Bible Session Notes from 2-23-15

Knowing God’s Will

My notes from speaker Jeremy Drew

·        Bible Drill: Proverbs 3:5-6

·        Bible Drill: Jeremiah 29:11

·        What is God’s will for our lives?

·        God’s will is different for each one of us.  How do we figure out what God’s will is?

·        Bible Drill: Philippians 4:6 - PRAY

·        Bible Drill: I Thessalonians 5:16-18 – To know God’s Will

o   Rejoice always

o   Pray

o   Give thanks

·        Bible Drill: Matthew 28:18-20 – God’s Will for all of us

o   Go & Teach Disciples

SUMMARY

We are ALL unique and God’s will is different for each of us.

We are ALL Christians and God’s basic will is the same for all of us.

Rejoice – Pray – Give Thanks – Go & Teach

Bible Session Notes from 2-16-2015

The First Commandment

Adapted From: Ten to Grow On By Sandra Klaus

·     

        Review:

o   How many commandments are there? 10

o   The 10 Commandments are found in the Old Testament and many are repeated in the New Testament.  In the New Testament, the 10 Commandments are summed up in how many simple commands? 2

o   What are they?

§  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind.

§  Love your neighbor as yourself.

o   What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments for us today? They help us please him and make us and those around us happy. 

·        Read Exodus 20:1-3

·        What is the first commandment? You shall have no other gods before me.

·        This means that nothing should be more important to us than God.  We shouldn’t worship God and anything else.  We shouldn’t worship God and money.  We shouldn’t worship God and people’s opinions of us.  We shouldn’t worship God and buddah.  We shouldn’t worship God and… you fill in the blank.

 

·        We should only have our eyes set on the one true and living God who created heaven and earth. No one came before him and no one will outlive him.  No one and nothing is greater than our God.  He deserves our worship and love.

·        Honoring, worshiping and loving God is the key to keeping the other 9 commandments.  If you truly have your eyes and heart focused on God, it makes not doing or doing the other 9 commandments so much easier. 

·        Why would we ever let anything become more important in our lives than God?  Maybe we get distracted and forget about God.  Maybe we get mad at God and stop listening to him.  Maybe we start looking at the things around us or the people around us, and those things and people become more important to us than God.  

o   Money

o   Work

o   Fun

o   Sports

o   Friends

o   Bad behavior

·        Sometimes we just choose to do what we want to do, no matter if it’s right or wrong, and that has now become more important than what God wants.  When we choose to do our own thing despite knowing what God says about it, then we are putting ourselves before God.  In essence, we are the “other god” that we are putting ahead of God in our own life.

·        The First Commandment clearly says that we should have no other gods before HIM, which means that NOTHING should be more important than God in our lives. The more we think about God, pray to God, listen to God, read His words in the Bible, and worship him by telling him in prayer, song, and our actions how wonderful He is, the easier it is to put him first. 

·        I’ve had a rough couple of weeks and I haven’t been gung ho chipper gal ready to take on the world.  This morning I realized that I had been trying to fix everything in my life on my own.  Yes, I’ve been praying and reading my Bible, but I’ve been “doing” the work of trying to figure everything out myself.  This morning I literally kneeled down with my face to the ground and just told God how wonderful He is and that I wanted Him to be in control.  I had become my own god by trying to fix everything myself.  I had failed at following the First Commandment! So, I told God I was sorry.  Guess what?  God forgave me.  Just like he does every time I mess up.  The Ten Commandments exist not as a measuring stick to see how well you are doing and whether or not you’re going to heaven or hell.  As we discussed last week, the Ten Commandments exist now to help us please God and make us, Him and those around us happier.  Today has been a much better day than any day of the past two weeks.  Praise Jesus!

·        What things have you made “other gods” in your life?

Bible Drill:

I John 2:15

Deuteronomy 6:5

Joshua 24:24

Joshua 22:5

Matthew 22:37

Mark 12:30

Luke 16:13

Deuteronomy 11:1

Deuteronomy 5:7

Luke 10:27

Joshua 23:11

Bible Session Notes from 2-9-15

Introduction to the Ten Commandments

Copied From: Ten to Grow On By Sandra Klaus

·        After leaving Egypt, the Israelites camped in the desert near Mount Sinai, waiting to hear God’s plan for them.  Suddenly bright lightning flashed through the sky, a rumbling thunder shook the earth, and the sharp blast of a trumpet pierced the air.  A thick cloud covered Mount Sinai.  The people ran away in fear.  They begged Moses to talk to God for them.

·        Moses met with God and listened as God spoke the Ten Commandments, the laws he wanted his people to follow. Later, God wrote these laws on two stone tablets and gave them to Moses.  He did not want the people to forget these important rules.

·        But the people of Israel couldn’t obey God’s laws perfectly.  They were born with sin in their hearts, just like we were.  Not one of us can keep God’s laws perfectly.  Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (KJV)

·        God knew we could not keep from sinning, but he loved us so much that even before the world began he though up a plan to help the Israelites and us.  God sent his only Son, the Lord Jesus, to live a perfect life here on earth.  Jesus followed God’s rules perfectly, so he didn’t have to be punished.  But, because he loves us, he took the punishment and death that we deserved for breaking God’s laws.

·        Before Jesus came to earth, God allowed people to make sacrifices of animals. The blood of the animals could not pay for their sin.  But it was a picture of the sacrifice Jesus would someday make on the cross.  God accepted these sacrifices for sin until Jesus came.

·        Even though the commandments were first given to God’s special people, the Israelites, they are good laws for us today. They are almost all repeated in the New Testament, along with further instruction on how we should live for God.

·        God’s laws are not simply a list of do’s and don’ts; they are the keys to our happiness and well-bring. The first four commandments describe our responsibility to God – to have no other gods, to make no idols, to honor God’s name, and to remember his day. The remaining six commandments describe our responsibility to other people – to our parents, to neighbors, and even to our enemies.

·        When Jesus came, he condensed the Ten Commandments into two: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37-39).

·        God’s laws are good.  They help us please him and make us and those around us happy.  But remember, not one of us can keep all the commandments.  Not one of us can be good enough to get to heaven.  The only way to get to heaven is by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, and receiving him as our Savior.  Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  If you’ve never believed Jesus’ promise and received him as your Savior before, you can do that today. 

Bible Session Notes from 2/2/15

The Word Is a Lamp

2/2/15

·       I read a quote awhile back that strikes me even today.  It said, “The person with an unread Bible has no advantage over the person who doesn’t own one.”

·       I have mentioned several times how blessed we are to live in a country where we are allowed to gather like this and talk about God and read our Bibles.  According to the US Department of State International Religious Freedoms Report for 2013 (http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm#wrapper), there are more than 10 countries listed who are restricting religious activity, barring persons from religious meetings, actively harassing, beating and imprisoning followers of various religions. This is not just an assault on Christians but other religions as well.  The point is you do NOT live in one of those countries listed!

·       With that in mind, I ask you, are you taking advantage of the opportunity you have been given?  Are you reading your Bible?

·       Why read the Bible?

o   God speaks to us when we read his word.

o   This is how we can know what God wants us to do, how to behave, and how much he loves us.

o   We get help in overcoming temptations.  We become equipped to handle life.

o   We discover God in a way that trains us how to share God with others

·       Proverbs 6:23 For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you.

·       Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (KJV)

·       Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

·       Are you making the most of every opportunity?  Do you understand what the Lord’s will is?

·       I have spoken to you many times about spending time reading God’s word.  ARE YOU DOING IT?

·       Sometimes we don’t do what we know we should be doing, because we do not have the tools or directions we need to do it.

·       Here is a simple daily Bible reading schedule you can follow.  http://sandstreams.com/haven/character/daily/s1.html

Kids Are Cooking - 01-26-15

Thanks to Melody & Kristi for another fun evening of Kids Are Cooking!  Apologies to Kristi, Marne' and Sarah for not getting a good photo of you three to post on here.  Super glad you were here to make cupcakes.

Raffle!

We are doing a raffle to raise money for our annual insurance which is up February 2nd.  Raffle tickets are $5 each.  If you cannot get cash to me or Nikki Lind, you can pay via PayPal, and I will put your name on a raffle ticket or 5. (wink wink)

Again...

Tickets: $5 each

Prizes:

1. 6 Month family membership at the Northshore YMCA.
2. A weekend at the Lunsford's newly refurbished cabin in Baring, WA.
3. $25 gift card to Uncle's Games.

Get your tickets today!  The prize drawing is Monday, February 2nd.

01-26-15 Announcements & Bible Session Notes

Announcements/Discussion

· Raffle – If you don’t have any raffle tickets to sell, please get some from me by the end of the night.  Tickets and collected money must be turned in to me or Nikki Lind by next Monday.  The drawing is next Monday night, so ALL tickets & money must be in.
· Seahawks 12^th Man Challenge – Bring your community service sheets in.  The Seahawks guy is giving us prizes to keep you motivated, but you have to bring in your community service sheets.

Bible Session Notes

Jeremy Drew Spoke on…

·       Philippians 4:19, Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 3:5-6

·       Jeremy shared a story about going to Discovery Park to walk around and do some photography. His friends had told him that they had seen Orca just a little while before, so he was watching hoping to see Orca.  He never saw any Orca, but he did see an amazing hummingbird and was able to photograph it eating!  He also saw and took pictures of a gorgeous bald eagle, a red tailed hawk screaming away and another hawk that flew by.  He was able to see and take photos of 4 amazing birds.

·       The point?  He went out looking for one thing – the Orca.  He could have been totally focused on the Orca and missed these other amazing things God had to show him.  Often we want one thing in our life and we are so focused on getting that one thing that we miss the great things God has planned for us.

·       Luke 5:4-7 – Simon trusted Jesus and the fishermen ended up with a ton of fish.

·       Just like Simon, we need to get unfocused on our own desires and follow God’s directions.

Raffle with Fantastic Prizes!

On February 2, we will be drawing the random winners for our first ever Insurance Fundraiser Raffle! 

Tickets are just $5 a piece and can be purchased from any of our staff or participants.

There are three prizes:

1. A weekend away at a cabin in Baring, WA near Stevens Pass.  Presented by Ben & Gloria Lunsford, this recently refurbished cabin is a captivating getaway near snow sports at Stevens Pass and within quick driving distance to the beautiful Bavarian town of Leavenworth.  Photos and a description of the property can be found at http://www.vrbo.com/659649
2. A 6 month membership at the Northshore Y or an associated YMCA location.
3. A $25 gift card to Uncles Games.

Contact me or any of our youth participants to purchase your raffle tickets today!

Bible Session Notes & Announcements from 1-19-2015

Announcements:

• Taco Time Fundraiser will start a little later.
• Seahawks 12th Man Challenge - Bring your community service sheets to me
• Next week: Jeremy is speaking & Kids Are Cooking

Bible Session:

A Broken Jar

·       Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

·       So, I’ve been reading this little devotional book called God Always Has A Plan B. Besides the fact that I’m really enjoying reading it, I have also found some pretty cool stories in it.  This one is about some jars, and I’d like to share it with you.

o   “Long ago, there were two jars.  Each was carried by a king’s water bearer on opposite ends of a long pole.  One jar was perfectly made, with no cracks or chips.  The other was unglazed earthenware with a long, jagged crack at its base.

o   Daily, the water bearer would walk to a river and fill both containers, then carry them to the king’s palace.  Once inside, the first jar offered its full contents into the king’s cistern.  The other had less to offer since most of its contents had leaked through the crack during the journey.

o   One day, the despondent cracked jar pleaded with the water bearer, “Please, sir, replace me.  I am a failure.  I spill so much that my offering cannot compare to what the perfect jar brings. I’m ashamed!”

o   The water bearer smiled in response.  “Take a look at the hill we climb each day,” he said.  The jar obeyed.  All along the path bloomed beautiful wildflowers.  “I’ve been planting seeds as I walk up this hill,” noted the water bearer.  “And those flowers you see have grown from your water, little jar.  Flowers that please the king and all his people.” 

·       There are several “take aways” from this story.

o   Was the broken little jar useless?

§  No.  And neither are any of us.  We all have a purpose, and we are all made by God.

§  Romans 9:20-21 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?’ “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

§  Psalm 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

o   Could the broken little jar be useful on his own?

§  No.  He needed the water bearer to carry him and he needed the water bearer to plant the seeds.

§  Just like the little broken jar, we need others to help us along.  You can look at the water bearer as your friends and family who sometimes have to carry us and sometimes need to plant the seeds.  Like Jonathan and David or Daniel and his three friends, you can have close friends who not only stick by you in hard times, but help you to pursue God’s plan for your life.

§   You can also look at the water bearer as God who says:

·       Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 

·       Psalm 118:7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.

·       Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?”

·       The Lord is our helper.

o   And finally, do your job well with whatever God has given you to work with.  Because the jar continued to be used by the waterbearer despite his cracks and leaks, he helped to create a beautiful landscape for those all around him.  If you work faithfully, you will one day see the flowers of faithfulness around you.  Not because you were perfect, but because you kept on working.

§  2 Thessalonians 3:13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

§  Galatians 6:9 Do not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Announcements & Bible Session Notes from Monday Night - 01-12-15

Announcements:
1. Taco Time Fundraiser.  Ordering 150 coupon books.  If all are sold, we'll be having an Ice Cream Party.
2. Seahawks 12th Man Challenge.  Everyone needs to turn in their sheets, so I can update the Seahawks. 
3. Why are we here? Making a difference in our community through Christian outreach in a fun and safe environment. Our primary purpose is to expand the knowledge of Christ among youth by setting a positive example and providing a safe place for recreation.

Bible Session:

Jesus Leads by Example

Luke 22:39-46

·       Read Entire Passage – Luke 22:39-46

·       Example 1 – Pray as usual

o   Before Jesus was taken captive and led to his ultimate death on the cross, he went “as usual” to pray at the Mt. of Olives.

§  Note – He prayed.

§  Note – “As Usual” – This means this wasn’t a “911 prayer.”  This wasn’t a “I never talk to you God, but please help me now.” kind of prayer.  “As usual” tells me that this was his standard practice, something he did often.  He went to the Mt. of Olives to pray.

·       Example 2 – Pray your heart’s desire but God’s will

o   Jesus’ prayer, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

o   Note – He REALLY wanted there to be another option, but he also wanted to do God’s will.  Crucifixion on the cross is known as one of the most painful ways to die.  No one in his right mind would choose to die this way.  Remember Jesus was fully human and fully God.  So although he had the God ability to remove himself from the pain, he could not do that and fulfill the required sacrifice for our sins.  He had to feel all the pain fully as a man.  So, of course, he would want to ask if there was any other way.  He also knew that God’s will reigns supreme and he wanted God’s will over his own.

o   Note – Jesus was without sin.  He prayed “take this cup from me.”  When things seem too hard, I think it is ok to pray this same prayer.  The key is to also pray and be willing to accept “God’s will be done.”

·       Example 3 – Remember to pray & remind others to pray

o   In vs. 40, Jesus told the disciples to “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

o   In vs. 45, Jesus returns to the disciples and finds them sleeping.

o   In vs. 46, Jesus again tells the disciples “Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

o   These are Jesus’ closest friends.  These are the men who have travelled with him and watched him do miracle after miracle. These are his disciples! And yet, he tells them not once but twice to pray so they do not fall into temptation.

o   What do you think Jesus would say to you tonight?