Lately in our group time we have been leading topics related to world poverty, hunger, and acts of crime and genocide primarily in the African area. Much of what we have been learning and then teaching the teens has been very depressing. So many people are living terrible lives, dying never knowing about Jesus, and then what?? For many, nn eternity in Hell. There are so many things that these people need.... Food, clothing, shelter... a few basics to name a few. Then there is sanitation, access to clean water and for many others access to any water, contaminated or not. Watching some news reports online of what these people must endure, I feel like we need to do more. Not just in our own homes, but as a society and as a country, and more than that, but as a God's Church. What can you do? What will you do?
Go to http://www.whiteband.org/ and http://www.worldvision.org/ to get more ideas and ways to help.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Sponsorship
Right now we sponsor this kid named Sochet Son through Holt international and have been happy to see how he is growing and seems to be doing very well. I am glad that I can give back some of what God lets me use. I was not satisfied with giving just that (outside of reg. tithe). so I began searching for something else. I have always loved World Vision. They are an awesome ministry. Well, I started a study with my teens on Uganda, Africa and came across this thing called the LRA (Lord's renaissance army)..look it up, its a terrible thing that I won't go into here, but every night children would leave their homes to try to escape being abducted into it. World Vision and some other organizations have made safe places for these children (World vision has made t
his thing called "Noah's Ark" for kids to come to every night. They also made a Children of War Rehabilitation Center for the children who have escaped from the LRA. The picture here is a drawing from one of the children from this, who drew about one of his memories of being in the LRA. It is terrible what has happened to these children and others, but I am glad that if they escape there is someone to help them. This is what I decided to donate to. The money will help many lives. The latest thing we heard about and decided to do was sponsor a child in prayer through world vision. This is cool. You can pray for a specific child and check up on them. There are many places and ways to give. I had a cool thing happen when I picked a child named Alexander who has the same birthdate (April 17, 1999) as th son Thomas and I lost to stillbirth who we were going to name "Thomas Alexander". The coincidence seemed so neat that he had to be mine to pray for. A cool part is that I emailed the radio station AFR and let them know about something I found out about this program helpful to share on the radio and then I shared this very story.. Well, they shared my story on the air and someone called in and has decided to sponsor Alexander. God is awesome. Even when we don't think we can do anymore, God will give us our hearts desires when they are in line with Him. I saw this come to pass in a matter of 24 hours in this case. 
What has the Lord blessed you to be able to do?? Tell about a child that you get to sponsor or an organization like the one with world vision that helps many. (It's hard to pick just one isn't it??)
Go to www.worldvision.org and sponsor a child or family today!!
his thing called "Noah's Ark" for kids to come to every night. They also made a Children of War Rehabilitation Center for the children who have escaped from the LRA. The picture here is a drawing from one of the children from this, who drew about one of his memories of being in the LRA. It is terrible what has happened to these children and others, but I am glad that if they escape there is someone to help them. This is what I decided to donate to. The money will help many lives. The latest thing we heard about and decided to do was sponsor a child in prayer through world vision. This is cool. You can pray for a specific child and check up on them. There are many places and ways to give. I had a cool thing happen when I picked a child named Alexander who has the same birthdate (April 17, 1999) as th son Thomas and I lost to stillbirth who we were going to name "Thomas Alexander". The coincidence seemed so neat that he had to be mine to pray for. A cool part is that I emailed the radio station AFR and let them know about something I found out about this program helpful to share on the radio and then I shared this very story.. Well, they shared my story on the air and someone called in and has decided to sponsor Alexander. God is awesome. Even when we don't think we can do anymore, God will give us our hearts desires when they are in line with Him. I saw this come to pass in a matter of 24 hours in this case. 
What has the Lord blessed you to be able to do?? Tell about a child that you get to sponsor or an organization like the one with world vision that helps many. (It's hard to pick just one isn't it??)
Go to www.worldvision.org and sponsor a child or family today!!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Click
I just recently watched a movie called "Click". I do not recommend that you watch the movie due to its language and other inappropriateness in the film. However, there was a good message that came from wathing it. The main character in the movie recieved a remote control that he found could control his life. If he wanted to fast forward parts of his life..He could. If he wanted to skip to another chapter in his life..he could. If he wanted to mute people that annoyed him...he could. But the remote remembered what he did and continued that same pattern without seeking his direction. Within a few days (to him) he had fast forwarded to near the end of his life..missing out on so much, like his kids growing up. He had been pursuing money and a "good" job. In the meantime, he missed out on what was really important to him....His family. And he ended up loosing it all!! His wife left him, His kids became distant from him, his dad died, he got cancer and ended up alone and angry.
What would you fast forward? What are you anxious to get to in life, that may be keeping you from what is in the right here and now? Would you end up the same way? Many times we say." If I only had _________" or "I wish if could be __________ now!" or even like the character above, " When I finally become a ___________, then I'll be happy and successful". Pursuing these earthly things only makes us have earthly things (maybe), but you can miss out on the important stuff such as family, other relationships, God!!. Is it worth it in the end?? What have you really gained. The Bible tells us "if a man gains the whole world, yet forfits his soul," it is basically all for nothing. Don't forfit your soul.
Some health and wealth preachers will tell you that God is going to give you all this stuff. This is against what He says. He repeatedly tells people to leave everything behind and follow Him. How earthly possessions are going to waste away and not to invest in them. Don't be decieved. The Lord will provide for your needs and may give you some "nice earthly stuff" while you are here. When much is given, much is required. How are you going to serve God with it. If He gives you much money, give much away. He gives you much stuff, give it away and/or use it to help others. The only true success is anything the Lord does in us and the success is not our own. We own nothing including success!
Look and your here and now. What is going on now? What has the Lord given you? How are you going to use it for Him? How are you going to use the time you have right now for Him? What priority is your family and God to you?
What would you fast forward? What are you anxious to get to in life, that may be keeping you from what is in the right here and now? Would you end up the same way? Many times we say." If I only had _________" or "I wish if could be __________ now!" or even like the character above, " When I finally become a ___________, then I'll be happy and successful". Pursuing these earthly things only makes us have earthly things (maybe), but you can miss out on the important stuff such as family, other relationships, God!!. Is it worth it in the end?? What have you really gained. The Bible tells us "if a man gains the whole world, yet forfits his soul," it is basically all for nothing. Don't forfit your soul.
Some health and wealth preachers will tell you that God is going to give you all this stuff. This is against what He says. He repeatedly tells people to leave everything behind and follow Him. How earthly possessions are going to waste away and not to invest in them. Don't be decieved. The Lord will provide for your needs and may give you some "nice earthly stuff" while you are here. When much is given, much is required. How are you going to serve God with it. If He gives you much money, give much away. He gives you much stuff, give it away and/or use it to help others. The only true success is anything the Lord does in us and the success is not our own. We own nothing including success!
Look and your here and now. What is going on now? What has the Lord given you? How are you going to use it for Him? How are you going to use the time you have right now for Him? What priority is your family and God to you?
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Even Jesus was tempted
Matthew 4:1-4: Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the Devil came and said to him, "if you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread. But Jesus told him, "No! The scriptures say, "People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God."
Sometimes the Lord will ask us to step outside of our comfort zone and do something for Him, or give up something for Him. In this he is testing to see how much we really love Him. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days. That is a very long time. Not only did he fast, but He did it in the desert where it is very hot during the day, and very cold during the night. He was alone. This was time for Him to focus directly on God the Father. He was physically feeling pretty miserable. He must have felt much pain, light-headedness, dizziness, weakness and so on, for after all, God gave Him a normal human body. Keep in mind He was also alone. When Satan came to Him and tempted Him to break His fast and do only He could do... turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger... He resisted hard this great temptation. Sure, He could have easily have made Himself a little snack, but He knew God the Father would have been upset and not only that, He Himself was God and He knew no sin, Yet Satan persisted! 'You know you are hungry! Prove you are God!'
He tells Satan that only the Words of God can satisfy true hunger. Plus, if He were to cave now, it would have all been for nothing. He was sent out there for a purpose. The Lord knows why. What is the Lord asking you to do? Is it hard? Is it going to require you to step out of your comfort zone, maybe even for you to suffer? Will you commit to it? It is true that Jesus is the Son of God and faultless and blameless, but if you are a believer, you have something that Jesus also possessed...The Holy Spirit. If God asks you to do something, He will equip you with the means to do it. Go and do what it is the Lord is asking of you. What is it? Are you holding back?
Sometimes the Lord will ask us to step outside of our comfort zone and do something for Him, or give up something for Him. In this he is testing to see how much we really love Him. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days. That is a very long time. Not only did he fast, but He did it in the desert where it is very hot during the day, and very cold during the night. He was alone. This was time for Him to focus directly on God the Father. He was physically feeling pretty miserable. He must have felt much pain, light-headedness, dizziness, weakness and so on, for after all, God gave Him a normal human body. Keep in mind He was also alone. When Satan came to Him and tempted Him to break His fast and do only He could do... turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger... He resisted hard this great temptation. Sure, He could have easily have made Himself a little snack, but He knew God the Father would have been upset and not only that, He Himself was God and He knew no sin, Yet Satan persisted! 'You know you are hungry! Prove you are God!'
He tells Satan that only the Words of God can satisfy true hunger. Plus, if He were to cave now, it would have all been for nothing. He was sent out there for a purpose. The Lord knows why. What is the Lord asking you to do? Is it hard? Is it going to require you to step out of your comfort zone, maybe even for you to suffer? Will you commit to it? It is true that Jesus is the Son of God and faultless and blameless, but if you are a believer, you have something that Jesus also possessed...The Holy Spirit. If God asks you to do something, He will equip you with the means to do it. Go and do what it is the Lord is asking of you. What is it? Are you holding back?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
What is your favorite Vacation Bible School memory?
In July we conducted our Vacation Bible School called Water Works Park. The kids had a great time. They learned Bible stories in an interactive way, having puppet skits and songs that support the story, and snacks, crafts, and rec. that relate to it as well. In all of this I hope they learned more about the true God. We had 9 children accept the Lord for the first time and we reached 46 children with the Gospel. It was a really good VBS.
Tell me what your favorite memory is from VBS....
Tell me what your favorite memory is from VBS....
Thursday, July 12, 2007
What is most important to you?
What is most important to you? Your family? Your friends? Your stuff? Your soul? You may have never thought about it before. Post what matters most to you.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
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