There's a second thing. We really do believe that the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of fresh starts and new beginnings, that God will restore that which the locusts have eaten. You can have fresh starts. Some of you need to go to your kids and say, "We did it the wrong way and I like to start anew with you. There's some things I need to confess to you. Wouldn't you like to work with me to do this thing that we do together in a better way?" Let me summarize what this day is about with this physical, visual picture. God is in the business of painting His grace on the canvas of human souls. There'll be a day when that entire canvas is assembled of souls of every culture, every language group, every location on the globe, every ethnic group, men, women, boys and girls from every period of history, when we see the canvas of the glory of God's grace, we won't be able to do anything but worship. Now here when I'm about to say. You're God's brushes. God would wipe you, mom, across the palette of His grace and through you, paint His transforming grace on the heart of your children. God would pick you up, dad, and wipe you across the palette of His grace and through you, paint His grace on the canvas of the hearts of your children. Here's the single issue of this weekend. Check it out. Are you a soft brush in His redemptive hands? Have you ever tried to paint with a hard brush that wasn't taken care of? It doesn't pick up the paint very well and it scratches the very surface it was meant to make beautiful. I have to say this. There are hard brush dads in this room. You had hard brush moments this week and your bristles need to be softened by that very same grace, so that you'd be a more effective carrier of that grace to the hearts of your children. Dads, look at me. Where do your bristles need to be softened? There are hard brush moms in this room. You had hard brush moments this week and your bristles need to be softened by that very same grace, so you can effectively carry that grace to the hearts of your children. Moms, look at me. Where do your bristles need to be softened? The Bible says in that final day, as we're celebrating in worship so loudly that we're literally screaming in worship like the cracks of thunder, like the sound of mighty Russian Rapids where you can't hear yourself think, a voice will speak and they will say, "Well done, good and faithful servants." Are you ready for this? God will thank His brushes. Monet never did that. Rembrandt never did that. Picasso never did that. But God did that. Oh, that we would be soft brushes in His redemptive hands, so that that grace will be carried in ways that transform the hearts of our children. Let's pray. Thank you, Lord, for the beauty, clarity, practicality of Your word. We would say to You that we love You, but our greatest, fullest joy in life is that we've been loved by You. May we be, by that love and by that grace, soft brushes in Your transforming and redemptive hands. In Jesus' name, amen.
God bless.
Transcript: Session 10
GETTING TO THE HEART OF PARENTING
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