For God's Glory

11.13.2016

Ordination Service

Here is the video from the ordination service.

I have posted and will be posting more about ordination. To read these post, click HERE.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to plan my November 13th ordination service.
Each part of the service is very special to me. Even the songs had a special purpose.

Here is the outline of the service with certain parts explained.

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

I love this song because of its great truth. It reminds me over and over again of the great gift I have been given in Christ (Romans 5:8).
I love this specific version of the this song because it reminds me of the story of William Wilbeforce and the ministry of the Daughter Project

What is ordination? Pastor Duke Crawford

You Have Been Raised

The first time I heard this song was at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, Kentucky.
I attended their Counseling/Discipleship Training - Track 1 a couple of years ago.
The church's passion for teaching and training with God's Word is contagious from the pastor Brad Bigney to those serving snacks and lunches at the conference.
I am especially thankful for my friendship with Ken Long. We don't see each other very much but when we do, my heart is encouraged.

Why I am thankful? Pastor David Rodgers

I am so thankful for godly friends who have helped me grow.

Friends in college who challenged me to go on a short term mission trip to the Dominican Republic

Friends in the Dominican Republic who challenged me to repel down water falls, ride motorcycles on crazy roads and helped me see the importance of community and hospitality

Friends at ECS who helped me grow as a teacher and helped confirm my call to ministry.

Friends at seminary who helped me in SOOO many diferent ways.

Friends here in the auditorium

I am thankful for my family which includes

Krista’s family who prays for and helps us in so many ways.

My family. My mom, my dad, my sister, my aunt who is like a second mom, my cousins who are like brothers and my uncle from California who surprised me tonight by showing up.

My immediate family. My wife, Krista and children Joel, Josiah and Jadyn.

I am especially thankful for God’s grace in my life

Romans 5:8 says “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I am thankful that when I was twelve years old he showed me that I was a sinner in desperate need of Jesus.

I am also thankful for God’s grace in that he has brought Godly pastors into my life.

Growing Pastor Bob Singleton was such a big influence on me and my family.

While at seminary, Pastor David Culver was an amazing help and resource.

Now, I thankful to be part of the pastoral team of Emmanuel Baptist Church
Pastors Duke, Kerry, Dan, Andy, Paul, Pastor Snyder and Casey thank you.
And Pastor Shane, who has been a friend and an encouragement for so many years.

I am also thankful for Dr. Austin, who will be sharing later in the service.

Finally I am thankful for Pastor Philip DeCourcy, who during lunch at Shorty's told me "Either go to seminary or quit talking about it and continue ministering here."

All I Have Is Christ

The truth of this song is so overwhelming.
One of my favorite videos of this song is an animated story.
Click HERE for that video.

What is the role of a pastor? Dr. Dann Austin

11.12.2016

Church is Better!! Part 2

This summer I wrote about Camp is Great! Church is Better!!

With my ordination council this past Friday and ordination service this Sunday night, I wanted to return to this theme with a part 2 post.

CAMP IS GREAT!

In sharing my testimony at Friday's council I said that the age of twelve, I was saved at a junior high camp. "It was there that God grabbed a hold of my heart. I do not remember the speaker or the sermon. I do remember being overwhelmed by the fact that I could not live the life God wanted me to live in my own strength. I repented of my sin and called out to Jesus to save me.

I am very thankful for Christian camps. I had many great experiences at camp as a child, which is why I send my children to camp, which is why I served as a counselor at camp in college, which is why I love speaking at camp, which is why I serve on the board at Camp Patmos.

BUT Church is Better!!

I am very thankful to serve with Camp Patmos, that understands it "exists to assist the church by impacting lives for Christ through a serving staff and relevant programs grounded in the Word of God."

Camp provides an intense focused time outside the everyday routines of life. This intense focus in chapels, devotionals and so many other things provide great opportunities for growth but living from camp to camp is not how God designed us to live. While time a short time at camp is refreshing, the church provides ongoing encouragement (Hebrews 10:24, 25) and edification (Ephesians 4:11-15).

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IS GREAT!

I understand there are different choices when it comes to education - Christian school, public school and home school. I am very thankful for my time as a student at Monaca High School, a public school. I have a lot of good memories and good friends. I am also grateful for the two years of college education at Penn State.

I am especially thankful for how God used Christian education. Roberts Wesleyan College provided great friends, awesome preparation for teaching, an amazing, life changing mission trip. Santiago Christian School helped me grow so much as a teacher, missionary and especially as a Christian. Through SCS, God provided life-long, mission focused friends who still keep in touch and awesome experiences like scuba diving, repelling down waterfalls and meeting my wife. Module at SCS through Azusa Pacific University allowed me to learn many leadership principles and connect even deeper with my co-workers at SCS. My four years at Emmanuel Christian School solidified my love for the local church, allowed me to connect with the great church & school my wife attended and helped me learn how to deal with a mercury fire.

BUT Church is Better!!

I am so very thankful for the training I received at Baptist Bible Seminary. When I say training I mean so much more than the classroom teaching. I am thankful that one of my theology professors was also an AWANA teaching at my church. I am so thankful that the seminary not only taught us about the church. It encouraged involvement in local churches.

Here is a 9 minute video from David Platt about Local Church Membership

Church Membership from Radical on Vimeo.

11.04.2016

Thus sayeth the Lord about this year's election

You may have clicked on this blog thinking you were going to get a definitive, Biblical answer to the question "How should I vote?" I am sorry to disappoint you but the intent of this post is to help you think Biblically about this election and every election.

This article contains three links to articles/videos I have found helpful not necessarily clarifying.|I have also included a couple of ideas/principles I heard or developed in thinking about this election.

Here is the first principle. Your vote in this election does not mark you a Christian. Let me clarify. One is a Christian because he is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Belonging to a certain party or voting a certain way does not make you a Christian.

A Christians's Hope is found in God who is sovereign, Jesus Christ who saves and the Holy Spirit who empowers believers.

This article My Prediction for November 9 by Max Lucado (maxlucado.com/prediction-november-9) shows this idea of Real, Eternal Hope.

"I have a prediction. I know exactly what November 9 will bring. Another day of God’s perfect sovereignty. He will still be in charge. His throne will still be occupied. He will still manage the affairs of the world. Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler. And it won’t on November 9, 2016. “The LORD can control a king’s mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1 NCV)."

"Circle November 9 on your calendar and write upon it the words: Our good God rules the world."

There are two school's of thought I have heard regarding casting your vote.

Look Beyond the Candidates to the Platforms
"We have a command, choice and a contrast to consider this and every election."
From Know the Truth's Shall I vote video by Philip Decourcy - www.facebook.com/kttradio/videos/1667947446828516/

The Character of every candidate must be considered
"[Many Christians] are being awakened to the idea of what it means to be resident aliens, of what is means to be strangers and exiles who are concerned about neighbors and concerned about justice in the public arena but don't derive our identity from that."www.russellmoore.com/2016/09/28/thoughts-election-2016/

There are good reasons why many godly men and women have fallen into one of these two school's of thought. As I mentioned earlier I don't think one of these options is less Christian. My challenge to each of us this election is to be responsibly trusting God.

In reading and listening to many different pastors and writers about this year's election, there is at least one thing that is very clear. This year's presidential race and election is very unique. This is one of the reasons I planned for EBC's Soul Care groups to do the ONWARD study - to help people and our small groups think about contemporary issues Biblically.

As November 8th keeps getting closer,

personally, I am still thinking through the candidates and the issues.

Pastorally, I want to help those I pastor consider what their action steps are going to be.

Here are two things I am thinking through this election.

First, PRAY for wisdom and direction. VOTE responsibly. PRAY for our elected officials.

Second, LOVE GOD - everything is an act of worship. Vote in such a way that God is first. You are worshiping and trusting in God. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS - I need to consider how my vote is going to impact others.

Remember,

your vote is more important than you think
AND

your vote, our votes, can never thwart or slow down God's plan.

Here are a couple of quotes that have recently challenged my thinking.

Testimony of Conversion and Calling

A week from today is my ordination council. I am very excited and a little nervous.
One part of this council is sharing my testimony. One page of my doctrinal paper is about my testimony and calling.

You can read it in the paper HERE or read it below.

In preparing for this day, I have been really thinking about the fact that I want this time to be more than just an examination of my knowledge.
I want it to be a time to glorify God for what He has done for me and through me.

TESTIMONY OF CONVERSION AND CALLING

I did not grow up in a Christian home. My parents would go to church occasionally but one of the biggest memories I have growing up was getting picked up in a van and taken to Vacation Bible School. I began attending this area church more and more. After some time my parents began attending also. God used a couple with passion about sharing Jesus with children to connect my family and me with a local church.

Over time we began attending another church. At the age of twelve, I was invited to camp. It was there that God grabbed a hold of my heart. I do not remember the speaker or the sermon. I do remember being overwhelmed by the fact that I could not live the life God wanted me to live in my own strength. I repented of my sin and called out to Jesus to save me. God provided me with Godly pastors, Sunday school teachers, other mentors and friends to help me grow in my relationship with God. While I wish my testimony in middle school and high school to my classmates was stronger, I can see how God had been working throughout my life. Throughout college (Penn State and Roberts Wesleyan College), God provided me with various leadership and ministry opportunities that helped me grow. One of those opportunities was a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

Krista grew up in a Christian home attending Emmanuel Baptist Church and Emmanuel Christian School. When she was ten years old, Jesus saved her from her sin. After talking with her mom, she prayed, asking God for forgiveness and trusting in Jesus for her salvation. Growing up at Emmanuel Baptist Church, serving in Sonshine and other ministries and seeing the godly examples of her parents and others helped prepare her for ministry opportunities here, in South Africa and the Dominican Republic.

Krista and I met while teaching at Santiago Christian School in the Dominican Republic. I tell people God used my time in the Dominican Republic to grow in me a love for Krista, teaching the Bible and the local church. My first year in the Dominican Republic, I was excited to teach several mathematics classes and a little frustrated that I had to teach one Bible class. Over the eight years at Santiago Christian School my responsibilities completely flipped. During my last year in the Dominican Republic, I taught one math class and all of my other responsibilities were Bible related. I had many different opportunities to teach and preach the Bible. For a couple of years I was involved in the leadership of an English Christian fellowship. Several different individuals shared with me that they could see a passion for and ability to teach the Bible.

After eight years serving at Santiago Christian School, we returned to the states. I taught at Emmanuel Christian School for four years. During this time I served as an Adult Bible Fellowship teacher, middle school youth sponsor and deacon at Emmanuel Baptist Church. This time in Toledo proved very helpful and encouraging. People in our local church affirmed my passion and ability to teach the Bible and lead. We decided to go to Baptist Bible Seminary for more training.

Our time at Baptist Bible College and Seminary proved to be another challenging and affirming time. While serving as dorm parents, a rescue mission chaplain and in other areas, God continued to provide opportunities for me to grow as a teacher and leader.

Over the last six years, we have been blessed to serve at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

10.27.2016

Religious Liberty - from Onward Study

Emmanuel has been doing a 6 part small group study called ONWARD. The six parts of the study (Kingdom, Culture, Mission, Human Dignity, Family Stability, Convictional Kindness) are based on Russell Moore's book by the same name. One of the chapters in the book and not in the study is Religious Liberty. This chapter is filled with a lot of challenging truths and clarifications. Here are some quotes and additional thoughts about Religious Liberty.

In clarifying the concept of “separation of church and state,” Moore writes “Church/state separation means that the church does not bear Caesar’s sword in enforcing the gospel, and that Caesar’s sword is not to be wielded against the free consciences of persons made in the image of God.” We need to understand that it is the Gospel, not Congress, that changes the heart.

Another quote that was very challenging is “Christians should fight for the liberty of Muslims to be Muslims, to worship in mosques and to freely seek to persuade others that the Koran is a true revelation of God. This isn’t because we believe Islamic claims, but precisely because we don’t. If we really believe the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, we don’t need bureaucrats to herd people into cowering before it.”

As I was reading through this specific chapter, my hope in God and the Gospel in the midst of our culture was stirred.
Do you really believe Jesus changes lives?
If your answer is YES!!, how is that reflected in your thoughts and actions.
“The Gospel is big enough to fight for itself.” HERE is a link to a very short blog post entitled “Its Own Evangelist.”

How should Religious Liberty impact our prayer times?
“When we pray for those in prison for their faith, we remember that the Gospel came to use in letters written from jail.”
“When we weep for those who are (sometimes literally) crucified in the Middle East, we are reminded that our Lord isn’t a life coach or a guru but a crucified Messiah.”

We pray for those who are suffering for their faith. We remember those who suffered for their faith and glorified God through the suffering. We ask God to help us suffer well for His glory.
When we hear about those who are beaten for their faith, we weep for them and we run to the One who suffered for our sin.

How should Religious Liberty impact the way we live as a church?
“Religious Liberty is a much about children’s Sunday school as it is about the Supreme Court – indeed more so. If we’re going to claim a future for liberty, we must remember why we have it: for the gospel and the advance of the mission. If our descendants love this gospel, and see themselves first as citizens of the kingdom, they won’t flinch when a terrorist group threatens to cut off their heads, since they know Christ.”

I wrestled with this Sunday school/Supreme Court connection for quite some time.
Bottom line is this Sunday school gives the church the opportunity and responsibility of teaching children and adults that their hope needs to be first and foremost in Christ, in heaven and not in the courts of this land. Now don’t get me wrong. We do need to pray about elections and leaders. We do need to responsibly vote. We do need to pray for our elected official. AND we need to Hope in God.
This voting is not done as our desperate attempt to save mankind.
This voting is done as a spiritual act of worship. Responsibly trusting in God to work out all things for His glory.

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Onward Session #7: Religious Liberty

There is not a 7th video for our Soul Care groups to do. However, there is a great chapter in the book that is not covered in the study. Religious Liberty.

This chapter is filled with a lot of challenging truths and clarifications. Here are some quotes and additional thoughts about Religious Liberty.

10.20.2016

Onward Session 6: Convictional Kindness

If you’re a parent, you’re likely familiar with matters of tone. One of the things children have to learn is that tone can actually be more important than the actual content of the message itself. That’s why teenagers might get into an equal amount of trouble when they give the right answer in a disrespectful tone as they would have if the actual content been offensive. Our posture matters; in fact, our posture might reveal even more than the message we give verbally.

As Christians, therefore, we must consider not only the content of what we say to the culture around us but also the tone with which we express ourselves. Paul reminds us:

In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:19-20

We see in the life of Jesus a remarkable ability to be kind to those He encountered even while boldly speaking the truth. Too often we fail to follow Jesus in this aspect of His mission. Instead of taking the posture of an ambassador, pleading with all to be reconciled to God (see v. 20), we take an adversarial posture. We equate our measure of conviction with our level of outrage; the more conviction we have, the louder and angrier we think we can present our argument.
Our challenge, then, is to cultivate the kind of convictional kindness in our witness that we see in Jesus. This kindness isn’t weak or passive. In fact, kindness is an act of spiritual warfare.

We typically don’t think of kindness as a weapon; instead, we think of kindness as the exact opposite. But remember: we’re citizens of and ambassadors for a different kind of kingdom from the world. It would only make sense, then, that the weapons at our disposal aren’t the weapons of destruction the world uses.

And the people we engage with aren’t our opponents; they’re potentially our future allies by God’s grace. We should treat them with the kind of convictional kindness that reflects our belief that there are no lost causes when it comes to the mercy of God.

As the church, we have the incredible luxury of operating from a position of victory. That knowledge changes everything about the way we engage with the culture around us.

And as we make arguments, even as we understand that arguments are merely the equivalent of brush clearing to get to the main point: a personal connection with the voice that rings down through the ages from Nazareth. We want not simply to convey truth claims but to do so with the northern-Galilean accent that makes demons scream and chains fall. Kindness isn’t surrender. Gentleness isn’t passivity. Kindness and gentleness, rooted in gospel conviction—that’s war.

10.18.2016

My Child Is Not Able to Sit Still - KIDS IN CHURCH

Today is the third kids in church post
Sunday I posted a response to the statement my child doesn't get anything from being in church - which addresses purpose.
Yesterday I posted a response to the statement the content is sometimes more mature than we would like our child to hear - which addresses content.

Today I want to respond to the statement my child is not able to sit still for that long - which addresses training.

The 8 Tips guide that went home with 1st through 5th graders this Sunday has some great suggestions. Here are a couple of them. learn

3. WALK YOUR CHILD THROUGH THE SERVICE BEFORE IT STARTS!!

Look over the bulletin or service details online; point out what will be happening and how your child can participate. This may mean teaching him a refrain of a responsive reading or teaching him a phrase from a song or chorus and asking him to listen for it. Pray with your child before the service starts.

4. ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SERVICE!

By teaching your child hymns and worship songs at home he will be able to participate in the service. If he cannot learn the whole song, teach him the refrain and signal to him when it is time to sing the part he knows. Encourage your child to sit and to stand at the appropriate times, to clap when appropriate, etc. Have your child bring an offering and place it in the plate.

Click HERE for all EIGHT Tips for Helping Your Child Worship.\

Click HERE for "Strategies for Engaging Children in the Worship Service.

Click HERE for Parenting in the Pew Resources (Keeping Them Quiet, Keeping Them Involved, Helping Them Worship)

10.17.2016

Parental Guidance Needed - KIDS IN CHURCH

Yesterday I responded to one of the reasons I have heard regarding not having children in church - my child doesn't get anything from being in church.
If you didn't read that post, click HERE.

Today I wanted to take some time to respond to another reason.
The content is sometimes more mature than we would like our child to hear.

In my opinion, this is the most challenging of the three oppositions. So I want to be careful in answering it.

In a service that is not geared towards children there are words and ideas that come up that kids will have questions about and parents don't know how to answer.
There are the realities of sin in our world that need to be addressed in sermons: pornography, homosexuality, same sex marriage, sex-trafficking and others.
There are God-given gifts that are not easy to talk about with young children: sex in the context of marriage.

First of all, when we have had messages that focus on topics like homosexuality, we have our regular children's church program through 3rd grade and we have added an optional class for 4th and 5th graders.

Now here comes the challenging part. Please read through to the end.

I have read in several places that the appropriate time for a parent to start talking with their child about sex is "younger than you think." Our culture is becoming more and more sexualized. Magazines in the supermarket. Commercials at the most unexpected times. Conversations with friends at school. And in many cases these are not the messages we want our children to know.
Would you rather have a conversation with your son or daughter about same sex marriage after the pastor at church mentions it during a Biblical sermon or after your son hear about on the playground or through a TV clip hears in passing?

Here is a section from Time for the Talk by Steve Zollos

Growing up has never been easy, not for boys. For many of you fathers reading this book, fistfights, police chases, and broken hearts seemed to be waiting around every corner during your teen years—but the world we see today isn’t the world you grew up in. Not even close. Back then there was at least some protection from the dirt of the world. Today, a boy steps off the school bus and into a place you and I never conceived of in our youth. Gangs, drugs, shootings, condoms, sex, pornography, and perversion are everywhere. Worst of all, it’s largely accepted, tolerated, or condoned by those in authority.

Oh, so your son is in private school? Or he’s home-schooled? Do you really think that makes things different for him? Maybe a little bit, but don’t let that give you a false sense of security. That young man still lives in a world hugely more seductive and radically more damaging than the one you knew at his age. Have you listened to his music lately? Have you taken a walk around your neighborhood? Do you have any idea what a typical group of young people talks about in private? Have you heard the language, seen the actions, and understood the values being promoted on movie, television, videogames, computer, and cell phone screens? In the time that you’ve been on the internet, have you seen things that you would never want your son to see, even accidentally? How much more time does he spend online than you? With all of this talk about the trouble in this world, let's remember that our hope is in God.

He has given what we need to live for His glory. Jesus. The Holy Spirit. The Word of God. The church. Biblical sermons.

Let's help our kids find their hope in God.

10.16.2016

My child doesn't get anything from being in the service - KIDS IN CHURCH

Over the next three days it is my prayer that I can use these KIDS IN CHURCH posts to help educate families on the reasons for and importance of our KIDS IN CHURCH Sundays.

The first reason I have heard for not having children in church is
my child doesn't get anything from being in church.

REMEMBER: Children are learning more than we think they are.

Think about each of these...

Don't think "my child needs to get/understand EVERYTHING." Instead think "my child needs to get/understand SOMETHING." Ask your child "What is one thing you learned or were reminded of in today's sermon?"
Let me remind you of two things your child "gets" every single time they are with you in the service. First and most importantly, they get to see you, their parent or grandparent or spiritual mentor worshiping God in song, opening the Bible, attentively listening to the pastor preach. Second, they get to see a pastor proclaim God's Word through preaching.

Here is an 11 minutes podcast about Kids in Church
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/should-children-sit-through-big-church
A quote from this podcast: "The aim is that the children catch the passion for worshiping God by watching mom and dad enjoy God week after week. What would be the impact if, for twelve years, the children saw dad with his face in his hands praying during the prelude to worship? What would be the impact if they saw mom and dad beaming with joy in singing the praises of God?"

Here is a great, 6o minute seminar about Kids in Church

ekidzministry.blogspot.com/2016/08/let-children-come-to-me-kids-in-church.html

10.13.2016

Onward Session 5: Family Stability

Our Soul Care Groups are going through the Onward series this fall. Different groups are on different schedules but over the last four Thursdays there have been topical posts at www.emmanuelbaptist.com/tag/onward
This post is taken from the Onward resource page.
There’s no such thing as the good old days. That reality is difficult for us to stomach because we tend to look at the past through rose-colored glasses. The bad times we experienced, from hindsight, weren’t all that bad, and the good times were exponentially better when viewed in the rearview mirror. This is as true of our picture of the family as other areas of life.
We might look to significant points in history, such as the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the introduction of abortion, or the relative ease of obtaining a divorce, as pivotal moments when the family came under attack. The truth, though, is that the crisis in the family isn’t downstream from Woodstock or the pill. Instead, it’s downstream from the wreckage of the fall in Eden. The family is and has been under assault in every generation of human history though sometimes in less visible and more subtle ways.
We must understand that the family isn’t an end in itself. Issues of family stability are important, both inside the church and in the culture of the rest of the world. But we become derailed when we begin to treat temporal issues as eternal. When we’re armed with an understanding of the kingdom, however, we can rightly confront these issues not only for the sake of the family but also for the greater purposes of the kingdom.
It’s only through Jesus that we can rightly interpret the rest of the created order. That leads us to one of the core truths of the kingdom: God is creating everything around Jesus Christ as part of an inheritance for Him, including marriage, family, sexuality, gender, and everything else in creation.
Apart from this foundational starting point, no matter what our outward commitment to a particular issue might appear to be, we’ll be the kind of people Paul described in Romans 1:18-32 when he noted that those who refuse to give thanks as creatures ultimately turn to the creation itself with their worship. We mustn’t do that. We must see family stability in light of the centrality of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, we become family idolaters in spite of our efforts to become family advocates.
Remember that our earthly constructs are meant to point to spiritual realities. The best example of God that children could have is their own father. This is a sobering thought for us in our families. It should take our breath away to think that our relationships are meant to model and point to heavenly realities and that both our marriages and our parenting point onlookers to the nature and characteristics of the kingdom. Let’s not, then, take a merely pragmatic approach to family stability. Let’s instead embrace the much weightier purpose God has in mind for us and understand that our families are meant to reflect relationships in His kingdom.
From Russell Moore's Onward

10.11.2016

Managing Your Emotions from Mom's Matters

Spoke at Emmanuel's Mom's Matter meeting this morning.

Here are some resources connected with this mornings Mom's Matter meeting.

Our theme was Managing Your Emotions

Main points.
1. God created us in his image with emotions.
2. Emotions are not bad. Sin is bad.
3. Our hope needs to be in Jesus.

You don't need more parenting advice
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/you-don-t-need-more-parenting-advice
For more about these fourteen principles click HERE

Your emotions are a gauge not a guide
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/your-emotions-are-a-gauge-not-a-guide

Talking about Inside Out
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/talking-about-inside-out
Some great ideas on how to use the movie Inside Out to talk about emotions.
1. Help them recognize different emotions.
2. Help them recognize what their emotions indicate they're wanting.
3. Help them trust God with their desires.

How to handle fear
http://www.russellmoore.com/2016/08/26/signposts-draft-aug-26-free-fear/

How to handle shame
http://www.russellmoore.com/2016/09/30/signposts-christians-handle-shame/

How to prepare your children for suffering
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-we-prepare-our-children-for-suffering

Just for Fun.

Snicker's Video

Here are all of the candy bar questions.

Witherspoon's nut-paste mugs (Reese's Peant Butter Cups) Reese Witherspoon
Belonging to a controversial rap artist (M&Ms) Eminem's
Sweet polka partners (Dots)
Misfiring moo juice or moo juice bombs (Milk Duds)
Nickname of someone who's always dropping things (Butterfinger)
Best time to go shopping or when wages are disbursed (Pay Day)
What the silly rabbit with a lisp doesn't know is for kids (Twix)
Single women look for him (Mr. Goodbar)
Nut happiness (Almond Joy)
Pint-sized storehouses of large sums of cash (Junior Mints)
Half suppressed laughter (Snickers)
10 X 10 G's or one tenth of a million (100 Grand)
One million dollars (1000 Grand)
Indian burial grounds (Mounds)
Citrus craniums (Lemon Heads)
Popular English pub game or nine pins (Skittles)
Steve Urkel, Screech, and Ugly Betty (Nerds)
paddle close to the ground (Rolo) Row low
Explosive Gravel (Pop Rocks)
Mechanical pocket candy you stick your neck out for (Pez)

10.09.2016

I love the Old, Old Story!!

I have the privilege of teaching EBC's Senior Saints this fall.
We are doing an overview of the Old Testament.
It has been exciting and challenging studying and preparing for the classes.
I told someone I never thought I would be excited to teach the book of Numbers.
I was this morning.

Here are the first five lessons from this study.
I will be adding the other information this week.

Introduction
PDF of lesson Powerpoint
PDF of class notes

Genesis
PDF of lesson Powerpoint
PDF of class notes

Exodus
PDF of lesson Powerpoint
PDF of class notes

Leviticus
PDF of lesson Powerpoint

Numbers
PDF of lesson Powerpoint

Deuteronomy

PDF of lesson Powerpoint
PDF of class notes

Joshua

PDF of lesson Powerpoint
PDF of class notes

Judges
PDF of class notes

Ruth
PDF of class notes

Link to Various Pages