Attitude
by Pat McIntosh
They now call it a “Mr. Myagi” moment. In the movie The Karate Kid the major character in the
show learned a valuable lesson about attitude. He was given menial tasks (sanding a wood floor,
waxing a car and painting a fence) by Mr. Myagi. The point came in the movie when the young
man got angry, failing to see what any of those tasks had to do with learning karate. In just a few
minutes he learned after he was shown that he had learned moves with which he could defend
himself by performing those menial tasks. That changed attitude made all the difference.
For the past month we have been discussing the church moving forward based on Phil. 3:12-14.
We have realized that, for the church to thrive in the future, plans must be put into place now.
We have seen a number of obstacles that threaten to hinder any future growth or success. We
have seen how to combat them. However, simple recognition of the facts will not get the job
done. Something else is needed: our own efforts.
Whether or not this congregation thrives in the decades to come may very well be threatened by
these obstacles. However, the obstacles can be overcome. For them to be overcome, we must
develop and maintain the proper attitude. We must have the proper attitude toward our own
responsibilities. We must have the proper attitude toward training others to fulfill those future
roles. However, we must especially have the proper attitude toward God, His Word and our
response to it.
It is hard to say where we will be in 10 or 20 years. But, we can know what we plan to do about
that today. May we be those who seek to have the proper attitude about our collective efforts as
we seek to do God’s will.
Sunday A.M. Sermon – “The Church Reaching Forward: Attitudes”
- What is attitude?
- What Does the Bible Say About attitude? – Ezra 7:10; Neh. 4:6, 17; Psa. 119:97-104; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Pet. 4:1; Acts 5:41; Eph. 4:22-23
- Attitudes for the Future of the Lord’s Church – Mk. 12:30; 2 Cor. 11:28; 1 Jno. 3:16-18; Matt. 6:33; Heb. 10:24-25; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Rom. 8:28
Sunday P.M. Sermon – “God’s Anger” (Nahum 1:1-7)