Very Good Grasshopper

This week we begin a new series called "Labrynth". The idea behind these 3 lessons are to help students learn to process the way the Lord speaks to us and to learn to hear His voice. 

Here is a synopsis of the first week: 

“Why do they have it all together?” “Why can’t I ‘get it’ like they do?” “How can I be as close to God as they seem to be?” Sometimes we have these kinds of questions when it comes to our faith. And, sometimes, we feel like everyone else has it all together when it comes to hearing God and knowing where their life is going. It can make us feel excluded from God’s plan and from knowing what that plan is for us. But the truth is God does have a plan for you and does want to speak to you and use you. So maybe, when we wonder why we can’t seem to connect with God, we need to stop wondering what is wrong with us, and ask ourselves instead, who do we believe God to be? 

Be a Student of What They are Learning

Not everyone has it together when it comes to knowing what God wants for their lives. But sometimes it certainly feels like everyone else does—and we don’t. And when your student feels that way, it can make them feel pretty left out and uncertain about their relationship with God and where their life is going. But what if hearing from God isn’t about exclusivity—who’s in and who’s out—but rather inclusivity, meaning that everyone gets to play in the game of God’s plan? When it comes to those not-so-easy life decisions, God has given us a very clear-cut grid based on His love for us, our love for Him and our love for others. So, knowing God’s will is less about signs and more about knowing the narrative of His great story and how we fit into it. God’s great love for your student is the most important factor in discovering His will for their life. So, when they wonder why they can’t seem to connect with God, we can encourage them that God does speak to them and wants them to be encouraged by His purpose for their lives. 

PARENTS, weave these questions into conversation this week with your students to help them process what they heard in sunday school. Out of all the information you have ever learned, what is the most important thing you feel that you have ever learned? What has God been trying to teach you lately? (Help them process trials they may be going through with friends or at school-do this carefully because the idea is for them to "process" on their own rather than regurgitate what they heard in sunday school or their parent's faith.

It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it.
Jordan
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b

"I'm talking 'bout the man in the mirror"

Practice makes perfect. How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said it? Just like it takes practice to be a skilled musician or softball player, it takes practice to be content with the real you. This week we will share with your child just a little bit about what our heavenly Father thinks about him or her. We want to encourage your child to practice seeing who God sees when he or she looks in the mirror. Because when we learn to see ourselves as God sees us, we can be free to live without the mask and be who we truly are.

PARENTS! Bring up these questions in conversation this week with your child: How does God see me? Why do you think it is hard to believe God accepts me just as I am? How can we help each other see ourselves how God sees us?

It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it. 
Jordan 
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b

Back In Action!

Ok So after a summer long hiatus from the toils of blogging... CROSSPOINTPARENTS IS BACK IN ACTION!


We had a great summer in the CBC Student & Children's Ministry and we are excited about the fall. So far we are off to a great start on our Wednesday Night Missions Bible Study and our Sunday Night Student Worship. Praise God for the growth we have seen over the past several months. God is doing some great things with relationships in our ministry.


The past two weeks we have been in a Sunday School study entitled "Loving Muslims". It has been a great couple weeks of learning how to love people who are not like ourselves. The love of God is so much bigger than loving people in our little group of friends, it is bigger than loving people who are different than us, it's even bigger than love people who hate us. The love of God encompasses all people in every situation... and Christ commands this type of love from us. The discussion has been wonderful as I have seen students work these ideas out and hopefully we will see some real change in the way we all love people. 


This week we will be back in our Orange curriculum and will begin a series called "Reflection". The first week we are going to set up the series by talking about the masks that we all wear. Most of us know we can’t be perfect at everything, but we do have certain areas where we want to appear like we are. We want to be desirable and valued. We want to feel we are worth something. But in order to get those things, we feel the need to cover up who we really are. This week we will encourage your child to begin to allow others to see him or her for who they really are. We want your child to be free from hiding behind masks.

To help prepare your child for SS, find a way to work this question into conversation this week(maybe in a car ride or during commercials): What are some masks you hide behind? Why do you hide? 

It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it. 
Jordan 
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b