forbidden fruit, you will die. In Matthew 4:1-4, Satan appears to Jesus and uses the senses and the temptation to signs and wonders to try to deceive Jesus. After several days of fasting, I am sure Jesus did not look or feel like the Son of God. Satan uses these feelings and emotions and tried to tempt Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, turn these stones to bread.” However, in Matthew 3:17, Jesus had already heard the Word of God say that He was His Son. Jesus did not allow his feelings or senses to deceive Him when He already had a clear “Thus saith the Word of God.” Jesus overcame being deceived by simply trusting the plain Word of God. 

In the last days, Satan will use more and more clever deceptions. He will use family ties. We cannot trust our own family to interpret the Scriptures for us. This is why Jesus said, 

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:34-37 NKJV

In the last days, Satan will use more and more false teachers to deceive others. This is why Jesus warned us, 

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:23-24 NKJV.

If we can’t trust family and friends, who can we trust?

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.John 16:13 NKJV.

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but [a]holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 NKJV

The Holy Spirit and not our pastor or grandma will lead us into all truth. The Holy Spiirt is the One who moved those who wrote the Scriptures, and is our only safe teacher in helping us understand Scripture, while gaurding us from being deveived by ideas or even feelings that contraidct ideas that the Sprit has already inspired. 

Avoding deception is reliant upon us asking for the Holy Spirit to give us understanding instead of trusting our own understanding. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Satan’s deceptions in the last days will be so clever and appear to be so genuine that a casual reading of the Bible will not protect us from being deceived. Notice, the Bereans found the truth about Jeuss, by searching instead of casually reading, and by doing it daily instead of just from time to time. 

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:11 NKJV

In the last days, family, pastors, and  miracles, will prove to be no defense against Satan’s genious and well planned deceptive signs and wonders. The Bible is all we need and all we can trust to guard us from Satan’s clever last day deceptions. 

The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested. Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God’s immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? –Ellen White, The Great Controversy, Pages 593-594. 

But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain “Thus saith the Lord” in its support.-Ellen White, The Great Controversy, Page 595

Jesus gave us the perfect example of overcoming Satan’s decetpions, when instead of giving the people the signs and wonders they were asking for, He gave them a simple, “It is Written.” 

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/the-role-of-the-bible-in-the-last-days/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-role-of-the-bible-in-the-last-days

Daily Lesson for Monday 20th of April 2026

When it comes to personal Bible study, we must be careful not to expect the Bible to serve our purposes or perspectives, which are not always the same as God’s. For example, we shouldn’t use the “close my eyes and point to a text” method, because this isn’t how God wants to communicate with us through His Word. God is not a puppet on a string, waiting to serve our needs and will. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), and so we should never try to control His words to us. Neither should we pick and choose only the parts of the Bible that feel comfortable to us. Instead, we should see the Bible as a whole package rather than reading the easy, familiar passages and leaving out the confronting or challenging ones. If we truly want God to speak into our lives, we must take the Bible as a whole and use sound methods when we engage in careful Bible study, trusting that God will reveal what we need to hear when we need to hear it.

Image © Review & Herald Publishing from GoodSalt.com

Also, Jesus Himself tells us: “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ ” (Matthew 22:37, NKJV). That is, God doesn’t want us to ignore our minds; rather, He wants to inform our minds with His vast reaches of knowledge and understanding, which are revealed, in part, through His Word. We can read many biblical narratives in which God had discussions with such people as Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and Job, in addition to many conversations that Jesus had with people. God doesn’t bypass human reason but invites us to submit it to His Word and wisdom when “working out” our salvation.

Human reason, however, is still human—capable of error and deception. It’s never infallible. It’s possible for human reason to push God aside to try to work things out on our own, which places self as equal to, or above, God when it comes to thinking. People can approach Scripture with an arrogant and critical spirit, thinking they’ve heard it all before and that there is nothing new. It’s when we feel important, confident, self-sufficient, and in need of nothing that we neglect our relationship with God and rely on our own limited knowledge and faulty reasoning.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26b-04-scripture-the-authority/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26b-04-scripture-the-authority

Prepared by William Earnhardt for you to use in Sabbath School class on April 25, 2026.

Central Theme: The Bible is not just a collection of proof texts. It is a love story about God’s love for you.

Photograph by William Earnhardt

Read in Class: 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Ask the class to identify the main point of this passage.

Study: How much of the Old and New Testaments are inspired, and where do we get our doctrines from?

Apply: When applying Bible teachings to our daily lives, how can we be sure that we are really following our conscience and not just our own preferences, in the way we interpret Scripture?

Share: Your friend says that the Adventist church stresses going by the Bible and not traditions. See Matthew 15:9. However, do we have some traditions that we are actually more cultural than Biblical? What do you tell your friend? See Cultural Influence and the Bible.

Read in Class: John 20:31. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: How should we study not only the book of John but the entire Bible? Do we read the Bible like a dictionary, which is just a collection of facts and definitions? Or do we read it like a love story? See The Bible is a Love Story, Not a Collection of Proof Texts.

Apply: How does reading the Bible as a love story instead of just a collection of proof texts helpt your relationship with God to grow?

Share: When sharing the Bible with others, how can we ensure each Bible study is a love story rather than simply giving them a list of proof texts on a given topic? See the In Light of the Cross Bible Study Guides.

Read in Class: Psalm 119:11, 105, and Hebrews 4:12. Ask the class to identify the common threads in these passages.

Study: What advice is given in these passages and how can we follow it?

Apply: How much time do you spend daily in the Bible, and how do you spend that time? What can you do to make that time the most spiritually profitable?

Share: Your friend asks you if remembering a certain Scripture has ever kepts you away from sin, What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Job 22:22, Proverbs 3:5-6, and 1 Corinthians 2:14. Ask the class to identify the common threads in these passages.

Study: What kind of attitude do these Scriptures teach us to have while studying the Bible?

Apply: How open-minded are you while studying God’s Word? See Acts 17:11, Do you read the Bible ready to learn, or to “prove” what you think you already know?

Share: Your friend asks you why you need to pray before studying the Bible. What do you tell your friend? See Proverbs 3:5-6 and John 16:13.

Mission: Can you share a Bible study in the light of the cross with someone this week, and help them discover the love story in the Bible?

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-the-role-of-the-bible-sabbath-school-lesson-teaching-plan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4-the-role-of-the-bible-sabbath-school-lesson-teaching-plan