EMPTY HAND COMBAT Your Daily Bread
How to add value to the world
Christ-centered Family Kung Fu
By Terry Frisk
Kung Fu is a non-violent martial art that focuses on practical self defense.
Don’t worry about what to do with your kids Spring Break & this Summer We’ve Got You Covered! Pack them a lunch, a bottle of water & drop them off!
(Child does not have to be a student at EHC to attend)
Spring Camp
March 27 – 31 • 7:30am to 3pm $300 Sign up by 3/10 for $150 Off*
Summer Camp
5 Carefully Planned, Action Packed Days 7:30am to 3pm • Traditional Weapon Forms • Self Defense • Fun Obstacle Courses June 5 - 9 • Ages 6 to 8 June 12 – 16 • Ages 9 to 12 June 19 – 23 • Ages 13+ July 10 – 14 • Ages 6 to 8 July 17 – 21 • Ages 9 to 12 $300 July 24 – 28 • Ages 13+ July 31 – Aug 4 Black Belt Camp Sign up in March & Receive $175 Off* Sign up in April & Receive $150 Off* Sign up in May & Receive $100 Off* (*Fees must be paid at the time of registration to receive discount.)
Annual Easter Egg Hunt Lakeview Park, Nampa Saturday April 15th See Website for Details
1124 1st St. So. • Nampa (208)230-0959
Cosmo@emptyhandcombat.com www.EmptyHandCombat.com
3/4-17
Classes M-F 3:00 pm - 8:00pm Private Lessons: By Appointment
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus provided parables to help His followers understand the deeper meaning of His teachings. A parable is a story about earthly situations with a spiritual moral. One such story I have always Terry Frisk found interesting is the Parable of the Three Servants offered in Matthew 25:14-30. In this parable, a man was going on a long trip, so he divided his money to his three servants to take care of while he was away. Two of the servants invested the money that was entrusted to them while the third hid the money in fear of losing it. When the man returned, the two servants who invested his money and returned even more money were rewarded with greater responsibilities. But, the servant who hid the money was sent away, and the money he returned was given to the other two servants. The two servants who invested the money brought value to their master. They also added value to the world. As with any great story, I believe there is more than one moral to this one. The first is offered in the scripture: “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” — Matthew 25:29 (NLT) Now, this does not mean that if you invest your money, you will be rewarded with even more money. What Jesus was imparting is to utilize your blessings to achieve even greater blessings. Apply the skills and talents you have been blessed with in your work to achieve greater levels of success. Share your blessings with others and you will be rewarded as they share their blessings with you. Finally, share generously with your church and community and you will grow in your faith. Doing so adds value to the world. Another lesson I learned from this parable is about investing. While Jesus does not discuss how the two servants invested the money, I believe it is safe to say that they put their money to work in some form
14 March / April 2017 | Christian Living
of business. Too often, there is the presumption that people who invest money to earn a return are greedy. Quite the contrary. Investment provides businesses with the funds to grow so that we may be blessed with their goods and services, as well as offering employment to more people so that they may provide for their families. You do not have to be wealthy to invest in businesses. Investing in an Individual Retirement Account or in your company’s 401(k) plan not only helps you provide for your retirement, but it also invests in businesses to help them grow. Doing so adds value to the world. The third lesson (and not necessarily the final lesson) is directed toward leaders. We all take leadership roles in some form whether it is at work, in government, in our community or as a parent. In this parable, the servants had earned varying degrees of their master’s trust. He split his money based on the level of trust he had in each servant and did not give them any instruction on what to do with the money other than to take care of it. He had faith that they would do the right thing. Permitting others to determine the best way to complete a task is one of the hardest parts of leadership. Many leaders have a tendency to micromanage their group’s mission. It is very difficult to give up complete control. But, God gives us complete control over our lives and trusts that we will do the right thing. As leaders, we must work to develop the skills of those we lead and develop mutual trust in the process. Like the master, the more trust we develop in others, the more responsibility we can assign them resulting in greater rewards in return. Doing so adds value to the world. We all have the ability to impact the world through investment of our time, talent and money. Whether you are the servant who is called to serve others, the investor who makes it possible to provide goods and services to the world while providing for employees’ families, or the leader who nurtures others to help them be successful, you are truly adding value to the world, fulfilling the lesson of the Parable of the Three Servants. g Terry Frisk is a partner in the firm B2B CFO, providing financial advisory services to small businesses. He also counsels individuals on personal financial matters through the Cathedral of the Rockies Budget Counseling ministry. He may be contacted through e-mail at terry_frisk@msn.com.
www.boisechristianliving.com