God loves the word "impossible"

“I love those who yearn for the impossible.”

                      Goethe

  When Igor Sikorsky was 12, his parents told him that all of the competent authorities had already proved human flight impossible. And so Igor Sikorsky went on to build the first helicopter. In his American plant, he posted this sign: “According to recognized aerotechnical tests, the bumblebee cannot fly because of the shape and weight of his body in relation to the total wing area. The bumblebee does not know this, so he goes ahead and flies anyway.” 

  Did you know that God loves to do the impossible? The Bible is brimming over with example after example where something or some situation was humanly impossible – and then God did it.

  Repeatedly, God’s Word promises that God will do the impossible. Here are just a few: Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”

  What’s your impossible situation? Maybe for you it’s a wayward child and it seems hopeless. It’s been years, possibly decades since they showed any spiritual interest. Keep praying my friend, keep trusting and being an example to Christlikeness. God hears your prayers. They may not be answered while you’re still on this side of eternity, but God is still faithful.

  Maybe it’s a marriage that’s unraveling. Maybe there’s not overt conflict, just a brewing below the surface, like a volcano bubbling yet not exploding…and you long for so much more. Can anyone promise that God will get a hold of your mate’s heart? No, but I can guarantee that if you quit, it’s very unlikely that they will surrender to the Lord. And God’s grace is sufficient to enable you to be the person that He desires you to be in even a difficult marriage.

  Perhaps you struggle with guilt or depression or anxiety. Those feelings may not even completely disappear on this side of eternity, but feelings aren’t real. We’re to live by faith not feelings. God’s Word, God’s promises are real. He’s the Rock you need and can trust when your own heart feels like sinking sand.

  Look at the pages in both biblical and church history. Those accounts clearly show that whenever you seek to accomplish anything significant for the Lord, you’ll always face strong opposition. Satan never bothers with halfhearted people who are content with some ho-hum spiritual existence.

  But if you’re on fire for Jesus, look out! The name Satan means “adversary.” He’s committed to opposing God and His people, especially when they’re zealous to exalt God’s glory and step out in faith. We’re in a spiritual battle, and this is true on a very personal level.

  As long as you live with one foot in the world, living according to the world’s values and for the world’s goals, Satan won’t bother you. You can go to church and even pray and read your Bible, and he won’t mind. But the minute you wake up from your spiritual lethargy, shake off a worldly mindset, and commit yourself to radical obedience to Jesus Christ, you’ll encounter spiritual opposition! He’ll send scud missiles with your name and picture on them into your life.

  And this is true for churches and church leaders. Whenever godly leaders attempt to rally God’s people to advance His kingdom, opposition will hit. Satan doesn’t mind when churches gather to sing and to hear soothing sermons about how to use the Bible to achieve personal success. Those churches aren’t a threat to his domain of darkness. But when a pastor preaches the gospel that convicts sinners of their sin in the presence of a holy God and points them to the cross of Jesus Christ, look out! When a pastor calls the flock to obedient, holy living in this wicked world, look out! When a pastor directs the vision of the flock toward the unreached nations who are waiting to hear the gospel, look out! The enemy of our souls is committed to opposing that kind of work. We must be ready for such opposition and know how to respond to it. When Satan opposes us, as he surely will, we must persevere, responding with faith, prayer, work, vigilance, keeping our eyes on Jesus not on our circumstances. “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

  A branch of United States Navy called the Seabees had as their slogan during World War II, “If it’s difficult, it will take a day or two. If it’s impossible, it will take a little longer.” So how long has it been since you attempted something that seems humanly impossible? Do you want to do that? Consider four important rules for attempting the impossible.

  Rules #1: Get advice from people of faith, not people of doubt. There will always be those who will tell you God won’t come through and how you can’t do it. Don’t get counsel from doubters. Get godly advice from godly people.

  Rule #2: Don’t attempt to do the impossible in your own strength. If what we’re doing is spiritual, we’re foolish if we think we can do it in our own power. That’s the big difference in what the positive Christians do and what negative Christians do. Trusting Christians say, “I can in Christ’s strength.” Negative, doubting Christians say, “we can’t.” Both are right.

  Rule #3: Step out on faith. Peter would never have walked on water if he’d stayed in the boat. Too many of us are still in the boat, but you can’t serve the Lord in the boat. Why do we have difficulty practicing our spiritual gifts? Why don’t we see God do great things? Because we’re so comfortable hunkering down in our boats.

  Rule #4: Keep your eyes on Jesus, not the circumstances. Circumstances are often frightening. There will always be good reasons (or excuses) for playing it safe. God told Gideon to take on a huge army with just 300 soldiers. God told Noah to build a boat as big as a barge and Noah had never seen rain. Their perspective was vertical, not horizontal. In attempting the impossible, you must focus your gaze on Jesus!

  Someone wisely said, “Those who are afraid of failing will never become successful.” My friend, attempt great things for God and expect great things from Him! God loves to do the impossible!

Heroes don't wear capes; Zeroes sometimes wear uniforms

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Joseph Campbell

  He was named after a preacher-evangelist, George W. Truett, and taught a teen boys’ Sunday School class for more than fifty years. He was married to his wife, Jeanette, for sixty-five years. He once wisely said, “I see no conflict whatsoever between Christianity and good business practices. People say you can’t mix business with religion. I say there’s no other way.  People appreciate you being consistent with your faith. It’s a silent witness to the Lord when people go into shopping malls, and everyone is bustling, and you see that Chick-fil-A is closed.”

  On September 8^th, an American hero died. Truett Cathy was the founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurants. One of my favorite Truett Cathy stories is from 2008. A pair of pre-teen girls broke into his vacation home in Florida, vandalized it and causing some thirty thousand dollars in damage. But it was the words they left behind that bothered Mr. Cathy the most. They had scribbled filthy language on the walls. But Mr. Cathy asked the police to not prosecute those young vandals. He feared a criminal record might tarnish their lives. So instead of jail, Mr. Cathy worked out a deal with their parents. The girls had to write, “I will not vandalize other people's property” 1,000 times, they were banned from watching TV and playing video games, and were to read a good book.

  There aren’t a lot of heroes in corporate America. It’s a sad day that there aren’t many on the world’s stage that you’d want to imitate or have your children imitate. There aren’t a lot of celebrities or professional athletes that are worthy of being followed, and are truly “heroes.” Just because someone can make a lot of money, throw a ball, has talent or is just very attractive – that doesn’t make them a hero. Those traits are “natural” and have nothing to do with character and who they really are.

  Over the past few weeks, we’ve watched the saga with Baltimore Raven’s running back, Ray Rice, unfold. Personally, I don’t believe that he ought to just be indefinitely suspended from play from the NFL, he ought to be banned for life and go to prison. If he wasn’t rich and famous, he would. And Raven fans could send a powerful message by bringing jerseys with his name on them down to the M & T Bank Stadium and burning them.

  Do I believe in forgiveness? Yes. But while God forgives, the courts of our land are to dispense out justice and have a responsibility to punish evildoers. Justice is to be blind and treat the famous, infamous and unknown the same.

  Ray Rice’s violent actions are irreprehensible and inexcusable. Just because you’re famous or have ability shouldn’t mean you get a pass. Too often there’s a double standard in our judicial system and even in the court of public opinion, just because someone is a “celebrity.” Too many professional athletes and celebrities are profligates and moral zeroes. They use their fame and money to take advantage of those who are less fortunate or who are enamored with their status. Too often, they’re not even nice, much less “heroes.”  

  Character, morality, selflessness and sacrifice are what make someone a “hero.” Even in the Church, we need to be careful that we don’t hold someone up as an model just because they’re rich or famous, or a talented musician or have a large church.

  Personally, I probably won’t get excited about the Brewers again until Ryan Braun has either been traded or retired. It wasn’t until he was caught the second time for doping that he finally came clean and apologized. Yet, Braun used his fame and ability to throw an innocent man, Dino Laurenzi, under the bus. Laurenzi became Public Enemy #1, even receiving death threats, just for doing his job and doing a drug test on Ryan Braun. But Braun ruined his life just because he could, to save his own skin and career.

  None of us can even begin to imagine the pressure professional athletes like Ryan Braun are under to perform and win. While he was wrong for doping, most of us can understand the pressure and caving to that temptation. But there is no justification for destroying someone else’s life when you know you’re guilty, just because you have the means to do it.

  As Christians, we need to be careful that we honor and commend those who meet the standards of a biblical worldview. Do we really want to emulate someone just because they have natural ability, even if they lack a moral compass or values? Is that what we want to hold up before our children as a “hero”? Are the abilities we most want our children to have – athletic, mental or even financial? Do we really want them to be popular? And at what cost? Will that help them please God and be godly? Will that help them be a better husband or wife? Will it help them be a better parent of our future grandchildren?

  Too often our conversations focus on what the Apostle Paul called “wood, hay, straw” (1 Corinthians 3:12) – stuff that’s just going to burn up in the real world. Instead we need to focus on that which has lasting and eternal value. We must be wise and careful when we talk about externals.  Sure, it’s fine to tell someone that they look nice. Isn’t it better though to tell someone that they acted nice? That they were kind and thoughtful? That they were Christlike even when they were mistreated?

  You get what you honor. Our temporal, fickle world is enamored with externalism. It worships at the altar of American idols. The Miley Cyruses, Lindsay Lohans, Justin Biebers and Macaulay Culkins are potent warnings that fame, wealth and talent are as lasting and satisfying as cotton candy.

  Do you want heroes for your children to emulate? Look to those who teach adult and children’s classes at Grace. Look at the ones who work in the nursery, or usher or are part of the worship team. You’ll find them serving the Lord at the AV table and other places, often behind the scenes.

  These godly heroes and heroines go to work every day, love their spouses and children, and most of all, they love Jesus! They’re not famous or even overly talented. They’re just seeking to be faithful in the place God has called them to and to serve the Lord with the abilities He’s given them. They’ll probably never make the local news or walk down a red carpet. No one asks for their autograph. But someday the One who sees all and knows all, will welcome them Home with, “Well done good and faithful servant!” Those are heroes. Sometimes you have to look for them but they’re there.

  Are you holding them up in front of your children as examples? Are you following them as they follow Jesus?

Wanted: Messy People!

“Church can’t be a place where we feel like a visitor, or somewhere we’re afraid to allow others to see our messes. It’s got to feel like home.”   Ross Parsley                                

  I love corn on the cob BUT it’s just so messy. It’s messy shucking the corn. Then, there are always those last few tassels that want to adhere to the ear like they’re attached with super glue. Invariably, I end up dripping butter on my shirt. That potentiality dramatically increases depending on how new the shirt is. The corn gets stuck between my teeth and then I have to find a polite way to remedy the situation.  Add to that, I have a beard and mustache – bits of corn or drips of butter, often unbeknownst to me, stay with me until I can finally find a washroom. But it’s just so good! The end results are well worth the mess and hassle.With our annual Corn Roast today, I've been thinking a little about the mess.

  Churches are like that. They’re messy. Just in case you didn’t get the memo: Grace Church isn’t perfect. Our church is full of messy people. Our volunteers, staff members, and leaders don’t have it all together. In fact, every one of them is a sinner. And our members and the people who attend our services? They’re sinners, too: drunks, addicts, adulterers, liars, gossipers, gluttons, abusers, selfish, proud, greedy, jealous, and divisive – and worse…but we wouldn’t have it any other way…

  We want to be a messy church because we want to be caring like Jesus, who came to rescue the messy people, like me and you. Jesus cares so much about imperfect people that He left the perfection of heaven and came to this messed up and messy earth. “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15). Jesus spent time with the vile, needy, flawed, and diseased. He didn’t isolate Himself from common, everyday people who realized they needed a radical change in their lives. The same way a doctor is motivated to heal the sick, Jesus came to earth to heal the broken and bruised.

  A church isn’t a place of perfection, but of growth and progress. And the church is wrong, if it’s focused on attempting to maintain some image of perfection. Jesus has never been afraid to embrace the controversy of associating with the wrong crowd and neither should we.

  The church was created from imperfect people for imperfect people. It exists to help imperfect people meet a perfect Savior and then follow Him step by step. Our imperfections are not projects to fix, but opportunities to see a miracle of His grace and power. Each of us has a story about how Jesus met us in the midst of our mess and has been changing us from the inside out.

  And we can’t fix ourselves or fix each other, we can though support, correct, and encourage each other. Jesus removes our sins and we learn to live in the freedom He’s given us by His death on a cross and resurrection from an empty tomb.

  But for any church (or individual) to claim perfection is a scandal. The church isn’t a place of perfection, but of growth and progress. We make progress when we listen to Jesus, obey and do what He says. Once we’ve met Jesus, our lives never stay the same. We were stuck in our mess, in our imperfection, but wonderfully God doesn’t leave us there.  When we come to Jesus admitting we’re flawed and struggling with sin, He forgives us and takes over our lives so we learn to do life His way. God’s mercy covers all our mistakes…even the future ones.

  As you and I take our next steps in our walks with Jesus, people, particularly those who are still stuck in their mess, notice. The closer we follow Jesus’ example, the more we, by the power of the Spirit working in our lives become like Jesus, we will attract people far from God. No one is too evil, too controversial or scandal-ridden for God’s grace.

  Neither churches or Christians are perfect. R. C. Sproul minces no words when he calls it “the heresy of perfectionism.” It’s an ancient heresy that teaches that there’s a class of Christians who achieve moral perfection in this life. They don’t. Yet, there’s a kind of elitism in this perceived perfectionism, a feeling that those who are nearly there, are somehow better than other Christians. These “perfect” ones don’t officially take credit for their state, yet smugness and pride have a way of creeping in.

  This “perfectionism” categorizes sin as big and small. Arrogance is small; adultery is big. Cursing is big; complaining is small. Laziness is big; lying is small. You get the picture. What’s forgotten though is that Satan was cast out of heaven for pride. Adam and Eve lost Paradise for only disobeying one rule, eating one piece of forbidden fruit. And Jesus had to die to save them and us for just one broken rule.

  We’re not good people. We’re not even nice people. We think angry and hateful thoughts about the very one that we made a vow before God “to love and cherish…til death do us part.” We manipulate our children, the ones that we brought into this world, to make us look good, to get others to think better of us and even like us more. They become assets for our arrogance. And these are the ones that are closest to us. No wonder others are often little more that collateral damage in our obsession to take care of Numero Uno.

  And yet, we like to think that we’re nice and good, even perfect. The peril of perfectionism is that it horribly distorts the human mind. What mental and spiritual contortions we must put ourselves through to delude ourselves into thinking we’re good people. Inevitably, this error of perfectionism breeds deadly delusions. To convince ourselves we’ve achieved goodness, we must either suffer from a radical overestimation of our moral performance. Or, we must seriously underestimate the holiness and requirements of God’s law. We must reduce the level of divine righteousness to the level of our own flawed performance. Perfectionism then is really anti-perfectionism in disguise. If we think we’re perfect or at least becoming perfect, we’re further from it than we’ve ever been.

  So if you’re looking for a safe, perfect church, sorry. We’re not it. We’re  a work in progress. But God isn’t done with us. We’ve got a lot of flaws, but He’s got even more patience.

  However, if you’re looking for a church full of messies, imperfect people who struggle but take one step forward at a time with Jesus, you’ve found us. We’re so glad to have you! We’re not a perfect church but we serve a great and gracious God!!

Throwing cold water on people throwing cold water...

“Christianity not only saves you from sin, but from cynicism.”

   E. Stanley Jones

  The term viral is a relatively new term. Usually, it refers to a video that’s become colossally popular through Internet sharing via social media and e-mail. Recently, that happened with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

  In case you missed it, the “challenge” involved dumping a bucket of ice water on someone’s head to promote awareness of the disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and encouraging donations for research. It went viral on social media this summer between July and August. The challenge dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads, and then nominating others to do the same. A common stipulation is that the nominated participants have 24 hours to comply, or forfeit by way of a financial donation for ALS research.

  One of the first individuals to promote it was former Boston College baseball player, Pete Frates. At 27, Frates was diagnosed with this horrible disease. Because of his sports connections, it caught on like wildfire. People around the country picked up a bucket from Aaron Rogers to Bill Gates to former President George W. Bush. Several million videos have been posted of those taking the challenge. Not only has it raised awareness for an often overlooked disease, it’s raised over $100 million for research.

  Personally, I think it’s been one of the more positive and encouraging things to happen in America in a long time. Because of our sin nature, we’re all selfish. Yet, over the last few decades, it seems to have become worse. For various reasons, we’ve moved from the values of the Greatest Generation who sacrificed and often made the ultimate sacrifice and devolved into a very self-absorbed and narcissistic society. How heartwarming to see selflessness, to see whole families, small children, teens, couples, groups of friends, entire teams and companies from every ethnic, economic and age group participate in doing something that’s fun, yet ultimately for someone else who’s suffering. I thought it was very exciting. As a culture, for a brief moment, we were part of something outside of ourselves, challenging families and friends to care about something beyond our own tiny spheres, to care about others and the terrible hardship some face because of this debilitating disease.

  To be sure, in an imperfect world, it wasn’t perfect. Is anything? Particularly for Christians, there were some ethical issues that needed to be considered. For some reason though, some seem to always feel they must dump cold water on anything and everything, even that which is for the most part very positive. They can’t seem to see the bigger picture, the greater good and overall direction. So they make it their mission to point out the small errors, making a big splash about the minor inconsistencies. That’s why I’ve always loved these insightful words of Jean Sibelius who on one occasion said, “Pay no attention to what the critics say. A statue has never been erected in honor of a critic.” 

  Some critics accused participants of grandstanding and being attention addicts. Yet, judging other’s motives is always a slippery slope. Comedian Steve-O criticized celebrities for not giving more when they had the ability to do so. Yet, a gift is a gift whether it’s big or small. Pamela Anderson refused to take part in the challenge because there’s animal experimentation in ALS research. Some criticized the wasting of water. One doctor felt that he had to warn of the potential adverse affects it might have on those with certain medical conditions. Snopes had to refute the claim that most of the funds went to administration, not research. Some Christians were critical that while Christians were excited about the Ice Bucket Challenge, they don’t get excited about Jesus or sharing the Gospel.

  One legitimate concern for believers was that some ALS research groups use embryonic cells. When I did it, I made a decision to donate to a group that used adult stem cells for research, not embryonic ones. Other Christians and evangelical organizations made sure to point out that while they were participating, they were donating to organizations doing research who were pro-life.

  But as I watched this unfold, while so many were excited about doing something good, selfless, a bit uncomfortable, out of concern for the less fortunate, there were so many critics. I find that very sad. Just once, couldn’t we let it go? Maybe choose not to participate yet not censure others who did? Let people do something that helps the less fortunate without having to cast some dour cloud over it? To choose to not be an armchair quarterback?

  Sadly, we’ve become a society of negaholics. While I understand a lost world that has no hope always having to fault find and nitpick, I don’t understand it when that’s the consistent approach to life by a believer. Sometimes Christians are so focused on all that’s wrong with the world, we forget that even a sin-contaminated world, is still God’s created world.

  Jesus wasn’t a negaholic. Read the Gospels. He was the most winsome person who’s ever lived…and we’re to be like Him.   

  What hope and optimism He shared! When Jesus saw impetuous Peter, He saw a rock. Meeting a woman from the wrong side of the tracks, Jesus saw a missionary of mercy to her world. He didn’t see a demon-possessed nutcase, He saw a healed sharer of peace.

  While Jesus said some harsh things, He was never negative for the sake of being negative. He was negative like a surgeon cutting away a cancer. Yet, too many of us are like the Mom, after her child spent hours cleaning her room and had everything seemingly in place, found the one or two things she’d missed like dust on the top shelf.

  We who have accepted God’s grace must be the most gracious of people. Even our words are to be seasoned with grace, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29).

  Are you gracious? What are you known for…building others up or tearing them down? Ask a godly friend who’ll be honest with you about your approach to life. Too many of us have a very limited ministry because we’re missionaries of misery and don’t even know it. Rather than being a light in the world, we continually throw cold water, and then we wonder why we get such a chilly response. God has called us to be messengers of hope. Are you a messenger of hope?

Once you stop learning, you start dying....

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”  

 Benjamin Franklin

  Astoundingly, one-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. 42% of college graduates never read another book after college. 80% of U.S. families didn’t buy or read a book last year.

  So what’s to blame? A shift in popular entertainment? The dominance of the screen over the printed page? Are books just less interesting than they used to be? Or, are we, as a society, getting dumber? I don’t know, but I do know this, you cannot be a healthy, growing Christian unless you’re a student of the Word and a lifelong learner.

  It’s not just learning more information. It’s learning and applying God’s Word to our lives so that it alters our life’s direction upward. That means digging in, reading it, studying it and meditating on it. As Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” In other words, who wants to be a loser? We want to be successful. True success is spiritual success.

  While we can study on our own, the tendency when we do that is to become imbalanced, to get stuck on a few key issues that really interest us. There’s something though about a small group or classroom of other learners that helps us hone our souls. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

  There are three things that should frighten us spiritually. 1. When we reach a point where we don’t care about growing and learning, don’t want to have our beliefs challenged or stretch. Or worse, feel that we already essentially know everything. 2. When we look at learning biblical truth as an end unto itself. God wants us to learn so that we can, by His grace, change and grow. The goal is to be like Jesus Christ so it’s a lifelong process. 3. When learning becomes narcissistic, in that we take in learning like a cistern, when God wants us to learn so that we can be refreshing streams for those around us.

  Wonderfully, it's clearly never too late to grow and learn. Recently, I read of Willadene Zedan. After leaving high school in 1943, Willadene Zedan, 85, received her bachelor’s degree from Marian University in Wisconsin in 2013. She immediately took a job assisting a local doctor as he makes house calls to elderly patients. But studying wasn’t the only thing this dean’s list student did while she was enrolled in Marion. During the spring of 2012, she spent five weeks studying abroad in Rome, where she learned about Italian culture during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. “Everyday is a new adventure. Everyday,” said Mrs. Zedan.  “You’re never too old to learn.”

  Do you think you’re too old to learn? Leo Tolstoy learned to ride a bicycle at 67. At 65, Winston Churchill became British prime minister for the first time and started the epic struggle against Hitler. At 72, Golda Meir became prime minister of Israel. Claude Monet began painting his famous Water Lily series at age 76, finishing the work at age 85. Thomas Edison was 84 when he invented the telephone. Both in their 90s, pianist Arthur Rubenstein and cellist Pablo Casals, performed professionally. Roget was updating his famous thesaurus when he expired at age 90. At 94, Leopold Stokowski, signed a six-year recording contract. At 91, George Bernard Shaw was still writing plays. At 100, Grandma Moses was still painting pictures. And Tesichi Igarishi celebrated his 100^th birthday by climbing to the 12,395-foot high summit of Mount Fuji. Talk about lifelong learners!

  God only has one retirement program and it’s out of this world! And we will better serve Him if we’re equipped, learning, growing and applying His truth to our lives no matter how young or old we are.

  In just two weeks, on September 14^th, we’re kicking off all of our Sunday Morning Live classes for the 2014-2015 school year. Be honest, what are you doing that is so important on Sunday mornings that you won’t be able to join one of these classes? And if you’re a parent, what about your children? Are you teaching them biblical truth in your home? Are you seeking to model it?

  Not only will Sunday Morning Live help your children grow in grace, it will affirm and support the message you’re teaching them at home. More than ever before, all of us, particularly our children, need a counterweight to the massive cultural shifts that our culture is now experiencing.

  To commit your children to attending Sunday Morning Live is going to cause many of you to have to make a choice. Our post-Christian world considers Sunday morning as a few free hours to schedule a multitude of children’s programs. But Christian parent, ask yourself, “Will any of those programs help your child with his/her relationship with Jesus Christ? Will it help them have a life that has eternal value?”

  Sunday Morning Live can help your children respect, appreciate and utilize the Bible. Reverence for God’s written word doesn’t come naturally, sadly. A healthy Sunday classroom environment, centered around the Bible, will elevate its importance in a child’s life.

  Sunday Morning Live teaches children how to navigate the Bible. If a child joins the Scouts, the Scoutmaster doesn’t hand him a 400 page map and say, “Good luck!” Our teachers don’t just teach Bible stories, they show a child how to utilize the concordance and give a basic understanding of the Bible’s books, what chapter and verse means, and overall format.

  Sunday Morning Live gives kids a chance to ask questions. It’s the perfect format for in-depth discussion, even debate. This format allows teachers to give kids more good food for thought.

  Sunday Morning Live plants spiritual seeds. A child’s greatest revelations concerning God’s love and His plans for them will often occur in a Sunday Morning Live class. Our classes are like plant nurseries, they may look unimpressive at first, but under the soil, miracles are happening.

  September 14^th is just around the corner. Make sure that you join us!