I love passionate people, so I love Caleb’s zeal for the Lord in Joshua 14:8, “I wholly followed the Lord my God.” At 85 years old, he said, “I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.”
And then he went and beat up a bunch of giants. Go Caleb!
In these land distribution chapters (Joshua 14–19), Caleb stands out as an example of how the Israelites were to receive their inheritance—with enthusiasm! He did not hesitate; he did not shirk his duties. His faith in the Word of God was a shining light to the rest of Israel… we must wholly follow the Lord our God!
We can learn something from that. We should approach our spiritual growth with that same kind of passion, and Sunday school might be just the tool to help you. As we close out the summer and look ahead to the new school year, it is a perfect time to emphasize our 9:30 a. m. classes for all ages. A five-year study found that Christians are 5x more likely to stay in church if they are part of a small group.
Our Sunday schools are a time to study God’s Word and make connections with other believers in a smaller setting. Buzzing in 10 minutes late and leaving 5 minutes early will not help you connect to anyone, and Sunday school helps you slow down and chat with a few people. That’s good for you. That’s good for them, too. You need them, and they need you. That’s how the body works.
If it is your habit to come only to the worship service, these next few weeks are the perfect time to start coming to Sunday school. God has placed you here not to consume, but to give. You have been gifted to be a gift to others (see 1 Cor. 12:11), and church is where you find your place in the body of Christ.
The next pages show which class might be a good fit for you, and the teachers will be in the foyer after the service to greet you and answer any questions you might have. Thank God for this great teaching arm of our church! -Pastor Ryan