Handing out Loaded Weapons

Growing up in the Northwest, we have few in the way of Large cities, sure there is Portland and farther to the north is Seattle, but if you truly want to get lost in the woods, there are few places that you can't do it in a two hour drive. I was born and raised in Springfield, and grew up with a fishing pole in my hands. I know several different techniques for catching trout, bass, and an assortment of other things. I shoot guns, I've been hunting for grouse, deer, elk, and the occasional cougar or bear. My brother and I used to live near enough to each other that we would go hunting together in the fall and often times would take his son with us. Gunner is now 8. and I can't imagine Jared or anyone responsible handing him a gun and sending him off in the woods to bring back a big one. He could hurt him self in many ways or worse...

In December of 2004 I was brought into the world of Christianity through baptism, though I know now what all the commitments that I made with the water rite, I didn't know then. Once I was out of the water and dry, I was handed a bible and sent out in the world. A bible... a Bible... mm... A BIBLE!!! I don't know how to use a bible. Sure I can read, and I know the stories as well as most casual observers of Sunday doctrine, but what am I going to do with a bible. I would never have understood the absurdity of this if I never understood that the bible is indeed a weapon. Going back to the discussion about my nephew, he knows how to shoot a gun, he was trained from the time he could walk, you point the barrel at the ground, never point at anyone, and always be aware of everyone around you before and after you shoot, and if you should even shoot.

Hand me a bible and I'm ready to go save the world, right? Absolutely not! I can do as much damage with a bible in my hand trying to win souls to the Lord as I could with an AK47, unless someone took the time to properly train me. I never was, I still don't have the confidence to hand out such a lethal weapon as a bible because I know that I'm in no way ready to start teaching someone to use it. Or am I?

I've become a member of the training team at SFC and in the process of developing team unity, we've worked hard to make sure that the members of the team as individuals are strong foundations of Christ's love. I wonder about myself sometimes and know that I fall as often as I soar, but at the end of the day, I know right from wrong and can teach that to others. I may not be able to start an Army of the Lord on my own, but I can begin to teach them the necessary fundamentals of Christs love. After all, I was told the rules of handling a gun before I was ever handed one.