This Month at PAYH: Monthly Newsletter, June 2024

The Importance of Communication

By Dr. Jeff Padgett

Genesis 2:15-17, “¹⁵ Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:1-6, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

In Genesis 3, we see a leader who failed in the area crucial to leadership: communication. By failing to communicate effectively with his wife, Adam botched his role as the first spiritual leader of the human race. 

God clearly told Adam that a certain tree was off limits. “Of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat.” God went on to tell him, “But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). At the time Adam received this command, Eve was not present; according to Genesis 2, she had not yet been created. Consequently, it was up to Adam to pass along what God had said.

So why didn’t Adam clearly communicate God’s instructions to Eve? Why the breakdown in the line of communication? Consider her muddled response to the serpent: “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:3). Eve added the phrase, “Nor shall you touch it.” God never said any such thing. So where did she get her faulty information?

Five Reasons for Adam’s Faulty Communication

1. He ignored some details in the message he was supposed to communicate.
2. He allowed Eve’s voice to influence him more than God’s voice.
3. He failed to hold himself accountable for his communication (or lack thereof).
4. He had forgotten what God had said about the consequences of disobedience.
5. He did not take responsibility for the results of his faulty communication.

It is important to learn from Adam’s mistake. My personal desire is to not only to be a good speaker, but also a good communicator. To do that, I must answer the hard questions. Do I pay close attention to what God tells me? Do I give appropriate attention to detail? Do I take responsibility for what God has entrusted to me? I take great care in honing these skills, so I can pass them on to the young men at The PAYH.

Strength For The Day

Each week, PAYH shares a devotional; “Strength For The Day,” by Chaplain (Col) Stephen W. Leonard, USA, Ret. In addition to being a retired US Army Chaplain, he is also the husband of our Co-Founder, Glenda Anderson Leonard. His writing is both moving and inspiring and will most certainly lift your spirit and encourage you in your walk with Jesus. To receive his weekly writing, you can subscribe online at payh.org. You can also read past writings by clicking here.

2024 PAGC

⛳️ It’s a birdie for the books! ⛳️

This year marked the 31st Annual Paul Anderson Youth Home Golf Classic Tournament at River Golf Club in North Augusta, S.C. We’re filled with gratitude for our dedicated players and sponsors who brought laughter, camaraderie, and some impressive shots to the greens.

Your generous support makes a real difference in the lives of young men at PAYH. We can’t thank you enough for making this a truly unforgettable day!

Thank you, John!

It’s official! The 2024 Bike Ride Season is now underway. Michael, Camden, Linden, Jaxon, Blake, Kevin, and Jack recently had their bike fitting and training class. We want to give a special shout-out to John Cameron, from NatureSweet, for taking time out of his busy schedule to pour into the young men the importance of bike safety and setting up their bikes for a safe ride. Thank you for your generosity and partnership! If you would like to contribute, visit payhbikeride.com. 

Bike Ride Training

The boys are a few weeks into the Bike Ride training, and they are holding up well. The guys are feeling strong and they are excited to continue their training toward the big event. You can support them by going to payhbikeride.com to contribute.