Levi Robert Broyles was born last week. He is our eleventh grandchild and the son of Will and Sarah Broyles. Sarah is our oldest daughter. We are expecting grandchild number twelve in August – Rebekah Rose Buffington. She will be welcomed by her parents, Taylor and Joannah Buffington. She is our youngest daughter. Our family continues to grow and our hearts continue to fill. The Bible tells us that children are a gift from the Lord and we celebrate every one of them (Psalms 127).
As I write, a group of folks is busy preparing the church building for Vacation Bible School 2021. The fun begins Sunday evening, July 18, at 5:00. The kids and workers will be served a light meal before beginning the kick-off session in the newly remodeled children’s sanctuary. Vacation Bible School is always a great week of Bible learning, songs, games, crafts and fellowship. The purpose of the week is to instill in children an accurate understanding of God through the truth of the Bible. This year’s theme is, “Mystery Island: Tracking Down the One True God.” All children are invited to attend at no cost.
Jesus loves the children. The Scriptures relay the story of the disciples discouraging the children from approaching the Lord. Jesus rebuked them with the words, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children” (Matthew 19:14, NLT). Jesus wants the children to learn all about Him. He longs for them to know Him and trust Him. Christ Jesus died for all children of the world. It is our privilege as God’s people to do all we can to bless our children and intentionally teach them about Jesus and the salvation that is offered through His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. The sooner we teach our kids about Christ, the more likely they are to trust Him as their Savior.
Sadly, the world is also after your children, as well. Every child is a soul and the devil is busy drawing kids away from God. A story last week told of the San Fransisco Gay Men’s Choir which has debuted a song with lyrics that include, “We are coming for your children.” The world is deliberately targeting children to corrupt their minds and pollute their hearts. Through videos, curriculum, music, and games the culture strives to indoctrinate our children to believe that evolution is true, homosexuality is normal, God is not real, and the Bible is not true. If you do not teach your children what is true, the world will be glad to teach them for you!
We are in a war for our kids. If every child is a gift from God, and he or she is, then we must carefully guard each heart from the evil of this world and intentionally train each child to know and serve Jesus Christ.