I grew up going to church at First Baptist Ardmore. Our youth Sunday school classes were broken up by grade and gender. I don't remember what grade, it was either 7th or 8th grade I had two Sunday school teachers named Glen Vanway and Paul Caldwell. Glen seemed ancient to me even though he was probably only in his 60's, and Paul was always inviting us to Sunday School and church events when we saw him around town.
Both of those men made an effort to share the love of Christ with us in many ways. They served behind the scenes and invited us to do the same. They challenged us to follow Jesus and modeled that out. They reached out to young men even when we thought we were too cool to act like we knew them. Glen and Paul were not eloquent people, they didn't have all the answers. I am sure they had times when they were not very patient with us, yet they were faithfully committed to week in and week out prepare, teach and spend time with punky teenage boys.
I want you to know their faithful commitment was done with very little fanfare and with little appreciation on my part. Yet I want to remind you that their faithful commitment, week after week, year after year to invest in the lives of young men was worth it. They helped lay foundational truths from the Bible in my life and the lives of others that have made eternal differences.
Will you commit to be a Glen? Or a Paul? Would you be willing to plow the hard ground? To give yourself week in and week out for gospel kingdom work? Why? Because your faithfulness will be used by the Lord to make eternal differences in the lives of those you serve. Someday someone will look back and count you as a Hero of the Faith in their life because of your investment.
In Christ, Jeff
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
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