BethWes BibleTek

Cover Tune Grab Bag - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

2011-03-13T21:17:00.000-04:00

This Drummer is at the Wrong Gig.

2010-07-15T06:55:00.000-04:00

Darth Vader recording for TomTom GPS - behind the scenes

2010-05-21T21:10:00.000-04:00

Looking for Allen/Sharks

2010-03-15T23:07:00.002-04:00

This is the one I was talking about in Sunday School. Very funny.

Funniest fishing show blooper reel ever.

2010-02-28T00:03:00.001-05:00

One of the funniest videos I've ever seen.

Nerf Sentry Gun...Be Afraid

2010-02-09T02:49:00.001-05:00

I think it would be pretty cool to have one of these.

Pants on the Ground Jimmy Fallon

2010-01-24T07:54:00.001-05:00

In going along with the meme of the week...enjoy.

The Best Teacher I Ever Had / Megan's Story / Mike Cope

2010-01-14T20:57:00.001-05:00

Take 8 minutes to check this out. It's a powerful story that I think we can all learn from.

Grocery Store Musical

2009-10-20T20:55:00.001-04:00

Oh, yeah. I see this all the time at the grocery store.

Girl Slams Into School Bus Roof

2009-09-22T22:46:00.001-04:00

My first post since April 1. I'm such a slacker. Hopefully we can keep this going.

Jess could not believe this one, and she drives school bus every day. It's pretty amazing.

Alaskan Husky - Jack aka The Window Licker

2009-04-01T22:30:00.001-04:00

Just because it made me laugh. Enjoy

Final Bible Boot Camp Spreadsheet

2009-03-14T22:21:00.002-04:00

We're all done with Bible Boot Camp. Here's the finished spreadsheet:
Click Here.
If clicking doesn't work, just paste the following into your browser's address bar.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=p-TKgWXiZM0O9Tl7z00-1Lw&hl=en

Next week we're starting a 6-week Network course on finding your place in the church.

See you Sunday.

Man Builds Model of Herod's Temple

2009-02-28T00:34:00.004-05:00

You gotta check out these pics of a guy who built a model of Herod's Temple by hand. It's pretty amazing. If you thought you were patient, think again. He's been doing this for 30 years.

See you Sunday.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/4837528/A-model-of-biblical-proportions-man-spends-30-years-creating-a-model-of-Herods-Temple.html

Tim Hawkins - Corporate Worship Songs

2009-02-12T16:09:00.001-05:00

This vid pretty much speaks for itself.

Bible Boot Camp Week 3 & 4

2009-02-08T16:04:00.001-05:00

I know we kinda took a breather this week because of my forgetfulness. Anyhow, here's the new spreadsheet.

Click Here

Dog eats Bean Burrito in 1 second

2009-01-30T22:29:00.001-05:00

This reminded me of Joey eating Little Debbie snack cakes.

Bible Boot Camp Week 2

2009-01-24T23:32:00.003-05:00

Here's the latest update of the Bible Boot Camp spreadsheet.

CLICK HERE.

Presidential Inauguartion: Pastor Rick Warren's Invocation

2009-01-22T23:17:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago we discussed an article in class about using the name of Jesus in the inaugural prayer. We spoke about how Pastor Rick Warren was going to end his prayer. The main question was: "Should he pray as he normally does and possibly offend Americans with different spiritual beliefs, or could he pick an alternate way to close his prayer and be acceptable to all?" Well, we have our answer.

Bible Boot Camp Starts This Week

2009-01-17T21:21:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow we'll be starting Bible Boot Camp: 66 books in 6 weeks. Here's a link to the spreadsheet I'll be using and updating each week.

Spreadsheet

See you Sunday.

Food Network Video

2009-01-12T23:36:00.001-05:00

Another reason why I watch too much Food Network

Youth Group Rocks Out with Rock Band

2008-12-31T10:52:00.001-05:00

Fresh video from the party

Sunday School Holiday Party

2008-12-30T22:23:00.000-05:00

Rock Band seemed to be the hit of the party.

Jennifer Knapp - Whole Again (Live on Studio B)

2008-12-05T21:55:00.001-05:00

This is one of my most favorite songs of all times. I can't believe it took me so long to look it up on YouTube. Jennifer Knapp's no longer singing professionally and kind of disappeared off the scene, which is a continual bummer for me. Anyway. I hope you all enjoy this video.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving TV shows

2008-11-22T13:04:00.004-05:00

I remember watching this as a kid way back in the 70's, and it's still funny today. I hope you enjoy the show and have a great Thanksgiving!

Walking Through Luke

2008-10-22T19:49:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday we each picked up a section of Luke we'd like to study. Here's what we chose:

Luke Chapter 4 - Brittany
Luke Chapter 5 - Zach
Luke Chapter 8 - Tashia
Luke Chapter 9:46-50 - Chelsea
Luke Chapter 10 - Lorelai
Luke Chapter 11 - Matt De
Luke Chapter 12 - Katie
Luke Chapter 14 - Joey

I'll start teaching the lessons on November 2 and continue on for 7 weeks. Katie's leading her lesson. If you'd like to lead the lesson you chose, let me know. I'll be glad to help you put something together.
Thanks for all your help.
Jeff

MercyMe - Jesus Is Still All Right

2008-09-12T22:02:00.001-04:00

Great song. Great cover. 'Nuff said. See you in Sunday School @ 9.
Jeff

Crazed Weather Fan Guy

2008-08-31T16:22:00.001-04:00

I feel you need to be a passionate about something. But this guy... Check out how he comes back at the end. Love it.

Peace

2008-08-25T19:59:00.002-04:00

This week we covered the Peace that Jesus gives to us. Remember that it's something we need to take. Just like salvation, we choose to claim it. We didn't get through everything, and there's some great stuff in your books. Do the questions on pages 47 & 48, and I'll give out prizes. If you choose to take it. Have a great week.

Back in Action

2008-08-17T15:12:00.002-04:00

As the Summer winds to an end, we're back to Sunday School as normal (?) next week, August 24. Be there in the "pool table side" at 9:00. I can't wait.

Here are some more significant events.

Sunday, September 7th: Outdoor Service.
Wednesday, September 10th: Rite of Passage into Youth Group.
Sunday, September 14th: Promotion Sunday.

If the 7th is rained out, it pushes everything ahead (or back, I never know which) one week. Outdoor service will be on the 14th and Promotion Sunday is on the 21st.

We'll take the next couple of weeks working from the book. Then we'll take a few weeks to go through the topics the class came up with.

Have a great week.

MercyMe - Cover Tune Grab Bag

2008-08-08T22:16:00.001-04:00

These "Grab Bag" videos just make me laugh. Enjoy.

Hiatus

2008-07-06T19:26:00.002-04:00

Now it's starting to feel like summer. We'll be buddying up with the other class for a few weeks. A couple are gone for one week with Bible Bowl. (Good luck - Tash, Joey, and Katie!) A couple are off for a few weeks to various church camps. Some weeks that will leave just me and Jess. See you all when we're back to 'normal' in August.

Everything by Lighthouse - Drama

2008-06-21T19:49:00.001-04:00

There are lots of versions of this on YouTube. This one was done by a local church in Allentown. I hope you enjoy it. Please comment.

Be a Blessing

2008-06-07T21:59:00.001-04:00

This week's lesson's on the word Blessing. We'll talk about what blessings we've had in our life, what blessings we'd like to have, and how we can be a blessing to others. Here's a secret about your take home paper that only the blog readers will know. If you do the activity at the bottom and bring in a blessing poem you wrote, you'll get a prize next week. Shh h. It's our secret.
See you Sunday.

Wake Up!

2008-05-27T20:33:00.002-04:00

I can tell the school year's almost over. Homework is more loathed than ever here in my house. Joey's starting to brag that he's over with his homeschooling. Katie, Tash, and Chels are looking forward to finals. (Maybe not looking forward to, but anticipating.) And the last thing we want to do is to discuss deep biblical concepts. Let's take some time off. In order with our Wednesday, end-of-school bash, we'll do something different this Sunday.
What that is, I don't know. Let me work on it.
Whatever it is, it won't feel school-like. It'll be fun.
Be there, bring your friends, and be ready to have fun.
See ya then.

Wow! Lotta stuff goin' on.

2008-05-14T21:49:00.001-04:00

Today was some day! There's so much going on. Here we go.

Karen and I got the food for the Breakfast Bonanza this Sunday. We're cooking food for the Jr. High Girls and the Alternate Sr. High. (That's us.)
The new series, Claim the Life, is going well. I kinda like the new lessons and format. I hope you are too. Let me know. Remember to look over your take home papers and update your journals if you use one.
Pastor Dan got notice about his Green Card status. He'll have a definitive answer in the next two weeks. Tonight (Wed.) we laid hands on and prayed over him and Kim. Awesome time! He challenged us to examine our lives and remove anything that comes between God and our blessings. Powerful. Matthew 5:3. Claim it.

Well that's about it. I'll see you Sunday. Be sure to bring an appetite.

Starting Something New

2008-04-25T21:24:00.003-04:00

This week marks the last week for the Sunday School Smack-down. Please make sure you have your Bible verses memorized. This is the last week to catch up.

May 4th will be our Awards ceremony. We'll be pulling together all the classes to give out the iPods and announce the classes who won the catered breakfasts. Between all of the classes you, as students, have memorized a couple hundred memory verses and established habits of bringing your Bibles each week. That's awesome! I'll give more details on this on Sunday.

We'll also be starting a new Sunday School series called Claim the Life. I've attached a link to their website below for your parents to check out. As always, we'll be focusing on relying on the Bible to get us through our everyday lives. I'll be turning our focus more on worship and prayer. Each week we'll dedicate a few minutes to reflect on the previous week, share our prayer requests, and hit some action points from the lesson. I'm looking forward to it. Each of you will receive a lesson book to keep with you to work through the lessons and look back on throughout the week. Make sure you bring it each Sunday!

I'm excited to branch off in this somewhat new direction, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it, too.

See ya Sunday.

Jeff

Claim the Life.com

Avery Tackles NFL Guard

2008-04-06T17:54:00.003-04:00

Top 5 Signs That Your Girlfriend May Be Breaking Up With You

2008-04-01T10:47:00.002-04:00

The henna anklet you made for her at camp is now a cat toy.
She looks gives her little brother "the look" whenever he talks about the new guy down the street.
She claims a virus ate all your facebook pictures.
"Hey, why isn't my number on speed dial?"
She's starting to water he plants every Friday night.

New Stellar Kart

2008-03-31T16:01:00.002-04:00

Chelsea loves this video. It's the Kart Boys getting their 80's on. Check it out.

Down for the count

2008-03-30T21:04:00.002-04:00

So today I couldn't make it in. Thank you, Jess, for covering for me. I couldn't make it without you. I promise to get better for next week.
As soon as we're out of the loft we'll begin a new series. It's quite a departure from what we've been doing, but I think you all will like it.
Until I get time to blog again, here's a video to watch enjoy....

Nothing to Blog About...Until Now

2008-03-18T20:34:00.001-04:00

To say that I've been slacking in my blog posts is an understatement. I guess it's time to change things up. This blog started as a way to keep everyone in the class on the same page. I think now it needs to be a forum where we can all share things we like and care about. So to say, "Goodbye" to the old and "Hello." to the new, I'd like to present this goodbye video.

Enjoy.

Ladies and Gentlemen -- Start Your Engines

2008-02-02T15:08:00.001-05:00

This is the first week for the Sunday School Smack-Down. Check there for the current memory verse. Check back later, because I'll enter the scores from this Sunday as soon as I can.

I also added some more pictures to the Sunday School Pics widget on this blog's sidebar.

SEE?>>>>>>>

This week we're going to look at loving our enemies. Check out 1Corinthians 13 to get yourself prepped. It'll be pretty good.

Also, please start thinking about what you'd like to study next. I was thinking about doing another book study. Jess thought maybe John 1,2, & 3. Maybe we could look at one of the books the Bible Bowlers are going through. Let me know what you think.

Have a great one.

Jeff

Back to Jesus

2008-01-19T13:25:00.000-05:00

This week we're returning to "The Tough Teachings of Jesus." We'll be asking the questions "Are Mountain-Moving Prayers Possible?" In the past each of us in this class have shared times when God moved in our lives in a BIG way. Come with some more stories of how God has done this with you.

The Sunday School Smack-down starts in a couple of weeks. Visit sssmackdown.blogspot.com for more details.

See you Sunday at 9:00.

Memory Verse: Mat 17:20 NASB And He *said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."

What's Coming Up?

2008-01-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

We got half way through the "Case for Christ" video. From what I can tell, everyone seems to be enjoying it so far. Next week we finish it off with a short video on Jesus' crucifiction prophecies.
I'm meeting with all the other Jr. and Sr. High SS Teachers about the upcoming Sunday School Smack-down. We'll start the first Sunday in February. Stay tuned for details.
The Sunday service starts in the gym in a few weeks. I'll let you all know what that means for us.
Not much else going on. We seemed to have made it through the holidays. Bobkat got to go to Milton. We ate lots of chocolate. Seems like a good time to me.
See you Sunday.

White Out!

2007-12-18T21:47:00.000-05:00

Well, we intended to have Sunday School, but it seems we were snowed out. Bonus for us. We got to hear Pastor Dan preach. W00t!
This Friday we are having a Christmas party at my place. Call or e-mail if you need directions.
I got my hands on The Case for Christ DVD. We'll watch it in class when we're done with the book. It's very well done.
Gotta go. Lots of Christmas stuff to get done.

Peace.

Back on Track - The Case for Christmas - Chapter 3

2007-12-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

We're finally back into the book after a 1 week hiatus. Chapter 3 looked at the "profile evidence" and asked "Did Jesus Fulfill the Attributes of God?" The author asks "...Jesus claims to be the Son of God. But does he fulfill these characteristics of deity?"
We discussed quite a few points from the chapter and found out that, yes, He does.
The book is quite deep, but I think we're doing a fine job working through it.
One more week to go, then we can take a week to watch the video.
See you Sunday.

Tim Hawkins - Cletus Take the Reel

2007-12-06T23:50:00.001-05:00

For those of you who got to see him live, you will appreciate this. If you weren't there, you'll still love it. Enjoy.

The Blog Maintainence

2007-12-04T19:50:00.000-05:00

My little experiment with the other blog has ended. This spot seems to be the best choice for now. Feel free to check out my other experiment at bethweshs.livejournal.com.

For now you can just go to bethweshs.bthebible.com If I move anything else around, it'll just link back to there. That way you won't have to keep updating your favorites/bookmarks. Thanks for your patience.

Jeff

The Case for Christmas - Chapter 2

2007-12-04T19:49:00.001-05:00

Originally posted on bthebible.com/wordpress blog on
December 1st, 2007

There are some who couldn’t be present Sunday morning, so I decided to post the questions. Feel free to use them to review during the week. Here they are:

Q: What are the only two gospels which chronicle the birth of Jesus? p.42
Q: Which of the two authors actually interviewed eye witnesses? p. 42
Q: What are some things that also validate Luke as a reliable author? p. 43
Review two points on page 44 where Luke ended up being proved by modern archeology. Close by using quote on top of page 45: “One prominent archaeologist carefully examined Luke’s references to thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine islands, finding not a single mistake.”
Q: What place in John 5:1-15 was once thought to be factitious? p.45
Review the sheet “Three Archaeological Puzzles of the New Testament” (pp. 46-52)

Puzzle 1:The Census – How could a government force its citizens to return home to be counted? (p. 46)

Puzzle 2: Existence of Nazareth –It was common thought that Nazareth never existed during the time period of Jesus’ childhood. (p.48)

Puzzle 3: Slaughter at Bethlehem – Why is there no record of the slaughter of all of Bethlehem’s young boys? (p.51)

The author asked “what would we be able to conclude about Jesus purely by relying on ancient non-Christian sources?” What were they? (P.53)
Q: The book states on page 53 that “there is an unprecedented number of New Testament manuscripts and that they can be dated extremely close to the original writings.” Why is this important?

The Case for Christmas - Chapter 1

2007-12-04T19:47:00.000-05:00

Copied from bthebible.com/wordpress blog. Originally posted
November 28th, 2007

Well, we made it through the first chapter. I know it was a lot to cover, but we did it. I’d be interested in knowing what you thought, please post a comment below. Also, if there’s anything from the chapter that we didn’t cover, here’s the place to bring it up. Post something below, and I’ll try to answer in a day or so.

Next week have chapter 2 read where the author speaks to a biblical archaeologist. I know some of you are reading ahead, that’s great. Just look over the chapter again.

Thanks for all your hard work. Have a great week.

Christmas Moment - He Came To Get Messy

2007-11-29T00:47:00.001-05:00

I posted this here, because I know Bobkat checks both blogs. The other one has something different. www.bthebibile.com/wordpress

All Night Party

2007-10-29T22:51:00.000-04:00

I'm having problems working with the software on the other site. It won't let me post videos without blowing up the entire page. [sigh] I'll keep plugging away until I get it right. For the time being, I wanted to get this up. It's a video one of the students at the all night party posted on YouTube. When I figure out how to post it on the bthebible.com page, I'll change it over. Until then...

New Home!!

2007-10-18T22:43:00.000-04:00

I'm moving my blog from Blogger to a new home with new blogging software...

Check out the blog at: bthebible.com/wordpress

Let me know how much you like the new place by posting comments or sending me an e-mail.

Jeff

Field Trip this Sunday!!

2007-10-09T19:55:00.000-04:00

O.K., I spoke with Pastor Dan. We will be meeting in the loft at 9:00 as usual but will be departing from there for a field trip. Be there. We'll put off the music thing for some other time, so leave your CD's at home. No need to bring your hiking boots or rock climbing apparel either. However, bug spray might be a good idea.

The following week, be ready to start our study in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes; 5 great lessons over 5 weeks. I'll also introduce 5 new memory verses from the books. I'll try to get them posted on Google Docs like I did the Timothy/Titus chart.

That will bring us into the Christmas season. (Did he just say Christmas?!?) I have some really short books for us to read and discuss over about 6 weeks or so. It should be pretty good.

I hope to see all of you on Wednesday night. Remember, the all-nighter is coming up at the end of the month. $5 gets you in.

A Post for Emily

2007-10-06T22:54:00.000-04:00

I've been slacking. Life has been keeping me busy, and I haven't posted since 9/11. Shame on me. I thought I'd post on the conclusion of the Timothy/Titus series. It's completing tomorrow with us writing our own creed. I've always emphasized how we need to now what we believe and why. Tomorrow, we're going to look at the apostles creed and re-write it in a modern style I'd like to post a few on the blog as a follow-up if it goes well. We have a lot of smart teens, so I'm sure it'll be fine.

After this week's over, we'll be starting three short series on "Does the Bible Have Any Answers?"

Practical Wisdom (Learning from Proverbs)
Too Tough? (Tough Teachings of Jesus)
What Do You Think? (Your thoughts on tough issues like suicide, divorce, abortion)

It should be pretty good. There's lots of activities to do unlike the "booky" stuff we've been doing.

Have a good one, and sorry, Emily, for not posting sooner.

A New School Year's Starting Up!

2007-09-11T21:21:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks as if we're officially back to school. There are a few new 9th graders moving up into the high school class. This week we got to welcome Joey and Jake.
All of us talked about how it's important to remember who shared their faith with us and helped us down this path of spiritual maturity. We also asked ourselves who we were also mentoring. Paul and Timothy's relationship showed how we are to look at mentor-ship and the importance it played in the growth of the Church.
Don't forget that Wednesday nights are starting up again with a new format courtesy of Pastor Dan and the crew. Junior High-ers will be joining the High School group for worship and study. It should be great. I hope to see you all there.

Keep working on your memory verses and your 21-day study . The link for the memory verses is a few posts back.

The Devil is Bad

2007-08-26T22:53:00.000-04:00

Today we reviewed what Timothy had to say about Satan. We also reviewed several passages in scripture to pull out some specifics about him. Satan is referred to by many names and descriptions. To help us remember some of his characteristics, each student had to draw a picture which illustrated one of the scriptures they read. (See picture. Note that Tasha drew a very nice lion, but, unfortunately, I fell on the board and accidentally erased it. She was so distraught, that I could not talk her into recreating it. Sorry, Tash.)
At the end we looked at some practical applications to keep up the daily fight to keep our minds set on Christ.
As a follow up, a few weeks ago each of everyone took home a paper listing 21 Bible passages to read through alone or with others. Remember to have them signed off by a parent when completed each day. Try to do them all in a row. If you miss a day and have to make it up, that's fine. Just try and finish them and maybe create a new habit if you're not reading regularly now.
Well, that's all for now. Sorry it's been so long with the post.
Good luck to all who are going back to school.

Back from Bible Bowl

2007-08-04T10:58:00.000-04:00

Everyone's back from the Bible Bowl Nationals. We'll report how they did later on.
In the mean time...I updated the class schedule yet again. See you all Sunday!

Click here for the spreadsheet or just copy and past the address below into your browser's address bar.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p-TKgWXiZM0OzwucPl_r9Kg

Off to BibleBowl Nationals!!!!

2007-07-23T21:30:00.000-04:00

Whoooo Hooooo!

A bunch of our teens are off to Indiana Wesleyan University to compete in Wesleyan Bible Bowl National Finals. They've been working through the Book of Acts for about a year and know it like the back of their hand. The team's ready to bring home the gold...and have a lot of fun along the way.
Keep all the kids and the drivers/chaperons in your prayers as they go through the week. And make sure you congratulate them when they get back for a job I'm sure will be well done.

For more info on the event, click HERE and click on General Information in the yellow box at the bottom.

Bonus Post - I just thought this was really funny.

2007-07-19T22:47:00.000-04:00

Prepare to Lead

2007-07-19T22:35:00.000-04:00

"It's a Character Issue"

Last week we finished up our two-week talk on worship and prayer. This will flow naturally into this week's lesson on leadership. When men and women pray and worship regularly, God can develop them into great leaders.

This week we'll study what characteristics are found in good leaders. Just like the picture on the left, the two people in the white uniforms were chosen out of all the band members because of their leadership skills. God chooses us to lead when we display those qualities, too.

Please check the chart to read ahead study your memory verse. I need to make sure we're covering these lessons in one week. Being prepared will help.

Have a great rest of the week.

Worship Is What It's All About

2007-07-04T22:37:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in a month. What a slacker. I updated the Memory Verse Spreadsheet linked in a previous post. You should be able to go there and check it out. Here's the link again. >>>>> Click Here!

If the link above doesn't work, just enter the address below into your browser.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p-TKgWXiZM0OzwucPl_r9Kg

Anyway, over the last two weeks we spoke about watching for false teachers. Remember to keep on checking your Bibles to tell whether or not the person who is teaching you is speaking "The Real Thing." Paul warned both Timothy and Titus in their respective teachers against those who were teaching false doctrines.

Work on your memory verse for this week: 1 Timothy 2:8. "I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing."

Homework: Be prepared to talk about some of your Top 10 Prayer requests.

Have a great week!!

Re-Cap by a Guest Writer

2007-06-06T21:36:00.000-04:00

On Sunday (6-3-07) we discussed what to expect in the weeks to come with our new topic. We are going to work on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. We talked about Timothy and a little about Paul. We did four worksheets, the one we split up and did in groups of two. The others we did as a class.

Katie

Don't forget to do your homework! The spreadsheet link is below. Also, feel free to post your thoughts while we're away for the next two Sundays. We'll miss you all.

Jeff

New Series Overview

2007-05-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the overview you asked for. I have all the lesson topics listed along with the verses we will be covering. I also added the memory verse for the first few weeks' lessons. As the weeks go by, I'll continue to update the verses. Let me know if you have any questions.

Spreadsheet Listing Topics and Verses

Shirking the Service?

2007-05-22T22:39:00.000-04:00

Last week we finished up our lessons on Fellowship. We had a great conversation about what constitutes fellowship. We also discussed the Bermuda Triangle and the earth's gaseous emissions. (You had to be there.)
Coming up next Sunday, we will be discussing how God has equipped each one of us in the Church for works of service. We will evaluate how we fit into the plan at Bethany Wesleyan.

QUOTE
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." -- John Wesley

MEMORY VERSE
"With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. " 1Corinthians 15:58

HOMEWORK
Dig up your old spiritual gifts inventory and bring them along.

See you next week.

Out of the Office

2007-05-22T22:36:00.002-04:00

Due to some prior commitments, I will not be teaching Sunday School on June 10th and 17th. The class will combine with the other class on the other side of The Loft. I will be back with a new topic on June 24.

For the Parents...

2007-05-22T22:36:00.001-04:00

Faking the Fellowship?

2007-05-09T21:51:00.000-04:00

Last week we all talked about what kind of music we like to sing during our worship service. We also tried to think about others who may not like the same style we do. Someone pointed out that at one time the hymns of yesterday were the modern songs of their times.

Homework
I had you research a psalm passage and answer a few questions on the "This is Your Psalm" worksheet. Make sure you bring that in on Sunday. I also asked that you read "How are you doing spiritually?" Be prepared to talk about what fellowship means to you.

If you have any ideas about what you'd like to study next, please speak to me right away. Soon I'll be going to Hackman's to pick something new out. It would be cool to do a study on Christ and the fulfillment of prophecy. Anyhow...

Memory Verse

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.

Romans 12:9 [The Message]

You Say Bach, I Say Rock

2007-04-29T13:47:00.000-04:00

Summary
This week we looked at all the reasons we give our tithes and offerings. The play we put on showed four people and the way they looked at the service's offering time. After discussing out thoughts on how a church should give the funds we offer, we took a look at what the Bible said. Each of you took a section of scripture and pulled out the main theme and applied that to our viewpoints. We also worked out how giving of our time and talents, should go in conjunction with the money we give. Next week, May 6, we'll look at the music part of our service. We'll discuss the types of music we sing and how it is an important part of the service to us.

Homework
Read Resource #15, which I gave to each of you on Sunday. Be prepared to discuss.

Memory Verse
Pick a verse from Psalms which specifically refers to singing and memorize it. It's your choice.

See you all next week!

Offended by the Offering?

2007-04-27T20:53:00.000-04:00

Last week we spoke about the reasons we listen to sermons each week. We also talked about what some people do during the sermon. Your assignment after class was to complete the "Active Listening" worksheet during the sermon. I also asked you to complete the "What do you think?" worksheet about tithes and offerings. We'll speak about that this coming Sunday.

Here's a quote to think about until we meet again, "Stewardship is not about leaving a tip on God's tablecloth; it is the confession of an unpayable debt at Calvary." -- Paul S. Rees

Your memory verse: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachai 3:10

Whats's Up with Worship?

2007-04-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

What Went On
This week we talked all about corporate worship. We started out defining worship as declaring God is worthy. Although we can do this alone, we are required to do this corporately with others. We looked at John 4:21-24, and looked at what Jesus said about the worship of the Samaritans and the Jews. Jesus established the standard the we should worship in spirit and in truth. We also talked about those individuals who want to stifle our worship by insisting the style has to be unchanging, sterile, or just self-serving. We should worship because we desire to be in communion with God; whether it's rock or Bach.
We didn't get through everything, so I asked you to look over Resource #8, "Four Words." Although not required, doing this study on the words holy, hosanna, hallelujah, and amen, will give you a fuller idea of what worship is. So often we think these four words are just something we say in the church service.

Homework
Next week we'll start out with a review of the other resource, "Stupid Sermons?" Make sure you go through it and be ready to discuss.

Quote
"My grand point in preaching is to break the hard heart and to heal the broken one."
John Newton

Memory Verse
"Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he feel to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead."

Acts 20:9

Thanks for another great week!

True in the Pew

2007-04-08T19:39:00.000-04:00

This Week
First of all, I hope everyone had a blessed Easter today. In Sunday School we started our new topic listed above. It's all about church and what we do there. This morning we all looked at how we felt about church, what the early church started out as, and what they ended up becoming.
In short, we came to the following conclusions this morning:

We feel that church is like a support group where we all get together to serve each other and lift each other up.
The early church (right after Pentecost) started out as small groups of believers who met daily in their homes to meet each other's needs, pray, sing, and praise God. We also decided that if the Sunday School class met each day,we would get on each other's nerves.
We found out that after a while, the early church forgot why they were meeting and started doing things that cause church divisions today.
We concluded that if we just focused on serving God and each other, we wouldn't have so many problems.
We talked about some things that were important to us in a church. If a church could pick its members, we felt they would mostly choose someone who had a willingness to serve.

Homework
For homework, I assigned everyone to complete the "Worship Check" worksheet. If you didn't get one, don't worry. It can be completed before we start next week. We'll be studying worshiping in spirit and in truth compared to just going through the motions.

Memory Verse
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father ins spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

John 4:23-24 NIV

Back to the Basics

2007-03-06T20:31:00.000-05:00

Well, as we decided at the last class, we're going to look at the book of Nahum this week. It's short, sweet, and to the point.

Points to ponder:

Who wrote the book? (easy one)
Where was he/she from?
Who was the author addressing?
What was his/her message?
When was the book written?
What one word would describe the book?

Homework:

Read through the entire book.

Memory Verse:

Nahum 1:3 "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet."

God's Covenant with Abraham - Feb 18

2007-02-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday School Devotional

Genesis 17:1-14

In attendance: Chelsea, Tashia, Katie

Theme: God’s covenant with Abraham

Basis of the covenant: Abraham would have many offspring and be the father of the nation of Canaan. Abraham’s people need to keep themselves set apart by being circumcised then God would protect them.

What we think: there are many things that Christians do to set themselves apart from other people. Some of these things are physical and some are spiritual. We put the fish on our cars, wear appropriate clothing, and use kind language. We react differently to what people say to us. When other people are unkind to us or make fun of us because of our faith we don’t take it personally because we know that they are making fun of Christ, not us. These are the ways that we set ourselves apart from non-Christians.

God required Abraham’s people to be set apart. In return for their obedience they would live in Canaan without a fight. God would give them the land as a gift and increase their population. If they didn’t listen they would be cut off because they broke the covenant with God. Today if we obey God and follow his will he will give us everything we need and eternal life.

And now for something completely different...

2007-02-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

Let's do our own devotional!

This week, let's get together to write our own devotional based on Philippians 2: 1-16. Think of experiences to share. Formulate some stories to illustrate the passage. Maybe write something down to get us started. Maybe you want to draw a picture or two. I dunno.

This could be the start of something new.

See you Sunday

Memory Verse: Anything from Philippians 2:1-16

Busting Free Week 12 - February 4

2007-01-30T21:47:00.000-05:00

Accept Conviction;
Refuse Accusation;
Deal with Temptation

Main Idea: In Christ, we have the power to resist temptation, to receive conviction for our sin from the Holy Spirit, to resist Satan's accusations, and to experience the forgiveness and joy of Jesus Christ.

Points to Ponder:

What are some things that tempt you? How can you resist them?
How would you differentiate between conviction and accusation?

Memory Verse: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out, so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Reminder: We now meet in the Loft. Be there or be a parallelogram.

Busting Free Week 10 - January 21

2007-01-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

Resisting Demons and the Occult
Main Idea: Demons are active in accusing, tempting and lying to Christians. Christians have the power to resist demonic activity and must resist the occult by using God's Word, the power of prayer and the encouraging strength of singing hymns and spiritual songs.

Points to Ponder:

How does Satan attack and accuse Christians?
How can we recognize and resist temptation from Satan and his demons?
Why should we avoid the occult and seek freedom from it if we're involved?
Be ready to discuss your memory verse below.

Memory Verse: Luke 11: 24-26. This one is rather long, so I won't post it here. You have two weeks if you need it.

Busting Free Week 9 - January 14

2007-01-13T08:36:00.000-05:00

Your Authority in Christ

Main Idea: As followers of Christ, we have in Christ the authority and power to defeat Satan and his demons. Through prayer, we can claim Christ's authority to bind the strong man and see others and ourselves set free from bondages through Jesus Christ.

Points to Ponder:

What is the difference between power and authority?
What is the difference between deception and a lie?
In Ephesians 6: 10-13, Paul lists 6 items which make up God's Armor. What are they?

Memory Verse: I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to our, but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven. Luke 10: 19-20 (NIV)

Busting Free Week 8 - January 7

2007-01-05T07:16:00.000-05:00

Free at Last

Main Idea: Christ can set you free from bondages, so you can walk with God and your unique identity can be established in Him.

Points to Ponder:

What do you think are some common bondages people your age face?
Contrast "supernatural" with "natural"?
How much of your day would you say is focused on supernatural things? (ex. prayer)

Memory Verse:
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

Merry Christmas

2006-12-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

No class this week due to the Christmas Candlelight service. I hope to see you there. Services are at 10:30 AM, 3:00 PM, and 5:00 PM. Class will resume at the normal time on December 31. Be prepared to discuss the following.

The results of your Spiritual Gifts inventory.
What are we doing with these gifts?
A new name and a new direction for the class.

Spiritual Gifts Week 1 - December 17

2006-12-10T13:35:00.000-05:00

What Are My Spiritual Gifts, and What Do I Do With Them?

Main Idea: God gives us all spiritual gifts. Now what?

Points to Ponder:

How can I identify my spiritual gifts?
Why does God give these gifts?
How do my spiritual gifts help me to serve?

Memory Verse: Choose your own as long as it relates to the spiritual gifts.

Busting Free Week 7 - December 10

2006-12-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

Dealing With Rejection and Building Relationships

The Main Idea: We mature as disciples of Christ Jesus as the barren destructive roots are removed from our lives and as we walk according to the truth o who we are in Christ and grow in faith.

Points to Ponder:

How can we avoid criticizing and judging others?
How does God want me to mature as a disciple?
What "barren roots" do we have in our lives?

Memory Verse: Who are you to judge some else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the lord is able to make him stand." Romans 14:4

November 26 - Busting Free Week 6

2006-11-24T20:51:00.000-05:00

Dealing with Rejection and Building Relationships

Memory Verse: Colossians 2: 6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, being rooted and being built up in Him, and being confirmed in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

November 19 - Busting Free - Week 5

2006-11-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

Winning the Battle for Your Mind

Main Idea: Strongholds are sinful patterns of thought and action that are deeply ingrained in our lives. Strongholds do not have control unless we let them. We have the power through Christ to discern Satan's lies, to confess and renounce our sins, and to pull down the strongholds with the truth of God's Word. We can win the battle for our minds in Jesus Christ.

Points to Ponder:

What are some spiritual strongholds that you experience?
What are some scriptures you can use to help pull down those strongholds?
How can we take sinful thoughts captive while dwelling on pure thoughts?

Memory Verses (You can do both to cover last week's. Oops!)

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world." 2 Corinthians 10:3
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

Pretty Interesting

2006-11-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

I found this video to be quite interesting.

November 12 - Busting Free Week 4

2006-11-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

Positive Faith Produces True Happiness and a Christlike Character

Main Idea: God's plan and goals for your life focus on developing a Christlike character in you as lived out through your daily walk with God in your beliefs, feelings, and actions.

Points to Ponder:

What are God's plans for your life? How do your own personal goals and plans need to conform to God's?
How is God forming a Christlike character in you?
Evaluate your personal walk of faith.

Memory Verse: TBA

November 5 - Busting Free - Week 3

2006-10-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

Letting Your New Nature Shine

Main Idea: Every child of God has the power to live a Spirit-controlled life, confessing sin and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

Points to Ponder:

How is the natural of "old man" crucified with Christ?
How does the Holy Spirit give power and guidance to your body, soul, & spirit?
Why do Christians continue to sin after being saved?
What do we do about the sin in our lives?
How can we resist the temptations and desires of the flesh while walking in the Spirit and bearing spiritual fruit?

Memory Verse: "For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." Ephesians 5:8 NIV

October 29 - Busting Free! Week 2

2006-10-22T17:11:00.000-04:00

A New Life & Relationship in Jesus Christ

Main Idea: My identity as God's child is rooted in what God says about me, not in my appearance, my behavior, others' perceptions of me, or Satan's lies about me.

Points to Ponder:

Discover who we are in Christ.
Understand our inheritance from the first Adam and identify what Christ, the second Adam, gives us.

Memory Verse: "As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." 1 Corinthians 15:22

What to Bring:

Your bible
pen or pencil
candy for the teacher

October 22: New Study This Week

2006-10-21T11:42:00.000-04:00

Our new study will be "Busting Free!: Helping Youth Discover Their Identity in Christ" by Dr. Neil T. Anderson and Dave Park.

The goal of this course is to: "free young people to find biblical solutions to the personal and spiritual wounds that cripple their self-esteem and confuse their identity--by helping them grab hold of their true identity in Christ."

Here's a link to the author's website to further investigate his misnstry: Freedom in Christ Ministries

Some of the points we will cover in the following weeks are:

Who are you?
A new Life and Relationship in Jesus Christ
Winning the Battle for your Mind
Your Authority in Christ
Accept Conviction; Refuse Accusation
Who is in Control of Every Part of your Life?

What to bring this week:

pencil or pen
your folder
Bible
your brain

Memory Verse: Genesis 1:27 "And God created the man in His own image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female." LITV

October 15 - James 5

2006-10-10T20:29:00.000-04:00

Memory Verse: James 5:16b [NIV] The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Where to Meet: 602 B - Top floor -- You should know the way by now.
What to Prepare: Bring your notebook, pencil or pen, Bible, read James 5.
Questions: Why do you think it is so difficult to be patient? Do you think it is easier or harder today than it was in James' time?

October 8, 2006 - James 4

2006-10-05T21:22:00.000-04:00

Memory Verse: James 4:7 [NIV] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Where to Meet: 602 B - Top floor -- All the way in the back.
What to Prepare: Bring your notebook, pencil or pen, Bible, read James 4.
Questions: Is it better to find out things the easy way or the hard way? Why do you feel that way?

October 1, 2006 - James 3

2006-09-27T22:09:00.000-04:00

Memory Verse: James 3:18 [NIV] Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Where to Meet: 602 B - Follow the Signs!
What to Prepare: Bring your notebook, pencil or pen, Bible, read James 3. And did I mention, bring your Bible?
Questions: Why do some people claim that your tongue is the strongest muscle in your body?

September 24 - James 2

2006-09-20T00:24:00.000-04:00

Memory Verse: James 2:26 [ISV] For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
Where to Meet: New Room - Follow the Signs!
What to Prepare: Bring your notebook, pencil or pen, Bible, read James 2. And did I mention, bring your Bible?
Questions: Peanut butter & _________, Bacon& ____________. Think of some other famous pairs. What makes them so good together? Why are they just not the same when they're apart?

September 17 - James 1

2006-09-12T20:55:00.000-04:00

Memory Verse: James 1:2-3 [ISV] Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Where to Meet: The Loft
What to Prepare: Bring your notebook, pencil or pen, Bible, read James 1.
Questions: Why do you think James started off his letter talking about being persecuted? How are we persecuted today? Do you think everyone is pesecuted in the same way, or is it different for everyone?

Overview of James

2006-09-01T07:37:00.000-04:00

Your first assignment for the September 10th class is:

Read through the entire book of James. (It's only 5, short chapters.)
Write down one sentence that you think describes what the author was like.

Post some thoughts on this blog if you wish. Also be ready to share your thoughts in class on Sunday morning. Make sure you bring your Bible and something to write with. Have a great week.

How to...

2006-08-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

The purpose of this blog is two-fold. One is to provide a review of the week's assignment and a forum for sharing your thoughts about the lesson. Check in throughout the week to see what others have posted. I will post assignments each Friday or Saturday before the Sunday lesson. Just stop in to check on your assignment and/or to post some thoughts sparked from your studies.