Armoring Up
The importance of teaching our children – and new believers about what we believe
As believers, we step into battle. We step onto a battlefield, as soldiers, under fire the moment we receive Christ as our Savior. We have an enemy, a strong, powerful, deceitful, evil, enemy. He is roaming to and fro like a lion seeking whom he may devour.
Seasoned believers who have been on the battlefield for a while should know how to fight, and we should be training those who are younger, weaker, or less experienced. Sometimes these are kids in our Church; at other times, it is adults who are new to the faith, or even people who have known the Lord for decades, but never really prepared for the battle they are in. So many Christians have far too many battle scars because they were on the battlefield but had no idea how to fight. They had no armor, no weapons, and thus they got hurt. When we fail to teach or train believers, we leave them defenseless. Like a baby wrapped in soft cloth, warm and snuggly, content but fit to sit in a nursery, not a battlefield.
Satan doesn’t wait until we are trained and prepared before he attacks. Satan’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. He doesn’t want a fair fight. He doesn’t wait until we say, “Ready!” to pounce. He clearly says, “Ready or not, here I come!”
So we have a choice. We can prepare for battle and prepare those we lead and walk alongside, or we can lay back and wait and say, “I’ll deal with it when it comes.”
Some may even ignore the battle, like an ostrich, with their head in the sand. It doesn’t stop the war; it simply provides comfort while in no way diminishing the risk of getting hurt.
Not a one-person job
Discipleship – the process of learning and putting on the armor of God – is not something one individual alone passes onto another. God has given us a body of believers, the whole congregation of the saints, to help us become equipped.
Thus, it takes the whole Church to lead others into a powerful personal real relationship with God. We ALL have a part to play!
What do these roles look like?
Building relationships
We are to build relationships with one another. We are to care and listen to the other person’s needs. We are to pray for them and stand alongside them in battle. Our job is to ensure that our brothers and sisters in Christ never feel like they are fighting alone. Taking time to listen and care for each other is a big part of pointing each other closer to Jesus. We can do this in many ways, whether by a coffee date to build up and encourage, dinner with another couple to remind them that they are cared for, or simply sitting on the back porch rocking and talking. How can I know what to pray for if I never sit with you and listen for how the enemy is attacking? How can I link my shield with yours if I never get close enough to be in danger? Building relationships means being vulnerable and willing to share your burdens and carry someone else’s. And together, we bring them directly to the Father at the foot of the cross.
Participating in Small Group Bible Study
While building relationships is a wonderful tool for learning how to put on the armor of God, relationships with other believers alone may very well leave holes in our armor. To strengthen our armor and to grow as Christians, we need to be in the Word of God – together! Yes, we need to be in the Word of God alone and have a personal daily walk with God. This is vital. The most essential part of any believer’s walk is their daily time with the Lord.
However, God has given us each other to cover the other’s blind spots. There are things about me that I don’t notice. In some areas of my life, I need others to say, “ Your armor is slipping over here; here’s how we can cover it.” I need my fellow believers – and you do too.
Small group Bible study provides an opportunity for genuine open relationships in a way that a large group doesn’t. We need corporate worship – but it doesn’t replace small group study.
Small groups Bible Study provides accountability. And an opportunity to share what God is teaching you and how He is at work in your life and the people around you. These small groups provide an opportunity to proclaim the goodness of God and give thanks! To spur each other on and encourage one another.
Serving the Church and the world.
As we learn God’s Word, we must also put it into action. Every believer has a role to play in the Church, and there is a job for each person. No one is too young or too old.
There are many places to serve: Elm Grove Kids, Grove Youth, Prime Timers, serving in the kitchen, leading a Small Group Bible study, cleaning and caring for the church buildings, serving on the publicity committee, joining the welcoming team or ushers, driving the van to pick-up or take-home people who need rides. The list of opportunities to serve goes on and on. I promise there is something God has called and equipped you to do. (If you need help figuring out what come and talk to me, Mr. Jonathan, Mr. Frankie, or your Sunday School teacher.)
Every part of the body has a role to play.
Yet we should serve both inside and outside of our church walls. We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus going out into the world. We aren’t called to stay put and find safety. We are called to engage on the offensive side of this battle – rescuing the lost, throwing out lifesavers to the drowning. God has mandated us to break down the gates of hell and release the prisoners. Therefore we must go into the world in one way or another and engage the lost, tell them about Jesus and His gift of salvation, and then train them to be warriors in God’s army when they accept that gift.
So, What’s your part?
So I want to challenge you to sit with God and ask Him where you are in this battle.
Do you need to gear up? Do you need to teach others how to put on their armor? Do you need to serve in a new way, or maybe learn to say no to things in life so that you can say yes to more of What He calls you to? Are you spending time with Him? Are you involved in a small group Bible study? Are you serving inside the Church? Are you serving or connected to the lost? I can’t say what God has determined your next step to be, but I can promise you this – God has a plan and wants to use you if you are willing.
Step up and join the soldiers in battle, don’t let yourself and those around you get defeated because your armor isn’t on.
First, I want to thank all of our volunteers who serve and love our kids each month. Take a moment with me, and say a prayer for them. Thank God for their willingness to serve. Ask God to encourage them as they show love and live out the love and presence of Jesus with our kids.
If you are not currently serving in our Kids’ ministry but feel God’s tug at your heart, we have plenty of opportunities for you to serve! We currently need more Nursery and Children’s Worship volunteers, and we also need people to help serve with our day camps and other children’s events.
As Spring slowly begins to turn to summer, we look forward to the change of pace that will come with the ending of school. At Ultimate Wednesday, we are finishing our prayer verses and reviewing all we have learned! We continue to learn to pray and to take time to slow down and connect with God. It has been an absolute joy to see these young people grow in their ability to be still and know that He is God, talk with him, and share their lives with the God who sees them and cares!
In Children’s Worship, we continue to celebrate Easter as we learn how the apostles' faith has impacted their lives and how our faith in Jesus can change us too! As we connect with our kids on a personal level, we teach them what it means to have a real connection with each other and with God!
To our parents (and Grandparents):
I would like to encourage you to take a few moments each day to pray with your kids and encourage them to pray with you. Model an active prayer life and time in the word for your kids. When they see you do this, they will be impacted!
TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS EVERY DAY
Grove Youth Nights:
Our once-a-month Sunday night gathering is going okay, and still trying to be a place where our middle and high school teens are welcome to come to hang out and have fun and hear God’s Word. It is been revolving lately to being done here and also going to join other groups for worship. We traveled to Velocity in March, and for May, we are going to be with our sister churches when we host the Youth Convention here at Elm Grove.
Ultimate Wednesdays / Wednesday Nights Classes:
Ultimate Wednesday this year has been a great opportunity to build relationships with our kids! We have been able to divide them into 2 groups (younger and older). Our theme this Spring has been “Checking in with Jesus,” we have been learning: what prayer is, how Jesus teaches us to pray, why we do it, and the power of prayer. As we emphasize the importance of hiding God’s word in our hearts, our kids memorize a Bible verse each week. We have been taking time to pray with and over our kids, and it has been a journey to see them learn to get still before God and share their hearts with Him.
Thank you all for the continued prayers and support for our Kids and youth ministries here at Elm Grove. As we are looking at the summer and fall this year, we know we need more volunteers to help us love our kids and volunteers effectively! We are asking for everyone to pray with us for God to provide! There are areas to help in small and big ways that make an impact on the lives of our kids and youth.
Grace & Peace, Pastor Jonathan ~ Youth Pastor of Elm Grove Church
Each week we recognize one of the families in our congregation. We ask that you lift them up in prayer and find a way to encourage them. Please take a few moments to send them a message, call, or in some way, let them know that you are thinking of them. If you don’t know who they are, this is an excellent opportunity to get to know some new people! We love all of our community here at Elm Grove and are so glad that you are part of it!
April 2 ~ Lloyd and Taylor Hess
April 9 ~ Jesus
April 16 ~ Carolyn Miecnikowski, Rebecca Miecnikowski and Jonathan Hennemuth
April 23 ~ Nikki, Raylynn, and Jaxon Bowen
April 30 ~ Tommy and Donna Hodges
In Loving Memory of Christine C. Clark
by James and Jennie Lou Garris
In Loving Memory of Mary P. Jones
by James and Jennie Lou Garris
In Loving Memory of L. Jean Dawson
by Barbara and Jerry Spitzer
In Honor of Richard and Sue Henderson
by Truman and Peggy Webber
