The headlines have been scrolling on my Facebook feed over the recent choice of the Girl Scouts to allow boys who dress as girls to attend their meetings and become part of the program. (Link) Even before this, the Girls Scouts have had a connection with Planned Parenthood, the organization murdering thousands of innocent children every week. The politics of the world, along with the world’s absence of morals have entered one of the strongest (at least for now) organizations to assist young women in developing skills and become confident during their maturity.
The Girl Scouts are not the only organization with a focus on young people who have had their share of issues. The Boy Scouts have bowed to the hand of political correctness over the past few years. (Link) Their behavior is consistent with an organization founded by mere men and now being run by a leadership who would rather be liked than be right.
As hundreds of people become angered by the recent decisions of the Girl Scouts and the decisions of the Boy Scouts, maybe it is time the church focus on the opportunity before them.
As Christians, we believe the Bible provides us all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1.3). This Holy Book gives us the guidelines we need to stay transformed by the power of God and to avoid being conformed to the world (Romans 12.1-2). If we will open the sacred text, we will see there is a better way to teach our children than depending on human organizations seeking political gain. Searching the pages, you will find Paul’s instructions to Titus,
“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.” (Titus 2.3-6; ESV)
It is time our older men and older women rise up and become teachers to our young people in the aspects Paul’s gives to Titus. It is not the world’s responsibility to teach our children; it is their parents, their grandparents and the men and women of our congregations. We need the men and women of the church to rise up and get to teaching. Complaining about the world does no one any good.
Remember, our young people will learn from somewhere. If the church refuses to teach them, the world will.
Start today and get your young people together with those older and let the teaching of experience begin. Here are some easy ways to start:
Take the young people to the homes of those married over 50 years and let them hear of the commitment it takes and the blessings that a couple can have each year.
Let the young women sit at the feet of the older women and let them share with them that changes that have taken place in homes over the past 60 years. (We need to be reminded of the history.)
Let the young men sit at the feet of the older men and hear what responsibility is and how each one of them has a responsibility to fulfill.
Have the young people serve the older people at an appreciation banquet.
Have your young people sit with the older people during services.
Begin today and leave our young people with the teaching they truly need.
Studies have shown for years that our attitudes determine our outlook. Put another way, some say, “It’s your attitude that determines your altitude.” As you go throughout your daily activities, people can tell much about your life by your attitude. You attitude is viewed in your voice tone, your facial expressions and even in the way you walk.
Below is an article I wrote over five years ago in an online Leadership Development Group I was facilitating. The lesson is still practical today and I encourage you to take a look and see how you can avoid certain attitudes.
The Rotten Fish Face
I can see them as plain as day. You know the ones. They are in every meeting, every conference and every crowd. They are the ones with their arms crossed and their frowning faces put on tight. Their looks tell you that they could care less. The scow of their face makes you wonder what thoughts are going through their minds. From the first words you spoke, they did not want to listen to you. Their rotten fish face makes everyone around them move farther away.
The Rotten Fish Face have a tendency to have an attitude that matches their scowl. Their mind is always son the negative, very seldom focusing on the positive.
The Sleeper
It took me a while to figure out why many conferences, church buildings and meeting rooms have carpet on the floor. It is for sleepers. Whenever someone falls asleep they will not injure themselves when they hit the floor. I am convinced this is the same reason that many church buildings have padded pews. Sleepers are in every audience. They just linger back and try to avoid being seen. They will hide behind people and any other obstacle that keeps them from being seen. Typically, they do not care about the lesson. They are just there to pay their dues and then get back to work or go home.
Sleepers have a tendency to sway between (1) knowing it all or (2) thinking nothing matters to them. In both cases, they put learning on the back burner to their personal comfort.
The Opinionated Man
Wiggling in their seats and ready to go is their main duty. Their secondary duty is to take notes to give you their opinion. No matter if it is right or wrong, they will give you their opinion. When they approach you, their ego bumps into you before they do. It would not be so bad, but the way they approach you is not to help, it is to show you how much they know.
Many of the “opinionaters” (my new word) never listened to your lesson or read your book because they have listened or heard them all. Their quest for knowledge has stopped, because their ego is too big. The “opinionator” is also known by another name, “Captain Know-it-All.” He knows everything about everything. He will share his wide variety of knowledge with you before you even begin to explain exactly what you need. Many times, he will volunteer his knowledge without you having to ask.
 The Complainer
The complainer is one of my favorite categories of people with bad attitudes. Complainers want a pity party for themselves to show everyone how bad they have it. Do not give it to them! It does them no good. When you give a complainer a pity party, it is the same as pouring gasoline on an already lit fire. The flames will get bigger and there is a great chance you will get burned.
Complainers will find everything wrong with everything. You could give them a $100 bill and they would complain because it has a wrinkle in it. If you share a great strategy with them they will find some excuse to not do it and complain. When I think of the excuses of complainers, I think of a quote from a preacher named Marshall Keeble. Mr. Keeble said that “an excuse if nothing more than I lie with a suit on.” Complainers make up lies with a suit on.
 The Proper Attitude
Remember to avoid the three attitudes listed above throughout your life. There are many attitudes that I could continue to list, but those three specific attitudes cover those which will be your greatest hindrance. The attitudes to avoid are most prevalent when you are speaking to them, but they still apply to reading a book. Those attitudes to avoid apply in every facet of life. I am sure that you know people who fit those characteristics at work, family members or neighbors. Do not gain those attitudes, avoid them. (Be sure to provide a self-check on your life to avoid these attitudes.)
I am sure you have seen how these attitudes can destroy a work, congregation, lesson and career.
The proper attitude to have is one of “W.O.R.K.” I know I just said a horrible word in the English language, but I am going to say it again “W.O.R.K.!” I am asking you to take on an attitude of “W.O.R.K.”
“W.O.R.K” is a simple word for you to remember. It stands for:
The sign said, “Estate Sale.” As Carrie and I followed the signs, we pulled in the driveway of an early 1940’s white house. The house was small and people were walking about it looking for what treasures they could find. As I entered the houst was clear that the owner had passed away a while ago and the house had not been updated since the 50’s. Everything held a masking tape price tag. I walked through the house and did not seen anything I could not live without. As I walked through the living room, a small book on the coffee table captured my eye. Amid all the other books, this one stood out.
Picking up the book, I wipe the dust form the front cover and read the title,” New Testament: Protestant Version.” With that title, I knew the Bible would be mine.
“Do you have any cash?” I asked Carrie. She nodded she did.
I made my way to the garage where two ladies sat eating their lunch. “Will you take $2 for this Bible?” They quickly agreed.
I thought it was a fair offer for a 74 year old Bible with a rich heritage in our nation’s history.
These Bibles were printed by the United States Government Printing Office and given to service men and women fighting for our country in World War II.
Opening up the first page, you read some powerful words from May 6, 1941 from President Franklin D, Roosevelt,
“As Commander-in-Chief I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origin have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.”
What a powerful statement from the President of our country. I am not sure that we have a President or a Congress who will give Bibles to our military today. This is a vital part of our nation’s history.
Here are a few more pictures with some words to consider:
Last night, I sat down with my journals over the past few years to reflect on the past and I ran across this short list I am made regarding the leadership of the church. I did not include a lengthy discussion, just the points as I thought of them. Take a moment and see what you think.
What Type of Leadership Does the Church Need?
The church needs a leading leadership. – Shepherds need to lead the flock, not follow them.
The church needs a seeking leadership. – The leadership seeks to seek the lost sheep and bring them back to the flock. The leadership needs to see the will of God, not the thoughts of man.
The church needs a prepared leadership. – The leaders need to be prepared for the good and prepared for the bad. Someone once said, “Good and bad situations should never surprise a leader. They are always prepared.”
The church needs a visionary leadership. – The leadership should examine questions like, “Where will the congregation be in one year? 5 years? 10 years?”
The church needs a knowledgeable leadership. – The leadership needs a knowledge of the word of God and the flock to which they lead.
The church needs a faithful leadership.
The church needs a confronting leadership. – The leaders need to confront sin.
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What Type of Leadership Does the Church NOT Need?
The church does not need a leadership into “bill-paying” only.
The church does not need a pew packing leadership. – Success is not found in numbers, but in faithfulness.
The church does not need a micro-managing leadership.
The church does not need a “maintenance leadership.” – Maintaining a congregation and leading a congregation are two different things.
Most Christians discuss the resurrection, but what if it never happened?
Without Christ rising from the tomb, there is no gospel. (1 Corinthians 15.1-8) If Christ was born as a man, lived as a man and died as a criminal only to remain in an earthly grave, there is no good news. The testimony of our Lord is false and most would call Him a liar, a false prophet and a leader of crazies. Without the good news of His resurrection, there is no good news. Without the good resurrection news our lives are tremendously lost in the turmoil of this world and our hope is in vain. The faith of the everlasting scriptures is reduced to a pile of rumble amid the chaos of lies.
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Without Christ rising from the tomb, the Bible is not true. The prophecies of the Messiah dying to rise again would not hold water, because the Messiah would have been a man. His life would have been no different than ours and the Old Testament law would still be intact today. As the letter to the Hebrews discusses the passing of the old law to the new, but without the power of the resurrection, the One who brought the new will never hold it viable to our lives today, for His testimony is false.
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Without Christ rising from the dead, we are dead. The same words Paul speaks to the Ephesian church echo in our lives today, “…made us alive together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2.5; ESV). Without the resurrection of Christ we have no hope of ever being made alive again, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. If Christ never rose, His blood stopped. His blood stopped at the cross, because He was not the Son of God!
What would you add to this list?Â
And now the Good News…
The good news is that the tomb was found empty! Christ did arise from the dead and our everlasting hope is found on His life. His tomb is empty and His feet walked this earth after His death. The women saw him, the apostles (except Judas) saw Him and many other saw Him! There is a gospel, a resurrection and good news!
 Since we know the tomb was found empty, are we living like it?
 Just some thoughts for the week,