Ok parents, bear with us here, but we really felt the new lifegroup series was so important in this generation's understanding on how to defend and explain their faith, that we'll be spending the next six weeks watching the same DVD and answering very similar questions to that of the weekly lifegroups. We will of course bring the questions down to their level. Mostly, we're going to just discuss possible scenarios with friends, strangers, people we run into, grandparents and other family members who might question what we believe and why we believe it. We really want the discussions to be led by the kids so they can talk through with us and each other what they're thinking. We'll be using Pastor Billy's notes from each Sunday as well.First we asked the kids:
- People say the Bible has some truth in it, but that it cannot be trusted word for word and that it certainly is not all God's words. What are some reasons people might not believe the entire Bible is really the Word of God?
- If someone questioned you about what you believe and why you believe it, would it make you feel nervous and uncomfortable? Why or why not?
- Has anyone ever asked you a really tough question about your faith? If so, please share.
Some of the questions we asked after watching the DVD were:
- Give some evidence you know of that proves the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus really happened.
- Do you need religion to be moral or a "good" person?
- If someone asked you if you ever thought about the fact that Christianity may not be true, what would you say to them?
- Read 2 Timothy 2:15. How do you know if you are handling God's Word (the Bible) correctly?
- Read 1 Peter 3:15. Was the way Mr. Keller dealt with the people he talked to a good example of what Peter means by "gentleness and respect"?
We hope we gave the kids some deep things to really chew on and think about and that they understood the importance of being able to defend and explain their faith. We look forward to the future sessions with Tim Keller and discussions they will invoke in this next generation of defenders of our faith.
We also made some brown bags for the homeless ministry at TPCC. We've been out for a while now and wanted to get everyone re-stocked for the warmer weather. Those vitamin waters are life-savers to those out on the street corners trying to earn a living. We have decided to use Ziploc bags instead, however, as the paper bags kept ripping. Besides, with the rainy season upon us, Ziploc bags can be used by the homeless to keep things dry....such as socks, money, etc...
