The 51st annual, ACSI conference was awesome. It was on November 19th and 20th and in Anaheim, California.
The theme verses for the conference were Psalm 78:4-8. "We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God."
I heard spirited messages from Mary Rice, Dr. Vernard Grant, Dr. Craig Hazen, Vance Nichols, Dr. Phillip Johnson, Josh McDowell, Al Menconi, Rick Grubb and Carrie Parks.
God spoke to me on many different issues. I've recorded the personal things in another area. However, the things below are great for teachers, parents and students of God's Word. A lot of godly wisdom, encouragement and inspiration were given to the attendees of this convention.
God bless you as you read what I learned!
Love in Him,
Jason Gastrich
P.S. God likes to speak to me through wise quotations and rhetorical questions, so many of the "nuggets" of wisdom are in that format.
Mary Rice
Are you telling God's truths to your children?
We are all miracles.
We need to love kids, not with human eyes, but with the eyes of Jesus' heart.
Mary Rice's song:
We are children of the King
We are children of the King
We lift our hearts and hands
We give You everything
Dr. Vernard Grant
Where God's Spirit is found, learning and productivity is also found.
If you call yourself a Christian, but have no control over your tongue, your religion is useless.
Do you believe that the gospel is big and powerful enough to make a difference in people's lives?
A kingdom school is called to make a difference among the ones who are deprived.
Just because you're working for God in one way, don't forget that He will work in many ways.
Christian schools do things for kids that public schools cannot do.
At Christian schools, God transforms 2's into aces.
God will always be in the same business of loving people.
Dr. Craig Hazen
"The Case For Christianity"
Theism has more support, today, than it ever did.
Being more Christian doesn't necessarily mean being more conservative.
We need to capture minds for Christ.
Christianity doesn't fit the mold of a religion very well.
Christianity is a testable religion.
Using all the data that anti-Christians have against Christ's resurrection still isn't enough to prove it didn't happen.
Religions that make claims of truth can be tested.
The discipline of apologetics builds faith.
The Bible can be tested like the other historical documents.
With Christianity, at least it is testable within one lifetime.
Christianity is free to everyone, on an equal basis.
Christianity makes the best sense of creation.
Some systems of thought cannot call evil what it is.
In Christianity, you get to live a non-compartmental (holistic) life.
Christians don't push knowledge out of their life for enlightenment.
Reason is central to Christianity.
Almost every religion has a piece of Jesus in their tradition.
Jesus performed miracles and was born of a virgin, but Mohammed was not.
Christianity has Jesus Christ at the center.
Anyone who wants to compare the Bible with the Bhagavad Gitas should read the first chapter of Acts and compare the two books' authenticity.
Without the resurrection, we are people to be most pitied.
God has spoken to us on the issues of abortion and homosexuality. They are in the Bible and not merely Christian opinion.
If someone wants to argue about social issues, remind them that the true issues are 1) Is there a God? 2) What has He said on the social issues at hand?
There are all kinds of barriers on people's knowledge of God and it's our spiritual duty to tear them down.
Our religion and faith rests on a tremendous foundation of evidence and truth.
The Case For Christianity
- On the basis of accepted principles of textual and historical analysis, the Gospel records are found to be trustworthy historical documents - primary source evidence concerning the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
- In these records Jesus exercises divine prerogatives and claims to be God in human flesh.
- In all four Gospels, Christ's death and bodily resurrection are described in detail.
- The explanation that best fits the accepted facts concerning these accounts is that Jesus really did rise from the dead.
- His resurrection confirms the claims of Jesus, including his claim to be God.
- If Jesus is God, whatever he says is true.
- Jesus put his divine stamp of approval on the Old Testament and the soon-to-be-written, apostolic New Testament.
- The New Testament and Old Testament contain religious, philosophical, and ethical absolutes; these thus take on the character of divine or "higher" law, and remain valid even if vast numbers of human beings - or entire societies - choose to ignore them.
Vance Nichols
"How To Teach Apologetics Without Apology"
Be a Christian apologist.
Apologetics is the reasoned defense of the Christian religion (R.C. Sproul, John Gerstner and Arthur Lindsley).
Is there intellectual basis for faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Bill Bright)?
Before our students or children have a Christian world view, we must have one.
Can you defend the reasons why you believe things?
Are you loving the Lord your God with all your mind?
Truth is not transitory.
All truth is God's truth.
Do you know Bible passages that explain the deity of Christ?
Our circumstances never negate the scriptures.
There's no way to defend the faith unless you have faith.
Christian teachers need to be growing in faith, maturity and knowledge.
As Christians, we can't get to the point where we think "we've arrived" and don't need to grow any more.
Christian teachers need to be models of Christ because their students will be like them.
Great thinkers keep asking, "Why?".
The world does not operate on a Christian world view.
Every day, we should be able to defend our faith better.
There is a correlation between the ability of a teacher to defend his/her faith and their ability to impact their students and/or children.
Ask your children and/or students why the believe.
Caring about your students helps them to listen to you better.
When we settle for "good", we miss God's best.
Students who grow in their apologetic aptitude become peer leaders and make a larger impact for Christ.
Our students will reach people who we do not see or know.
Are you ready for Christ to rock the world through you and your students?
Going to a Christian college does not guarantee students will be taught from a Christian perspective.
If your students don't know why they believe what they believe, help them figure it out.
It takes more faith to believe God doesn't exist than it takes to believe in Jesus Christ.
The day is rapidly approaching when defending the faith will cost something great.
If you're going to speak, make sure you say enough; not too much and not too little.
Dr. Phillip Johnson
"The Tide Has Been Turned"
The real God makes distinctions between good and evil and He does not tolerate evil.
Don't worship tolerance or diversity.
The best case you have for your Bible-based denomination being the best or right one is you leading a dynamic, growing, spiritual life.
People who don't believe in the biblical account of creation don't simply have a different opinion, they are ignorant of the truth.
The truth isn't a concept, it is a person.
The truth speaks for Himself.
We need an army of young people who know how to defend their faith.
If young people are going to stumble and fall, it is better they do it under the guidance of loving, Christian teachers and parents.
The aim of Christian education isn't simply to protect, but to empower.
There is a profound cultural earthquake coming as people realize what they've been taught in school and on television isn't true.
When you know what needs to be done, don't wait for others to do it.
Christians can joke about things that other people cannot.
Millions of unbelieving people around the world have given hundreds and thousands of dollars, so giving money isn't a sure sign of being a Christian.
Josh McDowell
"They Understood the Times and Knew What To Do"
If we don't do our job in Christians schools, it won't be done.
The times have changed so much that we can't reach people like we did 10 years ago.
If you say it is wrong to judge, you lose the ability to distinguish Billy Graham from Osama bin Laden.
Today, tolerance means all claims to truth, lifestyles and value systems are equal.
If my truth isn't God's truth, it isn't truth at all.
Your personal judgment doesn't create truth.
All faiths are not equally valid.
In the public schools, critical thinking has nothing to do with truth.
Do you think that truth can change?
The humanistic theories that are being taught in America are training students to be ungodly.
Nothing is right or wrong because a pastor or teacher says so.
Every commandment in the Bible is the embodiment of God.
Don't just take people to the laws in the Bible, take them to the God of the Bible.
Don't base your life on legalistic laws. Base your life on God.
Don't simply adore His revelation. Adore Him because of His character revealed in His revelation.
Jesus is the visible reflection of the invisible God.
Evil is wrong because there is no fidelity to the original (Jesus Christ).
If a child doesn't believe in a truth outside of themselves, they are 600% more likely to commit suicide.
Al Menconi
"Teaching Your Students How to Think Biblically and Have Discernment"
When you destroy a child's joy and faith, he/she will do anything.
Satan doesn't give up on us after we commit our lives to God.
Colossians 2:8, Ephesians 5:19 and Galatians 5:19-21
We are literally entertaining ourselves to death.
Don't let your pride get in the way of your message.
If you don't teach your students to think biblically, who will?
Have you been brainwashed?
If you know what a student is entertaining themselves with, you know that child.
Don't let others spoil your faith and joy.
Most kids have no idea that their entertainment is effecting them.
If you can't confront someone with love, perhaps you shouldn't confront them, yet.
As long as you explain the truths of God, the Holy Spirit will deal with the listener(s).
Entertainment is someone else's thoughts and ideas and if it is ungodly, it will undermine your faith and steal your joy.
Worldly things that are supposed to cultivate joy will actually steal the believer's joy.
There's no such thing as simply being "liberal" in your entertainment choices. You are either watching righteous things or evil things.
You can either live for self and deny Jesus or deny self and live for Jesus.
When you're convicted to make a change, promise God you'll do it and do it.
Answer the students' excuses for watching and hearing ungodly things.
It's not your responsibility to keep certain entertainment out of your students' lives, but it is your responsibility to show them what God says on the subject.
If something in my life is wrong, I can let it go.
God chose a song writer to be a man after His own heart.
Teach your students to enjoy Christian music and entertainment.
Spiritual people always look forward to the next spiritual feast.
We need a strict, Christian music diet.
Rick Grubb
"A Christian Approach to Humor"
You have to read God's Word to discover God's principles.
Whenever God's Word says something is like something else, we need to ask why.
Good humor is a natural and healthy form of therapy.
When the body has a merry heart, the immune system is strengthened.
Whenever science and scripture disagree about something, science hasn't figured it out, yet.
Humor makes us more appealing to people around us.
Our relationships flow better when we smile.
Smiling isn't saying everything is perfect.
Smile!
You miss a lot of things when you don't interact with others.
A merry heart helps your body, soul and spirit.
Maintain a sanctified sense of humor.
Having no sense of humor is like having a car with no shock absorbers.
6 Kinds of Wrong Humor
- Suggestive (sensual or inappropriate)
- Sarcastic (hurts another)
- Silly (foolish)
- Sacrilegious
- Illegal
- Gross or Disgusting
Don't be afraid to confront wrong humor.
Avoid laughing at bad jokes.
People aren't usually won to Christ by people who aren't living like Christ.
Make sure you're joking with your friends and not joking at someone you don't like.
Ask foolish students how they want to be remembered.
There's nothing funny about Hell.
There's nothing funny about God being portrayed as a senile, old man.
Don't tease without permission or use humor in a distracting way.
Humor isn't good for correcting serious behavior problems.
Carrie Parks
"Would I Lie to You?" - Recognizing Signs of Deception
There are written, verbal and non-verbal signs of deception.
Some people are better liars than others.
Be critical in listening to the people you like because it is easiest for them to deceive you.
Beware of people who are selling a lie.
Listen for changes in the rate of speech when you suspect someone is lying.
Fake smiles do not involve the eyes.
Be cautious if someone is trying to charm you.
Liars tend to give away too many unimportant details in their words.
Be wary of strangers that make promises to you.
Lies may be expressed with physical action.
"No" is a word that should never be negotiated.
People groom themselves when they are at home, comfortable, or nervous.
It's hard to point to a person you're lying to.
Steepling your hands in front of your face indicates you think you are superior.
A fist under your chin indicates you're thinking.
A finger or hand over your mouth indicates you're not saying something that you're thinking about.
Nervousness is a good sign of guilt.
Note when you or others change their use of pronouns.
Seasoned liars will try and suppress the signs of lying that they recognize.
All deception is a stressor, but not all stress is from deception.
If you suspect someone is lying to you, have them write it in detail.
Silence is an effective tool for having a liar get nervous and expose his/her lie.