Category Archives: Children’s Ministry

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

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 6:12-23)

PPM-3.jpgNow for the rest of Romans 6…

Romans 6:12-23

 

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,

18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.

22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

 

 

We learned in Romans 6:1-11 that we were baptized into Jesus Christ, which means that…

 – when He died, we died

 – when He was buried, we were buried

 – when He was raised, we were raised

 – death is no longer master over Him 

 – sin is no longer master over us

  • and since Jesus lives to God, so should we

 

Now we are going to begin digging into Romans 6:12-23…

Read Romans 6:12. What word does it begin with?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Remember that when we see a “therefore” we need to look back at the verses before it to see what the “therefore” is there for. Read Romans 6:8-11 to find out what the “therefore” is there for.

 

Read Romans 6:12 again. What command does God give us in this verse?

Do not let __ __ __ reign in your mortal __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 6:13. What command are we given in this verse?

Do not go on presenting the members of your body to

__ __ __  as instruments of unrighteousness

 

Read Romans 6:13 again. Who and what are we to present ourselves to?

to  __ __ __  as those alive from the dead,

and your members as instruments of

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __   to God

Read Romans 6:14. How are we able to present our body to God as an instrument of righteousness? 

For __ __ __ shall __ __ __ be master over you

Read Romans 6:14 again. As a Christian, sin is no longer master over you and death is no longer master over you. So according to this verse what are we under? Circle your answer.

law               grace

 

Read Romans 6:15. If we are under grace and not law, does that mean that we can sin whenever we want to? 

May it  __ __ __ __ __  be!

 

Read Romans 6:16-22. Now that we are freed from sin, does that mean that we are slaves to noone and nothing? Read through these verses and answer the questions below.

If you have been freed from sin, what are you now a slave to? (hint:look at Romans 6:18)

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

If you have been freed from sin, Who are you now enslaved to? (hint:look at Romans 6:22)

__ __ __

When you were a slave to sin, you obeyed sin. What does the Bible tell us is the result of obeying sin? Read Romans 16:16 to find the answer. 

__ __ __ __ __

 

When you become a slave to God, you obey righteousness. What does the Bible tell us is the result of obeying righteousness? Read Romans 16:19 to find the answer. 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

When we become a Christian we get a new heart and a new master. This changes the way we live and the choices we make. Have you ever seen “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”?

Type this link into your computer search bar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eulSbXIjzk and watch the video clip.

Or if you have the movie at home, why not watch it with your family.

THINK ABOUT IT…

How did the Grinch change when his heart changed? Did his actions change? Did he get strength to do the right thing?

Romans 16:16-22 explains to us the difference in obeying sin and obeying righteousness. When we obey righteousness we learned the result is our sanctification.

Sanctification is a big word! It is a big and important word. As a matter of fact it is what Romans 6 – 8 is all about. So what exactly is sanctification?

Sanctification is the purification of our heart and life. Justification is when God forgives us and declares us not guilty of sin because Jesus paid our debt for us. Sanctification is when God begins to make us look and act like His children. 

 

Read Romans 16:22 again. What is the outcome of sanctification?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __        __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 16:23. Right this verse out below. This one you need to memorize.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THINK ABOUT IT…

Did you first begin the process of sanctification (making yourself pure) by obeying righteousness (keeping the law) and then earn your justification (pardon from sin) from God and receive eternal life?

Is it even possible for us to do that?

No it’s not.

That’s why eternal life is a gift from God. 

Remember Jesus is a gift to us from God (John 3:16). Justification is a gift to us from God in Jesus (Romans 3:24). Righteousness is a gift to us from God through Jesus (Romans 4:3). Sanctification is a result of the gifts of God to Jesus (Romans 6:22).

We can’t make ourselves good enough for God… God has to do that for us. 

How about we take a moment to tell God thank you!

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

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 5:12-21)

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I just realized I never posted Romans 5:12-21 🙂

Romans 5:12-21

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.

17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Read Romans 5:12. Through how many men did sin enter the world? Circle your answer.

3       2       1       7

 

Read Romans 5:12 again. What entered the world through sin? 

__ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 5:12 one more time. How many men did death spread to? Circle your answer.

few       some      couple      several       all

 

Read Romans 5:13. What came first the Law or sin?

__ __ __

 

Read Romans 5:14. What reigned from Adam to Moses to prove that sin came first?

__ __ __ __ __

 

Did people die before God gave Israel the Law (Ten Commandments)? Circle your answer.

Yes            No

 

Read Romans 5:15-21. These verses compare and contrast two different men and two different events. We will learn about a man named Adam and a man named Jesus. Let’s do some background work.

Who is Adam? Read Genesis 1:26-29 and Genesis 2:15-25 to find out.

Who is Jesus? Read John 1:1-5, John 1:14-18, and John 3:16 to find out.

What happened because of Adam? Read Genesis 3:1-24 to find out.

What happened because of Jesus? Read John 14:1-31 to find out.

Adam disobeyed His Father. He sinned and had to leave the garden of his Father. He was unable to return.

Jesus obeyed the Father. He never sinned and has come to take us back to the Father with Him! He is the way back to the Father’s house for all who believe.

Now let’s turn back to Romans 5:15-21 and see what else we learn about Adam and Jesus and what they mean to us.

 

Read Romans 5:15. Complete the sentence below by filling in the blanks.

But the free gift is __ __ __ like the transgression.

 

What is the free gift. Look back at Romans 3:24 to find out. Fill in the blanks with your answer.

being __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

The free gift is being justified and receiving life. It is receiving the free gift of the grace of God.

The transgression is being condemned and receiving death. It it receiving the due penalty of the wrath of God.

These are two very different things aren’t they?

 

Read Romans 5:15-17 again and answer the following questions.

 

Who is “the one” who caused “the many” to die by transgression? 

__ __ __ __

 

Who is the one who caused the grace of God to abound to “the many”?

__ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 5:18-19. Look at the chart below. I have filled in the “what” and “results” section for you. I need you to fill in the “who” section.

What Results Who
one transgression resulted condemnation to all men  
One act of righteousness resulted justification of life to all men  
one disobedience many were made sinners  
obedience of the One many will be made righteous  

 

Read Romans 5:20. Why did the Law come?

So __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __  would

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Remember Romans 3:20? What comes through the Law?

the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of sin

 

Remember Romans 3:10-18? How many of us do good? Circle your answer.

some of us        all of us         none of us

 

Read Romans 5:20. What abounded all the more as sin increased?

__ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 5:21. Fill in the blanks below.

Sin reigned in __ __ __ __ __

Grace would reign in __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __  to eternal __ __ __ __ through __ __ __ __ __

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

Are you wondering, how does the Law make sin increase and how does an increase in sin lead to more grace? Those are good questions to wonder about.

When we read the Law and the rest of God’s Word we learn about His standard and His holiness. We learn what He says is good and right. 

When we learn what He says is good and right and then we compare our actions, thoughts, and words to His we realize that we are great sinners. We realize that we disobey. We realize that we are just like Adam in the garden. 

And if we are just like Adam then we realize that we under condemnation and the wrath of God.

When we realize this we have two choices.

We can stay where we are and continue to love sin.

We can cry out to God for help and believe on Jesus and be saved. In Adam all die. In Christ all who believe live.

Let’s close our study in Romans 5 by filling in the chart below with pictures to help illustrate the difference between Adam and Jesus.

 

ADAM JESUS
   

 

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

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 6:1-11)

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I am looking for reviewers for the Romans Study For Kids. I do have it in a PDF form. If you are interested in going through it with your kids, let me know and I will email or FB message it to.

Today we begin with Romans 6:1-11.

Romans 1-5 was written so that we would know why we needed to be saved. In Romans 1-5 we can clearly see that everyone is a sinner. It doesn’t matter how good someone thinks they are, they still need Jesus. It doesn’t matter how bad someone thinks they are, Jesus still can save them.

Let’s do a quick review.

I will break down the chapters in Romans and you fill in the blanks with what you remember from the chapters.

Yes, it’s okay to go back and look over the chapters to help you 🙂

 

Romans 1:1-15

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 1:16-17, This is the key verse so write it out below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 1:18-32

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 2:1-29

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 3:1-18

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 3:19-20

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 3:21-31

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 4:1-25

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 5:1-11

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Romans 5:12-21

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

That was a great job reviewing! Romans 1-5 explains to us our need for God to save us, because we cannot save ourselves. We learn in Romans 1-5 that God gave us His Law so that we would realize we needed help. Remember the Law is good. The problem is that we just simply are not.

But God loves us anyway!

How awesome is that!

He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us… even though we were helpless, ungodly, sinners, who were, at the time, His enemy. 

We have a very good God!

I think we should thank Him right now. Let’s take a moment to pray or sing a song… How about singing “Jesus Loves Me” because He does, and the book of Romans shows us just how much He does.

I’ll start. Ready! Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…

 

Now, let’s start digging into Romans 6. We will begin with reading through and studying Romans 6:1-11. 

 

Romans 6:1-11 

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

 

Romans 6 begins with a question. Read Romans 6:1, what is the question? Circle your answer.

a) are we to have eggs and bacon or pancakes and sausage?

b) are we to use a purple crayon or go with the blue one?

c) are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

d) are we to keep on this trail or take another one?

 

Romans 6:2 answers the question in Romans 6:1. Fill in the blanks with the answer.

May it  __ __ __ __ __    __ __ !

 

Look at Romans 6:2 again. Why should we not keep on sinning? 

We have  __ __ __ __  to sin

 

Read Romans 6:3. How did we die to sin?

all of us who have been __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ into Christ Jesus have been __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ , into His __ __ __ __ __

 

Let’s look at the word baptized in this verse. This word is “baptizo” in the Greek and it means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk), to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe, to overwhelm. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. 

 

pickle-pickles-27629021-1500-1340

Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be ‘dipped’ or baptized(bapto) into boiling water and then ‘baptized’ (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change.

 

The word “baptized” in Romans 6 is the one that makes the cucumber into a pickle.

 

Now let me ask you… Can that pickle ever become a cucumber again? Circle your answer.

Yes            No

Read Romans 6:4-6. Below is a storyboard. Draw out what each verse says happened to you if you were baptized into Christ.

_________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Romans 6:7. If we have died what are we free from?

__ __ __

 

What was our relationship to sin before we died with Jesus (was baptized into Christ). Read Romans 6:6 to find the answer.

We were  __ __ __ __ __ __ to sin

 

Does a slave have any control over their own life? 

Yes            No

 

If we have died with Christ and are now freed from sin, does that mean that we now have control over our own life? 

Yes           No

 

Can sin still tell us what to do and make us do it?

Yes          No

 

Does sin ever try to make us its slave again?

Yes          No

 

Read Romans 6:8. If we have died with Christ what will we also do with Him?

__ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 6:9. What do we know now that Christ has risen from the dead? Will He ever die again?

Yes           No

 

How can we know He will never die again? What is no longer master over Him? Unscramble the letters to find your answer.

HEDAT   __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 6:10. How many times did Jesus have to die to sin? Circle your answer.

Several         Couple        Once        Over and Over

 

How does Jesus live the life that He lives?

to  __ __ __

 

Read Romans 6:11. How does this verse begin? Fill in the blanks.

E __ v __           s __

 

This phrase in the Greek is kai houto and it means and also in this manner. 

Read Romans 6:11 again. What are we to consider ourselves to be? Draw a picture of yourself under the correct answer.

alive to sin, but dead to God           dead to sin, but alive to God

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word “consider” in Romans 6:11 is in present tense and is in a command form, so it means to “keep on considering”.  God wants us to remember every day that we are to be dead to sin and alive to Him in Jesus. How about you right Romans 6:11 on a card, and put it on your bathroom mirror and read it every morning for at least this next week 🙂

 

 

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

Church and Christian School Initiative

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 Church and Christian School Initiative

Churches and Christian schools can now get easy access to training classes. A site license for your church or school is only $100 for a whole year and teachers get access to four 30-minute classroom management classes for free. In addition, your parents get 75% off the tuition for the four-hour parent classes so they pay just $25 per class.

Click here to learn more.

bpuclass

 

Please help us spread the word to the appropriate leaders in your church. This is a great resource to equip teachers with classroom management skills and help parents learn to parent the heart of their children.

Learn more and get more training tools at the National Center for Biblical Parenting.

My church will be offering this to our teachers and parents… will yours?

It’s a great online training tool… and we know how hard it is to fit in a conference. This is a training opportunity our teachers can do at home… at their own convenience… in their pajamas… no make-up… they don’t even have to shower or brush their teeth!

And it’s affordable!

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

Teaching Children Discernment

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This morning during my time with the Lord, I was pouring out before Him my desire to be fully whole. I do long for the day of my resurrection. I long for the day that I can forget sin; not just be freed from its power, but freed from its presence and free from its memory.

As I poured this out before my Lord He took me to Romans 6 – 8 in my heart and reminded me that it was coming. Then I responded with yes, I know Lord, but why did You allow me to be surrounded with so much regret? And in my heart He reminded me, that it was not without a purpose. My past regrets fuel the desire to teach the children He has placed in my life to discern. Hindsight is 20/20 and I indeed see clearly now.

As I began to ponder teaching the children my mind returned to our Day One VBS lesson. During this lesson I shared several photos and asked the children who was good and who was evil…

As I placed up on the power point pictures of Batman and the Joker, Superman and Lex Luther, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Perry, I asked who is evil and who is good. The kids all shouted out loudly and confidently who was evil and who was good.

Then I placed up a picture of these two…

tom-jerry-2

I asked who was evil and who was good… and the kids just sat there. Some quietly chose a side, but no one shouted loudly or confidently. They simply were not sure.

I used this as an opportunity to share how sometimes it is easy to discern what is evil and what is good… but many times it is not.

We moved on after this, as I then began the lesson of teaching about the two kingdoms on this earth, and who rules them.

Today I want to go back to Tom and Jerry. One of my jobs as a parent is not simply to encourage my children to read the Bible, but to teach them how to wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, the Bible. One of the best and easiest places to do this is with using the Word to discern what they put before their eyes and in their ears.

Don’t just tell them they can’t watch something… show them in the Word why you take that stand. Don’t just tell them this is good and this is evil. Show them in the Word of God. This teaches them to use the Word of God to define their standard.

Use God’s Word, not just yours… because one day you will not be there. One day you will mess up. One day they might doubt you… but God’s Word never changes.

So let’s use Tom and Jerry as an example.

How do we discern who is good and who is evil as we look at the two cartoon enemies.

Let’s go to the Word…

I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

John 10:1-11

Now let’s the discern the facts of Tom and Jerry.

Both Tom and Jerry live in a house.

Neither Tom nor Jerry own the house nor did they build the house.

They are in someone else’s house. Now of Tom and Jerry which one enters in the door of the house as a guest of the owner? Yes, Tom. Which one sneaks in another way? Yep, Jerry.

Which one is there to protect and honor the owner of the house? Yep, that’s right… Tom. Which one is there to steal from the owner of the house? Yep, right again… Jerry.

Which one is allowed to freely move about within the house with the full knowledge of the owner of the house and is there to help protect the owner and the house? Yep, Tom. Which one hides in the walls of the house and only comes out when the owner of the house is away? Yep, Jerry.

So according to the facts and the truth of the Word of God… who is evil and who is good?

Now as we watch the cartoon which one does the cartoon attempt to convince you is evil?

Do you see what I am getting at?

Do you see how important it is that your child can wield the Sword… not just look at it?

We live in an upside down world… and it is only going to get worse as the end of the age draws closer. It is imperative that our children can discern what is true and what is a lie, what is real and what is deception, what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil… for the line is getting more and more blurred in the world around us.

 

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.
    Hang on to them,
for they will refresh your soul.

Proverbs 3:21-22

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Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of theLord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

Hosea 14:9

 

 

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

When Your Child Questions Their Salvation

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Our church used Answers in Genesis’ Kingdom Chronicles for our VBS this year.

I loved this curriculum.

It may be the “2013 VBS”  curriculum, but I would still recommend it for your church next year or maybe choose to use it as a Wednesday or Sunday night class as we are doing with the GoFish Guys Gotta Move VBS curriculum. Just adapt it to fit.

Kingdom Chronicles began in Genesis. It began with the introduction of two kingdoms. Then it began to explain how the two kingdoms came to be and it explained who the rulers were of these two kingdoms. Next it explained that everyone is in one of these two kingdoms. On Day Two it asks us to examine ourselves and see which kingdom we are in.

I challenged all the kids during the Bible lesson on the first day to ask God one question. I challenged them to ask it when they got home that night… to pray about it through the next day… I asked them to ask “God, whose kingdom am I in?”

The next day, VBS Day Two, God put it on my heart to offer an invitation.

I reminded the children of the question I challenged them to ask… and then I asked the children to raise their hand if they did not know whose kingdom they were in… hands went up all over the sanctuary.

At least seventeen children were transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Light right then… God chose to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me (Jesus).’ (Acts 26:18)

It was at least 10pm that night before I had things cleaned up enough to leave for the night and head home… as I was walking through the church cutting out lights, my nine year old was walking with me… as I cut the light out in our preschool hall I looked back to grab her hand as we walked down the hall in the almost dark and I saw that she was on the edge of tears.

I asked her what was wrong..

She began to cry and said she was afraid that she was in the bad kingdom and that the prayer that she prayed when she was 4 years old was not real…

We stopped right there in the hall and I knelt down in the floor and pulled her into my lap… and I prayed silently for wisdom.

You see I learned a long time ago that I was not to tell someone they were saved when God just might be telling them they are not. I had rather err on leading someone to seek God further and harder and pray for salvation again as opposed to giving someone a false assurance…

 “So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord God. It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace.”

Ezekiel 13:9-10

I prayed for wisdom and I pulled my little girl close to me and I told her that God has a whole book in the Bible that was written and recorded just so we could know that we were indeed saved or not… and I told her when we got home her Daddy and I would sit down with her and we would read it and we would see if what she prayed when she was 4 years old was indeed real. God would let her know.

So as we rode home I could see she rode home in concern… her heart broken… her mind searching her heart. My heart still aching as I prayed… God give us truth.

My husband had already came home with our twelve year old and he was out in the backyard watering our garden. I walked outside to tell him what was going on and he came in the door with me… and there was our Bekah sitting on the couch, her Bible open and turned to the book that I had told her about, waiting for us…

We began with…

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

1 John 1:1-4

We began reading through the entire book of 1 John. Stopping at every “If we…” and asking her to address “if” as a question…

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

Do you know that you sin and do you recognize it as sin?

 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

When you know that you have sinned do you confess it and ask for forgiveness from God and from the one you sinned against?

 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:10)

Do you admit that you are a sinner?

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. (1 John 2:3)

Do you believe that the commandments of God are good and do you try to keep them?

By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:5-6)

Do you try to walk like Jesus walked? 

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. (1 John 2:12)

Do you know and believe that it is only through Jesus that you can be saved? Do you believe that when God said “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” (Romans 10:9) He meant it? 

As our Bekah answered these questions… we looked at her and said, well according to the Word of God and your own confession, the truth is in you, and who is the Truth? She answered “Jesus”.

You have admitted that you are sinner, you are not lying about that, so according to the Word of God and your own confession, the word is in you, and who is the Word? She answered “Jesus”.

You have admitted that you try to keep the commandments of God and your father and I can testify on your behalf that this is true, because we see it in you every day… so according to the Word of God and your own confession, you know Him.

We then asked her if she believed God kept His Word. She answered “Yes”.

So we encouraged her to take a minute and talk to Jesus herself… and she closed her eyes and silently prayed…

And well me being the nosy mother wanted to know what she prayed… so I asked her. She said, “I just told Jesus that I loved Him, and I thanked Him for loving me”

We hugged her and sent her upstairs to change into pj’s and get in the bed… then God being God and so very good to us as I tucked her in and we read our bedtime devo… it ended with “real alive faith is about loving Jesus with all we got”

The final assurance to this precious heart that just wanted to be sure that she was with Jesus for the rest of her life and all eternity.

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

Hands in the Air Now

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For the material they had was sufficient

and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

Exodus 36:7

I am in recovery from VBS 2013. VBS concluded for me around 3:30pm on Saturday and before 6pm I was home and packed and back in the car with husband and children headed toward South Carolina. My husband said I was asleep before we hit the interstate and I just woke up today around 8:30am.

The chaos of VBS never ceases to hit, no matter how prepared you think you are, no matter how early you get there, there is never enough time…

I carry such a weight concerning the presenting of the Word of God that I prefer to go over a lesson at least a hundred times and especially right before it’s time to teach it… the thought of misteaching the Word of my God and taking His Word out of context and teaching it wrong to ears that are there to hear terrifies me.

So alas, I had great plans to get all VBS prep accomplished and then sneak off to my office, freshen up, and go over my lesson on my face in prayer… but that didn’t happen… not once that whole week as a matter of fact.

That first night of VBS I began my panic attack and my husband saw it coming and just grabbed me and pulled me into himself and held me tight and reminded me that everything would be fine.

Then I made it into the sanctuary to begin our introduction and get the worship music started and then the songs began and as I sang with the children I sang…

“there’s a verse for every season, hide ’em in your heart, put ’em in your brain, pick a verse, learn the words, that’s the way you train… hands in the air now… better be prepared now… the battle is the Lord’s now…”

Right then is when I heard my God say, “Breathe Nicole, my Word is hidden in your heart, you are prepared. Now hands in the air, this is My battle. Either you trust Me or you don’t… did I not say that I would bring to remembrance all that you needed when you needed it?“

So that’s what I did.

I breathed.

I chose to trust.

Then this morning my first verse from the Lord for the day was Exodus 36:7, “For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.”

We worry about the wrong things so many times. We worry if we have the right crafts, if we picked the right games, if we have enough t-shirts, if the decorations are sufficient, if we will have enough volunteers. We stress when the flagstone bulletin board paper didn’t make it in this shipment after you spent 10 minutes sitting in the parking lot waiting on the doors to open so you could make sure it didn’t get gone on you. We worry if the water-slide is going to work in the parking lot because the water spickets at the grass are all clogged, and good-grief you forgot to make sure there were water hoses…

We worry, we stress, but God promises that the material we have is sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it. It is always sufficient because He is always sufficient.

He is the One who takes five loaves and two fishes and feeds thousands with baskets left over. He is the One says “Peter, I know you have fished all night and caught nothing, but trust Me, just throw your net over to the other side…“

He takes what we have, He takes what we know, He takes where we are, and He performs miracles. That is our God.

So I don’t know if your church has done VBS yet, but if you are still in the prep works, remember to keep the Main Thing the main thing. Remember that Jesus is just flat out amazing all by Himself . And like I said to the poor man at the store who felt so terribly bad that the flagstone bulletin board paper didn’t come, even after digging through all the inventory three times and offering anything else I thought could work for free… the gospel was preached before there was bulletin board paper. Jesus didn’t need it to teach the children to come unto Him… and well we don’t either. 

It’s nice to have and all, but Jesus in all His awesomeness is always quite enough.

So breathe… and hands in the air now… the battle is the Lord’s.

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

Father’s Day Special

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Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,

but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

 

The National Center for Biblical Parenting’s June Promotion is a Father’s Day Special. They’re offering the The Christian Parenting Handbook and Companion Guide as a package set for 30% off. The Companion Guide is a tool designed to assist in the application of the principles presented in each chapter of the handbook. It’s a wonderful tool. There are also 5-minute audio tips from Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller that go along with each chapter.

THCPH-Fathers-Day-Special

 

This package makes a great present for the father in your life. I know you’re thinking, “Most men don’t read.” You’re actually right about that usually. But The Christian Parenting Handbook was written with busy dads in mind. Each chapter is just 4-5 pages long. That means that even a busy dad can start reading as he’s pouring his Cheerios in the morning and finish the chapter before he finishes the last spoonful.

And, if he really doesn’t read more than his email and the sports page, here’s what you can do. Buy the set and have him load the audio tips on his cell phone or iPod. This gives him 50 days worth of parenting input in 5-minute bite-sized pieces.

I guarantee that one or more of the tips will grab his attention and you can then work through the Companion Guide together for those chapters. Doesn’t that sound like a great strategy?

This Father’s Day Special is too good to a pass up. Place your order now and we’ll get it to you in time for Father’s Day!

Order Here: Handbook and Companion Guide

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

I Am Not That Children’s Minister

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There it is. The land mark that says you have almost made it. The sigh of relief slowly eases out of your nostrils as you look down to your phone to check the time (because I know you no longer wear a watch because who has the time to go into a store and buy a battery and wait for it to be put in… at a glass counter… really, do these people not know that glass speaks to little hands… beckoning them to see how it tastes and how many slobbery sucker sticky fingerprints they can slide across it).

You run-walk in the door no longer making eye contact with your husband because the last time he said what’s taking so long, are you not ready yet, was your breaking point… or he is on shift today and you have been on your own and so far you have settled three fights, picked out six different outfits that your child says just don’t feel right, and you are beyond frustrated at them and finally say, fine just wear your pajamas, I really don’t care at this point! Yet, the reality is you are frustrated because you know exactly how they feel because every outfit you own is already in the closet floor or on the bed… because nothing fits right today and you secretly wish today really was pajama day so you could just wear yours.

Now the heap of guilt is washing over you… because you promised yourself last Sunday that you would be better prepared next week… you would not be late… you would not leave crazy and angry… you would all have breakfast and prayer and would walk out the door smiling and singing Jesus Loves Me and loving each other and peace like a river would fill your car and heart all the way to church…

But it didn’t happen.

Now you are thinking all the way there that your kids will never attend church after you quit dragging them there because you have made Sunday morning such a miserable experience. I mean really the only time you ever yell at them is on Sunday morning… right?

You finally make it in the building and you can feel the stares of the greeters boring down into your soul and then their is the children’s minister and heat embarrassment rises up in your neck and you try not to make eye contact because you just know that behind those stares must be the words, yep there they are again… they are ALWAYS late… I bet they make it to school on time, I bet they manage to make it to work on time… I bet they are not even ever late for a sports practice… 

Well, stop and know that I AM NOT THAT CHILDREN’S MINISTER… and I would most likely bet that your children’s minister is not either 🙂

This Children’s Ministry Director understands. I know that if it can go wrong, it will go wrong on Sunday morning. If it can spill, rip, tear, scream, fall, drop, break, get lost, not start, be forgot… it will happen on Sunday morning.

The fact is Satan could care less if you make it to work on time. He could care less if your kids make it to school or ball practice on time. He has no qualms with keeping you from those activities… he usually is there in the background encouraging them… because the more time you are spending there the less time you are spending at church and in the Word…

But now Sunday morning… that’s a different story. He doesn’t want you there and sure as hell (yes, I said it) doesn’t want your kids there.

He will even use your kids as your excuse to not be there.

Here’s the deal with this Children’s Ministry Director. If your late… I understand. I am just glad you made it. Because I know what the shoes in your hand and the ponytail or bun on top of your head means. I know what the cereal in a bag with the sippy cup in hand means. I know what the jeans and t-shirts and extra body spray means. I know what the diaper bag without the diapers means. I know what the tear stained, sleepy in the eyes, unbrushed head… (and I am not talking about the kids)… means.

I know.

It means that Sunday worship is important to you.

It means that your children learning the Gospel and studying the Word of God is important to you.

It means that you knew that if you didn’t get even just a little Jesus time in today you were not sure you would ever be able to survive next week and your kids definitely might not even survive the rest of the day.

So when Sunday comes… go for it. Come as you are. Just as you am.

Know that the church t-shirts are made for these days!

 

 

 

 

 

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

Family Power

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Today was the parenting seminar that was hosted by my church. Yesterday both my girls went with me to help me set up for the event. They both worked with me to move tables and stack chairs and straighten up. As we were arranging tables and chairs my youngest asked me what I was teaching… and I told her I was not teaching I was attending. She got the funniest look on her face and said “But there’s nothing wrong with the way you parent. I love you as my mommy. I don’t want you to change. What kind of things are they going to teach you?” 

I have heard it said many times that if your child does not tell you they hate you at least once then you are not being a good parent…

I don’t think it has to be that way.

I truly believe we can parent well and still maintain the love and respect of our children.

I am not saying that you are a bad parent if it does happen… I am just saying you can be good parent and it not happen. You are an authority in your child’s life… if they have an issue with authority… and you are maintaining your God-given authority over them… then yes, they indeed will clash with you.

Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

Romans 13:2-4

However, as a parent, I also must be careful to maintain my character and integrity before my child, so that if they were to “butt heads” with me… it is them that is put to shame…

 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong 

1 Peter 3:15-17

There was a time that I carried so much hurt in my heart that I would turn and lash that hurt onto my girls. I can remember screaming at them with a vileness that makes me absolutely nauseous now when I think about it. I can remember lashing out at them over ridiculous things as they would become the target of my own hurt… and then blaming them for causing the reaction.

“Why can’t you…”

“How many times do I have to…”

“Will you ever…”

“I am sick and tired of you…”

I don’t remember the event, or the reason, I don’t recall the words yelled, but I remember the day that I lashed out at my precious Shelby and Bekah. I remember I was running their bath water and I had went over the edge. The events of the day had been more than I could handle and instead of going to my knees and calling on grace I chose to relish the anger and feed on my flesh. As I lashed out my disgusting flesh on them I remember the look that came across their eyes and I saw terror… I have never felt so small.

Trust me, there have still been moments.

Moments of hormonal, sleep deprived, irrational crazed insanity when I am carrying my own hurts, thoughts, and frustrations instead of laying them down at the foot of forgiveness and repentance and grace and I could…can… feel the build coming and its poison almost seeping out… but by the mercy of God and the power of His Spirit within me… I am held more often than not. Yet now even in the not I find I am caught, stilled, and able to turn and look my little ones in the eyes and let them know that it really was not them… it was me fleshing out.

A fool always loses his temper,
But a wise man holds it back.

Proverbs 29:11

So when my child looks at me and says what she said that day about my parenting ability and style… I am broken by the mercy of God. I am broken as I think how can she see that when I feel like such a failure in this momma thing, when I have used sarcasm way to much, when I have sent the “I am so disappointed, upset, irritated, just wait til we get home” eye across the room, when I have said “not now” just one to many times, when I have raised my voice unnecessarily loud, huffed and puffed my frustrated disapproval after explaining the same thing one more time… she says that. Immediately I was reminded of a verse… or two.

 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.

Proverbs 10:12

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Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another,

because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

Momma’s out there, I don’t know what kind of day you have had. I don’t know what hurts you are trying to carry on your own. I don’t know what things you have said or done to your children and the guilt that you carry because of it… I don’t know… but what I do know is that I serve a God who is in the redemption and forgiveness business. I serve a God that is in the healing and restoring business.

I can testify to you… that His word is true. Love indeed covers a multitude of sins. Not the worlds idea of love mind you… but God’s. Love that speaks and lives truth, that seeks to honor God and others. Love that is willing to forgive because they have been forgiven. Love that offers hope to another because they know they so desperately need it themselves.

Today in the parenting seminar Dr Turansky and Mrs Miller shared how the family is God’s laboratory to help us grow and become who He created us to be and to help us understand who He is… and it’s so true.

I jotted down a quote as I stood in the back of the room listening at the end, “Family life is all about forgiveness and moving on“

That’s it.

This life is a mess. We mess up. We get irritated. We get “fleshy” We do so with our parents, with our brothers and sisters, with our spouses, with our children… but in this fleshy, irritating, messy life their is family. Family is a powerful thing. It is to be a part of THE FAMILY that God sent Christ.

And because there is Christ there is forgiveness.

And because there is forgiveness there is hope.

And because there is hope there is a future.

And because there is a future we have the strength, courage, and desire to learn.

And if we choose to learn we can be changed.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29