Finding new Balance: Approach To Education Grounded In Christian World And Life View

• The three-legged stool

           - If we focus too much on the meaningful side of life, we'll have no money, and
             we'll never accomplish the mission.
           - If we focus too much on the mission, we'll lose sight of our financial
             responsibilities, and we'll forget to enjoy daily pleasures.
           - If we fiocus too much on money or never learn to acquire and manage money
             we'll find ourselves selling out the mission and living in a world without wonder
             or meaning.

• The five dimensions of life

           - Physical: Taking care of our bodies is more than a good idea; it's the first step
             toward any kind of success.
           - Mental: Our thought lives are the soil from which our actions sprout, grow,
             and bear fruit - for better or for worse.
           - Emotional: Witht the right attitide, we can accomplish more than we ever
             dreamed. With the wrong attitude, we will ignore more opportunities than
             most people ever get.
           - Social: When we surround ourselves with trusted friends we benefit ourselves,
             and we give of ourselves to those we care about.
           - Spiritual: A relationship with God is the number one guarantee that once you
             make it into the winner's circle, you will enjoy being there.

The Employee Nobody Wants: Examination Of Subject Matter From A Faith Perspective

• Scripture: Proverbs 6:6-11

           "Go to the and you sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief,
           officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the
           harvest, how long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your
           sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and your
           proverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man."

• The employee nobody wants:

           - Does not begin things (Proverbs 6:9)
             "how ling will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?"

           - Does not finish things (Proverbs 12:27)
             "A slothful man does not roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is
             diligence"

           - Does make excuses (Proverbs 22:13)
             "The sluggard says, 'there is a lion outside; I shall be slain in the streets"

           - Does reap what they sow (Proverbs 6:11)
             "your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man"

Faith Integration Teachings: Evaluating Your Relationship with Money

Some serious soul-searching is in order if you are worried about your relationship with money. So, Faith Integration in learning has got you covered!!!

• (Eccl. 5:10-11) "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?"
• Do you think, If I only had an extra few thousand dollars my problems would all be solved?

          -if so, you're wrong.

• Rethink your attitudes toward money

          -What it's for, what it can do, and why you want it and need it.

• What is impoprtant to you?

          -make a random wish list of things you'd like to have.

• Now go back and assign a ranking to these wishes 

          -make sure you know the difference between those that are essential, those that are important, and

           those that are on the frivolous side.

• Evaluate the cost of each item in terms of time, energy, and money.

          -Everything you have or achieve will cost you a combination of these three elements.

• Decide the time frame in which you plan to reach each goal.

          -Give your goals deadlines.

• Time and money must interact responsibly if you are to maintain your balance.

Christians need to be healthy in their relationship with money in order to handle it with integrity. If you struggle financially, it is often because you were taught that you are supposed to struggle.
Even a financial breakthrough will not end the stress of the struggle, because the notion of financial struggle is lodged in your beliefs and affects your emotions and behavior. Like Proverbs says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Hicks, 2009)

Benefits of Purpose In Faith Integrated Schools

Benefits of Purpose

I.   Scripture

• (I Corinthians 9:24) - " Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one getsthe prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."
• (Hebrews 12:1) - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

II.   Life Investment Strategy

- Begin with specific goals. for each role define one/more goals by:

• Clearly defining the goal
• describing the benefits to be accrued if the goal is achieved
• List obstacles that must be overcome
• Listing the skills/knowledge that mustt be acquired
• Listing thee individuals/groups that will be involved Developing a detailed plan of action
• Setting a realistc completion date

-Develop a flexible focus
-Accept the idea of deferred satisfaction

SERVANT LEADERS: MISSION AND PRINCIPLES

DBU Mission Statement

The purpose of Dallas Baptist University is to prrovide Christ-centered higher education in the arts, sciences, and professional studies at both the  undergraduate and graduate levels to traditional age and acult students in order to prodduce servant leaders who have the abitlity to integrate faith and learning their respective callings.

Class Mission Statement

Provide Christ-centered training in Computer Science to produce servant leaders who have the ability to integrate faith and learning in a field dominated by agnostics and atheists.

Principles That Every Leader Should Know

Keep Communication Open

• Beware of: insensitivity, preoccupation, panic, indecisiveeness, impatience, insecurity, anger, fear of confrontation.

Know Where You are, Where You Are Going, and Why

• Be the one who always has a way of figuring out what the next few steps are, especially when all is not going exactly according to plan.

Cointinue to Evaluate What You Are Up Against

• Make sure your diagnosis is accurate.
• Then begin the problem-solving process a step at a time.

When a Mistake is Made. Get Over It and Get On with It.

• The biggest issue isn't problems, failures, or setbacks.
• The biggest issue is whatt you do about it.

Recognize That Who you are Is Less Important Than What You Are Willing to Do

• The most important thing about getting somewhere with your God, your life, your job, and your family is to start where your are.

        

The "Devil"

Ephesians 6:10-12
"Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

How does he attack

• As a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8)
• As a friend (Genesis 3: 4-5)
• As an angel of light (Genesis 3:1-3)

When does he attack

• When you are afflicted and depressed (Job 1-2)
• When you have one a great victory (Matthew 16:15)
• When you are doing nothing (2 Samual 11)

How do we counter-attack this in faith integrated schools

• Prayer Partners - confidential and private relationship with another student to keep them in prayer for the semester
• Prayer requests
• Devotionals dicussing topics on stress, depression, knowing and doing God's will, and the purpose of life.

Why partner?

• Keeps your partner in check buy avoiding the 7 sins
• Get people praying for each other

S-T-R-E-S-S

In my last blog I listed 7 main faith integration topics without subcategories. The subcategories will be used to expand the list and show how it relates to scripture in all my future blogs.

Today's subcategory is S-T-R-E-S-S. Stress expands the topics of subject matter from a faith perspective, and Christian world view and life view. Below is what I found in scripture about stress, which every student deals with on a daily basis, and why it should be part of faith integration.

Stress was promised (James 1:2)
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials"

Stress has a purpose (james 1:3-4)
"knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurnace and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Stress leads to prayer (James 1:5-6)
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."