February: It's All About Love

Don't you love God's perfect timing?  As we have been working our way through the Externally Focused Life series, this past Sunday, February 2nd, we focused on the theme: It's About Love.

In Sunday School, we chatted about The Good Samaritan, and continued to explore ways to help our neighbor - even those that we may not be friends with.  (More on The Good Samaritan later this week!)

The Memory Verse for the week was Luke 10:27 (Look it up!) - the Roots Troop kids are totally familiar with this verse, as it's one that I teach and talk about almost every single week.  I shared my favorite verse of all time - the one that I write on cards, sign letters with, and share with anyone who ever asks:  John 15:17.  I love it because it's so simple - but completely emcompasses the charge that Jesus has given to each of us: to love one another.

Our Heavenly Father showed us the greatest love - one that we cannot even begin to fathom: He sent is ONLY son to us...only to have him die, so that WE can be saved and have eternal life.  Even though we do not deserve it.  We deserve punishment when we break God's rules - Jesus did nothing wrong.  He showed love and compassion to everyone; He did not judge or condemn anyone.  Yet He took our punishment for us.  Wow.

At our house, we're going to focus not only on showing love to each other, and to others, but also on showing our love to God.  Not just through our actions and words EXTERNALLY, but also within our prayers and our conversations with kid. 

Pray a prayer of ADORATION to God.

I know that I give thanks in my prayers regularly, and I ask God for things all of the time - for patience, for wisdom and courage, to make me a better wife, mother, friend, and daughter.  This week - I want to focus on praising Him and really spending time adoring my Heavenly Father.  He is so awesome - and He has given us so much.  Help your kids, teens, spouse, and friends to do the same. 

Not sure what to say or where to start?  Pray the lyrics of an adoration song.  A great example is from our Kids Choir Musical - it's called "I Love You, Lord".

I love you Lord
and I lift my voice
To worship you
Oh my soul rejoice

Take joy my king
in what you hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound
in your ear 

 

Amen.

What is your favorite praise and worship song?  Tell me about in the comments, or on our facebook page - I'd love to share it on the blog!

God Still Loves

Happy Wednesday Friends!   This week in Sunday School, we focused on Reconciliation in our D6 Curriculum, and the theme of "It's All About People" and serving others from our series "The Externally Focused Life".    Here are a few conversation starters for your family meal times, car rides, or just little chats you can have with your family, kids, and friends.  I hope you find these little bits helpful!    From Splink (D6 Curriculum):   January 12 - 18 Reconciliation

God Still Loves Read and act out the story of the first sin from Genesis 3:1-6, 22-23. Ask: Did God still love Adam and Eve after they sinned? Adam and Eve chose their own way instead of God’s way. God wanted to be close to them, but their sins separated them from God. Even though they sinned, God still loved them and promised to send His Son to take away their sin.   From Externally Focused Life:   "So be good servants and use your gifts to serve each other." (1 Peter 4:10)   Look up the word "serve" in the dictionary.  What does it mean? Make a list of some ways that you can love and serve others.

It's About God!

Hi everyone!

First of all, thank you for sharing your children with us at Rolling Hills!  We are blessed to be a small part of their spiritual formation, and absolutely love to see their sweet faces each week.  Over the next several weeks, we will be lining up our Sunday School and Treehouse curriculum with Pastor Gary's sermon series based on the book by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson, The Externally Focused Life from Group Publishing.  Each week while you are hearing the lessons taught during the Sermon, your kids will be hearing a similar message - participating in worship, Bible learning, crafts and activities that center around the fact that God gave us life to serve Him and others!

Image from www.group.com.

Yesterday, we learned that "it's about God" as we studied the life of Joseph - in Genesis.  Just as God had plans for Joseph, God has plans for each of us; and we need to allow ourselves to be a part of His story.  In order to do that, we need to be in a relationship with Him.  The kids decorated a blank canvas (with only the outline of a person), to reflect themselves.  We saw how we each look different - because God created us all to be unique and different.  How special!  We also colored pictures of Joseph and his AMAZING multi-colored coat.  The kids has fun doing this while hearing the story told. Be sure to ask your kids about the story - and what they remember about it.

This week, at home, here are some suggestions for you to engage your kiddo's in conversation:

Review the Bible Memory Verse for this week:  Ephesians 2:10

"God has made us what we are."

Ask these questions:

• Who made us and knows all about us?
• In what ways is each of us the same?
• In what ways is each of us different?
• What good things can we do for others?
• What good things can we do for each other?
• Make a list of some of the good things that you can do as a family to help others, and do them!

I challenged the kids, in class, to do at least one good thing each day - ask them what they've done today?  Or, maybe you've witnessed them doing something good - remind them of their actions, and encourage them to keep up the good work!

Image from http://www.jeremiandamyrichardson.com.

I hope you all have an AWESOME week - and stay warm!  It's cold out there. 

Check back on Wednesday & Friday for some fun 

family activities that will help reinforce these ideas!

Many Smiles,

Elisabeth

Study Questions and Devotional taken from Group Publishing, The Externally Focused Life - Children's Edition Study Guide - copyright 2009.  

LifeBridge Christian Church.  All Rights Reserved.

Celebrate New Year's Eve - Make Family Memories

A New Year

 

Happy (almost) New Year!  Holidays give us a great opportunity to have family moments together - where we can create traditions and build memories to last a lifetime.  This week, in Sunday School, we talked about ways that some people celebrate New Year's.  We even discussed the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), and ways that they celebrate!  (Side Note: we taught the kids the Hebrew phrase "L'shanah tovah" which translates to "for a good year" - so don't be surprised to hear them speaking Hebrew!)

 In my family, we stay home, invite friends over, and have a "Pancakes & Pajamas" party!  Everyone wears their PJ's, we eat pancakes, bacon, cinnamon rolls and drink OJ and coffee!  We play games, do activities, watch the ball drop on TV, and have a relaxing and fun evening together.  

Items Needed: party horns, blowers, special foods, etc. to celebrate the new year’s arrival; Board game or other family activity.

Idea #1: Play a favorite board game to see who will be the reigning champion for the year. Record the name of the champ on the lid of the box. (Repeat every New Year’s Eve to see who gets to claim bragging rights all year.)

Idea #2: Have each family member and party guest fill out a New Year's "interview" of sorts.  List high's and low's of 2013, and list what you're looking forward to in 2014.  Write down the kids' favorites: food, color, movie, song, etc.  Save the interviews in a special folder, binder or box.  Get them out each year and reflect on the past years accomplishments and stats!

Since we are beginning a new year, invite each family member (including mom and dad) to share something they would like to stop doing OR something they would like to start doing better.

Pray and ask God to help each one (it is only with His help that we could ever hope to live godly).

Happy 2014!  

I pray that you and your families have a super awesome, 

joyful, fun, successful, full-of-laughter and faith filled year!

Many Smiles,

Elisabeth

Who Do You Look Like?

Get out the baby books and/or pictures and look at them. (If your child is adopted, talk about the day he/she was accepted into your family.) Talk about how family members look like other family members—not just physical characteristics, but other characteristics as well. (Janie is friendly like Aunt Sarah; Joey is a hard worker like Grandpa.)

The gift for this week is acceptance.

Yesterday, in Sunday School, we touched on Acceptance.  We had some awesome Praise and Worship time with the band, 'You Said My Name', leading our kiddo's in a live music class.  Shout out to Teresa, Kenny and Amy for their awesome witness through music.  It was so perfect, I thought, as we observed several of the kids being very shy and reserved in their singing and willingness to participate with hand movements, etc.  It made me think about how easy it is for us be shy or worry what people think if we're singing out loud, dancing and being silly in public.  So much of the time we hold back because we are worried that we might look dumb or that we aren't a good singer or a good dancer.  

Teresa shared her story of overcoming shyness - how she used to never be able to sing/play in public.  She was too afraid.  And now she's singing with a band for audience of all ages!  She told us how once she was able to let go and realize that her praise and worship was all for God's Glory - for nobody else - just for Him...how she now can rock out all day long!  PRAISE BE TO GOD!  By the end of class, all of the kids were singing and dancing.  We stopped worrying about what others might think about our song and dance, and realized that as long as we are accepted by God, then don't have to be afraid.

When God accepts us into His family (not because we are so good, because we are all sinners and have broken God’s commandments/rules), it is because of what Jesus did. God makes us right because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Then He gives us the Holy Spirit to live inside us to help us do what is right. He will slowly change us to look more and more like our heavenly Father.