Christians' Role in the Community Research Paper

Christians' Role in the Community - Research Paper Example The sharing of a personal testimony builds a spiritual bond between the sharer and the recipient of the testimony of Christ. This witness creates a special relationship that is built on the foundation of spiritual witnessing by the Spirit of God. The true testimony of a believer and the recipient of the testimony feel the promptings and workings of the Spirit because the message is true. In this way, personal testimonies build a web, or community of believers based on the personal testimonies of believers. This community of believers is largely held together by the workings of the Spirit in their hearts. Personal testimonies are the best way to show that you have gained knowledge, through the Spirit, of Jesus Christ. The sharing of testimony has the unique ability to shape and influence the testimony of others. Personal testimony can be more powerful that critical study of scripture and more formal preaching because of the intimate nature of personal knowledge gained through the Spir it of God. Personal testimonies are shared in intimate and informal settings; they have the ability to mold the character of a community one person at a time. Personal testimonies meld together into a sort of communal testimony that enlightens, inspires and guides the entire community. The hallmark of a Christian is the living of a Christian life. This is a statement that has been disputed by many over the years. The real test of Christians is whether the light of Christ is seen in their countenances and in the deed of their everyday life. A misunderstanding of doctrine leads some Christians to believe that once they are saved, then all is done. This runs counter to many of the teachings of Christ and the apostles. We are told to be more than hearer’s of the word. We must always be doers. Many Christians for fear that one will think they can work their way into heaven downplay this thought. It is clear that this is not possible. Christ is the only source of salvation, and his salvation is enough for all to partake. But this salvation does not remove the responsibility for Christians to live a godly life, emulating the Savior himself. The necessity for a Christ centered life full of His goodness is manifest several ways. One reason we must live a godly life is to set a good example for those around us that are not believers. If Christians are to have influence in the community at large, then they must live the teachings of Him we call Savior. If a person that has not known the goodness of Christ sees a person that claims Salvation acting in a manner that is untoward or reprehensible, then the investigator of the Gospel will see nothing more than hypocrisy on the part of the believer. We all know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but there are certain standards of conduct that are expected of all in a community. When a supposed believer acts against the good will of the community and excuses their conduct by claiming salvation, th en a very poor example of Christianity has been set and the Christian will be held accountable for this at the last day. Surely their salvation is intact, but their folly will not be overlooked at the judgment bar. Another reason the Christian needs to live a Christ centered life is because Jesus instructed us to do this. He understood more than anyone the soul-destroying influences the world would have

Fast food sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Fast food sector - Essay Example Having taken advantage of the economic growth, the organization has expanded phenomenally and has presence in virtually every country in the world (Orji, 2005). Their business model too is unique as their restaurants are owned and operated by local people in the country of presence. In mature and developed markets, however, they have company-owned restaurants. The key to McDonald's success is the use of franchising. McDonald's however, has reached the saturation point in their home market – the US – and hence started looking for overseas opportunities. The growth in the US has been slow but in the other markets it is leading. There still exists high potential in the developing countries but they need to realign their strategies. McDonald's wanted to create a multi brand corporation and hence invested in other brands such as Piles Cafe, Boston Market, Pret a Manager (Orji, 2005). They also had a majority stake in had a majority stake in Chiptole Mexican Grill and owned D onatos Pizza for several years. Their idea was to offer healthier options and compete with the fast casual sector. McDonald's has been reeling under difficult times as the global economy worsens. Consumer lifestyles, preferences and tastes have changed along with the changed business environment. It experienced declining sales as consumers and investors moved away from the brand. Globalization appears to have impacted the standards and operations at McDonald's (Cuneen, 2008). These require a change in the marketing strategy of McDonald's in the UK. An environmental analysis would help evaluate the right marketing strategy under the circumstances that should be applied in the UK. 1.2 Environmental analysis 1.2.1 PESTLE analysis This helps scan the external environment and is the acronym for Political/Economic/ Social/Technological/Legal/Environmental – all of which are external to the organization. Political Currently the UK is facing a period of instability as there is no sig nificant popular support (Social Equality Party, 2010). The country is more divided than ever before. Economic According to Keynote the fast food sector was valued at ?9.3bn in 2007 which shows the market has increased during recession (Riley, 2010). Economic factors such as prices and income have an impact on consumer behavior. As the food prices rise the purchasing power declines and the price changes affect the composition of the food basket in the UK (Knowledge Scotland, 2009). Socio-cultural factors More than half the adults are heavier than recommended and this is particularly rising among the young adults (EMIS & PIP 2005). Tasty food in the UK can be found at any location at any time of the day or night. Most foods are high in calories and dense in energy. Food portion sizes have increased and there is a tendency to eat more. Physical activity levels have gone down and are considered as the major cause of obesity in the recent years. However, there have been growing concerns of obesity in the UK and consumers have become health conscious. The UK has a high number of immigrants and good habits differ across cultures. Each culture and society has its own set patterns of behavior and food preferences and cultures are not pervasive. Globalization has been unable to penetrate these set patterns and converge the food habits. Technological factors Fast food brands are using technology to target kids via games, videos and cartoons on their websites. They thus exploit the legal