| > | | | | with a home-based online business can give you |
| What's the future for your children...after they | | | | and your children freedom from undue influence |
| finish school? Many parents are waking up to the | | | | by other men. |
| fact that we are sending our young people into | | | | 2. Practical Business Skills Provide an Example for |
| the world with very few practical skills. Discover | | | | Those We Disciple. |
| why practical & profitable skills are absolutely | | | | One of the key reasons Paul worked with his |
| necessary to survive our economic down-turns. | | | | hands was to provide an example to those to |
| Many parents are waking up to the fact that we | | | | whom he was ministering. If the one who discipled |
| are sending our young people into the world with | | | | is willing to do manual labor to get the gospel out, |
| very few practical business skills. Unless your dad | | | | how much more the one being discipled? And |
| was a businessman, plumber or auto mechanic | | | | hopefully our children are our number one disciples. |
| (and he took the time to teach you those | | | | They need to see the value of practical skills and |
| practical skills), there is a good chance that you | | | | the character that these skills produce. They need |
| have no knowledge of even the basic skills that | | | | to experience success and failures in business to |
| people a generation ago took for granted. | | | | grow in spiritual maturity. Family businesses are a |
| Far from encouraging the passing down of | | | | way to learn naturally how to handle failure and |
| practical skills and the value of hard work, our | | | | success. |
| society has lampooned practical skills as something | | | | 3. Practical Business Skills Bring Us Down To Earth. |
| unnecessary and even demeaning in today's highly | | | | Far from enticing boys not to go to college, I |
| technical world. After all, it has only been in the | | | | have found that spending an entire summer |
| last fifty years that a man who can work with his | | | | mowing lawns encourages young men to pursue |
| hands has been considered inferior socially. | | | | college with a vigor. And a summer roofing |
| When we look at Biblical times we see one of the | | | | houses in the hot Texas sun will cause your son |
| requirements of a Pharisee was he had to have a | | | | to enter post-doctoral studies! He may not want |
| trade. That is why Paul was a tent maker, a | | | | to rely on that skill for a living, unless he can |
| home-based business of his times. | | | | parlay it into a business where he does not have |
| Now, of course we are much more sophisticated | | | | to be the one on the roof! |
| in these modern times and have left behind the | | | | I believe that every person in the ministry should |
| need for practical skills. Or have we? Whether | | | | work in the business world for a period of time. |
| you live in Texas or Vermont, your children need | | | | They would have a greater appreciation for the |
| to learn practical skills useful in home-based | | | | pressures and temptations that their parishioners |
| businesses. Below are three reasons why I believe | | | | face in the modern work environment. They |
| practical skills are necessary for our young people | | | | would also be less apt to ask their congregation |
| no matter what career they choose to pursue. | | | | to do things (or programs) that compete with |
| 1. Practical Business Skills Give Us Freedom From | | | | time and energy spent with their families. If more |
| Man. | | | | pastors came from the real world of work or had |
| Notice in 1 Corinthians, Paul did not have to rely | | | | to earn a part-time living while ministering, they |
| on the haughty Corinthians for his livelihood. He | | | | would have more respect from those inside and |
| had his own source of bread and the Corinthians | | | | outside of the church. |
| had no power over him. He was free from their | | | | Families and young people that run a home-based |
| corrupting influence. He could minister to a group | | | | business bring you down to earth when you |
| of people without being beholden to them | | | | experience the highs & lows of an |
| financially. How many pastors are afraid to say | | | | entrepreneur. Practical skills and starting a |
| things that need to be said because some | | | | home-based business help to harness the intellect |
| influential person in the church might pull the | | | | and bring it under submission to God. They also |
| financial plug on them? Or how many Christian | | | | teach us to evaluate priorities and situations |
| public school teachers are afraid to call evolution a | | | | wisely. |
| lie because they might lose their livelihood? | | | | If you do not have the practical skills to teach |
| When you train your children in practical & | | | | your children how to ride out economic hard |
| profitable skills, your children can make a choice, | | | | times by having their own small business, search |
| free from an employer, during economic | | | | for places where your children can learn from |
| downturns. Online family businesses offer your | | | | successful entrepreneurs. Books, audio |
| children a choice about how they spend their time | | | | workshops, video tutorials and live seminars are |
| and money. Find training for your children so they | | | | the best place to gain these foundational and |
| can choose to start a small business or depend on | | | | practical skills. |
| someone else for their pay check. Making a living | | | | |