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For Leaders

Fellowship

Read 

Nothing destroys like isolation. POW’s during the Vietnam War communicated and sustained one another by tapping through walls. The Hanoi Hilton, says ex-Air Force pilot Ron Bliss, sounded like a den of run-away woodpeckers. The North Vietnamese never mastered the code, which laid out the alphabet on a simple 5 x 5 grid. The code flowed so fluently that the men told one another jokes. Kicks on the wall meant a laugh. Every Sunday at a code signal the men stood and recited the Lord’s Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Even walls and guards could not stop the prisoners of war from having community and fellowship with one another. We face our own walls and barriers to true community within churches today. The essence of community is at the very least a conversation together, a quick connect, a holding of a hand to join forces together to serve this day. Question…“Is true fellowship alive and well in your life today?” 1 

Reflect 

Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds. You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming. (Hebrews 10:24-25 NCV) 

Respond 

One of God’s purposes for you is fellowship. On a scale of 1 to 10, how connected do you feel with other believers? Do you have a sense of Christian community with your brothers and sisters in Christ or do you feel separate and isolated? Why or why not? How can you have true fellowship with others? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

There are no Lone Rangers in God’s Army. Together we stand shoulder to shoulder. 

1Adapted from a story told on Preaching Today Cassette number 218 entitled “Community At Risk.”

Special Feature

Dino Game, part 4 – Even Faster!

In the beginning, did you know that God created the world with an upper and lower layer of water? In other words, it probably didn’t rain until the Flood in Noah’s time. Every day the earth was watered by dew. So what does this have to do with dinosaurs. Check back next week for the great explanation of how God created dinosaurs and how they lived at the same time as Man–that’s right, with Adam and Eve, how they were on the Ark with Noah and his family, how even David mentioned one in the Psalms, and how this layer of water scientifically explains it all.

For now, enjoy this game. We’ve cranked up the speed to a 20!

And if you want to play slower versions, go HERE and click on any of the previous weeks.

How to play

  • Use the space bar or up key on your keyboard to jump over the obstacles.
  • The down key lets you crouch under the overhead obstacles.
  • When viewing from mobile tap on the game area to jump.
  • Each week the speed will increase…Have fun!
Family Fun

The Shield

You Will Need: 

PILLOW FIGHT—Part 1

Have a family pillow fight—Set boundaries, clear an area and have fun. You may also want to set limits depending on the age of your children.

Take a break, sit on your pillows and ASK—What was your pillow made for? 

SAY—Our pillows were made for sleeping, not for fighting. Of course it is fun to use them for a good fight, but you’d never win a real fight if all you had was a pillow. Why? That’s not what it was made for. Imagine armies going into battle, all carrying fluffy pillows—that’s crazy!

SAY—Just like our pillows were made for a reason, God made you for a reason too. He has great plans for your life and everything you’ve ever wanted in life is found only in Christ.

PILLOW FIGHT—Part 2

Have one family member protect another during the pillow fight. Then take turns protecting each other.

SAY—God’s purpose for you is to give your life to Jesus and follow Him every day in every way. When you do this, you can know that God is a shield for you. God becomes your personal protector.

Read Psalm 18:1-4 from your Bible.

SAY—God cares about everything in your life. Because of this, you can give your cares to God because He cares for you.

Read 1 Peter 5:7 from your Bible.

PRAY—List your family’s “cares” or prayer requests below and thank God for making you special, for being your shield and for always taking care of you.

Fun Stories

Golden Rule

Do you want Marcus to stomp on your toes,

Or stick his little finger up your nose,

Or squirt you with a water hose,

Or tell your secrets so everyone knows?

Do you want Thomas to tell a lie,

So that it hurts your feelings and makes you cry,

Or throw sand in your face that gets in your eye,

Or say you’re a real mean, nasty guy?

Would you like for Christy to throw food in your drink,

Or to tell the world that your feet stink,

Or knock you down at the skating rink,

Or call you a name like a Lying Fink?

Do you like it when friends don’t follow through,

With promises they made to you,

Or in your chair, they pour some glue,

So your pants get stuck and you can’t stand when your through?

Do you like for others to cheat at a game,

Or do something wrong and then give you the blame,

Or call you a real hurtful name?

Then why would you do to them the same?

If you don’t want these things done to you,

Then why would you do them to another?

So do good, tell the truth and be kind,

The Bible says to love each other.

(Yes, that even means your sister or your brother!)

Treating Others Right

In Matthew 7:12, Jesus said for you to treat others the way you want them to treat you. He doesn’t want you to treat others the way they treat you, but the way you want them to treat you. So if you want others to share with you, you should share with them. If you want others to be kind to you, you should be kind to them. If you want others to talk good about you, you should talk good about them. This is God’s way of living.

Read the Bible

D.I.V.E. DEVOTIONS – MARK 8:1-9:50

Dig In
–Dig in and enjoy God’s Word. What should I read in the Bible today?

Answer these questions each day…

Insight
–What did you see? What did you hear?

Value
–What did you learn? What should you do?

Examine
–Examine yourself as you pray. What will you pray?

For Leaders

Share Jesus

Read 

Paul Bell was our missionary to the Mexicans in Bastrop, Texas. One Saturday afternoon he mingled with the men who came to town at that time. He came in contact with a man in his sixties and found him to be a ready listener to the sweet story of Jesus and His love. Later this man was gloriously converted. He said, “I can’t read or write, so I want you to teach me John 3:16. And since my people love to sing, I want you to teach me a gospel song.” With painstaking care, Brother Bell taught him John 3:16 and a stanza of the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The man also promised to come to church and be baptized. 

Three weeks went by and the man didn’t show up. On the fourth Sunday he came and brought with him five other Mexicans. He walked down the aisle with them and said, “We are all here to be baptized.” In this brief time, with just a little bit of knowledge, he had led five men to Christ. He lived for two more years. Again and again he would come in and bring someone that he had won to Christ. The total reached about fifty. Then one day somebody came to Brother Bell and said, “An old Mexican woodcutter is dying, and he is calling for you.” Brother Bell went out and found the man. “I am so glad to see you,” said the woodcutter, “Will you quote my verse for me?” Brother Bell did this and then the man said, “Now will you sing my song for me?” Brother Bell lifted up his voice and sang. He saw the old man’s lips moving for a while, then they stopped. At the end of the song, he saw that the soul of the dear old Christian had slipped out to be with his God. But in two year’s time, he had won fifty souls with one verse of Scripture and one stanza of a song.1 

Reflect 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) 

Respond 

Evangelism is one of the purposes God has for your life. He created you to shine His life and light to all you meet.

  • How effective do you feel in bringing other people to Christ?
  • In what ways can you grow stronger in this area?
  • What is your vision for seeing people saved? 
  • Do you think we just talk a lot about sharing Jesus at church or do we really do it in our lives?

Your thoughts?

Remember 

You are witness everyday—either for Christ or against Him. 

1W. Herschel Ford, Sermons You Can Preach on John, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958) p. 429- 430. 

Teaching Tips

Expectations, Expectations

I knew a young lady once who told me that when she was a youth and made a commitment to purity that her parents said that to do such a thing was great but that they didn’t expect her to live up to it. After all, both of her other two siblings had made similar commitments and both of them had compromised sexually, so why would they expect her to do anything different?

Expectations are a powerful thing. Children and youth will live up to or down to the expectations adults put on them. If you and the student’s parents don’t expect them to want to memorize Scripture, they probably won’t. If you don’t expect them to grow spiritually, they probably won’t. If you don’t expect them to read their Bible during the week, the probably won’t. If these are the feelings expressed to students by leaders, adults, and parents, then the students will sink to meet these low expectations.

However, when a goal is put in front of them and they are told that they can do such and such, an incredible thing happens. Instead of sinking, they can rise to levels that far exceed the expectations given them.

A few years ago I trained a group of sixth graders for a mission trip. Could a group of sixth graders really lead a VBS? Would they really want to learn how to share their testimonies and the plan of salvation? Would they be willing to memorize the “Roman Road?” and commit to weeks and weeks of training, even if it meant missing ballgames? The answer is yes and not only did that VBS have a record-setting attendance, they, one-on-one, led 16 people to Christ during that mission trip, and by the end of the summer they had led 29 people to the Lord.

In our churches today the greatest factor that holds children and youth back from spiritual development is the low expectations of parents and adults.