Ep 98: Second Chances and Good Teachers

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What can we learn from a good
teacher?

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We'll talk about that in just a
SEC.

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Welcome to the show.
I'm Daniel Dalp, and this is for

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your Sunday morning drive.
We're the short podcast with the

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goal of providing some
motivation, Dr. and

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encouragement on your way to
worship and helping you recenter

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your mind on spiritual things on
those hectic Sunday mornings.

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I gave this episode a lot of
thought and I'm releasing it

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with the hope that it honors a
great teacher that I had in high

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school who recently passed away.
But more than anything, I hope

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it shows the greatness of the
good teacher, Jesus Christ.

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And with that in mind, let's get
the show on the road.

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This is episode 98.
Second chances and good

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teachers.
Let's go to church.

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Are we there yet?
Recently, I saw where one of the

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teachers I had in high school
passed away, Misses Bernhardt.

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She was a lifelong educator, a
math teacher at North High

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School here in Evansville for 50
years.

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Can you imagine how many lives
she impacted during that time?

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She certainly impacted mine.
I had her at least twice when I

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was in high school, and I can't
remember exactly which class I

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had her for in senior year.
Forgive me, high school much

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further back than I'd like to
admit, but I know I had her for

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math.
And as is likely unsurprising to

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any of you who have had to
witness my math skills, I was

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struggling.
So much so that I failed her

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final.
And as devastating as that

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seemed for a high school Daniel
Dalp, it was a moment that Miss

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Bernhardt took to show what kind
of a teacher she really was.

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And she approached me after she
had graded my final and handed

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down the bad news.
But then she gave me some hope.

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She told me that I could study
as much as I could that night,

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and the next day she would allow
me to take a different version

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of the final.
She gave me a the second chance

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and I passed, if memory serves,
just barely so.

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But I passed and you should have
seen the smile on her face as

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she walked into the library to
give me the good news.

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You see, my moment of failure
she used as her opportunity for

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Grace, and with the news of her
passing, I've been reflecting a

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lot on that moment about how
thankful I was and am for it.

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Because we weren't close.
I certainly wasn't what I would

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call a favorite student, and
she, up until that point, wasn't

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one of my favorite teachers.
I can only assume that she did

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that for many of her students,
gave them a second chance.

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Not because she had to, not
because they deserved it, not

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because they earned it, but
because she wanted them to

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succeed.
Because Miss Bernhardt was a

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good teacher.
And this got me thinking about

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the good teacher, Jesus Christ.
In Mark 10/17 and 18, Jesus has

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this interaction with the rich
young ruler, the Bible says.

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And as he was setting out on a
journey, a man ran up to him and

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knelt before him and asked him,
Good teacher, what shall I do so

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that I may inherit eternal life?
But Jesus said to him, Why do

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you call me good?
No one is good except God alone.

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Notice that Jesus is not
disputing the title.

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He is indeed the good teacher,
and as such He invites us to

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come and learn from Him.
Matthew 1128 through 30 says,

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Come to me all who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you

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rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn

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from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will

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find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is comfortable, and

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my burden is light.
And Jesus, the good teacher,

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he's offered us a second chance
as well.

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Romans 5 verse 8 says.
But God demonstrates his own

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love towards us in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died

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for us.
Not because He had to, not

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because we deserve it, not
because we've earned it, but

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because He wants us to succeed
in coming to Him.

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Second, Peter 3 verse 9.
The Lord is not slow about His

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promise, as some count slowness,
but is patient towards you, not

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willing for any to perish, but
for all to come to repentance.

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Because Jesus Christ is the good
teacher.

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And aren't we thankful for that?
That our moments of failure He

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uses as His opportunity for
grace.

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The death of our good teacher
should bring to remembrance all

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of those things that He has done
for us.

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And that should move us to
earnest Thanksgiving, which

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should in turn impact the way we
live because we are so blessed

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that Jesus has extended
forgiveness and grace to us

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through His blood.
How can we help but try our best

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to live in honor of that
sacrifice?

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Because the good teacher gave us
another chance?

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What are we going to do with it?
Well, those are my thoughts for

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your Sunday morning drive.
Now it's time to hear yours.

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Our discussion questions for
this week are, can you think of

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a time when someone showed you
grace you didn't deserve?

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How did that experience change
the way you viewed them and the

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way you lived afterward?
If Jesus is the good teacher,

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what does that imply about how
we should respond to his

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instruction, especially when it
challenges or corrects us?

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And in what practical ways can
we live differently this week

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because we've been given a
second chance through Christ?

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Hey, I hope you have a great
week.

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Don't squander that second
chance, but rather live in honor

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of it.
Thank you for listening and I'll

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see you someday.