BJU Press Blog

DESIRE

February 10, 2016 by Cosette

“Success” in the Lord’s work is no indicator of genuine belief or pure motives, but desire is. If there is a desire to glorify God, any spiritual endeavor is not in vain regardless of the perceived outcome. The following verses remind me that what I hunger for, reveals who I am.

The psalmist says of the words of God, “More to be desired are they than gold” (Psalm 19:10). “Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee” (Psalm 38:9). God knows fully the deepest longings of the human heart. “The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted” (Proverbs 10:24). The wicked, who fear above all things the loss of material goods, will in the end loose every last thing. But the righteous, who long for the presence of God, will be fully satisfied at last. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). The believer should hunger and thirst for the knowledge of the Word of God. “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

GOLDEN THOUGHT: The desire of the righteous shall be granted.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (February 10 reading).]

Putting on Your Worldview Glasses

February 4, 2016 by Kevin

The Need for a Biblical Worldview

We have always lived in a fallen world, but it seems to be going from bad to worse (2 Timothy 3:13). The issues are snowballing; rebellion against God rages like an avalanche overtaking any chance of escape (Psalm 2:1–3). Will the rebellion of this world swallow up or smother your own children?

Truth claims and moral values that were once clear to many Christian parents are now being questioned by their professing Christian children. Some of the classmates I grew up with—who still profess Christ—have fallen into the traps that seem to be everywhere: justifying their indulgence in immorality, downplaying compromise with evolution, or gravitating toward the edges of orthodox Christianity.

As godly parents, you watch your young people growing up and see that they’re about to depart from home. You’re rightly motivated to equip your children to respond with biblical wisdom to the cultural upheaval: gay marriage, the murder of babies for profit, “safe zones” for the entitled on college campuses, and frequent mass shootings. The cultural situation is grim.¹

The biblical worldview team at BJU Press is motivated to provide the tools you need to equip your young people to face the chaotic world in which they live and to stand firm. That’s why we wrote Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption—to protect Christ’s little ones who truly belong to Him by providing them with biblical worldview glasses.

Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption

This one book brings together the biblical worldview approach that is integrated into all of BJU Press’s curriculum. First, it helps students understand what a biblical worldview is and its significance to all of life. Second, it helps students to specifically understand the biblical worldview of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. Third, it guides an application of this worldview to multiple social institutions and disciplines (marriage and the family, government, science, history, and culture and the arts).

In the process, it introduces students to apologetic methods and guides them to discern and refute false worldviews. Particular attention is given to motivating students to contribute positively to the social institutions and disciplines—to rebuild them according to a biblical worldview.

Four distinctives summarize our approach to teaching a biblical worldview:

Focus on a biblical worldview: The goal is to focus students on a constructive presentation of Creation, Fall, Redemption rather than to overwhelm them with information about a multiplicity of false worldviews. False worldviews will be evaluated, but always in the context of reinforcing the true biblical worldview.
Bible-first perspective: The starting point, the ultimate authority source, is God’s Word. It’s the standard by which all evidence and claims must be evaluated, and not vice versa.
Emphasis on evaluation and positive response: Students should be challenged not only to evaluate ideas intellectually but also to apply the biblical worldview as they become salt and light in the culture.
Content that is both accessible and compelling: This textbook was purposefully written in a style that’s more enjoyable to read and draws from several conservative Bible translations. Rather than introducing students to an encyclopedic overview of abstract philosophical concepts, our approach to worldview studies is designed to be engaging by being set in the context of the unfolding story of the world.

The Student Text is complemented by these additional resources: Teacher’s Edition, a Student Activities Manual and Student Activities Answer Key, and Tests and Tests Answer Key.

Take a look inside the book to learn more.

1. Ken Ham, “The Chasm Is Widening: Are You on God’s Side?” Answers in Genesis (website), April 29, 2013; D.C. Innes, “The Fight for Religious Liberty,” World (website), January 26, 2015.

CROWN

February 3, 2016 by Cosette

Crowns are rare things. They can be hard to acquire and even harder to hang onto. The crowns promised by our Lord to His people were indescribably difficult and costly to acquire. But they will never, EVER be taken away from us. See how He gets the glory for both the getting and giving.

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). The Lord Jesus, the great King, will provide crowns for His faithful people as well. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12). The tests of this life do not harm us; they will produce crowns of victory in the next. The apostle Peter addresses the elders of the churches and promises them, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Peter 5:4). The Lord Jesus promised the church of Smyrna, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

GOLDEN THOUGHT: The Lord Jesus will give you a crown of life.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (February 3 reading).]

Ready to Learn: A Benefit of Preschool Curriculum

February 2, 2016 by Megan

When my oldest daughter completed kindergarten last summer, I was ready to make sure that she wouldn’t experience any of the summer learning loss that I had read so much about. I had purchased BJU Press’s Vacation Stations: Beyond the Back Door workbook and carefully planned a daily summer schedule that would allow us time to review concepts and practice reading.

I also planned to do preschool with my three-year-old daughter to help keep her occupied and to prepare her for four-year-old kindergarten in the fall. I talked to some friends about my intentions, and they suggested that I purchase a preschool workbook from a store like Walmart^® or Sam’s Club^™.

Unlike complete curriculum packages, workbooks do not include instructional materials. However, I was pretty confident in my ability to teach preschool-level skills. After shopping around, I found what I thought was the perfect workbook. Designed for ages three-to-five, it contained almost three hundred pages of full-color, perforated pages. The activities looked fun. It promised to help my daughter learn skills such as the alphabet, shapes, numbers, colors, and more. It even included a CD-ROM. Best of all was its price tag—$5.99.

My daughter was excited to do “school” along with her big sister, but that excitement soon turned into frustration. The workbook was asking her to do things that she was not prepared to do. For example, the first page in the section designed to teach color skills directed her to color a picture of a crayon blue, trace the word blue (the font being only 2-3 inches high) and draw a picture of a blue house. She had not developed the fine motor skill needed to do the tracing or the drawing. We ran into another such difficulty in the number section. At the top of the page she was shown three objects and was directed to circle the object that only appeared once in the larger picture at the bottom of the page. My daughter was utterly confused.

After a few weeks of repeated frustration, we completely abandoned the workbook. Even though my daughter didn’t learn the alphabet or her numbers over the summer, she’s learning them now with the help of BJU Press’s Footsteps for Fours curriculum. Her experience with this curriculum has been completely positive—she enjoys it so much that she wants to do school all day long.

It’s easy to think that the concepts taught in preschool and kindergarten are so basic that you don’t need a curriculum, but this experience taught me differently. One of the biggest values of an early-learning curriculum is in its sequencing. Within a good curriculum, skills and concepts are taught in certain order; they build on one another. The result of sequencing is that children are prepared for the introduction of new skills and concepts. They don’t get frustrated because they have been given all the tools they need to succeed. And succeed they will. Not only will they gain new knowledge and skills, but they will have the confidence they need for continued success.

Remember These Dates in February

January 28, 2016 by Meredith

Can I let you in on a little secret? February is one of my favorite months. Historically, culturally, scientifically, and personally—it holds events that have shaped the world and my own life. Plus, it’s during this month that those of us in the South sometimes get to experience a winter (or more likely icy) wonderland.

A month-long celebration we shouldn’t overlook is Black History Month. It honors the achievements of men and women who have influenced American society. God gives each of us unique circumstances through which we can choose to serve Him and others. Highlight the inventions, literary works, brave actions, and fight for justice of notable African Americans.

February 1

The first installment of the Oxford English Dictionary was printed on this date in 1884. This project initially began with the intent of recording English words used as early as 1150 AD through the mid-1800s. It took forty years to publish the complete volume. However, the English language continues to develop with new words and different pronunciations or meanings. Today anyone can access this dictionary of the English language online. Just for fun check out OED’s definition of homeschool.

February 11

Celebrate National Inventors’ Day by having everyone put on an imaginary “thinking cap” and spend time exploring what life would be like with (or without) certain inventions. Make this activity like a science fair project where your child can test his hypothesis. Studying these inventors who were born in February might provide some inspiration: Thomas Edison, George Ferris Jr., and Levi Strauss. It amazes me what power one person’s idea can have to change the world (within the limits given by our sovereign God). Each invention is a fulfillment of God’s command for humans to take dominion over the earth.

February 14

Don’t forget to make Valentine’s Day special! Last year, I had the opportunity to make homemade valentine crafts with some young friends and Val the Mailbox Gal was the perfect way to deliver our notes. Find directions for the craft and Scripture valentine printables in this blog post.

February 15

Honor the Chief Executive of the United States on President’s Day. The third Monday of February was selected for this holiday because it’s close to George Washington’s birthday. Any citizen born in our country could grow up to be president. But with leadership comes the responsibility to serve the people who have elected you. Gain insight into the beginnings of three presidents and see how their experiences prepared them for the biggest job in the world.

February 18

On this day in 1930, Pluto, which used to be considered the ninth planet in our solar system, was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory. Tombaugh found Pluto mostly by accident. Today, Pluto is considered a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union because it shares its orbit with another celestial object of similar size. (You can get the full explanation in the BJU Press Earth Science textbook.) And if you’re ever near Flagstaff, Arizona, stop by and visit the Lowell Observatory. It’s a great field trip for aspiring astronomers as well as those who might be less than thrilled with science. I enjoyed my family’s visit several years ago!

February 23

This was the date in 1945 during World War II when a famous picture of the Battle of Iwo Jima was taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. US forces continued this battle for weeks after the flag raisings. In fact, of the six men shown in the photo, only three survived the battle. This image also served as the model for the monument that honors all the Marines who have died in service to our nation. Seeing this memorial in Washington, DC, is a privilege I don’t think I’ll ever forget, especially now that I know the history of the Marine Corps War Memorial. Share the bravery of these young men with your kids.

February 29

Leap Day is here! Wondering what to do? I’m pretty sure your kids will rejoice if you surprise them by making today a play day instead of a learning day. But if you decide to put something educational on the agenda, why not have them write letters to themselves to be opened on the next Leap Day? Be sure to seal the letters in envelopes so no one peeks before 2020!

Check back with us next month for more activities and events!