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Lessons from bears about discipleship (3rd August 2008) by Dan Symes

Sun, 03/08/2008 - 8:30am — Dan Symes
A worksheet was also given; here it is.

Bears

  1. Listen hard to the exhortation and you'll be able to fill in colums 2 & 3 below with examples or lessons we can learn from the bear facts in column 1.
  2. Keep listening and you'll be able to write the reference for the quote to the right.
  3. Column 4 is a bit harder. You would have to do your own thinking for this one. I won't be telling you any of these but if you can think of some ways that Jesus showed these characteristics that's great.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [Love bears all things]

BearsElijah/ElishaUsJesus (this one is completely optional for a bonus)
Young cubs stay close to their mothers, learning skills they need to survive: what food to eat and to avoid, where to hunt, how to build a den, signs of danger, etc.
Mother bears will protect their cubs fiercely against any perceived danger including humans and also male bears that can weigh up to 1000kg!
Bears only have about 6 months to eat enough food to build up their fat reserves for their long hibernation. Many bears are omnivores, content to eat whatever is available whether it is fish or grass.
During winter, most bears escape the cold by sleeping it away. They aren't true hibernators but they do go for 3-4 months without food and water, sleeping for most of the time.Elijah after his triumph for God on Mt Carmel seems to have fallen into depression. God's cure was: eat, drink and sleep. He needed some time out.