Monthly Archives: November 2013

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

Have You Tried It?

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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes

Romans 1:16

Last night I finally got the opportunity to watch this “I am Second” video.

I love how this video begins… a reminder that we all are going to die. This is the bottom line of us all. So I ask you… what are your struggling against and struggling for? What is your focus in this world? What is your goal to achieve… and why is it your goal?

As I watched… I loved also the blessing of seeing the  heart of Mrs Kay. In the show they make her appear a little “cookey” as we might say here in the South… but make no bones about it… she is one of the strongest women you will probably ever meet. In a day where the thought of standing by your man appears to be an ancient concept. In a day where the thought of a marriage not being worth it, if it is hard… we see a different story in her.

Where in the Word does it say if it is hard it is not worth it? Where is it written that a relationship that requires the actual use of the fruits of the Spirit is not working? Where is it written that it will take anything less than humble submission to the Word of God and submission to the will of the Spirit of God to walk in love and live out love (that is God’s definition of love, not the world’s) in our families?

Where is that written?

What relationships are you walking out on because you can’t take it?

What relationships are you not handling the way God commands us to in His Word because you can’t take doing it God’s way?

Have you even tried doing it God’s way? Not the way a pastor advised you, or a Sunday School teacher, or a person at work, but the way the Word of God said… you just might find He was right all along.

 

Have you missed the gospel?

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

1 Corinthians 15:1-5

Children's Ministry, Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

Media Manipulations

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There is a commercial on the television circuit right now that makes mine and my husband’s blood boil and our neck do that twitching thing… well there are actually many that put this red head in a fired up let-me-tell-you-what tizzy of emotion. However the one in particular today is this one…

 

 

My husband and I saw this commercial, and our 12 year old and 9 year old girls were sitting in the room with us when we saw it the first time, my husband just looked at our 12 year old and said, “Yeh. Go ahead and try that. See how far it gets you.”

Guess what family doesn’t buy Yoplait anymore. That’s right. This one.

I was reminded of this day in our family after I read this quote in a post about teaching strong-willed children.

When a parent refuses to accept his child’s defiant challenge, something changes in their relationship. The youngster begins to look at his mother and father with disrespect; they are unworthy of her allegiance. More important, she wonders why they would let her do such harmful things if they really loved her. The ultimate paradox of childhood is that boys and girls want to be led by their parents but insist that their mothers and fathers earn the right to lead them.

~ Dr James Dobson

The look on this teenage girl’s face as she speaks about her mother and her mother’s authority stirs something up in my spirit that makes me want to come through that tv and adjust her attitude myself. The fact that our media plays this rebellion up and then has the audacity to act shocked over the bully trend that is raging through our schools… the defiance of the students in the classroom… the lack of respect for authority…

Why would the children raised on constant media and music that teaches them that parents are idiots or completely absent and that teachers and principals are fools or downright tyrannical power trippers looking for kids to control because they have not enough backbone to stand up to their peers… why on earth would these children respect authority or other weaker students?

We are where we are in this day because of what we have allowed.

Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.

Proverbs 4:22-24

The girl in that Yoplait commercial has a deceitful mouth and devious speech… When was the last time you sat down and watched what your kids were watching… I don’t mean with them. I mean when they have gone to bed, when they are not in the room… sit down and analytically watched what they watch to see what is being poured into their hearts and minds in your home, under the safety of your roof, within the fortress of your home? What outside influences are you willingly allowing on your watch?

Just imagine if you are walking in the woods with your children, if you are on a nature hike searching out for flowers and different types of leaves… your kids are looking for the pretty things but what are you on the look out for?

Snakes, spiders, bobcats, bears, mountain lions, poison oak, poison ivy, bees, wasps, hornets, and any other predators or poisons…

It is no different in our homes. Our homes are not the place to put our guard down and our feet up. We have to be on the look out for predators and it is not time to rest until the area has been searched out and declared safe. We have to guard our children’s hearts and we have to teach them how to guard their own in the process.

As the mouth reveals what is the heart, the ear determines what goes into it.

~ Bruce K. Waltke

My challenge to you as a parent… sit down watch and listen to what is going into your child’s ears on a regular basis… and as you listen evaluate whether of not these are things you want coming out of your child’s mouth and determining their actions…

NO it is not just a tv show, it is not just a movie, and it is not just a song.

Listen, O my people, to my instruction;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Psalm 78

We live in an era where there is this crazy thought that we as parents have to give our children “privacy” and we are not to question them in certain areas of their life… that we are supposed to let them storm out the door and say they don’t want to talk about it and give them their “space” and allow them to “express” themselves…

We live in an era that tells us it’s healthy to pull our kids off our legs screaming for us for dear life when they are only two, three, four years old and know that they are fixing to be separated, for over eight hours-five days a week, from the ones that have sustained their life and been their place of safety and provision. Craziness. Absolute Insanity.

Hey, but don’t take my word for it… just look around you and see the results of putting “space” between parent and child.

Let’s put it in perspective…

How much “space” does God want between HIM and His children. Especially His young still growing into maturity children? Now I ask you… who is it that wants that space?

 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said…

Genesis 3:1

This is not about whether or not you are a working mom or a stay at home mom… whether you homeschool or do public school… whether you do daycare or grandparents care… This is about what goes on in your home on your watch. When you come home, do you still go one direction and your kids another? Do you tune out their shows, their music, or are you on the alert? Are you WITH THEM when you are with them? It’s okay to question them especially when you are willing to really listen to them.

Proven Path Ministries

Judged By A Six Year Old

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My husband and I served together in college and career ministry before the Lord moved me into children’s ministry. This group of young men and women were at our house often during the week and on weekends, and of course we were with them on Sunday’s and Wednesdays. Our girls grew up around this group of young men and women.

I am not sure if this group knew how much and how closely our girls were watching them. Through our involvement in youth and college ministry, we had some of these kids in our lives from the time they were in Jr High all the way through College. So our girls knew their names, their faces, and they were watching them… they still are watching them.

When our middle child went up into the youth program we allowed her to get a twitter so that she could keep up with our youth minister’s promotions and shout outs… we explained the warnings and what she needed to watch for and be careful concerning and the big rule was to know “in the real world” who she allowed to follow her. She so far has showed us a maturity that we are very thankful for. She is quick delete those who consistently post things that do not line up with Philippians 4:8

 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Granted there were some bumps and lessons along the way early to remind her of this… but since those she truly appears to have learned. She is a very engineer minded child. There is wrong and there is right. There is black and there is a white. There is good and there is bad. She just doesn’t sway much in the gray area or live on the fence… it’s one side or the other. It’s the reason her favorite subject is math.

Yesterday on the way to church we had this conversation:

Shelby: I had to quit following — on twitter because they kept cussing. Did you and Daddy have them in your college class?

Me: No, I had already moved to children’s ministry by the time they graduated

Shelby: I knew I didn’t think they could have been in my momma and daddy’s class! 

This conversation with my child warmed my heart…

My daughter shared this with me and I realized how thankful I am for this group of kids that God allowed us to have in our lives. Our girls remember them and the truth is my husband and I still keep tabs on them and we talk about them often. So when my twelve year old was allowed to get a Twitter and needed people to follow and tweet… who do you think were on her list of names to send and receive follow request… yes, all those college kids she grew up surrounded by.

What she discovered from this group of then “kids” is that most of them, now young adults, carry themselves well in life and especially on social media. She compares all others to this group that she grew up with. They have set the standard by which she judges the integrity of others in that age group. Whether they like it or not, know it or not, they have become the unchanging factor by which she measures all other variables by in her scientific mind.

They were judged by a six year old… and are still being watched by a twelve year old. (No pressure guys!)

Now granted my husband and I knew these kids were not perfect… we knew they had made, were making, and would make many mistakes… but we saw them consistently drawn back to the grace of God and our girls got to see and hear us minister to them in their joys and in their failures… Today many of them are now leaders in our church or another church. Some are married and having children that they bring to our church… I can’t believe that I am now teaching the kids of the kids I taught! Some are serving others in their community and being examples of Christ in their jobs and careers. We are so very proud of them!

These “kids” were judged by a six year old and are still being used as a standard by which to judge others… so for all of those who think that your actions don’t matter and no one has a right to judge you… it doesn’t really matter whether you think anyone has a right to or not… eyes see, and ears hear, and hearts understand… you are being judged and you will be judged… get used to it… and instead of stomping and pouting and screaming about it… get on your face before God… come to the grace of God… be wrapped in the arms of Christ and clothed in His righteousness so that you can stand acquitted in the face of it.

 

 

 

Audio/ Video Teaching, Proven Path Ministries

Money Matters

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In our homeschool co-op this year I am teaching through the book of Proverbs… Next week we will be digging into Proverbs 3:9-10.

Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
(Proverbs 3:9-10)

As I sat here praying over this lesson and pondering these verses I realized that to grasp the full impact of these two verses of Scripture we have to first look to the verses preceding them. The verses that command us to trust in the Lord, to not lean on our own understanding, and to not be wise in our own eyes- and are directly followed by, it will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

How many of us today are physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually sick due to the stress and worry of money concerns? Are you one of them? Do you constantly worry about financial issues?

In this message I share a little of my family’s testimony and the journey of faith that the Lord took us through… I can recall many times in this journey when I looked at the checkbook and did the calculating and just new that if we tithed we would not be able to make the house payment or electric bill, etc. I recall many times telling God, okay, I am going to trust You to pull through for us… and I am going to write this tithe check. Let me assure you… God has always pulled through.

Granted we said no to lots of other things in order to say yes to Him, but our bills were somehow always paid and our family always had food and we got along just fine on whatever God supplied. He is good.

Maybe this message will encourage you… and inspire you to look at your income and outcome in a different way.

Here’s the message I shared with our co-op on these verse: A Message from Proverbs 3:9-10

churchill-giving-quote1

 

Book Reviews, Proven Path Ministries

$50 Toys”R”Us Giveaway!

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It’s almost Christmas!

That’s right there are only 35 days until Christmas!

Beginning today, November 19th through midnight on November 25th you will have an opportunity to win either $50 gift card to Toys”R”Us or a $15 iTunes gift card.

Christmas giveaway

The winner’s should receive the gift cards by Cyber Monday!

Why am I offering this giveaway?

I need your help. That’s why.

I am in the process of writing a devotional series called Devotions From The Torah. The first book, Devotions From Genesis, It’s Not Just Ancient History was published in 2010. The second book in the series, Devotions From Exodus Part One, Learning to Live in Freedom was just released this October! So you see I need your help to spread the word about these books because I truly believe they can help anyone and everyone learn more about our Savior.

Our God did not

 

But please don’t my word for it… please check out the Amazon reviews and the comments shared by others on my author site. Hopefully there will even be some comments added by others in this blog post.

Now how do you win?

Just simply enter to win through the rafflecopter  below!
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Please share with others and if you haven’t began reading through this devotional series, please consider doing so!

Dev from Torah

WINNERS!

Heather LaVine winner of the $50 Toys R Us Gift Card

Misty Folwell winner of the $15 iTunes Gift Card

Proven Path Ministries

What Is In Your Midst

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The Unless series continues…. I haven’t forgot about it. We have many more “unless” Scripture passages to dig into!

Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.

Joshua 7:12

Did you let that verse sink in as you read it?

Read it again.

God point blank tells Israel, I will not be with you anymore unless…

Unless what?

…unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.

So what does it mean for something to be under the ban? In the Hebrew text the phrase under the ban is actually cherem which is cursed and it’s definition is accursed dedicated thing, appointed to utter destruction, extermination. When you look at the context of this verse by reading the rest of the chapter and the chapters before it, we see that God told Joshua that everything in the city belonged to Him, everything in it was appointed to utter destruction, except Rahab and her family. She and her family were to be the only people or possessions to exit the city.

When Israel left Egypt, God allowed them to take with them whatever treasures, livestock, or people who wanted to exit with them… but facing Jericho was different… God knew why and Israel as simply to obey.

However, one man did not obey. One man saw the gold and silver and treasures of Jericho… and he could not turn away from it. He snuck it out the city and he buried it under his tent. Joshua might not have seen it… but God certainly did.

I am sure this man thought… there is nothing evil about these treasures, surely God didn’t mean these things, look at how they will benefit my family, nobody will ever know, I will keep them buried here until enough time has passed…

The Lord did see. God did care. God let the whole nation know that He knew…

Israel was about to face a people much smaller than Jericho. They spied it out and thought, Oh we got this. Joshua just send a few of us, this is gonna be a cinch! 

However, they ran away with their tails between their legs, beaten by this small people.

Joshua was baffled, so he sought the Lord.

Someone had taken what they were not to take. Someone had stole from God. Someone had brought a curse into the camp by their own disobedience and rebellion to the Word of God. The choice of one affected the whole nation. We never sin to ourselves… even if we think nobody saw, even if we think it’s not really that big of a deal.

How does this relate to us today… as an individual before our God?

First who is our enemy? I believe the Word of God teaches us that we have three- the world, Satan, and our flesh.

So let me ask you, are you having a hard time standing before the world, or standing before Satan, or standing before the desires of your own flesh? Do you feel as though the Lord has left you?

Know first of all that if you are child of God in Christ… He has promised that He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) but He has also said that if you claim to have fellowship with Him but walk in darkness, you lie (1 John 1:6).

Sometimes God is silent and He steps back and allows us to experience the consequences of our choices to wake us up, to call us to the carpet, so that we might be able to come to realize that we have taken accursed things willingly into our midst.

What is in your midst? What things of the world, of even Satan himself, what of the desires of your flesh are in your midst and you know that these are things that God has said should not be there. What are you hiding under your tent, convincing yourself no one knows. What actions and choices do you find yourself constantly justifying…

God loves us too much too allow us to hold on to accursed things… He sent His Son to become the accursed so that we could be free. How could He say He loved us if He allowed us to still cling to things that are appointed to utter destruction, to extermination. How could allow us to disrespect and dishonor the sacrifice of His Son by allowing us to hold on to the things that He died to remove us from…

Think about it.

“…: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.
2 Chronicles 15:2-4

Book Reviews, Devotional Studies Through the Bible, Proven Path Ministries

It’s A Giveaway

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The Giveaway has begun! I am excited to have bloggers from around the world, from Australia to Canada, to be a part of  launch team to help promote my book series, Devotions From The Torah.  Some great authors have also offered some of their books to prizes in the giveaway.

Devotions from the Torah is a series of Devotionals that are and will be written from the first five books of the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Lord put it on my heart to write  these books to help today’s church, especially the American church, see how relevant these books still are today and how much they can teach us about our Saviour.

I was burdened by the thought process I seen in believers as I would here them say, “well we are in the New Testament, the Old Testament doesn’t really matter” .

Let me tell you, I just thought I knew God until I began to read the Old Testament. I made it to the book of Chronicles and I realized then that I knew about God, but I did not Him at all. I learned that without the Old Testament the New Testament loses so much authority and understanding. Jesus quoted often from the Old Testament Scriptures and if we don’t know the context in which He quotes, then we will not grasp the full impact of His Words. Moses is the writer of the Torah and this is what our Lord had to say about the words written by Moses…

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.

But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

John 5:46-47

I believe my Devotions from the Torah series will be a great tool in the hands of anyone who wants to know more about God… even if you don’t quite believe in Him yet, but are willing to check Him out for yourself… I encourage anyone at any time to open these devotionals up and use them as a guide and a help through the pages of the Torah, the Books of the Law… Genesis and the first 20 chapters of Exodus are ready for you know!

You can find them on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Christianbooks, and directly from my publishers at Tate,

And you can also enter to win a free copy below through my Launch Team!

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The Devotions from the Torah Launch Team is excited to help Nicole celebrate the release of the first 2 books in this series — Devotions from Genesis and Devotions from Exodus Part One — with a special giveaway of incredible books, several of which will enhance your study of the Torah! This giveaway is a $160 value!

We would like to thank the following companies for their generous sponsorship of this giveaway! Be sure to stop by their websites to say thank you!

Home School Adventure Co.

Knowledge Quest

Great Waters Press

PhyllisSather.com

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. One winner will be selected and announced by noon ET on December 5, 2013. U.S. residents age 18 and older only please. Other Terms and Conditions can be found in the Rafflecopter.

Here’s what you could win!



Devotions from Genesis by Nicole Halbrooks Vaughn

See for yourself how Genesis, the book of beginnings, is not just ancient history and that the Word of God is still alive and timeless. Nicole Vaughn’s Devotions from Genesis will take you on a journey from the garden of Eden to the courts of Pharaoh in Egypt, allowing you to see your own hurts, struggles, and joys through the lives of patriarchs from Adam to Joseph. You will gain insight into your heart and more importantly, insight into the very heart of God. One day at a time, you will be reminded that you are not alone with these Devotions from Genesis.

Devotions from Exodus Part One by Nicole Halbrooks Vaughn

Devotions From Exodus Part One will take you from the bondage of the children of Israel to their freedom. The children of Israel were set free from their bondage in Egypt, and they had to learn how to live in this new freedom. As you study through these first twenty chapters of Exodus, you will see that after God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, he still had to get Egypt out of them. Our deliverance in Christ is no different. God delivers us from the world, but he still has to get the world out of us. We, like the Israelites, are learning to live in this freedom.

Philosophy Adventure: Pre-Socratics (digital download) by Stacy Farrell

Philosophy Adventure™ is designed to help students 6th-12th grade cultivate and defend a biblical worldview by teaching them how to write skillfully, think critically, and speak articulately as they explore the history of ideas.



Philippians in 28 Weeks (digital download) by Stacy Farrell

The Bible is banned in many countries. Countless believers have sacrificed their freedom—and many, their lives—to spread the message of God’s love and salvation contained within its pages. Are we exercising our freedom responsibly. Memorize the entire book of Philippians in 28 weeks!

A Child’s Geography: Explore the Holy Land by Ann VoskampIraq, Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey…your family probably hears or reads about these names frequently. In an increasingly complex world, it is vitally important that children learn to see the world through their Creator’s eyes. As we explore the Holy Land you and your family will delight in incredible, mysterious landscapes, hidden wonders and beautiful peoples – all created in God’s image.
A Cry from Egypt by Hope Auer

Have you ever wondered what life was like in ancient Egypt? As an Israelite? And a slave? Want your children to understand the Bible is history? Adventure, excitement, love, and faith come together when Jarah and her family fi nd themselves at the culmination of four hundred years of history.



Purposeful Planning eBook by Phyllis Sather

Do you need a plan to keep your family moving in the direction the Lord is leading you? Perhaps you don’t know where the Lord is leading you. Phyllis takes you step-by-step through the process of planning a time together for your family to help determine the path the Lord is choosing for each area of your life. Her family has followed this format for over 12 years and has found that it provides the compass they’ve needed to plan and stay on course.





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Thank you!

 

Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 9:19-29)

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The Romans study continues with Romans 9:19-29…

Romans 9:19-29

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”

20 On the contrary, who are you,O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?

21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

25 As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”

26  “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;

28 for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.”

29 And just as Isaiah foretold, “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, We would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”

 

Read Romans 9:19. Can you put this question in your own words? Write it out below.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This question basically asks, “How can it be my fault if my heart is hard and I am not saved if it all depends on God?” It’s really a question that comes from a heart that says, “It’s not my fault, it’s God’s”

Look up and read Genesis 3:12. Who did Adam blame for his sin? (hint: he blamed 2 people)

the __ __ __ __ __    and   __ __ __

Whose fault was it really? Who was the one who knew the truth, love, and care of God but chose to listen to someone else? Circle your answer.

Adam        Eve         Serpent         God       The tree

 

Read Romans 9:20-21. How does the Spirit of God through the writings of Paul answer this question?  Fill in the blanks.

On the contrary,  __ __ __     __ __ __      __ __ __ , O man, who answers back  __ __     __ __ __ ?

Look up and read Genesis 1:1. Who created who? Answer True or False below (T or F)

______   God created man        _____   man created God

Look up and read Job 38:1-18 and Job 40:6-8. This is some of  God’s answer to the complaining that Job had done about God. As read these verse who do you discover is the only one who has a right to complain about anything, Job or God?

__ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:22-24. Answer the questions below.

Who does God endure with much patience?

vessels of  __ __ __ __ __

What are these vessels of wrath prepared for?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Why does God endure them?

to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of

__ __ __ __ __

When were the vessels of mercy prepared?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Who are the vessels of mercy?

even us, whom He  __ __ __ __ __ __ , not from among Jews only, but also from among __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The word “prepared” in Romans 9:22 is katartizó and it means to complete thoroughly. The verb tense of this word teaches us that these “vessels of wrath” already existed this way and are just left that way.  

Look up and read Romans 3:10-23. What is the condition of all of us?

there is none  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __  have  __ __ __ __ __ __

Look up and read Romans 1:6, Romans 1:16, and 1 Corinthians 21-25. Who are “the called” or the “vessels of mercy”? Circle your answer.

those who do good things

those who are Jews

those who believe the gospel  

 

Read Romans 9:25-26. 

These verses are quotes from the Old Testament. Paul uses these quotes to show us that becoming a child of God has always been through believing God. He also shows us that from the beginning God always planned to offer His salvation to both Jew and Gentile. 

Look up and read Romans 8:9-17. How do we know if we are a child of God? 

we have the __ __ __ __ __ __ of God

Look up and read Ephesians 1:13. How do we get the Spirit of God?

We believe the  __ __ __ __ __ __  of salvation

 

Read Romans 9:27-29. 

These verses are also quotes from the Old Testament. Paul uses these verses to show the Jewish believers that God’s Word has not failed. God has fulfilled it and is still fulfilling it.

Look up and read Genesis 22:15-18. Did God keep this promise to Abraham? 

Yes               No 

Look up and read John 8:37-42. Is being a physical child (or descendant) of Abraham the same thing as being a child of God?

Yes               No

 

Read Romans 9:29 again. If God did not have mercy on us, Jew and Gentile alike, if He did not leave a remnant on this earth that loved Him, what would happen to every nation and people on this earth?

become like __ __ __ __ __,

and would resemble __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

You can read about Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18-19, Deuteronomy 32, Isaiah 3, Jeremiah 23, Lamentations 4, all the way to Revelation 11. 

In Genesis, God utterly destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because their sin was so great. 

Our sin is so great that if God did not have mercy on us, none of us could be saved. He has every right to destroy all of us, but He doesn’t. 

He offers us grace. He keeps a remnant here on the earth to share the gospel with others. He also has not given up on the children of Israel. We will learn more about this as we continue in this section of our Romans study.

 

That’s enough for today! 

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 9:14-18)

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Our Romans Study For Kids continues…

Romans 9:14-18

 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 

 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 

 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 

 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” 

 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

 

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Read Romans 9:14. How does this verse begin? Circle the correct answer.

with a question     with a statement      with a lie

 

Read Romans 9:14 again. How does Paul answer the question, “There is no injustice with God, is there?”

__ __ __      __ __      __ __ __ __ __    __ __ !

 

THINK ABOUT IT….

Can we ever say that God is not fair?  

 

Read Romans 9:15. What did God say to Moses? Fill in the blanks below to answer.

“I will have  __ __ __ __ __  on whom I have  __ __ __ __ __,  and I will have  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __  on whom I have __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.”

 

Look up and read Deuteronomy 33:19 to see when God say this to Moses. Now read Deuteronomy 32:1 to see the context in which God says this to Moses. The children of Israel had not waited on Moses or God. They instead made a gold image of a calf and began to worship it. God could have destroyed the entire nation right then, but He didn’t. Instead He showed them mercy. They did not deserve it. They did not earn it, but God gave it anyway, because He had chosen them.

 

Read Romans 9:16. What does it depend on to be a child of the promise? (Romans 9:8) Circle the correct answer.

the man who wills        the man who runs        God who has mercy

 

Read Romans 9:17-18. Have you ever thought about how God demonstrated His power through a Pharaoh who did not serve Him or love Him?

Look up and read Exodus 7:8-13 and answer the following questions:

When Moses told Aaron to throw down his staff and God turned it into a serpent Pharaoh told his magicians to do the same thing. Were Pharaoh’s men able to turn their staffs into serpents? Circle your answer.

Yes              No

 

What happened to the serpents that were made by Pharaoh’s men? Circle your answer.

the magicians serpents slithered away

Aaron’s serpent ate the magicians serpents

the magicians serpents killed Aaron’s serpent

 

watch the video below now.

At the beginning of this video we hear Pharaoh’s magicians calling out names. These names are all names of some of the god’s that the Egyptians worshiped. The Egyptians worshiped many false gods. They even believed that Pharaoh was a god to be worshiped. The true God begins here with the staff of Aaron to begin to show Israel, Egypt, and all the surrounding nations that He is the One and Only True God.

 

Look up and read Exodus 7:14 – 10:10 and Exodus 12:29-30 to learn about all the plagues that God sent to Egypt.

Watch the video below now.

Each of these plagues represented the false gods that the Egyptians worshiped. God had specifically chosen these plagues and He was using the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart to show the children of Israel and all of Egypt that He alone was God. Through these plagues He was showing them that He was more powerful than any of the gods they worshiped.

 

Look up and read Exodus 14:5-31 to learn about the end of Pharaoh.

Watch the video below now. 

Do you remember that the Egyptians also worshiped Pharaoh as a god? So God used the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart and the splitting of the Red Sea to once again show that He alone was God. He showed His power and authority over all rulers, all gods, and over all creation, like the sky and the seas.

 

Look up and read Joshua 2:1-13 and answer the following questions. Circle your answers: 

Had other nations heard about what God had done in Egypt? 

Yes                    No

 

Go back and read Romans 9:17. Had God displayed His power throughout the whole earth?   

Yes                     No

 

THINK ABOUT IT….

If Pharaoh would have let the children of Israel go when Aaron’s staff was turned into a serpent and ate his magicians serpents do you think the whole earth would have heard about it?

They most likely would not. God raised Pharaoh up and used his hard heart to show the whole earth who the real God is. God also showed the world during this time that we did not have to be a child of Jacob, Isaac, or Abraham to become a child of His. 

Anyone who believed in Him and obeyed Him could be His. It is still the same today. Our salvation has always came through faith. Simply believing God and taking Him at His word. 

Rahab was not child of Jacob, Isaac, or Abraham but she was saved because she believed God. 

Look up and read Matthew 1:1-6. Whose name do you see listed as part of the family of Jesus? Rahab! That’s right.

Do you believe God? Are you a part of the family of Jesus? Remember it is believing the gospel that saves us all.

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 9:1-13)

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We continue in our Romans Study For Kids.

Today we will be beginning a new section in the book of Romans. We will be studying through Romans 9, Romans 10, and Romans 11. This section is called the Scope of Salvation. In this section we will be learning about God’s choice, man’s responsibility, and how God has not rejected Israel.

Let’s begin by digging into Romans 9!

 

Read Romans 9:1-2 and answer the following questions. 

Who is the “I” in this verse?

 

______________________

 

What is he telling?

 

__ __ __       __ __ __ __ __

 

How is he telling it?

 

in  __ __ __ __ __ __

 

in the  __ __ __ __     __ __ __ __ __ __

 

What does he say about himself?

 

I am not  __ __ __ __ __

 

I have great  __ __ __ __ __ __  and unceasing __ __ __ __ __ in my heart

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

Does it sound like Paul is sad? Does it sound like he wants us to know that what he is sharing is true and that God is speaking through him? 

Let’s study further to see if we can find out why Paul is so sad.

 

Read Romans 9:3 and answer the questions below.

What does Paul wish?

That he himself was  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __,  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

from __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Why does he wish this?

for the sake of my  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, my __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Look up and read 2 Corinthians 11:22 and Philippians 3:5. Who are Paul’s brethren and kinsmen? Circle the correct answer.

Greeks        Romans         Indians        Hebrews

 

Read Romans 9:4. What is another name for the Hebrews? 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:4-5. What eight things do you learn about the Israelites?

 

1) to whom belongs the _______________________________

2) and the _______________________________

3) and the _______________________________

4) and the _______________________________

5) and the ________________________________

6) and the ________________________________

7) whose are the ________________________________

8) and from whom is the _______________________

 

Now let’s take some time to find out what these eight things you just listed from Romans 9:4-5 are all about. It is time for some cross-referencing so that we can let Scripture interpret (or explain) Scripture. You don’t have to write anything down. I just want you to look it up, read, and discover!

1) Look up and read Exodus 4:21-22 to find out when the Israelites received God’s adoption as sons.

2) Look up and read Exodus 40:34-35 to find out what glory the Israelites received.

3) Look up and read Genesis 17:1-7 to find out about the covenant.  

4) Look up and read Deuteronomy 5:1-22 to find out about the giving of the Law

5) Look up and read Exodus 25:8-9 , 1 Kings 6:1, and Hebrews 9:1 to learn about the temple. This was first the tabernacle, then Solomon built the house of the Lord.

6) Look up and read Genesis 12:1-3 to learn about the promises.

7) Look up and read Acts 3:13 to learn who the fathers were.

8) Look up and read Matthew 1:1-16 to learn how Jesus came from the Israelites.

 

WOW! That was an awesome time of study! Good job! How about taking a break now and just think about all that you just learned.

 

Read Romans 9:5. What three things do you learn about Christ in this verse?

1) He came from the Israelites according to the flesh (He was born a Jew)

2) He is  __ __ __ __   __ __ __  

3) He is  __ __ __    __ __ __ __ __ __ __  forever

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

If all that you learned by digging in to Romans 9:4-5 is true, then why is Paul so upset. What have his brethren, the Israelites, not believed? 

I hope you have said, the gospel. 

Remember that is what Paul has been teaching us about up to this point. Remember that the theme of the book of Romans is that the gospel is the power of salvation and that salvation is by faith, the righteous man shall live by faith (Romans 1:16-17). 

So now the question is, if all this that you learned about the Israelites is true, then has God’s Word and His promises failed?

Let’s keep studying to find out!

 

Read Romans 9:6. 

How does Paul answer the question we just asked?

But it is  __ __ __  as though the word of God has failed.

Has God’s Word failed? Circle the correct answer.

Yes                 No

 

Read Romans 9:6-7. How does Paul explain that God’s Word has not failed?

For they are  __ __ __  all  __ __ __ __ __ __  who are descended from

__ __ __ __ __ __  nor are they all  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ because they

are  Abraham’s  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Look up and read Genesis 22:15-19. We learn about two sons in this verse.  Circle the name of the son that God said was the son of the covenant and the son that was promised by God.

Ishmael             Isaac

 

Look up and read Galatians 3:6-9. In verse 7 who are the sons of Abraham?

those who are of  __ __ __ __ __

 

Now look back in our study to Romans 2:28-29 and let us remember what we have already leaned about who is a true Jew or Israelite.

he is a Jew who is one  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:8. Who are the children of God? Circle the correct answer.

children of the flesh         children of the promise

 

Read Romans 9:9. What was the word of promise?

At this time I will come, and  __ __ __ __ __  will have a son

 

Read Romans 9:10. Who do you read about in this verse?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __     and     __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:10-13. How many kids did Isaac and Rebekah have? Circle your answer.

1             3           5           2

 

Were they twins? Circle your answer.

Yes                No

 

Read Romans 9:10-13 again and decide whether the following statement are True or False. Fill in the blank with a T or F.

 

_______   Jacob did a better job of making God happy that is why God loved him more.

 

_______   Rebekah and Isaac got to pick the child they wanted God to bless.

 

_______  God said the older kid is always boss.

 

_______  God had chosen before the children were born who would be the child to carry the promise.

 

_______  The works of the children had nothing to do with God’s choice

 

Look up and read Matthew 1:2. Which of Isaac and Rebekah’s sons is in the family of Jesus?

 

____________________

 

Look up and read Galatians 3:16, 26-29. Who is the promised seed or son that allows us to be descendants of Abraham? Circle the correct answer.

Isaac           Ishmael           Jesus           Superman

 

Just to know, look up and read Genesis 3:15 to find out when this promise was first given.

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

Do you remember that we have already learned earlier in Romans that salvation comes from believing God. We learned that salvation has always been by faith. 

God made a promise right after the fall that He would send a seed to be our Savior. Since the garden He has chosen who would carry that seed from family to family until Jesus would come.

We can follow this all the way through the Bible. Below is just part of the trail:

Adam to Seth to Noah to Shem to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Judah to David to Jesus… 

God made a promise and He kept it. It didn’t matter how bad the men had messed up, when God called them they came, and God protected them because He was protecting the promise and the seed. 

Romans 9:11 assures us that God saves and keeps us saved according to His choice and His purpose and His promise. How important is it to you to know this about God when you have messed up? 

Isn’t it great to know that God keeps us saved in Jesus because He promised He would. 

That’s enough for today. We will look at Romans 9:14-18 next.