Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

We covered Luke 19:11-48 on Saturday and focused on the parable of the nobleman that leaves and gives his servants talents to use while he is gone.  Based on how you use the gifts God has given you, which servant are you most like?  Number 1, number 2 or number 3?

If you closely represent the third servant, try to identify the reason you are hiding your talent:  Afraid, not sure how to use your talent, think you will embarrass yourself, etc.

My challenge to you this week is to reflect on the cards that we read from the junior high kids.   Pray for the lost kids and the kids that are being bombarded every 5 minutes with lies, lies, and more lies.  Think about the frequently believed lies (FBLs) that come at you every day and then imagine yourself being in 6^th, 7^th, or 8^th grade while being hit by these flaming arrows without having a Christian maturity level as you have now. 

Be intentional with your family and provide a safe house that limits the ability of the lies to enter your home.  Maybe you can only watch recorded shows and skip over all commercials.  Or limit internet access on phones.  Maybe you need to remove the computer or tv from your kids rooms. Pray and be proactive.

Be Intentional.

Travis

King/Swanson Life Group -Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

That was good discussion on a difficult set of passages.  Thank you for sharing and building up our community of believers.  Luke was telling the Gentiles that some of the least likely candidates see the significance of Jesus clearly.  And some of the people closest to Jesus miss strategic opportunities because they are being inconvenienced.

My challenge to you is to do the numbers exercise, which we did in class, with your children this week.  Have them do it the first time, and then give them real examples of how you have gone to the bible for wisdom and direction.  Be specific.  Then do the exercise again by folding the paper.  Ask your children why they were able to circle more numbers.  Explain again that when you know where to look for answers, you can do more.

Be intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge in our Luke study

LG Family & Friends:

We truly had an unbelievable class on Saturday.   In our passage we studied, Luke was telling Theophilus to give himself up for Jesus.  Be totally, unashamedly, sold out for Jesus in this life for the glories of the coming Kingdom.  We don’t know when Jesus will return for judgment, but find joy and purpose in God the Spirit that lives in you right now.

For the challenge this week, ask your family what the Bible means to be ready for Christ’s return.  Ask how Christians should stay ready.  Identify what is standing in your way of giving your all to Him right now. 

Be intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge: Thankfulness

I wish we would have had another hour or more in class last night! We had some great dialogue going about many things and that is what LG time is supposed to be: Interactive Bible Study.

A quick recap of what we talked about:
FAITH - Ensuring that HE is the Object of our faith, no matter how big or small, leads to

• Being Cognizant/Living Consciously - (I looked it up and this is the proper spelling for what we were trying to say) ; )
  
• Being a Fountain of Forgiveness
• Living in Obedience Without Expectations
• Living a Life of Thankfulness

THE CHALLENGE:

1) Read Luke 17:11-19. Meditate on the many blessings, answered prayers, and intimate ways God is acquainted with you and spend time in thanks with Him. Share those things with your spouse and children and spend time in thanks as a family. Discuss ways your family can keep thankfulness more at the forefront of your lives.

2) Read Luke 17:20-37 one to five times this week in preparation for class discussion this coming Saturday.

In Him,

Aaron

Thank you for supporting DNOW!

	Hi Keely, Thank you so much for providing food for a group of students this past weekend for Disciple Now!  From our campus alone our volunteers provided meals for over 700 students times 2 meals!  We could not make this weekend successfull without the help of our willing church members like you, so THANK YOU!  You are appreciated more than you can imagine! Every kid, Janey Shepherd Student Ministries 469-698-2402
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Weekly Challenge: The Father who seeks...

It was great to get together as a small church and share ideas, thoughts, and feelings about our loving Father who seeks and forgives in such an indescribable way. I also enjoyed our makeshift communion prior to breaking bread together as families.

The Weekly Challenge:
Take something very special to your child, hide it, and have them seek it out. Make it difficult but doable. Then over dinner talk about how our Father seeks us and share how He has pursued you in your life. Perhaps you can even discuss one or more of the 3 parables we discussed in class (Luke 15:1-32). For extra credit do your own communion as a family (you can do it the traditional way or with pretzel sticks and grapes, whatever works for your tribe).

⁴ Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

⁶ All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.(Isaiah 53:4-6)

February Family Devotional

The family devotional this month "God's Love" ties in to Valentine's. Their are suggestions for Preschoolers through Teens, and don't miss the "Family Mealtime Moment" at the bottom of the link:
http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Faith/2010/feb/gods-love.aspx