Natural Conclusions from the Rockies: Scriptural Insights from Nature for Children and Adults to Share

By David F. Baker

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep forage in vegetation they can see over, and they keep to high visibility areas with clear escape routes and topographic relief that enables them to see long distances. Their excellent vision makes them an appropriate role model for Christian living.

Christians need to live with eternitys values in view. Were instructed to set our mind on things above. We need to stand where we can look over the top of earthly things to see heavenly things. We need to climb up to those high visibility places where we can see forever.

Fifty awesome natural facts

Fifty corresponding character-building natural conclusions

Natural history background material with scientific definitions

Personal illustrations for children and youth

Reinforcing projects and activities

Bible study section for instructors

Adult application sections

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512785319

David F. Baker

David Baker spent thirty years with the National Park Service and in volunteer ministry with Child Evangelism Fellowship and Awana Clubs. He shares his commitment to Christ, creation and children using character illustrations from nature. David and his wife, Suzie, live in Texas and Colorado, where Dave finds natural conclusions in the Big Thicket National Preserve and in Rocky Mountain National Park.

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Copyright © 2017 David F. Baker.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotes marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotes marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8530-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8532-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8531-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017906138

WestBow Press rev. date: 5/15/2017

Contents

Introduction

What Are Natural Conclusions?

Natural conclusions are spiritual applications drawn from natural illustrations. The natural illustrations are awesome facts about plants, animals, and natural processes. The spiritual applications are character qualities based on biblical principles.

Who Are These Natural Conclusions For?

The natural conclusions were written for students, but they have broad appeal. Each chapter has portions geared for students that are printed with an Arial font. Portions geared especially for adults are printed in Times New Roman.

Chapter Contents

Index

Immediately following the title, a quick reference index shows you at a glance what the chapter contains. The index tells you whether the chapter will work in your teaching situation.

Awesome Fact/Natural Conclusion

The Awesome Fact introduces the natural phenomenon that the lesson is built around. The Natural Conclusion is a brief statement of the character principle that follows from the awesome fact. These two items together afford teachers interest-catching introductions and conclusions.

Scientific Terms

Scientific terms used in the nature story section that follows are defined in common language to put the material on the lower shelf where students and teachers can reach it.

The Nature Story

This section contains background information on the nature subject. While this basic information will not make teachers experts on the subject, it will give them a degree of expertise. This material will help students understand and appreciate the persona of the natural subject.

Combined with the Awesome Fact/Natural Conclusion, this background material can facilitate meaningful conversation at mealtimes and bedtimes.

A True or a True-to-Life Story

These brief stories for students, whether true or true-to-life, illustrate how the character principle applies to real life. Stories labeled, A True Story, are completely true, and the names of characters in the story are real people. Stories labeled, A True-to-Life Story, are not completely true, and the names of characters in the story were either chosen randomly or selected on the basis of the meaning of the name.

A Nature Project or Spiritual Activity

Hands-on activities in this section reinforce and extend the impact of the character lesson. Some chapters contain Bible verses printed phrase by phrase to facilitate and encourage scripture memorization.

Some of the projects will work in classroom settings. Others will work best with individuals or small groups.

The Scriptural Story

Supporting scriptures, posed as fill-in-the-blank questions, enable readers to use chapters for personal Bible study. In combination with the Awesome Fact/Natural Conclusion and the Nature Story, these studies afford pastors or Sunday school teachers basic outlines for sermons or class lessons.

To Teach by Example

These short studies elevate the practical application of the character theme to an adult level.

Combining the Awesome Fact/Natural Conclusion and Scriptural Story with these application exercises creates a complete personal Bible study package.

Talking It Over with the Father

This succinct summary of the overall lesson challenges students and adults to make a balanced personal application of the character principle a matter of prayer.

Black-and-White Living

Character Principle: Right and Wrong

Nature Item: Magpie

Grade Level: High School/College

Scientific Terms

corvid: short for Corvidae, or the crow family of birds.

The Nature Story

Black-billed magpies are members of the crow family of birds. They inhabit open areas of most of the western states. They’re the only corvids with a long tail.

Magpies feed mostly on invertebrates and vegetable matter, but they will eat exposed carrion and also prey on other birds, eating eggs and nestlings. Like other crow-like birds, they will cache extra food.

Magpies build a formidable framework of sticks around their nests, and they will mob predatory birds that threaten their nests.

When visitors to the Kawuneeche Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park ask for help identifying a large black-and-white bird, the ranger behind the desk doesn’t need to inquire any further. Magpies have many interesting features, but their most telling identifying characteristic is that they are black and white!

A True-to-Life Story

It was destined to be a summer of new discoveries for Kris. It was his first job in natural resources management, and it was also his first summer as a Christian. He was thankful that the university was able to arrange this valuable work experience for him. It didn’t take long after his arrival at the district forestry office to figure out that he was likely the only Christian on the crew. The other workers were nice enough, but their language was telling. Chad, the crew member with the worst language, seemed bent on getting the new Christian to compromise his language as well. For Kris this seemed to be a pretty clear-cut matter of right versus wrong. Nevertheless, over the course of the summer a clearer picture began to emerge. Strangely, Chad had a long history of taking part in fellowship in Christian circles. Tragically, though, he had suffered the loss of his military dad, who was a decorated war veteran. Chad’s tough-as-nails father had saved the lives of a platoon of soldiers by throwing himself on a live grenade—at the loss of his own life. Understandably, Chad had adopted the tough-talking speech of his father because he so admired his dad’s toughness.

Tough talk would always be wrong for Kris, but knowing Chad’s history helped Kris treat Chad graciously rather than judgmentally. Kris was challenged to hang tough on his commitment to the Savior, who saved his life by giving His life on a Roman cross.

Chad, meaning warlike, suggesting defender.

Kris, meaning Christian, suggesting follower of Christ.

A Spiritual Activity

There’s great contrast between the Christian worldview and the secular worldview; for example,

Note: The Christian worldview is greatly superior to the secular worldview. However, Christians must avoid the moral extremes of legalism and license.

In order to compare the two worldviews against contemporary ethical issues, post news stories on a graffiti wall.

Time Commitment: Open-ended

Materials:

Two large pieces of butcher paper

duct tape

black and gray chalk

double-stick tape

stories

Hang the two pieces of butcher paper up on opposing walls. Label one sheet Christian Worldview with black chalk and the other Secular Worldview with gray chalk. Begin posting contemporary news stories that address ethical issues on whichever wall seems to be the most appropriate. Allow room for students to add graffiti.

Start off the graffiti writing by putting Joshua 1:8 on the Christian-worldview wall as a memory verse:

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth,

but you shall meditate on it day and night,

so that you may be careful to do

according to all that is written in it;

for then you will make your way prosperous,

and then you will have success.

—Joshua 1:8 (NASB)

The Scriptural Story

Questions and responses in this section are based on the New American Version of the Bible.

When we say that something is in black and white, we mean it’s written down. When we say that something is black and white, we mean it’s clear and the last word. Ethically speaking, our culture has embraced the notion that a large area of gray exists between conduct that is clearly right or clearly wrong. So what’s the truth? Let’s dig into the matter and get the Bible’s take on the question of right and wrong.

In black and white, meaning it is in writing:

According to John 20:31, what is one reason why the scriptures were committed to writing in the first place?

What is another crucial reason why scriptural principles are in black and white? (1 Corinthians 10:11)

According to Proverbs 7:3, where else are spiritual principles to be written?

Is black and white, meaning it is clear and the last word:

Law without grace is legalism. Grace without law is license. Balancing the two is difficult.

In Joshua 1:8 God instructed Joshua to not let the written word depart from his mouth or from his thoughts. Why did God do that?

In 1 Corinthians 4:6, how much latitude did Paul allow the Corinthian Christians to have in applying what had been given to them in writing?

The sect of the Pharisees were black and white about almost everything. In your own words, what did Jesus say about them (Matthew 23:23)?

In Revelation 22, the biblical record closes out with clear instructions about how to treat the written word. What should not be done according to verse 18?

And what else should not be done according to verse 19?

To Teach by Example

There are blessings for holding a Christian worldview and consequences for following a secular worldview, so a personal assessment is prudent. Honestly rate your conduct numerically from 1 to 5 on the following chart:

Talking It Over with the Father

Father, thank you for giving us your word in black and white. Help me to uphold your absolute standards of right and wrong without becoming legalistic. I pray that I would not live my life in the gray where right things become wrong and wrong things become right.

Rock-Solid Foundation

Character Principle: Foundations

Nature Item: Lichens

Grade Level: Upper Elementary

Scientific Terms

The Nature Story

The Rockies are aptly named because they’re full of rocks. Anytime you put a shovel in the ground, you’ll turn up rocks. If you look, you’ll notice the rocks look different on the top and bottom. On the upper side, you’ll see little patches that are whitish, light gray, or light yellow-green. Those patches are lichens. Lichens are plants that are part algae and part fungi. The algae and fungi live together on rocks or trees in a symbiotic relationship. The algae photosynthesize sunlight to manufacture food for the fungi. The fungi absorb moisture that the algae need for photosynthesis. There are three general classes of lichens. Crustose lichens are, well, crusty. They appear to be painted on rocks. Foliose lichens are foliar or leaflike. Fructose lichens appear fruity. The amazing thing is that lichens are living things that can grow on rocks!

The natural conclusion for Christians is that God wants us to live our lives on a rock too—on the Rock of Ages, to be precise, Jesus Christ by name. The scripture refers to this rock-solid faith in God in Psalm 19:14—"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer" (NASB). Let the lichens on the rocks be a continual reminder to you to build your life on the Rock.

A True Story

Most of the stories in this section are true-to-life. They are based on some very real experiences, but not on events that actually happened. This story is true, and the names are the names of real people.

My wife, Suzie, and I were young Christians and newly wed in 1972. We wanted to establish a Christian home, but neither of us had a strong template to follow. I had accepted a position with the National Park Service in Washington, DC. Government housing was not available, so we were on our own. A friend of Suzie’s, Jane, had given us the name of a family we could contact if we needed any assistance. After we entered the District and made a random circuit around a national memorial, we were completely disoriented. Somehow we made our way to a service station with a phone booth. We retrieved the piece of paper from Jane and placed a call to the Evans family in Arlington. We shared our plight with Bob Evans, who told us to stay put and to wait for him. Shortly thereafter he pulled up in a white sedan. He instructed us to follow him. He took us to his house, and though we were complete strangers, Bob and Martha Evans took us into their home.

We ended up living with the Evans family for a month until we could