Lesson 1 December 26 - January 1
God Is Good
Memory Verse: (Exo 34:6 KJV) And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973,1978 & 1984 by the International Bible Society: Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House."
Sabbath Afternoon
(John 1:1 NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:14 NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 14:9 NIV) Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Sunday
The Goodness of God
(Psa 25:8 NIV) Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
(Psa 31:19 NIV) How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.
(Psa 33:5 NIV) The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
(Psa 145:9 NIV) The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Monday
God Is Great, God Is Good
(Psa 90:2 NIV) Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
(1 John 4:8 NIV) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
(1 John 4:10 NIV) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
(Job 37:16 NIV) Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?
(Titus 2:11 NIV) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.(12) It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
(Psa 139:7 NIV) Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
(Psa 139:8 NIV) If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
(Psa 139:9 NIV) If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
(Psa 139:10 NIV) even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
(Jer 31:20 NIV) Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD.
(Eph 1:19 NIV) and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
(Rom 15:5 NIV) May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
(Psa 119:142 NIV) Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.
(Exo 15:11 NIV) "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
(Psa 89:14 NIV) Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
(Isa 54:8 NIV) In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.
(John 14:6 NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(Eph 2:8 NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
(Jer 31:3 NIV) The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
(Mark 10:18 NIV) "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.
Tuesday
It Is God's Nature To Love
(1 Cor 13:4-7 NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. {5} It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. {6} Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. {7} It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
If Christians would associate together, speaking to each other of the love of God and of the precious (p. 102) truths of redemption, their own hearts would be refreshed and they would refresh one another. We may be daily learning more of our heavenly Father, gaining a fresh experience of His grace; then we shall desire to speak of His love; and as we do this, our own hearts will be warmed and encouraged. If we thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of self, we should have far more of His presence. {SC 101.3}
If we would but think of God as often as we have evidence of His care for us we should keep Him ever in our thoughts and should delight to talk of Him and to praise Him. We talk of temporal things because we have an interest in them. We talk of our friends because we love them; our joys and our sorrows are bound up with them. Yet we have infinitely greater reason to love God than to love our earthly friends; it should be the most natural thing in the world to make Him first in all our thoughts, to talk of His goodness and tell of His power. The rich gifts He has bestowed upon us were not intended to absorb our thoughts and love so much that we should have nothing to give to God; they are constantly to remind us of Him and to bind us in bonds of love and gratitude to our heavenly Benefactor. We dwell too near the lowlands of earth. Let us raise our eyes to the open door of the sanctuary above, where the light of the glory of God shines in the face of Christ, who "is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." Hebrews 7:25. {SC 102.1}
We need to praise God more "for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men." Psalm 107:8. Our devotional exercises should not (p. 103) consist wholly in asking and receiving. Let us not be always thinking of our wants and never of the benefits we receive. We do not pray any too much, but we are too sparing of giving thanks. We are the constant recipients of God's mercies, and yet how little gratitude we express, how little we praise Him for what He has done for us. {SC 102.2}
Wednesday
"Behold, What Manner Of Love"
(1 John 3:1-2 NIV) How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. {2} Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
(Rev 21:3 NIV) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
Sons and Daughters of God, p. 8
That we should be Called the Sons of God Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not; because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1. {SD 8.1}
As John thought of the love of Christ, he was led to exclaim, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." {SD 8.2}
People think it a privilege to see a royal personage, and thousands go great distances to see one. How much greater privilege it is to be sons and daughters of the Most High. What greater privilege could be conferred on us than to be given entrance into the royal family? {SD 8.3}
In order to become the sons and daughters of God, we must separate from the world. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate," the Lord says, "and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." . . . {SD 8.4}
There is a heaven before us, a crown of life to win. But to the overcomer only is the reward given. He who gains heaven must be clothed with the robe of righteousness. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." In the character of Christ there was no discord of any kind. And this must be our experience. Our lives must be controlled by the principles that controlled His life. {SD 8.5}
Through the perfection of the sacrifice given for the guilty race, those who believe in Christ, coming unto Him, may be saved from eternal ruin. . . . {SD 8.6}
Let no one be so deluded by the enemy as to think that it is a condescension for any man, however talented or learned or honored, to accept Christ. Every human being should look to heaven with reverence and gratitude, and exclaim with amazement, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 9 {SD 8.7}
(Mark 3:17 NIV) James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder);
The Transforming Power of Christ Of the twelve disciples, four were to act a leading part, each in a distinct line. In preparation for this, Christ taught them, foreseeing all. James, destined to swift-coming death by the sword; John, longest of the brethren to follow his Master in labor and persecution; Peter, the pioneer in breaking through the barriers of ages, and teaching the heathen world; and Judas, in service capable of pre-eminence above his brethren, yet brooding in his soul purposes of whose ripening he little dreamed-- these were the objects of Christ's greatest solicitude and the recipients of His most frequent and careful instruction. (p. 87) {Ed 86.2}
Peter, James, and John sought every opportunity of coming into close contact with their Master, and their desire was granted. Of all the Twelve their relationship to Him was closest. John could be satisfied only with a still near intimacy, and this he obtained. At that first conference beside the Jordan, when Andrew, having heard Jesus, hurried away to call his brother, John sat silent, rapt in the contemplation of wondrous themes. He followed the Saviour, ever an eager, absorbed listener. Yet John's was no faultless character. He was no gentle, dreamy enthusiast. He and his brother were called "the sons of thunder." Mark 3:17. John was proud, ambitious, combative; but beneath all this the divine Teacher discerned the ardent, sincere, loving heart. Jesus rebuked his self-seeking, disappointed his ambitions, tested his faith. But He revealed to him that for which his soul longed--the beauty of holiness, His own transforming love. "Unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world," He said to the Father, "I have manifested Thy name." John 17:6. {Ed 87.1}
John's was a nature that longed for love, for sympathy and companionship. He pressed close to Jesus, sat by His side, leaned upon His breast. As a flower drinks the sun and dew, so did he drink in the divine light and life. In adoration and love he beheld the Saviour,
Education, p. 87 (continued)
until likeness to Christ and fellowship with Him became his one desire, and in his character was reflected the character of his Master. {Ed 87.2}
"Behold," he said, "what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know (p. 88) that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." 1 John 3:1-3. {Ed 87.3}
Thursday
How Can We Know God?
(Job 11:7 NIV) "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
(2 Tim 1:5 NIV) I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
(John 1:1-2 NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} He was with God in the beginning.
(Job 12:7-10 NIV) "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; {8} or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. {9} Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? {10} In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
(John 5:39 NIV) You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me,
(Phil 4:9 NIV) Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
(2 Cor 3:18 NIV) And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
(Rom 8:29 NIV) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
(Psa 107:1-8 NIV) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. {2} Let the redeemed of the LORD say this-- those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, {3} those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. {4} Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. {5} They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. {6} Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. {7} He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. {8} Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
(John 14:16-18 NIV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--
{John 14:17-8} the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. {18} I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
(John 14:26 NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Friday
If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties would be dismissed. Our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now; for everything, whether great or small, would be left in the hands of God, who is not perplexed by the multiplicity of cares, or overwhelmed by their weight. We should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many have long been strangers. {SC 86.1}
As your senses delight in the attractive loveliness of the earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never know the blight of sin and death; where the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse. Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest (p. 87) gleaming of His glory. It is written, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9. {SC 86.2}
Christ's Object Lesson, p. 298
The Jewish leaders looked with pride upon their magnificent temple, and the imposing rites of their religious service; but justice, mercy, and the love of God were lacking. The glory of the temple, the splendor of their service, could not recommend them to God; for that which alone is of value in His sight they did not offer. They did not bring Him the sacrifice of a humble and contrite spirit. It is when the vital principles of the kingdom of God are lost that ceremonies become multitudinous and extravagant. (p. 298) It is when the character building is neglected, when the adornment of the soul is lacking, when the simplicity of godliness is lost sight of, that pride and love of display demand magnificent church edifices, splendid adornings, and imposing ceremonials. In all this God is not honored. A fashionable religion that consists of ceremonies, pretense, and display, is not acceptable to Him. Its services call forth no response from the heavenly messengers. {COL 297.1}
The church is very precious in God's sight. He values it, not for its external advantages, but for the sincere piety which distinguishes it from the world. He estimates it according to the growth of the members in the knowledge of Christ, according to their progress in spiritual experience. {COL 298.1}
Christ hungers to receive from His vineyard the fruit of holiness and unselfishness. He looks for the principles of love and goodness. Not all the beauty of art can bear comparison with the beauty of temper and character to be revealed in those who are Christ's representatives. It is the atmosphere of grace which surrounds the soul of the believer, the Holy Spirit working upon mind and heart, that makes him a savor of life unto life, and enables God to bless his work. {COL 298.2}
A congregation may be the poorest in the land. It may be without the attraction of any outward show; but if the members possess the principles of the character of Christ, they will have His joy in their souls. Angels will unite with them in their worship. The praise and thanksgiving from grateful hearts will ascend to God as a sweet oblation. {COL 298.3}