Vacation Bible School (VBS)…so much fun and yet oh so tiring! Let me tell you I am totally exhausted and I still have two nights left! The best part about VBS is getting to meet a bunch of different kids that you didn’t know before. This week, we have met seven new kids so far and I am sure there will be more tonight. Jimmy and I are teaching the 5th & 6th grade class with the help of Dustin, Kevin, & Shelby. The whole point of the way we structure this class is to help get these kids ready to be a part of the youth group. We want them to know what to expect now that they are old enough to be a part of the “big kids.”
Every year, we take one specific night where someone shares the plan of salvation with the kids. Then the teachers answer any questions the children have and if they want we can pray with them and help them to ask Christ to become a part of their lives. Well last night was that night. Pastor John shared the salvation message and offered the children a chance to pray to receive Christ and then told them to talk to their teachers about it if they “prayed the prayer.” Two of girls approached me and for some reason I got really nervous. It happens to me every year. I don’t know why I get nervous when I counsel youth and children about the gospel…I just do. Give me an adult any day and I am great. Give me a kid and my heart starts racing and I have to work twice as hard. I guess I worry that they won’t understand.
I guess I just have to realize that ultimately it’s not about whether I can make them understand. God uses the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts and He will help them to understand. I simply need to be there to be a tool He uses to teach those children about His love. Yes, some kids pray a prayer that they don’t fully understand, but there are other kids who have really felt the movement of God’s Spirit in their hearts and lives. I am not worthy of being the judge of which kids are which. Thankfully, it is God’s job—not mine! I just need to let go and let God.
Let go today and let God use you to speak His truth.
Showing posts with label witnessing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label witnessing. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Teachable Moments
Life has been hectic in the Mustion house lately. We are go, Go, GO! Our routine is out of whack between Strawberry Festival and Vacation Bible School. Since I had to work all day on Saturday at the Strawberry Festival, I wasn’t able to do my grocery shopping when I normally do – on Saturday. So while my friend Sondra and her oldest daughter, Shaina, worked on snacks for Vacation Bible School, Jadie (Sondra’s youngest) and I went grocery shopping. It made for a busy Sunday afternoon, especially since I had a meeting at church that night, but we had fun.
While Jadie and I were shopping we started talking about the wind and the sunshine. Jadie didn’t understand why we have wind. Of course, I could have bored her with all the scientific reasons for wind and rain and sunshine, but instead I chose to use this opportunity to have a “teachable moment.” Now you may ask, “What is a teachable moment?”
A teachable moment is an opportunity to share about God/Christ that arises from your day to day activities.
Jadie wanted to know why we had wind. I had two choices: tell her the science or tell her about God creating the wind. So many times I am ashamed to say that I choose the easy way out and just talk about the “facts”. I am happy to say that on Sunday God helped me to seize this teachable moment and I told her the Creation story instead.
That night Sondra and I were talking about my outing with Jadie and how she behaved and all those good details parents love to know and Sondra shared with me the questions that Jadie has been having about Jesus. I thank God for giving me those words to say in that teachable moment. I pray they will be a few of the seeds that will help Jadie find all her answers about Jesus and to come to know Him as her personal Lord and Savior.
I urge you to seize those teachable moments in your own life. They don’t have to be children. Maybe it’s your neighbor or co-worker. Whoever it is, you will not be sorry that you told them about the love of God!
While Jadie and I were shopping we started talking about the wind and the sunshine. Jadie didn’t understand why we have wind. Of course, I could have bored her with all the scientific reasons for wind and rain and sunshine, but instead I chose to use this opportunity to have a “teachable moment.” Now you may ask, “What is a teachable moment?”
A teachable moment is an opportunity to share about God/Christ that arises from your day to day activities.
Jadie wanted to know why we had wind. I had two choices: tell her the science or tell her about God creating the wind. So many times I am ashamed to say that I choose the easy way out and just talk about the “facts”. I am happy to say that on Sunday God helped me to seize this teachable moment and I told her the Creation story instead.
That night Sondra and I were talking about my outing with Jadie and how she behaved and all those good details parents love to know and Sondra shared with me the questions that Jadie has been having about Jesus. I thank God for giving me those words to say in that teachable moment. I pray they will be a few of the seeds that will help Jadie find all her answers about Jesus and to come to know Him as her personal Lord and Savior.
I urge you to seize those teachable moments in your own life. They don’t have to be children. Maybe it’s your neighbor or co-worker. Whoever it is, you will not be sorry that you told them about the love of God!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Fulfilling Your Destiny
Over the next couple of months our youth group will be preparing for their third mission trip together. This year we are going into inner city Memphis, Tennessee. We will be ministering to children, youth, and adults who are in a much worse place than many of our students have ever seen. We are going to strive not only to meet these individuals’ physical needs, but their spiritual ones as well. With each sack lunch we hand out we want to tell someone about Jesus. With each hug, we want to show someone His love. With each service project we do we want to let people know that Jesus can meet their daily needs. In order to prepare for this emotionally and physically tasking environment, we require our youth and adults to participate in mission trip training sessions. Our first mission training session was yesterday.
During this time, we talked briefly about fulfilling the purpose for which God created us – our destiny. Did you know that man was created to glorify God? Well he was. This is our ultimate purpose and destiny. We are to bring glory to God. One way we do this is by telling other people about God and the greatness of God. It is not without reason that the Bible says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isa. 52:7). When we fulfill our destiny by bringing people the Good News we are beautiful! We bring joy and fulfillment and blessing. Not only do we bring these things to others but we receive these things as well!
Telling people about Christ isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s downright scary. Did God set us up to fail? No way! Thankfully, where God guides He also provides. Jeremiah, the youngest prophet in the Old Testament, felt this fear and uncertainty when God called him to go and tell the people of Israel what His will for them was. Jeremiah didn’t know what to do and he felt afraid that when he got there he would freeze and not know what to say. In Jeremiah 1:6 he says, “‘Ah, Sovereign LORD,’ I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.’” What I want to focus on is God’s response to Jeremiah. Listen and take this to heart because it is as true for us today as the day He spoke these words to Jeremiah.
“But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my words in your mouth.’” Jeremiah 1:7-9
God promised Jeremiah that He would be with him every step of the way and He gave Jeremiah the words to speak. So if you want to fulfill your destiny, all you have to do is take a step of faith and go tell someone about Jesus trusting that God will keep His promise to be with you and that He will give you the words to speak.
During this time, we talked briefly about fulfilling the purpose for which God created us – our destiny. Did you know that man was created to glorify God? Well he was. This is our ultimate purpose and destiny. We are to bring glory to God. One way we do this is by telling other people about God and the greatness of God. It is not without reason that the Bible says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isa. 52:7). When we fulfill our destiny by bringing people the Good News we are beautiful! We bring joy and fulfillment and blessing. Not only do we bring these things to others but we receive these things as well!
Telling people about Christ isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s downright scary. Did God set us up to fail? No way! Thankfully, where God guides He also provides. Jeremiah, the youngest prophet in the Old Testament, felt this fear and uncertainty when God called him to go and tell the people of Israel what His will for them was. Jeremiah didn’t know what to do and he felt afraid that when he got there he would freeze and not know what to say. In Jeremiah 1:6 he says, “‘Ah, Sovereign LORD,’ I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.’” What I want to focus on is God’s response to Jeremiah. Listen and take this to heart because it is as true for us today as the day He spoke these words to Jeremiah.
“But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my words in your mouth.’” Jeremiah 1:7-9
God promised Jeremiah that He would be with him every step of the way and He gave Jeremiah the words to speak. So if you want to fulfill your destiny, all you have to do is take a step of faith and go tell someone about Jesus trusting that God will keep His promise to be with you and that He will give you the words to speak.
Go fulfill your destiny!
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