Salt and Light (Nov 15)

This past Sunday was Mission Emphasis. For our time together, I preached from Matthew 5:1-16. In this passage Jesus presents a view of the Kingdom that is both inspiring and challenging. Inspiring because all of us want the world to look like this. Challenging because it often does not look like this. Jesus tells his diciples (this includes us), that we play a major role in making the world look like this. Jesus says, “You are the Salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” Through you, the upside down Kingdom will be lived out.

Questions:

1. The Sermon on the Mount was directed at the disicples. What significance do you think this has?

2. “When Salt looses it saltiness” is a fascinating saying in the original Greek. It literally says, “When Salt becomes foolish.” What Jesus is saying here is that the disciples must walk in the way of wisdom. They must follow after God. If not they will not be able to witness. Are you staying salty? How can your action help spread or hinder the spreading of the Gospel?

3. Jesus calls us a city on a hill. This does not mean that we are isolated and far off from the world. Rather, it means that we need to be together. Community is crucial for living the Christian walk. What ways are you in community right now? How does this help your witness? What ways can we do community better as a church?

4. What is your mission at Holland Height? How are you being Salt and Light to the world?

Decisions Matter: How do I treat others? (Peer 678)

As a continuation of Pastor George’s sermon series on decision-making, our youth groups will be studying decision-making.Last week in PEER 678 (Nov 11), we looked at our decision making in regards to how we treat others. Here is a brief summary of our time together.

I.)  Intro to making decisions

• A friend of mine once said, “At the end of the day, life is a sum total of the decisions that we make.
• Our actions/decisions effect the world around us (other people especially)
• Animals vs. Humans: God has created us to react differently than animals. We have some control over the way we live.

II.) The call of Wisdom

• The book of Proverbs starts with an image of a fork in the road. We have a choice to go the way of Wisdom or go the way of Folly.
• The path we take has huge implications for how we live
• Path of Wisdom = following God
• A major decision is how we decide to treat the people around us

III.)   The call of Jesus

• John 13:34
• Galatians 5:13-18

IV.)   What Christian community looks like

• Romans 12

Questions:

1. Why is it so hard to get along with other people? Are there some people/kinds of people who you just don’t like? What do they do that annoys you?
2. Do you think that “loving your neighbor” means that you “like” your neighbor? (Here is where you might need to do some teaching. Love requires a choice to be made.  Choice to treat each other as Christ would. To respect each other’s differences. “Like” means that you will be best friends. There is a big difference. we are not necessarily called to like but we are called to love)
3. As much as it depends on you, live at peace with those around you… How would your home life, your school, your youth group look if we all did this?
4. Do you think this is even possible? Why or why not?

My beloved

For the past several weeks, we have heard a lot about struggle. Struggle is a part of our experience. It is a part of our realities. It’s a part of our world. In a way, struggle is in our DNA. This is not to say that we are aggressive or stubborn people. It’s simply how life is. This past Sunday, Pastor George made the distinction of struggling with and struggling against. Struggling-with is an honest kind of struggle that desires an outcome that will result in growth and restoration. Struggling-against sees the world, our circumstances, and people with whom we struggle as enemies. Struggling-against is agenda driven, not growth driven.

So, here are some things to think about this week…

1. What is your struggle? Is it a person, an institution, a circumstance? What kind of struggle of struggle is it; with or against? What are some steps you can take so that growth and restoration become primary, not necessarily your desired outcome?

2. Pastor George said that the work of Jesus was so remarkable because on the cross Jesus in essence said, “Sin and evil stop here.” As believers, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to be a people who say the same thing. “Evil and sin stop here!” Paul tells us to “work out our faith with fear and trembling.” This does not mean that we must earn our salvation. Rather, we are to reflect our salvation to the world. How is that going? Are we reflecting that salvation? What are some practical ways that we can BE the good news to a world that desperately needs it?

 

PEER 678 Roller Skating Party

Peer 678 Roller Skating Party

Where: Home Roller Rink

When: Wednesday, October 28 during our regularly scheduled  Peer meeting

Get to the church by 6:00 pm for dinner

We will leave at 6:30 and return to Church by 8:00 pm.

Cost: FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bring your friends

The Parable of the Fig Tree (peer 678)

Last night in Peer we studied the parable of the Fig tree. This can be found in the Luke 13:6-9. In this passage, Jesus tells a story of man with an unfruitful fig tree. The man is tired of its failure and wants his gardener to cut it down. The gardner begs for one more chance to help the fig tree.

In the Bible, fruitfulness is a picture for living a life that is pleasing to God. Jesus tells his disciples that you will know a tree by its fruit (Matt 7:16). So often, we do not produce the fruit that a Godly life calls for. We mess up or we fail, and it seems as if we are barren as Michigan trees in December.  However, Jesus does not see us this way. Imagine him as the gardener who begs for one more chance. He sees something in us. When God looks at us, he does not see the barreness that we see. God sees his children that are ready to burst forth in an abundant harvest.

If you want to dig deeper into this parable, I invite you to visit the website www.36parables.com. Watch the short film titled “Sean.” After watching the film, go over these questions with your kids.

• What did Sean do? How did Sean’s teacher react to this incident? What did he (the teacher) see when he looked at Sean?
• Read the scripture again Luke 13:6-9
• How is this scripture similar to the movie?
• Bearing fruit = living the Christian faith. What are some ways that we can bear fruit. In other words, “How does our faith in Jesus effect the way we live?”
• What does God see when he sees you. This is a great opportunity to affirm your children and tell them that God loves them.

Struggle

This past Sunday, Pastor George preached on the concept of struggle. He proposed that struggle can be a good thing. After all, God names his people Israel–meaning “those who wrestle with God.” So struggle is a part of our DNA. But can something that is so painful also be redemptive?

Think about this. In the middle of the wilderness, God tells Noah to build an ark. Advanced in years and with only one son, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Anointed to be King of Israel, David finds himself hiding in the caves of Adullam as a fugitive from the law. But out of Noah’s struggle, came the continuation of the world. Out of Abraham’s struggle, came many nations. Out of David’s struggle, God’s people began to thrive. Through David’s line, the King of Kings would come.

Can struggle be redemptive? Well, scripture is full of such accounts. So in the midst of your confusing and perplexing struggles, can you dream of the ways that God will use them?

The EDGE Harvest Time Retreat

The EDGE Harvest Time Retreat

Saturday October 3 – Sunday October 4

We will be camping out in Dominic and Kristin’s backyard! If it rains we will camp out inside. There will be a bonfire, tons of great food, teaching and worship time, and plenty of fun activities.

Activities include: Apple picking at Cranes Orchard, Low Ropes Course, an apple dessert bake-off, and anything else that we come up with.

Cost: $15 includes all food and activities. (Money should NEVER be an issue. Talk to Dominic if you need to make arrangements)

Meet at Dominic’s at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning to eat breakfast and kickoff the retreat. We will end on Sunday in time to be at the morning church service.

Call Dominic if you have any questions

Peer week 1: The Kingdom of God is like…

Tonight we began our study on the teachings of Jesus. To begin, we watched a short film from the Nooma series. It is called Kickball. (If you do a youtube search for “Nooma Kickball”, you should be able to find it. If you can’t find it, you can borrow it from me).

Then we read these two texts

Matt 7:9-11  “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him

Matt “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

here is a copy of my notes from the lesson

The Kingdom of God = life when God is in charge

1. It’s surprising

• The man in this story found an unexpected treasure
• I told a story how I once found 10 dollars in the pocket of an old coat.
• He was not expecting to find it
• The promise of God’s love for us is so amazing that it is surprising… it’s even better than finding 10 bucks!

2. It’s exciting

• The story of Jesus is exciting
• The man left with great joy
• When we come to Wednesday night or we come to Peer, how do we come?
• Are we joyful? Are we excited?
  

3. It changes our lives

• When we start living with God, our lives start to change.
• The man sold all he had to buy the field
• There was something better for him… that something is the kingdom of God
• God has something better for us as well
• If we know how to give good gifts… how much more does God give to us.

Application

• So many things in this world that bid for your attention
• Studies show that teens are connected to some type of media for 6 hours a day.
• All of the messages found there are not the best…
• The time we spend on these things…
• What about the good things in our lives.  How much devotion we have to give to certain things… sports, homework, band, choir, etc… hour
• So we are being tugged in all these different direction
• When we find God’s treasure we realize it is the greatest thing of all
• Scripture is the greatest treasure of all… it is how we come to know God

Follow up questions for Parents:

1. What really are the most important things in our lives? This is where you can sit down with your kids and map out the amount of time you spend on various activities.  Where is most of our time spent?

2. Was there ever something that you wanted more than anything. That made you think, “If I had that, then I would be happy.” Did you get it? Did it actually solve all your problems?

3. Talk about the promises of God. God has something better for each and everyone of us.

“Kol Demama Daka” a.k.a The Still Small Voice

As promised, here are some study questions from this Sunday’s sermon

1. September is a busy time. It’s a time when many things are ramping up. School starts, fall sports are in full swing, church programs have kicked off, and it seems like the holidays are already just around the corner. In this busy time how important is it that we listen for the still small voice of God? What are the things in our lives that distract us from hearing it?

2. We all want to know God’s will. We want to know what will happen next.  Take a momnet to reflect on your walk with the Lord. Are you walking with Jesus or walking ahead? Do you pause and  listen to the still small voice? Have you strianed to hear it?

3. What are some tangible things you can do as a couple, as a family, as an individual to listen to the still small voice of God?

If you have any questions let us know. We are here to help.

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