Back to School

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3

We have many children and teachers headed back to school at some point this month. It doesn’t matter their age or grade; all will face trials and temptations. There are many things that the Bible tells us we should teach our children:

· Salvation- their own relationship with Christ (John 3:16)

· Trust the Lord with all their heart (Proverbs 3:5-6)

· Pray for wisdom (James 1:5)

· Walk in the ways of the Lord (Isaiah 30:21)

· Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9)

· Seek God’s Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33)

· Don’t Worry- Pray (Philippians 4:6)

· Be Kind and Forgive (Ephesians 4:32)

This list could go on for a very long time. My point is children are a gift and we have a responsibility to teach them and raise them up in the knowledge of the Lord.

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

The Hebrew word for “train” means to “dedicate”. Parents must “dedicate” their lives to this training, seeking God’s will and separating the children from the world and all of its evil influence. Children must “dedicate” their lives to serving Christ. It is not our responsibility to sit idly by and watch or judge as the parents and children try to find their way. Join me this year, come alongside the children and parents of our church family. “Dedicate” yourself to prayer. They all certainly need it. We must encourage children to seek God for themselves and have their own spiritual experience that will stay in their hearts forever. This can be cultivated by the church family setting a good example, in and out of church. We are all faced with living in an evil society and when we are unfaithful and let sin influence our lives, temptation will creep in and steal our children, our families and our homes. Stand against it. Pray against it and find time to lift our children and their parents up in prayer.

Pastor Julia Scott