Summit Ministries

Monday, August 20th, today is our first full day, and what a day! The first lecture was given on leadership, by Dr. Robert B. Linden. He spoke on the attitudes a Christian leader needs to develop. It was eye-opening to me, as I saw a whole new perspective on how you view your circumstances, and how your attitudes affect you. Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we CHOOSE to react to it. In learning to be strong Christian leaders, we must learn to be solution orientated leaders, not problem orientated leaders; your attitude is key in leading others. For an example, a principal took three classes of students, he then told the first teacher that her class was the top students with the highest IQ's. The second class he explained were average, and the last was toward the bottom. At the end of the year they found out from the teachers that the students acted as the principal told them. Really all the students were average and had the same IQs'. The teachers treated the students the way they were told they were, and that is how they responded. Your attitude as a leader affects the way your class responds; we are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes. What you believe about a situation often determines the outcome. As you set goals you must persevere with an optimistic outlook on the trials you face; to prove this one must only look at Edison.

We then had a second lecture from J.P. Moreland, PH.D in philosophy. This lecture was very interesting as we studied the "ideology" (or world view) of naturalism and postmodernism. They both are self refuting and contrary to the truth. It is very interesting learning about philosophy; the nuts and bolts of our language. I am learning a lot so far, even though it is only the first normal day. I am looking foward to the rest of the two weeks up here. It really helps prepare you to face the vast slough of religions out there when you know what their worldview is. You can't stand up for what you believe if you don't know how to defend the Bible and your worldview. Summit is really preparing me as now I am beginning to know other world views and how to witness to them.

Our group is starting to become close knit as we are getting to know each other through the activities and learning together. We had a great time this afternoon as we went to the Garden of the God's and the Flying W Ranch. They had some great country food and listened to a good old western band with good humor mixed in.