CharacterQuest. Volume Two

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Loraine Hunt
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1 haracterquest olume wo

2 Quest H U W UD D uthors H. B, Ph.D.. GBB, d.d.

3 Published by ifeway hristian chool esources 1998 hristian cademic Publications and ervices, nc. evised 2005, eprinted 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 reated and Developed by hristian cademic Publications and ervices, nc. Birmingham, labama o part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system for any purpose, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the publisher. equests for permission should be addressed in writing to ifeway hristian chool esources, ne ifeway Plaza, ashville, B: tem Dewey Decimal lassification: ubject Heading: H X\BB X Printed in the United tates of merica tudent inistry Publishing ifeway hurch esources ne ifeway Plaza ashville, or ordering or inquiries visit or write ifeway hurch esources ustomer ervice, ne ifeway Plaza, ashville, ii

4 haracterquest olume wo able of ontents ntroduction... 1 hapter 19 G onsistently iving ccording to the ruth hapter 20 P almly pproaching ife s hallenges hapter 21 G ree Gift hat ou an Give hapter 22 ot Waiting to Be old What to Do hapter 23 inding omplete Happiness in What God Provides hapter 24 UG ompassion Put into ction hapter 25 D Knowing the Difference between ruth and rror hapter 26 Being Genuine in ll ou ay and Do hapter 27 PU he oral tandard for ll Believers hapter 28 U esponding and Behaving as Jesus Would hapter 29 D PH Honoring God and thers through our Words hapter 30 KD ove in ction hapter 31 P Honoring thers in very Way hapter 32 DHP haracter Which nspires onfidence hapter 33 Determined to Do What s ight hapter 34 nvesting our ife in thers hapter 35 Honoring God through ur Worship hapter 36 W Highlights of haracterquest iii

5 cripture quotations not otherwise marked are taken from the ew King James ersion. opyright 1982 by homas elson, nc. Used by permission. ll rights reserved. cripture quotations marked (KJ) are from he Holy Bible, King James ersion. cripture quotations marked () are from he Holy Bible, ew nternational ersion. opyright 1978 by ew ork nternational Bible ociety. Used by permission of the Zondervan Bible Publishers. cripture quotations marked (B) are taken from he ew merican tandard Bible. opyright he ockman oundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, Used by permission. cripture quotations marked (B) are taken from he iving Bible opyright 1971 by yndale House Publishers. Used by permission. ll rights reserved. cripture quotations marked (HB) are from the Holman hristian tandard Bible opyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman hristian tandard Bible, Holman B, and HB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. cripture quotations marked () are taken from he Holy Bible, nglish tandard ersion opyright 2001 by rossway Bibles, a division of Good ews Publishers. Used by permission. ll rights reserved. iv

6 DU Who are you way down deep inside where no one can see? What things are of greatest importance to you? o whom are you most committed? What is your nature and being? What are some things you would do, or not do, no matter the pressure given by others? What are you really like when no one is looking? ll of these questions relate to the word character. he word character is defined as a distinguishing mark or distinctive quality. he sum of many of these unique traits defines the character of a person who that person really is. ame a person you know, perhaps a Jonathan or ebecca. ou immediately think about that person s looks and personality. hese are the features you can see in their appearance and behavior. However, if asked to describe someone s character, you would have to think deeper into what features are consistently shown in that person s life. s Jonathan likely to cheat if given an opportunity, or can you really depend on him to be honest no matter what happens? Does ebecca s voice always sound a sour note, or is she basically cheerful and encouraging to others? he internal qualities that you observe daily in your friends make up their character. t the same time, the qualities they see in you every day define your character. o, who are you, really, way deep inside? ow is a good time to think about how others might describe you and how you might describe yourself. ook at the words in the following lists. ircle the top five positive traits you feel are generally true, or are likely to be said by others, about you. 1

7 kind understanding truthful sincere courageous loyal friendly respectful considerate joyful hard-working conscientious obedient loving humble tolerant peaceable tender-hearted determined wise generous responsible merciful helpful caring patient faithful thankful reverent mature forgiving cooperative self-disciplined persevering prayerful committed to hrist shows initiative respectful orderly careful able to lead others honest prompt and on time selfish controlling unthankful hypocritical holds grudges dishonest lazy careless untrustworthy cheats cranky never satisfied complaining not a team player rude hurtful to others impatient disorganized always late undependable not a promise keeper not conscientious unreliable disobedient always teasing a show-off uses poor judgment immature doesn t finish things prideful boastful tattles gossips thinks sin is fun wants to be first treats others unfairly selfish foolish jealous insensitive stirs up trouble gives up quickly argumentative cooperative

8 bviously, these lists do not include everything, but they give you a good idea of the subject of this course: haracterquest. our character is what you are when no one is looking. t is your inner heart from which all your personality and behaviors flow. ake a moment to read and write out the verse below. uke 6:45 s a young teen, you are becoming more and more the person you want to be. our parents influence and control will lessen during these years as you decide what issues really matter to you. ou are in the process of building the character which will in many ways determine the rest of your life. haracter really is important! t matters in the way you perceive yourself and the feelings you have about yourself. t is important with your parents, determining how much they can trust you and thus give you privileges to go and do things on your own. t counts with your teachers as they make assignments and give grades. nd it matters with your friends! re you loyal and caring? an you be depended upon when trouble comes? ost importantly, character is significant with God! re you becoming the person He wants you to be? t is not unusual to pick up a newspaper and find stories about college students who cheat, a political leader caught in a lie, a congressman leading an impure life or even the 1 4 3

9 head of a hristian organization stealing millions of dollars. Hot topics of conversation often focus on morality crises, ethical dilemmas and deteriorating societal values. ome people blame the government; others blame television. eachers blame parents, and parents blame teachers. ll agree that things must improve dramatically with the next generation (that means you and your friends). ll agree that character really matters in the world today. or example, employers seeking workers to place in good jobs with high salaries made the following comments about young people and why they were not successful in business: hey are not dependable; they cannot take suggestions; they do not cooperate. f they finish one job, they expect someone to find them another instead of finding it for themselves. hey are not punctual; they arrive late and begin to look at the clock before closing time. hey are not loyal criticizing and condemning unwisely and unjustly. hey are untidy in their personal appearance. ll of these reasons relate to the character of individuals, not how smart they are or how much they know. hus, good character is vital for your future. he topics of ethics, morals, values and character are not new in education. any notable people have supported character education. oah Webster, author of the first dictionary published in merica, was a very committed hristian who greatly influenced our government. ou can probably find a Webster s Dictionary in your classroom or library (greatly revised from the original one). t was r. Webster who said: n my view, the hristian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed. he moral principles and precepts contained in the criptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. ll miseries and evils which men suffer from (the vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war) proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible

10 c h a r a c t e r h a r a c t e r Q u e s t r. Webster wrote a series of lessons entitled dvice to the oung and oral atechism. n them he spoke of obedience, love, curiosity of nature, faith, holiness, justice, service, humility, generosity, truth, gratitude, cheerfulness, industry and many other characteristics that were aimed at learning those things which are to make you good citizens, useful members of society, and candidates for a happy state in another world (Heaven). nother name you will recognize is Benjamin ranklin. emember that he discovered electricity by flying a kite in a storm. He was also a leader in the Philadelphia conventions that framed the onstitution of the United tates. When others could not agree and threatened to disband and go home to the colonies, r. ranklin proposed a day of prayer. God used him greatly to influence the foundations of government in the United tates. Benjamin ranklin is also well known for his efforts to establish a public school for common people who could not afford the elite private education of his day. he emphasis of this school was on the development of moral character. n fact, the teachers and principal met many months and concluded that, while subject matter was very important and desirable, character development was most needful. he virtues included were unselfishness, self-control, honesty, economy, thrift, orderliness, the ability to reconcile differences, the ability to direct intelligently and cheerfully, an appreciation of art and beauty, and, most of all, a loving disposition, which is able to stand under many tests. any schools based on the original model established by Benjamin ranklin are still in existence today. more current name you will recognize is harles indbergh. He is famous for flying the first plane across the tlantic cean. His comments demonstrate that he understood the importance of strong character. came to the conclusion that if knew the difference between the right way to do a thing and the wrong way to do it, it was up to me to train myself to do the right thing at all times. o drew up a list of character factors. t night would read off my list of character factors, and those which had fulfilled satisfactorily during the day would mark with a 1 4 5

11 red cross. hose had not been called upon to demonstrate that day would get no mark. But those character factors which had actually violated each day, would mark with a black cross. began to check myself from day to day to compare my blacks and reds from month to month and year to year. was glad to notice an improvement as grew older. Here are the character factors that indbergh recorded. altruism ambition brevity in speech concentration calmness in temper clean body clean speech clean conduct cheerfulness courage courtesy decisiveness determination economy energy enthusiasm firmness faith gracefulness hopefulness industry justice moderateness modesty neat appearance no argument no sarcasm no fault-finding no talking about others no talking too much optimism perseverance physical exercise pleasant voice punctuality patience politeness respect supervisors respect fellowman readiness to compromise recreation: manful not sinful self-esteem self-control self-confidence sense of humor sleep and rest sympathy sincerity tact thoroughness unselfishness 1 4 6

12 haracter counted to many famous people as they achieved success in our world. Does character count for you? Because moral values and character issues are of such concern in the world today, many businesses, colleges and schools have designed courses in which their employees or students study the development of these traits. ost of these courses have no Biblical basis for their subject matter. hey simply say that fairness, truthfulness, concern for others, honesty, etc., are good for society. herefore, people can learn the right thing and be motivated to do the right thing apart from any particular religion especially one founded on the Bible. History has proven these thoughts wrong. ducation can make a difference in the head of a person, but not in the heart of a person. heart change is necessary if a person is to develop good character and live justly in the world. his is the meaning of 2 orinthians 5:17: herefore, if anyone is in hrist, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. rom this change of heart and commitment to live in a new relationship with Jesus hrist, a person begins the process of omans 12:2: nd do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Does this mean only hristians can develop good character? o, not at all. ome people using the name of hrist (Hitler, for one) have caused great harm in the world. n the other hand, many people live morally good lives in comparison to others (remember the rich young ruler). However, it is only a hristian who has a deep commitment to God; only a hristian believes the Bible has given us everything we need for godliness and life. nd only a hristian has the Holy pirit as a helper in conforming the person to the character of Jesus hrist. ll admirable character traits have their ultimate source and example in God, who is the ather of ight and Giver of every good and perfect gift. s we accept His on Jesus, and He begins to live His life in us, the character traits begin to naturally occur. hey are not forced on us like an old coat that is too tight and heavy. nstead, they begin to 1 4 7

13 grow within us as we daily commit ourselves to cooperate with the Holy pirit. He teaches, leads, convicts and gives victory. his is a wonderful experience. haracter matters! his course has been designed to help you study this very important topic. t is one of two courses for your age group which focus on the development of admirable character. ach week you will consider a different character trait. ou will study Biblical examples, definitions, and most important, you will learn how to include each character trait in your life. Hopefully, you will commit to learning as much as you can. But head knowledge is not the goal of your study. our application of godly principles to everyday life is really the test of success. ay God bless you as you follow the prescription of Peter. Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. or if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our ord Jesus hrist. (2 Peter 1:5 8) 1 4 8

14 nquiry-ction ntro.1 2 Peter 1:5 7. ummarize the verses into the outline provided. tart with with (or hard work) add. hen add,,,,, and. notes notes 9

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16 nquiry-ction ntro.2 etter to e Date: Quest H Dear, fter giving it some thought, the three character areas would like to work on during this course are,, and. believe can do this in the following ways: With commitment to myself alone, 11

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18 nquiry-ction ntro.3 h a r a c t e r Q u e s t haracter earch. ind and circle some character traits you will study this year. WD BD UG H PB HKU H JU - HU D D DG P G P G UG D PU U D PH KD P DHP J X P K J G P B H H Z H B Q D Z J J K G W D Q J D P U Q H U Z Q J B U G W G H X G H K G G W K D B U H H U J H X Q J W D K H U X K J W D P G Z K W P H G G G B K D B P W W U D U H U K P B U D J G P D B Z U U K U D J K U D K P H D J P B W G J K U D X B X J H B B G B Z W H X B J P G G B P U X D P H 13

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20 G 19 onsistently iving ccording to the ruth n arch of 1942, the future of World War did not look too promising for the merican troops. his was especially true in the Pacific, where the Japanese seemed to be unstoppable. ne island after another fell to the mperial orces of Japan. he enemy was now marching into the Philippines, confident that this multi-island empire would soon be under Japan s complete control. Directing the Pacific battle strategy from his command post in the Philippines was the brilliant general, Douglas acrthur. When it became obvious that the Japanese would soon overtake the islands, General acrthur prepared to board a ship that would take him safely to ustralia. s he stepped into the escape boat, he had only three parting words for the people of the Philippines: H U! little over 30 months later ctober 20, 1944, to be exact he stood once again on Philippine soil. n his first radio announcement, he declared, his is the voice of freedom, General acrthur speaking. People of the Philippines, H UD! acrthur kept his word. His word was as good as his bond. egardless of the odds against him, including the pressures and power of enemy strategy, he was determined to make his promise good. oday it is becoming increasingly difficult to find individuals who keep their word. s a result, the term credibility gap was coined. o say that something is completely credible is to say it is capable of being believed. o refer to a gap suggests that there is an absence of trust, a reason for doubt. 15

21 Jurors often have reason to doubt the testimony of a witness on the stand. Parents are finding it more and more difficult to believe their own children. itizens frequently doubt the promises of politicians. Banks are finding it harder to believe that they will be paid back the money they have loaned. Unfortunately, the credibility gap is growing wider with each passing day. o longer do people do what they say they will do without a reminder, a warning or a threat. aintaining your integrity means that you must be faithful, uncompromising and pure. isten to what the criptures say about the importance of your integrity: When a man... takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. (umbers 31:2 ) t is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. (cclesiastes 5:5 ) ord, who may abide in hy tent? Who may dwell on hy holy hill? He who walks with integrity... nd speaks truth in his heart. (Psalm 14:1 2 B) How good are you at consistently living according to the truth? n other words, would those who know you best say that you have a credibility gap? re you always faithful, uncompromising and pure in both your words and actions? n a scale of 0 to 10 (0 = never and 10 = always), how would you rate yourself on the following questions? 1. When you say that you will meet someone at a certain place, at a certain time, do you? 2. When you say that you will pay someone back the money he loaned you by a certain time, do you? 16

22 3. When you tell someone she can depend on you to help her out, can she? 4. When you reply, es, ll pray for you, do you? 5. ertainly no one is perfect. But when you fail, do you admit it? r, like many people, do you try to give excuses to cover your actions? Beginning today, ask the ord to help you consistently live according to the truth. Determine that you will be faithful, uncompromising and pure in both word and actions. When you fail, admit it and take responsibility for your behavior. his is the only pathway to integrity. emember, there is one who has always lived a life of perfect integrity. He will always keep His Word. n fact, He has never broken one promise. here s no credibility gap with Him. et Jesus be your partner in developing integrity. how me our ways, ord; teach me our paths. ead me in our truth and teach me, for ou are the God of my salvation; on ou wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4 5) 17

23 nquiry-ction 19.1 ntegrity. ist some synonyms and antonyms for the word integrity. 18

24 nquiry-ction 19.2 Hate Hypocrisy. Give several examples of hypocrisy you know about, but do not include names. think it s hypocritical when he Biblical principle or passage that is related to to this type of hypocrisy is 19

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26 nquiry-ction 19.3 Which aster Do ou erve? hoose five actions or list your own, then check your concordance. ummarize the attitude of the world versus the commands of cripture (include your Bible references). : What does the world say? What does the Word say? gossip obeying parents dirty jokes, foul language programs, movies, magazines, etc. drugs, alcohol, tobacco attitude toward authority honesty lying gossip discouragement, bitterness eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: 21

27 nquiry-ction 19.3 (continued) : What does the world say? What does the Word say? laziness critical spirit anger worry conceit eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: eference: 22

28 nquiry-ction 19.4 haracteristics of ntegrity from the ife of Joseph. n Genesis 39 we learn of Joseph s integrity as he faces the temptation of Potiphar s wife. s you study this passage, record examples of integrity under each of the following categories: aithfulness Uncompromising lifestyle Purity 23

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30 nquiry-ction 19.5 How Do easure Up? s a class, identify a list of behaviors that are inconsistent with a hristian lifestyle and record them below. hen, individually, indicate how often each behavior occurs in your life. BH: W

31 1. nquiry-ction 19.5 (continued) What should do? With God s help, promise... y Promise y Promise 26

32 nquiry-ction 19.6 Psalm 25:4 5, 21. omplete the diagram of the verses. me in w our p t ou God my me ou. 27

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An Introduction to Christian Character Development Notesheet with Notes for the Teacher

An Introduction to Christian Character Development Notesheet with Notes for the Teacher By Dave Batty Becoming a disciple of Jesus is not simply obeying rules. It is much more than simply confessing your