LEARNING TOGETHER
Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. —Luke 2:47
At twelve year of age, “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Of course, Jesus is the Son of God come in flesh—
“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” —I Timothy 3:16
Still, I think we can glean a principle here from the early life of Jesus. How important it is to have young people interacting with adults. In a culture, church culture, we typically divide people up by ages and teach them along with their peers. How much better it would be to have mixed ages learning together! Young people can give perspective from their vantage point and have input that adults do not realize or have forgotten when they were a youth.
I read that “75% of kids left the church from age 18-29” and “Why 25% stayed connected with Christ from age 18-29.” Why did they stay connected? Here are some factors—
- They “ate dinner 5 of 7 nights a week as a family.”
- They “served with their families in a ministry.”
- They “had one spiritual experience in the home during the week.”
- They “had at least one faith-focused adult in their lies, other than their parents.”
- They were “entrusted with responsibility in ministry at an early age.”
This makes absolute senses as we read from God’s Word—
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” —Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Yes, Dear Father, may we consider how we, as the Church, may have all ages learning together as a family that we are and teach families to do the same! May this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wz61tlXlAM&list=RD1wz61tlXlAM&start_radio=1