Study Starter: Do We Teach Children Faith?

Study Starter: Do We Teach Children Faith?

by: Christopher Wiles

     Last week I introduced you to the Hebrew concept of “Chaos” through our children’s Sunday school songs. Today, let’s get better acquainted with the Hebrew concept of “Faith” through the exact same vehicle.  So begin listing your kids’ Sunday School songs that talk about the word “faith.”  Hmmm, Jesus Loves Me?  Nope.  Deep N Wide? Nuh uh.  Father Abraham? Nada.  Arky Arky?  Zip.  Lord’s Army? Zero.  Jesus Loves The Little Children?  Zilch. 

     I can’t find any mention of faith in my searches of children’s Sunday School Songs.  Why aren’t we teaching our children about FAITH?!?!

     Ahhh, but an understanding of Faith from a Hebrew perspective may help us out.  For starters, today, we tend to view faith as a cognitive activity, similar to belief.  Therefore if we simply jump through the cognitive hurdles to believe that Jesus came, died, and rose again, then we have faith, right?  Not quite. 

Exodus 17:12 "EMUNAH" is a steadying action!

     Faith in the Old Testament is a much more active and volitional word than our modern world teaches. “EMUNAH” shows up as a noun 49 times in the OT, but mostly in the book of Psalms (see Vines Expository Dictionary for more).  The first time we’re introduced to it is in Exodus 17:12 when Moses’ hands were heavy, but Aaron and Hur held up his hands until sundown. What they did was made Moses’ hands “steady” (KJV) or faithful.  Thus we have a good foundation for what faith really is.  It is a steadying force in our lives.  That jives well with the Bible.com devotional on Hebrew faith that states, “But the Hebrew word for 'faith' - emunah - is less about KNOWING, and more about DOING.  'Emunah' literally means ‘to take firm action’, so to have faith is to act.”

     This abstract concept that combines our beliefs, our decisions, and our actions is tough to understand, which is why James tries to help followers of Christ by writing, “¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” – James 2:14-17

     So, are we teaching our kids about faith, even though we don’t actually sing about the word “faith” with them?  Well, “Jesus Loves Me” does work on a fundamental belief.  “I’m in the Lord’s Army” encourages them to declare a position. “This Little Light of Mine” encourages children to admit that they are going to DO something about their beliefs as they sing “All around the neighborhood, I’m gonna let it shine…”

     So yes, we are teaching children about faith in the songs that we sing because faith is so much more than simply a word or a belief; it is believing, deciding, and acting.  Due to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, let’s strive to live faithfully the truth spoken in our children’s songs and in our Holy Scripture.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

Living Lessons & Study Starters are articles written for the weekly Washington Church of Christ bulletin.  You can find more by clicking HERE or searching for "Study Starter" in the right sidebar search.

Study Starter: Along Came Jesus Walking on the Chaos

Study Starter: Along Came Jesus Walking on the Chaos

by: Christopher Wiles

Along came Jesus walking on the water
Along came Jesus walking on the water
Along came Jesus walking on the water
Out on the deep blue sea. 

We have fun singing this little ditty to the kids as we teach them Bible histories, don’t we?  We make up hand motions.  We sing it with smiles on our faces. We may even get up and dance or mimic the gentle waves of the ocean.  While we tone it down to make it palatable for children, the Bible history recording Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14 was anything but palatable for the disciples, it was CHAOS.

Let’s walk through a little bit of Hebrew history to understand the chaos.  First let’s travel through the primary Hebrew word for “water” which is “mayim”.  It’s used 580 times in the Old Testament and it occurs in every period of biblical Hebrew.  The word, “mayim” is actually a plural of the basic Hebrew letter for “M” pronounced “MEM.”  That letter was made, using what looks like waves of water.   Check out the letter in early, middle, late, and modern Hebrew writings:  

The letter “mem” and the word “mayim” get their basic meaning from something that is troubled, stirred, choppy, or wavy.  You can see that usage in passages such as 2 Samuel 22:17 where David writes about the Lord rescuing him from his enemies in which he says, “He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.”  David is referring not to actual water, but to the Chaos that water represents.  These are the same chaotic and troubled “waters” found in Genesis 1:2 “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

In the beginning, in God’s effort to bring order to “mem” or chaos, God put light, stars, plants, animals, and mankind.  Just like David, when “mem” or chaos rises to the surface of our lives, we realize that God intervenes to bring calm.  When the “mem” or chaos gets so bad like when the disciples in Matthew 14 who were in a boat being buffeted in the middle of the chaos, God walks right across the “mem” to save us.  Just as He did for Peter, our Lord and Savior invites us to have faith and join Him, as we conquer all the “mem”, “mayim”, and “chaos” in our life.  

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)

Along came Jesus walking on the water, out on the deep blue sea. 

Living Lessons & Study Starters are articles written for the weekly Washington Church of Christ bulletin.  You can find more by clicking HERE or searching for "Study Starter" in the right sidebar search.

Solar Eclipse - Glad it's temporary!

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Good morning, this is Topher from Washington Church of Christ bringing you a positive message minute.

In just a little over 5 weeks, 3% of the United States will get the opportunity to see a truly rare event in our lifetime, a total solar eclipse.  From what I understand from friends in Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Illinois, this is going to be a crazy time.  Schools are closing.  Governments are shutting down for the day.  Police are ramping up to handle the amount of traffic influx  they expect for this momentous occasion.  Hotels are already booked solid, campgrounds are maxed out, and  pieces of farmland are going for $125 a night just for someone to pitch a tent. 

Map Credit: http://www.eclipse2017.org

People are really excited to experience this short moment in time where we can feel the temperatures drop during those few minutes where most of the sun's light is blocked, all but the edges.  Aren't you glad it doesn't last forever?  If the darkness blotted out the light forever, the results on earth would me the end of life as we know it. 

In John 1:5, we are told, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  I take comfort in knowing that the darkness in this world, you know, the tough times, the evil moments, the trials of life, are only temporary.  I'm so glad that all the those times are really like a solar eclipse, they really only last a relatively short period of time because the light continues to shine, and the darkness will not overcome it.

If you're struggling with dark times in life, try hard to look for God's light shining around the edges and remember that it is only temporary, for the darkness cannot overcome the light.   You'll be glad you did. 

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  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
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There's No Place Like Home

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"My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?" - John 14:2

Good morning, this is Topher from Washington Church of Christ, bringing you a positive Message Minute. 

Dorothy returned from her whirlwind journey to appreciate the simple pleasures of home.  Yes, her life may have been black and white.  Yes, her life may have lacked a little adventure.  Yes, all she had were simple family that loved her and a dog that followed her around. 

Yet, she couldn't return to that humble abode in Kansas until she finally understood and said, "There's no place like home.  There's no place like home." 

Ashley and I have spent the last couple weeks traveling, camping, and guest speaking in various locations.  While all the family time was nice, and the camping weather was wonderful, we finally had to admit the words that echo that feeling when you walk in the front door after  along time away, "Ahhh, there's no place like home."

I believe we'll receive that same relieved and relaxed feeling when we finally travel from this life to the next.  When Jesus finally meets us with that key at the front door of our mansion in heaven, I think we'll simply say, "There's no place like home." 

Today, why not spend a little time thanking God for the blessings of home.  You'll be glad you did. 

Click the logo below and subscribe to automatically receive these Podcasts every weekday morning on Google Play Music or iTunes. 

  Message Minutes are sponsored by  Washington Church of Christ and recorded for the public 107.9 The Memories WAMW morning radio program.  They air at approximately 7:35am on Weekday Mornings.
To find more of the Message Minutes that have been uploaded to this blog CLICK HERE.  
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Water Fun in the Sun!

We loved visiting family and friends in Middle Tennessee this past week. Yet, one of the highlights for the kids is playing with mom and dad at the riverfront park in Owensboro, KY at the end of our voyages. Here's a just a few photos. We were too busy to take a bunch. Enjoy some Wiles family smiles!
Local friends, I highly recommend a drive down to Owensboro to play and eat pizza on the riverfront!
http://www.owensboroparks.org/?page_id=82

You can find the entire album by following this link: https://goo.gl/photos/fZ4MVDbDRxS9TXGs7