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00:00 Welcome to this month’s broadcast. 00:03 Here are just a few highlights of what we will enjoy: 00:07 Has anyone ever angrily confronted you about your beliefs 00:10 and you found yourself struggling to respond? 00:14 You are not alone. 00:16 In this dramatization, we will learn how Grayson faces this same challenge. 00:22 With the right circumstances, some have enjoyed full-time service 00:25 while successfully raising a family. 00:28 What did they do to make that possible? 00:30 The Schiller’s life story will help answer that question. 00:35 We will see the excitement and benefits that come from attending pioneer school. 00:40 But these students are not pioneers; 00:42 they are all in Bethel service. 00:45 And we will learn ways to manage our time 00:47 so that we can do “the more important things.” 00:50 All this and more on this edition of JW Broadcasting! 01:14 Many have found public witnessing 01:16 to be an incredibly productive way to share the good news in their territory. 01:20 Often, when we think of this kind of ministry, 01:23 we might imagine being on a busy street or in some other urban area. 01:28 Let’s see what it’s like when public witnessing 01:30 is done in a very different location. 01:34 In the book of Romans, the first chapter, verse 20, 01:36 it talks about how you can perceive Jehovah’s creative power 01:40 by what we see in creation around us. 01:43 When you’re in a national park and you see the beauty of these parks, 01:47 you immediately think of that scripture. 01:50 We have individuals driving 01:52 from an hour and a half 01:53 to over three hours one-way 01:55 to share in this form of witnessing. 01:59 National parks generally have 02:01 what is called a freeness of speech area. 02:03 So that allows us to be able to get permission 02:06 to go into the parks to set up our carts there. 02:09 It’s just a nice place to come and relax, 02:12 and when people are relaxed, they’re wanting to talk. 02:16 They already kind of have a sense of closeness with God; 02:19 it kind of gets them thinking about their spirituality, 02:22 and then when they see our cart displayed so nicely about that, 02:25 it kind of draws them toward that. 02:28 You will find visitors from all parts of the world. 02:32 Many cultures are represented. 02:35 And quite often, we will have literature in their language. 02:39 There are many that benefit from our work at the carts. 02:43 But especially noteworthy are those 02:46 who do not have access to Bible literature. 02:50 A Chinese couple came up, and they said, 02:52 “Thank you for giving us the Bible in our language.” 02:57 That made our day. 02:58 It was fabulous! 03:00 They may not stop. 03:01 They may not talk to us. 03:02 But they see it, and that registers in their mind 03:04 —that they’ve seen this at an airport or in their city. 03:07 And now they’re going to look into it or go to the website and wonder: 03:10 ‘What was that all about? What were those people doing there?’ 03:13 We sit here sometimes 03:16 thinking we need to pinch ourselves 03:18 because it’s so beautiful that we’ve been given the privilege 03:20 of doing the cart work in a location like this. 03:25 Very soon, these national parks will not just be 03:28 isolated places that we have to travel to 03:30 —the entire world will be that national park. 03:34 And what a joy it will be 03:35 when every single person alive 03:37 can enjoy that beautiful painting that our Creator has made for us! 03:43 Jehovah’s qualities can certainly be perceived 03:46 just by taking the time to study creation. 03:50 So we can see the power of giving a witness in a beautiful location 03:54 that naturally draws attention to what Jehovah has made. 03:58 Of course, permission from park authorities 04:00 is often needed in advance, 04:02 but this idea of buying out time to appreciate something 04:07 takes us nicely into our discussion for this month. 04:11 I would like to talk about a valuable asset 04:13 that every one of us possesses 04:15 —time. 04:17 It certainly is something that is on our minds 04:19 as we go about our day’s activities. 04:22 Just think of how often you look at a clock, your watch, 04:26 or your cell phone to check the time. 04:28 Why do we do that? 04:30 Probably to see if we are ahead of time, on time, 04:34 behind time, or out of time! 04:36 But what exactly is time? 04:39 One dictionary says it is “a nonspatial continuum.” 04:44 Another says it is “the thing that is measured 04:48 as seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years.” 04:53 To explain exactly what time is in simple terms is nearly impossible, 04:58 and the Bible does not define it, 05:01 which may suggest that Jehovah knows 05:03 it is beyond our ability to understand fully. 05:07 But the Bible does discuss time. 05:10 It shows that Jehovah is very time conscious. 05:13 It speaks of time as something that we should use wisely. 05:17 And it gives us the amazing hope of living into infinity 05:21 —that is, endless time. 05:24 We do know this about time: 05:26 Every human has exactly the same number 05:29 of hours and minutes in each day. 05:32 Rich people cannot buy more hours, 05:34 and scientists cannot invent new minutes. 05:37 We can never recoup the time we have wasted; 05:41 neither can we save it to spend on another day. 05:44 Just think, we have exactly the same number of hours 05:48 to use each day that Jesus Christ had when he was on the earth! 05:52 And we can be sure that no human used his time more wisely 05:57 than did God’s Son. 06:00 It has been said that time 06:02 is the most valuable thing a human can spend. 06:05 And so it is up to us how we will use the time 06:09 that is at our disposal. 06:11 In this regard, there is a Bible principle that gives us good direction, 06:16 a principle that was shared with us by the apostle Paul 06:19 at Philippians 1:9, 10. 06:23 He wrote in verse 9: 06:25 “And this is what I continue praying,” 06:28 and in verse 10, 06:30 “that you may make sure of the more important things.” 06:34 Therefore, the theme of this month’s program 06:36 is “Make Time for ‘the More Important Things.’” 06:42 This presents us with a two-fold challenge. 06:44 First, we have to determine 06:47 what are the more important things of life. 06:51 In the scripture we just read, some Bible translations say 06:54 “have a sense of what is vital.” 06:57 So we must distinguish between activities that are merely trivial 07:02 and those that really matter. 07:05 In addition to the obligation to work to support one’s family, 07:09 to care for necessary household chores, 07:12 and to look after one’s children or aging parents, 07:15 we have many important things of a spiritual nature 07:19 that deserve our full attention: 07:22 reading and meditating on God’s Word, 07:25 studying the Bible personally and in family worship, 07:28 preparing for and attending congregation meetings, 07:32 caring for any responsibilities that we have in the congregation, 07:36 and participating in the Christian ministry. 07:40 Besides all of that, who does not want some time to rest, 07:44 to exercise, to work in the garden, 07:47 to enjoy some recreation, 07:50 or to visit with family and friends? 07:53 Have you ever felt that you did not have enough time to do all those things 07:58 —that you have difficulty fitting all the spiritual activities 08:02 into your busy life? 08:04 As much as we might like to, we cannot add an extra hour to our day 08:09 or another day to our week to accomplish more things. 08:13 So we have to be selective 08:16 about how we spend the time that we have. 08:20 We will get the most accomplished 08:22 if we prioritize the things that really matter. 08:27 And what does that mean? 08:29 To prioritize means to decide 08:32 which tasks are more important and to do them first. 08:36 In other words, decide what must be given attention 08:39 prior to other things. 08:43 There is a Bible proverb that nicely illustrates 08:46 the importance of prioritizing life’s activities. 08:50 Proverbs 12:11 states: 08:53 “The one who cultivates his land 08:56 “will be satisfied with food, 08:59 “but the one pursuing worthless things 09:01 is lacking good sense.” 09:04 What a clear warning that is for a farmer 09:07 not to fill up his day with worthless endeavors 09:10 and waste the precious time that he should be spending working in his field! 09:16 Likewise, a Christian who diligently cultivates his spirituality 09:20 can be confident of Jehovah’s blessing, 09:23 whereas a person who is distracted by worthless activities 09:27 puts his relationship with God in danger. 09:31 How can we avoid that? 09:33 By not taking valuable time away from spiritual pursuits 09:37 to spend on the things that distract us 09:40 from serving Jehovah whole-souled. 09:44 For example, when it comes to communicating with others, 09:48 what should take priority? 09:50 Starting our day by giving Jehovah praise and thanks 09:54 in prayer for another day of life 09:56 or telephoning an old friend to catch up 09:59 on the latest news in his or her life? 10:02 There’s nothing wrong with talking to a friend. 10:05 But we need to make sure we take the time 10:07 to talk to our very best Friend, Jehovah. 10:10 Obviously, it is more important to communicate with our heavenly Father, 10:14 so praying to him should be a priority. 10:19 The apostle Paul had more to say about time management. 10:23 At Ephesians 5:15-17, he wrote: 10:28 “So keep strict watch that how you walk 10:31 “is not as unwise but as wise persons, 10:34 “making the best use of your time, 10:37 “because the days are wicked. 10:39 “On this account stop being unreasonable, 10:42 “but keep perceiving what 10:44 the will of Jehovah is.” 10:47 Now we can address the second part of our challenge: 10:50 to make ample time to care 10:53 for the more important things of life. 10:55 What does Paul’s counsel 10:57 to ‘make the best use of your time’ actually mean? 11:02 Literally, in Greek, it means to ‘buy out the appointed time.’ 11:07 That implies buying time at the expense of something else. 11:12 So it helps to analyze how our time is actually being spent 11:16 and to see what adjustments are needed 11:19 so that we can buy out, or make, time for the more important things. 11:25 If we ‘perceive what the will of Jehovah is,’ 11:28 then we certainly will want to use as much time as possible 11:32 to forge an ever stronger relationship with him 11:35 and to share fully in sacred service. 11:39 Do you have definite periods set aside for the spiritual activities of life? 11:45 For congregation meetings, the schedule is set for us. 11:48 We know exactly when our congregation meets 11:51 for its midweek and weekend meetings. 11:53 We just have to be sure that we do not let 11:56 anything else get in the way of our attending 11:59 because the meetings are a priority. 12:02 Hebrews 10:25 says ‘not to forsake’ them. 12:06 For everything else 12:08 —reading the Bible, preparing for meetings, 12:11 family worship, field service activity— 12:15 we have to set our own schedule 12:18 and stick to it as part of a good spiritual routine. 12:23 As an example, what does your family do 12:27 most Saturday mornings? 12:29 Many families have the routine of going in field service every Saturday. 12:34 Rarely is anything allowed to get in the way of that routine. 12:38 For them, Saturday morning is not the time 12:41 for music lessons, dance classes, cooking courses, 12:45 working out at the gym, or anything else 12:47 —it is their time for field service. 12:51 Having a routine like that makes life easier for everyone in the family. 12:55 No one has to wonder Friday night 12:58 what is going to happen Saturday morning. 13:00 The decision has already been made 13:03 to go out in the ministry that day. 13:06 Otherwise, if we leave it up to chance every week, 13:09 then it means that 52 times during the year 13:12 we have to decide whether to go in service on Saturday. 13:15 How much simpler it is to make the decision once and for all 13:20 that we will use that time slot for the ministry, 13:23 barring any serious, unforeseen circumstances. 13:28 Of course, given your family’s situation, 13:30 another day of the week may work better. 13:32 But you get the point. 13:34 Sharing regularly in the Christian ministry cannot be left up to chance. 13:39 At Mark 13:10, 13:41 Jesus prioritized the ministry when he said: 13:44 “The good news has to be preached first.” 13:48 So if spiritual matters are going to take precedence in our lives, 13:53 we first have to make them priorities, 13:56 and second, 13:58 make ample time to care for those priorities. 14:03 That means setting aside definite periods of time 14:07 to build up our spirituality 14:09 and to stay fully involved in our worship and service. 14:14 Ecclesiastes 3:1 reinforces this thought. 14:19 It states: 14:20 “There is an appointed time for everything, 14:24 a time for every activity under the heavens.” 14:28 We have to decide when that “appointed time” is 14:31 for each of our spiritual activities. 14:34 If we are having difficulty with this, 14:37 can we shorten the time we spend on hobbies, recreation, 14:42 sports, social networking 14:45 and devote that time to our Bible reading, family worship, 14:49 meeting preparation, or field ministry? 14:52 If we can, we will find it to be spiritually refreshing 14:56 and invigorating. 14:58 This was the experience of a family man that I know 15:01 who began preparing better so as to participate each week 15:05 in the “Digging for Spiritual Gems” portion of the midweek meeting. 15:10 He made time on Sunday evenings for this. 15:13 All in his family and congregation have benefited 15:16 from the excellent points he has learned 15:19 as he does research on the assigned Bible reading, 15:22 and he feels good because of it. 15:25 One married couple decided to eliminate 15:28 some of their hobbies and personal projects. 15:31 They even packed them up and put them out of sight. 15:33 Why? 15:35 So as not to be distracted by those things. 15:38 They were nonessential activities that they decided they could do without. 15:44 Likely, we could all benefit from taking inventory of our lives 15:49 and limiting any unnecessary activities 15:52 that may be interfering with our spiritual routine. 15:55 Imagine how rewarding that would be! 15:58 Just think, if we could buy out 30 minutes each day 16:02 from doing something that is not essential, 16:04 that is about how much time it would take 16:06 to read the entire Bible in one year. 16:10 Or if we could buy out an extra hour or two 16:13 each week for the field ministry, 16:15 think of how much more we could accomplish 16:17 and how happy that would make God and Christ, 16:21 as they see us making time for the more important things! 16:27 Now, why have we felt the need to spend this time 16:30 discussing how to manage time? 16:32 It is because of something else that the Bible tells us. 16:36 First Corinthians 7:29 says 16:39 that “the time left is reduced.” 16:42 That certainly is true of the time 16:44 that is left between now and the great tribulation! 16:47 This is not the time to neglect 16:50 the most important activity of all 16:53 —our worship of Jehovah. 16:57 Making time for what matters most in life 16:59 is something we all need to do 17:01 —even our young ones. 17:03 And that’s the focus of this month’s music video 17:06 about the important things. 17:27 Ev’ry day brings decisions, and we must choose 17:36 How will we spend our time and live for the truth. 17:45 Now, there’s a time to laugh and be with our friends, 17:50 But it can’t be all we’re living for in the end. 17:57 We need to set time aside for what’s most important— 18:03 Prayer, study, and godly devotion. 18:08 Make Jehovah real, ’cause that’s really what matters. 18:17 Throw off those things pulling us down. 18:21 Think about the future and where we are now. 18:26 Let nothing take the place of more important things. 18:40 Life sure can weigh us down with bills to pay. 18:48 It can make us lose sight and misplace our faith. 18:58 But our fam’ly needs us back at home. 19:02 And if we want to be there to help and watch them grow— 19:10 We need to set time aside for what’s most important— 19:16 Prayer, study, and godly devotion. 19:20 Make Jehovah real, ’cause that’s really what matters. 19:29 Throw off those things pulling us down. 19:34 Think about the future and where we are now. 19:38 Let nothing take the place of more important things. 20:03 We need to set time aside for what’s most important— 20:09 Prayer, study, and godly devotion. 20:14 Make Jehovah real, ’cause that’s really what matters. 20:22 Throw off those things pulling us down. 20:27 Think about the future and where we are now. 20:32 Let nothing take the place of more important things. 20:54 What a delightful song, 20:57 and what precious children we saw in that music video! 21:00 Well, today we invited two young people to join us in our studio. 21:04 This is Logan, and this is Aiden. 21:06 Thank you for coming. 21:07 Thanks for inviting us. 21:08 What did you think of that video? 21:10 I liked it and that it showed a lot of families 21:14 doing stuff that involves Jehovah. 21:18 Good. 21:19 The one thing I noticed was that they were all in a relaxed setting. 21:22 It was not like in a busy city. 21:24 They were at, like, the shore 21:27 where they were talking about the Bible, 21:30 and it was nice family time that they were having. 21:33 Good observations, Fellas. 21:35 Now, three times in the chorus it said: 21:38 ‘We need to set time aside for the most important things.’ 21:42 Then it mentioned three important things. 21:45 What were they? 21:46 Prayer. 21:47 Study. 21:48 Godly— 21:48 —devotion. 21:49 That’s it, very good. 21:51 Good things for all of us to remember, wouldn’t you say? 21:53 Well now, my wife and I are in the same congregation 21:56 with Logan and Aiden and their families. 21:59 So I know what excellent meeting attenders they are. 22:01 And what I really appreciate is that you participate in the meetings 22:05 and you comment in your own words. 22:06 That’s very good and sets a nice example. 22:08 Keep it up. 22:10 Speaking of the meetings, how do you like the midweek meetings 22:13 with all the videos that we see? 22:14 It gives a diversity. 22:17 It’s not always talks. 22:18 It gives, like, a break in the meeting. 22:20 Yes. 22:21 The videos are always great, 22:26 and they go with every talk that the videos are for. 22:30 And you know, sometimes we even show Caleb and Sophia videos 22:34 from the Become Jehovah’s Friend series. 22:37 Now, I’ve got to ask you, 22:39 Do you have an idea for a new Caleb video? 22:42 I think I have one. 22:43 Caleb is at school; 22:46 he gets asked to go to a birthday party at someone’s house. 22:49 He goes home and shows his parents the card, 22:51 and they discuss what he should do about it, 22:53 and then he preaches at school. 22:55 But before he does that, 22:57 Sophia gives him a couple of pointers on preaching at school and on boldness. 23:01 Good. 23:01 How about you Aiden, do you have an idea? 23:03 Yes, I think a good idea would be: 23:07 A new kid comes to Caleb’s class, and it is his birthday, 23:12 and he passes out the treats. 23:14 But Caleb says, “No, thank you.” 23:16 And then he bullies him that he doesn’t get to have fun; 23:21 he doesn’t get treats at school. 23:26 And I think he should discuss it with the family, 23:29 and then maybe he could tell the boy 23:32 why he doesn’t celebrate birthdays. 23:35 Very nice. 23:36 Well, I’m sure the Teaching Committee of the Governing Body 23:38 will give some thought to your recommendations. 23:42 We brought you to the studio 23:44 because we want you to help me with a little experiment. 23:47 And this is an experiment that some of our viewers have seen before. 23:50 And you’ve probably seen it, too, because it’s mentioned in Volume 2 23:53 of the book Questions Young People Ask —Answers That Work. 23:57 And the idea is to help us appreciate 24:00 how we can make time for “the more important things.” 24:03 Now, let me explain what we have on the table. 24:05 The two pails represent one week in a Christian’s life. 24:10 The large rocks represent the most important things 24:13 that we need to accomplish during the week, 24:15 and all these little pebbles 24:18 represent the nonessential things of life 24:21 —recreation, playing games, playing sports, 24:26 going on the Internet, 24:28 working with social media, 24:30 our hobbies, taking music lessons. 24:33 They’re all fun things to do, but, really, they’re not essential. 24:36 Now, our challenge is 24:38 to try to get all the big rocks into the pail with the little pebbles. 24:43 So as I hand you each rock, Logan, I want you to put it in the pail. 24:47 Now, this first one represents 24:50 the important things that your father might have to do. 24:54 He works to support the family. 24:57 Maybe your mother is a pioneer or has to work secularly. 25:01 Your mothers certainly have a lot of work to do around the home caring for the family. 25:05 And you boys go to school and have homework to do, 25:08 so that’s a big part of your time, isn’t it? 25:12 Now, this rock represents 25:14 all the chores that everyone in the family has to do at home: 25:18 cleaning, washing clothes, cooking, 25:21 caring for the yard, the automobile, and so on. 25:24 That takes a lot of time. 25:31 This rock represents a third of your life 25:34 —sleeping. 25:41 Now, here are the most important things —our spiritual activities. 25:44 For instance, when we read the Bible and meditate on what we read 25:49 and when we do personal study and family worship. 25:55 This one represents all the time it takes for us 25:58 to prepare for, dress for, travel to, 26:01 and attend our congregation meetings —midweek and on the weekend. 26:08 And this represents the time we spend in the field service on the weekend. 26:15 Now, I didn’t tell you that we can’t go above the top of the pail. 26:20 They don’t fit, do they? 26:21 No. 26:22 OK. 26:23 And when that happens in a person’s life, 26:25 some brothers and sisters are tempted to decide: 26:29 ‘Well, maybe I’ll skip field service this week,’ 26:33 or ‘Maybe I’ll stay home from the meetings,’ 26:37 or ‘Maybe I just won’t get my Bible reading 26:39 and studying and family worship done this week.’ 26:42 But that’s a big mistake, isn’t it? 26:44 These are the most important things of life —our spiritual activities. 26:48 So is there some way that we can get all of this into our week’s schedule? 26:53 Here’s what we’re going to do now. 26:55 We’re going to put the rocks in the empty pail. 26:58 So, Logan, see if you can get them all in there. 27:22 Very good! They all fit. 27:24 Isn’t that nice? 27:25 We can get the more important things done. 27:27 But you know, we also want a little time for recreation, don’t we? 27:31 So, Aiden, 27:33 let’s have you pour the little pebbles into that bucket 27:37 and see how much of that you can get in there. 27:53 You can put a lot more in. 28:06 Very good! 28:07 Look how much you got in there! 28:09 Now, you didn’t get them all in, did you? 28:11 But that’s OK because the Bible tells us 28:14 we have to ‘buy out the time’ for the more important things. 28:16 So, no, we can’t spend all the time that we may want to on recreation. 28:20 We want to get the more important things done. 28:24 So, what have we learned from this little demonstration? 28:27 Why weren’t we able to get the big rocks in the pail the first time? 28:31 Aiden? 28:32 Because there was too much recreation. 28:35 That’s right. 28:37 Now, Logan, why were we able to get all the rocks in the second time? 28:41 Because we put in the nonessential things 28:44 —like watching TV, playing video games— in second. 28:48 We put that in last, didn’t we? 28:50 Good. 28:50 So that teaches us: Put the more important things first. 28:55 And it all depends on what we fill our pail up with, 28:58 or our life with, first. 29:01 Thank you very much for your help. 29:03 I appreciate that. 29:05 And keep up your good work as Kingdom publishers, 29:09 and I’ll see you at the Kingdom Hall at the next meeting. 29:12 With this illustration in mind— 29:14 Let’s turn our attention to the Schiller family. 29:16 Is it possible to balance raising a family with a busy spiritual routine? 29:21 And if circumstances allow, can parents reach out for spiritual goals 29:26 —even full-time service? 29:28 Let’s listen to their answers to those questions. 29:33 Sometimes people say: “Well, you know, what was your secret? 29:37 How did you raise six kids?” 29:39 We got married September 16, 1972. 29:43 Two things started coming quickly 29:45 —spiritual privileges came along and the children came along— 29:48 together. 29:50 I was made an elder 29:52 shortly after the elder arrangement came into effect. 29:57 The kids were just part of all that, 30:00 and you might think that sometimes they didn’t know it. 30:04 We were doing substitute work with five children, 30:07 and I don’t think they even knew what we were doing. 30:11 In 1989, we were pioneering, 30:14 and then we had the opportunity to help out at Bethel, 30:18 maybe a week or two at a time. 30:22 About that time, Patterson was starting up. 30:26 And we kind of recognized 30:29 that maybe we were getting too comfortable. 30:34 We went one time to Bethel and said: 30:36 “Hey, if you need a doctor out at Patterson, why, we’d be available. 30:40 Or we could make ourselves available, maybe.” 30:44 And wouldn’t you know it, shortly after, we got a call, 30:47 “How quickly could you sell your place and be up here?” 30:51 So we went to Bethel with six kids, 30:54 sold our house at a loss so we could do that, 30:58 and started a new life there. 31:03 So we learned pretty quickly: Don’t turn down any privileges 31:07 —and especially not because we had kids. 31:11 When we went to Bethel, the oldest one was 17. 31:16 Having children 31:18 kept my husband and me very humble 31:23 because as soon as you thought you had something figured out, 31:25 each child needed to be disciplined in a different way. 31:28 And as soon as you thought, ‘Boy, you know, I’ve got this figured out,’ 31:31 you’re thrown a curve. 31:33 A challenge was to keep doing the basic things. 31:38 You’d come home tired. 31:41 It would be so easy not to have the family study 31:45 maybe one Monday. 31:47 It’s those basic, simple things 31:50 that I think kept us on an even keel. 31:55 I often think of the illustration that Jesus gave 31:59 at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, 32:01 what he said about this foundation that was washed away. 32:06 And Jesus never blamed the storm; he blamed the foundation. 32:10 And so we recognize that any child anywhere 32:15 —in fact, even adults— can get their faith tested. 32:18 So we tried to really make sure 32:20 they had a good foundation that didn’t get washed away. 32:23 Prepare them, let them learn how to deal with people 32:26 while they’re under your care, 32:30 and get them ready for life. 32:32 We got to thinking, ‘Other parents require their kids to go to college,’ 32:36 so we just required them 32:39 to pioneer for a year. 32:41 Any kind of education— 32:42 Any kind of secular education can teach you 32:47 how to have a skill so that you have a job. 32:50 But the Bible teaches you how to live, 32:53 and it teaches you principles that you can live your life by. 32:58 And all of them kept pioneering. 33:01 You know, they did various jobs to support themselves. 33:04 They cleaned; they worked at lumberyards; they worked on roofing. 33:08 And none of them have 33:11 a complicated life that holds them down. 33:13 I wanted everlasting life for my children, 33:16 and I knew I would have to give them back to Jehovah. 33:19 We have to realize we don’t own our children —Jehovah does. 33:23 And we have to respect that. 33:25 We’re not telling them what to do anymore. 33:29 We appreciate and we’re very, very thankful 33:31 when our children, as far away as they are 33:34 and as busy as they are, 33:36 take the time to communicate with us. 33:41 And I know you won’t remember this, 33:44 but I remember one time, before you fell asleep at night, 33:48 I said, “With all that you have done for Jehovah, 33:53 what would you like in return?” 33:57 Do you remember what you said? 34:00 You said three words, “All my children.” 34:06 In Deuteronomy it says: “I have put life and death before you, 34:10 . . . and you must choose.” 34:12 So we can do what we can as parents 34:14 —some things good, some things not so good. 34:17 In the end, each one had to make 34:20 his or her own decision. 34:23 And that’s why, again, it was not any secret we had. 34:27 We’re so proud of what the kids decided 34:30 and how they turned out because it was their decision. 34:33 I think that’s the thing that we’ve learned: 34:37 Don’t turn down opportunities. 34:45 Isn’t it wonderful to hear of ones like Brother and Sister Schiller 34:49 who have offered their gifts to Jehovah? 34:52 Brother Schiller said that it was doing the basic things 34:55 that kept his family focused spiritually. 34:58 So when opportunities came along, he was able to do more, 35:01 which included pioneering, substitute circuit work, 35:05 and using the medical training he had already acquired 35:08 to volunteer at the Patterson Educational Center. 35:12 Proverbs 10:22 says: 35:15 “It is the blessing of Jehovah that makes one rich, 35:19 and He adds no hardship with it.”(Ftn.) 35:22 That certainly has proved true for Brother Schiller and his family. 35:27 We can all agree that one of the ways Jehovah provides spiritual riches 35:31 is through the training we receive at meetings, 35:33 assemblies, conventions, and even special schools. 35:37 Such training helps us to prioritize 35:41 and to do “the more important things.” 35:43 Over the past few years, members of the Bethel family 35:46 have attended the Pioneer Service School. 35:48 Let’s see how the school has helped them 35:51 in their Bethel service and in their ministry. 36:02 It was a really great privilege for us as Bethelites 36:05 to be able to study for six days. 36:07 The Governing Body giving us time to study more 36:10 about Jehovah’s qualities was tremendous 36:13 to help build our spirituality. 36:15 For many Bethelites, 36:17 this was like a gift from Jehovah 36:20 because they had never attended before. 36:23 In fact, one couple 36:24 who had been 50 years in full-time service 36:27 had never attended the pioneer school before. 36:31 I’d been invited twice before, 36:33 but unfortunately, both times I wasn’t able to go. 36:38 I felt like Jehovah was giving me a third chance, 36:40 and this time I wouldn’t miss it. 36:43 At first, you feel a little like, 36:46 this is strange; 36:48 you’re at Bethel; you’re not out pioneering. 36:50 But then, when you’ve gone to the school 36:52 and you’ve seen what the school actually does for your ministry, 36:56 it was really— 36:58 You can see why the Governing Body— 36:59 It was such a kind gift for them to give us this privilege of coming. 37:03 You’re surrounded by people who have been pioneers for years; 37:06 some have been to Gilead; some have been in the traveling work; 37:09 some have conducted pioneer schools themselves. 37:11 It’s the best. 37:15 Even though they’re in this spiritual environment, 37:17 they need to be upbuilt. 37:20 As Bethelites, we go out in service 37:22 not as much as we did when we were pioneering. 37:25 So being able to have an effective use of our time 37:28 in the ministry makes a big difference. 37:30 You learn a lot about the field ministry in pioneer school. 37:34 So in a month when 30 hours was an option, 37:36 I applied to auxiliary pioneer 37:38 and I also tried to participate a lot in the ministry on weekends. 37:42 This way I was able to prepare for the school. 37:47 I think that every Christian needs to have goals, 37:49 and even for us serving in Bethel, we need goals. 37:53 So the main thing I learned from the school 37:55 is that even while working in Bethel, 37:57 I can do more for the congregation 37:59 and make a bigger effort in the ministry. 38:01 After the pioneer school, 38:03 I realized I needed to cultivate 38:06 more humility in my Bethel service 38:08 and the field ministry. 38:12 Because there’s so much spiritual food 38:14 available at Bethel, 38:16 it can become easy to neglect personal study. 38:18 Listening to the deeply meditated comments 38:21 from the students and the instructors really stimulated me 38:24 to also meditate more deeply. 38:27 During the school, 38:28 I had to study more than usual, 38:31 so I had to set aside more time for reading 38:33 so as to be well-prepared for class. 38:35 It was really practical for me 38:37 to improve my ministry, 38:39 and it was really nice because with this new school, 38:41 we had a demonstration 38:42 of what we have to avoid and what is good to do. 38:47 There was a demonstration about what not to do on a Bible study, 38:50 and I saw myself doing some of those things. 38:53 So I realized that I really needed 38:56 to get better at conducting Bible studies. 38:58 I remember one demonstration that taught us 39:02 how we can witness informally in a supermarket line, for example. 39:08 That demonstration gave me more confidence 39:10 to witness informally. 39:13 In the school, we learned a lot about Jesus 39:15 —how he was hardworking, zealous, 39:17 and showed genuine interest in the people around him. 39:21 That example helped me to be more hardworking and zealous, 39:24 as well as to be more approachable to those whom I work with. 39:27 That’s why we’re here in Bethel 39:29 —it’s to support the preaching work. 39:31 So it doesn’t matter what assignment we have. 39:33 In a way, it’s connected to that. 39:35 The fruitage of the spirit is good not just for the ministry 39:37 but it’s good for everything in everyday life toward our brothers and sisters. 39:43 Love is such an important quality for Bethelites. 39:48 I work in the Computer Department, 39:49 but I don’t treat computers with love. 39:52 But the school strengthened my determination 39:54 to treat my brothers and sisters with love. 39:58 Out of all the other schools I’ve attended, 40:00 this school had the most impact on my life. 40:02 In just one week, it strengthens our faith, 40:05 widens our view of things, trains our conscience, 40:08 and deepens our love. 40:10 It definitely 40:12 stimulated the pioneer spirit. 40:14 Even though we’re not pioneers, 40:16 it helped us to understand 40:18 the importance of the pioneer service 40:21 and how it contributes to our overall joy 40:24 in serving Jehovah. 40:25 So that’s something that we would never want to neglect. 40:28 We really appreciated the emphasis that was placed on that 40:32 and how it also helps to keep our close relationship with Jehovah. 40:40 Certainly, we can see the blessings that have come 40:43 from making time for that additional spiritual training. 40:46 Spiritual training at Bethel also includes morning worship. 40:51 Many of you have expressed appreciation 40:53 for the morning worship programs 40:55 posted on JW Broadcasting. 40:58 Let’s listen to Brother Geoffrey Jackson of the Governing Body 41:01 as he shows us how we can maintain a faithful life course 41:05 like that of Abraham. 41:08 This morning I’d like you to imagine 41:10 for a few moments 41:11 that you’ve been asked to write 41:13 your life story for The Watchtower. 41:16 Well, once you get over the shock, 41:18 how would you go about doing that? 41:20 You’ve probably noticed with many of the life experiences in The Watchtower, 41:25 usually the first paragraph, 41:27 have a defining moment in that person’s life. 41:32 For example, Brother Eric Beveridge, who serves with us here in the United States, 41:37 he started off this way: 41:39 “‘I hereby sentence you to six months in prison.’ 41:43 “With those words ringing in my ears, I was taken off to . . . 41:46 “[p]rison in Manchester, England. . . . 41:48 “I had just faced one of the toughest tests of my young life 41:52 —I had refused to be conscripted for military service.” 41:56 Or another brother, Brother Harley Harris, 41:58 who served as a missionary in Ecuador for many years, 42:01 he referred to the date September 2, 1950. 42:05 He said: “We were at a circuit assembly, surrounded by a mob. 42:09 “The mayor brought in the National Guard to protect us from the unruly crowd. 42:13 “Soldiers with drawn rifles and bayonets lined the street. 42:17 “Amid insults, we walked to our cars and drove to . . . 42:21 “the remaining sessions of the assembly. 42:23 It was there that I was baptized at the age of 14.” 42:28 Or another brother, Brother Don MacLean 42:30 —who serves on the Branch Committee in Australasia, 42:32 a brother originally from Canada— 42:35 made this comment. 42:37 He started his life experience: 42:39 “There I sat, hour after hour, 42:41 “with one of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police by my side. 42:44 “I was his prisoner. 42:46 “We were headed for the prison camp at . . . Ontario, Canada, 42:50 “and it seemed [that] the 1,500-mile train trip 42:53 would never end.” 42:56 Well, those certainly were defining moments 42:58 in the lives of those brothers. 43:00 What about you? 43:02 What is your defining moment? 43:06 Well, you might be thinking, 43:08 ‘No one put a gun to my head and said, 43:11 “Decide now whether you’ll serve Jehovah or not.”’ 43:15 But for many of us, there have been defining moments in our lives. 43:19 Perhaps it’s the moment you decided to serve Jehovah 43:24 or the moment you decided to become a full-time servant. 43:28 Perhaps it involved some decisions, such as selling a home, 43:32 selling a business, deciding to move to Bethel, 43:36 or perhaps leaving your country and going somewhere else. 43:40 Or it may have involved certain tests or trials, 43:44 perhaps giving up opportunities for education 43:47 or for lucrative job opportunities. 43:51 Well, whatever the case, 43:53 I’m sure most of us have had some defining moments 43:57 in our lives that we remember 43:59 —the decisions that were made that resulted in much good. 44:04 Let’s think for a moment about the faithful man Abraham. 44:08 What was the defining moment in his life? 44:11 Well, if you take your Bibles and turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11, 44:15 of course, here we see the apostle Paul giving us an outline 44:20 or history of many of the defining moments 44:23 in the lives of faithful ones. 44:26 At Hebrews 11:8, it says of Abraham: 44:30 “By faith Abraham, when he was called, 44:34 “obeyed by going out to a place 44:36 “he was to receive as an inheritance; 44:39 he went out, although not knowing where he was going.” 44:44 Yes, that was a defining moment in the life of Abraham, wasn’t it? 44:48 He decided to obey Jehovah, to leave Ur, 44:53 and to travel to a distant country that he didn’t really know about. 45:00 But was that all that was involved 45:03 with Abraham receiving the reward? 45:06 No. 45:07 Let’s read on a little further in verse 9. 45:11 There it says: 45:12 “By faith he lived as a foreigner 45:14 “in the land of the promise as in a foreign land, 45:17 “living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 45:21 the heirs with him of the very same promise.” 45:25 Now, this is not a defining moment, is it? 45:28 This is a course of faithfulness, 45:31 day in, day out. 45:34 So, what’s the point? 45:36 Well, in the case of Abraham, 45:38 we remember that eventually he and his family 45:41 crossed the Euphrates River and into the Promised Land 45:44 in the year 1943 B.C.E. 45:47 But he had to wait 25 years before his son Isaac was born 45:52 and then another 60 years 45:55 before his grandsons Esau and Jacob were born. 45:58 And eventually, he died after being in the Promised Land 46:02 as a foreigner for about 100 years. 46:05 So, what’s the point? 46:07 Although there was a definite decision he made 46:11 —a defining moment in his life— 46:13 that was backed up as verse 9 says, 46:17 by his faithfulness 46:19 —day in, day out— 46:21 serving Jehovah. 46:23 So the lesson we learn from that is 46:26 that it’s not just the defining moments 46:30 that define who we are. 46:32 Rather, those moments and those decisions 46:36 need to be backed up by faithful service. 46:39 Let’s be quite frank. 46:42 Many of the life experiences that we read in The Watchtower 46:45 may have a very exciting first paragraph. 46:48 “Yes, they put a gun to my head. 46:51 “Make your decision. 46:52 “Will you die? 46:53 Would you be willing to die for Jehovah?” 46:56 But then, when you read the rest of the article, 46:59 nothing really exciting happened in that person’s life. 47:02 I’m sorry to say it. 47:05 That includes my life experience as well. 47:09 Why? 47:10 Because the majority of our lives 47:13 are not involved with defining moments 47:16 —exciting things that are happening. 47:19 Rather, they involve our faithfulness to Jehovah. 47:23 So we can’t just rely upon these defining moments and say, 47:27 “Well, I made this decision to serve Jehovah; 47:30 I passed this test, so everything is good.” 47:33 No, we need to continue to back up those defining moments 47:38 with faithful service. 47:41 Remember that in the Scriptures, 47:43 there were many who had defining moments in their lives. 47:46 Take, for example, Solomon. 47:48 He had a defining moment, didn’t he, when he prayed to Jehovah 47:52 and he was praised for the fact that he asked for wisdom rather than wealth? 47:57 But that wasn’t backed up by faithfulness. 48:01 Eventually, that defining moment in his life 48:04 really wasn’t as valuable as it could’ve been 48:07 because of his lack of faithfulness. 48:10 And what about Judas Iscariot? 48:13 Were there some defining moments in his life? 48:16 Obviously, he decided to follow Jesus at one point. 48:20 And during that time, when he faithfully followed Jesus, 48:23 no doubt, there were very exciting, interesting things that happened. 48:28 But again, those defining moments in his life 48:32 proved to be of little value 48:34 because of the lack of faithfulness on his part. 48:38 So that helps us to understand 48:40 why the apostle Paul said some very interesting points 48:44 just before he started this list that he gives us in Hebrews chapter 11. 48:48 Let’s turn to Hebrews chapter 10, 48:53 Hebrews 10:35-39. 48:59 Notice, this is the point that we should gain from this lesson. 49:04 Paul says starting in verse 35: 49:08 “Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, 49:11 “which will be richly rewarded. 49:14 For you need endurance,” 49:17 now, that reminds us of what Jesus said 49:19 about ‘the one who endures to the end will be saved,’ 49:23 “so that after you have done the will of God, 49:26 “you may receive the fulfillment of the promise. 49:29 “For yet ‘a very little while,’ 49:31 “and ‘the one who is coming will arrive and will not delay.’ 49:36 “‘But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,’ 49:41 “and ‘if he shrinks back, I have no pleasure in him.’ 49:45 “Now we are not the sort who shrink back to destruction, 49:49 but the sort who have faith for the preserving of our lives.” 49:54 What a very positive comment that is. 49:57 So when we think of our life experience, 50:01 don’t be disappointed if you don’t have some spectacular things 50:05 that you can mention as defining moments. 50:08 Remember, the important thing 50:11 is not just the decisions that we make along the way 50:14 but the fact that we remain faithful to Jehovah 50:18 day in, day out. 50:21 As Brother Jackson mentioned, 50:23 we might experience a “defining moment” in our spiritual lives, 50:27 but real faithfulness is shown 50:29 in how we handle smaller challenges day to day. 50:33 One example might be if someone 50:35 were to attack our beliefs in front of others. 50:37 Have you ever experienced that? 50:39 Were you nervous? 50:41 Did you find it challenging to find the right words to make a defense? 50:45 In the next video, notice how the character of Grayson 50:49 deals with a similar situation. 51:01 It was one of those mornings 51:04 when everything seemed to be going right. 51:09 In fact, this whole year was going right 51:12 ever since I got baptized. 51:15 My family is closer than ever. 51:18 I’ve made some good friends in the congregation. 51:22 I even started a Bible study. 51:26 It felt good to let go of my fears 51:28 and serve Jehovah with everything I have. 51:35 But things can change very quickly. 51:48 Uh, I’m sorry. You know what? 51:50 I think I saw Grayson over the weekend on Saturday. 51:53 I think he might be one of those people that tells you about the Bible. 51:55 One of those, uh— 51:55 You’re saying Grayson is a Jehovah’s Witness? 51:59 Yeah. Let me go ask him. 52:01 Hey, Grayson? 52:03 Hey, how’s it going, Ron? 52:05 Did I see you on Saturday morning over on Main Street? 52:07 Yeah. You know, I’m one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 52:10 And what we do, we go out and talk to people about— 52:12 I’m sorry. I just don’t get it. 52:14 You’ll go knocking on strangers’ doors 52:16 to support your own religion, yet you won’t stand and support this country. 52:20 Why don’t you people 52:21 get involved and make a real difference for once? 52:34 I was really disappointed in myself. 52:38 I guess I hadn’t moved past all my fears like I thought. 52:43 Later that night, for family worship, 52:45 we sat down and discussed our brothers who were in prison 52:48 for their faith. 52:50 Mom, why are they in prison? 52:53 They don’t want to fight; they don’t want to kill people. 52:55 It really touched Aiden. 52:58 He was moved to pray for them that night. 53:02 His prayer touched my heart. 53:04 And with so much on my mind, I couldn’t sleep. 53:08 So I decided to get up and do some research. 53:11 I found some information on the apostle Peter. 53:15 Despite his zeal, 53:18 he also struggled at times 53:20 with fear of man 53:22 like when he denied Jesus three times. 53:28 But eventually, he overcame that fear. 53:33 We strictly ordered you 53:35 not to keep teaching on the basis of this name, 53:39 and yet look! 53:41 you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, 53:43 and you are determined 53:45 to bring the blood of this man upon us. 53:48 We must obey God as ruler rather than men. 53:51 The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, 53:54 whom you killed, hanging him on a stake. 54:16 “Always ready to make a defense 54:19 “before everyone who demands of you a reason 54:23 for the hope you have” 54:26 —Peter focused on his hope, 54:29 not his fear. 54:32 Just like these faithful brothers have been doing, 54:36 I want to be like them and make Jehovah proud of me. 54:52 The next day I woke up, 54:54 and I was thinking about the apostle Peter 54:56 and our brothers who were in prison for their faith. 55:05 And even though I was still a little nervous, 55:07 I felt ready to talk to Eric. 55:13 Hey, Ron, Eric. 55:15 Sorry I didn’t get a chance to explain the other day, 55:17 but if you have a moment now, I’d love to be able to talk to you. 55:20 I don’t want to hear it. 55:23 Sorry, Grayson. 55:26 And I thought that was it. 55:31 But it wasn’t. 55:34 Ron said he wanted to know more. 55:39 Maybe I’ll never completely get rid of my fears. 55:42 But my love for Jehovah 55:44 and the example of his courageous servants 55:47 helps me to be ready to meet the challenge. 55:49 The other day I wanted to show you something. 55:54 What a practical example of how taking time to meditate 55:58 on Biblical or modern integrity-keepers 56:01 can help us have the courage to defend our faith! 56:04 This is just another example of how making time 56:08 for “the more important things” 56:10 —such as prayer, study, and godly devotion— 56:13 can help us remain faithful. 56:16 Before we conclude our program, 56:18 let’s take a moment and travel to the country of Hungary. 56:22 Situated in the center of Europe, 56:25 visitors to Hungary can enjoy delicious food and wine 56:28 and see the beautiful great plain known as the Puszta. 56:32 Water also plays a vital role throughout the country, 56:35 with its abundant rivers, lakes, and thermal springs. 56:39 There are more than 21,000 publishers 56:42 and close to 300 congregations. 56:45 They’re offering waters of truth to others, 56:47 often in spite of severe economic challenges. 56:51 In fact, during the last ten years, 56:54 the number of regular pioneers has nearly doubled. 56:58 In 2016, 57:00 a pregroup in the Lovari language was formed. 57:03 This language is spoken by many Roma people in Hungary. 57:07 While none in the group is a native Lovari speaker, 57:11 they’re willing to learn this language to help these thirsty ones. 57:16 Additionally, this year, nearly 30,000 foreign students 57:21 enrolled at various universities in Hungary, 57:24 providing a very diverse territory for those serving 57:27 in a foreign-language congregation or group. 57:31 Our brothers and sisters from Hungary 57:33 are overjoyed to send their love and greetings to all of you. 57:37 We send them our Christian love in return. 57:41 From the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 57:44 this is JW Broadcasting.
00:00 Welcome to this month’s broadcast. 00:03 Here are just a few highlights of what we will enjoy: 00:07 Has anyone ever angrily confronted you about your beliefs 00:10 and you found yourself struggling to respond? 00:14 You are not alone. 00:16 In this dramatization, we will learn how Grayson faces this same challenge. 00:22 With the right circumstances, some have enjoyed full-time service 00:25 while successfully raising a family. 00:28 What did they do to make that possible? 00:30 The Schiller’s life story will help answer that question. 00:35 We will see the excitement and benefits that come from attending pioneer school. 00:40 But these students are not pioneers; 00:42 they are all in Bethel service. 00:45 And we will learn ways to manage our time 00:47 so that we can do “the more important things.” 00:50 All this and more on this edition of JW Broadcasting! 01:14 Many have found public witnessing 01:16 to be an incredibly productive way to share the good news in their territory. 01:20 Often, when we think of this kind of ministry, 01:23 we might imagine being on a busy street or in some other urban area. 01:28 Let’s see what it’s like when public witnessing 01:30 is done in a very different location. 01:34 In the book of Romans, the first chapter, verse 20, 01:36 it talks about how you can perceive Jehovah’s creative power 01:40 by what we see in creation around us. 01:43 When you’re in a national park and you see the beauty of these parks, 01:47 you immediately think of that scripture. 01:50 We have individuals driving 01:52 from an hour and a half 01:53 to over three hours one-way 01:55 to share in this form of witnessing. 01:59 National parks generally have 02:01 what is called a freeness of speech area. 02:03 So that allows us to be able to get permission 02:06 to go into the parks to set up our carts there. 02:09 It’s just a nice place to come and relax, 02:12 and when people are relaxed, they’re wanting to talk. 02:16 They already kind of have a sense of closeness with God; 02:19 it kind of gets them thinking about their spirituality, 02:22 and then when they see our cart displayed so nicely about that, 02:25 it kind of draws them toward that. 02:28 You will find visitors from all parts of the world. 02:32 Many cultures are represented. 02:35 And quite often, we will have literature in their language. 02:39 There are many that benefit from our work at the carts. 02:43 But especially noteworthy are those 02:46 who do not have access to Bible literature. 02:50 A Chinese couple came up, and they said, 02:52 “Thank you for giving us the Bible in our language.” 02:57 That made our day. 02:58 It was fabulous! 03:00 They may not stop. 03:01 They may not talk to us. 03:02 But they see it, and that registers in their mind 03:04 —that they’ve seen this at an airport or in their city. 03:07 And now they’re going to look into it or go to the website and wonder: 03:10 ‘What was that all about? What were those people doing there?’ 03:13 We sit here sometimes 03:16 thinking we need to pinch ourselves 03:18 because it’s so beautiful that we’ve been given the privilege 03:20 of doing the cart work in a location like this. 03:25 Very soon, these national parks will not just be 03:28 isolated places that we have to travel to 03:30 —the entire world will be that national park. 03:34 And what a joy it will be 03:35 when every single person alive 03:37 can enjoy that beautiful painting that our Creator has made for us! 03:43 Jehovah’s qualities can certainly be perceived 03:46 just by taking the time to study creation. 03:50 So we can see the power of giving a witness in a beautiful location 03:54 that naturally draws attention to what Jehovah has made. 03:58 Of course, permission from park authorities 04:00 is often needed in advance, 04:02 but this idea of buying out time to appreciate something 04:07 takes us nicely into our discussion for this month. 04:11 I would like to talk about a valuable asset 04:13 that every one of us possesses 04:15 —time. 04:17 It certainly is something that is on our minds 04:19 as we go about our day’s activities. 04:22 Just think of how often you look at a clock, your watch, 04:26 or your cell phone to check the time. 04:28 Why do we do that? 04:30 Probably to see if we are ahead of time, on time, 04:34 behind time, or out of time! 04:36 But what exactly is time? 04:39 One dictionary says it is “a nonspatial continuum.” 04:44 Another says it is “the thing that is measured 04:48 as seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years.” 04:53 To explain exactly what time is in simple terms is nearly impossible, 04:58 and the Bible does not define it, 05:01 which may suggest that Jehovah knows 05:03 it is beyond our ability to understand fully. 05:07 But the Bible does discuss time. 05:10 It shows that Jehovah is very time conscious. 05:13 It speaks of time as something that we should use wisely. 05:17 And it gives us the amazing hope of living into infinity 05:21 —that is, endless time. 05:24 We do know this about time: 05:26 Every human has exactly the same number 05:29 of hours and minutes in each day. 05:32 Rich people cannot buy more hours, 05:34 and scientists cannot invent new minutes. 05:37 We can never recoup the time we have wasted; 05:41 neither can we save it to spend on another day. 05:44 Just think, we have exactly the same number of hours 05:48 to use each day that Jesus Christ had when he was on the earth! 05:52 And we can be sure that no human used his time more wisely 05:57 than did God’s Son. 06:00 It has been said that time 06:02 is the most valuable thing a human can spend. 06:05 And so it is up to us how we will use the time 06:09 that is at our disposal. 06:11 In this regard, there is a Bible principle that gives us good direction, 06:16 a principle that was shared with us by the apostle Paul 06:19 at Philippians 1:9, 10. 06:23 He wrote in verse 9: 06:25 “And this is what I continue praying,” 06:28 and in verse 10, 06:30 “that you may make sure of the more important things.” 06:34 Therefore, the theme of this month’s program 06:36 is “Make Time for ‘the More Important Things.’” 06:42 This presents us with a two-fold challenge. 06:44 First, we have to determine 06:47 what are the more important things of life. 06:51 In the scripture we just read, some Bible translations say 06:54 “have a sense of what is vital.” 06:57 So we must distinguish between activities that are merely trivial 07:02 and those that really matter. 07:05 In addition to the obligation to work to support one’s family, 07:09 to care for necessary household chores, 07:12 and to look after one’s children or aging parents, 07:15 we have many important things of a spiritual nature 07:19 that deserve our full attention: 07:22 reading and meditating on God’s Word, 07:25 studying the Bible personally and in family worship, 07:28 preparing for and attending congregation meetings, 07:32 caring for any responsibilities that we have in the congregation, 07:36 and participating in the Christian ministry. 07:40 Besides all of that, who does not want some time to rest, 07:44 to exercise, to work in the garden, 07:47 to enjoy some recreation, 07:50 or to visit with family and friends? 07:53 Have you ever felt that you did not have enough time to do all those things 07:58 —that you have difficulty fitting all the spiritual activities 08:02 into your busy life? 08:04 As much as we might like to, we cannot add an extra hour to our day 08:09 or another day to our week to accomplish more things. 08:13 So we have to be selective 08:16 about how we spend the time that we have. 08:20 We will get the most accomplished 08:22 if we prioritize the things that really matter. 08:27 And what does that mean? 08:29 To prioritize means to decide 08:32 which tasks are more important and to do them first. 08:36 In other words, decide what must be given attention 08:39 prior to other things. 08:43 There is a Bible proverb that nicely illustrates 08:46 the importance of prioritizing life’s activities. 08:50 Proverbs 12:11 states: 08:53 “The one who cultivates his land 08:56 “will be satisfied with food, 08:59 “but the one pursuing worthless things 09:01 is lacking good sense.” 09:04 What a clear warning that is for a farmer 09:07 not to fill up his day with worthless endeavors 09:10 and waste the precious time that he should be spending working in his field! 09:16 Likewise, a Christian who diligently cultivates his spirituality 09:20 can be confident of Jehovah’s blessing, 09:23 whereas a person who is distracted by worthless activities 09:27 puts his relationship with God in danger. 09:31 How can we avoid that? 09:33 By not taking valuable time away from spiritual pursuits 09:37 to spend on the things that distract us 09:40 from serving Jehovah whole-souled. 09:44 For example, when it comes to communicating with others, 09:48 what should take priority? 09:50 Starting our day by giving Jehovah praise and thanks 09:54 in prayer for another day of life 09:56 or telephoning an old friend to catch up 09:59 on the latest news in his or her life? 10:02 There’s nothing wrong with talking to a friend. 10:05 But we need to make sure we take the time 10:07 to talk to our very best Friend, Jehovah. 10:10 Obviously, it is more important to communicate with our heavenly Father, 10:14 so praying to him should be a priority. 10:19 The apostle Paul had more to say about time management. 10:23 At Ephesians 5:15-17, he wrote: 10:28 “So keep strict watch that how you walk 10:31 “is not as unwise but as wise persons, 10:34 “making the best use of your time, 10:37 “because the days are wicked. 10:39 “On this account stop being unreasonable, 10:42 “but keep perceiving what 10:44 the will of Jehovah is.” 10:47 Now we can address the second part of our challenge: 10:50 to make ample time to care 10:53 for the more important things of life. 10:55 What does Paul’s counsel 10:57 to ‘make the best use of your time’ actually mean? 11:02 Literally, in Greek, it means to ‘buy out the appointed time.’ 11:07 That implies buying time at the expense of something else. 11:12 So it helps to analyze how our time is actually being spent 11:16 and to see what adjustments are needed 11:19 so that we can buy out, or make, time for the more important things. 11:25 If we ‘perceive what the will of Jehovah is,’ 11:28 then we certainly will want to use as much time as possible 11:32 to forge an ever stronger relationship with him 11:35 and to share fully in sacred service. 11:39 Do you have definite periods set aside for the spiritual activities of life? 11:45 For congregation meetings, the schedule is set for us. 11:48 We know exactly when our congregation meets 11:51 for its midweek and weekend meetings. 11:53 We just have to be sure that we do not let 11:56 anything else get in the way of our attending 11:59 because the meetings are a priority. 12:02 Hebrews 10:25 says ‘not to forsake’ them. 12:06 For everything else 12:08 —reading the Bible, preparing for meetings, 12:11 family worship, field service activity— 12:15 we have to set our own schedule 12:18 and stick to it as part of a good spiritual routine. 12:23 As an example, what does your family do 12:27 most Saturday mornings? 12:29 Many families have the routine of going in field service every Saturday. 12:34 Rarely is anything allowed to get in the way of that routine. 12:38 For them, Saturday morning is not the time 12:41 for music lessons, dance classes, cooking courses, 12:45 working out at the gym, or anything else 12:47 —it is their time for field service. 12:51 Having a routine like that makes life easier for everyone in the family. 12:55 No one has to wonder Friday night 12:58 what is going to happen Saturday morning. 13:00 The decision has already been made 13:03 to go out in the ministry that day. 13:06 Otherwise, if we leave it up to chance every week, 13:09 then it means that 52 times during the year 13:12 we have to decide whether to go in service on Saturday. 13:15 How much simpler it is to make the decision once and for all 13:20 that we will use that time slot for the ministry, 13:23 barring any serious, unforeseen circumstances. 13:28 Of course, given your family’s situation, 13:30 another day of the week may work better. 13:32 But you get the point. 13:34 Sharing regularly in the Christian ministry cannot be left up to chance. 13:39 At Mark 13:10, 13:41 Jesus prioritized the ministry when he said: 13:44 “The good news has to be preached first.” 13:48 So if spiritual matters are going to take precedence in our lives, 13:53 we first have to make them priorities, 13:56 and second, 13:58 make ample time to care for those priorities. 14:03 That means setting aside definite periods of time 14:07 to build up our spirituality 14:09 and to stay fully involved in our worship and service. 14:14 Ecclesiastes 3:1 reinforces this thought. 14:19 It states: 14:20 “There is an appointed time for everything, 14:24 a time for every activity under the heavens.” 14:28 We have to decide when that “appointed time” is 14:31 for each of our spiritual activities. 14:34 If we are having difficulty with this, 14:37 can we shorten the time we spend on hobbies, recreation, 14:42 sports, social networking 14:45 and devote that time to our Bible reading, family worship, 14:49 meeting preparation, or field ministry? 14:52 If we can, we will find it to be spiritually refreshing 14:56 and invigorating. 14:58 This was the experience of a family man that I know 15:01 who began preparing better so as to participate each week 15:05 in the “Digging for Spiritual Gems” portion of the midweek meeting. 15:10 He made time on Sunday evenings for this. 15:13 All in his family and congregation have benefited 15:16 from the excellent points he has learned 15:19 as he does research on the assigned Bible reading, 15:22 and he feels good because of it. 15:25 One married couple decided to eliminate 15:28 some of their hobbies and personal projects. 15:31 They even packed them up and put them out of sight. 15:33 Why? 15:35 So as not to be distracted by those things. 15:38 They were nonessential activities that they decided they could do without. 15:44 Likely, we could all benefit from taking inventory of our lives 15:49 and limiting any unnecessary activities 15:52 that may be interfering with our spiritual routine. 15:55 Imagine how rewarding that would be! 15:58 Just think, if we could buy out 30 minutes each day 16:02 from doing something that is not essential, 16:04 that is about how much time it would take 16:06 to read the entire Bible in one year. 16:10 Or if we could buy out an extra hour or two 16:13 each week for the field ministry, 16:15 think of how much more we could accomplish 16:17 and how happy that would make God and Christ, 16:21 as they see us making time for the more important things! 16:27 Now, why have we felt the need to spend this time 16:30 discussing how to manage time? 16:32 It is because of something else that the Bible tells us. 16:36 First Corinthians 7:29 says 16:39 that “the time left is reduced.” 16:42 That certainly is true of the time 16:44 that is left between now and the great tribulation! 16:47 This is not the time to neglect 16:50 the most important activity of all 16:53 —our worship of Jehovah. 16:57 Making time for what matters most in life 16:59 is something we all need to do 17:01 —even our young ones. 17:03 And that’s the focus of this month’s music video 17:06 about the important things. 17:27 Ev’ry day brings decisions, and we must choose 17:36 How will we spend our time and live for the truth. 17:45 Now, there’s a time to laugh and be with our friends, 17:50 But it can’t be all we’re living for in the end. 17:57 We need to set time aside for what’s most important— 18:03 Prayer, study, and godly devotion. 18:08 Make Jehovah real, ’cause that’s really what matters. 18:17 Throw off those things pulling us down. 18:21 Think about the future and where we are now. 18:26 Let nothing take the place of more important things. 18:40 Life sure can weigh us down with bills to pay. 18:48 It can make us lose sight and misplace our faith. 18:58 But our fam’ly needs us back at home. 19:02 And if we want to be there to help and watch them grow— 19:10 We need to set time aside for what’s most important— 19:16 Prayer, study, and godly devotion. 19:20 Make Jehovah real, ’cause that’s really what matters. 19:29 Throw off those things pulling us down. 19:34 Think about the future and where we are now. 19:38 Let nothing take the place of more important things. 20:03 We need to set time aside for what’s most important— 20:09 Prayer, study, and godly devotion. 20:14 Make Jehovah real, ’cause that’s really what matters. 20:22 Throw off those things pulling us down. 20:27 Think about the future and where we are now. 20:32 Let nothing take the place of more important things. 20:54 What a delightful song, 20:57 and what precious children we saw in that music video! 21:00 Well, today we invited two young people to join us in our studio. 21:04 This is Logan, and this is Aiden. 21:06 Thank you for coming. 21:07 Thanks for inviting us. 21:08 What did you think of that video? 21:10 I liked it and that it showed a lot of families 21:14 doing stuff that involves Jehovah. 21:18 Good. 21:19 The one thing I noticed was that they were all in a relaxed setting. 21:22 It was not like in a busy city. 21:24 They were at, like, the shore 21:27 where they were talking about the Bible, 21:30 and it was nice family time that they were having. 21:33 Good observations, Fellas. 21:35 Now, three times in the chorus it said: 21:38 ‘We need to set time aside for the most important things.’ 21:42 Then it mentioned three important things. 21:45 What were they? 21:46 Prayer. 21:47 Study. 21:48 Godly— 21:48 —devotion. 21:49 That’s it, very good. 21:51 Good things for all of us to remember, wouldn’t you say? 21:53 Well now, my wife and I are in the same congregation 21:56 with Logan and Aiden and their families. 21:59 So I know what excellent meeting attenders they are. 22:01 And what I really appreciate is that you participate in the meetings 22:05 and you comment in your own words. 22:06 That’s very good and sets a nice example. 22:08 Keep it up. 22:10 Speaking of the meetings, how do you like the midweek meetings 22:13 with all the videos that we see? 22:14 It gives a diversity. 22:17 It’s not always talks. 22:18 It gives, like, a break in the meeting. 22:20 Yes. 22:21 The videos are always great, 22:26 and they go with every talk that the videos are for. 22:30 And you know, sometimes we even show Caleb and Sophia videos 22:34 from the Become Jehovah’s Friend series. 22:37 Now, I’ve got to ask you, 22:39 Do you have an idea for a new Caleb video? 22:42 I think I have one. 22:43 Caleb is at school; 22:46 he gets asked to go to a birthday party at someone’s house. 22:49 He goes home and shows his parents the card, 22:51 and they discuss what he should do about it, 22:53 and then he preaches at school. 22:55 But before he does that, 22:57 Sophia gives him a couple of pointers on preaching at school and on boldness. 23:01 Good. 23:01 How about you Aiden, do you have an idea? 23:03 Yes, I think a good idea would be: 23:07 A new kid comes to Caleb’s class, and it is his birthday, 23:12 and he passes out the treats. 23:14 But Caleb says, “No, thank you.” 23:16 And then he bullies him that he doesn’t get to have fun; 23:21 he doesn’t get treats at school. 23:26 And I think he should discuss it with the family, 23:29 and then maybe he could tell the boy 23:32 why he doesn’t celebrate birthdays. 23:35 Very nice. 23:36 Well, I’m sure the Teaching Committee of the Governing Body 23:38 will give some thought to your recommendations. 23:42 We brought you to the studio 23:44 because we want you to help me with a little experiment. 23:47 And this is an experiment that some of our viewers have seen before. 23:50 And you’ve probably seen it, too, because it’s mentioned in Volume 2 23:53 of the book Questions Young People Ask —Answers That Work. 23:57 And the idea is to help us appreciate 24:00 how we can make time for “the more important things.” 24:03 Now, let me explain what we have on the table. 24:05 The two pails represent one week in a Christian’s life. 24:10 The large rocks represent the most important things 24:13 that we need to accomplish during the week, 24:15 and all these little pebbles 24:18 represent the nonessential things of life 24:21 —recreation, playing games, playing sports, 24:26 going on the Internet, 24:28 working with social media, 24:30 our hobbies, taking music lessons. 24:33 They’re all fun things to do, but, really, they’re not essential. 24:36 Now, our challenge is 24:38 to try to get all the big rocks into the pail with the little pebbles. 24:43 So as I hand you each rock, Logan, I want you to put it in the pail. 24:47 Now, this first one represents 24:50 the important things that your father might have to do. 24:54 He works to support the family. 24:57 Maybe your mother is a pioneer or has to work secularly. 25:01 Your mothers certainly have a lot of work to do around the home caring for the family. 25:05 And you boys go to school and have homework to do, 25:08 so that’s a big part of your time, isn’t it? 25:12 Now, this rock represents 25:14 all the chores that everyone in the family has to do at home: 25:18 cleaning, washing clothes, cooking, 25:21 caring for the yard, the automobile, and so on. 25:24 That takes a lot of time. 25:31 This rock represents a third of your life 25:34 —sleeping. 25:41 Now, here are the most important things —our spiritual activities. 25:44 For instance, when we read the Bible and meditate on what we read 25:49 and when we do personal study and family worship. 25:55 This one represents all the time it takes for us 25:58 to prepare for, dress for, travel to, 26:01 and attend our congregation meetings —midweek and on the weekend. 26:08 And this represents the time we spend in the field service on the weekend. 26:15 Now, I didn’t tell you that we can’t go above the top of the pail. 26:20 They don’t fit, do they? 26:21 No. 26:22 OK. 26:23 And when that happens in a person’s life, 26:25 some brothers and sisters are tempted to decide: 26:29 ‘Well, maybe I’ll skip field service this week,’ 26:33 or ‘Maybe I’ll stay home from the meetings,’ 26:37 or ‘Maybe I just won’t get my Bible reading 26:39 and studying and family worship done this week.’ 26:42 But that’s a big mistake, isn’t it? 26:44 These are the most important things of life —our spiritual activities. 26:48 So is there some way that we can get all of this into our week’s schedule? 26:53 Here’s what we’re going to do now. 26:55 We’re going to put the rocks in the empty pail. 26:58 So, Logan, see if you can get them all in there. 27:22 Very good! They all fit. 27:24 Isn’t that nice? 27:25 We can get the more important things done. 27:27 But you know, we also want a little time for recreation, don’t we? 27:31 So, Aiden, 27:33 let’s have you pour the little pebbles into that bucket 27:37 and see how much of that you can get in there. 27:53 You can put a lot more in. 28:06 Very good! 28:07 Look how much you got in there! 28:09 Now, you didn’t get them all in, did you? 28:11 But that’s OK because the Bible tells us 28:14 we have to ‘buy out the time’ for the more important things. 28:16 So, no, we can’t spend all the time that we may want to on recreation. 28:20 We want to get the more important things done. 28:24 So, what have we learned from this little demonstration? 28:27 Why weren’t we able to get the big rocks in the pail the first time? 28:31 Aiden? 28:32 Because there was too much recreation. 28:35 That’s right. 28:37 Now, Logan, why were we able to get all the rocks in the second time? 28:41 Because we put in the nonessential things 28:44 —like watching TV, playing video games— in second. 28:48 We put that in last, didn’t we? 28:50 Good. 28:50 So that teaches us: Put the more important things first. 28:55 And it all depends on what we fill our pail up with, 28:58 or our life with, first. 29:01 Thank you very much for your help. 29:03 I appreciate that. 29:05 And keep up your good work as Kingdom publishers, 29:09 and I’ll see you at the Kingdom Hall at the next meeting. 29:12 With this illustration in mind— 29:14 Let’s turn our attention to the Schiller family. 29:16 Is it possible to balance raising a family with a busy spiritual routine? 29:21 And if circumstances allow, can parents reach out for spiritual goals 29:26 —even full-time service? 29:28 Let’s listen to their answers to those questions. 29:33 Sometimes people say: “Well, you know, what was your secret? 29:37 How did you raise six kids?” 29:39 We got married September 16, 1972. 29:43 Two things started coming quickly 29:45 —spiritual privileges came along and the children came along— 29:48 together. 29:50 I was made an elder 29:52 shortly after the elder arrangement came into effect. 29:57 The kids were just part of all that, 30:00 and you might think that sometimes they didn’t know it. 30:04 We were doing substitute work with five children, 30:07 and I don’t think they even knew what we were doing. 30:11 In 1989, we were pioneering, 30:14 and then we had the opportunity to help out at Bethel, 30:18 maybe a week or two at a time. 30:22 About that time, Patterson was starting up. 30:26 And we kind of recognized 30:29 that maybe we were getting too comfortable. 30:34 We went one time to Bethel and said: 30:36 “Hey, if you need a doctor out at Patterson, why, we’d be available. 30:40 Or we could make ourselves available, maybe.” 30:44 And wouldn’t you know it, shortly after, we got a call, 30:47 “How quickly could you sell your place and be up here?” 30:51 So we went to Bethel with six kids, 30:54 sold our house at a loss so we could do that, 30:58 and started a new life there. 31:03 So we learned pretty quickly: Don’t turn down any privileges 31:07 —and especially not because we had kids. 31:11 When we went to Bethel, the oldest one was 17. 31:16 Having children 31:18 kept my husband and me very humble 31:23 because as soon as you thought you had something figured out, 31:25 each child needed to be disciplined in a different way. 31:28 And as soon as you thought, ‘Boy, you know, I’ve got this figured out,’ 31:31 you’re thrown a curve. 31:33 A challenge was to keep doing the basic things. 31:38 You’d come home tired. 31:41 It would be so easy not to have the family study 31:45 maybe one Monday. 31:47 It’s those basic, simple things 31:50 that I think kept us on an even keel. 31:55 I often think of the illustration that Jesus gave 31:59 at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, 32:01 what he said about this foundation that was washed away. 32:06 And Jesus never blamed the storm; he blamed the foundation. 32:10 And so we recognize that any child anywhere 32:15 —in fact, even adults— can get their faith tested. 32:18 So we tried to really make sure 32:20 they had a good foundation that didn’t get washed away. 32:23 Prepare them, let them learn how to deal with people 32:26 while they’re under your care, 32:30 and get them ready for life. 32:32 We got to thinking, ‘Other parents require their kids to go to college,’ 32:36 so we just required them 32:39 to pioneer for a year. 32:41 Any kind of education— 32:42 Any kind of secular education can teach you 32:47 how to have a skill so that you have a job. 32:50 But the Bible teaches you how to live, 32:53 and it teaches you principles that you can live your life by. 32:58 And all of them kept pioneering. 33:01 You know, they did various jobs to support themselves. 33:04 They cleaned; they worked at lumberyards; they worked on roofing. 33:08 And none of them have 33:11 a complicated life that holds them down. 33:13 I wanted everlasting life for my children, 33:16 and I knew I would have to give them back to Jehovah. 33:19 We have to realize we don’t own our children —Jehovah does. 33:23 And we have to respect that. 33:25 We’re not telling them what to do anymore. 33:29 We appreciate and we’re very, very thankful 33:31 when our children, as far away as they are 33:34 and as busy as they are, 33:36 take the time to communicate with us. 33:41 And I know you won’t remember this, 33:44 but I remember one time, before you fell asleep at night, 33:48 I said, “With all that you have done for Jehovah, 33:53 what would you like in return?” 33:57 Do you remember what you said? 34:00 You said three words, “All my children.” 34:06 In Deuteronomy it says: “I have put life and death before you, 34:10 . . . and you must choose.” 34:12 So we can do what we can as parents 34:14 —some things good, some things not so good. 34:17 In the end, each one had to make 34:20 his or her own decision. 34:23 And that’s why, again, it was not any secret we had. 34:27 We’re so proud of what the kids decided 34:30 and how they turned out because it was their decision. 34:33 I think that’s the thing that we’ve learned: 34:37 Don’t turn down opportunities. 34:45 Isn’t it wonderful to hear of ones like Brother and Sister Schiller 34:49 who have offered their gifts to Jehovah? 34:52 Brother Schiller said that it was doing the basic things 34:55 that kept his family focused spiritually. 34:58 So when opportunities came along, he was able to do more, 35:01 which included pioneering, substitute circuit work, 35:05 and using the medical training he had already acquired 35:08 to volunteer at the Patterson Educational Center. 35:12 Proverbs 10:22 says: 35:15 “It is the blessing of Jehovah that makes one rich, 35:19 and He adds no hardship with it.”(Ftn.) 35:22 That certainly has proved true for Brother Schiller and his family. 35:27 We can all agree that one of the ways Jehovah provides spiritual riches 35:31 is through the training we receive at meetings, 35:33 assemblies, conventions, and even special schools. 35:37 Such training helps us to prioritize 35:41 and to do “the more important things.” 35:43 Over the past few years, members of the Bethel family 35:46 have attended the Pioneer Service School. 35:48 Let’s see how the school has helped them 35:51 in their Bethel service and in their ministry. 36:02 It was a really great privilege for us as Bethelites 36:05 to be able to study for six days. 36:07 The Governing Body giving us time to study more 36:10 about Jehovah’s qualities was tremendous 36:13 to help build our spirituality. 36:15 For many Bethelites, 36:17 this was like a gift from Jehovah 36:20 because they had never attended before. 36:23 In fact, one couple 36:24 who had been 50 years in full-time service 36:27 had never attended the pioneer school before. 36:31 I’d been invited twice before, 36:33 but unfortunately, both times I wasn’t able to go. 36:38 I felt like Jehovah was giving me a third chance, 36:40 and this time I wouldn’t miss it. 36:43 At first, you feel a little like, 36:46 this is strange; 36:48 you’re at Bethel; you’re not out pioneering. 36:50 But then, when you’ve gone to the school 36:52 and you’ve seen what the school actually does for your ministry, 36:56 it was really— 36:58 You can see why the Governing Body— 36:59 It was such a kind gift for them to give us this privilege of coming. 37:03 You’re surrounded by people who have been pioneers for years; 37:06 some have been to Gilead; some have been in the traveling work; 37:09 some have conducted pioneer schools themselves. 37:11 It’s the best. 37:15 Even though they’re in this spiritual environment, 37:17 they need to be upbuilt. 37:20 As Bethelites, we go out in service 37:22 not as much as we did when we were pioneering. 37:25 So being able to have an effective use of our time 37:28 in the ministry makes a big difference. 37:30 You learn a lot about the field ministry in pioneer school. 37:34 So in a month when 30 hours was an option, 37:36 I applied to auxiliary pioneer 37:38 and I also tried to participate a lot in the ministry on weekends. 37:42 This way I was able to prepare for the school. 37:47 I think that every Christian needs to have goals, 37:49 and even for us serving in Bethel, we need goals. 37:53 So the main thing I learned from the school 37:55 is that even while working in Bethel, 37:57 I can do more for the congregation 37:59 and make a bigger effort in the ministry. 38:01 After the pioneer school, 38:03 I realized I needed to cultivate 38:06 more humility in my Bethel service 38:08 and the field ministry. 38:12 Because there’s so much spiritual food 38:14 available at Bethel, 38:16 it can become easy to neglect personal study. 38:18 Listening to the deeply meditated comments 38:21 from the students and the instructors really stimulated me 38:24 to also meditate more deeply. 38:27 During the school, 38:28 I had to study more than usual, 38:31 so I had to set aside more time for reading 38:33 so as to be well-prepared for class. 38:35 It was really practical for me 38:37 to improve my ministry, 38:39 and it was really nice because with this new school, 38:41 we had a demonstration 38:42 of what we have to avoid and what is good to do. 38:47 There was a demonstration about what not to do on a Bible study, 38:50 and I saw myself doing some of those things. 38:53 So I realized that I really needed 38:56 to get better at conducting Bible studies. 38:58 I remember one demonstration that taught us 39:02 how we can witness informally in a supermarket line, for example. 39:08 That demonstration gave me more confidence 39:10 to witness informally. 39:13 In the school, we learned a lot about Jesus 39:15 —how he was hardworking, zealous, 39:17 and showed genuine interest in the people around him. 39:21 That example helped me to be more hardworking and zealous, 39:24 as well as to be more approachable to those whom I work with. 39:27 That’s why we’re here in Bethel 39:29 —it’s to support the preaching work. 39:31 So it doesn’t matter what assignment we have. 39:33 In a way, it’s connected to that. 39:35 The fruitage of the spirit is good not just for the ministry 39:37 but it’s good for everything in everyday life toward our brothers and sisters. 39:43 Love is such an important quality for Bethelites. 39:48 I work in the Computer Department, 39:49 but I don’t treat computers with love. 39:52 But the school strengthened my determination 39:54 to treat my brothers and sisters with love. 39:58 Out of all the other schools I’ve attended, 40:00 this school had the most impact on my life. 40:02 In just one week, it strengthens our faith, 40:05 widens our view of things, trains our conscience, 40:08 and deepens our love. 40:10 It definitely 40:12 stimulated the pioneer spirit. 40:14 Even though we’re not pioneers, 40:16 it helped us to understand 40:18 the importance of the pioneer service 40:21 and how it contributes to our overall joy 40:24 in serving Jehovah. 40:25 So that’s something that we would never want to neglect. 40:28 We really appreciated the emphasis that was placed on that 40:32 and how it also helps to keep our close relationship with Jehovah. 40:40 Certainly, we can see the blessings that have come 40:43 from making time for that additional spiritual training. 40:46 Spiritual training at Bethel also includes morning worship. 40:51 Many of you have expressed appreciation 40:53 for the morning worship programs 40:55 posted on JW Broadcasting. 40:58 Let’s listen to Brother Geoffrey Jackson of the Governing Body 41:01 as he shows us how we can maintain a faithful life course 41:05 like that of Abraham. 41:08 This morning I’d like you to imagine 41:10 for a few moments 41:11 that you’ve been asked to write 41:13 your life story for The Watchtower. 41:16 Well, once you get over the shock, 41:18 how would you go about doing that? 41:20 You’ve probably noticed with many of the life experiences in The Watchtower, 41:25 usually the first paragraph, 41:27 have a defining moment in that person’s life. 41:32 For example, Brother Eric Beveridge, who serves with us here in the United States, 41:37 he started off this way: 41:39 “‘I hereby sentence you to six months in prison.’ 41:43 “With those words ringing in my ears, I was taken off to . . . 41:46 “[p]rison in Manchester, England. . . . 41:48 “I had just faced one of the toughest tests of my young life 41:52 —I had refused to be conscripted for military service.” 41:56 Or another brother, Brother Harley Harris, 41:58 who served as a missionary in Ecuador for many years, 42:01 he referred to the date September 2, 1950. 42:05 He said: “We were at a circuit assembly, surrounded by a mob. 42:09 “The mayor brought in the National Guard to protect us from the unruly crowd. 42:13 “Soldiers with drawn rifles and bayonets lined the street. 42:17 “Amid insults, we walked to our cars and drove to . . . 42:21 “the remaining sessions of the assembly. 42:23 It was there that I was baptized at the age of 14.” 42:28 Or another brother, Brother Don MacLean 42:30 —who serves on the Branch Committee in Australasia, 42:32 a brother originally from Canada— 42:35 made this comment. 42:37 He started his life experience: 42:39 “There I sat, hour after hour, 42:41 “with one of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police by my side. 42:44 “I was his prisoner. 42:46 “We were headed for the prison camp at . . . Ontario, Canada, 42:50 “and it seemed [that] the 1,500-mile train trip 42:53 would never end.” 42:56 Well, those certainly were defining moments 42:58 in the lives of those brothers. 43:00 What about you? 43:02 What is your defining moment? 43:06 Well, you might be thinking, 43:08 ‘No one put a gun to my head and said, 43:11 “Decide now whether you’ll serve Jehovah or not.”’ 43:15 But for many of us, there have been defining moments in our lives. 43:19 Perhaps it’s the moment you decided to serve Jehovah 43:24 or the moment you decided to become a full-time servant. 43:28 Perhaps it involved some decisions, such as selling a home, 43:32 selling a business, deciding to move to Bethel, 43:36 or perhaps leaving your country and going somewhere else. 43:40 Or it may have involved certain tests or trials, 43:44 perhaps giving up opportunities for education 43:47 or for lucrative job opportunities. 43:51 Well, whatever the case, 43:53 I’m sure most of us have had some defining moments 43:57 in our lives that we remember 43:59 —the decisions that were made that resulted in much good. 44:04 Let’s think for a moment about the faithful man Abraham. 44:08 What was the defining moment in his life? 44:11 Well, if you take your Bibles and turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11, 44:15 of course, here we see the apostle Paul giving us an outline 44:20 or history of many of the defining moments 44:23 in the lives of faithful ones. 44:26 At Hebrews 11:8, it says of Abraham: 44:30 “By faith Abraham, when he was called, 44:34 “obeyed by going out to a place 44:36 “he was to receive as an inheritance; 44:39 he went out, although not knowing where he was going.” 44:44 Yes, that was a defining moment in the life of Abraham, wasn’t it? 44:48 He decided to obey Jehovah, to leave Ur, 44:53 and to travel to a distant country that he didn’t really know about. 45:00 But was that all that was involved 45:03 with Abraham receiving the reward? 45:06 No. 45:07 Let’s read on a little further in verse 9. 45:11 There it says: 45:12 “By faith he lived as a foreigner 45:14 “in the land of the promise as in a foreign land, 45:17 “living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 45:21 the heirs with him of the very same promise.” 45:25 Now, this is not a defining moment, is it? 45:28 This is a course of faithfulness, 45:31 day in, day out. 45:34 So, what’s the point? 45:36 Well, in the case of Abraham, 45:38 we remember that eventually he and his family 45:41 crossed the Euphrates River and into the Promised Land 45:44 in the year 1943 B.C.E. 45:47 But he had to wait 25 years before his son Isaac was born 45:52 and then another 60 years 45:55 before his grandsons Esau and Jacob were born. 45:58 And eventually, he died after being in the Promised Land 46:02 as a foreigner for about 100 years. 46:05 So, what’s the point? 46:07 Although there was a definite decision he made 46:11 —a defining moment in his life— 46:13 that was backed up as verse 9 says, 46:17 by his faithfulness 46:19 —day in, day out— 46:21 serving Jehovah. 46:23 So the lesson we learn from that is 46:26 that it’s not just the defining moments 46:30 that define who we are. 46:32 Rather, those moments and those decisions 46:36 need to be backed up by faithful service. 46:39 Let’s be quite frank. 46:42 Many of the life experiences that we read in The Watchtower 46:45 may have a very exciting first paragraph. 46:48 “Yes, they put a gun to my head. 46:51 “Make your decision. 46:52 “Will you die? 46:53 Would you be willing to die for Jehovah?” 46:56 But then, when you read the rest of the article, 46:59 nothing really exciting happened in that person’s life. 47:02 I’m sorry to say it. 47:05 That includes my life experience as well. 47:09 Why? 47:10 Because the majority of our lives 47:13 are not involved with defining moments 47:16 —exciting things that are happening. 47:19 Rather, they involve our faithfulness to Jehovah. 47:23 So we can’t just rely upon these defining moments and say, 47:27 “Well, I made this decision to serve Jehovah; 47:30 I passed this test, so everything is good.” 47:33 No, we need to continue to back up those defining moments 47:38 with faithful service. 47:41 Remember that in the Scriptures, 47:43 there were many who had defining moments in their lives. 47:46 Take, for example, Solomon. 47:48 He had a defining moment, didn’t he, when he prayed to Jehovah 47:52 and he was praised for the fact that he asked for wisdom rather than wealth? 47:57 But that wasn’t backed up by faithfulness. 48:01 Eventually, that defining moment in his life 48:04 really wasn’t as valuable as it could’ve been 48:07 because of his lack of faithfulness. 48:10 And what about Judas Iscariot? 48:13 Were there some defining moments in his life? 48:16 Obviously, he decided to follow Jesus at one point. 48:20 And during that time, when he faithfully followed Jesus, 48:23 no doubt, there were very exciting, interesting things that happened. 48:28 But again, those defining moments in his life 48:32 proved to be of little value 48:34 because of the lack of faithfulness on his part. 48:38 So that helps us to understand 48:40 why the apostle Paul said some very interesting points 48:44 just before he started this list that he gives us in Hebrews chapter 11. 48:48 Let’s turn to Hebrews chapter 10, 48:53 Hebrews 10:35-39. 48:59 Notice, this is the point that we should gain from this lesson. 49:04 Paul says starting in verse 35: 49:08 “Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, 49:11 “which will be richly rewarded. 49:14 For you need endurance,” 49:17 now, that reminds us of what Jesus said 49:19 about ‘the one who endures to the end will be saved,’ 49:23 “so that after you have done the will of God, 49:26 “you may receive the fulfillment of the promise. 49:29 “For yet ‘a very little while,’ 49:31 “and ‘the one who is coming will arrive and will not delay.’ 49:36 “‘But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,’ 49:41 “and ‘if he shrinks back, I have no pleasure in him.’ 49:45 “Now we are not the sort who shrink back to destruction, 49:49 but the sort who have faith for the preserving of our lives.” 49:54 What a very positive comment that is. 49:57 So when we think of our life experience, 50:01 don’t be disappointed if you don’t have some spectacular things 50:05 that you can mention as defining moments. 50:08 Remember, the important thing 50:11 is not just the decisions that we make along the way 50:14 but the fact that we remain faithful to Jehovah 50:18 day in, day out. 50:21 As Brother Jackson mentioned, 50:23 we might experience a “defining moment” in our spiritual lives, 50:27 but real faithfulness is shown 50:29 in how we handle smaller challenges day to day. 50:33 One example might be if someone 50:35 were to attack our beliefs in front of others. 50:37 Have you ever experienced that? 50:39 Were you nervous? 50:41 Did you find it challenging to find the right words to make a defense? 50:45 In the next video, notice how the character of Grayson 50:49 deals with a similar situation. 51:01 It was one of those mornings 51:04 when everything seemed to be going right. 51:09 In fact, this whole year was going right 51:12 ever since I got baptized. 51:15 My family is closer than ever. 51:18 I’ve made some good friends in the congregation. 51:22 I even started a Bible study. 51:26 It felt good to let go of my fears 51:28 and serve Jehovah with everything I have. 51:35 But things can change very quickly. 51:48 Uh, I’m sorry. You know what? 51:50 I think I saw Grayson over the weekend on Saturday. 51:53 I think he might be one of those people that tells you about the Bible. 51:55 One of those, uh— 51:55 You’re saying Grayson is a Jehovah’s Witness? 51:59 Yeah. Let me go ask him. 52:01 Hey, Grayson? 52:03 Hey, how’s it going, Ron? 52:05 Did I see you on Saturday morning over on Main Street? 52:07 Yeah. You know, I’m one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 52:10 And what we do, we go out and talk to people about— 52:12 I’m sorry. I just don’t get it. 52:14 You’ll go knocking on strangers’ doors 52:16 to support your own religion, yet you won’t stand and support this country. 52:20 Why don’t you people 52:21 get involved and make a real difference for once? 52:34 I was really disappointed in myself. 52:38 I guess I hadn’t moved past all my fears like I thought. 52:43 Later that night, for family worship, 52:45 we sat down and discussed our brothers who were in prison 52:48 for their faith. 52:50 Mom, why are they in prison? 52:53 They don’t want to fight; they don’t want to kill people. 52:55 It really touched Aiden. 52:58 He was moved to pray for them that night. 53:02 His prayer touched my heart. 53:04 And with so much on my mind, I couldn’t sleep. 53:08 So I decided to get up and do some research. 53:11 I found some information on the apostle Peter. 53:15 Despite his zeal, 53:18 he also struggled at times 53:20 with fear of man 53:22 like when he denied Jesus three times. 53:28 But eventually, he overcame that fear. 53:33 We strictly ordered you 53:35 not to keep teaching on the basis of this name, 53:39 and yet look! 53:41 you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, 53:43 and you are determined 53:45 to bring the blood of this man upon us. 53:48 We must obey God as ruler rather than men. 53:51 The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, 53:54 whom you killed, hanging him on a stake. 54:16 “Always ready to make a defense 54:19 “before everyone who demands of you a reason 54:23 for the hope you have” 54:26 —Peter focused on his hope, 54:29 not his fear. 54:32 Just like these faithful brothers have been doing, 54:36 I want to be like them and make Jehovah proud of me. 54:52 The next day I woke up, 54:54 and I was thinking about the apostle Peter 54:56 and our brothers who were in prison for their faith. 55:05 And even though I was still a little nervous, 55:07 I felt ready to talk to Eric. 55:13 Hey, Ron, Eric. 55:15 Sorry I didn’t get a chance to explain the other day, 55:17 but if you have a moment now, I’d love to be able to talk to you. 55:20 I don’t want to hear it. 55:23 Sorry, Grayson. 55:26 And I thought that was it. 55:31 But it wasn’t. 55:34 Ron said he wanted to know more. 55:39 Maybe I’ll never completely get rid of my fears. 55:42 But my love for Jehovah 55:44 and the example of his courageous servants 55:47 helps me to be ready to meet the challenge. 55:49 The other day I wanted to show you something. 55:54 What a practical example of how taking time to meditate 55:58 on Biblical or modern integrity-keepers 56:01 can help us have the courage to defend our faith! 56:04 This is just another example of how making time 56:08 for “the more important things” 56:10 —such as prayer, study, and godly devotion— 56:13 can help us remain faithful. 56:16 Before we conclude our program, 56:18 let’s take a moment and travel to the country of Hungary. 56:22 Situated in the center of Europe, 56:25 visitors to Hungary can enjoy delicious food and wine 56:28 and see the beautiful great plain known as the Puszta. 56:32 Water also plays a vital role throughout the country, 56:35 with its abundant rivers, lakes, and thermal springs. 56:39 There are more than 21,000 publishers 56:42 and close to 300 congregations. 56:45 They’re offering waters of truth to others, 56:47 often in spite of severe economic challenges. 56:51 In fact, during the last ten years, 56:54 the number of regular pioneers has nearly doubled. 56:58 In 2016, 57:00 a pregroup in the Lovari language was formed. 57:03 This language is spoken by many Roma people in Hungary. 57:07 While none in the group is a native Lovari speaker, 57:11 they’re willing to learn this language to help these thirsty ones. 57:16 Additionally, this year, nearly 30,000 foreign students 57:21 enrolled at various universities in Hungary, 57:24 providing a very diverse territory for those serving 57:27 in a foreign-language congregation or group. 57:31 Our brothers and sisters from Hungary 57:33 are overjoyed to send their love and greetings to all of you. 57:37 We send them our Christian love in return. 57:41 From the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 57:44 this is JW Broadcasting.
