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
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
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
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
Friday, October 21, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
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
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
Friday, October 14, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
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
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
Monday, October 10, 2011
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
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
Friday, October 7, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
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
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
Monday, October 3, 2011
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
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