by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
It always seems about this time of year that I get a little depressed about the absence of college and professional football. It’s been awhile since the Superbowl and other bowl games, and the preseason is still a ways off. While I may only watch a couple of hours of football each weekend in the fall, it often produces positive memories with family and friends. Included in those memories is attending Beaver football games. There is a open-air staircase that we generally take to get to our seats. Though it seems to spiral upward infinitely, it is not a chore to climb through the various landings as we anticipate the exciting view at the top. CCS has its own Superbowl going on this Friday. Students of all grades will be participating in valuable activities. Preschool and Kindergarten students will participate in the CCS All-Star Meet hosted on the school’s south campus. First through Sixth-grade students will compete in the Santiam Track Meet at Linn-Benton College. Seventh and Eighth-grade students will actively serve at both of those events. High School students will be off-campus continuing their worldview training and engaging the community of Salem through prayer and the proclamation of the gospel. The school’s mission of making disciples includes the alliterative phrase discover, develop, deploy. Naturally, much of schooling and parenting is often focused on discover and develop. Students are constantly encouraged and given the opportunity to learn truth and assimilate it into their daily lives. The greatest truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ alive and powerful in the hearts of students. Yet to focus alone on discovery and development would be tragic. It would be similar to climbing a spiraling staircase that simply went around and around, but never gained elevation to a destination. The grand purpose of training students to discover and develop is so that they can be deployed in God’s Kingdom. This Friday’s events are an excellent depiction of the spiraling growth disciples are charged with. Students in the primary and elementary grades will continue to discover and develop their character through cooperative activity and competition. Middle school students will grow in selflessness as they focus on demonstrating love for others. High School students will consider God’s call for them in His creation, and actively engage in the redemption process He started at the cross. While the views at the top of God’s spiraling discipleship process are breathtaking, the staircase always leads upward further. All of us are constantly in the discipleship process, choosing to discover and develop in new ways to be deployed in ever-increasing degrees. Whether it is our homes, neighborhoods, or community, Jesus asks us to, “lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35). – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
I love playing all kinds of games. I also am a big stickler for rules. Without rules, games quickly become chaotic and pointless. And as a lover of rules, I always use the rules to my advantage as much as possible, especially the lesser known or misunderstood rules. Oddly enough, when I remind my family of an unusual or forgotten rule, it always seems to move me closer to victory. Of course, my stubborn allegiance to the game maker's set of rules forces me to follow the letter of the law. I confess I may not always be the easiest person to play games with due to the tight hold I constantly have on the rule book. Often, I compromise the goal of family fellowship to satisfy my personal legalism. The first King of Israel, Saul, seemed to have a similar fault. In 1 Samuel Ch. 15, we read how God gave clear instructions to Saul to utterly destroy the sinful nation of the Amalekites for their opposition to God’s people. Yet in the heart of the battle, Saul’s men were tempted by the loot available from their victory. Despite God’s instructions, Saul feared his men more than God and allowed them to keep the best of the spoils of victory. When confronted by Samuel, Saul’s excuse was that the animals were kept to offer sacrifices to God. Saul was using the religious rules of the day to circumvent serving God so he could serve himself (similar to the Pharisees during Jesus’ day). In the Old Covenant, sacrifice represented the religion of the day. It’s purpose was to teach the Israelites about the concepts of sin and redemption. But the sacrificial system was the means to a greater end: a relationship with God. The foundation of any relationship is built upon trust. God needed to know that He could trust Saul to obey. Yet Saul used the “rules” of the day to rationalize his own behavior to satisfy his own selfish needs. Samuel responded to Saul in vs. 22 with the always applicable “to obey is better than sacrifice.” As a fan of rules, my default setting is to adhere first to the system of rules. While rules can serve a wonderful purpose, I often find myself obeying the rules rather than obeying God. Obedience to God is less about the rules, and more about the heart. To walk in the fear of the Lord is to first ask “Is this loving?” and “Is this wise?” While it may not be “wrong” to use the rules of the family game to my advantage, it is not necessarily the “right” thing to do. We are called to love God and love others in our actions rather than serve our own interests. CCS has plenty of rules (sometimes I wish there was more!), and they serve minor though necessary purposes. But the heart of discipleship is not founded upon the “sacrifice” of adherence to rules, but rather a “heart” seeking to obey God. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
I have always been fascinated by the biblical accounts of Daniel’s life. His steadfast faith and devotion to God has inspire, guided, and challenged me. Chapter 3 is my particular favorite, especially the spectacular ending where Daniel and his buddies are thrown into the furnace, yet walked out calm, cool, and collected after facing the greatest test of their character and faith. I dare not add or detract from scripture, yet part of me likes to imagine the scene with the guys all high fives, fist bumps, and the fourth man giving them a congratulatory smack on the rear as they exited. The fiery furnace metaphor is my self-evaluation tool when I believe God has allowed a person or situation to refine my character by cranking up the heat in my life. However, my furnace exits are not typically graceful. Sometimes I visualize myself crawling out of the furnace, hair on fire, and the fourth man can’t high five or fist bump because he’s having to hold the fire extinguisher. Other times I stumble out, singed, smelling like smoke, and I didn’t even notice the presence of the fourth man because I was frantically searching for an exit sign. When the smoke clears, how can we walk out of the fire confident, victorious, and more Christ-like? In every furnace scenario God efficiently plans for growth, provision, and a divine opportunity to draw closer to Jesus, who is always with us in the flames. Sure, at times we start our own fires and God allows us to endure the consequence of extinguishing them, but just as often God brings the fire to those who are faithfully serving, living lives fully honoring Him. The “Daniel difference” in any circumstance is a determination to have a teachable heart, obediently submit to the work, and expect to experience a new level of faith and stronger character throughout the process. God’s word provides us with trusted instruction from spiritual giants who have successfully walked through their own fires. If, like me, you are continually challenged and in need of Godly advice, study Daniel; he’ll show you how to stand against temptation and compromise to live a life of integrity. Are you backed into a corner, afraid, or in a royal mess? Consult Esther, she’ll teach you about courage, tact, and timing. Sick and tired of being sick and tired? Sit for a while at the feet of Jesus and discover what it means to truly find healing rest in Him. Have you messed up completely, or acted out impulsively? Turn to Peter, who’s been there, and reminds us that, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a Godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3). – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
The clump of quail had just landed on the other side of the fence and ran under a clump of brush a few hundred yards away. All I had to show for my afternoon of hunting so far was an empty game bag and a sore shoulder. My teenage pride was hurting. The “No Trespassing” sign stared at me from the fence which stood between me and my bounty, and seemed to be mocking me. Perhaps if there had been no sign, I would have simply continued hunting legally on my side of the fence. But the presence of the sign and forbidden adventure caused my heartbeat to increase, and an opportunity to repair my damaged pride seemed to be at hand. I climbed over the fence in defiance of the law and felt a surge of power as I literally took my life into my own hands. By nature, we humans tend to rebel against any authority but our own. There exists this natural inclination to want to step beyond the boundaries that have been set for us. Often, the disregard for authority is built less on rebelliousness and more on the desire to be self-governing. Since creation, humans have generally not performed well when it comes to following instructions. Adam and Eve, the nation of Israel, and even King David chose to chart their own path in direct defiance of God’s perfect instructions. During the month of May, Crosshill is focusing on “doing what is right, even when I don’t feel like it.” This definition for self-control is designed to develop self-governance in the lives of our children. Self-governance is making the right choices out of personal conviction, rather than external threat, shame, or manipulation. Self-governance is a quality that humans are generally born with. We want to be in control of our own lives, making our own choices. The reality is that humans are also born with a sinful nature which frequently perverts our decision-making. When I made the decision to break the law and climb over that fence, I did not struggle with self-governance, but I did struggle with self-control. I had no problem making my own decision, but I had a problem in making the right decision. This is where active parenting comes in. We are called as parents to provide external governance so that the “right decisions” are made known to our children. Yet controlling our children is only a temporary tool, not a comprehensive plan. We cannot control our children forever, and the fruit we see as a result of our control can be encouraging but is fleeting. True self-control is built upon both self-governance and a new identity. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our job as parents is to highlight the sin that lives inside of us and our children and its destructive power. We are to model and train our students to take control of their own lives by surrendering control to God and His will for our lives. When we understand we need to live within God’s fences, our lives become the best adventure of all. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent |
Adam Kronberger
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