Chapel

One of my new roles is to speak at chapel every Tuesday morning. There are children present from 5-18. It's a joyous challenge to speak on things that are relevant to all age groups. My topic today was evangelism. Yet I wanted to present it in such a way that all age groups could understand. 

I used [II Cor 5:21] as my text about being made righteous in Jesus. I put on a white shirt and had students list different sins they had committed. For each sin we wrote it down on the white shirt. Sins like telling a lie. Fighting with siblings. Disobeying parents. Losing tempers. Having bad attitudes. It did not take long and the once perfectly white shirt was stained with the black marks of listed sins. 

As we discussed Jesus taking our sin and offering forgiveness, one of the students took a red marker and drew a red cross down the center of the  white shirt. Little children immediately recognized it as the cross. As we discussed forgiveness and what Jesus did for us, another student brought out a white robe. She slipped the robe on covering all the black marks on the shirt. 

This is when we discussed righteousness. To put that another way, we discussed how Jesus cleanses and purifies us. He covers our sin. He clothes us in righteousness. 

At this point, we dismissed the younger students but kept the older ones behind. I asked any of the older ones to stay put who wanted to talk further about salvation. Many parents were in the room waiting for a meeting with the Head of School after the chapel service. They got to hear the message just like the students. Quietly everyone filed out of the room. Everyone but two boys. They came up where I was standing and sat down. Both wanted to know how to be saved. We talked our way through the plan of salvation. 

They both prayed a simple prayer asking Jesus to forgive them and to save them. What a tremendous way to start the school day! Two saved! The angels in heaven rejoice. God allowed me a front row seat to witness His glorious saving work. He did the convicting. He opened their eyes. He did the drawing, the forgiving, the saving, and I just got to be there for the final work. 

Those two young men had a life transforming God encounter today. I am still walking on clouds this morning. It fires me up. So humbled and honored to play any role at all in God's work. Even speaking in chapel.