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Where to Find The Fuller Christmas Story

This is the time of year when Christians like to read about the birth of their Savior. The hallmark accounts are found in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2. But Christmas passages are found in several other places in Scripture as well.  

If you’re looking for “new” and “fresh” accounts of the incarnation, here are a few you may want to read this season:

The Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9:1-7 

The Virgin-born Child: Isaiah 7:13-16 

The Root of the Tribe of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-9 

The Birth in Bethlehem: Micah 5:1-4 

The Cosmic Christmas: John 1:1-5 

The Birth of the God-Man: Phil. 2:6-11

The Firstborn of Creation: Col. 1:15-20

These passages remind me that Jesus was so much more than a babe in a manger. He’s...

The Second Person of the Trinity,

The Eternally Pre-existent Son,

The Lord of Creation,

The Firstborn,

The Image of the Invisible God,

The Root of Jesse,

The Branch that Will Bear Fruit,

The Judge Who Strikes the Earth,

Immanuel,

The Word Made Flesh,

God,

The Light that Shines in the Darkness,

The True Light that Gives Light to Every Man,

The One Who Gives Us the Right to Become Children of God,

The Ruler of Israel,

The One Whose Origins are from Ancient Times,

The Shepherd of His Flock,

The Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.  

Reading these fuller Christmas stories moves me to worship and bow before him, which is what the Christmas season is all about. Isn’t it?

Hal is the Founding Pastor of New Song Community Church and author of The Bible Questions, The God Questions, Future History, and Jonah. He wrote The Bible Questions to spark a Bible Reading Revolution in our churches and cities. Check out these books and campaign materials at www.pastormentor.com.

The Virtue of Imitation

It looks like The Bible Questions will be available within two weeks! 

As we begin inviting other churches to join the Bible Reading Revolution, I’ve been thinking about the very first church-wide campaign we did at New Song. It was Rick Warren’s 40 Days of Purpose. Rick recommended I adapt his sermons rather than create my own. Initially, I wasn’t too keen on that idea. Then I thought, “Why not try some of his phrasing and see how it works on my audience?” 

I adapted the first sermon and was surprised how well people responded. Rick's a great preacher, but our styles are different. He rarely uses a long story. He uses lots of humor. And he packs his sermons with pithy statements. I tried some of the pith and discovered I need to practice more pith when I preach! 

Without realizing it, I was walking in Rick Warren’s footwear, if only for a minute. I’m a better communicator because of trying on his sandals. 

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. It’s also a significant way to improve your preaching skills! 

Last week, half a dozen pastors signed on for The Bible Questions Campaign. I’m praying that the sermons will bear fruit for them, but also bear fruit in them as they learn whatever little is gleanable from my New Song style.

I can’t wait for the Bible Reading Revolution to begin!

The Great Commission is Our Commission

The Great Commission was Jesus’ last command to his disciples. Just before his ascension into heaven he said to them: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matthew 28:18-20.

I believe Jesus thought very carefully before he delivered these words.

   What do my disciples need to hear?

   What’s the ONE THING I want them to pass on to every generation of Christ-followers?

   When they hear these words, how will they be received?

Knowing the size of the Commission, Jesus starts by assuring them that he has the authority to issue it. “All authority has been given to me,” he says. – All authority. All authority. That’s a lot of authority!

Once he finishing giving the Commission, he assures them that they will never have to fulfill the Commission on their own. “Rest assured, I will be with you always,” he concludes. – Always. Always!  That’s a long time.

From that day to this, Jesus has been with his followers, guiding them to fulfill his Great Commission. We’ve done a pretty good job so far. Christianity has become the largest movement in the world. It’s invaded every nation, and almost every people group. Just a few are left. 

You want to know what’s frustrating about the Great Commission? 

It’s this: the number of Christians who are not willing to acknowledge that the Great Commission is their Great Commission. – That when Jesus addressed his disciples, he was expecting that every disciple would be a disciple-maker.

“Go,” he said. “Make disciples.” If this is my Commission, then my first question is, “Lord, where should I go?”

His answer is, “Where I have currently sent you.” The word “go,” in this passage is a Greek participle, meaning, “having gone your way.” In other words, wherever you are, make disciples.

So, where are you today?

Who are you near? Who are you in relationship with?

Summertime presents unique opportunities to build new friendships: outdoor block parties, backyard barbecues, trips to the beach. The nights are longer and the weather invites us outdoors.

Who are you near that you could take a first Great Commission step with?

This is how great churches become great. Their members build intentional friendships and step by step, love people to Christ.

According to Jesus, “making disciples” is only the first step for us. Step two is to baptize them. The word, “baptizo” in Greek means “to immerse, or plunge into.” Jesus’ idea of baptism wasn’t a safe sprinkling of water on one’s forehead. It was all the way down and all the way back up again – enabling us to demonstrate with our bodies, “I died, he now lives in me.” It’s a manly statement. It’s a mini-resurrection. 

Paul says it this way, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).

That’s what believer’s baptism demonstrated. You go down into the water like you’re being buried. You come up out of the water like you’ve been raised to new life. 

   Step one of the Great Commission: make a disciple.

   Step two: baptism them.

   Step three: teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. 

Jesus is full of superlatives in this passage, isn’t he? ALL authority. With us ALWAYS. And, teach them EVERYTHING he commanded us. 

There can’t be a taller order.

I’ll never understand the man who thinks that Christian leadership is soft or easy. Not only does Jesus ask for dedication to his cause of making saints out of sinners, all the forces of hell are unleashed to keep us from doing so.

I defy anyone to come up with a more challenging assignment. 

I also defy anyone to come up with a more rewarding one. 

The first night I led someone to Christ, I barely slept. God has used me to usher someone into relationship with him. How incredible is that? Someone Christ died for now has a relationship with him, in part, because of me! I had been used by God for the purpose that was and is most precious to God: his reunion with one of his wayward sons. 

If I could wish only one thing for every believer I know, it’s that they would have a chance at least once in their life to be the person God used to change other’s eternity. 

That’s my wish for you.

The Great Commission was like a military briefing: short, clear, to the point. This is what I’m tasking you with:

   1. Wherever you are, make disciples.

   2. Whenever you do, baptize them.

   3. Whatever you do, teach them to be like Jesus.

And surely he will be with you always: in every prayer, every attempt, and every conversation you have in your efforts to make his last command your first concern.

The Great Commission in the Old Testament

We all have hopes and dreams – even God. 

Peter spelled out God the Father’s hopes when he wrote: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). 

God the Son spelled out his hopes when he said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). 

Long before Jesus issued his last command, a psalm-writer expressed the hope that one day people from every nation would worship God and be blessed by him. You might call Psalm 67 “The Great Commission in the Old Testament.” 

If you want to be encouraged, read Psalm 67!

It starts with the high priestly blessing (which is found in Numbers 6:24) for protection, favor and peace:

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—(Psalm 67:1)

Then, it expresses the writer’s heart for all the peoples of the earth: 
² so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations. 

The chorus is a wish that God would receive what he deserves from all men:

³ May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

My favorite word in this chorus is the little word, “all.” 

My favorite verse in the psalm comes next:
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.

I like this because it reminds me of how good God is (and wants to be) to his people. 

Verse 5 repeats the chorus:
⁵ May the peoples praise you,God;
may all the peoples praise you.

Apparently the psalm-writer really wants this to happen! 

And listen to this: when all the nations of the earth are able and active in praising God (i.e., when the Great Commission has been fulfilled), everyone will have plenty, feel blessed and God will be universally revered:

⁶Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.
⁷ God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him. 

This is a prayer worth praying:

“Lord Jesus,

May the nations be glad and sing for joyfor
you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
Amen!”

We are a Great Commission church. His last command is our first concern. We will do anything short of sin to reach people for Christ.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Jesus IS First

Here in America we emphasize equal rights and fairness. Nobody gets special privileges because of where or to whom they were born. Nobody gets to cut to the front of the line. If you get to pick first today, it’s only fair that I get to pick first tomorrow. It’s a level playing field for everybody, because nobody is better than or more privileged than anyone else. It’s a great system. 

The problem comes when we transfer this way of seeing to the Creator of the universe. We sing, “Jesus is my friend.” – And he is. We celebrate that “Jesus is the servant of all.” – And he is. But he is not our
equal. He is superior in every way. 

John makes that clear with the opening words of his gospel: “…and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus may have been human like we are, but he is divine, like we will never be. 

Colossians 1:18 tries to tell us that Jesus is supreme and superior to us, but I’m not sure we get it. Paul says, “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” What does that mean? 

It means he’s first. He’s privileged. If he were to reach an intersection at the same time we did, or after we did, he has the right of way. If we got to a doorway at the same time, we would not only let him go
first, we would bow down before him, take off our jackets and ask him to walk on them. 

Not very American. Not close to politically correct. But right, and true - because he IS superior to us in every way, and he earned our worship with his merits at the Cross. 

One reason New Song is a Jesus-First church is because Jesus really is first:
He was Mary’s firstborn son (Luke 2:7).
He is the firstborn among all brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29).
He is the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15).
He is the firstborn among the dead (Colossians 1:18).
He is the firstborn from the dead (Revelation 1:5).
He is the first and the last (Revelation 1:17).
He is the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8).
He is the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13).
He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).
Every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow before him (Philippians 2:10). 

If that’s who he is for all eternity, then I think we ought to be treating him that way now. What
do you think? 

I ought to have no problem getting on my knees before him every morning. I ought to instinctively worship him, reverently defer to him, gratefully submit to him, perpetually yield my rights to him, purposefully align my agenda to his, and intentionally live the way he wants me to live. Because Jesus is first! So far above me that I don’t even dare say I’m a distant second. I am his creation, his son, his subject, his servant, his forgiven follower, and for reasons only fathomable in the halls of heaven, the object of his affection. 

Jesus is first because he is first. 

What does that mean to you, and how will that affect the way you live today?

What's In Your Box?

At my class/group last night, I asked everyone to draw an empty box on their notes. Then I had them write the three things in their box that meant the most to them.

If you were to write the three things in your life that mean the most to you, what would you put their?

Family? Money? Some sort of achievement? A certain vacation? A sport, hobby or thrill?

Once they listed their three items, I asked them to eliminate one of them.  “I can’t!” someone said.

Ruthlessly, I asked them to eliminate a second item. Now there was only had one thing in their box.

I didn’t feel bad about this, because really, all of us only have one thing that’s the most important to us in the world anyway. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters.” Boil it all down, and we all can have only one true master, only one thing in our box.

So, what’s in your box?

What’s the most important thing in the world to you?

What’s the thing you would trade everything else for, if you had to?

Jesus once told a parable about a pearl of great price. It’s his shortest parable: He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

What would you sell everything you have in order to attain? What would be worth the investment of your one and only life?

In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul is in prison. Night and day, he’s chained to a guard, under house arrest. Yet the book of Philippians is the most joy-filled book in the Bible.

How can a man in prison be joyful? 

The only way is to have something in his box that can be fulfilled, even from prison.

Paul says the reason he is happy is that the cause of Christ is being advanced by his imprisonment. The palace guards he was chained to were also chained to him. And day after day, shift after shift, he was leading them to Christ. As a result, members of Caesar’s household were coming to Christ. These guards would eventually take their faith to every place occupied by the Roman legions.

Paul’s happiness, and the fulfillment of his life’s purpose, was not hindered in the least by physical confinement. He explains why in Philippians 1:21 - For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

What do you think Paul had in his box? 

I would love to hear Paul preach on the first of our DNA statements: We are a Jesus-First church. We give up things we love for the One we love even more.

Paul gave up his freedom, gladly.

What are you happy about today, because of the work Jesus is doing as a result of you putting him first in your life?

Give It Up For Jesus!

We have a strange custom in our culture. When we welcome a celebrity onto the stage, the announcer shouts, “GIVE IT UP FOR _____________!” (Tim Tebow, Rihanna, Jay Leno or the like.) Then we all bang our hands together, and some of us whistle. It’s a feel good moment, and it doesn’t cost us much.

At some Christian concerts, instead of giving it up for the band, the band leader will yell, “GIVE IT UP FOR JESUS!” And we all do the hand banging and whistling and feel good there too.

Funny thing is, God actually does ask us to give it up for Jesus. But, by “giving it up,” he doesn’t mean generating noise with our hands and mouths. He means: GIVE. IT. UP. - Give him all you have. Give him your life, your hopes, your dreams, your worries. Jesus said it himself, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

Why would anyone in their right mind do that? Why, in an age of comfort and entitlement, would we want to deny ourselves? How would it ever occur to any of us to take up instruments of public execution and carry them to our deaths?

Well, here’s the thing. As Jesus asks us to give it up for him, he explains a deep principle we could never have uncovered without divine revelation. He says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For….” 

And then he explains exactly why: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it^” (Mark 8:35).

Apparently there is something about abundant life that can only be had by complete surrender. Apparently, to have it all, you have to give it all to Jesus.

Around New Song, our aspiration is to be A Jesus-First Church. An essential part of putting Jesus first is giving things up for him. It’s a learning process, but we want to be people who gladly give up things we love for the One we love even more.

Throughout the Bible, seekers are asked to give their lives to Jesus. Sinners are asked to forsake their sin for Jesus. Believers are asked to give their time in service and their tithe in worship of Jesus. Giving seems to be an inescapable facet of experiencing the fullness of God.

We’re not the first to discover this. Noah gave up 100 years of his life to build God an ark. Abraham gave up his hometown in obedience to God’s call. Moses gave up his personal freedoms to lead the Israelites to national freedom.

Hannah gave up her son. Ruth gave up her country. Esther gave up her security. Mary gave up her innocence, and anonymity, and reputation.

Zacchaeus gave half his wealth. The widow gave all of her mite. Joseph of Arimathea gave his tomb. Barnabas gave his field.

The Apostles gave up their careers. Paul gave up his power, prestige and possession in the hierarchy of Judaism.  

I could go on, but you get the point.

Apparently, our giving is serious business. When Cain gave some (not the first) of the fruit of his harvest, God was unimpressed. When the Israelites gave their defective lambs, God called it “robbery.” When Ananias lied about his giving, the Holy Spirit struck him dead.

And apparently, practice of giving is on-going. Not only did Abraham have to give up his hometown, later he had to give up his son Ishmael, then his son Isaac. Before Moses gave up his freedom, he was asked to give the staff in his hand.

Much of this doesn’t make sense. Until we study Jesus. The Bible’s most-quoted verse is about God so loving the world that he gave us Jesus. This Jesus was the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Eternal, Immortal, Omni-everything King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

As God gave, Jesus gave. For thirty-three years he gave up his immortality, omniscience, omnipotence and immutability. Then he gave his dignity, for the scandal of the Cross; and his humility, for the sake of mankind; and his body and his blood, for the remission of our sin.

Jesus gave in full surrender, he gave on an on-going basis, and he gave seriously.

Philippians 2:9-11 says, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Kind of makes you want to give some more, doesn’t it?

That’s why we’re A Jesus-First Church. And that’s why we gladly give the things we love for the One we love even more. 

We have so much to learn, don’t we?

What do you want to learn today about giving, or giving up, to let Jesus be first in your life?

Putting Jesus First

God revealed almost everything he wants from us in the First Commandment: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2-3). When Jesus was asked to summarize the entire Law he said: “Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).

God's will is actually pretty simple: Love God, love people. 

God wants to be loved above all else in your life. He reminds us of this many times in Scripture. In Joshua, he said, “Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped…” (Joshua 24:14). Through Elijah he said, “If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:12). Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters… you cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24).

God’s people have always faced a choice: put God first, or something else.

Since its inception, New Song Church’s mission has always been to help unchurched people become fully devoted followers of Christ. The term “fully devoted” comes from 1 Kings 11:4. “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.”

Solomon had chosen to love his wives, and their gods, more than God himself. Dire consequences followed (1 Kings 12 – the kingdom split). 

Life is filled with flashy objects competing for our attention. Achievements, beauty, adventure, money, sex and power all whisper, “I’ll make you happy!” and, “People will like you if you follow me!” Solomon experimented with all of these and then concluded after his folly, “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2), because nothing ultimately satisfies like following God and his Son, Jesus. 

So, how do you put Jesus first and keep him there? 

Very simple: You make a choice. You choose him over all other options. Then, as the options come, you give them up so they will not compete for first place in your life, like Solomon’s wives did in his.

This is why New Song’s number one DNA statement is, We are a Jesus-First Church. We give up things we love for the One we love even more.

What’s competing for first place in your life today? Open your hands and give it to God in prayer.

A Jesus-First Church

This weekend at New Song we’re beginning a multi-week series called, “It’s in our DNA.”

I visited a couple of churches with great music and anointed teaching during last summer’s writing break. I drove away from both churches thinking, “I liked what I experienced, but would I choose to be part of this church? What do they stand for? Where are they going? What makes them distinct? And how could they communicate their distinctions?” As a result, I’ve worked with our Leadership Board and staff developed a statement of New Song’s distinctives. We call this statement, “Our DNA.”

The first strand of our DNA is We are a Jesus-First Church. We give up things we love for the One we love even more.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,  and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33).

Jesus isn’t just asking us to refrain from pursuing temporary things like food and drink and clothing. He’s asking us to replace those pursuits with God-directed purpose.

Seeking first the kingdom of God means participating with Jesus in advancing his cause, locally and globally. Jesus came to build his church (Matthew 16:18), to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind and release for the oppressed (Luke 4:18). His Matthew 6:33 promise is, “If you will pursue my agenda first, I will take care of all your needs.”

There are two halves to the Matthew 6:33 promise:

(1) If you seek first God’s kingdom...

(2) he will provide all the “things” you need, (like food and drink and clothing).

Jesus is asking you to seek first his kingdom today. The question is “How?” Pray, asking, “Lord, how do you want me to advance your kingdom today?” Trust what he tells you, and see if he doesn’t fulfill the “things” half of the promise too.

4 Reasons My Kids Turned Out So Well

This is the month of Father’s Day and weddings, so every June I get asked, “What did you do to cause your kids to turn out so well?”

At this writing, Bryan is 24 and Amy is 23. By God’s grace, both of them love the Lord more than I do. They’re committed to ministry, and purity, and integrity. They have great people skills. They’re leaders. And people love being around them. How did this happen? Here are my honest answers:

1. Only God knows.

They turned out. He gets the credit. I’m fortunate to be their father.

2. They made great choices.

The truth about child-raising is that every child has free will. Bryan and Amy get the credit for how they turned out. Both of them made great choices and practiced healthy habits. I got to enjoy watching!

3. They have an outstanding mother.

I remember the day we brought Bryan home from the hospital. I thought, “It’s weird that my wife is a mother.” Somehow a miraculous transformation had taken place. The woman I married became a mom.

And what a mom! Because we had had trouble getting pregnant, she never took either child for granted. They were never a burden, in the way, or a problem. To her (and me), they were two of God’s greatest gifts to us. Lori prayed faithfully, read books on child-rearing religiously, and practiced great parenting almost flawlessly. She gets the credit for how they turned out.

4. We did some things suggested, demanded, or hinted at in the Bible.

This is the part where I may have made a small contribution. 

a. We pointed them towards God.

Jesus said that the greatest thing we could do with our lives was to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Lori and I have tried to do that all of our adult lives. We’ve tried to make his priorities our priorities. We’ve tried to make our time his time. We’ve tried to make his cause our cause. We’ve tried to let his character shape our character. It’s a Matthew 6:33 thing: as we’ve sought first his kingdom and his righteous, he’s “added all these things” to us – including great children.

b. We read the Bible personally.

There are a lot of habits that enable you to become a better person: prayer, church attendance, fellowship in a small group, generous giving, exercise, etc. But nothing can substitute for the transforming effects of daily Bible reading (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 119:105; Heb. 4:12; Matt. 4:4; Ps. 19:7). By taking in portions of God’s Word each day, Lori and I have become better people. And the better we get, the better parents we become.

c. We talked at dinner about what God was doing in our lives and what we were learning from him.

There is no substitute for time spent talking around the dinner table. Since Lori and I were never much for having some sort of formal “family devotional” time, we made an intentional effort to ask each other, “What do you see God doing these days?” And “What are you learning about the Lord right now?” Those questions led to a lot of informal dinner-time discipleship.

d. We served at church together.

I once read a survey that said the number one measurable factor in whether your children will grow up to love God and the church is whether or not the members of your family serve together at church on a regular basis. Since we all have different spiritual gifts, the four of all ended up serving in different ministries around the church. But for us, going to church meant serving others and advancing Christ’s cause together.

In a lot of families, the dad sits in sanctuary (or at home) while the mom does the ministry. Kids pick up on this. They learn that ministry is for women, which translates to “God is for women.” Over time, this can created a jaded view in the minds of children. Not good. The family that serves together tends to grow in love with Jesus and his cause together. 

e. We sent them on cross-cultural missions trips.

We’ve been fortunate to be part of a church that is committed to fulfilling the Great Commission. Every spring break, our youth group has headed somewhere, not to build buildings, but to lead people to Christ. Our Youth Pastor trains his students to run a full-service Vacation Bible School. He equips every teen to know how to present the gospel. From these experiences, Bryan and Amy learned two things that are critical to the unselfish formation of character: (1) Looking around at impoverished people in Mexico (or Honduras, or Peru, or inner city L.A.), they realized they were incredibly blessed from a material standpoint. This built within them a grateful heart and a sense of responsibility to care for others. (2) By leading important parts of a Vacation Bible School, they learned that they could be dangerous contributors to the mission of God.

f. We enlisted godly mentors for them.

Somewhere between the ages of 11 and 14, every child begins to be cool and have parents who aren’t. That’s why it’s critical that they have a godly “bridge” person in their lives during adolescence. By God’s grace, a young woman named Brittany Doss adopted Amy as her mentee, and a young man named Michael Wright adopted Bryan. Both of them were able to say things and model behaviors for our kids that we never could. – It really does take a village to raise a great young person to adulthood!