Responsibility

So when you were growing up did your parents ever find you doing something you shouldn’t be doing and ask​,​ “What in the world are you doing?”

I want us to think for a minute about that phrase that we so often remember being used in a negative context and try to flip it around.  Let’s try to catch kids doing something right.  Let’s find kids doing something great and good and ask​, “What in the world are you doing?” --simply ​t​o​ emphasize the fact that we need to be thinking of how we can do something good.  There are a lot of different ways we can​ ​ask this question.  We can put emphasis on different words to give it a different meaning.  For example we could say​,​ “What in the WORLD are you doing?”  That way we would be emphasizing that in this great big world ​and ​there are lots of different things we could be doing.  Or we could say, “What in the world are YOU doing?” We could make it personal.  Actually this month we want to do that we want to get kids to recognize they have a personal responsibility.  Or we could ask, “What in the world are you DOING?​, ​" stressing that ​there is an action involved in this​ responsibility.

The definition we use for responsibility is, showing you can be trusted with what is expected of you.  And we want kids over time to realize they have an opportunity to demonstrate who God is to the world around them by the way they respond to that world.  Think about the word responsibility.  We want our children not only to understand how they should respond to the ability God has given them but also how important it is to respond to God’s ability to work through them to change the world around them.  Thus, your​​​ job this month as a parent is to help​ your children explore some principles about responsibility and then catch them doing it right.  Then​, when you catch them doing what they are supposed to be doing,​ ask them,​ “What in the word are you doing?”

Luke 16:10 reminds us, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”  It is our goal that we would find opportunities to live out the gifts and graces that we have been given to show God’s love to the world. That people would see God as they watch us live responsibly.

For the entire month we are going to be asking the question, “What in the world are you doing?”  So I ask you,​ “What in the world are YOU doing?”  It’s the idea of responsibility.  Not only responding the ability that God has given me but to respond to the ability that God has to work through me to make a difference in the world around me.

Endurance

There is a man in history that many of you may be aware of​ his name was Thomas Edison. You probably remember him for one of his most famous inventions, the light bulb. But did you know Edison examined over 10,000 different substances looking for the filament for the bulb​? ​He went through over 2,000 bulbs until he had his breakthrough moment. During his research Edison was interviewed by a reporter, the reporter asked Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up by now. Perplexed, Edison replied, "Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp." And shortly after that, with over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb. That couldn’t have been easy, dealing with disappointment, starting from square one time and time again​,​ not knowing if this was going to be the one that worked. I am sure​ ​​Edison​ ​ ​must have felt disappointment along the way​; however,​ ​he stuck with ​ ​​his efforts​​ ​because he knew how important it was to reach his goal of helping people see in the dark. Sticking with ​his goal​ changed our lives forever.

In the same way,​ ​without endurance there are some things we might never see completed. Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).​​ ​Despite what some people will tell you,​ Jesus never assured us that life would be easy​.​​ ​​I​in fact​,​ ​ ​he said the exact opposite. But​,​ as Jesus lived without sin and defeated death through his resurrection he proved to us that he could overcome the world. Now our belief in his strength and power help us to endure even in ​difficult times. As leaders and parents we need to help raise up a generation that understands​​ ​what it means to keep doing what is right​. It's called endurance. We say endurance is sticking with what you started even when it gets tough. We know parts of life are going to be hard yet​,​ in spite of hard times,​ ​ we can have hope and never give up. Through endurance we learn to trust God’s promises so we can experience the joy of completing what we began.

Being a part of God’s one big story isn’t always easy. We will face tough situations in big ways and in small ways, but it is always worth it to show endurance and stick with what you have started. This is something God gives us both the power and the strength to do. I believe that something happens in my heart, something happens in your heart, something happens in the heart of a child​, when we all understand it is the very nature of God to finish the work he started. This is why we teach children endurance. We know it really is worth it to stick with it and finish strong because that is how God does it. Kids need to grow up understanding first that God never gives up on them and second, that the God who never gives up gives them the power to never give up, even when it’s tough.

Forgiveness

I recently heard a story about a little boy named Grant.  When Grant showed up for the first day of school he showed up with a bucket of “stuff.”  Throughout the day he held on it because everything in the bucket was very important to him.  As Grant went throughout his day he would walk from place to place and he would find more stuff to add to his bucket.  This was his bucket and he wanted to put things it in that were important to him.  As the day went on it got to the point that Grant needed a bigger bucket because he kept adding more stuff and he wanted to make sure he had everything with him wherever he went.  And everywhere he went, Grant held on to his bucket.  However the problem was Grant could not participate in the normal activities with the rest of his class because he was holding on to his bucket.  He couldn’t have relationships with the other kids because he was holding on to his bucket.  The teachers realized in order to get Grant to participate in activities with the rest of his class they were going to have to get Grant to let go of his bucket.  Here is what they did.  A teacher would wait for Grant to show up at the door and she would say, “Good morning Grant, why don’t you let me hold on to your bucket while someone gives you a hug.” Or “Here Grant let me hold on to your bucket while you play with this toy.”  Gradually over time Grant began to let go of his bucket more and more until the day came when he showed up to school without the bucket.  That was the turning point in Grant’s life, when he let go of the bucket.  Grant’s teacher said his personality changed and he began to interact with other students in a way he never had before.

The principle is simple; until Grant was able to let go of the thing he had been holding on to he wasn’t able to move to the next level in his life.

In some ways we adults are more like Grant than we would like to admit.  Isn’t it true that we all have our own personal buckets?  We walk around holding on to stuff we don’t want to let go of.  And somewhere along the way we accumulate all these things we think are important to us.  And we don’t just gather things, we gather thoughts and feelings especially in the areas of pain, hurt, and disappointment.

We begin to collect all these things we are holding on to emotionally and we don’t want to let them go.  Every time we get hurt we add to our bucket, and sometimes when we get hurt we add a new bucket that represents this new hurt.  We start storing up grievances towards specific people who have hurt us.  It seems that sometimes we end up holding on to a lot of stuff we don’t want to let go of.   Why do we do that?  I think sometimes we think we might need it.  It gives us a sense of ownership because one day we might need to hold it over somebody else or against somebody else.  As long as we hold on to those things we feel safe, we feel protected, we feel more in control.  Freedom never comes until we let go of the bucket.  Just like Grant, a turning point happens in our life when we learn how to let go.

This month in children’s worship we are learning about forgiveness. We define forgiveness as, deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn’t have to pay.  In other words, forgiveness is letting go of the buckets and learning to walk away.  Forgiveness happens when we decide we are going to stop adding to the bucket we are carrying; when we decide we are going to stop gathering ammunition for another day.  We must decide that we are going to drop the things we have been holding on to and walk away.  It is like our memory verse says in Colossians 3:13: “Forgive the things you are holding against one another.  Forgive just as the Lord forgave you.”  The most compelling reason we have to forgive others is because we have been forgiven ourselves.

This month let's spend some time thinking about the kinds of buckets we all carry around with us all the time.  It is our hope that this month our kids will learn:
1.     There is nothing they could ever do that God can’t forgive.

2.     Because God has forgiven us we have the power to forgive others.

3.     The sooner we cooperate with God’s plan of forgiveness the sooner we will begin to become the people God has created us to be.

Is it easy to just drop the bucket and forgive?  No, not always.  Is forgiveness a part of God’s plan for our lives? Yes.  The reality is sometimes the hurts are real but the God who forgives is also the God who helps us forgive.

See you Sunday,
Pastor Ed

Knowledge

Research seems to indicate that something significant happens to children around 4 years of age.  They start to ask the question why.  It's like suddenly a switch is flipped and they begin to string together an endless barrage of questions as they seek to understand the world around them.  Watch a 3 or 4 year old for very long and you will be convinced that everyone is wired with a natural curiosity to know what we don't know...to go where we have not been and to boldly go where no man has gone before (yeah, I have watched a few episodes of Star Trek.)  For most of humanity, the quest to answer the questions of why seem to fuel our understanding of how we fit in.

Whenever I watch an elementary child intrigued with finding out something they don't know, it is another piece of the evidence that proves to me that God is real.  It seems interesting to me that we are wired in a unique way different than all other species to pursue finding the answers to life's great secrets.  The very fact that we pursue knowing what we don't know makes me know God is real.  He wants us to pursue him.  He wants us to discover his love for us.

The most important thing you can do for young children is to invite them into this story about a really big God who will always be bigger than they could ever explain or imagine.  A God who wants them to spend a lifetime discovering who he is and how he loves them.  We must always remember that there will always be an element of mystery in finding out who God is.  So we need to be careful we aren’t too quick to turn the “whys” and “hows” of God into a pat answer or to define God so narrowly that

His mystery is taken away.  If you try to explain everything there is to explain about God then your kids will grow up with a god that is no bigger than your explanations.  If you could understand everything there is to understand about God then you end up with a god that is no bigger than your understanding.  So don't make God small by taking the mystery away.  The danger of that approach is that it will ultimately lead to boredom and disinterest in something that is eternal and timeless.  

Be sure to leave plenty of room for them to understand new things about God for the rest of their life.  That's why our definition for knowledge this month is Discovering something new, so you can be better at whatever you do.  Simply put, If God is real, if God made you, if God made all things, then discovering something new about God every day, every week or every month will be the best way to master the tasks that make up our lives.

Scripture wasn't written to help you simply know more.  Rather, it was primarily written to help you know God. And you will know God more then you will keep reading, keep discovering, and keep putting what you know into action.  That is why Scripture is so critical and that's why Paul declares this to Timothy, 

God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right.  -  2 Timothy 3:16

Make sure you invite your kids this month into a bigger story, one that has a lot of mystery and a lot of intrigue.  Invite them to a story that will inspire them to keep discovering the secrets of life, the world and, mostly, God.  

There is something about a world that is bigger that your imagination that compels you to keep imagining! So invite them into a lifetime relationship with the creator of all things.  Help them to know what really matters by helping them know who God is. 

See you Sunday,

Pastor Ed 

Traditions

Sometimes traditions are those events, rituals and procedures that we partake in without giving them a second thought--our parents always did it, their parents did it, and so on.  The tradition began so long ago that no one really knows how, when or why it originated but there it is, it has become a tradition, a set part of how we are and of what we do.  Traditions bind us together and help create memories. They are the “good ole days” that we look back to fondly. Traditions provide feelings of nostalgia, molding everyday experiences into something to tell your grandkids about.

There is no reason that we can’t begin a new tradition with our own family.  This year I am challenging you to begin a tradition.  No worries, it's an easy one to incorporate.  This year, on Christmas Eve or Christmas

Day, before all those presents are parceled out and unwrapped, gather your family together and read the story of Jesus’ birth.  I suggest Luke 2:1-20. This account of Jesus’ birth helps remind us all why we put up a tree and give gifts to one another.  Help your kids remember that this season is not about a jolly ole fat man who lives at the North Pole and give kids presents, but it is about God sending his son to earth to be with us.

Merry Christmas!

Creating a memorable experience.

Connecting people to something isn’t easy but when genuine connections happen they can create amazing results. 

If you haven’t seen this video here it is. 

As I watched the video I began to wonder if any of these people would consider any other airline next time they travel.  I don’t think so because they have had an experience that changed their lives.  They have connected to WestJet Airlines in such a way that their experience with them was something they will never forget.  In light of this what can each of us do to help connect people to others and to God here at Community of Hope.

Honor

No matter what time of year it is, some sport is having a championship game.  The best teams come out for one last game to see who really is number one.  We select players for all star teams and hand out most valuable player awards.  We choose the best athletes and put them on an elite team.  We honor them because of how many runs or points they score, how high they jump or how fast they are.  In short, we reward them for what they do.  Chances are if you have kids in sports or competitions of any kind you have a growing collection of ribbons, medals, sashes, certificates, trophies, and plaques around the house.  Some hang on walls or sit propped up on shelves somewhere, others get stuffed into a drawer or… eventually thrown out.  They were so important when they were first received and brought home but somewhere along they way they lost their value.  Don’t get me wrong I am not suggesting it is wrong to honor someone for what they have accomplished, it is actually an important part of celebrating what happens in life.  The truth is trophies only mean so much because honor has a deeper meaning.  Honor is letting someone know you see how valuable they really are.  People should not only be honored for what they do, they should primarily be honored because of who they are.  Your stuff will lose value over time but people do not.  At it’s core, honor is seeing people the way God sees people.While we may be naturally wired to put ourselves first, honor is the exact opposite of self-centeredness --honor something that flows from your relationship with God.   People start showing others honor when they understand that the people around them were created by God.  In a sense, one of the best ways we can honor God is by honoring those who reflect the image of God.  Maybe that is why Romans 12: 10 says, “Love each other deeply.  Honor others more than yourselves.”   I think as leaders it is important that we memorize this verse and have our children memorize it as well.  When someone understands the principle of honor it changes the way they treat everyone.  The secret to show honor to others is to understand that it begins by honoring God.  If you want to invite your kids to a better story, invite them into a story where they honor those around them.  They will begin to see people who are overlooked by society with a different kind of value.  They will also see authority figures with a different kind of respect.  They tend to see their peers with a different kind of appreciation.When training his staff a restaurant, the owner used to tell his employees that when someone walks into the restaurant the employees were to imagine they were wearing a sign that read, “Please make me feel like I am worth something.”   He gave his staff a mental picture to make everyone feel valued.  What would happen if we simply took the advice of that restaurant owner?  What if we can teach our children to look at the people around them and really believe that those people have been made by God... to imagine that each person really was wearing an invisible sign that said, “Show me that I am worth something.” Honor notices those who aren’t being noticed.  Honor puts others ahead of yourself.  Honor shows value to others when you keep your word.  Honor is ultimately based on how you view and respect God.  As Christian parents and leaders, we have a great opportunity to raise a group of kids who look around and attach value to other people simply because they are created by God.  See you Sunday,Pastor Ed