Sabbath School Lesson for January 11-17, 2025
Introduction of Lesson 3, To Be Pleasing to God
Memory Text: “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV
People often think of God as feeling sadness, displeasure, and other negative emotions when we fail to live according to His will. But this verse in Zephaniah is refreshing, because it reminds us that God also feels overwhelming pleasure in His faithful ones here on earth.
We have peace in our hearts when we see such amazing rejoicing of our Father God. He is capable of such joy that He actually is found singing. Yes, God’s happiness inspires Him to sing love songs about us!
Our Lord and Savior has come into our midst, and now mediates for us in heaven with great joy and pleasure. He joyfully hears our Spirit-led prayers of loving thanksgiving and shares them with the Father.
- Sunday: More Valuable Than You Can Imagine–God welcomes us back, like the father of the prodigal son parable.
- Monday: Rejoicing With Gladness–God loves us, as a husband loves his wife.
- Tuesday: Pleasing God?–How we please and displease God
- Wednesday: Living Stones–We are part of God’s house, with Christ as the chief cornerstone.
- Thursday: A Worthy Goal–God accepts even the smallest faith.
Sunday: More Valuable Than You Can Imagine
The religious leaders noticed that Jesus was associating closely with tax collectors and sinners. Even sharing a meal with them–something particularly forbidden in their culture.
To answer their concerns, Jesus told three parables in Luke 15–hoping that one of them would hit home with these disgruntled leaders. There was a lost sheep, then a lost coin, but perhaps the parable most loved by Christians is the story of a lost son. In every story’s ending, there was rejoicing over the lost being found.
In the parable of the prodigal, or extravagantly wasteful, son, the man’s other son is upset that such a joyous party is being held for his thoughtless brother. The father’s last words must have been the perfect answer to the charges that were being made against Jesus. The father told his older son, “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found” (Luke 15:32).
Verses to discuss:
Luke 15:11-32
- How does this story help us understand the love and joy felt by God when we come back to Him and the value He places on us even before our return home?
- Why didn’t the father refuse to give his son his inheritance, knowing that he would probably use it unwisely?
- How does this story remind us that what may seem unfair to us is actually part of a more just and loving outcome for someone else?
Monday: Rejoicing With Gladness
There are several words for gladness and joy in the memory text of Zephaniah 3:17. It also talks about God being in the midst of them, a very close relationship. It brings to mind the marriage relationship. Weddings are notably happy, joyful times of rejoicing.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:25-28 that husbands are to unselfishly and sacrificially love their wives, just as Christ loves the church. Many references in the Old and New Testaments are made that hint of the marriage between Christ (the Bridegroom) and His people, the church (the bride).
Isaiah 62:4 calls the promised land “Beulah”, which means “married”. Rejoicing in this wedding analogy is mentioned in Revelation 19:7. In heaven, there will be a joyful meal to share, called “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).
Verses to discuss:
Ephesians 5:25-28
- How does marriage inform us about God’s relationship with His people?
- Why is the marriage relationship so attacked by Satan, with many marriages being destroyed as a result?
- How should a husband loving his wife as his own body prevent him from abusing her in any way?
Tuesday: Pleasing God?
As previously discovered, God does not need our love. He doesn’t need anything (Acts 17:25). But learning that God is pleased when we return His love does motivate us to find out exactly what we can do to bring Him such pleasure and joy.
Many times, the Bible instructs us that God loves a righteous, cheerful giver, for instance (Psalm 146:8 and 2 Corinthians 9:7). He takes pleasure in those who are humble (Psalm 149:4) and delights in the prayers of those who do the right thing (Proverbs 15:8-9). As God’s people, we are precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:4).
This interactional relationship we are privileged to have with God brings pleasure to both us and our heavenly Father. We are drawn ever closer to Him with visible bonds of friendship He offers freely to all who desire such a profoundly satisfying relationship.
Verses to discuss:
Psalm 146:8, 149:4, Proverbs 15:8-9, and 2 Corinthians 9:7
- Why does God have such pleasure in our being humble, righteous, and giving?
- How can we possibly live up to those things that please God?
Wednesday: Living Stones
God’s work in us began while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). His love for us is that great. It is because of Christ’s loving sacrifice that we are able to offer up spiritual sacrifices, as it says 1 Peter 2:5. We are led by His Spirit and transformed into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).
1 Peter 2:4-6 may be a confusing analogy to some at first. It is saying that although Jesus is the chief cornerstone in a building, we are all the other stones, called living stones, that make the building complete. Men may reject us as they did Jesus, but together with Him, we stand strong and tall and are precious in God’s sight. What this means is that God’s redemption is not just for us, but it works in us as well.
Two more verses that talk of pleasing God are Hebrews 13:21, which also alludes to how we become living stones. It happens because He is working in us to make us pleasing to God. Our part is to have faith that this work is taking place. Hebrews 11:6 says “without faith, it is impossible to please Him”. With this faith we are able to walk with the Spirit and not in our fleshly lusts (Romans 8:1).
Verses to discuss:
1 Peter 2:4-6
- How do you understand why we are called “living stones”?
Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 2:5, and 2 Corinthians 3:18
- What is God’s part in this “building process”?
Hebrews 11:6 and 13:21
- What is our part in the “building process”?
Thursday: A Worthy Goal
The goal of God for us, which should also be our goal, is to love others as ourselves. This “golden rule” principle is found in both the Old and New Testaments (Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 22:39). Not surprisingly, many other religions promote versions of it.
We find a story in Mark 9:17-29, where the disciples of Jesus were unable to heal a man’s son, who had dangerous seizures. It was a worthy goal to heal him, but they just couldn’t perform the miracle needed in this case. But when the son was brought to Jesus, He was able to command the unclean spirit out of him. Jesus told them clearly that faith through prayer and fasting was needed to bring about a healing such as this. Our goal should always be to grow our faith so we can be a blessing to others.
Only the Holy Spirit can make it possible to have the faith needed to impact the lives of those around us in miraculous ways. Even a small amount of faith can do much, but with continued prayer and fasting, we can do so much more.
Verses to discuss:
Mark 9:17-29
- What may have been the problem with the disciples in trying to heal the man’s son? What did they miss in their efforts?
Friday: Final Thoughts
In order to find out what really pleases God, Hebrews 11, called the faith chapter, is most helpful. Not only is faith defined here, but numerous examples of persons of faith are highlighted. These obedient ones not only had faith, but they used their faith to do mighty things, making a crucial difference in the destiny of others, by which they certainly found themselves pleasing to God.
The obedience that grew out of these faith experiences is described beautifully in this passage from The Desire of Ages, p. 668.
“All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses…through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.” ~Ellen White
Next Week: God Is Passionate and Compassionate
To read the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly and see more resources for its study, go to
