Dear First Pres, 

  Do you try each day to look for God’s presence at work in and around you? Last week at City Bible Adventure, 80 volunteers (teens and adults) got to witness what we in Kingdom Kids (Children’s Ministry) call God Sightings. We encouraged the 76 children who attended to look for everyday clues that God is present and at work in and around us. It’s an acknowledgment that God has done something. It’s giving God credit and praise. It’s developing a God-focused view and a grateful heart.
We discovered that we can see God in things like scripture, circumstances, and His creation all around us. It is the act of finding evidence of God each day. God is active in our daily lives - we just need to pause and spend time looking. I saw God in all who served at CBA and in the beautiful children we got to spend the week with.

   We learned five Bible points that helped us look at Biblical God Sightings as we unfolded the story of Joseph, who was placed by God to save a nation (Egypt), and God then sending his precious Son to save us:

  • God loves you no matter what (Psalm 89:2)
  • God is with you everywhere (Joshua 1:9)
  • God is in charge (Psalm 147:5)
  • God is stronger than anything (Romans 8:38)
  • God is surprising (Psalm 66:5)

 Children saw God Sightings as they made new friends; sang meaningful songs to God; found joy in the fun times; shared their thoughts and listened to others in small crews; and received unconditional love from their Crew Leaders and Station Leaders. They saw God as they heard amazing Bible stories of how God helped Joseph through some very trying times (like his brothers’ jealousy toward him, becoming a slave, and being imprisoned for something he didn’t do) and how God gave Joseph new responsibilities and ultimately reunited him with his family. They saw God as they learned about Jesus dying for their sins, coming back to life, and reconciling them to a right relationship with Him.

  If we’re honest, we don’t always look for God Sightings each day. Our days are packed with all the responsibilities, to-dos, struggles and burdens. God forgive me, I’m guilty of it. When we do look for Him, though, it makes a difference in how we respond to God and allow Him to use us to speak His truth to someone, help someone, have meaningful or hard conversations, speak kind words over others, or be grateful and thank Him. It gives God an open door to give us His Kingdom perspective each day. It matters and it makes a difference as we reach out to those God brings our way who have yet to know Christ as Savior.

    As we go deeper through the sermons shared with us this summer, let’s use God Sightings to draw us closer to Him and join Him as He works in and around us.  

 

Blessings, 

Margie Nunez