Due to inclement weather, the 9 a.m. service for Sunday, Jan. 20 has been cancelled. We will have one morning service at 10:45 a.m. as road conditions improve.

A Mother Bear and Her Cubs

by David Lemming

In the animal kingdom, a mother bear is known to be a powerful protector of her cubs (cf. Prov. 17:12). She will do whatever it takes to keep them safe from harm, even if it means putting her own life on the line. She serves as a powerful reminder of the bond between a mother and her children, and the lengths that a mother will go to protect and care for them.
 
It is not just their physical protection that a mother bear provides her cubs, but also the emotional support that she gives. She teaches them valuable life skills, such as hunting and survival techniques, and provides comfort and reassurance when they are scared or unsure. The bond between a mother bear and her cubs is unbreakable, and it is a beautiful sight to behold the affection and care that she shows her offspring.
 
Mothers have always been known for their strength and resilience, and in today’s world, these qualities are more important than ever. With so many dangers and challenges facing our children, it is essential that mothers step up and take action to protect their precious gifts given to them by God. Whether through advocacy, education, personal example or simply being present and supportive, every mother can make a difference in the lives of her children and those around her.
It is natural for mothers to want to protect their children from harm. Sadly, there are many dangers in today’s world, like drugs, alcohol, evil ideologies, and sexual perversion, to name a few, that threaten them daily. Too often in our world, our children are learning morals and values that do not align with our own biblical morals and values. To ensure that they stay safe and receive the training that aligns with God’s Word, it’s important to be vigilant and monitor what they are being taught, as well as be present to see the kinds of things they are exposed to regularly in their daily lives.
 
This certainly involves having transparent conversations with them and monitoring what they are learning in all areas where they are involved. Why? Because ultimately it should be part of a mother’s nature to safeguard her children and instill the values that will guide them towards a successful and fulfilling life. Remember, though, that being a powerful protector doesn’t mean being overbearing or controlling. You can strike a balance between protecting your children and allowing them to grow and learn on their own by simply being consistently present and engaged in their lives.
 
Not long ago our President made an audacious statement while addressing a group of teachers. He said to those in attendance about YOUR children, “They are somebody else’s children…They’re like yours when they are in the classroom.” I wish I could believe that what he meant was that teachers should “protect and care” for our children as if they were their parents when they are with them in the classroom. However, Emile Kao, who serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom wrote, “At younger ages than ever before, American children are being targeted…with sexual content and destructive gender ideology…the White House and Congress are poised to exacerbate these trends by infusing K-12 public schools with destructive ideology, politicizing medicine, and undermining parental rights.” Is she right? Well, I have personally seen a lot of what she is talking about being discussed in our news in recent years.

This past month, we’ve witnessed yet another tragic incident of children being targeted in their own schools. In an appalling act of violence, a transgender woman entered Covenant School in Nashville, TN, and took the lives of three innocent children and three members of the school staff. This senseless act of violence is an all-too-familiar reminder of the twenty children who lost their lives in the 2012 Newtown, CT, shooting.

In 2018, 14 students and three staff members tragically lost their lives in a shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida. And in 2022 we saw another tragic incident, when nineteen students were killed in a school shooting in Uvalde, TX. Many of us can remember watching the news in utter disbelief in 1999 when 13 students were killed in the Columbine High School murders.
 
While I don’t recall any such incidents like that happening before 1999, it’s possible that there were some that I simply don’t remember. Perhaps, due to the lack of awareness and attention to such incidents, they were not reported or were not taken as seriously as they should have been. It’s distressing to think about the amount of pain and anguish that these events have caused for the loved ones of all these victims. The ripple effects of such tragedies can be felt for years and even decades afterwards. The scars left behind are not just physical, but emotional and psychological as well.
 
As should be obvious, our children are being targeted, and it is our responsibility to take action to protect them. We need to begin by acknowledging the reality of the situation and taking steps to prevent similar incidents from happening again. When it comes to protecting the physical safety of our children, this should include enhancing school security measures and hiring more security personnel. Additionally, it means providing counseling and support services for students who may be struggling with mental health issues or who have been affected by the instability of their lives. Above all, we must be people who live by the Gospel, share the Gospel, and instill the Gospel in our children daily. We may be able to reform some things in our society, but only Jesus Christ can transform people into what they ought to be.
 
Make no mistake about it, the enemy is coming for our children. As hard as it is to believe, some people in our society are advocating for children to be exposed to things like drag queens, drag queen shows, and drag queen story hours in public or private settings, such as childcare centers and libraries. It is difficult to imagine a sane world in which it would be considered acceptable to promote such bizarre (harmful and evil) ideas to our children as “entertainment.”
 
Again, the current administration has defended these ideas, which is inherently wrong on so many levels. Just so everyone is clear, drag queens are men who dress in women’s clothing, often in scantily clad and provocative outfits, and perform for the entertainment of audiences. There is no “reasonable person” in his or her “right mind” who would ever consider these performances to be suitable for elementary-aged children, let alone for anyone else.
 
This again shows that some people seek to harm our children in any way possible. Even in some of the most perverted ways possible. While we absolutely must do everything in our power to keep our children physically safe at school, it is equally important to ensure their protection from harmful ideas, philosophies, and beliefs to which they are being exposed. We must work not only to keep killers out of our schools but also to safeguard our children’s moral and spiritual well-being.
 
By exposing our children to drag queen performances and similar concepts, people knowingly feed the children the lies of our demonic enemy. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant in protecting our children in all aspects of their lives, both physically, spiritually and emotionally. It is time to act and make necessary changes in all of these areas of our children’s lives so they are safe and well-informed about the dangers around them.
 
At LMBC, we believe that children and youth are a vital part of our church and our community. Our children’s (LKC) and student ministries (Refuel) are designed to provide a safe and loving environment for them to learn and grow in their faith.
 
We understand the importance of teaching our children about God and His love for them. That’s why we want to instill in them the belief that God created them, loves them unconditionally, and has a plan for their lives. We also want our children to understand that evil exists in this world, but that Jesus Christ has already overcome it. Our goal is to encourage our children to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and to live for Him every day.
 
In addition, we recognize the importance of grounding our children in the Scripture and in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that providing a solid foundation in the Bible will prepare them for the challenges they will face today and in the future. That’s why we offer Bible-based teachings in all our ministries and from the pulpit, rather than providing short homilies that cater to those who are excessively time conscious.
 
We are committed as a church to helping our children and youth grow in their faith and develop a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that investing in them now will yield long-lasting benefits for our church and our community in the future.
 
As parents, it is our responsibility to protect our children from harm. Period! We must ensure that they are protected from the malevolent influences of the world, especially when we see clearly the enemy coming after them. It is imperative that mothers, as “mama bears”, stand up and fight for their children to shield them from Satan’s evil schemes.
 
In this day and age, it is not enough to rely on physical strength and weapons alone to protect our children. While we will defend them by any means necessary if they are being physically attacked, we must also equip them with spiritual strength for the spiritual war that is raging. Prayer, church attendance, Bible reading, godly guidance, loving parents, stable families, and other similar virtues will help to preserve them from the destruction and evils of this present world. It is our duty to instill these values in our children and to lead them towards a path of righteousness. By doing so, we can ensure that they are well-equipped to face the challenges that life may bring in the future and to emerge unscathed by Satan’s attacks.
 
Solomon’s wisdom about the danger of robbing a mother bear of her cubs may have come from personal experience, or it may have resulted from a careful observation of nature around him. Regardless of its origin, the message is clear: meddling with a mother’s offspring can have disastrous consequences.
 
It is more important than ever for parents to take an active role in raising their children with strong values and a deep understanding of their faith. This means protecting them from the many dangers and evils that can harm them, both in the physical world and online, and instilling in them a sense of purpose and compassion. By nurturing and admonishing our children in the ways of the Lord, we can help prepare them to be strong, confident, and compassionate adults who are following the Lord and will go out into the world to make a positive impact in Jesus’ Name.

At the 2022 Teacher of the Year ceremony hosted by the White House on Wednesday, President Biden claimed that school children don’t belong to parents “when they’re in the classroom.”
“They’re all our children. And the reason you’re the teachers of the year is because you recognize that. They’re not somebody else’s children. They’re like yours when they’re in the classroom,” he said.
Biden, April 27: Because you know — look, these aren’t — we always talk about “these children.” They’re not someone else’s children. They’re our children. And they are the kite strings that literally lift our national ambitions aloft in a literal sense. Think about it.
If you got to do one thing to make sure the nation succeeded in the next two generations, what would you do? You’d want — I would say, literally, have the best-educated public in the world. Have our students gain confidence enough to know what they can do, to reach in. We have an obligation. We have an obligation to help them teach and reach their potential.
You’ve heard me say it many times about our children, but it’s true: They’re all our children.
And the reason you’re the Teachers of the Year is because you recognize that. They’re not somebody else’s children; they’re like yours when they’re in the classroom. You represent a profession that helps them gain the confidence — a confidence they believe they can do anything.
DEBUNKING VIRAL CLAIMS › FACTCHECK POSTS
Article, RNC Tweet Distort Biden’s Comments on Teachers
By Brea Jones
Posted on May 2, 2022
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