SEW

REFLECTIONS
DAY 1 - 5

Submitted by:

BETHANY FAITH
CORTEZ

Submitted to:

SIR ABELARDO
BENE
IN DAY 1, PASTOR ED TAUGHT US ABOUT IMAGE VS
CHARACTER. HE TOLD US THAT GOD IS NOT
LOOKING AT ONES IMAGE BUT ITS CHARACTER.
PASTOR ED USED THE STORY OF THE ISRALITES
ASKING SAMUEL TO FIND THEM A KING THAT WILL
RULE THEM, BUT SAMUEL WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT
SO HE PRAYED TO GOD AND THEN GOD TOLD HIM
THAT HE SHOULD LISTEN TO WHAT THE PEOPLE
SAY, AND THAT HE SHOULD NOT BE ANGRY
BECAUSE IT S NOT HIM THAT THEY HAVE REJECTED
IT WAS GOD THAT THEY REJECTED AS THEIR KING.
SO THE ISRAELITS APPOINTED SAUL AS THEIR KING
BECAUSE OF HIS PHYSICAL STRUCTURE AND IMAGE,
BUT GOD REJECTED SAUL BECAUSE HE IS
SPIRITUALLY WEAK, SO GOD SENT SAMUEL TO
SEARCH FOR A NEW KING THAT HAS A KIND AND
LOVING HEART LIKE HIS. GOD REMINDED SAMUEL
NOT TO LOOK AT ONES OUTSIDE APPEARANCE BUT
LOOK AT THEIR HEART. SO GOD CHOSE THE YOUNG
DAVID OTHER THAN HIS OLDER BROTHERS WHO IS
MUCH STRONGER PHYSICALLY. PASTER ED TAUGHT
US THAT GOD OFTEN CHOOSES TO QUALIFY THE
CALLED RATHER THAN CALL THE QUALIFIFIED. HE
TAUGHT US THAT IN ORDER TO DEVELOP OUR
CHARACTER GOD USES TRIALS IN OUR LIFE, SO WE
HAVE TO CHOOSE WETHER WE RESIST GOD’S
PROCESS OR EMBRACE IT.
IN DAY 2, PASTOR ED TAUGHT US ABOUT FEAR VS
FAITH. A STORY ABOUT DAVID AND GOLIATH. HE TOLD
US THAT DAVID AND GOLIATH IS A STORY OF
CONTRASTS, THAT THE REAL CONTRAST IS NOT DAVID
VERSUS GOLIATH, BUT DAVID VERSUS SAUL. HE SAID
THAT THE REAL CONTRAST IS THAT SAUL FACES
GOLIATH WITH FEAR, AND DAVID FACES GOLIATH WITH
FAITH. HE TOLD US THAT SAUL IS PARALYZED BY FEAR
WHILE DAVID IS ENERGIZED BY FAITH, THAT SAUL IS
CONCERNED ABOUT HIS LIFE WHILE DAVID IS
CONCERNED ABOUT GOD’S HONOR. HE ALSO TAUGHT US
THAT FAITH IS AGREAT THREAT TO THOSEWHO ARE
CONTROLLED BY FEAR, JUST LIKE WHEN DAVID SAID
THAT HE WANTS TO FACE GOLIATH, HIS BROTHER
QUESTIONED HIS MOTIVES AND SAUL QUESTIONED HIS
ABILITIES. HE TOLD US THAT GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN
THE PAST IS THE BASIS FOR OUR FAITH IN THE
PRESENT. HE TOLD US THAT GOD PREPARED BOTH SAUL
AND DAVID TO FIGHT GOLIATH, THAT WHEN SAUL
FORGETS GOD’S PAST FAITHFULNESS, DAVID
REMEMBERS IT. PATOR ED TAUGHT US THAT HE
BATTLE’S IN OUR LIFE IS NOT OURS BUT THE LORD’S, SO
ALL WE NEED TO DO IS TO TRUST HIM THAT HE WILL WIN
THAT BATTLE FOR US. HE TOLD US THAT SAUL VIEWS
GOLIATH AS HIS BATTLE, WHILE DAVID VIEWS GOLIATH
AS GOD’S BATTLE. HE TOLD US THAT FEAR AND FAITH
ARE BOTH CONTAGIOUS, THAT SAUL’S FEAR CAUSES
OTHERS TO RETREAT, WHILE DAVID’S FAITH CAUSES
OTHERS TO ADVANCE. HE ALSO TOLD US THAT
EVERYONE OF US HAS OUR OWN GOLIATH, SO IT
DEPENDS ON US HOW WE FACE IT, WILL WE TRUST GOD
TO WIN IT FOR US OR WE WILL FACE ON OUR OWN.
IN DAY 3, PASTOR ED TAUGHT US ABOUT
CIRCUMSTANCES VS TRUTH. A STORY ABOUT DAVID
AND SAUL. HE SAID THAT WE OFTEN BASE OUR
DECISIONS ON OUR CIRCUMSTANCES RATHER THAN
ON GOD’S TRUTH. HE TOLD US THE STORY ABOUT
SAUL AND DAVID. HE TOLD US THAT BECAUSE SAUL
ACTED FOOLISHLY, GOD SHORTENED HIS REIGN AND
DECIDED TO REPLACE HIM WITH DAVID. SAUL WAS
BOTH AFRAID AND JEALOUS OF DAVID BECAUSE THE
LORD WAS WITH DAVID BUT HAD LEFT HIM. THE
CIRCUMSTANCES WERE PERFECT, DAVID HAD
EVERYTHING HE NEEDED TO KILL SAUL, BUT DAVID
ALSO KNEW GOD’S TRUTH, HE RECOGNIZED THAT
SAUL WAS GOD’S ANOINTED. GOD HAD PROMISED
DAVID HE WOULD BE KING. BUT WHY THE DELAY?
PASTOR ED TAUGHT US THAT GOD’S PROCESS IS
ALMOS DIFFERENT THAN WE EXPECTED, THAT GOD’S
TIMING IS ALMOST ALWAYS SLOWER THAN WE
HOPED. SAUL RECOGNIZES DAVID’S INTEGRITY AND
PROMISES TO THREATINIG HIM. SAUL EVEN ASKED
GOD TO BLESS DAVID AND PREDICTS DAVID WILL
ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS. WHEN DAVID WAS
FINALLY ANIONTED KING, HIS HEART WAS
GUILTLESS AND HIS HANDS WERE CLEAN. BEFORE
THE SESSION ENDED HEASKED US WILL WE BASE
OUR DECISION ON OUR CIRCUMSTANCES OR GOD’S
TRUTH.
IN DAY 4, PASTOR ED TAUGHT US ABOUT DECEPTION VS
INTEGRITY. A STORY OF DAVID AND BATHSHEBA. HE TOLD
US ABOUT HOW DAVID GOT BATHSHEBA THE WIFE OF URIAH
THE HITTIE (ONE OF HIS ARMY) PREGNANT. HOW DAVID
DESIRE TO GET URIAH HOME SO THAT HE COULD COVER UP
THE SIN HE HAD MADE. WHEN HE SUMMONED URIAH AND
TOLD HIM TO GO HOME AND SLEEP WITH BATHSEBA, URIAH
REFUSED BECAUSE ALL OF HIS COMRADES IS IN THE FIELDS
CAMPING SO HE THINKS IT IS UNFAIR TO SLEEP IN HIS
HOME. DAVID DEMANDED IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION, WHILE
URIAH PRACTISED DELAYED GRATIFICATION. DAVID ABUSED
HIS AUTHORITY, WHILE URIAH PROVED HIS LOYALTY. DAVID
THEN MADE URIAH DRUNK SO THAT URIAH WOULD GO HOME,
BET THEN HE FAILED BECAUSE URIAH SLEPT WITH THE
KING’S SERVANTS. AND THEN HE PLANED TO GET URIAH
KILLED, AND THEN HE SUCCEEDED. PATOR ED TOLD US THE
PATTERN OF SIN, IT STARTED WITH DESIRE (DAVID DESIRED
URIAH TO DIE), TEMPTATION (HE PUT URIAH TO THE MOST
DANGEROUS PLACE), SIN (HE IS THE REASON WHY URIAH
GET KILLED), DEATH (URIAH DIED). URIAH THOUGHT THAT
EVERYTHING IS NOW OKAY AND HE CAN NOW LIVE WITH
BATHSHEBA HAPPILY BECAUSE URIAH IS ALREADY DIED,
BUT HE WAS WRONG BEACAUSE GOD IS DISPLEASED FOR
WHAT HE HAD DONE. PASTOR ED TOLD US THAT THIS
PATTERN IS INEVITABLE, BUT IT CAN BE INTERRUPTED BY
THE CHOICES WE MAKE IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S GRACE. GOD
ALWAYS PROVIDES A WAY OUT OR EXIT FROM TEMPTATION.
HE TOLD US THAT IT OUR CHOICE IF WE CONTINUE ON THE
ROAD THAT LEADS TO DEATH OR TAKE THE EXIT GOD
PROVIDES OR STAY ON THE RIGHT ROAD ALL ALONG.
In day 5, pastor Ed taught us about arrogance vs humility. He told us
a story about David and Nathan. He talked about how God was
displeased for what David had done. God is displeased. David is
miserable. The lord sent Nathan to David. Pastor Ed taught us that
sending is an expression authority, going is an expression of
obedience. When Nathan told David the story of a rich man taking
the old man’s only sheep to serve it to hi guests David become
furious he said angrily to Nathan that the rich man deserves to die
because what he did to the old man is unforgivable. David
pronounces the verdict without knowing he is the defendant. David
arrogantly sees another’s sin but is blind to his own sin. Then
Nathan said to David “You are the man!”. Nathan charges David with
the crime. Nathan contrasts God’s blessings with David’s betrayal.
Nathan accuses David of hating God. Nathan told David a word from
God that say’s “Out of your own household I am going to bring
calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and
give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives
in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do all this thing in
broad daylight before all Israel.” Nathan predicts violence and
betrayal for David’s family. The sentence is just because the
punishment fits the crime. David finally acknowledged his sin. David
humbly repents his sin. I have learned that sin always affects
innocent victims, and confessions does not take away all
consequences. After acknowledging his sins, at last, David finally
experienced relief, freedom, and joy with God. God blesses David
and Bathsheba with a son named Solomon, which means peace.
David and Bathsheba honor Nathan by naming a son after him. God
honors David and Bathsheba’s son, Nathan, by giving him a place in
the family line of Jesus. God so completely redeemed David’s
greatest sin that he brought the redeemer through the children who
came from it. I have learned that even how big our sin is, god is
always willing to forgive us if we confess it and ask forgiveness
from him. Throughout the week I have learned that even the most
faithful person can sin, and that every sin has a corresponding
consequence, that in order for us to feel joy and freedom after
creating those sins, is to ask for forgiveness to our Lord.