The Lost Message & The Four Most Important Things In The World

This past weekend I finished Steve Chalke's excellent book The Lost Message of Jesus. In it, Chalke recounts the experience of a friend who attended an Easter service at a large church. During the service, the church's children's minister explained that every child who entered the doors of that particular church learned the "4 most important things in the world". He then called an 8 year old girl to the stage to tell the congregation what exactly those 4 things were. The girl listed them as:

1. God created me.
2. I am a sinner.
3. Jesus came to die for me.
4. Until I accept him as Lord and savior I cannot recieve the abundant life God has for me.

Chalke says that his friend was stunned by the list. She was especially surprised by #2. She wondered if "I am a sinner" is really one of the 4 most important things for an 8 year old to know. Chalke wonders if there might be a better list for children to learn, such as:

1. Jesus explained that God loves them unconditionally.
2. God longs for them to be a part of his plan for creation.
3. Jesus teaches that no-one can keep them from this destiny except their own decision.
4. Jesus' death and his resurrection from the dead prove that he was telling the truth so we can trust him.

That second list is what I want my daughter to know, or better yet, to believe. That second list is what I want the people I work with to understand. That second list is a great thumbnail sketch of what drives me. That list could change the world.
AE