145
April, 1945
THE WRITERS Chester J . Padgett, Princeton student and pastor Dorothy Wight Kraft, Young People’s worker and pastor's wife Mabel L. Jordan, missionary from Thailand, teacher Loren S. Hanna, pastor, missionary from Thailand Idea 1. Have someone re port what happened during the days immediately follow ing the first Easter. In this message follow the disciples, step by step—before and after Pentecost. The reminder of the change the Holy Spirit wrought in their lives will be a blessing to all. Idea 2. Why not invite a mother of one of the members to lead the meeting on Moth er’s Day? Be sure to select someone who was active in Christian Endeavor in h e r “ teens.” Ask her to develop the topic as she did in “her day.” Idea 3. Secure a C h r i s tian serviceman who has re turned from the Asiatic war theater to lead the discussions for one or both of these last topics of the month. Make a special effort to invite other servicemen and women for this meeting. Idea 4. S p r i n g brings “ spring showers.” P l a n a "Scripture Shower” one night. The leader prepares a list of some of the common excuses people give for not being Christians. When these ex cuses are presented (one at a time), the members, with the - Bible in hand, and the Word in their hearts, shower appro priate Scriptures on the ex cuse. ITS AN IDEA By Carlton C. Buck
YOUNG PEOPLE'S TOPICS MAY 6, 1945 THE CHRISTIAN BASIS FOR CHOOSING MY LIFE WORK R o m a n s : 12:1-13 By Chester Padgett Someone has said “We live in an age that thinks being lost in the woods is a new freedom.” Yet sooner or later many of those who are lost in the woods come to their senses, as did the prodigal in Luke 15, and they begin to look for a way out. There is neither satisfaction nor success in wandering through life. It is far better to know where one is going at the outset. Can I know whither I am bound? Can I live at peace with Providence? Can I know I am in partnership with God? Thinking peo ple ask such questions as these. The Bible gives the answer. The Scripturp before us gives the Christian basis for choosing our life’s work.- For Those Who Have Topics I. YOUR LIFE’S WORK AND GOD’S WILL (vs. 1, 2). It is said that the motivating power behind Hitler’s life, the force that drove him on, was the deep conviction that he was a child of destiny. Every Christian, and the Christian alone, may have perfect assurance that.he is a child of destiny. God has a plan for you. God has a work for you to do that He has given to none other. Do you believe this? (See Psa. 32:8; 37:23; 139:15, 16.) The meaning of Romans 12:2 is that the Christian is to manifest to the world that God has a plan for his life, and that His plan is “good, and acceptable, and per fect/’ How may I know what God’s will is for my life? This is a fair question, and one that many earnest Christian
young people are asking today. The verses in R o m a n s 12:1, 2 help us along this line: Notice first, that the “mercies" of God must have gripped us. Do you know what the mercies of God are? They are His goodness in showing us our sinfulness (Rom. 3:23), His love in freely forgiving us through His Son (Rom. 3:24, 25), and His grace in offering up His Son in our place to take our punishment (Rom. 5:6-9). Second, having been won to faith in Jesus and love for Him because of the mercies of God, the logical thing to do is to surrender to Him, “to let go and let God.” You cannot know God’s will for your life until you are willing to do this. Therefore “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Third, live for Christ in the world. “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed.” The Bible will tell you how you ought to live. The Christian knows when he is well pleasing to Christ If we follow the above three commands of Scripture we are well on the way to knowing the will of God for our lives. II. YOUR LIFE’S WORK AND GOD’S GIFT (vs. 3-8). Do not try to be soniething for which you h a v e no ability and no natural gifts. What do you like to do? What can you do? What are your in clinations? What are your gifts? God has given you a gift. Find what it is and give yourself entirely to it. Be come the very best in your profession that it is possible for you to be, -all to the glory of God. Your calling, if it is honorable, is as necessary in the church of Christ as is the minister, the missionary, or the evangelist (cf. Romans 12:4-8). These verses teach us the following lessons: First, all Christians do not have the same work to <£> in life (v. 4). Second, neverthe less we are all members of the one body, the church (v. 5). Third, what-
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