For this week’s Hero of the Faith (Hebrews 11) we focused on was a man named Jephthah from Judges 11-12. The two takeaways from this that I wanted students to concentrate on was, 1) God will use you no matter how insignificant you think you are and, 2) Think before you speak. Jephthah was the son of a prostitute, but his father helped raise him. When his father died, he was rejected by all of his siblings because he was not a legitimate son. Jephthah left and made a name for himself as a mighty warrior. The Ammonite kingdom began oppressing Israel in the region of Gilead, the region east of the Jordan River, and his family who rejected him, asked him for help. Jephthah accepted the request under the condition that he would rule Gilead once he won the victory. Right before he left to fight the Kingdom of Ammon, he made a vow to sacrifice to God the first thing that came out of his house greeted him when he returned. Jephthah won the battle, but when he came home, his daughter came out of the house to greet him. Oops. Now what?

Did he sacrifice his daughter? The Bible says that is a sin and strictly forbidden (Leviticus 20:1-5; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:5; and 32:35). But the story tells us he kept his vow… what do we do with this? There is a clue that creates a loophole in the story in Judges 11:47. His daughter asked him if she could have two months before he fulfills his vow. She said she wanted to mourn her virginity… not her life. Most likely, he gave her to God for service. He did not kill her, but gave her as a servant to the Tabernacle. She was allowed to mourn the fact that she would never get married and have children.

We learned that Jephthah had to show mercy to his family who had rejected him, that regardless of how society treated him, he acted in faith when he responded to a cry for help to help those who once hated him. Finally, it is probably a good idea to think things through before speaking, especially if what you are going to say or do might violate the law of God. There’s a lot to process in this short narrative. Give it a read and share what you think! ... See MoreSee Less

Samson, a very unlikely candidate in the Hall of Faith, but there he is in Hebrews 11 listed with the likes of Abraham and Moses. The only godly deed recorded about him was his prayer at the end of his life, which God promptly answered because it fulfilled his mission, to liberate Israel from the Philistines. In today’s devotion, we looked at the fact that God will use anyone and anything to accomplish His will, enter Samson. Tomorrow, the highlight for Samson will be demonstrating that he is indeed a type of Christ, meant as an imperfect look toward the perfect, seen in Jesus.

Making the case:
1. Miracle birth: Samson’s mother was barren. God appeared as an angel to Samson’s parents and explained that they would have a son who would deliver Israel. Compare this to what the angel told Mary in Luke 1.
2. Gentile bride: Samson married a gentile, and the bride of Christ is the church, made up mostly of gentiles.
3. Defeating enemies: Samson physically demonstrated the spiritual nature of Christ’s mission.
4. Betrayal: Samson was betrayed by someone very close to him, same as Jesus.
5. Sacrificial death: Samson gave himself up to death to deliver Israel from her enemies as Jesus gave himself up to death to deliver us from sin.

There are other examples that can be mentioned, but these are the major points we are concentrating on for this study. God using us despite our shortcomings, God calling us knowing we will fail, this is the nature of our existence as we all fall somewhere into God’s plan. As I shared with the students today, the thought of God using flawed people is very humbling. I echo Paul as he referred to himself as the chief of sinners (I Tim 1:15), yet look at what was accomplished through his obedience to God. ... See MoreSee Less

Independent Study

An essential component to a student’s complete education is the inclusion of independent study. Independent study is exactly what it sounds like, when a student is allowed to work with little to no supervision. Recent research, that was the subject of a doctoral dissertation at the University of Massachusetts Global, indicates that independent study produces motivation that would have remained untapped without the opportunity to pursue knowledge independently (Niemeyer, 2021). Discovery, as previously mentioned, is one of the most effective ways to learn.

At Elim, independent study is used often at every level, especially once students have grasped the content and understand expectations that have been clearly communicated to them. Specifically, the Core Skills class taught by Mr. Harless is almost 100% independent study. The instructor is available to students upon request, and progress is monitored with relevant feedback provided, but the students who are involved in the transitional curriculum are nearly completely in charge of their progress. Students learn valuable skills necessary for successful life after high school such as self-advocacy and self-determination.

If you have a student with learning differences and are looking for a place that will meet those needs from a Biblical worldview, please contact Elim Christian School at (281) 855-3546 or contact us through Facebook Messenger or on Instagram.

Link to UMass article: digitalcommons.umassglobal.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1433&context=edd_dissertations ... See MoreSee Less

We began our new semester properly in God’s Word this morning by continuing our look into the Heroes of the Faith in Hebrews 11. Today we focused on the military commander Barak. His story is found in Judges 4-5. Oftentimes when we think of this narrative, we reference Deborah, because she is the driving force behind what takes place in the Judges 4-5. More accurately, God is behind it all, but Deborah is used to push Barak into action.

Barak was reluctant to use his army to attack a superior Canaanite force that had been oppressing the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun for several years. Deborah summons him and tells him that if he attacks the Canaanites, he will win, but Barak only agrees if Deborah accompanies him. He is told that a woman will get the credit for the victory, which obviously didn’t bother Barak too much. Ultimately, Barak is victorious and an unlikely participant, a woman named Jael, kills Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, and Israel has victory.

How is this great faith on display? I proposed this question to the students and they easily connected this narrative to others we’ve previously covered. Barak obeyed. Gideon was reluctant, but also obeyed. Moses was reluctant, but also obeyed… you see? Barak’s faith was on display the moment he agreed to fight and it was rewarded with an end to oppression. It is sad when you think that Israel needed to be rescued in the first place. They were unfaithful, God allowed them to be oppressed, they cried out for a deliverer, God raised up a deliverer, and Israel was saved. It’s a cycle we get into as well, but thankfully God sent His Son so we can know peace and restoration. Let our faith be strengthened as we read through God's Word.

(Pictured is Mt. Tabor. This battle occurred on the slopes and in the immediate valley) ... See MoreSee Less

Merry Christmas from Elim Christian School! ... See MoreSee Less