If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 ESV
The Fruit of Discipline
Despite the weather outside, “summer” is coming to an end. Vacations are history, traffic is heavier, and kids are heading back to school.
Can you remember how you felt as a kid when you realized that school was about to re-start? Were you happy, because you would soon be seeing your friends again? Or, did you bemoan the fact that you would no longer have time for a trip to the beach or a pick-up game of basketball? Did you look forward to learning more about your favorite subject or playing your favorite sport, or wince at the prospect of dull lectures and homework?
Parents, too, often have a love/hate relationship with the return of school. The good news is that they kids will be out of the house for most of the day (that’s the “love” part), but the rhythm of early morning take-offs and afternoon landings is sometimes painful (forming the “hate” part.)
So why do parents go through the pain of imposing this daily routine on their children? It would certainly be easier to just let nature take its course, and let the kids sleep until the very last second, ignore their homework, and generally get away with being kids.
Of course, no parent that loves their child(ren) would be so sloppy. You want the best life for your children; you want them to be productive, competent and connected. So you impose some external discipline; the kids have to get up earlier than they want, and go to bed sooner. Homework is monitored, screen time reduced and friendships scrutinized. You want them to take full advantage of the “gift” of education.
All because you love them dearly and want them to be the best they can be.
The New Testament book of Hebrews tells us that God plays the role of parent in all of our lives. He wants us to be the best we can be, so He often imposes external discipline to facilitate the process. Jesus assures us, however, that He is always ready to give us the best gifts.
This weekend at Trinity Downtown, we’ll be continuing our sermon series that explores how a disciplined life of faith in Almighty God catalyzed the heroes of our faith to be all that God wanted them to be. We’ll discuss how faith in God’s promises can revolutionize our lives. Come celebrate God’s gift of discipline and His love for us in our contemporary service on Saturday at 5:00 pm, and/or the traditional worship services on Sunday at 8:15 am and 10:50 am. Your kids won’t want to miss our “Kingdom Quest” pre-school and student gatherings, and you’ll enjoy making new friends and learning more about your faith in our expanded array of adult bible study classes, all held at 9:30 am on Sunday.
Please remember that Trinity’s “Alpha” course is slated to start next Monday evening at 6:00pm in the Multi-purpose room in the Education Center. Please join us in praying that God will bring hungry hearts to hear about His grace and be thinking of a friend or neighbor you might invite.
This weekend come learn how placing our faith and fears in the hands of Jesus can lessen our stress load and bring deep transformation in our hearts. Celebrate with us the depth of Jesus’ love for us and find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. Discover how following Jesus can help you and your family navigate around the minefields of life.
Come get a fresh jolt of spiritual energy at Trinity Downtown. It will make a tremendous difference in your life.