Tuesday, September 20, 2016

The Sunday School Answer

I grew up going to Sunday School.  Little wooden chairs parked at little wooden tables.  The room smelled of spilled apple juice, animal crackers, and play dough.  Week after week I was told stories about Jesus.  By the time I was out of the "little table and chairs" room I could tell you those stories by heart.  And yet they had not penetrated, the Jesus of the stories had not yet captured my heart.  By the time I went to high school I was a hit or miss church going teenager and delighted more in what the world could offer me than what Jesus could offer me.  Sunday School became unfashionable and even when I did go it was more about the entertainment factor.  I remember the teacher asking questions and someone giggling and saying, "Jesus" with an attitude of surely they had a 50% chance of getting it right with giving the answer of Jesus! 

From where I sit now, (in a big chair) Jesus IS the answer and I'm grateful for the room of little tables and little chairs. Through the years He has shown me that whatever I'm facing He is with me and He really is my answer. I don't apologize for those that think it is too "churchy" or not "relevant" enough.   I have experienced more darkness, emptiness, and chaos in my late forties and early fifties than I have in any other time of life.  I need to know Him as He reveals Himself to us in scripture and I believe those around me do as well.

We are walking through Genesis at our church.  How amazing it is to see God reveal Himself even in creation.  I'm doing a study also in combination to what we are teaching through,  The Promised One by Nancy Guthrie.  Thought I would share some of the thoughts that I have been pondering the last couple of weeks.  Because we all need to know that Jesus is our answer.

In the beginning God....  God in three persons.  God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.  All present and all active!  

At creation:  illuminated the darkness, brought order to the chaos, filled the emptiness, revealed the image of God, and established a rest.

Jesus as He walked on the earth:  
Declared He was the Light of the World, John 8:12
He ordered chaos, Mark 4:39
He filled things John 2:1-12, John 6:1-14, Luke 5:1-11, John 4:7-43 (Jesus is about filling emptiness!)
He revealed God, John3:7-8, John 1:18, Hebrews 1:3
He offered an invitation to rest Matthew 11:28

"The Spirit must hover over the void in our lives just as he hovered over the dark waters at creation.  The Word must go out, shining the light of the gospel of Christ into the darkness of our lives so that we can see his true beauty and worth. And when that Spirit breathes new life into our very being and when that Word convinces us of who he is and what he accomplished for us on the cross, we receive the Living Word.  And we are made new" N. Guthrie

For those of us who are His, He desires to be active in our lives in these same ways as He revealed Himself.  First and foremost in bringing His salvation to our lives!  But then as we walk this life out with Him.  

Do you need His Light to dispel darkness in your life?
Do you need Him to bring order to the chaos in your life or in the world around you?
Do you have emptiness that you need Him to fill?
Do you need Him to reveal Himself to you?
Do you need rest?

Ask!  He delights in answering!!

Always desiring to spur you on to love and good deeds.
Always learning....
Much love,
Kim