For three years I had the amazing privilege of teaching the college/young adult Sunday school class at church. It was a blast, and a challenge. Young adults are such a unique group, and one has to really be prepared for the tough questions, and the lack of interest. Don't get me wrong; I loved every minute of it and miss that class like crazy. I was also humbled on a regular basis by my own shortcomings.
I now teach the 4th - 6th grade class, which is a slightly different dynamic.
No less humbling though.
When teaching the young adults, we dug deep in our study of Scripture, beyond the basics to the meat.
Now, it is all about the basics, with depth thrown in alongside the occasional Christmas song. :)
And I am discovering the refreshment in returning to the building blocks of faith in Christ.
The ten commandments, the 23rd Psalm, the hall of faith (Hebrews 11), the Lord's prayer.
The basics. The beautiful, profoundly simple, yet magnificently astounding basics.
And this week, we learned about the first and greatest commandment.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37
Pretty easy, right?
yeah, not so much.
When you really dissect this verse, and examine what it means to love God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, and ALL your mind, it is pretty tough.
Impossible actually.
Except for ...
(and this is the best part)
Jesus Christ.
See I can love God with most of my heart, and I might could love Him with a lot of my soul, and I could probably love Him with the majority of my mind. But all?
I mean, do I? This is the first and greatest commandment. This is the one. And, I can't even do it.
So, if it is impossible for me to love God with all my heart, soul, and strength, then how do I obey?
Again, Jesus Christ.
And that is the most basic element of faith there is: Christ.
He is the building block.
He is the basis.
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