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 /.