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
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
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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