Jesus was dead, and now He was alive! He had been resurrected from the dead, which was a wonderful miracle. The disciples were so excited, but now what were they to do? The disciples had been taught by Jesus for three and a half years, but they hadn’t yet understood the full reason of why they had been called. They decided to go back to what they used to do – fishing! One morning, after spending all night trying to catch something, a man appeared on the shore. At first they didn’t recognize Him, but once they did they raced toward the beach to meet Him. They didn’t know yet, but Jesus, the Son of God, was about to give them a purpose and a mission that would change the world.
Discuss:
Why do you think Peter decided to go fishing? Who were some of the disciples that went fishing with Peter?
What did the man on the shore tell the disciples to do? What happened when they listened?
Who was it that recognized the man speaking was actually Jesus? How do you think he knew it was Jesus?
Who made breakfast? What do you think it would be like to eat breakfast with God?
What question did Jesus ask Peter after they had eaten? Who is represented by the lambs and the sheep that Jesus instructed Peter to feed? What was Jesus really telling Peter to do?
Memory Challenge:
John 21:25
“And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CL-feature-image-2-11.png6111651Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-02-04 12:30:002021-02-03 15:37:46Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: NT Lesson 12 “Breakfast with Jesus”
Jesus had died. A man named Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked if he could take Jesus’ body and properly bury Him. Pilate agreed, so Joseph took Him and wrapped the body and put it in a tomb. Even though they had witnessed Jesus’ death, the Jews were not quite satisfied. They remembered that Jesus said “After three days I will rise.” So they asked that the tomb be guarded day and night just in case one of His disciples might try to take Him away. They did not understand that God is the one who has power over life and death and He had a special plan for His own Son.
Discuss:
What does the word resurrect mean?
When did Mary Magdalene and the other women arrive at the tomb? What did the women find when they came to the tomb?
Jesus said He would be in the grave 3 days and 3 nights (the same amount of time that Jonah was in the whale). Since Jesus was put in the tomb on Wednesday evening, counting three days and three nights, when did Christ rise from the dead?
What did the women do when they discovered Christ was not in the grave?
Where did Jesus instruct the disciples to meet Him?
How did the Jewish authorities plan to cover-up the truth about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead?
What final instructions did Jesus give the disciples before He ascended to heaven?
Memory Challenge:
Matthew 28:18-19
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CL-feature-image-3-11.png6111651Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-02-04 12:30:002021-02-03 15:38:31Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: NT Lesson 12 “The Resurrection”
Martin Luther removed books from the Old Testament, and fought to strip away sections of the New Testament as well. Luther’s words denigrating James’ epistle are well-known.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/luther_at_erfurt_-_justification_by_faith-2.jpg220288Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-02-03 13:30:412021-02-17 15:09:03Course Spotlight: Luther and an “Epistle of Straw”
Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education 2021
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes, 16 seconds.
Modern science claims matter and energy are the two fundamental elements of life. “But,” Mr. Richard Ames said, “there’s another factor: intelligence.” Mr. Ames played the documentary Unlocking the Mystery of Life for his Assembly. In this documentary, scientists argue that intelligent design is undeniably present in nature. Mr. Ames asked the students to consider this question as they watched the video: “Why should intelligence be a foundational element of science?”
“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.”
– Charles Darwin
Irreducible Complexity
Irreducible complexity is the idea that a biological system could not have evolved through tiny, incremental developments because the system itself cannot be any less complex to operate. This concept is clearly seen in the functioning of the tail-like organ called a flagellum on a bacterium. Flagella can spin at speeds up to 100,000 rpm. Just like an outboard motor on a boat, these natural propellors have gears, a stator, rotor, u-joint, driveshaft, and propellor—in total, they have 40 different parts. Evolution must explain how this system can be built gradually when the system only works when each part is functioning. The biologist Jonathan Wells explains that natural selection “selects only for a functional advantage… so if you had a bacterium with a tail that didn’t function as a flagellum, chances are natural selection would eliminate it. The only way you can select for a flagellum is if you have… all the pieces of the motor in place to begin with.”
Life Requires Instructions
The video introduced Dr. Dean Kenyon, who wanted to answer the question: “How did life begin in the first place?” He theorized that amino acids assembled themselves into proteins millions of years ago through chemical attraction. A student challenged him on how amino acids could assemble without instructions from DNA. DNA regulates the sequences and shapes amino acids need to form to create proteins. Dr. Kenyon found he couldn’t explain how amino acids had formed proteins without any instruction from pre-existing DNA. Furthermore, natural selection, by definition, needs existing organisms to operate. The issue of the origin of DNA is a major challenge to evolutionary theory.
“Science ought to be a search for the truth about the world… when we come to a puzzle in nature, we ought to bring to that puzzle every possible cause that might explain it. One of the problems I have with evolutionary theory is that it artificially rules out a kind of cause even before the evidence has a chance to speak, and the cause that’s ruled out is intelligence.”
– Paul Nelson
Design Reasoning
When archeologists discover ruins or when tourists see Mount Rushmore, they assume an intelligent mind was responsible. William Dembski wondered why. He established two reliable criteria for determining whether something was designed or not: small probability and specification. It’s highly improbable erosion carved faces into Mount Rushmore. The specific patterns of the faces are also recognizable. This speaks to design. From computer software to words scratched in the sand on the beach, people take intelligent design for granted all the time—without needing to be present when it was done. Scientists even monitor outer space for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. If a highly improbable, specifically patterned signal was intercepted from space, researchers would declare extraterrestrial intelligence existed. Yet, the microscopic world of a single cell exhibits these same signs of intelligence and the possibility of intelligent design is rejected out of hand.
Mr. Ames stopped the documentary when the assembly time ran out. He encouraged the students to finish the documentary in their own time. The visible world may consist of matter and energy, but every component—from Mount Rushmore to bacteria flagella to the genetic code in living cells—reflects intelligence in its functioning and origin. The documentary Mr. Ames played proved that intelligence is as elemental to science as DNA is to the natural world.
This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/puzzle-2500333_1920.jpg7911500Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-02-02 13:30:002021-10-01 14:06:39Assembly Summary: Unlocking the Mystery of Life
Some religions teach that Jesus Christ is a created being. Some even say that He was the brother of Lucifer, or that He was the archangel Michael. Is Jesus Christ a created being, or is He eternal?
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/priscilla-du-preez-lIpubE3_DEQ-unsplash.jpg10001500Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-01-27 13:30:002021-03-03 16:38:01Course Spotlight: Was Christ a “Created Being” or Eternal?
Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education
Estimated Reading time:8 min., 41 sec.
Did you know that God intended ancient Israel to be the greatest nation in history?
Some Americans hail themselves as the greatest nation the world has ever seen by chanting: “USA, USA, etc.” or “We’re Number 1, We’re Number 1, etc.” Many nations and civilizations have considered themselves the greatest in history. The United States of America is just the latest to claim exceptionalism. However, by simply reading God’s description of His chosen and accountable people in the Holy Bible, one comes away with a very different conclusion. Achieving their supreme position depended on their adherence to His teachings, called the Torah in the Hebrew Old Testament. This Digging Deeper explores this theme in biblical history to discover that this honored position is to be filled by a most unexpected people.
Rising from slavery
The Book of Exodus chronicles God’s release, rescue, and redemption of the ancient Israelites from bondage to the Pharaoh of Egypt and his court. Ten divine miracles forced the Pharaoh to liberate them to follow God’s pillar of the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to a land of milk and honey. Once there, God provided them productive land that would fill their material needs. He assured them that if they obeyed Him they would prosper generation after generation to the point of world dominance. God intended Israel to become the greatest nation in the history of the world. Notice these scriptures showing the divine blessing prerequisites and how astonished other nations would be at the greatness of these former slave people:
“Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nationis a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day” (Deuteronomy 4:5-8 KJV)? (emphasis mine throughout)
“For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:6 KJV).
“Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee” (Deuteronomy 7:11-15 KJV).
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1 KJV).
Strangers welcome!
God did not show favoritism by selecting Israel to be His model nation. Rather, He chose them to be His shining light on a hill to other nations attracting them to His truth as modeled by Israel. If individuals came to Israel for refuge, they were to be welcomed: “Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9 KJV). The word stranger appears 131 times in our King James Bible. God has much to say about welcoming foreigners and alien residents if they came as converts to the God of Israel. Israel suffered desperate hearts as strangers in the oppressive land of Egypt, qualifying them to understand and welcome foreign converts to the true faith and promote God’s ways to the ends of the earth.
We see this again in Solomon’s dedicatory prayer for the opening of the first temple: “Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name” (2 Chronicles 6:32-33 KJV). That is why the temple was called “an house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7 KJV). It was designed to promote repentance by pagan nations who had experienced the bitter fruit of idolatry.
Falling for idolatry…
The Old Testament offers the fascinating story of one such foreigner, the Queen of Sheba, who came to inspect the glory of Solomon’s kingdom (1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9). She returned from her visit astonished by what she saw. Israel’s apex occurred during the reigns of David and Solomon. This was the closest Israel came to qualifying as God’s model nation. Regrettably, not long after her visit, Solomon compromised by accepting his many wives’ gods into his kingdom. These idols turned his heart away from God: “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father’ (1 Kings 11:3-6 KJV).
Israel declined rapidly during the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, leading to the rebellion of the House of Israel from the House of Judah and the Throne of David. All the kings of the House of Israel turned out bad as well as most of the kings of the House of Judah. Ancient Israel failed in its mission through idolatry: “Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:11-13 KJV).
A new great nation
Nonetheless, in the New Testament, God ordained that a new spiritualIsrael, His church, would be His model nation now empowered to obey by the Holy Spirit:
Matthew 21:43 KJB Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [unbelieving Jews], and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Galatians 6:16 KJV: “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”
1 Peter 2:9 KJV: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
This spiritual Israel is to be that shining light on a hill: Matthew 5:14-16 KJV: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Jesus taught that those who are truly great are servants: Matthew 23:11 KJV: “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Spiritual Israel’s example provides an evangelistic magnet for peoples yearning to breathe free from heathenism. They will show desperate peoples “the way of the LORD.” As they respond to God’s calling, they will then seek the way of eternal life: John 14:6 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” In this way, Christian ambassadors will serve as “the greatest nation.”
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/different-nationalities-1743392_1920.jpg9911500Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-01-27 12:47:042021-08-12 17:12:25Digging Deeper: The Greatest Nation
Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2021
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 16 seconds.
“Put your trust in God, and keep your powder dry.” – Oliver Cromwell
Dr. Richard Franz, the area pastor of the Illinois and Missouri congregations, said, “While trust in God is our ultimate duty, it doesn’t rule out our responsibility to work hard and prepare diligently.” In his assembly, he reminded the students of the importance of what they do today to prepare for tomorrow.
“If we’re waiting for the absolute perfect conditions to do something in life, it will never happen.”
The lives of those God has called now are not dress-rehearsals. True Christians cannot afford to kill time. Solomon wrote, “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). Dr. Franz explained that while a farmer cannot control the weather, the longer he takes to do his planting, the longer the harvest is put off.
Decisions and Discipline
“There are two necessary ingredients to making each day a masterpiece: Decisions and discipline.” Discipline without good decisions results in constant but aimless movement, while decisions without discipline are not sustained. Theodore Hesburgh said, “Don’t make decisions because they are easy… cheap… [or] popular; you make them because they’re right.” Then after a decision, discipline must be exercised. Dr. Franz held up a “Wash Away Your Sins” bar of soap as a prop—change does not come after one washing. Decisions and discipline are required for success. But how can these principles be applied daily? The students were given eight keys to making today matter.
Managing Today
First, take responsibility for your attitude. If you are wronged, “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13) and move forward. When you are not treated with a good attitude, instead of denying any fault, Dr. Franz advised, examine yourselves to see if you in any way caused that wrong attitude.
“With all things equal—or sometimes unequal—attitude wins.”
Repent of your bad attitude. Paul said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). Decide to change. We can’t change everything, but we can change our attitude.
The third key was: “Find something positive in everything.” Dr. Franz pointed out that one can grumble as much on the inside, without saying a word, as verbally out loud. God also teaches Christians how to think, not complaining, but dwelling on true, noble, and admirable things (Philippians 4:8).
Fourth: Project your future. Like pole-vaulters who envision every moment of their race and jump before they compete, envision and conduct yourself like the person you want to become. The students were encouraged, “Transformation takes time. That’s why today matters.”
Don’t be a walking Brillo pad.
Fifth: Place a high value on people. It isn’t possible to dislike people and maintain a good attitude simultaneously. Christians should not be “like walking Brillo pads, scouring everyone they touch.” Rather, “value others above yourself” (Philippians 2:3).
“Remove negative phrases from your vocabulary.” Negative vocabulary about yourself, others, and your situation reinforce bad behavior. “It lets us off the hook.” Instead, think “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Seventh: Develop a strong attitude of gratitude. Dr. Franz explained that gratitude is not a matter of sophistication but perspective. He quoted Zig Ziglar, the famous motivational speaker, “The more you are grateful for what you have the more you will have to be grateful for.” That doesn’t mean you get more—it means you see more of what you already have.
Finally, “If you want to change tomorrow, you’ve got to start today.” Time is the most precious resource. While time can’t be changed or controlled, Dr. Franz said, “You can change your priorities.”
“Start today, because today matters.”
Trust in God is fundamental, but Christians also have the responsibility to “keep our powder dry” daily with discipline and decisiveness. Dr. Franz dared the students to not get distracted by things out of their control but to take ownership over the changes they can make in their lives now—today.
This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.
Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem did not sit well with the chief priests and elders. Besides, not many days before that, Jesus had resurrected Lazarus from the dead in front of a host of witnesses. Many of the people started to believe that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah, and the religious rulers were determined that He must be stopped. They looked for an opportunity to take Him without the people knowing it, and the opportunity presented itself.
Discuss:
What happened when Jesus and His disciples were at the house of Simon the leper? Why were the disciples upset by this?
What was Judas promised for his betrayal? Where in the Bible is there a prophecy that this would happen?
Where did Jesus and the disciples eat the Passover meal?
How did Jesus tell the disciples to prepare for what was about to happen to Him? How did they respond? What did Jesus say Peter would do?
What did Christ do to prepare for what was about to happen?
Who came to arrest Jesus? How did the Jews know who Jesus was to arrest Him? What did the disciples do?
What crime did the high priest and elders say Jesus had committed? Was Christ guilty of that crime? Why or why not?
Memory Challenge:
Matthew 26:39
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CL-feature-image-3-11.png6111651Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-01-22 15:27:402021-01-22 15:27:43Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: NT Lesson 11 “Taken to Pilate”
After being betrayed, Jesus was taken away and was killed even though He had done nothing wrong. He died for the sins of every person in the world (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus was laid in a tomb, and His disciples were very sad, but God’s plan was not over. Early one morning, after Jesus had been buried for three days, some women came to visit the tomb. They were surprised to see that the stone covering the entrance of the tomb was pushed open. They ran to tell the other disciples to come and see. One of the women named Mary Magdalene began to cry, thinking that someone had stolen Jesus’ body. That was when a man, who she thought was the gardener, began to speak to her.
Discuss:
When did the women come to the tomb?
Who did the women tell first that the tomb was open? What did they do when they heard the news?
Why was the tomb open? Where was Jesus?
Who did Mary see when she looked into the tomb again?
To whom did Christ first appear? Why did Jesus tell Mary not to touch Him?
When did the disciples see Jesus Christ after He was resurrected? What do you think it would have been like to be with the disciples when Jesus appeared?
Memory Challenge:
John 20:31
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CL-feature-image-2-11.png6111651Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2021-01-22 15:27:352021-01-22 15:27:38Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: NT Lesson 11 “The Empty Tomb”
