My oldest son, Jonathan, left for Navy boot camp this morning. My wife and I had dinner last night with Jonathan and his wife. The food and service were excellent and caused no distractions from the conversation. That conversation was lively, not heavy in any way.
Jonathan is looking forward to learning and being stretched. He has aspirations and expectations, hopes and dreams. I am not sure, but I think he talked more in that hour than I can ever remember before. Was he nervous? No, I think he was excited about a new stage of life.
His wife is excited too. Excited for him. Excited about coming changes and moves. But she is also a bit anxious about these early weeks apart and later months apart. And my loving wife was tearful as we drove away from the restaurant last night. She knows this is the beginning of greater separation by distance. Rather than an hour to drive it will require a day or a flight. I did my best to reassure her and comfort her.
As I reflect upon the evening, I am reminded about the exciting story that Sunday School has to tell. It is a story of a Savior. It is a story of a loving God who was willing to send His only Son to die in my place and your place. The biblical story is one of newness and excitement: people healed, new ideas taught, people changed.
It is a story that intersects with the lives of people in the classes. Through Jesus, they gain hope. They gain forgiveness. They gain purposefulness for their lives. The story is indeed exciting, and that excitement is most often verbally shared by those who have had a fresh salvation or rededication experience.
But that story should be the point of every Sunday School session. It should be heard in the testimony of participants as well as in examination and application of God’s Word. And every lesson should add to the excitement of the story in class and following the class. Attenders should be sent out with fresh encouragement to tell the story, His story.
How can you add excitement to the story through this week’s lesson? How can you impact attenders’ eagerness to share the story? How can you lead them to seek an opportunity to tell the story? Sunday School has a story to tell. Take steps to prepare attenders. Increase their excitement. Help them investigate where and how they can share. Lead them to be disciple-makers! Be revolutionary!
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