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Develop the Skill of Deep Work

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“Better work, done faster”

Mr. Josh Lyons based his forum on the book Deep Work by Cal Newport and spoke to the students about the importance of developing the skill of “deep work”. He went on to explain the problem that “deep work”’solves, what it means, and the practical steps the students can take to achieve the skill.

The Problem

In today’s society, concentration spans are shortening, and the ability to think deeply is decreasing. This is affecting our personal and work lives. Phones, with the many various apps they contain, have increasingly consumed more of our attention. At the same time, our ability to focus for long periods has decreased. He pointed us towards a news article on how technology has affected our ability to concentrate, which further emphasized the point that we are all becoming less focused.

The Solution

Mr. Lyons then went on to explain how “deep work” can help us overcome the problems we see today which lead to ineffective work and a lack of focus. According to the book, “deep work” is defined as “professional activities performed in a state of distraction free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate” ( (Newport 3). It is a meaningful and rare skill that adds value and leads to thriving at work. “Deep work” means being steady, diligent, earnest and energetic. Proverbs 22:29 states “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men”(NKJV). “Deep work”  can be equated to diligence and will be noticed by others, increasing our opportunity to succeed.

Practical Ways to Achieve Deep Work

  1. Do as little shallow work as possible: menial tasks that don’t require skill should be completed in batches to avoid wasting so much time.
  1. Ruthlessly block distractions: try blocking notifications on your phone. We must be intense and intentional with getting rid of and avoiding distractions that affect our work.
  1. Block out chunks of time to do “deep work”
  1. Good location for “deep work”
  1. Learn to love“deep work”. Embrace the challenge of trying to reach your potential in terms of work output and quality. This adds value to work, family, your life and your success rate.
  1. Be intentional in improving your ability to do “deep work”.  “Deep work” is not a habit; it is a skill that you need to train and practice. The more you exercise the skill, the more you will strengthen your mental ability to perform it.

Final Thoughts

The skill of “Deep work” can aid us in overcoming the effects of technology and the many distractions around us that seem to stop us from producing quality work in a decent time period. Mr. Lyons ended by reading a few quotes on the topic of concentration.

Resources:

Newport, Cal. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing, 2016.

Katelyn Wissinger

Living A Life of Creativity 

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Are you creative? Mr. Jonathan McNair began the recent forum by posing this question to the students. He put forth a passion for this topic and how it relates to our Father in Heaven.

The Creative Process 

After presenting the question, Mr. McNair used a video to demonstrate the process of creativity. The video was of a man who sat down at the piano, and wrote a short piece of music for himself and an orchestra in 10 minutes. All he used for inspiration was a few lines of text from a program of the evenings musical performance. He asked the audience for a “key” in which to write, and began to create. The end product was a powerful mini-ballad, amazing the audience as they listened to his work brought musically to life. 

God Is Creative

Mr. McNair dug in and emphasized just how creative the Creator of this world is. God did not have to make such a variety of scenery or taste, yet he did.  Genesis 1:26 says:  “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  Mr. McNair pointed out mankind was created in the image of God, and he also instilled in us the desire to be creative.  

Biblical Craftsmanship 

He went on to show examples from the Bible of God’s guidance concerning creative projects.  The guidance that God gave to Noah in Genesis chapter 6, is very detailed. “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.” Exodus 31 shows God’s guidance to create works of art as well; “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.”

Making it Personal 

To make the topic real in the student’s daily lives, Mr. McNair brought out a personal story of how remarkably man can use the creativity he was given.  He shared how he is reviewing the project for the new hymnal and that it is inspiring to witness just how much creativity God has provided within the church. He then went on to warn that creativity must be used, lest it be taken away.  

Keys To Creativity 

To wrap up his forum, Mr. McNair brought to light what he called three keys to achieving creativity.  The first was, “Use patterns for success.” He said that when you look at it, there are patterns everywhere; use these patterns to your advantage. The second key is, “Get the little things right.” Mr. McNair established that when a chance for a grand creative endeavor appears, if you do not have the fundamentals down then that chance will pass you by.  The final point is, “Work in harmony.”  He told the students that they shouldn’t view others as stepping stones to get them where they want to go and then leave, but instead care for the people and the connection during the creative process

 Mr. McNair left the students with a challenge.  “I challenge you to live a creative life!”

The 7 Laws of Success

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Recently, Mr. Hernandez gave a forum on the importance of following the seven laws of success. He started by explaining that success should not just be thought of in physical terms, but also spiritual terms. Spiritual and physical success are connected. Mr. Hernandez showed that by practicing the 7th law of success, seeking God first, all other laws can be achieved.

Seek God and Put Him First

Our relationship with God must be of the utmost importance to us. As students, Mr. Hernandez pointed out, it could be all too easy to think that we are right with God just because we are attending classes and learning about the Bible. He reminded us that we should continue in daily prayer and Bible study, in addition to our classes here at LE. If we put God first, starting and ending our day with prayer and Bible study, we will be successful. 

Jesus provides an example of this in Mark 1:35; “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed”.

If we are making the time to study and pray and develop that personal connection with God, then His word will fill our minds and guide us throughout the day. This personal relationship enabled Joseph to be successful even when he was a slave in Egypt (Genesis 39:2).

1. Set the right goal: Matthew 6:33 states our overall goal should be to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Mr. Hernandez emphasized that seeking His righteousness means we should be keeping His commandments. Staying loyal to Christ will lead to future success. Our focus should be on putting the knowledge we have about God’s way of life into action. 

2. Seek knowledge and the right education: As Living Education students, our primary source of knowledge is the Bible and Mr. Hernandez encouraged us to read the whole Bible. In Deuteronomy God stated that he wanted those appointed as kings to write a copy of the law for themselves and that they were to read it their whole lives (Deuteronomy 17:18-19).

3. Maintain good health: Mr. Hernandez emphasized watching what we eat. We should be mindful of the effects of different foods on our bodies and be careful to observe the examples of clean and unclean meats listed in the Bible. He mentioned the booklet, Biblical Principles of Health as a useful resource.

4. Drive: “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4). Working hard leads to success and blessings from God.

5. Be resourceful: Resourcefulness involves wisdom, which “is the ability to solve problems by applying God’s law in the right way”. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:4). 

6. Have endurance: The only way we will get into the Kingdom of God is if we endure to the end. Start working towards your goals today, don’t wait for tomorrow. 

7. Seek God first:  These 6 laws of success would not be possible without the 7th law- Seeking God and putting Him first. If we fail to put God first, we won’t see the right goals to set and we will be seeking the wrong kind of knowledge. Without the Bible, where can we find health laws on what we should and shouldn’t eat? The proverbs instruct us on how to act and how to work. Without spending time in prayer and Bible study, how will we have access to God’s wisdom? Finally, how can we achieve success if we do not endure to the end? 

Remember to put God first in all things.

Katelyn Wissinger

Roles and Goals

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Mr. Rod McNair presented to us with an informative forum on the importance of schedules and goals.  After our first week of classes has come and gone, we were able to take this information in and absorb it more appreciatively thanks to our currently full schedules.  

What are your goals?

To start the discussion, Mr. McNair made it a point to interact with us by asking, and honestly wanting, the feedback we had to offer to questions he posed.  He cultivated a closer connection with us by caring for and feeding the goals that we hold for ourselves to achieve throughout the program.  He shared some of his own goals and reminded us that they should not be the same as the world’s.  A key example of this is being a homemaker.  With the feminist movement in the world today, being a homemaker, rearing children, and caring for the home is frowned upon, yet Scripture encourages the opposite.  (Titus 2:4-5)  “They admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

Make goals a reality

Everyone has goals, yet what sets the successful apart from those that never achieve their goals is scheduling.  Mr. McNair shared with us a schedule that he planned out for his life when he was a student at Ambassador College.  Seeing this was enlightening for us because we could see the way it worked out after being written in ink.  We are all thankful for the reminder he gave us, “Even if things seem overwhelming, you must make time for God!”  God should be first and foremost in our goals and lives.

Focus on the short-term

While we are excited about what the future can hold for us, Mr. McNair made the point that we must put action into the short-term, day-to-day workings, to achieve our further-off desires.  He provided us with one basic key to staying on track in the short term.  He said that if we only take one thing away from what he shared it was, “Take the time to write out a schedule with goals for the upcoming week.”  It may take a little time to become accustomed to this practice, but having the dedication will result in a more organized and productive week in which we can grow.  

It’s about growth!

Mr. McNair said, “It is not about perfection, it’s about growth!”  He made the point that we can write out our goals and create a schedule to achieve them, yet some situations may arise that affect our outcome. This is okay. To assist in making this point, Mr. McNair finished by playing a video on the Ernest Shackleton expedition from 1914. The goal of this expedition was to be the first to cross the continent of Antarctica, yet due to unforeseen circumstances, they narrowly made it back to civilization after two years of being shipwrecked. He said that looking at this story through the lens of goals, it was a massive failure because they didn’t attain their goal, and nearly died;  However, this is an incredible story of leadership as Shackleton brought all his men back safely. While we work to achieve the end goal, unseen events can drift us off course to a different outcome.  With our working to achieve goals, and God at the helm, nothing can drift us away from God’s plan for us.

We are excited to make our own goals and schedules to share with future generations.  As Mr. McNair said, “It’s not rocket science…”  

Living Education:  Foundation Elements from LCG and WCG

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Mr. Strain began his forum to the LivingEd students by introducing himself and his role in the church as a pastor of the Charlotte, NC congregation. He went on to share with us what we can expect from Living Education and being close to the work at headquarters. These values that guide the program and Church culture were passed down from Mr. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God.

Understanding Church History

Living Education and the cultures and values the Church espouses can be traced back to Mr. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. Mr. Strain himself attended Ambassador College, part of the Worldwide Church of God. Several of the men involved in the work at Headquarters attended Ambassador College. This has also influenced how Living Education has been designed and how the Church acts. To understand more about the history of the church and its teachings, the speaker encouraged us to read: Mr. Armstrong’s Autobiography (Vol. 1), Mystery of the Ages, and to study the LCG Statement of Fundamental Beliefs. He went on to give several examples of the values that Mr. Armstrong helped introduce within the Worldwide Church of God that we still hold onto today.

Work

Mr. Strain described how students were expected to work at Ambassador College and to maintain the cleanliness of the dorms and facilities. Similarly, at Living Education, students have the opportunity to work at headquarters and these same standards of living are to be valued and upheld.

Attire

Proper dressing standards have also been passed on. Mr Strain described how women should dress modestly and pay attention to what they wear for Sabbath services. Men also should take care of their appearances and make sure to not dress casually when appearing before God on the Sabbath. The speaker commented that the LE students should strive to apply these same standards of dress to what is worn throughout the rest of the week.

Music

Special music for Sabbath services should not cave into the ‘nice sounding’ songs with a contemporary feel which are popular nowadays. Much popular ‘Christian’ music is shallow, emphasizing only grace, not the keeping of the law and the gift of grace. The Church should strive to hold itself to a higher standard of music that is played at services. Mr. Strain commented that performing special music for Sabbath services is not a display of skill, but a service to the congregation and to praise God.

Manners

Mr. Strain also emphasized how good manners never go out of style and should be valued by the students. Those who are older or in a higher office should be addressed properly, not by their first name, but by using ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’, or ‘Miss. He mentioned Leviticus 19:32 where God says to “rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man.”

Final Thoughts

As the students began their nine-month journey, Mr. Strain provided valuable insight into the perspective that the Living Church of God holds and that is mirrored at Living Education. Mr. Strain shared the history of how the culture and standards upheld now are a result of God working with Mr. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. 

Katelyn Wissinger

Be as effective as you can!

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Mr. Mike DeSimone provided us, newly arrived Living Education students, with an insightful lesson on how to become even more effective in our work, academics, and personal lives. He provided an interactive game that made his points stand out even more. This was a much-appreciated discussion, and it inspired us as we begin to kick off these exciting nine months here!

The Myth of Multitasking… 

Mr. DeSimone started by sharing a story of how shift-tasking can be falsely confused with multitasking.  Unlike how we think of multitasking being a good and productive way to manage our time, shift tasking, also known as switch tasking, takes the focus off the project at hand and distorts it elsewhere.  Instead of being able to do the work quicker, shift tasking takes longer to complete because of the time to “switch” back and forth between tasks.  It is better to do one task efficiently, then move on to a second, instead of a poor attempt at doing two things at once.  

The 5 S’s 

A large key to Mr. Desimone’s discussion was focused on the 5 S’s.  

  1. Sort:  Keep only what is necessary and discard everything else.
  2. Set in Order: Arrange and label only necessary items for easy use and return.
  3. Shine:  Keep everything swept clean, and tidy.
  4. Standardize:  The state that exists when the first three pillars of the 5 S’s are properly kept.
  5. Sustain:  Make a habit of properly maintaining correct procedures.

The 5 S’s, we have learned, are beneficial in ensuring that the precious resource of time is well cared for.  Mr. DeSimone provided a handout to assist our grasping of how the 5 S’s can play a drastic role in the effectiveness, efficiency, and accuracy in our lives.

Further Than Just the Physical

When posed with the question of whether the 5 S’s could be taken past the obvious physical principles they hold, Mr. DeSimone responded with, “These can be taken and used to assist the personal relationships we hold with others.”  If how we interact with others is not sorted, then we may be spending time as a group when it should be one-on-one.  Setting the time spent with others in order can aid in a stronger relationship with other people. Mr. DeSimone’s lessons were taken to heart by all of us as we strive to be the most efficient and effective students/workers we can!

“Good News!”

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Mr. Jonathan McNair began his forum to the LivingEd students by discussing how there is a constant stream of news, with much of it negative, as the world spirals further away from God. If we are not careful, we can be easily influenced bnews-868839_1280y it. We have a responsibility to watch world events and be aware of what is going on in the world but still analyze what we are taking in.

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man”, we read in Luke 21:36.

Mr. McNair went on to discuss how those in the Church can effectively evaluate the news sources to which we read and listen, to avoid being manipulated.

Factors that influence the news we consume

Several factors such as age and political leaning lead us to consume certain types of news. Younger people tend to favor getting their news online whereas older people are more likely to watch news stations. Those in the world who have political leanings tend to side with news outlets that agree with their opinions. Whether we are aware of it or not, we tend to get our news from sources to which we relate and sympathize.

“The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness” (Proverbs 15:4).

We must be aware of our tendencies to gravitate towards certain news sources and evaluate whether they have all the facts. We must seek out the truth and be aware that news media organizations may be feeding us exactly what we want to hear for their gain, not necessarily because it’s true. They are in the business of making money.

Challenge Yourself

What are the biases? How accurate is the news? Do you have all the information on the topic? All news sources will have bias; however, it is a matter of identifying what the bias is and the strength of it. Consider from where the author or news outlet is coming. Certain words may be used by a group of news outlets with the same biases. Is the information true, or is it somewhat fabricated? When we learn about a current event, we may not be getting the complete story. By choosing to relate or quote from certain news sources that are strongly biased or inaccurate we undermine your credibility.

Strategies to Evaluate Your News

System: Think about the bias of the news organization and realize their job is to grab your attention.

Source: News outlets that appear different may be using each other’s stories for their content.

Perspective: Be aware of the perspectives of the news source and your own. Younger people often view world events differently than older generations. Yourself: You will have a bias towards what you see and hear. It is crucial to realize and learn from those preconceived biases.

Final Thoughts

Even though we are commanded to watch for end-time events, this doesn’t mean we can switch off our brains when we watch, listen, or read the news. Our brains must be ready to analyze what we are consuming so that we are not led astray.

It’s Your Fault—No Really, It Is.

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Mr. Tyler Wayne gave the Living Education students a forum that he aimed to be applicable to any aspect of life. The topic he covered can apply to situations while living in the dorm (in the case of the students), at work, interacting with family members, or even while standing in line at the grocery store. 

His point was simple, but it is one that we all can struggle with from time to time.

We must take accountability for the things we can control.

What could we have done better?

His emphasis was on the idea that we all must acknowledge anything that we could have done in a scenario, and take responsibility for our shortcomings on that subject, regardless of how minor it may seem compared to the scenario at large. 

He gave the students a formula for ownership that can be applied to almost any scenario in which a conflict has arisen.

  1. We are to verbally apologize, using the words “I’m sorry”, “ it’s my fault”, or any other sincere variant.
  2. We must express what we’re saying sorry for, and identify part of the problem that’s our fault.
  3. We must explain what we’re going to do to fix the issue or change for it next time.
  4. Finally, we need to believe it, because empty words mean nothing. In fact, it makes things worse. 

At first, this mindset can seem unrealistic, because whenever things go wrong, we tend to blame others for the result. But once we assess a situation in an unbiased manner, we will recognize that we have more of a part to play in things that happen to us than we might think.

As an example, Mr. Wayne gave a scenario in which a student can’t get all their work done in school. Typically, the student immediately blames the teacher for being unrealistic or overbearing. Instead, the student can take responsibility and recognize what they can do differently. They could get better sleep, devote more time to schoolwork, or even lower their personal workload by dropping the class. Although that would be a drastic step, it is something that the student could consider in order to acknowledge their role in the situation. 

Real-life scenarios

In order to thoroughly get his point across, Mr. Wayne wrote down several scenarios, and had the students formulate an extreme ownership response that takes responsibility for each conflict that occurs. 

Scenario 1: 

Not taking ownership: ”You consistently forget to take out the trash.”

Taking ownership: “I’m sorry, I didn’t let you know when the trash needed to get thrown out. Also, I know the garbage isn’t always filled at consistent times, so it can be hard to monitor. Next time, I’ll let you know when it’s ready to be taken out.”

Scenario 2: 

Not taking ownership: “My boss didn’t give me the help I needed for a project I had to do.”

Taking ownership: “I’m sorry for failing to accomplish my task. I didn’t ask for the assistance I needed when I realized there wasn’t enough information and resources. Next time, I’ll be more proactive in asking for assistance when I need it.”

Practice makes perfect

As we do this, we will get used to taking responsibility, and with experience it will get easier over time. However, as with anything else, human pride and tendencies to gloat can impact how well our efforts are received by the other party. 

So what happens if our attempt to be mature doesn’t work? What if the person is antagonistic and blames us for what happened, even if they had something to do with the situation as well?

Accept it! We should not let ego get in the way. After all, they’re only agreeing with what you’re saying. If we truly believe what we’re saying in our apology, we will be able to put our pride aside and be the bigger person in almost every conflict we are involved with.

Lexi Mitchell is a first-year student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. She is from Long Island, New York. At home, she worked as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Currently, she assists in the Living Education department as a social media manager and as a producer of written content. She enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and spending time with family.

Failing Forward

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

“I didn’t fail 1000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps.” -Thomas A. Edison 

“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” -Vince Lombardi

“I think it’s important to have a good hard failure when you’re young. I learned a lot out of that. Because it makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you.” -Walt Disney

Mr. Rick Stafford gave the Living Education students an inspiring forum, starting by describing the lives of notable people who went through hardship. The people he described are among countless individuals who have failed at something, but turned their lives around for the better. They did not let their failures define them; rather, they persevered and used their struggles as learning opportunities.

Failure and success: what do those words mean?

When discussing failure, Mr. Stafford explained, it becomes imperative to understand exactly what failure is. A popular definition of the word is a lack of success. But in that case, what exactly is success? Is it wealth, a good career, a happy family, or materialistic goods? Or is it something else entirely? Simply put, success is whatever you define it as for yourself. Your success is not dependent on the opinions of others.

Not your parents.

Not your friends. 

Not society. 

Regardless of how we define success, as individuals called into God’s truth, it should always center around living God’s way of life and doing what God would be proud of.

Why doesn’t everyone succeed?

Life can be hard. There are almost infinite hurdles that we as humans can face that hinder our forward trajectory. Some reasons include:

  • Their environment
  • Health
  • Intellect
  • Economy
  • Their childhood
  • Who they married
  • Wrong career choice
  • Bad habits

Of course, many of these reasons are out of our control. But it is a lack of discipline that prevents us from overcoming our hurdles and doing the best we can with what we were given. If we can’t control our minds, it will inevitably control us. This lack of control leads to the very failure we are so afraid of. 

“If only…” is a common statement among people who suffer from many failures. If only I had been born into money, had more time, better health, or better luck.

Mr. Stafford informed the students of a harsh truth: These are all excuses. 

But thankfully, once we understand our excuses, we can learn to apply the concept that our thoughts become our reality. In other words, the things we blame become the things that actually slow us down.

Can’t never did anything.

Many successful people had failures, but worked through them.They analyzed their failures, learned how to overcome them, and became better because of them. 

In Hebrews 11 is a list of people who failed in some way. But at the exact same time, it is also a list of people who learned how to overcome their failures.

“Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.” Matt 24:46

What characterizes a failure?

In considering these points, two main reasons for failure can be gleaned.

For one, failures have no real purpose in life. Another main reason is that someone can become afraid, and therefore don’t want to try to improve their situations, whatever it may be.

In addition, certain characteristics are found in people who can be described as “failures”.

  • Failures lack persistence. Rather, people who succeed have an abundance of tenacity and sticktoitiveness.
  • Failures lack conviction. Instead, we must recognize what we want and go for it.
  • Failures rationalize. They concoct reasons why they gave up and couldn’t do what they aimed for.
  • Failures dismiss past mistakes. But people who succeed learn from their mistakes instead.
  • Failures have a lack of self discipline. They lack self control, and give into their feelings.
  • Failures have poor self esteem and lack no self worth. They don’t do anything for themselves to be proud of. 
  • Finally, Failures have a fatalistic attitude. They don’t accept responsibility and blame others instead.

The strongest people are the ones who overcome. They weren’t in a good place to begin, but they got there eventually. 

Once we know our definition of success for ourselves, use God’s tools and knowledge to gain it. 

God knows what He’s talking about!

Always remember: we’re just children under God. We may fall, but we should use the guidance of our Father to bring us up and take us where we want to be.

There is really only one way to be a failure. That is to quit.
“Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.” -John C. Maxwell

Lexi Mitchell is a first-year student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. She is from Long Island, New York. At home, she worked as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Currently, she assists in the Living Education department as a social media manager and as a producer of written content. She enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and spending time with family.

Ark Builders

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

“May you live in interesting times”

Dr. Douglas Winnail began his forum for the Living Education students by reading this ancient Chinese “curse”. Although it has lost its spiritual nature, the concept still holds true to this day.

We live in increasingly secular and materialistic times. Before, religion was an integral part of society. Now, it is effectively nonexistent. The Bible is disregarded and laughed at, being considered a compilation of children’s stories and tales that simply never happened. 

However, despite the rapidly increasing disregard for the Bible as a reputable source of wisdom, the world is still fascinated with the story of Noah’s ark.

The ark was a gigantic vessel.

The ark took about 100 years to build, and many elements and workhands were needed to construct the building in its entirety.

Dr. Winnail explained that, among many people, they would have needed people to act as timber cutters, pitch appliers, timber transporters, timber finishers, food growers and gatherers, animal handlers, among many, many others.

Since we have historical record of where the vessel finally landed- Mt. Ararat in Turkey, as seen in Genesis 8:4– many people have attempted to locate fragments of it even to this day.

But even though people claim to have found pieces of it, it is highly unlikely because there has since been 4000 years worth of time for the wood and all other materials to have decomposed.

There are a number of life-sized models of the ark around the world today, including one in northern Kentucky, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Wisconsin Dells to name just a few. And although they are not perfectly accurate, just being able to witness the sheer size and scale of the models is enough to put us in awe of its magnitude.

Which story is right?

The story of a worldwide flood is a popular one around the world, so much so that it has been adapted to regional myths. There are legends from around the world of an ark and a flood, with people and animals being rescued. In fact, there are over 270 versions of the account. Some of the origin countries include Persia, Greece, Egypt, Syria, Italy, India, and Russia, just to name a few.

Although there are many versions, one of the most highly debated comparative legends is the Epic of Gilgamesh from Mesopotamia. It contains an account of a great flood, similar to the Biblical account in Genesis. However, there are major differences, and to even consider the Epic as the original account is unrealistic.

  • In the Epic, human noise disturbed the gods, however, in the Bible, man’s folly and human sin was what angered God.
  • The Mesopotamian ‘ark’ was an unstable cube, but the true ark was as big as a modern ocean liner.
  • In the Epic, it rained for only seven days and was gone in one. In the Biblical account, there was rain for 40 days and receded in 150.
  • The Mesopotamian hero was saved by his own wisdom and courage, but in the Bible, Noah was blessed with God’s mercy and was saved by his righteous character.
  • The Mesopotamian gods were selfish and deceptive, but in stark contrast, the true God of the Bible is righteous and merciful.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

Simply put, if the Bible is credible, so is the flood story. All scripture is inspired by God, so we are not to be deceived by the legends of this world. We should all make sure to study history accurately to make these determinations for ourselves!

Modern parallels 

“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matt 24:38-39

There are an alarming number of similarities to the days of Noah and our modern today. Noah was a preacher of righteousness, and worked to show the world the right way. But those who didn’t listen were destroyed in the flood. Although many recognize the problems in the world today, human solutions to the decline of society such as lighting candles, buying guns and gold, voting for who they consider to be the ‘right person’, running and hiding, and praying to false gods, are simply not adequate to solve these problems.

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15:16
Only those who do the will of God will be saved. We have been chosen as those individuals to bear fruit, and we are to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus. Prepare NOW to show the world a better way.

Lexi Mitchell is a first-year student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. She is from Long Island, New York. At home, she worked as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Currently, she assists in the Living Education department as a social media manager and as a producer of written content. She enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and spending time with family.