stonegatestandard.com

Vacation Bible School (VBS) starts  tomorrow.  It’s wonderful to see the building full of smiling and beaming faces throughout the week, and I love to listen to everyone sing...even the booster song.

This year, the students are going to be studying about five different characters from the Old Testament and the lessons that we can learn from them about our relationship with God.  Elijah, Josiah, Jehoshaphat, Naaman and Jonah will be their companions throughout the week while they learn about things like knowing God, trusting God and obeying God.  It is going to be a week full of fun, friendship and learning.

Don’t forget to invite people to come to VBS this week; it is a great opportunity to introduce them our family here at Stonegate.   It is amazing how much a young person can learn in a week, and often times it seems as though we underestimate the effect a young person can have on their family and other people.

While we correctly talk about the benefits students will receive from VBS (like Bible knowledge and encouragement to live faithful lives), we may tend to overlook the benefits that we will receive both now and in the future from things like VBS.

Timothy was a young preacher who worked with the Apostle Paul.  His mother and grandmother gave him an education in the Scriptures.  At the time they were teaching him, I’m sure their focus and aim was to make a spiritual young man out of him.  Little did they realize that Timothy would be a person who shaped the lives of countless thousands of people as he traveled around the world with Paul, preaching the message of salvation to any who would listen.  Timothy became Paul’s friend and great helper, and was a source of strength and encouragement when Paul needed it most.  The book of Acts may have been very different without Timothy.

Consider Josiah and his dedication to Jehovah even though he was so very young when he became king.  His love for God set him apart from all the other kings, including David and Solomon!  His willingness to read the word of God and obey it reformed not only his own life but the lives of an entire nation.

What an amazing thing to think about the difference that can be made in the future by the young people attending VBS this week!  They may be leading many people to Christ or encouraging someone in difficult circumstances.  To think that our children may be able to reach others in our family that we have never been able to share the gospel with—to think that they may very well be the encouragement we need some day in the future to keep fighting the good fight! 
Young people are capable of amazing things.  David defeated Goliath, Samuel heard the voice of God, and it was a young Israelite girl who directed Naaman to Elijah.  Young people are capable of amazing things because God will work through anyone’s faith no matter how big or small they are.  Ultimately, this is what VBS is all about, teaching young people what they need to have faith in God’s powerful working throughout history and our lives.  Let’s throw ourselves into this with all our effort; who knows what great things the future will have in store for us through the faith of our young people!