God has blessed our church with outstanding leadership this year in the two directors who will be leading this year’s Vacation Bible School. We rejoice in the commitment, dedication and selfless energy of Carol Childers and Susan Dominicali. The teaching staff, administrative leaders and VBS support workers are the best any church can ever anticipate. I have been so impressed by the partnership exhibited by every participant. This is a unified effort. Everyone is on board and eager to see God do an amazing work in the lives of child enrolled next week in our “GAME ON” Vacation Bible School Ministry.
 
Listen to this year’s Bible memory verse:
“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)
 
Think about the pressures and expectations children face today to excel in their efforts to achieve acceptance and validation at home, at school, in athletics, and in their social circles with friends and advisors. More pressure is forced upon children today than ever. Not so with God. God just gives them everything they need. Every child is a contribution to God’s glory and goodness. Every child is a testimony of godliness and knowledge of the things that are really important. When you look into the face of a child, you see the face of God looking back at you. God’s divine power is reflected in the lives of our children. If you want to see what God looks like, look at your children.
 
Your attitude, your acceptance, your compassion toward children shows everybody what’s in your soul. Jesus said:
“Suffer the children to come unto me and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:14)
 
Parents who are eager to teach their children about Jesus show everybody what’s in their soul. Churches who make children a priority show what the collective soul of the entire congregation looks like. If you want to see heaven this next week, join our children in Vacation Bible School and hang out for a while. You’ll learn more about what God is like than any sermon, book, web site or conference can possibly offer. I am totally PUMPED about what God going to do at Grace next week as we get our “GAME ON” and let God show us His power and godliness demonstrated through our children who praise, worship, memorize verses, play, jump and dance, lift their arms, make noise, drop crumbs, hug, and embrace the things of God all because they love Jesus.

GET YOURSELF READY!
GET YOUR GAME ON!
PRAY!

GET UP
AND
 
JOIN IN THE FUN!

Many of you received this past week a response to my email blast sent a couple of weeks ago about giving which asked everyone to bring tithes and offerings to church to help make up the difference between our year-to-date budget requirements and the actual receipts received at that time. We were approaching a deficit of $17,000.00. A response from someone regarding my appeal quoted a scripture from 1 Samuel:
 
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offering and sacrifice, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)
 
The position of the person quoting the scripture was that obedience is more important and valued by God than cold rituals or the blind observances created by men. The exact quote was,
 
“So, I urge all my brethren to tune into God’s voice and obey and quit worrying about the rituals that we think we are supposed to do, and that we are being told to do. Start listening and obeying…”
 
My response to this point is, “I agree.” Obedience is more impressive to God than any ritual, but when did biblical giving become a ritual?
 
A couple of scriptures will suffice:
 
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)
 
Tithing is not a ritual thought up by the prophet Malachi. Tithing is a direct challenge by God to the prophet promising blessings that outweigh any sacrifice we may offer. You can never out give God.
 
Here’s another one:
 
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 25:35)
 
A giving heart reflects the heart of God:
 
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16a)
 
A selfish and stingy heart is not one that is close to God’s heart. Giving is not really a matter of sacrifice or obedience as much as it is a matter of what kind of heart you have.
 
I am grateful today and praise God for the heart of Grace Baptist Church. When I wrote the email to you about bringing your offerings to church to help close the financial gap, many of you have responded not out of obedience to sacrifice. You have responded out of your heart. Our weekly budget calls for general offerings in the amount of $3,940.98. In the last two Sundays, giving has been $5,236 on Sunday, June 3rd. This past Sunday, June 10th, the general offering was $8,955. This means that your generosity has reduced our deficit by $6,309.04 cutting the shortfall from $16,571 to $10,262. The Bible says:
 
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
 
May giving of tithes and offerings at Grace always be that way. God is never as impressed with sacrificial giving or even with obedient giving as He is with cheerful giving from the heart. When it comes to giving, check your heart and God will show you what you He wants you to do.

Good Words from God’s Word
 
Robbie and I are grateful for time away last week to spend vacation with our family. We particularly enjoyed sharing a few days with our grandchildren having a great time soaking up sun and sand on the beach. Matthew and I spent a few hours fishing which, of course, resulted in him catching the biggest lunker caught by at least the 50 other people who were fishing with us on the party boat. He caught what they called a “Hog” fish. It was a big red, big lipped, pig of a fish (6 lbs. at least) that had a couple of really nasty looking teeth. He had it filleted and plans to eat what they called a super tasty treat.
 
My contribution to the trip was to read an old book from my seminary days, but never read, entitled “The Empty Cross” by Michael Green. I read about the 9 reasons the Bible says Jesus went to the cross. I read about the reasons famous theologians and preachers in history believe he went to the cross. I was amazed by the love of God that was demonstrated at the cross. I was humbled by the amazing grace revealed at the cross for me, because my sins combined with the sins of the whole world put Him there. When you look at the cross, you have to realize that God’s grace is big enough to include your own sins along with everybody else’s. PRAISE GOD!
 
The truth of the cross is stated by one of my favorite commentators, William Barclay: “One thing I know—that because of Jesus Christ and because of what he is and did and does my whole relationship with God is changed. Because of Jesus Christ, I know that God is my father and friend. Daily and hourly I experience the fact that I can enter into his presence with confidence and with boldness. He is no longer my enemy; he is no longer even my judge. There is no longer an unbridgeable gulf between him and me. I am more at home with him than with any human being in the world. And all this is so because of Jesus Christ and it could not possibly have happened without him.” (William Barclay, Crucified and Crowned, p. 130)
 
If the cross is anything, it is the front door of a new and intimate relationship with God made possible by the blood of Jesus. God does not allow sin to disrupt the flow of His love for us. He will not stand for us to remain separated from Him by sin or unbelief. He has made a way. God wants to walk with us, talk with us and be our Heavenly Father. He made it possible for us to have a close relationship with Him at Calvary. The only thing now that will keep us at a distance is to reject what Jesus did there. God is relational. You can deny to have a relationship with Him, but that’s on you. God will not interfere with your free choice.
 
So, I sing today with the hymn writer:

In the cross of Christ I glory
Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time;
Gathers round it’s head sublime.
 
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy;
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! It glows with peace and joy.
 

I just mailed a card this morning to Che Buffington, one of our young African-American members who is now serving in the United States Navy. Our “Thinking-Of-You” and “Thank You” card was a part of our Memorial Day Sunday highlights on which many of our members signed their names and wrote notes of appreciation. Che is the son of Roy and Autumn Buffington who are active members of our church. They love Sunday School and rarely miss a single Sunday in the Adult II class taught by Doug and Bertha Hutson. Che was an active member of our College and Career Sunday School class.
 
As I slid Che’s card in the mail-drop slot at the Post Office this morning, I did so with a heavy heart. The most prominent news item taking place this Memorial Weekend was the totally racist and ugly tweet from the ABC celebrity which leveled inappropriate slurs against an African-American aide to President Barack Obama. She used words like “…Muslim brotherhood and planet of the apes had a baby” in her comments about this woman who served with honor under the previous president’s administration.
 
The response to the verbal attack was swift and direct. The remake of the show on which she stars boasted 25 million viewers in its first showing. The show was rated the number 1 attraction for nighttime TV since its beginning. However, ABC’s Entertainment President, wrote, “…the twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values and we have decided to cancel her show.” I believe the cancellation was obviously necessary and completely appropriate.
 
Why am I bringing this up on a Sunday morning when we gather to study God’s word and worship the Lord Jesus? What in the world does this outlandish tweet have to do with what God is doing here at Grace. Well, let me point out to you what God is doing here at Grace. Che Buffington is just one African-American young man God has led to become a part of the Grace Church family. Roy and Autumn are just one African-American couple God is brought to this fellowship. Let me share just a few of the names that come to mind:
 
     Elaston (Nassau) Hamilton      (African-American)
     Dorothy (Ms. Dot) Jones          (African-American)
     Richard and Rosa McLawhorn (Ethnically Blended)
     Juan and Consuelo Taborda    (Hispanic)
     Johan and Erika Zuleta           (Hispanic)
     Chris and Amy Rodrigues       (Ethnically Blended)
     Angel and Carol Rodriguez     (Ethnically Blended)
     Lionel and Melinda Lopez       (Ethnically Blended)
 
Then we can add our children to the diversity of our church:
     Gracie Lovell
     Summer Beech
     Amaya and Niomi Lopez
     Isaiah Rodriguez
     Alexandro and Brooklyn Rivera
     Levi Laughridge (New Born Baby)
     Isaiah and Elijah McIntosh
 
Grace Baptist Church is a “WHOSOEVER WILL” church. Race and Ethnicity do not apply in a “WHOSOEVER WILL” church.

 
Let me remind all of us that the Cross is multi-racial and multi-ethnic. The Church in which Jesus Christ is Lord,
 
“…is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
 
There is no racial or ethnic distinctions in heaven,
 
“…and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9)
 
Everybody from everywhere will be wearing white robes when we get to glory. I’m sure I missed some names in my listing of precious souls whom God has added to our church family. Forgive me. We give thanks to God for everyone God brings to us no matter the color of their skin or the origin of their birth. Pray for people who do not appreciate God’s color blindness. Racial slurs and hateful name calling do not belong in a color-blind congregation. Like the song says,

 
Praise God today that you are worshiping in a church that is color blind like God is.