"Good Morning Class"

" For Every Person who wants to teach, there are approximately 30 who don't want to learn"--WC Sellar and RJ Yeatman (Interesting how 2 people are credited for the same quote?)

"I would like to volunteer to help in the Sunday School department any way I can." "Well, the Boys 6th and 7th grade class needs a teacher", "Did I say I had a allergy to middle school boys?"

Teaching, it seems is a calling. My daughter is a High School Algebra 2 teacher. She wanted to be a teacher since she was about 7 years old. She gets complimented all the time for how good of a teacher she is. Why? Because she is doing something she loves. She loves math, she loves teaching, so she is where she wants to be.

Have you ever taught? Sunday School, Scouts, Bible class, home session, you know things like that. Or maybe, like my daughter, you have taught in a professional capacity. It is not easy. As a teacher you have to have the answers. I don't mean JUST the answers, I mean the process to those answers. My Daughter usually tells her students to turn in ALL their paperwork at the end of a quiz or test, you know the old: "Show your work" statement? It's hard to cheat and show your work, you might see someone else' answer for a question, but copying down all the process to how they got that answer is not quite as easy.

Who is our "Teacher" in this walk of life? Come on, raise your hands, OK, you Jeffery, go ahead. Yes, your right, it is Jesus. (Well it should be Jesus, it depends upon us, doesn't it?) Next question: "What is the best way to learn something new? I don't mean math or dates in history: I mean like you have a new job and you are being trained how to do it. OK any answers? It is by repetition. Someone may first show you how to do it, then you start to do it, and do it, and do it, and do it, and before long you are a pro. BUT you have to have a Teacher to show you the process the first few times, and to tell you how to do it. This is the best way I learn, by sight. The guy or girl who is showing me how to do it has done it and done it and done it , so they know it backwards and forwards. In other words they have experienced the thing they are showing you.


A teacher went to school too. They went to High School, College, taught as a "Student Teacher" and are very experienced in the field of study they teach. Much more experienced then the students they are teaching. They know how to use the formulas to arrive at the answers they are asking. They can show their students step by step how to work the problems. The key word is EXPERIENCE. They have experienced the same problems, asked the same questions, been just as confused as their students, at one point. BUT they had a teacher to help them through the tough times, just as they are now helping their students.

Jesus, Gods Son, came down from Heaven to EXPERIENCE in every way what it was like to be human. The Bible tells us He suffered in every way what we as human beings suffer.

Luke 17:1
[ Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith ] One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!

See? Jesus could say these words because He had been tempted just as we are, by satan. Satan had tempted Jesus in every way, more then likely, more then the average human because of who He was.

Think of the best boss you ever had. Why do you consider him/her the best? Was it because they understood how it was down on your level? Was it because they did not mind rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty when needed? When I was in the Navy, there were two kinds of officers we had the most respect for. 1: CWO"S (Chief Warrant Officers) and 2: "Mustangs" A CWO is a officer who "Warranted" being promoted to officer. They spent years as enlisted and were now given the respect and duties of an officer. A "Mustang" was an officer who spent years as an enlisted, also, but was recommended to become an officer, completed OCS (Officer Candidate School) and were given the rank of an "Zero" or officer. Why did we enlisted men have such respect for both of these Gentlemen? Easy, because they had been were we were. They understood what it meant to be a "Squid" and not always able to eat in the "Officers Only Wardroom". With this respect came appreciation, we would do anything for them, they had earned our respect. Not that "Regular" officers didn't get our respect, but they had to earn it. (My Dad was a "Mustang" in the Marines, he retired as a O-2, 2nd LT., but spent 18 years as a enlisted, a "Gunny" when he was promoted.)

Experience, something we gain with age, repetition, and wisdom. What would we think if Jesus had NOT come down and took His place right along side us, and died for our sins? Would it be harder to "Respect, Love, Serve............" a God who seemingly had no idea what it was like to be human? God showed us how much He loved us, by sending His Son down here to experience what we experience and to show us we can overcome.

Life is a hard lesson, most of the time. Yes, it is rewarding, very rewarding, but it is HARD. We have a teacher, a counselor, a Father, all in one. Jesus experienced everything we do, He knows what we go through, He is our "Accountability Partner" our "Mentor". His voice of reason, of experience, of love help us, bunches. God is our Father, His wisdom, His leadership, His Power, His Love keep us strong, He does things for us and to us to keep us along the correct path. The Holy Spirit is our counselor, our strength, our friend. He is the one who warns us when things aren't right, or when things are really right. He keeps us close to the other Two in the Trinity. You see all three together make up our teacher. Experience, Power, Love and Compassion. Wow what teachers!!

Now, I want you all to do the even numbered problems at the end of chapter 23. Show your work for all problems, and turn it in next class. You have about 10 minutes till the bell, so start to work on this now, and no talking.