Letter from the Shepherd

Students,

I hope your semester at Westside has been as enjoyable as mine has been. From Bible Study Retreat to Outreach Night this past week, even to our normal evenings of discussion, I have enjoyed every moment. Thank you for making our Bible Study what it has been. Please be sure to pay attention to the schedule provided on our site. My hope is to make the information available to you via email and via our blog. If there are any questions about anything you see there, please do not hesitate to send me an email. Thank you also for taking time to periodically check our blog and to interact with the postings. May "your love continue to abound more and more" and may you increase in your "affection of Christ Jesus for each other" (Phil 1:8-9).

With the affection of Christ,
Kelly Wright

Laziness

I know this topic is talked about a lot, but its always helpful to remind ourselves about Laziness. In Proverbs 6 it talks about how the ant works without even being told to. "Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. " So many times I think we recognize that something needs to be done, and we just pass over it and do our own thing. We really should be like the ant and pick up something when it needs to picked up, or start taking out the trash because you know it has to be done that day, stuff like that. So I challenge all of us this week, to try and be aware and find something that needs to be done, and then do it without being asked.

Introduction/ Impatience?

Hello fellow west-siders. I've been appointed the new blog person thingy (w/e they're called). i will try and post something at least once every week. it all depends on my work load.

So I was reading Proverbs 15 the other day and in verse 1 it says "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." I thought about that and I realized that whenever we are impatient, we are angry. It seems so simple, but I don't think a lot of us think about that (i know i don't). Say your mom asks you to do some extra work after your done with homework and you become impatient. You are actually angry because your mom is taking time away from something "better" that you could be doing. It's an interesting thought.



Till next time,
David

Christian Worldview & Current Events

Our purpose on this earth is to serve God

The Christian worldview is defined by the Bible

What shapes your Christian worldview?

• Bible input
• Practice - living it out
• People around you
• What you watch/listen to/where you go

Your worldview must be apparent in the way that you live every day, not just when you go to church or bible study.

What do you talk about with friends? Do you talk about important issues or events?

Example:

As Christians, what should our response be to the Virgina Tech incident?

• Pray for the victims and our attitudes


• Realize that it could have been us victimized


• Recognize the great opportunity for ministry to non-Christians and take action with this realization.

How is our view different from that of the world on topics such as global warming, atheism, and bringing the Bible to public schools?

We must be able to defend our views and positions biblically.

I Peter 3:15

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

Spiritual Maturity

What is spiritual maturity? Spiritual maturity can be described as the regular choice to live a godly life by submitting to the Scripture. Maturity is personal growth or improvement. It is also known as the sanctification process that the Holy Spirit works in every Christian.

Here are a few descriptors of spiritual maturity in the life of a believer:

• Understanding of the Gospel and the fundamentals of the faith


• Pursuing discipleship


• Consistent time in God's Word individually


• Consistent time in God's Word corporately


• Consistent time in prayer


• Regular worship


• Service in the church


• Regular fellowship with believers


• Evangelism


• Perseverance

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. [II Peter 1:5-9]

Spiritual maturity is evident by some of these characteristics:

• Discerning Truth

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. [Hebrews 5:13-14 and see Philippians 1:9]

• Approved Workmen

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. [II Timothy 2:15]

• Servants

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. [Romans 12:1]

• Holy

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. [Galatians 5:16]

• Found Faithful

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.[Philippians 3:14]

Much more can be said on the subject of spiritual maturity. Can you think of additional descriptions or characteristics of spiritual maturity? What other Scripture passages address spiritual maturity?

How can you evaluate yourself to determine spiritual maturity? How can you pursue spiritual maturity today?

The Marriage Bank

Preparation for marriage is likened to a checking account that is presented to your spouse on your wedding day and thereafter. Whatever is in the "account" is all you have to give...nothing more and nothing less. This is why it is so important to think through marriage long before it comes.

Preparing for marriage allows you to not only become a great spouse but, more importantly, a great man or woman of God!

The following are the five areas to grow in from the group discussion on Wednesday:

• Financially
• Spiritually
• Emotionally
• Physically
• Mentally

Everything that you do every day will either be a deposit or a withdrawal from your "checking account". Here are some practical ways of making deposits and some cautions on making withdrawals:

Financially

• Deposit: Learn to save money


• Withdrawal: Spend what you earn on unimportant things


• Deposit: Discuss with your parents how to budget and spending priorities


• Withdrawal: Ignore the realities of life and money

Spiritually

• Deposit: Pray for wisdom


• Withdrawal: Don't pray - rely on yourself


• Deposit: Deepen your love for Christ - strive for holiness


• Withdrawal: Live a seemingly "religious" life without concern for Christ


• Deposit: Develop leadership / serve in the church


• Withdrawal: Be a pew potato


• Deposit: Learn submission by submitting to parents, teachers, employers, etc.


• Withdrawal: Continue to live independent of authority

Emotionally

• Deposit: Learn to think biblically


• Withdrawal: Respond to feelings


• Deposit: Girls - ask for help. Ask for counsel through times of not responding biblically.


• Withdrawal: Convince yourself that sinful attitudes are alright because it is natural


• Deposit: Men - learn patience


• Withdrawal: Justify your anger


• Deposit: Don't run from issues


• Withdrawal: Ignore problems


• Deposit: Study girl emotions


• Withdrawal: Never consider the emotional aspect of females

Physically

• Deposit: Take care of your body


• Withdrawal: Neglect your body


• Deposit: Eat moderately


• Withdrawal: Eat whatever - whenever


• Deposit: Be organized


• Withdrawal: Be a slob


• Deposit: Value and maintain your purity


• Withdrawal: Follow the culture

Mentally

• Deposit: Absorb everything possible in school


• Withdrawal: Neglect school


• Deposit: Learn from others - become well rounded


• Withdrawal: Be content with knowing a lot about a little

Prayer Requests

Brooke- Dads salvation; that she will be a witness to others at school that are unbelievers

Haine- To be strong and diligent and to do her best in school

Beth- that she will have the whole bible study as friends and to thoroughly enjoy bible study

Joanna- That she will be more loving towards others and that her attitude towards her mother will be better

Michelle- Her aunt has passed away and pray for her uncle and cousin

Derek- pray that he will be more diligent in school and not to slack off