Middle School Bible Study Class Blog

What is Your Heart-House Like?

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:09:16 +0000

Everyone has a heart-house. In order to make heaven our home, our heart-house must be clean and inhabited by Christ. If you have allowed lying, anger, and bitterness to enter your heart, it is dirty. If you have allowed bad habits like cursing, stealing, smoking, drinking, or drug-use to enter your life, your heart-house is not ready for heaven.

You must repent and ask Jesus to clean your heart-house, taking out everything that is unlike Him. Only then will He come into your heart and He will help you keep it clean every day. If you, through Christ, keep your heart clean, when He comes back or you die, you will be able to pass through the pearly gates into a joyous eternal life.

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;..." Psalm 24:3-4

Your Heart House

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:29:11 +0000

How are you building your heart house? It is the most important house you live in. Many people desire to live in a good, strong house that won't easily fall into decay, but they don't even consider the condition of their heart houses.

It is important to build a heart house that will last until you reach heaven. The only way to do this is to build according to God's instruction, most of which comes to us directly from His Word.

We must consider the following:

1. Your treasure must be in heaven in order for your heart house to be built in a way that will last.

Matthew 6:20-21 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

2. Jesus must be the foundation. He is the only way to heaven.

I Corinthians 3:10-11 "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

3. Jesus will help our walls to be fitly framed.

Ephesians 2:21 "In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord:"

4. God's hand will be the roof to cover your head. You can't get any better protection than this.

Exodus 33:22 "...and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:"

The Master-Builder, Christ, can build your heart house correctly in an instant, if you'll let Him. Then He must live in it and all sin must stay out. Every day, Jesus will help us keep sin out. In this way, we will have a strong heart house that will last until we reach heaven.

What Is Your Character Like?

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:10:03 +0000

Let's say you are a fly on the wall. If you could listen to those around you, what would you want people to say about you? Of these things you would wish people to say, exclude everything said about you that pertains to your outward appearance and include only that which pertains to how you act and what you say to others; this is your character.

Building your character is like building a house. Some people are buidling their characters with faulty bricks, such as complaining, selfishness, laziness, and disobedience. At best, you will have a weak structure that, although it may look good on the outside, will fail to withstand the storms of life. Instead it will quickily crumble and decay.

Are you building a weak character? If so, you need to tear down this weak structure and start anew. They best way to do this is to repent of your sins and give your heart and life to Jesus. He can help us build good, strong characters with bricks like love, forgiveness, kindness, thankfulness, and obedience. These are sound bricks that, if built upon the foundation of Christ, will produce a good, solid structure that will last through every storm of life. In the end, it will enable you to attain heaven.

"Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:" Matthew 7:24

What Does Your House Look Like?

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:48:44 +0000

Have you ever tried building a house with random marterials, little forethought, and no definite vision of the end product? If you have, you may have discovered that your house didn't turn out so well. In order to build a strong, beautiful house, you must do the following:

Have a clear vision of the end product.

Have the proper building materials.
Have a knowledge of how to construct it.

This also applies spiritually. In order to build your life on Christ so that you can reach heaven, you must do as follows:

Have a clear vision of the person Christ wants you to be and a goal to make heaven your home.
Have the proper instructions that will lead you to this end product.
Have a knowledge of these instructions and how to implement them.

Sometimes we have built our spiritual houses incorrectly. We have built them with bad attitudes, hatred, lying, cursing, sin - random materials. We haven't used a proper plan or had a clear vision of what will produce good in our lives and what will enable us to reach heaven. This will at best produce a weak structure that will not have what it takes to be approved of God or enable us to make heaven.

When we see that we have built a mess of our lives, we need to tear down the old structure and build a new one.

How is this done?

We must have a vision of heaven and of the good that God can make of us.
We must study his word, which instructs us on how to build our spiritual houses - how to be what God would have us to be so that we can attain heaven.
We must seek God and ask that he would reveal to us his will and way as we study his word. We must ask him to show us how to implement these instructions in our lives each day so that we can become that spiritual house that he would have us to be. If we consistently do this, we will be approved by God and will make heaven our home someday.

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." Psalm 127:1

What Will You Do With Your Life?

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:35:03 +0000

Are you a sinner

or a Christian?

A Christian has God to trust in and rely upon; a sinner has only himself and other people.
A Christian gains help and strength by reading the Bible; a sinner can only gain help by reading books and seeking counsel from the surrounding world.
A Christian loves Jesus and treasures his relationship with his Savior above anything else in this world; a sinner loves this world and the things it can offer him.
A Christian loves others even when it is hard to love them; a sinner will hate those who treat him unkindly.
A Christian does not sin; a sinner cannot help but sin.
A Christian dies and ascends to his eternal reward in heaven; a sinner must descend to eternal suffering in hell.

Life can be like a complex web. It is not always easy and at times does not make sense to us. Both sinners and Christians alike must suffer some of the same difficulties. Sometimes we may feel depressed, things may go wrong, friends or family may die, and/or people may treat us badly. All these things happen to both sinners and Christians. However, when Christian prays to God for help, strength, comfort, and peace, he can have confidence that he will receive all of this and more from his loving Savior. A sinner can only hope for help from those around him and so many times people fail him. God never fails his children, who put their trust in him. He is alway there to help them through every difficulty in life.

This life and the next is so much better when one is a true Christian.

Won't you choose the better way?

"...choose you this day whom ye will serve;...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
"Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repaid." Proverbs 13:21
"...that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

The Christian Recipe

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:41:51 +0000

What is the recipe for a Christian? Where would we find it? Recipes are used to make many good things, but unless you follow the recipe, the results may not be very tasty. When ice cream is made without sugar, baking soda is substituted for flour, or the oil is doubled, the end product is not something anyone wishes to eat. You can't decide to add or subtract whatever you wish, or cook at a higher temperature so as to speed up the cooking process, and end up with a delicious dish.

It's the same way with a Christian. There is a recipe for becoming a Christian and remaining a Christian. This recipe is found in God's Word, the Bible. Unless we follow the recipe found there, we will not end up with the product of a Christian. We cannot add our own or someone's ideas as to what we or others think is a Christian.

Several ingredients go into becoming a Christian. Repentance is the very beginning. We must ask God to forgive us of our sins and then turn away from all sin. We must forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. We must be humble and turn away from pride. In order to remain a Christian, we must have the ingredients of staying humble, a closeness to God, thankfulness, possessing the love of God, and many others. It is especially important to read the Bible and pray so God can continue to reveal to us this Christian recipe that will keep us saved and enable us to obtain eternal life in heaven.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Christian Recipe
1. In all thy ways
2. Acknowledge him
3. And he shall
4. Direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:6

What Kind of Treasures Come Out of You?

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 07:13:49 +0000

"A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." Matthew 12:35

If you were a treasure box, what kind of treasures would come out of you? Do unkind words, complaining, arguing, gossip, selfishness, or laziness come out of you?

If we are true Christians, we must be like Christ. His treasures are love, joy, peace, mercy, compassion, kindness, thankfulness, and many other good character traits. These traits are obtainable by everyone who truly gives their heart to Jesus and allows his Holy Spirit to rule their lives. We must choose the good and reject the bad. We must seek God with all of our hearts in casting away the bad treasure and claiming the good. It is possible through the power of God.

This week, choose one trait that you would like to reject and a good one that you would like to incorporate into your life. Prayerfully concentrate on adding the good and subtracting the bad. This is so important in gaining eternal life and being a proper testimony of Christ to those who are lost in sin.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25
"...If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23

Communication

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:03:36 +0000

Good communication is beneficial for all involved. It is especially important to have good communication with God. How is this done? First of all, you must be on speaking terms with God. In order to be on speaking terms, you must ask Jesus to forgive you and cleanse you of your sins and you must then stop sinning. Now that your heart is pure and clean, God can come close to you and hear you when you speak to Him. You now can also hear Him when He speaks to you.

When we pray to God, it is important to be respectful, humble, and thankful. We must not demand of God what we want. It is fine to ask God for things that we need or want, but we should always thank God for what He has done for us and praise Him for his greatness and power. We should also pray that He will help others besides ourselves.

Communication can become twisted when it is passed along as gossip and rumors. God does not want us to gossip. It is important to keep our communication clear and to the benefit of those around us.

"...the prayer of the upright is his (the Lord's) delight." Proverbs 15:8
"Speak not evil one of another, brethren..." James 4:11

Read the Bible in one year

2reachmeIam@gmail.com (Bro Andy) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:45:28 +0000

Join our class and read the Bible in just one year. Start today by following the simple chart above. Every morning and evening there is a plan already laid out for you to follow. What better goal is there than to accomplish reading the whole Bible? Start it today!

God Knows All About You

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:29:54 +0000

We may think that we can do what we wish and God won't know about it, but God sees and know everything about us. We cannot hide anything from Him.

The story was told of several people who took a timed test in a college class. When the time was expired, one young man continued to work until his test was completed. He took his test to the teacher, who informed him that the test was invalid since it wasn't completed in the allotted time frame. The young man merely replied that the teacher didn't know him and mixed his test amongst all the others in order to confuse the teacher.

We can perhaps fool people, but we can never fool God. We need to be honest before Him and own who we really are - He knows anyway - and seek His way of holiness and purity that we might obtain eternal life.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

Christ, the Redeemer

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 00:27:31 +0000

Even in the garden of Eden, the necessity of the birth of Christ became apparent. Though Adam and Eve walked with God in purity for a short time, one sin destroyed their close relationship. Adam's and Eve's hearts became sinful and they had to be separated from God.

From that time on, sin's presence in the heart of man kept him from having a close relationship with God. Man became so evil that God destroyed them all except Noah and his family. Though God later sent a book of rules to remind people to do right, they continued to fall back into sin and degradation.

God had a plan that would redeem his people, bringing them back to a right relationship with Him and making them pure, just as Adam and Eve had been before the first sin. Jesus, God's Son, would come to earth in the form of a human being and sacrifice his life in order to save people from sin; that they might be forgiven of their sins and thereafter live a sin-free, holy life.

First, Mary's relatives were notified by the angel that they would have a son named John. This son would prepare the way for Christ's ministry, teaching people that their sins could be purged. Then, the angel announced to Mary that she would become the mother of the Son of God. From there, a succession of events - Mary's visit with her cousin, Elizabeth, the command to return to the city of one's ancestry to be taxed, the journey to Bethlehem, the arrival at a humble stable - led to birth of Christ, the Savior of the world.

Angels heralded the birth of Jesus to certain humble shepherds. A star proclaimed to the wise men the arrival of a newborn king. And as Mary and Joseph visited the temple to bring the offering for their first born son, Simeon and Anna spoke of Christ's future ministry and redemption of souls from the power of sin.

Because of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection, salvation from sin was secured for all mankind.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..." Isaiah 9:6

What Can I Give to the King?

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:06:12 +0000

Gifts - these are considered much during the Christmas season. Some people are anticipating the pleasure of receiving while others are considering the joys of giving. But what would you give to a king? Most kings have everything at their disposal. Cars, jets, money - enormous wealth. There is almost nothing they cannot obtain, if they desire to possess it.

What would you give to king Jesus? He owns the world and everything in it! However, there is one thing that he will not claim as his own unless we willingly give it to him. That is our heart. When we give anything to Jesus, he always gives back in return something more valuable than our gift to him. If we give our heart to him, he will give us the greatest gift that we could ever receive. Eternal life.

"...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

Eternal Life Cannot Be Bought

andyandgg@gmail.com (Glenda Gallagher) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 01:09:21 +0000

Wilma was a sick woman. She realized she needed something to guarantee her future after death. One day, as she was walking, she spied a vendor selling contracts for eternal life.

This was exactly for what she was seeking. She bought one. However, she noticed that something indecipherable was written at the bottom of this contract. At her query as to its meaning, the vendor merely replied that it was a heavenly language, incomprehensible to human beings.

With her friends, Wilma discussed her good fortune in buying this contract. Some agreed that it was a good thing. Others scoffed that it was a false hope. Still others warned her that eternal life cannot be bought with money.

Later on, she visited her doctor, who informed her that her time on earth was limited and that she should get her life in order. Confidently, she assured him that she had bought her contract and was ready to die. When he asked her whether or not she had read the fine print at the bottom, she replied that the fine print was written in an incomprehensible language. As he explained that the language was written in Latin and meant that the contract was valid only while she lived, she grew troubled. He affirmed her miserable realization that she was unclear as to her eternal destination. She had nothing to guarantee her entrance into heaven.

This short skit illustrates the fact that eternal life cannot be bought. No contract will enable us to get to heaven. The only entrance is Christ. We must be sorry for our sins, repent, and turn away from sin completely in order to guarantee our place in heaven.

"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

101 Names of Jesus

topcrain@gmail.com (Sis Leslie) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 03:52:48 +0000

Bible Study Time, September 21, 2010 Brother Andy Gallagher

This week's memory verse is:

. . . Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. Mark 1:17

Let's consider the many hats we all wear or the roles that each of us now play in others lives. First you are a child to your parents; then a brother or a sister if you have siblings. You might also be a grand child or even a student. Some are ice skaters and others musicians. Some of you boys that take out the trash are garbage men and some girls that sew are seamstresses. Take a little time and count how many roles you have now. (One student in our class had 29 different roles already).

The older we get the more things we seem to become. But there is One who is all things to every one of us. Let us discover 101 things that the Bible calls our Jesus.

101 Names of Jesus

1. Advocate (1 John 2:1)

2. Almighty (Rev. 1:8; Mt. 28:18)

3. Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)

4. Amen (Rev. 3:14)

5. Apostle of our Profession (Heb. 3:1)

6. Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins (1 John 2:2)

7. Author of Life (Acts 3:15)

8. Author and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:2)

9. Author of Salvation (Heb. 2:10)

10. Beginning and End (Rev. 22:13)

11. Blessed and only Ruler (1 Tim. 6:15)

12. Bread of God (John 6:33)

13. Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)

14. Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15)

15. Capstone (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7)

16. Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20)

17. Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4)

18. Christ (1 John 2:22)

19. Creator (John 1:3)

20. Deliverer (Rom. 11:26)

21. Eternal Life (1 John 1:2; 5:20)

22. Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11)

23. Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5)

24. Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 3:14)

25. First and Last (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13)

26. Firstborn From the Dead (Rev. 1:5)

27. Firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15)

28. Door (John 10:9)

29. God (John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5; 2 Pet. 1:1;1 John 5:20; etc.)

30. Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)

31. Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20)

32. Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14)

33. Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23)

34. Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)

35. High Priest (Heb. 2:17)

36. Holy and True (Rev. 3:7)

37. Holy One (Acts 3:14)

38. Hope (1 Tim. 1:1)

39. Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27)

40. Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)

41. I Am (John 8:58)

42. Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4)

43. Immanuel (Mt. 1:23)

44. Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)

45. King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)

46. King of Israel (John 1:49)

47. King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11)

48. King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)

49. King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3)

50. Lamb (Rev. 13:8)

51. Lamb of God (John 1:29)

52. Lamb Without Blemish (1 Pet. 1:19)

53. Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)

54. Life (John 14:6; Col. 3:4)

55. Light of the World (John 8:12)

56. Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5)

57. Living One (Rev. 1:18)

58. Living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4)

59. Lord (2 Pet. 2:20)

60. Lord of All (Acts 10:36)

61. Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8)

62. Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)

63. Man from Heaven (1 Cor. 15:48)

64. Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15)

65. Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)

66. Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)

67. Offspring of David (Rev. 22:16)

68. Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:9)

69. Our Great God and Savior (Titus 2:13)

70. Our Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30)

71. Our Husband (2 Cor. 11:2)

72. Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3)

73. Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)

74. Our Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)

75. Our Sacrificed Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)

76. Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24)

77. Precious Cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6)

78. Prophet (Acts 3:22)

79. Rabbi (Mt. 26:25)

80. Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)

81. Righteous Branch (Jer. 23:5)

82. Righteous One (Acts 7:52; 1 John 2:1)

83. Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)

84. Root of David (Rev. 5:5; 22:16)

85. Ruler of God’s Creation (Rev. 3:14)

86. Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5)

87. Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)

88. Son of David (Lk. 18:39)

89. Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14)

90. Son of Man (Mt. 8:20)

91. Son of the Most High God (Lk. 1:32)

92. The One Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5)

93. The Stone the builders rejected (Acts 4:11)

94. True Bread (John 6:32)

95. True Light (John 1:9)

96. True Vine (John 15:1)

97. Truth (John 1:14; 14:6)

98. Way (John 14:6)

99. Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24)

100. Word (John 1:1)

101. Word of God (Rev. 19:13)

Don’t Miss Your Chance!

topcrain@gmail.com (Sis Leslie) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:15:59 +0000

September 14, 2010 Outline of lesson – Brother Louie Sanchez

Lesson Text: Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the 10 Virgins

1. Five Virgins were WISE. Five Virgins were FOOLISH. We could replace the word virgin with people. Life is like this, some people are WISE and some FOOLISH. Which camp are you in?

2. Proverbs 14:1-17 gives us some thoughts comparing WISE actions and FOOLISH actions.

3. Do you want to be WISE?

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20
. . .but ye are wise in Christ; 1 Corinthians 4:10

4, The FOOLISH ones did part of their duties right: they had lamps but NO oil: they were partly right---things seemed okay---they looked okay.

5. The WISE ones completed their duty: they took ALL they NEEDED. This took more work, it took planning, and yes they got tired with the effort.

6. All the virgins slept. All of us will go through trials and problems, hard places and griefs. We will all get tired and weary. It is then, that our preparation will make all the difference.

7. When the Bridegroom arrived: 5 FOOLISH virgins needed oil for their lamps

8. The FOOLISH wasted time before the Bridegroom came, then lost time trying to buy oil. They meant well; they tried to do the right thing; but it was too late.

9. The WISE virgins went with the Bridegroom to the marriage and were able to enjoy the feast and rejoice with the Bridegroom. The Bridegroom shut the DOOR.

10. The FOOLISH came later with all they needed; but there was a problem; the door was shut. They were too late! The Bridegroom said "I don’t know you".

11. Watch that your experience is always ready, your lamp is trimmed and you have oil in your lamp. Don’t waste the time of your youth. 1 Timothy 4:12

12. Be prepared to meet God at a young age, so you can enjoy a better, clean, happy life and the hope of a home in heaven.

Remember, we may not have time at the last minute to get our souls right before God.

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.