Our thought today as we look at attributes of a good soldier is found in 2 Timothy 2, verse 22. The Bible says this, “‘Flee also youthful lust, but follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.'”

You know, when we arrive at basic training, we come from all different backgrounds. I remember several of the guys in our basic training unit, and for example, Tony Genuzzi from Pittsburgh, and that’s how he talked in a different part of the country. We had Elijah from Alabama, and I remember Tyrone from, yo, Dallas-Fort Worth. All of us came from different backgrounds. Some were athletic. Some were not athletic. We all came together, and we were put under that same training with the direction of all going – or the goal of all of us going the same direction. By the end of basic training, we were a team, and we could do a lot of things together that that first day, we could not do.

But, you know, we were all treated the same. Can I just say this? In the Christian life, the goal is to function. We’re unified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If you’re saved today, the Holy Spirit that you have dwelling within you is the same as it is dwelling in me and with the pastor, those folks that are saved. So we all should be headed the same direction. We all needed to be obedient in basic training. You know, as a Christian life, we need to be obedient. And thirdly, we were all – our main goal was to fulfill the mission. In the military, that’s what you do, and in the Christian life, that is our goal as well.

Let me ask you this. Is there something – we just saw that verse, flee youthful lust. You had to get rid of some things when you got into boot camp. Let me ask you this. Is there some things you’re hanging on to now that you’re God’s soldier that you probably should get rid of? Give it some thought today on that attribute of being a good soldier.

Share this post
Fred Slye

Fred Slye, Business Manager

As a single military man, Brother Slye began attending NVBC. Not long after, he was married, and in 1985 he came on staff as the maintenance director for the church. His responsibilities have varied over the years. For the past many years, he has served as the business manager, overseeing the finances for this entire ministry.