3/8- Declaring God’s Glory- Teaching Children- Joel 1:3

3/8- Declaring God’s Glory- Teaching Children- Joel 1:3

Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation. (Joel 1:3) 

Thoughts: The gospel is always fragile.  If we stopped sharing God's love or if we ever think it is unimportant for our children to hear about our God, then the faith dies with us.  If there is any comfort we receive from God, any strength we receive from Him, any peace we get, any help we receive that is a reason to share with our children.
     One of the reasons our church hopes to build a Children's Ministry Building is to share the hope, and love of God with children.  A safe place where parents can bring their children to hear good news and receive good care is an important service of the church.  

Prayer: Give me grace O Lord to play a role in telling the next generation about you.

3/7- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children Grow- Luke 2:52

3/7- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children Grow- Luke 2:52

⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52) 

Thoughts: If we think about what we need to do to help children grow, perhaps we need to look at what scripture says about Jesus' growth.  Here it talks about Jesus' growing in four areas: mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.  A thorough education should have all four elements involved.  To only emphasize three of the four makes a wobbly three legged stool.  Just as a three wheeled vehicle is not as stable and stead as a four wheeled vehicle, so we need all four.
When we grow in all four of these areas, we are growing in the areas that God has given us all.  
When we think about how we want our children to grow this applies.  But it also applies to adults.  All should seek to grow in all four areas.  When I think about how I want to grow at the beginning of each new year, I think of these four areas.  

Prayer: Lord, May I grow in every way.  May I be pleasing to you as a growing, fruitful vine.  May my life bear fruit as I seek to reproduce my growth in others.  

3/6- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children Grow in Faith- Deuteronomy 6:6-9

3/6- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children Grow in Faith- Deuteronomy 6:6-9

⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And He laid His hands on them... (Mt. 19:14)

Thoughts: God is concerned that the next generation not simply learn how to hold a job,play a game or learn, but how to have meaning, strength, and hope for eternity.  There is so much more than the shallow things of life.  So children are to be taught the things of God.  The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it."  The way is ultimately the way of God.  The commandments and teachings of God are not secondary things in life- second to sports and math- but primary- for our souls live on when our bodies and minds fail us.
    In the Old Testament community- it took a village to raise a child.  Everyone played a role.  So today we are all called to care about children.  We are not to forbid them, but instead are encouraged to teach children the things that last. 

Prayer: Soften my heart, O Lord, to care for children.  Give me a vision to play a role to teach the next generation the important things that last. 

Jesus teaching children

3/5- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children Learn- Isaiah 28: 9,10

3/5- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children Learn- Isaiah 28: 9,10

“Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
¹⁰ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.” (Isaiah 28:8-10)

Thoughts: In this passage the immoral- but- educated leaders are making fun of both 1) their need to be taught by God, and 2) the way children are taught.  In reality, we must humble ourselves as little children to learn anything.   If we think we know-it-all, we will not learn.
    But for our purposes, this passage emphasizes that young children (just weaned) should be taught, and taught with patience and repetition.  In scripture education of young children began as soon as possible, and had deep influence on that person the rest of their lives.
     We live in a day in which most families have both parents working, and the government does not provide adequate or safe daycare/preschools.  President Obama addressed the need for universal preschool in his inaugural speech.  But a government that is $17 trillion in debt will have a hard time beginning another multi-billion program when it cannot maintain the current educational obligations it has.  Yet Obama made a point when he said, "Study after study shows that the earlier a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road,”  If the need is great and government cannot do it, perhaps the churches can help fill the gap.  In South Carolina, my state, the state government also has said that we would like to have a universal four year old program, but it cannot do it financially either.  On the mission field, churches often fill the gap for schools when the government is not able to meet the obligations it wishes to meet.
      Christians should declare God's glory by reaching out to little children with the good news of Christ- teaching them Bible stories and sharing faith with kids who may not get it any other way.  I have heard some actually say that we don't need to invest ourselves in children- but wait until they are youth.  But the children grow the youth group, and provide the students.  For our church- 30% of our new members each year for the last ten years come from our preschool program. The scriptures say "Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it."  It is not just talking about parental training, but the role the church has to play- mentally, socially, spiritually.  

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to have a heart for the teaching of the next generation about you   

3/4- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children- Matthew 18:2-5

3/4- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Children- Matthew 18:2-5

² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Mt. 18:2-5)

Today is "March Forth" Day.  It is a day to think about how we can go into all the world and proclaim the gospel.  One important way to do that is by reaching the children for Christ.  Our government is not allowing us to do this publicly, which means that churches and Christian parents are that much more responsible for reaching out to the next generation, and need to step up (and adapt) to the challenge.
    Christian preschools and daycare should not be simply appendages to a Christian ministry, but a vital part of a Christian ministry.  Ministers and elders should be active on the board.  Chapel should be held in the preschool, and Bible stories and songs actively taught.  Churches should not be afraid to invest in the preschool or children's ministry to make it work- for if we lose the next generation, we lose the church.  There is, perhaps, no better investment in the future of the church than in the children of its community.  

    Churches should make every effort to accomplish what Jesus said in verse 5- welcoming the children.  We need to make sure they are welcome in worship- and our worship is child-friendly.  We need to make sure they are invited- thinking creatively about how to invite children to the church.

    But this also means that EVERYONE has a role to play in this.  Jesus said, "WHOEVER welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."  This means older adults need to play a role.  People without children need to play a role.  People with children need to reach out to other people with children- or other friends of their children.  Pray for the children of our land- that this next generation will hear the gospel.  

Prayer: Lord, may a little child lead me.  Help me to welcome you into my life and heart as I welcome little ones to my life and to you.  

3/3- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Lame- Matthew 15:30,31

3/3- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Lame- Matthew 15:30,31

³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. ³¹ The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Thoughts: Isaiah 40:11 says, "He will carry the lambs in his arms."  Jesus helped those who could not carry themselves.  He even healed the man who was carried to him by his four friends.  Never did Jesus cripple anyone.  For those who blame God for crippling, they may want to look more closely at Jesus and how He did the opposite.  God can use lameness and God can heal lameness.   He asks his followers to help the lame too.  So Peter and John said to the lame man, "Silver and gold we do not have- but what we have we give to you- in the name of Jesus- walk!"  When Jesus' followers help the lame- they remind people of God's glory in healing others.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you helped those who could not help themselves.  Thank you for helping me when I could not help myself.  Help me to be compassionate on those who cannot walk, who do not have wheelchairs, or on those who do. 

3/2- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Deaf- Matthew 11:4-5

3/2- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Deaf- Matthew 11:4-5

⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Matthew 11:4-5)

Thoughts: Jesus is the life giver, who helps heal and strengthen the weak. The opening of the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf are symbols of God's opening us to the invisible side of life.  We sing, "I once was blind but now I see."  We could just as easily say, "I once was deaf but now I hear."  We hear God's voice and believe it.  Before we heard God's voice, but did nor respond to it.  The Bible may seem like non-sense to those whose ears have not been opened.  But to those who have been quickened to God- the words are precious and life-affirming.  Before we could not hear God.  Now that we believe we can hear His voice directing our path and assuring our purpose. 

Prayer: Open my ears that I may hear gladly your warm truth everywhere. Help me hear your voice, and then declare your glory to the world around me.