WHL Discussions - Bible

[TNLisa]

WHL-Experiencing God

Hello parents who have done, begun, or thought through their student's work with the Experiencing God study. I have been struggling with the issue of wishing my daughter had someone who's going through this study also to discuss it with her and for encouragement. I am feeling too stretched to be able to work though it myself. (Maybe I'm mostly struggling with the desire that I wish I could do it too!) So, if anyone has any encouragement for me about how their student went through it on their own or suggestions for ways I can be an encourager of what God is doing in her through the study, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Diana

I'm not sure how much help I'll be...but I'll try.

My son and husband are doing this study now. They meet once a week to "discuss" and recite the verse to each other. My husband has made a few comments that I'll share. He wishes there was a parent's guide to facilitate the discussion - it is hard to really do it effectively with just their study books. Maybe that's because it's two guys, but he said it would really help to have some kind of notes or resource (and he is doing the study as well).

Another thing he mentioned is that the study assumes that the student is chasing after God...my son is not...so at times their discussion is just on the surface and not very deep at all. That frustrates my husband because he desires to help our son grow in his relationship with the Lord. But he knows that that the best thing to do is persevere.

All that to say, if you are not able to actually do the study with your daughter, I would suggest getting together with her at least the end of each chapter and letting her share with you some of the things that have impacted her, or stood out to her - let her say the verse to you - encourage her in those areas.

Honestly, I am so thankful to be using MFW for highschool because this way my son is actually studying scripture and having a bible study. If left to his own in choosing, he would not. That's the truth of where we are right now.

Blessings to you - don't beat yourself up about not having time to do the study. Seeds will be planted regardless!

[mdfriederich]

Lisa,
I appreciate your comments. Thanks for sharing so honestly about how it is going with your son. I really do understand, but will refrain from going into a tangent. How thankful we can be for the time that we've been able to have with them at home. I like the scripture that reminds me that his Word will not return to him void, but will accomplish the purpose for which he sent it. The Word we've given our children is not in vain. I will pray.

Your suggestion for how to approach the discussion of the study with my daughter sounds good. I feel a bit better about letting go of my not doing it too (guilt be gone), but being able to just keep her accountable through regular discussion/sharing times.

Thanks for taking the time to write. (Thank your hubby for his thoughts too).
Diana

[cbollin]

Could someone elaborate on what the Bible part of WHL involves?

I'll start and hope that Julie and others fill in....

*reading the entire New Testament. making highlights and personal connections as you go along
*Heroes of the Faith (this is short biographies that blend church and person history in with "secular" history when it happened
*Church History in Plain Language - almost the entire book is used. 3 chapters weren't. I don't know why. no one at mfw knew either.
*More Than a Carpenter
*Christianity, Cults & Religions - cross comparisons of basics of beliefs of several major world faiths
*Experiencing God: Youth Edition (I do agree with MFW's recommendation that parent's get a copy... I wish I had. A friend of mine said "nah.. you don't need it. I didn't need it. But my daughter wanted to keep parts of her journal in the book to be more personal, so I had no way to really lead discussion on the book. very frustrated at my friend who was made his decision based on price).

anyway.. that book, experiencing God, is one that my daughter gets to put into action next week.... will she or won't she volunteer for something that sure looks like only God could have been setting up for her to do?

*oh yeah.. service projects

let's see. from the website

Read through the entire New Testament as well as challenging books such as More Than a Carpenter and Experiencing God: Youth Edition. The concepts in Experiencing God are life changing. We strongly encourage parents (especially dads) to purchase their own book and complete this study to help in guiding a weekly discussion with the student as well as for personal spiritual growth.

oh wait... wasn't there a little brochure called 4 views of end times? maybe that's not available anymore? eh?

and In His Steps... we haven't got there yet in the program.

I'm sure I'm not answering the question very well.
sorry

Practicing His Presence was in English credit..... personal documents that fit the time period being studied.

?

[Julie in MN]

Nothing to fill in Maybe little details?

- Experiencing God is sort-of a workbook/journal format, also with a weekly memory verse, done over quite a few weeks
- The Heroes book is 2 pages each on a wide variety of folks, from martyrs to authors to scientists, assigned chronologically
- The Church History book is thick, much reading, but covers the emergence of the different tenets of Christianity as it became important to define what is and is not Christianity, then the development of Christianity as government in the Middle Ages, and finally the specific issues that caused different denominations to break off and how the whole idea of denominations became a sort of truce of sorts, when fighting didn't work
- The Manual adds a couple of extra things, like a study of prophecies of Jesus in the OT at the beginning, and memorizing the books of the Bible