You pick the dates, the time, and location. We give you everything you need to reach your neighbors for Christ.

Early in the earth’s history God was man’s original instructor. Man’s classroom was the perfect Garden of Eden, and his teacher was none other than God Himself. In the cool of the day God would come and talk and dialogue with Adam (Gen 3:8). Creation taught of God’s omnipotent power and immeasurable creativity. The fall (Genesis 3) taught man not only of God’s grace and mercy, but also of His holiness. God is the ultimate teacher; Job said, “Who is a teacher like him” (Job 36:22)? Michael Anthony and Warren Benson write,
God’s desire has always been to see His children mature in their faith and pass that faith on to subsequent generations. To accomplish that aim, He chose patriarchal leaders such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to model godly familial and national leadership. Soon after that, He gave us written instructions, known as the Torah, or Old Testament Law. Later, he commissioned priests, judges, and prophets with the task of instructing His people with the proper application of those laws to everyday life. Eventually, this task was given to synagogue leaders such as rabbis and scribes. After the Jews returned from exile, they established schools for the education of their children.

This knowledge was not only to pass from parent to child, but from God’s people to the lost world around them. Genesis 18:19 says, “For I have chosen him, so that he
will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him” (NIV). That promise was that Abraham would be a blessing to those around him, and that his offspring would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 12). Later it was explained that his offspring are all those that have a saving faith in God. As the world surrounded God’s people, they would see God working in the Israelite’s lives, and they would be drawn to want a relationship with God as well. When they come to inquire, God’s people would need to know how to respond. If God’s people are to be a “lamp on a stand” that shines the light of God to the world, then their lives must reflect God’s character and their minds must be ready to “give an answer for the hope that they have” (1 Pet 3:15). Acts 17:26-–27 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” God has strategically placed Christians where they are, in the history of time that they are in, in order to bring a lost world to Him. But they must be knowledgeable regarding the doctrines of Scripture. Otherwise the church becomes doctrinally shallow and easily swayed by the deception of sin (Jas 1:8).

God chooses to work through the local church as the main avenue, other than parents to children, as the way in which to educate believers. Pazmino identifies the responsibilities of the local church as being “proclamation (kerygma), community formation (koinonia), service (diakonia), advocacy (propheteia), and worship (leitourgia).” He points out that didache or teaching is not listed. Pazmino believes that “teaching serves as the connective membrane linking these five tasks to form a vital and living body of ministry and mission in the world.” 1 Corinthians 12:4–7 says, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” Those who teach are in partnership with other Christians who have these different gifts from God. They should share these different spiritual gifts to bring depth and creativity to the teaching ministry of the church.

Whereas the methods that God has used to reveal Himself have changed throughout the generations, his desire to see His people grow and become like Him has not. Today this same responsibility of instruction has not changed regarding godly parenting. But also, the parents of children must be taught so they can mature and grow in Christ. If the local church is to be “the body” as described throughout the New Testament (1 Corinthians 12), it must be educated. God’s design behind education is that people would be taught how to become more like Him. Since the beginning of time, it has been God’s desire for man to populate the earth and to instruct those people on how to have a relationship with their Creator.

The ultimate purpose of all Christian education, then, is to bring those who are taught into a relationship with Jesus Christ, then to equip them to grow in this relationship for the rest of their lives, while showing others God’s purpose for their lives. This is actually given as a command in the Great Commission in Matt 28:18–20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (NIV).

All who have a saving faith in God should be educated in the doctrines of the Bible in order that they can impact their world around them. Clarence H. Benson said, “The progress and permanency of Christianity has been dependent upon a program of education.”

One sees this importance early in the life of the church. Acts 2:42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Every pastor in the early church was expected to be an apt teacher (1 Tim 3:2), and most Christians were more than likely apt teachers (Acts 8:1, 4) as well. The importance of Christian education can be followed throughout all of history, with its foolish conclusions when education is lacking in the medieval period, and its great strides in discoveries during the Reformation and Renaissance. Looking specifically at the Roman Empire in history Anthony and Benson wrote,
The contribution of the great Roman Empire to the beginnings of Christianity cannot be overstated. The Son of God was born into a world that valued learning. The Hebrews had contributed an emphasis upon monotheistic and family-life education; the Greeks had provided an emphasis upon philosophic thought united under a common language; and the Romans gave the world a strong civil government with secure borders, commerce, communication, and stable means of transportation. Together these national and cultural contributions laid the foundation for early Christian church education.

This shows that Christian education has had many influences that God has used to shape it into a method that is effective if taken seriously in the life of the family and church. It is the challenge of the teacher, guided by the Holy Spirit, to instill within the learner a desire to glorify the Lord with their lives. This is something that is caught as opposed to being taught. With Jesus being the ultimate example, His life never veered from His teaching. He never did anything that contradicted what He said. The teacher’s life should exude love for the students and for God, and their lessons are an overflow of a heart that has been in God’s presence continuously. Pazmino says, “The Holy Spirit inspired the initial writing and compilation of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit also illuminates those who seek to teach the Scriptures or to be taught by them.”

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Daybreak Prayer Retreat

“Turn To Clear Vision”

Travel to any major city and you will find binoculars attached to major buildings overlooking the skyline. For a fee you can see the beauty of the landscape and take in the breathtaking scenery. But you just about always have to adjust the focus in order to see anything clearly.

The book of Isaiah shows us how to turn our lives so that it comes into focus with God’s plan. Christ paid the price so that we can see it, but we have control over how in focus it is. We will use the book of Isaiah to guide our times of prayer and worship times with the Lord. Sign up today and plan to discover the wonder of this prophetic book and how you can get your life back into focus.

Our time together will consist of studying God’s Word, worship, prayer and planned time alone with God. This is a time of refocusing your life that you don’t want to miss.

Skycroft Retreat Center

Middletown, MD

$69.57 (all inclusive)

*this price includes three meals, study/prayer materials, and housing.

$48.46 (if you are not planning to stay over night)

*This price includes three meals, and study/prayer materials..

Attend This Event

The Snow Removal Ministry began in my own front yard. It was way more snow than I had anticipated and as I write this at 1pm in the afternoon, it is still coming down heavily. My snow blower couldn’t handle the volume of snow. The snow blower can handle about a foot of snow, so the three feet bank of snow just swallowed it. So, I shoveled, and shoveled, and shoveled.

I checked my e-mail and facebook looking for people wanting help and for volunteers to pick up. I loaded my snow blower, shovel, broom, a cup of coffee, and gps and started out.

I took 464 to 15N and after about two miles it became clear that I was not going to be able to help very many people today. The main roads were barely plowed, and I had to drive for miles just to find a place to turn around. For the hour I was gone I saw perhaps a dozen vehicles total and most of them were county plows and service vehicles. So instead of getting in their way, I decided to head back home.

Often times in disastrous times there is an overwhelming desire to help people, but there may be reasons why we can’t. It might be a person can’t handle the emotional stress, the distance, the physical requirements (like shoveling), or some other obstacle that prevents them from helping. There has to be a ‘first responder’ group that has the proper training or equipment to go to work first, plowing the way for those that want to help to come in later.

There may even be people who are suffering and questioning why no one is coming to help them, not knowing that there may be obstacles keeping those who want to help from taking action. If I kept going on 15 I would have eventually gotten in the way of the plows or eventually needed county resources to get me out of a snow bank. We all have to know our limitations, and be willing to help within that limit.
So the snow removal ministry has been delayed because of snow, and we will give it another try tomorrow. Perhaps by that time the roads will be clear, the snow will have stopped, and we will be ready to help.

Daybreak Snow Removal Ministry – http://eepurl.com/hzYc