God's Mad Skills (Bible Session Notes from 3-23-15)

Last night Jeremy Drew spoke on "God's Mad Skills"

Omniscient - all knowing - Psalm 147:5, Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 1:5

Omnipresent - all seeing - Jeremiah 23:24, I John 3:20, Hebrews 4:13

Omnipotent - all powerful - Matthew 19:26, Psalm 147:5, Philippians 4:13

If God is all knowing, where does all knowledge come from?  Him.
If we have a question, he has the answer.

God is all seeing.  He sees everything. We cannot hide anything from God.

He is all powerful.  Genesis 1:1.  God created the heaven and the earth.  None of us can do that, but He did.  If you need help, ask God.

Bible Session Notes from Last Monday Night - 3-16-2015

The Fourth 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 which part of the Bible? Old Testament and many are repeated in the New Testament. 

o   What is the First Commandment?

§  You shall have no other Gods before me. 

o   What is the Second Commandment?

§  You shall not make for Yourself an Idol

o   What is the Third Commandment?

§  You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God

o   Who can remember where the 10 Commandments are first found in the Bible?  What book? Exodus

·        Read Exodus 20:8-11

·        Sabbath?

·        The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word meaning to stop, take a break, rest from your work.

·        Holy?

·        Holy means to separate or set apart.

·        When God gave this Commandment to Moses to share with His people, he was asking for a special day to be set aside each week for worship and rest. A day of worship. In a sense, a gift to God.  On that one day, people were to give their attention to God.

·        Ways in which we can worship God:

o   Go to church

o   Pray

o   Thinking about Him

o   Reading the Bible

o   Singing songs to Him or about Him

o   Doing good things for others

o   Encouraging other Christians

o   Telling unbelievers about Christ

·        Sabbath was also a gift from God.  A day of rest.  A day away from our ordinary work.  He knew we would need a break.

·        Most Christians use Sunday as their day of worship and rest.

·        God loves us and He wants us to take care of ourselves both spiritually and physically. 

·        God wants us to spend time with Him every day, but it’s important that set aside one day to be a special “God’s” day.  He doesn’t request this.  He commands it. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy.”

·        Traditionally Jews celebrated the Sabbath on Saturday. From sunset Friday night to sunset Saturday night, the Jewish people were forbidden to do any work at all. 

·        Then Jesus came and changed that perspective a bit.  He said it was ok to do some things on the Sabbath.

o   Mark 2:27 – Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath

o   Matthew 12:12 – Jesus says it is right to do good things on the Sabbath

·        After Jesus came and died to save us all from our sins, people began celebrating the Sabbath on Sunday.  Not all churches consider Sunday the Sabbath. Some still use Saturday.

·        Some people look at the Sabbath as their day of rest, and they sleep in, skip church, and lounge around all day.  That’s fantastic except for one thing.  They’ve missed the “worship” part of the commandment!  Oh dear!

·        Other people do so much on the Sabbath attempting to get ready for church, get ready for big meals, going to a church meeting after church, that they’ve missed out on the “rest” part of the commandment.  Also, Oh dear!

·        Leaving out either part – rest or worship – is disobeying God’s Commandment.

 

·        God gave us the Sabbath so that we would be ready to face what would come at us during the week.

·        Remember to study God’s Word and worship him while making time to rest and relax. 

·     Bible Drill: Things to do to keep God’s day holy

Luke 18:1 (Pray)

Psalm 119:11 (Memorize)

Psalm 9:1 (Praise)

Ephesians 5:19 (Sing)

Psalm 1:1-2 (Meditate)

Acts 20:35 (Give)

Hebrews 13:16 (Do good)

I Thessalonians 5:18 (Give thanks)

Exodus 20:8-11

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work… for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Bible Session Notes 3-9-15

The Third 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 which part of the Bible? Old Testament and many are repeated in the New Testament. 

o   What is the First Commandment?

§  You shall have no other Gods before me. 

o   What is the Second Commandment?

§  You shall not make for Yourself an Idol

o   Who can remember where the 10 Commandments are first found in the Bible?  What book?

·        Read Exodus 20:7

·        The Third Commandment says, “You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord Your God.”

·        It can also be said, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”  Vain means without value. 

·        What does this mean?  It means that every time we say “God” or “Jesus Christ” we should remember how much we love God and how important He is to us.

·        One way to avoid misusing God’s name is to only use it when there is a good reason to use it.  We can use His name when talking to Him, when telling someone how wonderful He is, when thanking Him for something in your life or the world around you.

·        What are some of the wrong ways people use God’s name? (Discuss with students)

·        The most obvious way people misuse God’s name is to use it as a swear word.

·        Keep in mind that there are many names for God.  Using any name for God when we are angry or frustrated is a sin.

·        Sometimes people use the name of God to shock others or draw attention to themselves.  This is not honoring God.  This is a sin.

·        In some ways, we as Christians can misuse God’s name by the way we act.  If we are Christians, then people associate us with Christ.  We should act in ways that bring honor to Christ. 

·        How should we use God’s name? (Student Discussion)

o   We should speak His name in love.

o   We should honor and protect his name.

o   We should defend it when we hear someone else using it in wrong ways.

Bible Drill:

1Timothy 6:15

John 4:25

Titus 1:4

Additional Bible Reading: 

Isaiah 9:6

John 1:29

John 10:14

Matthew 1:23

Memory Verse:

Exodus 20:7

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name

Oops Forgot to Post! Bible Session Notes 3-2-15

The Second 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 which part of the Bible? Old Testament and many are repeated in the New Testament. 

o   What is the First Commandment?
You shall have no other Gods before me. 

·        Read Exodus 20:4-5

·        The First Commandment – Have no other God’s before me.

·        The Second Commandment - Do not make any idols.

o   Idols can be made from almost any material.

o   Idols can look like something God created, something random, or it may even represent God.  But God says that HE is the only one we should bow down to or worship.

·        God created the earth, the moon, the stars, people, wood, glass, stone, etc. 

·        What is the only thing not created by God? God.

·        God has always been and will always be.  He has no beginning or end. He is all powerful.  He is the only one we should worship. Although our human minds, struggle with the idea of something or someone not having a beginning, we have to accept that concept on faith.  We are not God and we do not understand eternity the way He does.

·        Some people say they believe in God and Buddha and worship both.  The Bible says you cannot worship two Gods.  You must choose between them.  The right answer is to choose the God who made you.

·        Some people say they worship God but they also carry this lucky statue.  They think the statue brings them good luck or magical powers.  The only god with power is the one true living God.

·        What is the difference between statue people worship and a statue in a park or museum?  (Discuss with students)

·        God is a jealous God and he does not like it when we worship anything except Him.

·        God has the right to be jealous.  He made us.  We are his.  He has every right to expect us to worship him.

·        If we play around with any other gods, God has a right to be angry with us.  And the right to judge us. God loves us and He wants us to know the truth and obey it. As we discussed in week one, we can be happier and safer trusting and obeying God.

·        What other religions and other gods have you heard of? (Discuss with students)

·        God says we are to have nothing to do with statues that are idols.  He wants us to show love and concern for people who do worship other gods and who bow down to idols.  We should help them to know that they do not need those gods; the God who made them is enough.  The Lord Jesus will be with them if they receive him as their Savior.  You can tell t hem about Jesus, but if they do not want to listen, politely leave them alone.  If you have questions, ask your parents, pastor, teacher at church or anyone else who is a Christian.  Remember to pray for those who do not know Jesus.

·        I have packets made up for those who want them.  There is a story, a crossword puzzle and the memory verse.  Please pick one up on your way out tonight.

Additional Bible Reading:

Genesis 1:1

Isaiah 42:5

Colossians 1:16

Amos 4:13

Genesis 1:27

Ephesians 3:9

Revelation 4:11

John 1:3

Memory Verse:

Exodus 20:4-5

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.

Kids Are Cooking 2-23-15

The almost finished project.  The birds' nests awaiting their eggs.

Caleb & Franklin clowning around. 

Kristin & Ella focused.

Franklin

The cooking crew.

JJ

Sophia

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.