~ARK HOME SCHOOL GROUP~

       A Ministry of Carolina Bible College

Activity  Recreation  Knowledge

Competition Teams and Rules

    Point System

    Character Recognition Form                                                    Click here to download Adobe Reader if needed.

Memory Verses

        Due

    October 6, 2006
    November 3, 2006
    December 1, 2006   

Character Lessons

    October - Genuine Love
    November - Compassion vs. Indifference

    December - Dependability vs. Inconsistency

     Courage    &      Honor

      Lions           vs.        Eagles

          Memory Verse                                                     1,000 points

          Bonus Memory Verse                                          5,000 points

          Attendance                                                          1,000 points

          Activity Participation                                            1,000 points

          Quizzes                                                                2,000 – 5,000 points

          Character Recognition by Parents                         1,000 – 5,000 points

 

Additional points will be awarded by staff throughout the year for participation, enthusiasm, good manners, helpfulness and other good behavior!  

Remember, parents can fill out the Character Recognition Form for extra point credit!

Genuine Love – The Foundation of Good Character

 

Introduction:  Genuine love is the most important character quality.  Every other quality must be motivated by it, or the quality will be empty and of no benefit.  I Corinthians 13:1-3 – “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

 

I.  Love Defined

    A.  Explanation of Love

         1.  Love is giving to the basic needs of others so that their authorities get the credit, God

             gets the glory, and we have the joys of eternal rewards.

         2.  Genuine love is giving without any expectation of personal gain.

         3.  In the Old Testament, loving God is always connected with being obedient to God and

             doing righteously.  True love is doing right by others.  If you love God, you will do right

             by Him.  If you love your parents, you will do right by them.  If you love your friends

             and people in the world, you will do right by them.  Doing right; that is the act of love!

        4.  There are two great commandments in the Bible.  Both of these commandments are

             based upon true love.

             a.  The Greatest Commandment – Matthew 22:37-38 – “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt

                 love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

                 This is the first and great commandment.”

             b.  The Second Greatest Commandment – Matthew 22:39 – “And the second is like unto

                 it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

             c.  The Importance of Keeping these Commandments – Matthew 22:40 – “On these two

                commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

    B.  Examples of Love

         1.  God is Light (I John 1:5) and God is Love (I John 4:8).

             a.  The significance of equating light and love is that neither one determines who will

                 benefit from its service.

             b.  All that come to the light receive its benefits, regardless of their spiritual condition.

             c.  Light shines on everyone with conditions or specific qualifications.

             d.  In the same manner, our love should be expressed to all people regardless of their

                 spiritual, religious, ethnic or moral condition.  All who come to us should receive the

                 benefit of God’s love through us.

             e.  God loves everyone in the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son as full

                 payment for our sin, in order that whosoever believes on Him and receives Him will

                 receive the power to become the sons of God and have eternal life.  (See John 1:12

                 and 3:16)

         2.  The Believer is to be a light in the world.

             a.  Philippians 2:13-16 – “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of

                 his good pleasure.  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:  That ye may be

                 blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked

                 and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;  Holding forth the

                 word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,

                 neither laboured in vain.”

             b.  By love, the believer shows the world that we are the disciples of Christ. John 13:35

                 states, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to

                 another.”  John 17:21 – “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in

                 thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent

                 me.”

 

II.  Love Demonstrated

    A.  Demonstrated by Giving

         1.  “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”  Amy Charmichael

         2.  God so loved the world that He gave!  See John 3:16.  Also I John 3:1 states, “Behold,

             what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the

             sons of God:”

         3.  Love will manifest itself in generous giving through good works. 

         4.  1 John 3:17-18 – “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need,

             and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in

             him?  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in

             truth.”5

         5.  Our love should be given any when it is not deserved. 

             a.  God’s Example – Romans 5:8 – “God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while

                 we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

             b.  The Christian’s Command – Matthew 5:43-45 – “Ye have heard that it hath been

                 said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love

                 your enemies , bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for

                 them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  That ye may be the children of

                 your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the

                 good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

             c.  The sweetest love is that which is neither sought or deserved.

    B.  Demonstrated by Sacrifice

             1.  The greatest love is the sacrifice of one life for another.

             2.  John 15:13 –“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his

                 friends.”

             3.  Jesus laid down His life on the cross for our sins.  We should look for ways to

                 sacrifice our on desires and wishes for the benefit of the people we love.

             4.  True love is not selfish in nature.  It demonstrated itself by doing good works to

                others without expecting goodness in return.

             5.  As Christians, our lives should be marked by unselfishness.  We should seek

                opportunities to give ourselves to others.

             6.  In II Corinthians 8, Paul told the church that their gift to the saints of Jerusalem

                would prove their love.  II Corinthians 8:8-9 – “I speak not by commandment, but by

                occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.  For ye

                know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes

                he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Conclusion:  In I Corinthians 13, God gives us three abiding gifts; faith, hope and charity.  Of these three, charity or love is identified as the greatest of all!

 

Personal Evaluation  (Top of Page)

 

How Genuine is Your Love?

 

1.  Do you tend to get discouraged and want to give up when everything seems to go wrong?

 

 

2.  Do you look for ways to be useful and help out wherever you go?

 

 

3.  Do you tend to envy the possessions or opportunities of other people?

 

 

4.  Do you enjoy telling about your achievements more than listening to the accomplishments of

    others?

 

 

5.  Do you tend to look down on those who do not live by your standards?

 

 

6.  Do you choose your clothing with a motive of drawing attention to yourself?

 

 

7.  Do you practice good manners wherever you are?

 

 

8.  Do you tend to want your own way and argue when you do not get it?

 

 

9.  Do you get irritated or exasperated with the character deficiencies of others?

 

 

10.  Do you harbor grudges against those who have hurt you?

 

 

11.  Do you dwell on secret desires to fulfill the lust of the flesh?

 

 

12.  Do you meditate on God’s Word day and night and delight to do His will?

Compassion vs. Indifference:  Developing a Caring Heart

 

I Peter 3:8-9 – “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous; Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise blessing; knowing that that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”

 

Introduction:  Compassion is greatly needed in our world today.  Jesus Christ exhibited compassion to those people who were in great need.  We must follow His example in how we deal with friends, family, strangers and those in need.  Often we are selfish and look only upon our own needs.  A compassionate person looks for ways to be a blessing to others.  Let us all seek to show others we care.

 

I.  Compassioned Defined

    A.  Explanation of Compassion

         1.  One meaning of compassion is to have “a yearning of our inward emotions, with a

             tender love and affection.”

         2.  In the Hebrew culture, the word compassion was used to illustrate mercy shown to

             another.  It also was used to describe the tender love and affection a mother or father

             have for their children.

         3.  Compassion is often associated with forgiveness.  Some people may not deserve

             forgiveness, but because God has forgiven us we should be ready to forgive others.

         4.  Other words or phrases that express the idea of compassion are “to have pity, to spare

             from destruction, and to give benevolence.”

    B.  Examples of Compassion

         1.  Pharaoh’s Daughter and Baby Moses – Exodus 2:6 – When Pharaoh’s daughter saw

             Moses in the basket, he was crying.  The Bible says she had compassion on him.  She

             saw a need and was willing to take the child for her own.  Lesson – Real compassion

             leads us to commit to helping those with urgent needs.

         2.  Jesus and the Grieving Widow – Luke 7:13 – Jesus saw a woman weeping because her

             son had died.  They were on their way to bury her son.  Jesus was moved with

             compassion and raised her son from the dead.  Lesson – Real compassion causes us to

             move into action immediately when we see a need.

         3.  The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:30, 31 – Here we find a story of a Samaritan who found

             a man who had been robbed and beaten.  A priest and a Levi saw the man’s need, but

             were unwilling to stop and help.  A Samaritan, who was looked down upon, saw the man

             and went to his aid.  He bound up his wounds, placed him upon his beast, and carried

             him to an inn where he could recover.  Lesson – We should be willing to help others

             though it may cost us a great deal.  Compassion is shown best by sacrifice of one’s self.

         4.  Jesus and the Multitudes – In Matthew 9:36-38, Jesus saw the multitudes and was

             moved with compassion because they were like sheep with no shepherd.  Lesson – Jesus

             saw beyond the physical needs of people and looked at their spiritual needs.

         5.  Feeding of the Five Thousand – Matthew 14, 19-20 – The multitudes which followed

             Jesus became hungry and there was no food.  The disciples wanted to send the

             multitudes away, but Jesus made a way to feed the crowd from the gift of a child with

             fish and bread.  Lesson – When there is a need, some, like the disciples, will try to

             discourage you from giving of yourself.  Don’t listen to them.  Let the Lord take your

             life and bless it to help others.

 

II.  Compassion Demonstrated

    A.  We Must Look For Opportunities to be Compassionate

         1.  We should always be listening for people who need help.  Many times people close their

             ears and eyes to needs of others.  This is a selfish action.  Always have a heart open to

             hear the cries of people, remembering that we too have been in trouble at times and

             needed help.  God blesses those who offer themselves to others.

             a.  Matthew 18:26-27 – Here an indebted servant fell on his face and cried out for

                 mercy. 

             b.  Matthew 20:30, 34 – Two blind men cried out for healing to Jesus.

             c.  Mark 1:40-41 – A leper cried out for healing and Jesus had compassion on him.

             d.  Mark 9:24-25 – A father of a boy with an unclean spirit sought help from the Lord

                 and He heard him and cast the spirit out of the child.

             e.  Luke 15:20 – The prodigal son did not deserve the love and forgiveness of his father,

                 yet, he cried out and his father ran and hugged him.              

         2.  People who are crying out for help are asking in humility.  Guess what?  God gives

             grace to the humble, but James tells us that he resists the proud.

         3.  If we know someone has a need and we do not seek to help them, we shut up our bowels

             of compassion.  I John 3:17 tells us that if we do not help those in need, how can we say

             the love of God dwells in us?  Actions speak louder than words.

         4.  If God has blessed us, we should be ready and willing to bless others.  I Timothy 6:17-

             18 says that if we have money, we should be ready to give it others who need it.

    B.  Principles which Should Govern our Acts of Compassion

         1.  We all have moments of pain or trouble in our lives.  God sometimes allows us to go

             through heartaches and persecutions so we will understand and consider others when

             they are in need.  If we have been “picked on” or bad things have been said about us, it

             hurts.  Since we know how bad we felt at those times, we should never do the same thing

             to others.  Our pain should help us have compassion on others with similar hurts.

          2.  When we are compassionate, we show the love of God.  One who experiences

             compassion comes closest to understanding the heart of Jesus.

          3.  Some great people make others feel small, but the greatest people of all make others

             feel tall!

          4.  Understanding real compassion.

             a.  Some feel sympathy – Sympathy is feeling sorry for people who are hurting.

             b.  Some feel empathy – Empathy is feeling the pain with hurting people.

             c.  Compassion is Best – Compassion is doing something about the pain.

         5.  How can we develop compassion?

             a.  Focus on our great debt to God.

             b.  Enlarge your heart by developing a prayer lists for the needs of others.

             c.  Turn personal suffering into compassion for others.

             d.  Look for ways to do good to all people.

 

Conclusion:  “Compassion is responding to a deep need with a longing to do whatever is necessary to meet it.” 

 

Personal Evaluation  (Top of Page)

 

How compassionate are you?

 

1.  Are you “moved to compassion” when you see a group of people in need of Christ?

 

 

2.  Do you pray that God will send forth laborers into His harvest?

 

 

3.  When a neighbor has a need, do you say, “Let me know if I can help,” hoping he will not call

    on you?  Or, do you find a way to show compassion?

 

 

4.  When you see a disabled person or a person of another race in need, do you provide practical

    help?

 

 

5.  Do you have funds or skills that are available to help those who have a need?

 

 

6.  Who was the last person who asked you for help, and how did you help him?

Dependability vs. Incosistency:  You CAN COUNT ON ME

 

I Corinthians 4:2 – “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

 

Introduction:  Too many people are inconsistent in their life.  There change from day to day and are not solid in their commitment to God and His Word.  We need dependable people.  We should be the kind of person people can trust and count on!  The most important characteristic of a steward is that he be faithful.  Can you be counted on?

 

I.  Dependability Defined

    A.  Explanation of Dependability

         1.  A dependable person is described in the Bible as being “faithful”.  The word faithful

              means to be trustworthy, reliable, sure.

         2.  It is important to be dependable.  God uses people who are consistent and faithful.  If

              you want to be used of God, dependability is the first step.

         3.  Dependability is purposing in our hearts to do the will of God whatever the cost.

         4.  Dependability in small assignments is the prerequisite for big responsibilities. 

         5.  If your parents can’t trust you to do small things, how can God trust you to do big

             things.  God is watching our faithfulness and obedience to our parents.  When we obey

             and do what we are told, God is pleased.  This includes being dependable in our school

             work, chores around the house, etc.

    B.  The Importance of Dependability

         1.  When we get to heaven, Jesus will judge us based upon our dependability.  If we have

             been consistent he will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!”

         2.  Great occasions and opportunities for serving God come seldom, but little occasions and

             opportunities surround us daily!

         3.  Dependability is one characteristic every Christian should want to be known by!

    C.  The Characteristics of Dependability

         1.  A dependable person will be in harmony with the heart and mind of God.  (Psalms 37:4)

         2.  A dependable person has great reverence for God. (Nehemiah 7:2)

         3.  A dependable person is faithful in little things as well as big things. (Luke 16:10)

         4.  A dependable person has a heart attitude of faithfulness. (Nehemiah 9:8)

         5.  A dependable person keeps confidential information private. (Proverbs 11:13)

         6.  A dependable person is a blessing to other people. (Proverbs 13:17)

         7.  A dependable person truthful in all that he says.  (Proverbs 14:5)

         8.  A dependable person will not tell people how good he is.  (Proverbs 20:6)

         9.  A dependable person encourages those who he serves. (Proverbs 25:13)

         10.  A dependable person is faultless in his work. (Daniel 6:4)

         11.  A dependable person deals wisely with resources and relationships. (Luke 16:1-15)

 

II.  Dependability Developed

    A.  There are Rewards for being Dependable

         1.  A dependable person can raise up a spiritual lineage of faithful descendants. (I Samuel

             2:35)

         2.  A dependable person will be given greater responsibilities. (Nehemiah 7:2)

         3.  A dependable person will receive special praise and honor from the Lord. (Matthew

             25:23)

         4.  A dependable person will be protected by the Lord.  (Psalms 31:23)

         5.  A dependable person will abound with God’s blessings. (Proverbs 28:20)

         6.  A dependable person will be given a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)

    B.  The Motivation for Dependability

         1.  Dependability is not letting down the people who believe in you. 

         2.  As a faithful person, what we do is beneficial to those we love and care for.

         3.  Also, our service will indeed be evaluated by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.  We will all

             have to appear before him and be judged for how well we lived our lives. (II Corinthians

             5:10)

         4.  Jesus Christ could return at any moment.  We should want to be found faithful when he

             comes.

    C.  The Source of Power for Dependability

         1.  The strength for being faithful cannot be found in us.  We must rely upon God for the

             ability to do right consistently.

         2.  Prayer is one of the greatest tools for developing dependability.  Be sure and ask God to

             help you in all you do.  He will hear and answer you with help.

         3.  Understand that we have weaknesses and sometimes may fail.  The good news is that

             Jesus Christ understands and He will forgive us if we only ask. (I John 1:9)

 

Conclusion:  “Our dependability is directly related to our dependence upon God’s ability”  Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

 

 

Personal Evaluation  (Top of Page)

 

Can Others Count on You...

 

1.  To keep your word?

 

2.  To stay on schedule?

 

3.  To be alert to details?

 

4.  To make wise decisions?

 

5.  To use your time wisely?

 

6.  To complete assignments?

 

How Dependable are You?

 

1.  When you give your word to do something, can others always count on you to do it, even if it

    is more difficult than expected?

 

2.  If you experience unexpected difficulties, do you use them as excuses for not finishing a task?

 

3.  Do you picture things you do for others as actually serving the Lord Jesus Christ?

 

4.  Can the Lord count on you to apply yourself and do the best job you can?

 

5.  Are you easily distracted from doing what you have been told?

 

6.  Do you finish a job before moving on to something more exciting?