Teaching Notes

No matter how dark the sky may be, when the sun shines, the darkness is dispelled. So it is true for us. No matter how dark our lives are because of sin, when the light of the Son shines on us, it dispels the darkness.

Repentance

Hosea 14:9 (The Message)

If you want to live well, make sure you understand all of this. If you know what's good for you, you'll learn this inside and out. God's paths get you where you want to go. Right-living people walk them easily; wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.

Notes: The Bible closes this chapter of Hosea with his call for the people to walk right before God. He told them in the beginning to repent and now he tells them what that really looks like.

Question: Hosea makes a comparison between two type of people, who are they and what is the comparison?

Answer: He compares the Right-living people against the Wrong-living people. Right living people understand the things of God. In the verse before this one, Hosea calls for the people to understand that everything they need is in God. Right living people understand this and walk in that way. Wrong living people do not understand this truth and because of it, they continue to stumble and fail.

Prayer: God thank you today for helping us to walk worthy of your ways. If we do not understand them, you will help us if we humble ourselves and come to you and ask for help. Help us not to be like the wrong-living people that refuse to hear and continue to do their own things. In doing so, they continue to trip and stumble in their own ways, because you are not lighting their path. Thank you for lighting mine.

Book Review!

Many wonderful things are happening right here in Chicago and I wanted to share them with you.

First, two churches have decided to use the book for their teen girls come September when the children go back to school. I am thankful to God for that. One church is in Michigan and the other is here in Chicago.

Secondly, I have a commercial that was produced and used at the Christians Booksellers Convention in Orlando, Florida a few weeks ago. I will post the commercial as soon as I get the information back.

The third thing I want to announce is my book has just recently been review by a group that reviews books for children. The site is http://teenlitreview.blogspot.com/. If you follow the link below you can read the review as well as enter the contest to win a free book.

The last thing is don't forget to read the contest rules to win a book directly from me.

Review: http://teenlitreview.blogspot.com/2008/07/fearfully-and-wonderfully-made.html

Book Giveaway: http://teenlitreview.blogspot.com/2008/07/fearfully-and-wonderfully-made-book.html

Teaching Notes

There is a poem about the footprints in the sand. That when you only see one it is because God is carrying you. I also wrote a poem slightly different. When you only see one set of prints it is because you are now walking in his. When we turn from following our own way to following his, we then begin to follow in his steps.

Repentance

Hosea 14:4-8 (The Message)

4-8 "I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out. I will make a fresh start with Israel. He'll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring. He'll put down deep oak tree roots, he'll become a forest of oaks! He'll become splendid—like a giant sequoia, his fragrance like a grove of cedars!Those who live near him will be blessed by him, be blessed and prosper like golden grain. Everyone will be talking about them, spreading their fame as the vintage children of God. Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods. From now on I'm the one who answers and satisfies him. I am like a luxuriant fruit tree. Everything you need is to be found in me."

Notes: The children of God were told in the previous verses how to prepare to come to God for forgiveness. These verses tell what they can receive from God when they turn from their wickedness and back to the mercy and love of God.

Question: What are some of the promises of God to his children when they repent?

Answer: He promises to heal them from their wickedness. He promises to lavish them with his love (even though he never stopped loving them, he simply will show it to a greater degree). He promises to grow them and make them to become a blessing that when others see them, they will know they belong to God. He also promises them that everything they need can be found in him. God is then promises he will help them to turn their affections toward him.

Prayer: Lord we are thankful today that if we have sinned against you, you promise us that if we repent you will again restore us to a right place with you. You will lavish your love and teach us your ways. You will bless us so that we can bless others. Thank you God for loving us so much that you want us to be your children. Make us over today Lord.

Win a Book!

HOW CAN YOU RECEIVE A FREE BOOK?

It's really easy. Send me a one page essay on why God says you are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and what that means to you. That's it. We will draw from the entries submitted and the panel will choose which two they think are best and those individual will win a free copy of the book. All that enter will also receive a free bookmark, just for participating.

To enter: Send your written one page answers via e-mail to: inhisword@comcast.net and title it "Book Drawing". You must be 12 to enter the drawing and have permission from your parent to do so.

Contest: The winners will be notified by e-mail and the book will be mailed at that time, after a parent's approval. The drawing will be held on September 30th. So have your teen or a teen you know enter to win.

Teaching Notes

Have you ever felt like you were upside down? You know what I mean no matter what you tried to do, it always went the opposite way or the results came out different from what you wanted. Maybe the things that are happening are simply some freak of nature, but God's way of trying to get your attention. Is he saying to you, turn back to me.

Repentance

Hosea 14:1-3 (The Message)

O Israel, come back! Return to your God! You're down but you're not out. Prepare your confession and come back to God. Pray to him, "Take away our sin, accept our confession. Receive as restitution our repentant prayers. Assyria won't save us; horses won't get us where we want to go. We'll never again say 'our god' to something we've made or made up.You're our last hope. Is it not true that in you the orphan finds mercy?"


Notes: Hosea is calling the people back to God. They have turned away from God and trusted in lesser things. The writer says they will not trust in Assyria to save them nor will horses come and take them away from their troubles. The only hope they have is God to show mercy on them.

Question: What does it mean to repent and what does this scripture show are the steps to take towards repentance?

Answer: To repent means to feel sorry for what you have done. So sorry that you want to turn from it and never do it again. Not simply being sorry you got caught at something, but sorry so much that you are regretful for it within your heart. The writer says that to repent you must prepare your confession and come back to God. This means you come to God and tell him all that you are sorry for, that you do not try to hide your sins from him, because he sees them anyway. When we do that the next step is God will accept them, forgive us and take away our sins. God will receive your prayers of repentance and thanksgiving for his mercy as enough to forgive us our sins along with a changed heart and life.

Prayer: Lord, today I repent of (you fill in any thing that God has shown you, that you need to repent of). I ask you to forgive me of this sin in my life and help me to live your way. Thank you for forgiving me for you are quick to forgive those that come to you with a humble heart. Now thank you for keeping me and helping me to live your way.

Teaching Notes

If God cares so much about the vast differences in the colors, shapes, fragrance of flowers, how much more does he care about us? He cares enough to make each of us unique and wonderful.

The Spirit of God

John 16:12-14 (The Message)

I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I've said, 'He takes from me and delivers to you.'


Notes: Jesus in this chapter is preparing his disciples for his leaving. He tells them in an earlier scripture it is good that he is going because then the comforter (Holy Spirit) can come. Different versions of the Bible have different names, for example here in the Message he writes Friend.

Question: What does Jesus tell his disciples the Holy Spirit would do?

Answer: The Holy Spirit will guide Jesus disciples, which includes us. He will help the disciple understand the truth that Jesus spoke as well as the entire word of God (Bible). He does not come to draw attention to himself, but to draw us to God through the Son. The Holy Spirit will give to the disciples those things which Jesus wants his disciples to have. He will give us power to do things God's way. He will help us understand the truth in God's word as well as how God reveals himself in our natural everyday world. As children of God he will help us to see things from a Kingdom perspective instead of just from an earthly vision. We would not be able to truly be disciples of Christ without the Holy Spirit giving us power to do, equipping us with the ability to go and showing us the Father's will which can only be understood by the Spirit of God.

Prayer: Lord thank you for your Spirit. You care so much about us that you give to us all the tools we need to be success as Christians. Help us to use all the tools you give us to worship you fully, for that is why we were created to worship you.

Teaching Notes

It has always amazed me to see a child exhibit characteristics of a parent. Sometimes you can watch the way a child walks, or talks or features they have and you can tell who they belong to. That is not something you can pretend to have, either you have it or you don't. Many of those characteristics are picked up because of prolonged exposure to that parent. It is the same way with God. We cannot pretend to have his ways, either we do or we don't. When we belong to him we have his "spiritual DNA" and that is what makes us look like his Son. We pick up his ways because of prolonged exposure to our Heavenly Father and we look and act in such a way than many can say, I know who your Father is.

The Spirit of God

Matthew 3:11-12 (The Message)

I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I'm a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."



Notes: John the Baptist was called the forerunner of Jesus. He was baptizing people as he called them to repent. In this scripture he is speaking to the religious groups of his time, the Pharisees and Sadducees, of who many were showing up because it was the popular thing to do. He was rebuking them because their hearts were not right. He begins to speak of the one that would come behind him (Jesus) that would do more than cleanse their outer bodies with water but would change them inside with his Holy Spirit.

Question: What does John say the Holy Spirit will do?



Answer: He says Jesus will give to you a fire that will ignite inside of you. That fire is the fire of the Holy Spirit. It will be a fire that burns but will not destroy you. Instead this fire inside will burn off all the unclean things. The bad habits, the bad thoughts, the wrong way of doing. This fire will begin the cleansing on the inside and it will work outward into your life. What this means as a Christian you may not see the evidence of God working right away from the outside of a person, but know that God is working on the inside to change the person and to put everything in its proper place. This is one of the duties and purposes of the Holy Spirit. He empowers the Christian to become more like Jesus. We are not to be a cheap representation of Jesus, but he comes to change us to look just like Jesus. We cannot do that, if we try we come out as a poor duplication. If we want to look like the real thing, then that is the job of the Holy Spirit.



Prayer: Lord thank you for your Holy Spirit which comes to change us, remove from us wrong ideas, thoughts and ways. Thank you for loving us enough to want us to look like your son. Have full control of me so that you can show through me. I do not want to be a poor substitute, I want to be the real thing.

Teaching Notes

God cares for the old and the young. He does not "just" give His Spirit to one generation and not the next. These beautiful young girls also have the promise of God's Spirit to guide them.

The Spirit of God

Joel 2:28-32 (The Message)

"And that's just the beginning: After that—"I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people:Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters.Your old men will dream, your young men will see visions. I'll even pour out my Spirit on the servants, men and women both. I'll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below:Blood and fire and billowing smoke, the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the Judgment Day of God, the Day tremendous and awesome. Whoever calls, 'Help, God!' gets help. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be a great rescue—just as God said. Included in the survivors are those that God calls."

Notes: This message from Joel was first a message about the punishment that was coming to the people because of their disobedience. He also gives them hope that if they change, God will change his mind and not bring about the punishment. He also gives them this hope that after the punishment is over, God will restore to the people what has been taken away. One of the promises is of something new. That promise is His Spirit will be given to all, not just the prophets of old.

Question: Who will then be able to receive God's Spirit?

Answer: The answer is ALL. God will give His Spirit to whomever he chooses. It is not just for the rich, the famous, the popular. It cannot be bought or bartered for. God will give His Spirit to the young and the old, the male and the female. The important thing to remember is this, He will give His Spirit only to those that come to him and yield their lives to His way. You and I can have God's Spirit when we seek him first through His Son Jesus Christ. We are then promised by Jesus the comforter, (which is the Holy Spirit). The reason God gives us His Spirit is so that we can carry out the mission he has for us. We cannot do it without the Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, today we say thank you for the promise of your Spirit to all that come to you. You give us your spirit so that we can do as you will for our lives.

Teaching Notes

Teaching, speaking or even singing all requires us to seek God's Spirit so that his power can be evident in what we do. Do you want his power evident in your life?

The Spirit of God

Ezekiel 11:4-6 (The Message)

Oppose them, son of man. Preach against them."
Then the Spirit of God came upon me and told me what to say: "This is what God says: 'That's a fine public speech, Israel, but I know what you are thinking. You've murdered a lot of people in this city. The streets are piled high with corpses.'

Notes: Ezekiel was a prophet that you can find out about in the Old Testament. He was sent by God to tell the people the truth about God. In this scripture it states that the Spirit of God came upon him so that he could speak God's word. He then gives the people the message God has called for him to do.

Question: Why did the prophet need God's Spirit to speak for God?

Answer: If the prophet had only spoken out of his own anger at the situation or his own understanding of the situation, he would have possibly (great possibility) done things wrong. Instead, if you want to ensure that you do the things right and pleasing to God you need to do them his way. Also another great fact is, he would not have had the power of God which is what convicts the hearts of people to change, or repent. Even when people refuse to listen to your words, if God's Spirit has equipped you to give them, his word will be fulfilled. We may not see the results sometimes right away, but the purpose was that the person had the opportunity to hear the truth of God and that was done. This is still true for you and I today. God wants to give us his Spirit so that when we speak for Him, we have his power.

Prayer: Lord just as you gave the prophets of old your Spirit to speak, we thank you for giving your Spirit to all today that would come and seek you as their Lord and Savior. Help me today to walk by your Spirit so that I can be empowered to do your will.

Teaching Notes

It's easy to see that this building is in need of being repaired. All the signs of it are before your eyes, but what about people? Can you so easily see the signs of their need for repair or healing? That is why it is so important to listen to the Spirit of God to hear his voice tell you who needs to know about God's love.

The Spirit of God

Isaiah 61:1 (The Message)

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners...



Notes: You may hear often people talk about the Spirit of God and not really understand much about what is being said. Sometimes people make you thing the Spirit of God is like a ghost or some spirit like you see in a movie. This is not who the Spirit of God is. We will talk this week about God's Spirit to gain a better understanding of who he is and his purpose.



Question: What does this scripture show about the Spirit of God?



Answer: This scripture from Isaiah shows that God's Spirit was filling Isaiah so that he would have the power to do the things he listed in the scripture. We can gather from this that in order for a child of God to be able to preach the word of God or help heal the brokenhearted, God's spirit must enable you to do it. Therefore, this scripture shows us that one of the many reasons we have God's Spirit available to us is so that we can be equipped to do God's will whatever that special assignment is for you. This helps us to understand that we cannot do anything in our own power. We cannot change ourselves or help others without God's Spirit empowering us to do it. It is not by our own power, but by the power of God.



Prayer: Thank you God for sending your Spirit to your people to empower them to do your will. We cannot do what you say, without your power to do it. Help us to walk in the power of the Spirit so that we can overcome the tricks of this world. Amen.

Teen Chat

It is important that we honor those that have paved the way for us. It may not have always been an easy path, but we are thankful to God for the journey. This is Joselyn giving honor to her grandfather, my dad, Jewel. Yes I am a Junior! My mother did not want any of her boys named Jewel so I received the honor. On my birth certificate, it was spelled Jules, like Jules Vern. My mother said she knew I was going to be a writer! Go figure!

Teaching Notes

Where does this path lead? Does it lead you in the direction you want to go, or does it lead you away? It is not always so easy seeing the end of the path when you first step on it. That is why it is important for us to allow God to direct our paths because he already knows where each path will lead.

Worship is Important to God

Ephesians 6:1-4 (The Message)

Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. "Honor your father and mother" is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, "so you will live well and have a long life." Fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.

Notes: This first part of chapter 4 of Ephesians speaks about obedience. The first verses tell children to obey their parents. When you do, you have been given a promise from God that he will honor. It also tells parents not to come down hard on the children to discourage them or make them feel unloved.

Question: What is the promise given and what does being obedient to your parents have to do with worship?

Answer: The promise that was given was that you would have long life and live well. Being obedient to your parents is important to worship because it gives you the first lessons in being obedient to authority and God is the ultimate authority. Also when you obey your parents, you are in fact obeying God because this is his command. Disobedience is one of the things that hinders or stops you from having true worship with God. How can you go to God and say you love him, but are not obeying what he tells you?

Prayer: God today, help me to obey your commandments. Help me to trust you, to love you and to follow you. If I say I love you then I will follow you. Help me to do so that I can truly learn to worship you, your way.

Teaching Notes

A daughter can receive the love of a father.  A father can give love to a child.  How much greater is the love of the Lord for his children?  Thank God today for his love.

Worship is Important To God

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (The Message)

Attention, Israel! GOD, our God! GOD the one and only! Love GOD, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you; love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.





Notes: The instruction was quite clear, how you respond to God is very important. If you worship God (show him your love) you will put all your effort in to remembering those things that are important to him. The writer states this love you have for God should be with everything you’ve got.





Question: What is the instruction on where you should write the commandments and why?





Answer: The writer wants the people to go deeper than simply knowing the written commandments in their minds; he wants them to make them to be written on their hearts. The way to do that is to talk about them at all times. When you rise in the morning, talk about the word of God. When you sit down at home or walk along the street, talk about them. Talk about them with your friends, family and children when you grow older. Talk about them in the morning and at night. In other words to truly understand the important of worship you must understand that God wants us to be in contact with him every moment of our lives. We get in contact with him through his word and that is what helps us to worship God his way.





Prayer: God today I say thank you for giving me the commandments to help me every step of my life. The word is there to help me make decisions and to see your will. Help me worship you or show my love to you by obeying you with all that is within me. Let me love you with my whole heart.

Teaching Notes

Finding out about the many attributes of God is like biting into a wonderful treat! We made this "turtle" chocolate chip cookies one year for Williams Camp and the children enjoyed them. Shouldn't we always enjoy the sweetness of Jesus!

Worship is Important to God
Psalm 22:22-24 (The Message)

22-24 Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship, and punctuate it with Hallelujahs: Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers; give glory, you sons of Jacob; adore him, you daughters of Israel. He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there, listening.

Notes: The psalmist tells what he will say to those that come to worship God. He will tell them to adore God (another word for worship) because he has never let them down. He has never looked the other way when you were being mistreated, and he never wondered off to do something else instead he was there listening to your every word.

Question: Why is the psalmist excited about God?

Answer: The answer to this question is quite simply; he is excited because God is faithful. That means he is always available to help his children and you can count on him all the time. Wouldn't you be excited too if you had someone you could count on all the time? If the answer is yes, then begin to worship because you do have someone you can count on, God. Just like the psalmist you can worship or adore the Lord because he is faithful. Worship is important to God because it shows him our love for him and gives us the opportunity to know more of his love.

Prayer: Lord, today help me to worship you and adore you because you are faithful. You are always dependable and I can always count on you. Let me show you today I appreciate your faithfulness.

Teaching Notes

My daughter did this drawing and it is titled "New Life of Me". What instantly stood out to me was the pink was replacing the blackness and I thought about this lesson.  God wants to remove the hardness (callus) from our hearts, which is what makes our lives black.  He wants to give you the "new life of me".  He want to replace darkness with light.  Will you let him?

Worship is Important to God

Deuteronomy 30:6-7 (The Message)

6-7 God, your God, will cut away the thick calluses on your heart and your children's hearts, freeing you to love God, your God, with your whole heart and soul and live, really live. God, your God, will put all these curses on your enemies who hated you and were out to get you.



Notes: The children of Israel were being given a promise that God would come and gather them from the places where they had been scattered because of their disobedience.  This part of the scriptures gives them the promise that God would cut away the thick calluses from their hearts so they could love God with their whole hearts and soul and live because of this freedom God would give them.  The people would be able to really worship God.  Worship is really the act of showing one (that being God) that you love them, adore them and respect them.  The people were not able to truly worship God before because their hearts were not right.



Question: What do you think it means to be callused?



Answer: A callus is a piece of hard skin around an area.  Sometimes we call that skin a "corn".  It is hard skin that has built up and the area is no longer soft.  The area has also been built up with this hard skin causing the "corn" look in that area.  What the scripture is saying is our hearts have been callused or hardened because we have allowed things to built up in it and now you cannot get to the core of it.  It will take something to remove that hardness so that the soft, subtle skin beneath can be seen.  God does not want our hearts hardened because when they are we cannot truly worship him freely because there is too much in the way for us to be able to do it.



Prayer: Lord help me today so that no hardness will prevent me from worshipping you.  I want to worship you freely and live because it is in the ability to truly worship you that life comes to the worshipper.

Teaching Notes

You would say this plant is real.  Is it any more real than the one that made it?  God is alive and from him all living things were created.

What You Should Know About God

He is Real

Jeremiah 10:10 (The Message)

But God is the real thing— the living God, the eternal King. When he's angry, Earth shakes. Yes, and the godless nations quake.



Note: In a time when so many things are suspect, it is good to know that something is real.  You might not know which person to believe, or who is telling you the truth, but you can trust God's word and what he says about himself.  The prophet Jeremiah says that God is the real thing.  He is the living God and he is eternal, never ending. 



Question: Why do you think the writer wrote "living God"?



Answer: You must remember in the days of Jeremiah the people were worshipping so many gods that they worshipped as many gods as they had cities!  That was a lot.  People worshipped gods for harvest, for childbearing, and so many others.  Yet these gods were only carved out pieces of wood, they were not alive and they could not answer the peoples needs.  The writer calls the true God "living" because he was not created by the created man.  Man's hands did not carve God out of wood or chisel him out of stone.  God has always been and will always be (eternal).  He is the living God because from him all life was breathed upon this earth.  Jeremiah wants to make a difference between the created gods and the creative creator, God.



Prayer: God we thank you for being the living God.  We thank you for showing us many things about yourself.  Thank you for loving us enough to teach us, train us and direct us in your ways.  Help us to walk in the ways of the true and only living God.

Teaching Notes

Looking at these plants, can you determine all what makes them up?  No.  There are somethings we can find out and there are somethings that are still a mystery to us.  It is the same about God.  There are somethings we can see and there are somethings that pass our understanding, but by faith we trust that if God says it, then it is true, even if we don't fully understand it.

What You Should Know About God

He is Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Luke 1:35 (The Message)

The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.



Note: You might have heard the word "Trinity" or "Triune" spoke of about God and wondered what those words meant.  You might have thought someone was saying there are three gods.  That is not what this means.  It means that God has three distinct parts.  He is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.



Question: Why is it important to know the three persons of God?



Answer: To understand all the persons of the trinity (meaning 3) helps you to understand God better. It is like thinking about a family of three.  There is the mother and she has a special role.  There is the father and he has a unique and special part different from the mother.  Then there is the child that also is vital to the family but has another role.  These three people make up this one family unit.  To understand how this family works, you must understand each of the persons roles to completely understand the family unit.  God is similiar.  Each of the three persons have a different role and when we understand them, we have a better understanding of God.  Jesus came to be the savior of the world.  The Holy Spirit works to help the unsaved see their need for Jesus, and then he helps equip the saved to live for God.  God is the loving Father that sent his Son for us.  There is so much more to the attributes of God that we cannot contain them all in this short writing.  This is just a small step into understanding the important of the character of God.



Prayer: Lord we know there is so much to learn about you and we cannot contain it all.  Help us, however to gain an understanding about you and your ways.  Help us to know you better as we learn about your son, your spirit and you.

Teaching Notes

Before we ask, he is ready to give us.  You don't have to have perfect words, or remembered lines, just the heart felt words of your heart he hears them.

What You Should Know About God

He is a Healer

Malachi 4:1-3 (The Message)

"Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash— a black day. But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking. And you'll tromp on the wicked. They'll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day." God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

Notes:The promise was there is coming a time when healing will be made available to the people.  Do you know that healing is available now to us through Jesus Christ?  God promises that the wicked will perish, but the righteous will find comfort under his wing.

Question: What do you think this saying means, "healing radiating from its wings"?

Answer: In the NIV it says, "healing in its wings."  This gives us a picture of being taken into the arms, under the wings of a mighty bird and lifted from the things that hold us captured to the ground.  Under those wings, under that protection we find healing from the things that would hurt us or harm us.  Have you ever seen a mother bird tuck her baby bird under her wing? She protects it from the elements because the baby bird is not able to handle the world around it.  She allows the baby bird to feel her heat and this warms the baby.  God does the same for us.  He draws us close to himself so that we can feel his "heat" his power and Spirit so that we can be kept safe from the elements that would try to destroy us.  In that place we also find healing.

Prayer: Lord, keep us safe and thank you for the healing we find in you.  The healing from all that we face in our lives.  Hurts that we face and those that we will face in the future.  Your power does not stop it is already available for us for those times ahead.  Thank you.

Teaching Notes

What You Should Know About God

He is Great!

Psalm 86:8-10 (The Message)

There's no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord, and nothing to compare with your works. All the nations you made are on their way, ready to give honor to you, O Lord, Ready to put your beauty on display, parading your greatness, And the great things you do— God, you're the one, there's no one but you!

Notes: The writer of this Psalm talks about God's greatness and that there is no other God as great as him. God's works are so great that nothing can compare to it.

Question: Why do you think the psalmist was so excited about God?

Answer: The psalmist understood the wonderment of God. The writer understood that in all the world there was no god that could compare to the true God. There were many gods worshipped at that time, but there was none that was able to show himself as the true God of the world. God is the creator of all things and without him nothing was made.

Prayer: Lord today help me to know that any other god is not worthy of you. There is no one that can compare to you, you alone are God and to worship you the way you want, you say I must come to you through your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to understand and to accept your call to me for the saving of my soul.

Teaching Notes

What We Need to Know About God

He is Good!

1 Chronicles 16:34-36

Give thanks to God—he is good and his love never quits. Say, "Save us, Savior God, round us up and get us out of these godless places, So we can give thanks to your holy Name, and bask in your life of praise." Blessed be God, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then everybody said, "Yes! Amen!" and "Praise God!"

Notes:One of the many attributes (or characteristics) of God is that he is good. This scripture tells us that we should thank God because he is good. His love for us never ends and he continually seeks the lost.

Question: Why do you think God continually seeks the lost?

Answer: It goes back to his love for mankind. He loves us so much that he patiently waits for us. He wants none to perish (die in their sins). This doesn't mean that some will not perish. It is not because God cannot save them, but because they refuse to accept his offer of salvation. God loves us so much that he does everything short of making us against our wills, turn to him. He will allow us to go through difficulty not to destroy us but to help us see we really do need him. Won't you thank him today for his goodness?

Prayer: Lord thank you for your goodness toward us and for loving us endlessly. Help us to accept that love and to walk in your way.

Teaching Notes

If someone gives you a gift, you would be thankful because you know it means they care for you. Shouldn't we be thankful of the good gifts God gives to us? (sketch done by Joselyn L. Williams)

Matthew 8:14-17 (The Message)

He Carried Our Diseases

By this time they were in front of Peter's house. On entering, Jesus found Peter's mother-in-law sick in bed, burning up with fever. He touched her hand and the fever was gone. No sooner was she up on her feet than she was fixing dinner for him.
That evening a lot of demon-afflicted people were brought to him. He relieved the inwardly tormented. He cured the bodily ill. He fulfilled Isaiah's well-known sermon: He took our illnesses, He carried our diseases.

Notes: Jesus after healing the Romans servant, now finds himself in front of Peter's house and his mother-in-law is sick with fever. As soon as Jesus touches her, the fever is removed and immediately the woman began to serve Jesus by fixing dinner for him. It says that later that evening Jesus also healed the sick and cured them of their illness, fulfilling what the Prophet had written about him.

Question: Why do you think it is important in the telling of this story that Peter's mother-in-law began to work immediately after she was healed?

Answer: The telling of this event is important because not only does it tell us events, it also gives us spiritual principles we can live by. Jesus healed the woman of her sickness. As soon as she was healed, she went to serve Jesus. Now in this scripture her serving was in her cooking her dinner. If God has healed you from any sickness (even the sickness of sin) what should your immediate service be? The principle then we see is that as soon as Jesus chances peoples lives, they should then use that life to serve him. They should be ready to immediately give their life to him. In the latter part we see people that were healed from internal things (hurts, emotions, etc.) some of physical things (disease, blindness, etc.), yet everyone that was healed did not turn around and immediately serve Jesus. Which however do you think is most pleasing to God? Those that serve him when he changes them.

Prayer: Lord today first we say thank you for caring for our sickness, our hurts, and our problems. You care enough to change them. Now help us to show our love by immediately becoming obedient to your ways.

Teaching Notes

As I looked at this sketch, I thought, "Just one touch". Jesus cared about the people and he was willing to be "touched" with their diseases. It is still true today, Jesus cares enough about you to feel what it is you need from him and he stand ready to give it to you (sketched by Joselyn L. Williams).

Matthew 8:6-13 (The Message)
He Carries our Diseases

As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him." "Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions—streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then those who grew up 'in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened." Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well.

Notes: As we saw yesterday, Jesus was cheered as he came down to the people. He began immediately caring for the needs of the people. In these verses we see Jesus' interaction with a Roman captain. It is interesting to see that all kinds of people needed Jesus, the sick, the poor and even the rich and powerful. The captain came to Jesus because his servant was sick and he wanted Jesus to heal his servant.

Question: Why was Jesus amazed at what the Roman captain said?
Answer: When Jesus said he would come and heal the servant, the soldier said, no you do not have to come because I understand power. He explained how he being powerful could direct things to be done and they would get done without him being there. So he understood that Jesus being even more powerful than he, did not have to go, but simply give the command and it would be done. Jesus was amazed because this man was not one of the children of Israel, that should have understood the kingdom of God. He then states those that will come to God will become the children when the children refuse to accept the gift of salvation. Jesus is still amazed at the faith of those that will trust in him. Don't you want to trust no matter what the situation looks like? I know I do.

Prayer: Lord, help us to know you are concerned with what affects us and you simply want us to trust you because you want to see about us. Just as you were willing to take care of the needs of this Roman captain, you are also ready to take care of us. Help us then to trust you and place our faith in your power just as this man did.