Weekly Challenge

                                           

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  Life Group will be back in session this coming Saturday, can't wait to see everyone again!  Over the next 5 months we will be studying the book of Colossians.  Taking this much time to go through one of Paul's letters together is going to be awesome so buckle up and get ready for a great ride!

The Challenge:
Read Colossians

The Bonus Challenge:
Read it again, ponder it, talk about it with others

In Him,
Aaron

January Family Devotionals

We are picking back up with the "Mealtime Moments" from Focus on the Family this month! Once again, I encourage you to find one night, each week, for your family to sit at the table and enjoy a meal together. This month we are going to choose from the "Wisdom from the Bible" category. There are eight different devotionals for this category. Look through these devotionals in advance and choose the five you would like to do with your family through out the month. A few of them require  preparation. If you find time to do more than one a week, even better! We will work our way through all the categories during 2013.
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual_growth_for_kids/family_mealtime_devotionals/wisdom_from_the_bible.aspx
Here's a reminder on how these mealtime devotionals work:
After announcing the title, read the Mealtime Prayer suggestion and have one of your children pray. Then read the Appetizer. The Appetizer is just that, something to wet your appetite for more.
Follow it with the Main Course. This contains the "meat" of the section. Once you've given your family something to chew on, it's time for Table Talk. These challenging questions will make your kids think about what they have just learned and explain how to apply it to their daily lives. Finally, end with Vitamins and Minerals, a Bible verse that relates to the day's reading and discussion. You can even memorize the verse as a family each week.



 

Most of all enjoy your time together as a family, while being intentional about training them in the ways of the Lord.

Crystal (:

Weekly Challenge

HOPE THROUGH MARY

What a finale!  I hope you have enjoyed this enlightening mini-series on the stories of these five amazing women found in the genealogy of Jesus.

Mary displayed unparalleled faith in a God who asked her to undertake a most heavy task.  However, in prophetic fashion she knew that God's commands were not burdensome as we learned in 1 John 5:3-4.  Mary trusted in God's promises...promises that were given hundreds of years before her time.  We also can have this faith, we need only immerse ourselves in His promises.  In Christ we have victory.

THE CHALLENGE:
Today we light the 3rd candle of Advent, the candle of joy.  As you light your candles this week, talk about the promises of God for which we anxiously await.  Talk about how holding on to His promises can give us joy in our day to day lives.

In Him,
Aaron

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

HOPE THROUGH BATHSHEBA
Once again, great discussion last night.  And a shout out to Priscilla, Jennifer H., Kim, Bridgette, Amie, and Cortney for reading our texts last night.  I believe it was Bridgette who pointed out that this episode in Bathsheba's life goes to show just how much the sin someone else can so greatly affect our lives.  Even God's punishment of David was something Bathsheba had to endure.

During this time in David's life he committed the sins of irresponsibility, lust, adultery, deceit, murder, etc.  As a result Bathsheba, who is scarcely mentioned throughout all of this, suffered sexual assault, being used as pawn at the hands of a power-drunk king, the murder of her husband, having to marry her husband's murderer, the loss of her first child, and the untold mental and emotional anguish that must have accompanied these things.

But God is good and began the restoration process of Bathsheba by giving her a son (Solomon), who God named Jedidiah, which means "loved by the Lord."

The Challenge:
The 2nd candle of Advent is the candle of Preparation which represents Love.  Let's prepare our hearts this week by asking  and acting on the following questions:
1) Is there any sin in my life that has affected someone else for which I need to seek forgiveness?
2) Are there any sins of others that have affected my life for which I need to offer forgiveness?
3) In what ways has God restored me for which I need to offer up thanks, praise, and adoration?

In Him,
Aaron

LG Christmas at The Pier

What fun!  Dinner, games, and wrapping Christmas presents.

Weekly Challenge

HOPE THROUGH RUTH

What a great night of study Saturday, a special thanks to all the ladies who read through the book of Ruth for us as well as who shared the wisdom they have gleaned from studying the book.

We saw in Ruth that even through all her dire circumstances God ALWAYS had a plan.  And although He eventually redeemed her God never fully revealed to her how He was using her life in such an amazing way.  Nevertheless, Ruth remained faithful through her loyalty, strength, work ethic, obedience, love, and the list goes on and on.

THE CHALLENGE - Over dinner with your family this week:
1) Share a time in your life that was particularly difficult and how God redeemed it.  Contemplate over and share how having that experience can give you hope the next time you face trials and hardships.
2) Share the character trait you admire most about Ruth and discuss how you can apply that trait to your life.
BONUS:
3) The Advent candle for the week is the candle of hope.  Add the story of Ruth into your Advent rituals this week.

In Him,
Aaron

Weekly Challenge -Rahab

Life Group Family & Friends:

 

We are in a 5 week study of Hope through the 5 women listed in the genealogy of Jesus.  This week was the Hope through Rahab.  But why would Matthew list a lying prostitute in the genealogy of God the Son?  There are several fascinating answers, but we focused in on Hope.  We have Hope that God can use us despite of our past or present sin.  We do not have to be held down by guilt and lies. As Henry Blackaby said in The Man God Uses, “God doesn’t take you just the way you are.  He takes you in spite of the way we are.”

 

The next time you feel like God can’t use You, consider this list that is accredited to John Thomas Oakes;

 

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer...
AND Lazarus was dead!

My challenge to you this week is to meditate on this question:  What stands in the way of you letting God use you?  The quick and correct answer is ME.  But ask God the Spirit to reveal to you how.  Identify the lies that you need to quit believing.  Let go of the guilt you are holding on to.  Ask God for forgiveness of the sin you are trying to hide.

Be Intentional.

Travis

Advent Family Devotionals

Each Sunday you will light a new candle on your family Advent Wreath (three purple, one pink, and one large white candle in the center). Devotions that can be done during this time, explaining the symbolism of each candle, is outlined below for the four Sundays during Advent. There is also a resource link for doing devotionals through out each week with your family. Some require materials and preperation, so make sure you read ahead.

Advent is a period of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Celebrating Advent involves not only thanking God for Christ's first coming to Earth as a baby, but also for his presence among us today through the Holy Spirit, and in preparation and anticipation of his final coming at the end of time.

First Sunday of Advent (December 2, 2012)

I. Read Psalm 25:1-3.

II. Light the first purple candle of HOPE - The light of the prophets reminds us of the hope that God gives us. We can have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises made to us. Read Jeremiah 33:14-16. Our hope comes from God. “And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:12-13)

III. Devotion: Today we light the first Advent candle. It is the candle of hope. It is a time to think about what it means to celebrate Jesus’ birth and to follow Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the light of the world. Read John 8:12. Jesus loves us and shows us the way out of the darkness. Jesus shows us the way to live. We have many lights around us at Christmas time to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. Our hope is based on our trust that God’s gracious promise will be fulfilled. We light the candle in hope, looking forward to the time when all of God’s people will safely live in God’s city.

IV. Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for coming to earth, just like the prophets said, and for your

promise to come again. Thank you, Jesus, for being our light so we know how to live. God help us to stop doing so many things so we can spend time with you. Help us to see your light that shines in us and help us to see your love for the world. Help us to love others the way you love them. Amen.

Each night this week light the candle of Hope at dinnertime. Use this link for daily devotions through out the week: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/fotf/tf_2012advent/#/0

Second Sunday of Advent (December 9, 2012)

I. The second candle is the Candle of Preparation. Preparation means to “get ready.” Read Isaiah 40:3-5 “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”

II. Light the first candle of HOPE- Reminding that during Advent we wait in the hope that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Then light the second candle, The Candle of Preparation which represents LOVE.  God kept his promise of a Savior who would be born in Bethlehem.  Read Micah 5:2-5 about the promised ruler from Bethlehem. During Advent we also wait, in love, knowing that the Good Shepherd loves his sheep and gave his life for them. Read John 10:11-15.

III. Devotion: Today on the second Sunday of Advent, we remember that Mary and Joseph were on the way to Bethlehem. Their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was over 70 miles. Read Luke 2:1-7. We are also on a journey. We are on our way to celebrate Christmas, and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Sing or read: O Little Town of Bethlehem

IV. Prayer: Lord, thank you that you love us so much that you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, as a little baby. In love, O Lord, we wait for you to restore us. In love we wait to celebrate the coming of the Good Shepherd. Help us to be your sheep, depending upon you for food, assurance, and protection. Watch over us and keep us safe. May we live securely with you forever. Amen

Each night this week light the candle of Hope and Love. Continue using the 2012 Thriving Family Advent Devotional calendar through out the week.

Third Sunday of Advent (December 16, 2012)

I. Read Psalm 95:1-7.

II. Light the first candle of HOPE, we wait in the hope that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Light the second candle of LOVE, both for our love for God and God’s great love for us. Then light the third, pink candle, of JOY. The light of the Shepherds reminds us not to be afraid but to be joyful while we wait on the Lord. 

III. Devotion: Today is the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy! Mary was not afraid,

but joyful, because the Lord was with her. Read Luke 1:46-47. The angels comforted the frightened shepherds out on the dark hillside with the joy of the good news. Read Luke 2:8-11. Because of our relationship with Christ, our salvation, we can experience unconditional joy. God has given us the waters of salvation. Let us rejoice. Read Isaiah 12 “Songs of Praise.”  Sing “Joy to the World.”

IV. Prayer: Lord, today we rejoice. We rejoice because our Lord and Savior, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Fill our hearts and our days with joy while we wait on the coming of your Son.  And fill us with joy as we serve a world that needs the joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. We rejoice that you are with us always. AMEN

Each night this week light the candle of Hope, Love, and Joy. Continue using the 2012 Thriving Family Advent Devotional calendar through out the week.

Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 23, 2012)

I. Read Isaiah 9:6-7.

II. Light the first candle of HOPE, we wait in the hope that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Light the second candle of LOVE, both for our love for God and God’s great love for us. Light the third pink candle of JOY, reminding us not to be afraid, but joyful, while we wait on the Lord.  Then light the final purple candle of PEACE. The light of the Angels reminds us of the peace that God gives us in Jesus Christ. A peaceful life is not just a life without stress or conflict, but one in which our trust in God does not allow fear to rule our lives. The way was prepared, God has come and redeemed His people, and we can be at peace. Read John 14:27.

III. Devotion: Read Luke 2:15-20. Mary and Joseph are with the baby Jesus in the stable. The angels told the shepherds where to look for the Christ child. The Shepherds know that God gave them the good news and sent them to see the new born King. While we have been preparing our hearts for Christmas, God has been leading and guiding us to the true meaning of Christmas. God has come into the world to be with us, so that we will experience God’s grace and love. Sing: Hark! The herald angels sing!

IV. Prayer: Thank you Lord for giving us hope, love and joy even when life is difficult some times. Thank you for the peace we have been given through our salvation. Help us to share the true meaning of Christmas and tell others of the greatest gift of all, Jesus.  AMEN

 

Each night this week light the candle of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. Continue using the 2012 Thriving Family Advent Devotional calendar through out the week.

 

CHRISTMAS DAY - CHRIST IS BORN

Today is Christmas. The day we have waited for and prepared for is finally here! Emmanuel: God is with us!

I. Read Isaiah 7:14.

II. Light the first candle of HOPE, we wait in the hope that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Light the second candle of LOVE, both for our love for God and God’s great love for us. Light the third pink candle of JOY, be joyful while we wait on the Lord.  Light the final purple candle of PEACE, God gives us peace through Jesus Christ. Finally light the Christ Candle. We light the Christ candle honoring the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, the One True Light, who has come to bring light to our hearts and to our homes. The white candle reminds us that Jesus is the spotless lamb of God, sent to wash away our sins! His birth was for his death; his death was for our birth! “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

III. Eat together as a family. Afterward read Luke 2:11.

IV. Prayer: Loving God, we rejoice that today in the city of David a Savior is born. We rejoice that our hope is fulfilled, and God’s peace has come to earth. We rejoice that we can fully know God’s love in Jesus Christ. Help us to celebrate today and always that a Savior has been born to us. Amen.

V. Gather around a birthday cake for Jesus and sing “Happy Birthday.” Enjoy the cake as a family and have each person share something about Jesus that makes Him the greatest gift of all.

 

Enjoy being intentional in celebrating the true gift of Christmas, Jesus!

Crystal (:

 

Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

Judah and Tamar gave us a great Jerry Springer show in Genesis 38.  Topics included:

·         Marrying people from different cultural/racial background disasters
·         I slept with my brother’s wife
·         Men who solicit prostitutes
·         I had my father-in-laws baby
 

But praise God that He is in control.  We have hope that our failed or feeble attempts cannot stop God’s plan.  In this passage we saw how God used Judah and Tamar in the lineage leading to King David and on to Jesus.  That gives me hope!

My challenge to you this week is to write out your family tree.  Which members of your family are not followers of God the Son?  Which members will you be able to reach during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays?  How can you be Christ to your family?  Then add in names from people in your community or at work that you can have an eternal affect on during this time of year. 

Be intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge -Bridgette

Thank you for allowing me to teach. It’s such a blessing to share with you what God has taught me. I hope you were able to take something to heart about seeing how God's protection through our life is nothing short of His grace, power and love for us.  

Psalm 138. Like David, Our whole heart needs to be thankful and through our gratitude towards HIM we can't help being a child of God's that is joyful, peaceful and radiant. 

A few things to think through this week:

- What do you think it means to praise the Lord with all your heart?  When was the last time you did that?  Is praising with all your heart something that you do and then don’t think about it again for days, weeks or months? Do you only praise Him when things go your way or do you praise Him even when things went "wrong" in your eyes?

- Is God fulfilling His purpose in you?  What evidence do you see for this?  What is God’s purpose for you?

Bridgette

Life Group Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

While studying Psalm 131, we read some very interesting surveys.  We learned that 70% of the US population surveyed believes that American values have declined significantly in the last 40 years.  But the funny, yet eye-opening, stat is that we all think the problem is not us.  We tend to inflate our positive qualities and abilities, especially in comparison to other people.  Out of 1 Million people surveyed, no one rated themselves below average.  Over half of those people thought they were in the top 10%. 

Pride, arrogance, entitlement, and a sense of self sufficiency is not new.  Our churches are full of Christians trying to do things on their own, but so was King David.  We learned that God hates pride (Proverbs 6:16-17), Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18), and God saves the humble but brings down the haughty (Psalm 18:27).

 

So how can our community of unity put away worldly practices and grow in our spiritual journey?  My challenge to you this week is to answer these questions on your own and then discuss with your spouse.

Have I asked God to show me where my pride/self sufficiency is keeping me from giving all to God?

How can I still and quiet my soul as described by King David?

What worldly practices do I need to prune from my life to free me for spiritual growth?

 

On a side note, if we tend to inflate our own value, what do we do with our children?  Are we harder on them? Or do we think they are in the top 10% compared to other people?  How does that affect our parenting and teaching them about reliance on their creator?

 

Be intentional this week.

Travis

November Family Devotional

Historically we think of Thanksgiving as a time of feasting for the Pilgrims and Indians. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims had been in America less than a year. During those months, over half their original population died from disease or starvation. The Pilgrims hosted the first feast not to try out their latest recipes, but to celebrate life with their Indian friends and give thanks to God for His provision in difficult circumstances. Direct your family toward gratitude this month by focusing on thanks-giving  by choosing to do any, or all, of the following activities:

• Write Bible verses that name the attributes of God on fruit-shaped cut-outs. Place them in a basket or cornucopia. During your meals together, have a family member select a fruit from the basket and read the verse aloud. Then discuss ways your family has experienced each of God's qualities.

• Think about reasons for ingratitude. Most of us are incredibly blessed, yet we find reasons to complain. Any time family members complain about something, have them place money in a jar. Your family can decide the amount. Then at the end of the month, donate the money to a ministry of your choice. (Philippians 2:14-16)

• Think of someone you love and appreciate, but rarely see. Make plans to call, send a card, or visit that person. Find out if there is a special need, pray with the person, and provide materially or with an act of service.

• Focus on praising God. Let each family member select a praise song or hymn. Sing a different one at each meal. Thank God for material provision, physical health, spiritual blessings, our country, our church, and family.

Crystal (:

Weekly Challenge

Does that BIG RED "F" stand for FAILURE or FORGIVEN?

In our discussion of Psalm 130 we demonstrated how God is an indescribable forgiver of sins.  And that He chooses to forgive us so that He will receive honor and reverence.

The follwing question came up: "Are guilt and shame bad things or good things?"  The consensus was that guilt and shame could be either.  Crystal made the point that the way to make that determination is to see if the guilt is drawing you closer to God or keeping you distant.  If it is drawing you in it is good, if it is keeping you away it is from Satan.

The Challenge:
1) Prayerfully determine if there is any sin in your life for which you need to seek and/or receive forgiveness either from God or from a person.  Use Psalm 139:23-24 to pray through if necessary.
2) Scrutinize any guilt or shame you feel.  Prayerfully ask if that guilt is drawing you closer to God or keeping you distant.  If it is drawing you in spend time praising God for His forgiveness.  If it is keeping you from God, offer it up to Him and ask Him to help you receive His forgiveness.

In Him,
Aaron

Weekly Challenge - Oct 20

In the last of our "It Starts At Home" series we talked about the important of developing a future vision for our children - [What kind of person do we want our child to become?].   This doesn't mean what kind of athlete, or socialite, or academic scholar we aspire them to be...it goes much deeper, all the way to the heart.  And the way to attain this "long view" goal is through daily Discipline, the kind that marks out the path and sets the boundaries for our child to follow so they have the best chance of becoming that person.  Always with the end in mind.  We learned in Hebrews 12 that Discipline is much more than a "push button" response to wrong behavior.  Discipline is truly a reflection of a parent's love, just as God loves and disciplines His own. 

The challenge this week is to (a) re-read Hebrews 12:5-11  (b) review the the final It Starts At Home activity (Session 6) with your family, and (c) brainstom with your spouse a future vision for each of your children.  Come to class ready to share!

Have a great week and God Bless!
Kevin

Thanks Crystal for our new bulletin board!  It looks great :)

Weekly Challenge

Great stuff Saturday night.  While the video was great and the teaching therein was very good I think I learned more from those that shared than anything else; a special shout out to Keely, Lori and Gretchen for dropping their wisdom on us.

The Challenge:
This week, once again take a look at the Family Night Activity for Session 5 and come to class with stories to tell.  And as we learned from testimonies in class, it is OK if it isn't perfect...in fact, it might even feel like a failure...let's bring all stories to class.

Secondly, take time to read and pray through Malachi 2:4-6 individually, as a couple, and as a family.  Ask God to reveal how you can model reverence and awe of God in your life as well as how you can walk in peace and righteousness and then teach it to your children.

In Him,
Aaron

Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:
We completed week 4 of the It Starts at Home series on Saturday night.  We were challenged to adjust our lense as parents.  Instead of trying to make our children into perfect, obedient soldiers that will not embarrass us; we need to look through the lense of our children are sinners that struggle with seeing the eternally compared to the earthly.   Matt Chandler stated "The Bible is pretty clear that ultimately what's wrong with our children isn't some sort of moral external action, but really a state of their heart..."
Complete the Light Shining handout that we provided in LG.  You can also find it HERE.
Watch the Session 4 family night activity video on the It Starts At Home site.

The challenge for the week is related to the Denial message Todd gave this weekend.  I challenge you to the spiritual fitness of fasting.  It can be a family or individual fast.  You can fast from food for a day, soda for a week, TV for a week, Facebook, etc.  Make it memorable.  When you think about TV, food, facebook, Dr. Pepper, etc., use that as a reminder to pray and to memorize the scripture we have been learning the last couple months. 

Be Intentional.
Travis

Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

We completed Session 3 of the It Starts at Home series.  Our focus was on the relationship with our children. 

Complete the AROMA Therapy worksheet.  Click on this link.  Click on Session 3 and the handout will open as a pdf.

Complete a family time activity this week.  You can find activities HERE

Things to discuss:

Kurt & Olivia said “Children don’t usually reject Christianity because of bad teaching.  They reject it because of weak relationships.”    Is this true?  Why?

Gary Thomas mentioned that sometimes well-intentioned parents make their kids feel like projects.  What did he mean by that?

Gary passed on something he learned from Kevin Leman:  “If the family doesn’t play together when the kids are young, they won’t want to play together when they get older.”  He talked about how we push our kids to excel in soccer, baseball, math, or music – all outside the home – and we can forget to play together at home.

Do you think that is a problem for families in Rockwall?  In our church?  In our LG?  For you?

What can we do about it?

Our relationship with our children is guided by the same biblical principles about relationships with other people.  Read Colossians 3: 12-14

How does this look in your home?

Be Intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge

Life Group family & friends:

We completed session 2 titled “Marriage: Your Children Are Watching!”  Gary Thomas told us that “We need a biblical picture of why we stay involved as parents and why we keep our marriages together…”.  After tracing the fact that the Bible is full of dysfunctional families, Gary grabbed the promise in Malachi 4:6 –that the coming Messiah would “turn the hearts of the fathers toward their children and the hearts of the children toward their fathers.” 

My challenge to you this week:

Question:  What implications does marriage being a biblical picture of grace have for the parents?

Read Ephesians 6:1-4.

The Greek word “exasperate” is a violent word, an emotional twisting.  One translation puts it this way: “Don’t squeeze the hope out of your children”.  We need to operate with love and grace.

Complete the handout found at this link: HANDOUT

Complete one of the family night activities for session 2 located HERE

Be intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

We started a 6 week series this weekend called “It Starts At Home”.  In these six sessions, we will explore biblical and tangible ways that parents can build a legacy of faith for their children.  But we don’t have to do it on our own.  Just as it takes a Christian village, it takes a community of unity (Ephesians 4).  We need to spend time during the week and during class encouraging each other, sharing what works, what did not work, our struggles, and our victories. 

The first part of our challenge this week is for you to spend time on the It Starts At Home website at http://www.itstartsathome.org/ .  Peruse the family night activities and the group handouts.  Each session will give you 4 different family night activities to meet different stages of your children. 

The second part of my challenge is for you to complete the Spiritual Legacy Evaluation that was in the handout.  You can also access a copy at http://emails.bluefishtv.com/Assets/It%20Starts%20at%20Home/Group%20Handouts/Session%201%20Group%20Handout.pdf

Answer the 5 questions by putting the letter G (for Growing Up) next to the appropriate answer.  Go back through a second time and place the letter N (for Now) next to the way you would answer for your family today.

Be Intentional.

Travis

Spiritual Fitness -memorization of scripture

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said "The deceit, the lie of the devil, consists of this: that he wishes to make man believe that he can live without God's word.

In Chip Ingram's book about spiritual warfare, he says "Christians who are not filling their minds with Scripture are like warriors going out to battle without a helmet".  He is referring to using the helmet of salvation against the attacks of Satan.

Psalm 119:11 tells us that the psalmist has hidden God's word in his heart so he will not sin against his savior.

Join our life group community in scripture memorization.  Here are the verses so far.  This week is James 4:7.

Mark 1:35
Psalm 119:103
Romans 3:23
James 4:7

Be Intentional.
Travis

Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

In Psalm 32, David tells his readers that true happiness comes from the freedom of forgiveness.  We have 2 choices, keep silent about your sin and suffer the life-depleting effects of God’s discipline, or, confess your sin and experience the joy and gladness of God’s forgiveness and restoration.

We had a good discussion on why it can be difficult for us to seek forgiveness even though we know we need it.  It can be guilt, fear of consequences, not wanting to stop the sin, control, pride, selfishness, etc.

My challenge to you this week is to ask for forgiveness from God and others.   You can start by walking through the Lord’s Prayer as found in Matthew 6: 9-13.  When you get to the section on asking forgiveness, ask God the Spirit to reveal sins that you need to ask for forgiveness.  List them specifically and ask God if you need to go to another brother or sister and ask for their forgiveness.  Then pray that God will make you a fountain of forgiveness for others.  Build up your community of unity.

 

Be Intentional.

Travis

 

Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

We are all familiar with Psalm 23, but it may be tough for you to relate to the Lord is my shepherd analogy or description.  However, all of us are parents.  I asked Austin and Ashley Adams to bring 3 week old baby Nora to LG to help us remember how completely dependent a small baby is on parents. Nora relies 100% on her parents to meet all of her needs.  At this point in her life, little Nora is not falling to the sin of pride or self sufficiency as we tend to do with our Heavenly Daddy.  How can we return to the 100% reliance on our Heavenly Daddy?

During class, we read part of Dr. Tony Evans book called God Is More Than Enough.  His book is a study on Psalm 23 and he helps us understand the shepherd analogy.  First thing we need to do is realize that we are sheep.  He states “But in order for Him to be your Shepherd, you must first recognize yourself as a sheep. Shepherds don’t tend wolves or dogs; shepherds shepherd sheep. And if you don’t think of yourself as a sheep, you’re not qualified to receive Him as your Shepherd. That’s why many of us aren’t seeing God meet our needs. We haven’t decided yet that we are sheep.”  And like sheep, we are dumb, defenseless, and dirty. 

 

 

My challenge to you this week is to spend time with God and tell him that you are a sheep.  Ask God to show you areas in your life that you are not allowing Him to meet your needs.  What barriers of self-sufficiency are you putting up against your shepherd?  Share what you have learned with your family and in LG next Saturday.

Be intentional.

Travis

"Mealtime Moments" Family Devotionals

Now that everyone is back to school, and we are all adjusting to new schedules I thought these "Mealtime Moments" from Focus on the Family would work great! I encourage you to find one night during each week this month for your family to sit at the table and enjoy a meal together. There are seven categories in the "Mealtime Moments." This month we are going to choose from the "Building Character"category. There are eleven different devotionals for this category. Look through these devotionals in advance and choose the four you would like to do with your family. A few of them require a minimal amount of preparation.  If you find time to do more than one a week, that's awesome. This is how these mealtime devotionals work:

After announcing the title, read the Mealtime Prayer suggestion and have one of your children pray it. Then read the Appetizer. The Appetizer is just that, something to wet your appetite for more.
Follow it with the Main Course. This contains the "meat" of the section. Once you've given your family something to chew on, it's time for Table Talk. These challenging questions will make your kids think about what they've just learned and explain how to apply it to their daily lives. Finally, end with Vitamins and Minerals, a Bible verse that relates to the day's reading and discussion. Be sensitive to how your children respond. Allow enough time for them to answer the questions, but don't force conversation if they don't seem interested.

Follow this link to BE INTENTIONAL with your family during September!
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual_growth_for_kids/family_mealtime_devotionals/building_character.aspx
Crystal (:

Weekly Challenge

Weekly Challenge:

There was much to be inspired by last night.  I hope something that was spoken (either through Jeff's recitation, Amie's testimony, or anything else that was shared) gripped you and moved you.

The challenge for this week:
1) Memorize and pray through Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are Your words to my taste!  Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

2) Since we strayed a bit from our "normal" lesson, find time to read through Psalm 16 with your family.  Find something in it that you want in your life and pray for it.

3) Travis will be bringing it next week!  Read through Psalm 23 in preparation for class.

In Him,
Aaron

Weekly Challenge

GREAT dialogue last night!  Through looking at Psalm 1:1-6 we determined that the taking pleasure in obeying God's commands, delighting in His Word, and meditating on it day and night leads to:
Blessedness
Stability
Fruit
Prosperity
The Lord's Presence, etc.

The Challenge:
1) Please continue praying through Scripture.
2) In order to facilitate mediation on God's Word we are starting a Scripture memorization campaign.  Each week we will memorize a new verse and hope to see several people willing to recite in class.  This week we will memorize Mark 1:35:
"In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there."
Feel free to memorize whatever version you like; and if there is another passage that is on your heart go for it.  The class will be blessed to hear what God has laid in your heart.

Here is a short clip from John Piper giving his testimony on memorizing Scripture:

And for anyone struggling with how to memorize perhaps this can help:

 
In Him,
Aaron

Middle School Prayer

During the middle school LP Huddle, we had the opportunity to pray over the boys and girls that will be participating at The Shore by praying over every chair.  The leaders prayed over each chair in the Pier 419 auditorium and then taped a verse to the chair.  The scripture was John 14: 13-14 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Weekly Challenge

                                                                                          
Weekly Challenge:

Simply awesome discussion last night!  We dug into James 5:19-20 and Galatians 6:1-2 in order to determine what responsibility we, as believers, have in reaching out to and restoring our brothers and sisters who have wandered from the truth (what we used to call "backsliders").  We came up with lots of great attributes and put them on the board: be prepared to be rejected, be authentic, consider yourself first, restore gently, be humble, leave the results up to the Spirit, bear their burdens with them without putting yourself in the mire, etc.

Also, as Michael C. so astutely observed, we must own these ideas in such a way so that when it is OURSELVES who become "backsliders" we are prepared to accept another brother or sister who comes after us to confront, restore, and bear our burdens with us.

THE CHALLENGE:
I am going to stray a bit from our actual lesson and ask that you continue last week's challenge of praying through Scripture.  As we move forward as a community of unity I believe our first step is to pray together in one accord.  Please pray through Scriptures for our class this week.  Here are a few categories you can pray through but do not feel limited to these:

For teachers:
James 3:1

For leaders (coordinators):
Romans 12:6-8

For leaders who feel burned out:
Isaiah 40:30-31

For those not currently in positions and for the King/Swanson LG in general:
Ephesians 4:11-16

In Him,
Aaron

Weekly Challenge

Weekly Challenge: James 5:16-18

We took a look at Elijah's life last night and realized he experienced God move in unbelievable ways during his lifetime.  But in spite of all that God did Elijah still experienced depression, burnout, and despair.  Despite all of his greatness Elijah was just another human like us.  And furthermore, his righteousness had nothing to do with his accomplishments, but with a God who reckoned his faith to him as righteousness...just like us.

Elijah prayed in faith that it would not rain and it didn't for around three years, then he prayed that it would rain again and it did.  Sounds pretty amazing, and it is, but all he was doing was praying God's word...praying what God already said He would do.  See Deuteronomy 11:13-17.

The challenge for this week:  As you study, read, listen to sermons, talk with friends, etc. find a verse, promise or commandment to add to your prayers.  Pray God's Word back to Him and own it.  Come to class next week prepared to share what part of God's Word you have been praying through.

In Him,
Aaron

P.S. A great resource for learning to pray through Scripture is the book Faith Set Free by Will Davis Jr.

"Who Am I?" Family Devotional

As summer comes to an end, and a new school year approaches you may, like us, feel the burden of establishing your child(ren) in their worth as a child of God, instead of by the standards of this world.  I think sometimes we take for granted that we've told our child this truth before and they've heard it while at church, so we assume that they will rest in it when circumstances arise. However, being a kid is hard, especially the older they become. So many things are thrown at them. Judgement from others, choices to make on their own and figuring out who they are as an individual, just to name a few. We want the truth of being God's perfect creation and His purpose for our lives to be ingrained in our children's mind. So that no matter what the situation, they know the truth about who they are and what they were created for. We can leave this truth unspoken a lot of times, which can set our child(ren) up for low self-worth and poor choices. Teaching our kids who they are and why they are here equips them for tough circumstances they will face while growing up in a world full of ungodly standards.

Follow the link http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Faith/2010/may/who-am-i.aspx, to find age-appropriate activities and discussion questions that help your child(ren) understand what it means to be a priceless creation of God. Make sure to scroll down to the "Dinner Talk"portion as well. No matter their age or stage, your children can know the One who is love and who created them to love.
Key Points

• Our identity and purpose come from God.
• We are a masterpiece of God’s creativity.
• God made us to love Him and reflect who He is.

I believe we all desire for our child's identity to be found in Christ and God's unconditional love for them. That not only takes continual prayer, but intentionality on our part to share this truth repeatedly with our sons and daughters. I encourage you to let this devotional be a starting point if you are not already ingraining this truth in the life of your child.
Crystal (:

Life Group Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

I have 2 challenges for you this week.  The first challenge is to find a way to incorporate the phrase “The good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise” into several conversations this week!  James 4:15 gives you permission.  Don’t let people confuse you and try to tell you it is from Spike Lee’s Katrina documentary. 

Our study of James 4:13-17 shows us that we are prideful and arrogant when we plan our days without seeking God’s will.  In fact, James says it proves to be evil and sinful.  We need to humbly include God’s will in our plans to be good and wise. 

My second challenge is for you to track your time this week.  Where do you spend most of your time?  Track your sleep, eating, working, Sabbath, exercise, reading God’s word, studying or working on your marriage, TV/Movies, computer/mobile, etc. 

What are you doing that is not in God’s will?  What are you planning that is not seeking or considering God’s will?

The big question I had to ask myself this week was “If I spent the same amount of time getting better at my job as I do growing as a Christian, would I get fired?”.  And “If I spent the same amount of time getting better at my job as I do reading marriage books and having intentional talks with my wife, would I get fired?”.

Be Intentional.

Travis

LG Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

Our study last week was James 4:1-4.  We discussed:
How small disagreements can escalate into major conflicts.
In any relationship, admit your responsibility and only work on that slice of the pie.
Next time you are hurt, stop to consider the source and seek awareness of what that person may be going through.
Satan is not original.  Sin in the early church is the same sin in our culture.
Our selfish desires put us in direct opposition to God.
Our jealousy and passions hinder our prayer life.

My challenge to you this week is to complete the "Maintaining Righteous Relationships" handout that we went over in class.  Spend time meditating on each relationship and listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Be Intentional,
Travis

Weekly Challenge

This week we learned what James had to say about how to speak more "slowly" by controlling our tongue.  What a powerful but tiny part of our body, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!  Well, that may be a stretch, but our tongue can easily throw us into the depths of despair by speaking too quickly.  We learned how the tongue can be used to direct us on the right path - much like the bit in a horse or the rudder on a ship.  But it can also be the "spark" that starts a wild brushfire and destroys everything in its path!

So our challenge this week is to find a phrase/quote/mantra that your family will adopt and use often, to provide yourself and your kids with the direction that God would have us go.  Some ideas to help you get started:

- Guard your heart.
- Be a blessing.
- Be a leader.
- Know who (or whose) you are.

Look forward to hearing your "family phrase" this Saturday!

Kevin