Grandparents Day Homily

Grandparents and Special Friends Day

Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School

08 November 2019

 - 2 Timothy 1:1-5

“When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Today is Grandparents and special friend’s day here at Wyneken. Today we say “thank you” to you our grandparents and special friends as you give your influence and guidance in the faith formation of our students. We thank you for your assistance, your direction, your wise counsel.

As Paul writes to young Timothy he gives us wonderful wise words of wisdom.

Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You

Behind Timothy’s strong faith.Behind Timothy’s deep convictions. Behind Timothy’s solid doctrinal foundation. Were two WOMEN. His grandmother Lois. And his mother Eunice.

The gospel had been long enough in the world to have a history in families. We find three generations here. The grandmother Lois.The mother Eunice.And Timothy also. Here we see the Christian faith in its morning - that is, in the life of young Timothy. We find it at noon. In his mother Eunice. And at the evening of life. In his grandmother Lois.

This is the only reference to either of these women in the entire Bible. And yet these women take their place beside all the other great heroes of faith in the Bible.  Because of the godly influence they had on their son and grandson.

It might also interest you to know this is one of the very few times the term “grandmother” even appears in the Bible.

What would Paul remind us as we consider the influence of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois?

Follow the example of the great ones of faith

Here was Paul. A "prisoner." "Suffering for the gospel." Yet, he says of himself, "I am not ashamed."Instead of responding with a sense of defeat or depression;a feeling we have all experienced when life has finally gotten us down, Paul is filled with confidence. He does not have a "spirit of timidity." The reason is simple; Paul knows whom he believes in.  He is confident of Christ’ power.

Rest on God's grace

This grace of God is found in Christ. It was revealed in Christ. - In His life. And particularly in His resurrection. Grace is the substance of the gospel message. What is this kindness of God? The substance of God's grace is the gift of "life." Of "immortality." "Given us in Christ." With such an amazing gift. How can we fear?

Rely on the abiding truths of Scripture

Unlike the mass of humanity. Timothy is not without any direction for living. He has the "sound teaching" of Jesus Christ. He has the "deposit." "Entrusted" to him. Having a gospel direction in life. With its promise of eternity. Can only but give confidence and drive fear away.

Paul's advice to Timothy can be ours.  We all have people in our lives who have been used of God to bring us to Christ. No one comes completely on his or her own. It pleases God to use godly parents and grandparents, teachers, pastors, leaders, in our lives. We all have others who make their mark on us. They help us come to the place where we put our trust in Christ alone.

We are told that Timothy had known the scriptures from the time he was a young child. No doubt he had learned the scriptures from his mother and grandmother. II TIMOTHY 3:15

It was that early spiritual nurturing that prepared Timothy for the responsibilities that would one day fall on his shoulders.

Paul had his forefathers. Timothy had his mother and grandmother.  Our children have parents and family. The students and youth here at Wyneken have teachers and leaders and pastors. They also have you. Grandparents and special friends. Who help to shape and mold their lives. 

My hope and prayer is that we all guard and pass on this good deposit.

Words – 850

Passive Sentences – 6%

Readability –78.3%

Reading Level -4.5

Collect

O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your Church. Grant that those things which we ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 Prayer for the Christian Day School

Heavenly Father, mercifully bless the Christian education of Your children in our parish that they may grow up in Your fear to the praise of Your holy name. Bless our Wyneken School and all other settings in which our children are brought closer to You. Restrain the activities of the evil one who would seek to undermine these efforts to provide for the spiritual growth of Your children. Help me to regard these children and our educational ministries as gifts from You. Encourage the members of our congregations to support those who teach and those who learn. Give joy to all who serve as teachers, and give them the privilege of seeing the fruits of their labors; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Grandparents Special persons day

Grandparents/Special Person’s Day

27 November 2013

Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6

Blessed Jesus, at Thy word We are gathered all to hear Thee; Let our hearts and souls be stirred Now to seek and love and fear Thee, By Thy teachings, sweet and holy, Drawn from earth to love Thee solely.^[1]

Trying to understand God’s will in your life is not always easy. He doesn’t send you an e-Mail or a tweet. Or, send you a text. Or, write on your wall on facebook to say, “I want you to be a preacher or a missionary, or a mechanic or a nurse or a housewife.”

God doesn’t name the person you are to marry. He doesn't tell you which career track you should follow. He doesn’t tell you whether you should go to college or not. Or, which school you should attend. Sometimes life is complex with all these decisions. But in psalm 32:8. God does promise, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will guide you with mine eye.” As always, God instructs and teaches us His will through His Word.

Solomon gives us three conditions by which we can know God’s perfect will for our lives.

The First Condition, you must “Trust in the Lord.” This is absolutely the first step. It you want to know God’s will learn to trust Him. You must first trust Christ as your Savior. You cannot attempt to know God’s will in other areas until this issue is settled.

Trusting God is key in every matter of our relationship with God. We are saved not because of our own work. We are saved by Jesus’ work on the cross. You cannot save yourself. You cannot be good enough in order to be made right with God. Salvation is the Savior’s good gift to you.

When you understand that the most basic need in life – to be redeemed and rescued from sin – is a matter of trust, we need to then know and understand that every other issue of our relationship with our heavenly Father is also a matter of trust. Whatever your list of worries looks life, all these things-are all a matter of trust. Trusting God is the key in every matter of our relationship with Him.

In whom do you trust? You trust in the Lord! This is important! Your trust is not in someone strange to you.

How do you describe God? This is not an easy question. But I like the help the Psalmist David gives us in Psalm 139.

He knows all things. You have searched me Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:1-6)

He can do anything. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, ever the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:11-12)

He personally knows me. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16)

Trusting seems like a difficult thing to do because our human nature is so self-reliant. We want to have things our way. And if not my way…then it’s the highway. Trusting God is such a comforting idea. Having a relationship is actually central to trust. The more we walk with the LORD, the more the relationship is developed, the easier trust becomes.

The Second Condition, you must “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart.” How much are we to trust in the Lord? With all your heart! Completely! Your trust cannot be a partial trust. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” This is where it all begins. The word “trust” means to be with a care. This is an indicator of how much we are actually trusting in the Lord. The less car, worry, anxiety, etc. that one has, the more they are trusting God will all their heart.

The Third Condition, you must “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart, and lean not unto you own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight.”

What does trusting God mean? A close look at these words helps us define trust. We see trust from a negative statement. We see trust from a positive statement.

The negative Answer: Do not lean on your own understanding. We are not to learn on our intellect, our own abilities, or even our own moral standards. In all things, we must refuse to lean on our own understanding.

The positive Answer: Acknowledge Him in everything. We must acknowledge the Lord Jesus in everything. Recognize God’s presence in everything... There is nothing in your life that should be outside the reach of God’s perspective.

When are we to trust God? Always. There is never a time to not trust God. Whenever we face a crisis, we have two choices. Either we trust God or we trust ourselves. There really are no other options. When we trust ourselves, we are saying that the crisis is bigger than God.

Why should we trust God? Because He give us a promise. He will make your paths straight. Your Savior has a plan for you. He has a future and He has promised to give direction in your life.

In Math you have learned – the quickest path between two points is a straight line. God wants us to get where we need to go in life. What God has for us, the Lord wants to get us there. Just life any trip you take, the quickest way to get to your destination is to find the most direct path…from point A to point B. So it is with your life as well. A crooked path is one filled with twists and turns that if we are not careful can cause us to end up in a ditch. If that should happen, God is there to help pull us out. But the best route is to stand in the middle of the road and on course with God.

God has a great vantage point over your life. He is the one that is all knowing. And if we will get God involved in straightening out our path, we are going to reach our destination in the things of God much quicker. Realize as He straightens out your path that does not mean it will always go the way you thought it would. In fact, God usually takes you through life in a rout you have never been before. That is what walking by faith is all about.

To have God make straight paths for your feet in whatever you do take time to learn who you are and whose you are in Christ. Get completely focused on Him and who he has made you to be. Continue to develop an intimate relationship with Christ. Look to His Word to walk in His ways in all you do. Then you will be on the right path. The straight path. That God has for you.

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[1] Blessed Jesus at Thy Word stanza 1 The Lutheran Hymnal © 1940 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis