Irreducible Minmum

What would you consider the absolute bottom line gotta know 'irreducible-minimum' for a student who graduates from high school?

Well I suppose that the Three-R's - Reading wRiting and aRithmetic would be the most obvious place to start.

What about the same student graduating from church youth group?

Is there such a thing as the Christian Three R's? Hmmmm? Maybe....

I have been reading a book that has really caused me to think about this very issue. The absolute most bottom line issues that our students need to know before they are sent out among the wolves so-to-speak, no pun intended on Idahoans.

The Book, called The Seven Checkpoints by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall is a work that is intended to address that very point. Stanley and Hall claim that they have spent years asking this question to themselves as well as church youth workers and have whittled down from roughly 25 main ideas to seven simple "Checkpoints" they claim every student should know before they leave youth group and go on to college and or career.

Are you willing to take a stab at their findings? What do you think tops the list?

Here it is:
1. Authentic Faith
2. Spiritual Disciplines
3. Moral Boundaries
4. Healthy Friendships
5. Wise Choices
6. Ultimate Authority
7. Others First
(Stanley, Andy and Hall, Stuart, The Seven Checkpoints. Howard Publishing, 2001)

I looked at the list before I started reading the book and wondered if I would come up with a different list if I were asked the same question. I imagine that all of us would formulate a different list and maybe in a different order, but as I have read the overview and am now well into the book, I can see that this list is Biblically solid.

The list seems to be self explanatory, but for sake of argument here is my re-word:
1. Knowing Jesus.
2. Having a Daily Walk with Jesus.
3. Knowing how far is too far.
4. Picking your friends wisely.
5. Knowing Right from Wrong.
6. Knowing who really calls the shots (God).
7. Learning to play well with others.

What do think? If you had all these things figured out when you graduated, what would your life look like now? Be honest..... That's what I thought.

Me too.

-John M