New Quarter is Underway

Hello everyone.

I just wanted to let you know that the newest Pulse is posted, and with it are the homework questions.  Also, I just wanted to remind you that the cushions that you all enjoy sitting on and fighting over will be reserved for homework doers, so if you want a comfy seat, answer those 4 questions.

Also I want to let you know that this points competition will look a little different from the others.  We will be having an individual point competition (as opposed to boys vs. girls) the top 5 or 7 point earners from the summer quarter will receive a reward for their work.  Now you have the info you need, what will you do with it?

Check back tomorrow for a review of the verses and things we discussed as part of the mission experience.

Register on-line for Missions Experience

Hey!  Hope you are planning to come to the Club 56 mission experience this weekend.  10am Friday - 1:30 pm.  Click here to go to the on-line registration form.  Cost for this event is $15.  See you then!

~~Chris

Club 56 Mission Experience

The Club 56 Mission Experience is coming up this week.  We will meet Friday morning at 10am at the church and we will be done at 1:30 Saturday afternoon.  Cost for this activity is $15.

The point of the mission experience is to give the 56ers an opportunity to experience a mini-mission trip to serve and share God's love in and around their community.  This year, we will have service projects that include:  making sandwiches for a homeless shelter, volunteering at an elderly care home, helping get the summer programing ready for the Edinbrook church's Lil Kids ministries, and neighborhood cleanup. 

 

56ers will need to bring with them the following things:

- clothes for the whole event (a change of clothes for Saturday, sleeping clothes for the night, maybe an extra shirt if it is a hot day.

- a bible and a notebook

- written permission allowing 56er to travel with us around the area as needed (to the park, street cleanup site and elderly care home)  I will email a sample permission slip to parents.

- Sunscreen

- hang-out activities for more than one person (board games, etc) 

- sleep stuff (pillow, sleeping bag, air mattress or foam pad, etc)

- a flexible attitude and a desire to learn

Please do NOT bring 

- MP3 player/iPod /DS/ Gameboy or other personal gaming/music devices.

- messy prank material (i.e. silly string, stinky sprays, etc)

I am excited about this and I hope that lots of you are able to come.  please let me know that you are coming by emailing me at livealifealive@gmail.com

If you have any questions, you can email me, or call me at 612.600.5845

Review from Sunday, june 12

Hey all,

Hope you have had an amazing week. Here is what we talked about last Sunday.

We were discussing "What Really Matters" and asking if being happy is what really matters.

We read these passages
Colissians 3.10-11 - We read that faith in God is the most important thing.  belief in God is the most important thing that can identify us.
2 Corinthians 6.4-10 - This passage doesn't paint a very happy picture.  It mentions many things that would not make someone happy.  So is it possible to be happy in the midst of this hardship?  What is the difference between happiness and joy?  I see happiness to be very temporary and relevant to what is going on.  but Joy is a state of mind - a choice to find peaceful contentment whatever comes along, because as mentioned in the earlier faith in God is the most important thing we can have. It can help us find joy in hard times because we can trust that God is with us and can overcome whatever we are going through.
Philippians 4.11-14 - Paul writes about having dealt with many situations (having plenty and living in poverty, well fed and hungry) and that we can do anything through Christ who gives us strength,

It was a good unit for discussion because the meaning of life and what it is all about is something that everyone searches for and ponders.  Once we come to know that life is all about having a relationship with God, we can help others understand what is really important in life.

See you tomorrow.
CP

Slight Change of Plans

Hey all you out there in 56er land!

The review from last Sunday will be coming tomorrow but I wanted to let you know today that there is a slight change in our plans for the Club 56 end of year party at our house. It will still be at our house on Saturday June 11, but we will meet at 1:00pm instead of 6:30 as mentioned on the blog and in the bulletin. We will finish up at 3:00 pm. The change is because Steph is going to Miami with the youth group on the mission trip, and so we are moving the event earlier in the day so the evening isn't so rushed for her. Please come at 1:00 we will have hot dogs and drinks. If your 56er could bring a snack/dessert to share, that would be great. If you have any questions or need directions, please email me (lifealivealife@gmail.com) or call (612.600.5845)

Thanks,

Chris

Review from May 15, and some bonus points too,

Hey all, hope you are having a good week, and not feeling too sad that it is so long still until our next Club 56 get-together. In the meantime, here are some things to chew on from our last meeting, plus some bonus points that are taken from Pastor Ivan's message last Sunday. Please note, if you were not there, the questions that I am going to ask are solvable with a little poking around in the bible, or in your own brain. Anyway, on to the review

We discussed "Is being right what really matters?" We all like to be right and we don't like to be wrong. Sometimes, we get so convinced that being right is important that we state and restate how right we are, not thinking about others feelings or perspectives. What should our reaction be? What should we do when we know we are right and others are wrong? How important should being "right" be to us? That was the basis for our discussion.

From the Bible we looked at these passages.
Jonahc4.1-4 - here Jonah is right about God's grace and it is not a happy moment for him. He knows that God will forgive the wicked Ninevites, and Jonah thinks that they shouldn't be forgiven. How quickly Jonah forgets his own disobedience and need for God's grace to be extended to him.
2 Samuel 9.3-7 Here, we read a story about David welcoming Mephibosheth to his household. Mephibosheth is a decendant of King Saul, who tried on several occasions to kill David. It would have been easy to (and in some ways "right") to shun this boy for all that Saul had done, but David chooses to show kindness instead. Is there ever a time when being right is more important than being kind?
Colossians 3.12-13 God has chosen to let his followers (us) be his representitives here on earth. In this passage Paul instructs readers to bear with one another accept each others faults and show love to each other. It is easy to put others down, God challenges us to hold our tongue and not let being right be most important. Remember how God has forgiven us, and treat others like He would treat them.
Galatans 5.22-23 The fruit of the spirit. Fruit is what grows in our life If we want the fruit listed in this passage to come out in our actions and interactions, we need to have the Holy Spirit in us and with full reign over our actions, words and emotions.

Hope you are reading lots of cool things in the Bible about God and how he has been working in the lives of the people. Post a comment about what you are reading and I will give you a bonus point.

I will also give bonus points for anyone who can answer these questions from Pastor Ivan's sermon.
(worth 1 point each)
1- Who were the 2 people that attacked the massive Philistine army in 1 Samuel 14.
2- What was Nehemiah's job before he went to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
3- Abraham had 2 sons. What were their names?
4- (worth 3 points)
What is one way that you can invest in the Kingdom of God?

Have a wonderful week, and a great Memorial Day weekend. There is NO Club 56 this weekend. See you in June.

~~Chris

More Bonus Points

Remember that you can get bonus points by answering the questions that I posted last Saturday about the Club 56 leaders.

Here are a couple more bonus points.

Each is worth 1 point
1- What is the name of the Poet whose free verse video is posted on the livealifealive blog?
2- Tell me what your favorite thing is about Club 56.
3- Tell me one thing you are most looking forward to about summer

Write the answers to these questions and bring them to me on June 5, or email them to me anytime between now and then.

~~Chris
Tune in on Saturday to get the review from Last weekend.

New Pulse is posted

And it is posted with a big Oops! I realize that I forgot to change the date on the Pulse. So please know that it is the current one. Remember you have 3 weeks to get the questions done. Have a great service Sunday week and Memorial day weekend and we will see you again on June 5.
Check out the new pulse here!

New video is posted

We watched a video tonight at Club 56. You can check it out in the "For Students" tab. Let me know what you think!

Pulse is finally posted and so are BONUS POINT QUESTIONS

I am sorry to just get the new pulse put up now, it has been a pretty busy week, and there were an inexplicable number of technical difficulties, but we are overcomers, right!

Anyway, check out the most recent Pulse here


Bonus points (how well do you know your leaders time)
1- What is Chris' favorite candy?  (1 point for knowing it, 2 points for bringing it!)
2- What is the name of Steph's blog about her family
3- What is Kathleen's favorite football team
4- Where is Traci from?
5- Where does Alex work?
6- What is Andrea's youngest son's name?
7- How many children do Mike and his wife have?
8- Tell me one bible story that you read this week and something that you thought was cool about it.
9- Tell me 1 song that you heard this week on KTIS, AIR1 or your iPOD, etc. that you really like!

Have fun, answer what you can and get points for your team!

See you tomorrow!

Review from May 8

Hey guys,

Sorry this is a little late getting out, there were some technical difficulties with Blogger that kept me from posting last night.  They are fixed this morning, so here we go!

We began our new unit last Sunday.  We will talk about "what really matters".  One thing that matters is reading your bible and spending time with God every day.  We really challenged you to make the choice and find the time to do that this week - even in the face of homework and busy schedules.  Where your time with God falls is an inicator of how important He is in your life.  I know that this challenges me all the times that I want to say that I am too busy to spend time with God.  I need to choose to give Him the time and make Him a priority. 

The boys are winning the points competition by quite a large margin.  The girls have pulled out 2 in a row in the final weeks, but this is the largest gap to overcome so it will really test the girls mettle this time. 

Anyway, on to the review.

Our first thought about what really matters were all about "Is being liked what really matters?"
We all like to have friends and are willing to go through a great deal to be liked by others.  But at the end of the day, we really can't completely control what others think of us.  When we follow Jesus, we will have character traits that draw some people and repel others. So we will not always be liked by everyone.  How much should that concern us. 
Here are the passages that we read to help us figure out how much being liked really matters.

John 5.16-18, and 36-44 - Here, we read one of many instances where it is mentioned that people don't like Jesus.  They thought he was doing and saying things that were offensive, and they wanted to silence him, and later on, we hear him say that because they don't know God, their approval or disapproval means nothing.
What lesson is there in this for us about friends that we have that may make fun of us for believing in God. Whose approval matters the most to you?
Galatians 1.10 - This verse (our memory verse for the week - 5 points to all who memorize it!) is all about making God the most important judge in your life.  Don't live to please man - it will be impossible to please everyone anyway - if we strive to please man, we are not servants of God.
Matthew 20.29-32 - Jesus is sending out his followers to go and tell others about Him.  He is telling them that there will be some dangers and hard times ahead, but not to worry,  God watches and takes care of sparrows, he knows everything about us - even the number of hairs on our head, and He considers us more valuable to Him than sparrows. That is how much HE loves us - what should it matter what others think of us.
Psalm 139.17-18 -  Here, we read that God, who controls all the universe - it seems like He would have a lot on his mind - thinks about you and me all the time.  What do we think about in our spare time?  God thinks about us!
2 Corinthians 10.12-18 - This passage reminds us how silly it is to compare ourselves with others.  We have nothing to be proud of in our own lives that we have done on our own power.  Instead, spend your boasting energy boasting about your God. He has done amazing things, see them, recognize them and boast about them, so that others will come to know Him by what He is doing in your life.

So there are a lot of great lessons to take from last Sunday's discussion.  Stop comparing yourself to others.  If you find yourself doing that, use the opportunity to compliment them, build them up and let God speak through you to them. God loves us each more than we can imagine.  Spread His love around!

Tune in tonight for bonus points, the new pulse and who knows what else!

~~Chris

New Pulse is uploaded

Click here to read the new pulse from last Sunday.  Or click on the Pulse tab at the top of the page.  Homework questions can be found there, and will be posted later on this week.

Review from May 1

Whassup!

Here is the stuff we covered last Sunday at Club 56.  We finished our unit on sin, talking about whether we can sin without worry because Jesus forgave us, even for sins we have not yet committed.  

We talked about the part of sin that seems like it is fun.  That is an important consideration because we wouldn't be tempted to sin if there was no gratification in it for us. 

But we were talking about the little ones that seem like they wouldn't be hurtful to others.  Things like staying up past the bedtime our parents have given us, or jaywalking/speeding because we are late, but these can definitely be sins.  It all comes back (like it always done) to what's going on in our heart.  It isn't about the rules, it is about the reasons why we choose to disobey them.  

Here are the passages that we read:

Psalm 51 - King David had messed up big time.  He had taken another man's wife, and then arranged the death of the other man.  But he was a man known to chase after the things of God, a man after God's own heart.  And he knew that his life needed to reflect that.  So he asked God for a clean, pure heart,  a renewed spirit and a life that reflects God's presence.  Being forgiven doesn't mean we don't face consequences of our sins, but to be in right standing with God produces peace on the inside and a weight lifted.

Romans 6.12-15 - This is a tricky passage, we are not to be slaves to sin - We have been freed from sin's power, but that does not give us the right to sin as we wish.  We can do whatever we want, but as true Christ followers, what we should want is to do what is right, and good, and holy and pure.  We have been freed from slavery to sin and choose now to live as slaves to righteousness.

Psalm 32 - This passage reminds us of the blessing of being forgiven.  It challenges us to constantly confess our sins to God - He knows all about it anyway, and ask for his forgiveness.  When we hold our sin inside and do not confess it, it can be harmful to us. We have a mighty and amazing God who will forgive us for what we do.  Take him up on his offer.  Celebrate His love for you.  Do not let the sin in your life get in the way of your relationship with Him. Confess, be forgiven and rejoice.

And now,  for some bonus points from Pastor Ivan's sermon (8 points available)

1- What passage did Pastor Ivan preach from on Sunday ___________________

2- What were the 3 truths about following Jesus that he gave us,  fill in the blanks below

        a- It is the way to start a great  _________________ of God

        b- Following leads to a whole, new ___________

        c- Following God is never a tack-on, but always a life-_______________ choice.

Who were the first 4 disciples that Jesus called to himself

_________, ___________, __________, ___________

~~Chris

Review from Easter Sunday

Hey all,

Hope you had a great Easter Sunday.  Many of you were away this week, so you can see what you missed, and find your homework questions in a few places on the blog.  Here is what we did on Sunday

Our topic was "Can I do something so bad, it will keep me out of heaven?" 
In class, we looked at a few notorious, infamous people.  People that society may consider the worst of the worst.

Al Capone, Josef Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Jeffrey Dahmer.

Have your parents share what they know about these guys if you want more informaton.

The real shocking story is that of Jeffrey Dahmer.  His crimes were gruesome and head scrathing.  He was sentenced to over 950 years of prison.  While he was serving his time, he was murdered.  But before that occured, Jeffrey Dahmer decided to ask Jesus to be his Savior.  Some people, Christians included, found it hard to accept that God could forgive him. 

In the story of Jonah, we see the same thing.  Jonah has undergone a great ordeal to get to Nineveh.  He ran from God, dealt with a storm at sea, was swallowed by a large fish, spent 3 days inside the fish's smelly belly, got vomited out onto the shore, and then walked across the huge city of Nineveh, calling for their repentance and a changing of their evil ways.  Then, to his utter dismay, the people of Nineveh actually listened, and obeyed, turning from their sin and embracing God. And God showed them grace and spared them.  We read this story as part of our discussion - Here are the other verses we discussed.

Jonah 3.10-4.2  Jonah reveals why he fled from God in the first place.  He knew that God was a gracious God who could forgive the people of Nineveh, which apparently, Jonah was not prepared to do.
Hebrews 10.26-31 - God's forgiveness does not give us permission to do whatever we want.  We are called to a pure and holy lifestyle.  We will still make bad choices, we will still disobey God, but God's grace is not to be treated as a "get out of hell free" card, so we can continue deliberately sinning, and living life doing whatever we want to.
Luke 23.39-43 - One of my favorite parts of the Easter story.  This shows us that it isn't the good deeds that we do that captures God's attention so He will extend grace to us.  The thief didn't do anything but acknowledge that Jesus was innocent and ask that Jesus would welcome him into His' kingdom.
John 5.24 & John 10.27-30 - Listen to Jesus and trust God and you will have eternal life, and once they know me and have received eternal life, NOTHING can take them from my hand!  What a great promise that is!

What a great way to spend Easter - discussing how God's grace will reach to cover all sin.  Praise Him for His amazing plan, based on His love for us, and extending to anyone that will receive it.

Sorry for this late post - it was a crazy week.

See you tonight and/or tomorrow at church

~~chris

The Time has Come for Bonus Points (6 of `em!)

It is time for some bonus points. Hope you are having a great start to your long weekend and are again amazed at the extent of God's love for you as we focus these days on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
 He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed! 

It it time to earn some extra points for your team by answering these questions.

There are 4 special days during this "Holy Week"  Can you name them all?  .5 points for each one - total of 2 points available) 

From Pastor Ivan's Sermon last Sunday
He called Jesus a _________________ servant. (1 point)
How many trials did Jesus face between his arrest and his crucifixion?  (1 point)
Pastor Ivan suggested some reasons why Peter followed at a distance (and they are similar to us in our walk with God)
Fill in these blanks:
Peter is afraid of the ___________ of following Jesus too ______________ (.5 each for 1 point)
Peter wants to ____________ into the crowd

We may feel unworthy to recieve God's gift of eternal life  That is why Jesus came !!  What a great Savior!!  What a great God we serve!

6 bonus points are there for you!   listen online, talk to your parents or others who were in service, check your own notes because you were listening so closely.  Find the answers and get the points, but more importantly, listen to the message and GET THE POINT of why Jesus died for you and for me, and CELEBRATE this weekend, and for the rest of your lives that you have a place in Heaven for Eternity with the God who created it all.  Praise Him!!!!!

Review from April 17

Hey y'all

Hope you are having a good week and bracing for the snow!
In Club 56 on Sunday, we continued our look at sin.  This time around, it was about the excuses we make,(What if I don't know its a sin?) and does God accept our excuses?  To prove the point, we played a strange game where the point was to collect as many of 3 different items as you wished to in 1 minute.  The items had different values that were not shared before the contest happened.  In the end, there were some bits of information that you didn't know that affected the end result of the game.  That lack of information was frustrating.  God, however, doesn't withhold any information as to what is right or wrong.  It is pretty well stated. 
In our discussion groups,  we looked at these passages.

Genesis 3. - This is the story of Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent (and giving in to the temptation)  When God comes along and asks where they are, they are hiding, because they know they are naked and they are ashamed.  When God asks each of them what happened, they are ready for excuses.  We don't like to accept the blame when we mess up either. 
Proverbs 24.12, James 4.17, John 15.22-24
These verses speak about how we can't avoid responsibility for our actions.  Ignorance is no excuse.  James reminds us of an important fact, too - sin isn't just doing what's wrong.  It also means not doing what is right.  If God is asking us to do something (like live for Him) and we choose to live for ourselves, well, that is also sin.  And John reminds us that this is the plan.  Since we all have sinned and messed up, we need help.  We need a savior.  Jesus coming shows us our sinfulness, and at the same time, frees us from it.
John 16.5-15 - Jesus promised to send a helper after he returned to Heaven.  This is the Holy Spirit.  The very spirit of God that lives in us if we invite Him to.  He will guide us in the choices we make,  teach us from the scriptures we read, convict us of sin in our lives and filling us with hope of what is to come for the followers of the one true God. 

There is a lot of reason to celebrate the verses that we read.  God knows of our sin.  He shows grace, mercy and compassion to save us from our sinfulness and then to help us live for Him.  Our challenge this week is to stop making excuses or trying to justify our sin, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and guide us in this life to live out our faith so we (and others) may be drawn closer to God.

Look for bonus points coming soon.

~~Chris

Here is the 100th Post on Live a Life ALIVE!!!

We launched this blog at the start of the school year.  I hope that you have enjoyed what we've got happening here.  It will continue to morph and change as we move forward.

Here is the review from last Sunday - a few days later then I planned to have it up.  Hopefully some of you will have a chance to get to the bonus points by tomorrow.


We began a new unit last Sunday.  It is a fitting one as we approach the Easter season.  We are discussing Sin and our need for a Savior.

We started by looking at how easy it is to consider some sins as more serious and "worse" than others.  But God doesn't see it that way.  We know that we all have sinned and that the cost of our sins is death and separation from God.  Now it is true that the consequences that we face for our bad choices, rebellion or unwillingness to do what God asks us may differ depending on circumstances, but the reality is that God cannot be around sin, and so our sin, however small it may be, makes us unworthy to be in God's presence.  But His love for us is so strong that he made a way for our sins to be forgiven.  We just need to understand our need to be saved, and accept the plan God put in place to rescue us.

Our discussion included these verses.
Luke 1.5-6, 18-20 - John the Baptist's parents are called righteous, but that doesn't mean that they are without sin.  Likewise, we are called to be righteous, but still stumble and fail God.
Romans 3.10-13, 23 - God makes it clear here, through this passage that none of us measure up to God's standard.  I heard it related this way.  If we all jump as high as we can, those that jump the highest can feel happy that they were the tops, but if the standard is being able to jump to the top of Mt. Everest on one hop, well, we fall WAY short of that and there is no reason to be proud of our accomplishments.  
Hebrews 4.14-16 - Jesus was fully God AND fully human.  I don't get really how that works, but I don't have to.  God made it work, and I know that it is truth.  Jesus faced all the temptations and hard things that we faced, He can sympathize with us and He wants to help us.  Sometimes we forget to seek his help, and we get ourselves in a bind.  But He is ready to help us out.  The closer we draw to God, the easier it will be for us to turn to Him for help against temptation.
Romans 5.6-11 & Romans 6.1-4 - We used this passage to focus in on what God is teaching us about our sinfulness, where we are in our relationship with God and where we want to go in that relationship.  He wants  us to be close to him, but he will not force himself into our lives.  We need to choose Him


It was a wonderful time.  Let's keep it going as we continue to discuss our sinfulness and God's grace in the coming weeks

And now for the Bonus Questions (8 points available)
1- Jesus and the disciples had the Last Supper on Passover.  What event does Passover celebrate? (1 point)

2- The Religious leaders of the day felt like they were losing ________________ of the people.  Rather than look at themselves and face the truth, they decided to __________________ Jesus.   (2 points)

3- Satan's primary battlefield is in the ___________________ (2 points) Romans 12.2, Eph 4.17-19

4- The Gospel message can be stated in these 3 points (1 point for each)
             1- Jesus has _________!
             2- We are on His ____________
             3- Satan is _______________

Brand New Pulse is Posted

The new pulse is up on the "pulse" tab, or by clicking here.  Check it out, and be sure to look at the memory verse for next week, since I didn't draw any attention to it on Sunday Morning.  I am going to double the value of it for this week,

So that means if you memorize those 2 little verses, it will be worth 10 POINTS for your team.  It is a neck and neck competition so far, so this could be the chance to put some distance between you and the other team.  Memorize these verses and challenge your friends to do the same!

Look for the lesson review, more bonus point opportunities and other news and notes tomorrow.

And as for our Club 56 meeting this Saturday.  We will attend the 4:15 show of Soul Surfer the Carmike Winnsong theater in Mounds View on Saturday afternoon:
Here is the link to the theater.

It appears at this point that this is the only theater in the metro with a Saturday Show,  if you are planning to come, you may want to buy your ticket in advance to ensure you get one.  Tickets are $5.

See you then, and remember,  parents are invited to come too.

Bonus Point Opportunity and SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Hey all,

Here are some bonus point chances for you, and I have a change of plans for our next Club 56 Saturday activity.

First - the bonus points. (9 available)

I will give 2 points to all who tell me a favorite bible verse and why it is one of their favorites.

And from Ivan's sermon on Sunday which was about Freedom.

 About the year of Jubilee in Israel (google it if that helps)
1- How often did it come? (1 point)
2- What did it mean for slaves? (1 point)

3- We live as slaves, no matter what, but we are either a slave to ______________ or a slave to _____________________?  (2 points)
Which are you?  How do you know? (3 points)

And now for the special announcement.  

Our next Club 56 Saturday activity was scheduled for April 16 at 6:30, meeting at church.  Instead, we will meeting in the afternoon on the 16th to attend a screening of Soul Surfer.   This is the new movie about the Christian surfer who lost an arm to a shark attack, but is now one of the top surfers in the world.  Parents are welcome to come too.  We will choose a theater and a showtime when we see what the show times are.

Homework Questions from April 3 are Posted

The homework questions are up.  Click on the "For Students" tab, or click here

Review from April 3rd

Here is what was going on in Club 56 this past weekend.
On Saturday Night, we had a great time with our April Fool's night theme.  Wyatt picked up some bonus points for his team by being the first one to solve the word search puzzle.  That pushed the boys to their first win in the new points competition.  We also talked about how the Devil is a trickster, a roaring lion looking for souls to devour.  He wants to trick us into not living up to the potential God sees in us.  He wants us to be tricked into thinking our "little" sins are ok and judging others for their "big" sins, or he wants to trick us into thinking that our "big" sins are so big that God doesn't want to use us anymore.  O he wants to trick us into doubting God's power or even God's existence.  The best way to keep from falling to these tricks is to spend time with God every day, reading our Bible, memorizing and applying it to our lives, learning at church, serving others, praying, and building strength on God our foundation.

On Sunday, we continued our discussion on relationships by talking about boundaries.  In groups of 5 we had 1 person stand inside a small circle and spin around 10 times, then keeping their eyes closed, they had to walk around in a small circle without stepping outside or on the line.

The others sounded an alarm whenever the boundary was crossed, and were also challenged to find ways to keep the person inside the boundaries.  I like the symbolism of this.  We don't always know the boundaries that God has for us, although often we do, but because we are human, it is hard to stay inside these boundaries.

God has set some boundaries in place for us to follow in our relationships both with a special someone of the opposite gender, and in other friendships as well.

We read these passages from the Bible for our discussion

1- Psalm 86.11 & Psalm 119.9-16 - These verses reveal that the most important relationship that we can work on, and where we should always be focusing our attention above all else is on our relationship with God.  The second one talks about reading/studying the Bible, obeying God, memorizing scripture and applying it and telling others about God.  Great things to work on and build!
2- 2 Corinthians 6.14-18 - tells us to be careful in our relationships with non-believers.  I like the picture of this too.  Some translations talk about being yoked together - But if our lives are not heading the same direction - if we are living for God and the other person is living for themselves, there will be hard journeys ahead.  So don't attach yourself too closely to non-believers.
3- Romans 13.12-14 & 2 Corinthians 7.1 - These verses call us to be pure in our lives, fleeing from or ridding ourselves of all the things that pull us from God.  As we talked about on Saturday - the enemy will never stop coming at us until he is dealt with permanently.  So we need to be building up our defenses (asking for God's help) every day - many times per day.
4- Hebrews 10.24 - Lastly, we looked at this verse which shows us that we are also responsible to look out for others, spurring them to live a life alive in God, too.  We are to challenge each other to be accountable to God's calling.

So there are some great things to think about from last weekend at Club 56.  May God guide us as we look to Him for help in living as His witnesses, His light to the world around us.  Let's take that responsibility seriously and build our relationship with Him first and foremost.

have a great week - check back tomorrow or thursday for some bonus point opportunities from Pastor Ivan's sermon on Sunday.

~~Chris

New Links added

Click on the Links tab at the top of the page to check out our whole list of resources and websites that we like and use frequently.  I've just added links to Steph's personal blog, and my personal blog too.  Check them out, share them around and let us know what you think!

~~Chris

No Review from Last Sunday but 5 bonus points here!

Hey 56ers, Steph here!

I first want to say a big THANKS to Alex for filling in on Sunday for Chris and I.  We missed you guys, but know that we left you in good hands.

I know that the boy/girl lessons we have been having the last couple weeks has been a little awkward. The main thing you need to know about relationships is that if you work on your relationship with God first, you can be sure that all your other relationships will go a lot smoother.

Keep your eyes focussed on Jesus, get to know him by reading your Bible and when it is His timing He will bring that special someone. If you ask me, a good guideline for dating is when your ready for marriage. ;)

On the note of boys verses girls, I am pleased to announce the winner for last week. I heard that Alex tried to pull one over on you. Here are the REAL results...

Boys: 21
Girls:30

GIRLS WIN!

Seriously guys?? Are you allowing this. Come on now.

FOR BONUS POINTS THIS WEEK:

Learn your memory verse which is Ephesians 5:1-2 (remember this is worth 5 points)
and
Write down what the number one relationship is that you should be working on.  (good for 3 points)
AND
According to Steph when you should start dating? (2 points here)

Let the competition begin!

Bonus points and Homework Questions

The new homework questions are posted here.

And for some bonus points from Pastor Ivan's message on Sunday...  Click on the Bonus Point picture to hear the sermon online.

First, What was the main story Pastor Ivan used as a text. (main storyline and scripture reference) (2pts)

Reference _______________________
Storyline________________________________________________________
Pastor Ivan gave us 4 facts about Bondage.  Fill in the blanks for these 4 facts.   (1 pt each)

1- Bondage leads us to an ___________ lifestyle
2- It gives us an aversion to __________
3- It leads us to make out of _____________ decisions and actions.
4- It is a progressive ________________ (it gets worse)



And the thing we need to know about Bondage is that:
Jesus wants to set us ___________
Jesus waits until we are desperate to be _______________
and Jesus wants to keep us ________________

These blanks are all the same word, so they are worth 1 point total

So altogether, there are 7 points available.

Review from March 20

Last Sunday, we continued our discussion on relationships.  Our topic of the day was "Why can't we just be friends?"  While some of the focus of our discussion was on boy/girl relationships, but the principals that we discussed and learned about can be applied to all of our relationships.  The passages that we read were:

1 Corinthians 13.4-8a - This is a checklist of what real love looks like.  God can be defined by all of these characteristics, how do we measure up?  We can always use this list to remind us of what loving others requires of us.

Ruth 2 - a long chapter to check out, but a great love story.  Boaz demonstrates true love for Ruth. (according to the 1 Corinthians check list)

Genesis 39.6-40 - This is the account of Joseph and Potiphar's wife.  There is a great lesson to learn here.  In the face of temptation - any temptation - it is important to have a plan of action to remove yourself from that temptation.  Maybe it is planning ahead to avoid tempting situations, maybe it is a friend to challenge us to make right choices and to check up on us to make sure we are following through.  And sometimes, that plan of action needs to be - like in the case of Joseph, the best choice is just to run, get out, get away, drop everything and run!

Potiphar's wife was not demonstrating true love for her husband (or Joseph for that matter).

We have 2 more weeks talking about relationships.  Come ready to continue our discussion next Sunday.

New in FYI

Just came across a cool video about this upcoming movie.  Head on over to the FYI tab at the top of the posts.  You can also click on the picture.


Click here to go to the official movie website.

This Saturday...

We will be collecting non-perishable food items for donation to CEAP.  We will meet at the church at 2:30pm and collect until 4:30pm.  Hope to see you there. 

Please note the change of time from what is posted at the bottom of this page.  We will meet at 2:30 and not 2 as advertised.  We will finish at 4:30 instead of 4:00.

See you then!
CP

BONUS POINT OPPORTUNITY!!!!!

The new pulse is posted in the "pulse" tab at the top of the posts. The new quarter is here, the new point competition has begun.  The girls scored their second straight come from behind win over the boys - this time by a margin of 1 point!  471 to 470.  Crazy close after 12 weeks of competing.  And now it all starts over again.  So here are your first opportunities to score some...

First off, one of your homework questions was to name 4 couples in the Bible.  Aside from those four (you can't use the same ones and get bonus points for them) answer the following questions about these people in the Bible and their husband/wife.  (1 point each for a total of 5)
1- Esther &  _______________
2- Zipporah &  ______________
3- Ahab & _____________
4- Michal & _______________
5- Elkanah & _____________

Fill in these blanks from Pastor Ivan's message, last Sunday.
God doesn't want us to be _______________ but instead be ________________(2 point)
Romans 8.35 we are _______ _____ ______________ (2 points)
Give me 1 synonym for victim ___________________ (1 point) you can look this one up in a dictionary - doesn't have to be one of the ones Pastor Ivan said.

The points are there for you.  Go get `em!

Review from March 13

And just like that... a new quarter begins

We will spend the next few weeks talking about relationships.  Last Sunday, we talked about some of the differences between boys and girls.  We were created for the same purposes but we were wired to do them in some different ways. 

Here are the passages that we read. 
1- Genesis 1.26-27  We are all made in God's image
2- Genesis 2.18-24 God created a helper for man.  God's design is for us to be different but to compliment each other so we can work together for his purposes.
3- Galatians 3.26-28 When we choose to live our life alive in Christ.  We all become God's Children. We are all the same in God's eyes.

4- 1 Timothy 2.8-15  This passage talks about how God looks at the heart.  It isn't about the way we look.  It is about living our life to honor God.

In the next few weeks, we will look more at these boy/girl relationships and at friendship in general.  Come on in, ready to discuss.

CP

We DO have FUN! Club 56 at the MALL! (PICTURES!)

Review from March 6

Greetings to all you people in Club 56 land

Well, we finished up our unit, and quarter last Sunday by looking at whether the environment is really falling apart.  And despite Power Point snafu's for the second straight week, we had a great discussion time, figuring out what our role as Christians is to be in this world that is constantly going green.


I don't know if we will ever get to the point of 9-1-1 accessing the eco police to report someone letting water go to waste at a drinking fountain like we talked about, but we do have some responsibility to be aware of ways that we can be users and not abusers of the natural resources on this planet.

Here is where our discussion took us in the Bible.
1- Genesis 2.8-15  -  Adam is given some duties to do to care for the Garden of Eden
2- Romans 8.19-22 - Tells us all creation groans in anticipation of the coming of God to reveal His children and be free from death and decay.
3- Psalms 115.15-16 -God has given the earth to all humanity.  We should treat the gift with deserved respect.  People tend to take this gift for granted.  What would it look like if we were all truly appreciative of what God has given us (not just the earth, but our things, our abilities, our families, everything we have,
4- Hebrews 4.13 - We are accountable to God.  He sees everything that happens. There is no where to hide from Him.

This last one sounds menacing, and it may be if it were not for the fact that God is loving and gracious.  He is willing to correct us, discipline us lovingly, and forgive our shortcomings if we want him to.  The truth is that He sees it all anyway, you may as well own up to it, ask forgiveness and leave for Him to deal with as He chooses (and he chooses to remove it every time!)  So please see the hope in that last verse with me, OK!

It has been a great quarter - the points competition has been close between the boys and girls.  It is now over - winner will be announced on Sunday.

There will be New Discussion Groups made for this coming Sunday.  Come and find out whose group you will be in.  


OK.  Start off the new competition the right way.  Our memory verse is Romans 8.18-19.  That will be worth 5 points - no bonus for that.  But I will give a bonus of 5 points to anyone that commits Hebrews 4.13 to memory too.  


See you for the kick off of a new competition on Sunday, 
Chris

Review from February 27

Well, what a weekend we had in Club 56.  First the girls had their all nighter on Friday.  There was a great turnout for a movie, games and food, food, food.  With one week left in the current competition, it is a pretty close race.  We will see if the girls will again celebrate, or if the boys will hold on to their lead this time around.

Here is the way the discussion went last Sunday.

Our topic was "why isn't there enough to go around"  We discussed how there are so many people (all around us) that have more then we know what to do with (money, food, possessions, etc) and yet so many people in the world are in need of even the most basic needs.  What are we supposed to do about that as Christians?
Here are the topics of discussion and verses we looked at.
2 Samuel 12.1-9 - King David is confronted by prophet Nathan.  A story is told about a rich man with many sheep taking the sheep from a poor man.
2 Corinthians 8.10-15 - Paul applauds the Corinthians for their willingness to give to people in need.
2 Thessalonians  3.6-12 - Earn your keep - do not be lazy and keep away from idol, disruptive people
Acts 4.32-36 - The early Christians share their possessions and take care of each others needs.
2 Corinthians 9.7-11 - Everything we have is from God.  God loves a cheerful giver.  He cares most about the state of the heart.

God has equipped us to meet the needs of the people around us.  He just asks us to be willing.  This isn't always easy to do.  But God will help us if we ask Him.  We can donate food, money, or other things.  We can give of our time to serve others.  We can be ready to tell others about the difference God is making in our lives.  The most important need that people have is the need to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him.  That is our challenge this week - open our eyes to the needs around us, pray that God would use us to help meet those needs, and be willing to do what He asks us to do.

Have a great week, and we will see you on Saturday at the church at 6:30!

CP

Bonus Point Extravaganza

Here are some bonus point fill in the blanks from Ivan's message on Sunday.  Listen/watch it online, check your notes, talk to your parents and see if you can come up with the words for the blanks.

Here they are:
1- Name the 4 groups of people that the messiah was coming to help out in Isaiah 61. (8 points available)
2- Sin has every intention of _____________ you. (2 points)

That's right 10 points available,
  Plus, an I'll also offer an extention on last week's bonus points from pastor Mark's message.  I posted some questions taken from his message.  Answer them and the points are yours!

New questions posted

Hey everyone!
Quick note to let you know that the new homework questions are posted in the "for students" part the blog, as is the new Pulse.  Check them out under their tabs.

Review from February 20

Hey everyone!

Here is the review from Sunday's lesson in Club 56.  Our topic of the day was "Why can't all the nations get along" and it was a little bit off in it's name.  We saw, as we worked through the lesson, that it isn't so much the countries that don't get along as it is the people.  (and we don't have to be from a different country to disagree about things) 
Our lesson showed that resources are not necessarily divided up evenly and what issues are then created by some countries having the power and resources to do whatever they want while other countries don't have enough to give even basic needs to their citizens.  What are we supposed to do with that as christians? 

We read the following passages from the Bible as we discussed this topic:
Genesis 26.12-22.  Isaac gets into a dispute over wells, but deals with it very well.
2 Chronicles 26.1-8 & 1 Chronicles 28.1-3 - First, we read of God helping King Uzziah be victorious in battle, then we move into how King David is not allowed to build God's temple because of all the blood he has shed - Is it ever ok for countries to fight each other?
James 4.1-3 - A great view on why conflicts happen in this world, and how selfish we are.
Romans 12.18-21 Our memory verse of the week comes from here.  It guides us in how to treat our enemies.  Very challenging.

Our challenge this week is to seek God when we start to get upset - whether we are justified or not) , take a deep breath, count to ten and pray that God would help you to pursue peace. 

And for those of you looking for Bonus points, Tune in later in the week for some bonus point opportunities taken from Pastor Ivan's sermon on Sunday.  If you missed it, or did't take good  notes, you can listen to the whole thing again from Sunday if you wish. visit the church website here.

We are back on for this weekend, girls!

OK, so we seem to be doing better at the Page house this  week, and we are praying that we will continue to strengthen and that our sickness is out the door. 

So, here we go again.  We will be having the girls celebration sleepover - the prize for winning the points competition last quarter.  It will be at the Page house on Friday, February 25 at 6:30 pm.  Come and bring your over night stuff (sleeping bag, pj's, pillow, toothbrush/paste, a snack to share, and whatever else you may need.)  It will be a fun night of food, games, a movie and hanging out with Steph and Kathleen.  Hope all the girls can make it.

Girls Sleep Over Postponed

Hey everyone,

This is a note to the girls that are planning on coming to the Page house tomorrow night.  We have been hit with a bout of sickness at the Pages and to be safe and keep you all healthy, we are going to put the sleepover off one week.  So, that means do not come tomorrow night, but instead plan on being here next Friday, February 25 at 6:30 pm.  Sorry for this, but after looking at the options, this seems like the best one.   Stay healthy and we will see you at the mall on Saturday.

CP

New Homework Questions are posted, and some bonus points too!

The new questions are up, and question 4 can be answered at the bottom of the "For Students" section.  And here are some bonus point opportunities.


1- One point each if you can name the 2 changes we made to the blog a couple of weeks ago.

And from Pastor Mark's message on Sunday (you can hear it on line, or talk to your parents about it if you want to)
1- He talked about passion a lot, write down a dictionary definition of passion and I will give you 2 points
2- Fill in this blank from his message: (2 points)  ___________ gets in the way of us accomplishing our mission.
3- Fill in these blanks from his message (he repeats it about 4-5 times) (2 points each)
          You cannot attain humility by yourself.  It is a bi-product of:
              focussing on ______________
              understanding his _____________
              and unleashing the ____________________ in our lives.

I will be tying some bonus points to the messages we hear during second service.  I encourage you to listen closely, take notes, and (most importantly) apply it to your own life!

Review from February 13

Hiya,

I love warm weather!  It is so nice to see the snow piles disappear a little more each day.  Hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

Here is the scoop from last Sunday - our first in our new unit on world issues ans how to deal with them.  Our first week focused on "What difference can I make?"  Here we tackled some of the bigger issues in the world - hunger, school violence, abortion, drugs, war.  What can we do to help this issues get resolved, what part are we to play?  It was great to hear the ideas that you all had about practical ways that you can be active in these areas, affecting change.

In our groups, we read these passages:
Mark 10 - Great leaders serve others.  This is the example that Jesus lived out.
Luke 10 -  the story of Mary and Martha with Jesus visiting.  Martha is working hard to clean up, Mary is listening to Jesus.  Story reminds us that spening time with Jesus is the most important thing.  Serving others is secondary to spending time at the feet of Jesus.
Romans 12.1-3 - We are reminded that trusting God and spending time with Him will help us see things and make choices - not to choose the way the world does, but to allow God to "change the way you think."
1 Corinthians 12 - This passage discusses the spiritual gifts. God gives us abilities and talents.  How we choose to use them is where we should focus our attention. He will help us use our abilities how He wants if we are obedient and listen to Him.

Homework questions and some bonus points are coming tomorrow.  Check back to find `em!

Homework questions posted

The homework questions are up, find them in the Student tab!  Go find `em

Review from February 6

Hey all,
Vikings fans, hope you are coming to terms with the fact that The Packers can claim to be the best for the next few months. Packers fans, I hope you are enjoying this time of being on top of the football fan world. TO those of you who don't care about football - I hope you are staying warm!

We finished our unit on making good choices on Sunday with a discussion of what happens if we mess up. A better question would be what happens when we mess up.

We wrote or drew a word or picture that was related to a bad choice that we have made - and then we tried to erase it. There was always something that remained, a smudge, some pencil marks, or an indentation on the paper from what we had written before. The lesson is that we cannot erase our bad choices from happening, once we've made the choice. There will be consequences for our actions and we must face them. But we don't have to face them alone. God always promises to forgive us, and He tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. That means even when things are hard and uncomfortable because of a choice that we have made, He is there to help us through it, and to teach us how to be better equipped to make good choices in the future.

Here are the verses that we read and the key reason why we looked at these verses with this lesson

Romans 7.15-20 Paul tells us about his tendency to do what he knows he shouldn't and not to do the things he knows he should
Numbers 15.22-31 Tells about the sacrifices that needed to be made for "unintentional sin" - there are still consequences to deal with. And the difference in God's eyes between unintentional sin, and choosing to do what you know is wrong
Luke 22.55-62 Jesus is arrested and taken to the authorities. Peter follows at a distance. People ask if he knows Jesus and he denies it 3 times.
1 John 1.7-9 Jesus promises to forgive and cleanse from our mess ups, anyone who asks, but anyone who thinks they are not sinful is lying to themselves.

Our memory verse is 1 John 1.8-9. It is worth 5 points for each person who memorizes it.
check out the pulse here to see what else is happening and find the memory verse/homework questions.

Reminder of Club 56 Saturday Night

This is a quick note to remind you that Club 56 will be meeting Saturday night at 6:30 at church. We will have some games, snacks and fun. Hope you can join us.

And here is another bonus point opportunity for you.
I will give you 1 point if you can tell me something that is different about the look of the blog this week.

OK - See you tomorrow night!

Chris

Review from January 30

Well another week is underway.  I hope that you are remembering our challenge for the week - to seek God's wisdom, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our life.  He will help us to learn from the Bible verses we are reading each day, and will be the check in our conscience if we are making a bad choice.
In case you missed it on Sunday, or forgot what we discussed, here is a summary.

We talked about how some decisions are clear cut as to which is the right choice and which is not but others are not as easy to discern.  The best way to test is to check them against what the Bible says.

We had some scenarios that I read where you had to choose (and be ready to defend your choice) which is the "right" choice and which is not.

Then we opened our Bibles to see what to do if the choices don't seem wrong.
First, we read Romans 14.20-23.  Here, Paul is talking about food that is acceptable.  Paul is hitting on a deeper issue though - doubt.  If you are making a decision and doubt has crept in as to whether you are doing the right thing or not, that may be something worth paying attention to.  Maybe the Holy Spirit is trying to get your attention to change your mind about the decision you are making.

Next we read Proverbs 1.1-7.  
This passage talks about asking God for wisdom?  What are some things we can do to be more wise.

Bonus Point Opportunity  What was Solomon's well-known display of wisdom with the 2 women.  Hint: it involved a baby.  1 point awarded for the correct answer.


Read Galatians 5.16-17.   This passage is about the Holy Spirit guiding us.  We need to train ourselves to listen and to obey.  If we hear the Holy Spirit speaking and we choose to ignore or disobey, we can find ourselves in a sticky situation.

Finally, we read Proverbs 3.21-26.  This is our memory verse this week.  (vs 21, 23, 24).  Pay close attention to the description about common sense and discernment.  God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide our choice making.

Memorize your memory verse (remember it is worth 15 points ) do your homework and when you come to Club 56 this week, our hope is that the time you spend with God, and the more time you spend allowing the Holy Spirit to have control,  the stronger your relationship with Him will be.  So keep asking for wisdom, trust God to guide your decision and devote yourself to spending time with Him every day.

Bonus point opportunity #2  - As you may know,  this Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday.  I will give out 2 bonus points (one point each) for anyone who answers these 2 questions for me.  
#1 - Who won last year's SuperBowl
#2- The game is between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers this year.  Who do you hope wins the game.


Turn in these answers and get more points for your team and remember the best way to get lots of points is to do your homework and memorize your memory verse.

Have a great rest of your week!

CP

New Pulse and Homework Questions Posted

The new questions are up!  Click here to get `em!  Also, the new pulse is up, click on the pulse tab to find it.

Review From January 23

Hi friends,

Hope you are having a great week!

We continued our talk on making good choices by discussing the topic "How do I know God's voice"

We started by having everyone take a partner, and then, with eyes closed, find that partner in a room full of other people calling to their own partner.  It was chaos.  And the lesson is that we have so many different places to turn to in making decisions, how can we identify God's voice in all the noise!

Then we turned to our Bibles and read the story of Gideon. (Judges 6)  Gideon was a judge in Israel.  He was told by God to deliver Israel from the Midianites.   God told him through an angel that He would be with him.  To test that the directives were actually coming from God.  He put out a fleece - twice - and asked for opposite results - first that it would be wet while the ground around is dry, then that it would be dry and the ground around would be wet.
God answered Gideon's request each time, and so when God asked Gideon to do something crazy (like reduce his army from 32,000 to 300 men to battle) we don't see him questioning God, or testing him again, he simply obeys.  The bible tells us not to put the Lord your God to the test, but it also shows many examples of God-loving people testing God and having those tests answered (Peter walking on water, Thomas needing to touch the scars of Christ to name a couple)  God is gracious to us, and knows our hearts.  He desires our hearts to want the things that He wants.

Next, we read James 1.5-7
This passage gives some good advice, starting by asking for wisdom.  It tells us that if people ask for wisdom from God, he will give it to them. 

Still in James, we read James 3.17. 
This verse shows us the result of asking for Wisdom.  Wisdom from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine and sincere.  Do you want to see these things happening in your own life?  Once God grants us wisdom, we will see these things growing in our lives.  But that also means that if the choices we make don't lead us to be all these things, then that probably means that we are not making good choices.

And finally, we read 1 John 4.1-6
John reminds us in this passage, that assuming that other people are giving God's message to us is a little naive.  People are human and will allow their advice and words to be swayed by other influences.  That means that our part is to test what they say with the Bible and see if it lines up with what He says. 

Our memory verse is James 1.5.

Remember that you can earn points for your team by doing your homework question (posted in the Pulse, and on the blog every week - 2 points per answer) and by memorizing the weekly memory verse. (5 points) also, you can look for bonus points posted here on the blog too. 

For this week's bonus point, I want you to tell me your favorite bands/or songs.  it doesn't have to be Christian music, I just want to know what you are listening to.  I will give 3 bonus points for this answer.

Have a great weekend!  See you Sunday!
CP

Review from January 16

Hey all,

Hope you are staying warm this week - it is kinda crazy cold out there.  How I long for the days of summer!

We started a new unit in Club 56 last Sunday - a unit on choices and equipping ourselves to make the right ones.  Our first week was about seeking advice and who we should seek advice from.

We started off by looking at Psalm 37.30-31.  Here we read about the advice of David.  He tells us that the advice of "godly" people is wise.  So who are the godly people in your life?  Who could you turn to for wise advice that lines up with God's word?


Next, we looked at 1 Kings 12.1-15.  Here, Rehoboam (the new king of Israel) is looking for advice on how to run the country.  He consults the elders who tell him to be a servant to his people.  But he rejects their advice and seeks the advice of young men that he grew up with.  They tell him to rule more sternly than his father did.  He rejects the advice of the older men and follows the advice of the younger and it goes very badly.   So the question is, how valuable is the advice of older people?  I know that not all advice that comes from older people is good and not all advice that comes from people your own age is bad.  But this story is a reminder of two things.  Don't reject the advice of people just because they are older, and don't always choose the option that seems easier.  I am sure that the idea of being a leader who serves his people was not an exciting thought for Rehoboam.  It would be harder to do this than to make others do your will by beating them and threatening them.  But in the end, choosing the easier way was his undoing.


Then on to 2 Samuel 16.23- 17.14
In this passage, David's son Absalom trying to kill his father.  He seeks advice from a reliable source, Ahithophel and a battle plan is laid out.  But Absalom seeks a second opinion, that of Hushai.  Hushai devises a different plan and Absalom wants to carry it out instead.  In this story, God uses Hushai's bad advice as part of his perfect plan.  Absalom following the bad advice given by Hushai allows David to escape this attack, and, at the end of the chapter, Absalom dies without seeing his father killed.  Have you ever given anyone bad advice and seen it work out for good in the end?


Finally, we read our MEMORY VERSE, Proverbs 12.26.
This passage tells us that the advice of godly people is helpful to their friends, but the wicked lead people astray.  Do you have any friends that you wouldn't ask advice from?  if so, why wouldn't you ask them? This verse reminds us to be careful who you are asking for advice.  Who do you know that would offer good advice that lines up with the Bible?  Can you challenge yourself to seek their advice the next time a tough decision comes your way.




OK, so now in the way of announcements. 
GIRLS!!!!!  here is your reward announcement.  The sleepover will happen on Friday, February 18 at the Page house.  Details will come out in the next week, but mark the day on your calendar and get ready to have a great time celebrating your victory over the boys.

BOYS!!!!!  If that announcement bugged you, then get to work.  Do your homework, memorize your memory verse (it is really short this week).  Search for bonus points, and you could be the winner this time around!)

BONUS POINT TIME!!!
I will give a bonus point for each Bible story/passage that you read this week.  Write down the book, chapter and verse, and something that you thought was cool in the passage and for EACH ONE, I will give you a bonus point.

See you Saturday!

P.S.  We are also up for our turn at Kids at 11 this week.  If you want to come and help lead the younger kids during second hour, I can use you.  If you are at the park on Saturday, we can talk about games to play and crafts/activities to do.  Our theme is the parable of the servant who owes a huge debt to the king and has the debt forgiven, and then goes and has another guy thrown in jail for not repaying a tiny debt he owes him.  The story can be found in Matthew 18.
If you are not going to be there on Saturday, but have some ideas, feel free to email them to me.

Have a great end to your week.
CP

New Pulse and Homework Questions are Posted

Hey gang,

The most recent Pulse is uploaded and ready for you to check out.  Please remember that we are meeting at a special time and place for Club 56 this Saturday.  We are meeting at 1pm at Central Park.  If you need to know where it is, you can  Click here for a google map.  We will stay there until 3pm.  I know that it is supposed to be REALLY cold this weekend.  If it looks like it is going to be tooooooo frigidly cold, we will find a plan B: and announce it Saturday morning at the latest - on the blog, on facebook and by email.


The Pulse can be seen here, and this is the place for the homework questions.

See you Saturday

New Homework questions posted

The new questions are up from January 9.  Remember you get 2 points for each question answered and 5 points for the memory verse  (Which this week is the Lord's Prayer).  Click here to get them.

Correction Please

Please note that in this week's Pulse we said that our next Saturday activity would be on January 23.  Well, that is a Sunday.  Please note that the Club 56 sledding day at Central Park will be on Saturday, January 22 from 1-3pm.    Please forgive the error and note the correct day and time.  Also, I would gladly welcome any parents that would like to come join in the fun at Central Park on that Saturday.  There is quite a hill for sledding/snowboarding, etc.  There are a couple of skating rinks and there are some fields around for the snow football player in all of us.  

Review From January 9

Hey y'all

Hope you are having a great week.
Here is the scoop from last Sunday's club 56 lesson.

First, we looked at "how to pray"  which was our final topic in our "prayer" unit.  We read from Matthew 6.5-13.  This passage is commonly known as "the Lord's Prayer".  And in it, Jesus, during the sermon on the mount, lays out a model of prayer that we can follow.  He mentions some other important details also,  - don't make a big show of it, using loud voices and praying in the streets to be noticed by others.  We don't need to change who we are when we pray.  We just need to communicate with God.  To help us wrap our minds around this, we looked at 4 different themes that are in the Lord's Prayer.  We went to different stations to really focus on  each one.  Here are what we learned.
We started by taking a piece of paper and rewriting the Lord's Prayer in our own words.  This way we can try to understand what is being said.

Station 1: Praise
At this station, we praised God in the same way Jesus told his disciples to when he said “Our Father in Heaven, may your name be kept holy”.  We then took a separate sheet of paper and wrote 6 things we love about God -  Six amazing qualities of God.  

Station 2: Thank

At this station, we took time to thank God for all the amazing things He’s done (and is doing) in our life.  We Drew a picture of one thing we are thankful for.  As we drew, we thanked God for giving us this wonderful thing and for providing everything we need.

Station 3: Confess

At this station, we told God about anything we have done wrong and asked Him to forgive us.  Jesus showed us how to pray when He said “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us".  We then had dumbbells.  Each of us picked up one of the weights.  As we held it,  we thought of something we have done wrong this week.  We prayed to ask God for forgiveness, and as we did, we set down the object and thanked God for taking away our sin.

Station 4: Ask

In His prayer, Jesus demonstrated how to ask God for something when He said, “May your kingdom come.  May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”  During our time at this station, we made requests of God.  We asked God to help us with something that we are worried about, or asked Him to provide for a need we have.  As we prayed, we were free to bow, lie down, put our hands out or close our eyes - whatever works best for each of us.

This is a great model for prayer.  And right now, the church is participating in the 2011 awakening conference, so what a timely unit we had, discussing prayer, what it can look like and the importance it plays in the life of a Christian.  

I have come across another couple of prayer models, based on the Lord's prayer.  They are put together in acronyms, to help remember the different themes.  Here they are, maybe they will be helpful to you in your prayer life by guiding you through the things Jesus included in the model prayer He gave us.

The first is ACTS

A- Adoration (loving and praising God for who He is)

C- Confession (telling God the things we have done wrong, or the things we haven't done that we are    supposed to do)

T- Thanksgiving (thanking God for everything we have, and are - and for all He is doing in our lives)

S- Supplication  (I had to look up this definition) - praying humbly, making requests of God

So that is one, and it reflects the parts of the Lord's Prayer.  I have also heard of this model PARTS

P - Praise (Telling God how great you think He is)

A - Admit (Telling God the things that you have done wrong, or have not done that you should do)

R - Request (Telling God what is on your heart, your needs, what you need answers about)

T - Thank (Being aware of God at work in your life, and thanking Him for all that is going on)

S - Stop (or be Still - I first heard it as Shut up - so you can remember that one if you want.  But it reminds us that we can have conversations with God.  We can praise, thank, confess and request from Him, but we can (and need to) be still, and let Him speak to us.  In these times, we may feel peace, we may sense direction or we may simply enjoy being shut down from the business of life and enjoying time spent with God.  

If you really like either of these acronyms, copy it down and give it to me with your homework on Sunday for a bonus point.  Or if you feel really creative, make up your own acronym that will help you remember the key themes of the prayer model Jesus gave us.  I will give you a bonus point for that too.

Stay safe, have a wonderful week, spend time with God in prayer and let Him encourage you, challenge you, pour into you and help guide you through life. 

CP