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Archive for the ‘Sunday School Teachers’ Category

You Ain’t Got Time!!

with 6 comments

 

 

 

 

 

You Ain’t Got Time!!

 

I Understand!

I Don’t Know How You Can Do What You Do!

You’re Busy! Very Busy!

I’m Even A Bit Sorry To Say Anything And Interrupt You!

 

Studies Show The Average American Works 47 Hours A Week. Or, 8.8 Hours A Day.

The Gallop Poll: https://news.gallup.com/poll/175286/hour-workweek-actually-longer-seven-hours.aspx

 

The Average American

  • Sleeps About 8 Hours A Day
  • Eats About 67 Minutes A Day
  • Drives About 101 Minutes A Day
  • Watches 2.8 Hours Of TV A Day

https://www.tempo.io/blog/7-time-consuming-things-an-average-joe-spends-in-a-lifetime

 

The Average American Spends 12 Hours And 9 Minutes A Day On Media.

https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-time-spent-with-media-2019

 

The Average American Spends 24 Hours A Week On-Line

https://www.technologyreview.com/f/610045/the-average-american-spends-24-hours-a-week-online/

 

Teens Spend Nine Hours A Day In Front Of Screens.

Plus, They Go To School For About Six Hours A Day.

Children 8-12 Spend Six Hours A Day With Screens.

 

Teens Spend ‘Astounding’ Nine Hours a Day in Front of Screens: – BY MAGGIE FOX AND ERIKA EDWARDS

 

Besides All This… There’s:

  • House Cleaning
  • Laundry
  • Shopping
  • Lawn Care
  • Home Maintenance
  • Gym Work Outs
  • Meal Preparations
  • Caring For Your Children
  • School/College Classes
  • Homework
  • Cramming For Exams
  • Your Job

 

There Are Not Enough Hours in Your Day. I Get That.

You’re Overwhelmed With Your Schedule. Absolutely.

Your Plate Is Too Full To Add Anything Else. I See That.

  

I Understand That You Aren’t Able To Be Involved Much At Church Because Of Your Schedule.

 

So, I Won’t Ask Why You Weren’t At Church Sunday Night, Or At The Midweek Service.

 

 

I Also Noticed You Don’t Have Time To Help: 

  • Drive The Sunday School Bus
  • Work The Bus Route
  • Teach Sunday School
  • Help In The Nursery

 

  • Be Involved In Ladies / Men’s Groups
  • Do Visitor Follow Up
  • Be In The Choir
  • Play In The Orchestra

 

  • Do Bible Quizzing
  • Be At Prayer Meeting
  • Make It To Pre-Service Prayer
  • Be Part Of The Youth Department

 

  • Teach Home Bible Studies
  • Do Outreach
  • Help In The Easter Pageant
  • Help With Children’s Church

 

  • Serve After Church
  • Be At Men’s Work Day
  • Clean The Church
  • Join Usher / Greeter Department

 

  • Cleaning Up After Meals / Washing Dishes
  • Decorating
  • Fund Raising
  • Working In The Fireworks Stand

 

  • Mow The Church Yard
  • Plant Flowers
  • Pull Weeds
  • Help In The Media Room

 

  • Being Used In Intercessory Prayer
  • Pray Around The Altar
  • Visit The Sick
  • Care For The Widows

 

 

You’re Very Busy! Yet, You Find Time To…

  • Keep Up With All The Sports Teams And Their Stats.
  • Know All About Politics And Politicians
  • Hang Out With Your Friends Regularly
  • Take Selfies At Starbucks And Nice Restaurants

 

  • Take Weekend Get-A-Way Trips
  • Go Hunting And Fishing
  • Enjoy Your Hobbies
  • Visit Friends And Relatives

 

And, You’ve Got Time To…

  • Gossip on The Phone
  • Go Out To McDonald’s After Church
  • Stay Out Past Midnight
  • Play War Games On Your Computer
  • Baby Sit
  • Play Ball With The Church Group
  • Take Your Dog Jogging

You MAKE Time To Do What You Want To Do!

 

 

Let’s Talk About Who You May Not Want To Confront You In The Judgment!

 

Jonah – He was too busy and filled with excuses to obey God’s Call. He ran from his duty. God sent a storm to get his attention.

 

James And John – Left their nets and their livelihood and followed Jesus.

 

Matthew – Walked away from his Tax Collecting table and followed Jesus.

 

Doctor Luke – Closed his Clinic and sent his patients away and followed Jesus.

 

Martha – Too busy to sit at the feet of Jesus.

 

Elisha – Was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. He killed his oxen and made a sacrifice of them and followed Elijah, not even taking the time to tell his family goodbye.

 

Woman At The Well – Left her water pot at the well to go tell everyone about Jesus.

 

Ruth – Walked away from her family, her people and her gods, to follow after Naomi and her God.

 

Noah – Put his life on hold to obey God’s command to build an Ark.

 

Phebe – “A servant of the church.”

 

 

 

God Even Used Teenagers In The Bible

 

  • Mary – Mother of Jesus
  • Joseph –  Was 17
  • Daniel – Teen when captured. Became Prime Minister
  • David – 17 when he killed Goliath
  • Jeremiah – 14 when he started Prophesying and said  “Ask for the old paths”
  • Esther – When she stood before the king.
  • James and John – teens when Jesus called them.
  • Timothy – A teen when he began to work with Paul

 

 

The Inhabitants Of Meroz Were Too Busy Taking Care Of Their Flocks And Herds To Help The Rest Of Israel Fight The Enemy.

 

Judges 5:23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

 

This Society Wants Everything Given To Them.

They Think Life Is Just About Them.

 

As In The Bible Days… They Follow Jesus For The Loaves And The Fishes.

They Want Heavenly Rain To Fall On Their Lives, Yet Refuse To Send Up Any Vapor.

 

 

Today I Make A Plea For Your Involvement In The Work Of The Lord

 

Your Lack Of Involvement Is

  • Hindering Revival In Your Church.
  • Causing Apathy To Spread.
  • Cursing Your Soul.
  • Killing Your Pastor By Making Him Take Up The Slack.

 

How Can You Say You Live For God When Your Life Is All About You?

You Are Not Living For God, You’re Living For You.

Actually… It’s Not YOUR Life At All. You’ve Been Bought With A Price.

 

Deut. 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

 

Does The Following Scripture Describe You?

 

Luke 8:14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

 

If So, Repent And Live For God With All Your Heart.

 

 

Written by Martyn Ballestero

December 9, 2019 at 7:48 am

Posted in Acts Of Service, Blessings, Christian Living, God's House, Ministry, Obedience, Overcoming, Personal Growth, Sacrifice, Sunday School Teachers

“I Used To Go To Sunday School There!”

with 6 comments

 

“I Used To Go To Sunday School There!”

It was cold! The outside temperature in South Bend, Indiana showed three degrees above zero. The snow was falling in big gentle flakes. There was already about eight inches of new and un-plowed snow on the street.

It was after two o’clock in the morning as I walked to my van from Bro. Victor Simon’s house. His wife, Sis. Helen Simon had called after midnight and said that her husband was in severe pain with a kidney stone. He wanted me to come and pray for him, and so I did.

The Simons were not just members of the church; they were pillars of the church as well. In their senior years, they were still very active. It pained us all to watch Bro. Simon suffer from this horrible condition.

I unlocked my custom-sized van as I came out of their house and stepped up onto the running board kicking the snow off of my shoes before getting in. The wiper blades removed the snow enough for me to see, as the engine started. I was only ten blocks or so from home, so the heater wouldn’t be of much help tonight.

There were no tire tracks in the new snow, so no one had been down this road in a long while. I pulled up to the first intersection, which was only about a half block away to make a left turn. That’s when I saw a hood-covered man walking under the street light with his head down.

It was miserably cold out. Not windy, just cold. I felt bad though, for anyone having to walk in deep snow. Besides, it was two in the morning and did I mention that it was cold outside?

I swung my van close to the curb, rolled my window down and asked him if he’d like a ride. He nodded and got in.

As I put the van in motion, I asked him where he needed to go, and he said, “just keep driving.”

His response and word choices just sounded wrong. I could tell that things were going to go bad very quickly. I smiled and said nothing. One block later he announced in gruff tones, “I’ve got a knife!”

The knife he brandished threateningly at me had a blade about eight inches long. It looked like a hunting knife at first.

After my initial glance at the knife, I looked back through the front windshield. And, as if nothing had just happened, I started talking.

“I’ve just come from the house of an old man who is a member of the church that I pastor. He’s in a lot of pain with kidney stones right now. He wanted me to pray for him because he believes God will heal him. That’s why I’m out here this time of night.” (By now, He had been in the van for about two blocks.)

“What church do you pastor?” The hood-covered figures asked.

“I pastor Christ Temple Apostolic Church on the corner of Elwood Avenue and Elmer Street.”

He paused a brief moment in thought and then said, “Pull over right here!”

I pulled the van to the curb. His hand was on the door handle as he half turned his hooded face toward me.

He began to speak in an apologetic tone. “When I was a little boy, I used to attend Sunday School there. That’s a good church, and those are some good people. Keep up the good work.”

With that, the mystery man got out of the van and closed the door. He was unwilling to talk anymore. Condemned by his own attempt to do wrong, and no doubt realizing how far from Sunday School truths he had fallen, he slipped into the night.

I drove on through the un-plowed snow, thanking God for his mercy, and for every Sunday School Teacher in our Church!

 

 

Written by Martyn Ballestero

March 11, 2018 at 6:56 am

Posted in God's House, Ministry, Sunday School Teachers, Thankfulness