Sunday, August 8, 2010

How Truthful are You? Take the quiz and find out

How Truthful are You?
How honest are you? Most people think they are pretty honest people, but about 83 percent of Christian teens also believe that moral truth depends on a particular situation. Take this short quiz to see if you are as truthful as you think you are:


1. Your best friend asks you if she looks good in her new prom dress. You:
A. Tell her she looks good, even though the dress washes her out.
B. Advise her to get a tan. That will help with the coloring. However, don't tell her why. It will just hurt her feelings.
C. Tell her to return the awful dress. She can look better, and you'll help her.

2. A friend tells you he's been using steroids, and he wants you to promise not to tell anyone. You:
A. Promise, then tell your parents.
B. Promise and don't tell anyone.
C. Don't promise. You know he's in trouble and he really needs help.

3. You get out of the store and realize the cashier gave you an extra $5 in change. You:
A. Go home. Hooray! An extra $5. It's the cashier's fault, after all.
B. Slip the $5 back on the counter by the cashier.
C. Give the money back to the cashier so she can put it back into the till.

4. When the teacher left the classroom someone wrote a nasty work on the board. The teacher asks you after class if you know who did it. You:
A. Say you weren't paying attention. You don't want people to hate you.
B. Tell her you think it was a certain person, but you just aren't sure.
C. Sure you tell her. It was really nasty and that person should be held accountable.

5. You overhear some people talking and whispering about a friend of yours. You don't say anything, but later your friends asks you if people are taking about her. You:
A. Tell her you haven't heard anything. Why hurt her feelings?
B. Tell her you heard something, but sugar-coat it.
C. Tell her what you heard and help her solve the problem.
Scoring Key:

Give yourself the following points for each answer:

A=1

B=2

C=3

5-7: You are a moral liar, meaning you often lie to protect the feelings of others or protect your standing among friends. While you don't lie for the sake of lying, you can find ways of telling the truth that will increase your honesty quotient and keep others from feeling crushed.

10-12: You usually only lie when it depends on someone's feelings. While you may think you are protecting the person, it really isn't. Try to work on being more forthcoming and honest in the way you deal with situations. If you are tactful, you will find that the truth comes out much easier.

15-13: You are a truth-monger. Just be sure that you are not being too brutal in your honesty. Otherwise, keep up the good work.

Psalm 37:37 - "Look at those who are honest and good. For a wonderful future lies before those who love peace." (NLT)


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Location:English Ln,Lafayette,United States

So you took the test and your guilty of gossip. Now what?


What the Bible Says About... Gossip

Are you a gossip? Did you take the Gossip Quiz to find yourself surprised at the answer? We live in a social society where we share in each other’s lives. We are also curious people, always desiring to be “in the know.”

Yet, gossip is not helpful. Gossip actually serves to break the trust of those the people around you. The Bible has a lot of important statements regarding gossip.

Answer:
What’s Wrong with Gossip?

Everyone likes a good story, right? Well, not necessarily. What about the person the story is about? Does that person like the story? Probably not. Spreading rumors only hurts others and destroys our credibility. Who is going to trust us with anything when they think we’ll tell everyone else?

Gossip is also a way we judge others, which really isn’t our job. God is in charge of judging people, not us. Gossip really only ends up creating greed, hate, envy, murder.

Gossip is also a sign that we are not really active in our faith and in our lives. If you think about it, the busier we are, the less time we have to gossip. We no longer have the time to get wrapped up in someone else’s life. Gossip is bred out of boredom. It may start as a simple conversation about people, and then escalates quickly. The Bible clearly tells us to do more than discuss other people’s lives.

Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.” (NIV)

Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” (NIV)

Romans 1:29 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.” (NIV)

1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.” (NIV)

Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (NIV)

Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” (NIV)

So What Do I Do About Gossip?

First, if you catch yourself falling into gossip – stop. If you don’t passon the gossip there is nowhere for it to go. This includes gossip magazines and television. While it may not seem as “sinful” to read those magazines, you are contributing to gossip.

Also, when you are faced with a statement that may or may not be gossip, check out the facts. For instance, if you hear someone has an eating disorder, go to the person. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to the person yourself, and the rumor is something serious, you may want to go to a parent, pastor, or youth leader. Getting someone to help in a serious situation is not gossip as long as the information stays with you and the person you go to for help.

If you want to avoid gossip, focus on creating helpful and encouraging statements. Let the gossip and end with you and remember the Golden Rule – if you don’t want people to gossip about you, then don’t participate in gossip.

Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” (NIV)

Deuteronomy 13:14 – “Then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.” (NIV)

Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (NIV)

Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (NIV)


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Location:English Ln,Lafayette,United States

Are you a gossip? Take the quiz and find out


What's Your Gossip Quotient?
Take This Quiz and Find Out!

Think you don’t gossip? Take this quiz to find out…

1. You and your friends are at a party. You see one of your friends smoking marijuana. You:

A. Pray for him.
B. Add him to your youth group prayer list.
C. Tell everyone at school.
D. Tell a parent and pray for your friend.
2. You walk by the magazine counter and see a headline about your favorite actress cheating on her boyfriend. You:

A. Check your wallet. You must know the details!
B. You’re tempted, but you walk away.
C. Leave the magazine, but check out the story online. You won’t financially support those types of magazines.
D. You walk away. Those magazines are junk.
3. You overhear your friend’s boyfriend telling everyone lies about their date on Saturday. You:

A. Confront him right there and tell him to take back the lies.
B. Run and tell your friend.
C. Post the story on MySpace.
D. Spread lies about him. Let’s see how he feels!
4. Your friends are sitting around when one starts telling you what she heard one girl did at the party last weekend. You:

A. Listen intently. Then call everyone you know. You can’t keep a story that good quiet!
B. Listen and analyze her actions with your friends.
C. Go get another drink while they finish talking about it.
D. Tell them you don’t feel comfortable talking about it and change the subject.
5. You and your friends usually talk about:

A. Dating, friends, people at school
B. What’s going on in your lives
C. Sports, school, movies, music
D. Celebrities
6. Your friend confides in you that she’s pregnant. You:

A. Tell everyone.
B. Tell your parents, because you need to know how to deal with it.
C. Write about it in your LiveJournal.
D. Tell no one. Just pray to God what to do.
7. How many times a week do you hear yourself saying, “Did you hear about….?”

A. At least once a day.
B. 2 to 5
C. 1 to 2
D. Never.
Scoring Key

1. A = 4, B = 2, C = 1, D = 3

2. A = 1, B = 3, C = 2, D = 4

3. A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1

4. A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 4

5. A = 1, B = 3, C = 4, D = 2

6. A = 1, B = 3, C = 2, D = 4

7. A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 4

Your Scores:

7 to 14 – The Gossip. You are a gossip. You thrive on gossip and spreading news about others. Yet watch out, because people are probably gossiping about you, too. If you are trying to be a good Christian, you may want to look closer at what the Bible is telling you about your gossip behavior and learn to stop our gossiping in its tracks.

15 to 21 – Wishy-Washy. You don’t gossip all the time, but it may be something you want to work on. You may like to hear gossip more than you spread it. Maybe you like to read gossip magazines. Still, you may want to work on walking away from gossip as it starts so that you can be a better witness to those around you.

22 to 28 – The Anti-Gossip You are the anti-gossip. You tend to see gossip for what it is and confront it. You know that what you say reflects on the Lord, and you try to be more encouraging. You have a good understanding of what the Bible tells you about gossip, and you try to live the Word in your life.

Were you surprised by your results? If so, you may want to read more about gossip’s effects and what the Bible has to say about gossip so that you can start being a better witness to those around you.

Suggested Reading


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Honesty


What is honesty and why is it so important? What's wrong with a little white lie? The Bible actually has a lot to say about honesty, as God has called Christian teens to be honest people. Even little white lies to protect someone's feelings can compromise your faith. Remember that speaking and living the truth help those around us come to the Truth.
Answer:
God, Honesty, and Truth

Christ said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If Christ is Truth, then it follows that lying is moving away from Christ. Being honest is about following in God's footsteps, for He cannot lie. If the Christian teen's goal is to become more God-like and God-centered, then honesty needs to be a focus.

Hebrews 6:18 - "So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie." (NLT)

Reveals Our Character

Honesty is a direct reflection of your inner character. Your actions are a reflection on your faith, and reflecting the truth in your actions is a part of being a good witness. Learning how to be more honest will also help you keep a clear conscious.

Character plays a big role in where you go in your life. Honesty is considered a characteristic employers and college interviewers look for in candidates. When you are faithful and honest, it shows.

Luke 16:10 - "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." (NIV)

1 Timothy 1:19 - "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." (NLT)

Proverbs 12:5 - "The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful." (NIV)

God's Desire

While your honesty level is a reflection of your character, it is also a way to show your faith. In the Bible, God made honesty one of his commandments. Since God cannot lie, He sets the example for all of His people. It is God's desire that we follow that example in all that we do.

Exodus 20:16 - "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." (NIV)

Proverbs 16:11 - "The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness." (NLT)

Psalm 119:160 - "The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever." (NLT)

Keeping Your Faith Strong

Being honest is not always easy. As Christians we know how easy it is to fall into sin. Therefore, you need to work at being truthful, and it is work. The world does not give us easy situations, and sometimes we need to really work to keep our eyes on God in order to find the answers. Being honest can sometimes hurt, but knowing that you are following what God wants for you will make you more faithful in the end.

Honesty is also not just how you speak to others, but also how you speak to yourself. While humility and modesty is a good thing, being too harsh on yourself is not being truthful. Also, thinking too highly of yourself is a sin. Thus, it is important for you to find a balance of knowing your blessings and shortcomings so you can continue to grow.

Proverbs 11:3 - "Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people." (NLT)

Romans 12:3 - "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us." (NLT)

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Morning personal devo's











Each morning we spend about 45 minutes in the chapel doing our individual devo's and spending time with God in prayer and conversation. Good stuff

Location:Dewey St SW,Atlanta,United States

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A video of the kids racing at the Atlanta kids club


YouTube Video

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Day two kids club in Atlanta



















So here we are at the second day of Kids Camp. It was much better weather today and we had 10 kids. Grant was the teacher today and he did a good job. The kids ate working hard and definitely representing Christ to others. I'm so proud of them.

Location:Lexington Ave SW,Atlanta,United States