What is it like when God speaks to you through scripture? When was the last time this happened? What did God say?

I think God speaks to me through scripture often when I least expect it. I often find a new insight that I never realized from a passage, even though I have read it time and time again. I think we often miss those moments when God is speaking through his word when we don't take the time to focus and reflect on what has been written. God can and will speak through is word if we are willing to slow down and listen. 

Which of H. Richard Niebuhr’s five basic typologies is most characteristic of my personal life?

I think the one that resonates strongest with me is the "Christ the transformer of culture". I think this relates closely to a passage of scripture that resonates strongly with me, namely, that of the Apostle Paul challenging the Church in Rome to not be conformists to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind. Then, they would be able to test and approve the pleasing and perfect will of God. Niebuhr's notion of Christ transforming culture speaks to me because Christ transformed me; as he is transforming the hearts and minds of people, the culture that they live in will change because people make up culture. When things go on in our world that we do not agree with, we can spend a lot of time and energy and frustration ranting and raving about how much we disagree with them, or we can spend our time trying to love people, show them Christ, and allow him to change their hearts towards his will. He can and will do this. 

Describe the ideal Christian education worker. What would you include in a plan to develop CE workers?

I think the ideal Christian worker is one that is willing. Willingness is a huge factor in effective education. If our laity is capable but is unwilling, we will not have a teacher at all. We can train, shape, and assist the willing to become the teachers that God wants them to be. I think in a lot of ways, a good pastor recognizes that often finding the best teachers requires taking a risk and allowing people to explore avenues of ministry where they might fit and excel. A person might not be a very good nursery teacher, but they may be a great nursery teacher. The key is that they will only discover this particular ministry opportunity if they are given the chance to fail or succeed. We as pastors have a duty to love people and equip them for works of service, and education in our local churches is a very important work of service. 

How will you know students’ lives are being transformed?

I think I will know that students lives are being transformed when I can see their actions matching the transformation that God is calling them to. I think a lot of times, it is easy to say that I am a Christian, or I believe in Jesus, but the evidence of our beliefs, or lack thereof, is often found in the things we say and do. My students will show evidence of Christ's transformation because they will be challenged to live life differently than they have before. If they are not changing in their desire to know Christ and follow him, then we need to look at the causes for why transformation is not occurring. 

What informal educational experiences have you had in your life? How have they formed you?

The most  "informal" education I have had was learning in action, side by side while someone was teaching me. This primarily came from learning from my dad and others, watching how they performed a task or completed a project. I think we neglect this teaching method frequently. We tell people "This is how you do it", but so often we should be saying "let me show you how to do it, and then I will watch you". We cannot expect competency right off the bat; it requires training before individuals can master a concept or task.

Reflect on at least one personal crisis in your own life. How did you feel when the crisis came. How did you find help to deal with the crisis? In what ways did the Holy Spirit minister to you directly and through other people? What are some lessons you have learned through this crisis?

Wow, I have had some crises in my life that have been overwhelming and frustrating all at the same time. One in particular came about when I did not even realize I was in the midst of crisis. Unbeknownst to me, a very important relationship was near a breaking point, and I had no clue. I was flabbergasted; I was completely unaware of how dangerously close this relationship was to be unrepairable. I was able to seek solace in finally having a dialogue with this person, letting them air out their frustrations and actually taking the time to listen. It was so good to be able to see their side of the situation, because I had no clue from my perspective that there was even a problem. I think the Holy Spirit ministered to me in showing me not to be so self absorbed and focused on what I was doing, but to humble myself and take the time to listen to others around me, to seek their interests before my own. 

reflect on the way you hope to improve on how you were taught.

I hope that I can improve on how I was taught by not getting frustrated easily. I can remember as a young person, being in a classroom full of my peers, and seeing the teacher get quickly frustrated by the lack of focus and attention being paid in the class. I struggled with that, because I genuinely wanted to engage and grow deeper in my faith, and others around me were hindering my ability to do that. I hope that as I continue to mature into the teacher God is calling me to be, that I can recognize those who are distracting and redirect them, and continue to emphasize and praise those engaging and participating effectively. 

Design Argument: I think there are a lot of beneficial qualities to the design argument. The Psalms declare that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made", and in Genesis it is declared that humanity is made "in the image of God". There is no doubt that God has made us unique, gifted, and special. The tricky part with design is that there is a misconception in the world that negative / sinful things in our lives are a result of God's design, arguing "that's just how God made me". We can never discount the sin in our lives, or our propensity to bend towards sinning because "God just made us that way". Its a cop out.

Human Nature Argument: There are many benefits to this argument as well. We are raised with morals, values, and traditions that define who we are.

In both cases, I think we need to take a hybrid approach to these arguments in ministry, recognizing that we will be working with individuals who have a variety of influences on what makes them who they are, what makes them tick, and how sin uniquely manifests itself in their lives.

Reflect on the Bible passage that was most meaningful to you.

Right now, the most meaningful Bible passage to me is found in Philippians 2. Paul challenges his readers to have the attitude of Jesus Christ, to be like minded, to be one in love and purpose, and to emulate the characteristics of obedience, servant-hood, and humility. These are so crucial to me in my faith journey. I find it really easy to puff myself up, to see myself as being some leader among young people, to do all things by my own strength and power. Yet God, in all of his great power in glory, is calling me to take the nature of a servant, the perfect servant found in Jesus Christ. May he give me the strength to be the humble person he wants me to be.

Write in your journal about your own experiences at the different stages in your life when teachers either really understood or failed to understand the needs of that stage. Also, discuss the question: Can children understand concepts of doctrine?

I had a unique situation in my own life in that I often felt like I was a little above the maturity of my grade level. I can remember moving up to another Bible Study on Wednesday nights at my own request because I did not feel like the class I was in was mature enough to engage in the word. This was in middle school. With that said, I think teachers recognized where I was at, and wanted to encourage my development. 

 I believe that children can understand doctrine, if it is explained and described in a way that they can understand and comprehend. I think when it comes to doctrine, we can teach our young people in baby steps, so that when we begin to talk in depth about those types of issues, they have already experienced the concept in some type of developmentally appropriate way.

Write in your journal an honest appraisal of your spiritual position. Discuss your spiritual growth in the last six months. What have been some of the obstacles to growth? What have been the spiritual victories you have recently experienced? What challenges has God given you to experience growth in the near future?

I feel that my spiritual growth has increased in the last six months. I have felt encouraged and uplifted as I have done a better job of consistently engaging in my personal devotion time. I think busyness has been the biggest obstacle to my growth. It seems like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that is required of me, so much that I just crash after a long day of work. for victories, I have found encouragement in our fundraising for our adoption, as God has continued to open door after door on our behalf to make it possible for us to adopt. God is so good, and I think part of his blessing comes from the greater commitment to grow spiritually. I think the challenge I am going to undertake is simply continuing to develop and grow in my own spiritual disciplines, and being willing to try new disciplines in my spiritual growth, and increasing my willingness to engage in works of service, even those that make me uncomfortable. 

Think of two or three persons who in your understanding best exemplify the character of Jesus Christ. What sets them apart from the rest of the people you know? 

The people in my life that I believe best exemplify the character of Jesus have two very important characteristics that I believe set them apart from the rest of the people I know. The first of these is being relational. They take the time to get to know people, to invest in their lives, to hear their stories, to be on their level, understanding where they are coming from, and seeing the potential in who they become in Christ. The second trait is humility. They are not interested in getting a pat on the back, a big promotion, or notoriety for their efforts. Their greater concern is knowing, loving, and serving Jesus in the best way they know how to. This focus on Christ helps keep their ego in check; this is the kind of person I aspire to be.

“We are, each of us, angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing each other.”

I think this is a great metaphor, because I think it affirms the dependency that we should have for one another. In our society, we have this false conception that we are these great, independent people who do not need the help or assistance of others. I think we miss out on a lot of opportunities to support, lift up, and encourage each other simply because our pride and our independence does not allow us to let others support us. We pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, often to our own detriment. When we embrace each other, the synergy of our efforts will take us much farther than we ever could have gone on our own.

Give an accounting of a time recently where you received care, pastoral or otherwise, from someone. Express your feelings to be on the receiving end of someone else’s concern. Then write about an opportunity you took to express care, concern, or counsel to someone else. How did you feel about the experience? Would you do something different next time?

Recently, I was the beneficiary of some care from my Pastor. He stopped in at my work just to see how I was doing, to buy me a soda and visit for a few minutes. He happened to be down the street at another store buying supplies, and he went out of his way and from his schedule to visit me. That was really neat; I didn't feel like I needed extra care, and life was going good, and he stopped in just to say hi. That is very special.

I was able to reciprocate this with another individual who was recovering from surgery. She was a little loopy at my time of visit, but I was able to spend some time with her husband while she was in and out of sleep. It was a good change of pace for both of them, and I was blessed to be a part of it.

Toward whom have I recently shown gratitude?

Recently, I was giving gratitude towards my Senior Pastor. I had an instance arise where I felt led to talk about a difficult issue in the Spiritual realm that frequently crosses into the Political spectrum. I felt led to give my teens a Biblical perspective on the issue, but had some concerns for what parents might say in addressing the issue. When the night came to speak on it, my Senior Pastor was in the group, listening to my lesson. For the most part, he did not say anything until it came time for the question and answer session, and he provided greater insights than anything that I could have given to the group at that time. I was so thankful for him to be there, even when I felt nervous at having his presence there, potentially "grading" my work.

Define Christian Maturity. What does it look like? 

I think Christian Maturity is found when what a person says about their faith matches up with their actions. For example, I think it is great when people verbally communicate that going to church and being in worship and Sunday school is important. I think maturity comes when people actually follow up with their words and go to church and go to worship service and Sunday school. To say one thing and to do another shows a great lack of maturity.

Another sign of maturity is devotional commitment. If I am mature in my faith, I am interested in growing in my knowledge and grace of Christ. If I take the initiative and go about growing in my faith, I am showing steps towards maturity.

If I could ask the Triune God one question about the Trinity, it would be . . .

Wow, this is quite the question! I guess I would ask how often a particular aspect of the Trinity was working with me. How often was Jesus interceding on my behalf? How often was the Spirit wooing me to do something, to take the next step? How often was the Father moving obstacles that might have been in my way, or diverted me from impending disaster? It would be interesting to discover how frequently The Lord is moving in the midst of the drudgery of the day-to-day life.

Reflect on how your perspective of God has grown during the time spent studying the Trinity.

I think one thing that I have learned in studying the Trinity is truly how accessible all aspects of the Trinity are readily available to me. As a Child, the most common part is Jesus; he loves me, he comes into my heart, etc. As I have matured, I recognize the power of God the Father, the redemption of God the Son, and the close presence of God the Spirit, all working in different aspects of my life. He moves, he is with me, he is blessing me and my family... I couldn't ask for more. 

How can you lead when you feel abused, ignored, manipulated?

I think this is a difficult question to answer. I think when you feel these feelings, you are more discouraged than anything; why would I want to lead people who are manipulating and undermining me? Why would I try to lead when no one is listening, or they are criticizing my every move? If you can't feel supported or encouraged, why would you even bother?

I think you have to lead in these situations with an open mind and a discerning heart. The first question that I would want to address is: What is causing this reaction to my leadership? Is it a program, policy, or proposition that is causing this, or is it me? If it is the former, that can be changed, adjusted, or scrapped; if it is the latter, then I have to change, or move on. These are not easy things to consider in leadership.

Reflect on your most recent sermon. How does it measure up to what was discussed in this lesson?

 As I think about my most recent sermon preached, I am encouraged by what I have been learning and putting into practice. I received high praise from a variety of old ladies, but I know when a sermon is good when I hear people respond beyond "good job". When the work you do is brought before the audience and it touches their heart and they respond with a desire to do something different or better, it lets you know you are on the right track. That is a great feeling to have, knowing that God is speaking to people through your efforts in the pulpit.

All Christians agree in one way or another that Jesus Christ reveals the truth about God. For you personally, how, why, and under what conditions does Christ reveal the reality of God?

I think Christ reveals the reality of God to me most when I am going through difficult times, where I have no clue what to do. Recently, our family had the opportunity to adopt a baby, yet this particular situation had a lot of unknown in it. We labored and prayed for an entire evening on whether or not we should engage in this particular situation. We decided we would, only to receive information the next day that would effectively eliminate us from consideration. With that in mind, through all the unknown and the ups and downs, there was never a time where I thought that we were alone in making this decision. I knew that God was with us, and that he would guide and direct our path in the way we were supposed to go. He is so good. 

Why has God chosen me to do the work of a preacher?

I don't know why God chose me to get into this type of work. I left high school planning to be a business major; the life of ministry was not something that I saw for myself, and certainly not the life my wife saw for herself either. The more I continue to grow and develop as a pastor, and as a person, I can see God calling me to a role that puts my experience and skill in business to work. I can see myself being a very good associate / executive type pastor, or as an individual running a non-profit or outside of the church ministry. I think God has given me the skills and the desire to do that, so I will continue to wait for his call and his opportunity to present itself.

God’s grace is more than saving grace. It extends to me every time I say something that might not be sinful but is regrettable. It extends to me when I get frustrated with situations that I cannot control. It extends to me every time I feel like I will not be able to accomplish a task, or do what God has set out for me to do. His grace is always, unequivocally, sufficient for my every need. Amen and Amen.

"J. Kenneth Grider noted that famous neoorthodox theologian Emil Brunner believed he always lived in Romans 7, meaning that he never got beyond the struggle against the flesh." I think this is an interesting point, and good reminder to the fact that we live in a realm of spiritual warfare. Often we talk of the greatness of the conversion experience, the peace that we feel knowing that Jesus Christ is our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. The euphoria often gives way to the realization that we are not of this world, and that the world is still there, ready to draw us back. I think we do ourselves a disservice when we believe that the Christian walk is just sunshine and rainbows, and that there is no difficulty in life or struggle to fall back into our propensity to sin. I think we always have to realize that we are in process, that we are still figuring out who God is calling us to be, we are figuring out why we choose to believe what we believe. I think as long as God continues to guide us, as we hold on to the fact that we are maturing into the people God wants us to be, we are able to overcome the flesh, although it is always there to tempt us.