Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
VBS Day 3 06132012
Today marks the halfway point in our VBS. Workers still have their energy and the students are beginning to settle into the routine that has been established. Two things about God will be presented throughout today's VBS- His Power and Plan.
God's power is demonstrated through the story of the plagues found in Exodus 7-10. Here's a brief recap of that story. In order to free the Israelites from their bondage, God sent 10 plagues to prove His power over the Egyptian gods with Pharoah being at the top of the list. Plague after plague, Pharoah's heart was hardened to the fact of letting the people go. Today the students learned of the first 9 plagues that were sent. On day 4 they will learn of the last and most deadly plague.
God's plan was revealed through Jesus Christ centering in on the second half of John 3:16, "...that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." God's love doesn't want us to continually abide in sin. His desire is for us to experience freedom to the fullest. That's why Jesus entered into the plan. By ourselves, we could never be totally free from our sin. Let me see if I can explain this through an illustration.
I have just come into my house from working out in my yard. I'm hot and for some reason, I am encrusted with dirt that seems to be a permanant part of my body. I step inside the shower thinking that this will get all the dirt off. No matter how many times I shower - it's still there. You see sin is the same way! No matter how much we try to do on our own it will never be good enough to have a permanent relationship with God. If we want to be free from the sin that is in our life, we have to believe the gospel of Jesus.
Have you accepted His plan for your life? If so, post a comment about what He has or is doing in your life. If you need further help in determining His plan for your life contact us through our church website at www.westgatechurch.com
God's power is demonstrated through the story of the plagues found in Exodus 7-10. Here's a brief recap of that story. In order to free the Israelites from their bondage, God sent 10 plagues to prove His power over the Egyptian gods with Pharoah being at the top of the list. Plague after plague, Pharoah's heart was hardened to the fact of letting the people go. Today the students learned of the first 9 plagues that were sent. On day 4 they will learn of the last and most deadly plague.
God's plan was revealed through Jesus Christ centering in on the second half of John 3:16, "...that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." God's love doesn't want us to continually abide in sin. His desire is for us to experience freedom to the fullest. That's why Jesus entered into the plan. By ourselves, we could never be totally free from our sin. Let me see if I can explain this through an illustration.
I have just come into my house from working out in my yard. I'm hot and for some reason, I am encrusted with dirt that seems to be a permanant part of my body. I step inside the shower thinking that this will get all the dirt off. No matter how many times I shower - it's still there. You see sin is the same way! No matter how much we try to do on our own it will never be good enough to have a permanent relationship with God. If we want to be free from the sin that is in our life, we have to believe the gospel of Jesus.
Have you accepted His plan for your life? If so, post a comment about what He has or is doing in your life. If you need further help in determining His plan for your life contact us through our church website at www.westgatechurch.com
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
VBS Day 2 06122012
Day 2 of Vacation Bible School has come and gone. The controlled chaos of yesterday turned into a gentle settling in the groove of routine. Two dramas took place as the children experienced this day of VBS.
One drama was that of the calling of Moses from God to help deliver the Israelites from their bondage. This call can be found in Exodus 3:7-13. As you know, Moses was born at a time when Israelite baby boys were put to death. Through God's divine plan, Moses was delivered from this fate and given the opportunity to grow up in the royal household. As an adult, Moses was forced to flee the familar to the wilderness due to an encounter that resulted in the murder of an Egyptian. It was during his wilderness time that God issued the call to go back to Egypt and lead the people out.
The other drama occurred in the MarketPlace. As the children mastered their craft, a band of mourners travelled through on their way to the tomb in which they would place their loved one.
What do these two dramas have in common and what do they have to do with the theme of Jesus as the Passover Lamb? Suffering and grieving are deeply felt from the Father. He had a plan for the Israelites deliverance from slavery and He also has a plan to defeat death for eternity. Both plans are found in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." Jesus Christ was, is and will always be the only way in which deliverance from the bondage of sin can happen.
Find out how this freedom will take place in our next blog.
One drama was that of the calling of Moses from God to help deliver the Israelites from their bondage. This call can be found in Exodus 3:7-13. As you know, Moses was born at a time when Israelite baby boys were put to death. Through God's divine plan, Moses was delivered from this fate and given the opportunity to grow up in the royal household. As an adult, Moses was forced to flee the familar to the wilderness due to an encounter that resulted in the murder of an Egyptian. It was during his wilderness time that God issued the call to go back to Egypt and lead the people out.
The other drama occurred in the MarketPlace. As the children mastered their craft, a band of mourners travelled through on their way to the tomb in which they would place their loved one.
What do these two dramas have in common and what do they have to do with the theme of Jesus as the Passover Lamb? Suffering and grieving are deeply felt from the Father. He had a plan for the Israelites deliverance from slavery and He also has a plan to defeat death for eternity. Both plans are found in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." Jesus Christ was, is and will always be the only way in which deliverance from the bondage of sin can happen.
Find out how this freedom will take place in our next blog.
Monday, June 11, 2012
VBS Day 1 06112012
Day 1 of our Marketplace is currently taking place as I write. As anyone familar with VBS knows that day 1 is usually a controlled chaos!!! Registering children, getting them to the right place and of course there are the last minute details that need to be addressed. However you can feel the excitment bouncing off the walls as the children find their designated tribe for the week.
Marketplace VBS is different from other VBS's in that children are assigned one of the 12 tribes from Old Testament times. They remain in these tribes as they travel to music and storytime. The marketplace is set up with tents for the different crafts that the children can choose from. Some of the variety of tents are: stained glass, bakery, tie dye, the frame shop, etc. While children are mastering their craft an ongoing drama is going on in the background with Roman soldiers browsing through the stores, tax collectors coming in to demand payment and a beggar pleading for alms as the children pass by him.
The overall theme is "Jesus the Lamb of God" based on 1 Corinthians 5:7. As the week progresses the children will learn about how the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt and how Passover played an important part not only in their freedom but also our's as well. Today's story is based on Exodus 1-2 introducing Moses as one of the pivotal characters in the story. Also they will be introduced to the concept of sin and an explaination that we are all slaves to sin.
So our question today is, "What in your life do you feel makes you a slave?" Post your thoughts!
Marketplace VBS is different from other VBS's in that children are assigned one of the 12 tribes from Old Testament times. They remain in these tribes as they travel to music and storytime. The marketplace is set up with tents for the different crafts that the children can choose from. Some of the variety of tents are: stained glass, bakery, tie dye, the frame shop, etc. While children are mastering their craft an ongoing drama is going on in the background with Roman soldiers browsing through the stores, tax collectors coming in to demand payment and a beggar pleading for alms as the children pass by him.
The overall theme is "Jesus the Lamb of God" based on 1 Corinthians 5:7. As the week progresses the children will learn about how the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt and how Passover played an important part not only in their freedom but also our's as well. Today's story is based on Exodus 1-2 introducing Moses as one of the pivotal characters in the story. Also they will be introduced to the concept of sin and an explaination that we are all slaves to sin.
So our question today is, "What in your life do you feel makes you a slave?" Post your thoughts!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
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