Author: Hyabiel Daniel | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

---

In the forum, Mr. Ames focused on the concept of IPC (interpersonal communication) and shared his journey of taking a class on IPC to enhance his relationship with his wife, despite being married for a significant amount of time. He emphasized that effective communication begins with individuals who possess a clear understanding of their own identity and beliefs. Self-reflection and introspection play a vital role in becoming better communicators, but it is important to be aware of negative influences and actively replace negative thoughts with positive ones, drawing inspiration from biblical teachings.

Mr Ames stressed the significance of maintaining a positive and tranquil mindset for overall well-being, citing verses such as Philemon 4:8 and Deuteronomy 30:19 to support his point. He shared a personal anecdote where he demonstrated the importance of prioritizing service, assistance, and encouragement by asking his wife what she wanted to do, even when he initially did not feel willing to participate.

Furthermore, Mr. Ames introduced the “You and I” principle, suggesting a shift from accusatory language to expressing frustration or irritation as a means to encourage better communication. He also explored differences in communication patterns between males and females, acknowledging that while there are many similarities, one common complaint from females is that men often fail to listen, which led him to emphasize the significance of providing a listening ear, rather than solely offering solutions and recognizing the need for personal space.

To enhance interpersonal communication, Mr. Ames outlined five key principles:

1. Practice biblical principles for loving communication. (Ephesians 4:11-15, 4:25, 4:29, Matthew 12:34, James 3:17, Proverbs 1:1, and Proverbs 9:10) These verses guide how to engage in communication that fosters love and understanding.
2. Speak the truth in a loving manner rather than resorting to hateful speech. This involves conveying honesty and authenticity while maintaining a compassionate tone.
3. Consider the emotions of the person you are conversing with and respond with grace. Understanding and empathizing with the emotions of others can lead to more meaningful and effective communication.
4. Analyze your transactions and be mindful of interactions, such as parent-child, adult-adult, and child-child interactions. Recognizing the dynamics and outcomes of these interactions can help navigate conversations more effectively.
5. Practice positive reinforcement by appreciating and acknowledging behaviors that are enjoyable or beneficial. By expressing gratitude and offering some form of reward or recognition, individuals are encouraged to continue engaging in positive communication patterns.

Additionally, Mr. Ames emphasized the importance of sharing your life with others, both through physical acts of assistance and through storytelling. Utilizing resources to help others and engaging in personal stories can deepen emotional connections and encourage increased connections within relationships.

The forum concluded with a reminder to love your neighbor and a call always to speak the truth in love while implementing these key principles. Mr. Ames highlighted the power of prayer in utilizing these principles effectively and maintaining a commitment to genuine and compassionate communication.

---

Hyabiel Daniel is a first-year Living Education Student. She is from London, United Kingdom, and typically attends the Seven Oaks Congregation. She enjoys studying social sciences and also loves spending time reading books, baking, and spending time with loved ones.

Author: Lexi Mitchell | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

---

Perspective is the way we view and interpret the things around us. 

In a recent forum, ministerial trainee Mr. James Populo explained to the students the concept of perspectives. Our perspective depends highly on our personal background and on our visual filters, which are also called baggage. Baggage impacts how we understand scenarios around us, and by extension, the way we react to situations and decisions we make. 

Our physical nature as humans causes us to have a physical perspective. This is what causes us to see situations in a shallow manner. 

Rather than our ineffective and inherently flawed perspective, we need to have humility and aim to see our lives through God’s eyes. As written in the book of Isaiah,

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God thinks on a higher plane than we do, and we can’t fully understand it. But even though we don’t, that doesn’t mean that we can’t try. After all, a major part of being a Christian is following the example of God and Christ to adopt Their way of thinking, and that includes Their perspectives. We must aim to follow the example of God and Christ and to obey the Commandments.

Perspective can be changed. 

A great way to start doing the process of changing our viewpoint is to apply the interpersonal communication method of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. This philosophy can be seen throughout both the Old and New Testaments, which shows the weight of this principle throughout all eras in history. 

In the Old Testament:

“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,

And the Lord will reward you” (Prov 25:21-22).

And in the New Testament:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” (Matt 5:43-44).

These scriptures both emphasize changing our perspectives to one of showing love toward our enemies. This concept goes directly against human nature, and it is not something we normally would do. Despite that, it is a command from God. This goes to prove God’s higher level of wisdom.

We should recognize our natural human perspectives and compare them with those of God. Look at their view and have empathy. Feel and understand someone’s pain. Doing this requires that we switch our perspective to theirs.

Man normally does things according to their own eyes.

A Biblical example of this can be found in the book of 1st Samuel. In the story, the prophet Samuel’s process for selecting Israel’s new king was outlined. Samuel, although a prophet, had a human perspective. When choosing a son of Jesse to reign over the nation of Israel, he went with the tallest, most attractive man as his pick for king. However, this was not the way he was supposed to do it, and God let him know it. God does not see as man sees.

God chose the son with the smallest physique but the best heart. This is God’s perspective.

David’s anointing illustrates how God’s perspective differs from man’s, and shows the wisdom of God with His highly superior way of thinking. God saw the heart willing to do God’s will. 

We tend to judge based on appearance and interpersonal skills, and these judgements are parsed through our filters and baggage. Simply put, we have a physical perspective because we are physical humans.

What we learn from this story is the importance of not making judgements based on our own human limited perspective. We must use a spiritual perspective, inspired through God’s influence, and zoom out by looking at situations as they are in full.

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2).

The tough part is starting the process toward changing our ways. Applying the Fruits of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23, however, is a great way to start. These provide the core concepts on how to change our behavior, which, if paired with diligent effort and Bible study, will make the process much easier. 

Work daily at it, and don’t lose heart. Changing perspective takes time.

Lexi Mitchell is a first-year student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. She is from Long Island, New York. At home, she worked as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Currently, she assists in the Living Education department as a social media manager and as a producer of written content. She enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and spending time with family.

Author: Lexi Mitchell | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

---

Mr. Smith started his forum with a warning: his speech was going to be on a topic that can be difficult to cover. 

This topic can come across as philosophical, because it requires clear thinking, developing thoughts, and determining if those thoughts are sound. All of this involves a lot of self examination. 

The idea of philosophy can have a negative connotation due to the fact that philosophical ideas sometimes lead people towards ungodly ways of thinking. In reality though, not all philosophical thought is bad. After all, philosophy is essentially the study and love of wisdom. Understanding philosophy can help a person to think clearly, develop thoughts and take the time to consider them.

The topic Mr. Smith  spoke on was worldviews. 

A worldview is a particular philosophy of life and personal conception of the world. The reason this topic is so heavy is because,based on that very definition, our worldview directly impacts our opinions, beliefs and the way we operate on a daily basis. 

There are countless topics that we have opinions on.

These very same opinions can have drastic effects on the outcomes of our lives. From topics as simple as our favorite shows to those as complicated as the religion we believe in, our opinions guide our behaviors, which then impact our habits and lifestyles.

Although these opinions are often considered and may seem like something that is built into one’s personality, beliefs can change. Although it doesn’t happen often, change can occur through an alteration to personal actions or through an outside force that changes them somehow. Sometimes, our beliefs and overall worldview are perfectly acceptable. Often, however, there is an extreme need for a change of direction.

Mr. Smith himself experienced a drastic metamorphosis in worldviews. He grew up with a belief system that mirrored those of the people around him and the attitudes portrayed in the media he consumed. A lot of these beliefs were formed because of TV shows that covertly pushed boundaries in order to promote lifestyles of debauchery. 

The majority of the time, like in Mr. Smith’s case, worldview is something obtained subconsciously. It can develop from entertainment, from friends and relatives, and from society around us in general. 

Our beliefs form our worldview.

Belief could be something that you don’t control, but it will definitely control you. This is dangerous, because our thoughts, controlled or not, turn into worldview.

This directly impacts how you live your life and all the decisions you make.

Some common and incredibly popular beliefs, due in large part to a cumulation of Satan’s influence in the world being considered increasingly acceptable, are that the material world is all there is, and that natural law governs all things. The name of this worldview is Naturalistic Materialism. This worldview in education is making these views more prevalent in the world among youth. An example of this lack of morality in schools and in entertainment has its effects on the world in general.

Without taking control over your belief systems and letting the pull of society guide you, it is very possible to be swayed by these opinions which are becoming alarmingly common. Conclusions from these philosophies are that there is no free will and that there is no morality!

Don’t take the power of worldview lightly. 

To counter the sway of society around us, it is critical to put serious and extensive thought into what you believe and why exactly you believe it. A great first step is to consider your personal pillars, which are the beliefs upon which your entire life is based upon. Without the stability of one of those pillars, the rest of your “foundation” will come crumbling down. 

It is important to make sure that those pillars are God-centered.

Mr. Smith’s personal pillars are :

1) God exists. If not, then why does anything we do even matter?

2) Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Knowing and believing this makes Jesus’s own belief in the Bible enough, this proves the Bible.

3) The Bible is the inspired word of God. 

Having strong biblically-based pillars is crucial to living a fruitful life. This is the very basis on which we build our Christian lives. Putting thought into these fundamental beliefs is necessary to avoid letting our unchecked subconscious control our reality.

We are to ask ourselves not only what our pillars are, but why exactly these are our pillars. Without that knowledge, our lives will be controlled by the influences of society without us even being aware of it. 

Lexi Mitchell is a first-year student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. She is from Long Island, New York. At home, she worked as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Currently, she assists in the Living Education department as a social media manager and as a producer of written content. She enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and spending time with family.

Author: Lexi Mitchell | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

---

“And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12)

Mr. Rand Millich began his forum by reading this scripture from the book of Ecclesiastes. Through this quote, he explained that writers of the early centuries wrote in both the secular world at the time, as well as in writings from God that were preserved as part of scripture. 

These old books were often etchings or written on scrolls. Writing in this manner involved painstakingly long procedures, so authors guaranteed that any literature produced would be of the highest standard.

With the invention of the printing press, however, literature has been able to be mass produced. Due to this advancement in technology, there is almost no end to the amount of material we have at our disposal. The overall quality of reading material has gone in a steep decline, and some books are able to be pointless time wasters. 

How, then, are we to find books that have true value? Which books are useful and edifying? 

There are many works of literature that have the ability to act as a foundation for profitable study, as well as give access to information that can deepen our understanding of the Bible.

In order to find it, though, it is important to carefully consider the material being provided in any work of literature. In doing so, finding valuable literature becomes possible. 

Mr. Millich provided a list of books that influenced his own life and are part of his personal library, and encouraged us to build a personal library of works that will have a positive influence on our knowledge, character, and behavior. 

The following books were not always perfectly accurate, but they were foundational for further study and more accurate information.

Challenge your inner nerd. 

Here are the books that Mr. Millich determined were some of the most valuable in his collection. 

Biblical foundations: 

• The Bible 
• Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible by James Strong
• Unger’s Bible Dictionary by Merrill F. Unger
• Halley’s Bible Handbook by Henry H. Halley
• Baker’s Bible Atlas by Charles F. Pfeiffer
• Religions in America by Leo Rosten
• A Harmony of the Gospels by A.T Robertson
• The Books and the Parchments by F.F. Bruce
• The Life and Epistles of St. Paul by W.J.Conybeare and J.S.Howson
• The Story of the Christian Church by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavious Josephus
• The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (especially Chapter 15) by Edward Gibbon
• The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop
• The Encyclopedia of History by William Langer

Other books of further interest:

• The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilius translated by Christian Cruse
• The Little Journeys by Elbert Hubbard
• The Notebook of Elbert Hubbard by Elbert Hubbard
• The Annals of World History by James Usher
• The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett
• The Moral Compass by William J. Bennett
• The Genesis Flood by John C. Whitcomb and Henry M. Morris

Regardless of who we are or the background we have, these books can be useful in providing us with knowledge that can allow us to grow as potential members of the family of God. 

In addition to good content, it’s important that the means through which we read are appropriate as well. 

Mr. Millich presented print reading as the optimal method of reading. It allows us to slow down, apply critical thinking, appreciate beauty, discern truth, and gives time to apply deep and sophisticated reading. Although reading in print is usually preferable, reading online or digital materials can definitely be convenient and cost-efficient. 

Each method of reading has its place, so it’s important to consider what your goal is when reading a particular piece of literature.

Ultimately, the best books are the ones that mean the most to us.

The books that we find profitable and want to read are the books we typically spend the majority of our time on. It’s important to determine which books are the most important to us, because if we don’t like or want to read them, they could just take up space on our shelves. The books we don’t read will not impact us the way the books we choose to read do.

We are all influenced by outside sources. Oftentimes, it’s a combination of individuals we have known and the materials we have read. Not everything is always true or of value, but these sources of inspiration act as the foundations to our very personalities. 

It’s crucial to find what’s most important to us, and feed ourselves with knowledge that’s good.

Lexi Mitchell is a first-year student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. She is from Long Island, New York. At home, she worked as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Currently, she assists in the Living Education department as a social media manager and as a producer of written content. She enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and spending time with family.

Author: Hyabiel Daniel  | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

---

In a recent forum led by Mr. Bonjour for LivingEd students, a powerful message was conveyed: Every member of the church, regardless of their perceived strength or stature, plays a vital role in the work of God.

Drawing inspiration from 1 Corinthians 12:15, Mr. Bonjour shared an anecdote from 1962 when President John F. Kennedy visited NASA and encountered a janitor who believed he was contributing to the monumental task of putting a man on the moon. This story beautifully illustrated how even seemingly small contributions can make a significant difference.

Unity and Purpose:

Mr. Bonjour emphasized that, just like the janitor at NASA, we each have a meaningful role within the Body of Christ (the church). He underscored the importance of leaving things better than we found them and highlighted that every part of the body has a unique purpose and value.

Effective Communication:

One crucial aspect of fulfilling our roles within the church is effective communication. Mr. Bonjour stressed that understanding others’ needs and ways of operating requires clear communication. Without it, misunderstandings, disagreements, and resentments can quickly arise. He encouraged positive confrontations as a means to improve difficult situations and foster harmony.

Optimizing Our Time:

Time is a precious resource, and it’s essential that we use it wisely. Mr. Bonjour reminded us of Ecclesiastes 9:10, urging us to make the most of every opportunity. He acknowledged that life’s challenges can sometimes overwhelm us, but he emphasized that for every problem, God provides a solution. He invoked Ecclesiastes 10:10, highlighting the value of continuous learning and the importance of sharing knowledge with others.

Honoring Others:

To maintain unity and minimize friction, Mr. Bonjour referenced Romans 12:10, which encourages us to be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and to honor others by giving them preference. By honoring one another, we create an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation within the church community

In Conclusion…

Mr. Bonjour’s forum provided valuable insights into the importance of recognizing our unique contributions, fostering unity through effective communication, and making the most of our time. These principles are not only relevant to the church but can also be applied to our daily lives, helping us navigate challenges and build stronger, more harmonious relationships with others.

Hyabiel Daniel is a first-year Living Education Student. She is from London, United Kingdom, and typically attends the Seven Oaks Congregation. She enjoys studying social sciences and also loves spending time reading books, baking, and spending time with loved ones.