It’s Been Fun!

Hey Parents!

As I look back to when we started the blog, I remember how excited I was to walk along side of you through the power of the internet. As a new parent, I was encouraged by the thought of sharing my own thoughts an experiences as well as hear from the hearts and minds of many who have gone before me or are currently in the trenches of raising a child. After the months have passed I can say it has been a great journey walking along side of you. You have made writing the blog a lot of fun! I have greatly enjoyed interacting with you through posted comments and through meaningful conversations on Sundays. It is my hope you have enjoyed it as well. I hope that through this you have been encouraged to grow as a Godly parent and have seen that you indeed are not alone; we stand in the body of Christ together raising the next generation. Sadly we have come to our farewell blog.  I want to personally thank you for your encouragement and prayers for me and my family as we transition from Virginia and head to Tennessee. We will continue to hold you in our hearts and lift you up in our prayers!

Thank you again for our time together. I want to encourage you, keep growing and keep going. Your kids need to see that God is alive through your interaction and teaching . Keep serving in your church’s children’s and youth ministry. Your church’s ministers need your support, both verbally and in service using your gifts.

It has been good! It has been fun! Thank you for walking with me in the journey.

-Zack

Even though this marks a “goodbye” to you with the blog, I want to encourage you to say “hello” to a new blog called Orange Parents. This blog is written by the staff of Orange Ministries, a ministry designed to equip the local church to engage with parents and parents engage with their church. It is also written by church pastors and children’s pastors. This blog is AWESOME and has a new posts every few days.  Simply go to www.organgeparents.org to check out the latest blog and learn more about the Orange Community. You can also find them on Facebook and know right away when a new post has been added.

-Sue

Easter Devotional Part 4 – HE’S ALIVE!

   WARM UP:  I asked the kids in Kids’ Church, “Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead?  Why wasn’t it enough that He died for our sins?”  One girl replied emphatically, “Because then Satan would have thought he won!”

YES! We have a Savior who has conquered sin and death!  Story over.

Today spend some time with your kids discussing this very thing – He is Risen, He is Risen indeed!

Supplies:  Bible, crescent roll dough, marshmallows, and cinnamon

DEVO:  Read Luke 24:1-8

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took t he spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord, Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them,  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  he is not here; He has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and non the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered His words.

Ask your kids:  How does Jesus being alive make any difference for us?

Answers: He conquered death so now we can too, he is alive and we can have a relationship with Him, we can pray and he hears us, Jesus did all the work, we just have to believe not work ourselves to heaven (Ephesians 2:8+9)

Now celebrate how “sweet” it is than Jesus is our Risen Savior

(Don’t worry your teens will do this for the sheer yumminess factor!)

• Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
• Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
• Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
• Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
• Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will “ooze” out of the seams)
• Bake according to package directions.
• Cool
• Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!
• Before eating they must each offer a word of praise about Jesus

Easter Devotional Part 3: Justified

Warm up: Today we are going to be talking about the word justified. To most people, this can be a big word that is very intimidating. But let me encourage you, this is a very important word in the life of any Christian. As we go through this devo, you and your family will discover how awesome God’s grace is towards us and how powerful Jesus’ work on the cross really was!

Vereses we’ll cover: Romans 5:1-2, John 1:12

Materials you’ll need: Bible, 3 bowls(1 with dirt, 2 filled with water), 1 bar of soap

Defining Justification: Most people use an old trick to define justification. They usually take the word just-if-ied and then say “Just-as-if-I’d” never sinned. When God justifies us, we definitely do have forgiveness of sin. But there is so much more to it. If God just took our sin away, we would be like Adam and Eve before they sinned: neutral before God. But God in His mercy and power and grace also gave us the righteousness of Jesus! So now we are not only forgiven, but we get the merit of perfect holy righteousness in the eyes of God!

Definition of Justification: An instantaneous act of God where he 1. Thinks of our sins as forgiven, 2. gives us Christ’s righteousness, 3. and declares us as righteous in his sight.

Devo

Read Romans 5:1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And werejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Now check out John 1:12: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Object Lesson: Take your hands and place them in the dirt. Now was them off with just the bowl of water. Better? Good! Now wash them again, only this time use the soap. Even better right?! Probably even cleaner than before you put your hands in the dirt.

When you have faith in Jesus and let His work be done in your life, you are made clean from your sin. (This is like the dirt being washed away from your hands with the water. ) But there is so much more that happens. Not only does your sin get separated from you by Christ, but you also get the righteousness of Jesus put on you. (This is like the soap!)So when God sees a believer in Christ, He doesn’t see you like He saw Adam and Eve before they sinned. (Clean and pure made in the image of God.) He sees you just like He sees Christ! (Righteous, holy, perfect!) What a deal! The verses above shows us that Jesus not only kept us from being enemies with God, but He now allows us to be CHILDREN of God.

 Wrap up: If you believe this to be true: Take the next few minutes to pray to God about this.  Thank Him for not only cleansing you from sin, but also for giving you the righteousness of Jesus!

Easter Devotional Part 2: Substitution

WARM UP: Substitution.  In my world with teens Substitution is associated to what happens on the field in whatever game we are playing or watching.  Within the next couple of days, use this devotional to take substitution a different direction as it relates to Christ’ sacrifice for us.  How he stepped down to earth and took the place for us on that cross.

Supplies: You will need a large nail for everyone in your family and a Bible.

DEFINING Christ’ Substitution:

Ask: What are some words to describe substitution? Have you had a substitute.  Who were they representing?

Ask:  Have you ever got out of a punishment because someone else took the blame or stood up for you?

Hand out nails for each person to hold.

Ask:  How was Christ a substitute for us?

Read Romans 5:6-8 ” You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a godly man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners Christ died for us.”

Say:  Jesus took our place as a substitute for us and our punishment.  Even though we deserved God’s punishment, Jesus took it for us.  On the cross, Jesus represented the sinners of the world to stand for us in our place and to take the consequences for us.  He lived a perfect life when we could not.  He died a horrible death so we wouldn’t have to.  He took on our sin and it’s consequence for us.  He endured being separated from God so we could be with God forever.  He was our substitute.  The ultimate substitute.

Have everyone look at the nail in their hand and think of the sin in their lives.  Give them a moment to think.

Remind them that with that sin they could never go to heaven.  We all must be punished for the bad things we do and therefore we would never get into heaven. You  have to be perfect to enter heaven. But God sent a substitute. Someone to take the punishment for our sin.  Jesus was nailed to a cross and died for that very sin you are thinking of right now.

Remain quiet and have everyone thank Jesus for substituting His life for them.  Close in prayer. Place nails in visible place throughout the week to remind everyone of Christ’ sacrifice.