Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Church is

Today's Lesson for the kids focused on the question:
"What is the Church?"

It’s NOT a building but PEOPLE who meet together to worship God.

Emmanuel Baptist Church wants to honor God by helping people:
  • LOVE GOD - We can do this through praying, singing, serving, reading the Bible and obeying.  (PRAYING & GIVING)
  • LIVE OUT GOD’S WORD - We learn God’s Word to live it out and share with others.  Ephesians 4:11,12 is a great passage to to remember.  (GROWING)
  • LOVE OTHERS - We can serve others, make cards to encourage, help others and spend time together.  (GIVING & SHINING)
Do you children see the importance of church in your life and your family's life?

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Genesis Review

Here is a list of activities and questions that were shared with the teachers to use in reviewing Genesis 1 - 50.  You can adapt some of these to do with your family.
The questions at the end provide a great information review.


This long list of activities is not meant to overwhelm you.  It is meant to give you some ideas to do with your family.

A great thing to do as a family is talking about how your your family has seen God's faithfulness in good times and bad.

BIG IDEA:  
God is the boss!  He is the best boss!
Adam & Eve choose to disobey this good boss!
God, the good boss, promised to fix this sin problem!
Everything in the Bible helps us see that God is a good boss!

Some additional ideas have been added in italics to this post.
Verse for 1st - 5th grade - Romans 8:1  "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." 
Verse for 2 year old - Kindergarten - Psalm 56:3  "When I am afraid I put my trust in you."
We are reviewing Genesis 1 - 50

Here are a couple review ideas.

Bible review through food:
  • Creation:  Apple - the tree of knowledge.
    Be sure to address the fact that God gave Adam & Eve every fruit to eat of but gave them a specific, clear command about what they couldn't eat.
  • Jacob/Esau:  Soup (or if Soup is scary soup crackers) - trading of the birthright
  • Joseph:  Bread - the grain that was stored
Bible review through video:
  • The Jesus Storybook Bible DVD Genesis stories.  Pick select stories to show.  This DVD should be in every classroom and there is an extra copy in the resource room.
Bible review by making a book:
  • Depending on the age level you could have the children color pictures or draw pictures of different stories.
Bible review through stations:
  • Various stations with play themes:
    • animal toys - Creation
    • Some kind of appropriate easy to play water activities - Flood
    • Build blocks - Tower of Babel
Bible review by game:
  • All of the Genesis pictures from the curriculum will be in your classroom.  You could  use these to play a game to put them in order, like Memory/Concentration.
  • Fun Quiz Game on Genesis Bible stories.  Remember the goal is to remember and teach not win.
Bible review by focus on a specific item (similar to food example above):
  • An example would be focusing on different animals
    • Creation:  Elephant - Adam named the animals.  What are some crazy animals or animal names.
    • Fall:  Snake - The serpent tempted Eve.  - How did he tempt Eve?
    • Flood:  two of any kind of animal.  -  What did God provide to keep people safe?  How would you like to live on an ark?  Why was the ark built?
    • Abraham/Isaac:  Ram - God is faithful to His promises and Abraham trusted him. - What does it mean to trust God?  
    • Jacob/Esau:  some kind of furry animal.  -  Was it right for Jacob to deceive his father?
    • You could add to this list or focus on something.
Genesis Review Questions for older:
  • How does God talk to us today?
  • How do we talk to God?
  • What does "Genesis" mean? (Beginning)
  • "What did God create on the ___ day?"
  • What did God do on the seventh day?
  • Who was the first man?
  • Who was the woman?
  • Who were the first three children?
  • Where did Adam and Eve live in the beginning?
  • What were Adam's jobs in the Garden?
  • What was Eve's job?
  • Tell why Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden?
  • What kind of fruit did they eat? (Answer not found in the Bible)
  • Who was the tempter?
  • How was Adam punished for not obeying God?
  • How was Eve punished for not obeying God?
  • How was the serpent  punished for not obeying God?
  • Which brother offered the better sacrifice?
  • Which brother killed his brother?
  • What was Cain's punishment for killing Abel?
  • Through which son would Jesus be born? (Seth)
  • What did God tell Noah to build?
  • What was the ark made of?
  • Who was saved on the ark?
  • How many days and nights did it rain during the Great Flood?
  • Where did the ark rest?
  • What did God put in the sky as a promise He would never destroy the earth by water again?
  • Why didn't God want the people to build a tower up to heaven?
  • How did God make the people stop building the tower?
  • What was the name of the tower?
  • What was Abram's new name?
  • What was Sarai's new name?
  • Where did Lot choose to live?
  • Why were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed? (wickedness)
  • Who was the Father of Many Nations?
  • How old was Abraham when Isaac was born?
  • When Abraham was about to offer Isaac on the altar and the angel of the LORD stopped him, what did Abraham offer instead?
  • Who did Isaac marry?
  • What were the names of Isaac and Rebekah's twins' names?
  • How did Jacob suggest Esau sell his birthright?
  • How did Jacob trick his father into blessing him instead of Esau?
  • Name the twelve sons of Jacob.
  • What was Jacob's daughter's name?
  • Why were Joseph's brothers jealous of Joseph?
  • What did Joseph's brothers put him in that had no water?
  • Did Joseph's brothers kill Joseph?
  • How did Joseph get to Egypt?
  • Was Joseph ever in prison for doing something wrong? (trick question)
  • How did Joseph get out of prison?
  • What did Pharaoh's dreams of cows and corn mean?
  • Who was responsible for the food in Egypt during the famine?
  • Why did Joseph's brothers go to Egypt during the famine?
  • Did Joseph realize that it was God's plan that he be taken to Egypt to save his people?
  • Did Jacob ever know that Joseph was alive?

From God in the Curriculum handout given at the training time.
  1. God Creates the Heavens and the Earth  
  2. God Creates Man and Woman  
  3. Man Rebels against God
  4. Cain Rebels against God    
  5. God Floods the Earth
  6. God Preserves Noah
  7. God Judges the Nations at Babel
  8. God Makes a Promise to Abram
  9. Abraham and Sarah Doubt God          
  10. God Judges Sodom and Gomorrah  
  11. God Sends Baby Isaac  
  12. God Tests Abraham  
  13. God Chooses Jacob over Esau  
  14. Jacob Wrestles with God  
  15. God Preserves Joseph  
  16. God Delivers Joseph
for information on the specific passages that go with each of these stories, go to 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Gratitude on the Bench

A couple of guys who have a great attitude about being on the bench!


Virtue: GRATITUDE - Letting others know you see how they’ve helped you.

Scripture Verse: Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you
believe in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIrV)

Bottom Line: Take time to adjust your attitude.

Now that we’ve played few games on Saturdays, I have a question. What’s your favorite part about playing? (Pause and let players respond.) Great job. I’m not at all surprised by your answers! Those are all fun things. But you know what you didn’t mention? Not one of you answered “sitting on the bench.” I mean, I get it. You’d rather be in on the action right? But the truth is, at some point in every game you will be sitting on the bench. (Coach: If the previous statement is not true for your team, change it to an NBA team with a well-known player on the bench.)

So what are you gonna do while you’re on that bench?  Are you gonna dig in your heels and huff and puff? Will you sigh and whine and moan and complain?  Remember, gratitude is a choice.
And you can’t have gratitude with a bad attitude. In fact, it’s kind of impossible for both of those things to exist. But you can be grateful—even when you’re sitting on the bench. You just have to stop and think for a bit. Even when you’re sitting on the bench, here is what is true: You’re on a team with friends. You’re learning the rules of the game and valuable lessons in teamwork.
And while you’re on the bench, you have the perfect opportunity to cheer on your teammates. You might not be able to control when or how long you’re on the bench, but your attitude is completely under your control.

Jesus once told a story about some folks who needed an attitude adjustment. One day, a group of workers were hired to work in a vineyard. Some were hired early in the day and were told how much they would be paid. Other workers were hired later on. And at the end of the day, each worker, no matter how many hours they’d worked, was paid the same amount. As you can imagine, when the money was handed out, those who’d been working all day long were completely ungrateful. But it was the vineyard owner’s choice to pay what he wanted to pay.
And while they had no control over his decision, they had complete control over how they responded. And their response was definitely not grateful.

Part of being a great team player is choosing to have a great attitude no matter what—even if you aren’t playing the position that you want to, even if you miss the basket or even if you sit the bench the whole game. In life, there will be disappointments and things that don’t go your way.
But when that happens, I want you to think about your attitude and how you’ll respond. No one can choose to be grateful for you—it’s up to you! Don’t be like those early vineyard workers who chose to mope and complain because they thought they deserved more. It might take some time to stop and think about what you have to be grateful for, but I promise, if you’ll take the time to adjust your attitude, you’ll be the kind of grateful person that God wants you to be.

Interaction Questions:

  1. Let’s think about that story Jesus told. If you were one of the vineyard workers who got hired first, would you have been frustrated that the people who got hired last got the same amount of pay as you? Why do you think Jesus told that story? (To help us remember to have a grateful attitude no matter what.)
  2. Is gratitude something that comes naturally? Or do we have to choose it? Why? (We have to choose it because we easily forget to thank God for things that He has done for us.)
  3. Why is it important to stop and take time to adjust your attitude? (If we react right away to something, we can easily end up thinking and acting in an ungrateful way.)

Why don’t we pray and ask God to help us have a grateful attitude this week?

PRAYER

Dear God, we love You. Thank You for the players on this team and for the opportunity we have
to play hard and work together on the court. Help us to remember that our attitude is a big part
of whether or not we show gratitude. We know there is always something to be thankful for, so
help us to take the time to adjust our attitude when we need to. Thanks for loving us and for
providing all that we need. We love You and we ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.


Friday, February 12, 2016

UPWARD Game Day - 2/13


Tomorrow there is going to be a change in the elderly & handicap seating. Please pay attention to the signs. Thanks!!


We would really appreciate your cooperation in helping those who really need these seats!!


Next Week (02/20) is Chick-fil-a week & Picture Day! 
Here is the order form. 

You don't need to print it out there will be copies at the gym!






After the game today, you can head over to LifeWay Family Christian Store on Talmadge for a special event



The War Within - Kids' Resources

This Sunday (February 14th) is a Kids in Church Sunday.
Usually the 1st - 3rd graders have a special, age-oriented meeting time.  But once a month we have kids in the service with their families.

Click HERE for more about why we have these Kids in Church Sundays.

We post resources on this blog to help parents help their children in the services.  Some of these resources are general helps.  Other resources are specific to the Kids in Church Sundays.

Here are some specific tips for this week.

Be sure to read through the Romans 6:10 - 14 with your kids.

Below are the strategies for Changing and Growing.

  1. Get right with God through Jesus Christ.
  2. Know the Gospel
  3. Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God
  4. Don't surrender to sin
  5. Present yourself and your members to God for righteousness
Gospel -Y- Chart

A BIG IDEA TO TALK ABOUT WITH YOUR KIDS:  "The heart is the fundamental target for change."

Here is a good chart to talk about with your kids.
If you have done Track One of Biblical Counseling, you heard about this chart.

If you haven't done Track One, HERE is a link to a 14 minute video that will help you talk through this chart with your children.



A note taking idea:  
On your child's note sheet you can divide the paper into two parts:  Slave to Sin and Slave to God.

Here is another good resource to use with your kids:
Pastor Duke's book Breeze & Slate


Here is another good resource to use with your kids,
Pastor Duke's children's book Breeze & Slate.


Here is the lesson of the book:
The one with the best life is the one with the best master.





Finally, here are two resources to talk with your children about abortion and other hard things:
How to talk to our children about abortion - www.theblaze.com/contributions/how-to-talk-to-our-children-about-abortion/
Explaining hard things to our children - www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/explaining-hard-things-to-our-children

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Toothpaste & Respect!







Virtue: RESPECT - Showing others they are important by what you say and do.

Scripture Verse: Show proper respect to everyone. 1 Peter 2:17a (NIrV)

Bottom Line: Respect others with your words.

Coach: You will need a tube of toothpaste

All right, guys. How many of you have ever seen this? (toothpaste tube) How many of you brushed your teeth today?
What happens when I squeeze the tube?

That’s right! Toothpaste comes out!

What if I asked  you to put the toothpaste back in the tube after I squeezed it out? Could you do it? No way. Once that toothpaste comes out, it can’t go back in.

Well, there’s one part of showing respect that works the exact same way as that tube of toothpaste..  What does respect mean again? (Pause for responses.) That’s right. It’s showing others they are important by what you say and do. And one really important way to respect others is with our words.

The Bible says that from your mouth can come both praising and cursing. Basically that means that you can use respectful, kind words one minute and disrespectful, unkind words the next.
Sometimes you can do both in the same sentence! Your words have the power to show respect and honor to someone . . . but they also have the power to show disrespect and tear someone down. So you really need to choose your words carefully.

And you know what?  Your words are a lot like that toothpaste that came out of the tube.  Once you’ve said something, you can’t put it back where it came from. There are no do-overs.  But the good news is that you have complete control over what comes out of your mouth. The key is to think before you speak. Before you respond in anger, frustration or with a disrespectful attitude, it’s better to stop and take a breath. Are the words you’re about to say helpful or hurtful? Will they build up or tear the other person down?

When you choose respectful words, you definitely show others how important they are to you.  So before you answer your mom with a “whatever” or your dad with a “that’s so lame, Dad”— stop yourself and choose respectful words instead. Here’s something that might help. This week, when you brush your teeth, I want you remember what we talked about today—to respect others with your words. Think you can do that? Cool.
Let’s pray and ask God to help us with that this week.

PRAYER
Dear God, thanks for reminding us that our words have the power to help or hurt. We want to be careful with the things we say because You created and love every person and that means that each person deserves our respect. Help our words be pleasing and honoring to You so that we can show respect to others. We love You and we ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Our 3rd Family Lunch Time on February 14th

After the Sunday service on February 14th, we will be having our 3rd Family Lunch time.
Families with children 5th grade and under are invited to a pizza lunch.  There are spots for 15 families.
If you want to be part of this fellowship time please email children@emmanuelbaptist.com) or leave a comment here WITH your name and number of people


If you attended the first or second meal, here are a couple of things you can do.
  1. Please allow other families the opportunity to be part of this time.
  2. Encourage other families to sign up.
Those planning to attend, here are a couple of specific things that will happen during this meal time.
  1. You will sit with your child/children for a lunch.  Menu to be determined by the end of this week.  If you and/or your child is a picky eater, please bring your own sandwiches or other lunch items. 
  2. During the meal time we will have some meal time activities for you to do around the table.  Some of these will be fun activities.  Others will be helps to talk about the sermon and/or the lesson. 
  3. Pastor Dave will take about 10 minutes at the end of the meal to talk one of the parents about leading your family meal times and worship times.  For single parents, someone will help out with your child/children during this time.  
  4. IF you and your family want to stick around afterwards to play one of your favorite games or invite another family to play a game with your family, plan to stick around afterwards.  You don't need to feel obligated to stay for this part of the day.
Couple of details to remember:
  • There is a reason we are doing a simple lunch.  Plan to hear about why at the lunch and on the blog later!
  • We have a limited number of high chairs at the church.  Please plan accordingly.
  • You may be contacted to bring a side dish or dessert.
  • If you have any family meal time ideas that have been helpful in the past, please send them to me before Sunday.  I would love to share them with other families.
  • We may schedule more of these in the future.  
Sunday, February 14th is also a Kids in Church Sunday (1st - 3rd graders are with their parents).

HERE is a previous post explaining sinking ships and simple sandwiches
HERE is an article explaining Three Truths and Three Tips for Engaging with Families in Your Church.

Monday, February 1, 2016