Hope you enjoy this "book

I guess it could be called a blogbook. I couldn't find a way to get all the posts to run top to bottom, so since the parts are generally pretty short, I just have the whole thing listed ont he front page. Though you could also read via the table of contents by clicking on the start at the left, and just going forward.

To read this book all at once, use the Table of Contents, all in October

Sorry, I thought this could be set so you could read it all at once, but apparently not; the sectiosn are very short for the most part, though. So, you can use the table of contents.

You can, however, go to the bottoma nd click on "Older Posts," too.

3. Jesus is the answer

Your world has problems. I probably only covered some of the many problems it could have. But, the main focus of this book is on how you can be a spiritual leader and rise above those problems. And, you can raise others above them, You must, if you want your world to truly change for the better, with the hearts of people actually changing.

You may find it strange that we stop here. But, you have the keys to being a leader now. Discipleship has been discussed. And, you have the Bible. God’s Word will get you through the tough times.

Therefore, I’ll close by encouraging you to draw close to God, and He will draw close to you. He is real. The testimony of many people bears this out. He can and does change people on the inside. He is more amazing and loving than any words that any person could use.

You don’t have to feel helpless. You just need to take that first step. If you’ve never received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, now is the time. We never know when the Lord will return. It’s only by grace through faith. Faith in what He did on the cross, that He took the punishment for your sins. He died, and rose again, for you. All you need to do is realize you’re lost, that you can’t save yourself, and trust Him alone to save you. He will save you, and anyone who trusts Him to save them from their sin.

Once you’ve received Him, then, start growing in Him, and taking the lead. Instead of just letting things happen in the world, you can make a difference. Because, He truly is God, and He can change hearts in ways nobody else can. Instead of focusing on what a person can or can’t do, or focusing on what things are or aren’t there, focus on God, who you know can make a difference.

And, He will. May the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ shine richly on you, and guide you in your quest to change your world. One person at a time.

2. Hearts are the problem

He wants to use you to change people, in fact. But, the thing is, you can’t do it yourself, because the peoples’ hearts are the problem. It’s spiritual warfare that can only be won by impacting hearts. It’s peoples’ hearts that cause them to look to things they own for gain, or to feelings, rather than looking to God.

Everyone has a God-sized hole in their hearts that only Jesus can fill. Even us; it’s just that once He’s inside us, He keeps pointing out other areas we can invite Him into, so we can grow closer to Him.

This is why I say great isn’t the goal. That plays on peoples’ own desires, the part of the heart that seeks to glorify the person. But, effectiveness means you are making actual change, not just change on the outside. Anyone can change on the outside, just like if a great player is traded, and suddenly you become a fan of that player’s new team.

Only God can change a person’s heart.

With Him on your side, you don’t need to worry about “getting back at” anyone, because He combines perfect justice with His perfect love. Instead, you can focus on building others up and bringing them to the Lord; where, if they are truly repentant, they will confess and forsake their sin, and God will remove that from them.

That’s what being a leader is all about; building others up, causing them to be on fire for the Lord, really wanting to go out and change their world. In the same way you can change your world. Because, it’s not you doing it; it’s the Lord doing it through you.

1. Effectiveness is the goal

Many people who have done things for the Lord - no matter how little - will earn small rewards just because their stories were included here; something they did or said seemed worthy to be mentioned as I tried to encourage you. In the same way, anytime a minister uses an illustration, if the person was saved, when they get to Heaven their story can earn them a reward.

The greatest reward, though, is to have others say that they’re in Heaven because of you. One great consequence is that you can therefore train others to be as effective as you. And, you can inspire them to maybe even be more effective.

Notice I didn’t say greater. We shouldn’t seek the things of this world. Being effective means being the kind of person who can draw others to Jesus, who shows there is a huge difference between the way the world acs and the way God’s people act. Just like Christy Mathewson’s mother said; he didn’t have to be a minister to be effective. He just had to let the Lord use him in the best way he could.

How does a missionary wind up starting dozens of churches in one country? He trains his people to be effective. The ones who God calls to be leaders, he trains to either take over the work he started, or to go out to other parts of that country or around the world and start their own churches.

Your work is like that, as a young person. Except, your work is your family, and any friends – of yours or your siblings - whom the Lord may place in your path. If the Lord tarries, you may be able to be like one of those missionaries, having many seeds planted all over your town. The Lord can use you to change your community, your world. He wants to use you. He wants you to be excited about being on His team.

D. Training others for leadership

As we close, a few final words of encouragement for you and other spiritual leaders are due. Because, as young people, you have the power to change your world, if you simply let the Lord work through you. Because, only He can effectively work in people’s hearts, where the real change must take place.

ii. Accepting God’s accolades

Of course, a person can do something else. However, this comes with a strong warning about what can result.

Few people realize that even Elvis Presley sang some Gospel at first. I don’t know if this is true, but I heard at one of his early concerts, some teenage girls called him the king, and he corrected them and said, “No, Jesus Christ is the King.” And yet, he got so rich, and so into drugs, that he died in his early forties, and was a mess for years before that. He isn’t the only star to become overwhelmed with success.

To keep from being overwhelmed, a person must remember that God’s rewards are the most important, not peoples’.

Some music is very intoxicating. Anything with a beat has a chance to hypnotize people. That keeps them away from being able to really enjoy and think about what they are hearing, and yet it does influence them. In fact, once a young person on a short term mission team turned on some rock music. And, one of the natives where he was complained that the music was “calling out the devils.” It could thus hypnotize the performer, too. Music with a really hard beat should be avoided. Other music is really loud, and doesn’t let anyone enjoy the message. And yet, the words are still there, waiting to influence people. And, they will, if they get into their thoughts.

Things in the preceding paragraph can draw people to a performer, but the important thing is that God applaud you. That means being separate from the world’s system. Remember what was said about that system – it ignores God, and pretends that people don’t need Him. But, we do need Him.

Of course, you can get God’s applause in other ways, too, not just music. But, the important part is, what you do should be because you seek Heavenly rewards. Even Jesus wouldn’t accept the applause of men, because “He knew what was in man.” (John 2:25.)

But wait, you ask, don’t different performers have different thigns for different audiences? Yes and no. A person can tailor some things to a certain audience, it’s true. But, that goes into the diversity within the body part from earlier. A Christian should always keep his or her testimony, because there is a world of sinners who need to be shown how to come to Jesus, just like us. And, they need to see a difference, and to see how great it is to be a Christian, so they can choose good, clean stuff over the raunchy stuff the world throws at them. We don’t get saved by doing that, of course, but we grow closer to God by doing it.

So, whatever you do – music, art, writing, comedy – remember that you are able to do it because of God’s grace. He will be glorified, and your rewards will be eternal, if you do it with an eye toward glorifying God. You can get really silly, or any number of things that can be done that will allow your audience to focus on the things of Philippians 4:8, and keep them away from the vulgar, sensual things of this world. Just remember to follow 1 Corinthians 10:31, so that whatever you do, you do all to the glory of God.

Because, if you do, you get to hear Jesus Christ Himself tell you “well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Just imagine, the Creator Himself telling you that you did a good job. But, don’t do it for the reward. Do it for the Lord.

i. Remembering Philippians 4:8

We had a whole section on this earlier, so I won’t go into this in huge detail, but it bears emphasizing. Because, what you put into your heart will impact you. It will also impact others. So, whatever you do, you need to consider your audience, and what you’re saying in the picture you create through music, writing, art, or whatever.

You should seriously consider any words that you happen to be singing, as well as using. If you write, are your characters acting in a Godly way. If they aren’t, do the bad guys lose in the end? Is some horribly bad main character subject to judgment for their wrongs by the end of the story? Even if that judgment is that they become gloriously saved and changed on the inside, with their sins being judged at the cross, at least the Gospel has been told then.

Case in point – have you ever read Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”? The story of Scrooge is a fabulous one, and can easily be used as a Gospel illustration. It doesn’t give it directly, but it’s a fabulous allegory for it. It shows the evils of ignoring the needs of others, and also the bitter end of Scroog’s behavior, if he continues on his present course.

All that is to say this – sin should never be glorified. Scrooge’s ways are quite detailed, but his sin is never said to be good. In the incredibly popular “Left Behind” series, even the main bad guy is evil, but not nearly as evil as the real one that Revelation describes will be. The authors wrote him that way, most likely, because they didn’t want to be seen as glorifying evil. They wanted their focus to be on good things, and on the justice that would eventually come to the devil and his minions.

Of course, your stories or songs don’t have to have the Gospel in them. They do, however, have to have a positive message that helps people to think on the things of Philippians 4:8. That means you should guard what entertainment is brought into your home, as the spiritual leader.

And, as we said in II(B)(4)(b), different people can handle different things. Some people might be able to watch certain shows and not be tempted to act like those peple, while others can’t. Those are borderline shows, and you should let the Spirit guide you. Remember, though, that ones with lots of crude language, too much sensual stud, and lots of violence should be totally off, because the stuff can put thought in your mind that can cause problems later; especially for young people.

However, you should also guide them toward proper use of their writing or other artistic skills. If a person wants to do something in the secular world, they need to be very careful, because it’s too easy to get caught up in the bad stuff. Especially in music, it’s best to just stick with doing it for God.

b. Importance of Godly music/writing/creativity

The number of great singers who started out in Gospel, and went astray, is too high to count.

This section refers to singers, writers, artists, anyone with a creative flair. However, the lesson learned by quite a few singers is a lesson everyone who has talen needs to understand. The desire for great riches can totally ruin a life.

If God gives you a gift for creativity, He did so for you to reach people for Him. Remember, since Jesus isn’t walking here on this eath anymore, it’s our jobs to tell others about Him. And, music, writing, and art are very effective ways to reach people.

How does one do this? The first key is to remember Philippians 4:8.

a. Importance of good sportsmanship

Christy Mathewson was Americans’ first great sports hero. He pitched for baseball’s Giants, then in New York, and won 373 games, in the top 5 all time.

He mother wanted him to be a minister. He chose baseball. Later, she said that he was reaching more people, especially boys, with his Christian lifestyle than he ever would have reached as a minister.

If God calls you to be a minister, of course, you should do it – just like another baseball star, Billy Sunday. He was the fastest man in the game a couple decades before Mathewson, and yet turned down a huge contract in order to spread the Gospel.

The point is, though, that even if you aren’t called to be a minister, people are watching. At a high school or even Little League level, a person can reach many teammates and opposing players through their conduct. Good, Christian conduct should make a person stand out, just as Mathewson did from the ruffians of his day.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to go around quoting the Bible all the time. There are probably some who did that more than others – Brooklyn had a pitcher whose nickname was Preacher, for instance. Hall of Fame lineman Reggie White was even an ordained minister. But, there is something more crucial.

That more crucial element is how you lose. Anyone can be a good sport when they win – though, sadly, too many people boast and trash talk, which is wrong. As we said earlier, we need to be building others up, never tearing them down. When White played, for instance, he was great enough just the thought of him sacking a quarterback was very intimidating. It takes a special spirit to be a good sport about losing.

That doesn’t mean you lose your competitiveness. Chris Spielman is another great athlete who was a Christian first. He was extremely competitive. In his first game at Ohio State, as a freshman, the team was losing badly, but the coach wanted to get him used to the college experience before putting him in a game. Spielman was so excited on the sideline, the coach put him in the game just to let him run off some steam, since if he made any mistakes it wouldn’t hurt. Spielman played so well he almost single-handedly brought the team back to win! He wasn’t as good as White, but he and Reggie White both were highly competitive, and driven to win. That shows the ones you’re working for – your coach, your teammates, and your fans - that you’re a good, dependable worker, and that’s vital to your testimony.

However, being a good Christian athlete means praising Jesus Christ as Savior if you’ve just lost, instead of just after you win. It also means not getting upset t blown calls or other bad stuff. We need to realize officials are human, just like all of us. And, God can teach us important lessons through losses.

It’s hard in the heat of the moment. But, that just shows why we need to be fully relying on the Lord to help us through everything. Whether it’s a kid playing tee ball or a a superstar in the pros, we need to rely on God-given talent alone, work hard to get better like White, Spielman, Mathewson, and others, and show that we’re fully committed to God’s game plan – putting our testimonies first, and letting the game take care of itself. If God wants a person to reach the next level, He will make a way, and will do it through means that are completely legal. If not, then one should never resort to artificial means. The safest place to be is at the center of God’s will.

The world’s ways don’t just cause problems for athletes. They are one of the biggest problems for others, too.

3. Giving of talent

Everyone gets at least one spiritual gift when they get born again. However, each person is born with God-given talents that must be developed. A person with musical talent, for instance, needs to develop that to be able to sing or play an instrument, or it will just sit there in one’s body and gather dust.

Some talents are easily used by God. Others aren’t, but your or those you lead can use them for good, anyway, and be a great blessing.

2. Giving of money

Giving isn’t just of yourself, but of your money – ten percent is a tithe. You may not get a lot, but even if you get a small allowance, God can use that for His glory. There’s a great story of how He used fifty-seven cents from a poor girl named Hattie May Wiatt, and used it to inspire others to give and eventually to build Temple University. Encourage others to give, too. Any giving to missions should be above and beyond what you tithe; the tithe is to help the church run all its stuff.

Not much more needs to be said here, except that many people have found that the Lord blessed them when they started tithing, and that they always had enough money for what they needed. And, remember, God knows just what you need. He’ll provide what you want if it’s part of His perfect plan – like those tickets I mentioned. But, His goal is to help you to rely more and more on Him, and not on your own desires. We don’t always know what’s right, after all. But, He does.

c. Problems with the “social gospel”

That saying is used by some to promote a dangerous message. It is a works based one. It’s dangerous because it can make people forget salvation is all by God’s grace.

This is the opposite of the “prosperity gospel” I mentioned earlier. It puts so much focus on doing good deeds that it ignores the most important thing; getting people to Heaven. That is done by their accepting Jesus Christ as personal Savior.

It’s important to help the poor, of course, But, we must never put helping others ahead of the cross. Too many churches are ignoring the blood of Jesus that was shed for the salvation of everyone who believes. That’s why you should never figure that a person is saved just because they go to church.

Why do they do this? Some, of course, are just ignorant of who Jesus is, having never been taught. Some do it because they don’t believe in the supernatural. They don’t want to be responsible for their sins. Some do it because they have totally missed the interpretation of parts of the Bible that talk about the end.

See, Jesus is coming back to this world. He will judge it. The social gospel makes people think that He just wants everything to keep going till the world gets saved. But, that’s not going to happen. The Bible clearly says that there will be a horrible time on this world, when nation will turn against nation, there will be huge wars, disease, famine, and so on, and those who believe among the Jewish people will be redeemed. They will realize that Jesus Christ, their Messiah, already came, died, and rose from the dead, and they will receive Him as their Messiah. Then, there will be a thousand years of peace on the earth. Those who believe the social gospel sometimes think that time is already here. But, you can tell it’s anything but peaceful right now.

b. Outside church – rich lessons and blessings

Of course, the shelter she provided is just like neighborhood moms provide, when kids can safely go over there. That safety is something you can even provide, letting yourself be used to reach others outside your home.

However, that’s just part of what you can do to encourage your family to give. Those elderly shut-ins and nursing home residents are prime examples of people who need someone to show God’s love, because so much else is disappearing for them. There are a variety of other ways you can help others, too.

What this will show your family is that it’s fun; as long as you remember to treat itas something you get to do. God is letting you be part of His plan. He loves a cheerful giver. And, if you encourage your family to give of their time to help others, you benefit as well. It should teach them to be more considerate and compassionate. And, it will help to take your mind off of your own problems. A famous saying goes, “I was sad because I had no shoes, till I saw a man with no feet.”

a. At church – a fellowship of believers

Of course, you can volunteer in any number of ways. Some churches will have more volunteer opportunities. And, you may not feel like it if you’re so busy helping as the spiritual leader in your home as it is. That can certainly be your mission field, and you should be in church being spiritually fed at some point during the week.

However, this can also mean sacrificing just to cook a meal once in a while, or visit an elderly person. It can mean spending time to shop – even if it’s just for one item – to donate to a food pantry. You may not have much, but when a widow put only a small offering in at the temple, Jesus said she’d put in more than a rich man who gave a lot. Her gift meant a lot more to the Lord because she’d given out of what little she had.

That was just like the Shunammite woman centuries earlier.

1. Giving of time

Giving isn’t just about money, it’s about volunteering, too. This is an important step in teach younger ones (and sometimes older ones) the value of helping others. If you’ve never learned this, now is the time to get started. Just remember to put the Lord first in it, so you don’t fall into the trap some do.

C. Serving the Lord with gladness

So, what does it mean to serve Him with gladness? It means it should be something we want to do, not something we have to do. Yes, this was discussed at the beginning; see why I said the important stuff was mostly in the foundation?

However, there are a few things worth mentioning.

4. Answering other calls of God

Even if you’re called just to be a great example to your peers, though, you still need to stand out. God’s Word is written for everyone. It will speak in different ways at different times, depending on where God is leading you.

The key in all of this is to be ready, at all times, to say “yes” to His Word. The safest place you can be is in the center of His will.

What if it’s something that will lead you away? Whatever it may be, first, if God is calling you to be a spiritual leader there, He’s not going to expect you to go miles away from there, unless he’s prepared someone to take your place
He could do that – the last section will talk a little about preparing others to take over, although we’ve already covered that elsewhere, in discussing how the Lord wants you to be willing to humbly submit to others, including hopefully guiding that father to take over as spiritual head of the home himself.

You can certainly go away for a little while. Just remember that any camp or other activity you go to should be honoring to the Lord. However, be careful not to mistake the call of the Lord for your own desire for freedom. He will give you strength and peace to handle anything. Even with all your schoolwork and everything else.

You are serving the Lord, after all. He won’t insist that you do something you’re not capable of doing with His help. He wants you to serve Him with gladness.

b. The right Bible – Making sense of the differences

You’ll recall I said at the beginning that, while this book isn’t about Bible versions, I recommend the King James Version. Let me explain very briefly why.

God rewards the sincere study of His Word. He will teach you what things mean, through His Spirit or just through reading others’ writing, like what I wrote about the word “fear.” You could have sensed that from reading and noticing the differences, but it’s good to have a good study Bible or concordance.

A number of verses are more confusing in other versions. Remember how I said in I(B)(1)(b)(ii) that some versions had a big mistake in 2 Samuel 21:19? They said someone other than David killed Goliath, when they should read that this person killed the brother of Goliath. The King James Version is consistent throughout. Indeed, it contains all the verses, whereas whole verses, such as Acts 8:37, are removed from some other versions. This is because the KNV was the only one needed for hundreds of years.

Some modern versions are paraphrases; they aren’t even God’s Word. They are what someone says God’s Word means. But, people can make mistakes. Only God’s Word is 100% accurate. His Spirit was with the writers, and He will be with you. Just remember the admonition in the prayer section. Read it prayerfully, as if you’re having a conversation with the Lord, and see what He has to say to you.

a. A good study - Matthew 18:15-17 and dealing with others

Jesus tells us how to deal with a brother in Christ who offends in Matt. 18:15-17. Briefly, there are a few things to take away from here, in applying it to any dealings with others; a good segue way to a further note on Bible study.

First, He wants us to do it privately. It’s best to handle any discipline quietly, if you can’t do it in private; even if it’s just a promise to discuss it when you get home. God doesn’t want us to totally embarrass others. He does, of course, want others to understand the message; however, the results will take care of themselves. Yes, this verse is more about dealing with equals, but most adults you turn to for wisdom will agree that dealing with matters in private generally works best.

Second, there is one big difference in what He says regarding the church. While a person may be put out of a church if they continue to try to sabotage things with their sin – just as the man in 1 Corinthians 5 – that should never happen with a physical family.

3. Teaching others – home Bible study and prayer

I discussed this earlier, but just wanted to touch on it a little here.

It’s important to share the Word of God with others, too. Prayer and Bible study are two good ways to do that.

When starting out, you need to figure out what each person can be relied on to understand. Don’t be afraid to get input from others. And, be sure to credit what they’re doing right, even if they make mistakes that need to be corrected.

Like above, these should be at a specific time if at all possible. If friends are over, include them. You don’t have to include the plan of salvation every time, but pray before you start – as you should every time – for God’s leading in that area.

Here are a couple brief things on how to do that.

b. Mercy – Perfect love casts out fear

There are two types of fear. One is healthy. We don’t call it “fear” anymore. But, picture a fireplace with a huge fire in it. If there is a big fire in it, you wouldn’t stick your hand in it, right? You aren’t so afraid of it you think about what it might doall the time. But, you have what used to be called a “fear” of it, in that you don’t dare stick your hand in it. You know what it will do. That is the kind that the Bible talks about when it says the “fear of the Lord.” Because, the Bible says He has not given us a spirit of fear.

Section 2(A)(4)(c) talked a little about the bad kind, in that it’s a trap the devil lays. It’s the kind you should never cause in others. And, sadly, it may be the kind you feel, which is why I mentioned it earlier.

The Bible says that perfect love casts this kind out. What that means is, no matter how tough you have to get on any younger siblings, no matter how strict you have to sound – and, if you’re in a neighborhood that resembles a war zone, you might have to sound very tough – your followers should still sense you love them unconditionally. That is that perfect love, the kind only God can give.

You can – and must – come close, though. You can only do that through His guidance. It might be harder for some than for others. Girls, especially, who read this might lack some of the finer points that girls in more peaceful situations need to be like mothers, But, never let anyone say you can’t do it. With God, all things are possible. Just keep growing in humility, grace, peace, love, and compassion for those God has given you charge over, and remember – you’re demonstrating Christ’s love to them.

ii. Positive things to remember when problems arise

Of course, problems will come up, and might really bug you at times. When that happens, the first place to turn is the Lord, of course. Here are some other helps.

First, you can ask someone to help if you’re responsible for younger siblings and you haven’t been asked specifically to baby-sit. Passing the buck isn’t a good idea, but if it keeps you from screaming some day. Go ahead.

Smile and have fun. Kids will remember the fun they had. Remember good times and the fun you have. Sometimes a smile and an excited hug will be your only thanks, but it is a big “thank you” – though of course, you should teach them to verbally say it, too, along with practicing it yourself. Kids are like copying machines.

Remind yourself you love them – you might have to over and over with a really wild one, but they really do notice how much you care. In fact, when they get to a certain age, they’ll know they drive you nuts and will really be amazed at how you do it. And yet, they’ll know that you are being an example of our ever-loving God, and He puts up with a world filled with us crazy people, all the time.

Remember, too, that everyone needs attention. Many times, a kid will ask “why” a bunch of times because they want to converse and don’t know how yet. Come up with some willy stuff, or ask them what they think. Have lots of distractions around like coloring books, paper, and of course, plenty of wholesome stuff to read. Nowadays, if you have the Internet, you can find lots of stuff to just print out.

Have a routine, and stick to it as much as possible. Tell small children ahead of time that you plan to deviate from it and why, if need be Young kids need time to prepare for things; and may when older, too, in some situations.

Turn off the TV and have plenty of fun time. Monitor what others are watching and looking at; remember, you’re a gatekeeper as a leader.

i. Two types of fairness when handling things

Of course, each person has different needs. That leads us to something important that you should remember when it comes to “fairness.”

People say “it’s not fair” a lot, when what they really mean is they didn’t get their way. That kind of “fairness” doesn’t exist – nobody gets their own way all the time.

You can try to even things out with rules like, when two siblings are arguing over one piece of cake, saying, “One cuts the cake, the other chooses.” But, it’s not always that easy. Things can’t be exactly the same for each person.

We all have to make sacrifices. And, we all have different needs. If you happen to have a sibling with challenges, that sibling will probably need more time than another does. In that kind of a case, you should explain that one person needs more help and why, and show that other sibling how they can be showing God’s love by also giving of their own time, instead of thinking about themselves.

Of course, emphasizing that Jesus always has enough time to give to every one of us helps a lot, as they know they’ll always have Him.

The other type can be best explained by how a small child might use the “life’s not always fair” line. He or she might keep all the cookies instead of sharing, and explain by saying, “life’s not always fair.” You’re right, that’s mean. But, it’s how some people act to excuse their own selfish behavior.

So, you need to ask the Lord to give you wisdom to determine what is fair. Make sure you really are showing love equally toward everyone. Make sure you’re not making decisions selfishly yourself, and if you see it happening, even if it’s your own decisions, correct it and explain why it’s wrong.

We all mess up at times, but you can certainly make things a whole lot better if you are seen to be sacrificing yourself, and if you can explain, on their level, why a certain rule is in place, or why you chose to do one thing instead of another. Catch yourself before others do, and you’ll find things flowing a lot more smoothly.

a. Grace – God’s grace gives in bunches

God is a perfect, loving, Heavenly Father. He will always do things in our best interest, and loves to give good gifts to us. Even bad parents should love to give good gifts to their children. Sadly, some don’t, but when Jesus made the comparison in His Sermon on the Mount, His words were sure to touch the hearts of any who didn’t.

The point is, you, as a leader, should be known for giving of yourself in many ways. Kids, especially, will clamor for things, but what they really want is time. That’s what any person wants from a leader. No, you can’t spend all your time with each person. You may well need to use Godly counsel to learn how to give of your time to help others. However, the important thing is, time, special treats that are “just because I love you,” and so on all must have one thing in common. They should not be earned or deserved. There may be times when you want to remove some privilege. Even in churches, there should be some measure of discipline for great misdeeds, such as Paul told the very carnal Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 5. But, that should not take away from the love and compassion that you show your followers.

2. Demonstrating grace and mercy through Christ

Grace is a free gift. Mercy is not giving someone what they deserve – and none of us deserves the unconditional love of a holy and just God. He must punish sin. The great part is, He took that punishment Himself when He died on the cross.

By paying attention to the heart of a person, we demonstrate both. This is true whether you enforce rules or whether you just lead Bible studies and teach others about the love of God, and how they can be saved and grow closer to Him.

b. Your rules guided by wisdom

Probably the best example of this is the two evildoers crucified with Jesus. Each had done things which warranted crucifixion. Jesus was perfect – He was “numbered with the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12) because He was perfect, yet He took on the sins of everyone who would ever live. The other men were awful.

And yet, one of them, even at the very end of his life, realized who Jesus was. He knew Jesus was perfect, and that he wasn’t. So, he asked Jesus to forgive and save him. The oher one didn’t. This “thief on the cross” received mercy. Yes, there were times when people lost their lives because of someone’s misdeed, just like in football, if one player commits a penalty in football, the entire team goes back several yards and, in extreme cases, loses a down. God judged the heart of each person, though, just as He does today. If one of the people who died because of someone’s sin trusted in the Lord for forgiveness, then they still went to Heaven. It was just as true in the Old Testament as today – salvation has always been by faith.

What does this have to do with your rules? You need to seek God’s wisdom to gauge just how tough to be; and that will be different with each personality – remember the “love languages” book I recommended. A repentant heart can be treated more leniently than one that isn’t, or one that just fakes it; and sometimes only the Spirit can tell which is which. If there are extenuating circumstances to something – including possibly an earlier rule that you didn’t realize would conflict - you may need to take them into consideration. There are many different things to consider.

The bottom line is, never be a Pharasee. The Pharasees demanded strict adherence to rules without paying attention to the heart of a person.

a. Godly limits set with love

God knows what will happen in each situation. He sets limits so we learn to stay on that straight and narrow path.

Of course, we all mess up. The Ten Commandments were given because God wanted to demonstrate that not everyone can be good all the time, because of our sin nature, and that people needed to trust in God for forgiveness and mercy.

However, there was another reason, too. All sin against others hurts other people. If there were no law against stealing, anyone could take anything of yours and you would have no recourse. Of course, sometimes thieves aren’t caught in this life. However, God will always make sure that a person’s sin will find him or her out. The things people do in the dark, God sees and judges. He knows our innermost thoughts.
He sets limits on us to protest us, and those limits are for everyone to follow. He hates having to discipline. So should any good leader.

He knows, however, that there are always different circumstances, things which might change the judgment He renders. That is part of showing Godly wisdom.

1. Setting limits with love

Of course, you should only set limits if others aren’t doing it. If they’re not, then you should step in.

Remember, God is all knowing. He knows what choices people will make. You may not know what choices others can make. But, you can be very clear, on their level, what problems could result if they do something wrong. This isn’t just in the way of short term consequences (no TV, chores – not your own - sentences to write, or whatever), but also long term ones, like problems that could result if some bad thing gets worse.

In talking with them, you should emphasize that God, too, sets limits to help us.

B. Responding to God’s Word with faith

Following God’s Word as a spiritual leader can mean handling other matters, too. The young person who is a spiritual leader should show God’s grace by deferring to others in non-spiritual matters, but sometimes, as noted before, you will need to take charge. You can’t impose limits on adults, for instance, except with the previous contract idea. But, with those younger, it is possible. I’ve heard of a few young people who have had to be the ones to raise their younger siblings or even try to set limits for others.

Whether or not that’s in God’s plan for you as a spiritual leader, remember that God’s Word will show you how to handle things. Verses such as Psalm 34:12-14, which speak of always being truthful, good, and so on, are vital.

c. Trust the Spirit in salvation

The time may come, too, when someone needs saved. A small child will usually pipe up that they want to be saved just because someone else is. But, sometimes they are ready at a very young age. Personally, I think understanding salvation at age 4-5 is like reading at age 3. Yes, some children do it. However, most aren’t quite ready, because their minds haven’t developed enough yet to comprehend the basic things necessary.

So, see if they understand, and if they seem to, pray with them, but be ready to lead them again some time later, just in case.

Remember, too, that it’s not the prayer itself that saves. Jesus saves us when we put our whole trust in Him. It will sometimes be hard to know for sure that someone is ready, but it’s important that the person understand: 1. that they are sinners; 2. that they are lost – i.e.: they can’t save themselves; 3. That Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, took the punishment for their sin; and, 4. That He rose from the dead. That last is vital, because the resurrection is what gives one hope.

You may feel an urgency to see people saved. That’s good. But, remember that you can’t save them, as much as you’d like to. It’s the Holy Spirit which draws them to Him. However, you do have an important job in that. Your job – in addition to telling others about Him – is to be a Godly example. The main reason people like Jay Bell, who was mentioned earlier, become Christians is because of the Godly example someone showed. An example of God’s goodness that said to them, “I want to be like them. I want the peace, the the strength, whatever they have that helps them get through life.”

In order for them to see what that is, they should see you not only knowing God’s Word, but responding to it in what it says, and following it.

b. Accept expression from others

Remember that God accepts us as who we are. He asks us to humble ourselves, of course, and admit that we don’t always know what’s right. But, Jesus understands when people feel hurt. You can turn such occasion into a time to help through studying the Bible, but also to simply talk to God.

A prayer meeting in your home should involve people humbly going to the Lord, with each person talking a little if they want. Silent prayer is also acceptable. It should never be a time for airing grievances, arguing, and so on; in fact, it should be a time where if there is any problem, the people should ask the Lord to help them to “be of one mind in the Lord,” as Paul advised the church at Philippi when two women had a major disagreement about something. This means that both sides need to agree to floow God’s will in whatever the situation is. Remember, He always has each person’s best interests in His will, because He knows everything about every situation.

a. Involve others in prayer

The best way to do that is to involve them. Just like with anything else, they may pray very simply. But, that can be very effective. The Spirit is given to teach us how to pray, and sometimes He can lead in incredible ways.

For instance, there was a family with several children, who prayed every evening before bedtime. The mother was pregnant, and the smallest girl prayed every night for the baby to be healthy. The couple didn’t think that was needed, because the doctors had found nothing wrong. But, they let her pray for that, anyway. When the time came for the mother to give birth, however, there were sudden complications that nobody expected. The baby was eventually delivered safely, and was healthy. However, that was because they had prayed. God knew what would happen, when they didn’t.

2. Praying with others

This is a rather simple concept, because much about prayer has already been discussed. But, while we’ve seen how to pray, and how important it is that others know you are praying for them, it is important to encourage others.

d. Worship the Lord with your actions

Another important area as a leader is worship. This does not just mean singing or praising God. We worship Him whenever we do what He says to do with the proper heart attitude. That’s important to remember, because it causes others to want to follow God, when they see you behaving in a Godly manner.

We sometimes hear people say they worship a person. This is always wrong. Even God’s angels refuse to accept our worship. (The “Angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament was worshipped, but that’s because He was Jesus before He came to the world in human form.) It was customary in the old days to have kings and queens that were called “Majesty’ and “Lord,” but that took away from God.

People in authority should be given respect, of course. They should be honored and obeyed. But, no person should be held to the level of God. We’ve mentioned how to act when people’s and God’s commands disagree. The key here is that, as a leader, you should never put a person in a position where they have to choose.

At the same time, if you do a good enough job as a leader, your followers may start to see you in a more positive light than they should. This is where humility plays such a key role. Always remind others that you are trying your best, but that you, too, fail at times. You should always try to stay close to God. But, Jay Bell saw his dad as the best example of Jesus he could imagine, because his dad made every effort to be like Jesus, but was always humble enough to admit his mistakes and apologize, and learn from those mistakes so they didn’t happen again.

That, then, is the key to worship when you shepherd others. Service is also important, of course, and we’ll see later in this part about how you can do that. But, for now, remember that your desire and your goal should be to be like Jesus.

c. Stay away from false teaching

False teaching went on in Biblical times. It is a much greater problem today.

You may still be at an age when you think all teachers are right. We should have pity on false teachers. Many times they have been taught the wrong way themselves. Our guide should be the Lord Himself, though.

For instance, He says that a false prophet is anyone who claims that something will come true, and it doesn’t come true. It doesn’t matter if 99 out of 100 things this person says come true, and one doesn’t. That one that doesn’t makes the person a false prophet in God’s eyes. Such a person might be very wise in some areas. It might be good to listen to that person in those areas they’re good in. But, again, it might not.

Remember Part I, section D(2)(c)(ii), where we saw Solomon’s son, Rehoboaam? That narrative, in 1 Kings 12:7-16, isn’t about false teaching. However, again, we can apply it to teaching, to show that disaster can strike when we listen to the wrong teachers. Godly advice is needed so you can know which teachers are telling the truth about Jesus about themselves, and so on, and which ones are not. That means learning and practicing discernment. This is a gift God gives everyone, though some more than others, because He wants His believers to be close to Him.

A good example of false teaching is something called the “prosperity Gospel.” As we saw in Part II, not everyone is meant to be rich. It’s not a lack of faith that keeps some people from having gobs of money. It’s that God has different plans for them. Job, after all, had incredible faith, and yet he lost everything and got very sick.

Some of the people who preach this mean well, but they are reading too much into the Bible. They have their minds too much on the riches of this world, so they don’t think about the fact that God’s riches are eternal. They are the kind that don’t fade away. Why would God give everyone something that’s going to lose value and won’t last forever? He has plans for some people to have it. He just doesn’t plan for everyone to have it.

God will give you what you need, of course. But, He also expects you to do your part. Take a miracle that happened right before Elisha’s encounter with the Shunnamite woman. 2 Kings 4:1-7 tells of a widow whose sons were about to be taken as slaves to pay a debt she owed. Elisha told her to gather a bunch of containers. She had a little oil, and God multiplied it so it filled every container. She sold all that oil and was able to pay the debt. This is another great example of how God will provide just what we need, when we need; and sometimes in miraculous ways. He never wanted creditors to be so mean as to take people as slaves, anyway. However, He also let Joseph have lots of problems in Egypt, because it was for the good of saving his whole family.

iii. Use what you’ve learned

A young child can commit a verse like that to memory. But, they also need to use it when they argue with siblings or friends. It won’t help if you’ve memorized the whole Bible, if you don’t use what you’ve learned.

Of course, this means you, too, need to use what you learn. But, your task is greater. As the spiritual leader in the home, you must set a good example. Nobody will believe you if you say one thing and do another. Although, if you normally do well, they will forgive you if you mess up and then humbly apologize and truly seek to do better.

However, you must also guide and direct those you are leading so you all stay away from false teaching. Because, there are plenty of people out there who don’t interpret the Bible the right way; either because they are misinformed, or because they want to excuse their own misbehavior or purposely lead people astray.

ii. Hide God’s Word in your heart

This means to know God’s Word so well that it keeps you close to Him. He is alive, and wants a relationship with you. So, when you read His Word, it’s alive, and able to speak to you. It’s just like the Matthew 6:33 example. I knew it once I stopped pressing myself, because I had hidden that verse in my heart.

That verse goes on, though – we should do it so we might not sin against God. When you read the Word of God, you can do it with others. Younger children will only need short passages to discuss, but even something as simple as Ephesians 4:26 can be remembered by a young child, as a key to reconciling quickly, instead of staying mad at someone. It says, “Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”

From what we know elsewhere, we know that this verse means it’s okay to be angry if it’s righteous anger. However, we should never let that anger cause us to sin. We should also never let the sun go down before our wrath is finished. In other words, make up with someone right away, instead of letting that wrath boil overnight.

i. Compare Scripture with Scripture

Say you have an Apple computer, iPod, or whatever. You go to a friend’s house, you’re hungry, and your friend pulls an apple out of the refrigerator. I really hope you would never try to listen to music, check e-mail, or anything else with that fruit. You should not only compare apples to apples, you should compare each apple with apples of the same type – fruits to fruits, gadgets to gadgets.

In the same way, you need to not only compare Scripture with Scripture, you need to let God help you to use your mind to understand it.

As an example, “thou shalt” in some places is a warning – in other words, “If you do this, this will definitely happen.” God is all-knowing, so He knows exactly what will happen no matter what choice is made at a given time. At other times, “thou shalt” is a command. By studying the verse, the verses around it, the book, and what else you know about God’s attributes (love, mercy, justice, etc.), among other things within Scripture, you can figure out which is which.

Take Ephesians 5:18, for instance. It is written to believers at Ephesus. It’s easy to see that the audience is believers. We can easily say the command is for us; part of how to live a Godly life. It is part of a chapter on living Godly lives. The first part, telling people not to be drunk, is easy. The word “but” means to do something else instead, and is referring back to the first part. The total control of the Spirit over a person is what we should have, instead of the excess, mockery, etc., of drinking.

Other times, believers are said to be filled with the Spirit the moment they get saved. Jesus promises the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, will be in all believers. So, since “filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians 5:18 is a command to believers, it can’t meant he same kind of filled. That “filled” happened when you trust Christ as Svior, and stays with you. The “filled” in Ephesians 5:18 means a continual control by the Spirit, so that God’s love, mercy, and so on just pours out of us. We saw that without reading one word of Greek! Some verses are harder, but it’s rather easy when you put your mind to it.

However, the devil tries to complicate things. This is why it’s important to read consistently, and vital to do as Psalms 119:11 says – hide God’s word in your heart. That means, keep it and protect it.

a. Study His Word daily

If you have spent much time in church or reading the Bible, that line about loving your neighbor likely makes you think of the Good Samaritan. That, the use of Matthew 6:33 in the beginning, and other things are examples of how God’s Word can come to us just when we need.

Some parts may be harder to understand (Revelation, for example) or seem more tedious (the list of generations at the start of First Chronicles, for instance). But, all of it is valuable. It’s all inspired by God, and can be used for doctrine (what’s right), reproof (what’s wrong), correction (how to avoid doing what’s wrong) and instruction in righteousness. (How to keep doing what’s right). (2 Timothy 3:16).

Some parts, of course, have only one or two of these. The narrative of the Shunammite woman has a little of each. Some books are filled with doctrine.
The important part is, you must use spiritual discernment to tell what the Bible is saying, by comparing it with surround verses, with the chapter and book in question, and finally, with the whole of Scripture. Not only that, but you should be studying Scripture with others, too. We talked about the truth of the Bible a fair amount at first. Now, we’re going a little more in depth.

1. Following God

Everyone leads a little differently. But, while the style might be different, the method must be based on doing what God would have you to do. In other words, the commands to remove things like malice, wrath, gossip, and so on, and to love your neighbor as you would yourself. And, of course, everyone is your neighbor.

A. I’m the leader – now what? Placing God first

Remember how Matthew 6:33 came to me when I prayed? That’s what you need to do, also. It’s easy to get so into leadership that you run over everyone. It’s also easy to let things go too much. Either way spells trouble. The “straight and narrow path” is the one that leads to salvation. It’s also the way that leads to success.

III: Exercise Faith – Leading others with Jesus

We’ve discussed the basics, plus how to overcome obstacles. We couldn’t cover everything, of course, but there are plenty of analogies within what we mentioned.

Now, it’s time to cover exactly what you can and should do now what you have been led by the Lord to be the spiritual leader, just like the Shunammite woman was.

This part will be shorter for a couple reasons.

There will be many individual situations, just as God had different ways of handling different people. For instance, there’s a difference between Peter (just looking at him after he denied Jesus) and Jonah (who was in the belly of the giant fish for three days for disobeying God). As stated, every individual is different; the Holy Spirit will guide you to see how to deal with each one, within what God’s Word says.
Godly adults can give you Godly wisdom and guidance, and provide good clues. But, no person can tell exactly what’s going to happen.

Because of this, the first two sections – about knowing God personally and how to overcome hurdles – were essential building blocks. This section will simply give you general guidelines, as you perform your role as spiritual leader.

b. Inside relationships, a need for self-control

That’s why self control is so important. As we end this part on overcoming obstacles – though a few will likely come up in Part III – remember that the best way to overcome is to be different from the world. We are called to be in the world, but not of it.

We talked earlier about being a “living sacrifice,” but the next verse is also vital. It gives us the key. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

God doesn’t just make you a new creature and that’s it. He keeps renewing you, transforming you, so you can be more like Him. As we noted earlier, He loves that we’re diverse within the rules, but He wants us to become like Him in His love, goodness, mercy, and so on. There is no room for evil with Him.

That is how you will overcome; by letting Him work in you. It’s okay if you mess up; it is of His mercies that we are not all consumed, anyway, because His mercies are new every morning. (Lam. 3:22-23) The prophet Jeremiah penned those words while watching his beloved Jerusalem surrounded and destroyed by the evil Babylonians. You may not face problems that big. But, God will help you through anything.

However, the best way for Him to help you is if you keep from being conformed to this world. Be like Christ, and you will be greatly rewarded. Because, you can be a great spiritual leader. Not because you have any specific gift. But, because you make yourself available to God for His team.

ii. Problems with going against God’s plan

God made us to know what modesty was. From the moment that people first sinned, they realized that they needed to be covered. Once Adam and Eve sinned, they didn’t need anyone to say they were naked; they knew it. God even asked who had told them they were naked. (Gen. 3:11) They had lost their innocence when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and people have been messing up God’s plan ever since. They wouldn’t have had to face the embarrassment of being naked – let alone punished otherwise for their sin – if they’d obeyed.

A. Drawing, hurting people

One of those punishments was that the woman’s desire would be toward her husband. (Gen. 3:16.) Notice that Adam and Eve had been married in Genesis 2. This prophecy referred to all women, and showed that their eye would be toward men if they werne’t careful, instead of being focused on God’s perfect love.

Ms. Mally notes that woman, especially, like to get attention from men, though men like attention from women as well. Women don’t always mean to, but sometimes they can let themselves be flattered, according to her. They can be drawn toward a guy because he looks or talks nice. But, they’d never dream of marrying him.

That hurts the other person, too, whether it’s the man or the woman drawing attention. It makes them think about them when there isn’t any connection otherwise.
Sadly, much fashion is like that, but even if you have to make it yourself, you can dress modestly. You don’t have to follow the world’s ways. There’s no reason to be showing all that some people do, just because they can.

B. Creating confusion

There are other reasons it’s a bad idea to go against God’s plan. A family unit is supposed to be just that; a unit. It creates too much confusion when there are so many relations by marriage. God can’t stand divorce because it hurts so many people. God wants His people to feel love and support. Yes, it’s necessary at certain times, but he created a plan that – if people followed it – would prevent it.

That plan is to wait for the right person. And, even if you didn’t, to get along and learn to love the Lord and worship Him together. The Shunammite woman didn’t get divorced just because her husband didn’t love God like she did. She let her life be a living testimony to God’s love by staying with her husband.

When there are so many different relations, it causes confusion and chaos. Instead of one happy, healthy home, kids have two, three, or more, sometimes with different rules, instead f one family where everyone tries to follow the Lord.

C. Changing feelings

People mess up when they try it all on their own, because feelings change. One minute you think a person is great, the next you don’t. God knows if it’s a good situation, though, and He will never change.

Yes, circumstances change – people get saved, become new creatures inside, and grow in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) But, that is not a human change. It is God making that person new on the inside. A person must want to change for God to do it. Things like money, however, should never be considered a change in circumstance. Either you love the person for richer or poorer, or you don’t. That’s something to be extra sure of before you even think of engagement, let alone marriage.

D. Battling the flesh

Notice that a person can change, but you should not marry an unbeliever – or a weak one – hoping he or she will change. Again, God does the changing. Your love and goodness as a friend may convert them. But, when Paul talks about that, he is talking about people who get saved after marruage. Then, they can stay in the marriage.

However, you should never marry someone in the hopes that you will win the person to Christ. You are much more likely to be fretting over children who follow your spouse, not you. The reason? It’s that battle between flesh and spirit.

Paul was s one of the most dedicated Christians there ever was. And yet, study his words in Romans 7:14-25. You will see one of the great truths of the Bible, that even the great Apostle Paul struggled with. We are all flesh, and that part that faces temptations is at war with the part that serves God. Thankfully, Paul concludes that with an assurance that there is “now therefore no condemnation” for saved people. (Romans 8:1) But, that is only talking about our assurance of salvation, once we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior. As long as we live, we have that fleshly nature that we must battle. Listening to the flesh, rather than the Spirit, can cause us lots of problems. Not just like David had with Bathsheba, but all kinds of things that can draw us away from God.

i. How God means it to be

We noted in the beginning what God’s plan was for family. For that plan to work best, a man and a woman must be involved. This is because each one has a special function. A good, Godly spouse completes someone. The person God has for you will fit with you like a jigsaw puzzle.

Let’s look at that analogy for a second. Picture a jigsaw puzzle. When you put one together, you don’t just look at one side. You have to see it’s an edge before putting it on the edge, for instance. Then, you have to look for shapes, patterns, and so on.

Now, let’s say someone took a piece off that jigsaw puzzle. It wouldn’t quite fit together right. The pieces might kind of go, but it just wouldn’t feel right.

In the same way, there are certain things God wants us to save for our future mates. Some don’t even kiss till their wedding day. Even if it’s only deeper stuff that you save, though, you still need to understand that this deeper stuff was meant for pleasure between a man and a woman within marriage. It’s a joy then, and it’s much more so when someone has kept themselves pure for you.

The rules apply to men and women both; God is no respecter of persons. He never made any rules that only applied to one gender. He says fornication is wrong. The Old Testament law called for the man and woman to be punished equally. (What a shame that the man never showed up at the start of John 8; he could have had his sins forgiven like the woman.) Of course, it’s never the fault of someone who has it forced on them. Even the law – which was created to show people how much they needed God’s mercy and grace – always judged people’s hearts alone, not their actions.

There are lots of things that make us thing about that sensual part, though, that lead us astray. Pictures with very little clothing, for instance. It’s stuff we shouldn’t be looking at. For married people, the object of their affection should be their spouse; for them and others, it should be the love of God they focus on most.

The world doesn’t like it, but it’s really being loving and respectful. Think about it. You’re not an animal. The human mind can conceive of abstract things, create great works that have profound meaning, enjoy things in a way an animal can’t. You can understand the joy of having someone save themselves and devote themselves to you in a way animals can’t; and even some of them have lifelong partners. Whereas, not following God’s plan causes huge messes.

a. Between married partners, a great part of God’s design

In Ms. Mally’s book, “Before You Meet Prince Charming,” she says that it’s important to enjoy one’s single years, and not focus so much on who is going with whom. Young people have lots of energy to accomplish things, much more than adults do. Also, your generation is more likely to listen to you than it is to adults.

Without getting too specific, let me say there is much that is better if we save it for our one special someone. Many people today have forgotten how to wait for anything. But, God created us to have self-control. We have to learn how to use it, of course. That’s why parents must teach their children self-control. (Or, why you may have to.)

God has a plan for your life right from the start. You don’t have to be “hard to get,” you just have to take things slow and let God guide you. He knows the future, and what every possible plan holds. He knows what’s best for everything.

3. Avoiding the sensual nature of society

One way the world tries to tempt us is through how sensual everything is. That doesn’t just mean with relationships. It means where people do anything they feel like, instead of thinking about the consequences. However, a large part of it is connected to a lack of modesty. It is very hard to avoid, because it’s in almost everything.

It does, however, affect relationships a lot. Things are totally messed up. Boys and girls talk about their relationships all the time, and at really young ages. It’s a pattern that leads away from God’s perfect plan.

ii. Facing consequences

So, what if you mess up? As noted above, there will be a need to rebuild trust. But, the most important thing is, you need to come clean. No matter what.

Is it hard? Sure. But, just remember David and Bathsheba. The longer you hide something, the more you try to cover it up, the worse it gets. If you have trouble, just tell yourself that it’s easy now, compared to what it could be.

You are not above the law, just because you’re a spiritual leader. You must follow worldly laws that don’t conflict directly with the Word of God, of course. But, you must also obey God. David was punished when he sinned as king.

The world’s system doesn’t like that there are consequences. It’s part of how they’ve tried to throw God out. The world wants to make you think you’re just an animal, but that’s a lie. You are a special being. People are special. We are loved by God much more than any other creature. Because He loves us, He set things up so there wuld be a logical order and natural consequences to our actions, even if those don’t come till we get to Heaven. That way, we’d know what to do and how to act. And, if everyone followed the rules, things would be okay. However, people love to follow their flesh instead. Follow God, and His perfect, loving way, instead of the world.

i. Accountability

The key is that you and others must be able to trust each other.

This is done through accountability. Josh Hamilton, the ballplayer I mentioned, has a very good friend who knows where he is at all times. While you shouldn’t have to do that with everyone, you certainly will with young children or with someone who has been into drugs. In fact, you should with older children, if it’s a really bad area. And, if they do go somewhere they shouldn’t, the reins need to be tightened for a while. It’s always for their protection, though.

The important thing is, you also need to be accountable to others. There should never be a reason for you to lie to someone about your whereabouts. (If you were shopping for a surprise gift, you can always just mention the store, for instance.) God can easily remove the mantle of leadership if you misuse it, after all. He did this with Israel’s first king, Saul, before David was anointed king.

It’s not that hard, though. Accountability is easy. It’s just honestly being able to talk about your day, what you’ve been doing, and so on. You don’t have to tell every person everything. You just need accountability partners, so you can help each other. This is especially true if you’re a teenager or younger. If your parents aren’t holding you to a high standard, you should find a friend who will.

If those you are shepherding don’t trust you, they will be much less likely to follow you. They may not believe in God as easily, either. You have a big role as a spiritual leader. You are the only example of Jesus that others may see.

The Bible is very clear that people will become like and copy their leaders. Children do this most of all. Telling someone to do something you don’t do yourself is a trick of the devil, your enemy.

c. God promises a way out

As noted before about temptation, God will provide a way out. I would never have been in that car if my friend had been falling down drunk. In fact, our mutual friend thought the driver was just kidding. (I don’t know if he believed it or tried to excuse him. I believe the former, because that is the least judgmental way. It gives him the benefit of the doubt. Saying he was trying to cover it up when there is no proof isn’t very Christian. However, the driver was the kind who would have said he was joking when I asked him in the car. And, he now admits it was the one time he did this.)

However, even though I hadn’t stepped out of that situation, God protected me. He knew I would learn from it if I felt just a little concern about it. As I said, it wans’t really dangerous. But, it could have been. If it is, the Spirit will tell you to get out, as long as you’re listening to God in your heart.

There are other important ways to avoid problems, though.

b. Avoiding getting into bad situations

Much has been said about this in other places. Have a reasonable curfew and stick to it yourself. Don’t hang out with friends who sin. You can be friends, but don’t let them drag you into what they are doing. And so on. Like with avoiding tempting thoughts, these actions will help you win the daily spiritual battles.

Since I’ve covered more of this elsewhere, I want to illustrate this with a situation that is less risky than you might experience, but still important. It shows standing up for what’s right can and does help in the long run.

I noted before that I am legally blind. Friend A drove another friend and I home after dinner one evening. He recalls it was before he got saved. So, it was my second, possibly early third year in college, as he was in a different college by then. (I was a year ahead.) This driver had consumed alcohol, and appeared to be safe in the restaurant. But, on the way home, he was louder than usual. Partly for my mom’s sake, if she doesn’t remember, I know I was never in any real danger that time. The worst that might have happened was his driving over the curb before he dropped me off. His words and actions that told me he might be over the limit.
Instead of saying flat out I thought he’d had too much, I wavered a bit. I excused it by saying something about the legal limit being different for people age 18 to 21 and that he might be under the limit if he were 21. (I might have been right. Regardless, it was still against the law. And, more importantly, very dangerous.) But, I still said it was wrong, though I had wavered. (I was a bit of a Pharisee, but like Nicodemus. I always tried to do what was right, and knew there had to be something more to getting to Heaven than just acting good. If this was before I was saved, it was very close to the time I trusted in Christ by faith alone to save me.)

Anyway, later I decided that I didn’t want to ride with him any more; or hang out with him as much if he was going to continue his behavior. He could get vulgar and swear at times, and didn’t always have a great attitude, even if he didn’t drink. If I recall, I discussed how to handle this with a Christian friend.

Friend A told me later that he recalled the incident, and that he never drove drunk after that. He almost never drank afterward, as he was saved soon after that. He said that my testimony had a very positive influence on him. It helped him to stop swearing and such. But, more importantly, I probably influenced not to drink and drive anymore by my refusal to hang out with him as much. I may have saved his life! I could at least have saves someone else, or him, from serious injury. All because I took a stand.

iii. God’s word, prayer bring victory

God’s Spirit can only live inside a person who is saved. But, Jesus said that the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 16:8) And, while not everyone will believe, you will be certain to have victory when you study and use His word correctly, as we’ve discussed. Because, God promises that His word will never return void. (Isaiah 55:11)

God’s word will bring victory not only when it’s used to protect you from sin and to tell others about Him, it will bring victory in prayer.

Abraham didn’t have his prayer answered for Sodom to be saved, because God couldn’t find even ten righteous people in that horrible city. But, Abraham started that prayer asking if Sodom could be saved if there were fifty righteous. (Gen. 18:24-33) God was willing to let Abraham pray so far to show His great love and mercy; Sodom was a city filled with all kinds of evil people. Abraham was controlled by the Spirit. That’s what “filled with the Spirit” means when Paul says we should be filled with it. We have Him in us already, but it’s like light. You have light in a room, but then you open a curtain, and it just totally floods the room.

Abraham, in this example, prayed using God’s attributes. Others have done the same thing, crying out to God mentioning His mercy, grace, and so on. Now that the Bible us here, we can also use His Word. For instance, in praying for the unsaved, we can use 2 Peter 3:9, where the Lord says He wants all to come to repentance. Study the Bible – especially the New Testament and Psalms – and see the many awesome promises God gives us. We can use those in prayer as we fight our spiritual battles, because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

ii. Whole armor of God

That’s why a whole set of armor is used in this illustration. Whole books could be written on the armor of God. The fact so many parts are mentioned shows that there are many things we need to prepare for the battle.

Salvation, of course, is the key. We can try to be as nice as we want, but that sin nature will get us every time. It’s no wonder that the helpmet is used in this chapter for that, though the illustrations are different in other places. The helmet protects your head, and without a head, you won’t be fighting or anything else. If you don’t have Jesus as your personal Savior, you need Him so you can win.

Other things, of course, are also very important. Truth, righteousness, faith, and so on all help us to remain strong. Faith stops the fiery darts of doubt, unhealthy fear, and so on. Just as you can move a shield around, you need that faith all around you because attacks on your faith can come from many directions.

The sword can be used for defense, to block someone, but please note that it is also the only tool for offense. Well, unless you throw your shield at someone. Seriously, any army would get worn down after constant pounding without some sort of attack. It might take a long time, but any person will get worn down without using the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This has two meanings.

First, it refers to memorizing Scripture. The Shunammite woman (did you think we forgot about her?) had to keep thinking about God’s word, so she wasn’t discouraged, with her husband not helping much. The first five books of the Bible are mentioned in Joshua as being with them. Other Bible books confirm they were written by Moses. A few other books would have been written by her time; Job, Joshua, Judges and Ruth, possibly First and Second Samuel. If she couldn’t read, she would have heard it orally and memorized that. It was much easier in those days to remember things that one read, since that’s about all one could do in one’s spare time. Ezra supposedly memorized the entire Old Testament (all but a few smaller books). And, of course, she could hear the Word of God spoken by Elisha, the prophet.

So, she hid God’s Word in her heart, so she wouldn’t sin. (Psalm 119:11) It was easy, when she thought about how to handle something, for her to remember God’s Word and learn what to do that way; just like when I used Matthew 6:33 earlier. That’s one way she was proactive in standing against evil.

The second thing this means is found in Hebrews 4:12. It speaks of how the Word of God is very powerful, sharp enough to get through the toughest heart. The person may not make a decision for Jesus, but there will be an impact. Somehow, in a way we can’t totally understand, Scripture works in people’s hearts in a way that a message without any Bible verses doesn’t as well. We know part of this is because it was inspired by God, and His Holy Spirit is always working in people’s hearts.

i. Fighting spiritual warfare – Ephesians

Ephesians 6:10-18 plainly describes that war, though other verses discuss it, too. We won’t go verse by verse through it, but here are some main points.

The most important verse here is Ephesians 6:12. There are good and bad angels. They don’t look like the cartoon versions we think of. But, in one small way they are, as the bad ones can try to tempt you to do something wrong, and the good ones try to encourage and strengthen you, as they did Jesus after he was tempted by the devil. (Matt. 4:11) They also do other things, unseen in the physical realm.

If you’ve trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, though, you have God living inside you. So, you can overcome that, as long as you don’t quench the Spirit. However, it’s important to remember a couple things.

First, we must be strong in the power of His might. (Eph. 6:10) We can’t win battles on our own. It would be like one person playing football against an entire team. Angels are very powerful. They inspire enough awe that they cause even saints to bow down to them, although they refuse worship. (The “Angel of the Lord” that some bowed to in the Old Testament was Jesus Himself, in spirit form. So, He did not refuse worship, because He is the Lord.)

Second, the devil is sneaky – that’s why his wiles are mentioned. Yes, he walks about “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) But, he does it in a clever way. He doesn’t go up and boldly throw evil in someone’s face most of the time. He goes after the weakest link, like a lion chasing prey.

So, for instance, take King David’s weakest point. The devil didn’t just have Bathsheba show up at his door. Instead, when David couldn’t sleep, he went up on his roof. When he saw her, the devil planted just a little thought of, “Isn’t she nice” in his mind. That seed was allowed to grow, and it grew into more and more sin.

a. Remember - you’re on the same side

That togetherness is important to remember in any disagreement. We are not fighting flesh and blood. We are fighting powers of the darkness of this world, powers that are spiritual. (Eph. 6:12) They want to stop the good that God does. For instance, without sufficient prayer, when someone is told of God’s love, it’s possible for the devil to snatch it out before it bears fruit. (Luke 8:12)

We should work together for the cause of Christ. People should be supportive of each other, instead of arguing. However, they must also realize Jesus has final authority. So, one or both could be wrong. This won’t matter in something like whose turn it is to wash the dishes. There, compromise is necessary, and each side must listen to the other and talk things out. However, when it comes to whether some movie is okay to see, we must put God’s word first. He knows what’s best. Some heads of the household are a little stricter than others, but they should be doing it because they care about shepherding successfully. More on that in Part III, though.

Yes, there are times when people go separate ways. Paul and Barnabas did, Mark had deserted them on one of their mission trips. Barnabas wanted to take him again, while Paul thought that Mark was too inexperienced and couldn’t take it. (Acts 15:36-39) But, even there, they departed as friends, and always supported each other. Paul took Silas on his next trips, with Mark accompanying Barnabas somewhere. And, Paul left the door open to letting Mark help him later. And, Mark did help later; in his last days, Paul asked Timothy to bring Mark, and said he was profitable to Paul for the ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11) Any partings should be the exception, though.

A divided team can’t beat a powerful opponent. We can’t stop forces of evil that are tempting us and others around us, if we aren’t ready. Not only that, but if we argue and fight, that can harm a relationship, to the point where it’s not as close or effective. Paul refers to the armor of God because we are in a war for souls.

2. How can we overcome?

You don’t have to fight this battle alone, though. Remember, you are working together to help others. Family unity is important so you can have that community mentioned earlier to help in time of need. It is also vital, however, so you can resist the devil, because he will flee from you if you do. (James 4:7)

d. You still need Jesus to stop him

Jesus is God in the flesh. Many times, Jesus says He is God (John 10:30) and that those who have seen Him have seen the Father. (John 14:9) the Pharisees knew several times that He was claiming to be God – that’s why they always wanted to stone Him. And, the very term “Son of God” means “equal with God,” or “of the same substance.” Also, a term like the modern, “You said it!” was in use back then. So, when He answers “thou hast said” to a question about whether He is God, he is saying, “You said it!” This is all in addition to the many times His disciples proclaimed He was God. They knew the truth; it had been taught them by the Holy Spirit.

Because Jesus is God, He is more powerful than the devil. But, we aren’t. Jesus was made, in flesh, to be “a little lower than the angels.” (Hebrews 2:7,9) However, He had all power even then. He could have called down thousands of angels to destroy the world rather than be arrested. (Matt. 26:53) But, He had to die for our sins, then rise from the dead, to be the perfect substitute. He died in our place.

So, if he can defeat the angels, why doesn’t He just destroy the devil right away? because, then we would never learn of his great love, support, and guidance. If He just said, “You’re dead” and the devil disappeared, we wouldn’t be able to experience God’s goodness in nearly as good a way as we do now.

Think of your favorite story. Without something that the hero has to get over, it’s not as interesting, is it? With apologies to the guys, I’m going to use the classic fairy tale “Cinderella.” (Although if you’re a sports fan, you can always take this analogy and use it with a Cinderella team.) If Cinderella hadn’t been so poor, and bullied by her wicked stepsisters, it would have been a lot easier on her to get to the ball and meet her Prince Charming, right? But, a story where a young lady grows up with no problems at all, goes to the ball, and meets her prince isn’t as special. The “happily ever after” part isn’t as special, either, because it’s no different than it was before for her.

Our happily ever after in Heaven will be much more special for two reasons.
First, we will have been through so much, and it will be very apparent that it was God seeing us through everything.

Second, we will have made the choice to follow Jesus of our own free will. Yes, we had to listen to God the Holy Spirit’s calling in our lives. However, even then, we had to make the choice to follow Him. That’s where you come in, letting others see Jesus’ love and goodness in you, by avoiding those things that lead us astray so much.

I didn’t write much about the devil, other than a brief overview. There’s a reason for this. You must know the basics, so you know how to resist the devil, so he will flee. Hover, it’s very dangerous to study the devil too much, or to give him too much credit. That can cause your mind to focus too much on him.

Anything which makes you focus too much on the devil should be avoided no matter what. That includes magic, spells, and other things which use forces of evil.
Get them out of your house if they are there. Yes, some things you might be able to handle, but even if you can, others can’t. Scooby Doo, for instance - especially very early ones where none of the monsters were real – is fine for some, but the monsters will cause others nightmares and make them think about evil forces more. So, know the people in your family and what they’re susceptible to.

Other stuff is not for anybody. Things like spells are inviting evil spirits into your presence, and should be avoided at all costs! Even fortune telling is bad; many times we don't' want to know the future, and most “palm readers” and such are fake, anyway. As spiritual leader, you must take a stand against these. Get them out of your house, even if it means replacing a “game” with something else, or doing their chores in return for letting you throw it away. Having evil spirits around is just as dangerous, if not more so, as having a dangerous criminal in your midst. They can not only give nightmares, they can very slowly cause a person to lose control, and start acting mean. The devil is looking for any chance to wreck a person’s thought life.

If it sounds like I’m saying there’s a lot of spiritual warfare, that’s because there is. That’s why it’s vital that you let Jesus fight the battles. It may sound overwhelming at times. But, with Him on your side, you will overcome them.

c. The devil - just a created being

The devil was created as an angel of light. He was the covering cherus around the throne of God. And yet, it wasn’t enough. The last part of Ezekiel 28, and Isaiah 14:12-16, talk about this. The devil was given free will, and decided that he would try to be like God. A third of the angels rose in rebellion; we see this pictured in Revelation 12. But, God won; God is all powerful, and nothing could defeat Him.

Jesus is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8) God set the plan to redeem mankind in place before the world began. However, He wanted to show that nothing else would work. No human system is perfect. The lambs slain in the Old Testament only covered sin. They were a picture of Jesus Christ. Except, He did more than that. He took away our sin.

Jesus defeated sin and death. He has charge over everything. He is all powerful, all present, and all knowing. The devil is none of these.

However, because of the many demons on his side, he is still a powerful force. A force that can defeat us easily if we’re not careful. The world’s system and our flesh aren’t the only things we fight. Some people give the devil too much credit, when they can sin really well on their own. Indeed, the devil won’t be around to tempt people in Jesus’ kingdom, yet there will still be people who sin. (Rev. 20) However, the devil is still powerful, despite his limitations.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to lay aside every weight – that is, things which hold us back – and that sin which “doth so easily beset us.” In other words, the things that make us sin most easily. For some, that sin is a certain addiction, for others, fame, for others, money. But, each of us has weights, and we also have specific things that tempt us.

The devil knows what those things are. He does know enough to do that. He knows all our weaknesses. So, we need Jesus to defeat him.

iii. Keep your mind working for good

That’s one other good reason we are told to pray without ceasing, in fact. The Lord knows there will be times when we don’t have anything on our minds. It’s easy to lay awake in the middle of the night and think. But, not only should you cast all your cares on Jesus, you should also keep your mind focused on Him. Never let your mind be idle. When it’s at rest, that’s when those bad things can enter into your heart.

This is why meditation is bad unless it is focusing on God. It’s easy to forget that there are bad spirits in the world, too.

Eastern meditation, the bad kind, comes from a worldview that says everything is good. But, it’s not. God made everything, but He is not in everything. He has given us free choice. And, He gave His angels that same freedom. Some of them rebelled, though, and now work against Him. The chief of those is the devil.

ii. Don’t let friends lead you astray

Josh Hamilton, a major league baseball player, was banned from baseball for a year because of drug problems. He never had any before he became a professional player. In fact, he was probably the kid you’d expect least to get into drugs. However, he started to hang around the wrong crowd. As he noted in Sports Illustrated once, it’s always when you hang around the wrong people that bad things happen.

The best way to solve this is to avoid such people altogether. Job’s friends were too quick to blame him, they didn’t edify him. But, they also never tried to hurt him.

Lots of times, such people are only your friends because they can use you. Look at the prodigal son. He took his share of the inheritance, went off and partied like crazy, then when he lost his money, he had no more friends. His friends deserted him because they couldn’t use him anymore.

There are times, of course, when such people come to the Lord. If they come to church or some other activity, that’s great. But, don’t go into their places. That’s the lesson Josh Hamilton learned. There is no reason for anyone to be in a bar or club in the wee hours of the morning, for instance. You should keep to that, and you should expect those you shepherd to also do that. Indeed, King David found there was trouble even going up on his rooftop. If you can’t sleep, there is plenty else to do, and the Lord may be causing you to be awake so you can pray.

i. Flee youthful lusts

A. Not just about relationships

All of those above are youthful lusts. We don’t all feel like committing each type of sin. There are people who have never stolen, other people have never picked fights, and so on. But, only Jesus Christ never sinned. All of us have committed sins. And, we commit those sins because of our nature.

The first thing that may come to your mind is David and Bathsheba. That is one example, but it is nowhere near the whole story. And yet, is contains an important lesson in how to flee youthful lusts of every type.

David could have looked away and gotten his mind on something else. He didn’t have all the technology we do, but there were certainly things he could do. When you read the Psalms, while some were tied to certain situations, others are just filled with his thoughts about God’s wonderful creation, majesty, protection, and so on.

B. Think about other things

David’s first error was to keep thinking about Bathsheba. That is where we mess up, when we see something and keep thinking about it. A toddler may grab someone else’s toy and say “mine” right away. However, even at that age, there is a little spark that says, “I want that.” They can be easily distracted, or turned away. But, as a person grows, they are more and more likely to keep thinking about that thing that they want. And, they must learn that, first, it’s wrong to take other peoples’ stuff, and second, that the way to avoid that temptation is to focus on something else.

This is why the Tenth Commandment is an all-inclusive “thou shalt not covet.” Coveting requires thought, Just as when David saw Bathsheba. He wouldn’t have had to see her the way he did to covet. In the same way, you don’t even have to see something to want it. If your mind went back to Hebrews 13:5, you’re doing well. Because, when we’re content with what we have, it should cause us to realize what we do have. If you have trusted in Christ’s death burial, and resurrection as punishment for your sins, you have all you could ever need. You have the Creator of the Universe as your friend, guide, confidant, protector, and defender, an ever present help in time of need. He will cherish and keep you till the day of redemption, when you will go to be with Him forever in His perfect Heaven, where He has prepared a fabulous place for you! You can say what Paul did, that whatever your situation, you can be content. (Phil. 4:11)

C. Bring thoughts into subjection

There are other things you can think about, too, of course. This just brings us back to Philippians 4:8. If you are thinking of things that are pure, lovely, of good report, and so on, you’re not letting your thoughts wander onto sin. Sure, they will, because you’re human. But, you’re not dwelling on that desire.

Covetousness covers attention, too. Sometimes, the wrong type of friends will lead us astray, because they just want someone to do bad things with. They say misery loves company, and even if sin is fun for a while, in the end it will make a person very miserable; if not here, in eternity.

That why the right kinds of friends are important. They bring accountability to us, and they can help us keep our minds off of the bad stuff. And, they allow us people to hang out with who support us, as we discussed earlier. That means they will have our interests in mind, just as we have their interests. The wrong kind only pretend to care, while having only their interests in mind. They only befriend you to get what they want.

b. The flesh

That’s logical enough, of course. However, we have another main thing that will lead us astray. That is the flesh. It’s our nature, the thing that makes us do things to only please ourselves. And, it’s the thing we battle once we are saved.

The world’s system would be easier to overcome if not for the fact we all have a sin nature. Yes, some people, by nature, are less prone to certain types of sin. Some people are more prone to addictions, for instance, However, nobody is perfect. Yes, proper nurture can influence us away from some sins, but it can’t keep us from sinning at all. We will always have sinful impulses. And, it is not just our own specific sins Christ died for; it was because we each have a sin nature. That’s why He must make us new creatures on the inside. Even the most perfect environment can only provide a very positive influence on us. It can’t remove our sin nature.

Pleasure is fine in life. God gave us the ability to experience pleasure because He loves us. However, there are some very important lessons when it comes to your own friends, and those you shepherd. Because, this isn’t just about relationships. It’s all about keeping things like anger, wrath, crime, and so on away, too. Because, there are many desires of the flesh based on getting what we want all the time.

iv. Be focused on things above

Those Heavenly rewards are the thing that will help you most to keep cool when you face temptation to fit in with the world’s system.

It’s okay to have fun. But, don’t get so caught up in the world’s system once you’re saved, that you ignore God. Jesus has promised a place for you. It will be so fabulous! However, imagine your embarrassment if you have no rewards. If you have no rowns to lay before the Savior’s feet. All those billions of people and angels around Jesus; would you really want to be the only one without a crown?

The world can tempt us to do many things, and to take our focus off of God. But, you can overcome that system, which says to forget God, by keeping your mind on God. You can overcome that world’s system of many religions by focusing on your one, true relationship. Because, if you have trusted Him as Savior, He calls you a friend. And, it is only through Him that we could get to Heaven, because of our sin. Because, while the world tries to say man can lift himself up, the truth is that God came down to us.

iii. Be cheerful when the world laughs

Of course, the world says to experience everything. Remember what Paul said, though. It’s okay to do things, but not all things would help him. The world laughs at the idea of abstaining from anything. The world also sees Jesus dying for our sins on the cross as foolishness. The idea that God would love us, that we are sinners, accountable to God, and that God took the punishment for our sins, is foolish to them.

The reason is the same for both, the world laughing at it and seeing it as foolish. The world’s system says that people are in control of everything, instead of God.
God will have the last laugh, though. He promises to have His enemies “in derision.” (Psalm 2:4, etc.) He will be victorious over evil one day.

In the meantime, you should should be cheerful, and accept that some will not like what you do. Because, some of them may see your attitude, and decide they want to learn about Jesus. They might get saved, and changed on the inside. Everyone who has been in church for a while remembers Paul being converted on the road to Damascus, when Jesus appeared to Paul. But, they don’t always remember Stephen’s great testimony, when he refused to hate those who were killing him. Paul was there. He consented to Stephen’s death. And, Paul probably wondered just how Stephen could be so joyful.

It won’t always be easy. But, God will give you peace when you need it. Just remember, you have Heavenly rewards awaiting.

ii. Be innocent about sin, yet wary

We were wary. We guarded our thoughts so we wouldn’t waste the money God gave us on gambling. However, there is no need to know everything about sin. We knew that people gambled. But, we don’t know a lot of things that go on behind the scenes. We didn’t have to. The Lord had us in there because someone’s heart had been prepared, so when we gave him a tract with the “Four Spiritual Laws” on it, he got saved.

Making a study of sin can be dangerous. Yes, it’s good to know things, and guard your heart and mind. However, looking in depth into it can cause you to be pulled in that direction. Look at what happened when David kept looking at Bathsheeba.

i. Be in the world, not of it

Don’t withdraw from the world. It’s fine to have non-Christian friends. We need to build relationships for others to get saved.

However, you shouldn’t do all the things the world does. There is no reason to be telling vulgar jokes, just because the world does; remember Philippians 4:8. Certain types of humor, entertainment, and so on show a disregard for others. It’s important to recall that other people matter. Not as much as God, but enough that Jesus left His throne in Heaven to come to this earth in human form and suffer al thing terrible thigns we do. He didn’t have to do that. The fact that He did says a lot.

One reason entertainment and hobbies were mentioned earlier is to show just how many things there are that are clean and wholesome. The world’s system tries to act like you can do anything if it doesn’t hurt others, but that’s false. First, the things you do can have a huge impact on others later. As Doc Brown says in “Back to the Future,” you’ve got to think fourth dimensionally. You’ve got to think of the future. Second, some things that you do hurt your relationship with Christ.

So, by all means, keep those friendships if they don’t drag you down, but don’t do things just because those unsaved friends do them. Before you go someplace, think, would Jesus be happy with you to do that?

Sometimes He would. My friend Rick and I were in Green Bay for a game once. One day while we were there, a casino was hosting a charity auction. Before the auction, we were hungry. We never gambled, but we did go in to eat. And, at the same time, we handed the cashier a tract. He got saved that day!

Our testimony was part of it, though. He could tell there was a difference between us and the people he saw wasting their money, with no hope. Had we done what the world did and gambled, we’d have hurt that testimony. Because we didn’t do what the world did, the angels rejoiced over a sinner who had come home to Christ!