Sending Them Off With Prayer

Recently, the Lewisville (TX) church of Christ hosted their annual "Sending
Them Off With Prayer" Night. During this gathering, the church prays for
everyone involved in the beginning of a new school year.

This year, the Lewisville church added something new: Bibles were given to
all of the children who were entering the first grade. These rising
first-graders were called to the front of the building with their parents
and were presented with a Bible by the minister, Jeff Jenkins.

Jeff related some of the responses from these first graders:

"One of our parents sent me a picture of her little girl in bed the night
before her first day of school and she is holding her Bible."

"Another one of our students came up to me during the next church service
and said, 'Mr. Jeff, look, I brought my new Bible!'"

"Another parent sent me the following story about her daughter: 'Avery was
SO EXCITED tonight when she received her Bible at church. She quickly
noticed it had a map in the back. She looked up at me and said, "Mommy,
look, it has a map; now I will never be lost."'"

Jeff smiled and thought to myself, "You are right. this Bible is your map so
you will never be lost." *

The Bible, God's Word, IS our map. It reveals where we are, where we are
headed, and our desired destination.

The Bible reveals that we are lost in sin, and the wages of sin is DEATH
(Romans 6:23).

But the Bible also reveals that God loves us so much that He gave His Son
Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that we might have forgiveness of
our sins and have access to the Way to eternal life in heaven (John 3:16).
Jesus is that Way (John 14:6).

The Bible gives us the following directions to reach our proper Destination
(Heaven): place your faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), repent of sin
(Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).

Then we must continue to follow Heaven's Road Map for the rest of our lives,
being careful not to "veer off course" (1 John 1:7). We must continue to
follow that narrow and difficult way which leads to life everlasting
(Matthew 7:13-14).

"Your Word is a LAMP to my feet And a LIGHT to my path." - Psalm 119:105

Yes, Avery, God has given us a Map (His Word) so that we will never be
lost - IF we will read and heed His instructions.

Won't YOU?

David A. Sargent