Daily Lesson for Sunday 12th of April 2026

Pride. When you think of this word, you might picture a proud politician, a rich or famous person, or a peacock. Pride is a feeling that you are more important or better than other people. Indeed, pride is a ­feeling—one that cannot, and should not, be relied upon.

Image © Theater of the Universe Collection at Goodsalt.com

Pride first began with Lucifer, the covering cherub, who was in close service to God. We don’t know when or how those thoughts of selfishness crept into his heart, but we do know that these thoughts propelled the universe into what we know as the great controversy. We see that Satan is the opposite of God. (Compare Isaiah 14:12-14 and Philippians 2:5-11.) As a result, our world has battled the consequences of sin ever since Satan planted doubt in Adam’s and Eve’s minds and then tempted them to love and trust self above God.

Can pride ever be positive? Perhaps not in the context that we know it, although we might use the word positively, when speaking about a person’s achievements or in the context of a deep appreciation for something someone has done (“I’m so proud of you!”). It’s important to understand that pursuing excellence and acknowledging and appreciating the gifts and abilities God has given us is not necessarily being proud. According to Scripture, there is a proper kind of self-love (think about Jesus’ command in Mark 12:31, where He says to love others as we love ourselves), but this is always unselfish love. People are also not proud when they have God’s presence in their lives and have a purposeful direction (see 1 Timothy 3:1). People are proud when they don’t give God the glory for what He is doing in their lives.

We should be careful to remember that our possessions, abilities, and accomplishments don’t determine our value. Instead, our value should always come from God, because everything that we have, even that which tempts us to pride, comes only from Him anyway. This is a point we must never forget.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26b-03-the-tight-fingers-of-pride/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26b-03-the-tight-fingers-of-pride

Daily Lesson for Sabbath 11th of April 2026

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study:

1 John 2:15-17, Luke 18:9-14, 1 John 1:9, Hebrews 11:24-26, Luke 22:24-27, Philippians 2:3-8.

Memory Text:

“ ‘For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’ ” (Luke 14:11, NKJV).

W e’ve all known people with big egos, those who think they are never wrong. Or perhaps you know someone who wants to be in control, who never is open to instruction or constructive criticism. Or someone who seems to be constantly in conflict or is a master of putting others down. Our minds might immediately think of others, but the real question is: What about each one of us? By pointing the finger at others and denying pride in our own life, we deceive ourselves.

We’ve all battled with pride. We’ve all experienced times we want to look, act, speak, or appear better than those around us because we believe that we are better than they are, at least in some way. Someone once said that pride emerges from the desire to show that our lives have value. Yet, we should already know that our lives have value because we were created by God, and we are those for whom Christ died.

This week we’ll explore the impact that pride can have on our relationships with God and with others, and we’ll look at what the Bible teaches us about humility before others and, of course, before God.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 18.

Sunday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26b-03-pride-versus-humility/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26b-03-pride-versus-humility

Our Sabbath School program has always been linked to the support of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission program. This video provides a little insight into this important work.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-april-11/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mission-spotlight-for-april-11

Inside Story for Friday 10th of April 2026

Seventh-day Adventist entrepreneur Kasereka Maghulu Kavatsi built a business empire in the Democratic Republic of Congo that included farming, fishing, clothing, and a cargo airline called Kavatsi Airlines.

At one point, Kavatsi Airlines leased a Boeing 707 jet from a partner in Kenya. It was a complicated agreement involving the Kenyan partner leasing the plane from a Dubai company, and the Dubai company in turn leasing the plane from the owner in Britain. Under the lease terms, Kavatsi Airlines was to share its profits with the entities in Kenya, Dubai, and Britain.

The cargo transports went smoothly until bad weather canceled a flight on a Friday. The Kenyan partner insisted that the flight take off on Saturday, but Kasereka refused. “There is no way that I can fly on Sabbath,” he said.

The partner called Dubai. “We gave this man our jet, and he doesn’t want to fly on Saturday,” he said. “Try to convince him. This is a business matter.”

The Dubai company appealed to Kasereka, but he wouldn’t waver. So, the Dubai company contacted the British owner, a white man who knew Swahili. He called Kasereka and asked, “Why aren’t you flying today?”

“I’m a Seventh-day Adventist,” Kasereka said.

“Is that a church?”

“Yes, it’s a church.”

Then the owner contacted other people who had leased aircraft to Kavatsi Airlines and asked about Kasereka. They described him as a good man.

“This is a matter of faith,” they said. “The Sabbath is related to his faith.”

The owner instructed his partners in Dubai and Kenya to back off.

“It’s a matter of faith, so leave him alone,” he said.

During the four-month lease, Kasereka flew the jet every day of the week except on Sabbath. Then he returned the aircraft.

A year later, the British owner made a phone call to Kasereka. “I’d like to meet you face-to-face,” he said. “I want to come to your house and see where you live.”

The man flew to the Democratic Republic of Congo and stayed in Kasereka’s guesthouse. “I came here with a purpose,” he said. “I wanted to know if I would find a man still holding onto the faith that made him refuse to fly on Saturdays.”

Then he dropped a bombshell.

“I have never made such a big profit as I did during those four months that we worked together,” he said. “Because of your faith, I’m giving you a small aircraft for free.” He presented Kasereka with an 18-seat private jet.

Kasereka was humbled and amazed.

“I am just serving the Lord,” he replied.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26b-02-inside-story-refusing-to-fly-on-sabbath/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26b-02-inside-story-refusing-to-fly-on-sabbath

Daily Lesson for Friday 10th of April 2026
Further Thought:

God calls His people to represent His character, but to do this, we need to know Him for ourselves.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

The best way to see Him clearly, despite our sinful human eyes that too often misunderstand His holy and perfect ways, is through searching His Word, the Bible.

“All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 740.

Discussion Questions

Summary: From the beginning of Creation, God has desired to be in a close relationship with us. Although our understanding of His character is the target of Satan’s attacks, God reveals Himself to us most clearly through His Word and through the life of His Son, Jesus. Ultimately, having a clear, beautiful picture of God is essential if we want to deepen our relationship with Him.

<–Thursday

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26b-02-further-thought-to-know-god/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26b-02-further-thought-to-know-god