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Let the Children Come to Me


Let the Children Come to Me

by Ron Prentice, CEO
June 11, 2010
When they pressed to place their babies and children in front of this man, Jesus, the parents were seeking hope. When the disciples attempted to keep the families away, Jesus became indignant with them, saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14)
The older we get, the less we tend to allow “mystery” and “wonder” to be part of our thoughts, but a 2008 study has found that children who believe in a “higher power” are happier than those children who do not. According to the research by the University of British Columbia and published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, “children who were more spiritual were happier.”
The study distinguished between spirituality and religiousness, referring to spirituality as an “inner belief system” and religiousness as “institutional religious rituals, practices, and beliefs.” The difference, according to the researchers, is that spirituality is internalized, and religiousness can remain an external practice.
It is for this reason – internalization of beliefs – that California Family Council continues to press for more people to be exposed to the Truth Project, Focus on the Family’s worldview DVD series for small groups. The feedback from those who have participated in the series has been phenomenal. 
Last Saturday at Big Valley Grace Community Church in Modesto, 106 people participated in a Truth Project training for small group leaders. As the four-hour event began, I asked those in attendance, “why are you here today?” One man answered that he had already gone through the series in a small group, but wanted to be especially prepared to lead it himself. He said that as he took one “tour” after another (the series is made up of 13 sessions or “tours”), he experienced more and more internal peace. “Every lesson described in more detail how God’s design is all-encompassing,” he said, “taking in every area of life.”
As we are quick to point out in the Truth Project trainings, we do not tout the DVD series as equal to the biblical text. Rather, the Truth Project helps explain the character of God as evidenced from His word, renews our own wonder at the supernatural, and builds our confidence in our worldview.
That was the difference in the early Church! When God’s Spirit showed up, new believers let go of their “religiousness” and found internal transformation. That mystery remains available to God’s “children” today, regardless of our age.
For more information about how to schedule a Truth Project training in your area, call our offices at 951.354.8362, or e-mail us at info@CaliforniaFamily.org. 
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