WeChat ESL Class on Feb. 25, 2017

A. High-Lights of the Week
B. Short Story: 

The Wise Farmer's Donkey

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.  The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out a way to get him out.  Finally he decided it was probably impossible and the animal was old and the well was dry anyway, so it just wasn't worth it to try and retrieve the donkey.  So the farmer asked his neighbors to come over and help him cover up the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, when the donkey realized what was happening he cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down and let out some happy brays.  A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well to see what was happening and was astonished at what he saw.  With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was shaking it off and taking a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up.  Pretty soon, to everyone's amazement, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.

Will and Guy consider that the moral of this tale is: Life is going to shovel dirt on you. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.  Through applying wisdom every adversity can be turned into a stepping stone.  The way to get out of the deepest well is by never giving up but by shaking yourself off and taking a step up.

The moral is what happens to you isn't nearly as important as how you react to it.

C. American Idioms

1. An arm and a leg
2. At the drop of a hat
3. Ball is in your court
4. Be glad to see the back of
5. Bite off more than you can chew
6. Blessing in disguise 
7. Keep something at bay
8. Whole nine yards
9. Sit on the fence
10. See eye to eye  

D.  Bible Readiness:

1. What are some times when someone has said one thing, but done another?
2. How do you feel when someone says he or she will do something but then doesn't do it?
3. Think of a time you might have said one thing but acted another way. How did you feel when you realized what you were doing?
4. Do you believe what people say, or what people do?

E. Bible Study: Matthew 21:28-32

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Memory Verse of the Week: 1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Discussion Questions:

1. What did the Pharisees think about the things they believed?
2. How did the Pharisees feel about some of the other people that came to the temple?
3. What did the Pharisees say that was right?
4. Which son were they like? Why?
5. What did Jesus want them to do differently?
6. How were the outcasts like the first son?
7. Which of the two sons did what his father asked?
8. Which son did what the memory verse says?