Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 20:04 from Nick Perez, View Original Posting
“See you tomorrow.” “See you next week.” “See you next time.” We say these things so effortlessly and (sometimes) thoughtlessly. We take for granted that we will be alive to see so-and-so tomorrow, next week, next time. Someone has said, “Man proposes, but God disposes.” James addresses the thoughtlessness of first century Christians who assumed too much. Since they made such a grand assumption, they became arrogant and over-confident in self. This section of Scripture “prohibits an arrogant, boastful attitude that neglects to take into account the transitoriness of this life” (Moo 153). James’ typical style is to ask pointed questions. In honor of that, the following outline is presented in question format.
James 4.13-17 (ESV)
13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—
14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
15Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 15:55 from Brandon and Katie Price, View Original Posting
It was one year ago today—February 1, 2011—that Katie and I arrived in Kharkov. It was one year ago today when we officially joined the work here and began making this foreign city our home. We knew no one besides our teammates, and this city of a million and a half people felt massive.
Today seems like it should be a pretty big day for us. It’s a mile stone, for sure—an entire year—and it seems like I should be writing about how the time has flown by, and how I can’t believe it’s really been as long as it has.
Wednesday.
It feels like Wednesday. And it feels like I have a lot to do before this weekend and I’m not sure how it’s going to get done. I have to get my English class ready for Saturday. I have to keep moving on the articles for our next magazine. I’ve got Russian homework to finish before tomorrow afternoon, and before I can call it a day today I need to get our prayer update sent out.
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 20:11 from Brandon and Katie Price, View Original Posting
A couple weeks ago my teammate David and I were doing some Old Testament study together and discovered something we had always thought was true, but was actually one of those kind-of truths that got oversimplified in Bible class, but was never corrected as we got older. The two of us were surprised to come to this realization, and so I thought it’d be interesting to share with you here.
So with that, let me ask you a question:
Which part of Israel wasn’t allowed to enter the Promised Land?
Now your typical, kid-raised-in-the-church answer would be “All those who were 20 years old and older, besides Joshua and Caleb.” And, if you were into citing verses, you’d probably cite this one from Numbers 14:28-30
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 20:43 from Nick Perez, View Original Posting
People fight all the time. Turn on the TV and one will hear about the latest fight between a celebrity couple. Tune into the news and one will hear about violence all over. When people get upset they usually settle it with hostility. What happens when that hostility finds its way into the church? Although it is difficult to pinpoint all the details, it seems evident that the saints to whom James wrote were coming to blows regularly. Imagine that – here are people who are to pursue peace and reap a “harvest of righteousness” that is “sown in peace by those who make peace” (3.18). Yet among these brethren who should have been peaceable, “fights” and “quarrels” were breaking out, possibly in the assembly (2.2). Two thousand down the stream of time we might look down upon our brethren. But how many church league softball fistfights have broken out or, worse, were instigated by our hands? Into this calamity, quarreling, and fisticuffs, James speaks a better word, indeed, the Word of God
James 4:1–12 (ESV)
1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this that your passions are at war within you?
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 20:31 from Brandon and Katie Price, View Original Posting
My teammates and I share a lot of emails from day to day. Most of the time they’re work-related, but sometimes they’re offers for acting jobs:
Hey I just got a phone call from a representative of a company who is trying to do a professional advertisement. They need someone to play the part of a foreign CEO or business manager for their ad. The shoot will only take one hour, next Wednesday the 25th at 3pm. They will even pay you $50 for your time.
Apparently this Kharkov-based company had found David’s number online from one of our English events. They gave him a call and offered him the part, but since he had plans he couldn’t change he gave them my number and forwarded the rest of us the email. Though it’s illegal for us to earn money with the visas we have, I went ahead and called to find out more information just to see what this whole thing was about.
The lady told me they were shooting a video testimony to put on their business’ website which specializes in search engine optimization. I would come in and play the part of a foreign CEO by reading some dialogue about how happy I was that I chose to go with this company.
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Fri, 01/20/2012 - 09:10 from Brandon and Katie Price, View Original Posting
January 19th is the Ukrainian Orthodox holiday called Epiphany. For eastern Orthodox followers, this day is considered the day Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river and manifested himself to the world as the son of God. Though this isn’t one of those holidays that puts a hold on normal life here, it is pretty special day to many. Through all the years I’ve been in Ukraine, I’ve heard about the events that take place on this day, but I hadn’t seen them myself. Determined to see it all this year, a group of us walked down to a consecrated spring to witness the events.
The crowds gathered around a natural spring that people visit year-round for free drinking water. In the last year or two, the park surrounding this spring has been entirely re-landscaped.
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 17:14 from Nick Perez, View Original Posting
James has explained about the importance of the tongue (v.1-2) and has provided several dynamic illustrations to communicate the truth about the tongue (v.3-12). Now James will give instruction about wise use of the tongue. Still working in the context of teachers (v.1), James will address the difference between earthly wisdom and ethereal wisdom.
James 3.13-18 (ESV)
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 16:09 from Brandon and Katie Price, View Original Posting
Picture by Michael McDougle
A couple weeks ago I told you all about a visit we made to a children’s home for the mentally and physically handicapped. It was an informational visit to learn more about who they were, see what kinds of needs they had, and to talk about helping them with the collection we’d take at our monthly combined assembly.
The meeting went well, and so it was decided to present that need at our assembly. Together we raised 2,600 hryvnias (about $325 USD) and with that money we were able to buy 20 pairs of shoes, a few indoor games they could play, and some flowers for the staff.
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 10:40 from Brandon and Katie Price, View Original Posting
Last month I stopped by two schools that are within five minutes of our house. I told them that my wife and I were from America, that we had some free time, and that we’d love to help with anything we could.
At the second school I was introduced to the English teacher, Tatyana. She was very excited to meet us and thought it’d be great if Katie and I could come in every now and then and spend time with her classes. Her first idea was for us to share how Americans celebrate Halloween. So this last Thursday and Friday, that is exactly what we did.
We got to meet nine different classes ranging from first to fourth grade (five classes the first day, four the second). We met over 220 students in all and had a wonderful time.
Submitted by Sunset Alumni on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 10:53 from Brandon and Katie Price, View Original Posting
One small way our team has been able to get involved with people here is sharing American holidays with them, and around this time over the last couple of years, our team has had small Halloween events in their homes. Carving pumpkins, letting kids do a little bit of trick-or-treating—those types of things. Since the response has always been good, it was decided to try and make the event a little bit bigger this year. And it was.
We invited everyone we knew who had an interest in English. This last summer our team hosted a Let’s Start Talking team that connected us with almost forty people here in the city. Also there are currently three separate English groups that our team hosts every week. We invited all of these people and told them to invite their friends. We decided to plan for 60, but we really had no idea how many people would actually show up.
