Splash at Water's Edge ~ Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

JOY in Jesus ~ April 15th

2009-04-15T13:10:00.002-05:00

Philippians

How often do you feel "happy"? Do you notice that we often feel happy when we buy something cool, have the right clothes, money and success? What happens when the things we buy rust, we outgrow our clothes, money runs out and we fail? Happiness depends on happenings--on the circumstances around us. We might feel up one moment and down the next.

Joy is something so much deeper. You can have real Joy in Jesus despite the things happening around you. For example, there are 5-7 layers of the ocean. When a hurricane comes, the top layers are completely affeted by the waves crashing. A lot of damage can be done.

The deeper the water, the less the ocean is affected by what's happening at the surface. In fact, the deepest levels aren't affected at all. This is what joy is--when we are deeply centered in God's love for us, it doesn't matter what happens up above, we are grounded in God's joy. When the storms of life hit, we will be grounded in God.

JOY stands for: Jesus, Others, Yourself. It begins with recognizing God's presence in our life no matter what things appear to be God is with us filling us with His joy so that we can endure hardships. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Below is a music video by the Newsboys all about Joy. EnJOY!

Arms of Love ~ March 25th

2009-03-24T11:58:00.003-05:00

The Prodigal Son ~ Luke 15

Have there been times in your life when you've felt that God was "close" but not quite in your reach? There may be other times when you feel extremely distant from God. All of us are hungry for love and acceptance. We want to "fit in"--especially with God.

The Father in this story welcomed his wild son back after he wasted all the dad's money. The son was sure his Father wouldn't forgive him. Boy was the son wrong! The Father was standing at the edge of the road--waiting--watching and ready to throw his arms around his son and hug him. The Dad really believed his lost son would come home again.

Tonight was the last night of Ev carving Christ. He carved the praying hands of Jesus. Just like the Father spent years praying for his son to come home, Jesus prays for us too. He wanst us to have that real relationship with him. There are no cliques with God--all are welcome into His loving arms.

Below is a music video called "Prodigal Son" by a band named Casting Crowns. Enjoy and have a super Spring Break next week!

Aroma of Christ ~ March 18th

2009-03-16T15:12:00.003-05:00

John 11 "Jesus Wept"

When bad things start happening to us, we may wonder where God is in the midst of those trying times. At first, Jesus kept his distance from Mary and Martha when he heard Lazarus was very ill. This is very puzzling, until we realize that Jesus wants to do more than simply heal Lazarus from his sickness. Jesus would perform a miracle to show that He really is God.

When Jesus arrives, Lazarus has died. Mary and Martha are grieving so much. Jesus reacts to their pain and cries with them--genuine tears.

Jesus also turns these tears into surprising cheers. Hope was right around the corner. Jesus raises Lazarus from the tomb--and Lazarus--who had been dead for 4 days--awakens from the grave! Jesus shows that he has power over the grave--and that nothing can separate us from a relationship with God.

If you are going through a tough time right now--Jesus cries with you. We are an Easter people living in a Good Friday world. This world has its many troubles and trials, but Jesus is there for us--he calls us by name and he leads us to life everlasting.

Seeing God...March 11th

2009-03-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

Luke 23:32-43 "Thief on the Cross"

How do you view God? Can you imagine viewing Jesus from the cross? Luke writes that most people saw Jesus as weak and despised as he hung next to two obvious criminals. The crowd, the rulers, the guards, and even one of the criminals were all mocking Jesus. They didn't recognize Him as the King of the Jews and King of the universe.

The other theif on the cross recognized Jesus. He also recognized his own state of sinfulness. He knew he was unworthy to die next to a righteous Savior. He asked Jesus to remember him when he went into his kingdom. Jesus looked at the repentant thief in love--"today you will be with me in paradise."

I hope you see that God looks at you with love. God sees who you really are--and loves you! Jesus sees your sins and flaws--and yet--he offers you forgiveness and a fresh clean start.

Below is a music video to the song "thief" by a band called Third Day.

HEARING God...

2009-03-04T12:46:00.000-06:00

Luke 2:41-52 Jesus in the temple as a 12-year old boy

Many times we may feel quite distant from God. Distractions of life can drown out God's voice. During these times, it may seem like God is "hiding" from us. Like a game of "hide and seek" Jesus' parents were looking for him in all the wrong places. They "found" Jesus right were they left him--in the temple.

Jesus was never far away or hiding. Instead, he was speaking clearly to all those in the temple and teaching with authority as a 12 year old youth! If we have trouble "hearing" Jesus today, if we feel distant, we are the ones who moved. Lent is a time to "hear" clearly Jesus' voice in the temple.

Tonight we had a special guest presenter--Everett Ellenwood the famous woodcarver came to spend time with us. He began carving Jesus face tonight. How will God continue to move in our lives during Lent? What will we look like when this Holy Season is complete?

We invite you to worship during this awesome time at Water's Edge at 6pm. Come and hear Jesus speak to you and see his image unfold through the carving. God bless!

Hungry for RelationSHIP ~ February 25th

2009-02-24T15:11:00.000-06:00

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

All of us are hungry for a great relationship. We look for that in friends, family, dating, facebook, networking, blogs, cell phone conversations, etc... There is ONE relationship that completely satisfies that hunger--Jesus. Lent is here...it's a time when we are HUNGRY for God.

Many people talk about "giving up" something for Lent
(discipleSHIP) --like fasting, prayer

Others talk about "taking on" something for Lent
(stewardSHIP) --like offerings, serving

Some talk about "worshipping more with others"
(fellowSHIP) --like worship, dinners

What all of these is really about is...relationSHIP.

Lent and being a Christian in general is all about relationSHIP...so jump on board the relationSHIP and see your holy hunger satisfied. God really does want to spend time with you. You are loved and known by God. Below is a video inviting you to get on board.

ACTion Christian ~ February 18th

2009-02-18T13:16:00.000-06:00

Welcome Opposition ~ Acts 22:30-23-11

Paul roaming in Jerusalem...and then on to Rome

Have you ever gone through a very tough experience? One day Paul was preaching in Jerusalem and it was an intense situation. The religious leaders were ready to stop his mission of spreading God's love. At the end of the day, Jesus gave him comforting words "Don't be afraid. Go to Rome."

When Jesus did this, he was much like a coach. Good coaches know their athletes well. They train them, encourage them and guide them to where they should play the game better. Tonight we had an amazing guest--a football coach that talked about how he guides his students. Like a coach, God also wants to guide our lives and encourage us when we're down.

An example of good coaching is in the movie "Remember the Titans." See how much the coaches in this movie cared about their students.

ACTion Christian ~ February 11th

2009-02-09T13:07:00.001-06:00

"American Idols and unknown gods" ~ Acts 17:16-34

Have you ever noticed we have a "spiritually hungry" culture? Our apetite for the supernatural is revealed through tv shows like Joan of Arcadia or musicians like the band U2 who sing about searching for God in their song "I still haven't found what I'm looking for."

Humans have always been hungry to know God. In the Bible, Paul noticed that people in Athens were very religious, yet they didn't know Jesus. They carved an idol to an "uknown god" that they longed to worship. Paul told them who that uknown God is--Jesus!

People still share the Gospel today. When sharing God's love, it's helfpul to know your gifts, God's story and the people around you. An American Idol contestant, Jason Castro knew his gift of singing, God's story and his audience--all of America. A devoted Christian, Jason shared God's love to the masses in a song called "hallelujah". The song is all about praising the God we know.

Enjoy the video:

ACTion Christians ~ February 4th

2009-02-03T14:19:00.000-06:00

Surprised by Grace ~ Acts 9

Do you ever watch make-over shows where they transform someone to look like a celebrity? In a few hours, with the right clothes and make-up, you can look like your favorite star. They often show a "before and after" photo.

"Before and After" also applies to the Christian life. Paul had a complete make-over. At first, he persecuted and killed Christians. Surprisingly, Jesus changed his heart and gave him a "spiritual make-over." God used Paul as His instrument to share the love of God to a countless number of people--(beyond billions--if we include all the people throughout history that have read the Bible.)

There's nothing God can't do. God can transform the least likeliest person to be His best friend and biggest defender. God can also change our lives too. Some of us experience gradual change each day as we become "more like Christ"--and resemble the love of God. Others may have a radical wake-up call. Either way we come to grow in our relationship with God -- the result is the same -- a total make-over. We end up looking more like Jesus.

Below is a video illustrating the change Paul experienced.

ACTion Christian ~ January 28th

2009-01-26T14:51:00.000-06:00

ACTion: Listen Acts 8
Last week we talked about focusing on God. One of the easiest ways we might concentrate heavily on something is through our own I-pod. The music and beat really gets our attention. It's so easy to focus on the music playing and listen carefully.

How might we listen to God? Prayer is a two-way street. This involves more than simply talking to God. God also has things He can't wait to tell us too...How might we plug into a God-pod? This is called listening prayer. Sometimes when we don't slow down to listen to God, He might get our attention through other ways--circumstances, people, worship, etc...

When we do listen to God we might experience an idea that won't go away--and often one that suprises us. Tonight we had some special guests that talked just about that.

Below is a video showing visuals on the importance and mystery to prayer. It's a two-way street--like a cell phone conversation...but tonight our focus was on our part of listening to God.

ACTion Christian ~ January 21st

2009-01-26T14:40:00.000-06:00

ACTion Focus on the Word (Acts 6:1-7)
Tonight we talked about the challenge of focusing on God in our busy lives. Often we are quite distracted by many things around us. They may include too much tv, over texting our friends or any number of situations. What if we focused on God as much as we are plugged into our I-pods? What if we had a "God-pod?" that helped us focus in on what's important?

Peter learned about that when he was caught in a storm. He could either focus on Jesus & on water, or he could focus on how big the storm was and sink.

Stephen, the first martyr, focused on Jesus even in the most difficult situation of all: when it was so unpopular to follow Jesus his own life was at stake. Stephen focused on Jesus, not on the storm. Jesus encourages us too to trust Him and keep our eyes on our big God, not the scary storm.

Below is one of my favorite videos called "Jesus Freak." The music group DC Talk highlight how Christians have faced difficult times for their beliefs throughout all of history. Focus on Jesus (not the storm) helped them too.

ACTion Chrisitans ~ January 14th

2009-01-26T14:33:00.000-06:00

Skit Fest 2009

Acts 1, 9 and 20
Lights, Camera, ACTion.

Tonight was a special night at Splash where the youth re-enacted scripture in a creative, relavant and entertaining way! Each grade was assigned a particular story to re-tell. The 6th graders demonstrated the Ascension and day of Pentecost. Our 7th graders retold the story of Paul's conversion. Finally, the 8th grade re-told one of my personal favorite stories--Eutychus. This is a story about a long sermon Paul preached and the impact it had on the hearers (literally death and resurrection)

The winner of skit-fest 2009 was a 6th grade group. Their debut video will be shown below soon on a computer near you.

"We Three Kings" ~ January 7th

2009-01-05T12:53:00.000-06:00

Matthew 2:1-12

Happy New Year! 2009 will be an exciting year filled with new possibilities. We will also experience a change in leadership with a new president of the United States. Speaking of leaders, the wise men were leaders...but they were leaders that also followed. They followed the star of Bethlehem that led them to Christ.

The wise men had the choice to follow King Herod or King Jesus. Followers follow their leader based on how they lead.

The wise men:
1. Came
2. Gave
3. Their lives took a different journey

What did King Herod do?
1. He stayed put (he had no interest in meeting Jesus)
2. He took (He took the lives of innocent children)
3. He stayed the same

Jesus is clearly the wise men's leader as He:
1. Came: to this world
2. Gave: of His life on the cross
3. Journeyed to the cross so that we might journey to eternal life

Jesus is the King of Kings...and meeting him changed the wise men forever. Maybe that's why we call them "wise"--they recognized the Savior of the World. They gave to Jesus lavish gifts and also their lives.

Here's a video on offering Jesus all of who you are. God bless you this week!

"God's Preparation" ~ December 10th

2008-12-09T15:20:00.000-06:00

Luke 1:26-38 Prayerful Ponderings

Do you have of questions about faith? Are there things that seem difficult to believe? Tonight we learn of Mary's reaction to the news that she will be a pregnant teenager bearing Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. It seems impossible. Mary asks "how can this be?" She learns that nothing is impossible with God. There is great wonder, holiness & mystery to God.

Mary's questions and faithful response is healthy. She investigates, she wants to know how God can do such miraculous events. Mary has both a nestling and wrestling faith. She nestles as she trusts in God's power. She also wrestles as she struggles with understanding the faith.

If you are nestling with God right now ~ trusting everything ~ that's great!
If you are wrestling with questions of the faith ~ that's great too~

Wrestling can lead us to a deeper understanding of God and ourselves. Wrestling is like having a "faith-ache." In order to have a tooth-ache, you must have a tooth. In order to have a "faith-ache" you must have faith.

God honors your questions and your quiet trust. As you ponder and pray, as you wrestle and nestle, may God richly bless you this holy season!

Enjoy tonight's video below:

Weekly Challenge: Serve God this week! Join us for a night of caroling next Wednesday December 17th as we sing God's Good News throughout Rochester.

"Getting Party Ready" ~ December 3rd

2008-12-03T13:54:00.000-06:00

Mark 1:1-8 Your Preparation

Now that we have a blanket of snow on the ground, everyone is excited to put their Christmas decorations up and lights bright up the neighborhoods. People are planning parties, shopping, over-eating, watching Christmas specials on TV. All of these things are fun, but they are only outward preparation.

Tonight, John the Baptist has us think about the inward preparation. How do we "get party ready" to celebrate Jesus spiritually? How often do we slow down, pray, or even taste a meal in slow motion savoring each bite? Everything is fast paced and busy outside of us. What's going on inside of us?

Inside we may be hurting, anxious and frazzled. There's good news though. Something beyond us--outside of us--has now come to be within us. Jesus, God enfleshed prepared the way from the cradle to the cross to be our Savior. "For unto us a Savior is born." Even though we are imperfect and hurting, the Perfect One and Healer has come to us.

It is my prayer that just as Christ was born in the manger, He is also born in all of our hearts as we trust Him as our Savior.

Below is a clip of Jesus coming to this broken world through a humble cradle.

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Slow down...invite friends to church...pray...sleep...and know that you are loved by God.

Weekly Challenge: Invite friends to church this month! This is a great time to hear that Jesus is the reason for the season.

"The Giving King" ~ November 19th

2008-11-17T14:33:00.000-06:00

Matthew 25:14-30 "The Parable of the Talents"

In this story, everyone received generous gifts, but one person wasn't sure how to use his in the best way. Likewise, you've been given incredible gifts from God. Tonight's focus is on discovering your strengths and "talents" to serve others. Each of you have been given incredible gifts. Like a hand, God can use you to touch the lives of others throughout your life.

In the movie "Rudy," we meet a young football player that had the enthusiasm and drive to play a good game. Finally, after hard work and dedication, he was able to use his gifts and help his team.

Here's a clip from this last scene of the movie:

Ephesians 4:11 Lists 5 spiritual Gifts. creating the image of a "hand" used by God.

Apostle: Is like a thumb, set apart. We are called to live holy lives.
Prophet: Is like the pointer finger, directing others to God's truth
Evangelist: Is like the middle finger. It is the longest going to all the world
Pastor: Is like the ring finger. Pastor's take an ordination vow
Teacher: Is like the pinky finger. Small, they notice the exact details of instruction

Corinthians also calls us the "Body of Christ." We are to be the loving hands of Jesus to others. Each person in this "body of believers"--the church is important with different gifts.

Below is a video called "If we are the body."

Family Discussion:
1. Share your greatest "gift" or "talent" with your family. How do you hope God will use it?
2. What is a gift you don't have but wish you did?
3. How can the "body of Christ" be stronger?

Weekly Challenge: Discover a way to serve using your gifts.

The King is Coming ~ November 12th

2008-11-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

Matthew 25:1-13 "The Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids"

Tonight's story is about the "Big Picture"--Jesus coming at the end of time. It raises the question: Are we ready for Christ's return? The bridesmaids had a simple job--wait for the bridegroom. What are we doing while we wait? This is the "Little picture". Jesus is coming--not just at the end of the world. Jesus comes to us every day!

Jesus has a "Target" time & place to meet us. He comes to us constantly. As an arrow launches to a target, the words "ready, aim and fire" help us reflect.

Ready: To be "ready" for a big basketball game requires practice. What if we "practiced" the presence of God and recognized Jesus everywhere?
Aim: What is our "aim"? Have you thought about what you'd like to become when you're older? What about today? What are your gifts?
Fire: Are you on "fire" for the Gospel? "Fire"--means that you have a burning passion for God. "Don't just do what the world needs--do what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is people that are alive."(from the book "Wild at Heart")

Below is a video of one girl's dream to serve in India.

Family Discussion:
1. Ask your parents what kind of things they dreamed to be when they were your age? Did they come true? How do dreams change?
2. Talk about your dreams--what do you hope to do today and in the future?
3. Jesus is our coming King. Think of ways that Jesus has interrupted your days this past week. How have you noticed God's presence?

Weekly Challenge: Make a list of your dreams, "aspirations" for life. Pray over them. Tuck them away in your Bible. Check your dream list years from now too--and see what God does.

Kids of the Kingdom ~ November 5th

2008-11-05T15:00:00.000-06:00

Matthew 5:1-12 "What's your Be-Attitude?"

Re-cap: Tonight we talked about being yourself. Like Halloween, many people wear "masks" to hide who they are. Do you know yourself? Have you ever gone through an "identity crisis" when you forgot what it means to be you? Jesus tells us who we are through the BE-attitudes. It's all about BEING yourself.

Who are we? BLESSED children of God. Jesus' most famous "sermon" was on the mount when he told us we are blessed even when we are spiritually poor, persecuted and humble. Here's a video that illustrates these "blessings".

At first glance, these "blessings" don't make sense. What does it mean to be "poor in Spirit" or why would someone mourning be blessed. The BE-attitudes is really your BEING--your identity. They are not prescriptive of the Christian life, but rather descriptive. Who am I? Below are three "I" words: Identity, Investigate, Integrity. There are 3 categories for 9 blessings.

There are 9 "I" "blessings" total.

Identity Blessings #1,2,3 show your need for God. You're blessed when your identity is in God and you know you can't live without God. (poor in Spirit, mourn, meek)

Investigate Blessings #4,5,6 show your love for God. You're blessed when you investigate your faith & God is #1 in your life.(spiritually hungry, merciful, pure)

Integrity Blessings #7,8,9 describe how tough it is to share your faith. God blesses your efforts to remain true to who you are--a Christian. Integrity is being the same you wherever you are. (peacemakers and persecuted)

The BE-attitudes is all about BEING yourself--a Christian. Below is a video that poses the question--who am I?

Family Discussion:
1. When do you feel most comfortable in your own skin? What puts you at ease?
2. Tonight we talked about BEING yourself. Like Halloween, sometimes we put masks on to hide our "Christian" identity. What are some of the "masks" you wear?
3. Do you feel blessed? Why or why not?
4. Is it comforting to know that even if you are spiritually poor or sad, God blesses you? Do you find this to be true in your own experiences?

Family Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to BE myself and to know my BE-attitude--that I am blessed by You. Allow me to see even difficult things in life as blessings, trusting that You are with me always. Amen.

Weekly Challenge: Put a huge poster on a door in your home and begin listing "thankful" blessings this month of November. Each day try to think of a new way that God is blessing you and write them down on this poster.

The King of Love ~ October 29th

2008-10-27T16:15:00.000-05:00

Matthew 22:34-40 The Great Commandment

Re-cap: Like a loving parent, God loves us that He gave guidelines to live our lives in a healthy way. Did you ever accidently burn your hand on a hot stove when you were little? Hopefully not...but your loving parents would have instructed you that you would get burned.

God doesn't want us to get burned in life. He gave us the 10 commandments out of love for us. The first three commandments are all about our relationship with God. The last seven are about getting along with others. That's why Jesus said the 10 commandments can be summed up by loving God and others as yourself.

What if we don't love ourselves? God wants to help us with that too. Do you want to know how much God loves you? Here's what God has to say to all of you--He loves you perfectly!

Family Talk:
1. Talk together about the "rules" at your house. How did they come to be? Do they feel like loving guidlines or too strict?
2. God loves us like a perfect Heavenly Father. What are some things you really love about God?
3. What are some things that you don't love about yourself? What might God say about you? What kind of affirmation does God give us?
4. Talk about a time when you "broke the rules." What happened? What did you learn? Parents, you might want to share an experience when you were in middle school. What was this like for you? What kind of "rules" did your parents have for you? Did this feel like loving guidelines?
5. Which of the ten commandments is most easy for you to break?

Pray together: Loving God, thanks for pouring out your love for me. Thanks for calling me Your beautiful creation. Help me to love others, love my family and You. Amen.

Weekly Challenge: This week, whenever you feel blue or unsure about God's love for you, watch the video from this week's blog.

King of Kings ~ October 22nd

2008-10-20T16:39:00.000-05:00

Matthew 22:15-22 "Jesus the King"

Re-cap: A leader, by definition, has followers. Leadership comes in all kinds of forms: kings, presidents, bishops, parents and more. Jesus was challenged by the religious leaders who asked Him who we should follow--God or government? Jesus said: "Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's. Give to God what is God's." Government and social structures are necessary. We all need to pay taxes. How do we give to God what is God's?

We are God's and Jesus is our leader--the King of Kings. We give to God based on following His lead in our lives. Jesus is a servant leader. He gave of His life for us, so that we may live our lives for Him. We watched a cool video on what kind of King Jesus is--a servant King.

There are two sides of a coin..and two stories of the King...Watch this video:

Tonight we were mega blessed as a high school youth shared with us what following Christ means from personal experience. This youth is involved in a ministry through Good Earth Village Bible Camp called: YSLI--Youth Servant Leadership Institute.

Family Talk: Discuss these questions together
1. Soon we will elect a new president. Campaign ads indicate that voters want a leader focused on citizens, not on self. Discuss together what qualities would make a good president.
2. Share about great leadership examples you've witnessed. What makes them a great leader?
3. Giving to God what is God's is our very lives. We belong to God. As Jesus was a servant leader, how might we follow His lead in serving others?
4. Jesus is the King of Kings. When is it easy to follow God's leading in your life? When is it difficult?

Pray Together: Sovereign God, You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Empower us to follow You wherever You lead us. As You gave Your life for us, may we give our lives to You. Amen.

Weekly Challenge: This year, make a plan on how you'd like to "Give to God what is God's'"--Yourself! Our Giving pledges are due soon that is based on a discipleship model. How might you get more invovled in Bible Study, serving, and worship? We encourage you to make your family plan for your time, talents and treasures and place your sealed envelope at the altar this Sunday, October 26th. This will be mailed back to you in January 2009--still sealed--as a promise just between your family and God.

The Good Life ~ October 8th

2008-10-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

Matthew 22:1-14 "God's Party Invitation"

Re-cap: Tonight we were blessed with Pastor Steve's presence as he shared about God's constant invitation to a Good Life with Jesus. Some of us accept this invitation immediately. Some of us turn down God's invite. Some of us may accept the invitation later in life.

Pastor Steve also talked about his relationship with his dad. When he was a youth, his dad never gave up on him--and continued to be a good influence in his life. Here's the music video we watched that illustrates God's love for us like a loving Father that always welcomes us home:

No matter our reaction to God's invitation -- God never gives up on us. God will always include us and invite us to the good life with Him. As God invites us to this Good Life, we can invite others too.

Family Talk: Disucss these questions together.
1. Share about a time when you felt like you belonged in God's Party.
2. Was there a time when you felt distant from God? How did God keep inviting you?
3. Who is someone that might feel excluded from God's party?
4. How might you invite them to the good life with God?
5. What do you think heaven will be like? Are there "glimpses" of the heavenly banquet party you experience here on earth? Talk about these sacred "God-moments."

Pray Together: Loving God, thanks for always including me and inviting me into a stronger relatoinship with You. Help me to be more accepting of others. Show me ways to include others and invite them to this good life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Weekly Challenge! Pray for someone who may feel excluded from the good life with God. Then invite them to God's party! Some opportunities may include: The Halloween Party at Gloria Dei, Valley Scare, Worship or Middle School ministries!

Gift of Giving...October 1st

2008-09-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

Matthew: 21:33-43

Recap: Tonight we discussed that a life worth living is one that is giving! Are we greedy or generous? Greed is like drinking salt water--the more we drink--the thirstier we become. A generous life is full of fresh water that overflows. The dead sea is called that because it only takes and never gives. The sea of Galilee has the Jordan River flowing through it on both ends. Everything can live under those circumstances.

God is generous to us--He gave us His very self on the cross. The greatest gift we can give to God is our lives to Him. This was the cool video we watched about that:

Family Talk:
1. We had a special guest talk about the gift he received from his daughter--a kidney. What is an amazing gift that you can give your heavenly Father?
2. How materialistic do you think you are? Are there things in this world that you can't seem to live without? Are they life-giving or life-taking things?
3. What do you think is the greatest gift you can offer God and others at this time in your life? Is it easy to give it away?
4. Talk about your favorite Christmas. What was meaningful about it? The presents you received--or the gift of family & friends?

Weekly Challenge: This week consider a "big give"--a way that you can serve God in a huge way. Then go out and serve! (This may mean volunteering somewhere, helping around the house, or giving a bigger offering for our compassion child Jonathon, etc..)

The Gift of Doing...September 24th

2008-09-25T11:47:00.000-05:00

Matthew 21:28-32 "The Parable of the Two Sons"

Recap: Tonight's story was about two sons. The father invited both of them to work in the vineyard. The first son said, "no way.." but then he changed his mind and worked. The second son said, "I'll go..." but then broke his promise.

God wants both our actions and words to reflect our love for him. God doesn't "force" us to serve...but rather invites us into this relationship. God wants to see how we'll respond. what made the first son change his mind and serve? He knew what it meant to be a child of God. He knew he was loved by his Father. Out of love for his dad, he served.

Here's a video on putting both your words and actions together:

The good life is both talking the good talk and walking the good walk. When we serve others and put our faith in action ~ it changes our life and it changes others. Tonight we were MEGA BLESSED as a high school youth and a college student shared their joy in serving others on mission trips and in the community. Mission trips are powerful experiences that helps us see how we can DO to others as Christ has done to us. It opens our eyes and heart to others. Here's the video we watched on serving others:

Family Talk: Discuss some of these thoughts with each other:
1. How can I put my faith into action?
2. How can I put my faith into words? If I were to describe what "loving the Heavenly Father" meant to me, what would I say?
3. What gifts do I have to serve the Lord creatively and faithfully ~ right here in Rochester?

Weekly Challenge: Serving others in teh community and on mission trips is life changing. This week, change your life and someone else's ~ go out and serve! Put that faith into action. This is God's gift to us. When we extend God's love to others, we also feel the love of God in our lives.

The Gift of Grace...September 17th

2008-09-23T14:49:00.000-05:00

Matthew 20:1-16 "The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard"

Recap: Grace is like a free up-grade. It's something we can never earn and we don't deserve it. Tonight we talked about the story of everybody receiving the same paycheck at the end of the day--even though some worked ALL day and others worked one hour.

This doesn't seem fair--until we realize that the paycheck--the gift of grace--is a relationship with Jesus on earth and in heaven. Like the theif on the cross, the workers in the vineyard received this grace at their last hour of life. The good life doesn't have to wait until then. The good life--the life with God is also here and now.

Here's a video on how Christ conquers sin and gives us a good life right now.

Family Talk: Discuss these thoughts with your family
1. Share about a time when someone was gracious to you.
2. How have you showed grace (undeserved kindness) to someone else?
3. Who is someone you know that is searching for meaning in their lives? What prevents them from coming into the vineyard "the good life" with God?
3. What are your hopes for a new school year?

Weekly Challenge: Pray for people you know who may have a rough life and are looking for a place of belonging. Invite them to come to the vineyeard--invite them to church so they might have a piece of that "good life" with God too.

The Gift of Forgiveness...September 10th

2008-09-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Matthew 18:21-35 "The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant"

Recap: Tonight we talked about how much emotional pain we carry around. Sometimes it feels like wearing an extremely heavy backpack when we are burdened by the stresses of life. We might be angry at those who hurt us or even upset with ourselves. Our first reaciton is to either hold a grudge or snap back at others. There's a third option..we can give that backpack of burdens to Jesus.

Letting go of the past...forgiving others and ourselves is the god life. Jesus forgave us and canceled a HUGE debt of sin. This should fee us to love others too.

Forgiveness is easier said than done. Here's a video of a remarkable story of forgiveness and the healing that stems from letting go of pain.

Family Talk: Discuss some of these thoughts with each other:
1. Who is someone difficult for you to forgive?
2. Has there been a time when you've forgiven someone else or you've been forgiven? Describe that situation with each other.
3. God wants us to have a good life now, not just in heaven when we die. What are some of the burdens you carry right now?

Say a prayer together as a family: "Lord Jesus, I give you these burdens. Lighten my load and help me to feel free from the pain I carry. Help me to show compassion to those who also carry heavy loads. In your name we pray, Amen."

Weekly Challenge: Lighten up your load and those around you...come to Water's Edge worship on Wednesdays at 6PM. Invite a friend or neighbor who may also need burdens uplifted.