Today's schedule was crowded with church activities, from KidPak to KidPak Espanol. Also throw in there the hundreds of palms and the palm crosses we make from them each year - it was Palm Sunday! Madison, Mommy and Daddy made a few palm crosses as we do each year, going for the smaller sizes this time around. It was a good day, although a long one! KidPak Espanol is at about 3:00, and this is after a long morning filled with services that tend to tire you out. Especially with last-minute changes and modifications that sometimes occur. The last three weeks have been littered with those, which add up over time. Fortunately, next week is Easter, where we all take somewhat of a step back, and talk about the Easter story.
KidPak Jr has been such a blessing for us, with Ms. Halston at the helm. Madison has taken a lot out of it, learning quite a bit this year, and also active in worship, which is important. Our good friend Chris has been a great part of that, never content to just "perform," but to get the kids engaged. Here's a picture of Madison at KPJR, one that makes our hearts so glad.
This morning, we did wrap up our Storm Chasers story line with the return of one character presumably "blown away." In fact, he was doing the "Good Samaritan" thing, which was our Bible story of the day. We were talking about helping people pick up the pieces, which was a message I chose for today because when it comes to tornadoes, the phrase "Palm Sunday" and "tornadoes" collide in a bad way for our hometown of Gainesville, Georgia. It was 1936, so long ago that not many people realize that yes, in fact an F4 twister ripped a path through the middle of town, right on a path that went through where Madison takes ballet once a week. Well over 200 people were killed in Gainesville alone that day - but this is something that not many people know who live here.
Each year there's devastation somewhere - it's the result of living in a "fallen" world. Our job is to do the best we can, and help others the best we can as well. To that end, we are always contributing to ministries and teaching others things like we did today: help others pick up the pieces.
KidPak Jr has been such a blessing for us, with Ms. Halston at the helm. Madison has taken a lot out of it, learning quite a bit this year, and also active in worship, which is important. Our good friend Chris has been a great part of that, never content to just "perform," but to get the kids engaged. Here's a picture of Madison at KPJR, one that makes our hearts so glad.
This morning, we did wrap up our Storm Chasers story line with the return of one character presumably "blown away." In fact, he was doing the "Good Samaritan" thing, which was our Bible story of the day. We were talking about helping people pick up the pieces, which was a message I chose for today because when it comes to tornadoes, the phrase "Palm Sunday" and "tornadoes" collide in a bad way for our hometown of Gainesville, Georgia. It was 1936, so long ago that not many people realize that yes, in fact an F4 twister ripped a path through the middle of town, right on a path that went through where Madison takes ballet once a week. Well over 200 people were killed in Gainesville alone that day - but this is something that not many people know who live here.
Each year there's devastation somewhere - it's the result of living in a "fallen" world. Our job is to do the best we can, and help others the best we can as well. To that end, we are always contributing to ministries and teaching others things like we did today: help others pick up the pieces.
“Pick
up the Pieces”
A storm has been raging, and the end results aren’t pretty. Even now, some people are in survival
mode, just trying to pick up the pieces.
As Christians, we can’t help but notice the wounded around us, or those
who have lost so much. In the
blink of an eye, people will need emergency assistance – will you be there?
God wants us to do more than observe. He wants us in midst of the debris, helping put things back together for those who are hurting. It may seem like an overwhelming task, but don’t worry: we’re not called to do everything. But we are called to do something.
God wants us to do more than observe. He wants us in midst of the debris, helping put things back together for those who are hurting. It may seem like an overwhelming task, but don’t worry: we’re not called to do everything. But we are called to do something.
Forces of darkness
can link up, twisting and turning, and spinning a path of destruction,
sometimes right out of the blue.
The situation can certainly look hopeless! But we as a church can bring hope to the hopeless. We do this when we work together. The church should join together, hand
in hand, a swirl of action that lifts hopes, and blows people away with extreme
love.
It’s time to join the
rescue and restoration team, and make every moment count. In the end, there’s only one thing that
can stand the test of time: what
you have done for Jesus and His church.
And the only thing you can take to heaven with you are those who know
Jesus. So bring hope to the
hopeless: store up treasures in
heaven, and be thankful for what is most important. You can help pick up the pieces.
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attacked him. They stripped off his clothes and
beat him. Then they went away, leaving him almost dead. A priest happened to be going down that
same road. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. A Levite also came by. When he saw the
man, he passed by on the other side too.
But a Samaritan came to the place where the man was. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him. He went to him, poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey. He took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins. He gave them to the owner of the inn. ‘Take care of him,’ he said. ‘When I return, I will pay you back for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of the three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”
The authority on the law replied, “The one who felt sorry for him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do as he did.”
But a Samaritan came to the place where the man was. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him. He went to him, poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey. He took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins. He gave them to the owner of the inn. ‘Take care of him,’ he said. ‘When I return, I will pay you back for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of the three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”
The authority on the law replied, “The one who felt sorry for him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do as he did.”
Luke 10:30-37 NIrV
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