CCC Gainesville | Blog
Well today was the second to last day of VBS 2011 Son Surf. Our Big Question of the day was “How can Jesus help me when I mess up?” This is a great partner to yesterday’s Big Question, “Why do I need Jesus?” Yesterday we learned that it is because of His death on the cross, and resurrection from the grave Jesus is the only way to God, to Join Up with Jesus to become a part of God’s family. Today we continued on with that idea and went another step; not only do we need Jesus but he can also help us when we mess up, or sin. When we open up to Jesus about our sins, He forgives us and helps us make a fresh start. It is because of his sacrifice on the cross that we are forgiven and made new. Today’s verse: Daniel 9:9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
Today we also worked on a project for the Arbor House. The Arbor House provides housing for young girls who are homeless and about to give birth or already have a young child. At the Arbor House they are taught different skills to take with them when they are able to leave and provide for themselves.
Take It Home!
To many of us talking with children about sin can be a very sensitive issue, especially for very young children. I personally have struggled with this issue with my daughter. She is so full of joy and love for God that I have not wanted to throw a wrench into her simple, beautiful and joyful understanding. However as parents it is our job to guide our children down their course of faith and understanding in Christ and learning about sin is a part of that course. Talking to children about sin often takes much creativity on our part as parents. Often it takes some further refelction on the part of the parents as to a fuller understanding of what sin is, how to talk about it using other words that are more concrete.
Two things have helped me, one is gaining an understanding of the way things are meant to be (Shalom) and the second way I have found helpful is to use the word, “brokenness”. Kids understand concrete words, and even very young children have an understanding of things being broken, not whole or “right”. In our house we use the word broken to understand our personal sin “brokenness” and to understand the way the world is broken. Its okay to take it slow and learn more about these deep topics as you begin to introduce them to your children.
As we explore our personal need for Jesus we also must gain an understanding for the bigger picture, that all people (not just me), and all of creation is in need the redemptive work of Jesus. That His work on the cross was much bigger than myself, but for all broken things. I was speaking with a friend a few weeks ago and she said that every day she took her kids to school, as they were getting out of the car she would say, “Don’t forget you exist to show God’s love to a broken world.” I love that she helps her children understand that we get to be a part of restoring the brokenness, and God can use each of us to show love in broken places. And that love comes from one source, God.
For further reading on this topic: Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin By Cornelius Plantinga
Some of our youth worked with Christian Concerned for the Community today.
Fooseball champs or chumps?
Exodus contains the history of Israel’s escape from Egypt. It moves from
slavery under Pharaoh to the wanderings of the wilderness, the giving of
God’s law, and the building of his holy tabernacle. The exodus is also the
story of the Christian life. There is a spiritual connection between the salvation
of Israel and salvation in Jesus Christ. After a long bondage to sin, God
has brought us through the deep waters of death. We have been saved by
grace through faith in the greater exodus: the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
That was only the beginning of our spiritual pilgrimage, however. Now
we are traveling through the wilderness, learning many of the same lessons
that Israel learned. We are learning to sing praise to God, just as Israel sang
the Song of Moses by the sea. Like Israel, we are trusting God to provide
bread from Heaven and the water of life. Like Moses, we are lifting our hands
up to God’s throne, waging war against Satan through prayer.
The next spiritual lesson comes in the reunion of Moses and Jethro.
Whereas the end of chapter 17 was about the necessity of prayer, the beginning
of chapter 18 is about the duty of evangelism. We are called to bear
witness to God’s saving power.
–Phil Ryken
