Sabbath School Lesson for January 3-9, 2026 Introduction of Lesson 2, Reasons for Thanksgiving and Prayer Memory Text: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 NKJV Paul’s tender, fatherly greetings at the beginning of his letters are full of thankful, prayerful, encouraging words for his readers. One can feel the heartfelt emotion that pour from his pen, as he reminds them of the many ways God had blessed them, despite their current difficult circumstances and separation. Even angels only faintly comprehend the love, faith, and hope that Paul recommended to his friends, especially while he himself  was suffering a dismal life in chained captivity. With positivity and grace, he patiently awaited a fate similar to that of God’s  dear Son at the hands of the Roman power structure. Surely, we are blessed when we incorporate Paul’s praises of thanksgiving into our own times of devotional communication. No matter how dark and dismal our future appears to be, we, too, can take courage, knowing that God never leaves or forsakes us. Sunday: Fellowship in the Gospel Monday: Paul’s Prayer Requests Tuesday: Spiritual Discernment Applied Wednesday: Gospel Fruit Thursday: Prayer Power Sunday: Fellowship in the Gospel Paul begins his letter to the Philippians by listing several things he is thankful for concerning their fellowship in the gospel. He lets them know that he is praying for them daily and is confident that God will continue to work in their lives right up to the time when Jesus returns, “until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). His reference to always having them in his heart (Philippians 1:7) reminds us of the twelve stones the high priest carried with him on his breastplate, a place close to his heart too. Just as the high priest made intercessory prayers for the Hebrew tribes, Paul carried the churches he planted on his heart, lifting them up to God at every opportunity. Amazingly, Paul indicated that he was thankful for his incarceration, which provided him with the opportunity to defend and confirm the gospel with the soldiers and others who visited him there in Rome. Verses and questions: Philippians 1:3-8 What were the things Paul was thankful for? What did he mean by saying their works would continue “until the day of Jesus Christ”? How were Paul’s comments reassuring to the church in Philippi? How do you feel when someone expresses care for and confidence in you? Is there anyone in particular you know who does this or who has done it in the past? Monday: Paul’s Prayer Requests In the first chapter of Philippians, Paul addressed some particular things he prayed for regarding the church as a whole. Notice he didn’t point fingers here at individuals. These are requests that pertain to all those with whom we have tender affection for. Briefly, Paul requested that they would have a correct understanding of love that would help them have a better knowledge of God and the discernment to serve Him properly. This discernment would allow them to recognize what is morally wrong, helping them live “pure and blameless” lives. Paul desired them to be sincere in their religious practice and not be a stumbling block, or an offense, to others. His final request was that they be filled with righteousness. Later, in chapter three, Paul goes into more detail about this righteousness. But, we do find a reminder in Philippians 1:11 that this righteousness is only available through their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Verses and questions: Philippians 1:9 How does the way we love impact our knowledge of God and discernment of spiritual matters? Philippians 1:10 What does it mean to be sincere and without offense? How long will we struggle to maintain this sincere, inoffensive behavior? And why? Philippians 1:11 and Matthew 15:8 Who will having the fruits of righteousness help us become? Tuesday: Spiritual Discernment Applied Think about Paul’s circumstances in Rome. His house arrest meant that Paul could not travel, preach, visit, or raise up new churches. This extreme hindrance to his evangelism so worried the Philippians that they sent their brother, Epaphroditus, to visit Paul and try to encourage him (Philippians 4:18). After praying that their discernment be increased through their knowledge of the love of God, Paul indicated in his letter that he himself was receiving spiritual discernment as he discussed his fellow workers in the mission field. Paul noted that out of selfish ambition, some were taking advantage of his absence in their churches, and using it to further their own agendas and advance their positions. But there were others who were emboldened to preach in Paul’s place, noting his willingness to suffer for God’s cause. So, in many ways, through these sincere workers, his imprisonment caused the gospel to be preached more widely (Philippians 1:12). Knowing this must have been encouragement for the apostle. It even gave him the energy to share the gospel with Roman guards and any visitors who might be curious enough to come see him in his chains. His sphere of influence and missionary activities hadn’t diminished, they had just changed. Verses and questions: Philippians 1:12-18 What can we learn from Paul’s attitude about his circumstances and how it affected others? Why are there usually positive and negative outcomes to most of what we attempt to accomplish for God? How do you deal with those who may be working against you, either at work, in the family, or at church? Wednesday: Gospel Fruit How thoughtful it was of Paul to write to the church in Colossae. As he indicated in his letter’s greeting, he had “heard of” their faith, and was thankful for it. Paul was not directly responsible for the establishment of the Colossian church. It was Epaphras, one of Paul’s converts in Ephesus, who began the church in his hometown of Colossae, near Ephesus. Three gospel fruits are often mentioned in Paul’s letters. <a class="cat-post-excerpt-more" href="https://www.outlookmag.org/the-teachers-notes-reasons-for-thanksgiving-and-prayer-lesson-2/" title="Continue reading The Teacher’s Notes–Reasons for Thanksgiving and Prayer, Lesson 2 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 1Q, “Uniting Heaven and Earth–Christ in Philippians and Colossians”“>Read more…

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Sabbath School Lesson for December 27, 2005-January 2, 2026 Introduction of Lesson 1, Persecuted but Not Forsaken Memory Text: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 NKJV Paul, who wrote both Colossians and Philippians from prison after suffering many hardships, seems like the last person who would tell us to be happy when we are unjustly suffering for our faith. Knowing from experience how difficult life can be, however, he repeats the simple advice to face our trials with thankful, joyful praise to God. He said it not once, but twice, as we read in Philippians 4:4. We are given a mental picture of what this rejoicing may have looked like for the apostle. When he and his coworker Silas were once jailed in Philippi, they used the quiet night time to sing hymns and pray, making their unfortunate situation there an opportunity to share their faith (Acts 16:25). Paul continued to find creative ways to make his prisons a mission field. He reached many fellow believers through the letters he was able to write or dictate during his times of uncomfortable, lonely imprisonment. His converts found needed strength and encouragement from the uplifting words they received from their beloved faith leader. Generations of believers have also benefited from Paul’s wise counsel in these letters. Sunday: Paul, the Prisoner of Jesus Christ Monday: Paul in Chains Tuesday: Paul in Philippi Wednesday: Paul and Colossae Thursday: The Churches of Philippi and Colossae Sunday: Paul, the Prisoner of Jesus Christ Paul identifies himself as a prisoner or bondservant of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:1 and Philemon 1). Also as “an ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:20). He didn’t want his readers to forget the circumstances of his imprisonment, or the One he was suffering for. Jesus, who promised His disciples that He would never leave or forsake them, was a constant companion who sustained Paul during the most difficult hardships he had to face. It is thought that the Prison Epistles (Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon) were written while Paul was incarcerated in Rome, about 60-62 A.D. In addition, 2 Timothy, called a Pastoral Epistle, was also thought to have been written while Paul was under arrest. In his letter to the Philippians, it is pretty apparent that he wrote to them from Rome. In Philippians 1:13, he mentioned the palace guard, and in Philippians 4:22, he mentioned saints who served in Caesar’s household. Paul, as we can imagine, made converts in whatever setting he found himself. He made the best out of whatever trial he was going through. Verses and questions: Ephesians 3:1, Philemon 1, and Romans 14:8 In what ways does our belonging to Christ make us His prisoners? Ephesians 6:20 How and for whom was Paul “an ambassador in chains”? Philippians 1:13 and 4:22 Why is it thought that Paul was in Rome when he wrote this epistle? Who may have been exposed to Paul’s preaching? Monday: Paul in Chains In defense of his ministry to the Macedonians in Greece, Paul recounts to the Corinthians the many hardships he was compelled to endure while serving God. One of them, of course, was imprisonments (2 Corinthians 6:5). Notice, he uses the plural. We know for sure that many times he found himself in jail for preaching the word of God. When we think of Paul later being under house arrest in Rome, however, we should be aware that it meant more than just not being able to leave his place of residence. With no technical way of tracking his movements such as we have today, he was compelled to be chained to a Roman soldier at all times. This was evident in Paul’s letter to Philemon when he mentioned being “in my chains” (Philemon 10, 13). Ignatius, a Christian living at the time, described these soldiers behaving like “wild beasts”. Such confinements wouldn’t have been easy for Paul. No matter how unbearable his lot though, Paul felt lifted up by knowing that God was very near, giving him the strength to get through his most difficult days. He explained how he drew spiritual power from the truths in God’s word and from the Holy Spirit. Verses and questions: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 What did Paul have his hope centered on? How did this focus sustain him when times were hard, and when has it helped you personally? 2 Corinthians 6:3-7 What did Paul rely on to stay spiritually strong in these harsh trials? Why are both the Bible and the Spirit of God needed to sustain us? Tuesday: Paul in Philippi Paul was on his second missionary tour in Asia Minor with Silas, when he had a vision in the nighttime and was told to go to Macedonia in the northern part of Greece. The two evangelists followed this divine guidance and set sail across the Aegean Sea from the seaport city of Troas and landed in Philippi. Although they could have first gone to surrounding towns, Paul knew that Philippi was a very important city in Macedonia, enjoying a privileged status in the Roman Empire, as it essentially linked Rome with Asia Minor. Those born in Philippi were automatically considered Roman citizens. The official language in Philippi was, therefore, Latin, but many in the marketplace and those from adjoining towns spoke Greek. It was here that Paul and his fellow workers met for prayer by the riverside, and where Lydia, a wealthy businesswoman who sold expensive purple clothing, became their first European convert to Christianity. Although Philippi, so strategically located, seemed to be the perfect place from which to spread the gospel, it was obvious that persecution would eventually be noticed and dealt with harshly there as well. But, as often happened, this only contributed to more people becoming interested in hearing their message. Verses and questions: Acts 16:6-12 How does God sometimes divert our original plan and why is it important to listen to His signals, natural and supernatural, that may seem annoying at first and keep us <a class="cat-post-excerpt-more" href="https://www.outlookmag.org/the-teachers-notes-persecuted-but-not-forsaken-lesson-1/" title="Continue reading The Teacher’s Notes–Persecuted but Not Forsaken, Lesson 1 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 1Q, “Uniting Heaven and Earth–Christ in Philippians and Colossians”“>Read more…

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.   —Maya Angelou When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.  When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief.  Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.  —Job 2:11-13, NLT For seven days they did the best they could. Do you know someone who is suffering with heavy grief? You can piece together a few things to care for them by examining the good things that Job’s friends did for him. They showed up. They respected his feelings. They participated in his suffering. They kept their counsel in silence. They brought peace through presence. They showed respect by recognizing Job’s pain without using words. The value of understanding You can put these principles into practice in a number of ways. Let me tell you how I might practice care with the grieving. I would start by looking at the type of grieving they might be experiencing. Was a child stillborn and the mother seems despondent and hopeless? Did an older mother lose her 30 year old son to a heart illness or a drug overdose? Did a husband lie in bed with his wife as she took her last breaths, dying from cancer? These all have slightly different kinds of grief attached to them. And they may require slightly different care. The stillborn child will never live to shine in this world. The son that dies too early may leave the mother or father bewildered as to why he was not permitted to continue in this life. The husband who loses his wife has lost a great companion and friend as well as lover and respecter of his heart. Knowing these differences does not make it easier for you to cure their grief. No one can do that really. But it might make it easier to understand their grief. To be sure, you can never really feel what someone else feels and it is often unwise to say, “I know how you’re feeling,” because you probably don’t. I think the best thing your understanding can do for you is to help YOU feel less anxious about the care you provide and in turn help you to be a better caregiver. Practical ways to offer comfort I wasn’t sure what I was going to do or say when I entered into hospice chaplaincy. I was a bit nervous actually. I soon discovered the value of presence, music, Scripture, especially the Psalms that the grieving can identify with, even well timed and well placed humor. I had to be extra careful with humor for obvious reasons and sometimes humor was completely out of place. I had one patient though that would prepare for my visits by practicing a joke on his wife and tell it to me when I showed up. And then I would have to tell him a joke in return. In fact, he told me that I would only be allowed to tell funny stories and jokes at his funeral. I told three funny stories as he demanded and it made for the most memorable celebration. Just be extra careful with humor— almost never start a conversation trying to be funny or clever, but keep your eye out for signs that it may be useful at some point. I took all these things and put them into my chaplain’s tool box, you might say. A small Bible with well chosen passages, a harmonica that could play over a 100 hymns that were as comforting as Scripture to many older church goers, a collection of  poems and a few small, short books or booklets and some aspect of loss and hope. Perhaps I’ll outline those in another post, but for now, it might be better if you find your own and learn how to use them as Maya Angelou suggested, doing the best you can and then learning to do better. Two texts to share as we finish up this year, The 23rd Psalm and Philippians 3:20, 21.  I would pick up the book A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23  by Phillip Keller. Read that two or three times and let the 23rd Psalm become your constant companion and you will never run out of encouragement for the grieving. Then spend some time in Paul’s magnificent chapter on hope in Philippians 3 and you will be much wiser in God’s plan for our forever friendship with Him.