Monday, December 22, 2008
Is any one understanding?
I always wondered if my sermons to the kids were getting to them. As I look over the kids when I preach I notice a look of not paying attention. Like this last sermon series I did was very abstract I thought for kids to understand but I did it any way. The title was called "What toy are you?" Over a four week span I looked at four different toys and how they related to them. First was lego's and how we need to be built the right way. The second was G.I. Joe and how we need to sacrifice for others just like Jesus did. The third toy was Mr. Potato Head and they learned that looking on the inside is more important then looking on the outside in which we need God's eyes. The last toy was Barbie Doll and how they need to not be like the world but transform to heavenly things. I did not think the kids got anything from this but today something that was very encouraging happen and I just had to stop and thank God. I was in the grocery store buying things for dinner and a man that was stocking shelves looked at me and said are you pastor Mike. He told me that his kids go to church and just always love to talk about you and the messages you give. I have no idea who his kids are due to the 300 on an typical weekend. But he said that two nights ago his daughter and son were fighting and the daughter told the son that he was being a Barbie Doll all fixed on the world. He laughed and said that my messages were getting to them and they love it. I thanked him and left and stopped to thank God. God knows everything!
Puzzle
Life is a puzzle. You have tons of pieces and each one is hard to fit into each to make a picture. The picture on the box is good because it helps in guiding the pieces where they should go. The big problem is that we only get one piece of the puzzle each time and we want the puzzle done know. When constructing a puzzle patience is required. Does this analogy sound just like life?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Christmas Story
This is my script I wrote for when I have to do the Christmas Eve services during Kid time. I get to tell the Christmas Story.
At Christmastime we think of wrapped presents, colorful decorations, warm cookies, yummy candies, and of course Santa Clause. But this is not what Christmastime is about. Christmas is a time in which we celebrate and remember the life of Jesus.
Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would have a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.
At first Mary was afraid by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel told her that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he felt angry and upset because he knew that the child was not his. Joseph had to make a tough decision. The decision was to marry her, divorce her, or have her be put to death by stoning according to Jewish law.
But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to tell him that Mary's story was true and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was made by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us. When Joseph woke from his dream, he obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife.
At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Due to the census, all the inns were too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child. There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable.
After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men or Magi from the east saw a star; they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea.” Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.
So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.
Since the Magi did not return back to Herod this made him upset. Herod ordered that this child was to be killed. In a dream an angel appeared to Joseph warning him of the danger and told them to go to Egypt until Herod is dead. Joseph, Mary, and the baby traveled to Egypt and stayed there until Herod was dead. Then the family travelled back to Nazareth where Jesus grew up.
Jesus grew up to be a wise, strong, and spiritual man. When he was thirty years old he got baptized by John. This was the start to Jesus’ ministry. Followers gathered around him wherever he went, and he soon had twelve strong disciples who followed his teachings and spread his word to others.
When the time for Jesus’ death came to pass, he had already left on earth his many lessons on how to serve God, how to have eternal life, and how to love other people. He had preformed many miracles and healed many people, and finally, through his death and Resurrection, he saved us all.
All of you are going to get a candy cane. But when you look at the candy cane it will help you remember the life of Jesus, J. The white in the candy cane means Jesus lived a perfect life and the red represents his blood or death because he died for our sins. The greatest gift you can ever get on Christmas is Jesus.
At Christmastime we think of wrapped presents, colorful decorations, warm cookies, yummy candies, and of course Santa Clause. But this is not what Christmastime is about. Christmas is a time in which we celebrate and remember the life of Jesus.
Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would have a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.
At first Mary was afraid by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel told her that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he felt angry and upset because he knew that the child was not his. Joseph had to make a tough decision. The decision was to marry her, divorce her, or have her be put to death by stoning according to Jewish law.
But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to tell him that Mary's story was true and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was made by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us. When Joseph woke from his dream, he obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife.
At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Due to the census, all the inns were too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child. There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable.
After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men or Magi from the east saw a star; they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea.” Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.
So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.
Since the Magi did not return back to Herod this made him upset. Herod ordered that this child was to be killed. In a dream an angel appeared to Joseph warning him of the danger and told them to go to Egypt until Herod is dead. Joseph, Mary, and the baby traveled to Egypt and stayed there until Herod was dead. Then the family travelled back to Nazareth where Jesus grew up.
Jesus grew up to be a wise, strong, and spiritual man. When he was thirty years old he got baptized by John. This was the start to Jesus’ ministry. Followers gathered around him wherever he went, and he soon had twelve strong disciples who followed his teachings and spread his word to others.
When the time for Jesus’ death came to pass, he had already left on earth his many lessons on how to serve God, how to have eternal life, and how to love other people. He had preformed many miracles and healed many people, and finally, through his death and Resurrection, he saved us all.
All of you are going to get a candy cane. But when you look at the candy cane it will help you remember the life of Jesus, J. The white in the candy cane means Jesus lived a perfect life and the red represents his blood or death because he died for our sins. The greatest gift you can ever get on Christmas is Jesus.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Gospel of John
In school this past semester I took a class on the Gospel of John. I found the class to be very inlightning. At the end of the class I had to write an exegesis paper on John 2:13-22. In the introduction to the paper I wrote on the author of John. One might think that John had written the book of John but come to find out that this book is not written by John and in fact no one really knows who wrote it. There are five books in the Bible that John is seen as the author. 1, 2, and 3 Johns are in fact written by a man called "Elder John." Revalations is also written by a John most likely by this elder John. But the gospel of John was not written by this elder john. In fact this gospel is based off of the disciple John. After Jesus going into heaven he went out and began to tell the message of Jesus. It so happen that John the disciple wound up at an early chrisitain school in Ephesis. There John the disciple taught the student of this school about what he saw. Theses students could have listen to John the disciple and took notes based on the teachings which formed the guidelines of the book. But since the book was just a mess of lose fitted notes someone had to rewritten the book. That is why Elder John could of rewritten the notes and added his one style to the book which is why simularities between 1 john and the Gospel of John happened. So who wrote the gospel of john. Well John did in the terms of the students of john did.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
LOVE
Love is a great word that describes relationships. I love my wife differently then I love my friends. I love God differently then I love them. I was thinking about Love and I came up with a meaning of this love in relation to being a follower of God. Living Our Values Everyday. These words spell love. Values is a cool thing because it means that what is important to us. I place my values upon God and he is most important to me. As a follower of God I want to be like him. The Bible is clear on how we are to act. A good measure on how to act is to be like God. If God is what I value then I want to live everyday as such. The love I have for God I want to show others and I do this by Living Our Values Everyday. I challenge all to live a life of LOVE.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Faith in the Next Generation
I am a Children's Minister at Woodland the Community Church. Faith in the Next Generation is my moto, mission statment, or philosphy for my ministry to children.
In everything I do for children I try to teach them three main points for their lives that come out of the teaching of God’s Word, Luke 2:52. The first is I need to make the wise choice. Each child is faced everyday with tough decisions, we want them to evaluate each decision and think what Jesus would do. The second is I can trust God no matter what. We can trust God because he created us and he is always with us in every situation. The third is I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Since we want to live like Jesus the children need to ask themselves do my actions show others about Jesus. Because of these three points the mission we have in the children’s ministry is to pass down the spiritual values and beliefs to the next generation, Psalm 78:4.
“We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.”
Psalm 78:4 NIV
In everything I do for children I try to teach them three main points for their lives that come out of the teaching of God’s Word, Luke 2:52. The first is I need to make the wise choice. Each child is faced everyday with tough decisions, we want them to evaluate each decision and think what Jesus would do. The second is I can trust God no matter what. We can trust God because he created us and he is always with us in every situation. The third is I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Since we want to live like Jesus the children need to ask themselves do my actions show others about Jesus. Because of these three points the mission we have in the children’s ministry is to pass down the spiritual values and beliefs to the next generation, Psalm 78:4.
“We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.”
Psalm 78:4 NIV
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