MAKING LEADERS OF TOMORROW

 
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:13-14)

Each Wednesday when we leave our church I realize we have made one more mark on the lives of the leaders of tomorrow. We have a world quickly slipping away from truth, morals and the values we once taught. It is up to us to help change that flow. If not you, may I ask who is going to do it for the children of Kermit Texas? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?

 

The harvest is plenty and the Lord has called each of us to be his witnesses. He isn't asking us to pack our bags and go to China, Iran, or Indonesia. He only ask that we go a few blocks from our homes and give a few hours each week to the lives of people willing to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. These are not people standing on the street corner, alcoholics or drug addicts pushing you away when you start teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.They are children that have hungry souls, willing to come and hear about Jesus Christ.

One person making a difference in their lives is a man that doesn't get paid but shows up every Wednesday one hour early, opens the playground area to them, builds them equipment to play on, hands out this own money as prizes for the games being played. There are over one hundred children that attend and I promise you they may not know my name or the piano players name but they know James' name. If he is ever late the children come running up to me and ask where he is. They know this man loves them and wants them to learn about the Lord.

These children will remember meeting as a group and doing songs in sign language and singing, "Love Lifted Me" while rising up on their tippy toes each time the word, "lifted" is sang. They will remember the classrooms were stuffed with children to the brim. They also will remember the faces of the people who loved them. When they are older and attend a church that doesn't have a ministry like this church offers, they will understand the value and the time that was sacrificed for them. There will be stories that are told twenty years from now about this church and how they remember getting meals, playground equipment and the gospel given to them without expecting anything in return. We are not just changing their lives today; we are changing their lives forever.

Each adult willingly giving their time to these children know it isn't easy. I know for myself it takes sacrifice many times but I never leave a Wednesday night service in a bad mood. Each Wednesday I leave my church I feel like a cup of soda pop just bubbling with praise and worship and running over the top at getting to be a part of such a wonderful ministry to children. If you attend and leave defeated, it's because you have your eyes on yourself and not what God is doing one step at a time in the lives of these children. He is changing their lives! It may be a slow process but he hasn't given up and until he does, we shouldn't either.  The process of our own lives is extremely slow so we must be patient with the children and keep on keeping on.

What a beautiful time we have watching some of the children come in and be so rowdy, disrespectful and not know the slightest thing about the word of God and then watch them slowly change.  Today we can look at the children that started attending two years ago and they are changed. They know where to find scriptures in the word of God, they are respectful and it is apparent they are learning about the life changing person, Jesus Christ. If we are not willing to continue to carry the light for these children they aren't going to be given to opportunity to change. The Lord has equipped our church with the very essentials needed to carry the truth to our community. We have prayed for many things over the last few years and he has answered those prayers.

Don't be like the soda pop that sat on a shelf and lost its fizz, instead be like the soda pop that has a mentos dropped down inside of it. We need people that will burst forth with excitement and filled with the joy of the Lord to help us share this gospel with our community. Will you be the one?