Are you smarter than a third grader?
2019 Summer Sermon Series
Every year I talk about the fruits of the spirit with our baptismal class. My normal schtick is to ask how to tell the difference between an apple tree and and a pear tree. The typical answer is to look at the fruit. This gimmick has always worked to facilitate a conversation about what faithfulness looks like.
That is, until this year. This year’s baptismal class contained a third grader who chastised my ignorance and confidently pointed out that a pear tree has three hairs on each bloom. She seemed appalled to be getting Christian education from someone so untutored in the ways of the world. It turns out that, no, I am not smarter than a third grader.
This was just one of the many wonderful moments of this year’s baptismal class. Each week these young women consistently impressed me with profound answers as we discussed the tenets of our faith and how the Christian life should be lived out. Before they were baptized they were asked to present their beliefs in a question and answer format before the congregation. They did so with a level of detail that would be impossible for many adults in our congregation.
Using their poise and thoughtfulness as an example, I am challenging the Disciples of First Christian Church to study the same topics as our baptismal class. This Sunday will be the start of a summer-long sermon series where we use the structure of the 16 Sweet Truths baptismal curriculum written by Rev. David Nash, pastor of First Christian Church (DOC) in Sikeston, MO.
Each week we will cover topics including:
1. Who is Jesus?
2. What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ?
3. What does it mean that Jesus is Savior?
4. Why do we call Jesus Lord?
5. What is grace?
6. What is sin?
7. What does it mean to hear and believe the Good News?
8. What does it mean to repent and confess our sin?
9. Why should we be baptized?
10. What is the forgiveness of sins?
11. What is the gift of the Holy Spirit?
12. What is the gift of eternal life?
13. How do we live a life of faith, hope, and love?
14. Why do we celebrate communion?
15. What is the church?
16. What does it mean to have love and compassion for our neighbor?
Preparing for an encounter with the Word
This summer on the church’s Facebook page we will share the questions, scriptures, and “16 Sweet Truths” introductory material. Check in at the middle of the week and see what the students learned. Read ahead and pray through the lesson so that you will be fully prepared for Sunday’s sermon.
1 Peter 3:15 tells us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
This can be hard to do without practice. By the end of the summer you should be able to explain your faith in Jesus with the same level of skill and profundity as the baptismal class did on Sunday.
Are you smarter than a third grader?
Here’s your chance to prove it.
(Special thanks to David Nash for permission to share his 16 Sweet Truths and to the Bookers for letting me tell this story.”)
