People during the time of the Bible preferred to walk because it was the most accessible form of transportation. For most people during the time of the Bible, any other form of transportation was simply not an option due to cost. In order to be able to afford an animal and the upkeep associated with it, one had to be fairly wealthy.

I live in Kentucky in the United States. Kentucky is approximately 40,000 square miles, so by comparison Israel could fit into Kentucky almost 6 times. In terms of our entire country, the United States, it is approximately 3.7 Million Square Miles. Israel by comparison could fit in the United States 563 times.

The Fertile Crescent served as a land bridge due to its natural geography. While there are faster ways to get from point A to point B, they were extremely inhospitable areas in which to travel. So armies, merchants, travelers, and sojourners would travel along the longer, but easier, route of the Fertile Crescent. Every Empire that existed…

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I think many people find interest in the book of Revelation in particular due the fact that it is the only book of the Bible to contain information that has not happened yet. Revelation still speaks to the future, our collective future, and that draws interest from people wishing to know how this will all end. The confusion comes from its…

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For anyone who is a Christian or involved in a church at any level, the book of Acts is pivotal. It outlines the expectations for what the Bride of Christ should be and those expectations continue until today. When it clearly discusses things that the church should be doing, it is incumbent on Christians today to continue what the church began in Acts.

God sent Jesus at the perfect time and in the perfect place so the message of the Gospel could be shared with amazing accuracy and incredible speed. This is only possible due to the historical context in which Jesus was born, and the cultural background that existed at the time. The message of the Gospel is for all people, and given its…

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In both Saul and Solomon, we see a similar issue in their heart. Although it works out differently in each of their lives, Saul and Solomon both deal with a heart that desires the approval of man rather than the approval of God. We see glimpses in their lives of moments when serving God only was the most important priority in their lives,…

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I dont know if “impressed” is the best way to describe it, but the truth about God that was most striking as a reminder was “He wants His mighty works remembered and recounted to our children.” One of the ways Israel failed to follow God was by failing to keep this commandment. Israel did not tell their children of the things God had done in…

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Not understanding the context or storyline of the Old Testament destroys our ability to understand the New. Its as if we are picking up 2/3 of the way through a complete narrative. We dont understand cultural reference or historical significance in the New Testament if we dont deeply understand the Old. You miss the purpose of the Sinai…

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If we believe that 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 is correct, then we understand that every area and every aspect of the Bible is beneficial for our growth as Christians. That clearly includes the places where the Bible takes place and where it is written. To organize our Bible geographically we see some of the connections that happen, but can be lost due…

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If we ignore the geography that exists within the Word, then we will miss something that the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate. These events are not absent from place, so recognizing the significance of that place helps to better understand the text and the truth behind it. When we do not recognize the geography connected to a text we can…

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One of the things i find myself using all the time is the phrase “you guys” to refer to a group of people. Gender of the group doesnt matter because i am referring to the group as a whole, even though it is a masculine reference. I started saying it as i was growing up in Illinois during the 90’s and 2000’s and I have kept it with me.

I think the reason why so many readers of the Bible give so little attention to the geographical connections to the text comes from their desire to know the teachings of the Bible as it relates to our relationship with God. Many times we read about a place or geographic feature and we care less about that then what the text is trying to…

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(1st Corinthians Unit) One of the issues Paul raises when addressing these Christians is the resurrection of Jesus. He wants to remind them of the importance of the resurrection, and how it changes everything; from how we relate to God to how we live our daily lives. Its the second portion that Paul really wants to emphasize: the resurrection… Read more

I feel great about it. I teach Bible, so i obviously have an advantage, but this is the whole core of what I get to teach. Every conversation, every Biblical book we cover, everything we do has its roots in the Gospels and integrating the Word of God into every day life.

I would say my classroom is mostly process mastery with some influence of constructivist. The process mastery portion is the traditional educational process we undergo, helping students understand key concepts and ideas. We then apply these through a series of different assessments (tests, quizzes, etc). The constructivist portion comes from… Read more

I think having universal standards is helpful, giving schools a benchmark to aim for and understanding of where societal education exists. It does not speak to the success of each individual student though. It is necessary to help students not only achieve benchmarks but also attain a mastery of information. In teaching the whole person,… Read more

In education, especially Christian education, we are teaching the whole person. Knowledge is one element of what makes a successful student. Having social ability, managing emotions, quality peer and adult relationships, and a relationship with Christ are all marks that we would look to as marks of success. None of these have to do with… Read more

I try to be. Anytime i have to reprimand or discipline a student, it is with the goal of redemption and the restoration of relationship in mind. Holding students accountable is a form of redemption, so when they fail an assignment or have a discipline issue, holding them accountable is a message of redemption.

I think one of the clearest ways to see the fall of mankind on full display is within a classroom full of sinful people! Every person, teacher or student, has fallen short of God’s glory. Every person has the same fundamental problem: sin. We also have the same universal solution: the person and work of Jesus. In working in our classrooms, we… Read more

The short answer is simple: the more we learn in all areas of the sciences the greater connection and compliment they are to the Word of God. Science exists to point out the reality of our creative God, and with every scientific breakthrough and discovery we are pointed to that fact.

Yes, I have memorized Scripture. It impacts my life daily. I have had countless conversations with Christians and Non-Christians alike, and God will bring a portion of the Bible to mind in the midst of that conversation. In the case of Christians it is to encourage them in their faith, and in the case of Non-Christians, it is to help point them… Read more

The first way belief in Jesus influences my Classroom is in my life personally. As a Christian it is the greatest single thing about me: that I have been saved by the blood of Jesus. This fact influences everything I do, in and outside of the classroom. Outside of my personal faith which drives everything I do, It is the central focus of… Read more

To infuse our lessons with Biblical Integration means we aren’t just throwing a prayer at the beginning of class or a Bible verse at the end. When we infuse our lessons with Biblical Integration, it affects every area of our lesson and the way we teach. Our subject matter is joined with God’s Word; you cannot separate the two.

One of the ways I encourage myself to have a growth mindset is to make a priority out of continued learning. I teach Bible, so much of my personal devotion time falls into that category, but I think it is important to learn in a variety of ways. I read history, I listen to podcasts, watch documentaries, or talk with other educators and… Read more

One of the things I will strive to do more frequently is share portions of my story. I have not always been in Education, so sharing how God moved me into teaching out of vocational ministry is part of showing His glory and goodness. I will also look at changes as opportunities. Schools are constantly changing and you can view that as a… Read more

I teach Middle School Bible, and i try to implement am apologetics element into our class time every week. This takes a variety of different forms, but all have the purpose of encouraging our students as they pursue Jesus. Here are some things that I have done that have been helpful:
(1). On a Quiz or Test we use current events as our… Read more

Processing Activities are chances we take to revisit moments or foundational ideas we have discussed in the past. It not only acts as a good reminder of what we have done, but it also reminds us of some of most important aspects of issues we have discussed. Its a chance to revisit foundational ideas. The curriculum that lacks moments of… Read more

Discipleship is (should be) one of the main goals of Christian Education! We should not only be concerned that our students are getting the information we are teaching, but that they are developing their own Christian, Biblical worldview. Making sure they are learning information is important, but seeing them take ownership of their faith is… Read more

One of the practices i use in my classroom is the phrase “If not here than where?” when it comes to asking questions. I use this phrase to mean if they need a place that’s safe to ask questions, it is my class. I teach Middle School Bible, so there are a number of questions that can come up during a discussion! I allow them to ask whatever… Read more