Word Studies: James

This is the first of a series that will cover the classes that the students will be taking thoughout the year.

Class: James

Week #1: September 12-16

Professor: Dr. Wendell Calder

Assignments: Read Be Mature by Warren W. Wiersbe

                       Read James 7x

Key Verse: James 1:27

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

        James is the first class that Word of Life Bible Institute, Owen Sound begins every year with. This class is the perfect start to a year of life change. Filled with practical application, James is always a favourite among students because of the relevance it has to their lives during the the year at the Bible Institute. Dr. Calder's uncanny ability to alliterate absolutely anything and everything amazes students every year. Students finished James on Thursday and Dr. Calder left for  New York to open the Word of Life Bible Institute in Schroon Lake this past weekend.


        Dr. Calder said, "God specifically taught me from James 4:6 this past week. The verse talks about the grace of God. I was reminded that although grace is what saves us (Ephesians 2:8) it is also how God provides all things for us as believers. The same grace that saves us is adequate and perfect for everything we need."

     "I will not quit; by God's grace, I can do it"

    - Dr. Wendell Calder

         Students had an opportunity to share what God has taught them this past week in James:



"Just to look again that the evidence of faith is works, looking back again at Matthew 7, good fruit versus bad fruit. Evidence needs to be here. Also makes me think that we so often look at someone and judge them and treat them differently."
-Andrew, Woodstock, ON


"God sends tests and trials to mature us into stronger Christians and also for when we are high and mighty on ourselves, He uses them to humble us.... and also the golden rule trumps all other laws. If we live by it, we don't need any other law."
-Nick, Drayton, ON

        How God uses these classes in the lives of the students every year is so awesome to see. Pray that the rest of the year will be as life changing as this very first week of classes!



For more information about WOLBI check out our website or email our Admissions Coordinator.

Opening Weekend Conference 2011

       Opening Weekend Conference at WOLBI is always a busy time of registering new students, meeting with believers in Christ and learning from God's Word. This year, as every year so far at the Owen Sound Campus, Dr. Wendell Calder brought the Word of God to the families and students that gathered four times over the weekend to hear it. Being encouraged from the Bible was definitely one of the highlights. Dr. Wendell Calder preached from Psalm 16 and the messages were the perfect beginning to the tenth year at the BI.

Dr. Wendell Calder preaches the Word

"As the opening to a year of life changing experiences for the students, this weekend begins the year with a foundation in God's Word, with which the only result can be to have the fulness of joy in the presence of the Lord." 
- Atie, Huntsville (Parent of student)

"Even better than I thought it would be."
- Lucas, Wyoming

        Just from these two comments, one can see that this weekend was truly memorable. Already evident in the lives of the students, is a desire to grow and be changed by God's Word. Great are the expectations of those involved with the coming year at the BI as to what God will do.
       
        Below is the verse upon which Dr. Calder preached the evening message on Saturday. It shows where God wants each and everyone of us to be: In His Presence.

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." - Psalms 16:11


If you are interested in being a part of the great expectations for WOLBI 2012-2013 check out our website or send us an email.

BW

Why YOU should get an Alumni Gift Award!

Do you like free money? Do your friends like free money? Should anyone really have to ask this question? Isn't it obvious?
We all like to have a little extra money in our pockets, and Word of Life Bible Institute understands this! They've made it easy for students and our friends who are interested in the BI to get some extra money!

"But, how?" 

Well, with the Alumni Gift Award of course! Each year students are handed these little pink award slips to distribute to people we know. The "Hallelujah Chorus" resounds as we prepare to give them out to all our friends!

Fun Facts about the Alumni Gift Award:

Who it's for: anyone interested in applying to the BI in September 2011 or September 2012.

How to get one: any current or graduated student can give this award to a friend who is planning to apply to the BI for 2011 or 2012. A current student can get award slips from the admissions office at WOLBI. Alumni can print this one.

How much it's worth: this award is unique in that both the applicant AND the student giving the award receive money! The person applying will acquire $200 off their tuition (split between the two semesters) and the current or graduated student who gave the gift award will receive a check for $100 in the mail once the applicant enrolls in the September!

How it works:
*IMPORTANT* to receive this award, the award slip MUST be sent in WITH the new application.

Instructions for applicants:
Mail Application: send pink award slip in the same envelope with your application.
Online Application: if you are applying online, please email the admissions department (admissions@wol.ca, alliep@wol.ca) as soon as you have submitted your application and let them know that you have an Alumni Gift Award. Then, proceed to mail it in so we can process it!
Application Turned in at a Recharge weekend or Campus Days event: simple, just give us the award slip when you give us the application. For those of you who are wondering, YES you do get the $300 for applying at Recharge or Campus Days AND the $200 for Alumni Gift, totaling $500!!!

*The Perks*: This is a great way for  a new applicant to get an extra $200 off their tuition. Extra finances are sometimes hard to come by these days, so every little bit counts! ALSO, we students in turn get rewarded for rewarding our friends! Once the applicants enroll for the fall, Word of Life will send $100 in the mail for each gift award we handed out! Why WOULDN'T we take advantage of this opportunity! It's a win-win situation for everyone!

If you'd like to be a part of this offer, or have any questions, please contact our admissions department!
Email: AllieP@wol.ca, admissions@wol.ca, CassandraJ@wol.ca
Phone: 519-376-3516 ex. 213 or 216. Toll Free: 800-461-3503

Staff/Student year end barbeque: saying goodbye with food and fire

On Sunday night, May 22, instead of our usual meal together here at WOLBI we had a staff and student end of the year barbecue.  All the staff was out and brought yummy desserts!  There were mixed feelings and it was both fun and sad at the same time.  No one likes to say goodbyes and we knew it was the last Sunday night as students here at WOLBI.  After we ate we went down to the gorge for a camp fire.  We all gathered around the flames for a time of praise and then we had sharing time about what God has taught us throughout our year.  The testimonies were so sweet and showed how much God can work in our lives using His Word if we let Him and keep our hearts open to changing.  There was lots of laughing and even some tears as we recounted from the year and talked about our roles this summer at camp.  It was an awesome year that helped us build a foundation for the rest of our lives.  Such a good starting place and now we need to stay on fire for God and continue to grow to become more like Him.

Here are some students comments about the camp fire and things they learned this past year:

"Man is nothing; it is all about glorifying Him."

"I learned God is super-personal and He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives." 

"It was very encouraging and I am proud to be part of the WOLBI alumni (very soon!)."

"I was very encouraged to see all of the spiritual growth among the class."

NW

Learning Church History!!

From WOLBRANOS

Dr. Tom Taylor has been teaching Church History for the last two weeks. Dr. Taylor received his BA from Bryan College, MDiv and STM from Faith Seminary and a Doctorate from Philadelphia Biblical University. To quote his own words, "I am “retired emeritus" from Biblical Seminary having held the post of Associate Professor of Church History and Old Testament for 24 years... I have written few books (but lots of articles that were not all wanted!) and have concentrated lately on conference ministry… Married to Ruth with five children and a small army of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am better known for humor and playing the harmonica than for scholarship but that is just another of the inequities in the world.”

They got Nuthin'

McDonald's?  Swiss Chalet?  Olive Garden?  Even your mom's cooking does not match up to the food you get here at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Owen Sound!  Nothing against mothers, but when you walk into the cafeteria, all you can smell is what Karen and her girls have been cooking, and boy, does it smell heavenly!  You might say, "Oh I need to lose a few," but that thought quickly vanishes like vapor in the air when you gaze upon what just came out of the oven! (Some colleges refer to the Freshman Fifteen - but it takes discipline here to not reach the Freshman Forty!!).  Remember the cafeteria in high school when you couldn't even tell if the food was food!?!?  Watch out!  Literally!  Because once you start, you most likely will be eagerly waiting for the yell/scream of, "Seconds!"  With that, you are off to the races!  Well, back to the food line for another helping...
Here the food is as diverse as the student body themselves. This year we as students have had the privilege of trying different dishes from all over the world! We've sunk our teeth into some Dutch favorites, savored some Sushi, and have even filled our tummies with a Jamaican dish or two!
The spectacular food here just goes to show that at Word of Life we not only take pride in giving you a foundation in the word of God, but also we like you to be well founded, or should I say, "rounded" when it comes to food. We try to the best we can to keep the variety changing, but also throw in some home-cooked favorites like roast beef and potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, spaghetti, fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies just to name a few.  Bottom line, the food is awesome, the variety is unbelievable, and the fresh veggies make you actually want to eat your veggies. Come to the Word of Life Bible Institute. Eat spiritual food. Eat physical food. Get fed!

Sound too good to be true?

Come see for yourself and join us for a Campus Days, Summer Camp or Winter Camp/Recharge event!

The Red Carpet Event 2011!!

Spring has been in the air here at WOLBI and the Red Carpet event of the season saw everyone dressed to the max (except Kevin haha) in suits and ball gowns!  The evening began with the guys waiting outside the girls' dorm in their suits ready to escort the girls to the event, and then Hollywood style pictures were taken with a star backdrop as you entered the banquet.  It was great food and awesome fellowship with a sweet song from some of the students dedicated to Mr. Doug Reider.  What an awesome performance!  Awards were given out to everyone at the end of the evening on their stunning personality traits (they all had a star with their name on it from the photo backdrop).  We all enjoyed an evening of delicious food, great fellowship, and awesome entertainment!  There is nothing like a WOLBI banquet!

Learning the Word: Ecclesiology

From WOLBRANOS

Pastor Bob Snell grew up in New Brunswick in a godly pastor’s home and was converted as a young boy. From 1972 – 1976 he attended the University of Guelph where he received an Honours BA in sociology and history. Between 1977 and 1980 he studied at London Baptist Bible College and Seminary graduating with his Masters of Divinity. In August of 1980 he was married to Joanne Higginson in Meaford, Ontario. He has pastored for more than 30 years in southern Ontario at Emmanuel Bible Church in Simcoe and First Baptist Church in Waterloo, where he currently ministers. Pastor Snell has been privileged to travel worldwide to places like Bolivia, Israel and the Philippines in service for the Lord. He has spoken often at conferences, retreats and Bible Colleges. He also serves as a member of the Word of Life Canada Board of Directors as well as on the Advisory Council of ABWE.

Pastor Snell shared with us that:

"In examining the Scripture teaching of the “church” we learn that it is a purely New Testament truth. Used 114 times in the New Testament it is referred to in terms of ‘the church which is Christ’s body’ as well as a group of believers locally gathered together in worship to the Savior and committed to the spiritual disciplines of the Acts chapter 2 Jerusalem church. Praise God that the church (Ecclesia) of Jesus Christ is a unique body of people believing in His death, burial and resurrection having been called out of darkness into His marvelous light  (1 Peter 2:9). Let us therefore live as the church is admonished to-----as children of light."

Students have said:

"I love learning the biblical principles behind church leadership."

"I always wanted to learn what the church is exactly and how church leadership should work.  I enjoyed hearing what Catholics believe and what a mission field we have."

Learning the Word: Proverbs

Last week our Guest Lecturer was Pastor Steve Faulkner.  Pastor Faulkner received his BA from Tennessee Temple University and his ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary.  He has ministered as Youth Pastor, Police Department Chaplain, and Pastor in the US and Canada.  Currently he serves as Pastor of Emmanuel Bible Church in Simcoe, ON.
We have loved to have Pastor Faulkner here and to be learning about Proverbs because they are so practical for everyday life.

"He taught us to be able to make our own outline for Proverbs and really emphasized that the fear of the Lord is what gives us wisdom."

"His explanation of the fear of the Lord helped me to really see what that looks like or should look like in my life."  

"During the class, God showed me some verses that I may not have noticed before and that helped in working on the issues in life.  Its so sweet how He reveals truths to us as we are in certain situations."

"It was really neat learning how to better study the book of wisdom especially since we didn't get to go through it all since there is so much in it.  I liked having to make our own Bible studies from Proverbs."

Recharge Weekend Six!

Our final Recharge weekend has come to an end and what an amazing weekend it has been.

This past weekend we had 72 campers and leaders visit our campus.  Among those 3 accepted Christ and roughly 60 dedicated there lives to the Lord.

Seeing hearts changed and lives impacted by God’s Word is great.    

Here are a couple of comments made by teens and leaders this past weekend:

“Praise God for two salvations in our Youth Group this weekend! Thank you for your ministry!”

“This was a really good weekend. I had so much fun and the sessions were really good!”

“Loved the zip line! Food was amazing...! Thank you!!”

“It was an amazing time and all the staff were great! The message taught me a lot and was relative to what I am going through.”

Thank you for all your prayers and support during the last couple of months. It was really encouraging knowing that people were praying for our staff, students, and campers.

God bless 

KD

Learn the Word: Judges

Teaching the book of Judges last week Pastor Mark Lowrie joined us did an incredible job.  Pastor Lowrie was born in Ontario but orphaned at age ten.  He then lived with relatives in Tennessee.  He was saved at 13 and later attended Tennessee Temple.  After seminary in London, he pastored several churches in Ontario.  He is married to his sweetheart Margaret for over thirty one years.  They have three married children and are expecting their first two grandchildren in the spring!  He currently is the pastor of South End Fellowship Baptist in Owen Sound, Ontario.

This week we really learned how nothing is new under the sun, people back in the time of Judges did what was right in their own eyes, and we do as well!  Its up to us to be the difference in this crooked and depraved generation!

There is a constant battle between the flesh and the spirit, we learned that the flesh screams persuasively at us, while the Holy Spirit whispers gently to our souls.  We can't break the hold of the flesh on our own, we need the power of God to do so!

Learn the Word: The Gospel of John

Mr. Gary Stairs recently taught the Gospel of John here at WOLBI.  Mr. Stairs received a BA with Honours in History from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario. He taught history in high school for many years before joining Word of Life Canada in 1993. He is currently the Executive Director of Word of Life Canada.
Here's what Mr. Stairs is learning as he  taught the gospel of John again this year:

"I love the way John presents the humanity and deity of Christ in such a convincing and easy-to-understand way.  His style is warm and flows through a narrative of miracles and controversy surrounding His claims to be the Son of God.  For the reader it is hard to arrive at the last verse without declaring with conviction that "truly Jesus is the Son of God!"  Even the Gnostics of today are confronted with powerful claims and statements of Christ as to His deity.  Cults cannot accommodate within their teachings the claims of the opening verses.  New believers are assured of their eternal security.  In John's gospel we see clearly that the purpose of Christ's life is to show us God!"

NW

Recharge Weekend Four!

From WOLBRANOS

Well it has been yet another amazing weekend of snow camp!

Out of the 81 campers in attendance this past weekend, 2 teens were counseled in accepting Jesus Christ as their Saviour. There was also opportunity to speak with 2 youth regarding the assurance of their salvation. On Sunday morning the challenge was given to live your everyday life for God which saw 73 campers dedicate their lives to God! Praise the Lord!

A special thanks to all of you who faithfully pray and encourage us to serve God and share His word with Canadian youth.

This week leaders and campers said:

“This was an amazing experience & the sessions were fun and taught me a lot.”

“It was amazing! Met a lot of new people and grew closer to God. Now I really want to come back here for school.”

“This weekend I realized we are all afraid to share the gospel, but I also learned that God is the one doing all the work we just tell the good news.”

 KD

Learning the Word: Matthew

From WOLBRANOS

Mr. Scott Foreman serves full-time with the ministry of Word of Life Canada as our Associate Director. His responsibilities include oversight of the Owen Sound Camping Ministry, Resonate, Print, Web and Media Departments. He is a graduate of the first and second year programs of the Word of Life Bible Institute in New York, and a graduate of Tennessee Temple University where he received his B.Sc. in Biblical Studies. Its great to have him on campus regularly and especially these two weeks as we look at the book of Matthew together.

"Teaching Matthew to the student body at the Word of Life Bible Institute is one of the highlights of my ministry calendar. Why? Because I love teaching students, and I love seeing the lights turn on as they understand God's Word more and more. Matthew is a unique book because it is rich doctrinally and practically: it helps us to understand how Christ came to fulfill literally the Davidic and Abrahamic Covenants, but also how to follow the loving, caring example of our Lord. The more I study Matthew, the more I realize I need to better uderstand this book - but shouldn't that be the case with all the Scriptures?"

We are also enjoying the classes and learning a lot.  

"I enjoyed the assignment where we had to write about a miracle of Christ and that impacted me the most, because I never really though a lot about them personally and how I can apply them to my life."

"Having Mr. Foreman speaking I could really see the passion he has for teaching the Word and it was inspiring to me to have more passion for the Word and studying It. I got a more contextual view of the gospel rather then just reading through it."

"Mr. Foreman really challenged us as individuals to make our faith out own. Going through all the miracles it seems impossible to me how someone could not believe what Jesus did for us." 

 

Students Speak about the WOLBI staff

DISCLAIMER: No students were interrogated, forced, bribed or otherwise coerced in the obtaining of these quotes. Our staff are very blessed by the students God has brought to WOLBI this year!

"Even though it's only been 3 months, WOL and the staff members here have impacted my life so much.  They are so willing to talk, listen, and give their time and advice!"

"The Ward family have been a huge influence in the lives of us students.  If Mr. Ward isn't teaching us in class he is usually on the basketball court. He teaches us Bible Survey in class, biblical principles in chapels, and is a great example to us outside of class time in how to live a godly life. Mrs. Ward is my discipler and I have greatly enjoyed getting to know her better and the opportunity to meet with her once a week. She is a big encouragement to me and I learn a lot from just watching how she handles life situations and how she interacts with her kids. Their middle child, was my date to the banquet! I look forward to the rest of the year getting to know them more!"

"WOLBI has greatly ministered in my life thus far. The ministry of the staff, in particular the Reiders and the Wards , has greatly shown to me the love and devotion they have not only to God, but also to the students. My personal growth had been incredible under the discipleship provided and I can't wait to continue here in the New Year."

"For me I think the biggest blessing has been the opportunity to watch  and learn from godly women here at the BI. Being discipled in the kitchen and just interacting with the women here at the BI has challenged me to grow and has been such an encouragement to me! I really appreciate their desire to help me grow."

Students Speak about Chapels

DISCLAIMER: No students were interrogated, forced, bribed or otherwise coerced in the obtaining of these quotes. WOLBI very blessed by the students God has brought this year!

Each week we have 3 chapel services to look at God's Word in a more practical way than the academic environment of class. Wednesday is Director's Chapel with Gary Stairs, the Executive Director of Word of Life Canada and focuses on Encouraging students to commit all their lives to God. Thursday is a Guest Chapel Exposing students to personal testimonies of missionaries and pastors, missions and ministry opportunities around the world. Finally, Fridays are Deans' Chapels Exhorting students to practically apply the Bible truths they are learning throughout the week.
"A speaker was used by the Lord to change my life and I am daily reminded of the things I have been taught in chapel."

"The Deans' chapels have been on "when the pressure is on, what is on the inside comes out". Those chapels have been really encouraging to me and very applicable (especially having 3 roommates). The whole program at WOLBI gives lots of opportunities to put the things we have been learning in the chapels into practice."

"I really appreciated Mr. Stairs message on Matthew 15:32. The three tough questions Jesus asked His disciples. And it really touched my life when He said, "Little is much when God is with me". Thank you!"

"Chapel are great in teaching practical applications of scripture."

"Chapels are unforgettable!  I am permanently scared from Mr. Ward's "pressure is on" chapel!" (You'll just have to come and experience this one for yourself).

"Love wins. In one of our Deans' chapels, we learned that in order to be satisfied in relationships or marriage we must be satisfied now. Since this chapel I have shared this simple truth with many friends from home who are getting into relationships and it is changing their view on dating. It is awesome to see people respond to the truth we are being taught here."