Junior and/or Earliteen Sabbath School August 9, 2008

This Quarter the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering is going to the North American Division Information adapted from Adventist Mission, Youth and Adult Magazine and the SDA Encyclopedia.

How is the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering going to be used? This quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help:  Place rebroadcast radio stations in communities across Canada  Expand the reach and effectiveness of Life Talk Radio across the United States

Focus on Canada Canada is the second- largest country in the world, stretching from the northern border of the United States to the Arctic Circle in the north. But about as many people live there as live in the state of California. Few people live in northern Canada, where the climate is harsh.

The Advent message was preached in Quebec by William Miller and other Millerite preachers from 1835 to Later Joseph Bates was the first Sabbathkeeping Adventist to hold meetings in Quebec and by 1849 he had established a small company of believers there. In the summer of 1850 James and Ellen White traveled through the area, strengthening the faith of the English speaking believers there. William Miller

The first French-speaking Adventist evangelists in French Canada were the Bourdeau brothers who held meetings in Quebec as early as 1859.

In 1913 Jean Vuilleumier, from Switzerland, held tent meetings in French in Montreal. Men who opposed his message cut down his tent, but when the daily newspapers published pictures and criticized the failure of the police to preserve law and order, the police department had the tent re-erected and patrolled it while meetings were in progress. When in the autumn the meetings were moved to a hall, enemies continued to harass: they broke windows, assaulted Vuilleumier’s assistant, broke the chandeliers, and threw the chairs and benches into the street. Nevertheless, several embraced Adventist teachings, and a French church was organized.

When the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada was born, Canada was still a very young country with a population less than six million. Since then, Canada has grown to over 32 million people, and the Seventh- day Adventist Church in Canada has grown to more than 56,000 members.

This Thirteenth Sabbath you have an opportunity to help share the gospel with people who are searching for hope. This quarter and throughout the year please prayerfully consider giving 2 percent of your income to world mission. There will never be a better time to use your income to spread the good news of God’s grace.

One out of every 321 people in North America is a Seventh-day Adventist. But some communities have no Adventist family to spread God’s love. In these areas radio can provide a vibrant witness to those who have not yet heard the message that God loves them and is coming to take His children home soon.

While Canadian law does not allow special- interest radio stations, it does allow low- frequency radio stations to rebroadcast radio stations in areas where few other media outlets exist. Long before Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949, an Adventist radio station was broadcasting there. This station was permitted to continue broadcasting.

Today 18 rebroadcast sites on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada rebroadcast radio station VOAR’s Adventist message in towns and rural areas across the nation. Part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will establish more of these rebroadcast stations across Canada.

Churches in each province are applying and receiving permission to establish stations to rebroadcast radio signals from the existing Adventist radio station in Newfoundland. These new stations will open the way for church planting efforts in these areas. One day, as radio listeners across Canada push the “seek” button on their radios they will hear the gospel story as VOAR rebroadcast stations dot the country. Please give generously this Thirteenth Sabbath.

Collect Offering

Exploring God’s World In this section we study one of the countries in the division where our Thirteenth Sabbath offering is going.

Today we are going to learn about Quebec.

Where is Quebec

Country Flag Canada Province Flag Quebec

Time for the Mission Story We are taking the good news to the entire world. Read the Mission Story on pages 14 and 15 of the Third Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine while slowly progressing through the next 3 slides.

The name of the person in the story is “Elliott.”

This story is from Canada.

The title of the story is “The Little Station that Roars.”

Lesson Study Time

Today’s lesson is about: Kingdom Time Photo by Neva MacPhee

P O W E R T E X T Philippians 1:6, NIV

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

P O W E R P O I N T God’s love grows in us until it fills our lives.

Have your parents ever made you go somewhere or do something you didn’t really want to do? Photo by Neva MacPhee

What was the result? Did it turn out better than you expected? Photo by Neva MacPhee

Imagine two boys who went to hear Jesus preach.

Pushing along with the noisy crowd following Jesus a Hebrew boy heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Wait up!” Turning around, he saw his friend struggling through the mass of people.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” the boy said. “They made me.” His friend shrugged his shoulders. “What about you?”

“I figured I’d come and see who my parents keep talking about,” replied the first boy.

Scanning the crowd, he found his parents and waved. Finding a less crowded spot above the crowd they sprawled in the grass. A man in front raised his hand. The crowd grew quiet.

“Some of you wonder about God’s kingdom. I’ll tell you what it’s like,” Jesus said. “Look at that mustard plant.”

The boy looked to where Jesus was pointing. “What’s so special about that?” he whispered to his friend.

“I agree. It’s just a plant.” Mustard plants were common. Mustard plants were common. They grew over six feet tall.

Birds flocked to the plants. They ate the tiny seeds and rested on the shady branches. In the early spring the friends liked to eat the curly green shoots of the plant.

“Everyone knows that the mustard seed is so small that you can hardly see it,” Jesus continued.

“But what happens when that seed is planted in the ground? First the young shoots poke up out of the ground.”

“As the stalk grows taller and the branches begin to reach out, leaves and fruit form on the plant. Eventually the mustard plant is the tallest plant in the garden.”

The crowd murmured its agreement. “God’s kingdom is also like the yeast a woman puts in her bread,” Jesus continued.

The friends rolled their eyes at each other. “When she makes bread she adds only a small amount of yeast in comparison to the flour.”

“But the yeast works throughout the dough. It doesn’t just stay in one little corner. As the yeast spreads through the dough, the bread begins to rise.”

The boy thought about the many times he had watched his mother make bread. The bread all rose together, not just one little section at a time.

Sitting up and eyeing a man who had frowned at them, he whispered to his friend, “What do a mustard plant and bread have to do with the kingdom?” “

“I don’t know,” his friend whispered back. “Let’s ask your father.”

Walking home at the end of the day with his family the boy couldn't wait any longer. “Did any of you understand what Jesus was talking about with the mustard seed and the yeast?” he blurted out.

“I’m not sure,” the boy replied “I think that He might have been talking about us.” “What do you think He meant?” his father asked.

“That seems right,” agreed the father. “As God’s chosen people father. “As God’s chosen people I expect we would make up His kingdom. What do you think?” He turned to the other boy.

“I don’t know,” the friend replied, rubbing his eyebrows. “I guess rubbing his eyebrows. “I guess I thought it would be a different I thought it would be a different kind of kingdom.” kind of kingdom.”

“The kind that would conquer the Romans.” The boy stopped. “Maybe that’s it. The mustard seed is like our nation. Little and helpless. But you know it will get bigger one day.”

“Because the prophets said so!” said his friend, grinning at him. “But what about the yeast?”

“I think I understood that part,” the boy replied, walking slowly. “You've watched your mother bake bread, haven’t you?”

“The yeast goes throughout all the bread, not just part of it.”

The boy stopped again. “And the farmer has to put the seed into the ground. So the beginning of the new kingdom might already be here,” he said slowly. “That could be,” said his father.

“Does that mean we don’t have to fight?” quipped his friend.

“From what I understand, God does it all for us,” said the mother. “From beginning to end.”

The boy put his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Do you know how to make mustard bread?”

If you have some yeast and mustard seeds available, pass them around. Let everyone see, touch and smell them.

Matthew 13, NIV The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast 31 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." 33 He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

Why do you think Jesus used the word “your” when talking about the mustard seed? (He wanted to be clear. The mustard seed isn’t the smallest seed: the orchid seed is smaller.)

What do you think the birds in the mustard plant symbolize? (The kingdom being open to everyone; there’s rest in the kingdom for everyone.)

What do the mustard seed and the yeast in Jesus’ parable have in common? They’re both common, everyday items of which you need only a small amount to make a dramatic difference. They’re both common, everyday items of which you need only a small amount to make a dramatic difference. They both signify that even though the kingdom seems to have a small beginning, it will eventually affect the whole world. They both signify that even though the kingdom seems to have a small beginning, it will eventually affect the whole world. They are things ordinary people of that time, who could not read, could relate to. They are things ordinary people of that time, who could not read, could relate to.

Instead of mustard seeds and yeast, what do you think Jesus would use if He told the same parable today, to illustrate THAT

What is the most important thing we must remember about the change that takes place within us? (God provides the power.)

Philippians 1:6, NIV Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Additional Bible Reading Find and read Daniel 4: How is this passage related to the mustard seed parable? King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom had grown from something small to something very great like the mustard seed in the parable.

Important Information PowerPoints® art copyrighted © 2003 by the Review and Herald® Publishing Association. Text and illustrations from Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine is copyright © by the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. Scriptures quoted from NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1980, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. ClickArt Infinity by Broderbund, © 1999 TLC Multimedia Inc.

You will want to have a hard copy of the Mission Story ready to read during the Mission Story section. You can find the story on pages 14 and 15 of the Third Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. The title of the story is “The Little Station That Roars.” You can go to the website and find the link titled “Publications” to download the Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. You will want to have a hard copy of the Mission Story ready to read during the Mission Story section. You can find the story on pages 14 and 15 of the Third Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. The title of the story is “The Little Station That Roars.” You can go to the website and find the link titled “Publications” to download the Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. For today’s lesson activity, find some yeast and mustard seeds if possible. Notes to Teachers

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to send us comments about how the Junior/Earliteen Sabbath School program slide shows are working for you, or if you have suggestions for improvements, please send us an at ink.net. ink.net ink.net Your PowerPoint Team

Copyright Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist School Art and graphics copyrighted by the General Conference and the Review and Herald® are included on slides 46-51, 59, 61, 63-70, 73 and 75. Images and artwork are copyrighted by the Pacific Press Publishing Assoc., Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., It Is Written and others. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Copyright Notices