Battalion 3445

Well second week of Battalion, and the second week I brought my camera and didn't take any pictures. Someone remind me next week.

This week was the second of our 4 studies on RALE. This week we looked at accepting our responsibility.

Responsible means: answerable or accountable, for something in your control or management. Also means having the capacity to make moral decisions. Interesting definition. Two things I like about that definition are being accountable for something in your management, and being able to make moral decisions. As men God has entrusted us with lots of things to manage for his purposes and we are responsible to make sure we do that wisely. We are also given the capacity to make decisions, and also to make decisions that will affect others. It is our responsibility to be careful and make decisions wisely.

In squad meetings we read from Ephesians 5+6 which talks about how to live godly lives, as well as how men are supposed to look after their families. We also read from Colossians 3 about the same things, instructions how to live godly lives and how to look after our families. We also read in James 1 that we need to listen to the word of God, but more than that we also need to do what it says. We also read some more about Jesus and how he didn't need to eat because he was doing the work of the Father.

We can see three things that we as men are all responsible for: to live godly lives, to do what God asks, and to love our families.

We learned that as men of God we are responsible to live godly lives. That is a big task and we have to focus on doing the right things every day. That's one place where rejecting passivity that we learned about last week becomes clear. It is definitely easier to not try to live a godly life but God asks us to, so we must.

In James it said "do not merely listen to the word, do what it says". We need to listen to God and do what he tells us to do. We saw Jesus example of being satisfied enough to not eat by doing the will of God. We need to follow his example. What is God's will for your life? For some of us this might mean a certain job or profession. God gave us all talents and gifts to use in a different way to glorify him. All of us will need to work in our lives, we should use what God has given us to be good at what we do. We might also have gifts or talents that are not part of our job and God also asks us to use those to expand his kingdom. That might mean serving and leading in churches, youth groups, Battalions or other things to help others know Christ.

We also see that God tells men to look after their wives and children and to love them, as he loved us. Wow, big responsibility! Again it is easier not to but God tells us to so we need to do it. This is where that capacity for decision making really comes in. Each of us as men have increasing responsibility as we get older. As teens like most of you guys you start to have to make more decisions on your own instead of your parents making them for you, with this comes the accountability of making good choices. In a few years you will probably be almost completely responsible for yourself. Not long after that you will likely be thinking of getting married and then add the responsibility of having a wife to your life. God asks us to love our wives as he loved us, and also to lead them according to God's will. Sometime after that you will probably have kids and the same kinds or responsibilities are added for them

Be obedient to God, work for his kingdom, and love and lead your family, three major things God has made us responsible for. Next week we are going to look at how we can lead courageously.

Sometimes we need courage to reject passivity and accept responsibility, as men we are called to be leaders in our homes, in our churches, maybe at work or even in our communities. Next week we will look at how to be a good leader.

After squad meetings we played floor hockey. It was a pretty good game except for the bad goalie letting in a whole bunch at one end. As the game went on though it seemed to even out. In the end Phil and Ryan lost to a "next goal wins" goal. We wrapped up with council ring and then a good round of Bulldog.

Remember, double points if you do the memory verses this week! Simon and Lucas took advantage last week, everyone else should as well.

This weeks verses are James 1:19-25
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.