What Role Does God Play in Your Child’s Life?

With autumn fast approaching, many children are headed back to school, where they will start the new academic year and enroll in many extracurricular activities. Homeschoolers are restructuring their studies and beginning other new activities as well. Today, it’s important that you take some time to look at your child’s daily schedule of activities. What do you see? What should you see? Do you see that Christ is at the helm of your child’s daily life, or has He been delegated to a lesser role?

Art projects, music lessons, soccer games, and the myriad of other school related activities all have their place and are an integral part of your child’s educational and social development. However, no activity should ever supplant the need for daily devotions, regular Biblical readings and discussions. Without this Bible based approach to learning, a child may begin to feel that ‘he’ is empowered to make decisions, without checking in with God first. He decides which subjects he will engage in and which he will ignore. His character is gradually being shaped by his will not God's will.

A child, who does not have God at the helm of his life, may begin to feel a false sense of pride when he excels academically. Likewise, the feeling of humiliation may cause his self-esteem to plummet when he fails that dreaded test. Conversely, a child who is Christ centered, will see his successes and failures in a more balanced way. This complete trust in God's plan for his life, allows the child to develop the confidence and willingness to finish that difficult academic assignment as well as tackle other educational and social challenges that need to be faced.

By making certain that your child’s life is fixed in truth, you will be careful not to bring in extracurricular activities that may be so appealing that, in the end, Christ is given a subservient role.

The entries in this blog will help you to plan lessons that are related to different themes, events and pivotal people in the Bible. Use the ‘keyword’ box to type in words for Bible based lessons. You can also peruse through the archives to find topics that God is calling you to explore. You will find many useful resources links to free hands-on lessons, pdfs, and object lessons for each of these topics. May God richly bless you and your family for your faithfulness this school year.

Taking That Leap of Faith in Uncertain Times

This morning, I checked my inbox and was treated to a guest devotional by Jon Walker, Please see Daily Hope and then click back to this blog.


Like millions of Christians, I subscribe to Rick Warren’s Daily Hope blog. As usual, today’s message was inspirational and caused me to take a step back and focus on my faith in God's divine power.

In today's devotional, the author uses Peter's lack of trust as an example. I, too, found myself thinking of Peter's dilemma when Jesus beckoned him to walk on the water. As you will recall, Peter was cautious about leaving the safety of the boat. The challenge to leave a safe situation and leap into something unknown gave Peter great cause for concern. I sometimes struggle with making faith based decisions as well. Do you?

The following, from Jon Walker’s inspirational message, really pinpoints the predicament that many of us may experience when faced with a crisis or near crisis.

“It's a paradox of faith: Our first step of faith places us in a position where faith becomes possible. By our obedience, we learn to be faithful. If we refuse to follow, we never learn how to believe. We stay stuck in the shallow end of faith, trusting in ourselves, living by sight and not by faith.”

Today, while reading the news about Rick Warren, I felt inspired to write a blog entry about the struggle of trust that we all, from time to time, experience. As you may know, Rick Warren was recently temporarily blinded due to an unfortunate gardening accident. Please see OC Register for details. How did Rick react to being temporarily blinded by a toxic milky poisonous sap? He became humble and prayed, and he asked others to pray for him as well. Rick placed his trust in God; he knew that God would not forsake him. He was modeling how a Christian should react in a time crisis. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (New International Version)

7We live by faith, not by sight. See Biblegatewaycom

It’s sometimes difficult in the unchartered waters of our life to step out and make a faith based decision to trust God. However, when we do take that leap of faith and trust Him, we feel truly blessed when He, in turn, reaches out and steers us to safety.

Stop and reflect about events in the past when you did reach out and felt that God was walking right there beside you. Surely, as a Christian, you can think of more than one time when you made that leap of faith and could feel His blessings.

Last Sunday, Charles Stanley presented a sermon about the 23rd Psalm and reminded the congregation of God's faithfulness to David and to us. David experienced many blessings and challenges throughout his life, as he walked with God. During many pivotal moments, David called out to God for help, and God responded and blessed him. David wrote the 23rd Psalm to affirm his awareness of God's love and protection. Likewise, when we have asked God for help, He has reached out to us. When we were weary, we could feel that he was carrying the burden for us. We could feel His love and help. With that knowledge in mind, why would we ever doubt that He will be with us now and in the future?

To help the teens and children in your life learn more about the power of faith, please type in Some Biblical Expressions of Faith, Fall Forward in Faith, Object Lessons in Faith, and Holding on with Faith When You are Approaching the Edge in the search box of this bog. You will receive commentary and links to free faith based lesson plans.

May God bless richly bless you.

Faith in Action - Serving God throughout 2010

God designed each of us with a special purpose in mind. You and I have unique talents and abilities and spiritual gifts that God designed us to use for the benefit of His kingdom. Sometimes we are unsure as to what our spiritual gifts are and/or how we are to use them. However, the Bible is clear in informing us that we are given such gifts, and it is our obligation to put these gifts to good use.

In Hebrews 5:12-14, we learn that we are expected continue to grow and learn in the World and develop as mature Christians. When we were new Christians, we were not equipped to do the work of a maturing Christian. As our faith strengthens, we develop the confidence to put our spiritual gifts into action, and God commands us to do so.

As mentors to children and teens, it is also our responsibility to help them discover what their gifts are. Children and teens model our behavior and can be influenced by our actions. If we are active, participative Christians, they see the difference we can make. Children and teens are learning about their own capabilities and talents and are often eager to participate but may be hesitate to proceed. We need to provide them with guidance and some freedom so that they can explore and discover what they too can do for the kingdom.

By visiting Spiritual Gifts List and Gift Definitions you will see which books of the Bible discuss spiritual gifts. (Keep in mind that I have not purchased any materials yet through this website, but I am impressed, thus far, from the material that I have seen.) Take just a moment, now, to visit this web page. Scroll down until you see the tabulated list of spiritual gifts. For example, by looking under Romans 12, and clicking on exhortation, you will be connected to the scripture that speaks about this gift. You will also be provided with various resources to help you develop your own spiritual gifts and foster those you see emerging in the young people in your life. As you go through this process, continually ask God's guidance. As always, spend time in prayer seeking His will for you. By doing so, God can more effectively use you to help others.

For hypothetical purposes, let's say that you are teaching a second grade Sunday school class. You notice that one of the students, who has always been unusually shy, approaches you and asks if he can help one of the new students with a Bible related coloring project. Of course, you give your consent. You step back, and watch, in awe, as she quietly but effectively helps the new student to relax and feel part of the group. On subsequent Sundays, you see that this once shy student is repeatedly called to interact with other new students. Through astute observation and by being obedient to God's use of you, you discover that this student quite possibly has the gifts of mercy and service. She undboutedly has many additional gifts to offer, but, for now, is being called to use these two. By becoming sensitive to this student's desire to use her gift, you have given her an opportunity to explore and develop her inner calling.

As we know, sensitivity is often one key, in helping young people develop their talents and gifts. We need to apply this same sensitivity throughout 2010, as we help children and teens discover and use their very unique spiritual gifts, as well. This can be accomplished by often stepping back and observing what the young people in our life like to do at church or for the community at large. Talking about ways children and teens can serve will also provide some clarity and direction as well.

Explore the following websites for additional information about Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Gifts Inventories

Spiritual Gifts Inventory
Children and Spiritual Gifts - Ministry Tools
Spiritual Gifts Bible Teaching, Online Test and Resources
Spiritual Gifts for Kids, Helping Your Child Understand God's Plan

May Jesus provide you and your family with blessings throughout 2010, and may you be open to the many ways He will call you to serve throughout the year.

Joyfully Serving Others throughout the Season of Giving

This year commit to do something fun yet really meaningful for those in your community who are are sad and lonely. Become involved in a project and possibly enlist the help of other families and friends. Jesus came to this earth to show us how to serve. What better way to show Christ's love, than by reaching out to those who are sad, very ill and may not yet know Jesus. In Mark 10:35-45, Jesus speaks to the twelve apostles about serving.

See Biblegateway.com

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."
36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."
38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39 They said to Him, "We are able."
So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Last Sunday, I went to a nursing home to visit an elderly lady. As I walked through several hallways, I couldn't help but notice the amount of lonely senior citizens sitting in wheelchairs. I was saddened by the vapid expressions on their faces. Christmas can be such a lonely time for shut ins, and many of these people are so appreciative to know that others still care about them. Likewise, many children spend Christmas bedridden in a hospital. Prayerfully consider how you can make a difference in the lives of the very young and elderly.

First, call your local nursing home or children's hospital and explain that you would like to bring handmade gifts to the patients. Find out the do's and don'ts of acceptable gift giving. Then, get your team assembled and go to work. :-)

Visit the Family Cares website. Scroll down until you see Project Ideas. Decide whether you want to make a cooking, sewing or other type of craft project. One word of caution here. The first time we became involved in a community project, we got a little carried away by our enthusiasm and spent more than we wanted. Don't make the same mistake. Meet with your other community project partners and agree that you will set a spending limit. Almost everyone is watching their pennies these days, so sticking to budget is a must!! To make the project enjoyable for everyone, be sure to also consider the age, ability, interest, and attention span of the children/teens involved in making the gifts.

Visit some craft, yardage and stationery stores in your area, and ask to speak with the manager. Explain what your group is doing and ask to see the remant racks and bins. Inquire about possible discounts. You can also cut costs by purchasing baking items at many discount grocery chains. Peruse through your favorite Sunday newspaper for sales and coupons. Although many stores have greatly limited their inventory, with a little perseverance and a positive attitude, you will find what you need.

Although these projects are welcomed at any time of the year, Christmas is the ideal holiday to spread God's word. Make sure that the home baked cookies or home made gifts are accompanied by a religious bookmark, Christmas card or other Christian item.

See the following sites for some ideas:

Make Your Own Christian Bookmarks
Christian Christmas Crafts
Christmas Religious Kids Crafts

Below, are some additional sites and recipes to consider for additional projects.

Family Cares
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Scented Baskets

May you and those around you who participate in these Christian outreach projects be blessed in numerous ways throughout this special holiday season.

Merry Christmas! Jesus IS the reason for the season!

Placing God at the Heart of this Holiday Season

The holidays are filled with a mixture of joy and stress. Society tries to dictate what types of presents to buy and meals to prepare. We are inundated with television and newspaper ads telling us that we need to provide “the best” gifts and food to our loved ones so that they will know just how much we care.

Gone is the simplicity. We live in a technologial society in which we ooh and awe over the latest gadgets that are promised to provide us with a faster, more efficient way to get what we need and want. Although these gadgets make our life easier and allow us to become more independent, in the process, we may give up a little of our dependence on each other, and most importantly on God.

Many of us may have mixed feelings about the Duggar family, featured on the TLC television show, 18 Kids and Counting, but one thing I feel that we can all agree upon is the family unity and caring that is clearly demonstrated in each episode. I haven’t watched many episodes of this program, but from the ones I have viewed, much to my amazement, the family unit seems very much intact and functional. Like families of generations past, this family isn’t afraid to be frugal, creative and work together to create meaningful holiday celebrations.

Instead of making certain that everything is perfect, their focus is on Jesus. They strive to live according to God’s word, as they carry out their day to day activities. Planning a holiday meal isn’t really diferent from any other meal, because they are used to cooking for 21 people on a daily basis.



When I watch the show, what I see is a healthy dependence on God and each other with the focus on achieving designated goals that will benefit both the family unit, and, often, others as well. Yet, I also see that each child in this family is being presented with the knowledge and tools needed to becone a self-actualized person. The oldest child, who is now married and has a family of his own, I feel, is a testament to good Christian parenting. He and his wife are self-supporting, compassionate, God centered parents.

Each of us, too, strives to achieve and maintain that balance of dependence and independence in our relationships with people in our life. Accomplishing this balance can be so much easier when our focus is on God. When we come to Him in prayer and in thanksgiving, He reaches out His hand to direct us. However, when we are out of sync, our relationships, outlook on what is important in life, and the way we lead our lives becomes unbalanced.

It’s important this holiday season to not lose sight of what is most precious. As educators and parents, we need to show children, by example, that our first prioirty is a healthy dependence on God. Parents can model this by reading the daily devotional each morning. Whenever possible, discuss these devotionals during meals shared or other opportunites that present themselves throughout the day.

Try to heal splintered relationships with loved ones. This doesn’t necessarily mean giving up boundaries. If you are caught between having to decide where to spend Thanksgiving because your have been inviited to two different family celebrations, spend some time praying. Let the Holy Spirit guide your decision. If some members of the family don’t understand your decision, just let go and let God. By depending upon God to help you
throughout the holiday season, you will feel a sense of peace in your heart.

Some Special Thanksgiving Lesson Planning

I hope that the following links will be a true blessing to you:

Read Thanksgiving Thoughts: Passing Along Some Positive Perspective with the Pumpkin Pie by Sara L. Ambarian for some invaluable insight.


To locate some good thanksgiving scriptural references point your browser to Topical References

Finally, visit Audrey’s Thanksgiving Page - Resources for Christian Teachers)

This site is absolutely awesome!!

May God richly bless you and your family throughout the holiday season!!




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