July 31

The Fighter Verse info is after the graphic.

The Supported Ministry this week is Nick and Dana Harmon

Toddlers:  Paul Followed Jesus – God wants us to serve Him..  The passage is Acts 9:1 – 22.  The memory verse is Hebrews 9:14.

4 & 5-year-olds:  God Sends His Missionaries – God sends missionaries around the world.  The passage is Acts 13:1 – 3; 14:8 – 20.  The memory verse is Mark 16:15.

1st - 5th grade:  Budding Leadership – God gives us leaders to help us and guide us.  The passage is Numbers 17.  The memory verse is Psalm 24:4, 5.

Fighter Verses:  Psalm 91:7 – 8

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, 

but it will not come near you. 

You will only look with your eyes and 

see the recompense of the wicked.

BIG IDEA:  God’s children are safe from the eternal punishment for sin

SIMPLE PHRASE:  With God, you are safe.

The psalmist speaks confidently of God’s protection even in the most dire circumstances, as we live under God’s “wings.”  God does not promise us that we will be exempt from the impacts of a sin-filled world but rather assures us that, in this world, we will have troubles and calamities (John 16:33).  However, we will not be alone or destroyed because He will be a strong and faithful refuge for us and will bring us victoriously to ultimate eternal safety.  Last week in verses 5 – 6, the psalmist reminded us that those who live in the “shadow” of God do not have to fear all the troubles that will come to them, because He is in control of all that happens and His plan is to help them to grow spiritually (sanctification).  From FIghter Verses Discussion Guide

Prayer based on Psalm 91:7 - 8

God, you are the Holy One who judges sin,

Help me be a quicker repenter.

Remind me of the great gift your salvation is.

Give me confidence in sharing the Gospel with those who desperately need to hear it.

Amen.

 Check out this week's Fighter Verses link at www.fighterverses.com

Tuesday Night Bible Club

We are excited to host Tuesday Night Bible Club with Community Kids!!!
This Bible Club is for Kindergarten through 6th grade.

Our theme is  Joshua, a Big Wall, and a VERY Different Battle Plan!
We will be looking at Joshua 6:1 - 10.

And our memory verse is Proverbs 18:10.

If your kids are able to be here, we are excited to see them at Bible Club!!

If your kids are not able to be here, we want to provide you with some resources to do your own family Bible sometime during the summer.

During dinner time, we are having pizza, leaders and the kids at their tables will have two sets of questions to talk about at their tables (Icebreaker questions and Bible questions) and there will be a building activity.  At your family Bible club, you can use something you have around the house to build a fort or tower.

ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS:  Obviously, you will not need to ask the first two questions if you are doing this with your family.

1. What is your name and one fun thing you have done this summer?
2. Do you play any musical instruments?
3. What are some musical instruments you like?
4. What are some of the biggest and coolest buildings you have been to or seen on TV?  (in Grand Rapids or elsewhere)

BIBLE QUESTIONS:  Read Joshua 6:1 - 10 and ask the following questions. 

1. What did God want Joshua and Israel to do so the walls of Jericho would fall?
2. What did the people do?
3. Why does this plan seem very different and maybe a little crazy? 

More about the Bible passage and lesson will be posted on tomorrow morning (Tuesday, July 26).

BIBLE CLUB SCHEDULE (which is subject to change)

5:50	PRAYER AND LAST INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEADERS
6:00	ARRIVING AND CONNECTING Kids are arriving and playing outside. Some organized games and some free play.
6:30	DINNER AND SHARING Eating and some table activities and talking at round tables in the fellowship hall
7:05	SINGING AND BIBLE LEARNING Large group in the chapel. Singing and large group Bible story.
7:30	PLAYING AND CONNECTING Outside for dessert and some large group games.

July 24

Fighter Verse is after the graphic

The Supported Ministry is the Harmon family in North Carolina.

Toddlers:  Peter Wrote God’s Word – God told people what to write in the Bible.  The passage is 1 Peter 1:1; 5:7; 2 Pt 1:1, 21.  The memory verse is 1 Peter 5:7

4 & 5-year-olds:  God Helps His Missionaries – God meets missionaries’ needs.  The passage is Acts 12:1-19.  The memory verse is Mark 16:20.

1st - 5th grade:  Rebels Swallowed Up – God takes sin seriously and judges rebellion against Him.  The passage is Numbers 16.  The memory verse is Exodus 34:13, 14.

Fighter Verses Psalm 91:5 - 6.

You will not fear the terror of the night, 

nor the arrow that flies by day, 

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, 

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

BIG IDEA:   Trusting God and His promises can help you not to be afraid.

SIMPLE PHRASE:   Trust God and His promises.

This morning in class, we used a water bottle to illustrate this truth.

I punched an empty water bottle with the cap off.  The bottle was smashed in.  Then I blew in the bottle so it was back to its original shape.  Then I put the lid on the bottle and punched it again.  This time it was not crushed. 

When you have the Holy Spirit and God's Word in you, the fears of this world will not crush you.

As you read these two Fighter Verses for today, notice verse 5 talks about the night and the day and verse 6 talks about the darkness and the noonday.  We are commanded not to fear during the day or night because God is our refuge, fortress, deliverer, shield, and buckler.

The Fighter Verses Discussion guide asks the following questions and give the answer.

Does that mean that you will never be concerned, unsure of what to do, or have a feeling of being nervous or afraid in a dangerous or evil situation?  

There is a difference between having a feeling of fear and being so overwhelmed by fear that you are paralyzed by it and unable to think and act in the fact and strength God gives.  Being unsure or concerned in difficult situations should cause you to call out to the LORD for help in knowing what to do and how to trust in His promises of help and protection. 

Let us pray this prayer as we live out Psalm 91:1-6 this week.

God, Light of the world,
Because of you, I will not fear the terror of the night,
God, my shield and my buckler,
Because of you, I will not fear the arrows that are sent against me.
God, the one who gives and sustains life,
Because of you, I will not fear pestilence or destruction.

Amen

July 17

Fighter Verse info is after the graphic

The Supported Ministry this week is the McMasters in Brazil.

Toddlers:  God Answered Prayers for Peter – God answers our prayers.  The passage is Acts 12:5 – 17.  The passage is 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

4 & 5 years old:  God calls His Missionaries – God saves people so they might.  The passage is Acts 9:1 – 19.  The memory verse is Mark 16:15.

1st - 5th grade:  A Giant “NO” to the Promised Land – God is trustworthy even when He asks us to do hard things.  The passage is Numbers 13; 14.  The memory verse is Exodus 34:13, 14 .

Fighter Verses Study during Sunday School

Psalm 91:3 – 4

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

F.V. - Just like a mother bird protects her babies, God protects His children.

Bible-based Prayer:

God, our deliverer,

You are the one who has saved me from the devil and my sin.  Thank you!

Thank you for your protective care.

You are faithful in everything you do.

Help me trust you more and more!

Amen.

These verses have several words we don't commonly use:  fowler, pinions, and buckler.

A fowler is a sportsman who pursues wild birds and kills them for food.  God delivers you from the traps the devil sets.

The pinions are the outer parts of a bird's wings.  God protects you just like a mother bird protects her chicks.

A buckler is a small round shield held by a handle at arm's length.  God protects you like shields of various sizes protect you in battle.

"We must remember that God sees the whole picture of our lives, whereas we see only a short time, in comparison to eternity."  (Fighter Verses Discussion Guide)

"If, as Christians, we consciously seek to live in a close relationship with God, we can have confidence in His protective care regardless of our surroundings or enemies."   (Fighter Verses Discussion Guide)

Proclaim the Gospel - part 2

This is an additional post on the fourth commitment - Proclaiming the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ - from the book Zealous: 7 Commitments for the Discipleship of the Next Generation.  

For more about this series of Zealous posts go to the Introduction post

Be sure to read the First Proclaiming the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ post that was written before TBC's VBS to help VBS leaders better understand the Gospel.

A faithful, clear proclamation of the Gospel is NOT linking EVERY Bible lesson to Jesus. 
If you try to do this, "it will be fanciful, because you'll come up with really clever ways of doing things that aren't really there and it'll keep you from seeing important things that are there." (p. 57).  A gospel summation is not the end goal.  A gospel foundation is.   

A faithful, clear proclamation of the Gospel is NOT merely a specific method or program.
The Bible is what children, and adults need not a specific curriculum or program.  Scripture is what is able to make you wise for salvation.

A faithful, clear proclamation of "the Gospel is shaped and defined by essential truths found throughout scripture." (p. 56)  The 10 Essential Gospel Truths in Zealous go through essential teachings.

A man-centered Gospel begins with how great you are and how much God needs you.  
A Biblical understanding of the Gospel begins with how great God is and how sinful we are.

The ultimate goal of heaven is not walking streets of gold or seeing loved ones.  The ultimate goal of heaven is God, which is why we must begin with God's sovereignty.

July 10

More about the Fighter Verses Lesson and the combined Parents/Kids class after the verse graphic.

The Supported Ministry this week is Kelli and Deb McMaster

Children's Church Lessons:

Toddlers:  People Prayed for Peter – God wants us to talk to Him in prayer.  The passage is Acts 12:1 – 6.  The memory verse is Psalm 111:1.  The memory verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

4 & 5-year-olds:  God Directs His Missionaries – God guides His missionaries.  The passage is Acts 8:4 – 8, 12, 26 – 40.  The memory verse is Acts 8:26.

1st - 5th grade:  Whining for Meat – God desires for us to be content with what He gives us.  The passage is Numbers 10:11 – 13; 11:1-23, 31-34.  The memory verse is Exodus 34:13, 14

This Sunday, July 10, we are beginning a 4 week combined Parents & Kids (2 years old - 5th grade) Class.  This is in place of our regular classes.  If you have children under 2 years, you are welcome to join us for this.  There will be a nursery available but the class could be helpful in establishing some disciple-making patterns for your family.

We will be singing, playing, creating, and learning Psalm 91 together!!  This learning experiment is designed to help families

memorize portions of scripture together

learn how to do and to improve in family devotion time

and

connect with other Trinity Baptist families who have similarly aged kids.

Here are the details you need to know:

1. Read Psalm 91:1 – 2 together sometime before Sunday morning.
2. Plan to come to the combined class in the kid’s chapel (Big Room) on Sunday.  The class starts at 9:50 but there will be some things to do before we start.
3. Be sure to check in your child, especially if they are downstairs for the children’s church.
4. Take some time during the week to talk about the verses and what we are learning from them.
5. Plan to come back next week to be part of this family time again.

Be sure to check out http://tbcgrkidz.org/ after Sunday’s class for more family resources.

This week's Fighter Verses are Psalm 91:1, 2

For more devotionals and other related resources go to www.fighterverses.com

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty
I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust"

BIG IDEA:  Ask God for help when you are fearful, sad, or in need of courage.

Your Family Activity Time could include the follow:

scary experiences:  share an experience of danger or extreme difficulty that you had and the lessons you learned from the situation
building experiences:  BUILD A FORTRESS OR TOWER and email a picture to Pastor Dave;  share some of the biggest and/or strongest buildings you have seen and talk about what made them strong.

Bible-based prayer:

LORD, my refuge and my fortress.
You are the one who shelters and protects.
Help me rest in you!  Make me stand firm on you.
You are the one in whom I must trust.

Amen.

For more go to Week 28's notes.

July 3

For Next Week, and throughout July, there will be a combined Sunday School class for the 2 years old through 5th graders and their parents and grandparents.
Plan to come out and learn Biblical truth as a family. 

Fighter Verse Info is after the graphic

The Supported Ministry this week is 

Toddlers:  Dorcas helped People – God uses people to help us serve.  The passage is Acts 9:36 – 42.  The memory verse is Galatians 5:13.

4 & 5-year-olds:  The Church’s Problem – Christ uses us to meet church needs.  The passage is Acts 6:1 – 7.  The memory verse is Galatians 5:13.

1st - 5th grade:  Israel Breaks God’s Commands – God alone is worthy of our worship.  The passage is Exodus 32 – 34.  The memory verse is Exodus 34:13, 14

In the 1st - 5th grade lesson, we will be connecting the lesson with the Fighter Verse.  Be sure to talk with your child about the connection.   

This Week's Fighter Verse is Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

BIG IDEA:  God is strong and helps those who run to him.

This week there is no Sunday School BUT there is still a Fighter Verse.

And here are some things you can do with your family:

• What's in a name? 
• Talk about the significance family members names.  What they mean?  Why they were chosen?
• Build a fort (two options)
• Build a fort you can review the verse and do family devotions
• Build forts using blocks and test them to see which is the strongest.
• ABC's of God
• List names and characteristics of God that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

This verse is not saying you will not have hardships or difficult times.  It is saying the souls of the righteous are kept safe for all eternity.