Are you ready to get in the game?! Vacation Bible School at Friendship Baptist is just around the corner, and I will be leading the Music Pep Rally this year! As you have probably guessed, this year's theme - Game Day Central - is centered around various sports. Having attended several VBS events as a kid, I know that they are awesome opportunities to reach out to children with the Gospel of Christ and love on them. However, I am afraid that many present-day parents have forgotten their own responsibilities when it comes to introducing their children to Christ.
Granted, I am not a parent myself. Please don't look at the following guidelines as a product of experience - They are simply Scripture, taken directly from God's Holy Word, that should serve as a charge to parents, church leaders, and teachers alike.
(1) Parents should set an example for their children. Proverbs 20:7 says, "The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him." Instead of simply telling their children how they should live, parents should live their lives in God-honoring ways. They should take the opportunity to "brag" on God and constantly keep the focus on Him.
(2) Parents should not be afraid of discipline. In Proverbs 23:13, we are reminded to "not withold discipline from a child." If children are consistently punished for doing wrong, they will learn to be self-disciplined.
(3) Parents should be slow to anger. Ephesians 6:4 says, "...do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." As opposed to barking orders and speaking with a raised voice, a cool-tempered and fair punishment is always more effective. Children respond better when they are not being belittled or embarassed.
(4) Parents should support one another. Matthew 12:25 says, "every ... household divided against itself will not stand." Arguing with one another in the presence of children is simply unacceptable. Children who witness incessant arguing and fighting will often grow to resent both parties involved. However, those who show love and support for one another will ultimately instill such qualities in the children.
Here it is in a nutshell: Parents should not assume that it's solely the responsibility of the Church to be Godly examples. The ideal children's ministry would serve to merely supplement the home training of each child.
Are you ready to get in the game?
I'll leave you with this:
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Thoughts on Ice (James 4:14)
Today, as I was cleaning my apartment, I decided to chisel the fused ice out of the ice maker. Piece by piece, I placed the frozen chunks into the sink. Not melting fast enought, I decided to help them along by turning on the hot water. The ice began to melt before my eyes; the pieces slowly faded into liquid, making a timely exit down the drain and into oblivion. At that moment, God spoke boldly to my heart.
In James 4:14, we are reminded how short our lives actually are. It reads, "For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away." Like those chunks of ice, we are here but for a moment. Therefore, it is our responsibility to take advantage of the time God has given us and use it wisely.
Do you remember the parable of the talents? Jesus told of a man who entrusted three of his servants with money - one with five talents, one with two, and the other with only one talent. The first servant, who was given five talents, immediately went to work and earned five more. Likewise, the servant given two talents earned two more. However, the third servant was so afraid of losing his one talent that he buried it. When the master returned, he was pleased with the first two servants, to whom he entrusted many other things. To the third servant, the master said, "You wicked, lazy servant!" The master subsequently had him thrown out into the streets.
God has entrusted each of us with our lives, our own "talents", so to speak. Whether it be 95 long years or a short period of 25 years, we must be diligent and responsible with our lives! It's OUR responsibility to seek out His will... It's up to US to live in a way that brings glory to God... WE are charged with the task of fulfilling the Great Commission, to spread the Gospel of Christ into ALL THE WORLD.
How are you managing your "talents"?
In James 4:14, we are reminded how short our lives actually are. It reads, "For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away." Like those chunks of ice, we are here but for a moment. Therefore, it is our responsibility to take advantage of the time God has given us and use it wisely.
Do you remember the parable of the talents? Jesus told of a man who entrusted three of his servants with money - one with five talents, one with two, and the other with only one talent. The first servant, who was given five talents, immediately went to work and earned five more. Likewise, the servant given two talents earned two more. However, the third servant was so afraid of losing his one talent that he buried it. When the master returned, he was pleased with the first two servants, to whom he entrusted many other things. To the third servant, the master said, "You wicked, lazy servant!" The master subsequently had him thrown out into the streets.
God has entrusted each of us with our lives, our own "talents", so to speak. Whether it be 95 long years or a short period of 25 years, we must be diligent and responsible with our lives! It's OUR responsibility to seek out His will... It's up to US to live in a way that brings glory to God... WE are charged with the task of fulfilling the Great Commission, to spread the Gospel of Christ into ALL THE WORLD.
How are you managing your "talents"?
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