TeacherAide
A weekly teaching aide for student developers

Case For Freedom 

SESSION 3


HANDS ON

 Conflict often comes from competition. Competition is a good thing sometimes; however it can be a bad thing when it develops into a feud. It is a rare to find people that only compete on the field of athletics. We compete everyday with all people. This hands on can show your students that they focus too much on competition. Before the class you can prepare by placing a 6 ft. rope or piece of tape down the center of the room. Begin by asking the students to pair up by size. Have all the partners stand facing each other on opposite sides of the rope or tape. Say to the group, “Your objective is to get your partner across the line to your side! Grab hands. Read, get set, go.” The group should pull back and forth and really struggle to get their partner across the line. Take note of the really competitive people in the group. Tell the group, “That was good, but let’s do it again. You objective is to get your partner on your side of the rope. Ready, get set, go!” Continue to repeat this until the groups start to understand that this is not a competition and all they have to do is easily switch places with their partner to complete the objective. When you have finished you can debrief the activity with these discussion questions.

What has this activity show you about competitiveness?

How do you think this mindset affects your relationships with others?

Can this attitude help or hurt a conflict? Why?

What are some ways that you can keep from being so competitive?

  

THE MORE YOU KNOW

A worldview is a conceptual framework of how one judge’s and interprets reality.  It is in essence the way individuals comprehend concepts such as the world, knowledge, mankind, God, ethics and their belief about each.  Everyone owns a worldview even though they may be unaware of such terminology.

 In order to have a cogent and comprehensive worldview, one must work to develop it.  Once this is accomplished you will be able to give a full account for the faith that is in you and the reason it is you believe what you believe.  The following suggestions will help you to maximize your worldview:

 1)    Assiduous meditation upon Scripture will renew your mind and guide you on how to look at all things while placing them in their right perspective.

2)    www.biblicaltraining.org This website contains numerous lectures and outlines on Christian apologetics and worldviews.

3)    Check out InQuest’s Sunday School literature entitled “Developing a Christian Worldview.”  This is another venue for preparing to defend your faith and equipping yourselves to be better disciples for Christ Jesus.

 

I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY

“I cannot divine how it happens that the man who knows the least is the most argumentative.”
Giovani della Casa

“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.”
Benjamin Franklin

“The days are too short even for love; how can there be enough time for quarreling?”
Margaret Gatty

“I'm not a combative person. My long experience has taught me to resolve conflict by raising the issues before I or others burn their boats.”
Alistair Grant

“Instead of suppressing conflicts, specific channels could be created to make this conflict explicit, and specific methods could be set up by which the conflict is resolved.”
Albert Low

“Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?”
James Thurber