THE GREENWOOD BULLETIN
A NEWSLETTER FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE GREENWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
VOLUME 2 NO. 28                                          August 28, 2005

AUGUST MEANS BACK TO SCHOOL!

BY JOHNIE EDWARDS

To many, the month of August means back to school!  Maybe you are wondering where the summer went.  Time moves on, doesn't it?  There are some things to keep in mind as you go back to school:

  1. Don't Drink.  You may be tempted to drink because others do.  Be strong and remember, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink in raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).  Don't be afraid to say, if offered a drink, “Sorry, I don't drink!”
  2. Don't Smoke.  Some think it looks big to smoke.  Smoking kills as it is one of the worst drugs you can put into your body!  It not only kills the smoker, but those close to you who get the smoke secondhand.  “What?  Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Cor. 6:19).  This can apply to all other drugs as well.
  3. Don't Be Dishonest.  There is a tendency to cheat and be dishonest in school.  You don't have to be because others do.  “Do that which is honest” are the words of the Lord (II Cor. 13:7).
  4. Don't Get Sexually Involved.This belongs to marriage-time.  “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:3).  Save yourself for your marriage!
  5. Don't Use Filthy Language.  Some think it makes them look big to talk bad.  It really shows how small you are.  “Put off filthy communication out of your mouth” (Col. 3:8).  With more than 500,000 words in our English language, surely we can find words to express ourselves without filthy talking!
  6. Be A Good Example.  The world, including your school, needs some good example-setting.  Why don't you be the one to set that good example?  As a child of God, you are the “salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-16).  So, do some salt savoring and light bearing, as you go back to school!
  7. Be Strong.  It takes a strong person to withstand all the pressures of today's school influence.  Take the divine admonition of Paul, as he wrote the Ephesians, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph. 6:10).
  8. Be Respectful.  In a time when few have respect for anybody or anything, you can be different.  Respect  your teachers and others, including parents (Eph. 6:1-3)


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