Message from Joe Frost Director of Technology & Operations

1Peter-5:1-3 So I exhort the elders among you... shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

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Our homes. Our classrooms. Our volunteer work at the community center. Wherever our sphere of influence finds us next, for those of us in leadership roles, we find ourselves challenged to willingly & humbly live out our days as role models.

As parents we've chosen to have children. We lead and direct them providing guidelines, relationships, and various opportunities to teach age appropriate life lessons in preparation for that all too soon - graduation to adulthood - where they find themselves out from under our roofs and rules, and our hope is that when they are old they won't turn from it.

As elders / shepherds everywhere, we consciously make the choice to reveal our lives in such a way that others can learn from our strengths and avoid some of the consequences of our weaknesses.

From the day of Spiritual maturity when we are weaned from milk to solid food to the day of retirement when our Lord chooses to take us home, and every day in between, our lives are not our own. We shine as lights on a hill. We are as ambassadors in a foreign land. We are aliens and strangers living in such a way so as to draw men unto Him. We are role models. With the voice of the Apostle Paul we echo, "follow us as we follow Christ."

Be a role model today, now...like Jesus. We won't do it perfectly, but in His strength we can live the life, role model it for others, and someday pass the responsibility to the next in line knowing that soon we'll hear His voice of grace & truth, "Well done good & faithful servant..."