Gandalf stood before the door of Orthanc and beat on it with his staff. It rang with a hollow sound. ‘Saruman, Saruman!’ he cried in a loud commanding voice. ‘Saruman come forth!’… The window closed. They waited. Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. ThoseContinue Reading

Matthew 4 deals with the conflict between Satan and the Savior.  A great question to ask in the beginning of class is, “How can I be strong when temptation comes?” After some time to reflect and write their responses, (hopefully) a class discussion will result.  I had students write aContinue Reading

The narrative of David’s downfall in 2 Samuel 11 is given with such detail and in such a matter of fact manner that it is impossible to miss the point.  David made a series of decisions that brought him and those around him misery.  There were several switchpoints in thisContinue Reading

The showdown between David and Goliath has many relevant parallels to the youth of the Church today.  In many ways Goliath represents the temptations and trials of the world.  He also represents the demands of the world that we must meet.  The author of the text goes on to illustrateContinue Reading