Middle School Bible Study Class Blog

Peer Pressure

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:02:58 +0000

What is peer pressure?

Peers that try to INFLUENCE You to do something that you wouldn’t normally do.

Bad & Good Peer Pressure; How it works

Most young people Want to fit in and to feel like they are accepted. Who doesn’t?
Most of us don't like feeling awkward or uncomfortable; especially in front of other people.

PEER PRESSURE is those times that make you feel like conforming- so that you won’t stand out… so that you will fit in... So that your peers wont laugh or make fun of you.

Young people, starting around age 13, are beginning to try to find themselves. At this age young people start becoming more independent.This is the age where peers naturally play a greater role in your life.

As school and other activities take you away from home, you may spend more time with peers than you do with your parents and siblings. You develop close friendships with some of your peers, and you may feel so connected to them that they are like an extended family.

It's natural for people to identify with and compare themselves to their peers- not that you should…

Young people are influenced by peers because they want to fit in. To fit in and be admired by peers, you need to have what they have and do what they do or you will be looked down upon; and Kids today can be mean.

So the pressure to conform (to do what others are doing) can be powerful and hard to resist.

But it can be done!!!! (With God all things are possible)

Responding to Peer Pressure is part of human nature — but some people are more likely to give in while others are better able to resist and stand their ground.

Everyone ends up in a peer pressure situation at some point. There's no magic to standing up to peer pressure; but it does take courage.

Listen to your gut

If you don’t feel uncomfortable, even if your friends seem to be OK with what's going on, it means that something about the situation is most likely wrong. Making good decisions is part of becoming independent and learning more about who you are.

Plan for possible pressure situations

Think ahead about how you'll handle peer pressure; Decide ahead of time and even rehearse what you'll say and do.
Learn to feel comfortable saying "no."
Hang with people who feel the same way you do.
Choose friends who will speak up with you when you need their support.
Listen to that little voice telling you a situation is not right; chances are others hear it too.
If a situation seems dangerous, don't hesitate to get an adult's help.

It's not always easy to resist negative peer pressure, but when you do, it is easy to feel good about it afterwards. You may even help your other peers who feel the same way. It just takes one person to speak out or take a different action to change a situation. Try to be a leader to your peers rather than a follower.

We can lead others to Christ buy following Jesus and walking in his footsteps.

Some think it is easier to give in than to stand against the crowd. That is not true! The sooner and faster you stand up for what is right, the easier it is to overcome peer pressure.

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

The Tabernacle of God: The Gate

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:53:17 +0000

To enter into the courtyard where the tabernacle was; there was only one gate. It was 30 feet wide.
It was at the east end of the outer court ,directly in the center.
The gate was covered by a curtain made of purple, blue, and scarlet linen finely twisted.

This was the one and only gate to enter in which is a representation of Christ as the only way through which one could reach God.

To do this, one must first enter in through the gate to the place where God dwelt.

Jesus said:

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." (John 10:9)

The act of entering in at the gate and coming into the court yard was important to the Israelites. By entering, one could find forgiveness of sin. The first thing they saw after coming in the gate was the brazen altar, which we plan to talk about next week.

The Tabernacle of God

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:05:38 +0000

What was the Tabernacle? And, does it mean anything to us as Christians today?

We look at the tabernacle as a type or a shadow of what God has for His people today. A shadow is not the authentic thing but an outline or an image of the thing ahead of it.

Join us as we rebuild a scale image of the Tabernacle of God, step by step, and discover God's plan for us through it's shadow.

The Outer Court

The outer court is where it all starts. Here it is where a repentant (being sorry for wrongs done) person will go to find favor with God. Just entering the court demonstrates that a person is now ready for help. Entering the court also separates them from the outside world and gets them to go on to the next step.

Our Spiritual Outer Court

The spiritual outer court for us today is also where it all starts. This is the spiritual place where a person comes to when they are ready to come to God. They feel sorry for all their past sins and they are ready to forsake them and take a step towards GOD.

This is what is referred to in the phrase "counting the cost." When you are "counting the cost" you are sorting through your mind the changes that will need to take place in your life. Changes like habits you will need to give up, friends you might lose, and thing people might say about you or think of you. You also will be thinking about new habits and responsibilities you will soon be taking on, such as, reading the Bible, praying to God, meeting with others that have already gone through this change and letting them help you on the next step. Our "spiritual outer court" is moving away from the world and towards the things of God.

Sanctification

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:47:36 +0000

"For He dwelleth in you and shall be with you" John14:17

What is the thing that matters most to you?

For Abraham it was his son: the rich young ruler his riches; Nehman his pride; Zacheus his money;

Do you have something in your life that you have a hard time giving up to God that you know he is not happy with? For some it may be cigarettes, alcohol or drugs. For others it may be friends or their public image. It could be worldliness. For most of us it is our will- wanting our own way.

Sanctification is giving up Your Own Way.

It is giving yourself to God 100%

Being set aside for a particular use.

Many people want their sins forgiven, but like the rich young ruler, they are not willing to give everything up.

Many people don't stay saved because they don't get sanctified !

Making the Right Choices

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:06:50 +0000

"Choose you this day whom you will serve...as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Life choices can be similar to a menu. You look at the different things available to you and decide what you will order. We make choices everyday.

At school we choose who we will hang around with or talk to. How we will listen and do our work. The choices we make can affect other areas of our lives.

Sometimes decisions can be difficult. If you had a choice to eat and apple or a handful of jelly bellies what would you choose? We may want to choose the jelly bellies because they have a greater appeal to us, but we must weigh the choice we make against the results of that choice. Obviously the apple would be a wiser choice with better effects on our health.

Naman the leper had a choice to make. He had to decide if he wanted to go do what the prophet of God showed him and be healed or return home in anger and pride over the way he was told to be healed. He made the right choice. He obeyed the prophet of God and was healed.

Jesus had a very difficult choice to make while he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had to choose to either go to the cross and suffer horribly, knowing the long term effect would be the salvation of billions of souls, or call the angels down and change his mind and decide to let all those souls perish to spare him the agony he was about to face. He thought of you and I and made a choice based on sacrificial love. I am so thankful he did.

"Let your light...shine..." Matthew 5:16

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:25:13 +0000

Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven."

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we were in complete darkness without the sun? Just as the physical world would be without any sun, so would it be without Jesus Christ by whom light came into the world.

How can we walk in God's light? By following Him. Jesus says in John 8:12 " I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Many follow a false light that leads them to destruction; but Christ is the true light. It is not enough to look upon this light and gaze at it. We must follow it, believe in it and walk in it for it is a light to our feet, not only our eyes. Follow Christ and we shall be happy. Follow Christ and we shall follow Him to heaven.

Once you start walking in the light, Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 to "let your light shine before men..." You must not hide your light but must minister to others so they can find this great light which is Jesus. Those who see your good works may be brought, not to glorify you, but to glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Your light produces the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23

Love (affection), joy (gladness), peace (calm), long suffering (patiently endure), gentleness (politeness) goodness (being good) faith (belief) meekness (submission or obedience) temperance (self control )

Make Heaven Your Goal

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:14:59 +0000

What is our Goal

PROV: 29:18 Where there is no vision (or goal) the people perish.

People don't accidentally make it to Heaven

Going to Heaven is a conscious choice that we make right here in this life.

Is our LIFE'S ship just out there drifting on the big ocean of life being tossed to and fro where ever the wind decides to blow us, hoping we will end up in the right place?

Or have we SET OUR COURSE full steam ahead to the one safe harbor where sweet rest and piece are.

Let us make the RIGHT CHOICE here and now to NOT to end up in any other place than the where we want to spend the rest of eternity.

Today we need to make that our priority to make Heaven our home and to also take all the steps needed to reach that Goal.

Make it YOUR Goal

Only 3% of people write down there goals in life and studies have shown that the few 3% that had written down there goals will accomplish 92% more than all the 97% that didn't write then down.

Jesus told us that only a few will find it.

Will you be one of the few?

Plan today to make Heaven your highest Goal

Do it now…

A journey of a thousand mile starts with a single step

Seeing Things God's Way

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:10:08 +0000

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

Who Would You Vote For?

Candidate 1

Graduated early from high school with honors
obtained Bachelors degree at Butler University
Is known as a leader and helper of the poor and needy
authored a small book
He and his wife adopted several children
was appointed as director of the Human Rights Commission
helped start churches, resturaunts, a telephone company, police department, theater, ammusment park and a Methodist Hospital

Candidate 2

No record of graduation
homeless
accused of being a glutton and alcoholic
Kicked out of his National Church by the leaders
Was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death

People are generally quick to judge and criticize some while praising and lifting up others and many times they do not even know all the facts.

As Christians, we need to have the mind of Christ. We need to look at things the way God looks at them. Peter was rebuked by Jesus many times for not looking at things with the mind of Christ. Saul, before he became the Apostle Paul, believed he was doing a great work for God by arresting the "Christians" and having them thrown into prison. But all the while he was fighting against God. He was not seeing things the way God saw them. Let us be careful to always pray and diligently seek the mind of Christ before judging anything.

Candidate 1 Jim Jones (cult leader)

Candidate 2 Jesus Christ (the Son of God)

A True Friend

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:14:05 +0000

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Did you know that we have a friend that is greater than our best friend? Who is this friend?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

There is no greater "friend" or love than this friend. He is God, our Heavenly Father. He loves us so much that he was willing to give His only son so that we could make a choice. We can either accept His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as our personal Savior and Lord, or we can continue in to live in sin and be lost forever. Jesus loved us so much that he was willing go suffer and die so that we can be set free from sin. We no longer have to die in our sins and go to that miserable pit of hell, but we can have eternal life with our Heavenly Father and His beloved Son. But that is the choice we must all make.

God Can Take Care of Any Problem

ToReachMeIAm@gmail.com (Sis Liz VanCleve) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:45:31 +0000

'What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8: 31

Problems can be too big for us, but they are never too big for God. God is able to take care of any problem we may have.

Goliath was a big problem to the Israelites. He was bigger and stronger than most men and a champion fighter to boot. But to God, he was not a problem at all. It only took a stone, a sling and a young lad of courage and faith in him to bring him down.

When the Israelites left Egypt they ran into a very horrible and terrifying problem. Pharoah's army was pursuing them and they were trapped at the big Red Sea. But for God, the problem was easily resolved. He simply rolled back the waters and permitted them to pass over while blinding their enemies.

The disciples of Jesus ran into a problem too big for them with approximately 5000 hungry men plus their wives and children and only a few fish and a couple loaves of bread. But to God it was not problem at all. He simply multiplied the food and fed everybody.

Nothing is too big for God. He already knows what's ahead and how things will turn out. We cannot see things as God sees. We may think we see exactly the way something is and find out that God knew more about the situation than we ever even thought of.

Although God can solve any problem we have, we have a part in that problem being solved. We must submit our lives to God. We need to be saved. Then we can claim the promises of God for every situation life will throw at us. He has the solution.