We are starting a new series this weekend at REALife called "The Cross." This is the perfect lead-up series to Easter, where we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as He saved us from our sins. But Jesus never intended for His cross to be taken up alone. While Jesus was the only one who could save us from our sins, He tells us in Matthew 16:24 “...Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." During this series we will be discussing with our students what it looks like to live a life of sacrifice. Jesus gave everything He had for us, and there will be somethings in our lives that we will have to give up for Him. This will be a great series, so make sure your son or daughter doesn't miss it.
Please also take advantage of our Parent Cue for this series, which gives the main point of each session along with follow-up questions to discuss with your family. You can download it off of our website by CLICKING HERE.
Please also remember that our Easter at Verizon service at Meck is coming up on April 8 where your family can serve together or get baptized as well. Check out our previous blog post on this topic by CLICKING HERE.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Important Details
As we finish up or series "Picture Perfect" about families this week, I need to make sure you are aware of two very important pieces of information.
(1) S'CAMP (REALife Summer Camp) registration is now open, and spots are filling up. This is the most popular event we do with REALife, so head to our Events Page, scroll down, and register for S'CAMP. You can also head to that page to find out more information about the trip.
(2) This year we are opening up our Easter at Verizon service for baptisms. Baptism is the action recorded in the Bible as the celebration and outward expression of commitment in which every Christian is to take part. I will be explaining this to our students over the next several weeks, but I want to encourage you to explore this option for anyone in your family who is a Christ-follower, but who has not been baptized. You can email us with more questions about baptism, or you can register to get baptized by CLICKING HERE.
(1) S'CAMP (REALife Summer Camp) registration is now open, and spots are filling up. This is the most popular event we do with REALife, so head to our Events Page, scroll down, and register for S'CAMP. You can also head to that page to find out more information about the trip.
(2) This year we are opening up our Easter at Verizon service for baptisms. Baptism is the action recorded in the Bible as the celebration and outward expression of commitment in which every Christian is to take part. I will be explaining this to our students over the next several weeks, but I want to encourage you to explore this option for anyone in your family who is a Christ-follower, but who has not been baptized. You can email us with more questions about baptism, or you can register to get baptized by CLICKING HERE.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
We Are Fam-i-ly
We are in the middle of a series about family at REALife called "Picture Perfect". We're discussing from a Biblical perspective what family is, how to relate to each other, how to handle conflict within family dynamics and more.
No family is perfect. I shared last weekend how when I was younger family dinner for me consisted of grabbing our plates and plopping down in from of the television to watch The Simpsons. I know that all of our families have our good moments, but I am sure that the good memories for all of us are littered with the unfortunate memories of fights, bikering, frustration, and misunderstandings. Family is messy sometimes, and there really is no getting around it. Put three to five (or more) people in a single house and before too long they will get on each other's nerves.
I am challenging our students in this series to take their faith and apply it close to home. Families are told in the Bible to apply their faith to their family life. To sum up the first few verses of Ephesians chapter six, children are to obey their parents while parents are to love their children and not be overly hard on them. In this way the whole family unit is challenged to show the love of Jesus to each other. So much or our ministry focusses on how we relate to the culture around us, which is great. We need that teaching and guidance. But here are some points and questions that I want to encourage you to discuss with your son or daughter during the coarse of this series. I hope and pray that these lessons your son or daughter hear will help bring peace and unity to your family.
(1) God created family. He founded it and designed it. What are the positives that can come from a family functioning in a Biblical way (Ephesians 6:1-4; Deuteronomy 6:1-8)?
(2) God has put us in our family for a reason. What is your role in your family? Parents, are you asking your children about their faith and encouraging them to pursue God in their lives? Children, are you respecting your parents and treating your siblings with love and encouragement?
(3) No family is perfect. There will be conflict. How will you show love and grace to the people you live with? Are there relationships that need to be restored? How are you going to take the first steps towards unity and reconciliation in your family?
No family is perfect. I shared last weekend how when I was younger family dinner for me consisted of grabbing our plates and plopping down in from of the television to watch The Simpsons. I know that all of our families have our good moments, but I am sure that the good memories for all of us are littered with the unfortunate memories of fights, bikering, frustration, and misunderstandings. Family is messy sometimes, and there really is no getting around it. Put three to five (or more) people in a single house and before too long they will get on each other's nerves.
I am challenging our students in this series to take their faith and apply it close to home. Families are told in the Bible to apply their faith to their family life. To sum up the first few verses of Ephesians chapter six, children are to obey their parents while parents are to love their children and not be overly hard on them. In this way the whole family unit is challenged to show the love of Jesus to each other. So much or our ministry focusses on how we relate to the culture around us, which is great. We need that teaching and guidance. But here are some points and questions that I want to encourage you to discuss with your son or daughter during the coarse of this series. I hope and pray that these lessons your son or daughter hear will help bring peace and unity to your family.
(1) God created family. He founded it and designed it. What are the positives that can come from a family functioning in a Biblical way (Ephesians 6:1-4; Deuteronomy 6:1-8)?
(2) God has put us in our family for a reason. What is your role in your family? Parents, are you asking your children about their faith and encouraging them to pursue God in their lives? Children, are you respecting your parents and treating your siblings with love and encouragement?
(3) No family is perfect. There will be conflict. How will you show love and grace to the people you live with? Are there relationships that need to be restored? How are you going to take the first steps towards unity and reconciliation in your family?
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