Words from the Director
School Director: Russell Haffner
Bible education is the most important investment a person can make for the future. It is critical to producing not only righteousness but also ultimate happiness. Therefore, we should diligently seek to learn God's word, realizing that it will require motivated effort on our part. Abigail Adams (wife of US president John Adams) said "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."
The Bible clearly teaches the importance of seeking knowledge. The book of Proverbs is a great resource to use when searching for God's view of education. In Proverbs 18:15 we find, "An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge." This tells us how important it is to actively seek knowledge. It is the intelligent heart that desires greater knowledge. The fool says to himself that he knows all things and has no need for more knowledge. We must open our minds to learning more truth.
In Proverbs 4:13 we are reminded to, "Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life." Notice this teaches that not only must we obtain instruction but we must hold on to it tightly. Those of us who are older have at times struggled to remember something which we easily knew before. It is even possible to forget teachings from God's word if we do not keep the knowledge active in our minds.
Proverbs 9:9 says, "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." Clearly, there will always be more for us to learn from God's word. We never reach the point where we know all there is to know from the Bible. It is an inexhaustible fountain of wisdom, instruction and knowledge. God's word should be read and studied over and over again to gain a deeper understanding of the truths therein. Our future will be determined by how well we know and live the truths in God's word. May we always be diligent students of the Bible.
As a student of the school you have pushed yourself to meet the challenge of an in-depth, comprehensive study of the Bible. You will be blessed for your efforts. I commend you for your desire to seek a deeper understanding of God's truths.
In His Service,
Russell Haffner (Director)
WVBS Online School
How to Write a Research Paper
If you have never written a research paper before, you may be a bit overwhelmed when you discover that you will be required to submit term papers for some of the courses. Allow me to ease your fears. There is a very simple key to producing a great term paper. Write about a topic that interests you. If you are excited about a topic you will find it much easier to write about. Your natural enthusiasm will enhance your efforts.
In your paper you should seek to put as much of yourself into it as possible. Make sure it is your thoughts and analysis based on what you have learned. After you choose a topic that is close to your heart research all the Bible has to say about your topic. Then as you are writing explain what the Bible teaches and include application or life lessons for today. If you are writing about a Bible character you should emphasize how their choices are similar to the choices we make. Write about the strengths of the character to emulate or even their faults to avoid. Your term paper is a great opportunity to show what you have learned from the course.