Hello from OZ!

This month, our youth group is taking a look at characteristics from characters in the Bible and using one of my favorite and oldest memories from my childhood, the movie “The Wizard of Oz”.  When I was growing up, we didn’t have VCRs, or TiVo, or DVDs, we watched what was on TV that night and that was it.  Once a year, one of the TV stations would play “The Wizard of Oz” and it was a really big deal for the whole family.

This series takes us on a journey to follow the yellow brick road much like Dorothy did.  She was in a place she didn’t know, and she thought she was all alone.  Doesn’t that sound like us sometimes?  I mean, we have this journey which is our lives, and God has laid out a path for us (the yellow brick road).  But just like Dorothy, we run into intersections, and bumps, and struggles.

This series is teaching us that as we walk, the Holy Spirit is in us, guiding us.  When we reach those intersections, He helps us choose which is the right path.  Unfortunately for some of us, we don’t listen until we’ve taken the wrong path and the Holy Spirit lets us know by convicting our hearts.  God laid down the path, Jesus showed us how to walk it, and the Holy Spirit makes sure that the way we walk lines up with Jesus and the Father.

The fun part of this is that we get to take a look at a few really neat characters in the bible along with the Holy Spirit.  Last week we talked about Moses and having wisdom much like the scarecrow wanted to have brains.  This week we will be looking at the Tin Man, and a bible character that really shows Heart.  Lastly is courage and the Lion and we’ll be looking at a character named Daniel and the courage he showed.

I’m looking forward to see how God speaks to us individually through this series and how we can learn to walk the yellow brick road together!

Gary