The Highly Healthy Marriage
View the PowerPoint The Highly Healthy Marriage to learn how to strengthen your marriage.
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Confrontational Prayers
View the PowerPoint Confrontational Prayers
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God’s Plan For Sharing
View the PowerPoint God’s Plan for Sharing, to learn how you can share the Gospel with others.
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7 Stages of Grief…
1. SHOCK & DENIAL-
You will probably react to learning of the loss with numbed disbelief. You may deny the reality of the loss at some level, in order to avoid the pain. Shock provides emotional protection from being overwhelmed all at once. This may last for weeks.
2. PAIN & GUILT-
As the shock wears off, it is replaced with the suffering of unbelievable pain. Although excruciating and almost unbearable, it is important that you experience the pain fully, and not hide it, avoid it or escape from it with alcohol or drugs.
You may have guilty feelings or remorse over things you did or didn’t do with your loved one. Life feels chaotic and scary during this phase.
3. ANGER & BARGAINING-
Frustration gives way to anger, and you may lash out and lay unwarranted blame for the death on someone else. Please try to control this, as permanent damage to your relationships may result. This is a time for the release of bottled up emotion.
You may rail against fate, questioning “Why me?” You may also try to bargain in vain with the powers that be for a way out of your despair (“I will never drink again if you just bring him back”)
4. “DEPRESSION”, REFLECTION, LONELINESS-
Just when your friends may think you should be getting on with your life, a long period of sad reflection will likely overtake you. This is a normal stage of grief, so do not be “talked out of it” by well-meaning outsiders. Encouragement from others is not helpful to you during this stage of grieving.
During this time, you finally realize the true magnitude of your loss, and it depresses you. You may isolate yourself on purpose, reflect on things you did with your lost one, and focus on memories of the past. You may sense feelings of emptiness or despair.
5. THE UPWARD TURN-
As you start to adjust to life without your dear one, your life becomes a little calmer and more organized. Your physical symptoms lessen, and your “depression” begins to lift slightly.
6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH-
As you become more functional, your mind starts working again, and you will find yourself seeking realistic solutions to problems posed by life without your loved one. You will start to work on practical and financial problems and reconstructing yourself and your life without him or her.
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE-
During this, the last of the seven stages in this grief model, you learn to accept and deal with the reality of your situation. Acceptance does not necessarily mean instant happiness. Given the pain and turmoil you have experienced, you can never return to the carefree, untroubled YOU that existed before this tragedy. But you will find a way forward.
You will start to look forward and actually plan things for the future. Eventually, you will be able to think about your lost loved one without pain; sadness, yes, but the wrenching pain will be gone. You will once again anticipate some good times to come, and yes, even find joy again in the experience of living.
Teaching Children the Bible Can Be Simple
by Marty Machowski, Author of “Long Story Short”
I remember feeling the full weight of my leather-covered adult Bible when I first sat down to teach my kids. At that moment, the responsibility seemed overwhelming. Questions flooded my mind: “Where do I start? How much should I read? What should I say?” And the biggest question of all: “Am I even qualified to do this?”
But teaching the Bible to my children was easier than I thought. It’s easier than most parents think. Here are a few helpful tips I’ve learned along the way:
Start with the Stories. There’s a reason story Bibles are so popular. Who wouldn’t be captivated by stories about giants, battles, miracles, and shipwrecks? These stories are in your adult Bible with even more detail. Read Genesis, Exodus, 1 Samuel, the Gospels, and the book of Acts. Watch your children get excited about what will happen next.
Shorter is Better. All you need is ten minutes a day. Read a shorter passage—not a whole chapter—using your Bible’s chapter subdivisions as a guide. Ask a few simple questions after you read. Let the discussion go where it will—then pray. Keep your Bible at the dinner table, and pick up where you left off the next day. After a couple of weeks, your children might remind you that it’s Bible study time.
Be prepared for distractions. It’s no surprise that children’s attention spans are short. I’ve blown more than one family Bible study by getting frustrated when my children lost focus. Allow distractions to run their course. Pause for a minute, and then draw your children’s focus back to what you are reading.
Look for Jesus. Stories in the Old Testament look forward to Christ: God providing a deliverer to save his people and blood sacrifices being offered up for sin. And every New Testament story points to Jesus. In each Bible story you read, look for him.
Faithfulness over time is what’s important. Consistency is more important than a fantastic devotion. Don’t forget that it’s the power of the gospel that transforms children’s lives, not the quality of our presentation. Often, your family Bible study is going to feel average. Just remember that the impact we leave on our children takes place over years.
Article courtesy of Bible Study Magazine published by Logos Bible Software. Each issue of Bible Study Magazine provides tools and methods for Bible study as well as insights from people like John Piper, Beth Moore, Mark Driscoll, Kay Arthur, Randy Alcorn, John MacArthur, Barry Black, and more. More information is available at http://www.biblestudymagazine.com. Originally published in print: Copyright Bible Study Magazine (July–Aug 2009): pgs. 28–31.
Stewardship
The true test of our spirituality is not only seen in our Bible knowledge and lengthy times of prayer, but also it is reflected in how we use our time, gifts, and possessions.
In the Bible, we discover that every Christian is responsible to the local church and accountable to the Lord to use his time, talents, and possessions consistently and biblically to advance the Kingdom of God.
We are stewards or, trustees, who have been entrusted with God’s possessions of which we should apply the “T/T/T” standards of living: Time/Talent/Tithes.
Stewardship means that we are managers of what belongs to God and everything belongs to Him. Thus, all that we are all that we possess is a gift from Him to be used for our good and His glory.
The Accomplishments of Stewardship:
A. Stewardship brings glory to God.
B. Stewardship reflects and affects our spiritual growth.
C. Giving supplies the needs of others
Salvation
A few years ago in one of the city’s local newspapers, several hundred people were asked, “Are you going to Heaven when you die? ”Many of them answered in this manner: “I don’t know” …. “I’m working on it” …. “I’ve no idea”…. “I’m not sure.” As you reflect on these answers, how would you respond to the question? Listed below are several ways in which some people believe they can enter Heaven. Which best represents how you believe you can enter Heaven :
a. Be baptized and/or confirmed
b. Accept and follow the teachings and example of Christ.
c. Join a church and regularly attend.
d. Live a good life.
e. Love your fellow man.
f. Obey the Ten Commandments.
It must be realized that each of these answers represents something than man does or tries to do. Heaven is NOT a reward to be won, but A GIFT to be received.
All of mankind has the need for salvation, because we are all on born sinners. According to Romans 3:23 ” all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
The penalty for our sinful nature is death. However, “yet while we were sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) And because He died for us, all who believe in him “shall not perish but have enternal life.” (John 3:16)
By simply confessing with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead, YOU will be SAVED.
If you want to be apart of God’s family pray this prayer today and seek out a church community where you can grow in your relationship with Christ :
“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
Holy Spirit
Who is the Holy Spirit?
1.The Holy Spirit is God.He is the third person of the Trinity (Matthew 28;19-20).In Acts 5:3, Peter confronts Annias and asks him why has he lied to the “Holy Ghost” (Spirit)Then, in verse 4, Peter declares
“….thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
2.The Holy Spirit is a personality — not an “it.”
He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30)
He can be lied to (Acts 5:3)
He can be vexed (Isaiah 63:10)
He was the agent of creation (Genesis 1:2; 1:26)
Our Daily Bread
- Help NeededDuring World War II, the British Isles represented the last line of resistance against the sweep of Nazi oppression in Europe. Under relentless attack and in danger of collapse, however, Britain lacked the resources to see the conflict through to victory. For that reason, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill went on BBC radio and appealed to the world: “ […]Bill Crowder
