The Faith of Moses 02/16/2011
On our stroll through the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11, we came today to Moses. The entire story of his life is one of faith- from the moment that his parents placed him in the basket to his final destination that fell short of actually entering in to the promised land. Most of our morning devotional time was spent discussing the picture of Christ that we can see through Moses' decision to abandon his life of ease, royalty, and unlimited wealth and to take up the afflictions of his people. Even as Moses was witness to the slaving burdens of his Hebrew brethren, Christ, in compassion, looked down and saw the burdens that we, as humanity, carry. And seeing our affliction, He made that eternity-changing decision to leave the very throne room of heaven and descend to a race of people enslaved to sin. He chose to live among the slaves rather than with the Master. He chose to suffer along side of us, rather than continue on in the ease and majesty of heaven. Philippians 2:6-8 tells us that he made himself of "no reputation" and took the form of a "bondservant". He came in our likeness and became obedient even unto death. He who had a choice, chose to serve. And to save. Like Moses, he looked at us and said THOSE are my people. I choose them. How can we, the delivered, the saved, the freed, not chose Him? Add Comment A Very Good Place to Start 01/06/2011
This week marks the beginning of a new homeroom Bible study. We are launching out into the "Hall of Faith" found in Hebrews 11 in an attempt to understand why each person or idea was "nominated" by the author as a witness to faith. In verse three, the first "person" called to give witness is Creation. "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." Creation testifies to the ability of God to not only make something out of nothing but also to the creative power of His Word. Like every building project, a firm foundation is not only crucial, but, as has been said, is also a "very good place to start". For us to truly understand who we are in Christ, it is imperative that we first understand that we were planned and are not a result of some cataclysmic cosmic "accident". Our world, although not our home, was expecting us and was made specifically for us by a wise, creative, and loving God. His creation, in all of its glory, is evidence of things not seen. This is the first plank that should be installed in the foundation of our faith. Without it, we will surely build a shaky dwelling. Captor or Captive? 12/09/2010
Upon encountering a tiger in the deep jungle there are two obvious conclusions. You will either become the captor or the captive. Hopefully, you planned ahead for such an encounter and brought all of the necessary tools and weapons, both defensive and offensive. And even more importantly, you had better hope that you had a plan in place before the encounter. The moment that you find yourself being stared down by a hungry beast is not the best time to formulate good plans! Our New Crest (Part 5) 12/08/2010
The eagle, the final symbol on our crest, represents strength and courage. His purpose is to remind us that we are to wait upon the Lord for renewed strength and not rush forward in our own imperfect power. Waiting upon the Lord is a great spiritual discipline that requires much strength of character and fortitude. While "only fools rush in" rushing is many times so much easier and more attractive. Even as immediate gratification constantly tempts us and shortcuts call out to us loudly, waiting faintly whispers to us of a better way. At CCA we are committed to waiting upon the Lord for His direction and guidance, seeking His perfect will in our lives and in our school. While the waiting is not easy, in it we find the strength to soar. "But they who wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. " Isaiah 40:31 KJV Our New Crest (Part 4) 12/07/2010
The torch and the bottom left corner of our logo symbolizes life, truth, intelligence, and of course, light. It symbolizes the passing on of what is sacred, important, and most necessary. At CCA we purposefully and daily pass on to students our own testimonies, life lessons, and Biblical understandings as well as academic truths. Our aim is to train the whole child and to do our best to prepare that child for all of life's lessons and tests. We understand that we are the generation currently holding up the lamp of knowledge and truth so that they, as students, may see it clearly, grasp it firmly and boldly carry it forth to their own posterity. "You are the lights of the world...." Matthew 5:14 Our New Crest (Part 3) 12/03/2010
The crown. It speaks to us of royalty and majesty. It calls us to bend our knee and bow our hearts to the King of kings and Lord of lords. It reminds us that we are sons and daughters of royalty, and as such everything we do should and does have eternal value. Our goal as teachers is to help students understand their identity in Christ and thus prepare them to take their place in this world as his joint-heirs. Our ultimate goal is to persevere, stand the test, and receive the crown of life promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV) Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Our New Crest (Part 2) 12/02/2010
The Bible is at the top left hand corner of our new crest. Its opened pages signify our active use of God's Word as well as our openness to His precepts. It had to be first, because it is the source of our faith, our hope, and our salvation. We believe His Word to be infallible and active. It lives and breathes into us every day as we open our heart to its truths. Often I remind myself and my students how blessed we are to live in a land where we can lay our hands on the living Word of God at any moment that we choose. Sadly, it is its very availability that often leads us to neglect it. If we had to walk under the cover at night, at risk of our health and even our life to secure even one section of this Holy Book, we would understand so much more of its sacred value. Without it, we are lost, tossed about, and left to ourselves. With it, we have the perfect standard that provides everything that we need for life and godliness. We very often pledge to the Bible in my class. If you are not familiar with the pledge, you may want to learn it so that you can mentally "pledge" to hide His word in your heart. I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet, A light under my path, And I will hide its words in my heart That I might not sin against God. May that always be our pledge and prayer. Tina H Director CCA Adopts New Logo 12/01/2010
Have you had time to examine our new school crest? We believe that each element of the design reflects the heart of CCA. You may notice that at the center of the crest is a cross. This cross expresses our desire and commitment to keeping Christ at the center of all that we say and do. He is our reason for everything that we do and how andeven when we do it. He is our Standard, our Shepherd, our Savior, and our Teacher. It 's all about you, Jesus. "And at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd; "he will lead them to springs of living water"..." Rev. 7:17 Daily Devo: The Corn Brick 11/30/2010
This week I was discussing with my class the importance of using the correct "measure" as a guideline for our lives. Our key verse for the next two weeks is II Corinthians 10:3-5, and as always, we look at the Scriptures before and after our key verses to gain some perspective. Our focus for the morning was verse twelve which reads: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." For an illustration, God reminded me of the Cornbread Casserole that a family member made for our recent Thanksgiving meal. All of the ingredients were assembled and the recipe was followed up to one exception. The recipe called for a box of cornmeal and all we had was a bag. Thinking that there could not be much difference between a "box" and a "bag" the entire contents were dumped into the pan. The result was a lovely Corn Brick casserole! You see, measurements do matter. And having the right tool to measure by is even more important. That is why we must not dare to compare ourselves among ourselves, for we are ALL flawed. The only true measure to whom we must compare is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And while we will never "measure up" to him, our exposed flaws and shortcomings will allow us to see where adjustments need to be made. If we insist on comparing ourselves to other imperfect patterns, we will never be happy with the results nor will we be any closer to the real measure. Better to fall short of Jesus than to be found lacking for trying to measure up to the wrong pattern! Tina H. Director, CCA | Cornerstone Blog
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