Weekly Challenge

LG Family & Friends:
We continued with Paul's theme of the sufficiency of God the Son.  In Colossians 2:20-23, he is continuing to tell the church that anything we add to Christianity re-enslaves us.  We have already died with Christ and He is all we need.  Additions such as asceticism will feed the prideful sin nature.  It may sound good or even wise, but it provides no value in the battle against sin.

My challenge to you this week is to write one sentence that summarizes the basic principle of godliness.  Use the Basic Principles that we looked up during class and create a one sentence summary.

We will share our one sentence summaries as a group during our next Life Group mtg.

Be Intentional.
Travis


If you did not receive the handout, this is the material we used in class:

Basic Principles of Godliness
 

Scripture	Basic Principle of Godliness
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Micah 6:8
Luke 5:27
Luke 9:23-25
John 15:5
Romans 6:23
1 Timothy 6:17-18
1 John 2:3-6

 

Life Group Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

In our study Saturday night, we discussed the liberty we find in Christ and how to become free from legalistic rules and traditions of men. As mentioned in the commentary, " Old Testament rituals and regulations regarding food, feasts, and holy days were merely means of pointing to the coming of Christ. Since Christ had come and fulfilled His mission on the cross, any demand to keep such regulations was not only legalistic, but also contradictory to Christ’s work on the cross. The problem was not in voluntarily maintaining these rituals, for example, as a means of remembering one’s heritage, but in keeping them under obligation or as a sign of exceptional spiritual maturity.”

My challenge to you this week is to watch the 1998 version of Les Miserable with Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, and Uma Thurman.  It is PG 13.

Be intentional and enjoy your week.  Lead with hope.

Travis

Weekly Challenge -Forgiveness

Life Group Family & Friends:

With Spring Break and mission trips, we had lower attendance, but I enjoyed the circle and the intimate feel of the group last night.  We finished week 10 of our Colossians study with chapter 2, verses 13-15.  I really enjoyed preparing and studying the lesson on forgiveness since we are also studying forgiveness in our Re Engage group. 

My challenge for you this week is to watch this VIDEO on Bluefish about forgiveness.   We learned that forgiveness does more for us than it does for the other person.  We also discussed how being forgiven and offering forgiveness is freeing.  Ask God to identify people this week that you need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.  Then act on it in His power. 

Be intentional.

Travis

Life Group Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

Thank you for the great discussion in our study last night. God desires us to talk about Him and what He is doing in our lives.  This is our small church community.  Here is a summary of the 4 verses.

·         Believers have been given the fullness of Christ, who is the fullness of God.  (Col 2:9-10)
·         Believers are “circumcised” when they put off their sinful nature.  (Colossians 2:11)
·         Baptism symbolizes the change in the life of believers.  (Colossians 2:12)

Just as Arius struggled with the “Is Jesus really God?” question in the 4^th century, that question is still being argued 2000 years after God the Son was on the earth He created.   

The “Illusory Superiority” effect states that we tend to inflate our positive qualities and abilities, especially in comparison to other people.  As we read in class, 98% of college professors surveyed claimed they were above average.  25% ranked themselves in the top 1%.

When you mix the question about Jesus and the illusory superiority effect together, it makes this next tendency absolutely dangerous. 

The Scot McKnight test that we read shows that everyone thinks Jesus is just like them.  McKnight says, “The test results also suggest that, even though we like to think we are becoming more like Jesus, the reverse is probably more the case: we try to make Jesus like ourselves.”

So what is in your life that keeps Jesus was providing fullness to you?  What other gods are taking up space in your mind, heart, or life?

My challenge to you this week is take one day this week and spend time in fasting and prayer.   You might fast from food, tv, or social media.  Whatever your choice you should be denying yourself something that you truly enjoy.   Ask God to help you to know how you should conform your life to the biblical understanding of who Jesus is.

Be intentional.

Travis

Holy Week Family Devotional

Hello everyone,
Holy Week begins Sunday, March 24th this year. I wanted to give you time to read over and prepare for the family devotional that you think will fit your family best. You can choose from the devotional below or visit last year's Holy Week Devotional at http://www.king-swanson-lg.blogspot.com/2012/03/holy-week-family-devotioal.html. Or perhaps these will give you ideas to create something on your own. I hope you all share this special time of year with your family and truly celebrate the amazing sacrifice Jesus made for each of you.
Crystal (:

Psalm Sunday -- Introduce the holiday/celebration theme.
We look forward to certain things happening during holidays and special times. What do you look forward to at:
Christmas – receiving gifts
Easter– finding eggs
Birthday– having parties and opening presents
Weddings– party and gifts
Do you know what’s special about today? It’s Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. Passover is a special time for the Jewish people, it is a day when they remember and celebrate the time when God saved them from being slaves in Egypt. Some of you have probably heard the story of Moses leading the people across the Red Sea. Well, at that time God saved the people from the Egyptians and gave them their own land to live in. He also promised them that one day he would send someone very special, to be their King. This person would be the Messiah, the one who would rule over the people, caring for them like a shepherd cares for his sheep. So for hundreds and hundreds of years the Jewish people celebrated and looked forward to the promise of the Messiah when they celebrated the Feast of the Passover. They believed that God would one day send them a very special king to be their ruler, a king who would never be cruel or bad to his people. The Jews liked going to Jerusalem, their capital city, to celebrate the Passover. This is what happened one year when Jesus was going up to Jerusalem for the Passover:
   Read John 12:12-15 (You may want to read this from a children's Bible.) The palm branches were used to show Jesus that the people were pleased to see him, in fact they probably thought that he was the King they were expecting, because of all the wonderful things He had been doing. On a large palm cut out brainstorm together and write the miracles Jesus did? Explain this is why they were all very excited about Jesus.
   Today people use banners, balloons or streamers in celebrations. Confetti or bird seed is used at weddings, and that’s about promises too, two people promising to love each other for the rest of their lives. The palm branches were used like we use these things today, they were a symbol of triumph and victory and were used in times of great rejoicing. And the people were rejoicing, because they were shouting to Jesus, "Hosanna, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord." They also placed palm branches on the ground before him. They were using them to celebrate the coming of the King that God had promised them hundreds of years before.
    For dessert make Palm Leaf Cookies - Shape sugar cookie dough into palm leaves. Bake per directions and decorate cookies with green icing and sprinkles.
   Pray the following prayer before eating palm leaf cookies: “Dear Heavenly Father we thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross so we do not have to be separated from you. Today we rejoice and celebrate Him as those did in the bible story we read. Fill our hearts this week as we continue to celebrate the gift of salvation that you have given us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”

Monday --  Read aloud Mark 11:15-18. Tell your children that this area of the temple was the place non-Jews could come to pray, but it had become a dirty, noisy, unworshipful place. Together, decorate a worshipful space in your home for Easter Week. Include a Bible, candles, and an area to display the items you'll use this week. Place the palm leaf with Jesus’ miracles there as well. Review these items at the beginning of each devotion. Light the candles or turn on the lights only during devotions to keep it special and meaningful. Close in prayer, “Dear Lord we have made this place to come and worship and learn more about you this holy week. Please allow this time with you this week to draw us closer to you. You are worthy of our praise Lord. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.”
 
Tuesday --  Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud Mark 14:3-9. This woman gave Jesus a gift that was very precious. We can give gifts that come from our heart, too. As each child shares something he or she can do to honor Jesus, spray perfume into the air or on the child. Decorate a beautiful piece of paper and form a cylinder around the perfume bottle for display at your family worship space. Talk about how God gave us the best gift ever when He sent Jesus to earth to live a perfect life and ultimately die on the cross for our sins. Read Romans 6:23 and talk through the verse with your child(ren). Use illustration of chasm that separates us from God and list things that we try to do earn God’s forgiveness. Pray “God we thank you for the most precious and valuable gift of all, Jesus. We know that in Him comes our salvation which is a free gift and that we can not do anything to earn it. Thank you for the gift of Jesus. Amen.”
 
Wednesday --  Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud Matthew 26:14-16. You'll need 30 dimes. Tell kids that Judas betrayed Jesus for about 120 days wages. Let the kids count the dimes and place them at your family worship space. Ask, "Was Jesus' life on earth worth more than 30 pieces of silver? Why or why not? What is the true value of Jesus' life to our family?"

Thursday -- Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud John 13:1-5. Jesus washed feet to show his love. In the bathtub, use a bar of soap to take turns washing each other's feet and drying them. While doing so express love to each other. Display the soap at your family worship space. Pray “Lord help us to love others the way you showed love for the disciples in our story. Thank you loving us so much that you died for us. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.”

Good Friday -- Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Have the children nail two boards together in the shape of a cross. Then read Romans 3:23 together. Now have each person in the family write their name on a piece of paper along with the word “Sins.” Invite each person to list the sinful things he or she has done (i.e. losing temper, saying bad words, gossiping). Then, one at a time, allow each person to nail his or her list to the cross as a symbol of Jesus taking our sins with Him and paying the penalty for our wrongdoing. Conclude by reading Romans 5:8 and Romans 6:23 together. Take the cross and place it in the chasm to make a bridge for us to get to God. Pray together “Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to pay for our sins. Amen.”

Saturday -- Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud Mark 15:42-47. Draw straws to see which family member will be wrapped in toilet paper to represent just how Jesus may have looked when prepared for burial. Talk about how the disciples might have felt when all their hopes seemed destroyed when Jesus died. Ask, "How would you have felt if you had been there when Jesus died? What would you have done?" Talk about how the burial isn't the end of the story, but that it was a very sad day for Jesus' friends. Pray “Jesus, we thank you for taking our punishment and dying such a horrible death. We know because of your great sacrifice how much you love us. Thank you for loving so much! In Your Holy and Risen name we pray, Amen.”

Easter Sunday --   Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud Luke 24:1-9. You'll need cupcake(s) and a trick re-lighting candle. Light it and talk about how Jesus came to be the light of the world. On Saturday, it looked like the light had been blown out. Blow out the candle and wait in silence while the flame is gone. When the flame comes back, celebrate! Point out that nothing can ever snuff out Jesus, the light of the world. Read John 8:12 explain that Jesus is our light, He shows us the way in this world of darkness, when we choose to follow Him and make Him the boss of our life. Close in a prayer of thanksgiving for our free gift of salvation.

Resources: http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/holy-week
                  http://www.lakepointe.org/Build/EasterAtHome.aspx