In Bible study and sermon or class preparation, many little things come into play that are part of my routine. After 50+ years of ministry, I have pretty well defined my comfort zone for my work. This includes a certain table I like to use, which Bible I work from, and even what kind of pen and notepad I use for making my notes.
Yes, I am one of those old-fashioned guys that still takes all his sermon notes on a lined notepad. I may or may not enter the notes into the computer later, but it will always be the handwritten copy which goes with me into the pulpit.
The following article was written by my son, Aaron Cravy, and appeared first on his website, www.inklingsandpaperthings.com. Since the beginning of the pandemic and the dismissing of services at the Sunset Church of Christ as a precautionary measure, we have been meeting as a family on Sundays for “home church.” This is his description of how this experience has been.
By my calculation, this morning was the 21st Sunday in which we did not attend a church service outside of our home. I had not realized that it had been that long, which is normal for those living the quarantine life. One week just kind of flows into the next and the next thing you know, it’s August. Wait. It’s AUGUST?!?! See what I mean, it’s hard to keep up with all the days flying by when not a whole lot is changing due to all the limitations imposed on us by this virus.Continue Reading
Last week I substituted for the regular teacher in the early Wednesday night Bible class at Sunset Church of Christ. My topic was one in the series concerning Jewish feasts and holy days. It was on The Day of Atonement, a copy of which is available just before this current lesson.
Here now is the second lesson which was taught tonight on the Feast of Booths. I have included my handout here, followed by a link to listen to the audio of the lecture.Continue Reading
On January 24, 2020 I had the opportunity to present the following material to the Satellite School Administrator’s Workshop at the 2020 Sunset Vision Workshop in Lubbock, Texas. It is an updated 2nd Edition of what I presented at the same workshop in 2019 and which I posted here:“Catching Fish!”
“It’s a small town on the banks of a river. Once a week the townsfolk gather at the community center to enjoy a fine meal of freshly fried fish – caught from the local river by the town fisherman.
“The food is excellent, though sometimes limited by the amount the official angler is able to catch that week. Many of the diners would love to enjoy fish more often, but only the town fisherman knows how to fish. Everyone else is dependent on his work for their fish.Continue Reading
The following material was presented at the 2019 Sunset Vision Workshop as part of the Sunset Satellite School Administrator training track.
“Catching Fish”
Introduction:
Sunset Satellite School classes provide a high-quality, well taught experience in studying the Bible. However, we really should desire to take our students to the next step – helping them become not just more knowledgable, but capable of growing and going deeper into God’s Word on their own. This will allow them to be of greater service to the church as teachers, leaders and shepherds.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” We might even modify this to say, “Teach him to fish and he will be able to feed both himself and others for a lifetime.”
During the first quarter of 2008, I had the opportunity to teach this series of twelve lessons on Sunday evenings at the Tanglewood Church of Christ in Odessa, Texas. This was a challenge since normally I teach this in the classroom instead of in a sermon format. Entitled “How to Understand the Bible,” my goal was to introduce our church to the actual work involved in studying the Bible, rather than just assuming everyone already knew how to study and understand. Click here to access the entire series.
By the time I went to college, I had been in church 3 times a week since age 6.
But I had almost no answer to why I believed the Bible was true, nor did I know how to interpret the Scriptures beyond the simple Bible stories I had learned in Sunday school.
While in college I began attending a small, new congregation on the outskirts of Houston.
A mentor and teacher:
The preacher for this small congregation almost immediately started taking me home for lunch each Sunday afternoon – the sure way to a single college student’s heart.
The brother, James Wilson, then began to teach me Christian apologetics, and also modeled how to study the Bible using the method I will briefly present here. Essentially, he challenged me to become a detective discovering “the rest of the story.”
I have always viewed that time as God specifically at work redirecting my life!
The return of Jesus and the end of the world is a topic as controversial and misunderstood today as it was in the First Century.
Non-believers then and now mostly reject the whole idea of a “doom’s day” – especially one brought about by a Jewish preacher who lived 2,000 years ago.
But even in the Christian community there is a wide diversity of beliefs about His coming… from disbelief (liberal views) to fanatical fascination about end-time signs and predictions.
Paul is addressing this subject and trying to clear up misconceptions and ignorance in his two letters to the Thessalonians.
Perhaps my favorite illustration of the work involved in effective Bible study is a story dating from the 1850s. It is called, “The Student, the Fish, and Agassiz.” Dr. Louis Agassiz (see Wikipedia article) was one of the most respected scientists of the 19th Century, and a professor of zoology and geology at Harvard with sometimes controversial theories. The story is of a student of Agassiz’s who learns the critical importance of diligent close examination of the subject he was supposed to master. It provides a great but humorous demonstration of our need to devote the time and attention to gain all we can from the study of passages of Scripture. Click here to read or download the story. You can also access the audio and handouts of our entire “Effective Bible Study” class here.
I occasionally have my hearers and students ask me how I know so much about the historical background of the Scriptures. Perhaps they heard something I taught which connected in a way they had not thought of before, or learned something which had previously eluded them. My response is pretty uniform: I have spent most of my adult life diligently seeking to know more about the Scriptures!
“For His name’s sake” means He can always be counted on to act according to His names.
“THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD” – Psalm 23
Shepherds have been part of the Bible story from the beginning: Abel, Abraham, Jacob, David, etc.
Psalm 23 is a song by David, a shepherd who was chosen by Jehovah to become the Shepherd King over God’s people Israel.
No doubt, David’s long experience as a shepherd led him to more fully understand how Jehovah was shepherding in all of his life. a. Someone has observed that sheep are more needy than many other domesticated animals b. They need leadership, protection, food & water, rest, maintenance care (heal injuries, shearing), and be rescued when lostContinue Reading
In Bible study and sermon or class preparation, many little things come into play that are part of my routine. After 50+ years of ministry, I have pretty well defined my comfort zone for my work. This includes a certain table I like to use, which Bible I work from, and even what kind of pen and notepad I use for making my notes.
Last week I substituted for the regular teacher in the early Wednesday night Bible class at Sunset Church of Christ. My topic was one in the series concerning Jewish feasts and holy days. It was on 
On January 24, 2020 I had the opportunity to present the following material to the Satellite School Administrator’s Workshop at the 2020 Sunset Vision Workshop in Lubbock, Texas. It is an updated 2nd Edition of what I presented at the same workshop in 2019 and which I posted here: 
The following material was presented at the 2019 Sunset Vision Workshop as part of the Sunset Satellite School Administrator training track.
INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
Perhaps my favorite illustration of the work involved in effective Bible study is a story dating from the 1850s. It is called, “The Student, the Fish, and Agassiz.” Dr. Louis Agassiz (see 
