Discussion Boards- BIBL 105
Discussion Board Forum 1
After reading chapters 1-3 of Courageous Faith, the hero I found most easy to identify with was Jacob.
He was constantly running from God because he felt like he could solve all of his problems on his own.
He always believed he knew what was best for himself and his family without even asking or consulting
God about it. The lesson he truly needed to learn was to trust in God and His plan for him. I believe I can
parallel Jacob’s situation to my own circumstances in life because I have always been a very
independent person. With this, I am always trying to plan everything so it works in my favor. Sometimes
I forget that no matter how often I try to manipulate situations, I can never truly change God’s plan for
me. One way Jacob’s relationship with God could enhance my faith is to reflect on the fact that at the
end he began pursuing God instead of the other way around. Yes, it was always God’s plan to give him
the blessing and birthright, however if he pursued God, and trusted things to fall into place then he
would not have had to be manipulative and deceitful to get his way. We should always be pursuing God
and surrendering to His will because as Christians, that’s what we are called to do.
Discussion Board Forum 2
After reading these chapters from our textbook, the hero I found it easy to identify with was Gideon. So
many times, I have approached situations in life, with a what if perspective. Just as Gideon says in Judges
6:13, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (NIV) I often doubted the presence of
the Lord in my life when I could not directly see it. When things went wrong, I saw myself as weak and
powerless, just as Gideon did on page 94 of the textbook when the Angel of the Lord came down to see
him hiding in a winepress. After God told Gideon His plans, he doubted himself even more, questioning
why the Lord would choose someone like him to fulfill such a big obligation. I can relate to this situation
because in my life, when I see a task I believe to be too big for me, I have no faith or confidence in myself
complete it, and I try to walk away. However, after praying on the topic at hand, I have come to realize
that God will always point me back in the right direction, because He never gives us anything we cannot
handle. Like Gideon, learning to trust God, even after questioning His ability, I have learned to trust God
to guide me in my struggles, instead of expecting him to protect me from them altogether.
Discussion Forum 3
This week, I decided to challenge myself when making the decision of which hero I believed I could
identify myself with. With this in mind, I chose Jephthah. While I may not directly be able to identify
with his story, I believe the lesson that he learned was one that we all need to learn eventually. That
would be the lesson of rejection. I strongly agree with Hindson’s view on page 110 of the textbook that
“while your life may be shaped by rejection, it does not have to be limited by it.” Everyone is going to
hear the word no at some points in their lives, whether it’s through a college rejection letter or a job
interview, you must learn how to deal, and make the best of it. Throughout this story, I believe another
lesson taught was the importance of keeping a secret. No matter how much the outcome may change
your life, if you made a promise, it’s important to keep it. I can relate this to my life because I am very
cautious with my words. I never make a promise unless I know it’s one I can truly fulfill. The bible says in
Numbers 30:2, “If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he
shall not break his
word.” (ESV) This verse describes the importance of keeping a promise, especially like the one that
Jephthah made to God during his life.
(150 words -250 words)
Discussion Forum 4
This week I have decided to write about how my life parallels the friendship between David and
Jonathan. As Hindson states in the text, “God created us with a desire for personal
relationships.” Jonathan never let other people, including his own father, effect how he saw
David. 1 Samuel 18:3 states “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him
as his own soul” (ESV). This verse truly portrays what Hindson described as an intimate
friendship. Looking at the friendships in my own life, and comparing them to that of Jonathan
and David, I can relate to them when I see how strong their friendship was after not seeing each
other for so long. When they reunited, their friendship was still as strong as ever, even to the
point of Jonathan willing to give up his place on the throne. After moving to Virginia to go to
school, it’s hard to keep up with friendships from back home in New York. But I know that I
still have my one or two friends that when I go back, they are always there and we pick up right
where we left off, with our friendship still as strong as ever. It’s a good feeling to know that our
friendship is that strong that no distance could ever tear us apart.
