Sometimes the best voice on a subject is not your own. That is true of the subject of this column this week. My wife, Kathryn Duncan, wrote the following and in order not to mess it up, I will say no more (MBC is Mountain Bible Church):
A tribute to MBC teens:
They are a group of young people set apart for God’s purpose. They have servant’s hearts (Matt. 25: 34-40).
Others may be valedictorian or salutatorian of their class. They may attain the highest possible position on a sports team or be the most popular teen in the entire school system.
But, MBC teens have servants’ hearts. I have seen them cleaning yards of people they do not know, mowing, raking, picking up limbs after a storm, weeding flower beds, scrubbing cupboards, cleaning houses and stacking wood in the winter. Plus various other jobs throughout the year.
(Too much to list here.) They are not rewarded with money nor accolades, because this is not why they serve. They serve Christ because they know how much He loves them and they are serving to give honor and glory to Him.
With all the news and social media broadcasting to the world about young peoples’ activities that are less than stellar, I long to hear more about the good that is being carried out by the ones with servant’s hearts.
Sports will play out.
Grand universities will burn down. Businesses and our economy will collapse.
But those young people who are serving the Lord every day will have a continuing influence on the younger generation to go about doing good just as Christ did (Acts 10:38).
And they will be remembered because this is an everlasting work.
The teen schedule thissummer has been packed with serving not surfi ng;
studying the Word not studying the world. Let us bind together and pray for them as they continue to go about serving at Summer Camp, studying the Word together, working to help the elderly and others in our community and beyond. They already have donned their amour and are standing strong, ready for the working - world battle.
Scotty and Ivy Flippo’s (MBC youth ministers) previous generation of teens are now adults and are serving as leaders in their community and in our congregation. Continually, the Flippos add another generation of teens who are being trained to be sent out. We are standing with them and praying wisdom, stamina and God’s blessing on them as they continue to train our future leaders.
We see great potential in all our young people and we thank Scotty and Ivy Flippo for their commitment and dedication.
“In as much as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers you have done it to Me.” (Matt.
25:40)
Pondering,
Kathy
From Pastor Duncan: My thanks to my lovely wife for providing this reminder of what true service in Christ is all about. And my thanks to Christ’s faithful servants, Scotty and Ivy Flippo.
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Editor’s note: Jim Duncan is the pastor of Mountain Bible Church, Mountain, Mo. He may be contacted at P.O. Box 146, Pea Ridge, AR 72751; or by telephone at 417-341-8504; by e-mail at james.ahscrolls@wildblue.
net. His Web site is www.
jamesduncan-writer.net.
Church, Pages 2 on 07/31/2013