Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" "What did Moses command you?" he replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. -Mark 10:1-16*
Jesus said, “Let the children come unto me.” God has given us many gifts - one of the greatest is family and children. Today, exchange one of your regular activities for time spent with your children. This is the best gift you can give your child. God gave us children, and with it a responsibility to raise them in godly fashion. A favorite Bible verse is: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Training a child is a major responsibility - your responsibility - not the church or the school. Of course, we are here to help. But the primary responsibility belongs to parents.
Psalm 127:5 tells us that “Happy is the man who has a quiver full of them.” We have 3 wonderful children and 3 grandchildren. The Lord has blessed me with a ministry at
Gwen O'Kelly has been teaching at CCA for 27 years. Many children, youth, and even a few young adults remember their kindergarten teacher. She currently serves on the Child Care Board.
How has Jesus made a difference in your life? "When my grandmother had breast cancer, God helped her through it. She is still living and I don't know what I would do without her." -Lexie Hans, 6th grade
*Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
