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Establish Your Pillars

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In his forum this past Thursday, Mr. Wallace Smith shared a significant life lesson he has learned. He expressed keys that affect us daily, whether conscious or not.

Mr. Smith began by drawing our attention to the fact that there are innate things that we believe and hold dear. These include truths and falsehoods, such as your parents loving you or attending a church service on Sunday.

According to Mr. Smith, these beliefs support a worldview that shapes how we see the world. He went on to say that it is the philosophy through which we see all the things around us, and there are subsets that we should be careful to avoid

Naturalism 

One worldview based on naturalism is dangerous because it states that there is no free will. We should understand that this is not the case – God has created man uniquely, like no other of His marvelous creation, and gifted us with a spirit that allows us to think for ourselves. Denying this fantastic truth results in direct aversion to God’s handiwork. Mr. Smith expounded that people who resonate with this thinking are often double-minded. People like to condemn others when they do something wrong or wicked, yet according to this philosophy, no one has the free will to avoid these behaviors. 

Foundational Pillars 

After discussing the shortcomings of Natural Law, Mr. Smith emphasized his proven principle that served as a solid foundation throughout his life. He stated that we need hierarchical pillars we can use to interact with the physical, emotional, and spiritual world around us. He likened these pillars to Christ being the chief cornerstone or pillar of the church. He shared how, at times, what he held to be pillars of truth in his life have been attacked and damaged, which is why we need to establish absolute truths for our foundational pillars. Having unshakable pillars can allow us, if one of the other pillars is damaged, the time to rebuild it or even stand strong enough if proven false. Mr. Smith wanted to give us an idea of how these pillars could look, so he shared his top three, which he has formed over the years.

  1. God exists 

Hebrews 11:6, and Romans 1:20-21

  1. Jesus Christ is the Son of God

1 Corinthians 15:12-20, and John 17:3

  1. The Bible is God’s Word

John 17:17, and 2 Timothy 3:14-15

This forum brought much out for us to put into action. We are thankful for the warning not to fall into the typical thought processes people follow but to build a Godly understanding of the world around us!

John Wooden and the Pyramid of Success

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Mr. Pomicter addressed the LE students at this week’s forum on Coach John Wooden and the principles of success he used to guide his life and career. 

John Wooden was a renowned coach of UCLA men’s basketball. He helped the team win 10 NCAA Championships and earn various other awards. After winning the 1975 NCAA Championship at 64, he retired and set up youth basketball camps from the summer of 1971 through the mid-1980s.

During his career and retirement, John Wooden taught players how to succeed in basketball and life through his ‘Pyramid of Success’ and seven principles. Coach Wooden always told his players, “The closest I can come to the secret to success is this: A lot of little things done well.” This is where His “Pyramid of Success” comes into play, with each ascending layer of the pyramid dependent on the previous layer of blocks (principles). He based his view of success on seven principles, including helping others, praying for guidance and counsel, and making each day a masterpiece. Some of Coach Wooden’s concepts for success and how to achieve it agree with biblical teachings. In the book “Forgotten Teams” by Pat Williams, he is quoted on page 98 as saying, “You must have faith that all things will work out as they should as long as you do what you should. That doesn’t mean things will work out as we want them to, but if we have faith, things will turn out as they should”. God hears people’s prayers and knows their needs. A person can go to God for help succeeding at work or school, but they must also put the effort in themselves. If a person applies these principles from Coach Wooden, tremendous success should be a result.

Privileged Planet

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The students recently watched the video Privileged Planet for a forum; the following is a summary of the video that will hopefully encourage you to watch it, too.
Privileged Planet by Guillermo Gonzalez describes how unique the earth is regarding its ability to facilitate life and its usefulness for scientific discoveries. The video begins by tracing how man discovered the place of Earth in its solar system and describes the different views held throughout history. Aristotle believed that the earth was the center of the universe, but Copernicus disproved this with his theory that the sun was the center of the universe. Continuing, the narrators of Privileged Planet describe that even though there are physics laws that apply universally, some unique factors make Earth perfect for hosting life. Factors include the earth’s location, the makeup of its atmosphere, and its crust. While humans may try to reason away that these conditions happened by accident, the odds are significantly against this premise. Finally, the discoveries made on Earth about the solar system and universe are described as a consequence of the planet’s unique place in the universe. Albert Einstein is mentioned as stating, “The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.” Overall, Privileged Planet does a deep dive into the history of mankind’s view of the earth’s place in the solar system, factors that make it uniquely suited for life, and the many discoveries made about the space system.

“Should You Work for Yourself? What You Can Do As An Entrepreneur and How to Pitch Yourself”

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Author: Lexi Mitchell| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

“There is something special about being an entrepreneur.”

Students were excited to hear from Mr. Thiel in a recent forum where he shared what he does as an entrepreneur. Mr. Thiel owns M3dia Buy, where he has created online advertisements for over a hundred clients. According to Mr. Thiel, entrepreneurial success is determined by two things: your desires and the market you will serve. In his lecture he reviewed how he started his journey as an entrepreneur, what it takes to be successful, the blessings it provides, and how to become one.

Mr. Thiel described an incident during his childhood where he did not do well in Algebra; however, when he took Geometry the following year, he was very successful. He used this example to illustrate that a struggle in one area does not limit that person from succeeding in another. Later, while studying in college, he started a side hustle making websites, and after 4 years, he earned enough from it to make it a full-time job. Mr. Thiel used his experiences as an entrepreneur to help the students understand what makes one.

Requirements

  • Discipline: An entrepreneur must be able to tolerate discomfort and realize that it is temporary
  • Resourcefulness: A reference to the 5th law of success
  • Self-starting attitude: Ecclesiastes 9:10
  • Love: Love is not the same as passion. Entrepreneurs must love the people or customers they serve, which motivates them and gives them perseverance. 

He quoted Nietzsche, who said, “He who has a will to live can bear almost any how.” 

After explaining what requirements he deemed necessary to be an entrepreneur, he listed the blessings one could receive from this profession.

Blessings

  • Financial: “Self-employed people are four times more likely to be millionaires than those who work for others” (Thomas Stanley, The Millionaire Next Door). A blessing of being an entrepreneur is the ability to put as much effort as you want into a business; the entrepreneur isn’t limited to certain hours they work. Proverbs 10:4 states, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
  • God is your boss: An entrepreneur can create guidelines and policies for their company based on Scriptural principles.
  • There is less pressure to work on the Sabbath.
  • Status: Being an entrepreneur gives a person the chance to make a name for themselves and to be seen as successful by others. Proverbs 22:29 states: Do you see a man who excels in his work?
  • He will stand before kings;
  • He will not stand before unknown men.

Paths to Entrepreneurship

  • Advertise your skills on gig services like Upwork, Fiverr, TaskRabbit, or Amazon
  • freelance/ consulting- get paid for your advice/projects
  • Trade jobs
  • Writer
  • Tech- graphic design, digital advertising
  • E-Commerce- Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop
  • Mobile or doorstep services- delivering service to the customer’s home

Ways to Get Work as an Entrepreneur

Ways to get work include–speaking at conferences, making Google ads, creating a podcast or YouTube channel, and being referred by others for a job on your reputation.

How to Convince People to Pay For Your Idea

Research market interest using tools such as Google Ads keyword planner to check the popularity of the good or service you want to market. Then, test the market by running ads and tracking the sales or calls per ad or creating a webpage.

How to Pitch Yourself

Mr. Thiel described his method for pitching yourself, and it involves two steps:

  1. Write what you’ve uniquely accomplished.
  2. Write what you’re offering that appeals to the self-interest of your prospect.

Mr.Thiel provided an insightful forum on entrepreneurship that encouraged the students to think creatively. Drawing on his experiences as an entrepreneur, he provided them with a roadmap for assessing their qualifications to be entrepreneurs and learning how to become one successfully.

Being The Managing Editor

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Author: Lexi Mitchell| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

In a recent forum, the students heard from Mr. Robinson, the managing editor for the Living Church of God. As managing editor, he is involved in the design and layout of Tomorrow’s World and Living Church News and nearly all of the church’s written and printed content. When God works in our life, He gives us the experiences we need to shape us for later in life. In his current job, Mr. Robinson employs design principles that are a key factor in increasing comprehension for the readers of Church literature.

Experiences Matter

Mr. Robinson stated that God gave him the perfect life experiences to bring him to where he is today. Despite only attending Ambassador College for one year and never finishing his degree, he had already learned the printing trade and used this knowledge to find a job in the field. He was at the right time to witness the technology boom in the print industry. At one of his first jobs, Mr. Robinson typeset business cards. After that, he landed a job at a high-end design agency, where he wondered why he was there since he had never been interested in design. Mr. Robinson worked at a print shop for 12 years before being hired by the Church.

We might have experiences in life that don’t make sense now, or we may be in situations that cause us to wonder, however, Mr. Robinson reminded us of Romans 8:28: 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

God places us in situations that prepare us for what we will later do. He has a master plan for us, and we must remember that He has a perfect end goal. We shouldn’t be discouraged, even if we are in a difficult situation that leaves us wondering why.

After 20 years of publishing experience, Mr. Robinson was offered a job as the Managing Editor of the Living Church of God. His experiences working in print shops and design suddenly became useful; one of his first projects was redesigning Tomorrow’s World Magazine. Today, design is very relevant to his job. 

The Purpose of Design:

The design organizes and clarifies information to be intelligible to the reader; and conveys the essentials to them.

Principles of Design for a Managing Editor

  1. Structure of elements for a design and create a clear order of visual dominance between elements
  2. The font used and how the text is displayed matters
  3. Selection of color for printing and color theory
  4. Image & Cover Selection

Mr. Robinson provided an insightful forum into how he came to his job as Managing Editor of the Living Church of God and the importance of design. When we are left wondering why we are given a certain experience, we need to have faith that God has a master plan for us and there is a reason. 

Speedreading the Bible

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Mr. Gerald Weston closed this semester’s Living Education Forums program by sharing with the students the benefits of speed reading their Bibles. 

Throughout the hour period, Mr. Weston guided the students from the first chapter of Genesis through first Kings, highlighting key events and people, using a “Bible Speedreading” technique.

“Speed reading” the Bible means not just reading quickly but identifying key events and people that are part of the story flow of the Bible. This exercise provides a grasp of the overall layout of the Bible. While it may not focus on the details, it gives an understanding of where to find them, with a knowledge of the overall framework in mind. 

Mr. Weston concluded the forum by reminding the students that Bibles on cell phones have their place, but a physical copy of the Bible is important to own. A digital version can be handy, but for certain study techniques, like “speedreading the Bible”, it just doesn’t work! He left the students with the reminder to not neglect the practice of studying the Bible – and don’t let the attractiveness of a digital Bible outshine the value of the physical, written word. 

Jesus’ View of the Old Testament

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Mr. Kenneth Frank spoke with us this past forum on the important lessons we can draw from Christ Jesus and the way he treated the Old Testament 

Mr. Frank began by reminding us that there are three sections to the Hebrew Bible: the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets. He pointed out that Jesus demonstrated that all of these, not just the law and the prophets, are the authoritative words of God by quoting them in the New Testament. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Christ also showed that He was the God of the Old Testament when he stated “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms (writings) concerning Me” (Luke 24:44).

Mr. Frank then gave several examples of how Christ confirmed the Old Testament as still relevant and how Christ Jesus views it. Jesus even quoted from fourteen separate books of the Old Testament.

He quoted from:

Genesis in Mark 10:6-8

Exodus in Luke 18:20

Deuteronomy in Luke 10:26-28

1 Samuel in Mark 2:25

1 Kings in Matthew 12:42

Psalms in Mark 12:10

Isaiah in Matthew 13:13-14

Daniel in Matthew 24:15

Hosea in Matthew 9:13

Jonah in Matthew 12:40

Zechariah in Matthew 26:31

Malachi in Matthew 11:10

Jesus confirmed the existence of specific people from the Old Testament:

Abraham is mentioned in John 8:56

Isaac & Jacob are mentioned in Matthew 8:11

David is mentioned in Matthew 12:1-3

Solomon is mentioned in Matthew 6:9

Queen of Sheba is mentioned in Matthew 12:42

Elijah is mentioned in Matthew 17:11 

Elisha is mentioned in Luke 4:27

Zechariah is mentioned in Luke 11:49-51

Jesus believed the stories from the Old Testament such as:

Moses commanded circumcision found in John 7:22

Manna was provided for the Israelites found in John 6:31

David ate shewbread found in Matthew 12:3-4

David wrote certain Psalms found in Matthew 22:41-44

Moses authored the law found in Matthew 8:4

The prophets were persecuted, as found in Matthew 5:11-12

Lot’s wife being turned to stone found in Luke 17:32

The destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah found in Matthew 10:14-15

The destruction of Tyre & Sidon found in Matthew 11:21-22

Adam & Eve found in Matthew 19:4-5

Cain & Abel found in Luke 11:50-52

The Flood found in Matthew 24:37-39

Jonah & the fish found in Matthew 12:38-41

Jesus confirms the authorship of disputed books such as:

Daniel found in Matthew 24:15, and Isaiah found in Matthew 8:16-17

From these examples, we can understand that the Bible is God’s inspired word. This will assist us so we won’t fall prey to misunderstandings brought by Satan the devil. This helps to solidify in our minds that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament, inspired the writing of it, and it is only natural that He would accept as authoritative that which He inspired. 

Mark Cavendish: Never Enough

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At a recent forum, Mr. McNair surprised the Living Education students by announcing that they would be viewing a documentary featuring Mark Cavendish. Cavendish holds the record for most stage wins at the Tour de France (35), achieved across 15 Tours and 17 years (2008-2024). The students were able to draw some meaningful lessons and practice their analytical skills as they learned about Mark Cavendish and his career as a cyclist.

The Lessons

Perseverance: Mark Cavendish is described as an outstanding cyclist who won many Tour de France stages. The Tour de France is a grueling cycling race over a long distance broken up into stages, with some steep hills. In the beginning of the film, Cavendish is shown winning many trophies, but as he becomes more famous for his talent the pressure builds on him to keep winning. This pressure eventually got to him and he began to struggle physically and mentally. He was diagnosed with Epstein Barres syndrome, which took a toll on his energy and strength. However, he didn’t give up on pursuing cycling. Instead, he persevered through the dark and hard times he experienced as he struggled to regain his cycling glory.

Devotion with focus: From the time Cavendish started cycling he displayed tremendous focus on his goal of winning the Tour de France overall and winning several other races. He worked extremely hard and pushed himself hard physically to achieve his goals. He was devoted to cycling. Whereas Cavendish was devoted with a focus to pursuing cycling glory and an earthly goal, the LE students and those in the church can show this devotion and focus in seeking “first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Final Thoughts

The film Mark Cavendish: Never Enough gave the students who watched it a view into the cycling world that many of them did not know much about. Not only did they learn more about cycling and Cavendish but they also were able to draw valuable lessons and perspectives from it.

Living Your Best Life!

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At a Forum this past Thursday, Mr. Argus Wiley, president and CEO of Red Door Brands, spoke on what it means to live ‘your best life’ and how to achieve it. “You are the future of this world! is a phrase often directed at the younger generation,” Mr. Wiley began. This may seem stressful, and keep people from succeeding. It really is a lot being asked of us, yet there are still people who take on the burden of this knowledge and still strive to live the best life they can. There has been and always will be this challenge for young people, but there is a necessity to go out and make the absolute best of it!

When is your best life?

He asked us if we believe that our best life is behind us, if we’re living it now, or if it is still yet to come. One could argue that being able to live with minimal worries means having a personal chef or being surrounded by people who love us – which we might think is our “best life.” Doesn’t this sound like our childhood? For others, their best life means moving out of their parent’s house.

The odds of living the best life

Mr. Wiley presented statistics from a quick Google search he conducted on how most people in the United States live. This helped to solidify within our minds the reality of the work needed to achieve our best lives as opposed to simply believing we can let it happen.

7.29% of people become a millionaire

11.5% will end up living in poverty 

83% of people will get married

50% of those who get married will stay married  

44.4% will become obese 

16.5% will be an addict of some sort

22.8% will suffer a mental ailment

53% of people report being unhappy in their life.

Looking at this, it is more likely for us to live in poverty than to become a millionaire. He wanted to drill into our minds the severity of these reports. “You shouldn’t brush this off just because we are in the church, don’t think that can’t happen to me.” We have to put in the work daily to ensure that we do not become one of these depressing statistics.

Keys to assist in achieving the best life

  1. Get a mission statement 

A personal mission statement can give us guidance on where we are going. “People have the drive for success, but lack the sense of direction to achieve the destination.” Mr. Ames has a sermon titled What is Your Mission Statement, that Mr. Wiley recommended. Businesses, successful people, and the wealthy all have mission statements, and we need to as well.

  1. Show up

Woody Allen once said that showing up is 80% of success. Showing up is the act of making up your mind to follow through and do something. Even the little things matter; the simple act of making your bed in the morning is showing up.

  1. Do Hard Things

Human nature has the desire to quit when things become difficult, thus we need to work to push through the difficult times that will appear in each and every one of our lives. Mr. Rod McNair gave a sermon titled Do Hard Things that goes into deeper detail. 

  1. Never stop learning

Author Bryan Tracy said, “Reading a book a week on one specific topic for 7 years will make someone an expert in that specific area.” If we stop growing and learning, then we ultimately will fall within the earlier-mentioned statistics. 

  1. It is all your fault

We all will end up with the results we deserve because of what we earn through our actions. We cannot blame others for what happens to us.

  1. Pray along the way

Prayer is a vital must, yet at times we may also have to pray on the journey. Mr. Wiley described a story about two kids who missed the school bus and saw it riding off into the distance. One instantly drops to his knees and asks God for the bus to stop, while the other immediately takes off running while praying that he can catch up to it. The only one able to catch the bus was the one praying while he ran. Prayer is necessary, but we also need to put in the work to achieve our goals.

“It will take all of these strategies to become successful in living the best life.”

We have all of these opportunities to live the best life, now what are we going to do with them?

Finding a Partner in Life 

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Mr. Rodzaj began his forum to the students by stating: 

“It’s been said that there’s perhaps nothing better than a happy, healthy marriage relationship. In making human beings in his image, God created male and female to exist in a … healthy, mutually beneficial relationship.”

 To achieve this, Mr. Rodzaj provided: seven questions and four essential principles to consider in finding a partner for life. We must be aware, however, that no person is perfect and no one will be able to fulfill all of these questions and principles that are critical for marriage. His goal was for us to have better discernment when looking for a spouse and to reflect on how we ourselves can grow.

He defined a partner as, “Somebody you walk hand in hand with, arm and arm with, through all the ups and downs of life and all the challenges that you face.”

Questions to Consider

  1. Is the person totally committed to God?

To be totally committed to God, a person must have been baptized, had hands laid on to receive the Holy Spirit, and be deeply converted. He gave the example of how “Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it,” (Ephesians 5:25) to illustrate the level of commitment the potential partner must have. Furthermore, we should seek someone who has the same spiritual identity as us, to be of like mind. This will affect how you raise your future kids and the church you attend. Mr. Rodzaj offered some criteria for evaluating if a person is totally committed:

  1. How does the person answer questions on their calling?
  2. Do they have a “criteria” for evaluating which church God is working with?
  3. Do they have a solid personal relationship with God?
  4. Are they seeking God daily?
  5. Do you feel unconditionally accepted by the other person?

Does the other person recognize that people have differences but are still able to accept them? Romans 15:7 states, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God”. They do not try to change you or make you act a certain way according to their ideals. Everyone has faults, but this does not mean we ignore sin. In addition to your acceptance by the other person, you also need to be self-aware as to how God sees you.

  1. Does the person have emotional maturity?

Consider how your potential mate handles offenses; how do they respond when they’re hurt? How do they deal with family struggles? How do they handle situations that don’t go to plan? If a person isn’t able to handle these situations with emotional maturity, it can cause problems within the marriage.

  1. What are their family priorities?

You should be aware of their family backgrounds and how their family functions in comparison to yours. Know how their parents’ relationship works. Discuss each other’s views on the roles within marriage, namely as a wife and mother and vice versa. If the desires for the future family are not in harmony, then the marriage will be contentious.

  1. Are they financially responsible?

1 Timothy 5:8 states, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Husbands should have a strong work ethic and be able to provide for a family. Wives too have a role to play; they should show self-control and spend the money the husband makes wisely. A partner should be able to live according to a budget.

  1. Do they have a biblical perspective on sex and its place in marriage? 

A future mate should respect that sex is only for marriage and is sacred as Hebrews 13:4 describes. Sex is meant to unite a couple and provide pleasure; it is not for self-gratification. A person’s view on sex and its place in marriage can be observed through their habits as well as their dress. 

  1. How do they respond to authority?

Romans 13:1 states, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Consider these questions:

  1. How does the person relate to those in authority over them?
  2. Do they show respect for authority?
  3. Do they know their limits and boundaries as assigned by man and God? Are they willing to submit to authority?

Principles to Keep in Mind.

Mr. Rodzaj next provided four principles to consider when preparing for a future partner.

  1. Let God be the Matchmaker

He gave the example of how God provided Adam with his wife Eve to show how He will provide a partner for us. We shouldn’t try to force a relationship or take it into our own hands. God needs to be involved, and when it is a relationship that God is guiding, it will always be blessed. Proverbs 19:14 states that “a prudent wife is from the Lord.” 

  1. Remain as objective as you can

Mr. Rodzaj described what often happens the more time two people spend with each other. In his example, they start off on parallel lines but slowly lose objectivity the more time they spend together. This causes the lines to converge. Lack of objectivity can lead to rejection of family and friends’ advice on the relationship and can cause head and heartache down the line.

  1. Never be Afraid to Counsel about a Relationship at any Time

Seek wise and experienced counsel on your relationship, this could be older married couples in the Church or others such as ministers. Do not be tempted to solely rely on the opinion of peers.

  1. If in Doubt about a Potential Marriage Partner, Wait

“You don’t want to rush in. You have the rest of your life ahead…Remember, you’ve got a lot more years ahead of you, and it’s better to spend them happily. You know, this decision will impact the rest of your life”

Final Thoughts

Mr. Rodzaj concluded by pointing out we must be willing to do what is right when it comes to choosing a future partner to be married to. “Wait for the right conditions.” Proverbs 18:22 states “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.” Your future happiness depends on asking the right questions and following the right principles now.