11: Living With Christ — Teaching Plan

Key Thought: Paul’s mission involved the use of time and resources to reach major centres in Rome, write letters teaching people, establish churches, and train and ordain workers for Christ.
March 14, 2026

1. Have a volunteer read Colossians 4:10,11.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
Besides emissaries bringing news back and forth, what other ways did Paul encourage connectivity?
Personal Application: How can you work to lessen the things that cause disunity? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your relatives states, “What are some tensions in the local level churches? What can be done about these tensions?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Colossians 4:12,13.

Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
What purpose is described, and how is it to be accomplished?
Personal Application: “What does it mean to stand and be perfect and complete? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your friends states, “What are ways that we as individuals and as a church are influenced by the world around us? How can we be protected from the influences of the world?” How would you respond to your relative?

3. Have a volunteer read Colossians 4:14,15; 2 Timothy 4:10,11.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
How is Luke described differently than Demas and why?
Personal Application: What specific things might Jesus be asking you to repent of in your life? What help are you in need of most to gain the victory? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your friends states, “What does it mean to watch and be ready for Jesus to return? How about our daily activities, work, recreation, eating, sleeping? Are we just to be aware of current events? Look for Jesus’ signs to be fulfilled? Keep an eye out for antichrist and the mark of the beast? Study the Bible daily and live accordingly?” How would you respond to your friend?

4. Have a volunteer read Colossians 2:1-3; Colossians 4:16-18.

Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
What connections do you find between Colossians and Jesus’ message to Laodicea in Revelation?
Personal Application: What choices can you make (or do) to stay faithful to God and the truth that He has given us? Share your thoughts.
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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Hi Linda, I’m not Bruce, but I suspect he may not see this comment because he sends his lesson outlines to hundreds of groups.

I believe you are asking whether they should study the lesson as put out by the Sabbath School Department, or should they study specifically to prepare for the presentation by Bruce Cameron?

The intent is for everyone to study the Sabbath School lesson as published by the Sabbath School Department. These are not meant to be catechisms with single “correct” answers. The lessons are intended to provide a starting point for Bible study. We all need to study the Bible more than Sabbath School lesson provides. For one thing, we need to read/study the context (sections of text before and after the references). When we lead a study of a book of the Bible, such as Colossians, we should encourage our class members to read the whole book through several times during this study.

Lesson outlines, like those by Bruce Cameron, are meant to prevent a catechistic approach to the lessons, because they explore some areas just touched on in the lessons. And the questions are meant to help people dig deeper and think more.

So if you prompt your class to study particularly for the Bruce Cameron outlines, you are trying to defeat the very purpose of such outlines. It will make his outline into just a different catechism! Teachers should do their best to encourage their class members to read the Bible more not less! And encourage them to ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they study. He will surely answer that prayer every single day of the week! We are not to do all our Bible studying until the Sabbath any more than we do all our eating on the Sabbath. We need food every day – both physical and spiritual food.

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Comments

11: Living With Christ — Teaching Plan — 4 Comments

Linda Tsibulsky on March 9, 2026 at 4:17 pm said:

hi, I just have a question. I just prepared the easy read lesson on living with Christ and have started to prepare your lesson. I teach an English SS class in my church in Ukraine so I always include the text from an easy read version of the Bible and also in Ukrainian. I noticed the lesson in the Easy read version used Colossians 3 all the way through and yours are using Colossians 4. If they study the long version is it going to help them with the lesson you have prepared here. They will have access to both of them before class. We kind of have a struggle as it is so If I should, I’ll let them know ahead of time which they should focus on. Thanks a bunch and thanks for your lesson each week. They are a blessing to us.

Reply ↓
- Inge Anderson on March 9, 2026 at 5:02 pm said:
  
  Hi Linda, I’m not Bruce, but I suspect he may not see this comment because he sends his lesson outlines to hundreds of groups.
  
  I believe you are asking whether they should study the lesson as put out by the Sabbath School Department, or should they study specifically to prepare for the presentation by Bruce Cameron?
  
  The intent is for everyone to study the Sabbath School lesson as published by the Sabbath School Department. These are not meant to be catechisms with single “correct” answers. The lessons are intended to provide a starting point for Bible study. We all need to study the Bible more than Sabbath School lesson provides. For one thing, we need to read/study the context (sections of text before and after the references). When we lead a study of a book of the Bible, such as Colossians, we should encourage our class members to read the whole book through several times during this study.
  
  Lesson outlines, like those by Bruce Cameron, are meant to prevent a catechistic approach to the lessons, because they explore some areas just touched on in the lessons. And the questions are meant to help people dig deeper and think more.
  
  So if you prompt your class to study particularly for the Bruce Cameron outlines, you are trying to defeat the very purpose of such outlines. It will make his outline into just a different catechism! Teachers should do their best to encourage their class members to read the Bible more not less! And encourage them to ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they study. He will surely answer that prayer every single day of the week! We are not to do all our Bible studying until the Sabbath any more than we do all our eating on the Sabbath. We need food every day – both physical and spiritual food.
  
  Reply ↓
  - Linda Tsibulsky on March 10, 2026 at 7:39 am said:
    
    thanks for your response. my class is a class with Ukrainians in Ukraine, who speak very limited English. I sent the lesson from the easy read SS lesson and the one by ( I thought, Michael Fracker). Trust me, with the two languages it’s confusing enough. And you are certainly right, We do need to study in context and every day. I was just a bit confused because usually the scripture texts are the same in both the guide and the lesson. Just wanted to make sure I was understanding. Have a blessed day.
    
    Reply ↓
    - Inge Anderson on March 10, 2026 at 12:00 pm said:
      
      Dear Linda, Please forgive my earlier hasty reply which did not give your situation full consideration.
      I believe I have a solution for you in William Earnhardt’s Sabbath School Teaching plan.
      
      While Michael Fracker’s plan is usually the best for your purposes, it does not seem to align with this week’s lesson, nor even next week’s. However, William writes similar teaching plans as Michel Fracker, and it follows the current lesson more closely. That’s why we are publishing his plan this week.
      
      In the future, you can always compare the two teaching plans by comparing Michael Fracker’s plan, which we publish regularly, and William Earnhardt’s plan, which you can always find on his site, In Light of the Cross. (Just scroll till you find the teaching plan.) Then you can choose the plan which you consider best for your class. (I’d love to hear how that goes for you.)
      
      May God bless you abundantly as you minister to your Sabbath School study group in the Ukraine. Do you meet in person, or do you communicate electronically each week?
      
      Reply ↓

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