In my bible reading this morning I read Matthew 13.  There are five different parables that Jesus shares with the crowd and His disciples.  The one I want to point out is His first, the parable of the sower.  I can't tell you how many times I've actually read this passage - but it's been a lot.  And I've heard it spoken about even more!  Most of the time when I get to this parable I just skim over it because I know already what it says and what it means.  But this morning was different.

Before reading this moring I prayed that God would open my eyes to something new, that He would make me aware of how this applies to me today.  And He did!  The one thing that really stood out to me was Jesus' explination of the first seed - the seed that fell along the path.  Jesus says in Matthew 13:19, "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is the seed sown along the path." 

As a minister, but more importantly, as a Christian, my responsibility is share God's Word with everyone.  We are called to plant seeds.  Our goal is to plant seeds in good soil so that they produce a crop a thirty, sixty or a hundred times what was sown.  Ok.  We get that part.  But do we understand our responsibility concerning the first seed?  Jesus says the people who hear the good news about Him and don't understand it are swiftly taken away by Satan and never given a chance to grow roots.  This should never happen!

If we love people enough to share the gospel with them, then we must also love them enough to stay with them until they understand what was read.  It really is a crime if I get up in front of my students, share a message with them and then move onto games or some other activity before what was said has sunk in.  If people leave our congregation and say, "The music was great!" or "I loved the fun and games!" or "The people were really nice!" but don't think twice about the message presented then we have failed. 

The other two seeds in the parable that didn't make it have only themselves to blame.  They crumbled under trying times and gave into wealth.  But the responsibility of the first seed is on our shoulders.  We have the responsibility to share Jesus with the lost AND help them understand it! 

This is something I never really grasped until this morning.  I hope that today, as you go about your routines and activites, as you shine your light in the darkness, that you will remember to be persistent with the gospel until whomever you are talking with understands what is said! 

Hey Gang.  It's been a while since I've blogged.  I'll blame it on "technical difficulties".  Anyway, I'm sitting in my office working on FAM & Reunion lessons while listening to my favorite Christian band - Relient K.  As you know, for FAM we are currently going through a series called "Essential Theology".  Personally, I'm really enjoying this series.  It's stretching me spiritually and hopefully you too.

The one thought I had for today is something we mentioned two weeks ago.  "God needs nothing, but He has everything to offer.  We bring nothing to the table, and are reliant on Him for everything."  

Think about that!  We are utterly hopeless and helpless on our own.  We are like newborn babies without parents.  We can't do a thing but cry and make messes everywhere.  No matter how highly we think of ourselves or how many "things" we acquire - we are nothing alone.  It's only when we partner with God that we become something.  When we sync our lives up with Him, through Jesus, then we become blessed children of the King! 

So, which are you?  Are you the helpless newborn baby or are you the blessed child of the King?  My prayer is that you are the latter.  I can honestly say that it is SWEET being a Christian.  It's not always roses, but God has provided and protected me thus far.  He truly is all we need.  Hope you find encouragment through this today.

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, we are all reminded to express our thanks to others. While the holiday is one that has become a day to gather and share good times with our families, that isn't necessarily how it started. It was a time to reach out and welcome others into our homes and our lives. And to be thankful for the blessings we had received.

So I wanted to share with you many thanks for the blessing I have received here at Concord Christian Church. I am thankful for the number of people who have reached out to others in our community and have served in some of the opportunities with the Takig it to the Strets projects this past year. Many of you have already committed to serve with the Home for Christmas projects as well. I am always thankful for willing servants that give of their time and and talents.

A thank you is also given to our committed and dedicated team members that serve each and every week with our children and students. The impact you are having on the lives of our kids is possibly one of the most important things you could ever do. And I have seen that impact first hand on my own kids. As our ministries grow, even more lives will be changed and more team members will have oppotunities to be a part of it.

Thanks to all of those that help make our Reunion experience happen each week. You guys have really made Wednesday nights a lot of fun and a great learning environment for all ages.

A huge thanks to those of you who head up ministies and meet needs that many may not even realize. Those of you involved in Divorce Care, Survivors, counseling, men's ministries, women's ministries, Meals that Heal, the nursing home ministry, the kitchen team and Bread of Life, and others are leading ministries that exist because of your passion and commitment. You are truly a blessing.

And a last word of thanks to the entire church family. Thanks for your support, involvement and friendship. May God Bless you each and every day.

Steve

This week at reunion we talked about "Passing the Baton" and how God prepared Joshua to become the leader of Israel after Moses. We looked at a few passages of scripture that revealed to us how Moses did his part in preparing for a smooth exchange of leadership. In Exodus 24:13-14 we see how Joshua was groomed by being Moses aide. Deuteronomy 34:9 shows us how he was filled with the spirit of wisdom and in Numbers 27:22-23 Joshua is commissioned as Moses laid his hands on him. God had a plan in how transitions in leadership were to be done smoothly. He wasn't going to drop the baton.

And this isn't the only example....

As Jesus approached the end of his ministry on earth, he prepared those to whom he was going to pass the baton, those who were going to be the leaders in the early church. If we study the gospels, we see how he did this. In Matthew 26:36-44 we see how Jesus chose just a few to be with him in his intimate moments with God. While there were 12 who were his disciples, we see that of those 12 he had a small group of three that he invested even more of himself into. Peter, James and John spent time with Jesus that helped them become strong leaders.

In John 13 we see how Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure by modeling the role of a servant leader. And in John 14:15-17 Jesus lets his disciples know that the Spirit of truth will be with them. He was preparing these men to take the baton.

God has created a master plan for all of us. He has given us his word and provided the model of how we are to be the leaders that he wants all of us to be. Are you preparing yourself to be ready to take the baton as it is being passed to you? Or are you preparing those who are to come after you?

Parents, how are you modeling the type of person you want your kids to become? How are you preparing them to be the future leaders in the church? You can begin by talking to them about what they learned about Joshua this week and how God uses us to accomplish his plans.

Steve

Welcome to the Family Ministry Blog from Concord Christian Church. It is my intent to use this blog to help share inspirational stories, parenting help, marriage tips and other meaningful and fun ideas related to marriage and family. I encourage you to share your advice and comments as well. I want to start this blog off by sharing part of an article that I received from the Parenting with Love and Logic Institute. This comes from the support material that goes along with the course I lead called "Becoming a Love and Logic Parent." I hope you enjoy it.

Steve Petty

Family Minister, Concord Christian Church

Parents...

If you've followed Love and Logic® for any period of time, you know how strongly we believe in holding youngsters accountable for their mistakes and misdeeds. As most of us have learned the hard way, the road to wisdom and responsibility is paved with plenty of small mistakes and their consequences.

As we go about shaping the hearts and minds of our children, it's important to remember that this road is also paved with positives. While it's unrealistic…and not too healthy…to reward our kids every time they do something good, we're wise to remember the value of reinforcing good behavior and good deeds.

The healthiest and most powerful types of reinforcement involve time and attention rather than stuff. Examples include:
Sitting on the floor with your toddler as you allow them to repeatedly destroy your tower of blocks

Noticing something your teen has done well and patting them on the back

Saying to your child, "It looks like you really worked hard on that. I bet you're proud of yourself."

Playing catch

Doing a puzzle together

Etc.
As we provide reinforcement, it's wise to remember the following:
Reinforcement is more powerful when it comes as a surprise to our kids.

Reinforcement loses its power when our youngsters come to expect it.

Rewards should not be given every time our kids do something good.

When our kids beg for or demand rewards, they shouldn't get them.

Avoid saying, "You are so smart." Focus on your child's hard work and perseverance.

Your love should never be used as a reward or a consequence. Your children should have it all of the time.
The most successful parents always remember that it's their job to give their kids the most accurate taste of the real world as possible. This means that we help them understand that much of the time hard work and good deeds provide positive results. It also means helping them understand that we do these good things because they’re the right thing to do…rather than because we expect rewards for doing them.

Hey bloggers!  I wanted to thank all those who came out last night to S.T.E.P.S.  We had a blast!  In case you missed it, here is a quick synopsis of the 412 Student Ministry night:

• There were 84 in attendance
• most of the food was eaten - smores went fast
• Rick Battaglia is still the corn hole champion
• the high schoolers defeated the middle schoolers in football
• a semi-epic game of Ultimate Frisbee was played (it was semi-epic because my team lost!) and
• we had a huge bonfire that did not burn down the woods

I want to give a special thanks to the Marburger family for letting us use their field and food.  It was an awesome night.

I would like to know your thoughts.  Post a comment and let me know what you thought about the night.