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Living a way of life opposite to this world is challenging, yet this is precisely what the Living Education students have decided to do. They have chosen to buy into the way of life—the Truth from the Bible—that the Church is selling them.  

At Living Education, the students experience many opportunities that help them internalize and promote the values and way of life the Church teaches. The students learn to serve during Friday-night dinners, cooperate as they live in dorms, and have opportunities to volunteer at youth camps during the summer as well. As the students buy into and internalize God’s truth, they become a mechanism for spreading these values back in their home congregations. Mr. Weston encouraged them to live God’s way of life for their whole life, not just while in the Living Education program. The students are not just to learn the Truth for themselves but to be ambassadors for Christ wherever they go.  

Mr. Weston gave several examples of how students living the way of life the Church promotes always matters. Students develop a strong work ethic, show outgoing concern by taking others on dates, and build trust by consistently acting according to their values. Even female-male relationships and how we behave towards those of the opposite sex matter—the students’ conduct determines their reputation and the Living Education program’s reputation.   

Living Education is a tool the Church uses to promote the biblical way of life to young adults. The students participating in the program can immerse themselves in true values and the responsibility to promote them through how they live the rest of their lives. The students have decided to buy into the Truth—what about you?  

This past Thursday, Mr. Michael Brown, a minister serving eight congregations in Canada and North Dakota, presented the Living Education forum. He warned of the dangers in our world today, especially regarding media and entertainment.

Mr. Brown shared how the ideology of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto, the third best-selling textbook in the Western world, has infiltrated our society. He showed how Marxist beliefs are the basis for why we should examine the present dangers in our world. He quoted Mr. Armstrong, who said the Soviet Union first started World War III by attacking our minds and spirit. We were questioned, if that was the case many years ago, how would it affect us decades later? Mr. Brown quoted Mr. Weston from a recent article that shows us how insidious these beliefs are in our current culture, “It is from Hollywood that the love of communism and the seed of hatred for good came.”

Mr. Brown encouraged us to push back on what is constantly forced down our throats and instead focus on what is good and true. Always be on guard because Satan is the god of this world and is said to come as the angel of light. He makes what is evil seem good and what is holy seem bad. We can see in Proverbs fourteen that the simple believe every word, but the prudent consider all. Mr. Brown said we need to be highly cautious of two main things in the world today: the media and Hollywood.

Media

Mr. Brown asked us how many had heard Google saying China had rigid censoring. But this is only one side of the argument. A quote from a Chinese journal explained that Google left China because of censorship. But what China censored was pornography and pro-LGBT propaganda; Google report left out this information. He asked, “Are we any better here in the West?” Tomorrow’s World Programs get censored because they are considered offensive to Western ideology. Censoring to impose cultural ideology is just a systemic issue, and we need not have an emotional reaction to it. 

Hollywood

Mr. Brown encouraged us to avoid exposing ourselves to entertainment that overly normalizes sinful behaviors. When looking at Hollywood productions, our sympathy is intentionally directed toward individuals who commit sinful behavior. Movies and shows attempt to challenge any good Christian values. Even the original Star Wars trilogy gave good values, such as order and discipline, to the “evil” Empire and negative values, such as disheveledness and poor leadership, to the “good” Rebels. Intentionally flipping right and wrong puts us in moral predicaments, demanding us to bend our beliefs. 

Mr. Brown concluded his forum by challenging us to fill our minds with real things about this world instead of the virtual. He encouraged us to learn physical skills from real people. Real people have their own interesting stories. It takes time to extract these fascinating stories, but it is well worth it. We left the forum better aware of Satan’s presence trying to pull us away and more appreciative of the situation we are in at Living Education to learn from so many people here.

Thursday, Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka taught the students lessons he had learned from his professional work experience before being hired by the Church. He began with an overview of Richard Nelson Bolles’s book What Color is Your Parachute?, which Mr. Jonathan McNair had recently covered and asked Mr. Ciesielka to follow up. The first emphasis was the importance of the seven-petal flower diagram, which demands a person to complete a self-evaluation that assists one throughout their career. The petals are—compatibility with people, workplace conditions, skills, purpose, knowledge, money, and location. He explained that we should pray and meditate on these. Although it sounds simple, understanding oneself is essential as we begin our search for a job. A successful salesman needs to have a firm grasp on the product he is selling, and that is what we do when seeking a job. We “sell” who we are to potential employers. 

Continue Learning

Mr. Ciesielka reminded the Living Education students of the need to continue their education through college with certificates, licenses, or simply independent studies. A report from The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that, after several years in the workforce, individuals over the age of 25 without a high school degree make on average $38,000 per year, compared to those with a master’s degree or higher who average making $240,000 per year. The Bible discusses how both women and men can continue learning. Proverbs 24:27 especially exhorts men to prepare for their jobs or careers before beginning a family. Proverbs 31:16 and 26 discuss that the virtuous wife is also educated and capable. She is competent, and her husband trusts her to purchase a field and make a profit. When she opens her mouth, wisdom and kindness ensue. The model wife from the Bible showcases the importance of knowledge and gaining insight, not just for men to provide better.

Another part of learning is through failure. Mr. Ciesielka read a quote about failure from Mr. Bolles’s book, “After each rejection, just know that you are one no closer to a yes.” While failure is frightening and challenging, he shared how it meant one “no” while working in sales would allow his subsequent call to be one closer to a sale. It is like the old saying: it is not how many times one falls but how many times one gets back up.

Believe in the job

Mr. Ciesielka said that even though the students’ jobs shouldn’t define who they are, work would take up a large portion of the student’s life, so it is helpful to believe in their work. He gave an example from his professional life right after September 11th, 2001. The tech company he worked for chose to offer around-the-clock tech support to their customers who lost employees that day instead of seeing the opportunity to sell them new software or support. They put sales on hold to serve those struggling after the attack. While people must work to provide for themselves and others, the work should be rewarding. 

Final Thoughts

Mr. Ciesielka touched on other career advice from the book as well, such as using a networking strategy to create job referrals, the importance of “cleaning up your social media,” “preparing a couple of good elevator pitches,” and points about customizing your cover letter and resume.  He concluded by reminding everyone to seek professional counsel, but most importantly to seek Godly counsel, and to always remember Matthew 6:33. The students were grateful for the knowledge Mr. Ciesielka passed on from his years of experience in the corporate world. First as a software salesperson, then in sales manager roles, and eventually vice president roles. As the students approach the end of their time at Living Education, the lessons Mr. McNair covered from the book, “What Color is Your Parachute,” combined with some of what Mr. Ciesielka covered, will significantly assist them with their transition into the workforce.