Note for Parents of Wildside Students (grades 6-7) from Mr. Kevin

Hello everyone I hope everyone is doing well. Just a quick reminder that we will be continuing our study on “REFLECTIONS.” Who we see when we look into the mirror. We all try to cover up our imperfections by presenting what we think to be a better, more likable person. We just long to be accepted by people and that is the problem. It is important to remember that we have a God who sent His only son to die for us because we are accepted. We love Him because He first loved us!!! He loves us just the way we are because He made us just the way we are. Trying to be someone different to please others is saying to God that we aren’t happy with how He made us, we have a better idea of what we should be like. Please encourage your students to come this week as we continue talking about being who God made us to be. Taking off mask and not trying to impress the world around us by being someone we are not.

Thank you

Kevin Criddle

Summer in the Scripture and Orange Cue Box

I’m finding new ways to incorporate my Summer in the Scripture assignment.  I listened to my Summer in the Scripture while I cleaned out my closet.  A job I do not like but am convicted that I need to do.  I keep lots of stuff I shouldn’t and there are people who need my stuff.   Listening to Corinthians made me realize that the same problems (sin) we have in the church today were there in Corinth also.  So I listened with a caring heart in stead of a judgmental one. Before,  like 2 months ago,  I listened and read with a critical ear. So I guess  you could say Summer in the Scripture is changing me.

Today I got in the new Orange Cue Box for September which has replaced the Family times.  It is extraordinary.  Everyone gathered  round the computer and laughed out loud at the video.  It is a video format now and really great.  The lead character is Sydney, a high school student who works to publish the Cue Box. The quality is so awesome you think you are watching something on the Disney Channel.   I can’t wait for everyone to see it.  I will have it on my computer beside the Elementary Desk this Sunday.  This format will really appeal to your Tweens but Karen Means said her Kindergartener will enjoy it too.  Adults will enjoy it too.

The cost is the same as the Family Times.  You can purchase yours at the HeartMarket.

Until Next Week Respectfully Yours,

Suzie

Write.Rewrite. – Bigger Story

Each week I will be posting a series overview and some questions to help parents better communicate what the students are hearing during Fusion. These questions are meant to start conversation between you and your student. I want to make it easier to create a spiritual conversation between you. I will post weekly. If you have any questions or comments you can email me at justin@heartlandchurch.cc.

write.rewrite.

Series Overview

We are all drawn to great stories—whether that’s on the big screen, small screen, in a book or elsewhere. But we may be completely unaware of one simple truth—that our lives are a story as well. The decisions we make every day are shaping the plot. The things we do, believe and trust determine what is being written. And for many of us, the story we are scripting could be so much more if we let God write, or even rewrite, our story. It’s the story we long for, the one our hearts truly desire.

Session One: A Bigger Story (08/08/10)

Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or someone who minimizes risks, we all long for a great story. A great romance. A great adventure. A great mystery. And it could be that the reason we yearn for something so big is because God made us that way. Believe it or not, a big story is unfolding around us, a story God is telling that started long before us and will continue to unfold long after we are gone. The things that draw us, that captivate us, that pull us in are the things that make God’s story great. The question is, are we a part of that story? Are we telling His story? In other words, are our lives reflecting something bigger?

Session One Parent Cue:

• What are some of your favorite stories (in movies, books, etc.)? What specifically about those stories do you love?

• Read Ecclesiastes 3:11. Do you ever wish your life was “more” than what it is now? If yes, why?

Summer in the Scripture – Week 8

I was stuck in traffic yesterday going to work.  I noticed, after I called Steve to tell him to take an alternate route, that I was not frustrated or antsy.  Everyone around me was driving on the left shoulder just to crossover onto the southbound lane and head another way.  I was in my air-conditioned car and calm.  When I got  to the HeartMart (church), I realized what the difference was.  I was listening to my Summer in the Scripture.  The readers voice was calm and he was reading the Bible to me.  I thought, “now this is an advantage I never thought of.”  Enjoy your Summer in the Scripture, you don’t have to conquer it.  Listen to what God has to say to you.  School starts tomorrow, what a way to calm the fears of first day by having scripture read to you on the way to school.

Until next week,

Suzie

Summer in Scripture Week 8

Listening to God’s word throughout my day challenges me to think and pray through the things I hear. I have never known or studied much about the Holy Spirit and His works, but as I listen and read through Acts I have to agree with Preacher that this book is “the acts of the Holy Spirit”. The Holy Spirit does so much through the apostles in this book. It is important for us to realize that it wasn’t simply men who were doing these great works. The bible makes it very clear that the Spirit of God came upon these men.

As I look around me today I don’t see or even hear many people talking about the Spirit working like He did here. It makes me ask myself if we are missing something? Do we believe those events could happen still today? Have the generations lost faith along the way?

God is a trinitarian God. If we believe in God the Father and Jesus Christ, we must also believe in the Holy Spirit and His works.

What does that mean in your life?

Summer in Scripture Week 7

The past week and a half I have been busy with BigStuf and the Passion Play trips. I was able to listen to all of this weeks scriptures on the way home from our Wildside trip to Eureka Springs, AR. It was such a great way to “cool down” and relax from the craziness I had been surrounded by. Although it was busy and hectic I know that God was still there guiding and teaching me. Jesus promised us that He would send us the Helper in John 14-16.  He is here to do many things in our lives. I’m not sure that we allow the Spirit to work in our lives like the church of the New Testament did. I really don’t even know if people today believe that the Spirit will still do the things that was promised to us in the bible. What if God is waiting on us to have faith and believe what He has promised? Can you tell the Spirit is alive in your life?

John 16:13-15 “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.14 He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you.15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

All that the Spirit teaches us and has for us is from the Father.  We need Him more than any other thing we have. Sometimes it is so hard to think about the invisible things in life. But we love love and we go through phases of life where thats all we can think about. Why is it so hard for us to think and meditate on the Spirit? Why can’t we see how real He really is? More importantly, why can’t we live a life where the Spirit guides us?

Pulse Volunteers

Think you want to be a Pulse Student Ministry volunteer? Applications are now ready at www.heartlandchurch.cc/pulse/volunteer. Please print this out, pray about it, and if you feel like this is where God is calling you to serve turn it in to Justin or Janet.  Thank you so much for you time!

Summer in Scripture Week 6

John 12:42 “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees the did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

I said last week in my blog that John was my favorite book of the Bible.  I just love the detail of John’s writings. I had trouble picking which passage I wanted to share about this week! There is an enormous amount of amazing truth here.

John 12:42 stuck out to me most. Let me set it up. Jesus is just coming to the prime of his teaching/ministry years. Leading up to this point Jesus has just recently fed many from little and raised Lazarus from the dead. He has made His way into Jerusalem with a welcoming that would make any man arrogant or “big headed” (except Jesus!). It is the time of Passover in the city so there are many that have come from far to celebrate this time.  Jesus is among the people and just like every opportunity He has been teaching them.

From John 12:37-43, John talks about the unbelief of the people. In verse 42 he tells us that many believed Jesus’ teachings and His words. But not only does he tell us that many believed. He goes to the extent to say “even the authorities”! So not only were many of the people believing, but also the authorities were believing as well. But as he continues he says that they DID NOT CONFESS! And the reason is for fear that they wouldn’t fit in. They were afraid that their friends wouldn’t like them. They would have to find something else in life to do. They would have to find somewhere else to live. They were afraid because they knew that they would be different from the majority!

Matthew 10:28 says “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.”

So many times in life I feel like these people. I believe in what God says but I don’t always confess it. Every time I meet someone new I want to talk to them about God, but I am always scared that they will make fun of me or something. I never know how they will react. I need so bad to remember Matthew 10:28 in these moments! What if I was the only opportunity that someone had to know Jesus today? Would they miss out on the most amazing story that ever existed?

Man I’m so glad that God does depend on me alone!

Summer in Scripture Week 5

I am so excited to be starting John this week.  I love every book in the bible, but John is one of my top favorites. The way he wrote just amazes me. John was able to spend so much time with Jesus and was his closest disciple. The first 18 verses are so encouraging. Verse 1-3 remind me of Jesus’ words in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  He is everything. He was before everything. He willing came here, suffered, and died for you and me. He is the greatest example we have as man.  I am so excited to be able to listen through John this as we take the students to BigStuf camp next week.

Summer in Scripture Week 4

I love how each book about such an amazing story have such different details and views on everything.  Each one teaches me something different about the same account.

In Luke 6 Jesus talks about being Lord of the Sabbath.  As I listened through this I had to go back and read over it again.  Let’s look farther than just the Sabbath.  It reminded me of how often we get stuck on tradition or religion. Jesus was and still is Lord of everything! Religions and traditions say we can’t dance, wear hats, sing certain ways, or do many other things.

Don’t get me wrong I don’t believe all of these are bad or evil. But so many times we get caught on the idea or the detail itself.  It’s like we are worshiping the religious beliefs or the traditions instead of the God of them.  So many times I think we allow satan to trick us into getting caught up on the smaller details of life.

I am striving for a day when I give everything (traditions, religions, money, ideas, self) up and truly worship and love the Creator of everything visible and invisible. I’m not there yet but I, like Paul, want to suffer to this end.  Colossians 1:15-16 remind me of what an amazing Creator I have!