Luke 2:9-12
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
This time of year we are all rushing around with parties and festivities. Some of you have finals and projects keeping you up. All things that have to be done before the Christmas break.
I know that for me I often find it easy to get lost in the busy calender of events, and forget what its all about. I know that if asked about the holiday season I would be sure to tell people about how blessed I am and that my family and I celebrate this time as the coming of Christ as a baby.
Problem is do I think about that if I am not asked? Sometimes I have to admit, No. I am checking emails, and looking at calendars and making sure the cookies are made for this party the candy for that one. Gifts are bought for everyone that I know. I have to be sure to attend all the usual events, and any others I am invited to. Before I know it I have scheduled Christ right out of Christmas.
Its a sad thing to admit. I have tried this year to make myself aware of this a little more. I have said no to some events. I have limited my gift buying and tried to spread it out over the year so its not one last frenzied shopping time. I am spending more time with my kids. We are watching the Christmas specials on TV and enjoying popcorn, cookies and hot coco. We don't have to go to every little event.
Remember that this season we celebrate the birth of Christ and that's real love.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
salvation the simple way.
Romans 10:9-10”If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Salvation by grace, not works
One of the first things a lifeguard has to do is help the victim calm down so he isn’t struggling against the efforts of the one who is trying to save him. Sometimes it take a blow to the head that either knocks the victim out or shocks him out of his panic so he can listen to the lifeguard’s instructions. If the victim struggles, or tries to help, it may endanger both his own life and the lifeguard’s. The best thing he can do is relax and let the expert in life-saving take over.
Jesus did everything needed to purchase our salvation. He paid the death penalty we deserve by dying in our place. It’s all done except our acceptance of the gift God has so graciously offered us.
You can receive Jesus into your heart right now. It’s so simple, you can hardly believe it. Just talk to God as if he were sitting right next to you. Tell him that you are sorry for breaking his standards of right actions and attitudes. Tell him that you believe Jesus is his Son and that he died for you. Ask him to forgive you and clean up your heart. If you’re sincere as you pray, you become a child of God forever the second you finish praying.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, try sharing Romans 10:8-10 with a friend who doesn’t yet know God. Before sharing, ask God to open your friend’s heart and mind to receive the wonderful gift of salvation. Show him/her right in the Scripture that all he/she has to do to have eternal life is believe and confess.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I thank you that you have made the plan of salvation so simple. I recognize that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I do believe that you are the Lord and that God did raise you from the dead. I choose you as my Savior. I love you, Jesus. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona
Salvation by grace, not works
One of the first things a lifeguard has to do is help the victim calm down so he isn’t struggling against the efforts of the one who is trying to save him. Sometimes it take a blow to the head that either knocks the victim out or shocks him out of his panic so he can listen to the lifeguard’s instructions. If the victim struggles, or tries to help, it may endanger both his own life and the lifeguard’s. The best thing he can do is relax and let the expert in life-saving take over.
Jesus did everything needed to purchase our salvation. He paid the death penalty we deserve by dying in our place. It’s all done except our acceptance of the gift God has so graciously offered us.
You can receive Jesus into your heart right now. It’s so simple, you can hardly believe it. Just talk to God as if he were sitting right next to you. Tell him that you are sorry for breaking his standards of right actions and attitudes. Tell him that you believe Jesus is his Son and that he died for you. Ask him to forgive you and clean up your heart. If you’re sincere as you pray, you become a child of God forever the second you finish praying.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, try sharing Romans 10:8-10 with a friend who doesn’t yet know God. Before sharing, ask God to open your friend’s heart and mind to receive the wonderful gift of salvation. Show him/her right in the Scripture that all he/she has to do to have eternal life is believe and confess.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I thank you that you have made the plan of salvation so simple. I recognize that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I do believe that you are the Lord and that God did raise you from the dead. I choose you as my Savior. I love you, Jesus. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona
Monday, September 28, 2009
My Life's in Good Hands
Luke 12:6-7“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker, Flagstaff Arizona
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker, Flagstaff Arizona
My Life's in Good Hands
Luke 12:6-7“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker, Flagstaff Arizona
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker, Flagstaff Arizona
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
God Trouble
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Reflections on Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Verse 1) He is your refuge and strength, an ever-present help whether it’s your first or last day of middle school. He is your refuge whether you get good grades or often fail. He is your help whether you are the most popular guy in school or you wonder if anyone knows your name. God is your source of strength in every situation.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Verse 2) Because you have God, you need not fear, though your parents threaten to divorce, though your best friend turns her back on you, or you get cut from the basketball team. You world won’t collapse when you have to stand in front of the class and give a speech, even thought you are shy and unsure of what you’ll say. You will not fear!
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (Verse 4). Though you often struggle with loneliness, worries, and insecurities, God is there. Though things look dark now, a promised new day will come. God is great at changing darkness into light and despair into joy.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Verse 7) The Lord Almighty is with you in your situation – no matter what threatens you, no matter how powerful your enemies are. God is your fortress, a strong, impenetrable place of safety.
Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire. (Verses 8-9) Come and see the works of the Lord! See all the good things He has done in your life! He is your friend. He is with you always. He gives comfort, joy and peace. He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Verse 10) God is speaking directly to you. He says, “Stop. Be still. And think about Me. I am your God! I love you! I only want what’s best for you. Will you trust me? Will you praise me at home, at school and when you’re out with your friends this weekend?”
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Verse 11) The Lord Almighty is with you; God is your stronghold. Praise the Lord!
Today’s Prayer:
Jesus, I come before you with a heart overflowing with praise that you are my refuge and strength. You are my ever-present help in trouble. I will not fear though the news broadcasts speak of war, though my parents are fighting, though my worries are many. You know my fears and troubles. Help me to be still and trust you because you are my God. Help me to praise you in the sunshine and in the storm. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Reflections on Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Verse 1) He is your refuge and strength, an ever-present help whether it’s your first or last day of middle school. He is your refuge whether you get good grades or often fail. He is your help whether you are the most popular guy in school or you wonder if anyone knows your name. God is your source of strength in every situation.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Verse 2) Because you have God, you need not fear, though your parents threaten to divorce, though your best friend turns her back on you, or you get cut from the basketball team. You world won’t collapse when you have to stand in front of the class and give a speech, even thought you are shy and unsure of what you’ll say. You will not fear!
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (Verse 4). Though you often struggle with loneliness, worries, and insecurities, God is there. Though things look dark now, a promised new day will come. God is great at changing darkness into light and despair into joy.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Verse 7) The Lord Almighty is with you in your situation – no matter what threatens you, no matter how powerful your enemies are. God is your fortress, a strong, impenetrable place of safety.
Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire. (Verses 8-9) Come and see the works of the Lord! See all the good things He has done in your life! He is your friend. He is with you always. He gives comfort, joy and peace. He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Verse 10) God is speaking directly to you. He says, “Stop. Be still. And think about Me. I am your God! I love you! I only want what’s best for you. Will you trust me? Will you praise me at home, at school and when you’re out with your friends this weekend?”
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Verse 11) The Lord Almighty is with you; God is your stronghold. Praise the Lord!
Today’s Prayer:
Jesus, I come before you with a heart overflowing with praise that you are my refuge and strength. You are my ever-present help in trouble. I will not fear though the news broadcasts speak of war, though my parents are fighting, though my worries are many. You know my fears and troubles. Help me to be still and trust you because you are my God. Help me to praise you in the sunshine and in the storm. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota
Monday, September 21, 2009
what i was made to do.
Ephesians 2:10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We’re created and saved for service to God.
Years ago, our family owned a Border collie. The first time we took her in the woods as a puppy, we noticed that she got very concerned when the members of our group didn’t stay together. My son rode his bike and was racing ahead so he could do some jumps. My husband lagged behind taking a picture of some wild flowers. My daughter and I just strolled along enjoying a good talk. Poor Missy didn’t know what to do. She nearly ran her legs off trying to check on everyone. We laughed and laughed at her efforts. They seemed terribly foolish from our point of view.
Missy was absolutely committed to her task, though. She persisted in checking on all of us because of who she was. Border collies are bred to herd and guard sheep. They just naturally try to keep them together because a stray sheep will almost certainly become coyote food. Missy didn’t understand why her barks and jumping in front of us didn’t turn us back into the pack.
There are some similarities between Missy and us, particularly when we consider what we are designed to be and do. Before God saves us, we just naturally sin. We’ve been born with a sin nature that desires to please self more than anything. But, after Jesus saves us, He gives us a new nature that desires to please God more than anything. The most natural thing in the world for a saved sinner to do is to obey God. It’s what He made us for.
God will never accept us in His presence because we keep His commandments or do good things for other people. He requires absolutely perfect holiness of anyone who enters into His presence. We can never make it by what we do. But, God made it possible for us to become righteous as we place our faith in Jesus and His death on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin. Once we believe, we do right things as an expression of our gratitude and to show our new character.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, thank you for making it possible for me to have a personal relationship with You. Thank you for Jesus who died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Now that You have saved me and given me a new heart, please help me serve you faithfully and honorably. Help me be what You made me to be. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona
We’re created and saved for service to God.
Years ago, our family owned a Border collie. The first time we took her in the woods as a puppy, we noticed that she got very concerned when the members of our group didn’t stay together. My son rode his bike and was racing ahead so he could do some jumps. My husband lagged behind taking a picture of some wild flowers. My daughter and I just strolled along enjoying a good talk. Poor Missy didn’t know what to do. She nearly ran her legs off trying to check on everyone. We laughed and laughed at her efforts. They seemed terribly foolish from our point of view.
Missy was absolutely committed to her task, though. She persisted in checking on all of us because of who she was. Border collies are bred to herd and guard sheep. They just naturally try to keep them together because a stray sheep will almost certainly become coyote food. Missy didn’t understand why her barks and jumping in front of us didn’t turn us back into the pack.
There are some similarities between Missy and us, particularly when we consider what we are designed to be and do. Before God saves us, we just naturally sin. We’ve been born with a sin nature that desires to please self more than anything. But, after Jesus saves us, He gives us a new nature that desires to please God more than anything. The most natural thing in the world for a saved sinner to do is to obey God. It’s what He made us for.
God will never accept us in His presence because we keep His commandments or do good things for other people. He requires absolutely perfect holiness of anyone who enters into His presence. We can never make it by what we do. But, God made it possible for us to become righteous as we place our faith in Jesus and His death on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin. Once we believe, we do right things as an expression of our gratitude and to show our new character.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, thank you for making it possible for me to have a personal relationship with You. Thank you for Jesus who died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Now that You have saved me and given me a new heart, please help me serve you faithfully and honorably. Help me be what You made me to be. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona
Friday, September 18, 2009
"Fatherly Love" in the City of Brotherly Love
"Fatherly Love" in the City of Brotherly Love
Today's Story
Little girl's foul toss makes dad a celebrity.
PHILADELPHIA – Dad could not believe his good luck.Steve Monforto made a great grab, catching his first foul ball after years of going to Phillies games. He fist-bumped his buddies, high-fived his 3-year-old daughter and then handed her the prize.
Big mistake.
Little Emily threw the ball over the railing. Stunned by his toddler's toss Tuesday night, all Pop could do was hug her. "I didn't want her to think she did anything wrong," Monforto said on WIP-AM radio Wednesday.
Philly crowds are known for being a tough bunch, but everyone at Citizens Bank Park cheered — first his catch, then his cuddle. "This was the true reflection of what Philly fans are like," said Bonnie Clark, the team's vice president of communications.
Cameras captured the scene of Monforto reaching over the railing and snagging Jayson Werth's foul in the fifth inning against Washington. The video was displayed at the top of the Yahoo! Web page and made the NBC national news. The entire family traveled from their home in Laurel Springs, N.J., to appear on the "Today" show Thursday.
Steve Monforto said he was surprised at the flurry of attention their day at the ballpark has attracted. He said he didn't consider the possibility that Emily might toss his treasure. "At the time I was just excited to give it to her," said Monforto, a season-ticket holder who shares games with friends. "I've been waiting so long to catch a foul ball, and over the edge it goes," he said with a laugh.
Monforto, 32, and his daughter still went home with a baseball, brought to them in the stands by Phillies executive Mike Stiles. On Thursday at the Today Show, they got another ball — this one signed by outfielder Jayson Werth, who hit the foul ball in the fifth inning that made the Monforto family famous. The family of four also received personalized Phillies jerseys.
Story found at www.news.yahoo.comPhoto found at www.images.google.com
God's Story
Malachi 3:10-12 (English Standard Version)
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
What does God's Story teach us about Fatherly Love?Since I saw Today's Story I have continually asked myself, "What if this little girl wouldn't have thrown that ball back?" That family's world is different today, because little Emily simply thought the ball should go back to it's "rightful owner."
Because she gave up that treasure, look at what they've received ...
A baseball, brought to them in the stands by Phillies executive Mike Stiles
As appearance on the "Today" show
Another ball signed by outfielder Jayson Werth, who hit the foul ball
Personalized Phillies jerseys for the family of four
Throughout God's Story we read about the tithe, or the first ten percent. In Malachi we read that there is a blessing that follows the obedience of giving that tithe. Today, we don't know how God, our Heavenly Father, is going to bless us when we return to Him what is already His. But we do know, that out of His love for us, He will bless us. It doesn't mean we will become rich by society's standards. But it does mean that we will have all that we need. And that is an incredible blessing!
My Story
Connecting My Story to God's Story.
Do you receive a weekly allowance from your parents? Do you have income from a part-time job? If so, have you given any thought to what God's Story says about tithing? If so, great? If not, why not start this weekend. Give ten-percent of whatever you made this week to your home church this weekend.
Are you already tithing? Why not think about going a little beyond that amount this weekend and give an offering to God about your tithe. Ask your parents for some suggestions on where you could give it.
Their Story
Connecting Today's Story, God's Story, and My Story to Their Story.
Ask your friends if they saw or heard about Today's Story. If your friends are following Jesus yet, they may not grasp onto the idea of tithing, but you can use that conversation to ask some of these questions ...
What if you would have been that father? Would you have reacted the same way?
What if you did what that little girl did? Would your father have reacted the same way?
Why do you think the little girl did that?
Move on to share some similarities between God's Story and Today's Story about forgiveness and God's Fatherly Love for His children.
Today's Story
Little girl's foul toss makes dad a celebrity.
PHILADELPHIA – Dad could not believe his good luck.Steve Monforto made a great grab, catching his first foul ball after years of going to Phillies games. He fist-bumped his buddies, high-fived his 3-year-old daughter and then handed her the prize.
Big mistake.
Little Emily threw the ball over the railing. Stunned by his toddler's toss Tuesday night, all Pop could do was hug her. "I didn't want her to think she did anything wrong," Monforto said on WIP-AM radio Wednesday.
Philly crowds are known for being a tough bunch, but everyone at Citizens Bank Park cheered — first his catch, then his cuddle. "This was the true reflection of what Philly fans are like," said Bonnie Clark, the team's vice president of communications.
Cameras captured the scene of Monforto reaching over the railing and snagging Jayson Werth's foul in the fifth inning against Washington. The video was displayed at the top of the Yahoo! Web page and made the NBC national news. The entire family traveled from their home in Laurel Springs, N.J., to appear on the "Today" show Thursday.
Steve Monforto said he was surprised at the flurry of attention their day at the ballpark has attracted. He said he didn't consider the possibility that Emily might toss his treasure. "At the time I was just excited to give it to her," said Monforto, a season-ticket holder who shares games with friends. "I've been waiting so long to catch a foul ball, and over the edge it goes," he said with a laugh.
Monforto, 32, and his daughter still went home with a baseball, brought to them in the stands by Phillies executive Mike Stiles. On Thursday at the Today Show, they got another ball — this one signed by outfielder Jayson Werth, who hit the foul ball in the fifth inning that made the Monforto family famous. The family of four also received personalized Phillies jerseys.
Story found at www.news.yahoo.comPhoto found at www.images.google.com
God's Story
Malachi 3:10-12 (English Standard Version)
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
What does God's Story teach us about Fatherly Love?Since I saw Today's Story I have continually asked myself, "What if this little girl wouldn't have thrown that ball back?" That family's world is different today, because little Emily simply thought the ball should go back to it's "rightful owner."
Because she gave up that treasure, look at what they've received ...
A baseball, brought to them in the stands by Phillies executive Mike Stiles
As appearance on the "Today" show
Another ball signed by outfielder Jayson Werth, who hit the foul ball
Personalized Phillies jerseys for the family of four
Throughout God's Story we read about the tithe, or the first ten percent. In Malachi we read that there is a blessing that follows the obedience of giving that tithe. Today, we don't know how God, our Heavenly Father, is going to bless us when we return to Him what is already His. But we do know, that out of His love for us, He will bless us. It doesn't mean we will become rich by society's standards. But it does mean that we will have all that we need. And that is an incredible blessing!
My Story
Connecting My Story to God's Story.
Do you receive a weekly allowance from your parents? Do you have income from a part-time job? If so, have you given any thought to what God's Story says about tithing? If so, great? If not, why not start this weekend. Give ten-percent of whatever you made this week to your home church this weekend.
Are you already tithing? Why not think about going a little beyond that amount this weekend and give an offering to God about your tithe. Ask your parents for some suggestions on where you could give it.
Their Story
Connecting Today's Story, God's Story, and My Story to Their Story.
Ask your friends if they saw or heard about Today's Story. If your friends are following Jesus yet, they may not grasp onto the idea of tithing, but you can use that conversation to ask some of these questions ...
What if you would have been that father? Would you have reacted the same way?
What if you did what that little girl did? Would your father have reacted the same way?
Why do you think the little girl did that?
Move on to share some similarities between God's Story and Today's Story about forgiveness and God's Fatherly Love for His children.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)