tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513342837131289542024-03-06T08:54:24.324+01:00The Redeemed PupilGrowing in Knowledge OnlineDave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-88300622390773923562019-11-11T15:00:00.000+01:002019-11-11T15:13:32.147+01:00Still Kicking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The New Normal</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xlnmirKwr1IMiXR_Csi-E4S4tDh_1sl4enGBFFYkuhqlw6SF2AQppWW680flXXlZVDD3cmvyrvjJkzhgv_zmvssDHqkHH9nmhJogQUQhWPW9lRirEy2TZX8-BJjjr3TZRm9a-Bf2c30/s1600/hiclipart.com.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="645" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xlnmirKwr1IMiXR_Csi-E4S4tDh_1sl4enGBFFYkuhqlw6SF2AQppWW680flXXlZVDD3cmvyrvjJkzhgv_zmvssDHqkHH9nmhJogQUQhWPW9lRirEy2TZX8-BJjjr3TZRm9a-Bf2c30/s200/hiclipart.com.png" width="161" /></a>Even by my standards, it's been a while since I posted. As busy as I've been it's probably a good thing that I wasn't in school this semester. Life just seems to find a way to eat away at any free time you think you might have - it's just a new normal. That said, I still have that itch and I'm hoping to find a way to get back into formal studies before too long. <br />
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Rest assured, however, I've been working on several things, many of which I hope to be able to share here soon (as my time allows). Just as a teaser... First, I want to demonstrate how I've put my studies into practice. Second, I want to share some of my research regarding other online academic opportunities. Third, I want to share some of my personal reading that I've been plugging away on - lots of good stuff ;). Forth, I want to get around to cleaning up this blog. And finally, I'm working on a large project to produce a properly formatted ebook from an out-of-copyright gem.<br />
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So I had my little season of feeling sorry for myself (and no, that wasn't a good thing, I know) and I'm still kicking. I've learned that it's not the education that is important, it's how you use what you know in service to others. It would sound pretentious of me to spell this out in detail so all I will really say is that it's very humbling, encouraging, and awesome. And for this, I give God all the glory and praise. </div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-73410123128602998582019-08-31T14:00:00.000+02:002019-08-31T14:06:40.312+02:00Anxiety of Unfinished Business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Waiting for Nothing to Do</h2>
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There is a bit of excitement in the air as three of my boys are getting ready to start attending new schools next week. While it's a bit hard for them to appreciate the privilege they have to study and learn, they are none-the-less excited about experiencing new things and making new friends. I suppose it's also calming for us as parents to know that the chaos of summer will soon settle back into predictable schedules and routines. But I can't seem to shake a haunting feeling of uneasiness - the anxiety of unfinished business. It's a feeling of being ready to go but finding that I'm rather only waiting for nothing to do. It stinks.<br />
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Not gonna lie, I'm pretty bummed. I think that is a natural reaction. Like training hard for a race and then blowing a hamstring a week before the event. A longing sense of - just didn't get it done. So I've had my pout and now it's time to begin focusing on - what now?<br />
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When I said that my seminary education was never about the degree or the grades, that was either true or it wasn't. Just because I'm no longer enrolled in a seminary degree program does not preclude me from continuing to study and grow. Sure, working hard in an accredited degree program has obvious short and long-term advantages, but what if that just isn't an option? What alternatives are available for someone like me who has the need and desire for theological training, but lacks the time, opportunity, and means to pursue such an endeavor?<br />
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Let's explore that idea a little further. I'm going to scamper off and do a little research to see what I can find. I'm a bit curious to see what's available and how that compares to what I've experienced. I'm really not sure what to expect but stay tuned for more as I begin to look into this. <br />
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-67852866025620730462019-08-14T12:30:00.000+02:002019-08-16T00:41:42.901+02:00BE201OL - Critical Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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BE201OL - Spring's Unfinished Business</h2>
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In hindsight, it would have been preferable to have written this a month or so ago but as my previous post indicates, I was preoccupied with trying to find a solution to another challenge. That said, better late than never and as I try to teach my own children, it's important to finish strong - especially in the face of disappointment and adversity. I'll continue to write here of course, however I haven't quite decided how or what that is going to look like moving forward. Regardless, it's time to take a look back at BE201OL to reflect on my experience and proffer some advice on how to get the most out of this course.</div>
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BE201OL - The Story of Scripture</h3>
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As I did for ST104OL, I'm going to simply present a scorecard and then touch on some of the particulars. For each aspect of the course, I'll use a five-point grading scale with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of the overall experience.</div>
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Summary Ratings for BE201OL:</h3>
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<tr><td>Satisfaction with Professor</td><td>4.5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Graduate Teaching Assistant</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Selected Texts</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Time Commitment</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Class Interactions</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Quality of Assignments</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Difficulty of Grading</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Fairness of Grading</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Amount of New Material Learned</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>Difficulty of Course</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Overall Satisfaction</td><td>5</td></tr>
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I was told that I would enjoy taking a course from Dr. Yarbrough and I can happy share that this held true. He was very passionate about the material and brought everything into clear focus through a well organized and engaging presentation style. It may surprise you that I rated my satisfaction of the GTA higher than Dr. Yarbrough, but the truth is I had far more interaction with the GTA than I did with the professor. That's not a complaint by any stretch - in fact, it's more of a testament to high quality of engagement from the GTA in the online format of this class.<br />
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I had a bit of an epiphany while taking this class. Often, we spend all of our time studying very narrow portions of Scripture or theology and then we struggle on how to piece it all together. We develop a very good understanding of all the parts, but we fail to grasp how those parts formulate the whole of the story of the Bible. This class ties it all together in plain and simple language which greatly expands one's joy in understanding and studying Scripture. I also found the learning to support and improve my evangelistic endeavors. While all Scripture points to Jesus Christ and the gospel, it's really helpful to be able to frame the gospel within it's scriptural context. I can honestly say that this course has caused me to read, study, and defend the Bible differently - in very good ways.<br />
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This class is engineered for your learning and success. It's not an overly challenging or difficult course because it's not designed to be. It's designed to teach important concepts in ways that ensure you will remember them. Averaged over the course of the semester, I spent about 9 hours a week on this course (lighter than average thus far) - but the class is very back end loaded so you'll need to plan and prepare ahead of time. There is quite a bit of reading but it's balanced well across the semester and the video lectures are consistent with what you'd expect by now. Those 2 elements along with a one hour webinar session account for 40% of the final grade, leaving the writing assignment and oral exam making up the balance at 60%. So I'll discuss those last two in a bit more detail.<br />
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Written Assignment</h4>
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There are 4 options for the written assignment; create a chart of the story of the Bible, develop a creative project of the story of the Bible, write a theological paper about the story of the Bible, or write an argument for the Bible. Each option requires a written review of <i>The Whole Bible Story</i> by William Marty.<br />
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Take special note that Marty's book is not included in the reading plan, so you need to plan and budget for that on your own. Once you know which assignment option you are going to pursue, I recommend reading Marty's book and writing the review per the assignment option's instructions around the midpoint of the semester - just to get it taken care of - I did not do this but hindsight is always 20/20.<br />
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As I'm not overly creatively inclined, don't know how to write an argument, and didn't want to fiddle with graphical charting programs; the choice to write a theological paper was pretty easy for me. This was no small undertaking though as it's a proper 15 page research paper. For my thesis, I wrote, "This paper shows that the truth of Jesus’ claim in John 5:46, that Moses wrote about Him, is clearly affirmed when considering what the Jews believed about the writings of Moses at the time of Jesus." I knew early on that I'd be writing a theological paper so I started doing my research after the first third of the course. This was crutial - do not wait until the end of the course to start your project! Once all of the research was done, I was able to formulate my arguments and structure my paper. Aside from some momentary bouts of writer's block, it came together pretty easily and I had plenty of time for edits and rewrites. Overall, I methodically worked on the paper over about 6 to 7 weeks. I'd advise a similar approach.<br />
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Final Examination</h4>
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The final exam for this course is really cool - did I just really say that??? You have 45 minutes to record your telling of the story of Scripture to someone (anyone you want - family member, friend, etc.) and then a 15 minute reflection on your experience with the course. No notes, no video editing, just tell the story and reflect. It's not as scary as it sounds. If you accept upfront that you're going to look like a total dork in doing so - and that it won't go as you totally planned it - you'll be fine.<br />
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I actually chose to record my final exam by delivering the message to my church after our Sunday service. One of the best things about studying at DTS is how I've been able to transform my educational experience through my own studies into an educational experience for the other members of my church. I had a great time doing so and yes, I totally looked like a dork and made a few mistakes. I lived. <br />
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What I Didn't Like</h4>
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Honestly, there's not a lot to pick on regarding this course as it has really been one of the most practical and impactful courses I've taken. This was both surprising and refreshing. Refreshing in the sense that it never really felt like learning - it just was. As usual, I don't like the fact that 60% of the grade rests in two assignments due in the waning weeks of the course, but if you plan ahead and prepare it's not really of much concern. Certainly less stressful than my summer ST104OL course.<br />
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What was missing for me though were the class interactions. This course is pretty much a solo effort. Important to note though, the GTA was great and I exchanged a number of emails with him so you're not really alone. While not a problem for me per say, I just think it would have been nice to have a couple more dialogs or interactions with the other members of the class. It would have been neat to hear how other students found the class and to see how God used this course to shape their understanding of the story of Scripture. </div>
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So How Did I Do?</h3>
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Please keep in mind that I was only a part-time student and I only took three credits for the semester.<br />
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I mentioned above that this was not a very challenging course and it was not designed to be. It was designed to impassion the student to study and understand how the story of Scripture all seamlessly fits together. The final grade was never really in doubt for me as Dr. Yarbrough and the GTA did a great job setting us up for success. While I received an A+ for the class, the grade is more a reflection of how well Dr. Yarbrough and the GTA prepared me as a student to gain the most from this class. And I gained a lot more than I expected to.</div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-18924334819751039442019-07-24T04:30:00.000+02:002019-07-24T16:17:05.758+02:00End of the Road ... For Now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Tough Decisions</h3>
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Well, if you've been reading you know it's been a struggle for me on many fronts the past few years in pursuit of an MBTS degree. Despite having a great Spring semester, the financial means to continue in the program remain just beyond my reach. Tough decisions needed to be made and I simply could not sacrifice my family's needs at the expense of my education. So it is with a bit of sadness that I share that at this moment, I've reached the end of the road ... for now.<br />
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I'll have more to say soon as I reflect on my studies and share more about what I've learned as a result.</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-77829928322912895522019-01-28T11:14:00.001+01:002019-01-29T13:56:54.868+01:00Greek Is Really Cool - But Not My Forte<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Thankful For Many Things</h3>
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Well, my audit in Greek is finished and I'm thankful for a lot of things. I'm thankful for what I've learned, and I'm thankful that it's over ... for now. Studying Greek was really cool, but it definitely is not my forte. Had I actually taken the class for credit, I would have received a B in the course which is OK, but well below the goal that I set for myself. So I had to make a difficult decision<br />
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Going into the class I was perhaps a little skeptical of the benefit of learning the language. Of course, there is the joy of being able to begin reading the Bible in one of the original languages, but would it really make that big of a difference? A friend of mine had this to say about learning Greek, "The difference between studying the Bible in English versus Greek is like the difference between watching television in black and white versus high definition color." I think my friend hit the proverbial nail on the head with that analogy. I can see now how much clearer the pages of Scripture shine with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ when translating from the Greek. Mind you, I'm under no illusion that I've only begun to scratch the surface of my understanding of the language, but I've seen enough to appreciate the value.<br />
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So I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my experience with learning Greek and I'm looking forward to continuing my study of the language, but just not right now. The time commitment to studying a language is immense. Even though this was just an audit course for me, I spent far more time on this course than any other course that I've taken at DTS. This is to be expected, however, I just don't see that I'll have the kind of time necessary this Spring to get the most out of the class. So I'm going to basically try to keep reviewing what I've already learned and keep my skills sharp so I can develop a solid platform to continue in the near future. All in all, I have no regrets for stepping up and taking this course.<br />
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So, if you're planning on studying Greek at a seminary and you don't have any previous experience with the language or struggle like me with foreign languages, I'd recommend a slightly lower course load during the semester to offset the amount of time you'll need to dedicate to learning Greek. It's totally worth it, but it's a grind and takes a lot of time, commitment, and discipline.<br />
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-16854769623081515842018-11-28T20:45:00.000+01:002018-12-02T20:41:05.040+01:00Protecting the Family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Making the Home Network Safer</h2>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Hf91xLPM3edPEt5uAg67RbZAfSPlcGeb6LUuX6jxJOZqUKu8lTlWajFcHSAGg4SQbVEDQStSeJQyIDtv2-AHiGMPoA-2fHga-ur78TheQKNM8B87koqHrnAvjDvKz25Na8gvG9g809w/s1600/opendns-cisco-lock-up.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="400" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Hf91xLPM3edPEt5uAg67RbZAfSPlcGeb6LUuX6jxJOZqUKu8lTlWajFcHSAGg4SQbVEDQStSeJQyIDtv2-AHiGMPoA-2fHga-ur78TheQKNM8B87koqHrnAvjDvKz25Na8gvG9g809w/s200/opendns-cisco-lock-up.png" width="200" /></a>Who can forget the iconic sound of a 56k modem as it completed its handshake protocol; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the virtual<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">on-ramp to the digital superhighway known as the internet. </span>It’s amazing to think how much the internet has changed our lives over the past two-plus decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for all the wonderful advancements the internet provides us daily, it also has a dark and dangerous side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just under the surface of any search engine through the keystroke pitter-patter of search terms, a vast ocean of pornographic sites set their fishing lines; ready to snag its innocent, curious, naïve, addicted, or defiled victims.</div>
<br />
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As the father of four young boys racing full speed into or towards their teen years, I’ve struggled with how to protect my kids from this virtual cancer of depravity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if I’m being honest, how to protect myself from lure and temptation of an empty pleasure which only leaves me hurting in my shame and guilt; deceptively stealing away from me the joy and sufficiency of God’s grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, after many days, weeks, and months of trying different solutions, I’ve discovered a way to easily protect my family and my home from this evil and it’s something I feel is worth sharing so read on!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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Why is This so Difficult?</h3>
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<br /></div>
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Being an engineer and sales manager in high tech hardware and software solutions, I’m no neophyte when it comes to using technology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is what makes this challenge exceptionally frustrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blacklisting sites through my router is a solid solution but I’m pretty sure the oceans would dry up before I manage to block everything out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, I’d have spend a lot of time keeping things updated which makes this approach pretty cumbersome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are of course programs and apps you can buy to lock things down, but those all require varying degrees of configuration and will work, but my concern is that I’m pretty sure my little techies would figure out a way to bypass any program controls we put in place.</div>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
OpenDNS Family Shield to the Rescue</h3>
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So the solution I found after all my labor is OpenDNS Family Shield and so far I’ve been very happy with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, it works by enabling your router to check the IP address of any web page that you’re accessing from your network against a “blacklist” of adult content maintained by OpenDNS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the website you are trying to access is found on the “blacklist”, the user is forwarded to an OpenDNS page that informs the user that access to the requested site is prohibited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, the requested website is served to the user as normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best of all the basic service is FREE which is always awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All you need to do is configure your router to use the OpenDNS nameservers which they provide easy instructions for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, nothing to install or maintain – brilliant!</div>
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<br /></div>
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https://www.opendns.com/home-internet-security/</div>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Better But Not Perfect</h3>
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Now, this blocks adult websites, but it’s not a perfect solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s still possible to image search undesirable material using sites like google, bing, and etc. but as a first step at least I know that I’ve protected my home network, all my little users, and anyone else from accessing websites that serve adult material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I'll keep researching and if I find any additional solutions, I'll be sure and let you know.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-29167671006985363502018-11-03T13:30:00.000+01:002018-11-03T13:34:52.250+01:00And This is Why We Audit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Epic Faceplant</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxxjm18hBCJ8KB9b_G-1Yn6y8dHst0zQvQzLtUKNEm_HzpIRs1K8iDvMg4kIjBhYw-SqC6oxXoJ6HV-YYXAKtjcMEyu-yBI3tbKf3pD_gdZtmpTorGGJmU_IF-YiTTL04C9PzD8ITwUc/s1600/cbd5e2_5e35776665674fff93c7e1a2ada33c69%257Emv2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="635" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxxjm18hBCJ8KB9b_G-1Yn6y8dHst0zQvQzLtUKNEm_HzpIRs1K8iDvMg4kIjBhYw-SqC6oxXoJ6HV-YYXAKtjcMEyu-yBI3tbKf3pD_gdZtmpTorGGJmU_IF-YiTTL04C9PzD8ITwUc/s200/cbd5e2_5e35776665674fff93c7e1a2ada33c69%257Emv2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Greek has been a fickle friend this semester. Sometimes, I think, "I got this." And then other times my brain breaks and starts leaking out of the bottom of my shoes. I just wrapped up my sixth quiz of the semester and I'm still feeling the pain from the epic faceplant I just brilliantly executed. I managed an impressive 27 out of 98 (although my final score will probably be in the neighborhood of 40). It's times like this that I remind myself that this is exactly why I choose to audit this course.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I mentioned that I struggle to pick up languages in general, and this is true. But with this course, I just feel like I'm about two weeks behind in my understanding. I mean it takes about two weeks for the learning to settle into a firm-ish knowledge. So while we're just wrapping up chapter 18 in Mounce's "Basics of Biblical Greek", I'm just getting comfortable with chapter 14. And this is despite studying just about every day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Point is, it's not so much that the language is difficult. There is just so much to learn and remember that I find it takes a while to sear into my memory.</div>
</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-36626580908782281972018-10-20T11:30:00.002+02:002018-10-20T11:30:50.288+02:00I Miss Being Sick<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Being Reminded of the Important Things </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKv20kRB9jmK0xDBUHdDqVNOCnELUsoxN1RinWMD0DXyrQzY7BW1vf9J-tSVfyLD6ROjDbjE4VTgPFA1J7tPAC5lFU23t5wsBzLA3pDMrraHAnHKCeO2AcwoVbGY2J0TmceLsMomgnA0/s1600/61xOSB1xTIL._SY355_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="355" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKv20kRB9jmK0xDBUHdDqVNOCnELUsoxN1RinWMD0DXyrQzY7BW1vf9J-tSVfyLD6ROjDbjE4VTgPFA1J7tPAC5lFU23t5wsBzLA3pDMrraHAnHKCeO2AcwoVbGY2J0TmceLsMomgnA0/s200/61xOSB1xTIL._SY355_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though I’m only auditing a course this semester at DTS,
I’m still required to attend chapel sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seems far too easy sometimes to simply treat this as another
tick-in-the-box exercise that is common in academia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But every now and then, I stumble upon a
message that deeply moves me and reminds me of the purpose of my education, and
more importantly, my life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the kids
scampered off to their Saturday morning activities, I watched a service by
Michael Easley that struck me in such a way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But not in the way you might think, I actually reflected on the fact
that I miss my pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Dark Anniversary</h4>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The x’s on my calendar are rapidly advancing towards a
rather dark anniversary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In about 12
weeks I’ll be celebrating the two year anniversary of a gruesome surgery to
remove a large tumor that I had in my abdomen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In some ways, it seems like a distant memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I feel great again; two years on I’m
feeling a lot like my old self and I’m back to living my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard for me to remember the suffering
and the pain I experienced all the while wondering if I’d ever feel ‘good’
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can tell you quite confidently,
that we all take our health far too much for granted, and we only really
appreciate that when we no longer have it. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So why on earth would I possibly miss my pain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, when I was sick and in pain, I
relied so heavily on God for comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I humbly
accepted the path He chose for me to walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even the very act of eating a piece of toast became an earnest appeal to
God’s grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you how
difficult it is to eat when you are nauseous and sick all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no joy to choking down minuscule
bites of bland food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s no fun cooking
a meal for your family that you know you won’t be able to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aroma of the chore that was once such a
blessing became an exercise in managing sweats, dizziness, cramps, and peristaltic
control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was miserable, but somehow,
by God’s grace, each day passed.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So much of my normal life disappeared when I got sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t talk with people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t go into stores out of the fear of messing
up their floors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t be the
father I wanted to be to my children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldn’t be the husband I wanted to be to my wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, my wife became so frustrated that we
needed to develop a scale so she would understand what I could and couldn’t do
at any moment in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zero was feeling
normal, four was unwell but manageable, at six I was losing control (shakes, dizziness,
wet mouth – my borderline of functionality), and of course anything eight and
above was, well, messy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My average at
any given time of day was about a 5.5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only thing I was really good at anymore was being sick.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But God’s grace was sufficient for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each day became a series of tiny steps, each
totally dependent on Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I knew
tomorrow would be the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that was
OK with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As my life was literally falling
apart at the seams around me, my confidence and satisfaction in God’s grace were
more real and meaningful than ever before in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sickness in some ways, while horrendously
unpleasant, became beautiful to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because I knew that God knew exactly what He was doing; every tiny step
of the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I trusted him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To say that I grew in my understanding of who God is at this
time would be a massive understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I stopped thinking about who I wanted God to be, and more about who God
is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped selfishly thinking about
what I wanted, and I started thinking about what God was doing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped seeing myself at the center of my
own life, and I started seeing God orchestrating and controlling all
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in my pathetic weakness,
God was demonstrating His strength in my life in ways that I could never have
imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the words of Joseph Scriven
in the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, we hear;</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Have we trials and temptations<br />
Is there trouble anywhere?<br />
We should never be discouraged<br />
Take it to the Lord in prayer.<br />
Can we find a friend so faithful<br />
Who will all our sorrows share?<br />
Jesus knows our every weakness,<br />
Take it to the Lord in prayer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my weakness, these words painted the picture of my
everyday life, even down the most mundane details.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I’m better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God
has graciously answered my prayers (and the prayers of many others) and
everything seems to be on track again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Except that I realize today, that God seems a bit further off than He
was two years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t seem to give
much thought to whether I should enjoy another beef and lamb wrap with
jalapenos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t seem to need to beg
for God’s grace to accomplish the minuscule things anymore in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I’m once again studying earnestly to
serve God, and I’m using that learning to teach and share with others the
gospel of Jesus Christ; I seem to be relying more on myself to accomplish these
things and less on the God who literally gave me this life back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I am reminded of how much God has done for me, and
what a blessing my trials have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
some ways, I miss being sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not because
I enjoyed it, but because it kept me close to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray today to remember that only in Christ,
are all things possible, even eating the toast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pray today to return to that dependence on Him for everything because
without Him, absolutely nothing is possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May this be your prayer today as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-28800389555135352722018-09-24T21:00:00.000+02:002018-09-24T21:32:28.484+02:00Getting My Greek On<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Auditing Greek</h2>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Alright, we're a couple of weeks into this Fall semester where I'm auditing first-semester Greek. Things are going fine so far but I've already experienced the normal ups and downs of studying a language. After crushing my first quiz, I got a bit overconfident and was brutally humbled on my second quiz. But a big exam later this week should really give me a sense of if I'm on the right track or not.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Needless to say, any language course requires a tremendous amount of time and discipline to stay on top of the learning. So it's been a solid hour or two most days (especially after the second quiz). Anyway, I'm starting to get a handle on things and I find Koine Greek to be very technical which is just AOK with me. So I'm sure I'll have more to write next week but now it's time to get back to studying noun and adjective forms! </div>
</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-33062988664865759362018-09-08T23:00:00.000+02:002018-09-08T23:26:04.605+02:00ST104OL - Critical Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
ST104OL - Summer's Unfinished Business</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
</h2>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
It took a little while to get over my jetlag after a nice little family holiday in August, but now I'm home and getting back into the groove of a new school year for the kids. I realized though, that I had a little unfinished business in posting a critical review of my ST104 summer class. So with the kids tucked neatly into bed this evening, I've got a little time to share some of my thoughts on the course and how things went.</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
ST104OL - Soteriology</h3>
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<br />
For my previous reviews, I've simply gone point by point through various aspect of the course before summarizing my overall experience. I think I'm going to change it up a bit this time and give the summary first and then get into some of the finer points. For each aspect of the course, I'll use a five-point grading scale with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of the overall experience.<br />
</div>
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</div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Summary Ratings for ST104:</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Professor</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Graduate Teaching Assistant</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Selected Texts</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Time Commitment</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>Satisfaction with Class Interactions</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>Quality of Assignments</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Difficulty of Grading</td><td>4.5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Fairness of Grading</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Amount of New Material Learned</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Difficulty of Course</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Overall Satisfaction</td><td>4.5</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
This is the second time that I've taken Dr. Kreider for a course at DTS and you'll remember that I really enjoyed learning from him in ST101OL. So I had pretty high expectations for this class. Besides, Soteriology is an area of the Christian faith that I've invested a lot of my own personal time studying. Therefore, I can safely say that Dr. Kreider more than met my expectations.<br />
<br />
It's important to realize though that Dr. Kreider's teaching style and assignments are geared towards serious students. This is another course which requires deep thinking and Dr. Kreider isn't one to spoonfeed students material. He (and the GTA) also expect that any assertions or positions taken during the interactions and assignments to be well supported and defended. Technically, this requires a modicum of discipline and in my humble opinion, is good for everyone to learn how to do.<br />
<br />
Hands down, I found this course much less work than ST101OL but no less enjoyable. There isn't anywhere near as much reading for this course and in fact, I think Dr. Kreider could probably squeeze another text into the course without overly burdening students. That said, the emphasis in this course is on the quality of work developed, rather than on the quantity. This was very evident in the grading of the assignments which was far more strict than in any of my other classes to date.<br />
<br />
One interesting thing for me was the fact that I didn't learn a tremendous amount of new material in this course. As I mentioned previously, this is an area that I have an interest in personally, so I brought a lot of knowledge into the course with me. What I did appreciate, however, is being exposed to a plethora of writers and perspectives which expanded my understanding of differing positions and introduced me to a number of very interesting works by authors I've not previously read much. I'm very thankful for that last point and I'm scratching my head as to how in all my reading, I've never really read much by John Owen. While not on the required text list, Owen's works were in the course bibliography and it was cool to find those resources online for my own enjoyment!<br />
<br />
Despite being an excellent course, there were some things I didn't like or rather things I struggled with a bit. To be fair, this may have simply been a function of the compressed summer schedule, but 45% of the final course grade was due on the last day of class; two big writing assignments and one final exam. That meant there was a lot riding on the last two weeks of the semester and any slip-ups would spell disaster. All the assignments were really interesting, educational, and quite frankly fun. But it would have been nice if things were perhaps spread out a little bit more as to not have so much work due at the very end of the course. In fact, as much as one third of my total time spent on this course was invested in the final week to ten days of the class (summer semester was 14 weeks). So the workload at the end of the course was significant to say the least. Averaged out though, I spent about 9 hours a week working on this class which is perfect workload.<br />
</div>
<div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
So How Did I Do?</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
Please keep in mind that I am only a part-time student and have taken only three credits during this summer semester.<br />
<br />
As always, I set high expectations for myself and perhaps more so in this course because of my respect for the professor and my passion for this particular subject. I had a few nailbiting days waiting for the final grades of my work to be posted, but when it was all said and done I received an A in the course. Once again, the work I submitted will be helpful for me far beyond the context of this course which is one of the things I love about Dr. Kreider's classes. Who knows, perhaps I'll have an opportunity to take him again, but we'll just have to see how things shake out in the coming years.</div>
</div>
</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-41135262581833196492018-08-12T14:00:00.000+02:002018-08-12T14:07:29.418+02:00Hanging in There<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Decision Update</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
</h2>
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</div>
Just a quick update today. I've completed all my semester work for ST104OL Soteriology and I'm getting ready to head home for the first time in years to take a little time off. Before heading out though, I thought I'd share that I've made a decision with the assistance of the kind staff at DTS. Rather than withdrawing at this time, I'm going to audit a course this Fall to buy myself some time to see if I can make things work moving forward. Still not sure what's on the horizon, but at least there's still hope.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What will I be auditing? Well, I can't audit any course that I might end up taking as part of my degree. So I've decided to go ahead and audit NT101OL New Testament Greek. Basically, I'm terrible with languages, so I figure this will give me an opportunity to gain some skills I wish I had, without having to stress out over being - right, terrible with languages. And in case you think I'm being overly hard on myself; I've been living in Poland for ten years now and I still hardly speak a lick of Polish...</div>
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Stay tuned, I'll be posting my ST104OL recap shortly after the final grades are posted. Really couldn't say how I did in the course as much of the final grade rests on the last two assignments I submitted. I did OK on the final exam with an 88 after answering 3 questions wrong. I had a facepalm moment as one of the answers I got wrong was from a passage I actually taught on a few weeks back. I think I mentioned how much I hate taking tests - yeah, it's the little details that getcha. So look for that debrief in a week or so.</div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-52134593790415094532018-07-21T13:00:00.000+02:002018-07-21T13:18:50.124+02:00At A Crossroads<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
The Tough Decisions</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
</h2>
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As I approach the end of my summer semester in ST104 Soteriology I find myself at a crossroads and faced with a very difficult decision. If you've followed at all the story of my seminary education at DTS, splotchy as my updates have been, you know that I've endured a lot over the past couple of years. Life changes, health changes, work changes, and everything in between have made my pursuit of a seminary education challenging to say the least. And now it's time for me to make some difficult decisions.<br />
<br />
While my spirit is willing to continue to make the necessary sacrifices to see my studies through, my pockets are empty. I've just run out of the green needed to pay the bills. I'm having some conversations to consider my options and I've not given up hope yet, but the truth is, it doesn't look good. That said, whether I find the means to pay for school and continue or not, I know this effort will not have been in vain.<br />
<br />
What I've learned in the short time I've been at DTS has already had a profound impact on my life. I know this is by God's design and according to His will. And what I've learned I've also shared, and will continue to do so with those around me; in my church, in my community, and at my work. While the journey may look different for me soon, it will by no means be over. I'm sure I'll have more to write on this soon as the picture becomes more clear.<br />
<br />
But for now I'll continue to grind through the final weeks of my current course. You know I was really looking forward to taking this class, and I can tell you that I have not been disappointed. In the shorter summer schedule it's been a little more challenging, but it's been great and I look forward to sharing a lot more about what I've learned very soon. <br />
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<br /></div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-54115661737389868252018-05-27T07:00:00.000+02:002018-05-27T07:00:11.981+02:00This Is My Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Evangelistic Testimony</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSnpo0vhIDwiAZw96aHRSFo1xXwjTzcE7thy1UuczgUAQ-cCaXbdnRtrot1VLl2M1eEu3L-tY_7FzDu8Qq5YKVB2K7V7_ZT4IR90AQe8Lx_a5gUdrnPsszdsjkK-BymQzskeh592yI9A/s1600/quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSnpo0vhIDwiAZw96aHRSFo1xXwjTzcE7thy1UuczgUAQ-cCaXbdnRtrot1VLl2M1eEu3L-tY_7FzDu8Qq5YKVB2K7V7_ZT4IR90AQe8Lx_a5gUdrnPsszdsjkK-BymQzskeh592yI9A/s200/quilt.jpg" width="200" /></a>I am generally opposed to sharing my work for my classes on this blog. It's not in any way that I'm ashamed or that I'm trying to hide what I'm doing. But I do so for two primary reasons; First, many of my assignments have a specific context within my classes which is important to the actual learning. If I were to post my work, it might somehow spoil the experience of a student and detract from their learning. Second, obviously, there is always the concern surrounding the temptation of plagiarism. However, my story is unique to me, so I don't see the harm in sharing it. With a few minor edits, this is my submission for my PM102OL assignment to write my evangelistic testimony.<br />
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Evangelistic Testimony</h3>
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Our lives tell a story. A collection of events and memories that despite being unique and different, are carefully quilted together to reveal who we are. It’s a colorful blanket; some patches are soft and comfortable while others are thin and faded, but they all have their place. As the years lumber on, we stitch together new squares, marveling at the display as it assaults our senses and stimulates our emotions. It’s a one of a kind work of art. Then, when the last seam is sewn, we appreciate its beauty for a fleeting moment. Well used and familiar; finally folded together and gently stored away until it’s lost from memory. A rather melancholy tale in the sense that this is not the way life is supposed to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my story.</div>
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I was a normal six-year-old kid. In the summer of ’80, I spent my days playing football with the neighbors and roleplaying Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers. Life was just an endless string of days of carefree fun. Life was just life and there was no grand purpose. But that all changed one morning when my dad called the family together. He announced that we were going to start going to church. He dozed off the night before while watching television and awoke to some strange fella named Billy Graham talking about God, and Jesus, and the cross. Not wanting to get up to turn the dial, he watched and listened. That night, God found my dad.</div>
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Church on Sundays was the new normal for our family. My sister and I attended Sunday School where we began to learn about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit from those big letter <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">hand-drawn</span> illustration books. Then we’d fidget through the morning worship service much to the chagrin of our parents. The following summer while attending Vacation Bible School, my teacher convinced me that I was a <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">rotten</span> little sinner and whether out of fear or the desire to please my teacher and my parents, I asked Jesus into my heart. So I left camp that year thinking my eternal standing with God was done, sorted, and settled. Quite an accomplishment for a seven-year-old.</div>
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As my teen years waned, I left home to attend university. Having been freed from the tether of my parents, I began to sow my wild oats so-to-speak. I happily identified as a Christian, eternally secure, but I continued living for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before long, I descended into the basement of depravity. I think the first time I sensed things were getting out of hand was when I noticed that I wasn’t just moving towards wicked behavior, I was actually setting the bar. The guys I thought were bad news <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">were</span> looking at me and saying, “Ah, yeah we’re not going there.” I was the run down, drugged up, pathetic punk you’d rather cross the street for than walk past.</div>
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Presented with two choices, live or die, I was fortunate enough to have someone close to me who actually made that decision for me. I slowly got cleaned up and back on my feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I left school (like I had actually been going) and moved back home to rest and work on getting my life back together. I found myself back in church and once again back into the routine of being a good little Christian. I recalled those days when I accepted Jesus. I thought I was good, sorted, and settled again.</div>
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Years of hard work and labor ensued as I strived to put those dark fuzzy days of my past behind me. I followed my dreams with a new determined passion to succeed. I had my moments of course, but I pressed on towards my goals and by the end of 2001, I got my degree in electrical engineering, I got a job, and I got the girl of my dreams to marry me. Life was good. I immediately excelled in my work and threw in a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering just for kicks. By the time 2007 finished, we were a happy little portrait of middle-class America – successful, happy, 2.0 kids.</div>
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In 2008, we did something crazy. We picked up and moved to Poland where my wife is from. We committed to starting all over from scratch. It was hard work to get on our feet in Poland, but a little elbow grease and confident determination saw us through the challenges. Things at work picked up and I found myself growing my career again in Europe. We also grew our family a bit, although that was far from intentional. Regardless, we were blessed with our brood of four little boys.</div>
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2013 was a challenging year for my business and I found myself traveling across Europe a lot. In May of that <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">year,</span> I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to meet with my team to set their goals for the remainder of the year. While there, my employees invited me to one of their homes for a proper Turkish meal. I was more than happy to oblige and we were having a great time with <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">an amazing</span> home cooked meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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And then the darndest thing happened. The husband of my host asked me if I was a Christian. “Of course!” I replied in almost a knee-jerk kind of reaction. He was Muslim and proceeded to ask me to explain what being a Christian meant. This was not a malicious question; it was a thoughtful request to engage in a cordial debate on faith. So I started to explain but I found the words hard to come by and inconsistent. I fumbled around for the threads of understanding I could dredge up from memory – but they were few and far between. My host graciously changed the topic. He and everyone in that room that night knew something I didn’t – I was a fraud and I just got exposed <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">big time</span>.</div>
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Who cares? Life is good, everything is great, I accepted Christ so what difference does it make? But a pit formed in my stomach about that evening. That sinking feeling that grows and steals your thoughts at night and keeps you awake. What if Christ never accepted me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Days matured into weeks, no rest. I came to the realization that I didn’t have a clue of who Jesus actually was; I didn’t know who God was. I wasn’t a Christian. Why was this bothering me?</div>
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A kind pastor and dear friend pointed me to Grace to You ministries and I decided to rid myself of that pit by studying up. I started consuming the online sermons that John MacArthur was posting. I listened carefully, looking to build the Christian checklist so I could have some peace about my faith. But it never came. If anything, I became more panicked. Yes, I know I’m a sinner, my past testified loudly to that, but Christ died for those sins, didn’t he? I prayed a prayer, I’m good to go, right? I kept listening, thinking, reading, and searching.</div>
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On a July afternoon that <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">year,</span> while cooking lunch for myself, I listened to John preach on the holiness of God. I hung on every word of the message as John walked through the Scriptures. How awesome is God was all I could think of. The image and picture kept getting bigger and better; I really got swept up by the message. And then for some odd reason, I thought about myself. My knees went weak, the blood drained from my face, and I lost my breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediate shock. For the first time in my <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">life,</span> I saw myself as God sees me. As tears streamed down my cheeks, God found me. Four simple words formed a chorus I cried for an hour, “I’m so sorry God”. I cried so hard it hurt.</div>
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God showed me that day how wrong I was. He showed me how utterly ugly my sin looked when compared to His holiness. There was only one path to peace with God – through Jesus Christ. Jesus, born of a virgin being fully God and <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">fully</span> man, lived a perfect life to fulfill the law of God. A law, which I could never keep myself. Then He laid his life down on the cross of Calvary to settle the debt I owed for my transgressions. A debt I could never repay myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After three days God raised Jesus from the grave, the divine receipt of an acceptable payment and proof of the hope we have in Him. A hope offered by His grace alone, through repentance and faith alone in Christ alone. A free gift offered on God’s terms, not conditionally accepted on mine.</div>
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My whole life I lived with the knowledge of the gospel, but I never believed it. I was never right with God. But when recognizing my need for a savior I turned away from my life and turned towards Christ. I realized that Jesus already did everything for me. There was nothing for me to offer, nothing for me to bring. I was dead in my own sins, but God raised me to life in Jesus through faith alone. I am in Christ because of God. I no longer look back at what I’ve done, but to what Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection. I now live humbly in the confidence of that hope through faith and admittedly, I’m not the person I once was.</div>
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A year ago, I found myself sitting across from my anesthesiologist the day before I was to undergo a very complicated surgery to remove a large tumor from my abdomen. I was frail, suffering, weak, and hurting. She struggled to find the words to explain to this young man with a young family that things just might not go, um, well. Then, in a moment of utter joy for me in the midst of my pain, I smiled and interrupted her, “It’s OK. Don’t worry. Whatever the outcome, my life is not in your hands, it’s in the hands of my God.” She saw a broken man who lives by faith, and it shocked her. I’d later learn that the surgeons were pleased with how effortless and uncomplicated the surgery was. Don’t get me wrong, it was brutal, but God is good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see those scars every day and smile. Those are not scars of pain, they’re scars of undeserved grace. Because I don’t know how I could have faced that situation without the peace of God, without peace with God.</div>
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That is exactly what God freely offers. Peace with Him. Turn away from yourself, and turn to Christ. Believe in Him and His finished work; that of dying for your sins and His defeat of death in resurrection. Turn to Christ not out of fear, but out of amazement for His undeserved grace. He loved us and died for us while we were sinners. And while none of us are worthy, He stands ready to forgive and welcome us to Him. There is nothing for us to add, just turn and believe. And that is the good news.</div>
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As another patch of fabric finds its place, I can’t help but notice that something is different today. This rather feeble looking blanket I’ve made has been joined to the perfect blanket of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Washed in the blood of His sacrifice, I marvel at how gracious and how merciful He has been towards me. His grace <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">through</span> faith on full display for the ages, to which we can only gaze upon and offer awestruck praise to Him. His divine holy masterpiece that will never be folded, never put <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">away,</span> and never forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-7101592402847483502018-05-26T13:30:00.000+02:002018-05-26T13:49:54.425+02:00PM101OL - Critical Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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PM101OL - Highlights and Lowlights</h2>
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The final grade was posted a couple days ago for PM101OL which means it's time to reflect on how things went in the course. So I'll offer a critical review of the class and my performance throughout. As with any endeavor, there were things that were done well, and things that could have been done better. Without pulling any punches, here are my highlights and lowlights.</div>
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PM101OL - Spiritual Life</h3>
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There are a lot of different ways to evaluate a class and my intention is to be as objective as possible. However, it's also important to gauge how subjectively valuable the course was to me personally and how much it contributes to my personal goals in attending DTS. So this breakdown will cover the gamut in terms of criteria<br />
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I'll be very honest up front. Out of all the classes I've taken at DTS thus far (and for that matter in my engineering degrees), this was without a doubt my least favorite. That's harsh you say - wait it gets even more confounding... This class had some of the best teaching, practical learning, and personal application out of all the classes I've ever taken. It's like academic motion-sickness - my brain is simultaneously saying this is great - and this really stinks at the same time. I honestly have a hard time qualifying what I've just experienced - but I'll try. Just be warned this post may end up being quite a long read. </div>
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<b>Professor:</b> Dr. Anderson did a great job building the material for this course. It's a course that forces us to think at both macro and micro levels when we talk about spirituality and he does a great job with defining our 'quest for a life that is spiritual.' His lectures are thought-provoking and humbling. And it's obvious that he is very passionate about what he teaches. Dr. Anderson moves very fast through the material but scores major points by constantly tying all the elements of teaching together through constant repetition - and with the larger motif of Scripture. His enthusiasm and pace can be a bit draining, but by the midpoint of the course, you find yourself in its rhythm where you'll be able to really soak up the topics. Dr. Anderson does warn students that his course is structured differently from other courses by design and that we need to ensure we understand that clearly in order to get the most of it. I'll talk more about the structure in a bit. <br />
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<b>Texts:</b> There are three primary texts in the course; <i>The Grace Awakening</i> by Charles Swindoll, <i>He That Is Spiritual</i> by Lewis Sperry Chafer, and <i>Desiring the Kingdom</i> by James K.A. Smith. Additionally, there are a number of articles to read which factor into a number of the discussions that take place during the course. Smith's book is the primary text that we are intended to focus on in terms of our learning. While I didn't particularly disagree with any of the points Smith makes, I really wasn't a fan of the book. I think his main argument was valid and he could have been a lot more pity in making his point. For me, it was the writing style of which I was not a big fan. So I did suffer through the discussions a bit but this was more a personal preference issue. I did like both the texts by Swindoll and Chafer and felt those really aided the learning and discussions - more practically than Smith's.</div>
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<b>Online Format:</b> OK, this is where the wheels really fell off the bus for me. Taking this course is an exercise in personal discipline. This is a class that is designed to be taken in person so the online format felt a bit like trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole. One of the advantages of taking a class online is to have the ability to arrange my learning around everything else going on in my life (family, work, church, etc.). The structure of this course destroys that freedom. The modules are time locked so not only are you precluded from working ahead, you can't even see what's ahead. That adds no small amount of stress to try to keep up. Additionally, the due dates for the assignments run on consecutive days, so many modules have work to be done by Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (CET timezone) during the week. This was very painful for me as an online student - and I <b>REALLY</b> didn't like this structure.<br />
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One really cool thing however about the class format was the requirement to attend five WebEx sessions with the broader class. These were graded discussions which did compel us to contribute, but unlike any other class I've taken thus far, I got to really know my fellow classmates and I developed a few really nice friendships with my peers. In an online education format, this is truly an outstanding accomplishment.<br />
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So overall, I had mixed feelings about the online format - good and bad. </div>
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<b>Graduate Teaching Assistant:</b> Had a very good GTA for the course who moderated our WebEx sessions well and was engaged with us throughout the course. There was a modicum of graciousness that needed to be extended to the GTA this semester for circumstances outside of his control, so it suffices to say he did a great job under the circumstances.</div>
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<b>Grading:</b> There were a lot of assignments to be graded in this course which I'll detail below, but overall the grading was fair but far stricter than in the other classes I've taken at DTS to date. However, it's important to note that this was still objective. We were asked to demonstrate that we understood what we were being taught - even if that might differ a bit from our own theological positions. This was clear to all and just a point to remember as we were completing our assignments.<br />
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There were five (5) graded WebEx discussions, three (3) graded spiritual life papers (5 pages each), eight (8) graded class discussions, ten (10) graded reflection notes from the video lectures (3 to 5 pages each), one (1) memorization project, one (1) graded spiritual discipline paper (3 pages), and one (1) graded integration paper (7 pages). Again, I'm not counting the reading assignments or the video lectures but I will point out that the video lectures were all un-graded. So if you're reading and you think to yourself that looks like a lot of work, you would be right.<br />
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I could write about each of these classes of assignments at length, but I'll be brief in simply stating that while a lot of work, they were all vital in tying the course material together and critical for meeting the course objectives. It was a tough slog at times, but worth it.<br />
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One minor point of difficulty was the timeliness of the grading. As mentioned, there were circumstances outside of the control of the GTA which led to some delays in some of the graded work. Again, it would be unfair and disingenuous for me to be critical on this point, but I simply state that as part of the experience of this particular course during this particular semester. But what better class to have a difficulty like this to put the learning material into practice? *smile*</div>
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<b>Time Commitment:</b> I spent 5.54 hours per credit hour per week on this course for a total of roughly 11 hours per week. I totaled about 177 hours of work over the course of the semester. This was way out of line for a two credit hour course. There is something to be said that it was my own decision on how much time to spend on my assignments, but as I'm trying to do the best I can, this is what it ended up being for me. No doubt given the comments I've mentioned about the grading indicates the seriousness by which I took the assignments.<br />
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As this course is being redesigned into a three-credit course, I'm hopeful that Dr. Anderson will be able to better balance the time commitments with the additional material of evangelism.</div>
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<b>Learning Objectives:</b> This class definitely satisfied all of the learning objectives of the course set out in the beginning. In fact, I'll go as far to say this class exceeded the expectations I had around the learning objectives.<br />
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There are two primary and important points to make here. First, this class brought a lot of clarity to terms and concepts that we frequently talk about in Christianity, only to discover that we don't really know what they mean and represent. This is humbling. As an example, what do we mean when we talk about God's holiness, or grace, or faith? All these are important topics that as Christians we have rather nebulous and surface level understanding of.<br />
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Second, tucked into this class was a DISC personality profile. I really appreciated taking this assessment because I learned a lot about myself. I am an SC profile. I like to be supportive and I like to plan and analyze things to keep things on track. There is far more to this, but I point these things out because that also informs why I really didn't like the structure of this class. Delving into the unknown and dealing with things that upset my schedule is stressful for me.</div>
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<b>Personal Impact:</b> First and foremost, I learned how much I don't know. This is always humbling but also motivating in terms of my quest for a life that is spiritual. In this class, there are so many elements that are held in constant tension which are very typical of our spiritual lives. Not only do I have a better appreciation of my own weaknesses and why I have them, I also have a better understanding of God's grace and the power He freely gives me to overcome these challenges through the work of the Holy Spirit. <br />
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I would do myself the most egregious disservice by simply checking the box and saying that I'm finished with this course. I hope in the near future to fully review my work for this course to continually remind myself of what I've learned and how to apply that in my life moving forward in service to God and others.</div>
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<b>Overall:</b> Again, wasn't a big fan of this class *laughing*. But you can tell from my brief writing how much I value what I experienced and learned in the course. It's quite frankly maddening to have this internal conflict about this class. So my final statement would rather be - this is a tremendously important class that contains valuable teaching with practical and meaningful applications. I have no doubt that the combined course moving forward will preserve these vital points and anyone taking this course can expect to be challenged and greatly enriched by taking it.</div>
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Highlights:</h3>
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<li>Faculty and staff are highly committed to the students and their learning.</li>
<li>Online format delivers information in multiple formats which significantly enhances the ability to learn and retain information (video, audio, transcripts).</li>
<li>This class is personally challenging and requires a lot of introspection. </li>
<li>This class brings a lot of clarity to nominal Christian terminology that everyone uses but rarely considers the full ramification and significance of. </li>
<li>This class forces the student to engage with their peers in meaningful and edifying ways. This was a truly exceptional feat for an online course!</li>
<li>This class helps the student gain wisdom about what spiritual life really means (exegesis of Romans 6, 7, and 8) for the Christian.</li>
<li>This class teaches the student how to apply the learning in their own lives.</li>
<li>The introduction of spiritual disciplines is thought-provoking and enlightening on many levels.</li>
<li>Learning assignments supported the material well.</li>
<li>The repetition of key themes and how they relate to the larger motif of Scripture was excellent.</li>
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Lowlights:</h3>
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<li>The time commitment required for this course far exceeds the credit hour designation. This is really a three-credit course offered as a two-credit course and that would have creamed me if I was taking more classes than just the two-credit evangelism course.</li>
<li>Given the high degree of discipline needed to work through the course, this is a tough class to offer as an online class. You will be very busy and you will lose a lot of your freedom to plan your time accordingly.</li>
<li>The number of graded assignments is high leading to the first point about time commitments.</li>
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Just Need to Consider:</h3>
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<li>Grading is more strict and rigorous than in other classes. It is however objective and fair. In subjective areas (discussions, spiritual discipline paper), the grading was consistent and appropriate.</li>
<li>This is just my opinion and expectation - but I expect that the new combined class will follow a very similar format to this class. Therefore, if you take it as an online course, be careful and realistic with your overall schedule and plan accordingly. </li>
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So How Did I Do?</h3>
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Please keep in mind that I am only a part-time student and have taken only four credits this semester. Therefore, the additional time needed for this particular class presented some difficulty, but this was not insurmountable.<br />
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I was very pleasantly surprised with my final grade. I had been a bit resigned to the fact that I was probably going to be finishing in the B+ to A- range, but when all was said and done, I received a final grade of an A in the course. It was never about the grade though, but about what I learned and what I'll take away from this class. I didn't exactly enjoy this course, but I treasure what I've learned.</div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-92082039168616324462018-05-25T09:30:00.000+02:002018-05-25T09:30:11.748+02:00PM102OL - Critical Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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PM102OL - Highlights and Lowlights</h2>
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The final grade was posted a couple days ago for PM102OL which means it's time to reflect on how things went in the course. So I'll offer a critical review of the class and my performance throughout. As with any endeavor, there were things that were done well, and things that could have been done better. Without pulling any punches, here are my highlights and lowlights.</div>
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PM102OL -Evangelism</h3>
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There are a lot of different ways to evaluate a class and my intention is to be as objective as possible. However, it's also important to gauge how subjectively valuable the course was to me personally and how much it contributes to my personal goals in attending DTS. So this breakdown will cover the gamut in terms of criteria. I like the format that I used for reviewing my last class, so you'll forgive me for just sticking with that script.</div>
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<b>Professor:</b> Dr. Jones (in the lectures) is a very engaging lecturer and an outstanding guide to Scripture. For this class, we read the Gospel of Mark where Dr. Jones brought a fascinating perspective to a very familiar text. In story-like fashion, we explored the richness and depth of the cultural setting which really brought out the significance of the message Mark was delivering. This he carried over effectively into his lectures on evangelism. It's all about having a conversation. Demystifying evangelism is a key component of the learning in this course and he prepared his students well for a life lived for sharing the good news of the gospel.<br />
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<b>Texts:</b> There were 3 primary texts for the class; <i>True Evangelism</i> by Lewis Sperry Chafer, <i>The Reason for God</i> by Tim Keller, and a third text chosen from a list of options. For my third reading, I requested an exception to read <i>The Roman Catholic Controversy</i> by James White which Dr. Murphy (course professor) agreed to allow me to read. All three texts contributed positively to the learning and the discussions for different reasons. I especially enjoyed the books by Chafer and White as these were both engaging, educational, well organized, and easy to read. After each book, a two-page synopsis of key learning items and personal application were developed. </div>
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<b>Online Format:</b> No complaints here. This course was paced extremely well and I never felt rushed to get through any of the lectures. When integrated with the learning assignments, it was just a real smooth class that kind of hummed along. The only challenge I had was that I actually finished all my lectures way ahead of time which left me with a pretty long gap (about a month) to prepare my final project. While this may sound great, I had the fight the temptation of relaxing to keep chipping away at my final project. </div>
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<b>Graduate Teaching Assistant:</b> Once again, I was blessed with a really great GTA. He was helpful, very responsive to my emails, and gave me a proper amount of guidance towards my final project. When I hit one little speedbump in my assignment work, he was gracious and gave me another couple days to complete one of my assignments (I came down with a flu-like virus and needed a couple more days to arrange one of my interviews). At this point in my studies, I can't say how pleased I have been with all of my GTAs, and this course was no exception.</div>
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<b>Grading:</b> I'm not going to comment on the video lectures or the reading assignments as those are just checklist tasks that have to be completed. After that, there were 3 major areas of grading; personal testimony paper, personal interviews, and a final gospel project. I was very pleased with all the assignments as they are very practical and useful outside of the classroom environment.<br />
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I was especially pleased with the opportunity to write a personal testimony from an evangelistic perspective. What started out as a simple project assignment turned out to be a very practical paper that I've had an opportunity to discuss and share in my own evangelistic outreach locally. While the paper is primarily about my journey of receiving grace through faith, it's really about the gospel. I think in the coming weeks I'll actually post it on my blog.<br />
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Next, the interviews were really just conversations about God with those outside the faith around me. Sharing the gospel is about having a conversation, not just preaching the good news. These activities forced me to do a lot more listening and a lot less talking. Four of the six interviews that I held actually led to a discussion about the gospel where I was able to clearly share the gospel. This activity brought some discipline and patience to my evangelistic approach for which I'm grateful.<br />
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Finally, the gospel project formed the capstone of all the learning in the course. I decided to develop a gospel tract to evangelize people within the church. Weird you say? Perhaps a little bit but there is a reason the Scriptures call us to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith and this tract looks at that from several different angles. I may publish this as well, but there are a few things I actually want to tweak before I do so. To be continued.<br />
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Overall I found the grading to be timely, objective, and fair. I received good feedback on all my assignments and they were graded very promptly which is always encouraging and helped me prepare for my next round of assignments.</div>
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<b>Time Commitment:</b> I spent nearly 3.24 hours per credit hour per week on this course for a total of roughly 6.5 hours per week. I totaled about 104 hours of work over the course of the semester. This was perhaps the best-organized class I've taken thus far in terms of having a properly balanced workload. For a 2 credit course, this was spot on.</div>
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<b>Learning Objectives:</b> This class definitely satisfied all of the learning objectives of the course set out in the beginning. The learning assignments supported the teaching well and I have grown and learned a lot that I can put into practice in my work, my community, and my church.</div>
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<b>Personal Impact:</b> Evangelism is invigorating. The things I've learned in this class didn't change the message of the gospel (the gospel never changes), but it did add to how I present the gospel. I'm definitely more patient in my discussions and much more organized in my presentation.</div>
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<b>Overall:</b> Loved the class. This course in the future is going to get folded into the Spiritual Life course where the material will be combined. I hope the learning assignments and teaching remain similar as it really was a great and valuable course.</div>
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Highlights:</h3>
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<li>Online format affords a high degree of flexibility in managing time for completing assignments.</li>
<li>Faculty and staff are highly committed to the students and their learning.</li>
<li>Online format delivers information in multiple formats which significantly enhances the ability to learn and retain information (video, audio, transcripts).</li>
<li>This class forces you to engage in conversations with others from a gospel perspective. You may have to stretch yourself to talk about faith and the gospel but that is a great thing.</li>
<li>This course demystifies personal evangelism in very practical ways.</li>
<li>Learning assignments supported the material well and were interesting and quite frankly, fun.</li>
<li>Grading was forgiving and supported the student's application of the material.</li>
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Lowlights:</h3>
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<li>Don't laugh, but I would have liked to have been challenged with even more personal interviews with others. Of course, the point is, nothing is stopping me now from doing so.</li>
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So How Did I Do?</h3>
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Please keep in mind that I am only a part-time student and have taken only four credits this semester. Therefore, I was able to focus an appropriate amount of time on this course. That may not have been the case with a full course load...<br />
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All in all the course was well paced, engaging, and quite frankly fun. When all was said and done, I received an A+ in the course for which I'm very pleased. But more than a grade, I'm pleased with what I've learned and the principles that I'll carry with me in life long after my time at DTS is completed.</div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-12207840896975309252018-05-10T22:45:00.000+02:002018-05-10T22:46:31.411+02:00All Over but the Cryin'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Another Semester in the Books</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jKgWDV1lMjMh1JpAkrxIgjaYm-_VEUNA5ka8tmmcn3Bk_ks5RvKnmo5WuHgNr4H4MEkyQYNbI0dj4DoXEiEyUP-l93kJExSXIqPO3UEsmOMfY4jLFZWFRJqojV48cMM1rPMB8j-mq74/s1600/longform-original-32167-1415746043-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="715" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jKgWDV1lMjMh1JpAkrxIgjaYm-_VEUNA5ka8tmmcn3Bk_ks5RvKnmo5WuHgNr4H4MEkyQYNbI0dj4DoXEiEyUP-l93kJExSXIqPO3UEsmOMfY4jLFZWFRJqojV48cMM1rPMB8j-mq74/s320/longform-original-32167-1415746043-14.jpg" width="320" /></a>Well, it was a hard sprint to the end of the semester and plenty of Coke Zero was consumed over a number of sleepless nights. But all projects and papers have been turned in and it's all over by the cryin'. Right now I'm just waiting on my final grades and then I'll post my course reviews. This was a tough semester, but I'm generally pleased how everything went. Stay tuned as I'll be posting more in the coming days. Now I'm gonna get back to bed...</div>
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-71903547528410981562018-04-08T10:30:00.000+02:002018-04-08T11:03:39.149+02:00Controlled Chaos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Too Busy is a Real Thing</h2>
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With a little more than a month remaining in the semester, I thought it would be good to post an update on how things are going. The best way I can describe how things are at the moment is controlled chaos. Between changes at work, family needs, church commitments, and school, I've been crazy busy and I'm learning that there is such a thing as being too busy. There are battles raging for my time and admittedly, I'm not doing as well on these fronts as I could - but you already know this as this is my first post in over a month. Today I'll share a bit about this and how I plan to get things back on track in my crazy life!</div>
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How is School Going?</h3>
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PM102 (Evangelism) is really a great class. The lectures are engaging, the teaching is practical and thought-provoking and the assignment work is both challenging and fun. The pace of the course is excellent and I've actually nearly completed all the lecture and reading assignments. The last thing for me to really focus on is the final gospel project which accounts for 30% of my final grade. I'm hoping to share my final project here so you'll get to see what I've been working towards this semester. While I've refrained from posting my assignments out of respect for the integrity of the courses and learning, this assignment is something that is meant to be shared. With roughly a month to complete this assignment, I feel like I'm in good shape. I'll provide a much more thorough review at the end of the course as I have with the other courses I've taken thus far.<br />
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PM101 (Spiritual Life) is still a bit of an enigma to me. It's a bit ironic that I've learned so much thus far in this course which is really meaningful and beneficial for me, but this quite honestly has been one of my least favorite courses I've ever taken at the university level - yes even worse than Feedback Control Systems as an undergrad in Electrical Engineering. The learning material in PM101 is nothing short of outstanding and extremely useful, but there are two big issues I have at this point; First, this class is structured and organized in a way that is not well suited to distance learning, and second, the time commitment far exceeds the normal workload one would expect from a 2 credit course. So for me, it's all about the organization and not about the material!<br />
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It's also worth noting that the grading for the Spiritual Life is punishingly strict. Don't misunderstand, this is not a complaint, but rather I'm just pointing out that it is absolutely necessary to invest significant time in the course to hope to maintain an acceptable grade. If I was going to estimate my final grade in this course right now, I'd say that I'm going to be looking at a B+. I'm currently sitting at an A, but I've been consistently getting B+s in the more heavily weighted assignments so I think that it is reasonable to expect that's where I'll finish. It's never been about the grades so I've made my peace with this a long time ago, and I'll be happy with that as the material really has been great and has significantly contributed to my understanding of the story of the Bible and my place in the 'quest for a life that is spiritual'.</div>
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What's Next</h3>
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Well, I'm not sure, to be honest. I'm signed up to take ST104 Soteriology with Dr. Kreider again as a Summer course which I'm really excited about. I'm just not sure how I'm going to be able to pay for it but I have another week to hopefully find a way. Recent changes in my job have required me to effectively take a 10% pay cut. Given that the cost of my studies is about 12% of my yearly income, this presents a real challenge. </div>
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I'm praying about it and have a few more days to determine if it will be possible for me to continue in the program. This probably wouldn't have been a major issue if I hadn't already lost a semester due to my medical situation, but if I can't keep pace with the course load, I won't be able to finish the program on time. And as much as I love the program, I can't really justify this kind of spending towards a non-degree program. I might perhaps be better served taking remote courses at another institution for the education at a fraction of the cost of DTS.</div>
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I'm not out of options yet though, so we'll see what happens.</div>
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Getting Less Busy</h3>
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So as I'm just bonkers busy right now, what am I going to do to bring some organization back to my life to break this routine of controlled chaos? Well, in my Spiritual Life class, I have an assignment to engage in a spiritual disciple for the next two weeks. In trying to determine what discipline I should pursue, I've taken an inventory of where I'm spending all of my time during my days and seeking to find areas that I might be able to put away for the time being to free up time to work on my spiritual life and regular life for that matter. <br />
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I had kind of a 'duh' moment in reflecting on my time investments and in the coming weeks I'll be looking to put away digital entertainment and focusing more on my prayer life and time in God's Word. By my rough estimates, I'll even have plenty of time left over for a lot of other things that I've perhaps neglected (Don't get too excited, I won't be posting during this time). I think it was perhaps a little concerning to see the amount of time I actually spend consuming digital entertainment; internet, YouTube, Facebook, news, Xbox, TV, etc. So I'm kind of curious to see what the outcome of this discipline will be. <br />
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This is just another example of how beneficial my Spiritual Life course has been despite my aversion to its structure and execution. Again, weird! So I look forward to telling you all about on the back end of my self imposed blackout. </div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-6300852042446756982018-02-03T10:32:00.000+01:002018-02-03T10:35:40.143+01:00The Pernicious Road to Wrath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Evidence of God's Wrath in Society Today</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAgIFCA64DVVbPEl5B_Fh8HAR_XMYs8nhjw1aSchKEtP-riDsooSBa6ogeBvRQil4U5Ts0RnzfhQGJOKRa5ucixatllqI-rRgAC2Y8pCT04_vz_K7xkh_z5hRG1ghmoq0xTgCbAU46wk/s1600/grapes_13621922962518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="600" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAgIFCA64DVVbPEl5B_Fh8HAR_XMYs8nhjw1aSchKEtP-riDsooSBa6ogeBvRQil4U5Ts0RnzfhQGJOKRa5ucixatllqI-rRgAC2Y8pCT04_vz_K7xkh_z5hRG1ghmoq0xTgCbAU46wk/s200/grapes_13621922962518.jpg" width="200" /></a>I'm still struggling a little bit with the mechanics of my Spiritual Life class (palm meet forehead), but the course material and lessons are really good. As I was viewing the course video "The Results of Sin" I was really struck by a point Dr. Anderson made while arguing for the case that one result of sin is that we live under the wrath of God. What really slapped me in the face was his interpretation of the evidence of this in society today. I had my first, ohhhhhhh, moment of the semester yesterday. I'm calling it the pernicious road to wrath and I think it might be interesting to continue to reflect on this today.<br />
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Romans 1:28-32 (NASB95)</h3>
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<span class="text Rom-1-28" id="en-NASB-27959">[28] And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, [29] </span><span class="text Rom-1-29" id="en-NASB-27960">being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; <i>they are</i> gossips, [30] </span><span class="text Rom-1-30" id="en-NASB-27961">slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents</span><span class="text Rom-1-31" id="en-NASB-27962">, [31] without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;</span> <span class="text Rom-1-32" id="en-NASB-27963">[32] and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.</span><br />
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<span class="text Rom-1-32" id="en-NASB-27963">The immediate context of this passage is found in verse 18 declaring that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. These are not verses that we are unfamiliar with, in fact, many of us know these verses from memory. They are of course very clear in the message that they are presenting. But I think that in our study, we tend to look at these verses from a very narrow and individual perspective. In other words, when God gives a person over to pursue their own lusts, it is manifest in their behavior and we focus on the individual aspect of that. A small-scale interpretation if you will.</span><br />
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<span class="text Rom-1-32" id="en-NASB-27963">However, Dr. Anderson's point was that there is a societal element to this that we can observe. When we see large shifts in the societal and cultural norms away from God, we will see the corresponding effects of the wrath of God across that society. So when we flippantly say, doesn't it seem like things are always getting worse in the culture around us? That's actually probably true. As God gives more and more of a society away to depraved minds, from a standpoint of righteousness, things are going to build and spiral towards more unrighteousness. And as we read in verse 32, this will be welcomed and embraced by that society.</span><br />
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<span class="text Rom-1-32" id="en-NASB-27963">This is a truly terrifying thought. That when we see evidence of this pattern in society, what we are really seeing is evidence of God's wrath and judgment. But I also find this oddly encouraging for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the Scripture message is affirmed. We are seeing exactly what God told us we'd see. Second, this gives us a sense purpose. The only hope that a society and the members of that society have is through the gospel that they're rebelling against. We are the ones who need to bring the truth of gospel message forward. And Finally, this gives us a sense of urgency. The Bible is replete with historical narratives of the judgment of God against societies. They all end horribly for those societies and this should motivate us to immediate action. </span><br />
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<span class="text Rom-1-32" id="en-NASB-27963">What Now?</span></h3>
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<span class="text Rom-1-32" id="en-NASB-27963">The dangerous thing about cultural shifts is they often happen slowly and gradually, or in steps and stages. It can be very easy to overlook the long-term effects of these changes especially as they pertain to holiness. We become desensitized to the sin around us and our spiritual senses become dulled. Rather than allowing ourselves to slip into a spiritual coma, we can identify that we're on this pernicious road to wrath, and turn that recognition into immediate action in proclaiming the message of the gospel.</span><br />
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<span class="text Rom-1-32" id="en-NASB-27963">Are you slowly slipping away caught in the current of society's relativistic and deviant views of righteousness? Or are you growing in a sense of urgency towards bringing the gospel to these societies that are moving towards their own destruction? Carefully think about that.</span><br />
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-39312418853152244112018-01-24T06:56:00.001+01:002018-01-24T06:56:34.420+01:00Spiritual Life and Evangelism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A Tale of Two Classes</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTDPi446rd0KZjdr_r_2zohTWMgj7vDOETUyeHyBxAArqoCl2cD71zD4CSzxk3GbtO4CjgNlb4t9j_VtqOVWnqJNTHgLS4xE10vbpdC-6TAoomHYNOw-teIR2zyAZauz-JCotgsuPk-g/s1600/quick_start-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTDPi446rd0KZjdr_r_2zohTWMgj7vDOETUyeHyBxAArqoCl2cD71zD4CSzxk3GbtO4CjgNlb4t9j_VtqOVWnqJNTHgLS4xE10vbpdC-6TAoomHYNOw-teIR2zyAZauz-JCotgsuPk-g/s200/quick_start-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>I'm a little over a week into the Spring semester and I thought I'd post a little update on what I'm up to. This semester I'm taking PM101OL Spiritual Life and PM102OL Evangelism. What is surprising to me right out of the gate is how differently these courses are structured and it is obvious to me that this semester will very much be a tale of two classes.</div>
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PM102OL Evangelism</h3>
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You ever just start something and immediately know you're going to like it? Yeah, that's pretty much the vibe I'm already getting from this course. This course is going to require no small amount of work but it looks to be well organized and scheduled accordingly to allow me to work through things at a comfortable pace.<br />
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I'm already into Module 3 in this course which believe it or not means I'm pretty much on track. The course is moving a really good clip but it's chunked up in such a way that the modules are pretty short. I can already see though that there are going to be some major assignments at the end of the semester which are going to end up accounting for most of my grade. Very similar to ST101OL in that regard, but as long as I keep my head in the game, this shouldn't be a problem.<br />
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The other thing that I'm really looking forward to is the fact that this is more than just a theoretical class in evangelism. We're gonna have to get out and meet and talk with folks in an evangelistic setting. From what I can see so far, this is really focused on building conversations and I'm excited to get started which I'll be beginning to do this week. Stay tuned!</div>
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PM101OL Spiritual Life</h3>
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Hey Dave, you listed the classes backward. I suppose that I did but it's difficult for me to say much about this class at the moment as it is completely different from PM102OL. The challenge for me is that I only have visibility to the next 7 to 10 days of work in the course.<br />
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The professor has structured this course in such a way to model the experience of a classroom setting. While this may sound like a good thing, for someone like me, it actually defeats the purpose of choosing to study online. If it was possible for me to attend class on campus, I would have done so. So the downer to this is that I have zero ability to plan my approach to taking this class and with my schedule, this could end up being a disaster. Case in point, for my assignment next Monday, I'll actually be stepping out of client meetings in order to attend a mandatory WebEx with my class section. Hardly ideal.<br />
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That said, my GTA is sympathetic to my case and has graciously offered to work with me in advance if any of the due dates in the future become difficult for me. I sincerely hope I don't need to take him up on that, but I do very much appreciate his consideration to be flexible. The ironic thing about this to me at this point seems to be that the most stressful course I've taken thus far at the seminary, is a course on spiritual life. <br />
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Of course, I'm not going to pass judgment this early in the semester, just letting you know that this course is very much a journey into the unknown. While I'm certainly having doubts about having signed up for this class, the subject matter looks outstanding, to be honest, and I really hope that isn't ruined by the online class structure. Also stay tuned.</div>
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Overall Impression</h3>
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So we're off in Spring 2018. It sure seems to figure to be an interesting semester at any rate. My expectation is that I'll be investing a lot of time in both these courses and likely more than the 2 credit hours perhaps should. I do know that this course combination is going to be replaced in the future with one class covering both items. I'll look to provide a little more detail on that in the future once I get a better sense of classes. But we're off and I'm looking forward to really getting into the thick of the material.</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-36435964216842434042018-01-08T22:48:00.000+01:002018-01-08T22:50:46.825+01:00How Did I Ever Manage without This?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Zotero: The Bibliographic Lifesaver</h2>
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One of the biggest benefits of taking RS101OL was a small little piece of advice that was given to us during one of the video lectures: that was about using bibliographic software. I wasn't really up to learning how to use a new software tool this semester but I decided to give Zotero a try. After using it for a couple of days I honestly had to ask myself, "How did I ever manage without this?" Zotero was not only easy to use, for me it was a bibliographic lifesaver.</div>
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Full Disclosure</h3>
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There are a number of programs available to help organize your sources that integrate with your word processing software to make creating footnotes and a bibliography much easier. I didn't put a whole lot of thought into choosing Zotero, in fact, it was a pretty easy decision for me. I was really attracted to Zotero's price tag, or rather it's freeness. Despite being free, I found it to be more than capable to handle the kind of sourcing I was doing. In time, perhaps I might consider a more fully featured software program, but to be honest, I can't think of too much more I'd want to do that I can't already do with Zotero.</div>
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Its Simplicity is Misleading</h3>
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Installation was a breeze and I had Zotero up in running in no time. Being the stereotypical guy that I am, I passed on looking at any documentation to actually learn how to use the software and just dove right in. What is immediately striking about Zotero when you first run it is how simple it really is. I mean it's really Spartan in terms of what you see when you run the program. Despite having an initial feeling that this was going to be just too vanilla for my needs, I gave it a whirl. Turns out, Zotero's simplicity is just that - simple; but its simplicity is not indicative of its functionality. It's still flexible enough to handle even the toughest kinds of citations you'll need to develop.</div>
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Some Assembly Required</h3>
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After quickly falling in love with the ease of setting up sources in the database, I decided to go ahead and install the plugins for Microsoft Word 2013. Well, this didn't work for me out of the box and I had to do a little research to finally get the plugin to show up on my toolbar. What was nice is that Zotero runs a support forum and after a few minutes I found the information that I needed and then I was all set up with Word. Overall, it was just a hiccup in my overall experience.</div>
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Cool Features</h3>
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There are a number of features that I've come to rely on heavily when it comes to managing my bibliographic work which I immediately found useful in my writing for DTS which I'll note below.</div>
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<li>Automatically format footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography in Turabian format. DTS uses the Turabian format and I didn't have any issues at all in having all my sources for my work show up in the proper format.</li>
<li>Automatically import sources using ISBN numbers. Rather than entering all the information manually, Zotero allows you to specify an ISBN number and it then downloads the appropriate information for your source. There are a couple of gotchas though:</li>
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<li>You'll probably have to reformat some of the information that it retrieves. This is not really a problem as all the right information is present, but you may have to fiddle with the title capitalization, the publisher location, and other minor data points. </li>
<li>I did find one case where the downloaded information was totally incorrect. Just keep in mind that Zotero doesn't manage that information and you'll need to carefully double check all the data to make sure it's what you expect it to be.</li>
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<li>You can create collections of materials that make managing your projects very easy. Rather than having a huge master list of sources that you need to filter through everytime you cite a source, you can drag sources into a collection so when you are citing many sources, you have a pre-filtered list to choose from. Very handy! </li>
<li>Integration with MS Word was very easy to use once I got it set up. You just click the toolbar to add a citation, select the format, and voila! Once you're all finished citing your work, you just click to add a bibliography and you're all done.</li>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Overall Impression</h3>
Zotero is free and a breeze to get comfortable to use. I saved myself hours and hours of time this semester as almost all of my papers for ST101OL required the use of the Turabian formatted sources. I honestly don't know how I made it to this point in my academic career without using this kind of tool. I couldn't be happier with Zotero, but in general, I've come to believe that having some kind of integrated software program for bibliography management is essential when writing papers for my DTS courses. Do it, you won't regret it.<br />
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-29902109409323054452018-01-06T11:53:00.000+01:002018-01-09T08:50:48.803+01:00RS101OL - Critical Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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RS101OL - Highlights and Lowlights</h2>
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The final grade was posted a couple days ago for RS101OL which means it's time to reflect on how things went in the course. So I'll offer a critical review of the class and my performance throughout. As with any endeavor, there were things that were done well, and things that could have been done better. Without pulling any punches, here are my highlights and lowlights.</div>
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RS101OL - Orientation and Research Methods</h3>
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There are a lot of different ways to evaluate a class and my intention is to be as objective as possible. However, it's also important to gauge how subjectively valuable the course was to me personally and how much it contributes to my personal goals in attending DTS. So this breakdown will cover the gamut in terms of criteria. I like this format for reviewing my classes, so you'll forgive me for just sticking with that script.</div>
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<b>Professor:</b> Billy Todd is officially the instructor for this course but it would be a little disingenuous to single him out when reviewing this class. The truth is that there are many instructors who deliver the class lectures depending on the topic of the lesson. In general, each professor did a good job with their lectures, but it was a little difficult to get into a rhythm in the class given the constantly changing speakers. Overall, the course was more of a collage of topics rather than an integrated stream formulated around a consistent theme.</div>
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<b>Texts:</b> There were only three main texts (four if you count the DTS supplement to Turabian) which each served a unique purpose in the course. Of the three, <i>A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers</i> by Kate Turabian is the most useful, not only for this course but for the DTS program in general. While a little intimidating at first, it doesn't take long to get used to the style and DTS simplifies things a bit by providing Word templates that make writing papers a snap. Michael Kibbs book <i>From Topic to Thesis: A guide to Theological Research</i> was also useful in beginning to take some of the mystery out of formulating a thesis topic which will be helpful in the future when I begin working on my thesis project.</div>
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<b>Online Format:</b> As usual, the online format was robust and great. The material presented in the videos was helpful and contributed significantly to completing the learning assignments. What is interesting in this class, however, is that no credit is given for actually watching the course lectures. I did find this a bit strange as you can't really do the assignments easily without watching the videos.</div>
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<b>Graduate Teaching Assistant:</b> So far at DTS, I'm three for three with GTAs. My GTA in this course was again outstanding and very quick to respond to any questions that I had throughout the semester. Always thoughtful, helpful, and professional.</div>
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<b>Grading:</b> Grading for me in this class was a mixed bag. As previously mentioned, there was no credit given for actually watching the video courses. Maybe it's me, but I'm just not a fan of doing work without getting any credit. The learning assignments, however, were very interesting and significantly contributed to the learning. They were also for the most part objective assignments which meant the grading was really based on putting the time in to produce the right answers. And then there was the exam on using the Turabian format. While the exam was only 10 questions, it accounted for 10% of the final grade. There was very little room for error even though this was an open book exam (I hate these kinds of exams even more than exams in general) and it was disappointing that so much of the final grade was placed on 15 minutes of work during the semester. I nearly blew it by actually getting 1.5 questions wrong which did vex me a little bit after I finished the test. That said, at the end of the course when final marks were given, my final grade was actually rounded up which pleased me greatly.</div>
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<b>Time Commitment:</b> I spent exactly 3 hours per credit hour per week on this course for a total of roughly 3 hours per week or 8 hours per module. I totaled about 49 hours of work over the course of the semester which for a 1 credit class was perfect. The thing to keep in mind for this course is the modules are pretty spaced out during the semester which is nice but you have to keep a close eye on things so that nothing slips through the cracks.</div>
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<b>Learning Objectives:</b> As mentioned previously, the class is more of a collage of related topics so it's not surprising to find the learning objectives follow suit. In general, all the learning objectives are helpful to better understanding the material and provide an opportunity to directly apply the learning using real examples. Also mentioned before, most of the assignments are objectively graded (either right or wrong answers) so it's important to just be thorough in making sure you understand what is being asked and double checking your answers to ensure they're right.</div>
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<b>Personal Impact:</b> This is the kind of class you take just because you have to. It's not the most interesting learning and can at times seem more like a chore. That said, there are enough little things that you will pick up during this class that are immediately helpful in other areas of the DTS program. Learning to use the library tools, learning about the Turabian style of writing, and learning about bibliographic software programs are among the highlights of practical learning in this course that will no doubt help me as I continue through the program.</div>
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<b>Overall:</b> It's an important course that prepares students for success in other courses where the amount of time required is fair and balanced for the number of course credits. It's important to take the work in the class seriously as there is little room for error which is partly due to the fact that it's only one credit hour.</div>
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Highlights:</h3>
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<li>Online format affords a high degree of flexibility in managing time for completing assignments.</li>
<li>Faculty and staff are highly committed to the students and their learning.</li>
<li>Online format delivers information in multiple formats which significantly enhances the ability to learn and retain information (video, audio, transcripts).</li>
<li>Good focus on learning the Turabian format which is required for the rest of the DTS program.</li>
<li>The broad set of topics covered deliver lots of little nuggets of wisdom that can be immediately applied and used within the broader program.</li>
<li>Introduced to bibliographic software which immediately improved my experience in my other course.</li>
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Lowlights:</h3>
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<li>The class can seem a bit choppy as it covers such a broad range of topics.</li>
<li>Very little room for error in completing the assignments if you're striving for top marks. This is partly due to how the final grade distribution is structured and you need to be mindful of the grade weights when working through the material.</li>
<li>In retrospect, it would have been nice if they could have spent a little more time covering Logos topics as there is still much to be learned in using that software package.</li>
<li>There are only 6 modules to complete over 15 weeks which is very comfortable but requires a little discipline in time management. It would be easy to slip into a false sense of comfort and let things slide to the last minute. While this wouldn't be a catastrophic situation in this class, it would nonetheless be uncomfortable.</li>
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Strategy and Best Practices</h3>
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So I think it's helpful to discuss a little bit my approach to the class and give you some best practices for getting the most out of the class and meeting your goals.</div>
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<li>I was very keen to focus on starting the learning assignments early so I'd have plenty of time to make sure I was pleased with the work I was submitting. This is probably one of the best success factors for any course and good habit of getting into.</li>
<li>I definitely made things a little more difficult for myself by giving 1.5 final grade points away on the Turabian exam. So how did that happen. Well, on one question I just didn't read it carefully enough and overlooked a part of one of the answers. That happens and it's hard to get overly upset about that. The second wrong answer was a function of me overthinking things when answering the question. My advice is simple, don't over analyze exam questions in any of your courses. This is the second class where I've gotten multiple exam questions wrong by overthinking the semantics of the question. Stick with your gut feeling and move on. More often than not, your gut feeling in this program will be correct. Did I ever mention in this blog how much I hate tests? :)</li>
<li>Learn to use bibliographic software. I chose to learn how to use Zotero because it was free and very straightforward to learn. I saved countless hours of time and effort by doing so. Zotero integrates nicely with Word and dropping citations into your papers is as easy as clicking a couple of buttons. Do it.</li>
<li>This is a one credit class and there aren't a lot of learning assignments. Don't be afraid to spend a little extra time on them. Especially the last assignment which requires the student to practice creating citations for a paper. It's not the most elegant assignment, but it's important to just take your time and identify the kind of work being cited and working through the five examples. Don't give away marks by rushing through the assignments. Sure you can complete some of these assignments in a matter of minutes, but what's a couple of hours of extra thought over the course of the semester?</li>
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So How Did I Do?</h3>
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Please keep in mind that I am only a part-time student and have taken only four credits this semester. Therefore, I was able to schedule a comfortable amount of time for this course. That would have been a little trickier with a full course load...<br />
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Despite the minor frustration of giving away 1.5 final grade points on my Turabian exam, I was careful enough in the rest of my learning assignments to earn full marks. While technically, this should have resulted in an A for the course, my final grade was rounded up and I was awarded an A+. From a GPA perspective, it's a moot point, but it was nice to see the plus sign hanging off the end of my letter grade.<br />
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This class is a bit of a chore, but the GTA was great and the information learned was both necessary and beneficial. My advice is to just be careful and take your time to work through the material. It's not the most interesting class but it's an important one.</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-36905201540832978902018-01-02T19:24:00.000+01:002018-01-09T09:02:08.232+01:00ST101OL - Critical Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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ST101OL - Highlights and Lowlights</h2>
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The final grade was posted a couple days ago for ST101OL which means it's time to reflect on how things went in the course. So I'll offer a critical review of the class and my performance throughout. As with any endeavor, there were things that were done well, and things that could have been done better. Without pulling any punches, here are my highlights and lowlights.</div>
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ST101OL - Theological Method and Bibliology</h3>
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There are a lot of different ways to evaluate a class and my intention is to be as objective as possible. However, it's also important to gauge how subjectively valuable the course was to me personally and how much it contributes to my personal goals in attending DTS. So this breakdown will cover the gamut in terms of criteria. I like the format that I used for reviewing my last class, so you'll forgive me for just sticking with that script.</div>
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<b>Professor:</b> Dr. Kreider was an excellent professor in this class. Despite the videos being about two years old, he was very responsive to emails and posts when engaged and his feedback was thought-provoking and excellent. Dr. Kreider definitely challenges the student to think and consider study topics in ways that may seem new. This is a good thing and on more than one occasion I really found myself struggling to wrap my head around the subject matter - it was at these times that Dr. Kreider was most supportive and helpful in giving me just enough information to allow me to jump over the challenge at hand. His classroom presence was excellent and his style of teaching was engaging and interesting. I honestly was bummed when the lectures were finished because I wanted the class to keep going.</div>
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<b>Texts:</b> There were a ton of texts for this class and the reading is something that must be planned for accordingly. If you fall behind on the reading, there is little hope for recovering so don't do it. For the most part, the texts were interesting and supported the learning very well. A couple of the texts are worth reading twice for maximum retention and for responding to the assignments. I think all the reading was necessary, but I realize that I didn't retain as much as I would have liked. That's always going to be the case but I think the main objectives were covered extremely well by the reading. Did I mention to be careful not to fall behind on the reading?</div>
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<b>Online Format:</b> As usual, the online format was robust and great. I love how you can speed up the playback time on the videos to save a little time overall. Besides, as the video is playing, I'm also reading along with the transcript which really helped me soak up the material. I also love how I can play a lecture over if I am struggling to remember something clearly. This is definitely one of the areas where the online format is superior to a classroom format. I'm not saying that online learning is better than classroom learning, just that this is one of those areas where the online format is most helpful. The one thing I didn't like about this particular course was that the slides were not available for download. The transcripts were, but not the slides. This did little to the move the needle on the overall experience, but there were a few slides I would have liked to download for my own learning purposes.</div>
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<b>Graduate Teaching Assistant:</b> From my undergrad and previous graduate work, I always had a less than stellar opinion about GTAs. I repent of my foolishness. Once again I had an outstanding GTA who was engaging, gracious, and helpful at all the right times. Very polite and professional when emailing with him and he was very thorough with his feedback on my assignments. I found his feedback quite fair and he really forced me to think and reflect on things I might have missed or could have focused on more deeply. This was very helpful. Just like Dr. Kreider, my GTA never gave me the answers when I sought help but gave me enough information that with a little thought I was able to formulate my responses to my own satisfaction.</div>
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<b>Grading:</b> I'm not going to comment on the video lectures or the reading assignments as those are just checklist tasks that have to be completed. After that, there were 3 major areas of grading; the interactions, the assignments, and the final exam.<br />
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The interactions in this course were extremely difficult for me in terms of the subject matter that the interactions were addressing. It was very interesting to engage with my fellow students and have meaningful dialogs. In this course, I think these interactions really did aid in the learning of the topic and concepts that were being addressed.<br />
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Next, the assignments were very time consuming and these were exercises that could not be put off until the last minute. Despite always starting my assignments well before the due date, I nonetheless found myself butting right up against the deadlines. Maybe that's just my style, but I spent a lot of time writing and rewriting material until I was satisfied with my work. I knew these assignments were going to be challenging, so I was well prepared to handle them - but mark my words, don't fall behind and wait until the last minute - it won't end well.<br />
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Finally, the final exam was 25 questions and pretty straightforward. Honestly, I didn't study much (excuse me ... at all) for my final and it showed in my result. But that was really by design on my part and I'll discuss that a little further later.<br />
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Overall I found the grading to be timely, objective, fair, and gracious. The grading was really based on the thinking behind the interactions and the assignments as opposed to focusing strictly on the output. I really appreciated that and found that to be very motivational and encouraging.</div>
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<b>Time Commitment:</b> I spent nearly 4.5 hours per credit hour per week on this course for a total of roughly 13 hours per week or 21.3 hours per module. I totaled about 213 hours of work over the course of the semester. Yes, this is slightly more than I would have liked to commit to this course, but given the mountain of reading required, I kind of knew going into the class it was going to take more time to complete. If you're a fast reader, you might not spend as much time on the modules as I did.</div>
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<b>Learning Objectives:</b> This class definitely satisfied all of the learning objectives of the course set out in the beginning. Every single one of the learning assignments was challenging for different reasons which were both a little frustrating and ironically motivating. If you're like me, you won't submit anything in this course with a feeling of - nailed it. These assignments really stretch your thinking and push you to take some chances. This is a good thing though. It's better to mess up something here than out on the street when you're engaging someone in conversation. But I left this course with a better understanding of theological method and the common theological terminology. I also learned a fair bit about other worldviews and of course a little more about dispensationalism.</div>
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<b>Personal Impact:</b> This class impacted me full stop. I was very challenged to reflect on things that I perhaps had previously taken for granted. I honestly changed my position on certain things a little bit. There were no epiphanies for me in this course (which is good), but I've come to a more gracious position on a number of theological points. Additionally, the formulation of a doctrinal statement on bibliology was an outstanding exercise and despite being about as easy as writing your resume, was my favorite learning assignment this semester by far. The final personal impact for me was around the area of discernment. Most of the learning activities required a lot of thought and dealt with subjects that required a lot of discernment and consideration of differing views. While this was a very serious matter, I also found it very educational and quite frankly, fun.</div>
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<b>Overall:</b> They say what you get out of something is what you put into it. Yeah, I say that's pretty accurate. This is a class that requires a lot of your time, effort, and energy if you want to get the most out of it. But it is totally worth it. I was challenged, encouraged, and motivated to keep giving more and more and I got so much out in the end. I really loved my hermeneutics class, but this was more challenging and for that ST101OL is now my favorite course thus far at DTS. I hope they keep just getting better and better!</div>
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Highlights:</h3>
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<li>Online format affords a high degree of flexibility in managing time for completing assignments.</li>
<li>Faculty and staff are highly committed to the students and their learning.</li>
<li>Online format delivers information in multiple formats which significantly enhances the ability to learn and retain information (video, audio, transcripts).</li>
<li>The material is thought-provoking and challenging. This is not a class you can sleepwalk through.</li>
<li>Learning assignments supported the material well and were interesting and quite frankly, fun.</li>
<li>Grading was forgiving and supported the student's application of the material.</li>
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Lowlights:</h3>
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<li>This class requires a little more time due to the reading assignments and the nature of the material on which the learning assignments are based. This is not overly burdensome, just a recognition that more work than usual is required.</li>
<li>The reading required is immense and you must plan accordingly or risk falling desperately behind. I stayed on top of things just fine by always putting a book in my hand when I had some free time. But if you slip here, it'll be rough.</li>
<li>Some of the material tackled in the class requires more personal study in other fields and areas. Having a more scientific education background, I was a little unprepared for the philosophical background of some of the learning. Therefore, I had to spend some time to catch up in this area, but the way the class was structured, I was able to learn the necessary background comfortably without running the risk of falling behind. It's a little unfair to call this a lowlight, it's more of a just so you know what you're getting into kind of a thing.</li>
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Strategy</h3>
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So I think it's helpful to discuss a little bit my approach to the class and give you some best practices for getting the most out of the class and meeting your goals.</div>
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<li>Read Jack Deere's book (Module 10) the first week of class before you do anything else. The largest learning assignment is a response to this book that will take a lot of time and planning to do well. If you read this early and take some notes, it'll give you time to read it a second time later before the assignment. I was thankful that I did this as I really saw so much more in the book when reading it the second time that helped me cut through the clutter and quickly formulate a clear strategy for my response. Plus, if you've already gone through the book once, Dr. Kreider's comments in the lecture make a lot more sense and also help prepare you for the assignment.</li>
<li>I hate exams. I hate exams because I really suck at taking them. My goal academically speaking was to get an A in the class and I didn't want to have to rely on my test taking skills to be the difference between an A or A- or B+. Therefore, my strategy was to really focus all of my time and effort on the interactions and learning assignments. The idea was that if I did really well on those, the final exam would be more of an afterthought in terms of impacting my final grade. So I reasoned that even without studying much, I should be able to manage a 50% or better on my final exam. As the final only counted for 5% of the final grade, that left me with a little wiggle room on my assignments. For me, that was an acceptable risk worth taking. I'll also note that there was no A+ listed in the syllabus for this class so I was looking at scoring better than a 96 for an overall grade.</li>
<li>Two learning assignments account for 40% of the final grade. One is a doctrinal synthesis paper (2 pages single-spaced), and the other is a theological method response to Deere's book (15 pages double-spaced). My plan was to start these as soon as I could to maximize my time to rewrite and revise. Both are uniquely challenging for different reasons and I honestly believe it would be difficult if not impossible to produce fine quality work by waiting until the last minute. That goes double for the theological method paper - I was so sick of looking at it by the time I turned it in *smile*.</li>
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So How Did I Do?</h3>
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Please keep in mind that I am only a part-time student and have taken only four credits this semester. Therefore, I was able to focus most of my academic studies on this one course. That would not have been the case with a full course load...<br />
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Well, the risk I took ended up paying off. I really worked hard on the learning assignments, especially those two noted above and did very well on all of them. That was good because I totally laid an egg on the final scoring a 72/100. While I would have liked to have done better on that test, it was a moot point as my work on my learning assignments paid off and I finished with a grade of 98.35 which was good enough for an A in the class. My learning assignments weren't perfect, but good enough to allow me to achieve my academic goal.<br />
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I won't lie, I'm pretty proud of my grade here. That said, I loved this class so much I would have gladly taken any grade I received. The grade here is more a reflection of my effort than my learning. I learned far more in excess of what the grade indicates, regardless of my dumpy score on the final...</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-69449847079572539362017-09-25T08:00:00.000+02:002017-09-25T11:29:11.163+02:00Fall 2017 First Month Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
That Passed by Quickly!</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsdwYQPzBv0fJry8e-tUyJ9Ql-go-mnEeGJUO1xmJGQNtGkZJRpN9purQKCwHFpyRSB42j7yGuJYizJvAt1ENWhLwQBzNwCTPsg6xfVE73RYlzbO_XLN-AHSwmDHrAEskYimLViVBkyA/s1600/clock.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsdwYQPzBv0fJry8e-tUyJ9Ql-go-mnEeGJUO1xmJGQNtGkZJRpN9purQKCwHFpyRSB42j7yGuJYizJvAt1ENWhLwQBzNwCTPsg6xfVE73RYlzbO_XLN-AHSwmDHrAEskYimLViVBkyA/s200/clock.png" width="200" /></a>Over the weekend I realized amazingly that we're already through the first month of classes. Man, that passed by quickly! So I thought it would be good to give a quick first month review of what I've been doing, how things have been going, and what I've learned thus far in my classes. I can definitely tell you that two classes is a little more challenging than one class, but it didn't take me long to get organized and into a groove.<br />
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Getting Organized is Key</h3>
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My schedule this semester is beyond bonkers. Everyone at home seems to be going in separate directions, work is really getting busy as we look to finish out the year, and I've been very active at my church. So making time for my classes is a little more challenging than last year.<br />
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I learned pretty quickly the best way to get organized is to set up one calendar. While Canvas is easy enough to navigate and has a good calendar which shows when your work is due, it's difficult to get a view on what's next. Being able to plan ahead is key as I've learned that not all modules require the same amount of work. Sometimes, you might have a slow week and be tempted to kind of take it easy, only to learn that you're utterly buried the following week. So I needed a view of my classes that would allow me to plan not only my current work but my upcoming work as well.<br />
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I didn't do anything fancy, I just loaded all my semester assignments into an excel spreadsheet which lets me see all the course streams for my classes. Now I can identify when I have assignments due and how those overlap between classes. This has been helpful in informing where I should spend my precious little time on any given evening.<br />
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ST101OL</h3>
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By far, I've spent most of my time working on my ST101OL class. There is a tremendous amount of reading required for this course and as a result, I'm finding that any downtime I have during my day is usually a good time to pick up a book to knock off a chapter or two. I've already been through 2.5 books and I know there are another 3.5 waiting for me as I continue on.<br />
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So far, I've spent a little over 42 hours total on this course over the month. So if we look at that by week, I'm spending a little over 10 hours per week or about 3.3 hours/credit/week. This is still very well balanced as far as the work goes and I'm happy with those numbers right now. I do know that there are some big assignments down the road, so I'll need to keep a keen eye on where I am in the course to ensure I'll have enough time in my schedule to complete them.<br />
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I really am enjoying the class thus far and I really like Dr. Kreider's lectures. I'm definitely having my brain bent in some different directions as we begin to discuss theology and theological methods, but I see this as a good thing. It's just a different kind of learning when compared to my previous education in the sciences.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
RS101OL</h3>
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So the RS101OL class has moved along at a much slower pace, but remember, it's only a 1 credit class. Most of the work has been to this point just class lectures and reading which has not been overly burdensome. In fact, it has been very interesting.<br />
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To date, I've spent a little over 17 hours on the coursework thus far. Similarly to the ST101OL class, this works out to be about 4 hours per week or 4 hours/credit/week. Not too bad. I can see though that I need to be a little more careful in planning my schedule here as it's easy to say, right, I've got 2 weeks until my next assignment is due. But these assignments require a little forethought and you're just not going to get away with waiting until the last minute.<br />
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I have learned some good things thus far in research methodology which has really shaped my thinking on how to develop quality research skills. For the next few weeks, I'll be putting some of that learning into practice as I continue to hone in on developing good research arguments using various new (to me) tools.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Summary</h3>
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It's hard to believe that the first month is already gone. But I'm staying on top of things and I haven't faced any significant challenges with the work or the assignments yet. I know that will likely change as we get through the introductory material and get into the meat of the courses, but thus far I've been happy with the pace, the material, and the instructors.<br />
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Oh, I should mention that once again, I've got great TAs who have been very interactive and have already provided me with really good feedback. Good TAs really take a lot of the stress out of the work and support and supplement the learning.</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-9680698643860474672017-09-14T21:00:00.000+02:002017-09-14T21:32:07.683+02:00The Best Intentions ...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Blog Update Fail</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLEi4Wk_zwBMwB1b_AAORhbnAWQokUjYwmSXhcq1MTKx1qig3HvPBtMK50muD46eojkK6Ib2YM0a1JQKivDaAsLlUsQUlmYJFK6R7n_IZNYiHdUy3pgCnG1ITVlKgQGpYbcLt2ZrIAZ8/s1600/sleeping-cat-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="600" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLEi4Wk_zwBMwB1b_AAORhbnAWQokUjYwmSXhcq1MTKx1qig3HvPBtMK50muD46eojkK6Ib2YM0a1JQKivDaAsLlUsQUlmYJFK6R7n_IZNYiHdUy3pgCnG1ITVlKgQGpYbcLt2ZrIAZ8/s200/sleeping-cat-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Yep, as you can see, I've been doing a bang up job keeping you updated on my journey this semester at DTS. I'm feeling great and I'm headlong into my courses, there just never seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything I want or need to do. So I apologize for the blog update fail thus far.<br />
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So I finally feel guilty enough to post something this evening. Well that and I've hit a little writer's block on one of my assignments, so this will be a short but needed distraction for a few minutes. I'd love to tell you that I'll get back in my posting groove soon, but sometimes the best intentions...<br />
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In general, though, I really like my classes thus far this semester. Both are exercising new thought processes and changing the way I look at and see things. While I haven't been posting, I'm keeping good records and hopefully, I'll soon have some time to catch up with more specific details.<br />
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New learning, new books, new tools. Just one tired student at the moment :).</div>
Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751334283713128954.post-54170434787234531902017-08-24T13:00:00.000+02:002017-08-24T23:26:16.384+02:00A Matter of Perspective<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Gaining Courage:</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmBx3zOQCi7eaOd0v9sNpGfGvY9LFp5q2ZUb2Zt1CmE_6gK31qn4gWPUxWg5SIKZlAvYk9QNqh3T6eY2iqGAhJCtbl356diT-JK6fRedy0ay6qvsmXorCl24CyxFNkZrMAYf8f5m_La0/s1600/Ray_Comfort_Open-air_Preaching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1093" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmBx3zOQCi7eaOd0v9sNpGfGvY9LFp5q2ZUb2Zt1CmE_6gK31qn4gWPUxWg5SIKZlAvYk9QNqh3T6eY2iqGAhJCtbl356diT-JK6fRedy0ay6qvsmXorCl24CyxFNkZrMAYf8f5m_La0/s200/Ray_Comfort_Open-air_Preaching.jpg" width="200" /></a>I caught a Ray Comfort clip on Facebook today and spent some time reflecting on it a bit. Ray was doing what Ray does, sharing the gospel through love in public. Sometimes though, he shares the gospel with some pretty interesting people. People who under normal circumstances you and I would never think to approach with the good news of the gospel. And this was one of those times. But that's Ray, if you've got a pulse, you're going to hear the gospel.<br />
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It was a really neat clip and I decided to read through the comments section to see what people were saying about it. The comments were overwhelmingly positive which did not surprise me, but one stream of thought was coming through in the comments that really got me thinking. Paraphrasing the posters a bit, the comment was, "How do you find the courage and boldness to deliver the gospel to people like this?" What an interesting question. Read on for my thoughts...<br />
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Mind you, not many of us are called to a ministry like Ray's as we all have different gifts, but we are all called to proclaim the gospel. So what makes Ray so special in his ability to speak so boldly and confidently with complete strangers? Absolutely nothing! Yes, Ray has unique and special gifts which he uses to glorify God and he has been given a real passion and love for the lost. But really, he is simply acting in accordance with his new nature in Christ.<br />
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And it all starts with his worldview. It's easy to see that God is in the center of Ray's worldview. Every piece of information that is synthesized by his brain is filtered through a God-centered lens because God is at the center of everything he does. Does that mean Ray is some kind of super-Christian? No, he's just a bad sinner like you and me; with a laser sight focus on God by grace through faith. I don't know Ray, but I think if you were to pose the question of boldness and confidence to him, he wouldn't have any significant, practical, or personal answer for you outside of giving all the glory to God.<br />
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When we pursue a man-centered worldview, we filter everything we process in our brains based on how it affects us. When we elevate ourselves as the masters of our own destiny, we have much to be fearful for. Our natural inclination is to protect and preserve what we have and desire in life for our own safety and comfort. But as every person who's ever walked the face of the Earth knows, this is not sustainable. We all ultimately fail in the end. <br />
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However, with a God-centered worldview according to our new nature, we have no such carnal reactions to our environment. Knowing that in Christ we risk nothing because He risked everything; we actually deserve nothing! Therefore, there is nothing for us to lose because there is nothing we have (outside of Christ) that is not worth losing. Besides, we recognize that anything and everything we do have, we have according to the grace, mercy, and loving kindness of our Lord.<br />
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I'm not going to say that if you have a problem sharing the gospel because of a lack of courage and boldness, that you absolutely have a warped worldview. But you might want to meditate on that through the Word to see if your cowardice and shyness are born out of your focus on yourself, and not God. Afterall, there is nothing greater that you can give to God that He hasn't already freely given to you in abundance. Up to and including your life.<br />
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Study God's Word and pray for wisdom. Sharing your faith can be scary, difficult, and humbling. But what a joyous and awesome blessing to experience how God continues to patiently work His will through His broken servants like you and me. All praise and glory to Him!<br />
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Dave Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01938244171250077614noreply@blogger.com0