Growth Purpose

A Worthy Manner

Every semester I end my classes with a verse and an exhortation that my students may more fully live for Christ. This is one such message.

Philippians 1:27-30 says:

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

One of my prayers for you is that this verse would be true of you. That wherever God leads you that you would “conduct yourselves in a manner that is worthy of the Gospel.”

You have been given many blessings.

One of which is that you get to go to a school where you not only hear the Gospel message but that you are encouraged to grow in your faith.

Live a life that is worthy of that Gospel.

As Spiderman’s uncle told him “With great power, comes great responsibility.” You have been given this awesome opportunity to know the power of the Gospel and to allow it to penetrate your life. You are now to live a life that is worthy of such an opportunity. Do not waste it.

The later verses tell us that that this won’t be easy. Paul knew that the early Church would suffer, and in the same way, Jesus has promised that we will suffer. As Scripture says, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) Going out from here, with all your hopes and dreams, you need to know that there will be times when life will be difficult. The challenge is that even during those difficult times –  live a life worthy of the Gospel.

Suffer in such a way, that through your suffering you are bringing glory, honor and praise to Christ. When you suffer, when things are tough and people know that, people are watching to see how you will respond. Continue to give God glory. Knowing that in suffering well, you can point others to Christ.

I hope and pray that you are successful in this world, in whatever area that God guides your step. But beyond that, I know that the only things that really matter in this life, are those that also matter in the next so my prayer is that you are a success in God’s kingdom.

Live a life that’s worthy of the riches of heaven, regardless what may come your way, so that you will not only hear “well done” here on Earth, but you will hear it from our Father’s mouth as well.


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Growth Purpose

Never a Slow Day

I’m not sure how often I had been to a cemetery prior to the last year; if you included visits to memorial sites, like Arlington National Cemetery, I could probably still count the number of times on my two hands. Going to burial sites wasn’t something that I was used to, however after my dad passed away, this became a regular part of my routine. Some may question the usefulness of this but for me, it signified a way that I could still honor my dad – that I could let people know how important that he is – even though he’s no longer with us.

What I’ve noticed on these frequent trips to the cemetery is that the place is always busy. The first indication of this is the notification when you drive in of the services being held that day. As you continue, you can see the remnants of prior services that still linger, or the visitors slowly making their way to their cars after they’ve said good-bye. As quiet as it is supposed to be, the cemetery is a hotbed of activity.

It’s a stark reminder of how quickly life on this Earth can come to an end. I am sure that a significant portion of those visitors didn’t know that they wouldn’t see their loved one again when they last saw them in the flesh. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, and as I often tell my students, what counts then is what you do today that matters for eternity. We so often want to put off following God’s call, making the excuses that right now, life is just too hectic to do what He says. But soon, probably quicker than we realize, our bodies will be laid to rest at a place where it’s always busy. What a joy it would be if when we arrive in heaven, our lives on Earth will have been busy with the same things that will consume our lives there – bringing glory and praise to our Creator.

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