BJU Press Blog

REJOICE (CHAIRO)

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“. . . the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 14:4)

Rejoicing outside of anything other than sensual pleasure makes little sense to the outside world.  They cannot see the well of living water that resides inside of the Christian’s soul. Formed at the moment of regeneration, this well is fed by the daily blessings of a God who continually communicates His love.

cover image of Wonderful Words

“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:12). “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41). “And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together” (John 4:36). “I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you” (John 16:22). “Rejoicing in hope” (Romans 12:12). “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 3:1). “Rejoice evermore” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

GOLDEN THOUGHT: Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (September 14 reading).]

History Begins at Creation

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I’m a few weeks into teaching Heritage Studies 2 to my oldest daughter. One day as we started our history lesson after family worship, my daughter exclaimed, “I learned this in Bible class!” (That’s because our second-grade American history textbook began with creation.) She was surprised to be learning something in history class that she learned from the Bible.

As a parent, I was pleased that my daughter recognized our study of American history started with a historical account from the Bible because my wife and I have committed to give our children a biblical worldview education so that they will view each subject by faith. When we study history, faith demands we begin the study with creation, understand humanity in light of creation, and see civilization through creation.

History_Creation

By Faith Begin History with Creation

When I took world history in high school and college, the textbooks began with civilization in ancient Mesopotamia. My Christian teachers dismissed evolutionary “prehistory,” but they never replaced these myths with the account of the beginning of human events in the Garden of Eden. When we as parents start to teach “history” without the creation account, we treat it as a secularist would, as something other than an account of how the world actually began. I want my children to approach all subjects by faith. That means taking creation seriously in their history course.

By Faith Understand Humanity in Light of Creation

Secularists try to find ways to define humans. They sometimes call us tool-using-creatures or symbol-using-creatures. Without the creation account, we have a poor basis for understanding human beings. How can our children properly study a subject that records and interprets human events yet doesn’t define our humanity? Our history textbook taught my daughter that we’re all created in God’s image and that God gives us two important directions: fill and rule the earth. While the Fall (also covered in our textbook) twisted us, our identity is still rooted in the one in whose image we are made and the directions He gave us in the beginning. Creation is foundational to understanding that humans and humanity are the central focus of historical study.

By Faith See Civilization Through Creation

In general, secularists claim that humans started to congregate and plant crops, which in turn led to civilization. They claim civilization allowed for occupational specializations, such as priests who invented gods. In contrast, the creation account tells us that God ordered humans  to “exercise dominion” over the earth. In the first generation, people began cultivating crops (Cain) and practicing husbandry (Abel). Even when murderous Cain began founding cities, he did so because of God’s call to rule over the world. Civilization didn’t beget God, instead God’s direction to man gave rise to civilization.

As my daughter continues to study American history, these foundational concepts are central to her understanding of the events and people we will learn about. My wife and I want our daughter to view history through the lens of faith. That’s why we want a history text that begins with creation.

Learn more about teaching from a biblical worldview by signing up for our homeschool email.

Do You Have a Girl in the Mirror?

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231423 The Girl In The MirrorBack when I was growing up, face time could have referred to the hours my peers and I spent critically evaluating our faces in our bedroom mirrors, playing with different hair and clothing styles, and yes—removing any annoying zits that dared to tarnish the “landscape.” No one had to tell us to be sensitive about appearances, and no one had to coax us to (unwisely) compare ourselves to others. That’s what teens are famous for as they go through that time of searching not only for acceptance but also for answers.

Those of us whose outlook on life used to be entirely peer-driven want more for our own daughters (and granddaughters). We find as parents that our young people are quite unaware of how deeply we yearn to be positive role models—examples of strong and consistent faith that will mold their values during these crucial years. And we welcome tools that offer them the biblical perspective, which is so at odds with the pop culture that surrounds them.

The Girl in the Mirror, JourneyForth’s signature Bible study for teen girls, is a trustworthy and appealing venue of instruction for the young women who are important to you. Drawing primarily on the book of Proverbs and especially the Proverbs 31 woman, author Michelle Grover addresses such teen-relevant topics as Christian fidelity, dependability, appearance, relating to authority, sound speech, personal discipline, and many other aspects of a teen’s public and private life. The author’s approach is sympathetic, personal, and grounded on the premise that the fear of the Lord offers the only solid foundation for godly womanhood.

Presented in easy-to-follow lessons with questions and fill-in-the-blank follow-up answers, The Girl in the Mirror is well-suited for group interaction as well as personal Bible study. Notably feminine in its approach, you’ll find Grover’s priorities completely in step with your own as a Christian parent.

A Simple Method for Teaching Bible

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Isaiah

How do Bible study skills relate to biblical worldview shaping? First, you must understand that a biblical worldview consists of three ingredients:

(1) the larger story of the world,

(2) the beliefs and values that grow out of that larger story, and

(3) the cultural action or personal behavior that should result from those beliefs and values.

Second, once the purposeful aim for a series of Bible courses has been established, there needs to be a practical method in place for accomplishing that aim of worldview shaping. It’s important to teach children and teens a good process for studying the Bible to ensure that their beliefs and values (ingredient 2) truly grow out of the larger biblical story of the world (ingredient 1) and thus lead to appropriate cultural participation and personal behavior (ingredient 3).

Here’s a simple inductive Bible study method that you can teach your children:

  • Observe (what the Bible passage says)
  • Interpret (what the Bible passage means)
  • Apply (how the Bible passage should become meaningful)

The method can be tailored to multiple age-appropriate learning levels. Each step in the process can be more or less detailed as appropriate.

Example of an Inductive Study

You can use what God said to His people through Isaiah to teach your children a particular value—repentance. But that value will only make sense to your children when they accept the big story of Scripture (Creation, Fall, Redemption) regarding the reality of their condition before God. Only then will that value be personally adopted.

Isaiah passage

Example of how the inductive method can make this passage understandable and practical in terms of a biblical worldview:

  1. Observe (identify the belief/value): This step involves asking your children (at different age-appropriate levels) to mark or point out the word pictures and phrases that describe or show repentance.
  2. Interpret (understand and give significance to the belief/value based on the reality of the big story): This step involves asking your children to explain the word pictures that describe genuine repentance. Why is genuine repentance important to God?
  3. Apply (put the belief/value into practice): This step involves asking your children how the teachings on repentance relate to their own lives. Are there any parallels in their own lives that compare to the examples described in the passage?

Why the Order of the Inductive Method Is Important

Observing what God’s Word says and interpreting what it means must precede the application of its morals to life. If the process is reversed (beginning with application, skipping careful observation and interpretation), then Scripture gets twisted to fit into a preconceived human system of morals. Or the real significance—of relating properly to God in accordance with the larger reality of the world—gets lost.

REDEEMER

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There is no topic a Christian disciple would rather talk about than his Redeemer. That which consumes his thoughts day by day cannot help but become the natural topic of his conversation. Whether in prayer or praise, we make our “boast in the Lord.”

cover image of Wonderful Words

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25). “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). “Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). “As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 47:4). “All flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:26). “Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause” (Jeremiah 50:34).

GOLDEN THOUGHT: I know that my Redeemer lives.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (September 7 reading).]