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Saturday, 09 January 2010
On not "downing" other people

It is normal for us to think that we are better than others, that we are right and they are wrong, that our needs are more important than theirs, that other people ought to change and become more like us, even though they never could be quite as good as us.

We wouldn't want to admit we feel that way, but those are normal human attitudes toward other people.  If we will be honest, we will recognize some of those tendencies in ourselves.

In Mark 9:33-50, Jesus calls us to a radically different approach toward dealing with other people. He tells us not to put others down, not to let others down, not to bring others down. He tells us to look for common ground instead of focusing on differences. He tells us to find ways to get along with others and to be at peace with them.

POSTED BY: David Williams AT 09:22 am   |  Permalink   |  E-mail this
Saturday, 09 January 2010
Is there no justice?

"Is there no justice?"

 

That's how we feel sometimes when we see someone wicked getting all the breaks while the person living a good life gets beaten down.

 

The prosperity of the wicked and the perils of the righteous are constant themes in Scripture. We hold onto the confidence that God is the ultimate judge, but when we look at what is going on in the world around us, we have to admit that we see more injustice than justice.

 

Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, noticed this irony and struggled to understand it. Read his summary conclusion in Ecclesiastes 3:16-17. Despite human wickedness overriding justice, God's justice will prevail in the end.

 

What is justice? Justice is the fair treatment of people, making sure that they are not deprived of what is rightfully theirs. Some have suggested that justice is even more important than freedom. What do you think?

 

Here are some quotations about justice to think about:

 

In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same. - Albert Einstein

 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both. - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Foolish men imagine that because judgment for an evil thing is delayed, there is no justice; but only accident here below. Judgment for an evil thing is many times delayed some day or two, some century or two, but it is sure as life, it is sure as death. - Thomas Carlyle

POSTED BY: David Williams AT 09:15 am   |  Permalink   |  E-mail this
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Always something different.
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A teacher for 22 years

Daily Prep and Teacher's Toolbox have become an essential part of our Sunday School curriculum.  Our 154 plus teachers find them to be an invaluable tool for their preparation on Sunday mornings. 
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As minister of education at Tallowood Baptist Church, Houston, I led our staff to subscribe to the teaching helps for our adult teachers for more than a dozen years. They were choice and very popular among our Sunday School leadership in weekly preparation. Every week David's materials were fresh, on target with lesson topics, and easily applicable for teachers and learners. I heartily recommend these materials for exploring and teaching the Word of God. Tallowood continues to use the materials on a regular basis.
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Daily Prep is a good reminder of the upcoming lesson as well as a useful tool for encouraging a daily study time.  I have enjoyed using the Teacher's Toolbox for years.  It is a valuable resource.  Many of the useful ideas in lesson presentation are ways to allow learners to discover for themselves the truths in God's Word.
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First Baptist Church
Grand Prairie, TX

Daily Prep has gotten me into the Word.
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We canceled our subscription once.  The next month my teachers revolted, demanding, "Where is my Toolbox?"  Needless to say, we immediately reinstated our subscription.
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I thoroughly enjoy the fresh approach to lessons in the Toolbox.  The creative ideas engage the student in the learning activities as they discover truths from Scripture.  Thank you for sharing your creativity with those of us who are not gifted in that way.
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Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

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