[Victor Kubik] Well, good afternoon everyone, and welcome to Winter Family Weekend. This is bring your own bottle. I was given that bottle here just before walking up here. Anyways, it's good to see all of you here today. What an amazing group. We have several rooms here with overflow. I understand there may be up to three rooms that have overflow and I've been given conflicting numbers of people who are here and in those rooms, so I won't say what I have written down here. I'll just say that we have many, many people here, young adults, youth, many — a high percentage of youth and young adults. I won't give a percentage there either because I don't know, but it looks like a lot. I would like to welcome also everybody who's listening and watching online. We welcome you here to the Winter Family Weekend, but a very large percentage of the entirety of the United Church of God or a very big percentage of the United Church of God is right here in this room.

Several years ago, we were talking about making Winter Family Weekend… splitting it apart and putting it into two different parts of the country. One maybe here in Cincinnati, one further south, and the reply was a resounding “No! We want to be together." The big part of the weekend is to all be together. People from different Feast sites that have met each other, people from camps, people who have known each other, people who are online in various groups in social media want to see each other and spend time together. That's what this is about.

I would like to also welcome those who came from huge distances including Australia. We had a number of who've come from Australia just for this event. Also I would like to welcome those from the Netherlands and I don't know if there are any other places outside the U.S., maybe we have some from Canada, but just wanted to welcome everyone who has come to, what's become a tradition and an iconic event here in Cincinnati, and it is part of the tradition of the United Church of God.

I'd also like to express thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this a success. At the Home Office, I can see equipment being rolled around down the hallways mid-week this past week to be put onto vans and hauled here to be used for organizing. And there's some people here in various groups that have spent a lot of time making sure that everything works. So you may want to go back to those gentlemen in the back and maybe even give them a hug because they've been working really, really hard in making certain that we have the sound and the video and oftentimes they're not contacted unless something goes wrong. That's when people contact them. But you might want to do that and just tell them how much their work and their sacrifice is appreciated.

Well, we had a great start. Last night, I was so moved by the Bible study by Troy Phelps. It was really good. We were not here, but we saw it online and we really, really appreciated it. It. In fact, as soon as it was over with, I said, I have another example for my sermon, too. I jumped up, you know, and I went and added something to my sermon based upon the things that Troy Phelps said.

"Iron That Sharpens Iron." That is our theme. It was also our theme earlier in the year at the General Conference of Elders that's held in May, and it was such a good topic with so many different expressions of application that we thought that we would extend it and use it for the theme for the Winter Family Weekend. And so here it is and we've already found that we've had some tremendous presentations, right here from the seminars this morning. But the theme is based on a scripture in Proverbs 27:17. "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." That's the new King James Translation. The countenance, the face, of his friend. Of course, your friend is basically the face. When you talk to someone, you talk to their face, not to their shoulder, not to their feet. You talk to their face. And as we sharpen, we sharpen the face of that person.

In the New Living Translation, it reads, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." In the NIV, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." And actually, one that I really like in particular is the New Century version, "As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other." So people can improve each other. An interesting twist, or an interesting view on that scripture. Iron sharpens iron has been used often as a theme. We used to have a church newspaper years ago where we had a column every month that was called "Iron Sharpens Iron." And they were usually essays, editorials, about Christian living and self-improvement.

But in this verse, there's mention of iron, sharpening, friendship, and we could have all kinds of permutations of subjects and applications for those words. In fact, we can talk about iron. In fact, if you go online, you go to Google, and you Google this verse and look at all the different translations and all of various explanations, I should say, of this verse, you'll find quite a bit about even the subject of iron itself. There's iron that's soft and malleable that can be formed into something beautiful and useful. There can be ironed that's harder where carbon has been added to it. It becomes more brittle, but it's harder iron. There is stainless steel. I didn't realize exactly what stainless steel was, but stainless steel is iron that will not rust. It's 10% chrome. That’s stainless steel.

I have a few unrelated factoids, sort of just as a commercial here, I'm just going to break away from my sermon. My niece's husband was over for dinner this past week from Berea, Kentucky. You probably know where that is. He's a high school teacher and he was so excited about the fact that their high school was chosen to place a science project on a May or June launching of a SpaceX rocket. They won a competition from many other high schools around the United States and they have a science project that they will have on there that will be examined and monitored by the astronauts on that project.

What was this project? It was a tube of iron about this long, and the experiment is to study the effects of microgravity on rusting iron. I have no idea why that is so important, but the high school is ecstatic about the fact that they were chosen to be able to have this project on one of Elon Musk's rockets that will be launched from Cape Canaveral. They don't know exactly when, but it will be in May or June. Another factoid. When I gave this sermon… actually I had the sermon for iron sharpens iron at the general conference of elders.

When I heard first that I was going to speak about the subject about being sharp and sharpening, all I could think of, the thing that popped into my head right away, was my driving past a particular city in America every week when I was a ministerial trainee. When I was a ministerial trainee in Rapid City, South Dakota. We drove on the Sabbath between Sheridan, Wyoming, and Rapid City, a drive of nearly for 4 hours from a morning Bible study to an afternoon service. And we drove through Gillette, Wyoming, and on the sign for "Welcome to Gillette," there was a personified razor blade that said "Sharpest Town in the West." I thought you'd like to know that. That sign is no longer there. I've checked through Google. It's not there. Maybe they were sued by Gillette.

But in this instance of this verse, I'd like to talk about sharpness for its wholesome, utilitarian cutting purpose. Sharp iron. In my May sermon, I spoke about this sharpening angle, about how special care is taken for certain tools to make them very, very useful and to make them tools that can do a particular job. I talked about my father who was a cabinet maker and how he was so precise and exacting in how his tools were sharpened. Some of them even heated and then sharpened them to make certain that they would be just right to produce the proper effect. And the purpose of that sermon and the main point of that sermon was to talk about mentoring and how important it is to have proper mentoring and proper process. The sharpening that we talk about, iron sharpening iron, we think almost in our minds as like clanging iron against iron. It's not. It was a very thoughtful and careful abrasion accompanied with oil, the oil of the Holy Spirit, to produce a beautiful outcome. And that was the point of my verse explanation.

All of us want to be considered sharp. Is there anybody here who wants to be considered dull? Raise your hand and just get it over with. Okay, so we have a captive audience that wants to be sharp, young and old who want to look sharp. We want to think sharp. We want to be sharp. We want to be sharp students, sharp employees. And how often we use the term among ourselves, "He's a sharp young man," or, "She's a sharp young lady." When I think of people who I like working for us at the Home Office, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind, is he a sharp person? Are they sharp? Are they on the ball? Are they people that I could consider to be sharp?

Well, today I'm going to try to talk to you about practical applications. That's where I'm going today about using your sharpness for the next four days. We have the church service this year at the beginning of the Winter Family Weekend, so we have time to talk about things that we can do over the next four days in a very, very conscious way. We have lots of opportunities.

Now to be sharpened and to be sharp is to be productive, useful, and helpful. Productive, useful and helpful. You've got to be that already. You'd be in a state of readiness. Be useful to help somebody. It's how you talk, how you work, how you do things, and how you respond. It's you. It's your physical, emotional, social, and spiritual life… is tied up in this sharpness.

It means to have the ability to meet the challenges of life because life's challenges come to us at all times. When I think of the past weeks, I think of all the different challenges and things that we have to face, and are we sharp in meeting them or are we dulled? Being sharp or dull, can make the difference between what outcomes come of that challenge. This even goes for eternal life, in our faith in Jesus Christ. How sharp are we there? Are we ready? My wife, just a little while ago, sent off a set of Cutco knives to the manufacturer, they sharpen them for free. I never thought that they were dull. They always seemed to be sharp enough. But amazing, when it came back, you'd look at them and they'd already cut. I mean they were so, so sharp.

I'd like to talk to you about two major areas of sharpening. How can we sharpen, and how are we sharpened? Sharpen and sharpened. Number one… write this down. The sharp… how can we sharpen? And what you can apply here at the Winter Family Weekend is you're giving the gift of fellowship, friendship, and encouragement. Let me say that again fellowship, friendship, and encouragement. That is something that you can practice right after we say, "Amen," to the person, to your right or to your left. I'm not asking you to be hugging people, I'm not asking you to go, you know, to be abnormal, but these are things that you can practice very, very quickly after my sermon.

Fellowship is an important means of sharpening one another as Christians and whatever age you are, whether you're older or whether you're a teenager or whether young adult, you're here not necessarily for the dance itself. You're not here for the seminar by itself. You're here to use those activities as part of your fellowship. Your being with others. And what you will remember about the Winter Family Weekend is the people and the relationships established and the ongoing relationships that may continue.

The apostle Paul made a timeless statement that still applies to our time in spite of all the social media that we have. In spite of all people that think that they can do things at home or just be by themselves and get the same benefit as being there, as being to an activity like this. In Hebrews 10:24, Hebrews 10:24, Paul wrote,"Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some." Don't neglect it, be here. And I can see that everybody who's here really wants to be here. Nobody was forced out of their homes. Nobody had something tied around their head, you know, to just bring them here against their will.

You came here because you really wanted to be here, but also to be with others and you started looking out for people that you know and people that you want to have a good time with. And so also we are to be “exhorting one another,” encouraging one another, “so much the more as you see the Day approaching." That's what he wrote just decades after Jesus Christ was here on the earth. And those words ring true more than ever right now, more than ever for our church as we see the day of Jesus Christ's return coming to this earth.

This is the largest meeting of the United Church of God by far. I believe that in Panama City Beach, we got up to something like 1,060. Perhaps that could be verified with someone. I know it wasn't too much more over a thousand. And I know we're going to have way over 1,200 here for the meetings this afternoon. It's the largest meeting of young people, particularly teens, who may have seen each other this past year at the Feast of Tabernacles or at camps and have been writing to each other and say, "See you at the Winter Family Weekend." I want to wear those earmuffs with you.”

You've stayed together, you've stayed in touch with one another through Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, but now you are here in person. We're here meeting with and rubbing shoulders with others this week. And that's what this is all about. It's about fellowship. Certainly it's about learning, certainly it's about entertainment, certainly, it's about education, but the biggest thing is fellowship, to being with one another. And you have a direct part in sharpening your brothers and sisters and stirring one another up and lifting one another up and encouraging one another, which is so very, very important. Again, you will remember this event by the people that you have been in contact with, the relationships. And by being with one another, we have a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of fellowship.

Few things are as warmly appreciated and gratifying as to see people caring for one another in unique and powerful ways. That's the hallmark of our church. That's how we are known to be a church. Sometimes the encouragement and the stirring up comes with a simple encouraging word precisely at the right time and maybe it's not any more profound than saying, "Hello," to the person next to you. Somebody who may not know you. When I was in high school, I was not the most popular person. I was actually socially quite awkward and oftentimes, people really didn't gravitate to me. Really, you wouldn't believe it, but they didn't.

I tended to be on the obnoxious side, and when people were nice to me, I really appreciated that. Sometimes when I saw a group of teenagers go down the hall, they all kind of gathered together, went from class to class, I would be left behind. They wouldn't wait for me. They'd wait for each other. They wouldn't wait from me. That hurt my feelings. I thought, "What am I doing wrong?" You know, "I'm not accepted as much as these other people who are all together in this particular group." There may be somebody who's left behind. You may want to ask them to come along. The people that you hang with are the people that you really want to be with, but there may be somebody who's retiring, a little bit shy, a little bit behind, a little bit sort of left out, and that even reinforces not wanting to be with that person because they're not as social and giggly and whatever as the others. When, if you just say, "Come with us, come and have a pizza with us." "Join us at our table." Believe me, that's really stirring up love and good works, to help somebody in a way that they will remember you for the rest of their lives. That's the purpose of socializing.

The purpose of socializing is not to leave anyone behind. It's to help people in that way. Jesus made it very clear, plain for His disciples both in the first century and for us today. He said in John 13:34, John 13:34, these are among the last recorded words of Jesus Christ in His human state. "I am giving you a new commandment. Love each other; just as I have loved you, you should love one another." And why is this so important? Why is this so important? "Your love for one another," verse 35, "will prove to the world that you are My disciples."

Our proof to the outside that we are disciples of Jesus Christ is not our number on our BT magazine. It's not our code. It's not our affiliation. It's not our profession. It's the love that we show one towards another. Loving one another can actually become an important part of preaching the gospel, of being a light to the world. Matthew 5:14. Jesus Christ in the first recorded sermon, sermon on the mount, said the following. Mathew 5:14, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house." Verse 16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your God in heaven." We have a tremendous opportunity, not only to one another to show love, but also to be the light to the world when people who are workers here at this establishment look at us and say, "Wow, these people really are wonderful. They're so patient. They're so quiet." Not that we can't make a little bit of noise at the right time, the right place, but we show consideration towards others.

At the Feast of Tabernacles a few months back in Panama City Beach, one of the service workers, he was responsible for shuttling people back and forth from the convention center to the place where we stayed, came up to me special, drove up to me and said, "You know, I understand that you're the president of the United Church of God. I want to let you know that I have never seen a group of people… and I've worked here," he gave the number of years, it was seven, eight, something like that, "I have never seen a group of people so consistently careful, loving, and well behaved and it's by how they treat one another." I thought that was truly an amazing statement because he caught up to me again another time and just waved.

I actually asked him if he would want to tell that to the crowd. At first, he says, "No," and then it became even a bigger, no, he was too shy to do that, but he just commented about not ever seeing… and he says, "Many groups come through here from spring break to other groups all through the year, but there is no group like the United Church of God and it's by their behavior and it's the way that they treat and regard one another." And of course, we don't love each other only for recognition. We love each other as a manifest expression of God's Holy Spirit working in us. That's Jesus Christ living His life in us, and it's the way we regard one another.

In Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 2:10, "We are His workmanship," we are God's workmanship, "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." The real power of fellowship occurs when we are together. Like I said, you can start with just a, "Hello," to somebody that you don't know, but a face-to-face handshake, a mutual hug of greeting, a dazzling smile delivered just close to that person's face, these are powerful in person. Recognition of someone means a lot to that person. There may be people who are as aching to have recognition, who are too shy to express it themselves. "Where are you from? Your first time here? My name is Victor Kubik. What's yours?" You can do that, it takes very little effort, it can make a big difference.

And that's why the apostle Paul wrote, "Let us not neglect our meeting together," which we already read in Hebrews 10:25. Let us not neglect. We cannot do that online. Online, you just don't have that fellowship. A year ago or maybe two years ago, I could not come to one of the meetings of the General Conference of Elders. So I listened to the presentation online. It was good. It was good. You know the speaker, I probably heard him better than if I was there in person. It was great. And I was so excited. And then as soon as the webcast ended, literally a few seconds later… cut off and I felt so alone, so empty. I was laying in bed.

Being here with one another, being here early for church or early for meetings or staying afterwards and talking to people, it's not wasted time. It's what it's about. It's the relationship, the fellowship, that means so much. Make the time to visit with people here. Again, concentrate and make the time to deliberately make time available to talk with people because this is not wasted time. It's very, very important time. Adults really appreciate it when young people come up and talk to them. I do. I really appreciate it when young people don't just pass by, but actually say hello and even introduce themselves.

Last year, I had a young man who I saw again here this year. He came up to me. He was so excited. He wanted to give me something that he had made. Online, he was able to download a model of a airplane. It was Ukrainian Airlines 737 with all the insignia on it. He used cardstock to print it out and then he cut it out, assembled it, and brought into here to the Winter Family Weekend. It was so neat. I took it home, it sat on the kitchen table for a month or two, now it's in my office at home. I look at it every day. It was so thoughtful of him to do that. It was something very, very simple, something very meaningful to me.

You adults, also make a point to talk to younger people, to people who are not of your age. You'd be surprised as to how much they may appreciate it. When I was at Ambassador College in Bricket Wood, I was very poor. I had no way to get even back. I just thought, "I'm here in college. I don't know how in the world I'm getting back to the United States." And I remember when visitors would come from Pasadena. They'd come through the college. And then one of the evangelist actually came up and said, "Hello," to me. I could not believe that he would do that. “Why me?” I still remember him. I still remember him coming to me. He sort of vaguely remembered me from somewhere else. That means a lot to people. You may not think it, but it does mean a lot.

Make time to talk to people that are more than just the ones you hang out with, but to bring others in and don't ignore people who might be off by themselves. Make an effort to listen carefully to people when they say, we want to talk to somebody. You know, if we just said to everyone here, "Please be sure to talk to somebody right away after church," well, who's going to listen, if everybody's talking? A big part of the whole conversation is listening. In fact, it's harder to listen than it is to talk because we're so filled with things that we have to say about ourselves that we realize that, you know, maybe somebody just wants to say something to us and maybe to get their story out to us.

Be actively listening to people and to reflect back on what they're saying and ask questions, and really listen to them. Don't be looking around if you can get a better deal with somebody else talking to you. You know? "I'm tired of listening to this guy." One person commented to me about a certain individual and said, "You know, he's always looking always for a better deal. He listens to you until something better comes along." But take the time in the meetings before and after to hear somebody through. There's a point at which to end the conversation, but really make it known to that person, that his presence and his talk and his story is important to you, to show that respect to him.

We oftentimes want to talk or listen just enough to be thinking about what we have to say next. Make it a point when somebody is talking to have them express and expand on that thought further. Don't be looking for a better deal. If you want to be sharper, listen more. If you want a stronger marriage, listen actively. If you want better friendships, stop talking and listen. Too often we are the ones who do want to do all the talking. Again, we can't all talk at the same time because there's nobody to listen. The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and to be understood, and the best way to understand people is to listen to them.

Also, pay honest compliments and express gratitude. It means a lot to people to be complimented. When somebody does something worthy of praise, don't withhold a compliment from them or think that they won't be encouraged by it. Somebody has done a good presentation, somebody has sung beautifully as we had here with the four pieces here beforehand, let them know how much you appreciated their talent, their ability, how the song, how the music affected you. It really does mean a lot. Nothing sharpens like a compliment, a good word, and to say something to that person.

We had a family Bible study over Thanksgiving. My wife had heard about another one that was similar to this and I thought at first, "Oh, this is so hokey. I don't know." Anyway, what it was was a family Bible study or a small group who can get together. As part of the Bible Studies, go around the room or go around the circle and everyone, and these are people who probably know each other, say one word, one or two words at the most that is a positive comment about the other person. Well, we did that with our family. We had the eight of us, six… my son Michael, his wife Alex and their four children and Bev and me. You know something, it was a beautiful experience. I could not believe what my grandchildren said about Papa. I didn't even think that they thought that way.

We had comments, then we all went and commented about each other in the same way and a lot of good thoughts came out about people. Certainly, everybody's got some good things about them, right? Sometimes we feel like we're just full of problems and nobody cares and nobody sees the good in us, but comments like "wonderful mother, creative, focused, generous, brilliant, and caring," came out. When we hear that, it means a lot. You may want to try that when you have a Bible study or small group gathering.

1 Peter 4:10, about giving this gift to fellowship… all of us have qualities and things that we can give to others. 1 Peter 4:10, "God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." Verse 11, "Do you have the gift of speaking?" I just wonder if this refers to preaching and prophesying and what kind of thing. I think it's just the ability to converse, the ability to say good things. "Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others?" And there's some people who are just natural. They want to do something. They want to fix something. They want to help somebody else out. "Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus." So this is the first section of the sharpening.

The second section is to being sharpened. Let's take a look at being sharpened. Diversity and feedback in becoming sharpened. Do you have the first one written down? Now, number two, diversity and feedback. Iron sharpening iron is one hard metal against another hard metal, perhaps of different hardness. So how does iron sharpen iron? Practically speaking, you sharpen something by creating shape altering friction between two surfaces. The softer metal edge will become worn down and it's sharpened by the harder metal.

You don't sharpen two exact identical knives by rubbing them vigorously together, both will become dull. One has to be harder and one has to be softer and the softer one then becomes sharpened. You know, birds of a feather flock together. We've heard that expression. You see a flock of robins, doves, sparrows, whatever. They all like to stick together and to be just among themselves. That's how they fly and that's how their civilization or whatever their community thing is. But seeking refinement only through relationships with people that are just like you and your age isn't the best way to sharpen or to stay sharp spiritually or grow in leadership. In other words, to be with people just like you, it's comfortable. To be with people of your own group, of your own department, isn't the best way to develop leadership and to grow spiritually for that matter.

Try to diversify. And we do have, again, I already mentioned we have many diversities right here in this room, from children to teens to new people, to adults, to elders, all kinds of people here. I had a young man by the name of Colin who came up to me before services and gave me a card. He said, "This is from my Bible class." A big thank you card for the Winter Family Weekend. It gave me the opportunity to give him a hug and just thank him. This interaction was so valuable between me and Colin. That's the kind of interactions we need to have between old and young. I'm the older one.

Consider who God has placed in your life, perhaps that you don't always appreciate. This might be a person with whom even a casual conversation is a challenge. We have such people, "I don't want to talk to him. He's a grump. He never says anything nice. I'd rather just avoid him and go to the people that are fun, that giggle right away when they see my presence." This could be a person who's always questioning your motives and is negative, can't wait to say something to undermining. Or this could be somebody from a different generation or background who makes your eyes roll when you hear them say anything.

These personalities are tough to deal with, but they can be the ones to your greatest leadership development potential and being sharp. It also helps to bring out those who are shy, somebody from another part of the world. Welcome, and sharpen them. Try to be with someone different from you at least some of the time here at the Winter Family Weekend. There are elderly people that are just craving to have you come and talk to them, but they won't come up to you. There are young people who crave to be noticed and somebody to come to them. These are all opportunities for sharpening, but I want to give you one story about sharpening that I have learned, and learned a great deal, from. I'm going to keep the names and location and everything secret.

I had a presentation to make about something that was a culture change or perhaps of doing things differently, and it's something that I've been working on with a small group of people to present to a group. And the person who was kind of helping and actually driving this project forward came to me and said, "You know, before we give it to the group, let's pick out one person from that group who might be most resistant to it, who might even be skeptical of what we're talking about." My reaction is, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. I want to talk to people who think like me. People who say, 'That's great!’” "No, no," he says, "let's pick out somebody who might be skeptical or resistant to the idea." I said, “Okay, here it goes,” and I called a person and he was very, very cordial and very gracious and came to just me and this leader talking about our idea. We went through it in real time. We explained all the aspects of it.

This person asked a few questions, but then I believe that he was pleased that he was asked. He was pleased that he could comment. He was pleased to be able to have clarifying questions that he had be clarified, for us to be able to explain it. Then, when we presented this to a larger group, he was a proponent of the idea. He was an evangelist of the idea. He thought it was great and it built support and I really learned something from that experience. Sharpening doesn't come from just talking to people just like you. It comes from talking to people who might think differently from you.

I want to bring up another example. This is a really bad example. In fact, it's so bad that I almost didn't want to give it to you but it's so bad that it's good. Fourteen years ago, on the Council of Elders, we had an exercise where we were to evaluate one another. Just pick one person, just pick one other council member to evaluate you about your strengths, about your performance in meetings and areas of challenge. There may have been a few other questions. Well, who to pick, who to pick? Because there are people who have variations of thoughts and relationship on the Council of Elders.

My wife said, "Pick this person." I said, "Oh no, no way. I'm not going to pick that person." I wanted to pick somebody who will say nice things about me, which I did. The person predictably told me how wonderful I was. In areas of growth, he had something like, "Eat more vegetables." I think he had something totally inane, you know. What did I learn? Was I sharpened? Absolutely not. It did me no good. It didn't make me a better person. We need to seek feedback from those, perhaps, who are different from us. People are often afraid of surveys. I think ministers are probably more afraid than anybody else. A survey by members who could comment about everything from speaking to counseling to attention and focus, availability, all the things that a minister should do, but they're good.

You know, everybody hates surveys. I mean every time we're on the phone ordering some object, you know, "Would you care to take a little survey?" You know? One time here, this last week I had some technical problem. It was so aggravating, and then, "Would you like to take a survey?" No. No. I didn't want to take a survey. But surveys are a way that we do get feedback about ourselves and about our performance. ABC has surveys, what classes do the students like most? Which ones don't? Which classes really helped? And even, which classes are not as valuable? We had that for our ministerial conferences for our Labor Day weekend where we surveyed those who came to the weekend. And you know there was a trending towards certain classes that they really liked and a trending by ABC students towards certain classes that really felt were valuable.

That makes those of us who organize these events say, "Wait a minute," you know, "we need to ask ourselves what types of products, what type of lectures, what types of seminars are useful and are helpful to the people we serve." And it comes from giving that feedback to sharpen us and not just talk about things that we're comfortable with, but talk about those things that are of greatest value. Sharpening also comes from the diversity of people that you're around. The person who has probably had the widest diversity of people in his time is Jesus Christ Himself. Who did He hang with? Well, He had His disciples and the 12 apostles, which was quite a group too. The doctor there, the tax collector, there was a fisherman. I mean, it was really quite a diverse group of people that He chose to be those who would be the promoters of the gospel message to the world.

He was accused of hanging with winebibbers, publicans and sinners. He was around construction people. He even got together secretly with Nicodemus by night. A member of the Sanhedrin. By night, secretly. I'm sure Jesus Christ really appreciated that experience and so did Nicodemus when he asked the questions about being born again. And then, Jesus sat and got together with a woman at the well and everybody knew who that woman was. They knew her reputation. "What's He doing with that lady? What's He talking to that lady for?" But Jesus Christ was not afraid to associate with and to be around people and strike up conversations with people who were quite diverse.

And I find some of the most interesting experiences that I have, and I only do it very infrequently once a week, but I've been a member of a Rotary Club now for 20 years. I'll tell you the kind of people that I meet. Delta airline pilot. The meetings are Tuesdays at 7:00 for breakfast. High school superintendent for Batavia High Schools. An attorney. The county auditor. That's the lady whose name is on every gas pump in Clermont County. A radio personality. The director of the YMCA. A funeral director who actually I asked if we could film a Beyond Today segment at the funeral home, said, "Sure, great, anytime!” Eden Township police chief and the chief lieutenant. Two bank vice presidents. Two ministers, two other ministers besides myself. A Salvation Army captain. Vocational school director, he's nominated regularly as one of the top 10 influential people in Cincinnati. We have tremendous visitors from Siemens across the street from the Home Office, senior engineers. Our Congressman, Brad Wenstrup has come to visit us and speak to us, and I've talked to him about the church and about our magazine and sent him Beyond Today magazine. He's a member of the International Relationship Committee. The marketing director from Downing Displays across the street, which produces these huge, huge displays for Amazon, for Intel, for Microsoft.

I’ve made contact with Jews. The club I was in before had quite a number of Jews. I remember one of them gave a talk. He said, "Today, I'm going to talk to you about a holiday that you don't even know about. Shavuot. Does anybody know what that is?” “What's this Christian minister doing knowing about this?” I've had a club with Muslims, which actually were some of the friendliest people that I had met. They were all from one of the large pharmaceutical companies. They were all considering themselves scientists. We have a Hindu and a variety of Christians.

I have used my being with people of different values, different cultures, and different faiths as an opportunity for me to be able to hold my own and explain who I am. I have never ever doubted or questioned, and I have more than one time upheld what we do. We've had the Rotary Club for a special breakfast meeting at the Home Office. Every year we're allowed, every member, to give what's called a shameless plug for whatever they are. My shameless plug was the United Church of God. Showed them through the entire office, and they have a high respect for us. You know, we sometimes say that we're different. That we’re so different from others. Everybody's different, Christians among themselves are different. In no way do I look upon the fact that we don't observe certain days, like even this time of year as being something so horribly abnormal.

On one occasion… Of course, the club knows me and they know where I stand. They know I'm a Sabbath keeper. They know I don't do things on the weekends. One time, the club, the guest speaker didn't show. This was in January and they said, "You know, we don’t… our guest speaker didn't show up. Let's have everybody around the table tell us about how you kept Christmas this year." Normally we'd tighten up and say, "Uh-oh. Here we go. I've got to talk about something weird," or appear to be weird. I took the position of… I tell them just exactly where I stand on Christmas. They said, "We really want know how Vic's Christmas went." Okay. "You want to know? I'll tell you." I talked for 15 minutes. I probably gave the best-organized speech I've ever given. I talked about how Christmas - most of the ones before me talked about how they got together with family and how they enjoyed it. It was a time of family and everything. I upheld that. I upheld the fact that you need to be with family. You need to have this time sometime through the year. I said, "I like to get together with family."

I said, "Christ wasn't born on this day. There's some of you who know full well that Christmas came from pagan origins," which some of them were nodding their heads. They knew that. "So that's why I don't keep it." I explained what we do keep, I have people who followed me out of Rotary Club, saying, "Thank you. I've been thinking about those things." I got emails for the rest of the day from a number of people saying, "Thank you for telling us. That was a good insight." But you know, I felt like I sharpened them. I sharpened them because of the things that I was to them, my relationships with them through the years before. The Muslim members in our club loved it. They thought it was a great presentation.

If you are just with your own, you will not get a perspective of the real world in which we live. And I'm so thankful for the prospective, the deep appreciation that I have for what I know, for what I believed for 50 years in the ministry and what I've taught, and what I believed before that. I appreciate what I have and what others don't, whose minds are clouded, who don't know the truth. And that's how I represent myself through my website, through Facebook and Twitter. We don't want to associate ourselves with those who are different, but maybe we should. To be the sharpening edge for them and we could learn from them.

With my Ukrainian Sabbath keepers, Ukraine, they said, "We want to learn from you, from," at first, it was the church I was in before, the Worldwide Church of God and now the United Church of God, "but I hope that you can learn from us." That was a bold statement on their part. You know, I've learned a lot from them, not doctrinal, the doctrinal part they've learned from us and they started keeping Holy Days, large groups of them, as a result of our continual teaching. But I've learned a lot from them about how they treat their children, about the love that they have towards her children, how they value their relationships because they don't have much else. They don't have vacations. They don't have toys. They don't have video games. They don't have all that stuff that we clutter our lives with. They just have each other and the way that they value that is amazing.

Every Sabbath in services they have the blessing of the children. They are all the children in the congregation get up on the stage and then the pastor asks a blessing upon the whole group. You have the 18-year-olds and you've got the babes in arms. And whenever I'm there, they always have me do that part of the service, to bless their children because they value them. You look at those kids, they're up on the stage and they're asking God to watch over them, to protect them through the week. It's like another prayer that we ask for our children, the Sabbath after the days of the Feast of Tabernacles. So we can learn from others.

I'd like to conclude with the Daniel 1. Turn in your Bibles to Daniel 1. Daniel had a 70-year career in Babylon. He was 16 years old when he was taken captive from Jerusalem when Babylon attacked Jerusalem and took the nation captive to Babylon. He was 16 years old. And he was handpicked though for government service in Babylon and he became God's prophetic mouthpiece to both gentiles and to Jews, proclaiming God's purpose and God's presence. Daniel 1, just a few high points to show you what kind of a fellow he was, "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God." It was more than just some. They'd just raided the temple and it took it all.

"Then the king instructed," verse 3, “Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants in some of the nobles, Bring,” he says in verse 4, "young men in whom there is no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans." So I want you to bring all the sharp people to me. I want you to bring the young people, and among them was Daniel. "So the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine, which they drank, and three years of training for them. So at the end of that time, they might serve before the king." King wanted the other sharpest of the Jews serving in his cabinet. And among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Verse 8, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank." The king had this table of food, hors d'oeuvres, all kinds of things, perhaps a lot of unclean things, no doubt, and wine. Daniel didn't drink the wine. Perhaps he was underage, you know, whatever or it just was spiced or… just said, "I'm not going to drink that wine. They're doing this to be nice to us, but I'm not going to take this special diet."

“Therefore he requested the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.” Already, Daniel was a very savvy person. He started making friends, you know, with people even though he was a captive. He was a slave. “And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, ‘Hey, I fear my lord the king, who's appointed your food and drink. Why should he see your faces looking worse than the younger men who are your age? Then they would endanger my head before the king.’" He says, "You don't eat that food and you start looking sick, and I'm going to get into trouble."

Verse 11, "So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; as you see fit.’ So he consented.” You know something, this is a conspiracy. No, it isn't. I thought it had ended. I thought I didn't have the last page of my sermon notes.

"And at the end of the ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portions of the king's delicacies. Thus, the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. And for all these four men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." Here these people excelled, but they held to their values. They didn't succumb to the traditions and the dietary, whatever it was, of the Babylonians. They kept true to what was their faith.

At the end, verse 18-19, the king said, "Bring him into Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found but Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king.” They were sharp people. They held on to their sharpness. They didn't compromise their values. And Daniel… of the 12 chapters in his book, nine of them involved his dreams and visions and his working directly with the head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar. The greatest sharpener of all is the word of God. Just write this passage down, Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

The Bible is what really, ultimately makes you sharp. And the values exposed in it. So how sharp are we in understanding the sword of the spirit? Let's take the helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit. Let's be sharp individuals, at whatever age we are. You can be sharp as a young teenager, as a child, as a Josiah, as was mentioned yesterday. Josiah was a sharpie at age 8. Be sharp at all these ages, as a young adult holding onto strong values, as an adult, and those of us in the older periods of our life.

Let's be grateful to God for what He has done for us and what He teaches us. May God's grace and peace be with you.