Week 1

Cornerstone Connection Lesson

 


Supplemental Youth Sabbath School Ideas

 


 


 

 

Download Lesson 1


The standard Youth Sabbath School materials for the topic “The Way of Two Worlds” contains a Student Lesson and a Teacher’s Guide. In addition to these materials provided by the General Conference Sabbath School Department, the North American Division Youth Department is providing supplemental materials you may choose to add to this lesson. Think in terms of your specific setting and the young people at your Youth Sabbath School. As you seek to involve them in the study and application of the Bible for this week, prayerfully pick and choose the components that will form the Youth Sabbath School for your young people. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as you make your plan, and then continue to be sensitive for the Holy Spirit to guide you during the Sabbath School.

Session 1 The Way of Two Worlds

Scripture passages:

  • Genesis 1-2
  • Revelation 12
  • Isaiah 14

Overview
God created the perfect world, but a second option vies for our choice.

Read the Student Lesson as well as the Teacher’s Guide. This may provide everything you need to teach the Youth Sabbath School lesson.

 

 

 

 

Following are additional components that you can pick and choose, use “as is” or adapt to your specific Youth Sabbath School. These supplemental ideas provide more options for this topic. Here’s a brief description of the seven supplemental materials:

  1. Opening activity
    An icebreaker or something to get people focused as you begin.
  2. Video clip and follow-up questions
    A short video clip and an idea for you to create your own video on this week’s topic, plus a few questions to follow up with discussion.
  3. Music
    It’s best if you create your own and choose what’s best in your setting. We are not endorsing a particular style or even a specific song. Select songs related to this week’s lesson. We’ll suggest several different songs with lyrics that relate to the topic for this week. Sing along with a prerecorded track (YouTube is a good source) or better yet, ask youth with musical talent to play instruments and lead the singing.
  4. Bible study guides for Scripture for this lesson
    This is another approach to the same topic found in Teacher’s Guide, but approached from a different angle. Expect activities to illustrate the topic, followed by some questions.
  5. Application ideas for living out this lesson this week
    Let this spark your ideas to move from talk to action by living out the lesson in practical ways in your life this week.
  6. An outreach or world mission component
    If Sabbath School is just for us, we will spiritually die. We must share what we’ve been given. This can be done locally and/or globally. We’ll suggest several options over 3-4 weeks on reaching out.
  7. Youth leader tip for the week
    This bonus is just for the youth leader—a quick tip and an illustration to enhance your youth leadership. You may already know this, or you may learn it through trial and error. Here’s a way to get it with a quick infusion.

And here are those seven supplemental materials in more detail for this week’s lesson: “The Way of Two Worlds.”


 

 

1. Opening Activity

An icebreaker or something to get people focused as you begin.

“Choose Your Side”

Invite those present to come stand in the middle of the front of the room so there is space to move to the right or to the left. Explain that you are going to speak two words and then participants must move to one side of the room or the other, depending on which word they think better describes the way of God’s World.

Explain that the topic this week is “The Way of Two Worlds” and we’re going to start by identifying some of the characteristics of God’s world, at least as we understand it right now.

After each word pair, the leader can ask for explanations or simply bring people back to the middle and then choose from the next two word-pairs. Feel free to adjust these or create your own word-pairs. If you identify more with the first word, move to the left; if you identify more with the second word, move to the right. When you’re finished with a word-pair, have everyone return to the middle for the next word-pair.

Is God’s world better described as:

  • Strong OR Weak?
  • Old OR Young?
  • Rich OR Poor?
  • Acting OR Reacting?
  • Big OR Small?
  • Male OR Female?
  • Sweet OR Salty?
  • Green OR Blue?
  • Unchanging OR Changing?
  • Tight OR Loose?

 

 

2. Video Clip and Follow-up Questions

A short video clip and an idea for you to create your own video on this week’s topic, plus a few questions to follow up with discussion.

As we consider “The Way of Two Worlds” today, think in terms of your current understanding as well as how your understanding may change because of what we study in the Bible or because of what God communicates to us during this Sabbath School lesson.

Create a video clip that shows evidence of God’s world. Create a second video clip that shows evidence contrary to God’s world—an alternate world that is also present in our lives. Ask someone in advance to create follow-up questions based on these video clips.

Alternately, you can use the following YouTube video clip “Dust & Stars” (just under 3 minutes) and the follow-up questions provided (or create your own questions):

www.ibelievebible.com/dust-stars/

Follow-up questions

1. Based on your life so far, is there more evidence that God:

A. Exists

B. Doesn’t exist

2. Based on evidence beyond your life (other people, history, science, Scripture, relationships, circumstances, etc.), what makes you think God:

A. Exists

B. Doesn’t exist

3. What is a good description of God? Upon what do you base this?

4. How do you explain the existence of both good and evil on earth? Which is stronger? Does it ever change?

5. Is God visible or invisible? How can a person know God? How do you know God?


 

 

3. Music

It’s best if you create your own and choose what’s best in your setting. We are not endorsing a style or even a specific song. Select songs related to this week’s lesson. We’ll suggest several different songs with lyrics that relate to the topic for this week. You can choose 3-5 of these or choose other songs. Sing along with YouTube or better yet, ask youth with musical talent to play their instruments and lead the singing. Lyrics can also be found simply by “Googling” a song title.

Here are 10 songs related to the theme of today’s lesson:

  • God of Wonders
  • Indescribable
  • All Creatures of Our God and King
  • I Sing the Mighty Power of God
  • He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
  • All Bow Down
  • This is My Father’s World
  • You Do All Things Well
  • Better is One Day
  • Forever

 

God of Wonders

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7F-B2DLvAQ

Lord of all creation
Of water, earth and sky
The Heavens are Your Tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high

(Chorus)
God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy

Lord of Heaven and Earth
Lord of Heaven and Earth

Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
And when I stumble into darkness
I will call Your name by night

(Chorus)

Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy

Indescribable

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE1clC37T4w

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation revealing Your majesty
From the colors of Fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

(Chorus)
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

(Chorus)

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God
You are amazing God

All Creatures of Our God and King

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cObXwn-EgGY

All creatures of our God and King
Life up your voice and with us sing

O praise Him, Alleluia

Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along

O praise Him, Alleluia

Thou rising moon in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness

O praise Him, Alleluia

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, three in one

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, three in one

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8xI6roQy10

I sing the mighty pow’r of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flow’r below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God, art present there.

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHZUMt2Zk1I

He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the itty bitty baby in His hands
He's got the itty bitty baby in His hands
He's got the itty bitty baby in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got a-you and me brother in His hands
He's got a-you and me brother in His hands
He's got a-you and me brother in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got a-you and me sister in His hands
He's got a-you and me sister in His hands
He's got a-you and me sister in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

All Bow Down

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK9m4I0Dtcg

You're arriving with the sound of thunder and rain
You're arriving in the calm of the wind and the waves
You're arriving in the glow of a burning flame
A burning flame

Praise awaits You at the dawn when the world come alive
Praise awaits You in the darkness and shines in the light
Praise awaits You with a song of love and desire, love and desire

Here comes the King
All bow down
Lift up your voices
Unto the Lamb
He is the King
All bow down
All bow down

You are coming again like a thief in the night
You are coming again with a shout from the sky
You are coming again to take away Your bride
To take away Your bride
Yeah, You are the King
You are the King
All bow down
We lift up our voices
Unto the Lamb
You are the King

This is My Father’s World

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPD4A2_CLBA

This is my father's world
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres

This is my father's world
The birds their carols raise
The morning light, the lily white
Declare their maker's praise

This is my father's world
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas
His hand the wonders wrought

This is my father's world
Oh, let me never forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the ruler yet

This is my father's world
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is king, let the heavens ring
God reigns, let the earth be glad

This is my father's world
He shines in all that's fair
In the rustling grass, I hear him pass
He speaks to me everywhere
In the rustling grass, I hear him pass
He speaks to me everywhere

You Do All Things Well

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWL-Fa8Q-oU

Mountain maker, ocean tamer
Glimpses of You burn in my eyes
The worship of heaven fills up the skies

(Chorus)
You made it all, said, “Let there be”
And there was all that we see
The sound of Your voice
The worlds of Your hands
You do all things well
You do all things well
You do all things well

Star creator, wind breather
The strokes of Your beauty brushed through the clouds
Light from the heavens touching the ground

Imagination runs wild and breathes the breath of life
Across the fields, across the miles

Better is One Day

www.youtube.com/watch?v=68PUEZYZUuw

How lovely is Your dwelling place,
Oh Lord Almighty
My soul longs and even faints for You
For here my heart is satisfied,
Within Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

One thing I ask and I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in the place Your glory dwells

My heart and flesh cry out,
For You the living God
Your spirit's water for my soul
I've tasted and I've seen,
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You

Forever

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks86XlVKaB8

Give thanks to the Lord our God and King,
His love endures forever.
For He is good He is above all things,
His love endures forever.
Sing Praise, Sing Praise.

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm,
His love endures forever.
For the life that's been reborn,
His love endure forever.
Sing Praise, Sing Praise.

Forever God is faithful,
Forever God is strong.
Forever God is with us,
Forever 

From the rising to the setting sun,
His love endures forever.
And by the grace of God we will carry on,
His love endures forever.
Sing Praise, Sing Praise

Forever You are faithful,
Forever You are strong.
Forever You are with us,
Forever and ever, forever.

His love endures forever,
His love endures forever,
His love endures forever.


 

 

4. Bible Study Guides for Scripture for this Lesson

Another approach to the same topic as the Teacher’s Guide, but just a different way of looking at it. Expect activities to illustrate the topic, followed by some questions.

“The Way of Two Worlds”

Scripture passages:

  • Genesis 1-2
  • Revelation 12
  • Isaiah 14

Here’s one way of studying the lesson this week »


More and More (Based on Genesis 1-2)

Materials needed

  • Blank piece of paper and pen for each youth
  • 4 poster boards or giant Post-it sheets
  • Colored construction paper
  • Scissors and glue sticks

Hand out a blank sheet of paper and ask the youth to number from 1-7. Then have them list what God created each day of creation week (days 1-7).

After having them try it from memory, take turns reading Genesis 1:1–2:3. Make any corrections needed to the seven days of creation on their sheets of paper. But also go beyond the simple information and ask what other elements in the story of creation caught the attention of those reading/listening. For example:

  • God created both the heavens and the earth (1:1)
  • God created in the beginning (1:1)
  • The earth was nothing (1:1)
  • God’s Spirit was present at creation (1:1)
  • When God speaks, things happen! (1:3, 6-7, 9, 11, 14-15, 20-21, 24, 26-27)

Questions

  • How did the world begin: Creation? Evolution? Something else?
  • How do you know? What is the basis for your belief?
  • Who was present when the world began?
  • Does it take more faith to believe in creation or evolution? Explain.
  • Based on the Bible story of creation, how are things different now compared to the end of creation week?
  • Based on the evolution story, how are things different now compared to the start of evolution?
  • What do you wish was still like the description in the Bible?
  • Are things getting better or getting worse? (Think in terms of different things such as technology, human relations, political forces, greed, selfishness/unselfishness, poverty, disease, violence, natural catastrophes, justice/injustice, education, prejudice, ethnic strife, hunger, power, etc.)

Consider the seven days of creation in a series of 3-3-1: 3 days, 3 more days, and then 1 final day. Use three poster boards or giant Post-it sheets and write “Day 1” on the first sheet; “Day 2” on the second sheet; and “Day 3” on the third sheet. Ask a youth to write on each what God created for that day (Day 1 = light; Day 2 = water and air separated; Day 3 = dry land and vegetation).

Point out that in Bible times, the number three symbolizes God. God started with a series of three for creating this world. But then God did another series of three by filling the three days with more on the second round of three than the first three. In other words, God fills what He creates. Invite the youth to take the construction paper and cut out and then paste on the various days elements that God filled for each of the first three days. For example, God created light on day 1, the first day of the first set of three days. But on the first day of the second set of three days (day 4), God filled the light with sun, moon, and stars. Here’s a rundown showing how God filled the earth during creation week:

  • Day 1 — Light
  • Day 2 — Air & Water        
  • Day 3 — Land & Plants
  • Day 4 — Filled with the sun, moon, stars
  • Day 5 — Filled with birds in the air; fish in the water
  • Day 6 — Filled with animals and then humans

The description of God’s creation of this world shows us that God is creative, active, and powerful. But it also shows that’s God’s tendency is to always do more, and to create fullness.

Humans who prepare to bring a child into the world do things on a smaller scale. Of course, we are made in God’s image, so we would do the same types of things. New dads and moms prepare a place for their coming baby. Typically they decorate a room with stuffed animals, lots of colors, a mobile above a crib, soft areas, lights of various intensity. They prepare for a newborn. God did the same thing in the beginning. The difference with God is
that He works on a much, much bigger scale, and a much larger budget! He is God!

This stands in such contrast to those who try to grab as much as they can for themselves, even storing/hoarding it for themselves rather than sharing or giving it away to others. It’s contrary to the way God works. But fear and selfishness motivate people to cling to stuff rather than to give generously because they trust or know that God always provides what is needed.

Questions

  • Has God given you all that you need? What do you still lack?
  • What has God already given you?
  • What requests do you have for God?
  • Are you more likely to keep things for yourself or give things away?
  • Do you take what is and fill it with more, or do you only take what is?
  • After you leave a place, is it better or worse than when you arrived?
  • Do you live in God’s created world, or do you live in a different world?

There’s still another poster/Post-it sheet. Mark “Day 7: Sabbath” on it and put it after the other three posters/Post-it sheets. Explain, “After God took three days to create the world, and then three more days to fill what He had already created, God had everything right where He wanted it. With a full world, He crowned His creation with the very first Sabbath. With a full earth, the first man and woman spent their first full day enjoying the amazing
earth God had created, each other, and the God who made it all. Humans were made to worship God; that’s how we’re hardwired. This is how God made this planet. And we still get to do this each week. Sabbath is still present for us to worship our Creator, to revel in His creation, and to connect with the people He made for us to be in relationship with. Happy Sabbath! Those who don’t worship God end up worshiping others, superstars, themselves, their work, money, or even things considered positive like family, reputation, church, and friends. But anything that takes the place of God as our object of worship is simply an idol that replaces God. Each Sabbath we have the opportunity to get on track with our worship by directing it to the God who created us, saves us, and promised to return for us! Happy Sabbath!

Don’t be an evolutionist and expect Sabbath to just somehow evolve. God didn’t do it that way. God started on day one and spent a full six days to create the world and fill it full. God spent six days preparing for the seventh day. That’s a model for us. If we just collapse into Sabbath instead of preparing for it all week, the Sabbath will lack the fullness God intended for us to experience with Him, with each other, and with all of creation.

Questions

  • What do you do to prepare for Sabbath?
  • Based on your actions in preparing for Sabbath, are you an evolutionist or a creationist?
  • What do you expect others to do, and what do you do to make Sabbath a day of worshiping God?
  • Is Sabbath more for God, for you, for relationships, or for this planet? Explain.
  • What changes will you make so Sabbath is more the way God created it?

Here’s another way of studying the lesson for this week »


Two Very Different Worlds (Based on Revelation 12)

Materials needed

  • Blank piece of paper and pen for each youth
  • A large poster or white board or computer projection for a timeline of the earth from creation to the 2nd Coming of Christ

Read Revelation 12:1-17. Explain that this portion of the Bible is highly symbolic. Ask the youth to write on a piece of paper the various symbols in these 17 verses.

Have them work in pairs to come up with as many symbols named as they can find. Then have them note which ones are explained and which ones are not explained. Let this lead to a discussion about what is clearly revealed and what isn’t as clearly revealed in this chapter of Revelation.

Here are some of the symbols in Revelation 12:

  • A woman clothed with the sun, moon, and a crown of 12 stars
  • The woman gives birth to a male child who will rule the nations
  • An enormous red dragon in heaven (7 heads, 7 crowns, 10 horns)
  • The red dragon tries to devour the baby the woman births
  • The child is snatched to God and to His throne
  • The woman flees to the desert, cared for by God for 1260 days
  • War broke out in heaven
  • Michael and His angels fought the enormous red dragon
  • The dragon and his angels fought back, but lost; not strong enough
  • The dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven
  • The dragon was hurled down to the earth, along with his angels
  • The dragon is called the ancient serpent, the devil, Satan, who leads the whole world astray
  • The dragon perpetually accused God’s people when he was in heaven
  • God’s people triumph over the dragon by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and not shrinking from death
  • Heaven rejoices because the dragon is gone from heaven
  • Earth receives woe because the furious devil in bound to earth with limited time
  • When the dragon lost his place in heaven, he went after the woman who had given birth to the male child
  • The dragon pursues the woman into the wilderness, but God and the earth care for her
  • The enraged dragon goes after God’s people—those who follow everything God has said and who cling to the testimony they have about Jesus

It might be difficult and too much to delve into this loaded chapter in the middle of Revelation as just one part of Sabbath School. It may lead to additional study. Invite each youth to pick out one symbol that caught their attention. Some of the symbols in Revelation can be better understood by comparing them with other parts of the Bible—both the Old Testament and the New Testament. For example, the name “Michael” appears in Daniel
10:13 and 12:1 as the warrior form of Jesus (see also Jude 1:9).

Another unique symbol of this enormous dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns seems to be a composite of the different beasts Daniel saw in vision as recorded in Daniel 7 (1-head lion, 1-head bear, 4-heads leopard, 1-head terrifying beast with 10 horns = 7 heads and 10 horns).

For the purposes of this particular study of “The Way of Two Worlds” point out that the war in heaven took place after Christ returned to heaven following His death and resurrection on earth. While God created the world and gave it to Adam and Even (see Genesis 1–2), they lost it to Satan in the Garden of Eden. When Jesus came to earth, He took this earth back from Satan (see John 12:31 and 16:11). Most Christians think of Satan being cast out of heaven before the creation of this world. Indeed, Satan was in the Garden of Eden where he tempted and overcame Adam and Eve and became the temporary prince of this 9 world. But he still had access to heaven (see Job 1:6–12 and Zechariah 3:1–5) until Christ returned and cast him out of heaven. The reasons most Christians think all of this happened before God created the world is because of John Milton’s amazing, epic 12-volume poem called Paradise Lost (1669) in which he described it this way. But just read Revelation 12:13 and you’ll see that when the dragon was hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child (the birth of Jesus). So Satan’s expulsion from heaven
happened after the time Christ came to earth. What difference does this make?

All heaven has been through hell because of us! Satan was in heaven accusing God’s people for thousands of years! But Satan no longer has access there. Heaven has become heaven again. And Satan’s world/universe is getting smaller and smaller. But it doesn’t seem that way to us because Satan is now limited to one small part of the universe—earth! And he’s enraged because he knows his time is short and Christ will be here to end it all for him. Until that time, we can expect to see the dragon’s rage all over this earth.

Create a timeline that shows the creation of this earth; the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus; Satan’s expulsion from heaven; the second coming of Jesus; and where you are on the timeline now.

 

 

Questions

  • Where do you see the dragon’s rage on this earth?
  • Where do you see God’s people overcoming the dragon the way Jesus did when He was on earth?
  • What part do you play in these two worlds in conflict here on earth?
  • Is the dragon real?
  • The dragon wasn’t strong enough to win in heaven. Is he strong enough to win on earth?
  • How do you overcome the dragon, based on Revelation 12?
  • What part has Jesus played? What part does He play now?

 

Here’s yet one more way of studying the lesson for this week »


King of the Hill (Based on Isaiah 14)

Materials needed

  • Blue painters tape to make a circle on the floor to play “King of the Hill/Circle”

Read Isaiah 14:12-15. This passage is directed as a prophecy to the king of Babylon (see verse 4), but it also includes the anti-God and anti-God’s people power that has been present during most of this earth’s history. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon certainly had to face pride and experienced being brought down from his high perch (see Daniel 4—the entire chapter, but especially verses 17, 27-33). His grandson, Belshazzar, lost the kingdom of Babylon because of his ego (see Daniel 5—the entire chapter, but especially verses 1-4, 22-28, 30).

This same thing plays out is many different ways.

Activity

We can make a circle by putting blue painter’s tape on the floor to mark off an area we will call “the hill.” We’re going to play “King of the Hill” by placing one person inside the circle. That person will try to stay inside the circle by pushing away anyone else who tries to take this spot. Everyone else will try to remove the person inside the circle and take that place for themselves. There really aren’t very many rules. The goal is to be the “King of the Hill” by occupying that position by yourself. (Pick one person to start in the middle, make sure the area is free of other objects, and let the fun, ego, and savagery begin. Monitor as needed.)

After the activity, sit in a group and ask the following questions (or questions of your own choosing).

Questions

  • Describe what you saw or experienced from your perspective (try to get more than one person’s response, and keep it to simply physical descriptions at this point rather than reading into what it might mean or the motivations displayed).
  • Did you find it easy or difficult to engage in this activity? Explain.
  • What motivates people to be “King of the Hill”? Why do some people give up?
  • This activity rewarded people with physical strength and perseverance. What are examples of other arenas in which people with other talents might excel (such as intelligence, music, social relations, money, etc.)?
  • Where are you most likely to play your own version of “King of the Hill”?
  • How does this relate to our Bible passage in Isaiah 14?
  • How does God relate to a game like “King of the Hill”? How would those who live in His world relate to the various forms of “King of the Hill”?

5. Application Ideas for Living Out this Lesson this Week

Let this spark your ideas to move from talk to action by living out the lesson in practical ways in your life this week.

A. Prepare all week for Sabbath rather than collapsing into it. By making Sabbath the focal point for your week, everything will point toward it rather than using this day of worship to simply be a catch-up or catch-all day. Plan for it like a birthday party—it is the birthday of our world! What plans will you make for the worship celebration next Sabbath?

B. Consider some of the decisions you’re likely to face this week. In the war of two worlds (God’s world and Satan’s world) that both seem quite real on this planet right now, which choices would match God’s world and which choices would match Satan’s world? Are there choices in which you are uncertain? What will your prayer be in those situations, and whom could you contact for Godly input for your decision?

C. Consider a place in your life where you are tempted to play your own version of “King of the Hill.” Are you able to release your need to prove to others that you’re the greatest by accepting God’s approval of you, or do you need that affirmation from other people? Do others give it to you when you’re on top of everyone else? Replace your need to be above others by taking your talent(s) and using them to serve others rather than lording over others. Ask a friend to give you feedback and support as you seek to serve others.


     

6. An Outreach or World Mission Component

If Sabbath School is just for us, we will spiritually die. We must share what we’ve been given. This can be done locally and/or globally. We’ll suggest several options over 3-4 weeks on reaching out.

With the topic of “The Way of Two Worlds” there are two worlds you can face. The first is the world in which you live every day. The second is the
world that millions and even billions of people you age live in every day—a world in which they aren’t even sure where their next meal will come from, if they get any food. That’s hard for most of us to comprehend.

The long-term impact is greater, but you can do something about one more meal for someone living far away, or even someone living near you.

For the person/people living far away, here’s a website where you can make a contribution that will make an immediate difference in providing food for someone who is hungry right now.

https://giftcatalog.adra.org/#/

Click on gift #4: Feed Hungry Children

Several African countries are facing unprecedented hunger. Millions don’t know when their next meal will come, and children are hit especially hard. When you help provide school lunches to children, it’s more than filling tummies. These meals give families incentive to keep kids in school during a difficult time.

For something closer to where you live, contact your local community services organization (at your church or in your community) and ask where you can provide a bag of groceries for someone who needs food right now. If that doesn’t provide the information you need, ask your pastor, other pastors in your community, or the police, or look up your local food bank online.


7. Youth Leader Tip for the Week

This bonus is just for the youth leader—a quick tip and an illustration to enhance your youth leadership. You may already know this, or you may learn it through trial and error, or maybe you just need a reminder of something you already know. Here’s a way to get it with a quick infusion.

 

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