Thursday, June 12, 2008

Recognizing Gifts Among The Body...Even The Five Year-Olds!

My son seems always interested in who knows Jesus and who doesn't. "Does Granny know Jesus? Does the Lion King know Jesus? Does Kermit the Frog know Jesus?" We just sort of laughed these questions off shaking our heads in wonder until this past weekend. We visited my in-laws in Alabama for a long weekend trip. My Brother in-law wanted to go on a fishing trip taking our two kids and his three year-old son. We all piled into his truck and I buckled my son into his booster seat, as I closed the door I heard my son ask his uncle who was in the driver's seat, "Uncle John, do you know Jesus?" I didn't hear the answer though I can imagine it, John is active in his church. But I laughed and explained when I got in the passenger seat what my son has been doing.
It wasn't until I was at work two days later that I realized what had happened. My son, who is shy and intimidated especially by men he admires, asked with frankness and boldness whether or not his Uncle was saved. Could this be a budding gift of evangelism emerging within our church family?
My son had avoided dealing with salvation until last year (he took this kind of thing pretty seriously, even for a toddler) though his earliest religious experiences had been in traditional churches; Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, etc.. Its in these program environments where every kid goes down to the altar to accept Christ about ten times a year. Then last year we decided to make the break from traditional church and go where God called us. We started with having a hike out in the Smoky Mountains national park and tying the experience to a Bible study. The first week we were out the Holy Spirit began dealing with my son. Right after returning home my son asked his mother to pray with him while he kneeled by his bedside. How awesome is that? The first "service" in our house church and my son gets saved.
Now we are starting to wonder, "is our son demonstrating a spiritual gift this early in his Christian walk?" I remember reading that God provides what is needed for a house church no matter how small the gathering may be.

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