This from TODAY IN THE WORD
In 2004, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a report entitled “Fathers and Father-Figures: Their Important Role in Children’s Social and Emotional Development.” The authors note, “Evidence shows that the quality of interactions in a father-child relationship positively impacts the cognitive, social and moral development of young children.” They go on to state that positive play time between a father and child may also be linked with that child’s ability to interact well with other children.
1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (New International Version)
9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
Let the ministry be like this Great Apostle. How quickly people's lives would be changed if we just imitated the life of this man. Not too quick to judge or rebuke, but gentle and tender.
I would never leave a church as long as I sincerely believed the ministry loved me.
Puddles
