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).

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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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Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-22. What important spiritual principles can we take from this story for ourselves, whatever struggles we are facing?

Toward the close of Jehoshaphat’s reign, Judah was invaded. Jehoshaphat was a man of courage and valor. For years he had been strengthening his armies and his fortified cities. He was well prepared to meet almost any enemy; yet in this crisis he did not put his confidence in his own strength but in the power of God. He set himself to seek the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. The people all gathered together in the court of the temple, as Solomon had prayed that they would if faced by danger. All the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their wives and children. They prayed that God would confuse their enemies that His name might be glorified. Then the king prayed, “We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12, NKJV).

Image © Jim Howard at Goodsalt.com

After they committed themselves to God in this manner, the Spirit of the Lord came upon a man of God who said, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. … You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17, NKJV).

So, early the next morning the king assembled the people, with the Levitical choir in the front to sing the praises of God. Then he admonished the people, “Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper” (2 Chronicles 20:20, NKJV). Then the choir began to sing, and their enemies destroyed one another, and “none escaped” (2 Chronicles 20:24). It took the men of Judah three days just to collect the spoils of the battle, and on the fourth day they returned to Jerusalem, singing as they went.

Of course, the God who delivered them is the same God whom we love and worship, and His power is just as great today as back then. The challenge, for us, is to trust in Him and His leading.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Image © Pacific Press

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Chronicles 20:1-22, 1 Chronicles 21:1-14, 2 Peter 3:3-12, 1 John 2:15-17, Revelation 13:11-17.

Memory Text: “Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:14-15, , NKJV).

Sometimes our world seems to be spinning out of control: wars, bloodshed, crime, immorality, natural disasters, pandemics, economic uncertainty, political corruption, and more. There is a strong urge for individuals and families to think first of their own survival. Accordingly, much thought is given to seeking security in these uncertain times, which, of course, is understandable.

The toils of life do take a lot of our daily focus. With debts to pay, children to raise, property to maintain, it does take time and thought. And, of course, we do need clothes, food, and shelter. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed these very basic needs and then stated, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:32-33, , NKJV).

Amid trying times, when we need to lean on the Lord more than ever, there are some concrete steps, based on biblical principles, that we should follow.

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

Sunday–>

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Support for the mission activities of the Seventh-day Adventist church has always been part of the Sabbath School program. This video is Mission Spotlight for this week. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Lk9pu6bx8&w=560&h=315]

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