This week's verse and blog questions...

First things first...the memory work for this week is:

Matthew 28:19 - 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. 

This is the first part of what we call the Great Commission.  We will memorize the next verse next week.  It is the last recorded instructions given by Christ (a resurrected Christ!!) to his disciples.  Matthew's version is probably the most famous.  See if you can find it in any of the other gospels.

And this week's blog question is:

Let's see how many DIFFERENT lessons you can pick out from the Easter story.  There are hundreds.  Everyone blog me AT LEAST one!   To start it off, here are a couple...
1.  Should I forgive? (Luke 23:34  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know not what they are doing.")
2.  What to do when your friends desert you.  (As in the garden of Gethsemane, turn to God in prayer because he will never desert you.)
3.  Now it's your turn - Go!

This week...

This week's memory verse is:

Romans 12:9 

Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

First person to tell me WHO wrote Romans and TO WHOM it was written and IF it was widely ready in those times picks the next snack!

TWO questions...

Here are your two questions on the blog this week.  BEST answer on #1 picks what we have for lunch next week.  If there are several best answers, the first one in gets it.  BEST answer on #2 picks our next snack.  Again, if there are several best answers, the first one in gets it.  Here they are:

1.  I have offered credit in this class for any of you willing to volunteer on May 7 at Special Olympics track and field with me.  Find me a Bible verse that tells me why it should be worth credit in this class.  Give me the verse reference AND write the verse.

2.  This week's memory verse is the shortest verse in the Bible.

                                  John 11:35  Jesus wept

Here's your question.  WHY did He weep? 

Remember BEST answer wins, but if there are several best answers, the FIRST BEST answer wins.  Go!

And of course...

And of course the next verse is John 3:17 - when you memorize this one, say John 3:16 and 17 together!  There is not a new blog question because though Paul's answer is VERY close (check it out - great answer!) and will win the prize if no one gets closer, it isn't exactly what I was looking for.  Anyone????

John 3:17  For God did not sent his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

What's different about this one?

This week's memory verse is one of the most famous verses in the Bible.  The person who wins this week's blog is the FIRST person to tell me how this verse is significantly different than all verses we have memorized so far this year.  There are lots of right answers, but I am looking for the first person who gives the particular answer I am wanting.  The verse is:

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This week's verse

This week's verse completes last week's.  Remember, last week's verse was Proverbs 3:5:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

This week's verse, Proverbs 3:6, is:

in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.

Let's blog facts on Proverbs itself this week.  Here's one for you:  Solomon was probably the source of most of Proverbs, however they think there were other authors, too.

Now, blog me some facts you find.  Best one picks the first lunch after spring break!  Go!

While I am gone...

Hello everyone! 

First of all, this week's memorizing work is :

Proverbs 3:5   - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Next, while I am gone celebrating my daughter's 30th birthday, I wanted you to work on a blog answer for me.  Today and Thursday, rotate through the class and each of you blog me an answer to this question:

In class, you have already written me one moral to the story of Joseph.  Think of another lesson or moral for the story of Joseph.  You CANNOT use the things we have already mentioned.  Think hard - shouldn't have to be too hard because there are a MILLION lessons in Joseph - and blog me at least one more lesson you can learn studying the story of Joseph.


In case you don't remember, the morals/lessons we have already talked about and therefore you cannot use include:
1.  never lie because it will come back to haunt you
2.  listen to your father
3.  always persevere and never give up
4.  always believe in God
5.  obey your parents because you will hurt them if you don't
6.  trust that God has a plan for you even if it is not what you are planning, and He has a plan for everything and is always in control.  Remember, whatever happens is in his plan for you.
7.  respect
8.  jealousy causes serious problems in relationships
9.  God has a purpose for everything.
10.  We all sin and make mistakes.  Instead of committing the sin again, learn from the mistake. 

Need a hint on other lessons/morals?  Look at today's memory verse!  There is one Joseph message hidden in the meaning of that verse - but there are lots and lots of others.

WOW - great job!!!

To all of you who were in the musical Joseph - WOW - terrific, terrific job!  I loved it!  I love that musical anyway, but it was so wonderful to see you all do it so well.  So, your reward is an easy verse this week: 

Psalm 118:24  This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

And here's your challenge.  You know the movie we watched in Joseph is very accurate.  The musical takes more poetic license.  I spotted 4 or 5 things that are definitely portrayed in the musical differently than they happen in the Bible.  See if you can tell me some of them.  There is one in particular that is significant in one of the most important morals of Joseph.  The person who catches that one picks lunch for next week!  Go!

This week's verse...

This week's verse is longer, but so good to know.  Note this is the (b) section of the verse.  I want you to begin with the words "The Lord does not..." and go to the end.  Someone asked last week why we only did a portion of some verses.  That is because some are quite long.  Anyone who wants to memorize the entire verse is certainly welcome to for extra credit! :)

1 Samuel 16:7(b)  ...The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

This takes place when the Lord sends Samuel to annoint Saul's replacement.  Samuel is quite sure that (a) Saul will kill him and (b) the Lord will pick someone with an outstanding physical appearance.  These words are the Lord talking to Samuel.  First person to tell me how many of Jesse's sons Samuel saw before he annointed David will pick the next snack. 

Some info on this week's verse

I am slowing up a bit because we have only had one class period each week the last two weeks, so I know we have some catch-up work to do.  This week's verse is only a partial verse and is easy (because I'll bet you already know it), but there is question involved.  If you answer the question right, I owe you the chance to pick our snack one class.  Here's the verse:

...love your neighbor as yourself... --Leviticus 19:18 (b)

Remember (b) means only the second part of the verse, and in this case we are only memorizing the middle of the verse.  The whole verse actually reads:  "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.  I am the Lord."  If you want extra credit, you can memorize the whole thing.  :)

Now, here's the question...you probably think of that verse as something Jesus said in the New Testament--and He did say it, but He was quoting the scriptures.  How many times does that verse appear in the Bible?  FIRST right answer wins.  Go! 

P.S.  I'm thinking by the number of times it is said, He really means it!  :)

This week's verse...

I know you only had one class period last week due to snow, but you KNOW the end of that verse was easy!  So, we are moving on.  This week's verse is some great advice from Proverbs:

He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.

(Proverbs 13:20, NIV)

My fact is this verse in a different version.  In The Message (remember, it is a modern day paraphrase of the Bible), this verse reads:

Become wise by walking with the wise;
 hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces. 

(Proverbs 13:20, The Message)

Now, that's good advice!!  Sounds a bit like that quote we use in Values, which I am sure came from this thought.  Remember "He who rides with the outlaws, dies with the outlaws!"??  Okay, find me some facts. 

Now the last half...

This week's memory verse is the last half of Joshua 1:9.  What you have memorized so far is "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged..."  And now this week's memory verse:

Joshua 1:9(b)  "...for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

You may have trouble finding a fact this week because it is the same verse.  Try to see if you can figure out who wrote it or when it was written or what was happening in Joshua's life.  Here's my fact:

Actually, this is sneaky.  My fact is simply to tell you why I had you split the verse up.  It isn't because it was too long to memorize in one week, though it is a little lengthy.  It is because this is a question that God is asking and what He is commanding them and I wanted to be sure you heard the answer.  The Lord commands Joshua to be strong and not terrified.  And the answer to "Why" Joshua should do this is simple and remains the same answer for you and me - "because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Nice job! Here's another one...

Nice job on the last verse.  I wrote a comment at the end because though you all dug up some interesting facts, one group was confused on the time period.  Please check it out. 

This week's verse is Joshua 1:9(a).  The (a) on there means the first part of the verse...we are going through the word discouraged this week and we will memorize the rest of it next week.  (I am being nice to you because it is long!)  Here is the first half:

Joshua 1:9 (a)  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified.  Do not be discouraged...

MY FACT:  Look back at the first of this chapter.  You know who is speaking?  God to Joshua as he takes over after Moses's death  WOW!  Just for fun, if anyone can come to class and tell me who buried Moses, it is worth some extra credit.  Hmmm...

So what do you think???

Hello everyone!  This is my NEW Old and New Testament blog.   You can use it to record points, check memory work, or look at pictures.  However, each week I will list this week's memory verse on the blog.  I will give you a "factoid" about the verse that you may not know.  Here's your part.  YOU look for another fact on that verse that you think is interesting.  It might be who wrote that verse, it might be when it was written, it might be what one of the words means...you can do whatever you want.  However, give me your fact on my blog by posting here to this blog.  Be sure you sign your name.  Someone will win each week.  Here's week one:


Genesis 1:1  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.


MY FACT:  The first four words of this verse tell you more than who created the earth.  They tell you in the beginning, God was already there!!!  Always has been, always will be!  :)  Your turn. Tell me something you know.  Don't know how to find it?  Come see me and I will point you in the right direction.