It’s For Your Church
America's Foundation, Children's Freedom, and the Call to Act
What does the Bible have to do with America's founding? And what does faith have to do with the crisis facing children today? More than most people realize. This post explores the biblical roots of American freedom, the power of the church in society, and a growing movement to set children free from the trap of illiteracy.
Was America Really Founded on Biblical Principles?
It is easy to take for granted the freedoms Americans enjoy. But those freedoms did not appear out of thin air. Many of the nation's founders were deeply shaped by Scripture, and they said so plainly.
President Andrew Jackson declared, "The Bible is the bedrock on which our republic rests." President Theodore Roosevelt went further, saying that the teachings of the Bible are "so interwoven and entwined with the whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teachings were removed."
These were not casual remarks. They reflected a genuine conviction that God's Word was the compass guiding the nation.
What Did "Separation of Church and State" Really Mean?
There is a lot of confusion about this phrase today. The historical context matters.
Back in the 1530s, King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and made himself head of the Church of England. He then used that power to annul his own marriage. The founding fathers saw this as a dangerous example of government controlling religion, and they wanted no part of it in the new nation.
The First Amendment was not designed to keep the church out of public life. It was designed to keep the government out of the church. The founders themselves quoted Scripture constantly when shaping the country's founding documents.
This pattern actually goes back to the Bible itself. In 2 Chronicles 26, a king named Uzziah entered the temple to perform the duties of a priest. The priests confronted him, saying he was not permitted to do what God had set apart for them. He pressed forward anyway, and God struck Him with leprosy for the rest of His life. God takes seriously the boundaries He establishes.
What Did Jesus Say About Government and Faith?
Jesus never sought to overthrow the Roman government. In fact, He said clearly in Mark 12:17, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." He kept the two distinct.
He also never forced anyone to follow Him. He offered the free gift of eternal life and left the choice to each person. That freedom of conscience is one of the defining differences between Christianity and systems that use government power to enforce religious belief.
Where Is the Church Growing the Fastest in the World?
Here is something that might surprise you. The fastest growing Christian movement in the world right now is happening in Iran, a country where 99.4% of residents are officially registered as Muslim and where converting to Christianity can cost you your life.
Muslims are coming to Christ by the hundreds. Some are reporting visions of Jesus they never asked for. Baptisms are happening quietly, without public record, because changing your religious identification is illegal and dangerous.
This is a powerful reminder that no government, no law, and no threat can stop the movement of God's Spirit.
How Has the Church Shaped America for Good?
Researcher Rodney Stark, in his book "America's Blessings," documented with hard data the enormous impact the church has had on American society since the nation's founding. His conclusion was striking: if the church in America disappeared tomorrow, the government would need to raise taxes by $3.7 trillion a year just to replace what the church provides.
The church feeds the hungry, clothes the poor, counsels the broken, and builds communities. It does this week after week, quietly and faithfully, because followers of Jesus are called to love their neighbors as themselves.
Noah Webster, known for Webster's Dictionary, put it this way: "All of the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war proceed from them despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."
What Is the Children's Literacy Crisis in America?
There is an epidemic happening right now among children in the United States, and it is largely invisible.
40% of 4th graders cannot read anywhere near grade level.
In Title 1 schools, that number jumps to 80%.
Children who do not learn to read by 4th grade statistically never learn to read.
Those same children are statistically likely to drop out of school.
They go on to fill welfare lines, addiction clinics, and prison cells.
Illiteracy cuts a person's life expectancy by 10 to 15 years.
This is not a problem limited to one race or one region. It touches every community across the country.
What Does Jesus Say About Caring for Children?
Jesus spoke directly to this. In Luke 9, He said, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest."
Welcoming a child in need is not just a good deed. According to Jesus, it is welcoming Him and His Father. That raises the stakes considerably.
Can the Church Actually Solve This Problem?
There are approximately 67,000 public elementary schools in the United States. There are approximately 400,000 churches. That means there are six churches for every one elementary school.
The church is already present in nearly every neighborhood where children live and go to school. The resources, the people, and the proximity are already there. What is needed is the willingness to act.
If you can read, if you love people, and if you love Jesus, you can be part of making this problem go away.
How Can You Get Involved?
There are three practical ways to respond:
Become a reading mentor. Spend time with a child in a local school and help them learn to read. It does not require a teaching degree. It requires showing up.
Pray for your local school. Download a prayer app, select a nearby school, and commit to praying daily for the children and staff there. Prayer is not passive. It is powerful.
Purchase a children's book. New books placed in the hands of children who have none can spark a love of reading that changes the entire trajectory of a life.
Life Application
This week, take one concrete step toward a child who needs you. It might be signing up to be a reading mentor, downloading a prayer app and committing to pray for a local school every day, or purchasing a children's book for a child who does not have one. The problem of childhood illiteracy can feel overwhelming, but you are not responsible for solving it alone. You are responsible for your one step.
Ask yourself these questions as you reflect:
Pastor Randy shared that many of America’s founding fathers looked to the Bible as the foundation for the nation’s laws and principles. How does knowing that history shape the way you think about the role of faith in public life today?
The sermon described how King Henry VIII blurring the lines between church and government led to the First Amendment being written to protect the church from the state. How do you see that tension playing out in our culture today?
Jesus said in Mark 12:17 to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. What does that kind of distinction look like practically in your own life as a citizen and as a follower of Jesus?
Pastor Randy mentioned that the church in Iran is growing rapidly, even under persecution, with Muslims coming to Christ through visions and personal encounters. How does that challenge or encourage your own faith and willingness to share the gospel?
Pastor Randy pointed out that there are six churches for every one public elementary school in America, suggesting the church is uniquely positioned to solve this crisis. What does it mean to you personally that God has placed His people in exactly the right places to meet this need?
Is there a child in my neighborhood, school, or community who needs someone to show up for them?
Am I using the gifts, time, and resources I have been given to love the people around me, especially the most vulnerable?
What is one thing I can do this week to welcome a child in Jesus's name?
The church has always been at its best when it moves toward the people the world overlooks. Children who cannot read are not a statistic. They are image bearers of God who need someone to come for them. That someone can be you.
Setlist
WFC Lenexa + WFC Anywhere
Praise - Elevation Worship
Believe For It - CeCe Winans
Because Of Christ - The Belonging Co.
America The Beautiful - Travis Cottrell
WFC Speedway
Death Was Arrested - North Point Worship
Jesus Be The Name - Elevation Worship
Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace ) - Elevation Worship
America The Beautiful - Travis Cottrell
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