We
are a couple days, really only a few hours away from one of my favorite times
of the year. It is our outreach event
known as back2school, and this year
we will serve almost 2,000 students.
This
is the seventh year of the event, and once again I mention my friend Bill
Barker of Appalachian Regional Ministry as the one who helped us begin to think
big about serving students in need. What
a great honor it is to help students and to tell them about real hope.
That
is what these students and their families will hear about this weekend as they
go to any of the 5 churches that are part of this year’s event. They will learn about hope in Jesus and learn
that their future is laced with success as they look to God. I pray that many lives will be changed
beginning now and in to the future.
Therefore,
I pass on to you some of the thoughts that are going through my head as I
write. They are verses from the Bible,
and they really are promises that run hand-in-action with our action. I challenge you to pray these verses and live
them out as you serve with us or in other places. These are simply a few reminders…
Joshua 4:6 NLT
We
will use these stones to build a
memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these
stones mean?’
The
stones were placed so the children could ask and then hear what God has
done. The more we tell kids what God has
done, the more they will expect miracles of our God again.
Matthew 19:14 NLT
But Jesus
said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those
who are like these children.”
When we share the love of God and talk about God, we open
doors for people to walk through into real life, eternal life.
Luke 17:2 NLT
It would be
better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to
cause one of these little ones to fall into sin.
Doing nothing isn’t possible any longer. It is time to build up those around us. Do something.
Start now. It is never too late.
Teach them to
your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when
you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
Need something to talk about?
Try faith. God will use what you
share to build you and to build those you listen to. Be careful… when we are intentional, God
works in wonderful ways. When we are not
intentional with talking about God, we miss opportunities to tell the kids and
others who God is.
Psalm 34:11 NLT
Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will
teach you to fear the Lord.
Fear is a good word, but in our day it seems awful. That is not true. To fear God is to respect and worship
Him. By serving students we are teaching
them to honor and worship God.
Matthew 5:16 NLT
In the same
way, let your good deeds shine
out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
May your light and mine shine as bright as possible for
people to see Him. There are a few
reminders!
Pray:
Please join me and hundreds
of others as we pray for the back2school outreach
that is 2 days away! Volunteer training
is tonight at The Community Fellowship at 7pm.
To give click this LINK and
select “back2school”. It takes all of us
to get it done, and what a blessing this work is.
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