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 Heart Series
Tell Your Heart to Beat Again
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
More In This Series
"Tell Your Heart to Beat Again"
www.newperceptions.tv
- The Story
- Danny Gokey
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away/Step into the light of grace
Yesterday's a closing door/You don't live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you've been
And tell your heart to beat again
- Danny Gokey
- The Heart
- Revelation 2:4 Message—"'You walked away from your first .'"
- Matthew 24:12—"'Because of the increase of wickedness, the of most will grow cold.'"
- Matthew 23:23/Luke 11:42—"'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! . . . You have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy [] and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.'"
- Luke 7:34; 15:1,2—"'The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, "Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a of tax collectors and sinners.'. . . Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This fellow sinners and eats with them.'"
- Christ's Object Lessons: "When you see yourselves as sinners saved only by the of your heavenly Father, you will have tender pity for others who are suffering in sin." (210)
- Romans 5:5 NLT—"For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his ."
- People filled with the Spirit of God are filled with the of God—and people filled with the love of God will those the rest of the church and the rest of the world cannot find a heart to love.
- William Blake: "We are put on earth for a little space that we might learn to bear the beams of ."
- The Convictions
- #1—We will never like Jesus did until we are daily baptized by the Holy Spirit like Jesus was.
- Pray: "Pour Your love into me today."
- Steps to Christ 94: "Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love."
- Pray: "Pour Your love out of me today."
- Pray: "Pour Your love into me today."
- #2—There is a hunger in this world for a place, for a people "who will me for who I am—a sinner in desperate need of God's saving grace and love."
- Jerry Cook: "I say to you, that [individual] was restored only because God enabled us to love and accept and forgive him. , acceptance, forgiveness—those three things are absolutely essential to any ministry [church] that will consistently bring people to maturity and wholeness. If the church is to be the force for God in the world that it should be, it must learn to love people, accept them and forgive them." (Love, Acceptance, Forgiveness: Equipping the Church to Be Truly Christian in a Non-Christian World 11)
- Romans 5:5-8
- #1—We will never like Jesus did until we are daily baptized by the Holy Spirit like Jesus was.
- #3—I believe God is calling us as a congregation to embrace new DNA to become the most , the most friendly, the most caring church around.
- Jerry Cook: "The minimal guarantee we must make to people is that they will be —always, under every circumstance, with no exception. The second guarantee is that they will be totally accepted, without reservation. The third thing we must guarantee is that no matter how miserably they fail or how blatantly they sin, unreserved forgiveness is theirs for the asking with no bitter taste left in anybody's mouth. . . . A church that can make that commitment to every person is a church that's learning to love and a church that will be a force for God". (11, 13)
- Gregory Boyle: "We played the grooves off this record. Consequently, a line from the song found itself permanently etched in my brain—a mantra of sorts: 'Long lay the world in sin and error pining—'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.' Sure—it's a song about Jesus and Christmas, but how is it not the job description of human beings seeking kinship . . . remembering that we belong to one another, and letting souls feel their worth." (Tattoos on the Heart 196)
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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,
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!