That word covenant sounds like such a big word. Well how many of you have ever made a pinky promise? I know I have. Well a covenant is just that a promise. The exciting thing is when God makes a promise you can count of Him to never forget and to keep his promise forever. What great news. Well if you are like me, I bet you have broken at least one promise in your life not matter how young you are. Maybe your mom asked you to clean your room and you promised and only cleaned some of it or forgot all together. It happens. Like I said last week we all make mistakes. Remember that is called sin. This week Pastor Steve told us God made a new promise to us. God's old covenant (promise) did not work because like I said we make mistakes, sin, and we could not keep our part of the covenant. God made this covenant with Moses by leading the people out of Egypt. God give the people a list of rules to follow, but even before they got the rules they started to worship a false god. God's people kept breaking their part of the promise. So God had to make a new covenant. God sent His son Jesus to come to us so he could take away our sins. If we believe in God and trust Him and love Him with our whole hearts, sometimes we say we have Jesus in our hearts, then God will keep His rules in our hearts and make our hearts want to do what is right. So while we still make mistakes, this covenant means God will let our heart know when we have sinned and this will make us want to tell Him we are sorry. When we tell God we are sorry then He forgives us and gives us another chance. With God in our hearts we have the promise of hope and a wonderful future.
Scripture of the week:
Luke 22:14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
(Green words are suggested verses to memorize. God word should be in our hearts and one way to keep His word is through scripture memorization.)
Activity of the week:
Last week we wrote a list of our sins and asked God for forgiveness, told him we were sorry. Then we wrote a list of things we want to do to make God happy. Look at your list and decide what things you want to promise God you will try to do to live the way God wants you to live and then make a Pinky promise with God. Hang your promise in your room so you will remember it and remember our God loves us and know we sometimes make mistakes, so just ask for forgiveness and promise to try harder next time.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
A New Heart
As I reflect over the past week I am thankful for the snow we had. We were so blessed with God's beautiful handiwork, but I am also thankful the rain has washed away most of the snow. We are blessed to live in a part of the country with changing weather.
I want to reflect on the message we missed from last Sunday. The sermon was titled "A New Heart". If we had gone to service Pastor Steve would have reminded us of the hope we have in Jesus. We all do things we are not proud of doing, this is called sin, but we can have hope because Jesus has given us a new heart. This means He changes us so we want to do His will. We can be comforted knowing through forgiveness God takes away the wrong doings and gives us a new start and when God forgives He forgets. How cool is that. What will you do with your new start?
Scripture of the week:
Ezekiel 36:22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not
for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,
which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great
name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the
nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. 24 "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. (NIV)
(Green words are suggested verses to memorize. God word should be in our hearts and one way to keep His word is through scripture memorization.)
Activity of the week:
We all have sin in our lives. This is what makes us human and not divine (God). What have you done in the past which has made God sad? Write or draw these sins. Now give them to God in a prayer of forgiveness by telling God you are sorry for these things. Now that you have asked God for forgiveness tell God what things you are going to try to do to make Him happy. Write these down and hang them in your room as a reminder of what you plan to do different.
I want to reflect on the message we missed from last Sunday. The sermon was titled "A New Heart". If we had gone to service Pastor Steve would have reminded us of the hope we have in Jesus. We all do things we are not proud of doing, this is called sin, but we can have hope because Jesus has given us a new heart. This means He changes us so we want to do His will. We can be comforted knowing through forgiveness God takes away the wrong doings and gives us a new start and when God forgives He forgets. How cool is that. What will you do with your new start?
Scripture of the week:
Ezekiel 36:22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not
for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,
which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great
name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the
nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. 24 "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. (NIV)
(Green words are suggested verses to memorize. God word should be in our hearts and one way to keep His word is through scripture memorization.)
Activity of the week:
We all have sin in our lives. This is what makes us human and not divine (God). What have you done in the past which has made God sad? Write or draw these sins. Now give them to God in a prayer of forgiveness by telling God you are sorry for these things. Now that you have asked God for forgiveness tell God what things you are going to try to do to make Him happy. Write these down and hang them in your room as a reminder of what you plan to do different.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
A New Plan
As we begin a new year we have a new plan for Children's time on Sunday mornings. We have introduced a new children's bulletin with a bonus bulletin for adults. In this first week of our new sermon series Pastor Steve reminds us of the hope we have because God has a "new plan" for our lives. God puts the past in the past and gives us a new future. It is up to us what we chose to do with our new life He gives us. We should live with the comfort that our God is a God of second chances and He is giving us a new start. Our job is to decide how we are going live our lives on a daily basis. How are you going to live for Jesus today?
Scripture of the week:
Isaiah 42:5 This is what God the LORD says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who
walk on it: 6 "I, the Lord, have called you righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." (NIV)
(Green words are suggested verses to memorize. God word should be in our hearts and one way to keep His word is through scripture memorization.)
Activity of the week:
With your child or teen talk about ways they can live for Jesus in their daily activities. Think about things you can do at home for family members. What can you do at school? Don't forget about the little things you can do in the community. Maybe as a family you can do something for a neighbor. What about doing something for a member of our church who has not been in attendance for a while. There are so many things we can do on a daily basis to live for Jesus. What things can you come up with?
Scripture of the week:
Isaiah 42:5 This is what God the LORD says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who
walk on it: 6 "I, the Lord, have called you righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." (NIV)
(Green words are suggested verses to memorize. God word should be in our hearts and one way to keep His word is through scripture memorization.)
Activity of the week:
With your child or teen talk about ways they can live for Jesus in their daily activities. Think about things you can do at home for family members. What can you do at school? Don't forget about the little things you can do in the community. Maybe as a family you can do something for a neighbor. What about doing something for a member of our church who has not been in attendance for a while. There are so many things we can do on a daily basis to live for Jesus. What things can you come up with?
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