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Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #7 - Ambassadors for Christ


Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #7 - Ambassadors for Christ from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
2 Corinthians 5:11-21 “11Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.


16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Quote - D.A. Carson

"People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated." - D.A. Carson

HT: The Village Church

Twilight: A Helpful Christian Response - A Mom's Perspective

Mary Kassian has written on her blog a helpful response to the latest Twilight movie...'Shedding Some Light on Twilight'

Here are her concerns regarding the relationship modeled by Bella & Edward...
1. Bad Boy Attraction
2. Shared Dark Secrets
3. “Us” versus “Them” Mentality
4. Isolation and Seclusion
5. Mismatched Interests and Values
6. Neediness and Obsession
7. Rationalization and Justification
8. Failure to Seek & Heed Input

Quote - A.W. Tozer

"Few are they who by faith touch Him; multitudes are they who throng about Him." - A.W. Tozer

Women & Ministry - Great Resources from 9marks.org

Women and ministry is a sensitive topic in today's church and whenever I find a biblical and helpful resource on the topic, I like to share it due to help others consider the biblical guidance on these issues.

Here are two well-written articles on women and ministry from http://www.9marks.org/ (a website on biblical guidance for churches).  If you've ever struggled with or gotten riled up about this topic, I'd encourage you to read the below articles and the Scriptures they reference.
Also HERE is a link to their July/August 2010 journal that includes a multitude of other great articles in the below categories:
  • PASTORING WOMEN: UNDERSTANDING AND HONORING DISTINCTNESS
  • WOMEN’S MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
  • RESOURCES FOR TODAY’S BIBLICAL WOMEN
Finally, the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood (http://www.cbmw.org/) is the best website that handles this issue comprehensively and Biblically.

Titus 2:3-5 "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled"

1 Timothy 2:12-14 " I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

2 Timothy 1:5 "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."

Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) Teacher Tips #6 - Christian Websites & Online Bible Resources


Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #6 - Christian Websites & Online Bible Resources from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Here are my top 5 online, free Bible Study Resources:

http://www.gotquestions.org/ – Answers over 195,000 tough bible questions

http://www.biblegateway.com/ – A great way to compare translations or search for keywords in the Bible

http://www.4truth.net/  – An SBC website on interfaith, evangelism & apologetic resources

http://www.biblestudytools.com/ – FREE intralinear and parallel Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, enyclopedias, lexicons, histories, and more!

http://www.bibleplaces.com/ – Amazing photos and descriptions of Bible places (some free, more extensive collections for sale)

Can There Be A Christian Nation? - Dr. Michael Youssef

I recommend reading a succinct and helpful article by Dr. Michael Youssef that answers the question, 'Can There Be a Christian Nation?'

Some excerpts:
  • "A country, or even a culture, cannot be Christian — only individuals can be Christians. However, when people speak of America's Christian heritage, they often are referring to the moral character of our nation which is reflected in its laws and ordinances — both of which bear the distinct markings of Christianity."
  • "the moral character of a nation, as expressed in its policies and laws, can evoke God's response"
  • "After September 11, our nation appeared to go through a soul-searching process...and superficially, the nation appeared to enter into a spiritual revival...But that repentance was cheap and short-lived. It was merely a reaction emanating from fear."
  • "Our economic woes and national disasters, as well as our nation's security, will only be healed and protected when we get our relationship with God on the right track. Our personal cleansing, repentance, and intercession can determine our country's future."

The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer - FREE Audio Book (July 2010)

You can get your copy of A.W.Tozer's The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine for FREE as an audiobook download during July 2010 at http://christianaudio.com/free

Quote - D.L. Moody

"Oh, young man, character is worth more than money, character is worth more than anything else in this wide world." D.L. Moody

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