Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Good Morning!

First day of school for a lot of kids and parents today.

The new unit for this week is Unit 15 -- Holiness of Life

Focus Scripture for the Week: 1 Peter 1:15

As he who called you in holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct.

Today's Scriptures: 2 Peter 1:3-11

Today's Discussion:

-- more direction and instruction on how to live a Christian life.

-- the commentary in my Bible on this passage has a great thought. Our faith must go beyond what we believe; it must become a dynamic part of all we do. That was Wesley's example, his faith was his life, and it informed and shaped everything that he did.

-- one thing again to notice about our scriptures this week - they all have been balanced in the sense that they both warn us of things we should not do, and then encourage us to do things that are positive. This passage is no different -- there is the reference to living in a way to "escape the corruption in the world", and then there is the instruction, in this passage, about the qualities we need to cultivate as a Christian -- goodness, knowledge, self-control, perserverance, etc.

-- I think there is something to the fact that Peter presents these as a sequence, and not exactly as a list -- it is another way of showing the fact that we are to grow as Christians, that we are to "move on to perfection" as Wesley calls it.

-- On a completely different topic, the commentary for my Bible notes that this book of the Bible -- 2 Peter -- was the last book admitted to the New Testament by the church authorities.

Question for Sunday:

-- if the intention of the class is for you to become a better Christian - to help you "move on to perfection" -- is that happening yet for you?

Today's prayer request: Teachers and principals

Need to pray for all of the teachers and principals as they start the new year -- to thank God for their committment to children, to ask God to bless them and support them through the year.

Today's class member prayer:

Matt Rocksvold

Have a great day.

Jay