God Loves YOU!

               I’m glad you took a second, with all that is going on in the world to pause here with me today. Do you know God loves you? Like a depths-which-cannot-be-understood kind of love for you. If you are blessed enough to become a parent, godparent, aunt, uncle, you will be able to understand a portion of it, but it goes much further than that. Today I want to talk about His love for you, His love for us, His love for each person walking this planet – friend or foe. So grab a bible or pull it up on your device and lets expose some truths we can take to heart today. I’ll be using the NIV.

               1 John 4:7-8 says “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” We all have the capacity to love, God is love, therefore God resides in each of us and we should tap into that with our interactions with others so that we can love them as Christ first loved us. We can easily read John 3:16 and be dismissive. God loved the world, that doesn’t necessarily mean me. 1 John 4:9-11 takes it a step further, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Here it clearly states not only the depth of His love for us (who would you be willing to sacrifice your child for?), but it also reiterates the importance of loving one another. Romans 8:37 – 39 puts it this way “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, either the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” To make a defining statement like that in the face of all the author had lived is such a powerful statement. We are conquerors through Christ and we should walk forward each day in the love and light that He gives us. So maybe you are thinking “ok, great you threw some words that regular people spoke…but what about God directly saying it?” Isaiah 54:10 says it so beautifully “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you”. This is a promise straight from God that no matter how bad it gets that He will be with you, He will love you, and He will give you peace. Those shaking mountains are the obstacles you will face and the hills being removed are the times you will turn your back on Him. We all face those decisions and sometimes choose the wrong path but He will love you through it all! We know when you turn back around, choose God, He rejoices! “The Lord your God is with you, the Might Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17. Are you beginning to understand some of His love for you? Not only for you but your family too! “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9. What a beautiful promise to us, for us, for our children, and generations to come. No human love can have that much impact over that many generations. We must know the love of our Father, grow it in our hearts and sow that love back into the world to grow in our neighbors.

               I pray today that this message opened your eyes a little, opened your mind just a bit to the love that Jesus has for you. The depth and height of it, the endless bounds, the redeeming qualities that His love has. Take a chance, take a few minutes of your day inviting God into your heart and life. See all the great things He will do for you!! Can’t wait to talk to you next month!

*P.S. I recommend Good And Loved by Travis Greene featuring Steffany Gretzinger

            Wow, what God is doing in the new year has been incredible! Guilford County Schools has opened their doors back up to outside groups! This means…all those clubs that got paused due to COVID? Well, they are in the works of getting established once again! Thank you God that we can say we were able to reach children in the 2021-2022 school year!

            That’s not all!! We are excited to announce the establishment of 5 new clubs!! Can you believe it? We gave the first fruits, all we had when we established those clubs and God has multiplied the investment by fulfilling the vision of getting into even more schools than before! We are partnering with New Bethel Baptist in High Point, Charity Baptist, Change The Nations Church and Lebanon in Greensboro to bring you these new clubs. Are you interested? Do you live near these churches and want to serve or have a child in elementary school? Please email us (cefgreatergso@gmail.com) and we will be happy to connect you with available services in your area! These clubs have either just started or will be coming in March. We have more schools that we are already looking at getting in to and are excited for all the new lives we will be able to touch.

            Want to get connected with us? We are excited to announce that we will be partnering with the Volunteer Center of The Triad for The Human Race to bring you the Children’s Area. This area will be children and family friendly where you can take a break, get some information, and gather some resources! Gates open at 9 AM and we will be there until it wraps up! Come on out, meet some of the people from the local chapter and get some resources for you to use and to minister to you! Would you like to walk for us? Would you like to sponsor a walker? Feel free to reach out to us (cefgreatergso@gmail.com or 336-645-8877) and we will get you signed up! We look forward to meeting so many people in the community and having some time of excitement and fun while fellowshipping!

            Looking towards summer we are ramping up our ideas and process for CYIA. Christian Youth In Action is a neat summer ministry program that allows 12 years to college age to work with children in 5 Day Clubs and other summer programming. This teaches our youth a sense of worth, championing the kingdom, and an eternal perspective of their future. These clubs are sponsored by CEF and local churches within the community. Are you a youth who has some free time this summer? Would you like to serve in with children? Are you looking for a part time job? Then reach out to us (cefgreatergso@gmail.com or 336-645-8877) and we would love to talk more about the opportunities and experiences you would get to take part in.

            Hopefully this blog leaves you with a sense of excitement and joy for all the ways that God is moving in our own back yard! He is establishing new footholds in our community that cannot be shaken! We are reaching out to our children to provide a lasting and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We look forward to bringing you news about new clubs, the new areas we are serving in, and ways that YOU can take part in all that we do. Until next week, have a blessed one!

               Child Evangelism Fellowship has a long history of getting it right, for 85 year actually. Their mission has always been to spread the Gospel far and wide to impact as many people as possible. This starts with evangelizing the children and in turn they evangelize to their parents and their friends. Children have an important role when it comes to reaching the next generations. They will grow up to be the leaders of society and so we must start young in the mission to help them to know God. We must work with them to foster a healthy working knowledge of Jesus Christ and live on mission no matter where they are.

               If you have been following the blog at all, you know we have covered a wide array of topics. These include giving, serving, parenting and Gospel advice. We seek to equip as many people as possible with the knowledge of who Jesus is so they can spread it far and wide. Our blog is just one of the many tools that we use to share information and help others, especially kids, in their walk with Christ. This is where YOU come in! We want to hear from you! What things would you like to read about? Is there anything you want us to dive further into? Needing knowledge on a specific program or resources for a particular age group? We are here to help! Seriously, send us a message on our website or email us at cefgreatergso@gmail.com . Please know that our desire is to better serve YOU! To reach out to you, educate you, and give you encouragement! All questions and comments will be reviewed, and we look forward to going over them in the coming weeks.

               We are excited to announce a new blog “featuring” series. These will be brought to you by experienced pastors and child care workers. Highlighting our K-5 range of topics such as authority, school, bullying and image. We will also explore a little bit of the older kids. What would you, as a parent, want to know as you enter middle and high school years? Hear from those who have experience with those ages and how to approach them. This blog series will begin happening soon, once a month, on the 3^rd Friday of the month.

               We are happy to also announce another new series that will feature interviews with staff, volunteers and others that are involved in CEF and the Greater Greensboro Area. This will be a weekly blog as well, occurring on the 4^th Friday of each month. These blogs will dive into who these people are, their hearts for this ministry and some of their future goals and ideas. We are looking forward to discovering more about the people that are the heart of this ministry and all they do for the children.

               We look forward to bringing you new and exciting things as they happen, “getting it right”, and bringing you fresh new looks from the inside of CEF. See you next week!

               So we have talked a lot about the different things that can come up in tension for us and for our children. We have talked about how tension shows up in our lives. We have also seen biblical evidence of tension which gives us hope here, today. So what do we do now? Make sure that we stand solid on two methods of attacking it. Real world and spiritual.

               Did you know the command “Do not be afraid” is found in the Bible 365 times? Interesting that there is exactly the same number of days in a year. I do not think this is a coincidence. The command is not admonishing us for some lack of faith or not trying hard enough. It is a reminder for us each day that troubles may come but to not be afraid and rely on God. We must combat the things we fear with the biblical truth. Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”. ^“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7. He knows that sometimes we are just hurting inside. These are times when He holds us closer, and we can rest in that promise. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” So we can use the Word of God not only as a reference, a page by page ledger of promises, but also as a sword to guard us and attack the devil. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. Surround yourselves in Godly things, make your paths straight and upright, making known to those around you who’s child you are.

               I am sure you are thinking, how do you arm yourself in the “real world”? This comes with maturity and will propel you into growth, but you have to stick with it. Do a 30 day challenge and only listen to Christian music. Go through Amazon or Lifeway and find a good looking devotional and challenge yourself for 30 days to read it. Most things, after 30 days are much easier to adopt as a daily habit. Greeting God before you “greet your day” will put a biblical perspective on your day. It will allow God to communication with you, love on you, reassure you, settle things that are on your mind. This helps begin the day with a fresh mind set. Check what you are watching on TV and see if it is worth it to keep after 30 days. It is amazing the refreshing spirit that God can place on us when we meet Him on solid ground. It could be food that has become the thing we desire. It could mean going on a fast, the reset the balance. That balance is where we find solid ground. If we have something that we idolize more than God, it will set our life out of balance, make it harder to see God’s path and harder to hear His voice. I would encourage you to find a church, if you aren’t already in one. It is much easier to stray from the path if you aren’t hearing a message weekly, engaging with those at the campus and being accountable in the relationships that you have. They will help promote growth in your life in general and in your Christian walk. (And yes, sometimes it is painful, but sometimes our own limbs hurt and so will the body of Christ.)

               I encourage each of you to walk forward into all that God is calling you into, even if it is uncomfortable. Start living the Christian life and see how beautiful the blessings and rewards are! Until next week, stay blessed and stay safe!

               This is a game that children enjoy playing. With the yellow light you try to be sneaky with how far ahead you can get. With driving, do you slow down or speed up when you see that yellow light? Spiritually, does a yellow light mean wait on God or run on ahead? I think it means proceed with caution. The question is, how do we proceed with caution?

               Proverbs 3:1-8 (NLT) says it this way “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. “Let’s break this down because that can be a lot to take in. First things first, you have to learn the word of God so that you can have the word in you heart at all times. Don’t neglect to be loyal and kind to those around you. Take practical steps to incorporate God into your daily life through scripture, worship and even journaling for some. Switch it to K-Love, start your day with the One Year Bible, and pray about the things going on in your circle. Who you are is more important than what you do. If you allow God to take root, to really take hold of you, you will begin transforming into God’s image and therefore the goodness and mercy of God can flow out of you into your circle. Take your worries and your problems to God in petition. He listens to you and hears you. Even better, you can recruit friends to be a prayer circle! Tension will expose the cracks that are there, it is up to us to allow God into that process and repair it! You must be faithful where you are. If you are in tension, then buckling down and really surrounding yourself with the uplifting grace of God to lift you out of the valley. If it is on the mountain tops, it is remembering who got you there and praising God for His work in you and your circle. Who you are proceeds what you do. If you start with God, then out of that will flow God even in some of the most tumultuous times! Sometimes I am amazed by the supernatural extension of love, grace, mercy, and patience in some of the most frustrating and aggravating moments. If you depend on Him for this everlasting fountain, He will not fail you. He will guide you in the correct path, but we need to be faithful to walk in the light that He guides our feet with. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105. Walking in His light produces health and strength. His word is always true, and it says it right there! This means we can take these steps and relax in the knowledge that our heavenly Father will take care of us and give us what we need. He will do this for you and your family, your children. Just take a moment today and ask Him.

               Take a moment and think about the tension in your life. Do you need to throw up a yellow light and proceed with caution in areas? Take it to God, He is there for you. Surround yourself with His word and His promises. Surround yourself with those that can pray for you and with you. Tune in next week where we will be learning more about tension and how to make the best of it when it arises. 

“In life we can be surrounded by tension. We try to avoid it, fix it, and remove it. But what if the tension in life is actually key to life? Tension can create beautiful harmony. It keeps us from falling flat and tunes us to the heart of God. It’s time to embrace the truth about tension.”

              What is tension? Tension is defined as the state of being stretched tight or mental and emotional strain. What tensions are you feeling today? Are you stressed because of finances, being a perfect parent, finding your true love, or landing that big job? Are you waiting to see what new disasters may be brought on 2022? We are walking on eggshells as year after year, especially for the last couple of years, things generally have not been good as a nation. As parents, we are worn out, exhausted, from all the new barriers we face and the things we must educate our children about. I’m reminded of a meme that went viral claiming that suicide rates had gone up due to the pandemic. The truth is, the study found that suicide rates had decreased, probably due to the new ways (like text) that are available for outreach! The alarming part as a parent, is that the suicide rates shifted showing an increase in suicide rates among children. This can cause some tension. As a parent we want a picture-perfect childhood for our kids. This tension early on can cause one of two things, a closer walk with God or going in the other direction. Salvation isn’t a one and done type of thing, afterwards there is a journey with God. The road of sanctification. Sanctification is a theological word that describes our spiritual journey and growth. We can all admit that there are times when we have strayed from God since accepting Him into our hearts. During the tension as children, through these difficult times it is up to us as parents to work hard and continuously plant the seeds in them. Plant the word of God so that they have it as reference any time they need it. “But whatever I am not, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me – and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT). We must do work, do His work in our children, through the grace that He has poured out on us. We must as parents support our kids, love them through the process and let God do his work as well. There is a tension between what we must do and when God takes over. Paul was referencing both his works and His works, noting the difference between the two but that both must coincide with each other to create a balance. So what is our part in this, individually and as parents? Well, we must “stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24 (NLT). We aren’t perfect but we can make choices to stay on the right path. Change the radio station to Klove or Air1. This puts the word of God in their head on a daily basis as long as you are able to control it. Let’s be honest, a lot of children listen to junk when they aren’t around their parents. I’m sure that’s not Christian music being blasted when a teen is in a mood. If you don’t want to listen to that, try turning the radio off. I’ve had some wonderful, deep, and meaningful conversations with my children just riding down the road…as teenagers even! Another choice we can make is in what we watch. Don’t get me wrong, raising kids, I had my own tv shows I liked to watch. An occasional junk tv show might briefly pique my curiosity, but not around my kids. I’ll be honest, it was not always the most fun tv we could watch, but I was choosing not to expose them to the sexual nature and sailor mouths that are available on tv now.  Making choices to reinforce our sanctification and keeping ourselves holy will spill out into our children. Again, our sanctification is a journey, and so will theirs be. We must seek to support, love, and provide the Gospel. We are going to look more at tension in the coming weeks. Ways to identify the tension, challenge the tension, and turn it around for good! Stay safe and warm out there!

  I know we have bragged to you and hinted to you about these great CEF materials that we have and utilize throughout parts of our ministry. Common references to tracts and gospel tools can leave some people scratching their head. Today I figured I would take some time and highlight a few of our CEF tried and true materials. Some of them have been around and stood the test of time. Other materials are new productions as we strive to keep up with the times and current issues.

              Our curriculum has been around for a long time. We have series based around certain topics like Salvation, Beginnings, Reigning and Sovereignty. These all have different lessons included in the lesson series such as God : The Creator King, Jesus : God Who Saves, Jesus : God of Power and Glory, and Jesus : God Who Cares For People. These lessons are presented each week and there are plans for parties included in the lesson series curriculum. These lessons include a Gospel presentation, Wonder Time, music, memory verse, small group suggestions, and so much more! The lessons are broken down into smaller digestible chunks for the leaders. This makes it more effective for the leaders and a smoother presentation for the children.

              The word tracts may leave some scratching their head or some waving you away. You may be used to those outdated little flyers that are unappealing, but these are so much better! CEF tracts touch on real world issues and current titles. One of their most recent publications talks about the recent pandemic and how that relates to Jesus. We have tracts for “seasoned Christians”, such as a Mini Bible Guide you can put in your bible that gives references to certain topics. We have seasonal topics and Spanish titles as well!

              CEF Press has put out a few outstanding devotionals! These range from What a God, Let’s Talk about God, Standing for God, and a few others. We even have titles in Spanish! These devotional booklets seek to talk to children, on their level, about Jesus and making good choices. This includes 60 days of a short Bible passage and a short devotional on a variety of topics aimed at creating a deeper relationship with God. These are all newer publications from CEF.

              These are just a few of the tools that we are equipped with. If you are interested in any, please contact our local office at 336-645-8877. We look forward to sharing more on these tools in the future!