KidzPort August 23 – Just Do It!!

August 25, 2009

Sometimes there are things in the Bible that are hard to understand.  Especially when it seems we’re being told two different things.   For example, Ephesians 2:8-9 says this:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Fair enough.  But, James 2:24 says this:

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

So how is it then that Paul tells us that we are not saved by works, and James tells us that we are?

The answer is pretty simple.  James is telling us that while it is God who saves us, by His grace, that we still need to live here.  And that we need to make good choices while we do.  Life is full of opportunities to make good choices.  Every day, people are in our lives; and we can choose to show those people the love of Christ, or to not show them that love.  It might be the new kid at school, the old woman down the street, or our own families.  The choices that we make determine how we reflect Christ.  

It’s true that Christ lives in our hearts.  We just don’t need to keep him there. 

For Parents:

• Read James 2: 14-26 with your child.  What does this say about how we are supposed to live? 
• Read Ephesians 2:10.  Does this verse help to clarify what Paul was saying?
• Pray with your child, asking God to help them make good choices.

Youth and Children’s Congress Info

August 21, 2009

KidzPort will be participating in this year’s Youth and Children’s Congress, hosted by the House of Restoration in Hartford.  Pastor Mike will be the keynote speaker for the Children’s program.  This year’s theme is A Generatin Free to Worship.

The event begins on Friday, September 28th with an opening service at 7pm.  The church bus will leave at 5:30.

Saturday’s program starts at 8am.  We will leave at 6;30.  This will be all day – the program ends at 9;30pm, but there will be a three-hour break.   We will let you know if we are staying for the Saturday evening session. 

We will be taking children and youth from 8 years old and up who wish to attend.  The cost will be $8 for the first family child and $5 for each additional child.  This will cover the cost of registration, lunch, dinner and the bus trip.  

Please let Pastor Mike or Sister Jill know no later than Monday, August 24th if you plan on having your child or youth attend.

KidsPort August 16 – Thanks!

August 16, 2009

We often think about the Book of Psalms when we think of psalms…  after all, that just makes sense. But a psalm is simply a song of praise to God, and we find many of them outside of the Book of Psalms.  In fact, we still sing modern psalms today.

One example of a psalm in a different part of the Bible is found in 1 Chronicles 16.  In fact, it is called David’s Psalm of Praise or David’s Song of Praise in most Bibles.

David had just finished moving the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  Now, we know that moving the Ark wasn’t easy. So David was really happy when he got it there.David’s Psalm in 1 Chronicles 16 (and he wrote many) is a perfect example of how to praise God. It thanks God, talks about His faithfulness, and praises Him.

For Parents:

• Read David’s psalm in 1 Chronicles 16 with your child.  What does it say to the two of you?
• Try and find other psalms and songs in the Bible. Use the internet to search.
• Try writing your own psalm!!

KidzPort August 2 – Pssst!

August 3, 2009

“Donovan had fun.” 

That was the end result of a game of “telephone” that we started the class with on Sunday.  The original message: “Johnny and his mother are having dinner at the Savoy tonight.”

Admittedly, I derived the original message from one of my favorite scenes from the 1984 classic Johnny Dangerously.  In the ‘grapevine” scene, a message to Johnny gets distorted and twisted before getting to him.  Fortunately, Johnny translates the message properly.   But this isn’t always the case.

Whispering secrets and talking about other people – gossip – is a dangerous weapon.  Not only is it rude and mean, but there is a very real chance that the original message – the truth – will get distorted and twisted.  This can happen in a variety of ways.  Sometimes someone intentionally distorts the truth – or outright lies – for their own reasons. 

Other times, the message simply gets confused in all the “noise” of our surroundings.  We don’t understand it, don’t remember it all, or don’t hear it correctly.  But in our desire to “pass it on,” we just go with what we have, right or wrong.  They used to say in the U.S. Navy “Loose lips sink ships.” This meant that telling something that was supposed to be private could cause disaster.

Scripture speaks out about gossip, especially Proverbs.  Here are some:

Proverbs 13:3 The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Proverbs 20:19  He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip.

Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And  hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans,  Feet that run rapidly to evil,  A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

For Parents:

• Read the scripture verses above with your child.  What do they mean to you?
• See if you can find other verses about loose talk.  Try 1 Peter 2:1 and 2 Corinthians 12:20 to start. 
• Talk with your child about any times they might have told a secret inappropriatly.  Be careful not to be judgemental – make it clear there will be no punishments for being honest during ministry time.  Pray together for God’s forgiveness and for God to strengthen them not to have “loose lips” in the future.