ALFORD: Noisy kids make it hard to sleep in church these days – The Sentinel-Echo

When the church service ended, a father scolded his preschool son for being noisy.

Dont you understand why its important to be quiet during the sermon? the father asked.

Yeah, because other people are sleeping, the preschooler said.

Sometimes things backfire when were trying to make a point to our children, and that was perhaps one of those times.

Another was when a father was trying to teach his son to steer clear of alcohol. That father put a worm in a glass of water and another worm in a glass of moonshine.

The worm in the water lived, and the worm in the moonshine died.

The father then looked at his son, and asked, What does that show you?

Well, the son answered, it shows that if you drink moonshine you wont have worms.

Fathers really do teach their children lots of things sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally.

Perhaps you remember the Like father, like son anti-smoking TV commercial from the late 1960s. It showed a little boy wanting to do everything his father does. When the father lights up a cigarette, the little boy watches closely. A narrator says, Like father like son. Think about it.

So I was reading Hosea the other day and ran into an interesting parallel to the like father, like son idea.

Like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways and reward them their doings (Hosea 4:9).

That verse reminds us that we can learn good habits and bad from those we worship with. Its very important that congregations have biblically solid preachers to lead them and to show them the way.

I wrote an article not long ago about a pastor who gave a kidney to one of his church members. You know why he did it? Because his church member needed one, and he, the pastor, happened to have two. So, it seemed altogether natural to that dear pastor to give one away.

Thats the kind of pastor who sets a great example for a congregation.

Great pastors are always doing incredible things like that. Great pastors live by the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 by treating others the way theyd want to be treated.

Great pastors lead their congregations into closer walks with the Lord by being living, breathing examples of love.

Jesus said, A new commandment I give you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you. By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another (John 13:34-35).

A great pastor lives out that kind of love. and a great pastors ultimate reward is to see Gods people do the same.

The TV commercial that declared like father, like son is perfectly true.

And thats why we need noisy little boys in church, to make sure others stay awake and listen to the preacher.

Reach Roger Alford at 502-514-6857 or rogeralford1@gmail.com.

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ALFORD: Noisy kids make it hard to sleep in church these days - The Sentinel-Echo