Waverly Church of Christ

How often have we heard the phrases : a. “There’s no place like home” or b. “Home is where the heart is” Hopefully, for many of you, the word “home” brings back fond and cherished memories of: a. Special times involving your father, your mother and various siblings. b. Meals together as a family, games, smiles and laughter. Sadly, it may be for others of you here today thoughts of home are painful, because they remind you of : Parents who were constantly fighting or too busy for you and your siblings.b. Children who rebelled and eventually left home never to back. The prophet Malachi points to the ministry of John the Baptist. An angel of the Lord disclosed to Zacharias that a child would be born to him and Elizabeth, a child to whom they would give the name John. You and I better know him as John the Baptist.  The angel referenced this passage in Malachi and said that John would “go before Him [Jesus] in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17) This would be a part of John the Baptist’s message and ministry, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and children to their parents. This morning I would like for us to think about why it is so important for us to turn our hearts toward our homes.