Sunday Service

Commanding us not to raise good kids. How to raise faithful disciples something that one possesses because they're an adult no reflection of green forest United Methodist Church, but I can tell you as a Christian man. Only person before eyes are clergy. I've served alongside many adults who were infants in the faith in spite of their tenure of church membership. This children's ministry of Green Forest Service to fold. You may wonder what that what I mean by this statement. So let me explain why the program is intentional about importing the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ into these children and all of that encompasses it also serves and helping the volunteers learn how to be disciples that make disciples and let me tell you one that is important. Because God has no grandchild. God has no brand children. Let me tell you why I say what I mean by that. The face of another whether it is of a parent or grandparent isn't enough every child just like every adult has to make a decision. An individual to follow Christ as Believers, we are commanded to be intentional and imparting the face to the Next Generation it back Psalm 78. I won't read the scriptures to you this morning it teaches that the entire believing Community shares the responsibility for raising up children in the faith. And this is an important that must not be overlooked for studies show that 85% of Christians began their relationship with Jesus before the age of 14. At least. That's what a study done by Barna group showed back in 2014. There's a more current hold that was put out by the Gallup poll that shows that 19 out of 20 Christians. Are saved before the age of 25. After the age of 25 is 1 + 10000. After the age of 35 is 1 in 50,000 after the age of 45 is 1 + 200,000 after the age of 55. It's one and three hundred thousand. And after the age of 75 is 1 and 700000 chances that a person will be saved. In fact Barna group when they did their survey many years ago said profession just pay for people over 70 or 0%

Winfield load you put it this way. If we look at things to statistically it makes sense to spend time evangelizing the young for their prospects of a return for your investment is great. Then we're older folks now, I'll let you know. I am a card-carrying AARP Member. So I'm not throwing those of us who are ARP members under the bus? But they will make a point. Let me do so by telling you a funny story about evangelist d l Moody. It says Moody one time when the preacher Revival a meeting and when he come back he reported to a local church that there have been two and a half conversion and then ask him he says what do you mean to and I have conversion do you mean two adults and one child? He said know exactly the opposite two kids and one adult the kids give their whole life to Jesus Christ the adult only get half his life to Jesus Christ and I can witness. Do you know my friend got me the preacher this church and I didn't get my heart to Jesus. So I was nearly 40 years old. I lost 20 years of my life that give anything if I could have it back. I would love to be able to get my full life for service and impact for the kingdom of God for the fact that I cannot. It drives me as a person hit drives. My purse. It drives my passion that I will make up for the time. I squandered living a sinful lifestyle being disobedient to my God. Those of you who are like me and and those of you who have been obedient all of your life. I believe that we share one thing in common. And that is this that we do not want to see our children or suffer the harshness of Life due to their own poor choices. Amen. I mean don't get me wrong. We all can agree. Nobody's going to get out of this life unscarred, right? But when we take the time to give children the tools needed to help navigate through this thing called life. They will learn they can still embrace the Abundant amazing adequate Grace of Jesus Christ. Not only in the good time, but thanks be to God and those terms also their uncertain and those times of Sorrow. The next politician that wrote a book it takes a village. No doubt, it takes parents. It takes grandparent to take sanse takes Uncle it takes extended family friends and the church to fix the words passion and desires of God up on the hearts and minds of our children. With all the devices and schemes of evil that died for their attention and time and their devotion. None of us and hear me today. What are you a member of this church or not? Whether you're young or old or somewhere in between none of us?

Can become lethargic or apathetic? When it comes to being sure that we are spending the time to instill the Faith of Our God into the next generation of Green Forest community. Let me tell you something friends. If we don't teach our children how to follow Jesus Christ the world to teach them how not to follow Jesus Christ.

Let me close with one passage of scripture that I hope speaks to each of our hearts. Today's found in Deuteronomy chapter 4. Just 2 versus it says but be on guard and watch yourself closely so that you don't forget the things your I saw and so they never leave your mind. As long as you live teach them to do your children and your grandchildren remember that day when you stupid for the Lord your God at Horeb when the Lord said to me gather the people to me, I will declare my word just to them so that they will learn to fear me every day of their lives on the fertile land and teach their children to do. the same These vs. Remind me that we are to do more than simply impart knowledge of scripture into our children are used. We're also supposed to share with them how those scriptures and that how that relationship you have with Jesus Christ has impacted your life.

We're all supposed to turn around and say let me tell you about this time when I made a bad decision, but how God navigate to be out of that. Let me tell you about a time when I was tempted to do this, but the spirit spoke to me in this way and I was able to have strength and resolve to be obedient not to do those things. If you don't take the time Mama's and Daddy's I'm talking to you church folks. I'm talking to you. If you don't take the time to do that and all you do is impart knowledge about the word of the black letters on his white pages that you are doing these kids and Injustice. Because I need to know that faith is not just some something that they grasp ahold of that's a that's a psychological understanding that it is something that is real. It is something that is a lot of something that makes a difference. It is relevant for them and it will guide them not only when there's this age little guy to whenever there's this age

there's a quote saying that the children are great imitators.

I want to encourage this morning Community the give them something great to imitate. Amen.

Wish we have a great the celebration. Here's a good news. My preaching is over, but the celebration is not.

We have got food prepared and its 11 by my watch and I swore we be done by 11 and I have already become a liar, but the hamburgers aren't cold nor the hot dogs and there's all kinds of I don't know what else back there cheese dip chips cakes sweets. So I want to invite you to please stay and continue the celebration with us this morning as we celebrate what God has done in the life of these children that were here and I'll let you know that does this doesn't reflect all the kids have been impacted by face Weaver's we've had a total of 43 kids come through this program, and I don't know how many that practice the other night but not all of them were able to make it either. What is continue let us continue to praise God in this unform or time of worship and yet praise God with these parents that today their child has got a milestone in their life that may it bring strength to them forever and ever and ever. So when the days that are dark and gloomy, they can look back on this day and say I remember when I remember when I went to a celebration of my my part and face Weavers and I opened up my book and not only had somebody prayed over my books, but they wrote the scripture in my book and they wrote me a letter of encouragement in that book telling me to not forget. At the goodness of God has got something right plan. a man so as we stand and sing our I don't know why she said because we stand and sing our last him. If you're here today, and you do not have a home Church would like to make green forest United Methodist Church your home church. I invite you to come and visit with me and let's talk about that if you're here today and you