July 2015
Posted on 9Jul CATEGORIES: Newsletter
Teach Our Children
“Impress these words of Mine on your hearts and souls, bind
them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your
foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them
when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.”
(Deuteronomy 11:18-19)
God had just renewed His covenant with Israel: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear
the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? Keep the Lords commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.” (Deut. 10:12-13) Then, after laying out the terms of His covenant with His people, God told them to make sure that Israel never forgot about all that He had done for them, and all that He expected of them. How? By writing it on a tablet? No, by writing it on their hearts. By committing His incredible acts of redemption and restoration into their very souls, so it would be with them always.
How else? Well, God wanted to make sure that their future would be just as secure as their present, so He commanded
His people to teach their children about who God is and what He has done. He wanted the children to know, so that His relationship with Israel would be carried on generation after generation.
We have that same opportunity today. Emmanuel Baptist Church will have Vacation Bible School from Monday, July 13th through Friday, July 17th . This is an incredible opportunity for us to interact with our young people, and teach them about what it means to be children of God. What a fantastic chance for us to spend time with the next generation – to share something of ourselves and our faith with the future of the Church!
It’s kind of both exciting and overwhelming to know that we play a crucial role in making sure that those who will come
after us have the knowledge, tools, and experiences they need to one day take up the mantle of leadership in God’s Kingdom work. But, isn’t that exactly why God had the Israelites do the same thing with their kids? I mean, I imagine that Mt. Sinai Baptist Church’s VBS was something to behold! We’ve been talking for a while now in the worship service about living beyond ourselves – about living, serving, loving, and engaging with others in a way that will leave a lasting legacy on the Church, and on individuals’ lives. We never know who we will be touching by simply being willing – there are at least two families at our church who were brought to Christ through VBS – parents and children!
So, be a part of this exciting ministry opportunity by serving, praying, or providing resources for materials. It takes us all, doing our part, living beyond ourselves, to make sure that the message of the saving power of the Gospel is taken around the block, and around the world!
In His Love,
Bro. Heath