CORNERSTONE YOUTHQUEST BASKETBALL

On Wednesday we had part two of our volunteer training for Cornerstone YouthQuest Basketball. We did some group bonding activities as well as going over our commitment for the year.

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday September 25, 2011
THE GOOD FIGHT (3): BEHIND ENEMY LINES

When we look back on our lives we have good memories and we have bad memories.

In everything we do, all day long, we are in the process of creating good memories or bad ones.

TENSION:
Someday we will live outside of our parents’ home, and we will remember the time we spent there. Our memories will either be good or bad.

The way we live while we are under our parents’ roof will determine the remaining 75 percent of our life. Will it be a springboard to bigger and better things, or will it be an obstacle we have to work to overcome?

TRUTH:
2 Samuel 13-15; 18

David’s oldest son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar. Absalom, Tamar’s brother, murdered Amnon and escaped from the city. Absalom then rallied support and returned to the city to challenge his father for kingship.

Even though Absalom murdered his brother and was coming after David with an army, David pleaded for his soldiers to spare Absalom. David did not want any harm to come to his son. When an accident occurred and Absalom died, David mourned for his son.

APPLICATION:
You have tremendous power over the heart of your parents. What are you going to do with that power?
Your relationship with your parents is partly up to you. You will choose to honor or not honor your parents, and you will see the effects of your choice.

LANDING:
What do you need to do to take the initiative in a relationship with your parents?
What are their interests, and how can you share in things that are special to them? What are the things that are holding you back from pursuing relationship with your parents?

Bottom Line: I have an important role to play in my relationship with my parents.

Junior high Sunday School - Sept. 2011

Today the YouthQuest Transformers had their first meeting as a Senior High Group! We played getting to know you bingo, talked about mission/vision, volunteer opportunities and what else is coming up in the calendar, we ate pizza and watched a few videos. Our main verse was John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

We also watched a clip from the Matrix and had a Matrix moment of our own. We sang a worship song and all in all had a good night. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arcJksDgCOU

Sunday September 18, 2011 - The Good Fight #2 - Surveillance

TENSION:

Every conflict is about perspective.

We fight with our parents because we interpret words and events differently than they do.

We want to have things “my way” not “your way.”

TRUTH:
The Old Testament closes with instructions about the coming day of the Lord. God instructs His people about how they should live as they prepare for this day. He reminds them to follow the commandments He gave to Moses and also tells them that Elijah will return to set things right before that day.

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6 NIV).

The New Testament opens with the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus. However, before the famous Christmas story about Mary and Joseph, another baby is born. His name is John and he is a miracle baby too. When an angel comes to tell Zechariah that his wife will give birth to John, the angel tells Zechariah how John will prepare the way for Jesus.

“He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17 NIV).

The end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament emphasize one thing—the relationship children have with their parents. God wants us to have a good relationship with our parents.

APPLICATION:

In order to turn your heart toward your parents and have a good relationship you will have to change the fight. Stop fighting against “their way” and start fighting for a relationship.
Fighting for relationship might mean surrendering your right to be right.
When you have no relationship, you will rebel. Rules without relationship equals rebellion.

LANDING:

What does your relationship with your parents look like? Do you have a relationship? Are you honoring them? Are you rebelling against rules? If so, the reason is not because they're wrong; it is because you have no relationship.

 

Last night (Friday September 16th), we had a parent's info night at The Main Connection. We talked about our plans for the year, got to know each other better and heard an encouraging podcast from our series, "The Good Fight."

Some key points from the podcast (by Reggie Joiner)
When your children move into the teenage years, you move into a new stage... the "very worried stage."
They (your children) are transitioning from dependence to independence.
You are transitioning from authority to influence.

Myth #1 They don't want to spend time with me
Myth #2 When we spend time together it doesn't make a difference
Myth #3 I need to spend priority time with my son/daughter so we can have teachable moments

The purpose of priority time is to make sure your son or daughter knows they are a priority. Be an active participant in their lives. Look for opportunities to show them they are a priority, like texting them or praying for them when they have a big test.

Rules about priority time:
1. Find common ground
2. Make sure there is no agenda
3. Keep it outide your home
4. Do it without friends (neither yours or theirs)
5. Put it on the schedule (not on a Friday)
6. Stay flexible (reschedule if you need to)
7. Remember your goal is not to CHANGE them
8. Keep working on it (even when it doesn't seem to go well)
9. Use it as an opportunity to give your teenager one thing - THE GIFT OF APPROVAL

Every person's heart gravitates to the place where it is most accepted. It's just the nature of the heart. Your approval is the thing they will always remember. They need your unconditional support.

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

THE GOOD FIGHT # 2 SURVEILLANCE

Sometimes the Bible seems vague, and sometimes it seems poignantly clear. But when it comes to God’s intention for family there are no ambiguities in Scripture. God desires for children and parents to turn their hearts toward each other and have a relationship. In order to have the good relationship God intends, we have to first learn how to change the fight. We have to stop fighting against “their way” and start fighting for a relationship. We have to surrender our right to be right and take up a new cause. We must prioritize relationship regardless of the cost.

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

 

SESSION 1 - THE HOME FRONT - SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11

Every family is weird in its own special way, and every family fights.
No matter what we fight about or how we fight about it, family fights are hard. They often hurt us more than we want to admit.
We can never change our parents and we can never leave them.
We can change how we react to them.

TRUTH:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’--which is the first commandment with a promise--‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’” (Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV).
The quality and even the length of our lives depends on how we treat our parents.

APPLICATION:
We are called to honor our parents no matter what.
For some of you this may be easy. For others it is more difficult.
You cannot be your parent’s parent. You cannot discipline them until they behave the way you think they should. You can only choose to fight for a relationship regardless of their actions and words, and honor them in spite of their decisions.

LANDING:
What does honor look like for you? How can you honor your mom and your dad tonight as you go home? How can you continue to honor them throughout the week?

Bottom Line: Honor opens the door to relationship.

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

This Sunday we start our fall season off with a new series, "THE GOOD FIGHT"

Session One: The Home Front (Sunday September 11)

The Good Fight series exposes the truth about family life: All families fight. We just fight about and for different things, and we fight in different ways. Some families are very vocal; others quietly stuff their frustrations inside. But regardless of how families fight, every family decides what they are going to fight over. Fighting about rules and issues will always drive us apart, but there is another way. What if we began to fight for relationship? What if our sole objective was to know each other and to honour each other? The Good Fight encourages students to stay in the fight and never give up on their relationship with their parents.