Hammer on Anvil '

This week at our church we have been having VBS. It is the first one that we have put on since I have been here (so it's been at least 3 years). I seriously couldn't be happier with how it is turning out.

Is it the largest VBS held in town all summer? Probably not.

Is it the most flashy VBS held here in Malden? Not even close.

But we have a great group of kids showing up every night who are having a blast.

It's more than that though.

Last night right after our closing, I saw something that melted my heart. A little girl ran right up to her dad and was so excited to share her Bible verse with him. He praised her for it and her eyes just gleamed.

I've seen other Facebook statues from parents excited their kids are coming to VBS and coming home telling their parents about the stories they learned and reciting their Bible verses.

How absolutely wonderful is it that these kids are so excited to be learning about God? If you have never helped with a VBS I would so encourage you to do it!

It makes me wonder when that joy fades. At what point in our lives do we stop being excited to learn about God? When did we stop memorizing Scripture? If you have lost the joy of seeking after God through His word, try to get that back.

If you have kids, you can work on it together. I can guarantee when you see how excited they are to be doing it, it will help you be excited as well.

So seek after God through His word and get excited about memorizing Scripture. The other thing I would say is make sure to invest in the life of a child.

It doesn't have to be a 5th grader. It doesn't have to be a 12th grader. But children of any age need to know there are adults in their life who care about them. Too many kids have one or both parents out of their lives for one reason or another. It can leave them feeling abandoned and even unimportant.

Find a kid to invest in. Encourage them on Sunday morning. Write an encouraging post on their Facebook wall in the middle of the week. Get to know them and be a beacon that shines God's light into their lives. Kids are missing out on adults who care for them with no other intent than just to love them because God first loved us.

Let's not miss out on raising up that next generation to know and love God. Parents were instructed to do just that in Deuteronomy. The responsibility is still the parents' to raise up their children right, but the church is there to help. It is not just events like VBS or camp where kids should be hearing the message of Jesus and seeing it lived out. They should be seeing that every single day.

And we can't show them, if we are not seeking after God ourselves.

Since Friday, my family and I have been on vacation. We spent some time with my wife's side of the family and now we are spending time with my side.

It has been nice to get away from the normal day to day events. It's fun to see the boys spending time with their grandparents (even when they act out a little more because Grandma or Grandpa will come to their rescue).

I've really enjoyed spending this extra time with my children as well. Most days I see them before work, maybe at lunch time, and then for a couple hours at the end of the day. It makes me really want to raise them right.

In Deuteronomy 6 we are told: