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Friday, February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
The Cost of Freedom
This is my article from the front page of the March 411: A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to go to
One morning, Mr. Fleming took me on a tour of some of the sights around town. At the Korean war memorial there was a wall with the following words etched on it – “Freedom is not Free.” It was so powerful to see that for the first time and it has stayed with me ever since we have returned.
It has also caused me to think about something else. The freedom that is described in that phrase is an earthly freedom. That freedom does come with a price. Many times that cost is a person’s life.
There is another freedom that has an eternal value. That freedom comes when we believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ freed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. That freedom is free. That freedom is an eternity with God! There is nothing we can do to earn it. It comes totally by the grace of God. As Paul wrote in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Thank God for our soldiers who protect our earthly freedoms every day. Thank God for his Son, whose resurrection insures of an eternity of freedom.
And thank you for your prayers and support of this Orange Lutheran ministry. To Him be the glory alone.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Character Moment
This is the Character Moment I will read over the PA today:
In a couple of weeks we will experience a WASC visit. Maybe some of your teachers have shared this with you. WASC stands for Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is an organization that accredits what schools and colleges are doing on a daily basis.
Over the past year and a half the faculty, staff, and some selected parents and students have been writing a document that communicates, in what we hope is an honest way, those things we are trying to accomplish here at Orange Lutheran and how we are doing in improving our school.
The mission of our school is very simply, “to help students internalize the Gospel message of salvation in Christ Jesus.” There are a lot of happenings here on a daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly basis, but more important than anything else we do, is the commitment of the faculty to help each of you grow in your relationship with Christ. When you leave Orange Lutheran, it is our hope that your walk with Christ is farther along than when you first arrived.
Now I know that no person can cause another person to grow in their faith; that is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the prayer of all those who are gathered around you though, to be used by Him, in any way He needs us, to be a positive affect on our students and community.
Over the next couple of weeks I will discuss our three core values: Christian character development, academics, and competition and performance in a little more detail. All of those values however, will never supersede our over-arching mission of keeping Christ in all that we do each day.
I know we are not a perfect school, but I truly believe if we all focus on becoming more like the person Christ desires for us to be in His world, we will be a better school.
Have a great Valentine’s day.
In a couple of weeks we will experience a WASC visit. Maybe some of your teachers have shared this with you. WASC stands for Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is an organization that accredits what schools and colleges are doing on a daily basis.
Over the past year and a half the faculty, staff, and some selected parents and students have been writing a document that communicates, in what we hope is an honest way, those things we are trying to accomplish here at Orange Lutheran and how we are doing in improving our school.
The mission of our school is very simply, “to help students internalize the Gospel message of salvation in Christ Jesus.” There are a lot of happenings here on a daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly basis, but more important than anything else we do, is the commitment of the faculty to help each of you grow in your relationship with Christ. When you leave Orange Lutheran, it is our hope that your walk with Christ is farther along than when you first arrived.
Now I know that no person can cause another person to grow in their faith; that is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the prayer of all those who are gathered around you though, to be used by Him, in any way He needs us, to be a positive affect on our students and community.
Over the next couple of weeks I will discuss our three core values: Christian character development, academics, and competition and performance in a little more detail. All of those values however, will never supersede our over-arching mission of keeping Christ in all that we do each day.
I know we are not a perfect school, but I truly believe if we all focus on becoming more like the person Christ desires for us to be in His world, we will be a better school.
Have a great Valentine’s day.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Thankful for the Day
This is my article from the front page of the February 411:
When we lived in St. Louis back in the early 90’s, I attended a men’s bible study with some members of our congregation. Each week we met on Tuesday to discuss the scripture lessons for the week. At the beginning of the study we always had a prayer and men would go around the table and pray for a variety of things. Some praised God, some asked God, some confessed before God and their Christian brothers, but one unique prayer was delivered every week by one of the older members. He would always thank God for the great night’s sleep he had the night before. After a few weeks, I asked Earl why he prayed for this every week. Earl had a simple response. “Have you ever had a night when you didn’t sleep well, Gregg? Well I am always thankful for those nights I do sleep well.”
It has stayed with me to this day. Earl was intentionally thankful for something that we can take for granted. When things go well in our lives we are not always in a thankful posture. It is easier to be thankful when we are spared some consequence we deserve.
It is important for us to remember that we have been spared an eternal separation from God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without Christ, we all live and we all die. Because Christ did interceded on our behalf we have the hope of an eternity with Him in heaven forever. Death is no longer the victor. It is Christ and He alone!
Knowing that we can wake up everyday and say, “Thank you God. Use me today as You need me to bring Your message into this world.” What a joy each day brings as our lives become a response to the grace He has shown us.
And thank you for your continued prayers and support of this Orange Lutheran ministry. In all we do each day honor Him alone!
When we lived in St. Louis back in the early 90’s, I attended a men’s bible study with some members of our congregation. Each week we met on Tuesday to discuss the scripture lessons for the week. At the beginning of the study we always had a prayer and men would go around the table and pray for a variety of things. Some praised God, some asked God, some confessed before God and their Christian brothers, but one unique prayer was delivered every week by one of the older members. He would always thank God for the great night’s sleep he had the night before. After a few weeks, I asked Earl why he prayed for this every week. Earl had a simple response. “Have you ever had a night when you didn’t sleep well, Gregg? Well I am always thankful for those nights I do sleep well.”
It has stayed with me to this day. Earl was intentionally thankful for something that we can take for granted. When things go well in our lives we are not always in a thankful posture. It is easier to be thankful when we are spared some consequence we deserve.
It is important for us to remember that we have been spared an eternal separation from God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without Christ, we all live and we all die. Because Christ did interceded on our behalf we have the hope of an eternity with Him in heaven forever. Death is no longer the victor. It is Christ and He alone!
Knowing that we can wake up everyday and say, “Thank you God. Use me today as You need me to bring Your message into this world.” What a joy each day brings as our lives become a response to the grace He has shown us.
And thank you for your continued prayers and support of this Orange Lutheran ministry. In all we do each day honor Him alone!