Week of September 23

Greetings Parents,

A word of encouragement for parents from Charles Spurgeon's morning and evening devotion...

"Bring him unto me."
Mark 9:19

Despairingly the poor disappointed father turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means had failed, but the miserable child was soon delivered from the evil one when the parent in faith obeyed the Lord Jesus' word, "Bring him unto me." Children are a precious gift from God, but much anxiety comes with them. They may be a great joy or a great bitterness to their parents; they may be filled with the Spirit of God, or possessed with the spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one receipt for the curing of all their ills, "Bring him unto me." O for more agonizing prayer on their behalf while they are yet babes! Sin is there, let our prayers begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries which betoken their actual advent into a world of sin. In the days of their youth we shall see sad tokens of that dumb and deaf spirit which will neither pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul, but Jesus still commands, "Bring them unto me." When they are grown up they may wallow in sin and foam with enmity against God; then when our hearts are breaking we should remember the great Physician's words, "Bring them unto me." Never must we cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives.

The Lord sometimes suffers his people to be driven into a corner that they may experimentally know how necessary he is to them. Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to flee to the strong for strength, and this is a great blessing to us. Whatever our morning's need may be, let it like a strong current bear us to the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow, he delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to him while he waits to meet us.

A few announcements as we head into next week.

Hyfi and Refuge students will continue this Wednesday from 6:30-7:45pm. Instead of checking children/youth in at the education building this week, please check them in at the fellowship hall and have a seat with them at one of the tables in front of the kitchen. We will be having a ten-minute behavioral meeting with families before children/youth are dismissed to Hyfi and Refuge Students.  The children and youth have been having behavioral issues that need to be addressed, and new policies need to be put in place to enforce behavior.

Refuge Students will happen at its normal time this Sunday (9/28) from 6:00pm-7:30pm.

Don't forget to check out our Refuge Students Calendar, and the attached Family Worship Calendar.

May the Lord bless and keep you and your family over the upcoming week,

Matt



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