Tulsa Bible Church Theology Review 2017

Tulsa Bible Church

—Adult Sunday School—

Al Mohler, in his blog article “The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem,” reminds us that, “We will not believe more than we know, and we will not live higher than our beliefs.” [1]  He opens his article with this sobering thought.

While America’s evangelical Christians are rightly concerned about the secular worldview’s rejection of biblical Christianity, we ought to give some urgent attention to a problem much closer to home–biblical illiteracy in the church. This scandalous problem is our own, and it’s up to us to fix it.[2]

A Ligonier Ministries blog reminds us that C.S. Lewis once said, “If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones.”[3]

Dr. Larry Perkins defines theological literacy as “a person’s capacity to formulate and articulate a Christian worldview based upon and derived from the Scriptures and with some awareness of the way the church has formulated such ideas throughout its history.”[4]

The sad state of Biblical and theological literacy among the general public is understandable, but the shallow theological knowledge and “squishy” beliefs among Christians are tragic.  One purpose of our systematic review of Bible doctrine is to assure that we are exposing people to a full range of Biblical truth and avoid the possibility of a doctrine never being taught. 

Lon Solomon, the pastor of McClean Bible Church in the metro Washington, DC, area, has a preaching trademark of pausing during each sermon and having the congregation ask, “So what!?”  His point is to make sure the doctrine and exposition in each message are tied to everyday practical living.  A second important goal is to help people connect these orthodox truths with their corresponding orthopraxy.[5] 

Theology Review 2017

Pneumatology (Holy Spirit) and Anthropology (Man) are the topics we want to cover in 2017.  It will probably take between 5-8 weeks to cover (depending on how quickly you want to go).  Of course, I am available to work with you and help you on teaching this in your flock.

A few additional notes and thoughts.

Dividing lessons:

1.     I would suggest that you divide this unit into two shorter series.  You ought to consider doing 3-5 lessons on the Holy Spirit in the first half of the year.  Then, if you wait and cover the doctrine of man towards the last part of 2017, it will be fresher on people minds when we study about salvation in 2018.

2.     You will probably want to spend one week on the personhood and deity of the Holy Spirit.  The Trinity is so important that we should really drive it into people’s minds. Then spend another 2-4 weeks on the works of the Holy Spirit.

3.     I have found the section about the Holy Spirit our WWT for that section to be poorly organized for teaching.  I have reorganized the material from the section on the Holy Spirit into a more teachable outline.  Feel free to use it.

4.     There are three sections on the doctrine of Man, but you may prefer to combine “The Fall of Man” and “The Sin Nature” into one lesson.  This part of our statement is where we talk about the “specialness” of man that makes murder (including abortions) so wrong.

Resources:

1.     In The Moody Handbook of Theology*, chapter 21 (p. 245) deals with “Pneumatology: Doctrine of the Holy Spirit” and chapter 23 (p. 301) addresses “Anthropology and Hamartiology: Doctrines of Man and Sin.”  Since the doctrine of man is one of the five points of Calvinism (T for total depravity), you may want to review parts of Chapters 33 “Calvinistic Theology” (p.475) and 34 “Arminian Theology” (p. 489).  However, I would recommend that you not mention John Calvin or Joseph Arminius in your teaching about man.  Just present the WWT and Scriptures.
* I have loaner copies

2.     In Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology the chapter 34 on regeneration and chapter 39 on the Baptism and Filling with the Holy Spirit cover material in our section on the Holy Spirit.  Chapters 21-24 go with the section on the doctrine of man. 

3.     One of the nice features of Grudem’s work is that he has application questions at the end of each chapter.  D.L. Moody said, “Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather.”  Let’s remember to teach theology with an emphasis on the difference it should make for us at work, home, and play Monday through Saturday.

4.     The theology books can also be helpful for identifying Scriptures that teach the truths in our WWT statement.

WWT

V. The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)

A. Person of the Trinity

1. We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person with intellect, ¹ emotions, ² and will³  Who is eternal⁴ and uncreated, possessing all the attributes of the Godhead which include omnipresence,⁵ omniscience, ⁶ and omnipotence. ⁷

·       Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

·       Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

 2. We teach that in all the divine attributes He is coequal and consubstantial (same substance) with the Father and the Son.⁸  He is God.⁹

·       Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

·       Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

¹ 1Corinthians 2:10-13  ² Ephesians 4:30  ³ 1 Corinthians 12:11 ⁴ Hebrews 9:14  ⁵ Psalm 139:7-10  ⁶ Isaiah 40:13-14  ⁷ Romans 15:13  ⁸ Matthew 28:19; Acts 28:25-26; 2 Corinthians 13:14   ⁹ Acts 5:3-4;

B. Work of the Holy Spirit

1. We teach that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to carry out the divine will with relation to all mankind. We recognize His sovereign activity in creation,¹ the incarnation,² the written revelation,³ and the work of salvation.⁴

·       Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

·       Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

2. We teach that the work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost, when He came from the Father as promised by Christ⁵ to initiate and complete the building of the body of Christ, which is His church.⁶ The broad scope of the Holy Spirit’s divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;⁷ glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ,⁸ and transforming believers into the image of Christ.⁹

·       John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

·       2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

¹ Genesis 1:2   ² Matthew 1:18    ³ 2 Peter 1:20-21    ⁴ John 3:5-7   ⁵ John 14:16-17  ⁶ 1 Corinthians 12:13        ⁷ John 16:7-9;  ⁸John 15:26   ⁹Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22

C. Role in Salvation

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration,¹ baptizing all believers into the body of Christ.²  The Holy Spirit also indwells,³ sanctifies,⁴ instructs,⁵ empowers them for service,⁶ and seals them unto the day of redemption.⁷

·       Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

·       Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

¹ Titus 3:5 ² 1 Corinthians 12:13   ³ Romans 8:9   ⁴ 1 Corinthians 6:11    ⁵ 1 Corinthians 2:9-12; 1 John 2:20, 27   ⁶ 2 Corinthians 3:6   ⁷ Ephesians 1:13

D. Ministries

1. We teach that the Holy Spirit is the divine teacher who guided the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God's revelation, the Bible.¹  Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation,² and it is the duty of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit.³

·       Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

·       Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

2. We teach that the Holy Spirit alone administers spiritual gifts to the church.⁴  The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious displays, but all He does is to glorify Christ, ⁵ to implement His work of redeeming the lost, ⁶ and to build up believers in the most holy faith. ⁷

·       1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

·       John 16:13-14 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

¹  John 16:13; 2 Peter 1:19-21  ² Romans 8:9   ³  Ephesians 5:18    ⁴ 1 Corinthians 12:4-11   ⁵ John 16:13-14  ⁶ Acts 1:8    ⁷ 2 Corinthians 3:18   

Holy Spirit Teaching Outline

A. Person of the Trinity

The Holy Spirit is…

·       A divine person with … 

o   Intellect  (1Corinthians 2:10-13)

o   Emotions  (Ephesians 4:30)

o   Will  (1 Corinthians 12:11) 

·       God:  (Acts 5:3-4)

o   Eternal and Uncreated.  (Hebrews 9:14)

o   Possessing all the Attributes of the Godhead which include…

-        Omnipresence  (Psalm 139:7-10)

-        omniscience  (Isaiah 40:13-14)

-        omnipotence (Romans 15:13) 

o   Coequal and Consubstantial (same substance) with the Father and the Son. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 28:25-26; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

B. Work of the Holy Spirit to carry out the divine will…

1. To all Mankind.

·       Creation.   (Genesis 1:2)

·       Incarnation.   (Matthew 1:18)

·       Written revelation. (the Holy Spirit is the divine teacher who guided the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God's revelation, the Bible.  (John 16:13; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

·       The work of Salvation. (John 3:5-7)

2. To the Church

·       The work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost, when

·       He came from the Father as Promised by Christ  (John 14:16-17)

·       He came to initiate and complete the building of the body of Christ    (1 Corinthians 12:13)

·       The broad scope of the Holy Spirit’s divine activity includes

o   Convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; (John 16:7-9)

o   Glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ, (John 15:26) 

o   Transforming believers into the image of Christ.  (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22)

3. To believers - The  Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in…

 Ministries to all believers equally--

·       Regeneration,  (Titus 3:5)

·       Baptizing all believers into the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:13) 

·       Indwelling all believers, (Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation.)   (Romans 8:9)     

·       Sealing believers unto the day of redemption.    (Ephesians 1:13)

Ministries to believers in varying degrees--

·       Sanctifying,    (1 Corinthians 6:11)

·       Instructing,     (2 Corinthians 2:9-12; 1 John 2:20, 27)

·       Filling/empowering for service, --It is the duty of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit.  (2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 5:18)       

·       Spiritual Gifts: He administers spiritual gifts to the church. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)  The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious displays, but all He does is...

o   to glorify Christ.    (John 16:13-14)   

o   to implement His work of redeeming the lost.   (Acts 1:8)

o   to build up believers in the most holy faith.   (2 Corinthians 3:18)       

Note:

1.  Since regeneration and progressive sanctification each have a section under Salvation, which we cover in 2018, you do not need to teach them in detail this year.  Also, we will cover spiritual gifts in more detail in the unit on the Church (2019), so you should not need to devote much time to them this year.

2.  A careful defining of and distinguishing between Baptism and Filling of the Spirit will be helpful in protecting against some of the errors that seem to be so common in our area.

       

WWT

VI. Man (Anthropology)

A. Purpose

1. We teach that man and woman were directly and immediately created by God¹ in His image and likeness.² Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God.

·  Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

·  James 3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

2. We teach that God's intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God,³ enjoy God's fellowship, live his life in the will of God and by this, accomplish God's purpose for man in the world.⁴

·  Isaiah 43:7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

·  Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

¹ Genesis 2:7, 15-25    ² Genesis 1.23-27; James 3:9    ³ Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11         ⁴ Colossians 1:16

B. The Fall

1. We teach that in Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God¹ the whole human race fell,² man lost his innocence,³ incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death,⁴ became subject to the wrath of God,⁵ and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace.⁶

·       1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

·       Ephesians 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

2. We teach that all men, until they accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, are lost,⁷ darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,⁸ hardened in heart,⁹ morally and spiritually dead through their trespasses and sins.¹⁰ They cannot see nor enter the kingdom of God until they are born again of the Holy Spirit.¹¹ With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost.  Man's salvation is thereby wholly of God's grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

·       Ephesians 4:18 …having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

·       John 3:3-5   Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”   ⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  

¹ Genesis 2:16-17; 1 Timothy 2:13-14   ² Romans 5:12   ³ Genesis 3:1-19 (esp. 9-11)   ⁴ Romans 6:23  ⁵ John 3:36  ⁶ 1 Corinthians 2:14  ⁷ Luke 19:10; 2 Corinthians 4:3    ⁸ Ephesians 4:18: 1 Peter 1:14    ⁹ John 12:40  ¹⁰ Ephesians 2:1   ¹¹  John 3:3-5     

C. The Sin Nature

We teach that because all men were in Adam, the consequence of Adam's sin has been transmitted (imputed) to all men of all ages,¹ Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by divine declaration, by nature, ² and by choice. ³

·       Psalm 14:1-3 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

·       Romans 5:10-12 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

¹ Romans 5:10-12     ² Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23    ³ Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12

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WWT

1. Asterisks indicate the number of paragraphs in each section.

2. This is organized into the teaching divisions that the Elders agreed to use so that we can review the entire statement in Sunday school flock time every six years.

YEAR 1---2009---2015---------------------------

I. The Bible (Bibliology)

A. Inspiration    **

B. Inerrancy and Authority  *

C. Hermeneutics   **

II. The Trinity (Theology Proper)    *

III. God the Father (Paterology)

A. Person of the Trinity    *

B. Fatherhood    *

C. Sovereignty    **

D. Role in Salvation    *

YEAR 2---2010---2016---------------------------

IV. The Lord Jesus Christ (Christology)

A. Person of the Trinity   **

B. Incarnation   **

C. Life and Ministry   **

D. Redemption   **

E. Resurrection   **

F. Return   **

YEAR 3---2011---2017---------------------------

V. The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)

A. Person of the Trinity

1. We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person…

2. We teach that in all the divine attributes He is coequal and consubstantial (same substance)…

B. Work of the Holy Spirit

1. We teach that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to carry out the divine will.

2. We teach that the work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost…

C. Role in Salvation

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration…

D. Ministries

1. We teach that the Holy Spirit is the divine teacher...

2. We teach that the Holy Spirit alone administers spiritual gifts to the church… 

VI. Man (Anthropology)

A. Purpose

1. We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness.

2. We teach that God's intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God.

B. The Fall   

1. We teach that in Adam's sin the whole human race fell…

2. We teach that all men are lost, no recuperative powers…

C. The Sin Nature

We teach that all men are thus sinners by divine declaration, by nature, and by choice…

YEAR 4---2018---------------------------

VII. Salvation (Soteriology)

A. Basis of Salvation

B. Election

C. Election & Evangelism

F. Regeneration

G. Justification 

H. Progressive Sanctification

I. Separation from Sin

J. Eternal Security

YEAR 5---2013---2019---------------------------

VIII. The Church (Ecclesiology)

A. Definition of the Church   ***

B. Purpose of the Church   *

C. Church Leaders   ***

D. The Local Church   **

E. Ordinances   ***

F. Equipping for Ministry    **

G. Signs and Wonders    ***

YEAR 6---2014---2020---------------------------

IX. Angels & Satan (Angelology)

A. Angels    *

B. Satan   **

X. Future Things (eschatology)   (This section has some Articles of Faith part integrated.)

A. Death   ***

B. The Rapture of the Church    *

C. The Tribulation Period     *

D. The Second Coming and Millennium   ***

E. The Judgment of the Lost and Hell    *

F. Eternity    *

---

[1] Mohler, R. Albert. "The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It's Our Problem." AlbertMohler.com. January 21, 2016. Accessed February 11, 2017. http://www.albertmohler.com/2016/01/20/the-scandal-of-biblical-illiteracy-its-our-problem-4/.

[2] Mohler, R. Albert. "The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It's Our Problem." AlbertMohler.com. January 21, 2016. Accessed February 11, 2017. http://www.albertmohler.com/2016/01/20/the-scandal-of-biblical-illiteracy-its-our-problem-4/.

[3] Nichols , Stephen . "The State of Theology: What's Our Theological Temperature?" Ligonier Ministries. February 4, 2014. Accessed February 11, 2017. http://www.ligonier.org/blog/state-theology-whats-our-theological-temperature/.

[4] Perkins, Larry. "What is “Theological Literacy” and Why is it Important?" Northwest Centre for Biblical Literacy. October 11, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2017. http://biblicalliteracy.nbseminary.ca/the-church-and-theological-literacy/.

[5] Correctness of action or practice

2017 Tulsa Bible Church Missions Conference

MISSIONS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

PLEASE register your children for the children’s conference online.

https://tbcevents.churchcenteronline.com/registrations/events/51784/session/new

Friday – February 17^th

·        Explore Conference for College and Young Professionals – 6-10PM – Register online by 2/17

Sunday - February 19th

·        9 AM, 10:30 AM & 6 PM - All of our Sunday time together focuses on Missions. Plan to attend Sunday school and both services!  

·        Children’s Conference starts at 6 PM on the 19th during the evening service for children aged 4 years through 6th grade.

Friday - February 24th

·        1-5 PM Children’s Voice of the Martyrs Service Project – Ages 8-14yrs – Pre-registration required.

·        5:15 PM Free dinner

·        6:00 PM Mission Revolution with Dr. Todd Ahrend

o   “Understanding Missions from the Bible”

o   “History of Missions”

·        Children’s Conference continues at 5:45 PM

Saturday - February 25th

·        9:00 AM Free Breakfast

·        9:30—11:45 AM Mission Revolution continues with Dr. Todd Ahrend

o   “Those Who Have Never Heard”

o   “The Global Church and Where We Fit”

·        Children’s Conference 9:30 -11:45 AM

Sunday - February 26th

·        10:00 AM  We welcome Nana Yaw Offei Awuku.

o   Lunch will be served in the Family Life Center.

o   Followed by Meet Your Missionary in the Flock Rooms.

·        6:00 PM  Evening service with Nana Yaw Offei Awuku

o   Followed by an ice cream social.

·        Children’s Conference  6:00 – 7:30 PM

Childcare– O-3 years. Provided at each event.

More information can be found at www.tulsabible.org

Lesson 16 / Exodus 25-27: God's Blueprint for Worship / TBC Men's Study 2016-2017 / Exodus: God Rescues His People

INTERVARSITY PRESS DAILY BIBLE STUDY—Lesson 16

Exodus 25-27 - God's Blueprint for Worship

Sorry for the inconvenience of not posting the IVP questions.  Intervarsity Press asked that I not repost their study so that it will drive traffic to their site.  Use the link above to access the core questions for this study.

2016-2017 Tulsa Bible Church Men’s Bible Study – tulsabible.org

For further consideration:

ID: Inductive Questions (Asking the text questions like who, what, where, when, why, & how?”)

CR: Cross References (Comparing Scripture to Scripture, understanding the vague by the clear.)

WS: Word Study (Understanding definition, theological meaning, and usages in other passages.)

ID: (25:1-9)  Make a list of materials were gathered in the first nine verses. 

CR (25:18-22; 26:31) There were cherubs (kĕruwb) on the mercy/atonement seat and on curtains in The Tabernacle.  Use a concordance to see how are they described in other places in the Bible?  What did they symbolize or represent in the Tabernacle?

ID Make a sketch of layout of the the Tabernacle and see how it compares it with others.   

Mercy (Atonement) Seat:  The noun is כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet), translated “atonement lid” or “atonement plate.” The traditional translation “mercy-seat” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) came from Tyndale in 1530 and was also used by Luther in 1523. The noun is formed from the word “to make atonement.” The item that the Israelites should make would be more than just a lid for the ark. It would be the place where atonement was signified. The translation of “covering” is probably incorrect, for it derives from a rare use of the verb, if the same verb at all (the evidence shows “cover” is from another root with the same letters as this). The value of this place was that Yahweh sat enthroned above it, and so the ark essentially was the “footstool.” Blood was applied to the lid of the box, for that was the place of atonement (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 269-270).   --NET Bible Translation Notes for Exodus 25:17

Question: "What is the mercy seat?"    Answer: The writer to the Hebrews talks about the arrangement of the tabernacle of the Old Testament. The tabernacle was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the temple in Jerusalem (see Exodus 25–27). Within the tabernacle was the ark of the covenant which included the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:3-5 NKJV).  Read more at https://www.gotquestions.org/mercy-seat.html

Cheribum:  “The evidence suggests that the cherubim were composite angelic creatures that always indicated the nearness of God. So here images of them were to be crafted and put on each end of the ark of the covenant to signify that they were there. Ezekiel 1 describes four cherubim as each having human faces, four wings, and parts of different animals for their bodies. Traditions of them appear in the other cultures as well. They serve to guard the holy places and to bear the throne of God. Here they were to be beaten out as part of the lid.”  --NET Bible Translation Notes for Exodus 25:18.

Question: "What are cherubim? Are cherubs angels?"

Answer: Cherubim/cherubs are angelic beings involved in the worship and praise of God. The cherubim are first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 3:24, “After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” Prior to his rebellion, Satan was a cherub (Ezekiel 28:12-15). The tabernacle and temple along with their articles contained many representations of cherubim (Exodus 25:17-22; 26:1, 31; 36:8; 1 Kings 6:23-35; 7:29-36; 8:6-7; 1 Chronicles 28:18; 2 Chronicles 3:7-14; 2 Chronicles 3:10-13; 5:7-8; Hebrews 9:5).

Read more at:  https://www.gotquestions.org/cherubim.html  

Preaching from the Gospels - article links

Preaching the Gospels: Methodology and Contextualization
http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/27/27-1/27-1-pp027-042_JETS.pdf 

http://equip.sbts.edu/article/preach-christ-from-the-gospels/

Preaching the Parables by Robert Kinney
http://www.simeontrust.org/media/doc-rkinney-preachingparables.pdf

Simeon Trust on Illustrations
http://www.simeontrust.org/media/doc-jrinne-learning-application.pdf

Narrative Structure by Robert Kinney
http://www.simeontrust.org/media/doc-rkinney-narrativestructuregospels.pdf

Preaching from the Gospels and Acts
http://www.catalystresources.org/preaching-from-the-gospels-and-acts-2/

Guidelines for Preaching from the Gospels.
http://www.preaching.com/resources/articles/guidelines-for-preaching-the-gospels/

Preach Christ from the Gospels
http://equip.sbts.edu/article/preach-christ-from-the-gospels/

Guidelines for preaching: first get the biblical narrative more or less right
http://www.postost.net/2015/01/guidelines-preaching-first-get-biblical-narrative-more-or-less-right

MVCS Character Traits with 5th Grade Quotes written each morning.

MVCS - Character Traits with Fifth Grade Quotes

1. Character traits were reinforced with Scriptures and illustrative stories each day for the week.
2. I gave a quote each day and had a collection before I sorted them by character traits.  The next step would have been to put them in an order that had a progression of thought.
3. The original list came to Mingo with Carl Laws.  I added the trait of "respect" to replace "tolerance."  Tolerance was often misunderstood and is mostly contained in the concept of respect.
4.  I assume that the current list has a few changes.

Obedience - doing what you are told with a happy submissive spirit
•       He who will not answer to the rudder must answer to the rocks.
•       It is a sin to do less than your best.
•       Character is much easier to keep than recover.
•       Character is a man’s best capital.
•       Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.  ----Douglas Bader

Attentiveness - listening with ears, eyes and heart
•       It is no advantage to be near the light if you keep your eyes closed.
•       It’s better to be saved by the lighthouse than the lifeboat.
•       The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.
•       The greatest of all faults is to be aware of none.
•       Attentiveness is more than listening.

Manners - behaving in a polite way
•       Show courtesy to others, not because they are ladies or gentlemen, but because you are.
•       Your young only once, but you can stay immature indefinitely.
•       Pigs don’t pray.
•       Every tree is known by its fruit.
•       Talk like Robin Hood when you can shoot like him.

Self Control - doing something even when I don't feel like it
•       Our chief want in life is someone who will make us do what we can.
•       Everyone knows how to keep their mouth shut, but few know when.
•       Ignorance is bold, knowledge reserved.
•       If you don’t want the fruits of sin, stay out of the orchard.
•       “Industry, thrift and self-control are not sought because they create wealth, but because they create character.” –Calvin Coolidge
•       “Prudent, cautious self-control is wisdom’s root.” –Robert Burns
•       “Self-help and self-control are the essence of the American tradition.” _Theodore Roosevelt
•       “A man of self-control becomes the master.” –Sam Veda

Tenderheartedness - strong enough to feel the joys & hurts of others
•       There’s nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.
•       Conceit is a weird disease. It makes everybody sick except the one who has it.
•       The most important things in life aren’t things.
•       Let a man talk about himself, and he will think you are mighty interesting.
•       Handle words carefully, they have more power than atom bombs.

Honesty - truthful words and ways
•       Stretch the truth, and it will fly back to bite you.
•       Lying brings rest only when it’s done in bed.
•       The Devil has many tools and the lie is the handle that fits them all.
•       Exaggeration is the first cousin to lying.
•       Nobody can repeat what is not said.
•       You can steal the chief’s horn, but where will you blow it?

 Love - meeting another's needs unselfishly
•       Love doesn’t make the world go around, but it makes the ride worthwhile.
•       A little Christ like love will save a lot of friction.
•       Charity begins at home.
•       Between the great things we can’t do and the little things we won’t do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.
•       Christ is the reoccurring theme in the symphony of the Scriptures.

 Orderliness - everything in its place
•       Most failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.
•       Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness.
•       The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.
•       Hell is full of good intentions.
•       Too many people scratch for what they want, but are too lazy to scratch for it.

 Forgiveness - treating someone as though he never hurt me
•       The old law about an “eye for an eye” leaves everybody blind.
•       Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.
•       God loves His children, not because of who we are, but because of who we are.
•       Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.
•       He who does not pray when the sun shines will not know how when the clouds roll in.

Loyalty - supporting someone even when the going gets tough
•       When faithfulness is most difficult, it is most necessary.
•       Be nice to your friends. If it weren’t for them you would be a total stranger.
•       He who has nothing worth dieing for has nothing worth living for.
•       A friend is a person who knows all about you and still likes you.
•       Keep your tongue and keep your friend.

Faith - believing God will do what he says
•       The faith that fizzles before the finish had a flaw from the first.
•       Where God guides He provides.
•       Worriers spend a lot of time shoveling smoke.
•       Faith is saying amen to God.
•       Faith bears fruit.

Joyfulness - being happy inside and out
•       A smile will increase your face value.
•       Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy, you must have someone to share it with.
•       Optimism is a cheerful frame of mind that enables a teakettle to sing even though it is in hot water.
•       Let a man talk about himself and he will thing you are mighty interesting.
•       Losers whine; winners train.

Thankfulness - being grateful and saying so
•       Even thought we cannot have all we want, we ought to be thankful we do not get what we deserve.
•       The only way to see a rainbow is to have a storm.
•       If you are all wrapped up in yourself, you are overdressed.
•       One kind word can warm three winter months.

Courage - doing what has to be done no matter how scared you are
•       The greatness of our fears shows the littleness of our faith.
•       When the outlook is bad, try the up look.
•       When you’re through changing, you’re through.
•       If you cannot win, bake the one ahead of you break the record.
•       It’s not what they call you.  It’s what you answer to.

Diligence - working hard to accomplish a task
•       Great opportunities come to those who make the most of little ones.
•       Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with our hands in your pockets.
•       Success is dependent on upon the glands—the sweat glands.
•       It’s not pull that makes the difference in life; it’s push.
•       The lazier a man is, the more he intends to do tomorrow.

Purity - keeping sin out
•       Putting God first brings satisfaction that lasts.
•       A guilty conscience needs no accusing.
•       In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking.
•       Sin will keep you from the Bible, or the Bible will keep you from sin.
•       If you don’t touch the rope, you won’t ring the bell.

Generosity - sharing what I have with a happy spirit
•       When your heart is converted, your purse will be inverted.
•       The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but reveal theirs.
•       Blessed are those who can give without remembering and receive without forgetting.
•       You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.
•       We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.  ----------W. Churchill

Thriftiness - wise use of what I have
•       It’s hard to pay for bread that has been eaten
•       It’s not what you’d do with a million if riches should be your lot, but what you’re doing now with the dollar you’ve got.
•       Buy not silk when you owe for milk.
•       We can best guard against losing our shirts by keeping our sleeves rolled up.
•       Weed your own garden first.

Dedication - to become committed to something as a goal or way of life
•       First we make our habits; then our habits make us.
•       When you’re average, you’re just as near the bottom as the top.
•       What a man is depends largely on what he does when he has nothing to do.
•       The everyday Christian has a seven to one advantage over the Sunday practitioner.
•       Fame is not found on feather beds.

 Discernment - able to see things as they really are
•       Fool me once; shame on you.  Fool me twice; shame on me.
•       The consideration of the end will reconcile us to the difficulties and discouragements of the way.
•       Forbidden fruit makes for a bad jam.
•       Sin will take you farther than you want to go and cost more than you want to pay.
•       The wolf offered to watch the flock for nothing.
•       Birds of a feather flock together.
•       Fool me once: shame on you.  Fool me twice: shame on me.

 Determination - finishing your job no matter what the obstacles
•       The path of least resistance makes men and rivers crooked.
•       Everything looks impossible to people who never try.
•       The difference between history’s boldest accomplishments and its greatest failures is often, simply, the determined will to persevere.
•       The drummer boy who never learned to beat a retreat won a lot of battles.
•       Boys who try hard grow up to be men who are hard to beat.

 Patience - waiting with a happy spirit
•       God has a prepared place for a prepared person.
•       Rome was not built in a day.
•       All things are difficult before they are easy.
•       Failure is never final.
•       In clam seas we are all good sailors.

 Initiative - making the first move without being asked
•       The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
•       Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God.
•       Where you go from here is entirely up to you.
•       Too many people quit looking for work when they get a job.
•       The wagons follow the ruts.

Godliness - putting God first
•       What you laugh at tells about what you are.
•       He who is born of God will resemble his Father.
•       Don’t’ pretend to be what you don’t intend to be.
•       The man who practices what he preaches is generally known for short, simple sermons.
•       Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all.  -----Augustine
•       Reputation is what men say you are. Character is what we are before God.

Creativity - doing something in a new way
•       Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.
•       Necessity is the mother of invention.
•       Change starts when someone sees the next step.
•       Laughter translates into any language.

Sharing - giving what I have to others
•       The got to be man’s best friend by wagging his tail not his tongue.
•       One Bible stored in your mind is worth a dozen on the shelf.
•       Our main business in this world is to secure an interest in the next.

Promptness - being on time
•       Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute.
•       Lost time in never found again.
•       People count the faults of those who make them wait.
•       Five minutes in a crisis is worth years.
•       God is seldom early, but never late.

Fairness - treating others equally
•       The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.
•       Seek not every quality in one individual.
•       There is absolutely no commission on the sell you almost make.
•       A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
•       It is better to deserve praise than to receive it.

Meekness - patience without anger
•       If we must disagree, let us not be disagreeable.
•       When a man’s temper gets the best of him, it reveals the worst in him.
•       Anger is one word short of danger.
•       Bible verses will save you from spiritual reverses.

Responsibility - doing what I know I ought to do
•       The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
•       He who kicks up a storm should expect rough sailing.
•       Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a manner of choice.
•       It is easier to build a boy than mend a man.
•       We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails.

Wisdom - thinking God's way
•       It’s better to keep your mouth shut and have people wonder if you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
•       “Lord, teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts to wisdom.”
•       Nobody gets wise by chance.
•       He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.
•       You can steal the chief’s horn, but where will you blow it?
•       He who asks a question may seem to be a fool for five minutes, but he who never asks a question remains a fool forever.

Respect - reverencing God by showing the proper esteem and regard for others.
•       Question authority, but first raise your hand.
•       If you are all wrapped up in yourself, you are overdressed.
•       One can easily pick a wise man by the things he doesn’t say.
•       Nothing is a difficult to gracefully as getting down off your high horse.
•       Is it progress when a cannibal uses a knife and fork?
•       He who has no battles will have no victories.

Serving (helping) - meeting the needs of others by the things I do
•       Most people’s idea of service is “serve us.”
•       If thou wilt spin, God will find thee yarn.
•       When you row the other guy across the stream, you get there yourself.
•       Loving-kindness has converted more sinners than eloquence or learning.
•       Hit the ball over the fence and you can take your time going around the bases.

Contentment - happy with what I have
•       A shortcut is often the quickest way to somewhere you weren’t going.
•       Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and cheerfully take what God chooses to send.
•       God can make a great finish out of a slow start.
•       A good violinist is the one who has the ability to play first chair and willingness to play second.
•       Enough is as good as a cartload.