Sunday School

A couple weeks ago Chris and I were called to serve as Sunday School teachers in our Ward. They have us teaching the 15, 16, and 17 year olds. It is quite the adventure! Today was our second lesson and we were trying to experiment with ways to get them to read in class and answer questions. Well we tried bribing them with candy today and oddly enough it didn't really work. No one wanted the candy!!! It was pretty sad! 

Anyways, I have decided that each week I am going to post on my favorite part of the lesson. We are in the New Testament right now studying the book of Acts. We did chapters 6-9 today and it covered how they dealt with the rapidly expanding church and some of the things that happened during that time. In the end of chapter 6 and all of 7 it tells the story of a man named Stephen. Stephen was called with 6 other men to help the apostles deal with the temporal affairs of the church. Stephen was teaching and the accused him of blasphemy so they arrested them. He was taken before the Sanhedrin (a Jewish council) and while they were asking him all kinds of questions and accusing him of things he recited a history from the time of Abraham to the time of Moses. He talked about the blessings the Lord bestowed on them and the times when the forgot the Lord and were disobedient. He compared the people he was speaking with to the children of Israel when they had turned their backs on the Lord and forgotten him. The people weren't happy with him so they took him out of the city and stoned him to death. The last few verses in Acts 7 are what struck me the most. 

Acts 7: 59-60

59. "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

60. "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin on their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

I was amazed by his love of these people. It is just as Christ said about those who crucified him, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." It amazes me that a man so like you and I could forgive the people who took his life so willing. I want to be like Stephen and be able to forgive people so quickly because of a deep love for them. 

I am loving teaching this class and am learning just as much as the kids are! I am look forward to teaching them each and every week and being able to be a part of building up their testimonies. It is a great blessing for me to experience this and I intend to take full advantage of this opportunity.