Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church     
 
Pastor Tim Janiszewski - "It's for the Kids"

Links:

 

Messages of Grace

(Past Recorded Sermons) 









Speaker:
 
Ashley Gardner, 
Children's Director



This Sunday:
Children's Sunday 
April 17, 2016



Sermon Title:
"Godly Routine"



Passage:
  Daniel 6  




Picture of Pastor Tim
April 14, 2016
 
Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:
 
Long ago when our kids were growing up, their favorite video/DVD series was entitled Veggie Tales. It featured Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber. Both of them were talking vegetables and both of them liked to talk a lot. They were hilarious together, and I think I laughed as much as our kids did. Every now and then, something would come up that Larry wanted to do, but Bob would frown and frump, not at all interested in it. Of course, Larry would try to humor Bob into action, which sometimes worked. If Bob continued to resist, however, Larry had a trump card. He simply said to Bob, "It's for the kids." Bob's heart would melt. "Oh, alright" Bob would reply and then participate.
 
This Sunday is Children's Sunday. Our kids, under the leadership of Ashley Gardner and the Children's Ministry Team, along with a supporting cast of many others, will be leading our single worship service to be held at 11:15 a.m. I encourage all our regular attendees at our 11:15 a.m. traditional Heritage service to come in support. I encourage our regular participants at our contemporary Contact service that meets at 9:00 a.m. to come later at 11:15 a.m. for Children's Sunday, too. Let's all plan to attend worship this Sunday as we show our care for the children of MLEPC.
 
Now, I realize that some of us love Children's Sunday and look forward to this day. Yet perhaps some of us are more like Bob the Tomato on this one. We really prefer the usual traditional service. That's fine. Or we really like contemporary worship better. That's great. However, allow me to apply the Larry the Cucumber line to us: "It's for the kids." Come hear them sing their favorite Christian songs; it's for the kids. Come watch them receive their 3rd grader Bibles; it's for the kids. Come listen to them recite their memorized Bible verses; it's for the kids. Come ready for them to play their instruments; it's for the kids. Come with love in our hearts and applause in our hands; it's for the kids!
 
An interesting thing happens time and time again when we come to support the kids on Children's Sunday. We receive God's blessing in return. Through the mouths of young ones, the Spirit of God speaks a word we need to hear. Through the energy they display, we regain some spring in our spiritual step. And as we observe the children of MLEPC, we are reminded that we too are children--children of our God and Father who adopts us to be His very own, the apple of His eye, now and forever.
 
So I invite and encourage us all to show up on time at 11:15 a.m. this Sunday ready to worship the Lord with enthusiasm. It's for the Lord. It's for us. And this week in particular, it's for the kids!
 
Pastor Tim

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