Skip to main content

Welcome Children

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to Him, and placed the child among them. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." - Matthew 18:1‭-‬5 NIV

This past Sunday was simply life-giving at Westside Christian Church. The energy and excitement were palatable. My daughter couldn't wait to get to church. She was excited to worship with her friends and have fun together afterwards.  

With the VBS takeover, the church was packed! Sure there were a few seats open, but there was a line of people standing in the back. It is safe to say it was "standing room only". Fitting with the story of Zacchaeus that Pastor Russ shared.  

Jesus says that we are to "change and become like children." I wonder if He had VBS Sunday in mind when He shared that statement. I think one of the takeaways is a push for each of us to embody the same excitement, jubilation, and anticipation as these children when we come together to worship. 

I am grateful to be a part of a church that surrenders the entire Sunday operation to the children. We honor them by letting them lead us. We honor God when we welcome them. Jesus says that we actually welcome Him when we welcome children.  

The energy and excitement of the children was actually the presence of our Lord. God was present on Sunday. Jesus joined us because we invited His kids to lead us.

Be blessed and be a blessing
Matt


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Anchor House Week 31 - NAMMA

The first week of August, I had the chance to attend the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) Conference. NAMMA is an ecumenical, Christian association of individuals and affiliated organizations involved in maritime ministry throughout North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. I had the privilege of attending the conference with our summer intern, Gabe. For both of us it was the first time we had the chance to be a part of the conference. I enjoyed getting to meet so many individuals who serve the Lord across the globe. Each of us serves at different ports and in unique ways. The exchange of ideas was both enjoyable and informative, especially for me as the new guy. Each of the people I met had a heart for the seafarer and the challenges they face. Their hearts poured out to show the love of Jesus to the men and women aboard the vessels that visit their respective ports.   One of the highlights of the trip was me...

Bold Like Stephen

I've always admired people who aren't afraid to be bold in their convictions.  It is the kind of boldness that allows them to stand out in the crowd. There is just something different about how these people view and engage the world around them.  The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” portrays a man that exemplifies what I mean by bold.  He was drafted to serve in World War II but refused to bear arms because of religious reasons. Yet, he still managed to receive the Congressional Medal of honor. Without a weapon in his hand, he saved 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. Despite his objection to violence, he still served his country. Despite his objection to war he found a way to love his neighbor. He was bold.  When I think of bold in the Bible, I think of Stephen. Acts 6:8 says, "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." Stephen faced opposition to his teachings. Those that opposed his teachings couldn't ...

On Mission

 Have you ever done something for many, many years? When you've done things for a long time, you create habits and ways of doing things. Your body learns to run on autopilot. You may have experienced it before. Have you ever driven somewhere that you go to frequently and not been sure about the journey there? Something else was on your mind and muscle memory just took over. Voila! You were at your destination. Doing things over and over again makes an indentation on us that lasts a while.  For the past 16 ½ years I have driven 5-7 days per week to the college for work. Monday, I will take another path to work. God has called me to serve His people in His ministry. Rather than traveling south to the college, I'll head north to the Port of Manatee for my first day as Executive Director/Chaplain at Anchor House Mission. I first learned of the mission at our church as it was highlighted as a mission we support regularly. At that time, I had no idea that God was t...