Dinners Needed in July & August

Dinners are needed for July & August.  See the schedule below and let me know if you can help in any way.

July 1
Dinner - Ricki Jones
Dessert - needed

July 8
Dinner - needed
Dessert - Bev Spore

July 15
Dinner - Eastside Foursquare Church Summer Interns
Dessert - Eastside Foursquare Church Summer Interns

July 22
Dinner - needed
Dessert - needed

July 29
Dinner - Papa Murphy's Pizza
Dessert - Brett Spore

August 5
Dinner - needed
Dessert - needed

August 12
Dinner - needed
Dessert - Bev Spore

August 19
Dinner - needed
Dessert - needed

August 26
Dinner - Papa Murphy's Pizza
Dessert - Brett Spore

Bible Sessions From 6-17-13

6-11 Year Old Group (Teacher Melody)
Studied the first disciples and how we are disciples in Jesus.
Scriptures used: Matthew 4:18-25 and Luke 5:2-11

12+ Group - End Times (Teacher Jeremy)
Mark 13:5-13
Vs. 5 Says to watch out because someone who is coming will appear correct but will deceive many.  Jeremy asked the students if anyone like that has already shown up?
Student answers included: Obama, Osama Bin Laden, Mormons/Joseph Smith because he took the Bible and twisted it, Catholic priests in the past because people couldn't read the Bible on their own and the priests could teach whatever they wanted.
Teacher answers included: the "drink the coolaid" group from in the past and last year when that one pastor predicted the world would end and everyone sold all their stuff.

Discussion was had about vs 9-13 (Sorry I missed taking notes on this part as I was with a parent at that time.  Read it.  See what you can gather from it. :)

Revelation 19:11-16 Talking about Jesus Christ' return.

Revelation 19:17-21 Talking about how after we've been taken up to heaven, Jesus Christ comes back with an army to fight the devil and the antichrist.

(Not the greatest notes from me on this one.  Sorry folks.  I hope you get the general idea of what was being taught and discussed.)

All Ages Bible Session 6-10-13 - Jesus Was Human

Jesus Was Human

*Adapted from Creative Bible Lessons on the Life of Christ

By Brett Spore 6-10-13

Introduction:
Last week we talked about how Jesus was both God and human.  We watched a video showing how foolish it is for anyone to think they can play God.  Tonight we’re going to look at Jesus as a human.  But first, we’re going to play a little game.  (Play unfair card game with changing rules.)

Message:
The card game wasn’t fair because the leaders had a huge advantage over their players.  It wasn’t much fun and it caused tension in the groups. 

I’m going to read you a story about a time Satan tempted Jesus.  As I read the story, think about how Jesus reacted as a  human being even though He could have used His supernatural powers as God to just ZAP Satan and be done with it.

Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.  For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you , and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”  Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”  Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!  For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”  Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

*Jesus experienced incredible temptations, but He played according to the rules God had established.  He responded to Satan as a human not as God.

* By becoming human, Jesus gave up His place with God and lowered himself to be like us.  By doing this, Jesus was in a position to face the same kinds of temptations we might face.  Now Satan has never said to me, “Bow down to me and I will give you a kingdom,” but I have had temptations thrown at me to get drunk, gossip about other girls in my group, hang out with the wrong crowd just to be popular.  There’s a lie that if you do this – you will get that.  Just like Satan tempted Jesus – if you bow down – you get the kingdom.

*Although Jesus was fully human, he was also still fully God, and therefore he never gave into temptation and never sinned.  I wish I could say that about myself, but I’m not God.  Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to help us guard against temptations and a loving God who forgives us when we fail.

Application:
Carry with you this playing card with the paraphrased version of Hebrews 4:15 glued on to it.  This will remind you when you are struggling with a temptation that Jesus was tempted as well.  It will remind you that Jesus was God and could have played by His own rules, but He wanted to relate to us and our struggles.  Instead of zapping Satan, he wrestled with the temptations as a human being.  He became one of us and played by human rules so we would benefit and be eternal winners.

Hebrews 4:15 (paraphrased) Because of Jesus’ willingness to play by the rules, to become fully human, and to face every temptation we will ever face, we have a Savior who understands our struggles. But because he never sinned, we also have a Savior who paid the price for our sin.

 

Bible Session - 6-3-13 All Ages - Jesus Is God

Jesus Is God

*Adapted from Creative Bible Lessons on the Life of Christ

Presented by Brett Spore 6-3-13

 

Introduction:
Sometimes we ask some silly questions. Here are a few questions from the book 101 Questions Children Ask About God.
            Does God sleep, or does He just rest?
            How does God make the sun and moon go up and down?
            Did God make people in outer space?
            If God made spiders, why do people squish them?
            How can Jesus fit in my heart?
            Is there a McDonalds in heaven?
            Why doesn’t God just zap the bad people?

Message:
It’s normal to have questions about God.  There are a lot of things about God that are difficult to understand.  One thing many people struggle to understand is how Jesus could be a human and also be God, and that’s what we are talking about today. 

Some of you might remember the movie Bruce Almighty in which Jim Carrey plays a man who wants to be God, so God lets him “be God” for a while.  Let’s see what happens.  (To view the video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0cG11lTS1E )

As you can see, Bruce is really struggling with just one aspect of being God – handling prayers.  The movie goes on to show what a mess he’s created by answering “Yes” to all prayers.  It’s pretty insane to think that we can be equal to God or take over his job.

Is it possible that since Jesus claimed to be human and God, we also can be human and god? Many people, churches, and religions claim to know the way to God and to know the truth about God.  Some even claim that you can be a god.  But, only Jesus can be both God and man.

John 14:5-11 Thomas said to him, “Lord we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?  Jesus answered, “I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”  Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”  Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?  Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, “Show us the Father? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?  The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.  Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

Even the disciples, the men closest to Jesus day in and day out, struggled with believing that Jesus was God.  It was and is a concept our human minds grapple with understanding.

John 20:24-29 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.  Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe.”  Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas was a disciple.  He followed Jesus, saw his miracles, listened to him speak day in and day out, and yet he required evidence that Jesus was God and had risen from the dead.  Then when Jesus proved he was the same man who had died on the cross by showing his nail scarred hands and allowing Thomas to feel the wound in his side, Thomas believed. 

Jesus wasn’t just a human. He was also God.  Jesus is both fully human and fully God.  He did not give up his divine nature when he became human.  Many of us get frustrated, because we cannot understand this.  How can God be 100% human and 100% God?  Let’s try to demonstrate that this can be true in another way using two things you know very well.

Demonstration:
Hold up a glass of ice.
What element is ice made of? Water
Hold up a glass of water.
What element is water made of? Water
*Water and ice are 2 manifestations of the same element.  Although ice and water have different properties, they come from the same source.  They are essentially “one.”

This is similar to Jesus’ two natures.  They are different and yet the same.  Jesus was 100% human and yet 100% God as well.

Even when we have doubts and questions, the fact remains that Jesus is God!  He isn’t surprised or bothered by our questions, so let’s ask Him some.

Task:

Write a brief letter to Jesus.  Put it in this envelope.  Seal it.  Put your name on the envelope and hand it in.  We will give these back at the end of summer. We will not open them.  This your private letter to God.

 

 

 

 

Dear Jesus,

 

Here are a few things I know about You. I know…

 

Here is how I feel about You. I feel…

 

Here are some questions I have about You.