Fall 2015
Dear God,
Thank you that we can be your minions.
Help us control our anger
and let go of what we want
so we can show everyone
how good and strong a boss you are.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
Tag Archives: teaching
LEAD! Part A, Revisited
StandardThe LEAD! course format evolved considerably during the time I wrote it, especially in the first 3 months. We are working to publish it as a three-volume bible study, which means I need to go back and make the first few lessons consistent with the latter ones. So, I’ll try to rewrite each of the lessons from Part A at the rate of at least one per week.
The new lessons will replace the ones currently in the syllabus; links to the original lessons are archived below.
LEAD! C.11 Discerning Direction
StandardIn Which We Hear to Obey, and Obey to Hear
Few questions are more fraught with promise and peril for the believer than “What is God’s will for my life?” While we know the textbook answers, we still long for more specific, personal guidance — and rightly so. Properly hearing God’s voice can open the door to dramatic transformation of people, relationships, and society; alas, mishearing God’s voice can result in darkest tragedy.
There is no simple answer, but there is a sure promise: if we entrust our ways to the Lord by faithfully pursuing the disciplines in submission to the Spirit, the Word, and the Body, He will ultimately lead us in a way that glorifies His name…
Memory Verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
Assigned Reading
-
Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- 12. Guidance
-
Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 12. Learning
-
Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 3. Providence: “God Guards You from Every Evil”
- 14. Obedience: “How He Promised God”
-
Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms
- 7. Discernment: Recognizing and Responding to the Presence of God
LEAD! C.2 Meditation and Memorization
StandardIn Which We Dwell On God’s Word, As It Dwells In Us
The purpose of the disciplines is to bring us into the presence of God, and nothing is more effective for that that deeply meditating upon and memorizing Scripture. In contrast to Eastern meditation — which is about emptying and detachment — Christian meditation is about drawing near to the Father and being filled with His Spirit as we take on the mind of Christ.
Memory Verse: “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” — 1 Timothy 4:15-16 (NKJV)
Assigned Reading
-
Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- Part I. The Inward Disciplines
- 2. Meditation
-
Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 3. Bible Intake (Part II)
-
Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 10. Happiness: “Enjoy the Blessing! Revel in the Goodness!”
-
Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms
- N/A
LEAD! A.7 Man’s Rebellion
StandardIn Which We Reject God’s Dominion, And Pay The Price
When God created the world, He gave us (mankind) dominion over all the plants and animals. But it was not an unconditional grant: rather, we have a responsibility to take His already “very good” creation to the next level, by filling the earth with His image.
And if we fail in that responsibility, the price is high…
LEAD! Syllabus for “Theological Foundations”
Standard[NOTE: the official syllabus is now on the “Lead” page; this post is obsolete, but kept for the sake of historical continuity].
[Yes, I should probably have written this before the first lesson, but better late than never…]
In thinking about it, I ought to take my Curriculum one step further, and actually identify the passages and key learnings for each lesson. Not only will this help ensure I’m on the same page as my pastor, but it would enable others to write some of the lessons (since class starts on September 4th!).
I’ve also cross-referenced these lessons against two common systematic theology books:
- Wayne Grudem‘s condensed Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings (under “Doctrine“)
- R. C. Sproul‘s classic of Reformed systematic theology, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (pdf) (under “Essentials“).
In addition to providing a sort index to the topics covered, this allows students and teachers to use those as supplementary textbooks.
- Draft 1 – Sunday, 24th August
- Draft 2 – Tuesday, 26th August: Added “Doctrine” “Essentials” chapters for each lesson
- Draft 3 – Friday, 29th August: Added “Doctrines” chapters for each lesson
Requirements for Transforming Leadership
StandardAs part of my journey to rethink leadership training, I wanted to summarize the goals and constraints of such a process. Here’s a first cut…
Keys to the CTE
StandardEven though I haven’t posted for a while, I’ve been thinking a lot about Comprehensive Theological Education. In particular, I’ve been trying to identify the key “success factors” necessary to improve upon traditional methods. Here’s my current list. Any thing you’d like to add, Gentle Reader?
[Updated March 9th to use “over”, based on Andrew’s comments on Pressing In]
Radically Happy 