Bartimaeus - An Epitome of Faith and Service

For the past two years, I have listened to some of the recent sermons available at the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church website and have been blessed with what I had heard. In fact, periodically, I have made reference to these archived sermons, on this blog.

On 10/31/10 when I was unable to attend a church service, I decided to once again listen to an archived sermon. I was unaware that the GSPC website had undergone a dramatic transformation, so it took me a minute or two to become acclimated to where the recently archived sermons were housed. I quickly found the site map and was overjoyed to discover that visitors to the http://www.gspc.org website can now not only listen to but also actually see the sermons as they were originally presented. I scrolled down and tried to decide which one to listen to first. My eyes settled on the A Perceptive Request - Mark 10:46-52 sermon. Please see http://www.biblegateway.com to read this passage.


The sermon, A Perceptive Request, was delivered by Rev. Dr. James Wilson. This very thoughtful, contemplative, unassuming pastor always delves deep into scripture and uses related subject matter found in the news, literature and other resources to highlight some of the key points of his sermon. Consequently, I was prepared to listen to a message that would be a blessing. However, I believe that this sermon goes far beyond being a blessing to those who are able to listen to it. This pastor effectively shared a personal experience in a manner that can deeply touch your soul and aid you in your Bible lesson plans about Bartimaeus.

I encourage you, now, to take a block of time to hear this sermon. Please see Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church - Sermon A Perceptive Request to access the audio and video links. After you have experienced the message, please return back to this blog to access the lesson plans.

As I was listening to Dr Wilson speak, I found myself wondering about how many listeners could, in some way, identify with Bartimaeus. Many of us may have had something happen throughout the course of our life to make us feel unworthy. Like Dr. Wilson, we may have buried the experience, and it isn't until later in life, we discover how profoundly that past event has impacted us. As Dr. Wilson pointed out, Jesus can both understand and release us from our pain. For example, in Mark 10, we see that Jesus engages both James and John and later Bartimaeus in conversation and poses the same question twice. The responses to Jesus' question are vastly different. In fact, James and John's comments cleary demonstrate that they still didn't understand Christ's purpose for coming to earth.
Please see http://www.biblegateway.com

Mark 10:35 - 37.

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”


In Mark 10:51 http://www.biblegateway.com, we see the same question addressed to Bartimaeus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

Unlike John and James, Bartimaeus, understood who Jesus was and why he was placed on earth.

The magnitude of Bartimaeus' healing is a concept that may be misunderstood by children and teens. It’s important for children to realize that Bartimaeus lived in a society that labeled the blind as being "unworthy" and "useless". Bartimaeus' faith in Christ, his determination to shed this label, and willingness to reach out and allow Jesus to heal him, are pivotal points that need to be underscored.

Bartimaeus saw something others couldn’t comprehend. He saw that Jesus was placed on earth to show what service was about. Because Bartimaeus understood the concept of serving others, he wanted to be healed and was eager to follow Jesus.

Children and teens can greatly benefit from object, hands on and other lessons about this passage in scripture. The lessons and lesson planning ideas below can serve to help children see the relationship of faith and healing to the desire to serve.


Blind Bartimaeus - PreK - Kindergarten
Absolutely awesome set of crafts, object lessons, and more.


Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus - Elementary Grades (Integrated Activities and Printables)

Bartimaeus - Act It Out! These lessons are designed for the lower early elementary grades, but they can be adapted to accommodate other grade levels, as well.

Jesus Heals the Blind Man - These PreK/3s lesson plans and activities can be used in either large or small group settings.

Prayer Lessons from Blind Bartimaeus
These lessons can be adapted for grades 5 - adult.

May God richly bless you for your faithfulness. :-)

Taking That Leap of Faith in Uncertain Times

This morning, I checked my inbox and was treated to a guest devotional by Jon Walker, Please see Daily Hope and then click back to this blog.


Like millions of Christians, I subscribe to Rick Warren’s Daily Hope blog. As usual, today’s message was inspirational and caused me to take a step back and focus on my faith in God's divine power.

In today's devotional, the author uses Peter's lack of trust as an example. I, too, found myself thinking of Peter's dilemma when Jesus beckoned him to walk on the water. As you will recall, Peter was cautious about leaving the safety of the boat. The challenge to leave a safe situation and leap into something unknown gave Peter great cause for concern. I sometimes struggle with making faith based decisions as well. Do you?

The following, from Jon Walker’s inspirational message, really pinpoints the predicament that many of us may experience when faced with a crisis or near crisis.

“It's a paradox of faith: Our first step of faith places us in a position where faith becomes possible. By our obedience, we learn to be faithful. If we refuse to follow, we never learn how to believe. We stay stuck in the shallow end of faith, trusting in ourselves, living by sight and not by faith.”

Today, while reading the news about Rick Warren, I felt inspired to write a blog entry about the struggle of trust that we all, from time to time, experience. As you may know, Rick Warren was recently temporarily blinded due to an unfortunate gardening accident. Please see OC Register for details. How did Rick react to being temporarily blinded by a toxic milky poisonous sap? He became humble and prayed, and he asked others to pray for him as well. Rick placed his trust in God; he knew that God would not forsake him. He was modeling how a Christian should react in a time crisis. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (New International Version)

7We live by faith, not by sight. See Biblegatewaycom

It’s sometimes difficult in the unchartered waters of our life to step out and make a faith based decision to trust God. However, when we do take that leap of faith and trust Him, we feel truly blessed when He, in turn, reaches out and steers us to safety.

Stop and reflect about events in the past when you did reach out and felt that God was walking right there beside you. Surely, as a Christian, you can think of more than one time when you made that leap of faith and could feel His blessings.

Last Sunday, Charles Stanley presented a sermon about the 23rd Psalm and reminded the congregation of God's faithfulness to David and to us. David experienced many blessings and challenges throughout his life, as he walked with God. During many pivotal moments, David called out to God for help, and God responded and blessed him. David wrote the 23rd Psalm to affirm his awareness of God's love and protection. Likewise, when we have asked God for help, He has reached out to us. When we were weary, we could feel that he was carrying the burden for us. We could feel His love and help. With that knowledge in mind, why would we ever doubt that He will be with us now and in the future?

To help the teens and children in your life learn more about the power of faith, please type in Some Biblical Expressions of Faith, Fall Forward in Faith, Object Lessons in Faith, and Holding on with Faith When You are Approaching the Edge in the search box of this bog. You will receive commentary and links to free faith based lesson plans.

May God bless richly bless you.

Summertime - Sowing Seeds for Christ

Today, like many families, we celebrated the 4th of July. Having the 4th fall on a Sunday, this year, was such a blessing. In many worship services, pastors reminded us of how fortunate we are to live in a country that allows us to pray to God without fear of retribution. Like many others, I believe, I found myself thinking about how God entrusts us to sow seeds of faith in the lives of others. Throughout the day, I found myself taking stock of how I could best use the spiritual gifts that God has entrusted me with to reach others.

The summer months seem to fly by, as we are sometimes pulled in many directions and wear many hats. Even though work, vacations, entertaining house guests and other distractions can easily us pull us away from our time with God, we know that it's essential to always include Bible study and devotional time in our daily lives.

Continue to be observant and obedient to service assignments that Christ provides for you. Don't overlook opportunities to help other children learn more about Christ. Perhaps, you will be tutoring or involved in VBS. Sometimes, unexpectedly, God may place a child or children in your path, and you see the possibilities for sowing seeds. Use the free resources in this blog, to plan lessons which may serve to foster an interest in Jesus.


See First Things First

Summer Solstice - A Time for Pruning

The Metamorphosis of the Butterfly

Object Lessons in Faith

The Prodigal Son - Lessons Learned

Fall Forward in Faith

Some Biblical Expressions of Faith



Recently, I spoke with a parent about using a collection of Bible stories, written for second through fourth grade students, as part of the reading comprehension curriculum. This parent was delighted that her daughter would be learning more about Jesus, David and other principal figures and stories found within the Bible.

Encourage all children to memorize scripture, as well. Please see Teachers' Tips, Tools, & Topics for some excellent Bible scripture memorization tips.

Have a blessed summer!!

Having a Heart for Jesus

Next month, we are reminded of the role our heart plays in our lives. The American Heart Association designates February as National Heart Month. We are encouraged to take the necessary steps needed to protect our health and are provided with an assessment which underscores risk factors that can interfere with our heart health. At some point in our lives, we may have wondered if someone close to us died from a broken heart. According to cardiologist Dr Michael Brodsky this isn't far from the truth. Brodsky states, "An emotional broken heart can really kill you." To read this article in its entirety visit a Google.com and type in keyword phrase broken heart and Dr. Brodksy.

We see the tie-in between our emotional and physical health; yet, we often neglect one important component. We may forget, from time to time, the importance of our service to God and how, it, too, impacts our heart. In today's Purpose Driven Life Devotion, Rick Warren shares some insight on this topic in his When Serving God, Listen to Your Heart Take a moment to read this devotional and then click back to this blog.

Indeed, we are given different gifts, talents and opportunities. Yet, we sometimes focus on the gifts, talents and opportunities that others have and may make unfavorable comparisons. You may have often heard that we are to 'bloom where we are planted'. Perhaps you are experiencing some financial, marital or significant problems that just seem overwhelming to you. You would like to serve abundantly, but you just can't right now. You feel anxious because you want to feel that God is using you. Your desire is to bloom elsewhere.

Have you ever watched a fellow Christian perform an act of service and wish that you could be used by God in the same way? For some time now, you may have felt that the door to more service continues to remain closed. You are puzzled as to why this is so. Have you, in fact, felt that intense frustration of wanting to more fully serve, but just couldn't?

Or, perhaps, you sometimes feel that because you have more free time than many of your friends, there is an unspoken assumption that you can serve beyond your capacity to do so. For example, let's suppose that you have spent several hours at a hospital assisting a friend and have just gotten home. You feel weary and a bit anxious, when the phone begins to ring. Will this be yet another request to serve? Again, you may feel a bit frustrated and resentful.

In either case, these feelings of frustration and resentment really aren't serving any purpose in your life. They are, in fact, negative emotions that stand between you and the service you can, at this time, perform. If you can relate to any of what you just read, take some time now to consider how you can best serve God.

First, remember to keep the focus on what is important. God designed us for many specific service roles throughout our lives. We are to be obedient to only Him in the way in which this service is carried out. Seek scripture to learn about the role of service in your life. Please see Serving Others

Second, search your heart right now. What does God want you to do for Him? Maybe, you are very occupied with helping members of your family with their problems. Don't discount this as not serving Him. However, just because your plate is overflowing with needs that have to be filled, you will be called to serve. Don't overlook these opportunities. When possible, open your heart to the needs of others outside your family. Look for the open doors and walk through them. If your service is limited right now, keep in mind that the time will come again, when you can more actively serve in many different capacities.

Third, if you have much free time and enjoy serving, pray and ask God to show you what He has designed for you to do. Even if you have been serving Him in many ways, it's important to check in with Him, frequently, to ensure that you are serving in ways that He deems best.

Fourth, make certain that you continue to take care of your own physical and emotional needs so that you won't burn out. It's always important to set boundaries, so that in your heart, you feel the real joy of giving.

Finally, our hearts are overjoyed when we know that we are doing God's work. There is no better feeling for our overall health than to allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in our actions. By doing so, we see the fruit produced by our obedience. The joy that radiates from your face and spirit will be felt by the children in your life, and they will truly see that you have a heart for Jesus.

Faith in Action - Serving God throughout 2010

God designed each of us with a special purpose in mind. You and I have unique talents and abilities and spiritual gifts that God designed us to use for the benefit of His kingdom. Sometimes we are unsure as to what our spiritual gifts are and/or how we are to use them. However, the Bible is clear in informing us that we are given such gifts, and it is our obligation to put these gifts to good use.

In Hebrews 5:12-14, we learn that we are expected continue to grow and learn in the World and develop as mature Christians. When we were new Christians, we were not equipped to do the work of a maturing Christian. As our faith strengthens, we develop the confidence to put our spiritual gifts into action, and God commands us to do so.

As mentors to children and teens, it is also our responsibility to help them discover what their gifts are. Children and teens model our behavior and can be influenced by our actions. If we are active, participative Christians, they see the difference we can make. Children and teens are learning about their own capabilities and talents and are often eager to participate but may be hesitate to proceed. We need to provide them with guidance and some freedom so that they can explore and discover what they too can do for the kingdom.

By visiting Spiritual Gifts List and Gift Definitions you will see which books of the Bible discuss spiritual gifts. (Keep in mind that I have not purchased any materials yet through this website, but I am impressed, thus far, from the material that I have seen.) Take just a moment, now, to visit this web page. Scroll down until you see the tabulated list of spiritual gifts. For example, by looking under Romans 12, and clicking on exhortation, you will be connected to the scripture that speaks about this gift. You will also be provided with various resources to help you develop your own spiritual gifts and foster those you see emerging in the young people in your life. As you go through this process, continually ask God's guidance. As always, spend time in prayer seeking His will for you. By doing so, God can more effectively use you to help others.

For hypothetical purposes, let's say that you are teaching a second grade Sunday school class. You notice that one of the students, who has always been unusually shy, approaches you and asks if he can help one of the new students with a Bible related coloring project. Of course, you give your consent. You step back, and watch, in awe, as she quietly but effectively helps the new student to relax and feel part of the group. On subsequent Sundays, you see that this once shy student is repeatedly called to interact with other new students. Through astute observation and by being obedient to God's use of you, you discover that this student quite possibly has the gifts of mercy and service. She undboutedly has many additional gifts to offer, but, for now, is being called to use these two. By becoming sensitive to this student's desire to use her gift, you have given her an opportunity to explore and develop her inner calling.

As we know, sensitivity is often one key, in helping young people develop their talents and gifts. We need to apply this same sensitivity throughout 2010, as we help children and teens discover and use their very unique spiritual gifts, as well. This can be accomplished by often stepping back and observing what the young people in our life like to do at church or for the community at large. Talking about ways children and teens can serve will also provide some clarity and direction as well.

Explore the following websites for additional information about Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Gifts Inventories

Spiritual Gifts Inventory
Children and Spiritual Gifts - Ministry Tools
Spiritual Gifts Bible Teaching, Online Test and Resources
Spiritual Gifts for Kids, Helping Your Child Understand God's Plan

May Jesus provide you and your family with blessings throughout 2010, and may you be open to the many ways He will call you to serve throughout the year.

First Things First

As Christians, we strive to prioritize our lives so that Jesus is at the center of our existence. We know what happens when we place emphasis on all of our earthly matters and veer away from spending time in the Word. The story of Mary and Martha serves as a powerful reminder of what being out of sync with Jesus looks like.

In Luke 10:38-42 www.biblegateway.com we see two sisters with different priorities. Picture, if you will, two women who are about to invite Jesus into their home. Martha attempted to honor her guest by preparing a special meal. Just envision her scurrying to and fro as she prepares the meal for her guest

In the meantime, imagine Mary sitting quietly at the feet of our Savior, as she intently listens to every word that he utters. Mary put first things first. She knew that without Jesus, nothing in her world would makes sense.

If Martha had stopped and joined her sister at the feet of Jesus, she would not have resented Mary. Instead, she would have valued the wisdom that Mary demonstrated.

While Martha was busy baking bread, Mary was learning about the true ‘bread of life’. Jesus’ rebuke of Martha was done to ensure that she was aware of the difference.

Below, are several sites where children and teens can learn more about the Story of Mary and Martha.


Preschool/Elementary/Hands On Activities


Preschool/Elementary/Hands On Activities


Devotions - Elementary Age

Mary Listens While Martha Labors
Key Verse/Questions/References