Cut & Run - not a good wartime strategy, but OK for my blog.

So I'm fickle. When I started the blog, I debated on which of the two main free blogging services to use, Blogger or WordPress. I went with Blogger. I knew it wasn't as versatile as WordPress from a features perspective, but I thought it was better at being usable by the entire class. I figured that, when I had time, I could overcome its shortfalls with some good old-fashioned HTML and elbow grease. The key phrase there is "when I had time," and I don't think that will happen. Plus, I'm impatient. So in the words of the Grail Knight, I "chose poorly." Thus, I'm moving shop. Othersix.blogspot.com will still be active as long as Blogger lets it remain so, but I will not be posting here anymore. The blog of the BHBC 11th- and 12th-grade boys Sunday School class is now located at:

http://othersixdays.wordpress.com/

I'll be tweaking it here and there over the next few days and weeks, and it will always be a work in progress, but it's already obvious to me that I should have gone with WordPress from the beginning. Sorry for the change. Maybe I should have test-driven things a little bit before we went live, but I didn't. My bad. See you on the other side.

In Case You Miss It - 1/25/09

Each week I will try to post a short preview of what the upcoming lesson will cover. This will hopefully be helpful to you in preparing your heart and mind for Sunday, but it by no means is a substitute. The only reason I named this post "In Case You Miss It" is because I named the previous post "In Case You Missed It," and I wanted them to match (yes, I am that uptight). I'll name these lesson posts differently going forward.

These preview posts probably won't be much, but that's the point - they are just intended to be a brief synopsis of what's to come with maybe a question or two to get you thinking on the right track.

1/25/09 - FUEL Session 60 - Jesus Calms Two Storms
Scripture: Mark 4-5
Fanning the Flame Question: Has there ever been a storm in your life that Jesus calmed?

This week we will look at two of the miracles of Jesus, as we read about his calming two different kinds of storms - one outside and one inside. First, Jesus spoke to the wind and waves to quiet a violent weather storm. Then, He calmed the internal storm of a man who was demon-possessed.

See you on Sunday.

In Case You Missed It - 1/18/09

Each week I will try to post a summary of the previous Sunday's lesson in order to reinforce what was taught (or go over what should have been taught). This will hopefully be helpful to you whether or not you were in class.

1/18/09 - FUEL Session 59 - Parables about the Kingdom
Scripture: Matthew 13

Biblical Truth: Jesus used parables to teach about the origin, spread, power, and ultimate victory of the kingdom of God.

There were 7 parables in this passage:

• The Parable of the Sower (vv. 1-9 and further explained in vv. 18-23) compares four types of ground to conditions of the heart - the path (v. 4) represents a heart hardened by sin, the rocky ground (vv. 5-6) represents a shallow heart with no real commitment, the thorny ground (v. 7) represents a heart weighed down by wealth and worrry, and the good ground (v. 8) represents an open heart that is receptive to God's message.
• The Parable of the Wheat and Weeds (vv. 24-30 and further explained in vv. 36-43) compares the sower of wheat to Jesus and the sower of weeds to Satan. As God grows his Kingdom through Jesus, Satan will be attempting to counteract that growth.
• The Parable of the Mustard Seed (vv. 31-32) compares a large tree that has grown from a tiny seed to the Kingdom of God, which began with one man, Jesus, and is still growing.
• The Parable of the Yeast (v. 33) compares the work of the Kingdom to leaven in flour - a small amount is enough to affect the entire measure of flour, even if its work is not evident at first.
• The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (v. 44), and
• The Parable of the Priceless Pearl (vv. 45-46) both illustrate the point that the Kingdom is worth giving up everything else.
• The Parable of the Net (vv. 47-50) compares the Kingdom of God to a fishing net. The net gathers in all the fish before the fishermen determine which ones are good and which are bad, meaning that we all will face God's judgment.

While it is important to recognize these parables as an effective teaching method used by Jesus, it is more important to learn what He is teaching. The Kingdom of God is His reign on heaven and earth, and we that are believers in Christ are already living and working in that reign. To know this is both a comfort and a call to Godly living.

Inauguration Day

Barack Obama was sworn in today as our 44th president. I'll be the first to say that I didn't vote for him and was disappointed with the outcome of the presidential election. Regardless, he is now my president and the highest human authority in the country. Romans 13:1 (ESV) says that we are to "be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Further, 1st Timothy 2 (ESV) exhorts us to pray for "all who are in high positions." Al Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, has written a prayer for the new president that provides us with several examples of how to pray for President Obama, his family, and our country:

"A Prayer for President Obama"

Remember to pray for our governments and leaders, and consider how we as Christians can live as God-honoring citizens.

WELCOME!

Welcome to The Other Six Days, the blog of the 11th- and 12th-grade boys Sunday School class at Beacon Hill Baptist Church. This space will be primarily used for class-related items, but I retain my right to post unrelated and/or pointless material.

At this blog, I'll try to address any serious questions brought up in class that were left unanswered. I'll try to preview upcoming lessons. I'll try to give updates on our bible-reading plan. I'll try to make important announcements. I'll try to recommend resources that will help you in your daily walk. In case you hadn't noticed, I'll be trying to accomplish lots of things, but I promise nothing at this point. This is definitely a work in progress as I see what works and what doesn't. I'll be tweaking things here and there for a good while, so this blog may look different each time you come. I'll be constantly adding and taking away as I'm trying to cobble something together that's both useful and useable. I'll keep you posted as things change.

I'll be posting to this blog several times a week, so check back often. I'm leaving comments open in order to facilitate discussion, so have at it. I may have to moderate some if things get out of hand, but hopefully it will never come to that.