Pre-Sunday Guide

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing With God I.C.F.C.

March 30, 2014

 

“Growing Spiritually as a Couple Requires a Strong Level of Intimacy”

 

Read I Corinthians 7:5

 

Consider your marital intimacy an outward expression of an inward reality.

The Marvelous Mays!

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we just love these two!

 

They are both such a light.

 

They met on EHarmony! Lol! Nicole thinks she was lucky, Chris was only her second date. She doesn't think Chris was as lucky! (I disagree, I imagine Chris does too!)

 

 They vacation every year in Nicole's hometown, Destin FL. Their whole family looks forward to this week every year!

 

3. Chris likes a bright fresh morning; while Nicole likes to keep the lamps burning at night.

 

4. They love kings of Leon, as "their" band. They are going to see them in April, which will be their first concert they've ever attended together.

 

5. Nicole likes the country; Chris likes the suburbs. Namely The Woodlands! It is probably a good compromise.

 

6. They are not only passionate about their each other, but also about raising their 3 beautiful children.

 

7. The best thing about Chris is his ability to forgive....

We are still waiting to see what Chris believes is Nicole's best quality.

 

Ahhh. Who doesn't love a May?

 



Wednesday March 19 - King Saul: Doing Almost All of God's Will

Why do you think we often settle for doing only part of God’s will?

In what areas of your life do you struggle with denial or self-deception?

We all have an amazing capacity for self-deception.  Perhaps one of the cleverest schemes of the enemy is to convince us that doing most of God’s will is enough and that by doing it we will receive God’s blessings.  King Saul fell into such a temptation.  Instructed by God to fight and destroy the Amalekites, he succumbed to the wishes of his fighting men and did only part of God’s command.

Read 1 Samuel 15:1-23

What does God tell Samuel to tell Saul to do?

Why do you think Saul was unwilling to carry out God’s explicit command?

Why do you think it was difficult for Saul to realize the seriousness of his sin against God?

Why do you think God equates disobedience with idolatry?

What “burnt offerings” or “sacrifices” do we sometimes offer to compensate for our lack of obedience?

Identify one area where you have been content to do almost all of god’s will.  What steps should you take to complete your obedience to God?

Read Matthew 5:3-10

How do the Beatitudes differ from the heart of Saul?

Which beatitude, in particular, do you need to ask God to work into your heart?

The Always Lovely Lowes.

We are just crazy about these two!

 

Greg and Sheri experienced their favorite trip together the summer after they were married. Where did they go? Missouri

 

Both are multi-lingual, (which is super cool)

Greg speaks English, French, and some Spanish

Sheri speaks Spanish and English fluently.

 

They would love to raise their family..,

Anywhere that is a good mix of country and city or the beach..,

 

If they has three wishes:

They would want those boys to be healthy and happy. (uh, don't let them jump on the trampoline with Greg..,)

 

A robot to do laundry

 

A new bed. (hmm, how did it break?)

 

On a beautiful Saturday they like to: Spend the day outside at home.  We love to sit outside and watch the boys play or stay busy in the yard as a family.

 

Greg wants chocolate in his Easter basket and Sheri wants candy. If anyone wants to know ;)

 

Well thanks for sharing a little bit of yourselves with us!

 



My Oh My those Markhams!

 

 

As I could not use my favorite picture of them (it was in the slideshow) I thought this was pretty fun!

 

Mark and Rebecca love to travel together. They are taking a big trip this Spring!

 

In the evening they enjoy watching Alaska the Last Frontier on TV.

 

They receive their energy boots from lots and lots of coffee.

(We all relate..,)

 

Their favorite memory together (besides having children, besides their wedding) is their trip to Hawaii!

 

They love chocolate cake.

 

"Outside the Lines" would be the name of their book.

 

While Rebecca enjoyed receiving a silver locket from Mark, Mark enjoyed receiving approval to buy his own gift.

 

To Mark and Rebecca:

 

Thank you for keeping your answers clean.

Thank you for being an inspiration to all of us.

 

I hope you both know how much you are loved and admired in our crazy group!

 



Tempted to Compromise: Daniel 1

When is compromise good?

When is it bad?

List three to four temptations you presently face?

Today, few of us face the temptation to deny Christ, yet daily temptations to compromise our commitment to Jesus are just as serious.  The seemingly small decisions we make carry with them far-reaching consequences in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

Having been exiled to Babylon, Daniel was offered a good education and this one in a lifetime opportunity required a small compromise.

Read Daniel 1

What tactics were used not only to train these young men but also help them to blend into Babylonian culture? (vv. 4-7)

In what ways are we pressures to conform to our surrounding culture?

Daniel and his companions accept the education offered by Nebuchadnezzar, the possibility of attaining top positions in the pagan empire and new names.

Why do you think they agreed to these things but refused the king’s food? (v. 8)

Why might it have been easy for Daniel to rationalize this seemingly trivial compromise?

In what small ways are we tempted to compromise our lifestyle or beliefs?

How does Daniel show his trust in god when he makes a creative arrangement with the chief official? (v.v. 8-14)

What creative alternatives might you propose when you find yourself in a situation that ask you to compromise your convictions or beliefs?

God honors the trust and obedience of the four young men (vv.15-20) which allowed Daniel to continue in his future ministry.

In what ways does our obedience in “the little things” have far-reaching implications in our service to Jesus?

How can Daniel’s example help you respond to one temptation to compromise you are facing today?

In praying for His disciples Jesus says “My prayer is not that you take them out of this world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) Pray that God will give you wisdom and discernment to be in the world but not of the world.

Christians will often go to one of two extremes, they will either not even attempt to cooperate with what they consider to be a pagan system while others cooperate to the point of losing their distinctiveness.  Let us avoid the extremes and be productive to our desire to be faithful witnesses to Christ.

Sunday pre-guide

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

March 16, 2014

 

Sunday Morning Preview

 

“Growing Spiritually as a Couple Requires Being Able to Forgive”

 

Forgiveness is an indispensable pier of stability to keep the foundation of marriage from collapsing.

 

Read:  Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12-14

 

See you Sunday,

 

Gary

Where is funny Monday?

Yes. We heard from the Markham's on Sunday.
Yes. I have sent them interview questions.
No. They have not answered them as Mark is out of town.
Yes. I will post them when he gets back.

That is all.

HW

"Nothing is Beyond You"

Lisa Harper describes the Bible as a love story. She points out that God loved his people through all their grumbling, specifically in Malachi. This week she cited the verses Psalms 139:1-12 to remind us. Listen to the song, Nothing is Beyond You sung by Amy Grant as you read the verses below.

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness with hide me and the light become night around me." even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."

Sin in the Community - Wednesday March 5th

If you missed last Wednesday night here is a recap of how Achan brought sin into the community and how we should handle the situation when it arises in our community. I want to thank Mark for leading the class for me this Wednesday and I will  return next Wednesday with a look at a time when Daniel was tempted to compromise.

The effect of sin unleashed in the body of Christ can have devastating consequences, quenching the work of the Holy Spirit and hindering the advance of God’s kingdom.

Have you ever seen the negative effects of one individual’s action in an organization, family, workplace, or neighborhood?

Israel discovered the deadly, far-reaching effect of individual sin during its conquest of Canaan around 1300 B.C. In the midst of a miraculous victory at Jericho (Joshua 6), Achan took several items that were devoted to the Lord.

Read Joshua 7

What happens to Joshua and the Israelites when they attempt to conquer the city of Ai, and why?  (vv. 1-5)

Imagine you are a reporter observing the scene.  Describe the different types of reactions you might hear. (Remember, they do not know yet the reason for their defeat)

When you or an individual in your fellowship or church experience a setback, how do you respond?

How does God respond to Joshua’s pleas? (vv.10-15)

***Why do you think God held all of Israel responsible for the sin of one person? Spend time on this question

What was the root cause of Achan’s sin against God?

What sins or obstacles might be preventing your church or fellowship from progressing according to God’s plan?

 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.  But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector  (Matthew 18:15-17)

What guidelines did Jesus give us to maintain holiness in the church?

What PRACTICAL steps can you take to build up your fellowship or church this week?

Joshua 8:1-29 recounts how God granted the Israelites victory over Ai in their second attempt to conquer the city.

Read Ephesians 4:17-5:7

What type of behavior do you most need to put off and put on?

What work does God need to do in your heart?

 

Good Evening!

Happy Friday!

 

Wow another week down.. another week closer to camping!  Yay!  We are up to 60 people on our annual trip.  If you have not RSVP'd and are planning on attending please do so as soon as possible.  I will be at church Sunday accepting deposits.  I have lots of ideas for this year.. but I am looking for a few good ladies to help out with the "heavy lifting"... planning the menu!  Yikes!  I will be sending out a request for volunteers to meet me for coffee with notebooks in hand and some great ideas.  Keep an eye out for an email, or email me directly (Carol) if you are interested. 

 

There are few things coming up between now and the camping trip to keep us busy.  I have listed some highlights below.  If you are interested please either comment on the blog or shoot me an email so I can note the interest level of the different activities. 

 

My favorite season is here.. well, if the Texas weather would ever make up its mind! 

Let'e get out and enjoy that beautiful "not hot" weather!

 

 

• March 28th - Noah hits the big screen.. date night anyone? Let me know!
• April 11th - Rio 2 Opening Weekend! Family Night at the Showboat Drive Inn  Groupon has you covered! Check it out now for 2 entries, 1 large popcorn (and they do mean large!) and a large soda for $12
• April 25th-27th - Family Circus 6th Annual Camping Trip

 

 

That's all I have for now.  Lot's of fun things coming up. 

 

See you guy's Sunday!

Pre-Sunday Guide

We will be studying the same information from last Thursday.

Security in God's love

Lisa Harper's Malachi study week 5:

"On a side note: I think it's imperative for God's people to learn that insecurity is not the opposite of arrogance. Frankly insecurity and arrogance are fruit from the same tree. Christians who wear wounded feelings on their sleeve, who are quick to take offense, and who reek of anxiety are not humble. They're trust-impaired. The true opposite of arrogance is security. It's the deep-seated confidence that God holds us in the palm of His hand and nothing can separate us from His love."

Food for thought...Make it a great week!