First, a big THANK YOU to all the folks who helped make Vacation Bible School and Parent's Night/Carnival a reality this last week... you guys worked hard to give kids & families a chance to hear the good news of Jesus Christ - way to go!
Second, I want to recap some highlights of what the kids learned this week... because it's stuff we as adults need to have locked in place as well.
Trail #1: What does God think of me?
Well, according to the Genesis accounts of creation (chapters 1 & 2), we're the crowning glory of God's creation - "very good" is the words God uses to describe things after He puts us in place.
That value is echoed over & over throughout the Bible, most noticeably in Romans 5:8 (AMP):
God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.
Trail #2: Will God take care of me?
The Bible (1 Peter 5:7, AMP) tells us to cast:
...the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully
Sometimes, it may not feel like He cares when things go horribly wrong... but we can read the stories of the spiritual heroes of the Bible and remember that their lives weren't all gumdrops & lollipops either. God's care doesn't mean we get everything we want; it means we get God walking with us in everything.
Trail #3: What does God want for me?
We make this one a lot more complicated than it needs to be. Simply put, God wants us to experience His love, grace & presence in this life... and in the life to come. The fancy word we use for that around church is "salvation," which explains why Christians talk about getting "saved."
The favorite verse of rainbow-wigged sign-holders fits well here - John 3:16-17 (NIV):
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
God's hope for you is that you experience real love, real forgiveness, & real life - both now & after we die. He provided that through the sacrificial death & resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Trail #4: What does God want from me?
I love my wife... and I try to express my love in a myriad of ways. But part of me fully experiencing that love is when tries to express her love to me.
The same thing is true of God... He loves us so much & wants us to express our love for Him through the way we serve others like He does (Mark 6:30-46), through our prayer conversation with Him (Luke 5:16), and through worshipping Him in everything we do (Luke 4:14-16).
Trail #5: How does God want me to live?
Short answer: like Him (1 Corinthians 11:1, AMP)
Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).
Long answer: like this... (Philippians 4:4-9, NIV)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Quote of the Week
Anyone who is not a continual student of Jesus, and who nevertheless reads the great promises of the Bible as if they were for him or her, is like someone trying to cash a check on another person's account. At best, it succeeds only sporadically.
Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy
