Tag: Teaching

Bible Study, faith, God, Healing, Hope, Psalms, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Frame My World with Your Word

Here is a Bible Study I wrote for our weekly gathering. We are taking turns sharing what God is showing us in our lives and I was up. I did grab a few props – gotta have an application lesson in Ms. D’s class. That’s how we remember. I went to Hobby Lobby and went to the wood department. I found them, two 8 x 10 wood frames and a box of sharpies. That’s all I needed. More to be revealed… Teaching notes in ( ).

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23;7 NKJV

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.“ – Romans 12:2 NKJV

Think of your home and your pictures. Do you have a wall you keep them on? Or do you put them in scrapbooks? Are they in frames on tables here and there? Are they on your phone? Think of the events and how each one brings to mind a special day. A day to remember. Are they of your friends? Your family? Your children? Your parents?

In each picture you are the same person, right? Only the time and circumstances have changed. Now take a step back, and look at the frame that it is in. Not the actual frame, but the frame of reference it was taken in. Were you younger, older? Who was with you? Why was this day important?

Let’s face it, times change. People change, we change. The frames in our lives change. We see ourselves differently depending on what we are looking at. Think of a old movie, frame by frame. Each frame tells a part of the whole story. Individually it may not look like much, but put them all together and it is a beautiful story.

What happens when we frame our world by our circumstances?

What happens when we frame ourselves by who is with us at the time?

What happens when we frame our worth with what others think?

What happens when we frame ourselves by what we do or don’t do?

We often frame our world with other things:

(Take frame number 1 and write all these words down in black sharpie on the frame itself)

School – What happens when school is over and all of a sudden you are not the popular kid anymore? Some people get stuck there, forever living in what they call the “glory days”. They close their life off to new opportunities because they are not the popular kid anymore.

Sports – What happens if you fumble the ball or lose the big game? We can’t all be the sports Heroes our whole lives. Many people just quit. Quit the game and quit trying at life.

Hobbies – What happens if you never finish that project? Many people get lost in their love of this, that, and the other thing. Living a life doing stuff, not really touching others or opening themselves up to give or receive love. Just lost in hobby land.

Work/Job/Title– What happens if you get laid off, to the company closes, or the job ends? Many people live their whole life saying I’m an XYZ. They define themselves by what they do for a living or by what Title they have. Jobs and Titles are temporary. Positions come and go.

Money – What happens if you get wiped out, of have a financial emergency? Even the best money managers run into problems. If your frame your world with money, it will crash. The love of money a root of all kinds of evil.

Appearance – What happens if you worship your body and your body doesn’t cooperate? Let’s face it, we all age here on planet Earth. Stuff happens. If we frame our world with what we look like, it will be disappointing. Aging is a part of life.

Relationships – What happens if the relationship/marriage ends? If we frame our world with our relationships it will be a bumpy ride. Relationships change, people change. We change.

Children – What happens when they grow up and move out? That empty nest syndrome is real. Many parents don’t know what to do with themselves after their kids leave the nest.

Houses, cars, stuff – What happens when catastrophe comes and you lose it? Are we really defined by what we accumulate? What the world defines as rich in this world is often poverty in the Kingdom of God. Idolatry is the worship of stuff, God doesn’t like that one bit.

Addiction – What happens if you see yourself as an XYZ forever? Didn’t God promise to deliver us and set us free? It may be hard to see yourself beyond an addiction. It may be difficult to see yourself as free. Renew our minds Lord Jesus.

Words of others – What happens when you get rejected, betrayed, or hurt? When we let others tell us who we are we give them our power. We let them play God. They are not our God. Just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true.

Sickness – What happens if you frame your world with sickness? When Jesus met the man at the pool He had one question, “Do you want to be well.?” There are people that like the attention that comes with illness. There are some that want a Dr. to tell them about their health and what to do next.

Past – What happens if you frame your world with your past? Can we ever move on to a new thing and let God move in our lives if we are living in yesterday? Many have become bitter instead of better. They have refused to forgive those who offended them and stay trapped living in the past. The root of bitterness grows and they wither in the Kingdom.

(Stop here, pass the frame around the room. Starting with yourself first, share with the group what you are struggling with. For me it was my past. It’s hard for me to see myself as free and strong instead of a victim.)

What if we took those same pictures, those same circumstances, our same life and framed it with the Word of God?

(Turn frame number 1 over so it is blank again)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”- Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” – Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” – Colossians 1:15-20 NKJV

“For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.” – Psalm 103:11-18 NKJV

“For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.” – Psalm 139:13-8 NKJV

Let us frame our world with the Word of God.

(Take the first frame, turn it over. Take the second frame. Let each person pick a colored sharpie. Pass the 2nd frame around the room and ask each person to pick a word from below that will help them overcome issue they are struggling with on the first frame. Ask them to get out their phones or Bibles and share a Bible verse that goes with that word. This is the verse they will hold on to this week)

The Word of God says we are:

Saved
Forgiven
Free
Redeemed
Blessed
Accepted
Born again
New
Citizen of Heaven
Royal Priesthood
Anointed
Sealed with the Spirit
Co-heirs with Christ
Appointed
Christ’s Ambassadors
Loved
Called
Chosen
Holy
Righteous
Secure
Friend
Beautiful
Justified
Sanctified
Reconciled
Righteous
Covered in Grace
Protected
Strong
Unique
Virtuous
Created for purpose
Victorious
Favored
A Masterpiece
Set apart
More than a Conqueror
Delivered

Let us renew our minds and live from this place, in Jesus Name!

God, Hope, power of words, Spirituality, students, teacher, teaching, words

What Seeds Are Your Words Planting?

As I join the throng of High School Educators and Assistants I am learning the power of words on the next generation. I am humbled. And sad. It has only been a month yet I already see the “kingdoms” that some adults establish to prove their importance. I have seen good teachers who encourage and strengthen our youth. But I have also seen those who plant seeds of doubt and confusion.

What Seeds are your words planting?

Here are some Humorous Examples of Types of Teachers from Teachthought.com

Crazy Teacher – This is the teacher whose class you don’t miss. The one that roller skates into class on the first day of school tossing out goodie bags of highlighters and breath mints, and swigs Mountain Dew right out of the 2-liter bottle before putting it back in her purse.
Rebel Teacher – This is the one who mocks the principal when they turn their back, thumbs their nose at “the state,” and encourages students to stand on their desks and rip their SpringBoard book into pieces. Viva la rebel!
Over-Achiever Teacher – This is the teacher that has to have their class first at everything: first in fundraising, first to the lunchroom, first in reading goals, first in parent participation, and first to every PLC meeting–everything graded, in alphabetical order, with a “research-based strategy” ready to start the meeting. All in the name of education and “school spirit,” of course.
Fire-and-Brimstone – If you do not learn to read Chaucer or solve theorems with the same urgency as the Fire-and-Brimstone teacher, you’ll fail. At life.

Click here to read the full article. (Images from Pinterest)

Spirituality, Uncategorized

The Pickle Jar Lesson

I received this email from a beautiful woman in Christ the other day. Thank you Sister Jeanne!

“The Pickle Jar”

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the dresser in my parents’ bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy, I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar. They landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar was filled.

I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar to admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate’s treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank.

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck.

Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. ‘Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son. You’re going to do better than me. This old mill town’s not going to hold you back.’

Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly. ‘These are for my son’s college fund. He’ll never work at the mill all his life like me.’

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestled in his palm. ‘When we get home, we’ll start filling the jar again.’ He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled
around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. ‘You’ll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,’ he said. ‘But you’ll get there; I’ll see to that.’

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar. To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined than ever to make a way out for me ‘When you finish college, Son,’ he told me, his eyes glistening, ‘You’ll never have to eat beans again – unless you want to.’

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed.

A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words: he never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done. When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad’s arms. ‘She probably needs to be changed,’ she said, carrying the baby into my parents’ bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room. ‘Look,’ she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak. This truly touched my heart.

Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life, for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for GOOD in others.

“The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched – they must be felt with the heart” ~ Helen Keller

“The shame and the downfall of a modern materialistic society is her inability to treasure, care for, admire, adore, cherish, value, revere, respect, uphold, uplift, protect, shield, defend, safeguard, treasure and love her children. I praise all the cultures of this world that naturally harbor and actively manifest these instincts. If a nation or if a population of people fails to recognize the excellent value and distinction of the lives of her children and is defective enough to have lost the capability of expressing and acting upon these instincts then there is nothing that can save that nation or those people. The prosperity of a people is not measured in banks, financial markets, economy and the death of its humanity is evident not through the loss of life but in the loss of love for its children.”
― C. JoyBell C.

“Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.”
– Psalm 127:3-5 NLT

Spirituality

‘The Making of a Prophet’ Debuts in Christian Bookstores

THE MAKING OF A PROPHET
by Jennifer LeClaire

This one is on my “to read” list. What about you? What books are you reading these days?

From Jennifer LeClaire’s Author page on Amazon:

You’ve heard the holy call to prophetic ministry.

Now what?

In this book, leading prophetic voice Jennifer LeClaire guides readers along the journey of a prophet– from the initial call all the way through to maturity.

This “making” process is anything but easy. But LeClaire offers honest, accessible counsel to help you move into your prophetic call. Her spiritual insights will help you overcome the fear of man, identify and eliminate wrong motives and, above all, pursue intimacy with God.

Many prophets are called . . . but not everyone endures the “making process” to his or her prophetic destiny.

God is looking for people to entrust with the secrets of His heart.

Embrace the journey toward your call with this comprehensive, practical guide, and experience the awesome process of being formed into a mouthpiece for the God of the universe.

“A clean read filled with good information. LeClaire covers a wide range of issues that affect prophetic ministry, tackling them biblically and with practical wisdom.”–R. Loren Sandford, senior pastor, New Song Church and Ministries

“Written for this hour! Whether you just have some small inkling or have ministered a long time in the prophetic, there is much wisdom to be mined like treasure from its page. Destined to be a classic for generations to come.”–Cindy Jacobs, Generals International; Dallas

“Whatever the sacrifice, take The Making of a Prophet into your hands and into your heart. I can assure you it will not let you go until your questions are answered.”–Steve Hill, evangelist; author, Spiritual Avalanche

‘The Making of a Prophet’ Debuts in Christian Bookstores (via PRWeb)

Chosen Books has released “The Making of a Prophet: Practical Advice for Developing Your Prophetic Voice,” by Jennifer LeClaire. Jennifer LeClaire God gave me the idea for this book 10 years ago. I wanted to read something that would help me—but…

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