Don’t Expect God To Do What You Won’t Do

I wonder how many times I continued to beg God for something when I knew it was going to take a little work on my part to bring about change. Sure, I have experienced some water to wine, blind to vision miracles in my life but most of the time the miracles in my life have been “time delayed” because I needed to put forth some effort to see the results.

Lazarus is a great example of this. Jesus provided the power to raise Lazarus from death, but Lazarus still had to walk out. Tiny step by tiny step, bandaged, bruised and bewildered, he had to walk out of a tomb that had the smell of death. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to shuffle out the way he did. I can relate a bit to Lazarus. Mary and I had to take some active steps to move from a hectic unhealthy path to a path of health in our own lives. We rearranged priorities and set some new ones, and one step at a time bandaged, bruised and bewildered, we had to walk out.

There were days, months, when I felt like these were impossible steps to take. Occasionally, I would loose my emotional and spiritual equilibrium and would end up facedown until someone helped me back up, loosened the bandages and encouraged me to keep moving. Please hear me when I say that God brings life from death, resurrection from ruin, but occasionally you must put in some work to walk out of the tomb that so desperately wants to keep you hostage.

Jesus brought Lazarus back from death, but Lazarus had to walk out one tiny step at a time. I don’t think it was easy waddling out of that tomb all bandaged up. Lazarus had to put in some work. And so will you.

Steps to Keep Moving
Step 1: Move forward an inch at a time, a day at a time, but keep moving forward.
Step 2: See Step 1

Me, Myself, and I...how to lead yourself well

"Years ago I stopped worrying about how

to grow our church and instead focused on

growing me. As I grew me, our church grew."

-Rick Warren

"To develop others, start with yourself."

"True leadership comes mainly from within a person, not from outside."

Ultimately your leadership and usefulness in God's Kingdom comes from the person you spend the most time with...yourself.

Motivate Me, Myself, and I

Outward motivation will only take you so far. I am reminded of what David said when he saw Goliath. As everyone else cowered in fear, David proclaimed, "Is there not a cause?" That came from within. Someone who is self-motivated has a sense of God's calling on their life. They have an extraordinary purpose.                 

 

Encourage Me, Myself, and I

If you are depending on other people's praise to keep you encouraged, you will be sorely disappointed. Think you're having a bad day as a leader? Check out what David faced as a leader in I Samuel 30.

"And David was greatly distressed: for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons, and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."

Learn to encourage yourself. Get alone with God and let Him fill you up.

Control Me, Myself, and I

"Training us to renounce ungodliness and wordly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age." -Titus 2:12

You must control your emotions...your sinful desires, your attitude, etc. You can't control someone saying something mean to you...but you can control your response. You can't control someone mistreating you....but you can control how you treat them. You can't stop someone from being rude to you...but you can control how you act toward them.

Grow Me, Myself, and I

You must walk with God for yourself...no one else can do it for you. God doesn't have any grandchildren...only children. Only you can determine your spiritual depth.

Discipline Me, Myself, and I

"All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize." -I Corinthians 9:25

No one will pick up the Bible and read it for you...it's up to you.

No one will study a leadership book for you...it's up to you.

No one will set the alarm for you to get up and go to work on time...it's up to you.

No one will exercise and eat right for you...it's up to you.

You want to know how to make yourself invaluable to the church or ministry you serve in? Be self motivated...self encouraged...self controlled...growing yourself...and disciplining yourself.

Be like Jeremiah...your leadership comes from a God-birthed fire that burns deep inside you. He said...

"But if I say I'll never mention the Lord or speak in His name, His word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can't do it! -Jeremiah 20:9

What are some things you do to lead yourself? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Attitudes are Contagious

Our attitude is the result of choice, not a condition. In other words, when you don’t have enough volunteers how is your attitude? When things are not going well in ministry and you feel like throwing in the towel, how is your attitude? When difficult situations arise in our life we either respond with the right attitude or react with the wrong one.

When a doctor gives you medicine to fight off a cold and your body doesn't handle it well we say that you have a negative reaction to the medicine. If your body is getting better from the medicine we say that you are responding well. Our attitudes should be responsive not reactive.

The best way to have an attitude worth catching is to make sure the inside is healthy. Matthew 15:18 NCV Says, What people say with their mouths comes from the way they think... So, we have to think differently. In other words, our attitudes are an indication of what is on the inside. Other people don’t create your spirit, they only reveal it.

Chuck Swindoll sums up attitude best when he says, “The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude is more important than facts, it is more important than past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, it will cause a church to soar or sink. It will be the difference between a happy home and home of horror. It’s attitude and the remarkable thing is, you have a choice everyday regarding the attitude you will embrace for that day. We can not change our past, we can not change the tick of the clock we can not change that march toward death, we can not change the fact that people will act a certain way, we can not change the inevitable. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I respond to it.”

Question: If attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching today?

Philippians 4:8 NLT is a great place to start. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Listen for God activity

Kids can learn to be more aware of God's voice in their lives with this giggle-inducing activity. You'll need something to hide behind, such as a desk, card table, or cardboard box.
Ask for one volunteer to sit behind the barrier with his or her back to the class. Then have the rest of the class say one word-"hello"-one by one; after that, kids must be totally silent. Walk through the class and tap a child on the head. That child repeats the word "hello."
The child behind the barrier must guess who's speaking to him or her as each child is tapped. When he or she guesses correctly, another child has a turn behind the barrier. If a child is having a very difficult time guessing, say "hello" yourself, and the child will almost certainly guess correctly!
Once everyone has had a chance, talk about how reading the Bible helps us learn to listen for God, too. Ask kids to listen for God during the week, then discuss their experiences in your next class.

Crafts Any Boy Will Love

           

When you say "craft time," do the boys in your class moan, yawn, escape to the bathroom, or find other creative ways to express their displeasure? Maybe they have a point. Craft books tend to be packed with frilly, sweet-smelling projects. Do boys go for that stuff? Not the ones who live at my house! The best crafts for boys are the ones that let them be who God made them to be. Here are art projects boys are guaranteed to love because they embody the things boys love.
Gooey Slime
Envision boys' delight as they coat the bottoms of their feet with slick, slimy fabric paint, then walk across a T-shirt. Add the words "Followin' Jesus" with squeezable fabric paint, and you've got a first-class piece of wearable art.
Energy
Let your young men tackle a hunk of clay. Encourage boys to form a horse and chariot for one of Pharaoh's soldiers, pillars for Samson to pull down, or a coiled basket for Saul's exciting escape down a city wall.
Whack Attack
Gather aluminum pie pans, hammers, markers, a few large nails, and newspapers for padding, and you're ready for whackamania! Demonstrate how to draw a simple design such as a cross on the back of a pie plate, then make a tin-punch design by pounding nail holes about 3/4-inch apart on the outline. Tie a short piece of jute twine through two more nail holes at the top, and the project is ready to hang.
Building
Gather wood scraps, nails, and hammers. Turn your boys loose in groups of three or four to create their own versions of Noah's ark, the city wall of Jericho, or the tower of Babel. Or invite them to Lego-land where they can build a model of your church or set up a Bible-story scene, such as the armies of Israel facing the Philistines camped on the opposite side of the valley.
Noisemakers
Every boy has a weird voice or two up his sleeve (if not an entire sound effects department). Could this be a puppet opportunity? Sock puppets, paper bag puppets, even paper plate masks give boys a chance to let those vocal chords vibrate. How about Balaam's talking donkey? Or greedy little Zacchaeus-surely his voice came in something close to a soprano range.
Leaving Their Mark
Let boys make a wall or a room their very own with on-purpose hand prints, colorful Christian graffiti, and bold graphics that they design themselves. That's almost as much fun as leaving initials in wet cement.
Eating
Make mouthwatering, edible crafts such as a jail cell for Paul and Silas out of pretzel sticks and marshmallows. A stable for Jesus' birth could be made from graham crackers and marshmallow creme. Ring-shaped butter cookies with gumdrop jewels held in place by dots of frosting could be a royal crown. Make baby Moses in his basket with peanut butter/powdered sugar dough. Or how about Adam and Eve from cinnamon toast cut with gingerbread boy cookie cutters? Or the walls of Jericho built from Rice Krispies treat blocks, then demolished and devoured?
Movement
Slingshots made with leather shoe laces and squares of leather or vinyl can launch marshmallow "stones." Origami jumping frogs can bring the Egyptian plagues to life and involve a gang of fifth-grade boys in friendly competition for an hour. Let boys create paper airplanes from shiny, holographic wrapping paper to represent plagues of flies and locusts zinging around the room.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

If you want to grow as a leader in any area in your life (at home, at work, at ministry) than I HIGHLY recommend this book! The chapters are 3-4 pages and there are 21 chapters...each covering a different leadership quality. Amazing and applicable! Get it in your hands today!!
http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Indispensable-Qualities-Leader/dp/0785289046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337174759&sr=8-1

You weren't meant to go through life alone!

God designed you to do life with other people... to be encouraged by eachother, to spur one another on, to lift eachother up, to have a shoulder to cry on, to be completely real with, to laugh with--or at :)

What relationships do you have in your life? Who are you allowing to speak into you? Whose life are you speaking into?

It's been said that what you pour in is what you will pour out.... what are you getting filled up with? Negative, unhealthy relationships? or Positive relationships with people who are on the same journey with you and trying to reach a common goal?

Get plugged in... NOW! Now is the time to build relationships with people! You need them and they need you :)

Check out the Freedom Small Group catalog and jump into a Summer Small group... If you keep waiting for tomorrow to start, you'll have a whole bunch of today's piled up and tomorrow will never come. Jump in!

http://www.freedom-church.org/www.freedom-church.org/web/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-Summer-Groupssmall.pdf

The Most Important Thing Your Staff Pastors Wants You To Know

I know something about senior pastors- this is without question the BIGGEST, most important thing they need you to know about them. And here it is:
Do for me what you’d like the people you lead to do for you.
If you can master this one principle your staff pastors will love you forever. If you can take this one concept and use it as a filter for everything you do at your church you will be more successful than you have ever been in your ministry setting. This one small, but hugely crucial habit, will ensure you and your staff pastors have a healthy and mutually beneficially relationship. And not just for you. But for everyone you lead in your ministry.

So how can you put this principle into practice at your church? Here are 7 ways:
1. Do your job exceptionally well
Every lead’s first priority is to do their job well. Their second priority is to make sure the people they lead do their jobs well. Your staff pastors want you to do your job well. Make it your mission to work harder (and smarter) than anyone else in your department. Figure out where you add the most value. The best way to help your staff pastors do their job is by doing yours well.

2. Bring problems privately
Whether it’s a disagreement about the direction of your church, a tension about how your ministry is supported by their leadership, or a conflict between the two of you always, always, always do it in private. Never call your boss out in public. I’ve seen people make this mistake. It never, EVER ends well. Use Matthew 18:15-17 as a guide.

3. Support them publicly
When your staff pastors knows you have their back, they will have yours. A great way to show you’re on their team is to support them and their leadership in front of others. This doesn’t mean being fake or lying about something you don’t like. It means submitting to the leadership God has placed you under and helping them be successful. This will mean the world to them.

4. Come prepared when taking their time
I never want to be that guy who is always asking others to fix things for him and your boss doesn’t want you to be either. Only bring the most crucial, the most heavy, and the most difficult problems you can’t solve to them. And even when you do bring a couple of possible solutions and ask for their wisdom.

5. Offer to take something off their plate
As your schedule permits offer to help your staff pastors with something. It may be with research for an upcoming message, providing childcare for an event, or running a meeting they secretly want to get out of. Whatever it is make sure it won’t hinder the quality of your work, is something your good at, and is something they’d really like some help on.

6. Thank them
Gratitude is the best attitude. When your staff pastors do something you like, whether it’s preaching a message, stopping by your ministry, or running a program, meeting or event, that went especially well let them know they did a good job. I’ve never heard anyone complain about getting appreciated too much. Your staff pastors are no exception.

7. Pray for them and their family
Spend a few minutes in your quiet time praying over your leader’s family, leadership, and health. God’s anointing on their life is the best thing for both of you. This isn’t something you need to advertise each time you do it. But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to occasionally post on their Facebook or text them to say you were praying for them. It’ll make their day.

Having staff pastors isn’t always easy. Neither is being one. Both of you got into this crazy thing call ministry for the same reason: to love God and to love others. When you work at doing for them what you’d like the people you lead to do for you it will make working together fun and enjoyable.

Miles of Smiles--the friendliest church in town

Miles of Smiles--from Group Publishing
One important ingredient for a friendly church is a genuine smile. It's not that we have to train people to smile; we simply need to place greeters where their smiles will shine. And watch the contagious nature of a smile after that!

• Greetings-"A smile brightens everyone's day. When someone smiles at you, it sets you at ease," Echols says. "Along with our overall church greeting team, we place children's ministry volunteers at our main entrances and the entrances to our children's ministry environments to greet kids and families as they enter the church."
  A long-standing guideline with our Group Workcamps foundation is the "10-foot rule." All volunteers and staff are trained that whenever someone comes within 10 feet of them to flash a genuine smile. The 10-foot rule could transform your church!
• Goodbyes-Ministries have usually perfected the first 10 minutes of friendliness. Church growth experts are finding, though, that the first 10 minutes may not be the most important. Dr. Charles Arn, president of Church Growth, Inc., says in an Off the Agenda blog interview: "We also asked the focus groups when they decided that the church was friendly or not. From the answers we got, there's a 10-minute window that's pregnant with opportunities for a church to make a good impression. And it wasn't the 10 minutes I expected…More than any other time, folks said, 'I decided this was a friendly church in the 10 minutes following the conclusion of the service.' Many feel that's the first time people are free to be themselves."
  How friendly is your ministry in the last 10 minutes when parents are frantically retrieving their children?
• Fun, Fun, Fun-The best way to put a smile on a child's face is to create a ministry that's enjoyable. Add humor. Play with kids. When kids go home and tell their parents what a great time they had, that'll put a smile on parents' faces too!

Bible and Devo recommendations for parents for their kids

Faithgirlz Bible

This is great for girls age 8-12
Every girl is unique and special, and here’s a Bible that connects them more closely to God, themselves, and their friends—all with Faithgirlz! sparkle.

Features include:

• Dream Girl—use your imagination to put yourself in the story
• Bring It On—take quizzes to really get to know yourself
• Is There a Little ____ (Eve, Ruth, Isaiah) in You?—see for yourself what you have in common
• Between You and Me—share what you are learning with a friend! Between God and Me—get brutally honest with God through guided journaling space
• Oh, I Get It!—find answers to Bible questions you've wondered about
• Complete NIV translation—the most read, most trusted translation.

http://www.familychristian.com/faithgirlz-bible-niv-2.html

Adventure Bible-NIV: #1 Bible for Kids

This is great for boys and girls just learning to read through age 10!

Ready for Adventure? Embark on a fun, exciting journey through God’s Word with the Adventure Bible. Along the way you’ll meet all types of people, see all sorts of places, and learn all kinds of things about the Bible. Most importantly you’ll grow closer in your relationship with God. Recommended by more Christian schools and churches than any other Bible for kids.

Description:
The #1 Bible for kids! The Adventure Bible takes you on a fun, exciting journey through God’s Word. Along the way you’ll meet all types of people, see all sorts of places, and learn all kinds of things about the Bible. Most importantly, you’ll grow closer in your relationship with God. Here’s a quick tour through the features: • Life in Bible Times—Articles and illustrations describe what life was like in ancient days • Words to Treasure—Highlights great verses to memorize • Did You Know?—Interesting facts help you understand God’s Word and the life of faith • People in Bible Times—Articles offer close-up looks at amazing people of the Bible • Live It!—Hands-on activities help you apply biblical truths to your life • Twenty full-color pages—games, a scavenger hunt, and other Bible fun, with a jungle safari theme • Book introductions with useful facts about each book of the Bible • Dictionary/concordance for looking up tricky words • Color map section to help locate places in the Bible • Complete text of the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible Recommended by more Christian schools and churches than any other Bible for kids!

2:52 Boys Bible: The Ultimate Manual

From the manly, metal-looking cover to the cool features inside, The 2:52 Boys' Bible, NIV is the "ultimate manual"" designed for boys ages 8 to 12. Based on Luke 2:52: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men," this Bible focuses on the four primary areas of growth highlighted in the Scripture to help boys become more like Jesus mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially-smarter, stronger, deeper, and cooler.

This unique Bible uses the full-text of the New International Version^R and contains a study system called the 2:52 Track that takes boys through the Bible using the four primary areas. Each track highlights people, stories, and Scriptures that help boys grow towards maturity and manhood.

For Toddlers
The Beginner’s Bible, the bestselling Bible storybook of our time, now in a special edition just for toddlers. Toddlers will love this special edition of The Beginner’s Bible created especially for tiny hands to carry with them wherever they go. The toddlers edition features a smaller size, a go-anywhere handle, and an easy Velcro closure. Toddlers will come to know and love the key stories and characters of the Bible with this best-loved Bible storybook. Now updated with vibrant new art, text, and over 25 stories, The Beginner’s Bible is the perfect starting point for children. Toddlers will enjoy the fun illustrations of Noah helping the elephant onto the ark, Jonah praying inside the fish, and more, as they discover The Beginner’s Bible for Toddlers just like millions of children before!

http://www.familychristian.com/for-toddlers.html

Adventure Bible Storybook

The newest edition to the top-selling Adventure series, this storybook Bible for kids ages 4-7 will start them on a journey of discovering about the Bible and growing with God as they grow up with the Adventure Bible, at every age and stage, beginning with the Bible Storybook and continuing on through age 12 with the NIV edition.
At every twist and turn, the Adventure Bible Storybook is filled with—what else—ADVENTURE! Parents and loved ones can be assured that children who read it will learn the main stories and themes from the Bible, but all within a fun, exciting theme of discovering, imagination, and suspense—everything you’d expect from a fantastic adventure.
This storybook includes some lesser known stories that are particularly adventurous, such as Paul’s shipwreck on the island of Malta, and when the Israelites went to spy on the people of Canaan.
http://www.familychristian.com/adventure-bible-storybook.html

My First Read and Learn Bible

For Babies!!!

Baby's First Read and Learn Bible features eight timeless stories from the Old and New Testament including: the Creation, The Story of Noah, The Nativity, and Jesus and the Children. Illustrated in full color, this is a perfect introduction to the Bible for the youngest of children.

http://www.familychristian.com/my-first-read-and-learn-bible.html

NIV Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys

For every teenage guy who wants to live a revolutionary life. The Revolution Begins with You!

If case you did not know, you are in a war. Your enemy is dead serious. He wants you to think the battle raging around you is not big deal. It is a big deal. Your life, your relationships, your world – it is all a big deal, and it takes a big, God-filled heart to make a difference.

It is time to stand up and fight for what is right. Time to be a revolutionary – living your faith on the edge, challenging things that need to be challenged, discovering new possibilities, helping others to discover them as well. Fill your hands with Revolution. It will open your eyes, strengthen your courage, and guide you like a compass toward a life worth living.

But this is a Bible!

Yeah – a Bible like none other you have ever read, for today’s teenage guy going toe-to=toe with a hard-hitting world. A world God knows all about. He is the authority when it comes to understanding girls, sex, communication, drugs, divorce, relationships, success, parents, popularity, peer pressure and everything else guys face. He also knows what makes you tick, He loves you more than you can ever imagine, and he wants you to experience a life of purpose, power and impact.

The features in this Bible will strengthen you and hone our spiritual fighting edge. Battlelines show you how other teen guys deal with relationships, sex, drug abuse and other real-life issues. Match-Ups pit the good guys against the bad guys of the Bible to uncover winning – and losing – approaches to life. Challenge Notes do just that: challenge you to reach for everything God wants you to be. And there is plenty more – enough to help you make a kingdom-difference in the world around you.

A Revolution of the heart is not about how confident, strong, or popular you are. It is about what God can do in you and through you. He can revolutionize your relationship, your opportunities, and the whole course of your life. He can use you to change the world around you. Are you ready to find out how? Then look inside and let the revolution begin.

Feature

• 125 Battlelines interviews share solid insights from everyday, normal guys about sex, conflict, music, anger, addition, popularity and more.
• 12 full-color tip-ins give you 50 Ways to Be Radical for God, 100 Things Real Men Do and other ideas to help you revolutionize all aspects of your life.
• 100 Instant Messenger-style Challenge Notes paraphrase key Scriptures that call you onward and upward to all that God has for you.
• Over 200 Now or Never call-outs challenge you to discover God’s truth on a variety of faith-related issues.
• 100 Live the Adventure notes show you how to change your life and revolutionize your impace on others.
• 50 Match-Ups capture the conflict between good guys and bad guys of the Bible. Cain vs. Able, Ahab vs. Elija, and David vs. Saul … they have moves you can learn from – and moves to avoid.
• 66 books introductions provide overviews for each book of the Bible to help you dive in and know what is going on.
• Customer-designed reading plans let you pick the topic you are interested in.

Product Details
Ages: 13 – 16
http://www.familychristian.com/bibles/niv-revolution-the-bible-for-teen-guys.html

True Images: The Bible for Teen Girls-NIV

True Images connects the timeless truths of the Bible to your life, your relationships, and the things you care about most. Above all, you’ll get to know the God who loves you and has plans for you that are bigger and better than you can imagine.

Features:

• 120 “In Focus” articles take you inside other girls’ lives to see how the Bible applies to your own issues
• Over 300 “Genuine” notes focus on true inner beauty
• Over 500 “Truth or Dare” call-outs dare you to discover God’s truth about life and faith
• 52 “Mirror Images” profile the good girls and bad girls of the Bible
• Over 100 short “Love Notes from God” tell the very personal message of how much God loves you and of your incredible value in his eyes
• 24 full-color tip-ins bring you fun quizzes that reveal a lot about you
• “Reflections from the Other Side” reveal what guys think about different topics
• 66 book introductions

Page edges of Bibles: they can be plain, gilded, or stained. But printed? Yes, this edition of the bestselling True Images Bible has page edges that are actually printed with a youthful, contemporary paisley design in colors that coordinate with its trendy Italian Duo-Tone™ binding. It’s a look that’s sure to appeal to the young teen who wants a Bible that speaks to her in a unique design that fits her lifestyle.

Product Details
Ages: 13-16

http://www.familychristian.com/bibles/true-images-the-bible-for-teen-girls-niv.html

DEVOTIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PASTOR TIFFANY

Book of Devotions: My Time with God

For Toddlers:
My Time with God is a great way to start or end your child's day---by spending time with God. Preschoolers will love The Beginner's Bible art and the everyday situations they encounter. You'll love the simple connection to a Bible story and memory verse. Together you'll enjoy an activity, song, or prayer that brings home the story's theme. It's the perfect starting point for children as they discover the life and fun of the Bible, just like millions of children before them!
http://www.familychristian.com/book-of-devotions-my-time-with-god-1.html

Gotta Have God - Devotions for Guys

These books teach guys to rely on God as they learn more about the Bible and themselves. Available in age groups 2-5, 6-9, and 10-12.

http://www.familychristian.com/gotta-have-god-devotions-for-guys-vol-1.html

God & Me! Devotions for Girls

From toddlers through pre-teens, girls need to know that God is the friend they can count on as they mature. Available in age groups 2-5, 6-9, and 10-12.

http://www.familychristian.com/god-me-devotions-for-girls.html

Heads Up!: Sports Devotions for All-Star Kids

FOR BOYS AND GIRLS:
Sports Spectrum's Dave Branon hits a home run when he brings together the worlds of faith and sports to create this unique devotional designed just for young sports fanatics. Heads Up! uses stories of athletes and sporting events to inspire faith and achievement in kids, ages 8 and up. Each day's devotions includes: ? A 'game plan' - verse for the day ? A 'playbook assignment' - a short Scripture passage ? 'On the chalkboard' - final thoughts In addition to great devotions, you'll also find scattered throughout birthdays of some well-known athletes, sports tips, and rare facts & figures. With all the challenges that kids face today, Heads Up! is a great inspirational book for the young all-star kid.
http://www.familychristian.com/heads-up-sports-devotions-for-all-star-kids.html

Dear Diary: A Girl's Book of Devotions

The years between ages 8-12 can be an awkward and uncertain time for many girls. Not quite a little girl, but still not a teenager - just in between. Well, author and teen advocate, Susie Shellenberger introduces a unique and creative devotional just for girls ages 8-12 in a way that is totally cool. Dear Diary is a hip new devotional that addresses many of the issues facing young girls today, by providing biblically based solutions at a time when straight answers and solutions to real-life challenges aren't always so clear-cut. Written in the style of a young girl writing in her diary, each devotion not only offers guidance but also encourages girls to develop their God-confidence.

http://www.familychristian.com/dear-diary-a-girls-book-of-devotions.html

The One Year Mother-Daughter Devo

"The One Year Mother-Daughter Devo" is designed to be used by a mother and her tween daughter; both can read and understand the same devotion and share in the "girl gab" section to discuss their understanding of Scripture and their relationship with God. The devotion will strengthen mother-daughter relationships as well as their relationships with God. Topics for the devotions are centered around issues that the best-selling author (Dannah Gresh) is known for addressing through her books and mother-daughter conferences. Topics include modesty, purity, self-esteem, handling emotions, witnessing, living the faith. Dannah will encourage mother-daughter devotional time as a part of her conference curriculum for 2010- 2011, which will present a natural connection for the devotional.

Product DetailsAges: 8 - 12

http://www.familychristian.com/the-one-year-mother-daughter-devo.html

Teen Devotional Bible-NIV
Being a teenager--well, it has its ups and downs. It's cool to discover new stuff about yourself. But you've also got to make a lot of choices about who you want to be. You've got a lot of questions about God, dating, sex, faith, drugs, friends, your family, popularity--and the list goes on. Hey, you're not alone. Open up this Bible and read devotions written by teens like you who are dealing with the same stuff. They want to share with you what God has to say and how he can help you get through anything.
The NIV Teen Devotional Bible is written by teens for teens. Its 260 weekday devotions can help you find out what the Bible says about stuff that really matters to you. You'll love the exciting look and feel of this Bible. The page-by-page bursts of surprising facts, cool graphics, crazy humor, and radical ideas to chew on--and apply. The introductions loaded with features that help you get to know each book of the Bible. Fifty-two weekend devotions by youth experts that sum up the week. And 22 full-color pages about tough issues for teens, written by well-known speakers such as Dawson McAllister, Susie Shellenberger, and Jay Kessler.
Featuring lots of material from Youth Specialties and Campus Life Magazine--2 of America's coolest, most in-touch youth resources--The NIV Teen Devotional Bible is about real life. About real teens. About YOU.
The only NIV devotional Bible available for teens ages 12-15. - Daily devotions by, for, and about teens; 52 weekend devotions by well-known youth leaders. - Addresses issues relevant to today’s teens, such as faith, life, family, friends, and the future.

Check out this link for some other good stuff for your kiddos! http://www.familychristian.com/kids/early-readers.html?limit=30

Please contact me if you would like help finding some more things for your kids to bring faith into the home tiffany@freedom-church.org

-Pastor Tiffany

The Big Picture--object lesson

This is an object lesson or a group activity which will help explain that God sometimes has a different perspective than we do. Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

A fun activity you can use when talking about the will of God, the future, God's perspective.... Needed: A 24 piece puzzle. Prepare: Number each piece on the back from 1-24. Show: Randomly divide the pieces between the kids in the group, but instruct them to not show anyone else. It is important that they do not show anyone else their piece of the puzzle. Their job is to guess what the entire puzzle will be if all the pieces were put together. The only information they have is the small piece you have given them. After everyone has had a chance to guess, ask for piece #1 and place it in the center of the group. Then ask for the second piece and place it in its proper place. Continue placing the pieces in order. As you place more pieces, the bigger picture will become more evident, and many will be able to guess it before all pieces are in place. Eventually you will have all the pieces placed and the puzzle will be complete. Teach: You can then discuss with the group that sometimes God does not let us see the whole picture like he does. Sometimes we can only see a little piece of our lives, and we need to trust him to take care of us and know that he has a special purpose for our lives, even if we can’t see it right now. Some of you don’t know what you will be when you grow up, but God does, because he knows everything, and he has a special plan for you. Ask the group if they have any idea what they want to be when they grow up. As they respond, ask them if that is what they want to be, or if that is what God wants them to be.

Celebrity Atheist Talks About Children's Ministry

By Dale Hudson:

Celebrity Bill Maher is an outspoken atheist. He consistently mocks Christianity on his television show and at other media appearances. He even went as far as producing a movie called Religulous in which he seeks to discredit and destroy Biblical beliefs. He combined the words religion and ridiculous to form the title of the movie.

What is interesting to me is when he talks about his experience of going to church as a child. It gives you an inside look at why he didn't connect with faith and instead ended up going the opposite direction. As you read below, think about how we can avoid these barriers with the kids in our ministries.

 

1. He said, "It wasn't relevant to my life. Superman was relevant to my life. Baseball was relevant to my life."

Why wasn't it relevant? What makes something relevant to a child?

• Age-appropriateness. We don't expect kids to understand college material in 2nd grade. Why do we think they will grasp teaching that is geared toward adults at church?
• Great story telling. Superman was relevant to his life because it was an exciting story told well. We have the greatest, TRUE stories ever recorded. Great stories deserve great presentation.
• Community. Baseball was relevant to his life because it provided the opportunity to be part of a small group of boys that practiced together, played together, laughed together, won together, and sometimes lost together. When a child is part of a community where he or she is known and feels valued, it becomes an important, relevant part of his or her life.
• Life application. When someone is given truth and then taught how/challenged to live it out, it becomes relevant to their life.
• Connects with their culture. Relevance knows a child's culture and uses it as a tool to illustrate Biblical truth. Did you pick up on him talking about his toy gun and how he wouldn't take it off? What if someone had entered his culture and used his favorite toy as a link to a Biblical truth?

2. He said, "My parents didn't go to church with me or talk about faith at home."

This shows the importance of parents leading their children spiritually. How can we equip parents to lead their children by word and example?

• Get it on their radar. Teach them that God has called them to be the primary spiritual influence in their child's life.
• Give them simple, usable tools that they can use to disciple their children at home.
• Give them opportunities to serve together as a family.
• Give them avenues to grow in their faith and parenting skills.

3. He said, "It was so shamelessly invented."

This reminds us that kids are watching not only what we teach, but how we live what we teach. How can we model genuine faith?

• Practice what we preach...in words...in attitude...in character...in relationships...in serving.
• Don't categorize our faith. Show kids that our faith is not just something we display on Sunday morning, but something we live every day of the week.
• Have a vibrant, growing relationship with Jesus.
• Share real time examples of how God is at work in and through our life.

4. He said, "It scared me."

This reminds us that we must teach kids a proper view of God. How can we do this?

• Teach kids that God loves them so much that He sent His Son to die for us.
• Teach kids that Jesus wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to be their best friend.
• Teach kids that God gave us commandments to help us, not to harm us.
• Teach kids that fearing God doesn't mean that you have to be afraid of God.
• Teach kids that God is for them, not against them. He has their best interests in mind and has a great plan for their life.

5. He said, "It was boring. I had to get up and go to church."

This shows the importance of making church a fun experience for children. How can we create a place where kids are excited to be?

• Kid-friendly music.
• Kid-friendly theming.
• Let kids laugh....in fact, encourage it.
• Use fun games to illustrate Biblical truth.
• Replace "be quiet" with "what do you think?"
• Build a volunteer team that loves being with kids.
• Recognize them on their birthday.
• Form small groups where they can make friends and have a caring leader who personally cares for them.
• Ask kids what parts of the service are boring...and listen to them. If they say something is boring...guess what...it probably is. Change it up.
• Honor kid's attention spans. When their attention span is up...do something different and reset their internal clock.
• Don't just be a talking head when you teach. Use object lessons, sound effects, kid participation, and visual imagery.
• Watch for when kids look away during the service or class. Kids look away when they are bored. Tweak or change those parts of the service.

I wonder if the course of Bill's life might have been different if he had been in a relevant Children's Ministry?

What if Bill had been influenced by parents who were equipped to be the primary spiritual influence in his life? Would he be proclaiming God's truth instead of profaning it?

If Bill had seen real, genuine faith modeled by someone, I wonder if he would be impacting millions of people for God instead of trying to turn them away from God?

I wonder if Bill would have accepted Christ as His Savior if He had been told how much God loved him?

I wonder if Bill would have stayed in church if it was exciting instead of boring?

There are kids sitting in our Children's Ministries that will one day influence millions of people for God or against God. For most of them, the direction they go is being decided right now in their most formative years.

God, please show us any barriers that may be standing in the way of them connecting with You! And give us the faith and courage to remove them.

What are some other barriers you have heard people mention that kept them from connecting with Jesus as a child? How do you think we can remove them? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section so we can learn together.

4 Leadership Traits From Psalms

Saddleback's Steve Gladen shares Biblical wisdom for small group leaders.

Psalm 119:65-72 gives great insight into the traits we need to lead small groups or a Small Group Ministry. Where are you strong? Where do you need to grow?
Psalm 119:65-72
New Living Translation (NLT)
⁶⁵ You have done many good things for me, Lord,
just as you promised.
⁶⁶ I believe in your commands;
now teach me good judgment and knowledge.
⁶⁷ I used to wander off until you disciplined me;
but now I closely follow your word.
⁶⁸ You are good and do only good;
teach me your decrees.
⁶⁹ Arrogant people smear me with lies,
but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart.
⁷⁰ Their hearts are dull and stupid,
but I delight in your instructions.
⁷¹ My suffering was good for me,
for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
⁷² Your instructions are more valuable to me
than millions in gold and silver.
Trait number one, do you trust in the Lord? So often we forget what God has done for us. Verse 65 reflects on the good God has done…many good things. Have you taken the time to reflect on what God has done for you? Your ministry? When something good happens, do you write it down so you will remember? Do you share those things with your team?
Trait number two, do you have a teachable spirit and a learner? Verses 66, 68 and 72 reflect on focusing on a teachable spirit, agreeing and believing His commands and desiring more. Part of growth is focusing on His word and books that challenge and stretch us; which in turn will stretch the influence our ministry. All leaders are learners. In addition to diving into the Psalms, a book I am enjoying now is Growing Kingdom Character by Tom Yeakley. Are you learning?
Trait number three, are you okay with the disciplines of life…coming from God or those close to you in community? Allowing people to speak truth to you is one of the hardest, but most rewarding areas of growth. Letting people you trust shape you for holiness will help not only you but your ministry. Verse 67 and 68 shows discipline teaches us to avoid the area of temptation and closely follow His words. Who speaks into your life so you don’t wreck your life or ministry?
Trait number four, do you grow through suffering? Verses 69, 70 and 71 and many places throughout scripture show suffering will be a part of our lives. How we handle suffering and respond to it shows our maturity. Whether rightly (through God bringing us back to true North) or from the sin of this broken world spilling into your life or ministry, we need to react in a godly manner. Sometimes the suffering comes from inside the church. When that happens, use Matthew 18:15-17 to resolve those issues and encourage growth.

What you do matters!

*Jesus Smiles when He sees my ministry.
*I pass on faith & hope to a future adult.
*I help kids find their voice.
*I change the world-one child at a time.
*As I encourage a child's faith, I encourage my faith.
*I get to watch kids become friends & followers of Jesus.
*Jesus is the author & finisher of my faith, and my ministry.
*Kids' fingerprints leave a mark on my heart.
*God has called me!
*What I do matters!

Remember this when you ever wonder if you are making a difference :o)

Stacking Cups and clothespins: A new resource for the GH

Made for the old and new testament :o)

Sword Drills--Let's get kids in the Bible!

The basic idea is that I give them a reference to look up and they "race" to see who can find it the fastest. The name is taken from Hebrews 4:12 which says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." Here are our rules:


1. Swords Ready! You may put down the pages in your Bible before Genesis 1:1 and after Revelation 22:21 (Some Bibles have thick concordances, dictionaries, map sections, etc. and this helps them to only search through the actual Bible.)

Swords ready! Thumbs up!

2. Thumbs up! Thumbs must be up off the pages of the Bible so that no one is already opening up their Bible before I say "go."


3. State reference. At this point I state the reference they are to look up. If I have a group of kids unfamiliar with Scripture or new to the game, I might give them a hint like, "It's in the Old Testament" or "It's only a few pages long...look toward the end of the New Testament." The fact that their thumbs are up helps with the fact that there are probably kids who know exactly where to start searching and kind of makes it more of a level playing field. (Fun Fact: Did you know that if you try to open the Bible in the middle, you'll almost always land somewhere in Psalms? Good place to start!)


4. Go! When I say "Go" they search until they find the Scripture. I usually repeat the reference a few times while they're searching because they often forget the chapter or verse. Also, my husband, sister and I will kind of walk around during this part and point kids who are struggling in the right direction (helping them if they're in the wrong testament, past the verse or just don't even know where to begin).


5. Bottoms down. Bottoms must stay in the chair until their finger is on the verse they were to look up. If they stand up while moving their finger over the page and searching for the actual verse they have to sit back down.

6. You win! The first one standing with their finger on the correct verse wins! We usually have them read the verse for the group. If we have any candy on hand, we'll often give them a piece.


Here's a couple of things we've learned that makes this a better experience for everyone:


You can't "win" a second time until everyone else has had a chance. Sometimes we have kids that are the first one up almost every single time. This is great! But it can be discouraging to other kids who are always coming up just short. We allow the kids to participate each time, even if they've already won, but we have the first person who stands up and hasn't won yet read the verse and earn a reward (if we're giving out one).


I always make sure to emphasize that the "winner" is NOT the most spiritual person. Sometimes I like doing it jokingly because I think it gets the point across better and it lightens the mood. I say something like, "Now, the first person to stand up is the most spiritual, right?" At first some of the kids weren't sure, but now they all laugh and say, "No." I think this is a super important point to make because those who are usually toward the end need to understand that learning to use their Bible is an important process that takes time and doesn't in any way affect how much God loves them. On the flip side, those who are typically one of the first, need to understand that there is no place for pride here and that they are not better than the others because they know the order of books of the Bible and can find them quickly.


How about using this to make a fun, family devotion sometime soon? If you've got older elementary kids, you can lead the devotion and the game while giving them references about a topic (like salvation, attitude, prayer, etc.) Discuss the verse they look up and then move on to another one. If you've got younger elementary kids or preschoolers that need lots of help, consider participating by partnering up with them and drawing your verses out of a cup. This would help a family with a wide-variety of ages make it more fair and fun! (And, of course, your rules don't need to look exactly like ours!)

Need a little help with your first try? Here's a list of verses on the topic of Salvation that come from a wide variety of verses in the Bible so they can get practice looking up Old and New Testament verses:


Jeremiah 17:9
Proverbs 14:12
Romans 3:23
John 3:16
1 John 5:12-13
John 14:6
Isaiah 53:5-6
Ephesians 2:8-9
Romans 10:9
(This is certainly not exhaustive and you could take some out if this is too much for your kiddos to handle or encourage them to think of more! You can look them up in this order, or grab them out of a cup at random. Either way, these verses will provide a great springboard for discussing God's Word together!)


Why start here? What if your kids are already believers? I love talking about the Gospel with kids. The awesome thing is for EVERYONE! If your children have already trusted Christ as their Savior that is wonderful! Go through these verses and remind them to find JOY in their salvation! We should never, as children or adults, "get over" the gift of the cross. It is foundational to everything!!!! Sorry, rabbit trail... look up Bible verses, talk about Jesus, yep, that about sums it up! :)


Enjoy 30 minutes of family and God's Word! What an awesome thing to laugh and bond over!

"Just a volunteer"

A while back, I made myself a promise. I resolved that I would no longer refer to myself as “just a volunteer” when people asked me what my role was in Children’s Ministry. You see, when people ask me what I do, I don’t answer “I’m an accountant.” First of all, that sounds really boring. Even as I write, I struggle to keep my eyes open. Secondly, whenever I do tell people that they ask for help with their taxes. I don’t like taxes. I don’t do taxes. I usually struggle to get my own taxes done on time. No, when people ask me what I do, I tell them, “I work with children.” If they ask how or what it is I do with children, that opens the door for me to talk to them about my passion for children’s ministry. But, the truth of the matter is, I am a volunteer. I am not a full-time Children’s Pastor or Children’s Ministry Director. We have a wonderful woman at our church who fills that role. That is not what God has called me to do, at least not yet. He may at some point in the future call me in to it, but for now I volunteer in my church’s children’s ministry. I teach a large group of kids, I lead a small groups, I run games, I work in VBS, and I do whatever else I can to help.

For a long time, this just didn’t seem like enough to me. When I decided to start blogging, I naturally started writing about the things that I liked to talk about. Those were God, my family and children’s ministry. Then something funny and quite unexpected happened. People started to respond. People started to ask me questions about children’s ministry – can you imagine? I started to have conversations with people about children’s ministry. People started to send me children’s ministry products to review for the blog. I enjoyed, and still enjoy, every moment of it. There was, however, a part of me that felt a little bit like an imposter. Who was I to talk about children’s ministry? My experiences paled in comparison to the people I was talking to, collaborating with, and learning from who oversee what seems like an entire empire of children’s ministries. What could I offer to these people? What could I possibly have to say that would help, inspire or guide those who do so much more than me when in comes to children’s ministry? After all, I was “just a volunteer.”

Then, in a moment of clarity that could only have come from God, I realized/remembered something. The way we are, and what we do, is no mistake. God made us exactly the way he wants us, and he put us exactly where we are supposed to be. When I started writing and blogging, I did not do it to influence other people. I did it to record my thoughts. God prompted me to put myself out there. I didn’t know why at the time, but figured being obedient to God is a good thing and maybe there was an outside chance that out of 7 billion people on this planet that someone might find what I was writing to be useful. My job was to put it out there and let God use it however he sees fit. Whether I am a volunteer or a guru does not matter to God.

So, I am a volunteer, but I am not JUST a volunteer. God has graced me with a love for his children and a passion to share his love with them. He has blessed me with an all consuming desire to see kids enter into his kingdom and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He has tasked me with the responsibility and joy of helping kids to develop a biblical worldview. That is nothing to feel inadequate about. It is an awesome opportunity and responsibility to be a part of God’s plan, and I am where God has put me. I am working for my Heavenly Father who gives me every good thing. I am a servant of God, and that makes me a whole lot more than “just a volunteer.”



HOW ARE YOU MORE THAN JUST A VOLUNTEER? Comment!