GO!
Matthew 28:19, Matthew 5:13-16
One of my favorite things to do when I was substitute teaching was to call roll and have the kids tell me what they wanted to be when they grew up instead of saying the word "here." It made roll call take way longer than it should, but I always learned so much about the kids I was about to spend the day with. Inevitably, if it was a group of kids between first and seventh grades, there would be a few kids who want to grow up to be YouTubers.
The generation that's coming up in the late 2010's will have a whole new context for the word "influence." Social Media Influencing, for example, can be a lucrative career and lots of people are making lots of money just by using their good looks or charisma or style to push a product, idea, or brand.
Now, before I go any further, please know that I'm not trying to weigh in on a Christian culture controversy! Unless there is specific scripture that explicitly back up one side or the other, I will never rant about my personal beliefs to people who don't already know my heart! But I'm going to bring one controversy up, so hear me out!
I've heard a lot of arguing lately, from many angles, about churches and Christian organizations building a "brand." As I said before - I'm not here to tell you exactly how I feel about that, but I WILL say that it's imperative that the kids know that the brand is not what we put our hope in. God can use your brand if He chooses to, but at the end of the day, a brand is something you build, and the Word says that if YOU built it, God doesn't live in it (see Acts chapter 17)!
Regardless of which side of the "brand" argument you fall on, we need to make sure that the kids know the difference between the brand and the reality of who Jesus is. If we allow the lines to get too blurry, we run the risk of reducing Christ to the brand we built. If Christ is reduced to a brand in the minds of God's precious children, then they are no more likely to make disciples of all nations than they are to convince someone to buy a new pair of Nikes. Their ability to share the gospel becomes attached to how good looking or charismatic or slick or stylish they are. At that point, a child's ability to be more influential than influenced is compromised.
That last little tag at the end of the song is a reminder for parents and teachers listening with their kids. Be honest with your kids about what God has done in your life. You don't have to share all the gory details of your life before Jesus just yet, but make sure they know that God has radically changed who you are. Let them see the power with which God has moved in your life so that they know He still does it! Help them to put words to the miracles they've seen and the promises God has kept to your family! Then, as they go, the reality of who God is can be the driving force behind how influential they are!
Lyrics:
I carry with me the best of news - the Gospel of knowing You, and knowing Your love
And I can't keep it locked away for myself, 'cause there's always someone else still waiting to hear
You have called me to love my neighbor and to carry the message of my Savior
And there is no better way than to
GO! to everyone and be salt and light
'cause Jesus, I cannot hide what You've done in me
And I will GO! and tell the world about how You save
how You love them and never change, and that's who You are!
Your love reaches higher than we can see, and it makes me act differently that I did before
Your love gives me hope in the darkest times, and it gives me a light to shine - and it's like nothing else!
You have called me to be a witness to Your goodness and Your forgiveness and
there is no better way than to
GO! to everyone and be salt and light
'cause Jesus, I cannot hide what You've done in me
And I will GO! and tell the world about how You save
how You love them and never change, and that's who You are!
You have called me to walk in Your truth
to bless and encourage and point people to You
and there is no better way than to
GO! Oh, I will GO!
GO! to everyone and be salt and light
'cause Jesus, I cannot hide what You've done in me
And I will GO! and tell the world about how You save
how You love them and never change, and that's who You are!
I will GO! to everyone and I'll let them see that You are my everything and You are my life
I will GO! to everyone and I'll tell the truth that there's nothing like knowing You and being known by You!
Matthew 28:19, Matthew 5:13-16
One of my favorite things to do when I was substitute teaching was to call roll and have the kids tell me what they wanted to be when they grew up instead of saying the word "here." It made roll call take way longer than it should, but I always learned so much about the kids I was about to spend the day with. Inevitably, if it was a group of kids between first and seventh grades, there would be a few kids who want to grow up to be YouTubers.
The generation that's coming up in the late 2010's will have a whole new context for the word "influence." Social Media Influencing, for example, can be a lucrative career and lots of people are making lots of money just by using their good looks or charisma or style to push a product, idea, or brand.
Now, before I go any further, please know that I'm not trying to weigh in on a Christian culture controversy! Unless there is specific scripture that explicitly back up one side or the other, I will never rant about my personal beliefs to people who don't already know my heart! But I'm going to bring one controversy up, so hear me out!
I've heard a lot of arguing lately, from many angles, about churches and Christian organizations building a "brand." As I said before - I'm not here to tell you exactly how I feel about that, but I WILL say that it's imperative that the kids know that the brand is not what we put our hope in. God can use your brand if He chooses to, but at the end of the day, a brand is something you build, and the Word says that if YOU built it, God doesn't live in it (see Acts chapter 17)!
Regardless of which side of the "brand" argument you fall on, we need to make sure that the kids know the difference between the brand and the reality of who Jesus is. If we allow the lines to get too blurry, we run the risk of reducing Christ to the brand we built. If Christ is reduced to a brand in the minds of God's precious children, then they are no more likely to make disciples of all nations than they are to convince someone to buy a new pair of Nikes. Their ability to share the gospel becomes attached to how good looking or charismatic or slick or stylish they are. At that point, a child's ability to be more influential than influenced is compromised.
That last little tag at the end of the song is a reminder for parents and teachers listening with their kids. Be honest with your kids about what God has done in your life. You don't have to share all the gory details of your life before Jesus just yet, but make sure they know that God has radically changed who you are. Let them see the power with which God has moved in your life so that they know He still does it! Help them to put words to the miracles they've seen and the promises God has kept to your family! Then, as they go, the reality of who God is can be the driving force behind how influential they are!
Lyrics:
I carry with me the best of news - the Gospel of knowing You, and knowing Your love
And I can't keep it locked away for myself, 'cause there's always someone else still waiting to hear
You have called me to love my neighbor and to carry the message of my Savior
And there is no better way than to
GO! to everyone and be salt and light
'cause Jesus, I cannot hide what You've done in me
And I will GO! and tell the world about how You save
how You love them and never change, and that's who You are!
Your love reaches higher than we can see, and it makes me act differently that I did before
Your love gives me hope in the darkest times, and it gives me a light to shine - and it's like nothing else!
You have called me to be a witness to Your goodness and Your forgiveness and
there is no better way than to
GO! to everyone and be salt and light
'cause Jesus, I cannot hide what You've done in me
And I will GO! and tell the world about how You save
how You love them and never change, and that's who You are!
You have called me to walk in Your truth
to bless and encourage and point people to You
and there is no better way than to
GO! Oh, I will GO!
GO! to everyone and be salt and light
'cause Jesus, I cannot hide what You've done in me
And I will GO! and tell the world about how You save
how You love them and never change, and that's who You are!
I will GO! to everyone and I'll let them see that You are my everything and You are my life
I will GO! to everyone and I'll tell the truth that there's nothing like knowing You and being known by You!