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 Dr.
David Shormann received his B.S. in aerospace engineering (1989) and his
master's in marine chemistry (1992) from the University of Texas. In 1996
he received his Ph.D. in Limnology (study of freshwater ecosystems) from
Texas A&M University. He has conducted research on the Atlantic Ocean,
Gulf of Mexico, Bering Sea in Alaska, several of Texas' estuaries, and
the Brazos River. Dr. Shormann has also written a book, Shormann's Field
Guide to Texas Estuaries. Since 1997, he has been teaching math and science
classes to homeschoolers in the Houston area, and has conducted science
camps each summer. He has taught science since 1990 from elementary through
college levels. The academic excellence of Dr. Shormann's classes for
homeschoolers is being noticed by colleges, as students that he has written
recommendation letters for have received over $2,000,000 in scholarships.
In the Spring of 2000, he began making the D.I.V.E. CD lectures.
Dr. Shormann and his family live in Magnolia, TX, and attend
Grace
Covenant Presbyterian Church, where Dr. Shormann serves as a deacon. If your family is unfamiliar
with the promises God has made to you, then the Shormanns encourage you to pick
up a Bible and read about what Jesus Christ did for you!
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8 - 9 (New King James
Version)
A message from Dr. Shormann:
The other day I read
an old advertisement for the 2003 Hummer H2. The ad boasted that "When
the asteroid hits and civilization crumbles, you'll be ready." Now,
if an asteroid does hit, you probably will be able to get around better
than 98% of the other vehicles on the road if you have an H2, but there
is one problem. What if the asteroid hits your Hummer? Even more, what
if you are in the Hummer when the asteroid hits it? If that happens the
only thing you will be ready for is a funeral!
There is a time coming
for you, maybe it's today, or maybe it's 100 yrs. from now, when nothing
can save you from death. Not an H2, not a gun, not all the money in the
world is going to save you. There will be a time when what happens to
you after you die depends only on what you trusted as truth while you
were alive, and not on any material possessions. You have probably thought
about what will happen to you after you die, and there are lots of ideas
out there. Some say you just turn back into dust and plant nutrients,
or maybe you come back as another person or animal. Some say you go to
heaven or to hell. So which one is true? Are all of them true?
Like I said earlier,
what happens to you after death depends on what you trusted as truth when
you were alive. If something is really true, then the message will never
change. It will always be true. The Bible contains a message of truth
that has been around as long as there have been people on earth. The Bible
says that all humans are subject to error, or sin. Sin basically means
"to miss the mark." In other words, there is a right way and
a wrong way to live, think, and feel. The Bible also says that the "wages
(or penalty) of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Fortunately though,
you have a Savior. The Bible says that "God so loved the world, that
he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall never
perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Jesus came to save
you from your sins. He died on the cross, as the payment for your sins!
Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly
says that salvation from your sins is a gift from God. There is nothing
you can do to receive this gift. First, God gives you the gift, then you
must repent and believe His word. The Bible says that Jesus is "The
way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). The only way to heaven,
the only real truth, and the only way to overcome certain spiritual death
is to receive God's free gift of grace and then put your trust in Jesus
Christ as your savior.
If
you are not a Christian, I encourage you to pick up a Bible and just start
reading. The Book of John is a great place to start. Being a Christian
is about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Becoming a Christian
is a matter of trust, of calling out to God and saying "Lord, I am
a sinner. I believe that you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty
for my sins. I repent of my sinful ways and trust you as my Savior."
After you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit will start to transform
your way of thinking. You will begin to see that giving is much better
than receiving and you'll want to tell the world about what Jesus has
done for you (Matthew 28:18-20).
You are not saved
by doing good works; salvation is a free gift. It is not your faith that
saves you, but the gift of faith that God has given you. However, the
Bible is also very clear that you are to add to this faith, goodness (2
Peter 1:5), and that you will be rewarded "according to what you
have done" (Rev. 22: 12). Doing "good deeds" is an important
part of having the abundant life that Jesus said we would have as Christians
(John 10:10), as "faith that is not accompanied by action is dead"
(James 2:17).
If you are ready to
become a Christian, don't hesitate to repent (change your way of thinking)
and believe in Jesus. If you are not ready, then I encourage you to read
the Bible. Sometimes it is hard to believe something that you don't know
much about, so the more you know, the better. It is my prayer that everyone
who reads this will find, as I have, that Jesus truly is, like nothing
else!
See you in Heaven,
if not sooner
Dr. Shormann
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