The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-08-04
Lesson for August 6

Lesson subjects and Scripture texts. se;
Council Of Religious Education; used By
| permission.
POWER THROUGH SELF-DISCIa
PINE TEMPERANCE UESSON1
LESSON TEXT-Proverbs 1:7-1o; Jere.
miah $3.50; I Corinthians s9:24-27: IThes'
salonians 5:22.
GOLDEN TExT-And every man that
striveth for the mastery Is temperate In al
things.-I Corinthians 9:25.
Discipline - that word doesn't
sound exactly attractive, does it? 1t
makes us think of punishment for
wrongdoing, when in reality 1t Is q
very helpful word which means
teaching. Disciples learn, and thus
are disciplined, so that life becomes
safer, simpler, and more efficient.
When the Moro Castle caught
fire, there was time for everyone to
escape, but 1874 out of the 500 on
board persisted because they fought
each other. When the President
Coolidge sank in the South Seas 4,500
soldiers escaped alive. What made
the difference? Discipline, that's all,
but it was enough.
There are many kinds of disci-
pine, and all have their important
place in preparing men to live we'll
ordered and useful lives. The dis
ciplined life has power to meet trials
and temptations. We find in our les
son three kinds of discipline:
1. Home Discipline prov. 1:7-10).
The training received by the child
early in life from it's parents is Of
the utmost Importance in forming
character. Children should learn the
true standards of life, and be held
to obedience to them if they are
later to walk in the right way.
1t is here that they most effec-
lively learn the danger OF the use
of intoxicants and the Importance
of keeping their bodies clean and
strong for the service of God and
country.
Some parents POSSIBLY misled by
attractive, but false theories ct fedu-
cation) think that the correction or
punishment of child is not to be
permitted. They assume that they
are being kind to a. child by not
limiting his development, or trying
to direct it. These are the people
who course their children with kind
ness" which is in fact the greatest
of unkindness.
Only a fool ". y will despise the
instruction of his parents, and only
"a fool of "a parent will fail to give
that training which is like "an orna-
ment Of grace" ". 81 in the life OF
the young man or woman.
But the discipline Of the horne
needs the support Of
III. Social Discipline, (Jer. 35;5-10).
The social order, which concerns
our relation to our fellow men, dis
ciplines each of US. It makes many
and what sometimes seem burden
some demands of US, in order that
we, as well as those around us, may
have the privilege Of living ordered
and useful lives.
Wise is the man OF woman who
draws from his fellowship with 9TH
ers that helpful training which gives
him stability and grace.
The Rechabites, had made a VOW
that they would not drink intoxi-
cants, and as a tribe they stood by
that VOW even when tested by Jere-
miah. (Note that we say tested, not
tenpted. He knew they would
stand.)
Fine family traditions have great
value in guiding and controlling
young people. We should, Like the
good man Jonadab ". g., establish
tradition of abstinence from in
toxicants which will make all of our
descendants say, ''No one in our
family ever drinks"
The. training of home and OF
society has one great goal and that
is
III. SeIf-Discipline u Cor. 9:24-7;
I Thess. 5:22).
In the life of every one Of US there
should be that determined purpose
that life shall not be lived in care
less disorder, or be permitted to run
out at loose ends.
We are all running race ". 24),
and it is for us so to run that we
may achieve success. We cannot
run with uncertainty ". 26), we
must know where we are going.
We are fighting fight, and al
times it is a desperate, ife-and-
death struggle. We must not beat
the air ". 26), but strike home the
telling blows which will bring vic
tory over our enemies, the world,
the flesh, and the devil.
To do this calls for training and
self-discipline. 1t means bringing the
body and its demands into sub
lection. The man who runs in race
does not destroy his chances for
victory by using intoxicants. or other
detrimental things. Surely we who
run the race for Christ must be
even more determined that self shall
be disciplined for Gods glory.
The standard for the conduct Of
| fha Christian is higher than is com.