Thank God For Our Bible Class Teachers

“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers…" (1 Cor. 12:28)

One of the most important groups in the church is a collection of unsung heroes that pour their hearts and souls into their labors, and often go unrecognized for their efforts. To our Bible class teachers, we thank God for you!

We thank God for Bible Class Teachers because they teach our children the BIBLE! There are a lot of people teaching our kids a lot of things, but only a small collection of heroes teaches them the Bible!

We thank God for Bible Class Teachers because they teach our children the Bible ONLY! In some churches, class time is filled with games and activities unrelated to the Bible, designed to keep the children entertained. Our teachers focus on God’s word.

We thank God for Bible Class Teachers because they are some of our hardest working members, spending many hours in preparation, as well as teaching. (NOT counting the time spent arranging and decorating classrooms!)

We thank God for Bible Class Teachers because they voluntarily take on a difficult task. Can you think of a more challenging charge than teaching young children? The level of commitment (and frustration) involved leads to few volunteers, resulting in teachers being asked to teach without breaks. (HINT: We need more teachers, or even some willing to fill-in for a month or two!)

We thank God for Bible Class Teachers because they make a difference in our children’s lives! Many of us fondly remember Bible class teachers we had when we were young. Today’s teachers are also making long-lasting impressions on our children, possibly eternal impressions!

Teachers - we rarely show you the appreciation you deserve for your skills, time, effort, headaches, patience and love for our children. But on this day, we remind you that we not only appreciate you, but we cannot do without you!

Jesus FIRST!

Dennis

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ANYONE LISTENING?
 
“He who has an ear to hear, let him hear...” (Rev. 2:7)

Scientists claim that normal ears are capable of detecting 73,700 vibrations a second. In fact, our ears are so sensitive that if we were placed in a soundproof room we would likely hear the blood coursing through our veins, and possibly the beating of our heart.
 
Which makes it ironic that, despite the remarkable sensitivity of our ears, many of us find it challenging to listen.....carefully. While most of us can hear, we sometimes choose not to do so. And that is when issues typically occur.
 
It is a well-known fact that most marital breakdowns begin when one or both spouses stop listening. The so-called “generation gap” is essentially a “listening gap”. Even close friends drift apart when one or both stop listening. A wise counselor observed, “If people would only listen to each another (instead of trying to be heard), I’d be out of a job.”
 
And what about our relationship with God? Although God directs us to speak to Him as often as possible in prayer (1 Thess. 5:17), we must also listen carefully to Him via His word (Rev. 2:11). Listening to God means more than just reading the Bible, it means to carefully consider what we read. No wonder the Bible repeatedly emphasizes the importance of listening. “Be swift to hear...” (James 1:19); “Take heed how you hear...” (Luke 8:18).
 
After warning His disciples of those whose “ears are hard of hearing” (Matt. 13:15), Jesus commended His faithful followers by saying, “But blessed are your…ears, for they hear.” (Matt. 13:16).
 
Are we listening?
 
Jesus FIRST!
 
Dennis

I Give Up!

“...submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7–8).

As children, many of us of us were involved in competitions with siblings or friends. The word "uncle" was frequently used to indicate one of the participants had "thrown in the towel" or given up.

As adults, the phrase "I give up" generally carries a negative connotation because it means to quit or surrender. For Christians, however, giving up is mandatory for pleasing God. What do I mean? Our culture applauds those who are strong, independent and self-sufficient. However, in order to please God, we must be just the opposite. We must be willing to acknowledge that we are weak, flawed, and dependent on God for forgiveness, strength, guidance and sustenance. Unless we are willing to do so, we will never truly submit to His will.

The aforementioned scripture from the book of James commands us to “submit to God.” The word submit means to "yield fully, surrender or capitulate". In other words, we must "give up" and "give in" to God, allowing Him to control every aspect of our lives. But if we resist by insisting that we have some things "our way", we will soon find ourselves in deep spiritual trouble.

Being totally dependent on God may go against human nature and the expectations of society, but in the end, it will be the best thing we will ever do. When we give up and give in to God, we will find it easier to resist the devil and draw nearer to God.

Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). The same is true for us when we tell God, "I give up...to You!"

Jesus FIRST!

Dennis