Friday Update, Feb. 28th

Lessons from My Father: Faith in the Everyday

"The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" — Mark 1:15

Today would have been my dad’s birthday. He passed away in July of 2023, but I think of him daily—his wisdom, his humor, and the lessons he taught me, both in words and in the way he lived. He was the minister of our church, but more importantly, he was the same man at home as he was in the pulpit. He taught me to love Jesus, to be a man of God, and to understand that faith isn’t just about the next life—it’s about how we live this one.  

 One of those lessons came to me in an unexpected way—while mowing the lawn.

  One summer afternoon, after we had finished cutting the grass, my dad stood back, admiring our work, and said, “In ministry, you don’t always see the result of your efforts. That’s why I like mowing the grass—at least I can see I did something this week.” As a teenager, I remember thinking, Then why am I out here helping if you’re getting all this satisfaction?

 At the time, I didn’t realize how much that simple statement reflected a deeper truth about faithfulness. So much of following Jesus is about doing the right things, day after day, even when we don’t immediately see the results. Parenting, discipleship, serving others—these things don’t always give us instant feedback. But my dad knew that even when we don’t see it, God is always working.

He often reminded me that ministry flows from the home. Our faith isn’t just about Sunday mornings or preparing for Heaven; it’s about how we live right now. Too often, we reduce Jesus' mission to dying for our sins so we can go to Heaven. While that’s true, it’s only half the story. Jesus’ main message was the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15)—not just a future promise, but a present reality. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He established His Kingdom, and Acts tells the story of the Church carrying on that work. That means our faith isn’t just for the big moments—it’s for the mundane ones, too.

 My dad modeled what it meant to live like Jesus, who is both lion and lamb. He showed me that being a man of God means being strong yet gentle, bold yet compassionate. Our conversations ranged from theology to football to war movies, and through it all, he taught me that following Jesus affects everything—how we love, how we lead, how we serve, and even how we handle the ordinary moments of life.

 The mundane isn’t just mundane when we do it for the glory of God. Jesus transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary when we surrender it to Him.

  So today, whether you’re driving your kids to school, making dinner, or working a job that feels unnoticed, remember—you are part of something bigger. The Kingdom of God is at work in the smallest, most ordinary moments of your life.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see the sacred in the ordinary. Teach me to follow You not just in the big moments, but in the daily, unseen acts of faithfulness. Let my home, my work, and my life reflect Your Kingdom. Amen.

 Richard Jett

VCA Dean of Discipleship

High School Teacher

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 SAT Testing, Monday, March 3 - Junior Class only

 New Student Enrollment, March 3

 End of 3rd Quarter, March 7, report cards available on March 19.

 Winter Sports Awards Night, Tuesday, March 11,  Middle School sports at 6:00 pm, High School sports at 7:00 pm.

 VCA Talent Show, March 14, 6:30 pm, sponsored by VCA Music Boosters.  Pre-sale tickets are now available for $3/student, $5/adult.  Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Spring Break, March 24-28 - No school PreK-12