My 9 year-old son Devin has demonstrated himself to be fearless in inviting friends to church. His good friend Caleb comes regularly and Julie and I couldn’t be more happy. Last fall he invited another friend to a Friday night activity at church but this friend didn’t want to go. He said the Bible was full of lies. Devin was speechless as a result. He had never heard someone respond like that.
We talked about it and decided the best course of action would be to keep being his friend and hopeful he would change his mind. I knew his Mom and Dad through a soccer club connection and I didn’t think this conviction was all that strong.
The next month Devin invited him to another Friday night activity and he said yes. After hearing a Bible story and playing games, and having snacks, everyone had a great time. On the way home this friend told Devin that he didn’t believe that anymore.
Who knows how kids get ideas in their heads. I know Mom and Dad in this case are not antagonistic to their son going to church, they don’t have strong feelings either way. Never-the-less this attitude was there and the volunteers who were here that Friday night made an eternal difference in this young man’s mind.
In Luke 8 Jesus describes the word of God as a seed. The seed falls on the path and the birds eat it before it can sprout. The seed falls on the rocky soil and the roots can not get deep enough and the plant dies.
This young man had a heart in which someone had sown thistles. The thistles had taken root and were just waiting to choke off the Word of God before it had a chance to spread.
During that Friday night in November our volunteers weeded the soil of that young man’s heart and made it ready for the word of God. He will be here during our Bible Day Camp this year and in the months and years to come the seed which is planted will be watered by other volunteers and we will wait and see what glorious fruit will result.
Please pray for Bible Day Camp and our mid-week Bible Study Program. They continue to be our best evangelistic outlets and we are so blessed with many volunteers who make them great!
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