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Privileged Planet

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The students recently watched the video Privileged Planet for a forum; the following is a summary of the video that will hopefully encourage you to watch it, too.
Privileged Planet by Guillermo Gonzalez describes how unique the earth is regarding its ability to facilitate life and its usefulness for scientific discoveries. The video begins by tracing how man discovered the place of Earth in its solar system and describes the different views held throughout history. Aristotle believed that the earth was the center of the universe, but Copernicus disproved this with his theory that the sun was the center of the universe. Continuing, the narrators of Privileged Planet describe that even though there are physics laws that apply universally, some unique factors make Earth perfect for hosting life. Factors include the earth’s location, the makeup of its atmosphere, and its crust. While humans may try to reason away that these conditions happened by accident, the odds are significantly against this premise. Finally, the discoveries made on Earth about the solar system and universe are described as a consequence of the planet’s unique place in the universe. Albert Einstein is mentioned as stating, “The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.” Overall, Privileged Planet does a deep dive into the history of mankind’s view of the earth’s place in the solar system, factors that make it uniquely suited for life, and the many discoveries made about the space system.

“Should You Work for Yourself? What You Can Do As An Entrepreneur and How to Pitch Yourself”

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

“There is something special about being an entrepreneur.”

Students were excited to hear from Mr. Thiel in a recent forum where he shared what he does as an entrepreneur. Mr. Thiel owns M3dia Buy, where he has created online advertisements for over a hundred clients. According to Mr. Thiel, entrepreneurial success is determined by two things: your desires and the market you will serve. In his lecture he reviewed how he started his journey as an entrepreneur, what it takes to be successful, the blessings it provides, and how to become one.

Mr. Thiel described an incident during his childhood where he did not do well in Algebra; however, when he took Geometry the following year, he was very successful. He used this example to illustrate that a struggle in one area does not limit that person from succeeding in another. Later, while studying in college, he started a side hustle making websites, and after 4 years, he earned enough from it to make it a full-time job. Mr. Thiel used his experiences as an entrepreneur to help the students understand what makes one.

Requirements

  • Discipline: An entrepreneur must be able to tolerate discomfort and realize that it is temporary
  • Resourcefulness: A reference to the 5th law of success
  • Self-starting attitude: Ecclesiastes 9:10
  • Love: Love is not the same as passion. Entrepreneurs must love the people or customers they serve, which motivates them and gives them perseverance. 

He quoted Nietzsche, who said, “He who has a will to live can bear almost any how.” 

After explaining what requirements he deemed necessary to be an entrepreneur, he listed the blessings one could receive from this profession.

Blessings

  • Financial: “Self-employed people are four times more likely to be millionaires than those who work for others” (Thomas Stanley, The Millionaire Next Door). A blessing of being an entrepreneur is the ability to put as much effort as you want into a business; the entrepreneur isn’t limited to certain hours they work. Proverbs 10:4 states, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
  • God is your boss: An entrepreneur can create guidelines and policies for their company based on Scriptural principles.
  • There is less pressure to work on the Sabbath.
  • Status: Being an entrepreneur gives a person the chance to make a name for themselves and to be seen as successful by others. Proverbs 22:29 states: Do you see a man who excels in his work?
  • He will stand before kings;
  • He will not stand before unknown men.

Paths to Entrepreneurship

  • Advertise your skills on gig services like Upwork, Fiverr, TaskRabbit, or Amazon
  • freelance/ consulting- get paid for your advice/projects
  • Trade jobs
  • Writer
  • Tech- graphic design, digital advertising
  • E-Commerce- Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop
  • Mobile or doorstep services- delivering service to the customer’s home

Ways to Get Work as an Entrepreneur

Ways to get work include–speaking at conferences, making Google ads, creating a podcast or YouTube channel, and being referred by others for a job on your reputation.

How to Convince People to Pay For Your Idea

Research market interest using tools such as Google Ads keyword planner to check the popularity of the good or service you want to market. Then, test the market by running ads and tracking the sales or calls per ad or creating a webpage.

How to Pitch Yourself

Mr. Thiel described his method for pitching yourself, and it involves two steps:

  1. Write what you’ve uniquely accomplished.
  2. Write what you’re offering that appeals to the self-interest of your prospect.

Mr.Thiel provided an insightful forum on entrepreneurship that encouraged the students to think creatively. Drawing on his experiences as an entrepreneur, he provided them with a roadmap for assessing their qualifications to be entrepreneurs and learning how to become one successfully.

Being The Managing Editor

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

In a recent forum, the students heard from Mr. Robinson, the managing editor for the Living Church of God. As managing editor, he is involved in the design and layout of Tomorrow’s World and Living Church News and nearly all of the church’s written and printed content. When God works in our life, He gives us the experiences we need to shape us for later in life. In his current job, Mr. Robinson employs design principles that are a key factor in increasing comprehension for the readers of Church literature.

Experiences Matter

Mr. Robinson stated that God gave him the perfect life experiences to bring him to where he is today. Despite only attending Ambassador College for one year and never finishing his degree, he had already learned the printing trade and used this knowledge to find a job in the field. He was at the right time to witness the technology boom in the print industry. At one of his first jobs, Mr. Robinson typeset business cards. After that, he landed a job at a high-end design agency, where he wondered why he was there since he had never been interested in design. Mr. Robinson worked at a print shop for 12 years before being hired by the Church.

We might have experiences in life that don’t make sense now, or we may be in situations that cause us to wonder, however, Mr. Robinson reminded us of Romans 8:28: 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

God places us in situations that prepare us for what we will later do. He has a master plan for us, and we must remember that He has a perfect end goal. We shouldn’t be discouraged, even if we are in a difficult situation that leaves us wondering why.

After 20 years of publishing experience, Mr. Robinson was offered a job as the Managing Editor of the Living Church of God. His experiences working in print shops and design suddenly became useful; one of his first projects was redesigning Tomorrow’s World Magazine. Today, design is very relevant to his job. 

The Purpose of Design:

The design organizes and clarifies information to be intelligible to the reader; and conveys the essentials to them.

Principles of Design for a Managing Editor

  1. Structure of elements for a design and create a clear order of visual dominance between elements
  2. The font used and how the text is displayed matters
  3. Selection of color for printing and color theory
  4. Image & Cover Selection

Mr. Robinson provided an insightful forum into how he came to his job as Managing Editor of the Living Church of God and the importance of design. When we are left wondering why we are given a certain experience, we need to have faith that God has a master plan for us and there is a reason. 

Speedreading the Bible

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Mr. Gerald Weston closed this semester’s Living Education Forums program by sharing with the students the benefits of speed reading their Bibles. 

Throughout the hour period, Mr. Weston guided the students from the first chapter of Genesis through first Kings, highlighting key events and people, using a “Bible Speedreading” technique.

“Speed reading” the Bible means not just reading quickly but identifying key events and people that are part of the story flow of the Bible. This exercise provides a grasp of the overall layout of the Bible. While it may not focus on the details, it gives an understanding of where to find them, with a knowledge of the overall framework in mind. 

Mr. Weston concluded the forum by reminding the students that Bibles on cell phones have their place, but a physical copy of the Bible is important to own. A digital version can be handy, but for certain study techniques, like “speedreading the Bible”, it just doesn’t work! He left the students with the reminder to not neglect the practice of studying the Bible – and don’t let the attractiveness of a digital Bible outshine the value of the physical, written word. 

Jesus’ View of the Old Testament

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Mr. Kenneth Frank spoke with us this past forum on the important lessons we can draw from Christ Jesus and the way he treated the Old Testament 

Mr. Frank began by reminding us that there are three sections to the Hebrew Bible: the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets. He pointed out that Jesus demonstrated that all of these, not just the law and the prophets, are the authoritative words of God by quoting them in the New Testament. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Christ also showed that He was the God of the Old Testament when he stated “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms (writings) concerning Me” (Luke 24:44).

Mr. Frank then gave several examples of how Christ confirmed the Old Testament as still relevant and how Christ Jesus views it. Jesus even quoted from fourteen separate books of the Old Testament.

He quoted from:

Genesis in Mark 10:6-8

Exodus in Luke 18:20

Deuteronomy in Luke 10:26-28

1 Samuel in Mark 2:25

1 Kings in Matthew 12:42

Psalms in Mark 12:10

Isaiah in Matthew 13:13-14

Daniel in Matthew 24:15

Hosea in Matthew 9:13

Jonah in Matthew 12:40

Zechariah in Matthew 26:31

Malachi in Matthew 11:10

Jesus confirmed the existence of specific people from the Old Testament:

Abraham is mentioned in John 8:56

Isaac & Jacob are mentioned in Matthew 8:11

David is mentioned in Matthew 12:1-3

Solomon is mentioned in Matthew 6:9

Queen of Sheba is mentioned in Matthew 12:42

Elijah is mentioned in Matthew 17:11 

Elisha is mentioned in Luke 4:27

Zechariah is mentioned in Luke 11:49-51

Jesus believed the stories from the Old Testament such as:

Moses commanded circumcision found in John 7:22

Manna was provided for the Israelites found in John 6:31

David ate shewbread found in Matthew 12:3-4

David wrote certain Psalms found in Matthew 22:41-44

Moses authored the law found in Matthew 8:4

The prophets were persecuted, as found in Matthew 5:11-12

Lot’s wife being turned to stone found in Luke 17:32

The destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah found in Matthew 10:14-15

The destruction of Tyre & Sidon found in Matthew 11:21-22

Adam & Eve found in Matthew 19:4-5

Cain & Abel found in Luke 11:50-52

The Flood found in Matthew 24:37-39

Jonah & the fish found in Matthew 12:38-41

Jesus confirms the authorship of disputed books such as:

Daniel found in Matthew 24:15, and Isaiah found in Matthew 8:16-17

From these examples, we can understand that the Bible is God’s inspired word. This will assist us so we won’t fall prey to misunderstandings brought by Satan the devil. This helps to solidify in our minds that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament, inspired the writing of it, and it is only natural that He would accept as authoritative that which He inspired. 

Mark Cavendish: Never Enough

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At a recent forum, Mr. McNair surprised the Living Education students by announcing that they would be viewing a documentary featuring Mark Cavendish. Cavendish holds the record for most stage wins at the Tour de France (35), achieved across 15 Tours and 17 years (2008-2024). The students were able to draw some meaningful lessons and practice their analytical skills as they learned about Mark Cavendish and his career as a cyclist.

The Lessons

Perseverance: Mark Cavendish is described as an outstanding cyclist who won many Tour de France stages. The Tour de France is a grueling cycling race over a long distance broken up into stages, with some steep hills. In the beginning of the film, Cavendish is shown winning many trophies, but as he becomes more famous for his talent the pressure builds on him to keep winning. This pressure eventually got to him and he began to struggle physically and mentally. He was diagnosed with Epstein Barres syndrome, which took a toll on his energy and strength. However, he didn’t give up on pursuing cycling. Instead, he persevered through the dark and hard times he experienced as he struggled to regain his cycling glory.

Devotion with focus: From the time Cavendish started cycling he displayed tremendous focus on his goal of winning the Tour de France overall and winning several other races. He worked extremely hard and pushed himself hard physically to achieve his goals. He was devoted to cycling. Whereas Cavendish was devoted with a focus to pursuing cycling glory and an earthly goal, the LE students and those in the church can show this devotion and focus in seeking “first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Final Thoughts

The film Mark Cavendish: Never Enough gave the students who watched it a view into the cycling world that many of them did not know much about. Not only did they learn more about cycling and Cavendish but they also were able to draw valuable lessons and perspectives from it.

Living Your Best Life!

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At a Forum this past Thursday, Mr. Argus Wiley, president and CEO of Red Door Brands, spoke on what it means to live ‘your best life’ and how to achieve it. “You are the future of this world! is a phrase often directed at the younger generation,” Mr. Wiley began. This may seem stressful, and keep people from succeeding. It really is a lot being asked of us, yet there are still people who take on the burden of this knowledge and still strive to live the best life they can. There has been and always will be this challenge for young people, but there is a necessity to go out and make the absolute best of it!

When is your best life?

He asked us if we believe that our best life is behind us, if we’re living it now, or if it is still yet to come. One could argue that being able to live with minimal worries means having a personal chef or being surrounded by people who love us – which we might think is our “best life.” Doesn’t this sound like our childhood? For others, their best life means moving out of their parent’s house.

The odds of living the best life

Mr. Wiley presented statistics from a quick Google search he conducted on how most people in the United States live. This helped to solidify within our minds the reality of the work needed to achieve our best lives as opposed to simply believing we can let it happen.

7.29% of people become a millionaire

11.5% will end up living in poverty 

83% of people will get married

50% of those who get married will stay married  

44.4% will become obese 

16.5% will be an addict of some sort

22.8% will suffer a mental ailment

53% of people report being unhappy in their life.

Looking at this, it is more likely for us to live in poverty than to become a millionaire. He wanted to drill into our minds the severity of these reports. “You shouldn’t brush this off just because we are in the church, don’t think that can’t happen to me.” We have to put in the work daily to ensure that we do not become one of these depressing statistics.

Keys to assist in achieving the best life

  1. Get a mission statement 

A personal mission statement can give us guidance on where we are going. “People have the drive for success, but lack the sense of direction to achieve the destination.” Mr. Ames has a sermon titled What is Your Mission Statement, that Mr. Wiley recommended. Businesses, successful people, and the wealthy all have mission statements, and we need to as well.

  1. Show up

Woody Allen once said that showing up is 80% of success. Showing up is the act of making up your mind to follow through and do something. Even the little things matter; the simple act of making your bed in the morning is showing up.

  1. Do Hard Things

Human nature has the desire to quit when things become difficult, thus we need to work to push through the difficult times that will appear in each and every one of our lives. Mr. Rod McNair gave a sermon titled Do Hard Things that goes into deeper detail. 

  1. Never stop learning

Author Bryan Tracy said, “Reading a book a week on one specific topic for 7 years will make someone an expert in that specific area.” If we stop growing and learning, then we ultimately will fall within the earlier-mentioned statistics. 

  1. It is all your fault

We all will end up with the results we deserve because of what we earn through our actions. We cannot blame others for what happens to us.

  1. Pray along the way

Prayer is a vital must, yet at times we may also have to pray on the journey. Mr. Wiley described a story about two kids who missed the school bus and saw it riding off into the distance. One instantly drops to his knees and asks God for the bus to stop, while the other immediately takes off running while praying that he can catch up to it. The only one able to catch the bus was the one praying while he ran. Prayer is necessary, but we also need to put in the work to achieve our goals.

“It will take all of these strategies to become successful in living the best life.”

We have all of these opportunities to live the best life, now what are we going to do with them?

Finding a Partner in Life 

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Mr. Rodzaj began his forum to the students by stating: 

“It’s been said that there’s perhaps nothing better than a happy, healthy marriage relationship. In making human beings in his image, God created male and female to exist in a … healthy, mutually beneficial relationship.”

 To achieve this, Mr. Rodzaj provided: seven questions and four essential principles to consider in finding a partner for life. We must be aware, however, that no person is perfect and no one will be able to fulfill all of these questions and principles that are critical for marriage. His goal was for us to have better discernment when looking for a spouse and to reflect on how we ourselves can grow.

He defined a partner as, “Somebody you walk hand in hand with, arm and arm with, through all the ups and downs of life and all the challenges that you face.”

Questions to Consider

  1. Is the person totally committed to God?

To be totally committed to God, a person must have been baptized, had hands laid on to receive the Holy Spirit, and be deeply converted. He gave the example of how “Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it,” (Ephesians 5:25) to illustrate the level of commitment the potential partner must have. Furthermore, we should seek someone who has the same spiritual identity as us, to be of like mind. This will affect how you raise your future kids and the church you attend. Mr. Rodzaj offered some criteria for evaluating if a person is totally committed:

  1. How does the person answer questions on their calling?
  2. Do they have a “criteria” for evaluating which church God is working with?
  3. Do they have a solid personal relationship with God?
  4. Are they seeking God daily?
  5. Do you feel unconditionally accepted by the other person?

Does the other person recognize that people have differences but are still able to accept them? Romans 15:7 states, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God”. They do not try to change you or make you act a certain way according to their ideals. Everyone has faults, but this does not mean we ignore sin. In addition to your acceptance by the other person, you also need to be self-aware as to how God sees you.

  1. Does the person have emotional maturity?

Consider how your potential mate handles offenses; how do they respond when they’re hurt? How do they deal with family struggles? How do they handle situations that don’t go to plan? If a person isn’t able to handle these situations with emotional maturity, it can cause problems within the marriage.

  1. What are their family priorities?

You should be aware of their family backgrounds and how their family functions in comparison to yours. Know how their parents’ relationship works. Discuss each other’s views on the roles within marriage, namely as a wife and mother and vice versa. If the desires for the future family are not in harmony, then the marriage will be contentious.

  1. Are they financially responsible?

1 Timothy 5:8 states, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Husbands should have a strong work ethic and be able to provide for a family. Wives too have a role to play; they should show self-control and spend the money the husband makes wisely. A partner should be able to live according to a budget.

  1. Do they have a biblical perspective on sex and its place in marriage? 

A future mate should respect that sex is only for marriage and is sacred as Hebrews 13:4 describes. Sex is meant to unite a couple and provide pleasure; it is not for self-gratification. A person’s view on sex and its place in marriage can be observed through their habits as well as their dress. 

  1. How do they respond to authority?

Romans 13:1 states, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Consider these questions:

  1. How does the person relate to those in authority over them?
  2. Do they show respect for authority?
  3. Do they know their limits and boundaries as assigned by man and God? Are they willing to submit to authority?

Principles to Keep in Mind.

Mr. Rodzaj next provided four principles to consider when preparing for a future partner.

  1. Let God be the Matchmaker

He gave the example of how God provided Adam with his wife Eve to show how He will provide a partner for us. We shouldn’t try to force a relationship or take it into our own hands. God needs to be involved, and when it is a relationship that God is guiding, it will always be blessed. Proverbs 19:14 states that “a prudent wife is from the Lord.” 

  1. Remain as objective as you can

Mr. Rodzaj described what often happens the more time two people spend with each other. In his example, they start off on parallel lines but slowly lose objectivity the more time they spend together. This causes the lines to converge. Lack of objectivity can lead to rejection of family and friends’ advice on the relationship and can cause head and heartache down the line.

  1. Never be Afraid to Counsel about a Relationship at any Time

Seek wise and experienced counsel on your relationship, this could be older married couples in the Church or others such as ministers. Do not be tempted to solely rely on the opinion of peers.

  1. If in Doubt about a Potential Marriage Partner, Wait

“You don’t want to rush in. You have the rest of your life ahead…Remember, you’ve got a lot more years ahead of you, and it’s better to spend them happily. You know, this decision will impact the rest of your life”

Final Thoughts

Mr. Rodzaj concluded by pointing out we must be willing to do what is right when it comes to choosing a future partner to be married to. “Wait for the right conditions.” Proverbs 18:22 states “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.” Your future happiness depends on asking the right questions and following the right principles now.

Mind Upload – AI, Consciousness, and what the Bible says about the human mind

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Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka was excited to share with the students what he expressed as, “Something that shouldn’t scare them, but to which they should pay attention, in the soon coming future.” He wanted to highlight some of the technologies which he believed most students were aware of on a superficial level, yet had not done an in-depth study on the technology itself, the advancements made, as well as what to expect for the future. He began by asking the students to consider the question, “what is consciousness? He pointed out that there is a depth that can be achieved with the human mind, that sets us apart from animals. The way that man can understand his presence about other things is a base for understanding what consciousness and the human mind is all about. Along with what scientists and technological experts were finding on the subject of the human mind.

“Philosophers want to understand the human mind… while scientists want to integrate with the human mind,” explained Mr. Ciesielka. He emphasized that there is so much intermingling between the technological advancements achieved with the mind and the medical field. He proved this with several examples beginning with that of Jan Scheuermann as far back as 2012! Jan, a paralyzed individual, underwent a procedure that allowed her to control a robotic arm through an implant in her brain. This great advancement provided her with the use of being more self-sufficient and feeding herself chocolate. Even as recently as September 18th, there have been more advances in the field, such as the Neurolink brain implant that received FDA approval. The implications of this being passed have yet to be seen, but it is likely to have a large impact on the medical field. A more shocking report was that AI has gotten so advanced, that it can accurately tell what someone is thinking solely based on their brain waves. These examples provided the students with a more firm realization of the increasing connection between the mind and technology, and how technological advancements may develop in the coming years.

The speaker moved on to say, “We live in a world where we should understand some basic truths.” There may be questions raised about whether machines can gain consciousness, or if a man can upload his mind to the cloud and live forever? With these questions on the rise, the students should give it some thought and be able to provide an answer based on the Bible. Touching back on the question he posed at the beginning, Mr. Ciesielka developed the idea of what the human mind is. He answered questions such as: Why wouldn’t people be able to upload all of their memories and minds to the rapidly progressing virtual world? Would this create a copy of that person, would there be two of them, or does uploading not work at all in that way?

Mr. Ciesielka was glad to explain that the answers to these questions are found readily in the Bible and that these fundamental truths have been understood by God’s church for many years, being written about by Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Weston, and many others!  The first important thing that one must consider is what is human consciousness and the mind. Mr. Ciesielka said that consciousness is a combination of the physical brain and the spirit in man. Job 32 says; “But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.” This shows that it is the spirit God puts in man that mankind gains its knowledge. In Ecclesiastes 12, it shows that the spirit in man belongs to God, and will go back to him upon death. He explained it simply as John 3:6 notes, the mind has a spiritual aspect that cannot be made physical, nor can the physical be made spiritual. Even if one were to upload all of their memories and their mind to the web, they still wouldn’t be able to upload the spirit. There is no way in which man can be himself out of the physical life. With that being proven, that provides the answer to any question of man’s immortality within machines.

Mr. Ciesielka left the students with the call to take away everything they could from the lessons during class, forum, and even those that can be learned from each other in the dorms. He hoped that his message of being prepared for the future and being well-versed in current technology was able to sink in and that the students were able to take it with them. He wanted them to find things like the fascinating advancements in AI, and machines that interest them, while at the same time holding fast to the trunk of the tree of God’s truth he has revealed to them!

Noise and Relationships

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“What does your life sound like?”

Mr. Bueno began his forum by asking us, the students, what the level of noise in our daily lives looks like. Mr. Bueno clarified that “noise” is the unwanted sound around us and affects our concentration, health and relationships, versus “sound”, which is what God made for communication purposes. Whether it be during breakfast, going to work, or trying to study, he wanted us to imagine the noise of everyday life. He asked us just how much control we have over noise in our lives, and if we are using wisdom about what we are hearing.

How Noise Affects Us

Concentration: Noise reduces our productivity and acts as a distraction. Mr. Bueno cited the example of how open plan offices have been found to greatly decrease productivity because of unwanted conversations between colleagues–noise. 

Health: Noise pollution can cause; heart disease, less sleep, and purely be an annoyance.

Relationships: Noise affects our relationship with others and God. Amos 5:21-24 shows an example of its effect on our relationship with God; people were singing songs of praise to God despite disobedience.God even classifies their praises as “noise.”

4 Ways To Remove Noise From our Lives

  1. When listening to yourself: The meditation described in Genesis 24:62 has the connotation of speaking to yourself. To have quality time by yourself, learn to deal with the noise. This can be done by moving to another location, blocking the noise, or choosing to accept the noise when out of your control. Mr Bueno labeled this as “redeeming our eardrums.” 
  2. When listening to other people: Make the conversation a priority by going somewhere quiet to talk. If you have something in your hands, put it down so that you can focus on hearing and listening to the other person. Luke 10:38 shows how Martha in the Bible was distracted with the mental noise of serving when Christ visited her and her sister.
  3. Stop speech writing: Speech writing occurs when a person is so focused on what they are going to say next or how they will respond that they don’t focus on what the person is saying. James 1:19 states, “Let every man be swift to hear, [and] slow to speak.” Showing that we need to prioritize others over ourselves, not creating mental noise while having conversations.
  4. Fear of missing out (FOMO): Don’t let your fear of missing out on the latest news or gossip distract you; remove this unwanted background noise from your life by unplugging from technology.

Noise in Our Relationship With God

Mr. Bueno posed the question, “What type of noise can keep us from hearing God through the Bible?” He went on to describe two ways in which we can remove noise when listening to God. 

First, remove noise when listening to God through the Bible. Deuteronomy 6:3 tells Israel to ‘hear’ what He commanded them. In order to hear what God has to say through the Bible, we need to remove distractions and control our environment. Mr. Bueno mentioned how he wakes up early to do his Bible Study when it is quiet in the house. He explained that, “Approaching God, and removing the noise means actual physical noise but also, just drawing near to, to listen and have a heart that is open to receiving what God has to say through his word.”

Second, remove noise when listening to God through His Holy Spirit. “When we begin talking about removing noise in order to listen to God, we’re getting into the spirit realm of things and thinking about how to be led by God’s spirit.” God’s Holy Spirit can help us better listen to God, and remove the noise, helping us to combat our carnal mind (Romans 8:7-9). 

Final Thoughts

Mr. Bueno ended by repeating the question he began with:

 “What does your life sound like? What are the sounds? What are the noises? How much is in your control and how much is outside of your control?” 

Removing noise from our lives leads to better relationships with others as well as with God. 

Katelyn Wissinger