"Do not just hear the Word of God and think hearing is enough. DO what it says!" James 1:22

Friday, December 31, 2010

2011


Blessed New Year to all of our CBS students and their families!

Father God, Right and Good is Who You are.
You make all things new.
As we look foward to 2011,
we look with anticpation to the coming of Your Son.
Father I ask so many blessings be poured out upon
these young CBS students
and Your will to be made clear to them
for their lives and Your purpose within it.
Give us good health,
great friends,
safe travels,
direct focus,
Your joy
and Your peace.
Give us also the understanding of
Your knowing exactly what we need when we need it.
Forgive us when we purposely choose wrong against You.
Forgive us when we knowingly AND unknowingly hurt You.
Only YOU can give us the ability & desire to forgive others
when they knowingly and unknowingly hurt us.
Keep us from wanting what we want
more than what You want for us.
Protect us from the devil's tricks and evil ways.
Only YOU hold the power of Life
and all the blessings which lay within it.
Glory to the King of Kings!
Amen

Friday, December 10, 2010

Lesson 16 with Mrs. McKain

Our last CBS lesson of 2010 was offered by Mrs. McKain.  Let's see what God shared with our classes through her sweet words...

"Today's Lesson was titled: Let my lifesong sing to you.

WHO AM I?
1. He wrote the majority of songs in Psalms,

2. He watched his father's sheep and played music,

3. He was the second King of Israel"

David
Although David wrote so many praise songs to God, they weren't always happy songs. Yet even through the sad times, he chose to allow his life to sing a song of praise to God. While running for his life from King Saul and hiding in a cave. David wrote Psalm 57---In it David declares, "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast, I will sing and make music. David's life was not easy, remember his fight with Goliath, Saul hated him, his first-born son (with bathsheba) died, Absalom (his son) tried to take over the kingdom, his only daughter was beaten, but yet he CHOSE to let his life sing a song of praise to God.


Who Am I?
1. Was threatened to be killed as a baby

2. Became an Egyptian Prince

3. Used by God to lead Israel out of slavery

Moses
Exodus 15 records a song of Moses. In verses 1-19 Moses sings a song to praise God and causes the Israelites to remember God's mighty deeds in leading them out of Egypt and slavery.


Who Am I?
1. Teenager

2. Angel spoke to her

3. Gave birth to Jesus

Mary
Mary's song of hope was recorded in Luke 1. There is no telling of how much Mary wouldve been made fun of and talked about for being pregnant, but Mary focused on teh hope of God's promises and chose for her life a song of trust to Him.


Who Am I?
1. Witnessed/Responsible for Stephen's death

2. Blind for 3 days

3. Imprisoned with Silas

Paul/Saul
Paul was imprisoned already 3 or 4 times in Acts. Not only was he imprisoned, but he was also stripped of his clothing and beaten. But he continued to sing praises to the Lord. Verse 25 says "Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."


Before God's music and song can be written in our life, our life must first be made available to Him. God made a way for us to be forgiven, He made a way for us to know Him, He made a way for us to have the promises of Heaven. Christ made the way, the only way, by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave.


Jesus said himself, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me." John 14:6 So the first word that must be sung is YES YES to Jesus.


The music we listen to can help us or hurt us. If we listen to music that focuses our mind on good things, the things of God, it will renew our minds. Remember the kiddie song "Oh be careful little eyes what you see.... oh be careful little ears what you hear... the Father up above is looking down in love"


Have you all ever had a song stuck in your head? That is called EARWORMS!!! They are real things... Not an actual worm but brain worm. Scientists say music and songs can leave an earworm in your mind. What kind of earworms are in your head? Those drawing you closer to God or further away?


Just like David, Moses, Mary, and Paul we can choose to fill our hearts and minds with the things that glorify God and cause our lives to be a song of praise for Him. NO matter what is going on in our lives, good or bad, we can choose to allow God through His Holy Spirit to make our life a song of praise, a song of victory, a song of trust, or a song of hope. Our life song can be a song of faith."

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Acts 15
This is exactly what our Wrap Up time looked like today!
Fun, huh?!
Yes, celebrating anyone's birthday is a blast.
But celebrating the birthday of a King...
well, that's something not everyone gets to enjoy.

God WANTS EVERYONE to enjoy celebrating the birth of His Son.
That was the point Peter made in Acts 15:7...
"After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them:
'Brothers, you know that some time ago
God made a choice among you
that the Gentiles might hear from my lips
the message of the gospel and believe.'"

God chose YOU.
He chose you to celebrate with Him.
He chose you to enjoy Salvation.
He chose to love you.
That's something He didn't have to do, but He did.

During our Warp Up time,
we finished decorating our room for Jesus's party.
We all blew up balloons,
hung up crepe paper,
and colored birthday signs for our King.

The students were each asked if any of the other students
in our classes attend the same church as they.
We didn't mention the names or practices of our churches...
only the students we attend with.
Other than siblings standing together,
most everyone stood alone to represent their church.
(This was fun to see just how vast our God's CBS really is!)

It was explained to the students
how some of the churches may kneel in church,
some may stand,
some may sing without instruments,
some may have complete bands,
some may raise their hands while in church,
some may sit the entire time.
Although we don't all worship the same exact way...
we do worship the exact same Jesus.
Although all churches may not agree on everything,
all Christian churches agree on God's one and only Son
and that is Jesus, Christ, the Lord.

Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and Judas Barsabas
encouraged the New Church to focus on their
likenesses in Christ, not the differences in their worship.
Sound familiar?

We are God's Church... this CBS class.
We, too, can focus on Jesus
and how He makes us a special people.
And we, too, can take His Good News out into the world.

Will you do that this Christmas?
Will you do something for someone
(even if you don't always agree with their ways)
to let them know
a King was born for them today?



"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  Isaiah 9:6

“Where is the one who has been born
king of the Jews?
We saw his star when it rose
and have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:2

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.
In fact, the reason I was born
and came into the world is to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  John 18:37

Merry Christmas, everyone!
Happy Birthday, Jesus!