Sabbath: Reality Check
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 28th of March 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 3:14-22; Revelation 4:9-11; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 3:8-10; Jeremiah 31:3-4; John 15:1-11; Romans 8:9-11.
Memory Text:
“ ‘As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love’ ” (John 15:9, NKJV).
How would you describe your relationship with God today? Is it vibrant and strong? Do you spend time investing in this relationship, searching His inspired Word, and talking to Him as a Friend? If so, how much time do you spend doing it?
Also, are you compelled to share with others about your relationship with God because it’s the most wonderful relationship in your life? Or, instead, has your relationship with God waned over time? It’s there, yes, and you check in from time to time, but to be honest, it’s not as strong as it used to be. Or, perhaps, you’re somewhere in between, what the Bible calls “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16).
Have you ever wondered if angels ponder why we don’t live in adoration of our Savior and Redeemer, with hungry hearts and eager minds to grow closer to God every day? But, truly, a relationship with God changes _everything_—both here and into eternity.
This week, let’s consider the current state of our relationship with God and what the Bible’s advice is for us. Indeed, we can’t move from where we are to someplace better until we take an honest reality check of ourselves and listen to the solution that Jesus describes.
I have not had time to read an overview of this new series of lessons, but from the outset the topic of relationships looks both interesting and challenging. You won’t be surprised if I tell you that one of the first things that came to mind was a branch of mathematics called network theory. So don’t be surprised if I come up with some application of directed-dependency graphs. On the other hand, I have a long-term relationship with Carmel. I first went out with her in 1966 and if you do that maths (sorry, arithmetic), that is starting to sound a long time ago. Did our relatationship grow or did it just hang together.
One thing I think is important right at the outset is that our relationship with God does not take place in a vacuum, but rather in a matrix where we interact with others. We are connected in a network where the vertices are people and the edges relationships. Growing a relationship with God has an effect not only on us, but on the people we are most closely connected too.
Enough maths. Here is a little challenge. How do you describe the relationship between you and God to someone unfamiliar with Christian terminology?
How do you describe the relationship between you and God to someone unfamiliar with Christian terminology?
Sir, my humble answer to your question is; by practical display in my relationship with him or her, the fruits of my relationship with God AKA the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
No doubt he or she will be inspired and encouraged to have a taste of such fruitful relationship with God.
Indeed, it takes a lot of growing to a tree to reach the sky, it takes a lot of rain to let them grow. Growing in a relationship with our God? Reality check: I cannot do it without His love, grace, and mercy.
Any human relationship which has no room for growth is bound to fail eventually. Relationships ought to be dynamic in order to thrive or at least survive in the turbulent world that we live in. Relationships need to grow in several dimensions: understanding, communication, trust, patience, humility, kindness, love, forgiveness, and endurance. Failure to grow in some of these virtues, the relationship will stagnate, decline and ultimately fail. Relationships do not grow naturally! They need to be cultivated, developed, and cherished. Like living things, which require an enabling environment for their survival, relationships are even more sensitive to environmental suitability. We must invest the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23 ) if we expect any relationship to yield a higher rate of return. This is a heavy spiritual investment.
Praise be to God, that our relationship with Him is not like a human relationship. God never give up on us until we walk away from Him. The door for growth is never closed. At every opportunity, God wants to rekindle the relationship with us. God is always inviting us back to a meaningful and purposeful relationship with Him. For this reason, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us with Him (2 Corinthians 5:19). We cannot take this relationship for granted. We must be intentional. We must periodically examine the strength of our relationship with Him. This relationship is worth every sacrifice we possibly can make.
“Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
One of the greatest reasons many Christians leave a poor legacy is because they wear masks. I want to learn to live without a mask in every aspect of my life. As a young man, I grew up imagining life in a “dream world.” As a child and teenager, I dreamed of becoming a famous sports personality, and while watching movies, I imagined becoming a movie star with designer clothes and lots of money. As I grew older, I realized that these dreams might never happen, and that realization pushed me to desire something greater that of being Real. I now understand that God wants me to be authentic with my family and friends in all my dealings. I need a reality check to see whether I am following Jesus the way He intends. My faith must be visible at home, and the people around me should see real peace, real patience, and real strength in my life. This can only happen if I stay connected with Jesus, who enables me. As Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
I can only be at the peak of my faith when I recognize the gladness the Lord has placed in my heart as greater than any material possession. I will do much better when I acknowledge the Lord’s blessings in all things and trust that He is with me in every stage of my life. This trust helps me stay connected to His power. With deep confidence in the Lord, I can sleep in peace, knowing that He is the one who comforts me in my rest. Scripture reminds me, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). God wants me to be real with my family and my friends, and He delights in my authenticity, especially in my home. My prayer is that my life reflects genuine faith not a mask, but a heart transformed by His presence.
Dear Motanya – thank you for sharing your sincere, thoughtful, inspirational insights with us! “I can only be at the peak of my faith when I recognize the gladness the Lord has placed in my heart as greater than any material possession.” Amen
Praying that, in Christ, we see as ministry our interactions with the people with whom we already live, work and study. May we show up willingly and consistently.
“Do not wait until some did of greatness you may do.
Do not wait to shed your light afar.
To the many duties ever near you now, be true.
Brighten the corner where you are.”
Praise God that the same transforming power possessed by Paul … is readily available to us, “in this generation!”
Praise God for His guidance; and for another year of life!🎁
The question the lesson writer poses to introduce this week’s lessons is relevant enough to Salvation to take it seriously – taking time to reflect on it! With sincerity, everyone can ask themselves this question and the Spirit will reveal His answers. It is important to do this ‘reality check’.
Why? Because it will help us become more grounded, therefor more fruitful in the Spirit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Whatever the Spirit reveals, it will need to be applied in practical ways. All the studying and learning about the Word of God will need to lead to its application in our everyday life. And the more deeply, more strongly we are connected to the vine, the more good fruit our life can produce – John 15:1-4.
Because God’s Spirit dwells in us, we abide in Jesus Christ from morning to night. Drawing close, never wavering, never forgetting who brought us from darkness into His marvelous Light of Life – living it’s marvelous Truth to the fullest extend possible -, we share the Glory of our heavenly Father in practical ways with all we come in contact with – Rom.8:9-11.
Examining my relationship with God…this is going to be a good lesson study this quarter.
I did read the introduction, and am thrilled that we are going to spend a quarter on relationships with Christ which seems is the authors goal to give us the knowledge to have genuine spiritual intimacy in Christ. What a good title to start out with, Reality Check. Revelation 3:14-22.
“Believe me, I am God’s manna which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My body which I will give for all the people of the world that they might have life.” John 6:51. The Clear Word.
I do believe that eating of the Bread of Life is like supping(relationship) with Christ, as is Christ invitation to us in Revelation 3:20.
Lord I desire to have a better even stronger relationship than I have now with you 🙏🏾🙌🏾
God loves to be in a relationship us. It is like a man who finds the woman he loves and together choses to enter a relationship called marriage.
Reality Check, What an appropriate title for us today!
In addition to the time we spend studying the Word, which is little compared to what we do in our daily routine, to me, the solution for our busy lives is to be in constant prayer as much as we can. Prayer is the key to a relationship with our Creator. Jesus used prayer as a source of connection for physical, emotional, and spiritual regeneration. How much of that has been a reality within our daily lives?
The study of the quarter is titled “Growing in a relationship with God.” This week’s study is titled a “reality check” on the relationship with God. This is important; in management a rule exists which says if something cannot be measured then it cannot be improved. The status check of “growing with, God is necessary. A visit to the hospital will land one at examination or attempt to identify the medical issue which will inform the medical attention to be ministered. The opening question of the study is “How would you describe your relationship with God today?” This is reality check
Accurate spiritual self-examination is a difficult construct to actualize. Jeremiah 17.9-10 describes the heart as deceitful above all things and desperately wicked that even the owner may not know it in its true colors. Only God can search it and present the true status. Psalms 139:1; 44:21 further the reality that its God know can examine the heart and know its secrets and motives. This is a call to open our hearts unto God for full, accurate and honest examination upon which He shall prescribe to each of us appropriate spiritual remedies for our relationship with Him
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
This is from the scripture in the Sunday lesson — Book of Revelation 3:19–20.
Now, if God says this, why then do we get upset when our wrongs or our misinterpretations of Scripture are corrected?
📖 “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth…” — Hebrews 12:6
I love my daughter to the end of the earth and back, and my most important goal for her is to be saved in God’s kingdom. So I am totally honest with her.
📖 “Train up a child in the way he should go…” — Proverbs 22:6
However, with you, I hold back. It’s not that I don’t love you, but I don’t want to offend you.
📖 “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” — Galatians 4:16
Is that really how we are called to interact?
As a disciple of Christ, is that how we ought to interact?
📖 “Speaking the truth in love…” — Ephesians 4:15
Why can’t the full truth be shouted from the housetop?
📖 “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.” — Matthew 10:27
I really do hate this kind of half-hearted Christian living and witnessing.
📖 “So then because thou art lukewarm… I will spue thee out of my mouth.” — Book of Revelation 3:16
“What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about you.” A.W. Tozer