Tips for youth ministry

1.     Thou shalt not bore young teens.  Middle school students generally have a short attention span.  In order to keep them on track, it is necessary to move through an ever-changing series of  activities in order to keep their attention.

2.     Thou shalt not speak down to them.  Identifying with a student helps her accept instruction, particularly in spiritual matters. The teacher can use “we” and “our” instead of “you” and “your”.  For example instead of saying, “You need to have Bible study and prayer time every day.” Say, “We all need Bible study and prayer time every day.”

3.     Thou shalt keep them active.  Middle school students have bodies that are growing rapidly and changing fast.  They are unable to sit still and concentrate for very long.  A learning session that allows them to use their bodies as well as their minds, will produce happier students and better learning.

4.     Thou shalt make the lesson relate to their needs, as they would express them.  A middle schooler will respond positively to a lesson that deals with how to repair a friendship that has been broken by a quarrel by using biblical ideas.  He may resist a lesson on keeping peace with our fellow men.  The same content will be accepted if it relates to a situation he would face in his daily life.

5.     Thou shalt allow students to talk. In a variety of ways, direct the students to talk with one another with a purpose. Involve them in research groups, discussions, role-plays, and opinion polls.

6.     Thou shalt never embarrass a student.  Teasing and put-downs are unloving and damaging.  A leader must always use his words to build up, not tear down.  It is imperative that the leader model this behavior as well as guide the students to speak in constructive ways to one another.

7.     Thou shalt correct students with love, considering their needs more important than your own.  In order to do this, one must deal with misbehavior before it becomes a big problem.  A leader who is out of control is damaging to the students and to her own ability to minister to them.

8.     Thou shalt share yourself with your students.  An effective leader of young teens is real and transparent.  Share your present and past struggles along with how God has given you victory and strength.  Kids love to hear about your teen years and the hard and silly things you experienced.  

9.     Thou shalt have fun.  Be a participant in games and silly stuff.  This lets the students know that you are not always boringly serious

10.  .  Even better, weave games into learning sessions as motivations and illustrations of the topic.

10.  Thou shalt first be a leader and then a friend.  Teens want and need adults who will be models, guides, and authority figures.  Adults who assume leadership earn the trust and respect necessary to effectively correct and exhort students when necessary..

Bible in 50 words

God made
Adam bit
Noah arked
Abraham split
Joseph ruled
Jacob fooled
Bush talked
Moses balked
Pharaoh plagued
People walked
Sea divided
Tablets guided
Promise landed
Saul freaked
David peeked
Prophets warned
Jesus born
God walked
Love talked
Anger crucified
Hope died
Love rose
Spirit flamed
Word spread
God remained.

http://www.webedelic.com/church/bible50.htm

Promises from the Word of God

Hi everyone, here's a list of promises from the word of God. You can replace the names given here and can place your name and read the promises. You can claim these promises and live a life of victory!

The promises given below are based on the verses given along with them in brackets.

The Lord has chosen me to be his own, and my generations to be his treasured possession. (Psalms: 135:4)

Joshua and Esther, the fruit of my womb will be blessed. (Deuteronomy: 28:4, Luke: 1:40) Joshua


God will give Joshua and Esther knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom. (Daniel: 1:17)

Esther
In all matters of wisdom and understanding, Joshua and Esther will be better than everybody else. (Daniel: 1:20)

Joshua and Esther will have an excellent spirit, knowledge and understanding. (Daniel: 5:12)

In my family, and among Joshua and Esther, there will not be anyone who is not saved, and left behind. (Exodus: 10:26)

If Joshua and Esther become sick, Lord Jesus will come and take their hand, and heal them. (Mark: 5:41)

I will not bear children doomed to misfortune, for I am blessed by the Lord, me and my descendants with me. (Isaiah: 65:23)

Joshua and Esther will grow and become strong in spirit. (Luke: 1:80)

I will teach Joshua and Esther to revere the Lord. (Deuteronomy: 4:10)

Joshua and Esther will grow in favour with the Lord and with men. (1 Samuel: 2:26)

I will not provoke Joshua and Esther to wrath, but I will bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians: 6:4)

I will train Joshua and Esther in the way they should go. (Proverbs: 22:6)

I will not leave Joshua and Esther to themselves. I will bring them up using the rod and reproof whenever needed. (Proverbs: 29:15)

I will fix the words of the Lord in my heart and mind, and will teach them to Joshua and Esther, talking about them when I sit at home. (Deuteronomy: 11:19)

Joshua and Esther will not turn from the way of the Lord, to the right or to the left. Because they meditate on the law of the Lord day and night, they will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua: 1: 7-8)

Because of me and Joshua and Esther, their schools, families, office and society will be blessed. (Genesis: 39:5)

The Lord will pour out his Spirit on Joshua and Esther, and his blessing on their descendants. (Isaiah: 44:3)

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Joshua and Esther, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and they will delight in the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah: 11: 2-3)

The Spirit of the Lord who is on me, and his words which he has put in my mouth, will not depart from my mouth or from the mouths of Joshua and Esther, or from the mouths of their descendents from this time on and forever. (Isaiah: 59:21)

Joshua and Esther will be taught by the Lord, and great shall be Joshua’s and Esther’s peace. (Isaiah: 54:13)

The fear of Isaac shall be their fear. (Genesis: 31:42)

God is present in my (Joshua’s and Esther’s) generation. (Psalms: 14:5)

Because the Lord is with Joshua and Esther, whatever they do will be successful. (Genesis: 39:23)

Joshua and Esther will fear the Lord and will find great delight in his commandments. Joshua and Esther will be mighty in the land. Wealth and riches will be in their house, and their righteousness will endure forever. (Psalms: 112: 1-3)

Joshua and Esther will know what is right. Because they have the law of the Lord in their hearts, they will not fear the reproach of men, or be terrified of their insults. (Isaiah: 51:7)

Joshua and Esther shall be delivered. (Proverbs: 11:21)

The Lord’s righteousness will be with me, and Joshua and Esther. (Psalms: 103: 17)

My descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the people. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. (Isaiah: 61:9)

Joshua and Esther will inherit the land. (Psalms: 25:13)

Joshua and Esther will rebuild the ancient ruins. (Isaiah: 58:12)

Joshua and Esther will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through my offspring all the nations will be blessed. (Gen: 22:17-18)

Joshua and Esther will give me peace. They will bring delight to my soul. (Proverbs: 29:17)

The Lord will contend with those who contend with me, and He will save Joshua and Esther. The Lord is my saviour, and the mighty one of Jacob is my redeemer. (Isaiah: 49:25-26)

Joshua and Esther will keep themselves away from idols. (I John: 5:21)

Because the word of God lives in Joshua and Esther, they will overcome the evil one. (I John: 2:14)

Joshua and Esther will be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. (Deuteronomy: 28:2-3)

Joshua and Esther will be blessed when they come in, and will be blessed when they go out. (Deuteronomy: 28:6)

The Lord will cause the enemies that rise up against Joshua and Esther to be defeated before them. They will come against them in one direction, but will flee from them in seven. (Deuteronomy: 28:7)

The Lord will send a blessing on the storehouses of Joshua and Esther, and on everything they put their hand to. The Lord will bless them in the land he is giving them. (Deuteronomy: 28:8)

Joshua and Esther will keep the commandments of the Lord our God and will walk in his ways. Therefore the Lord will establish them as his holy people. (Deuteronomy: 28:9)

All the people on earth will see that they are called by the name of the Lord and will fear them. And the Lord will grant them abundant prosperity. (Deuteronomy: 28:10-11)

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouses of his bounty, to send rains on the land of Joshua and Esther in season, and to bless all the work of their hands. Joshua and Esther will lend to many nations, but will borrow from none. (Deuteronomy: 28:12)

The Lord will make Joshua and Esther the head, and not the tail. They will always be at the top, and never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy: 28:13)

Joshua and Esther shall be the beloved of the Lord. They shall rest secure in the Lord, for he shields them all day long. (Deuteronomy: 33:12)

The Lord will bless Joshua and Esther in my house. (Psalms: 147:13)

Joshua and Esther will bring joy to their father. (Proverbs: 15:20)

Joshua’s and Esther’s father will be their glory. (Proverbs: 17:6)

As the Lord is our shepherd, we shall not be in want. (Psalms: 23:1)

The joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah: 8:10)

Joshua and Esther will not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. Their delight will be in the law of the Lord and on his law they will meditate day and night. So they will be like trees planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither. (Psalms: 1:1-3)

Joshua and Esther are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians: 2:10)

Joshua and Esther will walk in the truth. (3 John: 4)

Joshua and Esther will not imitate what is evil, but what is good. (3 John: 11)

Joshua and Esther will prosper, and be in health, even as their soul prospers. (3 John: 2)

Joshua and Esther will love one another. (1 John: 4:7)

Joshua and Esther will work very hard in the Lord. (Romans: 16:12)

Joshua and Esther will be chosen in the Lord. (Romans: 16:13)

All things work together for good for Joshua and Esther who love God, and are called according to his purpose. (Romans: 8:28)

Joshua and Esther will live by faith. (Habakkuk: 2:4)

Joshua and Esther will be saved. (Romans: 10:9)

Joshua and Esther will never be put to shame, as they trust in the Lord. (Romans: 10:11)

Joshua and Esther will obey us in the Lord. (Ephesians: 6:1)

Joshua and Esther will be sons of the light, and sons of the day. They do not belong to the night or to the darkness. (I Thessalonians: 5:5)

Joshua and Esther will not pay back wrong for wrong, but will be kind to each other, and everyone else. (I Thessalonians: 5:15)

The Lord has put his words in Joshua and Esther’s mouth. (Isaiah 51:16)

As Joshua and Esther are growing up in the fear of the Lord, they have wisdom. (Psalms: 111:10)

He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, will give Joshua and Esther all things. (Romans 8:32)

In regard to evil, Joshua and Esther will be infants, and they will be adults in their thinking. (1 Corinthians: 14:20)

Joshua and Esther will be imitators of God, as dearly loved children (Ephesians: 5:1). I praise God for that day.

Joshua and Esther will walk in love. (Ephesians: 5:2)

Among Joshua and Esther and their families, there will not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed. (Ephesians: 5:3)

My God shall supply all the needs of Joshua and Esther according to his riches in glory. (Philippians: 4:19)

Joshua and Esther will be my crown. (Proverbs: 17:16)

Joshua and Esther will do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. (1 Kings: 15:11)

Joshua and Esther will not do evil in the sight of the Lord. (1 Kings: 15:26)

Joshua and Esther will praise God. (Mathew: 21:16)

Joshua and Esther will study the Holy Scriptures, and will continue in what they have learnt. (2 Timothy: 3:15)

Joshua and Esther will receive the promise given to them. (Acts: 2:39)

Joshua and Esther will care for their family, thus repaying their parents. (1 Timothy: 5:4)

Joshua and Esther will remember their creator. (Ecclesiastes: 12:1)

Joshua and Esther will obey the Lord in everything. (Deuteronomy: 30:2)

Joshua and Esther will be faithful in giving their tithes. So the Lord will throw open the floodgates of heaven, and pour out so much blessing that they will not have room enough for it. (Malachi: 3:10)

The Lord will rebuke the devourer for our sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of our ground. Neither shall our vine cast its fruit before the time, says the Lord of hosts. Since we give our tithes for the Lord’s work, we shall be abundantly blessed. Our crops shall not be destroyed. The vines will not cast their fruit. My daughters or my daughters in law will not have a miscarriage. (Malachi: 3:11)

They shall not build houses, and others live in them. For as the days of a tree, will be the days of my people, and my chosen ones will enjoy the works of their hands, says the Word of God. The good things that should come to Joshua and Esther and their children will not go to another. God will execute his justice for me and Joshua and Esther. We will enjoy the work of our hands. (Isaiah: 65:22)

“If you walk in my ways, and obey my statutes and commands as your father David did, I will give you a long life”, the Lord said to Solomon. I will obey the Lord’s statutes and commandments. So I will have a long life. Joshua and Esther will obey the Lord’s commandments. So they will have a long life. (1 Kings: 3:14 & Psalms: 91:16)

The Lord promised Job that he will come to the grave in full age, like sheaves gathered in season. It came to pass in Job’s life. He lived a long life, and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. I will see Joshua and Esther being blessed. I will enter the grave in my old age in good health. (Job: 5:26, 42:16)

Joshua and Esther will keep the words of the Lord, and will store up his commands within them. (Proverbs: 7:1)

Joshua and Esther will not forsake my teaching. (Proverbs: 1:8)

Joshua and Esther will not be enticed by sinners. (Proverbs: 1:10)

Joshua and Esther will not despise the Lord’s discipline, and will not resent his rebuke. (Proverbs: 3:11)

Joshua and Esther will pay attention to wisdom, and will listen to words of insight, so that they may maintain discretion, and their lips may preserve knowledge. (Proverbs: 5:1)

Joshua and Esther will be blessed. (Deuteronomy: 7:13)

God will send me and Joshua and Esther grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy us fully. (Joel: 2:19)

The threshing floor of Joshua and Esther will be filled with grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel: 2:24)

Joshua and Esther will have plenty to eat, until they are full. They will never be ashamed. (Joel: 2:26)

The Lord will pour out his Spirit on Joshua and Esther. They will prophesy. They will see visions. (Joel: 2:28)

The Lord will rescue Joshua and Esther if they become lame. The Lord will gather them if they become scattered. If they are put to shame, the Lord will turn it to praise and honour. (Zephaniah: 3:19)

Joshua and Esther will not be conformed to the pattern of this world. (Romans 12:2)

Joshua and Esther will have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians: 2:16)

Joshua and Esther will bring into remembrance the ways of Christ. (1 Corinthians: 4:17)

Joshua and Esther will abound in the work of the Lord. (1 Corinthians: 15:58)

Joshua and Esther will become a letter from Christ. (2 Corinthians: 3:3)

Joshua and Esther will become a new creation. (2 Corinthians: 5:17)

Joshua and Esther will always have all sufficiency in all things. (2 Corinthians: 9:8)

Joshua and Esther will give to God according to what they have. (2 Corinthians: 8:12)

Joshua and Esther will be made rich in every way. (2 Corinthians: 9:11)

The God of love and peace be with Joshua and Esther. (2 Corinthians: 13:11)

Joshua and Esther will correctly handle the word of truth. (2 Timothy: 2:15)

Through Joshua and Esther, all people of the earth will be blessed. (Acts: 3:25)

Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We will become signs and symbols from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. (Isaiah: 8:18)

I shall be like a fruitful vine in my house. Joshua and Esther will be like olive shoots around my table. My husband shall be blessed. We will live to see Joshua and Esther’s children. (Psalms: 128:3, 5-6)

Joshua and Esther will arise and called me blessed. My husband will also praise me. (Proverbs: 31:28)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of my life. We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalms: 23:6)

Joshua and Esther will be zealous for good works. (Titus: 2:14)

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua: 24:15)

Accepting God's call to service

ACCEPTING GOD'S CALL TO SERVICE(Isaiah 6:1-13)
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS TO CHEW
What have you seen of God's glory today?
Does sin bother you?
Should service always follow cleansing?
What can I do to be more perceptive of the voice of the Lord?
Are you a willing server and servant?

GOD HEARS AND ACTS
Isaiah saw the Lord of hosts in His splendor and glory. He heardmajestic beings lauding the holiness of God. And as any human would,Isaiah was overwhelmed with his own uncleanness and sin: "Woe is me!for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips."
God, because of His mercy and holiness, acted to remedy Isaiah'sproblem: "Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is takenaway, and thy sin purged." With Isaiah open and humbled before Him,God was not about to allow Isaiah's uncleanness impede his mission forGod. So God cleansed him.
Isn't that terrific?! I think it is wonderful that God doesn't leave usovercome with our own inadequacies and sins. He hears the needy cryof our hearts and moves promptly and decisively to cleanse us.
Yes, *us*! Not just Isaiah. Not just the other historical men and womenof God. *Us*! When we humble ourselves before Him and acknowledgeour sins and our weaknesses, calling on Him for forgiveness andcleansing, God hears and acts!
No matter what my need may be, God hears and acts. If my lips havebeen soiled by guile, untruth, gossip, slander, foolishness, unkindness orprofanity, God will touch my lips. If my eyes have been contaminatedby a book, on the street, at a checkout stand, on the Web or by a catalog,God will touch my eyes. If my mind has been polluted by bitterness,rebellion, lust, greed, unforgiveness, or covetousness, God will touch my mind.
And He will do the same for you, my friend!

DO YOU HEAR AND RESPOND?
First Isaiah saw and responded. Then God addressed his needs.
That prepared Isaiah to hear God ask, "Whom shall I send, and who willgo for us?" Thanks to God's merciful intervention in his life, Isaiah nolonger needed to be aware of his sin and inability. Instead he couldrespond with confident but humble availability: "Here am I; send me."
Have you heard God's call? If you haven't, you had better listen moreclosely! If you have, answer as Isaiah did. God wants to send each of Hischildren to do something for Him. I am sure He wants to send *you* toat least one of these places:
The mission field. Many people groups have not yet been convincinglytouched by the Gospel message. And in many countries, the churches begfor veteran Christians to come teach them the Way more perfectly. Hear?
The school room. Christian schools across the land suffer from a shortageof dedicated teachers and teachers' aides. School boards everywherestruggle to put together staff for another school year, hindered by ascarcity of funds or personnel or both. Hear?
The nursing home. All those aged and disabled folks pining away,wanting someone to sing with them, visit with them, pray with them,play with them. If you think you have your discouraging times, putyourself in their shoes. Hear?
The garden. Huh? Yes, the garden! You know, those places with soil tobe tilled, weeds to be pulled and blisters to be made? The preacher'sgarden, the old lady's garden, the sick man's garden . . . hear?
Home. "Oh no! How can God *send* me there when He's already *put*me there?" Precisely. There are chores to be done (voluntarily), fun timesto be made with your siblings, and kind words to be sown. Hear?

HOW CAN GOD USE ME?
You wonder how God can use *you*? Remember these two things: Heknows more about you than you know about yourself and He always putsHis grace into the equation. God's ability to use you is not hindered byyour self-consciousness nor by your stuttering nor by your timidity norby your awkwardness nor by any other such "negative" you may sufferfrom. What *does* hinder His ability to use you is...
- your unwillingness to be used.
- your own ego and fear for yourself.
- your lack of repentance and confession of sin.
God does not fret about your natural ineptitude or handicaps. He knowsexactly what He will do to either overcome them or take advantage ofthem. Moses *knew* he couldn't talk, right? Look what happened to histongue after he committed it to service! Paul was willing to talk, butalas! God hadn't installed an eloquent tongue in his head. But what greatthings God did in the lives of the host that heard that stuttering servant!The key to being used of God is unconditional surrender to His service.Just as we do not refuse to serve because of our liabilities, so we do notagree to serve because of our assets. We agree to serve because of *His* assets.
Service. How do you prepare? Are you supposed to guess at what youwill be doing in the future and then get all sorts of related training? Thatis the natural way. Most of us would say it is flawed because of the word*guess*. That is an obvious flaw since a wrong guess could mean uselesspreparation (somewhat akin to guessing the surprise trip is a fishingexpedition -- you wear hip boots -- when in reality it is a tour ofKennedy Space Center!). However, its major flaw is the focus -- yourabilities. Training and ability contribute greatly to service, but they donot prepare you for it. Preparation happens in the mind and heart.

"I have yielded myself to Your service...." Have you ever sung that and*meant* it? Yielding has nothing to do with feeling or desire. It haseverything to do with obedience. Yielding is an act of the will. Mosesneeded it; you need it. You begin with an initial commitment to serveGod whenever, wherever, however, for ever. As specific calls reach yourheart, they find a pre-conditioned audience.

This may be the stage where *you* really get in the way. A certainassignment could threaten to your ego. Perhaps the task is "demeaning."Or maybe it is big or challenging enough to leave brilliant success inquestion ("What if I goof up? How humiliating!"). Most likely it doesn'tcome equipped with a spotlight...for you. The job could conceivably givesomeone else the recognition that is "rightfully" yours. Whatever thethreat, you fear for yourself. Then you must deny yourself and take upyour cross. And how do you do such a thing? When your will crosses theLord's, choose His. Taking this step daily allows you to discover andexperience His limitless, empowering grace.

We still need to look at that third hindrance. Are you tolerating any sinin your life? It does not have to be a so-called "gross sin" to thwart yourusefulness. Covetousness, bitterness, offense, materialism, wrong music,lack of forgiveness, and a comparing spirit are just as deadly asimmorality, thievery, rebellion, and dishonesty. Ask God to expose all sin in you. Confess it. Utterly abandon it.

Source: Thoughts for the Week by Mark Roth http://www.anabaptists.org/clp/youth/

CHRISTIAN ONE LINERS

• The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you.

• "Don't let your worries get the best of you, remember, Moses started out as a basket case"

• Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited -- until you try to sit in their pews.

• Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.

• It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

• The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.

• When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.

• People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.

• Opportunity may knock once, but temptation leans on the bell.

• Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

• The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "And in conclusion..."

• If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.

• God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?

• To make a long story short, don't tell it.

• Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

• Peace starts with a smile.

• I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?

• A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.

• We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

• Outside of traffic, there is nothing that holds this country back as much as committees.

• Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.

• Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

• Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

• Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church.

• Forbidden fruits create many jams.

• God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

• God grades on the cross, not the curve.

• God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts."

• God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

• He who angers you, controls you!

• If God is your copilot -- swap seats!

• Prayer: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!

• The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us.

• We don't change the message; the message changes us.

• You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to... discourage him.

• The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
  

HASTY TRANSACTIONS AND PAINFUL LOSSES

"HASTY TRANSACTIONS AND PAINFUL LOSSES"
Luke 14:25-33

Preached at the New Winchester Missionary Baptist ChurchDanville, Indiana by Dr. Arthur G. Ferry, Jr., Pastor

There is a delightful story about two merchants. One was clean-shaven. No matter how hard he tried, he could not grow a beard. The other had a long, thick beard.

One day the clean-shaven one asked, "Friend, you have such a nice beard. I was wondering if you would sell it to me?"

"Why not?" the bearded one answered. "If the price is right."

"I'll pay you whatever you ask," replied the clean-shaven one. "There is only one condition. I want the beard to remain on YOUR face. I will care for it. I will trim it, brush it, and perfume it. The beard will be on your face, but I will own it completely."

His friend was surprised but had no objection. So the clean-shaven fellow bought the beard on his fellow merchant's face. And he kept his word about caring for the beard. At any hour of the day or night, he might walk into his friend's shop or home and start grooming his beard--on the other man's face. Sometimes he would pull at the beard roughly with an extra fine comb. At other times he would coat it with heavy and sometimes unpleasant perfumes. No matter how busy the bearded man might be, the clean-shaven one would exercise his right to care for his beard.

Whenever his friend would protest he would retort calmly, "It is my beard. I will do with it as I please." Very soon this constant grooming became more than the bearded merchant could stand. "I can't bear this any longer," he cried. "I am going to have my beard shaved off."

The clean-shaven one replied sharply, "You mean MY beard. If you do I will sue. We have a contract."

Finally the bearded merchant said, "All right. You win. I want to buy back my beard. How much will you take?"

"Oh," replied the clean-shaven one, "I have grown very fond of MY beard. It will hurt me to part with it. But I guess if you pay me four times what I bought it for, I will let it go."

The poor bearded man howled, but considering what he had been through, he agreed to pay his friend four times what he had received for the beard. Then he had his beard shaved off. He had lost his money and his beard, but he had learned a lesson--about hasty transactions and painful losses.

Jesus once said, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, `This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand men to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?" (RSV) In other words, Jesus was saying, "Avoid hasty transactions and painful losses. Sit down and think through the consequences of your actions." Or as we would say today, "Look before you leap."

Somewhere I read about a town in Michigan that spent $50,000 on new flagpoles. Fine. Flagpoles are great. But then they ran out of money. They could not afford flags to put on their new poles. Is there anything more useless than a flagpole without a flag? Hasty transactions and painful losses. Counting the cost before building the tower.

JESUS WANTED PEOPLE TO GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THE CONDUCT OF THEIR LIVES.
That is the first thing we need to see this morning. By doing that, you can save yourself a lot of trouble. In 1974 the government of Nigeria decided to bring their country at a single leap into line with most developed Western nations. The planners calculated that to build the new roads, airfields, and military buildings which the plan required would call for some 20 million tons of cement. This was duly ordered and shipped by freighters from all over the world, to be unloaded onto the docks at Lagos, Nigeria. Twenty million tons of cement. Unfortunately, the Nigerian planners had not considered the fact that the docks at Lagos were only capable of handling two thousand tons a day. Working every day, it would have taken twenty-seven years to unload the ships that were at one point waiting at sea off Lagos. These contained a third of the world's supply of cement--much of it showing its fine quality by setting solid in the holds of the freighters. Hasty transactions--painful losses. Poor planning--disastrous results. Building a tower before counting the cost.

It happens all the time. Most of us have been guilty at sometime or another. Of course, some people never learn--even from their losses.

Do you know the story of the two hunters who flew deep into remote Canada in search of elk? When they started back home, their pilot, seeing that they had bagged six elk, told them the plane could carry only four out. The hunters protested, "The plane that carried us out last year was exactly like this one. The horsepower was the same, the weather was similar, and we had six elk then." Hearing this, the pilot reluctantly agreed to try. They loaded up and took off. Unfortunately the plane did not have sufficient power to climb out of the valley with all that weight, so they crashed. As they stumbled from the wreckage, one hunter asked the other if he knew where they were. "Well, I'm not sure," replied the second hunter, "but I think we are about two miles from where we crashed last year."

Some people are hopeless. They never learn. But you and I are smarter than that. We can learn from past experiences. We can sit down, think things out and come to some logical conclusions. That is all Jesus is asking out of us. Some people think of Christianity as being primarily an emotional experience. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Christ wants us to think things through. He wants us to count the cost.

THE AMAZING THING IS HOW FEW PEOPLE WANT TO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST.
Do you remember the motion picture, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI? Alec Guinness played the Senior British Officer in a Japanese concentration camp who undertook to build a railroad bridge for the Japanese. He thought that building this bridge would lift his men's sagging morale and give them a sense of purpose, something to accomplish while they were imprisoned. It worked. They built the bridge. Indeed, they built it so well that the Allies had to organize an expedition to blow it up. When the Senior British officer saw that they were trying to destroy his achievement, he was outraged. Then there comes the terrible moment in which Alec Guinness realizes what has happened, and he cries out, "My God, what have I done?" He was so busy succeeding in his enterprise that he lost all sense of its meaning. He had built a bridge for the enemy! Surely he would not have made that terrible mistake if he had thought through the consequences.

Think how many tragedies would be avoided if people simply sat down a few moments and thought through the consequences of their actions.

Think how many homes would still be intact, think how many prisons would be empty, think how many lives would be spared if folks would just think!

Psychologists tell us that about 10,000 thoughts pass through the human brain each day. That makes 70,000 each week and 3.65 million thoughts a year. One or two of them ought to take! Sir Isaac Newton was once asked how he discovered the Law of Gravity. "By thinking about it," he answered.

As one cynic said, "Use your brain. It's the little things that count." Use your brain. Instead we settle for hasty transactions and painful losses. I believe it was Dwight L. Moody who once said that if he could get someone to think only ten minutes about the condition of his soul, he could convert him. The trouble is that most of us refuse to think about the things that really matter most.

THIS BRINGS US TO THE FINAL THING TO BE SAID: THE MOST IMPORTANT THOUGHT WE CAN HAVE CONCERNS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
When Jesus taught about counting the cost before building a tower, his real concern was not architecture or construction. He was advising potential followers about what it meant to be his disciple. He concluded this teaching with these words: "So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."

Wow! That will clear the room in a hurry. Renounce everything? How many of us really want to take this religion business that far? Yet that is the demand Christ makes out of every one of us if we would be his disciple. And why not? People all the time are committing themselves to matters of far less importance.

I read recently that of the 70,000 members registered with the Screen Actors Guild, 80% earn less than $5,000 per year. Remember that if any of you are star-struck and ready to head for Hollywood. Only 3% earn more than $50,000 a year. Yet many of these professional actors will tell you that acting is their life. Why do they do it? Evidently it is not the money. Then why?

One of our leading professional athletes startled many of us when he said recently that he does 1,000 sit-ups a day. How could anybody be that dedicated to a game? We hear about business people who work 60, 70, even 80 hour weeks, neglecting their health and their families in their service of the god of success.

Why, then, should we be surprised that Christ would ask as much? He asks even more. He asks for it all.

That doesn't mean we live at the church. No. The call to renounce everything is not a call to everyone to become a full-time churchman. It is a call to make our entire life--our work, our play, our family relationships, everything--pleasing in God's sight. The ironic thing is that when we renounce everything for Christ's sake, we find that we are the winners. No hasty transaction--no painful loss. We find that in pleasing God, we ultimately please ourselves. Because God's way leads to life.

Many years ago a young couple had their first child, a boy. As the boy began to grow, they noticed that he had musical talent. He could play the violin. So they began to try and find the best teacher for him they could find. They were told about an old Swiss maestro who used to teach but had retired. They decided to try anyway and took their boy to him. When he heard the boy play he realized his ability and decided to teach him. The boy was just eight years old. For ten years his teacher worked with him every day. Then came time for his debut. His parents booked Carnegie Hall. The press and all the important people came. The lights dimmed and the boy came out on stage. From the very first note he held the crowd mesmerized until the end.

When he finished, the people stood to their feet and filled the hall with cheers and applause. Yet the boy ran off the stage crying.

The stage manager yelled, "Get back out there. They love you. They are all cheering and clapping."

The boy replied, "There is one who is not."

The manager ran out on stage and came back and said, "O. K., one old man is not applauding. You can't worry about what one old man thinks when the world loves you."

The boy replied, "But you don't understand, That's my teacher."

The world may think of us as a success, but if sometime in our life we have not thought out that one thing in our life that matters most--whether our life is pleasing to God--our life is a hasty transaction and a painful loss. All Christ asks is for you to use your brain. You can save yourself a lot of problems by thinking through the consequences of your behavior. Be smart. Lose your life and save it.

WHERE ARE YOUR LOAVES AND FISHES?

"WHERE ARE YOUR LOAVES AND FISHES?"
Matthew 14:13-21
Preached at the First Baptist ChurchGarrett, Indiana by Dr. Arthur G. Ferry, Jr., Pastor

A 13-year-old boy once read about Dr. Albert Schweitzer's work in Africa. He wanted to help. He had enough money to buy one bottle of aspirin. He wrote to the Air Force and asked if they could fly over Dr. Schweitzer's hospital and drop the bottle down to him. A radio station broadcast the story about this young fellow's concern for helping others. Others responded as well.

Eventually, he was flown by the government to Schweitzer's hospital along with 4 1/2 tons of medical supplies worth $400,000 freely given by thousands of people. When Dr. Schweitzer heard the story, he said, "I never thought one child could do so much."

We are not told how old the young fellow was who offered his 5 loaves and 2 small fish to Jesus. Neither Matthew nor Luke even mention him. They simply record that in answer to Jesus' request the disciples came up with 5 loaves and a couple of fish with which to feed a vast throng. The Gospel writers even differ in their estimate of the size crowd.

There is a time-honored story about a young minister preaching his first sermon in a tiny country church. He was so-o-o nervous. His nervousness showed as he tried to expound on this text. "The Master fed the multitude," he said, his voice quivering, "with 5,000 loaves and 2,000 fish." An old fellow sitting on the front row chuckled sarcastically and said, "Why I could do that." The next Sunday the young pastor tried again. "Last Sunday I meant to say that the Master fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 tiny fish." Then he turned to the old man and asked, "Could you do that?" The old fellow grinned and said, "I could if you'd let me use what we had left over last week." The size of the crowd doesn't really matter. The point of the story is Jesus' compassion and his ability to feed the hungry. Even though the lad who offered the 5 loaves and 2 fish is not mentioned in our text for the day, I am glad that the Gospel of John brings him to our attention.

We have young people in this church and they are so important to the work of Christ. Every once in a while, when something important needs to be done, a young person will step forward and make a difference.

THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO BED HUNGRY EVERY NIGHT.
You and I have heard that truth so often, we might not take it very seriously. That would be tragic. Someone has noted that the average person BLINKS his eyes 13 times every minute. This person also noted that 13 PEOPLE STARVE TO DEATH every minute in this world. That means, of course, that every time you and I blink our eyes, another person has died from starvation.

In an article sometime back in the CHRISTIAN CENTURY, Tom Peterson described the tragedy of world hunger like this: "Imagine a DC-10 preparing to land; it is filled with preschool-age children. Some of the children sleep; others play and laugh; still others cry out for pestered flight attendants' attention. But just before landing, something goes wrong, and the plane plummets to the ground, killing all aboard. "Ten minutes later--even before emergency vehicles arrive -another planeload of children crashes right next to the first. Ten minutes later, a 3rd crashes. And the tragedies continue: every 10 minutes, a jet falls to the earth, all day and night, day after day, month after month. "Such a great number of deaths is not farfetched. The same number of children--40,000--do die each day from hunger-related diseases." 40,000 children each day. The mind can hardly grasp the scope of such a catastrophe. Millions of people go to bed hungry every night.

THIS HUNGER PERSISTS IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT WE LIVE IN A BOUNTIFUL WORLD.
Did you know that in one day Americans eat 228,000 bushels of onions? Every day of every year--over a quarter million bushels of onions. And the earth just keeps on producing more and more. And that's just onions. That doesn't count all the corn, green beans, and former President Bush's favorite, broccoli, etc.

Annie Dillard describes what she calls God's "extravagance" by using the example of a rye plant. In 4 months a single rye plant can grow 378 miles of root and 14 billion root hairs. In one cubic inch of soil the length of these root hairs would total 6000 miles. What an abundant world!

The battle to feed the world's people is not a hopeless one. God has given us the resources. And in some places in the world real progress is being made. For example, when we think of hunger, many of us still think of the nation of India. Yet in 1986, India grew so much grain that it didn't have enough room in its storage facilities to hold it all. And 17 years ago a famous rock concert was staged to raise money for the malnourished of Bangladesh; these days, Bangladesh is self sufficient. Lee Iacocca tells about a California dairy farmer who was so productive that the government paid him $8 million to slaughter his herd. In the 1950's and 1960's scientists were predicting world famine by 1985. They were wrong. There is plenty of food to feed the world's people. We don't really have a food problem. What we have are people problems. Some of these problems we can't do anything about.

For example, we can't do anything about the political problems of governments that use food as a weapon to conquer their own people. And, we cannot control the ravages of climate in parts of the world. But there are some things we can do.

WE CAN RE-THINK OUR OWN STEWARDSHIP OF THE EARTH'S RESOURCES.
Did you know, for example, that 6 million Europeans eat as much food as 240 million Africans? Even more startling, the citizens of America, who form only 5.7% of the world's population, eat half the food produced in the world. Somebody's eating more than their share! Americans spend 10 times more money on the feeding of cats and dogs than the sovereign country, Guinea, earns as its national income. Each of us needs to examine our stewardship of the bounty with which God has blessed us.

WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE ACCOUNT-ABLE FOR THE NEEDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS--WHETHER NEXT DOOR OR AROUND THE WORLD.
There is a story about a missionary team in Africa. They were loading their boat to go down the Congo river. As they were preparing to start out, a native chieftain called to them from across the river: "White man, I want you to come and tell my people about your God." The leader of the mission group answered, "We can't come today. We have an appointment downstream this morning. We will come another day." The chief persisted, "No you must come today and tell my people about your great God." Again the leader tried to explain that they could not go with him that day, but would be glad to come another day. This did not satisfy the chief. As the mission team pushed off to leave, the chief waded out into the water calling after the missionaries, "White man, if you don't come tell my people about your God, I'll tell your God on you!"

I hope nobody ever tells God that we heard that 40,000 children are dying each day from hunger-related diseases and we did nothing to help. In 1930, during the Great Depression, a man named Golden Rule Jones was mayor of Toledo, Ohio. During his term of office, he sometimes sat as the presiding judge in night court.One night a man was brought in for stealing money from a grocery store. His defense was that he needed the money for food and that he was simply a victim of hard times. Nevertheless, Golden Rule Jones found him guilty. "You did not steal from society." he said. "You stole from a private citizen and you broke the law. I'm fining you 10 dollars. However," and he reached for his wallet, "I'll pay it for you." Next he instructed the bailiff to pass the hat around the courtroom. "I'm fining everybody here at least 50 cents. You're all guilty of being members of a society that made it necessary for this man to steal. The collection will go to the defendant."

I believe that salvation is by grace and grace alone, but I wonder if one day the Divine Judge won't hold those of us who have so much accountable for those who have so little. The teachings of Jesus on such things ought to make us tremble. We are accountable.

FINALLY, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE HUNGERS IN THIS WORLD FOR MORE THAN BREAD.
Some of those hungers are right here in our very own community. Erma Brombeck wrote once in a column that she dreamed every volunteer in the land had set sail for another country. She waved goodbye and breathed a sigh of relief. No longer would she be bothered by someone badgering her to help with some drive or project. But then, she noticed that the reception desk at the hospital was vacant and the children's wing had no clowns and laughter. The blind listened for a friendly voice that never came and the crippled were imprisoned in wheelchairs that never moved. Flowers on church altars withered and died. Children in nurseries lifted their arms but there was no one there to hold them in love. The search for cures for diseases was cancelled for lack of interest. Symphony halls and museums were dark and still. Alcoholics, prisoners, shut-ins, the poor cried out in despair but no one came. Erma continued, "I sought in my sleep to regain a glimpse of the Ship of Volunteers once more. It was to be my last glimpse of civilization....as we were meant to be."

There are hungers besides those for bread. Many of you are already involved in meeting those needs. Of course, the greatest hunger people have is for the Bread of Life which is Christ. The Christian missionary enterprise will not be completed until every child in this world has a full tummy, a safe and comfortable home in which to live, and knows deep in his or her heart that he or she is a child of God. That is an ambitious dream, is it not? I believe that is a dream worthy of the followers of Jesus Christ. A relief official had just returned from the famine areas of Africa. He wrote a letter to a New York City newspaper telling of the young people, the young volunteers, he had found there who were giving their time and energy and who were making sacrifices to help the impoverished and suffering Africans. The young people were living in mean and difficult conditions, and the official was terribly impressed with them. He wrote in his letter to the newspaper: "As we passed the day together, I took a moment to ask each of them `why'--why had they volunteered? Charles Petre, who had just finished his MBA program in France and planned to become an international consultant, said he was there, "to make a contribution." Ann Levin, with a masters degree in economics, said, "there was a need." And Mary Crickmore said it was her "Christian commitment."

Tell me, what is it that you are doing because of your Christian commitment?

Each of us can do something.

Each of us has some kind of fish and loaves to offer the Master.

What's yours?