He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:2-4
Robert Fulghum, author of the classic, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, is asked to speak in a variety of different venues that range from classrooms to corporate headquarters. He has remarked about the vast difference between his audiences of children and audiences of adults. For instance, if he asked an audience of children if they liked to sing and dance, everyone would respond gleefully. If he went on to ask them if they would like to join him on stage to sing and dance, nearly everyone eagerly volunteers. In the corporate adult crowd if the same questions were asked, a few might respond that they enjoyed singing and dancing, however, you would be hard pressed to find a single volunteer to join him on stage.
What happened? Why the vast difference? I often wonder when and why these changes take place in our lives as we grow from children to adults.
Jesus taught again and again in the Gospels that we need to have childlike faith in order to connect with God. Our faith in God needs to be marked by characteristics like humility, dependence, trust, and wonder. As we watch our children perform this week, let us pray that each of us develops a renewed, unashamed, passionate, childlike faith in God.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Home
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 14:1-4
This past Sunday after church I stopped at an open house. It’s a beautiful home that I have admired for years and had just come on the market. Now I’m not looking to move, nor could I afford the increased payments this home would require, but I wanted to see what it was like on the inside. To be honest, I was secretly hoping I would be disappointed with size, floor plan, ascetics, or something about the home, but to my dismay, it was even more tremendous than I had imagined.
As I walked through the house I imagined my family and me living there. What would go where, who would get which rooms, where my study would be. My fantasy quickly came to an end when I remembered that commandment about not coveting, but the Lord also took that moment to remind me that there is no home on this earth that will be my forever home.
There will come a day after seeking God here on this earth I will be able to enjoy being with Him forever. I like the way one person summarized our hope of heaven. There we will be worship without distraction, service without exhaustion, fellowship without fear, learning without fatigue, and rest without boredom.
My forever home is with my Father in heaven. And I have no doubt that He who formed the galaxies could far out-design the styling of an English Tudor in Des Plaines.
John 14:1-4
This past Sunday after church I stopped at an open house. It’s a beautiful home that I have admired for years and had just come on the market. Now I’m not looking to move, nor could I afford the increased payments this home would require, but I wanted to see what it was like on the inside. To be honest, I was secretly hoping I would be disappointed with size, floor plan, ascetics, or something about the home, but to my dismay, it was even more tremendous than I had imagined.
As I walked through the house I imagined my family and me living there. What would go where, who would get which rooms, where my study would be. My fantasy quickly came to an end when I remembered that commandment about not coveting, but the Lord also took that moment to remind me that there is no home on this earth that will be my forever home.
There will come a day after seeking God here on this earth I will be able to enjoy being with Him forever. I like the way one person summarized our hope of heaven. There we will be worship without distraction, service without exhaustion, fellowship without fear, learning without fatigue, and rest without boredom.
My forever home is with my Father in heaven. And I have no doubt that He who formed the galaxies could far out-design the styling of an English Tudor in Des Plaines.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Follow Me
Follow me.
Jesus, The Gospels
“’What would Jesus do?’ is the wrong question to ask,” said Thursday’s chapel speaker at the college. He went on, “The correct question is, ‘What is Jesus doing?’”
This thought has stuck with me…”What is Jesus doing?” It goes beyond the moral imperative of simply following Jesus’ actions to actively looking for Jesus at work today. While the former is good, the latter connects us with God’s work in the world.
The question, ‘What is Jesus doing?’ needs to be answered on two levels. The first is, ‘What is Jesus doing in me?’ It’s important for each of us to be aware of Christ’s work in our lives. The Bible says, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) This means He’s working in our lives, doing something good! Take the time this week to look for what God is trying to teach, develop, and reveal in your life.
The second level is, ‘What is Jesus doing in the world?’ This allows us to see how we can fit into God’s work in the world today. Henry Blackaby, in the book Experiencing God, tells us we should find out where God is working and get in the middle of it. God is alive and well and at work in the world today. Open your eyes to see where God is at work in your home, church, workplace, school, community, etc. Take time to discover your part and get involved in His master plan .
So let me ask you, “What is Jesus doing?”
Jesus, The Gospels
“’What would Jesus do?’ is the wrong question to ask,” said Thursday’s chapel speaker at the college. He went on, “The correct question is, ‘What is Jesus doing?’”
This thought has stuck with me…”What is Jesus doing?” It goes beyond the moral imperative of simply following Jesus’ actions to actively looking for Jesus at work today. While the former is good, the latter connects us with God’s work in the world.
The question, ‘What is Jesus doing?’ needs to be answered on two levels. The first is, ‘What is Jesus doing in me?’ It’s important for each of us to be aware of Christ’s work in our lives. The Bible says, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) This means He’s working in our lives, doing something good! Take the time this week to look for what God is trying to teach, develop, and reveal in your life.
The second level is, ‘What is Jesus doing in the world?’ This allows us to see how we can fit into God’s work in the world today. Henry Blackaby, in the book Experiencing God, tells us we should find out where God is working and get in the middle of it. God is alive and well and at work in the world today. Open your eyes to see where God is at work in your home, church, workplace, school, community, etc. Take time to discover your part and get involved in His master plan .
So let me ask you, “What is Jesus doing?”
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