Here's an important question:

What is the purpose of our lives?

If you have a worldly mindset then all that is important to you is making money, having an education, having recognition from friends and peers and others praising our accomplishments. In fact, its hard to pass a billboard and not agree that we deserve this or that because, hey, of course, I'm that important.

In today's society there seems to be many people looking for their 15 minutes of fame, as Andy Warhol spoke of several years ago. Perhaps in agreement with Maslow's list of achievements the pinnacle is self-acualization and the main ingredient of that is recognition by others.

So, what about the Christian in today's society. Is it all about self? Is it all about needs and wants? What about self-acutalization?

In this Sunday's Bible class Terry Bollenbacher was looking at the life of Christ in John, specifically chapter 12. The Lord says His hour has come. Up to this point on several occassions the Lord had said His time had not yet come. The context in chapter 12 clearly states His purpose was dying to bring life to those who have faith in His finished work. The analogy is that of a seed planted must die before bringing forth a crop.

Throughout the Lord's life His continual desire was to do the will of the Father and to bring Him honor. Whether it was in the selection of His disciples, the healings, calling forth Lazarus, or as captured in chapter 12 preparing Himself for the trials, the beatings, the scourgings, the mockery, and finally His death upon the cross. These were all done in obedience to bring honor to His Heavenly Father.

So, for us today, as we intend to be like our Rabbi, our purpose in this life is to bring honor to the King of the Universe. If we have an education, if we've been blessed with monetary treasures, if we possess many talents and abilities, let us not glory in these things but rather humbly use these blessings to honor our Heavenly Father.

How does one young man in Ohio use his education, his talents, his opportunities, to make a difference in the lives of young men around him? Britain Bollenbacher challenged a number of young men to memorize 1 Timothy. Several have accomplished the feat and a few others are on the way. The purpose of this task was for them to understand Paul's admonition to young men, specifically Timothy, and this is just the first phase of activity for these boys.

This week Britain will bring these 5-6 young men with him from Ohio to Indiana (which Terry calls God's country) for 4 days of intense instruction, strenuous work (roofing), conversation, wrestling with Scripture, to have these young men better understand what it means to be young men of God.

You might find it interesting that some of the topics that Britain will be addressing is how to be romantic, how to court a wife, and how to behave in a society that has gone stark raving mad. I believe this instruction is a very needful thing in today's time and look forward to the program information that Britain is putting together.

We clearly have seen how one man, the God-man, through his obedience to our Heavenly Father has changed the future of mankind and the world. Witness also how one young man taking his talents and abilities is effecting the lives of other young men in his sphere of influence. May we all take up our own mantles of responsibility and consider humbly how we may also do the will of the Father. What else could we be doing?