John 20 - on the morning of the third day, the women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body and...it was missing! Some disciples thought it had been stolen, while others believed he'd risen from the dead.
But...if Jesus' body had still been in the tomb -
What would this have done to his disciples?
What would it have done to Christianity?
When someone makes a promise, you know they've delivered when they actually act on it.
My 9th grade English teacher forgave some work I didn't do. Without those points, I would have gotten a "C" for the quarter. Instead, by changing my score, I got an "A".
Q: When did I escape the penalty? When she adjusted my grade - kept her promise.
The resurrection matters because without it, we'd still be in our sins. God promised - and then he delivered
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 - some people believed that there was no resurrection. If they died before Jesus came back, there was no hope. Paul says - it's not that way. If we only think Jesus can benefit us while alive, because we don't believe we'll be raised to life, we have no faith at all!
Jesus brought benefits to people during his life -he befriended them, he healed their diseases, he raised the dead
He brings benefits to us while we're alive - he comforts us, he leads us, he teaches us
He will bring benefits to us after we die - we'll be raised back to life, just as he was
Sin caused death/God undid the power of sin by raising Jesus from the grave, the "firstfruits" (1 Cor. 15:20) of those who had died, and others will follow the same pattern.
This is what's called good news!
Three things we know because God raised Jesus from the dead:
1. Good and evil are not equally matched. Even death couldn't hold Jesus!
2. God has the power to raise the dead.
3. We have the hope of eternal life - that what God did in Jesus will be repeated in us!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
March 28-29: Forgiveness and the Story of Corrie ten Boom
Everyone has been mistreated. Most of us have held a grudge. Some of us have forgiven, but didn't really want to.
Forgiveness: story of Corrie ten Boom
Lived with her family in the Netherlands
Watchmaker
In 1942, family agreed to hide Jews in their home from the Nazis
Discovered in 1944 and sent to concentration camps
Father and sister, whom she was imprisoned with, died in captivity
Corrie released on Christmas Day, 1944. A week later, women prisoners her age in her camp were killed.
Story:
“No Fishing Allowed” from "Hero Tales: Volume II" by Dave & Neta Jackson.
When the former Nazi guard approached Corrie -
+ What should she do?
+ What did she do?
Corrie ten Boom offered her forgiveness to the man, even though it was very hard.
Read Parable of the Unmerciful Servant -- Matthew 18:21-35
+ Explain this story
+ Do you think God expects us to forgive if we’ve been forgiven?
+ Do you think we are obligated to forgive if we’ve been forgiven?
+ What did the first servant do to deserve having his debt cancelled? (Nothing; God’s forgiveness is a free gift, and it is unconditional & total)
- Why is it hard to forgive others? Sometimes we think, “If I forgive him/her, they’ll think they can do it again”. Or, “If I tell them I forgive them, they’ll think they were right”?
It's not the same thing to say "It's ok to mistreat me" and "I forgive you"!
So, we need to be careful with our words -
When asking for forgiveness: always apologize - say, "I know what I did was wrong".
When offering forgiveness: say, "I didn't like what you did/you hurt me, but I accept your apology, and I forgive you." If we say "it's no big deal" or "don't worry about it" we can send the message we don't want to - that it's ok to be mistreated.
+ If we don't forgive, it hurts me worse than the person who wronged me.
Ex: being wronged is like a bruise. It heals in time. But the memory is like a brick I have to hold. Bricks need to be unloaded. Otherwise we stay weighed down.
Forgiveness: story of Corrie ten Boom
Lived with her family in the Netherlands
Watchmaker
In 1942, family agreed to hide Jews in their home from the Nazis
Discovered in 1944 and sent to concentration camps
Father and sister, whom she was imprisoned with, died in captivity
Corrie released on Christmas Day, 1944. A week later, women prisoners her age in her camp were killed.
Story:
“No Fishing Allowed” from "Hero Tales: Volume II" by Dave & Neta Jackson.
When the former Nazi guard approached Corrie -
+ What should she do?
+ What did she do?
Corrie ten Boom offered her forgiveness to the man, even though it was very hard.
Read Parable of the Unmerciful Servant -- Matthew 18:21-35
+ Explain this story
+ Do you think God expects us to forgive if we’ve been forgiven?
+ Do you think we are obligated to forgive if we’ve been forgiven?
+ What did the first servant do to deserve having his debt cancelled? (Nothing; God’s forgiveness is a free gift, and it is unconditional & total)
- Why is it hard to forgive others? Sometimes we think, “If I forgive him/her, they’ll think they can do it again”. Or, “If I tell them I forgive them, they’ll think they were right”?
It's not the same thing to say "It's ok to mistreat me" and "I forgive you"!
So, we need to be careful with our words -
When asking for forgiveness: always apologize - say, "I know what I did was wrong".
When offering forgiveness: say, "I didn't like what you did/you hurt me, but I accept your apology, and I forgive you." If we say "it's no big deal" or "don't worry about it" we can send the message we don't want to - that it's ok to be mistreated.
+ If we don't forgive, it hurts me worse than the person who wronged me.
Ex: being wronged is like a bruise. It heals in time. But the memory is like a brick I have to hold. Bricks need to be unloaded. Otherwise we stay weighed down.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
March 14-15: Join the Revolution: What happens when we band together for God's sake
"Revolution" means "great change". What would happen if a great many people all began to live with God inside of them, living his way?
Can one person really change things? If they influence others -
Ex: dominoes - one knocks over the other, which knocks over the next, which knocks over the next
If we were to build a revolution for God:
1. A Revolution only works when we know God's plan for us - what does he want each of us to do
Ex: Otherwise, if we don't know, it's like playing a game where the rules aren't explained
Most kids - and adults - if asked, would not know or would get it wrong!
2. A Revolution only works when we are with others who are working for the same goal
So...I need to know who's with me. I need to spend time around people who are also living for God.
Ex: Humming Game - you have to closely listen to what people say and watch what they do to know if they're on your team
3. A Revolution only works when everyone agrees they'll do the same thing
If I'm surrounded by people who are going to influence me away from God and who will discourage me, I won't get very far.
1 Peter has guidance on what we should do. 1 Peter was written to Christians under persecution - opposition to what they believed and their way of life. 1 Peter 2:11-12 - "I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." Peter is saying that even if people around you don't support what you're doing, if you do no wrong, what they're saying can't stick - it will actually reflect well on God.
This Revolution - that people would acknowledge him and start to care - is what God wants. Christians can do it, but as at the time Peter wrote, they have to stick together.
Can one person really change things? If they influence others -
Ex: dominoes - one knocks over the other, which knocks over the next, which knocks over the next
If we were to build a revolution for God:
1. A Revolution only works when we know God's plan for us - what does he want each of us to do
Ex: Otherwise, if we don't know, it's like playing a game where the rules aren't explained
Most kids - and adults - if asked, would not know or would get it wrong!
2. A Revolution only works when we are with others who are working for the same goal
So...I need to know who's with me. I need to spend time around people who are also living for God.
Ex: Humming Game - you have to closely listen to what people say and watch what they do to know if they're on your team
3. A Revolution only works when everyone agrees they'll do the same thing
If I'm surrounded by people who are going to influence me away from God and who will discourage me, I won't get very far.
1 Peter has guidance on what we should do. 1 Peter was written to Christians under persecution - opposition to what they believed and their way of life. 1 Peter 2:11-12 - "I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." Peter is saying that even if people around you don't support what you're doing, if you do no wrong, what they're saying can't stick - it will actually reflect well on God.
This Revolution - that people would acknowledge him and start to care - is what God wants. Christians can do it, but as at the time Peter wrote, they have to stick together.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
March 7-8: The Spirit helps us live the life God wants
Q: If I let God come into my castle (my life)…and then I let him into a room…will I change?
A: I still need to obey what is said.
Q: What is the difference, then, between one castle (one life) that has God inside, and another that doesn't? Does the difference depend all on me?
A: No! When God comes in, he brings forgiveness…not by anything we've done, but as his gift. He also brings his Holy Spirit.
**A huge difference between Christianity and other religions:
* Others will give you rules to live by, and then it's up to you to do it.
* Christianity - starts with God doing something for us - the forgiveness of our sins.
We celebrate that!
Then God gives you his way to live
BUT - he also gives you his help to do it
Ex: Difference between your teacher assigning math homework, or assigning it and then sitting down and guiding you, individually, through each problem
Ex: My mom and her new Mac. New programs, systems are great…as long as she's shown how to use them.
Ex: Changing the oil in a car: it must be done. Would you rather: be told you have to do it (you don't know how, so you'll probably do it wrong), pay for someone else to do it ($30), or have someone teach you how to do it (least cost, best option)
God doesn't just give us "The Rules"; he also gives us his help to live the way he wants us to
Think of something you know God wants you to do, but you don't want to or it's hard…the Spirit is there for us.
What the Bible says about the Holy Spirit (partial list):
John 16:7-8 - the Spirit will tell the world when it's done wrong
John 14:26 - the Spirit will teach us things and remind us about who Jesus was
Romans 8:26 - the Spirit helps us pray, especially when we don't know what to pray for
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 - the Spirit gives gifts
A motto: On my own, I can't; but with God's help, I can
How would we live differently if we followed that?
Like being towed behind a boat with a rope, or up a hill on skis - you have to hang on, keep your skis straight, but also let the power (the rope) do its work
In Matthew 14, Peter was able to walk on the water, until he doubted - then he sank.
A: I still need to obey what is said.
Q: What is the difference, then, between one castle (one life) that has God inside, and another that doesn't? Does the difference depend all on me?
A: No! When God comes in, he brings forgiveness…not by anything we've done, but as his gift. He also brings his Holy Spirit.
**A huge difference between Christianity and other religions:
* Others will give you rules to live by, and then it's up to you to do it.
* Christianity - starts with God doing something for us - the forgiveness of our sins.
We celebrate that!
Then God gives you his way to live
BUT - he also gives you his help to do it
Ex: Difference between your teacher assigning math homework, or assigning it and then sitting down and guiding you, individually, through each problem
Ex: My mom and her new Mac. New programs, systems are great…as long as she's shown how to use them.
Ex: Changing the oil in a car: it must be done. Would you rather: be told you have to do it (you don't know how, so you'll probably do it wrong), pay for someone else to do it ($30), or have someone teach you how to do it (least cost, best option)
God doesn't just give us "The Rules"; he also gives us his help to live the way he wants us to
Think of something you know God wants you to do, but you don't want to or it's hard…the Spirit is there for us.
What the Bible says about the Holy Spirit (partial list):
John 16:7-8 - the Spirit will tell the world when it's done wrong
John 14:26 - the Spirit will teach us things and remind us about who Jesus was
Romans 8:26 - the Spirit helps us pray, especially when we don't know what to pray for
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 - the Spirit gives gifts
A motto: On my own, I can't; but with God's help, I can
How would we live differently if we followed that?
Like being towed behind a boat with a rope, or up a hill on skis - you have to hang on, keep your skis straight, but also let the power (the rope) do its work
In Matthew 14, Peter was able to walk on the water, until he doubted - then he sank.
Friday, February 27, 2009
February 28-March 1: Take Up Your Cross and Follow
Q: If you could spend a week with somebody, what are all the ways you could know if they were a follower of Jesus?
Our answers would mostly involve their deeds and religious practices. But, none of those things makes you a Christian.
To follow Jesus, there is something on the inside that happens.
Review:
A. Your life is like a castle - many rooms
B. Some people invite God into the castle, but keep him in a separate room
C. God wants to come into all the rooms of the castle – not just to be a part, but to be a part of all of the parts.
D. Once God comes in, he brings light…
E. He looks around…
F. And then he speaks truth through the Bible
G. After he speaks the truth - we have to listen & obey (the difference between listening and hearing)
Ex: God speaks into relationships, maybe with a brother or sister: As much as it depends on you, live at peace with other people (Rom. 12:18). If I obeyed that...not as many fights would start, I’d probably just walk away when my siblings tried to start things.
So what's the inside change that has to happen?
Luke 9:22-24 - none of Jesus' disciples believed he was going to be put to death. And they believed following him would not be difficult. Jesus corrects that - if anyone is to come after him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow.
"Take up your cross": When a criminal had been condemned, the "beginning of the end" so to speak was the walk to the execution, and criminals carried their own crosses. So when you took up your cross, it meant you were on the road to death - this was a certainty.
For us to "take up our cross" means we say goodbye to our old life. It does not mean we are putting our lives in danger, necessarily.
Even though our lives are full of sin, it takes faith to leave an old way of life behind...you don't know what that new life will hold.
Ex: people not willing to move out of unsafe neighborhoods, bad housing, etc.
Story: Festo Kivengere, the African Billy Graham. You can read the story of this man who came to Christ in Uganda and the repentance he saw all around him in his village here.
You can read about Festo Kivengere and other Christian heroes in the "Hero Tales" series.
Our answers would mostly involve their deeds and religious practices. But, none of those things makes you a Christian.
To follow Jesus, there is something on the inside that happens.
Review:
A. Your life is like a castle - many rooms
B. Some people invite God into the castle, but keep him in a separate room
C. God wants to come into all the rooms of the castle – not just to be a part, but to be a part of all of the parts.
D. Once God comes in, he brings light…
E. He looks around…
F. And then he speaks truth through the Bible
G. After he speaks the truth - we have to listen & obey (the difference between listening and hearing)
Ex: God speaks into relationships, maybe with a brother or sister: As much as it depends on you, live at peace with other people (Rom. 12:18). If I obeyed that...not as many fights would start, I’d probably just walk away when my siblings tried to start things.
So what's the inside change that has to happen?
Luke 9:22-24 - none of Jesus' disciples believed he was going to be put to death. And they believed following him would not be difficult. Jesus corrects that - if anyone is to come after him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow.
"Take up your cross": When a criminal had been condemned, the "beginning of the end" so to speak was the walk to the execution, and criminals carried their own crosses. So when you took up your cross, it meant you were on the road to death - this was a certainty.
For us to "take up our cross" means we say goodbye to our old life. It does not mean we are putting our lives in danger, necessarily.
Even though our lives are full of sin, it takes faith to leave an old way of life behind...you don't know what that new life will hold.
Ex: people not willing to move out of unsafe neighborhoods, bad housing, etc.
Story: Festo Kivengere, the African Billy Graham. You can read the story of this man who came to Christ in Uganda and the repentance he saw all around him in his village here.
You can read about Festo Kivengere and other Christian heroes in the "Hero Tales" series.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
February 21-22: God speaks to us through the Bible
Last week: Your life is like a castle - many rooms. Some people let God into the castle, but keep him in a separate room. God doesn't want to be a part of your life; he wants to be a part of all of the parts.
1. What does God do once he comes into a room? He shines his light. And God is able to see things we can't easily see.
Ex: Hidden pictures game. Once you see the answers (where the hidden objects are shaded differently), it's easy. Prior to that, we miss things that are hidden. God, when he searches our hearts, is able to see things that we can't.
Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
It's a different thing to ask God to search your heart and for you to search your own heart - you might miss what God can easily see!
2. God brings truth. How? He speaks through the Holy Spirit through the words of the Bible.
Scripture is useful for teaching, for rebuking (telling us when we've done wrong), correcting us, and training us in doing right.
Hebrews 4:12 - The word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating to divide joints and marrow, soul and spirit - it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
3. God's goal in bringing truth into your "rooms" is to REDEEM everything. When we were created, God called it "very good". But sin produced something broken - God wants to put that back together, to restore things, to make you like Jesus.
My own castle at 11 years old: many rooms, not many that had God as a part of them. The Bible has a message about redemption for each room. BUT >>> I have to listen - it's not enough to just hear it.
How to meditate on scripture: "Meditation" in Christianity means something different than in other religions, where the goal is to think about nothing. To meditate is to take words or an idea and concentrate on that, to learn and understand deeply how it is true. Choose a short passage and spend time with it - what is God saying here? What is he saying to me?
1. What does God do once he comes into a room? He shines his light. And God is able to see things we can't easily see.
Ex: Hidden pictures game. Once you see the answers (where the hidden objects are shaded differently), it's easy. Prior to that, we miss things that are hidden. God, when he searches our hearts, is able to see things that we can't.
Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
It's a different thing to ask God to search your heart and for you to search your own heart - you might miss what God can easily see!
2. God brings truth. How? He speaks through the Holy Spirit through the words of the Bible.
Scripture is useful for teaching, for rebuking (telling us when we've done wrong), correcting us, and training us in doing right.
Hebrews 4:12 - The word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating to divide joints and marrow, soul and spirit - it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
3. God's goal in bringing truth into your "rooms" is to REDEEM everything. When we were created, God called it "very good". But sin produced something broken - God wants to put that back together, to restore things, to make you like Jesus.
My own castle at 11 years old: many rooms, not many that had God as a part of them. The Bible has a message about redemption for each room. BUT >>> I have to listen - it's not enough to just hear it.
How to meditate on scripture: "Meditation" in Christianity means something different than in other religions, where the goal is to think about nothing. To meditate is to take words or an idea and concentrate on that, to learn and understand deeply how it is true. Choose a short passage and spend time with it - what is God saying here? What is he saying to me?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
February 14-15: God, a part of all the parts
1 John 1:5-7 - If we claim to have fellowship with God, yet walk in darkness, we are not living the truth! In a contest between light and dark, light always wins.
Therefore, to have God in our lives means we have him in all the parts. He is not just a part, he is part of all of the parts.
Kids were read a parable about a prince who brought a beggar home to live in his father's castle. As the prince grew up and became king himself, he limited the beggar to his own room and to the courtyard. The beggar became a great friend and help to the king's court, but the king himself had little to do with him. Near the end of the king's life, he revisits the beggar and discovers that, strangely, the beggar has not aged since the day he met him as a boy. The beggar expresses his wish that he could have been fully part of the king's life for all these years.
In this parable, the castle represents our lives. We might let the drawbridge down and bring God in, but sometimes we keep him confined to certain "rooms" or limited parts of our lives. God is able and willing to fill the rest of our lives, but we have to allow him to be part of our family life, our thoughts, our attitudes, our friendships, our hobbies, etc. in order to realize his full blessing.
Therefore, to have God in our lives means we have him in all the parts. He is not just a part, he is part of all of the parts.
Kids were read a parable about a prince who brought a beggar home to live in his father's castle. As the prince grew up and became king himself, he limited the beggar to his own room and to the courtyard. The beggar became a great friend and help to the king's court, but the king himself had little to do with him. Near the end of the king's life, he revisits the beggar and discovers that, strangely, the beggar has not aged since the day he met him as a boy. The beggar expresses his wish that he could have been fully part of the king's life for all these years.
In this parable, the castle represents our lives. We might let the drawbridge down and bring God in, but sometimes we keep him confined to certain "rooms" or limited parts of our lives. God is able and willing to fill the rest of our lives, but we have to allow him to be part of our family life, our thoughts, our attitudes, our friendships, our hobbies, etc. in order to realize his full blessing.
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