Follow The Rules!

I was 4 or 5 years old. Dad parked the car and I was to walk to the corner, cross the street, and wait for my sisters at the school gate. I walked to the corner and encountered a crossing guard on a power trip. I waited for his ok to cross. He told me to stand behind his sign. I was beside his sign, safely on the sidewalk.  He insisted that I move to behind his sign. I said nothing and didn’t move. I was doing nothing wrong or unsafe. What was his problem? My parents saw this interaction and called me back to the car where I had to wait for my sisters in the back seat of shame. 

Nobody likes being told what to do. Even as a small child I wanted to understand the reason rather than simply be told.  



When people reject the Bible, it is sometimes because they’ve reduced religion to a list of rules. And without proper understanding of who God is and what He has given us in His Word, they resist the Bible’s instruction.
But when faced with rules Jesus often pushed beyond the rule to the heart. What’s really important to Him is that we have a heart that truly loves God and wants to honor Him in all we do.  
Over the next several weeks we’re going to take the most famous list of rules and look at how they are more than just a list of don’ts, but are actually valuable instructions for living as God intended.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.  
2 Timothy 3:16-17

The significance of Christmas is to remind us of who Jesus is:  eternal King, amazing Teacher, mighty God.

Keep Seeking the Kingdom!

   Heather Penner
   Youth Ministries Director