June 2018

 

They Notice
By Mike Woolley

Have you ever seen a group of people all looking in one direction and you wondered what they were looking at? I was at the beach one time and I happened to look over toward the water and I saw a group of people all looking in the same direction out in the ocean. Since they were looking I looked. After just a few seconds I saw the unmistakable movement of dolphins gliding up and down in the water.

I stopped for a few minutes so I could enjoy the free Sea World show. A dolphin sighting is like finding a rare treasure. If I was alone on the beach I would have missed them, but I noticed the people who noticed the dolphins so I got to enjoy the treasure.

My life works like that a lot. Yours might too. I’m rarely the first person to read the great book or see the great movie. I notice the people who notice and then I get to enjoy the treasure.

I’ve been thinking about how people come to a relationship with Jesus. I remember hearing a story of a guy who actually started reading a friend’s Bible while serving on a submarine in the Navy. When he got to the story of Hosea he thought, “If only this was true. If only there was a God who would pursue us like this.” By the time he got to the gospel of John he was convinced and gave his life to Jesus. He had literally come to Christ in a submarine by borrowing someone else’s Bible.

More often than not, when I ask someone how they came to know Jesus, the story starts with noticing someone else. They notice the difference in a friend or a co-worker. They get invited to a concert or a church service and they find themselves in the same position I was on the beach. They noticed someone noticing, so they noticed and then they found the treasure.

I guess I just wanted to encourage you to keep noticing Jesus. When you talk about Him when you are at work or out with friends, they notice. When you pull out of your driveway to go to church at the same time your neighbors are heading to the beach or the golf course, they notice. The day may come when they will stop and ask you what it is that has your attention and your heart.
That’s when you can point them to Jesus. The treasure is waiting for them. All they need is someone to help them notice. 
 
 
 
Think About These Things
By Taylor Roche
 
Time is a pretty incredible thing. Rich or poor we all get the same amount of it each day. Each of us are (at least largely speaking) free to do with it what we please. The special thing about time is that it has a unique way of exposing us. Exposing what we really value and what we really care about. I could easily tell you all the things that are important to me in my life, all the things that I value. But what if you saw a graph (scary thought) of exactly how I spent my time today? That would serve as a pretty good indicator of what I really valued in my life. I might say that my kids are the most important thing to me, but if the graph showed that I got home in the evening and crashed in front of the TV all night, you might rightly question how important my kids really are to me.

With that in mind, let me throw out some frightening stats. Adults today spend on average two hours a day on social media, and ten total hours in front of a screen in some capacity. Teenagers it’s even worse, spending on average nine hours a day on social media alone. All totaled up, average adults will spend around five and a half years of their life on social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. That doesn’t count television, and that isn’t a drop in the bucket to how much time your kids will spend in front of a screen in their life time. In contrast, the average adult spends only a little over a year of their lives socializing with friends and family in real life. Now let’s be clear, there’s nothing inherently evil about social media or television. Or the internet. But all too often when we engage in on screen activities, we turn into passive receivers. An open conduit that affects our hearts and our minds in ways we don’t even begin to understand.

So let’s be honest with ourselves, where do we really spend our time? What is constantly being pumped into our brains? Messages from the world? Or messages from God’s Word? Let’s make Philippians 4:8 our goal, filling our mind with praise worthy things. Guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Phil. 4:8

Challenge: Download the app “Moment” and track how much you use your phone and tablet each day. Including which apps you use the most.  
 
 
What I Love About Kids
By Brenda Woolley

I am coming up on my 38th year of teaching Sunday School.  I started volunteering when I was a junior in High school, and never looked back.  I still remember my very first class.  I was scared to death! I still laugh thinking about my first day teaching and not knowing what the heck I was doing.  I just knew I really loved them and knew that Jesus valued them greatly.  They knew that too.  The kids were awesome! They welcomed me with open arms.  I was new, and they all just wanted to get to know me, and show me everything in the classroom, and make me feel at home.  I did. 

What has kept me teaching after all these years?  I wanted to share a few reasons.

Kids have a great capacity to love wholeheartedly.

I don’t think I have ever walked into a classroom where at least one child has not ran up to me and hugged me…or ran up to me to tell me something about what I was wearing…or told me they missed me…I could not walk into my classroom and feel sad.  They always can turn around my day when I have been down.

Kids are honest.

Okay, remember when I said they would tell me they liked what I was wearing?  Well, they also will tell me when I have two different shoes on…or a cold sore…or my shirt is on inside out…(all things that I have been told).  They will tell me their true gut heartaches, and not bat an eye worrying about what I will think.  They will share with me when they are angry, sad, ecstatic, hopeful…they will tell me family secrets I am sure their parents would kill them for!  (Don’t worry, I keep it all in my vault!) I love their unhindered honesty with almost everything.

They are the best gift givers.

Some of my very favorite notes and hand drawn pictures have been given by children I have taught over the years.  I have kept them all and they are my dearest treasures. I have been so encouraged by a few simple heart felt words.  I often think God uses children to do many things adults just don’t take the time to do. 

                                                          

I am nearing the end of being a children’s Director here at CCC.  I am so thankful that though I will not be leading this WONDERFUL ministry, I will never stop teaching the children here at CCC.  I am called to that pure and simple ministry, and I pray that I will be able to do that well into my senior years.  My heart loves their sweet innocent lives.  It has been my life’s greatest privilege to teach them that Jesus truly does love them.  To be able to share with them a story or a principle from the Bible that they are often hearing for the very first time.  My days are well spent when I am doing this.

Maybe God is calling you too…I would encourage and ask you to pray about serving in this special place.


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