Sabbath School February 2018

Nature Window: Rocks, Minerals, Gems

Have you ever found an interesting rock that you liked?  Maybe you were walking in your driveway.  Or maybe you were playing by the pond.  Rocks are non-living things that are hard.  They are made up of various kinds of minerals that have been squished together.  

This rock is made up of two minerals - Sodalite (blue) and Cancrinite (white). Photo #1539187 by Dave Dyet, courtesy of FreeImages.com

A mineral is a unique chemical compound with atoms bonded together in a particular arrangement.  Some minerals are hard to find, so they are considered very special and expensive. These 20 minerals are also beautiful.  We call these special minerals – gems.  

Watch these boys below discover some pretty rocks and minerals on their trip to the Luray Caverns in Virginia.

Can you name some gemstones?  Diamond, corundum, amethyst, emerald, ruby, sapphire are all examples of gems.  These precious stones sometimes don’t look so pretty when they are found embedded in rock.  People help bring out the beauty of gemstones by cleaning, cutting and polishing them.  Then they really sparkle!

Our Bible story is about King Jesus.  Those who accepted Jesus as their King and Savior knew that Jesus was like the most precious of gemstones hidden in a plain rock. His humble appearance and gentle nature were signs of true royalty.  His care for the poor and sick were the duties of a true King.  Do you see how precious Jesus is?

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Memory Mastery: New Testament Timeline

This quarter, while we are learning the stories from Jesus' life, we will memorize the New Testament events from our Bible timeline.  Children who memorize their New Testament timeline will earn a Bible artifact to add to their collection.  All they need to do is fill in the blanks.

Courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org

1. The New Testament starts with the birth of baby Jesus.  Matthew 1 and Luke 2
2. When Jesus grew up, He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the hungry, and taught the people about God.  Most of the stories of Jesus are found in the gospels - which are the Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
3. But the most important thing Jesus did was Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  1 Corinthians 15:3
4. He was the Lamb of God. John 1:29
5. Jesus died on a Friday. He slept in the tomb on Sabbath.  Then He rose from the grave on Sunday.  Luke 23 and 24
6. Jesus went to heaven to serve as our Great High Priest in the heavenly Sanctuary.  The book of Hebrews
7. The disciples of Jesus became the church - God's family on earth. He sent the Holy Spirit to His disciples, so they could tell the whole world about His love.  Most of the exciting stories of Jesus' disciples are found in the book of Acts.
8. Jesus is coming back in the clouds very very soon to raise the dead in Christand to take us to be with Him forever.  1 Thessalonians 4

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Mission Trip: Expand the hospital in Mexico

This quarter the world church is helping our brothers and sisters in the Inter-American Division share Jesus with the people there.  Will you bring your coins each Sabbath to dedicate to the world mission projects.  We will help build clinic and classrooms for our hospital in Mexico.  

Let's learn some fun facts about Mexico's geography.  Focus on one fact each week.  See if you can find all these places on a map.

1. The capital city of Mexico is Mexico City.
2. The major mountain range is called the Sierra Madre.
3. Two major rivers are the Rio Grande and the Yaqui.
4. Mexico is surrounded by three major bodies of water: the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico. 

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Bible Story: King Jesus

Reference: Luke 19
It was a pretty spring Sunday in Israel, and the Passover feast drew near.  As the Lamb of God, Jesus knew that it was His time to offer Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.  He headed to Jerusalem from Jericho.  A group of disciples followed Him, along with His special friends that He called the apostles.  

Jesus knew it was time to go to Jerusalem to die for the sins of the world. Can you stroke your cheeks in sadness? Our sins hurt Jesus. Courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org

They climbed Mount Olivet, which overlooked Jerusalem ahead and to the side, you could see Bethany and Bethphage.  Jesus told two disciples, "Go down to the town and get a young donkey.  When the owner asks you what you are doing, you tell him that the Lord needs it."  

Jesus sent two disciples to fetch a donkey for Him to ride into Jerusalem. Can you pretend to ride a donkey? Clip, clop, clip clop! Courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org

When the disciples came back with the donkey, they put their clothes on it, so Jesus could ride comfortably.  He looked just like a King!  Clip, clop, clip, clop.  Down the mount they started, and Jerusalem was coming into their sight.  The people were overwhelmed with whole view of their beloved Master riding like a King to Jerusalem.  "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord," they shouted.  "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest," they cheered.  The disciples continued to praise God for all the mighty works Jesus had done.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem like a king. The people praised God for King Jesus because He had helped them. Can you wave your arms to praise God? Courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org

Our Bible story reminds me of the prayer verse, Matthew 4:17, which says, "Change your heart and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is coming soon" (ICB).  King Jesus didn't first come to this earth to set up an earthly kingdom.  He was setting up a heavenly kingdom that starts in our hearts when we accept Him as our Savior from sin.
Dear Father God, I want King Jesus to change my heart and life.  I want Him to be my Savior from sin.  In Jesus' name, Amen