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 Bondage Breaker
The Bondage Breaker: Global Addiction, Global Deliverance
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, April 05, 2014
More In This Series
“The Bondage Breaker:
Global Addiction, Global Deliverance”
-
□ Genesis 3 and Matthew 4
-
Gerald G. May, MD: “I am not being flippant when I say that all of us suffer from
addiction. Nor am I reducing the meaning of addiction. I mean in all truth that the psychological, neurological, and spiritual dynamics of full-fledged addiction are actively at work within every human being. The same processes that are responsible for addiction to alcohol and narcotics are also responsible for addiction to ideas, work, relationships, power, moods, fantasies, and an endless variety of other things. We are all in every sense of the word.” (Addiction & Grace 3, 4)
- What do food, drink and sex have in common? They are all human .
- In Genesis 3:1-6 six times in six verses the words “eat” “ate” and “food” are embedded to highlight the enemy’s strategic attack on .
- The heart of is unbridled, unregulated, uncontrolled .
-
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: “Nearly 12 million people suffer from sexual addiction in the United States. Due to the accessibility of sexual material available on the Internet, cable television and videos, these numbers are increasing.” (www.aamft.org/imis15/content/consumer_updates/sexual_addiction.aspx)
- The Internet porn industry now rakes in over billion a year.
- Online porn makes over $3000 .
-
According to the Polaris Project 27 million people are in “modern-day slavery” across
the world—with 800,000 people trafficked across international borders every year— and million children “exploited by the global commercial sex trade, every year.” (www.cicatelli.org/titlex )
-
Gerald G. May, MD: “I am not being flippant when I say that all of us suffer from
-
□ Four Anti-Addiction Actions You Can Take:
-
#1—A the P (of temptation).
- “In order that Satan might not us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)
- Therefore “avoid [even] the of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
-
#2—A through P (your dependence on God).
- Rick Warren: “Think of it this way: You have a small battery inside of you. It has a limited amount of energy. When it depletes, you shut down. At the same time, God offers you access to his unlimited power plant. All you need to do is plug in—and the power cord is .” (The Daniel Plan 52)
- “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the , and he will flee from you. Come near to and He will come near to you.” (James 4:7, 8)
- “ upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you; and you will glorify Me.” (Psalm 50:15)
- “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you .” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
-
#3—A the P (of God’s promises).
“He has given us His very great and precious , so that throughthem you may participate in the divine nature, having the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:4)
-
#1—A the P (of temptation).
- “I have hidden Your in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)
- Desire of Ages: “When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the . All its strength is yours.” (123)
#4—A to a P (for accountability).
-
“Therefore confess your to each other and pray for each other so that you
may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James
5:16)
-
“Carry each other’s , and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
(Galatians 6:2)
-
“Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that
feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour. By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go.” (Ministry of Healing 182)
Because He won, you can.
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!