She used to come with her grandmother until she was 9 or 10. My wife and I started a weekly social time for Teens during covid lockdowns, so kids could see each other. She started coming to that with a friend who was a regular church attender.

A couple of months later, she showed up in my Sunday School class. She had become close friends with that other girl so I figured she was coming to hang out with her friend. That's cool. I'll take them however they get here.

We've been talking about the role of the church and I asked her why she started coming again. I acknowledged that everybody else in my Sunday School class comes because their parents attend and they don't have a choice. And that when I was 14, I came because my parents made me.

I expected her to say that she comes because she's good friends with Hayley or that she enjoys the social aspect of Sunday School (which I make sure is part of the class).

Nope.

She said that a year ago she was going through a lot and was in a dark place in her life and felt like she needed to get back to church. That's a 40 year old's answer. I was impressed that a 14 year old had figured out that Church offers solutions to life's problems. I sure didn't have that figured out at 14. Took me a couple of more decades to get it.

Impressive girl. I hope I can keep her coming.

He works in mysterious ways!

Awesome that she is finding what she needs through church

I hope she keeps attending. No offense but I don't think you are the one who will keep her attending. You will have an influence but Jesus is the reason she returned.

Great story and I agree with Broomchaser. I bet Ryan does too.
Thanks for the share.

Blessings,
Mark

Cud it be predestination?
God just moved on her heart

We had a little girl about 5 years old that the Pastor asked during the children's sermon what she would do if a burglar broke into her house. Her answer was " I'd shoot them with the shotgun " never heard that many Amens in our Church before. And I think she was serious about it

Maybe a thought that it's not for her but for you, things happen for all kinds of reasons, and most of us generally don't ever look at different reasons but the obvious ones.

Just a thought !

That's a heck of a message to send to kids--at CHURCH, no less. Don't Christian churches believe in the sanctity of human life anymore? I bet they pay lip-service to it when the abortion issue comes up.

Would Jesus shoot the burglar with a shotgun? Even I, an agnostic, wouldn't just shoot somebody in my house, unless they ignored my order to get out.

Jim

May I offer that it is God whom offers the solutions and usually the “church” that mucks things up.

What did the Pastor say that made you think that was the message he was sending?

Here let me answer my own question councilor.....You don't know because you didn't hear the message he was giving. Pretty feeble attempt but par for the course

I'll add that you probably don't care what Jesus's stance on self protection is and if you did you could learn it by reading the Bible

Goofy comparison, James, even for you. What would Jesus do? Well seeing that 1) he knows the heart and therefore intent of the burglar and 2) can prevent the burglar from doing any harm without use of force he probably wouldn't have any need to shoot him.

Sure life is precious. But bet your back side someone breaks into my home they will get the chance to discuss it directly with their maker in short order. Maybe they will have time to repent and ask forgiveness from him before they meet him if my aim was off a little.

Letting poor behavior run with no penalties that's a Leftists thing. Around here penalties are severe and swift. I am not God and cannot heal my loved ones or bring them back from the dead like him either. So my best option to get results is eliminate the threat not ask nicely if I can fix then a sandwich for the road.

That may not be God's stance but you see I'm just an imperfect broken man doing the best I can. You can't seem to understand not a single Christian is perfect or not hypocritical to some degree. We do the best we can with what we have. If we were perfect the Cross would not have been necessary.

If killing one aggressor to save another innocent seed me south instead of North sign me up. God made me and made me a protector. I will protect all those around me from the predators. It's who I am. I believe I conduct myself admirable but that's from my human prospective. I can never live up to God's that's why WE HAVE Jesus.

27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. (Jesus said that)


“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into (Luke 12:39). ”



“When the strong man, fully armed, guards his courtyard, his property is undisturbed Luke 11:21)

Well I guess that settles that, lol

I don't mean to derail this great story of God working in this young lady's life; how encouraging.
God already knows the move she will make. But, it is up to her to yield to the conviction of the Holy Spirit; she can refuse.
God chooses everyone, unfortunately not everyone chooses God. There are numerous scriptures that warn about not heeding the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
"It is God's will that none should perish"...however, many do perish.

Where does it say that the master of the house should kill? Sounds like this particular church was channeling Clint Eastwood rather than Jesus.

Jim

Again James I'll point out you have no idea what the Pastor said or what the point of the sermon was. Seems you only like facts when they benefit your point. If you can quote one thing that any of the leadership said Sunday at our Church that would validate your point I'm all ears otherwise your just trolling.

And I'll add that if can't come with anything then you shouldn't be offended in the future if anyone accuses of trolling in the future

It doesn't. Obviously, killing would be the final option. In OT law, killing an intruder was justified if it was night, but not during the day. What I take from that is that its a lot easier to subdue someone without killing them when you can see the full picture.
It's better to err on the side of driving him away or stopping without killing when possible, but it's not always possible.

"never heard that many Amens in our Church before."

The Pastor isn't the only member of the church.

Jim