What do you think it meant when they said of Jesus that he "stirs up the people?" When we think of stirring something up we think of stirring cookie dough, or of stirring our soup when it is too hot, or stirring chocolate into milk to make cocoa. When we do that we move things around, don't we? We mix things together. Nothing stays the same.
As you work on a school assignment and discover that you have make a mistake how do you correct the error? Yes, you can use an eraser to remove the words or numbers that are wrong and start over. (Demonstrate) That is like what happens when we say, "I'm sorry."
In the Bible we find this written: "Let love be without hypocrisy" (12:9). This means let love be genuine. Love that is real comes from God. We receive his love and it becomes a part of us - it is the real thing. When we study the life of Jesus and try to follow his example of love, we become filled with his love through and through. Then we are able to find ways of sharing that love with others. Genuine love, real love, allows us to "cling to that which is good" (12:9).
Paul talks about is how within God's family everyone has different gifts and strengths. You might be good at one thing and I might be good at another. That sounds a lot like a classroom, doesn't it - and what an important thing to remember as we start the year!
When our individual gifts are combined with the gifts of other Christians, we have the ability to make something very beautiful. God's light transforms us, just like sunlight causes our stained glass windows to sparkle and glow.
God does not change his mind about who he chooses to be a part of his family. The Bible says "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (11:29). Irrevocable is a big word that means not able to be changed. God calls everyone to be a part of his family and gives us the gift of his love. That will never change. It is a done deal. His love for us is irrevocable. We can count on it and know that God will not change his mind.
We can think about the gift of God's love in the same way. God is love and his love is offered to everyone. His love does not become less as more people share it. The Bible tells us that "the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him" (10:12). "For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved" (10:13). Each one of us can enjoy God's love and share it with others. There will always be enough for all.
Jesus teaches that we should not become "loaded down with…the cares of this life" (21:34). "The cares of this life" are the things that cause us to worry. When we see bad things happen or experience difficulties we may become discouraged and our heart may feel heavy. These are the times we need to be especially strong.
Today I want you to think about how you will greet Jesus when he comes again. Will you hold your arms wide open to show him that you are excited to welcome him? Will you say, "Welcome back, Jesus"? Will you say, "I love you, Jesus"? When you get home, take this piece of paper and draw a picture––a picture of yourself welcoming Jesus.
Jesus says this about worry: "So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with… (the) cares of this life" (21:34). Worry is not a helpful thing. It makes us feel uncomfortable and fearful. Worry can feel like a heavy thing that we carry around. Jesus speaks about hope. He teaches us that we may wonder what will happen and when it will happen, but reminds us, "God is near" (21:31).