Study Text: 1 John 5:1-21

Central Truth: The assurances of the Christian are sufficient for life, death, and eternity.

Focus: To know and be victorious in the assurances we have as Christians.

In-Class Event (use for following along via phone, tablet, or computer): http://bible.us/e/HjH

Post-Class Wrap-Up: ACTION Night Wrap-Up (02/01/2012)

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

1-29-12

Memory Verse: “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of the fool pours forth foolishness.”                  (Proverbs 15:1-2)

Today in AGENT KIDS we talked about the Power of the Tongue and we’ve learned some very interesting traits about the human tongue.

Did you Know?:

• Did you know that you have over 1,ooo taste buds?
• Did you know that sometimes, taste buds will grow too much, and will appear that you have a hairy tongue.
• Did you know that your tongue does NOT hold all of your taste buds?  It only holds 90% of them, the other 10% are found on the pallet and cheeks.

Every week we are also taking a close look at a different animal that has an amazing tongue and this week we got to learn about the GIANT Anteater! It’s tongue can measure up to 2 feet long! That’s about as long as your kids arm or leg!!!!!! It uses it’s tongue to slip into tiny holes in the ground and in GIANT bug mounds to eat bugs. It’s tongue is covered with a sticky saliva substances to stick to every type of insect and its covered in microscopic barbs to grab insects with. (Very similar to the woodpeckers)

(How would you like to have a tongue that’s as long as your arm or leg? And how would you like a tongue that is sticky?)

As we talk about the power the Power of the Tongue we are taking the letter, T-O-N-G-U-E and seeing what they really mean!

True Story: One day, when I was really little, I was playing Batman and Robin outside in my front yard with my older sister. She was Batgirl of course. And just like Batman and Batgirl had batter-rangs that they threw at the bad guys, my sister and I held screwdrivers. (DON’T ASK ME WHY)

Well, we played and played and played and had a blast outside. Until my sister was tired and wanted to give up and go inside.

I was mad. I mean, who wanted to stop playing such an awesome game! So for whatever reason, I threw my screwdriver at her as she ran away. Thank the Lord it didn’t hit her but, the screwdriver did make contact with something. And that something was my mom’s window to her suburban. The screwdriver went straight threw the window and landed safely in the back seat. And in mom’s window was a large gapping hole, as the rest of the window pathetically held in place by millions of pieces.

I freaked! I knew that my parents were going to kill me when they found out I just broke their window. So I ran, grabbed a towel, and started to pick up the pieces of the window before my parents would find out. I mean, if I picked up all the glass, surely they wouldn’t notice that there was no longer a window on their car.

Well the rest of the story is pretty much history. My parents came out and saw the mess, yelled at me and disciplined me and eventually, made me help them clean up the entire mess that I had made. I learned a valuable lesson that day; I had to better my aim! (Just kidding)

I say all of the to say this…

Your words are just like that screwdriver. When you say something rude, crude, un-called for, or hurtful, it’s as if you just chunked that screwdriver out of your hand. YOU ARE NO LONGER IN CONTROL OF WHAT DAMGE IT MAY CAUSE.

You CANT take it back, reverse time, or stop time. Its going to collide and crash into whoever’s heart you meant to attack.

Now you can say, “I’m sorry” and truly mean it when its all said and done. But the damage is already done. Sorry doesn’t fix a broken window, and it sure doesn’t fix a broken heart.

N-NEEDS of others are disregarded as your tongue speaks unkindly to them. I know you never do that – right? You’ve never spoken something rude to someone else, especially your brother or sister, right? Surely not you. The tongue disregards the needs of others as it calls others names, gossips, and tells lies about others. Do you think this tongue needs God? I would say so – wouldn’t you?

• James 3:7-8 “This is scary; you can tame a tiger, but you cant tame a tongue- its never been done. The tongue runs wild, a killer.”  MSG
• James 3:9-10 “Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! A Spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and salt water the next, does it?” MSG
• Proverbs 15:4 “Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.” MSG

G-God says in the book of Proverbs that “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” If we want to live like Jesus, we must allow Him to help us practice this verse. When we are tempted to be angry and lie, gossip, or name call, ask God to help you do the right thing.

How many of you have seen Walt Disney’s original move called, Bambie? Now Bambie had a best friend and he was a little rabbit named, ______ (Thumper.) If you remember, Thumper could not always keep his mouth from speaking lies. So Thumper’s mom taught him a lesson and had him say this phrase every time he was caught saying something un-true or hurtful:

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

It would be wise if we followed Thumper’s mom’s rule.

• Proverbs 6:16-19: The Bible lists 7 things that God HATES, and guess what number two is on that list? You guessed it! A lying tongue.
• Proverbs 20:19 “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.” ESV
• Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, talks about how there is a TIME for everything, and in verse 7 it says, “there is a time to tear down, and a time to build up, a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.” In other words, God is telling us that there are times, when we need to BE QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s probably why God gave us two ears and only one mouth, that way we can do twice as much listening then we do talking.

Parents: This week play a game with your kids. Each time someone says a bad word or something rude, mean, or un-called for shout out, “you’re using your muscle wrong!” Also help your kids take up the challenge that every time the urge rises to say something bad, rude, or un-called for, bite your tongue and ask God to help you say the right thing. Read James 3:3-12 together and talk abut what the Holy Spirit is teaching us through God’s Word.

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

1-22-12

Memory Verse: “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of the fool pours forth foolishness.”                  (Proverbs 15:1-2)

Today in AGENT KIDS we talked about the Power of the Tongue and we’ve learned some very interesting traits about the human tongue.

Did you Know:

• That the human tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body? It’s stronger than your arms and even your legs!
• Did you also know that every human tongue has a different tongue print? Its kind of like your fingerprint, no one has the same one you do!
• Did you know that your tongue is the only part of your body that heals the fastest? Your tongue is like Wolverine man!

Every week we are also taking a close look at a different animal that has an amazing tongue and this week we got to learn about the mighty woodpecker! The woodpecker’s tongue is so long that it wraps around from the back of its throat and goes all the way around its brain. Its tongue is super long. It’s not just super long, buts also super sticky and has sharp barbs at the end of it to grab insects from inside the trees. The Woodpecker’s tongue can be as long, if not longer, than the Woodpecker itself. (How would you like to have a tongue that’s as long as your body? And how would you like a tongue that is sticky?)

As we talk about the power the Power of the Tongue we are taking the letter, T-O-N-G-U-E and seeing what they really mean!

The T- stands for TONGUE. It is a great muscle that helps us chew our food, speak, and sing. The small muscles on the back part of the tongue are the only thing that helps you pronounce the sounds from the letters K and G. Even though it is very small, it can do great damage.

• Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue, (watches what he says) keeps himself out of trouble.”
• Proverbs 12:18-19 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”    The Bible says that there are seven things that God absolutely hates and number 2 on that list is a lying tongue. (Proverbs 6:16-19)
• Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Point 1: The tongue is a powerful weapon. With it you can be sweet and nice and at the same time you can use it to be harsh and rude. Be careful how you use the power of the tongue.

O – the tongue ONLY thinks of itself. It does not consider the feelings of others. It seems to forget that others have feelings as well. The tongue does not see this need. Have you ever said something that hurt someone’s feelings? (DON’T LIE) We’ve all said something at one point or another that caused someone else grief and pain. The Bible says in Proverbs, the tongue is like a sword, and when we say rude things to others, its like we’re cutting them up. Now I bet the phrase: “Why are you cutting him down man?” makes more sense right?

• Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see a man (woman) who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
• Proverbs 10:19 “When there are many words, sin is sure to be there, But he who holds his tongue, is wise.”  (Paraphrased by ME)
• James 3:8 “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Point 2: We’ve got to remember, that our tongues don’t care about other people and their feelings, so we have to do everything you can to make sure words of life come out of our mouths and not words that can cut others down.

Parents: This week play a game with your kids. Each time someone says a bad word or something rude, mean, or un-called for shout out, “you’re using your muscle wrong!” Also help your kids take up the challenge that every time the urge rises to say something bad, rude, or un-called for, bite your tongue and ask God to help you say the right thing.

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

Pastor Michael begins a new series about living the “Blessed Life” with an introduction message entitled “It’s All About The Heart”. In this message, Pastor Michael looks at one of God’s principles – specifically that we receive back more of what it is that we give. That can be love, forgiveness, and compassion, or hatred, bitterness, and condemnation – the choice is ours – but it’s all about the heart! (01/29/2012)

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

Receiving an invitation is cool because it means there’s someone who wants to share their special moment with you. Whether the event is a Spiderman birthday party, a sleep-over or a day at the beach, good things happen to those who respond.

Responding to the Father’s invitations will be the focus of our 24th Discovery Camp program. Invitations to receive guidance and greatness. Invitations for hope and for healing. Don’t you already hear the heart of God saying, “You’re invited to experience My transforming love.”

Summer camp is a great time in the life of your child! Sign up today!

Register for Kids Camp 2012

Check out all the fun we had last year (2011) at Discovery Camp!

Important Information:

• What: Discovery Camp 2012
• Where: Columbus, TX
• When: Wed., July 18, 2012 – Sat., July 21, 2012

Cost for Camp:

In addition to the registration form and current immunization records, a non-refundable deposit of $75 will be required for each child attending camp. The cost for camp is based upon the date of registration, at which time the deposit is required to be paid for each child.

• Registration and deposit received 1/27/12 – 2/29/12 = $300 total, per child
• Registration and deposit received 3/1/12 – 3/31/12 = $325 total, per child
• Registration and deposit received 4/1/12 – 6/1/12 = $350 total, per child

Additional Information:

Additional information, such as registration forms and what to bring will be available soon. Please check back, or check your email after registration for those details.

Register for Kids Camp 2012

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

Study Text: 1 John 4:1-21

Central Truth: By faith in Christ, we can know with certainty the most important realities.

Focus: To realize we can be certain about truth, God, and our relationship with Him, and live in these certainties.

In-Class Event (use for following along via phone, tablet, or computer): http://bible.us/e/HJF

Post-Class Wrap-Up: ACTION Night Wrap-Up (01/25/2012)

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

Pastor Michael concludes the series “Go To War” with the message “The Fight”. This week, Pastor Michael looks at three characteristics of battle we can learn from the battle of Jericho, and how those can apply today – knowing the mission, identifying the enemy, and going on the offensive. (01/22/2012)

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

Psalm 150  “Praise the Lord! Praise Him for his mighty works. Praise Him for His greatness. Praise Him with the trumpet, praise Him with the tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of the cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise and worship the Lord.”

Today in AGENT KIDS we wrapped up our series called, “The Power of Music.” We finished dissecting Psalm 150 and learned very interesting things. And the main thing we learned was that we were created by God to worship Him with our bodies.

Before we started, we had several guest appearances by the New Life Worship Team showing us how we can worship God with musical instruments! We heard how we can worship God with the drums, guitars, bass, piano, and even our voice! (Psalm 150)

Psalm 150 says, “…praise Him with the strings and the flute (NIV says pipes)

Even though the bible is telling that its 100% ok if we worship God with musical instruments with strings such as the guitar, bass, violin, harp, and even the piano, what its also telling us is that we can praise the Lord with our hands!

Imagine your fingers are strings of an instrument! What’s the main thing we do with our fingers and hands when we are worshiping the Lord with song?

We Clap! Our bodies were made to worship the Lord!

When the Psalm 150 tells us to praise the Lord with the flute or pipes its not just talking about the wind based instruments! You’ve heard this phrase before, your throat is known as your WIND _____ (PIPE!)  We can praise the Lord with our voices!

Want to know something even more exciting!?!?! You’ve heard this phrase before as well when talking about your voice, inside your throat you have VOCAL _____ (CORDS!) Just like the string instruments vibrate when strummed, our vocal cords resonate with sound every time we speak or sing. (Or every time the wind passes through our windpipe)

The way God made the human body in it of itself is completely amazing! But to know that God created certain parts of our bodies to praise His name is even more amazing!

In Luke 19:28-40 we see Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. His people were laying down clothes and palm branches as He came into town rejoicing and praising God as loud as they could because the bible says they believed in God for seeing the mighty works done by His Son, Jesus. Pharisees tried to stop the praise and worship by approaching Jesus and said to Him, “You must stop this at once.” And Jesus said this, “I tell you the that if these (God’s people) should keep silent, the rocks would cry out instead.”

I don’t know about you but I refuse to let a rock cry out to God in praise and worship on my behalf. We were created to worship God with our bodies, with musical instruments, and with our voices.

Lets not allow the rocks to praise the Lord for us! Lets not be silent when it comes to worshiping our MIGHTY Savior! Lets not keep silent when it comes to worshiping the GOD who created the universe by His words alone! Lets not keep silent when it comes to worshiping the One who gave us His Son, who gave us Salvation, and who have us Eternal Life.

God made us! God made music! God made us to worship Him with music!

We are created to worship God with our bodies.  (Romans 12:1-2)

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.

Study Text: 1 John 3:1-24

Central Truth: Becoming a child of God by faith in Jesus is life-transforming.

Focus: To examine practical results of being God’s children and express gratefulness to Him.

In-Class Event (use for following along via phone, tablet, or computer): http://bible.us/e/Gtv

Post-Class Wrap-Up: ACTION Night Wrap-Up (01/18/2012)

©2012 New Life Church. All Rights Reserved.