Upon reflecting on the College verse this year, I have examined the importance of living out this verse in our everyday life and especially in our home.

Sharon and I absolutely love parenting our two boys Josh and Ben. They mean the world to us and we would give the world for them to be the best they can be and thrive in everything they do.

I think all parents could agree that deep within us is the desire to sacrifice things for our kids. I will be honest though that there have also been times lately at my age (fossil comes to mind), that we both long for the day that the boys leave home and we begin to enjoy true serenity, peace, and time to think for ourselves …… if you’re a parent, I think you know what I mean (it’s okay to dream haha). Truth is, my awesome son Josh gets married very soon and I am sure that this thought will become a reality soon and we will totally miss his presence at home.

As I ponder this, I think that the reason we feel this way is that we know that God has given us a great love for Him and each other. If we keep God central in our marriage relationship, it will reflect upon every addition in our home. As we involve Him in everything we do, then we begin to love each other the way Christ loved the church and gave Himself totally for her (Church – meaning every believer). It’s this type of sacrificial love lived out that has the greatest influence in this world.

Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you, by this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another (John 13:34,35). We teach our kids about His love when we embody the values and qualities in our own lives. I heard someone mention it like this, “more is caught than taught.”

Our College’s Bible verse reveals believable love in action. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Great relationships always involve sacrificial love. God is about great relationships that are driven by love. May we learn from God and always put relationship over rules. The good news from this verse is that God’s believable love is available to anyone today who puts their faith and belief in Him.

God gives himself in the person of Jesus: Jesus said that the greatest love is when someone lays down his life for another (John 15:13). That is precisely what God did when He became Jesus to rescue us from death. God took the initiative: Our heavenly Father God takes the initiative in loving us rather than waiting for us to show love to Him. The Bible describes this love: “Not that we loved God, but that he loved us” (1 John 4:10), and “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Whether your children are toddlers or teens, or somewhere in between, they need to understand and see God’s love for them. The last part of our College verse reveals how this can occur. It says, “…that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
I have learned that there are three constituents of faith which are: mental assent, belief and trust. May I encourage you to pause and think about this believable love? To not just leave it as a Mental agreement but to make sure you believe and trust in Jesus’ love for your own life. May we all stop long enough to catch our breath and realise the extent of God’s love in what Jesus did for us through His life, death and resurrection. What amazing unconditional love towards the whole human race.

May I invite you to respond to this love for you today. May God help you live a life of incredible believable love. May our homes be filled with true love and joy that can only come from a relationship with Jesus. May we reflect to the world, through our lives, that God love us and Jesus lives.

Please know that we continue to pray for all families and students weekly, so stay in touch. Join us at the parent prayer meeting on Tuesday mornings from 8:30am in Y Block. If we can help you experience and know the love of God better just let us know.

Bless ya

Pastor Rob