Archive for category: LivingEd – Charlotte

Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

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Estimated Reading Time: 5 min.

Mr. Wallace Smith spoke to the students of Living Education about marriage and its purpose.

He stated that, if we’re not careful, we may only speak of marriage as an escape from bad things. After all, God did not only create marriage to simply prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. He made it to be much more than that—a symbol of the kind of love that He shares with His Church. While marriage is not necessary for someone to be connected to God, that doesn’t mean it is not an incredible blessing! What, then, are some of the benefits of marriage?

Benefit 1: Sex

God specifically designed marriage to be the only environment in which sex was meant to be experienced. Aside from being part of the process of creating offspring, sex greatly strengthens the relationship between two people who are truly committed to each other. Unfortunately, the world has actively encouraged sex to be performed outside of the sacrament of marriage. “We have a lot of unlearning to do,” said Mr. Smith, because the media constantly bombards us with false, carnal ideas surrounding sex and physical attraction. Mr. Smith pointed out that chemistry is not a bad thing to have in a relationship by going to Proverbs 30:19, which speaks of the wonderful “way of a man with a virgin”; what is wrong is choosing a spouse based entirely on physical attributes, which fade over time.

Benefit 2: Commitment

Marriage is capable of providing a kind of deep commitment that is not found in other relationships, as well as a unique peace of mind. In marriage, we need to be willing to be committed to our spouse in a way that defies  human nature. We should not only be there for them at all times, but want to be there. Today, many have the idea that commitment is just cohabitation, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. If you are living with your partner while not being committed to them enough to celebrate your love before God or even before a court officiator through a wedding, you are basically telling them, “I like you very much, but if a better opportunity presents itself to me at any point, I’m walking out the door.” Those are not very romantic vows to make to each other! True commitment is what makes marriages work, and it helps establish the most important human relationship you will have in your life.

Benefit 3: Companionship

Marriage is a journey in becoming each other’s perfect companion. The act of marriage creates two companions, and if they put the right effort into it, they become “custom-made” for each other as time passes. The idea of having one true “soulmate” is not rooted in any sort of reality. If it was true that there really was only one perfect person in the entire world made specifically for you, most people’s soulmates would likely live on entirely different continents! As a husband or wife, you will learn to sacrifice parts of yourself or your life for the other person. Marriage requires sacrifice. You won’t know yourself as well as you’ll think you do going into marriage, and you will face challenges. However, part of the beauty within the marital relationship is that you are able to face challenges together. Learning to get past hardships as a team will make you more conformed to each other. After all, your spouse should be your best friend.

Benefit 4: Vulnerability

Marriage allows a couple to be completely open with each other. A husband and wife should not hold their secrets away from each other. At points, you may hurt each other’s feelings, and because you are more vulnerable with them than with anyone else, it naturally may feel like it hurts more than usual. Nonetheless, persevering through the rough patches and developing an almost psychic pattern of communication with each other makes couples stronger and more comfortable in their marriage and in their mentality.

Benefit 5: Children

A happy and stable marriage between a man and a woman is the optimal environment in which to raise children. One of the most wonderful commissions that God gave to mankind was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28), because “He seeks godly offspring” (Malachi 2:15). Mr. Smith explained that his experiences as a father have been some of the most rewarding parts of his life. “As a parent,” he said, “you take delight in your children’s delight.”

Benefit 6: Design Fulfillment

God seeks to develop men and women into better human beings. Through marriage, we are essentially working as God’s assistant in developing our spouse. It is a great privilege to have parts of God’s work delegated to us through a sacrament that He created for us.

There’s more to marriage than most people think, and not many of these people recognize these benefits as benefits, because they don’t go into marriage with the right state of mind. If we view marriage the way that God intended humanity to view it, we can take full advantage of its joys and benefits.

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.

Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

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Estimated reading time: 6 min.

The Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church of God, Mr. Gerald Weston, spoke to the Living Education students for a forum presentation.

 He prompted us to consider what our life’s story will be and how we want it to turn out, and he urged the students to make the most of every opportunity and to avoid regrets. 

God Directs Our Lives 

Mr. Weston introduced this topic with a song, literally. He read the words of the song My Way, popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra. This song is written from the perspective of someone looking back on his life, and he is proud that he lived it his way. Mr. Weston said that our way is actually the worst way, and pointed to Proverbs 16:9 to show that it is really God who directs our life. 

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9 NKJV

Our Story

Much of our life is already determined by things we do not have control over. Our parents, family, and upbringing leave lasting effects on our life, even if we do not see it immediately. Mr. Weston illustrated this by recounting how he never thought he was like his dad, until he got to be his dad’s age. Then, he began to catch himself saying and doing things like his dad. But we should not feel bad about our upbringing, even if it was flawed—and everybody’s was, in some way. Rather, Mr. Weston exhorted us to embrace it—you can’t change it now—and understand it. 

The Little Things 

A central theme of Mr. Weston’s forum presentation was the small opportunities that changed his life—things that, at the time, he never would have guessed would be impactful. He recalled his mother introducing him to baseball and swimming as a kid. He developed a habit of running during lunch hour at school, and this small habit propelled him to keep exercising his whole life. Even his early experience hunting and fishing had an unforeseen value. When he pastored in Mississippi, he visited church members whose husbands were not in the church. Being able to talk to these men about their hunting and fishing adventures helped “show them this minister was halfway normal.” 

Those Little Things Become Big

Mr. Weston continued showing the big effects of small things in his life. He recalled how his time as a kid in South Dakota ended up paying dividends, almost literally, through his later years. It was there that he had his first job—kind of. He started shoveling snow off of people’s sidewalks and driveways with all the other local kids. As insignificant as this seemed, it taught him that there is value in work, no matter how menial. This realization led him to work hard in a variety of jobs, whenever he could, earning money and gaining experience and character. This desire to work hard carried into Ambassador College, where he worked for two years on the custodial crew setting up chairs. This job did not seem significant, but it proved invaluable. Later in his life, he was in charge of an auditorium in Chattanooga that needed thousands of chairs set up, and the contracted people were not getting it done on time. Mr. Weston used his experience to manage over 100 ushers and get the job done! Even the smallest, most menial experiences can make a major impact later in your life. 

Smallest to Biggest

Mr. Weston continued to emphasize the small things, little opportunities that could pop up today or tomorrow—opportunities that may seem inconsequential, but can have lasting impacts if we are diligent and make the most of them. In 1983, Mr. Weston’s wife asked the wife of the director of the summer education program (camp), “What do you have to do to go to camp?” It turned out that Mr. Weston’s ticket to camp was that he swam. This went all the way back to the swim lessons his mom took him to. He was not the fastest or the best, but he had gotten his lifeguarding certification and others, and that had unexpected results: Mr. Weston went to camp as lifeguarding staff. And year after year, Mr. Weston got the chance to go back. This had a massive impact on his life and experience. Mr. Weston then said, “I’ve often made the statement: everything I know, I learned at camp. And this applies to organization, to delegation, and to working with situations [. . .].” 

“The opportunity to go to summer camp taught me skills and lessons that I would never have learned any place else. And it really was just because of my wife asking that question and the fact that I knew a little bit about swimming.”

Mr. Weston

God opened a door that changed Mr. Weston’s life with a simple question and a little knowledge. The smallest things can have the biggest impacts. 

Avoid the Small Regrets Too

Mr. Weston expanded the topic of small opportunities to share some insight about common, seemingly small actions that we will regret, and gave us tips to avoid them. First, he said, “Do not overreact.” We should take time in our responses and not be hasty. Second, he said, “Learn as much as you can from your parents.” He looked back on his own life and realized the things he wished he could have asked his father and the time he could have spent with his mother. Third, he said, “Do not be critical of others.” It damages friendships and seldom helps people. Lastly, he said, “Do not waste time.” This does not mean we always have to be productive. It means we should spend more time meditating, doing things like hunting or fishing or just getting outdoors more. Otherwise, we will regret how we spent our time when we look back.

“It is our nature to waste and throw away our lives, because time is life.”

Mr. Weston

What Is Your Story Going to Be?

Are we going to look back on our life and be satisfied, or are we going to regret those small mistakes and missed opportunities? Concluding, Mr. Weston reminded the students to consider their actions today. 

“The things that happen today may have far greater impact on your overall life, on your whole story, than you could ever imagine. Take advantage of every opportunity you have.”

There are opportunities that come up every day that may be once-in-a-lifetime chances. We should take them; we should create that life story with no regrets, full of success. 
For tips on maximizing and even creating small opportunities, read a Summary of Dr. Winnail’s Forum on The Path to Achieving Your Goals.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

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Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

Dr. Douglas Winnail began this forum by addressing how much the world has changed in comparison to the world he grew up in.

For example, sixty years ago, homosexuality was relatively unknown and transgenderism was barely a concept. Dr. Winnail said that when he was in high school, several guys smoked cigars at graduation—and that was a big deal—yet today, deadly drugs like fentanyl are rampant in our world and accessible to people of all ages, even children.

Today, people tend to go along with rising and fluctuating trends in our culture, rather than building a solid foundation of God’s way of life—as illustrated in the parable of building a house on a rock or shifting sand (Matthew 7:24-27). In colonial America, well over 90 percent of people were professing Christians. Yet today, over 42  percent of young adults are non-religious, and 29 percent of all adults are as well. As more and more young people lose their religion, their children will likely lose theirs, too. This does not bode well for individuals or our nation. There are many factors in our modern society that are influencing people—especially young people—to discourage them from building a godly foundation for their lives.

The Impact of the Internet

Ever since the creation and popularization of the internet, there has been a dramatic increase in secular activities in our world, as well as religious skepticism. This has turned many people into critics and pessimists and made it easy for deceptive “politically correct” movements to dominate the media and the internet and turn our nation’s public education systems into brainwashing facilities. Today the positive aspects of Western history and culture—especially our Bible-based moral foundation—are ignored and denigrated while dangerous liberal agendas are promoted. The Internet is a powerful tool that is undermining fundamental biblical values that once guided our nation and individuals in our nation.

What makes the Bible special?

The United States of America was founded on godly principles, but those principles are quickly disappearing and becoming unheard of. Leaders like Abraham Lincoln and John Adams used the Bible as a guide in their personal lives and presidential careers, but now children and teachers often ridicule a student who might bring a Bible to school or quote it in class. It did not used to be this way. King David had a profound respect for God’s word and he regarded God’s law as a lamp to his feet and a light to his path (Psalm 119:105)—but we are losing that vital perspective today.

Dr. Winnail concluded by encouraging the students to study the Bible diligently and pray every day. He then gave several points on what makes the Bible unique among other religious books of the world. The Bible has been accurately preserved by the Jews throughout history (Romans 3:1-2). The Dead Sea Scrolls have confirmed that the ancient text of the books of the Bible has been almost immaculately preserved. Unlike other religious books, the Bible contains hundreds of prophecies that have come true and accounts of historical events that have since been verified  by artifacts and ancient documents. The Bible also provides answers to the big questions of life: why we are here, what happens when we die, and what the future holds for mankind. Sadly, we live in an age when biblical illiteracy is widespread and growing, and few are even aware of the value of biblical principles for living. This is why it is important for young people to build their lives on the Rock that is Christ and the word of God.

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.

Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

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Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

Before he was cast down to Earth, Satan deceived one third of the angels.

Mr. Stuart Wachowicz began this forum by recalling this account from Revelation 12 and then stating that he has personally seen many ways in which Satan has tried to subtly leak false ideas into the Church, similar to how he did with the angels. One way is through over-speculation. Many newcomers in the Church are often curious about biblical history, prophecy, or doctrine that they may not be aware of. They often look forward to sermons on subjects that other churches may deem obscure and consider these messages to be the “meat” of the word. As a result, other sermons that discuss matters they have already heard about, such as how we should live God’s way of life, may not be as attention-grabbing or important to them. Some may believe they are only being fed the “milk” of the word and not the integral meat. Mr. Wachowicz stated that many people have left the Church in the past in search of this meat in the wrong places. How can we, as Christians, determine what is the real meat of the word and what is not?

Of Lambs and Wolves

Mr. Wachowicz instructed the students that one way to better receive the true word is to be of one mind and not seek to cause division among brethren. Paul warned his own brethren in Acts 20:29, writing, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” He knew that these “wolves” would come preaching false ideas that would divide the congregations around them. Many people, in their pride, think they inherently know better and therefore only look for wolves that “show their teeth,” overlooking those “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” These preachers usually do not start outright with their wild ideas, but twist Scripture to fit their own point of view, getting people intrigued. We must therefore be able to discern real truth from speculation by studying the Bible on our own and watching our speakers’ examples to see if their conduct aligns with God’s way of life. The real meat of the word will never be found in flimsy speculations!

Word vs. World

We need to be willing to ask what criteria God will use to determine whether or not to grant us eternal life. Mr. Wachowicz read 1 John 2:15 to instruct the students not to prioritize the ways of the world and reminded them that those who perform the will of God and receive His word abide forever. Mr. Wachowicz stated that it can be difficult for us because we are set apart and different from everyone else, but we need to abide nonetheless and be of godly character. “Mr. Armstrong had a way of getting to the key point,” he said, “and he often said that character is knowing right from wrong and having the courage to do what’s right.” At times, we may become angry with the ways of the world, but we must be patient and merciful because the world has not yet received God’s revelation. We need to be praying for God’s guidance and searching the Scriptures for help in our way of living. The real meat of the word is living by the truth and learning the statutes that God has laid out for us. It is what will help us enter the Kingdom of God. Therefore, it is important to hear sermons that may seem like they are restating facts and truth that you have heard before because, as imperfect humans, we need to be constantly reminded of areas where we can improve in our way of living.

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.