The Grinch part 2

Hey guys! We continued our Grinch series talking about "The Arrival" of Jesus.

Joseph and Mary got married, but they didn’t live as husband and wife until after the baby was born.

Shortly before the baby came, the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, said everyone must return to their hometown for a census. That is how they counted the people that lived in the region.

Joseph and Mary both came from the family of King David, so they had to travel to the town of Bethlehem, even though she was pregnant.

Bethlehem was super-crowded with people, and all the inns were full. The only place they could find was a shed with some animals.

That night Jesus was born. Mary took him and wrapped him in warm clothes and put him to bed in a manger, which is where the animals usually ate from.

There were also some shepherds in a nearby field. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, “Glory to God! Peace on earth! A Savior has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David. You will know this is true when you find him, warmly wrapped and lying in a manger!”

After the angels left, the shepherds went to go find Jesus. They went into town and searched until they found Jesus with Mary and Joseph.

After the shepherds had gone and visited Jesus in the manger, they went out and told everyone about the good news!

God sent Jesus to the earth and that is the true meaning of Christmas!

Bible Reference: Luke 2:1-20

Memory Verse: “…they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him…” Matthew 1:11

Q's for the family:
1. Why did God have to send Jesus to the earth?
2. How does it make you feel that Jesus actually came down to the earth as a baby, so that he could experience life just like us? Why does it make you feel that way? What does it make you think about?

The Grinch part 1

We kicked off our new series where we will spend 3 weeks looking at the true meaning of Christmas.

This week we talked about "The Promise" that was made to Mary:

God sent Gabriel, one of his angels, to a town called Nazareth, in Galilee, to give a message to a woman named Mary. Mary was not married, but she was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph.

When Gabriel went to Mary he said to her, “I’ve come to congratulate you, Mary. You have been chosen for a great honor…” Mary had no idea what the angel was talking about!

He told her, “Don’t be afraid. This is a great blessing. You will soon become pregnant, and when your baby boy is born, you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will have the throne of his ancestor David. His kingdom will never end.”

Mary was confused because there was absolutely no possible way that she could be pregnant

Gabriel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that her child would be a holy child—the Son of God. Nothing that God promises is impossible!

Mary told the angel, “I’m God’s servant, and I’m glad to do whatever he wants me to do. I’m ready for this to happen!”

Then the angel left her.

Just as Mary was promised this amazing gift, that she would give birth to the Savior of the world, we get to benefit from that gift. Jesus didn’t just come to this earth to save certain people… he came to give everyone an opportunity to go to heaven. Jesus is the gift that Christmas is all about!

Memory Verse: "...they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him..." Matthew 1:11

Q's for the Family:
1. What is the coolest present you've ever received for Christmas?
2. What are some things that take our focus off of what Christmas is all about?
3. How do we benefit from the gift that God promised Mary?

STUFFed part 4

Well, I hope you guys all had an awesome Thanksgiving! This week we finished up our STUFFed series talking about selfishness and jealousy!

In Matthew 20:1-15 Jesus tells a story about the kingdom of heaven. He said that the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire some people to work in his field. He found some men, told them that he would pay them about $20 for the day and sent them to go work in his field.

Three hours later the landowner went back to the marketplace and saw more men that were looking for work. He told them to go work in his field, too, and he would pay them whatever was right. So they went.

He did this every three hours, finding more men to go work his field. About the eleventh hour of the day, he went out one last time and found more people looking for work, so he sent them to work in his field as well!

When evening came the landowner told the man who ran his field to call all of the workers together and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired, going on down to the first ones hired.

When they all came together, the man who ran the fields paid all of the men the same amount of money. This really upset the men who had been there the whole day because they had worked longer and harder, so they expected to receive more than the men who had only worked an hour!

When they received their pay they began to complain to the landowner.

The landowner said, “Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the pay that you received? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same amount that I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you jealous because I am generous?”

Wow! Isn’t it amazing how the man’s jealousy of others took his focus off of what he had right in his own hands? He received the money that he agreed to work for but he was so mad, because of jealousy, that he wanted more than the others.

Jealousy will completely destroy a thankful attitude!

Memory Verse: "Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tune in next week for our brand new series The Grinch!

STUFFed part 3

We hit up part 3 of our STUFFed series yesterday dealing with the issue of selfishness. This series has been about thankfulness and selfishness can be the enemy of a thankful attitude!

After Joshua had led the camp of Israelites into the Promised Land, the first city that they came to was a place called Jericho. Jericho was a large fortified city, which meant it had huge walls built around it to keep invaders out!


Well Joshua had specific instructions on how to take over the city, and as he followed through with those instructions, the walls came tumbling down and the Israelites quickly seized the city.

That wasn’t all! God wanted the Israelites to stay focused on the one who was providing the land… Him! So he gave them one more thing to do! He had Joshua tell the Israelites, “The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord.” No big deal, right?

The conquest of Jericho went as planned, but someone didn’t follow through with all the instructions that God had given!

The next city that the Israelites had planned to take over was a small city called Ai (pronounced just as it is spelled… A-i.) Joshua had a few men go spy out the city and they came back with a positive report. They told Joshua that he would not have to send many men, because the city was so small.

Hearing this, Joshua sent about 3,000 men up to capture the city of Ai. When they got there they were routed by the men of Ai and they had to retreat, but the men of Ai defeated the men of Israel.

This upset Joshua, so he tore his clothes and he cried out to God, “… why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan River to deliver us into the hands of the enemy so they could destroy us?” After Joshua prayed some more God let him in on a little secret!

God told Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I have commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies…”

After this God told Joshua to get the whole camp of Israelites ready for a meeting the next day, where God would show him who committed the sin. The whole camp came together and family by family God showed Joshua who had committed the sin…but it was only one man, named Achan!

The selfishness of one man had a negative effect on so many others besides himself. Achan probably didn’t realize it at the time, but he took his eyes off of what God had commanded the Israelites to do. When he let his selfishness get the best of him, it cost others their lives!

Selfishness… the opposite of thankfulness can lead you down the wrong path quicker than you think!

Memeory Verse: "Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Q's for the Family:
1. Have you ever displayed the same kind of attitude that Achan did? Maybe you didn’t steal anything, or people weren’t killed, but when was a time that you were selfish in your decisions? What were the negative consequences?

2. I don’t know about you guys but I want God to bless my life! What are some practical steps that we can take towards having a more thankful attitude? Practice having a thankful attitude, pray and ask God to help you to have a more thankful atiitude, pray and thank God for the things that he has already blessed you with!

That's all I've got for you this week, but tune in next week for part 4! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

STUFFed part 2

We knocked out part 2 of our series this week, talking about the ten lepers found in Luke 17:11-19:

One day, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when he was met by ten people who had a skin disease called leprosy. They couldn’t come close to him because there was a law against it. Everyone thought that leprosy was contagious.

The lepers called out to Jesus and asked him to take pity on them. Jesus always felt sorry for sick and hurting people, so he told them to go show themselves to the priest. That is what the law said lepers had to do when they thought their disease was cured. The priest had to agree that they were better before they could go home and live normally!

As the ten men obeyed Jesus and walked toward the Temple to see the priest, their skin became clear and healthy.

One of the ten turned around and ran back to where Jesus was standing. He was so sure he was well that he came right up to Jesus and fell at his feet. He began to praise God because he was totally healed.

Jesus said, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Isn’t it strange that only one man came back to say thank you!” Then he told the man, “Because you have faith, you have been healed.”

As illustrated in this passage, thankfulness is important to Jesus! Having a thankful attitude is a part of being more like Jesus, and that is our ultimate goal as Christ followers.

Memory Verse: "Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Contemporary English Version)

Q's for the Family:
1. Can you think of a time that you didn't have a thankful attitude? What happened?

2. How can you have a thankful attitude next time?

3. What will God do if we have thankful attitudes?

[Challenge]
Sometimes we take our health for granted. Go home this week and spend some time in prayer thanking God for making you a healthy person!

STUFFed part 1

With Thanksgiving coming up here pretty soon, what a better series to do than a series on being thankful. The elementary students are doing a series called STUFFed that we kicked off this last weekend.

We talked about a group of people that the Bible calls The fellowship of the Believers. This group of people is found in Acts 2:42-47.

Not long after Jesus had risen from the dead and gone up to heaven, the people who believed in Jesus became really close friends.

They all ate together and prayed together. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They would even sell their own possessions and goods, so that they could give to anyone who was in need!

Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They also broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying all the people.

Because of this, the Bible says, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47.)”

What was the key this group of people? They were thankful for the things that they had, but they were also thankful for the friendships that they had! When they would sell their stuff to help others, they did it with glad and sincere hearts!

They were very aware of the things that God had blessed them with, but they were willing to use those things to bless others!

Memory Verse: "Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Contemporary English Version)

Q's for the Family:
1. What is something that you are thankful for?

2. Why is it important that we have a thankful attitude?

3. How can we be thankful for the things we have?

[Challenge]

This week, go home and write a note to someone you are thankful for, or someone who gave you something that you are thankful for.

iWorship part 4

We wrapped up our iWorship series yesterday, talking about yielding our lives to God!

Over the past 4 weeks we've been uncovering different aspects to worship.

Worship involves prayer, reading God's Word, the way we act toward God and toward others, and all of that is encompassed as we yield our lives to God's control!

We talked about a man named Zacchaeus found in Luke 19:1-10.

Zacchaeus was a Jewish tax collector for the Roman Government. Zacchaeus lived a sinful lifestyle because he would cheat the people out of their money. He would secretly raise the taxes and then keep a lot of the money for himself.

Well, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so he climbed up into a tree so that he could see over the crowd as Jesus passed by. When Jesus was getting close he looked at Zacchaeus and told him to come down out of the tree be cause he was going to eat dinner at Zacchaeus' house that night.

Zacchaeus was a very rich man and had a lot of possessions... so he gladly had Jesus in his home. But when Zacchaeus came in contact with Jesus his life was completely changed.

He told Jesus, "I want to give half of my wealth to the poor and I will give back 4 times as much as I stole from the people."

Jesus saw that Zacchaeus' heart had changed. Zacchaeus wanted to accept Jesus into his life and change the bad things he was doing... and he did! Zacchaeus yielded his life to Jesus!

Bible Story: Luke 19:1-10

Memory Verse: "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.'" Matthew 22:37-38

Q's for the family:
1. Zacchaeus's life was completely changed when he yielded himself to Jesus! What is something that keeps you from completely yielding your life to Jesus? Video games, friends, the ineternet, money, having the coolest clothes or toys, porpularity, etc.

2. How can those things get in the way of knowing God?

3. What steps can you take to make sure that you are spending time worshipping Jesus?

[Challenge]
This week I want you to take a break from something that takes up a lot of your time. Whether it is video games, the internet, or just watching TV; take a break from it and focus that time on God. Have a parent sign a sheet of paper explaining what you gave up and you can get a prize!

iWorship part 3

Well, this past week we finished part 3 of our iWorship series. We talked about why its important to worship God through our actions.

Jesus said that the world will know that we are his followers by our love... and love is an action! How else can we show the world that we love Jesus if our actions don't match up with our words?

This week we talked about Paul and Silas, and how they were put in prison in the city of Philippi. The Bible says that around midnight, Paul and Silas started praying and singing to God!

When they did this a violent earthquake came that shook the foundations of the jail causing all of the cell doors to fly open and the prisoner's chains to fall off.

When the jailer saw this, he was really upset because he thought that all the prisoners had escaped, but Paul yelled for him and assured the jailer that they were all still there. The jailer was shocked that they were still there and because of their actions, he knew that there was something different about Paul and Silas.

He asked them, "what must I do to be saved?" They told him about Jesus and he believed.

The jailer and his whole family came to know Jesus that night because of Paul and Silas' actions. His life was forever changed!

Actions speak louder than words, and if our actions aren't telling others that we love Jesus, then we are not worshipping God through our actions!

Bible Story: Acts 16:16-34

Memory Verse: "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.'" Matthew 22:37-38

Q's for the Family:
1. Have you ever been in a situation where you had a poor attitude? What happened as a result? Were there negative consequences? Was the way you acted showing worship to God?

2. Choosing to worship God is an everyday choice and some days it is easier than other! Why is it important that we worship God in the midst of the tough things we go through?

3. What is one thing that you are GOING to do this week, to worship God through your actions?

[Challenge]
Lower Elementary: Go home this week and draw a picture of what today’s story made you think about. If you bring it back to church next week you can get a prize!

Upper Eelementary: I want you to go home this week and think about a specific situation that makes you mad. I want you to pray about it and ask God how he can use you in that situation. Talk to your parents about it and if you bring back a slip of paper, with a parent signature, saying that you talked to them about the situation, you can get a prize!

iWorship part 2

Yesterday, we continued with part 2 of our iWorship series. We talked about how we worship God when we desire to know more about Him.

It is important, as followers of Jesus, that we build a strong foundation for our lives; and we can do that through learning more about our God.

We talked about the story of the two builders that Jesus shared in Matthew 7:24-27.

Jesus said, "...everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall..." The way that we "hear" his words is by reading what he said in the Bible.

He also told a story of a foolish builder. The foolish builder built his house on the sand and when the rain came and the wind blew against the house it fell down because it was not built on solid ground.

The way that we build that solid foundation is by hearing, and reading what God says.

Bible Story: Matthew 7:24-27

Memory Verse: "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.'" Matthew 22:37-38

iWorship part 1

This past week we started a brand new 4 week series called iWorship. During iWorship, we will be uncovering four different aspects of worship: Praying, Reading, Acting, and Yielding.

Last Sunday we discovered prayer and really what it's all about. We talked about the story of the apostles Peter and John. They had been arrested for healing a crippled man outside the temple gates.

After Peter and John had been released from prison the next day, the Bible says that they went home and reported what had happened. Acts 4:24-31 says, "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God... After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly."

There is definitely power in prayer. Even though we go through tough situations, sometimes, God can still do powerful things when we choose to worship him through prayer!

Bible Story: Acts 4:23-31

Memory Verse: "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

Q's for the Family:
1. How do you worship Jesus through prayer? Do you go by yourself? Do you pray with your parents? Do you pray throughout the day? Do you pray at all?

2. What is something that God can help you do when you pray to him?

[Challenge]
Take some time this week to pray by yourself, or with a parent, for five minutes.

Prayer tips:
Thank God for what he has done for you
Ask him for forgiveness for the things that we do that don’t make him happy
Ask him how he can use you to help other people come to know him

Knockout!

Well, we just finished up our Knockout! series... a two week study on David and Goliath!

Week 1 we talked about how, even though David wasn't liked by his own family, God told the prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem and anoint him as the next King of Jerusalem (1 Samuel 16:1-13.)

The world had one view of David, a small, weak, shepherd boy. But God had great plans for David no matter what the world thought of him.

Week two we talked about the actual battle between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1-50.)David went to the front lines of the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines. He went only to deliver some food to his brothers.

Well, when he heard Goliath saying bad things about God's army it upset him.

David winds up being the one man who goes to battle this giant, and defeats him with a single stone. Wow... that's unbelievable!!!

It's really cool how God can use us even when we think that we're too small, or too young, or not cool enough. He can use us to do great things in spite of those things. And our Scripture Verse tells us why!

Scripture Verse:
"The Lord does not look at the things that man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b

Questions for the Family:
1. It didn’t matter that David was just a boy, and it didn’t matter what he looked like on the outside. God still used him to do some awesome things. What are some things we can do so that we have the same attitude that David did?

2. What are some cool things you think God could use you to do?

That's all we've got for you this week, but stay tuned for any new updates or subscribe to this blog so that you will know when new things are posted!

Back 2 School Bash Week 2

Week two has come and gone as quick as a flash! This week in the 5th and 6th grade room we had a girl dressed in 15 green t-shirts, a green hat and green swimming goggles to rack up a whopping 170 points for her team!!  The day was a blast and we are now in crunch mode for next week! Next week is our last week to earn points for our teams.  The following Sunday we announce the grand prize winner.  Remember, you can still win the Grand Prize all you have to do is bring as many friends in as possible and sport your team color!  

This week we talked about humility and putting others first.  At the tower of Babel the people had forgotten about what God wanted them to do and the people decided to do what they wanted to do.  We learned that God wants us to put others first.  

Week 2 Scripture Verse:  "Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor."  Proverbs 18:12

Power Burst: God wants me to put others before myself.

Bible Story: The Tower of Babel  Genesis 11:1-9

*Don't forget to put others first by bringing in your donations for Uganda next week.  All your stuff will go to an orphanage in Uganda where children need shoes, blankets, puzzles, non-electronic games, and school supplies.

Back to School Bash Week 1!

Well we kicked off our Back 2 School Bash last week and it was a blast from start to finish. We had kids and leaders alike dressed from head to toe in their team color.  For now the ORANGE team is in the lead with 1570 points and the RED team following with 1510 points. Not trailing far behind is the GREEN team with 1280 and the BLUE team coming in with 880 points.  

Now just to remind you here are the ways to earn points for your team:

1. Bring a Friend: 100 
2. Repeat Visit by Friend: 50
3. Wearing Team Color: 10 per article
4. Colored Hair: 20
5. Recite Memory Verse From Previous Week: 50

That's it for this week!  We will see you Sunday and don't forget to sport your team colors!