Bible Archives - Page 9 of 10 - The Sparrow's Home

When You Can’t See God Anywhere

October 10, 2016 by Susan 24 Comments

You’re reading Scripture but it just feels like empty words. You can’t see God anywhere you look. Abandoned. Defeated. Alone. Those are the words going through your head.

I think we all have fleeting moments of these feelings. Sometimes, however, we get stuck there. Instead of passing through, we unpack and move in.

During seasons of darkness, we need the light of truth more than ever. Truth doesn’t always feel true, you know. And it especially doesn’t when we’ve set up camp in the land of ‘nobody understands’. That’s why I believe that we must do two things when we find ourselves there.

Don’t Ignore This Phrase When You See it in the Bible

September 26, 2016 by Susan 6 Comments

The warning, “Do not be deceived” carries with it a particular message whenever we see it in Scripture. What is it? How can we protect against deception?

I find words fascinating. We just watched Dead Poets Society tonight with the boys. There’s a scene in the movie in which Mr. Keating says,

Avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Say what you really mean.

When we read the New Testament, there’s a phrase that appears a number of times. It’s a phrase that often just fades away as we focus on what follows. But I don’t think it was included by the writers as a throwaway, I believe it was intentional. There’s a lot of significance to be found in these few words.

“Do not be deceived…”

If we look at the context each time this phrase occurs, we’ll find some things in common. Each time, what follows this warning is something that is likely to deceive us. It’s as if the writer is putting a giant red arrow in the text that says, “Hey, you! Take note! THIS is something that is going to deceive people…don’t let it be you!”

Fact or Fraud: 4 Common Science Textbook Errors

September 19, 2016 by Susan 12 Comments

Did you know that science textbooks from elementary school through college continue to print “facts” that were patently proven false decades ago? We examine these common textbook topics:

Peppered Moths
Embryonic Homology
The Miller Experiment
The Geologic Column

If your child’s textbook taught that bloodletting, heroin, and mercury were effective medical treatments, I imagine you’d take issue with that. After all, those practices were proven false long ago. Well, did you know that science textbooks from elementary school through college continue to print “facts” that were patently proven false (by mainstream science) decades ago.

Several years ago, my husband began studying evolution and the age of the earth with a critical eye. Since then he’s travelled to a number of states to present at camps, churches, and a Bible College. For Christians, he presents solid Biblical evidence. He also provides ample scientific evidence that is easy to understand that proves that evolution, besides being mathematically impossible, is wrought with lies and deception.

So let’s dig in to determine fact or fraud. I know some of these examples will look familiar to you…get ready for (as Paul Harvey used to say), “The rest of the story.”

M&Ms Ice Breaker and Guided Prayer Activities

September 14, 2016 by Susan 10 Comments

Activities with M&Ms for an ice breaker or a guided prayer time. Perfect for any kind of group! Printables include blank templates for you to customize.

Are you the kind of person who

Loves ice breaker activities?
Is looking for a creative way to get to know a group of people?
Has a Sunday School class that could use a fun prayer time activity?
Is often negligent and forgets to plan lessons, thus requiring you to come up with activities on the spur of the moment?

I am definitely not a #1, but the other three options describe me pretty well. This activity was a brain child of #4 above, to be honest.

An Ode to Scout: Life Lessons from the Love of a Dog

September 7, 2016 by Susan 18 Comments

Even a word like ‘unconditional’ doesn’t do justice to the complete, every inch of his soul adoration that a dog truly smitten offers.

No one has ever, or will ever, love me as much as my dog. This is not to demean my husband’s love for me … he totally agrees with this assessment.

Even a word like ‘unconditional’ doesn’t do justice to the complete, every inch of his soul adoration that a dog truly smitten offers. I’m pretty sure if he could speak, what Scout would say to me is, “My whole life is in you…all I am and do are wrapped up in you…my sun rises and sets on your existence.”

After a couple of misses with dogs, we decided to try fostering from a local rescue so we could find out if a dog was a good fit for us. Scout was our first foster. He came from a Kansas City, Missouri animal shelter. Slated to be put down, some blessed soul saw in him the gentle spirit that needed to be someone’s sweetheart. One trip to Minnesota later, he was ours.

From Toddlers to Teens: Raising Kids Who Pray

August 29, 2016 by Susan 7 Comments

Teaching kids to pray doesn’t have to be formal instruction. Tangible ways to integrate prayer into our lives and raise kids who pray.

When I was in college, I was part of a youth ministry team. We taught classes, led activities, and were tasked with mentoring the young people in our community. Part of the training we received in mentoring encouraged us to spend time with the teens outside of class. Real discipling happens in the day to day. The “Hey, I’m going to the mall, would you like to join me?” and, “Let’s cook dinner together” moments.

That’s when real parenting happens too, you know.

After all, parenting is–at its heart– discipleship. God tells us what parenting our kids should look like in Deuteronomy 6 when He says,

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
-Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Family meetings, lectures, classes, going to church… all of those are good and beneficial things. But that’s not where our kids learn how to really follow God’s commandments…how to serve… how to pray.