Here's a sampling of some of the things I've been reading and reviewing this week.  The hope is that these bite-sized sections of books, articles, blog posts, etc will stand on their own and be beneficial (or at least thought-provoking!) in-and-of-themselves.  But I also hope that some of you will like these excerpts enough that they pull you into the larger work from which they've been taken.

Let's start sampling: 

Fall 2014 classes have officially drawn to a close.  (Don't worry, though!  Spring 2014 classes start in late January or early February, and we'll have details on what's coming soon.)

As I work with other Institute leaders to try and make our classes continually better, one of the things we do at the end of each course is have adults fill out class evaluations.  This helps us know how we can both (1) improve individual classes and (2) enhance the overall Institute experience, as we help adults Dig Deep, Learn Good, and Launch Well.

The feedback this semester was overwhelmingly positive.  Here are four comments about each class that help reinforce the value of what we're doing:

The Bible contains great truth (as it points us to the Truth, Jesus Christ).  And as we read God's Word carefully, we need to have our eyes wide open to the ways these truths can come at us.

Some of these truths are encouraging - I think of the many great promises God has kept and will keep for all who follow His Son Jesus Christ.  Some of these truths are practically helpful - wisdom on how to live and applications for relationships.  But let's be honest - some of the truth contained in the Bible can be scary, because of the implications embedded in certain passages.

Last night I was reading in Revelation and came across a single verse that immediately struck me as scary.  Speaking to the church at Laodicea (and to us), Jesus says: 

What's so scary about this verse?

I believe it was leadership guru Zig Ziglar who said "Aim at nothing and you'll hit it every time."  As nice as it may be to always hit what you're aiming for (i.e., "nothing") in this scenario, most people want their lives and efforts to count for "something."  In light of this, then, it's important to give intentional thought to what we're aiming for.  Having our aim set on something overlaps significantly with other helpful habits like setting goals, diagnosing health, and best practices & methodology.

Since I enjoy teaching, do a fair amount of teaching, and interact with other who enjoy teaching, the question I've asked myself more than once is "What am I aiming for when I teach?"  Certainly, there are very specific objectives that accompany particular classes.  But for this post, I'm thinking more broadly than that.  What are some umbrella "aims" that more-narrowly focused objectives should serve?  In other words, regardless of focused objectives for particular classes, what am I trying to do when I teach at the level of stratosphere?  In terms of broad-brushstrokes and the big picture, what am I aiming for when I teach?  

For too long, my unconscious objectives when teaching were either to "finish/finalize" people's education in certain areas or to "follow fads" and let whatever was new and shiny take a dominating role in material.  Upon more intentional reflection, however, I realized how unsustainable and unhealthy these were.  By trying to "finish" or "finalize" people's thinking in certain areas, I was covering too much material, I was wearing myself out trying to master "everything about everything," and I was cutting students short by not challenging them to continue learning for a lifetime themselves.  When "following fads" became a dominating lens, I neglected to emphasize the faithful presentation of truth or I majored on minor issues.  

So if "finishing" people's education isn't my goal, and if "following fads" shouldn't be primary, what should be?  We're back to our main question: In terms of the big picture, what am I aiming for when I teach?  Here are five "aims" that I have reminded myself of often, and keep me pointed in a right direction.

Here's a sampling of some of the things I've been reading and reviewing this week.  The hope is that these bite-sized sections of books, articles, blog posts, etc will stand on their own and be beneficial (or at least thought-provoking!) in-and-of-themselves.  But I also hope that some of you will like these excerpts enough that they pull you into the larger work from which they've been taken.

Let's start sampling: 

Last Sunday as part of Brookside Church's "Prepared" series, co-lead pastor Jeff Dart responded to the question, "Can I Have Confidence in the Bible?"  His short answer was "yes."  We can have confidence in the Bible because it is reliable, unified, unique, and relevant.  (To access the full sermon, click here and find the sermon preached on November 9, 2014).

This topic of "reliability of the Bible" is important because of what's at stake: we won't believe the Bible's message (culminating in Christ and His work) if the source is inconsistent or incoherent.  And because so many critique the reliability of the Bible, it's important for Christians to be equipped to believe and explain the credibility of the Bible as God's Word.

If you're looking for some resources that will help you have confidence in the Bible and its message, here are 4 that I'd encourage you to dig into:

Here's a sampling of some of the things I've been reading and reviewing this week.  The hope is that these bite-sized sections of books, articles, blog posts, etc will stand on their own and be beneficial in-and-of-themselves.  But I also hope that some of you will like these excerpts enough that they pull you into the larger work from which they've been taken.

Let's start sampling: 

A good recipe is determined by the right ingredients.  (Trust me - one time I tried to make brownies and accidentally used baking soda instead of sugar.  Ingredients matter.)  The right combination of these right ingredients can make an excellent, nourishing meal.

I think the same is true for teaching.  Good teaching (or presenting) is determined by the right ingredients.  Here are three we can't skip:

Last Sunday as part of Brookside Church's "Prepared" series, co-lead pastor Steve Moltumyr responded to the question, "Is Jesus the Only Way?"  (To access the full sermon, click here and find the sermon preached on November 2, 2014).

As part of that sermon, he referenced a chart comparing some of the world's major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity).  The differences highlighted in this chart help dispel the myth that "all religions teach the same thing" or that "all religions lead to the same place."  (By the way, I've not talked with an adherent of any of these religions that would espouse such a claim themselves.)

In case you're interested, here's the chart: