Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T Carnell, McAlester, OK
Aug. 9, 2011

“It’s Time for School!”
“When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, ‘Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live.’” – Proverbs 4:3-4

It is school-time once again across the state and in many places throughout our nation. There are a number of reminders of this all around us. At the corner of our street just in front of our house is a bus stop. Monday through Friday we can watch as McAlester school-children are getting on or getting off the bus. Quite often there are a number of cars in the Church parking lot that are either dropping off or picking up their children. To the east of us is William Gay Elementary School. I have to admit that during the summer I miss the sounds of the kids playing during recess. It reminds me of the days when my children were that age and in school. As much as it may appear to our children that sending them to school is nothing short of cruelty and parental abuse we all know there is something much more important at work—the shaping of lives and minds that is meant to guide them through their entire lives. That of course is the intent—whether or not that happens is entirely up to each individual child and how deep their desire to learn burns within them. Or is there more to it than that? Could it be that there is more to our children’s learning than what happens in the classroom? Could it be that our children’s desire to learn begins with—dare I say—Us? Parents? Grandparents? Aunts…Uncles…and yes…even the Church? Going back to chapter one I made the assumption that as the king’s son, Solomon had access to the best learning available. There is no doubt that the brightest minds and teachers in the land provided any of the king’s children the best education available. But do you notice in this verse where Solomon says his learning really began? With his father. And when he was young and impressionable. I am writing this message at a time when there is something happening within the life of our church that is exciting to be a part of—seeing a number of children running around and just as springtime is a reminder of new life—seeing these children reminds us that the Kingdom goes on! It also means we (as a church) have a great responsibility. A responsibility to teach them the Word of Life. We do that not just by our words but also by our lives and our actions. If we want them to know what it means to serve—are we serving? If we want them to know how to tithe—are we tithing? If we want them to know important it is to pray—do they see us praying? If we want them to trust in the Lord—do they see us trusting? One last thing—and this goes back to the element of desire. I believe that children learn best when we are passionate about what we believe. My best teachers were those who were deeply passionate about what they were teaching. One of my favorite teachers was Mr. Kynor—a Social Studies teacher in Junior High. Every day in his class he gave us his best. You would never know if he was having a bad day because his demeanor was always positive. I don’t remember there ever being a problem in his class—and it was not just because he was a former Marine—but because he commanded respect through his attitude. Does it not make sense that we should do the same? Let us give our children a reason to believe and to show that we can be passionate about the Lord!
Pastor J. T. Carnell