Weekend Recap

This weekend in the AZ Theater (1st - 5th grade environment) we continued our mini series Back 2 School. The topic was "Avoiding Temptation" as we explored Luke 4:1-13. We gave the kids an acronym to remember what to do when facing temptation. The goal is to RUN from temptation.

Remember What Would Jesus Do!
Understand what the Bible says!
Never stop asking God for help!

Family Exercise: Find a good time this week to ask your child what tough temptations they face and how they are handling those temptations. Warning: if your child opens up this is not the time to be judgmental, but the time to lovingly help them overcome their temptation.

Weekend Recap, How to be Rich!

This past weekend we continued are series "How to be Rich!". We taught kids what it means to tithe. We explained that 1) everything comes from God. 2) If God were to give you $10 would you give $1 back to Him. Of course, that's easy. 3) We'll that's what it means to tithe. We learned that, according to Malachi 3, when we don't tithe we cheat God and when we do God blesses us more than we are able to handle.

Scripture: Malachi 3:8-11

“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies."

Homework: Instead of a weekly Homework challenge we are having a series long homework challenge. Here it is... go shopping with your child and buy 3 jars. On the 1st jar write Tithe, on the 2nd jar write Save, & the 3rd jar write Spend. Now get $10 in one dollar bills. Give them the money only if they agree to put the 1st $1 in the Tithe jar and the 2nd $1 in the Save jar and then the $8 in the Spend jar. Of course they’ll agree and learn a valuable lesson in being biblical and wise with their money.

Next week: We will discussing the importance of saving.

Weekend Recap, How to be Rich!

This past weekend we launched a new FOkids series called "How to be Rich!". Week 1 was all about drilling into the kids that we are rich, filthy rich. Not rich in love or in Jesus but rich as in cash, stuff, and the fact that we have it soooo easy in the 21st century American culture. The goal with teaching the kids that they are rich had 3 point. When we realize we are already rich these 3 things can happen: 1) We can become thankful 2) We can become content 3) We can become generous. We also introduced the kids to what it means to tithe, save, and spend His money His way. This series could change the course of a child's life forever.

Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13 "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."

Homework: To get 3 jars for your child. Make one for tithing, one for saving, and one for spending. Place them on their dresser and every time they get money divide with the first 10% going to tithe, the second 10% going to saving, and the 80% going to spend. Can you imagine if we raise are kids to live off 80% of their income. What a blessing that would be.

Next week: We will discussing what tithing is all about.

Weekend Recap, Yo Momma Rox!

This weekend we ended the Rockstar series. What an awesome series as we learned it's all about Him and that we are to do all we can to make Him famous. This past weekend we ended strong. In the Theater we didn't celebrate Mother's Day we celebrated "Yo Momma Rox" Day.
Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-3
Homework: The kids homework was to take their rock and give it to their mother and let them know that "they rock". Parents the best way we can teach our kids to obey and honor our parents is by letting them see and hear how we obey and honor our parents as adults. Kids learn by what is caught not taught.
Next Week: We start "How to be Rich" series. Week 1 "U R"

Weekend Recap: ROCKSTAR II: Encore

This week in the AZ Theater we talked about the Greatest Encore Performance in history, that of Jesus Christ. How He loved us so much that He'd do anything to get more of us in His future. Jesus was the one in the crowd screaming, "Encore, Encore, Encore" for us. Wow, something wrong with that picture. The homework for us parents is for us to take your child to something they love to do or a place they love to be at. A place they won't want to leave. After 5 minutes pretend your leaving and just before your child throws a temper scene open the conversation about how that is what it was like with Jesus. He had us briefly, then we sinned (which separated us from Him), which made Him want us soooo bad, so He died so we may be forgiven, rose again (Encore) so we can be together for ever. Moms, Dads, YOU ROCK!