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Teacher David Bernthal

Are We There Yet?

Being both a father and school teacher with the privilege of taking countless numbers of children on many trips, I have heard my share of “Are-we-there-yets?”!

Let’s not be too hard on our youth, however. We too can get very impatient in our lives. How are you about waiting in line at a store, at a red light, or for a train to pass? And are we always satisfied with the way things turn out in our lives? How do we behave when things don’t end up our way–not only in day-to-day issues but in the bigger picture of what we want out of life? Do we question and even complain about the way things turn out? Are we always patient with each other–forgiving one another just as Christ has forgiven us?Read More »Are We There Yet?

In This Is Love…

It’s not only around Valentine’s Day that we hear about love. Throughout the year we hear and/or use the word ‘love’ in any number of contexts.

“Love is a many splendored thing.” — “I love your new haircut!” — “I’d love to see them get into the playoffs.” — “I love Moose Tracks ice cream.” — “I love you, Mommy.” — “I’d love to see that guy get what’s coming to him!” — “I love You, Lord Jesus.”

The word ‘love’ is often over-used, abused, and misunderstood in the English language. Is it any wonder that our God chose the more precise verbiage of the Greek language to express the love we receive from Him and the love with which we respond to His love?Read More »In This Is Love…

How Do We “See” the New Year?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

When a young child’s mother leaves the room, and he cannot see, hear, or smell her – she’s gone! Then the crying begins.

We console the child,“Mama will be back!”

But the child wants proof! “Where’s my mother? I want to see her now!”

Things don’t change much as we grow older, do they? Oh, we may think we are more sophisticated and have matured—and in the things of this world perhaps we have, for time does gain us experience.

But when it comes to spiritual matters–to matters of faith–we don’t mature simply because time has passed since we first became Christians.

Either our faith is growing in the Word of God or it is dying without it.Read More »How Do We “See” the New Year?

Marking the Lutheran Reformation – Reformers (Always) Needed

re-form vt. 1. to make better by removing faults and defects; correct  2. to make better by putting a stop to abuses or malpractices or by introducing better procedures, etc.

re-for-ma-tion n. 2. [R] the 16th century religious movement that aimed at reforming the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in establishing the Protestant churches*

There is little doubt that the visible church of Luther’s time (the Roman Catholic Church) needed reforming. As most man-made institutions go, the church had become more liberal the further it got from teaching the pure Word of God. Man’s declarations became law–traditions became commandments, and as a result the pure gospel message was muddied and choked in the stagnant waters of man’s theological inventions.

The people of Luther’s day had gotten too comfortable with the way things had been running in the church. The clergy were in charge; the congregational members weren’t expected to worry themselves about such things as doctrine.

Luther’s goal was to return the clergy as well as the general population of the church to the pure Word of God–to encourage each individual to a personal relationship with God and His Word.Read More »Marking the Lutheran Reformation – Reformers (Always) Needed

Hand-Picked

It has happened to most of us. The anticipation is rising. The line you are standing in is dwindling. Who will be next? Will I get picked at all? Ah, those moments on the playground before a recess game begins—a possible knock to the self-esteem if ever there was one!

I believe the way students choose each other for teammates has some lessons for us. It is not surprising that the biggest and fastest are often the first to be picked. If strength and size and speed are the advantage, why not go with it? Read More »Hand-Picked

Fountain of Eternity

Juan Ponce de Leon (whether he actually searched for the Fountain of Youth or not) will be forever remembered as the man who went on a futile mission. The search for eternal youth, whether in water or in an elixir of life, can seem pretty silly to us. Even the ancient Egyptians practiced the art of mummification in order to supposedly preserve the body for the after-life.

Today people are surely much more sophisticated and far too educated as to believe that such things could be found or thought to work, aren’t they?Read More »Fountain of Eternity