January 28

Prayer Webinar: Thursday, February 1st
We will be praying from 7:30 to 8:00 
The webinar begins at 8:00.
If you are not able to join us at the church, sign up to watch on your own 
at https://truth78.org/pages/prayer-webinar

AWANA Info

• This Week:  Fruit of the Spirit Night.  Come and celebrate the Fruit of the Spirit.
• On January 31st
•  Dress up as an actual fruit (apple, grape, pear, banana, etc) or a biblical fruit (love, joy, peace, etc.)
• Grand Prix:  
• Pick up your car kit now.
• Work Day is Saturday, February 10 from 9:30 to 1:30 
• Race Day is Wednesday, February 21

This week's supported workers are the Pools.

Toddler

• Jesus Listened to a Father
• Jesus can heal because He is God’s Son
• John 4:46 – 54
• Jer. 32:17

PreK/ K

• Jesus Fed a Multitude
• Jesus loves the needy.
• Mark 6:30-43
• Mark 6:34

1^st  SS

• King Saul Lost His Kingdom
• God desires our obedience more than our sacrifice.
• 1 Sam. 15:1-29

2^nd-3^rd SS

• God Answered Hezekiah
• God cares about and provides God hears and answers our prayers.us.
• 2 Kings 18; 19; 2 Chron. 29:13–32:23; Isa. 37:21-38
• 1 John 5:14

4^th–5^th SS

• The Word Gives New Life
• The Word has power over death and the grave.
• John 11; 12

1^st–5^th  CC

• Deacon Stephen, the first martyr
• God wants us to be faithful to Him, regardless the cost
• Acts 6:1 - 7:60
• Acts 1:8

January 21

This week's supported workers are the Pool's.

Pool

• Toddler
• Jesus in the Temple
• God gives us a church for learning about Him
• Ps. 122:1

PreK/ K

• Jesus Obeyed the Father
• God approved of Jesus’ life.
• Matt. 3
• Matt 3:17

1^st  SS

• King Saul Lost His Patience
• God desires our sincere obedience.
• 1 Sam. 13:1-16

2^nd-3^rd SS

• Israel Finally Fell
• God warns us about the seriousness of sin.
• 2 Kings 17; 18:9-12
• 1 Cor. 10:12

4^th–5^th SS

• The Word Cares for His Flock
• The Word cares for us like a good shepherd cares for his sheep.
• John 9; 10

1^st–5^th  CC

• Ananias and Sapphira Lie
• God wants us to be honest and genuine
• Acts 4:32 - 5:14
• Acts 1:8

January 14

This week's supported workers are Chris and Lisa P.

Toddler

• Jesus Went to the Temple
• God wants us to learn about Him.
• Luke 2:41-47
• Ps. 122:1

PreK/ K

• listening to the King
• God wants us to listen to Jesus
• Luke 2:41-52
• Luk3 2:47

1^st  SS

• The King Israel Wanted
• God’s faithfulness, love, and power make Him worthy of trust.
• 1 Sam. 9:1–10:25; 12:20-25

2^nd-3^rd SS

• Jonah Got a Second Chance
• God wants us to share the message of His mercy and grace.
• Jonah
• Titus 3:5

4^th–5^th SS

• The Word Lights the Way
• The Word shows the way to the Father.
• John 7; 8

1^st–5^th  CC

• Lesson:  Peter and John Arrested
• Passage: Acts 3:1 and 4:31
• Unit Memory Verse: Acts 1:8  
• Big Idea:  God gives us courage and strength to serve Him.

This week's passage, Acts 3 and 4, begins with Peter and John healing a lame man.  

THIS WAS A GOOD THING.

Immediately after this miracle, they preach a sermon with the following outline

1. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob glorified Jesus.
2. You killed Jesus, the author of life.
3. God raised him from the dead. 
4. God fulfilled what the prophets said.
5. Repent and turn to God.
6. Beginning with Samuel, all the prophets spoke about Jesus.

THIS WAS A GOOD MESSAGE.

While they were speaking, the priests and guards seized Peter and John.

THIS WAS A HARD THING. 

Later, they appeared before the rulers and told them a very similar message that included, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."  (3:11)

THIS WAS A GOOD MESSAGE.   

After being released, Peter and John returned to their people and prayed to the Sovereign God, a Biblical prayer from Psalm 2, focused on God's plan, with a plea for boldness.

THIS WAS A GOOD PRAYER.

Prayer Prompts based on the lesson:

• When might you and your family need to ask God for the courage to speak His word? 
• Take time to pray for some of our missionaries. 
• Watch the Adoniram & Ann Judson Missionary Story - Video link:  Torchlighters video.  Activity pages link:  Torchlighters resources.  PARENTS, for younger children, you may want to preview the video.  There are some intense scenes for younger kids.  These scenes show some of the persecution the Judson's faced.

 

january 7

This week's supported workers are Chris and Lisa P.

AWANA News: The Grand Prix is coming soon. Parents and kids, here are some dates to remember.

• Cars go on sale tomorrow, Jan. 10th.
• Grand Prix WORK DAY is February 10th from 9:30 to 1:30
• Grand Prix Test & Tune is February 20th from 6:00 to 8:00
• Grand Prix RACE DAY is February 21st. Doors open at 5:30. Cars need to be registered by 6:30. Races begin at 6:45.

Toddler

• Wise Men Visited Jesus
• God led wise men to worship Jesus
• Matthew 2:1 – 12
• Luke 2:40

PreK/ K

• Protecting the King
• God’s plan for Jesus could never be stopped.
• Matt. 2:13-23
• 1 John 4:9

1^st  SS

• Here Comes the Ark
• God desires our sincere worship for His awesome power.

1 Sam. 4:1-11; 5:1–6:16

2^nd-3^rd SS

• Joash Stopped Listening
• God desires our lifelong devotion.
• 2 Chron. 22–24 (2 Kings 11)
• 1 Cor. 4:2

4^th–5^th SS

• The Word Satisfies Hunger
• The Word provides for our greatest needs.
• John 5; 6

1^st–5^th  CC

• Coming of the Holy Spirit

December 31

This Week's Supported Worker is the Layer family.

KIDZ in Church for the 1st - 5th graders (No Children's Church).
KIDZ sermon notes will be at the entry to the auditorium.

Toddler

• Wise Men Followed the Star
• God led wise men to little Jesus.
• Matthew 2:1 – 11
• Luke 2:40

PreK/ K

• Worshiping the King
• God wants us to worship Jesus
• Matt. 2:1-12
• 1 John 4:9

NO SUNDAY SCHOOL 

1^st–5^th  CC -  Kids In Church

KIDZ in Church Golden Chain

This Sunday, December 31st, is KIDZ in Church Sunday.  First through fifth graders will be in church with their families.  HERE is the kids' sermon note page that will be available on the round table outside the auditorium.

HERE is the “answer key.”  

This post contains a couple of general help for kids and parents to prepare for any Kids in Church Sunday and some specific help for this week's sermon.

BEFORE the Sunday morning service:

• First BIG reminder: preparation for meeting with the church on Sunday morning begins Saturday night.  Get a good night's rest.  If possible, put out the clothes the family will be wearing.  
• Read the passage; this week is Romans 8:29-30 and surrounding verses. 
• Pray for Pastor Brett and any of the people you will meet.

 AT the church building BEFORE the service starts:

• Encourage your children to greet and talk with people, assuming you arrived before the meeting time started.  
• Pick up a note sheet before entering the auditorium.

DURING the service:

• Parents model the behavior of an active worshiper during the service.  Sing. Pray.  Read along in your Bible as passages are read.  Actively listen (i.e., lean in, don't doze off, open the Bible)
• Guide your child when needed with a point to the passage or note sheet or a quiet word to help with focus.

8 Tips for Helping Your Child Worship 

(click on the image for the full document)

Sunday's Sermon

The kids' sermon note page has some fill-in-the-blanks, a Word Tracker activity - comfort or encouragement, and a coloring page on the back.  

As Pastor Brett mentioned in the sermon, we can get caught up in debates about all these deep terms, but we need to remember Paul wrote this passage to encourage struggling believers.  

This article, Talking with Your Children About Predestination, does not offer any easy answer to questions about this doctrine, but it does offer the story of the writer growing through conversation and thinking about who God is.

This song, The God of Wow, is about how great and different than us God is.  One line that is especially challenging but true is, "Inviting me to come to You.  Inconceivable, but true."  It is a "rocky" song but full of WOW!

Here is the hard truth - this is a hard passage to understand for adults.
Here is the basic truth - God is the one who saves because of who He is.  We cannot save ourselves.

Pray your children will understand and grow in their understanding of how great God is.

God Loved

While Christmas is only once a year, we can get caught up in the busyness and familiarity of the season.  Every year, we do the same things - read the same stories, sing the same songs, and do the same things.  So we can miss the significance of the season.   

At the same time, John 3:16 is one of the most familiar verses in the Bible. 

Christmas and John 3:16 are reminders of God's awesome love.  

As mentioned in this weekend's sermon, it is not that love defines God, but rather that God defines love. 

Because of this, God's love is always given first, not earned.

We have done nothing to deserve God's love.  

God gave.

God gave by becoming a baby in Bethlehem.

God gave by living a perfect life.

God gave by fulfilling the Law.

God gave by dying on the cross for our sins.

God gave through the imputation of His righteousness.

Pastor Brett summarized the passage and sermon with this statement:

The Greatest text (John 3:16) about the Greatest being (God) with the Great power (Love) to the greatest audience (the world) giving the Greatest gift (Jesus) that demands the Greatest command (Belief) to escape the greatest tragedy (Perish) to receive the greatest inheritance (Everlasting Life) 

SERMON AND CATECHISM CONNECTION

God, who defines love, was purposeful in His creation of man and woman.

The fourth question is "How and why did God create us?"

"God created us, male and female, in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory."

God loves and created us to love Him.  

The way we love the one who loved us so much He sent his son is by living for His glory. 

PRAYER from New City Catechism

Maker of All, let us not lose sight that we, and every human being you have made, are created in your image. Never let us doubt this about ourselves. Never let us doubt this about any other man or woman, for to do so denies you the glory that is due to your name. Your likeness glimpsed in us testifies that we belong to you, body and soul. Amen.