2/15/26. CBB
Today in church, Wendy Askew, who does children’s ministry at Christ Methodist Church-Montgomery, shared about a time she was talking to children about the feast in heaven. She was having them imagine being in heaven at the feast, what they would be eating, who would be there. how they would feel, what it would be like to be at the table with Jesus.One little boy said he didn’t feel worthy to be there. She told of feeling the little boy’s pain and telling him that none of us are worthy. We all have done things that made us feel sinful, but that’s why Jesus came and died on the cross for us, taking away all our sins, so we could have his righteousness as our own. We are worthy because God loves us and dentists so we could be with the LORD even when we have sinned. It was a poignant moment
2/16/25. CBB
Dottie Wilson writes today, (see below) She and and many people I have known have found it hard to believe they are loved by God.ALthough some of us grow up in church hearing the gospel, we may come to see the brokenness of the world reflected in ourselves and question if we have moved too far from God to be loved, too. Her words today are worth hearing again……
‘If, at an early age, I had heard the truth, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is possible I would not have spent decades of my life convinced God could not possibly love me. Years of abuse, betrayal, rejection and abandonment left an indelible imprint of no worth, no value, been thru too much, too dirty, unloved, unwanted, not good enough, not smart enough, ugly, and far too damaged for God. An imprint only God Himself could change. I do not want this to be you. The truth is, “BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR YOU, JESUS CHRIST DIED, HUNG ON A CROSS AND ROSE FROM THE GRAVE, FOR THE DIRTIEST, VILEST, MOST WICKED, MOST SINFUL, VERSION OF YOU.” He says in John 6:37, “If you come to Me I will not cast you out.” You see, to Jesus, even when you were wayward, you were always worthy.’
2/16/25 CBB
Children live and long for their parents’ approval, and parents struggle to communicate approval when a child’s choices don’t match a parent’s expectations. Approval and affirmation are key in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Jesus was a young adult—age thirty—when He left His family’s home and began His own adult life. He had experienced some level of His earthly parents’ disapproval as an adolescent (Luke 2:41-51) but seemed to have been met with affirmation prior to setting out on His own (Luke 2:52). Thankfully, at the very beginning of His public life, He received the most important approval He could have desired: the approval of His Heavenly Father. On the day of His baptism by John the Baptist, God audibly communicated His approval in a voice from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This approval was also confirmation of Jesus’ Messianic role (Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 42:1).
God approves of you today by grace, not based on your works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Look for an opportunity today to unconditionally affirm someone who may need encouragement.
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17