What Not To Judge

February 5, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

As I watched the debate last night between Bill Nye and Ken Ham I couldn’t help but smile all the way through it. I had hoped against hope that this debate would be an opportunity for the world to see that it is possible for people with completely different convictions to share what they believed in a civilized manner.

I believe with all my heart that I can sit down and talk with anyone and treat them with kindness regardless of what they think about my beliefs and what I think of theirs. I don’t have to unfriend you and I don’t have to call you stupid, or blind, or close-minded, nor do you have to do that with me.

As I watched Bill Nye debate Ken Ham, there was no denying that this man believed what he shared. Bill Nye had real questions and they were valid questions that any Christian should be able to receive without becoming antagonistic. I was shocked at seeing a few comments from professing Christians that called Bill Nye stupid. I did not see a stupid man standing there at all.

What I saw was a man who had a love for knowledge and the world around him. What I saw was a man who was seeking answers to very valid questions. What I saw was a man whose eyes lit up when he shared about the amazing things he saw in this world. What I saw was a man who truly loved the joy of discovery. What I saw was a seeker.

Here is where I believe we as Christians must be careful.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

2 Corinthians 4:3-5

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For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

1 Corinthians 1:17-29

Fellow believers let us be careful not to forget that only the Lord can open hearts and eyes (John 9:39, John 16:8, Acts 16:14, 1 Thess 1:5) and it is the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the power of the gospel that saves. We can only see the outside fruit… we have no clue what is going on in the heart.

Here is what we are not to judge.

It is not judging for me to point out what the Bible calls sin. It is not judging for me to share what God’s Word says. It is not judging for me to see impatience, immorality, idolatry, outbursts of anger, strife, drunkenness, etc. These things are obvious outside observations that anyone can see. It is not judging to say “Look and see“

What is judging is for me to assume the why behind the fruit. What I cannot see is the dealing of the Holy Spirit at work within a soul. What I cannot see is the struggles and the wrestlings or the lack of them that is at work or not at work in a heart. What I cannot know is the questions that are bouncing around in a mind. What I cannot see are the lies that have been whispered, the hurts that have been buried, the wounds that have not healed… the small steps of faith that have been made, or the huge leaps that appear small to me but were massive from the feet of the one that took them.

Personally I think Bill Nye took a huge leap to even consider the debate. What I heard were the words of a human being who just wanted answers. As a matter of fact he said his mind was open to believe, he is simply searching for evidence. Personally I believe as long as someone is searching and seeking… there is only one place they can stop that search. All true seekers are going to end up at the foot of the cross.

As believers we should be praying for eyes to be opened, because only God can open them. A man cannot see what God has hidden. So this is what we are not to judge… but to smile and pray and say keep seeking.

There are those that I know will never believe… those whose hearts only grow harder… but I am kind of a dreamer… and all I can think about is how awesome it would be for God Himself to answer Bill Nye’s questions.

Proven Path Ministries

Break A Leg

February 5, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

My daughters are involved with a theatre group known as the College Street Players. The College Street Players are directly affiliated with the Hartselle Fine Arts Center. I had the opportunity today to sit down with Jennifer Sittason, the Vice Chairman of the HFAC and talk with her about how the College Street Players came to be. I wish you could have seen how excited she was to share with me how the Fine Arts Center came to be.

You see the Hartselle Fine Arts Center began as a school. It was built in 1916. In November 1922, a reporter with a Birmingham newspaper wrote: “You will have to travel up and down and across Alabama to find a finer grammar school building than is the Hartselle Public School structure. It is classic looking with its great pillars.”

As a matter of fact I myself went to this school. I attended FE Burleson Elementary School for 1st through 5th Grade. The first time I walked my own daughters into this building was to watch the College Street Players production of Charlotte’s Web. I had a nostalgic flashback walking in the door. I immediately recalled the smell of the old wood floors and the creak of the stairs and as we walked into the auditorium that was a library when I attended, I pointed at the stage and was able to tell my girls about the time I acted up there when I was in 5th grade. I was the nagging wife in our school’s production of Rip Van Winkle.

It wasn’t until 2001 that this building was left empty. The elementary enrollment had outgrown the capacity of the building and a new one was on the way. When the building of the new elementary school was complete and the students moved in… the city left this beautiful historic building falling apart behind them.

However there were many who just could not live with the thought of this building falling apart or being destroyed. Community volunteers who attended classes in the building or whose families attended the school there went to work with the Hartselle Historical Society to save the building with a dream of turning it into a fine arts center. They began by raising about $218,000, spending the first $144,000 replacing the roof and facing and restoring the white columns.

For six years the group worked to raise funds in order to restore and repair the building and finally in 2006 the birth of the College Street Players was announced. The first auditions would be held February 9th, 2006 for an inaugural performance. Auditions were announced by the first board members, Lisa King- President, Christie Kieschnick- Vice President, Edd Balch- Treasurer, and Page Dunlap- Secretary. Later that same year the first full scale production would be held in the new Fine Arts Center. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever would be directed by Edd Balch and the production would be held December 0f 2006.

Now here we are exactly 8 years later and the College Street Players are currently in rehearsals for their production of The Little Mermaid Jr directed by Dena Nagel, the President of the CSP. The Little Mermaid Jr hosts a cast of at least 85 kids. The Fine Arts Center and the College Street Players continues to make an impact in not just the city of Hartselle but it also reaches out to the surrounding cities and communities.

So what are the benefits of drama and theatre in education? There are many benefits. Gai Jones, a theatre educator states that “Theatre addresses the skills which benefit children’s education and development in five general areas: physical development/kinesthetic skills, artistic development /drama and theater skills, mental development/thinking skills, personal development/intra-personal skills, and social development/interpersonal skills.” Kimberley Haynes from educator.com writes, “While many parents fear participation in drama will damage their child’s academic progress, a UCLA study concluded that students involved in the arts tend to have higher academic performance and better standardized test scores — nearly 100 points better on the SAT, according to a separate study by The College Board.”

This beautiful building is not just for theatre use by the College Street Players. The Fine Arts Center also opens its doors up for a wonderful program called Jewels for Prom. Young girls who do not have the money to purchase a prom dress are sent an invitation to the Center where they will walk in to experience their very own shopping day with dresses donated by The Something Blue Shoppe. The girls also receive other gifts. This is all underwritten by the Something Blue Shoppe and Nucor Steel and other small businesses in the area. Hartselle City and Morgan County are blessed to have the Hartselle Fine Arts Center and the College Street Players. I know they have been a blessing and a joy in our family’s life.

This building is also available for rental for concerts, weddings, birthday parties, banquets, etc. They also partner with the Huntsville Symphony to host violin lessons. So if this interests you, give them a call. Trust me, this would be a beautiful venue for a wedding. They would love for you to utilize their facilities.

The Hartselle Fine Arts Center is run by volunteers and the facility rentals are what keep the lights on. The Center does not receive any funds from the city. They have just received their 501C3 status, which means any donations made to the Center are tax deductible. If the arts are important to you, if the history of this building is important to you… why not consider making a donation or at least remember them the next time you need a venue.

Proven Path Ministries

The Final Countdown

February 4, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

The clock is ticking and people around the world are waiting. How exciting the anticipation is! In less than 5 hours Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis will publicly debate Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Bill Nye, scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been doing most of his life. Bill’s fascination with how things work led him to Cornell University and a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he headed for Seattle and work as an engineer at Boeing.

For the last few years, Bill has served as Vice President of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest space-interest group. He recently spoke on behalf of the Society at the International Astronautical Federation Congress in Glasgow, Scotland.

He holds three Honorary Doctorate degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Goucher College, and Johns Hopkins. He has delivered commencement addresses at the University of California Santa Barbara, RPI, Goucher, Hopkins, Harvey Mudd College, and Caltech.

Bill is currently the Executive Director of The Planetary Society, the world’s large space interest organization.

(above information directly from billnye.com)

Ken Ham co-founded AiG in 1994 with the purpose of upholding the authority of the Bible from the very first verse. Ken’s emphasis is on the relevance and authority of the book of Genesis to the life of the average Christian, and how compromise on Genesis has opened a dangerous door regarding how the culture and church view biblical authority. His Australian accent, keen sense of humor, captivating stories, and exceptional PowerPoint/Keynote illustrations have made him one of North America’s most effective Christian communicators.

His bachelor’s degree in applied science (with an emphasis on environmental biology) was awarded by the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia. He also holds a diploma of education from the University of Queensland (a graduate qualification necessary for Ken to begin his initial career as a science teacher in the public schools in Australia).

In recognition of the contribution Ken has made to the church in the USA and internationally, Ken has been awarded four honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Divinity (1997) from Temple Baptist College in Cincinnati, Ohio, a Doctor of Literature (2004) from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, a Doctor of Letters (2010) from Tennessee Temple University, and a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Mid-Continent University in Kentucky (2012).

(above information from answersingenesis.org)

You will be able to watch their debate live right here:

You can go ahead pre- order your own personal copy of the debate to keep for future references right here at any of my affiliate links:

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

Why We Teach Them

February 3, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

As a children’s ministry leader there are days when you get tired. I am not sure a lot of people really understand what all goes into leading the children’s department at their church. Granted all churches have their own way of doing it and that often depends on the amount of kids you have.

I serve at an average size church. We are actually considered to be a “big church” by other churches in our area, but really compared to others in our county… we ain’t that big at all. Right now we run around an average of 50 kids in Bed Babies through 5th Grade for Sunday School (yes we are attempting to transition that into “small groups”, but please… everyone knows it’s still Sunday School).

Most Sunday’s I come home exhausted… completely spent. Then there are weeks when things just seem to be more than I can handle and I feel like I am doing no one justice and that I am letting all these kids down and that I just really don’t know what I am doing here. I will fight with my inner me and cry to my husband and pray to my Jesus. You know here lately He has been kind of quiet and not as touchy feely as He once was with me… and I thought it meant that I was doing something wrong.

Sometimes I forget that as He grows us in faith and in our knowledge and in our purpose… He often times has to back away from us for the sole purpose that we will once again chase after Him, running deeper into His divine will.

I had been wrestling with what I was doing here at my church… was God calling me into children’s ministry or calling me into service for such a time as this, just in this place, for this season? Should I go back to school, to seminary and get a theology degree? If I did how would this affect my Devotions From the Torah series… I am still only at the beginning stages of Exodus Part Two and I hoped to be ready for publication by the end of this year, but opportunities for writing have been slim… and then what about my speaking engagements (but I don’t have anything booked for this year yet… so if you need a speaker for an event I just might be free 😉

Anyways… I digress. The point being I had been doubting myself and my abilities… and my purpose and my patience… many times having my head buried in my hands as I asked God am I where You want me?

You know sometimes I forget how sneaky and slippery that serpent is… I am so thankful for the sovereignty of our God.

Not long ago I shared a post about my heart as a children’s ministry leader, Where I Want My Kids To Be When. This morning I was having a mini training session with a new teacher in my preschool Toddlers room… unfortunately it happened that on her first day both of the regular teachers were out sick and I had a room full of K – 5th Graders waiting on me. So I had to quickly give her the main run down and I shared with her that as I pray and seek guidance for teachers I pray for teachers that will teach not babysit.

I shared how I believe they can digest and understand much more than many times we give them credit for. I believe if we begin teaching them in Toddlers by the time they hit Pre-K they have a firm grasp of the gospel and by the time they pass through the children’s department, the Lord willing they will have received Christ as their Savior and have the conviction and vocabulary to explain and defend their faith… so that by the time they enter the youth they are ready to serve.

I believe this with all my heart.

Tonight I was blessed to be reminded that what I believe in my heart to be true is being lived out…

Tonight one mother, of a 1st grader shared with me how thankful she was for the way we taught her child. She said that he came home from school this past week sharing with her how a boy in his class told him that we all came from monkey’s… because of what he had been taught and seen for himself in God’s Word, he was not only able to tell this boy that he did not come from a monkey, but he was able to boldly share the truth of God’s Word with him… because he knew it and had studied it. Tonight he learned about Carbon-12 and Carbon-14 and isotopes… at church 🙂

Then after we had finished setting up for our co-op school I went back to my office and checked my phone and read a message from a wonderful family that attended our church but got moved a little further north. Every once in a while they get to come back here and visit… last week was one of those visits. There little girl just turned four years old.

The message read: “Days I miss you: ? came home from ss last week telling me about Habakkuk. Today I asked what her lesson was about. She said God loves everybody. I appreciate the sentiment but I miss the teaching she got at Shiloh.”

Why do we teach them about Habakkuk and Nahum and Micah and apologetics as toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, 1st Graders, etc?

Because they can learn it. That’s why.

What did your child learn at church today?

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

Proven Path Ministries

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! It’s Superbowl Sunday!

February 1, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

Did you know this Sunday is the Superbowl? Well, just in case you missed that info, there you go. In all honesty I don’t even know who is playing in it… I just found out this week that it will take place in New York this year. So, yeh, I am all over it.

I lost my taste for the Superbowl many years ago… and it became pretty much nauseating to me after I learned that the Superbowl is the number one event in America for sex trafficking. You see when others are watching millionaire grown men tackle one another and thousands of people in the stands jumping up and down and loosing their minds over the officials calls… all I can think about are how many precious young girls… my daughters age… are being raped and beaten over and over and over and over again… right outside or even inside that massive stadium.

But I suppose I better watch myself. Its not politically correct to put limitations on the sexual behavior of others in this day and age…

Earlier this week… Sunday night actually, my girls and I came home late from church and my husband was already home and watching some of the Grammy awards. He had just said that nothing crazy had really happened, and that maybe they had learned something from the Robin Thicke stunt, when Queen Latifah took the stage.

Grammy crash and burn.

Then on Friday night as I was waiting on my girls to rehearse their parts in an upcoming theatre play, I read an article that a friend had posted on their FB page. Granted, I posted without commentary and without research because I was using my phone. The article is posted from a website that openly claims that is Up to date unbelievable news! It’s a very satirical website… quite possibly the news is propagated, but as I have now spent three days searching for confirmation or denial on the article… there is none. It’s as if this is not actually circling the world of social media at all.

In case you didn’t click to read the above the link, the news is that Bruno is going to follow in Queen Latifah’s steps and hold a half-time ceremony similar to the Grammy’s… a homosexual marriage ceremony.

Yes, this concerns me. On the heals of the Rose Bowl and the Grammy’s… why would it not?

It also concerns me that the news media has chosen to completely ignore this. If it’s false, say it’s false. If it’s real, say it’s real. But then again there was no disclaimer at the Grammy’s either.

This morning I went straight to the NFL website to see if I could find something… but all I found was this: Bruno Mars Superbowl interview

Everyone wants to know what this years “spectacle” is going to be. What “surprise” does he have? What is Bruno going to do… especially since he simply just is not up to par with all the past Superbowl performers.

Here is what I figure. If the NFL denies it… well then they are “intolerant”. If they confirm it… they know they will risk losing viewers and possibly sponsors. So the answer is to act like nothing is going on.

So what will happen at the Superbowl half-time show? I won’t know… because my family won’t be watching.

Strike one: it’s on a Sunday

Strike two: number one American day for sex trafficking and prostitution

Strike three: rumors of gay marriage ceremony taking place at half-time

But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

Perhaps by not watching I will miss Bruno Mars make a stand for Judeo-Christian values… he is part Jewish… but then again… I don’t know… and when in doubt…

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Romans 14:23

Call me intolerant… call me judgmental… call me a hater… but I stand where I stand. Any sexual behavior outside of the covenant designed by God in Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:18-25 is sin. I don’t care who is making the choice to step outside these boundaries… and know that just because you do doesn’t mean that I will not treat you with kindness… it does not mean that my heart does not break with yours as you struggle with the desires of this sin craving flesh of ours and the emotional turmoil that comes with the fight between darkness and light… if anything I would love for you to sit down with me and explain to me the desires of your heart the best way that you can… and I will offer you the utmost respect… I just ask for the same in return… because I also will not be able to tell you that it’s okay… but I promise I will listen and I will offer you the only real hope I know of in this world… the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If we don’t recognize what God calls sin as sin, then we will never be able to see the One He sent to save us sinners… I don’t know about you, but I was desperately sick and wicked and I needed a Savior.

But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:12-14

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

To Coach or To Criticize

January 25, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

Our church is working through The Christian Parenting Handbook together. Well, the church is offering the study, not all of the church comes, but many of our parents are faithfully attending. This coming week we will be looking at the strategies given in chapters three and four. As I was looking over the Companion Guide I read this:

There are too many parenting tasks in a day to think that challenging every misbehavior is reasonable. When parents take a little time to study a child and develop a strategy to move forward, it can make the training process much easier and certainly more effective. Furthermore, kids view their parents differently seeing that they’re trying to help instead of simply criticizing them.

~ The Christian Parenting Handbook Companion Guide

Last night my husband leaned over and whispered something in my ear… He was asking if I had noticed a particular issue in one of our girls behavior and wanted to know if I concurred. I whispered back that yes I had been noticing it as well and was pondering what action to take, or if there was really a need for action concerning it.

What we have learned in our fifteen years of parenting together is that if something is a character issue we both will be alerted to it. We also have learned to assess the situation before we act… both of us had been monitoring this same issue for several months and taking mental notes… although, as of yet, we didn’t know the other had noticed the issue as well.

So when my husband leaned over and whispered in my ear what he whispered and I concurred… he said something that I love to hear… He said, “I’ll coach her on that, that’s a character issue, and it needs dealt with”

He will “coach” her on it.

This is a terminology that we have learned to use to describe the way we choose to parent our children. We watch them. We study them. We mull over what we see in them for a while. We mentally put a plan of action together before we ever call them out on the issue we see that needs addressed. We watch to see if this is a one time thing or a short phase or is it a reacquiring part of them that will be a struggle for them for the rest of their life if not changed. We also watch and pray so that we can be guided by the Holy Spirit to discover the root of the problem we are seeing. We don’t want to just keep the weeds cut back, but to yank them out by the roots.

Watching them for a while, and waiting for the right time, helps us to talk to them without the aggravated emotion of parental frustration. My husband also usually addresses the issue separate from its occurring. This way, hopefully, it is not addressed in a criticizing way, but in a let’s work on this together way… I believe this also helps to keep our girls from responding with defensive antagonism and they seem to listen better.

We have chosen to view our family as a team. A team works together to bring out the best in one another in order to accomplish one goal…

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart

and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1 Timothy 1:5

Do you and your spouse have a parenting plan?

Proven Path Ministries

They Have No Wine

January 25, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

John 2:3

Back in November I taught a lesson on prayer at a women’s retreat. I called it “pray in this way”. The lesson was centered around the Lord’s prayer and many of His other teachings concerning our prayer life. The Lord has taught me much about prayer in the past several years.

I am currently working through a precept study on the book of John. As I was reading through this beautiful book and was closely observing the first two chapters in John, I stopped at the first recorded sign of the Son of Man, the turning of the water into wine.

There is currently much debate in the American church about wine/drinking and being a Christian, but I am not writing about that today… whether or not it is okay to partake of the vine is not what struck me as I read about this wedding in Cana of Galilee.

First of all what struck me was the fact that here is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, the One who within three years is going to die for the sin of the world, the One who is God incarnate, the Word made flesh… and here He is at a wedding with His mother and His disciples. He has a world to save, yet here He is not preaching to anyone, just celebrating the beginning of a man and woman being joined together and becoming one flesh…

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24

I love the connection of the book of John with the book of Genesis… Genesis begins with “In the beginning” and so does John… Genesis 2 has a wedding and well so does John 2… but that’s another side trip… I am not writing about that today either.

So here’s the context of our story. Jesus is at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. He is there with his mother and his disciples. Perhaps it is one of his brothers or sisters that is getting married today, perhaps it’s a cousin or close family friend… maybe Mary the mother of Jesus was one of the original wedding planners, either which way they were there as part of the backstage, behind the scenes, crew with the authority to command the servants.

Mary observes a problem. They have no wine.

Now the first question in our modern day Baptist ideology most likely is, so what’s the big deal?

Why was wine so important at a wedding?

Courtesy of Aish.com

Absolutely beautiful isn’t it!

Ah, but I am not here to write about the beauty of becoming one flesh, crushed and poured out for the glory of our God today…

So Mary has observed a problem.

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him,

“They have no wine.”

And Jesus said to her,

“Woman, what does that have to do with us?

My hour has not yet come.”

John 2:3-4

How many times have you observed a problem? How many times has your eyes been opened to the realization that their is a need in someone’s life… or even your own life?

It doesn’t have to be a life threatening need, as we can see all through out the book of John, Jesus cares about every aspect of our life. He weeps with us when a loved one dies and He rejoices with us when two people become one in marriage. He cares whether we have food to eat or something to drink. He notices our weaknesses and sees our heart. He sees us sitting under the fig tree and he knows when we have worked all night and caught nothing. He wants to give us life in every sense of the word.

Here’s the question, when you recognize a problem… how do you pray?

I had noticed that many times, when I had recognized a problem, in my prayer concerning the problem, I had already decided the answer and was praying that God would fix it according to my instructions… as if I already knew all the possible solutions.

Mary does not do that.

She simply states the problem. They have no wine.

I have always loved Jesus answer to her statement… “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” Mary’s response to the words of her Son, THE SON, is simply to turn and tell the others, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5)

I often wonder what all Mary knew of her Son. Now remember, she has lived with Him and loved Him and cared for Him for 30 years. She knew Him intimately. Therefore she had no doubts that when she shared with Him, He heard her. She had learned that His thoughts were not her thoughts and His ways were not her ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). She was not going to put any limitations on His ability to address the problem and she was not the least bit doubtful that He cared.

She just knew that whatever He said, needed to be obeyed.

Here’s the problem – Whatever He says to you, do it.

Many times I have had others come to me with a problem, with a concern, and ask me for guidance and prayer… and many times as I have showed them what the Word of God says to do, I have watched their eyes go from tears, to almost completely glassed over…

When I see this I know that they have no intentions of doing what has just been advised.

They have asked for prayer and guidance and then when through the Word of God an answer has been given… if it’s not what they wanted to hear… or it would require a major change… or a return to the problem… they shut down with zero intention of doing whatever it was the Word of God said to do.

My challenge to you beloved is to come before our Lord in prayer as Mary came to Him here at this wedding in Cana of Galilee…

My Jesus, here’s the problem. I can’t fix it. I don’t know how to fix it, but I know that You do and I know that You can. I also know that You care about even the little things in my life and the life of those I love… and they need Your help. So whatever You say to do, I will do it.

Children's Ministry, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 10:5-15)

January 24, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

And we continue in Romans…

Romans 10:5-15

5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.

6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),

7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

9 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;

10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;

13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

Read Romans 10:5. What did Moses write about the man who practices which is based on the law?

He shall __ __ __ __ by that righteousness

The word “live” in the Greek is “zao”, and the verb tense of this word in this verse is explaining to us that the person who chooses to obtain righteousness through the law, must be the one who decides to obey the law and they have to have always obeyed the law even when a baby and they have to obey it all the way into eternity. So do you know anyone who could do that?

Read Romans 10:6. What word does verse 6 begin with?

__ __ __

(There’s that important word again!)

Read Romans 10:6-7 again. How does the righteousness based on faith speak?

Do not say in your heart, who will __ __ __ __ __ __ into heaven or who will __ __ __ __ __ __ __ into the abyss

Read Romans 10:8. What does righteousness based on faith say?

the __ __ __ __ is __ __ __ __ you, in your mouth and in your __ __ __ __ __

THINK ABOUT IT…

Can you take yourself to heaven? Can you raise yourself from the dead? Did you have to go to heaven to get God? Can you raise anyone from the grave? Could you stand before God and tell Him that He should save you according to how perfect you have been?

Now think about it… who came to who? Did God come for you? Did He bring His Word and His salvation to you? How far do you have to go to be saved? What do you have to do?

How amazing is it that God made His gift of salvation so easy that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are at… anyone who believes can be saved. God brings His Word to us. Take a moment and just close your eyes and think about the Scripture verses that you have in your heart. Say one of them now. It doesn’t matter which one. Just say one.

See, God’s word is near you… in your mouth and in your heart.

Look up and read Deuteronomy 30:10-17. What has God always wanted us to turn toward Him? Circle the answer.

hands heart feet eyes ears

Read Romans 10:8. What is Paul preaching? Circle the correct answer.

Righteousness by the Law Righteousness by faith

Read Romans 10:9. What must we do to be saved?

What must we confess?

__ __ __ __ __ as __ __ __ __

What must we believe?

God __ __ __ __ __ __ Him from the __ __ __ __

Where must we believe it?

in our __ __ __ __ __

The word “heart” in Romans 10:9 is “kardia” and it means the heart; mind, character, inner self, will, intention, center. This means you have to believe from the very center of who you are and with all that you are, every part of you believes in Jesus.

Read Romans 10:10 and draw a picture to complete the chart below.

With the

a person

resulting in

believes

righteousness

confesses

salvation

Read Romans 10:11. What does the Scripture say? If we believe in Jesus will we be disappointed?

Yes No

Read Romans 10:12 and answer the questions below.

Who is Jesus Lord over?

Jews Gentiles All

Who can call on Jesus to save them?

Jews Gentiles All

Read Romans 10:13. Let’s end today’s study by writing this verse out below. (If you can’t write say this verse three times today with your mom or dad.)

________________________________________________________________________________

There are four questions that Paul asks in Romans 10:14-15. Read Romans 10:14 and let’s look at the first question.

1) “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?”

According to what we learned in Romans 10:9-10 what do we believe with? Fill in the blanks with your answer or draw a picture of it below.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

According to what we learned in Romans 10:10 what comes first? Circle the correct answer.

mouth confesses heart believes

2) “How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?”

Look back at Romans 10:8. Is the word very far away from you? Circle the correct answer.

Yes, it is far away No, it is near you

If people cannot believe with their heart if they have not heard, them who should we tell about Jesus? Circle the correct answer.

Everyone Only people we like No one

3) “And how will they hear without a preacher?”

The word for “preacher” in the Greek is kérussó and it means to proclaim, to herald, to publish.

THINK ABOUT IT…

Is it only the responsibility of your Preacher or Pastor to tell people about Jesus? If this word in the Greek means to proclaim, to herald, to publish… who can do this? Who can tell someone about Jesus? Who can write someone a letter about Jesus?

Can you?

Should you?

Who can you write a letter to write now and tell about the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Remember that it the power to save is in the gospel! It doesn’t matter how strong you are, how old you are, or how smart you are. Salvation is God’s business.

So go ahead, write that letter or tell that person that God has put on your heart or in your path.

Now let’s look at that question 3 some more.

“And how will they hear without a preacher?”

How long do you think God has been proclaiming the good news? Let’s look at some cross-references to find out.

Look up and read:

Acts 8:26-39

Luke 24:13-35

Isaiah 52:6-10

Psalm 19:1-4

Genesis 3:15

Genesis 4:26

THINK ABOUT IT…

WOW! Can you believe that? God has been reaching out to us from the beginning! Even when Adam and Eve disobeyed, God gave them the good news, He would save them. People have been calling on the name of the Lord since the beginning. People have been proclaiming the good news since the beginning. In Psalm 19 we see that even when people cannot share the good news, the heavens declare it! Do you remember what you read in Romans 1:20? Go ahead and read it again 🙂

Let’s move on now to our next question. We find it in Romans 10:15.

4) “How will they preach unless they are sent?”

Do you think it matters who sends us?

Yes No I don’t know

Let’s look up and read Matthew 28:19-20. Fill in the blanks with who it is that has to send us.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Who sent the real prophets in the Old Testament? Look up and read Isaiah 6:8. Fill in the blanks below with your answer.

___ ___ ___

Look up and read Jeremiah 14:14. Now let me ask you again, does it matter who sends us?

Yes No I don’t know

Read Romans 10:15 again. What does God say about the feet of the people He sends to bring the good news?

they are __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Do you have beautiful feet? Why don’t you take your socks and shoes off and put one foot on this sheet of paper and trace it. Then color it beautiful while you ask God to show you who you can tell His good news to!

Children's Ministry, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 10:1-4)

January 24, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 9:30-33)

January 23, 2014 Nicole Vaughn

Today we will look at Romans 9:30-33.

Romans 9:30-33

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;

31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

33 just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

Read Romans 9:30. What type of sentence does Romans 9:30 begin with? Circle your answer.

a statement a question an exclamation

God uses the book of Romans to answer all of our questions considering salvation. Remember that from the beginning Paul speaks to us as a lawyer preparing his case in a courtroom. He has already proved our guilt before God. He has proved that our only hope for acquittal is faith in Jesus. In Romans 9-11 God uses Paul to teach us the scope of salvation. Who is God’s target for His mercy?

Look at the list below and write in the rifle scope who is God’s targets for His mercy.

Jews, Gentiles, Righteous, Sinners, Children of Flesh, Children of Promise, Those Who Trust in Jesus, Those Who Trust in the Law

Go back and read Romans 9:30 again and answer the questions below.

Did the Gentiles pursue righteousness? Circle your answer.

Yes No

How did they attain righteousness if they did not pursue it? Fill in the blanks with your answer.

by __ __ __ __ __

Read Romans 9:31-32 and answer questions below.

Did Israel pursue righteousness? Circle your answer.

Yes No

Did Israel attain to the law of righteousness? Circle your answer.

Yes No

Why did Israel not attain the righteousness that they pursued?

because they did not pursue it by __ __ __ __ __ but as though it were by __ __ __ __ __

What have you already learned in Romans, are we saved by faith or by works?

__ __ __ __ __

What did Israel stumble over in their pursuit of righteousness?

the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

THINK ABOUT IT…

Have you ever been running in the yard or at the park racing after a goal? Maybe to be the first one to the swing set or the slide… and on the way you trip over something and wipe out all over the ground?

Did stumbling over that something make you angry?

Why did it make you angry?

What if you looked down and saw that what you tripped over was your favorite ball or toy, and it was something that you had been looking for, for a very long time. Would you still be angry that it made you trip and lose the race to the slide?

Or would you be so excited that you finally had what you had been searching for? Would you then even call out to your friends to stop running and to come and see what you had found?

I bet you would.

Read Romans 9:33 and answer the questions below.

In this verse Paul is taking us back to Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16. God had been warning Israel about this stumbling stone for hundreds of years. Yes He wanted them to trip all over Jesus, but He wanted them to trip to slow them down enough to realize they were about to miss the One that the Law and the Commands and all the Prophets spoke about and pointed to.

What happens to those who believe in Him, the Stumbling Stone, the Rock of Offense?

will __ __ __ be __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Who is this stumbling stone and rock of offense?

__ __ __ __ __

God wanted Israel to stop racing for their own righteousness. He wanted them to trip all over His Son and realize that this One they tripped over racing for righteousness was the only One who could give them the righteousness they were racing for.

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The writing and teachings of Nicole Love Halbrooks Vaughn