Teachers Got Da Joy

One of our awesome fifth graders at Chapel Hill Christian School has been talkin' with me about teaching.  Aaron is his name.  He has very high goals already set for his education and career.

One of his goals is to study Electrical Engineering and teach and serve through business in that area.  Wow! What fantastic goals Aaron!

So we started talkin' about what makes a good teacher.  Here's what we've decided:

• A good teacher knows his stuff.  Teachers should know and love their topic.

• A good teacher is humble about how he shares what he knows.

• A good teacher instructs with an "uprising hope" which allows his students to enjoy the learning.

• A good teacher is always patient; he takes time to make sure his students "get it" and doesn't become annoyed with them when they struggle.

• A good teacher has joy - God's JOY - and shares it with his students.

So these ideas got us to thinkin' about Jesus talkin' with His disciples right before He went to be with His Father in Heaven.  You know the verses, right?  They are there in John chapter 15.  

Here's what it says: I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  Who's joy? Jesus'!  What kind of joy? Perfect or complete joy!  Wow!

But what had Jesus told them that would bring this kind of joy?  Living in Him like a branch keeps living in a tree and obeying what He says gives us perfect JOY!

Super job, Aaron!  I think you're gonna be a great teacher!

Let's have a good prayer...

Dear Father in Heaven, we pray for our teachers at the end of this school year; give them joy.  And teach us all to have this wonderful fruit of Your Holy Spirit - JOY - as we serve you in the lives of others.  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Proud of you,

Pastor Wilson 

More Business

Woops, forgot to publish this one from back in September 2012!

Today after running with some of our teachers, parents and friends in the Akron Marathon, I decided I'd cut the grass.  Yep, I was already sweaty and a bit dirty, so I figured, "Pretty good timing."

You remember from last year that I introduced you to my awesome Red Toro push mower with the big back tires and to Hoss my super big black dog.   Hoss came up, you remember, because when I cut the grass, I learned to pick up Hoss's very large "business" before I mow; so I don't shoot it all over the place with the Toro.

Well, today I tried to get the yard ultra clean before I mowed, and I was feeling pretty good about it.

By the way, I usually don't pick up the "business" in the winter, so this spring it took me quite a while.  In fact. it took so long I thought I'd work a math problem.  If Hoss does his business twice a day, and I hadn't picked up in November through April; then the first week of May I picked up a record of about 360 "businesses!"  Now that's a lot of business!

But let's get back on track.  Today I began mowing after doing "business pick up", and I noticed something strange - MORE "BUSINESS."  YES, that's right, hiding in the tall grass was as much business as I had already picked up.  And yes, right again, I had to pick up again!  I kept having to stop my Red Toro, get my plastic bag and go back to work.

And of course, it got me to thinkin'.  Do you remember the saying:  "God is not finished with me yet?"  Well, it's true.  He will continue to clean up our lives until we see Him face to face in Heaven.  

He wants all the "business", the stuff that creates more messes, out of my life, so that when I see Him I can stand before Him without blame and guilt.  The super cool thing is that He is gracious about how he removes this messy business.  He does it as He knows you and I can receive His cleansing.

Could you pray with me today and give God permission to continue to make you clean?

Lord Jesus, thank you for the truth that when we confess our sins, that you are faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  And thank you for doing that "pick up" right on time.  We give you permissions to continue the job!  In Your name and nature we pray, Amen.

Proud of you,
Pastor Wilson 

Steppin' Down

The first graders were practicing for their upcoming musical and Robbie was ready and standing high on the risers.  Enter Robbie’s little sister, Mia, a pre-kindergartner.  She had come to chapel and was greeting her big brother from the floor of the gym.  Would Robbie look away; would he give her a little nod from high atop the first grade risers?  Would he grant as much as a wave?

Nope!  Robbie stepped down.  He stepped off the risers and ran to Mia to greet her with a big hug.  The impact of that hit me like a ton of bricks.  Would I have stepped down for someone that I considered smaller (in whatever way)?  Would you?

This, of course, got me to thinkin'.  How far did Jesus step down when He took on human flesh?  Certainly, when He exhibited this degree of self-sacrifice the very glory of God shook heaven and earth.  

The Bible says, "And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. And we have seen His glory..."  Why did Robbie's step off the risers hit me hard?  I got a glimpse of the glory...the very presence of God.

Each time we selflessly reach out in Christ, we create a crack for God's glory to shine into whatever circumstance we find ourselves.  Ya know what? Without these cracks for God's glory things might look pretty dark and hopeless sometimes.

Hey Robbie, thanks for steppin' down!  You reminded me that God is real and that He's right here. Let's pray that we all might "step down" somehow today.

Lord Jesus, thank you for stepping out of the glory of Heaven to save me.  Help me, help each of us who know You today, to step into the lives of those You bring to us with kindness, love and forgiveness. We want to see Your glory, Lord, we really do!  In Your name we pray, Amen.

Proud of you,

Pastor Wilson