Faithful Actions for His Creation
Introduction
Show this video at the start of the program, which show the women what happens when we waste and do not take care of our planet, the very gift God has given us to care for and oversee.
Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OHG7tHrNM
Program Ideas
- Decorative Can
Supplies needed: Vegetable/soup/coffee can.
Decorative Napkin
Mod Podge
Foam brush or Paint Brush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8lMCx4T6TU
- Begin a service project at your corps.
- Start separating paper, plastic, cardboard
- Find unusual ways to reuse different items for projects in programs. The following site gives instructions on how to use toilet rolls to make flowers.
- Check with your local trash vendor to see if they recycle and how to recycle in your corps.
- If your location doesn’t recycle, see if there is a way for you to drop off recycling at a local center.
- Create a contest within your corps on which group can waste as little as possible and recycle the most.
- Celebrate earth day and ways to enhance our earth in all its beauty by planting trees or offering to clean up a local playground or section of the community.
Discussion
Questions on Recycling
- How can we do better at protecting our earth?
- How can we do better at being an example in our home or to our friends when it comes to taking care of our environment?
8 Facts Regarding Recycling
- Paper: Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7 gallons of water.
- Aluminum: There are no set number of times that aluminum can be recycled.
- Steel: In 1 year, in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heal and cool 18,000,000 homes.
- Plastic: Plastic bottles take 700 years before they begin to decompose in a landfill.
- Glass: A modern day glass bottle takes 4,000 years or more to decompose and even longer in a landfill.
- General: The United States is the #1 trash producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. That means 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste.
Our Defense
The Roman shield was 6mm thick, and could withstand arrows, blows by sword and other blunt objects that would potentially injure or even take the life of a soldier. The shield can be used for both offense and defense. Just like the purpose of the shield is to guard the warrior during combat, the shield of our faith in Christ is to protect us from Satan as he daily attempts to creep in and attack our lives. The shield is important, faith is the first step we take in our relationship with Jesus and should flourish as we mature in our walk with Him. Faith equips us to have a defense when Satan begins to throw the flaming arrows.
Sometimes as women we tend to let our guards down, we can become too busy doing and neglect being in the presence of the One who is the “author and perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). As a result, our hearts are less protected from the enemy. When we let our guard down, neglecting our faith, Satan’s arrows strike hard and when we are not shielded, we can slip back into old habits, habits not of God. These habits look different for all of us, but can be temptations such as self–loathing, gossiping, bitterness, unforgiveness, self–neglect and even selfishness. As Christian woman, we must aim to constantly hold up our shield of faith to protect ourselves from the flaming darts. When we have a profession of faith in Christ, His grace becomes our sufficiency.
As we should care about each gift God has given us on earth to enjoy. We should care more deeply about the gift of becoming a new person in Him. God wants us to keep the earth beautiful, because He cares about every part of His creation. He cares about everything, from the trees to the bees, the highest mountain to the deepest ocean, the fragrant flower to the most beautiful creature. Can you imagine how much he cares for you as a woman of God? He desires that we not fall into the temptations of Satan; that we stand up against the flaming arrows. Our loving, creative Father wants us to strive to be on guard and ready. Like a warrior ready for combat, we should remain focused and stay deep rooted in Him. Doing this will give us the strength to keep our faith strong, so we can be ready and block the unexpected flames.
Just like we can protect our world in more than one way by upcycling, recycling, and creating less trash, we can protect ourselves by resisting trash in our lives. This is possible by believing that God will do as His word says, even when it looks or seems impossible. We should not only take up the shield of faith but take up every part of the armor of God: the breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shoes of peace, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18). All of these will equip us to stay focused on Him, and always be ready for what Satan may throw our way.
Asking God, praying to Him daily, will allow us to extinguish every arrow that the enemy throws. It does not matter if it is physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Just like we can take old plastic, glass or paper and make it beautiful again when we recycle, He can make us new every morning. It requires us to keep our faith in Him. As women of God let’s strive to keep both the earth beautiful and to keep our hearts beautiful for Him.
Going Deeper:
- What is one thing you can change about yourself that can be recycled into something beautiful again?
- How can we take better care of ourselves as women of God to keep holding up the shield of faith and protect ourselves from the flaming arrows?
Scripture: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16 ESV).
