If they have not already, soon basketball practices for all ages will begin. In the past I have served as a coach on a volunteer basis with younger children. And here is a secret. I am not certain the kids were all the much better by the end of the year than they were at the beginning. That could be due to my coaching abilities. But even more, it was about the whole setup of the program. I coached the kids one hour a week. And here is the problem. You can’t train kids to do anything well in one hour of week. The same could be said of adults. Ask any coach at any level and they will tell you that daily practice is vitally important if you seek real measurable gains in your team's abilities.
The same can be said about the Christian life. If we want ourselves and children to truly be trained in righteousness, one hour a week will not be sufficient either. We often think if we get to church each week and possibly take in some form of Christian education, we have done well. But truth be told, we are being taught foolish things every day of the week in our world through various forms of media. It adds up to hours and hours of training that generally wars against our life with Christ. We need to fill up with holy things often in order that the life Jesus has given us through His death and resurrection might be a constant comfort and encouragement to us.
Here is the truth. If you want your kids to be in the NBA some day, one hour of practice each week will not help all that much. If you want them to be a great player, you are going to have to get out on the court with them each day. You are going to have to put in real time.
The same goes for our Christian education. If you want you and your children to be prepared to live in this culture which does not generally encourage Christian living with confidence in Christ and understanding His ways, one hour in church, bible study, or some class aimed at educating our young people will not be enough. The hour we spent in the Lord's house gathered around Jesus and His gifts sets the stage for the rest of the week. But if church is the only time when God's instruction is received each week, we will all will be left rather unprepared. If you want you and your family to be well prepared to live as God's children, you are going to have to get out the Scriptures each day. You are going to have to put in real time. You are going to have to allow God to speak to you each day through His Word.
That is what this website Living Planted is all about. It is about spending time each day as families and individuals in the Word in order that the Holy Spirit might strengthen our faith so that we might live life each day with Jesus at the center. It is about giving you resources to do that without having to spend hours in advance preparing to do so each day. The first resource we hope you will consider is our A Simple Guide to Daily Devotions. It is a way to do devotions each day that is easy to follow. It involves reading, memorizing, singing, and praying together. Download this resource on our resources page under the heading Core Resources. You will also see other resources there to look at and use. In blog posts to come, we will introduce you to those other resources we have prepared to help you live the Christian life at home. Have any questions? If so, comment below or email us. We would be grateful if you would help us spread the word about Living Planted by sharing this blog post. Also, like us on Facebook.
Pastor Dan Galchutt and Pastor Philip Hoppe