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?

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 /.

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

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

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

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

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!

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.”

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

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

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.

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

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

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 :)

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

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 :)