Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 62: Arctic Tern

Key Verse

“…it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 WEB

Lesson

In the Arctic few animals can live. There is one hearty bird that braves the cold conditions called the Arctic tern. The Arctic tern is a medium sized bird that looks rather normal. Yet it is an exceptional bird and not only for its ability to handle the cold climate. The Arctic tern holds the record for the farthest flying bird. As the Arctic summer wanes this tern wings its way south along the coasts of the world’s continents all the way to the oceans of Antarctica.

The seasons of the Southern Hemisphere are opposite to those of the Northern. So, during the Arctic winter Antarctica experiences summer. This is why the tern makes a trip of such great length. It continually seeks the mild summer weather no matter how far it must go. The Arctic tern will literally go to the ends of the earth to stay close to the mild warmth. In this pursuit the Arctic tern flies more than the circumference of the earth each year, totaling 24,901 miles (40,075 km).1 Most terns live about 15 to 30 years. Over the course of their life an Arctic tern can fly as many as 1,000,000 miles (1,609,344 km)!

The Arctic tern offers an insightful example of faithfulness. As followers of God we are called to live according to His standard. Sadly, modern Christians often act more on their feelings than on faithfulness. Many examples throughout the Bible illustrate that it is possible to live a life faithful to the precepts of God such as Abraham, Job, Joseph, and others. Jesus called his followers to obedience to the will of God, no exceptions. When Jesus forgave a person’s sins, he told them to go and sin no more.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes faithfulness as: firm adherence to promises or observance of duty.2 Faithfulness is different from working hard. One can work hard without believing in what they are doing, especially if paid for it. But it is quite difficult to stay faithful to something you do not believe in. We cannot gain God’s favor no matter how hard we work. But the Bible tells us that God rewards faithfulness (1 Samuel 26:23a). Biblical faithfulness means continuing to believe in God’s promises even when we have doubt. It means spreading the gospel no matter what challenges are faced. And it means living righteously and without sin.

How do we remain faithful while still struggling against temptation? The Bible provides the answer. Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins.” We must not sin deliberately if we wish to remain faithful. 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He can’t deny himself.” When we are low on faith in the power of Jesus, we can pray and receive the power He offers, He can’t wait to help us. The only way to be faithful is to depend on the power of Jesus’ sacrifice every day! Finally, if we are faithful, we are promised the reward of eternal life. Revelation 2:10b “Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Questions

Can you describe what it means to be a faithful Christian?

If we stumble in sin does this mean we have been unfaithful?

What is the only way we can be truly faithful to God?

How far would you be willing to go to remain faithful to God?

Sources

1 Allan and Helen Cruickshank, 1001 Questions Answered About Birds. (1958). Grosset & Dunlap Publishers. New York. Print.

2 "Faithful." Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed December 26, 2017. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faithful.

Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: adriankirby via www.pixabay.com

All verses were taken from the World English Bible (WEB) published 2000 in the public domain.

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 26: Why So Blue?

Photo Credit: Brennon Garner

Key Verse

“Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Psalms‬ ‭62:8‬ ‭WEB‬‬

Lesson

There is blue everywhere you look. How you ever wondered ever why? The sky is blue and so is the ocean. Almost every body of water you look at appears blue. It is perhaps the most common color in nature, maybe second only to green. This could be why blue is such a common favorite color. Or maybe that is due to the way it causes a feeling of calm and peace.

What is it that makes the sky blue? Why does water look blue in an ocean or stream. This is a question scientists have studied closely. They have found that the sky is blue because water droplets scatter mostly blue light. When light travels through a water droplet, the main color it reflects is blue; other colors are absorbed. Bodies of water such as the ocean appear blue for the same reason.

Blue also appears on flags, in symbols, and in other significant places. For centuries blue has been an important color. This is because it is used to represent loyalty and trust.1 Many things in life are not certain. But the sky is. We can be sure that even though grey storm clouds come for a time. The blue sky will emerge after they pass. Sometimes the ocean may crash with great waves; rivers and lakes may flood dangerously white and foaming. But this too will pass. Before long, they will loyally return to a calm blue.

When Jesus created the sky, he made it a calming blue so that every time we look up towards heaven, we would be reminded that we have a loyal and trust-worthy God. He is our refuge and we can trust in him at all times just as Psalms 62:8 says. Even though storms cover the blue sky for a time, it will emerge again to calm and reassure us, just like our loyal God.

Questions

What is your favorite color? Do you know what is represents?

Do you think God is trust-worthy enough to pour your heart out to as the text in Psalms says?

Why do you think the Christian flag has blue on it?

Sources

1https://resources.oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/rreagan/Filemanager_Public_Files/meaningofcolors.htm

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 20: Rainbow Promise

Key Verse

When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. Genesis 9:13-16 WEB

Lesson

What is the symbol seen in the sky after a rainstorm? A rainbow of course. A rainbow is a beautiful phenomenon. The word describes what we see. A bow is the shape of the arch of colors that appear after it rains – in other words a rainbow. Whenever it rains or there is water in the atmosphere, light is separated into all the colors of the spectrum of visible light. The sun must be behind you to be able to see one. The sunlight reflects off the droplets of water and separates the light into colors.²

After God sent a flood over the earth to cleans it, he chose the rainbow as a symbol of the covenant between him and us. God promised not to destroy the world again through a flood. He chose the rainbow because it appears when the rain threatens to overwhelm. However, the rain never does completely overwhelm, it passes away and we see the rainbow as a reminder of God’s promise to not let the rain flood the whole earth again.¹

Rainbows are not always seen high in the sky after it rains. They can be seen in the mist from falling water, or when water droplets accumulate in the air. Rainbows can be made from other sources of light too such as streetlights or flashlights. Rainbows can even be seen at night caused from moonlight.²

Wherever we see a rainbow we are reminded of God’s promise in Genesis 9:13-16 to each one of us not to flood the earth again. God said the promise is between him and you personally. This is incredible because each of us see our very own rainbow. When we see a rainbow, the light is reflected at a very specific angle. So even when two people are looking at a rainbow in the same direction, they see light reflected off of different water droplets. The rainbows they see may be close to each other, but are not the same. So no two people look at the same rainbow.³ God made a promise to you and he makes a rainbow just for you to look at. The rainbow is a constant reminder that God keeps all his promises.

Questions

Do you believe God keeps his promises?

How do you feel now that you know God makes a rainbow only you can see?

What other promises has God made in his word for us?

Sources

¹ http://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/genesis/9.htm

² http://eo.ucar.edu/rainbows/

³ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/31/facts-about-rainbows_n_3779801.html

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 15: Tent Stakes At Stake

Key Verse

Look at Zion the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor any of its cords be broken. Isaiah 33:20 WEB

Lesson

Tent stakes are a small piece of gear. But if you have ever spent a night without them you know how big of a difference they can make. They have a very big job. Tent stakes are used to anchor tents to the ground in one place. In the past, tents could not even stay erect without the stake to hold the fabric tight. Today a tent can be set up with out stakes but they are still necessary to make the tent secure.

Tent stake are great because they can turn almost any type of ground into a place to call home. Without this key part, the tent may not be much good. Stakes can make the difference between an enjoyable night and a miserable one. In severe weather they can even save your life. When you purchase a new tent, they come with instructions warning that the tent is not secure unless it is staked down.

In Isaiah 33:20 we read a promise God is making to the Children of Israel. He says that Jerusalem, their capital city and the place where God’s temple is, will never be removed. It will be like a tent with stakes they can never be plucked up. However, this promise is conditional. In verse 15 we see that the promise is conditional on the Children of Israel keeping their end of the covenant—they must stay faithful to God.

Throughout the bible we find instructions on how we are to keep our end of the covenant God made with us by sending his Son to die for our sins. We must follow the 10 Commandments and we should worship Him. But this is not enough. We must also love our enemies; we must show mercy to those who don’t deserve it. We must be willing to sacrifice everything to follow God. Only then will we be sure that our salvation is secure as a staked tent in a storm.

Tent stakes might make your tent look complete but don’t do much good if they are not used. Likewise, if we appear to have a relationship with God outwardly by doing all the right things, but don’t use God’s word to change our inward character, those outward actions don’t really do us much good. Tent stakes work best when used properly.


Questions

What other instructions does the Bible provide for us to keep our covenant with God?

How does a relationship with God change us on the inside?

What keys does the Bible provide to know when we are being changed by God? (Think Galatians 5:22-23)

Written by David F. Garner
Photo Credit: Jan Uthoff via commons.wikimedia.org under a CC 3.0 License.