I am not a mother, but I am an aunt and have spent a good deal of time around children throughout my life to know that they have the ability to teach us important life lessons. On the subject of love, children between the ages of 5 and 10 said the following:

I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when Dinosaurs is on television. -- Jill, age 6

Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. -- Greg, age 8

One of you should know how to write a check, because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills. -- Ava,  8

Don't say you love somebody and then change your mind. Love isn't like picking what movie you want to watch. -- Natalie, age 9

Luke 18:15-17 we see Jesus’ compassion and love toward the children. Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all. We can find many ways in which we should be like children in Luke 18.  In verses 1-8 Christ urges His disciples to never give up on prayer. If a child wants something, usually they are not afraid to ask or make it known what they want. Sometimes they will keep asking until they are acknowledged or answered like the woman in the parable.

I love that children are usually not easily embarrassed. They will tell you things you never would of thought someone would tell you, but in their humble age, it does not bother them for you to know. Children do not quite grasp the concept of selflessness yet, but I would still consider them humble in the fact that they are fully dependant on a parent or guardian and they like that. As adults we become mixed up in our money, jobs, and possessions. The rich young ruler in verses 18-30 was so dependant on his belongings that he simply could not leave it all behind to follow Christ. How hard is it for you and I to do such a thing? Have you thought what it might look like and how things could change if we all depended on the Lord and liked it in the same way kids look to their parents for food, love, clothes and protection?

When I think of the word authenticity the phrase “what you see is what you get” always comes to mind. Authenticity is also another key word I would use to describe children. Being concrete thinkers, they are able to ask the hard but important questions. I saw a quote the other day that said, “if you seek the truth, ask a child.” They have nothing to hide. With authenticity comes authentic faith in children. If they say they believe, they believe. We are called to have a child-like faith. What a perfect description. From my experience, when a child believes, they believe with all their being. The final story in chapter 18 describes a blind man, with as much faith, begging on the street. When he found out that Jesus was coming by, he knew that Jesus could heal him. Not caring what anyone thought of him, he began to yell at Jesus to gain His attention. Despite the rebukes and harsh remarks from all those around him, he kept yelling. He did not care if he did not deserve it or what Jesus thought, he had to try. What was Jesus' reaction? “Receive your sight, your faith has made you well”. I waste so much time and miss out on so many opportunities because I care about what people think of my actions and lack faith. I want to learn to be childlike in my faith.

I believe that all these characteristics can be wrapped up into one phrase: It’s a matter of the heart. As we have been studying this book with the ladies on Thursdays, I cannot help but notice this recurring theme. God alone can judge our actions, words, and thoughts, and He takes the heart into account, which man cannot do. Let’s try it out; be dependant on God, faithful in prayer, and authentic with each other.

--Kristi Smith, Summer Camp Manager

A person’s attitude is arguably one of the most important factors in the direction of their life. With a negative attitude things are seen in a dim light, everything becomes monotonous and burdensome, and you begin to treat others in the same fashion. But on the flip side, if you are positive, dreary days excite you, tasks can become fun, and you lift others spirits.

In high school I had a football coach. He would actually walk (I should say dance) down the halls of the school with a small boom box on his shoulder playing “Don’t worry, be happy”. It was hilarious. When asked how he was doing he would almost always say “Doing great, getting better, Ha ha!” The best part about it was that it would change my day every time I saw him doing it. After being told to try responding with “doing great, getting better” when asked how you were doing, I tried it and was surprised. It actually made me feel better. Don’t believe me . . . try it for a day. Attitude makes a huge difference.

 Take some time to ponder and evaluate your attitude towards the topics in this chapter:

Causing others to sin.

1. Does it make you happy to bring others toward righteousness, or are you burdened by the fact that you cant listen to a certain music etc?
2. How can you have a more positive outlook on leading people away from things that cause them to sin?
3. How much does God abhor it when people cause others to sin?

Living as Christ’s servants.

1. When you feel God calling you to do something, do you joyfully pursue it?
2. Is your “duty” as a Christian hard for you or are you glad to get to serve Christ for what He has done?
3. What should spur us on to love serving God?
4. Can the example of the healed leper give us incite?

Looking toward the future.

1. Do you wish you could be with God now, or would you rather wait until you get to do certain things here on earth?
2. Are you more worried about when and where the 2^nd coming will happen, or are you focused on preparing others for that time?

Our attitude changes lives, including our own. Reflect upon yours, and apply this chapter from Luke.

--Seth Gordon, Summer Camp Director

In my lifetime, I have had  14 different mailing addresses due to military moves when I was a kid, as well as moves with Paul after we married.  (Our time at Camp Tejas has been one of the longest stretches that I have been in one location.)  Each time I found out I was about to move, from that moment forward everything I did was in relation to moving.  I stopped buying more stuff because I knew I would have to pack it up and move it.  When invited to do something or go somewhere, my first thought would be “Will I be able to get everything packed up if I go to this?”.  We started saving bubble wrap, newspapers, and strong boxes in preparation for moving.  You have probably done the same.  Preparing for the future is one of the main lessons I take away from the first parable told in Luke 16.

The parable of the shrewd manager has always been a little bit confusing for me at first glance because on the surface it seems like Jesus is commending a dishonest person, and telling us to use money to “buy” friends.  However, the manager is not being praised for his dishonesty, but rather his foresight and strategy of looking ahead to his next stage of life.  Once the manager found out he was going to be fired for his dishonesty, he started to use his position to make friends quickly by reducing their bills, so that once fired, he would have people to take him in.  He was looking ahead to his future, and taking measures to prepare for his future in the present.  And that is one of the lessons Jesus was trying to teach us with this parable.

I like the New Living Translation of Luke 16:8-9: The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more shrewd than the godly are.  I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven. We are all going to die and when we do, we need to be prepared for where we go.  You’ve seen the bumper stickers that say “The man who dies with the most toys still dies”.  It’s true.  So instead of hoarding your “toys” or blessings from God , use them for God’s glory.  Live in such a way that when people look at your checkbook or credit card statement, they can see by how you spend your money that you love God.

This is just one of many parables that show us our money is 1) not ours – it’s God’s money that He entrusts us to manage properly and, 2) God wants us to use it for His kingdom’s glory while here on earth.  This means taking care of the poor, the orphans, widows, strangers, and anyone who can be considered “the least of these”, since that is how we show that we love Jesus…by loving His people.  (I did a word search at studylight.org and found 195 verses with “poor”, 44 verses with “widow”, 39 verses with “fatherless”, 70 verses with “alien”, so God definitely has a lot to say about them).

Jesus doesn’t leave us to wonder about the parable’s meaning – He breaks it down for us in verses 10-13 (NLT): “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own? No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Jesus then, knowing the hearts of the Pharisees, singles them out and tells them God knows their evil hearts and contrasts what the world honors (outside appearances) with what God wants us to value (pure hearts).  Jesus states that the laws of Moses (or for us, the Old Testament) have not been thrown out now that a new gospel of grace through faith in Jesus is being preached.  Rather the Old Testament prophesies are fulfilled by Jesus and as it says in Romans 8:3-4, the righteous requirements of the law are met in us if Christ lives in us! God didn’t change His mind about His law.  He still requires justice and holiness.  But the answer to those requirements is faith in Jesus as payment for our sins.

The next parable about a Rich Man and Lazarus also drives home the point that we are to care about the “least of these” in our lives while we are here on earth.  I can’t even imagine being in Lazarus’ condition myself – having open sores and no energy to keep the dogs from licking them, having no medical help for his disease, having no friends, and passed by a rich man daily, only hoping to be able to pick through his trash and find something edible.  Yet I know that there are people today in this very situation, even in America.

When I read about the rich man, I am convicted of my own apathy and selfishness.  Like the rich man, I find myself too busy with my own agenda to be bothered by someone else’s misfortune.  And if the subject of helping the poor is brought up, I can easily rationalize my way out of becoming involved.  It is easy to become overwhelmed by the enormous task of solving world hunger and convince myself that if I can’t fix the big problem, there isn’t a point to trying to do anything at all.  Have you ever felt that way? We can think, “someone will always be starving somewhere and I don’t have enough to money to feed even a fraction of the hungry people for one meal” so we give up altogether.  But like the boy with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, God just wants us to give Him what we do have.  Be willing to bring your blessings back to God and let God multiply it for His glory.  Have faith that God can solve the problem of world hunger, and He is doing it one person at a time as each Christian focuses on what they do have and brings it to God.  It brings to mind the Capital One commercial that asks, “What’s in your wallet?”  God asks the same, but He also asks, “What’s in your heart?”

--Kelli Biles, Office Manager

Jesus often uses parables and metaphors to make a point. When this happens, we need to dive deeper into what He is saying. Go beyond just the surface. What is He trying to say here? Is He actually giving us instructions on pulling oxen out of ditches and who to invite to dinner parties? Does Jesus really care about where we sit at someone else’s banquet? Jesus’ concern is not about the physical, but only about the spiritual.

Every story in this chapter is about pride and selfishness. He is addressing the attitude of getting what I want AND what I deserve. Think about what you want and what you deserve in life. Don’t think about the Sunday school answer, but think about the times when you get frustrated because you don’t get what you deserve or what you are expecting. Now, read the chapter again and think about the attitudes He was addressing. Think about the applications in your life.

The Sabbath had become a very prideful and selfish day in the life of a Jew. Following the letter of the law (or in many cases the letter of the tradition) brought about a sense of pride. Something to accomplish that deserved admiration. It was also a selfish day, because in fact, most responsibilities were not allowed by the law. It had become a self-centered day rather than a God-centered day. God was involved, but there was a limit. Does that sound familiar? The meaning and purpose of the Sabbath had been lost.

Read the other stories with the same thought in mind.

Don’t choose what you think you deserve, but allow someone else to make that decision – even if they don’t make it correctly or at all.

Live life to be repaid and appreciated in eternity, rather than receiving a temporary reward on earth.

Do not just automatically assume you are invited to the banquet in heaven because of your family heritage or religious practices. It is very possible that the Lord is calling, but life (a prideful religious life) is distracting you from answering.

You have to give up what you treasure most to be Jesus’ disciple. There is a SIGNIFICANT cost!

A true follower of Christ WILL impact the world around them.

--David Jones, CEO