Good Morning Friends,
There is a reason Jesus placed a child at the center of the Kingdom—and a reason our sanctuary’s second Soul Window on the west wall, the Blessing of the Children, speaks so deeply to us. It is not merely stained glass; it is theology in color and it is as if the stained glass speaks across our sanctuary with a message from the other Windows. Think about the Windows we have been considering. Think about the Lakeside Window, the Boat Window, and the Children’s Window. They reflect Scripture rendered as art. It is the gospel shining through innocence, humility, and trust. And perhaps that is the point: the Bible itself is art—not decorative art, but formative art. It shapes us. It awakens the child within us. It reminds us that before we were achievers, leaders, parents, or planners, we were children—small, dependent, and welcomed by God. So, Do You Understand That We Come As The Crowd, Listen As The Disciples And Receive As The Children?
Scripture Summaries
Matthew 19:13–15
Parents bring their children to Jesus for blessing. The disciples try to protect His time, but Jesus reverses their instincts: “Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” He lays His hands on them—an act of tenderness, dignity, and divine affirmation.
Joshua 24:14–29
At the end of his life, Joshua gathers Israel and calls them to renewed covenant faithfulness. He urges them to put away rival gods, choose whom they will serve, and commit themselves wholly to the Lord. The people respond with resolve, and Joshua sets up a stone of witness—a reminder that commitments shape generations.
Message: The gospel humbles us out of our pride and lifts us out of our despair. Nowhere is that clearer than in Jesus’ welcome of children. In the ancient world, children had no status, no power, no voice. Yet Jesus places them at the center of the Kingdom. Why? Because children embody the posture the gospel requires—trust, dependence, openness, and joy. They do not come to earn; they come to receive. And this is where the Soul Window becomes a sermon in glass. The children gathered around Jesus are not merely historical figures—they are mirrors. They show us who we once were, and who we must become again. Here the Bible is art because it forms us. It paints pictures that reshape our imaginations. It invites us to see the world—and ourselves—through God’s eyes. Joshua’s call to covenant faithfulness is not a demand for heroic willpower; it is a call to return to the simplicity of childlike devotion that is truly beautiful. “Choose this day whom you will serve” is not the voice of a drill sergeant—it is the voice of a Father saying, Come home. Trust me. Walk with me. And when Jesus blesses the children, He is blessing the child in each of us—the part that longs to be held, guided, and loved. The part that still hopes. The part that still believes.
And So, The Kingdom belongs to those who receive it, not achieve it. It belongs to those who come with empty hands and open hearts. It belongs to those who remember they are children of a faithful Father. This is why commitments matter. This is why families matter. This is why the church matters. Because every act of faithfulness—every prayer whispered, every child nurtured, every promise kept—becomes a stone of witness like Joshua’s. It tells the next generation: God is faithful. And we will be too.When you stand in our sanctuary and let your eyes move from the lakeside to the boat to the children, a story emerges:
- We come to Jesus with our needs (the multitude).
- Jesus steps into our lives and calls us (the boat).
- We discover that the way into the Kingdom is childlike trust (the blessing).
The Bible is art because it forms us. The windows are art because they remind us who we are. And the Spirit uses both to awaken the child within us—the part that still hopes, still trusts, still believes that Jesus’ hands are safe.
Pray we rediscover the childlike trust that opens the Kingdom. Pray we remember our identity as beloved children of God. Pray for families who serve the Lord across generations. Pray for leaders who model humility, joy, and faithfulness. Pray for children—those in our homes, our church, and our community—who show us what the Kingdom looks like. Pray we build lives, families, and ministries rooted in covenant love. Pray we receive the Kingdom the way Jesus taught us to— with open hands, humble hearts, and the wonder of a child.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 