The Cutting Edge

Written by Cory Collins

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. Mark 6:30-32 (NKJV)

Stephen Covey tells about two men carried their saws into the forest to cut trees. One worked incessantly but became irritated with his partner for taking occasional breaks. How could he abandon him, with all the work that was to be done? Oh, well. He decided in his frustration that he would work even harder and show his buddy how much more he had accomplished at day’s end. But that was the strange part about it all. When the two men finished, the one who never stopped sawing had brought down fewer trees than the other! Actually, the reason was quite simple. Every time the second man left the scene, he did so in order to sharpen his saw. As a result, he achieved far more, never forcing a dull saw to do more than it could handle. He had balanced the need to be productive with the need to care for the producer.

Life can be like that. Are you too busy to read for pleasure? Have you postponed lunch with a friend … skipped breakfast … canceled a family outing or a doctor’s appointment … quit playing solitaire … felt overwhelmed by the clutter in your home or on your desk … remarked to others how busy you feel … cut your sleep time … begun doing two or three things at once … lacked the time to exercise … responded irritably when your children ask you to play or look at their projects … found there is no opportunity to pray, read the Word, and share Jesus with your family? Do you keep thinking that at some point you will be able to catch up and relax, but you never do? If so, you may not be producing as much as you think, and you may be wearing out the “saw” - yourself - in the process.

You really will fell more trees if you balance cutting with sharpening. More than that, you will actually enjoy the time you spend in the forest. Stop. Meditate. Pray. Think. Dream. Listen. Sing. Then go get ‘em!

The Dumbest Thing

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done? Some are unmentionable, but these certainly qualify for me:

• When I was a kid, I wanted to know what electricity felt like, so I took the bulb out of a lamp and stuck my finger into the socket.
• As children, we wanted to move the car from under the basketball goal and in the attempt rolled the car into the house.
• I once looked for my glasses while I was wearing them.
• I gashed the tallest finger on my left hand while trimming shrubs.
• I ate some bear meat while visiting Russia. The more I chewed, the chewier it got.
• I was the foreign guest of honor at a ceremony dedicating a school’s connection to the city sewer system in the south-south of Nigeria.
• I once attended a Tupperware party.

Those items are both real and dumb, but none of them compare in severity with dumb things that I’ve thought and said. That sends me to James 3:8-9, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.” You know how James describes the terrible power of the tongue. It’s not just a deadly poison, it’s also “a fire, a world of iniquity,” capable of defiling the whole body.

What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever said? I hate to think about that because too many examples come to mind. If my memory was better, there’d be even more: cutting com-ments, discouraging words, ignorant boasts, rash promises, snap judgments, improper judgments, words inadequate for the situation, and meaningless drivel.

I don’t enjoy such memories, but they have one positive effect. They can help me gain stronger appreciation of James 1:19, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” They can help me gain understanding of Proverbs 10:19, 17:27-28, and 18:13. They can help me practice the commands of Ephesians 4:29-32, to avoid harm and to impart grace through God’s kind help.

One of my first rules in ministry is, “Don’t make it worse.” Our thoughtless words are among the greatest dangers to others. Thank God that we can learn better and put what we learn into practice. Being dumb is bad, but staying dumb is far worse.

Of Trees and Christians

SEEING THE FOREST AND THE TREES

Written by Cory Collins

… that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Cor 12:25-26

The phrase, “You can’t see the forest for the trees!” warns us against focusing so much on the specifics of a situation that we lose our awareness of the larger picture. How important that is. There is no forest without the individual trees. Yet each tree needs the forest as well. In the church, as in the great outdoors, it must be both “one for all” and “all for one.”

According to Richard Innes, giant Sequoia trees, also known as redwoods, often reach heights of 300 feet and diameters of 30 feet. They can range in age from 2,000 to 3,000 years; some of them were living when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee. The largest specimen, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, is 275 feet tall, has a diameter of 36.4 feet at the base, and has been estimated to weigh 2500 metric tons.

These majestic trees make it through raging fires, violent storms, and fierce winds. They also have a comparatively shallow root system which makes their survival even more amazing. How do they do it? They live in groves with their root systems entangled with numerous other trees. In other words they support each other. They couldn't survive alone.

The recent storms here in Alabama have driven home a powerful point. Why does a tree fall? It’s true, of course, that trees often fall because they were diseased, or their roots were weak, or the soil around them was saturated with water. Perhaps the wind and other elements were just unusually forceful, beyond what those trees could bear.

However, sometimes a tree falls because the strong tree that was next to it fell first. Exposed directly to elements it never faced before, it topples.

I have seen this happen in families. The spiritual giant, a parent or grandparent perhaps, passes away. Then other members, who are not prepared to face life’s crises head-on, without that shield of protection, flounder and fail. Their prayer life at home, their family Bible reading and discussion, and eventually their church involvement fade and fall.

In an eldership I know elsewhere, there was a humble, compassionate, mission-minded, exemplary man. The other men enjoyed the shade that his leadership provided. When he died they faced, without him, the strong winds he had helped to resist. The same thing happens in politics, business, and war. Think about al-Qaeda without Osama bin Laden.

The point? Enjoy the protection of faithful leaders! Love them, support them, and follow them. But prepare yourself for the time when that sheltering shade may be gone. Make sure that your family, and your local congregation, will not fail or fall when that time comes. And you – yes, you! – become the tall, strong tree that others need you to be!

Christian Service

Real-World Ministry

At the heart of Heritage Christian University lies real-world ministry. We don’t just expect our students to know the biblical text or the latest theories about ministerial leadership. Our students need to be able to take what they’ve learned in the classroom to preach the Word or to comfort the hurting or to counsel a teen. Thus, HCU students participate in at least two hours of a Christian service project each week. Here are the latest numbers for the good work taking place at HCU.

Total Activities 2011

• Sermons Preached: 718
• Classes Taught: 962
• Led Singing: 272
• Personal Studies: 254
• Correspondence Studies: 272
• Visits Made: 1,059
• Benevolent Activites: 3,632
• Cards/Notes Sent: 1,072
• Youth Activities: 272
• Articles Published: 185
• Church/Community Service: 371

Total Responses 2011

• Baptisms: 62
• Restorations: 80
• Prayer Requests: 627

May God continue to be glorified at HCU!

Pornography Addiction

Facing the Pornography Addiction

Pornography and other forms of sexual addiction affect many Christians. Ben Hayes, an Associated Licensed Counselor with the Alpha Center, discusses the epidemic from a Christian viewpoint:

Audio

PowerPoint Presentation

Mission Update

Camp Ruta

Written by HCU Student Bubby Rushing

Bubby Rushing (pictured at left), a student at Heritage Christian University, has arrived back in the United States after spending time in Lithuania on a mission trip. Bubby spent time as a Bible teacher and counselor at a camp for young people. Below is a report he sent at the conclusion of the camp.

"Camp Ruta was a success; the week went great and we had no problems. The last night of the week we had some encouraging messages from the campers. One of them said, "I did not know if God was real before this camp, but now I know he is." It's so good to hear from a camper that what we are doing is beneficial. These young kids are starting from the beginning in their faith and hearing the gospel for the first time, and it is a huge blessing to be a small part of that. After camp ended we enjoyed a worship service with the Vilnius church."

Meet Mechelle Thompson

Financial Aid Options at Heritage Christian University

Mechelle Thompson serves as the Financial Aid Administrator at Heritage Christian University. Mechelle seeks to connect students with the variety of financial aid resources available to them. In this video, Mechelle talks about her family, her work at HCU, and ways she can help you.

For more information, please explore Financial Aid at HCU.