Join us as we discuss life’s unavoidable challenges and the essential decisions every individual must make. From career choices to social interactions, we unravel how faith serves as the cornerstone for each pivotal choice. We also highlight the generous offerings from Apologetics Press and share valuable resources for families and youth striving to grow in their faith. This episode is filled with lessons from scripture that guide us away from pitfalls and towards a life of purpose and service.
00:00:00 The Importance of Walking the Savior’s Way
00:00:20 Introduction and Welcome to International Gospel Hour
It was the psalmist that asked, how can a young man cleanse his way? Well, might we answer, walking the Savior’s way? A special lesson for our youth is just ahead, here from International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 02 :
It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thank you always to our J-Web. Greetings to all of you, and thank you for being with us for our weekly broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. You know, we’ve been on the air since 1934, or as we say, on the air or online, but we’re grateful to be well into, as of this recording, our 91st year of International Gospel Hour. Thank you for tuning in and listening to our broadcast today. We’re going to continue our theme from the last several weekly broadcasts simply titled The Savior’s Way, a series of lessons by the late Garland Elkins that was delivered some 60 years ago. One of those lessons was simply titled Youth. With our broadcast today, friends, I want to urge upon you the necessity of absolute obedience, regardless of age. And I suggest to the young people that some of us are not quite as ancient as you might think. I used to think that when a man was in his thirties he was getting rather old. It is amazing to me how much younger the age seems to become as time continues. To many of us it does seem very long since we were twelve, thirteen, nineteen and twenty. I suggest to you boys and girls that you have great potential. In Esther 4, in verse 14, it was asked, Who knows whether you are come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Who knows but that you are members of the church at this time to render some of the most valuable service ever rendered to Christ in the church? Never underestimate the power and the importance of youth. That would be a tragic mistake, friends. And it could be that there is a letter left out of teen-agers. Maybe we should say tween-agers. The little children do not want you around, and you certainly do not want them around. You are not ready to be adults yet, or maybe the adults are not ready. Well, perhaps then you might be referred to as tween-agers. I am sure some of you think that nobody has ever had the problems that you have, but you are mistaken about that. We adults have had them. Jesus faced every temptation that any of us have and resisted it perfectly. Hebrews 4.15 tells us that we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one that has been tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin. And I do not know of anyone who does not have some kind of problem. If you are looking to some imaginary future period in this life when there will be no problems, I want to disabuse your minds of that idea right now. The time will never come in this life where you will never have any more problems. Christ will help us solve our problems if we will cooperate with Him. The only people that I know of who do not have any problems are those who have died in the Lord, having died as faithful Christians. So if you think you have problems now, if you do not die as a faithful Christian, your problems will be just beginning, and they will continue forever and ever in a place called hell. I do not want you to spend eternity in hell, friends. Therefore, with every fiber of my being, it is my purpose to present to you the Savior’s way for you. And I might add this, that no matter what your problems might be, rest in the words of 1 Corinthians 10.13. There has no temptation taken you but such as man can bear, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. I know that we have problems in all phases of life, problems in youth, middle age and old age. We have, for example, the problem of selfishness in all ages. Someone related the story of a little boy and his sister who were standing on the street corner, and the little boy was eating an ice cream cone and the little girl was crying. Well, a bypasser said, Son, why is your little sister crying? And he answered, Mister, don’t pay any attention to her. She wants my ice cream cone. So don’t pay any attention to her. She cried when I ate her ice cream, too. Well, friends, you can see this problem of selfishness is a problem at every age. Other problems of this kind could be mentioned, but there are some problems you will face that will demand the very best of you in order that you can make right decisions regarding them. So in a moment, I will call specific attention to five of those decisions. Friends, we’re going to continue this study in a moment, but as we are speaking concerning youth, we have some great material, as all of our material is free. We would love to share with you and your children or grandchildren, nieces, nephews, whatever the case might be. And we’ve got something free we’d love to send you today. Here is our J-Web with the details of how you can receive the publication, Discovery.
SPEAKER 02 :
You can receive absolutely free a copy of Discovery, Scripture and Science for Kids, courtesy of our friends at apologeticspress.org. This great publication helps families of all ages understand the truth concerning such teachings as creation, evolution, dinosaurs, and other biblical subjects written on a child’s level. You can get your free copy today by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Discovery. You can also send your request through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contacts tab and leave us your name and address and put Reason in the message box. Ask for your free copy of Discovery today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Number one, every person must make a decision as to his vocation. In Genesis 3.19, it was God who said unto Adam, In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return unto the ground. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3 and verse 10, For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. To those who had been guilty of stealing, Paul said in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 28, Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need. You boys and girls must make a decision as to your vocation. There was only one man that was fed by the ravens, and that man was Elijah the prophet. But you need not expect to be fed that way. You cannot sit upon the stool of do nothing and will of the stick of do less and expect the world to give you a living. Too many people are influenced by that philosophy. A Christian cannot afford to have that kind of attitude. When you decide what your vocation will be, do not decide it solely upon the basis of what vocation will bring to me the most dollars and cents. I know we must give some consideration to money, but this is secondary as compared to Christianity. Reach your decision this way. In which vocation can I engage that will enable me to make the richest, greatest, and best contribution to Christianity? This is the correct basis upon which to decide your vocation. 2nd You must decide what school or college to attend in order to prepare for this vocation. And this is a very important matter. Now, I am sure all of us are indebted to the public schools. All of us recognize, maybe not sufficiently, that many benefits we have received from them. Some of the most dedicated people I know are young people and teachers who are in state schools. But at the same time, though, they are people of fine moral quality and character. They are not members of the church, but are in families of the world. And I maintain that a Christian family is far superior to any other family. It has been my privilege for two relatively short periods of time to be a student in two state institutions. I graduated from then Freed Hardeman College. And I say this especially for the benefit of parents who are striving to make a decision for the welfare of their children, both for time and eternity. I also say this for our young people as well. Freed Hardeman College, now university, is a school operated by members of the church. Every teacher is a Christian. Most of the men are gospel preachers. Freed Hardeman is different from any state school I have ever had any contact with. I like to encourage many of you boys to become preachers and you girls to become wives of preachers. And I know that everyone cannot attend a Christian school, but if at all possible, attend school where the teachers are faithful Christians. Let’s consider number three. You must decide the type of associates you will have. You know that no man would ever become a drunkard if he did not take the first drink. No person would ever marry an ungodly worldly type individual if he didn’t have the first date with such a one. No woman is worth a man’s soul, and no man is worth a woman’s soul. Even though you date a member of the church, you should be selective. I dated a girl in high school on a somewhat regular basis. Most of our disagreements concerned religion. She was a member of the church, but not strong. She thought I was too narrow-minded, and tonight she is supporting a denomination. If I had been so unfortunate as to have made the wrong decision, I might not be a faithful Christian and gospel preacher this day. Boys and girls, it is highly important that you make the right decisions concerning your associates. Paul says, Be not deceived, evil company does corrupt good manners, 1 Corinthians 15, 33. The New English Bible words it like this, Make no mistake, bad company is the ruin of a good character. This is indeed one of the truest statements ever made. The things of the Old Testament were written for our learning. I remember that Jacob had one daughter whose name was Dinah. He moved into a section where he was surrounded by heathens, and we read in Genesis 34, 1, And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. Now, girls, let me say this to you. If you go out and begin to mix and to mingle by way of association and like the company of those who are daughters of the land, enemies of righteousness, you had better be careful. Let me tell you what will happen if that is done. Dinah was humiliated. As the Bible says, she was defiled. And in Genesis 34, 5, and Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter. He heard of one who had taken liberties with his daughter. If there are worldly-minded members of the church in this radio audience, who think it doesn’t make any difference where their daughters go, how late they stay out, and with whom they associate, it may be said of you one day as it was said of Jacob. You may hear an evil report, and it may be true. So I want to sound a note of warning to you young people not to take away your joy, but for your own eternal welfare. And I can truly say that I have you in my heart. I want to give you an example of a boy who would not corrupt his good morals. And I’m going to refer to Joseph, a half-brother, to Dinah. Now, incidentally, many times there is a great deal of difference between members of the same family. Down in the land of Egypt, the Bible points out how Potiphar’s evil wife sought to seduce Joseph. Day after day she spoke to him, but the Bible says that Joseph hearkened not unto her nor to be with her. But one day she caught him by his garment and And it came to pass, she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and was fled forth. But this is what Joseph said to her at first, and I want to emphasize this point. In Genesis 39, 9, he said, How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Notice he did not ask how he could sin against Potiphar or Potiphar’s wife. I want carefully every one of us to observe what he did say. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Some people may think when they are sowing their wild oats that if they sin it will be against themselves or just some other person. But Joseph said, if I commit this terrible deed, I will sin against God. After David’s sin with Bathsheba and his sin against Uriah, he wrote Psalm 51 and specifically verse 4, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. In the final analysis, every sin is against God, so remember that we are responsible for choosing the right associates. One of the reasons Amnon, a son of David, committed such a terrible sin was because of the wrong encouragement from the wrong kind of friend. It is expressed in these words in 2 Samuel 13, 3. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shemiah, David’s brother. And Jonadab was a very subtle man. Now, let me encourage, emphasize, and urge you again to choose the right kind of associates. Let’s go to number four in our decision making. Another equally important decision that you will be faced with is the choice of a companion. In Proverbs 18.22, Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the Lord. The happiest day in my life was when I obeyed the gospel. The second happiest day of my life was the day that I married my wife. Whatever I am and whatever success I shall ever have has been made possible largely because of my wife. In Ephesians 5 and verse 25, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it. And in Ephesians 5, 28, even so husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies, he that loves his own wife loves himself. Choose someone that you can love like that. And now number five, you must choose for or against Christ. This is one of the most serious decisions you will have to make. Christ said in Matthew 12, 30, He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scatters abroad. Therefore, you are either for Christ or against Him. There is no neutral ground. In Matthew 6, 24, no man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. You must make up your mind one way or the other. Now, there are a few rules you should use in making decisions for Christ and throughout your life. Make the decisions with regard to the best that is within you and do so by using the best that you have to do it with now. We should be willing to stoop down to serve. For Christ said, Everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled, but he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Make these decisions with regard to other people. Well, I’ve heard the saying or the old song, It’s nobody’s business what I do, but friends, I don’t believe a word of it. For Paul said in Romans 14, 7, none of us lives to himself and none dies to himself. You cannot be an island all to yourself. You cannot live or die apart from others. So you should make your decisions with regard to what is best for others, but at the same time make sure that you never compromise the truth. You should make decisions as to what is best for Christ and Christianity. And what is best for Christ and Christianity is always the best for you. So with this in mind, I call attention to three passages. Here’s the first one. 1 Corinthians 10, 31-33 Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no occasion to stumbling, either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. Now, let’s look at some questions. Can you drink beer, whiskey, or other strong drink to the glory of God? Well, certainly no one in this radio audience believes that he can. Remember verse 32. Give no occasion of stumbling either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God. What did it say? Can you drink without causing offense and stumbling to the church? Can you drink to the glory of God? And if someone believes that he can, he should do some more thinking and studying on the subject. Here’s something of interest. Can you dance to the glory of God? Now, remember, back to our text. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all the glory of God. Do you believe that I can speak here and preach with all the fervor of my being and then when someone comes by the door say, well, what time are we going to begin the dance tonight? And what if I paraded around on the dance floor with somebody’s wife? Now, friends, you know as well as I do, I couldn’t do that to the glory of God. I would be giving offense and I would cause stumbling and plainly I would not be fit to be in this pulpit or on this radio broadcast. Now if I cannot do it, what double standard makes it right for you to participate in it whether young or old? Paul told the young people through Timothy, Let no man despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, and in purity. Again, 1 Timothy 4.12. He told Timothy to be an example to the entire church, and although demands are stringent upon the young people, you will always rejoice that you kept yourself clean and upright in soul and body. Some years ago I read the following story of a man that told his son to drive some nails into a fence post, and the boy obeyed. And the father then told him to pull out the nails, and he did so. Then he told him to stop up the holes. And although he tried, he said, Daddy, there are so many holes and the scars are so deep that I cannot completely erase where they have been. To which his daddy replied with the lesson to teach, Son, you are exactly right. He made the application for his son. One can never live in sin without some of the scars remaining. You know, sometimes people may look for clothing that’s on sale in a clothing store. One might see a sign that says marked down, slightly sold. And someone may buy such a garment that will give some good service, but He would always prefer one that was not soiled. Well, boys and girls, do not soil yourselves. Someone may say, well, I’ll sow my wild oats and the Lord will forgive me. Well, of course the Lord will forgive you when you repent, but you will suffer the consequences of sin and you will regret it as long as you live. There is not a person listening who has ever been over that road who does not now reproach himself for committing sin if he is the right kind of person. So the truth is, we cannot dance to the glory of God, and we cannot dance without causing stumbling, and we cannot dance without causing offense. You know, indeed, Brother Elkins has brought forth a powerful lesson for the youth of today. And we’re going to continue these thoughts in our next broadcast. But can we think about some things he mentioned here, friends? You know, the proper vocation choice is necessary. A work that we love, but a work where we want to glorify God. He was a friend, and we worshipped together at one time. His name was Billy. And Billy worked for the Pepsi-Cola Company. Billy called me one day of an opportunity to move into a management position. We were talking about the possibilities, how good things could be, and I said, Billy, one question. Can you glorify God with this promotion, with this move? He said, Jeff, I believe that I can. I said, then that is your answer. He took the promotion, and he served very well until he passed suddenly at a young age. Friends, we want to make certain that our work can glorify God, for God may be using us in that position to reach others. Brother Elkins mentioned school and college choices and mentioned Freed Hardeman College, and I too attended there. I have a number of young friends that attend there today. It’s now called Freed Hardeman University. I also have young friends that choose a state school, but I emphatically let them know to get involved with a Church of Christ in the area where they are attending, to be active and serve while they are in school. The ages of 18 to 21 can receive challenges unlike before, and the spiritual growth is needed to withstand the things that come forth from some of our state colleges and universities. And might I add those who opt not for college or the military but choose to go straight to the workforce to begin a vocation? Well, I’ll take you back to what I mentioned moments ago. Stay faithful to God and stay serving for God, and to Him be glory forever. Of course, the choice of associates and eventually a companion to Mary, Brother Elkins was quite thorough in both regards, and using the Scripture for such wise choices is of necessity. And fifth, always, my young friends, for Christ, no exception. May all of your choices be aimed toward Christ. Set your goals high, and bathe those goals in serving God, and watch what He doors, or rather watch what doors that He opens. Again, we’ll conclude next week with our special lesson for youth, but what I’d like to do at this moment is I want to defer to our J-Web, who, well, let him share with you an online study of the Bible. We have a generation that researches a lot online, and we have a very special study that you may want to engage within. Here is our J-Web with those details.
SPEAKER 02 :
Maybe you’d like an online study of the Bible. Sign up today. Tell them the International Gospel Hour sent you.
SPEAKER 01 :
We hope that online study will be of great help to you, our boys and girls. I also would like to mention to you an awesome website, ApologeticsPress.org. ApologeticsPress.org deals with the evolution creation controversy. deals with a lot of things of good fundamental and to strengthen our faith as we face a world of challenges. Earlier, we offered a free copy of Discovery, Scripture and Science for Kids. That is from Apologetics Press. We have a few moments left. Let me share with you one more and we’ll send you two free magazines, two free periodicals in one mailing. Here, once again, is our J-Web.
SPEAKER 02 :
Our free publication today is Valor and Virtue, a Christian apologetics magazine for teens. It is a great resource, especially for the challenging teen years. Get your free copy today by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Valor. And you can also request it through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contacts tab and leave us your name and address and put Valor in the message box. Our friends at ApologeticsPress.org have made this possible for you, our listeners. Get your copy of Valor and Virtue today.
SPEAKER 01 :
So friends, in one mailing we’ll send you Discovery as well as Valor and Virtue, some special publications for our teens. And we want to thank our brother and friend Paul Sane once again and his work at SanePublications.com to where we have the Savior’s Way book provided. And we’re going to conclude this study next week. Join me then. And thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening today. To God be the glory. And we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time.
