06/26/22 PASTOR GRAND PARENT

06/26/22 PASTOR GRAND PARENT

As Grand-dad, Pappy, Pap-Pap, I am blessed with wonderful (smart, talented, Christian, loving) grandchildren.

As pastor, I am blessed with wonderful young people who love Jesus and share their love with other people, through verbal witness, music, kindness, godly example.

As with other people, they will learn by listening, reading, praying and doing. They will learn through success and failure. They will have victories and disappointments. But as long as they are seeking to please God, they will be a success, even in their shortcomings.

They are learning how to live the life of obedient faith. They are learning how to witness to other people. They are learning how to interact with people of various attitudes, beliefs, agendas.

Life can be brutal, but they will need to persist and prevail over their adversaries and trials.

They will need to learn more Scripture, and how to present it to a variety of people. They will need to realize that their best efforts will not always be accepted or understood by some people. They will suffer pain, disappointment in their own efforts and in the response of others (some of whom will be deliberately antagonistic because of closed mindedness). They will need to learn and to keep on learning. They will need to overcome obstacles, weaknesses and cruel, vicious, public and private, unwarranted personal attacks.

They will need to grow personally in their relationship with Jesus and in their knowledge of God's word. They will need to develop spiritually, relationally and in their ministry abilities.

As their grandfather and as their pastor I want to be available and supportive and helpful. I hope I can serve them as grandfather and as pastor. I hope they see me as Pastor Grand-dad, Pastor Pappy, Pastor Pap-Pap because this is who I am, by God's appointment.

Oh, let me mention, I really love them, as grandfather and pastor.