Category Archives: Pilgrim’s Progress
5.6.12: Pilgrims Progress 20: Dark River/Well Done Good & Faithful Servants!
Biblical fellowship kept the Pilgrims alert and brought them safely past the Enchanted Ground and into the delights of Beulah Land. Here on the border of Heaven itself they enjoyed the vineyards and gardens planted there for the King’s enjoyment and the refreshment of Pilgrims. They rested there within sight of the gleaming City itself, conversing with the Shining Ones who walked in that country. With this description of Beulah Land, John Bunyan tried to capture the abundant joy that Christians experience who have learned to treasure Jesus Christ above all the pleasures of the world. (Taken from the King James Version of Isaiah 62:4, the word “Beulah” means “married” — married to the Lord, who delights in his bride, the Church.) In this land Christian and Hopeful were called “the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, those sought out.”
But there was yet one more difficulty ahead…possibly the most terrible that Christian had faced in all his travels. The Pilgrims had to cross the deep, dark river of death.
What made this river unique was that the depth of its waters depended on the strength of one’s faith. For one with great faith in the King’s love and salvation, the waters seemed shallow. But for one plagued by doubts and fears, the water seemed deep.
As soon as he set foot in the water, Christian cried out, “I’m sinking! The cords of death have entangled me!” Despite Hopeful’s efforts to encourage him, Christian was surrounded by darkness and horror, convinced the King was punishing him for his many sins. Hopeful replied, “These troubles and distresses that you go through in these waters are no sign that God has forsaken you, but they’re sent to try you, to see whether you will call to mind that which you’ve received before of His goodness and depend upon Him in your distresses.”
Finally the darkness lifted. “Oh, I see Him again!” shouted Christian, “and He tells me, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isaiah 43:2). For the remainder of Christian’s crossing, the water seemed shallow, and he and Hopeful arrived safely on the other side.
Every Christian will suffer in life. Each one will have to pass through those dark waters of death. For some, like Hopeful, death will be no great trial. For others, like Christian, it may be filled with deep doubts and uncertainties. Either way, God’s promise is a solid rock: the river will not sweep over us. He will be with us when we pass through the waters…and he will be waiting when we reach the Celestial City’s golden shore.
Christian and Hopeful were escorted by angels from the river of death up the steep hill to the Celestial City. Thanks to the strength of these glorious companions and the sweetness of their fellowship, the ascent was effortless. Along the way they were welcomed by a jubilant throng of Heaven’s citizens, accompanied by loud shouts and trumpet blasts. This is the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) cheering us on in our race and eager to greet us when we reach the finish line.
As they approached the gate, the angels told the Pilgrims what awaited them in the Celestial City: thousands and thousands of angels, the Tree of Life, white robes, crowns of gold, and eternal life free from pain, sorrow, sickness, and death. Best of all, promised the angels, “every day your walk and talk shall be with the King.” The invisible Companion who had accompanied them along each step of their journey was about to show them His face!
When they reached the gate the watchmen asked the Pilgrims to present their certificates, which were then carried to the King. “Open the gates!” cried the King. With that, Christian and Hopeful triumphantly entered the City. Their travel rags were transfigured as they entered the joy of their Master. Their afflictions were over. They were safely home.
Surprisingly, John Bunyan’s classic tale does not end on that glorious note. Rather, the final paragraphs relate what happened to that other traveler, Ignorance, who had refused to respond to the Pilgrims’ gospel invitations. He crossed the dark river easily, thanks to a ferry man named Vain Hope, but received no welcome on the other shore. He trudged up the steep hill alone until he reached the city’s gate. He knocked confidently, expecting to be admitted. But when the watchmen asked for his certificate, he fumbled in his coat and shrugged. He had none. Rather than open the gate in welcome, the King commanded his angels — the same ones who had escorted Christian and Hopeful — to bind Ignorance hand and foot and throw him into Hell.
As we ended this final class, I soberly charged them to learn from the tragic fate of Ignorance and make sure they have their “certificate” firmly in hand. As Peter wrote in his first letter (see below), let us pray that our mighty Savior would guard each of these young pilgrims until they receive the glorious inheritance of salvation!
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Next week we will start a 6 part series of Daniel and then finish with the final Bible Bowl on the last day of class on June 24th. Please encourage your student to start reading and studying the book of Daniel.
4.29.12: Pilgrim’s Progress 19: The Difference Between Hopeful & Ignorance
This week we find Christian and Hopeful continuing down the highway toward the Celestial City. They meet a “brisk lad” named Ignorance. Ignorance told the two Pilgrims that he was also headed to the Celestial City. Christian asks Ignorance how he thinks he will enter the gate to the Celestial City. Failing to see his need for justification by Jesus, Ignorance responds that he has lived a good life and points to many other good deeds that he had done. Ignorance assured them that his heart — a good heart — told him he was acceptable in God’s sight. Rather than listening to the Word of God, Ignorance took counsel with his own heart…and was deceived.
Christian and Hopeful found themselves walking across Enchanted Ground. To keep themselves from falling asleep, they began to talk about Hopeful’s conversion. Hopeful says that Christian’s company has been “God’s mercy to him.” I asked the question in class, “Do we view the company of other brothers and sisters in the faith as God’s mercy to us?” Hopeful then shared how after being “shaken” by God’s Word, he had first resisted conviction, then sought to earn his salvation before eventually seeing his need to be justified by Jesus. Hopeful was shaken by Isaiah 64:6 which says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Hopeful not only saw that he had sinned but also realized that even his new best efforts were mixed with sin. He realized that he needed the righteousness of a sinless man. He then found out from Faithful that there was a sinless man and His righteousness could be Imputed him by believing in Him and what He had done. I took some time in class to explain what the word imputed meant. This glorious truth that Jesus righteousness is given to us and all of our sins are given to Christ is a truth that we must remember daily.
Listen to his humble prayer:
“God be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see that if His righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that You are a merciful God and have ordained that Your Son Jesus Christ should be the Savior of the world; and moreover, that you are willing to bestow on such a poor sinner as I am — and I am a sinner indeed — Lord. Take therefore this opportunity, and magnify Your grace in the salvation of my soul through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
I ended the class by asking each student to consider this question: Who will carry their burden? Will they try to carry it themselves? Or will they entrust themselves to the One who carried the weight of our sin on His shoulders?
The truth that all our righteousness deed are like filthy rags should humble us and remind us that we are indeed sinners but let us not stop there, because Christ has bore all of our sins on the cross and we now can have all of His righteousness given to us by believing in Him and repenting of our sins and we are spotless saints in God’s eyes.
Suggested application questions for parents to discuss with students:
- Read John 14:6, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 4:3-8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Romans 5:18 with your child, spend some time discussing each text and asking your child if he or she has any questions or observations about the text.
- Ignorance says, “be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will follow the religion of mine” Why is this statement not true and what are some Scriptures that directly contradict this statement?
- What are some ways that your friends and family members have been “God’s mercy to you?
- Why do we need the righteousness of a sinless man?
- What are some ways that help you remember your sins have been imputed to Christ and His righteousness has been imputed to you?
4.22.12: Pilgrim’s Progress 18: Giant Despair and Doubting Castle
In Sunday’s class we got back on the path with Christian toward the Celestial City…and quickly left it again as he and Hopeful took a near-fatal shortcut. As it turned out, the meadow they crossed belonged to Giant Despair, who arrested them for trespassing and threw them in his dungeon. They languished there for days without food or water, beaten without mercy and encouraged by the giant to escape their sufferings by taking their own lives.
Christian despaired of life and seriously considered suicide, but Hopeful encouraged him to persevere. Finally, after a night of earnest prayer, Christian remembered a key that he carried next to his heart — a key called Promise. As soon as he inserted it into the lock, the dungeon door flew open, enabling him and Hopeful to escape and get back on the path.
This sobering chapter provided an opportunity to speak briefly about the fact that even young people can reach a point of despair and be tempted to think that self-injury offers a way of escape from their troubles. We ended class by focusing on Jesus, the Savior in whom all God’s promises are fulfilled. Young people can experience deep doubts, crippling fears…
- Is God strong enough to help me with my problems?
- Does God even hear my prayers?
- Can God forgive me even after I sinned like that?
- Does God really care about me – does he even know I exist?
When our doubts and sorrows multiply, how liberating it is to know that “all the promises of God find their yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20)!
The truth that the promises of God always defeat despair is one that can bring great encouragement to the weary Christian who finds him or her self in the dungeon of despair and doubt. There are many promises in Scripture that God has given us that remind us that Christ has set us free from all sin and despair. I ask the class to email me this week at jbozarth[at]covlife.org with one promise of God that has been of great encouragement to them I also ask them to tell me how this promise has encouraged or helped them defeat despair.
I will share some of the promises that I receive during next weeks class (the ones I share will get a prize) Please send all emails to jbozarth[at]covlife.org by Friday April 27 by noon. The Pictures below are of the Saran Wrap Prisoner game that we did to illustrate how helpless and bound one can be by despair and doubt. Enjoy!
2.19.12: Pilgrim’s Progress 16: Welcome To Vanity Fair!
After the pilgrims parted company with Talkative, they were delighted to meet up with their old friend Evangelist. He encouraged them for the victories they had achieved despite their weakness and he spurred them on to run for the prize. “Let the Kingdom always be before you,” he urged, “and believe resolutely in things that are invisible. Let nothing on this side of the Other World get inside of you, and above all, pay close attention to your own hearts….”
When they asked him what they would face ahead, he warned that they would soon enter the town of Vanity, where one or both of them would “seal with blood the testimony that you hold.” However, he comforted them with the promise that the one who died for his faith would be taken directly to the Celestial City and escape many future miseries.
In the town of Vanity was a year-round fair that had been established in ancient times by Beelzebub himself. It offered every possible pleasure known to distract pilgrims from the path to Celestial City. The Prince himself had passed through the fair during his earthly pilgrimage; Beelzebub had offered to make him lord of the fair in exchange for his worship (see Matthew 4:1-11). But the Prince “left the town without laying down so much as one penny for these worthless things.”
As soon as they entered the town, Christian and Faithful drew the attention of the self-indulgent mob. Their clothes were different, their speech was different, and they shunned every pleasure offered. When the offended mob began a riot, Christian and Faithful were taken into custody and interrogated. Despite their innocence, they were smeared with dirt, beaten mercilessly, paraded through the town in chains, and locked in a cage awaiting trial.
How did they respond to this abuse? With meekness and patience (provoking their accusers even more) — and each man secretly hoped that he would be the one chosen to die for his faith.
To the revelers in Vanity Fair, it must have seemed that these two pilgrims came from another planet. And as new creatures in Christ, we do! Scripture tells us, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)
This exhortation was echoed in a testimony shared by Chris Maresco. Chris, who grew up as a pastor’s son in this church, humbly shared how he was enticed by the attractions of Vanity Fair in his early teens. He challenged the students to trust the leadership of their parents and beware the influence of worldly friends.
This section of Pilgrim’s Progress also draws out the question “What am I for?” – what is my purpose in life? Vanity Fair (the world) offers several false answers to this question:
- possession
- the praise of people
- pleasure
Scripture, however, tells us that we exist for God (John 17:3). “You, oh God, have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (Augustine).
Our citizenship is now in heaven — a truth we must grip tightly as we live in the midst of this Vanity Fair. As we ended Sunday’s lesson, I asked the students to reflect on these questions:
- Where is my mind set?
- Where are my eyes focused?
- Which of this world’s pleasures are most attractive to me?
- What am I living for?
- In what practical ways am I pursuing God and seeking his glory?
Parents, I pray that you will seize this opportunity to talk with your child about the truths in this week’s lesson. Let’s pray that God in his grace would expose the false promises of Vanity Fair and direct their hearts to the abundant life found in Christ and his kingdom.
2.12.12: Pilgrim’s Progress (15): The Pilgrims Meet Talkative
As they traveled together, Christian and Faithful spotted a handsome man in the distance who appeared to be going in the same direction. Faithful greeted him and was immediately impressed with his enthusiasm for godly conversation. “This man will make an extremely good Pilgrim,” he whispered to Christian.
But Christian was already acquainted with this man, whose name was Talkative. He informed Faithful that Talkative failed to practice in private what he preached in public. “Religion has no place in his heart, or house, or lifestyle. Everything he has lies in his tongue, and making a noise with it is his religion.”
As I told the class, many professing believers are much like Talkative — they “talk the talk” but don’t “walk the walk.” They deceive themselves into thinking that knowing the right things and saying the right things is sufficient to please God. But as we discussed in class — and as Scripture teaches so clearly — genuine faith expresses itself in outward service and inward holiness: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).
I ended the class by sharing about Rachel Joy Scott, a 17-year-old girl who boldly
professed Christ before she was murdered in the 1999 killing spree at Columbine High School. Exactly one year before her death, she wrote these words in her diary: “Now that I have begun to ‘walk my talk,’ even my friends make fun of me…I know what they are thinking every time I make a decision to resist temptation and follow God. They call me ‘the preacher’s churchgoing girl….’ I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what? I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus… If my friends have to become my enemies for me to be with my best friend Jesus, then that’s fine with me.”
Rachel Scott paid the ultimate price for her biblical convictions. She responded with exemplary courage and commitment to Paul’s charge in Philippians 1:27 — “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ….” The 12:13 class was challenged to imitate her faith and avoid the powerless profession of Talkative.
2.5.12: Pilgrim’s Progress (14): Faithful Tells Of His Adventures
After his harrowing journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Christian caught up with a fellow pilgrim named Faithful. Having traveled so far alone, Christian was delighted with the companionship and asked Faithful to recount his travels.
Though he had traveled the same road, Faithful’s experiences were very different than Christian’s. He had not fallen in the Swamp of Despondence, but had been tempted by a woman named Wanton. He did not even see the two lions that had terrified Christian or the monster Apollyon, but he had been harassed in the Valley of Humiliation by Shame. I used this opportunity to explain to the class that every Christian’s journey is different…we experience different temptations, different trials, different joys.
Faithful refused Wanton’s flattering words and false promises, but he was almost snared by a job offer from an old man (symbolizing our fallen nature that remains so vulnerable to worldly temptation). The old man promised him many delights and “all the fine things of the world.” Though Faithful eventually heeded the biblical command to “put off the old man with his deeds,” he felt the old man’s claws in his flesh. He was nearly hooked.
Continuing up the Hill of Difficulty, Faithful was pursued by a man who knocked him to the ground with a powerful blow. When he came to his senses and asked for an explanation, Faithful was told that he was being punished for his secret inclination to follow the old man (the “First Adam”). Faithful got up and was immediately knocked down again. “Have mercy!” he pleaded, but the man responded, “I don’t know how to show mercy!” A third time he was knocked to the ground and would surely have perished if he had not been rescued by a passing stranger…a man with holes in his hands and a hole in his side.
As Christian then explained, the assailant was Moses — “he doesn’t know how to show mercy to those who transgress his law.” This portion of the story provided me with a wonderful opportunity to remind the students of the gospel — of the Savior who does not treat us as our sins deserve, but paid the full penalty of the law so that we could be forgiven. Hallelujah!
At the beginning of class, I announced that we will begin having quizzes at the end of each lesson that will consist of questions from that day’s lesson. There will be a guy and a girl from each grade (representing their gender and grade), for a total of 6 people (6 teams). The team that has the most wins at the end of the school year will get a pizza party. We ran out of time on Sunday to complete the quiz, but we will have the quiz at the beginning of next week’s class. Encourage your student to review this weeks teaching before class on Sunday.
I also gave the students a new incentive to go to the candy jar. If students can point to a biblical reference in Pilgrims Progress that John Bunyan uses, a passage that we don’t explicitly highlight, they get candy. The first two students that find a reference get candy after class. Charles H. Spurgeon once said of John Bunyan, “If you prick him he bleeds bible” There are many biblical references in Pilgrims Progress and this incentive encourages students to pay close attention to the reading and to think about and know Scripture.
Here is an example of a “biblical reference to Matthew 19:30 in Pilgrims Progress on page 89, “Christian was quite moved by that. And calling upon all his strength, he quickly caught up with Faithful and even ran past him, so that the last was first.” Here is another example from page 93 in Pilgrims Progress, “So I turned to go away from him, but just as I turned myself to leave, I felt him take hold of m flesh and give me such a deadly jerk back that I thought he had pulled part of me toward him. This made me cry. “What a wretched man I am!” I then went on my way up the hill.” Bunyan is referencing to Paul’s words in Romans 7:24 here.
If you have any questions or comments as always feel free to email me at: jbozarth[at]covlife.org
By His Grace,
Mr. Bozarth
1.29.11: Pilgrim’s Progress (13): Valley of the Shadow of Death
Sunday’s lesson took us through the deepest, darkest part of Christian’s pilgrimage…the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Though it led past the very mouth of hell, Christian knew this was the only road to the Celestial City — a road he would have to travel.
Flanked by a deep pit on one side and a foul swamp on the other, frightened by sounds of hobgoblins and dragons, Christian followed the narrow path through the dark. The sword that had proven so effective against Apollyon was useless against the disembodied voices of hell’s fiends, so Christian resorted to another weapon: All-Prayer. I took a minute to speak with the students about their own fears and encouraged them to lift these fears to God in prayer.
During the night Christian was encouraged to hear the voice of another pilgrim ahead of him. With that voice came hope — hope that God was still with him (even though he couldn’t feel his presence) and hope that he might have fellowship with this fellow traveler in the future.
Finally the morning dawned. When Christian looked back, he was sobered to see what dangers he had escaped in the night. But the way forward was even more appalling. Realizing that he never could have survived the rest of that path in the darkness, Christian continued with deep gratitude for the light (a symbol of God’s Word).
Reminding the students that King David had traveled the Valley of the Shadow of Death on many occasions, I asked them to take time this week to meditate on Psalm 23. I specifically asked them to single out one phrase from that psalm and consider how this truth could light up their own path when they travel through difficult times.
For application, parents, talk with your student about these three weapons that enable Christians to survive the Valley of the Shadow of Death: persevering prayer, the light of Scripture, and the soul-strengthening gift of fellowship.
-Mr. Bozarth
Announcements:
In March, we will have our second Bible Bowl competition, this time focusing on the Book of Acts. Students will again compete in 3-person teams. Students may team up with friends in other grades, but they will compete at the grade level of the oldest member of their group. (Example: If two 6th Graders team up with an 8th Grader, they will compete at the 8th Grade level.) Students may begin to study the Book of Acts now as we prepare for Bible Bowl II!
1.22.11: Pilgrim’s Progress (12): Battling The Prince Of Darkness
On Sunday we resumed “Pilgrim’s Progress” in the Valley of Humiliation, where Christian immediately encountered the demonic fiend Apollyon. When Apollyon learned that Christian was from the City of Destruction, he announced that he was prince of that city and demanded allegiance. Christian informed the monster that he had chosen to enter the service of another prince — the King of princes. Apollyon bribed, threatened, and accused Christian but could not shake the pilgrim’s resolve. “To speak the truth,” confessed Christian, “I like His Work, His Wages, His Servants, His Government, His Company, and His Country better than yours. Therefore, quit trying to persuade me; for I am His servant, and I will follow Him.”
At this, Apollyon roared in rage and shot flaming arrows “thick as hail.” The combat lasted half a day. Despite his brave defense, Christian suffered multiple wounds and increasing weakness. Seizing his opportunity, Apollyon threw Christian to the ground, 
knocking his sword from his hand. “I have you beaten now!” exulted the fiend as he prepared to deliver the death blow.
But Christian, though crushed, was not destroyed. With the promises of God’s Word on his lips, he grasped his sword and thrust it into the monster. Apollyon backed away, mortally wounded. Echoing the battle cry that has carried countless Christians through spiritual warfare, the pilgrim struck again, proclaiming, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us!” With that, Apollyon took wing and flew away, never to trouble Christian again.
For the young pilgrims in the class, Mr. Brunson sought to stress two main truths. First, God wisely allows us to experience trials “in the valley” in order to strengthen our love and faith. Second, the Word of God is our most reliable weapon when we engage in spiritual battle. We encountered three different ways the devil seeks to oppose us:
1) temptation
2) threat
3) and accusation
We also examined three biblical truths to counter these wiles:
1) True life is found in knowing and following Christ (John 10:9-10)
2) Christ raises the dead (Romans 8:28-29)
3) Christ is our advocate (1 John 2:1-2)
Parents, let me encourage you to take a few minutes with your children to follow up on these truths. Help them identify the unique sources of temptation and spiritual battle in their lives, and then help them locate at least one Scripture they can use to fight back. Finally, remind them of the glorious gospel, which declares that we are more than conquerors through the great Prince — the King of princes — who loved and died for us.
Remember to pray for the Mr. S & his family as they go to Africa to share the gospel.
1.15.12: Pilgrim’s Progress (11)–Equipping For The Jouney
Christian spends several days with the family in the Beautiful Palace being equipped for his journey. In the library he learns more about the Lord of the Hill — that he is the Son of the “Ancient of Days,” that he was not created (John 1:1), that he has done mighty acts, and that he has prepared eternal dwellings and rich rewards for his servants. In the armory Christian is equipped with helmet, shield, sword, and everything else he will need to withstand attack along the way. On the final morning he is led to the top of the palace from which he is able to see the Delightful Mountains — “a very pleasant mountainous country made beautiful with woods, vineyards, fruits of all kinds, flowers, springs, and fountains” (Pilgrim’s Progress, p. 71). Once he has reached those mountains, the sisters assure Christian, he will be able to see the Celestial City itself.
With that reassuring scene in mind, Christian leaves the palace and descends the steep hill into the Valley of Humiliation. The sisters give him gifts and bid him farewell as he continues along his path.
I ended Sunday’s class by telling the students that for us as Christians, every Sunday is a holiday in the Delightful Mountains. Our Sunday celebration meetings refresh us from our labors, strengthen us to wage warfare against sin, and — best of all — give us a fresh glimpse of Calvary, the most delightful mountain of all.
Parents, as you review this lesson with your children, talk to them about their expectation of Sunday. Is it the best day of the week for them? For you? Together let’s grow in our anticipation of this weekly holiday in the Delightful Mountains!
-Mr. Bozarth
1/8/12: Pilgrim’s Progress (10): The House On The Hill
This week youth pastor Dave Brewer started the class by praying for Mr. Sommerville and the North Africa team. He also challenged the class to commit to pray for Mr. Sommerville and the North Africa team. We are so thankful for Mr. Sommerville and for his years of service and investment in the 12:13 ministry. Let’s remember to pray for Mr. Sommerville, his family, and the North Africa team. Let’s pray together that “the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored…”(2 Thes. 3:1). Mr. Sommerville and his family will be greatly missed around here, but we are very grateful for the opportunity the Lord has given them, and we look forward to hearing how the Lord will use this North Africa team to bring glory to Himself!
Congratulations to our Bible Bowl winners! They are… Leanna Benson, Omma Tso, Madeline Yi, and Grayson Lee. You will be forever enshrined in 12:13 class history and will receive your prize this week.
With the start of a New Year, Mr. Brewer and youth intern, Jacob Bozarth, challenged the class to begin reading one of three Bible reading plans for 2012. Each student should talk to their parents about which plan will work best for them. The three options that we have provided are, 1. Read the bible in one year, 2. Read the Bible in two years, or 3. Read the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs in one year. If you have questions about the Bible reading for this year or about using any other plans please email Jacob Bozarth at jbozarth[at]covlife.org.
Mr. Bozarth taught this week’s lesson as we resumed Pilgrims Progress. Once Christian passed the lions, he was welcomed into the Beautiful 
Palace— a house “built by the Lord of the Hill for the relief and security of Pilgrims” (Pilgrim’s Progress, p. 64). Four sisters — Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence — asked him many questions about his journey. When Prudence asked about his ongoing battles with sin, Christian described four practices that helped him conquer temptation…practices that even young pilgrims would benefit from:
- Thinking about the cross and Christ’s costly sacrifice for sin
- Meditating on the robe of Christ’s righteousness which we have received
- Reflecting on the “document” of our inheritance in Christ (sealed by the Spirit)
- Looking forward to the city towards which we are traveling
After extended discussion the four sisters treated Christian to a memorable meal. Though the food was delicious, it was the fellowship that most refreshed Christian: “All their conversation at the table was about the Lord of the Hill…” (p. 69). As a class we defined fellowship as the language of Christians, a language that centers on Jesus. Mr. Bozarth asked the students to evaluate the content of their own discussions around the dinner table or with friends. It’s a good question for us all: How often do we spontaneously talk about our Lord’s life, teaching, death, resurrection, or return?
12:13 