We Love Kids

Or at very least we try to. Unfortunately we often miss the mark on bringing up the next generation. We tend to either make children the center of our universe which is idolatry or we neglect our God given responsibilities to them because of our selfishness. The Bible is clear that we are to love and care for young people and also to train and mentor them. What a joy it is to be able to set the young up to be better off than we are. Join us in the month of May while we look at our responsibilities as individuals, families, the church and the community to LOVE THE KIDS!!!

PRAY!

Jesus Loves Kids

Matthew 18:5-6 – 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 6“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

We are His Kids

Romans 8:15-17 – 15The Spirityou received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.And by him we cry,“Abba,Father.”16The Spirit himself testifies with our spiritthat we are God’s children.17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferingsin order that we may also share in his glory.

We Love Kids

Not Idol

Matthew 10:37-39 – 37“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

  • Abraham & Isaac
  • The Promise
  • Genesis 15:4-6 – 4Then the word of theLordcame to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”5He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspringbe.”6Abram believed theLord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
  • The Kid
  • Genesis 21:1-7 – Now theLordwas gracious to Sarahas he had said, and theLorddid for Sarah what he had promised.2Sarah became pregnant and bore a sonto Abraham in his old age,at the very time God had promised him.3Abraham gave the name Isaac[a]to the son Sarah bore him.4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,as God commanded him.5Abraham was a hundred years oldwhen his son Isaac was born to him.

6Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”7And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

  • The Test

Genesis 22:1-19 – Some time later God testedAbraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,”he replied.

2Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.Sacrifice him there as a burnt offeringon a mountain I will show you.”

3Early the next morningAbraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.5He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac,and he himself carried the fire and the knife.As the two of them went on together,7Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lambfor the burnt offering?”

8Abraham answered, “God himself will providethe lambfor the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9When they reached the place God had told him about,Abraham built an altarthere and arranged the woodon it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar,on top of the wood.10Then he reached out his hand and took the knifeto slay his son.11But the angel of theLordcalled out to him from heaven,“Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,”he replied.

12“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ramcaught by its horns.He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.14So Abraham calledthat place TheLordWill Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of theLordit will be provided.”

15The angel of theLordcalled to Abraham from heavena second time16and said, “I swear by myself,declares theLord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,17I will surely bless youand make your descendantsas numerous as the stars in the skyand as the sand on the seashore.Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,18and through your offspringall nations on earth will be blessed,because you have obeyed me.”

19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

  • God does not idolize us. God is God centered.

Not Idle

Mark 10:13-16 – 3People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them,“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.15Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”16And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

  • God is not idle with us

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the goodof those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose.

  • Jesus is with us
  • Matthew 28:18-20 – 18Then Jesus came to them and said,“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20and teachingthem to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
  • Holy Spirit moves now
  • Romans 8:9-11 - 9You, however, are not in the realm of the fleshbut are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,they do not belong to Christ.10But if Christ is in you,then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives lifebecause of righteousness.11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the deadis living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodiesbecause ofhis Spirit who lives in you.
  • The Word is alive and active
  • Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of Godis aliveand active.Sharper than any double-edged sword,it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We will actively and accurately work to bring up a generation of Jesus followers.