Not Sow Easy

What our series "Siri-ously" is all about

We ask Siri thousands of questions every day, but she can’t tell us what to do about the things that matter most.  What if there was a question that could answer just about everything?

Not Sow Easy

When we make unwise choices, they tend to lead us to wrong choices.  And when we make wrong choices, they tend to lead us to some major consequences.  But that doesn’t mean it’s all over for us.  Not only does God love us in spite of all we’ve done, but He’s provided a way out of the situation our unwise choices have brought us to.  In Galatians 6:7 Paul says Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (NIV)  If we sowed our way into trouble with unwise choices, then God wants us to sow our way out of trouble with wise choices.  Even though God’s grace is free, there is still a process for us to get our lives back on track.

The Point 

If we sowed our way in with unwise choices, we have to sow our way out with wise choices.

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your kids about how important you think it is to make wise choices.  Tell them that when they make mistakes, you will always love them, and so will God, but that to get things back to where they want them to be takes work.

Read Galatians 6:8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (NIV)

Ask: What does the author mean when he uses the word “flesh”?  What does this say happens when we so from our flesh?  What happens if we sow the kind of choices that please the Spirit?  Have you ever seen any examples of this?

Explain that when the Bible talks about our “flesh” it means our natural desire to sin.  If we sow sinful and unwise choices, it says we reap destruction – there is always a consequence.  However, if we make choices that would please the Spirit there are positive rewards instead of negative consequences

Pray that when mistakes are made, your family would be willing to do the hard work of sowing your way back out.

You Asked For It

What our series "Siri-ously" is all about

We ask Siri thousands of questions every day, but she can’t tell us what to do about the things that matter most.  What if there was a question that could answer just about everything?

You Asked For It

There are times when even godly wisdom isn’t enough, we need God Himself.  And yet, sometimes we are afraid or even ashamed to ask God for help when we find oursBut anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. (CEB)  This means that He can’t wait to give us wisdom, and He doesn’t think less of us because we need to ask (in fact, He already knows that we need it!). 

elves in a fog.  James 1:5 says

The Point When you can't see the wise choice, prayer helps to clear 

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your kids about a time when you didn’t know what to do and you went to God for wisdom.

Read James 3:13-18

Ask: What kind of wisdom is “earthly wisdom”?  How do you know if wisdom is “godly”?  Why would knowing the difference be important?

Explain that there is earthly wisdom that is selfish, where you do things because they seem wise but really they only benefit you.  Godly wisdom isn’t like that; it’s pure and full of goodness rather than selfishness.  That means that in the times when we ask God for wisdom, and we believe that He has answered us, we need to make sure that what we believe God is telling us now lines up with what He has already told us about godly wisdom in His Word. 

Pray that your family would seek Godly, pure, wisdom.

It's Not Wrong, but...

What our series "Siri-ously" is all about

We ask Siri thousands of questions every day, but she can’t tell us what to do about the things that matter most.  What if there was a question that could answer just about everything?

It’s Not Wrong, but…

We already know what we should do when something is “wrong,” we shouldn’t do it.  But there is a vast collection of things that aren’t technically wrong, but that just aren’t very wise.  This is why asking “what’s the wise thing?” helps us make better choices consistently, because more often than not big regrets follow a series of amoral, yet unwise, choices.  

1 Corinthians 10:23 encourages us to do only that which is beneficial, even though more options are allowed.  And for teenagers, some guidance from their parents and a small group leader can really help.

The Point: Asking "what's the wise thing?" helps us choose only the paths that make us stronger

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your teens about your willingness to help them make wise choices.  Explain to them that the more you can trust them to be wise, the fewer rules you have to make for them.  This may turn on a light bulb in your Middle Schooler!

Read Proverbs 13:10  Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice. (HCSB)

Ask: What is arrogance?  What is strife?  Why do those things go hand in hand?  According to this verse, where does wisdom come from?  How have you seen either of these two things play out in real life?

Explain that arrogance is pride, belief that you have it all together.  Strife is conflict, contention, and pain.  If we never listen to good advice, it eventually leads to difficulty.  But if we listen to those who offer me Godly advice, we gain wisdom.

Pray that everyone in your family would be willing to listen to godly advice so that you can all make wise choices.

The Wisest Choice

What our series "Siri-ously" is all about:

We ask Siri thousands of questions every day, but she can’t tell us what to do about the things that matter most.  What if there was a question that could answer just about everything?

The Wisest Choice

We have been learning to make wise decisions when it comes to the situations that life throws at us, but how unwise would it be to not make a decision when it comes to our eternity.  We are all born into sin, which is why Jesus says in John 3:3 that “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  We need a new citizenship, and since we didn’t behave our way into being born in sin, we don’t behave our way into the Kingdom of God.  We need a Savior to forgive us.  And that forgiveness has come through Jesus; all we need to do is accept it.

This Weeks Point: Accepting Christ's forgiveness is the wisest choice you will ever make.

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your kids about your own relationship with Jesus.  If you know they are Christians, encourage them to follow and be reminded of what He has done for us.  If you don’t know or are unsure, encourage them to put their trust in Him.

Read Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (HCSB)

Ask: What does it mean to be “declared righteous”?  How are we declared righteous?  What is the result of being declared righteous?

Explain that to be declared righteous means that even though we sinned, God’s perfect Son took our place so that we could be made right in God’s eyes.  This happens not by our good works, but by our faith in His sacrifice.  When we do this, we finally have peace with God.

Pray that all of your loved ones would make the wisest choice ever by accepting the forgiveness that only comes from Jesus Christ.

Meant to be Broken

What our series "Siri-ously" is all about

We ask Siri thousands of questions every day, but she can’t tell us what to do about the things that matter most.  What if there was a question that could answer just about everything?

Meant to be Broken

 

No one lik es rules, especially if we don’t understand why they are there.  God makes rules, but it’s hard to follow them if we just think of them as stuff He expects us to do.  In Matthew 7:24 Jesus says “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” (NLT)  He says that doing what Jesus has said to do is going to be wise.  That it’s going to have positive outcomes in my life, my relationships, and my faith.  Following God’s commands, even if we don’t always understand why, is the best step toward wisdom in our lives.

The Point: God tells us what's right because He knows it's wise

At Home Suggestions

Talk to your kids about one rule you have that they don’t really like.  Talk about why they don’t like it, and why you believe it needs to be a rule.  Don’t let this become a complaining session, keep it to one rule, and don’t feel like you have to convince them.  Simply remind them that you make all your rules to protect them or to make them better people.

Read Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (HCSB)

Ask: What does “fear of the Lord” mean?  What do you think he means when he says the “beginning of wisdom”?  How can doing the right thing be the first step toward making really wise choices?

Explain that the way he uses the word “fear” here means more like respect.  If we respect an authority, we follow their rules.  But we don’t just follow God because He said so, we follow because that is how we learn to make wise choices.  Each one of His rules is for ourbenefit. 

Pray that your family would listen and follow Jesus’ teachings.

Ask It

What our series "Siri-ously" is all about

We ask Siri thousands of questions every day, but she can’t tell us what to do about the things that matter most.  What if there was a question that could answer just about everything?

Ask It

The concept for this series comes from Andy Stanley’s book “Ask it” which helps us all understand the power of choices.  Ephesians 5:15-17 says “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (NIV)  This means that God wants us to walk with wisdom, to let that guide every opportunity, every invitation, and every decision.  If we ask the question “In light of my past experience, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what’s the wise thing for me to do?” we almost always see (sometimes with painful clarity) exactly what we should do next.

This Week's Point: Ask yourself "what's the wise thing for me to do?"

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your teens about how important you think wisdom is.  Tell them something you might have done differently at their stage in life had you asked yourself this question.

Read Proverbs 1:20-33.  In this passage “wisdom” is personified as a woman shouting out in the streets with one last warning.

Ask: That was a long passage, but what do you think it was saying?  Do you listen to wisdom?  What happens when we don’t?  How can you make more wise choices in the future?

Explain that there comes a time when, after making enough foolish choices in a row, we all run up against consequences.  And nobody likes consequences.   But wise people heed the warnings that God gives, follow them, and then have fewer regrets.

   

Pray that your family would make the wise choice.

Hot Mess

What our series "Identity" is all about
We were all created as a “self,” the person God made us to be.  But eventually something comes along that we are ashamed of (our weight, our family, our choices, etc.) and that “shame” covers our “self.”  Then, we create a “personality,” a version of ourselves that we want others to see which covers our “shame.”

But what happens to the person God made us to be?  What’s our identity?

Hot Mess

A lot of us let our past choices, both good and bad, define us.  Even the apostle Paul did that for a while.  But in Galatians 2:19-21, Paul explains that he could never be good enough or bad enough to change God’s love for him.  Letting God’s love define who he was, and not his past, helped him to move on to a brighter future.  The same can be true for our teenagers, as long as they know just how much God loves them.

This Week's Point: Your past may affect you, but it doesn't define you

At Home Suggestions

Remind your teen about a dumb mistake they made when they were little.  This should be something funny.  Odds are, they don’t let this mistake as a child define them as a teen.  Remind them that the mistakes they make now may have a greater effect on them, but they are just as powerless to define them unless they let them.

Read 1 Timothy 1:15 and Philippians 3:5-9

Ask: What are some of the things that Paul used to use to define himself?  Have you ever felt that way?  What does he think about those things now? 

Explain that Paul had a list of good things that he had done, and he also had a pile of wrong things he had done.  He used to believe that those things defined him, but soon he realized that Jesus changed everything.  Through faith, God redefined Paul as His child.  While those choices had consequences, they didn’t define who Paul was anymore, and they couldn’t control his destiny.  

Pray that your family wouldn’t let your past choices, both good and bad, define them.

Stacks

What our series "Identity" is all about

We were all created as a “self,” the person God made us to be.  But eventually something comes along that we are ashamed of (our weight, our family, our choices, etc.) and that “shame” covers our “self.”  Then, we create a “personality,” a version of ourselves that we want others to see which covers our “shame.”

But what happens to the person God made us to be?  What’s our identity?

Stacks

We all say that money can’t buy happiness, but no one actually believes that.  That’s why we keep buying things that make us happy.  Money and things do contribute to our happiness, but they leave us wanting more.  Solomon helps us understand what is missing in Ecclesiastes 5:10 when he says “Whoever loves money never has enough;   whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.   This too is meaningless.”  When he says it’s meaningless, he doesn’t mean that there is no value, but that it won’t give you value.  

This Weeks Point: No amount of money will give your life meaning.

At Home Suggestions

Talk about how your family uses money, and why money is important.  Then talk about how your connections with God and each other are more important.

Read Matthew 6:24 No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. (HCSB)

Ask: Who is speaking here?  He says you can only serve one master, and He gives us a choice between God and something else.  What was the other choice?  Why do you think that’s the other choice?

Explain that Jesus is explaining the truth of who has ultimate leadership in our lives.  He gives us the choice between God and money.  You would think the choice would be God or Satan, but it’s not.  It’s money.  I think this is because most of us aren’t going to serve Satan, but if we elevate money and things we always tend to lower the priority of God in our lives.

Pray that your family would let your things serve you, not the other way around.

Label Maker

What our series "Identity" is all about 

We were all created as a “self,” the person God made us to be.  But eventually something comes along that we are ashamed of (our weight, our family, our choices, etc.) and that “shame” covers our “self.”  Then, we create a “personality,” a version of ourselves that we want others to see which covers our “shame.”

But what happens to the person God made us to be?  What’s our identity?

Label Maker

Who has the right to put a label on something?  Well, a few people do; the owner, the manufacturer, and the purchaser.  So, who has a right to put a label on us?  The answer is the same, the One who owns us, made us, and purchased us.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (NLT)

This Weeks Point: You are not defined by the labels that people give you, or by the ones you give yourself, but by the person that God made you to be 

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your teens about some of the labels that they feel they wear, and tell them about the labels you wore when you were their age.

Read Acts 4:13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. (HCSB)

Ask: How did the religious leaders label Peter and John?  What did they notice about them that made the biggest difference?

Explain that they labeled them as “dumb.”  The Greek word for “uneducated” is idiotes, the word from which we get our English word “idiot.”  They thought they were idiots.  But here they were, amazing them with teaching.  Why?  Because they had been with Jesus!  The label of “Jesus follower” made all the difference in their lives.

  

Pray that each member of your family would define themselves by the person God made them to be through their relationship with Christ.

Pivotal Circumstances

What our current series "Catalysts" is all about

Sometimes our faith needs a jump start, a catalyst, something to move us in the right direction.  But what does that for us?  Throughout most people’s lives, it’s one of five key things, and if we look out for those we can see God do something awesome!

Pivotal Circumstances

 

It’s interesting to me the way God tends to use the times when everything goes wrong to strengthen our faith rather than when everything goes right.  But I guess He knows that times when the bottom falls out help us learn to trust Him.  But He also knows that in those times it’s also easy for us to turn away from Him.  It’s like a door that swings both ways, but in Romans 8:28 He promises us that He will cause “everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  The question for us is will we let Him take over and jumpstart our faith?  We can do this because God promises never to waste a hurt.

The Point: God never wastes a hurt

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your teens and tell them about a difficult time in your past that God used to jumpstart your own faith.  Then ask if they’ve ever been through anything like that or if they know anyone who has.

Read Romans 5:3-5

Ask: What does Paul say to do when we suffer?  How could he possibly say that?  What does it mean that “hope does not disappoint”?

Explain that Paul wants us to rejoice in suffering because those hard moments produce character in us.  When the suffering is over, we become better people, and we have hope for our future because we’ve seen God in action through it all, and this doesn’t disappoint.

Pray that your family would have hope through the trails because you know you can trust in God.

Significant Relationships

What our current series "Catalysts" is all about: Sometimes our faith needs a jump start, a catalyst, something to move us in the right direction.  But what does that for us?  Throughout most people’s lives, it’s one of five key things, and if we look out for those we can see God do something awesome!

Significant Relationships

We all know the power that relationships can have in our lives; parents, friends, leaders, etc.   God knows this, too, which is why so often He uses those relationships to jumpstart our faith.  In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, gives us some common sense wisdom about relationships.  He tells us that we are better together.  That’s why at our church we meet for worship in rows, but the real life change happens within the context of relationships in small group.  That’s why we believe circles are better than rows.

This Week's Point:  Circles are Better than Rows

At Home Suggestions

Ask your kids “who is in your circle?”  Talk with them about who has permission in their lives to ask them the tough questions and point out things in their lives that they don’t see.  It is important that your teens have someone other than you with permission to speak this kind of truth into their lives.  We suggest you use their Small Group Leader (if you don’t know who their SGL is, we can help you with that, too).

Read Hebrews 10:24-25 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (NLT)

Ask: What does this passage challenge us to do for each other?  Why do you think that’s so important?  How has that kind of community helped you?

Explain that when we meet together we can help each other make better choices and show love.  This is important because those things don’t come naturally, so doing life together makes all our lives better.

Pray that your family would form the kind of relationships with other Christians that help us lean into what God wants to do in our lives.

Personal Ministry

What our current series "Catalysts" is all about: Sometimes our faith needs a jump start, a catalyst, something to move us in the right direction.  But what does that for us?  Throughout most people’s lives, it’s one of five key things, and if we look out for those we can see God do something awesome!

Personal Ministry

There are two kinds of people at any church; consumers and contributors.  It’s ok to consume, we all need to be fed at church, but if we don’t make a conscious effort to also contribute, things tend to get stale in a hurry.  Jesus understood this, which is why He said in Mark 8:35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. (NLT)  The only way to feel significant at church is to find something significant to do.  The more our students serve, the more real their faith becomes and the better chance they have of being involved in church after graduation.

This Week's Point: You will never feel significant at Church until you find something significant to do

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your teens about areas of ministry where you serve and why those areas are important to you.  Ask what areas they have served in and/or what they might like to do.

Read Proverbs 11:25 Generosity will be rewarded:    Give a cup of water, and you will receive    a cup of water in return. (CEV)

Ask: What do you think the author means here?  Is he really talking about water?  And is this a promise that when we give we will get some kind of awesome present? 

Explain that giving, serving, and ministering to others are so important to our own spiritual life that God promises us that we will experience the benefit of such actions.  It may not be in the same way, and often knowing that we did something meaningful is its own reward, but if we want connect with what we were made to do, to “save our life” as Jesus put it, we need to be willing to first give it up.

 Pray that each member of your family would find a meaningful place to serve at church.

Private Disciplines

 Catalysts Week 2: Private Disciplines 

What our current series called "Catalysts" is all about: Sometimes our faith needs a jump start, a catalyst, something to move us in the right direction.  But what does that for us?  Throughout most people’s lives, it’s one of five key things, and if we look out for those we can see God do something awesome!

Private Disciplines

You wouldn’t expect big results from showing up at the gym once, randomly.  Real change happens when you show up repeatedly. 

The same is true of our walk with God. There are some disciplines, like committing to church, prayer, or reading our Bible, that set us up for real change over time.  But we can’t expect those things to change us if we do them randomly.  Daniel 6:10 shows us the power that repeating these disciplines can have in our lives. 

This Weeks Point: If we want God to jump start our faith, we have to repeat the choices that get that result.

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your kids about the things you do for your faith that they don’t always see.  If you as a parent don’t practice those disciplines, that’s ok.  Talk about that.  Maybe even set up a family challenge, not as something to check off a list but because as a family you want to see God make a big change.

 

Read Joshua 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. (NLT)

Ask: Who is speaking here?  What does He tell us to do?  What do you think that means?  Why does God think that’s so important to us?

Explain that God is telling Joshua, and us as well, to read His Word on a regular basis.  He tells us to meditate on it, which means to not just read it but then think about it over time and figure out how to apply the teachings in it to your life.  He says that only then will we have the kind of life He wants for us. 

Pray that your family would commit to these things so that God can speak to you.

Life Changing Truth

Catalysts Week 1: Life Changing Truth

What our current series called "Catalysts" is all about: Sometimes our faith needs a jump start, a catalyst, something to move us in the right direction.  But what does that for us?  Throughout most people’s lives, it’s one of five key things, and if we look out for those we can see God do something awesome!

What we talked about this week: The power of the truth of God’s grace cannot be underestimated.  In talking with people, coming into contact with truth from God’s Word is one of the five major ways that God changes our lives.  This is why you want your kids in church, and why you want to follow up at home. 

This week we are going to focus on one truth in particular, the gift of God’s grace.  We will read Ephesians 2:8-9 which tells us that we cannot earn God’s love, but that He already loves us.  So many times as Christians we know this as a fact but don’t let it change our lives.  We live as though God loves us but is really disappointed in us because we’re not good enough.  God’s grace is a gift because He loves me unconditionally.  Living like God is for me changes everything.

This weeks point: Living like God is for you changes everything.

What you can do at home: Talk to your teenagers about how much you love them, and that nothing they could ever do would make you stop loving them.  Then remind them that God’s love for them is even stronger than yours, so they don’t have to ever feel like God doesn’t love them.

Read Matthew 5:23-24 

Ask: Why would people bring gifts to the altar back before Jesus?  What does Jesus say is more important?  Why does He say that? 

Explain that they would bring gifts to the altar to worship God and make atonement for their sins.  But Jesus says that getting right with the people around us is more important than getting right with God.  This may sound weird, but if I’m a Christian I’m already right with God, so I don’t have to worry about that.  Now, God wants me to worry about how I treat all the people around me.

Pray that your family would be changed by the truth of God’s grace.