RESPONSIBILITY

RESPONSIBILITY

“Quality of Life Series”

9/21/04

LEADER: I didn’t do it…don’t know nuthin’ about it…that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “President David Rice Atchison”

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/responsibility.htm

Campus Life, February, 1980, p. 40.

David Rice Atchison -- Forget what the history books say. The 12th president of the United States was David Rice Atchison, a man so obscure that Chester A. Arthur seems a household word by comparison.

At exactly 12 noon on March 4, 1849, Zachary Taylor was scheduled to succeed James Polk as chief executive. But March 4 was a Sunday and Taylor, a devout old general, refused to take the oath of office on the Sabbath. Thus, under the Succession Act of 1792, Missouri Senator Atchison, as President ProTempore of the Senate, automatically became president. Atchison was said to have taken the responsibilities of his office very much in stride. Tongue in cheek, he appointed a number of his cronies to high cabinet positions, then had a few drinks, and went to bed to sleep out the remainder of his brief administration. On Monday at noon Taylor took over the reins, but the nation can look back fondly on the Atchison presidency as a peaceful one, untainted by even a hint of corruption.

LEADER: Today we’re talking about carpe diem …seizing the day…

Being responsible.

French playwright, Jean Baptiste Poquelin Moliere 1622-1673, said: "It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do."

(from: http:/ / www.bible.org/illus/r/r-49.htm#TopOfPage )

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “It’s Not My Responsibility”

Bits & Pieces, September 16, 1993, p. 22-24.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/responsibility.htm

Consider this story told by Bernard L. Brown, Jr., president of the Kennestone Regional Health Care System in the state of Georgia.

Brown once worked in a hospital where a patient knocked over a cup of water, which spilled on the floor beside the patient's bed. The patient was afraid he might slip on the water if he got out of the bed, so he asked a nurse's aide to mop it up. The patient didn't know it, but the hospital policy said that small spills were the responsibility of the nurse's aides while large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital's housekeeping group.

The nurse's aide decided the spill was a large one and she called the housekeeping department. A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill a small one. An argument followed.

"It's not my responsibility," said the nurse's aide, "because it's a large puddle." The housekeeper did not agree. "Well, it's not mine," she said, "the puddle is too small."

The exasperated patient listened for a time, then took a pitcher of water from his night table and poured the whole thing on the floor. "Is that a big enough puddle now for you two to decide?" he asked. It was, and that was the end of the argument.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #1

http:/ / www.bible.org/illus/r/r-49.htm#TopOfPage

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
Plato 427-347 BC Greek philosopher

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #2

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865, Sixteenth President of the USA

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #3

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“You will find men who want to be carried on the shoulders of others, who think that the world owes them a living. They don't seem to see that we must all lift together and pull together.”

Henry Ford 1863-1947, American Industrialist

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #4

http:/ / www.bible.org/illus/r/r-49.htm#TopOfPage EXCERPT

“The price of greatness is responsibility.”

Winston Churchill 1874-1965 British statesman, prime minister, author

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #5

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“All business depends upon men fulfilling their responsibilities.”

Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948, Indian Political, Spiritual Leader

LEADER: Being responsible for yourself and your job is one thing, but being responsible for others like family or employees or any group you might be assisting or presiding over can be stressful: I mean… you care how your kids turn out…you care if everyone is pulling together toward excellence and doing their part at work…you care if a project or event is successful and meaningful…and you care about the people themselves.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “No Monkeyin’ Around”

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/responsibility.htm

Responsibility for others is one of the chief causes of tension in executives. To prove this idea, an experiment was conducted some time ago with two monkeys. Scientists devised a method of giving one of the monkeys "executive" training under carefully controlled laboratory conditions.

The monkey chosen for executive training was strapped in a chair with his feet on a plate capable of giving him a minor electric shock. Then they put a light over the desk and turned the light on 20 seconds before each shock. A lever was placed by the monkey's chair. If he pulled the lever after the light came on, the light would go out and there would be no shock. The executive monkey learned to avoid the shock very quickly. The scientists then placed another monkey across the room with the same setup, except that the second monkey's lever didn't work. However, the monkeys soon learned that the first monkey's lever would work for both, turning off the second monkey's light and protecting him from shock as well. This made the first monkey an executive, since he was now responsible for preventing shock for the second one. The first monkey was intelligent. He quickly took over, protecting both himself and his colleague from shock, responding to both lights or either light without difficulty.

There was no outward change in either monkey as the experiment continued, but after awhile the executive monkey, responding to the stress of responsibility for another, developed stomach ulcers. The second monkey's health remained unchanged. The price of greatness is responsibility.

LEADER: Responsibility means you are not only responsible to yourself, but to others. (notice we said responsible to nor for.)

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Circles of Life”

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2/circles_of_life.htm

"My grandfather took me to the fish pond on the farm when I was about seven, and he told me to throw a stone into the water. He told me to watch the circles created by the stone. Then he asked me to think of myself as that stone person.
"You may create lots of splashes in your life but the waves that come from those splashes will disturb the peace of all your fellow creatures," he said.
"Remember that you are responsible for what you put in your circle and that circle will also touch many other circles. You will need to live in a way that allows the good that comes from your circle to send the peace of that goodness to others. The splash that comes from anger or jealousy will send those feelings to other circles. You are responsible for both."
That was the first time I realized each person creates the inner peace or discord that flows out into the world. We cannot create world peace if we are riddled with inner conflict, hatred, doubt, or anger. We radiate the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Connie Mack’s Team”

Bits and Pieces, December 13, 1990.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/responsibility.htm

Connie Mack was one of the greatest managers in the history of baseball. One of the secrets of his success was that he knew how to lead and inspire men. He knew that people were individuals. Once, when his team had clinched the pennant well before the season ended, he gave his two best pitchers the last ten days off so that they could rest up for the World Series. One pitcher spent his ten days off at the ball park; the other went fishing. Both performed brilliantly in the World Series. Mack never criticized a player in front of anyone else. He learned to wait 24 hours before discussing mistakes with players. Otherwise, he said, he dealt with goofs too emotionally.

In the first three years as a major league baseball manager, Connie Mack's teams finished sixth, seventh, and eighth. He took the blame and demoted himself to the minor leagues to give himself time to learn how to handle men. When he came back to the major leagues again, he handled his players so successfully that he developed the best teams the world had ever known up to that time.

Mack had another secret of good management: he didn't worry. "I discovered," he explained, "that worry was threatening to wreck my career as a baseball manager. I saw how foolish it was and I forced myself to get so busy preparing to win games that I had no time left to worry over the ones that were already lost. You can't grind grain with water that has already gone down the creek."

LEADER: Sometimes responsibility can be scary.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “The Fear of Responsibility” James Alexander Thom,

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/responsibility.htm from Nuggets

Have you ever had to paint some roof trim, high up? You get halfway up that 36-foot extension ladder and you start wondering about the ladder, its footing and your body weight. You stop and hug the ladder, looking neither up nor down. Your left leg begins a ridiculous but uncontrollable shuddering. At length you conquer that particular rung and inch your way to the next, then the next. Finally you're at the top, clinging for your life. How can you take one hand off the ladder to use the paintbrush? But you do. Tight as a fiddle you begin. The sky is clear. The sun is nice. The thirsty wood soaks up the paint. You whistle and think positive thoughts and do a good job and forget about the height.

You've learned an important lesson of life from this. No matter what higher responsibility you take on, its scary, very scary, until you start working.

LEADER: When you take on responsibility, it means taking on the responsibility of being prepared for responsibility:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Future Queen”

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/responsibility.htm

When Queen Victoria was a child, she didn't know she was in line for the throne of England. Her instructors, trying to prepare her for the future, were frustrated because they couldn't motivate her. She just didn't take her studies seriously. Finally, her teachers decided to tell her that one day she would become the queen of England. Upon hearing this, Victoria quietly said, "Then I will be good." The realization that she had inherited this high calling gave her a sense of responsibility that profoundly affected her conduct from then on.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Five Smooth Stones” Our Daily Bread

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/responsibility.htm

In 1 Samuel 17 we have the thrilling story of David, the modest shepherd boy who slew Goliath, the arrogant giant of Gath. The drama of that event so occupies our attention that the spiritual lessons contained in the more minute details may escape our notice. Today, therefore, I'd like to consider the importance of the expression "five smooth stones." Why more than one stone? Wasn't David a man of faith? Did he doubt that God would give him perfect timing and aim as he used his trusty sling to take on the enemy of the Lord? (Certainly he needed only a single small pebble to accomplish his mission. But wait, there were at least four other giants (2 Sam. 21:15-22). They might rally to Goliath's defense if something went wrong. Perhaps David had prepared for them. Trusting the Lord implicitly, he chose one stone for the champion of the Philistines and just enough to be ready for any others if they attacked.

Why did he choose "smooth stones"? Well, you can shoot much more accurately with the proper ammunition. He had faith, but he also used sanctified common sense. He didn't foolishly say, "The Lord is going to do it anyway, so I'll just pick up any old jagged rocks." No, he recognized human responsibility as well as Divine providence and selected shiny, round stones that would speed straight to the mark.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #6

http:/ / www.bible.org/illus/r/r-49.htm#TopOfPage EXCERPT

"A good deal happens in a man's life that he isn't responsible for. Fortunate openings occur; but it is safe to remember that such 'breaks' are occurring all the time, and other things being equal, the advantage goes to the man who is ready."
Lawrence Downs, Author

LEADER: Sometimes things happen for which we are not responsible, how we react to them IS our responsibility.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #7

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.

Walter Anderson American Trainer, Author

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #8

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“We are responsible for actions performed in response to circumstances for which we are not responsible.”

Allan Massie 1938- Author

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Romans 5:1-5
¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Choosing Joy”

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-05-02-00.shtml

We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 5:11

Most of us don't choose a difficult life—it chooses us. But we can choose our response to it. As someone once said, "Pain is inevitable but misery is optional." Yet, when difficulties arise, misery often seems to be the only option.

Author Lloyd Ogilvie tells of a Christian friend who was physically and emotionally depleted because of extreme pressures. A depressed mood engulfed him. When Ogilvie asked him how he was doing, he said grimly, "Well, joy's certainly no option!" Ogilvie replied, "You're right! Joy is no option. It's your responsibility."

Shocked, the friend retorted, "You talk about joy as if it were a duty." Ogilvie responded, "Right again!" He explained that we have a duty to God, ourselves, and others to overcome our moods and to battle through to joy.

In Romans 5, Paul gave these reasons for joy: We have peace with God through Christ, access into grace, and hope of future glory (vv.1-2). We have assurance that tribulation produces perseverance, which in turn builds character and leads to hope (vv.3-4). We have hope that doesn't disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts (v.5).

Fill your mind with these truths. Then, no matter what your circumstances, you can choose joy. —JEY

When trials come and my moods descend,
When pain and sorrows seem never to end,
As I yield to You, Lord, may I see
The peace and joy You've promised me. —Fitzhugh

For the Christian, joy is a choice.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #9

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”

Jim Rohn, American Businessman, Author, Speaker, Philosopher

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #10

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“Those who enjoy responsibility usually get it; those who merely like exercising authority usually lose it.”

Malcolm S. Forbes 1919-1990, American Publisher, Businessman

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #11

http://www.quoteworld.org/browse.php?thetext=responsib,oblig

"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945 German Protestant theologian

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #12

http:/ / www.bible.org/illus/r/r-49.htm#TopOfPage EXCERPT

"I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty."
John Davidson Rockefeller, Jr. 1874- American oil magnate

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #13

http:/ / www.bible.org/illus/r/r-49.htm#TopOfPage

"I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see And pursuing that vision."
Howard Schultz Owner of Starbucks Coffee

LEADER: As Mo and Bro say: “Carpet Denim”… “Seize the day!”

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #14

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“Each is responsible for his own actions.”

H. L. Hunt, American Oil Magnate

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #15

http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_responsibility.html

If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.

Les Brown 1945- Author, Trainer, Motivational Lecturer

HAVE SOMEONE READ: I Corinthians 10:31

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Give It Your Best” Our Daily Bread 5/6/96
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-05-06-96.shtml

On the 80th birthday of the famous musician and conductor Arturo Toscanini, someone asked his son what he considered to be his father's greatest achievement. He replied, "For him there can be no such thing. Whatever he happens to be doing at any moment is the biggest undertaking in his life, whether it be conducting a symphony or peeling an orange."

We ought to have a similar attitude as we serve Christ. By yielding to the Holy Spirit, we can have such a strong assurance of doing the Father's will that we'll be able to engage in every endeavor with zest and enthusiasm.

Toscanini gave himself so completely to every task that he could become totally involved in peeling an orange or in conducting a symphony. How much more we as God's children should take continual delight in the deeds of love we do for the Lord and for others!

Whether we are engaged in a project of great magnitude or simply helping a neighbor, we must consider our responsibility to God and man. The apostle Paul said, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" (Col. 3:23). Anything we do for Jesus, whether large or small, should be "the biggest thing" in our lives. RWD

Whatever you are working on,
Engage in it with zest,
Because your work is for the Lord,
And He expects your best. --Sper

It's a great thing to do a little thing well.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Colossians 3:16-17

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ[One early ms reads the Lord ] richly dwell within you, with [Or in ]all wisdom teaching and admonishing one[Or one another, singing with psalms... ] another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with[Or by; lit in His grace ] thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

LEADER: As Christians it is our responsibility to honor the Lord at all times.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 4:22-37

²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. ²⁵ Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. ²⁶ BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity. ²⁸ He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. ²⁹ Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “A Christian All the Time” Our Daily Bread 11/11/95

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-11-11-95.html

Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. - Ephesians 4:24

My nephew James had completed boot camp and had become one of the few and the proud who could say, "I'm a Marine!" His dad was showing me some graduation pictures and pointed to one of a relaxed James smiling for the camera. "I wasn't supposed to take this one," he said. "James told me he could get in trouble for having his picture taken like that while in uniform."

Apparently the Marine's code of behavior extends beyond formal functions, even to the way he is photographed. A Marine is "a new person," and this should be evident in the way he acts 24 hours a day. Of course, this doesn't mean he can never relax or smile, but there should be something different about his manner because he's a Marine.

So it is in the Christian life. The new guidelines, which apply 24 hours a day, include not lying (Eph. 4:25), not allowing our anger to lead us into sin (v.26), not giving the devil a chance to influence us (v.27), not stealing (v.28), not speaking dishonorably (v.29), not grieving the Holy Spirit (v.30), avoiding malice (v.31), and being kind (v.32).

Just as a Marine has a constant responsibility to uphold the image of the Corps, so we must remember that we represent Jesus-all the time. -JDB

Help me, Lord, to live my life
Free from selfishness and strife
So that others clearly see
Changes You have made in me. -Sper

Christ is not looking for part time followers.

LEADER: We should accept the responsibility for Godlike behavior that comes with our position in Christ. Ephesians gives futher guidelines:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 4:1-3

¹ Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

LEADER: We are responsible to walk worthy of the calling.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 5:2

² and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

LEADER: We have the responsibility of loving others.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 5:5-7

⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.

LEADER: We are responsible for the company we keep.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 5:8-9

⁸ for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

LEADER: We are responsible for walking in the light.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 5:15

¹⁵ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,

LEADER: We are to walk wisely.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 5:18-21

¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
²⁰ always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; ²¹ and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

LEADER: We are to let the Holy Spirit fill our lives.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 6:10-17

¹⁰   Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is 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.
¹³   Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
¹⁴   Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ¹⁵  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; ¹⁶  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

LEADER: We are to put on the full armor of God.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 6:18-20

¹⁸ With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, ¹⁹ and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

LEADER: We are to pray continually.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 4:7-16
⁷   But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸  Therefore it says,
          "⁽⁴⁾ WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
          HE ⁽⁵⁾ LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
          AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."
⁹   (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might ⁽fill all things.) ¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
¹²  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. ¹⁴  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; ¹⁵  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, ¹⁶  from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

LEADER: We responsible for using our spiritual gifts.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Use Your Gift”

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-15-96.shtml

Do not neglect the gift that is in you. --1 Timothy 4:14

God never gives a person a task without also providing him with what's necessary to perform the responsibility.

W. W. Dawley, referring to this truth, says, "God gave Moses a rod, David a sling, Samson the jawbone of a donkey, Shamgar an oxgoad, Esther the beauty of person, Deborah the talent for poetry, Dorcas a needle, and Apollos an eloquent tongue--and to each the ability to use that gift. In so doing, every one of them did most effective works for the Lord."

Our heavenly Father has given at least one spiritual gift to each of us as believers, and He provides all we need to carry out our individual responsibilities (1 Cor. 12:6-7). We are all essential in the body of Christ (vv.14-27). Acknowledging these truths is not only a source of comfort and encouragement, but it is also a sobering reality, for it places before us an important obligation. God's gifts to us must not be squandered! They must be fully used, because someday "each of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12).

What has the Lord given you? Are you using your spiritual gift for His glory and the blessing of others? Don't waste your gift! Use it! --RWD

Lord God, I humbly ask of You
The strength to do Your will;
I give to You my talents now
Your purpose to fulfill. --Bierema

God's call to a task
includes His strength to complete it.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “The Responsibility of Christians”

http://www.cfdevotionals.org/devpg03/de030701.htm

So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 14:12

It is not enough for the Christian to be equal to those around them. The Christian must be more loving, more understanding, more giving, and more exemplary than those around them. Christians are to shine. It is amazing, as you read the gospels, how people were attracted to Christ. They were drawn to Him. They wanted to be around Him. So also should we show such a magnetism. We also should live such lives that people are drawn too. Part of being Christlike is not only being a little different, but also being the kind of person that shows the compassion, mercy, and graciousness that we see in Christ. It means that we live distinctive lives.

As Christians we have the fountain of righteousness in our hearts. We can't bury that. The follower of Christ has been given so much. Those who rest in Christ, no matter what befall them in this life, has eternity in view. However, those who have so much are also expected to offer much. The Christian has much to offer a world that is dying, and we must not hide the grace and mercy of Christ in selfishness. We should be those who long to display it.

While living in this world, we are still called upon to set our affections on heaven. This does not mean we don't have a responsibility for the gift we have been given while we live. We are temples of God. We are to walk in the love of Christ even as we have been loved by Christ. It is never easy, but this is our responsibility as Christians. We need to let the sweetness of the grace of Christ shine on our behavior and make it a part of our character. It should be just like taking a breath of air. Our life is to be heavenly directed and that ought to permeate all our being. Earth may not be home, but while we are here we have a responsibility to grow up and live Christlike, focused on His kingdom.

God's standard is that we love Him and love Him above all else. Love to God must be primary above all, or He is not loved at all. Love is the focus of the gospel. To love anything else above God, even though it may seem hard to feel that way in our hearts, is to act as fools. This is the sum of real faith: to love God. The more we love God the more we can love others. It is maybe the greatest part of our responsibility as Christians because everything flows from it. It is our love to the Lord that establishes all our efforts in this world to serve Christ and remain burning bright as His children.

LEADER: As Christians we are responsible to shine Christ’s light on others.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Hard Questions” EXCERPT

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/ds/q0706/page8.html

People without Christ are lost and on their way to hell. We know that we are commanded to love them and to tell them about Jesus. But we tend to sidestep our responsibility. We get into involved theological discussions on why God hasn't elected everybody to salvation. And we argue for the moral necessity of a hell for the wicked. However, the question each of us should be asking ourselves is, "What am I doing to reach the lost?"

A husband and wife in their mid-twenties determined to stay in their Detroit home even though a gang of teens tried to get them to move by making life miserable for them. They invited the gang to a party in their house. The outcome? A good relationship with the neighbors, a weekly home Bible study, and the salvation of several of the gang members.

Many Christians are finding that friendship evangelism works. They have become friends with unsaved work associates and neighbors. They hold small group Bible studies. They sow the seed of the gospel by being friendly, kind, helpful, and open about their faith. Ask yourself, "If everybody did as much as I am doing to reach the lost, how many people would be coming to know Christ?" A hard question, but each of us must evaluate what we are doing to reach the world for Christ. We must break the silence--our guilty silence--and bring Christ's message to a dying world.

LEADER: When we get to heaven…”God Won’t Ask” (CALL OUT #s)

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2a/god_won't_ask.htm

1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove,

but will ask how many people you drove

who didn't have transportation.

2. God won't ask the square footage of your

house, but will ask how many people you

welcomed into your house.

3. God won't ask about the fancy clothes

you had in your closet, but will ask how

many of those clothes helped the needy.

4. God won't ask about your social status,

but will ask what kind of class you

displayed.

5. God won't ask how many material

possessions you had, but will ask if

they dictated your life.

6. God won't ask what your highest salary

was, but will ask if you compromised

your character to obtain that salary.

7. God won't ask how much overtime you

worked, but will ask if you worked

overtime for your family and loved ones.

8. God won't ask how many promotions you

received, but will ask how you promoted

others.

9. God won't ask what your job title was,

but will ask if you performed your job

to the best of your ability.

10. God won't ask what you did to help

yourself, but will ask what you did to

help others.

11. God won't ask how many friends you had,

but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.

12. God won't ask what you did to protect

your rights, but will ask what you did

to protect the rights of others.

13. God won't ask in what neighborhood you

lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.

14. God won't ask about the color of your

skin, but will ask about the content of your character.

15. God won't ask how many times your deeds

matched your words, but will ask how

many times they didn't.

LEADER: And God won’t ask about your social calendar, but He will ask… “What did you do with the people I sent you?”

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #16

http:/ / www.bible.org/illus/r/r-49.htm#TopOfPage

"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."
Eleanor Roosevelt 884-1962 US First Lady

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #17

http://www.entwagon.com/cgi-bin/quotes/quotes.pl?cat=Responsibility

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you, never excuse yourself.”

Henry Ward Beecher 1813-1887, American Preacher,Writer

LEADER: Luke 12:48 Says:

Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.

LEADER: SHALL WE SIEZE THE DAY?!

COMMENTS IF TIME:

STOP AT 10 TILL FOR

PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISES:

CUT AND DISTRIBUTE FOR READING:

“President David Rice Atchison”

“It’s Not My Responsibility”

Consider this story told by Bernard L. Brown, Jr., president of the Kennestone Regional Health Care System in the state of Georgia.

The nurse's aide decided the spill was a large one and she called the housekeeping department. A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill a small one. An argument followed.

"It's not my responsibility," said the nurse's aide, "because it's a large puddle." The housekeeper did not agree. "Well, it's not mine," she said, "the puddle is too small."

QUOTE #1

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
Plato 427-347 BC Greek philosopher

QUOTE #2

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865, Sixteenth President of the USA

QUOTE #3

“You will find men who want to be carried on the shoulders of others, who think that the world owes them a living. They don't seem to see that we must all lift together and pull together.”

Henry Ford 1863-1947, American Industrialist

QUOTE #4

“The price of greatness is responsibility.”

Winston Churchill 1874-1965 British statesman, prime minister, author

QUOTE #5

“All business depends upon men fulfilling their responsibilities.”

Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948, Indian Political, Spiritual Leader

“No Monkeyin’ Around”

“Future Queen”

“Circles of Life”

“Connie Mack’s Team”

QUOTE #7

Walter Anderson American Trainer, Author

The Fear of Responsibility”

You've learned an important lesson of life from this. No matter what higher responsibility you take on, its scary, very scary, until you start working.

“Five Smooth Stones”

QUOTE #6

QUOTE #8

“We are responsible for actions performed in response to circumstances for which we are not responsible.”

Allan Massie 1938- Author

Romans 5:1-5

“Choosing Joy”

We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 5:11

Fill your mind with these truths. Then, no matter what your circumstances, you can choose joy. —JEY

When trials come and my moods descend,
When pain and sorrows seem never to end,
As I yield to You, Lord, may I see
The peace and joy You've promised me. —Fitzhugh

For the Christian, joy is a choice.

QUOTE #9

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”

Jim Rohn, American Businessman, Author, Speaker, Philosopher

QUOTE #10

“Those who enjoy responsibility usually get it; those who merely like exercising authority usually lose it.”

Malcolm S. Forbes 1919-1990, American Publisher, Businessman

QUOTE #11

"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945 German Protestant theologian

QUOTE #12

"I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty."
John Davidson Rockefeller, Jr. 1874- American oil magnate

QUOTE #13

QUOTE #14

“Each is responsible for his own actions.”

H. L. Hunt, American Oil Magnate

QUOTE #15

If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.

Les Brown 1945- Author, Trainer, Motivational Lecturer

I Corinthians 10:31

“Give It Your Best”

Whatever you are working on,
Engage in it with zest,
Because your work is for the Lord,
And He expects your best. --Sper

It's a great thing to do a little thing well.

Colossians 3:16-17

Ephesians 4:22-37

“A Christian All the Time”

Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. - Ephesians 4:24

Just as a Marine has a constant responsibility to uphold the image of the Corps, so we must remember that we represent Jesus-all the time. -JDB

Help me, Lord, to live my life
Free from selfishness and strife
So that others clearly see
Changes You have made in me. -Sper

Christ is not looking for part time followers.

Ephesians 4:1-3

Ephesians 5:2

Ephesians 5:5-7

Ephesians 5:8-9

Ephesians 5:15

Ephesians 5:18-21

Ephesians 6:10-17

Ephesians 6:18-20

Ephesians 4:7-16

“Use Your Gift”

Do not neglect the gift that is in you. --1 Timothy 4:14

God never gives a person a task without also providing him with what's necessary to perform the responsibility.

What has the Lord given you? Are you using your spiritual gift for His glory and the blessing of others? Don't waste your gift! Use it! --RWD

Lord God, I humbly ask of You
The strength to do Your will;
I give to You my talents now
Your purpose to fulfill. --Bierema

God's call to a task
includes His strength to complete it.

“Hard Questions”

1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your house.

3. God won't ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.

4. God won't ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed.

5. God won't ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if

they dictated your life.

6. God won't ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.

7. God won't ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.

8. God won't ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.

9. God won't ask what your job title was, but will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

10. God won't ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.

11. God won't ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.

12. God won't ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

13. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.

14. God won't ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.

15. God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn't.

QUOTE #16

QUOTE #17

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you, never excuse yourself.”

Henry Ward Beecher 1813-1887, American Preacher,Writer

“The Responsibility of Christians”

So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 14:12