I highly recommend Bible class teachers read The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory. It was published in 1884 as an instruction manual for Sunday school teachers. The basis for the book is the concept that teaching has “natural laws which are as fixed as the laws of circling planets or growing organisms.” Therefore, Gregory argues, if these simple laws are adhered to, knowledge must be communicated. Even though this book was first…
I read a passage from the Old Testament and it made think about the different understanding God’s people had about life after death in the Old Testament versus the New Testament. Below is a fictional story inspired by an Old Testament scripture. Try to determine which Old Testament event inspired this story. Think about the differences and similarities in both life and life after death presented by each of the dreams. First Dream The night…
This is a time for new beginnings, so I hope you will find greater prosperity and peace in the New Year than ever before. Remember, for those who follow Christ every day is a day in which we can begin again. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who…
When someone does something to you, in word or deed, that really bothers you, what should you do? First, take the time to answer two questions. Was what was done motivated by kindness and not malice? Is there some truth in what was done that you need to take to heart? The New Testament book of James says, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and…
Conflict is one thing most of us hate. In fact, there are some people we would rather kill than have an open conflict with them. Isn’t that an extreme statement? Sadly, I think it is a true statement. We may not kill them physically, but we assassinate them in our heart and with our words to other people. William Blake, an 18th century English poet, wrote a poem that beautifully captures the process of unresolved…
Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope you have a wonderful day. I am thankful that Jesus, the Son of God became the Son of Man. Jesus became one of us and he shared in our joy and pain. He understands what it feels like to be tired, rejected, shamed, beaten, and unjustly accused. Every time Jesus was sinned against was an opportunity for him to respond in a sinful way, but he…
When you consider the magnificence of the natural world whether it be oceans, mountains, forests, fields, rivers or the stars, you may feel insignificant by comparison. However, remember you can see God’s greatest creation when you look at your spouse, children, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even when you look in the mirror. The psalmist expressed this same conflict of perspectives in Psalm 8. Psalm 8:3-8 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your…
Imagine that you are thirsty, your throat is parched, and your lips are brittle and bleeding. In fact, you are dying of thirst. You are surrounded by jars of fresh water, but you do not realize that water will quench your thirst and save your life. So you gorge yourself on salty pretzels and peanuts, hoping that they will satisfy. Sounds crazy doesn’t it, but that is how I envision Amos 8:11-12, if we apply…
Below is a fictional story that was inspired by a chapter in the Bible. Stories can be a great tool for Bible teachers to use to engage their students in active learning. Before you get to the end of the story, see if you can guess what Biblical event inspired this story The Jeremy Blinker Story Jeremy Blinker eased into his favorite chair to get ready to watch the game. Jeremy looked around his family…
John the Baptist preached repentance. Ordinary people were fascinated by John and his teaching. His listeners were not religious and many of them were far from God. John told them if they repented they would also do the deeds that reflected their repentance (Luke 3:8). So the people asked what they should do. John gave them very clear answers. Luke 3:11-14 11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two…