Children believers are believers. They are our brothers and our sisters. But they are children. Children in age and there also those that are young in the faith. They need to be encouraged, protected, and emulated.

We usually think the opposite. We think that those who have had a long faith life are the ones to be emulated.

for good reason, you that have been believers for several years are more likely to have a healthy devotional life. You spend time with God daily, you know how to make God a priority in your life.

Lived and survived the trials of this human life. You know the ups and the downs the pain and suffering of life. But you also know the beauty and the joy of life. You have learned to have faith and trust God.

And through all that you have learned the mind of God, or at least Gods will for your life.

Yes, those of you who are more seasoned in the faith have found the better way. You have learned that living in a way that you know Christ and make him known leads to a life of peace.

But why would Jesus tell us to be more like children?

Perhaps its because we have cynicism. That, although we may have faith in God we have lost faith in humanity. We have been through the trials of life and we have learned some things, especially about people. We learn that even though we give our best, sometimes we get hurt, sometimes we get let down, sometimes we get betrayed. And those experiences shape how we live with each other and interact with each other.

we do have disappointments and we do have mistrust.

And we can also get tired.

When we pour our energy in to something, when we give our heart mind soul and strength and we run into disappointment and pain, it is hard to sustain.

When we have the best in intentions and you are repeatedly overlooked, unappreciated, discouraged and dissuaded: That can be tiring.

Children and those young in the faith are trying to find God, Their hearts and minds are open to to what God might do in their lives. They are hungry to hear the truth, and they know it when they hear it. They come to church looking to us the more seasoned in the faith to tell them the truth. To tell them about God. To tell them about our savior Jesus. They want us to share with them our faith experiences.

Is that whet they find?

Do we find ourselves comfortable with our relationship with God. Are we looking for the possibilities that God has to offer, or are we content to keep things just as they are.

Children have innocence. They view the world in a way that is closer to the realization of the Kingdom of heaven than is reflected in current reality. If we could see through their eyes we could know more clearly what we need to fix.

Children are most capable and most willing to Learn.

What are they learning? What influences dominate their lives.

Imagine this: you are a first grader. You head of to school on the first day of the school year in the fall. You have your backpack will all the supplies on the list that the school sent you stuffed inside. You Ride the big yellow school bus. You Go in to your school building and find the first grade class room. The teacher reads off everybody's name... but yours. Your teacher checks the other first grade class room, your name isn't there either.

What does it say to a kid when his name is not on any class roster on the first day of school. To most of us that sounds like a administrative, or a clerical mistake. To a kid it says she doesn't belong anywhere.

What does it say when a parent is silent about the types of entertainment their kids enjoy. It says that what ever it is they are watching its okay by me.

Jesus priority for kids: The scripture lesson today says He put the child in the middle of them. Yes we are supposed to emulate the faith of a child but Jesus also says we are responsible for them.

We are supposed to give them the truth. We are supposed to equip them for life. We are supposed to teach them all that we have been taught about Jesus Christ. Jesus talks about Stumbling blocks. Don't put em there. Jesus' words are petty stern about putting things in the way of a child's faith. We want to encourage discipleship and faith. So, what do we want to pass on of our faith.

Jesus is the son of God. The one who came to offer us salvation by giving his life for each of us. That if we just have faith that Jesus was God and that he did come to save us, we can have life and have it in abundance. We can live forever in his presence. When we die we will not be gone but we will simply pass on to another life one that lasts forever, a life where there is not pain or sadness; where there is no sickness or death.

We want them to know Jesus in this life so that they can have a life of abundant love. And when they know Jesus in that way, when they know in their heart that Jesus is the Lord, that Jesus is their savior, that Jesus is God, then they will want nothing more than to make Jesus known to others.

That's what we want for our kids in this family of faith. That is what we want to teach them. But who will teach them?

I preach and teach a little from here. Parents impart important spiritual truth to their kids. Sunday School, which starts its new season next week is a very important way we as a faith community teach our youngest brothers and sisters in the faith.

What would it say to our kids if we had a list of 30 people willing and wanting to be able to teach them to love and trust God in the way that we hope for them. What if the waiting list had 40 names or 50. Our kids would know that this message, this good news about Jesus Christ is important to us.

Sunday school for kids is not a form of day care. It is the most important ministry this church can offer. Teaching the faith to the young believer is a gift you give not only to that child but to the world. A child raised in the way that that child should go is a child that will make this world a better place. Because God will use that child and work through that child.

Think for a moment, who taught you about the faith? Who was it that was an inspiration in your life?

Take a moment and thank God for them.

So how is it with you today?

How can you encourage one of these young disciples in their faith life. How would you want to be encouraged?