“They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus
replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have
taught children and infants to give you praise.’” Matthew 21:16 NLT
Dear Friends,
It is deeply gratifying to see our children
and grandchildren listen to their conscience – to the Holy Spirit speaking to
their hearts! (Acts 24:16) John wrote, “I have no greater joy than this,
to hear of my children walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4) Eagerness
to learn, openness, honesty, and humility are character qualities God wants in
our children as well as our own lives. After all, these are the marks of a true
disciple of Christ! God help us be humble and teachable. Our children are
imitating us! Here is a recent story that illustrates having a childlike faith.
Men’s
Meeting Last week we had our church men’s meeting at Grace and Ward’s
house. Will and Fred are their two six-year-old sons - pictured in this photo.
Will (on the left in the photo) was insistent on joining our men's group. He even got dressed up
and wore a long-sleeved dress shirt, even though we cooked hot dogs and sat
outside around a picnic table. After we started eating, his father explained to
Will what we do. “We go around the group and ask each guy, “What has God been
teaching you lately?” Will jumped right in and said, “God has been teaching me
to be nice.” I asked him, “Who have you not been nice to?” He responded, “My
parents and my brother. I have a problem with anger.” We were all touched by
his honesty and self-awareness. Even the children were praising God that
evening!
When each guy finished sharing what God was
teaching them, and how we could pray for them, Will asked Freddy the same
question. He said, “Freddy, what has God been teaching you?” Freddy didn’t
hesitate. He replied, “Math and Reading.” We had a hard time not laughing, but
his sincere answer was also profound and true! Grace is his homeschool teacher.
Mother’s 100th Birthday Party God gave us a
beautiful sunny day to celebrate mother’s 100th birthday in her back
yard. It can be dicey weather in March. Mom sat and talked for hours with her large family. We
assembled to thank God for her kindness, generosity, and the love that she has
demonstrated toward all of us. She has been a tremendous gift from Him!
Mario He works at the Amazon Return Center. That is
where I met Mario a few weeks ago. I gave him and his coworker my testimony
tract. I briefly shared how much I needed God’s forgiveness and that is why I
trusted Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and make me His child. It was quick
since other customers started coming to the counter. A week later I returned a
package for my mother and Mario was there again. I asked him, “What did you
think about my testimony?” He responded, “I really liked it!” With that green
light, I proceeded to share the entire gospel since nobody was in line. Tears
came to his eyes as we talked. I sensed his openness to the Holy Spirit working
in his heart. A customer came up so I had to leave. I have returned several
times to follow up and he has not been there. I’m going to keep trying!
Prayer & Praise
Carbondale, IL Church Many of their children are now playing baseball, which
makes attending their Sunday gatherings difficult. Pray they would be creative
to build community.
Springfield, TN Church Pray for their cookout/outreach at the park April 18th.
Ask God for good connections with the visitors, and for Him to touch lives with
the gospel.
Virginia Church Pray for the two churches. They are both struggling with
different problems – one spouse with addictions and another who is a prideful
unbeliever.
Atlanta Church Pray for more opportunities for me to meet with Mario and
for his salvation. Pray for our church to grow in our compassion for
unbelievers. Pray for our church to learn some new evangelism tools, and that
we will enjoy using them with our neighbors and friends.
Humbly Yours,
Steve and Danelle
PS. Danelle and I also went to Birmingham, AL to see our granddaughter, Jasper, run at a track meet. She ran a PR and we were able to visit briefly with her afterwards. She really appreciated us coming to support her!
11002 Lake Hart Dr, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32832
Nelson blog: www.gcmnelson.com
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