This past week we had our Vacation Bible Experience. I like this title as opposed to the traditional Vacation Bible School since it was not really school, but rather an amazing experience!

So here are a few things I learned this week, in no particular order.

• The great joys of Vacation Bible experience are the day you begin, and the day you end. It does not matter how many times I have done this it is always crazy and exhausting.
   
• We do it for the kids. I am always amazed by how dedicated our staff is. Many come straight from work to church and minister to kids until close to 9 PM. Seven days a week! They receive no monetary incentive. They do it all simply to bless the kids and to be a positive influence, a positive memory in the life of a child who could never repay them.
   
• Kids love VBX, they love the decorations, the music, the crafts, the stories, the games. They love being at church and interacting with loving staff. The kids feel loved and they know we are doing all this for them, they feel special.
   
• Theology is at its best is when it can be taught to children. The VBX program we used for our church is called Cactusville, and during it, the children learned how they are called by God to be different, to be faithful, to forgive, to serve, to give. These are things I want everyone at church to know, not just the kids. We learned these lessons from Bible characters such as John the Baptist, Abraham, Joseph, Deborah, and Jesus.
   
  • John the Baptist was different from those around him, but he was not different just for the sake of being different, he was different for a reason! He had a mission, he had to prepare people to receive Jesus.
    Could it be that when we as adults fail to be different according to God's calling, that we miss opportunities to prepare those around us to receive Jesus?
     
  • Abraham was faithful. Being faithful brought about all kinds of challenges, but also amazing experiences with God.
    Could it be that our faith is weak because we have not been faithful to the light God has already revealed to us?
    Could it be that as we become more faithful in the little things, that God will reveal greater things to us?
    Could our lack of faithfulness be holding back God's blessings and frustrating His plans for our lives?
     
  • Joseph was willing to forgive his brothers. The Joseph story is complex and amazing! At every turn, Joseph had plenty of reasons to be bitter and vengeful, but he chose to forgive. By forgiving others Joseph freed himself to achieve increasingly higher levels of success. Anger and bitterness could have kept Joseph as a defeated victim. And I doubt anyone would have blamed him. But when Joseph chose to forgive he was freed to move on and with God's blessings he achieved more than anyone could have imagined. Joseph had power and the opportunity to retaliate, but he chose to forgive and he was a great blessing for thousands of people.
    Are we being held back from enjoying life and advancing because we refuse to forgive someone?
    What benefits do we get from withholding forgiveness?
    What benefits do we gain by forgiving?
     
  • Deborah was called to serve. Some want to believe that God only called men to lead, but Deborah is a great example of a woman who was a judge and a prophetess. When God had a message for His people He would tell Deborah and she would let the people know the will of God. As a judge, she would guide and teach and solve disputes the children of Israel might have. She was wise, she was brave and she was a God's special friend. Deborah was so dedicated to service she was even willing to go to war with the army when they were too afraid to go.
    Are we willing to serve others in the capacity that God calls us to?
     
  • Jesus is our ultimate example. Jesus came to serve, but ultimately to give. Jesus gave Himself for us. We are called to follow His example and also give.
    What is Jesus asking you to give up?
    What are you holding on to that's keeping you from reaching the next level in your walk with God?
    Are you willing to give in order to be a blessing for someone else?
     
• If we would only live out the things we teach our children. If we took the heart the things we taught our kids during this week of VBX, our lives would be transformed, our church would be revived, our community would be revolutionized, and our world would be impacted.
   
• Life is not that complicated. Just ask our children what they learned during VBX.