Purpose Driven Classroom

The purpose of this blog is to encourage Christian Educators to recognize their high calling as a teacher. We will be studying the Book of Esther for the next few months. Join us for this ten part study and don't forget to comment on how you think this applies to the classroom. May God help you to see your purpose for Him as a missionary in our schools in America.

The Book of Ruth - Part 6 of 10

The Book of Ruth
The God of the Ordinary1.6
Chapter 2: 5- 23 

My dear teachers,

This is the sixth week of a ten-week examination of the Book of Ruth. It began as a combination of many great teachers, but the most influential person upon this study comes from the series, God of the Ordinary by Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio and founder of Truth for Life. This beautiful story of companionship, faithfulness and loyalty is so helpful to us as teachers.

    By the end of Chapter 2, we find incredible favor and grace bestowed upon Ruth. She has met Boaz and he has showed her favor and grace.  Did you read Chapter 2?  Go ahead, it’s great.  If you don’t have your Bible, I recorded it for you.  Just click the file below.  The Book of Ruth is truly a story of God’s covenant care.  When we walk by faith and not by sight and wait on His covenantal care, we put hands and feet to His ways.  How does the 21st century classroom meet God?  By the hands and feet of teachers who are under His care.  Teachers who pray and rely on Him for provision have their hearts turned to the children.  The invisible God becomes visible in the care of His people.  Can you imagine the impact that teachers could make across the nation if we were Jesus with skin on to our students? When the love of God takes hold of a heart, continual kindness to others is contagious.

    Our 21st century classrooms are filled with students from homes that are broken, and who have more troubles in their young lives than we would experience in a lifetime. God is the God to the fatherless, widows and aliens. Duet.10:18 - He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.  Sound like America’s classrooms today?  It’s difficult to be a teacher now, but with the focus on being God’s hands and feet in our classrooms rather than ourselves, is the picture of favor and grace as Boaz was to Ruth.

    Find another teacher on your campus and covenant to be His hands and feet to the students.  How good to live under the shadow of God’s wings and in the companionship of those who have taken refuge in Him.   Next time, we can finally get to the Kinsmen-Redeemer!


As always, I am
Prayerfully yours,

Karen

This is the audio file of The Book of Ruth Chapter 2, if you care to listen. 

by: seddonk at 17:02 | link | comments (3)

The Book of Ruth - Part 5 of 10

The Book of Ruth
The God of the Ordinary1.5
Chapter 2:1-4

My dear teachers,

This is the fifth week of a ten-week look into the Book of Ruth. It began as a combination of many great teachers, but the most influential person upon this study comes from the series, God of the Ordinary by Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio and founder of Truth for Life. This beautiful story of companionship, faithfulness and loyalty is so helpful to us as teachers.

Do you see how diligent Ruth is?  She doesn’t wait around for someone to tell her what to do, but determines to be a blessing to Naomi.  Have you considered how you can be a blessing in your school?  Ask God every morning before you begin teaching or serving on your campus, how you can be a blessing to someone.  It may be your students, it may be a colleague or even your administrator. At the end of the day, as you lay in bed, review the day in thankful prayer for blessings on the day.  You will be blessed yourself by this form of adoration and thanks. The other benefit is being able to sleep soundly. Ps. 127:2 - In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves.


The unknown journey for Ruth reminds me so much of this time of the year in school.  There is always a great unsettling among the staff as teachers consider moving to other schools, positions and change in general.  What should you do? Alistair Begg has get advice for these times in our lives.  Instead of waiting for some miraculous sign in the sky or a dove pulled out of a hat, our decisions can be sensibly made when we consider common sense.  Naturally, we need to pray first for God’s direction, then read our Bibles consistently, trust God for His Providential care, use the wisdom and common sense of those who love us the most, apply careful thought and then get on with the next thing.  Too often we wallow around in the would’ves, should’ves and could’ves.  I learned one my greatest lessons from my bosses when I worked for Discovery.  Whenever I had a question or doubt about something I was supposed to do, the answer always was, “Get’r done and do the right thing!”   As Christian educators, we need to be confident decision makers under the Word of God and care of the Holy Spirit. Thank God for giving us creativity, wisdom and free will. May you be like Ruth, a “get’r done” kind of girl who seeks the wisdom of the ones she loves and does the right thing.

As always, I am
Prayerfully yours,

Karen

This is the audio file of The Book of Ruth - Chapter 2, if you care to listen.

by: seddonk at 11:15 | link | comments