Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class on April 18, 2026.

Central Theme: 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.

Photograph by William Earnhardt

Read in Class: 1 John 2:15-17, and Galatians 6:14. Ask the class to identify the main message of these passages.

Study: What three main points does this passage teach you about pride and loving the world?

Apply: Ask yourself: How prideful am I, really? How might personal pride be impacting my relationship with God and others?

Share: Your friend says that the pride of life prevents us from sensing our need for God. Your friend asks what specific things in our world today make us feel the pride of life, and how we overcome that pride. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Luke 18:9-14. Ask the class to identify the moral of this story.

Study: What do you think of these two men? What did Jesus think? What important lesson is here for us all?

Apply: When did you last experience God’s grace in your life? (Indeed, we should experience this grace daily.) We should also show grace to others. Spend some time in prayer right now, asking God to humble you under His mighty hand, that He alone may exalt you in due time.

Share: Your friend suggests that the Pharisee was boasting about his goodness in order to earn God’s love, while the tax collector already knew he was loved. What do you tell your friend? See: You Don’t Love me, You Love my Accomplishments.

Read in Class: Hebrews 11:24-26. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: Why did Moses choose to humble himself, and take a different path?

Apply: Reflect back over your life. If someone were to describe you, would they include “humble” or “meek” in the list of adjectives? Why or why not? The truth is that we can’t be humble in and of ourselves. Sin is part of our lives, which is why we need Jesus so much. Listen to or read the words in the hymn “I’d Rather Have Jesus” and consider these words in relation to Moses’ life and yours.

Share: Your friend asks if you can think of anyone in the world today who was great, like Moses, but humbled themselves and took a better, more humble path. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Luke 22:24-27 and Philippians 2:3-8. What is the common thread in these two passages?

Study: What one statement captures the heart of Jesus’ message here? What does this tell us about how we should live in light of the Cross?

Apply: Pride can be deceitful. I once talked to a lady in Texas who bragged about how humble she was. How can we make sure we are not taking pride in our humility? Which is still pride!

Share: Your friend tells you that, by arguing over who was the greatest, the disciples had obviously forgotten about Jesus, who was the greatest. See why pride is such an enemy to our relationships with God and others? Your friend asks you how we can make sure we are being humble and not just acting humble. What do you tell your friend?

Mission: Can you spend some extra time with God this week? Take your Bible, a pen, and a journal or some paper and find somewhere quiet– perhaps even outside. Invite God to soften and speak to your heart. Write out Psalm 138, word for word. As you write, what words especially stand out to you?

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-pride-versus-humility-sabbath-school-lesson-teaching-plan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-pride-versus-humility-sabbath-school-lesson-teaching-plan

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