8-9-98 Building for Our Future. Deut. 6
By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Sand Fork Baptist Church
Little Jimmy shouted out his bedtime prayers: "And please, dear God, I pray that I will get a new BICYCLE for my birthday!" "What are you SHOUTING for?" said his brother. "God isn't DEAF!" "I know," said Timmy, "but GRANNY IS!"
Little Cathy was sitting on her grandfather's knee one day. After looking intently into his face for some time, she said, "Grandpa, were you in the ark with Noah?" "Certainly not!" replied the Grandfather with disapproval. "Well then, Grandpa," asked the little girl, "why weren't you DROWNED?"
Three small boys were bragging about their fathers. "My father," said the first, "works as a LAWYER, and brings in a hundred thousand dollars a year." "Huh!" snorted the second little boy, "My father does a FASHION SHOOT for a week, and brings in ten thousand dollars." "Bah!" exclaimed the third little boy, "that's nothing! My father stands up for one hour to PREACH, and it takes six men to carry in the money!"
The young son of some atheists went to his parents one day, and said, "Do you think God KNOWS we don't believe in Him?"
As a minister, I conduct many baptismal services. My denomination baptizes in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. One Sunday, my family and I went to a friend's home in the country.
Our four children went outside to play with the others. After a short while, we heard only silence and wondered what the children were up to. We found them behind a barn quietly playing "church."
Our 4-year-old daughter Susan was conducting the baptismal service. She held a cat over a barrel of water. Trying to be as solemn as her father, she repeated the phrase she had heard many times: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and in the hole you go!"
A farmer was walking over his farm with a friend, exhibiting his crops, herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep. His friend was greatly impressed and highly pleased, especially with the splendid sheep. He had seen the same breed frequently before, but never had seen such fine specimens. With great earnestness he asked how he had succeeded in rearing such flocks. His simple answer was: "I take care of my lambs." --Scottish Magazine
Scripture Text:
Deut 6:1 (KJS) Now these [are] the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do [them] in the land whither ye go to possess it: {go: Heb. pass over) 2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do [it]; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. {teach: Heb. whet, or, sharpen} 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Getting Ready today and moving out tomorrow. So, now we are building for our future. How can we build for our future? Looking for tomorrow we must now:
1. Remember who God is. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
2. Remember what God commands. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: O Israel, and observe to do [it]; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily
3. Remember what God promises. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do [it]; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Yes, but how….
- Teach them …7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. {teach: Heb. whet, or, sharpen}
I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day,
And as my fingers pressed it still,
It moved and yielded to my will.
I came again when days were past --
The bit of clay was hard at last;
The form I gave it, it still bore,
But I could change that form no more.
I took a piece of living clay
And gently formed it day by day,
And moulded with my power and art
A young child's soft and yielding heart.
I came again when years were gone --
It was a man I looked upon;
He still that early impress wore,
And I could change him nevermore. -- Author unknown
- Write them. Wherever you go.
- Repeat them. Say them.
- Live them.
A man went to steal corn from his neighbor's field. He took his little boy with him to keep a lookout, so as to give warning in case anyone should come along. Before commencing he looked all around, first one way and then the other; and, not seeing any person, he was just about to fill his bag when his son cried out, "Father, there is one way you haven't looked yet!" The father supposed that someone was coming and asked his son which way he meant. He answered, "You forgot to look up!" The father, conscience-stricken, took his boy by the hand and hurried home without the corn which he had designed to take. William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."