He was nine years old and we were sitting in McDonald’s in Jasper, Alabama. The kids were in the play place and I think I was reading the Bible, preparing for a lesson. Out of the blue, nine-year-old Caleb sauntered up to the table where I was sitting. Sweaty and red-faced from running and jumping, he asked this unforgettable question: “Mama, we have hundreds of books on our bookshelves at home. How do we really know this one is different? How do we know this one was written by God?”
It’s the question we had to go home and research. I’d accepted the evidence long ago, but now, I had to have Apologetics Press and others, to help me solidify, from internal and external evidences, the faith of the most important little boy in the world.
But it was also the question that Caleb Colley has spent the rest of his life, thus far, answering. As his wife, Rebekah, said yesterday “It’s what he lives and breathes.” Caleb loves God and he’s so matter-of-fact about the bedrock of His faith. Confidence in the Word and our God’s ability to preserve it for our understanding today is grounded in the abundant evidence around him and he is constantly examining that evidence.
His new book, Nail This Down, is the product of the original question and the years of study in knowing its answer. This is the book that, studied beside the Book of Books, can lead a skeptic from unbelief to faith in God, His Word, and His Son. It can show that the kingdom is identifiable in our world today and that anyone can be part of that church and headed to heaven with God. It’s challenging and assuring. I’m hoping to spend time in this book, in a way that I rarely can afford to do…because this book can give me needed assurance.
And so we are full circle. The little boy who asked me the question that day in McDonald’s, is answering some for me through this volume. He’s long since left our home (and I will add, seeing him in a McDonald’s today would be a rare event.) We met in Mississippi earlier this week and his own sweet eight-year-old said “Mammy, can you just come home with us?” And Ellis, who’s five, cried and cried when we parted ways. Parting ways is always the hardest part of any visit. But our God is coming full circle all the time, and I’m so thankful that He’s bringing us all home together, in a place where there will be no parting.
He nailed that down at Calvary. It’s a blessed assurance.
(The book is available here: www.thecolleyhouse.org
…and it will also be at both Polishing the Pulpit venues.)
(Caleb has helped me immensely as I teach with these two compilations/scenarios. Next time: a few obvious, but timely, suggestions to help us stay in scenario 2.)
She just keeps pushing them, putting in the effort to keep them going, switching hands every now and then, breathing deep and pushing them again. This morning Hannah woke up with an achy throat and body and she asked herself if she could really adult today. Then she put in a day of school, took them to piano and karate and gave the meds to the one who is getting past strep. She talked with their doctor and she postponed her own doctor appointment to keep their “swing” going. I asked her last night about doing something fun with a friend. She said “What would that even look like right now?’ She spoke twice last weekend at a ladies day and is gearing up to go speak four times at a retreat where we both will speak (and Colleyanna will, too.) Somehow she got one ready for a 59/60 on the Bible bowl test and she has three who are, altogether, doing 13 events at Lads to Leaders. Her house sometimes looks like a tornado has hit (like mine) and, on most weeks, a big colony of ants could probably live a long time in her van. She had to go around the outside of her house for one of the kids and make sure every window was locked last night before bed. Tonight she is vigilant with one who is afraid of the storms outside. If they only knew how big are the storms from which she daily protects them. (All good parents do this!) She travels four-plus hours (in a day) every other week to get the kids to an important appointment. She stays an extra 45 minutes or an hour after worship services so her kids can play foursquare and Frozen with the children of other faithful people. She has struggled through some hard things to keep them in the best academic and social place. Most of all, she is doggedly determined to give them the best spiritual place. She holds them up before God every day and night and she holds it together when I think I would buckle under the weight. She is thankful when I might be bitter; hopeful when I might surrender. I do not tell her enough, so 
children all over the kingdom, and speaking to ladies groups on a regular basis. (As an aside, we are equally amazed at the artistic talent that she has given the kids, because we KNOW it did not come through any Colley genes.) 
Release date:: August 19, 2023
Last weekend, about 20,000 people were encouraged, strengthened and blessed by a program that’s dear to the Colley house. The following, penned by Caleb a few years back, is a reflective look at the benefits of participation. 2019 marked our family’s 26th year of participation as a family and our third generation of participants had a great and chaotic time in this blessed little spiritual boot camp. We are tired. We have had enough Stax burgers and Paisano pizza to last us till next year for sure. 
Our cars did not leave their parking spaces for 72 hours. We walked about 3984357 miles in the hotel. We rode the elevator 238974 times with two strollers. We helped host a dinner for the very first Nashville recipient of the prestigious RED COAT AWARD. (I love that guy. He worked very hard!) We attended a reception for a board member that I live who’s been working in the program for all of its fifty years. (I love that guy, too!) Our faith in the great I AM and His wondrous mercy for the third and fourth generations reached new levels. We are thankful to Him.
Society has built-in mechanisms to assist and motivate young people in athletic, academic, and entrepreneurial achievement, but too often the church has slight and ineffective means to encourage Bible knowledge and spiritual achievement among children. Every congregation of the church should have a mechanism whereby it assists parents in promoting children’s spiritual development. In my opinion, the best such expedient is Lads to Leaders, a program that affords structure, content, and motivation, and can be tailored to the specific needs of each congregation as specified and directed by its eldership.
Consider the event called “Debate.” Here, students study an important proposition, such as “The use of mechanical instruments of music to accompany the worship of God by His church is not authorized by His Word,” in preparation for organized, formal (mock) debates. And, in the event called “Good Samaritan,” students habituate service by systematically learning what they can do for others and then scheduling it. Lads systematically connects adults who have expertise in a particular activity with students who are interested in that area. For example, song leaders train the participants in the event called “Song Leading,” and public speakers train the participants in “Speech.”
