You should finish reading THE BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE today. I hope that you and your family enjoyed the time together, enjoyed the story, and enjoyed some good conversations about the story. Please let me know - give me a comment on this blog; or email: lcarden@clearcreek.org
Now that you have finished - create a piece of art to show what you have done. We had about 15 pieces turned in last weekend at Egret Bay and about 10 at West Campus. They are all amazing! I'm so proud of all of you for doing it. We will keep them in the lobby this weekend also, so bring it early on Sunday and we will add it to the show.
Let's show the whole church what PeeWee Families are doing and learning.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Plan from the Beginning
There were some tough stories to read this weekend from THE BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE. Friday it was all about how Jesus suffered. Saturday was so sad thinking about how his followers missed him and were in the dark about what had happened.
I pondered those stories............... Friday night I was at a baptism service for Creek Kids. We celebrated 11 kids coming to faith. We couldn't have celebrated that without Christ's suffering. We couldn't have a relationship with God without Christ dying for us. We wouldn't have a gift to accept without him taking on our punishment.
It was all part of the plan from the beginning. Today as you read Part 23 - Jesus showed his followers the plan. He showed them how it was written in the scriptures for hundreds of years. God loved us so much that He made a plan for us. He knew that we would sin and not be able to get to Him. He gave His son to die for us. Jesus - took on our punishment - is our rescuer!
Celebrate that plan - your rescue plan today as you read Part 23. Share your story of faith with your children. Celebrate our Father's love for us............even while we are such sinners.
Create a beautiful picture showing how God rescued you. If you bring it to PeeWeeVille this week, we will put it in our Art Show. Celebrate.........help your children to celebrate and not forget what Christ did for us.
I pondered those stories............... Friday night I was at a baptism service for Creek Kids. We celebrated 11 kids coming to faith. We couldn't have celebrated that without Christ's suffering. We couldn't have a relationship with God without Christ dying for us. We wouldn't have a gift to accept without him taking on our punishment.
It was all part of the plan from the beginning. Today as you read Part 23 - Jesus showed his followers the plan. He showed them how it was written in the scriptures for hundreds of years. God loved us so much that He made a plan for us. He knew that we would sin and not be able to get to Him. He gave His son to die for us. Jesus - took on our punishment - is our rescuer!
Celebrate that plan - your rescue plan today as you read Part 23. Share your story of faith with your children. Celebrate our Father's love for us............even while we are such sinners.
Create a beautiful picture showing how God rescued you. If you bring it to PeeWeeVille this week, we will put it in our Art Show. Celebrate.........help your children to celebrate and not forget what Christ did for us.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Help Your Children Know God Better
Wow! You have almost read the whole BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE! I hope that you and your family have used it to prompt many conversations about God, faith, and what Christ did for us. I would love to hear your stories. Please either comment on this blog or email me (lcarden@clearcreek.org) a story about how this story book helped your family this month.
Here are a couple of other culminating celebrations for you to be a part of:
Here are a couple of other culminating celebrations for you to be a part of:
- Saturday(May 21) is Water Day. We will have jumpies and water slides in the grassy area between Creek Kids and PeeWee buildings at the Egret Bay Campus from 10am to noon.
- Sunday we will have an Art Show in the Auditorium lobby of both campuses. Please submit your child's or familiy's art masterpiece on Saturday or Sunday. We want the whole church to see what families are learning and how PeeWees are growing in their faith.
Both of these events are fun. We want kids to understand from an early age that reading and studying God's word is fun and enjoyable. We (PeeWee and Creek Kids staff and volunteers) want to partner with you parents in discipling your children. We want to give you tools and encouragement. We are here as a resource for you. So take advantage of the 30 day challenges, the notes sent home with the lesson for the day, the books we sell and recommend, the Family Workshops, etc. Give us feedback and help us to be the best partner we can be for you. Your child's relationship with God and growth is THAT IMPORTANT!
It is so amazing that God wants to have a relationship with each of us. He wants us to know Him and love Him. God loves us so much that He gave us the Bible to teach us about Himself. He loves us so much that He gave us a Rescuer that we can rejoice about. Growing in your faith is a privilege and joy! Help your children grow up physically and in their faith............celebrating milestones of both...........and praising our Father God who wants us to know Him better.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Art Masterpieces
This weekend will mark the halfway mark in our reading of THE BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. I would love to hear your stories! Please comment on this blog any funny, sad, or moving conversations that you have had with your children as you read along.
Also, we want to show off your creativity! As a family create a masterpiece of art using any medium your child chooses: paint, crayons, chalk, skulpture.......... The list is long. Your PeeWee may want to do it all by themself - or the whole family may chip in. Please label your art and bring it with you to our Water Day celebration on May 21 at the Egret Bay campus from 10am - noon. We will display them in the church lobby for all to see!
We are halfway there................keep reading and learning and making time for those God moments each day in your homes.
Also, we want to show off your creativity! As a family create a masterpiece of art using any medium your child chooses: paint, crayons, chalk, skulpture.......... The list is long. Your PeeWee may want to do it all by themself - or the whole family may chip in. Please label your art and bring it with you to our Water Day celebration on May 21 at the Egret Bay campus from 10am - noon. We will display them in the church lobby for all to see!
We are halfway there................keep reading and learning and making time for those God moments each day in your homes.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
SIN and RESCUE
It is truly a story as old as time..............because it is written all throughout the Bible from Genesis to today........... Man sins and God rescues.
Today is Mother's Day. A day to relax and enjoy the fact that you gave birth to those little munchkins. They will bring you gifts and tell you they love you. They will get all dressed up and take a pretty picture. But I guarantee that in every home out there..........at some point today they will disobey. Yes, even on Mother's Day. And yes, even on Mother's Day you will have to punish some sin - some disobedience.
We are all sinners through and through. We can't go a single day without disobeying God. When you read Part 8 of the BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE you see that as soon as God rescued the people, they would sin again. They would worship Him as their king and rescuer...........then turn around and try to be their own king. Unfortunately we are no different. We can't go a day without sinning.
I am so thankful that God doesn't get tired of rescuing me. That He doesn't get tired of forgiving me. That His love doesn't have a limit. That even if there was a God's Day - He would know that I'm gonna mess up and He has me covered. I am so thankful that He sent His one and only son to die for me............for me...........the loser that can't go a day without disobeying Him.
Thank you God - my rescuer!
Today is Mother's Day. A day to relax and enjoy the fact that you gave birth to those little munchkins. They will bring you gifts and tell you they love you. They will get all dressed up and take a pretty picture. But I guarantee that in every home out there..........at some point today they will disobey. Yes, even on Mother's Day. And yes, even on Mother's Day you will have to punish some sin - some disobedience.
We are all sinners through and through. We can't go a single day without disobeying God. When you read Part 8 of the BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE you see that as soon as God rescued the people, they would sin again. They would worship Him as their king and rescuer...........then turn around and try to be their own king. Unfortunately we are no different. We can't go a day without sinning.
I am so thankful that God doesn't get tired of rescuing me. That He doesn't get tired of forgiving me. That His love doesn't have a limit. That even if there was a God's Day - He would know that I'm gonna mess up and He has me covered. I am so thankful that He sent His one and only son to die for me............for me...........the loser that can't go a day without disobeying Him.
Thank you God - my rescuer!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Joseph - Revenge or Reconciliation
As I read Part 5 of THE BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE today, I'm reminded of our 3 kids. Thanking God we didn't have 12!!! Just kidding. Really I was thinking about all the fussing and fighting - the tattling, etc.
Kids squabble. Kids are jealous and mean and rude.
Adults squabble. Adults are jealous and mean and rude.
Remember we live outside of the Garden - we all SIN.
Joseph's brothers were no different. And they ganged up on Joseph. And they did something really mean. Many years later - Joseph caught up to them and was in a position to really take revenge - but he chose reconciliation.
There are lessons for us and our kids...........
Kids squabble. Kids are jealous and mean and rude.
Adults squabble. Adults are jealous and mean and rude.
Remember we live outside of the Garden - we all SIN.
Joseph's brothers were no different. And they ganged up on Joseph. And they did something really mean. Many years later - Joseph caught up to them and was in a position to really take revenge - but he chose reconciliation.
There are lessons for us and our kids...........
- You will get yours in the end if you are mean to each other??? NO...........remember Joseph chose to reconcile. Reconciling and having a relationship is always more important than remembering a wrong and getting back at someone.
- Poor Joseph - forgotten by his family and God - left in prison??? NO.............read the whole story - Genesis 37-46. God was with Joseph the whole time. God had a plan. God took care of Joseph. God used Joseph and his situation to help a lot of people. God made Joseph great.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Yes, this world outside of the garden is hard and mean, but we aren't alone. If we love God and follow His will and purpose...........He is bigger than all of our troubles - He will work it all out according to His plan.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Life Outside the Garden
I hope you are enjoying reading THE BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE. Yesterday was a really sad story - the repercussions of sin - separation from God.
Today - Section 3 - begins with a terrible look at life outside of the Garden of Eden. Have you ever thought that we are outside the Garden of Eden today? I'm reminded of that when I watch the news, listen to a sad story of hurt or evil, and when I hurt. This world isn't perfect. It isn't the very good beginning that God started with.
Adam and Eve were thrown into a world that was without communion with God. They went from constant communion to none in a flash. Everything became hard including relationships. Everything seemed to go down hill. I often think how much that must have hurt God. He created something wonderful and full of Him and man chose sin instead.
In the time of Noah - God judged the world again it was tough and hard, but necessary. Today we live in a post-Noah world. I'm not sure we have learned anything. I'm not sure we appreciate how amazing communion with God can be. Or how swift and tough God's judgement for sin is.
Sin and judgement are not just for really evil people. The Bible says: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) For all = me and you and our children and our friends and our family, etc. All includes all. We are all sinners.
Life outside the Garden = sin and judgement. We all deserve judgement for our sin. But the story of Noah shows us that if we make God our King - we will be saved from our punishment. I'll give you a hint at the end of the story - Jesus takes our punishment. How's that for a King...... my king...........hopefully your king!
As you read this story and you discuss the bad stuff in the world. Don't forget to tell your kids the ending. God wins! Jesus takes on our punishment! God is king even outside the Garden.
Today - Section 3 - begins with a terrible look at life outside of the Garden of Eden. Have you ever thought that we are outside the Garden of Eden today? I'm reminded of that when I watch the news, listen to a sad story of hurt or evil, and when I hurt. This world isn't perfect. It isn't the very good beginning that God started with.
Adam and Eve were thrown into a world that was without communion with God. They went from constant communion to none in a flash. Everything became hard including relationships. Everything seemed to go down hill. I often think how much that must have hurt God. He created something wonderful and full of Him and man chose sin instead.
In the time of Noah - God judged the world again it was tough and hard, but necessary. Today we live in a post-Noah world. I'm not sure we have learned anything. I'm not sure we appreciate how amazing communion with God can be. Or how swift and tough God's judgement for sin is.
Sin and judgement are not just for really evil people. The Bible says: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) For all = me and you and our children and our friends and our family, etc. All includes all. We are all sinners.
Life outside the Garden = sin and judgement. We all deserve judgement for our sin. But the story of Noah shows us that if we make God our King - we will be saved from our punishment. I'll give you a hint at the end of the story - Jesus takes our punishment. How's that for a King...... my king...........hopefully your king!
As you read this story and you discuss the bad stuff in the world. Don't forget to tell your kids the ending. God wins! Jesus takes on our punishment! God is king even outside the Garden.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Big Picture - The Very Good Beginning
Hopefully you have a
BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE.
We are ready to begin our adventure of reading through it and thinking about it all through the month of May. Today is May 1 - read section 1 - The Very Good Beginning.
God created a beautiful world - and beautiful people in His image. They obeyed Him and knew that He was their king. It was wonderful................. There was no sadness or sin. There were no hardships or troubles. It was a very good beginning.
Bruce Wesley talked today in the adult service about troubles that we all face and how to have peace in the midst of them. In the very good beginning there were no troubles - everyone was at peace because they were in a relationship with God. He was their King. As you follow along in THE BIG PICTURE BIBLE, and as you attend the teaching series this month about finding peace.............you will see that the only way to have peace is to be at peace with God and allow Him to be your king.
The beginning was very good............unfortunately tomorrow we will read about the very sad day.
As you read today, worship God. Thank Him for creating everyone in your family in a special way. Thank Him for the beautiful world He made. Go for a walk today and celebrate creation. It was a very good day when God created the world and you!
BIG PICTURE STORY BIBLE.
We are ready to begin our adventure of reading through it and thinking about it all through the month of May. Today is May 1 - read section 1 - The Very Good Beginning.
God created a beautiful world - and beautiful people in His image. They obeyed Him and knew that He was their king. It was wonderful................. There was no sadness or sin. There were no hardships or troubles. It was a very good beginning.
Bruce Wesley talked today in the adult service about troubles that we all face and how to have peace in the midst of them. In the very good beginning there were no troubles - everyone was at peace because they were in a relationship with God. He was their King. As you follow along in THE BIG PICTURE BIBLE, and as you attend the teaching series this month about finding peace.............you will see that the only way to have peace is to be at peace with God and allow Him to be your king.
The beginning was very good............unfortunately tomorrow we will read about the very sad day.
As you read today, worship God. Thank Him for creating everyone in your family in a special way. Thank Him for the beautiful world He made. Go for a walk today and celebrate creation. It was a very good day when God created the world and you!
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