The Tongue (Part 3)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday May 7, 2006

© 2006 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

 
V Introduction
* Bible Reading 4/30 - 5/6: Judges 11 - Ruth 4; John 1-4; Psalm 101:1 - 105:36; Prov 14:13-27
> Review - Learning Organization - personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, systems thinking
V New Material
V Answer some of last week's discussion questions on the tongue.
* Describe a time when you said something that you should not have. What impact did it have?
V Get Aligned
V Unstated Assumption - You want God to use you.
* Sunday teaching is more than encouragement to "do the right thing".
V We're here to do more than impose a list of rules:
* Don't smoke
* Don't get high
* Don't have sex outside of marriage
* Don't steal
* etc.
* We're here to turn you on to serving God.
* What you say should at all times advance God's agenda.
* You have to take God and his agenda seriously.
* We are bombarded by so many messages every day that we often just tune everything out. Don't tune God out!
V A Little Story
* Be a grown up servant of a grown up God.
* "See Spot Run"; "Dick and Jane"
V Biographical information taken from:
* TagNWag Book Shop web site:
http://www.tagnwag.com/dick_jane/index.html
* Clinton County Historical Society and Historical Museum web site:
http://www.cchsm.org/Zerna.htm
V Zerna Addis Sharp
* Next month (June) will mark 25 years since the death of Zerna Addis Sharp. Who was she? I'm glad you asked.
* Ms. Sharp was born to Charlotte E. Sharp on August 12, 1889 in Hillisburg Clinton County, Indiana. She was one of five children, of a general store owner.
* Zerna began her teaching career in Hillisburg, Indiana. She then went to Kirklin, Indiana and taught for over ten years. She moved to LaPorte, Indiana and stayed until 1924. It was while walking on the beach of Lake Michigan she observed children at play. OH! Look! Oh, Oh, look . She knew what she wanted in a book.
* As a bright young woman, reading consultant and elementary school teacher, Zerna believed that children would enjoy learning to read and learn much easier if they identified with children shown in illustrations throughout books.
* She decided to contact William S. Gray and present her ideas based on experiences she had with her school children.
V Dr. William S. Gray
* Dr. William S. Gray, Professor of Education at the University of Chicago, also the well-known author of many Dick and Jane books. More than any single individual, Doctor William S. Gray has influenced the teaching of reading around the world, he was one of the leading reading acquisition theorists of the period.
* Director of Research in Reading at the Graduate School of Education, University of Chicago; author of On Their Own in Reading and other professional books; Reading Director of the Curriculum Foundation Series; Scott, Foresman & Company.
* Doctor Gray hired Zerna to develop a family of characters to mold into his scientific process approach to reading instruction. Zerna joined Scott, Foresman and Company in 1924.
* Miss Sharp never wrote any of the stories for the books, she did however name the characters and decide what clothing they should wear (styles were picked from Sears and Wards catalogues). People would submit stories or story lines and Zerna would select the story or idea, illustrators would go to work on the characters and she would oversee the layouts for each story.
* The Dick and Jane Readers were a huge success. The writing format was easy. Only one new word would appear on the page and every third page the words were repeated. Each book had large color pictures with Dick, Jane, Sally, Puff, Spot, Mother, Father or Tim the teddy bear in an activity.
* The Dick and Jane book series, the most popular reading language of all time, was taught from 1930 through the 1970's in elementary schools throughout the world. The books were published in five languages. They continue today at home, still revolutionizing the way children learn to read.
* Zerna is known as the "Mother of Dick and Jane". All of her life she referred to Dick and Jane as her children. She was proud of her family. She died in 1981 at age 91.
V May Hill Arbuthnot
* May Hill Arbuthnot (1884-1969) was born in Mason City, Iowa, and graduated from the University of Chicago in 1922, receiving her master's degree in 1924 from Columbia University. Along with educator William Scott Gray, she created and wrote the Curriculum Foundation Readers--better known as the "Dick and Jane" series--for children at Scott, Foresman. Her greatest contribution to children's literature, however, was her authorship of Children and Books, the first edition of which was published in 1947.
* In 1927, she joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University, and there she met and married Charles Arbuthnot, an economics professor. She also served as editor of both Childhood Education and Elementary English.
V William H. Elson
* Born on November 22, 1854 in Carroll County, Ohio.
* Began teaching in 1881.
* Received A. B. degree from Indiana University in 1895.
* By 1907 he had established the first technical high school in the nation in Cleveland, Ohio, where he served as school superintendent from 1906-12.
* In the early 1930s he created the "Fun with and Dick and Jane"pre-primer readers with co-author William Scott Gray.
* Dick and Jane, their families, friends, and pets entered the popular culture as symbols of childhood, and the books themselves became synonymous with the first steps in learning to read.
* Elson authored and/or edited a number of other books. By the time of his death on February 2, 1935, his books had sold over fifty million copies and were in use in 34 countries on every continent.
V A Sterl Artley
* A. Sterl Artley, a Professor of Education and Director of the Child Study Clinic at the University of Missouri. A. Sterl Artley is the co-author of the Reading for Independence books for Grades 1-3; author of Your Child Learns to Read (a guide for parents whose children use The New Basic Readers), and other professional books.
* A. Sterl Artley was born in Liberty, Pennsylvania, in 1907.
* He taught high school English for several years in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and then went on to earn his M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology and reading at Penn State.
* He taught psychology at Stephens College in Columbia Missouri. After four years he took a position teaching reading at the University of Missouri.
* In 1947, while speaking in Peoria, he met two editors from the Scott, Foresman Company who enticed him to help write stories for the popular children's primer series "Dick, Jane, and Sally."
* He was president of the International Reading Association (IRA), began a Child Study Clinic in Columbia, Missouri.
V Marion Monroe
* A well known psychologist and educator, Mrs. Marion Monroe authored many of the Dick and Jane series books and also is well known for her book "Growing into Reading", and other professional books.
* Marion Monroe - Biographical data: A.B., University of Oklahoma, 1919; M.A., University of Chicago, 1924, Ph.D., 1929;
* Research Psychologist, Mobile Mental Hygiene Clinic, Psychopathic Hospital, Iowa City, Iowa, 1926-27; research psychologist, Institute for Juvenile Research, Chicago, Illinois, 1929-32; chief psychologist, Child Guidance Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1932-36; consultant on character education, Washington D.C. public schools, 1936; director of educational clinic, Pittsburgh public schools, 1936-42; consultant in remedial reading, public schools, San Diego, California, 1943-44; director reading clinic, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1945-50;
* Created the Monroe Reading Aptitude Tests, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1935 and many other publications.
* Hugh A. Foresman - Cofounder of Scott, Foresman and Company
* E.H. Scott - Cofounder of Scott, Foresman and Company
V See Spot Run
* It took a lot of sophisticated talent to create a simple reader.
* They wanted to help children become sophisticated readers.
* We begin our spiritual lives with the simple things: "See Spot run".
* God wants you to grow up - Heb 5:11 - 6:3
V God want to use you to say more than just:
* "Praise the Lord"
* I'm blessed and highly favored"
* "God is good - all the time"
V Know God
* Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me. - Jer 9:23-24; 1Cor 1:31; 2Cor 10:17-18
* "I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!" - Mat 7:21-27
* Know God by obeying his Word.
* God evaluates his relationship with you by your responsiveness to him.
* You can't serve both God and money. - Mat 6:24-34
V Know What God Is Doing
V John 4 - The woman at the well
* Note the patience of Jesus, God in the flesh, as he conversed with the woman.
* Jesus offers living water - do you believe the offer?
* "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
V Cooperating With God
* God wants to save everyone. Many enter the church by believing in Jesus.
V God can't use everyone the way he wants to.
* Do you want to be used like Pharaoh was? - Ex 9:8-16; Rom 9:17
* Do you want to be used the way Jesus was?
* Why be a spectator?
* What frame of reference do you have for being used by God?
* If you want God to use you - discipline yourself to speak his Word.
V Proper Use of the Tongue
V Use your tongue to pray
* Pray for everyone - Eph 6:18-20; 1Tim 2:1-4
* Use your tongue for spiritual warfare.
V Proclaim the Good News of God's Kingdom - Mark 16:14-18
* Invite them to become fellow builders
V Extend community
* Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman - John 4
V Use your tongue to heal and to care for others. - Eph 4:29-30
* My words, or God's words? Go for the supernatural
V Don't grieve the Holy Spirit!
* Parents are grieved when they discover their children have done something shameful.
* Instruct - Rom 15:14; 1Cor 14:26; Heb 5:11-14
V Confront your brother/sister in love - Mat 5:21-26; Mat 18:15-20
* explain difference between confronting in love and attacking
* whether it feels good or not.
* even if it gets messy
* Establish a relationship that gives you permission to speak into his/her life
V Check your results
* We start with theories, but if we're committed to the truth, we will adjust our theories in light of the facts.
* Don't assume you're saying the right thing - get feedback
* Love means caring about the impact of your words!
* Humility means checking - not assuming.
* Don't forget step two: taking along two or three witnesses.
* Don't forget step three: telling it to the church (life group)
* Don't forget step four: excommunication - 1Cor 5:1-13
* Confrontation - right or reconciled?
* A sacrifice of praise - Heb 13:15
V Brokenness and the Release Of The Spirit (continued)
V Applying God's Solution
V Human Structure
* Tabernacle (outer court, holy place, most holy place) - Heb 9:1-8
V We have three parts too - 1Thes 5:23; Heb 4:12-13
* Body
* Soul (will, intellect, emotions)
V Spirit - where God lives
V God lives in the believer's spirit
* You are God's temple - 1Cor 3:16
* The Ark must be carried by the priests - 1Chron 13, 15
* We are priests - 1Pet 2:4-5; Rev 1:4-6
V The spirit can only express itself through the soul
* The Holy Spirit instructs you through your spirit
* Your spirit passes God's commands to your soul for processing
* Your soul commands your body to obey
V Sanctification
* Meaning - being set apart
V Your job - consecrate - Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; Col 3:1-10
* This is no big deal for traditional "churchianity"!
* This is a very big deal for biblical believers!
* We are to be living sacrifices on the altar allowing God's Word to slice and probe us - Rom 12:1-2; Heb 4:12-13
* God's job - sanctify
V Breaking
* Kernel of wheat - John 12:20-33
* Gethsemane - Mat 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53
* Jesus refused drugged wine on the cross - Mat 27:27-37
V Spirit Baptism
V Crisis experience
* You consecrate by asking and yielding.
* God responds by filling you.
* Infilling -
V Alabaster jar of pure nard - Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
* Poured on Jesus' head (Mark) and feet (John)
* Expensive - a year's wages
* Prepared him for burial
* God pours his Holy Spirit on our head and feet
V Purpose
* Power to witness - Acts 1:8
* Power to serve - Acts 6:1-6
* Compliance with the Lord's discipline - Rom 8:1-39
V The Lord's Discipline
V Ongoing experience
* You consecrate by asking, yielding, fasting
* God responds with trials, and pruning
* Trials of the faithful - Heb 11:1 - 12:13
V Pruning - John 15:1-7
V Resources fuel either the flesh or Kingdom work
* God wants to fuel Kingdom work, so he requires us to be Spirit-led in order to receive resources
* Your gifts must be under God's control
V Trials - James 1:2-4; 1Pet 1:6-7
V God takes you through experiences that eat away at your ability to lean on some aspect of your flesh.
* Abraham had to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael
* Abraham had to prepare to sacrifice Isaac
* Job had to trust God despite the lack of an explanation
V Purpose
* God's Spirit takes up residence in your Spirit at regeneration
* Your spirit submits to God's Spirit
* God's Spirit must express itself through your soul (will, intellect, and emotions)
* God's discipline makes your will, intellect, and emotions, pliable and usable by God.
* You can't make this happen on your own - but you can cooperate with it.
V Fasting
* For consecration
* As spiritual warfare
V The Release of the Spirit
* Jars of clay - 2Cor 4:7-12
* We regard no one from a carnal point of view - 2Cor 5:16-21
* We do whatever God requires - 2Cor 6:1-10
* God is going to call some of us to do some hard things!
V Contemporary Illustrations
* Add references to mirror neurons (Nova ScienceNow January 2005)
V Discussion Questions
V Reflect on being used by God
* When did it first occur to you that God could use you to accomplish his will?
* Describe the first time that you remember God using you. What did it feel like?
* Describe the last time you remember God using you. What did it feel like?
* What are some of the ways that you believe God wants to use you in the future?
V Reflect on your relationship with God.
* How far are you from the "See Spot Run" level in your relationship?
* What would your day to day life be like if your relationship with God was at a more mature level? What would you be doing differently?
V Reflect on Jer 9:23-24
* What sorts of things have you boasted about in the past? Recently?
* Do you understand and know God?
* Do you boast about your relationship with God? Why or why not?
* Have you ever heard someone boast about God exercising kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth?
V Reflect on Mat 7:21-27
* Have you ever encountered the type of people Jesus is describing in vs. 21-23? If so, describe your experience.
* How do these verses make you feel about your own Christian experience?
* Describe some of the ways that you are putting Jesus' words into practice.
* Has putting Jesus' words into practice enabled you to withstand the rain, rising streams, and the winds of life? In what ways?
V Reflect on John 4:1-42
* Have you ever had a conversation about spiritual matters with a stranger? What happened?
* Describe the last time you had a conversation about Jesus with someone who wasn't a Christian.
* How easy or difficult is it for you to talk to people about Jesus? Is there anything that makes it easier for you? Are there things that make it more difficult for you?
V Reflect on Mat 5:21-26; Mat 18:15-20
* Have you ever "left your gift at the altar" in order to be reconciled to a brother or sister in Christ who had something against you?
* Have you ever confronted a brother or sister in Christ who sinned against you? What happened?
* When a brother or sister in Christ refuses to listen to you, do you take along one or two others according to Mat 18:16? Describe your experiences in doing this, or why you chose not to do it.
* Have you ever experienced a situation in which a brother or sister in Christ was confronted by the church according to Mat 18:17? What happened?
* How is the church supposed to treat pagans and tax-collectors?
V Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings
* List the people in your sphere of influence.
V Go over the people in your list and share with your group the answers to the following questions:
* How badly to you want to see this person saved?
* How much time have you spent praying for him/her? On your own? With a prayer partner?
* What are you willing to do differently to see this person saved?