Legacy Youth Ministry Resources

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Bill Rogers

Bill Rogers has a lot that he could be bitter about. First, he has multiple sclerosis, which has drained his strength and left him unable even to write. Twenty years ago his company fired him, just six months before he would have been eligible for full retirement. For five years, he tried to get a job, but no one would hire him. At this point, most of us would have subscribed to the TV Guide and made our den?s suitable for vegging out the rest of our lives. But Bill isn?t that kind of guy. You see, one day someone at church asked for volunteers to work in a small food pantry. Bill took it on, saying he?d sweep the floors if necessary. And he has stuck with it, full time, for the past 14 years. In fact, that small food pantry, under his leadership, gave food to 2,797 families in the most recent year (c. 1996?). And why stop at helping a few thousand people? Now he?s caught a vision, soon to become reality, of building a $16,000,000 dehydration plant that could take crops that would otherwise be plowed under in a soft market (or blemished by hail, etc.), dehydrate them, and distribute them to the world?s hungry. An industrial park, that sits close to where 60 percent of Georgia?s vegetables are grown, (and about 1/3 of them have had to be dumped or plowed back into the ground) has donated the land. Many workers in the area are expected to lose their jobs in the next couple of years, providing plenty of work for the plant. Construction should start within the year, and could feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people. Bill Rogers may have been a useless cast off in many people?s eyes, but in the Lord?s hands he seems to just be hitting his stride. Are you sitting around bitter at how others have treated you? Do you feel beneath others because of your perceived handicaps? Next time you?re tempted to feel sorry for yourself or give up, think of Bill Rogers. For when we are weak, then we can find God?s strength. ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Mike Singletary

Mike Singletary is one of the top professional football players in America, having been named Defensive Player of the Year twice. You?d think he must be huge to overpower others and make so many tackles, but he?s actually rather small for a person in his position (6ft. tall, c. 220 lbs). So how does he make so many tackles? It?s all in his preparation for the game. He watches game films of his opponents methodically, often running a single play fifty to sixty times, watching every player so carefully that when the ball is hiked, he can predict where the ball is going before the play develops. He can tell by the way one player is standing, by knowing the plays the coaches tend to call for when the time is running out. He shines on the field because of his incredible discipline when no one is watching. (Reworded from Hughes)? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Mick Jagger

You might think that most rock stars live totally undisciplined, party lifestyles. But Mick Jagger of the Stones, one of the most successful, longest lasting rock groups ever, paints a different picture. His grueling onstage antics, which equal a 5 to 10 mile run, require him to start working out two months prior to the tour. ?I still run about 7 miles a day when I?m working, lift weights, play team games, do exercises, and lay off the goodies. We behave ? we have to at our age.? His disciplined lifestyle has allowed him to continue promoting evil for decades. How much more should we discipline ourselves for godliness? ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

George Lucas and Commitment to Producing

George Lucas, super-successful producer of Star Wars, didn?t just move effortlessly through the ranks to become a great producer. Rather, he had to develop his skills, recover from setbacks and rejection, and show a painstaking dedication to perfect his films. He studied film at the University of Southern California, and began working on a film by Francis Ford Coppola, a documentary on the side, while squeezing in work on his first feature script between 5:00 and 9:00 AM. When he completed the script, he thought it was terrible. He showed it to Copolla, who agreed. ?It is,? he said, ?You?re absolutely right.? His first thought was to hire a writer, but Coppola disagreed. ?No,? said Coppola, ?if you?re going to make it in this business you have to learn how to write.? So he did. Later, he wrote a sci-fi film, called THX 1138, and presented it to Warner Brothers. They rejected the film, abandoned Lucas and the studio, leaving him deeply in debt. Lucas had worked on the film for three years at his own expense. So he began to work on a rock?n?roll film set in the late 50?s, early 60?s. After being rejected by every other company in town, Ned Tannen of Universal Pictures prevailed over much opposition to have it accepted. Though other angry executives wanted it dropped, they went ahead to produce the film, American Graffitti, which became a smash hit. Then Lucas decided to try another sci-fi movie. He researched kid?s movies, ancient myths that have endured, the elements in fairy tales that have made them pass the test of time and be loved by generation after generation of kids. And his drive for perfection carried over to the filming. To make the space battles look realistic, he did drawings based on a meticulous study of real war footage. He was looking for those elements that make an audience believe what they are seeing. He watched every movie that had ever been made which showed air to air combat. He wanted to know why each shot worked, for instance, that slight roll of the wings that made it look real. It is no wonder, then, that Star Wars grossed $3.5 million in its first 9 days, becoming the most successful box office hit up until that time. (Atlantic Magazine, March, 1979, pp. 47-50) And it is also no wonder that so many churches languish, when it?s staff and members can?t match this zeal to make an eternal impact on human lives. ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Bill Feeds Thousands

Bill Rogers has a lot that he could be bitter about. First, he has multiple sclerosis, which has drained his strength and left him unable even to write. Twenty years ago his company fired him, just six months before he would have been eligible for full retirement. For five years, he tried to get a job, but no one would hire him. At this point, most of us would have subscribed to the TV Guide and made our living room suitable for vegging out the rest of our lives. But Bill isn?t that kind of guy. You see, one day someone at church asked for volunteers to work in a small food pantry. Bill took it on, saying he?d sweep the floors if necessary. And he has stuck with it, full time, for the past 14 years. In fact, that small food pantry, under his leadership, gave food to 2,797 families in the most recent year (c. 1996?). And why stop at helping a few thousand people? Now he?s caught a vision, soon to become reality, of building a $16,000,000 dehydration plant that could take crops that would otherwise be plowed under in a soft market (or blemished by hail, etc.), dehydrate them, and distribute them to the world?s hungry. An industrial park, that sits close to where 60 percent of Georgia?s vegetables are grown, (and about 1/3 of them have had to be dumped or plowed back into the ground) has donated the land. Many workers in the area are expected to lose their jobs in the next couple of years, providing plenty of work for the plant. Construction should start within the year, and could feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people. Bill Rogers may have been a useless cast off in many people?s eyes, but in the Lord?s hands he seems to just be hitting his stride. Are you sitting around bitter at how others have treated you? Do you feel beneath others because of your perceived handicaps? Next time you?re tempted to feel sorry for yourself or give up, think of Bill Rogers. For when we are weak, then we can find God?s strength. (Facts from article in the Atlanta Journal) ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Singletary's Discipline in Football

Mike Singletary is one of the top professional football players in America, having been named Defensive Player of the Year twice. You?d think he must be huge to overpower others and make so many tackles, but he?s actually rather small for a person in his position (6ft. tall, c. 220 lbs). So how does he make so many tackles? It?s all in his preparation for the game. He watches game films of his opponents methodically, often running a single play fifty to sixty times, watching every player so carefully that when the ball is hiked, he can predict where the ball is going before the play develops. He can tell by the way one player is standing, by knowing the plays the coaches tend to call for when the time is running out. He shines on the field because of his incredible discipline when no one is watching. (Reworded from Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly man.)

Mick Jagger's Discipline

You might think that most rock stars live totally undisciplined, party lifestyles. But Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, one of the most successful, longest lasting rock groups ever, paints a different picture. His grueling onstage antics, which equal a 5 to 10 mile run, require him to start working out two months prior to the tour. ?I still run about 7 miles a day when I?m working, lift weights, play team games, do exercises, and lay off the goodies. We behave ? we have to at our age.? His disciplined lifestyle has allowed him to continue promoting evil for decades. How much more should we discipline ourselves for godliness? ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Harrison Ford Endures

On not giving up: Hollywood superstar Harrison Ford took years breaking into the movie business. In his own words, ?I realized early on that success was tied to not giving up. Most people in this business gave up and went on to other things. If you simply didn?t give up, you would outlast the people who came in on the bus with you. I knew it was going to take 10 or 15 years." Rather than spend his life in small parts, he decided to hold out for the bigger ones, supporting himself as a carpenter. ?Over 10 or 12 years, I became quite skillful at doing the kind of high-quality, old-time work that was much in demand.? (Tom Seligson, Parade Magazine, Dec. 25, 88, pp. 8,9) ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Greatest Violinist on Commitment

Jascha Heifitz, arguably the greatest violist of our century, was once complimented by a woman on his genius. He responded, ?Madame, before I was a genius, I was a drudge.? I suppose he was referring to his four hours of daily practice, which he begun at age 3 and continued until he died at age 75. Most would have slacked off after being regarded as the best of the best. But he never ceased his hours and hours of practice, day after day. (Reworded from Hughes) ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Bonnie Won't Give Up

Want a good illustration of disciplined endurance, a refusal to give up, even when facing setback after setback? At age 7, you could find Bonnie Gadusek working out on a balance beam her father had made and set up in her basement. She practiced five hours a day, every day. But at age 12, she climbed onto the uneven bars and missed the high bar, falling 8 feet onto her neck, dashing her Olympic hopes. She stayed in traction for two weeks, with so much pressure on her jaw that she ultimately lost most of her back teeth. Knowing that a second fall could be fatal, she gave up her beloved gymnastics. But rather than sink into a bitter depression, she took up tennis. Wearing a brace during her first tournament, she couldn?t serve over her head or pick up balls. But nevertheless, she managed to reach the finals, losing to the top seed. She went on to become the #11 ranked (14 year old and under category) tennis player in the Middle States. Her parents couldn?t afford lessons, so she wrote coaches letters, asking them to take her on for free. Her persistence paid off, and she got her coach. Her coach once observed, ?when other youngsters would be eating lunch, she?d be out serving shopping baskets full of balls.? But then, another setback. She developed tendonitis and a bone chip in her right elbow. She had to wear a cast for 8 weeks, but continued to play ? left-handed. During this time of recovery, she ran cross-country for her high school. She still holds the school?s 2-mile record for girls. She decided that if her arm didn?t heal, she would take up golf. Although she has sustained other injuries, she now plays with a knee brace and is one of the top-ranked players in women?s tennis. When I see such dedication, such tenacity, in sports, I?m ashamed that so many Christians get discouraged with their quite times just because the keep missing some days. Others get discouraged with their war against sin, or in their prayers for those who seem to make no progress. But the next time life knocks you down, remember Bonnie Gadusek. Then brush yourself off, get back on your feet, and keep walking.? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

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