Making a difference
Girl Scout Sunday 2025
Matthew 5:13-16
Matthew 7:7-12
Good Morning everyone, we are glad that you are here.
I am excited to have with us this morning the Girl Scouts and their respective troops this morning. They meet in our building several times a week with different age groups and they were a part of our service as they walked in the American flag and the Christian flag. They stood before and recited their pledge to have integrity and honor and to respect the lives of others.
I think we can learn a lesson about standing before the Lord and pledging to be people of integrity and honor and to bless His holy name by our actions in our lives.
I want to thank you for coming and bringing us this program…it is always an honor to have you.
I want to encourage each of us to realize that we can make a difference. Each and every one of us has the opportunity to make a difference in some way.
I think it is pretty special that 113 years ago this week…March 12, 1912 that one lady made a difference in millions of girls life.
Searching where she could be in God’s plan, Juliette Gordon low made an impact on lives as God gave her direction.
She made what is now a famous call to her cousin Nina…“come right over, I got something for the girls of Savanna, and all America, and all the world, and were going to start it tonight”
Can I say it again…Come right over…and were going to start it tonight!
Action words!!!!
I love the energy it brings
I love that she didn’t sit on her idea,
I love that she did not take it to a board of directors who would take it to another group of people.
Sometimes we talk things to death!
My people will talk to your people and we will be in touch.
I have an idea- and we will begin tonight!
One person can make a difference!... and that one person could be you
Why shouldn’t it be you? God is not a respecter of people- He doesn’t love Juliette low more than he loves each of us.
The one person could be you and the difference is weather you will allow God to use you. That you won’t get caught up in the negatives of the world and allow the world to steal your dream of making a difference.
What I mean by that is…We have all heard people who are negative every time someone has an idea that is different.
“Oh that has been tried before” “That will never work “
Girl scouts and Daisy’s and Brownies are exciting, it allows you to be a part of something that is bigger than you are alone.
God’s kingdom is full of people who have the potential of doing great things for God.
The problem is they don’t believe that they are the ones that God wants to use.
I see two things that could keep you from accomplishing what God wants you to do.
Integrity (lack of) - you cannot motivate people around you because of your moral or ethical behavior in the past.
Determination- people today are so quick to quit on a project at first sign of struggle.
Benjamin Franklin failed 1000's of times, in fact he had said I know of 1000's of ways it won’t work before he found a way that it would work.
Quote-- “The proof that one truly believes is in action”
The difference is some talk and some walk. The people that are going to get to it and those few that get to it!!!
This can be applied to your life - you will do and say what you believe in.
You believe in prayer- you will pray
You believe in church- you will be in the church on Sunday
You believe in family- you will find time to make it work
Juliette Low didn’t let physical problems stop her.
She had a bad ear drum because of improper doctor care and had rice thrown in her good ear at her wedding and it punctured her eardrum and got infected and she lost total hearing in that ear.
Matthew 5:13-16 is about being the salt and light of this world.
Matthew 5:13-16 Read Slowly from Bible
This portion of scripture is called the Sermon on the Mount and was preached by Jesus Himself.
The theme is how people of God are to live their lives as an example of the Lord being in their life.
Illustration-
Four high school boys were late to their morning classes one day. They entered the classroom and solemnly told their teacher they were detained due to a flat tire. The sympathetic teacher smiled and told them it was too bad they were late because they missed a test that morning but she was willing to let them make it up. She gave them each a piece of paper and a pencil and sent them to four corners of the room. She then told them they would pass if they could answer just one Question: which tire was flat???
Integrity goes down a notch when we lie to cover up what we did, or in this case what we did not do.
Illustration-
Abraham Lincoln said that for a man to train up a child in the way he/she should go, he must walk that way himself.
Parents! If we are to train up our children to be what God intends, we must walk it and live it ourselves.
People will judge our God by the way we act toward others. We must be people of integrity.
Illustration-
During his time as a rancher, Theodore Roosevelt and one of his cowpunchers lassoed a maverick steer, lit a fire, and prepared the branding irons. The part of the range they were on was claimed by George Lang, one of Roosevelt’s neighbors. According to the cattlemen’s rule, the steer therefore belonged to lang. As his cowboy applied the brand, Roosevelt said, “Wait, it should be Lang’s brand.” that’s all right boss, said the cowboy. “but your putting on my brand.” Roosevelt said. That’s right, said the man. “Drop that iron” Roosevelt demanded, and ‘get back to the ranch and get out. I don’t need you anymore. A man who will steal for me will steal from me.’
Integrity is what you are when nobody is looking, and doing wrong with a right motive is still wrong.
1 Timothy 4:12- “don’t let anybody look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Show integrity by your actions
Colossians 4:6- “let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone,”
Show integrity by your speech to others
Salt is a seasoning-
Sprinkle on plain food it will make it taste better
Salt by itself does not taste good
Salt has to be applied to something
Salt is an antiseptic-
Dissolved in water it helps kill germs that cause sore throats
You don’t gargle salt water to stay healthy, you gargle to kill germs
Salt is a preservative-
Rubbed into meat it preserves meat from decaying and kept it good to eat.
It kept something from going bad, are you going to make that kind of impact on lives.
Every single one of us is called to be a seasoning agent, to impact those we are around in changed lives, values, meaning, and prepare to show people there is a better way than what the world offers.
Make a Difference!- don’t settle for anything less than God’s best for your life.
What makes us stand out? The same thing that will make you girls stand out as you make an impact in the world before you .It is the Lord in your lives!
It is the emphasis of God. For example:
The Brownie Promise: “I promise to do my best, to love God and my country…”
The Cub and Boy Scout Promise: “I promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and my country…”
The Girl Scout Promise: “On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country…”
Scouts gives our young people the opportunity to build their lives on timeless principles. And as they grow older, it will serve as a guide on important issues.
John Wayne, the famous American actor, was a Boy Scout in his younger days. Later in life he was honored by President Ford at a black tie benefit dinner. When it came time for Mr. Wayne to speak, he recited the Boy Scout Law, which says: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.” Mr. Wayne spoke about the final point, being reverent:
“Keep God at the top of what you believe in. With Him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without Him, you’re just biding your time.” Well said.
I want you to note that all levels of scouts (under the umbrella of girl scouts: Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors; and for the boys: Tigers, Cubs, Boy Scouts, Venture Explorers) include God in their promises or oaths. It is similar to what Jesus said in Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Whether you are a scout or not, that one scripture can easily be the spiritual foundation of our faith in the Lord.
Baden Powell, who was instrumental in starting a scouting program, believed that duty to God should be at the heart of all scouting. He said, “Religion means recognizing who and what God is, second it is making the best of the life He has given us and third it is doing what He wants of us. That is mainly doing something for others.” Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, saw her organization as a means to show the wonder of God in nature and good works to the community. Through their goals and practices, both of these organizations sound a lot like the Church.
Lord Powell, who grew up as a minister’s son, said… “Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, as you ever can.”
Our duty to God includes, first and foremost, that we follow and live by the teachings of the Lord. We must live our lives with honesty and service to others.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way that they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.
What I take from that passage of scripture is do not underestimate the role parents have with their children.
Let me share with you a paragraph from an article I read. It is called: For every 100 girls who join Girl Scouts:
Four will earn the Girl Scout Gold Award-the highest award for girls.
Twelve will have their first contact with a church.
Five will earn their church religious award.
One will be brought before juvenile court.
One will enter the clergy.
Eighteen will develop hobbies used during their adult life.
Eight will enter a vocation that was learned through the badge or patch program.
Seventeen will be future Girl Scout volunteers.
One will use her Girl Scouting skills to save a life.
One will use her Girl Scouting skills to save her own life.
Let me close: How many of you were in scouts? Good memories? Has it helped you in your faith in God? I hope so.
The Motivating Force in Girl Scouting is Spiritual We, the members of Girl Scouts of the United States of America, united by a belief in God and by acceptance of the Girl Scout Promise and Law,… Do dedicate ourselves to the purpose of inspiring girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service that they may become happy and resourceful citizens. We believe that the motivating force in Girl Scouting is a spiritual one. We affirm that the Girl Scout Movement shall ever be open to all girls and adults who accept the Girl Scout Promise and law. ~Preamble of the Constitution of the Girl Scouts of the USA
Would you bow your head in prayer-
