Sabbath, January 1, 2022
A Valuable Friend
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin . . . Proverbs 18:24

Materials needed: a bottle of water

How much is a bottle of water worth in the store? About 18¢   But if you go to a baseball game, you’re likely to pay $6.50 (Really! I looked it up!!) O.K. someone might pay $6.50, but not me. I’m not willing to pay those kind of prices for water - unless it’s a really, really hot day and I don’t want to miss any of the game and I really, really, really need a drink of water. But if the person next to me has a bottle of water from Walmart that they’d sell to me, I’m NOT paying $6.50 for a bottle of water! If, however, my choice is spending $6.50 for a bottle of water or drinking straight out of the Mississippi River, I’m going to be buying that water.

The water is worth more or less depending upon  how much water is available and how much you need it. The more you need it and the less that is available, the more the price goes up. Just ask any driving adult about current gasoline prices!

So what is a good friend worth? A good friend is one who loves you as you are, but wants to help you do better, grow, learn, and achieve new heights. They come when you need help. They give you good advice. They pray for you. They always point you toward Jesus Christ! What is a good friend worth? He or she is priceless! And it doesn’t matter how many good friends you have, each one is valuable. Each one is precious! A good friend doesn’t become less valuable if you have two other good friends, or thirty, or 300. Each one is important and valuable.

But make sure that each friend is truly a good friend. An unreliable friend doesn’t help you when you need it. They might talk about you behind your back. They might say mean or disrespectful things. They don’t pray for you. They don’t want to talk about the Bible with you. They don’t build you up; in fact, they probably will get you into a lot of trouble. If you were comparing an unreliable friend to water, it’d be like drinking straight out of the Mississippi River. Yuck!

Choose your friends wisely. They’re worth a whole lot more than a $6.50 bottle of water.


Sabbath, February 12th
It’s Just One Page
Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. . . . Joshua 10:25

Materials Needed: flip book

Many years ago, I gave Christopher a small pad of paper. Hours later he came back with a flip book that he’d created. Starting at the bottom, he drew a picture. The next page up, he drew a similar picture, with just minor variations. And so he continued until he had dozens of pages completed. When you flip through the pages, all of those minor variations become movement and action and tell the story.

Our lives, each day or event, is like one of those pages. It’s not perfect. In fact, things may be going quite wrong. But it’s just one day or event. It’s just one page. And we know who the page-turner is: our Sovereign God, Almighty Father, King of the universe. He’s the one who orders our lives and turns the pages.

Furthermore, we know the end of the story. We know what the very last page will look like - if we belong to God. We will dwell with God forever, in a place where there are no more tears, no more sorrows, no more pain, no more death.

So when you’re sitting on a page and you don’t like how the plot is progressing, remind yourself, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. .” because God has you. He loves you. He wants the very best for you. And you’re going to like it!

And this page right here today? Well, it’s just one page.

February 19th
Outward Show, Inward Reality
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them  . . . Matthew 6:1

Materials: pencils (big pencil, Mickey Mouse ears pencil, heart pencil, long eraser pencil, normal pencil, mechanical pencil with/without lead)

Sometimes I look at pencils and I’m reminded again of how powerful marketing can be. I have a Mickey Mouse pencil. The lead part is normal, but the eraser end is curved around into Mickey Mouse ears. Cute. Appealing. But totally unusable for erasing anything! I have a pencil that the eraser end is formed into a heart. Not only is the eraser completely useless, the lead wasn’t put into the pencil dead center, so it doesn’t sharpen well. It’s not really usable on either end.

Similarly, I have one of those huge pencils. First of all, it’s too big to get into a pencil sharpener, so it has to be sharpened the old-fashioned way - with a pocket knife. And then it’s so long, it’s hard to get the right balance to actually be able to use the thing. Talk about an appealing, but worthless, pencil! (Although I was told it could make a nice carpenter’s pencil.)

To the discerning eye, the limited usefulness of these pencils is readily apparent. But what about mechanical pencils? If the tightness mechanism is worn out so that it doesn’t hold the lead in place, the pencil looks like a useable tool, but really isn’t. Or if there’s no lead at all, the pencil looks good on the outside, but the inward reality means that I don’t really want that pencil on my desk. Who wants a pencil that is not a good tool?

Do you ever wonder if our Christian walk can be compared to these pencils? What if we were like the Mickey Mouse or heart pencil - very outward appealing, but not a very useful tool in God’s hands? What if we were like the big pencil - attractive and larger than life to the people around us, but again not very useful as a Christian in God’s hands? What if we were like one of the mechanical pencils? Everyone thinks we’re a great Christian, useful and valuable, but the reality is that we don’t function well as a Christian or we are empty inside. We don’t have the Holy Spirit working inside; we’re just a Christian in name only - which is to say, not really a Christian at all.

Ah, but a good pencil! One that writes smoothly and dependably, one that has good lead and an eraser that brushes out every error - oh a pencil like that is not only worthwhile, it’s protected and treasured. I’ll pass by every other pencil on my desk to find that one pencil that is such a good tool that it’s a delight to use. In Biblical terms, it’s my good and faithful servant. And that’s how we want to be in God’s sight - His good and faithful servant. The outward show is only important if it mirrors the inward reality.


February 26th
A Balancing Act
They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. Psalm 18:18

Materials needed: ruler or yardstick

Have you ever seen a balancing act on the high wire? Here’s this little tiny wire that a person is confidently walking across - often carrying a long pole for balance. Yes, there’s a safety net (usually) in case he falls, but most of the time, he successfully walks across the wire. But there have been aerialists who have performed without a net, crossing the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls gorge.

On June 23, 2013, 34-year-old aerialist Nik Wallenda became the first person to walk a high wire across the Little Colorado River Gorge near Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

On June 30, 1859, Jean Francois Gravelet, a Frenchman known professionally as Charles Blondin, became the first daredevil to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. The feat, which was performed 160 feet above the Niagara gorge just down river from the Falls, was witnessed by some 5,000 spectators. Wearing pink tights and a yellow tunic, Blondin crossed a cable about two inches in diameter and 1,100-feet long with only a balancing pole to protect him from plunging into the dangerous rapids below.

I don’t understand the daredevils who take the risks just because. It seems to me that there’s enough trouble in life without going to look for some more. Indeed, life often feels like a balancing act on the high wire, with disaster on either side if you fall. So how do you keep your balance?

Take a ruler or a yardstick. Put  your index fingers out horizontally and place the yardstick on top. Gradually move your fingers together, keeping the yardstick from falling off. When your fingers finally come together, where are they in relation to the yardstick? They’re right in the middle.

This makes me think of two scriptures: the first is Matthew 7:14 (NIV) But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. The way to eternal life in God’s kingdom is a narrow road - kind of like the balancing wire. It’s very easy to get off the road and lose your way - if you’re depending upon yourself.

That makes me think of today’s memory verse, Psalm 18:18 (ESV): They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. There is calamity, disaster, and trouble confronting us. And it does feel like we’re walking that narrow wire, way, or road. But if we belong to God, He is our support. He is our fortress and high tower. He guides our steps and directs our path. There may be trouble all around, and I’m certainly not going to go looking for more, but I don’t have to be fearful either. God’s got this. He is my support.


March 5th
What Do You See?
. .to open the eyes that are blind . . .  Isaiah 42:7

Materials: water, wooden spoon, glass bowl, coffee creamer, flashlight

When you shine a flashlight through water, the water tends to bend the light rays a little bit because of particles in the water. Since pure “white” light is made up of the colors of the rainbow and because these individual light rays bounce at different angles, when the light from the flashlight hits the particles, we see different colors. If you stand on the side of the light beam from the flashlight, you’ll see blue. If you look at the light beam from directly in front, you’ll see a yellow tint.

The more “stuff” that is in the water (minerals, particles, coffee creamer), the more stuff there is for the light to bounce off. The blue becomes more blue. The yellow becomes more orange and red.

This is what happens during sunrise and sunset. As the rays of the sun hit our atmosphere during the day, we see the sky as blue when the blue rays scatter through the atmosphere. At sunrise and sunset, the reds and oranges are intensified because of the particles in the atmosphere.

As beautiful as the sunrises and the sunsets can be, I always think about how those colors are made possible because of the debris and particles in the air. More particles means more vibrant colors.

Think about this as a spiritual analogy. Each of us receives the light of God into our lives, the work of the Holy Spirit because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. If we are profitable servants, we don’t simply absorb that light like a black hole. Rather, we take in Jesus Christ and then reflect the light and love of Jesus Christ to everyone around us. But as individuals, we each reflect that light a little differently. God has given us each different personalities, interests, skills and abilities. We might reflect God’s light and love through musical ability, or through artistic design, or through architecture and engineering, or through friendliness and joyfulness, or through service. When people know that we’re a Christian, we are reflecting who God is to them through our words and actions. Our goal is to shine authentically and brilliantly for our great God.


March 12th
Ebenezer
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” ~ 1 Samuel 7:12

Materials: assorted rocks

I have two questions for you today: What is an Ebenezer? Do you have an Ebenezer?

The Israelites had just won a battle against the Philistines - a victory obviously given to them by God. So Samuel set up a stone - an Ebenezer - between two cities. Why? Well, Ebenezer means “rock of help.” It was to be a visual reminder anytime anyone saw it that God had given them the victory. It was a statement, a lasting statement, that God was involved in Israel’s affairs to their benefit. It was an attempt to direct the people’s hearts back to God, that they would seek Him and not look to their own devices for help and victory.

What about you? Do you look to your own devices for help and victory in the battles of life? Or do you seek God’s help, guidance, and ultimate victory?

If you’re going to seek a victory that God gives you, then there’s a condition - and you know it: you have to be doing His will. You have to be seeking Him. You have to be fighting the battles that He wants you to fight. That means He has to be sovereign in your sight. He has to be God.

Our carnal nature doesn’t want to submit to God. We want to determine our own affairs. We want our way. We want to be the god of our own life.

So what about that second question: Do you have an Ebenezer? That is, do you have a visual reminder that it is God who has brought you this far, that it is God who has given you the victories in your life, that it is God who is your Rock of Help?

We must be careful that we don’t set up an idol to worship. But it is likewise important to have a reminder that God is our God, that He is the One we seek, that He is the One who has blessed us so greatly.

So think about it. And you know, it wouldn’t hurt to name that reminder “Ebenezer.”


March 19th
Thankfulness and Reverence
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27a

Materials needed: air-filled packing material

Pepper is terrified of air-filled packing material. Just one rustling noise when unpacking a box can make him head for some place safe. He’s quite sure it’s going to get him. I suspect it’s the loud pop it makes when we stomp on them. That’s scary to any respectable watchdog/head of home security. But in my view, the packing material is a great way to keep things from breaking in transit. Packing material: a beneficial, protective thing that can also be quite scary.

There are other things that that same category:
*Air: The earth’s atmosphere helps to keep the Sun’s harmful rays from reaching us. Good thing. This protective blanket also creates incredible light shows - the Northern Lights. Also a good thing. But the atmosphere also creates a blanket which traps pollution (smog - not the dragon in Lord of the Rings). Not a good thing - the smog is harmful to our respiratory health.

*Air. We need air to live. Good thing. Healthcare providers know that concentrated oxygen can be very beneficial to healing. Also a good thing. But too much moving air - wind shears, tornados, hurricanes - can cause a lot of damage and kill people. Not a good thing.

*Water. We need water to live. So much of our bodies are comprised of water. Having water to drink and to keep ourselves clean is a good thing. But too much water - floods - that’s not such a good thing. In recent years, we’ve experienced flooding in our region. The damage to property is one thing. But the number of snakes that the flooding drove into populated areas was unnerving! Not a good thing. (We could talk about several other aspects of water. but let’s move on.)

*Knives. A good, sharp knife is a very beneficial tool for a chef. A good thing. But a knife sharp enough to chop carrots and slice tomatoes is also sharp enough to do a lot of damage to your fingers. Not a good thing.

So what does this all have to do with our memory verse: The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27a?

Just this: Our God is incredibly good, awesome in power, mercy, and love. He guides and protects us. But we can never forget that He is the God of justice and righteousness. It’s a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He’s not a genie - there to provide for all of our wants and desires. He’s our awesome God, who deserves our praise and worship in reverence. He will not turn a blind eye to our sins. Vengeance is God’s; He will judge each one of us. Keep that in perspective as you receive strength and protection from His everlasting arms.

Even air-filled packing material can remind you to walk humbly with your God.


March 26th
In Him We Live
 ‘In him we live and move and have our being’;  . . . Acts 17:28a

Materials: balloon-powered, homemade cars (bottles, straws, balloons, lids for wheels, hot glue gun)

Do you know where you came from? Do you know Who created everything around you . . . everything from the material from which the plastic bottle is made to the air you breathe to you yourself? Well, of course! God is our Creator.

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them (Exodus 20:11)

Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, (Acts 4:24)

We know this; we know God is our Creator. And we celebrate it often! But it’s important not to stop there. God has work for us to do and He works in us to accomplish His purposes.

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil 2:13

O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. Isaiah 26:12

So we were created by God and He has not only designed our work, but helps us in it.
Then there’s a thought-provoking verse in Revelation 4:11

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

This is striking. We continue to live, to exist, because God wants us to - for His pleasure. It makes you think, “What if we no longer bring pleasure to Him? Will we cease to exist?”

Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” Jeremiah 14:12

This is what Luke records in Acts 17 - In Him we live (We were created.) and we move (We are able to do whatever it is we do.) and have our being (We continue to exist.). Knowing this, it’s beyond foolish to think God doesn’t care what people do. And it’s ludicrous to think that God doesn’t care what His people do. We owe Him everything, and He has the right to decree what our lives will look like.

And our response: We rely on Him. We trust Him. We seek to do His will. We thank Him. We worship Him. We devote our lives to His service with joy and gladness. He calls the shots; it’s time we recognize that! In Him we live and move and have our being.

April

April 2nd
Spring!

for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. Song of Solomon 2:11

Materials: daffodils, other spring flowers

Sometimes the most simple pleasures give the greatest joys.

I remember as a kid walking out the front door of our home in Casper, WY. Mom said, “It smells like spring!” After a long, cold, snowy, windy winter, the smell of spring is indeed delightful - so delightful, in fact, that I have a mental video taped memory of not only walking out the door, but I can almost even smell the smell.  

My children like to tease [read: hassle] me about Wyoming, but living in Wyoming gave me a deep appreciation for the turning of the season, the coming of spring, and a deep appreciation for rain. I can remember Mom quipping that we’d gotten a six-inch rain, the rain drops were six inches apart. It doesn’t rain much in Casper - snow, yes; rain, not so much. I think that’s why this verse in Song of Solomon impacted me as a child - that, and the way the King James Version continues: for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone; the voice of the turtle is heard in the land. To a six or seven year-old, the idea of a turtle’s voice is a curiosity to say the least. More modern translations say, “the voice of the turtledove is heard in the land,” and that makes more sense. In the winter, many of the birds leave (especially in Wyoming). This spring, in our family, we’re eagerly anticipating being able to hear the voice of some birds again soon - specifically hummingbirds. The winter is past; spring is here.

Other than the warmer temperatures and the return of the birds, what delights you about spring? I love seeing the new growth. The trees are budding, the crocuses are popping their heads up, and daffodils abound. I noticed the Forsythia is out. I love the spring flowers. Think of the mantle of white on the Bradford pear trees. I love the pink of the crabapple and the redbuds, the perfume of the honeysuckles, and the smell of the earth as it warms up. It’s a return to visible life by these trees and flowers who have been dormant all winter.

Driving down the road, you see other evidence that spring is here. New little lambs and calves dot the pastures. Foals and crias (baby alpacas) frisk by their mothers. Puppies, ducklings, baby birds, and kittens. It’s a time of new life - all over the place. What a delight to see the baby animals! Such a simple pleasure that gives such joy!

I think the return to visible life impacts us on a spiritual level too. After all, it is in the spring that Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and then was resurrected to life. We memorialize that event every year at Passover. We, as 1 Corinthians 11 says, proclaim His death until He comes. And yet, it’s not just Jesus’ death that we proclaim, because if the Father had not raised Jesus from the dead, there would be no resurrection for any of us. There’d be no hope of eternal life. None of us would be new creatures in Christ. We would all be dead in our sins.

Praise God! Jesus Christ did rise from the dead! Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are bought by His blood from slavery to sin and given new life as new creatures in Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

So we eagerly look forward to spring. All through the winter, we mentally mark off the time - waiting for spring. Spring came March 21st, astronomically. Tomorrow is the New Year. Passover is two weeks away. God’s spring holy days, the Days of Unleavened Bread, are finally almost here. We’ve had a long, hard, cold winter since the last holy days (the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day); we can hardly wait for the celebration and worship of God with our whole church family during these days!

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.

You know, perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps simple pleasures don’t give the greatest joy. Perhaps God’s holy days are really, truly, the most profound and wonderful pleasures - and most of the world just doesn’t recognize them for the blessing, for the gift, they truly are! They just don’t know what they are missing.  But these profound and wonderful pleasures give us the most profound and wonderful joy - joy unspeakable!


April 9th
Blessed!
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.  Romans 4:8

Materials: traffic signs

Do you know why there are traffic signs? It’s so that cars can get from one place to the other with as few accidents as possible. They remind drivers to slow down for curves. They let drivers know when it’s their turn at intersections. The traffic is supposed to flow - move from one place to another more easily and more quickly. But many people don’t like to obey the traffic signs. They drive too fast. They roll through stop signs. They pass in no-passing zones. They don’t yield to oncoming traffic.  And sometimes they get away with it. But sometimes, there’s a penalty. Sometimes when you don’t yield to oncoming traffic, it causes an accident. Sometimes when you don’t yield, the driver who is supposed to be able to go first will shake his fist at the unyielding driver. And sometimes, a policeman just happens to be right there when you don’t obey the signs.

That happened to me one beautiful August day. I was on my way to school - one of my most favorite days of the school year: a teacher work day when I could spend all day in my room getting it ready for a new crop of students. I was excited, and in a hurry, because I wanted to get to school. I didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign. I slowed down and kinda rolled through it. To my chagrin, there was a policeman also pulling up to that stop sign. He flashed his lights and pulled me over. It was, I think, something like a $80 fine. Kinda put a damper on my day.

God’s laws are kinda like traffic laws. They are there for our benefit, to keep us from getting hurt, to help us get along well with others, and to make life work well. But sometimes we don’t like to obey God’s laws. We cut corners and hope that no one is watching so that we can get away with breaking them. Only, unlike the policemen who can’t be everywhere at once, God knows exactly when we don’t obey His laws. And we aren’t getting away with breaking them. Breaking God’s laws is called sin, and there will come a day when God will judge the whole world because of their sin. The payment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). That’s much worse than an $80 fine, and it will put more than a damper on a day.

But there was another day when I was driving down the road and broke a traffic law. I was taking the kids to skating and was going 35 mph in a 20 mph zone. A policeman happened to be right there. He flashed his lights. I pulled over. My heart sank. But, he didn’t write out a ticket. He just gave me a warning. I deserved a ticket. I was speeding. But he, for whatever reason, decided to overlook my transgression. I didn’t have to pay the penalty for transgressing the law.

So when Romans 4:8 says, “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin,” how does that work? Is it like what happened with the policeman just giving me a warning? No. Unfortunately, what happened with the policeman just makes the whole thing more confusing because he really didn’t do his job. His job is to enforce the law. I broke the law; he should have given me a ticket. Don’t get me wrong: I’m very grateful that he was willing to just give me a verbal warning, even if he didn’t have the authority to extend that kind of mercy. Because he’s a police officer, the just thing would have been to give me a ticket. God is always righteous. He always does the right thing, the just thing. So when His laws are broken, there is a penalty that must be paid. But God is also loving. So God provided a way for those penalties to be paid - in the crucifixion of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died for the sins that you and I commit. When we break God’s law, we can ask for forgiveness. If we have a relationship with God, if we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are forgiven for our sin. We don’t pay the penalty - but Jesus did.

The traffic laws of man are sometime very hard to honor. To come to a dead stop at a lonely 4-way in the middle of Iowa with  nobody around seems like a waste of brake lining and gas. There are times when the laws of man just don’t fit the situation very well.

Even though God’s laws are also often difficult to keep, they always fit our situations when properly understood. Because we belong to God, we are expected to learn His ways and to imitate Jesus Christ, who never broke God’s laws. We are, through obedience, to be conformed into the image of Jesus. When you sin against God, and ask for forgiveness, there’s an understanding that you don’t intend to keep breaking the same law. You are grateful for God’s mercy, for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and you don’t want to continue living in a way that is not pleasing to God. Jesus didn’t die so that people could trample all over a law that is intended for their good, the laws that keep them safe and help their relationship with God and with other people.  On the contrary, the gratitude and love that we feel towards God for paying for our sin should be a huge motivator to do what He says from here on out. We should want to please Him. He has shown such love towards us; how do we repay Him?

Passover is just around the corner. We’re going to be thinking and talking a lot about the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. But don’t just stop with what Jesus did. Consider what it means to you: blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.

Do you know how blessed you are? Are you ready to obey God’s laws?

April 16th, Passover
More Than Saved
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

Materials needed: candle, matches

The first half of Romans 5:19 says, “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.”  What does that mean? What man? How were we then all made sinners? Adam chose to disobey God’s command in the Garden of Eden. By intentionally choosing to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam was sinning. Sin is transgressing God’s law, disobedience. Because Adam did that, everyone born after him (That’s everyone.) was born with a carnal nature, born into sin. Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 5:1  says that Adam was made in God’s image, made after God’s likeness. But Genesis 5:3 says that Adam’s son was made in Adam’s image, after Adam’s likeness. Romans 5:17 says that sin and death came into the world through Adam.

We are like a candle. Sin is the flame which consumes us. It will continue to burn until the candle is gone - unless it is stopped. Romans 8:13, 20-22, 2 Corinthians 4, and many other verses talk about our earthen vessels (our bodies) which are growing older, getting weaker, subjected to decay. We are headed for death unless something - or Someone - intervenes. (Put out the candle.)

Here’s where the second half of Romans 5:19 comes in: so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Because Jesus was obedient to His Father, even to death on the cross (Phil 2:8), so that we might be reconciled to God (Colossians 1:20). This is more than just having our sins paid for by Jesus’ death. This is repairing the relationship with God, being adopted into God’s family, and being given the gift of eternal life.

It’s interesting, isn’t it. Candles were designed to shine light. And if they burn long enough, they’ll use up all of the wick and wax and be gone. Believers and disciples of Jesus Christ were also designed to shine. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” (Relight candle.)  and Daniel 12:3 says, “Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,  and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.” The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). There’s no better way to start on the path to wisdom and shining like the stars forever and ever than to keep His holy days and to recognize that righteousness only comes through what Jesus has done for us.

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19


April 17th, First Day of Unleavened Bread
So You Can Do It
But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. Deut. 30:14

Materials needed: unleavened bread, calendars, stickers

Have you ever looked at a task and been so overwhelmed that you just wanted to go back to bed, pull the covers over your head, and go to sleep? Or maybe you decide that it’s all still going to be there tomorrow, so you decide to do something else like going for a walk or going shopping? Sometimes that’s how people approach obedience to God as well: it’s too hard and they’ll do it later.

I love that God knew people would say this. So He gave us verses like Deuteronomy 30:14: But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that God tells His people to eat unleavened bread for seven days. See, the spring feasts tell a story. Before we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were sinners in need of the Savior. Recognizing your need is the starting point. It’s kind of like starting with a messy room - where do you start to get it all straightened up? You just start. First, acknowledge that you need Jesus. Then start obeying Him. When you see something in His Word, do it. For instance, in Leviticus 23:6, God tells us to eat unleavened bread for seven days. It’s not enough to not eat leavened bread; God specifically tells us to eat unleavened bread. In that way we are reminded that all of the leavening is out prior to the Feast, just as Jesus Christ dealt with our sin when He died. Once He has dealt with our sin, it’s time for us to let Him completely fill our lives. You know that old saying “You are what you eat”? Well, we want to be like Jesus, the unleavened Bread of Life, so we eat unleavened bread every day of the Feast to remind ourselves to let Jesus reign in our hearts and lives. That is, we choose to obey Him in everything. As we obey Him, we become more like Him, and we want to obey Him more and more. Those small steps add up!

This first feast of the year is called the Days of Unleavened Bread. In it we are commanded to eat unleavened bread every day. But this year, today is also the Wave Sheaf Day. It starts the countdown to Pentecost. In Leviticus 23:15-16 we are commanded to count the next 50 days. We may need a calendar to help us keep track of our counting. That will help us remember that it’s not too hard! After all, the desire to obey Jesus is in our hearts.

But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.


Sabbath, April 23rd
The Presence of the LORD
But he did not know that the LORD had left him.  Judges 16:20

Material needed: small toy, stuffed animal, etc. (During the following discussion, have someone swipe the toy/stuffed animal. If the kids don’t notice, bring it up. If the kids do notice, use it as an example of being aware of God’s presence.)

Here we are - at the end of the Days of Unleavened Bread. We’ve eaten unleavened bread for seven days. Do you remember why we did that? Well, first, because God said to! But also, we eat unleavened bread as a reminder to seek God and His ways, to choose Him when making decisions, to take Jesus into our hearts (thoughts, words, and deeds) always. Regardless of how you say it, it’s a matter of being totally devoted to Him, seeking to do His will in all things. The discipline of eating unleavened bread for seven days is a good reminder to eschew the ungodly choices that are all around us.

So someone might ask why we don’t eat unleavened bread all the time and keep the leavening out always. If we did that, we soon would lose the awareness of how easily sin can manifest itself in our lives from the most unexpected places. And really, yeast isn’t bad for 51 weeks out of the year. Just for one week it becomes a symbol for us - an object lesson - a teaching tool.

As we go back to eating yeasty bread again, we are reminded that it’s not that the yeast is sin, but that we need to carry the lessons of the Days of Unleavened Bread through the rest of the year. As we go back to our lives and to eating bread, we can’t become so distracted that we forget to keep God first, to seek His ways first, to want to please Him first!

That’s why this scripture scares me! Samson was so caught up in his life that he didn’t even realize that the LORD had left him!! Saul knew that God’s presence had left him, and he was scared of David because the LORD was with David!! (1 Samuel 18:12) And then there’s the Presence of the LORD leaving the temple in Ezekiel 10. For the people to become so wicked that God’s Presence would leave the place that was called by His Name!! That should scare you half to death!!

It’s a valuable lesson! We’re going back to eating leavened bread tomorrow. But we mustn’t forget to keep God first! We must keep our eyes on Him, seeking Him will all of our hearts. It would be terrible if He left us and we didn’t even notice.

Sabbath, April 30th
God’s Workmanship

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

Materials needed: cookie cutters and homemade sugar cookies

What is your most favorite part of God’s creation? Horses, puppies, kittens, lilacs, roses, streams, mountains, a warm sweater? What comes to mind when thinking about this question?

Do you know what is the pinnacle of God’s creation? That is, what was His best achievement? Not the giraffe with valves in the veins of his neck to prevent the blood from rushing out of his head when he lifts it high to reach leaves. Not the kangaroo which can suspend its pregnancy up to two years if Australia is in drought conditions. Not the hummingbird! Did you know the Giane Hummingbird  flaps its wings 10-15 times a second; the Amethyst Wood-star Hummingbird flaps its wings a record 80 times a second; the average North American hummingbird flaps its wing an average of 53 beats per second in normal flight. Not the peregrine falcon whose hunting speeds are around 240 mph as it drops from a height of 2/3 of a mile. Human beings are the pinnacle of God’s creation.

When I look around at all the amazing creatures in this world, I don’t want to believe that I am more amazing that any of them. What makes a person more special than any other thing in all of creation? Genesis 1:26 says that God made man in His image. Nothing else in all of creation was made after the image of God! In addition, Jesus Christ came to this earth as a baby, lived as a human, died a horrible death, and was resurrected again to life just for humans. He didn’t do all of that for dogs or cats or trees. He did that for you and for me.

Ephesians 2:10 says that we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are a very special part of God’s creation - made in His image, redeemed by Jesus for eternal life as part of God’s family, and given dominion over (given the responsibility to take care of) the rest of creation.

Yes. We are special: God’s workmanship. But that’s not where it stops. We were not just created to be.  We were created to do. God has work for us to do. The first step in doing the work that God prepared for us to do is obedience. So how are you doing in your count to Pentecost? What day is this?


Sabbath, May 7th
Measure Carefully
and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:2

Materials Needed: tape measure, yard stick, ruler

If I measure your shoe with my ruler, I would expect to get the same answer if I measured your shoe with my tape measure or my yard stick. If I don’t get the same answer, I’m going to be confused. What is the right answer? How can I do what I needed to do with that information?

Think of all the things that need precise measurements: building a house, sewing clothes, making a cake, measuring out medicine, cutting hair - or how about doing alterations for a wedding dress!!  For any one of these endeavors, it’s not going to work too well if I just eyeball it. I rely on a ruler, tape measure, yard stick to all give me the same answer. It will not turn out well otherwise!!

So what do you think Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:2? Was He talking about tape measures and rulers? In context, He was talking about the way you treat people around you. Specifically He’s talking about how you want to be treated and how you treat others. Do you want mercy? Do you want people to be nice to you and help you out? Do you want forgiveness? Do you want hugs and smiles? Then that’s what you had better be showing to others. You’d better show mercy and forgiveness. You’d better be generous and kind to others. You’d better hug and smile at others.

But He was also talking about how you measure others and their behavior. Do you want your brother to be punished for doing something that you just want forgiveness for? What happens if your brother accidentally pinches your finger? Do you want your parent to spank him? It’s important to remember that if you want him punished severely, then if you accidentally hurt someone, you will also be punished severely. It’s funny - many adults have a hard time with this one. They want other people to be punished, but they want mercy for their own wrongdoings. Jesus said that’s not the way it works.

So whether it’s how you treat others or how severely you want others punished, remember that the ruler doesn’t change. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Sabbath, May 14th
Well Done!
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ Matthew 25:21

Materials needed: hand prints in plaster, cloth, fabric paint, bucket, water, cleaning cloths for clean up.

One of my most favorite parts of pouring concrete is getting to put your hand print or initials in the concrete, as if to say, “This is my work. I’m proud of it. I did well.” That’s a great feeling, isn’t it, knowing that you had a hard job to do and you did well?

This month is graduation month for so many young people - high school or college or graduate school. They worked for years to achieve a goal. They’ve reached the end of this time. Some of them did ok. Some of them did well. Some of them did very well. In college, those who succeed at the highest level graduate summa cum laude - with highest honors. They are recognized for having done very well.

Those who graduate summa cum laude went to class, listened to their professors, did their assignments, learned the lessons, and demonstrated that they learned well on their exams and papers. They put in a lot of effort and the university recognizes that in a commencement ceremony.

We all need to set goals in our lives - and then, when we’ve reached those goals, we need to think about how well we did. Did we do just the bare minimum? Did we do ok? Or did we work very hard to receive that commendation of “well done?”

We’re going to  put your hand prints on our Sabbath school blanket. I want it to be a reminder to each of you of two things (Here’s your goal.): 1) Honor God in everything you do (playing with your brothers and sisters, cousins and friends; obeying your parents; being respectful at church); and 2) Seek God with all of your heart (reading your Bible, praying to God, memorizing Bible verses, coming to church) so that He will be found by you. If you do these two things (honoring God and seeking Him), when Jesus comes back, it will be incredible to hear Him say, “Well done.”


Sabbath, May 21st
Shine!
. . . among whom you shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:15

Materials needed: glow sticks

Do you think Jesus was talking to you when He said,  . . . “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”? If you think He was talking to you, if you count yourself as one of His disciples (a learner and follower of Jesus), have you thought of what it might mean to let your light shine? It likely has something to do with how you act, doesn’t it.

When you are a Christian, you take the name of Christ on you, what you do can bring dishonor to God or your actions can bring honor and glory to God. Think about it: if you are calling yourself a Christian, then you are telling me that you’re doing what God approves of. When you do things that are not right, people either think that God doesn’t care what we do or they think that they wouldn’t want to be part of a religion that allowed that kind of behavior. Either way, it’s not good.

But when you make good choices and act in the right way, then you bring glory to God - especially if you are making good choices when people all around you are not. After all, a light is the most visible in the darkness.

Your memory verse is just a portion of Philippians 2:15: . . . among whom you shine as lights in the world. O.K. We want to shine for God in this world, to bring Him glory and honor. But let’s back up a little. Just before this phrase in Philippians 2:15, Paul says, “children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world.” You live in a dark world! Paul called it crooked and perverse two centuries ago. Think of how bad it is now.

Let’s back up just a little further. Paul starts in Philippians 2:14: Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world.  

We like the idea of being blameless and pure. We like being children of God without fault. We like shining for His glory. So let me ask you: Do you ever complain or argue? Uh oh.  Do you complain or argue when Mom says it’s time to come in for supper or time to go to bed? Do you complain when bad things happen (like everything getting washed away by water, or burned up in the fire, or destroyed by a tornado)? Do you complain when life doesn’t go the way you think it should?

Hmmm. These light sticks won’t shine until what happens? We have to break them - kind of like going through difficult life circumstances. If we praise God regardless of what happens in our lives, then we’re doing what Paul said; we are doing everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world.  

Isn’t it interesting that these light sticks show up the best in the dark? And if these light sticks are connected together, they really shine in a darkened place.

So there are three points today. Do everything without complaining or arguing even when things aren’t going your way (being broken). Then you can shine your light for God’s glory in a world that really needs Him. And if you stick together, you can shine even more brightly - as lights in the world.


Sabbath, May 28th
Rubbish
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8

Materials needed: trash can, valuable stuff

When was the last time you went dumpster diving and found something valuable? The dumpster is for trash, rubbish, things that are broken, worn out, worthless, or filthy. And things in the dumpster are taken to either the dump or an incinerator or a recycling plant. (It is to our shame as a country that we actually routinely find things in the dumpster that are worth keeping. It’s not supposed to be that way.) So if we pull the trash can over here and pour everything out on the floor, are you going to look at it the same way as you would if I opened a treasure chest full of gold and jewels and money?

So my next question is this: what is the thing that is most precious to you? What is it that you have that you value the most? Think of the thing that if you lost it, you would cry and be very sad.

It’s a good exercise because the physical stuff around us is just that: it’s stuff. And yes, we enjoy the stuff we have. Our stuff makes life easier - cell phones and toasters and cars and bicycles and  . . . all of the stuff in our lives.

But the apostle Paul says that he suffered the loss of all things. He had lost all of his stuff. But then he says this, “I could them as rubbish.” Wow! All of the stuff that we think is so valuable! Paul says that he looked at all his stuff as if it were trash. And no, he wasn’t weird.

He did it, he said, that he might gain Christ. How does counting all of your stuff as garbage help you gain Christ? It’s a very evocative picture of taking stock of what you have and then putting your relationship with Christ first. There’s nothing more important than knowing God, talking with God, trusting that God is going to take care of you in all situations. A car, a video game, a cell phone . . . what is that stuff in comparison to the relationship you have with the King and Creator of the Universe - that He would call you His friend and His brother (or sister)?

As you’re counting to Pentecost this last week, consider carefully what you value most highly in your life. In other words, while you’re counting, do you count all the things you have as rubbish compared with your relationship with Christ?

Sabbath, June 4th
Harvest Time
The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,  Matthew 13:38

Materials needed: grasses

Do you know what has been happening in the fields over the past seven weeks? Planting and harvesting. Yes, really! We tend to think of spring as the time to plant, and it is - for some crops. But there are other crops which were planted last fall and they are ready to harvest in spring - like barley, oats, and wheat.  Here in Missouri, there are already farmers out in the fields harvesting hay. We’ve had enough rain and warm temperatures to have a good crop of grass already! Seeing those big round bales in the fields means that cows and horses will have something to eat this coming winter.

But unless the farmer tilled and sowed alfalfa, the fields of grass are a mixture of grasses. There’s timothy, brome, alfalfa, clover, ryegrass, fescue, Bermuda grass, and orchard grass. And there’s usually a mixture of other plants too. We have daisies, plants that look like daisies, sunflowers, Queen Anne’s Lace which dot the pasture. And there are some weeds - thistles, stinkweed, etc. There’s a lot of variety.

So when Jesus said that the field is the world, this is something we can understand because we see it in front of us. Then He said (in Matthew 13:38) that the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.

When I stand back and look at the pasture, all I see are green plants and a few white flowers. I can’t identify the really nutritious plants or the weeds from a distance. But I know they are there. In the same way, we live in a world where there are sons of the kingdom - Christians - people who belong to God. And there are evil people - people who reject God and do evil things.

And, it’s going to be that way - with good and bad people in our world - until the harvest, until Jesus Christ returns. It’s our job to grow where we are planted and produce fruit for the Landowner, the King, our God.

And we’ll talk about that tomorrow on Pentecost.


Pentecost, June 5th
Bow the Knee
The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,  Matthew 13:38

Materials needed: grasses

Wheat and tares look very similar as they are growing. You can’t really tell which is which until the wheat produces fruit - the head of grain. Tares don’t produce a head of grain. They don’t produce any fruit. Do you understand why it’s a problem to have tares growing in your field of wheat? The tares use the nutrients in the soil, nutrients that could be used by the wheat, but then they don’t produce anything. There’s no reward for the farmer for having these weeds in his field!

In this parable in Matthew 13, the servants asked the landowner if he planted the weeds!!! When the landowner said that an enemy had done it, the servants wanted to know if they should go pull up the weeds. The landowner said that in pulling up the weeds, the wheat could be damaged. The weeds were allowed to grow with the wheat until the harvest.

Knowing that Jesus was using a parable, a picture, to describe what our world is like means that God allows evil people to live in the world with His people. Does that mean we should live like the evil people we see around us? No!! Does that mean we are excused from producing fruit for the kingdom? No.

In fact, we should be producing more fruit for the kingdom, for our Master and Lord, because we owe Him everything and we know that we do. He’s the One who called us by name and redeemed us. He’s the One who blesses us and helps us to grow. He’s the One who gives us hope and a future.

Have you ever seen an apple tree so loaded with fruit that the branches were breaking? Have you ever seen a tomato plant or a pepper plant so full of fruit that it looks like it’s going to fall over? Do you know what happens when a stalk of wheat is filled with fruit? The head, the top of the stalk of wheat, gets so full and heavy, that the heads bows over. Hmm. Isn’t that interesting?! One of the ways that you can tell, immediately, the difference between wheat and tares is that the wheat’s head bows; the tare’s head doesn’t because it has no fruit.

It’s a great visual reminder that we need to bow our head because of the abundance that God has blessed us with - even the ability to produce fruit for His glory.


Sabbath, July 2nd
Follow God, Not the Crowd

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

Materials needed: story below, black construction paper, white crayons

Once a spider built a beautiful web in an old house. He kept it clean and shiny so that flies would patronize it. The minute he got a "customer" he would clean up on him so the other flies would not get suspicious. Then one day this fairly intelligent fly came buzzing by the clean spider web.

Old man spider called out, "Come in and sit."

But the fairly intelligent fly said, "No, sir. I don't see other flies in your house, and I am not going in alone!"

But presently he saw on the floor below a large crowd of flies dancing around on a piece of brown paper. He was delighted! He was not afraid if lots of flies were doing it. So he came in for a landing.

Just before he landed, a bee zoomed by, saying, "Don't land there, stupid! That's flypaper!"

But the fairly intelligent fly shouted back, "Don't be silly. Those flies are dancing. There's a big crowd there. Everybody's doing it. That many flies can't be wrong!"

Well, you know what happened. He was stuck on the spot and eventually died right where he landed. Some of us want to be with the crowd so badly that we end up in a mess.

What does it profit a fly (or a person) if he escapes the web only to end up in the glue?

Charles Swindoll, "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity”

Leaning on your own understanding (human reasoning) or leaning on the understanding of others (following the crowd) can have dire consequences. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  Relying on God’s word to determine your path means you have to be reading His word - every day - or every day that you want His guidance to keep you out of a mess.


Sabbath, July 9th
God’s Got It Sorted
Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, Mark 14:13

Materials needed: various small puzzles

Do you like figuring out puzzles? A couple of people who live with me really like jigsaw puzzles. Another couple of them are really good at finger puzzles, the Rubik’s cubs, or sudokus. I know a couple who works out the newspaper crossword nearly every day. As I was thinking about this, I thought about all of the puzzles that we have in our lives: figuring out what’s wrong with the car, figuring out how to train the cat not to jump over the gate at 1:45 a.m. so that she can sleep on somebody’s bed, figuring out how to pack boxes to maximize the space, or puzzles which involve figuring out the best way to fight your enemy. The last one came to mind because of a Narnia movie. Edmund and Peter were involved in a couple of situations which involved some problem-solving, and Edmund assured Peter, “I’ve got it sorted.”

I like that phrase. “I’ve got it sorted.” In other words, “I’ve got it figured out. I’ve waded into the chaos, figured out what went where, and put everything in its place.”

Only. . . . do we really ever have it sorted . . . truly? Maybe doing a jigsaw, getting a car working, fixing the plumbing, but there are many times in our lives when we need things to come together and it’s just not in our power to make sure that happens.

It makes me think about the night that Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples. They had asked him where they were going to keep the Passover. This is the account in Mark 14:13-16: And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Have you ever wondered about this passage? How did Jesus know that the disciples would meet a man, carrying a jar of water? He wasn’t just standing there, waiting for them to show up; jars of water are heavy. How did the master of the house know to have the upper room furnished? And if Jesus knew that the upper room was furnished and ready for them, why didn’t He just tell His disciples to go there? Why did they have to meet the man with the jar of water and follow him?

It’s curious, isn’t it? It’s a puzzle I’m not going to figure out any time soon. But it does illuminate the fact that there are things in my life that need to happen which are out of my control, but they are not out of God’s control. He’s sovereign. He’s in charge. He can make happen what needs to happen. I just need to trust Him because He’s got it all sorted.


Sabbath, July 16th
Wasting Time
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Colossians 4:5

Materials needed: chatterbox (folded paper toy) with different activities written inside

This story was shared by cybersalt.org:

     One day a gentleman walked into one of Ben Franklin's book stores.
     As one of the clerks went to assist him, the gentleman asked the clerk the price of the book he wished to purchase. The young clerk looked at the price posted on the book and said, "That book is one dollar, sir."
     The gentleman began to haggle with the clerk over the price. The clerk assured him that the correct price for the book was one dollar and no lower. As the man realized that his efforts to haggle with the clerk were going nowhere, he insisted on speaking with Ben Franklin directly.
     Franklin stopped his work, walked out to the storefront and the gentleman asked, "What is the price of this book?"
Franklin answered, "One dollar and a quarter."
     The gentleman was confused and replied, "Your clerk just said it was a dollar."
     Franklin looked at the book again and answered, "Yes, it was a dollar. But now you're wasting my time."


    Do you ever find yourself wasting time? What constitutes wasting time? Someone might saw that scrolling through Facebook is a waste of time. Another might say that reading a book of fiction is a waste of time. What about making your bed? Or perhaps this: what about washing your face? It’s just going to get dirty again!!! What constitutes “wasting time”?

    It’s not a black and white issue! If it were, we could look it up online. And actually, if you look it up, there are lists which tell you what the biggest time wasters are!! Doing other people’s work is listed as one. But . . . is that always true? Should you never do someone else’s work because it’s a waste of time? What about your next door neighbor’s driveway which needs to be shoveled, but he just broke his leg? That’s his work. Is it a waste of time to do it for him?

    Another one on the list was daydreaming. I think someone else might call it meditation. And the ability to invent something or to be very creative probably hinges on the amount of time you get to spend just thinking - or daydreaming.

    Many years ago Christopher complained loudly about digging all of the sod out of the blueberry patch and dumping wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of mulch in its place. He was adamant that it was just a waste of time; the weeds were just going to grow back. He was right about the weeds. But was he right about it being a waste of time? Jonathan looked at all the weeds in my blueberry patch this spring and said, “Well, that experiment failed.” I appreciated his perspective. We tried something; it didn’t work. But it wasn’t a waste of time. The nutrients in that decomposing mulch are very good for my blueberry plants. And I learned something in the process.
 
   So what is a time-waster? That’s probably the wrong question to ask. A better question to ask is: what is the best way for me to use my time? Time is a resource - and you have a limited amount of it. Think about what is really important to accomplish. In his song, “Breathe,” Johnny Diaz sings, “Lay down what’s good and find what’s best.” It’s a matter of priorities. You only have so much time. Use it for God’s glory. Use it to grow closer to God. Use it to help others grow closer to God. Use it wisely.



Sabbath, July 23rd
Live Peaceably
 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:18

Materials needed: freshly picked coriander seeds (rosemary, anise, or thyme will also work), small jar, coffee grinder, extension cord, funnel

I saw this saying the other day about crayons: We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp; some are pretty. Some are dull, while others bright. Some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.

Following this analogy, it occurred to me that the only “crayons” that live together are family. And sometimes, it’s the people you are closest to that you need to consider in regards to Romans 12:18. It’s not so much a matter of brown hair, red hair, blond hair, or blue eyes or weird names. It’s more about your actions of respect or disrespect to the people who are closest to you that affects whether you live peaceably.

This week I picked some cilantro that had gone to seed. It’s painstaking work, but eventually I accumulated a little container of coriander seeds.  As I was cleaning them, I noticed that if I stir them in the container (aka stirring the pot), I could create enough friction to cause static electricity so that the little stem pieces stick to the side of the container. And although creating static electricity is a very cool phenomenon, it’s not a good idea to stir the pot, create friction among the people with whom you live. Let me explain: I gathered enough of those coriander seeds to make it worthwhile to grind. Hmm. What could I use to grind all of those seeds? Ron’s coffee grinder. Now this presents a dilemma: using Ron’s coffee grinder to grind the coriander is going to make his coffee taste strange the next time he grinds coffee beans. What to do? Ron really likes his coffee. He’s very particular. So I have options: I could grind the coriander, then wait for Ron to grind some coffee. When he comments that it tastes strange, I could deny any knowledge of what could possibly have happened. Of course, that’s lying. So that option is out. O.K. Option #2 is to use Ron’s coffee grinder and not tell him until he grinds and tastes his coffee. Then I tell him what I did. Ron’s pretty easy-going. He’ll probably be okay with this. This is the idea that it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission. And it’s not a good choice because it’s just straight up disrespectful. So option #3 is to ask Ron before I use his coffee grinder. That’s risky because it is his coffee grinder. And he could say no. And then what would I do? Hmm. What is the right thing to do? I need to respect Ron and take the chance that I have to figure out a different way of grinding the coriander. That’s what Paul means when he says in Romans 12:18, “As far as it depends on you.” You need to do what you can, to the best of your ability, to live peaceably with your family.

Can you think of any examples in your life? What about your church family? What choices are you going to make today that show respect or disrespect? Are you making the choice so that, if possible, as far as it depends on you, you live peaceably with all?

When the rubber hits the road, sometimes it’s harder to make the best choice. But it’s the right thing to do.

Sabbath, July 30th
Another Man’s Servant
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? Romans 14:4a

Once upon a time there was a paddling of ducklings in the middle of the pond. [A group of ducks is called a flock (if in flight), a raft, a brace, a team, or a paddling.] There were yellow ones and blue ones, and they were doing their best to follow their mama. There was another little duckling, a pink one, that wasn’t paying too much attention to the paddling of her brothers and sisters. She was keeping an eye on her mama duck but wasn’t paddling in the paddling. She wasn’t a team player on the duck team. So her brothers and sisters made fun of her. They joked about her odd color. They laughed about her method of paddling. They even poked fun at how she poked her head under the water for a yummy bite of whatever ducklings eat under water. And you know what? They were totally wrong in what they were doing. The duckling’s mama was keeping an eye on her. Mama duck knew the little duckling was safe. The little duckling was doing what she was supposed to be doing; she just wasn’t doing it with her brothers and sisters. They should not have been condemning her actions.

Now if the little duckling had been robbing the grocery store, or had been lying about the neighboring geese in the next pond over, or had been disobedient to her mama, then the other ducklings would be right to make a judgment that her behavior was wrong. It is wrong to steal and to bear false witness and to be disobedient to parents. Nevertheless, it would be wrong for them to condemn the little duck and decide that she was never going to be of any value to anyone. But it’s important for all little ducks to make a judgment about behavior, what is right and what is wrong . . . and then make a decision to do what’s right.

Isn’t it funny how we are so much like the little ducklings. We want everyone to paddle with us in our paddling. We want everyone to be a team player on our team - especially when it comes to something really important like worshiping God. We want everyone to do it our way . . . ‘cause then that would mean we are doing it the right way. If they’re doing it differently, sometimes, deep inside, we wonder if perhaps we’re not doing it right. Maybe we’re not paddling the way God wants us to. Maybe we’re not a good team player on God’s team.

But there’s a difference between being disobedient to God and just being different. Not everyone has to like the same colors to be pleasing to God. (It doesn’t matter whether you paint the church walls white or cream - even though I know of a church which split over that!!) You don’t all have to be truck drivers, or garage door installers, or lawyers to be pleasing to God. (I had a high school guidance counselor who told me not to waste my life becoming a teacher even though I thought God wanted me to become a teacher.) You don’t all have to sing well during song service. (God just says to make a joyful noise, even if you can’t carry a tune in a  bucket.) You don’t have to like everything that everyone brings for potluck. But you do need to be obedient to God. You need to keep the Sabbath. (Not everyone has to keep it with us, but they should honor the Sabbath day by keeping it holy somewhere.) You must not steal or lie or kill. These things are God’s law that you need to keep.

So there’s a difference between being disobedient and just being different. And we all make judgments about the behaviors of the people around us. There’s a lot of freedom within the differences that we all have. It’s okay to be different and still be paddling in the same pond. It’s okay to be different in personal preferences and still be on the same team. We can make a judgment about a personal preference (one that’s not disobedient to God) and decide that we want to do likewise or that we would never do that! If God wants a person to go in a certain direction, He will lead him that way. That person is God’s servant. It’s really not our business if God wants him to live in Wyoming or become an astronaut.

But when it comes to being disobedient to God, it’s a little different. We still make a judgment about the behavior, hopefully deciding that we don’t want to even consider being disobedient, but our response to the other person is different when we’re talking about sin. When it’s a personal preference we are tolerant. When it’s disobedience to God, we cannot be tolerant and just let it go. It’s not in that person’s best interest to ignore their disobedience; we’re not doing them any favors by tolerating their sinfulness. Our tolerance can lead them to believe that we are condoning their ungodly behavior. Our tolerance can make them think that God is pleased with their rationalizations and excuses. When we don’t say anything, we have, in effect, hidden our light; we are no longer an encouragement for that person to come to Christ.

So we have to say something, if God presents the opportunity and prompting. But we can’t be like the little ducklings - harshly criticizing and condemning. We have to gently, lovingly correct - from the Bible. It’s not our opinion that we’re explaining to that person; it has to be the Word of God. And we show them God’s truth humbly because it’s only through the grace of God that we have come to see our own failings and sinfulness.

We are all paddling on the same pond. We bear with one another’s idiosyncrasies because we have more than a few of our own. We exhort and encourage and correct one another because we want to please God. But we can’t spend our lives poking and judging and criticizing someone else’s personal preferences. That’s the exact opposite of exhorting and encouraging. My job is to keep my eyes on Jesus Christ. My job is to follow Him wherever He leads me. My job, if you will, is to keep my own ducks in a row.


Sabbath, August 13th
Remain in the Vine
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5 (ESV)

Materials Needed: section of grape vine with grapes attached

When you look at a grape vine like this section, what’s missing? The main trunk of the grape plant!! If I saw a section laying on the ground, I would have no expectation that it would produce fruit, and if it had fruit on it, there’s no way the fruit would ripen. Why is that? Jesus answers that in John 15:5: I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

I appreciate the songs Dave picked for today. “You Are My All in All”  Again here’s the message, everything we need comes from God. The opposite is also true: without Him we have nothing; we can do nothing.

If that’s the case (and it is), then we desperately need Jesus. We very much want Him to take our hand and help us stand and then, ultimately, lead us home (“Precious Lord, Take My Hand).

This great God who created the universe and is everything to us, who helps us, is also our Friend. He listens to us and He responds, because He loves us. (“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”). And because God loves us, He gives us what’s best for us, maybe not when we want it, but when we need it - “In His Time.”

Because John 15:5 is true - I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  - sometimes we forget that God is the One who sustains our world, that in Him we live and move and have our being. We think that we’re just fine on our own. But God, in His mercy, reaches down, touches us, and opens our eyes and ears to His plans and His will. (“Open My Eyes That I May See”)

Thinking about God choosing me (and you) is very humbling. Why would God care about me? Even King David asked, “What is man that You are mindful of Him.” I heard someone say once that God is showing how much He can do with so little -  “Little is Much When God is In It.”

So as you walk through your life this coming week, think about how much you rely on God. He’s your everything. He helps you, guides you, listens to you, loves you, provides for you, and strengthens you. And that’s a good thing - because you’re likely to encounter some difficult things in this world. Just remember, to remain in the vine, trust God, and stand firm because “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.”


Sabbath, August 20th
Wisdom
My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Proverbs 24:13

Materials needed: tomatoes, honey

Do you like honey? My sister keeps bees, and we are the delightful recipients of her honey harvest. It is sweet. But Solomon wanted us to know more than the fact that honey is good and sweet to eat. Solomon uses the experience of tasting honey and finding it sweet to help us understand how very sweet wisdom is.

13  My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14  Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Have you ever heard this distinction between knowledge, understanding, and wisdom? Knowledge is knowing the fact that something is a tomato. Understanding is knowing that the tomato God created the tomato as a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that God’s purpose for tomatoes does not include putting a tomato into fruit salad.

I would take this distinction one step further. You see, there are people out there who rely totally on man’s wisdom, not Godly wisdom. There is a man who identifies himself as a dog. He doesn’t seem to have the knowledge of what makes a human and what constitutes a dog. He doesn’t have the understanding that God created him the way he is. And he doesn’t understand his purpose to act as a human would act. He spends his time acting like a dog. (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6269051/My-partner-dog-transgender-man-identifies-canine.html)  And that is an example of man’s wisdom vs. God’s wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says . . . “the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom.” Indeed, man’s wisdom, or what he thinks is wisdom apart from God, is sheer foolishness.

But God’s wisdom? Oh, it is good. It is sweet to your soul. Seek Godly wisdom. Seek God - and He’ll give wisdom to you freely. And you will taste just how good and how sweet it is!!


Sabbath, August 27th
Water Off a Duck’s Back
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Matthew 5:11

Materials needed: oil, feather, water, towels
        (Demonstrate how water does not penetrate a feather but slides off
        because of the natural oil with which the ducks preen themselves.)

God created ducks (and most birds, actually) with a special oil gland. They use their bills and beaks to preen themselves and spread that oil all over their feathers. Why would they do that? Well, oil and water don’t mix. So a light coating of oil repels the water which would otherwise get to their skin and freeze in the winter. The oil allows the feathers to provide the perfect protection from rain, sleet, and snow.

When we’re talking about Bible symbolism, what does oil typically make you think of? The Holy Spirit. It was oil in the lamp which caused them to burn brightly. It is God’s Holy Spirit in you which causes you to shine brightly for the Lord and to illuminate His Word to the people around you.

So maybe it’s just a coincidence. But what if God’s Holy Spirit is also like the oil on a duck’s feathers. What if the insults and persecution and lies of others are like water off a duck’s back to you because you have the Holy Spirit, because you know you belong to the King of kings. You are special because He chose you to belong to Him.

So when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Jesus Christ, it’s not easy. It hurts. It doesn’t feel good. But you know you are blessed because they’re only saying and doing those things because you belong to Him. And you can let it slide right off you - like water off a duck’s back.

Sabbath, September 3rd
Prepare Your Field First

Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. Proverbs 24:27

Materials needed: unsnapped green beans, quart of beans (anything that will show a process)

Two summers while I was in college, my sister and I worked in a chocolate factory. It was mind-numbing work - as most factory work is. One day my sister thought of a solution: she would just turn her chair around to face me and work left-handed from my table so that we could talk. You can just imagine, two girls with chocolate-covered hands, making 12 candy bars a minute - entertaining the whole room with our conversation! We decided to do one of those stories where you say a sentence and leave it at a cliff-hanger and pass the story back to your partner. I don’t remember how the story started. I just remember that we ended up with two schnauzers wanting to paint their catapult turquoise. The only problem was that it hadn’t been built yet. So the schnauzers solved that problem by throwing the paint where the catapult would be built.

When I read this verse in Proverbs 24:27, I think of the painting of that catapult. You see, there’s an order necessary in doing things well. I can’t can my green beans until the jars are washed and the bean washed and snapped. But I can’t snap the beans until they’re picked. And I can’t pick green beans unless I plant them and weed them and water them and keep the critters from eating them. Even just canning the green beans before they’re washed and snapped means that I’m not going to achieve the best outcome.

Think about what Solomon is saying in this verse: It’s going to take some time for the field to be prepared and planted. Once it’s planted, you’ll have time to build your house while you’re waiting for things to grow. If you build your house first, you may not have time to get your field planted before the season turns. Then you end up with a house and no food. Not the most desirable outcome.

But somehow, I suspect that Solomon was talking about more than growing food and having a roof over your head. This principle also applies to working for God. You love God and you want to do great things for Him. That’s wonderful! But there’s an order here too. If you want to shine your light for Jesus Christ, you had better know what He stands for and what He desires for His followers to do and believe. How can you encourage others to have a close relationship with God when you don’t have one yourself?! You want to do great things for Him? Then read your Bible, come to church and listen to what’s being said, pray and ask God for guidance and wisdom. Be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within you.

Prepare your heart and mind by nourishing it with God’s Word, fellowship with believers, and prayer time with God. Then you’ll be a tool God can use to bring other believers to Himself.

Prepare your field first and then go build your house.

Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. Proverbs 24:27

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Sabbath, September 10th
The Only One
I am the only one left, 1 Kings 19:14 (NIV)

An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse, named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move.

Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond. Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!” Nothing.

Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.

The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.

The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try.”

I love this story. It touches a chord because of the truth that we as human beings don’t want to do something we think is hard unless we’re sure we’re not the only ones working on it. We want the assurance that someone else is helping us pull, encouraging us to succeed, and commiserating with us if we aren’t immediately victorious.

But this is nothing new. Think about Elijah in I Kings 19. He had just shown our God to be the one true God on Mt. Carmel. He’d just destroyed 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. God had used Elijah to show His glory to the Israelites. But when Jezebel said she was going to kill him, Elijah fled for his life. He met with God on Mt. Horeb. He told God how zealous he’d been for God and how the people of Israel had rejected God, and that he, Elijah, was the only one left.

This is the famous passage where Elijah witnesses a strong wind which broke the mountain and rocks into pieces, an earthquake, and a fire. Elijah heard all of these incredibly powerful and destructive forces, but God was not in any of them. Then Elijah heard the sound of a low whisper.

God told Elijah what he should do next - and then, startling to Elijah, God told Elijah that there were 7000 people in Israel who were still true to God. Elijah was not the only one.

You may feel like you’re encountering powerful destructive forces (tornadoes, floods, fires) or people who are actively fighting against you to harm you. You may feel like you are the only one is who standing up as a Christian, the only one who is working for the Lord. Don’t let that feeling stop you from doing the job that God, your God, has set before you to do. Who knows, there may yet be 7000 Christians around you, even if you can’t see Nellie, Buster, or Coco.

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Sabbath, September 17th

Greed
and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.  Proverbs 23:2

Materials needed: jar, coins

and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.



What? Why would Solomon tell us to take drastic measures if we like to eat? If we don’t eat, we don’t get the nutrients our bodies need to sustain life. In other words, if we are not given to appetite, we’re going to die.

Well, “given to appetite” doesn’t simply mean that you eat to keep from starving to death; it means that you eat too much. It’s gluttony or greed for food. In the context of Proverbs 23, it’s wanting something you shouldn’t, desiring the king’s delicacies. And being greedy - whether it’s food or possessions - is not a good thing. People don’t like to be around someone who’s just out for what he can get. On the other side of the coin, there’s no such thing as a free lunch; there are often strings attached to the things you want. Greed can bring serious consequences.

One of the most powerful children’s books I know of is Where the Red Fern Grows. In it, Billy’s grandpa tells him a surefire way to catch a raccoon: drill a hole into a log, pound nails in at an angle, and put something shiny at the bottom. The raccoon will put his hand in to get the shiny thing but won’t be able to pull it back out because of the nails. If he would just let go of the shiny object, he could easily pull his hand out. But he won’t do it. He wants that shiny thing too much. So Billy would be able to catch and kill a raccoon so he could train his dogs to be raccoon hunters.

It’s a poignant lesson. A raccoon will go to his death because he’s too greedy.

So what are you greedy for? What is it that you want so much that you won’t let go of it even if there are serious consequences? Even if it means you hurt someone else’s feelings and ruin that relationship?

There’s a good reason why Solomon warns against greed - and it’s something you should really take to heart - or at least, it’s something to chew on. 😁


Sabbath, September 24th
A Letter From Christ
And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.  2 Corinthians 3:3

Materials needed: family histories

I have a collection of family history - with genealogy charts, letters, stories, obituaries. I can read those stories, but it’s not the same thing as knowing the people personally. However, it’s a close second to hear the stories told by someone who actually knew the people. For instance, I have a collection of essays written by my mom when she was in high school. You might find them pretty interesting to read, but you would probably remember them a lot better if I told you the stories. I could read the stories to you, but it would still have a much greater impact if I told you the stories.

The written word is powerful. The spoken stories are powerful. But there’s a third way to learn about a person, what they are like, what they value, what you would remember about them: watching the actions of someone who has been influenced and shaped by that person. For instance, you could learn a lot about my grandfather by reading letters from him. You could learn a lot by hearing stories about him. But you could also learn a lot by spending time around my mom. So many of his phrases are part of her vocabulary. She spent a lot of time working cows, working in the hayfield, building fence, breaking horses with my grandfather. If you want to know what he was like, spend time with my mom. You’d get a really good idea.

So what if someone wants to get to know Jesus Christ - how could they do that? They could read the Bible. They could go to church and hear about the things that God has done, is doing, and will do in the future - in hymns and Bible studies. But they will also expect to get to know who Jesus Christ is through spending time with you - because you claim to be a Christian, to know and love Jesus. Are you acting in a way that represents Jesus well? Do you do the things He would do? Do you say things that will bring glory and honor to Him? Are you shaped and influenced by Him in your behaviors?

Paul told the Corinthians that they were a letter from Jesus Christ, written on their hearts. Their actions and words represented Jesus accurately. That’s a huge compliment!!

I want my words and actions to be a letter that someone can read so they will come to know Jesus, my Savior. What about you?



**Trumpets Lesson: Jesus Saves!
So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. Hebrews 9:28

Materials needed: stickers, box, clear jar, spoon, water, aqua sand
https://www.123homeschool4me.com/homemade-aqua-sand-recipe-kids-activity_92/

Before we even start talking about today’s verse, I’m going to promise to give you a sticker at the end of sabbath class - if you have been listening and behaving (aka not tickling or poking anyone). That’s the promise. Here is the sticker box.

Do you know why the Feast of Trumpets is such a wonderful day? Hebrews 9:28 says that he will appear to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him! Jesus came the first time to bear the sins of many - that’s Passover. But the Feast of Trumpets is a day when we celebrate Jesus’ second coming - because He’s coming to save us. It’s the day when we receive the salvation that is promised throughout the Bible.

The promise of salvation is much like those stickers I promised you. You know they are there. You just haven’t received them yet. God has promised us salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ; we read about that salvation, we experience the goodness of God’s salvation in our daily lives, but we won’t receive the fullness of that salvation until Jesus Christ returns on Trumpets.

Think of it this way: If I put sand in a glass of water, what happens? It gets wet. The sand particles are separated and shapeless. But look at this special sand. It’s been sealed. It can hold a shape and not get wet.

Jesus protects us in this world; He asked the Father, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.a . . . 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  Jesus asked the Father for protection from Satan and that we would be set apart, sanctified, by God. And He seals us with His Holy Spirit until the day of salvation (Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30).

Does that mean that no bad things ever happen to us? No. It does mean that God works all things out for our good because we have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28); He has saved us at great cost through the death of Jesus Christ. Being sealed by God with His Holy Spirit is not something to take lightly. It comes at great cost! So this day, as we are looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ and the salvation that He will bring, we also are reminded to stay the course, fight the good fight, and walk worthy of the calling we have received - as we eagerly wait for His return.

Here’s the object lesson: How many of you sat still and listened to the whole lesson? Did you watch the aqua sand demonstration? You stayed the course and did what I asked you to do. You get the reward. The reward of a sticker is a small thing compared with the reward of being told, “Well done” by our Savior, when He returns.

Sabbath, October 1st
Seek Godly Wisdom
Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. Proverbs 28:26 (NIV)

James Dobson, in his book, Bringing Up Boys, makes the comment that the biggest challenge in raising boys is keeping them alive until they’re eighteen. Maybe. But I know that unwise or reckless behavior is not reserved for just boys. The first time I ever heard the phrase, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” was when Mom came outside to stop me from doing something where I almost surely would have gotten seriously injured, if not killed. And I was fifteen at the time!!

Another time I was home alone (which is okay when you’re seventeen), and I decided to make doughnuts as a family treat. I got the oil I was frying the doughnuts in too hot. Now what do you do when you’re too hot? How do you cool off quickly? You jump into a swimming pool or creek. You use cold water to cool you off. Using cold water to cool off boiling oil is not a wise thing to do. I picked up the kettle and put it in the sink and turned on the water. When the cold water hit that boiling oil, the oil exploded all over me, all over the kitchen. I had little blisters all over my face, hands, and arms. And then I was too scared to finish cooking doughnuts, so now I had a huge mess to clean up before Mom got home - oil and doughnut batter.

It is actually a wonder that we humans don’t kill ourselves off from doing unwise things. Ever wonder how they know that things are toxic or poisonous? Well, probably because someone somewhere along the line decided to try it out. Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I ate this? Not a wise thing to do.

I’m quite certain you could talk to any adult in the room and hear stories (plural) of the unwise things they’ve done - and the consequences they’ve suffered because of those unwise, foolish choices.

Thankfully, our God promises to give wisdom to anyone who asks for it. And since that’s the case, take advantage of it. Don’t go to your cousin Joe and ask him how to do something based on human wisdom. Don’t listen to your friend’s well-thought out solutions based on human reasoning. Don’t look to society, Hollywood, or politicians who want nothing to do with God. Avoid unnecessary pain and foolishness. Go to God and ask Him for wisdom.


Atonement, October 7th
Naked Eggs or God Sees Your Heart - Atonement Lesson
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

Materials needed: eggs, food coloring, vinegar, jars
    Naked Egg - https://www.123homeschool4me.com/egg-painting_10/

Why would anyone need something that would be sharper than a sword to pierce through the soul and spirit, the joints and marrow to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart? Well, Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. That means that not only do we put on a facade (an outward show) for other people, we also convince ourselves that we’re a pretty good person. We not only want other people to think good thoughts about us, we also want to think good thoughts about ourselves. If we didn’t think we were a good person, we would be motivated to change. Change is hard. Change is uncomfortable. We try to avoid changing. So we work very hard to convince ourselves (and others) that we don’t need to change. We can stay just the way we are.

It’s kind of like an egg. You can’t see what’s inside the egg because of the shell. If you want to see what’s inside, you crack it open. Right? Well, if you crack it open, now you have to use it. But what if there was a way to see inside the egg without cracking it? If you place an egg in vinegar, the vinegar will dissolve the shell after about three days. The egg doesn’t fall apart because of the membrane that surrounds the egg on the inside of the shell.

In a similar way, the Bible, God’s living and active word, cuts right through the outward facade we show to the world. God uses His word to convict us of sin, to show us who we are, and to help us understand just how very much we need the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The different colored eggs demonstrate that we are all individuals, with different likes and dislikes, different personalities and talents, and we have all had different experiences which have shaped our values and characters. But we all come before Him with the same need: Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

On this Day of Atonement, we must first understand who we are, how our sin has separated us from God, how we are powerless to repair the relationship, and how very much we need Jesus Christ - our High Priest and the Lamb of God - to reconcile us to our Father, Almighty God.

Our God is so good! He provides the way to show us who we are. He provides the remedy for our sinfulness, His Son’s sacrifice. He gifts us with salvation and the promise of eternal life. He encourages us to walk worthy of the calling we have received, to become perfect. Praise God for His love for us!!


Sabbath, October 29th
Godly Wisdom
aka Using the Resources at Hand to Accomplish Your Goal

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5 (ESV)

Materials needed: beans or marshmallows, dixie cups, balloons, scissors
     https://www.123homeschool4me.com/marshmallow-shooter-kids-activity-over_50/

Have you ever had a job to do and wondered how in the world you were going to accomplish it with the resources you had on hand? For instance, how in the world could you get a marshmallow (or bean or Cheerio) to the other side of the room without walking it over there? Hmm. What if you made a marshmallow shooter? So you look around at what you have? Let’s say you had a marshmallow (or bean), a balloon, a cup, and a pair of scissors in with a whole lot of other things because rarely do you see a balloon, cup, scissors, and marshmallow all by themselves in a room. Is that helpful? Can you make a marshmallow shooter out of a cup and balloon? Instructions here: https://www.123homeschool4me.com/marshmallow-shooter-kids-activity-over_50/

Many people might look at the things they have and not see any way they could use them. So they give up. But James 1:5 says, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. So when you need help solving a problem, accomplishing a task, reaching a goal - take it to God and ask Him for help.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when God shows you how. It makes you think of God empowering Bezalel from the tribe of Judah and Oholiab from the tribe of Dan to build the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 31).

I would never have considered that you could make a marshmallow shooter out of a cup and balloon? To think of the skill that these two men had to have to fashion the holy things of God is mind-blowing. So, again, when you have a problem to solve, something that needs Godly wisdom, go to God.

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Sabbath, November 5, 2022
Wonders Without Number
 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
Job 5:9

Materials needed: leaves, coffee filters, jars, rubbing alcohol
https://www.123homeschool4me.com/why-do-leaves-change-color-science_52/

God’s creation is amazing! This time of year we are often amazed at the changing colors of the trees. But do you know why this happens? During the growing season, carbon dioxide and water combines with chlorophyll to produce oxygen and glucose. We use the oxygen (and breathe out carbon dioxide). The tree uses the glucose to grow. As the autumnal equinox approaches, the decreasing sunlight and temperatures causes the trees to move into a resting period. The leaves use up the chlorophyll which is the chemical which is used in photosynthesis and which gives them their green color. Once the chlorophyll is used up, the color of the leaves is revealed - it actually was there all the time. And you can prove that by doing the same experiment with green leaves instead of the colorful fall leaves.

You know how God gives us object lessons - things all around us which help us to understand spiritual realities? The fall leaves made me think of the verses which speak about us being transformed and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Chlorophyll which gives the leaf its green color masks the real color of the leaves. In a similar way, once we are a new creature in Christ (a new leaf), our old way of doing things (the chlorophyll) has to be striped away until our actions are truly indicative of who we are (colorful leaf). Isn’t it interesting that this happens at the end of the year, the end of the growing season - almost as if God’s reminding us that we spend our entire lives seeking Him and being changed into the image of His Son. The colorful fall leaves also make me think of the Feast of Tabernacles - a time when we are living in Christ - which happens as we are conformed to His image.

It also makes me think of 1John 3:2, Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Our true colors won't be seen 'til then.


Sabbath, November 12th
Look Up!
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3 (KJV)

Look down. What do you see? The floor. Shoes. Dirt.

Look up. Now what do you see? The ceiling. Lights. Cobwebs?

O.K. So why would David say to look up? Is God up there? Well, yes, but David’s using poetic imagery, a figure of speech. Just like Psalm 121 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth.” Does that mean that God dwells in the hills or mountains? That he doesn’t dwell in the valleys or on the beaches?!!

Psalm 139 says there’s nowhere we can go that God is not there - from the heavens to the depths of the earth. So again - why would David say that he would look up? Hmm.

Let me ask you another question: when do you pray to God? Many people end their day by saying a prayer before they go to bed. The chaos and busy-ness of the day has slowed and now they have time to pray.

But David says that he prays in the morning. It might not have been the first thing David did, but it was early enough in the day to impact his activities for the rest of the day; it caused him to “look up.”

Praying to God in the morning helped him keep his focus on God, focusing on God’s ways, God’s love, God’s plans.

Looking up is also figurative speech for being hopeful and optimistic - compared with looking down and feeling depressed and pessimistic. It’s a good thing to look up, to look to God, and to feel positive because God is sovereign and He loves you.

Is it a command from God to pray in the morning? Not necessarily. But it is a good way to start your day - to set the tone for the activities of the day. So in addition to telling God “Good night” each evening as you prepare for bed, plan to start each day saying “Good morning” to God as well. I’ll bet you’ll find your days are a whole lot brighter - if you look up.


Sabbath, November 19, 2022
God Chooses Us

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
 John 6:44

Materials needed: balloon, paper, hole punch
                 charged-atoms-science-experiment

In Romans 1:20, we’re told that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” So we are not surprised when we find evidence of what God is doing in the world around us, even in the littlest things . . . like charged atoms.

Use a hole punch to make a bunch of paper dots. Sprinkle them on the floor. Then blow up a balloon. Rub it on the head of someone close to you to generate static electricity build up on the balloon. Hold the balloon close to the dots. Then watch as the paper dots “jump” to the balloon. The negatively charged atoms on the balloon attracted the positively-charged atoms of the paper dots. The dots stick to the balloon.

In John 6:44 Jesus said, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

We don’t choose Jesus. It’s not a matter of how smart we are - that we came to believe in Him through our own intelligence. Just like the Israelites couldn’t free themselves from slavery in Egypt, we cannot free ourselves from being enslaved to sin (Romans 6:16-20). We were dead in our sins (Eph 1:2), and no one, especially dead people, can give themselves life. God the Father, in His mercy, chooses us and draws us to Jesus Christ. That word “draw” means “to drag, draw, pull, persuade.” Our loving, merciful Heavenly Father drags us, pulls us, persuades us, draws us to Jesus Christ. He chooses us, and this fact is reaffirmed throughout scripture.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession . .

Psalm 106:23 So he said he would destroy them- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach  

John 13:18 . . . I know those I have chosen. . . . .

John 15:16 . . . You did not choose me, but I chose you . . .

John 15:19 . . . I chose you to come out of the world . . .

Ephesians 1:4 . . . He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world . . .

2 Thessalonians 2:13  . . . God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation

Praise God for choosing each one of us. Praise God for His love and His mercy that we were inexorably drawn to Him, to His goodness, greatness and grace . . . kind of like a paper dot drawn, jumping, to the balloon.


Sabbath, November 26th

Let All Things Now Living

Memory Verse: Praise the LORD from the earth, . . . Psalm 148:7

Bird feeders:  pine-cone-bird-feeder
Materials needed: pinecones, twine, scissors, peanut butter, knife, bird seed, pie tin

7 Praise the LORD from the earth, all great sea creatures and ocean depths,
8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,
9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth,
12 young men and maidens, old and young together.
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 He has raised up a horn for His people, the praise of all His saints,
of Israel, a people near to Him.
Hallelujah!

We just celebrated Thanksgiving this week. So I have a couple of questions. First, to whom did you, and do you, give thanks? (Hopefully God is at the top of the list!!) Secondly, why? Why did you thank Him? (Because He deserves our thanks and praise!) There are a lot of people on Facebook this month who have posted each day what they are thankful for. What are you thankful for? Are you thankful? How do you show it? Do you say “thank you” and then just go about your business, living your life. Or does your thankfulness evident in the things that you do?

For instance, God originally created this world and put Adam and Eve in the garden to care for it. They gave a dominion mandate to Adam and Eve: not only were they to care for the plants; they were also supposed to care for the animals, tend them, manage them. So what does that mean to us? Well, during the spring, summer, and fall, there is a lot for the animals to eat (like the deer eating my garden). But in the wintertime, food is much more sparse. I think that part of demonstrating how thankful you are, for what God has provided for and to you, is paying it forward. One easy way to do that is to feed the birds. So let’s make some bird feeders - as a demonstration of our thankfulness to God.


Sabbath, December 3rd
Dancing Corn or Encouraging One Another
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Materials needed: mason jar, water, vinegar, baking soda, popcorn     Directions: dancing-corn

God never promised that this life would be problem-free. On the contrary, we’re going to face problems. It’s part of a world subjected to decay, the second law of thermodynamics, Romans 8:20. And just because you belong to God, that does not give you a free pass in this life on trouble. No Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Cards. In fact, Jesus told His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble . . .” (John 16:33) But don’t let that discourage you! God has also promised that He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). What does that look like? How might that work in practical terms? Well, it might be kinda like this:

I have a mason jar. Let’s say that’s our world. In our world is found water - everything that is around us, our environment. Within our environment are things which could cause trouble - the 2 T of baking soda. The popcorn is us. Almost immediately we encounter trouble - it’s dissolved into our environment (aka the water). God intervenes (add the vinegar). God’s intervention changes what the outcome might otherwise have been. He can use trouble to refine us, to lift us into a closer relationship with Him, and to encourage others.

Interestingly, you notice that all of the people [aka corn] reacts at different times to the trouble [aka baking soda] and responds differently to God’s mercy [aka vinegar]. It’s also interesting that God doesn’t keep us lifted up. We feel like God has encouraged us with someone else, the solution to a problem, etc. But then we experience the world again and we start to become discouraged. And God lifts us again.

God’s mercy can come in many different forms. It could be a verse you read in the Bible, a line that you’re singing in a hymn, your mom or dad, a relative, a friend, some random stranger. Sometimes it’s the sunshine popping through the clouds, a bird singing outside your window, or your cat purring at you from your lap. Sometimes it’s someone who is obedient to God’s command to encourage one another, “and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). So look for ways to lift someone else up.

And the next time you’re down and discouraged, think of the dancing corn and God’s mercy.

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Sabbath, December 17th
Be Absorbed in The Things of God

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.  1 Timothy 4:15 (ESV)

Materials Needed: Colored Pinecones (Soak pinecones in 4 L of water mixed with an ounce of food coloring. Let sit over night and then dry on a paper towel.

Isn’t it interesting how you can immerse a pinecone, normally brown, into food coloring and water and end up with a different-colored pinecone?! Who could ever have imagined that would happen? Wouldn’t you assume that the pinecone would retain its brown color and be impervious to the food coloring? Well, actually, no. Pinecones grow on pine trees. Pines are notorious for their soft wood; it’s not as dense as other types of wood, oak and walnut, for example. So it makes perfect sense that if I place a pinecone in food coloring (and water) overnight, the pinecone is going to absorb the color.

Too many people don’t stop to consider into what they have immersed themselves. They might think they can watch R-rated movies, and it won’t affect them. They might think they can play violent video games, and it won’t change their attitudes and behaviors. They might think that coming to church on Sabbath isn’t that important. They might think that they’re too busy to read their Bible every morning. They would be wrong. What you do and what you think about is the same thing as a pinecone in food coloring.

Much like the pinecones immersed in food coloring, what you spend your time doing will sink into your heart and mind and soul. If you seek things of this world, then that’s what goes in. And if you seek God and His way, then that’s what goes in.

And then what comes out for other people to see is whatever you’ve been immersed in. If you spend your time reading the Bible, listening to Christian music, praying, and thinking about God, then that is going to be evident to all.

It would be ludicrous, however, to think that I could put a pinecone in blue food coloring and come out with a cone that was pink. That just wouldn’t happen. Neither does it happen for a person to immerse themselves in worldly pursuits and then have God be the first thing they want to talk about with people around them.

As Paul exhorted Timothy: Practice the things of God. Immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.


Sabbath, December 31st
Transformed Into the Image of Christ
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Materials needed: Kool-aid Play-Dough, wash cloths for hands 😁
      https://www.123homeschool4me.com/kool-aid-playdough-recipe_21/

If you belong to Jesus Christ, then you are being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Do you think that is a comfortable process? An easy process?

Suppose I give you a lump of play-dough and ask you to form it into a cat or a giraffe or an elephant. What do you have to do? You press and squeeze and pinch pieces off and put them back on. You push and poke. You stretch and flatten. You take away everything that doesn’t look like a cat or a giraffe or an elephant.

And that’s not an easy process. It’s especially not easy for the play-dough. Imagine you are the play-dough. Do you like being squeezed and prodded and stretched? Do you like being flattened when your shape isn’t coming together satisfactorily? Do you like being pinched out of your comfort zone?

And let’s talk about time. Can I hand you a lump of play-dough and expect you to have a cat - or anything that looks like a cat - in a minute, or two, or ten? It takes time to form the play-dough. How much more time do you think it will take to form you into the image of Jesus Christ?

The good thing is, of course, that the play-dough doesn’t really care how much you poke and squeeze and pinch, because it’s not alive. But what about you? Can you truly say you don’t really care how much God has to poke and squeeze and pinch? Hopefully you understand that the end result is worth whatever you go through now. If you belong to God, He’s sovereign; He’s got your best interest at heart; He has a plan for your life; You can trust Him - even if He’s poking and stretching and, sometimes, flattening.

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