Weekly Update 8.16

This Week
Remember as you go throughout this week the testimony given by Steve last night. Remember how one person's influence to get him into a youth group, though he and his family had given up on church, changed his life. Be that person for someone this week and bring them next Sunday!

Sunday, August 22
We will wrap up our "Relaunch" series on Sunday morning as we focus on evangelism. Then, at Ignite, we will be hearing a testimony from Mark Doggett. Hope to see you (and those you invite) with us!

8/15 Junior High Sunday School: "Relaunch- Moving With and Encountering Each Other"

Moving With Each Other

Acts 2:44-47

·      Verse 44-45

o   As a government, this ideal is called communism.  As a movement, this is called caring for one another and being selfless.

o   What is the point of youth group? Is it to get something out of it, or put all you have into it?

§  The fact is, we are not called to get something out of it, we are called to put all we have into it.  We have discussed this before, but often times the reason that we feel separated from God, or from others is because we are not doing our part in the relationship.

·      Verse 46-47

o   Why is it significant that they met together in the temple courts?

§  They did not abandon the Jewish religion. They simply saw that the hope had already been found in Jesus.

o   Wow, this sounds like a perfect world doesn’t it?  Almost too good to be true.  This atmosphere would not last, but it gives us an example of the mutual love and support we are to give each other.

Encountering Each Other

Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-25

·      We are all in this together. We are going to encounter each other, realize each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

 Corinthians 12:26

·      Think of a time in your life when you were at your lowest point.  Was the church there to help you through this time?

·      Have you made a conscience effort to ask how your youth group members are doing?  Have you seen if they needed anything?

·      Have you prayed with any of the people in this room before?  Have you prayed for any of the people in this room this week?

Closing

The only way that we can be a force is to know the equation: Force=Mass x Acceleration. All of us have to be moving together as fast as we can. We need to care so about each other and to know everything about each other.  Only then can we become a solid form and move with a united purpose in every step.

8/15 Senior High Sunday School "Relaunch- Moving with and impacting each other"

Lesson by: Jared Graves

Moving With Each Other

Acts 2:44-47

·      Verse 44-45

o   As a government, this ideal is called communism.  As a movement, this is called caring for one another and being selfless.

o   What is the point of youth group? Is it to get something out of it, or put all you have into it?

§  The fact is, we are not called to get something out of it, we are called to put all we have into it.  We have discussed this before, but often times the reason that we feel separated from God, or from others is because we are not doing our part in the relationship.

·      Verse 46-47

o   Why is it significant that they met together in the temple courts?

§  They did not abandon the Jewish religion. They simply saw that the hope had already been found in Jesus.

o   Wow, this sounds like a perfect world doesn’t it?  Almost too good to be true.  This atmosphere would not last, but it gives us an example of the mutual love and support we are to give each other.

Impacting Each Other

Read 1 Timothy 4

·      Verses 1-8

o   Does anyone see an instance of people following false teachings?

o   Notice that these people who are referred to as following these teachings and leaders were once Christians.

o   What does Paul tell Timothy to do with these people who are following the wrong directions?

·      Verses 9-15

o   Now Paul talks about what Timothy should be doing.

o   What does Paul list here that would be the biggest impact on other people?

§  Setting and example.

§  How do we set an example in speech?

Questions

·      How do we set an example in life for each other?

·      How do we set an example in love for each other?

·      How do we set an example in faith for each other?

·      How do we set an example in purity for each other?

·      How do these examples impact our fellow Christians?

Closing

The only way that we can be a force is to know the equation: Force=Mass x Acceleration. All of us have to be moving together as fast as we can. We need to care so about each other and to know everything about each other.  Only then can we become a solid form and move with a united purpose in every step.

Weekly Update 8.9

Weekend Recap
We want to take time to thank everyone who volunteered and attended Water War '10. It was a great success with 50 kids attending. A lot of hard work and volunteer hours went into this and we want to say thanks for all of your help.
Also, we had a great time at the Back to School Bash at Whispering Hills pool last night. A special thanks to Jennifer Perkinson for reserving the pool for us and for all of the 35 kids who came out and had a great time. There were two sandals and a shirt left at the pool, so if they belong to you, please contact Jared.

Tuesday, August 10
This month for "A 10th for the Lord" we will be going to Village Manor to visit some of our elderly friends. We will be playing games with the residents from 5:00-6:30 and then we will visit the Christian Health Center from 6:30-7:00 to see more residents. The Christian Health Center is for those who are struggling with mental health or physical health. We hope you will join us as we share God's light to these wonderful people.

Sunday, August 15
We are going to be back on schedule for Ignite starting this Sunday night. We are starting a series called H2O. The kids are going to be hearing testimonies from people within our church and seeing how their stories and lives can be used to bring others to know Christ. We will end the series on August 29 with a worship service and the launch of a new goal for our youth program. This is going to be a very exciting series and we hope all of you will join us.

Fall Retreat: National Missionary Convention, November 19-21
On Sunday morning, the kids received information on our Fall Retreat. We are going back to Lexingon, KY this year for the retreat to attend the National Missionary Convention: Windows of the World. This is the teen program that will show our kids what the Independent Christian Church is doing around the world and some missions that they might be interested in supporting. We will be staying at Bluegrass Christian Camp. In the e-mail sent out, the information letter will be attached.

Goodbye to Josh
Tomorrow marks the last day of Josh's internship at BGCC. Josh has done a great job with our youth and has grown in his personal ministry. We wish Josh the best of luck in his final semester at Johnson Bible College as well as his search for a full-time ministry. We hope you will take time to e-mail Josh or contact him and tell him thank you and send your best wishes.

8/8 Junior High Sunday School: Relaunch: Moving Towards and Encountering God

Devotion by: Jared Graves and Josh Knabel

Introduction (JARED)

Last year, we had Launch Day. On that day, we decided to change our identity from a youth group to a movement. We also launched a new mission statement. We said that we would strive to move towards God, with each other, and into the world.

We also launched individual ministries.  The junior high is Impact Ministries. We carry over the same mission statement, except we look to encounter God, each other, and the world.

Every year, at the start of the school year, we are going to take time to remind us of our mission statement and to remember what we are all about. Today, we are taking a look at the first step of our mission statement, moving towards and encountering God

Moving Towards God (JOSH)

·      Acts 2:42

o   The four ways we move towards God:

1.     Devoting to the apostle’s teachings

·      How does knowing the Bible move us towards God?

·      Challenge: To download sermons, read commentaries, etc. to try and further your biblical knowledge.

2.     Devoting ourselves to fellowship

·      How does fellowshipping with one another move us towards God?

·      Challenge: To get an accountability partner.

3.     Devoting to the breaking of bread

·      Does this mean that we have to have communion every week?

·      This is literal, but it also reminds us that we are to remember Christ in all that we do.

·      How does the breaking of bread, and all that entails move us towards God?

4.     Devoting ourselves to prayer.

·      This is probably the hardest part of moving towards God.

·      How can we improve our prayer lives?

·      How does prayer move us towards God?

·      Challenge: Pray through each day

o   Analyze your day to see what God showed you, where did you sin?, what blessings were given?

Encountering God (JARED)

·      Background

o   Ahab has become king of Israel and instead of following God, he and his family are worshipping Baal.

o   Elijah has sent Obadiah to Ahab and now we are ready for a UFC fight between God and Baal.

·      1 Kings 18:16-39

o   Verses 18-20

§  Ahab and his wife Jezebel were so entrenched in worshiping Baal and Asherah, that the prophets of these gods were eating dinner with them every night.

o   Verse 21

§  Basically Elijah is saying, quit having ADD, pick one or the other

o   Verses 22-25

o   Verses 26-29

§  These people were so entrenched in their beliefs that they were slashing themselves and hurting themselves to try and get their god to show up.

o   Verses 30-39

§  Notice Elijah’s prayer. He did not pray for him to not look like a fool. He prayed that God would be brought glory, and that He would be real in these people’s lives.

·      Do you think it is possible that God will show up in our lives when we ask Him to?

·      How can we encounter God?

o   Through prayer

o   Reading His’ word

8/8 Senior High Sunday School: Relaunch:Moving Towards and Impacting God

Lesson by Jared Graves & Josh Knabel

Introduction (JARED)

Last year, we had Launch Day. On that day, we decided to change our identity from a youth group to a movement. We also launched a new mission statement. We said that we would strive to move towards God, with each other, and into the world. We also launched individual ministries. The senior high is Impact Ministries. We carry over the same mission statement, except we look to impact God, each other, and the world.

Every year, at the start of the school year, we are going to take time to remind us of our mission statement and to remember what we are all about. Today, we are taking a look at the first step of our mission statement, moving towards and impacting God

Moving Towards God (JOSH)

Acts 2:42

o   The four ways we move towards God:

1.     Devoting to the apostle’s teachings

·      How does knowing the Bible move us towards God?

·      Challenge: To download sermons, read commentaries, etc. to try and further your biblical knowledge.

2.     Devoting ourselves to fellowship

·      How does fellowshipping with one another move us towards God?

·      Challenge: To get an accountability partner.

3.     Devoting to the breaking of bread

·      How does the breaking of bread, and all that entails move us towards God?

4.     Devoting ourselves to prayer.

·      This is probably the hardest part of moving towards God.

·      How can we improve our prayer lives?

·      How does prayer move us towards God?

·      Challenge: Pray through each day

o   Analyze your day to see what God showed you, where did you sin?, what blessings were given?

Impacting God (JARED)

 Background:

• Hezekiah is the king from 2 Chronicles 29-32. He purified the temple, got rid of idols, brought tithes to God’s house.  He dies, and his son Manasseh steps in to take his place.

2 Chronicles 33

o   Verses 1-9

§  Basically all the good that his father did, Manasseh erases it.

§  He desecrates Solomon’s temple with idols, worshiped pagan gods, and sacrificed his children to them!

o   Verses 10-20

§  This guy was despicable, but God forgave him.

§  Manasseh did a complete 180 and changed his life around. He tried to right all the wrongs that he did.

§  But that’s not what we are focusing on.  Look at the fact that God was moved by Manasseh’s prayer.  This is the God of all creation, the Lord of everything, omniscient, omnipotent, yet he was moved by this man’s prayer.  Why?

·      Because he saw the error and God saw his sincerity.

§  Manasseh turned his life around and was honest with God, surrendering all to him.  God saw this and was moved, He was impacted by Manasseh.

·      How do we impact God?

o   Through prayer

o   Through repentance

o   By being real

Weekly Update 8.4

Saturday, August 7
This Saturday we are putting on "Water War '10". This will be a two hour competition from 2:00-4:00pm. It is open to anyone in junior or senior high. Please dress appropriately, bring a towel, and bring a change of clothes if you want. You may also bring your own water gun for the grand finale.

Sunday, August 8
This Sunday we are going to be having our Back to School Bash/Fall Kickoff. We will be having a swimming party at Whispering Hills Pool from 6:00 until parents pick their children up. Whispering Hills is located at 217 Brookshore Avenue. Here is a link to directions from the church to the pool: http://www.locallife.com/bowling-green/moreinfo.asp?site=BOWLINGGREEN&p3link=63237&dispmode=map

Weekly Update 7.26

Tuesday, July 27
We hope you will join us for our final Summer Olympic competition tomorrow night at Southern Lanes. We will have four lanes reserved (one for each team) from 6:00-7:30. Please be on time so that we make sure everyone gets a chance to play.

Sunday, August 1
This Sunday night we will be saying goodbye to our departing seniors. We will have our second annual Senior Roast. We are thankful for Ryan, Tori, and Rachel for all that they have done and wish them best in college. We know that they are going to represent us, their family, and their faith well.

Saturday, August 7
August 7th will be Water Wars '10. We will all be together from 2:00-4:00 playing a lot of wet games at the church. We hope that you will invite your friends as a good way to kick off the school year.

Mission Trip 2010

Our youth took part in our annual mission trip July 11-17. We traveled to Seymour, TN (right outside of Gatlinburg) and helped with home repairs and landscaping. We worked for Mr. Eddy, who takes care of his wife, who has had three strokes and is unresponsive, and his father, who suffers from dementia. Mr Eddy's mother died three weeks before we arrived.
Below is a slide show that shows some of the things that we did throughout the week. Our kids completed two weeks of work in just under four days. We also had quality time hanging out in the afternoons and evenings, and on our free day Friday. Thank you to all who prayed for us during the trip and those who supported us by tithing to BGCC.

Most of all, thank you to a wonderful group of kids who worked hard, didn't complain, and came together as a family. A special thanks also goes out to the sponsors who sacrificed vacation time, and parts of their summer to come, work, and support these youth. Enjoy the slideshow and be proud of our kids:

7/25 Senior & Junior High Sunday School: One Thing-Having an Eternal Perspective

Lesson by Jared Graves

Introduction

What comes to your mind when I say the words “Second coming”?

What do you believe a Christian’s attitude should be concerning Jesus coming back?

This week and next week, Josh and I are going to give you one challenge for the school year ahead. My challenge for you this week and for this school year is to keep an eternal perspective. When school starts, it is really easy to become narrow-minded. We focus on what we have to do right then and there, and we do just enough to make it through the day. What if we were not promised tomorrow? How would we act, how would we treat people? My hope through this lesson is not to scare you into doing something, it is to motivate you to make a difference and have a different outlook on life.

Lesson

2 Peter 3:3-4

This is kind of like the fire drills and tornado drill you go through in school. When you were younger, you took them seriously. Now, they are a complete and utter waste of time. You know there is no fire, and you just go through the motions. There is no urgency.

Many of us have heard, over and over again, that Jesus is coming soon. However, we have begun to think that this is just like those fire drills. Soon to us is tomorrow, or at least within the year. So Jesus still hasn’t come, so we begin to let our guard down and think, “This isn’t happening today.” The thing is, it could.

2 Peter 3:5-10

We are on God’s time. While this seems like a cop-out, it is true. While we do not know the day, we can find some warning signs in Scripture to let us know that the day is coming. Remember though, these signs are not steps in a map, like a treasure hunt. They are birth pains (like Jesus says in Matthew 24). Also, we cannot say that something hasn’t happened, so Jesus can’t come. Lastly, don’t get caught up in how and when, just focus on the fact that it is going to happen. We just need to take a look at the frequency of the birth pains. Here are signs we can look for:

Signs in nature (Matthew 24, Luke 21)

Earthquakes, famine, sickness, disease

Wars and rumors of wars

Until 1914 no universal world, then we had two. Death toll from conflicts since then set to top 23 million

Isaiah says that we will call evil good, and good evil (Read 2 Timothy 2-9)

We will be tolerating on everything but the things of God.

More people will hear false teachers of God than truth.

Matthew 24 says that Christians will be persecuted. Now, we don’t see this really where we are today, but if you look at the past century, there have been more Christians martyred than all the time leading up to this past century combined. There are 200,000,000 Christians who face persecution, death, or torture every day. (Persecution.org).

(Matthew 24:14) There will also be a revival in people coming to Christ. Everyone will be reached with the Gospel. Is this happening?

The most telling is that people will ignore the warning signs.

2 Peter 3:14-15. God is waiting until all possible people can come to know Him.

Conclusion

I tell you all this to tell you this:

Don’t get caught up in figuring out when Jesus is coming again. Just know that He is. Just know that when He does, there are no more chances. No more chances to reach out to people. No more chances to live a better life. No more chances to grow closer to God. This school year, and every day from here forward, I challenge you (and myself) to live with an eternal perspective. Know that this could be your last day, your last breath. Live it to the fullest and leave nothing on the table at the end of the day.

Weekly Update 6.22

Tonight, June 22
Tonight, we will continue our summer long "BGCC Summer Olympics" competition. Tonight will combine both academic/logic and athletic competitions. Please dress appropriately. If you didn't come three weeks ago for kick ball, don't worry! We will put you on a team.

Sunday, June 27
This Sunday is the Josh Knabel show at BGCC. Josh will be doing both Sunday Schools and then answering the question "What are different ways to spread the Word of God?" during Ignite. Hope to see you there!

6.20 Sunday School "The Holy Spirit"

Senior High- Jared Graves
Junior High- John Baker

Introduction

Many times, people will take a jar with them on a vacation or a trip. They will collect dirt/air/etc from that place and bring it back home with them. Baseball teams often scoop up some dirt from their home baseball field and take it with them to give them good luck and to remind them who they are playing for.

If you had a jar, what points in your life would you have liked to bottle up?

 If this worked in our spiritual lives, what point would you bottle up?

Probably the most overused phrase in the Christian life is “mountain top experience.” These are instances in our lives where we believe that things really couldn’t get any better. They are the moments when God was so evident, it felt like you could reach out and touch Him. These are the times that we feel like we want to bottle up. Then, when bad times come, or that spiritual high wears off, we can sneak a sniff of the moment from our jar and let that feeling come over us again. For those of you who went to CIY, this happens every year. We always say “I wish I felt like I did at CIY”. How can we maintain this momentum, how can we always live our life with the same enthusiasm and excitement as those mountain top experiences?

Simply put, the Spirit of God never changes. We are always holding the Spirit within our heart. Today, let us find out more about the Spirit and examine how we can keep the momentum from CIY or find that mountain top experience at any time and in any situation.

Bible Study

Hand out the papers that have every mention of the Spirit of God in the Bible. See what we can learn from the Bible verses.

What does our research today concerning the Spirit of God tell us about His workings in our life?

If the Spirit of God never changes, why do we feel like we have come down the mountain?

If it is our fault for getting down from the mountain, what can we do to sustain the Spirit’s workings in our life?

Weekly Update 6.6

First things first...

We had a GREAT "Promotion Sunday". Combined, our Sunday morning total for junior and senior high was 41 students. Then we had 32 students for Ignite. With some of our students on vacation and others out of town, I can already tell that this year will be awesome, and I can't wait to see us grow beyond our current state, both spiritually and numerically!

TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT
It is VBS time at BGCC. All our senior high students are invited to come and volunteer for VBS. Our junior high students will be taking part in their own special section of VBS. They will not be doing the normal "kiddy" VBS, but will instead be taking part in a new and exclusive week-long experience. They will need to wear clothes to be active in (and shoes to fit that). Tonight we will be walking around a lot, so please dress accordingly.

Thursday, June 10
Also this week, we will be traveling to Barren Heights to do a service project. We will be leaving the church by 8:00am and will return by 3:00pm. While we are there, we will be helping them do some landscaping and getting them ready for their summer camps. Barren Heights is a great place for persons with disabilities and their families. We have some members at BGCC that have attended there in the past. Please let me know if you planning on attending this trip and if you are a parent that is interested in taking students on this trip. We need more parents.

Sunday, June 13
We will be continuing our series "Life's Toughest Questions" Sunday night. We will be answering the question, "I feel like I fit in better and enjoy hanging out more with my non-Christian friends than I do the people in my youth group. Does this mean that I am disconnected from the body?" We will also be playing some games and continuing to grow together as a body. Hope to see you there!

CIY 2010
We have 16 youth leaving for CIY next Monday morning. Those students need to have their BGCC and CIY waiver, along with the remainder of their CIY payment before we leave. We are going to have a great week. Please be praying for the students, sponsors, and conference. Thanks!

6/6 Sunday School "Yearly Check-Up"

Devotion by Jared Graves

Introduction

Students will play a get to know you game. This will serve as an opportunity to welcome new students to the group and make them feel welcomed.

“Find Someone Who”: Students are to go around with a sheet of paper and find someone that fits the description of each statement. They can only use the same person twice.

Bible Study

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Which gifts/parts of the body would the Corinthians celebrate?

What are the gifts/parts of the body that we seem to hold higher in the church today?

Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-27

What are the gifts/parts of the body that the Corinthians would have looked down on?

What are the gifts/part of the body that we seem to look down on or totally ignore?

Application

We are one body. Today we have some new faces with us. I hope that you will take time to get to know them more and welcome them with open arms to our group. To our new kids, we say welcome. However, we also want to let you know that you are at a new point in your life. Now you are called to a higher responsibility. Let us use our gifts to the best that we can and let’s be a well-oiled machine for Christ, His Church, and His people!

5/30 Sunday School "Peer Pressure"

Devotion by Josh Knabel:


Introduction & Bible Study:

• Students are presented scenarios about peer pressure and must take time to match up the correct verses with the right scenario.
• Scenario 1- Ephesians 4:25, Ashley should explain why she won’t be going to the party.  She should tell Jessie about the youth group event and her feelings towards it
• Scenario 2- Galatians 6:1-2, Mark should sit down with Terry and explain what he’s seeing in Terry’s life.  He should try to persuade Terry to get involved in the church again.  He should also avoid getting involved with Terry’s new crowd.
• Scenario 3- Philippians 4:6-7, If Alan were going to be blackballed for not attending the party, he should turn his worries and feelings over to God and trust God to make his remaining years in drama enjoyable.
• Scenario 4- Psalm 37: 23-24, Eddie should refuse to join his friends in taunting the new kid. Even though Eddie stumbled before when he made fun of the new kid, the Lord will provide strength for him to resist this time.
• Scenario 5- II Corinthians 5:17, Rita should try and explain to her friends that she really doesn’t have the desire anymore to do the kinds of things she used to do.  She should then offer some alternative suggestions for what she and her friends could do together, suggestions that go along with Rita’s new personality.

The kids should take some time and write down some other situations that go along with peer pressure, and then share the ideas, while also checking to see if the five bible passages relate to the options they’ve chosen in anyway

Conclusion:

• Now just because we have biblical answers does that mean that standing up to peer pressure is going to be easy, just remember that God has promised to be with and help us when were in a tough situation, but he hasn’t promised that we’ll never face anything like that, or that life will always be easy, that’s why we have to rely on him.

Weekly Update 6.1

TONIGHT!!!
Our 2nd Annual BGCC Summer Olympics kick off tonight at Covington Woods Park. The game will begin at 6:00 and end at 8:00. If you miss this week, it does not mean that you cannot participate in the rest of the competitions. Come out and get ready for a great time.

Sunday, June 6
Sunday is promotion Sunday. All eighth graders have been moved up to our senior high class that meets at 8:30 in the youth center. Our new friends from the fifth grade will meet in the Youth Center at 9:45 with the junior high.

Sunday night is Ignite, where all students, junior and senior high, meet together for games, food, and fellowship. This week's devotion is coming from Josh as he answers the question, "Why is Jesus important?" Josh will be giving his testimony, and we will take time to make sure we get to know each other better.

Thursday, June 10
We will be heading to Barren Heights camp in Louisville, KY to help them out with some landscaping in preparation for their summer camps. They are very excited for us to come up and help out, so hopefully we can have a big turn out. If you are coming to the mission day, please contact us (youth@bowlinggreenchristian.org). Also, if you are a parent who wants to accompany us as a chaperone, you are welcomed to come. Once again, just let us know by e-mailing us.

Mission Trip
We still have one slot remaining for the mission trip (July 11-17). If you are interested in attending, please let us know so we can reserve your spot. The cost is $200 ($150 if you have set up a payment plan).

Have a great week!

5/24 Weekly Update

First of all, we want to wish everyone with final exams good luck. We pray that your hard work and studying will prove useful and that you would be successful in your tests this week. Finish strong!


Tuesday, May 25
In anticipation of carpet being put down on Wednesday, there are some final touches needed for some parts of the downstairs at church. We will be opening the doors starting at 3:30 for those who can come and help us finish. We are grateful for those who have sacrificed their time over the past few weeks to help us out in restoring our children's ministry wing.

Sunday, May 30
Our Sunday School classes will be taught by our new intern, Josh Knabel. He will be leading a Bible study and discussion on Matthew 14.

Sunday night is our annual End of School Bash at the Schreiner Farm (directions are available Sunday). The church and the Schreiners will be providing hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, and s'more making materials. However, the rest is up to you to bring. Please note what everyone is supposed to bring:

• 6th & 7th Graders: Drinks
• 8th & 9th Graders: Chips
• 10th-12th Graders: Dessert

Please bring what you are assigned to contribute to the group. We will be eating, playing games, and burning our homework from the previous year. See you there!

5/23 Sunday School "Taming the Tongue"

Devotion by Jared Graves

Introduction

Students will play a game of “Mad Lib”.

The right word placement makes all the difference in the world. We could say something that portrays the same message but switch just a few words around and say something completely different, and possibly unintentional.

Bible Study

Read James 3:3-12

James is very serious in his discussion of what words can do. What were our words initially meant to do?

What now have our words turned into?

Today we are going to look at the Proverbs and what they have to say about the tongue. The tongue is kind of like nuclear science, it could be used for good, or it could be used to bring destruction and hatred.

Gossip: Have the students find the following Proverbs, and have them wait for the signal to read them: Proverbs 16:28, 20:19, 19:1, 18:6-8

Read Proverbs 16:28, 20:19, 19:1, 18:6-8

What do these Scriptures say about gossip?

What is considered gossip?

Anger: Have the students ready to read the following passages from Proverbs: 14:17, 14:29, 15:1, 15:18

Is anger always a sin? (Psalm 4:4 states, “In your anger, do not sin”.)

Read Proverbs 14:17, 14:28, 15:1, 15:8.

What is the fine line between anger and destruction?

Truth: Have the students ready to read the following passages form Proverbs: 15:1-2,4,7-8,29, 19:5,9, 21:6, 20:15.

Read Proverbs 15:1-2,4,7-8,28,

One author stated that these verse could indicate that all our speech should be a prayer to God. Agree or disagree?

Read Proverbs 19:5,9, 21:6, and 20:15

What is the difference in a tongue that professes truth and a tongue that gossips, tears down, lies, etc?

Application

What are some tidbits of wisdom that we can use from what we learned today to keep our mouth doing what God created it to do?

What steps can someone take to tame their tongue?

Weekly Update 5.17

Tuesday, May 18
We know that we are winding down the school year, but if you are available to help out with the restoration of the church's basement, we would like to have your help. We will be painting on Tuesday night from 3:30-7:00. We will have food provided, but we need you to bring your painting supplies. Please note that this is not a night to come goof around. We will have fun fellowshipping, but the work will be very serious.

Sunday, May 23
Sunday morning we will be taking a look at the Proverbs. At Ignite, Chris Day will join us and will discuss the question "Why do I hold grudges and can't seem to let go?" Our worship team will also be performing, so we hope to see everyone out.

Summer Intern
Please take a moment to welcome Josh Knabel to our ministry staff. Josh is a senior at Johnson Bible College and will be filling the summer intern position. You can add him on Facebook. Make sure you come and introduce yourself to him Sunday.

June 10
Next month's "A 10th for the Lord" will take us to Barren Heights camp in Louisville. We will leave the church at 8:00 and will return at 5:00. We will be assisting with some cleaning and groundswork. If you are interested in going on this trip (adult or youth) please contact Jared (jared@bowlinggreenchristian.org).

5/16 Sunday School 3 John

Senior High- Jennifer Perkinson, Junior High-John Baker

Bible Study

Read 3 John 1-4

Just like in 2 John, the writer is praising a member of the church whose children (whether they are actual children or spiritual children) are doing what they are supposed to do.

Read 3 John 5-8

In this time there were many traveling evangelist. A messenger would preach the same sermon over and over to each church he visited. However, as he went along the way, he would give a status report of what the other churches were doing. Gaius showed hospitality to these people and supported their cause.

Read 3 John 9-10

Now John contrasts Gaius and Diotrephes’ actions. Diotrephes does not welcome those who are coming to spread the message. What are the things that Diotrephes did to the messengers of the Gospel? (Refuses to welcome them and makes sure that those who are in his church do not welcome them)

Read 3 John 11-14

John concludes his letter with a charge on holy living. He also highlights another brother in Christ, Demetrius, and his reputation.

Application

If we had to make a theme of this book, we could possibly say that it is all about having a good reputation.

Discussion Questions

• What is Gaius’ reputation?
• What is Diotrephes’ reputation?
• We see here that very early in the church, there were already people who saw church in “teams”. Is this thought still prevalent today? How can we avoid the mindset that different denominations are different teams?
• If stories about your faith circulated around, what would your reputation be?

Weekly Update 4.26

First of all, a very special thanks to Franklin and the worship team for a great worship service last night. Also we want to thank those who came to celebrate The Movement's 1st birthday party Saturday. We're glad the rain didn't keep you away and we had a great time! Now to the week ahead:

Sunday, May 2
In our Sunday School classes we will be studying 2 John. On Sunday night, we will continue our "Life's Toughest Questions" series. We will send out an e-mail soon with the topic that will be covered.

4/25 Sunday School "God is....Life"

Lessons by Jared Graves

Introduction

Review. This is the final week of our series on 1 John. We have learned two attributes of God so far. The first week we learned that God is… (Light) and last week we talked about God being… (Love). Today, we are going to talk about God being life.

Activity: Have a large dry-erase board to mark on for this lesson. On one side of the board have written “Good world”. With a line dividing the two sides, write “Bad world” on the other side of the board. Students are going to list the difference in the two and which aspects of everyday life fit in which category.

One of the predominant misconceptions of our faith is that we are to be completely and utterly secluded from the world. It is especially bad when people have kids and remember all the stuff they had to deal with in high school and life and so they are ULTRA protective to try and keep them away from the things of this world. In our English translations of the Bible we find that we are supposed to stay away from the world and out of the world. However, we find that in the original language, there is a difference in “worlds”. There is the world of the flesh, which is all the things that are sinful and detrimental to our Christian walk, and then there is the world of people and creation that God loves and created. That is why the phrase be in the world, but of the world makes sense. We are supposed live in this world, be with all different types of people, but we need to avoid sin and the things that would compromise our faith.

Before we begin today, let’s discuss and list the differences in the “good world” that we are to be apart of, and the “bad world that we should avoid”.

Bible Study/Exegesis (What it meant then)- 1 John 5

Everyone turn to 1 John 5

Read 1 John 5:1-5

·      In Christ we are victorious. What is the end for all those in the world? Death. 10 out of every 10 people die. It is the ultimate statistic. However, if we have Christ, we are victorious over this world and we can hope in a life that is given by the Life-Giver.

·      What does it mean that we have victory over our faith?

Read 1 John 5:6-12

·      Do you see what John has done here? There is pattern that he followed the entire letter: This is who God is, this is how God does this, and this is what you should do about it. Now look at what He did with the pattern: This is who God is (Life), this is how God does it (overcoming the world), but now John shows that this is what God did about it. God sent His Son to live in worldly terms.

·      What is the big deal about the difference in water and blood? Water came from Heaven as an inanimate object. It doesn’t breathe, etc. Jesus wasn’t a vapor, or something that was not real, He was real, He bled, He was like us.

Read 1 John 5:13-21

·      What is this sin that leads to death? Which sins do not lead to death? Should we more concerned with discerning which sin is which or just try not to sin at all?

·      Why is verse 21 there? How does it relate to God being life? Idols are temporary and lead to death. God is living and offers us life.

Application/Hermeneutics (What it means now):

Which of the three attributes of God that we have studied this month appeals most to people?

What is one thing you learned today?