O.K., so you like my boyhood stories, right? Here’s one… One day I decided that I’d like to camp out behind the barn. So I pitched a “tent” made from an old blanket and set up camp. Now what’s camping without a campfire? So I gathered up some dry sticks and started the fire. What could go wrong with that? Just then my friend Chuck came over on his bike, and we went biking together. You can guess what happened. The campfire started a grass fire that claimed a couple of acres! After putting it out, the fire chief gave my parents a recommendation about my punishment. That led to a lifelong respect for fire and I eventually became the Chief of a volunteer fire department myself (and dealt with many a grass fire).

Sin is like that. We start out small. After all, what could go wrong with that? James 1:14,15 reminds us: But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own evil desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Jesus Christ responds to that awful process by coming into our world in order to stop it by His death and resurrection. He has quenched the destructive fire of sin by His grace in the water of Holy Baptism. In Christ, by faith alone in Him, we are saved from the fires of hell. We

are forgiven. We have the promise of eternal life. We are empowered to resist the urge to start that little fire, and forgiven when we do.

That’s heaven’s fire department. Blessings!

Pastor Stanton

Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Psalm 71:17

Being a teacher of small children, I know firsthand just how little children love to copycat you. Children find great fascination in clomping around in their parents' shoes, pretending to be the teacher, helping others out, and the list goes on. Children imitate what they see around them, from physical appearance to words and actions. This can be unnerving when you realize the impression you can make on children in your life. They may see the good, but they will also witness the mistakes.

With grace, you can actively model your faith to the little ones around you. I cannot stress enough the importance of children seeing you model your faith. Let them see you pray, study the Word, and sometimes down right cry out to Jesus. Let them see you in worship and place an importance on attending church. Let them see you praise God by dancing and singing His praise. Through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, we have been given a new life. This new life comes from the waters of holy baptism, so do not waste the opportunity you have to share this new life.

The new life that God has given you will shine brighter than the mistakes you have made. In fact, those mistakes disappear altogether when you ask God for forgiveness. And in those moments, you are also showing your faith because you are demonstrating repentance. Let children see those hidden things so that those times can also reflect Jesus! So, we see that it is in youth that we learn the most and soak up everything around us, as adults then, let us make sure that what we are showing the children reflects Christ. Be of strong faith so that your children can grow strong in their faith and praise God for His mighty deeds as well. Be a reflector of Christ and His ways so that His children may also be reflectors and imitators of Christ!

In His Service,

Jennifer Leinss

For our third quarter special missions we will be supporting Mark and Megan Mantey. Mark and Megan currently are serving the Lord in Uganda, Mark as a project manager for the Seminary and Megan as a teacher. Please see the attached prayer card for more information on the Mantey family. May God continue to bless them and use them in big ways as they serve God's people in Uganda.