At this time when youngsters are heading back to school, they need to be reminded that just because they are young does not mean they cannot serve God faithfully. The Bible contains notable examples of young people who did not go along with the crowd, who stepped up and did extraordinary things, and the young of this generation can follow in their footsteps.

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An accompanying PowerPoint presentation is also available: Young Lights Can Shine Brightly

Bill and Fred are both faithful in their attendance and ac­tive in the work of the local church, but unfortunately both men have a grown child who does not serve the Lord faithfully. The spiritual lives of Bill and Fred seem similar in many ways, but when it comes to dealing with the unfaithful child there is a big dif­ference.

When Bill is asked about his son, he is honest in describing the situation and urges everyone to do all they can to help re­store his son to faithfulness. If anything is said to Fred, he immediately becomes defensive and makes excuses for his son. While Bill wishes people would be more direct in dealing with the soul-threatening sin in his son’s life, Fred continually worries that someone is going to say the wrong thing to his son and “offend” him.

Note: Please understand that the following is not intended to represent the way the final judgment will actually take place, but is intended to make us think seriously about our attitude toward the Bible in preparation for the day when all “will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

All the nations have been gathered before the great throne of God and it is announced that everyone will be tested on their understanding of the Bible. No, the test will not require you to list in order all the kings of the divided kingdom or even the twelve sons of Jacob; instead, this will be a test of how you understand certain passages. With your eternal fate hanging in the balance, how would you explain the following?

• An elaborate, cathedral-like structure or maybe a simple country building?
• Good food?
• Recreational opportunities?
• Scouts, child care, education?
• Political protests?

If these are things you associate with the word “church,” we urge you to consider the following facts…

Our nation is going through some tough economic times. When such trials come, some people turn away from God, but it does not have to be that way. Tough times such like these can give us an opportunity to draw nearer to God and develop an even deeper faith.

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