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The fleeting nature of human life constitutes a key theme in theological reflections within the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Psalms in the Alkitab, which highlights human limitations and the inherent uncertainty of existence. Psalm 39:6–7 depicts human life as a transient shadow and emphasizes the futility of human efforts if they are not oriented toward God. This study seeks to explore the meaning of human transience in this passage and assess its theological significance for contemporary life. A qualitative approach with biblical hermeneutics is employed, considering historical, literary, and theological dimensions. The analysis indicates that the metaphor of the “shadow” illustrates human fragility, while the depiction of life’s futility critiques the human tendency to find purpose solely in worldly endeavors. Despite this, Psalm 39 ultimately directs readers toward hope in God, portraying Him as the ultimate source of true meaning. In a modern, materialistic context, this message continues to be relevant as a reminder of human dependency on God and the limitations of human life. Therefore, the transience of life does not signify the end of existential purpose but rather opens the way to deeper spiritual insight and the strengthening of faith.

Teaching biblical principles to elementary school children plays a significant role in shaping their faith and character, as childhood represents a formative stage for spiritual, intellectual, and moral development. This study aims to examine developmentally appropriate Bible teaching tactics and emphasize the role of Christian Religious Education teachers in the faith-learning process. The approach used is a literature review that combines theological insights, developmental psychology, and Christian didactics. The findings of this analysis indicate that effective teaching methods include the use of storytelling, visual and creative aids, interactive activities, spiritual music, and the teacher's life example. These methods enhance children’s understanding of biblical teachings in a concrete and contextually relevant manner. This research confirms that Bible teaching should not be seen simply as conveying information, but rather as a holistic process of faith formation. The results of this study provide both theoretical and practical benefits, especially for Christian Religious Education teachers, Christian schools, churches, and families in supporting children's holistic faith development.

This study aims to analyze the application of design learning in planning discipleship materials as an effort to improve the Bible knowledge of church youth. This study uses a qualitative approach with an action research method, which is implemented through the stages of planning, action, observation, and reflection. The research subjects were 40 church youth who were actively involved in the discipleship program. Data collection techniques included observation, interviews, questionnaires, and participant reflections before and after the implementation of design learning. The results show that the application of design learning makes a significant contribution to improving the Bible knowledge of youth, which includes cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects. Youth not only experienced an increased understanding of the Bible's content, but also showed growth in faith attitudes, spiritual motivation, active participation in learning, and involvement in church services. The design learning approach helps create planned, contextual, and learner-centered discipleship learning. Thus, design learning is proven to be effective and relevant as a youth discipleship strategy in facing the challenges of faith formation in the digital era.

The process of Christian Religious Education for early childhood must be aligned with children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual development. One of the main challenges in this learning process is interpreting biblical stories accurately while maintaining simplicity and relevance for young learners. This study aims to examine the role of hermeneutics in understanding and interpreting biblical narratives used in Christian Religious Education for early childhood. The research employs a qualitative approach through a literature review of hermeneutical studies, biblical texts, and scholarly works on early childhood Christian education. The findings indicate that narrative hermeneutics enables educators to interpret biblical texts contextually while translating theological messages into pedagogically appropriate stories for children. Through a hermeneutical approach, learning becomes more meaningful, reflective, and transformative, fostering deeper spiritual understanding in early learners. Furthermore, hermeneutics helps educators bridge the gap between the theological content of the Bible and the everyday experiences of Christian children. In conclusion, hermeneutics functions as a strategic tool in delivering biblical messages in ways that are developmentally appropriate, spiritually enriching, and relevant to the lives of early childhood learners within Christian education contexts.

This study aims to examine the biblical foundation in the learning of Bible-based preschool children with a contextual learning approach. The research method used is topical research, which focuses on developing education and learning that is relevant to daily life so that children more easily absorb material according to learning goals. The learning process starts from simple things to more complex things, according to the stage of early childhood development. The results of the study show that Bible-based preschool learning includes various activities, including: educating children with a biblical foundation, introducing the Bible through number ordering, arranging the biblical alphabet, combining letters into words, arranging words into biblical phrases, reading Bible texts, memorizing short golden verses, and learning activities such as coloring and listening to Bible stories. These findings confirm that Bible-based learning with a contextual approach can be an effective strategy in shaping the spiritual, cognitive, and character foundations of preschoolers, while instilling faith values from an early age.

Modern students face high academic, social, and personal pressures, but Christian Religious Education has not yet maximized the potential of religious-based resilience. This study aims to: (1) analyze how the biblical values of faith, hope, and love can strengthen the components of students' psychological resilience in the cognitive, emotional, and spiritual dimensions; and (2) identify the integration mechanism between biblical teachings and psychological strategies in Christian Religious Education learning that can increase students' resilience in facing academic and personal stress. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a literature study approach to various journals, articles, and related academic sources. The results of the study show that the biblical values of faith, hope, and love are fundamental pillars that strengthen students' psychological resilience as a whole. Faith provides a foundation of self-confidence and personal competence, hope activates optimism and sustained motivation, while love builds healthy social relationships and essential emotional support. These three values work synergistically to strengthen students' emotional regulation, problem analysis, empathy, and self-efficacy. The deep integration of biblical teachings and psychology in PAK learning through biblical narratives, secure parenting relationships, supportive communities, and reflective feedback has proven effective in holistically improving student resilience. In conclusion, PAK learning that explicitly integrates biblical values with psychological resilience strategies is a transformative instrument for shaping students into individuals who not only perform well academically but are also spiritually strong, psychologically resilient, and ready to face complex life situations in accordance with the principles of 1 Corinthians 13:13 regarding faith, hope, and love

The church, as the body of Christ, carries a vital responsibility in shaping the congregation’s understanding of biblical doctrine as the foundation of a sound life of faith. However, in practice, there remains a gap between the theological instruction provided and the congregation’s actual comprehension in daily life. This study aims to analyze the level of understanding among local congregations regarding biblical doctrine, identify the factors influencing this understanding, and examine the discrepancies between teaching and its application in everyday life. This research employs a qualitative approach using a library research method, focusing on the examination of biblical texts, theological works, and relevant academic literature. The findings indicate that the congregation’s level of understanding of biblical doctrine varies and is influenced by internal factors such as spiritual motivation and faith experience, as well as external factors such as the quality of teaching and ecclesiastical leadership. The gap between teaching and understanding is attributed to the lack of contextual and interactive learning methods. This study underscores the importance of continuous and dialogical theological formation within local churches so that congregants may not only comprehend doctrine cognitively but also embody it practically in faith and action. These findings are expected to enrich the field of practical theology and serve as a reference for developing faith education within the church.

Transformational leadership is an approach that emphasizes inspiration, empowerment, and individual development in order to achieve organizational goals holistically. This study aims to examine the concept of transformational leadership theoretically, while reviewing its application in the context of general organizations and churches, and its relevance according to the biblical perspective. Using the literature study method, this study collected data from various scientific literature and theological sources to build a solid conceptual framework. The results of the study indicate that transformational leadership has significant benefits, such as increasing employee engagement, innovation, and performance. On the other hand, this approach also has limitations, especially in the context of organizations that are bureaucratic or still in the early stages of formation. From a biblical perspective, transformational leadership is in line with the examples of Deborah and Jesus Christ, who led through service, example, and personal transformation. Thus, transformational leadership is not only relevant to the development of modern organizations, but also has a strong spiritual basis in Christian teachings.

Penelitian ini mengkaji implementasi pendidikan karakter Kristen dalam keluarga di era kontemporer yang menghadapi berbagai tantangan globalisasi. Menggunakan metode studi pustaka dengan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif-analitis, penelitian ini menganalisis landasan teologis, konsep teoretis, dan strategi implementasi pendidikan karakter Kristen. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pendidikan karakter Kristen memiliki fondasi yang kuat dalam konsep Imago Dei dan mandat Alkitabiah, khususnya Ulangan 6:6-7 dan Efesus 6:4. Keluarga berfungsi sebagai ecclesia domestica yang menjalankan fungsi kerygma, koinonia, leiturgia, dan diakonia dalam pembentukan karakter anak. Nilai-nilai fundamental seperti buah Roh (Galatia 5:22-23) menjadi karakteristik utama yang perlu ditanamkan melalui metodologi keteladanan, pendekatan naratif, disiplin redemptif, dan ritual keluarga. Namun, tantangan kontemporer seperti sekularisasi, relativisme moral, teknologi digital, perubahan struktur keluarga modern, dan pluralisme agama memerlukan strategi adaptif. Penelitian ini memperkenalkan Teori Transformasi Karakter Holistik (TKTH) yang mengintegrasikan dimensi teologis-antropologis, psiko-sosial, pedagogis-metodologis, dan komunal-ekosistemik. Revitalisasi pendidikan karakter Kristen dalam keluarga menjadi kebutuhan mendesak untuk membentuk generasi dengan fondasi moral dan spiritual yang kuat di tengah dinamika perubahan sosial yang cepat.

Children's Storybook "What's Around Ami?" is designed as an educational medium incorporating Biblical values for children aged 4-7 years. Utilizing an anthropomorphic approach and lamb symbolism as its main character, this study aims to create easily understandable character designs. The design methodology includes market observation, interviews with child psychologists and teachers, literature studies on anthropomorphism, and questionnaires to validate character designs. According to child psychologist interviews, children show greater preference for animal characters. This book simplifies complex spiritual concepts while serving as an interactive and engaging solution for parents and educators to teach Christian morals and faith.

This article aims to explore how the relationship between God and humans (Creator and creation) in relation to their responsibilities as humans to try to keep the earth free from damage that will certainly harm humans themselves. Humans as God's partners on earth are also given a mandate to keep the earth good as in the creation narrative that everything created by God is truly very good. It turns out that the narrative was ignored and turned bad. Humans who were given reason by God, turned out not to use their reason well. Humans who were given a mandate to protect nature well, instead exploited nature arbitrarily. So, nature cannot be friendly with humans, so that lately we have felt the very high heat of the sun and it stings the skin sharply. It is very clear that the heat of the sun that shines is not like the heat that was some time ago not as hot as recently. Perhaps this is the cause of global warming. The world is getting hotter because the ozone layer can no longer withstand the hot and dangerous ultraviolet rays (sun). There is no doubt, global warming will be a universal disaster that will slowly but surely destroy this "very good" world. But whether we realize it or not, this is the result of human actions: deforestation and illegal logging, the greenhouse effect, the use of air conditioning are the causes. Will the world return to chaos because of human activities? In fact, God created this world which was originally chaotic to be good, even very good, in accordance with His purpose to proclaim His glory. Therefore, let's be colleagues with Allah who has been given the mandate in this world to maintain the goodness of this world.

The resurrection of the body is a key foundation of the Christian faith, as it demonstrates the power of Jesus to overcome death and sin, and provides hope for life after death for His followers. This teaching is clearly presented in the Bible. Many people wonder about the condition of the soul after death. Whether the resurrection of the body is in accordance with the teachings of the Bible, how the resurrection process takes place, whether there is a difference between the resurrection for believers and unbelievers. This article therefore aims to provide an in-depth insight into the concept of bodily resurrection in the Bible, including key verses. The glorious resurrection of the body is the essence of Christian hope and a promise that changes the way believers view life and death. By understanding the Bible's teaching on resurrection, Christians can find comfort, motivation, and purpose in their lives, as well as confidence in a future filled with promise and glory. This article is expected to be a source of reflection and a deeper understanding of the resurrection of the body in the context of Christian faith.” This writing is done using a descriptive qualitative method, which is using literature from books or journal articles that have been made. The Bible teaches that death is not the end of everything, but rather a transition to the promised resurrection. This concept is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus.

Social changes due to technological advancements have transformed the way people relate and associate with one another. Relationships can now be developed more easily, more affordably, and more quickly. As a community, the church is "forced" to re-evaluate whether the methods of learning and faith formation that have been applied so far still meet the needs of today’s congregation. Using a qualitative method with a literature-based approach, the researcher investigates the biblical perspective on this issue and finds that close relationships among members are a key indicator in learning and faith formation, as exemplified by the early church. Bringing the church back to its original design as the family of God (oikos), while utilizing current technological advancements, will make the church a constructive place for learning and nurturing the faith of its members.

This article examines theoretically about visionary leadership starting from the definition, benefits, weaknesses, and biblical views on visionary leadership. This research uses a library research approach. Visionary leaders are able to formulate a vision of the future, inspire commitment, and lead innovative change. The benefits include encouraging innovation and adaptive culture, but there is a risk of dependence and lack of attention to short-term needs. From a Christian perspective, visionary leadership stems from a relationship with God, where vision is divine revelation manifested through prayer and obedience. Biblical figures such as Nehemiah, Joshua, and Moses are examples of visionary leaders who combine faith and strategy. In conclusion, effective visionary leadership must balance strategic and spiritual vision for the success of the organization and community.

Leadership plays a crucial role in organizational effectiveness, especially in creating work synergy, building motivation, and facing the challenges of change. This article discusses in depth the type of charismatic leadership that has a strong personal appeal and influence on followers. Through the method of literature study and descriptive approach, this article explores the basic concept of charismatic leadership, its benefits, advantages, and disadvantages. Charismatic leaders are able to build strong emotional relationships, increase loyalty, and create an innovative work environment. However, this leadership style also carries risks, such as excessive dependence on the leader and the potential for a cult of personality. Charismatic leadership is biblical leadership.

Pengajaran yang dipimpin guru Kristen jangan hanya berfokus pada pemahaman konsep agama semata, tetapi juga meningkatkan inisiatif siswa dalam pengembangan sikap berkolaborasi, nilai kerja sama, dan keterampilan sosianya. Tanpa adanya kesadaran siswa untuk saling berkolaborasi dalam belajar akan membuat dirinya mengalami ketertinggalan di kelas. Penulisan artikel ini bertujuan untuk membahas mengenai model cooperative learning sebagai pendekatan mengajar yang Alkitabiah untuk meningkatkan kerja sama siswa. Penulisan artikel ini dilakukan dengan pengumpulan data dari dokumen-dokumen ilmiah yang memiliki keterkaitan dengan topik yang sedang didalami. Peneliti melakukan analisis data dengan cara mereduksi yang mengungkapkan hasil bahwa implementasi model cooperative learning sebagai pendekatan mengajar yang Alkitabiah untuk meningkatkan kerja sama siswa dapat dilakukan dengan guru mendorong siswa saling berkerja sama dan saling melayani, guru membantu siswa memahami materi secara utuh, guru membantu siswa untuk saling memotivasi dalam pertumbuhan rohani di komunitasnya, guru mendorong siswa saling mengingatkan untuk menerapkan nilai-nilai Alkitabiah dalam aktivitas sehari-hari, guru membantu siswa memiliki inisiatif saling berkolaborasi sebagai bentuk kepedulian terhadap sesama. Model cooperative learning yang Alkitabiah memiliki dampak yang penting dalam meningkatkan kerja sama siswa sebagai bentuk sikap yang menjunjung nilai-nilai Kristiani.

Christian religious education at SMP Negeri 1 Teriak is an effort made to increase interest in reading the Bible for students in class VII, which is very important by increasing their reading of the Bible so that they can understand the meaning of the Bible. This type of research is qualitative research with an approach through observation, interviews, documentation, library research. The results of the research show that the efforts of Christian religious education teachers to increase interest in reading the Bible for class VII students at SMP Negeri 1 Teriak, Bengkayang Regency are: 1) implementing literacy before starting lessons; 2) provide questionnaires for weekly reports at church; 3) give memory verses for each homework assignment; 4) create stories using Bible sources and are required to read the Bible every day to make reports. So, PAK teachers play an increasingly important role in encouraging Class VII students to read the Bible, so students will increasingly increase their interest in reading the Bible.    

This paper examines the story of King Saul seeking help from a medium in Endor as a tragic illustration of the spiritual downfall of a leader who was once chosen and anointed by God. In his distress and desperation, Saul chose a path that violated the law, marking his disconnection from God. This action not only shows a serious spiritual deviation, but also reveals the irony that a female medium becomes a means for God to deliver His judgment. It also explores Christian theological views on the practice of séances, including the moral and spiritual implications they bring. By comparing the historical and cultural background of Israel, and reviewing it from a biblical perspective, this paper emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's word and the dangers of involvement in the occult. The relevance of this story to the Christian life today serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in God's revelation and to distance ourselves from deviant spiritual practices. It also invites readers to reflect on the importance of maintaining spiritual integrity in facing the challenges of life.

This article analyzes the depiction of Jesus Christ from various scriptural perspectives and examines the impact of the diversity of Christological experiences on Christian faith. Research shows that the Bible presents a varied picture of Jesus: Mark's Gospel presents Him as the Suffering but Powerful Servant; Matthew as the Messianic King and Great Teacher; John as the eternal Logos (Word); and Revelation depicts Him through symbols of glory as King, Judge, and Redeemer. The diversity of Christological experiences produces positive impacts in the form of deeper understanding, theological enrichment, and facilitation of interfaith dialogue. However, this diversity also has the potential to cause misunderstandings, theological conflicts, and identity crises if not properly understood. This article also explores how cultural and historical backgrounds significantly influence interpretations of Jesus, from the first-century Jewish context to contemporary interpretations in various global cultural contexts. In conclusion, although understandings of Jesus continue to evolve according to context, it is important for people to maintain their theological identity while remaining open to various enriching perspectives.

The increasing prevalence of occult practices within Indonesian society, including among church congregations, from a biblical theological perspective. The study employs a qualitative method, analyzing both Old and New Testament scriptures and conducting interviews with church members and leaders. Findings reveal that occultism-defined as beliefs and practices related to supernatural powers-has existed since ancient times and continues to evolve in modern society. The Bible strictly prohibits all forms of occultism, considering them abominations before God and detrimental to spiritual life. Involvement in occult practices leads to spiritual decline, disrupted relationships with God, and various spiritual and social problems. This article highlights the crucial role of the church in providing sound theological understanding and practical solutions to protect congregations from the influence of occultism.