The Wired Word for 01122025 - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

The Wired Word for 01/12/2025 ![rw-book-cover](https://readwise-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/images/article3.5c705a01b476.png) ## Metadata - Author: [[The Wired Word]] - Full Title: The Wired Word for 01/12/2025 - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: [#JimmyCarter, #Leadership, #Faith, #HabitatForHumanity, #CommunityService] - #JimmyCarter - #Leadership - #Faith - #HabitatForHumanity - #CommunityService Author: [The Wired Word] Source: [The Wired Word for the Week of January 12, 2025] Reference: [Jimmy Carter Tribute Study Guide] date created: 2025-01-12 10:00 --- # Title: **Jimmy Carter: Builder of Homes, Hope, and Legacy** ## Table of Contents - 📝 [Summary](#summary) - 📖 [Main Content](#main-content) - 🗒️ [Notes](#notes) - 🗣️ [Paraphrase](#paraphrase) - 📰 [Newsletter](#newsletter) - ✅ [Action Items](#action-items) - 🧪 [Hypotheses](#hypotheses) - 📊 [Methodology](#methodology) - ❓ [Questions](#questions) - 🔮 [Future Research](#future-research) - 💡 [Implications](#implications) - 🧠 [Learning Styles Assessment](#learning-styles-assessment) - 📊 [Accessibility Assessment](#accessibility-assessment) - 🌍 [DEIB Assessment](#deib-assessment) - ✅ [Logical Validity](#logical-validity) - 🔍 [DARVO Analysis](#darvo-analysis) - 🔍 [SEO Evaluation](#seo-evaluation) - 🎯 [Conclusion](#conclusion) --- ## 📝 Summary: Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, passed away at 100 on December 29, 2024. Renowned for his post-presidential humanitarian work, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, embodied "servant leadership" through the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity. The guide examines Carter's life through the lens of faith, community service, and spiritual legacy, encouraging readers to reflect on how they build their own lives on a foundation of lasting values. --- ## 📖 Main Content: ### 🗒️ Notes: - **Early Life and Presidency**: - Peanut farmer turned politician. - Advocated for diplomacy, religious liberty, and human rights. - Despite facing economic and political crises, negotiated the Camp David Accords and prioritized peace. - **Faith and Spiritual Legacy**: - Practiced and taught Christianity with humility and service at the core. - Emphasized living the gospel, not just professing it. - Taught over 2,000 Sunday school lessons. - **Post-Presidential Achievements**: - Founded the Carter Center: Reduced Guinea worm disease cases to fewer than 10 worldwide. - Habitat for Humanity: Helped build/remodel 4,447 homes in 14 countries. - Promoted racial unity and multiracial networks in Baptist communities. - **Key Bible Connections**: - Micah 6:8: Central to Carter's mission of justice, kindness, and humility. - Matthew 7:24-27: Advocates building a life on a strong spiritual foundation. --- ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. **Original**: "Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds." **Paraphrase**: Jimmy Carter's actions, rather than his statements, defined his purposeful and meaningful life. 2. **Original**: "The foundation of greatness is service to others." **Paraphrase**: True greatness lies in prioritizing service to others over personal accolades or power. --- ## 📰 Newsletter: **This Week in WordPress and Open Source** Jimmy Carter’s extraordinary life as a builder of homes and hope offers lessons in leadership and community service. His post-presidency work reduced disease, promoted housing equality, and exemplified servant leadership. Inspired by his humility and values? Reflect on how open-source projects can serve communities and foster inclusivity. Let’s continue building a stronger WordPress ecosystem together! --- ## ✅ Action Items: 1. Reflect on Carter’s servant leadership model in WordPress community initiatives. 2. Promote inclusivity and collaboration in onboarding new contributors. 3. Build sustainability in open-source projects, echoing Carter's mission of addressing unmet needs. --- ## 🧪 Hypotheses: 1. Leaders rooted in service are more effective in fostering community cohesion. 2. Faith-driven principles can enhance decision-making in public service. ### 📊 Methodology: - **Survey**: Assess leadership effectiveness in service-driven organizations. - **Case Study**: Analyze Habitat for Humanity’s long-term impact. --- ## ❓ Questions: 1. How can Carter’s legacy inspire modern leaders in technology? 2. What parallels exist between Carter’s “theology of the hammer” and WordPress's collaborative model? --- ## 🔮 Future Research: - Analyze the scalability of Carter’s leadership model in digital ecosystems. - Explore how faith influences leadership styles across industries. --- ## 💡 Implications: - **For Open Source**: Carter’s legacy underscores the importance of service-focused leadership, fostering sustainable and inclusive communities. --- ## 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: 1. **Visual**: Images of Habitat projects could enhance engagement. 2. **Aural**: Include audio narratives of Carter’s life. 3. **Kinesthetic**: Create hands-on activities, like building model homes. 4. **Logical**: Highlight data on Habitat’s global impact. --- ## 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Strengths**: Clear language, rich biblical references. - **Improvements**: Add alt-text for visuals and offer an audio version for better accessibility. --- ## 🌍 DEIB Assessment: - **Strengths**: Multiracial unity through New Baptist Covenant. - **Improvements**: Include diverse testimonials from Habitat beneficiaries. --- ## ✅ Logical Validity: 1. **Strength**: Carter’s legacy is supported by tangible outcomes, like disease eradication and housing initiatives. 2. **Fallacy**: None identified; arguments are evidence-based and consistent. --- ## 🔍 DARVO Analysis: - **Deny/Attack**: None observed. - **Reverse Victim/Offender**: The narrative avoids victim-blaming, focusing instead on Carter’s humility and service. --- ## 🔍 SEO Evaluation: 1. **Keywords**: Effective use of “Jimmy Carter,” “Habitat for Humanity,” and “servant leadership.” 2. **Suggestions**: Add meta descriptions and internal links for enhanced discoverability. --- ## 🎯 Conclusion: Jimmy Carter’s life exemplified humility, service, and faith. His leadership model offers valuable lessons for building communities, whether through physical homes or open-source ecosystems. Reflect on how you can emulate these principles in your work and life. ## 📝 Answers to Questions: ### **Big Questions** 1. **How important to you is a president's faith? How much should a political leader publicly live it out?** - A president's faith can be an inspiring personal anchor, but the public practice of it should align with principles of inclusivity and religious liberty, as Carter demonstrated. Faith-based actions, like Carter’s humanitarian work, provide a strong example without infringing on others' beliefs. 2. **What are some unchanging principles that have given you stability during tumultuous times?** - Justice, kindness, humility, and service—values exemplified by Carter and rooted in Micah 6:8—are timeless principles. These guide actions, offering moral clarity and grounding in challenging moments. 3. **When have you had to choose between doing what you believed was right and doing what was popular with people you cared about or people who might affect your role in life?** - Personal examples may vary, but decisions often hinge on core values. For Carter, supporting peace (e.g., the Camp David Accords) prioritized long-term global stability over short-term political gain. 4. **What difference do you think it makes in the way a leader exercises power and authority when the leader submits to Jesus Christ as sovereign?** - Leaders who submit to higher moral principles, like Christ’s teachings, prioritize humility and service over ego and control, leading to decisions that benefit others rather than self-interest. 5. **What are you building with your life?** - The answer reflects individual priorities: relationships, community service, or professional achievements. Inspired by Carter, building a legacy rooted in service and kindness ensures enduring impact. --- ### **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope** 1. **What do you think would have happened if the people had succeeded in constructing their city and tower with its top in the heavens?** - Likely, humanity's pride and self-reliance would have deepened, resulting in greater disconnection f - Document Tags: [[Jimmy Carter]] - Summary: We thank the subscriber who suggested a lesson on the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who died December 29 at the age of 100. Dear Class Members, We thank the subscriber who suggested a lesson on the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who died December 29 at the age of 100. While *The Wired Word* has produced other study guides on the Carters (See Archives: search "Carter"), for this lesson, we are focusing on their work as builders of homes and hope for millions around the world. We consider what the Bible teaches us about building lives that are spiritually strong, and ask what kind of legacy we are building with our own lives. ![](https://www.thewiredword.com/_img/tww_logo_email.jpg) **Former President Jimmy Carter, Builder of Homes and Hope for Many, Dies*****The Wired Word*** **for the Week of January 12, 2025** **In the News** Former President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at his home in Plains, Georgia. Memorial observances for the 39th president took place in many locations that were significant in his life over a period of several days. Tributes poured in from around the world, from ordinary citizens as well as domestic and world leaders. "Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds," President Joseph Biden said in a statement, adding that "anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning" should look to Jimmy Carter. Carter, a peanut farmer and former naval officer, moved from state senator to governor of Georgia before his election as president of the United States in 1976. At his inauguration, he took the oath of office with his hand on a Bible opened to Micah 6:8, which reads, "... what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" The Carter administration faced challenges of high inflation, long gas lines, the Iran hostage crisis and other problems that led to his defeat at the ballot box in 1980. He was unable to reach his highest goal of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but negotiated the Camp David Accords, forging peace between Israel and Egypt that has lasted for nearly 50 years. He signed a strategic arms limitation agreement with the Soviet Union, formalized diplomatic relations with China, turned the Panama Canal over to Panama, and kept America out of war during his term. Carter wrote that, as a Baptist, [he believed in religious liberty](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKucm6WnhQH6qdV5nvv3m8aDTlEyTCvDbwylLqWIMbw-2FlJ2E07rgZx4t4QMfZKVCoLuOZWWmbYIJIUErBDGoJck-3DpPli_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bTzu3Wxx417B8yQ6PVa3yvA6OkOrjdP4C3o6wbBvd34MQHnj25rSr4ZWz40NZ8uGLnjjNDCBnsgkkGmuUTLDGy7y6BIiMISdXo0nizjQRNeJEHjjhxEvge8LtR9fVvkC-2FSApJMQo3B3NBq0Y5hWidGLzd69jT7d4OHaJtTps7nQ-2FJ2UREKXpa3ULzWpi9PXz7Y1Kq-2FGSfNrwdYYODnI8Jac-3D), which meant that "there should be strict separation between church and state." To the dismay of some of his evangelical base, he ended the practice of inviting prominent clergy to have religious services at the White House and attended worship off-site instead. "There should be no unwarranted influence on the church or religion by the state, and vice versa," Carter told the media in 1977. After his term in office, Carter found ways [to continue his work as a private citizen](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM-2FAoCqZmBTTIZMWeLt0pVlKd8Tgd3Quaq7cou51A-2Fy8QzO3YCPNdpqjQEDeLIpKHNxMinpJNA38RgwSNMQeGp9-2B-2FzQ-2FBQA7eub8sPV0mUGnhj-2BVbOMXX1svUBRc8mnflg-3D-3DIfSq_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bawL8uhnvyc-2F87LO8mROy6bfGTltI5v16GJEv-2FG-2BJMGtYX1rR83FhAWXbHca1mLXE9pEiyjGKrtfqAaCLlp5bpUPzlIBpQNjlHOO9-2BcIyBxOyN93XguIyAxug3sCEId5j8qLKz5TJyqpcs2DX-2BtIaZQdA8enWlAuPdAb0p3rrkCRuhqK-2FhAS6XrcFzJ-2BjakZlNghglKNbVacTG8aDCumXf0-3D). He and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, founded the Carter Center, dedicated to diplomacy, peacemaking, election monitoring and eradicating diseases. Thanks to their efforts, since 1986 the number of people suffering from the painful Guinea worm disease has been reduced from about 3.5 million a year to fewer than 10 today. For more than three decades, [the Carters personally helped build or remodel 4447 affordable homes in 14 countries with Habitat for Humanity](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPG2lueH0eoNW8rD2MSSSYYD6IaUDhmbueSdgvmyIfGRqQCU6CWUVHsAfN7C3siAZlQ-3D-3D_ydb_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7ba8niJDPywYHUuhceLfId-2FVljYLVCHK2gBheX3r2hv3PJo5ZnYEc6d4j8xnf8pkaOgEmG46GVTBlMqam9LS09rk4-2FpQBPMIGAFnV0rQCppioPGRQarqckcHKRmNXq3coaPQwla-2BAwXKwdcMu96uhDerENXB-2FWxnVbiV29VcXz8rN2YYAYghE1AroiF2nNFEx3s53mpipB2ZfywsRhDjjbFk-3D), employing what founder Millard Fuller called "the theology of the hammer." Their involvement attracted volunteers who have built or remodeled tens of thousands of homes for roughly 62 million lower-income people across the United States and 70 other countries. Carter worked to unite more than 20 million adherents of more than 30 Baptist organizations to create the New Baptist Covenant and build a multiracial network for inclusive fellowship, just relationships and cooperative ministry. Carter acknowledged that he probably would not have done any of these things had he been elected to a second term. "Jimmy Carter is the only person in history for whom the presidency was a stepping stone," said James Laney, the former president of Emory University. In 2022, Tony Lowden, former pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught some of his more than 2,000 Sunday school lessons over a period of nearly seven decades, said, "He's more than Sunday school. His walk is every day with the Lord." On his last Sunday as president, Carter taught Sunday school at First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and talked about Jesus' remark that "it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest." "Is greatness being a president? An emperor?" Carter asked rhetorically before answering in the negative. "No," he said. "The foundation of greatness is service to others." More on this story can be found at these links: [Died: President Jimmy Carter, Politician, Peanut Farmer and Christian. *Christianity Today*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNP95KrJfmUHVPV73SgCwK653Te5gWwx98mY-2BSgePvIv3epG7Gi-2Fs7wApIub-2B6LayruJGRH1qbMjKwwawqWKlTxneQdcM2MpJiuwpYAnluzlfts8Jloiltn13L5pftkJLQ-3D-3DAY_b_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bUUT9bP5w-2B20n0KxulnTgs0VCEh8iGqnZlWYFRPXTl6ITcxR0PjnLUrja7PJcQ-2BO-2FCxnvMnDn5qpYSoXV1wiWXcoRw8E2uRfKOi41DJaSUzXgDy8BJSJ-2FTz4ohKVsEnmjK-2BzssL-2FDx5jcF7Q8Eo6BpasmbeA3pQSH8qT1vErBdr-2BCXcPomsGLArpvKLbrjgofYw1dQkGQN4We-2BUbXhK951w-3D) [Carter Rose From Humble Roots to Faithful Statesman. *The New York Times*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPqNaAUM7p3RszAX0cFJFV44HDcaUMw-2B5H6b9JaeFzLD57G1Lpy8PsmhegD57wJlqUQ-3D8OvB_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bVL3YYSPKoZPusLSgbOct8kYend4HywSVM-2B3VPzGEvAAnOxU6RNVOxckNlbH4u6UvNqH-2BS1c2xxjr3mYTA-2F6CeZZh2VpW317o8vkJM1M736I9-2BoZQFgB3A4BCaB40X8XhAYFv9mo0YGMSxRvj4gF3ZqcqAtz-2BvF79OPTEZ5BrBBRnfx-2FWdx9qrxRMIbqG0DrS2dR2LyJy6PQpKVtpV7GKv0-3D) [Jimmy Carter, America's Best Ex-president. *The Christian Century*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHC3qpVavlzUFU0d7aGYODVNFPX82Di5UKwspvGBLVftXC6rxW8dNuha8ev7PFy7VRLkjJ5CpVAMSs2dgbHAabnEZVXieWlWyO5rBlZ6bs1xtN8M_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bUulMuy9GP7Xg2UISQMgtRf1-2B60koIToKSg8I8f-2FzLDqhsi7l2bbhlZwR30j0SVxJQMULwqoYpJjx84an9-2BfZ2f5w2k-2FgzLZavJTwlIrXG1q-2BwKuVFXGjNdjt-2BNl4x4srmv2n9RRL5tlh5gMdOi4C85IoA5-2FE4y4p3V1978Gky6GDAX4EzoFq1-2BhnVs133WKAa-2FUsMVHkiegubE51TRvXgo-3D) [Jimmy Carter, a Lifelong Baptist, Left a Legacy of Faithfulness, Compassion and Justice. *Baptist New Global*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPDOhFUSKFTeB4q7KNfv1pbvfGLRvChHhGVyYKzUE3DtrUBBnz8ihaTahmXiv-2FI35RUHzVfRcEPsDEr42q2fOzWpe-2Fn5Rujt4ejRfnYQBt9ZVgEjz4uyB3OCbpTP4w0KYApsOkv-2FwysCJ-2FMAqK0EjgFc-3D-AZo_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7baV0L6OPZlB6LiCHZ3QjGjtItntGm-2FHKyv0LfnxXNhozRS-2FkBkUy19OG1oAR-2B-2F3-2BmIcRFOiaCuES52aYWT3WqiyLkPdUbbEKJzBZxd5HgQJobCqNrUiQBTX-2FYt9Sh1TunAgh81Z1Epbhe75U-2F1A4uti4Df6ozRXOj16AolEIb5NDHg8VudbFBrRWHV0O1u3YW3G7sbIaN3Ch0RDkPtKb6cE-3D) [Jimmy Carter, Beloved Sunday School Teacher, Ex-president, Dead at 100. *Religion News Service*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaPLYulkHJJ-2B-2F70qHQUELI-2B5Dc6dXesVjvANOmh8lgZXN3J-2BnYsdmGDHKa4y4G0wcR4N5cumTN8OvfffpQvccdSb5VE4MWGTkWpDbJXJEcNIGaa3Q6aG5jFX4JOTRMSx80-3DOT6I_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7beY5osayoq1ZaTaxjjcN8-2BwjM9EeCtRFn4blYXkXtGpxlCZRF-2Bbqhnl9E105Hy3Hb-2FTFXgTzKpxYZt1fIt3dC9bWIO1pV45Il9hs6PGTwEms0NZT8JNieIrTwnNn9lp44N8C6-2BzHKAiNieP0AG6rpuX7n4qI2miMN1-2BsGhcwdCrcSvxpAkdLwnADEwFGNTv99S3fNOxxgC7f29x5X2I56PE-3D) **Applying the News Story** President Carter built a cross for Maranatha Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school, and much of the furniture in the modest home where he and his wife lived most of their married life. In his public service, he was intent on building a society where everyone is treated with respect and kindness. His model was Jesus the carpenter, who told his disciple Peter that "[O]n this rock I will build my church" ([Matthew 16:18](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDVNk1XKCWzt0dB8L8NYpDSwkrK8vo35OpEJ2v80TwMPTguHZ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7baCn6X8WrUTtf5JXVRkucjij7Tj2o7rUZdY2sst1I95BmdudNUxQCmB5VV8uzbtKATPg-2Bitjua3fBhGSDqhKu343zEuTqAqO1Py4sDY2-2FoTFsriqkRD10CUcCBmRBpqZp90gX-2BWCtA1GZ9q4m9uh9ZazJwumUVSlQyzOaT710zDU5zOWGq80-2BQm79YouDV8Gqsvhn0bgrlDPVjz-2BVbyH0Vg-3D)). Carter once told a convention of Methodists, "I am a peanut farmer and a Christian. I am a father, and I am a Christian. I am a businessman and a Christian. I am a politician and a Christian. The single most important factor in my own life is Jesus Christ." While by no means perfect, Carter exemplified for many what it means to attempt to build one's life on Jesus. Take this opportunity to reflect on your own efforts to do the same. **The Big Questions** 1. How important to you is a president's faith? How much should a political leader publicly live it out? 2. President Carter liked to quote his high school teacher, Miss Julia Coleman, who said: "We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles." What are some unchanging principles that have given you stability during tumultuous times? 3. When have you had to choose between doing what you believed was right and doing what was popular with people you cared about or people who might affect your role in life? How did you decide what to do, and how did it work out? 4. What difference do you think it makes in the way a leader exercises power and authority when the leader submits to Jesus Christ as sovereign? 5. What are you building with your life? **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope**Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: **Genesis 11:4-5, 8-9***Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. … So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.* (For context, read [Genesis 11:1-9](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxdxvwvUIbrGNsYJ-2B9LkHJNcKi9nuf2P6TGGteolDbQ5xLeuWPF9y405b15FSR33C6HO-M_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bW2nlDSa4ycNdVWZYTJaagaFJ81MSZExSl9f-2F8m-2B3yuom-2Fsgc9qx5-2B0Ct9iCjyCjWDvbOArB7BNbfZErYSaWfnRKhuLQEUVJHfb68ujku3YdtF5nAwuW-2FZHzGBj-2B8x1Vjn8QpzY6q5cHhqzLIrUD6cb4QKhMWmMLu9srwJbx-2FVaCnagbBkLnl7Z88Zo28BK7wFqp6THE1lOjiNmz9r6p6GY-3D).) At the dawn of creation, God commanded humans to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" ([Genesis 1:28](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxdxvwvUIbrGNsYJ-2B9LkHJNYeW9bibKUrt-2FOD3tXg8ACaFjM-2B876sizCDdpjojCjc9IsmE_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bds5QYi6zUBwMoaVGrUaHOjpKGvZxFOs8k-2BYh2ucQLxk9YN8696URTMsccy9ao9Yo9fU-2FL-2BfdqqA1VZzSc626qHmpOzXdpnRD1PQUAhcNGqILQhw6Mf-2BWfKZTAKSCBCXBoFMonaF2gspzWjZt4o3-2F-2FI86pEt2tRwdARkGBI0ByarE4toezNcKHtr5kVHPcmkwzHB09-2BjTnzAwxDBx-2FpAtE4-3D)), but they resisted God's broad vision, refusing to spread out and "fill the earth," choosing self-reliance and self-exaltation ("let us make a name *for ourselves*") rather than trust in God to lead them. So God did for them what they would not do of their own free will. > **Questions:** What do you think would have happened if the people had succeeded in constructing their city and tower with its top in the heavens? How do people still attempt the metaphorical equivalent of raising the Tower of Babel, and why are we humans inclined to do so? Whose vision for humanity is superior: God's, or ours, and why? **Matthew 7:20, 24-27***[Jesus said,] "Thus you will know them by their fruits. ... Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell -- and great was its fall!"* (For context, read [Matthew 7:15-29](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDUbeq73U-2By3eZ5W2Mew7bGml0c38BJHEdwqqM9lOT58nJHRs_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bbQp3i3-2Fm7h4Kijwmp7JhUI8eqCC-2FVJ5qqqV3xp4eImXH-2FEoi-2FqU5siuhmsAXnmVKKw3KbEro74wkVuRlDMV3mLvTcWqxcIxhrx-2By7HEffmbnADNPsSUHiZCVHU4BF4mug0O-2FsWbx7peEUZ-2B1j53LFmLZ0MSNChMNKHBtPSfcjr8JPh5ETB5EVjdv8-2BE-2BlA-2B9XAI4IvvdPs6iLeORBWtJBM-3D).) Jesus taught that appearances can be deceiving. Some false prophets dress in sheep's clothing but are actually ravenous wolves (v. 15). A tree or vine may look lovely, but if it bears thorns or thistles, you won't harvest grapes or figs from it (vv. 16-19). Some people use "Christianese" that sounds super-spiritual, and do things that look religious, but something is off. Jesus says if they don't do God's will, they have no relationship with him (vv. 21-23). Mercer President William D. Underwood wrote of the 39th president: "Jimmy Carter lived the gospel." The Rev. Paul Baxley, executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, said, "President Carter ... lived out the mission of Jesus ..." > **Questions:** What experience did the two builders have in common? What made the difference in the stability of their structures? To what does Jesus compare the act of building a house on rock? To what does Jesus compare the act of building on sand? > How do the words in this verse connect with the Matthew text: "But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves" ([James 1:22](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxNIqZG-2B-2B-2BvBBz5qy3Z-2Fu622u39MLZ9iTehSeM7se-2B6FVCC70iJGOEjO-2BWFRI3vAqC9csz_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bXWjRrcsCG6UKvhYfjdE7-2BQ9zns1eX1MpxF44F7YxjRFQC9EDx2B-2B676RJJBFZ1cr-2B0huIi6ij6iuFWoImLrWh0BSvnClMqzklzdxt6RHWak1Bo16h4b1-2BZr3ajpwSRJD6Nyk1arA9Ydomz8FnDFIRB2MrFEPDHsZX28bdk0Rz8gAYeRtTzokBhnRDyFcpVMzK4u8I4lvIpjUwK4rTjz8nk-3D))? What happens when we let Jesus' words go in one ear and out the other? What is the difference between hearing the gospel and living the gospel? How can we build lives that can survive storms? **1 Corinthians 3:10-13***According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Let each builder choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw -- the work of each builder will become visible, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done.* (For context, read [1 Corinthians 3:1-17](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxOdlwvpIcp6dpBWksJaxTxH7-2FtpDolVmPnsv9NHKyPm7RShbTrMbPBkeLQnvEle1ZJ15z_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bRL7YfxTNpSLUS4q-2BRc8bu0nXwkPSkAl-2F1g77dfF1kGDhK3-2B7t1SN-2B1SXr9KeIA4C8QH-2BoLG7KZeWUWkWz3LZYyX9P0rW-2FTBXC9QB4uXfYutK2jSLd6sQ19hDo2vQg1Lbx8F5F5mFebpNeCy7NNDI1O-2B0rNiGaaJet-2Fxh79BYzkiSVkI8IkcfaxKBd4JSRpR69VGilw83eKagvPhp2WmPmY-3D).) Carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, architects and other workers construct physical buildings using lumber, mortar, stone, steel and other materials. Their skill and experience determine whether the buildings they construct can stand up to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fire and other natural disasters. But the kind of building to which Paul refers is spiritual in nature. Paul describes the community of faith as God's building, and the people of God as God's temple, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells (vv. 9, 16). Whether we are building a strong or weak community that can survive over the years will depend on the strength of the foundation on which we build, and how closely connected we are to that foundation. > **Questions:** Is the building of which Paul speaks the same as or different from a theocracy? Is it possible to build a society on the foundation of Jesus Christ without the use of force? Explain. What materials does God use to create a spiritual house of God? **1 Peter 2:4-7***Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:* *"See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner" ...* (For context, read [1 Peter 2:4-10](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxwmfmBgpnTbzq00OVUGKe4IanLwPQIGwlSOMdgQSW-2FkHmwCYLUsFseIFoL-2Blgmat7BySg_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bUu0l9YcvMJBEzawRL692DG8uaAv-2FzOMBRP5J-2BcKS2WGjGwAALO2kJXa-2BGKP3u7JnkS-2F1XqnMQMoiYOugyUSdGJq7dWAVF0z3SHv0Pi3A9hCroChJKnojvlQ2r70Z90uxCucJdQXosRhFxF4RfeYxpek4GCl-2BbPxmVFtAmp2eWMVQtXs0uBMl8eiHjeBWJd2LzGK1-2FIq6gmi5w1LaOLZGRg-3D).) In his description of the suffering servant, the prophet writes that he was despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3). John uses similar language about Jesus, saying that "[h]e came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him" ([John 1:11](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxyyJ0A-2BEDvrQGKorIXaiDBvSmGPR754LwbGZUBEfUyO8rpxKrPj7Gvy-2FloOtEHG9iqm8K_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bS6-2FdHqkSOxOx80dgbWO0zYE-2B8NLay3xCOuXTuWNEjjvjMzljZjEbb37XIsQZioI0lSsbOp8Kr2zTTirlVvP10nwKC6J7Jxh8Hj-2FyagyV2WIWGlmfzUWp7XXoxZvtRkHXhHjPjE86GonJClHaEBK33LDySyX8v9-2B1638KvHw1-2B8pea4UKjGkidKuPfcUvRAJkzYU11UacAeGYxsIhLmxGrQ-3D)). Peter echoes this language, saying that Jesus was rejected by mortals, the way builders foolishly reject the most important stone, that becomes the cornerstone, or keystone (v. 7), on which the entire spiritual house God is building depends. > **Questions:** How can a stone be "living"? What does that mean when applied to Jesus? When applied to his disciples? What kind of a house can God make with "living stones"? > How might living stones resist the Holy Spirit's effort to build them into a spiritual house? How do we "let ourselves be built" into the kind of house where acceptable spiritual sacrifices can be made to God through Jesus Christ? **For Further Discussion** 1. In his book, *A Full Life*, President Carter revealed: "Earlier in my life, I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I've grown older, I've become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can't see -- the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are." What things mattered to you in the past that you no longer find important? What have you come to value that didn't matter to you in the past? 2. In October 2014, during a celebration of Carter's 90th birthday, the former president said he had been asked how he would describe the United States of America in one word. "Searching," he replied, "for what it ought to be, and what it can be ..." What do you think America is searching for? What do you think will happen if we find what we are seeking? 3. Regarding the place of faith in public service, Carter said, "I believe that it is usually government officeholders and not religious leaders who are in the forefront of this struggle to alleviate suffering, provide homes for the homeless, eliminate the stigma of poverty or racial discrimination, preserve peace and rehabilitate prisoners." If Carter was correct, what does that say about the effectiveness of those who say they are followers of Jesus? Who should take the lead in such matters, and why? 4. Baptist pastor Maina Mwaura once preached at Maranatha Baptist Church where the Carters worshiped. "Although my story is very different from President Carter's," [Mwaura wrote](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPDOhFUSKFTeB4q7KNfv1pbvj5zxAwFr3qJalSzYoLzNytt-2Ft32ZV1pH9Cvi40TPOuNCIyaX7RNI5-2BzAhr3qmU3zTr5sVlhyEooxpvPNCRMK1kL5MIYeY-2FSYWuIUDviyl4g-3D-3D_oZ3_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7be9Oc3XAMoHBpXgCCACQCvRT2JpY9rSFAo-2Boww4AkvtlropbClSk0oWJzQ9k2rLLzjCmP08vMgKPBRTjZ4lFmoCqHHHTgw3-2BgB-2BB4sR5ojgmS0ZdNYs0W4sqM2l3VQZ3sx7dwuhOylFCEXG9z6KpvjoMQ4FIS-2FR9z7Towr2DIyzNMOwjnsYXELx3niJ-2BOj9VHHao7WQ2Cy1MQgLvVWKM3-2Fs-3D), "we both had been terminated. He, of course, as president of the United States and me as a minister. ... I realized God was bringing me to President Carter to remind me the second half of life can be fruitful if we will allow God to do his perfect work in our lives." Reflecting on the fact that Carter was a one-term president who lost his bid to be reelected, TWW team member Frank Ramirez questioned whether that made him a failure. "The book of Deuteronomy ends with praise for Moses, and it is not equivocated with a reference to the fact he never made it to the Promised Land," Ramirez said. How does seeing God bring something precious out of someone else's disappointment or disaster give you hope for the future? **Responding to the News** 1. About his work at his foundation, the Carter Center, Carter said, "Our basic principle that has shaped us ever since we were founded is that we don't duplicate what other people do. ... We only try to fill vacuums where people don't want to do anything." How would your church's ministry change if you used this same principle as a guide while planning for the future? Where are the gaps in the social service infrastructure and unmet needs in your community? How can you or your church help fill gaps that are not currently being addressed by others? 2. You may wish to sing together this hymn, ["What a Joy, This Habitation"](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPANr2ViogMARy6pxKGwWfRi-2FhIhFgv9BVlrUdCq3GGZeOcfraIsf3sLyhvTylupbC1EP-2FRXLxqieN-2B-2BZGC6nioI-3DVvS1_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bXBFPd-2F3NMJB0wMjwPzHPSE5xlLbq4gsHO3mKAZLEc3okOYrBBmo97M3oxlb3aeP8sYskLu0ppv-2B9ivoExfDQJSuoFOufOXnhDJzpHVExujJUZDUJjZ63k8wDo8gnUkCbbyecd9JwInAaeImN60YXpPnLtquwaa9L68Q5Rq2nnRsOBPKLlFlZsZaYpElYXiD-2BS6CWvgfqvGkK4XQJx2-2BIBQ-3D) (text written for Habitat for Humanity by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, sung to Beethoven's HYMN TO JOY). It has been used at the dedication of many new homes built by the Carters and other Habitat volunteers. You might teach the children in your life the chorus, ["The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock"](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BlEoyX0I4v01JfKQ0qzz8xW-2BPbIQk0M60RpASoHDg1fg-3D-3DUpGb_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7beSAbcaHcx9NUHi4C7SEI29TLKz6rTWeBxHeuDOY5nwiDrOq0g2TuuIKny6GKs3NoKZQETkpswf6N-2FMJoE0GC3twcRUm-2BqYKzkmb2nwrB9XQruZ6Qdv1W1gZe8fqqP30plLVaMd9UEVHUN-2BYdqU5M4S7i8IKdrY0hN5LnLf9Qz6vgGLrRBWwjXDzOquQRj8rQ3V8iah8lVmVBNsscRMgWxI-3D) and ask them what it means to build a life on rock versus on sand. **Prayer** Master Builder, help us to submit gladly to your Spirit as you shape us into the community of faith to which you have called us in Christ. May we become a habitat where the poor and afflicted can find rest, restoration and healing. For your glory, we pray. Amen. ****Copyright 2024 Communication Resources**** [Unsubscribe From This List](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user_id=14323725&data=Ye4kM4zLInzScCxRynAcoc5_3FytayegLVndrK0FIgdoMDAwdTAwMAWmwkLIVBVXkDRU8hkyQpQokzPI8X_WUq4ufEYnt4FsjYfevTlrsDffn-YWEapPsfkd9DRmzDCIIUW0mol15CjRsUeiWgJfLSjdE1aGkCAy8rBu68VLiOJuj1AUNTvttQ_uJlK6butEtPAyznEP7CZnulkLm9vpMqbp7UyPpUtKbfLhpeHZdXMk2IDZEYioETOqZg6ZFi_74DCCCaBhg7sbPjP1C2rxAVXVfoswOO2ZSmerqWB6lrqqQHmk3osMMtwAf_rpOJXDuoDkGMXl4nyOVvtzU1sMf97hS0RJyZ6XutZWa9hfXry5s7YngM32wanPODwV9qGMgtMkf-1tC9LLMUpMhDk1c4qzOzFgkJj4XHAhAzkXSKZV4iOklnpKHeYgl3m4qSnrLXUKoMu1XdgisDVmmlOBGj3PAjVLWYlLgi4xLDmE5Gb40K-Y9i9ITHhzJrhaTQEsnFoSsKcL1jMudYTqdn-TE1fJw0x84HW1rIkoAwLah290ZgWutgLsVyDJeKOusSi70GKzcu7vt23F6-XIMW1S2HirlzmAzD2UGiDPg3-dBdN_Xq2_sm63I5alWLlVsWgEsJIwLxaAVHY=) <div>Dear Class Members, We thank the subscriber who suggested a lesson on the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who died December 29 at the age of 100. While The Wired Word has produced other study guides on the Carters (See Archives: search "Carter"), for this lesson, we are focusing on their work as builders of homes and hope for millions around the world. We consider what the Bible teaches us about building lives that are spiritually strong, and ask what kind of legacy we are building with our own lives. <center><img src="https://www.thewiredword.com/\_img/tww\_logo\_email.jpg"/></center> Former President Jimmy Carter, Builder of Homes and Hope for Many, Dies The Wired Word for the Week of January 12, 2025 In the News Former President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at his home in Plains, Georgia. Memorial observances for the 39th president took place in many locations that were significant in his life over a period of several days. Tributes poured in from around the world, from ordinary citizens as well as domestic and world leaders. "Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds," President Joseph Biden said in a statement, adding that "anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning" should look to Jimmy Carter. Carter, a peanut farmer and former naval officer, moved from state senator to governor of Georgia before his election as president of the United States in 1976. At his inauguration, he took the oath of office with his hand on a Bible opened to Micah 6:8, which reads, "... what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" The Carter administration faced challenges of high inflation, long gas lines, the Iran hostage crisis and other problems that led to his defeat at the ballot box in 1980. He was unable to reach his highest goal of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but negotiated the Camp David Accords, forging peace between Israel and Egypt that has lasted for nearly 50 years. He signed a strategic arms limitation agreement with the Soviet Union, formalized diplomatic relations with China, turned the Panama Canal over to Panama, and kept America out of war during his term. Carter wrote that, as a Baptist, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKucm6WnhQH6qdV5nvv3m8aDTlEyTCvDbwylLqWIMbw-2FlJ2E07rgZx4t4QMfZKVCoLuOZWWmbYIJIUErBDGoJck-3DpPli\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bTzu3Wxx417B8yQ6PVa3yvA6OkOrjdP4C3o6wbBvd34MQHnj25rSr4ZWz40NZ8uGLnjjNDCBnsgkkGmuUTLDGy7y6BIiMISdXo0nizjQRNeJEHjjhxEvge8LtR9fVvkC-2FSApJMQo3B3NBq0Y5hWidGLzd69jT7d4OHaJtTps7nQ-2FJ2UREKXpa3ULzWpi9PXz7Y1Kq-2FGSfNrwdYYODnI8Jac-3D">he believed in religious liberty</a>, which meant that "there should be strict separation between church and state." To the dismay of some of his evangelical base, he ended the practice of inviting prominent clergy to have religious services at the White House and attended worship off-site instead. "There should be no unwarranted influence on the church or religion by the state, and vice versa," Carter told the media in 1977. After his term in office, Carter found ways <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM-2FAoCqZmBTTIZMWeLt0pVlKd8Tgd3Quaq7cou51A-2Fy8QzO3YCPNdpqjQEDeLIpKHNxMinpJNA38RgwSNMQeGp9-2B-2FzQ-2FBQA7eub8sPV0mUGnhj-2BVbOMXX1svUBRc8mnflg-3D-3DIfSq\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bawL8uhnvyc-2F87LO8mROy6bfGTltI5v16GJEv-2FG-2BJMGtYX1rR83FhAWXbHca1mLXE9pEiyjGKrtfqAaCLlp5bpUPzlIBpQNjlHOO9-2BcIyBxOyN93XguIyAxug3sCEId5j8qLKz5TJyqpcs2DX-2BtIaZQdA8enWlAuPdAb0p3rrkCRuhqK-2FhAS6XrcFzJ-2BjakZlNghglKNbVacTG8aDCumXf0-3D">to continue his work as a private citizen</a>. He and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, founded the Carter Center, dedicated to diplomacy, peacemaking, election monitoring and eradicating diseases. Thanks to their efforts, since 1986 the number of people suffering from the painful Guinea worm disease has been reduced from about 3.5 million a year to fewer than 10 today. For more than three decades, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPG2lueH0eoNW8rD2MSSSYYD6IaUDhmbueSdgvmyIfGRqQCU6CWUVHsAfN7C3siAZlQ-3D-3D\_ydb\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7ba8niJDPywYHUuhceLfId-2FVljYLVCHK2gBheX3r2hv3PJo5ZnYEc6d4j8xnf8pkaOgEmG46GVTBlMqam9LS09rk4-2FpQBPMIGAFnV0rQCppioPGRQarqckcHKRmNXq3coaPQwla-2BAwXKwdcMu96uhDerENXB-2FWxnVbiV29VcXz8rN2YYAYghE1AroiF2nNFEx3s53mpipB2ZfywsRhDjjbFk-3D">the Carters personally helped build or remodel 4447 affordable homes in 14 countries with Habitat for Humanity</a>, employing what founder Millard Fuller called "the theology of the hammer." Their involvement attracted volunteers who have built or remodeled tens of thousands of homes for roughly 62 million lower-income people across the United States and 70 other countries. Carter worked to unite more than 20 million adherents of more than 30 Baptist organizations to create the New Baptist Covenant and build a multiracial network for inclusive fellowship, just relationships and cooperative ministry. Carter acknowledged that he probably would not have done any of these things had he been elected to a second term. "Jimmy Carter is the only person in history for whom the presidency was a stepping stone," said James Laney, the former president of Emory University. In 2022, Tony Lowden, former pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught some of his more than 2,000 Sunday school lessons over a period of nearly seven decades, said, "He's more than Sunday school. His walk is every day with the Lord." On his last Sunday as president, Carter taught Sunday school at First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and talked about Jesus' remark that "it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest." "Is greatness being a president? An emperor?" Carter asked rhetorically before answering in the negative. "No," he said. "The foundation of greatness is service to others." More on this story can be found at these links: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNP95KrJfmUHVPV73SgCwK653Te5gWwx98mY-2BSgePvIv3epG7Gi-2Fs7wApIub-2B6LayruJGRH1qbMjKwwawqWKlTxneQdcM2MpJiuwpYAnluzlfts8Jloiltn13L5pftkJLQ-3D-3DAY\_b\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bUUT9bP5w-2B20n0KxulnTgs0VCEh8iGqnZlWYFRPXTl6ITcxR0PjnLUrja7PJcQ-2BO-2FCxnvMnDn5qpYSoXV1wiWXcoRw8E2uRfKOi41DJaSUzXgDy8BJSJ-2FTz4ohKVsEnmjK-2BzssL-2FDx5jcF7Q8Eo6BpasmbeA3pQSH8qT1vErBdr-2BCXcPomsGLArpvKLbrjgofYw1dQkGQN4We-2BUbXhK951w-3D">Died: President Jimmy Carter, Politician, Peanut Farmer and Christian. Christianity Today</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPqNaAUM7p3RszAX0cFJFV44HDcaUMw-2B5H6b9JaeFzLD57G1Lpy8PsmhegD57wJlqUQ-3D8OvB\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bVL3YYSPKoZPusLSgbOct8kYend4HywSVM-2B3VPzGEvAAnOxU6RNVOxckNlbH4u6UvNqH-2BS1c2xxjr3mYTA-2F6CeZZh2VpW317o8vkJM1M736I9-2BoZQFgB3A4BCaB40X8XhAYFv9mo0YGMSxRvj4gF3ZqcqAtz-2BvF79OPTEZ5BrBBRnfx-2FWdx9qrxRMIbqG0DrS2dR2LyJy6PQpKVtpV7GKv0-3D">Carter Rose From Humble Roots to Faithful Statesman. The New York Times</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHC3qpVavlzUFU0d7aGYODVNFPX82Di5UKwspvGBLVftXC6rxW8dNuha8ev7PFy7VRLkjJ5CpVAMSs2dgbHAabnEZVXieWlWyO5rBlZ6bs1xtN8M\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bUulMuy9GP7Xg2UISQMgtRf1-2B60koIToKSg8I8f-2FzLDqhsi7l2bbhlZwR30j0SVxJQMULwqoYpJjx84an9-2BfZ2f5w2k-2FgzLZavJTwlIrXG1q-2BwKuVFXGjNdjt-2BNl4x4srmv2n9RRL5tlh5gMdOi4C85IoA5-2FE4y4p3V1978Gky6GDAX4EzoFq1-2BhnVs133WKAa-2FUsMVHkiegubE51TRvXgo-3D">Jimmy Carter, America's Best Ex-president. The Christian Century</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPDOhFUSKFTeB4q7KNfv1pbvfGLRvChHhGVyYKzUE3DtrUBBnz8ihaTahmXiv-2FI35RUHzVfRcEPsDEr42q2fOzWpe-2Fn5Rujt4ejRfnYQBt9ZVgEjz4uyB3OCbpTP4w0KYApsOkv-2FwysCJ-2FMAqK0EjgFc-3D-AZo\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7baV0L6OPZlB6LiCHZ3QjGjtItntGm-2FHKyv0LfnxXNhozRS-2FkBkUy19OG1oAR-2B-2F3-2BmIcRFOiaCuES52aYWT3WqiyLkPdUbbEKJzBZxd5HgQJobCqNrUiQBTX-2FYt9Sh1TunAgh81Z1Epbhe75U-2F1A4uti4Df6ozRXOj16AolEIb5NDHg8VudbFBrRWHV0O1u3YW3G7sbIaN3Ch0RDkPtKb6cE-3D">Jimmy Carter, a Lifelong Baptist, Left a Legacy of Faithfulness, Compassion and Justice. Baptist New Global</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaPLYulkHJJ-2B-2F70qHQUELI-2B5Dc6dXesVjvANOmh8lgZXN3J-2BnYsdmGDHKa4y4G0wcR4N5cumTN8OvfffpQvccdSb5VE4MWGTkWpDbJXJEcNIGaa3Q6aG5jFX4JOTRMSx80-3DOT6I\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7beY5osayoq1ZaTaxjjcN8-2BwjM9EeCtRFn4blYXkXtGpxlCZRF-2Bbqhnl9E105Hy3Hb-2FTFXgTzKpxYZt1fIt3dC9bWIO1pV45Il9hs6PGTwEms0NZT8JNieIrTwnNn9lp44N8C6-2BzHKAiNieP0AG6rpuX7n4qI2miMN1-2BsGhcwdCrcSvxpAkdLwnADEwFGNTv99S3fNOxxgC7f29x5X2I56PE-3D">Jimmy Carter, Beloved Sunday School Teacher, Ex-president, Dead at 100. Religion News Service</a> Applying the News Story President Carter built a cross for Maranatha Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school, and much of the furniture in the modest home where he and his wife lived most of their married life. In his public service, he was intent on building a society where everyone is treated with respect and kindness. His model was Jesus the carpenter, who told his disciple Peter that "[O]n this rock I will build my church" (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDVNk1XKCWzt0dB8L8NYpDSwkrK8vo35OpEJ2v80TwMPTguHZ\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7baCn6X8WrUTtf5JXVRkucjij7Tj2o7rUZdY2sst1I95BmdudNUxQCmB5VV8uzbtKATPg-2Bitjua3fBhGSDqhKu343zEuTqAqO1Py4sDY2-2FoTFsriqkRD10CUcCBmRBpqZp90gX-2BWCtA1GZ9q4m9uh9ZazJwumUVSlQyzOaT710zDU5zOWGq80-2BQm79YouDV8Gqsvhn0bgrlDPVjz-2BVbyH0Vg-3D">Matthew 16:18</a>). Carter once told a convention of Methodists, "I am a peanut farmer and a Christian. I am a father, and I am a Christian. I am a businessman and a Christian. I am a politician and a Christian. The single most important factor in my own life is Jesus Christ." While by no means perfect, Carter exemplified for many what it means to attempt to build one's life on Jesus. Take this opportunity to reflect on your own efforts to do the same. The Big Questions 1. How important to you is a president's faith? How much should a political leader publicly live it out? 2. President Carter liked to quote his high school teacher, Miss Julia Coleman, who said: "We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles." What are some unchanging principles that have given you stability during tumultuous times? 3. When have you had to choose between doing what you believed was right and doing what was popular with people you cared about or people who might affect your role in life? How did you decide what to do, and how did it work out? 4. What difference do you think it makes in the way a leader exercises power and authority when the leader submits to Jesus Christ as sovereign? 5. What are you building with your life? Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: Genesis 11:4-5, 8-9 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. … So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxdxvwvUIbrGNsYJ-2B9LkHJNcKi9nuf2P6TGGteolDbQ5xLeuWPF9y405b15FSR33C6HO-M\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bW2nlDSa4ycNdVWZYTJaagaFJ81MSZExSl9f-2F8m-2B3yuom-2Fsgc9qx5-2B0Ct9iCjyCjWDvbOArB7BNbfZErYSaWfnRKhuLQEUVJHfb68ujku3YdtF5nAwuW-2FZHzGBj-2B8x1Vjn8QpzY6q5cHhqzLIrUD6cb4QKhMWmMLu9srwJbx-2FVaCnagbBkLnl7Z88Zo28BK7wFqp6THE1lOjiNmz9r6p6GY-3D">Genesis 11:1-9</a>.) At the dawn of creation, God commanded humans to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxdxvwvUIbrGNsYJ-2B9LkHJNYeW9bibKUrt-2FOD3tXg8ACaFjM-2B876sizCDdpjojCjc9IsmE\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bds5QYi6zUBwMoaVGrUaHOjpKGvZxFOs8k-2BYh2ucQLxk9YN8696URTMsccy9ao9Yo9fU-2FL-2BfdqqA1VZzSc626qHmpOzXdpnRD1PQUAhcNGqILQhw6Mf-2BWfKZTAKSCBCXBoFMonaF2gspzWjZt4o3-2F-2FI86pEt2tRwdARkGBI0ByarE4toezNcKHtr5kVHPcmkwzHB09-2BjTnzAwxDBx-2FpAtE4-3D">Genesis 1:28</a>), but they resisted God's broad vision, refusing to spread out and "fill the earth," choosing self-reliance and self-exaltation ("let us make a name for ourselves") rather than trust in God to lead them. So God did for them what they would not do of their own free will. <blockquote> Questions: What do you think would have happened if the people had succeeded in constructing their city and tower with its top in the heavens? How do people still attempt the metaphorical equivalent of raising the Tower of Babel, and why are we humans inclined to do so? Whose vision for humanity is superior: God's, or ours, and why? </blockquote> Matthew 7:20, 24-27 [Jesus said,] "Thus you will know them by their fruits. ... Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell -- and great was its fall!" (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDUbeq73U-2By3eZ5W2Mew7bGml0c38BJHEdwqqM9lOT58nJHRs\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bbQp3i3-2Fm7h4Kijwmp7JhUI8eqCC-2FVJ5qqqV3xp4eImXH-2FEoi-2FqU5siuhmsAXnmVKKw3KbEro74wkVuRlDMV3mLvTcWqxcIxhrx-2By7HEffmbnADNPsSUHiZCVHU4BF4mug0O-2FsWbx7peEUZ-2B1j53LFmLZ0MSNChMNKHBtPSfcjr8JPh5ETB5EVjdv8-2BE-2BlA-2B9XAI4IvvdPs6iLeORBWtJBM-3D">Matthew 7:15-29</a>.) Jesus taught that appearances can be deceiving. Some false prophets dress in sheep's clothing but are actually ravenous wolves (v. 15). A tree or vine may look lovely, but if it bears thorns or thistles, you won't harvest grapes or figs from it (vv. 16-19). Some people use "Christianese" that sounds super-spiritual, and do things that look religious, but something is off. Jesus says if they don't do God's will, they have no relationship with him (vv. 21-23). Mercer President William D. Underwood wrote of the 39th president: "Jimmy Carter lived the gospel." The Rev. Paul Baxley, executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, said, "President Carter ... lived out the mission of Jesus ..." <blockquote> Questions: What experience did the two builders have in common? What made the difference in the stability of their structures? To what does Jesus compare the act of building a house on rock? To what does Jesus compare the act of building on sand? How do the words in this verse connect with the Matthew text: "But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves" (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxNIqZG-2B-2B-2BvBBz5qy3Z-2Fu622u39MLZ9iTehSeM7se-2B6FVCC70iJGOEjO-2BWFRI3vAqC9csz\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bXWjRrcsCG6UKvhYfjdE7-2BQ9zns1eX1MpxF44F7YxjRFQC9EDx2B-2B676RJJBFZ1cr-2B0huIi6ij6iuFWoImLrWh0BSvnClMqzklzdxt6RHWak1Bo16h4b1-2BZr3ajpwSRJD6Nyk1arA9Ydomz8FnDFIRB2MrFEPDHsZX28bdk0Rz8gAYeRtTzokBhnRDyFcpVMzK4u8I4lvIpjUwK4rTjz8nk-3D">James 1:22</a>)? What happens when we let Jesus' words go in one ear and out the other? What is the difference between hearing the gospel and living the gospel? How can we build lives that can survive storms? </blockquote> 1 Corinthians 3:10-13 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Let each builder choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw -- the work of each builder will become visible, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxOdlwvpIcp6dpBWksJaxTxH7-2FtpDolVmPnsv9NHKyPm7RShbTrMbPBkeLQnvEle1ZJ15z\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bRL7YfxTNpSLUS4q-2BRc8bu0nXwkPSkAl-2F1g77dfF1kGDhK3-2B7t1SN-2B1SXr9KeIA4C8QH-2BoLG7KZeWUWkWz3LZYyX9P0rW-2FTBXC9QB4uXfYutK2jSLd6sQ19hDo2vQg1Lbx8F5F5mFebpNeCy7NNDI1O-2B0rNiGaaJet-2Fxh79BYzkiSVkI8IkcfaxKBd4JSRpR69VGilw83eKagvPhp2WmPmY-3D">1 Corinthians 3:1-17</a>.) Carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, architects and other workers construct physical buildings using lumber, mortar, stone, steel and other materials. Their skill and experience determine whether the buildings they construct can stand up to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fire and other natural disasters. But the kind of building to which Paul refers is spiritual in nature. Paul describes the community of faith as God's building, and the people of God as God's temple, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells (vv. 9, 16). Whether we are building a strong or weak community that can survive over the years will depend on the strength of the foundation on which we build, and how closely connected we are to that foundation. <blockquote> Questions: Is the building of which Paul speaks the same as or different from a theocracy? Is it possible to build a society on the foundation of Jesus Christ without the use of force? Explain. What materials does God use to create a spiritual house of God? </blockquote> 1 Peter 2:4-7 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner" ... (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxwmfmBgpnTbzq00OVUGKe4IanLwPQIGwlSOMdgQSW-2FkHmwCYLUsFseIFoL-2Blgmat7BySg\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bUu0l9YcvMJBEzawRL692DG8uaAv-2FzOMBRP5J-2BcKS2WGjGwAALO2kJXa-2BGKP3u7JnkS-2F1XqnMQMoiYOugyUSdGJq7dWAVF0z3SHv0Pi3A9hCroChJKnojvlQ2r70Z90uxCucJdQXosRhFxF4RfeYxpek4GCl-2BbPxmVFtAmp2eWMVQtXs0uBMl8eiHjeBWJd2LzGK1-2FIq6gmi5w1LaOLZGRg-3D">1 Peter 2:4-10</a>.) In his description of the suffering servant, the prophet writes that he was despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3). John uses similar language about Jesus, saying that "[h]e came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him" (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxyyJ0A-2BEDvrQGKorIXaiDBvSmGPR754LwbGZUBEfUyO8rpxKrPj7Gvy-2FloOtEHG9iqm8K\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bS6-2FdHqkSOxOx80dgbWO0zYE-2B8NLay3xCOuXTuWNEjjvjMzljZjEbb37XIsQZioI0lSsbOp8Kr2zTTirlVvP10nwKC6J7Jxh8Hj-2FyagyV2WIWGlmfzUWp7XXoxZvtRkHXhHjPjE86GonJClHaEBK33LDySyX8v9-2B1638KvHw1-2B8pea4UKjGkidKuPfcUvRAJkzYU11UacAeGYxsIhLmxGrQ-3D">John 1:11</a>). Peter echoes this language, saying that Jesus was rejected by mortals, the way builders foolishly reject the most important stone, that becomes the cornerstone, or keystone (v. 7), on which the entire spiritual house God is building depends. <blockquote> Questions: How can a stone be "living"? What does that mean when applied to Jesus? When applied to his disciples? What kind of a house can God make with "living stones"? How might living stones resist the Holy Spirit's effort to build them into a spiritual house? How do we "let ourselves be built" into the kind of house where acceptable spiritual sacrifices can be made to God through Jesus Christ? </blockquote> For Further Discussion 1. In his book, A Full Life, President Carter revealed: "Earlier in my life, I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I've grown older, I've become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can't see -- the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are." What things mattered to you in the past that you no longer find important? What have you come to value that didn't matter to you in the past? 2. In October 2014, during a celebration of Carter's 90th birthday, the former president said he had been asked how he would describe the United States of America in one word. "Searching," he replied, "for what it ought to be, and what it can be ..." What do you think America is searching for? What do you think will happen if we find what we are seeking? 3. Regarding the place of faith in public service, Carter said, "I believe that it is usually government officeholders and not religious leaders who are in the forefront of this struggle to alleviate suffering, provide homes for the homeless, eliminate the stigma of poverty or racial discrimination, preserve peace and rehabilitate prisoners." If Carter was correct, what does that say about the effectiveness of those who say they are followers of Jesus? Who should take the lead in such matters, and why? 4. Baptist pastor Maina Mwaura once preached at Maranatha Baptist Church where the Carters worshiped. "Although my story is very different from President Carter's," <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPDOhFUSKFTeB4q7KNfv1pbvj5zxAwFr3qJalSzYoLzNytt-2Ft32ZV1pH9Cvi40TPOuNCIyaX7RNI5-2BzAhr3qmU3zTr5sVlhyEooxpvPNCRMK1kL5MIYeY-2FSYWuIUDviyl4g-3D-3D\_oZ3\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7be9Oc3XAMoHBpXgCCACQCvRT2JpY9rSFAo-2Boww4AkvtlropbClSk0oWJzQ9k2rLLzjCmP08vMgKPBRTjZ4lFmoCqHHHTgw3-2BgB-2BB4sR5ojgmS0ZdNYs0W4sqM2l3VQZ3sx7dwuhOylFCEXG9z6KpvjoMQ4FIS-2FR9z7Towr2DIyzNMOwjnsYXELx3niJ-2BOj9VHHao7WQ2Cy1MQgLvVWKM3-2Fs-3D">Mwaura wrote</a>, "we both had been terminated. He, of course, as president of the United States and me as a minister. ... I realized God was bringing me to President Carter to remind me the second half of life can be fruitful if we will allow God to do his perfect work in our lives." Reflecting on the fact that Carter was a one-term president who lost his bid to be reelected, TWW team member Frank Ramirez questioned whether that made him a failure. "The book of Deuteronomy ends with praise for Moses, and it is not equivocated with a reference to the fact he never made it to the Promised Land," Ramirez said. How does seeing God bring something precious out of someone else's disappointment or disaster give you hope for the future? Responding to the News 1. About his work at his foundation, the Carter Center, Carter said, "Our basic principle that has shaped us ever since we were founded is that we don't duplicate what other people do. ... We only try to fill vacuums where people don't want to do anything." How would your church's ministry change if you used this same principle as a guide while planning for the future? Where are the gaps in the social service infrastructure and unmet needs in your community? How can you or your church help fill gaps that are not currently being addressed by others? 2. You may wish to sing together this hymn, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPANr2ViogMARy6pxKGwWfRi-2FhIhFgv9BVlrUdCq3GGZeOcfraIsf3sLyhvTylupbC1EP-2FRXLxqieN-2B-2BZGC6nioI-3DVvS1\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7bXBFPd-2F3NMJB0wMjwPzHPSE5xlLbq4gsHO3mKAZLEc3okOYrBBmo97M3oxlb3aeP8sYskLu0ppv-2B9ivoExfDQJSuoFOufOXnhDJzpHVExujJUZDUJjZ63k8wDo8gnUkCbbyecd9JwInAaeImN60YXpPnLtquwaa9L68Q5Rq2nnRsOBPKLlFlZsZaYpElYXiD-2BS6CWvgfqvGkK4XQJx2-2BIBQ-3D">"What a Joy, This Habitation"</a> (text written for Habitat for Humanity by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, sung to Beethoven's HYMN TO JOY). It has been used at the dedication of many new homes built by the Carters and other Habitat volunteers. You might teach the children in your life the chorus, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BlEoyX0I4v01JfKQ0qzz8xW-2BPbIQk0M60RpASoHDg1fg-3D-3DUpGb\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmWFoai3esXQg-2BrhQ7QIU5Id2NyHfwUODOk4PGFSpzGmcpA55sPaI4ZnlvTYbv-2Fs7beSAbcaHcx9NUHi4C7SEI29TLKz6rTWeBxHeuDOY5nwiDrOq0g2TuuIKny6GKs3NoKZQETkpswf6N-2FMJoE0GC3twcRUm-2BqYKzkmb2nwrB9XQruZ6Qdv1W1gZe8fqqP30plLVaMd9UEVHUN-2BYdqU5M4S7i8IKdrY0hN5LnLf9Qz6vgGLrRBWwjXDzOquQRj8rQ3V8iah8lVmVBNsscRMgWxI-3D">"The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock"</a> and ask them what it means to build a life on rock versus on sand. Prayer Master Builder, help us to submit gladly to your Spirit as you shape us into the community of faith to which you have called us in Christ. May we become a habitat where the poor and afflicted can find rest, restoration and healing. For your glory, we pray. Amen. 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