How to be a Good Teacher: Twenty Points - By Douglas Groothuis

1. Know your subject matter, but never be content with what you know.
2. Speak clearly; avoid stutter phrases.
3. Develop a rich and interesting vocabulary.
4. Listen to student's questions; answer; then ask if the answer was helpful. The last step is crucial.
5. Be jealous that the classroom be a sanctuary for learning.
6. Do not copy what the rest of culture is doing. The classroom should be different. Be a thermostat not a thermometer. (Thanks to Neil Postman for this.)
7. Do not be afraid of silence--either in your teaching or for the students.
8. Pray before class, either to yourself or publicly, given the situation. I usually emphasize God as "the Spirit of Truth" (John 14:26).
9. Improvise within a thoughtful form.
10. Do not let any student monopolize discussion. This can be awkward to correct, but it must be done. One say is to say "let's hear from some students who don't normally speak up."
11. Don't assume that students need to be entertained.
12. Dare to think on your feet. I have learned much while teaching.
13. Do not be afraid to admit your ignorance in class.
14. Always teach with a purpose. Make sure the students know this, either explicitly or implicitly.
15. Refer often to books, thus challenging students to become more literate. Sometimes as how many students have read a classic book. If no one has, call them ignoramuses.
16. When students make little sense while asking a question or making a comment, try to get their point by asking questions. If this fails, re-frame the comment to make some sense. No one should be humiliated in a class.
17. If the setting allows, pray with the class concerning particular needs as they come up in the lecture, discussion.
18. Refer often to Scripture, by quoting, alluding, or paraphrasing.
19. Do not let humor detract from learning, but use it to enhance learning. See A.W. Tozer's classic short essay, "The Use and Abuse of Humor."
20. Dress in such as way as to not draw attention to yourself, either by being too causal or too dressy. By all means, do not try to be sexy.

The Tyranny of Things

Things
--By Scott Wesley Brown

Things upon the mantle
Things on every shelf
Things that others gave me,
Things I gave myself
Things I’ve stored in boxes
That don’t mean much anymore
Old magazines and memories
Behind the attic door

….things….

Things on hooks and hangers,
Things on ropes and rings
Things I guard that blind me to
The pettiness of Things

Am I like the rich young ruler,
Ruled by all I own…
If Jesus came and asked me,
Could I leave them all alone?

Oh Lord, I look to Heaven beyond the veil of time
To gain eternal insight that nothing’s really mine
To only ask for daily bread
And all contentment brings
To find freedom as Your servant
In the midst of all these things.

For discarded in the junkyard,
Rusting in the rain,
Lie things that took the finest years
Of lifetimes to obtain;
And whistling through these tombstones
The hollow breezes sing…
A song of dreams surrendered to
The Tyranny of… THINGS

Perfect Ending by Robert Jeffress (Review)

In Perfect Ending, Robert Jeffress attempts to explain biblical prophecy concerning the end-times in such a way that people with no formal theological training can seek to understand. He is convinced that bible prophecy is a major topic in the Bible because of the amount of space that has been devoted to it. This is why understanding prophecy will help people understand and apply the Bible accurately. Also, understanding the big picture of Bible prophecy will prompt believers to live godly and productive lives.

According to Jeffress, the sequence of events that are yet to occur are as follows: (1) The Church age; (2) the rapture of the Church; (3) The tribulation; (3) The second coming of Christ; (4) The Millennium; (5) The great white throne judgment and; (6) eternity future.

Jeffress holds to the pre-millennial view (142) which states that the second coming of Christ occurs prior to the millennium. He also makes a distinction between Israel and the church. The two other views concerning the meaning of the millennium are postmillennium and amillennium. Postmillennialists believe that Christ will return after the millennium. Adherents of this view believe that the entire world will be evangelized which will bring prosperity and peace that will characterize the kingdom. Amillennialism means “no millennium.” According to the author, ammillennialists interpret the thousand year reign of Christ described in Revelation 20 as descriptive of Christ’s rule in the hearts of His followers that started after His resurrection and will go on until the Second coming of Christ (145). 

As mentioned earlier, this book is written in such a way that any lay person can understand where the author is coming from and why he holds his views. But those who want to go deeper should seek out and read from other perspectives.