Jesus Blog (Sec TWO Leaders)

Prayer session cum making of new year resolutions

2011-12-17T17:36:00.002+08:00

Heyys leaders so for the benefit of those that are not involved in the production we are approaching the final leg of preparation and we thought it would be crucial for us to have a prayer session with our kids tmr to bring all of our concerns and hopes to God :):):)
So do spend some time praying with your kids, preferably give each of them a particular group of people to pray for and slowly guide them along and maybe you can use these prayer pointers:
1. Thank God for
b. Seeing everyone thru their respective major exams. For bringing them back safely and pray for an extra portion of your strength and grace for them to carry on for You
c. Bringing us thus far and for being steadfast in your promises even when we stumble
2.
“Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:11
Core Team
a. Pray for God to renew them with strength and grace for each new day to carry out the tasks ahead with confidence and dedication
3. Cast/Crew
a. Pray for focussed minds and concentration during rehearsals
b. Rehearsals to run smoothly and be productive
c. For them to find peace and purpose in their hearts as they serve
4.
“For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”
- Romans 11:36
Directors/Vocal Coaches/Dance choreographers/Band
a. For God to lift them up when they’re stressed, tired or discouraged
b. Motivation and creativity to press on for God
5. TTB (Everyone)
a. Faith to convict us that our purpose in all we do is to bring God glory
b. Attentive and obedient hearts
c. Strength and courage to persevere and sustain one another in love
d. Wisdom and peace that guard our hearts and minds
e. To be sure of our identity, purpose and direction so that we will not be daunted by our fears, sacrifice and trials but can have faith, joy and perseverance
Outreach
f. For our friends to have open hearts and minds
g. Courage to step out and invite

For more recent prayer pointers please refer to the church bulletin :)

Next thing we would be doing would be setting some goals and resolutions for next year since tmr would be our last lesson that we would have with our kids for 2011
1. Bring paper/ stationary for them to write
2. So what they can write about? Basically what they hope to achieve in the coming year
-studies
-CCA
-spirtiually
-service in church/..
-family/ friends (ties?)

5. Pray over the goals that they have set out

4. Then.. Collect all the paper and pass it to cheryl at the end of the lesson den she will help us keep it safely in a box until the last lesson of the next year, when we will reveal it and ask them to share if they managed to achieve it if so how and if not why?

Experiencing the Forgiveness of Jesus Day Three- Our Choice

2011-12-03T00:58:00.001+08:00

Hi all :)

Here’s the heart of the matter. I think it’ll be good if we could look through it first to get a rough idea of what the lesson will be like.

Heart of the Matter

1. God allows us to make our own choices

2. Because God gives us choices, we must realize that all choices have consequences, both good and bad

3. No matter how many bad choices we’ve made in the past, they are redeemed by one good choice- to follow Jesus

4. Jesus loves you enough to let you choose

Theme verse: Colossians 1:13-14

For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Lesson start:

Pray!

Determining Your Destiny

Points to take away: Heart of the Matter 1, 2 and 4

Read through the passage and do question 1 with your kids

(Here’s what I think but do add on your own input)

1: Since God desired to spend eternity with us enough to have his own son killed, why doesn’t he just make all of our decisions for us?

The very fact that He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins shows that He loves us- a lot, infinitely. God probably gave us the freedom to choose and make decisions because He wanted us to willingly enter into a loving relationship with Him and not be ‘robots’ under His control (choosing Him would be one of the choices we would have to make).

Genesis 1:26 ‘Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…’

This shows that when God created us, He didn’t intend for us to be robots, but to be like Him, created in His image.

2: Read Genesis 2:15-17; 3:6 and answer question 2

Remember to highlight to the kids that Adam’s choice to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was really a choice to disobey God. And because of his choice, there was a consequence- a bad consequence.

The Message of the Two Crosses

Point to take way: Heart of the Matter 3

Read through the passage and do question 3

3: From the verses Matthew 6:24 and 7:13-14, Jesus is saying that we can only make one choice. If we follow the world, then we are not following God and if we follow God, then we cannot possibly follow the world.

We are called to be in this world but not of this world; to live in this world and be a witness for Christ but not to succumb to the temptations of the world and pursue its desires like material wealth etc.

1 John 2:15-17

‘Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.’

One Good Decision

Read through the passage and do question 4

I think it might be good to go deeper into some of the options with the kids.

For example the option ‘God is indifferent about our choice, as long as we’re good people.’

You might want to ask your kids what they think good people mean.

I don’t know about you guys but I find this option kind of confusing because it seems to suggest to me that it doesn’t matter what we do at all (good or bad?) as long as at the heart of it all we’re good? Maybe I interpreted it wrongly so if you’re not confused that’s good.

But for me I think I’ll refer my kids to Luke 18:19 ‘“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good- except God alone.”’

Based on this verse for me, if we’re good people, then we would make choices to follow God, choices that He would want us to make, and I don’t think He’ll be indifferent about us making choices to follow Him- It’s what He wants.

Another option ‘It doesn’t matter what choices we make in life, as long as we make the right choice in the end.’

The one right choice to follow Christ is the most important choice that we have to make. But since (hopefully) most of us have already made this right choice, it is important to remember that we also make the right choices to live our lives for Him after that, to be reflectors for Christ. We have been forgiven of our sins once and for all when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have to make right choices anymore and we can continue sinning.

End

Have a time of sharing with your kids.

We have to make choices and decisions everyday. Some choices are obvious and with choices such as cheating in an exam, gossiping etc, we know what the right decisions are and what the wrong ones are. Still, it doesn’t mean we always choose what’s right. There are also choices to do the right things, things that are seemingly right like choosing to serve God. These are right if we do them with the right intention and not for self-interest. So maybe you guys could remind your kids to always commit their decisions to God, walk closely with God so that we’ll know the right choices He

wants us to make and remember to check their hearts when they do something. (you can add more too)

That’s all. I hope it helps and I didn’t go off tangent. Pray for your kids and the upcoming ttb production that all helping out in the production will grow to love and abide in God and love each other. (and pray for each other too, as in leaders)

Have a nice day!

by cher /.

Experiencing the forgiveness of Jesus: Day 2

2011-11-26T10:28:00.000+08:00

Hey guys, I'm following the books lesson for all the examples, cause I really cant think of any better examples. Sorry!
You can follow the book for this cause its really straightforward. (:
Remember to ask your kids what they learnt last week because the lesson is more of less the same as last weeks.

Yeap! Get your kids to read through what he mentions!
Answer question 1 a) God keeps a record of our sins, but He forgives. b) We are all accountable to God c) We cannot hide from God, we will be accountable to Him. Remind your kids that no matter what we do, we will be held accountable when we meet Him. He knows every detail and we can't hide it. But we know that God's love for us is so strong that he is willing to forgive us from the wrongs we have done. He could have stopped this from happening to himself, because after all, He is the Son of God. But he resisted for our sake, so that we can be forgiven. Answer questions 2 and 3 You could remind your kids about the previous lesson and the example that gail gave on the youtube link, "The Gods Aren't Angry", to remind the kids again that every time they ask for forgiveness, their list is wiped clean. Answer question 4 and 5 So lets remind our kids that because of God's love for us, he sent his son to pay the ultimate price. Our list of wrongs are erased because of His love, and this does not mean that we can continue to do wrong over and over again, but we should appreciate the love he has shown for us. (:

Oh yes, and don’t forget to ask them if they have been accountable to each other! And also pray for them, for the production and those kids who are traveling now! (:

done by lish

Experiencing the forgiveness of Jesus: Day 1- Consider the cost

2011-11-04T18:36:00.001+08:00

Please note that we are going to do this lesson again because there were a couple of groups that missed it out so for those groups that have already done the lesson maybe y'all can ask your kids to share about their concerns about the upcoming year with new subject combinations (some taking trip science/full humanities..etc) i guess also general concerns about the future? what they plan to do?

Proverbs 16:33 - We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.
I find it very encouraging to know that God is truly in control of all the outcomes in our lives and nothing is a gamble! :):):)

More importantly I think we should try to provoke them to think about how as they grow older they should be also growing in terms of their maturity in Christ :) are they seeing any change in their relationship with God? Are they learning more about him everyday/every week? growing closer to him ? If not why and if yes how? Also try to share about the pivotal point in your own life that really led you to desire God more and what changed after that :):):)

Lesson:

Begin by asking your kids what is the greatest gift/ gift which touched their hearts that they have ever received. Who was it from? What was so great about the gift and did they feel thankful?

Now, ask them if that same person has ever failed them in another occasion. Maybe their parent has lost their temper at them when it wasn�t their fault, maybe a friend who once said � Call me if you need me� was not really there when they needed them the most, maybe someone got chosen over them when they thought they mattered more than that.

Did this make them doubt the sincerity of the giver? Did those incidents make them feel like the gift wasn�t as valuable before?

Theme verse: Colossians 1:13-14

For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Now, ask them what is the gift that God has given us. (Forgiveness from sins)

Can we trust in this, and are we able to accept it?

What is the difference between this gift and those that people have given us?

So what is so great about this gift?

1. Could anyone other than Jesus have died to save us?

a. (no, because only Jesus was perfect)

2. What was the price Jesus paid?

a. Pain, humiliation

b. He felt so much pain that in Matthew 27:45-46, it says, "Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" He felt pain just like a normal human would.

c. If Jesus is God, why would He say this? (Go to qn.3)

3. Did Jesus have a choice?

a. Yes. Luke 22:42

i. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Why did he do that? It was so painful.

And all this was for us.

He didn�t have an obligation; He chose to.

We are among the scoffers that caused His pain on the cross.

So should we feel guilty about this?

Read:

Hebrews 10:2, "For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins."

Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..."

Satan uses guilt as a weapon to draw us away from God. Do not be fooled!

Let�s look at a short story from a video titled The Gods Aren�t Angry:

Once upon a time in a small town there lived a woman who claimed she saw God in her dreams. People didn�t believe her, and the pastor went to talk to her. He, too, was doubtful. So he decided to test her. He told her, �The next time you see God, ask him what sins I confessed to him the last time I went to Him in prayer.�

Sometime later, the woman started having visions again, and the pastor heard people talking about it. So he asked her, �Did you ask God what I told you to?�

She said, � Yes I did, and God�s exact words were: I don�t remember.�

God keeps no record of our wrongs. When we confess our sins, forgiveness comes freely. There is no more debt. We are set free, just like that.

Since forgiveness is free, the next question to ask ourselves is: Can we accept it?

Or conversely, does that mean we can keep sinning and just keep confessing? Afterall, we�re forgiven no matter what.. right?

Sin is refusal of God�s grace. By choosing to keep sin in your life, you�re saying that heaven is not the place for you. It is like a person going into a Japanese restaurant even though he hates Japanese food. (or some other analogy :P)

So at the end of the day, we have to pick a side and stick with it, keeping in mind that our life here on Earth isn�t all. It is a preparation for eternity. Do we claim this gift that has been paid at a great cost, or do we live the way we like?

done by gaily

Day 5:

2011-10-29T10:44:00.001+08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVEntually
I apologize if certain bits sound a little too frank or makes a little sense as it's getting late :/

Let's open this lesson with a question:
Why must we suffer and what does God do about it?

Discuss however you like, just keep it within these limits:
- God does not cause suffering, we do
- Temptation causes us to suffer.
- We suffer not just for our own sins but for others as well, that is the importance of sacrifice.

If you want to follow the book, you realize that there is no scripture reading. For the benefit of those who don't read their Bibles on a regular basis, let's read Matthew 27:27-46 and ask them which part of the passage stands out the most to them. A good 19 verses they should have no problems picking out something that hits them in the face. Further ask why they feel that the particular incident has stood out to them and give them a chance to explain themselves before making an example out of them for giving a sarcastic answer.(Just kidding)

Further probe by asking:
Why should Jesus' suffering of such bad torture affect the way that the rest of us should be living our lives? Aren't there many people being tortured in the world right now as well?

In essence, this is about a blameless man who is also God at the same time, feeling an almost unbearable amount of pain for at most 3 hours on the cross, that this was not a brutal murder but a sacrifice for our sins. Also, Jesus chose all the pain so that he would be feeling our pain.(In verse 34, he was offered an anesthetic but he refused. The answer can be a simple as you want or it can be as complex as you want. Try to get it around midway to get them to think about the significance of the event, and remind them that it is key to our faith that we understand it.

Um, how do I put this...
I really dislike how the book sums up this series BUT I am most definitely not smarter than the author, though I have the home ground advantage and I can cater more towards what we are learning and what they are going to be doing in the near future. I think this balances things out between the two of us and so just to be safe, I will leave it up to you to decide in what way you would like to end off experiencing the lessons.

The Book's pretty straightforward, lots of reading and little questions and accompanying passages very theatrical in nature. I'll help you answer the questions:

1: How do you think Jesus was familiar with life's bruises? Look up any scripture passages you can think of that validate your answer.

He was as much God as He is man and He suffered like a man. Look at Mt 27:45-46 to see Him cry out in pain as He experiences our pain.

2: Read Revelation 2:4-5 on the left and write down what you learn about Jesus' concern for the fading passion of a smoldering wick.

Jesus is concerned that we may get too accustomed to His love and become to complacent with what has already happened and not what is to happen. He wants us to always be ablaze with passion, something that is not purely of us but with inspiration from God and Power from the Holy Spirit.

3: How would you answer the question, “Where is God when I hurt?” How do these stories of people met in pain affect your answer?

For this you have to Guide your students into thinking about times when the felt really hurt by themselves or the people around them and to try to remember where God was. Think of where God was for those met in pain and think about how God has been faithful.

4&5: Where do you long to see Jesus working his tender power in your life & what stones are in your way today?

Well, this question would really encourage them to come out of their shell and share about their life, good practice for when they have a chance to share with others. Encourage them if they share with advice, life experiences and sharing a little about yourselves and answering the question yourself as openly as they have.

As you go through the book, it is extremely hard to engage with these passages as their attention spans are kinda short. Use the Questions as “breaks” to allow the passage to sink in and to give an adequate answer. Not everyone may understand the passage as well and for the few questions to work it is important for the kids to understand the passage and not just have heard them.

And you can now close in prayer

And that's it for the book. Now for my idea on how we could end off the previous few lessons.

Here's the issue. In the past four “Days”, we've been exploring our desperation, our neediness, our pain, and distress. These four things are what make movies like final destination or saw enjoyable! Yes that and they could also be summarized into a single term known as suffering.

Let's get right to the lesson!

Start the same way, do the bible passage thing and whether Jesus should be suffering

Continue from the question by asking:

If Jesus' suffering was His sacrifice for us, that means he does not want us to suffer. So What does God want for us?
Turn to Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

The bible tells us that God wants only the best for us. He wants us to enjoy the joyous benefits of being His.

In contrast, how does the Bible describe the intentions of the enemy of God? (What is not meant for us from God.)

Turn to Isaiah 14:12-15 and...
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit."

John 8:44
"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."

The Bible describes one of God's angels, Lucifer, rising in rebellious pride against God and choosing evil rather than God's good way. Satan's momentous choice was the starting point of evil and the suffering that comes with it. Sin is the ultimate cause of suffering. Now Satan wants nothing more than to thwart God's plan and destroy our trust in God's goodness.

Even though God gives us free will, does He tell us what choice He wants us to make?

Read Deuteronomy 30:15-19 (Yes lots of reading)
"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live..."

Ask your students what was the goal that God had for us, and if we managed to achieve this goal. Consider the original plan for humans was to build a relationship, would we be achieving that goal without free will?

By giving us the chance to choose, God gives us the opportunity to develop His righteous character, something we couldn't develop if He always forced us to make the right choice.

Since sin causes suffering, does that mean the person who is suffering is always responsible for his or her own suffering?

Turn to Luke 13:2-5
And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Sadly, sins have consequences that often affect not just the sinner, but those around him or her as well. Satan is pulling the strings, allowing trials and suffering to come on innocent victims and God's people as well. So we should never judge the victims of suffering, but should be aware of our responsibility to repent and turn to God.

What is suffering good for?

Turn to 1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ...

And (Hebrews 5:8-9)

Many scriptures point out the end results of trusting God and enduring through difficulties. Like the refining process for precious metals, the heat of trials produces beautiful, godly character that can be achieved in no other way. The Bible tells us that even Jesus Christ learned through the things He suffered. It helps the world become a better place as we can all start to relate to each others suffering.

What does God want us to do for others who are suffering?

Read for them, don't need to turn to Galatians 6:2
Bear one anther’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Jesus Christ was willing to suffer the trials of His human life in order to help us (recall Crucifixion). He wants us to follow His example of loving service to those facing trials,

When will all suffering end?
Read for them, don't need to turn to Revelation 21:4
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

What a wonderful time to look forward to!

That's it, hope you liked it. Close in prayer after discussing the application of what we have learnt.

Application:
God is the "Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God wants us to not only feel for others, but to look for ways to comfort them. For example, James tells us "to visit orphans and widows in their trouble" (James 1:27).

What can you do today to lighten someone's load, to comfort or encourage someone? Perhaps a visit, phone call or gift would help. Perhaps providing a meal or helping out with chores could show you care as well as meet need. Pray for the people that you could help and pray that God will give you his courage.

Have a good Sunday!

Claire Bear

DAY FOUR – Jesus’ Power over Death

2011-10-22T00:35:00.001+08:00

The Heart of the matter –

- Facing the death of a loved one reveals our view of God

- Nothing is beyond the power of Jesus

- Gold holds the keys to life and death.

- When Jesus comes again, death will be no more

a) Key verse for the overall Lesson 7:

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Key verse for this lesson:

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5: 11- 12

(yup, this verse isn’t mentioned in the lesson anywhere but I felt that this could be a potential verse for the lesson since it’s about Jesus’ power over death)

Or

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11: 25 - 26

b) In Jesus’ walk on Earth, He has indeed performed many miracles, from healing the sick son (Day 2’s lesson) to healing paralysis (Day 3) and now, we glimpse a little more of his Power in full Swing: Raising the dead (Day 4).

Instances of Jesus raising the dead

1) Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son
Luke 7

2) the daughter of Jairus:

Luke 8

3) The Death of Lazarus

John 11

Kindly go through the first two firstJ

c) As usual, the lesson plan wraps around a Particular passage:

John 11: Death of Lazarus ( don’t read the passage first J )

Do Q1: Has there been a time in your life when you felt as good as dead? Maybe a crisis situation had overwhelmed you or a crucial relationship was destroyed. How did Jesus resurrect the situation? Explain what happened.

Alternatively to the underligned part, one can do the following Qns if they cant answer:

- Have one felt so troubled in life that you feel burdened and just tired. Depressed?

- What was causing you so much sadness?

- How did everything turn out eventually?

- Do you think God had a part in it?

- If not, why? Did you involve God in the picture?

- Could one have overlooked God’s involvement in our lives?

d) Look at Luke 7: 14-15

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Now look at Luke 8 : 54 - 55

54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

Both passages are reflective of Jesus’ power in his words (link to Power of Jesus)

The power of Jesus’ words: Do Q2

e) #1: Facing the death of a loved one reveals our view of God

READ JOHN 11: 1 – 44

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

John 11: 21

Do Q3

It may be hard to relate to an issue about death if one hasn’t come across the passing away of a loved one. But the passing away of a loved one is like removing a loved one from oneself, perhaps one can relate the feeling to that, how we go through different phases in life, eg. Why did God make a friend migrate over to another country? If God hadn’t presented that opportunity to her parents etc…

Do Defeating Death, Q4 and 5 (# 4 : (When Jesus comes again, death will be no more)is in Q5)

f) # 2 & 3: Nothing is beyond the power of Jesus, God hold the keys to life and death

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Point: Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he raised the widow’s son from the dead and that girl. Man who die cant walk again! It’s just out of this world. Definitely our God is one of immense power, the great almighty who holds the keys to life and death.

23This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Acts 2:23-24

And in case if your kids ask you if God resurrected Lazarus, then why cant he resurrect our loved ones? And why do they still die and not resurrect?

You can answer them saying that we don’t live in games, where we merely die, lose experience and resurrect. Yep. Instead: the answer is below:

EXTRA READINGSJ

The Bible talks about death as a sleep, refers to resurrections, the soul and spirit in death, and immortality.

A SLEEP - In John 11:11-14 (NIV) Jesus compares death to sleep. "'…Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.' His disciples replied, 'Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead,.'" The Bible compares death to sleep over 50 times.

We are told in I Thessalonians 4:15-16 (NIV) that those asleep in Jesus rise at His Second Coming. "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."

RESURRECTIONS - There are two resurrections-one to life and one to eternal condemnation. John 5:28-29 (NIV). "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned."

Genesis 2:7 (KJV) records the creation of man in the beginning. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." God did not put a soul into man. It is like an equation: Dust + Breath = a living soul. If you were going to make a wooden box you could say: boards + nails = a box. You take a few wooden boards and nail them together to make a box. If you take them apart again and pull all the nails out of the wood and put the nails in a pile and the boards in a stack. What happened to the box? It just ceased to exist until you put it back together again. That is the way it is with death. You take away the breath, that spark of life which comes from God and the body will return to dust (or sometimes to ashes in the case of cremation). What happened to the soul? It just ceases to be until God comes at the resurrection and puts it back together again. At that time the dust and the breath of life are reunited and then you have a life, a live person or live soul again.

The interval between death and the resurrection is described in the Bible as "sleep." No consciousness of what is happening, or time passing, etc. Dying is like going to sleep and your next conscious thought-it will seem like the next moment-is when God resurrects you giving you back your life.

SOUL AND SPIRIT IN DEATH - Ecclesiastes 12:7 says the body returns to the dust and the spirit [or breath of life] returns to God. Job 27:3 tells us that the spirit is the same as God's breath of life or His power.

Psalm 146:4 (KJV) says, "When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing." The dead do not praise God, Psalm 115:17. The dead do not know anything, Ecclesiastes 9:5, "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing."

IMMORTALITY - Human beings do not have immortality, only God does. (see I Timothy 6:16). We receive immortality when Jesus comes again. (see I Corinthians 15:51-54). When Jesus comes His reward of eternal life will be with Him. (see Revelation 22:12).

The Bible says heaven is a real place in John 14:1-3 (NIV), "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

God will give us glorious immortal bodies. Philippians 3:21 and I Corinthians 15:51-54. All physical deformities will be cured. (The eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped and the crippled healed.) Isaiah 35:3-6. They will build houses and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. Isaiah 65:21-23. The wolf and lamb will feed together. God's New Kingdom will be one of tranquil peace. Isaiah 65:25. We will fellowship with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the greatest minds of the ages forever. Matthew 8:11.

God Himself shall be with us and be our God. Revelation 21:3. We shall lovingly serve our God forever and enjoy the closest fellowship with Him. Revelation 22:3-4

2011-10-15T19:50:00.002+08:00

No lesson tmr instead we would be chilling out abit for lesson kaes :)
Since some of our kids are still in the midst of exams while some others are done so we thought it would be good to maybe bring some games to let them unwind anddddd SHARE if they have any thanksgivings:):):) also it would be a good time to share more about their progress so far on becoming the walking dynamites that they are meant to be. Also since their exams are ending... It means they are going to have hols soooon so maybe as as a group you guys can organise a mini outing for your kids and their friends they want to invite to the ttb production,so that it might be easier to invite them later for production after they when they are more familiar with you guys and your kids :):):)most importantly have funnn, share and pray for their friends!

Experiencing the Love if Jesus Day Three: When we’re OUT OF CHOICES

2011-09-27T21:39:00.002+08:00

Reference: John 5: 1 – 15 – Healing at the pool

è It would be good to ask your kids to read through this passage, ponder over it for like 5 mins and share what each individual picks out from the passage.

è The Focus:

1. The Invalid

v. 5 , v. 7

a) invalid for 38 yrs!

b) “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred, while I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.

· It would then be good to set the context for v.7 and v.3, why there’s tons of people over at the pool.

Context: People believed that the waters of the pool would heal them, someone may have been healed or claimed to be healed there. There has been claims that an angel would come down at a certain time in the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first would be healed.

2. The Power of Jesus, What Jesus did

a) v. 8. Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.

A) THE PREDICAMENT

I) Of the Invalid

- Invalid for 38 yrs! Like whhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaTTTTT!!!!

- Seeks healing but unable to do so… why?

- No one to help him into the pool when it stirs.

- His Predicament??

- Stuck?

- Fixed?

- Some may say pathetic… or what I’d normally say “sad L.”

II) Of Us.

*don’t tell them our predicament yet, it would be more impactful to leave the point of our predicament after going through the verses*

SO….. FLIP TO YOUR BIBLES!

B) God’s Standards: SETTING THE BAR! Yes, pull up bars to reach over : ), no offence to zero-fighters

1) BE PURE IN HEART

- Matthew 5: 8

- “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

- Q: What do you think “pure in heart means” ?

- A: Those whose minds, motives and principles are pure; who seek not only to have external actions correct, but those who desire to be holy in heart, and who are so.

Remember the lesson on “Man looking at the outward appearance, but God looking at the heart?”- Jeremiah 17:10

Or Simply

1. Living by the rule of God, living a life that is pleasing to God.

2. Living For God, having a single-minded devotion to God.

2) BE PERFECT

- Matthew 5: 48

- Q: what do you think “being perfect” means?

- A: God. :D

3) BE HOLY

- Hebrews 12: 14

- “to be Holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord”

- Leviticus 11: 44 – 45

- “Be Holy, because I am Holy”

- Q: What does “Holy” entail?

· Get your kids to ponder over it and get them to think

- A: 1 Peter 1 : 13 – 25

- For simplicity and convenience sake, I’ve underlined the answers and stuff, and do feel free to explore any particular area as required by your kids.

- Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a]

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[c]

And this is the word that was preached to you.

EXTRA FOR YOUR READING

Therefore we are instructed to gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. To gird up the loins of your mind should bring to mind the image of the first Passover, when the Israelites took flight from the Egyptians (Ex.12:11) and in the context of living soberly and setting our hopes completely on Christ, suggests vigilance and perseverance on the part of His people.

This is why obedience is a big issue in Peter’s letter. We must be like obedient children in order to Be holy for I am holy. In our former life, we were ignorant for we had no knowledge of God and that led us to godless conduct. We are called to be holy if we’ve received the the knowledge and love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. Peter makes it clear that obedience and conduct reveal whose we are. For God judges us according to our works.

Peter then goes on to teach us that this unknown God is made known by the revelation of Jesus Christ; He [Jesus] was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. For us to believe in the invisible God, He was revealed visible. For us to have life, we were shown the resurrection from the dead! Knowing that what God the Father did for His Son Jesus Christ, He will do for those who are truly His.

Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth, Peter continues, we have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God.

Q: Are we “being Holy”, “pefect” and “pure in heart?”

OBVIOUSLY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Romans 3: 23

Q: SO DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING ON WELL WITH YOUR LIFE?

- Romans 7 : 7 – 25 – it would be good to read together so that it sinks in for everybody

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[a] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[b] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[c] a slave to the law of sin.

------------------------------FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING-----------

Paul found in himself this principle for evil, the sin nature, even though he was a saved man. When he desired to do the good of the Law, he found in himself this sin principle which opposed him.

A failure to acknowledge that evil is still present in the child of God can make shipwreck of a person’s life. This is one of the reasons that many Christians crack up mentally. They try to live the Christian life but find only conflict. They do not realize that this is a normal experience to teach dependence upon the Holy Spirit.2

“For I delight [sympathetic rejoicing] in the law of God after the inward man.” “The law of God” refers to the Mosaic Law (Lk. 2:23,24). The “inward man” means one’s inmost personality which is influenced by the new nature. As a saved man, with his new nature, Paul loved the Mosaic Law because it was a reflection of God’s holy character.

“But I see another law in my members.” While Paul loved the Mosaic Law, he became aware of another strong force within him — the law or principle of indwelling sin.

“Warring against the law of my mind.” The law of sin was constantly and habitually warring against the principle (law) of Paul’s mind. His mind was a part of his personality that was influenced by the new nature. His new nature desired to keep the Law but the old sin nature prevented him from accomplishing this.

“And bringing me into captivity to the law [principle] of sin which is in my members.” There was a constant struggle between the new nature and the sin nature when Paul tried to keep the commands of the Law in his flesh. The result was defeat, discouragement, and an inability in his flesh to keep the righteous requirements of the Law.

He was made a captive or prisoner of the sin nature. The harder he tried, the more discouraged and defeated he became. He was sincere and earnest, but he was trying to produce the righteousness of the Law in his own strength and the sin nature overtook him.

At this point he had not learned that God had provided the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life in him.

Andrew Murray said,

“God works to will and he is ready to work to do but, alas, many Christians

misunderstand this. They think that because they have the will, it is enough, and that now they are able to do. This is not so. The new will is a permanent gift and attribute of the new nature but the power to do is not a permanent gift but must be received each moment from the Holy Spirit. It is the man who is conscious of his own impotence as a believer who will learn that by the Holy Spirit he can lead a holy life.”

PAUL’S CRY OF DESPAIR — Romans 7:24

“O wretched man that I am!” The word “wretched” has the idea of exhaustion because of hard labor. This is a beautiful picture of Paul struggling with his flesh, to the point of exhaustion, to make it obey the Law.3 What honest Christian has not made this cry many times as he finds himself in the struggle of sin and self-effort? I have been so fed up with my life as a Christian that I have thrown myself over my bed and cried out, “I’m so horribly sinful!” God brings his children to such a point to teach us dependence on him. Paul came to the end of himself. He saw himself in relation to the requirements of

God’s Law and was displeased with his own inability to deliver himself from the situation. Only when he came to the end of self-effort and discovered his own sinfulness did he cry out for deliverance! Paul came to realize that the flesh (sin nature) could not please God and that his best

efforts could not do so either. The flesh is not only sinful but it is also helpless. Paul learned that sin is not only doing something wrong, it is also trying to do something right in our own strength.

Despite our weakness and incapability in facing life on our own, look at v. 25

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[b] a slave to the law of sin.

C) WHAT GOD DID! OUR HOPE!

- Read What God Can do

- Colossians 2: 13 – 15

- Do q3 & q4

Finally…

SHARING TIME : D

Q: What are your peculiar paralysis in life? What stops us from being healed? (Good to share with your accountability partner! / ldr and student)

Lastly, Before closing prayer. Tell each other this!!!:

V. 8 Then Jesus said to him YOU ,“Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

Experiencing the Love of Jesus Day 2: The Power of a Timid Prayer

2011-09-20T23:07:00.000+08:00

HEY PEOPLE 
So here’s a continuation of last week’s lesson.
RECAP:
Last week’s lesson, largely revolved around Mark 5: 25-34, the Leper who touched Jesus’ cloak , about Desperation and God’s help. And ends of the teaching abt Faith, Quotes the Heart of Matter from previous week “a conviction that Jesus can, a hope that he will and that God is real and that God is good” 
DAY TWO- THE POWER OF A TIMID PRAYER
 This lesson yo is for those youths who are still unsure of praying, who still say “huuuuuhhhh, why me?” when we ask them to pray : )

Opening Prayer!
The whole lesson is adapted from Mark 9: 14- 29
Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.

Lesson proper
a) The Power isn’t in the prayer, it’s in the one who hears it AKA JESUS : )

 Recap on desperation from last week
 Briefly highlight the desperation in V. 22
 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
 Read the top part of Pg 134,
 Summary of it:
 Basically the father of the son who is demon possessed is really desperate, being a father, it must really hurt him a lot, and his prayer, “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”, note the “If you can”, note that little doubt yet timidness in that sentence he said to Jesus.

Inconsistency in prayer (usually the case for most of them, us included at times) -- Life crisis - Pray with increased sincerity and honesty.
Well, this should be that case, do ask ur kids if they do the above steps. They do know that they can seek God for help in times of trouble but the question is if they do that all the time and if not, one can
1) recap the lessons previously on going to God for help in prayer, and
2) question what stops them from going to God.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Proverbs 3: 5-8
Inconsistency in prayer (usually the case for most of them, us included at times) -- Life crisis - Pray with increased sincerity and honesty.
Back to topic.
Look at 1 Samuel 1: 10 – 11
10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
 Hannah’s story
 How the Lord closed her womb (v. 8)
 Need: to have a son
 Desperation.
 What did God do? God eventually gave her a son as promised : )
Psalm 17
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, LORD, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.
3 Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not stumbled.
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, LORD,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
This Prayer focuses on 1) teaching your kid one possible prayer to pray when in desperation (v.1) and 2) through this prayer, acknowledge our neediness for God’s strength in our lives and 3) God’s strength! May we learn to pray like David : )
Romans 7: 24 – 25
Another prayer:
4 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.
Extra on Prayer (if one feels your kids need that little extra!)
- Ecclesiastes 5:2
- Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.

- Matthew 6: 5-14
- Prayer
- 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
- 9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
- “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
- 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Point:
Our prayers should not be flowery and to impress other people, because God will not be impressed with such. "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Assuredly, I say they have their reward. And when you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words." The only reward someone who prays a prayer like this receives is the recognition he receives from men because God will not heed his prayer. We are also warned not to use vain repetitions, such as repeating something over and over. This type of prayer makes us a hypocrite because it is pretentious.
- Phil. 4:6
- 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
-
- 1 Peter 5:7
- 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Don’t know how to pray? ******** IMPT**********
So next time they cant tell you “but I don’t know what to pray” and you don’t have to give them the petrifying look.
Romans 8: 26 – 27
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
The Holy Spirit is making intercession for all believers because they do not know how to pray as they ought (Rom. 8:26). He takes our puny prayers and makes them eloquent before the Father!
b) Jesus Responds to our honesty and faith
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
v.24 shows the sincerity & honesty of the father, to overcome his unbelief/disbelief and let him have faith : )
Have faith!!
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17: 20
36 Overhearing[a] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Mark 5:36
REFOCUS: The power of Prayer! Is all in the Lord : )
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.

The power of God
2 “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ – Jeremiah 33 : 2 – 3

Do Qn 4

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” – Psalm 50 : 15
This verse is to encourage your kids to seek God in prayer in times of crisis, can be one of the memory verses : )
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
Psalm 145: 18 – 19
Etc. verses: Phil 4: 6 – 7
1 john 5: 14- 15
Read PG 136 ending part on Jim Redmond. And Heart of Jesus.

*Disclaimer*
I think the main focus I placed on this lesson is more of God’s powerful role in prayer. Yep, it would also be good to focus on others aspects of this lesson whenever n wherever God brings your group to! :D

Apologies for the slightly slip-shorter lesson :S wrote the lesson but kinda exhausted to type it out esp during my off day :P

done by JJ

Experiencing the power of Jesus - Day 1 All I Need Is a Miracle

2011-09-16T23:36:00.002+08:00

TOPIC: EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF JESUS

-Prayer:

Dear Father, Your power is greater than my every need and my every fear. Your power has conquered sin and death. Teach me to rest confidently in your strong hands. Help me to rely on your power, even when I don’t understand why things are happening. Show me how Jesus can meet me at the point of my greatest weakness with his perfect power. Amen.

-Memory Verse:

“But He said to me, ‘ My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.’ So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me.”-2 Corinthians 12:9

DAY ONE- ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE.

This lesson revolves largely around Faith and prayer.

Story: Mark 5: 25-34

FYI for the ldrs, The story is about this Lepar who touched Jesus’ Cloak, quotes “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Rings a bell? J And she was healed by her faith.

A) When we reach the point of total desperation. God steps in.

Mark 5: 25-27

25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,”

It would be good to explain the context of Lepers to your kids J

Lepers” were those who were rejected by society and neglected.

Leprosy was especially bad because:

* it was repulsive to all who saw the person

* it was incurable by human means

* it was isolating - lepers were confined outside the city limits - many times to the city dump - probably because they could find food and other things there.

* it would cause you to become unclean ceremonially if you touched a leper (even if you didn’t catch the disease).

* it was the physical counterpart to the spiritual problem of sin. It was the model disease for sin. That is why when a leper is healed it is called a cleansing instead of a healing.

* When a leper was healed he was to go to the priest and be pronounced clean before reentering society.

Or just get your kids to read the whole thing on pg 130 :D

IT was really despo of the leper to go all the way out just to touch Jesus’ cloak J

So basically Mark 5: 25-27 speaks of the story of the Leper and more importantly, highlights her desperation to be healed by Jesus.

Sometimes, the point of total desperation is our turning point- where God steps in to perform His miracle.

Here are two stories of people who had despo moments, no not for girls, but real real despo moments in life, u get what I mean J

2 Samuel 12

> The story of King David

o He struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own (v. 9) . And now God is punishing him by making the son born to him die(v. 14).

o His desperation - 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth[b] on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

o How did God step in? – Well He didn’t initially and that child died *JTB. *sad* But He still made a way J She (not King David, his wife) gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him. (v. 24) yay!! And yes, he’s King Solomon.

2 Kings 20:1-7

> The story of Hezekiah

o His desperation: 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death.

o How did God step in? - This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life.

And That’s how God made a way J

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

And sadly, after writing it, I can’t remember why I added it in. erm, it’s also on the lesson, but idk why now.

B) Faith is a conviction that Jesus can! And a hope that He will!

i) Do Q2 J

And here are some Ans and analysis to the Ans of Q2

DISCLAIMER!!!! : You don’t necessarily have to go through all with your kids, just those they pick J

a) I tend to worry about my situation, thinking and rethinking my choices & Options.

Here’s what the bible says: Matthew 6:25-34

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

b) I try to avoid thinking about my troubles by distracting myself with other things.

Here’s what the bible says: Psalm 1: 1-2

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.

c) I look for someone to blame for my desperate situation.

Lugggyyyyy best! This skill works wonders in Army. J

The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures. But nooooooooo.

Here’s what the bible says: Galatians 6:5, Simple and a slap in your face verse. Ha.

5 for each one should carry their own load.

*Letitia so harpy and so will you! cause this verse needs no explanation J*

d) I complain loudly about my circumstances to anyone who will listen.

Oh no, looks like someone hasn’t moved out of his/her babyhood!

Here’s what the bible says: 1 Corinthian 10:10

10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

*gasps* O.O!!!!

e) I begin an inevitable descent into sadness and depression.

Quite common, self-pity takes no-one nowhere. Hence, everyone everywhere. Nope, sorry. doesn’t go that way L

Here’s what the bible says: Matthew 11: 28 – 30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am

gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Go to God! J For he will give u rest, happiness and joy for His burden is less that all that you’re going through J

f) I find my faith shaken, and I begin to wonder if God will ever rescue me.

Here’s what the bible says: 2 Tim 4: 17 – 18

17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

g) I never really lose faith, and can depend on Jesus to carry me through.

Im kinda peckish, so here’s the “never really” so that means Got lar?? Somewhat? Just a tiny bit? So evidently your kids still have some doubts! Ha, GOT YOU THERE! The KIDS WITH POLITICALLY /BIBLICALLY CORRECT ANSWERS J JJJ So it means this lesson is also for those who chose this answer too :PPPPPPPP

Mark 5: 29 – 34

29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

C) What is Faith??

Ans: Heb 11. Well, you can read the whole thing *does the random hand movement stuff* or hm, how about verse 1 if you’re running short of time and your kids are running low on brain fuel and/or gonna drop dead w/o gorgeous.

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

and

James 1: 6- 8

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

God Looks at your <3 and your sincerity and your faith.

I kinda don’t agree with the “God says that the more hopeless your circumstances, the more likely your salvation” point… so yea LLL

And Lastly,

God’s help is near and always available. Just a prayer away. And a whole cup full of Faith and honey*winnie the pooh*!!! J

Yay! Lesson end, now get the one who’s almost half dead to pray* :D

*terms and conditions apply, should there be such a member in your group.

done by JJ

Experiencing the Love of Jesus Day 5 – What we really want to know

2011-09-01T00:09:00.002+08:00

Pg. 123,

Hi guys and girls, I’ve tried my best to make this really important lesson short and sweet so that the kids will not become restless along the way. Hopefully by doing so, the kids, who are teenagers, will keep in mind that God still loves them despite of the numerous disappointments and problems they face presently as well as in the future. As for us (leaders), let it be a reminder for us that God is always there for us to turn to in times of need.

OK, let’s start…

There are 5 key points.

1) God protects

2) God provides

3) God removes our guilt

4) God is gracious

5) God love endureth

(1) God Protects

This is a rather simple and obvious point to all of us but there are still times in our lives that we start to doubt whether God is still there by our side to protect us whenever we are struggling.

Ask the kids to share how God has protected them in any situation where they experienced him the most.

Basically, it boils down to the fact that God loves us and because we are His children, he’ll definitely take care of us no matter what. God can also protect us from diseases/sicknesses and also guides us in making the right decisions in life. There are certainly times in life where we are faced with disappointments such as rejection, failures etc. however, we must remember that God knows what is good for us and that there is a purpose and reason as to why such things happen. God sees the big picture.

If God is for us, who can be against us? – this is an impt point to note. It is God who protects us from everything. Not even our parents can protect us so much. Try the 4ways to say the phrase, God is for us.

Notice that there is a different meaning to each one. The first one emphasizes on how powerful and awesome God is. The second one emphasizes on how much focus and attention God spends on us because He loves us. The third one affirms us that God is there to protect us and help us whenever we cry out to him. The fourth one brings across the point that we are the previledged bunch that God takes care of the most.

Answer qn 1.

(2) God Provides

Ask the kids whether they still find it hard to stop worrying about their exams and especially at their age-self image. The obvious answer is YES. This is because it is human nature to do so. Read Romans 8:32. The fact that we are Christians and have the knowledge that God provides should allow us to worry less and commit all our burdens and requests unto Him. All we have to do is trust in God and have faith that God will grant us the desires of our hearts because of His love for us.

Answer qn 2.

(3) God removes our guilt

(4) God is gracious

Cheating in a test, stealing, swearing and cursing, hurting others…etc. These are just a few examples of sins we commit in our daily lives. We are humans and we are not perfect. We are born in sin and it is also written in the bible that the “flesh is weak”. Often when we sin, the guilt sets in after you begin to question yourself why did you ever do such a thing and how are you going to face your loved ones or even God. However, because God loved us so much that sent his son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and to bear the shame and guilt in front of the large crowd standing before him.

Unfortunately, Satan does not give in so easily. Read the passage and understand how the devil plays a part in accusing you of past wrongdoings from time to time. Read Revelations 12:10-12 and answer qn3.

This point is linked to God being gracious to us. It is because “God loved us that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16.

Read Isaiah 50:7-8. The passage emphasizes the pt that with God on our side, nothing can be against us and there is the confidence to overcome any thoughts/temptations implanted in our mind by the devil.

Do qn4.

(5) God’s love Endureth

It is important to know that no matter what we do, God will always love us and it is our decision whether we want to receive his love or not. There are definitely times where we’ll stray so far from God that we often think that it is impossible to come back to him. However, the truth is, God is always there ready to receive us back just like the parable of The Prodigal Son. All you have to do is earnestly pray for forgiveness and repent.

Jesus dying on the cross also shows how much God loves us because he loves us so much, He is willing to go through all the torture and sufferings and be crucified on the cross on our behalf. What more can we ask for?

Read Romans 8:38-39 and answer qn 5.

Experiencing the Love of Jesus, Day 4: A Love Worth Giving

2011-08-27T12:07:00.002+08:00

Hi guys, sorry for the late submission of this lesson plan, needed time to start planning again and I hope whatever I am able to produce will first be able to impact and convict ourselves before we try to teach and touch the lives of our kids. Thanks for yr understanding.

Key Takeaways:
God’s love is measureless
God’s love covers all things
God’s love empowers us to love
God’s love lasts forever

Hook:
Start by asking your kids what they want to be when they grow up:
I hope they are able to have some form of goals/ambitions
Willing to share so we can get to know them better (regardless how ambitious or funny their goals are)
We can also share with them what we want to be when we grow old
Next, ask them what is required in order to get there and be who we want to be.
For example, to be a teacher what do we need?
Tangible aspect: NIE certificate, University degree, etc. (Academics, Money?)
Intangible aspect: Patience (naughty kids), communication skills, etc.
Therefore in summary of the hook, there are certain things that we require to be whoever we desire to be. Similarly, to be a person of Love, there is also something we need. We can have all the patience in the world, or all the knowledge of how love works, but without Love himself in our lives how can we love?
Expounding from last wk’s verse Luke 7:47, the main principle of this wk’s lesson is to Receive first, Love second. Let’s keep this in mind and move on to Qn1.

1) Read 1 Cor 13:4-8 and fill in the blanks concerning love’s qualities.
This passage brings us to a deeper and much specific understanding of love and what it is. Many of us at some point of time may have had challenged ourselves to grace such qualities, but often than not have failed. We try to psycho ourselves to be “patient and kind”, nor to be “envious, boastful or prideful” but that does not work. We will never be able to meet all these qualities at all. Replace love with Christ’s name in this passage to see if it is true of Christ. Let us learn to see how Jesus’ love is measureless and so wide that he can meet all our needs.

2) With that we can lead the kids into answering how Christ’ love is real in their lives and which quality stands out most to them. (You can try to share what His love means to you before asking them to encourage participation)
- For example, whenever I make mistakes, be it in work or even whilst having fun and offend or hurt the people around me, knowing that there will be severe repercussions… It is convicting and uplifting to know that Christ keeps no records of my wrongs no matter what happens. That is love isn’t it?
Also, 1 Cor 13:7 talks of love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endure all things.”
Christ love is here to cover your guilt and weaknesses and it is so relevant cos we’re human and we make mistakes every day. Be it for our kids when they cheat, lie to their parents, skip classes etc and then feel guilty, help them to understand that His love covers it all.

3) These verses help to show the all-consuming effect His love has on our lives regarding sin.
1 Cor 6:11 - We are clean, right and holy, in the Name of Jesus. Sin has no stronghold on us physically and spiritually. (guilt should never precede God’s love and grace for us)
1 Thess 5:23 - God will make us pure to allow us to abide and belong to Him.
Hebrews 9: 13-14 - The blood of Christ makes us clean (spiritually) and our conscience pure
I think it is important to convey the meaning of these verses on how powerful the effect of God’s love is in our lives regarding sin, because this clearly shows that sin is defeated daily and it does become a stronghold in our lives.

4) How does Eph 4:32 help us to respond to those who hurt us?
By allowing us to be conscious of how kind and compassionate the Lord is to us. Also before attempting this question please go through the “Loving Our Enemies” paragraph with your kids.

The main point I would like to drive at is that it is not easy to respond to hate or hurt, and by being conscious of God’s love for us we are able to see 2 things clearer:
1) We are sinners and deserve His grace and love
2) We are sinners just like they all are (those who cause us pain is exactly like whom we are, and who Christ came to save)
Help them to understand that we are all in need of a Saviour who loves us for who we are.

5) Living in the Overflow
You can refer to Luke 7:36-48 to understand the context of it all. It shows the contrast between Simon the “righteous” and the sinful woman and yet what it meant for Jesus. (it is still applicable now) This passage shows what it is to receive God’s love by acknowledging our weaknesses and need for a savior. Only by receiving this love can
we learn to love others the way He did.

6) Keeping Tabs
Lastly, please guide them through the “Keeping Tabs” portion.
Matt:21-22 shows Jesus’ reply to Peter: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Please do not miss the point on how many times we are called to forgive, but rather let us focus on Jesus’ answer that underscores how Jesus’ love for us can never be exhausted.
1 Cor 13:8 - Love never fails
Jesus’ love for us will never fail nor wither. Therefore this love that we place our hope and trust on will not fail us, nor will it die out like our temporal happiness, successes or even certain friendships. Wherever in our lives now, be it army, work or school… things, circumstances and people may fail us, but help us to realize that the love of God always lasts. May we help our kids understand that too.

Sorry for the long lesson, I just hope this lesson helped you understand how much God loves us and how I’d love to let my kid experience this love as well. You know your kids best so I’m sure you can convey this message better than how my blog format is. Thank you for your time spent reading.

Yours,
Edmund

Experiencing the Love of Jesus Day 3: The heaviness of hatred

2011-08-20T18:08:00.002+08:00

Heyys so sorry leaders, the person assigned to do lesson this week couldn't do it. So just lead from the book yeah :) sorry!

2011-07-29T12:27:00.000+08:00

Leaders please refer to the previous lesson (Day 1 Where Love and Justice Meet) for this sunday's lesson (31st July)

-Day 2 Honest Hearts (7Aug)

Also take note, Ahlegs would like to meet the Gofish leaders after class this sunday (31st July) for a short meeting on our plans for our sec2 kids :)

Experiencing the Love of Jesus Day 2: Honest Hearts

2011-07-29T12:15:00.001+08:00

Key takeaways:
1) God demands our full honesty
2) Confession helps to clear the spaces in our heart for God to come in

Honesty
- Start by asking your kids if they have any secrets they feel they are unable to share with anyone.
Ask them how they would feel if you would know about the secret.
Jesus however, knows all our deepest and darkest secrets. And it is impossible for us to hide it from him. Every good deed, wrong actions, bad decisions, God knows them all.
- Ask the kids why we should continue to tell God about our lives and our actions good or wrong.
Read Acts chapter 5:1-11
This is the story of Ananias and Sapphira
- Why did God strike them down?
- Why does God still want our full honesty even though he knows everything about us?
- How do we come clean and be honest to God?
Do question 1: Read through the verses and tell your kids that confession is how we own up and be honest to God.
Confession
Read the passage on Charles Robertson in the guide if you want to. (Optional)
- Ask your kids if they know what confession is. Or if they have ever confessed to God before
- If your kids have confessed to God before, ask them how do they feel after that? Do they feel rejuvenated? Do they feel relieved? Or maybe they do not feel any change?
Do question 2
Do question 3 : Flip to Psalm 51 and read verses 1-5, 10-14. Explain to the kids that this is the psalm that King David wrote when the prophet Nathan came to him when he had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Verses 10-14 tells us that confessing our sins is not just telling God about what sins we have committed but asking God to really clean our souls inside out. By confessing our sins, God takes away all the residue of the sin away. The guilt, the pain, the lingering memory of the sin, the fear of committing the same sin again, God will take all these things away and replace them with a clean heart, the holy spirit, Joy, Peace and Love.
Many times when we confess our sins we merely tell God what we have done wrong but we have not let God take control of the Sin. If God does not take control of the sin, the residue (mentioned above) from the sin will still remain in you and eventually it will cripple your relationship with God. Therefore it is vital to come to God with a prepared heart and an open soul to let God take over the sin.
Do question 4
Read the passage on Honest Worship (Compulsory)
Read Mark 14:66-72
- What do you think caused peter to deny Jesus?
- How do you think Peter felt after he realised what he had just done?
Read John 21:15-19
Jesus knew what peter had done. But he also knew how sorry and how upset peter felt about it. Although not recorded in the bible, Peter most likely confessed his sins to Jesus or talked to him about it. When Jesus asked Peter if he loved him 3 times, it was not to make fun of Peter or to insult his faith but rather to reaffirm Peter that Jesus still loves him and trust him to take care of his sheep (us).
Read Acts Chapter 2: 22-24
This is Peter after Jesus reaffirmed him. See the difference? After the cleaning of his soul and the confession, Peter became a lot stronger, more convicted and even more determined to do Gods work. This is what confession can bring out from us. It clears the guilt from us and empowers us to continue doing God’s work.
When we confess our sins, God also reaffirms us that he still loves us all the same and that no sin could ever break you apart.
However if we do not confess our sins, God cannot come back into our lives to continue to rectify the sin or issue that we are facing. When that happens we, our relationship with God will cease to grow and eventually we might find ourselves spiralling down away from God in the worst case scenario. Just like what happened to Ananias and Sapphira. (Although you most likely will not die like them)
Do Question 5
Do question 6

Sometimes when we sin, we feel absolutely terrible and even though we confess our sins to God we still feel like there is a chain attached to the sin. There is a feeling that you cannot let go. A fear of committing the same sin again and that if people knew about the sin you committed, they would think really badly of you. But Jesus sees pass these sins. Because of the God’s Grace and his Love for us, the chains of each sin has been broken, you do not have to feel the fear of that sin anymore. Let God Break the chains of sin for you do no continue to live in fearing the same sin or ashamed of the sin. God’s grace and love is all that matters and nothing you could ever do could make him love you any less.

- Reflect with the kids on having an honest heart with God
- Encourage them to consistently confess their sins to God so that God can continue to work and mould their soul.

by Alden

Experiencing the Love of Jesus Day 1- Where Love and Justice Meet

2011-07-28T14:39:00.003+08:00

Hm I’ll start off with the key points I hope the kids can take home. But if you feel there’s more, do add in your own.

1: We’ll saved by God’s grace through Jesus and His grace is where love and justice meet to provide our salvation.

2: God will always love us, no matter what, we can’t earn it.

3: Knowing we didn’t do anything to earn God’s love reminds us not to live in fear of losing it either.

Pray!

Hook: Today’s hook will be a piece of paper. I mean not just a piece of paper, but there’ll be a maze on it. Like you know those mazes where you start off at one point, and then you trace your way through the maze to get to the ending point? Yup. It’s not uploaded here but I’ll provide it for you on Sunday! Just remember to bring 3 different coloured pens. I’ll explain what the maze is about.

Um so there’s 2 starting points here, one titled Love and one titled Justice. The ending point is titled Salvation. There’ll be an empty landmark somewhere in the middle. The landmark will be known as Grace and the leaders are supposed to fill it in later.

Group your kids in 3s and get each of them to use a different coloured pen. 2 kids will start off at either Love or Justice and they are to start tracing at the same time. Remember to tell your kids no cheating with their eyes by looking ahead for smooth paths! Just tell them to follow their pen or pencil!

Anyway, eventually both kids will end up at the empty landmark. When that happens, the leaders fill it in with Grace (haha you can draw a cross beside it if you want to). Then the 3^rd kid takes over and finishes the maze till they reach the end, which is Salvation.

Okay, so the hook will launch you into the first key point which is under the part God’s Gift from Heaven in the book.

Lesson Start:

Key point 1: We’ll saved by God’s grace through Jesus and His grace is where love and justice meet to provide our salvation. (God’s Gift from Heaven)

Ask your kids if they know what justification means. Justification is being made right with God. But we are only justified if we accept the truth that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We are justified by faith in Jesus. Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

Do question 1

God is a just God. He won’t leave any sin unpunished. Bearing this in mind and remembering previous lessons where we’ve learnt that our salvation is by God’s grace, its God’s gift to us, not by our own works (Ref Ephesians 2:8-9), ask your kids why they think God sent His son to die on the cross for our sins. (do question 3 in book but don’t read verse yet)

Possible answers from them might be because Jesus is the only perfect sacrifice that can pay the price for our sins and God cant leave any sin unpunished; God is full of grace and God is good.

All are true but an important answer I’m hoping will surface and probably will, is because God LOVES us. Read Romans 3-25-26

God is motivated to save us both because of his love for us and his responsibility to deal with sin. His grace is where love and justice meet to provide our salvation.

Key point 2: God will always love us, no matter what, we can’t earn it. (Can’t Help but Love)

Ask your kids whether there are times in which they feel God cant possibly love them because of something they have done wrong or maybe they feel God cant possibly love them if they’re so weird that other people don’t like them or laugh at them etc.

If they’ve never felt that, then great! But if not, we can refer to a verse that can comfort them and reassure them that God’s love is not dependent on anything we do or anything we are. Deut 7:7-8 “The Lord did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! It was simply because the Lord loves you!”

He’s God and He doesn’t need anything from us. He loves us because He chooses to. 1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us”

He loves us because it’s His very nature. Refer to the 2^nd part of the verse for 1 John 4:8 “…God is love”

Do question 4 and learn more about God’s love J

Key point 3: Knowing we didn’t do anything to earn God’s love reminds us not to live in fear of losing it either. (Our Response)

Ask the kids if they’ve ever worried about losing God’s love.

Do question 6

Read Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing can separate us from the God’s love! Tell your kids that!

End of with the new memory verse. For those who’ve been to Tacklecamp 2010, it was part of the theme verse!

Ephesians 3:18-19 “may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Hope this helps

Done by Cheryl and edmund will thank her by buying her lunch :)

New Roster :)

2011-07-26T11:46:00.004+08:00

1. Kenn (done)
2. Alex (done)
3. Cheryl (done)
4. Alden (done)
5. Mund (Day 3 The Heaviness of Hatred- 14 Aug)
6. Rayner
7. Clarence
8. JJ
9. Gaily
10. Pet
11. Alicia
12. Joanna
13. Elvie
14. YY
15. Ariel
16. Justina
17. Caitlyn
18. Joel
19. Zhan Feng
20. Heng Guang
21. Leroy

Please take note of your position on the roster, I did not set sepcific dates because it changes sometimes so after that it gets a little messy. Anyways same things apply, ahlegs and I will try to remind you again during that week who is supposed to prepare lesson and if its your turn please try to send it to either one of us by fri night :):):)

Day Five- Homeward Bound

2011-07-22T00:47:00.002+08:00

Open with a word of prayer :)

Almost Home

To start, we shall have a drawing activity. Inform your youths that there is no right or wrong answer, as we do not really know exactly how heaven is really like. Instead, get them to do this based on their true opinions and perception. Take a piece of paper and ask your youths to draw out what they imagine heaven to look like. After which, they are to describe and write down how they think being in heaven will be like. E.g. what they will be feeling or doing in heaven. Get them to share their answers with one another, identify similarities and differences among answers.

After which, ask them what their definition of “home” is, and see if there is any similarities as to how they perceive heaven to be.

A home is supposed to be a place of rest, acceptance and belonging. A place whereby we feel comfortable being in. The text describes heaven as our true and eternal home; Upon our passing from this Earth, we return to where we truly belong- By God’s side.

The Best is Yet to Come

Do question 2.

Life on earth can be both good and bad for us, filled with both happy and sad memories. While life might seem worth living during the happy days and a waste of time during the sad ones, the fact remains that there is something even better that awaits us. A world without pain or suffering, face to face with our Dearest Creator, worshipping Him every single day of our lives forever. Good news- Whatever the youths and you perceive heaven to be, it’s actually a lot better. Our minds can’t perceive truly how great heaven is. But what we do know is that heaven is a place whereby you won’t regret being in, since it is a place we belong and experience God fully. No death, suffering, illnesses, sin or whatever.

Get your youths to share about the happiest memory they have. Share yours too! The joy you experience in heaven is even greater than that feeling experienced during the happiest memory. And imagine experience that feeling every single day.

Do question 3 and 4

Eternal Joy

Question 4 tell us this: Whatever happens in this life, in Faith, focus on the joy and eternity that is in heaven, and hold on and turn towards it during the saddest and most demoralized moments in life. While the temporary might seem overwhelming, the temporary will and always is, temporary. Our true focus is heaven. Thus, rather than storing up things on this earth, store up your treasures in heaven.

The Incomparable Value of Joy

To end, ponder on these questions

What is this treasure worth to you? What will you give up to reach this prize that has been granted unto us by God? And, in the end, do you want to go to heaven?

by kenn

Day 4- The Kingdom of the Absurd

2011-07-16T20:36:00.002+08:00

Today's topic is about the wonder of Joy. lol i can hear all the sniggering

Ok so anyway. You can start by asking your kids the question

Opening question: What is Joy?

Well like the book says.One of the most significant moments of Joy in the Bible is that of Sarai and how she and Abram had gotten a baby at a really really really old age. Thats like something impossible. So does that mean that only when there is a divide intervention then Joy can be attained? Well i like to think so. You will find out why later.

Well to answer the question, i first asked myself what is the difference between Happiness and Joy

Hook: Ask your kids to take out a piece of paper and write down ten things that make them happy.

It can be anything and in any order. You know... it could be anything from a good cheese burger to when a baby wraps their ting hand around your finger.

so for example mine would be:

1) Scoring a good goal in soccer

2) When someone finally understands how to solve a math problem that i have been teaching him for hours.

3) Finding something really funny on tumblr like this

Yeah so anyway if you noticed.

The things that make you happy are all temporary and they only bring you temporary happiness. One minute i scored a goal against edmund, the next moment he dribbles pass me like 5 billion times and we lose the game.

So you see Joy is something entirely different from happiness. Joy, in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. Joy is attitude of the heart. It is not necessarily based on something positive happening. Joy is something that lasts; happiness is something that is temporary. When happiness fades away, joy remains. Joy is something that is bigger than you and I and our current circumstances. Joy brings us peace in the middle of a storm. Joy is something that God deposits into us through the Holy Spirit. The enemy tries everything in his power to steal your joy because it is that important. On the other hand, the enemy will tempt you with things that will temporarily give you happiness but at the same time drift you away from God.

Another thing about things that make you happy, the things that make you happy is always about you. You are at the center of things.

So why should you make that choice despite your circumstances to be joyful even if you are in a deep deep deep hole and there doesnt seem to be a way out.

1) God is always with you and is in control of the situation and has provided a way out for you.

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

2) God is making you more like Christ. Things should be for his glory.

In whatever circumstances good or bad. It should be about God not you. The question should not be God, how am i going to get out of this shit hole? It should be God, how can i glorify your name in this situation?

Romans 8: 28- 29

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

In all thing, God can turn it around for his glory.

3) There is nothing in this world that God cannot do or cannot overcome.

Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"

So if in all circumstances you face, you know that God is in control, nothing can prevent him from being in control of the situation and last of all in every circumstance he can turn it around and use it to shape you to become more Christ like.

Isnt that Joy? That every single moment of your life. Can be a divine intervention.

I hoped that helped.

Alex

2011-07-16T16:18:00.002+08:00

Hey guys sorry that the lesson is not up yet.

Can you come back at 930pm? The lesson should be up by then

Alex

Day 3 – The State of the Heart

2011-07-02T14:53:00.000+08:00

Hook

1. Fold a paper heart! (This paper heart will be used at the end of the lesson too)

Materials: Square paper, preferably not too small

Video on how to fold a paper heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqAbig-unUY (There are other videos out there so you might want to check them out!)

2. Everyone will take turns to share what they think the word “heart means”

Lead into the lesson proper by sharing with them the biblical idea of “heart

What is the heart? (The wellspring of life)

Basically, we need to communicate the idea that the heart is pretty much “the totality of an inner person”. It is a lot more than what the origin of our emotions. It also determines our character, which in turn influences our conduct.

Do Question 1

There is the idea above all else, our heart is of importance in the Christian faith.

1. It reflects our state of being – good/evil, obedient/disobedient, christian/non-christian etc..

2. It reveals what we love, not just in an emotional intangible sense, but also in a tangible way. What we speak of most often, what we spend most of our time doing etc…

What is the state of your heart? (The heart of the problem)

Ask some hypotheticals that may reveal your students’ hearts, this will depend on what you know of your students.

For the muggers:

When you have an assignment due the next day and you are in the midst of completing it, are you very highstrung? If your mother asks you for a little time, or somebody needs help, what do you do?

For the socialites:

When your friends don’t like a certain person in your group, do you join them in badmouthing her?

When you are told a juicy bit of gossip, or someone badmouths another to you, do you pass this information on to your good friends?

For the gamers:

When you are spending time with your family, or even with God (in church), does your mind drift to the newest game? Or are you in fact playing that game with your psp/iphone/techthingy?

For the self-absorbed/apathetic (most):

When you see a person in need or who are less blessed than you (maybe the uncle who sells tissue paper at the mrt station), does anything even cross your mind? Do you think of them as an opportunity for God to use you to bless others?

You are encouraged to share with your students some of your experiences too.

Do Question 2

Now that the students know how important the state of their hearts is to their faith, lead into the next segment of the danger of trying to change your heart on your own.

Problem: Trying to change from the outside in

Question: Since you know that your heart isn’t right in these areas, have you tried to change before? (Try and get everyone to share)

Read the passage below Question 2, which links the beatitudes to this danger.

Emphasise the idea that change has to happen from the inside out, and only God can change our hearts. If we try to change our conduct with the aim of changing our hearts, we will only fail sadly.

Solution: Looking to God (Make a change)

So how do we go about asking God to change our hearts?

Read the segment under “Make a Change” and do Questions 4 and 5 sequentially

Ending activity: Ask them to unfold the hearts that they folded just now, and have them write on the paper a prayer to God to change their hearts.

Encourage them along the week to ask God to change their hearts daily and allow them to change into people that God wants them to be. For those who are clueless as to what they think God wants them to be, ask them to pray to become loving Christians, and link this to the TTB production. If they want to serve God through the production, first, their hearts should be changed and set right so that they can serve God joyfully.

Done by Ariel

Important!!!

2011-06-27T18:50:00.001+08:00

This is an email from Esther.
Hi LCs

Kindly inform your SGLs to keep this date free for the Classroom Management Training:
13 Aug, Sat, from 4pm - 6pm. It will be held at the Board Room.
Will send you a reminder nearer the date.

Thanks.

Esther

Lesson 5 – Experiencing the Joy of Jesus

2011-06-23T22:01:00.001+08:00

Hook: Don’t Forget the Lyrics!
Get the group to sing these together (leaders must participate!)!! And of course, add in the missing lyrics! The number of blanks fits the number of letters exactly. Bonus points for actions! :D
Song 1: J-O-Y down in my heart
I’ve got joy that is down in my heart, deep deep down in my heart.
(Spell it out!) J-O-Y that is down in my heart, deep deep down in my heart.
Jesus put it there and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _!
I’ve got joy that is down in my heart, deep deep down in my heart!
Missing lyrics: nothing can destroy, destroy, destroy, NO
Song 2: I’ve got peace like a river
(I've got peace like a river
I've got peace like a river
I've got peace like a river in my soul) x2

(I've got love an ocean
I've got love an ocean
I've got love an ocean in my soul) x2

(_’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _) x2
Missing lyrics:
I've got joy like a fountain
I've got joy like a fountain
I've got joy like a fountain in my soul

Link: Do we really have that JOY deep down in our hearts? Last week we learnt about God’s sacred delight! Do we share that kind of delight and have that kind of stubborn, unshakeable peace and JOY? Sounds so appealing but HOW do we even get there?
Book and Look:
Read Matt 5:1-10 and then the section on The Blessing of God.
In addition to answering questions 1 and 2, you might also consider discussing with the group what a ‘radical reconstruction of the heart’ means before going on to the section on Radical Reconstruction.

From the section of Radical Reconstruction, take turns sharing about a phrase/sentence/paragraph that is meaningful to you.
For me, it’s ‘No excuses. No justification. Just tears.’ Part of the process of the reconstruction of our hearts includes mourning! Truly, I know that it’s hard to problem-free and to always end up doing the right thing, sometimes even trying is so tiring and frustrating. If I wanna be joyful, it’s nothing like pretending my life is perfect or that people will never find loopholes in the way I do things, that’s not me! So herein lies the difference between being drugged and being joyful, which is that I recognize that indeed many things are wrong and I mourn, in order that I might be comforted.
I’m not familiar Black Bart, the character that Lucado mentions in the section The Bandit of Joy. So can I suggest that the groups share their personal encounters with bandits of joy, followed by a discussion of question 4. (The Bible identifies this thief who holds up Christians and makes us surrender our joy. Read John 10:10 and identify who this thief is, and what he does to us. What does Christ in turn do?)
Took:
Take the section Promises of Joy further by encouraging every member to claim these promises throughout the week! Please also unhurriedly discuss question 6 (What fears are keeping you from receiving God’s forgiveness and beginning your journey of real joy?), share with sincerity!
We can end by highlighting The Heart of the Matter, sharing thoughts on The Heart of Jesus and doing a memory verse review on Matt 5:12! :D

Training Survey

2011-06-21T22:02:00.004+08:00

Lesson 5 Experiencing the Joy of Jesus. Day 1 Sacred Delight

2011-06-17T22:40:00.001+08:00

What is joy?
- According to the dictionary, it means a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment, something causing such a feeling; a source of happiness, an outward show of pleasure or delight; rejoicing.
- When was the last time you felt joyful? What caused you to feel that way? Was it a short term feeling or a long term feeling?
Read the passage on joy and delight to find out more about what the bible says about joy and do question 1.
Joy does not really mean happiness. Happiness is a momentary feeling. You can feel happy when you have a good day or a good time with your friends, family, etc. Joy is much more deep and abiding. Well, according to the bible, Joy is defined as the happy state that results from knowing and serving God.
-Are you experiencing this kind of joy now? If not, what is holding you back from experiencing it?
Joy in the Christian life is in direct proportion as believers walk with the Lord. They can rejoice because they are in the Lord (Philippians 4:4). Joy is a fruit of a Spirit-led life (Galatians 5:22). Sin in a believer's life robs the person of joy (Psalms 51:8,Psalms 51:12).
We can have real joy in knowing that He loves us and is coming back for us. No matter what problems that we have throughout our day, we can have real joy in the comfort of His love.
Read the passage on the truth about God and do question 2.
When a person walks with the Lord, the person can continue to rejoice even when troubles come. You can have joy even in the darkest moments. Jesus spoke of those who could rejoice even when persecuted and killed (Matthew 5:12). Paul wrote of rejoicing in suffering because of the final fruit that would result (Romans 5:3-5). Both Peter and James also echoed the Lord's teachings about rejoicing in troubles (1 Peter 1:6-8; James 1:2).
-When times are hard we still can have JOY.
Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
-Suffering and trials like Paul and Silas.
Acts 16:24-25 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
They sang praises to the Lord because they were happy in spite of their circumstances. They trusted the Lord to take care of them and to help them get through the trials.
Sickness like Job or Paul with the thorn in the flesh didn't stop their JOY. In the story of Job, God allowed Satan to test Job. Satan made Job lost his servants because the work was gone and lost his children. (Children were inheritance to the future. Among the Jewish people, children were an asset that made you rich.) Job lost his health which removed him from his ability to work.
Job had a solid foundation of faith to keep the JOY in him. Job built his life on trusting the Lord no matter what happened and rebuild his life with the Lord's help. Job knew that his real and lasting joy would come from the Lord. Job prayed for his friends and the Lord restored his life to full joy and blessings. (Corinthians II 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.)
Do question 3., 4 and 5.
Read John 16:20-22.

There are several things that stand out in these verses. One is that before the disciples great joy there was grief and sorrow. Sometimes we have to experience grief to know true joy. Not always, but the joy is sometimes sweeter.

Secondly, verse 22 spoke volumes to me. No one will take away your joy.
-What do you think that means?
Joy comes from God and our walk with him. Once, we have asked Jesus into our heart our joy comes from our salvation and forgiveness of sins. No one can take away the joy of our salvation.

Day 5- Freedom from Shame

2011-06-04T03:24:00.003+08:00

Heyys guys, so I wanna thank all the leaders that came down to play captain’s ball with your kids last Sunday! I heard that it went pretty well and I know that the kids definitelyyy enjoyed it so pat your own backs yeahhhh! Well done especially for those ahem a little unfit ones. we will try to have more of these sessions for bonding and FUNNN

Leaders please help cher out with the collection of the Faith anniversary dinner money collection  1. remind your kids to bring the money 2. Help her collect the money before she comes around to collect! thanks loads

Okays so back to this week’s lesson:

Day 5- Freedom from Shame

Main takeaway point for the lesson: (don’t reveal yet)

1. We will fail, again and again and when we do, guilt and shame weighs us down completely.

2. However, as Christians Jesus has called you to come to him, not to punish or chide you but to wash you clean, of your sins/guilt/shame as long as we bring all of it to him and confess our misdeeds

3. Because he has prepared a place for you in heaven and he isn’t going to leave you here on earth with all the pain and guilt that you have brought upon yourself.

Hook:
Scenario Timeeeee--- dangdangdangdang…

So lets say your friend comes to you, looks down, shuffles his/her feet (and no they are not shuffling everyday!!!) anyways back to the story, so he/she wants to reveal something to you/ tell you a secret….. but they make you swear that you would never tell a soul. I mean seriously would anyone say… neh dont tell me because I would tell the whole world. So all of us know how the story goes… the person reveals *the secret* and you gasp! Okays maybe too dramatic but yeah you get my point, the person made you pinky promise again/ for guys urm a whack on the back with a death stare and you promise that you would never ever leak this out and you confidently say: “over my dead body” (okays something along the lines of exuberating confidence)
Initially, you never had the intention of leaking this *secret* out and you were pretty confident that you could keep this but then…..peer pressure kicks in, some cool friends find out that you know something about that friend, something all of them want to know. They threaten you with your reputation if you did not give up that information and you spill but you knew they wanted more and you started to fabricate more to add flavour to the *secret* and sooner of later the whole sch came to know about it.......

A few days later, you saw that friend in the corridor, all broken and shaken up but he/she manages to force out with much pain in his/her eyes: “You promised!”
Fade to black.

Questions:
1. Have you faced a situation like this before or at least heard about something like this that happened?
2. Do you think the person trusted you when he/she revealed the secret to you?
3. How would you have felt after you friend said those words to you? (you promised!) -----guilt/shame (hopefully haha, guide them to the ans)
4. Do you think the friend would ever forgive you? If the person had to drop out of school eventually, would you feel even guiltier?

Book:

Part 1:
A Promise Broken - familiar eh

Read Luke 22:33-34 and v54-62

- Get one of your kids to summarise what happened at the last supper (v33-34) and then what happened after Jesus was arrested (v54-62).

1. What did Peter pledge to Jesus?
- He pledged that he was ready to go with Jesus to prison and to die with him

2. What was Jesus’s response?
- Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crows on that day, Peter would deny knowing Christ 3 times.

3a. Referring to Peter’s pledge, do you think that Peter was confident of what he was saying?
-Yes, he was sure that he was willing to sacrifice for being one of Christ’s followers. However, we know that eventually when he was faced with danger, he broke under pressure and could not deliver what he pledged to Jesus and he felt ashamed and upset. (he wept when he realized the mistake that he made, the one swore he would never make)

3b. Have you ever boasted to someone that you could do something very well? (Maybe run really fast, jump really high or shoot zombies really well) whatever the case, you were very confident of that particular skill. So crunch time came andyou had the chance to show off that skill in front of everyone. You were given not 1 but 3 tries….however, you just couldn’t do it, and the worst thing was that you even fell flat on your face. Were you ashamed?

3c. Or maybe when you ask God desperately for help during your end of the year exams because you know that you did not put in the effort throughout the year and you promise God that this would not happen again… neverrrr.
So I guess Justin Bieber was right yea… NEVER SAY NEVER
But we still do it? Are we that different from Peter?

So…. Is there hope for us? Do you think we need to feel ashamed, hopeless and guilty whenever we do something wrong, or we fail to meet the mark?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Part 2:
Return to Shore
Read John 21: 4-12

WE HAVE HOPE why?????

-Again I think it’s good to know that the kids understand what’s going on here so try to get them to summarise what happened before Jesus approached them and what happened after?

Questions:
1. Why do you think that Peter and the gang were fishing again? Didn’t they already quit two years back to fish for men and follow Jesus? So why do you think he is fishing now?
-Maybe they were just hungry but it could also be out of a broken heart, a heart that though aware of Christ’s return felt that he had no hope and that Jesus would never return, much less forgive him.
- Don’t we feel like that sometimes, when we keep failing God or when we keep doing the things that we know upsets him…. So we are ashamed and afraid to ask for help. For eg. Exams again, you realized that it is yet another round of final year papers and you are not fully prepared for it again but you know that you have done this before and you are ashamed to run to him for help afraid that he would not help you so you depend on your own strength, do the papers the only way you know how to.

2a. Despite what Peter did, what did Jesus do when he saw them?
- He provided them with an incredible catch of fish and MOST IMPORTANTLY! He invited Peter and gang join him for breakfast.

2b. What does this mean? Jesus inviting them to have breakfast with him?
- Even though we might have failed him, he is ever ready to have breakfast with us  which basically means he is ever ready to commune with us again, can you imagine the KING is sooo willing to invite you to sit down with him, prepare a meal and just hear you out and at the end of it instead of scolding you he forgives you!
(Jesus reinstates Peter v15-19)

okay now learning from Peter
3. What did Peter do to show his eagerness for Jesus to set him free from shame and restore their fellowship? (v7)
- He jumped into the water.

Part 3:
What the bible tells us further about guilt: IMPT VERSES TO REFER TO
Psalms 32:5
- Then I confessed my sins to you and didn’t hide my guilt. I said, “ I will confess my sins to the Lord,” and you forgave my guilt.

Hebrews 10:22
- “Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.’

Took:

What should you do when you are in a whirlpool of guilt and failures?

1. Don’t waste any time, do what Peter did, jumpto take the opportunity that Jesus has given to all of us to go to him, always remb that he does not want to scold you but to hold you and he is always ready to invite you back to have breakfast with him.
2. Confess to him whatever you have done wrong, so that he can wipe you clean.
3. Since you have been washed clean, you can thus continue to commune with God without feeling that guilt anymore and you also no longer have to face the agony of it.
Before you end off take time to read Matt 26:27-28
Ask them what are their thoughts when they take Holy Communion? Is it like snack time to them? How can we relate today’s lesson of Jesus inviting Peter and his gang to have breakfast with him to the Last supper?
- I think many of them do not understand the meaning but hopefully you guys can share about what Holy Communion is to you and how you feel when you take it?
- In the same way, in relation to today’s lesson taking Holy Communion is a reminder for us that when Christ comes again, we will be seated with him in heaven to have supper  despite anything and everything that we have done wrong we are still able to drink of the cup and eat of the bread because of what Christ did on the cross for us…

MEMORY VERSE:
last time to recite it :)
- John8:36
‘So if the SON sets you FREE, you will indeed be FREE”

Close in Prayer.

Sorry I would not be there on Sunday and Alex is also overseas. Oh yeah, its also good to make use of the holidays to plan a small group outing with your kids, for girls maybe movie and lunch? Guys soccer and whatever com game is hip now? To bond and really get to know them outside church context.

pet/.

GAME ON!

2011-05-26T02:23:00.002+08:00

No lesson this sunday :)INSTEAD.....

We would be having Captain's Ball! YAY!!!
so please ask your kids to bring a change of clothes and shoes if necessary.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Try your best to be there to play with you kids on sunday :) Also its a good opportunity to invite those kids that we havent seen for awhile to come and PLAY :)

Day 4 - Freedom from Fear

2011-05-20T20:48:00.004+08:00

The 4 F’s:
Fear  Focus on the Father  Freedom from fear

To start the lesson, open with a time of sharing about our fears – it could be physical, emotional or spiritual. Guiding questions:
- What are the things we fear most?
- Recall a time when we feared something or someone
- What did we do – how did we handle that situation?

Next, we will explore 2 examples in the bible!

1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Read Luke 22: 39 – 44
Imagine this scene: Jesus was spending time in his usual (39) place; he knew that his enemies were after him, and he knew that they knew exactly where to find him and capture him. All he could do is sit and wait for his capture and death. How do you think Jesus would be feeling in those moments? What can you tell of Jesus’ emotional state from the passage?
- Anxious
- In anguish
- Earnest
- Worried
- FEARFUL
Like us, Jesus was placed in a fearful situation. In Mark 14:35 and 26: 37-38, it writes that Jesus even “fell to the ground” and was “very sad and troubled…to the point of death.” In fact, Jesus was even so troubled and worried that he sweated blood! (refer to the bottom of pg 75 for explanation as to why he could sweat blood) This situation that Jesus was facing is even more fearful and more severe than any situation any of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes. Yet how did he react to his fears? Let us compare his reactions with some of our reactions:

Jesus did not focus on the fear or the outcome or anything else around him. He focused on God, and God listened to him – He did not take the capture and the death on the cross away from him, but He sent His angels, and took away Jesus’s fears. Now, we can explore Q2: What promises does the bible give us?

2. David
Psalm 23
Why was David not afraid of the valley of the shadow of death?
- David did not turn to the other ‘sheep’, instead he turned to his Shepherd
- David knew that God is with him (“You are with me”)
- David knew where to look – he looked to the “rod and staff”
- Thus, he was able to say “I will fear no evil”
Explore Q3 & Q4
-

A Race to Run
How do we constantly keep our focus on God? We could do so by viewing our life as a metaphor of a race:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
– Hebrews 12:1-3
Take time to read the passage on pg 77 – 78: “Since heart disease runs in our family... Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Compare the physical pain, physical fears and physical barriers the author encounters. In our lives as children of God, we are all running His race too. Along the way, we may encounter pains, suffering, we may grow tired and weary, we may face fears – difficulties in overcoming barriers, in failing to finish the race well, in stumbling falling… but if we fix our eyes on “the author and perfecter of our faith,” he will surely not disappoint us!

Now, link this with The Fear of Loneliness part: All others may abandon us along the way, things and circumstances may fail us, and we may feel alone in dealing with our troubles and fears. But we are never alone – God will never forsake us. Jesus is always running the race with us every step of the way.
Read the passage at the bottom of pg 78: “Don’t avoid life’s Gardens… Who’s to say he won’t do the same for you?”
Memory verse for the week: Philippians 4:6
Before going through the Heart of the matter, ask the kids to say one thing they have learnt today! Clear their doubts etc.

The end!

Day Three ─ Freedom from Hopelessness

2011-05-14T01:02:00.002+08:00

Day Three ─ Freedom from Hopelessness

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Konichiwa. Please turn to page 71.

Let us do this exercise with the little dudes. Close your eyes, and imagine you are part of the LOST bunch. You are on a plane that is going down, and it is going down fast. Then you crash. You do not die. When you regain consciousness or open your eyes again, you see that you have landed on an island. You are alone. How are you going to get out of there? How are you going to survive? How do you feel?

Hopeless?

How often do we feel hopeless in our daily lives? Is hopelessness only limited to emergency situations like in LOST? Do question 1.

Why is hope important?

Without hope, we will give up. Without hope, there is no meaning.

Do question 2. Hope comes from knowing God and His perfect peace.

Read ‘To the Rescue’ and do question 3 and 4.

Read ‘Freedom from the Inside Out’. The following lines speak important truth. We often think freedom in the midst of a trial translates as having all the answers we need. Instead, God offers all the Jesus we will need to get through the trial.

As many of you know, from experience or otherwise, we do not always have all the answers. But more importantly, we do not always have to have all the answers. God sees the big picture, we have the limited perspective, and God only tells us what we need to know; we take all other steps by faith. All we need is Jesus, and we do have Him.

Often we do not immediately turn to Christ when we are in despair. You may think you do, but what we really do first is toss and turn in our pool of frustration and hopelessness. This is mighty odd because Jesus is our guide. He is the answer to our questions, the tour guide to our tourist, the leader to our follower. Isn’t it silly that we do not ask Him for help first and choose instead to wallow and drown in our own hopelessness?

Do question 5 and 6.

Finish with ‘A Dose of Hope’, ‘The Heart of the Matter’ and ‘The Heart of Jesus’.

I think that an important takeaway from this lesson is not just the fact that we need to know who to turn to in our time of need, because I believe that we already know who to turn to. Rather, we need to remember to put our action where our knowledge is. Knowing that you should turn to Jesus is incredibly different from turning to Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t give hope by changing the jungle; he restores our hope by giving us himself. And what could be better than that? God is not interested in shaping your environment to suit your comfort level. He is interested in you, your character, and how you grow and develop to become the person that He intends for you to be. God does not change our circumstances, but our hearts.

Application:

What are some practical steps that we can take to truly experience the freedom from hopelessness that God intends for us to have? (Clarification: He intends for us to have the freedom, not the steps.) What does it mean to turn to Jesus and have hope in the Lord?

Remember, if life is hopeless, life is meaningless. And meaningless is not what life is supposed to be like.

End of lesson.

I checked the back of the book for answers. There weren’t any. So here are my personal answers, not to be taken rigidly:

Question 1

Hope causes sadness.

Hope gives us rest.

Hope is similar to faith.

Question 2

It is utterly hopeless. Hope comes from knowing God and His perfect peace.

Question 4

..He is the way, the truth and the life.

..we are more valuable than sparrows. Just half-kidding. He values us.

Question 5

Exporting us out of the jungle would teach us nothing; we need to learn trust and faith.
He still needs us to go through the jungle to do His good works.

Extra notes:

Pg 71

Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul.” What does it mean to restore our souls? We are broken, incomplete. God restores us to our complete and whole selves. He completes us. You may use the reference of the God-shaped hole here.

Pg 72

Ephesians 2:12 “..you had no part in the agreement with the promise that God made to his people.” The “promise” refers to the covenant that God made with His people.

End.

2011-05-07T01:36:00.004+08:00

Hook: Genie in the lamp
I'm sure your kids are familiar with the genie and the magic lamp (eg Aladdin etc). If not, you can tell them. So basically, someone rubs the lamp, the genie appears and the person is granted 3 wishes (in the usual case). The person can wish for anything he WANTS in the entire world, but he's only entitled to 3 wishes, no more, no less and when he uses them up- well that's it. And he's not allowed to wish for more wishes.

Here, you can ask your kids what they would wish for, if there really was such a lamp in the world.
Good grades, more money, iphone, ipad, girlfriend, boyfriend, that pretty dress, that cool game, more friends etc?

Okay, now their wishes are used up. They probably should be pretty happy people now with all the stuff they have. Ask them to imagine their lives a few months later. Will they still be satisfied with the stuff they have now? Or will they be wanting more still?

There'll always be the next must-have item that will place them among the popular people and there'll always be someone who scores better grades than them. There'll always be something out there that's better than that something they have. The wants will never end.
Wouldn't it be great if we could wish for contentment? Well that's what today's lessons going to tell them about.

Lesson start:
Pray
I kinda really like this week's book lesson. So you guys could look through and see if there's any analogy or passage you might want them to read.

Read Philippians 3:19 and answer question 1 if you want. Go through with them the consequences of being caught up in worldly desires.

But that's not the end of the story; we don't have to be caught up in worldly desires. As we've been learning the past few weeks and as we've gone through with the kids last week, Psalm 23:1 tells us that 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want'. Our wish for contentment can be found in the Lord. We should keep our eyes and hearts focused on eternity and know that our identity is found in Christ, that we are God's children. God's gift of love and salvation to us is the best gift and thing that we can ever have and nothing can ever best or beat it.

Read Ecclesiastes 5:15. This verse should be a good reminder that all the things (worldly things) we own on this earth or desire will not be ours forever. We won't be able to take them to heaven with us; all the accomplishments we've made, all the cool things we own. And like the book says, all these things do not define our very being. Luke 12:15 says 'a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' and 1 Samuel 16:7 says 'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' God looks at the heart. Therefore, we too should not view ourselves unkindly if others views us poorly because of out outward appearance or the things we own. Simply because God sees beyond our exterior, and looks at our interior: our compassion, our devotion, our kindness etc. He sees us for who we really are, our real worth. And as God's children, we should also know where our worth lies.

Read Philippians 4:11-13 and emphasize verse 13- 'I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.' You should try to get your kids to memorise this verse. :) Paul found contentment in everything he did because of Christ. He knew who to find contentment in, and he knew who to rely on. We can do that too.

To end off, read 1 Timothy 6:6 (and if you have time, read until verse 10 if possible). Like the verse states, we have great gain with contentment in Christ. This contentment is forever and will definitely not leave us wanting. Situations in life may not always turn out the way we want to, but if we change our attitude and seek contentment in Christ, we will find joy.

Application:
Ask your kids if they're content with their lot in life now. Ask them how they can feel more content with life now.
If you know a bit more about your kids' life, you could also maybe help them to see the little blessings they have in their life.

Heart of the matter:
Discontentment is a kind of poison
We don't really own all the stuff we possess on earth
Don't wait for a change in circumstances to change your attitude
Gratitude is a sure-sign of someone's freedom from want and contentment in Christ

Hope this helps, sorry its late.

2011-04-30T21:55:00.001+08:00

Hook:

(THIS IS REALLY RANDOM) BUT COS I COULDN’T THINK OF ANOTHER HOOK….

Get your kids to stand up, hold their bags with arms outstretched in front of them, and make them hold it there for like a minute or something, (till they are tired) and tell them to put/drop it after.

Ask them how it feels, whether they felt tired while holding their bags, whether their hands were aching and whatever else you would like to add.

Use this as an example for the heavy load that they have been carrying by themselves and by putting their bags down, it symbolizes them relying more on God.

Lesson:

1) PRAY BEFORE YOU START! (:

2) Basically the idea of this whole lesson is on the freedom that we have in Christ and how, we should just let go of our burdens and rely on Him. (:

- You could also link this back to our lessons on grace, because we can freely approach His Throne of Grace in times of need.

3) Talk about Psalms 23, just to add on to it, in summary, this Psalm tells me 5 things about our Shepherd.

· He leads (v1-3)

· He protects (v4)

· He enables (v5)

· He heals (v5)

· He will bring us home (v6)

4) Burdens – ask your kids what their burdens are. It could be their studies, their relationships and other things. And ask them if they would give it up to help someone else?

You could ask them to share about times where their friends wanted to confide in them but they were too busy worrying about their own problems or vice versa, ask them how they felt during that situation.

We should also remind them, like what the book says looking away from earthly stuff, especially when it takes our eyes away from what’s truly important: Eternal life.

5) Make sure you go through the questions in the book! (:

Application:

Encourage your kids to let go of their unwanted baggage! Also, if they have a friend who is struggling, you could encourage them to be there for that friend, why? Because they already have someone who has lifted off their loads.

OH YES. AND PRAY FOR YOUR KIDS AT THE END. (:

Done by alicia

Day 5 : Sufficient Grace

2011-04-16T10:51:00.001+08:00

Hook:
Ever heard of the 11:11 thing? Where, when the clock strikes 11:11, you make a wish and it will be granted? So when we make a wish, we are probably actually asking God for something, right? Since.. there must be a where that came from. We probably wouldnt be on time for 11:11 once we reach AC, so turn the time on your watch to that time and tell your kids to imagine that it really is that time! And ask them to pray (wish) for something that they really really want right now. (they donÕt have to share it; privacy would make them more willing to be honest with themselves)

Book:
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
Refer to Qn 2 and ask them to memorise! Note the repetitions of all and the word "every".What does this mean? THAT ALL YOU NEED, IS HIS GRACE! At first glance, this may seem lame to them. So what if I have his grace? That doesnt mean iPad 2 will miraculously appear in my hands. It doesnt mean that I will definitely score well in exams. It doesnt mean that everybody I will ever meet will like me and want to be my friend. It doesnt mean that what I just wished for will definitely come true. Whats the use of this grace? If God is so gracious and loves us so much, why can't he just give us everything we ask for? Why would he ever say no to what I ask for, even when I do things that the Bible tells me to?Refer to

Qn 3: has this ever happened to them?Did they feel discontented? Maybe even anger at God? Maybe the prayer they had was not going to harm anybody, and maybe it was a prayer that God would let a grandparent pull through an illness. But God did not answer that prayer.

Qn 4. How content are you with your life now? (on a scale of 1 to 10)Now think of recent tragedies; about the Japan situation( you guys can elaborate to them about it), the thai girl who lost both of her legs in the mrt accident recently, or situations that you have heard of recently.How contented are you, NOW? What has God given us? He didnt just plan for us to EXIST. He crafted our lives. Every action we are capable of doing, every word that we are able to speak, is derived from the fact that God gave us this ability. Neither did he make us to be temporary objects (his playthings?) that would roam the surface of the Earth, and then just disappear one day. We were made to LAST. That was the greatest gift of all; eternal life, despite our inadequacies.Read 2 Cor 12:9

Qn 5. What is the thorn in your flesh?(something that constantly bothers you, that you want so much, that thing you wished for in the 11:11 situation)Is it wrong to have this want, so much? No. It is human. Even Paul was a victim to it. What we need to recognize, however, is that GodÕs grace is sufficient. It is all that we NEED.

Qn 6. Read James 1:2-4 Why does God allow difficulties, or even wants, in our lives? 1. To grow us ( you can bring up the analogy of how a diamond does not become a diamond overnight, but by intense pressure, etc) 2. So that we rely not on our own strength of resisting the temptation, but God's grace. His grace is sufficient for our sin3. Difficult people to teach us that love is not a feeling, it is a choice.And then, we'lll finally be prepared for heaven ^^

Qn 7 (Took) So what can you do to take this challenge, today? Recall Ephesians 2:8-9
Done by : Gaily :):):)

Day 4 - How Grace Works

2011-04-06T22:12:00.001+08:00

I shall be a kind soul and type out all the questions in the book so that you don’t

have to lug the big brown book around on Sunday. Your welcome!

Heart of the lesson (in other words, this is pretty much what you should drum into

your kids' heads if they possess an incredibly short attention span/memory, just

like my kiddies): Grace is God's free gift of redemption. It causes us to repent

and to think again when we find ourselves in a bad way. It prompts us to return,

putting us back on a godlier path.

ENTER HERE:

Ask them what their definition of God's grace is or what comes to mind when

the 'grace of God' is mentioned.

The accepted definition would be of course, the unconditional love of God for us

expressed through the offering up of Jesus to serve the penalty of death for our

sins.

But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do add in your own personal feelings to the

subject of his grace (textbook answers are true, but such a bore). When I think

of the grace of God, I think of steadfast love, compassion, mercy—a kind of

unconditional acceptance that is unlike human love.

Question 1 is optional (Why do you think some people can’t accept God’s free

gift of grace?).

Now on to the main course:

God has given us this beautifully wrapped gift of grace, that when opened,

breaks the shackles of sin that bind us. Ask them if they have ever twisted grace

to suit their own selfishness, to consciously choose to sin knowing God will

forgive and forget. DON’T FORGET TO SHARE TOO!

Link to question 2 (What does the bible say to those who use grace for their own

benefit?) after reading Romans 6:15-18.

Grace is the unconditional love of God for us, exactly as we are, apart from our

own efforts. This is the accepted definition of "grace," with the ending phrase

reassuring us that we have no worries about our present state of sinfulness.

Still, my soul tells me there is a caveat.

We must accept this grace in a special way known to God and us. This

acceptance must include, "How can I thank You?" For above all, we must return

His love. And the best way to do so is to live a life that glorifies him.

Therefore, simply defining grace as ‘God’s unmerited favour’ is incomplete for

scripture teaches us that there is more to grace. Read Titus 2:11-12.

Grace is defined in Scripture as something that teaches us how to live! Doesn’t

sound like the traditional definition of grace huh!

Ask question 4 (Have you every returned to a habitual sin or an old way of living?

What made you return? Describe your thoughts now after reading more about

God’s grace.)

Remind them that since Jesus came, we have a choice of whether to sin or

not. We are no longer slaves to sin and therefore the ‘sinful nature of humans’

no longer applies to us who follow Jesus. Read Romans 6:14 if your kids don’t

believe you!

APPLICATION!

After reading Ephesians 2:8-10, read Titus 2:11-12 again.

If possible, ask them to find a little corner for themselves and reflect on the

following:

-The one thing/object they really want right now (the ipad 2 etc.)

-The last sin they committed (lying, procrastination, sloth)

Ask them to spend the next few minutes talking to God.

YOU close in prayer. (Don’t forget to ask our Father to help them abstain from

worldly desires and temptations)

LOOK HERE IF YOU NEED HELP: Grace is something that cannot be earned.

You receive it the moment you believe. However, simply believing is not enough

blah blah blah…

HAVE FUN!

OH! And don’t forget to pray!

Done by Caitlyn!!!

2011-03-30T21:57:00.001+08:00

Hook: Who to save?
(You can tell your own story… but here are some key instructions)
Imagine a group of 5 people are on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
The boat has hit an iceberg and is sinking.
Out of the 5 people, you only have 2 lifejackets. So choose 2 to give the lifejackets to.
Those without lifejackets will surely die.

Here are the profiles of the 5 people:
1- An 18 year old male youth running away from his home
2- 65 year old female pastor of a family church
3- 30 year old male drug addict who had been in and out of rehab but finds it hard to kick the habit
4- 50 year old female, widowed and jobless
5- 20 year old male youth studying hard to become a doctor

Try to discuss seriously, get them to evaluate who should be saved and why. Also, try to get them to share why the others should NOT be saved.

Morale:
According to our human standards, we judge and give “value” to people. These are all based on our opinions, based on what they have done or is currently doing.
However, God is different. He sees everyone as equal. For He even loves the sinners, adopted us as we are, yet treats us way better than we deserve.

Lesson Begins
Lesson Point Progression: (don’t read this out. It’s to help you plan lesson J )
1- God loved us while we were still sinners
2- Jesus will satisfy your spiritual hunger
3- Only Jesus can make us into the people we were meant to be
4- Jesus has taken our sins far far away
5- God calls you His child

Privilege of Paupers
Read the passage first, then answer the questions, then read the passage again.

Tie in with the activity- It doesn’t matter who you are, God loves you the same. It doesn’t matter what you have, or what you bring to God. God loves you the same. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more, or less. Not only that, He treats us better than what we deserve, therefore from paupers, to royalty.
Learning point: As God has shown such grace to us, we should also follow His example. Don’t judge people for what they have done or is doing, but treat everyone with grace, love and kindness, just as God has done for us. Leave the judging to God, while we do our best to reflect His glory.

Spiritual Hunger
Read passage and answer questions.

Okay this part might seem extremely random, but here’s the link to the entire lesson.
Spiritual hunger is what drives us to follow Him. While God invites everyone to His table, only a few do attend. Why? Lack of a spiritual hunger. Some do not see the need to go to God. Others refuse to believe this invitation He has given us. Some others choose to remain ignorant. It is important to have this drive towards Him and hunger for His word, and His spirit.

Portrait of a Pauper

Read the passage and answer the questions.

Interestingly this passage seems like the first one. But this one focuses more on the fact that we are imperfect and God still loves us even though we are not perfect. And God loves us so much such that He demonstrated His love for us by letting Jesus pay the price for our sins. He gave us so much, yet while we were still undeserving.

Pain of our Past

Passage helps, but it is up to you whether you want them to read it. Answer the questions J

God loves us even when we make mistakes and repent. God showed and is still showing us mercy, as long as we show Him respect and continually repent. While mankind looks at our deeds, God looks at our heart, and judges us based on it. (Is this a reason to continue sinning? NO! Cause God looks at your heart, and knows what you are guilty of, and whether you intentionally sin or have truly tried your utmost best to glorify Him)

Link

No one is perfect- everyone has fallen short of the glory of God. Thus no one has the right to boast, as God views us equally and saved us equally.ur utmost best to glorify Him)

Done by Kenn

Day Two ─ God to the Rescue!

2011-03-24T17:32:00.002+08:00

Day Two ─ God to the Rescue!

Harrow everybody! Today, we will be talking about.. hold your breaths.. God! Like every other Sunday in the year! Yay! But today is gonna be an exciting lesson, so please get excited... NOW. Let’s begin. :D (Not to say that the other lessons aren’t exciting, of course. I’m being motivational. =D)

Ask our friends (don’t call them kids, it hurts their peelings) who their favourite comic book hero is. E.g. the Flash (YEAHHHH!), Batman (so-so), Superman (eh..) etc. Or if your friends are females, try asking them who their favourite hero in general is, if they don’t read comics.

Then ask them why. Awesome superpowers? Awesome utility belt? Awesome cape? Or was it something the character/person did? Maybe Stalin was a great man with great dreams? Maybe they could relate to Scott Pilgrim? Maybe the dude saved a kitty from a tree or a drowning lizard from the pond?

Now, we get to the seeree-uhs stuff. What makes a hero? Powers or selflessness? Utility belt or sacrifice? The most celebrated heroes are usually the ones who.. sacrificed selflessly. Ask them to think again about their reason(s) very very carefully. Who is the hero of heroes?

Yes, geniuses. God. Why? You know why. He made the greatest sacrifice. No other sacrifice even comes close to this One. Indeed.

Um, to aid in further understanding of how seriously BIG this sacrifice is, (though this part is optional but highry recommended) please turn to Numbers 19:1-8. The main star of this mini passage (a seemingly ordinary OT ritual) is the red heifer. A heifer is a cow that had not been pregnant before and so could not produce milk yet. Okay, no big deal, you say. Next requirement was that it had to be a red heifer. A red cow. That’s pretty rare. Okay, but I’m sure you’ll still be able to find one without too much hassle, you say. The red heifer was to be “without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke”. Dude, you have a cow and you’ve never used it for farming before?! Can you now see how rare this animal was/is? Valuable, rare and pure. This was the specificity of the requirement of the sacrifice. This parallels with Jesus. Jesus was a man who was perfect in every way. Perfect. No defect, no blemish. He lived on earth for about 33 years. He never sinned. And then God sacrifices this Perfection-Personified. For us. Does that help? :/

Let them do the first part of the book. Remind them that Jesus came for the sinners, not the righteous. (Refer to Mark 2:17) Go on to the second part as well. Then ask them to think about question 3. “Why is it hard to accept something you didn’t earn or work for?” We don’t deserve it.

Now, ask our friends if they’ve ever thought “Oh no, now God will NEVER forgive me after what I’ve done this time!” Or “Shoot, messed up again. Great, now I’m DEFINITELY going to hell ):” Yes? No? Probably yes. Remind them about last week’s resson. Remember how limitless God’s grace is? Of course, sometimes we think it’s.. 2 good 2 b true. However! Ye of lil faith! Jesus made a way for us! GOD made a way for us! He “makes even evil people right in His sight”! (Rom 4:5) Impossible? I think NOT. Do the ‘too good to be true’ part. (Note that I didn’t incrude the ‘trading records’ part cos I didn’t think it flowed very nicely. But feel free to just stick it in somewhere in between. Still important stuff.)

Can we see? God is our hero. He RESCUED us from sin and death. Even though we don’t deserve anything from Him, He saved us. That’s some amazing grace right there. Smiley face.

Now, what do all these stuffs mean? What are we talking about here? Ask them to recap what they’ve learnt. Do the ‘into God’s presence’ part/heart of the matter/memory verse/heart of Jesus and then throw them some application questions. (Not literally, though. Don’t harm them physically.)

Apprication time!

ONE. Now that we know God has saved us, how do we respond to that?

Say “oh, thanks, God” and go on living our lives as usual? Be the best person you can be?

(Don’t give them options unless necessary though.)

TWO. According to the memory verse (Eph 2:8-9) we were saved by grace, yes? Well then, how do you feel about all this? Knowing that God made the biggest sacrifice everinthehistoryofthewholeentireworldofallthingsbigandsmall, how do you feel about that? Does the fact that He rescued you feel far away? Do you feel unaffected? Or perhaps you feel humbled. Accepted. Loved.

Think about it and pray that if our hearts are stubborn in our rebellious ways, God will change our hearts anew with the right attitude to come humbled before Him because He loved us and saved us while we were living against Him (see Rom 5:6-8 pg 50) and we don’t deserve His love or mercy.

Before the cell, remember to pray that whatever we discuss/teach will be from Him.

OKAY that’s all. God loves you all. Bye bye.

We Need Grace

2011-03-19T16:35:00.001+08:00

Hi guys and girls , I have closely tied my lesson with the book. Hope it’s good enough. I

usually teach my sec2s in a quiet time style where they read each section and then later

discuss about various issues related to the passage before moving on. This allows them to

practice their quiet time habit as well as teach them how it should be done on their own

everyday at home.

DAY 1 – We Need Grace

First the Bad News

Ask the kids to read the first section about God’s wrath. Ask the kids to share some

examples of God’s wrath in our present time..Sometimes it is through God’s wrath that we

see how powerful he is. (e.g. Japan tsunami, Earthquakes) But do be reminded that God’s

grace is pure and whatever that is happening around the world now has a purpose.

Read Psalms 78:24-32 abd Collosians 3:5-6 and discuss about the various cases.

Deuteronomy 28:15-68 also gives us an eye opener of how God punishes us if we are

disobedient/sin against him.

Read the second section(after the 2qns)

Impt thing to take note of is that God is not angry with us (we are his creation and God

definitely loves us). It is the sin in us that God is angry about. God cannot stand sin. Even

God turned his face from Jesus where he was crucified on the cross bearing all our sin and

shame.

Read Roman 1:18-20 and answer the question.

Our Condition

Read the whole section as it explains the different types of ppl in the world. Answer the

questions at the same time. At the end of it, ask the kids to choose which type they belong

to and why they think so.

Impt note is that we must fully understand that just doing good deeds won’t reserve us a

place in heaven. Our relationship with God also plays a part too.

Do qn 6.

Guilty as charged

Read the whole section. Basically, Lucado is trying tell us that we are afterall humans and

we are born with sin and we have definitely failed miserably in leading Christ-like lives.

We must also warn ourselves and also the fellow sec2s that we are living in a world full of

temptations and we will face more of it as we grow older and attain more freedom. Imagine

if we didn’t have God in our lives, there will not be the Holy Spirit in us to tell us right from

wrong and when we meet God after we die and see the flashback of the time we spend on

Earth, it’s over..

Do Qn 7. – Should be quite straight forward.

The Good News

Read the whole section. In summary, God’s grace is always there for us. It is through sin

that we can experience God’s grace with a much deeper understanding. In this way, we are

able to have a closer relationship with Him. If we ever sin, we can be certain that there is a

gracious God that is always ready to forgive.

Note : We must not think in such a way where we make use of God’s grace to do wrong.

God has every right to take back his grace and show his wrath. (Do not put God to the test)

Romans 6:23 states that ‘For the wages of sin is death………’ This clearly shows that when

one commits a sin, the consequence/penalty is death. However the reason why we are still

alive and well is because of how limitless God’s grace is that he let his only Son die on the

cross for all our sins.

Do qn 8 and 9.

Heart of Matter – summary of lesson..use it as a recap

Heart of Jesus – Read through as conclusion

The end….

Rayner

SOYM

2011-03-19T09:50:00.011+08:00

Equipping opportunity for you!

Motive

2011-03-14T21:27:00.001+08:00

How to motivate your students in your lesson from an instructor at Harvard:

*Why should your idea interest someone other than your instructor? Well, perhaps...

the truth isn't what one would expect, or what it might first appear to be on first reading;
there's an interesting wrinkle in the matter, a complexity;
the standard opinion of the text, or a certain published view, needs challenging or qualifying;
a simple or common or obvious-seeming approach to this has more implications, or explains more, than it may seem;
an approach to this that may seem irrelevant, isn't;
there's a contradiction or tension here;
there's an ambiguity, something unclear, that could mean two or more things;
this matter is difficult, or complicated, and needs some sorting out;
there's a mystery or puzzle or question here that needs answering or explaining;
we can learn about a larger phenomenon by studying this smaller one;
published views of the matter conflict;
this seemingly tangential or insignificant matter is actually important, or interesting. And so on.

Typical Christian Journey

2011-03-11T01:38:00.004+08:00

Alden's Lesson

***

General comments...

Hook: Good. Fun and Memorable.

Part 1: Good emphasis on No. We can speak truth into this area of their lives. Sometimes when we don't get out way we act faithless and behave badly. We may even fail to realise that our behaviour is poor.

Suggestions for Personal Application

- Life is a long journey. Do you know where you are going? Are you travelling with the end in mind? Are you pursuing the right things?

- (Referring to the question in part 2),

"If you were in the same situation again, how would you respond?"

Day 5- The Journey's End.

2011-02-25T08:14:00.003+08:00

Title: Day 5- The Journey's End. (Psalms 119:165)

Objective of lesson: To help the Sec 2s' identify how to experience God's peace, as well as make them more conscious of some issues hindering them from living in peace.

Hook: To create a visual reminder of the lesson, using the "light at the end of the tunnel" analogy.

Materials required:

a) Plastic bottles x n*

b) OPAQUE paper x (n*+1)

c) Needle/Pin x 1

d) Roll of scotch tape x 1

e) Markers/Coloring materials

*Where n= number of kids you have

Steps:

1. Using the paper, wrap around the plastic bottle tightly, such that the entire bottle, except for the cap, is covered.

2. Secure the paper around the bottle, with scotch tape.

3. Using a needle/pin, make a SMALL (though large enough to let light through) hole at the end of the bottle.

4. Decorate the bottle (optional)

Link (1): Ask them, "What do you think this represents?", and try to guide them to the whole "light at the end of the tunnel analogy. Then, try linking them to the metaphorical meaning that the "light" = heaven, and the "darkness" in the bottle = life's problems.

Link (2): Once link (1) has been established, move on to linking them to last week's lesson, by asking them to give a quick recap of what they've learnt/remembered from last week (John 16:33). It should go somewhere along the line of "God is for us and with us, and He gives His peace readily to all who earnestly seek Him." - John 14:27

Lesson:

Begin with an opening prayer

From Link (2), since we all know that God is willing to give His peace, and help us through every storm in our lives, WHY do we not experience this peace... all the time? WHY can't we say "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."-Psalms 23:4a Get them to think, and share one time they have been distressed. (In the event of unresponsiveness, leaders can start sharing themselves)

As we journey through life, (I.e. through the "darkness"), get the kids to read Psalms 23:4b, and lead them to the portion which says "your rod and staff, they comfort me". Ask them what they think it means, but try to lead them to the following breakdown:

Item

Rod

Staff

Symbolism

Discipline

Guidance

What it may mean (can differ from leader to leader)

God uses discipline, to help His people achieve His will, or to help bring people back to Him.

Case study: Israel exiled to Babylon. Upon seeing the impotency of the gods of Babylon, the Israelites turned away from their own idols, and back to God - Kings - Nehemiah

Case study: Jonah, when he ran away from his purpose. - Jonah 2

Therefore, we should not look upon correction as a "bad" thing, though society advocates freedom without responsibility. We should stand against the crowd, against society, if we are to be called Christian. This, may be a struggle our kids are facing, especially in schools, CCA and in their relationships with others.

Help them to see that the scolding's their parents give them (or not), the many stressful situations, etc...many be God's way of correcting something in their life that may not be right!

Get them to learn, and start to accept the fact that they still have to listen to authority, that ONE PART OF GETTING GOD'S PEACE, IS BY ACCEPTING, AND RESPONDING CORRECTLY TO HIS DISCIPLINE, THROUGH SUBMISSION. -"For the Father only disciplines those He loves"

After discipline, (that's the significance of the order of the words), after a person is broken enough to be contrite, and submissive to Him, only then can God's peace come into the person's life, because God Himself will come and work in our lives.

When we are contrite and stop trying to do everything on our own, we will tend to follow His leading more, and it becomes easier to focus on Him. In that situation, God is our shepherd, and we will be able to experience His peace, when he leads us through the storms in our life. - Proverbs 6:23

So, continue by getting them to reflect on their lives, and then get them to think of times when they have hated discipline (scolding), and ask them if they can link it to a specific time when the lack of acceptance of discipline has led to the problem worsening...

Help them to understand, that discipline is necessary, and that a Christian life is never easy. That one way God helps us to experience His peace is through correction, followed by guidance.

End with a prayer for them, that they may accept God's correction when it comes, and pray over them that when it comes, they may not forget this lesson, and will persevere on, and grow in God...which then will give them the peace we've discussed for the last 4 weeks.

Summary:

God's peace is obtained by growing in Him, which is done through accepting God's discipline and then looking to Him for guidance.

Memory verse:

Romans 8:6

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

---Joshua----

Assurance of Salvation

2011-02-24T21:27:00.001+08:00

Whenever your youth need assurance of salvation ,encourage them to read 1 John. There they will find their answers.

Fear into Faith

2011-02-19T15:19:00.005+08:00

Hi guys, this week’s lesson is called

Fear into Faith

Its on page 33.

Well I hope it is going to be. OK anyway

Im sure that all of you have some sort of fears. It could be

1. Fear of death
2. Fear of failure
3. Fear of loneliness
4. Fear of a wasted life
5. Fear of not living up to expectations

Fear like this

Yeah the list goes on.

So what do you when you have these fears? What do you do when you are inside a sinking boat? Where your worse fears and nightmares are coming alive right before your eyes

Well these are the most likely outcomes I can think of

You can trust in your own Armour your own power, your own human strategies to tackle the problem. OK I can do this, I can handle this storm!!!!! Time to kick some stormy butts.

You could be angry at the storm

whining about how unfair life is

You could just crumble under the pressure of the storm and just give up.

ok in some special cases you would be like

But whatever path you take. (No matter how much you run away or hide. It will come back.) It always leads you back to one point. You realize that the storm is too big. Your methods and ways are not working. You are going down.

And this is the point where God comes in. Faith begins when you see God on the mountain and you are in the alley and you know that you are too weak to make the climb up. You see what you need, you see what you have and you realize that what you have isn’t even to reach the top. And you know where you want to be. You want to be at the top of the mountain where you can have

This

And this

Lol, noooo you cant really have all this on the top of the mountain, but you get something way way wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better. You get the peace of God!!!!!!

So how do we get to the top of the mountain you ask? If my iron man suit can’t help me then what can? By now you should be in the eye of the storm, your boat is leaking and your captain has abandoned ship. Oh and you can’t swim by the way, and there is a giant squid in the ocean. So you are trapped in one corner, you have nowhere else to turn to. And you see God, he is standing there he is fine and everything over at his side is calm and ok. So ofcourse in your hour of need you turn to God. You beg for help, you hear his voice and he askes you to trust him, to have faith in him, to walk on water.

And then ofcourse you go: Jesus you got to be kidding me, there is a freaking giant squid in the ocean and you want me to go into the ocean?

That is what faith is. Faith is believing and trusting in someone or something. Even though every fiber of our body tells us that it’s not logical.

But the thing is guys, when we look towards God. When we look towards God, we realize so many things. Like how we are in need of a great Saviour and that we are not strong enough. We realize how awesome, strong and big God is compared to our problems and storms. If you think about it, God is in control of everything. There is nothing more powerful than God. So with that thinking you can have the faith that you not only be able to survive the storm but also we can also OWN THE S*** of that storm. Not by your own works but through God.

But then there is the next problem. How do I get faith? How do I strengthen my faith with God?

Romans 10: 17 says Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Chirst

The bible explains it very clearly that to go through life, we need to hear the word of Christ. We need to read our bibles, we need speak to God. We need to know God more. We need to know him inside out.

· We need to know how much he loves us, that nothing we ever do or could do will ever make him turn his back on us.

· How much we need him.

· How much God is, has and will go through everything for you.

All this amounts to Grace. And grace is this

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8-9:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, its is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Grace is having faith in God and not by our own works.
So you got to feed on God's word more. We need to have an active relationship Its like taking booster jabs. I mean you are walking into an infested world, full of problems and storms. Do you happily walk into it without preparing anything at all? No right?

Well it’s a process of learning. It’s a process of breaking and moulding, breaking your pride and your doubts Haha which will take a life time to master. But everyday as you trust God more and more you will see that life is more like this

Ok bye guys, i hope this helped.

Appreciation

2011-02-13T17:57:00.003+08:00

Dear Bro & Sis,

There is a volunteers' appreciation for you on the 20th of Feb 1-3pm.

1-2pm Appreciation Lunch Fellowship @ Attic Terrance

2-3pm Appreciation Proper @ Worship Hall

Come and be appreciated..

Teaching to Change Lives

2011-02-11T22:05:00.002+08:00

Are the two copies of Teaching to Change Lives I gave away being passed around? Hope it is man... I feel the need to reread it too =]

Yipeng

Day 3- Peace in the Pain (pg 29)

2011-02-09T21:11:00.005+08:00

Peace in the Pain.

Personally to me, peace in the pain sounds rather strange. You’d be pretty twisted in more ways than one if you experience peace when you go through pain, be it emotional, physical or whatever. Luckily for us, that is more or less the world’s view and since as John writes as well in John 17, verses 11 and 16. It more or less sums up the phrase, “We’re in the World, but not of the World” Conformity can be a very comforting thought or gesture, but I guess nothing’s really that easy is it.
The examples given in the book are more or less sob stories about loss of parents, loved ones, boy friend girlfriend yada yada, can’t play basketball/sports anymore etc. Sure this sound kinda sad and somewhat relatable to, but it’s not much different from anyone watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or One Tree Hill.
I encourage you to share your personal stories be it the lowest of the lowest points in your life to them, your struggles, your heart aches, times when you felt like you’ve hit rock bottom, when you’re in desperation. Granted this may be very personal information that you’re sharing, but I believe it’s imperative in building trust with our kids, and I for one do share such stories with mine, though I suspect it kinda bores them.
Of course, the lesson also shares about how you should deal with these setbacks, comfort like how He’ll take care of those who are brokenhearted etc, the 3 verses the book gave on pg 31. Ultimately I’m sure most of the answers and solutions always boils down to how much faith you have. Though that is correct, I think it’ll be good too to perhaps share how you’ve got out of that hole or situation you were in like you shared earlier, kinda like the conclusion to that story.
The verses provided are powerful and relevant, however, sharing something from my own personal experience, James 1:2-4 gets me through a lot of times when I really don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore.
“ 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. “
In conclusion, faith will definitely get them through, but it’s important that we set the foundations right, and strengthen their faith so that they may one day rely on it.
Know that along with most things, this isn’t a magic formula that will make their problems disappear overnight, but it’s a gradual process that will eventually be resolved in His time.
Sometimes, things really have to get worse before they can get better.
Thanks for reading, hope this helps.
- Leroy

2011-01-29T13:29:00.000+08:00

My contribution... The Living God - yipeng

Day 2 - Hearing Jesus' Voice (pg 26)

2011-01-29T00:08:00.002+08:00

HIIII GUYSS!!! Kay after reading through, I kinda still don’t really know how to plan this plan. However, I hope all of us will use our personal experiences for this lesson cuz it’ll really encourage and excite our kids to wanna hear and ultimately obey His voice! So anyhow, I thought of some questions to lead this lesson. Hope it helpsss!
Here goes:

CONSTANT VOICES:
- Start by getting them to share the different kind of voices they have encountered in their lives.
Eg. (those that they gave in the book) ‘just wait till tomorrow’ etc.
- Ask them what they think those voices were.

Eg. Was it from themselves? Or the devil? Or God Himself.
- Ask them if they believe that WE CAN HEAR GOD’S VOICE TOOOO!:D (doesn’t have to be AUDIBLE, though there ARE ppl in life who can hear God auibly)

Conclude by telling them that the voices of the crowd are persuasive and clamor for attention. THEREFORE, we have to be careful of the voices we hear! There’re mainly 3 types of voice: our very own, the devil and GOD Himself=)
SO WHICH IS WHICH?????????

THE TRUE VOICE:
Please refer to the whole of John 10:1-21

Important verses to point out =v3-5, v14-16
- Basically, those verses show that WE are JESUS’ sheep and we CAN hear His voice and we need to OBEY that voice because He is a good shepherd
- However, how do we know that the voice we hear is Jesus’ and not any others? ( I think max didn’t really touch on this but I thought it’d be important) so anyway, ask them that question and the answer isss…..that it comes with practice! Ahha. We learn as we grow. Personally, it took me a while to even know that I can hear God’s voice and even when I’ve successfully heard His voice a few times, there were still times I recognised the wrong voice and ended up doing the wrong thing. So let’s warn our kids to be discerning also, it is only by hearing and obeying our true shepherd’s voice, can we receive the peace meant for us!

- Pause here and ask if they have any questions. Next, we can share our experiences of hearing God’s voice with them and get them excited and encouraged to wanna seek His voice!

- Next, I would like to jump to the ‘Jesus decision’ part of the book. Previously, I mentioned about how recognising God’s voice comes with practice. One of the practical ways to achieve that is to PRAY! Yayyy! Bring out MATT 14:22-23.

- Pause and ask them about those 2 verses. Ask them the questions given in the book.
I think max was trying to point out the significance of prayer, that through it, we’ll not just hear what He has to say but also experience the peace of God

- On the side note: we can bring out the
MARY AND MARTHA story of which, Mary did what was better by sitting at Jesus’ feet. Luke 10: 38-42. Often, we keep doing things/ministries, thinking that that’s better than praying. However, prayer is actually more vital than doing itself. Also, we can take this chance to tell our kids that if they are afraid to reach out to their non-Christian friends in anyway, maybe they should start praying and ask God to grant them the peace and courage to do so through prayer!

- We can then link this up to ‘BEST AMONG THE GOOD’ of the book. Sometimes we hear many (human) voices telling us to do this or that. Though everything sounds good and righteous, we have to bear in mind to also seek God before agreeing to any ministries/responsibilities. If not, we might become over stretched and this may even affect our walk with God drastically.

- Conclude with that line: sometimes peace comes from saying no to good things in order to choose what is better. Explain that we need to SURRENDER every of our desires to Him, in order to hear the TRUE VOICE and receive His peae.

Summary:
we really need to RECOGNISE God’s voice and OBEY in order to receive His PEACE! Yupppss! That’s all, thanks!:)

Okayys by now if you did not guess/forgot who planned this lesson... HAHA you should smack yourself sillyy!!! yeaps so thanks to yy for starting us off with this lesson :):):)

Day 4 - The One Who Satisfies

2011-01-05T22:02:00.008+08:00

1. Imagine that today is the last day you will have on Earth. Are you ready to die? What are some things you would want to do before dying?

Many of us will think it is a pity to die young because there is so much that we have yet to see and do. These unsatisfied desires or regrets tell us that a) that our hearts long to be satisfied and b) that we believe that the world has something to offer us.

2. But should we desire to be satisfied, should we treasure, what the world has to offer? [rhetorical]

Let's find out.

Read the following verses: Ecc 5:10, Matthew 6:24, Ps 17:15

What do this verses tell us about satisfaction?

Ecc 5:10 - The satisfaction offered by the world in never enough for us.
Matthew 6:24 - We cannot serve both God and the world.
Ps 17:15 - God alone satisfies.

It's true that the world does have a lot to offer us. After all God created the world. But we should only be satisfied by things that we can enjoy in God. For e.g. Loving our parents.

3. Ask them to name some activities that they used to [but no longer] enjoy.

Point out that this is just what the satisfaction offered by the world is like. Many activities are not immoral. We can give thanks to God and enjoy them, but they are temporal. They don't last. In contrast John 10:10 says that Jesus came that they may have life, and have it to the full.

4. Ask them if they believe that the satisfaction God offers lasts... forever, eternally, continuously .

Suggest that it is true BUT this truth is not always apparent in our lives. We know it in our heads.. but the truth does not always reach our hearts.

Let's explore this further.

Read Php 4:19, Ps 17:15.

5. What are the implications of belief these verses for Christians?

Philippians 4:19 (NASB) - And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Implications of Belief: You do not feel troubled when in need. Neither do you strive madly to obtain the objects of your desire.

Psalm 17:15 (NIV) - And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. Implication of Belief: You reign in your desire for things apart from God. Instead you desire righteousness [Christ and his likeness] because you desire to see God.

Ask them to check their hearts. Do they really believe Philippians 4:19 and Psalm 17:15?

Take some time here to let it sink in.

The Christian life is a life of faith and delighting. Living by faith goes beyond an intellectual belief in God - it means finding great pleasure in God, delighting in Him. It involves an active treasuring of God.

Matt 6:19-20 says Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...

Is God your greatest treasure, the greatest desire of your heart? We are easily satisfied with other things. Our favourite food. Our favourite TV show. Our favourite friends. I wonder how many of us can say that God is our favorite.

If we desire to treasure God above all else. We should express this desire. Here's 3 things we can do:

1. Acknowledge our desire to treasure God above all else and our sin for other things above God.
2. Reflect on the desires of your heart and how these desires affect you.
3. Memorize Psalms 37:4 and other verses we have covered today. Try living out the truth they contain.

2 Jan

2010-12-30T11:27:00.003+08:00

No lesson on 2nd Jan. Please come in to service on time in smart casual for your leaders installation. There is some activity & catered food at ACJC so please proceed there as per normal.

Plug

2010-12-28T00:28:00.000+08:00

I share it because it might be helpful to you... =]

http://markedbyfaith.blogspot.com/search/label/resource

The History of Redemption

2010-12-18T17:34:00.003+08:00

19 Dec

2010-12-18T17:30:00.004+08:00

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." - Jer 2:13

Pet suggested that we have a time of sharing.. especially for the campers to share their experience with their friends.

My suggestion:

Ask them to share their camp experience. If your group is small, join with another so that all may be edified.

For those who have come back from camp. Is their relationship with God better than before - or back to 'normal'. They will likely need some encouragement. For all - is their relationship with God absent, ritualistic, or alive?

Ask them to share their hopes - how they would like their relationship with God and church to be different. Have each one pray for this.

2010-12-07T17:14:00.002+08:00

Made for two communities

“You were hardwired to live in two communities of love, with God and your neighbor. Only grace can make you willing and able.”
- Paul David Tripp, Twitter Post

Session dunno what number: Evangelism

2010-12-03T23:57:00.001+08:00

3^rd Decemeber

Ok hi guys, before I start telling you my awesome plan about how to have the most awesome and fun sec 1 teaching session EVER!!! I thought we should all take a look at alden’s blog. http://bluegloves.tumblr.com/post/2071560866/sketchmedesire-testimony-from-a-18-year-old

Yeah ok go on watch the video, I’ll wait for you.

Finished? Ok good. Well I don’t know how you guys feel after watching that. But I most certainly hope that it motivates you to share God’s Love to the world. Ok I think as much as our kids should know the theory behind evangelism and why we must do it. I also do think that we have to equip them to share.

Hook: The Christmas List

-Everyone has to have a piece of paper and a pen or a pencil

-Next, everyone writes down three things that they are thankful to God for providing and

One reason why they believe in Christ and one thing they wish for this Christmas

-Next, pair people up, you can choose to take the less talkative ones if you like, so as to encourage them.

So basically, they will take turns to share about their list.

After that gather them back and tell them they have basically just shared the gospel to their partner. Easy peasy lemon squeezey wasn’t it? Keep it you will need this later.

Ok from here on, the words in red are the gay version, you don’t have to read them.

Discussion:

By now they should be amazed at how easy it is to share. Begin by doing a recap of the FOUR KEYS that Santa Claus has shared.

1. They became CONCERNED for their hurting friend

Romans 15:2 : We should all be concerned about our neighbour and the good things that will build his faith.

I believe that we all for someone we are concerned for. Does that person know that there is a way out of the hole he or she is stuck in? Does that person know how much goodness and blessings are out there waiting for him? Or Whats worse, does that person know he or she is going to spend eternality in never dying flames of doom? If you don’t share aren’t you robbing your friend of the option to make a choice?

Imagine this; you and your friend heromine are two happy wizards. One day Dumberdore tells you that the both of you are the chosen two and that both of you will be hunted down by Lord Voldermort!!!! But before he dies, he tells you of this kick ass potion that you can drink and Voldermort can never ever kill you/ So obviously what do you do? You drink it and you go and tell heromine the whole story and ask her to drink the potion right?!?!?! I mean are you seriously going to let your friend heromine die?!??! Yeah so in the same way, if you don’t share, you are as good as killing your friend.

2. They believed Jesus would save their friend

Hebrews 7: 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them

Just now in the Christmas Wish list, your kid should have already written down the reason why he or she believes in Christ. And that is very important when sharing the Gospel. If you are not sure how God has saved you? How can you tell others about God saving you? So do try to probe and test your kid’s reason for believing and having Faith in God. And also help them to find out why they do believe in God.

3. They didn’t just pray for their friend; they brought him to Jesus

Luke 14:23: Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.

Many of our friends out there can’t get to Jesus by themselves. They need ordinary friendly neighbour superheroes like us to help them. Cause a lot of people are paralyzed in life. They are paralyzed by fear, guilt, loneliness, or circumstances and problems. They can’t get to Jesus on their own. Praying is good but Praying with action is better and praying+ action+ God is powderful.

Please switch on your imagination button. Ok now picture yourself at age 35, you are happily married to whoever you want to marry. Yes you can pick Jessica Alba or Ryan Reynolds or for ken its Yuri.

Oh and btw you guys have a 5 year old daughter named Ashley. OK and one day in the middle of the night, Ashley has a high fever (42 degrees!!!) What do you do?

Think to yourself: it’s ok, Ashley is a strong girl, ill bring her in the morning
Take out your wand, and use the obliviate spell on yourself
Wait for your lovely hot famous husband/ wife to come back
GET YOUR DAUGHTER OUT OF THE BED AND BRING HER TO THE HOSPITAL IN YOUR PRIVATE HELICOPTER.

Ok so in life, its pretty much the same. Sometimes we just think that its ok someone else will take care of it, or no problem there is still time. But I guess nobody knows when they are going to die. So every second counts.

4. They didn’t let difficulties DISCOURAGE them

Yes I know sometimes it can be hard. Your friend thinks your some holy dude or this guy is siao. But I believe that with each act of love that you show to your friend, it can be even something as simple as opening the door for him or her or going out of your way to hand he or she something. I believe that as all these adds up, there will be a break through one day. Even a single grain of rice can tip the scales and isn’t it worth it? Knowing that your friend is saved?

Oh and what better time to share the gospel than during Christmas. Its as simple as

Take out the Christmas wish list and turn to your friend
Hey Chrismas is coming up what is you wish for Christmas this year? Oh I wished for Blah blah blah and you tell the person what you wished for blah blah
Actually do you know the reason behind this holiday? NO? Are you serious? Let me tell you Blah blah, yeah so Jesus was born and did you know he died for you and me? And the reason why I believe so is (insert reason)
Yeah and my life has changed ever since. Really? How? ( insert three things you are thankful for)
OH and you should try to give your friend the present he or she asked for with a note saying “Merry Christmas!!! Jesus loves you!!! KTHXBAI”

Ok so thank you for reading so far and putting up with my nonsense.

2010-11-25T14:20:00.002+08:00

This would probably be more suitable for the first lesson, but then again this isn’t meant for the kids.

Just a reminder of what we’re looking for:

Midway upon the journey of our life

I found myself within a forest dark,

For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

Ah me! How hard a thing it is to say

What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,

Which in the very thought renews the fear.

So bitter is it, death is little more;

But of the good to treat, which there I found,

Speak will I of the other things I saw there.

I cannot well repeat how there I entered,

So full was I of slumber at the moment

In which I had abandoned the true way.

From “The divine comedy of Dante Alighieri”, Canto I

Being lost in the woods, awaiting death, such is the sad reality of losing one’s purpose, losing all reason to live. Though the purpose in which Dante finds is more of fantasy than reality, there are many emotions I can relate with, and some emotions that I have seek to avoid.

The divine comedy is a poem depicting the tale of a man dreaming of entering hell to save a loved one and an opinion on the structure of hell. You guys can probably expect quotes from his poem in my lessons. Don’t worry though, as much as I will be true to myself, I will be true to the word. There will be no twisting it into my own dark fantasy.

Anyway, on with the lesson (Start printing from here)

Decided to write two endings, feel free to slap me in the face on Sunday haha

Well obviously, we have to start from the beginning.

Go over the parable of the Good Samaritan one more time.

Just go over it briefly, in appropriate detail. I really hope that no one has to start from here, but it is certainly unavoidable. If you want, clarify with them what the oil and wine is for. The oil and wine in this case most likely represented a gift from the Holy Spirit, or telling us to share our gifts (since Jesus is talking and wants to slip in a little hidden message). As little as possible, try to go over which one they can relate to most and share (If possible) experiences where you have met the truly needy, and how you had and could have reacted.

In many ways they have been chided about feeling remorse for the less fortunate, through their parents and also through public education. Not saying that it is inappropriate to monger pity here but it isn’t always effective, and move on if the response is poor.

If we’re getting rid of the video, go through the blanks as well.

(Start with either 2a or 2α, depending on your preference)

Part 2a

Definitions

Defining service for God:

Firstly, we should take a look at the meaning of the word service, which is “work done that benefits another”. So service for God is basically work done that benefits God.

Part 2α

Why?

Reasons for serving God:

Now, we get them to turn their bibles open, back to good old Romans 12, where we learnt about being a living sacrifice. This time, get them to read verses 3 to 8. From the verses, the main reason we serve is because god has already equipped us with talents which can be used for serving God, which is how we can repay him.

_________________________________________________

From here on out, the main idea is to be discussing about how we can bring benefit to God. Obviously there are several ways to go about it, but it would be easier on us to build it around the structure that Pastor Rick Warren has already established.

First method: Follow the Book using verses provided

Firstly, we have to See or identify those in need

Motive

Try to get them to think about how they can help physically rather than financially. Help them to remember and realize that it is not the effort or satisfaction that counts, it is glory that counts. (WHAT!!)

By that I mean glory to God obviously. Focus on groups that can be helped, and ways which help is not temporal but in ways that last.

Lastly, are there ways to help those that can’t be reached by our actions? Remind them that God’s power is always there, and we can always ask for his help.

PAIN

How can we relate to pain? Honestly, I did not have any idea how to get them to feel other’s pain other than the obvious methods. The book was not much help either. Then it got me thinking, should we be identifying those we can sympathize with?

In my opinion, we can never exactly feel how someone else is feeling and the truth is God definitely can. We should try to get as close as possible while relying on God. Start by asking them how this can be achieved. Spending some time with those in need? Live as a pauper? Once you’re done, remind them about where God is, and how he can help us by guiding us.

Opportunity

The whole seizing the moment thing according to Rick Warren seems pretty inappropriate in public, especially in Singapore with all the scams going around. Put it this way, it is about being a good example of a Christian, similar to the Samaritan Jesus had described in his parable. Remind them that seizing opportunities also means making effective plans, or signing up for church initiated programs. It is about maximizing time and maximizing his glory.

Thy soul is hurt by cowardice, which oftentimes encumbereth a man so that it turns him back from honorable enterprise.

- From “The divine comedy of Dante Alighieri”, Canto II

Execution

Read Romans 12:6-8 again. If it is about doing your best, how can you reach your best? The simple yet hard to put into practice answer is to undergo training and education. Ask them how they can train and educate themselves. The basic idea would be to reach a level where you are able to help others with their needs.

O creatures foolish, how great is that ignorance that harms you!

- From “The divine comedy of Dante Alighieri”, Canto VII

Starting small

If your group is large, split up into smaller groups and ask them what talents they have or think they have, and ask them where their talents could be used to serve the church. Pray together and ask God to let their talents flourish or identify their talents and pray that he would use it in the church when it is time. Alternatively, ask them to pray it for themselves if they are willing and not doing it half-heartedly.

Alternative method:

Planning a community outreach project!

CONGRAJULATIONS for reading this far cause if I were really busy I would’ve stopped at the previous passage and went with it. This section is for those who are daring! Whose students paid some attention during the video and also for those who want something different for a large group of students and access to a whiteboard to write everything down!

If you can’t think of anything, you could always use the board game event as an example

Identify

Identify a group of people around the Commonwealth area (old folks, run down blocks, etc) who could use your help. Try to steer them away from fundraising by reminding them the main objective of an outreach event, and that interaction with potential believers is necessary.

PAIN

This would be a little easier than the one I wrote earlier. To sympathize, you need to know more about the people who you are trying to help. It definitely is out of almost everyone’s comfort zones to go around knocking on everyone’s door and checking up, but it will be helpful. Try to lead them in this direction by questioning whether they can sympathize as well with people who are strangers.

Opportunity

Remind them that seizing the moment is important and you need to choose your occasions where people would be more open and friendly towards you, and when people will more likely attend your event. It also involves helping out whenever possible, which can be applied in house visits or dinner events.

Execution

Assess the skills needed in your community outreach event. Do you need to learn some basic dialects? Maybe learn a simple musical instrument to draw the crowds? Remind them that they need to be the best they can be in their efforts.

Closing

This refers to closing if you choose this method yea. To close, it is really up to you. Try to pray about how god can use us in an outreach project in the future, or that we can participate in a church event in the future.

Clarence

DISCIPLESHIP—YOU WERE CREATED TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST

2010-11-20T19:49:00.002+08:00

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

From Philippians 1:12,13, you discover that it is your responsibility to develop the
salvation you have in Christ. With this in mind, we will consider more closely the
tools God uses and the choices we make that will help us become more like Jesus.

1. Some people have thought that Paul's reference to working out our salvation
means that we have to earn our salvation. What does Ephesians 2:8-9 have to
say about this?

41. "Working out" your salvation can be compared to a physical workout. Your
workout is to develop what you already possess. In what ways is discipleship
like a physical workout?

42. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Paul says the Bible is "useful." In what ways have
you found the Bible "useful" in your life? What keeps the Bible from being more
useful in your life?

43. *Read Romans 8:28 and James 1:2-4. How has God used circumstances
and trials in your life to bring growth and Christ-likeness?

SERVE

10 Minutes

One very important tool God uses to mature us is our circumstances.
You cannot choose what is going to happen to you, but you can
choose how you will respond.

*How can your circumstances be opportunities for you to serve
1. God and others? What circumstance have you experienced that God could use
as an opportunity for you to serve others?

44. Pair up and turn to the Purpose Driven Health Plan on page 51 in the Small
Group Resources section. Select one purpose in which you need to grow and
write down one action step that you could take this week to grow in that purpose.

SHARE

15 Minutes

Although none of us has achieved our goal of becoming completely
like Christ, the good news for us is, God uses imperfect people to
fulfill His purposes.

How are the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and circumstances all important
in reaching people for Christ? Several of you share how God is
1. using these things to reach out to your friends and family.

WORSHIP

15 Minutes

Recognizing that God does so much to help us grow to be like Christ
is good reason to worship Him.

*Take some time as a group to thank and praise God for His
provision of salvation and His work in transforming us to be like
1. Jesus Christ. Use short one-sentence prayers to give everyone a chance to
praise the Lord. You may pray several times, but keep your prayers short. You
can begin by saying, "Father, we thank You for...," or, "Jesus, You have given
us...."

45. In today’s lesson we learned that prayer is an indicator of whether or not you
are depending on God. What are you holding onto that you need to turn over to
God and trust Him to handle? Spend some time praying for these issues.

ADDITIONAL STUDY

God created us to become like Christ. He has given us His Word, His Holy Spirit,
and custom-made circumstances to help us grow. Let's look further at some verses
that confirm the truths of this lesson and challenge us to take responsibility for our
part in this process.

1. *What truth do we learn about our responsibility in the process of spiritual growth
in Ephesians 4:22-24?

46. How is our faith affected by the Word of God, according to Romans 10:17?
What encouragement does Romans 8:11 give us in our spiritual growth?

47. What other good news do we see in 2 Corinthians 3:18 regarding God's work
in us?

Astonished and Amazed

2010-11-20T13:37:00.000+08:00

“Being amazed by God’s grace is a sign of spiritual vitality. It is a litmus test of how firm and real is our grasp of the Christian gospel and how close is our walk with Jesus Christ. The growing Christian finds that the grace of God astonishes and amazes.”

- Sinclair B. Ferguson, By Grace Alone

40 DOP Session 3 - Fellowship

2010-11-10T22:03:00.006+08:00

Thanks to Caitlyn and Justina for this week's lesson! :)

Session 3: Fellowship

Hook: The 'Hot Seat' game

-Write the names of all the individuals in your group at the top of different pieces of paper

- Pass them around the group and have everyone anonymously write (except for their own piece of paper) a phrase or sentence that begins with,'This is one reason why i'm thankful God put you in my life...'

- After it has gone one round, everybody gets their own pieces of paper back and reads them (reading aloud is not required))

Discussion:

Begin by doing a recap of the points on how to have effective Christian fellowship covered in the video i.e. the 5 building blocks

1. In short, what is fellowship?

Loving others.

2. Why should we fellowship (love others)?

1 John 3:14-18

God first loved us and so we should love him back (as covered in the previous lesson on worship). If we love him enough, we should learn to love the things (or rather people) he loves as well. Since he loves others, we should learn to love them as well.

Edification is also another reason why fellowship is important in the church. If we commit to building each other up with the love of Jesus Christ, we will be better able to face up to the strains our world has on our christian life.

*If your kids are anything like mine, they would be quick to disagree to the point that if we love someone, we tend to love the people they love. Ask them, then, 'How does your reluctance to love others (especially those who are difficult to love) reflect of the extent of your love for God?' Try not to spend too much time here though.

3. Within this TTB group you are in, how can you achieve the 5 building blocks?

Highlight 2 in particular: How do we help each other to share our true feelings; and how do we help each other to grow spiritually? Are they willing to commit to being honest and available to each other while keeping things that are shared confidential? Even doing something simple like encouraging each other in today’s hook can be a step towards true fellowship.

4. Most of us have a few groups of friends (from church, school etc.) Are these groups from friends different from their friends in church? As a Christian group, what should make us different from other groups?

Remember one of the 5 building blocks is unity? What are we united in?

We want to build a relationship that is not just of social nature where we meet up to have fun or be together because we have to work together. It is the ‘comrade relationship’ that we want to achieve: to laugh, to cry, to suffer together and to know that the common goal that we share is Jesus Christ.

5. Ask the Sec Ones what kind of relationships do they want to build in this group? Is it just another social group?

Encourage the kids to make a commitment to treat sun classes as more than just Sunday school, learning about the bible. Are they willing to help one another grow in faith and maturity? What about the times when they just don’t feel like it? Let them know that they will be held accountable to what they have said in response to this question.

End activity

**As the school holidays begin, take time out to plan an outing with your kids to build effective fellowship within your group! **

The Value of Hanging Out

2010-11-05T16:13:00.001+08:00

For your leisure reading...

http://www.ccwonline.org/hang.html

40 DOP Session 2 - Worship (7/11)

2010-11-05T11:47:00.006+08:00

Thanks to Yun Ying and Elvira for this week's lesson! Sorry its out so late!

HELLOOOO FOLKS!

As we all know, the main focus for this week’s WORSHIPJ below will be a few questions and answers to facilitate in your discussion!

WHAT

1) What’s worship to you BEFORE watching the video, then get them to summarise what they’ve learnt.

*worship is all about loving GOD, which is the primary purpose of your life as evident in

Matt 22:35-39

Do remember what they’ve shared so that you correct them at the end of the lesson is the answer ain’t right=)

WHY

Next, we’ll move on to the key verses for this lesson: Romans 12:1-3 (this is the ‘why’ part)

A Living Sacrifice

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2) Why do we worship God?

Because God loves us so much that He had mercy on us by forgiving our sins. (try not to bring in grace cuz that leads to salvation and we might digress from the main point) This is supported in Rom 12:1’..in view of God’s mercy’.

HOW

Guide them through this part by following the questions closely below:

3) So how do we worship GOD?

Rom 12:1 says we OFFER our bodies as a LIVING SACRIFICE

4) So what does it mean to be a living sacrifice?

Another word for sacrifice would be an offering. Therefore, a living sacrifice would be living our daily lives as an offering to GOD (in view of His love and thus mercy on us as discussed earlier) as such, (THIS IS WHEN YOU CLEAR UP THEIR MISCONCEPTION ABOUT WORSHIP THAT ITS JUST SINGING SONGS etc.) its more than just singing songs but putting God first in ALL things.

5) Ask them what’re the idols in their lives (that stops them from being a living sacrifice for God daily, aka worshipping God daily)?

6) How are you going to start worshipping God daily by casting your idols aside? (practical approach? I think we should take note of what they say and follow up with them the following week J)

HOOK

(but makes more sense if done at the end)

WE’LL SING THE SONG ‘HEART OF WORSHIP’. Woo hoooo!!!!:D This songs summarises how our worship to God should be like, all about Him and not ourselves at all. Before singing the song, run through the lyrics with them and tell them to sing the song as a prayer unto God, that they truly wanna be that living sacrifice to God, having the heart of worship daily!

Verse 1:
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Verse 2:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

ALRIGHTYY! Hope it helps! May you all have a fruitful session! LOVEEE YAAA! :DDDDDD

2010-10-28T16:45:00.001+08:00

Charles Spurgeon, in a sermon dated November 2, 1884:

The best preaching is, “We preach Christ crucified.”
The best living is, “We are crucified with Christ.”
The best man is a crucified man.

The more we live beholding our Lord’s unutterable griefs, and understanding how he has fully put away our sin, the more holiness shall we produce. The more we dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard, where we can view heaven, and earth, and hell, all moved by his wondrous passion—the more noble will our lives become.

Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior. Get close to Christ, and carry the remembrance of him about you from day to day, and you will do right royal deeds.

Come, let us slay sin, for Christ was slain.
Come, let us bury all our pride, for Christ was buried.
Come, let us rise to newness of life, for Christ has risen.

Let us be united with our crucified Lord in his one great object—let us live and die with him, and then every action of our lives will be very beautiful.

40 DOP

2010-10-24T14:33:00.000+08:00

Discussion questions for session 1: What on earth am I here for?

Seven Questions to Ask Before You Preach or Teach the Bible

2010-10-21T11:35:00.000+08:00

Francis Chan highlighted the importance of loving the people to whom he preaches. He mentioned seven questions that he asks himself in preparing to preach. Here are the seven questions:

Am I worried about what people think of my message or what God thinks? (Teach with fear)
Do I genuinely love these people? (Teach with love)
Am I accurately presenting this passage? (Teach with accuracy)
Am I depending on the Holy Spirit's power or my own cleverness? (Teach with power)
Have I applied this message to my own life? (Teach with integrity)
Will this message draw attention to me or to God? (Teach with humility)
Do the people really need this message? (Teach with urgency)

(HT: Andrew Jacobson, Desiring God)

What if I make a wrong decision? (24/10)

2010-10-20T14:29:00.002+08:00

Thanks to Milton for the lesson.

http://www.box.net/shared/gc7asp2ohu

Really trusting that God provides 17/11

2010-10-14T01:29:00.007+08:00

Leader's guide for Max Lucado's Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (Day 2)

To prepare: Read the whole lesson including the bible verses at the side.

We will start off the class with a debate. Gather together and we will split the class into two. One side must argue for and the other against. They will have 10 mins to discuss their ideas and then 5 mins to present their case.

The debate topic will either be ...

1) Non-Christians can live a good moral life. Do you agree?

2) Is human nature good or bad?

I have not decided.. am open to suggestions.

After we hear their reasons, I will wrap up, and close by asking them what they think the difference between Christians (C) and non-Christians (NC) is. The answer will can found in the book.

Skip (the introduction) and go straight to question 1, 2, 3. Don't spend too much time on them, but make sure you have their attention. After going through these questions, ask them again what the difference between Christians and non-Christians is. They should be able to articulate an answer now... Namely, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Then go through questions 4 and 5 which talk about how C and NC are different. Again, don't spend too much time on the questions.

Sum up with the Heart of the Matter, and after that, ask them whether they can tell that they themselves are different (from say their NC friends). Not a intellectual understanding of the difference but a practical, discernible difference. If they behave differently, is it because of God? Do they really trust that God provides? Experience God as described in questions 4 and 5? This is the most important part because you are getting them to critially engage with what you have been telling them. I suggest you go one round and share so that you can hear each of them out. You can guide them with 3 options... can tell, cannot tell, cannot really tell.

If they cannot or cannot really tell the difference between themselves and NCs, ask them to ask themselves why. The most likely reason is because they don't understand the significance of Jesus dying on the cross. And so we don't desire to be perfectly united with God. We read about Jesus supplying all our needs (Php 4:19) but still don't fully believe it. Another reason is because of sin hardens our heart (Psalm 97:10). If so we need to repent, to change our minds and turn to God. Either way, we must trust in God's grace and wait on God for his transforming work in our lives... This is important even for those who can tell the difference between themselves and NC.. or someday they may no longer be able to tell.

Close in prayer for your kids instead of asking them to pray. Pray that they will know that they know the Lord, and whatever else the Holy Spirit leads.

Experiencing the Care of Jesus (10/10)

2010-10-03T00:40:00.005+08:00

Leader's guide for Max Lucado's Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (Day 1)

Asking the Tough Question

What is God doing when you are in a bind? Where is God when life starts to fall apart? What's God doing then, and does He even care? This is the question we will address today.

Ask your students what they think is their role and God's role in their studies. You don't have to given them the "right" answer, just share your experiences. Don't worry, God is sovereign ;)

Then read the 3 verses. 2 Cor 1:8 expresses helplessness, 2 Cor 4:8-9 expresses faith, and 2 Cor 12:10 expresses confidence. Ask your students which of the verses they tend to identify with. Remind them that it is not shameful to express helplessness... even the apostle Paul did!

Point out to them that it was probably tougher for Paul to make these statements and trust God then it is for them. How do I know? Paul did both work and ministry. Know the difference? If we think of work (or study) as what we do [for God] out of duty, we can think of ministry as what we do for God out of gratitude. Another difference is that in work, there is typically self interest e.g. money, good results. But in ministry, there is none. It should be an unadulterated act of service.

God's Care in Motion
Follow the book.

Entrusting Ourselves to His Care
Instead of reading this section, play Trust Fall. Have two people stand on the ground and ask the first person to lean and fall back. The second person should lunge forward and catch the first person. If it is suitable, you can also ask the biggest guy to fall and the smallest to catch. Just ask them if they dare.

Debrief: Expressing real trust God is like leaning back and falling. We can't break our fall. We depend 100% on God to catch us. It may be scary but it is the first step that helps us to move from helplessness to faith and confidence (Remember the first 3 verses above?).

His Care is Enough
Debrief: If we are going to trust someone, we want to know that he is capable of helping us. God is able, willing, and really dependable. Need evidence? Read Eph 1:19-20. He already died for your sins. He died for you. What further convincing could you need? But wait there's more... He rose again. A dead God couldn't really help you with today's problems. But God is alive!

Ask your students, "How do you think God will care for us?" Do question 5 to answer.

The Heart of the Matter
... is the conclusion.

If you're not sure what to do, allow God to take the lead.
God will fight and provide for us. We just need to trust.
That is not an excuse to shun our duties. Our calling as students is to study.
But God's power is very great for those who believe.

Have you trusted God with your studies, with your life?
(Consider asking for yes / no answer)

If the answer is no, begin trusting Him today.
Jesus calls to us, cares for us, and carries us home.

If the answer is yes, maybe it is time to consider serving.
Jesus calls us to a higher calling than to just be busy students.

Prayer (3/11)

2010-09-29T01:29:00.000+08:00

PRAYER

Since Prayer is not a new topic to the Sec 1s, we have decided to take the practical approach to teach the students about prayer this Sunday because I believe it is important that they know how to pray and not just know about prayer. We will break into small groups to mentor and walk them through on the various steps of prayer. Hopefully this will erase whatever fear they have of praying with others or on their own.

Luke 11:1- “Lord, teach us to pray….”

4 steps of prayer – A-C-T-S

1) A-Adoration

2) C-Confession

3) T-Thanksgiving

4) S- Supplication

Adoration: Begin by praising and acknowledging who God is and

His attributes:

Shepherd – ‘Lord, just as a shepherd knows his sheep, You care for us so deeply.’
Creator – ‘You are the Creator of Heaven and Earth yet You love us so much You know us by our name’
Faithfulness – ‘Lord, you are a faithful God, You never leave us or forsake us.’
Loving – ‘Lord , You are a loving God. Though we do not deserve Your love, You still gave Your all for us.’

Confession : God may reveal some areas of our live that are not pleasing to Him. Take a few moments to silently confess those sins.

Name the sin specifically, agree with God that it is sin
Repent , thank God and ask the Holy Spirit to help you overcome your sin

Eg. ‘ Lord forgive me when I lied about the money I took from Mom, I confess it as sin. Please forgive me, Lord’ Thank you for forgiving me and may the Holy Spirit help me to never do that again. Amen.

T- Thanksgiving: When we give thanks to God, we honor Him. Give thanks specifically for all that He has done for us.

‘Thank you Lord, for helping me to understand the difficult Math problem and for bringing John to help me with it.’
‘Thank you Lord for giving me the peace throughout my exams.’
‘Thank you Lord for giving me good Christian friends in my school’
‘Thank you Lord for protecting me from the accident just now’

*We’ll soon realize we have so much to give thanks for!

S – Supplications or Requests (finally!) : We lay all our requests before God, our own and for others( interceding) Again, be specific.

‘Lord, please help me to know You more and to love reading your Word, give me understanding I pray.
‘Lord, please heal my father’s headache and give him your rest.’
‘Lord, I pray for Jack that he will be able to come and join us for Tackle Box this Sunday.’
‘Lord, I need your help in understanding my work in History. Pray that the teacher will be interesting and I won’t fall asleep in his class.’
‘Lord, please help me to be patient with Sean even though he is getting on my nerves.’

* Ask in accordance to God’s will , ask in His Name and He will surely answer us!

A Heart That Forgives

2010-09-28T17:21:00.004+08:00

Like it? Mp3

I want a heart that forgives
A heart full of love
One with compassion just like Yours above
One that overcomes evil with goodness and love
Like it never happened, never holding a grudge
I want a heart that forgives that lives and lets live
One that keeps loving over and over again
One that men can’t offend
Because Your Word is within
One that loves without price, like You Lord Jesus Christ
I want a heart that loves everybody....even my enemies
I want to love like You, be like You, just like You did
I want a heart that forgives,

I want a heart that forgives!
When the ones that are closest, that I’ve known the longest, hurt me the most;
I still wanna love them just like You love me
Even though I’m hurting
I want a heart that forgives
When the pain is so deep, it’s so hard to speak, about it to anyone
Just like Your Son, I give up my right to hold it against them with hatred inside
I want a heart that loves everybody....even my enemies
I wanna love like You, be like You, just like You did
Wanna walk like You, talk like You, just like You did,
Wanna be like You, live like You, just like You did

'Cause the heart that forgives is the heart that will live
Totally free from the pain of the past
And the heart that lets go is the heart that will know so much freedom

Heavy Duty Love - 26 Sept

2010-09-23T21:33:00.005+08:00

Heavy Duty Love

Let sec 1s do survey first (Yipeng will upload this, so please be patient and wait)

Hook: Ranking different acts of love (print and cut out the flash cards provided)

Let them work together as a group to arrange the flash cards in terms of 1.

how ‘great’ the act of love is, and then ask them to 2. classify them into the 3 groups:

Agape, Phileo, and Eros.

If they cannot remember what the three types of love ... then you can do a quick

recap of the Hugs and Kisses lesson.

Phileo being friendship or brotherly love
Eros being love on a more physical, sexual level
Agape being sacrificial love. Agape love is love of God and from God, who is love tobegin with (1 John 4:8). God showed Agape love in that he sent His son down to die for our sins even though we didn’t deserve it at all

There is no fixed set of answers for the flashcard hook so it would be based on how you leaders perceive the types/ rankings of love to be. It's easier for you to explain to the kids why some acts of love you would rank before others.

The aim of the hook is to simply show them some examples that we think the kids

would be familiar and would be able to relate to of the 3 types of love.

Lesson:

1 . Can we love an enemy? (hint: is love an emotion or choice?)

If the kids do not have a definite answer to that question then continue to ask them why do we want to make that choice to love in the first place?

1 John 4:19

Because God first loved us and he is love. If we say we love him we must respond by loving the people around us.

So back to whether to or not we can and should love an enemy?

1 John 4:11-12

Love has to be demonstrated and that is why the response to God’s love comes in here by making a choice to love one another including your enemy. Verse 12 shows that also just by loving one another we are in fact winning people over for God because they would be able to see God in us.

2 . Referring to the survey, do some of the acts of love involve more emotion? (does this mean this act of love is bad, since love should be a choice?)

Yes, it seems as though some acts of love would involve more emotions than others but that does not mean that since love should be a choice that emotional love is bad. God never makes mistakes and it was him who made us with emotions which set us apart from robots and computers. However this does not discount the fact that we have to still love those we do not like or are just difficult to love can be challenging. We need to enlist God’s help to do this and we do this through prayer.

3. Refer to Survey qn 1: showing their answers, ask them how important are emotions when loving (or trying to love) an enemy(or someone difficult to love)?

Matt 5:43-48

This should shed some insight to whether emotions are important when we are trying to love an enemy. From 46-47 its clear, Jesus said that anyone on earth can give emotional love because that is human nature that you love those who love you.

So we are challenged to do something that is really difficult for us to do: love when it is difficult to. We feel like it's not in our nature to do it. That is why only through God can we accomplish such acts, that is EXPECTED of us as Christians.

4. Ask them to define agape love. (test them again to see if they were listening to the recap during the hook and also we want to bring the lesson back to the most important love of all - agape)

Agape being sacrificial and unconditional love. Agape love is love of God and from God, who is love to begin with (1 John 4:8). Give them concrete examples of conditional love to illustrate this point.

5. Read Psalms 103

Divide the Psalms into 1-5, 6-10, 11-18 What do these verses mean? Do people deserve love? Why then, does God still love? (He is the perfect example for us as loving Christians)

So basically this is the conclusion for today’s lesson that even though it might be so tough to love someone that we dislike God did not just command us to do so without showing us how The people in the verses did not deserve his love, we do not deserve his love because we are sinners but God LOVES us UNCONDITIONALLY. God showed Agape love in that he sent His son down to die for our sins even though we didn’t deserve it at all. Therefore in the same way we are to show that love to others around us that might not deserve that love because God loves us and to show that we love him, we have to love his people too.

Daena's note: You could also end by having the kids identify one person in their lives (a classmate, a sibling etc) whom they find difficult to love. Challenge them to think about how much God loves this person in spite of the fact that the kids find him/her unlovable, and challenge them to start loving that person the way God loves us.

LINKS:

1. Flashcards for hook: http://www.box.net/shared/y7746vpoxu

2. Heavy Duty Love Survey: http://www.box.net/shared/vjf4vn2kmj

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Optional (a story that you might like to share with your kids)

It is the true tale of what took place in the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp made

famous by the movie The Bridge On the River Kwai. The camp stood at the end of the Bataan death march that brought Allied soldiers deep into the jungles of Asia. Few would survive, and everyone knew it. In order to make the best of a terrible situation they teamed up in pairs, each watching out for a buddy.

One prisoner was a strapping six-foot-three fellow built like a tower of iron. If any could come out of this alive, all felt he would. That was before his buddy got malaria. The smaller fellow was much weaker, and very likely to die. Their captors did not want to deal with sickness, so anyone who was unable to work was confined in a “hot house” until he succumbed to heat exhaustion, dehydration, and the collapse of his bodily systems.

The sick man was locked into a hothouse and left to die. Surprisingly, he did not die, because every mealtime his strong buddy went out to him, under curses and threats from the guards, and shared his meager rations. Every night, his strong buddy sneaked from the prison barracks, braved the watchful eyes above that held guns of death, and brought his own slim blanket to cover the fevered convulsions of the sick man.

At the end of two weeks the sick man astounded the guards by recovering well enough to be able to return to work. He even survived the entire camp experience and lived to tell about it. His buddy, however — the strong man all thought invincible — died very shortly of malaria, exposure and dysentery. He had given his life to save his friend.

The story does not end there. When the Allied troops liberated that camp at the close of the war in the Pacific virtually every prisoner was a Christian. There was a symphony orchestra in camp, with instruments made of the crudest materials. There were worship services every Sunday, and the death toll was far lower than any expected. All this because of the silent testimony made by a strong man toward his buddy facing death.

It is not so much what we say but how we live that will make a profound

difference in our world.

John Chrysotom, preaching in the early centuries of the church knew this: “Let us astound [the world] by our way of life. This is the unanswerable argument. Though we give 10,000 precepts in words, if we do not exhibit a far better life, we gain nothing. It is not what is said that draws their attention, but what we do. Let us win them therefore by our life.”

So in relation to the lesson, refer back to 1 John 4:12

What's the first step in winning people over for Christ? Loving them as Christ loves us.

-Gail & Petrina. (:

Daena

2010-09-23T21:18:00.001+08:00

Here is the heavy duty love link: http://www.box.net/shared/vjf4vn2kmj

Parents Day

2010-09-19T22:29:00.005+08:00

Hey bro and sis! Good job interacting with the parents. Hopefully it will be the start of meaningful relationships with them.

I know some of you were surprised by Pastor Ming's slides which suggested that we will only be retaining 12 of you. That was not what we had previously agreed on, and I think it is just a communication error. 12 leaders simply refers to 12 new leaders for next year sec 1s. Rest assured that as far is it is in my power, I will make sure that you are not wronged, and that you guys and girls who have served passionately and faithfully in this ministry will continue to be able to do so.

Also don't be overly concerned with any policy changes. These things will come and go. The most important thing is to persevere so that the work of the Lord is fulfilled. If you do have a concern, raise it with me and I will see that it is addressed.

Why should we read the bible? (10/9/2010)

2010-09-10T02:44:00.001+08:00

Why should we read the bible?

Focus

1) To understand who God is

2) Improve our relationship with him

3) To become more Christ-Like

Hook

Get the kids to tell you about their favourite book. Ask them who is their favourite character in the book ask them if they think they know the character well. Ask them to tell you about their favourite book and why do they like reading it.

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Useful Verses

2 Tim 3: 16-17
Pov 3: 1-6
Matt 4:4

What is the Bible?

Ask the kid what is the bible and what does the bible mean to them. (Use this question to get them thinking and it gives the group leaders a chance to know more about the kids understanding of the Bible. Get the kids to answer you before giving the answer) Ask them if the bible is more important than their favourite book mentioned in the hook. (ask them why)

The bible is the manual to life and it is also the good news. (This is the easiest answer to explain to the kids.) You can explain to them that the bible is the source of life as it tells us how God saved us and teaches us how to live as Christians in this world.

The purpose of reading the bible can be found in Pov 3:1-6. The verses are to help them understand that the bible contains the promises of God (e.g. V6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.), the purpose of life (Living a life that is pleasing in God’s sight) and is also a way God uses to speak to us(V1: My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,).

To understand who God is

Ask the Kids who do they think God is? (the kids will probably reply God is the father, Jesus is God, God created me). In order to understand who God really is, we will have to read the bible and find out through the bible stories.

God is the God of love, forgiveness and even anger. However we will be focusing on a few characteristics of God today through the Bible.

God of Compassion

God loves us so much that he has compassion for the weak, the poor and the helpless. Ask the kids what it means to have compassion on others. Then read John 11: 32-44. This is the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus had compassion towards Mary and Martha when he saw how hurt they were due to the loss of Lazarus. (Vr33: when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.) We then learn later on that Jesus went to revive Lazarus from the dead and this is an act of compassion to Mary and Martha and to those who loved Lazarus, because they were badly hurt by the loss of Lazarus.

God of wrath

Apart from a God of compassion and love, God is also a God of wrath and anger. Ask the kids what do they get angry about and ask them if it was right for them to be angry. (Do try to correct your kids if they were angry for the wrong reasons). Then read Deu 1:29-40. This is the passage about the Israelites who disobeyed God. This caused the Israelites to feel God’s wrath as they were forced to wander in the Desert for 40 Years. God did have a right to be angry as the Israelites disobeyed God’s commandment when the commandment was very clear.

God of mercy

Ask the kids if they have ever gotten away from some sort of punishment that they duly deserved. Ask them if they have done anything to try and make up for their mistake which led to the punishment. The Bible tells us that God is a God of Mercy. Mercy in the dictionary means: A disposition to be kind and forgiving. In other words, God shows us a lot of mercy by removing the punishment we duly deserve. Read Jonah 3:1-10. This is the story of how Jonah warns the people of Nineveh how corrupted and evil they were. The people of Nineveh were afraid and therefore begged for the forgiveness of God, who in turn showed mercy upon the people of Nineveh by not destroying the city (V10). Ask the kids if they have been showed mercy before and if they have shown mercy to others as well.

God of Forgiveness

Definition of forgiveness: disposition or willingness to forgive.

We have all been hurt by friends or loved ones before and it is very hard to forgive one who has hurt us really badly. But if God can forgive our sins (Which caused Jesus pain and death), we too should show forgiveness to others. Read Luke 19:1-10. This is the story of Zacchaues the Tax collector. He wrongly collected high amounts of taxes and pocketed it for his own. When he realized his error he sought after God’s forgiveness and amended his ways. Jesus forgave his sins and gave him a new start to life. Ask the kids if there are any area in their life where they can show forgiveness and try to encourage them to show more forgiveness to others.

In conclusion we can only understand more about God’s characteristics and traits when we read the bible and studying the bible. If we had not read the bible we would not have known God was the God of all the above characteristics. We wouldn’t have known he forgives people or that God does feel anger as well. Therefore reading the bible is the way for us to understand more about God.

Improving our relationship with God

Ask them how we can improve our relationship with God. Explain to them that the bible holds the answer on how to improve our relationship with God.

Read Luke 10: 38-42

The passage depicts the time when Jesus visited Martha and Mary. We realized that all Mary did was just to sit down and listen to Jesus speaking. Because Martha was too busy with the preparations, she forgot what was truly important, and that was to listen to what Jesus said. Mary did what was important in God’s sight, and that was to listen to God and improve her relationship with him.

Martha wanted to serve Jesus and do the best she could for him and it is not wrong to serve God (In fact one of our purpose on earth is to serve God). However God wants us to focus on him instead and improve our relationship with him first before serve him. We can focus and develop our relationship with God by listening to what has to say to us through the word God in the Bible. (V39 .....Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to what he said). For many Christians in this world the Lord speaks to us through the Bible as it is God’s Words. Therefore by reading the bible, we are listening to the voice of God.

To become more Christ-like

Our purpose as Christians is to become more Christ-like. However we can only become more Christ like when we develop our relationship with God and develop the fruits of the spirit, which are found in the bible. By developing our relationship with God, we can become more Christ like as we will understand what pleases him and what does not.

Read Gal 5:22-26

The fruits of the spirit tell us what we as Christians need to develop to become more Christ like.

Go through the fruits of the spirit with your kids. And ask them which area of their lives they would need to improve on. Then you can pray for them later to improve that area of their live!

In Conclusion:
The only way to become more Christ-like is to know the characteristics of God which will help to develop a deep relationship with God, by reading the bible daily!

P.S. Sorry for the late post!

Sept Schedule

2010-09-03T20:28:00.003+08:00

Sept will be messy... but this is my suggestion...

5 Sept (evangelistic service, no class)

12 Sept Alden & Alex: Petrina and Gail are scheduled to lead the next but since Pet won't be around, could you prepare "Why is it important to read the Bible?" for this Sunday? Feel free to get creative ;)

- Hannah, Myself, Petrina, Yun Ying, Elvira, Kenn, Ariel will be away at YMLC

19 Sept (Parents Day, no class): Will need the majority of you in LT2 between 11:30-12:30 to "Meet the parents". If there are kids whose parents are not coming, a few of us could chillax and get to know them & play card games k?

26 Sept - Petrina and Gail's lesson: God's Notion of Love

Hugs & Kisses (28 Aug 2010)

2010-08-26T21:25:00.005+08:00

HUGS & KISSES

Focus of lesson: Love (as in BGR love) is an extension of God's love for us.

Hook:

LOVE IT & NAME IT Games show!

‘Who can name the most number of movies/shows and songs with the word love in the title’

Well, you guys are going to play a mini game show within your groups (its not much of a show, but still) and leaders will MC. Like what the name of the show says, the aim of the game is to name the most number of movies and songs with the word love in the title in 2/3/4 minutes (up to you). The kid that wins will get a small prize (we’ll provide).

Examples of movies/shows and songs are like Bleeding Love, Love Me, Love Actually and others.

Alright, tell you kids to hang on to their list of movies/shows and songs and we’ll explain to them the purpose of the hook in a bit.

Lesson:

What is love?

1) Ask the kids what they think love is and what the world think love is. (Ask them to think about the list of movies/shows and songs) Romance? Kissing and cuddling? Physical attraction? Sexual intimacy? Friendship? Family?

This is where the hook comes in. All the movies/shows and songs that the kids listed are how the world portrays love to be. Love is viewed as a feeling. You love others only when they’re nice to you. Love is giving in to others or closing a blind eye to others even when they’re doing wrong. But that’s not how/what love is meant to be.

Read 1Corinthians 13: 1- 13

This is what love is meant to be (v4-v8). Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love does not fail. Love is an action, it is not a feeling. We love because we choose to, not because we feel like it. We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). It is our response to Him.

Ask your kids to give you specific examples of how to show love. Then, encourage them to think of one area of love that they need to work on. Who do they need to try harder to love? What actions do they need to change?

The next part of the lesson will be focused on BGR.

Since this is the first time we’re talking about BGR to our kids, we thought it’ll be nice if you guys could engage in a bit of discussion on the topic of romantic love with your kids, to see how they really view it. But its ultimately up to you. Leaders can tailor the discussion according to your kids needs but here are a few possible starters. We don’t really have any specific answers for this part, its just for you to see how they feel.

Also, you can print out the HUGS AND KISSES survey form (pdf) and do it with them if you want.

Discussion

Ask your kids

- What they think of Boy- girl relationships, what they feel it should be like.

Is it all sweet moments like those portrayed in movies, where you are floating on

cloud nine all the time and you think about each other constantly?

- What they would do if they see a boy/girl that they really like, even though

they don’t know that boy/girl.

- Whether they believe in love at first sight.

- What they would do if they initial infatuation about the opposite sex fades and the

‘high’ is no longer there. Would they break up?

The last question will enable you to understand what your kids think of romantic love/love in a romantic relationship. Whether they feel that it only consists of Eros love and whether they feel that love is only a feeling. And when that feeling disappears, then there is no more love.

Here, you should remind you kids that love is an action, not a feeling and introduce them to the three types of love the Greeks describe – Phileo, Eros and Agape.

Phileo being friendship or brotherly love, Eros being love on a more physical, sexual level and Agape being sacrificial love. Agape love is love of God and from God, who is love to begin with (1 John 4:8). God showed Agape love in that in sent His son down to die for our sins even though we didn’t deserve it at all.

Healthy (Boy- girl) relationships should involve all three types of love- Phileo, Eros and Agape, with God being at the centre of every relationship.

How?

Phileo, where a boy and girl can talk to each other and share things with each other and support one another.

Eros, being romantic love plays a part.

And Agape, where a boy and girl in a relationship sacrifices for each other, time and things so that they can come to an understanding.

And most importantly, God being at the centre where the boy and girl make their decisions with Him in mind, and when they support each other in growing in Christ, encouraging one another to live for Him.

Also, as a side note and in conclusion, you could highlight Agape love to the kids. Agape love not just in romantic relationships but in our lives. We shouldn’t only show Agape love to the ones we care about and love but to everyone else too (1 John 3: 16).

We love others because God first loved us (as mentioned above) and because we want to obey Him. Loving others is what is commanded of us (John 13:34) and we can love others sacrificially because we have the love of God in us (Romans 5:5).

http://www.gotquestions.org/agape-love.html

End

Cheryl & Alicia (:

PEW

2010-08-18T20:30:00.008+08:00

Kenn suggested that leaders should share their personal reason for sharing the gospel. That's a good idea. We will do it in a big group... all packed into one classroom so that all the youth can hear from all the leaders. Leaders we will come up to the front and share. Just a few lines would do. We could also share in medium size groups (2 or 3 groups combine up)

E.g. "I share the gospel because..", "I am going to share the gospel because...", or your own version.. Most importantly share from your personal experiences. Then it is more genuine and makes this exercise as it should be.. a social-spiritual thing.

I will wrap up after that to tell them the biblical reason why Christians must share.

Then we will split up into groups and share (15 mins):
1. Who do you think you can share the gospel with? Tell us about this person.
2. What are your fears?
3. Get the youth to pray for one another.

After that we will gather again to wrap up, about the 3 excuses (I don't know, I don't dare, I don't care) and challenge them to do PEW. Leaders go to your youth and challenge them. You are their real leader. Not me... Don't feel obliged to convince them... pray and trust in God. If they are willing we will do it together, if they are not, they can watch. Leaders will lead the way.

PEW: pdf

Leader's Devotion: html

How to fold a PEW booklet: video

Principles behind PEW: pdf