Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 - "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men."

We spoke about spiritual gifts with the kids tonight. We started by having each of them put their thumbprint on a sheet of paper, the same sheet of paper. Then we passed the paper around and compared thumbprints and talked about how different God made each and every one of us. We have different likes and dislikes, different looks and styles, different DNA, different personalities, etc... We also have different spiritual gifts.

We took out a toolbox we'd brought then and passed the box around letting the kids take turns taking items out of the box. We had the usual...a wrench, a screwdriver, a hammer, sandpaper, etc... Then we added things like a whisk, wooden spoon, pen, ruler, and art paints. As the kids took the "tools" out of the toolbox, we had them tell us what jobs each tool could be used for.

God has many different tools in His toolbox (the church). Each is special and has a special purpose. We wouldn’t use a whisk to hammer a nail, but a whisk is very useful in cooking. In the same way, we are all equipped with unique gifts for God's purposes and glory.

The kids expected to find a hammer, screwdriver, and wrench in the toolbox. In the same way, many times we only expect God to use the pastor, deacons, elders, or Sunday school teachers. In reality, God wants to use each and everyone of us. God has created us unique and different. He wants us to use our gifts for Him.

We took the items out of the toolbox again, but this time asked the kids to think of ways each could be used by God and who might use such a tool. For example, the hammer may be used by a missionary, someone helping fix a roof, or a Christian construction worker; the pen may be used to write encouraging notes, write down memory verses, used by a teacher, to write a check to a missionary, etc...

We asked the kids to brainstorm then about other tools, gifts or abilities God has given people, including themselves, that can be used for His glory - ex: singing, drawing, helping others, sports, etc...

Lastly, we pulled out a Bible we had hidden in the very bottom of the toolbox and explained that it is the most powerful tool that God has given to us! We must make sure we have it in our toolbox for everyday life. Studying it, learning what it has to say about how we live, and memorizing the Scriptures in it equip us as workers for the harvest and give us the skills needed to share the Good News with others and lead them to Jesus. Matthew 9:37-38 - and this is a tool that God gives to all of us and asks us to learn to use...no matter what our spiritual gifts may be.

In closing, we told the kids we had a gift for each of them. We called them up one at a time and gave them each a small wooden craft box. The boxes were all different on the outside, just as we are. They weren't very ornate and we didn't give the kids things to decorate them with. We explained to the kids that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things and that He doesn't need us to be flashy, sharp dressers, or good-looking. He just needs us to be willing to do whatever He asks, whenever He asks, and wherever He asks. And He can use anyone...a tentmaker like Paul, a homemaker like Priscilla or Aquila, a shepherd boy like David, a preteen boy or girl like them.

We asked the kids to open their boxes then to see God's greatest gift to the world we live in. In the bottom of each box was glued a piece of mirrored paper reflecting the kids' own faces when they looked in. As Christians, we are God's gift to the "world" around us. He has equipped us with the gifts necessary to carry His Word to the ends of the earth, proclaiming His message of salvation...His free gift to all who will listen.

Connect-the-Dots

We talked tonight about Acts 18:9-10 and the vision God gave to Paul. God encouraged Paul. He assured Paul of His presence with him at all times, as well as His protection. He also reminded Paul of His sovereignty.

We looked up a few Scriptures then about God's encouragement (Joshua 1:5 & 9, Isaiah 41:10), presence (2 Timothy 4:16-18), and protection (Isaiah 54:17, Psalm 32:7, John 17:11).

God communicated with Paul through six different visions in the book of Acts. We talked to the kids then about how nice it would be if God gave us visions today so that we would know His will, see Him at work in our lives, and hear Him speaking to us. Guess what? He does!

We gave the kids some dot-to-dot puzzles then. Not just any dot-to-dot puzzles though. These were some of the hardest ones out there. They are in a book for ages 8 to adult! They have specific stop and start points you have to be mindful of and one of them even ended at 186! There was no way to tell what the pictures were going to be until they were completed. At first, they just looked like a jumbled mess of numbered dots all over a blank page...no pattern, no symmetry, no rhyme or reason. As the kids worked the puzzles, they soon discovered that those dots had meaning. Their lines to connect them began to take shape and become recognizable pictures to them.

We told the kids that this is how it is as we lives our lives from day to day. God already knows what will happen to us, where we'll go, who we'll speak to, what conflicts will arise, what trials we'll face. He's sovereign. He is everywhere and knows everything. We have no idea though. Sometimes, our lives and the events that take place may make no sense at all to us. We wonder, "Why God? Why is this happening?" We get easily frustrated at how a day may unfold or inconveniences like headaches, missing a bus, rain on field trip day, or getting stuck in traffic when you're already late to soccer practice. But God sees the big picture. He sees how that jumbled mess of dots that represent the events in our day will be connected to get us through to right where He wants us to be at the end of that day. We just have to trust that He knows what the finished picture looks like and is connecting those dots together for His greater purposes and glory.

We read the kids the story Pastor Mike read to us on Sunday then.

Me (in a tizzy) : God, can I ask you something?

GOD: Sure.

Me: Promise you won't get mad?

GOD: I promise.

Me (frustrated): Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?

GOD: What do you mean?

Me: Well I woke up late,

GOD: Yes

Me: My car took forever to start,

GOD: Okay....

Me (growling): At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait

GOD: Hmmmm..

Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call

GOD: All right

Me (loudly): And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work. Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?

GOD: Well let me see..... the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.

Me (humbled): Oh...

GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that might have hit you if you were on the road

Me (ashamed): ............

GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work

Me (embarrassed): Oh.....

GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered

Me (softly): I see God

GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.

Me: I'm sorry God.

GOD: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.........in all things, the good and the bad.

I showed the kids a picture my sister embroidered for me as well. First I showed them the underside. If you've ever seen the backside of an embroidery project, you know it just looks like a mess of knotted thread. I asked them what they saw from their perspective, where they were sitting. They described exactly that. Then I showed them what I saw from my perspective...looking down and at the top of the finished project. It's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

Sometimes, following Jesus is like completing a connect-the-dots puzzle...or looking at the backside of an embroidery project. But trust Jesus...because He's the one guiding your pencil, the one weaving together the threads of your life.

Turning the World Upside Down

Paul was accused of turning the world upside down everywhere he went because he lives differently than the world lives. Acts 16:20.

• He tested everything and held onto the good. - 1 Thess. 5:21
• He was a good example. - 2 Tim. 2:15
• He was not a hypocrite. - 1 Tim. 4:16
• He had the right attitude. - 1 Peter 3:15-16

We passed a few clear marbles around then and had the kids look through them. Everything appeared upside down. Romans 12:2 tells us to not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. As Christians, we are called to turn the world we live in upside down with the way we live and speak and treat others...with our very faith Sometimes though, the world can turn our faith upside down too.

Thinking about how they saw things through the marble, we asked the kids:

• How is looking through the marble similar to looking through spiritual eyes?
• What things affect the way we view life?
• Many of Christ's teachings were opposite of what people expected, as were Paul's. What were some things that they taught that turned the world upside down for the early believers?
• What are some ways that Christ turns our world upside down?
• What are some events that cause a person's faith to be turned upside down?
• Describe a time when your faith was turned upside down.
• Has your view on anything changed since you became a Christian? What things have changed?

We watched a YouTube then about Tori Svenson, the eight-year-old little girl who has brain cancer. The Joy FM recently interviewed her and her parents. Their faith has been amazing. Her parents are even thankful that they were chosen for this journey, as it gives them a chance to give God the glory in all their circumstances and be examples to the world around them. God has turned their world upside down and now they are turning the world's upside down with their faith.

We turned the lights out in the room then and the kids saw a candle glowing in the corner of the room that they did not know was there all along. We read Matthew 5:14-16 and talked about how our light can turn a very dark world completely upside down if only we will be faithful to let it shine.

We ended our time together praying for Billy and Donna as they are on their mission to be lights in two very dark countries, England and Ireland.

Treasure Hunters!

We read over Acts 17:1-14 tonight and discussed the differences in the way the Thessalonian Jews received Paul and Silas and their teachings about Jesus and the way the Bereans received them. We talked about the importance of being more like the Beareans who "received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily". We talked about how we need to be treasure hunters just like the Bearans, and how the Bible we hold in our hands everyday is a great big treasure box full from cover to cover with hidden treasure...treasure far more precious than X Box's, Wii's, fancy clothes, gold and silver, new cars, whatever!

We gave each of the kids their own treasure rock then. It was really a great big ball of Plaster of Paris. Inside however, each one contained 8 hidden "treasures". For each treasure the kids found, we sent them to a concordance to look up the name of what they uncovered. Then they read a Scripture or two that had that word in it. For example, there was a small plastic heart inside the rocks. We read Scriptures like Psalm 19:14, Psalm 31:24, Proverbs 21:2, and James 4:8. A craft "google" eye led us to Genesis 6:8 and Matthew 9:28-30. Gold and silver (beads) were found in 1 Corinthians 3:11-13. A plastic number was hidden in each rock, which reminded us of Scriptures like Luke 12:7 and Acts 1:26. A lily flower took us to Luke 12:27-29 and a small tree branch uncovered the treasures found in John 15:7 and 12:13. A seashell brought to mind a beach and sand...Genesis 32:12 and Revelation 12:17. Lastly, some "precious" gemstones were found in 1 Chronicles 29:8.

The kids had fun breaking into their stones and digging for their buried treasures. We pray though that they had even more fun breaking into their Bibles and digging for the treasures hidden in God's Word. No hammer and screwdriver required either! We ended with Psalm 19:7-10.

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee

We started the evening off reading Acts 16:16-34 and discussing where Paul and Silas were led on their missionary journey.

Then I took out two carrots, two eggs, and some instant coffee. I asked one of the kids to use a butter knife and fork to try and cut one of the raw carrots. It didn't cut easily! One of the kids then broke open one of the eggs and we saw how its thin outer shell protects its liquid insides. We looked at the coffee grounds then too and talked about how, as they are, they don't taste very good and aren't very impressive looking.

We set three pots of water to boiling then and put the carrots, the second egg, and the coffee each in their own separate pot to cook for a few minutes. While they were boiling, we read over the parts of Alberto's testimony again from Sunday, as some of the kids were not in the sanctuary to hear it. We told them that Alberto was a former member of FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a group of rebels famous for their inhumane acts of torture, rape, and even murder in Colombia.

We asked the kids if they remembered Bob and Noel Rich, the missionaries who visited a few weeks back. We told them about their son Mark who was also a missionary and who went missing in 1992 while serving the Lord in Colombia. Alberto and five of his FARC friends were his captors. After being held prisoner for 3 1/2 years, Mark and his two missionary companions were killed by Alberto and his men.

We read then about how Mark and his friends responded to their imprisonment and how similar it was to the way Paul and Silas responded to theirs. More importantly, we read about how Alberto and his friends responded to them.

Now it was time to check on our carrots, egg, and coffee. After draining the carrots, we asked one of the kids to once again use the same knife and fork as before to try cutting the carrots. They were soft and much easier to cut this time. We cooled the egg under running water then and had one of the kids break it. Inside the shell, the egg was hard-boiled. Next, we poured the coffee into a cup and passed it around for the kids to smell. Some of them even wanted to taste it.

Each one of our subjects faced the same adversity...boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. After being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. But after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, instead of them being changed, they changed the water.

Paul and Silas and Mark and his missionary companions all faced the same adversity...imprisonment. They could have chosen to be like the carrots, entering prison strong in their faith and unrelenting or unwilling to give up. But then after a time amidst their circumstances, they could have become hopeless, weak, and not so sure of their faith or the God they once served so fervently. "I can't believe this is happening to us. We're servants for God. He's supposed to be blessing us, not letting harm come to us. Where is God's protection? Where is He? He's just left us here to rot in this prison. Maybe He's not sovereign and in control of all that happens to us after all. Poor us!"

The prisoners could have entered prison like the egg, with a malleable heart, one that God could easily shape and form into something that would give Him great glory. But then, after a time in their difficult circumstances, their outsides still looked the same, but their insides became hardened and stiff with bitterness and resentment. "I can't believe we were here to serve God and do His work and this is how He repays us...with prison sentences! Why God? What's the point and how on earth can you use this for your glory? We sure wasted our time in following the call to be missionaries. We're no good sitting in this jail cell rotting away like this. If we ever get out of here, we're going home. Forget this! We serve and this is the reward? I don't think so!"

Paul and Silas and Mark and his friends did not choose to be carrots or eggs though. Instead, they chose to be like the coffee beans. They changed the hot water...their captors...the very people who were bringing them their pain. Coffee reaches its peak flavor at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The hotter the water gets, the better the coffee tastes. When things were at their worst for Paul and Silas and Mark and his friends, they got better and, as a result, they made things better around them. Because of their faithfulness and steadfastness in their difficult circumstances, the very captors who made their lives miserable became their brothers in Christ and received the inheritance of an eternity in heaven worshiping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords right beside them. Hallelujah!

We ended our time asking the kids to think about the last time they faced a difficult circumstance, a trial of some kind in their lives. We asked them if they responded in such a way that made them a carrot, an egg, or a ground coffee bean. We challenged them to keep those visuals and examples at the forefronts of their minds the next time they faced storms of adversity in their lives.

Game Night!!

It's been a few months since we've had a game night and so that's what we did tonight. Jenga, Farkle, Sorry, tag, amoeba, and karate circle. The kids had fun fellowshiping, playing, laughing, and just hanging out with each other. We did memory verses tonight too and everyone did GREAT! I think we have to make them longer!!

By the way, did I mention that my awesome kids surprised me with cards and a huge homemade chocolate chip cookie cake for my birthday. Best of all were the hugs. I love these guys. They are all such blessings. Thanks guys!

WinterJam 2012

S.T.O.M.P. and Zero Gravity combined forces to storm WinterJam with 30 people last night. Ten bands, $10, and 8 hours later, we were hoarse and tired, but blessed by the fellowship, music, and ministry the tour brought to Tampa. We couldn't take cameras inside this year, but here are some pics of the gang outside passing the time beforehand.