Pastor Jim Welch gave the lesson on Sunday on "Way of Salvation".
Jim started by reminding us that when we are saved we are saved from something to something. Sin is the state of being separated from God, neighbor and self. Sin is aloneness, and brokeness. So if salvation is being saved from our sin, we are being saved to wholeness, to relationship with someone, and right relationship with God, neighbor and self.
God's love is a seeking love so it doesn't matter how much we separate ourselves from God, he will always seek us out. There are many Greek words for love: eros- word that means the kind of love we feel, philia- word for the kind of love we have with a friend, storge- word for love a parent has for a child or siblings have for each other, agape- word for sacrificial love/ how God loves us.
In Luke 15 there are 3 parables - Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son. All are found. In each case, it's a story of a seeking love. They are parables about God's character and how He seeks us out in every moment of life.
John Wesley indentified 3 types of grace that helps us clarify God's love and grace. Prevenient grace is that which goes before. In comparing this to a house, it would be like standing on the porch and the porch light always being on. It's a preparing grace which prepares us for God's love. When we talk about repentance from our sin, repentance is going in the other direction, we think of turning toward the porch light of God's love. Justifying grace is like walking through the door of the house. It's a welcoming grace, an assurance that you are welcomed and will be embraced. (1 John 1:9) Sanctifying grace is a holiness of life and heart. With sanctifying grace we are inside the house and get to explore the house. We are living worthy of God's love.
John Wesley says that this grace that God offers us is a grace that helps us move on to perfection in our faith. We work to move toward a perfect love. Three general rules that Wesley says that we should live by are these: 1. Do no harm, 2. Do Good (or be in love with others), and 3. Attend to the ordinances of the Church (or live out that love).
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Way of Discipleship- Dec. 2, 2012
Rev. Judy Tefteller provided the Confirmation lesson this past Sunday on "Way of Discipleship".
Rev. Tefteller addressed 4 parts of discipleship. The first was devotion. Judy talked about how devotion is spending more time alone with God and that devotion involves prayer, meditation, and reading and reflecting on Scripture. Devotion is a daily thing. Rev. Tefteller gave the students an advent calendar and a devotional lesson that they could use to devote time to scripture everyday.
Next, she talked about worship. Worship is spending time with God as part of a group. Acts 2:37-47 tells us that right after the first Christian community came together, the people joined one another in worship. Judy handed out bulletins from the KUMC worship service and spent time talking about the different parts of worship and which part the students like the best.
Compassion is the third part of discipleship. The word compassion came from two words that would literally be translated as 'to feel with'. When we have compassion for someone, we try to feel what they are feeling and to meet their needs and heal their pain. Rev. Tefteller talked about all the compassionate things that the comfirmands had done as a group, focusing on our mission at White Oak apts and how that was truly an act of mercy.
Last but not least, Judy talked about justice as the last part of discipleship. There is a simple definition of justice-- justice is God, all people, and all creation living in right relationship with one another. Like compassion, justice involves loving others. And like worship, justice is corporate. We work with other people to bring about justice for all. "Shout for the Silent" was an act of justice. Judy talked to the group about what they learned and what they could do about those caught in human trafficking. She also reminded the students that there are many forms of those who are silent around the world and even in their class and school. Scripture has a lot to say about justice. Check these verses out: Dt. 16:19-20, Isaiah 42:1-4, Amos 5:15, Micah 6:8.
The final thing that Rev. Tefteller discussed was the KUMC mission statement: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world to the Glory of God. Our vision: Connect to Christ and to one another, Grow in faith, and Serve in love. And our goals- We are to become disciples who: confess Jesus as Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit, worship regularly, practice a vital prayer life, connect through small groups, rooted in scripture, share the story of God's love in Christ, practice generous giving, and serve the least, the last and the lost.
Rev. Tefteller addressed 4 parts of discipleship. The first was devotion. Judy talked about how devotion is spending more time alone with God and that devotion involves prayer, meditation, and reading and reflecting on Scripture. Devotion is a daily thing. Rev. Tefteller gave the students an advent calendar and a devotional lesson that they could use to devote time to scripture everyday.
Next, she talked about worship. Worship is spending time with God as part of a group. Acts 2:37-47 tells us that right after the first Christian community came together, the people joined one another in worship. Judy handed out bulletins from the KUMC worship service and spent time talking about the different parts of worship and which part the students like the best.
Compassion is the third part of discipleship. The word compassion came from two words that would literally be translated as 'to feel with'. When we have compassion for someone, we try to feel what they are feeling and to meet their needs and heal their pain. Rev. Tefteller talked about all the compassionate things that the comfirmands had done as a group, focusing on our mission at White Oak apts and how that was truly an act of mercy.
Last but not least, Judy talked about justice as the last part of discipleship. There is a simple definition of justice-- justice is God, all people, and all creation living in right relationship with one another. Like compassion, justice involves loving others. And like worship, justice is corporate. We work with other people to bring about justice for all. "Shout for the Silent" was an act of justice. Judy talked to the group about what they learned and what they could do about those caught in human trafficking. She also reminded the students that there are many forms of those who are silent around the world and even in their class and school. Scripture has a lot to say about justice. Check these verses out: Dt. 16:19-20, Isaiah 42:1-4, Amos 5:15, Micah 6:8.
The final thing that Rev. Tefteller discussed was the KUMC mission statement: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world to the Glory of God. Our vision: Connect to Christ and to one another, Grow in faith, and Serve in love. And our goals- We are to become disciples who: confess Jesus as Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit, worship regularly, practice a vital prayer life, connect through small groups, rooted in scripture, share the story of God's love in Christ, practice generous giving, and serve the least, the last and the lost.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
New Creation- November 18, 2012
8th grade student, Tyler O'Shea, gave our lesson on Sunday on "New Creation". Tyler reviewed the "fall" in Genesis 3 and talked about how sin separated us from God and also caused all of us to be born with a sinful nature. So before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, we were created to live as Holy creatures with God in a perfect place.
Tyler then directed us to Hebrews 2:10 which says, "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." Tyler spoke about how Jesus had to suffer to bring things back to the way God intended for them to be in the beginning.
He went on to show us in Galatians 2:20-21 that Paul writes to the church in Galatia saying, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing."
In these scripture lessons and through a diagram that Tyler drew for us, we learned that we were meant to be Holy but because of the fall became separated from God and became Unholy. So to get us back to Holy (Heaven), we need a bridge and this bridge is Jesus dying on the cross and being raised to life. By accepting Christ and the salvation He gives us, we can cross that bridge. Nothing that we do, no right behavior (living by the law) can bridge the gap that was created by sin. Only accepting Christ and his sacrifice for us will provide us with that bridge.
Three questions that Tyler asked:
1. What does the fall mean for us today?
2. How are we saved from the Human sin of the fall?
3. What does it mean to be a new creation?
Tyler then directed us to Hebrews 2:10 which says, "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." Tyler spoke about how Jesus had to suffer to bring things back to the way God intended for them to be in the beginning.
He went on to show us in Galatians 2:20-21 that Paul writes to the church in Galatia saying, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing."
In these scripture lessons and through a diagram that Tyler drew for us, we learned that we were meant to be Holy but because of the fall became separated from God and became Unholy. So to get us back to Holy (Heaven), we need a bridge and this bridge is Jesus dying on the cross and being raised to life. By accepting Christ and the salvation He gives us, we can cross that bridge. Nothing that we do, no right behavior (living by the law) can bridge the gap that was created by sin. Only accepting Christ and his sacrifice for us will provide us with that bridge.
Three questions that Tyler asked:
1. What does the fall mean for us today?
2. How are we saved from the Human sin of the fall?
3. What does it mean to be a new creation?
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Church (cont'd)- November 11, 2012
The Bible says a lot about what it means to be a church. The Book of Acts was written by Luke and is the history of the early church. In Acts 9 we read about Saul's conversion to Paul, and after discussing the conversion of a man who was persecuting those who followed "the Way", we talked about how and what God used this same man to do to form the early church. (One student in class explained that the story of Saul's conversion is important because it shows us how God can use anyone to do anything He needs and that He can make us new. I love that this student said that because our next lesson will be on "New Creation".) In the books of Roman - 2 Thessolonians, Paul, the writer of these books, gives advice through his letters to specific churches about theology and how to live in communion with one another. In the books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul writes letters to give specific church leaders advice on caring for their congregation. He also writes about what kind of person should be pastoring and overseeing a congregation. We read 1 Timothy 3:1-7 as our scripture lesson on what exactly the Bible says in regard to those that oversee our congregation and for justification on those who are set apart to oversee.
Our church lesson continued with some brief discussion on a history of Kingwood United Methodist Church. KUMC was the 2nd church built in Kingwood. The church was started on Jan. 26th, 1972 with 6 couples in attendance and was called Trailwood Methodist Fellowship. They started by meeting in someone's home and did this until membership grew to 30 people. They then moved to Forest Cove Civic Center. On Nov. 26, 1972, KIMC had their charter service and 59 people joined on that Sunday. Jack Shelton became the first minister on Jan. 1, 1973 and remained at KUMC for 10 years. On July 21, 1974 we had a ground breaking ceremony for the original 8,000 square foot building which is now known as the gym. The first service was held in the new building on Dec. 31, 1974. The School for Little Children and Mother's Day Out started in 1975. 1976- 2nd building was proposed - Administration Building and completed in 1977. 1977- 2nd minister was hired as an associate - Wayne Middleton was hired to help grow the youth department. 1978- Church membership was almost 1,000 members and there was standing room only in the gym and every room was being used as a Sunday School room including the kitchen. 1979- ground breaking for the Sanctuary, G-building and E-building. All were completed in 1980. The first service in the sanctuary was held on July 13, 1980. 1979- the first music minister, Charles Tucker, was hired. 1981 - Society of St. Stephen was started and Wayne Middleton was replaced with Assoc. Minister and Christian Ed director, Don White. 2005- Renovation on the sanctuary to expand capacity and ground breaking for the K-building. Both were completed in 2006. Presently we have over 4,000 members, 7 buildings, 4 ordained pastors and a total church staff of 30 people not including the teachers of SLC.
So with a church this size, how many ministers do we have? How many people does it take to put a worship service together? After naming all the parts and details of the worship service such as ushers, the minister who preaches, acolytes, choir members, organist, greeters, and many others not mentioned, we concluded that it takes more than just the church staff to do all the different things to run the church and church services. All of us are called to minister. All of us are the church and are called to do the work of the church.
Table Groups:
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
How does this passage relate to our discussion about the people involved in planning worship and the other ministries of the church?
Our church lesson continued with some brief discussion on a history of Kingwood United Methodist Church. KUMC was the 2nd church built in Kingwood. The church was started on Jan. 26th, 1972 with 6 couples in attendance and was called Trailwood Methodist Fellowship. They started by meeting in someone's home and did this until membership grew to 30 people. They then moved to Forest Cove Civic Center. On Nov. 26, 1972, KIMC had their charter service and 59 people joined on that Sunday. Jack Shelton became the first minister on Jan. 1, 1973 and remained at KUMC for 10 years. On July 21, 1974 we had a ground breaking ceremony for the original 8,000 square foot building which is now known as the gym. The first service was held in the new building on Dec. 31, 1974. The School for Little Children and Mother's Day Out started in 1975. 1976- 2nd building was proposed - Administration Building and completed in 1977. 1977- 2nd minister was hired as an associate - Wayne Middleton was hired to help grow the youth department. 1978- Church membership was almost 1,000 members and there was standing room only in the gym and every room was being used as a Sunday School room including the kitchen. 1979- ground breaking for the Sanctuary, G-building and E-building. All were completed in 1980. The first service in the sanctuary was held on July 13, 1980. 1979- the first music minister, Charles Tucker, was hired. 1981 - Society of St. Stephen was started and Wayne Middleton was replaced with Assoc. Minister and Christian Ed director, Don White. 2005- Renovation on the sanctuary to expand capacity and ground breaking for the K-building. Both were completed in 2006. Presently we have over 4,000 members, 7 buildings, 4 ordained pastors and a total church staff of 30 people not including the teachers of SLC.
So with a church this size, how many ministers do we have? How many people does it take to put a worship service together? After naming all the parts and details of the worship service such as ushers, the minister who preaches, acolytes, choir members, organist, greeters, and many others not mentioned, we concluded that it takes more than just the church staff to do all the different things to run the church and church services. All of us are called to minister. All of us are the church and are called to do the work of the church.
Table Groups:
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
How does this passage relate to our discussion about the people involved in planning worship and the other ministries of the church?
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Church- November 4, 2012
We reviewed some of the things that happened at the Synagogue when the class went to Temple Beth Torah on Oct. 26th. Students said things like you read backwards from the hymn book, men wore small hats called yammica, they read in Hebrew not English, and the Torah is the first 5 books of the Bible. I asked what similarities they noticed in the service compared to our service. Some of the answers included: they worship God, they sing hymns, they read from the Old Testament. When I asked what the difference was the class responded that Jesus was the difference.
How rapidly did the early church grow? Acts 1:15- there were 120 persons; Acts 2:41- 3,000 persons were added; Acts 4:4- the number of men grew to 5,000.
In last week's lesson Matt Stone explained how after the resurrection some Jews converted to Christianity. But even in the early church people disagreed about how one needed to worship. The Jewish Christians felt that the Gentiles needed to be Jewish before they could be Christian. The Jews were caught up in the ways of the law and the Gentiles knew only that Jesus had died to free them from sin. This began the splitting of the church.
The splitting of the church kind of resembles a tree--the roots and trunk of the tree being the Early Church represented in Acts. The first split in the tree shows the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Orthodox church in the East. In the East small branches that arose from the Orthodox church were associated with specific countries such as the Greek Orthodox church, the Russian, and the Armenian Churches. In the West, a German Monk named Martin Luther called for reform of the Roman Catholic Church by posting his "95 Theses" or complaints on the door of the church. Luther felt like the church had so much emphasis on church tradition that it had distorted the truth of Scripture. This led to the Protestant Reformation which resulted in forming churches such as Lutheran, Calvinist (Reformed and Presbyterian), and Anabaptist (Mennonites and Amish).
Again, because the church is made up of imperfect people, the church split in England. King Henry VIII was a Roman Catholic who wanted a divorce from his wife and when it would not be granted by the Pope, he started the Church of England. Despite its controversial beginnings, the Church of England became an important denomination in England and in the United States. In the U.S. the Church of England is known as the Episcopal Church.
John Wesley, a minister in the Church of England, set out to reform the church. He emphasized God's grace, personal holiness, and social responsibility. Those who followed Wesley's method of holy living earned the nickname, Methodists. When the Church of England stopped sending clergy to the Americas during the Revolutionary War, Wesley ordained Thomas Coke as the first United States Methodist superintendent. Coke then ordained Francis Asbury and the two were the first bishops of the newly formed Methodist Episcopal Church.
How rapidly did the early church grow? Acts 1:15- there were 120 persons; Acts 2:41- 3,000 persons were added; Acts 4:4- the number of men grew to 5,000.
In last week's lesson Matt Stone explained how after the resurrection some Jews converted to Christianity. But even in the early church people disagreed about how one needed to worship. The Jewish Christians felt that the Gentiles needed to be Jewish before they could be Christian. The Jews were caught up in the ways of the law and the Gentiles knew only that Jesus had died to free them from sin. This began the splitting of the church.
The splitting of the church kind of resembles a tree--the roots and trunk of the tree being the Early Church represented in Acts. The first split in the tree shows the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Orthodox church in the East. In the East small branches that arose from the Orthodox church were associated with specific countries such as the Greek Orthodox church, the Russian, and the Armenian Churches. In the West, a German Monk named Martin Luther called for reform of the Roman Catholic Church by posting his "95 Theses" or complaints on the door of the church. Luther felt like the church had so much emphasis on church tradition that it had distorted the truth of Scripture. This led to the Protestant Reformation which resulted in forming churches such as Lutheran, Calvinist (Reformed and Presbyterian), and Anabaptist (Mennonites and Amish).
Again, because the church is made up of imperfect people, the church split in England. King Henry VIII was a Roman Catholic who wanted a divorce from his wife and when it would not be granted by the Pope, he started the Church of England. Despite its controversial beginnings, the Church of England became an important denomination in England and in the United States. In the U.S. the Church of England is known as the Episcopal Church.
John Wesley, a minister in the Church of England, set out to reform the church. He emphasized God's grace, personal holiness, and social responsibility. Those who followed Wesley's method of holy living earned the nickname, Methodists. When the Church of England stopped sending clergy to the Americas during the Revolutionary War, Wesley ordained Thomas Coke as the first United States Methodist superintendent. Coke then ordained Francis Asbury and the two were the first bishops of the newly formed Methodist Episcopal Church.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Church - October 28, 2012
Pastor Matt Stone spoke to the Confirmation class on Sunday about "Church". This was the first lesson of two on how we define "church" and the history of the church.
After having gone to the synagogue on Friday, Pastor Stone talked about what the difference between the Jewish faith and our faith. The short answer is "Jesus". The main difference between the Christian faith and the Jewish faith is "Jesus"- who he was, what he did, and what we believe about him.
Pastor Stone talked about how the church was formed from Jews and Gentiles by doing a demonstration. 1/3 of the class represented the Jews and the rest of the class the Gentiles. Then a few from the Jewish representation were separated out to demonstrate those who accepted Christ and became Christian and some from the Gentile group were pulled out to represent the Gentiles that became Christian. This Christian group was the representation of who the early church was.
What is Church? Possible definitions might include:
~"A group of people who love God and come together to worship, learn about God, and serve God's people."
~"A congregation or body of people, united together in the service of God."
Paul describes the church as the body of Christ. Each member of the church is a part of the body.
The Bible has a lot to say about what it means to be a church. The Acts of the Apostles gives the history of the early church, from its beginnings in Jerusalem to its spread throughout the Roman Empire. Paul's general letters (Romans through 2 Thessalonians) contain advice to specific churches about theology (salvation, who Christ is, and so forth) and how to live in communion with one another. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (Pastoral Epistles) give advice to specific church leaders about caring for their congregations. Revelation 2 and 3 contain messages to seven specific churches in Asia Minor.
One of the best descriptions of what it means to be the church appears in Acts 2: 43-47. We also read in Matthew 28:19 what Christ describes as the mission of the church, "Go and make disciples."
After having gone to the synagogue on Friday, Pastor Stone talked about what the difference between the Jewish faith and our faith. The short answer is "Jesus". The main difference between the Christian faith and the Jewish faith is "Jesus"- who he was, what he did, and what we believe about him.
Pastor Stone talked about how the church was formed from Jews and Gentiles by doing a demonstration. 1/3 of the class represented the Jews and the rest of the class the Gentiles. Then a few from the Jewish representation were separated out to demonstrate those who accepted Christ and became Christian and some from the Gentile group were pulled out to represent the Gentiles that became Christian. This Christian group was the representation of who the early church was.
What is Church? Possible definitions might include:
~"A group of people who love God and come together to worship, learn about God, and serve God's people."
~"A congregation or body of people, united together in the service of God."
Paul describes the church as the body of Christ. Each member of the church is a part of the body.
The Bible has a lot to say about what it means to be a church. The Acts of the Apostles gives the history of the early church, from its beginnings in Jerusalem to its spread throughout the Roman Empire. Paul's general letters (Romans through 2 Thessalonians) contain advice to specific churches about theology (salvation, who Christ is, and so forth) and how to live in communion with one another. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (Pastoral Epistles) give advice to specific church leaders about caring for their congregations. Revelation 2 and 3 contain messages to seven specific churches in Asia Minor.
One of the best descriptions of what it means to be the church appears in Acts 2: 43-47. We also read in Matthew 28:19 what Christ describes as the mission of the church, "Go and make disciples."
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Holy Spirit 2 - Oct. 21, 2012
The Holy Spirit is presented in 3 different images throughout scripture: Wind, Breath and Fire
The Holy Spirit is our sustainer. In someone's description of who the Holy Spirit is to them this was stated: "Jesus was at one time here on Earth as a human, living and communicating face to face with people. Now he is in Heaven so to communicate and help us he sent his spirit to live in us and keep us close to him."
In John 14: 15-17 we read: "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." And in John 14: 25-27: "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Billy Graham is quoted as saying, "The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who has been made Christlike." When we accept Jesus and grow closer to him, He changes us for the better. The Holy Spirit comes into our lives and begins to grow his fruit in us. (Read Galatians 5: 22-26) When our lives start to exhibit these characteristics, people can't help but notice the difference in us.
1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 - talks about Spiritual gifts and that the Holy Spirit gives each of us different kinds of gifts. We will go more into these Spiritual gifts as the year goes on and will even take a Spiritual Gifts Inventory that will help each student identify what gifts they have.
In table group time, groups examined the Galatians 5: 22-26 scripture again and answered the following questions:
~ Where have you been aware of God's presence this week?
~ How has the Holy Spirit worked in your life this week?
~ What fruit of the Spirit would you like to see increase in your life?
~
The Holy Spirit is our sustainer. In someone's description of who the Holy Spirit is to them this was stated: "Jesus was at one time here on Earth as a human, living and communicating face to face with people. Now he is in Heaven so to communicate and help us he sent his spirit to live in us and keep us close to him."
In John 14: 15-17 we read: "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." And in John 14: 25-27: "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Billy Graham is quoted as saying, "The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who has been made Christlike." When we accept Jesus and grow closer to him, He changes us for the better. The Holy Spirit comes into our lives and begins to grow his fruit in us. (Read Galatians 5: 22-26) When our lives start to exhibit these characteristics, people can't help but notice the difference in us.
1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 - talks about Spiritual gifts and that the Holy Spirit gives each of us different kinds of gifts. We will go more into these Spiritual gifts as the year goes on and will even take a Spiritual Gifts Inventory that will help each student identify what gifts they have.
In table group time, groups examined the Galatians 5: 22-26 scripture again and answered the following questions:
~ Where have you been aware of God's presence this week?
~ How has the Holy Spirit worked in your life this week?
~ What fruit of the Spirit would you like to see increase in your life?
~
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Holy Spirit - Oct. 14, 2012
Rev. Judy Tefteller was our guest speaker today and taught the lesson on the Holy Spirit.
We've learned about God as Father and Creator, God as Son and redeemer through Jesus Christ and today we will talk about God as Holy Spirit and sustainer.
We can't see God but God is always present with us and within creation. God is not a physical object or person that can be located in time and space right now (he was in Jesus when he walked on the Earth, but not right now). God is more than even the universe. He is beyond time and space. He is Spirit. Throughout the Bible people have experienced God as Spirit. In Genesis 1:2 (Now the Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.) the Holy Spirit is present and involved in the creation of the universe.
Judy told us at her lake house on of her favorite things to do is sit on her porch and watch the trees blow in the wind. She doesn't actually see the wind but she sees the trees moving which is witness to the wind blowing. The Holy Spirit is like the wind-- you can't see it but you know that it is real by the effect it has on other things. The Spirit moves like the wind. Jesus talked about this in John 3:8- "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." One image then that we have of the Holy Spirit is wind. The Holy Spirit is also known as the Breath of God. The Hebrew word for breath is ruach which also means wind. In Genesis 2:7 it says: "the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Breath is a special kind of wind; it gives life. When we stop breathing our life here on Earth is gone. God breathed into each of us the breath of life, and breathed into us his Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is known as wind, as the breath of God and one other image-- Fire. The flame of a candle is real, has great power but no substance, no mass, no weight, yet it is still very real. After Jesus' death and resurrection the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples as tongues of fire. In Acts 2:1-4 we read: .... Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a vviolent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. The saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Wind, breath and fire-- all images for the Holy Spirit-- ways to help us understand One who comes in various ways.
The Holy Spirit was involved in Creation and also involved in people's lives throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came to particular people at particular times for particular tasks to give power to do something for God. Look at Exodus 31:1-5 and Judges 15:14-15 for two examples of this. We also see in Ezekiel 36:26-27 that God promises that the Holy Spirit will come to all people. In several passages in the New Testament we see how the Holy Spirit was very active. See Luke 3:16, Luke 3:22, and Luke 4:1. We also see in the Bible how the Holy Spirit worked through the Disciples and Paul to tell people about Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is God with us, to guide, counsel, give courage and hope, to give us faith, to empower us to do great things for God, to comfort us and to correct us when we have sinned.
We've learned about God as Father and Creator, God as Son and redeemer through Jesus Christ and today we will talk about God as Holy Spirit and sustainer.
We can't see God but God is always present with us and within creation. God is not a physical object or person that can be located in time and space right now (he was in Jesus when he walked on the Earth, but not right now). God is more than even the universe. He is beyond time and space. He is Spirit. Throughout the Bible people have experienced God as Spirit. In Genesis 1:2 (Now the Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.) the Holy Spirit is present and involved in the creation of the universe.
Judy told us at her lake house on of her favorite things to do is sit on her porch and watch the trees blow in the wind. She doesn't actually see the wind but she sees the trees moving which is witness to the wind blowing. The Holy Spirit is like the wind-- you can't see it but you know that it is real by the effect it has on other things. The Spirit moves like the wind. Jesus talked about this in John 3:8- "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." One image then that we have of the Holy Spirit is wind. The Holy Spirit is also known as the Breath of God. The Hebrew word for breath is ruach which also means wind. In Genesis 2:7 it says: "the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Breath is a special kind of wind; it gives life. When we stop breathing our life here on Earth is gone. God breathed into each of us the breath of life, and breathed into us his Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is known as wind, as the breath of God and one other image-- Fire. The flame of a candle is real, has great power but no substance, no mass, no weight, yet it is still very real. After Jesus' death and resurrection the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples as tongues of fire. In Acts 2:1-4 we read: .... Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a vviolent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. The saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Wind, breath and fire-- all images for the Holy Spirit-- ways to help us understand One who comes in various ways.
The Holy Spirit was involved in Creation and also involved in people's lives throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came to particular people at particular times for particular tasks to give power to do something for God. Look at Exodus 31:1-5 and Judges 15:14-15 for two examples of this. We also see in Ezekiel 36:26-27 that God promises that the Holy Spirit will come to all people. In several passages in the New Testament we see how the Holy Spirit was very active. See Luke 3:16, Luke 3:22, and Luke 4:1. We also see in the Bible how the Holy Spirit worked through the Disciples and Paul to tell people about Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is God with us, to guide, counsel, give courage and hope, to give us faith, to empower us to do great things for God, to comfort us and to correct us when we have sinned.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Redemption 2: October 7, 2012
Who is our Redeemer? Jesus
John 3:16 - Who is familiar with this verse? Everyone raised their hand and then we had one boy who knew it from memory who recited it for us: " For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16 is one of the best known verses of the Bible, because it reminds us in one sentence of the salvation we have in Christ. But who knows what John 3:17 says? No one raised their hand. John 3:17 is not as well known but equally important. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." These two verses together demonstrate that, despite our sin, God doesn't give up on us. God wants to redeem each of us and all creation; and God sent Jesus Christ to make that possible. Romans 3:23 reminds us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." So we know that all need redemption, a Savior.
How many have ever had a broken item that needed to be fixed? When we fix the item, will it be as good as it was before it was broken? Will it be better than it was before it was broken? How does God, through Christ, fix us?
In Table Group time, the students read and talked about the following Scripture:
Romans 5: 6-9
Romans 5: 12-15, 18-19
Romans 6: 1-11
Phillipians 2: 5-11
1 Peter 2: 24
Groups were asked to answer the following questions about the Scripture- What does this Scripture tell you about Christ, how Christ is our redeemer, and how Christ atones, or makes amends, for our sins?
Redemption in the United Methodist Church:
Article VIII - Reconciliation through Christ from the "Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church" - We believe God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. The offering Christ freely made on the cross is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, redeeming man from all sin, so that no other satisfaction is required.
This statement affirms that our belief is that Christ is our redeemer and that Christ is capable of atoning for the sins of the entire world.
What does it mean that Christ's sacrifice is perfect and sufficient? How can this statement give us hope and comfort when we struggle with sin?
John 3:16 - Who is familiar with this verse? Everyone raised their hand and then we had one boy who knew it from memory who recited it for us: " For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16 is one of the best known verses of the Bible, because it reminds us in one sentence of the salvation we have in Christ. But who knows what John 3:17 says? No one raised their hand. John 3:17 is not as well known but equally important. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." These two verses together demonstrate that, despite our sin, God doesn't give up on us. God wants to redeem each of us and all creation; and God sent Jesus Christ to make that possible. Romans 3:23 reminds us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." So we know that all need redemption, a Savior.
How many have ever had a broken item that needed to be fixed? When we fix the item, will it be as good as it was before it was broken? Will it be better than it was before it was broken? How does God, through Christ, fix us?
In Table Group time, the students read and talked about the following Scripture:
Romans 5: 6-9
Romans 5: 12-15, 18-19
Romans 6: 1-11
Phillipians 2: 5-11
1 Peter 2: 24
Groups were asked to answer the following questions about the Scripture- What does this Scripture tell you about Christ, how Christ is our redeemer, and how Christ atones, or makes amends, for our sins?
Redemption in the United Methodist Church:
Article VIII - Reconciliation through Christ from the "Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church" - We believe God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. The offering Christ freely made on the cross is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, redeeming man from all sin, so that no other satisfaction is required.
This statement affirms that our belief is that Christ is our redeemer and that Christ is capable of atoning for the sins of the entire world.
What does it mean that Christ's sacrifice is perfect and sufficient? How can this statement give us hope and comfort when we struggle with sin?
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Redemption - Sept. 30, 2012
Luke 5:27-32-
The story of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, and Jesus was questioned by Pharisees and teachers of the law about why is he eating with these people. Jesus answers, "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." We talked about this passage to refer back to last week's lesson on sin being a sickness.
So the first question was asked: Who are the sinners? Yes, Everyone of us.
Redemption-- what does it mean?
Leviticus 25:47-49- (We first talked about the book of Leviticus -- it's a book about laws, how to worship,and how to make sacrifices)
In Biblical times, redemption was often associated with slavery. So in these verses we see that in ancient cultures, selling oneself into slavery was a way to pay off a debt or having one's debt paid off by someone else and being released as a slave. In other words, being redeemed.
Romans 7:14-20 -
This passage of scripture talks about doing what we don't want to do and being a slave to sin. What does it mean to be a slave to sin? We keep sinning and can't break free from it.
Romans 8:1-8 -
How can we be freed from slavery to sin? We are redeemed by Christ who was our sin offering. When we live connected to Christ, living by focusing on God, trusting in his grace, trust in God's spirit living in you-- this frees us from the grip of sin.
So the meaning of redemption- the state of being redeemed; deliverance from sin through the life, death and resurrection of Christ.
The story of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, and Jesus was questioned by Pharisees and teachers of the law about why is he eating with these people. Jesus answers, "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." We talked about this passage to refer back to last week's lesson on sin being a sickness.
So the first question was asked: Who are the sinners? Yes, Everyone of us.
Redemption-- what does it mean?
Leviticus 25:47-49- (We first talked about the book of Leviticus -- it's a book about laws, how to worship,and how to make sacrifices)
In Biblical times, redemption was often associated with slavery. So in these verses we see that in ancient cultures, selling oneself into slavery was a way to pay off a debt or having one's debt paid off by someone else and being released as a slave. In other words, being redeemed.
Romans 7:14-20 -
This passage of scripture talks about doing what we don't want to do and being a slave to sin. What does it mean to be a slave to sin? We keep sinning and can't break free from it.
Romans 8:1-8 -
How can we be freed from slavery to sin? We are redeemed by Christ who was our sin offering. When we live connected to Christ, living by focusing on God, trusting in his grace, trust in God's spirit living in you-- this frees us from the grip of sin.
So the meaning of redemption- the state of being redeemed; deliverance from sin through the life, death and resurrection of Christ.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Sin - Sept. 23, 2012
Our lesson on Sin started with the reading from Genesis 3, the story of the "Fall of Man".
What is Sin? Students had the chance to answer and then also talk about the difference between sins and Sin like cancer and the symptoms of cancer. We do sins because we are infected with Sin. Only grace througn Christ can get rid of the "cancer" (sin). We still do sinful things but now we have the power through the Holy Spirit to start being returned to the image of God we were originally created to be.
Who in the Bible and other faithful people have sinned?
Moses - murdered an Egyptian but was still called to do great things for God (Exodus 2 & 3).
David - was an adulterer but was still one of God's most faithful servants (2 Samuel 11)
Peter - denied Jesus but was one of his most faithful disciples (Luke 22: 54-62)
Paul - persecuted Christians but God called him to spread the gospel (Acts 9)
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church - banded a girl that he was in love with from taking communion when she married another man but he still went on to be the founder of Methodism.
Besides looking at individuals who sinned, corporate sin (which is groups of people or communities who can be guilty of sin) was addressed. The book of Jonah talks about the city of Nineveh as being a "wicked city" who's wickedness has come up before God (Jonah 1:2). * In Amos 5:21-27, God scolds the nation of Israel for injustice and idolatry. In Paul's letters to the churches, he holds Christian communities accountable for their behavior. The United Methodist Church has a history of focusing on both personal and corporate sins. We challenge individuals to be disciplined and avoid "doing harm" which is the first of John Wesley's General Rules, and hold the church to a standard of justice.
Sin distorts God's image in us. Grace through Christ restores the image.
*Credo Curriculum
What is Sin? Students had the chance to answer and then also talk about the difference between sins and Sin like cancer and the symptoms of cancer. We do sins because we are infected with Sin. Only grace througn Christ can get rid of the "cancer" (sin). We still do sinful things but now we have the power through the Holy Spirit to start being returned to the image of God we were originally created to be.
Who in the Bible and other faithful people have sinned?
Moses - murdered an Egyptian but was still called to do great things for God (Exodus 2 & 3).
David - was an adulterer but was still one of God's most faithful servants (2 Samuel 11)
Peter - denied Jesus but was one of his most faithful disciples (Luke 22: 54-62)
Paul - persecuted Christians but God called him to spread the gospel (Acts 9)
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church - banded a girl that he was in love with from taking communion when she married another man but he still went on to be the founder of Methodism.
Besides looking at individuals who sinned, corporate sin (which is groups of people or communities who can be guilty of sin) was addressed. The book of Jonah talks about the city of Nineveh as being a "wicked city" who's wickedness has come up before God (Jonah 1:2). * In Amos 5:21-27, God scolds the nation of Israel for injustice and idolatry. In Paul's letters to the churches, he holds Christian communities accountable for their behavior. The United Methodist Church has a history of focusing on both personal and corporate sins. We challenge individuals to be disciplined and avoid "doing harm" which is the first of John Wesley's General Rules, and hold the church to a standard of justice.
Sin distorts God's image in us. Grace through Christ restores the image.
*Credo Curriculum
Monday, September 17, 2012
Confirmation Retreat Weekend - Sept. 15-16
Our confirmation retreat was this past weekend and it will be pretty difficult to tell you in this small space everything we did and learned. But let me at least try to talk about our 3 lessons.
Lesson 1: Journeying Together-
Our scripture reading came from Luke 24: 13-32 -The Walk to Emmaus . We broke down the scripture and talked about how this story is similar to the journey that we are making together in Confirmation. Confirmation is also a journey and God is with us during this journey. I believe and pray that just as the disciples had their eyes opended and were able to see Jesus, our eyes will be opened to who Jesus is and how God works and is present in our lives. As part of this lesson we did a blind-folded trust walk and lifeline exercise where the students had to do three things- 1. Follow the lifeline wherever it leads you, no matter how difficult, 2. Whatever you do, do not let go of the lifeline, not even for a second, and 3. Be careful. There may be obstacles along the path that you could trip over or run into. The lifeline in the exercise represented our relationship with God, and the obstacles, things that may get in the way of that relationship.
Questions- What is an obstacle that may get in your way of having a relationship with God? What can disconnect us from God? What do we need to do to stay close to God?
Lesson 2: Covenant-
What is a covenant? A special promise or agreement. The Bible is divided into two covenants-- the Old Testament (the one God made with the Hebrew people) and the New Testament (the one God made with us through Jesus).
In the Old Testament making a covenant was literally cutting a covenant-- taking a special animal, cutting into two and walking through it while making a promise to God (Jeremiah 34:18). In Genesis 17 we read about the covenant that God makes with Abraham, one that establishes a long line of descendants from a man and his wife who should not have been able to have children because of how old they were.
God establishes a new covenant for all who believe. That new covenant is Jesus. He sends his son to the cross to die for the sins of all people. In Hebrews 8:12 it says, "for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." By calling this covenant "new" he has made the first one obsolete and what is obsolete will soon disappear.
After this lesson, we spent time in small groups writing our covenant for the confirmation year. The students came up with some fabulous statements of commitment and it will be put together for them to review on Sunday.
Lesson 3: Faith-
Our Faith lesson came from Hebrews 11:1-3. We identified faith in 3 parts. The first part, trust, we identified as being built on events from past experiences. We build trust from having information of what has already happened or people who have already proven themselves. The second part, hope, we identified as being related to the future. We hope we get something for Christmas, we hope that someone gets well, and we hope we do well on a test. The last part, love, we identified as being related to the present. We love now. We show love now and receive love in the present. So "faith is being sure of what we hope for"; it's being able to trust that what we do not see is true and that God loves us enough to give us a hope of an everlasting life through the sacrifice of his son.
Lesson 1: Journeying Together-
Our scripture reading came from Luke 24: 13-32 -The Walk to Emmaus . We broke down the scripture and talked about how this story is similar to the journey that we are making together in Confirmation. Confirmation is also a journey and God is with us during this journey. I believe and pray that just as the disciples had their eyes opended and were able to see Jesus, our eyes will be opened to who Jesus is and how God works and is present in our lives. As part of this lesson we did a blind-folded trust walk and lifeline exercise where the students had to do three things- 1. Follow the lifeline wherever it leads you, no matter how difficult, 2. Whatever you do, do not let go of the lifeline, not even for a second, and 3. Be careful. There may be obstacles along the path that you could trip over or run into. The lifeline in the exercise represented our relationship with God, and the obstacles, things that may get in the way of that relationship.
Questions- What is an obstacle that may get in your way of having a relationship with God? What can disconnect us from God? What do we need to do to stay close to God?
Lesson 2: Covenant-
What is a covenant? A special promise or agreement. The Bible is divided into two covenants-- the Old Testament (the one God made with the Hebrew people) and the New Testament (the one God made with us through Jesus).
In the Old Testament making a covenant was literally cutting a covenant-- taking a special animal, cutting into two and walking through it while making a promise to God (Jeremiah 34:18). In Genesis 17 we read about the covenant that God makes with Abraham, one that establishes a long line of descendants from a man and his wife who should not have been able to have children because of how old they were.
God establishes a new covenant for all who believe. That new covenant is Jesus. He sends his son to the cross to die for the sins of all people. In Hebrews 8:12 it says, "for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." By calling this covenant "new" he has made the first one obsolete and what is obsolete will soon disappear.
After this lesson, we spent time in small groups writing our covenant for the confirmation year. The students came up with some fabulous statements of commitment and it will be put together for them to review on Sunday.
Lesson 3: Faith-
Our Faith lesson came from Hebrews 11:1-3. We identified faith in 3 parts. The first part, trust, we identified as being built on events from past experiences. We build trust from having information of what has already happened or people who have already proven themselves. The second part, hope, we identified as being related to the future. We hope we get something for Christmas, we hope that someone gets well, and we hope we do well on a test. The last part, love, we identified as being related to the present. We love now. We show love now and receive love in the present. So "faith is being sure of what we hope for"; it's being able to trust that what we do not see is true and that God loves us enough to give us a hope of an everlasting life through the sacrifice of his son.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Creation Part 2 - September 9, 2012
So in all that we talked about last week we know God as "Creator". What are some other ways we describe God? (friend, Father, savior, provider, shepherd)
As Christians we believe in the Trinity: or God in three persons. We often refer to the persons of the Trinity as God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But it can also be helpful to refer to the persons of the Trinity by sone of the key roles they play. While all three play several roles and always work together, we're going to focus on three roles during our "Know Your Story" unit:
~Creator
~Redeemer
~Sustainer
In Genesis 1:27 we read, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." What does it mean that we are created in God's image? Do we physically resemble God? It means that we share many of God's characteristics but we don't necessarily look like him. Like God we have the ability to create and care for our creations. Creativity is one characteristic that we share with God. Since we are created in God's image, as we learn more about God and who He is, we learn more about who we are, who He created us to be and who God calls us to be.
The following scripture lessons describe other characteristics of God:
Matthew 20: 1-16 (Generous Boss)
Luke 15: 8-10 (Rejoicing woman)
John 15: 11-32 (Forgiving Father who shows unconditional love)
John 10: 1-18 (Shepherd)
John 13: 3-5, 12-16 (Servant)
Each of these passages tells us something different about who God is. We will not learn everything we need to know about God from any one Scripture or experience. God is much bigger than we can know fully, but God invites us to spend a lifetime knowing Him better and better. He wants us to know Him by having a relationship with Him.
Question to ponder:
~What are some of the ways that we can know God better?
As Christians we believe in the Trinity: or God in three persons. We often refer to the persons of the Trinity as God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But it can also be helpful to refer to the persons of the Trinity by sone of the key roles they play. While all three play several roles and always work together, we're going to focus on three roles during our "Know Your Story" unit:
~Creator
~Redeemer
~Sustainer
In Genesis 1:27 we read, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." What does it mean that we are created in God's image? Do we physically resemble God? It means that we share many of God's characteristics but we don't necessarily look like him. Like God we have the ability to create and care for our creations. Creativity is one characteristic that we share with God. Since we are created in God's image, as we learn more about God and who He is, we learn more about who we are, who He created us to be and who God calls us to be.
The following scripture lessons describe other characteristics of God:
Matthew 20: 1-16 (Generous Boss)
Luke 15: 8-10 (Rejoicing woman)
John 15: 11-32 (Forgiving Father who shows unconditional love)
John 10: 1-18 (Shepherd)
John 13: 3-5, 12-16 (Servant)
Each of these passages tells us something different about who God is. We will not learn everything we need to know about God from any one Scripture or experience. God is much bigger than we can know fully, but God invites us to spend a lifetime knowing Him better and better. He wants us to know Him by having a relationship with Him.
Question to ponder:
~What are some of the ways that we can know God better?
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Creation - Sept. 2, 2012
Our Creation lesson started with students gathering in 5 small groups, reading assigned parts of Genesis 1 and then drawing a poster to display a particular day of creation and what they read in Scripture. The groups then shared their posters with the entire group and talked about what they read in the scripture that was new to them. We discussed such things as in Genesis 1:2 - ... the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters which would be our first introduction to the Holy Spirit, that throughout the creation story God spoke it (such as "Let there be light") and it happened which shows God's power, and that at the end of each day God saw that it was good which indicates God's pleasure in what He created. We also had one student point out that in Genesis 1:26 God said, "Let us make man in our image which tells us that there was someone else there with God. In John 1:1-2 it states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." These verses help us to identify the presence of Jesus right from the beginning of creation.
We also touched briefly on the power of word. I read part of Genesis 1 from "The Message" so that the students could hear how Eugene Peterson interprets God's use of his words to make things happen. We see throughtout scripture that words have power. They can build up or tear down, can communicate love or hate, and can heal or admonish. We talked about how our words need to reflect the love asks us to display.
At the end of class I had each student in attendance fill out a "Who Am I" form so that I can get some information on likes and dislikes, family members, and what he/she is involved in. If your child was not in class, please see me to get this form.
Assignment:
~Continue to memorize: John 15:5
We also touched briefly on the power of word. I read part of Genesis 1 from "The Message" so that the students could hear how Eugene Peterson interprets God's use of his words to make things happen. We see throughtout scripture that words have power. They can build up or tear down, can communicate love or hate, and can heal or admonish. We talked about how our words need to reflect the love asks us to display.
At the end of class I had each student in attendance fill out a "Who Am I" form so that I can get some information on likes and dislikes, family members, and what he/she is involved in. If your child was not in class, please see me to get this form.
Assignment:
~Continue to memorize: John 15:5
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Confirmation Begins - Aug. 26, 2012
Confirmation has begun and we are off to a great start with 45 students signed up and 43 in attendance this past Sunday.
Sunday's lesson was centered around talking about what Confirmation means and what we will do in Confirmation. Confirmation actually means "with firmness". Confirmation is actually about confirming what has already happened in Baptism. In Baptism, parents accept the grace that God offers to their child on behalf of their child and promises to raise that child in a Christian community where the child will know God's love. In Confirmation, students decide whether they are ready to make that faith journey their own, work toward a life of Christian discipleship and to confirm their belief in Jesus.
Throughout these 9 months we will have faith lessons, mission opportunities, social activities, field trips to other faith communities and retreats that will help in learning what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Every Sunday we will practice our faith through music, prayer, Bible lessons, giving and small group time. It is important that students remember that being present in class is not just about meeting a requirement but about being available to those in their faith community.
Students will also have a prayer partner throughtout the Confirmation year. Prayer Partners are persons in our church who have volunteered to pray for a confirmation student for the entire year. Students may or may not find out who their prayer partner is. The prayer partners decide whether they want to reveal to the student who they are. At the end of the year, our Confirmation class will have a "Thank you" Tea/Brunch for the prayer partners to thank them for their prayers and service to our confirmation students.
One very important thing that we will be doing throughtout these next 9 months is studying scripture. I am very convicted about teaching the students more about God's Word and about them knowing scripture well enough to tell others what is in the Bible. So we will be memorizing scripture. Below I have listed the first verse that we will be memorizing. Please help your student with this task. I have also included another assignment that the students should do this weekend. We will be starting our first lesson in the book of Genesis this Sunday so I want the students to come to class with some information on the book of Genesis.
Verse for memorizing: John 15:5- "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Assignment: Come with answers to the following questions-
1. What is Genesis about? The theme?
2. Who wrote Genesis?
Sunday's lesson was centered around talking about what Confirmation means and what we will do in Confirmation. Confirmation actually means "with firmness". Confirmation is actually about confirming what has already happened in Baptism. In Baptism, parents accept the grace that God offers to their child on behalf of their child and promises to raise that child in a Christian community where the child will know God's love. In Confirmation, students decide whether they are ready to make that faith journey their own, work toward a life of Christian discipleship and to confirm their belief in Jesus.
Throughout these 9 months we will have faith lessons, mission opportunities, social activities, field trips to other faith communities and retreats that will help in learning what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Every Sunday we will practice our faith through music, prayer, Bible lessons, giving and small group time. It is important that students remember that being present in class is not just about meeting a requirement but about being available to those in their faith community.
Students will also have a prayer partner throughtout the Confirmation year. Prayer Partners are persons in our church who have volunteered to pray for a confirmation student for the entire year. Students may or may not find out who their prayer partner is. The prayer partners decide whether they want to reveal to the student who they are. At the end of the year, our Confirmation class will have a "Thank you" Tea/Brunch for the prayer partners to thank them for their prayers and service to our confirmation students.
One very important thing that we will be doing throughtout these next 9 months is studying scripture. I am very convicted about teaching the students more about God's Word and about them knowing scripture well enough to tell others what is in the Bible. So we will be memorizing scripture. Below I have listed the first verse that we will be memorizing. Please help your student with this task. I have also included another assignment that the students should do this weekend. We will be starting our first lesson in the book of Genesis this Sunday so I want the students to come to class with some information on the book of Genesis.
Verse for memorizing: John 15:5- "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Assignment: Come with answers to the following questions-
1. What is Genesis about? The theme?
2. Who wrote Genesis?
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