Sermon Illustrations on Learning

Learning, Difficult

The path to learning is difficult but leads to rewarding and profitable outcomes.

As the date-tree is hard to climb, though having at its top delicious fruit; so the way to learning is often difficult, yet its rewards are pleasing and profitable. Cawdray.

Learning, Proverbs

Early learning shapes character and habits that persist throughout life.

As the twig is bent, the tree's inclined. — English. — It is not easy to straighten in the oak the crook that grew in the sapling. — Gaelic. — What the colt learns in youth, he continues in old age. — French. — What youth learns, age does not forget. Danish.

Learning, Way to

Mastery requires persistent, long-term effort; there is no shortcut to true knowledge.

When Giardini was asked how long it would take to play on the violin, he replied, "Twelve hours a day for twenty years together." The author of "Telemachus" was right, when he sought to impress upon his pupil, that there was no royal road to learning, and that even the grace of God would not make a man a scholar. A man may be "superficially omniscient," as Charles Lamb expressed it, without much hard effort; but there is but one pathway to thorough knowledge, — "the republican one of labor and toil."

Automatic Learning

Animals and humans learn to organize experiences to adapt and respond appropriately to their environment.

Nature has provided plants, animals, and man with many ways of adjusting themselves to their environment, but only animals and man organize their experiences so as to make them of use to them in future situations. Some kinds of mice can learn to go to a little house with a blue-colored front because it suggests food to them as they have always found it there, and not in a similar one with a red front. Another kind of mouse (the Japanese dancing mouse) does not learn this difference, either because it is color-blind or, much more likely, because it has not sufficient intelligence to organize its experiences of blueness by making it suggest food to him. It has been said bees can distinguish colors and associate them with sweetened water. These animals, and, in fact, animals in general, have the ability, as we say, naturally to do thousands of appropriate things whenever the appropriate stimulus presents itself. Given the newly hatched chicken and the attractive piece of corn within easy range, and with a quick dive of the head the corn has been snapt up by a series of muscular movements quite complicated in their totality but all coordinated or organized from the first. The chicken does not have to learn this accomplishment. A young child also can perform many kinds of action without learning, as, for example, movements of head, limbs, and other parts of the body.

Compare the difficulty a year-old child able to walk has in picking up something with his hands. He makes many motions, sometimes overreaching, sometimes falling short, in the end probably falls flat. The child has to learn both to walk and to pick things up, but he learns both without realizing that he is learning them. It is done spontaneously.

There are, then, some things that man and animals can do without learning, and some things they have to learn, but that they learn automatically. Beside these easier tasks there are many others that man may learn, but only through definite thinking or direction with a distinct aim in view, rather than automatically without any consciousness of his learning. The child may recognize his father’s authority instinctively even without learning. He may by imitation think of some things as right or wrong without being taught. There are others he must be taught and learn with a definite purpose and effort or he will not make the distinction.--STUART H. ROWE, “Proceedings of Religious Education Association,” 1907.

Learning By Example

Young birds must be taught or imitate to learn survival skills and fear of man.

Prof. Lloyd Morgan made some interesting experiments in the instincts of birds, by rearing chickens and wild fowl from an incubator, so that they never could have learned anything from their parents. He found that they needed to be taught almost everything necessary to the proper conduct of their lives--not only to distinguish what was good to eat, but even the very acts of eating and drinking. They showed no fear of the human race, and plainly did not understand the language of their own mother when he placed them near her. The mothercluck of the hen had no meaning for the incubator chick, who nevertheless came promptly when he called. These experiments proved conclusively that young birds are taught--or learn by imitation, which is the same thing--to eat and drink, to understand their native tongue, to recognize and procure their food, and to fear mankind.--OLIVE THORNE MILLER, “The Bird Our Brother.”

Learning Process, The

Learning requires breaking old habits and wise teaching, especially for adults.

A young boy learns to play golf largely by taking the sticks as he has seen some one hold them and whacking at the ball in a haphazard fashion. Sometimes he hits it squarely, and then he gets a satisfaction that tends to impress on him the memory of the movement resulting in this satisfaction. He tries the next time to reproduce this feeling and to locate the point of difference, tho he is or may be conscious of none of these efforts on his part. He keeps trying and trying until he succeeds, noting meanwhile the ways other people stand, hold their clubs, and swing, and comparing them with his way. An old man, on the other hand, tries this method but makes no such progress. He is not free to establish a dozen new ways of getting a swing as the boy is. He has one or two already established ways of turning on his feet and of swinging his arms, but these unfortunately are not such as to help him in his golf. He must, therefore, not merely recognize and strive for the details of the right way, but he must more or less consciously break up the old ways. His chances are poor of success unless he is wisely directed; _i.e._, taught.--STUART H. ROWE, “Proceedings of the Religious Education Association,” 1907.

Obscurity, Literary

Understanding spiritual truths often requires grace beyond mere intellectual explanation.

Thomas Scott, the Biblical Commentator, once wrote a commentary on “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” He gave a copy of it to an old woman. Some time after he called to see her. “Have you been reading the book I gave you?” he asked her. “Yes, sir.” “Do you understand it?” “Well, sir,” she said, “I can understand what Mr. Bunyan wrote, and I think that some day by the grace of God I may be able to understand your explanation of it.”

Observation, Value Of

Training the senses to observe carefully is essential for effective teaching and learning.

Louis Agassiz, after he had spent fifteen years as a teacher of science in this country, when asked what was the best result of his efforts, replied: “I have educated five observers,” referring to the five senses. He claimed that the noblest profession in the world was that of teacher; and that especially in science, the teacher’s most important work was to train the student in habits of observation. Lowell called it a divine art--that of seeing what others only look at.

Educate the five senses and you make them fit teachers to educate you.

Practical Responses Clarify Confusion

Children learn distinctions through practical responses, not just sensory input.

The acquisition of definiteness and of coherency (or constancy) of meanings is derived primarily from practical activities. By rolling an object, the child makes its roundness appreciable; by bouncing it, he singles out its elasticity; by throwing it, he makes weight its conspicuous distinctive factor. Not through the senses, but by means of the reaction, the responsive adjustment, is the impression made distinctive, and given a character marked off from other qualities that call out unlike reactions. Children, for example, are usually quite slow in apprehending differences of color. Differences from the standpoint of the adult so glaring that it is impossible not to note them are recognized and recalled with great difficulty. Doubtless they do not all feel alike, but there is no intellectual recognition of what makes the difference. The redness or greenness or blueness of the object does not tend to call out a reaction that is sufficiently peculiar to give prominence or distinction to the color trait. Gradually, however, certain characteristic habitual responses associate themselves with certain things; the white becomes the sign, say, of milk and sugar to which the child reacts favorably; blue becomes the sign of a dress that the child likes to wear, and so on, and the distinctive reactions tend to single out color qualities from other things in which they had been submerged.--JOHN DEWEY, “How We Think.”

Practical, The

Great idealists are also practical workers who engage fully in life’s tasks.

According to Mr. Bliss Perry, the greatest idealists are the most practical workers:

Take those men of the transcendental epoch, whose individuality has been fortunately transmitted to us through our literature. They were in love with life, enraptured of its opportunities and possibilities. No matter to what task a man set his hand, he could gain a livelihood without loss of self-respect or the respect of the community. Let him try teaching school, Emerson would advise; let him farm it a while, drive a tin-pedler’s cart for a season or two, keep store, go to Congress, live the “experimental life.” Emerson himself could muse upon the oversoul, but he also raised the best Baldwin apples and Bartlett pears in Concord, and got the highest current prices for them in the Boston market. His friend Thoreau supported himself by making sandpaper or lead-pencils, by surveying farms or by hoeing that immortal patch of beans; his true vocation being steadily that of the philosopher, the seeker. (Text.)--_Atlantic Monthly._

Practise

Learning requires active practice and personal experience, not passive observation.

No man ever yet learned by having somebody else learn for him. A man learns arithmetic by blunder in and blunder out, but at last he gets it. A man learns to write through scrawling; a man learns to swim by going into the water, and a man learns to vote by voting.

— HENRY WARD BEECHER

Practise

Practice trains one ear to become sharper, showing the effect of repeated use and focus.

“Did you know this telephone business has resulted in a telephone ear?” said a clerk whose work called him constantly to the telephone, according to _The Tribune_, New York. “I don’t mean that our hearing is injured, but that the left ear becomes more keen than the right. If you’ll notice, all the telephones are left-handed. That is, the instruments are so placed that we hold the receiver with the left hand, so that we may have the right hand free to use in taking notes of messages, I presume. Of course, one naturally claps the receiver to his left ear, as it would be almost impossible to twist it around to his right ear. Consequently, the left ear gradually becomes much sharper in catching sounds than the right ear. If you don’t believe it, just try holding the receiver in your right hand some time and use your right ear. You’ll find that conversation which was perfectly distinct to the left ear sounds confused and muffled to the right, and there is a distinct effort to understand. It is simply that the left ear is a trained telephone ear, while the right ear is not.” (Text.)

Principle

Mastering principles enables practical application beyond mere examples or theory.

See FEELING AND PRINCIPLE.

PRINCIPLES, MASTERING

Learning must be transformed into life. One would not expect to find the yeast if he made a cross-section of a loaf of bread. A cow eats grass all day, but we do not expect the cow to give grass. She is expected to give milk. A boy may study arithmetic and learn to do a few examples correctly. He can tell if each shoe is to have five nails, how many it will take to shoe a horse. But suppose the horse’s shoes needed six nails? He is baffled because he has found a case which was not met by his example; but when he masters the principle of which his sum is but an illustration, he can address himself to the problems of life as they come.--EVERETT D. BURR, “Proceedings of the Religious Education Association,” 1905.

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Sunday School

Many things that are learned in Sunday School provide a foundation for the rest of our spiritual life.

1. My God is so big.

2. Jesus loves me.

3. All the children of the world.

4. The B-I-B-L-E.

5. This little light of mine.

[similar article by Kent Wilson in Discipleship Journal,#52, p. 12]

It's More Than Just Learning

American author Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the future are not those that can not read or write. They are those that can not learn, unlearn, relearn.”

By now we should all be aware that in order to improve one’s position in life, we must continue to learn new things. But in order to grow personally we must also be able to unlearn the behaviors that put obstacles in our personal development paths, and relearn the new behaviors that will put us back on course.

Let’s look today at three of the key behaviors we should consider replacing with new behavior.

Listening – Listening is not a passive activity. It is unfair to the person who is speaking to have a person there in body but not in mind. Just because we are the person being quiet does not mean we are listening. As a listener we must be in the present and taking in the speakers message in the proper context. It’s not the time to be thinking about what to have for lunch or your next witty comeback. Be fair to the speaker and have a clear and open mind.

Choice – I believe that we are where we are today because of the accumulative effect of all our choices. We have thousands of choices to make each day and we control our lives by those choices. Having the ability to choose equals power. Once you give someone else the ability to make choices for you, whatever they may be, you give up power. Once you realize you have the power of choice, life happens for you, not to you!

Self-Talk – All day, everyday, we talk to ourselves. Sometimes we even talk to ourselves out loud. When we talk to ourselves what we are really doing is giving commands to our subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is a very powerful tool. It carries out its orders efficiently and effectively. It does not know the difference between right or wrong and caries no judgment.

It just does what it is told. Are you telling your subconscious that you are smart or dumb, useful or useless, wealthy or poor, athletic or a coach potato. Whatever you are telling your subconscious mind you become.

Success is not a destination, it is a journey. Sometimes along the way we need to correct our course by unlearning the behavior that derails the journey and relearn new behavior to get us back on track. If you feel you may be a little off track, that’s OK. Identify the possible problem, it might even be one of three subjects in this article, and replace the behavior.

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #4537]

The Magic Pebbles

"Why do we have to learn all of this dumb stuff?"

Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom, this was the one most frequently uttered. I would answer it by recounting the following legend.

One night a group of nomads were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a great light. They knew they were in the presence of a celestial being. With great anticipation, they awaited a heavenly message of great importance that they knew must be especially for them.

Finally, the voice spoke, "Gather as many pebbles as you can. Put them in your saddle bags. Travel a day's journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will find you sad."

After having departed, the nomads shared their disappointment and anger with each other. They had expected the revelation of a great universal truth that would enable them to create wealth, health and purpose for the world. But instead they were given a menial task that made no sense to them at all. However, the memory of the brilliance of their visitor caused each one to pick up a few pebbles and deposit them in their saddle bags while voicing their displeasure.

They traveled a day's journey and that night while making camp, they reached into their saddle bags and discovered every pebble they had gathered had become a diamond. They were glad they had diamonds. They were sad they had not gathered more pebbles.

It was an experience I had with a student, I shall call Alan, early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of that legend to me.

When Alan was in the eighth grade, he majored in "trouble" with a minor in "suspensions." He had studied how to be a bully and was getting his master's in "thievery."

Every day I had my students memorize a quotation from a great thinker. As I called roll, I would begin a quotation. To be counted present, the student would be expected to finish the thought.

"Alice Adams - 'There is no failure except ...'"

"'In no longer trying.' I'm present, Mr. Schlatter."

So, by the end of the year, my young charges would have memorized 150 great thoughts.

"Think you can, think you can't - either way you're right!"

"If you can see the obstacles, you've taken your eyes off the goal."

"A cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

And, of course, Napoleon Hill's "If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it."

No one complained about this daily routine more than Alan - right up to the day he was expelled and I lost touch with him for five years. Then one day, he called. He was in a special program at one of the neighboring colleges and had just finished parole.

He told me that after being sent to juvenile hall and finally being shipped off to the California Youth Authority for his antics, he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists.

He said, "You know what, Mr. Schlatter, as I lay there with my life running out of my body, I suddenly remembered that dumb quote you made me write 20 times one day. 'There is no failure except in no longer trying.' Then it suddenly made sense to me. As long as I was alive, I wasn't a failure, but if I allowed myself to die, I would most certainly die a failure. So with my remaining strength, I called for help and started a new life."

At the time he had heard the quotation, it was a pebble. When he needed guidance in a moment of crisis, it had become a diamond. And so it is to you I say, gather all the pebbles you can, and you can count on a future filled with diamonds.

__________________

*

Thoughts On Learning

• On a positive note I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

• I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

• I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.

• I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.”

• I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

• I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

• I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

• I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

• I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.

• I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch – holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

• I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.

• I’ve learned friends sometimes need a little something (like these thoughts) to make them smile. People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel… “

And I try to draw the line but it ends up running down the middle of me most of the time…

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #4275]

Learning from others' mistakes

Experience may be the best teacher, but sometimes it is the most costly! Better sometimes to learn from other's experience. Martin R. DeHaan II tells of being in the first grade and watching a classmate, at the prodding of another student, stick his tongue to an iron bar on a bitterly cold day. Kid panicked and bled all over the place. Martin DeHaan said he decided right then he would never do what his classmate had done!

The Child Not Too Stupid To Learn

A partially deaf boy came home from school one day carrying a note from school officials. The note suggested that the parents take the boy out of school, claiming that he was "too stupid to learn."

The boy's mother read the note and said, "My son, Tom, isn't 'too stupid to learn.' I'll teach him myself." And so she did.

When Tom died many years later, the people of the United States paid tribute to him by turning off the nation's lights for one full minute. You see, this Tom had invented the lightbulb - and not only that, but also motion pictures and the record player. In all, he had more than one thousand patents to his credit.

Just like Thomas Edison, every child is capable of learning more than he or she knows today. Every child is able to find a new avenue of creative expression.

________

From "God's Little Devotional Book for Mothers," Tulsa, Oklahoma: Honor Books, 1999, p. 55

(The Timothy Report, Swan Lake Communications, SwanLC@aol.com, May 17, 1999

Quotes On Learning and Education

John 6:45

"Only the curious will learn and only the resolute will overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient."

-- Eugene S. Wilson, Cited in BITS & PIECES

"In a world that is constantly changing, there is no one subject or set of subjects that will serve you for the foreseeable future, let alone for the rest of your life. The most important skill to acquire now is learning how to learn."

-- John Naisbitt, Futurist

"The time for extracting a lesson from history is ever at hand for those who are wise."

-- Demosthenes (384-322 B.C.), orator and statesman, B&P 5/30/03

"History is merely a list of surprises...It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again."

-- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., writer, B&P 5/30/03

"Overcoming the unexpected and discovering the unknown is what ignites our spirit. It is what life is all about."

-- Daniel S. Goldin, NASA administrator

"Personally, I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught."

-- Winston Churchill (1874-1965), British prime minister

"Learning does not consist only of knowing what we must or we can do, but also of knowing what we could do and perhaps should not do."

-- Umberto Eco, "The Name of the Rose", B&P 6/6/03

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #12330]

Sunday School Teaching Styles

Choices abound when teaching Sunday School, said Carl Fondren, minister of education at Gardendale Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. "Creative teaching is teaching the way your learners learn. Our job is to find out what their preference of learning is."

Fondren cited five basic methods by which leaders teach:

-- Lecture, which is the most basic and common teaching method. One must be careful not to overuse the lecture method, Fondren said, noting, "A lot of teachers lecture every week because it's what they've always done and it doesn't take a lot of preparation time. Though lecture is sometimes useful, that's not how everybody learns."

-- Group discussions. While lecture is the simplest method, Fondren said group discussion often can be the most difficult. "It can be really hard to get people to open up in a group discussion if it's something they've never done before. But there is such a wealth of knowledge that people can share, especially in senior adult classes."

-- Case studies. These allow teachers to address specific needs without embarrassing people, and class members are able to talk about things without singling out anybody. "Case studies are great, in that no one is intimidated. Just be sure to have the studies already written down before class so people don't think you're talking about them," he counseled.

-- Brainstorming. "Nobody is ever wrong in a brainstorm," Fondren said. "Everybody is able to express their ideas without feeling intimidated by anybody else."

-- Question and answer. The teacher must guide the questions and make sure things stay on task. "It's really easy to get off of the subject during question and answer. You can be talking about some deep theological issue, and someone will ask why the carpet in the sanctuary is blue. The teacher must actively guide the questions so this doesn't happen."

Fondren also outlined eight of the most common learning preferences, and how they can be helpful in people finding a place of service in Sunday School.

-- Relational. These learners enjoy activities that focus on interaction and cooperation with others. They are often talkative and extroverted. "Relational learners make great greeters. They love to meet others and really make your visitors feel welcome."

-- Logical. These learners learn by activities that focus on problem-solving and analogies. "Our class coordinator is a logical learner, and we couldn't have found anybody better for the job," Fondren said.

-- Reflective. For class members who are introverted and like to stay out of the center of attention, they may feel most comfortable with activities that focus on self-expression and personalizing biblical truths. Reflective learners often enjoy heading up prayer ministries or doing behind the scenes activities, such as being in charge of the class newsletter.

-- Verbal. These learners learn by reading, writing, speaking and listening. "Verbal learners can do more than teach," said Fondren. "They're also great in outreach positions. We have pillars of the church who are homebound and forgotten. Your verbal people can really motivate your class to seek out those people."

-- Musical -- "Just because you aren't musical doesn't mean you can't reach those learners in your class who are," Fondren said. Musical learners learn by activities that focus on music, singing and performing. Using music to go along with the lesson often draws these people in, and teachers also can ask the musical members of the class to lead a praise and worship time.

-- Visual. In their tendency to focus on visual images and representations of what is being learned, these people can be utilized to decorate the classroom or create a bulletin board, Fondren noted. "Visual people love when you bring in a tangible example of what you are trying to teach," he said, citing a time he brought an 8-year-old to class and let him tell the adults what to do for a lesson about the young King Josiah.

-- Natural. "Some people just want to get outside of the walls of the church," Fondren explained. These natural learners crave activities that focus on exploring elements in the natural world. They enjoy such activities as adopting a highway or participating in an outdoor service.

-- Physical. These learners like activities that involve projects and building skills. They often learn best through drama and role-playing and would be the perfect people to help your class organize a community outreach building project, such as Habitat for Humanity.

"Everybody learns though a combination of these eight preferences. You should try to use several in every lesson. It may require some more work, but the benefits will be unbelievable as you reach people who have never before shown any interest in Sunday School."

*

How Else Is He Going To Learn?

A little boy came to his father and asked him, “Dad, who made God?” The father, engrossed in the evening paper, responded, “Beats me, son.” The little boy would not be put off. “Dad, why is the earth round?” The dad answered, “I don't know, son.” The boy played for a minute, then asked, “Dad, is there life on other planets?” The father patiently answered, “Nobody knows the answer to that.” Finally the boy asked his father, “Dad, do you mind me asking you all these questions?” The father put down his paper, “Why not at all son,” he said, “how else are you going to learn?”

==================================

Another version by Gerald Rodgers:

One day a small boy was taking a walk with his father. When they passed an unusual looking truck, he said, "What is that, Daddy?"

"I don't know," his father said.

Then they came to a large, old-fashioned warehouse, "What's in there, Daddy?" the little boy asked.

"I don't know," his father replied.

After they had walked on a short way in silence, the little boy turned to his father and said, "Daddy, do you mind my asking you so many questions?"

"Of course not," commented his father proudly. "How else are you going to learn anything?"

An Essay On Criticism (1711)

‘Tis with our judgments as our watches, none

God just alike, yet each believes his own.

* * *

Of all the causes which conspire to blind

Man's erring judgment, and misguide the mind,

What the weak head with strongest bias rules,

Is pride, the never-failing vice of fools.

* * *

A little learning is a dang’rous thing; [adapted from Publilius Syrus?)

Drink deep, or tast not the Pierian spring:

There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,

And drinking largely sobers us again.

* * *

And if the means be just, the conduct true,

Applause, in spight of trivial faults, is due.

* * *

Some praise at morning what they blame at night;

But always think the last opinion right.

* * *

All seems infected that th’infected spy,

As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.

* * *

For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

* * * [following appears to be apocryphal]

Convince you may a fool against his will,

He’ll have always the same opinion still.

Life Lessons From Every Age

Life lessons from every age:

============================

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night".

Age 6

I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either.

Age 7

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back.

Age 9

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again.

Age 12

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up.

Age 14

I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me.

Age 15

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice.

Age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures.

Age 26

I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have followed me there.

Age 29

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.

Age 30

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it.

Age 42

I've learned that you can make someone's day by simply sending them a little note.

Age 44

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others.

Age 46

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.

Age 47

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

Age 48

I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours.

Age 49

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone.

Age 50

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

Age 52

I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills.

Age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die.

Age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.

Age 58

I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, work to improve your marriage.

Age 61

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

Age 62

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

Age 64

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

Age 65

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.

Age 66

I've learned that everyone can use a prayer.

Age 72

I've learned that it pays to believe in miracles And to tell the truth, I've seen several.

Age 75

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

Age 82

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone - People love that human touch...holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

Age 85

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Age 92

*

(untitled)

Dr. Harry A. Ironside told of visiting a godly Irishman, Andrew Frazer, who had come to southern California to recover from a serious illness. Though quite weak, he opened his worn Bible and began expounding the deep truths of God in a way that Ironside had never heard before. Ironside was so moved by Frazer's words that he asked him, "Where did you get these things? Could you tell me where I could find a book that would open them up to me? Did you learn them in some seminary or college?" The sickly man gave an answer that Ironside said he would never forget.

"My dear young man, I learned these things on my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me I used to kneel for hours at a time and ask the Spirit of God to reveal Christ to my soul and to open the Word to my heart. He taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in all the seminaries or colleges in the world."

I've Learned…

I’ve learned…

that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned…

that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I’ve learned…

that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I’ve learned…

that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I’ve learned…

that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I’ve learned…

that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I’ve learned…

that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I’ve learned…

that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I’ve learned…

that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned…

that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I’ve learned…

that some members of your family may not always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.

I’ve learned…

that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned…

that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I’ve learned…

that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned…

that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned…

that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned…

that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I’ve learned…

that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I’ve learned…

that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I’ve learned… that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I’ve learned…

that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

I’ve learned…

that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned…

that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I’ve learned…

that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

The University of Hard Knocks

Proverbs 24:3

The University of Hard Knocks offers no formal classes. Course material is intensive and demanding yet no credits are given. The school does not meet accreditation standards and no degrees are issued. Tuition is high and requires a lifetime of savings. Black and blue are the school colors and the graduates are quickly recognized by their scars. The alumni have no recognition or credibility but are among the most sought after. They are graduates with real life wisdom, empathy, endurance, knowledge and understanding. Here is the testimony of one graduate. “I have learned …

• that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved.

• that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.

• that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it.

• that it’s not what you have in your life but who you are in your life that counts.

• that you can get by on charm for a while. After that, you’d better know something.

• that it’s not what happens to people that’s important.It’s what they do about it.

• that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

• that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.

• that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

• that it’s a lot easier to react than it is to think.

• that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

• that you can keep going long after you think you can’t.

• that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

• that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

• that heroes are the people who do what has to be done regardless of the consequences.

• that learning to forgive takes practice.

• that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

• that sometimes the people you expect to kick you are the ones to help you get back up.

• that when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

• that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and less to do with age.

• that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.

• that it is a tragedy to believe injurious criticism.

• that your family won’t always be there for you.

• that you must forgive those who have wounded you, including yourself.

• that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

• that circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

• that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

• that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

• that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt.

• that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.

• that no matter how many friends you have you will feel lonely at the times you need them most.

• that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

• that even when you think you have no more to give, you will find the strength to help.

• that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.

• that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.

• that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.”

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Wisdom is too high for a fool — Proverbs 24:3-7

When Children Learn

When children learn that happiness is not found in what a person has but in who that person is…

When they learn that giving and forgiving are more rewarding than taking and avenging…

When they learn that suffering is not eased by self-pity, but overcome by inner resolve and spiritual strength…

When they learn that they can’t control the world around them, that they are the masters of their own soul…

When they learn that relationships will prosper if they value friendship over ego, compromise over pride, and listening over advising…

When they learn not to hate a person whose difference they fear, but to fear that kind of hate…

When they learn that there is pleasure in the power of lifting others up, not in the pseudo power of pushing them down…

When they learn that praise from others is flattering but meaningless if it not matched by self-respect…

When they learn that the value of a life is best measured not by the years spent accumulating possessions, but by the moments spent giving of one’s self-sharing wisdom, inspiring hope, wiping tears, and touching hearts…

When they learn that a person’s beauty is seen not with eyes but with the heart; and that even though time and hardships may ravage one’s outer shell, they can enhance one’s character and perspective…

When they learn to withhold judgment of people, knowing everyone is blessed with good and bad qualities, and the emergence of either often depends on the help given or hurt inflicted by others…

When they learn that every person has been given the gift of a unique self, and purpose of life is to share the very best of that gift with the world…

When children learn these ideals and how to practice them in the art of good living, they will no longer be children — they will be blessings to those who know them, and worthy models of the world.

Keeping Your Mind Sharp

Psalms 119

A five year old was discussing Noah’s Ark with Grandma. Grandma asked, “How many animals went into the Ark?” Youngster’s reply — “one mail and one e-mail.” It’s a different age, I guess.

Betty is nearing the completion of a chrocheted tablecloth. She’s been working on it for several years. It’s gorgeous. I can tell by her countenance that progress is a good feeling. She always has her mind and hands busy with some project — she’ll never grow old.

Still water gets stagnant, so does a still brain. Regardless of our physical condition, we need to keep our minds active and always yearning to learn. That’s why a computer is so valuable for someone with a handicap — it keeps the mind active. The opportunities for learning are endless.

The opportunities are also unlimited for the Christian who wants to grow deeper roots of faith. There are 100’s of Christian sites filled with learning programs — and they’re free. So, there’s no longer any excuse for being ignorant about God’s Word. There’s a good reason for knowing God’s Word as found in Psalm 119: 11 (NIV), “I have hidden your word in my heart (why?) that I might not sin against you.” Good reason!

[But there are thousands of quasi-Christian web-sites out there filled with regurgitations of almost every imaginable heresy ... so know your Bible first and foremost, and pray for the Spirit and for the wisdom to discern the truth from falsehood. RGH]

Lessons For Jesus' Disciples

Luke 9:1

Luke 9:1–22 — Lessons for Jesus’ Disciples — « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. Jesus’ Itinerant Preachers — 9:1–6 (NKJV) — Parallel passages: Mark 6:6–13, Matthew 9:35–11:1 — 1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them {Mark tells us ‘two by two’} to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “{Matthew here excludes the Gentiles and Samaritans from their ministry, limiting it to the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’} Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, {Matthew adds that they were to give their peace to those who would receive them but take back their peace from those who rejected them} when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” {At this point, Matthew 10:15–42 relates a long speech by Jesus to the twelve, preparing them for their preaching ministry.” 6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

1. why do you think that Matthew recounts so much more detail in the narrative at this point that do Mark and Luke?

a. « Matthew was one of those who went out! »

2. what was the message that the disciples preached?

a. « the good news of the kingdom — this would have been the same truths that Jesus had been teaching them for the past year or so: the love of Father God, the need for a deeper relation to Him than by the rules of the Pharisees »

b. « the healing as an evidence of its truth »

3. how did their message relate to Jesus’ ministry (see 7:22, 8:1)? « — is was an extension of His work »

4. “There was a rabbinic idea that the dust of Gentile lands carried defilement, and strict Jews are said to have removed it from their shoes whenever they returned to Palestine from abroad.” (Leon Morris)

5. what lessons did the disciples learn here?

a. « no purse, etc.: supplied by God of need, but not beyond »

b. « not everyone will accept this good news message »

6. what lessons should we learn?

B. Herod and John — 9:7–9 (NKJV) — Parallel passages: Mark 6:14–29, Matthew 14:1–12 — 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he sought to see Him.

1. the other Synoptic Gospels, particularly Mark, give more detail of the events behind these few verses:

a. Herod had married H__________ the wife of his half-brother P________

b. John told Herod that this was not L_______ (Lev 18:16, 20:21)

c. as a result, H__________ hated John and desired his D______

d. at Herod’s B_________ party, she had her daughter D______ for Herod, which greatly pleased Herod

e. so he offered her whatsoever up to H_____ of his kingdom

f. she asked for the H_______ of John the Baptist on a charger

2. What ideas did people have about Jesus?

a. « he was John returned from the deat »

b. « he was Elijah appearing as promised »

c. « he was a risen Old Testament prophet »

3. What lessons were here for the disciples?

a. « not everyone would recognize who Jesus really is »

b. « serving God honestly may bring persecution and death »

4. What lessons are here for us?

C. The 5000 Fed — 9:10–17 (NKJV) — Parallel passages: Mark 6:30–44, Matthew 14:13–21, John 6:1–13 — 10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. * Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him;† and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” 13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

1. * – here Mark adds these lovely words of Jesus (AV): “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

a. what lesson was here for the disciples (and us)? « — that our Lord and our Heavenly father cares for our physical well-being and expects us to take that into account in our service: “Rust out or burn out, either way you’re out” »

2. † – here Mark adds these words (AV): “… and H had compassion on them because they were as sheep not having a shepherd … “

a. what lesson was here for the disciples (and us)? « — the mark of useful service is not the results we get but what is in our hearts for the people we serve. »

3. notes from the other gospels

a. it would take half a year’s wages (200d) to feed the crowd

b. It was Andrew who noted the lad with 5 loaves and 2 fish

c. it was Jesus’ command to gather up the remnants

4. What marked difference was there between the disciples and Jesus’ attitude toward the five loaves and the two fish?

a. « the disciples saw them as very little, nothing compared to the 200d of food that was needed »

b. « Jesus saw them as given by the Father who supplies needs »

c. What lesson was here for the disciples (and us)? « — “Little is much when God is in it (Kittie Louise Suffield, 1884-1972)” »

D. Peter’s Momentous Confession — 9:18–22 (NKJV) – Parallel passages: Mark 8:27–30, Luke 9:18–21 — 18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” 20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” 21 And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

1. notes:

a. Matthew notes one of the old testament prophets by name: Jeremiah

b. Matthew records Peter’s confession more fully (AV): “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”

2. Matthew 16:17–19 records Jesus’ response to Peter’s confession « — which the Roman church misunderstands as enduing him with the headship of the church, contrary to the record in Acts — » what are the key points that Jesus makes

a. « the recognition of who Jesus is comes from God »

b. « this is the confession on which the church is built »

c. « the church cannot be defeated »

d. « Peter would bear the gospel message of deliverance »

3. See John 1:38, 41, 45, 49 — how had the disciples recognized Jesus?

a. « as rabbi »

b. « as Messiah or Christ »

c. « the fulfilment of Moses and prophets words »

d. « the Son of God, the King of Israel »

4. Why, then was Peter’s statement so momentous? « — because event though Jesus didn’t raise an army to restore the freedom to the Jews; even though failing to fulfill the expectations of the populace; by God’s revelation Peter still recognized him as Christ »

5. what lessons were in this for the disciples (and us)? « — see above, plus, God in Christ has chosen to propagate His church through the agency of His disciples … those who would follow Him … it is therefore, an organism, not an organization. »

6. verse 22 is a transition into the next section dealing with the treatment by the world of both the Master and His disciple

Words of Wisdom

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates

"Be humble or you'll stumble." - Dwight Moody

"Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing." - Oscar Wilde

"We are continuously faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems." - Lee Iacocca

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." - John Powell

"Only the heart knows how to find what is precious." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." - Unknown

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Mark Twain

Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord

1. Teach me Thy Way, O Lord, Teach Me Thy Way!

Thy guiding grace afford– Teach me Thy Way!

Help me to walk aright, More by faith, less by sight;

Lead me with heav’nly light– Teach me Thy Way!

2. When I am sad at heart, Teach Me Thy Way!

When earthly joys depart, Teach Me Thy Way!

In hours of loneliness, In times of dire distress,

In failure or success, Teach Me Thy Way!

3. When doubts and fears arise, Teach Me Thy Way!

When storms o’erspread the skies, Teach Me Thy Way!

Shine through cloud and rain, Through sorrow, toil and pain;

Make Thou my pathway plain– Teach Me Thy Way!

4. Long as my life shall last, Teach Me Thy Way!

Where’er my lot be cast, Teach Me Thy Way!

Until the race is run, Until the journey’s done,

Until the crown is won, Teach Me Thy Way!

[Tune “Camacha”]

Learn From Your Kids By:

Parents often try hard to do everything right for their children. But no amount of effort can guarantee that kids will turn out the way parents desire, and even the most diligent parents are bound to fail sometimes.

Ironically, the way you can best raise your children is to let them raise you. By letting go of the pressure to make sure your kids succeed and focusing on learning from them, you can become a better parent – and a better person.

Here are some ways you can listen to your kids to learn from them:

• Thank God for your kids. Realize that your children are God’s gifts to you, meant to help you grow in maturity. Understand that your kids will change you to the core of who you are, and that they can teach you more than you could ever teach them. Know that God wants to reveal Himself to you through your children.

• Discard parenting myths. Don’t assume that your influence and involvement in your kids’ lives will automatically cause them to succeed in life. Don’t expect that simply following certain principles will program your children to succeed. Understand that the process of parenting is what’s most important. Strive to read your children well, understand them better, and build stronger bonds with them.

• Listen for your kids’ core questions. Know that every child is constantly asking two core questions: “Am I loved?” and “Can I get my own way?”. Realize that the answers you give them set the course for how they live. Understand that these same questions are at the core of your own heart. Let your kids know that you love them unconditionally. Give them the boundaries and discipline they need to grow in healthy ways.

• Ask God to give you wisdom. Ask God to help you understand each of your children’s unique bents so you can accurately interpret how He has made them. Take the time to study them, think about them, and pray about them. Let go of the temptation to superimpose your own bent onto your kids. Seek to discover who they are, separate from you, and accept them no matter how much they differ. For example, if you’re athletic but your son doesn’t do well on the soccer field, don’t push him in that direction. Try something else instead; perhaps you’ll discover that he has a gift for music or science. Rely on God to help you understand what truly matters so you don’t let minor matters take on more importance than they should. Allow your kids to explore, experiment, risk, and fail so they can grow.

• Strive to raise leaders who will do God’s work in the world. Confront the growing complexities and difficulties of today’s world by preparing your children to enter it as activists for God. Ask God to help you demonstrate mercy and strength in equal measure as you interact with your kids. Rather than modeling an oversimplified, black-and-white faith in a world full of gray shades, teach them to rely on God’s moment-by-moment guidance to navigate life’s complexities. Make sure they learn God’s Word and stay connected to His Spirit regularly through prayer.

• Break free of your past. Don’t let your parents’ voices from the past drown out God’s voice speaking to you right now. Honor your parents, but choose the parenting path that God is leading you down, recognizing that it may be different from the one they chose. Don’t try to use your parenting to prove anything, seek approval, fix anything, or pay your own parents back for harm they caused you. Instead, seek God’s healing so you can listen to your kids in the present and follow His lead into the future.

• Turn down cultural voices. Don’t allow the media, your friends, your church, or your children’s school to dictate your parenting decisions. Focus on your kids themselves, responding to their unique God-given bents.

• Work on building a healthy marriage. Understand that your children will learn a great deal about love and faith from the quality of your marriage. Work with your spouse to grow closer to God together so your kids can see you wrestle with the deepest matters of the heart in healthy ways.

• Strive to reflect God’s character into your kids’ lives. Give your children opportunities to take risks to grow in maturity. Courageously pursue creative endeavors in your life and help your kids do so as well. Provide security so your kids can grow stronger; shower them with tenderness so they can become more free. Be open and honest about your own failures, and let your children see you turn to God for forgiveness and grace. When your kids’ sin, help them learn from it and encourage them to grow to their fullest potential.

• Dream God’s dreams for your children. Give your kids the freedom to take risks, and show them grace when they fail, trusting that God is working a greater good in them through the experience. Persevere through the hard times, holding onto hope that God will accomplish His purposes for their lives. Know that the dreams God dreams for your children are greater than you – or they – could ever dream apart from Him. Let go of dreams you have that don’t align with God’s will and invite God to do His powerful work in your kids’ lives. Focus as God does – less on your children’s external accomplishments (such as getting into a certain college) and more on their internal character, the kind of people they’re becoming.

• Let your kids “name” you. Engage in frequent dialogue with your children to understand how they view you, and why. Pray about how the ways they see you and label you reflect God’s work in your life.

• Let your children reveal more about God to you. Write down what your kids teach you in a journal, and pray about what you’re learning so you can grow closer to God. Strive to hear the voice of God speaking to you through your children.

• Play with your kids. Take the time to join your children in their play. Don’t worry about measuring results from this time together; focus on enjoying the process instead. Fully participate and celebrate with them, trusting that God will strengthen your bond with them as you do.