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Rejoicing in Heaven
Friday, July 10, 2026 by Rick Stockwell
Rejoicing in Heaven
READ Luke 15:1-10
… there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
- Luke 15:10b (NIV)
I served on a team of seven counselors at our church’s vacation Bible school camp this summer. Our role was to determine if children who had made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their savior, understood what they had done, and answer any questions they might have. We were overwhelmed when about twenty children in the first of four waves said “Yes” to Jesus. After the fourth wave, more than forty children had accepted God’s free gift of salvation.
As indicated in the scripture passage for today, there was much rejoicing in heaven over the children who made a profession of faith that day. It was a privilege to play a role in confirming their decision, especially since my wife and I had been the Sunday School teachers for a number of them when they were three-years-old, kindergarteners, and first graders. The next step in the spiritual lives of these children is for their parents, along with their current Sunday School teachers, and others, to help them grow in their faith toward maturity.
Photo: William Hunt’s painting, “Light of the World”
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God rejoices over one sinner who repents.
Prayer: Father in heaven, please help your church to faithfully disciple those who are new to the faith.
Prayer Focus: NEW BELIEVERS
Rick Stockwell
Rick Stockwell retired from a career in information technology, teaches Sunday school for first graders, served as an elder at his church, has been married for thirty-six years, and has two children and six grandchildren.
Rick is the author of two novels in his Heavenly Realms series called The Wall and The Battle. Audio, eBook and paperback versions are accessible via this link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07HQ8G3MJ
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