The Enemy has Plans for your Children – Do you? (8 Sep 2013)

Firstly please join me to wish all our Sunday school teachers a very blessed teacher’s day. Let us also take this opportunity to thank them for being there every Sunday to teach our children and youths God’s Word, pray for them and lead many to a saving faith in Christ Jesus. We should do this all through the year and not just on Teacher’s Day!!

Children matter to God! The Bible makes it clear that children are uniquely special to God. If you examine what the Scriptures say about children, you will discover how precious they are to Him. We (especially parents) have a generational responsibility to grow our children into disciples of Jesus. Our role is to spiritually mentor them so that the legacy of faith continues from generation to generation. We have to invest early and start while they’re young as it is during these crucial years that lifelong habits, values, beliefs and attitudes are formed. The older a person gets the more difficult it is for him or her to replace existing moral and spiritual pillars. Hence we should place more emphasis on our children’s moral and spiritual growth rather than their intellectual, physical and emotional development. For though we can strive to give our youngsters all the advantages the world has to offer, and motivate them to make the most of available opportunities and resources; but unless their spiritual life is prioritized and nurtured, they will miss out on much of the meaning, purpose and joy in life. This calls for a reprioritizing of our time and resources to the spiritual development of our children and youths. The church is crucial in this process, but the child’s family is central. Partnership between parents and church is paramount in our mutual efforts to develop strong spiritual foundations early and reinforce those foundations as the child ages.

The more strategic and diligent we are in these efforts, the greater a harvest we will reap. Alternatively the more apathetic we choose to be in our efforts to produce life-long followers of Jesus the less healthy the church and society of the future will be. The choice is ours. If we do a great job of training children to love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul, then we will no longer have to invest time battling over moral and spiritual issues such as abortion, homosexuality, gambling and pornography. Do not let Satan win over the minds, hearts and souls of our children.

Teaching Sunday school is a tremendous privilege. Make sure you know the Bible and live it in your own life. Be prepared to teach by being very familiar with the material. Remember that the Bible is God’s Living Word, and is fresh and exciting. After all, “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16). Get to know and love your students, and you should have a very successful time teaching Sunday school.
 

Sister Teo Soke Fung
Superintendent Senior Sunday School