Here's a collection of inspirational images with scripture verses we've been collecting and creating here at Rotation.org around the theme of renewal and recommitment. Also included in this topic are some Bible stories about renewal and rebuilding that can be used for teaching, preaching, and study.
Some of these were created to support each other during the pandemic. You're welcome to post or suggest your own!
Enjoy!
Click images to enlarge.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Ezra 10:4 Just Do It!
2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity
The Lord himself goes before you.... Do not be discouraged.
This next one about "preparing a room" is similar...
John 14's "In my father's house are many rooms" might seem a little strange because it traditionally gets used at funerals. But imagine if Jesus was talking about the places you need to go to follow him. And remember that "house" is a metaphor for God's family and God's church.
Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the dry land will be glad
To be "in Christ" is to also
...to see things Christ's way, to look with a godly perspective.
It's frustrating when two people can look at the same thing and see it so differently. Happens a lot in life and at church, and especially around issues of change.
The following photo of a floating rock has been making the rounds on the internet.
It's not fake or photoshopped. It is real. The photo struck me as an example of the STRUGGLE many churches and leaders are about to go through as the pandemic lifts. People will have different perspectives on the way forward; people will think certain things are impossible. What do we need to do to come together and see things Christ's way?
When you're ready, click here to see the photo the right way.
As followers of The Great Fisherman, we know fishing isn't easy. As they say, "that's why they call it fishing and not catching." Sometimes the fish aren't biting, or they aren't there, or they steal your worm, or they jump off the hook. Sometimes you're using the wrong lure or bait. And other times you stumble into a school of them. The point is fishermen know that change is required for fishin'. That sometimes you have to fish the other side of the boat.
What's your "other side" of the boat?
Peter and some of his buddies know all this. They were professional fisherman. They had been trying all night and were likely exhausted. Then Jesus told them to do something different—to cast their net on the other side of the boat. I wonder if any of them yelled "we tried that once before and it didn't work!" Ever heard that before? 
Have you ever watched a professional bass fishing tournament on TV? They are fascinating to some of us. So here's the thing: The pros don't stay in one spot, they move until they find the right spot for that day and time. The pros also don't keep using the same rod and lure either, they try out different equipment and techniques until their find what works for that moment's conditions. Churches could learn a lot from these fishermen.
When I used to live in Florida, I did a lot of freshwater fishing, and as any Florida fisherman will tell you, alligators will often show interest in what you're doing. I've had more than one go after a lure or try to steal my fish as I reeled it in. Here's a photo from my cellphone (from a safe distance) of one particularly curious gator that lived in the fishin' lake next to my house. We called him "Nippy." A Florida fisherman also learns to keep an eye on the weeds, not to stop fishin'.
When Nippy got too big for our pond, Florida Fish and Wildlife came and took him out. Wish we had nuisance removal for churches, There are some big gators in some of our ponds....
Cartoon © Glenn and Gary McCoy. Posted under the "fair use" clause
for the purposes of non-profit teaching and commentary.
Captain Ahab reminds me of Jonah in that both men were willing to go down with the whale rather than change. Each was obsessed with the way THEY thought things should be.
Jonah the reluctant prophet just wanted things to stay the same and ran the other way when God asked him to go on a difficult mission to a distant town. Even when things are looking better, Jonah still grumbles against God for not doing it his way—for making him change.
Captain Ahab was also a man on the wrong mission—seeking revenge against the whale that had taken his leg. He was named after King Ahab in the Bible, that evil Israeli ruler whose idolatry led him to run Elijah out of town and ended in his own demise.
The sailors on both boats were glad to be rid of them, and I'm sure the two whales were too.
While I don't believe God "sends" plagues or whales or pandemics to torment, swallow, or punish (pardon my modern perspective), I do believe God sends lessons!
In many ways, the aftermath of the pandemic is our "whale" right now in Christian education—along with downward trends in religious affiliation in the U.S. The whale may also be what's swallowing up your enthusiasm and plans. And, keep in mind that there's something to be learned in the belly of a whale. That lesson was lost on Jonah, but his words while in there shouldn't be lost on us.
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple...
What I have vowed I will make good.
(Jonah 2)
Of course, the whale in Moby Dick and Jonah's story are not the same whale. One is sent by God, the other allegedly from hell. One is punishment, the other is to get your attention, to get you to change. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the two when they have hold of you and you're fighting for what seems like your life. Jonah was resigned, even grateful to be swallowed. Ahab battled to his last breath. Both were guilty of not being able to let go.
Lucky for Jonah he was in the Bible and not a novel. He got rescued. But even Jonah doesn't seem to have learned his lesson. When God saved the Ninevites, Jonah sulked under a plant.
Providentially, unlike Moby Dick, the story of Jonah ends without an ending, which seems very appropriate for all of us who are reluctantly worrying and wondering how the church's pandemic story will end. But let's remember why we're here in the first place... and it's not for the shade.
The Lord said,
“You have been concerned about this plant,
though you did not tend it or make it grow.
It sprang up overnight and died overnight.
And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh,
in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people
who cannot tell their right hand from their left....?”
Jonah 4:9-11 (NIV)
It's easy to be frustrated, even angry about what's happening, the changes that are taking place, and the ground we have lost. But as the last verses of Jonah remind us: it's not about the plant or our comfort in the shade.
Our mission is to the people who still need God’s message whether they are in Nineveh, at home, or on a soccer field, whether it's easy or hard, whether we want to change or not. The funny thing about Jonah and Ahab is that they needed to hear this message as much as anyone. Ahab drowns, Jonah disappears. What will you do differently?
Hebrews 10:24-25 - How can we spur one another on toward love and good deeds?
Matthew 12:11 - Jesus the rule breaker! If you had a sheep that fell into the well on the Sabbath...
Here's a slightly different version of our inspirational "Isaiah 40" presentation. This version below was made for inspiring teachers and leaders in challenging times.
Feel free to download it, share it, and discuss it.
A warm and inspiring visual presentation of Isaiah's famous words for challenging times.
Discuss it with your teachers and committees. Use it in worship. Email or upload it to members with your own follow-up devotional questions, such as,
Here's Rotation.org's inspirational "Leap of Faith" video to help with that discussion. Originally created to inspire discussion coming out of the pandemic, the daring imagery in the video and its accompanying discussion guide may just be the resource you need to inspire your troops and parents every year.
You can play it here to preview it, or download it and play it back on any computer or media-playing device. Be sure to have your volume up. 
The music starts playing about 12 seconds into the video.
The video is a 15 mb MP4 video that can play on any computer or media system.
View, Save, or Print the Discussion Guide PDF
You are welcome to share these resources with your congregation and local team.
Produced by the Rotation.org Leap of Faith Team
Why the wingsuit video and "leap" title
Especially with the impact of the COVID pandemic, many Sunday schools and children & youth ministries are facing challenging restarts and trends.
The discussion guide accompanying the video will help your folks voice their concerns and think about their preparation as they get ready to make the unprecedented "leap" of renewal and recommitment to your church's ministry and mission.The scriptures that appear in the video and guide remind us that "soaring" is what we do, and we do not do it alone.
The video and guide were produced by the "Leap of Faith" Team here at Rotation.org, a group of Christian educators and pastors who are making the leap with you in their own churches and through our resources here at Rotation.org. Team members: Ron Shifley, Luanne Payne, Amy Crane, Robin Stewart, and Neil MacQueen. Paid for by Rotation.org's Supporting Members. Created using Powtoons. See the video for visual and music credits.
If you appreciate having resources like these, please become a Supporting Member of Rotation.org
Here are some more scripture images and such that I've made or used for various "renewal" resources and reasons.
I love the old Sunday School picture! I have one just like it of our class from the basement of Immanuel Presbyterian Church circa 1955. I have used it as a newsletter call to Sunday School this fall. Thanks!
Here's a neat photo and scripture verse that could inspire you to find and display your own collection of pumpkins this fall. I wonder what a variety of pumpkins would look like if photographed "in worship," "in Sunday School."
Note:
"It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is one of the most beloved animated cartoons in the U.S. In the story, Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the appearance of "The Great Pumpkin" while all the other children go trick-or-treating. The children ridicule Linus for his beliefs. The religious symbolism was intentional. Peanuts creator Charles Schultze was a Christian. The Great Pumpkin first appeared in his 1963 comic strip.
Access to this requires a Supporting Membership.
If you are not yet a Supporting Member, or if your Supporting Membership has expired, you will see a PURCHASE option below. You can also update your CC info using the link below.
Premium "Supporting Member" benefits include:Annual Supporting Memberships are $45. If you would prefer to send a check or would like to make an additional contribution, look here.
We are a 501(3)c non-profit ministry of sharing supported entirely by individuals and churches.
• Independent
