We were supposed to have started on Week 6 last week, but things fell on the wayside.

But well, the lovely thing about homeschooling is you can just pick up and go!

One of the things I love about JBC (and every other subject using the Principle Approach) is that we must continually come back “to teaching concepts and principles and reasoning skills.” (Burtness, page 12). Each week, as I prepare my lessons, I have to remind myself that. It's so easy to get bogged down with details. Maybe this will become more part of me one day!

We had quite a fruitful experience with Theme 1 and I now look forward to starting on Theme II. In the next two months, we shall be looking at how God prepared the key characters for “Godly self-government and liberty”. As part of my own preparation, I shall be doing key sheets for myself. After two years, I'm just getting the hang of it. Boy, I'm a slow learner! But like what dear Ms. Katherine Dang says, “IV-drip”, and “kernel by “kernel” and I claim those wonderful picture reminders for myself too.

Some notes

1. Based on this chart. Noah was still alive when Abram was born. He died when Abram was 58 years old and Shem, the son of Noah, died 35 years AFTER Abraham died. Can I assume that Abram must have heard about the flood many times? So while his father was not a good example, he probably had other godly influences. 

2. The timeline here is different from above.

   Too bad I don't have the time to compare all the various time charts and to reason out which is more accurate. The point is whether Abraham had interacted with Noah or Shem, he did get the account of the flood first hand!

3. It was possible too that Noah had at least a second hand account of the creation because his father Lamech was 58 years old when Adam died.

4. I enjoyed this article.

   
   

JBC: Year Two Theme II Week 6

“God prepares a people for Godly self-government and liberty”

For the coming week, the theme focus will be based on the following passages:

Genesis 12:1-4
Genesis 12:4-9

For this lesson, I'll bear in mind the following concepts.

(My personal study of Abram will go beyond the recommended passages for my dd.)

1. Hand of God in history

God is sovereign and He had supreme authority over Abraham.

I enjoyed reading this lesson as part of my preparation.

Notice the covenantal view of the relationship between grace and works here.  “God clearly takes initiative with Abram.  God’s favor falls upon Abram and it is not Abram’s fault.  But Abram has responsibilities in this relationship.  Every relationship, by definition, is bilateral.  There are responsibilities in any significant relationship in life.  There are responsibilities on the part of both parties and Abram’s are frankly spelled out first here in Genesis 12. “

Why did He ask Abram to leave his country?

2. Hand of God in the life of Abraham

a) How did God prepare Abram?

b) Godly influence/s on Abram?

c) Godly character developed?

d)Abram's contribution in God's purpose

3. Relationship between individual (Christian) character and national liberty.

This is related to 2d above.

Okay, how will I be approaching this lesson? I plan to complete it in four days.

Laying the Foundation

I will print out the timeline and we will go over it. (Since I'm more familiar with AIG over the other two websites mentioned above so I'll use their timeline for this lesson).

Presentation

We will take turns reading the passages.

We will do some mapwork.
Map 1 and map 2. Quite cool.

Check out this too.

Discussion

We'll use the key sheet on Abraham for this.

Documentation

She will document on the keysheet

Other Activities

1. She loves to color and do crossword puzzles so I'll search for some of these worksheets for her.

2 Josh loves to role play, so we'll involve him in the journey Abram made. I'll have write out the various destinations based on the given passage, stick them around the house and we can recreate the journey.

Let's see, we will have : Ur, Haran, Schechem, Hill Country and Southern Desert.

The southern Desert is not the end of the journey, but we'll end there. Each time they reached a “destination”, Abram built an altar and worshipped God. Maybe we could all kneel and give thanks when we reach each destination.

Application

This will come to me while we're doing the lessons. :)

 1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram waswere then in the land. seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites

7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.

For the coming week, the theme focus will based on the following passages:

Genesis 6:13-22
Genesis :7:1-24
Mt. 24:36-39

Actually, we've already started work on the Key Sheet for Noah last week. DD read the passages and extracted relevant information for each category of the Key Sheet. She also had to give supporting evidence (book, chapter, verse) for each statement. We will discuss the above passages based on the following framework:

1. The hand of God in history – God is sovereign. He has the supreme authority over the affairs of men and nations.

2. The hand of God in Noah's life.

3. The importance of Christian self-government

Questions:

1. Event : flood. What did God do and why?

2. God has a plan for all our lives. How did God fulfill His plan in Noah's life?

3. How did Noah's choices contribute to and affect God's plan?

4. What was the result of a lack of self-government during the days of Noah?

5. What will people be like before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

6. Point out verses in the passages that vividly reflect self-gratification.

We will complete the Key Sheet after the discussion.

Application:

1. Does God have a plan for you? How do you know?
   

2. How will your choices affect God's perfect plan for you?

3. Reflect on some aspect sof your life that needs self-government.

Other activities:

1. A wonderful poem by John Piper.

2. DD and Josh to make a mural together. Jan Brett's pages are always gorgeous.

3. Another Jan Brett's activity my children will love. More for Josh but hey, I know I'll enjoy it too!  

Genesis 6:13-22
13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.”
22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Genesis 7:1-24

 1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. 2 You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; 3 also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” 5 And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him. 6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.
7 So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
13 On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark— 14 they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit^[a] of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.

Matthew 24:36-39
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,^[a] but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Meanwhile, we're making progress with our JBC. We're now working on ThemeV  Week 10. This past Friday, after we discussed Acts 4 and 5, I asked my daughter to document the leading idea and to create a poster based on the leading idea.

Here was what she did.

The poster is not clear as she used gel pens. I thought she did a good job.

For the heading she had:

God is more important than man.

On the pink rectangular box on the left, she quoted a Bible verse Acts 5:29.

Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men”

Then on something that looks like a blue tombstone, she wrote yesterday's date within a flower and stated:

Remember:

And on the bottom part of the poster she had a THINK! CORNER. She had this in the green box.

One thing I can say, she was able to pick the leading idea very quickly and the whole poster really zeroed in on that. The Principle Approach allows the learner to internalize lessons that worksheets and multiple choice questions can never do. It is very exciting.

I have not posted in a while. One reason was I just couldn't log in! I finally contacted someone from customer service and she gave me a new password. Another reason was I didn't have the time to post everything we've done. We really enjoyed Week 3 and we created some really neat notebook pages. We spent three weeks on that week! I will try to share them one day!

Anyway, here is my plan for the rest of Theme 4.

1. March 5^th to March 10^tch – complete Theme 4 Week 4 Miracles/Power
   

2. March 12^th to March 17^th - complete Theme 4 Week 5 Evangelism

3. March 19^th to March 24^th - complete Theme 4 Week 6 Last Supper

4. March 26^th to March 3st - complete Theme 4 Week 7 Crucifixion

5. Catch up, or other activities

6. Easter Devotions in the evening

7. April 9^th to April 14^th – complete Theme 4 Week 8 Resurrection and Great Commission

I didn't plan fort the themes "coincide" with the Holy season. I'm glad for this flow though.

I look forward to doing Theme 5 for the rest of the school year. Then my first cycle will be done. After two years.

Notes
1. Christmas is just over. During the Advent period, DD did an inductive study based on various books of the Bible that culminated in the birth of Jesus, Our Savior! The stage is set for her to learn in greater depth Jesus' youth.

2. My emphases for this lesson (for however long it takes!) will be how Jesus, the Son of God, grew in WISDOM, STATURE and in FAVOR with GOD and MAN, and that youth is time for training.

3. I will make mention of Simeon's prophecy and Anna's faithfulness. DD's already familiar with these characters so I will not spend too much time on them. Just these points:
a) Jesus was presented in the Temple in Jerusalem when he was 40 days old.
b) Simeon had a close relationship with God. No death till He saw the “Lord's Christ”. He was there to receive Jesus. Made prophetic words. (Luke 2: 25-35)
c) Anna served God for a long, long time! She was either 84 years or she served 84 years after her widowhood (married only for 7). Spent time praying and fasting. She too was privileged to see her Lord. She bore witness to the Redeemer. (Luke 2: 36-38)

4. Luke is rich with Jesus' infancy narratives: Gabriel's announcement, Elizabeth's and Zechariah's prophecies, Simeon's and Anna's words and blessing in the temple. It also has the only account of Jesus as a young boy in the Bible.

5. When Jesus' parents made their annual a trip to Jerusalem for the Passover in Jesus' 12^th year, Jesus was left behind after the feast. He had remained in Jerusalem and had made His way to the Temple. There he listened, learned, questioned and discussed with the great teachers of the Law. They were astounded by His wisdom and knowledge. But of course, God was His Father! When Mary and Joseph returned to look for Him, they too were astounded. He probably felt more at home going about His Father's business, but he obeyed his earthly parents and returned home with them (Luke 2:51a). He was obedient and subjected himself to them. He was called but it was not yet time to fulfill that call. He would continue to wait, learn and grow. And He did.

6. Three areas of growth echoed that of 1 Samuel 2:26

a) WISDOM -intellectual growth; spiritual insight

b) STATURE -physical size; strength; helped parents

c) FAVOR – spiritual growth and social growth. Jesus found favor with God and with man- “favor” is same as “charis” or grace in verse 40. Jesus was favored by man and also God. He is the mediator between God and Man (1 Timothy 2:5). He was preparing himself for that time when he would enter into His ministry.

My Lesson Plan

1. Laying the foundation
   Quickl review of the first Advent and Christmas story.

2. Presentation
   Part 1 : Simeon's and Anna's blessings
   Take turns to read Luke 2:25-38
   
   Part 2: Take turns to read Luke 2:39-52
   Draw, using stick figures, sequence of events
   Events: Jesus lived with 'parents' in Nazareth; Jesus continued to grow
   Annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover
   12^th year, being left behind incident
   Encounter in the temple
   Parents were perplexed
   Jesus obediently went home with his parents

3. Discussion
   Part 1: DD to narrate the encounter with Simeon and Anna orally
   Discuss internal character of Simeon and Anna
   Significance of their blessings?

Part 2: Some questions:
1. Why did Jesus “linger” behind?
2. Why did his parents not know about his absence till much later?
3. What was Jesus doing in the temple? Why?
4. How did the teachers react to His questions? Why?
5. What was His response to Mary when she rebuked him?
6. Why did his parents not understand His statement?
7. What did Jesus demonstrate when He followed his parents to Nazareth and “was subject to them”?
8. What does it mean to grow in WISDOM, STATURE and to find FAVOR with God and man?
We will define each word and then discuss its application to our own lives.

4. Documentation
   DD to do copy work based on Luke 2:40 and Luke 2:52
   DD to fill chart based on Luke 2: 52 for personal application

5. Other Activities
   http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/pdf/New/Curr169.pdf
   
   
   
   

Next week, we go back to JBC. We will skip Theme 3 and go straight to Theme 4. When we took a break from JBC the summer of 2006, we spent a few months on the Divided Kingdom. It just happened as my daughter was enthralled by that whole period of history. So I don't feel 'bad' about skipping Theme 3 and this chunk of His Story.

Since Christmas is just over, Theme 4 fits in nicely. We spent much time during an inductive study on the Advent so we'll skip Week 1 and go straight to Week 2. I'm having a ball studying and preparing this lesson. I'm also reviewing Katherine Dang's “How to study” sections in GACE and will be coming up with my own version of the 4R charts soon. I already have the EVENTS one done last year, but I will definitely like to have the others on PLACES, KEY CHARACTERS and DOCUMENTS done as well. If you are keen to take a peek, go to www.miikogibson.com and look under “Free Goodies”. They won't be ready till Sunday evening though as I've a gazillion things to do today and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I can't find my Intrepid A!!!! Please say a prayer for me as I am feeling yucky about it! I can't plan without it. Maybe it's lost among the Thanksgiving stuff I've put away (it was that long ago when I last used it).

In my last entry, more than a month ago (oops!) I mentioned a wonderful lesson my daughter gleaned from our study of Gideon. The events in Judges can be described as “a descending spiral of sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation”.

SIN; The Israelites disobeyed God
SERVITUDE: God allowed their enemies to make life horrendous for them
SUPPLICATION: The Israelites in despair prayed to God
SALVATION: God sent a judge to help them

Well, my daughter really liked that lesson and nodded with appreciation when I pointed out to her the cyclical 4S's . She kept that "cycle" in her head and when she was reading through her Bible (she completed reading through the entire Bible on Christmas eve, praise God), she was able to apply it to some degree. She was especially excited when she read Judges, Kings and Chronicles herself. She asked me why the people just didn't get it and she would point out how the Israelites didn't break out of the cycle. I was glad for her insights. From there we were able to discuss man's sinfulness and our own stubborn nature, etc.

Thinking aloud...

After the first five weeks, the JBC doesn't give very much in terms of the actual lesson planning. I believe this is deliberate so we don't depend on the curriculum writer (Bill Burtness) as much as our own study of the Word, our own reasoning process, and time spent with the Lord over how we can present the lesson to our children. A key to the whole plan too is how well we know and understand our children.

So, as with the other lessons, I needed to ponder over how to bring this lesson on Gideon across to my 8 year old daughter. As usual, it is tempting to want to present all the facts. Hence it is good to remember that we are sowing seeds at this stage. My dd doesn't need to know all the details of Gideon's calling, or details of Gideon's lack of faith as he tested God in a variety of ways, or how the army of 300 was eventually chosen and how the battle was finally won, exciting as everything was. She is already familiar with the story and whenever she needs all the tiny details, she can read them for herself. (Frankly, although I have read this story many times, I still cannot remember the details after some time has passed.) What is more important is whether or not she will internalize the biblical principles and leading ideas. The emphasis is thinking and deductive reasoning from the Word rather than memorizing facts.

Hence, I need to remember the following as I teach this lesson.

What is the general theme? (This is laid out by the JBC.)

From here, I need to figure out for myself (for this particular lesson, at this point in time) what the leading idea is I want my dd to grasp and articulate, if possible.

The principle. This is sometimes stated. This week's not too clear.

So after much pondering, this week's lesson is as follows.  It is a simple lesson, but in the process I think my heart and mind have been renewed a little bit more. 

I hope the lesson plans I share on this blog will spur you on to plan out your own. Only you, with God's help, know how much your children need and what their hearts and mind srequire.

JBC Lesson Plan: Year One Week 12

Well, it's time for me to get back on track. We'll pick up from where we have left off more than 2 months ago!

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Notes

1. The Christian view of man and the state
   God is sovereign. The individual is God's servant. The state is the individual's servant.

2. The pagan view of man and the state
   State is sovereign. The individual is the state's servant.

3. Out in the wilderness, God commanded the Israelites to be His servants, to obey Him. They were to be a kingdom of priests to Him. (Ex. 19:5-6)

4. God was their king. Moses was their leader.

5. However, their lack of knowledge of God and their old dependence on the state resulted in ten crisis points. To them, returning to Egypt was easier as they didn't have to think, choose, trust and obey God. Life as slaves seemed “easier” than life having to depend on God.

6. Self-government (letting God direct and control oneself) was harder than being told what to do. They preferred bondage to liberty. Bondage is voluntary. Freedom takes godly character to maintain.

7. When Moses sent out men to spy out the land, just as God had commanded, 10 out of the 12 brought back a bad report.

8. The people rebelled and wanted a new leader.

9. Moses interceded for them.

10. New decision: the wilderness would now be God's training ground for the people. For the next 40 years, they would learn learn to depend on God. They would have to shed their pagan view of man and state.

My Lesson Plan

1. Laying the foundation
   Review the events that led up to this part of the story.
   

   DD to narrate past lessons leading up to this one.

   Ask: What do people's actions reveal about them?

2. Presentation
   We will take turns reading the scripture passages.

3. Discussion
   We will fill the chart on the white board together and talk about it.
   We will discuss examples of cause and effect in the story and how internal ideas give rise to external actions and behavior.

4. Documentation
   DD to fill in the chart herself for her notebook.
   DD to do copy work based on Ex. 19:5-6

5. Other Activities
   Crossword puzzles
   http://sewhttkr.home.comcast.net/bibleWS/bibleWS/31_canaan.htm
   Coloring page
   http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/pdf/Old/Curr049.pdf
   Acting out
   

JBC Lesson Plan: Year One Week 11

We finally completed Week 11 a week ago. Our family took turns to succumb to the bug so we didn't do much in the two weeks prior to trying to get back on track.

Day One

We took turns to read Exodus 19. Then we went through the meaning of each commandment. She wanted me to explain to her the commandments and was eager to understand what each meant. I shared with her a way to learn the commandments by using number pegs. She loved it. I can't remember where I found the pegs, but it is a neat mnemonic device and now she can recite any commandment based on the pegs. (I hope whoever came up with these pegs will forgive for reproducing it here as I sure will like to acknowledge you. But know that it will help other mothers teach their children the 10 commandments!)

Day Two

We reviewed Ex.19:5,6

She did copywork on Ex. 20:1,2 and we reasoned out the verses.

I asked her what the opposite of bondage was and she said “freedom.”

I asked her how self-goverment could give her freedom and she answered “No exteral government.”

I asked her how the 10 commandments could actually give people liberty and she alluded to how when people know how to conduct themselves properly, they don't need others to order them around.

Day Three

I had planned to do a craft or activity for each commandment but found that was not necessary.We reviewed each commandment. She also really enjoyed making “parchment” paper and then writing out the 10 commandments. She enjoyed it so much we have 5 copies of The 10 Commandments stuck all over the house. We made two kinds of parchment paper.

1. Cut brown bag to size of paper we wanted. Then she tore the edges to give it a jagged look. Next she crumbled it and soaked it in water for a whle. She unrolled it and let it dry overnight. The paper was then ready for writing the next day.

2. I made very concentrated tea and then poured it into a cookie tray. She then let a few pieces of copy paper get soaked in the tea. We let it air-dry. Oh, we also tore the edges of the paper before she soaked it. I msut say I was silly to make the tea solution using white tea the first time round. The solution was pretty light and the soaked paper didn't look tainted enough so I resorted to my black chai tea.

Day Four

DD recited the 10 commandments and did a couple of notebook activities I printed from the following sites:

http://sewhttkr.home.comcast.net/bibleWS/bibleWS/29_commandments.htm

and http://www.kidssundayschool.com/Gradeschool/Activities/1activity11a.php

Day Five

We read Chapter 32 and she could see how little self-government the children or Israel and Aaron had. She pointed out actions the people committed that blatantly broke some of the 10 Commandments.

We took more than 2 weeks to do the lesson but I think at the end of the lesson, she appreciated the need for self-government and how its absence really messes up people. I'm not too satisfied with how this lesson went as far as “PAing” was concerned, but if nothing at all, she now can recite the 10 Commandments and she has come to a clearer understanding of each one. And maybe that is good enough for now.

I've been asked by several people how long I take to prepare my JBC lessons. Another question frequently asked is how much help JBC gives in the lesson planning.

I will try to summarize what the JBC is first.

First, check the website (www.judahbible.com). Click “home school”

Second, look under the scope and sequence.

http://www.judahbible.com/jbc/scope.htm

Third, you might also want to read the two online articles provided by the website.

Okay, need more information?

The following are details that might not be clear from the website.

1. For the study, the Bible is divided into five themes.

2. These themes describe what is happening GOVERNMENTALLY in the Bible as God governs and man responds to His government.

3. For each theme, the writer isolated what he calls BIBLE KEYS.

4. Each time we do the JBC, we will study a few of these KEYS : key individuals, key events, key institutions and key documents.

5. This will be done using KEY SHEETS.

6. Each KEY is studied with the view towards identifying

   a) the hand of God,

   b) the character of God, and

   c) the place of that key in His purpose for history.

7. The “seed principle” is used. Hence we are teaching the seed ideas and principles through the whole Bible every year. Each year though, we will be teaching different keys, hence we will add to our understanding the whole by studying the parts in detail and in context.

8. Our children don't have to read though the entire Bible each year. They will be just studying the high points.

9. The JBC overview (scope and sequence) takes all the Bible Keys for their themes and spreads them out from K-6 and then repeats for 7-12.

10. The audio tapes that come with the JBC will further explain the use of notebooks and key sheets. They will also help you determine the "principles" and leading ideas of the lessons you will be planning to teach.

       Often asked question: On line or hard copy JBC?

I suggest the hard copy although it is more expensive.

The 8  audio tapes (based on the Audio Teacher Training Seminar) that come with it are insightful and very helpful., as mentioned above. To tickle your palate, these are the titles you will get:




a) Education and character/Curriculum Overview

b) How God Changes Nations

c) Internal Government : Creation – Flood

d) Internal Government: Abraham-Malachi

e) Internal Government:Matthew-Revelation
f) Methods: Weekly themes, Notebooks, Key sheets, Writing
g) Internal Government: Pentocost-Present
h) Personal Destiny: Studying the life of Joseph

The 93-page manual also contains an appendix that has the following.

1. Diagrams that illustrate concepts discussed in the tapes

2. Content matter that helps us with the teaching of all the five themes. Some principles are given for each theme. It does not contain lesson plans. Some may find this very scarce.

Another oft-asked question: How much or little help does the JBC give us?

The JBC DOES NOT walk you step-by-step through the lessons! This can be scary, but I think the point of the JBC is also OUR OWN EDUCATION FOR LIBERTY.

The JBC is designed to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of God, His Word and His Was. By studying the Bible ourselves (rather than having everything broken down and laid out for us), we will grow in our relationship with the Lord and in the application of Biblical principles to life. We learn to reason from the scriptures and be self-educating students of God's Word.

The JBC also allows us to be as creative as we want when we design lessons for our children.

For those with older children, the JBC enables us to teach our children to research the Bible, recognize the hand of God in the lives of men and nations, and to implement the practical and personal application of Christian self-government.

Okay, now to another frequently asked question.

How long do I take to prepare the lessons?

Different users may implement the JBC differently so this is just my take on the JBC.

Please remember too that I'm still fairly new to the Principle Approach.

I do spend quite a bit of time with my JBC preparation. In terms of hours, at the very least, 4 hours.

But let me add the following points so as not to discourage anyone.

1. It is the backbone of my personal Bible Study. This is the time I try to go as deep as time allows. I read the given passages (most times beyond what's given more) and then do word studies if need be. Use of key sheets in lesson preparation is advised. The Notebook (a supplementary book that comes with the manual) shows you how it is done and if you are already familiar with the Principle Approach, the learning curve is not too steep. If you have older children, both you and older children might want to use the key sheets.

2. I do refer to one or two of my favorite commentators if need be.

3. I don't study it everyday. Usually at the end of the week and over the weekend when I usually have more block-time.

4. During the week I'm doing the lesson, I think about what I have had studied a lot. Towards the end of the week , when the lesson is almost done, I study up for the next lesson. I prefer to be at least one lesson ahead but that happened only once.

5. I go slow; so I don't cover the “required” passages in a week. Sometimes I take up to 3-4 weeks.

6. On paper, things always look so planned and structured. In reality, things don't always fall into place.

7. Having said the above, I love planning.

8. Sometimes, JBC is ALL I do for school.
   

I'm currently on First Year, Theme 2, teaching Moses and the Ten Commandments.

So what does the JBC give to teach this lesson?

1. Weekly Theme Focus
   Week 11 Ten Commandments
   God's Law of Love

   
   Ex.. 19 The mountain
   Ex. 20 Ten Commandments
   Rebellion
   Intercession
   Ex. 32:1-14 “So the Lord changed his mind”
   
   
   

2. Statement of the weekly theme.

“I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods besides me. Ex. 20:1-2

That's it!

But the appendix also has some good content that will guide you as you prepare your individual lesson. It has been a while since I listened to the tapes...but the tapes will be helpful as well.

I must add though that the first five weeks have more hand-holding to start you off on the right track!

Phew, I thought I would never end! Didn't mean for this blog to be so long!

Anyway, I hope this write-up has helped some of you.

Remember, the goal of JBC is Biblical discipleship. It is not a quick-fix program. And discipleship can only take place if our heart is like fertile soil. It takes time; it is on-going.

I love JBC because it gives me the structure I need to study God's Word in a systematic way. I love the idea of studying God's Word alongside my children. I don't have time for a separate Bible Study at this stage of my life.

I also like the emphasis on “government”. “Government” used here means that which controls and directs the actions of the individual. We must either believe that the State should control the actions of the individual, or that the individual should control the actions of the individual, or that God should control the actions of the individual.

JBC Lesson Plan: Year One Week 11

General Theme: Redemption- God prepares a people for Godly self-government and liberty

Theme Focus: Ten Commandments – God's Law of Love

Leading Idea: God gave the Israelites statues so they could rule themselves in a God-pleasing manner

Principle: Individual Self-government

Scripture Passage: Ex. 19, 20, 32:1-14

Statement of Theme : Ex. 20:1-2

Copy work: Ex.20:1-2

I guess I'm getting lazy, lol. My lesson plans are becoming more general! But the notes do help set the stage so it's better than nothing, I guess! I hope to have a more detailed review though.

Chapter 19 was an awesome chapter to read and study!

Three months had passed since they left Egypt. In the interim, God had taken care of them by supplying them with food and water. The Lord had also helped Joshau defeat the Amalekites. During that time, Moses was reunited with his family and he also listened to his father-in-law 's wise counsel about governing the people. In this chapter, we will see how God led the children to Mt. Sinai for a very special reason. God wanted to speak with the people! But they had to consecrate themselves first. God is holy. No one was to approach Him flippantly.

Chapter 20

A preamble was inserted to the 10 Commandments before its proclamation:

"And God spoke all these words, saying:
'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.'"
EXODUS 20:1-2

The children were in bondage. Now they were free. To ensure true libery, they must have self-government. The 10 Commandments when obeyed would assure that!

God chose to reveal himself through the 10 Commandments. The Decalogue are divided into two sections:

a) Laws governing man's relationship with God

b)Laws governing man's relationship with fellowmen

I shall be spending some time on each commandment (crafts and all; maybe). I may need two weeks on this chapter so I don 't have to rush through each commandment. I think the activities will be fun too.

Chapter 32

The children of Israel knew why Moses was up on Mt. Sinai. Moses was there to receive further isntructions from God. They were afraid to hear God's voice and had asked Moses to meet God on their behalf. Deut. 9:9 tells us tha Moses was away from 40 days and nights and during that time, he fasted.

"When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone,
the tablets of the covenant which the LORD made with you,
then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
I neither ate bread nor drank water."
DEUTERONOMY 9:9

Well, the children of Israel were impatient and when they saw that “Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain,” they sinned dreadfully!

Impatience and dissatisfaction with God led to murmuring, which advanced to disobedience and idolatry. It is hard to imagine why in the world the children of Israel wanted to build an idol and why Aaron helped them along.

It will be interesting for dd to see how little self-government the children of Israel and Aaron had. We will be seeing which commandments they broke. They had after all heard from God Himself what the commandments were! (Ex. 20:1-18)

Review: Year One Week 10

We took three weeks for this lesson as we didn't do the JBC every day. There was a lot of material to cover so I had to be selective. The main objective was not to fill my daughter with facts and content, but to help her appreciate the principle that God fulfilled his Word and that He was like what He said He would do, be with Moses (Ex. 3:12). I also wanted her to understand and appreciate what pagan dictatorship was. This will lead in nicely when we cover the chapter on “Government” under TMWOG (yes, I haven't started on that chapter yet! )

I basically followed the lesson plan. I must say that she enjoyed doing the little hands-on activity on the plagues very much. She made little booklets of each plague and pasted them on a sheet of paper.

I made pictures of each plague and all she did was to stick the

picture in a folded piece of paper. Then she numbered the plague

on the cover of the flip-book. She really liked doing this.

We must have done this activity 2-3 times in years past so she wasn't too thrilled we
did it again. I made a "lintel and two door-posts" (Ex. 12:22) with craft sticks and stuck them on a piece of cardboard.  She then brushed red paint (to represent blood of the lamb) over them. We did this activity when we were doing the last plague.

On the last day, after we had looked into the Song of Moses, we did a little review and discussed the concept of a pagan government and a godly government.

We will be reviewing the differences between the pagan and Christian views of man and the state more thoroughly when start on the “Government” chapter under TMWOG.

I'll be taking two weeks for this lesson as there are lots of possible hands-on activities and dd loves that!

This lesson plan is not complete...but I thought I'd post it and update it when I have more thoughts and ideas during the week.

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JBC Lesson Plan: Year One Week 10

General Theme: Redemption- God prepares a people for Godly self-government and liberty.

Theme Focus: The Exodus – God's Deliverance

Leading Idea: God was with His People as He had promised.

Principle: God fulfills His Word; He's sovereign.

Scripture Passage: Ex. 7-15

Statement of Theme : Ex. 3:12

Copy work: Ex.3:12

 12And he said, Certainly I will be with thee;

Days One, Two and Three

1. Read excerpts Ex. 7-10 Plagues

2. Some questions:
a) What does Ex. 7:6,7 tell you about Moses and Aaron?
b) What does Ex. 8:22-23 tell you about the first extent of the three plagues?
c) What was the Pharoah's response before and after each plague?

3. Some activity/craft based on the plagues

a) water to blood - food coloring
b) frogs-origami
c) lice -
d) flies
e) livestock diseased
f) boils
g)hail
h)locusts
i)darkness

Day Four and Five

1. Read excerpts from Ex. 11-13 (Passover)

2. Some questions

a) Ex.11:3 Compare Moses the shepherd at Mt. Horeb and the Moses now.
What does this tell you about God?
b) Ex. 12:2...significance of this?

Each time the new year was celebrated, the children of Israel would remember what the Lord had done to redeem them from the bondage of the Pharoah...The children of Israel would usher in their New Year in a most dramatic way. The Feast of the Passover was to be carefully understood because it had such deep symbolic significance. Everything revolved around the Sacrificial Lamb.

c) Why did God insititute the Passover? (Ex. 12:26-27)
d) Compare Ex. 3:20-22 and Ex. 12:35-36
Word of God fulfilled
e) Ex. 13:17-18 - Reasons for longer route
f) Ex. 13:20-21 -Protective presence of God

3. Copy-work Ex. 3:12a

4. Craft/Activity

Day Six

1. Read Ex. 14 (Crossing of the Red Sea)

2. Ask questions
a) Ex. 14:5 What's happening here?
b)Ex. 14:11-12 What fear can do to people....
c) Ex. 14: 16 Thrilling!

3. Special craft : Jelly craft to show the parting of the sea.

Day Seven

1. Read Ex. 15 : 1-11 Song of Moses

2. Discuss the wonderful song written by Moses!

3. Craft/Game/Puzzle

Review Year One/Week Nine

We had a good and straightforward lesson on the whole. Nothing too exciting. I really wanted dd to understand how God prepared Moses for the task ahead from the time he was born up till that moment in time. She was able to see that. She did comment that she wished we had more hands-on activities like crafts though so I promised her more of that in the weeks to come....

Day One
She read Ex. 2 and I asked her the questions I had prepared. She was able to answer all of them in between my attending to her little brother who seems to be needing more attention these days. At one stage, I just left her to do some puzzles I had printed out. She did so many Moses-related crafts when she was younger I didn't think of asking her to do another Baby Moses craft. Mistake. She would have liked to! But she enjoyed coloring a picture of Baby Moses in his basket.

Day Two
She read Ex. 3 and I asked her the questions I had prepared. She said Moses “protested” when God asked him to see the Pharaoh mainly because he was “scared and he had no trust.” She did not do any copy work that day but she had fun making her own burning bush using red tissue paper. Her brother had fun as well. We talked about how God is holy and that was why Moses had to remove his footwear.

She really disliked having to copy Ex. 3:7-8. We settled for just verse 7. By the way, that's all the copy work we do for school. She loves writing when it's free writing and she writes her little stories verses quite often, and always spontaneously. But when it comes to copy work, it's worse than asking her to eat her greens or have her hair washed. She took so long to write out that verse I was thoroughly tested that morning, but in the end, she did a nice job of it; even decorating it.

Day Three
She read Ex. 4: 1-9 and we talked about Moses' excuses and the wonderful signs God gave him. I asked her why God gave him all those signs and she said so that the Egyptians knew that God was powerful.

She looked aghast when I asked her to copy Ex.4: 8. She pleaded for another verse. Well, we compromised, and she copied Ex. 4:8a. That was good enough.

I'm going to review my approach to her copy work As it is she does very little of it (“formally” that is) but the little battle we have over it is not something I want to deal with on a regular basis. She copies chunks of poems voluntarily when the mood strikes her and she doesn't mind copying out Bible verses in other context. But for some reason, copy work during our JBC time is too much for her. DH tells me to let it go. More important battles to fight.

Day Four
We did this rather late at night. She read Ex.4:10-17 and we discussed the questions. I'm glad she was able to see how weak Moses' excuses were. She thought Moses should really have had more faith in the powerful God.

Day Five

We also did this late at night. We are read Ex. 4: 18-30. I skimmed over verse 24-26. I asked her some questions and for her notebook activity, I asked her how God had prepared the people for liberty up to this stage of history.

This was a little hard for her and she kept saying, “Let me think, let me think.” I was happy she said that...that she knew she had to THINK! I want her to grow up to be a thinking person; a thinking person whose mind has been renewed by the Word and who heart has been transformed by the Spirit.

Anyway, we came up with the following:

1. God allowed the children of Israel to suffer under the cruel taskmasters so they would turn to the God of their fathers. And they did cry out...Ex. 2:23-25.

2. God prepared for them a deliverer in the man, Moses.

3. God took care of Moses from the time he was born. He was born during the time when all babies like him was slain but God miraculously directed the princess to adopt him!

4. Moses' life reflected all the training he needed up till this point of his life. For 40 years, he was a prince in the courts of Egypt. For the next 40 years, he learned humility as a shepherd in the desert.

5. God appeared to Moses in the form of the burning bush and God equipped him with everything he needed to confront the Pharaoh.

Year One/Week Nine

General Theme: Redemption- God prepares a people for Godly self-government and liberty.

Theme Focus: Moses – leader of God's people

Leading Idea: God thoroughly prepared Moses to help free the Israelites.

Principle: God uses individuals to fulfill His plan.

Scripture Passage: Ex. 2-4

Statement of Theme : Ex.3:7-8

Copy work: Ex.3:7-8

Exodus 3:7-8 (King James Version)

7And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

8And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Day One

1. Read Ex.2 Moses and Basket

Moses, the deliverer was born! Parents hid him but all too soon, another plan had to be made. Plan itself had no merit! God's higher hand was present. He was rescued by, of all people, the Pharaoh's daughter! He never forgot he was a Jew. Raised in high Egyptian culture, he found himself feeling deeply for the Jews. He didn't have self-government that day when he killed an Egyptian who ill-treated his fellow-Jews...

2. Some questions:
a) Was it a coincidence that the Pharaoh's daughter took a bath just as the basket with Moses floated past her? If not, what was it?

b) Why did Moses kill the Egyptian? What did that action reveal about his character?

c) Why did Moses become a fugitive?
d) Why did Moses do when the shepherds bully the daughters of Jethro? What did that show about Moses' character?
e) Why did Jethro invite Moses to his house?
f) What events took place after that?
g) What's the significance of verse 23?
h) Did God hear the the Jews' cries?

3) Some craft/coloring/puzzle

Day Two

1. Read Ex. 3 (40 years have passed). Show illustration.

2. Ask questions
a) What was special about the bush Moses saw at Mt. Horeb?
b) What was Moses' response?
c) What was the first lesson Moses learned about God?
d) How do you think Moses felt when God spoke in verse 8?
e) What was Moses' response to God's instruction in verse verse 10?
f) What did God say to Moses' lack of confidence? (Ex. 3:12)

(Depending on my daughter's response and understanding, I may or may not probe further....lots more questions can be asked!).

3. Copy-work Ex. 3:7-8

4. Give her some materials to make a picture of “The Burning Bush”. Maybe a puzzle or two as well.

Day Three

1. Read Ex. 4: 1-9

2. Ask questions
a) What was Moses' objection/excuse in Ex.4:1?
b) What was God's response?
c) How did the sign strengthen Moses' faith?
d) What was the other sign God gave Moses?
e) How do you think the signs helped Moses?
f) God also gave Moses the ability to perform yet another sign. What was it?

3. Coloring pages/puzzles

Day Four

1. Read Ex.4:10-17

2. Ask questions

a) Moses came up with yet another objection. What was it?
b) What was God's response?
c) What was verse 13 all about?
d) God, out of kindness, provided him with Aaron, but Moses was still the leader. How does this reflect the principle of individuality?

3. Craft/Game/Puzzle

Day Five

1. Read Ex. 4: 18-30

2. Some questions. I will do more explaining here than asking questions.
a) Why do you think what God said in Ex. 4:21a was comforting to Moses?
b) what happened in verses 27 and 28?
c) How do you think Moses felt in verse 31?

3. Notebook: State in your own words how God had prepared the people for godly self-government and liberty up to this stage of history.