Developing Discernment (CCL)

DEVELOPING DISCERNMENT Discernment is defined by Wiktionary as "The ability to make wise judgements". As a leader, the ability to make wise judgements and discern between good and bad actions is of utmost importance. The actions taken by leadership will affect all members of the body, which mandates extra caution and constant attention to that which is right.

This independent study course will focus on developing discernment through an in depth examination of the Book of Proverbs. Unlike most courses through the School, it can be started at any time. There is no single specified teacher for this course, as students are expected to work through this course in close contact with their Mentor.

Students will read one chapter of Proverbs every day for 31 days, then meditate on their daily reading and write notes in a journal (see Assignments below). It is considered to be especially important that students pay careful attention to the proverbs about money and relationship, because these are two areas where humans commonly err.

Grading is this course is done by the Mentor based upon conferences with the student (2 @ 25%) and submitted journals (50%). 75% or better is considered a passing grade, allowing this course to count towards program requirements. Students who don't submit either the journals or attend conferences with their assigned Mentor will be given a failing grade. It is imperative that you meet with your Mentor and provide them with the material they need to assess your understanding.

Day 1
The following things should be done today. ''Today you begin a 31 day voyage of discovery to gain insight into wisdom. What are your initial thoughts about this process? What do you want to learn and where do you want to improve?''
 * Set up your journal (title/name on first page) and write a preliminary journal on the following question.
 * 1) Read Chapter 1 of Proverbs
 * 2) Meditate on this chapter. Think about its meaning and how it can be applied to your life.
 * 3) Respond to the chapter in your journal. You should include your thoughts and anything else God tells you to write. Remember to use a header to separate this day from previous entries.

Days 2-30
Students must complete the following assignments each day.
 * 1) Read one chapter of Proverbs
 * 2) Meditate on this chapter. Think about its meaning and how it can be applied to your life.
 * 3) Respond to the chapter in your journal. You should include your thoughts and anything else God tells you to write.

Day 31
The following things must be done today. ''You have now completed a course focusing on developing discernment. What do you think you have learned and how will this knowledge shape your future actions? Finally, how have you improved on your weaknesses that you identified in your initial journal entry? ''
 * 1) Read Proverbs Chapter 31.
 * 2) Meditate on this chapter. Think about its meaning and how it can be applied to your life.
 * 3) Respond to the chapter in your journal. You should include your thoughts and anything else God tells you to write.
 * 4) Schedule an end-of-course conference with your Mentor.
 * 5) Respond to the following question as your final journal entry and submit your journal to your Mentor for grading.

Conferences
Students are expected to conference with their Mentor at least two times while taking this course. It is recommended that one conference occur at the halfway point and the other during the first part of the final week. The conference will allow the Mentor to see how you are understanding the course material, assist where necessary, and gauge needs for future preparation. Mentors and students are free to schedule more conferences as needed because the two conference requirement is only the absolute minimum.

Journal
Each student will keep a word processed journal with an entry for each day. The journal should also have an initial post and a final post. The first page needs to have the name and a title (i.e. Discernment Journal). Each post should be separated by a heading (i.e Day 4, Final Entry or Initial Entry). The journal is worth half of the grade in this class and must be submitted to the Mentor on Day 31, prior to the end-of-course conference.

Resources

 * Barnett, Brett. Developing Discernment. Relevant Bible Teaching, 03 February 2008.
 * Collins, Martin G. Sermon:Developing Discernment. Church of the Great God, 04 August 2001.
 * Geneva Study Bible. - Annotated version of the Bible
 * Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible - The six volume edition
 * Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - The one volume edition
 * How to develop the gift of discernment. Church News, 18 November 1995.
 * Stanley, Charles Developing Discernment