Thank you to Barb and Evelyn for helping lead our source group in my absence. I have prayerfully chosen our new study book. It is entitled: "Character Matters" by Dr. Mark Rutland Charisma House publishing (current President of Oral roberts University). We are trying to order it through our Evangel Bookstore. Family Bookstore does not carry it, but you might try Amazon online or Lifeway Christian Bookstore.
Our August Fellowship event will be Monday evening August 23....Christian concert at the State Fair. A meeting place will be announced soon. Make your plans to join us for this fun night out.
BTW....If you went on the Kayak trip and took pictures, please send to Tom at thfawb@iglou.com
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Thoughts to consider and discuss (Thurs. July 22):
(pages 1-6...Character Matters)
Heraclitus: "A man's character is his fate."
English word CHARACTER from Latin root meaning "engraved".
Children can be taught courage. Modesty can be learned, valued and lived. However, our nation is now reaping the bitter harvest of character destruction, but it is not too late!
Character embraced, even popularized and freshly articulated in our literature and movies, will produce leaders upon whose lives words like Honesty, Gratitude and Courage have been engraved with faith and hope. We have the responsibility to cultivate it in ourselves, to teach it in our schools and to praise and reward it in others.
What we engrave or allow to be engraved upon us is what we must live with. Talent, attractiveness and intellect, too long overvalued, have proven incapable of re-firing our national hope. WE NEED MORE MODEST ATHLETES, MEEKER LEADERS, HONEST EXECUTIVES AND MORE DILIGENT WORKERS!
Discuss scandals:
In the past, at least a scandal was considered SCANDALOUS! Now little, if anything, is fixed, absolutely wrong, or absolutely right.
Character, the inner moral strength of a people is a factor of all that is loved, admired, despised and taught to its young. A culture rests on its virtues, and virtues can be taught.
With this book, Dr. Rutland is asking an important question: Whatever became of character?
Far too long now our society has tended to think of VIRTUE as a quality desirable only for women.
The very word VIRTUE derives from the Latin word for STRENGTH.
Virtue is restrained Strength. It actually implies Manliness.
READ LUKE 8 (Story of the woman with the issue of blood)
Virtue connotes power in this story.
"The Downward Spiral": The real danger is not the absence of virtue. It is WRONG VIRTUES!
Consider these societies:
Ancient Rome - Bravery (misunderstood and untempered by Christian love)
Communist Russia - Loyalty to the State.
Study history and discover what happened in these societies.
Twisted Virtue means Twisted Culture!
Twisted Virtue means Twisted Culture!
For example:
If Beauty is itself a virtue, then all is permissible if I can achieve beauty, associate with beauty or cause beauty to be.
The downward spiral might go something like this:
1. Beauty as an abstract ascends as a societal virtue.
2. If beauty is a virtue, ugliness is despicable.
3. If ugliness is despicable, ugly people are worth less than beautiful people.
4. If beautiful people are worth more than ugly people, it is not as bad to murder the ugly.
5. Finally, murdering ugly people may, at last, be seen as virtuous.
***This scenario sounds bizarre and farfetched, but is, in fact, quite reasonable. Same spiral could occur if intelligence or success were the major societal virtues.
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Over the next few months, we will be discussing and studying scriptures regarding:
Courage, Loyalty, Diligence, Modesty, Frugality, Honesty, Meekness, Reverence, and Gratitude.
JOIN US!!!!!
Bring your Bible and Concordance
Praying for You,
Becky
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