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Aug 01
2

Summer Is Over!

By | Public Blog, Uncategorized

Where did the summer go?  It is hard to believe that a new school year is getting ready to start.  Looking back over the past few months, I find myself amazed at all God did in my life and ministry.  I am ready to move forward in my efforts to advance His kingdom.

Even though I have not posted any blogs for several weeks, it has been an extremely busy and productive time.  It was good to take a break from posting to dig into the riches of Scripture, spend some quiet time with the Lord and, once again, prove His perfect will for my life.  Here are some of the highlights from this summer.

I conducted the first Kingdom Education™ Summit at Word of God Ministries in Shreveport, LA in July.  God did a work that exceeded all of my expectations.  Over 120 pastors, church leaders and Christian educators from 17 states met for 3 days to address the issue of education biblically.  I am grateful for the wonderful assistance that  Dr. Luke Bowers, Mr. Tim Euler, Dr. Sonny Sherrill and Mr. Ben Shettler provided to help make the Summit such a success.

It was the first time since writing Kingdom Education: God’s Plan for Educating Future Generations that I was able to define and present this philosophy in detail.  It was encouraging to watch as the delegates realized that education did not equate to schooling as they discussed how the home, church and school had to embrace the biblical principles of Kingdom Education™ in order to fulfill the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations.

At the Summit, I was also able to introduce two new companion books to my original book, Kingdom Education: God’s Plan for Educating Future Generations.  After months of writing and editing, Understanding Kingdom Education: A Challenge for the Home, Church, and School and Applying Kingdom Education: Following God’s Instructions for Educating Future Generations became a reality.  Delegates at the Summit were given complimentary copies of all three Kingdom Education™ books.  Click Here for more information on these new resources.

Each day of the Summit a different aspect of Kingdom Education™ was presented.  The first day focused on Understanding Kingdom Education™.  On the second day, the delegates broke into work groups focusing on Applying Kingdom Education™.  Advancing Kingdom Education™ was the focus on the final day of the Summit as challenges were given to the home, church and school along with corresponding panel discussions.

God did another amazing thing over the summer.  More than 50 years ago several Christian school leaders saw the need to train a new generation of Christian school educators.  Dr. Roy Lowrie, Jr., Dr. William Male and others started what became known as the International Institute for Christian School Educators (IICSE).  The Institute met on the campus of Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana for many years.

As a young Christian school administrator, I attended IICSE in 1978.  It was during that week that God started developing in my mind a biblical philosophy of education.  It was also at the Institute that year that the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) was formed.

Many years later, Dr. Lowrie moved IICSE to the campus of Columbia Bible College, now Columbia International University.  I had the privilege of being one of the keynote speakers at the Institute the first year it was held at CIU.  Unfortunately, Dr. Lowrie had unexpectedly passed away just prior to the event.

Over the years, IICSE has maintained its original mission to present and instill a biblical philosophy of education in the hearts and minds of Christian school educators from around the world.  The Institute had a profound impact on many of my fellow Christian school educators of my generation.

This summer, Dr. Milton Uecker, contacted me to ask me a very important question.  Dr. Uecker has directed the IICSE ever since Dr. Lowrie’s passing.  He and the team from CIU had been led of God to transfer the Institute to another organization that could carry on its rich legacy.  I was humbled to learn that Kingdom Education™ Ministries was chosen to assume the leadership for the IICSE.

Dr. Uecker was unable to attend the Summit; however, he put together a short video announcing this partnership with the Lowrie Center and Kingdom Education™ Ministries.  Click Here to watch.

As the new school year is getting started, I am excited about several opportunities I have to provide staff development sessions at various Christian schools.  Over the next few weeks, I will be challenging today’s Christian educators to understand and apply Kingdom Education™ in all they do.

It is my prayer that God will continue to lead Kingdom Education™ Ministries as we strive to restore individuals, empower the home, engage the church and transform schools through Kingdom Education™. I ask that you join me in praying for God to unite the home, church and school into a unified whole to make disciples of all nations!

Jun 27
2

A Good Summer Activity

By | Public Blog

This will be my last post for a few weeks.  I will be taking some time to get alone with the Lord and listen to what He has to say to me about the future.  I have often found that taking time to be refreshed leads to being recharged and reignited about serving the Lord.

One activity that I believe is essential to effective ministry is that of reading good books.  Of course, the most important book to read is God’s Word, the Bible, and it must be the filter through which all other books pass through.

I can remember on several occasions that Dr. Falwell would have Charles Tremendous Jones come to the church and schools to speak.  He would always say the same thing at the start of every message.

You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.

Of course, I read all the time, not just during the summer.  Over the past 2-3 months, several books have really impacted by thinking and, therefore, my life and ministry.  I want to share these books with you and hope that you may find them to be both challenging and encouraging.

I have always enjoyed reading books written by Dr. Erwin Lutzer, former pastor of Moody Church.  His book, When a Nation Forgets God, challenged me several years ago.  Over the past couple of years, he has written two books that I believe every Christian needs to read.  They are: (Click HERE to order)

  • The Church in Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness
  • We Will Not Be Silenced: Responding Courageously to Our Culture’s Assault on Christianity

There are two books that were just released that are strong biblical treatises on the importance of education.  The first one is by Darrow Miller entitled, Don’t Let Schooling Stand in the Way of Education.  Miller is joined by several other writers in laying out the case for the importance of children receiving a biblical education.  Click Here for more information.

Another book that presents a powerful challenge to parents and church leaders concerning the education that they are giving to their children is by my good friend, Dr. Alan Pue.  Rethinking Discipleship: Why Christian Schooling Matters spells out how Christians must recapture the biblical command to make disciples of all nations.  Again, this is one of the must reads for all Christians who are concerned with how the world is taking the majority of our children captive to its ways and purposes.  To order click Here.

Two final recommendations that will help Christians navigate through the dangerous times we find ourselves in are:

  • Fautlines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe by Voddie T. Baucham Jr. (Click Here to order)
  • Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice: An Urgent Appeal to Fellow Christians in a Time of Social Crisis by Scott David Allen (Click Here to order)

If you would like some further reading enjoyment, I would also encourage you to consider:

  • Excellence: The Character of God and the Pursuit of Scholarly Virtue by Andreas J. Kostenberger
  • The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards by Steven J. Lawson

I mention these specific titles because the authors are very deliberate to write from a solid biblical foundation.  As I mentioned earlier in this article, the more books written by man, even Christians, that one reads, the more time one must spend in God’s Word.  I pray that these resources will be a blessing to you as you take time to be refreshed, recharged and renewed in the days ahead.

Please pray for me as I will be presenting at the VIP Worldview Conference presented by BJ Press and Precept Marketing next week.  It will be held at the WWII Museum in New Orleans.  Immediately following this conference, I will be conducting the very first Kingdom Education™ Summit July 7-9 in Shreveport.  I believe that the Summit will be the most important event that I have ever been involved in over my 50+ years in education.  For more information you can Click Here or email [email protected].

I pray you will have a wonderful and blessed summer.  See you in the Fall!

Jun 20
3

A Man of “The Book”

By | Public Blog

My father was a very principled man. His life was marked by discipline and hard work. He lived such a life, even though he suffered from severe arthritis and psoriasis for most of his adult life. I cannot remember him being able to walk any long distance or do any type of physical exercise without experiencing great pain. However, I never heard him complain and, through all of these struggles, he exhibited an unbelievable work ethic.

Having lost his father when he was only 12 years old probably played a large role in the development of his demanding work ethic and his strong sense of personal responsibility and accountability. Dad had to learn to work hard to help support his mother and two sisters. I am convinced that he was able to accomplish all he did under difficult circumstances because he took his faith very seriously.

Three character qualities always stood out to everyone who knew Dad. The first was his punctuality. My father loathed people who were always late for appointments and/or completing tasks assigned to them. In fact, I have always characterized my father as one who considered himself to be “late” if he was less than 30 minutes early to anything.

A second quality found in Dad was his unwavering sense of loyalty. He was loyal to his family, friends, church, community, and workplace. He missed very few of my brother’s and my basketball games in high school, and I learned he used most of his vacation time at work to travel to see me play college ball.

Dad worked for only two companies his entire life after completing junior college. After 16 years at Loblaws (a now-defunct grocery chain in Buffalo), he went to work for the National Grinding Wheel Company. He remained there for the next 41 years before retiring. As I think back on those years, I cannot recall a single day that my father ever missed work because of sickness.

Another area of his life where Dad demonstrated loyalty related to his church. He was always in attendance for services on Sundays and Wednesday nights. I still remember “his pew” where our family faithfully sat for every service (of course, it was always available because we were always early). He always supported the man who was called to pastor the church. He not only supported but also defended our various pastors with the tenacity a mama bear has for her cubs.

I personally witnessed him slipping a $50 or $100 bill into one of his pastor’s hands when he shook hands with him after a service. I once asked him why he did that. He simply said that he knew the pastor’s family was struggling to make ends meet on the meager salary the church provided. He wanted to encourage him. This made a huge impression on me because we were not a wealthy family by any means.

The third character trait that stood out in my father’s life was his strong conviction about being personally accountable for one’s actions. He grew up in a day when right was right and wrong was wrong. Right and wrong were based on absolute moral values that most people believed in. When someone did something wrong, Dad expected and demanded that they take responsibility for their actions and accept the consequences that came with the offense. I don’t need to tell you that this conviction was demonstrated often as he disciplined his three children.

It was these three character traits – punctuality, loyalty, and accountability – that played themselves out in a very real way in my father’s life. This was never more evident than when Dad decided to serve the small town of Pendleton, New York, and was elected the town’s justice of the peace. Dad served two terms as justice, and I had the distinct privilege to watch him in action, as most of his proceedings took place at our dining room table.

My father did not have any legal training, so he was constantly reading the books that contained the legal codes for the town, state, and country. When a case was brought before him, there was one thing that everyone involved soon understood. Dad always “went by The Book”! I cannot remember how many times he would warn me that if I ever came before him as Justice, he would go by the book. It was The Book that guided my dad’s decisions as Justice of the Peace.

Dad’s Bible

He would never go beyond his scope of authority as outlined by the law. However, he would do whatever the law allowed to see a life corrected and not merely punished. There was one case that stands out in my mind. A man had gotten angry and smashed his car with a sledgehammer one night. After breaking out the car’s headlights, windows, etc., he drove it around in the dark and was arrested.

He and his wife had to appear before Dad. It turned out that the man already had a suspended license. Dad’s sentence for the crime was unique but absolutely necessary. He revoked the man’s license for a year and then sentenced him to six months in church! Yes, you read it right. Dad knew the man had a spiritual problem, so he required him to attend a church (didn’t matter which one) every Sunday for six months. He had to submit an affidavit signed by the pastor of the church that this person had attended his church each Sunday. As you can see, Dad went by The Book!

I wanted to start this book out by telling you about my father because of how Dad lived his life by The Book! Education plays a huge role in the lives of our children and youth. The education a child receives will not only affect his/her own life, but it will also affect the culture of society. If the home, church, and school are going to raise a generation of young people who can impact their world for the Lord, everyone must educate their children by The Book!

Dad went by the books that contained the laws of the land when he served as justice of the peace. However, I am not talking about merely going by the books that contain the laws of one’s country or community. Christian parents, church leaders, and educators must go by The Book. This book is the Bible, God’s Word. God’s Word is the only source where people can find and receive direction on how God wants them to educate a child. I have long been convinced that the only way we are going to reverse the terrible condition we find ourselves in today is for Christians to go by The Book!

However, Christians can never go by The Book if they don’t know The Book. One will not know The Book if they seldom spend time in The Book.  Martyn Lloyd-Jones challenged the church of his day to choose what its members were going to do with respect to the Bible’s authority in their lives. The questions he posed to Christians in the early to mid-20th century need to be heeded by today’s parents, church leaders, and educators.

We all, therefore, have to face this ultimate and final question: Do we accept the Bible as the Word of God, as the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, or do we not? Is the whole of my thinking governed by Scripture, or do I come with my reason and pick and choose out of Scripture and sit in judgment upon it, putting myself and modern knowledge forward as the ultimate standard and authority? The issue is crystal clear. Do I accept Scripture as a revelation from God, or do I trust human understanding and human reasons? Or, putting it still more simply, do I pin my faith to, and subject all my thinking to, what I read in the Bible? Or do I defer to modern knowledge, to modern learning, to what people think today, to what we know at this present time that was not known in the past? It is inevitable that we occupy one or the other of those two positions.

Thanks Dad for teaching me the importance of going by The Book!

Jun 13
4

Why?

By | Public Blog

I have been asked this question a lot recently.  In fact, I have asked myself this question quite often.  Maybe you, too, have asked the question, Why?  Consider the following forms of this question.

  • Why is there so much division in our country, our churches and our homes?
  • Why is there so much confusion over one’s gender?
  • Why are there so many people being attacked because of things they have no control over such as color of skin, gender, religious affiliation, etc?
  • Why is there so much fear about COVID-19?
  • Why is there a growing demand by people, especially the younger generations, for the government to provide everything to them for free?
  • Why is the nuclear family under such fierce attack like it is today?

You can probably add many other questions to this list.  When I have been asked “why” questions such as these, my response has been pretty simple.  I believe there is only one reason why our w0rld is in such a mess.  It is the same reason why today’s church has lost much of its influence in society.  Here is my answer.

We don’t know God!

I want you to notice that I didn’t say that people don’t know God.  I said we, including me,  don’t know God.  I cannot think of one problem that I face that couldn’t be solved if I really knew God.  I am convinced that families would be stronger if its members knew God better.  I believe the church would have greater influence on the culture if its leaders and members knew God.  I believe Christian schools would see more students become devoted followers of God if their staffs got serious and strived to know God better.

The reason why our world, our homes and our churches are in such a mess is because we don’t know God!

I was reminded of the importance of knowing God when live streaming a conference over the weekend.  Pastor Rodney Brown made a statement that caught my attention.  He said,

In almost every case the problem with every worldly philosophy is an unbiblical view of man or an anemic view of God.

As I contemplated Brown’s statement, I realized that an unbiblical view of man is the result of an anemic view of God.  Not knowing God correctly is the problem.  Dr. Thomas Sowell once said,

Some of the biggest cases of mistaken identity are among intellectuals who have trouble remembering that they are not God.

Solzhenitsyn was correct when he said,

Men have forgotten God; that is why all this has happened.

Men have forgotten God’ that is why all this has happened.

Paul understood how important it was for him and everyone he came in contact with to know God.  That was his message to the Athenians on Mars Hill.  One of the gods that they had built a monument to was the “Unknown God.”  He told them that they could know who was and is the only true God (see Acts 17:22-31).

Paul, himself, was willing to lose everything in order to know God better.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.  Philippians 3:7-8 (NKJV)

I believe that there is a reason Christians don’t know God.  It is because most of today’s Christians don’t know the Bible.  Knowing God doesn’t result from some mystical vision or experience.  God is known by knowing His Word.

In almost every case the problem with every worldly philosophy is an unbiblical view of man or an anemic view of God.

I can remember when everyone who was heading to church always had his/her Bible in his/her hand.  It may have been the only time in the week that they opened their Bibles but, at least, they took it to church on Sunday’s because the preacher would ask them to open their Bibles as he preached from it.  Today, we don’t even take our Bibles to church.

If we want to see God do a work in our lives, homes, churches, schools and communities, we need to count everything in life as rubbish in order to grow in the knowledge of God.

As I close this week’s article, I want to ask all of you who are reading this to pray for several very important events that will be taking place over the next few weeks.  This week, ACSI will be conducting its first Flourishing School Institute.  During the last week of June, I will be speaking at a worldview conference hosted by Precept Marketing and BJ Press at the WWII Museum in New Orleans.  Immediately following that conference, I will be conducting the first Kingdom Education™ Summit.

We don’t know God because we don’t know the Bible.

Hundreds of Christian school educators, pastors and church leaders will be attending one or more of these events.  Please pray that there will be a desire for each of those in attendance to strive to know God as He meets with them to show them how He wants them to educate future generations.

One of the saddest verses in the Bible is found in the book of Judges.  God had just brought Israel into the Promised Land.  He had done marvelous things so that they could possess their inheritance. Then we find these words.

When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work He had done for Israel.  Judges 2:10 (NKJV)

The theme we have chosen for the upcoming Summit is Teaching the Next Generation to Know God.  We believe that is our only hope for the future.  I am excited that we will be giving each participant at the Summit copies of my new books, Understanding Kingdom Education™ and Applying Kingdom Education™.  Both books are at the printers as I write this article.

It is not too late to register for the Summit.  I would love to have you join Christian school leaders and pastors at this very important event.  You can find out more about the Summit by clicking HERE!

 

 

Jun 06
2

Questions We All Answer

By | Public Blog

For the past couple of weeks, I have been engaged in some interesting reading.  Many ideas that I have come across through these readings have caused me to ask myself quite a few questions about life, in general, and specifically about education.  Here is just a sample of what I have been studying during the last couple of weeks of May and the first few days of June.

  • Excellence: The Character of God and the Pursuit of Scholarly Virtue by Andreas Kostenberger
  • Faultlines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe  by Voddie Baucham Jr.
  • The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards by Steven Lawson
  • Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice by Scott Allen
  • Don’t Let Schooling Stand in the Way of Education by Darrow Miller
  • The Confessions of Saint Augustine by Augustine (just started through his writings)

During my daily quiet time, I have been deep into reading and studying the Old Testament prophets from Daniel to Malachi.  Reading through these books have been sobering to say the least as they predicted how God was going to bring judgement on Israel because of their idolatry.

What do children need to learn is one of the fundamental questions every parent, pastor and educator needs to answer.

On top of all of this, I started taking an online class on classical liberal arts education.  Much of this reading, studying, and meditation has been done as I prepare for the upcoming Kingdom Education™ Summit that will be taking place in a few short weeks.

Through all of this, I have come to realize that there are several questions that every parent, pastor, and educator has faced at one time or another.  It is also true that we all answer these questions on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, many times, if not all the time, we do so unconsciously.

One of the professors that was presenting a lecture on K-12 education said that all education is a response to two fundamental questions.

  1. What do children need to learn?
  2. How will they learn it?

As I thought on these questions, it came to my mind that there is a third question that must be asked and answered when it comes to the education of the next generation.  This question is really a part of our reply to the first question and it is,

Why do they need to learn these things?

Every adult involved in the education of children and youth is continuously asking and answering these questions.  As I stated earlier, we answer them without giving them a great deal of conscious thought.  Most times, how we answer them is found not in our words, but in our actions.  I encourage you to pause from reading this post and answer these questions.

How we answer these questions is based on a hierarchy of importance that each person establishes for himself.  Establishing this hierarchy is especially important to the first question, What do our children need to learn?  This point was driven home for me in another lecture in the class that I am working my way through.  The lecturer asked this question.

“Would you rather your child be rich or good?”

He went on to say that you can’t say that you want them both.  If you had to choose only one, would you want your child to be a prosperous thief or be a poor honest person?  You are probably doing exactly what I did.  I immediately answered that I want my child to be good and honest.

The desires we have that we see have the most importance are the ones we will take greater risks in order to fulfill them.

Then some other questions came to my mind.  All of them are also based on an assumed hierarchy of importance.  Some of these questions included:

  1. Do I want my children/students to obtain a college degree or know God?
  2. Do I desire for my children/students to graduate at the top of their classes or know God’s will for their lives?
  3. Do I want my children/students to land that well-paying job/career or be a committed follower of Jesus Christ?

How we answer these questions is based on what we believe to be most important between the choices before us.  We all have desires we want for our lives and for the lives of those we teach in our homes, churches and/or schools.  The desires we see as more important than others are ones that we will take greater risks and make greater effort in order to fulfill them.

So, how you and I actually answer all these questions is found in how much risk or effort we put into the education we actually give our children.  These risks and efforts are not just about the schooling our children receive but what takes place in our homes and churches as well.

So, the real question that I must ask myself and you need to ask yourself is,

Based on my actions [efforts & risks], what are the things that I believe are most important for my children, grandchildren, and/or students to know?

The next question we must then answer is Why do I want them to know these things?  But that is for another blog.  Please be praying for the Kingdom Education™ Summit as final details are being put in place.  I am asking God to guide those in attendance to not only know how He wants us to answer questions like these, but also what has to take place in our homes, churches and schools for these answers to become a reality.

May 23
7

The Importance of The Right Philosophy

By | Public Blog

In my recent posts, I have been asking some important questions related to the education of future generations.  As another school year comes to an end, we need to think about the important role that one’s philosophy of education plays in the education we give our children and grandchildren.

There seems to be less emphasis placed on the philosophy behind all educational efforts over the past several decades than what I experienced when I first entered Christian education.  This trend toward focusing on the process rather than the foundational philosophy of education has paralleled a similar trend in today’s church.

The trend toward focusing on the process rather than the foundational philosophy of education has paralleled a similar trend in today’s church.

Experiential worship has replaced biblical doctrine in many churches today. This has led to a shallow understanding of who God is and what the Christian life is really all about.  Many years ago, A. W. Tozer predicted what would happen if experience replaced doctrine as the driving force in the church.

He believed that it would lead to what he referred to as a “gold-calf Christianity.”  This shallow form of Christianity would be defended by focusing on numbers of people in our churches rather than on what changes are actually taking place in their everyday lives.

Any objection to the carryings on of our present gold-calf Christianity is met with the triumphant reply, “But we are winning them!”  And winning them to what?  To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a disposing of the world’s treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total committal to Christ? Of course the answer to all these questions is no.

The same can be true of Christian education when a strong biblical philosophy of education is not foundational to all that takes place in the educational process.  We can believe that we are successful because our numbers are strong, our teachers are highly qualified, our accreditation is in place, our programs are expanding, and our graduates are being accepted at prestigious college and universities.

Like Tozer said, We are winning them!  But we must ask the question, what are we winning them to?  Are they strong in their commitment to absolute truth?  Do they think biblically about all of life?  Have they come to know God’s call on their lives?  Have they abandoned their desires for their lives to fully obey God’s will for them?  Do they know God or just know a lot about Him?

Without absolutes revealed from without by God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas about manners, justice, right and wrong, issuing from a multitude of self-opinionated thinkers.

If the education that they have received at home, church and school has not been presented from a strong biblical worldview and a biblical philosophy of education, the answer to all these questions may well be a no.  We must once again get back to knowing, understanding and committing ourselves to a biblical philosophy of education — to Kingdom Education™.

This will become a reality when parents, church leaders and Christian educators fully embrace the absolute truths found in God’s Word about how He wants us to educate future generations.  Sixteenth century theologian, John Owen, said it best.

Without absolutes revealed from without by God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas about manners, justice, right and wrong, issuing from a multitude of self-opinionated thinkers.

This is why God directed me to conduct a Kingdom Education™ Summit for parents, church leaders and Christian educators.  At the Summit, we will be dissecting every aspect of education in an attempt to know the absolutes [about education] revealed from without by God Himself.

We must never forget that the philosophy of education we hold is the foundation on which our children’s lives will be built.

The one thing about education that we must fully embrace is what does God think and say about it.  Again, I am challenged by the words of Tozer.

A Christian’s one question in any set of circumstances [education] is What does God think of this?  What the current popular attitude may be is of no importance.  He will approve or disapprove altogether as the written Word and the indwelling Spirit indicate.

I pray you will consider joining more than 100 church and school leaders by registering for the Kingdom Education™ Summit today.  Together we will dig deep into God’s Word to find what God thinks about education. Then, we will develop strategies for the home, church and school so that these institutions can unite together and educate our children and grandchildren from a solid biblical philosophy of education.

Every education teaches a philosophy; if not by dogma then by suggestion, by implication, by atmosphere.

We must never forget that the philosophy of education we hold is the foundation on which our children’s lives will be built.  G. K. Chesterton was right when he wrote,

Every education teaches a philosophy; if not by dogma then by suggestion, by implication, by atmosphere.

Let’s make sure we teach our children and youth a Kingdom Education™ philosophy.  Together we can make sure that the answers to the questions asked above are a resounding YES!!!

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE KINGDOM EDUCATION™ SUMMIT!

May 16
0

Some Challenging Questions

By | Public Blog, Uncategorized


It is hard to believe that another school year is almost over.  In fact, several schools held graduation exercises this past weekend.  As this school year draws to a close, several questions have been on my mind.  These questions are critical to the success of our efforts to provide Kingdom Education™ to our children and youth.

A couple of weeks ago, I was doing an inservice with a Christian school staff.  At one point I asked the teachers a question and was somewhat taken back by the quick answers I received.  Here is what I asked them.

Why does your school teach the subjects they do and in the sequence in which they are taught?

Immediately, a couple of teachers shouted out an answer at the same time.  Their answers were these simple words — state and national standards.  A few seconds later another teacher said we teach what we do so students can get a diploma.  Both of these responses are important to Christian educators.  However, I would also expect to get similar responses if I were addressing teachers that were in secular educational programs.

So, here are some questions that I believe are essential to the core mission of Christian education.  Most of these questions are also applicable to parents and church leaders in their efforts to make disciples of the next generation.

  1. How has your students’ knowledge of God increased from what they have studied in your classes this year?
  2. How are your students more mature/complete in Christ because they have been under your teaching this year? (See Colossians 1:28)
  3. In what ways are the students more prepared for life by having you as a teacher, coach or administrator?
  4. In what ways are the students more prepared for eternity by having you as a teacher, coach or administrator?
  5. Did you present the gospel to your students during the year?
  6. What do your students think you believe about God, creation, mankind, knowledge, moral order, purpose and the future by being in your classes this year?
  7. In what ways did your teaching of your subjects differ from what students would have received in a secular school?
  8. Can you list three things you wanted every one of your students to know by being under your teaching or coaching?  If you answered yes, what are they?  How successful were you in getting them to know these things?
  9. Apart from the level of academics, facilities, and/or programs, what distinguished you and your school as a Christian school this year?

These are some daunting questions.  But they get to the heart of Kingdom Education™.  Unfortunately, there are many parents, pastors and Christian educators who would struggle to answer these questions from a biblical perspective if asked.  This is why I am so excited about this summer’s Kingdom Education™ Summit.  It is absolutely essential that parents, pastors, and Christian educators address the issue of education biblically.

At the Summit, we will be taking a deep dive into the Essential Truths of a Biblical Worldview and the Essential Principles of a Biblical Philosophy of Education.  Then, the participants will develop specific strategies that will empower parents, engage the church and transform schools, all through Kingdom Education™.

The Summit is not an event where people will come and practice the three S’s that are common at many conferences—sit, soak, and sour.  It will be a time when we strive to fully understand God’s plan for educating future generations and develop strategies that will put Kingdom Education™ into practice in the home, church and school.

If you haven’t registered yet for the Summit, do so today.  It is filling up quickly and I am excited to see not only Christian school leaders but also pastors and other church leaders coming to the Summit.  We still need YOU to be there and help us get a deeper understanding of Kingdom Education™.  CLICK TO LEARN MORE & REGISTER!

May 09
8

It Is Time For Action!

By | Public Blog, Uncategorized

When speaking at a worldview conference a few weeks ago, I shared the results from a 1993 report entitled, The State of Christian Education.  Over 500 Christian schools had participated in an evaluative assessment.  The schools were members of various Christian school organizations and the majority of schools had enrollments exceeding 200 students.  One of the alarming statistics in this report was that,

less than half of the parents who have students enrolled in our schools understand and can articulate the mission of Christian education.

After sharing this information, I asked the delegates if they believed the percentage of parents who understood the biblical mission of Christian education has increased, decreased or remained the same since the time of this report.  The response was unanimous.  The percentage of parents who understand the purpose of Christian education has declined since 1993.

I, then, shared another finding from this report.  The report stated that,

almost exactly the same percentage of Christian school teachers could articulate the philosophy and mission of Christian education.

I didn’t have to ask them if they believed the percentage of teachers that know, understand and are committed to a biblical philosophy of education has increased or decreased since 1993.  The silence that fell on the room had answered this question.

Throughout my many years in Christian education, there has also been a concern about the lack of support for Christian education on the part of pastors and church leaders.  It has always been baffling to me how so many pastors are pro secular education or simply silent on the issue.

One of  the foundation stones of Kingdom Education™ is the importance of the three-legged stool.  For Christian education to really make a difference in the next generation, the home, church and school must be united by a biblical philosophy of education.  Considering what I have just shared, the reality is that all three legs of the stool are either missing or severely weakened.  SOMETHING MUST CHANGE!

I am reminded of an article that Joel Belz wrote in 1993 for World Magazine.  The title of the article was, Too Little Too Late.  Belz predicted that,

Christian schools will be found overall to have done a very good job in terms of general education, but will be disappointed in terms of instilling a profound sense of Christian discipleship…Christian school graduates will increasingly outperform their counterparts from public education. But in terms of radical adoption of a Christian perspective on life, the differences — while definitely present — will be disappointing.

Having given my life to the cause of Kingdom Education™, I have to admit that Belz’s predictions have proven to be true.  I am so thankful for the improvement that has been made in the quality of teachers and instruction that has taken place over the past several decades.  I have had the privilege of speaking at many graduation ceremonies.  I am always amazed by the abilities and accomplishments of the students that I get to address at these events.  Christian schools are producing some excellent scholars that go on to accomplish much in every area of life.

Christian schools will be found overall to have done a very good job in terms of general education, but will be disappointed…in terms of radical adoption of a Christian perspective on life.

However, when I look at the culture today and some of the findings that Dr. George Barna has found when studying the worldview of today’s Christians, I am deeply concerned.  This concern has only grown stronger when I see how false ideologies, such as Critical Race Theory and Social Justice, have crept into more and more churches.  Of course, there is still the reality that we are allowing over 1 million babies to be murdered while in their mothers’ wombs each and every year.

These concerns have had a firm grip on me for the past few years.  I keep thinking that we must get back to the basics.  Something must change in our homes, churches and, even, our schools.  We don’t have to change all the good things that are taking place.  But we must firm up the foundation or the future will be bleak.

As I shared in a blog several months ago, God led me to refine the mission I believe He has given me for Kingdom Education™ Ministries.  Simply stated,

KEM is committed to restore individuals, empower parents, engage the church, and transform schools through Kingdom Education™.

This driving force is what led me and others to hold the first ever Kingdom Education™ Summit this summer.  This event is an attempt to have the home, church, and school address the issue of education biblically.  It will not focus only on improving Christian schools but will be a deep dive into the biblical principles behind Kingdom Education™ and how these principles must be embraced by the home, church and school.

We must empower parents, engage churches and transform schools through Kingdom Education.

Joining me will be Dr. Sonny Sherrill, Ben Schettler and others who will lead the delegates in developing strategies for the home, church, and school that will result in a more effective effort to make disciples of the next generation.  Topics will include:

  • defining education, the kingdom of God, and Kingdom Education™.
  • identifying the essential truths of a biblical worldview
  • presenting the essential principles of a biblical philosophy of education.
  • four things that every young person must know.
  • the roles of the home, church and school when it comes to Kingdom Education™.

After each presentation at the Summit, there will be group sessions where delegates will develop strategies to empower parents, engage churches, and transform schools through Kingdom Education™.  A final strategy report will be developed from the work of the participants.  As the title of this blog states, It Is Time For Action!

I am excited to see not only Christian school leaders registered but also pastors and church staff members.  There have also been some individuals register who are not with either a school or church.  These individuals know that we must be more determined and united in our efforts to make disciples of the next generation.

It is not too late for you to be a part of this historic event.  You will find more information on the Summit by clicking here.  There is a special discount for schools that are KEM Prime Members.

I am thankful that the National Alliance of Christian Schools (formerly SBACS) is providing grant monies to its member schools to help with the expenses for attending the Summit.  To apply for this assistance contact NACS by clicking on this link, NACS Grant.

 My new two-book series, Understanding Kingdom Education™, is scheduled for release at the Summit.  These two new resources are companion books to Kingdom Education™ that will lead one into a deeper understanding of God’s plan for educating future generations.  A copy of each book will be given to all delegates.

If you share my concern for the next generation, I am asking you to do three things.

  1. PRAY for the Summit and ask God to guide in the final planning and to do a work in the hearts of all who will be attending.
  2. SHARE this blog with other parents, pastors and school leaders and encourage them to attend the Summit.
  3. JOIN us at the Summit.  Your voice is needed.

I have never been as burdened for future generations as I am today.  At the same time, I have never been more excited about and committed to the cause of Kingdom Education™.  I hope to see you in July at the Kingdom Education™ Summit!

May 03
1

More Lessons From History

By | Public Blog, Uncategorized

Last week I shared with you some of the lessons that God has taught me since I began teaching middle school history classes for the remainder of the year.  History is very important to God and our relationship with Him.  I shared two important lessons I learned in last week’s blog.  They were:

God is always working in history to fulfill one major purpose.  God wants the whole world to know that He is God!

History is a record of God’s works!

There was a third lesson that I learned in this past week’s history classes.

History reminds us of God’s standards!

As image bearers of God, we are to represent Him in all we do.  However, we live in a world where His standards are no longer known, much less obeyed.  When people forget God’s standards, moral decline is always the result.  Paul told the Corinthian Christians that the history lessons found in the Old Testament are there as examples for how we should live our lives.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.  But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.  Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.  (1 Corinthians 10:1-6)

In this passage, Paul taught a history lesson to the church in Corinth.  In teaching this lesson, Paul reminded the people that the Israelites forgot one of God’s very important standards — obedience.  They had disobeyed God by not going in to take possession of the Promised Land.  The result of forgetting God’s standard was that a whole generation had to die in the wilderness; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

History should remind us of God’s standards!

As we study history, we should try to see if people suffered because they failed to uphold some of God’s standards.  When we do this, we can avoid some serious consequences by not living our lives in line with His standards.

A final lesson I learned about history is this.

History is a record of God’s judgment!

All history is a study of the past and how God dealt with people in relation to how the people worshiped and obeyed Him.  This truth is clearly evident throughout God’s Word.  Consider the following passage of Scripture.

So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.  “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.  And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. Ezekiel 36:19-23

History is a record of God’s judgment!

The prophet, Ezekiel, writes that God will judge people according to their ways and deeds.  If people profane His holy name by acting contrary to His precepts, God will always bring judgement on those people.  He does so for the sake of His holy name.  God will never allow His name, which represents His character, to be defiled.  When God brings judgement, He does so in order to sanctify My great name.

As I shared these four reasons why history is important to God, some of the students responded that they knew that God worked in history during the times of the Old and New Testament.  However, did He continue to work in the same way after the Bible was written and is He still doing this today?

This is when I referred back to the Six Essential Truths of a Biblical Worldview that we had covered earlier.  The first truth is that God is eternal in both His person and His nature.  I reminded the students that since God and His character are eternal, He cannot change.  If He worked in certain ways to make Himself known in the history found in the Bible, He must be doing the same today.  If not, He has changed and, therefore, He cannot be eternal.

History becomes very important when it is studied in light of these four lessons.  This is the only way to fully understand history and, therefore, accurately interpret current conditions in the world and/or one’s country.  What is even more fascinating is that God works for the same purpose and in the same ways in our personal histories. 

History is a record of God’s amazing plan for mankind!

 

What would happen if our students not only viewed the history of the world from this perspective but also their own history and where they are today?  I believe it would transform lives like we haven’t seen in quite some time.  I pray that you and I will never see history as simply a body of facts about people, places and events.  History is a record of God’s amazing plan for mankind!

Apr 25
2

Lessons From Middle School History Classes

By | Public Blog, Uncategorized

As I shared in last week’s post, I am teaching 6-9th grade history at our local Christian school for the remainder of the year.  It has been exciting to be back in the classroom and sharing truth with the students.  If you haven’t read last week’s article, I encourage you to do so.  You can access it HERE.  It is my desire to show the students how to study and interpret history through the lens of a biblical worldview.  I shared the 6 Essential Truths of a Biblical Worldview in all my classes as we began to see how one’s worldview shapes one’s understanding of the past.

After doing this, I wanted to make sure that they understood how important it is for them to study history.  In the process of doing this, God taught me some very valuable lessons.  In fact, how I view history today has changed drastically and I don’t ever want to fall back into the mundane pursuit of knowing names, places, dates and events when studying any area of history.  Here are some of the lessons I have learned this past week when it comes to looking at history through a biblical worldview lens.

Lesson #1

It is important to know that behind all history there is a cosmic battle being waged.  This battle is between good and evil; God and Satan.  I was aware of the fact that there has been a cosmic battle going on throughout all the world ever since the Fall.  However, I never actually applied that reality to my study of history.

Lesson #2

When a person suffers amnesia, he/she suffers the loss of memories, such as facts, information, and experiences.  It is important to understand that when someone forgets the past or history, he/she has difficulty understanding the present.  This is because history helps us interpret the present and it can shape the future.  I realize that we are suffering from historical amnesia in our country today.  Because this is happening, the present doesn’t make sense and the future is being shaped in the vacuum of correct history.

Lesson #3

There are always people who are trying to redefine history.  By doing this, they can then explain the purpose of the present and shape the future to make it what they want it to be.  This is referred to historical revisionism.  This is defined as,

The distortion of the historical record such that certain events appear to have occurred and/or impacted history in a way that is in drastic disagreement with the historical record and/or consensus, and usually meant to advance a socio-political view or agenda.

It was eye-opening to help the students understand that each one of us is guilty of doing this at one time or another.  We have done something wrong and when asked if we did it, we change the actual history and present it from a distorted perspective for the purpose of trying to avoid certain consequences that we deserved because of our wrong actions.

God works through history for one main purpose. God wants the whole world to know that He is God!

Lesson #4

History is important to God!  That is a very simple statement to make.  But, can I support this from a biblical worldview and if I can, how does that impact my understanding of history?  In my study, I found that the word remember is found in 43 of the 66 books of the Bible.  In fact, this term is mentioned 178 times in the Old Testament alone.  This relates to the importance of history because the only thing one can remember is something that took place in the past (history).  You and I cannot remember something in the future.

In order to help the students understand that history is important to God, I searched the Scripture and discovered some amazing truths.  Let me share two of these truths with you in this post and I will share two more with you next week.

The first thing God showed me was this.

God works in history for one main purpose.  God wants the whole world to know that He is God!

Here are just a few times when this truth is made clear in Scripture.

  • When God led Israel through the Red Sea and caused the Egyptian army to follow them, He destroyed the entire army when the Red Sea returned to normal.  In Exodus 14:16-18, we find why God did this.  God states that He did this so that the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.
  • David stood before the giant Goliath.  By all human measures there was no way that David could defeat this giant warrior.  However, David was confident that he would be victorious.  Why?  We find the answer in 1 Samuel 17:46.  David said, This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you and take your head from you…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
  • We also looked at the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.  Elijah prepared the altar, soaked it with water and then prayed to God to send fire from heaven.  What did Elijah say that caused God to act?  Here is what he prayed.  Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God (1 Kings 18:36-38)
  • Another example of this truth is found in Isaiah 45:1-6.  I encourage you to read this passage and see this same truth emphasized.

History is a record of God’s works!

The next truth we studied about why history is important to God is summed up in this statement.

History is a record of God’s works!

Throughout Scripture I have read that problems always arise when God’s people forgot His works.  That is why we must try to see God’s works any time we study history.  Joshua made this clear when he spoke to Israel after God had brought them through the Jordan River.  His words are found in Joshua 4:20-24.

And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’, then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Joshua not only taught that a memorial pile of stones was established as a record of the work of God that allowed Israel to cross the Jordan on dry ground.  He also tied this history lesson to an earlier historical record of God’s mighty handiwork that occurred at the Red Sea.  Today we don’t have a pile of rocks like Joshua set up in his day.  However, we have written records of history that should serve this very same purpose. Every record of history should be a memorial stone that reminds us of God’s works.

Over the next couple of weeks, the students will be studying different aspects of history.  Some will study Ancient History.  Another class will be studying South Carolina History.  Yet, another grade level is learning about United States History. Finally, one class will be engaged in World History.  Regardless of the specific course they will be studying, we are going to take every event and look for the following things.

Every record of history should be a memorial stone that reminds us of God’s works.

  1. Can they see the cosmic battle between good and evil; God and Satan taking place in this event?
  2. Is there an effort to cause them to experience historical amnesia by distorting the actual historical record to further an agenda?
  3. How did God make Himself known as the true God in this historical event?
  4. What works of God are evident in what took place in this given time of history?

This week has been a powerful learning experience for me.  Middle school history classes have taught me some very important lessons that helps me navigate through the difficult times we find ourselves in right now.  I am more convinced than ever before that God is sovereign and in complete control of His entire creation.  I confident that He is working His perfect plan to completion right on schedule.  I pray my students will see history from a totally different perspective as we study the past with these truths in mind.