Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash 

Dear Children of God,

Back to school! It’s both exciting … and a little nerve wracking. We know a good education, built on the foundation of the “3 R’s” – “readin’, ‘ritin’, and ‘rithmetic” – is key to success in life. It’s hard to get very far without some basis of knowledge and ability to use these tools in life. Therefore, we, as a society, place a great deal of importance on passing this knowledge along to our children. 

As critical as the “3 R’s” are to life, there’s another, even more important, “R” – religion … specifically the Christian religion as guided and formed by the foundation of God’s word. God’s word tells us in many places that we’re to pass this “R” along to all we can, starting with our own children. God has placed the utmost importance on spreading His word since the earliest days of His people saying to Israel, as they entered the Promised Land, “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them … Make them known to your children and your children's children" (Deuteronomy 4:1,9). God firmly desires that all of His children, from the youngest to the oldest, immerse themselves in His word so they can all learn from Him how to live the lives He has given us.

Learning – whether the 3 R’s or God’s will – is a lifelong activity. It requires effort. We might wish we could put a book under our pillow and let the knowledge enter our brains while we sleep. But it doesn’t work that way. We need to spend time filling ourselves with knowledge … including the righteous knowledge found in God’s word. I invite you to fill your hearts, minds, and souls with the knowledge of God and His good and perfect will for you by regularly joining us in worship, Sunday School, and weekly Bible Study. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with understanding to boldly proclaim His gospel in your words and deeds as they overflow from your Spirit-filled heart.

                                                                                    In Christ’s Love,

                                                                                    Pastor Jim