"FAT BABY"
Some of you may
remember a song that Amy Grant used to sing by that title…back before the days
of being careful with our words, or at least not when you want to make a
point, and when you're willing to step back and laugh a little at yourself. Three fantastically fun friends
from my youth group in high school grabbed 1st place honors in a
talent show one night by performing this song in a very memorable way. Dan, Troy and George came out from behind the
stage wearing nothing but white tablecloths wrapped around themselves like diapers, with bottles in their mouths, and little baby bonnets on top of their heads. I tried
really hard to sing the song, but it wasn’t easy because everyone was roaring
with laughter. Well, maybe not the lady, whose job it was to precisely press and neatly fold and hang the church’s tablecloths in the (off-limits) storage room…hehe.
I sure wish I had a picture to show you,
but it was before everyone walked around with a camera phone,
and lucky for all four of us, before YouTube…haha.
The point of the
song, if you’re not familiar with it, is that some people choose to “get saved”
(their fire insurance to save them from "H-E-Double-Hockey-Stick") but stay a
spiritual baby by only eating their “spiritual lunch” once a week. Unlike lions or some snakes…humans need to eat more
often than once or twice a week. Filling
our mouths and our stomachs several times a day can be a good reminder that we have
the tremendous privilege and opportunity to fill up on tasty spiritual morsels
throughout the day, as well.
The same goes for
our emotional health. We can’t grow
spiritually while remaining in emotional infancy. The series we’re starting this Sunday
literally has the potential to be life-changing. Family-changing. Church-changing. Community-changing. No lie.
It’s that good. And every single
one of us, no matter where we are on our God-honoring faith walk, can benefit
from applying the truths from this series to our lives.
In addition to
Pastor David’s teachings during morning worship, we’ll be sending out a weekly
Constant Contact E-Newsletter that will remind you to do the recommended homework
between Sundays, along with easy ways for you to integrate the
main points into your family’s dinner, lunch, breakfast, or bedtime routine. The youth group will be driving main points
home with age-appropriate exercises; small groups will be studying the material
together; and a new Adult Bible Class lead by Shara Martin, will be
going through the workbook during the 9:30 Sunday School hour in the Courtyard
Rooms. Everyone is welcome!
Growing up and
maturing is a process. Sometimes it’s
painful, and sometimes we just can’t do it alone. Pastor David, Sierra, and I have been praying
for each one of you as we all embark on this journey together, with the Holy Spirit's leading, toward
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. May the
LORD, our awesome God do marvelous things in hearts and lives over the next
nine weeks..and beyond!
If there’s such a
thing as “YouTube” in Heaven, make sure you search for “Fat Baby, Solid Rock
Youth Group”. It’ll be the one with a gazillion
Heavenly views and angelic belly laughs.
;-)
Some “food” for thought:
Colossians 2:6,7 (ESV)
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted
and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.”
Hebrews 5:13,14 (NIV)
“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with
the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by
constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
I Corinthians 3:2,3 (NLT)
“I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t
ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still
controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel
with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature?
Aren’t you living like people of the world?”
2 Peter 1:5-10 (NCV)
“Because you have these blessings, do
your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and
to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and
to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and
to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ;
and to this kindness, add love. If all these things are in you and are growing,
they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. But anyone who does not have these things cannot see clearly. He
is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins. My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that you
really are called and chosen by God. If you do all these things, you will never
fall. And you will be given a very great
welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Yummm… :-P
-Bonnie
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