"My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand." John 10:27 & 28
Do you have any television shows that just seem to captivate your attention to the point that you eagerly await for the next episode? I have just a few shows that elevate my interest to this level. Although I am very excited about the return of "American Ninja Warrior", I was very eager to watch last Monday's opening premier of "The Voice".
In fact, I have been a faithful fan since this show began. If you have not had an opportunity to view this show, it is built on the premise that four very talented, accomplished, and famous musicians sit with their backs to those who are auditioning. The only factor that helps each judge determine if he/she is going to select a contestant to be on his/her team is by listening to the vocal quality of the song that each contestant sings. Contestants have only minutes to perform and demonstrate their vocal abilities. Hidden from any visual influences or distractions, coaches are required to focus on only the vocal qualities to determine if a contestant has the potential to be the winner by the end of the season. When a coach selects a contestant that they feel has that level of potential, he/she hits a button that allows his/her chair to turn around and see the contestant for the first time. Often, the coaches are shocked when they turn to see that some of these power house voices belong to very young teenagers!
In a similar fashion, at St. Matthew Lutheran School, we are passionate to train our students to hear the pure voice of Christ and follow His commands and directives. Throughout their lives, children are going to be bombarded with many voices in this world, and some of them that may be harmful and not built on God's truth. However, through your spiritual nurturing at home and our daily instruction and encouragement in God's Word at school, we are able to partner together in cultivating your child's faith journey. Through this team effort, we are able to help our students build necessary skills to discern what is of God and how to listen and follow His voice throughout their lives.
One clear directive that God provides in Matthew 28:18 - 20 is to "Go tell the world about me!" One way that we can listen and obey this command is by showing Jesus' love to those who are hurting or in need.
As a result, our school places a high priority on providing age appropriate opportunities for our students to be the hands and feet of Jesus and help those who are struggling and/or facing devastating circumstances.
Our 6th - 8th grade "Covering Maui In God's Fingerprints" Bake Sale is one beautiful example of a student-led outreach project. As a result of your generosity, as of this date, our school has been able to raise $6,805.82.
We thank you for your tremendous support, and we give God all the glory for the success of this event. It is now our prayer that many victims of the Maui wildfires will be blessed by this money and see God's love in the process.
Have a wonderful week as you seek to listen and follow His voice.
In Jesus' Love,
Mrs. Palka