Homeschool Chapels

We just finished up our livestream chapel, but we ran out of time and weren’t able to address all of your questions. However! We do want to answer as many as we can and here are some that we missed:

Megyn from Carmel, IN: Why was it soggy last week?
JOE: We had just had rain the last few days and it was soaking into all the leaves on the ground. Every where I walked, my shoes would squish into the mud and puddles, and it just felt SOGGY. Even still we had a beautiful fall!

‍Juliana from Puerto Rico: For Tim, What has been your favorite country to visit? What has been your favorite meal from that country?
TIM: It's so hard to pick because we have made so many wonderful friends, but I love going to South Africa. And one of my favorite meals ever was there--I haven't thought about that meal in about 3 days, but thank you for reminding me. It was a warthog steak. Yes, Pumba.

‍Tyler from Vero Beach, FL: What is the longest verse in the Bible?
TIM: The longest verse is Esther 8:9. Fun fact, the Bible was not originally written with chapter and verse divisions. They were added much later (in the 1500's). They were added for our convenience, and sometimes they get in our way, and we have to kind of ignore them to get the bigger context. Even more impressive than the longest verse in the Bible is the longest sentence in the Bible: Ephesians 1:3-14 (in original Greek)--about 200 words. Do you know what the SHORTEST verse in the Bible is?

‍Cooper from Deltona, FL: What do you guys like about the verses you mentioned?
TIM: Ecclesiastes gives us an honest view of the futility of life without God, and it points us back to our Creator. James is super practical–lots of advice for our lives.

‍Jo from Arcadia, FL: The Bible is a mirror reflecting our flaws and we (Christians) are supposed to be mirrors reflecting the love of Jesus. So, does God like mirrors?
JOE: Well, apparently in God's Word, there are quite a few times when mirrors are mentioned to help illustrate some great spiritual concepts. James 1 compares the Bible to a mirror. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass [aka mirror] the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." This talks about how believers used to have a veiled understanding of God, but now we can come face to face and behold the glory of the Lord! We have an unobstructed view of Christ in Scripture. And 1 Cor 13 ends with a picture of a mirror as well! “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

‍Lauryn from Pepperell, MA: What are some verses that talk about kindness?
TIM: My mom made me memorize Eph. 4:32 at an early age! “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Some other good ones are Luke 6:35, Proverbs 11:17, and Colossians 3:12.

‍Bryson, Katy, Taygen from Indianapolis, IN: What do you do on Wednesday and how do you make time for chapel?
JOE: Well, I get up, eat breakfast, get to camp at 8am. Do some final prep for the livestream (email, website, livestream link, software), get everything turned on and tested at 9am, start the stream at 10am, pray at 10:30, and go live at 11am. After its all over, we try to answer the rest of your questions, send the folloup email, post the video on our website, and a few other things before working on other jobs at camp. All of the study and preparation for the lesson itself goes on all week long with prayer and study, etc. As much time as it might take us to do chapel, it is all worth it to see God's Word getting into your hearts.

‍Isabella from Scituate, RI: How would you respond to someone trying to rebuild a relationship with you? Would you accept and keep trying or would you ignore what that person is trying to do because you don't feel like you could trust them anymore?
TIM: Forgiveness can and should be immediate. But trust often takes time to rebuild. God commands us to love even our enemies, so we must show the love of Christ to that person (Matt. 5:44). When we love someone we want to believe the best, but that doesn't mean you are foolish. So we can't just igonore someone who is trying to rebuild a relationship. Instead, pray for that person and be kind to them (again, Matt. 5:44). If you're having a hard time figuring out how to navigate the situation, it would be great to talk with your mom or dad about how to handle the situation.

‍Carter from Pensacola, FL: When and how did you find out when the T-bone steak was there?...How did you react? Did they know it was your birthday?
TIM: They did know it was my birthday, but I was shocked! They told me that they had my meal ready and directed me to a plate and the steak waiting for me!

‍Dacia from Vernal, UT: Do you have a favorite story from the Bible?
TIM: I sometimes have different favorite stories. I love Daniel--especially some of the parts about Nebuchadnezzar actually. And right now, I'm keep thinking on the life Joseph.
JOE: I know it might sound like a cop out (pun intended with my last name), but I really like the story of Joseph as well. Joseph was just an awesome picture of how God can use someone so ordinary in such an amazing way. Joseph ran from temptation, gave grace to his brothers, saved the nation from famine, and looked back on it all and recognized that God was good.

‍Lauren from Hinesville, GA: Should Bible study material/devotionals count as your personal devotions or should it be a supplement/ completely different?
TIM: Yes, No, Maybe. I don't think there's a completely right or wrong answer to this. Some if it goes back to what Paul says (and we mentioned it last week) that some people are stuck on basic things, and others are digging in deep and doing hard work to understand more about God (1 Cor. 3:2). Some devotional studies give a verse and some reflections on that verse. I think that's kind of like milk: you don't have to do the hard work of reading and applying it for yourself. Personal opinion: those studies are better as a supplement. Other studies help you study a passage. Those might be great as a standalone devotional material. Ideally, at least sometimes, you should be sitting down, just you and God's Word, to read what God says for himself, instead of always depending on the ideas of other people to guide your thinking. When you're first starting off in Bible study, it's super helpful to have a guide. And at many times throughout your spiritual life you and I can benefit from those guides. But eventually, at some point, you also want to read and study God's Word for yourself.

‍Luke from Contoocook, NH: What kind of fruit trees did Mr. Kopp plant in his yard?
JOE: We planted 3 peach trees!

‍Luke from Westfield, MA: What are some more ways and Bible verses to encourage others in the Lord?
TIM: There are lots of verses you can use to encourage someone–maybe almost every verse fits this question. Some of the people who have most encouraged me in the Lord have done this: They talked with me about what God was doing in their own lives (what they were reading, learning, praying about). They asked what God was doing in my life. They have prayed for me and prayed with me. In some ways, it’s not very complicated–sometimes the biggest part is just ordering your conversation around the things of God.

‍Natalie from Greenville, SC: Does God's word as a mirror come up anywhere else in the Bible?
TIM: James 1 is the only place God's Word is mentioned specifically as a mirror. Other illustrations communicate similar ideas sometimes: for example, when we talked about God's Word as a Sword we saw that God's Word gets deep inside us to show us what's wrong. Another way of looking at a similar idea.


Keep those questions coming as we learn more about our God next week!