Student Choice Assignment, Week 8, New Testament Class

Choice 5: Hebrews 1-2. Jesus Christ Is Greater than Angels

    1.      Refer to “Epistle to the Hebrews” in the Bible Dictionary (pp. 746-47). Read the first paragraph and the “Analysis of Hebrews,” number 1-5. Make a list of what Jesus Christ is superior to.

Jesus is superior to: angels, Moses, and the high priests including Melchizedek, Arron, and Abraham.

    2.      Read Hebrews 1. Make a list of three truths Paul taught about the Savior Jesus Christ.

   A: Christ is the Son of God and the heir of all things (2).

   B: Christ purged our sins and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (3).

   C: Christ laid the foundation of the earth and the heaven are the works of his hands (10).

    3.      Read Hebrews 2:7-18; 4:13-16; Alma 7:11; Doctrine and Covenants 122:8. In writing describe    how these scriptures explain reasons the Son of God came to earth to experience mortality.

Christ needed to come to earth to experience mortality so he could be below the angels and below all of us. He needed to suffer pains and afflictions and be tempted so he could succor those that suffer pains and afflictions and are tempted.

Student Choice Assignment, Week 7, New Testament Class

Choice 1: Philippians 1-4. Find solutions in the Scriptures to Life’s Challenges

For each of the following common challenges, write the counsel from Philippians that you would use to resolve it:

    ·  People sometimes argue and complain over petty matters in church meetings or throughout the week (see Philippians 2:1-8, 14-15).

We need to work at being more like Christ. We need to strive to be one with others by being filled with the spirit, being likeminded, having love for one another, not allowing there to be strife between us, viewing others as our equals, and being humble and obedient. We need to do all of these things without murmuring or disputing it.

    ·  Many youth feel that their parents’ testimony is sufficient for them. Since they have good parents, they rely on them for all their spiritual strength (see Philippians 2:12-15 and institute student manual commentary for Philippians 2:12, “Work out Your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling” [pp. 361-52]).

Each of us is obligated to work out our own salvation. This does not mean that you just have to say you believe in Christ to be saved, it is that and so much more! We must also gain a testimony by exercising faith in Christ and continually do the things that will build and strengthen our testimonies. Those things include, but are not limited to, praying, reading our scriptures, and seeking answers to our questions concerning the gospel. We cannot rely on other’s testimonies because they cannot shield us from temptation or trials that will come our way. We need to have our own testimony so we will be better able to overcome those things.

    · An investigator is considering joining the Church, but his family will no longer associate with him if he does (see Philippians 3:7-16; 4:16).

Although we may feel like we have lost everything, and everyone we hold dear, we will always have Jesus Christ. He will never leave us as long as we continue in righteousness.

    ·  How is this writing assignment an example of the principle taught in 2 Nephi 32:3?

2 Nephi 32:3 says that when we feast upon the words of Christ, he will tell us all things what we should do. This tells us that all things that we have questions for, the answer can be found in the scriptures.

KINLEY IS WALKING!

 She has been so slow at wanting to walk, but once she did, she took off running. She just began walking a few days ago! I think she is going to be one of those kids who refuses to do anything until they know they can do it 100%. That is how she was with crawling too.

 

Here are a few videos of her walking:

Halloween 2013

 Halloween becomes something totally different when you have kids. It goes from being excited to get lots of candy to being excited to see how happy your kids are about getting lots of candy. 

This year we had a....

 Nerd

 Referee (cuz that is what I am all day anyway)

 Ninja

 

Darthvader

 Fairy Princess

 Lion

 

Trick or treating fun.

I went out with the kids for one block while Jeff stayed at home handing out candy with Kinley. As I was walking around, my mind went back to when I was 8 (Mason's age). I went out with my siblings at that age, without my parents, yes, all my siblings were older than me. I don't know that I will ever let my kids go by themselves. It is at those times when I realize that we really do live in a different world now than we did 20+ years ago. 

Tonight we taught the boys about taxes, using their Halloween candy as the example. By the time we took out taxes in all their varieties, medical expenses, tithing, bills, etc., they didn't have much left. I think they learned a little lesson, but were more relieved that we were not going to keep their candy, unlike the government keeping all our taxes.

Student Choice Assingment, Week 6, New Testament Class

Choice 1: Romans 12-16. Live as Saints Should Live

   1.      Review Romans 13:11 and look for what is “nearer”. Read Ezekiel 3:20; Doctrine and Covenants 14:7; and explain in writing what we must continue doing to work out our salvation.

Our salvation is nearer than when we believed. In order to work out our own salvation, we need to continually work through our stumbling blocks, such as our weakness (sins) we need to work at removing from our lives, we need to turn towards righteousness, we need to keep the commandments, and we need to endure to the end..

   2.      In Romans 12-13 Paul gave much counsel that leads to salvation. Read each of the following verses and list what Paul taught would help lead to salvation:

·         Romans 12:1: Live your life in the service of the Lord.

·         Romans 12:2: Keep your thoughts clean and pure.

·         Romans 12:9: Love all your fellow men. Cling to the good in this world.

·         Romans 12:13: Give freely of what you have.

·         Romans 12:16: Avoid being prideful by not looking down on others.

·         Romans 12:21: Overcome Evil with good.

·         Romans 13:1: Allow all men to be blessed by God’s power.

·         Romans 13:3: As long as you are doing what is good, you will have to reason to be afraid of authority.

·         Romans 13:8: Avoid debt and love others.

·         Romans 13:9: Love your neighbor, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, no not bear false witness, and do not covet.

    3.      Review Romans 14:1-13; 15:1-3. Then write answers to the following questions:

·         What cautions did Paul give about judging? It is not our place to judge others, we have not been given that authority. We will all stand before the Lord to be judged someday.

·         People may have different opinions and practices, but what is most important to remember? We need to love one another and look past those differences of opinions and practices and instead, we need to build each other up so we may all become stronger in the Lord.

·         What additional insight comes from reading Doctrine and Covenants 38:25-27? We need to see everyone as our equal and strive to become one by serving and loving one another.

    4.      Review Romans 15:25-26, 31, 16:2, 15. Write the term Paul frequently used to refer to members of the Church in his day.

He referred to them as saints.

October Happenings

 October is always a busy month with all the fun fall activities, this year was not exception. Life got busier with Kinley beginning to walk. She is into everything and has earned the new name of Re-locator because she relocates anything she can get her hands on to a different location. Her most favorite thing to relocate is shoes. Why shoes?

Before she began walking, she taught herself how to go down the stairs backwards. I was upstairs folding laundry when I looked over and saw her a few stairs down scooting her way backwards. It seemed odd to me that she began going down the stairs before she began walking. Here is a video I got as soon as I realized she could go down the stairs. The video is a bit dark, but you can still see her.

 Who needs toys when you have empty toilet paper rolls?

 Mason had to make an underwater vessel for school. Jeff always does a great job to taking on these extra projects with the kids. I really appreciate it for a few reason, (1) I am not that creative when it comes to that stuff and (2) I really don't have time to do these projects.

Every year our school does "Doughnuts with Dad". Jeff didn't tell the boys he was taking the day off to go with them. So when they woke up that morning they said to me several times how they wished Dad could have taken the day off. Little did they know, Jeff and I devised a plan to surprise them last minute by having him hide in our room until it was about time to go and I so I got up with them like it was any other day and got them ready. They were so excited that Jeff was home and was going to make it after all.

 A new way of eating?

 Cup stacking, one of Mason's favorite pass times. Shiloh loves to try her hand at it too.

I find countless pics on the camera/phones, all thanks to Shiloh.

 I see you!

Carving Pumpkins

How did Halloween sneak up on us this year. Last night we realized that it was only two day until Halloween and we still had not carved our pumpkins, so that is what we did after dinner. Mason did not want to put his hand inside the pumpkin AT. ALL. Cooper, on the other hand was all over it and even took a little time to tease Mason about it, okay, he actually took a lot of time to do that.

 Our finished pumpkins: Tinkerbell, Ninja Turtle, and Bowser (from Mario).