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This is the culmination of our daughter Sara’s effort to reach the Gold level for Lads to Leaders (L2L) Centurion of Scripture for 2016. She is currently 7-years-old and in the L2L program at Bellevue Church of Christ (BCOC). The decision to be a part of this program was completely her own.
L2L is the oldest and largest leadership training program used by the churches of Christ, and holds an annual convention each year at locations across the country. Centurion of Scripture is a year-round event within L2L and requires the memorization of 100 total verses of scripture. There are three levels within this program with differing requirements:
- Bronze level requires reciting 100 verses in 10 groups of 10.
- Silver level requires reciting 100 verses in two groups of 50.
- Gold level requires reciting all 100 at one time.
Last year (2015) Sara started out on the track to reach Bronze level and began memorizing selected blocks of 10-verses from the Gospel of Matthew over several months. She finished quoting her 10th section on Monday, November 16th and by Wednesday, November 18th was able to recite all 100 together, in one sitting. This was completely unplanned.
This year (2016) she started with the goal of doing Gold level for Job, and learned all 100 verses in approximately one month. She officially recited her verses on August 31, 2016, which is the same day this video was recorded.
The scriptures quoted are listed below and are from the New King James (NKJV) version of the Bible.
Job 8:1-10; 9:1-10; 14:1-10; 15:1-10; 20:1-10; 21:1-10; 22:1-10; 26:1-10; 33:1-10; 36:1-10
We are obviously extremely proud of Sara for all of her work in studying scripture and for this accomplishment. We are also thankful to her sister Kate and Mrs. Eva from BCOC for helping her study these verses.
This video was recorded in one shot, with no edits, and no cue cards or prompts were used.
Sermon Audio – Paul’s Prescription for Contentment (Philippians 4:4-13)
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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Morning, August 14, 2016.
The lesson was entitled, Paul’s Prescription for Contentment, and was a study of Philippians 4:4-13.
Bulletin Article:
Most of us want to be happy and content in our lives, but figuring out how to find these things can be a real struggle. One of the great lies of the world (Satan), and our human nature, is that happiness and contentment can only be found somewhere other than the circumstances where we are right now. This can lead us to constantly play the “I’ll be happy when…” game in our endless, and fruitless, pursuit of happiness and contentment.
Sermon Audio – God is Love…What are We?
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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Morning, July 24, 2016.
The lesson was entitled, God is Love…What are We?, and was a study of I John 4, with an emphasis on verse 12 “No one has ever seen God.” I had a lot of sleepless nights preparing for the sermon, because I really wanted to address how horribly we treat each other as Christians sometimes, and knew this would step on a lot of toes (including mine).
Bulletin Article:
In I John 4:7-21, the apostle digs deeper into a topic he has already covered extensively: a Christian’s love of their brother. This was first introduced as a test of being in the light in 2:7-11. The command to love was also identified as a test of being born of God in 3:11-24. In chapter four, the love of fellow believers is described as representation of the Father’s being and activity (“God is Love” vv. 8, 16)
