Last IGNITE of the year is tonight!

Hey Parents,

Tonight we'll wrap up our Christmas series "Unwrapping Christmas" - we'll have a competitive round of "Christmas Musical Chairs" and hit a little Bible study together with our small groups.  Here's where we are headed tonight:

Unwrapping Christmas - Rewrap
Plenty - it seems - is never really sufficient.  "Christmas" in the mind of most is synonymous with "getting."  We build an empire of expectations for this season, only to end up disappointed and left wanting something more, or already bulldozing ahead to next year.  There's something amiss here.  Christmas should be our call to trade consumption for generosity.  To trade the next best thing for one everlasting gift.  What if this year was the start of a new kind of Christmas?  A Christmas unlike any we have ever experienced, but more satisfying than we could have ever hoped for?

This will be our last IGNITE of the year....we'll be taking next Wednesday, December 28th off and we'll kick off 2012 with a Bowling BIGNITE on January 4th!

Also, a thought for all your parents out there on this Wednesday before Christmas:

Christmas and the G Word
Hi.  My name is Jeff, and I'm greedy.  (This is the point where you all say, "Hi Jeff.")

Gosh, I hate to say it.  I mean no one goes around and says they're greedy, right?  We might think other people are greedy (it's just so easy to spot the sins of others, even from a distance), but it's so difficult to see in ourselves.

But read this definition of greedy and tell me if at least a piece of it doesn't own you - or your kids.

Greed is an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.


What makes this time of year difficult for greedy people is that we're going to add to the pile of what we have that we arguably don't need.  There are things I want that I don't need.  And most of us are actually going to receive things that not only do we not need, but we do not want.  In the incredibly affluent culture of North America, the problem of greed runs deep.

There's a fine line you guys tread as parents in helping our kids celebrate Christmas.  I still remember the almost delirious excitement I had as a child in being able to open gifts at Christmas.  Let's face it, what kid doesn't love to get gifts at Christmas?

So how do you make sure, as a parent, that you don't inadvertently fuel greed in your family this Christmas?

I suppose there are a few options:

• Don't give presents.
• Hand out coal.
• Read from Deuteronomy and pretend its February.

But those are almost certain recipes to kill some of the joy that comes with Christmas.

In my experience, the very best antidote to greed I've discovered is generosity.  The more I give, the deeper I cut into that greed that lives inside of me.

The more I am willing to take giving to a sacrificial level (to the point where we are not doing things as a family because we are giving income away), the more I am reminded that this life is not about me or about my wants and desire.  By far, generous giving is the best antidote to the greed that lives inside of me.

As Christmas approaches, ask yourself this question: What am I doing to stem greed in my family this Christmas?  Maybe you could:

• Sponsor a family in need
• Serve in a local mission over the holidays
• Talk to your kids about how you as a family have decided to give first, save second, and live on the rest.
• Make sure giving is part of your full year - your weekly practice - rather than just a seasonal pursuit.
• Work with your kids to incorporate giving as part of their regular rhythm in 2012.

All I know is this: I'm greedy.  And the best way I know to tackle that in my life is to give away a noticeable portion of the things that God has given me.

What helps you wrestle down greed in your life and in your family?

Have a great Wednesday!

Heffe

Ignite Series "Unwrapping Christmas" kicks off tonight!

Christmas is predictable.  You know it and so do your kids.  We call it tradition, which can be a beautiful and familiar thing.  But this may be unsettling for some of us because the same old same old leaves us with little to look towards beyond the 25th of December.  As we reread the story of Jesus' birth in the book of Luke, we are also going to look at a brief history of the Roman Empire and just how radical Jesus' birth was for the Israelites at that time.  Christmas is an opportunity for more than just the routine we are used to.  It is a call to deal with the "Caesars" holding power over us, keeping us from finding true peace through fulfillment in Jesus.

Make sure your student is there tonight at 5:45!

Heffe

The Lesson of the Ringing Bell

Hey Parents,

I wanted to pass along this article to you today...pause for 5 minutes and give it a read...it'll be a good chance to refocus your mind today!!

The Lesson of the Ringing Bell by Amy Fenton Lee


I'll admit it.  I battled a cynical attitude for the ringing bell.  I would purposefully walk to a door on the far end of a store's entrance just to avoid the clanking kettle and eager face petitioning my contribution.  Internally, I wrestled both annoyance and guilt on seemingly every shopping trip through the holiday season.  About 3 years ago it dawned on me that I would have some explaining to do if I kept the same attitude and avoidance.  Nearing age 4, my son's social awareness and inquiries seemed endless.

Anticipating his potential questions on our weekly visit to the super store, I made the conscious decision to approach every bell ringer all season long with a smile and a donation.  Almost immediately my son was excitedly asking for money when we pulled into a parking lot where he saw a bell-ringer ahead.  Invariably the short exchange between the charity volunteer and my young son brought a smile to all three of us and spurred a follow-up teachable moment as my son pondered how his small offering may help someone in need.  I found myself more joyous during the holiday season and throughout the otherwise inconvenient and laborious shopping excursions.  It seemed ironic that these once annoying bell-ringers were now opportunities for happy moments for my son and me.

There is something contagious and counterintuitive during Christmas time.  It is the fiscal period we require the most financially to cover costs associated with gifts, expensive meals, and rising heat bill.  Yet it is also the season we naturally turn to remember those less fortunate.  What compels us to provide the food and presents for the family who otherwise would have little?  What draws us to the toy we purchase and place in the fire station's collection box?  For me the answer is clear after seeing my son's reaction to the bell-ringers.  Infused in our DNA is the desire for both grace and giving.  Any mother of a misbehaving child can attest to the innate and natural desire for grace.  And the same is true for giving.

It took a little explanation for my young son to develop an enthusiastic spirit to contribute when passing a bell-ringer.  Similarly, he took great pride and delight in selecting a toy not for himself, but for a child whose name was posted on the church angel tree.  Teaching my child to give wasn't like teaching him to like asparagus!  Indeed we are hard-wired to offer acts of goodwill and kindness.  Our spirits often respond to our virtuous deeds with natural feelings of warmth and pleasure.  This holiday season, may we all experience the joy in doing good!

Have a blessed Tuesday!
Heffe

Christmas Parade, Bridge Dinner and How to be Rich

Hey Parents,

Tomorrow night, Saturday December 10th, the Goodlettsville Parade will be taking place and this year our church has put a "float" in it!  We are asking our youth to come and ride on the back of it and to wave and smile their cheerful faces to the crowd!  We need your students to show up around 4:30 PM here at the FLC Gym and then we'll have some chili for them back at the church after the parade is over.  If you're free please let them come and join us!

On Sunday night, we are hosting our Bridge Dinner for over 150 of Nashville's homeless.  We need BOTH you and your students to come and help us out with this ministry.  We're asking all of our church family to show up around 5:15 PM Sunday night where we will give everyone their assignments for the night.  It will be a great night and we want you to be a part of it!

Lastly, December is here and we know what all of our students are thinking about...so read this for a Friday thought!!

How to Be Rich
With December here, we don't have to wonder what our kids are thinking about.  They're making their lists and checking them many more times than twice.  It might be a new toy car for a child or a first car for a teenager.  From Fisher-Price to Ford, there's something for everyone at every age during this season of giving.

As focused as our kids may be on what they're getting for Christmas, sometimes that makes it even more surprising how much they want to give.

The New York Post Office even has an Operation Santa division, where they watch for letters to Santa where kids describe someone in need.  Volunteers match donors to the kids' unselfish requests.  The postal service's Director of Elf Operations expects about two million such letters this Christmas, just in New York alone.

Children seem to be the first to notice the homeless man on the street of know about the family with the unemployed dad.  They're wired for generosity, and how we approach the holidays will help determine if they stay that way.

In each one of our lives, we have a tendency to move toward a lifestyle of generosity or a lifestyle of greed.  Are we wrapped up in ourselves or our things, or do we reflect God's character by giving freely to others.

Kids will see this most clearly when parents and leaders give them a specific opportunity to be generous.

For an example, let me tell you about a kid named Seth.  Seth had an unruly reputation in his 7th grade class.  He wouldn't pay attention and got into trouble for being disrespectful.  Then one Sunday, Seth heard in his small group at church about some kids about his age in another country.  The small group leader talked about those kids and what they needed just to survive.

For some reason, that got Seth's attention.

He decided he'd rake leaves and shovel ice to raise money so he could help his small group support one of the kids overseas.

This simple act of generosity led to a radical transformation in Seth's life.  His attention span changed, he participated in class, he had a new view of the world.

Seth became part of a better story.

When the apostle Paul was talking to young Timothy, he gave this simple instruction about how to be part of a better story: "Be rich in good deeds.  Be generous and willing to share" (1 Timothy 6:18).

In other words, you're not generous because you're rich.  You're rich because you're generous.

Kids will face the tension between generosity and greed all of their lives.  It will only intensify as they grow older.  First it's toys, then suddenly it's houses and bank accounts.  But we can teach them to measure success in a different way, not by what they get, but by what they give.

Hope to see you all Saturday or Sunday!
Jeff

BIGNITE is TONIGHT!

Hey Parents,

Tonight is BIGNITE and we'll be having a Christmas party at our house.  Students are welcome to start showing up at 5:45 and to stay as long as they want.  Pizza, snacks, drinks and goodies will all be provided so don't worry about sending anything.

All that your student needs to bring with them is a gift for our "Dirty Santa" game....each gift needs to be $10 or less and it can be new, used, or really old....students wrap it up in christmas paper, newspaper or a gift bag and that's it!

Also we're asking each student that can to bring $5 dollars with them to donate to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering....and we told them not to ask you for the money, but to sacrifice it themselves!!

Thanks for letting your students be a part of FBCG's youth ministry, and we hope to continue growing in numbers and in knowledge of God over the upcoming year!

In 2012 look for some parent get-togethers as we start to think deeper together about how to raise and guide our students to a stronger relationship with the Lord!

Thanks for all you do!
Jeff

Raising Strong Men

Hey Parents,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday...and believe it or not November is almost gone!  Crazy!!  I wanted to close out our series today and to take a look at raising strong young men.  To be honest we've seen a lot of apathy from our male students over the past several months...no matter whether it's in Sunday School, IGNITE, Bible Study or even at FOCUS, it's obvious that our guys need guidance...so hopefully there's something here today that can encourage you and aid you in your parenting philosophies!

Raising Strong Men
So...I need help....I need to help because I'm raising boys.  And more accurately, raising boys who soon will be men!!

Author John Eldredge comes quite close to the truth, I think, when he says the question every young woman asks is "Am I captivating?"  While the question every young man asks is "Do I have what it takes?"

Sure, we live in a culture where teenage boys shave their chests and tone muscles for hours on end in the gym.  But I don't think that's where guys really rise and fall.  Underneath our style (or lack of it, which is also a style) there is a question I think every man eventually asks: Do I have what it takes?  Am I good enough?  Do I measure up?

I think most men start out believing that this question can be answered by proving ourselves.  So we:

• Strive to be the best on the team.
• Become an expert at something (from karate to chess club).
• Try to mark out our space in the marketplace
• Drive nice cars or buy toys that make us feel like we're something (what lipstick is to a woman, cars, guns, or toys are to a man - they make us feel complete....for a short while).
• Become dominant at something, even sadly, if it means the only arena in which you are dominant is your home.

All of these things (and more) pretend to answer the question "Do I have what it takes", but the older we get we realize that none of this is ultimately satisfying.  That all of it leaves us empty on the other side.  And after multiple conquests, we are still left unsatisfied.

And that's where our use of power falls short.  That's where our understanding of strength fails.  If that's what it takes to be a man, we will always be boys.

So what is it that makes us men?

I think there may be more than one answer to the question, but here is mine.

Power is best exercised when used in service of others.

Left unchecked, us men most naturally use power to advance ourselves.  But when we see power taught and modeled to use in the service of others, we realize that power is best used to serve others.

All of us know this instinctively:

• It's why we commend the man who holds the door open for those behind him.
• It's why we admire successful people known as much for their charity as their title.
• It's why we celebrate heroes, who put themselves at risk to save the life of others.
• It's why people who aren't even Christians admire Jesus, who laid down his life in service of others.

It's how God uses his power.  Maybe the key to being a man does indeed have something to do with power.  More precisely, it's about how we use power.

So how do you encourage boys and young men to use their power this way?

1.  Model it.  How do you as a parent (especially dads) serve your wife and children?  How have they seen you use your power for their benefit?  Do you use your strength and power to serve your wife, or do you rule over her?

2.  Teach it.  I had never heard this teaching until I was an adult.  Explaining to your sons how power is best used can be a powerful shaper for them.

3.  Practice it.  Encourage your 12-year-old to rake leaves for a senior adult neighbor (for free!!).  If he's a good student or athlete, have him help someone else who is struggling in that same area and befriend and encourage them.

4.  Give something away.  What you do (and they do) with money is critical.  Surplus isn't designed to fund excess.  Share it with those in need.

Parents (and especially Fathers!) if we can train our sons to use their power in service of others, we will indeed have raised strong men.  What have you done to help your sons use their powers to help others?

Heffe

IGNITE Preview and Raising Beautiful Girls

Alright parents....it's Wednesday...and that means IGNITE is TONIGHT!!  Here's a look at what we're talking about tonight:

New Friend Request: Respond
Someone to listen to my problems.  Someone to do stuff with.  Someone to talk to constantly.  Someone to hang out with.  When you make a list of what qualities you want in a friend, how many of the things on your list involve what that person can do for you?  Most of us would have to admit that it's a lot.  But the best friendships are ones that are not just about what the other person can do for you - the best friendships also involve how you can be there for someone else.  How you can listen, instead of always talking.  How you can give someone space when he or she needs it, or just hang out when your friend needs that too.  In other words, the best friendships are not centered solely on you - and that's a good thing.

Also, yesterday we started a 3 part series on Reshaping our View of raising our students...today we talk about the girls....

Raising Beautiful Girls
Girls....when they were little you were probably all about the hair bows, the ruffled socks, and the cute shoes.  You probably loved getting them ready for the day.  They were so cute!

It was easy back then.  You thought they were beautiful.  Your spouse thought they were beautiful.  In their little world, who else mattered?

But little girls grow up.  They become 6th graders.  Have you ever met a 6th grade little girl?  They are just beautiful.  They are gangly and unique.  They are natural and fresh.  They are awkward and wearing braces.  They are stuck between a little girl and all grown up.

Like I said, they're beautiful.

But at some point....things begin to change a bit.

One morning when your daughter was fixing her hair....she first put it up in a ponytail, then huffed in disgust, and took it down.  Then she curled it.  Then she straightened it.  Then she pulled it back.  She was getting more and more frustrated with her hair.....maybe you offered to help.

And maybe.....probably....at some point she says, "Mom, I hate my hair."  Maybe this was mind-blowing to you...the fact that your daughter who was born with a full head of beautiful hair could now make this type of declaration!  Total strangers might have stopped her on the street to tell her how beautiful her hair was...maybe she had the most beautiful hair out of anybody in the family, and yet when she looked in the mirror, she hated her hair.

Clearly she was not seeing what you saw.

Our girls need you to reflect back to them the truth about who they are.  There is so much more to them than what they look like.  They were created to be so much more than a pretty face.  But this world works against them.  It reflects something totally different back to them.

In the eyes of the world, our girls don't measure up.  They aren't thin enough, tall enough, or beautiful enough.

Very few women make it through those early years completely unscathed.  But if our girls are to grow up and thrive with confidence in spite of the standards of this world, they need our help.

Here are a few ideas:

Recognize and praise their non-appearance strengths.  Are they a fast runner, a great friend, a creative writer, or an excellent dancer?  Celebrate the qualities that make them unique.

Encourage and teach them how to take care of themselves.  Teach them that they need to get enough rest, exercise, eat right, shower, take care of their skin, brush their teeth, etc...When these things are lacking, it takes a toll on their confidence.

Don't allow yourself to obsess, publicly talk about, or criticize the physical flaws of your girls.  As parents we can be the worst.  Imagine a mom talking to Aunt (fill-in-the-blank)...."Have you seen Sarah's front tooth?  It sticks way out in the front and it's huge!"  We look at it like it's a medical or dental issue to be taken care of.  Braces are a good thing!  We have to remember that our words are a reflection back to our daughters of how we view them.

Celebrate uniqueness.  Point out the qualities that you see in them that make them special.  We all know that young girl who looks ordinary to the average observer, but when she smiles, the whole room lights up.  Point out and celebrate the differences more than you celebrate the sameness.

Teach your daughter from the beginning that God made them.  What if your daughter grew up believing that the God of the universe who created her uniquely knew her by name, had a plan for her life, and loved her?  How would this change the way that she viewed herself and her purpose in this world?

Some of our girls will struggle with this more than others.  It's our job as parents to keep reflecting back to them a healthy and true sense of who they are and who God created them to be.

Hope to see your students tonight!

Heffe

FOCUS: The Aftermath

Hey Parents,

Well I have somewhat recovered from what was a great FOCUS weekend and hopefully your students have too.  We had a great weekend of worship, fun, and we took a really in-depth and focused look at God's word thanks to our guest pastor for the weekend, Erik Reed who pastors The Journey Church over in Wilson County.  All told we had over 100 students and leaders from 5 churches across 3 different states...good times!

A big thank you goes out to all of our youth leaders who came out this weekend to hang out and lead our students...we couldn't do it without all you guys!

I wanted to share a thought with all you wonderful parents this morning...it's the first of a 3 part series I want to share with you this week.  This first article is written by an old camp friend Amy Fenton Lee...so read and enjoy!

Beauty: Reshaping Our View
No one has to be reminded when it's swimsuit season.  Imperfections become obsessions and the pressure to look photo-shop perfect is almost unbearable.  It is tough to instill a "character counts" mindset in our students when they are surrounded by the societal message "looks matter."  Unfortunately and often unknowingly, parents play into a culture placing great value on beauty and sex appeal.

Recently I was visiting older relatives in another state.  As a child, I vacationed many summers and holidays with these same family members.  Wandering through the home of a now aging great aunt, I noticed the particular family pictures she chose to display.  One wall showcased the formal portrait of an exceptionally photogenic cousin.  Another room exhibited a well-framed press photo of an aunt winning a a local beauty pageant.  As I perused the house.  I pondered the pictures my great aunt had chosen to keep through the years and the ones retired.  Sadly, photos of her less camera-friendly sister and nieces who physically care for her were missing.

Suddenly, I understood why I had struggled with a life-long unhealthy preoccupation with my own appearance.  Early on, I subconsciously processed the idea that being pretty generated recognition and self-worth.

I left my family trip sorting through rekindled memories with a fresh view.  Now the parent of a young child, I felt compelled to make a conscious effort to instill strong self esteem and reward character over camera appeal.  While it is wise to maintain appearances for a good first impression, there is a fine line between taking pride in oneself and idolizing beauty.

I will be the first to admit that this a struggle for me.  Several years ago a close friend pointed out that I was quick to share facts about someone's appearance or social status, rather than personality or character.  While their insight stung at the time, thankfully it spawned much needed personal growth.  As we seek to create an accepting and encouraging environment for our children it is important to reflect on our own value of appearance.  Making deliberate choices in our relationships and outward expressions ultimately defines the message we send others.

Look Inward:

• Ask yourself, do the people in my life represent a variety of color, shapes and sizes?
• Reflect on personal self worth when around others of varying looks.  Is there a difference in pride or embarrassment?

Express Outward:

• Resist making negative side comments about anyone's appearance, even if they are out of earshot.
• Initiate interest in a person that drives at discovering his or her passions, dreams, and desires for personal contribution.
• Affirm friends who wisely lose weight however make sure comments would not be received as an indication of how they are valued.
• Express genuine admiration for someone's appearance, while regularly praising their less superficial qualities (especially for young girls - when both appealing and wholesome presentation choices are made.)
• Avoid communicating critical remarks regarding appearance.  If a recurring issue of immodesty emerges, pray before a warranted conversation and approach the young person with an abundance of respect and love.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead it should be that of our inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." - 1 Peter 3:3-4

Have a great Tuesday!

Heffe

FOCUS Details and IGNITE Report!

Ok Parents....

Below you will find the long-anticipated FOCUS details for this weekend...your students will also get a hand out tonight with the info as well:

Friday - Be at the church at 4:15 and we will leave at 4:30 PM.  We need parents to stay until we have checked off that we have each students medical permission form and balance paid.

If you haven't yet paid for your trip we need that to happen Friday afternoon.  If you are using Kroger money then you need to email Elizabeth at the church at elizabeth@fbcgoodlettsville.com, and she will take care of transferring funds for you.

Here is a list of what your student needs to bring with them:


Toiletries
Linens (Towel, sheets, blankets, etc)
Money for a meal and snack on the road.
BIBLE - please don't forget this!!!!
1 outfit that you don't mind smelling of bonfire for the rest of the trip.


We will be returning Sunday around 4:00 PM

If you have anymore questions about FOCUS, email me at Jeffkelly@fbcgoodlettsville.com or call me at 6158389755.

IGNITE is TONIGHT
Tonight we're kicking off a new series called "New Friend Request" and here's a peek at what we'll be talking about:

Having friends is great.  Whether you want one, or you already have one, there's just something about having other people in your life who you can count on.  For many, friendships just happen.  A new friend is in the right place at the right time.  And while friendships may start out randomly, there is an intentionality about who we allow close to us - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Because the people who are closest to you have influence on your life.  They help shape who you are.  So who are the friends closest to you....and how are they influencing you?

Hope to see your students tonight in The Attic @ 5:45 PM!

Heffe

Reading Romans

Hey Parents,

Well, it's another busy week here at FBCG as we prepare for our big FOCUS weekend...if you're student is going then they'll be getting an Info sheet handed out to them tomorrow night @ Ignite, so make sure your students are there!

We're wrapping up our Reading Romans series...our students will be closing it out by the end of November, but here's a brief recap of what they hit this past Sunday!

Students closed out Chapter 14 and here's a little bit of what they covered:

Ceasing Criticism (Romans 14:13-15)
Paul urged growing Christians to live by the law of love.  Doing so meant to refrain from being critical of other believers and instead choose to so live that one's actions never caused other believers to stumble in their faith.

Pursuing Priorities (Romans 14:16-18)
Mature Christians seek to live by a kingdom perspective, pursuing the qualities of righteousness, peace, and joy rather than insisting on actions about which Christians disagree.

Helping Others Grow (Romans 14:19-21)
Rather than look down on weaker Christians, mature believers needed to seek ways to help them grow in faith.  Such growth might not happen without some sacrifice on the part of the stronger believer.  Thus the apostle challenged mature Christians to humbly do whatever they could to build others up.

Keeping Quiet (Romans 14:22-23)
In the final verses, Paul taught that mature Christians know when to keep disputable matters private.  They might be able to engage in certain actions and behaviors with a clear conscience, but they should not insist on other believers having to accept or practice such actions if those other Christians had doubts in their conscience.

Chapter 14 as a whole is a chapter about what life as a mature Christian should look like in some very practical ways that hopefully will help your students in their walk with the Lord!

Check back tomorrow for an IGNITE update, more details on Focus and some other good stuff!

Heffe

Reading Romans

Hey Parents,

Wow, what a busy week we have at FBCG this week....we had a great night at Moss-Wright for the Pumpkin Fest last night, we have BIGNITE tomorrow night for our students, and then we have our annual women's event on Friday night...a lot of stuff going on!  So you're getting a very BRIEF Sunday School update today!  The students looked at the first 12 verses of Romans, chapter 14 so let's take a quick look at what the students talked about!

Romans 14:1-4
Paul encouraged believers to accept one another without criticism despite their differences over lesser issues.  The ground for mutual respect among Christians was God's gracious acceptance of them all.

Romans 14:5-9
The apostle went on to illustrate the debatable differences that could exist, including differences over what was acceptable to eat and the observance of various religious festivals and traditions.  Paul called on Christians to find unity and respect for one another centered on their sincere mutual commitment to the Lord.

Romans 14:10
Paul questioned why any Christian would feel it was OK to criticize or look down on another believer.  After all, Christians are spiritual brothers and sisters.

Romans 14:10-12
The apostle reminded both stronger and weaker Christians that ultimately all will give account of themselves to God.

Have a great Tuesday and tomorrow we'll share what's going down at BIGNITE!

Heffe

IGNITE is TONIGHT!

Hey Parents,

Tonight is IGNITE....we got some music with the worship band, our final episode of The Outdoorsman, a sweet game of Ninja and our final Bible study in our Labyrinth series....gonna be great!  Make sure to get your kids there at 5:45!!

Here's a breakdown of what we're talking about tonight:

Where should I go to college?  What happens after I graduate?  What if I miss out on something this weekend?  Will I ruin my chance to date that guy or this girl?  We all have detailed questions about the different decisions we have to make - decisions that feel like they will make or break the direction of our lives.  And while we would all like to have a Magic 8 Ball to shake every time we have to make a decision, life doesn't work that way - and neither does God.  Instead, God gives us a grid through which to make our decisions: Love.  Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.  If you look at your decisions through this lens, you're on the right track to living in God's will.  Imagine the possibility of living in freedom as opposed to fear!

See your kids tonight!
Heffe

Reading Romans

Hey Parents,

Well we're closing in on the close of our "Reading Romans" series....today we're taking a look at what your students hit on this past Sunday when they took a look inside chapter 13....so let's dive in!

Can You Be Counted On As A Citizen (Romans 13:1-7)
As harsh as Roman rule could be sometimes, Paul never entertained the idea that Christians should resist or attempt to undermine the government.  Instead, the apostle affirmed that God established government and assigned it a vital role and authority for people's benefit.

I'll be honest, we didn't spend a lot of time on these verses with the students Sunday, simply because it doesn't exactly hit them in this time of their lives....paying taxes?  That's totally foreign to them right now...unless they have a job!

But for us as adults, theses verses are a little bit more impacting.  In these verses Paul reminds us that Christians are commanded and empowered by the Spirit to keep on being submissive  to the governing authorities.  God expects His people to be model citizens and to relate to the government in a respectful, obedient way.

That's not as easy as it sounds these days....not that I'm worried that all of you guys are out breaking laws left and right, but rather we may light of and joke about our government all the time! (Watched a Saturday Night Live lately??)  God has called us to be respectful followers of those who are appointed to office....we have to remember that God ALLOWS them to have these posts so we must do our best to give them the honor and respect they deserve!  As Paul points out in the very first verses of the chapter that there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.

Can You Be Counted On As A Neighbor (Romans 13:8-10)
Paul reminded the Christians in Rome that as Christians they were to exhibit a higher quality of life than mere good citizenship.  Being good citizens by obeying the law was important, but even more important was fulfilling the law of love as expressed in the divine to love one's neighbor.

Now to clear one thing up...In verse 8, we do not need to interpret the command as a ban on borrowing of any kind.  Paul essentially repeated the directive he stated in verse 7 that Christians must pay their debts, but he did so in this case for the purpose of highlighting the one debt that we can never fully repay.  We aren't to neglect paying this debt; rather we pay its interest daily while the principal remains due and payable.

The ongoing debt that we as Christians owe is to love one another.  Love does no wrong to a neighbor.  When we treat our neighbors with love by the power of the Holy Spirit, we truly fulfill God's law!

Can You Be Counted On As Times Require (Romans 13:11-14)
Ultimately, the apostle urged Christians to live exemplary lives in light of the certainty of Christ's return.  Each passing day gave a fresh urgency for believers to discard worldly living and to live as children of light.  This type of lifestyle would be a strong witness of Jesus Christ to their neighbors and fellow citizens.

This is where we camped out for most of Sunday morning....this idea of waking of from sleep.  A lot of our students are living life with a "sleepy faith".  The view the Christian life as something they can deal with or worry with later on...."I'll deal with that when I'm older" or "I'll deal with that once I get through school".  Our students live in a culture driven by technology...they are connected to each other, the internet, music, movies, TV, sports, etc...at almost every waking hour.  As THE BIBLE challenges us and them to live lives apart from the world, we are facing a lot of opposition.

I encourage you as parents to help your students see that Scripture doesn't put a "time-line" on the life of a Christian.  Once we accept Christ we should WANT to start living differently...we should desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord.  I'll be honest in that we have some concern about the way that many of our students are living....there's no passion to live for Christ....which may lead to a tough thought for some of us to stomach.....maybe some of our students don't have a passion to live for Christ because they don't know Him personally!

Over the next several weeks we're going to be presenting the GOSPEL weekly....on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, Sunday nights...the more your student is exposed to the Word of God, the more the WORD has the opportunity to soak into their hearts and minds....and life-change can happen only through the power of the Holy Spirit of God!

Please be in prayer for your kids and the rest of our students as we pray for God to do some major life-change through the reading of His Word over the upcoming weeks!

Next week we're going to focus on the first 12 verses of Chapter 14 so check it out!

Heffe

Raising Adults

Hey Parents,

A Friday thought for you....

Raising Adults
You've been through it again in the last two months.  A school year has begun, and you've likely played the "I can't believe he/she is in grade _________" looped tape in your head for at least a short season.

It doesn't matter whether it's preschool, or middle school, or graduate school, most of us find the fall to be a sobering reminder that another year has slipped by.  Maybe you experienced it when you drove your 15-year-old to their first day of 10th grade or maybe you just sent your 18-year old off to college.

Here's the question:  How do you feel in that moment?

I know I've felt a creeping sadness - a sense that time is moving too quickly.  Which is a bit of a reversal isn't it?  We seem to celebrate every milestone in their first few years (first smile, learning to crawl, first step, first words, etc.) but then we begin to resist the fact that they're growing up.

Why is that?

I can't remember who said it, but someone pointed out that while we speak about raising children, we're actually not doing that.  We're raising adults.

The goal of parenting is to prepare your children for life.  To move them into a place where they have the worldview, skills, faith and heart to face life on their own.  To release adults, not children.

It seems a lot of times parents seem to miss the reality that their children need to become independent.  If we're not careful, our kids move into life not ready to face its challenges and complexities, nor often is their faith large enough to integrate into life on their own.

So think about that.....we're actually raising adults, not kids.

See your sweet little 3-year-old over there?  That an adult you're raising.  Your 10-year-old?  In 8-10 years, he's pretty much grown up.

When we realize that we're raising adults, we remember that the goal is not for us to hang onto every fleeting moment of their youth, but to prepare them for the life for which God has created them.

Have a great weekend!

Heffe

IGNITE is TONIGHT!

Hey Parents,

Tonight is IGNITE!....we start at 5:45 up in The Attic and it's gonna be a good time tonight...we'll show episode 2 of our "The Outdoorsman" series...we'll play a game called "Who Am I" and we'll have our 2nd session in our Labyrinth series...here's an idea of what we'll be talking about:

Labyrinth - It's Not A Secret
Wishing on stars, looking in the clouds and scanning the horizon for a "sign" might work in movies, but how do we figure out what God wants for real people in the real world?  As simple - and as crazy - as it may sound, we need to look no further than God's Word.  While a sign might seem easier and much faster than actually reading the Bible, digging into God's Word is the best way for us to get the big picture of God's story and how we fit into it.

Hope to see your students there tonight!

Heffe

Reading Romans

Hey Parents,

It's time for a Sunday School update....last Sunday your students hit chapter 12 in Romans....and it is a jam-packed chapter!  So let's take a quick look at what they talked about!

Give Yourself in Worship (Romans 12:1-2)
Paul starts chapter 12 off with urging the Romans to offer themselves as a living sacrifice.  This would have been a crazy thought to the readers at this time...they had always understood that the sacrifices were only to be the first and best animals...but Paul was talking about a radically different type of sacrifice.  Paul was encouraging believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices...harking back to the discussion of the body being dead to sin because of the life-giving presence of the Spirit (back in chapter 8).  To live by the Spirit is to offer oneself completely and daily as a holy and pleasing sacrifice.

Paul explains that living as a holy, pleasing sacrifice was a believer's spiritual worship.....this is the logical and pleasing way for Christians to serve God.

Paul also urges his readers to reject worldliness and to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.  This was a continuing action...the transformation of our thinking and attitudes is an ongoing, lifelong endeavor.

The result of having our minds renewed by the Spirit is to grow in our ability to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.  See, Christian living is not about emptying the mind, but rather about thinking intelligently and logically in accordance with God's ways.

Use Your Gifts (Romans 12:3-8)
Paul encourages believers to remain humble while seeking God's will for their lives.  We have to work to keep our pride in check.  As Paul begins to talk about spiritual gifts, he's well aware that the human propensity is to prize one type of gift one gets over the actual purpose of the gift.

Paul urges his readers to think sensibly about the faith they all possess in common.  See, each believer possesses a measure of faith - at least one spiritual gift that gives evidence of his or her saving faith.  Paul shows how, just like the parts of a body all function differently but all work together, all the different spiritual gifts function differently but work together for one unified purpose!

Here's a breakdown of each gift:

Prophecy - the gift of speaking God's inspired message

Service - the gift of serving in ways to meet the practical needs of others

Teaching - the gift of effectively instructing others, especially in scriptural understanding and moral living

Exhorting - the gift of coming alongside others to encourage and cheer them on toward godly living

Giving - the gift of contributing generously and effectively to help meet others' needs.

Leading - the gift of organizing and guiding Christians in cooperative ventures of service and spiritual growth

Mercy - the gift of acting with grace and cheerfulness to alleviate suffering and hardship, such activities as feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and tending to the elderly.

Paul wanted his readers to use their gift to benefit their local churches.  We need all these parts to work together to serve the body of Christ.

Love Your Fellow Christians (Romans 12:9-16)
As a result of experiencing God's transforming love in Christ, believers are to exhibit Christlike love for one another.  Paul describes 4 qualities of Christlike love:

1.  It is without hypocrisy - we must not pretend or put on a show...but we need to genuinely desire the well-being of other Christians.

2.  Love despises evil and clings tenaciously to what is good.  It's not wishy-washy about right and wrong.

3.  It's expressed as family affection - we should view each other in the church as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

4.  It drives us to outdo one another in showing honor.  It's constantly seeking to for ways to help, encourage, or celebrate others!

Paul exhorts that as believers we should be positive and gracious, not negative and vengeful.  We are to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep.  We need to learn to appreciate others!

Treat Enemies with Kindness (Romans 12:17-21)
So here's a tough one....Paul writes with a focus here on how Christians are to relate to people outside the church.  Both within and outside the church, believers are to display an active, intentional, Christlike-ethic.  We need to avoid reactionary, vengeful behavior.  We need to make every effort to develop an honorable reputation in our communities.

This is basically an encouragement to live at peace with everyone.  Sometimes conflict is unavoidable, but as believers we can control our attitudes and responses by the power of the Spirit living in us.  When someone does us wrong, we can choose to put the matter in God's hands and trust in His sovereign judgement!


As you guys can see, chapter 12 is full of applicable truths for our students, and for us as adults as well!  Next week we'll be looking at Chapter 13 so read up this week!

Heffe

Disqualified Parents

Parents,
A Friday thought for you today....this comes from a blogger named Carey Nieuwhof...

Disqualified Parents
"Because when you find yourself the villain in the story you have written


It's plain to see


That sometimes the best intentions are in need of redemption


Would you agree?"


-Death Cab for Cutie, "You Are a Tourist"

So Death Cab for Cutie is a band - just to be clear - one that's on my playlist a lot these days.  As that song plays through my speakers, it hit me that is describes how sometimes you guys might feel as parents.

No new parent begins by saying "I hope I mess up my child's life."  Who ever sets out to be the villain in the story?  But at one point or another, we end up there, don't we?

You leave for vacation but are yelling at the kids before you're even out of town.

You're at home most nights, but you're far too tired to engage.

Your kids repeated patterns of behavior drive you crazy, and you end up resenting them.

Your date night to nurture your marriage starts with an argument and ends with a meltdown.

You make empty threats to your kids that would make you wince if you heard other parents make them.  But you are all out of tricks, so you threaten anyway.

And sometimes the temptation is to think that our failures should disqualify us as a parent.  At least as a good parent.  It must certainly disqualify us from being a godly parent.

But when you think that, you would be wrong.

What if that actually puts you in line with a great list of characters God used in significant ways?  What if that actually qualifies you?

Peter was Jesus' best friend, but Peter betrayed Jesus-badly, You would think that would put you out of the running to be a New Testament hero.  But Jesus built the church on Peter anyway.

Moses seemed like a fine fellow until he murdered someone.  Shouldn't that push him off God's short list?  Apparently not.  God made him into one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament.

Why?  Why does God use people as flawed as that?

I think weakness puts us in touch with our need for God.  It reminds us that God is God and we are not.  That we need help.  That there is a power greater than our natural brilliance (or lack of it) at work in the world.  And that grace flows between the cracks in our lives.

God's strength is most evident when the people He's working with are weak.

What if the very thing you think is disqualifying you right now is actually qualifying you for a new chapter in your life in Christ?  What if your weakness was a portal to new strength?

What if you are a parent turning in a brand new way to Christ's love and you were able to give your son and daughter a front row seat to the grace of God?

I bet your kids would never forget the change they see in you.  And you could one day tell them how it happened.

Have a great weekend!

Heffe

BIGNITE is TONIGHT!

Hey Parents,

Tonight is BIGNITE and we will be traveling up to Shuckle's Corn Maze in Gallatin....it basically sits right across the street from Station Camp High School.  Here are the details:

Leaving the church at 5:30

Arriving at the maze at 6:00 - students are welcome to be dropped off and picked up at the maze if that's closer for you, but they need to be there at 6:00 to be allowed in with our group!

We will leave the corn maze around 8:30, so that's what time you need to pick your child up FROM THE MAZE if you dropped them off there.

We will arrive back to the church at 9:00 so all other students need to be picked up at this time!

We would love to have some parents come with us tonight so if you're interested in going and hanging out, we'd love to have ya!

Heffe

Imperfect Moments

Hey Parents,

Wanted to share this article with you that I read this morning....

Imperfect Moments by Karen Wilson


I love hearing folks reiterate how important it is to invest in our kids the here and now, cherishing the moments because they go by so quickly.  Being reminded of this make me more intentional about the time I have with my young ones.

My family set aside some time for some fun together this past weekend.  All of us had this perfect picture in our heads about what it would be like.  It's funny how things don't usually turn out the way we plan.

We packed our bikes up and headed to a beautiful local trail.  My eight-year old's tires were low on air.  After only 10 minutes of riding, Elijah was miserable and complaining.  This was not at all what he had in mind.  I eventually snapped at him and told him to fall behind so I wouldn't have to hear him whine.  Dad had already ridden off to escape the negativity.  Sara, my six-year old, was upset because we weren't together in a pack - as a family - which is what she had in mind.

Later that night, after Elijah's team unexpectedly lost their first football game (another disconcerting event), we ordered pizza and started playing cards.  A neighborhood kid came over and wanted to be included.  When we included her, Elijah ran to his room upset because it was supposed to be just family time.

Through tears, he claimed that this day - which was supposed to be our perfect day - was the "worst of his life."  When you throw in all of the sibling bickering, it wasn't my favorite day either.

We tend to be idealistic about what our family moments should look like.  Even our kids are.  Sometimes, they match our expectations, and sometimes they really miss the mark.  But I'm still grateful for each of these moments, even with breakdowns and meltdowns.  These are special imperfect moments that will be cherished forever.

It's using those moments to teach our children to love each other and to love others while we as parents are learning to do the same.  It's being consistent and persistent even when things go awry.  It's being honest with each other about our imperfections and accepting and forgiving of them.

At the end of the weekend, my son told me I was the most perfect mom in the whole wide world.  (Who doesn't want to hear their little boy say that??)  But I very quickly confessed that I was FAR from perfect. He almost as quickly agreed with me and admitted that he wasn't perfect either.  We were both okay with that and together acknowledged that's why we rely on the One who IS perfect.  Now that was a moment I'll never forget!

So, I am just going to keep doing what I know to do as a mom and continue to create and cherish moments with my kids.

I will linger as I tuck them in at night and try to listen as they tediously explain something, when all I really want to do is go crash on the couch.

I will occasionally go eat lunch with them in the school cafeteria, even though the noise and smell is unpleasant.

I will play with them when they ask, even though I don't enjoy playing video games or make believe.

I will set the table and make family dinners happen more often even if sometimes they turn their noses up at what I cook.

And I will also make sure everyone's tires are nice and plump before we go on our next bike ride.

I encourage you to find something to do this week to spend some time with your students!  Have a great Tuesday!

Heffe

Reading Romans

Hey Parents,

Just wanted to give you a quick update on what your kids studied yesterday morning in Sunday School....as you know we've been reading Romans for the past several weeks and yesterday they went through Chapters 9-11.  Let's take a quick look at what they covered yesterday!

In chapters 9-11, we mainly find a unit that focuses squarely on Israel's continuing place in God's redemptive plan.  While our students jumped over chapter 9 for the most part, I want to give you just a little background so our continual narrative is intact!  Most of Chapter 9 focuses on Paul's confession that his people's (the Jews) overall rejection of the gospel grieved him deeply.  Israel had many spiritual advantages through the old covenant that should have prepared the people to welcome the gospel.  Their rejection of it, however, was not evidence of God's plan failing or of God being unfair.  The prophets of Israel had long declared that God's salvation would be characterized by both His sovereign choice and His divine mercy.

Paul explained that Israel stumbled over God's plan of freely giving His righteousness to those who believe, yet he prayed earnestly for his people to be saved.  He knew the gospel was for all - Jew and Gentile.  He was devoted to preaching the gospel to everyone, even if presently his people stubbornly rejected it.  This gets us into chapter 10 so let's look at the points the students covered.


Pray for Others (Romans 10:1-4)
In the first 4 verses we see where Paul is passionate about praying for the salvation of the Jewish people.  He wants them to see that their zeal and enthusiasm for the law is not in all ways bad, but much of their energy is misplaced.  The Jewish people were more worried about trying to establish their own righteousness rather than accept the righteousness freely given from God.  They still had not realized that Christ was the end of the law and the end of the quest for a life of righteousness by following the law.

We see here an example of the importance that prayer should play in our lives concerning those around us that we claim to love and care about.  If we truly love someone, then we should be praying constantly for their spiritual well-being and health.  If we know people, whom we claim to care about, who are not in a relationship with the Lord, we should be praying for them.  If we have Christian brothers and sisters who are struggling in their walk, we should be praying for them.  In short, we should be praying as believers!


Tell Others (Romans 10:8-14)
So here Paul takes our Christian responsibilities a step further.  Not only should we be praying for those around us, but that we should also be prepared and ready to tell others about Jesus.  Paul says that when we believe in Jesus, we are made righteous through Christ and that when we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, we are saved.  As believers, as those who have claimed and professed the truth that Jesus is Lord, we should become more righteous in our living.  Why??  It's simple.  If we accept Christ and have the Spirit of the Lord living inside of us, then we MUST begin to desire a righteous lifestyle...that's just how it is.  We cannot live in a relationship with Christ and still desire an unrighteous lifestyle...it just can't happen.  And part of that change in our living, part of that righteousness that God imparts to us through Christ, is the desire to tell others.  We begin to understand that those we love need to be introduced to Jesus and the only way that will happen is if His followers tell them!  So Paul is putting some action to our faith....we should be praying and telling others.


Send and Go to Others (Romans 10:15-18)
Paul continues his thought here that people will not hear about Christ unless the people of God are willing to go to them, go to where they are, and proclaim the name of Jesus.  This is another piece of action that Paul is putting to our faith....we should be praying, telling others, and going to where others are and proclaiming the name of Jesus!


In chapter 11, Paul's states that through his understanding, Israel might presently have stumbled over the gospel, but God hadn't rejected the people of Israel.  In fact, Paul revealed that just as God had used Israel's rejection of the gospel to spur the Gentiles to faith in Christ, God would also ultimately use the conversion of Gentiles to spur many of the people of Israel to be saved.  So Paul ends the chapter with a burst of praise for God's unsearchable wisdom!

Next week we are tackling Chapter 12 so read up and we'll touch base next Monday!

Heffe

Wooden Nickels Increase in Value

Parents,

A Friday thought for you today....

Wooden Nickels Increase in Value
Did you know that the value of wooden nickels is going up?  It actually hasn't happened yet everywhere. But it could happen any day now.  So I'm giving you a heads up in case you want to invest in some wooden nickels while there is still time.  I would pay at least $20 each, maybe even more.  I'm sure this seems a little odd, but I discovered a secret about wooden nickels yesterday.

I read where a guy I follow online, Reggie Joiner, was traveling around Memphis trying to find a BBQ place that he used to eat at as a kid in the 1970's.  That's when it happened.  Out of nowhere, he remembers the wooden nickels that they would give out when his family would pick up their meal.  It's hard to explain, but he suddenly became obsessed with finding the same restaurant that used to give him wooden nickels.  So, Reggie goes on a quest to find one of the rare wooden coins.  He drove to an antique mall outside of town, asked his parents about them, googled relentlessly, and even called some of his old friends he hadn't talked to in years.  Finally, a 70-year-old father of one of his child-hood friends told him that he thought he remembered a BBQ fast food place giving out wooden nickels over 30 years ago.  That was all the confirmation Reggie needed to continue on his mission.

Those wooden nickels have definitely gone up in value, or at they did for Reggie..(not just any wooden nickels, but the specific wooden nickels from BBQ places in Memphis.)  I'm sure this probably seems like a strange quest, but those nickels were pretty important to Reggie as a kid.  Evidently they weren't as significant to his parents, because they have no recollection of the wooden nickels whatsoever.  In their world of trying to raise and provide for a family, a wooden nickel wasn't worth much.  It couldn't pay for the groceries, the mortgage or help them save for a college education.  So it wasn't as meaningful to them as it was to Reggie when they handed him a simple token that came with his BBQ sandwich.

Isn't that how it is sometimes?  What doesn't seem very important to us as adults, can potentially be huge to our kids?  Reggie is an older guy with kids who also has aging parents....and he's talked about how now he can't stop thinking about wooden nickels.  They represent all those countless times when his parents did something in their ordinary routine of parenting and didn't realize how valuable it was.  They had given Reggie a lot of wooden nickels over their lifetime.  During his teens and twenties, he didn't really recognize how valuable those deposits were.  But somewhere, in his thirties and forties, he started realizing how much those wooden nickels were really worth.

Maybe his new interest in those old wooden coins is connected to the fact that his mom discovered she has lung cancer 2 months ago.  The prognosis is good and surgery happened a few weeks ago.  But it reminded Reggie and it reminded me about the every-day investments my parents made in my life for so many years.  Wooden nickels may not get you the same return as gold in this economy, but as a parent don't underestimate the potential they can have in your kid's life over the long haul.

Just remember whenever you

Go for a bike ride,
Cook a favorite meal,
Host a party,
Go fishing,
Play cards,
Throw a ball,
Write a note,
Take a walk,
Sing a song,
Watch them play,
Tell a story,
Laugh together,
Tuck them in,
See a movie,
Go to church,
Take a trip

you are handing your kids wooden nickels that one day may be worth more to them than you could possibly imagine.

Have a great weekend and hope to see you all Sunday!

Heffe

Labyrinth Starts Tonight!

Hey Parents,

We are kicking off a new series tonight called Labyrinth in IGNITE.  Have you or your kids ever looked at someone and asked "Why do they have it all together?" or "Why can't I 'get it' like they do?" or maybe "How can I be as close to God as they seem to be?"  Sometimes, we have these kinds of questions when it comes to our faith.  And sometimes, we feel like everyone else has it all together when it comes to hearing God and knowing where their life is going.  It can make us feel excluded from God's plan and from knowing what that plan is for us.  But the truth is God does have a plan for you and does want to speak to you and use you (and your kids as well!).  So maybe, when we wonder why we can't seem to connect with God, we need to stop wondering what is wrong with us, and ask ourselves instead, who do we believe God to be?  Bottom line for tonight's lesson is this: When it comes to hearing God, anyone and everyone is included!


We'll have worship with the band, a little TCT (that's a game), our new video series "The Outdoorsman" will premiere tonight and then we'll have some small group time as well!  Gonna be a full night for sure so we hope to see YOUR KIDS at 5:45  TONIGHT up in THE ATTIC!

Also don't forget that next Wednesday is our BIGNITE for October...We're heading to Shuckle's Corn Maze in the Hendersonville/Gallatin area....we'll leave the church at 5:30 and return at 9:00.  Cost is $10 plus food money for concessions if they don't eat dinner before.  As always, if cost is a concern just let us know and it will be taken care of!

Heffe

Did You Know?

Hey Parents,

Every year about this time, two professors from a small college in Wisconsin publish a "mindset" list to remind us that the entering college class has a completely different knowledge base than previous generations.  You might have seen the list.  For example, this year's freshman class has always had cellphones, always ordered books from Amazon, has never known a communist Russia.  Most striking of all on this year's list?  Ferris Bueller could be their dad!

The mindset list reminds us that knowledge is always on the move.  When we narrowly define knowledge as the dictionary does, we forget that facts and information can only take us so far.  What really matters - what really tests our knowledge - is what we do with what we know.

As parents, you navigate that journey as you build into your kids an understanding of the world around us.  One of the ways we can do that best is to think about the destination before we get too far along on the journey.

Roll those years forward.  Imagine the end of your child or teen's formative years.  What's it look life after he or she has become an adult?  What are the most important things that we want our son or daughter to walk away with and know once they leave our home and head for college and beyond?

With that end in mind, we define knowledge a little differently, with a more active sense.  For us, knowledge is "discovering something new so you can be better at what you do."

Kids are naturally curious.  They are wired at birth to question, explore, and discover what they don't know.  If we are not careful about how we handle learning, kids can grow up and grow out of being interested in discovering new things.  The future of your children is not only linked to what they know, but to their desire to keep learning.  Whether they realize it or not, adults have the ability to turn the discovery dial up or down in a kid's life.  If you are going to turn it up, you need to become intentional about looking for ways to intrigue them with new ideas and insights about life.

Keep the story in history.

Keep the mystery in science.

Keep the application in math.

And when it come to spiritual issues, be careful you don't define God in such narrow terms that He's no longer as huge and miraculous as He really is!

Heffe

Reading Romans

Parents,

It's time for our weekly dip into the book of Romans which our students are working through during Sunday School each week!  This week we're taking a look at one of the most important chapters of any book in the Bible, let alone just Romans....we're going to work through Chapter 8 this week.

If you've missed out on any of Romans, thus far, feel free to go back into the blog archive and get yourselves caught up, because Paul has been laying the groundwork for several chapters to get readers ready for chapter 8....so let's go!

We Have the Spirit's Presence (Romans 8:9-11)

Paul begins chapter 8 by reaffirming that for those who put their hope in Christ there is an escape, a rescue if you will, from sin.  Paul stresses that we have the power of the Holy Spirit and thus we have the power to be free from and to now avoid sin in our lives.  He stresses that we are no longer controlled by our fleshly, sinful nature.  Instead we are now controlled by the Spirit of the God which is living inside of us!  

You can see then how it flows logically that those who give evidence of the Spirit's presence in their lives by hating sin and struggling against it are genuine believers.  They are spiritual persons in a most profound way!  On the other hand, those who show no evidence of the Spirit's work in them demonstrate that they really do not belong to the Lord.  They are still in spiritual darkness and are in bondage to the sinful nature.  In other words, Paul is teaching that the Holy Spirit's presence and power are absolutely fundamental and foundational to the Christian life!  The Scripture here clearly indicates that the Holy Spirit enters a believer's life fully and permanently at conversion.

This should encourage us as believers to know that we can find strength in seeing our ongoing Christian experience in light of God's ultimate goal for us.  Our fleshly nature (the body) needed to die for sin's control to be broken.  This death occurs when we by faith join with Christ Jesus in His death on the cross.  At the same moment of conversion, the Spirit entered us and brought life!  We will continue to struggle with the old nature in this life, but when these physical bodies at death return to the dust from which they were made, the One who raised Christ from the dead will also bring our mortal bodes to life through His Spirit living in us!  

We Have the Spirit's Guidance (Romans 8:12-17)

Ok, so we now know that we as believers have the Spirit living in us...so what does that mean for us?  What does that mean we are capable of now that we weren't before?  

First, it means that we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh.  Now, this doesn't mean that we are now incapable of sinning, but it does mean that we are no longer obligated to sin.  Our sinful nature doesn't rule us anymore like it still does an unbeliever.  We can and should say no to temptations.  So we have the Spirit's guidance to help us avoid sin.

Second, we can live assurance that we belong to God's family.  We are meant to be led by God's Spirit.  He's not living inside us just to quickly put out the fires of temptation, but also to guide us in all dimensions of the Christian life.

Paul talks in verses 14-15 about this "spirit of adoption".  If you think back to when God freed his people from slavery in Egypt, you will remember that the Israelites didn't always feel like their freedom was a great thing.  The Israelites were going to have the Lord's constant presence and protection....sounds good right?  But at that time the Israelites were so worn out from walking in the wilderness...they were so upset that their lives weren't simple, easy, and comfortable that they actually considered and contemplated going back to Egypt....going back to bondage....back to slavery!  Just as God didn't rescue his people to just turn them over into having the "spirit of slavery", go wants us to understand exactly where we stand with Him:   we are adopted as sons and daughters!

Third, believers are able to confidently endure trials and suffering because the Holy Spirit is present to guide and help us.  Children who are legally adopted immediately become full heirs alongside any natural-born children.  Because the Spirit's presence in believers testifies to our adoption as God's children, we can live with confidence that we are heirs of God and coheirs with Christ!

We Have the Spirit's Prayers (Romans 8:26-27)

A lot of times, I know that as a Christian, I have struggled at times with what to pray for and how to pray. Maybe it's when we face an overwhelming situation like 9/11 or a huge earthquake in Chile.  Maybe it's when we have just hit a tough patch in our lives...work is tough, our marriage is struggling, our finances are struggling.  Maybe it's a time when we just really can't figure out the Lord's will for our lives. 

Paul assures us that the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.  This term "unspoken groaning" can be understood simply as "groans that words cannot express."  The Spirit has the ability to understand our weaknesses and then to intercede for us with the Father.

The Spirit works in believers to search their hearts and to determine their true concerns.  The Spirit then will help us pray according to the will of God even though we don't know how to express it.

We Have Assurance (Romans 8:28-32)

Paul closes out chapter 8 by continuing to describe the Spirit's work.  Paul states in verse 28 a fact that he claims "we know."  The phrase "we know" indicates confidence and assurance.  Believers live with assurance because we know God is in control.  Jesus is Lord and the Spirit lives in us.  Therefore we can know that all things work together for the good of those who love God.  

Now in verses 29-30 the idea of election comes into play....let's be clear about this.....this is a spiritual truth that is understood fully only in the counsels of God.  We can't as human beings pretend that we can with 100% certainty speak to this topic of predestination, so we are not going to get hung up on it at all!

What we can know is that God's purpose in this action was to create a family of many brothers (male and female) of whom Jesus is firstborn.  That term "firstborn" simply gives Jesus the respect and honor of being the first to be born again from the dead through His resurrection and the first in rank and importance as the Lord of the church.

Once one is called into this family and once they respond in faith to Christ they are justified - which simply means they are made right with God for eternity.  They can look forward to the time ahead when they will be glorified with their Father in heaven.  

Next week we jump into a few chapters - Romans 9-11....so read up!

Heffe

Like Fine China

Parents,
A thought for you as you head into your weekend...

Like Fine China
What happens every day in your home defines what normal becomes for your family.  It may become normal to go camping every summer.  It might become normal to eat turkey at Christmas, and have hamburgers on Saturday.  Normal might include going to school, spending an hour on homework after school, going to the movies once a month, having friends over every Friday night, and knowing that Dad is passionate about keeping his car in great shape.

Parents determine what's normal by the rhythm they establish in their homes.  So - and here's the key question - how normal is God in your home?

Some of us are just old enough to have still received fine china as a wedding gift (Crystal and I chose not to).  These days, we're wondering why it was a priority, because we probably never use it.  Our kids don't see it as normal because it rarely comes out of the cabinet.  When it does come out, the kids figure someone special must be coming over, everyone's concerned about whether it breaks or not, and we all tend to get a little more uptight.  Consequently, our china set has missed a lot over the life of our families.

It missed almost all the conversations we've had over dinner.  It missed the laughter, the goofing off with our kids afterwards, and the hilarious times within your families.  It missed all the practical jokes you've played on each other and all the snacks during movies.  It missed the arguments, the tears, and the tough conversations.  It pretty much missed everything.  If you ever asked me if I wanted my parents china as part of my inheritance, I would certainly say no.  It just isn't part of anyone's life.

We haven't thrown the china out because it costs a lot of money, and it's important in the sense that valuable possessions are important.

Some of us grew up with a faith like that.  God was important, but He just didn't come out much in the daily rhythm of life.  Some of you grew up in a home where faith was never talked about.  You never went to church on Sunday, and God never came up during the week.  It wasn't part of your rhythm at all.

Some of you grew up in a home where God was a part of a Sunday rhythm, but like fine china, He never showed up any other day.  You didn't pray at meals.  God was never part of the daily dialogue.  In fact, you could never figure out how the God of Sunday had any claim on everyday life.  It was just a mystery to you.

You knew it was important.  You believed at some level that God had value.  But like the china in your cabinet, God just didn't see much time in your family's life.  Some of you grew up in a decidedly Christian home, and God was part of a rhythm.  For some of us, it felt like a bit of an awkward rhythm.

A well-meaning and sincere parent would bring out the big Bible after dinner.  A passage would be read. And then questions would be asked.  My parents tried that for a while, and it's all good until the uncomfortable "no one's answering my dads questions and can we please just be excused" moment that inevitably follows.  It feels so formal, as though it isn't actually connected to everyday life.  Somehow faith ends up feeling like a compartment we step into for a moment rather than a conversation that's woven into the fabric of life.

That's the difference between a God who is at the center of the family and one who is put up on the shelf and only taken out for special occasions.

How "normal" is God in your home today?

IGNITE: Wrapping Up Babel and BIGNITE news for October

Hey Parents,

IGNITE is tonight!  We're excited about a good night up in The Attic!  I hope that you feel it is as important for your students to be at our mid-week Bible study as we do!  Tonight we'll be wrapping up our Babel series which has been great and eye-opening for our students.

You know, most people think teenagers have technology issues.  But if you took away an adult's cell phone, Facebook or Twitter accounts, texting capability or computer access, many of us would find it hard to function.  Technology is a part of all of our lives, not just a student's.  And it's become such a big part, that many of us aren't even conscious of how much we check that phone or Facebook - even in a place you might least expect it.

I recently talked to a friend that had spend a day at Disney World with his family, riding rides and battling crowds at the "Happiest Place on Earth."  Despite his cynicism for over-commercialized places and his frustration about marketing to kids, they had a great day and his kids had a blast.  But there was one thing that distracted him over and over throughout the day.  It wasn't all the teenagers attached to the their cell phones - he actually saw most of the teenagers engaged in real-life conversations with the people around them.

It was the parents.

He couldn't help but notice how many parents of kids all ages were getting off rides and immediately checking their email and text inbox, ripping back responses as they floated behind their kids to the next attraction.  Maybe they were bored out of their minds to be spending the day with their kids, but I doubt that's it.  Maybe they were just distracted at that ONE time at the point he happened to see them ( and he happened to catch about a hundred of them at just the right time).  Or maybe they forgot what boundaries are and how to give their kids the gift of presence.

Brad is not a perfect parent....I'm sure he gets a lot of stuff wrong as He would admit....but the more that he saw of that behavior that day, the more determined he was to completely ignore his phone (and it was his birthday actually!) to be present with his wife and kids.  I have to wonder though: if this is what kids see at Disney World from the adults around them (parents or otherwise), what are we as a culture showing them day after day in our "normal" lives?

I suspect that if we want them to put their phones down every now and then, we have to go first.

Something to think about today!

October BIGNITE


On Wednesday, October 12 for BIGNITE we'll be traveling up to the Hendersonville/Gallatin area to go to Shuckle's Corn Maze....we'll leave the church at 5:30 that night and return back to the church at 9:00 PM...the cost will be $10 and that will cover their maze ticket and the "Corn Cannon" and hay ride.  Their will be food and beverages available (hot dogs, cokes) for an additional charge so students should eat before unless you are sending them with extra food money.  AS ALWAYS, if you cannot financially cover the cost of your student at this time, please don't let that stand in the way of your student coming....just call or text me at 6158389755 or email me at Jeffkelly@fbcgoodlettsville.com and we'll take care of it!  Should be a fun night!

Have a great Wednesday and send your students tonight to IGNITE!

Heffe

Reading Romans

Hey Parents,

I hope you're keeping up with Romans, which your students are studying every Sunday morning.  This last week they hit chapter 7, but let's do a quick recap of what we've read up to this point!

Paul begins Romans by showing the depth of human depravity in chapters 1-3.  He then outlined the hope that we have for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ which in turns leads to peace with God and eternal life in chapters 3-5.  In chapter 6, Paul introduced the imperative for living the Christian life, and in chapter 7 Paul further addresses the reality that while the victory over sin is assured, believers still struggle with it.

Paul developed the idea that sin used the law (the laws that the religious leaders and the Jewish people followed) to seize an opportunity to do its destructive work in people (Romans 7:1-12).  Christians are no longer under the authority of the law - we died to it just as we died to sin through Christ.

We Know What Sin Is (Romans 7:7-12)
As Paul began preaching that we find salvation apart from the law (the Torah, the law of Moses from the OT) he wanted to make sure that no one assumed that the law, in and of itself was evil.  Paul points out that he would not have known sin if it were not for the law.  The law's purpose was to expose sin as sin.  Paul uses the 10th commandment (Do Not Covet) as an illustration or an example to help the readers of his letter understand his point.

Paul also explains how sin saw an opportunity.  The Devil knows how to take God's commands that were given for our good and to twist them into temptations that lead us into sin.  According to Paul, sin would not have this weapon against people apart from the law.

So, ironically the law resulted in death.  This statement doesn't mean that the law was evil in its intent.  The law was meant for life - to show us how to live as God intends.  It did this by marking off sin as sin.  But what the law couldn't do was offer a solution to the sin problem.

So Paul characterized the law as in no way our sin problem but as that which is holy and just and good in verse 12.

The main point we need to take from this is the fact that sin is awful, terrible, horrible and every other adjective you can think up to describe it's destructive power.  Sin is such a powerful force in our lives that it can take things that were meant for our good and can use them to drive us deeper into our sin situation....but there is a remedy and that remedy is Jesus Christ!  In Christ we find the power to die to sin, to die to the Law in the ways in which it has become a hindrance!  Sin is powerful, but our God is greater, our God is stronger and our God is higher than any other!

We Struggle With Sin (Romans 7:13-20)
This next passage has been debated quite a bit as to whether Paul is describing a believer or a non-believer's struggle with sin.  It's been debated that Paul was actually talking about his own personal experience, and if that is the case was it pre-conversion or post-conversion.  I tend to agree with those that say that it seems to strongly favor a description of a believer's stubble with the lingering presence of sin.

Paul starts off by clearing up another question: Was the law in some sense the cause of death?  Paul clearly states, that only SIN was the culprit, not the law.  The law, which shows us the moral picture of who God is, could not be evil!

Ok, so if believers have been freed from sin (the cause of death) and the law is spiritual, then why do we still struggle with sin?  Here's the kicker that Paul shares in verse 14 - we still stubble with sin as believers because we are still made out of flesh.  In Christ, our inner, spiritual nature has been redeemed and made alive, but we also still exist in our fleshly nature.  This is the part of us that still struggles's with sin's power.

As believers we face that confusing and frustrating reality in which despite our best efforts sometimes, we fail to live for God as we want to do and instead we do the things we hate and know are unhealthy for us. Our "want-to's" are lined up with God's word, but our fleshly nature still tugs us toward sin.

But in verse 17, we find some encouragement!  Paul states that to struggle against sin also serves to confirm a believer's salvation is genuine.  A lot of people who don't know Jesus might just live as good citizens by obeying the nation's civil laws, but they don't struggle against sin.  There are still in bondage to sin and are spiritually dead.  The believer on the other hand, can truthfully say, "I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me."

So we see that the struggle believers have against sin is caused by the continuing influence of sin through the fleshly nature.  We have the desire to do what is good, but not the ability.  These can be described as a believer's spiritual "growing pains."

We Have Victory Over Sin (Romans 7:21-25)
Alright so at this point, a believer might need to be in desperate need of a pep talk after chapters 6 and 7 and Paul closes out chapter 7 with a quick word of encouragement which leads into an extended message of hope in chapter 8!

As Paul closes out chapter 7 he explains how he had to come to understand, just as we do, that the Christians life was not automatic moral perfection but rather a struggle between on'e desire to do what is good and the continuing reality of evil.

There are 2 competing laws at work constantly in believers' lives.  One is God's law, which we as Christians joyfully agree with in our heart of hearts.  We know it is perfect, holy and more desirable than any treasure (Psalms 19:7-11).  But there's a different law that still holds sway in our fleshly nature.  The result of these two laws working at odds in the believer in nothing less than spiritual warfare.

Two opposing principles will always be at work in believers as long as we are in the flesh.  However, because of Jesus' death and resurrection we now can live without fear of condemnation and in the power of the Spirit.  We can always depend on God to help us against sin and give us victory over it!

This next Sunday we'll be studying Chapter 8, so read it this week!

Heffe

Friday Parent Update!

Hey Parents,

Wanted to share a few notes with you today!

1.  We have a 5th Quarter tonight at the church FLC from 10:00 - 12:00 following the high school football games.  We'll be providing free pizza, music, and school vs. school dodgeball!  It's just a great opportunity for your kids to bring a friend and just come and hang out!  If students can't stay the full time, that's all good too....come for as long as you want!

2.  Last Sunday night we started our Bible studies for guys/girls on Sunday nights @ 6 PM.  We had a great group of girls with a total of 12 and we're looking to add even more this week!  However, on the other hand, our guys group only had 1 student show up.....1.  That's pretty sad.  We hope that our guys will step up this week and show up!  The girls group meets over at mine and Crystal's house while the guys meet over at Josh the Intern's house.

3.  Our Focus downpayment is due this Sunday!  You can sign up online at the website at fbcgoodlettsville.com.  A down payment of $50 is required to hold your students spot with the remainder of the $35 balance due at the end of October.  If you have any questions about our Focus weekend (November 11-13) please contact us at the church and let us know!

Also wanted to share this with you today....have a great Friday!

Staying on Task: Creating a Family Plan
Just seeing the word "schedule" may evoke feelings of anxiety for many parents.  It's a struggle to create, let alone maintain, a systematic routine for our households.  However, with devotion and inspiration, the investment can yield great benefits for a family.

Creating a visible chore list and mentally sorting through the logistics of their completion, force us to prioritize.  And by realistically distinguishing between the "must haves" and the "bonus" accomplishments in a given period, we allow participating family members to develop a healthy sense of what's important and what's not.

Set Aside Time for Schedule Development


Set an appointment with a scratch pad and pencil or in front of an Excel spreadsheet.  List all the "chores" or tasks that need to be accomplished in any given period, assigning family members various tasks or chores.  Whereas every family member may be assigned a smilier task (making their own bed), split other household responsibilities according to ability and availability.  Incorporate developmental goals into a student's chores.

The five year old may be charged with cutting coupons from a presorted stack of flyers, simultaneously allowing them to improve their fine motor skills.

And the seven year old can load the dishwater, learning how to sort and arrange items.

The bigger weekly chores may be assigned to the busy teenager, developing their own time management skills.

And for the tween or teen exhibiting leadership capability and desire, appoint them to select and share a weekly scripture for family devotion.

Think Big Picture


I encourage you to possibly come up with a family mission statement.  Your mission will ultimately shape your reaction  to a number of anticipated life situations.  And while having a pre-defined purpose won't make life easier, it will remove some ambiguity amidst hard decisions.

A similar parallel exists in how we budget our time.  When we step back and ask "is this time investment in life with our family mission?" we become more purposed in our daily life.  Creating a master plan allows us to naturally weave the family mission into the family schedule.

Whether earmarking a period for our own personal renewal or arranging for the family's participation in an outside service project, without any pre-planning, those things typically don't happen.  Giving the forethought to creating a family schedule allows us to live each day with greater confidence and purpose!

Heffe

Finding More Grace

Parents,

I think these are some great thoughts from Carey Nieuwhof, one of the creators of our ORANGE curriculum that we currently use with our students:

Everyone thinks grace is a great idea.  Who doesn't want unconditional love?

You long for it in your marriage, your kids long for it from their parents.  But living it out?  Well, that's another think entirely, isn't it?

So, how do you become more grace filled?  How do you ensure your patience isn't exhausted before breakfast, that your kindness extends to all situations and that you continue to believe the best about the people you love the most?

For me, grace doesn't always come naturally.  I need to work at it.

Here's how I tried to exhibit more grace daily:

I prayed about it.

I read my Bible more.

I tried harder.

I made a New Year's resolution.

I found accountability partners.

I had to apologize to those around me when I lacked grace.

All of that helped a little.  But none of it really changed the game for me.

Then, a few years ago, I stumbled on the one factor that in my experience, makes the biggest difference in my mood, my disposition, and my ability to sustain a grace-filled spirit.

Margin.

What's margin?  Margin is the white space in your life.  It's the down time when no one is making demands of you.  It's space to breathe.

It's eight hours of sleep.  It's down time in my calendar and taking a day off.  It's living at the pace we were created to live at.

When I have margin in my life, I'm more grace-filled.  I'm less edgy, I'm more sympathetic, I'm kinder.  I'm more generous.  I laugh more.  I love more deeply.

I have to work at margin.  If I'm not careful, I'll cheat sleep, fill up all the white space in my calendar with more meetings and more commitments.  And when I do that, I suffer.

When I have margin in my life, I display more grace.  It is the single biggest influencer on my mood and disposition.  

That's my secret.

I'm not going to suggest that this will work for everyone, but I'm curious.  Between work, driving the kids to every commitment on the planet, an active social calendar, homework, cooking and housework, how much margin do you actually have in your family?  Would scheduling some white space in your calendar increase or decrease your stress?  All I know is what it does for me.

I'd love to hear from you guys.  Has margin helped you?  What did you or what are you going to cut out?  How has that helped you live a more grace-filled life?  Or, do you have another secret?