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.
Charmed into Righteousness
The Most Loving God
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
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Program:
As We Begin
Come Into His Presence
Praise
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling • Under The Blood Better Is One Day • I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
Baptism
Erin Nicole Cross with Rodlie Ortiz
Prayer
Michael Wahlen
Children's Story
Poem of Divine Love • Kenneth Logan
Worship in Music
I'm Goin' to Sing • Spiritual /Alice Parker & Robert Shaw
Sermon
“Charmed into Righteousness: The Most Loving God” • Dwight K. Nelson
Hope Trending
An Introduction
Connect Card, Tithes & Offerings
Hymn
The Love of God
Benediction
God Be With You Till We Meet Again • Ralph Vaughan Williams
As We Depart
O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High • David Johnson
More In This Series
“Charmed into Righteousness: The Most Loving God”
- John 13:1—“Having loved his own, he them to the end.”
- John Peckham: “Profound love is connoted by the expression ‘to the end,’ likely connoting both and . Herman N. Ridderbos renders it ‘love to the last breath’ and ‘love in the highest intensity.’. . . Further, Christ’s love is here described as ‘for his own,’ a term of to near relations’ in some ancient Near Eastern literature.” (The Love of God: A Canonical Model 149-150)
- Jeremiah 31:3—“‘I have [aheb] you, my people, with an everlasting [ahabah]. With unfailing [chesed] I have drawn you to myself.’”
- Genesis 29:18—“Jacob was in [aheb] with Rachel and said, ‘I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel. . . . So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his [ahabah] for her.”
- God seizes the language of two and declares—that is how much I love you—with the passion of a Lover.
- John Peckham: “Scripture consistently displays God’s intensely and profoundly emotional love for his people.” (147-148)
- 2 Samuel 1:26—“‘I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your [ahabah] for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.’”
- God seizes the language of two and declares—that is how much I love you—with the deep love of a friend.
- Exodus 34:6, 7—“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in [chesed] and faithfulness, maintaining [chesed] to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.’”
- Jeremiah 31:20—“‘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 [racham] for him,’ declares the LORD.”
- John Peckham: “This language depicts profoundly passible [capable of feeling] and intense emotionality, evidenced by the Hebrew idiom . . . which literally refers to turbulent or roaring internal organs and here ‘depicts God’s being churned up with longing for his son.’” (153)
- We have but a faint and dim concept of how the love of God is for us.
- “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem—how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37)
- “Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11)
- “Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!” (Hosea 4:17)
- 1 John 4:8, 16—“God is .”
- Romans 5:8—“But God demonstrates His own for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- 1 John 3:1—“See what great the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”
- 1 John 4:10—“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
- John 3:16—“For God so the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- Romans 8:35, 38-39—“Who shall separate us from the of Christ? . . . For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- John 15:13—“Greater has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
- Ellen White: “The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of [God’s] character of .” (Christ’s Object Lessons 415)
“The Maker of all things loves and wants me.”
—Reynolds Price
Sabbath School Lesson Overview
Pioneer Commons
Offering for January 18, 2025
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
Spelunker Quest: Unearthing the Lost Sanctuary
Pioneer Youth Chapel
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.
New Children's Sabbath School Curriculum
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
Howard Center Presents: The King's Singers
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.
Howard Center Presents: SELAH
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.
Spanish Sabbath School Class
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!
Something in Common Sabbath School
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,
Care for Cuba
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!