Sabbath School Starters - Friendship

I highly encourage you to take 24 minutes and watch this awesome discussion about friendship. Trevor Noah and Simon Sinek are two of today's most engaging thinkers on social issues. Once you've watched it, I think you will want to share and discuss it with your Sabbath School class. It's that good!

Some thoughts on friendship in Sabbath School

We are designed to be in relationships with others. Friendship is a gift from God, and Sabbath School provides a great place to build friendships! In our class groups, we encounter shared challenges, joys, and opportunities to grow in faith together.

Sabbath School friends will be there for each other when times are tough. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up" ( Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Once we are in a Sabbath School group, things we would have faced alone will be faced with faith-filled friends - the best kind of friends there are!

Sabbath School classes are discipleship groups. Jesus told His disciples, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:13). Jesus calls His followers not just servants, but friends. In your Sabbath School groups, you are following Jesus together. You are modern-day disciples!

The Early Church in Acts 2:42-47 is a powerful example of Sabbath School Groups in action. Believers devoted themselves to group worship, breaking bread, group prayer, and sharing everything. Their unity and love for one another were so profound that they changed the world around them.

The apostle Paul gives us some principles for forming healthy friendships in Sabbath School. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:3-4). Prioritising others is essential in maintaining a healthy, Christ-centered Sabbath School.

When tough conversations or battles of will happen in Sabbath School, Ephesians 4:2-3 provides valuable counsel: "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Unity requires effort, patience, and a willingness to overlook offences. In group settings, this often means valuing the opinions and experiences of others even when they differ from our own.

True Christian friendships point us and others to Jesus. Disciples reflect Christ’s love to the world. Let us seek to be friends who love as Jesus loved.

Asking like Jesus

Luke 10:25-37 (CSB)

25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” 

27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”, 

28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” 

29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 

30 Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ 

36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 

37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. 

Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” 

Asking God Questions

Do you see what Jesus did there? He reversed the direction of the Law Expert's question.
Law Expert: "Who is my neighbour?"
Jesus: "What kind of neighbour are you?" 

Much like the Cain and Abel story, right at the beginning of the Bible. Cain asked God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" and God's answer forced Cain to face the question: "What kind of brother are you?" 

Likewise, while the Gospel says, "You are forgiven" it also poses the question: "Who will you forgive?" Paul says we are reconcilers because we have been reconciled. 

When Jesus gets in your life, you start acting like Him, forgiving like Him and answering questions like Him. 

I love it! 

Three Greats of Discipleship

Mark 4:35-41 (ESV - The ESV nails it!)

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Even today, when Jesus' disciples face "great storms" He is already in their boat awaiting their call for help. Once called, He brings a "great calm" to their troubles stilling their storms and stress. Next follows the "great fear" of the Lord which overwhelms every disciple's heart when they realise Who is truly in their boat, on their side and at their call.

Covenant and Community

"Covenant and Community" is a deep exploration of God's unwavering commitment to humanity, showing that His covenant is a promise of love, provision, and protection. It calls for humans to respond by living in love and worship, fostering healthy communities, and remembering the ultimate sacrifice made in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.

This sermon explores the concept of 'covenant' as it appears in the Bible, highlighting its evolution and its implications for human relationships with God and each other. The word 'covenant' was introduced after sin entered the world as a promise from God to counteract doubt. However, the meaning of 'covenant' in the ancient Near East culture differs from our modern understanding. It was not a contract with responsibilities but a promise from God, the provider and protector, to humanity. The appropriate response to God's covenant was and still is worship.


this sermon explores the various eras of Israel's history, showing how God restated the covenant at each stage, reminding His people of His role as provider and protector, and their role to love Him and each other. These reminders took various forms such as the rainbow after the flood, the circumcision for Abraham's tribe, the Levites and the law for Moses' nation, and the promise to David's Kingdom that the Messiah would come through David's lineage.


However, despite these constant reminders, the people often forgot their covenant with God. This led, ultimately, to God's promise of a New Covenant, as prophesied by Jeremiah, where God would forgive their sins and write His law in their hearts. The New Covenant was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection provided the ultimate reminder of God's covenant in the bread and the wine of the communion meal.


The sermon concludes by emphasizing that the covenant between God and humanity has always been one-sided, with God taking on all the responsibility. God provides, protects, creates, recreates, saves, restores, builds, and rebuilds. In response, humans are called to love Him back and love all that He has made. The covenant is God's promise and our purpose: Love.

Sharing the Gospel in Chains

In my Sabbath School class this morning, I'm telling the story of Acts 16:16-34. Then leading a group reading and discussion on Philippians 1:12-20 to discuss the topic of the week:  "Standing for the Truth."

The conclusion:
With eyes fixed on Jesus,
Life is a string of God-given opportunities 
for the sharing of the Gospel.
Don't complain about what God didn't do. 
Instead, rejoice in what God is going to do!

Sabbath: The Way And The Day

Sabbath should inform the way you worship just as much as the day you worship! 

Genesis presents it as a day created for rest with God (Gen 2). Exodus reframes it as a day of rest honouring creation (Ex 20). Deuteronomy reframes it as a day of rest due to freedom (Deut 5). Jesus reframes it as a day of rest to be truly human (Mark 2). He says mankind is the master of Sabbath, not the other way around. 

Worshiping on Sabbath is a form of resting but it's not always restful! Sabbath is a day to remember the God who created us, liberated us, and empowered us to connect to our role as stewards of creation and champions of the freedom of others. 

Sabbath was truly made for man, not man for the Sabbath. It serves to remind us to bring rest to our fellow man and the broken earth. It serves to reclaim us as created in God's image. And it remains both a day and a way of being truly human.

Working on Salvation

Many Christians spend a lot of time and energy calling each other out. Paul had a better idea than working out everyone else's salvation... 

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life." Philippians 2:12-16

Focus on your own journey. 

God is working in you and through you.

Fear and tremble if you must.

But do it without bickering. 

Love others blamelessly.

You are children of God.

Shine like stars. 

Hold firm.

Word.

Life!

God's Socks

Yesterday, as I approached a supermarket, I saw a homeless man wrapped in a blanket accepting donations near the door. I stopped in front of him and said, "Hey mate, is there anything I can get you from inside? Do you need anything?" 

He looked up at me and said, "Could I have a pair of socks? Would that be okay to ask for?" 

"Of course!" I said, "I'll see what they have."

While paying for my groceries and his socks, I had an overwhelming thought - I've learned to identify these as the Holy Spirit speaking to me - "Offer to put the socks on for him." 

I thought, "Weird. I'm not doing that!" 

Outside, I went to the man and said, "They had the best socks ever! Warm work socks. And, it's a three pack. You can put them all on!" 

He laughed and thanked me. As he lowered his blanket to reach out and take the socks, I saw one of his arms was in a sling.

"Would you like me to put them on for you," I asked.

"No, I'm alright," he said.

"You sure?" I said, "Can you do it with your arm in a sling? I'm happy to help."

"Yeah," he said. "I can do it. But, hey, thanks for offering."

"You're welcome, have a nice day."

"You too."

As I drove home, I laughed to myself. God just schooled me in humility. God didn't ask me to put the socks on, just to offer. Sometimes God needs to remind me to be willing to serve so I am ready and willing when the need is there and the work is humble. 

There have been lessons before this one: 

Look - See people. See the needs of others. 

Listen - Talk to people. Ask what they need.

Bless - Serve people. Meet felt needs. They are real.

Storyteller Needs Audience!

Biblical storytelling is good for my well-being. Like, extremely good! 

I told Bible stories at 8 am every morning at my local Camp Meeting in Victoria, Australia over Easter weekend for family worship. The next Sabbath, I told a Bible story (Other people say "preached a sermon" but that's not my style) at Warrnambool church. Lovely people there!

It's been a decade since I preached weekly as a pastor. I miss it dearly! For the past two weeks, I've been in the best head space I can remember for a very long time. I'm my best self when I'm operating in my giftedness! I thrive when I'm sharing life lessons from the Bible. Before COVID, I was very active in travelling for storytelling in churches, school week-of-prayer programs, and Camp Meeting series to Primary, Juniors, Teens, Youth and even the oldies. I love sharing Bible stories and inspiring others to be passionate about the Bible.

Do you have a Camp Meeting coming up? Week-of-Prayer? Need a speaker who loves Jesus and the Bible? That's me! My preaching schedule is pretty much empty. Not good! Please invite me to bless your crowd. I'm ready to go! 

I'm available to travel. I speak to all ages. I'm open to any age-appropriate Bible-based theme or topic. Let's build something together - something just right for your needs!

If you need a speaker, please consider me. Thanks.

Email: davedgren@gmail.com

Here's an example. Watch more on the Bible Stories Playlist of my YouTube channel.

Or a storytelling workshop for your church or school leaders or Pathfinders?

Telling your story is your best witness!

Explore the entire Story=Power Storytelling Series on this playlist.

Love One Another

For the small handful of Adventists who say Christians who worship on Sunday are deceived by the Devil or worshipping "Satan's way", I beg you to prayerfully consider Mark 3. Imagine it is written just for you.

Look how the chapter starts. Look how it finishes. In the context of being God's family, Jesus says when we call what God is doing "Satan's work" we err beyond repair!

"Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:28,29)

Visit a Sunday church with some friends who go there. Attend one of their small group Bible studies. Spend a day of worship with them. You'll see what God is doing in their lives. You really will. And your words and deeds toward them will change. 

You will change.

Remarkably. 

I have.

Christians are family not enemies. Brothers and sisters not rivals. We are called to love each other. Jesus says, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

Only Love Remains

In Psalms 5:5 David writes, of God, "You hate all who do wrong." Some Christians take this to mean God hates sinners. 

This shouldn't be taken as God's opinion. David says at the beginning of the chapter: "Listen to my words, Lord" (Psalm 5:1). It is David's view that God hates evildoers. David's words. 

We know from Jesus' ministry that God loves sinners. In Luke 6:27-28 Jesus says: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Jesus' words. 

Jesus showed that God loves everyone. And he called us to do the same because God is Love and we are His disciples! 

When the early church was thriving, Jesus' disciple John wrote in his first love letter, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).

Once mankind walks shoulder to shoulder with God in Jesus, the ideas of racism, sexism, wealthism - all forms of human hierarchy - fall away and only love remains.