Lessons for Living

How to Prepare to Share a Bible Lesson

Ideas, tips, and clues for teaching from the Bible

I am to speak on that subject at our congregation this coming Sunday evening. I intend my presentation to be practical help for Sunday School teachers and Vacation Bible School teachers, for school teachers, and for other public speakers at church events. I hope it has its inspirational moments for the other listeners as well. 🙂

I don’t know if I have 20 minutes or 40 — I think I’ll find out Sunday morning. That gives me the afternoon to adjust my notes accordingly.

Monday evening I started jotting down random notes, here’s what I have so far: Read it all

Oregonians Bite the Hand That Heals Them

Unless they bit their own hands...

I see this morning that yesterday’s health tax ballot here in Oregon passed handily.

I don’t know if the yea voters did so in a fit of largesse at the public trough. Or if they poked the Yes key (is there such a thing?) out of consistency with their well-practiced personal pocketbook expressions of compassion for the needy.

Whatever the motivator, they approved a pile of new tax dollars for hospitals: Read it all

New at Panting Hart

A resumption of observations from my personal Bible reading

Last month I decided I would try restarting Panting Hart.

Well, not really restarting it, but refreshing it with new content by getting back to my original plan for that devotional blog.

I started this morning. Now I’m not so sure it’s a good idea. It’s all so time consuming! So I don’t know if I’ll do it again tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I invite you over to read what I posted this morning from my reading in 2 Peter 1:1-4 Read it all

Seven Things You Can Do to Cast Down Gentile Power in the Church

How to rein in an unbiblical reign in your congregation

“Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them” (Mark 10:42).

That’s what I call Gentile Power.

“Power. Authority. That’s pretty heady stuff! Too often, those who have it want to preserve it, and those who don’t have it want to acquire it.” (Mark Roth, c. 1994)

Gentile Power infects churches, church committees, and church boards. That’s because it infects disciples. Even disciples of Jesus. Read the context and background of the verse above if you doubt me.

Over the weekend I finally posted an article I wrote on this subject. In it I mention five categories of people according to their response to or perception of this evil. I also offer seven options for the consideration of those weighing their response to such use of church authority.

Along the way, I ask:

You have… You have… You have… But that person — minister, chairman, whoever — continues to use his position as license to exercise Gentile Power.

What are you supposed to do?

Jesus' disciples, watching Him closely

I eventually offer the challenge to choose between two other options. Then I advise:

Choose well.
You’ll pay dearly for either one.
But only one will reward you handsomely.

I invite you to read my full article (Gentile Power in the Church) then come back here and extend the discussion below.

Two-Vehicle Crash East of Hubbard

Thankfully, all three people in them survived.

The car sped past our place, headed for Hubbard, Oregon, about two miles to the west. Despite its apparent high speed, the car didn’t get even a tenth of a mile closer to town than our house sits.

We heard the thump.

crash east of Hubbard

None of the power poles were hit! The skid marks are unrelated. Notice the dips in the road. I wonder if the car’s apparently high speed and relatively light weight caused it to “float” enough when it got into those dips that the driver didn’t retain full control for a scant second or two…

crash site east of Hubbard

The car ended up a good distance beyond the SUV, I was told.

first responders working Whiskey Hill Rd crash

The second ambulance, ready to transport the male driver of the SUV.

Hubbard, Oregon -- crash site

This happened on Whiskey Hill Road five minutes or less before two this afternoon. The speeding car was a Jaguar driven by a very young fellow. The vehicle he somehow managed to hit was a newer SUV of the smaller sort with an older couple (perhaps around the age of the couple that lives in this house) in it.

The couple were trapped in their smoking SUV. Their extraction required Jaws of Life. They were eventually transported away via ambulances.

The young fellow got out of the very ruined car and seemed to be physically fine, but devastated. A report I received from the scene said the only part of the Jag that wasn’t ruined was the area where he was sitting! (I tend to suspect that is overstated at least somewhat.)

I thank God for their survival! And I’m thankful all over again for police and other first responders. God bless and keep them all!

Oh, and my apologies for the inferior quality of the photos. I was quite a ways away and couldn’t hold the camera steady enough on zoom. (I was directing westbound traffic to turn around in the parking lot of Hopewell Mennonite Church.)

Now it’s 9:08 pm and I’ve corrected some of the info above. The young fellow rolled the car several times…but I don’t know if he rolled prior to or as a result of the impact with the SUV which was coming toward him (ie, eastbound). As it sits in the photos, it’s aimed west… So my theorizing above might not be all that off.

The damage to the SUV is of that typically sustained in a head-on collision. Not so with the car. Did the car spin out due to insufficient traction for the speed, weight, and dips…and was broadsided into a roll? I don’t know.

And updated a little more at 9:28. Now I’m done. There are other details I know, but that’s enough for here.

I had to revise this somewhat again at 7:30 am on Thursday, November 2…

Above all, love God!