$6.00 Fair tickets at Kroger....and devotional for Thurs. August 5, 2010....Courage!

Buy your Fair ticket early for $6.00 at Kroger so you can get into the Christian concert with us Monday night August 23.  Some of us will meet up at the Fair and some will carpool from Evangel Minors Lane at a designated time and place (TBA).

 

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read pages 13-20 "Character Matters" by Dr. Mark Rutland

COURAGE:   ...is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.(Clara Booth Luce)

Noble Courage is the authentic spontaneous act of self-sacrificial concern for the defenseless.

Courage is not fearlessness but the willingness of mind necessary to act out of conviction rather than feeling.

Discuss the printing press operator who was fired for refusing to run the press on a pornographic project.(p. 14)  Was he a fool or courageous because of conviction.

Do you agree with the author's statement: "If a society misdefines courage, it is on the verge of barbarism." 

Courage is that willingness to deny my own flesh and do what is right and noble, regardless of the cost.

Discuss the engaged couple living together who chose to move out before their wedding even though it was financially and physically difficult.( p. 15)

Courage is the first and greatest element of character.

Courage is the catalytic agent that summons every other virtue into action in the face of temptation or crisis.

It even takes courage sometimes to be honest.

MORE THAN VALOR -

Though bravery may be admirable, courage is far more than valor in the face of danger.

Some people are just naturally more bold.  Sometimes public heroes in war or athletics later live unproductive and even destructive lives.  Such people were never truly courageous.  They were simply brave.

Don't confuse prudence (wise action) and cowardice.

The distinction between a hero and an obnoxious show-off is character.  In other words, if his motives are selfish and impure, a "hero's" actions may result from a lust for preeminence that overrides good judgment.

Were the 9/11 terrorists cowards or heros?

Is a fearless warrior who conquers a city then rapes and burns courageous?

Tue courage is about valiant goodness.

COURAGE AND PUBLIC TRUST-

Until we can cultivate statesmen who are willing to be turned out of office for taking a stand for moral issues, a national character will continue to erode.  No office gained or kept is worth the loss of character!

Why is courage necessary for a preacher?....a policeman faced with a bribe?....a schoolboy asked to hear a dirty joke?

DAILY COURAGE-

The long, lingering moral crises of life are the most difficult and taxing.  Examples:  Young men and women who commit to stay sexually pure until marriage....crippled teenager who does what is right with a good attitude through years of daily horrible pain.  

COURAGE AND THE FEAR OF GOD-

Do you agree that all lesser fears will be swallowed up in the life of the man who truly fears God????

Proverbs 29:25..."The fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."

The fear of man is a trap, but it is harmless and baitless to the man who fears God.

IF WE FEAR GOD MORE THAN WE FEAR THE GOOD OPINION OF OUR MATES AT WORK, OUR SPOUSES, OUR CONGREGATIONS OR OUR CONSTITUENCY, WE ARE FREE!

The fear of the Lord makes us calm, quiet and confident.

 

Pursuing courage,

Becky    

Singles Source group Study - thursday July 29....7:30 Minor Lane foyer

Interesting and stimulating conversation last week in Source group.  We welcomed several new people to our group.  Looking forward to continuing our study on "Character" with you joining us tomorrow night!

 

Pages 6-11  "Character Matters" by Dr. Mark Rutland

"Virtue and Vitality"

Japanese and U.S. mothers of school-aged children survey:  What do you consider the most important variable in a child's success in school?  US:  intelligence    Japan:  work and diligence

 

If a teenager holds rebellion as a virtue, he will imitate rebellious adults.

The businessman who holds success without integrity as a virtue will sell tainted baby food to a third World country without question.

A congressman who makes power a virtue may sell his soul for votes.

COURAGE separates men from beasts.

Evaluate the virtues evident in the church.  Will it produce a John Wesley today?

IF we adhere to the protestor motto:  "There is nothing worth dying for",  What about the cross?

Discuss p. 8 (New England woman who was found guilty and probated her 5 year sentence after shooting her mentally handicapped 4 year old.)  Where is the sanctity of life?

Discuss p.8 (Pro-choice rabbi debate with Dr. Rutland)

Our ideal cannot be the quality of life.  If it is, then comfort, ease, beauty, intelligence, wealth, power and convenience trumps decency, goodness, kindness and the innate value of every life created by God.  

THE QUALITY OF LIFE CANNOT BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE VALUE OF LIFE!  If not,who will define quality?

 

Virtue:  Faith and Works

 

Paul: "By grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9. NIV)  

Peter:  "Add to your faith virtue" (2 Pet. 1:5).

Discuss parable p. 9...Tree, stone and sun

Ps. 37:5-6 "Trust in Him and He will do this;  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn."

We must not sit like the stone, hardened against the Son of righteousness.  God's willingness to help us must be met with our willingness to be helped.  WE MUST ADD VIRTUE TO FAITH.  God can teach us virtue, but we must want it.

Think on this:

"Perhaps a hundred years ago in the West, a book on character might have been so obvious as to have seemed frivolous.  There would hardly have been a need to teach or write on virtue.  God said the Ninevites did not know their right hand from their left.  Perhaps the same might be said of modern America.  America has lost her basic concept of virtue."  Rutland

New ways of understanding and teaching character must be explored and used in schools, businesses, and places of worship.  That is why we are studying this topic presently in our singles ministry.  We can each make a difference when we decide to embrace godly virtues.  

 

WE CAN AND HAVE LIVED WITH LESS WEALTH THAN WE HAVE.  WE HAVE SURVIVED STOCK MARKET CRASHES, DEPRESSIONS AND WORLD WARS.  WE CANNOT LONG SURVIVE WITHOUT CHARACTER, HOWEVER!

 

Next week......Courage:  Character in Crisis

Don't miss one week.

 

(Let's discuss meeting the first Thurs. of each month for our Source class at a nearby restaurant like, Mcalisters, Tumbleweed, O'Charleys, Steak-n-Shake.)

 

mark Monday August 23 on your calendar for joining us at Christian Concert...Ky State Fair. 

 

Pursuing Godly Character,

Becky

 

Lifeway Bookstores can order your copy of "Character Matters"

I called Lifeway today and you can order your book for $15.99.  You may also just follow along with my weekly devotionals and be prepared for discussions.

 

thanks,

Becky

"Character matters" - introductory devotional thoughts for thurs. July 22 Minor Lane 7:30pm source

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!  

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

 

 

Perry Stone conference.....new study book.....August 23 Christian concert event!

Hey everyone!

 

We are all enjoying the Perry Stone Prophetic Conference at Billtown Road Campus each night at 6:45pm this week...Monday-Friday.  Morning sessions begin at 9:30am and are WONDERFUL!   This morning he spoke on the link between Israel and America and how our futures are tied together.  Very informative!

(NO SOURCE CLASS AT MINORS LANE THIS THURSDAY JULY 15 due to Billtown meetings)

 

 

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We have decided to use the book:  "Character Matters" by Mark Rutland beginning Thurs. July 29th.

We are checking on carrying it at our EWPC Bookstore, so I will let you know.

We will be studying 9 essential traits you need to succeed!

published by Charisma House   2003

(Dr. Mark Rutland is the new President of Oral Roberts University)

 

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AUGUST 23 (MONDAY).....Christian concert night at the Fairgrounds!  We will all plan on carpooling together and/or meeting there to sit together.  Watch for details by email!  Let's enjoy this night of music and Christian fellowship together!

 

 

......Great fun on the June Canoe/Kayak trip!   We will post pictures soon.  Enjoyed spending the day with each one of you who joined us!!!!

 

Blessings and Peace,

Becky