Respect One Another - 8 Expectations (Fall 2014)

At FIL, we will value one another as unique and special individuals. ●Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them.” ●John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Because each of us are created special by God and loved by Him, we are all equal in HIS eyes. At FIL, we will celebrate each person’s uniqueness. Let us use Philippians 2:3-5 as our guide for how we treat others here at FIL: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” When interacting with others today and everyday remember that Jesus loves them VERY much and always ask yourself, “How would Jesus treat this person?”

Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. At FIL, we will value one another as unique and special individuals.

At FIL, we will not laugh at or make fun of a person’s mistakes nor use sarcasm or putdowns. In our school, we are all learning to use our gifts and abilities to God’s glory. While we are learning, we will often make mistakes. It is important that we do not tease others or make fun of them when they mess up while trying to learn. Sarcasm, mocking or insulting someone, is NOT an acceptable behavior at FIL. FIL is a place where everyone should feel safe while they are learning, trying new things, and being themselves. The Bible reminds us in Ephesians 4:29; “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ask yourself today and this week, “How can I be more positive with my classmates/teammates?”

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. At FIL, we will not laugh at or make fun of a person’s mistakes nor use sarcasm or putdowns.

At FIL, we will use good manners, saying “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me,” and we will allow others to go first. This may seem trivial, but sometimes I see students trying to get to the front of the line when it is time to line-up and not being very nice to others. It is important that we treat people with kindness. When we say things like “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me” we are treating others as Jesus would and putting their needs before our own. I often receive compliments on how polite and kind our students are when we attend field trips. Let’s see if we can do our best to create an atmosphere at FIL where we always remember to use our good manners. The Bible reminds us in Matthew 7:12: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Ask yourself, “When are the times where I could use these phrases more often?”

Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. At FIL, we will use good manners, saying “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me,” and we will allow others to go first.

At FIL, we will cheer each other to success. At FIL we want everyone to be successful! Each of us should use the gifts God has blessed them with to the best of their ability. As our classmates are doing this, we should all be their cheerleaders! As Wildcats, we should be happy when our teammates achieve success or improve on a skill. When our classmates participate in activities outside of school, we should applaud the successes they have there as well. Let us use Thessalonians 5:11 as our guide as we cheer on our classmates: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.” Today and throughout this week ask yourself, “How can I show my classmate I am cheering for them?”

Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up. At FIL, we will cheer each other to success.

At FIL, we will help one another whenever possible. Teamwork is an important skill in our world today. Often in our classrooms we have opportunities to work together to learn a new concept or complete a learning project. Sometimes we may even learn something faster than a classmate does. In both of these situations, God wants us to be willing to help our classmates. Philippians 2:4 says: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Remember the verse in Matthew 25? “‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” That was after Jesus was asked when they didn’t help him when he was hungry, or sick, or in prison.” When we help others, we are really serving Jesus! How can you serve your Lord and others today and everyday?

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Matthew 25 “‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” At FIL, we will help one another whenever possible.

At FIL, we will recognize every effort and applaud it. As we mentioned earlier this year, failure is part of learning. We must remember that every time a classmate shows effort - a determined attempt - we should applaud them for that rather than pointing out their failure. Did you know that it took Edison over 10,000 attempts to make the light bulb? What if he had been ridiculed by his friends and given up. Effort will lead to success. Colossians 3:23 says: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” When we and our classmates are working hard we are working hard for Jesus! Let us do our best to applaud the efforts of our classmates, even when they don’t get the right answer. Failure leads to learning and that is what happens in our classrooms. What can you to applaud the efforts of your classmates and teammates? I

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. At FIL, we will recognize every effort and applaud it.

At FIL, we will encourage each other to do their best. Your teachers here at FIL have high expectation for you to succeed in their classroom - they want you to improve at reading, be a better problem solver in math, get along with all of your classmates. You should also expect the best of yourself - that you will do your best on your next test, that you will finish your homework done on time. Just as your teachers encourage you to do your best, you should encourage your classmates as well. When I walk the halls, I should be hearing things like: “Good try!” “You can do it!” “Great job!” “You did it!” 1 Thes. 5:11 reminds us: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” How can you help your classmates and teammates be the best can be today?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. At FIL, we will recognize every effort and applaud it.

At FIL, we will practice virtuous living. Virtuous? What does that mean? It means “conforming to moral and ethical principles; morally excellent; upright.” As Christians we should try to our best to live a perfect life. Unfortunately, we can’t do that because we are sinful. By the grace of God, Jesus lived this perfect life for us and died on the cross to save us from our sinful self. It is because of that fact that we need to live our lives our Christ. When we have a mind for Christ as stated in Philippinas 4:8: “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things,” how could we every think of anything other than always treating those around us with anything but kindness?!

Philippians 4:8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. At FIL, we will practice virtuous living.