Jo Ann Davidson will present an overview of the Sabbath School Lessons for this quarter. She will explain the major themes and concepts included in this quarter's lessons that are helpful to Sabbath School teachers and members. All are welcome. For further information, please contact Melchizedek Ponniah, melponniah@gmail.com.
The Galilean
The Galilean: Part 2
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
Saturday, September 07, 2013
More In This Series
“The Galilean”—2
□ His Vulnerability
- John 6:66, 67
- William Shakespeare, Julius Caeser: “Et tu, Brute?”
- Oswald Chambers: “Jesus Christ’s life was an absolute failure from every standpoint but God’s.” (My Utmost for His Highest 218)
- Ellen White: “As the world’s Redeemer, Christ was constantly confronted with failure.” (Desire of Ages 678)
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Isaiah: “He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.’ But I said,
‘I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the
LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." (Isaiah 49:3-4)
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Anne Lamott: “My fear of failure has been lifelong and deep. If you are what you do—and I think
my parents may have accidentally given me this idea—and you do poorly, what then? It’s over; you’re wiped out. All those prophecies you heard in the dark have come true, and people can see the real you, see what a schmendrick you are, what a fraud.” (Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith 142)
“The review in the newspaper the next day was not very good. But by then I’d figured out the gift of failure, which is that it breaks through all that held breath and isometric tension about needing to look good: it’s the gift of feeling floppier. One of the things I’ve been most afraid of had finally happened, with a whole lot of people watching, and it had indeed been a nightmare. But sitting with all that vulnerability, I discovered I could ride it.” (Ibid 143)
□ My Vulnerability
- What if the Galilean’s kind of vulnerability became ours?
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#1—You and I would be a lot more vulnerable with God.
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Ellen White: “Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured
senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss.” (Desire of Ages 131) - Philip Yancey: “Unless I level with God—about bitterness over an unanswered prayer, grief over loss, guilt over an unforgiving spirit, a baffling sense of God’s absence—that relationship, too, will go nowhere. I may continue going to church, singing hymns and praise choruses, even addressing God politely in formal prayers, but I will never break through the intimacy barrier. ‘We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us,’ wrote C. S. Lewis. To put it another way, we must trust God with what God already knows.” (Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? 42)
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Ellen White: “Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured
- #2—You and I would be a lot more vulnerable with faith.
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#3—You and I would be a lot more vulnerable with each other.
- Brene Brown: “We love seeing raw truth and openness in other people, but we’re afraid to let them see it in us.” (Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead 41)
- “Vulnerability is based on mutuality and requires boundaries and trust. It’s not oversharing, it’s not purging, it’s not indiscriminate disclosure, and it’s not celebrity-style social media information dumps. Vulnerability is about sharing our feelings and our experiences with people who have earned the right to hear them. Being vulnerable and open is mutual and an integral part of the trust-building process.” (Ibid 44, 45)
- GROW Groups
□ His Vulnerability
- Naked
- “Be ye therefore vulnerable as your Savior in heaven is vulnerable.”
“Lord, to whom else shall we go?”
Sabbath School Lesson Overview
Pioneer Commons
Offering for January 18, 2025
Pioneer Operating Budget
Author Melvin Santos Speaking: It didn’t make sense. When I was young, I was confused about why there was an offering call every worship service. I really did not understand why a church who worshipped the God who owns the universe and galaxies would let His people beg for funds. I rationalized that perhaps God could not afford to take care of His children, or He wants His children to be poor.
But why doesn’t He just provide for their needs miraculously? He could. Then when I read a passage in Psalms I began to understand why, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 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: 12,14-15, NKJV).
This is where I learned that God wants His children to trust Him for their needs. Through this experience God wants a RELATIONSHIP with His children, not a donation. This giving, however, builds the relational experience where we learn to glorify Him in all things in our lives.
As we give, God blesses so we can bless others and grow His kingdom. Let’s glorify the Lord with our offerings.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
Spelunker Quest: Unearthing the Lost Sanctuary
Pioneer Youth Chapel
Calling all youth! Join us for Spelunker Quest—an escape room adventure! Uncover missing artifacts from the Biblical sanctuary by solving puzzles in a cave system. Experience the Escape Room at one of the time slots every hour starting at 2 pm. Each time slot can accommodate up to 16 participants.
Youth: Please register for a start time by texting "ESCAPE" to 269.281.2345 .
Want to help with decorating on Jan. 25 at 6:30 pm? Contact Pastor Lindsey at lindsey.pratt@pmchurch.org or just join us in the youth chapel.
New Children's Sabbath School Curriculum
Pioneer families with 0 to 3-year-olds are the first to enjoy the new Seventh-day Adventist Church Sabbath School Alive in Jesus Bible lessons. This curriculum will roll out in phases:
2025: Baby Steps (0-18 months) and Beginners (1, 2 & 3 year olds)
2026: Kindergarten (4-6 year old) and Primary (Grades 1-3)
2027: Junior (Grades 4-6) and Earliteen (Grades 7-8)
2028: Youth (Grades 9-12) and Young Adult
Here’s what’s new this year.
Baby Steps Lessons: Our Nursery division begins the first-ever Baby Steps lessons. Our program will continue a half-hour interactive Bible learning for infants and a half-hour of parent training and community building. Download free parent and teacher guides at babies.aliveinjesus.info.
Beginners Bible Lessons: Both Beginner rooms and the Kindergarten 3-Year division have begun the new Beginner lessons for 1, 2, and 3-year-olds. This new Adventist curriculum features beautifully illustrated lessons, inspiring stories, practical tips, craft ideas, and activities to support family worship and Bible learning at home. Parent spiritual nurture and community-building activities will also be incorporated.
A new year brings new opportunities! It’s a chance to renew our commitment to spending time with God and helping our children grow in their relationship with Him. Reading and discussing Sabbath School lessons in family worship at home will deepen everyone’s faith.
Children’s Sabbath School family guides are available at the Welcome Center in Pioneer’s lower entry hall during the first month of each quarter. They are also freely available online for families and teachers, along with engaging songs (Nursery and Beginners Alive in Jesus), videos (for Kinder and Primary GraceLink), and podcasts (for Junior PowerPoints). From a device, you can enjoy lessons anywhere and anytime.
We pray that 2025 will bring a closer walk with God for each member of our church family. May Sabbath School lesson study be a blessing to your home, strengthen faith and family bonds, and welcome friends to join you on this adventure!
Children's Sabbath School Superintendent Team
Howard Center Presents: The King's Singers
England’s premier choral ensemble has long had an unsurpassed tradition of vocal music with roots in both religious and secular singing. Setting the gold standard in acapella singing on the world’s greatest stages for over fifty years, the King’s Singers are renowned for their unrivalled technique, musicianship and versatility, which stem from both the group’s rich heritage and its drive to bring an extraordinary range of new and unique works, collaborations and recordings to life. They consistently delight audiences around the world with their incomparable musicianship, wit, and charm. Join us for the King's Singers concert at the Howard Performing Arts Center on Monday, February 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available at our website: howard.andrews.edu, or by calling our box office at 269-471-3560.
Howard Center Presents: SELAH
Selah, a contemporary Christian vocal trio, became known for transforming old Christian hymns into songs with a more modern style complete with powerful vocals and beautiful harmonies. Having sold over 4 million records, won 11 Gospel Music Association Dove awards and has over 900 million streams across all digital music platforms, they are now working on their 22nd album in 27 years of performing. Join us on February 2, 2025 at the Howard Performing Arts Center for an inspiring Christian concert. Tickets are available at our website: howard.andrews.edu, or by calling our box office at 269-471-3560.
Spanish Sabbath School Class
Sabbath School is the perfect setting to rediscover the power of Bible study and prayer. In one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, we aspire to allow all our church members, students, and guests to study and learn in their language. To further this, we are establishing the Spanish Sabbath School Class so all our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters can join us in learning together in our weekly Sabbath School. With that, please grab your Spanish sabbath school lesson and join in the balcony each Sabbath!
Something in Common Sabbath School
Love Like You Mean It begins January 18 through February 22.
- January 18 - "Everything Minus Love = Nothing" & "Love is Patient"
- January 25 - "Love is Kind and Love is Humble"
- February 1 - "Love is Generous and Love is Easygoing"
- February 8 - "Love is Virtuous and Love is Honest"
- February 15 - "Love is Tenacious and Love Never Fails"
Everyone is Welcome each Sabbath morning to join us in Pioneer Room 141 at 10:30 am,
Care for Cuba
A group of students from Andrews University are preparing to embark on a life-changing mission in March of 2025. They will engage in evangelism, health care, and community outreach in Cuba. This mission trip has been going on for 11 years, and the impact has been tremendous, thanks to your help. Would you support this mission once again by donating right here in your church or give at www.careforcuba.org/donate? Thank you for your prayers as they prepare to send off students to serve and share Jesus!