August 2023 Revealing Light Newsletter

"...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Joshua was telling these Israelite families to choose today who they would serve. For Joshua, they were going to serve God who brought them out of Egypt, sustained them for 40 years in the desert, and was leading them into the land God had promised would one day be theirs again. This was an active God, and Joshua was making an active and intentional decision who he and his family would serve.

Even before this time, God told Moses toward the beginning of their journey to love Him with all of their heart, soul, and strength; and to share this relationship and lifestyle with their children for generations to come. (Deut 6:4-9)

God promised a savior would come through Abraham's family lineage that would bring salvation to all nations. Abraham's descendants received the inheritance of this promise as well. Now as God rescued us -- through Jesus Christ -- from satan's grasp of sin and death, God adopted us into His family. This family is God's Household as well -- the Church (Eph 2:18-20; 1 Tim 3:15).

As God's family, we are united by what God has done for us because of His love (Eph 5:1-2). God is renewing the image of family through His family.

What if we lived out how God envisioned families not just in His church family of believers but in our family households too?

- Daryl Struemph

Why is there such an emphasis on family throughout scripture? I mean, throughout scripture, most of these stories involve or take place in families. The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery had stated it this way, "the family [is seen] as the main social context within which people live their daily lives.” More times than not, our true selves are revealed in family. Our trust, insecurities, beliefs, joy, anger, frustration, peace, jealousy, doubts, and more are often revealed in our homes. People at home know you better than most people could ever fathom.

If you and I ever want to have an honest look at how we are doing, consider how we are at home with our family.

But this isn't our only family. As stated on the front page, God adopted us into His family and showed us His love for this family through Jesus Christ. "In this is love, not that we loved God first but that He loved us, and sent His Son as a replacement for our sinful death sentence" (Paraphrased 1 John 4:10). "Even while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom 5:8).

So for each of us, there is something to say about the depths of this kind of love. Christ loves us, and loves His Church. He died for all people who would then be in God's Family, God's Household -- the living Church (1 Tim 3:15).

As we are loved by Christ in this way, so too, let us love one another as Christ has loved us (Jn 13:34-35; Eph 5:1-2). This is not only for loving church members, but our household family members too. The Apostle Paul takes the time to describe how this kind of love is lived out in our own family households -- in the same way Christ loves us and His Church. Paul is showing us how to love in our immediate social contexts.

Read: Ephesians 5-6:9 & Col 3:12-4:6

Christians in God's family begin to love their families in the way God loves His family.

This is a big way how God's love is shown and affects the people around us. Jesus had told his disciples, "...just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35).

Our parents, spouses, kids, and grandkids are noticing how we live and love them. They are noticing how we are living and loving each other. How we live and love our families speaks loudly to those around us.

It can be transformational for our families and church to love our families as Christ has loved the church -- the family and household of God. Because of Christ's love, we can live out Christ's love for us through our family households -- both, as the church family household and our personal family household units.

- Daryl Struemph

This year’s VBS theme, Maker Fun Factory, was originally done by our church in 2017 and the children that attended that year loved all the creativity and exciting stories, games and food that we decided to do it again this year!

With some last minute planning and lots of painting and cutting and creating props with the help of several church volunteers, we again pulled off one of the most fun themes!  God made us, each one of different, with a purpose, and He is always there for us. That theme and Bible point (as we call them at VBS) are what we carry with us every day, not just 5 days of the year.

Seeing the children light up with imagination, intrigue, understanding is priceless. And just watching them experience and help act out the Bible story plays each night was exciting for me!

Looking forward to next year!
 - Diana Bax