Forever Kindergarten

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’" Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

It was the only time that I ever got a spanking at school…and it was my own Dad who gave it to me! It was about half way through my Kindergarten experience. As usual, we had gotten an extra recess for being such a good class (or our teacher decided to wave a white flag). At any rate, I was in the middle of one of my Star-Wars, monkey-bars adventures, when my teacher called out to me, indicating that Dad was there to pick me up from school. I can remember glancing over for a moment and continuing my onslaught against a battalion of Storm-Troopers. I loved Kindergarten so much that I never wanted to leave. It was like this every day. I would have to be called away from bliss several times before leaving. This day, however, was an exception. That day, I felt an arm grab me. It was Dad! I could tell by the look in his eyes that things weren’t okay. So, I decided to go with him. I’ll never forget that he took me away from the playground, away from my classmates, and down into the walkway area between the Kindergarten building and the gym. It was there that he gave me a spanking I will never forget. Looking back, it seems so ridiculous that I would ever love such a place to the point of having to be whipped to leave it, but I did. The main reason was that it was all that I had ever known. If it had been up to me, I would have stayed in Kindergarten forever.

Too often, we are like that in the church. We love Kindergarten. We push extensively for evangelism—reaching those who are unchurched or lost…those who don’t have a personal faith in Jesus Christ. We set goals, develop programs, have conferences, hear sermons, get free tickets to guilt-trips…all in the name of reaching the lost. We say we want people saved….and that’s it. After all, the Bible does say that we are to do it.

Or is that all that the Bible says? Actually, the Bible says that we are to “make DISCIPLES as we are going” through life (Matthew 28:19). The Bible never says that we are to get decisions. The problem today with the church is not lack of evangelism, but decisionism. We are too apt for notches in belts, check-marked envelopes, amazing church-growth statistics, and door-to-door bravado, instead of developing pupils for Christ. We clamor for people to be saved FROM hell, when we forget that people are saved TO something! Like a Kindergartener being drug from the playground, we can’t seem to move on. It’s all we know, and we are content to sit on first base with God. It’s like being invited over for dinner and never leaving the foyer of the house. Getting saved is the starting point to growing in the faith and becoming transformed into the image of Christ. I realize that theologians break down salvation into stages like “justification,” “sanctification,” and “glorification”—basically saying that salvation is a process—“I was saved, am being saved, and will be saved.” However, the church only focuses on the opening credits and not the plot. Our goal ought to be leading people down a path of transformation (discipleship, worship, fellowship, ministry AND evangelism) and not only salvation. You and I must get past spiritual Kindergarten and start moving forward into the deeper teachings and practices of our faith. Perhaps before we knock on one more door, attend one more evangelism conference, or learn another witnessing outline, we need to develop the people in our midst who are already saved (or even begin to develop ourselves). Once the heart of God has deep roots in a Believer, the right kind of evangelism will happen—one that focuses on making disciples instead of getting decisions. Multiplication will take place instead of addition…and the church will explode! We need to learn and experience what we are saved TO so that God can better use us to make ripples, or even tidal waves, in eternity. After all, if God merely wanted to save us from hell and for no other purpose, then, why are we not both in Heaven with Him right now?

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Skimming the Surface

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NLT)


I hate the ocean. Don’t get me wrong. I love to go to the beach and wade around in the salty waters as the waves come crashing into land. But, I hate swimming in the ocean. I guess the main reason I feel this way is due to the fact that I can’t see and don’t know what’s below me as my feet dangle in the waters. It’s a bit too disconcerting for me. So, you can imagine my anxiety a few years ago, when on mission trip to Ecuador, our group decided to do some snorkeling. I was reluctant to go, but I caved in to peer pressure, because I didn’t want to be the only one in my group who didn’t go snorkeling. After a few minutes of minor instruction from our leader, we set off. In my mind, I was seeing visions of eels, sharks, sting rays, the Loch Ness monster, and Sponge Bob, all coming for me from the deep below. However, what I found shocked me. Much to my surprise, fear subsided and joy ensued. I saw some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen with my eyes. I got to see creatures that looked like something out of a science fiction movie, arrayed with brilliant colors and form. It was breath-taking.


Most of us have the exact same reaction when it comes to diving into the Word of God. We see the Bible as this mysterious book that is a bit scary, mostly uncharted, and very deep. We have no idea what might lurk within its depths, so we choose to stand on shore. We don’t explore it, because we don’t know the names, the places, the culture, or the back-story. But, here’s something to think about. If you never dive in, could you be missing something that’s breath-taking…or better yet, life-changing? If you never take the plunge and swim by things that you don’t understand, will you ever begin the process of figuring out exactly who God is, who you really are, and what you were really made to do in this life? As I swam along on my snorkeling adventure, I simply enjoyed what I saw and didn’t try to figure out what each thing I saw was and if it would eat me. Because I was a beginner, I just skimmed the surface, understood what I could, and moved on. I didn’t worry about the rest. And the experience changed me forever. The next time I go snorkeling, I will investigate the things I come across a little bit further. That’s the same way we need to be about God’s Word. Read it, understand what you can, and move on. It’s okay to ask questions, but don’t let the questions keep you from moving on. It’s been said that God’s Word is so great that it is deep enough to confound the deepest theologian but shallow enough to cradle a child in its infinite flow. Don’t let the excuse that you don’t understand everything keep you from God’s Love Letter. After all, if you decide to dive in, you might hear something from the depths of God’s Word saying, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT)

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Life is Like a Bubble Bath

“Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.”
Ephesians 5:16 (New Living Translation)

It’s always an adventure to give my boys a bath. To make matters even more interesting, Kade and Zane have recently discovered bubble baths. So, it was no surprise that they requested a bubble bath tonight. I have to admit that I didn’t follow the directions on the bottle and managed to put in more soap than normal. So, it was about 70% suds, 20% water, and 10% dirt (or maybe it was the other way around). At any rate, I eventually drained the water from the tub and only soap and my two boys remained. I then turned on the shower to rinse the rest of the soap off my boys. I then tried to get them out of the bathtub. But my sons weren’t finished. They were still playing with the remnants of soap left behind earlier from the bubble bath. I have never seen anyone make the most of a totally useless situation like this before. Instead of getting out of the tub, they played with the soap until the last sud washed down the drain. Not one sud of soap was wasted tonight.


Just like Kade and Zane made the most of their bubble bath experience, Paul in Ephesians 5:16 commands us to make the most of life-opportunities. When you think about it, life is really like a bubble bath. At first, the things this world has to offer seem so big and important, but, if you are truly wise, you will soon learn that what you once thought was real, true, and important really is fluff that eventually washes down the drain. On the flip side, God gives us golden opportunities everyday to do good in these evil days. Some opportunities are very obvious, while others are hardly noticeable to the casual observer. In either case, every opportunity that God sends our way is a chance to make a difference in His Name.

God-given opportunities often appear as foolishness to the world. As a result, most people never take God up on the opportunities He sends their way. In essence, they waste their lives from an eternal standpoint. Instead of making a difference, many people often choose not to make the most of their lives as God would have it. They may accomplish great and recognizable things on this earth. However, they eventually pass from this world into the next without making even the smallest ripple in the sea of eternity.

What are you doing with your life right now? Are you making the most of the opportunities God has given you, or are you simply letting them pass you by and wash down the drain? Ask God daily to begin to open your eyes to all of the opportunities He is sending you. It’s time to start making waves in eternity! What are you waiting for? Remember, the tub is always draining.

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