Kuddos To Pastor T

Have I told you how much I love our church? The music is wonderful, the preaching is excellent, the childcare is bliss.
But . . . , that's not what I'm blogging about. I wanted to blog a little of my sermon's notes from this morning's sermon because it gave me insight to something I had never seen before. So sit back and open your Bible with me to Matthew 3:17.
"And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
2 things every child needs to know from their parents:
1) That they are loved.
2) That they are pleasing.
When a child knows these 2 things, they can take on the world. God said these things of Jesus right before he was led into the desert to be tempted by Satan.
I John 2:15-17:
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." NKJ or in the Message:
"Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity."
Those 3 things, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life were what Jesus was tempted by in the very next chapter, the very next verse after God said he loved him, and was pleased in him.
Matt.4:3 "The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." - the lust of the flesh
Matt.4:5-6 "Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." - the pride of life
Matt.4:8-9 "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." - the lust of the eyes
Jesus was able to overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life because he knew his Father loved him and was pleased by him.
Equip your children with the strength to overcome the world. Make sure they always know that they are loved and that you delight in them.