“God’s Power Lab” was a wonderful theme for this year’s Vacation Bible School! When God speaks in His word, our hearts should know a sense of awe and godly fear. What God says is so powerful that His word created all things. What God says is so powerful that He created man from the dust of the earth. What God says is so powerful that He destroyed the world in a flood. What God says is so powerful that He commanded the waters to recede from the earth and the earth was renewed. The Bible shows us that in every age some have fallen away from the will of God, and some have returned to the will of God. Restoration and renewal are always preceded by a falling away.

The Bible provides the basis for renewal and restoration. God has always restored a remnant of His people who have sought to follow Him. Until the Lord ends all things, there will always be a time when people will cease to follow Him and fall away. There will also always be a time when people will seek to restore the will of God in their lives.

John 7:16-18 – “So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”

Renewal and restoration are truly dependent upon faith in God’s word. When someone has a problem with the inspiration and authority of the Bible, it is not because the scriptures can be shown to be false. Their problem is with the understanding of faith. When one has a problem believing and understanding the Bible, it is not because the message is untrue. It may be that their heart is deceived or hardened.

No one is more negative toward the church or the authority of God’s word than a disillusioned and
discouraged believer. When one has lost faith in what God says, they may be living in a spiritual desert. They may pretend to be religious or faithful, but it is a smoke screen to justify what they want to believe and practice as they end up falling away.

May we at Summit ever hold on to God’s will and pattern for the church. May we ever seek to reach those who have become discouraged in their faith. May a desire for change never be so strong that we set aside the truthfulness of God’s word. May we ever desire to be a renewed and restored remnant of God’s people.